It’s still several months before Severance returns, but its creator has the future of the series mapped out, including a possible season 3.

It’s been over two years since the first season of Severance wrapped up, and fans have been eagerly awaiting the new season. We’re still a few months out from the premiere, but Severance creator Dan Erickson has already mapped out the future of the series, including a possible season 3.

While speaking with IndieWire, Severance writer and co-executive producer Mohamad El Masri teased the future of the series. “There was always a thinking ahead to future seasons,” El Masri said. “Even in Season 2, we were talking about, what is the end game and how does this show end? A lot of work was talking about that. I think there’s a natural overlap that happens, especially with the second season of a show, that you’ve got to keep [the momentum] going. People are interested, people are watching, and now with Season 2, you really have to sort of think about, not just what is Season 2 going to deliver in a satisfying way, but how does this set up Season 3 and beyond?“

El Masri added that Erickson has a “whole vision mapped out” for Severance, and unlike some other sci-fi shows, Erickson isn’t figuring things out as he goes. “Dan is not that guy,” El Masri said. “He is very meticulous and very detailed about the world that he’s created. So we have to work within those relative parameters. It’s his vision, it’s all in his head and, you know, you sort of have to draw it out. You have to really understand it from him. But at the same time, it’s a living thing and you have to sort of adapt and change. We have to go back and revisit, pivot, rewrite, and make sure that not only does it make sense from a science-fiction place, but that emotional journeys are all tracking and connecting to the cool stuff in a way that makes organic sense.“

El Masri wouldn’t say whether fans are in for another long wait between seasons, but he acknowledged that the multi-year gap is “nuts,” adding, “Will it take another 3.5 years for the show to come out with Season 3? I mean, I hope not, just as a fan. I hope we don’t have to keep ourselves waiting for that long. But, you know, it’s Hollywood.“

Severance stars Adam Scott as Mark Scout, who leads a team at Lumon Industries “whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.” The second season is set to debut on Apple TV+ on January 17, 2025.

Terrifier 3 star Lauren LaVera got her start as Anya Taylor-Joy’s body double in Split, where M. Night Shyamalan encouraged her career.

Lauren LaVera is currently starring in Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3, but she actually got her start as Anya Taylor-Joy’s body double in Split. The M. Night Shyamalan thriller was LaVera’s first experience as a background artist after the director spotted her on set.

“One day, M. Night passed me and we connected eyes. My mom was with me on set that day and she was like, ‘Oh, that was weird. Did he recognize you?’ And I was like, ‘I’ve never met him before in my life,’” LaVera told THR. “And the day after, I got a call from the casting director asking me if I could be the double for Anya. So I wondered if he saw some resemblance between Anya and I in that moment the day before. We both had darker hair, and we were probably closer in physical appearance at that time.“

In addition to doubling for Taylor-Joy, LaVera doubled for the other two leads as well. “I doubled all three of them, so Anya and the two other leads, Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula [Marcia],” she said. “People think I was the stunt double, but I was actually their body double for closeups of their bodies and stuff like that. That was my first background experience. I just wanted to see what it was like to be on a set and dip my toes into it.“

LaVera added that Shyamalan recognized she was interested in other aspects of the production and was very encouraging. “I worked very closely with M. Night on set, and he was so supportive,” she said. “He could tell that I was so interested in his job as the director and in everything. He would call me over to sit next to him and look at the monitor. It was unreal. We joked around, and he even recommended books for me.“

However, she did recall one embarrassing moment during one of her first days on set, when she was so excited to meet Shyamalan that she completely ignored James McAvoy. “I was so interested in meeting M. Night that I didn’t even see James McAvoy,” she explained. “My mom told me that I started walking in his direction, and while he was ready to shake my hand like that lovely man that he is, I walked right past him like an idiot. I went right behind him to M. Night, and I was like, ‘I’m such a huge fan!’ So James McAvoy was just left hanging there.“

Terrifier 3 is now playing in theaters, so be sure to check out a review from our own Tyler Nichols and let us know what you think of the film as well!

Terrifier 3 is easily beating Joker: Folie A Deux at the weekend box office, with the Todd Phillips sequel looking at a 3rd place finish.

UPDATE: The Friday numbers are starting to roll in, and it looks like the micro-budget Terrifier 3 is indeed wiping the floor with Joker: Folie a Deux at the weekend box office (just as we predicted). But, in a stunning turn of events, it looks like the much-hated Joker sequel (which we unpacked on this week’s livestream) might not even hit second place at the box office, with Deadline reporting that The Wild Robot might be able to take second place. 

Terrifier 3 looks like it will hit about $15 million this weekend, which is quite a coup for an indie horror flick without any studio support behind it. The only caveat is that, given the rabid fan base, it might be front-loaded, and could gross a lot less on Saturday than it did on Friday. The Wild Robot looks like it will hit second place, with about $13 million this weekend, being propelled by excellent word of mouth. 

As for Joker, it looks like it will come in third, with a $8-9 million weekend, which would mean it fell off a disastrous 77% in its second weekend. Ouch. Meanwhile, it looks like Jason Reitman’s excellent Saturday Night is struggling to find a theatrical audience, with it only on track for a $4 million weekend. The Donald Trump movie, The Apprentice, is also crashing with audiences, with it only on track to make about $1-1.5 million for the weekend.

We’ll be back tomorrow with a full box office rundown!

Original Post:

Damien Leone’s Art the Clown is back to sink an ax into the box office with Terrifier 3 (read our review here), just in time for the lead-up to Halloween! On Thursday, the unrated Cineverse slasher reached $2.6M in previews, with screenings beginning at 8 p.m. Reports indicate Terrifier 3 only cost $5 million for its acquisition and publicity. It’s worth mentioning that Art the Clown is a hit at Spirit Halloween stores this holiday, with various costumes, props, apparel, and animatronic decorations throughout the limited-time Halloween-themed outlet. If Terrifier 3 only costs $5M to bring to cinemas and has already made $2.6M, the splatterpunk sequel could become another mega-hit for the studio.

While Art’s got a big smile at the thought of making audiences puke from his hyper-violent antics, Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux feels the opposite. Analysts expect Terrifier 3 to overtake Joker: Folie à Deux at the box office this weekend with an $11M debut. Terrifier 3 holds a 94% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes despite audiences exiting the film early to refund their popcorn into a theater restroom toilet.

“The early box office numbers putting Terrifier 3 at No. 1 after early previews are far beyond our expectations and we are thrilled to see how strongly the Terrifier fanbase has come out in support of the franchise’s new chapter,” said Cineverse Chairman/CEO Chris McGurk in a statement this AM. “This success is proof that a quality indie film can hold its own theatrically despite being unrated and going up against big studio features and buzzy festival darlings, and is a testament to Phil and Damien’s vision and connection to those most passionate about the horror genre.”

Meanwhile, Joker: Folie à Deux slowly danced through its first week with $44.5M. That’s 19% behind the first week of Marvel Studios’ The Marvels, which took home $54.8M. Other previews include the Pharrell Williams LEGO documentary Piece by Piece, which stacked $450K from 1,500 theaters, with analysts expecting a $3M-$9M weekend debut. Toho International’s My Hero Academia: You’re Next punched its way to $413K in previews in 1,845 theaters. You’re Next is a thrilling roller coaster of action, superhero spectacle, and character-building. Check out our full review of My Hero Academia: You’re Next here!

Elsewhere, the SNL origin movie Saturday Night banked $370K in previews, with showtimes beginning at 2 p.m. As positive word of mouth spreads, the film could earn $3M-$5M during the weekends. Finally, Briarcliff Entertainment’s The Apprentice, about a young Donald Trump and his mentor Roy Cohn, borderline bombed with a $150K debut. Critics love The Apprentice, but general audiences could feel Trumped out because of the ongoing and exhaustive election cycle.

Are you going to the movies this weekend? What do you plan on seeing? Let us know in the comments section below.

Last Updated on October 14, 2024

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].

Carrie by Stephen Andrade

The Corspe Bride by Kevin Tiernan

Dirty Harry by Charles Griak

The Legend of Zelda by Kyle Fast

Nosferatu The Vampyre by Graham Corcoran

The Substance by Siddharth Vinod

Tales From The Crypt by Bryan Johnson

Terrifier by Ted Hammond

Transformers by Ryan Button

The Wild Robot by Alan Dav

While many would say Steven Seagal has become a self-parody, his first five movies are great. Let’s rank them!

Last Updated on October 14, 2024

It can’t be denied that as far as the old-time action heroes go, Steven Seagal doesn’t get much respect these days. A whole lot has been written about Steven Seagal’s behaviour off-screen (much of it by us), and I’m not going to rehash it all here, but suffice it to say there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of goodwill left over for the former ponytailed action hero. While many would say he’s become a parody of himself in recent years, one shouldn’t forget that, at the start of his career, Seagal was ultra-popular. His Aikido moves, plus his tall, almost lanky figure and quiet demeanour made him unique among action heroes of the day. And, if you look at his filmography, his first five movies are really good as far as action flicks of the era go. Everything else? Well, not so much, with 1994’s On Deadly Ground, the point where the lean and mean action hero we knew from back in the day kind of stopped existing. However, those first five movies were great – but which one was the best? We’re have ranked his first five movies – and let us know in the comments if you agree with our order!

Under Siege (1992):

In some ways, Andrew Davis’s Under Siege was both the best and worst thing that ever happened to Steven Seagal. It was his best movie, and it elevated him to A-list status in Hollywood, but it made him such a big star that he could get anything he wanted made, and the stuff he wanted to make – well – it tanked his career. Even still, Under Siege is probably the best Die Hard riff of its era, with Seagal perfectly cast as Casey Ryback, a chef on a Navy battleship who does battle with a group of mercenaries that take over the ship and kill his captain. Seagal’s used somewhat sparsely here, with Davis allowing the movie’s two villains, played by Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, to utterly steal the whole thing. Within months of this movie’s release, Jones would be on his way toward winning an Oscar for The Fugitive, which would reteam him with Davis. 

Marked for Death (1990):

This is probably Seagal’s most hardcore actioner, with him playing a DEA agent named John Hatcher who takes on a Jamaican drug cartel after his family is attacked. Director Dwight Little is arguably Seagal’s best director (other than Andrew Davis), as he knows exactly how to use his star. It has all Seagal’s best one-liners and action sequences, including a killer showdown with the villain, Basil Wallace’s Screwface. Plus, Keith David rocks as Seagal’s sidekick and should have gotten his own action movie back in the nineties.

Out for Justice (1991):

This one is almost as rock solid as Marked for Death, with director John Flynn delivering a lean and mean revenge thriller, with Seagal’s cop avenging his partner’s murder at the hands of a psychotic gangster played by William Forsythe. It has a couple of great action scenes, including a memorable bit where Seagal takes down a bar full of tough guys, including the legendary Dan Inosanto. However, it’s marred by Seagal’s poor attempt at a Brooklyn accent, and his name in the movie, Gino Fellino, is tough to say without giggling. Still, it’s pretty fun.

In many ways, this movie gave us the classic era of Steven Seagal we all knew and loved (for a while anyway). This is the first movie where he’s rocking a ponytail, and it has more martial arts mayhem than Above the Law did. However, the fact that Seagal’s character spends seven years in a coma and then, after a day or two, can once again become a one-man army is a bit tough to swallow. However, this has some classic action beats and Kelly LeBrock as Seagal’s love interest.

Above the Law (1988):

A lot of you reading this probably think I’m crazy and that Above the Law should be closer to the top of the list. I always found it to be wildly inconsistent. It has a pretty serious, compelling storyline, but then it has some incredibly stupid cop movie moments, such as when Seagal, just to be cool, calmly executes a man in cold blood in front of witnesses without any repercussions. You can’t have it both ways – embrace the cheese (as most of Seagal’s later films did) or do something serious. Even still, it’s a solid action movie, with some great Aikido beat-downs and a gory climax where poor Henry Silva dies a GRUESOME death.

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

Dana Carvey played musician Derek Stevens four times throughout season 12 and 13 of SNL, solidifying a classic in the ’80s.

Last Updated on October 14, 2024

When Dana Carvey introduced American audiences to “Choppin’ Broccoli” on Saturday Night Live, it did what all SNL sketches hope to do: stick in the psyche. Never again will that generation be able to dice up that disgusting green veggie – or even walk past it in the supermarket – without drumming up that song. And even Dana Carvey can’t believe we still love it.

The “Choppin’ Broccoli” sketch – which is formally known as “Derek Stevens” – actually turns 38 this month, having first premiered during season 12 of SNL, with two more appearances that season and one final one in 13. But this wasn’t an ordinary SNL sketch for Dana Carvey, having first developed the idea as a kid. “‘Choppin’ Broccoli’ was one of the first laughs I ever remember getting in my life. I was just imitating chopping broccoli to my parents and sisters, and them being like, ‘Look at this precocious little ham.’ When I hear other people do it, it makes me laugh, but as I was doing it, I’m still mystified by the character’s success.” Prior to its SNL success, Dana Carvey worked the bit into his standup routine.

For those who have yet to see the SNL sketch in question, it finds Dana Carvey playing Derek Stevens, who aspired to get signed to a record label but ends up having to make up songs off the cuff. Hence, a song about a woman who chops some broccoli titled “The Lady I Know”. Here are some sample lyrics: There’s a lady I know / If I didn’t know her / She’d be the lady I didn’t know / And my lady, she went downtown / She bought some broccoli / She brought it home / She’s choppin’ broccoli…

Dana Carvey added that this particular SNL sketch “may be the thing I’m referenced to most in many ways. I don’t know what it is about it.” Fly on the Wall co-host David Spade confirmed that it remains funny precisely because it’s not funny. The recurring sketch is often cited as one of Carvey’s greatest – and has made numerous appearances on “Best SNL Sketches Ever” lists – but I’m more of a Massive Head Wound Harry guy myself…

At one point, there was even a plan to kill off the character, with the idea kicked around in-sketch that if Derek Stevens dies, his record sales would go through the roof…It would also rid the world of those awful songs.

Where would “Choppin’ Broccoli” rank in your favorite Dana Carvey SNL sketches?

Will Reeve, the son of late actor Christopher, says his father is undoubtedly the greatest Superman portrayer ever.

Last Updated on October 14, 2024

Ask a room full of Batman fans who the best onscreen version was and you’ll get a split vote. While some will take Christian Bale, others will go back a generation for Michael Keaton. At the same time, Robert Pattinson developed a fast following and Kevin Conroy reinvented the Caped Crusader for the small screen. But when you ask everyone’s favorite Superman, it’s always Christopher Reeve. Many have donned the tights and cape in the 25+ years since he last did, but he has been unchallenged by every one of them.

The next man to play Superman will be David Corenswet, who will have to be more powerful than a locomotive to bring DC Studios into a new, successful era. On this, Christopher Reeve’s son Will said he has very little involvement with James Gunn’s Superman, even though he did film a cameo. “We’ve got to pump the brakes on my involvement. I have no insight into the plot, and I have no idea what the movie is about other than Superman. Christopher Reeve is the definitive Superman. But to have this film and the relaunch of Superman coincide with one another is kismet. We didn’t necessarily calculate that; it just worked out conveniently.”

Christopher Reeve’s son isn’t saying anything groundbreaking when he calls his father’s go as Superman the “definitive one”. But who would take the #2 spot? While many men have played the character over the years, certainly not all of them were good or left a mark. But credit where it’s due, Henry Cavill did a strong job and brought some depth to Clark Kent/Superman, while Brandon Routh had potential but didn’t exactly fly (it didn’t help that he was the first Superman after Reeve’s 2004 death).

As Christopher Reeve never took to the small screen as Superman, that leaves the field wide open there. On this front, it’s tough to challenge Smallville’s Tom Welling and Tyler Hoechlin, who played the Man of Steel on Supergirl and Superman & Lois. And how can we not mention George Reeves?

Who do you think takes the #2 spot after Christopher Reeve in the list of best Superman actors? Give us your pick in the comments section below!

Despite his most famous credits being horror fare, Finn Wolfhard isn’t sure if he’s really a “scream king.”

Last Updated on October 14, 2024

It feels like we have a steady stream of scream queens right now, with the likes of Mia Goth, Samara Weaving and Melissa Barrera all eligible for a crown. But we don’t have many going for the scream king title. Really, the biggest name that comes to mind is Finn Wolfhard, but even he isn’t sure he’s deserving.

When People asked him about the so-called “scream king” designation, Finn Wolfward replied, “That’s such a huge compliment….I’ve never heard that before. You’re the first to say it, but that’s really nice. I’m not sure. I don’t know if I’ve done enough horror movies yet.” This coming from the guy who seems to have made a pretty good living so far in plenty of horror and sci-fi fare, including the It movies, the most recent Ghostbusters entries and Floria Sigismondi’s The Turning. He has even dipped into the realm of animated spooky fare, providing the voice of Pugsley in the animated Addams Family movie. And of course there is his breakout series Stranger Things, which is set to conclude with the upcoming season. The dude has found his calling, that’s for sure.

This would all seem enough for Finn Wolfhard to be eligible, but he’s not so sure what makes him a proper fit, adding, “I don’t really know what the qualifications are of being a scream queen or king, but it’s definitely really nice.”

But Finn Wolfhard most definitely wouldnt be alone as a modern scream king, as there are still plenty of other contenders. Probably the biggest name that pops up is Bill Skarsgård, who danced around Wolfhard’s own Losers Club as Pennywise (a role he’ll reprise on It – Welcome to Derry next year), confirmed his loyalty to Stephen King with Castle Rock and will star in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu this December. And we can’t possibly ignore Justin Long and his contributions to modern horror, including Barbarian, which also starred Skarsgård.

Do you think Finn Wolfhard is deserving of the “scream king” title? Who in modern horror is the reigning king of the genre? Give us your picks in the comments section below.

Andrew Garfield recalled Heath Ledger being “smug” about 2008’s The Dark Knight, in which he played The Joker.

Heath Ledger’s turn as The Joker in 2008’s The Dark Knight remains one of the most chilling performances of this century, the actor eventually winning a posthumous Oscar for the defining portrayal of The Clown Prince of Crime. Based on peeks and teases, we knew we would be in for something special when the film came out. And so did Ledger himself, fully aware just how powerful the performance and The Dark Knight would be.

Recounting working with Heath Ledger on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Andrew Garfield (Anton) remembered the star telling him about his go as The Joker. “He had just done the Joker, he had just finished doing The Dark Knight, and he was so smug about it. I was like, ‘How did that go?’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, it’s really good.’”

However, Heath Ledger wouldn’t find everything to be funny surrounding the promotion of The Dark Knight, especially with how some publications were depicting The Joker. “I remember his like, Empire magazine cover came out and he was like, ‘Oh, they used a f*cking sh*t photo. And I was like, ‘Are you kidding me, dude that looks f*cking incredible.’ And he was like, ‘Nah, the pose is all wrong, it looks kinda like a conventional version of what an actor…you’ll see.’ And yeah, I did see.” The cover in question, from Empire’s January 2008 edition, is a still from the scene where Ledger’s The Joker is in jail, accompanied by the insanely corny text, “He’s a cold-blooded, mass-murdering clown!” Yeah, we can see why he took issue with it…

Tragically, Heath Ledger would never see the theatrical version of The Dark Knight, dying six months before its release. He would become only the second – and is the most recent – actor to win an Academy Award posthumously. Ledger has another Oscar distinction, as his and Joaquin Phoenix’s wins for playing The Joker made them the second pair to nab statues for playing the same character. The first was  Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro for Vito Corleone; they would later be joined by Rita Moreno and Ariana DeBose for West Side Story’s Anita.

Heath Ledger died during the making of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, with the likes of Johnny Depp, Jude Law and future fellow Batman villain Colin Farrell standing in for his character.

The Wild Robot director Chris Sanders confirmed that there are indeed talks of a sequel to the DreamWorks hit.

Sometimes you ever know what the best-reviewed films of the year will be. And right now, one of them is The Wild Robot, the rare original film that DreamWorks was able to shimmy in between their Trolls, Kung Fu Panda and Shrek movies. But, taking a cue from these franchises, the studio has greenlit a sequel even though The Wild Robot has only been out for two weeks.

Now, The Wild Robot has already crossed $110 million worldwide, with the bulk coming domestically (it’s currently tracking to take the #2 spot at the box office this week, behind Terrifier 3). With that, we shouldn’t be surprised that a sequel for The Wild Robot is moving forward. This was all confirmed by director Chris Sanders, who said, “100% yes there are absolutely plans for a second one.” Details are obviously vague or nonexistent at this point but that’s still encouraging.

Sanders – who was also responsible for Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon, the latter with DreamWorks – previously praised the studio and expressed his interest in a sequel, telling NBC, “I would very much like to [do a sequel to The Wild Robot]. I think the entire crew really, really involved themselves in this film in a way that I’ve never seen before, myself included. This was a labor of love on the part of everybody at the studio, and yes, I think I’d love to go and stay here for a while.”

Lupita Nyong’o, who voices Roz, has also been open about being down for a sequel to The Wild Robot. And considering how terrific she is here and the depth she brings to the character, no doubt fans would welcome the return. The rest of the voice cast includes Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O’Hara, Mark Hamill, Matt Berry, Bill Nighy, and Ving Rhames.

The Wild Robot will likely see a Best Animated Feature Oscar nomination, potentially even stopping Inside Out 2 from nabbing another for the series. To date, DreamWorks only has two wins in the category out of 14 nominations. One of these was for Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, and the studio could also find themselves facing off against that series’ follow-up, Vengeance Most Fowl, after they were dumped by Nick Park and company.

Despite the excellent box office, Dreamworks is giving the movie a rather quick debut on VOD, with it set for release on Tuesday. Is this too soon, and are you ready for a sequel? Let us know in the comments!