News

Spoiler shields up! This article discusses plot details from the latest episode of "Star Trek: Lower Decks."

If "Star Trek: Lower Decks" must end with its fifth and final season (which /Film's Jacob Hall reviewed here), it might as well go out swinging for the fences. That seems to have been the approach from creator/showrunner Mike McMahan and the writing team as a whole so far in this series, in all fairness, but season 5, episode 6 takes this Mo to even greater heights. Titled "Of Gods and Angles," the story sees the crew of the USS Cerritos having to don their diplomacy hats in order to mediate between two disgruntled factions of photon-based lifeforms: alien races made up of cubes and spheres, hilariously enough. Yet, as ridiculous and silly as this gets, the main plot doesn't even take the title for the nerdiest moment of the episode. No, that honor...

Image Source: Walt Disney Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born, Disney had high hopes for its own comic book movie, 1991’s The Rocketeer. While the critics gave it good reviews, audiences weren’t nearly as enthusiastic. Disney had envisioned The Rocketeer as a franchise, but plans for a sequel were dropped after the film was a box office failure. Still, as with several underappreciated films from that era, home video and streaming have helped it resurface as a cult classic. Jennifer Connelly, who starred alongside Billy Campbell and Timothy Dalton, told us that when the film was first released, most of the special effects were practical effects something she had never seen before. (Click on the media bar below to hear Jennifer Connelly) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Jennifer_connesly_Rocketeer_.mp3

The Rocketeer is currently streaming on Disney+ and available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and most digital platforms.

Former General Hospital star Nicholas Alexander Chavez has gone on to great acclaim with his Netflix shows Grotesquerie and his dream job, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. The actor, who took a hilarious turn in the 2022 film Crushed, has enjoyed his horror success. Now, he’s diving into a new scary project linked to a fan-favorite 1990s franchise.

Delving Into Darkness

Deadline reported that Chavez will join the latest sequel to the 1997 slasher flick I Know What You Did Last Summer. The film concerns “Four young friends bound by a tragic accident are reunited when they find themselves being stalked by a hook-wielding maniac in their small seaside town,” per IMDb.

The original film starred Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Johnny Galecki, and Bridgette Wilson. Kevin Williamson, who launched the Scream franchise, wrote the film that was loosely based on Lois Duncan...

There’s a new sequel to the slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer (watch it Here) and the follow-up I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (watch that one Here) coming our way from director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge) – and Deadline has just revealed the names of four more cast members! They are Lola Tung (The Summer I Turned Pretty), Nicholas Alexander Chavez (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story), Austin Nichols (The Day After Tomorrow), and model / musician Gabbriette, who will be making her feature film acting debut. Tung, Chavez, Nichols, and Gabbriette join previously announced cast members Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Sarah Pidgeon (Tiny Beautiful Things), Tyriq Withers (Atlanta), Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid), and Billy Campbell (The Rocketeer). Robinson’s Do Revenge star Camila Mendes (Riverdale) was previously attached, but had to drop out due to scheduling issues. It appears that she has...

Sarah Michelle Gellar may not be coming back for the new sequel to the slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer (watch it Here) and the follow-up I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (watch that one Here) that’s coming our way from director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge) – since her character is dead and all – but The Rocketeer is going to be in the movie! Deadline reports that The Rocketeer star Billy Campbell, whose credits also include Cardinal, Enough, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, has signed on to join the cast.

Campbell’s co-stars will include Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Sarah Pidgeon (Tiny Beautiful Things), Tyriq Withers (Atlanta), and Jonah Hauer-King (The Little Mermaid). Robinson’s Do Revenge star Camila Mendes (Riverdale) was previously attached, but had to drop out due to scheduling issues. It appears that she has been replaced by Chase Sui Wonders (Bodies Bodies Bodies...

Exclusive: Sony’s sequel to I Know What You Did Last Summer has just added Billy Campbell to the booming cast which includes Freddie Prinze Jr., Chase Sui Wonders, Madelyn Cline, Sarah Pidgeon, Tyriq Withers and Jonah Haur-King. Franchise Og star Jennifer Love Hewitt is also in talks to return.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is directing the follow up, which is written by Sam Lansky and Kaytin Robinson off a draft by Leah McKendrick. Neal Moritz is producing for a theatrical release scheduled on July 18, 2025.

The Paradigm and Link Entertainment repped Campbell recently starred in 2x Primetime Emmy winning Amazon series Mr. & Mrs. Smith. He was also last seen in the CTV/Hulu television series, Cardinal. Campbell won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor in Cardinal for two years in a row as well as nominated for an International Emmy Award for Best Actor in a series. He is...

Jim Henson's 1986 film "Labyrinth" is a deeply beloved classic among kids of a certain age. It presents the raw sexuality of David Bowie, playing a sexy goblin lord in tights, his bulging package kickstarting millions of kids' puberties. At the beginning of the film, the main character, the 16-year-old Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) wants nothing more than to live in a fantasy world, happy to remain in her pretty-princess phase indefinitely. However, when Bowie's goblin king kidnaps her baby brother Toby (Toby Froud), she learns that living in such a world is wild and off-putting. Most of the film is a random, light adventure, but one scene points out that Sarah is unduly clinging onto her childhood trinkets.

She learns the lesson of I Corinthians 13:11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man,...

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Pegasus", Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is reunited with Admiral Erik Pressman (Terry O'Quinn), his former commanding officer on board a ship called the U.S.S. Pegasus. Pressman is visiting the Enterprise to reveal that Starfleet intelligence has located the missing Pegasus, presumably destroyed 15 years ago. It's their mission to either salvage the Pegasus or destroy it before nearby Romulans can cannibalize its technology.

In some meaningful asides, Riker and Pressman talk about the "final mission" of the Pegasus, and how there are some things they have been keeping secret for the last 15 years, hoping that Starfleet never finds out. Like most Admirals on "Star Trek," Pressman is up to something shady, and he had convinced a young Ensign Riker to go along with it. Because Pressman is played by Terry O'Quinn, audiences were likely suspicious immediately; O'Quinn was an expert...

3 different actors had the chance to portray Riker in Star Trek(Photo Credit –Instagram)

Let’s go back in time and investigate the possible outcomes inside the Star Trek world. Who knows, perhaps the series might have gone entirely in a different path if another actor had played Riker!

1. Michael O’Gorman: The Almost-Riker Who Quit Acting

Think of a Star Trek where Michael O’Gorman, not Jonathan Frakes, served as Riker’s face. It’s an idea worth considering. O’Gorman has a limited background in acting, having played quirky characters in a number of forgotten syndicated series, including Monsters and Miami Vice. Despite his short list of credits, O’Gorman was a serious contender for Riker.

In a memo dated April 13, 1987, from John Ferraro, Senior Vice President for Paramount Pictures, O’Gorman’s name appeared alongside other top contenders such as Gregg Marx and Ben Murphy. Ferraro’s memo...

Like horror, science fiction lends itself well to serialization. Fans of the genre love the chance to explore fantastical worlds far from our own, and once storytellers have developed a brand-new universe, those fans love having a reason to come back. From "Star Trek" to "Star Wars" (which are quite similar), from "The Terminator" to "The Thing," sci-fi franchises can spawn from anything given a strong enough premise.

Moviemaking takes time, though, and we also live in a world where projects are announced many years in advance. This can all make it frustrating to be a fan of sci-fi, often having to wait years to be able to return to a series that you love, even though new installments are constantly dangled over your head. While we're waiting for the next great sci-fi original to spark a new franchise, we've rounded up some of the sci-fi sequels that we simply...

Joe Johnston’s 1991 superhero movie The Rocketeer begins in the usual way, with orange opening credits against a black screen. Only the slight tinkling of piano hints at something greater, little notes of inspiration under the art deco script on display. Sure enough, after the title reveal, the score pauses. The black screen is revealed to actually be the doors of a hangar bay, and the strings in James Horner’s score rise to a crescendo. They are announcing the hopes hanging on the yellow biplane that emerges.

A warm, confident scene of pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell) proving to his mechanic Peevey (Alan Arkin) and their pals that he’s got what it takes to win a race is an odd way to open a superhero movie, even one of the pulp-inspired films that Hollywood cranked out after Batman hit it big in 1989. By the end of The Rocketeer,...

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 theodorebond@joblo.com.

Barbarella by Brendan Albetski

Batman and Superman by Jyle Fast

The Fall Guy by Krittee Yampraipirom

Gundam by Dakota Randall

Pee-Wee’s Payhouse by Bryan Johnson

Princess Mononoke by Grobi-Grafik

The Rocketeer...

With things being so slow at the box office in the early going of 2024, you would half expect to hear people reporting sightings of tumbleweeds rolling across the floors of their local movie theaters. Praise to the cinema gods, May is finally arriving with a promising crop of tentpoles to help rejuvenate the marketplace, starting with director David Leitch's much-buzzed-about '80s series turned contemporary action-comedy "The Fall Guy" (you can read our own Jacob Hall's glowing review of the picture here). But never fear! If you're searching for something to watch at home, too, Netflix will provide in bountiful amounts.

Well, sort of.

Truth be told, next month is looking kind of sparse when it comes to Netflix exclusives outside the purview of shows with firmly established fandoms (see: the latest season of "Bridgerton") or the service's usual smattering of specialty offerings, including live comedy events and ongoing anime series.

"Star Wars" has always been a fairy tale at its core. The phrase "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" conjures visions of mythic adventures and imaginative settings as much as "Once upon a time" does. Yet, no entries in the franchise have held truer to this ethos than, arguably, the infamous live-action Ewok movies (and if you're surprised to hear me say that, then you clearly haven't looked at my author page before).

Now relegated to the non-canon sectors of the "Star Wars" universe, 1984's "Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure" (originally released as "The Ewok Adventure") was a made-for-tv movie following the cuddly murder teddy bears of the forest moon of Endor as they set out to reunite two young humans with their parents. Despite its limited budget, "An Ewok Adventure" is often just as visually accomplished as other theatrical '80s fantasy features thanks...

The documentary feature, “Dave Stevens: Drawn To Perfection” directed by Kelvin Mao, showcases the late illustrator, noted as the creator of “The Rocketeer”and for the reintroduction of 1950’s pin-up model ‘Bettie Page’, now streaming on Prime Video:

‘…while carving out his own unique corner of importance…

“…in comic book and illustration art…

“…Stevens showed the world what it's like to pursue the life…

“…of a creative individual who loved the look of strong, beautiful women.”

Click the images to enlarge…

]...

Mortal Media, the film and TV production company co-founded by Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil, has signed with WME for representation, Variety has learned exclusively.

WME will rep Mortal Media’s scripted and unscripted slate, while also helping the company expand into brand partnerships and creative marketing services. In addition, Griffin has signed with WME for theatrical representation.

Mortal Media currently has projects in development across a wide range of platforms, including Netflix, Paramount, 20th Century Studios, FX, and Disney. Their recent credits include the “White Men Can’t Jump” remake at Hulu and the sci-fi dramedy series “Hello Tomorrow!” at Apple TV+. On the horizon, Mortal Media is behind “The Rocketeer” sequel at Disney, the single-cam comedy “Get Buckets” in development at Fox, and a feature action comedy with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat for Netflix. Mortal Media is also a lead investor in Swaybox Studios, an innovative, New Orleans-based animation studio.

Many people would claim that Frank Darabont has made the best Stephen King adaptations ever put on film, but did you know that over a decade before making The Shawshank Redemption, it would be Stephen King himself who helped Frank Darabont become a filmmaker? Frank would use one of Stephen King’s infamous “Dollar Babies” where King would allow aspiring filmmakers to license one of his short stories for just $1. Darabont would adapt King’s short The Woman in the Room which would be short-listed for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short film in 1983. Despite not getting the nomination, and not even particularly liking the short, King was a fan and for $5,000, granted Darabont the rights to adapt another of his short stories: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption.

Of course, Darabont wasn’t quite ready to tackle something as massive as that story just yet, so he made...

Welcome to Sales to Astonish, a new column in association with comics retailer The Unreality Store, in which Matthew De Monti brings us news on comic sales and the general moves in the comic market over the past month or so!

To start the Year in Review I’ll start with looking at sales by product type and then touch upon some general themes at the end.

Marvel Comics

2023 for me has undoubtedly been all about Marvel with back issue sales accounting for around 60% of the year’s sales. I’ve been staggered by the continued demand for Marvel back issues, especially titles from the late 80’s and early 90’s that I can remember hitting the shelves. Many of these issues, especially the likes of X-Men and Spiderman had print runs into the hundreds of thousands every month so you would think that there is an abundance of copies out there.

The Rocketeer can be seen as Joe Johnston’s precursor to his introductory entry into the MCU with Captain America: The First Avenger. Both are World War II superheroes and sport a pretty seamless merging of modern blockbuster filmmaking with the classic tone associated with its story. The Rocketeer never quite reached Batman levels of popularity, but the Disney film has been looked back at with fond eyes over the years and amassed a cult following. Years ago, it was reported that Lawmen: Bass Reeves star David Oyelowo was set to star and produce a sequel to The Rocketeer involving a retired Tuskegee airman, which was to be titled The Return of the Rocketeer.

There hasn’t been much in the way of news since the initial announcement, but David Oyelowo gives an update on the project, by way of The Wrap. Oyelowo explained, “We have forward momentum. I know...

Ready your rocket pack and dig out your best leather suit – David Oyelowo seems pretty positive about the direction his Rocketeer sequel is going.

David Oyelowo’s follow-up to Disney’s live-action original, The Rocketeer, was first announced in 2021 – and we’ve not heard much about it since. In a recent interview, though, Oyelowo offered a bit of an update on the current state of the project.

“We have forward momentum,” Oyelowo told TheWrap.

“I know you guys hear this stuff all the time, but we[‘re] in the script development stage and if you’re going to reinvigorate that beloved franchise, you better come with the goods. And so Eugene Ashe is currently writing away and we were talking about it only this week. We’re all very committed to that. But it’s going to have to be great and we will not rest until it is.”

The original film,...

Brandon K. McLaughlin remembers the exact moment he knew he wanted to work in the movie business. It was Halloween night and McLaughlin was eight years old. His uncle—a special effects technician—had invited him to set to watch the Disney adventure The Rocketeer being made. “I got to see them blow up the zeppelin while the Rocketeer was running on top of it,” McLaughlin said. “From that point on, I never wanted to do anything else. I was fascinated with everything that went into the magic of moviemaking, and the special effects department creates that magic, tricking the audience into […]

The post How to Make Nickelodeon Slime Look Like Oil: Special Effects Coordinator Brandon K. McLaughlin on Killers of the Flower Moon first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Brandon K. McLaughlin remembers the exact moment he knew he wanted to work in the movie business. It was Halloween night and McLaughlin was eight years old. His uncle—a special effects technician—had invited him to set to watch the Disney adventure The Rocketeer being made. “I got to see them blow up the zeppelin while the Rocketeer was running on top of it,” McLaughlin said. “From that point on, I never wanted to do anything else. I was fascinated with everything that went into the magic of moviemaking, and the special effects department creates that magic, tricking the audience into […]

The post How to Make Nickelodeon Slime Look Like Oil: Special Effects Coordinator Brandon K. McLaughlin on Killers of the Flower Moon first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

(Welcome to Best Action Scene Ever, a column dedicated to breaking down the best, most effective action sequences throughout the genre. In this edition, we revisit the surprisingly dark, highly emotional, but quintessentially Superman moment of self-sacrifice in the climax of "The Iron Giant.")

Over 20 years after its release, time has been immensely kind to "The Iron Giant." A perfect example of a film creating a lasting legacy far beyond its disappointing box office performance, the groundbreaking animation effort would put filmmaker Brad Bird on the map (along with his notoriously exacting reputation and painstaking filmmaking approach) and go on to establish itself as one of the best superhero movies of all time. Not too shabby for a hand-drawn production featuring an absolute bare minimum of action scenes and a first-time director at the helm. The 1999 classic is also one of the greatest anti-gun pleas ever committed to film, so...

For 30 years, the "Jurassic Park" films have helped keep prehistoric beasts on the big screen, dating back to Steven Spielberg's original, groundbreaking blockbuster. Ever since, this has pretty much been the only game in town as far as dinosaurs go. Sure, other movies have tried to do dino action on a large scale, such as the recent Adam Driver sci-fi flick "65," but nothing ever seems to truly click with audiences in a meaningful way. At least not nearly on the level that these movies have for three decades.

Across three decades and spanning six films, the franchise has come a long way. For anyone looking to revisit the series, or perhaps anyone who fell off at some point and wishes to get back on board to see what John Hammond's dream of uniting dinosaurs and mankind together after 65 million years resulted in, we've got you covered. So,...

“Sylvie’s Love” filmmaker Eugene Ashe has been tapped to write “The Rocketeer” reboot at Disney+, The Wrap has exclusively learned.

David Oyelowo is attached to star and produce the project. The project is part of his and his wife’s two-year first-look deal with Disney.

Released in 1991, Disney’s “The Rocketeer” is a period superhero film that starred Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton and the late Paul Sorvino. The film was directed by Joe Johnston (“Captain America: The First Avenger”), with breathtaking visual effects from Johnston’s alma mater Industrial Light & Magic and an unforgettable score by the late, great James Horner, that you can still hear in the background of some Disney theme parks.

“The Rockeeter” is based on the comic book character of the same name created by comic book artist and writer Dave Stevens, who first appeared as a back-up story in the pages...

There are few pulpy visualizations of revenge that play as satisfyingly as the climax of Martin Campbell’s The Mask of Zorro. Released 25 years ago, the still surprisingly lithe and surefooted swashbuckler culminates with a multigenerational crescendo of vengeance, which is served bloody and fierce. On one level of a crumbling Californian gold mine, the original Zorro is a now aged and dying Don Diego de la Vega (Anthony Hopkins), and he grapples in his last breath with the man who stole his life and imprisoned him in hell for 20 years. Yet a literal platform below this Count of Monte Cristo passion play is something even bleaker and more vicious: the storm of swords unleashed by a younger Zorro (Antonio Banderas) and his own object of disdain: Capt. Harrison Love (Matt Letscher).

When Zorro carves an “M” across Capt. Love’s face, there is no wink or playful banter one...

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" introduced us to pop culture's truest Space Dad in the form of Patrick Stewart's Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a noble, commanding, trustworthy father figure for an entire generation of science fiction-loving dorks. But could you ask Captain Picard about girls? About alcohol? About having a good time? Of course not. That wouldn't be dignified for either of you. That's where Jonathan Frakes' Commander William Riker comes in. The Enterprise's First Officer was younger and a bit cockier (and a lot sillier) than the captain. He was a ladies' man, but one who always seemed respectful. He was always down for a good time, but was ready when duty called. He was charming, but never creepy. Tough, but never macho. Frakes had tapped into something special. He was the Space Uncle we all needed. We aspire to be like Picard. We learn how to live from Riker.

Robert Schmidt, the film editor whose decades-long collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis on classics such as Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cast Away, Contact and all three Back to the Future films won him two Oscars, has died, Deadline has confirmed. He was 86.

Schmidt’s two Best Film Editing Oscars came for Roger Rabbit (1988) and Forrest Gump (1994). His other collaborations with Zemeckis included Death Becomes Her (1992) and What Lies Beneath (2000).

“Arthur Schmidt was incredibly talented and a joy to work with,” Zemeckis said in a statement to Deadline. “He was a true gentleman and I am honored to have known him and to have created what we did together.”

Schmidt had a distinguished career beyond that artistic partnership.

He edited films directed by Michael Mann, Taylor Hackford, Michael Apted, Mike Nichols, Barry Sonnenfeld and many others.

In addition to his Oscars, Schmidt won Ace Eddies for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl...

Arthur Schmidt, 2-time Academy Award-winning editor and longtime collaborator of Robert Zemeckis, died this past Saturday at the age of 86, his brother Ron announced.

Schmidt’s four-decade career includes some of the biggest films of the late 20th Century, including Zemeckis’ “Back to the Future” trilogy, “Contact” and “Cast Away.” He also received his two Oscars for “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” and “Forrest Gump,” the latter of which won Best Picture.

Born in Los Angeles, Schmidt’s career followed in the footsteps of his father, Arthur P. Schmidt, who also had a decorated editing career with films like “Ace in the Hole,” “Sabrina,” “Some Like It Hot,” and Billy Wilder’s legendary noir “Sunset Boulevard.”

The younger Schmidt’s career didn’t start until after his father’s death in 1965, working as an apprentice and assistant editor throughout the 1970s including on films like “Jaws 2.” His big breakthrough came...

Arthur Schmidt, the two-time Oscar-winning film editor who collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis on 10 films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and the Back to the Future trilogy, has died. He was 86.

Schmidt died Saturday of an unknown cause at his home in Santa Barbara, his brother Ron Schmidt told The Hollywood Reporter.

The second-generation film editor also cut three Mike Nichols features — The Fortune (1975), The Birdcage (1996) and Primary Colors (1998) — and two helmed by Michael Apted — Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), for which he received his first Oscar nom, and Firstborn (1984).

His résumé over four decades included work on Marathon Man (1976), Jaws 2 (1978), Ruthless People (1986), Beaches (1988), The Rocketeer (1991), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Congo (1995), and he was brought in for three months to help tidy up the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2003.

Schmidt received his Academy Awards in 1989 for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and in 1995 for Forrest Gump,...

She's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. She can outrun Imperial starships. She's fast. She is the Millennium Falcon, and while she may not look like much, she's got it where it counts. As for why she looks like, per Luke Skywalker, "a piece of junk," that's a surprisingly convoluted story born out of Joe Johnston's literal kitchen sink.

It's also a reminder of why George Lucas' "Star Wars" became a zeitgeist-capturing blockbuster the likes of which hadn't been seen since "Gone with the Wind." Lucas combined his love of Westerns, Akira Kurosawa's samurai films, and hot rods to make a sci-fi fantasy with a lived-in aesthetic. He wasn't trying to blow audiences away with sleek, futuristic design work. He wanted his space opera to feel like a world ravaged by conflict. This meant his spacecraft had to look beaten to crap.

So...

Alan Arkin, the legendary character actor, has died at age 89. The Arkin family confirmed his passing in a statement to People Magazine. “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man. A loving husband, father, grand and great grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”

Indeed, the legendary Alan Arkin had an incredible, enduring career. He first made a name for himself on stage, but here’s an interesting tidbit – he was nominated for an Oscar for his first movie role: The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. He was a Tony Award winner when he was cast but had yet to make a movie. He won the role because he was raised in a Russian-Jewish household, making him the ideal choice to play the film’s comic hero. Arkin’s performance was so lauded that he became a sensation playing ethnic roles.

Alan Arkin, the versatile actor who finally won an Oscar — for Little Miss Sunshine — after making a career of disappearing into characters with turns that could be comic, chilling or charming, has died. He was 89.

His sons, Adam, Matthew and Anthony, announced the news in a joint statement. “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man,” they said. “A loving husband, father, grand and great-grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”

He had heart trouble and died Thursday at his home in San Marcos, California.

In his first significant role in a feature, Arkin received a rare best actor Oscar nomination for work in a comedy when he played a Russian sailor whose submarine is marooned off the coast of a New England fishing village in Norman Jewison’s The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming (1966).

Two years later,...

Alan Arkin, the Academy Award-winning actor known for his roles in films including Little Miss Sunshine, Argo, Catch-22, and Glengarry Glen Ross, has died at the age of 89.

Arkin passed away on Thursday, June 29th at his home in California. “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man. A loving husband, father, grand and great grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed,” his sons said in a statement.

Born March 26th, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York, Arkin began taking acting lessons at the age of 10 and studied at multiple drama academies before making his 1957 feature film acting debut in the musical Calypso Heat Wave. After a few TV cameos, he made his Broadway debut in 1961 with From the Second City.

A star turn in 1963’s Enter Laughing earned Arkin the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, which he...

On its face, 1991 cult classic The Rocketeer may have been an action/adventure movie. But, in its heart, it was a lovingly crafted period piece, capturing 1930s Los Angeles in all its glory. For the film’s star, Billy Campbell, that feeling of going back in time when he stepped on the set was one of the things he loved most about making the movie. (Click on the media bar below to hear Billy Campbell) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Billy_Cambell_Rocketeer_.mp3

The Rocketeer is currently streaming on Disney+ and available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and most digital platforms.

The post For Billy Campbell, ‘Rocketeer’ Was More Of A Time Machine appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Summer movie season is heating up, but if you can’t make it out to a theater, there are plenty of great films to stream at home in May. This month sees the streaming debut of Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” which, judging by the box office, many of you skipped seeing in theaters. The sequel hits Disney+ on May 17, a week after the Disney+ streaming debut of the Tom Holland-fronted “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and a couple of days before the Jack Harlow-fronted “White Men Can’t Jump” remake debuts on Hulu.

The well-reviewed drama “Air” — written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, directed by Affleck and starring both — comes to Prime Video on May 12 after an exclusive theatrical run, and Netflix has an Anna Nicole Smith documentary hitting on May 16.

All that and more, including a bevy of great library titles, make up our list of the...

Back in 1990, CBS’s The Flash was a favorite of young comic book fans. Growing up as a young comic book fan in the ’80s and ’90s was not easy. All you current comic fans have it so easy. I grew up in the dark times, my friends. We were glad when anything comic book related was on movies and TV. We were so desperate that we would make excuses for anything.

Superman III? Hey, he gets to fight an evil Superman.

Generation X? Look they’re in the X-mansion!

Howard the Duck? Yeah….I got nothing.

But every once in a while someone would get it right. Richard Donner’s Superman started it but it was Tim Burton’s Batman film in 1989 that started to change things. Sure we would eventually get duds like Batman & Robin, but we also had Batman The Animated Series and Blade. Yet for a long time,...

Mira Sorvino found the Academy’s decision to leave her father, “Goodfellas” star Paul Sorvino,” out of Sunday night’s on-air In Memoriam tribute, “baffling beyond belief.”

The actress, who won a Best Supporting Oscar for the 1995 comedy “Mighty Aphrodite,” tweeted her disappointment Sunday night, “I for one am remembering Dad on this Oscars night.” On Monday, she addressed the omission more directly, tweeting, “It is baffling beyond belief that my beloved father and many other amazing brilliant departed actors were left out. The Oscars forgot about Paul Sorvino, but the rest of us never will!!”

Sorvino’s Oscar-nominated “Goodfellas” costar Ray Liotta, who died on May 26, 2022, was included in the broadcast tribute, but several other admired actors, including Anne Heche, Tom Sizemore, Philip Baker Hall and Cindy Williams, were not.

Also Read:

Paul Sorvino, ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Law & Order’ Actor, Dies at 83

Paul’s widow, Dee Dee Sorvino, also blasted the Academy,...

Stephen Herek is an American film director, producer and screenwriter who has been active in the movie industry since the 1980s. He is best known for directing films such as Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), The Mighty Ducks (1992), and Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995).

He was born in 1957 in Princeton, New Jersey and grew up in Catonsville, Maryland. After high school he attended Towson University where he graduated with a Bfa degree in theater arts. He then went on to study filmmaking at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he graduated with honors.

Herek first made his mark on Hollywood with his debut film, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure – a comedy starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter which became a major hit. Since then he has directed several other successful films such as The Rocketeer (1991) starring Billy Campbell, Donnie Darko (2001) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Critters 4 (1992), 101 Dalmatians (1996) starring Glenn Close and Steve Martin,...

Exclusive: Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil are getting into business with Sony Pictures Entertainment. The producing partners have signed a multi-year first-look development and production deal for film and TV via their Mortal Media production banner.

Under the first-look pact, Mortal Media will develop and produce a range of projects across film and television, in both the scripted and non-scripted space. Feature films and scripted television projects will focus on the intersection of genre and comedy, while the non-scripted slate will be dedicated to sports-related projects. Former NFL center Kalil and NBA All-Star Griffin bring a unique perspective to the world of sports, having both had successful careers as professional athletes.

The deal comes on the heels of the company’s recently released Apple TV+ sci-fi dramedy series Hello Tomorrow!, starring Emmy winner Billy Crudup.

“We always look for opportunities to work with new talent with fresh ideas and couldn...

February 16 marked the fifth anniversary of Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole’s “Black Panther.” Marvel Studios’ first Black-led superhero flick, starring the late Chadwick Boseman as the king of Wakanda, was seen as a watershed moment for Hollywood representation. With all the chatter about Marvel and DC films prioritizing diversity and inclusivity as a step forward for the caped sub-genre, the success of “Black Panther” was less a step forward and more a return to what was once the status quo generations prior.

Comic book and/or superhero movies fronted by Black actors, like the “Blade” trilogy and “Men in Black” series, once kept comic book features alive, only for Hollywood to declare them essentially whites-only as “Spider-Man” turned the genre into A-level tentpole IP.

Will Smith in “Men in Black 3”

While Hollywood chased pulp-era nostalgia, smaller superhero films centered on Black heroes to relative success.

The industry...

The Battle of Hoth in "The Empire Strikes Back" consists mostly of four-legged At-at walkers bearing down on a Rebel base as Luke Skywalker and other snowspeeder pilots fly out to meet them. However, there's one shot where the At-at's two-legged cousin, the At-st, or chicken walker, ambles past the camera, looking a little out of place in retrospect. The At-st would take on a more prominent role as a target of Ewok aggression in "Return of the Jedi," but it was originally designed by Joe Johnston late in the VFX process for "The Empire Strikes Back."

Johnston went on to become a filmmaker in his own right, directing "The Rocketeer" and "Captain America: The First Avenger," among other movies, but he started out as a designer and visual effects artist on the original "Star Wars" trilogy. A few years ago, we toured the "Star Wars: Identities" exhibition, where you...

Dennis Quaid has boarded Paramount+’s upcoming series “Bass Reeves,” starring David Oyelowo as the title lawman. Quaid is the first cast member to be announced opposite Oyelowo for the Taylor Sheridan-produced show.

He will play Sherrill Lynn, a deputy U.S. Marshall. The veteran actor told Fox News he was in production on the show and “making mayhem at 4 in the morning.”

Also Read:

David Oyelowo Teases Taylor Sheridan-Produced ‘Bass Reeves’ Series and ‘Rocketeer’ Reboot

From the “Yellowstone” co-creator and Academy Award nominee Sheridan, “Bass Reeves” is filming in Texas. The period drama will bring to life the legendary Wild West lawman, cited as the first Black deputy U.S. Marshall west of the Mississippi River. Reeves was also believed to be the inspiration for “The Lone Ranger.” He worked in the post-Reconstruction era as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, capturing more than 3,000 of the...

(Superhero Bits is a collection of stories, updates, and videos about anything and everything inspired by the comics of Marvel, DC, and more. For comic book movies, TV shows, merchandise, events, and whatever catches our eye, this is the place to find anything that falls through the cracks.)

In this edition of Superhero Bits:

"Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham" gets a trailer.

New footage from Marvel's "Spider-Man 2" game surfaces.

Mark Hamill might be done voicing Joker for good.

Amazon is seemingly gearing up to kill ComiXology.

All that and more!

Penguin Announces Classic Avengers, X-Men, And Fantastic Four Collections

Marvel is continuing its partnership with Penguin Books to bring together some classic tales from comic book history in new, premium collections. The next wave of titles will include "The Avengers," "X-Men," and "Fantastic Four," bringing together some of the earliest adventures of these teams. Each book will...

Everyone from Tom Morello to King Abdullah II of Jordan wants to be a part of "Star Trek," though not every guest making a cameo gets a barn burner of a role to show off their acting chops. Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood was so eager to cameo that he agreed to appear as an unrecognizable fish-man — but at least he got to be beamed up!

Other guest stars succeed so well that they become near-permanent fixtures, like Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan, and John de Lancie as Q. Equally poignant, sometimes, are the ones that show up only once and put in an unforgettable performance. Some of them change a story's trajectory or make a lasting effect on a main character's life. Some are terrifying. And some break our hearts. These are 13 of the best one-off guest characters in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." They're not all played by big names.

"Unbreakable," like most of M. Night Shyamalan's films, reveals itself slowly. The film is downbeat, depressive, and is presented as a mystery. David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is the only survivor or a massively destructive train accident, and he doesn't have a scratch on his body. Although he evaded death, David is too despondent over his flagging marriage to much notice how extraordinary it is. Once a football hero in high school, David now works as a mere security guard, resigned to a dull life. 

Samuel L. Jackson plays Elijah Price, a dealer of rare comic book art who is afflicted with an in-born medical condition that leaves his bones incredibly brittle and prone to breakage. Following the train accident, Price appears to Dunn to present him with a wild theory. If there are people in the world who break easily, then there must be, for the sake of cosmic balance,...

Richard Miller, the Industrial Light and Magic sculptor that helped create Princess Leia’s gold bikini costume for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, has died. He was 80.

Miller’s close friend and colleague Fon H. Davis confirmed the news in an Instagram post.

“I am heartbroken to hear my friend, colleague and incredibly talented sculptor, Richard Miller has passed away,” he captioned. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work, laugh, and be grumpy, at times, with him. I really appreciate having this picture Marrianne Heath sent me last Christmas. That’s the smile I like to remember. I also miss Grant very much today. We would have gotten together to remember Richard. Hug your friends today.”

Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fon H Davis (@fonhdavis)

Almost a year ago, Miller had taken to Twitter...

Click here to read the full article.

Richard Miller, the famed sculptor whose decades of memorable work at Industrial Light and Magic included creating Princess Leia’s gold bikini for Return of the Jedi and Davy Jones’ tentacled beard for two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, has died. He was 80.

Miller died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday — two days after his birthday — at his home in Northern California, an Ilm spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. He was a cancer survivor and died after an extended stay in hospice care.

A dear member of Ilm’s extended family, Miller was the lead sculptor and a key staffer in the Ilm Creature Shop and later the Ilm Model Shop for nearly 30 years. He contributed to 55 features and numerous other projects dating to 1981, when he joined the company to work on 1983’s Jedi, the last installment in the original Star Wars trilogy.

In Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” we’re introduced to a fearsome new villain named Namor. Played by Mexican actor Tenoche Huerta, Namor comes from an undersea community, his life defined by subjugation and colonization. At one point, he explains the origins of his name: If amor means love, then he’s an outcast (a mutant) starved of affection. No amor. Namor. He’s without love, a loner. He’s also a loaner. Because Marvel Studios doesn’t actually control the character.

The situation around Namor harkens back to the pre-Marvel Studios/pre-Disney era of making movies out of Marvel Comics characters, before the studio streamlined and controlled intellectual property. Before Marvel Studios made “Iron Man” as its own independently produced film, the company was in the habit of licensing or selling off rights to characters to other studios — the X-Men went to Fox, Spider-Man went to Sony, etc.

Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection is an authorized documentary of The Rocketeer and its late creator, marking the 40th anniversary of the character's comic-book debut as a backup strip in Pacific Comics' Starslayer #2. Influenced by classic adventure serials, Golden Age comics, and 1950s pin-up Bettie Page, The Rocketeer was a retro-futuristic story of 1930s stunt pilot Cliff Secord who discovers a rocket pack.

The 99-minute movie features 35 interviews with friends, collaborators, and admirers including director Joe Johnston, whose 1991 Rocketeer movie prefigured the similarly styled Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Batman: The Animated Series creator Bruce Timm, Punisher actor Thomas Jane, and others.

Already filmed, the Kickstarter is purely to fund the physical release.

You can receive the Blu-ray with a pledge of $35 or more, and an exclusive Rocketeer one-shot comic is available for the higher pledges. This is based on an unmade comic-book script by the 1991 screenwriters Danny Bilson and...