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Writer/director Christopher Nolan threw us for a loop when it was revealed that his follow-up to the acclaimed award-winning atomic bomb biopic “Oppenheimer” would be a modern adaption of the classic Greek myth epic “The Odyssey” by Homer. The latest group of casting additions, according to Universal, include Himesh Patel (“Tenet,” “Station 11“), Elliot Page (“Inception“), Bill Irwin (“Interstellar“), and Samantha Morton (“The Walking Dead,” “Minority Report“).

Continue reading Christopher Nolan’s Greek Myth Epic ‘The Odyssey’ Adds Himensh Patel, Elliot Page & More at The Playlist.

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” has added four more names to its cast, including three stars the “Oppenheimer” filmmaker has worked with previously.

The Wrap has learned that Himesh Patel (“Station Eleven”), Elliot Page (“The Umbrella Academy”), Bill Irwin (“Legion”), and Samantha Morton (“Minority Report”) have all joined the cast of Nolan’s forthcoming adaptation of Homer’s epic Ancient Greek poem. The film’s latest additions join an ensemble that already includes Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, and Jon Bernthal.

Earlier this week, Benny Safdie also signed on to star in “The Odyssey,” following his turn as Edward Teller in “Oppenheimer.” The new film marks a reunion, though, between not just Safdie and Nolan, but also the filmmaker and multiple past collaborators, including Damon, Pattinson, and Hathaway. Patel previously worked with Nolan on his 2020 sci-fi thriller “Tenet” as well,...

Christopher Nolan’s next big epic at Universal, The Odyssey, has added Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Bill Irwin and Samantha Morton.

For Patel, Page and Irwin, it’s a reteam with the 2x Oscar-winning filmmaker. Patel starred in Nolan’s 2020 Tenet, Page in 2010’s Inception, and Irwin in 2014’s Interstellar. For 2x Oscar nominee Morton, it’s her first time working with Nolan.

The foursome join a booming ensemble that counts Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Benny Safdie and Charlize Theron.

Nolan’s mythic action epic, shot with new Imax cameras, is based on the ancient Greek poem by Homer which follows Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his perilous journey home after the Trojan War. The classic explores themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning and the struggle against divine will. The tale includes iconic stories like Odysseus’ encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe,...

These days, no matter how many Get Outs and Parasites we throw at them, Hollywood is reluctant to make any movie that isn’t part of a franchise. There was a time, however, when the bigwigs could be approached with a sequel idea and say, “Actually, that’s good enough to stand on its own.” They weren’t always right, but at least they could say it.

5 Die Hard

You might know that Die Hard is based on a book, 1979’s Nothing Lasts Forever, but did you know that it’s actually a sequel to 1966’s The Detective? That’s right: Die Hard is technically Die Hard 2. In fact, The Detective had already been adapted in 1968, and the star of that film, Frank Sinatra, had it written into his contract that he must be offered the starring role in any sequels. Fortunately, Die Hard was given the chance to develop...

Movie and television scoring work is the latest Hollywood industry being threatened with potential devastation unless action is taken to save it.

So warns Peter Rotter, a music and orchestra contractor who worked on movies such as Avatar, Frozen, and Deadpool, in an open letter to the industry that is serving as a call to arms to mobilize not just the music community, but also studios and production companies.

“I need to wave the flag of deep concern as I see the infrastructure of the L.A. recording industry about to fail,” Rotter wrote in the letter circulating amongst Hollywood professionals. “It’s only a matter of time until this happens, unless we as a community stand together and support the livelihoods of the people of this city.”

His alarm comes as Hollywood is already reeling from fires, both literal and figurative, on several fronts. From Covid-19 to the writers...

You're traveling through another dimension -- a dimension not only of movies and TV shows but ... Well, actually, just movies and TV shows.

For our purposes here, we're focusing on one of the greatest and most influential television series -- "The Twilight Zone." Hosted by Rod Serling, this anthology zipped with ease between the genres of horror, science fiction, fantasy, and thriller, and popularized tropes and concepts within each that have inspired writers for decades.

Almost 70 years after the first episode of "The Twilight Zone" aired, genre anthology series are still the rage, so much so that some of the most popular entries in the format are still running today. From wandering gamblers and killer portraits to monster crabs and White Christmases, we've found 15 series that are more than worthy of the dimension beyond.

Read more: The Twilight Zone's 7 Most Notable Episodes, Ranked

Electric Dreams

Where to watch: Amazon...

The 2025 Writers Guild Awards nominations have been delayed again.

The WGA is the latest organization to further postpone an awards announcement amid the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.

The guild was originally set to announce this year’s nominees on Thursday, Jan. 9, but the announcement was delayed until Monday due to the fires. Now the reveal has been pushed back again.

“Due to ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area, we will be delaying the announcement of Writers Guild Award nominees until further notice,” the guild said Monday in a statement from both its East and West Coast branches.

The WGA’s move comes after the Producers Guild Sunday postponed for a second time the announcement of its film and TV nominees due to the ongoing devastation from the fires. And earlier Monday, the Oscars announced it would be extending its voting window until Jan. 19 and pushing back its nominations announcement...

Exclusive: Giant Pictures has acquired Lexi Alexander’s (Green Street Hooligan) martial arts action movie Absolute Dominion for international sales and U.S. release.

The movie’s cast includes newcomer Désiré Mia, Patton Oswalt, and Alex Winter, who also produced. Pic is slated for a spring 2025 release and it will be on sale at the upcoming EFM in Berlin.

Absolute Dominion takes place In the year 2063 Ad, when the world faces catastrophe as zealots and extremists wage a global holy war in the name of spiritual superiority. In a desperate attempt to save humanity from itself, the world’s governing bodies vote to establish ‘The Battle of Absolute Dominion,’ a fierce martial-arts tournament that will determine a champion whose faith will govern humanity and restore peace for the future.

Pic is written and directed by Lexi Alexander and is produced by John McKeown, Alex Winter, and Scott Puttnam. Cast comprises Désiré Mia,...

Colin Farrell has done it all in his two-and-a-half decades-long career, stepping into roles ranging from supervillain to kind-hearted hero. In the world of independent film, Farrell has made himself a great reputation. He is a regular in the films of Yorgos Lanthimos and Martin McDonagh. Over the years, he has also earned several accolades for his roles.

Colin Farrell as the titular character in The Penguin | Credits: HBO Max

The Irish actor’s only Academy Award nomination came for the role in The Banshees of Inisherin. In the same year as the tragicomedy, he also starred in Matt Reeves’ The Batman as the Penguin, a role that got a spin-off series of its own. The Penguin received critical acclaim and won him a Best Actor Award at the 82nd Golden Globes.

Among his films, some performances of the actor will remain etched in the minds of the viewers.

5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer...

Fans got to know and love Grant Ellis during Jenn Tran's Bachelorette season, but there are still some fun facts that they might not know about The Bachelor season 29 star. Grant, a now-31-year-old day trader who's originally from Newark, New Jersey, shared a lot about himself during The Bachelorette season 21. He started out as a professional basketball player, until an injury ended his career. After that, Grant got into the finance field.

Grant is close to his family, including his mother, and is a self-described mama's boy. During Jenn's season, he shared that his father had struggled with addiction, but he was the proudest he'd ever been of him when he called him and told him that he was checking into rehab. At the time, Grant's dad was sober for two months, and they were rebuilding their relationship. Grant also shared that his number one goal in life...

Homestead is struggling early in its box office run. Set in a post-apocalyptic America, the movie follows Neal McDonough's Ian Ross, as he works to secure his family's safety after a devastating nuclear attack. McDonough previously starred in Yellowstone as Malcolm Beck, in Tulsa King as Cal Thresher, and in Minority Report as Officer Fletcher. This latest movie was inspired by the book Black Autumn by Jeff Kirkham and Jason Ross. It was released on December 20 and debuted to a weak box office outing.

According to a report by Deadline, in its second weekend, the thriller is continuing to struggle. It appeared in under 2,000 theaters domestically and took ninth place at the box office. After a 66% drop on Friday, it is expected to earn a three-day total of just $3 million, while ushering in $5.2 million over the five-day holiday weekend. That would mark a total of just $12.7 million for its full run so far.

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Roxy Cinema

Minority Report shows on 35mm Friday; The Beguiled, The Age of Innocence, and City Dudes play Saturday; Jean Rollin’s Lost In New York and The Sealed Soil screen on Sunday.

Film Forum

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town begins a 35mm run; The Umbrellas of Cherbourg‘s 4K restoration continues; Battling Butler screens Sunday.

Museum of the Moving Image

See It Big! Let It Snow brings Nanook of the North; Candyman screens on Saturday.

Museum of Modern Art

A dual celebration of Marcello and Chiara Mastroianni continues, this weekend bringing films by Fellini, Elio Petri and Antonioni.

Metrograph

Red Desert, L’eclisse, Playtime, Eyes Wide Shut, Moonstruck, and Con Air play on 35mm; The Holidays at Metrograph, It Looks Pretty from a Distance, Urban Ghosts, Absconded Art, and Nicolas Uncaged continue.

IFC Center

2001, Blood Simple, Eraserhead, and Society show late.

January 2025 could mark a bleak month for very specific reasons, but in that month one can watch a nicely curated collection of David Bowie’s best performances. Nearly a decade since he passed, the iconic actor (who had some other trades) is celebrated with The Man Who Fell to Earth, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Linguini Incident, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, and Basquiat. (Note: watch The Missing Pieces under Fire Walk with Me‘s Criterion edition for about three times as much Phillip Jeffries.) It’s a retrospective-heavy month: Nicole Kidman, Cameron Crowe, Ethan Hawke, Paulin Soumanou Vieyra, Paolo Sorrentino, and Sean Baker are given spotlights; the first and last bring with them To Die For and Take Out‘s Criterion Editions, joining Still Walking, Hunger, and A Face in the Crowd.

“Surveillance Cinema” brings Thx 1138, Body Double, Minority Report, and others, while “Love in Disguise” offers films by Lubitsch,...

Steven Spielberg is arguably the most esteemed director of our times. He broke into mainstream prominence with 1975's Jaws, but he did not stop there. Spielberg directed numerous movies that evolved into beloved cultural phenomenons, including Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and Jurassic Park (1993). Many of his one-off productions have also become renowned. Saving Private Ryan (1998), Minority Report (2002), and The Color Purple (1985) are all masterpieces that have withstood the test of time.

Years before Jaws (1975), Spielberg's Duel (1971) was his first feature film.

In recent years, the director has seen fewer world-stopping productions. Since 2018's Ready Player One, he has only directed two major movies: 2021's box office disappointment, West Side Story, and the similarly disappointing The Fabelmans (2022). Still, his entire body of work is astounding. He has won three individual Academy Awards, 12 Emmy Awards, nine Golden Globes, and a Tony nomination. He was even granted the Presidential...

Liz Feldman is back with a new series called “No Good Deed,” and just as she did in her Netflix series “Dead to Me,” she’s set up a pretty good mystery.

Now streaming on Netflix, the show centers on Paul and Lydia, who are trying to sell their very popular and desired home. For them, it’s become haunted after their son was killed there three years earlier.

His death is labeled a casualty of a home invasion, but nothing is quite what it seems on this one. And there are plenty of potential suspects in and around the neighborhood.

Here are the faces you’ll need to know.

Netflix Lydia Morgan (Lisa Kudrow)

Lydia Morgan is a renowned pianist, but after her son is killed, she can’t keep her hands from shaking and temporarily loses her ability to play. She’s brought to life by “Friends” and “Time Bandits” star Lisa Kudrow.

According to screenwriter David Koepp, Steven Spielberg's next movie marks a return to the filmmaker's roots. Though he is still attached to a Bullitt remake, Spielberg's next movie has been reported to involve UFOs in some form, and it's set to serve as a reunion for him and Koepp, who previously worked together on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), War of the Worlds (2005), and Jurassic Park (1993). Spielberg's upcoming movie features an impressive cast, with Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Wyatt Russell, Josh O'Connor, and Colman Domingo all expected to appear.

In a recent interview with The Playlist, Koepp confirms that Spielberg's next movie is indeed in the sci-fi genre. Though the screenwriter is careful not to divulge any story details, he does tease that the film, which is expected to hit theaters in 2026, marks a return to a tone that is reminsicent of his older films.

Hollywood celebrities have often voiced their opinions on several critical matters. In this regard, two-time Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman was also not far behind. The acclaimed actor, famous for his roles in movies like Kramer vs. Kramer and Rain Man, denounced the United States invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Dustin Hoffman | Credits: Gorup de Besanez | Cca 3.0/Wikimedia Commons

This conflict was so gruesome that it took the lives of over 4000 American soldiers and countless Iraqi civilians.

Dustin Hoffman condemns US Invasion that claimed the lives of thousands

In 2003, the entire world was left shocked when President George W. Bush ordered the United States to send troops to Iraq. This sparked mixed reactions across the country, and many Americans including Hollywood celebrities opposed this decision.

David Hoffman | Credits: Georges Biard | Cca 3.0/Wikimedia Commons

They believed that war was unnecessary, and a group of actors and filmmakers formed an organization called Artists United to Win Without War.

Daniel Craig is now best known for his tenure as James Bond, but his acting career before, during, and after his time as 007 is filled with interesting projects from talented filmmakers. Prior to making his debut as Bond in 2006's Casino Royale, Craig acted in projects like Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition (2002) and Layer Cake (2004) from director Matthew Vaughn. In 2005, he also collaborated with Spielberg on an Oscar-nominated historical thriller.

In the early 2000s, Spielberg was coming off of an extremely strong decade in Hollywood filmmaking history. The '90s saw the acclaimed filmmaker release three major titles in Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler's List (1993), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). Spielberg didn't slow down in the new millennium, releasing movies like Minority Report (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002), and War of the Worlds (2005), working with major stars like Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks. It was another 2005 movie, however, that saw him work with Craig for the first time.

Scott Frank, a two-time Adapted Screenplay Oscar nominee for Logan and Out of Sight, will receive the WGA East’s Ian McLellan Hunter Award for Career Achievement Writers Guild Awards in February.

Frank, who marks his 40th year as a WGA member in 2025, will be honored during the New York portion of the 77th annual Writers Guild Awards on February 15 at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan.

Hel also has two Emmys for The Queen’s Gambit on six nominations, including three for Godless, and two WGA Awards on nominations, alomg with a USC Scripter Award for Queen’s Gambit. Frank’s long list of film and TV credits also includes Out of Sight, Get Shorty, Minority Report, MArley & Me, The Wonder Years, Dead Again, and Little Man Tate.

Frank most recently teamed with three-time Emmy Winner Tom Fontana on Monsieur Spade, a Sam Spade limited series for AMC.

Related: 2024-...

There are plenty of contenders for the best Steven Spielberg movie, but "Catch Me If You Can" has always been my favorite. Maybe it's because of the lovely John Williams score, which was so memorable "The Simpsons" had to pause a regular episode to do an extended riff on it. Then again, maybe it's because I just love any story about a guy who can work his way through an impossible situation through sheer confidence and charisma. The movie also felt like a perfect fit for Spielberg, as Frank Abagnale's life story mirrored parts of his own. As Spielberg explained in a 2003 interview with Blackfilm.com:

"Some of this picture is important to me because it deals with what Frank and I both share, which is broken homes. I ran away from home when my parents got divorced; at the same age Frank ran away when his parents got divorced,...

Sci-fi movies and TV shows have long been captivated by the idea of predicting the future, but they don't always get it right. The genre’s boundless nature allows it to explore almost any scenario that comes to one’s mind, and some titles have been remarkably successful in anticipating what lies ahead. Some sci-fi movies anticipate a bleak future, but others, technology. From Minority Report to Star Wars, a number of iconic sci-fi works have almost perfectly captured the coming times. Innovations like self-driving cars, digital billboards, artificial intelligence, and so many more have been foreseen by media released years earlier.

However, in addition to the many sci-fi titles that are more science than fiction, there are as many that completely missed the mark in terms of predicting future events; especially older ones. Decades ago, it was quite easy to imagine that humanity would achieve global unity, robots would replace humans in mundane jobs,...

Exclusive: David Haig (Four Weddings and a Funeral) has joined the cast of Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino’s upcoming ballet dramedy Étoile as a series regular, Deadline has learned.

Haig was cast ahead of production on Season 1, which began in January, but not previously announced. Details on his role are being kept under wraps.

Set in New York City and Paris, the eight-episode first season of Étoile follows the dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies, as they embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions by swapping their most talented stars.

Étoile is created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, who writes, directs, and serves as executive producer.

Haig joins a cast that includes the Emmy-winning Marvelous Mrs. Maisel alum Luke Kirby, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gideon Glick, Simon Callow, Lou de Laâge and David Alvarez.

From Amazon MGM Studios, Étoile, which has a two-season order,...

In 1994, David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Steven Spielberg -- three of Hollywood's biggest power players -- united to form a brand-new major motion picture studio called DreamWorks, something that hadn't been attempted in decades. The trio of execs had three stipulations: they wouldn't make any more than nine films a year, they would be allowed to make movies for other studios, and they would be able to go home in time for dinner.

For three years, the trio would wrangle contracts and make deals with various music, film, and television entities to make sure it was standing on solid ground and could handle being the outsize business entity they wanted it to be. In 1997, DreamWorks finally released its first three movies: "The Peacemaker," "Amistad," and "Mouse Hunt." The year after, the studio broke into feature animation with the bad-but-popular CGI insect film "Antz" and the highly acclaimed and very good "The Prince of Egypt,...

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Comic fans know Scott Snyder best for his work at DC Comics — especially on Batman. However, Snyder also kept up a prolific pace with creator-owned comics. Since 2022, he's been writing several digital-first comic mini-series, which are first distributed through the Amazon digital reading service Comixology, and then published in print by Dark Horse.

One of these is the cyberpunk comic "Clear," drawn by Francis Manapul and first released in 2023. The comic is set in 2052, but it's really about the world we have now. In this future, we haven't solved any of the problems that plague our world; global warming, mass inequality, population displacement, etc. How do people go on living? With "Veils," or brain implants that let you see the world how you want to.

Do you want to live in an old west adventure? A sword and sorcery fantasy?...

Is Tom Cruise’s Onscreen Runtime Linked To His Box Office Success? ( Photo Credit – Flickr )

Do you know that if Tom Cruise ever stopped running, his movies might just flop? Okay, maybe not literally, but hear this—there’s actual science behind it. A study says the more Cruise sprints in a film, the bigger the box office bang. Coincidence? We think not.

It all started as a meme: “Man, Tom Cruise really runs a lot in his movies.” Then Cruise himself jumped on the joke, adding “Running in movies since 1981” to his Twitter bio. Fast forward to Mission: Impossible – Fallout, which is basically a Tom Cruise marathon, and boom—Rotten Tomatoes hit us with a study proving that Cruise’s running is, like, directly tied to movie success.

Here’s how they did it: They tracked every second Cruise spent running on screen and calculated how far he ran,...

(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

"We all had our tuxedos ready. I'm not even joking," Colin Farrell said in a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, reflecting on the 2004 historical epic "Alexander," directed by Oliver Stone. "We were all like, 'Right, lads, we're off to the Oscars. This is a sure thing.' And then it came out."

It came out, indeed, and as alluded to by the Oscar-nominated actor, things didn't exactly go as planned. In the aftermath of Ridley Scott's Best Picture-winning "Gladiator," Stone finally had the opportunity to scrape together funding for his three-hour take on Alexander the Great. The timing seemed perfect. The cast was a murderer's row. The production had all of the resources in the world at its disposal. But by just about every measure,...

Josh O’Connor, the increasingly high-profile star of “The Crown” and “Challengers,” has joined the cast of Steven Spielberg’s secretive next film, Variety reports.

O’Connor joins the previously announced Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, and Eve Hewson in the film, which is scheduled for May 15, 2026 from Universal.

The project will reunite Spielberg with his “Jurassic Park” screenwriter David Koepp and is expected to have sci-fi elements. Spielberg’s longtime collaborator Kristie Macosko Krieger is producer. The studio describes the film as a “new original event film.” The release date and rumored UFO subject matter indicates that Spielberg is returning to the blockbuster style of his films involving aliens like “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” and “War of the Worlds.”

O’Connor won an Emmy for his performance as Prince Charles on “The Crown” Season 4, and earned rave reviews for his performance as troubled...

Few other rising stars have it as good as Josh O'Connor does right now. Beloved of Luca Guadagnino, pen pal of Alice Rohrwacher, member of the latest Rian Johnson ensemble, O'Connor has cultivated an IMDb page that surely inspires envy in his peers. And to add a feather to his cap,...

The trailer for Back in Action has arrived. The upcoming Netflix action-comedy, which debuts in 2025, will be the first Cameron Diaz movie in more than a decade following her retirement from acting in 2014, the year in which she starred in Annie, Sex Tape, and The Other Woman. Directed by Horrible Bosses' Seth Gordon and also starring Jamie Foxx, the movie follows two former CIA operatives who are now suburban parents. However, their past comes back to haunt them when their cover is blown. The ensemble cast also includes Glenn Close, Kyle Chandler, Andrew Scott, and Jamie Demetriou.

Netflix has now unveiled the official trailer for Back in Action. It opens with Cameron Diaz delivering a speech about being rejuvenated and feeling alive again that could be interpreted as a regular marital conversation, but is intercut with a series of high-octane action scenes including Jamie Foxx using a flamethrower. What follows...

Actress Cameron Diaz worked with Tom Cruise on the 2001 cult classic Vanilla Sky. The science-fiction thriller film follows the story of Cruise’s David Aames, a vain publishing magnate, who begins to question his reality after an accident with his jaded lover, Julianna “Julie” Gianni, played magnificently by Diaz.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz starred in 2001’s Vanilla Sky (Credit: Paramount Pictures).

Directed by Cameron Crowe, the film emerged as a box-office success and remains beloved even after almost two decades. The film is remembered for the electric chemistry between Cruise and Diaz, which made it difficult for Crowe to ignore one of Diaz’s most striking features. Here is what Crowe had to say about Cameron Diaz’s role in Vanilla Sky.

Vanilla Sky Director Revealed Why Cameron Diaz’s Most Striking Feature Was the Film’s Soul

Vanilla Sky is a 2001 sci-fi thriller film, directed by Cameron Crowe and starring Tom Cruise,...

The future looked quite bleak even before the events of last week, but now Asif Kapadia’s speculative hybrid feature 2073 feels all the more relevant following the disastrous American election. Following its Venice Film Festival premiere, the Samatha Morton-led project will arrive on December 27 and now the new trailer has been unveiled from Neon.

Here’s the synopsis: “It’s the year 2073, and the worst fears of modern life have been realized. Surveillance drones fill the burnt orange skies and militarized police roam the wrecked streets, while survivors hide away underground, struggling to remember a free and hopeful existence. In this ingenious mixture of visionary science fiction and speculative nonfiction, Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia (Amy) transports us to a future foreshadowed by the terrifying realities of our present moment. Two-time Academy Award® nominee Samantha Morton plays a survivor besieged by nightmare visions of the past—a past that happens to be our present,...

Tom Cruise is one of the biggest action stars of all time and also one of the most versatile actors of all time. And while most people will think of Top Gun or Mission: Impossible, Cruise also had some other intriguing roles such as those in Rain Man, Jerry Maguire, or Minority Report.

But, we know that if there is one project that could be called “his,” it is Mission: Impossible. Cruise has been the pillar of the lucrative franchise since 1996 and is now preparing for the release of the franchise’s eighth movie, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which is going to be a sequel to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

In light of that, the movie’s first trailer has just been released – and we can confirm that it is absolutely amazing. We can also confirm that the movie’s release date has been set,...

Let’s talk about Tom Cruise, shall we? You know, that guy who’s been running on our screens since forever. From his breakout role in Taps (1981) to becoming Hollywood’s go-to action superstar, Cruise has pretty much nailed the whole “movie star” thing. With mega-hits like Top Gun (1986), Mission: Impossible (1996), and Jerry Maguire (1996) he’s basically become a one-man box office machine, casually raking in billions of dollars worldwide.

Tom Cruise in a still from Knight and Day (2010) | 20th Century Studios

But here’s the thing, you’d think someone with his track record would have a perfect batting average when it comes to picking scripts, but nope! Even The Tom Cruise has let some pretty decent roles slip through his fingers. Ready for a fun dive into the parallel universe of Tom Cruise’s career? Here are ten times he probably kicked himself for saying “Thanks, but no thanks.

Russell Crowe played the lead role in Gladiator, but the movie nearly cast a few other notable actors to play Maximus instead. Ridley Scott's 2000 historical epic put Crowe in the leading role as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a commander in the Roman Empire, and the actor did not disappoint. He was recognized among Gladiator's Oscars wins, as he took home the Academy Award for Best Actor. Although he never returned for a sequel and Gladiator II shifted the focus to Maximus' son, its still among the most recognized and celebrated of Crowe's roles.

The impact of starring in Gladiator was tremendous, as it became one of Russell Crowe's career-defining movies. The film made $465 million at the box office, establishing him as a bankable star who could headline bigger productions moving forward, and his Oscar win made him an awards threat too. This helped him have a huge hit with...

The seedy underbelly of Gotham City sits bleakly in an obsidian corner of its universe. Tucked within those corners are shadowy secrets that hide from the light that the elite pretends the city to be. Like a volcano, these shadows yearn to burst out in a society of crime and tragedy, and they’re tethered by those who’d rather see them silenced.

2022’s The Batman, directed by Matt Reeves, featured an enthralling Gotham City littered with interesting characters. Jeffrey Wright’s gruff Jim Gordon, Andy Serkis’s lovable Alfred Pennyworth, Zoë Kravitz’s alluring Selina Kyle (a.k.a. Catwoman), Paul Dano’s unsettling Riddler, and of course, Robert Pattinson’s hopeful yet tortured portrayal of Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Among that cast, one remarkable standout saw actor Colin Farrell magically transform into The Penguin's unique visage. Beneath the makeup and prosthetics lay the Irish actor known for...

Those who were alert enough to be following cinema discourse in the early 2000s may recall the painful inflection point the medium had reached in terms of visual effects. A lot of productions were moving away from practical effects wholesale and leaning hard into CGI. Many audience members hated the technological shift, as CGI effects were proving to look plastic and unconvincing. While Steven Spielberg might have employed CGI carefully and effectively in his 1993 film "Jurassic Park," multiple films from the early 2000s were proving that an overuse of CGI made for truly awful film imagery.

A few examples include 2001's "The Mummy Returns," which features a terrible-looking CGI version of Dwayne Johnson, or 2002's "Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones" which features many animated characters as well as digital sets. Also released in 2002 was Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man," itself, in this writer's humble opinion, a mediocre...

Tom Cruise is a name synonymous with Hollywood stardom, especially in the action and thriller genres. Though his career peaked in the 80s and 90s, the 2000s also saw some stellar performances and iconic roles that further cemented his status as a versatile actor.

Despite his eventual transformation into the industry’s biggest action star, Cruise has produced his fair share of hits in other genres as well. Below are the top 7 Tom Cruise movies from the 2000s, ranked based on their impact, critical acclaim, and Cruise’s remarkable performances.

1. Minority Report (2002)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Neo-noir

Runtime: 145 min

Starring: Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton

Tom Cruise’s collaboration with Steven Spielberg resulted in Minority Report, a mind-bending adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s short story. The film showcases Cruise as John Anderton, a futuristic cop who arrests criminals before they commit crimes. The movie’s unique...

The best kinds of cameos are ones that are totally unexpected, sandwiched between innocuous scenes or poised in the background as a blink-and-you'll-miss-it tidbit. Directors often make brief appearances in their own films, where some, like Alfred Hitchcock, feature in a chunk of their filmography (including showing up as a telephone operator in "The Lodger" and walking on the road with a trumpet case in "Vertigo"). Like Hitchcock, a handful of directors can be glimpsed in their own work — from Martin Scorsese to Peter Jackson — and they generally play smaller roles, except for some characters that gain prominence for storytelling or budgetary purposes.

Others, like Steven Spielberg, make quick cameos in films directed by their peers, such as his appearance as a man in an electric wheelchair in "Gremlins" or an alien gracing a TV monitor in "Men in Black." This, obviously, also extended to his own directorial efforts. For instance,...

Tom Cruise has become synonymous with extreme action sequences in Hollywood, a reputation he fully embraces. The actor has openly admitted to loving stunts, even going as far as hiring a new safety coordinator if told he couldn’t perform one.

Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible film series | Credit: Paramount Pictures

However, in his drive for thrilling action and stunt work, he sometimes goes to unnecessary extremes. A similar situation unfolded during the production of Steven Spielberg’s 2002 sci-fi film Minority Report, where Cruise took an excessive approach to one particular action scene that wasn’t entirely necessary.

Tom Cruise’s Daring Action Sequences of Minority Report

While some of Tom Cruise’s most daring feats, such as climbing the Burj Khalifa and hanging off a plane, are mainly seen in the Mission: Impossible franchise, his passion for action sequences is also evident in earlier films, particularly in the 2002 sci-fi movie Minority Report.

The crime genre has pleny of hidden gems, including some movies made by the greatest directors of all time. Although crime aficionados will all know the big hitters like The Godfather and Goodfellas, there is plenty more to discover. Many great directors have built their careers off of crime movies. Even more have delivered surprisingly accomplished crime movies despite not being particularly well-known for their work in the genre. This includes Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott.

Whether they make movies based on real crimes or works of pure fiction, big-name directors have often been drawn to the crime genre at some point in their careers. Directors like Stanley Kubrick and Christopher Nolan may be known for working in other genres, but their crime movies shouldn't be overlooked. There are also plenty of underappreciated movies in the filmography of crime genre legends, like Martin Scorsese and David Fincher.

Related 10 Crime Movies...

Before Matt Reeves' The Batman Part II is released in 2026, HBO's The Penguin began its season rollout on September 19, 2024, which is a spin-off series also set in The Batman universe. Taking place after the events of the first film starring Robert Pattinson as the Caped Crusader, The Penguin follows Oz Cobb's rise to power as he becomes a major gangster in Gotham City. Beyond Colin Farrell, who reprises his role as the titular criminal, the classic Batman villain is surrounded by a brand-new cast of characters.

In The Batman, Gotham's biggest mob boss, Carmine Falcone, was murdered by The Riddler. As such, one of the movie's final scenes is focused on the Penguin, Falcone's right-hand man. Seeing opportunity in the newly created power vacuum, the HBO series centers around Penguin's attempts to take advantage and become Gotham's next kingpin of crime. To that end, a new collection of allies...

Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg's Minority Report asked important questions about free will, and just four years later, a different sci-fi action-thriller starring Denzel Washington and Val Kilmer explored similar ideas: Dj Vu. Tom Cruises Precrime Chief John Anderton and Denzel Washingtons Atf Special Agent Douglas Carlin are both law enforcement agents who push technology further than anyone else ever has to change the future. While Minority Report 2 never happened, the thematic link between the two films makes Dj Vu a spiritual successor.

Based on the novella The Minority Report by Philip K. Dick, Minority Report takes place in the near future, set in 2054, and using Precogs to predict a crime that is yet to be committed is a technology so well-established that its about to be expanded nation-wide. Dj Vu is set in the present of 2006, where a metaphysical breakthrough allows for the same ideas Minority Report's...

Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton existed on opposite ends of the filmmaking spectrum when the latter burst onto the scene in the 1980s. The former was no stranger to tales of terror in the suburbs, having been involved with "Poltergeist" and "Gremlins" by then. (Even "E.T." adapts the stylings of a horror flick in the scene where government agents in spacesuits invade the Taylor family's home in search of the titular alien.) However, the suburbs themselves were cozy and comforting in Spielberg's films; it was usually exterior forces that threatened their domesticity. Burton's movies, on the other hand, depicted the suburbs themselves as being unnerving and baffling. His sympathies laid with outsiders like Pee-wee Herman and Edward Scissorhands, who were content to lead their strange, loner existences until others insisted on intruding upon them.

Burton's adoration of death lay in equally stark contrast to Spielberg's sentiment, so...

Colin Farrell is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable movie stars in the industry today. With HBO’s The Penguin, a spin-off from Matt Reeves’ The Batman, currently dominating the market and earning praise from both critics and fans, the Irish actor is riding high on success.

Beyond this latest venture, Farrell has delivered memorable performances throughout his career. His recent role in The Banshees of Inisherin earned him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win.

While his filmography also includes standout roles in Lanthimos’ The Lobster, The Killing of the Sacred Deer, Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, Steve McQueen’s Widows, Joel Schumacher’s gripping thriller Phone Booth, Tim Burton’s Dumbo, and Martin McDonagh’s dark comedies In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths.

Farrell’s career has been marked by remarkable performances, but it has also been filled with wild incidents, as he was once known as one...

As far as movie stars are concerned, Colin Farrell is undoubtedly among the most well-known names in the business nowadays. With HBO’s The Penguin, a spin-off from Matt Reeves’ The Batman, ruling the market right now and receiving rave reviews from reviewers as well as fans, the Irish actor is currently enjoying success.

But, aside from this, Colin Farrell has had some memorable roles throughout his career. Including the recent The Banshees of Inisherin (which earned him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win), Lanthimos’ The Lobster and The Killing of the Sacred Deer, Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen and plenty of other hits.

His career was marked by some amazing appearances but also a lot of unrelated incidents, as he was known as one of Hollywood’s biggest “bad boys” for a while. While talking about that, we found an old interview with Farrell that will make you laugh very,...

Colin Farrell, who has garnered widespread acclaim for his Oz Cobb/ Penguin in the DC Universe, has had his fair share of moments, be it his professional or personal life. One such instance happened in the early 2000s when the actor’s X-rated video was leaked online, leading him to indulge in a lawsuit.

Credits: Colin Farrell in The Late Late Show with James Corden / YouTube

The legal battle involved his ex-girlfriend and former Playboy model Nicole Narain, with whom he created the video. His case garnered immense media and public attention, with the actor admitting that he was offered a staggering sum for the rights to the tape.

Colin Farrell Got Offered $5 Million to Sell His Nsfw Tape’s Rights

The Irish actor gained prominence in the 2000s, particularly with projects like Tigerland and Minority Report. He cemented himself as a leading man with roles in Phone Booth (2002), Daredevil...

Steven Spielberg is known for his blockbuster-scale sci-fi films with a strong emotional core. While he has ventured into serious dramatic territory and has succeeded with films like Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, and The Post, his contribution to genre-filmmaking is unparalleled.

Before the filmmaker made the iconic E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Spielberg ventured into sci-fi territory immediately after the Summer hit Jaws. With Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Spielberg seemed to have his first stint at the UFO film. Like E.T., the film seemed to connect to his parents, which he only to realize after an interviewer pointed it out.

Steven Spielberg Thanked An Interviewer For Noticing The Personal Connection In Close Encounters of the Third Kind A still from Close Encounters of the Third Kind | Credits: Columbia Pictures

After Jaws became the highest-grossing film of all time upon its release, Steven Spielberg went against type and...

Most people, born in or after the 1970s, have grown up watching the films of Steven Spielberg. As a definitive storyteller and the most influential director in Hollywood, Spielberg has unbridled access to the fantasies and imaginations of children and adults alike through films like Jaws, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and E.T. But even legends of such great standing can sometimes have a peevish trait.

Steven Spielberg with Tom Cruise on War of the Worlds [Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]

Colin Farrell, on his part, has no qualms about putting up with the extreme likes and dislikes of legendary men like Spielberg as long as he earns a memorable experience out of it. The actor, who has been at the heart of an incredulous Hollywood controversy (re: Elizabeth Taylor) and headlined some of the best films and television projects, reveals what it means to meet one’s childhood hero.

Colin Farrell...

Colin Farrell’s journey from a young and ambitious actor to a respected star in Hollywood is a tale filled with transformation, determination, and a touch of self-deprecating humor! The actor is known for his intense roles and charm, but his career has seen its share of ups and downs, which is only expected when you work in the show business.

Colin Farrell in Total Recall (2012) [Credit: Sony Pictures]

However, it’s his candid reflections on his past, particularly about choices he made early in his career, that will give you a unique insight into the man behind the roles. As he continues to evolve both personally and professionally, his latest venture as the Penguin promises to be another significant milestone in his storied life.

Exposing Himself on National TV: The Early Days of Colin Farrell Credits: Colin Farrell in The Penguin / HBO

Reflecting on his earlier years, Colin Farrell recounted...

This article contains discussion of addiction and sexual assault.

It's been a long time coming, but the world finally knows, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Colin Farrell is one of the best actors currently working today. The Irish-born performer got his start in genuinely great projects like "Minority Report," but when he followed that particular film with filler thrillers like "The Recruit" and "S.W.A.T.," it became easy to overlook his talent. (His turn as Bullseye in Ben Affleck's dud "Daredevil" didn't help either.) In 2008, though, he starred in Martin McDonagh's drama "In Bruges" alongside Brendan Gleeson — two collaborators he'd team up with again years later — and in recent years, Farrell's projects have skewed more towards quality like "In Bruges" rather than, say, "Alexander."

The point here is that Colin Farrell has appeared in some pretty excellent projects, and he's really good in all of them...