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In the summer of 2001, Vin Diesel became a household name. The Fast and the Furious, which was designed as little more than a modestly budgeted action programmer, became the breakout hit of that summer, capturing the cultural zeitgeist in a way that’s hard to reverse engineer. It was a major hit with the youth market. Diesel, with his bald head, muscular physique and unforgettable voice became the decade’s first icon, with audiences fascinated by his macho vibe, ambiguous ethnicity, and signature look. Studios didn’t waste any time building a star vehicle around him, with Sony making him the lead of a new super spy franchise they hoped would give James Bond some serious competition. The film, XXX, was among the most hyped films of the decade, with many thinking it would be such a phenomenon that it would make the Bond franchise irrelevant. That didn’t quite happen,...

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Survivors", an underrated episode, the U.S.S. Enterprise arrives at a remote colony on the planet Delta Rana IV, responding to a distress call. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) finds that the entire planet is dead, an uninhabitable desert wasteland. Mysteriously, however, there is a single house left standing, located in a small, inhabitable bubble. Several Enterprise crew members beam down to investigate and find a well-maintained lawn surrounding a completely untouched manse. The officers are greeted by Kevin and Rishon Uxbridge (John Anderson and Anne Haney), a kindly elderly couple who welcome them inside for tea.

The Uxbridge's do not seem to fully acknowledge that the rest of their planet has been completely wasted. They said they witnessed an attack by aggressive aliens called the Husnock but were unaware they were the only survivors. The longer the Enterprise says, the stranger things become.

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Will there ever be another Hulk movie? Oh, I'm sure Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner will pop back up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe soon, probably in "Avengers: Doomsday" and/or "Secret Wars." But due to Universal Pictures maintaining ownership over some Hulk movie rights, Marvel Studios can currently only feature him as a member of an ensemble.

Marvel Studios' first and only solo Hulk film wasn't a big success. 2008's "The Incredible Hulk" got a middling response and still stands as the series' earliest black sheep. That movie's star, Edward Norton, was recast and the film only got a direct sequel recently in, of all pictures, "Captain America: Brave New World." But the not-so-"Incredible Hulk" wasn't the first Hulk movie.

"The Incredible Hulk" emerged out of plans for a sequel to Ang Lee's 2003 movie, "Hulk." That film...

It seems a bit premature, but we wanted to have a place where we could begin tracking upcoming Netflix Originals expected to be hitting our screens in 2026. This is an extension to our 2025 movie and TV schedule, which we’ll continue to keep updated throughout 2025.

Important note: Given how far out we are from 2026, everything on this list is highly subject to change. We’ll keep it updated throughout 2025 and into 2026 with the latest confirmations of releases. As of right now, for most titles listed below, we’ve made assumptions based on filming schedules and/or if they’ve been excluded from the 2025 schedule. Of course, Netflix’s development slate is certainly much bigger than what this list implies, with likely well over 1,000 projects that have been announced or titles being worked on behind the scenes, although many will not see the light of day.

Table of Contents New Movies...

New York, New York – May 10: Eric Bana attends a conversation for “Force Of Nature” at SAG-AFTRA Foundation Robin Williams Center on May 10, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

Untamed, Netflix’s new crime drama will star Eric Bana as a special agent for the National Parks Services. Filming is to get underway this Summer, and we’ll be following everything you need to know about Untamed on Netflix.

Untamed is an upcoming Netflix Original crime drama series created and produced by Elle Smith and Mark L. Smith.

The series’ executive producers are Eric Bana, Todd Black, Tony Shaw, Steve Lee Jones for Bee Holder Productions, and John Wells for John Wells Productions.

What is the plot of Untamed?

We have the following synopsis for Untamed:

“The mystery thriller follows Eric Inman, a special agent for the National Parks Service who works to enforce human...

Mark Ruffalo took over from Edward Norton in the MCU. The Avengers featured Mark Ruffalo in the role of Bruce Banner/ The Hulk, a role that he did not essay in The Incredible Hulk. Joe Rogan believes that Ruffalo’s predecessor, Edward Norton, was the best Hulk that there was, putting him even above Eric Bana’s version of the character.

Edward Norton as the Hulk and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky in The Incredible Hulk | Credits: Marvel Studios

Edward Norton’s version of the character was widely well-received for the emotional complexity that he brought to the table with The Hulk. However, Mark Ruffalo’s version of the character, especially with Smart Hulk (who debuted in Avengers: Endgame), has not struck a chord with Joe Rogan, who loved how terrifying Edward Norton’s Hulk was.

Mark Ruffalo’s Smart Hulk just does not vibe with Joe Rogan Mark Ruffalo...

IFC Films’ Memoir of a Snail, nominated in what’s shaped up to be among the most competitive categories of this Academy Awards, is back in more than 500 theaters nationwide Tuesday night.

The one night of screenings of the Best Animated Feature Oscar nominee will include a prerecorded Q&a with the filmmaker Adam Elliot and fellow Australian director George Miller (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga). Presenting theaters include AMC, Regal, Alamo Drafthouse, Harkins, Laemmle, City Cinemas, Look Cinemas and National Amusements.

“We’re so glad adult audiences continue to discover Adam Elliot’s impeccably crafted, heartfelt story,” said Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks’ film group. “The film’s sophisticated themes of religion, seeking acceptance, and remaining hopeful amid life’s tougher times are tremendously relevant in this current climate.”

The film first opened October 25 and has grossed $627,000 domestically ($1.8 million worldwide). It’s a tough Oscar path up against Flow,...

Universal’s “Dog Man” barked its way to the top of the U.K. and Ireland box office this weekend, debuting with a commanding £3.2 million ($4 million), according to Comscore.

The family-friendly animated adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s best-selling book series proved to be a major draw, delivering one of the biggest opening weekends of the year so far.

Last week’s leader, Disney’s “A Complete Unknown,” slid to second place, adding $1 million in its fourth weekend. The Timothée Chalamet-led Bob Dylan biopic has now reached $12.4 million. Also holding strong is Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which took third place with $869,889 in its eighth weekend. The prequel has now crossed $37.6 million, cementing itself as one of the highest-grossing family films of the season.

Trafalgar Releasing’s “Macbeth: David Tennant And Cush Jumbo,” the filmed stage production of Shakespeare’s tragedy climbed to fourth place with $858,637, bringing its total to $1.9 million.

Eric Bana loves a good Steve McQueen movie. During his visit to the Criterion Closet, the Australian actor — known for his performances in Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” and Ang Lee’s “Hulk” — started his selections by praising the work of Anthony Hopkins in Jonathan Demme’s “The Silence of the Lambs,” but quickly shifted gears toward one of McQueen’s first films, the 1958 version of “The Blob.”

“I grew up in a time where these movies weren’t readily accessible, so you’d have to wait for them to come on television,” said Bana. “And if it was a Saturday and ‘The Blob’ came on, it was like, ‘Game on, we are sitting through ‘The Blob.” I’ve probably seen this film 10 times over the course of my life.”

He added, “This is one of Steve McQueen’s early films, but…one of the most ridiculous films of all time.

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Apple Cider Vinegar is an Australian true crime drama miniseries created by Samantha Strauss. Based on the non-fiction book The Woman Who Fooled the World by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, the Netflix series follows a young woman who built an empire in the early days of Instagram, but the problem is that it was all a lie. Apple Cider Vinegar stars Kaitlyn Dever, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Aisha Dee, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Mark Coles Smith, Ashley Zuckerman, Susie Porter, Matt Nable, Catherine McClements, Essie Davis, Chai Hansen, Richard Davies, and Kieran Darcy-Smith. So, if you loved the true crime drama, thrilling story, and compelling characters in Apple Cider Vinegar, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Inventing Anna (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Inventing Anna is a true crime drama miniseries created by Shonda Rhimes. Based on the New...

Prison dramas are strange. It’s certainly not my go-to genre when it comes to recommending films or TV shows, and it is definitely not something I gravitate to in my free time. But if I come across one by chance, and if it’s even half-decent, I can assure you that I’ll stick with it all the way to the end. That’s how I came across masterpieces like The Great Escape, Escape from Alcatraz, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Hurricane. I watched Starred Up for Jack O’Connell, Chopper for Eric Bana, Bronson for Tom Hardy, A Prayer Before Dawn for Joe Cole, Gridiron Gang for Dwayne Johnson, The Longest Yard for Adam Sandler, and Brawl in Cell Block 99 for Vince Vaughn. Also, Chicken Run is undoubtedly up there with the greats. Now, when it comes to TV shows, I don’t show the same kind of zeal.

After investigating the Victorian wilderness in 'Force of Nature', Eric Bana will take on the terrain of Nsw alongside international stars Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton as part of a new Netflix film that commences production this week.

The post Charlize Theron, Eric Bana, Taron Egerton take on the elements in Nsw for Baltasar Kormákur’s ‘Apex’ appeared first on If Magazine.

Deadline reports that Eric Bana will join Charlize Theron in Apex, a Netflix survival thriller directed by Baltasar Kormákur and written by Jeremy Robbins.

The project has been described as Free Solo meets The Silence of the Lambs, which sounds like an interesting combination. Theron stars as “a rock climber and adrenaline junkie who finds out that nature isn’t the only dangerous element out to get her when she sets out on an expedition in the wild.” Taron Egerton has also joined the cast as a psychopath who will be stalking Theron’s character. It’s not known who Bana will be playing in the movie.

Theron will also produce Apex alongside Aj Dix for Secret Menu; Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and David Ready for Chernin Entertainment; Ian Bryce for Ian Bryce Productions; and Kormákur for Rvk Studios.

Related Apex: Taron Egerton joins Charlize Theron in survival thriller

Bana...

Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton have survived a lot in their respective careers as action stars: an undercover operation in East Berlin in Atomic Blonde; a deadly airport threat in Carry-On; an immortal revenge mission in The Old Guard; a worldwide killing spree in Kingsman: The Secret Service.In Apex, the two face a brand-new challenge: a ruthless game of cat and mouse set in the unforgiving landscape of the Australian wilderness.

“I couldn’t be more excited to start production on Apex,” director Baltasar Kormákur tells Tudum. “Working in the rugged, beautiful terrains of Australia with three of the world’s most talented, dedicated actors in Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana is such a joy — even as I put them through the gauntlet in this unique survivor story.”

Read on to learn more about Apex.

A grieving woman seeks solace in the wilderness, only to find...

Actor Eric Bana (Deliver Us from Evil) has joined the cast of Netflix’s upcoming survival thriller Apex, described as Free Solo meets Silence of the Lambs, Deadline reports today.

Bana joins previously announced stars Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton (Carry-On).

Written by Jeremy Robbins (“The Purge” television series), Apex “follows a rock climber who finds herself being hunted in the wild.” Robbins’ spec script was selected as part of 2021’s The Black List, an annual buzzy compendium of the year’s most-liked unproduced Hollywood screenplays.

The spec script’s logline gives a better idea of the Silence of the Lambs comparison: “When an adrenaline junkie sets out to conquer a menacing river, she discovers that nature isn’t the only thing out for blood.” It’s the type of premise that feels designed to get the adrenaline pumping.

There’s no word at this time as to who Bana...

Exclusive: Ten more of Bonnie Bernstein’s clients are moving from CAA to Gersh after the veteran talent agent was named a senior partner there earlier this week. They are Anna Faris, Dane DeHaan, Noomi Rapace, Stephanie Beatriz, Anna Camp, Rosemarie DeWitt, Taissa Farmiga, Danny Pino, Emily Beecham, and Elizabeth Lail.

The group join Bernstein’s fellow actor clients Michelle Monaghan, Michael C. Hall, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jason Ritter, Mireille Enos and Anthony Carrigan who had already made the move. Bernstein had been a partner at ICM since 2009, transitioning to CAA after the 2022 acquisition.

Mom alumna Anna Faris, also known for The House Bunny, and the Scary Movie franchise, will next shoot Spa Weekend with Leslie Mann. She is also represented by Range Media Partners, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

Currently seen in Netflix’s American Primeval, Dane DeHaan is also known for Kill Your Darlings, The Amazing Spider-Man 2,...

Exclusive: Eric Bana is set to join the cast of the Netflix survival thriller Apex starring Charlize Theron. Taron Egerton is also on board, with Baltasar Kormákur directing.

Jeremy Robbins penned the script, which is described as Free Solo meets Silence of the Lambs and follows a rock climber who finds herself being hunted in the wild. It is unknown who Bana will be playing.

Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and David Ready will produce for Chernin Entertainment along with Ian Bryce for Ian Bryce Productions; Theron, Beth Kono and Aj Dix for Secret Menu; and Kormákur for Rvk Studios. Ray Angelic, Will McCance and Dawn Olmstead will exec produce for Secret Menu.

Best known for his roles in Munich and Troy, Bana recently wrapped production on the Netflix miniseries Untamed opposite Rosemarie DeWitt. He was also seen in Forces of Nature 2: The Dry.

He is repped by WME and Sloane,...

Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, the current Captain America of the MCU, will be facing off against Red Hulk, the monstrous transformation of Thunderbolt Ross (played by Harrison Ford) in Captain America: Brave New World.

Harrison Ford as Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World || Credits: Marvel Studios

A lot of fans are convinced that Sam Wilson can no way hold his own against The Red Hulk, and might need some extra assistance to bring the President of the United States down. Ironically, one of Thunderbolt Ross’s own creations might be the key to this problem, which could also bring a celebrated actor back to the MCU.

Tim Roth’s Emil Blonsky might be instrumental in Captain America: Brave New World Tim Roth as The Abomination in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings || Credit: Marvel Studios

Tim Roth‘s Emil Blonsky, a.k.a The...

Jannik Sinner is a three-time Grand Slam winner!

The 23-year-old Italian beat out Germany’s Alexander Zverev in three consecutive sets 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 and defended his crown at the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament held at the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday, January 26 in Melbourne.

“[My team and I] worked a lot to be in this position and it’s an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you,” Jannik shared. “I know a part of the team is at home and my family, but it is amazing to share these feelings with you. I know Darren [Cahill] it’s probably your last Australian Open as a coach and I am very, very happy to share this trophy with you. Everything started a little bit when I changed my combination of coaches and physio, I am very happy to have you all here.”

Keep reading to find out more…

In the audience were Liam Hemsworth,...

Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) joined Starfleet on a dare, and he won that dare by the end of Star Trek (2009). Director J.J. Abrams rebooted Star Trek: The Original Series and recast its iconic characters with younger faces like Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock. Set in the alternate Kelvin timeline, Star Trek (2009) launched Kirk, Spock, and the crew of the USS Enterprise on a mission to stop the Romulan time-traveling villain Nero (Eric Bana) from destroying the United Federation of Planets.

Star Trek (2009) was a new origin of how James T. Kirk became Captain of the Enterprise. But first, Kirk had to join Starfleet. In this parallel Star Trek timeline, Jim grew up without a father. Lieutenant George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) sacrificed himself to save the USS Kelvin's crew from Nero. After a bar fight with a group of Starfleet Cadets, Jim Kirk was encouraged...

Star Trek never showed the full aftermath of one of the franchise's greatest tragedies that profoundly affected Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Although there have been several major disasters throughout Star Trek's vast timeline, few cataclysmic events were as devastating as the Romulan supernova that took place in 2387. Starfleet mounted a massive rescue effort upon learning of the supernova, but the rescue armada was mostly destroyed when rogue synths attacked the Utopia Planitia shipyards on Mars. Starfleet then called off the rescue effort and went on the defensive.

Introduced in Star Trek: The Original Series, the Romulans have long been enemies of the United Federation of Planets, and the devastating Romulan supernova altered the balance of power in Star Trek's galaxy. A disaster like this should have affected everyone in the Beta Quadrant, the Federation, and neighboring star systems, but the Romulan supernova...

Netflix’s has greenlit a doc series based on Black Hawk Down, Ridley Scott’s 2001 hit blockbuster.

Surviving Black Hawk Down comes from Scott’s Rsa Films and will tell the real story of the horror and heroism behind the events that inspired his movie. It will blend raw, immersive storytelling with first-person interviews from both sides of The Battle of Mogadishu.

Black Hawk Down came out in 2001, winning two Oscars.

Starring Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Eric Bana, the pic followed the journey of the U.S. sending special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population. The group used Black Hawk helicopters to lower the soldiers onto the ground.

Netflix’s doc series will launch February 10 and is its latest in the premium docs space. It will air across three parts.

Producers on Surviving Black Hawk Down are Jamal Osman,...

Hulk is one of the most complex heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with some incredible moments featuring the angry green giant throughout his various appearances. Long before the MCU began, the Hulk became a pop culture phenomon. Like other popular heroes, including Spider-Man, Superman and Batman, Hulk was recognizable for fans of comics, and general pop culture. In part, this was due to the character starring in a TV show from 1977 that ran for five seasons.

Even after the series concluded, The Incredible Hulk continued to appear in reruns, and the character's popularity was cemented in peoples' minds. However, since then, the Hulk has evolved beyond being a man who is painted green, or an animated cartoon character. Today, the Hulk is recognizable in live-action films as a powerful giant who is capable of smashing entire armies and scaling the tallest skyscrapers in New York City.

Hulk Destroys...

Modern Films has released the UK trailer and artwork for the award-winning stop-motion animated feature ‘Memoir of A Snail.’

Grace Pudel is a lonely misfit with an affinity for collecting ornamental snails and an intense love for books. At a young age, when Grace is separated from her fire-breathing twin brother Gilbert, she falls into a spiral of anxiety and angst. Despite a continued series of hardships, inspiration and hope emerges when she strikes up an enduring friendship with an elderly eccentric woman named Pinky, who is full of grit and lust for life.

Featuring the voice talents of Sarah Snook (Succession) as Grace with Kodi Smit-McPhee as her estranged twin brother Gilbert, this is another incredibly rich and moving feature-length “clayography” from one of the world’s most admired animation auteurs – part seven of Elliot’s Trilogy of Trilogies. The voice cast also includes Eric Bana, Nick Cave, Dominique Pinon...

It is a widespread belief among fans and critics that actors do not choose roles rather the role chooses the actor. In the history of the film industry, there have been several iconic roles, but Keanu Reeves’ portrayal of Neo in The Matrix will always occupy a special place in popular culture.

Keanu Reeves as Neo in The Matrix | Credit: Warner Bros.

A role that not only propelled him to the forefront of Hollywood but also made him famous across the world, today, it is hard to imagine anyone else as the titular character. This idea seems even more perplexing when one realizes that the Wachowskis had initially offered Will Smith the lead role but he turned it down fearing it won’t be a good film. However, he recently teased starring in such a film, sending shockwaves across The Matrix fandom.

Before Keanu Reeves, Will Smith was the first...

Twenty years ago, John Magaro was an aspiring actor who had just moved to New York when he got a call about being a background actor in Munich, Steven Spielberg‘s historical drama about the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis.

“Mainly it was sitting around in like a community center in Brooklyn, and then the ADs come in and they’re like, ‘Hey, you, you, you come over here.’ We’re walking on the street, walk across the street, past Eric Bana, and don’t f— it up. And that was my start. You can see my younger version of myself walking across the street from Eric Bana,” Magaro tells Gold Derby. “Eric Bana and I ended up working together on this movie that a lot of people haven’t seen called The Finest Hours, this Disney movie, and I never mentioned that [to him]. I never mentioned that I had walked across...

While Disney+ is home to many animated classics from their extensive calatog, those looking for something more mature and off the beaten path should try Mary and Max, a little-known gem of a stop-motion adult animated film. Released in 2009 and directed by Adam Elliot, Mary and Max is based on a true story. It centers around the titular duo of Mary, a lonely eight-year-old girl living in Australia, and Max, a 44-year-old New York-dwelling man on the autism spectrum (categorized as Asperger syndrome on the film). The two become unlikely pen pals, thus forming a sweet friendship.

Mary and Max boasts an all-star cast, led by Toni Colette and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as the title protagonists. They are supported by actors Eric Bana, Barry Humphries, and more. Though Mary and Max grossed $1,444,617 at the Australian box office, it did not receive a general theatrical release in the United States,...

A Ridley Scott military action movie receives a high accuracy score from a weapons expert. Alien was his breakout hit and is often considered to be one of Ridley Scott's best movies. He followed up Alien with Blade Runner, another movie that would become a science-fiction classic. Scott made his mark on other genres in the ensuing years with a variety of hits, including the crime drama Thelma & Louise and the historical epic Gladiator.

In 2012, he directed his first Alien movie since the original with the divisive prequel Prometheus, along with directing its 2017 sequel Alien: Covenant. His 2015 movie The Martian was well-received and offered a more hopeful story within the science-fiction genre. Scott's enthusiasm for historical movies remained as strong as his enthusiasm for science-fiction with his direction of The Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Duel, Napoleon, and Gladiator II.

Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down Is Assessed For Accuracy...

Star Trek (2009) set Lt. Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) on an altered career trajectory where they almost end up switching starships. Director J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot successfully recast the iconic characters from Star Trek: The Original Series with younger actors. Set in the alternate Kelvin timeline, Star Trek (2009)'s characters lived different lives than in Star Trek's Prime timeline, including how they all met and became the crew of the USS Enterprise.

Star Trek (2009)'s Kelvin timeline was created by Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan time traveler seeking revenge on Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the United Federation of Planets. Nero implemented his plan to annihilate the Federation in 2258, destroying a Klingon moon and armada with his massive 24th-century starship, the Narada. While a Cadet at Starfleet Academy, Uhura decoded a Klingon distress call. During James T. Kirk's hearing for cheating on the Kobayashi Maru no-win scenario,...

Christopher Nolan is returning to cinema and this time he is bringing an epic piece of literature history with him. The film will bring to life the popular poem, Odyssey, written by Homer. The poem revolves around the Trojan War and narrates the story of Odysseus’ journey back home to Ithaka. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is all set to include a stellar cast including one of Hollywood’s favorite couples, Tom Holland and Zendaya.

Christopher Nolan | Credits: HellaCinema/ Cc-by-sa-4.0/Wikimedia Commons

Now, an industry insider has claimed that the upcoming film will not be as grounded as the other films that have attempted to tell the story of the Trojan War. This might be a good thing for Christopher Nolan who once fell on the bad side of comic book fanatics for making The Dark Knight trilogy grounded.

Christopher Nolan’s next film is reportedly going to be anything...

A 2005 Steven Spielberg movie receives a fair accuracy score from a counterterrorism expert. Steven Spielberg's best movies cover a wide range of genres, from the Holocaust drama Schindler's List to the science-fiction adventures in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Spielberg gained widespread recognition for his direction of Jaws, which was the first of many box office successes Spielberg would direct in the ensuing years, with the Indiana Jones trilogy and Jurassic Park among his many movies that became immensely popular.

1998's Saving Private Ryan proved to be another Steven Spielberg World War II movie that became a critical and commercial hit. In the 2000s, Spielberg continued to direct a rich variety of movies, with the historical drama Lincoln and his remake of the musical West Side Story being among the most critically acclaimed. In 2022, Spielberg's The Fabelmans was released, which is inspired by the filmmaker's youth, where his passion for making movies began.

Tobey Maguire is celebrated as being perhaps the best iteration of Spider-Man today, but that was not always the case, at least when it came to critics. While some might say that the love that the actor is getting is thanks to nostalgia-tinted glasses, the man’s performance as Peter Parker shattered expectations in its heyday and also shut down critics who believed Maguire was not up to the role.

Spider-Man || Credit: Sony Pictures

Maguire himself came out to talk about the criticisms that were leveled at him at the time, which focused on the fact that he did not seem like a conventional hero. Then again, Peter Parker was not a conventional hero, and therefore merited someone like Tobey Maguire being cast in the role for the big screen.

Tobey Maguire believed the criticism leveled at him was poor Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker || Credit: Sony Pictures

Maguire believed...

The AMC Networks January 2025 schedule has been announced and includes a new season of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches and AMC’s premiere of Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale; Acorn TV’s new mystery series The Gone; BBC America’s new natural history series exploring Asia; the return of We TV’s hit series Toya & Reginae; and Allblk’s new political thriller Conspirators.

The New Year will also bring exciting film debuts, including IFC Films’ Skincare, starring Elizabeth Banks, comedic slasher Get Away, written by and starring Nick Frost, Shudder’s satirical body horror Grafted, starring Jess Hong, and wrestling-themed action-horror Dark Match, starring Sara Canning and Steven Ogg.

These films, series and more join an extensive catalog of compelling dramas, beloved franchises, popular films, and timely collections on Acorn TV, Allblk, AMC+, BBC America, Hidive, Shudder, Sundance Now, and We TV all month long.

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches Season...

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are probably aiming to recreate the magic of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Marvel’s earlier strategy which hinged on great storytelling needs to be replicated after a slew of films that haven’t really resonated with the audience that well. While Marvel has a lot of ground to cover between now and Avengers: Doomsday, it seems like the studio will be relying on one crowd-pleasing tactic to make its films as palatable as possible.

Avengers: Endgame || Marvel Entertainment

Avengers: Secret Wars and Doomsday will probably try to culminate the Multiverse Saga in the best way it can, which could possibly include a slew of cameos from a bunch of Marvel properties, that are not necessarily in the MCU. Given that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been able to connect numerous IPs that were made under the Marvel banner before Iron Man (2008), there...

In terms of a feel-good cinematic moment that lives long in the audience's memory, there are few scenes that can top a movie moment where reinforcements arrive at the last minute; a technique that has been used by some of the best movies of all time. Providing a welcome reprieve out of left field just when all appears to be lost, these uplifting sequences conjure up a happy ending in circumstances where such a conclusion didn't even seem like a possibility just mere seconds earlier.

From powerful heroes unexpectedly arriving on the scene of a blockbuster showdown to army reinforcements showing up to save the day just as the battle appears lost, this technique has been implemented to great effect by an array of genres, from the best superhero movies all the way to the finest war movies of all time. While such unashamedly feel-good scenes inevitably attract allegations of cheesy filmmaking,...

The best Theo James movies and TV shows feature a mix of everything from coming-of-age dramas to sci-fi dystopian thrillers. While he turned 40 in 2024, Theo James is still looked at as a Hollywood newcomer. That is likely because he didn’t earn his first major mainstream acceptance until he starred in The Divergent Series around his 30th birthday. Those movies made him a star, and he has since begun developing a strong mix of roles.

The Divergent Series wasn’t Theo James’ first main Hollywood part though, as he also took on the major supporting role of David in Underworld: Awakening and even followed that up with the next movie in the series four years later. However, since Divergent, he has found his place as both a voice actor in shows like Castlevania and X-Men ’97 and more dramatic live-action roles in The Gentlemen and The White Lotus.

The Time Traveler's Wife...

For our most comprehensive year-end feature, we’re providing a cumulative look at The Film Stage’s favorite films of 2024. We’ve asked contributors to compile ten-best lists with five honorable mentions––many of those personal selections will be shared in coming weeks in separate features––and from tallied votes has this top 50 been assembled.

Without further ado, check out out the best in 2024 cinema below, our ongoing year-end coverage here, and return in the coming weeks as we look towards 2025.

50. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (George Miller)

While Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga earned less than its predecessor at the box office, it was no less creatively satisfying. There should be little hesitation in calling Fury Road one of the greatest action films of all time (if not the greatest); all the more impressive that George Miller had it in him to make Furiosa even more epic.

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.

The upcoming historic drama September 5, which chronicles the 1972 Munich Massacre at the Summer Olympics, will be released on December 13. The Tim Fehlbaum directorial has been nominated for the Golden Globe Awards in the Best Picture—Drama category and has received rave reviews during its festival run.

The film has been in the news due to its subject matter i.e. the tragic deaths of Israeli athletes at the hands of the Palestinian militant group Black September. The topically relevant subject matter as well as its focus on the ABC Sports network’s coverage of the events has made it one of the most interesting films of the year. Here are three reasons why you should watch it.

1. September 5 Deals With The 1972 Munich Massacre From Another Perspective A still from September 5 | Credits: Paramount Pictures

The 1972 Munich Massacre during the Summer Olympics in Germany was one of the most harrowing incidents in history.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's coolest invention mostly disappeared from Star Trek movies after Star Trek: First Contact. Set about 100 years after Star Trek: The Original Series, Tng introduced an entirely new cast of characters and also brought several new futuristic technologies to Star Trek canon. The USS Enterprise-d of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was much larger than its predecessors and had numerous features earlier versions of the Starship Eneterprise lacked.

The most versatile and impressive new technology introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation was the holodeck. With a combination of replicator, transporter, and holographic technology, the holodeck could create a virtual world that felt realistic in almost every way. Starfleet's Galaxy-class ships like the Enterprise-d were equipped with holodecks that could be used for training exercises, combat practice, and recreation. The holodeck also allowed Tng to explore different genres of storytelling, as the crew could visit...

The Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man” has taken center stage in the 2025 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) Awards nominations.

“Better Man” earned a record-breaking 16 nominations, the most ever received by a single film in the awards’ 66-year history. Directed by Michael Gracey, the musical film secured nods across key categories, including Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Screenplay, as well as multiple acting, technical, and creative honors.

“Better Man” is joined in the Best Film category by George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “How to Make Gravy,” both with 15 nominations, the horror standout “Late Night with the Devil” with 14, the animated feature “Memoir of a Snail” with 11, and “Runt,” which received four.

For the first time, the Aacta Awards have recognized motion capture and voice performances in acting categories. Jonno Davies received a nomination for his motion capture portrayal of Robbie Williams in “Better Man,...

Exclusive: Amidst the awards campaign for Memoir of a Snail, his latest animated feature, which is one of the best reviewed of the year, Academy Award-winning Australian filmmaker Adam Elliot has signed with UTA for representation in all areas.

Released by IFC Films in October, Memoir of a Snail is an R-rated, stop-motion feature set in 1970s Melbourne that follows the story of Grace Pudel (Sarah Snook), an introverted woman who has endured a lifetime of tragedy. After losing her mother at birth and later her father, Grace and her twin brother, Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee), are separated into different foster homes. Following this series of unfortunate events, the siblings seek friendships in unlikely places before attempting to reunite.

Memoir of a Snail premiered at Annecy in June, winning the Cristal Award, before going on to take the top honor of Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival. Pic also...

Movies about gambling follow a simple mantra: A character or characters go up against the odds, eschewing safe bets for a risky, life-changing move. The stakes are high, but the rewards are plentiful. Our protagonists encounter numerous obstacles during their journey and often incur severe losses. They almost always experience a moment of self-reflection and are faced with the ultimate choice: go all in or fold. Rinse and repeat.

Hundreds of movies about gambling exist to tell this same story time and again, with slight variations on the formula. Audiences turn up in droves to watch these powerful morality tales play out on the silver screen. And why not? The gambling genre presents the hero's journey in its purest form. It's the quintessential underdog tale, except rather than score the final shot in the big game, characters risk life and limb for a chance to beat the house, upend the establishment,...

Image Source: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment In the pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe days, a standalone Hulk movie was made. It was directed by Ang Lee, who was the third director attached to the project and a controversial choice at that, despite having won an Oscar for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. While the film was received poorly by audiences, it got a better reception from critics; over time, the film has developed a cult following, and many fans have re-evaluated their feelings about it. The film’s star, Eric Bana, was optimistic from the start. At the time the film was released, Bana told us he thought Lee had done an amazing job, and he’d hoped that fans would agree. (Click on the media bar below to hear Eric Bana.) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Eric_Bana_Hulk_.mp3

Hulk is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, 4K, and most digital platforms.

Beginning with J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009), Anton Yelchin played Ensign Pavel Chekov in three Star Trek films before his tragic and untimely death in 2016. Following the James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) of the alternate Kelvin timeline, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek films re-energized the Star Trek movie franchise, introducing countless new fans to the series. Star Trek: Enterprise ended with a whimper four years before and there had not been a Star Trek feature film since the lackluster Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002.

Star Trek (2009) introduced updated versions of the classic characters from Star Trek: The Original Series, including the young Russian Starfleet officer, Pavel Chekov. Originally played by Walter Koenig, Chekov was the youngest of the USS Enterprise bridge crew and was often defined by his love for his Russian heritage. Throughout Tos and its subsequent films, Chekov became a jack-of-all-trades, working in navigation,...

Marvel movies don't always get their casting dead-on, especially when it comes to films that were before the advent of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Pre-mcu Marvel movies were the Wild West of early superhero blockbusters. While the Fox X-Men movies had already established themselves as a powerful franchise, other one-off Marvel outings didn't leave as lasting an impression. Even since the dominance of the MCU, the Sony Spider-Man universe has struggled to step out from their shadow.

Throughout all of these films, several egregious casting mistakes have hindered the success of many films. Sometimes, assigned actors simply haven't been able to capture the essence of a given comic book character, not giving the role the passion it deserves or having the enthusiasm to work with the material. In other cases, certain casting choices are diametrically opposed misfires that can outdo the likes of the McU's worst casting choices.

Jessica Biel...

John Magaro is the glue that holds September 5 together. He stars as ABC Sports producer Geoffrey Mason, who was covering the 1972 Munich Olympics when Black September terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage in the Olympic compound. Magaro must convey the enormous pressure and responsibility placed on Mason as he is suddenly thrust into the hot seat to produce live coverage. Director Tim Fehlbaum chose Magaro because, he says, “He’s one of the best there is.” Next, Magaro is set to appear with Michael Fassbender in the spy drama The Agency, followed by Maggie Gyllenhaal’s film The Bride.

Deadline: You weren’t even born then, but what did you already know about Munich ’72?

John Magaro: I knew about it. I don’t know why I knew about it. I mean, I’ve always been a lover of history. My mother’s Jewish. I was raised Jewish, so I think...

While CGI and visual effects have seen countless amazing advancements over the years for filmmakers, the issue of the "uncanny valley" in movies has been a challenge to overcome. In terms of filmmaking, the uncanny valley refers to a certain stage in animation advancement that renders a creepy or unsettling quality to human characters in movies. The idea is that the ability of animation reached a level that was too realistic to look like a cartoon anymore, but not realistic enough to look completely human, thus falling into the uncanny valley.

The effect has been satirized and criticized among critics and movie fans for years with some movies that relied on the relatively new motion-capture technology making the uncanny valley even harder to ignore. However, the uncanny valley is simply a result of the advancements in technology encountering some growing pains. There are great movies that have featured examples of the uncanny valley,...

Exclusive: Rising Australian star Sam Corlett, of Netflix’s Territory and Vikings: Valhalla, is the newest addition to the cast of Headhunters, the surf thriller co-written by and starring Kevin Costner, which also has actors Evan Mock, Chloe East and Daniel Zovatto in the mix.

Marking the feature directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Steven Holleran, Headhunters follows Lazer (Costner), a washed-up American ex-pat, convicted for smuggling ancient relics, who’s serving time in Bali’s infamous Kerobokan prison. After a daring escape, he recruits a group of thrill-seeking surfers led by Bima (Zovatto), a local photographer, and embarks on a journey to an uncharted island, believed to host the perfect wave. What they don’t know is that the island is home to an ancient tribe of headhunters who will guard their island and its treasure at all costs. What ensues is an adventure turned survival story of epic and...

The English actor Orlando Bloom has had astounding success in Hollywood and has been involved in some of the biggest franchises of all time. With timeless good looks, impeccable charisma, and a willingness to explore different genres and styles, Blooms career has featured collaborations with blockbuster directors right through to intimate rom-coms that showcased his talents in a more intimate setting. As a true icon of the 2000s, Bloom has perfectly encapsulated movie stardom with extraordinary roles in sweeping historical epics and grand fantasy narratives.

Blooms defining roles included Will Turner in The Pirates of the Caribbean and Legolas in Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings, two major franchises among the biggest movie series ever produced. From getting his breakout role in Ridley Scotts Black Hawk Down to the divisive romance of Elizabethtown, Bloom has long been at the forefront of Hollywood filmmaking. While recent years saw Bloom shift...