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Star Wars Celebration Japan is right around the corner in April, and the guest list is getting bigger by adding a fan favorite actor to the roster. Ahmed Best joins the group when Celebration kicks off April 18-20. Along with Best's announcement on StarWars.com, visual effects supervisor John Knoll will also be in Japan to share his tales and work from almost 40 years working at Industrial Light & Magic.

Ahmed Best is best known for his role as Jar Jar Binks in Episode I: The Phantom Menace and the rest of the prequel trilogy, but in more recent media, he's crafted a wonderful role as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq. Kelleran first arrived in the delightful all ages game show Jedi Temple Challenge, which I always hope will come back one day. He then jumped to the canon in The Mandalorian's third season when it was revealed he was the...

Mufasa: The Lion King North America Box Office: 6th Friday (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Mufasa: The Lion King has dropped to #3 with the arrival of new movies, Flight Risk and One of Them Days. However, it is not so far behind in collections compared to the top two movies in the domestic daily chart. The movie is expected to surpass the entire domestic run of Wonka during this weekend. The Disney feature failed to get nominated at the 2025 Oscars, but it is indeed a box-office success. Scroll below for the deets.

Mufasa was directed by Barry Jenkins, known for his Oscar-winning movie Moonlight. Barry reportedly became the fourth Black person to direct a Best Picture winner. Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and John Kani reprised their roles from the 2019 movie. Beyonce’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, made her feature film debut with Mufasa. The new cast members include Aaron Pierre,...

‘Nosferatu’ (2024) is a gothic horror film directed by Robert Eggers. It’s a remake of the 1922 silent movie ‘Nosferatu,’ which was based on the novel ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker. The film stars Bill Skarsgård as the vampire Count Orlok, with Nicholas Hoult and Lily-Rose Depp playing a married couple, the Hutters.

Other actors include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and Willem Dafoe. The movie turned out to be a somewhat unconventional holiday hit. Nosferatu premiered on December 2, 2024, in Berlin, Germany. It was released in the U.S. on December 25, 2024, and internationally on January 1, 2025.

Many reviewers have applauded Robert Eggers’ direction, calling the movie both thrilling and visually striking. Specifically, Depp’s performance, noting that her role added to the film’s “spellbinding power,” and praised how the film explores the tension between historical mores and timeless human desires.

Related: Bill Skarsgård Almost Played a Completely Different Role in ‘Nosferatu,...

Having worked on the likes of The Witch and The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers is no stranger to making critically acclaimed flicks that leave fans yearning for more (and with a lot to introspect). Nosferatu was no different.

The Lily-Rose Depp starrer was one of the better films that hit the theatres last year, going on to give fans a chilly reminder of the Og Nosferatu that was released in 1922. The movie fared decently well, going on to rake in a 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And it is back in the news. But for all the wrong reasons.

Nosferatu left fans shivering (and intrigued) Lily-Rose Depp gave a performance to remember in Nosferatu || Universal

Nosferatu was a reimagination of the 1922 silent film that told the story of Count Dracula. And while there have been minor modifications in the 2024 flick, its heart remains the same. Starring Bill Skarsgård as the main man,...

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The Hunting Party is a police procedural mystery crime drama series created by JJ Bailey. The NBC series follows Rebecca “Bex” Henderson, an FBI Special Agent who is recruited to lead a small team of investigators to hunt down and capture some of the most dangerous killers in the world after they escape from a top-secret prison. The Hunting Party stars Melissa Roxburgh, Patrick Sabongui, Sara Garcia, Josh McKenzie, and Nick Wechsler. So, if you loved the thrilling mystery, dangerous criminal cases, and compelling characters in The Hunting Party, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Blacklist (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – NBC

The Blacklist is a mystery action crime thriller drama series created by Jon Bokenkamp. The NBC series follows Raymond Reddington, an international criminal who is FBI’s one of the most wanted fugitives.

Mufasa: The Lion King is continuing to roar its way to success. The latest Lion King movie has thrived in a slow January, competing against a small field consisting of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Nosferatu, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, and several other new releases. Wolf Man and One of Them Days were poised to top the box office over the holiday weekend. Even with Martin Luther King Day offering a chance for a booming box office, it has been a slow week. Still, despite only a trickle at the box office, Disney's lions are thriving.

According to a report by Variety, the Lion King prequel is expected to end the weekend with $209.8 million domestically and $588.4 million worldwide. With that total, it has officially become the 10th 2024 movie to reach the $200 million milestone domestically. It sits ahead of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which earned $196 million, and just behind Sonic 3's $218 million total.

Mufasa: The Lion King introduces an intriguing new ability for the titular character, accidently creating an odd plot hole. While the prequel does a pretty good job of enriching the story of how Mufasa became king of the Pride Lands, not all parts of his arc align easily with The Lion King’s canon. As his enhanced senses add to his heroic image, building him up to be more skilled than most lions, they also unintentionally complicate the logic of some key emotional beats in his journey.

Mufasa: The Lion King’s ending explains a major detail about Simba’s father’s strained relationship with Scar. However, the prequel’s changes to his character, while working in favor of Mufasa’s larger-than-life reputation, undermine his weakest moments, making them feel forced rather than central to his transformation. While these inconsistencies may not diminish Mufasa: The Lion King’s positive reviews,...

Making a new installment to a beloved franchise often feels like a surefire way for a studio to make a major profit. These films thrive on having a massive, pre-existing audience who already love the characters and stories that have been established within the universe of the franchise. Because of that, the filmmakers can often be quite confident that their latest installment in the series will attract plenty of people to the theater, securing a hefty paycheck for themselves at the end of the day.

However, a handful of poor performances over the years have proven that success is not always a guarantee. Every so often, a franchise gets a new installment that fails to live up to its predecessors on all accounts. These films can not only bomb with critics, but prove to be major flops at the box office, even failing to recuperate the money that went into making them.

Very few network television shows end up leaving an impact as lasting as Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal. The series is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, with its romanticism of gore and dark themes bleeding into every single shot. However, for those who recognize its beauty for what it is, there is no going back from the change that ensues.

Mads Mikkelsen and Hugh Dancy in a still from Hannibal | Credit: NBC

One of the biggest questions that the series faces to this date is to justify its presence. Considering the fact that Anthony Hopkins’ The Silence of the Lambs is a classic film, one cannot help but wonder why another actor would try their hand at it and risk ruining something perfect.

However, anyone who has seen the series would argue that its existence was perfectly needed, all by simply looking at the differences in Mikkelsen’s and Hopkins’ portrayals of the character.

The impressive recent box office performance of Mufasa: The Lion King sets Disney up for a live-action Lion King sequel in the near future. Directed by Academy Award-winning director Barry Jenkins, Mufasa: The Lion King not only follows the origin story of Mufasa, Simba's father, but also Scar, Mufasa's brother who ran astray. Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) leads the cast of Mufasa: The Lion King alongside Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, and Thandiwe Newton.

While Mufasa: The Lion King didn't make nearly as much at the worldwide box office as its 2019 predecessor, it was still one of the highest-grossing blockbusters of 2024. 2019's The Lion King directed by Jon Favreau remains one of the highest-grossing movies of all time with its whopping $1.662 billion box office total. Remarkably, The Lion King wasn't even the top-performing film of that historic year at the box office (Avengers: Endgame...

Mufasa: The Lion King has just crossed a new box office milestone, beating Emma Stone's Oscar-winning film to enter a prestigious top-10 list. Directed by Barry Jenkins, the Lion King prequel movie chronicles Mufasa's origin as he embarks on an epic journey with fellow lion Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. Mufasa reviews have been generally mixed from critics, but the film has fared generally well with audiences, becoming a box office success.

New data from The Numbers now reveals that Mufasa has grossed $542 million worldwide, surpassing La La Land ($506M) to become the tenth highest-grossing movie musical of all time. This worldwide total comprises $189 million domestic and $352 million from overseas territories. The Lion King prequel currently falls short of titles like The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia!, and Wonka. Check out the full top 10 list and their worldwide totals below:

Top 10 Highest-Highest Grossing Musical Movies

Rank

Title...

Whenever Hollywood needs someone to play an eccentric character, they call upon the great Mads Mikkelsen. His entire filmography is filled with some of the most bizarre and interesting characters in the film industry. While Jürgen Voller and Galen Erso are poor examples of the same, things start to get more interesting when Le Chiffre and Hannibal Lecter are brought into the conversation.

Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal | Credit: NBC

His work in NBC’s Hannibal has brought him the most attention for playing characters who don’t fit into the black-and-white mold of morality. The romanticization of cannibalism done in the film perfectly fits with Mikkelsen’s portrayal of Lecter, causing him to be cast in similar roles throughout his career.

Interestingly enough, the actor almost played the role of another romanticized villain recently. However, one cannot help but wonder if he would have been the right person for the role.

Mads Mikkelsen has been in several award-winning and critically acclaimed projects over the years. Be it playing a Bond villain in Casino Royale or starring as the legendary Hannibal Lecter, the actor has truly showcased his range to the world. However, if there is one project that perfectly encapsulates the skills that he possesses, it is 2020’s Danish classic, Another Round.

Mads Mikkelsen in a still from Another Round | Credit: Nordisk Film

The film gained him more than some recognition, earning two Oscar nominations and one win. Considering how iconic the film is, it is not surprising that Hollywood wants to make an English remake of it.

With Chris Rock at the head of it, the director of the original films apparently has some words to give to the comedian, and they are not very kind. In fact, he brought up quite a publicly humiliating moment in Rock’s professional career.

The movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have occasionally wasted great actors, with many such individuals deserving another chance within the franchise. The MCU’s movie timeline has seen it grow from a handful of connected stories to the biggest and most successful franchise in modern cinema. Movies based on the characters and stories of Marvel Comics have never been more prevalent in pop culture consciousness, with an ever-growing number of characters being introduced on the big screen.

As the number of movies in the MCU has grown, so too has its list of cast members. Inevitably, some Marvel movie actors find themselves wasted in a role, either because it was too short-lived or because it didn’t play to their strengths as an actor. In many cases, the actors in question deserve another chance in Marvel movies, either being brought back in their previous role or being reintroduced in an entirely new one.

NBC's psychological horror series Hannibal ran from only 2013 to 2015 but gained a cult following despite its premature cancelation, and even 10 years later, there may yet be hope for Hannibal season 4. This modern-day reboot is based loosely around the events of Red Dragon (2001), with Hugh Dancy playing Will Graham to Mads Mikkelsen's Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

The weirdly funny Hannibal TV show boasts complex character arcs and heavy themes but is also known for its stunningly moody visuals, with critically acclaimed cinematographer James Hawkinson (The Man in the High Castle) utilizing shallow focus and angled lighting. Additionally, creator Bryan Fuller made use of famed Spanish chef José Andrés as a culinary consultant, and this strategic choice turned the NBC show into a visual feast.

With so much rich visual detail present in every episode, it should be no surprise that even the character wardrobes of NBC's Hannibal are rife with meaningful symbolic choices.

All About The Petition Demanding Amber Heard’s Removal From Aquaman 2 ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia; Flickr )

Over 2 million people demanded Amber Heard be booted from Aquaman 2, and it’s not just for any old reason. Nope, this petition rode high on the waves of Johnny Depp‘s ongoing defamation trial against her, which spilled jaw-dropping tea. This petition, which started back in December 2019, surged like crazy when the trial heated up. The timing? Perfect.

Audio tapes surfaced, showing Heard admitting to hitting Depp. The Pirates of the Caribbean star, who claimed to have been a victim of domestic abuse, had been sharing his side of the story, and fans were all in on the debate. The petition itself read, “Men are victims of domestic abuse, just like women.” The whole movement centered around one key point: why are we celebrating a “known abuser” in Hollywood? Specifically, Amber Heard.

The petition highlighted shocking allegations,...

Andor came in hot, shook the galaxy, and gave Star Wars fans something they didn’t know they needed – a raw, gritty story that didn’t play by Disney’s usual rules. Diego Luna crushed it as the rebel hero, and with Season 2 on the horizon, it’s looking just as explosive.

Diego Luna in Andor | Credits: Lucasfilm

But here’s the twist: there’s no Season 3. Yes, the show is wrapping up after this next round, and the reason is as anti-Disney as it gets.

Why Diego Luna’s Star Wars masterpiece ends here, and it’s brilliantly bold Diego Luna in Andor | Credits: Lucasfilm

Andor isn’t playing the stretch-it-out forever game. After Season 2 drops in 2025, that’s it. No third season. No dragged-out storylines. Why? It’s simple – aging, ambition, and a refreshing anti-Disney move to avoid cheap cash grabs.

Here’s the deal: Andor was supposed to be five seasons long.

Daniel Day-Lewis as Count Dracula? In another world, director Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" could've given us just that.

"Nosferatu" evokes images of silent movie actor Max Shreck in a bald cap and pointed ears as he played the vampire Count Orlok. But in Eggers' new "Nosferatu," Orlok actor Bill Skarsgård looks nothing like that — or himself, even.

Similar to Skarsgård's performance as Pennywise in "It," he totally submits himself over to the character, disappearing behind make-up and (in "Nosferatu") an echo effect on his voice. I agree wholeheartedly with /Film's Chris Evangelista that when you watch Skarsgård's Orlok, you don't feel as if you're seeing a performance, but a true evil walking on screen. In that way, it's the most fully inhabited villain performance I can recall since Heath Ledger's Joker in "The Dark Knight."

Now, this can all sound like a backhanded compliment, treating Skarsgård as a mere stand-in...

Mads Mikkelsen is not just a bad boy in films, his fans celebrate him as a bad boy in real life too. Mikkelsen is often captured in media with a cigarette in his hand. The actor himself once admitted that he was stuck with his smoking habit and finds it hard to put down his cigarette. Some alleged that Mikkelsen may have even influenced the rising number of smokers in Denmark.

Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale | Credits: Eon Productions/MGM

He was first noticed for his role as Le Chiffre in Casino Royale as a Bond villain. He went on to play other villains including Hollywood’s infamous cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter. His most recent film role was another villain performance, voicing the role of Kiros in Mufasa: The Lion King.

Mads Mikkelsen and his smoking habit might come across as a bad influence Mads Mikkelsen...

Harrison Ford's Red Hulk has enough potential to be a recurring character after his introduction in Captain America: Brave New World, unlike many other MCU villains. Thaddeus Ross' MCU story took a while to reach its climax. Ross' journey began in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, was put on hold until 2016's Captain America: Civil War, and briefly resumed in 2021's Black Widow before Red Hulk appears on the scene in 2025's Captain America: Brave New World. In retrospect, Thaddeus Ross' transformation into Red Hulk may have been inevitable despite Hulk's lack of a solo movie and Ross' required recasting following William Hurt's passing.

Ross sides with the Leader and the Intelligencia to transform into the Red Hulk in the comics, but that doesn't seem to be the case in Captain America: Brave New World. Instead, Harrison Ford's President Ross appears to be an involuntary guinea pig for the Leader's experiments.

Marvel Studios just used What If...? season 3 to quietly hint at how an iconic MCU villain who hasn't been seen in nine years can now return to once again battle Doctor Strange. Over the course of its three-season run, Marvel Animation's What If...? reinvented some of the McU's most iconic and powerful characters as the series explored a wide variety of alternate universes. What If...? season 3 may have wrapped up the story, but the series' final chapter also teased some wild new stories for the live-action MCU.

What If...? season 3 was arguably the weirdest chapter of the animated series yet, concluding the popular Multiverse Saga series with a bang. Audiences were introduced to a Wild West-themed Shang-Chi and Kate Bishop, a Celestial Agatha Harkness and the daughter of Howard the Duck and Darcy Lewis, among others, with the latter being the focus of episode 4, "What If... Howard the Duck Got Hitched?...

Idris Elba’s rise to fame is one of the most inspiring stories in Hollywood. Known for his roles in Luther and The Wire, Elba has built a successful career that’s made him a household name. But before the big screen, he wasn’t always on the path to stardom. Growing up in the tough streets of London, Elba had a very different future in mind.

Idris Elba as Heimdall in a still from Thor (2011) | Credits: Paramount Pictures

His early life and first job were worlds apart from acting, but it was a turn of fate and a deep passion for creativity that led him to where he is today.

How Idris Elba’s humble beginnings shaped his acting career!

Before becoming the Hollywood star we know today, Idris Elba’s career path looked very different. Raised in Hackney, London, his early life was far from the glamorous world of movies.

After portraying the Rebel hero Cassian Andor in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and two seasons of Andor, Diego Luna is understandably emotional regarding the end of the series.

Speaking to Deadline, Luna revealed that he's sad the show will end but excited for fans to see what he and the rest of the cast have done in the show's second season.

I can tell you, I’m sad... Because it’s the last season...it’s the end.Diego Luna at the Golden Globe Awards.

Diego Luna on what to expect from #Andor #GoldenGlobes

(Source: @Deadline) pic.twitter.com/X9Ef4JbeB1

— Andor News (@newsandor) January 6, 2025

While Luna admitted sadness about the show's end, which likely marks the end of his journey as Cassian Andor, he added "I’m excited for audiences to watch, it’s been a long journey. it’s cool." Diego was nominated for Best...

Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake is a major hit globally, but the movie could have looked quite different if the director’s original plans had come to life. About ten years ago, when Eggers first set out to direct the horror classic, Bill Skarsgård wasn’t the first choice for Count Orlok.

In an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Skarsgård shared that actors like Mads Mikkelsen and Willem Dafoe were initially considered for the vampire role. At the time, Skarsgård was in the running for a different part—Thomas Hutter, which eventually went to Nicholas Hoult.

Skarsgård recalled meeting Eggers in New York almost a decade ago. Eggers had just completed The Witch and planned to make Nosferatu his next project:

I met him [Robert Eggers] in New York almost ten years ago, and he was doing Nosferatu. That would be his follow-up movie after The Witch. I read the script,...

Mufasa: The Lion King has hit a major milestone that pushes it much closer to profitability after three weekends. The 2024 movie is a prequel to Disney's photorealistic CG-animated 2019 remake, following the origin story of the future king Mufasa (Aaron Pierre). The Mufasa: The Lion King release hit an early snag in its opening weekend when it fell severely below its original projections, earning just $35.4 million in North America and taking No. 2 behind the other new release, Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Per Variety, as of Sunday morning, Mufasa: The Lion King is projected to close out its third weekend in theaters with a cumulative box office total of $476 million worldwide. This makes it just the 10th movie of the year to pass the $475 million milestone and leaves it neck and neck with the current No. 9 movie of 2024, Venom: The Last Dance ($476.8 million). This news comes at the same time that...

Keanu Reeves was so iconic in portraying the role of John Wick in the action franchise that some of the scenes should be studied in film schools. At least, one particular scene in John Wick: Chapter 4.

Keanu Reeves has been loved as John Wick across the world | Credits: Thunder Road Pictures

From a storyline of taking revenge for killing his dog and totaling his car, Keanu Reeves goes on a vengeful quest. From getting excommunicated to going on a vengeful quest again, there are very few action sequences that Wick might not have done.

This scene from John Wick: Chapter 4 should be studied

In the beginning, John Wick was just an ex-assassin who had to return to the evil world when some unfortunate things happened to him. After the first film ended, Keanu Reeves has been on the run.

There’s plenty of action in the John Wick franchise...

The movie Nosferatu has been a major success at the holiday box office and it stars Bill Skarsgard as the villain Count Orlok, though there were other actors considered for the role before him.

Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman (Lily-Rose Depp) and the terrifying vampire (Skarsgard) infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

In its first nine days of release, the movie has already grossed $56 million at the domestic box office and is on track to becoming one of Focus Features’ top-grossing movies of all time.

So, who almost played Count Orlok instead of Bill?

Keep reading to find out more…

The actor revealed these three actors were considered…

Daniel Day-Lewis

Willem Dafoe

Mads Mikkelsen

Bill opened up about the other actors in an interview with Swedish outlet Moviezine.

“I know [director Robert Eggers] talked about Daniel Day-Lewis. And for a while...

HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV show has the opportunity to showcase an incredible backstory with the actors from the Fantastic Beasts franchise. While the Fantastic Beasts franchise started off strong, the movies ultimately plummeted in popularity, leaving the talented actors in limbo after creating a compelling Wizarding World. However, with the Harry Potter story being rebooted and told in a TV format with several seasons planned to capture the entire legacy of The Boy Who Lived, there are opportunities to right some wrongs.

While the movies, both in the original Harry Potter films and the Fantastic Beasts movies moved at pace through the characters' stories, and delivered incredible action, drama, and wonder, a TV show inherently has a lot more space to really explore a story from every direction. Whether that means taking more time to explore a single event, or delving into the history of the characters, the format...

There have been several instances where a company was almost saved from bankruptcy due to that one successful project that turned things around. Daniel Craig’s one iconic Bond film was also one such project.

Daniel Craig in a still from No Time to Die | Credits: Eon Productions

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (or MGM) was one of the production houses behind Daniel Craig’s Skyfall but for the company, things were not at the best levels financially. On the brink of bankruptcy, Skyfall director Sam Mendes saw a chance on how he can improve the pre-existing script and make it better.

There was a lot to establish in Skyfall

The Adele song as well as the James Bond film found worldwide fame and critical acclaim when it was released in theaters back in 2012. Skyfall was helmed as one of the finer films in the Bond franchise.

There was a lot going on in...

Mufasa: The Lion King Box Office (Worldwide): Beats The Wild Robot ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Mufasa: The Lion King is performing steadily at the box office. It recently crossed the $100 million mark at the US box office and $300 million worldwide. In the process, the Disney animation has now surpassed The Wild Robot’s global haul and is closer to entering the top 15 highest-grossing films of 2024. Scroll below for the deets.

The Wild Robot was not only critically acclaimed but also a financial success. It came out in September this year along with Transformers One but outperformed it at the box office. Dreamworks Animation featured an ensemble voice cast that included Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, Catherine O’Hara, Matt Berry, and Ving Rhames.

The movie premiered at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival and was made on an estimated budget of $78 million. It...

A villain can make or break a movie, and some highly anticipated antagonists have dragged down their movies. When big franchises bring back popular villains, it inevitably places extra pressure on the actor and the writers to do the character justice. Some villains simply mean more to fans, like Blofeld in the James Bond franchise and the Joker in Batman movies. Unfortunately, reintroducing these characters doesn't always go to plan.

Another reason that a villain can attract a lot of hype before the release of a movie is if a popular actor has been cast to portray them. For example, fans of the Indiana Jones franchise were excited to see Mads Mikkelsen starring in The Dial of Destiny, given the fact that he has played some outstanding villain roles over the years. High expectations can hamper a villain, and this can affect the entire legacy of a movie.

Lex Luthor...

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion King.Mufasa: The Lion King's villain stands out as a reminder of a long-standing controversy regarding the classic 1994 movie. Though the Disney prequel was largely considered an unnecessary addition to the franchise, Mufasa: The Lion King's reviews highlight its enhanced animation, affecting soundtrack, and, most importantly, a clever story that changes The Lion King canon in the best way. Like Simba's Pride, Mufasa's origin story builds Kiara's family tree and expands on their generational history, this time, focusing on the troubling relationship between Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) — later, Scar.

However, the movie's main villain is not Scar but a merciless outsider who seeks to kill all lion kings to gain sole power over all creatures. Notably, in Mufasa: The Lion King's ending, Simba's father fights Kiros (Mads Mikkelsen) and earns the...

When it comes to bringing magic to life, music is absolutely essential to the Lion King franchise and its lasting impact. From 1994's The Lion King to 2024's Mufasa: The Lion King, the featured tunes seamlessly amplify every emotion, from soaring joys to deep sorrows. The original film boasts one of the best animated Disney movie soundtracks of all time, as well as being one of the best uses of Elton John's music in movies, giving us some truly iconic moments.

However, it's important to note that the music in the Lion King series is so much more than just background noise; it's woven into the storytelling, enhancing the narrative and drawing viewers deeper into the characters' journeys. Whether it’s a triumphant chorus or a sad melody, the songs in the legendary Disney series are a big reason why the Lion King movies stand out as timeless classics...

While the franchise's on-screen future remains unclear, an underrated Hannibal Lecter adaptation is getting a new streaming home. Based on Thomas Harris' four novels centering on the cannibalistic serial killer, the on-screen journey of the character began in 1986's Manhunter, written and directed by Michael Mann and starring Brian Cox as the iconic killer. Primarily based on the first novel, Red Dragon, the movie failed at the box office and initially garnered mixed reviews, but has gone on to be considered a cult classic.

Arguably, the adaptation that put the franchise on the map was the Anthony Hopkins-led The Silence of the Lambs, one of the few horror movies to get Oscars recognition, winning the big five awards while being nominated for an additional two. Hopkins would carry on the role of Lecter with the 2001 sequel Hannibal, which was a commercial hit in spite of its critical dismissal, and the 2002 prequel Red Dragon,...

Kill your darlings” is a phrase attributed to William Faulkner, advising writers to resist overuse of their favorite expressions, tropes, characters, etc. This is true for any writing, wherein emotional proximity to the work might manifest into myopic creations in the grander scheme of things. However canonized this belief is, the hypothesis falls apart for Nicolas Winding Refn.

Armed with a style that has only grown more distinctive with every new film, Refn explores fundamental themes and deploys the camera to shift between fluidity and limbo. With sensibilities similar to a master architect, Refn uses frames to create moments that let the viewer internalize, and experience on a physio-psychological level, a creation that does not confine itself to a two-dimensional rectangle, but reminds you of what was felt while watching it. This is the moment the Nicolas Winding Refn effect kicks in, and this is when cinema affects one on a deeply personal level.

Lin-Manuel Miranda initially pitched a dancehall-inspired villain song for Mads Mikkelsen’s character Kiros in “Mufasa: The Lion King,” an idea that was perhaps a bit too “counterintuitive” in the end.

Asked whether any tracks didn’t make the cut, the Grammy, Tony and Emmy award-winner, who wrote and co-produced all of the film’s original songs, revealed to TheWrap that his party-banger pitch ultimately gave way to “Bye Bye.”

“One of the things I pitched that wasn’t necessarily spelled out in the script was a song for our bad guy — I really wanted to write a good villain song for Barry [Jenkins], and I called him and I said, ‘This is going to sound crazy,'” Miranda told TheWrap.

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“‘Mads Mikkelsen,’ who’s, like, one of our great movie villains in a lot of his roles, ‘like I’m hearing like a dancehall beat under his voice. I know...

Bill Skarsgård may be the latest actor to terrify audiences as Count Orlok, but this year’s Nosferatu remake almost cast one of three other famous actors before him. Based on the 1992 silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, this latest reinterpretation sees Skarsgård assume the role first played by German film star Max Schreck. However, before being offered the role of the film’s titular vampire, Skarsgård had originally auditioned for and been offered Nicholas Hoult’s role of Thomas Hutter.

Speaking with Swedish film site Moviezine, Skarsgård explained that in the movie’s earliest incarnations, director Robert Eggers was considering several well-known actors to play Count Orlok. In addition to mentioning Daniel Day-Lewis and Mads Mikkelsen, Skarsgård also revealed that his co-star Willem Dafoe was also slated to play him before landing the role of Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz. Check out a translation of his comments below:...

Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Dec 20-22) Total gross to date Week 1. Mufasa: The Lion King (Disney) £4.4m £4.4m 1 2. Wicked (Universal) £2.5m £48.2m 5 3. Moana2 (Disney) £2.1m £29.8m 4 4. Paddington In Peru (Studiocanal) £649,278 £31.3m 7 5. Gladiator II (Paramount) £495,000 £29.6m 6

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.26

Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King hit the top spot in its first weekend on release at the UK-Ireland box office, bringing in £4.4m from 663 venues, for a site average of £6,637, with a few sites still to report.

The result does not match up to the film’s predecessor, 2019’sThe Lion King, which opened on £16.7m, the second highest-opening...

On December 23, 1935, exactly 89 years ago today, Walt Disney sent out a memo to Don Graham, head of the studio’s internal training and orientation classes. The letter outlines what Disney values in an animator, and what he values in animation. “The point must be made clear to the men that...

Warning! This post contains Spoilers for Mufasa: The Lion KingA new detail revealed in Mufasa: The Lion King makes the death of Simba's father much more tragic 30 years later. Revealing the origins of Mufasa and his brother Taka, the new prequel offers an intriguing look back at how Mufasa became king of the Pride Lands, and why his brother came to hate him, so much so that the future Scar orchestrated his brother's death (and tried to kill his heir). However, a new reveal sheds light as to why Mufasa never saw it coming.

Mufasa: The Lion King is directed by Barry Jenkins, starring Aaron Pierre as a young Mufasa and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka who would come to be known as Scar. Beginning with their lives as young cubs, it's revealed that Taka was meant to become king of his own pride before meeting Mufasa, a young...

Mufasa: The Lion King has divided critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, similar to the 2019 remake. Directed by Barry Jenkins, the prequel once again employs photorealism and tells the story of Mufasa, eventual king of the Pride Lands, and Taka, who later becomes Scar. The movie, released on December 20, brings back several voice actors, including Donald Glover and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, but adds Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Aaron Pierre, and Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Now that Mufasa: The Lion King has premiered in theaters, the scores on Rotten Tomatoes reveal a disconnect. The Popcornmeter, currently at 89%, is a noticeable contrast from the critic-based Tomatometer, which only stands at 57%. This kind of division happened back in 2019 as well, when critical reception of The Lion King was negative, but audiences gave the movie an 88% on the aggregator.

What Contrasting Reviews Mean For Mufasa: The Lion King Critics And Audiences Appreciate Different Things...

While Mufasa: The Lion King is not dominating the box office, the prequel remains a powerful force in its opening weekend. It serves as the latest live-action Disney reimagining, telling the story of Mufasa's rise to power and his falling out with Scar. The Mufasa cast includes Aaron Pierre (Mufasa), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Taka / Scar), Donald Glover (Simba), Mads Mikkelsen (Kiro), and more major names in Hollywood. The movie, which had an enormous $200 million budget, opened against Sonic the Hedgehog 3 this weekend.

According to a report by Variety, Mufasa is expected to have earned $122.2 million through Sunday, passing the $100 million milestone with ease. That total can largely be attributed to international gains, as it earned $87.2 million overseas. A comparatively paltry $35 million came from domestic audiences. Sonic 3 captured the majority of domestic viewers, as it opened in first place with $62 million. Sonic has not yet opened internationally, which allowed...

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 gave theaters an early Christmas present this weekend, opening ahead of expectations with a $62 million domestic debut. That’s the second-best December start ever for a PG pic since The Chronicles of Narnia: The Witch, the Lion and the Wardrobe almost 20 years ago in 2005, not adjusted for inflation.

That’s no small feat, especially considering Sonic 3 went up against Hollywood’s most formidable purveyor of PG fare — Disney. After a string of mega wins this year, the studio hit a bump with Mufasa: The Lion King, which came in notably behind expectations with a domestic debut of $35 million. Not that Disney has nothing to crow about; the studio has crossed the $5 billion mark in global ticket sales. It’s the first time any studio has done so since before the pandemic, and the sixth time Disney has done so since 2010.

Heading into the weekend, Sonic 3 was...

“Mufasa” has reigned supreme at the global box office, but the “Lion King” prequel is lacking the bite of Disney’s prior live-action adaptations.

The movie, a prequel to director Jon Favreau’s 2019 photorealistic “The Lion King” remake, powered to $87.2 million overseas and $122 million globally. While those ticket sales were enough to top the worldwide box office charts, the film landed far behind pre-release expectations of $130 million overseas and $180 million globally. “Mufasa” also missed projections in North America, debuting to just $35 million while landing in second place behind Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” ($62 million). The third “Sonic” adventure doesn’t open at the international box office until Dec. 25.

China was the biggest market for “Mufasa” with $7.8 million to start, followed by France with $7.7 million, Mexico with $7.1 million and the United Kingdom with $5.5 million.

Barry Jenkins, best known for his Oscar best picture winner “Moonlight,” directed “Mufasa,” a prequel about...

Daisy Ridley is best known for playing Rey Skywalker in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but she's also an acclaimed actor who's starred in a variety of great movies that weren't set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars movies have, for better or worse, defined Ridley's career. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was Ridley's big break in Hollywood, and she's now returning to the franchise in the upcoming movie New Jedi Order. Rey Skywalker is a major part of her acting career, but it's far from the only part of it.

Since 2019's Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Ridley has starred in 13 movies, video games, and even a Podcast series. Ridley's post-Rise of Skywalker career has been incredibly impressive, and she's managed to establish herself as much more than Rey in that time. Some of Daisy Ridley's best movies haven't even mentioned lightsabers or the Force,...

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is powering to the top of box office charts while “Mufasa: The Lion King” is getting trampled in its first weekend of release.

Paramount’s third “Sonic” adventure has opened at No. 1 with $62 million from 3,761 North American theaters. Bolstered by positive reviews and strong audience scores, the film beat initial expectations of $55 million to $60 million and looks to remain a holiday hit through the new year. “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” was tracking for a trilogy-low start but instead opened above the original 2020 “Sonic the Hedgehog” ($58 million) and just below the 2022 sequel (a series-best $72 million).

Disney’s “The Lion King” prequel “Mufasa” was trotting behind in second place with $35 million from 4,100 cinemas, falling way behind pre-release expectations of $50 million. It’s a terrible start for a tentpole that cost above $200 million to produce and roughly $100 million to promote across the global. Despite mixed reviews, the film has several potential saving graces,...

The movies of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and other films based on Marvel properties have been known to occasionally cast the wrong actor as a major antagonist. Since the beginning of the MCU’s movie timeline, the franchise has introduced some truly outstanding antagonists into live-action. Adapting characters from the pages of Marvel Comics isn’t always an easy task, however, as getting them just right requires careful consideration and, often, clever casting choices.

In both the Marvel movies of the MCU and outside the franchise, the wrong actors are sometimes chosen to play a villain. Sometimes this is the result of a creative risk not paying off, and others it’s just an apparent miscalculation. Whether the actor in question doesn’t seem to understand the source material or just doesn’t look at all right for the role, here are the 10 worst villain castings in the history of Marvel movies,...

Mufasa: The Lion King Box Office (North America): Release Day Update(Photo Credit – YouTube)

While Sonic 3 is headed for a splendid debut at the US box office, Mufasa: The Lion King is expected to come below the predicted range. The Disney flick has a lower rating than Sonic the Hedgehog 3, as well. Previously, it was expected to earn between $177-$192 million worldwide in its debut weekend, but that number has now drastically decreased. Keep scrolling for the deets.

Mufasa received an A- on CinemaScore, and the Rotten Tomatoes score included a score of 57% for critics, while the audience gave it 89%. The musical drama by Barry Jenkins has an incredible voice cast with Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and John Kani reprising their roles from the previous movie. The new cast included Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose,...

Hollywood has been searching for its next James Bond for a hot minute now, especially after Daniel Craig left big shoes to fill as the face of the iconic character for over a decade.

Daniel Craig as James Bond in Spectre | Credits: Eon Productions

Now, with fresh faces being considered, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s name consistently pops up in the conversation, making him a strong contender. With his latest film Kraven the Hunter releasing, here’s what he has to say about the possibility of taking on the role.

The main reason Aaron Taylor-Johnson would take on the Bond role

While fans have been debating whether Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be the right fit for 007, the actor himself has a simple yet compelling reason for wanting the role, suits. (Barney Stinson would be proud)

Sure, playing James Bond comes with the iconic charm, action-packed missions, and the luxury of exotic locations, but for Taylor-Johnson,...

In the competitive world of science fiction cinema, a gripping premise does not always result in success. This was shown in the 2021 film Chaos Walking, which, despite its novel premise and star-studded ensemble, failed to captivate fans and critics.

The film’s box office loss was $13 million. It boasted an excellent lineup, including Daisy Ridley, who played Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and Tom Holland. Doug Liman, known for hit films like The Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow, directed the cast, which includes renowned actors such as Mads Mikkelsen, Nick Jonas, and Cynthia Erivo.

“Chaos Walking” takes place in a dystopian world in which all women have inexplicably disappeared. The remaining guys are affected by “the Noise,” a condition in which their thoughts are revealed to others. The story revolves around Todd, who meets Viola, a girl whose presence produces an amazing stillness in this noisy world.