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I don't expect to be forgiven for not having seen "Alien" until I was 36 years old. Much like with my resistance to The Beatles, which only gave way when the world experienced a global pandemic and I had nothing else to do, even I knew that never having seen any of the "Alien" movies was just sort of wrong. Like some unspeakable eldritch beast from the annals of cosmic horror, the franchise had just always existed in the periphery of my consciousness, haunting my existence and emitting a low-pitched hiss every time I hit play on yet another Netflix movie.

Now, Disney is clearly embracing the franchise for a new generation with the effective but safe sequel "Alien: Romulus" in 2024 and a new TV series in the form of "Alien: Earth" (which presents a big problem for the saga's timeline). So, it was finally time I stared the beast directly in the face,...

Universal Picturesis reportedly taking a major legal stance against AI.Since June, viewers have been noticing warnings at the end of Universal movies which state the films cannot be used to train AI, furthering the interesting conversation about movie studios and technological advancements like artificial intelligence. Most recently, the warning appeared in The Bad Guys 2 end credits.

According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, the worldwide distribution of this anti-ai warning in the end credits of their movies adds another layer of protection for Universal Pictures. This warning will hopefully help to prevent data mining and stop artificial intelligence systems from being trained using intellectual and copyrighted properties. Check out the full warning quote below:

This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.

This new stance comes just months...

There’s an academic theory that proposes that each film in the Alien franchise is about the problems of a specific generation. Ridley Scott’s Alien is about blue-collar labor and misogyny; James Cameron’s Aliens is about the fallout from Vietnam; David Fincher’s Alien³ is about the AIDS crisis and the pro-life movement; and so on.

All of it is very much subtext, and easy to skate past for a viewer looking for grisly sci-fi/horror thrills and nothing else. But that’s not as easy to accomplish with Alien: Earth, which has a lot of other things on its mind that don’t involve H.R. Giger’s xenomorphs.

The 22nd-century Earth of Alien: Earth is a cybercapitalist nightmare where five corporations control all aspects of human life in ways that make 2025 feel like a hippie utopia. One of those corporations is, of course, Weyland-Yutani, and one of the others is Prodigy,...

On July 25, It's time to head back to the links — and the 1990s — with Adam Sandler. The star is picking up his golf clubs again for Netflix's Happy Gilmore 2, a belated follow-up to the 1996 golf comedy that propelled him onto Hollywood's comedy A-list. It's the first time that Sandler has revisited one of those vintage comedies; to date, his only live-action sequels to previous successes have been Grown-Ups 2 and Murder Mystery 2.

Interestingly, Happy Gilmore 2 is arriving on Netflix one month ahead of Sandler's latest seriocomic turn; the actor will be starring alongside George Clooney in Noah Baumbach's Venice-bound feature Jay Kelly. And the two actors will likely be joined at the hip throughout awards season as Clooney positions himself for his first Best Actor nomination since The Descendants way back in 2013. (He won a Best Supporting Actor statuette in 2007 for Syriana.)

Meanwhile, Jay Kelly...

The first time their paths crossed creatively, Noah Hawley cast Timothy Olyphant in the supporting role of Dick “Deafy” Wickware in the fourth season of the former’s anthology project, Fargo. With a brimmed hat atop his head, a gun in his holster, and a heart beating for the Mormon religion, Olyphant’s U.S. Marshal was on a mission of justice in a set of episodes that also featured Chris Rock and Jessie Buckley. And, anyone who’s been a fan of Olyphant’s will know that Fargo was far from the first time he’d portrayed a man of the law, as he previously depicted similar characters in titles like Justified, Deadwood, The Crazies, and more.

When Hawley was casting for his upcoming series, Alien: Earth, he knew that he wanted the Scream 2 alumni involved, but he didn’t want Olyphant to be playing the same old part.

Patton Oswalt would sign on to a live-action remake of Ratatouille “in a second”.The 56-year-old actor starred as the rodent chef Remy in Pixar’s beloved 2007 animated movie, and Oswalt has now revealed he would return for a Ratatouille remake - so long as director Brad Bird was at the helm again.When TMZ asked The King of Queens actor if he was open to voicing Remy again in another Ratatouille film, he said: “If Brad Bird came up with a great idea to do it, I would do it in a second. “But, that's up to him. Yeah, to get to work with Brad Bird [again] would be great.”Oswalt was also quizzed on whether he thought Ratatouille was one of the best Disney-Pixar movies, but the actor insisted “that’s for the viewers to decide”.He added: “I mean, I had a blast doing it, but I don't...

Ratatouille On Disney+ Charts | Remy The Rat Chef Returns Globally ( Photo Credit – Facebook )

Disney’s animated film library keeps finding ways to stay fresh and this time it’s Ratatouille making waves again. This Pixar gem, years after it first landed in theatres, has quietly climbed back into the spotlight, reminding people why it is still one of the studio’s finest creations.

Originally released in 2007, the Paris-set story about a rat who loves fine food found both critical acclaim and commercial success when it first came out. Now, with its return on Disney+, it is enjoying a second round of global attention.

Ratatouille Enters Top Global Movies on Disney+

According to FlixPatrol, Ratatouille has moved up to the fifth spot on Disney+’s list of top films worldwide. Sitting right below Captain America: Brave New World and ahead of Lilo & Stitch: A Special Look, it is once again sharing...

One of Pixar’s best animations of all time has found success once more, years after it landed in theaters, and it’s a well-deserved one at that. Produced by the animation studio for Disney, Ratatouille was a critical and commercial hit upon its release in June 2007 and was a recipient of multiple accolades at major awards events. Now with the pic available on streaming, it's reminding fans and showing newcomers what a brilliant watch it is, as proven by its status on the global charts.

Per FlixPatrol, Ratatouille has entered the top 5 movies on Disney+ globally, taking the #5 spot, right below Elio and above 2005’s Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch. At the same time, Snow White, Captain America: Brave New World, and Sharks Up Close With Bertie Gregory are in the first three spots. Brad Bird wrote and directed the animated comedy, with Brad Lewis producing from...

The Day After Tomorrow, the disaster movie of 2004 starring Jake Gyllenhaal, has landed a new streaming home. Starting on July 1, Hulu subscribers can stream the thriller directed by Roland Emmerich, and considered by many to be one of the best movies by the director of both Independence Day movies, Anonymous and White House Down.

The film is not a direct adaptation, but inspired by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber's book The Coming Global Superstorm, a fictional book that explores the possibility of climate change producing a sudden worldwide apocalypse. It was adapted by Emmerich himself, who co-wrote the film with Jeffrey Nachmanoff. The Day After Tomorrow stars Gyllenhaal alongside Dennis Quaid, Sela Ward, Emmy Rossum, Ian Holm, Austin Nichols, and Dash Mihok.

The story focuses on a climatologist who has been warning authorities about a possible worldwide collapse due to global warming. As it always happens in disaster films,...

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This July, Hulu is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated return of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to the much-anticipated streaming release of The Amateur. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Hulu this month and have an 85% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the seven best films that are coming to Hulu in July 2025 with an 85% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Bridesmaids (July 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89% Credit – Universal Pictures

Bridesmaids is a comedy film directed by Paul Feig from a screenplay co-written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig. The 2011 film revolves around a group of women as they go on various misadventures after being chosen by their friend to serve as bridesmaids at her wedding. Bridesmaids stars Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph,...

Alien: Earth star Sydney Chandler has landed a leading role in a science fiction road movie alongside Shōgun star Takehiro Hira. Anima is being written and directed by documentary filmmaker Brian Tetsuro Ivie.

Per Deadline, Tetsuro Ivie will be making his feature directorial debut with an alternate future story that sounds like it could be a Black Mirror episode. Chandler stars in Anima as a young woman who impulsively goes on a very unusual road trip with an older man (played by Hira). When the man discovers his consciousness is fading, it's up to Chandler's character to get him to a cutting-edge facility where he can undergo a memory-upload surgery.

"I’ve always loved road movies and I’m very thankful to have two brilliant actors on the journey with me," Tetsuro Ivie said in a statement. "I really think people will be surprised by where the story goes."

Tetsuro...

This summer, FX is premiering its new Alien television show Alien: Earth, from the mind of Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley. The Xenomorph's first TV series sees it crash to Earth aboard a space vessel which has captured five dangerous alien species from the darkest corners of the universe. Obviously, it will get out and wreak havoc, as it does.

Earlier this month, FX dropped the first proper trailer for the series, showing how hybrid synthetic Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and her team are dispatched to retrieve the vessel's cargo from the urban metropolis of Prodigy City. And I'll admit, the trailer looks pretty awesome. It nails the tone and vibe of the Alien films, especially recalling the original 1979 masterpiece from Ridley Scott. The cast is good, the glimpses of the Xenomorph we get are creepy, and there's enough mystery surrounding those other four predatory aliens that I'm really looking forward to watching the big reveals.

Through its wildly comic, furiously creative, and intensely moving facade, Terry Gilliam’s 1985 film Brazil ponders a future made to sustain a draconian past molded by inequality. In this dystopia, the rich, having long knelt at the altar of radical capitalistic tyranny, spend their days having their flesh stretched, sliced, and injected with ultraviolet potions, while the working class types, files, signs, and stamps its way through pointless paperwork.

Overrun by communicative ducts, coated wires, cement and metals, and magnified, miniature computer screens, the future conjured up here averts the familiar prophecy of an anaesthetized, plastic world overrun by rampantly advancing technology. Indeed, men—who see such technology as an affront to their fiscal station and take the pecuniary gain of the morbid, perverse 1% as their modus operandi—unmistakably run the future of Gilliam’s film. New technology is expensive, and paper is cheap.

Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) is in the thick of it,...

There are some gnarly things happening in the "Alien: Earth" trailer that was released this week, and we don't just mean the space beasties that don't resemble our favorite signature phallic-shaped horrors. Besides a blonde-haired Timothy Olyphant talking about the critical cargo on board the unfortunate shipwreck that we'll be investigating in Noah Hawley's new television series, there's an important additional feature that's being given to androids that could send the synthetics in directions we never could've imagined.

One big surprise teased in the new series is that Sydney Chandler, who looks to be playing the show's lead character, Wendy, is going through a wild transformation. At the Neverland test facility, Wendy, a seemingly severely ill young girl, is having her consciousness transferred into an adult android body for reasons unknown, which reaches a successful outcome. What's interesting about this is that this very procedure is the same one...

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein continues a rating trend for the iconic monster story. The upcoming Netflix movie, which premieres in November, is an adaptation of the classic 1818 horror novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The upcoming Frankenstein features a star-studded cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Charles Dance, Christian Convery, Ralph Ineson, and Christoph Waltz. It marks del Toro's first reimagining of an iconic Universal monster since his Oscar-winning 2017 movie The Shape of Water drew inspiration from 1954's Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Per FilmRatings.com, Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein has been given an MPA rating of R, which continues a modern trend of adaptations of the original Mary Shelley novel becoming more graphic, violent, and adult in the modern age. The majority of the best-known early adaptations or continuations of the literary classic are either rated PG, PG-13, or Approved (during the pre-mpa...

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This June, Hulu is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated return of The Bear to the much-anticipated release of the adult animated Predator film. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Hulu this month and have an 85% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the seven best films that are coming to Hulu in June 2025 with an 85% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Alien (June 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93% Credit – 20th Century Studios

Alien is a 1979 sci-fi horror action film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Dan O’Bannon. It revolves around the Nostromo spacecraft crew, who set out to investigate a distress signal. Soon after beginning their investigation, they are attacked by a deadly alien. Alien stars Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright,...

Usually, one needs to be decked out to get selected for a job, be it in Tinseltown or the whole wide world. However, it may not have been the case with Milla Jovovich, who shared that she got selected for her role in The Fifth Element because she was down with a hangover.

Jovovich, who starred in the director Luc Besson’s 1997 hit, The Fifth Element, revealed during an interview that it wasn’t her audition that impressed the French-origin filmmaker. Only when she appeared (genuinely) hungover after a wild party did Besson agree to cast her as Leeloo in the sci-fi action.

Reflecting on the hiring process, the 49-year-old star said that her messy hair and no makeup look did the ultimate trick.

Milla Jovovich shared the interesting way she got hired for The Fifth Element

Milla Jovovich revealed during an interview with GQ that initially she “auditioned for...

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Nonnas is a comedy drama film directed by Stephen Chbosky from a screenplay by Liz Maccie. Based on the life of Joe Scaravella, the owner of Staten Island restaurant Enoteca Maria. It follows Joe after he loses his mother and realizes how much he loved the food his mother and grandmother made, leading him to impulsively buy a restaurant and team up with real-life Italian nonnas to make food. Nonnas stars Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Joe Manganiello, Linda Cardellini, and Susan Sarandon. So, if you loved the feel-good story, hilarious comedy, and lovable characters in Nonnas, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Chef (Tubi & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Open Road Films

Chef is a road trip comedy-drama film written and directed by Jon Favreau. The 2014 film follows Carl Casper,...

In a decade of sci-fi blockbusters, the 90s delivered some of the genre's biggest hits, from The Matrix and Jurassic Park to Men in Black and Starship Troopers. But most sci-fi of the time followed a familiar formula: sleek and somewhat serious. That was until The Fifth Element, a neon-soaked sci-fi comedy that brought space operas, high fashion, and wild, comic-book energy.

Starring Bruce Willis as a cynical ex-soldier and Gary Oldman as a cartoonish villain, the film bent the genre rules. And, while critics didn’t know what to make of it, audiences did. It became one of the highest-grossing sci-fi films of the decade, turning its opposing style into part of its legacy.

The Fifth Element Is a Dystopian Classic

The Fifth Element follows Korben Dallas (Bruce Willis), a former special forces soldier turned taxi driver in a futuristic New York. But when LeeLoo – a genetically modified alien...

There are few cinematic locations as beautiful as The Shire in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, one of the greatest film franchises of all time. The cozy, green village where Bilbo Baggins and the rest of our Hobbit heroes reside is a picturesque fantasy locale, one that you can actually still visit down in New Zealand. However, since plane tickets are pretty pricey, Lego has a way you can visit The Shire without leaving the comfort of your home. 

Lego

The building brick masters at Lego have announced the release of a new "Lord of the Rings" playset that lets fans build Bilbo Baggins' house in The Shire. The cute little hole in the hill is one of the most iconic locations in Middle-earth, and now you can build it yourself. Sweetening the deal, the set includes an amazing assembly of minifigures and all the details you'd...

FX is launching a series of immersive experiences ahead of the summer premiere of “Alien: Earth,“ and it all begins with an activation at SXSW that lets attendees explore a mysterious wreckage site. Ahead of the festival, Bloody Disgusting was sent mysterious footage from that ill-fated ship that offers intriguing new clues on the highly anticipated series.

Watch the excavated footage below and scour for hints at what’s ahead.

In the 2120-set FX series from creator Noah Hawley, “When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat.”

What’s extremely worrisome is that the footage is courtesy of Rascal, a long-haired orange cat with a camera attached to its collar as it roams freely aboard the Uscss Maginot, the Weyland-Yutani ship that crashes on Earth.

Quick LinksRomulus Brought Back An Old Character With New DangersThe Horrors Revealed Left Behind A Glaring QuestionWill Alien: Earth Be Able to Tackle This Explanation?

After Ridley Scott's Prometheus duology within the Alien franchise explained some aspects of the xenomorph's origins, fans felt it was due time to bring the beloved space horror series back to basics. Alien: Romulus did just that and revived the Alien franchise with the grime, grit, and horror that was missing in the exposition of the prequels. Romulus tackled a new scenario with the echoing foreboding of an all-too-familiar ship's ruins being rediscovered. With a cast of brand new characters, audiences could rediscover the horror as well as new mysteries being revealed.

As it is with most Alien films, some questions and the potential for their answers are always lost in the chase for survival, and Alien: Romulus' plot is no exception. Half of...

There are a lot of crossovers and connections within Middle-earth media. Even with completely separate projects, like Prime Video's "The Rings of Power" series and Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies, you can see the throughlines. Some are obvious, like the similarities in Balrog design between Jackson's movies and Prime Video's show. Others are more subtle, like the ways "The Rings of Power" tries to recapture the magic of Jackson's Middle-earth movies. And then there is the human link.

Overall, there isn't too much personnel crossover between the Warner Bros. and Prime Video Middle-earth universes. However, there is one actor who has managed to pop up in both of them: Jed Brophy. Even more impressive? He managed to land full-blown character roles in all six of Jackson Middle-earth films and has since shown up on "The Rings of Power." He's even developed a...

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This March, Hulu is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the wacky crime comedy series Deli Boys to the much-anticipated streaming release of Anora. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Hulu this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the ten best films that are coming to Hulu in March 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

High Fidelity (March 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% Credit – Touchstone Pictures

High Fidelity is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay co-written by D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, John Cusack, and Scott Rosenberg. Based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, the 2000 film follows Rob, a record store owner who has been unlucky in relationships. However, his bad luck might...

On March 29th, a benefit concert featuring the artists behind the Garden State soundtrack will take place at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. For those who can’t make it in-person, Veeps has announced that the one-off show will be available to stream starting on April 6th.

Announced last fall, the concert (get tickets here) is bringing the soundtrack’s featured artists together for the first time ever. The Shins, Iron & Wine, Frou Frou, Thievery Corporation, Remy Zero, Men at Work’s Colin Hay, and Cary Brothers are set to perform at the show, plus special guests are expected to drop in.

Get Garden State Benefit Concert Tickets Here

Braff has also teased that they will screen some behind-the-scenes footage from the movie. The concert is raising funds for the Midnight Mission, a Los Angeles homeless shelter and service provider. You can now buy a 48-hour access ticket on...

On March 29th, a benefit concert featuring the artists behind the Garden State soundtrack will take place at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. For those who can’t make it in-person, Veeps has announced that the one-off show will be available to stream starting on April 6th.

Announced last fall, the concert (get tickets here) is bringing the soundtrack’s featured artists together for the first time ever. The Shins, Iron & Wine, Frou Frou, Thievery Corporation, Remy Zero, Men at Work’s Colin Hay, and Cary Brothers are set to perform at the show, plus special guests are expected to drop in.

Get Garden State Benefit Concert Tickets Here

Braff has also teased that they will screen some behind-the-scenes footage from the movie. The concert is raising funds for the Midnight Mission, a Los Angeles homeless shelter and service provider. You can now buy a 48-hour access ticket on...

Metaphysic, the generative AI startup that helped digitally de-age Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in Robert Zemeckis’ “Here”, has been acquired by Dneg Group’s AI company Brahma. The price of the transaction was not disclosed.

Dneg Group is the privately held parent company of VFX and animation studio Dneg (formerly known as Double Negative). The studio is currently nominated for a visual effects Oscar for their work on “Dune: Part Two,” and won a BAFTA over the weekend for their work on the movie. Prime Focus, who developed Clear’s “impressive, purpose-built AI platform empowering rapid in-house AI development” (according to the official release) and Ziva, “technology for the creation of digital human and character simulations,” are also part of the Dneg Group umbrella.

Metaphysic’s AI neural performance toolset was honored at the Visual Effects Society Awards last week with the prestigious Emerging Technology Award.

Brahma launched last...

Through 2024’s Alien: Romulus, filmmaker Fede Alvarez introduced audiences to an entirely new story with plenty of fresh faces. Ditching the characters of yesteryear — specifically Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley — the Evil Dead helmer allowed a new wing of the universe to form, giving fans a brand-new leading lady to cheer for in Cailee Spaeny’s Rain Carradine. Still, those who have seen the sci-fi horror film will know that a familiar face from Alien popped by in a sort-of cameo capacity. We are, of course, talking about the late Ian Holm, whose likeness appeared as Rook — an android who shares the same face and functionalities as the actor’s Alien character, Ash. For those of us who caught Romulus during its opening weekend, it’s likely that we went into it blind, not knowing about Holm’s posthumous return to the franchise. And, according to Alvarez, the secrecy surrounding Rook was a lengthy process,...

When it comes to horror sequels, Alien: Romulus now stands among the best ones in modern cinema. Directed by 2013's Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe auteur Fede Álvarez, Romulus provided audiences with a unique approach to the Alien universe. However, as Álvarez has revealed, the original plans included an amazing strategy that would have blown everyone's minds: In the director's original vision, you would have found out that it was an Alien movie roughly a third of the way through.

The director spoke to Collider after a special IMAX screening of the movie. During the Q&a, Álvarez made some shocking reveals, including about the upcoming sequel and when he wants to start production, to the confirmation that Ellen Ripley is actually in Romulus. The director also teased the idea of making an Alien vs. Predator movie, and it was there that he revealed his original plan for Alien: Romulus.

Alien: Romulus is now one of the best and most successful films in the Alien franchise. In the land of prequels and sequels within the universe created by Ridley Scott in 1979, it stands out as the one that achieved a perfect balance between complying with the franchise rules and being its own thing. Taking place between Alien and Aliens, it's the only one in this part of the timeline that doesn't feature the hero Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) fighting xenomorphs. But, according to director Fede Álvarez, this doesn’t mean she isn't "present" in the movie. But where?

Álvarez spoke to Collider a few days ago during a special screening of Alien: Romulus, and he addressed Ripley being absent from the movie. Last year, when the film premiered, viewers were ecstatic about the idea of a cameo by the franchise's signature character, but it ultimately never happened. Instead, they witnessed...

Hobbits, with their trademark charm and quaintness, have become synonymous with J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings saga, largely due to the generationally revered performances of actors like Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, and Sean Astin. However, as fans likely know, Tolkien’s world extends far beyond that iconic trilogy, and the same is true of the hobbits that starred in it, featuring numerous lesser-known characters who, though not given screen time in the initial three Lord of the Rings films, have appeared in other works, showcasing the depth of Tolkien and other's work, in characters that deserve the spotlight as well. From heroic adventurers to quirky ancestors to the hobbits audiences do know, the diverse portrayals of hobbits outside The Lord of the Rings trilogy offer a fascinating look at the broader spectrum of character types in the Shire, and in all of Middle-Earth.

These hobbits, though not...

Ratatouille is one of Pixar's most underrated films (at least compared to its massive hits). Directed by Brad Bird—who also helmed The Incredibles—It follows a culinary-obsessed rat named Remy (Patton Oswalt) as he befriends a human named Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano) to become a great chef and restore the prestige of the restaurant of Remy's deceased idol, Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garrett). Along the way, they contend with Gusteau's greedy successor, Skinner (Sir Ian Holm), a notoriously picky food critic named Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole), and the prejudices that exist between humans and rats.

Few films possess the haunting emotional depth of “The Sweet Hereafter.” It is a film that doesn’t merely present a tragedy but rather immerses its audience in the reverberations of grief, guilt, and loss. Unlike conventional dramas that hinge on courtroom climaxes or clear resolutions, Atom Egoyan’s adaptation of Russell Banks’ novel refuses to deliver any straightforward answers. Instead, it unfolds like a fractured memory, where time bends and emotions blur, forcing us to navigate a labyrinth of suffering without the comfort of closure.

Egoyan’s screenplay plays out like a puzzle, a structure that immediately places the audience in a position of active engagement. There is no linear progression that neatly traces cause and effect, no clear antagonist or protagonist. What makes the film uniquely challenging is its demand for shifting allegiances—we are asked to build empathy for one character, only to have it redirected elsewhere...

Director Fede Álvarez, the filmmaker behind last year's popular Alien: Romulus, has revealed he's already working on the sequel and hopes to begin shooting this year,Collider reports. Álvarez also said he wants to "go into truly uncharted waters for the franchise," promising an even bigger movie-going experience than its predecessor.

The Don't Breathe director joined his Alien: Romulus colleagues, VFX Supervisor Eric Barbraand Wētā FX VFX Supervisor Dan Macarin for a panel discussion following an IMAX screening of their film hosted by Collider. During the talk, Álvarez was asked about the Romulus sequel, and he let the gathered crowd know he was currently writing the film. Álvarez also said, "I think the sequel is my next movie, adding, "I hope I can shoot it this year."

Álvarez elaborated some on the status of the project, highlighting the importance of creating a follow-up that continues the story in a meaningful way.

Milla Jovovich has hinted that she might reprie her role as Leeloo in an animated spinoff of The Fifth Element. While promoting her upcoming film In the Lost Lands, she mentioned working with filmmaker Luc Besson again and suggested he may already be developing “some sort of spinoff of a bunch of his characters.” This is the first mention of such a project, but it’s already generating excitement among fans.

Jovovich elaborated, saying, “I think Luc is making some sort of spinoff of a bunch of his biggest characters, and Leeloo might be one of them. An animated, cartoon version. I think back in those days, people weren’t thinking about sequels, it was just about making the best movie you could possibly make. For me, Leeloo was one of the most important characters of my young life at that point. It’s what really introduced me to what...

The Fifth Element premiered in 1997, but it's now regarded as a cult classic. The sci-fi space adventure from Luc Besson starred Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Chris Tucker and Gary Oldman.

Following its release, the movie received enough positive reviews but its theatrical run wasn't impressive. Although a sequel was planned at the time, it never happened. In a new interview with ComicBook to promote her upcoming fantasy action film, In the Lost Lands, Milla Jovovich teased a new animated spinoff sequel to The Fifth Element.

Related'Don't Count Me Out': Dave Bautista Told James Gunn He Wants to Join the Dcu

Former MCU star Dave Bautista is ready to follow his Guardians of the Galaxy writer/director James Gunn over to DC Studios.

During the interview, the actress noted she is working with Luc Besson again, and teased that the filmmaker may be planning "some sort of spinoff of a bunch of his characters.

"Aliens vs Avengers" sounds like a disposable crossover premise, and another way for Disney to flaunt its now-ownership over 20th Century Fox. Yet this comic has zagged whenever I expected it to zig.

Marvel brought out its A-List talent for the series, reuniting writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribic from 2015's "Secret Wars" crossover. Rather than a simple beat 'em up, the comic has gone downright apocalyptic; a Xenomorph infestation reaches Earth and wipes almost the entire planet out.

The comics have been pulling quite a bit from Ridley Scott's underrated but essential prequel duology "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant" too. Hickman and Ribic tell us that, had the Engineers made it back to Earth in "Prometheus," not even the heroes of the Marvel Universe could've stopped their bio-weapons from ending humanity.

Now, Marvel has shared an exclusive look at "Aliens vs Avengers" #3 with /Film. This will be the...

One of the most interesting debates in The Lord of the Rings lore is about who gets to go to the Undying Lands, especially after the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Bilbo (Ian Holm), Frodo (Elijah Wood), and Sam (Sean Astin) all get to go with Gandalf (Ian McKellen), followed by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) later on, but Merry (Dominic Monaghan), Pippin (Billy Boyd), and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) are never allowed to sail into the West. Especially in Aragorn's case, this seems a little unfair, given his crucial role in the Fellowship of the Ring, but it actually makes a lot of sense in his story that he stays in Middle-earth.

IndieWire invited the production VFX supervisors from the five Oscar-nominated films to choose and analyze a pivotal scene that best showcases their craft: Paul Lambert (“Dune: Part Two”), Wētā FX’s Erik Winquist (“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”), Wētā FX’s Luke Millar (“Better Man”), Eric Barba (“Alien: Romulus”), and Ilm’s Pablo Helman (“Wicked”).

For Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two,” Lambert and his Oscar-winning “Dune” team from Dneg ramped up everything with much more visceral action. They once again used sand-colored VFX screens to integrate live-action footage with digital elements; they supplied CG enhancement to the 44-day SFX practical shoot of Paul (Timothée Chalamet) riding the sandworm for the first time; and they created more extensive views of the massive sandworms during battle with CG and practical effects.

Wes Ball’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” dives deeper into the now dominant ape civilization.

The use of AI in best picture contender “The Brutalist” recently grabbed headlines and ignited controversy, but it isn’t the only Oscar contender to use the advancing technology. High-profile films such as “A Complete Unknown,” “Dune: Part 2” and “Emilia Pérez” have also used AI in large or small ways, and the growing popularity has led the Motion Picture Academy to actively explore changing its Oscar submission requirements so that films would have to disclose their use of AI, Variety has learned.

The Academy currently offers an optional disclosure form for AI use, but Governors and Branch executive committees are now investigating how AI is used in each branch with an eye toward making disclosure mandatory in the 2026 Oscars rules, which are expected to be published in April. The Academy’s SciTech Council is working on recommended language, Variety has also learned.

Development of visual effects tools and processes...

Released just a few months after the 45th anniversary of Ridley Scott’s “Alien,” “Alien: Romulus” brings the franchise roaring back to life after a seven-year hiatus. Director and co-writer Fede Álvarez leveraged its complex mythology by staging his installment between the events of the original film and its 1986 follow-up “Aliens.” But just as important was Álvarez’ combining filmmaking techniques used on those earlier chapters with the most up-to-date technology available to deliver its many thrills — and in the process, to cement the series’ reputation as one of the great cinematic showcases for artisanal creativity.

In addition to a $350 million (and counting) worldwide box office haul to mark the success of the movie, Álvarez’ collaborators Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin and Shane Mahan received a collective Academy Award nomination for best visual effects. It’s an honor shared by four previous “Alien” films, and one that’s especially welcome...

Michael Fassbender, the Hollywood star of films like Inglourious Basterds, X-Men: First Class and The Killer, has expressed interest in returning to the Alien franchise to make another sequel. Fassbender gave life to David in Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, two essential but divisive entries in the universe created by Ridley Scott. However, Fassbender's comments suggest that his love of the franchise is down to one man alone; Ridley Scott. While Scott acted as producer and advisor on both Alien: Romulus, and the upcoming TV seires Alien: Earth, it is not clear whether Fassbender would only consider a return if he was being directed by Scott.

Fassbender recently spoke to Esquire about his latest TV show, The Agency. Based on the French thriller The Bureau, the series follows Brandon Colby, aka Martian, an international spy living undercover. It premiered on Showtime last November, and its last episode ran a few days ago.

The following article contains spoilers for 1979’s Alien.Veronica Cartwright, the actor known for her role as Lambert in Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror classic Alien, has confirmed something about the chestburster scene that has always been discussed by those who participated in the film: the shock by the actors during the scene was very authentic, because they did not know firsthand how everything would happen.

Although she's not widely recognized as a horror icon, Cartwright is a veteran in the genre. When she was a teenager, she starred in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and later appeared in horror films like 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Witches of Eastwick. However, it was her role as Joan Lambert in Alien that made her a scream queen, even though her character met her demise in the sci-fi horror movie.

In the film, an intergalactic space crew responds to...

Actor Michael Biehn has a podcast called Just Foolin About with Michael Biehn, which can be found on YouTube. Biehn’s latest guest was Veronica Cartwright, who ran into the alien xenomorph in the 1979 film Alien, seven years before Biehn had his own close encounter with the nasty creatures in Aliens. The full, 95 minute episode can be viewed at This Link – but to promote the episode, Biehn has dropped a 13 minute clip that shows Cartwright talking about the experience of working on Alien, including her reaction to the famous chestburster scene. You can check it out in the embed above.

Here’s the clip’s official description: Veronica Cartwright tells Michael Biehn about her time working on and filming Alien. She goes on to shed some light on whether or not the cast was truly unaware of what was about to happen in the iconic chestburster scene, and how genuine her reaction was.

Final voting is February 11-18. The 97th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 2, and air live on ABC at 7 p.m. Et/ 4 p.m. Pt. We update our picks through awards season, so keep checking IndieWire for all our 2025 Oscar predictions.

The State of the Race

The Best Visual Effects nominees are “Alien: Romulus,” “Better Man,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and “Wicked.” While the race has been shaping up as a simian battle between “Kingdom” and “Better Man” (both from Wētā FX), “Dune: Part Two” has emerged as the favorite for its epic work, building off the Oscar-winning “Dune.” However, “Kingdom” is certainly deserving of the franchise’s first win. The biggest hurdle has been the acting branch’s dislike of performance capture.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part 2” is more exciting and emotional, with Paul (Timothée Chalamet) leading the nomadic Fremen...

FX has released a new teaser for its all-new Original TV series Alien: Earth, which will premiere this summer on Hulu and with Hulu on Disney+. New key art for the series was also revealed.

When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman (Sydney Chandler) and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in FX’s Alien: Earth, from creator Noah Hawley.

Alien: Earth is set two years before the events of the 1979 film Alien, directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto.

Lead by Chandler, the series showcases an expansive international cast that includes Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, David Rysdahl, Adrian Edmondson, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diem Camille and Moe Bar-El.

As with any anticipated sequel to popular franchises, the upcoming continuation of 2023's Alien: Romulus has become the subject of rumors regarding its plot details since earlier last year, when it was first announced that it was happening. A new rumor from the fan website Alien vs. Predator Galaxy has been shot down by the director of Romulus and the upcoming film, Fede Álvarez. The report in question stated that there had been talks with franchise star Sigourney Weaver, who had been in the original four Alien films, to return as Ellen Ripley for the upcoming sequel.

Álvarez took to the social media platform X to respond to the AvP fan website directly, stating that the rumor is "fun gossip. But not true at all," quickly stomping out any ideas or speculations that the Alien franchise would be bringing back the iconic character from its previous nine films. Romulus, set...

Another day, and another pernicious movie-related rumor has been making the rounds. This time, word began to buzz that 20th Century Studios was "considering" the idea of bringing back acclaimed actor and franchise star Sigourney Weaver to reprise her legendary role as Ellen Ripley in the still-unconfirmed sequel to "Alien: Romulus." This latest report came courtesy of scooper Daniel Richtman (also known by his social media handle DanielRPK) in a recent Patreon post exclusively available to subscribers, claiming that the powers that be were looking into the use of widely prevalent de-aging technology in order to make this version of Ripley period-accurate, as "Romulus" took place roughly 20 years after the events of the original "Alien" movie.

Well, consider this rumor squashed. No less an authority than "Romulus" director and co-writer Fede Álvarez confirmed as much in a post made on X (the website/app formerly and still popularly known as...

This year's Oscar nominations are like most year's Oscar nominations: a mix of snubs (Challengers was completely shut out) and mostly pleasant surprises (Academy voters got around to watching The Apprentice after all), your reaction to which may vary depending on your personal taste as well as your capacity for caring about awards in such a precarious time. But one nomination in particular feels particularly egregious. Alien: Romulus, a perfectly good Alien sequel, received a nod for Best Visual Effects – arguably the one nomination it didn't deserve.

You probably know where this is heading. It's not that Alien: Romulus doesn't generally have good visual effects. Set between Ridley Scott's Alien, which I consider to be the best film of all time, and James Cameron's Aliens, one of the best sequels of all time, Fede Álvarez's entry successfully splits the difference between both. Álvarez's film is more indebted to Scott's 1979 classic,...

Alien: Romulus takes place between the events of Sir Ridley Scott's Alien and James Cameron's Aliens, a creative decision which opened the door to exciting cameos and world-building opportunities.

The movie cleverly brought back Ian Holm as the android Rook after the late actor previously played Ash in the 1979 classic. There was some controversy due to the use of CGI and AI, but longtime fans appreciated the connective tissue with what's come before.

Alien: Romulus ended with something of a cliffhanger and filmmaker Fede Álvarez is already hard at work on a sequel. According to insider Daniel Richtman (via SFFGazette.com), there are discussions about bringing back Sigourney Weaver's Ripley with de-aging technology.

Disney has mastered the ability to de-age actors - largely through MCU projects - so we've no doubt Weaver would look as badass as ever returning to her most iconic role.

There are several...