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Eddie Murphy stands by the movie that won him multiple Golden Raspberry Awards, aka Razzies, and is speculated to have lost him his one and only Oscar nomination. Murphy is one of the most beloved comedic actors of all time, having made a name for himself as a performer on Saturday Night Live before later dominating the box office.

But since Murphy’s run of well-received 1980s films like Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America, his projects haven’t always landed with ubiquitous praise. Films like The Nutty Professor, Dr. Doolittle, and I Spy certainly found their audiences, but received mixed reviews from critics. But it sounds like the comedian isn’t letting that get to him.

Eddie Murphy Stands By Norbit (2007), Doesn’t Think It Ruined His Oscar Chances

In an interview with Complex, Eddie Murphy got to talking about Norbit, his 2007 film that was a box office success,...

Eddie Murphy is pushing back on the long-running theory that his 2007 comedy Norbit derailed his Oscar chances for Dreamgirls, saying in a new interview that he still enjoys the film and rejects the idea that it should define awards voting. He characterized the backlash as overblown and dismissed the notion that one broad studio comedy should outweigh a separate dramatic performance.

The “Norbit effect” narrative stems from timing. Murphy’s Dreamgirls performance as James “Thunder” Early made him an awards-season frontrunner after major wins at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and his Oscar nomination arrived days before Norbit opened on February 9, 2007 to harsh reviews. When the Academy’s Best Supporting Actor prize went to Alan Arkin for Little Miss Sunshine, many observers pointed to Norbit’s release as the momentum shift. Official records confirm Murphy’s Globe and SAG wins and Arkin’s Oscar victory.

Murphy...

Eddie Murphy is defending his 2007 comedy Norbit, 18 years later.

The actor-comedian was the top contender for the best supporting actor Oscar following his 2006 performance in Dreamgirls, though it’s been long believed that he lost out on the award after Norbit released in 2007. Although it’s commonly assumed that the comedy snuffed out his Oscars campaign, Murphy doesn’t agree with that sentiment.

“I love Norbit. Norbit came out right after I got that Oscar nomination,” he told Complex. “There were articles like, ‘How can he get an Oscar, he did this?’ They’re two different movies.”

The Beverly Hills Cop lead stood ten toes down for the film, which he notably wrote alongside his brother, Charlie Murphy. He continued, “I wrote Norbit with my brother, Charlie, and we think Norbit is funny. Here’s the thing with Norbit — it came out and they gave me Razzie Awards for worst actress,...

Eddie Murphy is standing by one of his less popular comedies, even if people think it lost him a major award!

The 64-year-old actor and comedian was a guest on Complex‘s “360 with Speedy” where he talked about his 2007 movie Norbit. During the interview, Eddie explained why he doesn’t think Norbit is his worst movie and opened up about the claims that it cost him an Oscar!

According to the rumors, Eddie was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Dreamgirls. Unfortunately for Eddie, not long after he was nominated, Norbit hit theaters to less-than-stellar reviews.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Norbit came out right after I got that Oscar nomination [for Dreamgirls]. There were articles like, ‘How can he get an Oscar, he did this?’,” Eddie recalled to complex, saying that he “loves” the comedy even if it’s not his most popular movie. “They’re two different movies.

Although Eddie Murphy worked with Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson in the aughts, he might have been his own favorite leading lady.

The Oscar nominee recently defended his 2007 comedy Norbit as a “funny” movie, following theories that the Brian Robbins-directed movie cost him the golden statuette for Dreamgirls (2006).

“I love Norbit. Norbit came out right after I got that Oscar nomination. There were articles like, ‘How can he get an Oscar, he did this?’ They’re two different movies,” he explained to Complex.

“I wrote Norbit with my brother, Charlie [Murphy], and we think Norbit is funny,” added Murphy. “Here’s the thing with Norbit; it came out and they gave me Razzie Awards for worst actress, worst actor and worst actor of the decade. And I was like, ‘Come on now, shit ain’t that bad.’ I like Norbit. To this day, I like Norbit. There’s stuff in Norbit that makes me laugh.

Eddie Murphy stands by “Norbit,” his infamous 2007 comedy that many have suspected cost him the best supporting actor Oscar for “Dreamgirls” at the 79th Academy Awards. Murphy portrayed multiple roles in “Norbit,” including the title character’s overweight wife Rasputia. The comedy opened in theaters Feb. 9, 2007 amid the comedian’s rave reviews for “Dreamgirls,” in which he played the charismatic soul singer James (Jimmy) “Thunder” Early.

As the story goes, Murphy received his Oscar nomination for “Dreamgirls” just over a week before “Norbit” opened in theaters. He had emerged as the season’s supporting actor frontrunner after winning prizes from the Golden Globes and Screen Actors’ Guild Awards. Then “Norbit” opened to abysmal reviews from critics. Alan Arkin ended up winning the Oscar for best supporting actor for “Little Miss Sunshine.” The industry was quick to blame the “Norbit effect” for why Murphy lost the Oscar.

During a recent video...

Eddie Murphy has given us some all-time comedy classics, and, like any Hollywood veteran, a few stinkers as well, but don’t call Norbit one of them. While speaking with Complex, Murphy started listing some of his worst movies, but went out of his way to defend the 2007 comedy.

“I love Norbit,” he said. “You know, Norbit came out right after I got the Oscar nomination. There were articles, it was like, ‘How can he get an Oscar, he did this.’ It’s like two different movies. I wrote Norbit with my brother Charlie, and we think Norbit is funny.” The late Brian Wilson agrees, as he once called the film his favourite movie.

Murphy received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Dreamgirls, and some point to Norbit as the reason why he didn’t get it. Alan Arkin ultimately won for Little Miss Sunshine.

Eddie Murphy has starred in a long list of beloved films over the course of his illustrious career, encompassing a wide variety of roles, with some of his most notable performances coming from Beverly Hills Cop, Coming to America, and more recently, Dolemite Is My Name. Despite his on-screen successes, Murphy has never won an Academy Award, and he predicts that he won't be picking up a coveted Oscar statuette any time soon, even though his latest action-comedy The Pickupis currently dominating Prime Video's streaming charts.

Murphy made the surprising Oscars prediction while speaking to Sky News on the press tour for The Pickup, in which he stars as an armored truck driver alongside Pete Davidson. The film debuted on Prime Video on Aug. 6, and immediately found an audience, as it rocketed to the top of the streaming chart within hours of its release. The heist comedy remains in the No.

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Who would have wondered that Liam Neeson would be the perfect son to Leslie Nielsen‘s hilariously chaotic cop, Frank Drebin, in an all-new The Naked Gun? The 2025 film follows Lieutenant Frank Drebin Jr, who must solve a hilariously convoluted case to stop his police department from shutting down. The Naked Gun also stars Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Danny Huston, Cch Pounder, and Kevin Durand. So, if you loved the hilarious comedy, never-ending jokes, and entertaining characters in The Naked Gun, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Other Guys (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures

The Other Guys is a buddy cop action comedy film directed by Adam McKay, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Henchy. The 2010 film follows Terry and Allen, two overlooked cops who must work together...

Ben Affleck jumped back into action earlier this year with his acclaimed, high-octane new sequel, The Accountant 2, pairing him up with Jon Bernthal for a bigger and badder adventure for Christian Wolff. Next month, though, Hulu subscribers will be able to look back on one of the actor's best films that earned Best Picture honors at the Academy Awards for its story of a CIA agent posing as a film producer in an attempt to rescue six Americans. Released in 2012, the smash hit also paired him up with an ensemble packed with massive stars, from Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston to Bosch's Titus Welliver. The historical political spy thriller Argo is one of several new films coming to the Disney-owned streaming service starting on August 1.

Argo is an adaptation of The Master of Disguise, the 1999 memoir of CIA operative Tony Mendez, as well as the 2007 Wired article by...

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This August, Peacock is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated release of the legal drama series, The Rainmaker, to the streaming release of Jimmy Warden‘s dark comedy thriller film Borderline. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Peacock next month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the seven best films that are coming to Peacock in August 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Argo (August 1) Rt Score: 96% Credit – Warner Bros.

Argo is a historical espionage thriller drama film directed by Ben Affleck from a screenplay by Chris Terrio. Based on the 1999 memoir by Antonio J. Mendez and a 2007 Wired article by Joshuah Bearman, the 2012 film is set in 1979 and it follows Tony Mendez, a CIA operative, as...

As if Eddie Murphy wasn’t already synonymous with iconic franchises, the veteran comic and actor confirmed today that he’d soon be taking on the famed role of Inspector Clouseau in a new Pink Panther movie. Deadline was first to report he was circling the role in 2023.

Speaking to Today‘s Al Roker, Murphy said he had initially “planned on slowing down, and things just happened” with regard to his slate of upcoming projects.

“I’m getting ready to do a [biopic of] George Clinton, [his music collective] Parliament-Funkadelic. I’m getting ready to do George Clinton,” The Pickup star said, confirming Deadline’s scoop last year. “I’ve already started Shrek 5. And I’m going to be — I’m Inspector Clouseau in the next Pink Panther.”

When Roker reacted with surprise, asking if the canonically French character would still be written as such with Murphy occupying the role, the Saturday Night Live alum responded coyly: “Maybe.

Harrison Ford may be an Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy-nominated actor, known for iconic roles in movie franchises like Star Warsand Indiana Jones. But it’s his role in an Apple TV+ dramedy series that is garnering attention for the Hollywood veteran these days.

Ford stars as the cranky, yet lovable, psychiatrist Dr. Paul Rhoades in Shrinking,which, per Apple TV+, has just completed production on its third season. In a video posted to the streamer's official Instagram account, Ford marked the end of filming by giving an emotional speech to the cast and crew, including star and co-creator Jason Segel.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Apple TV (@appletv)

"You guys are the best. The very, very best at what you do and how you do it and how you make people feel is just f*****g amazing," an emotional Ford, who just received his first-ever Emmy nomination for his Shrinking role,...

Harrison Ford started acting in the '60s, making his screen debut in 1966. With an illustrious career of over five decades, the actor has just scored a new and exciting career feat.

Throughout his illustrious career, the actor has portrayed some of the most iconic characters of all time, whether it's the adventurous Indiana Jones or the fan-favorite Han Solo. Ford is now officially an Emmy nominee, scoring his first nomination for his role in Apple TV+'s comedy drama Shrinking. Per Variety, the actor also almost scored a new record, becoming the second-oldest nominee ever in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy category.

The record holder for the category is Alan Arkin, who earned a nomination for his performance on Netflix's comedy series The Kominsky Method in 2020. He was 86 at the time of his nomination. Ford is 83-years-old.

Throughout his career, Ford received many important nominations, including one...

Harrison Ford has just added another achievement to his lengthy resume. He's just been nominated for his first-ever Emmy Award, earning the nod for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Dr. Paul Rhoads in the second season of the Apple TV+ comedy Shrinking. This is Ford's second major award nomination; he was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for the 1985 thriller Witness.

The 83-year-old Ford is the second-oldest nominee in category history, after a then-86 Alan Arkin was nominated for The Kominsky Method in 2020; Arkin lost to Dan Levy, of Schitt's Creek. Ford is up against an impressive roster of stars in the category: Shrinking co-star Michael Urie, Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang, The Bear's Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Studio's Ike Barinholtz, The Four Seasons' Colman Domingo, and Somebody Somewhere's Jeff Hiller. Ford has earned some of the best critical notices...

The legendary Harrison Ford will always be remembered for the likes of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Blade Runner, but he has recently gained more critical attention for his role in the Apple TV+ series Shrinking. Now, with the announcement of the 2025 Emmy nominees, Ford has reached another milestone in his career.

Shrinking debuted in 2023, a dramedy series following Jimmy (Jason Segel), a grieving therapist who switches to the unconventional approach of telling his patients exactly what he thinks of them, with Ford playing another therapist. The series holds a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and is seeing its second turn at the Emmys with season 2.

Per Variety, Harrison Ford has just received his first Emmy Award nomination for his performance as Dr. Paul Rhoades in Shrinking. This also makes Ford the second-oldest actor, at age 83, to ever be nominated in the supporting actor in a comedy category, after Alan Arkin at...

Throughout a career spanning over five decades, Harrison Ford has portrayed some of cinema’s most iconic characters, including Indiana Jones and Han Solo. Now, he can add a real-life Emmy nominee to his résumé.

The Hollywood legend reached a new milestone Tuesday, earning his first-ever Emmy nomination at age 83 for his supporting turn in the Apple TV+ comedy “Shrinking.”

Ford becomes the second-oldest nominee ever in the supporting actor in a comedy category, following Alan Arkin, who was 86 when he earned a nomination for his performance on Netflix’s “The Kominsky Method” in 2020.

The recognition marks a turning point for Ford, who was notably snubbed for the first season of “Shrinking” despite widespread praise for his performance as Dr. Paul Rhoades, a blunt but endearing therapist and mentor. The series, created by Brett Goldstein, Jason Segel and Bill Lawrence, returned for a second season this year to strong reviews from critics and audiences.

Eddie Murphy has made 42 feature films, not counting stand-up specials and documentary appearances. And while he's dabbled in dramas like many other comedians have, he remains best known for making people laugh. It's understandable, as he got his start on "Saturday Night Live" in 1980 before breaking out on the big screen with some of the decade's most memorable comedies. He went on to tweak his appeal and found even greater success with family comedies that still sit among his highest-grossing films (although he does regret turning down a movie in the 1980s that combined live-action with animation).

Of course, Murphy's also seen some down years as several of his movies failed to find receptive audiences or critical acclaim, resulting in some notably rough Rotten Tomatoes streaks. Films like "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," "Holy Man," and "Meet Dave" probably have their defenders, but don't go expecting to find them in the list below.

Long before she took on the lead role in Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Emily Osment had a brief appearance in one of the most iconic sitcoms, Friends, where she played the role of a little girl with a hilariously complicated name.

Osment has been pursuing her acting career since a very young age, with breakout roles in major kids’ franchises like Spy Kids and Hannah Montana. Over the years, she’s built a successful TV and film career, but many fans may not realize that one of her earliest on-screen appearances happened in one of the most beloved shows of all time.

Emily Osment Played a Little Girl, Lelani Mayolanofavich, in Friends

Before she would go on to become a household name with her roles in shows like Hannah Montana and most recently Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, Emily Osment made a brief appearance in the popular sitcom Friends...

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Deep Cover is a British action comedy film directed by Tom Kingsley from a screenplay co-written by Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly, Ben Ashenden, and Alexander Owen. The Prime Video film is set in London, and it follows three improv actors who are recruited by the police to infiltrate the criminal underworld of London. Deep Cover stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed, Paddy Considine, Ian McShane, and Sean Bean. So, if you loved the hilarious comedy, entertaining characters, and compelling story in Deep Cover, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Lionsgate

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an action comedy film directed by Tom Gormican, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Etten. The 2022 film follows a fictionalized Nicolas Cage who...

Crafting a hit comedy is all about collaboration, and Mid-Century Modern proves just that. Hulu’s multi-cam sitcom, set against the vibrant Palm Springs aesthetic, benefits from decades of combined expertise poured into every frame by its talented behind-the-scenes team.

Led by co-creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan (Will & Grace), the all-star crew of this freshman series shares their insights in an in-depth discussion about the making of Mid-Century Modern. The panel features legendary director and co-executive producer James Burrows, editor Peter Chakos, cinematographer Gary Baum, and production designer Greg Grande. (Watch the full Making of Mid-Century Modern panel above.)

In Mid-Century Modern, Nathan Lane plays Bunny, a successful bra designer who invites his pals Jerry (Matt Bomer) and Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham) to spend their golden years living with him in Palm Springs after a close friend dies unexpectedly. Bunny's quick-witted mother, Sybil (played by the late Linda Lavin...

Michael Douglas on Tuesday was celebrated with a lifetime achievement award by Italy’s Taormina Film Festival where “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” the multiple Oscar-winning classic that he produced 50 years ago, will screen.

The fest is headed by marketing guru Tiziana Rocca who has close Hollywood ties and is back at the helm eight years after she was forced to step down due to political infighting in 2017 following a five-year stint.

Douglas, 80, received the prize on the fest’s opening night from Cannes Film Festival president Iris Knobloch, who is attending Taormina to take part in a panel on female empowerment in the film industry.

“Michael Douglas is far more than a star. He is a cornerstone of modern cinema,” Knobloch said. “Over the course of more than five decades he has consistently chosen roles that reflect the complexity of human nature. Michael has given us performances that are unforgettable,...

Summer camp was an essential part of growing up for millions of American youths. Even if they couldn't pronounce their multi-syllabic, semi-Indigenous-sounding names, parents appreciated the camp's ample opportunities for their kids to learn new skills (while they get empty house for the summer). Meanwhile, kids got something so much greater: the sweet if fleeting taste of freedom. Before kids went to college, or even got their driver's permit, summer camp afforded young people the opportunity to experience a tiny bit of independence ... and mosquito bites. So many mosquito bites. 

Alas, like so many cherished emblems from days gone by, summer camp is on the downswing, due to a host of all-too-familiar problems: too few spots, too much money. But hey, even if summer camps go the way of the dodo, summer camp movies have planted their flags in our collective imaginations. Whether you went to camp every summer, or know camps only from movies,...

Loretta Swit, who played Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlihan on the hit comedy series M*A*S*H, died today at her home in New York City. She was 87.

Her death was announced by her representative Harlan Boll, who said a New York City police report indicates Swit died just after noon today of suspected natural causes.

Swit was a mainstay on the classic and beloved comedy series for its entire 11-year run, nominated for Emmy Awards every year from 1974-83, winning in 1980 and 1982.

Born Loretta Jane Szwed on November 4, 1937, in Passaic, New Jersey, studied drama in New York City with Gene Frankel, the noted theater director and acting teacher. Swit appeared in Off Broadway productions throughout the 1960s, and in 1967 toured with the national company of the comedy Any Wednesday.

Swit made her TV debut in 1969 on Hawaii Five-o, with subsequent credits including Mannix, Mission: Impossible, Gunsmoke, Bonanza and The Bold Ones,...

Loretta Swit, M*A*S*H's Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan, has died at the age of 87. In addition to her acting career, which earned her two Emmy Awards, Swit was also a noted animal activist. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Swit died at home of natural causes on Friday morning.

Swit was born Loretta Jane Szwed in Passaic, New Jersey, on November 4, 1937. She studied drama in New York and made her stage debut in the 1960s, appearing in a number of Broadway and off-Broadway productions. She relocated to Hollywood in 1969, and made her on-screen debut in a 1969 episode of Hawaii Five-o as the ill-fated bride of a soldier. She made guest appearances on a number of contemporary series, including Mission: Impossible, Mannix, and Gunsmoke, before landing the role that would make her a TV legend.

Who Is Margaret Houlihan?

M*A*S*H was a TV adaptation of the popular...

Blake Lively has had several relationships through the years, but she ended up finding her true love in Ryan Reynolds. The power couple is one of Hollywood’s most influential tandems, and they continue to prove the strength of their relationship, especially now that they are both embroiled in a controversy.

One of Lively’s most famous exes was Penn Badgley, her Gossip Girl costar. They dated during the show’s run and unfortunately broke up in 2010 after three years of dating. The actor has previously admitted that he struggled to separate himself from his character and the relationship he had with Lively’s Serena van der Woodsen.

Chace Crawford reveals Blake Lively and Penn Badgley’s situation on the set of Gossip Girl Chace Crawford in Gossip Girl / Credits: The CW

Chace Crawford spilled the details on Blake Lively and Penn Badgley’s breakup and how it affected filming for Gossip Girl.

Mark Wahlberg is a pretty decent actor who has sometimes delivered great performances in some brilliant films. He can make films like The Other Guys as well as Boogie Nights. While The Fighter might be one of his only straight dramas, he usually is not a favorite at the awards circuit, and he usually does blockbusters, anyway.

However, he surprisingly got an Oscar nomination in The Departed, which was directed by Martin Scorsese. Wahlberg was barely there for fifteen minutes in the film’s screen time but was an important character. What is even more baffling is that he was the sole actor to get a nomination, in a cast with Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Martin Sheen.

Mark Wahlberg’s surprise Oscar nomination for The Departed is still mind-boggling A still from The Departed | Credits: Warner Bros.

Mark Wahlberg is a good actor and was one of the highest-paid actors.

Jennifer Lawrence isn’t the only Best Actress hopeful generating Oscar buzz at the Cannes Film Festival.

On Tuesday, Sony Pictures Classics premiered Eleanor the Great, Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut with June Squibb in the lead role. Truth be told, the awards campaign for Squibb began months ago, when Thelma Star and Johansson presented together at the Academy Awards.

So while the reviews for Eleanor the Great were largely mixed, it comes as little surprise that Squibb has been deemed innocent of its flaws.

“June Squibb is a pure joy from start to finish, delivering the finest performance of her career, making audiences laugh out loud one moment and breaking their hearts the next,” Next Best Picture’s Matt Neglia wrote on social media.

“It’s not every day that a 95-year-old gets a standing ovation at Cannes. Here’s June Squibb, the lead of Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut Eleanor the Great,...

June Squibb has become the female Alan Arkin. She’s 95 years old, but onscreen she delivers her zingers with the crack timing of an old person whose perception of the world is ageless in its bombs-away, truth-telling joy. After years as a sneaky scene stealer, Squibb became a star in “Nebraska,” the 2013 Alexander Payne film that turned her combination of homespun grandmotherly demeanor and ruthless wit into a crowd-pleasing force. Last year, she had her first leading role, and now her perky moon face is front and center again in “Eleanor the Great,” the first film directed by Scarlett Johansson.

The movie is an awards-season wannabe in every sense. It totally plays up Squibb’s tart-tongued Arkin-adjacent antique brash aplomb. But in addition, it’s an attempt to tap into the poignant underside of a character who uses her wisecracks as weapons. Did I mention that it’s also a sentimental Holocaust weeper?...

James Foley, best known for directing the 1992 black comedy drama Glengarry Glen Ross and several episodes of the Netflix hit House of Cards, has died. A rep told The Hollywood Reporter that the director, producer, and writer died earlier this week of brain cancer. He was 71. Foley directed the two sequels of Fifty Shades of Grey: Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018). In addition, he worked with some of the biggest stars, including Sean Penn, Halle Berry, Madonna, and Al Pacino, making his signature style noir-esque stories.

A New York native, Foley made his directorial debut with the romance drama Reckless, starring Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn in 1984. The film follows an outcast teenager and football player, Johnny Rourke (Quinn), who falls for popular cheerleader Tracey Prescott (Hannah). In 1986, Foley directed the American neo-noir crime drama At Close Range, led by Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. Mary Stuart Masterson,...

James Foley, the iconic director of Glengarry Glen Ross, passes away at the age of 71.

Per Variety, the acclaimed director is confirmed to have passed away. Foley's passing came earlier this week, and was brought about by an ongoing bout of brain cancer. The news was reported via a representative for Foley speaking to The Hollywood Reporter.

Born in Bay Bridge, Brooklyn before growing up in Staten Island, Foley graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo before attending the University of Southern California and acquiring his M.F.A. in film study and production. Foley's directorial debut came in the form of Reckless, written by Chris Columbus and starring Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah. The film was a somewhat surprising success at the box office upon its release in 1984, bringing in over $8.3 million against a $3 million budget.

In the years that followed, Foley directed numerous films,...

Acclaimed director James Foley has died at age 71. A representative for the Foley family confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that the filmmaker passed “peacefully in his sleep earlier this week following a years-long struggle with brain cancer.” It is unclear when Foley was diagnosed and for how long his illness was.

Foley most famously helmed the 1992 film adaptation of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross,” starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, and Kevin Spacey. Foley would later reunite with Spacey for 12 episodes of Netflix’s first-ever series, “House of Cards.”

Foley made his feature directorial debut in 1984 with “Reckless” starring Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn. He was best known for working in the domestic thriller genre, despite defying filmmaker labels. His features include directing Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon in “Fear,” Halle Berry and Bruce Willis in “Perfect Stranger,” and “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed...

James Foley, director of films including “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “At Close Range” and “Fear,” died at his home in Los Angeles earlier this week.

He died after a year-long struggle with brain cancer, according to a rep.

Foley worked with stars including Sean Penn, Madonna, Al Pacino and Halle Berry, and specialized in atmosphere-soaked, noir-adjacent stories.

His first feature was 1984’s musical romance drama “Reckless,” starring Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn. Foley followed that with “At Close Range,” starring Penn and Christopher Walken in a neo-noir that included the Madonna song “Live to Tell.” Madonna was married to Penn at the time, and Foley went on to work with Madonna several times, directing music videos and her feature “Who’s That Girl.” The screwball comedy bombed, and Foley told FilmInk, “It was a major life experience. That first failure is so shocking.”

“Glengarry Glen Ross” was one of his most high-profile films,...

James Foley, who directed the two Fifty Shades of Grey sequels and several others films including Glengarry Glen Ross and At Close Range, along with Netflix’s House of Cards and multiple Madonna movies and music videos, has died. He was 71.

His family told Deadline through a rep that Foley died earlier this week after a yearlong battle with brain cancer.

Born on December 28, 1953, in Brooklyn, Foley made his directing debut with Reckless, the 1984 romantic dramedy starring Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah and penned by first-time feature scribe Chris Columbus. Foley’s next movie was At Close Range, the 1986 crime thriller toplined by Sean Penn and Christopher Walken, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for its Golden Bear prize.

The film featured “Live to Tell,” a chart-topping single by Penn’s then-wife Madonna, with whom Foley had worked on the “Dress You Up” video and concert...

James Foley, the Brooklyn-born filmmaker who collaborated with A-list stars like Al Pacino, Sean Penn, Madonna and Mark Wahlberg across a 30-plus-year career in film, TV and music videos, has died. He was 71.

Foley’s rep said Thursday he died “peacefully in his sleep earlier this week following a yearslong struggle with brain cancer.”

Born on Dec. 28, 1953, and raised in New York, Foley graduated from high school and went on to study film at New York University followed by USC in Los Angeles. It was during his final year of film school that a chance meeting would change the course of his life and jump start his career behind the camera.

“I was very lucky, and in the perverse calculus of Hollywood I was in the last year of film school and shared a house with a guy. There was a woman who was pursuing my friend so we had this film school party,...

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Exterritorial is a German action thriller film written and directed by Christian Zübert. The 2025 film follows Sara Wulf, a former Special Forces soldier visiting the US consulate with her son. When Sara’s son suddenly vanishes, she illegally stays on the premises to find her son, and she finds herself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy. Exterritorial stars Jeanne Goursaud, Dougray Scott, Lera Abova, Kayode Akinyemi, and Lara Babalola. So, if you loved the brutal action, thrilling drama, and compelling characters in Exterritorial, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Extraction (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Extraction is an action thriller film directed by Sam Hargrave from a screenplay by Joe Russo. Based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, and Anthony Russo, the 2020 film follows Tyler Rake, an Australian mercenary who is hired to...

At just 25 years old (as of writing), Joey King has been featured in over 70 films and television shows dating as far back as 2006. Given the sheer volume of work she takes on, it's not shock that many of these have been critical and commercial duds you've either never heard of or wish you'd never heard of, like the "Final Destination" riff-off "Wish Upon," the middling ghost romance "The In Between," and the irredeemably pandering sci-fi thriller "Uglies."

At the same time, King has consistently turned high-quality performances in some memorable projects. Fans of "The Dark Knight Rises," "Crazy Stupid Love," and "The Conjuring" are proof that she's been ready for almost any acting challenge since she first appeared on a screen. From her extensive resume, we picked out our favorite roles and ranked them based on quality and how well they showcase King as an actor. 

These are the 10 best...

Ted Kotcheff, the versatile, two-time Palme d’Or nominee who directed more than two dozen movies including First Blood, Weekend at Bernie’s, Fun with Dick and Jane, North Dallas Forty and Wake in Fright and exec produced hundreds of episodes of Law & Order: Svu during a six-decade career, died Thursday. He was 94.

Family members confirmed the news to Canada’s The Globe and Mail.

Born on April 7, 1931, in Toronto, Kotcheff began his career as a producer and director in 1950s and ’60s TV there. He became an important member of the 1960s fraternity of filmmakers in England, distinguishing himself with the films Life at the Top and Two Gentlemen Sharing. He also won a BAFTA TV Award in 1972 for the BBC drama Play for Today.

By the 1970s, he was focused on longform projects, including features and several made-for-tv movies. He helmed and co-wrote the Australia-set 1971 thriller Wake in Fright,...

1991’s What About Bob? tells the story of a clingy multiphobe who won’t leave his therapist alone, even when Dr. Leo Marvin goes on vacation with his family. The shrink becomes so crazed, he eventually attempts to murder his patient with explosives.

And somehow things were even more tense behind the scenes.

Famously, stars Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss didn’t get along while making the film. Not in a “he has a bigger trailer than me” way, but more in a “he just threw a glass ashtray at my face” way. That real-life tension no doubt contributed to the pair’s compelling on-screen dynamic, but things would have been far different had director Frank Oz been working with two other actors, which was very nearly the case.

Rolling Stone recently published an oral history of What About Bob? that included a number of interesting production details, such as...

David Oyelowo is still determined to take to the skies in The Return of the Rocketeer, a sequel to the 1991 cult classic The Rocketeer. First announced in 2021, the film is to be produced by, and possibly star, Oyelowo, and is to center around a retired member of the Tuskegee Airmen who takes up the high-flying mantle of the Rocketeer. Oyelowo spoke about the project with Collider's Christina Radish while promoting his new Apple TV+ series, Government Cheese.

Says Oyelowo of the long-in-development sequel:

"I’m definitely still trying to get it done, especially when you see what’s happening to the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen as it pertains to what’s going on in the country politically at the moment. To get that film made is definitely something I’m very, very focused on. One of the hardest things with any project you’re developing is when there’s regime change,...

Some know her as the "it" girl of Manhattan, others as the entrepreneurial wife of Hollywood's smarmiest Canadian or the best friend of everyone's favorite pop singer. Some may even know her more recently from the drama surrounding "It Ends With Us" co-starring director Justin Baldoni. Wherever you were first introduced to Blake Lively, one thing has been certain ever since her career first started: She was born to be a Hollywood A-lister, one way or another. 

However, despite Lively's name frequently appearing in headlines over the past few months, some pop culture enthusiasts may have never watched one of her movies or TV shows. Despite being a bonafide box office draw with even her most critically-panned projects, Lively has gained more of a reputation from her flashy outfits at the Met Gala than from her work as an actress. Although she has yet to garner any acclaim at prestigious award shows like the Emmys,...

Whether they’re symbols of purity, sarcastic sidekicks, or straight-up murder targets, unicorns have pranced their way into some of cinema’s most memorable moments. Sometimes they’re majestic and wise, sometimes they’re total divas, and sometimes they’re just there to be hunted by some evil king with serious control issues. From animated classics to bizarre indie flicks, unicorns have proven that they can be more than just Lisa Frank stickers brought to life. On the occasion of the release of Death of a Unicorn, we’re diving into the most famous unicorns ever to grace the big screen—whether they’re noble and heroic, tragically misunderstood, or just straight-up weird. Alexa Camp

Fantasia (1940)

Fantasia only seems about as great as the particular segment you happen to be watching in the moment, but it’s is also one of the few Disney movies whose outsized aims marinate tastefully in memory instead of festering.

Snow White United Kingdom Box Office: Opening Update (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Snow White is experiencing a slow start all over, including in the United Kingdom. It is one of the controversial movies to be released this year. The casting of Rachel Zegler faced a lot of backlash, and now the mixed reviews are hampering its opening weekend. It has scored a lower opening day than Disney’s Dumbo in the UK. Keep scrolling for more.

Dumbo is a 2019 fantasy film by Tim Burton and the live-action reimagining of Walt Disney’s 1941 animated movie Dumbo based on the novel by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl. The movie featured Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, and Alan Arkin. It, too, received mixed reviews from people, which collected $353.28 million worldwide.

Although Snow White has beaten Dumbo’s opening day collection in the United States, it has failed to surpass the...

In the grand pantheon of comic book adaptations, The Rocketeer stands as one of the most curious cases of Hollywood misfires (although we love it here at JoBlo). A film that had all the makings of a blockbuster—charismatic leads, a visionary director, thrilling aerial action, and the full backing of Disney—it instead crash-landed at the box office and left behind a legacy of what could have been. So what happened to The Rocketeer? Why did it fail to take off upon release, and why has Disney left it to languish in obscurity instead of embracing its cult status? Let’s strap on our rocket packs and find out.

The story of The Rocketeer begins with the comic book series created by Dave Stevens in 1982. The character, Cliff Secord, was a loving homage to the pulp serials of the 1930s and 40s, particularly King of the Rocket Men. With...

I’m old enough to remember when Jacques Rivette films were the domain of dark-web networks and substandard DVD rips, a conspiratorial network worthy of his cinema. It’s still a little strange seeing that April will feature a 10-film, one-short Criterion Channel program that combines of his canonized masterpieces with decidedly lesser-seens––plus Va Savoir, which I really hope is the recently unearthed four-hour cut for which there’s no substitute. Penélope Cruz is also subject of a retrospective in April, which––more than making me pine for a Rivette collab that never was––will include both Abre Los Ojos and Vanilla Sky, some Almodóvar, and another in the Channel’s ongoing let’s-add-a-Woody-Allen-movie campaign, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

For themed series, J. Hoberman has curated a series on the dangers of ’60s and ’70s New York that runs from Michael Roemer’s recently restored The Plot Against Harry and...

Must-Watch Movies About the Military Dictatorship: The Brazilian military dictatorship (1964–1985) was one of the darkest periods in the country’s history, marked by censorship, repression, and severe human rights violations. It is estimated that 434 people were murdered or disappeared, with 210 of them never having their bodies found. Add to this the 20,000 tortured and 50,000 imprisoned during the regime. However, the number of deaths may be much higher, as the state silenced many incidents.

It is essential to highlight that military officers and torturers were pardoned under the Amnesty Law, which, theoretically, aimed to promote national reconciliation. However, in practice, it ensured the absolution of unacceptable crimes, such as torture with the “pau-de-arara,” electric shocks, beatings, rape, and even human experiments. The victims of these practices never received justice, having to live with their trauma and wounds without state support.

In late 2022, Brazil was dangerously close to returning to a similar process.

Jane Lynch, the Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG award-winning actress, will be feted at the upcoming Boulder International Film Festival with the fest’s Entertainer of the Year Award, Biff announced this morning. The beloved comedy veteran will be celebrated on the evening of Saturday, March 15, at 8:30 p.m., at the historic Boulder Theater, as part of the fest’s 21st annual edition.

Lynch will receive her honor immediately following an hourlong career-retrospective interview moderated by yours truly, which will cover her past screen projects, including Glee, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Best in Show and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as well as her recent Emmy-nominated portrayal of Sazz Pataki on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building opposite Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez.

Past Biff honorees have included Javier Bardem, Tony Goldwyn, F. Murray Abraham, Shirley MacLaine, Martin Sheen, Laura Linney, Alan Arkin, Bruce Dern, Peter Fonda, Lawrence Kasdan and Robbie Robertson.

Is there a kernel of truth to the notion that "popcorn stars" don't win Oscars? It certainly felt that way to fans hoping to see Demi Moore pull off a Best Actress victory at the 2025 Oscars. Her daring performance as Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance had earned her a Golden Globe, Critics Choice, and SAG Award, putting her in frontrunner position as she arrived at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2. But suddenly, those hopes were dashed when Emma Stone read out the winner: Mikey Madison in Anora.

It wasn't unfamiliar to see one of the biggest box-office draws from decades past lose the big one. Perhaps the Academy couldn't see past what Moore had once been told she was — a popcorn actress. She addressed the demeaning title in her Golden Globes acceptance speech nearly two months prior, stating that a producer called her a “popcorn actress” 30 years ago, which...

Movies have a way of exposing harsh truths, especially when it comes to the American Dream. Work hard, hustle and success will follow. But what happens when the dream is nothing more than a rigged game, designed to keep people chasing an illusion? In a world where only the ruthless survive, the rules don’t matter – only the results.

That’s the reality of Glengarry Glen Ross, a film that takes capitalism’s promises and exposes them as hollow lies. A profanity-laced black comedy, it follows desperate salesmen clawing for survival in an industry that treats them as disposable. But despite an all-star cast and satirical dialogue, the movie bombed at the box office. Over time, however, it has become a cult classic, celebrated for its intense critique of ambition, deception, and the cost of playing the game.

Glengarry Glen Ross Is a Forgotten Cult Classic

Based on David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play,...

The Academy Awards honored late titans of the film industry, including actors Gene Hackman, Dame Maggie Smith, James Earl Jones, Donald Sutherland, and legendary director David Lynch, during the 2025 Oscars on Sunday night.

Morgan Freeman paid a special tribute to his “dear friend,” the two-time Oscar winner Hackman, who died aged 95 in February. Starring alongside Hackman in the 2000 thriller Under Suspicion and the western Unforgiven in 1992, Freeman said the late actor would often say, “I don’t think about legacy. I just hope people remember me as someone who tried to do good work.