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Emma Thompson discussed her career, including getting a call from Donald Trump asking her on a date, her days doing stand-up comedy, including jokes about herpes and Margaret Thatcher, Sense and Sensibility, and the Monica Lewinsky scandal playing out during the Primary Colors shoot in Locarno, Switzerland, on Saturday.

She appeared in front of a huge and hugely excited crowd after, on Friday evening, joining the likes of Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow, Andy García, Adrien Brody, Meg Ryan, Hilary Swank, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Irène Jacob as a recipient of the Locarno Film Festival‘s Leopard Club Award on the Swiss town’s picturesque Piazza Grande. The Friday-evening world premiere and awards ceremony was such a hot ticket in town that security had to turn people away when the square reached capacity.

At Saturday’s talk, all seats were filled well ahead of the event, with more people crowding outside the...

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The Pickup is a heist action comedy film directed by Tim Story from a screenplay co-written by Matt Mider and Kevin Burrows. The 2025 film follows two armored truck drivers with totally different personalities who get ambushed by ruthless criminals and forced to rob a casino. The Pickup stars Eddie Murphy, Pete Davidson, Keke Palmer, Eva Longoria, Andrew Dice Clay, and Marshawn Lynch. So, if you loved the wild comedy, thrilling heist, and entertaining characters in The Pickup, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

‎30 Minutes or Less (Xumo Play & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Columbia Pictures

‎30 Minutes or Less is an action comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer from a screenplay by Michael Diliberti. The 2011 film follows Nick Davis, a hapless pizza boy who is strapped with a bomb and told to rob a bank by two idiotic ne’er-do-wells.

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Clint Eastwood is a Hollywood institution all on his own, having directed and starred in so many iconic films. A list of Eastwood's best roles is bound to leave a few on the cutting room floor even though they're definitely still worth a watch, and that's the case with 2002's "Blood Work."

Eastwood directs the film based on Michael Connelly's novel of the same name. Eastwood also plays the lead character of special agent Terry McCaleb, who's a serial killer profiler who gets on a case where the murderer leaves behind taunting messages for him. It's essentially Eastwood's version of "Se7en,"and honestly, it's better than you might be thinking. It holds a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but plenty of critics had something nice to say about it, like the Austin Chronicle's Marjorie Baumgarten: "The movie is nevertheless...

Clint Eastwood debuted his final film last year with Juror #2, but nearly 10 years before he hung up his director’s camera for the final time, he helmed a critically acclaimed docudrama that’s returned to streaming charts. In 2016, Eastwood directed Sully, the disaster biopic starring Tom Hanks (Greyhound) and Aaron Eckhart (Olympus Has Fallen) that tells the story of Chesley Sullenberger, the famous pilot who landed his plane on the Hudson River to save the lives of his passengers and crew. Sully is currently streaming on HBO Max in the United States, but globally, it’s become one of the most popular movies on VOD nine years later. Sully earned scores of 85% from critics and 84% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, and it grossed $243 million at the box office against a $60 million budget.

Clint Eastwood has one of the most iconic and enduring filmographies of all time, and Sully will live...

More than a decade has passed since Legendary Pictures secured the rights to Godzilla and other characters owned and created by the Japanese company Toho so they could launch a cinematic universe they call the MonsterVerse – and they also secured the rights to the King Kong character so he could be part of their MonsterVerse as well. Things got started with Godzilla in 2014, and since then the universe has expanded with Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, the animated series Skull Island, the live-action series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. A third Godzilla / Kong mash-up is now on the way – and a couple of months ago, Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. officially announced that filming is underway, unveiling an ominous teaser, revealing that the film is aiming for a March 26, 2027 theatrical release, and giving it a title – Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.

The legendary filmmaker Christopher Nolan just turned 55 on July 30, 2025. As the icon celebrates his birthday, fans revisit some of his classics like Inception, Batman Begins, and now Oppenheimer. More recently, there have been speculations around Odyssey’s release on Netflix, although there’s been no official update. However, there are a few forgotten Nolan films that aren’t being talked about nearly enough.

Netflix removed The Dark Knight films after May 31, 2025 (via Collider). While other popular Nolan films like Dunkirk, Tenet, and Interstellar are still readily available on various platforms, let us recall some of the filmmaker’s earlier works (films from 1998 to 2006) that you can find on streaming platforms and binge-watch for your weekend movie marathon.

1. Following (1998) A still from Following (Credit: Momentum Pictures)

Following is Christopher Nolan’s first notable feature film. The black-and-white movie was reportedly produced on a budget of $6,000 (via Box Office Mojo). The film...

We're so used to seeing Tommy Lee Jones (Captain America: The First Avenger) act in some of our favorite movies that we often forget that the Oscar winner is also an accomplished director and screenwriter. One of his projects, the 2014 western The Homesman, is a massively underrated gem — but, thanks to Vizio+, you will be able to stream the movie for free as early as August 1.

The Homesmanis set in the mid-19th century and follows George Briggs (Jones), a man who is saved from a terrible fate by Mary Bee Cuddy (Yellowjackets' Hilary Swank), who conditions his rescue to helping her on a dangerous mission: she needs to transport three women across the country through a harsh winter and not let any of them die. The story is based on the 1988 novel of the same name written by Glendon Swarthout.

For the cast, Jones was able to assemble some huge names.

Few modern directors have had the sustained critical success that Christopher Nolan has found over the last three decades. Sure, there have been weaker moments -- the entirety of "The Dark Knight Rises," some would argue, or any time he's tried to write a woman outside of "Interstellar" -- but it's also impossible to argue with the sheer number of hits. "Inception," "Memento," "Oppenheimer," "The Prestige," "The Dark Knight," "Dunkirk," the list goes on and on.

Though "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Tenet" are probably the most polarizing of Nolan's movies, neither holds his lowest audience score on IMDb. That "honor" belongs to one of his earliest films: 2002's "Insomnia." A remake of the 1997 Norwegian movie of the same name, "Insomnia" is a psychological crime thriller starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank. Yet, despite that strong core cast, it is the worst-rated movie in Nolan's filmography on IMDb,...

Sydney Sweeney's transformation has been revealed in a first-look image from her new boxing biopic, Christy. Directed by David Michôd, with a script he co-wrote with Mirrah Foulkes, the upcoming film follows the former professional boxer Christy Martin, chronicling her rise as the most famous female fighter during the 1990s to her attempted murder by her husband in 2010.

In addition to Sweeney as Christy Martin, the cast also includes Ben Foster as her husband James V. Martin alongside Merritt Wever, Katy O'Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Ethan Embry, Jess Gabor, Chad L. Coleman, and Tony Cavalero. Filming started in September 2024, was completed the following November, and now, the first look has been revealed.

Shared by TIFF on X, formerly Twitter, the first look at Sydney Sweeney's transformation in the Christy Martin biopic was revealed. The photo shows the fighter inside the ring, exuding fierce determination and drenched in sweat, wearing red gloves and white gear,...

From the genius Under the Skin to Alex Garland's Ex Machina and the big-budget, Timothée Chalamet-led Dune: Part Two, the 21st century has graced audiences with some of the finest sci-fi movies of all time. However, with the good inevitably comes the bad, with many citing Jon Amiel's 2003 sci-fi disaster The Core as one of the worst, despite a strong cast and an impressive 2003 budget working in its favor.

Loathed for its nonsensical premise and a complete and utter disregard for the science element of science-fiction, The Core received just 39% from critics and an even worse 34% from audiences on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. However, over 20 years later, the film has found unlikely success, thanks in no small part to the ever-present desire for Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank movies. Officially, as of July 14, 2025, The Core is one of the ten most-streamed titles on Tubi in the U.

From Cut Characters To A Scrapped Documentary Format: How Yellowjackets Evolved Into The Hit We See Today (Photo Credit – Netflix)

Before Yellowjackets gripped audiences with eerie flashbacks and cult rituals, the show existed as a curious little pitch deck with big ambition. The creators, Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson, first packaged the idea in the shape of a faux high school yearbook — a dark, ironic nod to the team’s stolen adolescence. But what’s even more surprising is that the show’s original setup looked nothing like the version that aired.

From its time periods to characters who never made it to the camera, the journey from concept to screen was filled with unforeseen turns.

Yellowjackets Originally Had a Different Cast, Era, and Format

The initial blueprint for Yellowjackets didn’t include flannel shirts, Walkmans, or 1996. In fact, the plan was to kick off in 1975. That year wasn’t...

2025 may be nearly half way through, but in the world of TV the year is still young. As such, even though you may feel like the best TV you'll see this year is already behind us as we've headed down to the severed floor for Severance Season 2, stared at our reflection once again in Charlie Brooker's Netflix series Black Mirror, brought out the billy clubs for Disney+ must-see show Daredevil: Born Again, and had our collective socks knocked off by Philip Barantini's Adolescence, we assure you a veritable streaming smorgasbord still lies ahead of us in the coming months.

Yes, we may have just finished collecting our jaw from the flaw after that Andor Season 2 finale, and yes, the second seasons of both The Last Of Us and Doctor Who may have left our heads spinning, but there's still no shortage of returning favourites, fresh franchise offerings, original programming,...

Exclusive: The 29th LA Shorts International Film Festival is about to get underway in downtown Los Angeles, an Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying event that will showcase 470 films between July 16-28.

The festival opens at Regal LA Live with a selection of four shorts including Como si la tierra se las hubiera tragado, directed by Natalia León, an animated short that won the jury award at the Sundance Film Festival.

“In Olivia’s Mexican hometown, femicide and gender-based violence are increasing at an alarming rate,” notes a description of León’s film in the program guide for Hot Docs, where the film also played. “Upon her return after a long absence, she quickly notices the city walls are covered with posters of missing women. The mistreatment of women is pervasive, and the once-vibrant city is gradually losing its vitality.”

‘The Letter’ LA Shorts International Film Festival

Also screening tonight is The Letter,...

Craig Zobel's The Hunt, which was the center of controversy when it was released in 2020, has surprisingly returned to the zeitgeist after five years. However, this time, it is being embraced by fans of the horror genre in the United States. Since it is one of the movies like The Running Man to stream while waiting for Glen Powell's remake to release, it is easy to see why The Hunt has had a recent resurgence.

2025's The Woman in the Yard is streaming currently too, and is the most recent Blumhouse production to split audiences and critics. The production house has a reputation for producing the most controversial and intense horror movies, which often feature succinct and meaningful commentary, which inevitably causes controversy when they're released.

According to aFlixPatrol report, The Hunt is currently in Peacock's top 10 in the U.S.The Hunt was also a hit on Netflix last year,...

The Damon Lindelof-produced horror movie The Hunt is having a major streaming resurgence more than five years after its release. Lindelof produced and co-wrote the action horror movie for director Craig Zobel.

Per FlixPatrol, The Hunt has suddenly shot back up on Peacock's Top 10 Movies list and is ranked as the streaming service's #4 most popular movie, as of Sunday, July 13. The movie impressively jumped six places on the list as of this writing and is currently ahead of much more memorable blockbusters like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Despicable Me 3 and Legally Blonde.

The Hunt now only ranks behind the 2025 thriller Drop, the true-crime documentary The Idaho Student Murders and recent horror hit The Woman in the Yard among all of Peacock's movies. This feat is particularly impressive since The Hunt was first made available on Peacock in May 2023, whereas all three films leading it on Peacock's top movies...

Already Watched M3GAN 2.0? These 3 Must-Stream AI Films Should Be Your Next Pick (Photo Credit – Prime Video)

If you enjoy watching sci-fi films like M3GAN and its sequel, M3GAN 2.0 and want to watch more movies about AI and robots, you’re in for a treat. Here are three gripping sci-fi films that delve into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence and robots. And the best part: they are all streaming on Ott.

1. Companion Release Year – 2025 Director – Drew Hancock Rotten Tomatoes Score – 93% Streaming On – Jio Hotstar & Amazon Prime Video (Rent)

Plot: This romantic sci-fi thriller follows Iris and Josh (played by Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid), a seemingly ordinary couple on a weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin. But the leisurely trip takes a terrifying and unexpectedly violent turn when the true nature of one of the guests is revealed. It also stars Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén,...

He might be best known for smashing bad guys through walls in Reacher, but Alan Ritchson is flexing a whole different set of muscles in Ordinary Angels — and audiences around the world are eating it up. The inspiring true-story drama has quietly become a sleeper hit on streaming, landing in the Top 10 on ViaPlay in multiple territories and steadily climbing the charts on Starz in the U.S.

Directed by Jon Gunn (House of David on Prime Video) and written by Meg Tilly and Kelly Fremon Craig, Ordinary Angels tells the story of Ed Schmidt (Ritchson), a widower in 1994 Kentucky trying to save his 5-year-old daughter from a rare liver condition during one of the worst snowstorms in state history. The odds are impossible — until Shannon (played by two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank), a struggling alcoholic hairdresser, decides to step in and rally the community.

While the film only made...

It's halfway through 2025, and there have already been a slew of iconic television moments that people will be talking about for years to come. Think of Robby's mental breakdown in the peds room, or Sal Saperstein being repeatedly thanked at the Golden Globes, or young Jamie Miller's one-take interrogation.

Below, Gold Derby's editors share their favorite TV shows of the year (so far), irrespective of awards potential. The list includes freshman fare like The Pitt and The Studio, limited series like Adolescence and Dying for Sex, and returning programs like Hacks and The Rehearsal.

Adolescence Owen Cooper and Stephen Graham in AdolescenceNetflix

Most shows debut with all of the subtlety of an elephant stampede: You can’t escape the noise of their premieres, announcing This Is An Important Show. And then there’s Adolescence. There were whispers, certainly, that this was something to look out for, but no one...

Hilary Swank refused to take a bite out of “Cobra Kai.” The Oscar-winning actress opted not to return to her roots with a cameo in the Netflix series. Swank previously starred in 1994’s “The Next Karate Kid” in the lead role.

Josh Heald, who co-created the “Cobra Kai” series with Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, told Entertainment Weekly they approached Swank about reprising her role of Julie Pierce in the sixth and final season. “We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear],” Heald said. “We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something.”

While the “Cobra Kai” team was going to tell Swank the “beginnings of a genesis of an idea,” they did not get a chance to meet with the actress. “She didn...

Vin Diesel has teased the late Paul Walker will feature in Fast and Furious 11.The 57-year-old actor - who has portrayed Dominic 'Dom' Toretto in the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise since its debut in 2001 - admitted one of his "conditions" for returning for a final movie in the series was to bring back Brian O'Conner, the cop-turned-street racer who was played by his friend until his death in a car accident in 2013.Speaking at Fuel Fest in California over the weekend, Vin said: “The studio said to me, ‘Vin, can we please have the finale of ‘Fast and Furious’ [in] April 2027?'“I said, ‘Under three conditions.’ First, is to bring the franchise back to LA! The second thing was to return to the car culture, to the street racing! The third thing was reuniting Dom and Brian O’Conner.”It is unclear how the character could return to the series...

Still Kicking The recently released 'Karate Kid: Legends' marks the sixth feature film installment in the 'Karate Kid' franchise. But this is by no means the sudden rebirth of a dormant property- it’s the latest chapter in a long, winding saga of reboots, remakes, and reimaginings (oh my!) that has been intermittently simmering for decades. In fact, 'Legends' may say less about the enduring popularity of 'The Karate Kid' itself and more about the broader cultural obsession with nostalgia- and how Hollywood continues to exploit it. The 'Karate Kid' franchise has never truly vanished. After the original trilogy centered on Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio)- ‘The Karate Kid' Parts I (1984), II (1986), and III (1989)- there came 'The Next Karate Kid' in 1994. That film attempted to reinvigorate the formula by introducing a new protagonist, Julie Pierce, played by a young Hilary Swank.

Netflix’s martial-arts saga Cobra Kai wrapped filming on its sixth and final season in February, but its creators have only now confirmed that they tried—and failed—to secure a cameo from two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank, who played Julie Pierce in 1994’s The Next Karate Kid. Showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg told reporters they reached out before scripting began, hoping to fold Pierce into a brief “one- or two-episode arc” that would mirror Elisabeth Shue’s earlier return as Ali Mills.

Heald later explained that Swank’s representatives “respectfully passed” on even taking a meeting, a response the trio admitted was “a little disappointing”. Swank’s decision was driven partly by the recent birth of her twins and overlapping work on Showtime’s Yellowjackets, leaving her unable to commit to the Vancouver-based shoot.

Absent the cameo, the 15-episode send-off will still unspool in trilogy fashion:...

Perhaps the most glaring omission from Cobra Kai's cameos from Karate Kid legacy stars was Hilary Swank. Known for her role as Julie Pierce in The Next Karate Kid, Swank had been expected to make an appearance at some point in Cobra Kai, but the final season came and went without the cameo happening.

The creators of the series have since spoken out about the absence of Swank, per Entertainment Weekly. They confirmed that they had in fact been in contact with Swank with the goal of having her come in for the final season of Cobra Kai, but the talks apparently didn't get very far. The show creators lamented how they didn't get to give Swank the full pitch in person like they typically did for the other franchise stars, as she made it clear pretty early on that she just wasn't feeling up to playing that role again at this time.

"Cobra Kai" did the two things every legacy sequel needs to do — it effectively rebooted the franchise with a fresh new cast that grew to be as memorable and likable as the original, fitting both the archetypes of the original cast while being new and unique characters. Miguel Díaz (Xolo Maridueña) and Robbie Keane (Tanner Buchanan) started off as sort of reverse Daniel and Johnny, but they ended up becoming so much more in the course of the show.

And yet, the show also managed to be a rather incredible continuation of the original "Karate Kid" trilogy. Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) became a much more nuanced character, a flawed individual with insecurities and who grows over time, while Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) turned from a simplistic antagonist, a teen bully, into a complex three-dimensional character who made mistakes and tries to be better slowly. Indeed, "Cobra Kai" shone when it came to reintroducing villains,...

As legends of the Karate Kid universe were reprised for streaming and the big screen, one former Mr. Miyagi protégé hasn’t been seen in more than 30 years.

Josh Heald, who co-created Netflix‘s Cobra Kai with Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, revealed that they attempted to get Hilary Swank to reprise her The Next Karate Kid (1994) role as Julie Pierce in the recent sixth and final season.

“We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear],” he told Entertainment Weekly. “We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something.

The trio reached out to Swank’s team with “the beginnings of a genesis of an idea” about how Julie could return to the onscreen universe, hoping to “have a discussion with her about it and introduce ourselves.

Looks like Dance Mom will boogie all the way to the Emmy podium.

Julianne Nicholson, who played the joyous (and drug-addicted) character on Hacks Season 4, now leads the Best Comedy Guest Actress race, taking down longtime frontrunner Jamie Lee Curtis for The Bear, who won last year. Nicholson's Dance Mom, aka Mary Alice, was recruited by Paul W. Downs' Jimmy and Megan Stalter's Kayla to appear on Late Night With Deborah Vance as a way for the talk show-within-a-show to gain a younger audience. At first, Jean Smart's Deborah was hesitant to let the untested woman take the stage, until she realized it would annoy Hannah Einbinder's Ava, and then all bets were off.

There's a new Hacks tonight, but I have not yet recovered from Julianne Nicholson dancing to Katy Perry's "Lifetimes" as Dance Mom in last week's episode. pic.twitter.com/SH3OPittFI

— Luca...

More than a decade has passed since Legendary Pictures secured the rights to Godzilla and other characters owned and created by the Japanese company Toho so they could launch a cinematic universe they call the MonsterVerse – and they also secured the rights to the King Kong character so he could be part of their MonsterVerse as well. Things got started with Godzilla in 2014, and since then the universe has expanded with Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, the animated series Skull Island, the live-action series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. A third Godzilla / Kong mash-up is now on the way – and a couple of months ago, Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. officially announced that filming is underway, unveiling an ominous teaser, revealing that the film is aiming for a March 26, 2027 theatrical release, and giving it a title – Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.

The New York Times recently ran a poll asking famous filmmakers, actors, and writers to name the best movies of the century so far. From Pedro Almodóvar to "West Side Story" and "Snow White" star Rachel Zegler, the Times asked dozens upon dozens of famous people about their favorite feature films released since the year 2000 and then compiled their responses into a Top 100 list (ranked by which movies got the most votes). The poll was very similar to the polls that Sight & Sound holds once every decade, only limited to releases from the last 25 years and inviting a different team of filmmakers, writers, and executives to participate. (Sight & Sound also invites critics and essayists.)

As of this writing, one can see many of the Top 10 lists submitted by the participants, and, boy howdy, are some of the choices interesting. Alex Winter, the star of the "Bill & Ted" films and director of "Freaked,...

As the first round of Emmy voting comes to a close on June 23, anticipation in Hollywood reaches a boiling point ahead of the 2025 Emmy nominations announcement on July 15. The past year of television has delivered groundbreaking dramas, razor-sharp comedies, and unforgettable performances, leaving one question at the forefront: which of these standout contenders will make the cut? And who might face the dreaded snub?

Gold Derby’s final predictions for the 2025 Emmy nominees showcase a mix of overwhelming favorites and potential long shots ready to shake up the competition. Will Severance hold onto its front-runner status for Best Drama Series, or could The Pitt surge with a surprise wave of nominations? Can Hacks take home Best Comedy Series for the second consecutive year, or will The Studio emerge as a fresh favorite? Check out Gold Derby’s latest predictions across the major categories below, and stay tuned as the Emmy...

Across six seasons, Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg successfully brought back a surprising number of Karate Kid alumni, but one major name remained absent: Hilary Swank

Swank starred in The Next Karate Kid as Julie Pierce, Mr. Miyagi’s latest pupil. Although the film isn’t anyone’s favourite installment of the franchise, fans were still eager to see Swank return. While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Heald said they reached out to Swank’s representatives as they were preparing the sixth and final season.

“We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear],” Heald said. “We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something. It was going to feel like it could be a one- or two-episode arc, similar to...

The creators of Cobra Kairevealed why Hilary Swank never appeared in the show, despite almost every significant character from the Karate Kid films popping up. The Karate Kid franchise spans six movies and one show, with Swank's character, Julie, the protagonist of the fourth film, 1994's The Next Karate Kid. Julie trained under Mr. Miyagi and ultimately served as a replacement for Ralph Macchio's Daniel Larusso, who didn't appear in the movie. As soon as Cobra Kai blew up, fans were wondering if Swank would show up, and it was ultimately a pretty big letdown that she never did.

In a recent interview with EW, Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg addressed the reason behind Swank's absence from the series, and confirmed that they did, in fact, ask her. They shared that they reached out to Swank's representatives about appearing in Cobra Kai's sixth and final season,...

Cobra Kai was a massive hit and helped put the Karate Kid franchise back in the mainstream. Despite the success, the Cobra Kai creators still have their regrets.

Josh Heald, Jon Huwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg still regret that they couldn't get Hilary Swank to appear on the show. The Oscar-winning star appeared in the 1994 franchise entry The Next Karate Kid, playing Julie Pierce, another student of Pat Morita's Mr Miyagi. The movie received poor reviews and didn't make a lot of money, but die-hard Karate Kid fans still love it. The Cobra Kai team spoke to Entertainment Weekly recently about how they wanted to catch up with Julie, but couldn't.

"We did reach out [to Swank] in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear]," Heald told the outlet. "We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story...

"I took a bite from Hilary Swank, and it was delicious," says Melanie Lynskey. "It was mashed up strawberries and sugar."

That’s how Lynskey summed up one of the most memorable scenes from Season 3 of Yellowjackets at a recent panel at the Newport Beach TV Festival, where the cast received the award for Outstanding Drama Ensemble. Lynskey, who plays adult Shauna on the Showtime drama, was joined by Christina Ricci (adult Misty) and Samantha Hanratty (teen Misty) for a Q&a moderated by Gold Derby’s editor-in-chief.

The cast also discussed the one question they would ask the showrunners, the deaths that shocked them the most, and who’s going to be left standing at the end. Listen to the full Q&a on Awards Magnet below.

SEEHow 'Yellowjackets' brought the shocking 'Pit Girl' hunt to life in Season 3

Lynskey admitted she wasn’t interested in the...

Nowadays, Jeffrey Dean Morgan's most defining character is Negan from The Walking Dead. He made his debut halfway through the series and, after the show's finale, he received a spinoff show, The Walking Dead: Dead City.

However, before he began Negan, and even John Winchester on Supernatural, the actor credits a different show for changing his career. In a new interview with People, Jeffrey Dean Morgan credits his role as Denny Duquette from Grey's Anatomy as the show that gave him a career.

Although Jeffrey Dean Morgan joined the long-running medical drama shortly after his appearance in Supernatural, Grey's Anatomy's Denny made more of an impact. Looking back at his roles, Morgan noted none of his current roles, including Negan, could've happened without Grey's Anatomy.

I've auditioned zero times since playing Denny Duquette.

"That show honestly gave me a career. I was doing that, Weeds and Supernatural simultaneously.

Talk about a fashion emergency.

It’s not easy dressing teenage girls under the best of circumstances — add in a plane crash in the wilderness, brutal winters, a devastating fire, and some mild cannibalism, and you’ve got to do some pretty creative costume work.

Such is the challenge faced by Yellowjackets costume designer Marie Schley, an Emmy winner for her work on Transparent. Even in its third season, Schley says her job has actually gotten easier, as she’s able to collaborate with the actors who’ve come to fully embody their characters — that is, the ones who’ve survived.

Here, she talks with Liv Hewson, who plays teen Van (and who uses they/them pronouns), about their favorite costumes, the one look that defined their character, and what they took from the set.

See'i was terrified — she has an Oscar for "Million Dollar Baby"': Melanie Lynskey on...

Season 3 of Yellowjackets was pretty hard on fans. Showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson weren't afraid of raising the body count as the season progressed, and by the end of it, several main cast members had been killed off. We know how it felt on our end, but what about what the actors felt? During an interview at the Newport Beach TV Fest and before the Yellowjackets panel, Samantha Hanratty (who plays teen Misty) talked to Collider about how she felt while filming all those shocking deaths.

Hanratty told Collider's Aidan Kelley that, behind the scenes, the biggest challenge for her was filming Season 3 while pregnant with her first child (the pregnancy was not written into the series). She also shared the death that was the hardest to deal with, and it's no surprise that it was one of her most frequent scene partners.

"I think all of the deaths have been very intense.

Before Alan Ritchson, fans of Lee Child's Jack Reacher novels had been waiting some time for a book-accurate version of their favorite hero to debut on-screen. Tom Cruise's two Jack Reacher movies failed to deliver on that front, but when Alan Ritchson arrived in Prime Video's "Reacher" series in 2022, long-suffering fans were finally satiated.

Ritchson seemed born to play the role of a hulking former military policeman. At 6-foot 3-inches and 235 pounds, the actor was every bit the brute of the books, and whereas physique typically wouldn't necessarily be the most important aspect of a character (just look at Michael Keaton in his two Batman movies), with Reacher, it's a central aspect of the man's appeal and Mo.

Ritchson himself clearly took the responsibility of delivering on that front seriously. Prior to the debut of "Reacher," the actor actually put himself in the hospital trying to achieve the ideal weight.

In Season 3 of “Yellowjackets,” Shauna (played as an adult by Melanie Lynskey) went completely off the rails. Fans were fine with a show about cannibalism but not with a main character who was paranoid, violent and out of control. The ferocity of their feedback surprised cast and crew.

During a new installment of How She Did It, presented by Paramount+, Lynskey and Ashley Lyle, the Emmy-nominated drama’s co-creator and co-showrunner, broke down the shockingly brutal fight in Episode 8 between Lynskey and guest star Hilary Swank.

The Paramount+ with Showtime series, which was recently renewed for Season 4, is about a high school girls’ soccer team that crashes in the Canadian wilderness and turn feral as they struggle to survive. An older cast plays the troubled survivors as adults, for whom the past is never really past.

Hilary Swank and Melanie Lynskey in “Yellowjackets.” (Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with Showtime)

In Season...

Emma Thompson is to receive the Leopard Club Award at this year’s Locarno Film Festival, which takes place August 6-16 August.

The Leopard Club Award will be awarded to Thompson on August 8 when the festival will premieres thriller The Dead of Winter by Brian Kirk on the Piazza Grande.

Thomson stars in and executive produced The Dead Of Winter, which follows a widowed fisherwoman (Thompson) trapped in a Minnesotan blizzard who interrupts the kidnapping of a teenager (Laurel Marsden), only to realize that she is the young victim’s only hope. It is produced by Stampede Ventures and augenschein.

Emma Thompson will receive the Leopard Club Award at this year’s Locarno Film Festival, where her latest flick, The Dead Of Winter, will debut.

From director Brian Kirk, the film follows a widowed fisherwoman (Thompson) trapped in a Minnesotan blizzard who interrupts the kidnapping of a teenager only to realize that she is the young victim’s only hope. It is Kirk’s follow-up to 2019’s 21 Bridges.

Also starring are Laurel Marsden, Judy Greer, Gaia Wise, Lloyd Hutchinson, and Brían F. O’Byrne. Screenplay is by Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb. Vertical has taken North American rights on the flick.

Thomas will attend Locarno in person to introduce The Dead Of Winter and pick up her Leopard Club award.

Previous Locarno Leopard Club winners include Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow, Andy García, Stefania Sandrelli, Adrien Brody, Meg Ryan, Hilary Swank, Kasia Smutniak, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Irène Jacob.

Some of Thompson...

Emma Thompson will be honored by the Locarno Film Festival where her latest film, Brian Kirk’s action thriller “The Dead of Winter” – which she executive produced – will have its world premiere.

Thompson, who is the only person in Academy Awards history to have won Oscars both for acting (“Howard’s End”) and screenwriting (“Sense and Sensibility”) is being celebrated by the Swiss fest which is Europe’s preeminent event dedicated to indie cinema, with its Leopard Club Award.

One of Britain’s most prominent actors, Thompson is being praised by Locarno for a career in acting, writing, and producing that spans both television and film and ranges from independent features to major blockbusters. “Thompson’s willingness to take risks with her roles has meant that she has remained a vital force on stage and screen for four decades, a testament to the depth of affection multiple generations of fans hold for her,...

Emma Thompson will receive the Leopard Club Award at the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival this summer.

The British star will be honored on Friday, Aug. 8, during Locarno78, which will also be world premiering Thompson’s thriller The Dead of Winter by Brian Kirk on the Swiss town’s picturesque Piazza Grande square that same evening.

“A woman, traveling alone through snowbound northern Minnesota, interrupts the kidnapping of a teenage girl,” played by Laurel Marsden, reads a synopsis of the movie, produced by Stampede Ventures and augenschein. “Hours from the nearest town and with no phone service, she realizes that she is the young girl’s only hope.”

Written by Nicholas Jacobson-Larson and Dalton Leeb, the film also stars Judy Greer, Marc Menchaca, Thompson’s daughter Gaia Wise, Lloyd Hutchinson, and Brían F. O’Byrne. Thompson is also an executive producer on it.

“Academy, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Emmy...

Karate Kid: Legends has finally made its US theatrical debut following several weeks in international theaters. After early responses to the movie saw viewers and critics divided, the addition of US scores on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has helped elevate the legacy film to huge new heights. Just two days ago, Karate Kid: Legends' 58% critics' score was juxtaposed by an excellent 88% audience rating, as well as an A- CinemaScore to match.

Now, after the film's full opening weekend on US soil, the audience score has risen to massive heights, officially hitting the 91% mark and becoming the highest-scoring project from within the franchise. The film had already become the highest-rated feature-length movie in the series, but a 91% audience score helps Legends now overtake the beloved Cobra Kai, which sits on 90% following the recent culmination of its final season. In contrast to Legends' 91%, the lowest-rated film in the franchise is the Hilary Swank...

Sadie Stanley found it "very natural" to work with Joshua Jackson on 'Karate Kid: Legends'.The 23-year-old actress plays the on-screen daughter of Jackson's character in the what has become the sixth instalment in the martial arts franchise, and thinks that they gelled so well to begin with because he is a father in his own life. She told ScreenRant: "That process was very natural. We got lunch when we first arrived and hung out for a little bit and just got to know each other."He has a daughter of his own, Juno, who's adorable, and he is such a dad. He talks about her constantly, gushes about her, shows pictures, talks about what she's into these days and what she's like. He very clearly just has such dad energy."The 'Kim Possible' star noted that her character Mia is "very protective" of her father...

The weekend sees the release of the sixth Karate Kid film, Karate Kid: Legends. This one tries to string together the continuity of the original 1984 film (and Cobra Kai) with the 2010 reboot led by Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. While I wrote in my review the many reasons I didn’t think it worked, audiences liked it, giving it an A-minus CinemaScore, and an opening north of $20 million.

That’s not bad for a forty one year old franchise, which was brilliantly reinvigorated by the excellent streaming series, Cobra Kai, which took the perspective of not only the hero of the original Karate Kid, Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio), but also the bad guy – Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). It also introduced a whole host of characters that became fan favorites – none of whom show up in Karate Kid: Legends.

So, which of the movies is your favorite? The 1984 original is the obvious choice,...

When "Karate Kid: Legends" was first announced, the prospect of crossing over 1984's "The Karate Kid" with 2010's "The Karate Kid" seemed heavily involved. Leaving aside the popular six-season run of the series that acts as a sequel to the original four films, "Cobra Kai," the idea felt like it could easily run into some problems, due to the 2010 film being developed and shot as a remake rather than a straight sequel or legacy sequel. Still, there existed some wiggle room: none of the characters shared the same names as their 1984 counterparts, and although the structure and situations involved were highly similar, they weren't so exact as to feel like they could only occur once. In essence, "Legends" would simply have to concede that, in the "Karate Kid" universe, it's a fairly common occurrence for single mothers to pack up their lives and their children and move across the country...

The Karate Kid franchise is still ongoing. After the end of the Netflix series Cobra Kai, the story continues with Karate Kid: Legends.

The film brings back Ralph Macchio as the legendary Daniel Larusso and Jackie Chan from the previous entry, 2010's The Karate Kid soft reboot, with a new leading character: Ben Wang as Li Fong. The movie, which marks the sixth entry in the franchise, debuted with poor reviews that didn't come anywhere close to the recent success Cobra Kai has experienced. However, the audience doesn't agree with the critics, as Karate Kid: Legends debuted with the best audience score in the film series on Rotten Tomatoes: 88%.

Karate Kid: Legends' early reviews weren't exciting. The film debuted with a "rotten" score of 55% from the critics. It has since improved slightly to 57% as more reviews came in, but it still maintains a "rotten" badge. The audience score tells a different story.

Forty-one years ago, Ralph Macchio landed the role of a bullied high school student who learns karate from his apartment building’s handyman in The Karate Kid. Few people involved with the movie thought they were creating a mega-blockbuster, but it wound up grossing an astounding $130.8 million on a mere $8 million budget. It was followed by two sequels starring Macchio, and a fourth film where Hilary Swank became The Next Karate Kid.

In 2018, Karate Kid superfans Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg convinced Macchio to put the gi back on...

Karate Kid 7 Should Bring Back This Fan-Favorite Character (Photo Credit – Netflix)

The eagerly anticipated sixth installment of The Karate Kid franchise, Karate Kid: Legends, has finally hit the big screen. While the sequel holds a modest 57% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s still being praised by fans (current audience score is 88%) and ranks among the top three entries in the immensely popular film series. Now that the latest chapter has arrived, here’s what we believe the makers should consider for a potential next installment —something that could breathe new life into the franchise.

The Next Karate Kid Movie Should Bring Back This Beloved Character

After the first three Karate Kid films starring Ralph Macchio, the fourth installment took a different turn, introducing a new lead alongside Pat Morita. Yes, we’re talking about the inclusion of Hilary Swank, who played Julie Pierce in The Next Karate Kid (1994), for the potential sequel.

This week, the Karate Kid franchise is back in theaters for the first time in 15 years with Karate Kid: Legends. And unlike the 2010 film, this movie is a true continuation of everything that came before it.

Who could have predicted that there would be a new Karate Kid movie over four decades after the original? The 1984 original has withstood the test of time, and it gave Ralph Macchio and Noriyuki "Pat" Morita two of their most iconic roles as Daniel Larusso and his mentor, Mr. Miyagi.

Although Morita died in 2005, Macchio has kept the flame of The Karate Kid alive in both the sequel series, Cobra Kai, and the newly released Karate Kid: Legends. In honor of that film, we’re ranking the entire Karate Kid franchise, including the two TV shows.

Read: ‘The Karate Kid’ series has more Oscar nominations than you might remember

8. The Karate Kid (1989 Animated Series...