News

The Academy Awards have been honoring animation since 1932 when Walt Disney began a near decade-long reign over the then-newly minted best cartoon short subject category. However, in 2001, the ceremony inaugurated the best animated feature category, beginning a now-storied tradition that has helped the medium skyrocket in popularity and prestige. Sure, some folks still sideline it as children's entertainment -- including at the ceremony itself -- but so long as based god Guillermo Del Toro proclaims it as cinema, animation will live on as such.

Thanks to the category's relative infancy, not to mention its smaller pool of competitors, the majority of the now over 100 nominees are some of the best the medium has to offer. However, not every winner is a winner, if you know what we mean. Here is our definitive ranking of every best animated feature at the Oscars, from the times the Academy got it wrong to...

Apple Cider Vinegar is now streaming – Picture: Netflix

Buoyed by a busy start to the month with 38 new movies and series dropping, this week turned out to be very active for new releases. A total of 70 brand-new movies, games, and series debuted over the past week, with even more scheduled to arrive over the weekend. Below, we’ll highlight three titles that should be on your watch list, provide the full list of new additions, and check in on what’s been topping the TV and movie charts over the past week.

At least five new releases are also scheduled to drop over the weekend. The two significant movies on the way are Uncle Drew (2018) and Spencer (2021), the latter of which we just featured on our Best Movies of February 2025 list. You can find the complete list of everything coming up on Netflix throughout the rest of February 2025 here.

What...

Pictures: Netflix / Various Distributors

Welcome to your comprehensive look ahead at all the new movies, series, games, and specials, whether Netflix Originals or licensed titles, coming to Netflix in the United States throughout February 2025.

As always, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with Netflix’s removals as much as you will new releases. We’re keeping stock of them in our February 2025 departures post, where we’ve got over two dozen movies leaving on the first, with movies like The Pope’s Exorcist, Despicable Me, and more leaving.

Please note that this is very much a work in progress and doesn’t represent the full list of what’s on the way in February. We’ll continuously update it over the coming days and weeks as and when we learn of new titles on the way!

Expected on Netflix in February 2025 Venom: The Last Dance (2024) – The third and final entry in...

The new month kicks off with over a dozen hit titles on the world's biggest streaming platform. From Oscar-winning dramas to rom-coms, horrorshows, and heartfelt dramas, Netflix has it all on day one.

I can't imagine anyone firing up their video-watching machine of choice this month and being disappointed in the new selections on Netflix this month. We've given you three of the best of day one, but there's so much more here. You can watch everything from an Academy Award winner for Best Picture to the seventh film of a long-running horror franchise.

Add a pair of family-favorite animated hits, some beloved rom-coms, some intense dramas, and - oh, heck, let's just get to the list. Trust me, there's a lot going on this month, and this is all on the first day of the month. There is literally something for everyone here. And I haven't even mentioned the...

The incredible and mostly true story of Belle Gibson, the glorious end of Cobra Kai, the return of arguably the world’s most talked about reality show, Kate Hudson flexing her comedy muscles and Robert De Niro leading a prestige TV show are some of the highlights among the new films and series hitting Netflix in February.

On Feb. 5, Amy Schumer’s comedy Kinda Pregnant debuts on Netflix. Director Tyler Spindel’s movie centers on Lainy (Schumer), who wears a fake baby bump while feeling jealous of her best friend’s pregnancy and ends up meeting her perfect guy. Rounding out the cast are Jillian Bell, Will Forte, Damon Wayans Jr., Brianne Howey, Alex Moffat, Joel David Moore, Lizze Broadway, Urzila Carlson and Francis Benhamou.

The name Belle Gibson may not be familiar to many people outside of Australia, but her incredible story, depicted more-or-less in the Netflix drama Apple Cider Vinegar,...

Village Roadshow CEO Steve Mosko has stepped down.

The move comes after the company had recently been sanctioned by the WGA and had faced financial challenges, which led to layoffs. The company is owned by Vine Alternative Investments.

Village Roadshow was once a close collaborator with Warner Bros., including partnering on the Ocean’s Eleven and Matrix franchises, among numerous other well-known titles, such as the Sherlock Holmes films, Mad Max: Fury Road, American Sniper, Happy Feet and more. However, the company has been involved in arbitration with the studio after filing a lawsuit over the day-and-date release of 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections.

In 2024, the company renewed its first-look deal with Content Cartel, Kevin Garnett’s production banner.

Recently, the company has been cutting costs, conducting a round of a layoffs that impacted workers in business affairs, administration, and film and television roles.

The company attracted the ire of the WGA...

Netflix has revealed its lineup for February 2025.

Reality TV enthusiasts are in for a treat. Netflix is putting a strong focus on this genre with the return of Love Is Blind for its eighth season, along with the debut of Celebrity Bear Hunt, a fresh competition-based reality show. For those who prefer a gripping thriller, Netflix will drop Apple Cider Vinegar, a new series premiering on February 6 that’s worth keeping an eye on.

In other big news, the highly popular series Cobra Kai will release its final batch of five episodes this month, marking the end of the TV series. While it’s bittersweet for fans, this isn’t the last we’ll see of Daniel Larusso, as he’s set to appear in an upcoming Karate Kid movie hitting theaters later this year.

Beyond these highlights, Netflix is also adding plenty of films and shows to its catalog.

The Netflix February 2025 originals, movies and TV series have been revealed and can be viewed below. The streaming service has also announced the list of movies and TV series leaving next month.

The Netflix February 2025 schedule includes such titles as Apple Cider Vinegar, Cassandra, Celebrity Bear Hunt, Cobra Kai Season 6: Part 3, Full Swing Season 3, Gabby’s Dollhouse Season 11 and Kinda Pregnant.

Cobra Kai Season 6: Part 3

Also coming are La Dolce Villa, Love Is Blind Season 8, Pokémon Horizons Season 2, Running Point, Sakamoto Days, Surviving Black Hawk Down, Sweet Magnolias Season 4, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep and Zero Day.

The February schedule includes the comedy specials Felipe Esparza: Raging Fool and Rosebud Baker: The Mother Lode.

Netflix February 2025 Schedule

February Tba

A Copenhagen Love Story (Dk) — Netflix Film

After author Mia finds love with single father Emil, their happiness is put to the test as they undergo fertility treatments to have kids of their own.

It was criminal that the Best Animated Film category didn’t exist at the Oscars before 2001. Iconic films like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Aladdin, and Mulan missed out on the golden statuette. While Beauty and the Beast became the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture, the absence of a dedicated Animated Feature category left a void in recognizing the artistry of animated films at the Oscars.

The creation of the award, in hindsight, inadvertently confined animated films to their own category. Following the 81st Academy Awards, cinephiles noted that no rule prevented Wall-e from being nominated for Best Picture, sparking debates on animated films’ true recognition.

At the time of the award’s introduction, Disney had cooled off, and Pixar (distributed by Disney) took the reins, dominating with creativity and innovation. Pixar has claimed 11 of the 23 Oscars for Best Animated Feature.

Today, the animated landscape is more competitive than ever.

Director George Miller is best known for the Mad Max series of films, but his singular Oscar win actually came from a different franchise altogether, Happy Feet. With Mel Gibson in the titular role, the original Mad Max debuted in 1979 to critical acclaim and a successful box office run. As a result, Miller, who also served as co-writer, joined Gibson in achieving mainstream recognition. This led to several more Mad Max movies being released across the years.

The most recent of those was Mad Max: Fury Road, which came thirty years after the Tina Turner-starring third outing, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The movie saw Tom Hardy take over the titular role from Gibson. And he was joined by the likes of Charlize Theron as Furiosa, a character that would later receive her own prequel. Despite Mad Max: Fury Road's long production turnaround, it received some of the best...

Bluey fans around the world are on pins and needles for the new full-length feature film adaptation in 2027, but things are about to change. Although Bluey creator Joe Brumm is devoting all of his time and energy to make the movie great, one development has some fans biting their nails.

Along with the official announcement, it was revealed that Bluey would be getting a CG makeover for the occasion. That's not an uncommon practice for TV show characters making the transition to film, but fans might not need to be so uptight because a redesign has happened before.

All New (and Blue)

Here's what Bluey's official blog says about the future update,

"The CG animated film will be produced by award-winning animation producer Amber Naismith with Richard Jeffery returning to co-direct (’Bluey’ Series 1-3). Joe Brumm will serve as executive producer, alongside Charlie Aspinwall and Daley Pearson from Ludo Studio,...

Elijah Wood starred in Shane Acker's animated feature 9 in 2009, which was largely made possible by Tim Burton. Following Wood's lead performance as Frodo Baggins in the groundbreaking The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the renowned actor appeared in several films such as Sin City, Paris, Je T'aime, and Happy Feet. Wood went on to star in the celebrated FX comedy series Wilfred and recently appeared in the second season of the Emmy-nominated series Yellowjackets.

Burton has created several notable animated movies over his career. He was a screenwriter on animated classics such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach and directed Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. Burton recently directed the massively popular Netflix series Wednesday, which returns for its second season in 2025, and the highly anticipated Beetlejuice sequel, which is now streaming on HBO/Max. If it weren't for Burton's efforts with 9, the film may have never been made.

This week saw the 15th anniversary of the death of Brittany Murphy, and one of her co-stars took the occasion to remember her fondly.

Murphy died on December 20, 2009, and Katie O’Grady, who worked alongside her on her final film Something Wicked, described Murphy as being like “a little bird you wanted to be around and you wanted to help.”

O’Grady told People magazine that Murphy’s cast and crew were all concerned and mindful of Murphy’s physical and mental condition, and tried to be “soft” with her while on set. O’Grady recalled the late actress looking “frail” and noticeably “going through a hard time” while filming the movie.

And O’Grady told the magazine of Murphy: “She made moments and she created moments with everybody that she met to the best of her ability that she could with the energy that she had.”

Murphy died aged 32 in her home,...

Big things are happening in the world of Bluey this week. Yesterday, fans were told that the beloved Australian animated series is set to get its first full-length feature film in 2027. That's certainly a game-changer for the beloved blue dog, but it also comes with some "trifficult" developments as well.

Along with this major development, two other changes coming down the pipeline might not go over well with the show's immense fanbase. Along with Bluey creator Joe Brumm stepping away from his role on the animated series to focus on the film, it was also announced that the characters are being made over with a "CG" style.

Bluey's Big Makeover

It's safe to say that very few individuals don't know the name "Bluey." The Heelers have been a part of our lives since 2018, and Ludo's partnership with Disney has only made them a permanent fixture in our homes, but...

Stick with a runtime, Joe Brumm.

A CG-animation “Bluey” movie is coming to theaters in 2027, Disney and BBC Studios announced on Tuesday. The series itself, created by Brumm, is 2D animation — and it is extremely short form.

“Bluey” is the ultra-rare kids show that parents may actually love more than even their children do. Scratch that: “Bluey” is the ultra-rare kids show that parents may actually love more than even their children do. The family comedy has big laughs and bigger heartfelt moments, so a supersized version on a supersized screen just makes sense.

“Bluey” is a viewership phenomenon — per Nielsen, it is the most-streamed show (of any kind) in the U.S. this year. And Bluey the brand is a cash cow, which feels appropriate considering the Heelers are Australian Cattle Dogs.

So the only reason a “Bluey” movie feels weird to myself — a true fan and father of...

BBC Studios and The Walt Disney Company today announced the first-ever Bluey movie, which will be based on the Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning animated series.

The new deal sees Disney acquiring the global theatrical rights for the film, which will land in theaters in 2027 under the Disney banner. Following the global theatrical release, the Bluey movie will stream on Disney+.

Written and directed by Bluey creator Joe Brumm, the film is a Ludo Studio production in collaboration with BBC Studios. Delivering the same charm and humor that made the television series a global phenomenon, the movie will continue the adventures of Bluey, a loveable, inexhaustible, blue heeler dog, who lives with her mum, dad and her little sister, Bingo.

“I really enjoyed the experience of working with a longer format on ‘The Sign’ in Series 3, so going even further with a feature film feels like a natural extension of that.

“Bluey” is headed to the big screen.

A feature film based on the hit Australian animated children’s series is set for a global theatrical release in 2027 from BBC Studios and Walt Disney Studios, “Good Morning America” revealed on Tuesday. After hitting movie theaters, the film will then be available to stream on Disney+ and on ABC iview and ABC Kids in Australia.

The “Bluey” movie is written and directed by series creator Joe Brumm and is a Ludo Studio production. It will feature voice talent from the series, including Melanie Zanetti and David McCormack. Series composer Joff Bush will provide the score. Richard Jeffrey (“Bluey” Seasons 1-3) will co-direct with Amber Naismith producing. Brumm will executive produce alongside Charlie Aspinwall and Daley Pearson for Ludo Studio and Justine Flynn for BBC Studios.

According to a press release, the film will “continue the adventures of Bluey, a lovable, inexhaustible, blue heeler dog,...

Snatch up some great family titles in time for the holidays, and get $5 back for your trouble from Prime Video!

With the holidays racing toward us, some parents are likely worried about how they’re going to keep their kids entertained over break. Prime Video wants to help. The streamer is offering customers the chance to buy two high-quality family movies, such as titles from the “Shrek” or “Harry Potter” franchises, and get a $5 credit back to spend on another title! It’s an easy way to set yourself up with some great movies and save a little money at the same time.

How to get $5 credit after buying two family movies on Prime Video Click here to get the deal from Prime Video. Choose the two family movies you want to purchase. Keep an eye on the email you use to sign up for Amazon to get a notification about the $5 credit.

Here at Empire, we have a tradition of sharing one article from our year at Christmas — consider it a digital stocking-filler. And so, as 2024 comes to a close and our attention turns to the year ahead, let us share with you a piece that's close to our hearts: our Future Of Cinema feature, in which we picked the brains of Hollywood's finest blockbuster directors and indie filmmakers on the state of play in the industry we love. We talked to George Miller, Sofia Coppola, Sean Baker and more all about the rise of AI, the streaming boom, and the movies — and moviemakers — who are leading the way as cinema enters a brave new world. So read on, and join us as we take a trip into the future...

The Future Of Cinema George Miller

(The Mad Max Saga, Happy Feet, Babe: Pig In The City)

What is one word that...

According to Gold Derby’s current combined predictions, “The Wild Robot” is the frontrunner to win Best Animated Feature at the Oscars with 10/3 odds. If it prevails, it would be just the third film from DreamWorks Animation to do so. But the movie may prove to be an even stronger contender than many are expecting.

SEEExperts slugfest mailbag: ‘Gladiator II,’ ‘The Wild Robot’ in Best Picture, and is Saoirse Ronan due?

Adapted from Peter Brown’s 2016 children’s book of the same name, “The Wild Robot” follows an intelligent robot named Roz (Lupita Nyong’o) who is shipwrecked on an island, bonds with the animals there, and cares for an orphaned baby goose (Kit Connor). The movie currently holds an impressive 98% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has so far made over $270 million at the worldwide box office.

Since the category of Best Animated Feature was established at the Oscars, only...

Netflix revealed the official That Christmas trailer, which comes from Locksmith Animation (Ron’s Gone Wrong) and director Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon trilogy). Debuting on December 4, the film has been rated PG for thematic elements, some language, and rude humor.

That Christmas is an adaptation of the beloved children’s book series written by acclaimed BAFTA Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated writer and director Richard Curtis.

That Christmas follows a series of entwined tales about family and friends, love and loneliness, and Santa Claus making a big mistake, not to mention an enormous number of turkeys! A film of firsts, it marks Curtis’s first animation project and the directorial debut of animation veteran Otto.

The film stars Brian Cox as Santa, Fiona Shaw (Ms. Trapper), Jodie Whittaker (Mrs. Williams), and Bill Nighy (Bill) as the residents of a charming seaside town where things turn upside down one Christmas.

Exclusive: Mel Brooks and a storied group of animation creatives are combining on a short about the creator’s experience overcoming depression, with sales launching at MIPCOM.

Brooks and Spencer Grammer (Rick and Morty) will lead the voice cast of Enormous, which is inspired by Stephen Kramer Glickman’s personal journey battling depression with the help of his dog’s love. Airing next summer, the film follows Stephen, a man devastated after a breakup with his girlfriend, as he sinks into depression with only his pug, Jelly Donut, to keep him company in his empty house. In a story twist, Jelly Donut finds an unexpected way to help him rediscover joy and begin to care for himself again.

Brooks’ upcoming projects include fantasy animation The Land of Sometimes opposite Ewan McGregor and Helena Bonham Carter, while Judd Apatow is making a documentary series about the 98-year-old for HBO.

Alongside Kramer Glickman,...

Hello again. Who’s ready for a Hollywood pairing that could bring the house down? Let me hear you say Sweet Caroline because Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson will star in Craig Brewer‘s Song Sung Blue, an upcoming film inspired by Neil Diamond’s timeless music. Brewer’s musical drama hails from Focus Features, with Brewer as the project’s director and writer.

Based on the 2008 documentary of the same name by director Greg Kohs, Song Sung Blue revolves around the true story of two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) who form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams. Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, and Jim Belushi round out the star-studded cast alongside Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, and Hudson Hilbert Hensley. John Davis and John Fox are producing the film for Davis Entertainment alongside Craig Brewer.

When you think of a critically acclaimed box office hit by George Miller, what's the first thing that comes to mind? The answer we're looking for here is of course Happy Feet, which won an Oscar and made a ton of money. But not for Fat Joe. The rapper, who...

Before returning to the Wasteland with Fury Road after three decades, George Miller embarked into the realm of animation to kickstart another IP, mainly geared towards children. Interestingly, Happy Feet became the first entry in his filmography to make Miller a recipient of an Oscar, and the director has been vocal about his adoration for the franchise.

Happy Feet | Credit: Warner Bros.

However, it has been just crickets since Happy Feet Two‘s release, which was seen as a step down from the original release, and as for the franchise’s future, it doesn’t seem Miller is going to revisit the IP anytime soon.

George Miller Had No Direction for the IP After Happy Feet 2 Australian filmmaker George Miller | Credit: George Biard/Cc-by-sa-3.0/Wikimedia Commons

While on paper, Happy Feet and the Mad Max franchise couldn’t be more different, as the former is more kid-friendly with its presentation,...

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Hollywood, a movie about the globally popular video game "Minecraft" was being made. Inspired perhaps by the success of "The Lego Movie," which took the rather simple block toys of childhood and created a cinematic miracle that made more than $468 million at the worldwide box office, Mojang Studios started looking at turning its own popular building-block game into a blockbuster movie. But who to helm it? "The Lego Movie" had Chris Miller and Phil Lord of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and "21 Jump Street" fame, and "Minecraft" needed someone with similar comedy chops.

Enter "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" series creator and star Rob McElhenney, who stepped in after "Night at the Museum" director Shawn Levy joined and left the project in a very short time. McElhenney seemed like a pretty strange fit for a family film based on...

The process of creating an iconic image is not always a straight line. For many artists, their work is not appreciated immediately and often takes time to gain prominance. However, Simon Whiteley’s contributions to The Matrix immediately took the film world by storm. Twenty-five years later, FandomWire spoke with Simon about his work on the iconic movie. We also discussed his collaborations with Zach Snyder, George Miller, and The Eirys Coeden — a new mimlacode project.

Related“I really don’t know how they got my number”: The Martial Arts Legend Who Worked in The Matrix Later Found Work in the Greatest Quentin Tarantino Franchise Ever Made The Wachowskis wanted more Japanese influence.

We started by discussing The Matrix, especially with its 25th anniversary returning it to the news. As Whiteley notes, he was not initially brought on for the film. “at the beginning, Animal Logic was asked to...

Mad Max Director George Miller Open to Helming Thor 5 - Main Image

Although his Justice League movie may not have progressed, director George Miller has moved on to bigger, more well-received projects with films like Happy Feet and his revival of the Mad Max series.

With him getting praise for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Miller was asked whether he would be eager to take on another huge IP in the form of the next Thor film, and it looks like Miller is up for the challenge.

George Miller on Possibly Helming the Next Thor Movie

Talking to ComicBook, Miller was asked whether he would be open to directing Thor 5 for Marvel Studios, to which he replied that he would just be happy to work with Chris Hemsworth again. Miller says:

“I would work with Chris on anything. I really would. He’s a wonderful actor. He’s got the...

It’s true that DC has struggled to get a project off the ground for a while. Before James Gunn took over and changed the game for the new Superman and future projects, their productions were really on a downward slide.

Justice League in the DC Animated Series (Credits: Warner Bros.)

Even as a way to overcome this situation, Justice League Mortal was one of the hopeful projects. However, numerous setbacks prevented it from taking off at the last minute. Recently, some images of Martian Manhunter’s costume were revealed, much to the delight of curious fans. The outfit was quite surprising.

Canceled Justice League Mortal Reveals Its Martian Manhunter Costume Martian Manhunter in DC Comics (DC Entertainment)

Superhero movies have always made history, with Marvel and DC leading the audience. However, this has changed quite a bit over time.

Although many theories have been proposed to explain this new scenario,...

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of August titles. The Tubi August 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals and numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, the company engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library: over 200,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of Tubi Originals, and nearly 250 Fast channels.

You can watch the Tubi August 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals

Documentary

Defying Death:...

Film critic Andrew Sarris changed his profession forever when he introduced, to English-speaking cinephiles at least, the concept of “auteur theory.” The general conceit is that some rarified directors are so gifted, or commanding, in their control over the process of film production that they alone can give a film a “personal or unique stamp.” They are the ones who become the author of the movie you’re watching. If anyone. It’s a seductive theory which encourages the critic to look for points of narrative, visual, or thematic similarity between a filmmaker’s work. The more ideas or images that rhyme, the potentially more impressive the auteur’s command over the medium becomes.

However, while it is hard to dispute the existence of auteurs, the concept at times devalues the contributions of a film’s many other collaborators—especially if they’re, say, editors, production designers, or cinematographers a...

Ryan Reynolds has revealed that Wolverine almost had a full dance number in Deadpool & Wolverine. Hugh Jackman takes this a step further, but suggesting that he heard a rumor that Wolverine would be dancing naked in Deadpool & Wolverine. Hugh Jackman's dancing background would have made this scene brilliant to watch, but it's unlikely to occur in the movie's theatrical release.

Ryan Reynolds has revealed one wild deleted scene from Deadpool & Wolverine that is hard to believe. Reynolds and Hugh Jackman are set to make their returns as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, from Fox's X-Men franchise on July 26, and their MCU debut has been built up as one of the franchise's biggest, most-cameo-filled, and most unexpected events. Reynolds and Jackman seem to be pulling off something that has never been done before, and this has been proven in the details of an unbelievable deleted scene.

Following his former retirement from the role,...

Though they’ve worked together only once (the animated “Happy Feet”), Australian director George Miller and recent AFI Life Achievement Award winner Nicole Kidman share a distinction this week. Both of their most recent films lead on respective home viewing charts.

For Warner Bros. and Miller, the #1 status for the newly released “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is positive news after its very disappointing theatrical results. But even more than a normal high-return PVOD release, it is available for a $24.99 digital purchase price rather than the standard initial $19.99 rental.

Kidman has provided an eclectic filmography that spans from Jane Campion and Lars von Trier to “Batman Forever” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” Her latest, rom-com “A Family Affair” where she credibly plays at the age of 57 the love interest for Zac Efron, testifies to a star quality along with enduring talent. A Netflix original, it started as #1 this weekend...

One of George Miller's films, "Lorenzo's Oil," opens with an epigram reading as follows: "Life has meaning only in the struggle. Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods ... so let us celebrate the struggle!" Celebrating the struggle may seem paradoxical in life or in cinema, but that concept runs through just about every one of Miller's films, created over the course of four decades. From post-apocalyptic action fantasies to deliriously twisted family fare, Miller has never been too boxed in with the films he's made. Through his filmography, George Miller has done everything from introducing one of cinema's biggest action stars to depicting a sea of penguins dancing to pop music. As weird as those extremes may be, it somehow all makes sense. With the arrival of Miller's latest entry in the "Mad Max" franchise, "Furiosa," in theaters now, let's rank all of Miller's films.

Read...

(from left) Three Thousand Years Of Longing (Metro Goldwyn Mayer); Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros.); Lorenzo’s Oil (Universal Pictures); Happy Feet (Warner Bros.).Image: Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures; Warner Bros.; Universal Pictures; Warner Bros.

For the uninitiated, it would be easy to look over the filmography of Australian director...

Never knowingly upstaged, George Miller’s latest Mad Max film features the franchise’s biggest stunt yet. Here’s how the Furiosa team pulled off the War Rig chase.

“If we were gonna make an action film”, production designer Colin Gibson said of Fury Road, “This was gonna be the last great action film”.

Six Oscars, $400m and almost a decade later, Gibson found himself and the Mad Max team back in the desert. Their mission? Make the last great action film. Again.

True to the series’ unsubtle ideology, almost everything about Furiosa is bigger. It’s 28 minutes longer, for a start, more a decade-spanning odyssey than Fury Road’s comparatively low-key 3-day car chase.

Its biggest stunt sequence, too, dwarfs anything in the last film. Shot over roughly 78 days (accounts vary on the exact number) with 200 stunt performers trying very hard not to get run-over or blown up, Furiosa...

For decades, Memorial Day weekend has traditionally been a hugely busy weekend at the box office, often offering the biggest of franchise sequels — or in this case, two potential franchise prequels? Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

The Memorial Day bump that has helped so many franchise installments before will certainly be in play for George Miller‘s return to the post-apocalyptic world of Mad Max with “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” a prequel that tells the earlier story of Charlize Theron‘s character from “Mad Max: Fury Road.” This one stars Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character, joined by Chris Hemsworth as a new antagonist called Dementus, as well a mix of new characters and ones that appeared in “Fury Road.”

Miller’s career as a filmmaker pretty much began back in 1980 with “Mad Max,” a cult action movie that introduced Mel Gibson to the world,...

Imagine a kindly grandfather-type figure sitting by an open hotel window, staring out at the sea on the French Riviera. The early sun hits his shock of gray hair in a way that almost makes it look like there’s a halo above it. The black-on-black ensemble suggests he’s arrived in France for an undertaker’s convention. The glasses make him look slightly owl-like. As he leans forward, ready to launch into an anecdote, you feel like he’s about to wax poetic about some long-ago vacation he took...

Anya Taylor-Joy and Charlize Theron's ballet background played a crucial role in their casting as Furiosa in the Mad Max movies. George Miller was impressed by the emotional and physical discipline dancers exhibited, which he wanted to see in the actress portraying Furiosa. Limitations of CGI prevented Charlize Theron's casting as a younger Furiosa, leading to the selection of Anya Taylor-Joy for the role.

Anya Taylor-Joy and Charlize Theron share an interesting connection that makes their casting as Furiosa even more interesting. Serving as the fifth installment in the Mad Max movie franchise, Furiosa stars Anya Taylor-Joy as its titular character. However, before The Menu star took the role in the franchise, Charlize Theron played a more mature version of Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road. Both actresses are perfectly suitable for the role in their own unique ways, bringing distinct interpretations to different periods in the character's journey.

2024's box office got off to a rough start, and the big boost that's typically expected in the summer has yet to materialize. John Krasinski's "If," a fantasy film about retired imaginary friends that combines live action and animation, is the latest release to debut to underwhelming numbers. Deadline reports that "If" is on track to gross $30.5 million in its opening weekend, which is at the bottom end of projections.

That's not a disaster for "If" itself, which had a relatively constrained $110 million budget. It's a bigger start than the more-expensive action comedy flick "The Fall Guy" managed a couple of weeks ago. And while "If" may not have impressed critics (its Rotten Tomatoes score is 50% as of this writing), it received an A CinemaScore from opening night exit polls, indicating that general audiences feel more warmly about it. Original movies are always a tough sell at the box office,...

George Miller is planning more 'Mad Max' films.The 79-year-old filmmaker spent more than a decade working on prequel 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga', his fifth movie in the franchise across a 45-year period and he admitted there are "certainly" other stories he wants to tell featuring the same characters.He told reporters at the Cannes Film Festival: “There are certainly other stories there. Mainly because in order to tell the story of Fury Road, we had to know the backstory of Furiosa and Max in the year before.“That was a tool for the cast and crew. We know the Max story from the year before. I’ll definitely wait to see how this ['Furiosa'] goes, before we even think about it.”George admitted he's amazed the franchise has been able to keep going for so long but he'd never have done so if...

John Leguizamo is an actor-comedian who has worked on movies like John Wick, Moulin Rouge, Love in the Time of Cholera, among others. He has worked on more than hundred movies, and made a name for himself with his amazing performance. The actor rose to fame playing Luigi in Super Mario Bros. (1993), and although the movie failed to make a mark, Leguizamo became a popular name among fans.

John Leguizamo in John Wick

But there are also movies that he has turned down in his career, with some decisions that he regretted in the long run. Since he started his Hollywood journey in 1984, with as many films as he has done till now, as well as working in TV and theatre, it is no surprise that he has had to let go of a few projects for various reasons. So let’s find out which famous movies that John Leguizamo...

The max in “Mad Max” stands for maximizing profit potential?

George Miller, the maverick 79-year-old Australian director, brought the fifth entry into his dystopian action franchise, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” to the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival this week.

While it’s been nearly a decade since “Mad Max: Fury Road” – the film that introduced the one-armed automotive avenger Imperator Furiosa, initially played by Charlize Theron but Anya Taylor-Joy in the prequel – Miller says he may not be done with stories set in the “guzzoline”-obsessed Wasteland.

“There are certainly other stories there. Mainly because in order to tell the story of ‘Fury Road’, we had to know the backstory of Furiosa and Max in the year before,” Miller said, revving up the engines of devoted fans. “That was a tool for the cast and crew. We know the Max story from the year before. I’ll definitely wait...

George Miller contemplated using de-aging technology so that Charlize Theron could feature in 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'.The 79-year-old filmmaker has helmed the new 'Mad Max' prequel and explained that he opted to cast Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger version of the title character after being left unconvinced by the use of the tech in films such as Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman' and Ang Lee's 'Gemini Man'.George told Variety: "Both of them were masterful directors, but it was never persuasive."I thought all people would be watching is Charlize looking young and knowing it's an effect."The director has always been interested in the use of technology in cinema – as shown in films such as 'Babe' and 'Happy Feet' – but conceded that it would have been "difficult" to implement it in his latest blockbuster.Miller said: "I mean basically,...

“Mad Max” mastermind George Miller considered using de-aging technology so that Charlize Theron could star in his “Fury Road” prequel “Furiosa,” but says “it would have been difficult” to pull off. Instead, he opted to cast someone new in the role of Imperator Furiosa: Anya Taylor-Joy.

In a Variety cover story on Taylor-Joy and “Furiosa,” which premieres on Wednesday night at Cannes Film Festival, Miller said he had observed de-aging used in movies like Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man” starring Will Smith.

“Both of them were masterful directors, but it was never persuasive,” Miller said of the technology. “I thought all people would be watching is Charlize looking young and knowing it’s an effect. And as time went on and we got into litigation with Warner Bros, we had to find someone younger.”

The 79-year-old director added that one of the things that...

John Leguizamo is looking back on his would-be superhero debut in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and claims that he could have been entangled in a web of a lawsuit against studio Sony over his casting process.

Leguizamo had previously confirmed in 2023 that after Michael Keaton originally turned down the role of Vulture, Leguizamo was about to film in the role. However, Keaton later returned and was cast in the part.

Leguizamo told Business Insider that any other actor “would have sued” the studio for that. “We went through a huge negotiation period, and we had agreed on terms,” he said. “I hadn’t signed a contract, but we had agreed. I think those are suable terms.”

Leguizamo added that he would be open to making joining a different superhero franchise after that experience, perhaps even in the DC. “I would if I was offered The Riddler or some part like that,” he said.

Spanning three decades of his career, John Leguizamo has been part of several hit movies. From playing Sid in the Ice Age franchise to appearing in the classic musical Moulin Rouge!, Leguizamo has built an envious resume for himself. However, despite his decorated career, the actor admitted to making “stupid” judgment calls in the past on movies, which later made him regret.

John Leguizamo in John Wick

Speaking with Business Insider, John Leguizamo thus shared some of the roles he regrets turning down that went on to become big hits, like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Initially beginning with Stanley Tucci’s role in The Devil Wears Prada, which was originally offered to him, Leguizamo recalled turning down Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s movie over racist claims that later turned out to be untrue.

John Leguizamo Recalls His Career’s Worst Judgment

Looking back on his spectacular career filled with...

While Thor: Love and Thunder was critically maligned, it was still a box office success for Marvel Studios, earning $761M worldwide from a production budget of $250M.

After helming two Thor films in a row, director Taika Waititi has indicated that he's likely done with the franchise, opening the door for another director to step in, if Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige want to make another standalone Thor film.

As such, George Miller was recently asked whether he would consider reuniting with Chris Hemsworth on Thor 5, after directing the Australian actor in the upcoming Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Somewhat surprisingly, Miller stated that he'd consider it.

"I would work with Chris on anything. I really would. He's a wonderful actor. He's got the full range of all the skills," said Miller. "I mean, you've got to be athletic, physically."

"But, you also gotta be athletic emotionally and intellectually to take on these very,...

John Leguizamo recently revealed to Business Insider some of the roles he regrets turning down the most throughout his career. They include Stanley Tucci’s role as Nigel in “The Devil Wears Prada,” Robin Williams’ voice role in “Happy Feet” and Vince Vaughn’s role in the 2005 action movie “Mrs. and Mrs. Smith.” Vaughn starred opposite Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in the latter film.

“I had my reasons. I mean, they’re stupid, but I had my reasons,” Leguizamo said about these decisions, adding that it was a salary concern that resulted in him turning down “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” The actor said he was offered to work for scale on the film, while Pitt and Jolie were getting a $20 million payday. Reports have surfaced over the years that it was Pitt who got $20 million, while Jolie earned $10 million.

“For ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ it was because they were...

John Leguizamo is reflecting on the roles that got away.

In an interview with Business Insider, the actor was asked about movies he’s turned down that he now regrets. “Oh yeah, The Devil Wears Prada, the Stanley Tucci part [as Nigel],” Leguizamo revealed.

Other roles he regrets saying no to were parts in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Happy Feet.

“I had my reasons,” said Leguizamo. “I mean, they’re stupid, but I had my reasons.”

When asked to elaborate further, he explained that he turned down the role of Brad Pitt’s character’s best friend, Eddie, in Mr. and Mrs. Smith because Pitt and Angelina Jolie were each getting $20 million while he would be paid on scale. “I felt dissed, and they probably weren’t dissing me, but I felt dissed,” he said.

Leguizamo continued, “Sometimes when you’re a person of color, you’re so used to being...