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New Zealand-based sales outfit Black Mandala has acquired rights to the award-winning horror-comedy “Vampire Zombies…From Space!” ahead of the Cannes Film Market.

The black-and-white genre mashup, directed by Mike Stasko, has been a festival favorite, collecting over 20 awards during its impressive festival run, including multiple audience choice awards and best feature honors.

Set in 1957, the film follows a motley crew — consisting of a grizzled detective, a skeptical rookie cop, a chain-smoking greaser, and a determined young woman — as they band together to stop Dracula’s cosmic plan to turn the small town of Marlow into his personal army of vampire zombies.

“From the depths of space, Dracula has devised his most dastardly plan yet,” reads the synopsis. “A full-blown zombie outbreak hits, prompting the arrival of the dramatic (and slightly unhinged) Colonel Talbit and his troops.”

The 97-minute horror-comedy-sci-fi hybrid features notable genre appearances from Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Entertainment...

Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks “got along swimmingly” when they made Young Frankenstein, Brooks writes in his memoir All About Me: My Remarkable Life in Show Business. But their disagreement over one key scene was so fierce that the two friends almost got into a fistfight.

The scene in question? Wilder had the bright idea that Dr. Frankenstein and his newly created Monster, played by Peter Boyle, should break into the musical number “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” Brooks agreed that it was a very funny idea, but he had a good reason for not wanting to film it. “I said, ‘No, no, no, we can’t do that,’” Brooks told The Los Angeles Times, as reported by Far Out. “It will make it silly.”

On the surface, Brooks’ reasoning makes no sense. Wasn’t “silly” the point? Of course, but only within the reality of the comedy story. “It was too far out.

The 2025 Tony Awards nominations were announced on Thursday morning and made waves with its snubs and surprises. Out of all the nominees spread across 26 categories, there are 22 fascinating facts, stats, trivia and achievements that stand out as particularly noteworthy.

1. Many noteworthy names are nominated for producing at least one Broadway show this year, including two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker J. J. Abrams (Sunset Boulevard), Tony-winning director Michael Arden (Maybe Happy Ending and Sunset Boulevard), three-time Emmy nominated producer Greg Berlanti (Sunset Boulevard), four-time Emmy-nominated actress Kerry Washington (Gypsy), three-time Oscar nominated producer Jason Blum (Death Becomes Her), Emmy-winning actor Darren Criss (Maybe Happy Ending), nine-time Tony nominated director Scott Ellis, Tony-winning actress Lachanze (Buena Vista Social Club and Purpose), Emmy-winning actor John Leguizamo (Buena Vista Social Club), Tony-winning director Kenny Leon (Our Town), three-time Tony nominated director Jamie Lloyd (Sunset Boulevard), five-time Oscar-nominated producer Frank Marshall (Buena Vista Social Club), two-time Tony...

The most frightening zombies to ever appear on the big screen are back, and faster than ever. But can they run all the way to the 2026 Oscars?

Set almost three decades after 28 Days Later (2003) and 28 Weeks Later (2007), the first two films in Alex Garland's horror franchise, 28 Years Later is scheduled for a theatrical release on June 20. Garland is back as the writer and Danny Boyle, who directed the first flick, returns to direct. (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo directed and cowrote the sequel.) The latest trailer (below) dropped this morning.

The new movie stars Jodie Comer as Isla, a pregnant woman; Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Jamie, a scavenger and Isla's husband; and Ralph Fiennes as Dr. Kelson, a knowledgable fellow survivor. The plot follows a group of people who've avoided zombie attacks for decades by living on an isolated island. When one member goes to the mainland, he discovers...

Are you ready to get groovy, baby? Cause Netflix is about to spin the clock back to 1975 for a month-long screening series held at its Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles this upcoming May. Titled “1975: Fifty Is the New Hollywood,” this event aims to celebrate the 50th anniversary of what many consider the year that changed cinema forever, with films like Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws,” Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein,” and Francis Ford Coppola‘s Oscar-winning “The Godfather Part II” all being released within the same 12-month span.

1975 marks the highpoint of the New Hollywood era, with gifted established filmmakers like Robert Altman, Akira Kurosawa, John Cassavetes, and Stanley Kubrick all going out on a limb to make their masterworks and newcomers like Spielberg, Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Brian De Palma breaking through in ways that would forever alter the business and creative spirit of filmmaking. International cinema also introduced the world to the unconventional,...

Making a movie is hard — not just the metaphorical work of writing a script and performing a character, but literally building the world of the film. And what with the rising costs of CGI, big name movie stars and blackmailers these days, studios trim the budget wherever they can. That often means reusing chunks of other movies, even if they’re instantly recognizable. Like…

5 The Golden Idol From ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’

The “Chachapoyan Fertility Idol” is at the center of one of the most iconic action sequences of all time, so you’d think filmmakers would know it’s a little distracting to see it pop up somewhere Indy could never reach. It’s a fun allusion to Harrison Ford in Solo: A Star Wars Story and Andor, but it’s shown up everywhere from The Majestic to Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams. It’s...

Chicago – Oscar winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arawaka were found dead in their New Mexico home on February 26th. Arawaka died of a rare lung infection, the 95-year-old Hackman succumbed to natural causes. Photographer Joe Arce captured this Exclusive Portrait of Hackman in 2000.

The mystery and circumstances surrounding the couple’s death stayed in the headlines for weeks. They both had been deceased for several days before being discovered, and at first is was speculated that carbon monoxide poisoning might have been the culprit. But as the investigation continued, it was determined that Ms. Arawaka had died first on or around February 11th of a rare lung infection, and Hackman … suffering from Alzheimer’s disease … died one week later.

Actor Gene Hackman in 2000

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Gene Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California, but the family settled in Danville,...

There have already been several tragic celebrity deaths in 2025, including David Lynch and Gene Hackman. Though he was 95 years old, Hackman's passing came as a particular shock as he was discovered in conjunction with the death of his much younger wife, Besty Arakawa. His death was announced days before this year's Academy Awards, where a special speech was given by former co-star and friend, Morgan Freeman. Hackman was a two-time Oscar winner, taking home acting awards for his roles in The French Connection and Unforgiven.

One of the most impressive things about Hackman's career was his ability to play a wide range of roles. The actor could, at once, play both intense drama, like Harry Caul in The Conversation, and comedy, such as when he played the Blindman in Young Frankenstein. One of his most iconic late-career roles blended drama and comedy, playing dying patriarch Royal Tenenbaum in Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums.

As fans celebrated the film mastery of the late Gene Hackman over the past week, some pondered the sliding-door moment that could have changed his acting career forever. After all, if sitcom producer Sherwood Schwartz had his way, the unknown Broadway actor would have been cast as Mike Brady, patriarch of The Brady Bunch.

Hackman was Schwartz’s first choice for the role, but ABC executives rejected the idea. Who had heard of Gene Hackman? They wanted someone with more experience like Robert Reed, who TV viewers knew well from several seasons starring in ‘60s legal drama The Defenders. Hackman, on the other hand, only had one-shot appearances on shows like I Spy, The FBI and Route 66. Ironically, he also guested twice on The Defenders.

Lucky for everyone, Hackman didn’t get the part, clearing the way for an Academy Award just a couple of years later for The French Connection.

Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Nao Ômor | Written and Directed by Takeshi Kitano

To western audiences, Takeshi Kitano is most likely known for one of two things; his mesmerising presence in Battle Royale, or for hosting the game show Takeshi’s Castle. There is also the chance that some may know him for his supporting role in 2017’s unremarkable Ghost in the Shell… In his native Japan, he is better known as a comedian and TV host, along with being a well-regarded director who was once dubbed as “the true successor” to the legendary Akira Kurosawa.

For his latest film, Broken Rage, Kitano blends together many of these elements for a truly fascinating work. He stars as Mouse, an assassin whose regular routine involves receiving an envelope at his local café. They contain instructions from a mysterious boss for Mouse’s next target, who he executes before moving along in plain sight.

The musical adaptation of the film version of The Producers is one of Mel Brooks’ greatest successes, but the veteran comedian has revealed it nearly didn’t happen. He wasn’t sure his 1967 movie needed any tunes, and had to be persuaded by a persistent producer.

Brooks told The Guardian newspaper that only when producer David Geffen kept calling did he finally agree to the project. He recalled:

“David Geffen called me every day. I said, ‘David, it’s a perfectly good little movie. I won the Academy Award for my screenplay. It’s been honored and saluted enough. There’s no reason to make it a musical.’ Then the next day, he called me again. He never stopped calling me. And finally, I said, ‘Well, he’s not a dumb guy, so maybe there is something.’”

Once Brooks had agreed to the musical, he co-wrote the show with the late Thomas Meehan,...

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The world has lost an absolute legend, with Gene Hackman having passed away at the age of 95. The Oscar-winning actor was best known for his more dramatic performances, including those in classic films like "The French Connection" and "Unforgiven," among many others. That being said, Hackman did occasionally work on more comedic material, with "Young Frankenstein" ranking as another classic cut from that cloth. But perhaps his most famous comedic role came in 1996 with "The Birdcage."

In case you need a reminder (or are not familiar), "The Birdcage" stars Robin Williams as Armand, a gay Miami nightclub owner who pretends to be a straight man while hosting his very conservative future in-laws, including his future daughter-in-law Barbara (Calista Flockhart), at a meet-and-greet dinner party. Nathan Lane costars in the movie as Armand's drag-queen partner Albert, while Hackman plays Kevin Keeley,...

The death of Gene Hackman and his wife has continued to dominate headlines as new details come to light about the strange circumstances surrounding the Oscar-winning actor’s passing. While the latest reports have said it could be “months” before the results of toxicology reports reveal exactly what caused the double death, and that of one of the couple’s dogs, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza has revealed a sad piece of information that suggests Hackman died much earlier than originally believed. As per Deadline, Mendoza said in a short press conference:

“An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman's pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on February 17, 2025, I was advised that a more thorough investigation will be completed.”

RelatedThe 15 Best Gene Hackman Movies, Ranked

Gene Hackman died today, Feb. 27, and we're remembering the great actor with his best films.

There are currently many factors about...

Gene Hackman, the two-time ‘Oscar’-winning actor, whose career spanned five decades, has died:

Hackman was Oscar-nominated for his portrayal of ‘Buck Barrow’ in “Bonnie and Clyde” (1971)…

…followed by his first Academy Award, for his role as New York City police Detective…

…’Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle’ in 1971's "The French Connection” (reprising the character in 1975’s “French Connection II”)…

…and his second Oscar twenty years later playing corrupt ‘Sheriff "Little Bill" Daggett’ in director Clint Eastwood's 1992 Western, "Unforgiven."

Hackman displayed his comedic chops as ‘Harold’, a well-meaning, blind hermit in “Young Frankenstein” (1974)….

“…followed by his most intense dramatic performance in the covert thriller “The Conversation” (1974), directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Click the images to enlarge…...

The news of the passing of Gene Hackman and his wife and his dog has left peers and fans alike stunned. Yesterday, after the news broke, the iconic French Connection star was paid tribute to by a number of his former collaborators and a great number of his fans. Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola worked with Hackman on the spy classic The Conversation and took to social media to say, “The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”

Deadline now reports that comedy maestro Mel Brooks has also paid tribute to Hackman by remembering working with him on his film Young Frankenstein. Brooks recalled on his social media, “I was privileged to know Gene Hackman because he played tennis with another Gene—Gene Wilder.

The tributes continue to pour in following the shocking death of Academy Award winner Gene Hackman. While the actor was well-known for his intense, often terrifying performances in the likes of Unforgiven and The French Connection, he was not averse to providing the laughs too, starring in seminal director Mel Brooks’ beloved 1974 horror comedy Young Frankenstein.

Brooks has now paid tribute to the actor, taking to X/Twitter to reflect on their time working together, describing Hackman as “perfect” for the role of the blind hermit, Harold.

“I was privileged to know Gene Hackman because he played tennis with another Gene—Gene Wilder. And that Gene told him about a little role called The Blind Hermit in our movie Young Frankenstein. He said, “Do you think Mel would let me play it? I’ve always wanted to do a comedy.” Needless to say, I was over the moon and he was perfect.

Although Gene Hackman‘s legacy includes a myriad of masterful dramatic performances, he also managed to elicit some laughs during his storied career.

Following the 2x Oscar winner’s death at age 95, writer-director Mel Brooks reminisced about working with Hackman on his Academy Award-nominated 1974 comedy classic Young Frankenstein.

“I was privileged to know Gene Hackman because he played tennis with another Gene—Gene Wilder. And that Gene told him about a little role called The Blind Hermit in our movie Young Frankenstein,” wrote Brooks on X. “He said, ‘Do you think Mel would let me play it? I’ve always wanted to do a comedy.’ Needless to say, I was over the moon and he was perfect.”

Starring the late Wilder as the titular doctor from Mary Shelley’s literary source material, Young Frankenstein also featured performances from Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn and Cloris Leachman, as well as Brooks.

On the Mount Rushmore of great American actors — specifically those who emerged in the late 1960s and brought a transformative, bone-deep intensity to their craft over the industry-redefining decade that followed — four faces loom large: Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman.

The eldest of that contingent, Hackman is less familiar to younger audiences than the others, having withdrawn from acting more than 20 years ago, to write and paint in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Over a four-decade screen career, the stage-trained star gravitated to complex movies for grown-up audiences (the only significant exception being his iconic turn as Lex Luthor in the “Superman” franchise), and might have been entirely forgotten by Gen Z if not for his performance as the gruff patriarch in Wes Anderson’s cult favorite “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

Hackman’s unexpected and unusual death (he was discovered alongside his wife and dog) offers a chance...

Gene Hackman, the legendary everyman actor who won two Oscars before stepping away from Hollywood in 2004, and Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their Santa Fe, N.M., home on Wednesday. Hackman was 95. Arakawa, whom he married in 1991, was 64.

While authorities did not suspect foul play, the deaths of Hackman and Arakawa have been ruled suspicious. A detective's affidavit stated that "an open prescription bottle scattered pills" were found on a bathroom counter near Arakawa's body. One of the couple’s dog, a German shepherd, was found dead in the bathroom closet, about 15 feet from Arakawa. Two other family dogs were found alive.

A maintenance worker discovered the bodies on Wednesday. Arakawa was found in the bathroom near a space heater. Her body showed signs of decomposition, per the detective report. Hackman's body, in a similar state, was found in the mud room appearing as if he had "suddenly fallen.

Gene Hackman’s daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie Hackman, and his granddaughter Annie said they are “devastated” after the two-time Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe home on Wednesday. He was 95 and she was 64.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” the family told TheWrap in a Thursday statement. “He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”

As TheWrap previously reported, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office insists Hackman and Arakawa’s deaths are not suspicious despite multiple media reports regarding search warrants suggesting the contrary. The department states no foul play is suspected in the case, though the investigation in ongoing.

The news that actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa have been found dead at their home in Santa Fe has shocked the industry and led to widespread tributes for one of the true greats of cinema.

Clint Eastwood, who directed and starred with Hackman in 1992’s Unforgiven, said in a statement to Deadline: “There was no finer actor than Gene. Intense and instinctive. Never a false note. He was also a dear friend whom I will miss very much.”

Writer-director Mel Brooks reminisced about working with Hackman on his Academy Award-nominated 1974 comedy classic Young Frankenstein.

“I was privileged to know Gene Hackman because he played tennis with another Gene—Gene Wilder. And that Gene told him about a little role called The Blind Hermit in our movie Young Frankenstein,” wrote Brooks on X. “He said, ‘Do you think Mel would let me play it? I’ve always wanted to do a comedy.

Legendary actor Gene Hackman has passed away at the age of 95. Tragically, according to authorities, Hackman’s 64-year-old wife Betsy Arakawa, and a dog, were also found deceased in the couple’s New Mexico home. While “no foul play is suspected” the cause of death has yet to be determined.

It’s hard to overstate Hackman’s impact on the world of film; he starred in all-time classics like The Conversation, Night Moves, Bonnie & Clyde, Superman and, of course, The French Connection. Plus, he had key supporting roles in more modern masterpieces such as Unforgiven and The Royal Tenenbaums (even if he clearly didn’t want to be in the latter).

Then, after decades of acclaimed performances in countless films, he gave up on the entire industry after making a single Ray Romano movie.

In the latter half of his career, it certainly wasn’t unusual to see Hackman...

Two-time Oscar winner, Gene Hackman has died at the age of 95. The iconic actor was found dead at their Santa Fe, N.M. home alongside his 63-year-old classical pianist wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog.

Whilst not deemed suspicious, their deaths are currently being investigated.

Former Marine turned actor Hackman, who won two Oscars for his roles in 1971’s ‘The French Connection’ and 1992’s ‘Unforgiven’ made his mark in Hollywood with his role as Clyde Barrow’s explosive older brother in the 1967 film ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ which brought him his first Oscar nomination in supporting actor. He also found himself with Oscar nominations for this roles as FBI Special Agent Rupert Anderson in ‘Mississippi Burning,’ Gene Garrison in Gil Cates’ ‘I Never Sang for My Father,’

Also in news – ‘Pink Floyd at Pompeii – McMlxxii’ to return to cinemas this spring

Having appeared in over 80 films his career spanned from the...

After Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were found dead in their Santa Fe home on Wednesday, his celebrity peers began honoring the two-time Oscar-winning actor’s life with touching tributes early Thursday morning.

Viola Davis wrote, “Loved you in everything! ‘The Conversation,’ ‘The French Connection,’ ‘The Poseidon Adventure,’ ‘Unforgiven’ — tough yet vulnerable. You were one of the greats. God bless those who loved you. Rest well, sir.”

Francis Ford Coppola wrote, “The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity. I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”

Edgar Wright wrote, “The greatest…”

Josh Brolin wrote, “I am crushed by the sudden deaths of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa (and their dog). Crushed. He was always one of my favorites. Not many who beat to...

Gene Hackman, the Academy Award-winning actor who starred in films including The French Connection, Crimson Tide and Superman, died Wednesday. He was 95.

Hackman and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, 63, were found dead at their home in Santa Fe, N.M., our sister site Variety reports.

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The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department has not provided a cause of death.

Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home on Wednesday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirmed. A cause of death for the Oscar-winning actor, 95, and his wife, 64, was not revealed but Mendoza said no foul play was suspected.

An investigation into their deaths is ongoing. According to Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila, the couple was found dead at around 1:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday after a neighbor called in a welfare check, per Albuquerque’s KOB4.

Hackman and Arakawa, a classical pianist, married in 1991. Their dog was also found deceased.

An acting giant, Hackman was born in San Bernadino, California, and enlisted in the military at age 16, lying about his age to get in. He served over four years as a field operator in the Marines before pursuing acting in 1956 at the San Bernadino...

Unfortunately, we have to get the day started with some sad news today, as it has been reported that we’ve lost one of the great legends of cinema, Gene Hackman, at the age of 95. Hackman, his retired pianist wife, 63-year-old Betsy Arakawa, and their dog were all found dead at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Wednesday afternoon. Yahoo reports that New Mexico police have said that the causes of death are under investigation, “but they do not believe foul play is a factor at this time.” Of course, there’s a lot of speculation going around that the cause of death may be carbon monoxide poisoning, but nothing has been confirmed as of right now.

Born on January 30, 1930 in San Bernadino, California, Eugene Allen Hackman did a lot of moving around in his younger years, but had already decided that he wanted to be an actor...

Gene Hackman, the two-time Academy Award-winning actor known for his roles in films like The French Connection and Unforgiven, has died at the age of 95.

Hackman, his wife Betsy, and their dog were found dead at their home in New Mexico on Wednesday after deputies performed a welfare check, according to CNN. While there were no visible signs of foul play, investigators deemed their deaths “suspicious” after finding “no obvious signs of a gas leak” and the front door of their home “unsecured and opened.”

Hackman was born in San Bernardino, California on January 30th, 1930. Lying about his age, he enlisted in the Marine Corps when he was just 16, serving four years as a field radio operator before being stationed in China, Hawaii, and Japan. He was discharged in 1951.

As he began to pursue an acting career, Hackman joined the historic Pasadena Playhouse, where he met fellow aspiring actor Dustin Hoffman.

Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Nathan Lane and more paid tribute to Gene Hackman after the Oscar-winning actor was found dead at 95 alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, in their Santa Fe home on Wednesday.

“The loss of a great artist, always cause for both mourning and celebration: Gene Hackman a great actor, inspiring and magnificent in his work and complexity,” wrote Coppola, who directed him in 1974’s “The Conversation,” on Instagram. “I mourn his loss, and celebrate his existence and contribution.”

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A post shared by Francis Ford Coppola (@francisfordcoppola)

Hackman starred in “The Conversation,” Coppola’s 1974 neo-noir mystery thriller, as Harry Caul, a surveillance expert who faces a moral dilemma when his recordings reveal a potential murder. The movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Palme d’Or, and received three Oscar nominations for best picture, original screenplay and sound.

Eastwood,...

Legendary American actor and two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman has died at the age of 95, it has been confirmed. The screen veteran, star of such films as The French Connection, Unforgiven, The Royal Tenenbaums, and the original Superman, was found dead alongside his 63-year-old wife Betsy Arakawa and the couple's dog at the couple's Santa Fe home late on Wednesday afternoon, per The New York Post.

A character actor in the mould of Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum, and James Cagney, Hackman — over the course of an acting career spanning five decades, 85 movies, and dozens more plays and television shows — demonstrated remarkable range and an ineffable combination of grit and charisma that enabled him to play average Joes, comic book supervillains, no-nonsense cops, and estranged patriarchs that all felt real, all felt alive. Among his contemporaries, the Pacinos, Hoffmans, and De Niros of this world, Hackman measured up and stood tall,...

We're sorry to report that Hollywood legend Gene Hackman passed away on February 26, 2025, alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, as confirmed by Variety. The actor was 95 years old and his cause of death has yet to be announced at the time of writing, though local authorities in Sante Fe, New Mexico, where the couple resided, confirmed they don't have any reason to believe foul play was involved. 

The 1970s was a wild time for Hollywood. Gone were the movie stars of old and what replaced them was a new breed of actor grounded in reality. These actors could be balding and pudgy or wiry and short. Even the traditionally handsome and beautiful stars embraced non-glamorous roles as the world was transitioning from the tumultuous 1960s to a newer era of disillusion.

Hackman thrived in this environment, becoming one of the most versatile stars of his era. The man could move between...

Gene Hackman, the versatile leading man renowned for his smoldering performance as hard-nosed New York City narc Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in The French Connection, has died. He was 95.

The much-admired two-time Oscar winner and his second wife, Betsy Hackman, 64, were found dead Wednesday at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They had lived in a gated community northeast of the city since the 1980s.

In a statement to the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said, “We can confirm that both Gene Hackman and his wife were found deceased Wednesday afternoon at their residence on Sunset Trail.” One of their three dogs also died.

A search warrant ruled that the deaths were “suspicious enough in nature to require a thorough search and investigation.”

His daughters, Elizabeth and Leslie, and granddaughter Annie noted in a statement that Hackman was “loved and admired by millions around...

For the bulk of his career, Leslie Nielsen was best known for his stern, dramatic roles. His tall stature and low voice had casting directors offering him parts as commanders, leaders, and even heavies. Many might recall Nielsen's stone-faced turn in 1956's "Forbidden Planet" as the captain in "The Poseidon Adventure," or playing a cop in the 1972 cop drama "The Bold Ones: The Protectors." In 1977's "Day of the Animals" he plays a manly outdoorsman who loses his mind and, quite darkly, declares insane dominion over animals and women. Some might recall that he can hold his breath a long time, as he declared in "Creepshow." Many will be shocked to witness Nielsen beat and assault Barbra Streisand in the 1987 drama "Nuts." 

However, Nielsen did appear in a handful of comedies, most notably, playing Dr. Rumack in the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker farce "Airplane!" The parody proved that he had a talent for deadpan comedy,...

Before James Gunn became the mastermind behind Guardians of the Galaxy and DC Studios, he had to face the cold, hard truth about Hollywood: making superhero movies isn’t all glitz and glam. His first crack at the genre, starring none other than Rob Lowe, was a wild ride that came with its own brutal wake-up call.

James Gunn | Image by Denniscabrams , licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Long before he was juggling A-list actors and billion-dollar budgets, Gunn learned that Hollywood doesn’t always play fair.

James Gunn learned the hard way: Hollywood didn’t care about his vision for The Specials James Gunn offers some advice for the MCU | Image by Anthony Quintano, licensed under Cc By 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

James Gunn learned the hard way that Hollywood doesn’t always respect a writer’s vision. When he wrote The Specials — his first superhero film starring Rob...

Director Addison Heimann's Touch Me is a horror film that will likely turn a few heads. Starring Olivia Taylor Dudley, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jordan Gavaris and Marlene Forte, the movie almost defies exploration. It's a tale of trauma, magical aliens and self-help gone awry, wrapped in a nightmarish, technicolor package. Touch Me is visually and topically unique — more than earning its place on any list of unconventional horror movies.

The film centers around Brian — a charismatic, shape-shifting alien with an erotic touch so magical, it can erase all anxiety and pain. When Brian invites Joey and Craig to his mountaintop resort for a wellness retreat, the alien psychosexual therapy devolves into a spiral of addiction, abuse and manipulation that will turn the friends against one another. In this interview with Cbr, director Heimann and actors Dudley, Gavaris, Pucci and Forte share the surrealist and psychological inspiration behind Touch Me,...

At the end of 2021, “Impractical Jokers” star Joe Gatto made the shocking decision to leave the TruTV hidden camera series due to personal reasons, adding that he was excited to create new ways to entertain fans.

Over three years later, Gatto is living up to that promise with the launch of “Messing With People” — his first-ever stand-up special — on Hulu. The special was filmed at Long Island’s Paramount Theater, the first venue he played on his “Night of Comedy” tour.

“It is cool to be part of a major streamer and get a little recognition that way and also open myself up to a new audience. There is a lot of perks that come with it,” Gatto told TheWrap. “I toured for two and a half years and then it was over and I was like, ‘Well, I don’t want this to go away.’ And you can self-produce...

A new generation is attempting to recapture the spirit of comedy’s past. Back in 2023, Ike Barinholtz brought History of the World Part II to Hulu, along with the first film’s maestro, Mel Brooks. There will be an upcoming Naked Gun reboot from Akiva Schaffer, who is known for the comedy musical group The Lonely Island. Now, Josh Gad is taking on the task of bringing Spaceballs 2 to reality. The Frozen star has said that the script has garnered a lot of positive feedback as he stated, “Everybody who’s read it has been blown away. The process of working on this with and alongside Mel Brooks has been one of the highlights of my career.”

MovieWeb is reporting on Gad’s latest appearance on Sirius Xm’s The Spotlight with Jessica Shaw, where he talked about Spaceballs 2. Gad assured listeners that the project is moving forward...

Why do Quentin Tarantino’s movies never have any bold scenes? ( Photo Credit – Flickr )

Way back, Quentin Tarantino vowed never to share a penny of his success with his mom, Connie Zastoupil. And yep, he’s kept that promise.

The Pulp Fiction mastermind spilled the tea on The Moment with Brian Koppelman, sharing a childhood clash that changed everything. Turns out, Tarantino’s writing dreams weren’t exactly hyped at home. His mom’s biting words? They lit a fire in him—a fire that’s still blazing today.

“She was always giving me a hard time about my struggles in school,” Tarantino revealed. But the breaking point came when she belittled his dreams. During a tirade about his poor grades, she sarcastically dismissed his aspirations, saying, “‘Oh, and by the way, this little writing career? That sh*t is f*cking over.’”

Trending Conclave: Ralph Fiennes & Edward Berger...

Frozen star Josh Gad is currently working on the long-awaited sequel to the beloved Mel Brooks comedy, Spaceballs, and has now said exactly what fans wanted to hear about the project. During a recent appearance on Sirius Xm’s The Spotlight with Jessica Shaw, Gad revealed that, not only is Spaceballs 2 a direct sequel to the 1987 original, it will take major inspiration from Mel Brooks’ entire back catalog and will be “worth the near-40 year wait. Discussing the follow-up, Gad revealed some insight into where he’s at with the project, with the studio now “getting the budget together” and “going out to cast” for Spaceballs 2.

"That's the first time I've ever said that. I hope I don't get in trouble for it. Please forgive me, Amazon. We are very much in the weeds, hoping to shoot by the end of the year. This is very much a sequel.

Featured on IndieWire’s Most Anticipated Films of 2025, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s upcoming sophomore directorial entry “The Bride!” is shaping up to be one wild ride. With Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley leading as Frankenstein’s monster and his eponymous Bride, the film is a family affair with Gyllenhaal’s husband, Peter Sarsgaard, her brother Jake Gyllenhaal also featured, as well as Penélope Cruz, Annette Bening, and Julianne Hough. Sarsgaard also brought his “September 5” co-star, John Magaro onto the project. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Magaro discussed getting to work on the film, which he described as a mash-up of dance films and movies about bandits in love.

“It’s a wild movie. It’s very different than ‘The Lost Daughter,’ Maggie’s previous film that she directed,” said Magaro. “It’s like a mix of a Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie, ‘Young Frankenstein,’ ‘Frankenstein,’ ‘Bonnie and Clyde,...

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David Lynch's debut feature "Eraserhead" was an arthouse darling when it was released in 1977 and, thanks to some enterprising film programmers, stayed in theaters for years on end, gaining popular traction on the midnight movie circuit. One of the movie's many fans was, of all people, Mel Brooks, the celebrated director of "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles." Brooks, wanting to encourage Lynch's career, created his own production company, Brooksfilms, to fund his next project: a stylized biography of Joseph Merrick, known to the world as the Elephant Man.

Lynch's "The Elephant Man," while bearing the same oppressive black-and-white visuals as the surrealist "Eraserhead," was a curious Oscar favorite, nominated for eight Academy Awards. It was up for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor, among others. Sadly, it lost in all eight of its categories.

There have been many versions of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein adapted for the screen, but Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! looks set to be one of the more interesting to have been released in recent years. Although there has been little information revealed previously about the movie beyond its impressive cast, a new interview with John Magaro has revealed some key details about the movie – and it may come as a surprise.

The Bride! is directed by Gyllenhaal, and she has not scrimped on the cast. Christian Bale steps into the role of the iconic monster, while Jessie Buckley played the titular character, and they are ably aided by Penelope Cruze, Annette Bening, Peter Sarsgaard, and Magaro. According to the synopsis of the movie, the film “sees a lonely Frankenstein travel to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two...

Director Maggie Gyllenhaal revives the iconic Bride of Frankenstein this fall in upcoming feature film The Bride! In an interview with THR, actor John Magaro (Overlord) reveals new details on the film, teasing that audiences are in for a “wild, fun ride.”

Originally set for release on October 3, The Bride! will now release on September 26, 2025.

The upcoming film “sees a lonely Frankenstein travel to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.”

Christian Bale is Frankenstein’s Monster, with Jessie Buckley as the titular Bride. The Bride! will also star Penelope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, and Magaro, who might have September 5 costar Peter Sarsgaard to...

September 5 star John Magaro knows he’s had a charmed run the last five years, but his Cleveland-area upbringing won’t let him get too comfortable.

Ever since his Carol director, Todd Haynes, endorsed his casting to First Cow filmmaker Kelly Reichardt in 2018, Magaro has been working like there’s no tomorrow. You can currently find him on the big screen in Tim Fehlbaum’s September 5, as well as on the small screen in the George Clooney-produced series, The Agency. He also has two films on the festival circuit this year before he’s set to appear in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! this fall. If that wasn’t enough, he just wrapped The Mastermind, his third movie with Reichardt in the last handful of years.

Magaro’s work ethic is a byproduct of growing up in Northeast Ohio, a region that’s “used to disappointment,” as he once put it.

While Younger was just a little TV series that started on TV Land, it blew up to become hugely popular thanks to the pretty stellar Younger cast. Foster stars as Liza Miller, a 40-year-old divorcee who realizes she can pass off as a 20-something woman and lies about her age to get a job in the publishing industry. She then makes new friends but has to keep lying about her age to protect her job. Some actors have been in the business for decades, and some have lengthy resumes in the theater world.

Hilary Duff may have been the most recognizable name in the cast. Still, fans might recognize other cast members from projects they have been in, with Foster in the lead role and names like Debi Mazar and Miriam Shor in key supporting roles. Many of the Younger cast members have also already gone on to star in other projects,...

An insider at The Hollywood Reporter, who I am suuuuure can be trusted 100%, recently informed the world that actor Zachary Levi was disappointed and “bitter” that he didn’t rise to Chris Evans or The Rock level of stardom after Shazam. Nobody can be sure if these were his true feelings, but to many, the science has been settled, and this is how he feels. So the dude became a Robert F Kennedy Jr. fan, which resulted in a Trump endorsement and running away from… or rather, escaping, LA. He now spends his time on a ranch in Texas, where, apparently, he is going to focus on making faith-based films. So, did they cancel Zachary Levi, or did they set him free?

As an actor, his silliness is always believable, especially when he pretty much plays himself, a lovable man-child who can do action scenes, like in the hilarious show Chuck.

Director James Mangold’s latest film, A Complete Unknown, is getting a lot of praise these days due in part to Timothée Chalamet’s electric performance as Bob Dylan. Long before the filmmaker explored the legendary singer-songwriter, though, his 2005 film Walk the Line took fans inside the life of the iconic Johnny Cash. Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, the film was a bona fide hit that earned several award wins and even a satirical spoof led by John C. Reilly – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. Now, nearly 20 years later, Mangold says he wasn’t offended by the 2007 comedy but instead found it "hilarious."

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, the Complete Unknown director addressed concerns that Walk Hard scared him off doing musical biopics for a while and said that nothing could be further from the truth. He pointed to other satire films that didn’t fail to spook directors such as Robert Eggers,...

Walk Hard looms large over the "musician biopic" genre. Though not a major box office success, the cult classic has only become more appreciated over time as a pitch-perfect parody of the genre's various tropes and clichés. Star John C. Reilly has even said that "we tried to kill the musical biopic with this movie.

One of the most anticipated horror movies of the year is Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, the star-studded remake of F.W. Wurnau’s classic 1922 silent film — and, to a lesser extent, several episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants.

Eggers is known for making acclaimed movies like The Witch, The Northman and Massive Phallic Object Island (aka The Lighthouse). According to the director, his cinematic inspirations for Nosferatu included classics like The Innocents and Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers. More surprisingly, he also watched a cinematic work made by the Oscar-winner who directed Spaceballs.

Eggers recently told IndieWire that, during the writing of Nosferatu, he watched Mel Brooks’ final directorial effort: 1995’s Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

Ostensibly a parody of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola’s swing-for-the-fences take on the iconic novel, Brooks’ film also poked fun at more than 60 years of Dracula movie lore. Much of Dead and Loving...

These legends of laughter continued to light up the entertainment world, each carving out a legacy that rivals their time on the show.MEGAPeter Boyle Mega

Before Everybody Loves Raymond, Peter Boyle appeared in Joe (1970), The Candidate (1972), Young Frankenstein (1974) and Taxi Driver (1976), as well as on and off-Broadway. Fans adored him in the role of Ray and Robbie's deadpan, slightly cranky dad, Frank.

However, off-screen, he was nothing like his coarse character. Instead, he was a friendly, warmhearted guy.

"He made me feel welcome," said Ray Romano. "He made me feel part of the club."

Shortly after the sitcom wrapped, Boyle died of multiple myeloma and heart disease in 2006 at age 71.

Doris Roberts Mega

As the overbearing Marie, the Barone family matriarch, Doris Roberts doted on her sons while berating her two daughters-in-law and bickering with her husband.

Roberts earned four Emmys for her work on the series and, like Boyle,...