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Veteran producer and executive Chris DeFaria, whose career has ranged from serving as a producer on Oscar-winning “Gravity” to president of Dreamworks Animation, believes the emergence of the creator economy and the ability to harnessing new technology represents “enormous opportunity” — and that drove the launch of Chronicle Studios, a new type of entertainment company that he recently co-founded with “fast access to capital,” AI tools and a unique development model.

He shared the company strategy, as well as his thoughts on the state of the business, Wednesday at film and media confab Fmx in Stuttgart, Germany.

“It’s kind of chaos right now in Hollywood, it’s really difficult to sustain the model,” he admitted, noting that production is expensive, and this makes studios more risk averse. “That’s leading to really just a paucity of original content and it’s a struggle for filmmakers.”

With Chronicle, he explained, “we...

It's always nice to see a decent movie faring well on streaming services. Most streamers' charts are typically populated by some of the most questionable "content" you're ever likely to encounter on your journey through the streaming sphere, but there are still some standouts that crop up from time to time. Case in point: "Chronicle."

This 2012 superhero origin story/sci-fi thriller/teen drama caused a minor stir upon its debut for presenting an original take on the superhero genre using a found-footage approach. The film also put stars Dane DeHaan and Michael B. Jordan on the map and established director Josh Trank as one of the most promising young filmmakers of the time. Sadly, his next film, 2015's "Fantastic Four", proved to be a box office flop that put Trank in director jail, but "Chronicle" remains a well-respected directorial debut.

The film follows three Seattle high school seniors: DeHaan's Andrew,...

It's not uncommon for recurring characters on a popular sitcom to receive successful spin-off shows. For example, "Happy Days" spawned "Laverne & Shirley" and "Mork & Mindy," the latter of which originated from what was first thought of as a "horrible" episode script.  On the other end of the spectrum, you've got shows like "Seinfeld," which drew impressive audiences back in the day but didn't give birth to any sort of spin-off series.

However, it wasn't for a lack of trying that the "show about nothing" has nothing by way of spin-offs. George Costanza actor Jason Alexander pitched a couple of spin-off ideas, one of which would have centered on Cosmo Kramer's (Michael Richards) lawyer, Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris), who was a parody of O.J. Simpson's defense attorney Johnnie Cochran. And as it turns out, Morris made a similar pitch, as he stated at a 1999 press event (via the...

Michael B. Jordan has returned to movie theater screens this week with “Sinners,” the new movie from “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler. Jordan stars in the film as Smoke and Stack, a pair of twin brothers who find themselves fending off a vampire attack one unlucky night. His dual roles in “Sinners” represent yet another instance of Jordan testing his limits onscreen. That’s not surprising to see from an actor who has already pushed himself to try on the roles of action hero, inspirational real-life figure and even director in recent years.

Jordan has, in other words, accomplished a lot over the course of his 20+ year career. Here are the five best films he has starred in, ranked.

“Chronicle” (20th Century Fox) 5. “Chronicle” (2012)

An oft-forgotten entry in the superhero boom of the 2010s, “Chronicle” is director Josh Trank’s found-footage riff on a traditional superhero origin story. It follows...

The Raimi trilogy’s influence on the then-blooming superhero landscape can’t be overstated, as not only did it set the benchmark for Spider-Man movies, it gave us one of the best CBMs of all time, Spider-Man 2. But despite all of its feats, Spider-Man 2, and the whole trilogy in general, couldn’t get one character right, Kirsten Dunst’s Mj.

Kirsten Dunst as Mj | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing

From being the literal embodiment of the girl next door in the starting to a damsel in distress in the follow-ups, the screenwriters never got her character right. And one scene from Spider-Man 2 perfectly highlights the character’s narcissistic tendencies in the franchise.

One scene in Spider-Man 2 highlights Mary Jane’s self-centered nature Spider-Man 2 | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing

While Spider-Man 2 perfectly demonstrates a superhero’s grapple between responsibility and personal struggles, the same can’t be said for Mj’s character progression.

Phasmophobia continues to add to its impressive consoles sales totals since its debut six months ago. After cracking 2 million in sales across PlayStation and Xbox a little over two months ago, that number has now reached 3 million. This is also after reaching 20 million on PC alone last November.

“Following a successful console launch, amassing a whopping 1 million copies sold in just over a month and 2 million in just over 3 months, the ghost hunting community is continuing to grow with over 3 million console sales to date,” reads the press release.

This is all on top of Kinetic Games having released the new “Cursed Hollow” seasonal event last week, which added new community and personal objectives across nine seasonally-decorated maps.

Still to come this year is the Chronicle update, which is all about revamping the way players record evidence (and are rewarded for it), in any investigation. The Journal will be receiving...

Apart from being People’s Sexiest Man Alive, Michael B. Jordan has established himself as a serious actor, a successful producer, and a director, too. Jordan has had a solid filmography so far, which has included small television parts to blockbuster hits, particularly in the last decade. He first came to everyone’s attention when he appeared as Wallace in HBO’s The Wire. He then became more popular with roles in shows like All My Children and Friday Night Lights.

However, his luck in movies shone when he started his partnership with Ryan Coogler. Their professional team-up is such that sometimes it feels like Jordan’s blockbusters depend on whether Coogler is involved or not. However, it doesn’t mean that the actor has failed with other directors. Here are some Michael B. Jordan movies that left their mark on the global box office.

1. Sinners (2025)

Michael B. Jordan and...

Acclaimed director Ryan Coogler's vampire thriller, Sinners, keeps sinking its teeth into the film industry with strong early success, adding further credence to his successful partnership with long-time collaborator Michael B. Jordan. Having worked with Jordan for over a decade, Coogler admits he always saw him as a "real movie star" in the making.

Speaking with GQ, Coogler delved into how his creative partnership with Jordan started, with Sinners being their fifth collaboration. After Jordan established himself as a TV star in The Wire, All My Children and Friday Night Lights, Coogler thought the actor could seamlessly transition to movies, putting faith in his "incredible" talent.

"I think we got to work together at a very unique time in his career, because he was still doing television at the time and had just been in two movies that had wide releases," he said. "I felt that he really popped...

It's no secret that nostalgia paints everything in rosy colors, making it harder to recognize when something we once loved no longer holds up. This happens frequently in the world of film, where childhood emotions blind us to the flaws of a genuinely crappy picture. We don't want to admit that something that once stirred us to our core has lost its luster -- and honestly, there's no shame in that. We've all been there.

Still, part of growing up is accepting some hard truths. Steven Spielberg's "Hook" isn't all that great. Michael Bay probably never had it. "Pulp Fiction" and "The Shawshank Redemption" are leagues better than "Forrest Gump." And "Back to the Future Part II and III" never should have happened. There -- don't you feel a little better?

No? Well, buckle up. Here's an even tougher exercise: a list of 10 hit horror movies that aren't as good as you remember.

Chris Columbus wishes he could erase Donald Trump’s cameo from ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’.The 65-year-old director says he looks back on the scene featuring the now hugely controversial U.S. president as a “curse” and an “albatross” around his neck.In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, he declared: “I just wish it was gone.”The seven-second appearance by Trump, now 78, has long been a point of contention for fans and the filmmaker. Chris added in his chat with the Chronicle he now feels powerless to remove it from the 1992 sequel to the hit Christmas film due to Trump now serving his second presidential term, sarcastically saying: “If I cut it, I’ll probably be sent out of the country. I’ll be considered sort of not fit to live in the United States, so I’ll have to go back to Italy or something.

One of the most talked-about moments in director Chris Columbus' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is undoubtedly the small cameo by Donald Trump, who appeared for just seven seconds in the film to give young Kevin McCallister some directions. It's a scene that has become as infamous as Trump himself, who was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States earlier this year. However, if it were up to Columbus, he'd gladly cut the encounter out of the movie because, as he puts it, it's "become a curse" for him.

Speaking with the San Francisco Chronicle, Columbus mentioned that as much as he "wishes" that Trump's cameo in Home Alone 2 never happened, there’s not much he can do about it now. "I can't cut it," he said, before tossing in a bit of humor that poked fun at Trump's mass deportation plans:

"If I cut it,...

Unbelievably, it has now been almost a quarter of a century since a live-action adaptation of the 1988 cult smash-hit Akira first entered development hell for a ridiculously long time. While we haven’t heard much about the highly anticipated anime adaptation, that’s all about to change, as Academy Award-nominated producer Andrew Lazar has now teased some promising, and imminent, news.

Ever since being announced back in 2002, the new take on Akira has been passed around to several filmmakers, with the most recent being Oscar winner and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi. Now, Lazar, who is best known for the likes of American Sniper and this month’s action movie G20, has revealed (via Johan Albrechtsen of Moovy TV) that, while he can’t say anything yet, he expects there will be some big news coming "in the next couple of months.”

“So, I think you can expect an update...

Is Nandamuri Balakrishna Taking Over As Bigg Boss Telugu 9 Host After Nagarjuna Akkineni? (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The buzz around Bigg Boss Telugu Season 9 is heating up—this time, not because of the contestants but because of the host making headlines. According to multiple reports retrieved by 123Telugu, Nandamuri Balakrishna is reportedly being considered to take over the hosting duties from superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni.

The change comes amid speculation that Nagarjuna, tied up with multiple commitments, is no longer keen on continuing with the franchise. Following the roaring success of Unstoppable with Nbk on Aha, Balakrishna proved he has the charisma and screen presence to command an audience beyond cinema. The reports have certainly sparked a wave of excitement among Balayya’s fans and Bigg Boss loyalists alike.

Nagarjuna’s Fate As Host Still Unclear?

While rumors about Balakrishna taking over the reins are making the rounds, the showrunners are yet to officially confirm the news.

The upcoming Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube reboot anime announced six additional voice cast members at the special stage during AnimeJapan 2025 today. While some of the cast members, including Ryotaro Okiayu as the title role of Nube, reprise their roles from the first TV anime series in 1996, these six are newly cast in the reboot series. The six new voice cast members announced include: Akira Yamaguchi voiced by Matsumi Fujiwara Shuichi Shirato voiced by Ayahi Takagaki (Erika Karisawa in Durarara!! ) Noriko Nakajima voiced by Nao Toyama (Rin Shima in Laid-Back Camp ) Shizuka Kikuchi voiced by Yui Makino (Sakura in Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE ) Katsumi Kaneda voiced by Shoji Inoyama Manami Kimura voiced by Miyuri Shimabukuro (Ayame Sakuya in Momentary Lily ) Related: Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube Anime Releases New Trailer, Key Visual Key Visual Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine from 1993 to 1999, the Hell Teacher: Jigoku Sensei Nube manga was previously...

Victoria Justice and Robbie Amell will star in the upcoming horror-thriller Send a Scare, Deadline reports.

Josh Trank is set to direct from a script he co-wrote with Andrew Ryan.

The film centers on an interactive horror startup that gives thrill-seekers a way to send scares to friends and family… but when potential investors host a demonstration, the experience gets hijacked by a real masked killer with a deadly agenda.

Karan Soni (Deadpool), Noel Fisher (“Shameless”), Mackinlee Waddell (“Gcb”), and Adain Bradley (Tarot) are also attached.

Ryan Scaringe of Kinogo Pictures and Austin Lantero of Range Media Partners will produce. Steven Schneider is set to executive produce alongside Trank, Ryan, Justice, Amell, and Amy Lippens.

Range Select is handling domestic sales.

Robbie Amell in ‘The Babysitter’

The post Victoria Justice & Robbie Amell to Star in ‘Send a Scare’ for ‘Chronicle’ Director Josh Trank appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The upcoming Apple TV+ series Neuromancer has cast an American Primeval star as one of its most important characters. Created by Graham Roland, who serves as showrunner, and J.D. Dillard, who will direct the pilot episode, the series is an adaptation of William Gibson's classic 1984 science-fiction novel of the same name. The show follows a super-hacker in a dystopian future, who aims to pull off a corporate heist that leads him to encounter formidable artificial intelligence. The Apple TV+ show began filming in January and is amassing a stacked cast, with another prominent star joining.

Per Variety, Neuromancer, which is currently in development, has added actor Dane DeHaan in the role of Peter Riviera. He now joins a cast that includes Callum Turner, Mark Strong, Joseph Lee, Briana Middleton, Peter Sarsgaard, and Clémence Poésy. Roland and Dillard are executive producing, along with Gibson, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Matt Thunnell at Skydance Television,...

Dane DeHaan is the latest addition to the cast of the “Neuromancer” series currently in the works at Apple TV+.

Additional cast members in the adaptation of the William Gibson novel of the same name include Callum Turner, Briana Middleton, Mark Strong, Joseph Lee, Cleménce Poésy, and Peter Sarsgaard.

The official logline for “Neuromancer” states that it “follows a damaged, top-rung super-hacker named Case (Turner) who is thrust into a web of digital espionage and high stakes crime with his partner Molly (Middleton), a razor-girl assassin with mirrored eyes, aiming to pull a heist on a corporate dynasty with untold secrets.”

DeHaan will play Peter Riviera.

DeHaan’s recent TV credits include the Netflix Western drama “American Primeval,” the Max true crime series “The Staircase,” and the Amazon crime series “ZeroZeroZero.” He also previously starred in the Apple series “Lisey’s Story” and appeared in shows like “In Treatment” and “True Blood” earlier in his career.

"He could feel himself losing control..." Freestyle Digital Media has unveiled an official trailer for an indie film titled Warden, a faux documentary about a real-world superhero and the implications of vigilantism. Yes, it's very similar to Chronicle from 2012, also about what if someone actually had superpowers. Warden explores the real-world impact of an ordinary kid who discovers he has superpowers and decides he can save his ailing city and further impact the lives of those forever changed by the rise of the world's first superhero. Unlike traditional superhero tales, Warden focuses on the effect of a superhero's presence on all of the ordinary people as it portrays the diverse reactions of those who love him, those who sell their souls for him, those who fight against him, and those who seek the truth amidst the chaos. No stranger to the superhero genre, director Marcus Alqueres gained viral success with his short The Flying Man.

As Kamala Harris maps out her next moves after a grueling general election campaign against Donald Trump, the former vice president has found Hollywood representation.

The California politician has inked with Creative Artists Agency, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. The agency plans to focus on speaking gigs and publishing opportunities as Harris plots options after the end of her term.

The move reunites Harris with her former boss, President Joe Biden, who re-signed with the Century City-based representation giant earlier this month. “CAA will work closely with Harris on her post-White House initiatives, creating strategic opportunities that expand her platform in support of the issues she has championed throughout decades-long career in public service,” the agency announced.

CAA’s co-chiefs, Richard Lovett, Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane, were among the industry’s prominent backers of Biden and Harris’ re-election bid.

Harris has published two books, 2019’s The Truths We Hold:...

Director's jail isn't like the regular one, since it operates under Hollywood's own convoluted "justice" system. A singular box office flop could result in a life sentence for a filmmaker where they're covertly blacklisted from the industry, never ever working on a big studio movie again. It's harsh -- but no one ever said that Tinseltown is a fair or forgiving place.

What's wild is how Hollywood doesn't take history into consideration here. A director could pump out five financially successful films in a row and have one dud, but that's it -- off to director's jail they go. Heck, at times, movies are doomed to fail before they're even made, but the filmmaker gets the blame in the end. Look at "Catwoman" and "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li" as notorious examples. There are shopping lists with more substance than those scripts, and not even Steven Spielberg could have saved them.

Kinetic Games has revealed their 2025 roadmap for Phasmophobia, which gives fans a glimpse at some of the terrifying updates they can expect this year, from major reworks to a new map. In addition, the devs have announced that Phasmophobia has now sold over 2 million copies on console, which pushes the game’s sales up to 22 million since it hit 20 million in sales last November.

The first major update coming to Phasmophobia is Chronicle, which will bring changes to the journal and rework the way in which Ghost Hunters can capture evidence. The Photos tab will be replaced with a Media tab featuring three new sections – Photos, Videos and Sound Recordings – with any photographic, audio or visual evidence logged in the corresponding pages.

The game’s media quality system is being replaced too, with a players’ first “capture” of any media type labelled as “Unique”. These will reward lots of cash...

Long before the likes of Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby got together to give modern MCU its first take on the Fantastic Four, Kate Mara starred alongside Miles Teller back in 2015. The Marvel bosses will surely be hoping that First Steps proves to be completely different from the 20th Century Fox offering, and in more ways than one.

Fantastic Four (2015) | Credit: 20th Century Fox

Apart from being a dud at the box office and critically, 2015’s Fantastic Four also resulted in some dismal claims. However, none stood out more than what Kate Mara said about director Josh Trank, for whom Fantastic Four was the second movie of his career.

Kate Mara made some startling claims about Josh Trank and 2015’s Fantastic Four Kate Mara as Susan Storm | Credit: 20th Century Fox

Mara, who played Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, revealed in an interview with Emmy Magazine that her time on set was far from positive.

Sunday Am: In a motion picture industry crunched by streaming, where studios are watching their ledgers closer than ever, Super Bowl weekend might be worth the spend to drop a tentpole trailer during the big game ($8M for 30 seconds of time this year), but it sure as hell isn’t a place to open a movie anymore.

True, more often than not, Super Bowl weekend is the frame where titles open to single digits, and studios have used the frame over and over again as a dumping ground. This year wasn’t any different.

However, studios have been able to bust through in the past with horror movies and female skewing titles. The biggest opening title ever during Super Bowl weekend remains Disney’s Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concerts back in 2008 with $31.1M. The last time a No. 1 movie crossed $30M over Super Bowl...

Exclusive: Ten more of Bonnie Bernstein’s clients are moving from CAA to Gersh after the veteran talent agent was named a senior partner there earlier this week. They are Anna Faris, Dane DeHaan, Noomi Rapace, Stephanie Beatriz, Anna Camp, Rosemarie DeWitt, Taissa Farmiga, Danny Pino, Emily Beecham, and Elizabeth Lail.

The group join Bernstein’s fellow actor clients Michelle Monaghan, Michael C. Hall, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jason Ritter, Mireille Enos and Anthony Carrigan who had already made the move. Bernstein had been a partner at ICM since 2009, transitioning to CAA after the 2022 acquisition.

Mom alumna Anna Faris, also known for The House Bunny, and the Scary Movie franchise, will next shoot Spa Weekend with Leslie Mann. She is also represented by Range Media Partners, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

Currently seen in Netflix’s American Primeval, Dane DeHaan is also known for Kill Your Darlings, The Amazing Spider-Man 2,...

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As of this writing, it's been more than five years since we've had a "Star Wars" movie in theaters, dating back to "The Rise of Skywalker" at the end of 2019 -- though it hasn't been for a lack of trying on Disney and Lucasfilm's part. In the years since Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, many, many "Star Wars" movies have entered development. There are probably several that we'll never hear about. Most of these movies never actually got made.

We're finally getting back to a place where this beloved franchise will return to theaters, with director Jon Favreau's "The Mandalorian and Grogu" set to arrive in 2026. Beyond that, we've got a new movie starring Daisy Ridley's Rey in development, as well as a movie from "Clone Wars" maestro Dave Filoni that will tie together all of the shows in the "Mandalorian" universe.

If you’re looking for another western to watch these days, “American Primeval” is here to try and fill that gap.

Now streaming on Netflix, the six-episode miniseries takes place in 1857, and is “a fictionalized dramatization and examination of the violent collision of culture, religion, and community as men and women fight and die for control of this world,” following them as they head west.

Starring Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin, the series has quite a few familiar faces in it. Here’s who you need to know.

Netflix Isaac (Taylor Kitsch)

Taylor Kitsch leads “American Primeval” as Isaac, a man whose past trauma has led to a whole lot of long-term effects. You might know Kitsch for his role as Tim Riggins in “Friday Night Lights,” or from “The Terminal List” and “True Detective.”

Netflix Brigham Young (Kim Coates)

Brigham is the leader of the Mormon Church and his Mormon army,...

About sixteen years have gone by since we first heard that Sony was developing a film adaptation of the video game Shadow of the Colossus, a project that passed through the hands of Chronicle director Josh Trank and Shōgun writer Justin Marks before Andy Muschietti, who has gone on to direct the It films and The Flash, came on board in September of 2014. When you haven’t heard anything about a project in ten and a half years, you can usually safely assume that it has been scrapped – but during an interview with Radio Tu, he said that Shadow of the Colossus is not an abandoned project. He still hopes to make the movie… he’s just having trouble getting studio support for it.

Originally released in 2005, the video game Shadow of the Colossus focuses on a young man, known only to the audience as Wander (or “the Wanderer”), who...

Hardcore Henry is a 2015 science fiction action film written and directed by Russian filmmaker Ilya Naishuller (in his feature directorial debut). The futuristic action flick begins with Henry, the film's protagonist, awaking to the realization that he is a human-turned-cyborg that was resurrected from death. Even stranger, Henry must rescue his wife from a telepathic warlord with plans to weaponize bioengineered soldiers. Thankfully for Henry, his newly equipped, partially robotic body has transformed him into a living arsenal, helping his cause in his high-stakes mission to save his beloved spouse. Even with his robotic upgrades, rescuing his wife is a risky endeavor that sends Henry on an eccentric, deadly rampage through Moscow.

Notably, the film was shot entirely in first-person, which helped the foreign film gain global acclaim. Its use of Pov-style filming also made the movie a heart-thumping theatrical experience, as it immersed the audience in Henry's chaotic rescue mission through Moscow.

Hema Malini Once Shared How Her Father Tried To Keep Her Away From Dharmendra (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Hema Malini and Dharmendra became the it couple of the film industry when it was not even a thing. Dharmendra was previously married to Prakash Kaur and had four kids together—Sunny, Bobby, Vijeta, and Ajeita. He then married Hema and had two daughters—Esha and Ahana. However, there was a time when Hema’s father did not want her to spend time alone with the Sholay actor. The actress shared the amusing story a few years back in an interview. Scroll below for the deets.

The couple met for the first time on the sets of Tu Haseen Main Jawaan in 1970. They enjoyed spending time together on the set, and by the end of the film’s shoot, they fell in love. It was kind of love at first sight for Hema,...

Tim Allen is obviously very closely associated with Christmas movies, mostly because of the time he killed Santa Claus, stole all of his clothes and then assumed the immortal elf’s identity. But Allen has also made a few holiday flicks that have absolutely nothing with the convoluted mythology of the Santa Clause-verse.

Most notably, there was 2004’s Christmas with the Kranks, which found Allen and co-star Jamie Lee Curtis playing a married couple who decide to skip their annual Christmas celebration and spend their money on a Caribbean cruise instead. As a result of this holiday transgression, they’re ostracized by their neighbors and punished by the universe.

Despite the fact that Christmas with the Kranks was a wacky Tim Allen comedy based on a book by John “I need something mindless to read on this plane” Grisham, and not a gore-soaked Biblical adaptation, the makers of Christmas...

Director Doug Liman says he’s making Deeper, a ‘scary’ undersea supernatural thriller, with Tom Cruise as its star.

Director Doug Liman and Tom Cruise have long planned to work together again after collaborating on Edge Of Tomorrow and American Made. And according to a new report, that is still set to happen – just not in the guise we expected. When thinking about a Liman/Cruise collaboration at Warner Bros, a sequel to 2014’s Edge Of Tomorrow might spring to mind – but no, it seems like the duo could be cooking up something different.

Showbiz411’s Roger Friedman (via World of Reel) quotes Doug Liman as saying that his next film will be Deeper, starring Tom Cruise. It’s a project that Warner Bros has reportedly been trying to get off the ground for a decade under the stewardship of several different filmmakers.

Liman tells Friedman that he and Cruise...

Saafir, the celebrated Oakland rapper who became a stalwart figure in the world of early Nineties West Coast hip-hop, died Tuesday, Nov. 19, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He was 54.

Saafir’s family confirmed his death, saying he died around 8:45 Tuesday morning surrounded by loved ones. An exact cause of death was not given, though Saafir (real name Reggie Gibson) reportedly had been struggling with various health issues, including spinal cancer and complications from spinal surgery.

Xzibit, who co-founded the Golden State Project with Saafir and Ras Kass, posted a tribute on social media,...

Dane DeHaan is very relieved to finally be talking about Wardriver — the script first landed in his inbox a decade ago.

Directed by Rebecca Thomas (Stranger Things) and written by Daniel Casey (F9: The Fast Saga, 10 Cloverfield Lane), Wardriver spotlights the art and culture of wardriving: a microcosm of the hacking industry that involves searching for networks from a moving vehicle. His modern day Robin Hood-esque character, Cole, exploits this highly specialized skill of his to commit high-tech robberies from his laptop.

When criminal Oscar (played Mamoudou Athie) uncovers Cole’s abilities, he forces him to hack the account of the Sarah (Sasha Calle, best known for The Flash), draining nearly a million dollars. Cole discovers that a powerful, mob-connected lawyer (Jeffrey Donovan) has been using Sarah to hide his money. Falling in love with Sarah, DeHaan’s character initiates a plan to replace the stolen money and protect Sarah,...

(Stock image via Pixabay, Graphic by The Desk)

Nearly 24 million people watched the San Francisco 49ers defeat the Dallas Cowboys during NBC’s telecast of “Sunday Night Football” this past weekend, according to data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics disclosed by NBC Sports this week.

On Monday, NBC said the game was the most-watched National Football League (NFL) Week 8 match-up “on record.” The 23.9 million people who watched some or all of the game included viewership on NBC’s broadcast channel, the streaming platform Peacock and NBC Sports apps for phones, tablets, TVs and web browsers. It also included viewership on NFL Plus, the direct-to-consumer streaming service operated by the NFL itself, which offers access to locally-televised games in a user’s home area.

The game peaked during the second quarter, when 26.4 million people tuned in to watch the 49ers and the Cowboys between 9:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Days of our Lives alum Alison Sweeney marks a major milestone with her Hallmark family this week.

After spending 20 years playing Sami Brady on Days, Alison has earned a whole new crop of fans thanks to her career on the Hallmark channel.

In 2013, Alison made her Hallmark debut in the film Second Chance, where she worked with Greg Vaughan, who plays her on-screen twin brother Eric on Days.

Fast forward over ten years, and Alison is celebrating her 30th movie for the Hallmark franchise.

It’s perfect that the flick is a Christmas movie helping kick off Hallmark’s annual Countdown to Christmas festivities.

Ahead of the premiere of This Time Each Year, the actress reflected on hitting a milestone with the Hallmark franchise.

Alison Sweeney marks Hallmark movie milestone with This Time Each Year Christmas film

Speaking with People, Alison spilled that she didn’t even realize that This Time Each Year...

The ending of David Fincher's Zodiac reflects the sad truth of a real-life crime the evidence simply isn't there to name Arthur Leigh Allen the Zodiac killer. Allen was a prime suspect in a truly baffling case, but as Zodiac's ending shows, the mountain of circumstantial evidence wasn't enough to charge Allen before he died of a heart attack. Zodiac is based on the book of the same name by Robert Greysmith, who is a prominent figure in the film. His book chronicled the mysterious serial killer's reign of terror over Northern California.

In the 2007 Zodiac movie, a police officer and two reporters become obsessed with discovering his identity. Their obsession builds while the killer claims victims and taunts the authorities with letters. As depicted in one of the best David Fincher movies, those investigating the case so badly wanted to end the horror that the killer wreaked on their area,...

Be it fashion or music, the 80s was a true trendsetter. But when it comes to inspiring pop culture hits, Akira takes the cake. From the iconic bike slide to color-coded leather jackets, the film is a visual treat. What makes the movie impeccable is its animation and well-written characters. The trope of telekinesis paved the path for several iconic shows and movies.

Shotaro Kaneda and his infamous bike slide in a still from the film | Credit: Tms Entertainment

This includes the iconic and successful Netflix series Stranger Things. Created by the Duffer Brothers, the show follows a similar trope of a superhuman kid. While both stories differ in most ways, it’s time Katsuhiro gets his deserved and due recognition. This also extends to his pivotal role in revolutionizing the anime industry through his works.

Akira inspired this iconic and successful Netflix series.

Akira (1988) is one of the most...

Like anything in Hollywood, the found footage genre needs to constantly evolve or risk feeling stale. Ever since The Blair Witch Project both tricked and terrified audiences with its innovative marketing campaign, the next generation of independent filmmakers have attempted to replicate the film's success with varying degrees of triumph. On one hand, movies like Josh Trank's Chronicle have excelled by combining found footage's gritty realism with the CGI-saturated superhero genre, while Cloverfield expanded on The Blair Witch Project's horror by combining its intimate perspective with the dispassionate destruction of a sci-fi monster film. However, fans searching for a more subversive installment in the underrated sub-genre should check out 2018's Butterfly Kisses, a largely overlooked horror film guaranteed to make you blink.

Found footage films are a whole niche that can be spectacular, or severely lacking, but the sci-fi movie Chronicle used this stylistic choice to perfection. The attempt to make a movie appear as though it was filmed by the subjects, and that the actual product was simply found and then distributed, is most commonly seen in the horror genre. Here, iconic movies like The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and many more see a story unfold as the individuals recording start to feel anxious, notice something unusual, or generally feel ill at ease.

While this same style of filming could be used in other genres, horror tends to fit with the found footage style best as it creates tension, drama, and a more intimate story that focuses on the individuals. But, one of the best found films to come out in the last 20 years was actually a sci-fi superhero movie.

Akira is not only famous in the anime and manga sphere but also pop-culture in general. Critics and movie directors alike refer to Akira as one of the greatest and most influential films of the past 30 years. So it’s no wonder fans discredited Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas for turning the film down because it wouldn’t suit western audiences.

According to Manga Entertainment co-creator Andy Frain, Akira shaped modern sci-fi as people know it today. Films like Midnight Special, Looper, The Matrix, Chronicle, Inception, and even the TV show Stranger Things, all borrowed thematically and stylistically from Akira. In fact, two of those five movies even feature a child with destructive telekinetic powers as one of the main plot points.

Keanu Reeves in The Matrix | Credits: Warner Bros.

On the other hand, the creator of Akira admitted that he used not only Japanese media but also Hollywood movies...

Fans may be surprised to learn that The Valley star, Daniel Booko, once appeared on the hit TV series, Hannah Montana. One of the best Disney Channel original TV shows ever, Hannah Montana wasn't just an excellent teen sitcom, it also helped launch Miley Cyrus into becoming a major label star who is still producing Grammy-winning tracks a decade after the show ended in 2011. The series stars Cyrus as a fictional version of herself, Miley Stewart, a normal girl who is secretly Hannah Montana, a world-famous pop singer.

Most episodes find Miley, her father Robby Ray (Cyrus' real-life father Billy Ray Cyrus), her brother Jackson (Jason Earles), and her best friend Lily (Emily Osment) trying to hide Miley's real identity from prying fans and helping Miley balance life as a star and a normal high school girl. Plenty of famous guest stars have appeared on Hannah Montana, and some viewers may remember Daniel Booko's appearance.

A live-action adaptation of Akira has been stuck in development hell for years, but a perfect live-action movie version of Akira already happened in an unofficial capacity over a decade ago. Hollywood has been trying to get a live-action Akira movie off the ground since Sony Pictures acquired the rights to the original manga in the 1990s. Over the years, everyone from Blade director Stephen Norrington to Rogue One writer Gary Whitta has been attached to the live-action Akira project. Jordan Peele and George Miller both turned down the chance to direct an Akira remake.

The live-action Akira movie came closer to becoming a reality than ever when Taika Waititi signed on to direct it as his follow-up to Thor: Ragnarok. He co-wrote the script with Michael Golamco, with a release date set for May 21, 2021. However, when Waititi moved on to Thor: Love and Thunder and then to his current project,...

Gemma Arterton and Ian McKellen in The Critic

Director Anand Tucker and screenwriter Patrick Marber's 1930s period drama The Critic, sees Sir Ian McKellen step into the shoes of Jimmy Erskine, the chief theatre critic of the Daily Chronicle newspaper. The most feared critic of his time, he seeks to entertain his readers with scathingly witty takedowns of any actor or production that fails to meet his standards.

After the death of his father, David Brooke (Mark Strong) takes over the Chronicle. He and Erskine immediately clash as he tries to make it a family-friendly newspaper. He lets go of some of the old guard writers, and makes a simple request of Erskine: "Be kinder." The veteran critic can't abide it and, after being arrested for homosexual transgressions, he loses his job. In order to take back power from Brooke, he makes a deal with actress Nina Land (Gemma...

Michael B. Jordan has found his next directorial project following his debut film, Creed 3, in the form of Thomas Crown Affair. Jordan is one of the most acclaimed rising stars to emerge from the 2010s with films like Chronicle, Fruitvale Station, Just Mercy, and Black Panther. Jordan's star-making role was as Adonis Creed in 2015's Creed, the spin-off continuation of the Rocky franchise. He reprised his role in Creed II, and then, for Creed III, stepped behind the camera as the film's director in his directorial debut. Creed III was a hit with critics and audiences, and since then, fans have been waiting to see what film Jordan would direct as his follow-up.

According to Deadline, Michael B. Jordan will star and direct Thomas Crown Affair for Amazon MGM. Jordan has built up a good working relationship with Amazon MGM, as they distributed Creed III, and his production company,...

2012 was a landmark year in the history of superhero movies. It represented a major shift in how Marvel and DC handled their core properties; the MCU explored the crossover capabilities of their interconnected universe with The Avengers, and Christopher Nolan closed out his Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises a year before the Dceu launched. Even if critical reception for The Amazing Spider-Man earned a collective shrug, it still collected nearly $800 million worldwide, and a smaller gem like Chronicle indicated that with a good story and a creative filmmaker behind it, superhero movies didnt need huge budgets.

One of the most distressing trends to emerge in Hollywood in the last several decades is the notion that every filmmaker with a breakout hit independent film is destined to take on the reins to a massic franchise project from one of the major studios. Occasionally, this is a strategy that works out; such was the case when Ryan Coogler was able to direct Creed and Black Panther after the success of his Sundance darling Fruitvale Station. On the other hand, Josh Trank seemingly had something special with Chronicle but got stuck making a disastrous Fant4stic film and a Star Wars project that never came to fruition. When compared to these other rising star directors, Fede lvarez is unique in that he has directed three films from major franchises. Although his original film Dont Breathe was a hit among horror buffs, lvarez has been best known for directing and...

Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan is returning to the trenches with Zoe Saldaña for Lioness Season 2, premiering Sunday, October 27. The espionage thriller is filming in Texas, with MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios leading the charge. Zoe Saldaña leads the drama as Joe McNamara, the hard-lined chief of the CIA’s Lioness program. With her female undercover operatives willing to embrace any mission, the group assassinates the world’s most dangerous terrorists. Today, Paramount is thrilled to share the premiere date for Lioness Season 2 alongside a gallery of first-look photos from upcoming episodes.

Here’s the official synopsis for Lioness Season 2 courtesy of Paramount+:

As the CIA’s fight against terror moves closer to home, Joe (Saldaña), Kaitlyn (Kidman), and Byron (Kelly) enlist a new Lioness operative to infiltrate a previously unknown threat. With pressure mounting from all sides, Joe is forced to confront the profound personal sacrifices she has...

Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man films successfully balanced the challenges faced by a teenager amidst losing a loved one and juggling the responsibilities of high school. Additionally, Peter has to keep his identity as Spider-Man hidden while also trying to impress Mj. The three films show the evolution of their relationship which fans found to be underwhelming.

Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane in 2002’s Spider-Man | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing

Peter and Mj didn’t have the best arc in the films and the latter’s poor characterization didn’t help matters. The character’s presentation in mainline comics has deteriorated as fans find her increasingly annoying. Fans are lamenting the decline in quality of the current comic writers in not being able to elevate Mj and her dynamic with Peter.

Following Underwritten Mj in Sam Raimi’s Films, The Comics Continue The Disappointing Trend

Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst in...

Our time in the Umbrella Academy is over, but just because Season 4 wrapped up the series doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of like-minded movies out there to fill the void.

“The Umbrella Academy” certainly had ups and downs throughout the series, but it was hard to look away when it was firing on all cylinders. Now that we’re not going to get any new episodes, it’s time to branch out and start finding new stories and characters that give the Hargreeves vibe.

These seven movies might be exactly what you need to cure the blues from “The Umbrella Academy’s” final season.

Brightburn Sony Pictures

The Hargreeves siblings were all adopted by a bad person but ultimately turned out Ok – or at least as best they could given the circumstances. But what if they hadn’t? “Brightburn” answers that question in horrific and bloody details.

Chronicle stands out as a unique superhero film without Marvel or DC characters, offering an unpredictable and engaging story. The found-footage style adds depth to character development, making it easier for the audience to connect with the story. Inspired by Akira, Chronicle's narrative and visual style stand out and prove that original superhero stories can be successful.

Chronicle might not have anything to do with the popular franchises of Marvel and DC, but that did stop it from becoming one of the greatest superhero movies in recent memory. The film, which adopts a unique found-footage approach to filmmaking, follows the exploits of three high school friends as they stumble across a force that gives them superhuman abilities. Where this story diverges from the typical formula, however, is in the friends inability to master their powers as they lose control of themselves. Irrespective of whether Chronicle 2 is still happening,...