Spoilers below for most of the first season of The Beauty for anyone who hasn’t yet watched on FX or via Hulu subscription.

Sometimes the best TV just holds a mirror up to society and dramatizes the loudest reflections, and sometimes reality is already so warped that an extra bit of zhuzh is necessary to take the story over the top. Ryan Murphy and Matthew Hodgson’s The Beauty is just such a show, bringing an already prescient and stellar comic book series (from creators Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley) fully into the billionaire-spotted wasteland we call the present, centering on a perfection-encoded STD that people are perfectly willing to doom themselves to contract.

The Beauty is certainly unlike anything else hitting the 2026 TV schedule, but it also stands apart from a lot of the other projects that Murphy has created, co-created and produced over the last 27 years, despite sharing similar genres, themes and cast members. I’m admittedly not a completist when it comes to his TV oeuvre, and more readily flock to genres that show off his darker interest,, but I feel very nearly entirely confident in saying The Beauty is his best work yet.*

That qualifying asterisk will get explained lower, but I’d rather jump right into talking about why I think this weird and hilarious body horror mystery thriller is a Murphy-tethered creative team at the top of its game. I know the first season isn’t even over yet, and that this might sound like early bell-ringing, so let me talk out some of the reasons why I think The Beauty rises above.

The Beauty Is Telling A Gripping Story That Has A Clear Beginning, Middle And Endgame Scenario

Less an issue with streaming shows than network and cable projects, but Ryan Murphy creations can often start off extremely strong before going completely off the rails in every which way. (Which has its own inherent enjoyment factor, to be sure.) Many other cases will hook audiences for the majority of a season, only to poison the well with an ill-advised ending, a la The Watcher. (Or for just continuing the madness for too long in general, cough-Nip/Tuck-cough.)

The Beauty, however, even as it jumps around from the present to the past, has never once felt as if characters or story beats were spinning out in place without a clear next step in the narrative. Even as it jumps from romance to action to grossness, even as giant twists are introduced, and even as episodes get seemingly hijacked by unfamiliar characters, the forward momentum hasn't wavered.

The Beauty's Superb Cast And Their Characters All Feel Of The Same Universe

Similar to how plotlines can veer into questionable territories when seasons go on a little too long, some of the cast members and characters that populate the dozens of Ryan Murphy creations can sometimes feel as if they're in a completely different production that does not run parallel to anyone else's arcs and performance energy. Issues like these tend to crop up in episodes where creators/showrunners aren't as heavily invested, with other writers and directors stepping in, with the shift in authority making it easier for tonal inequality.

That's somehow not the case within The Beauty, possibly because so many of the characters exist on heightened plains of self-obsession. Evan Paters' Cooper is the most "normal" person on this show, but even he feels like he stepped out of a pulpy, whiskey-soaked P.I. novel from the '40s. So even if his energy isn't ramped up to where Ashton Kutcher's is at any given point, they're still both highly performative, and thus don't feel at odds.

The Twists Aren't Too Twisty (The Clown), And The Drama Isn't Too Melodramatic

Many of the surprises embedded in The Beauty are smart and organic to the story, such as having Jordan get infected with the Beauty so early on due to a lapse in judgment, or Jeremy's arc of trying to be a better person than his life as an incel. Elsewhere, twists come from learning new information in flashbacks that changes what we know about things in the present. It's not exactly rocket science, but the American Horror Story-verse is full of batshit, out-of-nowhere twists that aren't nearly as germane.

The ongoing theme here is obviously "moderation," and that also goes for the story beats that could have very easily fallen into maudlin and melodramatic territory, such as everything involving the daughter of John Carroll Lynch's Meyer Williams and his wife Juliana, portrayed by Kelli O'Hara. I was fully ready for that story to take some horrendous turn involving their progeria-afflicted daughter Joey (Kaylee Halko). That dark turn could still come, certainly, but the fact that there was a "happy" ending to begin with is almost unheard of for a Ryan Murphy horror.

Asterisk Explained: The Reason I'm Not Fully 100% Behind The Beauty Being The Best

Okay, there are technically two reasons, but they're both minute enough to get smashed together and count as one.

First, the last two episodes of the season still haven't aired, and for all that I'm hyper-confident that they'll be just as great as the preceding nine episodes, there is absolutely the possibility that any and all of the aforementioned graces will be shat upon and returned to sender as the story spins wildly out of control. I don't think the chances are very high, but I know they exist.

Second, there's a part of me that will never be able to love another Ryan Murphy show as much as I love American Horror Story as a whole, despite not feeling as strongly about certain seasons as others. Some of my first large-scale writing for CinemaBlend was covering AHS: Murder House, and the years I wrote up those seasons will always be cherished. Of course, even that first season spread across the entire spectrum from "really good" to "dog fart soup." But that was 15 years ago, and we're all smarter and better now. And The Beauty is undeniable proof.

The Beauty final two Season 1 episodes are set to hit FX and Hulu on Wednesday, March 4, at 9:00 p.m. ET. (Episodes also stream via Disney+ subscription.)

It’s been years in the making, but finally the first three episodes of the Marvel series Ironheart are available to stream with your Disney+ subscription. Considered a direct sequel to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart continues the journey of that movie’s breakout character Riri Williams, played by Dominique Thorne. With the premiere of the series on the 2025 TV schedule also comes the first reactions from critics who were able to screen all six episodes, and their reviews are mixed.

The series sees Riri return to Chicago, where she gets caught up with the charming and mysterious Parker Robbins, aka “The Hood” (Anthony Ramos). Other members of Ironheart’s cast include Lyric Ross, Alden Ehrenreich and Regan Aliyah, and while David Opie is on the fence about it as a whole, there are some standout performances, the critic says:

He is one of several critics who write that the new MCU TV show picks up as it goes along, including Mark Cassidy. While the finale is the best of the six-episode series, Ironheart is simply “not good.” In Cassidy’s words:

Zach Pope continues the parade of lackluster reactions, as the critic seems kind of ambivalent toward the show despite wanting to enjoy it. Pope says:

Justin Lawrence of Geekcentric praises Dominique Thorne and Lyric Ross’ chemistry, saying he would love to see more of their characters together. Riri’s story could have hit harder with a tighter story, the critic says, writing:

In terms of themes of loss and grief, however, Hope Sloop says MCU fans would be better off rewatching WandaVision. While Ironheart works as a standalone project, it fails as a good introduction for these characters. The critic continues:

Adam Patia says Ironheart does not use its six episodes well in terms of exploring some of the deeper issues introduced, but he is intrigued by what’s to come, writing:

The above critic isn’t the only one with an overall positive takeaway. While many of the first reactions to Ironheart are critical, Eric Ansley Diaz is among those who “really dug it.” In Diaz’s words:

Germain Lussier goes so far as to say this is near the top of his list for MCU series, thanks in large part to Dominique Thorne. Lussier posts:

Even self-proclaimed Marvel cynic Maggie Lovitt of Collider appreciates the “insanely cool ideas” in this series and specifically praises Dominique Thorne and Alden Ehrenreich for standout performances.

Fans have been waiting for Ironheart’s release for a long time, and while that day has finally come, it may be with less fanfare than some hoped. If you’re wondering how to watch Ironheart, the first three episodes can be streamed now on Disney+, with the final three episodes dropping next Tuesday, July 1.

When it comes to the schedule of upcoming Marvel shows, there’s one title fans have been waiting several years for at this point. I’m talking about Ironheart, which is set to show the continuing adventures of Riri Williams, the tech prodigy from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Luckily for fans, the first official trailer has arrived, and it shows some of the explosive situations Riri’s going to find herself in. As cool as it is to see her in action, though, there’s a new character I’m eager to check out in this 2025 TV schedule entry.

Riri Williams Shines In The First Ironheart Trailer

The trailer, which can be seen above, begins on a tense note, as Riri enters a seemingly abandoned building and finds herself trapped in an elevator filled with air-poisoning gas. Ultimately, she’s able to find her way out of the situation and ace her “interview” with the seemingly mysterious figure (who we’ll discuss more later). What I appreciate about this trailer is that it highlights Williams’ ingenuity with and without her suit of armor. I also like seeing her interact with friends and family, including her mother, Ronnie.

Of course, the action here can’t be understated, and I’m quite impressed with what I’m seeing so far. The visual effects for Riri’s armor look downright impeccable, and it appears the production team staged some action sequences worthy of the big screen. I suppose that shouldn’t be all that surprising, especially since the show also counts visionary filmmaker (and Black Panther helmer) Ryan Coogler amongst its producers.

Dominique Thorne, who heads up the cast of Ironheart, also seems to be giving a performance that’s consistent with her charming work in Wakanda Forever. To me, she seems a bit more comfortable in the role of Iron Man’s heir apparent. I also love that Thorne has spoken with Robert Downey Jr. about the journey that she’s embarked upon with this character. I’m excited to see what’s in store for Thorne and Riri, but I also have to gush about a newcomer.

Which MCU Character Am I Pumped To See?

The mysterious voice that Riri hears on the elevator belongs to a shady individual known as Parker Robbins a.k.a. The Hood, who’s played by none other than Anthony Ramos. Robbins’ red hood imbues him with supernatural powers, which he uses for his own gain. However, as the trailer teases, those abilities may come at a cost (Robbins’ blackened back in that one shot is an indication of that point).

Parker is a charismatic individual, though, and it seems he’s going to serve as the devil on Riri’s shoulder in this story. Though I think another devil may be in the mix as well.

In the comics, Parker Robbins obtains his dark magic-infused gear after an encounter with a demon. Robbins’ origin in the MCU is (unsurprisingly) being kept under wraps at this time. However, for some time now, there’s been speculation regarding a possible role for the demon Mephisto in this show. Sacha Baron Cohen is reportedly part of Ironheart’s ensemble, and it’s believed that he’s playing the role of the dark lord. That’s all speculation right now, but I am still wondering if Mephisto is somehow responsible for Parker’s powers.

Moving away from the more otherworldly elements of this show though, I’m excited to see Riri Williams use her technological brilliance to develop a new suit and become a hero in her own right. That journey is probably going to come with a few stumbles, of course, which should make the narrative all the more interesting. Overall, I’m hopeful that this series ends does the character justice.

Disney+ subscription holders should tune in for Ironheart when it soars onto the platform with a three-episode premiere on June 24.

As the year soon comes to an end, I’ve been catching up on 2024 movies I didn’t have the chance to see in theaters, including Twisters now that it is streaming for those with a Peacock subscription. I’ll admit, I didn’t have high expectations for the sequel to the ‘90s classic over the summer, but after hearing some buzz from other people, including through our positive Twisters review, I pressed play at home over the Thanksgiving holiday, and was really impressed with how Universal handled reviving the classic. Let me share why!

Before I get into it, I should state that I grew up with the original Twister movie, and while I haven’t rewatched it many times, I think it’s a solid movie I have fond memories watching. With that in mind, I really didn’t want to see a rerun or less-than retread of the concept, but happy to say I was wrong about the benefits of another Twister movie nearly 30 years later.

2024 Has Had A Wild Amount Of Nostalgic Sequels, But Twisters Feels Different

I don’t know about you, but after how refreshing the prior year was with original movies like Oppenheimer and Barbie leading the pack, I’ve been a bit over-nauseated with sequels in 2024. The biggest films of the year thus far have been things like Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Despicable Me 4, Dune: Part Two, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Kung Fu Panda 4, Venom: The Last Dance, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Moana 2, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Alien: Romulus and Gladiator II. See where I’m going with this? I’m not even naming all of them and that’s a massive list of sequels.

So at this point, we’ve all seen (even this year alone) how Hollywood handles retreading of concepts and giving characters callback moments to invoke a sense of nostalgia. Sometimes it really works, other times it’s been rather tiresome to see over and over.

Now, Twisters doesn’t have any of the original cast of the 1996 movie. So while it’s technically a sequel, it totally skips over some of the things that bothered me in movies like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, or honestly Alien: Romulus, when it even repeated an old line despite it being a completely different cast. (Is writing new dialogue so difficult?) You could definitely draw some comparisons between Twister and Twisters in its overarching storyline, but I didn’t feel like they were mining me for nostalgia the way so many sequels do.

Twisters Doesn’t Need To Lean On The Original To Be Interesting In Its Own Right

Further, I think what especially works about Twisters, is the attention to detail with character and storytelling that feels like it’s giving you a disaster movie about tornadoes for a new generation that shares DNA with the original, without being too precious about it. From the beginning of Twisters, I became invested in Daisy Edgar-Jones’ character of Kate, who loses a lot during her own run-in with a EF5 tornado while storm chasing with a great purpose.

The main story follows Kate five years after facing tragedy when one of her friends (Anthony Ramos’ Javi) asks her to go back in the eye of the storm with her to make a difference, and she cannot say no. It’s then when she meets Glen Powell’s charismatic Tyler, an internet sensation of a storm chaser who has his own team alongside Kate and Javi’s.

While I came into Twisters because I had liked the original movie and was curious how they would follow it up, this movie is completely engaging and interesting without having seen the ‘90s classic. And as someone who has invested in Twister as a favorite from the era, I respect how writer Joseph Kosinski and director Lee Isaac Chung went their own direction with it, while also keeping the spirit the original offered.

They understood that I don't want to see the same movie twice. That's why the original is there, though they did bring something new to the original story by introducing new characters and a modern spin, which I did, in fact, want to see.

And, I Appreciate That Twisters Didn’t Try To Shoe-Horn In The Original Cast

By the time Twisters reached its ending, I was invested in Kate and Tyler’s journey and not even thinking about how I wanted to immediately watch the original. Yes, I was even hoping they would get the kiss that was famously cut by Steven Spielberg. When it comes to the Twisters franchise, I know I’ll either go to one or the other knowing they both are high-quality disaster movies that give me a healthy fear of tornadoes with great performances, stories and character development.

So many filmmakers would have felt the need to bring in Helen Hunt in the third act to tie together the two movies and have that a-ha cameo moment people love to talk about after being surprised by it. But it’s come to the point where I was actually surprised when it didn’t happen and felt quite relieved that Twisters didn’t bend over backwards just to connect the two films, because that would be the obvious route.

Sure, there was “Dorothy” from the previous movie to connect the two, but I like how that was a small way for the filmmakers to nod to the original before going forward with how a movie about tornado research works in 2024 with a story that has its own interesting human dynamics. As you may recall, the original was about two exes (who are both in the storm chasing world) who are getting ready to divorce as their perilous adventure occurs, while this movie borders on a Pride & Prejudice-like romantic dynamic.

Sure, I didn’t see Twisters in theaters, or in 4DX as a lot of people were talking about going to over the summer. But I’m happy I caught it! While I technically liked Alien: Romulus and Inside Out 2, for example, a tad more, I love the heck out of Twisters more than many nostalgic sequels in 2024 due to how the storytelling was handled in a fresh, different way that saw me as a clever audience member who wants more than a retread of a movie that already exists.

Anthony Ramos, Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones make up the cast of Twisters, whose characters face the challenge of reducing the intensity of tornadoes. After giving convincing performances playing a group of storm chasers who knew their stuff about cyclones, you’d think all of the film’s actors had science backgrounds. Well, Ramos revealed a super sneaky trick that the summer disaster flick used to make him look really good at science.

It must be a lot of hard work to be able to portray a person of science without a background in the field. When you think about characters from the best sci-fi movies of all time and movies based on true scientific stories, like Doc Brown, Dr. Grant, Dr. Arroway and J. Robert Oppenheimer, stars have to remember all of these scientific terms from their scripts and get a good grasp of the material to be in character. Anthony Ramos’ super clever trick done in Twisters was told on BBC Radio 1 that really made him look like he knew his science:

That’s actually really cool that a practical special effect like a magnet was able to spin water in a cup as long as it did. Anthony Ramos and Glen Powell may have jokingly thought that they signed up for a CGI movie with Twisters. While the giant tornadoes in the summer movie were computer-generated, little did they know what an intense shooting experience it would be.

For example, Glen Powell mentioned “a giant jet engine” blown in his face as pieces of debris were getting thrown at them. After these actors spent plenty of the movie staring into something that’s not there, practical effects like real wind, water and debris definitely create the illusion that they’re in tornado-driven Oklahoma.

Getting to play the role of stormchaser Javi seemed like a real honor for Anthony Ramos. While the In the Heights actor was originally going to don a Southern accent to play an Oklahoma resident, he received a note from Twisters’ executive producer Steven Spielberg to use his native New York-Latino accent. Ramos seemed touched by the note and felt more seen to have a brilliant meteorology student be someone of Latino descent. By bringing together a diverse cast for his movie, Lee Isaac Chung allowed actors of different races and nationalities to play scientists and stormwranglers that knew their stuff, making the characters more relatable to wide audiences.

To make Anthony Ramos look like he knows a thing or two about science in Twisters, a super sneaky practical effect had a magnet make a spinning twister in a cup stay in position for a long time. Now, that’s movie magic and science of its own kind. You can see Ramos master this practical effect and more in the 2024 movie release in theaters now, with its 4DX return release date set on August 30th.

If there’s anything wilder than the 2024 movie release Twisters, it’s the fan response that’s been pouring out since its debut. With Twisters’ “exceptional” opening box office on the board, the results speak for themselves; especially when things looked as intense as they did on screen. Star Anthony Ramos revealed that making the picture was indeed a “wild experience,” and I don't think he was was wrong when comparing it to a ride at Universal Studios.

As he spoke with the L.A. Times about the effects-heavy experience that was the Glen Powell/Daisy Edgar-Jones led ensemble adventure, he recalled myriad practical effects the big budget production put to use. Aside from comparing it to a Universal thrill ride, the following story sounds a lot like how production went on the original Twister:

If you’ve listened to ReelBlend’s Jan de Bont interview, or just happen to be a Twister fan, then you know the stories behind the seamless mix of CGI and practical effects that were used to make the movie -- a movie that will likely go on to be iconic in the cultural lexicon. In that respect, reading the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ star recounting similar tactics of the set of Twisters is a nice, cozy throwback.

As a big theme park fan, I’m sitting with some very special feelings due to the fact that one of the Universal Studios’ attractions I wish would come back ties in with Ramos' narrative. That would be the beloved attraction Twister: Ride It Out, which closed back in 2015 to make way for Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.

It’s a gigantic loss as far as I’m concerned, thanks to the nature of the ride skewing closer to the old school Universal Studios Orlando’s love of filmmaking. Also, you actually got to see the safest-yet-most-intense replica of an actual tornado that was possible at the time. Tie that all up with the infamous pre-show video that really showed the storied strain between Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, and you had an attraction a whole lot of people still fondly remember.

Like a cow in a cyclone, this Twisters story circles back to another interesting piece of trivia shared by Anthony Ramos. As he continued in this very same interview, In the Heights’ musical star provided a story so crazy you can’t make it up; as it involves our future Superman and the wrath of Mother Nature:

For a picture that has the unofficial taglne of, “If you feel it, chase it,” this cross road between actor safety and filmmaking insanity sounds like another building block in the potential long term legacy that Twisters might be building among its fans. We’ll see what happens as you can currently see Anthony Ramos chasing storms and making moves on the big screen.

And if you’re looking for the closest thing to a theme park ride based on this 2024 blockbuster, Twisters’ insanely good 4DX experience might still be available at a theater near you.

Tyler Owens once said: “if you feel it, chase it,” and Luke Combs once sang “the night’s still young, so what you say we shotgun one.” It felt like the cast of Twisters was living out those exhilarating statements as they took the stage at Combs' concert to shotgun beer with him. Yep, you read that right, Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos took the stage at the country singer’s show to celebrate their project on the 2024 movie schedule, and the internet can’t get over it.

As Twisters works to live up to its behemoth box office expectations, and fans start to see the action-packed sequel to Twister that’s getting great reviews, the cast spent their night at the Luke Combs concert in MetLife Stadium right outside New York City. The country’s singer song “Ain't No Love In Oklahoma” is prominently featured on the film’s soundtrack, so it tracks that they attended his show, and did this:

It’s worth noting that the way these guys were brought out on stage was quite entertaining. Combs song “1, 2 Many” is about partying hard and drinking beer, and that’s what the cast came out to do, and the internet got a real kick out of it. 

Powell, Edgar-Jones and Ramos all had a beer in their hand, and when the break in the song came, they shotgunned them with Luke Combs. Now, the moment is going viral, as the TikTok above has over 1 million views, and commenters can't get over it as they commented things like:

• THE DAISY EDGAR JONES ?!? Shot gunning?!? Love a queen -abi
• These side quests from the Twisters cast IS FANTASTIC -Viviana Razo
• Love that Daisy is getting the full American experience 😂. This movie was fun. Lots of suspense/action and the cast was great!!! -Clairee Belcher
• I cannot believe this happened I was freaking out!! -Serena
• Glen is my Roman empires fr -kara wilson
• this crossover is everything i needed and more -emily maya

On top of that, there were a lot of fun posts on X about this whole thing. This person, for example, got a kick out of Powell taking Edgar-Jones' beer for her, posting:

Along with being on stage for “1, 2 Many,” the crew also saw Combs perform “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” and they were spotted jamming out to it on the big screen:

All around, this is another creative feather in this cast’s cap when it comes to the Twisters press tour. Earlier this week, we saw Glen Powell trying to do the weather report on the Today Show. At one of their premieres, Tom Cruise showed up and was “bugging out” over the film. Plus, overall, the ensemble (and Powell’s dog Brisket) have been taking red carpets and interviews by storm. 

Critics were quick to note that Twisters is another hit for Glen Powell, and that seems to be proving very true. So, it felt fitting that the cast celebrated the movie's success, and did a bit of promo, by attending a Luke Combs concert. 

To see what all the hype is about, you can catch Twisters in theaters now. To listen to both “1, 2 Many” – the song they used to shotgun beer with Luke Combs – as well as the soundtrack for the legacy sequel, you can stream them wherever you get your music.  

The summer box office has been on fire lately, and Twisters is the next movie on the 2024 release schedule expected to break records. A not-quite sequel to the 1996 disaster movie, the flick will follow a new group of storm chasers, including a social-media superstar chaser played by the increasingly popular Glen Powell. Like the original, it was filmed on location in Oklahoma, which helped make the production more realistic but also led to some real-life encounters with dangerous storms.

During a conversation with EW, the talented cast and director behind the soon-to-be blockbuster hit spoke at length about what it was like getting to film on location in Oklahoma during tornado season. While it wasn’t exactly friendly to the budget, it made all the difference in helping the cast get into character, especially when there were times when they had to take cover from real tornados happening miles away from the set.

Anthony Ramos recalls having to return to his trailer frequently during filming because they got word that a tornado had touched down nearby. Being that close is scary enough, but the Twisters cast had an even closer call when a twister actually touched down on location, destroying one of their sets. Powell painted the scene for EW, saying:

As dangerous as it sounds, it would have been iconic to have actual tornado footage in Twisters. Assuming their safety could be ensured, the cast seems like they would have been on board with something like that if only to avoid having giant jet engines blowing wind into their face to simulate the storms while filming. After all, the director did commit to using as little CGI as possible, much to the shock of Powell and Ramos, and nothing says practical effects more than an actual storm.

Thankfully, no one was hurt during the dangerous storm, and production was able to resume after the set was rebuilt. However, that wasn’t the end of extreme weather. In the same interview, Daisy Edgar-Jones reminisced about how the intense heat made the rainstorm scenes hard to film because the water being sprayed on them would dry up almost instantly.

While fans will have to wait until July 17th to see if all their hard work paid off, critics are already calling it a major hit for Powell and the rest of the cast. Twisters definitely has huge shoes to fill, considering the original, which you can (and should) stream on Max with an active subscription, became the second-highest-grossing film of 1996. With the Top Gun: Maverick star involved, the odds of its success are incredibly high.

General audiences are less than a week away from the highly anticipated summer blockbuster Twisters. Ahead of the film's release, the cast and the chance to screen their new movie at the European premiere, and joining them at the event was none other than Hollywood icon Tom Cruise. Now, one of the legacy sequel's stars, Anthony Ramos, is celebrating how Cruise reacted to the film amid the screening. And, per Ramos, the veteran action movie star was “bugging out” while taking in the sights and sounds of the 2024 movie release.

Fans across social media were delighted to learned that Tom Cruise attended the Twisters premiere in London to show support for Top Gun: Maverick co-star Glen Powell and the cast. The event was held at the Cineworld Leicester Square on July 8th and, per all accounts, the proceedings went well. After the fact, Anthony Ramos spoke to People about just how enthusiastic Cruise was while watching the movie. And, quite frankly, viewing his reaction to the blockbuster sounds like an experience in and of itself:

It's honestly hilarious that the 62-year-old star couldn’t hold back while expressing his enjoyment of the movie. And it's probably understandable that he was so pumped, given what's been said and revealed from the flick. Even Glen Powell compared it to Top Gun: Maverick and, if that doesn't indicate excitement, then I don't know what is. Critics have been praising Twisters for its entertaining “spectacle” and, while I'm definitely taking note of their opinions, it's the Edge of Tomorrow star's excitement that's really giving me hope for this movie. While discussing the fan-favorite actor's response, Anthony Ramos added this:

I think most of us can agree that movies can surely evoke a vast array of emotions. However, one would think that a disaster flick -- even one that has moments of humor -- would evoke more screams and gasps than laughs. Still, laughter would seemingly indicate enjoyment. Plus, by the end of Twisters, it appeared that Tom Cruise had indeed become a fan. Not only that, but he also shared a sweet moment with Anthony Ramos:

A seal of approval from the Mission: Impossible icon definitely has to be gratifying. And, after all of the hard work the In the Heights actor and his co-stars put into the standalone sequel, they deserve many pats on the back. Funny enough, he and co-star Glen Powell thought they signed up for a strictly CGI film. Little did they know they’d get hit with the likes of a massive water tank, a jet engine, trash, hay, and more. And, given how much the Mummy star knows about movie-making, I'd like to think that's another reason why he appreciated the tornado flick so much.

Now that I've heard Tom Cruise's reaction to Twisters, I'm even more excited to witness the blockbuster with my own eyes. Here's hoping that audiences are just as enthusiastic when they see it in theaters starting on July 19th.

There's a lot of red carpet photos that come down the movie premiere pipeline each week and most of them are fashion forward and fairly serious. That’s not the case for the Twisters cast, as Daisy Edgar Jones and Anthony Ramos took a break from promoting the flick to poke a little fun at their absent co-star Glen Powell, as well as the memorable poster for the big disaster flick.  

Edgar-Jones had someone take a photo of herself and Anthony Ramos recreating their own and Powell’s shocked looks on the poster for the upcoming 2024 movie release, and shared it with her 1.9 million Instagram followers. You can take a look at the fun premiere moment, below. 

Powell didn’t attend the Twisters red carpet in Miami, so he missed out on the opportunity to indulge in the fun, but he did respond to Edgar-Jones’ post in the most millennial way possible, by sharing the pic to his stories and adding the time-tested crying-laughing emoji.  

It’s really quite a funny poster when you think about the context of how it was created. They were on a set in the middle of nowhere and were getting directions about faking seeing a gargantuan weather disaster in the Oklahoma sky. Pretending you are looking at a tornado when you absolutely aren’t seems like it would be no easy feat, but Ramos and Edgar-Jones just managed it like pros on the red carpet, so maybe it's not as hard as it looks. 

Speaking of filming, though, there may not have been real tornadoes, but there were a lot of practical effects the movie used in order to make everything happening in the script feel real when it comes to life onscreen. The cast spoke out at CinemaCon earlier this year and talked about how the movie used a literal jet engine to mimic the effect of a tornado and more. They were “pelted with hay” and “trash” during the course of events, and Powell more recently talked about stuntmen flying on wires and getting dragged across the pool himself more while they were making the film.

I think the thing that's stuck out for me most from this press tour, outside of the impression the stunts were intense was when the actor commented, "Tornadoes aren't tender." For whatever reason, those three words have really garnered excitement in me about what is to come on the big screen. 

Hopefully we’ll get some more joke-y moments as the press tour continues for the Universal film. But in the meantime, you won’t have too much longer to wait before Glen Powell gets another chance at a big summer blockbuster following his run in Top Gun: Maverick (and also following his big Anyone But You box office win earlier this year). The flick is officially out in theaters on July 17th, and the Twisters trailer should help you to decide if this one is up your (tornado) alley. 

Let the mayhem commence!

The fact that Glen Powell is a good-looking guy isn’t exactly up for debate. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but I’d wager there are very few eyes that would look at Glen Powell and not be impressed. Even his Twisters cast costar Anthony Ramos can’t help but admit the guy is incredibly handsome, but that’s not all Powell is according to Ramos.

You get the feeling Glen Powell is going to be named Sexiest Man Alive any minute now. It would be one thing if Powell was just a good-looking guy getting by on his looks alone. Hollywood certainly isn’t without its share of stars who are clearly put on screen because they look nice, regardless of their abilities as actors. But Anthony Ramos is clear with ET that Powell is not one of those people. He credits Powell’s work ethic and his intelligence before he even mentions that the guy is incredibly good-looking. Ramos said…

Glen Powell has certainly shown that he's more than just a pretty face, but it's not terrible to get confirmation of that from an independent source. He’s an incredibly popular actor right now following his breakout role in Top Gun: Maverick. In addition to starring in the Top Gun and Twister franchise reboots, he was offered a role in the new Jurassic World movie, though he turned it down. Powell likely has his pick of roles right now and could be in everything if he chooses to do so.

Powell isn’t taking every role under the sun, which will likely help prevent overexposure. He seems to have a clear understanding that his career has shifted, giving him massive opportunity, but he wants to be sure he handles it right. Ramos seems to reinforce that idea, calling out Powell’s focus…

Powell’s laser focus isn’t a recent attribute. The actor recently spoke about his willingness to turn down roles, even when he really needed the money, because they weren’t the sort of work he wanted and was focused on sending the right message to Hollywood, even if it meant he stayed broke.

It’s always nice to learn that a celebrity you like is also pretty cool with their head on straight. It sounds like all the people who have fallen in love with Glen Powell over the last couple of years can rest easy. Glen Powell's star is only continuing to rise, but the man knows how hard it was to get here, having admitted his mistakes. It sounds like it couldn't happen to a better guy.

The newly released trailer for the upcoming Twisters, which references the original film’s thrilling conclusion, suggests that the 2024 movie schedule entry will be sizzling. In Hollywood, grandiose storytelling often overshadows authenticity. However, for Anthony Ramos, one of the film's stars, a note from the legendary Steven Spielberg himself changed everything. In fact, it grounded his character in a way that deeply resonated with his personal experience.

The dynamic In the Heights performer recently shared a touching moment from the production of Twisters, a standalone sequel to one of the best action movies of the '90s, the 1996 classic Twister. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he revealed that he initially assumed his character, storm chaser Javi, would adopt a Southern accent given the film's Oklahoma setting. But the actor was taken aback when Steven Spielberg, the executive producer, had a different vision. He explained to the outlet that he was prepared to give his southern take...:

This moment of cultural authenticity isn't just a personal victory for Anthony Ramos; it’s a significant step for representation in mainstream cinema. In an industry often criticized for lacking diversity and cultural sensitivity, the Jurassic Park helmer's decision highlights the importance of staying true to a character's roots and providing audiences with relatable and authentic portrayals.

Twisters, directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the visionary behind Minari, promises to bring both spectacle and soul to the screen. Ramos expressed his excitement about working with Chung, praising the director's ability to infuse heart into large-scale projects. The Hamilton star continued: 

The upcoming blockbuster is a '90s action movie sequel fans have been clamoring to see for years, and it’s great that it's finally happening. The film features an impressive ensemble cast, including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Maura Tierney, Tunde Adebimpe, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Brandon Perea and Katy O’Brian. With Spielberg's backing and Lee Isaac Chung's directorial finesse, Twisters is poised to captivate audiences just as the original did when it dominated the summer box office in 1996.

As anticipation builds for the weather-based disaster film, Anthony Ramos' story stands out, highlighting Hollywood's evolving landscape. To see more of Ramos' impressive talent, check out his performance in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which is now streaming with an Amazon Prime Video subscription, or his star-making turn in the Broadway blockbuster Hamilton, available for Disney+ subscribers.

Anthony Ramos made his debut on The Voice on Monday night, bringing his infectious energy to Reba McEntire’s team as her Playoffs advisor, but it turns out this wasn’t the first time the Hamilton original Broadway cast member tried to be on the show. I think his inspiring story about auditioning for The Voice and getting rejected — on top of the enthusiasm he showed for the contestants — makes him the perfect candidate to be a coach in future seasons, and it sounds like the Queen of Country has thoughts on the matter, too.

It was immediately obvious watching Anthony Ramos work with Team Reba how much fun he was having. Ramos seemed in awe of the process and the contestants’ talent, but he was not afraid to offer constructive criticism and make suggestions about the arrangements. The actor showed an excitement about the process that already had me thinking he’d make a great coach on The Voice, and that was before he revealed that he’d once auditioned. After Reba McEntire mentioned how hard the competition is and that she doesn’t know if she’d have made it on the show, the In the Heights actor replied: 

Anthony Ramos may have never made it back to The Voice as a contestant, but the star of the upcoming disaster movie Twisters has pretty much done everything else since then, including Broadway, movies, voice acting and two studio albums. 

The Voice has featured coaches like Kelly Clarkson, Camila Cabello and Niall Horan who came from different singing competitions, but how inspiring would it be to hear from someone who failed to make it on The Voice but became successful in the industry anyway? Reba McEntire seemed to know how much the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts star could bring as a coach, telling ET: 

You’d think Reba McEntire would have some pull around The Voice, so can we make this happen, please? Anthony Ramos could be a real shot in the arm for the show, adding to the Energizer Bunny-like quality that Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay brings. The guest mentor showed that same liveliness that the competition so desperately needs after losing longtime coaches Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson, and Ramos' history with The Voice seems to be the perfect opportunity to inspire future hopefuls.

There’s been no word on who will continue coaching past the current 25th season, so while we wait for official word from NBC, you can keep watching the current cycle at 8 p.m. ET Mondays and Tuesdays, with episodes available to stream the next day with a Peacock subscription. 

When the Twisters trailer dropped during the Super Bowl this year, fans were in for a treat. The new movie has an exciting young cast and a new filming location, and it really looks like it will be catnip for people who enjoy the original movie. However, looking pretty solid on the big screen isn’t quite the same as filming said adventure film, and Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar Jones and Anthony Ramos were really clear about what they went through to bring Twisters to the big screen. 

There was hot weather. There was cold weather. There was crap being pelted at them by a jet engine again and again and again as the flick focused on practical effects over CGI whenever it was able. In fact, speaking during the Universal 2024 CinemaCon panel, Ramos mentioned he was “very grateful to have survived” filming of the movie given all they went through. 

Glen Powell: "We all signed on for this movie thinking we were going to be on a soundstage covered in dots. Maybe a delicate spritz on our face, but… no."

Anthony Ramos: "Instead we were on location in 120 degree heat, racing, for real, through the plains of the Midwest." 

Powell: "We had an actual jet engine hit us with everything: Hit us with hay."

Ramos: "We had a massive water tank dunked on us." 

Powell: "They pelted us with ice, they covered us in trash." 

Ramos: "…and left us in cars for hours on end without a pee break." 

But the trials and tribulations of this ragged band of actors did not end there. The movie was getting close to wrapping in the summer, in the midwest, when the strike happened. The movie then had to shut down production for a time before the cast was tasked with returning to set after the strike was over to finish filming. The only problem? Anthony Ramos says at that point they had to get ‘pelted’ in the cold weather. 

If there’s one thing that’s true of the Midwest it’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter, so Ramos’ story checks out. If there’s one thing that’s true about Twisters, though,  it’s that the film really tries to be as entertaining as possible while getting the details right. Director Lee Isaac Chung also said efforts were made to make sure the film was “immersive” and “real.”

It really seems to have paid off. There’s a lot of great, big budget fare coming later this year –and a lot of it is coming from Universal between this movie, the upcoming adaptation of Wicked, and the finally-coming Gladiator 2 sequel. We saw an actual rhino make it into the footage for that latter movie, and I’m not sure if they had “experts” on hand when they cooked up that scene like Twisters, but I’m pumped regardless for what's coming up.

The new tornado thriller will hit the 2024 movie release schedule on July 19. 

Sequels should be relatively easy to produce. Take what worked well about a movie, and add more of it. Double down, so to speak. The best example I can think of is when James Cameron turned the suffocating claustrophobia of Sir Ridley Scott’s Alien into the bombastic, adrenaline-fuelled Aliens. “What’s scarier than one alien? Multiple aliens.” Boom. Hollywood history is made. Now it appears that history is ready to repeat itself, because during the Universal Studios CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas, we got an extended look at the Twister sequel, Twisters. And it looked magnificent. 

Twisters is not a traditional sequel in the sense that it brings back original cast members for a legacy play. Helen Hunt isn’t returning, and we lost original stars Bill Paxton and Philip Seymour Hoffman years ago. Instead, Twisters director Lee Isaac Chung described it to us as a spiritual continuation of the tone and fervor created by the original 1996 thriller (directed by Jan de Bont). 

Chung also started off his presentation by acknowledging the obvious – he’s a strange choice to helm a blockbuster saga like Twisters. Lee Isaac Chung makes smaller indie human dramas, like the award-winning Minari. But as he explained, he grew up in the Midwest (Arkansas, to be specific), and lived a life in fear of tornadoes. He understands the power that nature can have on the tornado-alley community. And while he understands the respect that people have on natural tragedies, he wanted his movie to immerse audiences in the experience of the twister, and hopefully convey the wonder and awe that can come with natural spectacle. 

And that raw power and intensity was conveyed in the footage that Chung showed. After shouting out Jan de Bont, and telling us that Steven Spielberg, of all people, is obsessed with tornado videos (and watches tornado videos online all the time), Chung introduced his cast, and they introduced the footage. Glen Powell warned that the effects were unfinished, but you couldn’t tell, due to the sheer power and impact of the set pieces on display in the Twisters reel.

The footage opened at a rodeo, where the competition was disrupted by everyone’s phones blaring a weather warning. This scene reminded me of the legendary drive-in theater scene from Twister in the say that the storm dropped on the people quickly, and the devastation was widespread:

The footage then introduces the main characters, singling out two storm chasers in Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and the incredibly named Tyler Owens (Powell), a “storm wrangler” that shuns science and goes by feeling. Naturally, these two will share a romantic spark, but it’ll happen as they dodge some superpowered storms. We got to see TWIN twisters (again, take what worked in the first movie and double it). And the footage closes with a massive tornado bearing down on what looked like a power plant, or maybe even a nuclear facility. EIther way, it looked like things were about to get very bad. 

No matter how you slice it, the Twisters footage looked incredible. Glen Powell is every bit a movie star, and the effects look to be as top-notch as we get these days. As I said in my conversation about The Fall Guy, we have a number of movies this summer season that are driven by star power (as well as effects). And it’s a welcome return to an era of movie stars, and not branded IP. More of that, please. Make sure to read more from our CinemaCon coverage, including footage of the Michael Jackson biopic, Todd Phillips talking about the buzz around Joker, and more. 

Twisters reaches theaters on July 19. 

While the Barbie movie is absolutely dominating at the box office, it’s far from the first blockbuster movie based on toys. Case in point: the ongoing Transformers franchise, which began with Michael Bay’s 2007 movie. A new installment came earlier this year in the form of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which introduced beloved characters from Beast Wars. Apparently Michael Bay tried to veto one major Rise of the Beasts moment with Anthony Ramos. Although he definitely had his reasons.

Michael Bay directed the first five installments of the live-action Transformers movies, before new filmmakers got in on the fun starting with Bumblebee. He’s been able to bring Bayhem to other projects like Ambulance, but he’s still seemingly invested in the sci-fi franchise. Paramount CEO Brian Robbins recently spoke to Variety about Rise of the Beasts, and how Bay tried to scrap the Transformers movie’s twist ending. Specifically the reveal that G.I. Joe was in the same universe, which opens up the opportunity for major crossovers. Robbins said that Bay was worried about that cheapening the events of the previous movies, but as he shard:

Looks like persistence worked in this case. While Michael Bay was originally hesitant to have G.I. Joe and Transformers collide, he was eventually convinced that this was the move. And it should be fascinating to see how this crossover plays out in future movies. Bring on the Hasbro Cinematic Universe!

The final scene of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Anthony Ramos’ protagonist Noah Diaz attends an interview for a security job. But it’s revealed that the meeting is actually a recruitment by the military to join G.I. Joe, given how he proved himself in the conflict with the Terrorcons. It was something that moviegoers didn’t see coming, and has the potential to greatly affect the future of both the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises. 

It’s unclear what’s coming next, but Anthony Ramos will seemingly have a major role to play in at least one of those properties. The last G.I. Joe movie Snake Eyes was a box office bomb, so perhaps a connection to Transformers will help to increase fan interest. Although technically Rise of the Beasts is the worst performing entry of the franchise. Maybe a crossover movie will come next, which could help increase the box office appeal of both properties. Only time will tell, but I assume Michael Bay will have a strong opinion regardless.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is streaming now for those with a Paramount+ subscription. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Just when you thought you could trust any street vehicle or mechanical device to not come alive before your eyes, the Transformers movies are back with a seventh installment that takes us into the 1990s. Director Steven Caple Jr.’s prequel (which hits theaters today) not only brings back a couple of your favorite Autobots (including Bumblebee), but also introduces some other “robots in disguise,” as well as some new human friends into the cinematic franchise. Let’s talk about all the characters (new and old), the actors in the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts cast who portray them, and what else you may recognize the performers from.

Anthony Ramos (Noah Diaz) 

The cast’s lead human character, struggling New Yorker Noah Diaz, is played by Anthony Ramos, who broke out as a theater performer by playing Usnavi in a 2012 production of In the Heights — which he reprised in the 2021 film adaptation — before reuniting with Lin-Manuel Miranda to originate the roles of John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton in the Hamilton cast. Some of his most notable screen acting credits include the crime drama, Monsters and Men, and Oscar-winning romance A Star is Born from 2018, and his next major gigs include the upcoming Marvel TV show, Ironheart, a Twister “sequel” called Twisters, and a sci-fi drama currently on the 2024 movies schedule called Distant.

Dominique Fishback (Elena Wallace) 

Joining Noah on his adventure with the Transformers, where her archeological expertise comes in handy, is Elena Wallace — arguably the biggest role to date for Dominique Fishback, outside of her BAFTA-nominated role in the Judas and the Black Messiah cast as Deborah Johnson. Before then, she led the 2018 drama, Night Comes On, appearing in The Hate U Give the same year, starred in the Netflix original sci-fi movie, Project Power, in 2020, starred opposite Samuel L. Jackson in Apple TV+’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey in 2022, and led Amazon Prime’s Swarm cast the following year.

Dean Scott Vazquez (Kris Diaz)

As Noah’s younger brother, Kris, we have Dean Soctt Vazquez, who last worked with Ramos when he made his feature film debut in the In the Heights cast as Sedo, following small guest roles in hit TV shows like Manifest and Mr. Robot. In 2022, the up-and-comer starred in a crime thriller called 9 Bullets and began voicing the title role of Nickelodeon’s Santiago of the Seas before starring in the feature-length comedy, Theater Camp, which comes out July 2023.

Luna Lauren Velez (Mrs. Diaz)

Starring as Noah and Kris’ mother is Luna Lauren Velez, who has previous experience playing the mother of a blockbuster's heroic lead character, having voiced Rio Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its 2023 sequel, Across the Spider-Verse. The actor is even better known for her TV roles, such as Maria LaGuerta in the Dexter cast, Dr. Gloria Nathan on Oz, and her recurring stint on How to Get Away with Murder as Soraya Hargrove. 

Tobe Nwigwe (Reek)

As Noah’s friend, Reek — a character inspired by Caple Jr.’s late friend, according to the director’s Instagram post — is Tobe Nwigwe in his feature film debut. The rapper’s previous acting credits include four episodes of the hit Netflix dramedy, Mo, and a role on creator Issa Rae’s funny Max original TV show, Rap Sh!t.

Peter Cullen (Optimus Prime)

Continuing his long-standing tenure as the voice of Optimus Prime is Peter Cullen, who is, undoubtedly, best known for playing the leader of the Autobots. However, the legendary voice actor has plenty more iconic roles to his name, having done vocal work for creatures like King Kong in the 1976 remake of the monster movie classic, the Predator in the 1987 original, and the Gremlins in the holiday horror movie classic from 1984, as well as the voice of Eeyore in countless Winnie the Pooh titles.

Ron Perlman (Optimus Primal)

Someone also known for lending his deep, distinct voice to many animated projects — most often as comic book villains like Clayface or Deathstroke — is Ron Perlman, who voices the gorilla-like leader of the Maximals, Optimus Primal. Some of the veteran actor’s best-known live-action roles include the title hero of Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy movies, Clay Morrow in FX’s Sons of Anarchy cast, and Sterling Frost, Sr. in Peacock’s Poker Face cast more recently, to name a few.

Pete Davidson (Mirage)

Voicing a scrappy, sometimes rebellious Autobot named Mirage is Pete Davidson, who already has some notable voice acting roles on his impressive resume, including security guard Jerry in The Angry Birds Movie 2 and the titular Great Dane from Netflix’s Marmaduke movie. Some of his biggest roles include making his comic book movie debut as Blackguard in 2021’s The Suicide Squad, as a victim of a party game gone horribly wrong in Bodies Bodies Bodies, and fictionalized versions of himself in both The King of Staten Island and the Bupkis cast.

Peter Dinklage (Scourge)

Voicing Scourge — the leader of the Terrorcons — is Peter Dinklage, who has also lent his voice to the Angry Birds Movie franchise as Mighty Eagle, as well as the Ice Age movies franchise as Captain Gutt, and The Croods: A New Age voice cast as Phil Betterman. 

The four-time Emmy winner (all for his Game of Thrones cast stint as Tyrion Lannister) previously starred in live-action blockbusters like X-Men: Days of Future Past (in which he played the designer of a group of villainous robots) and Avengers: Infinity War (as a giant named Eitri), as well as giving memorable performances in smaller films like 2017’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Cyrano, as the title character, in 2021.

Michelle Yeoh (Airazor)

Voicing a winged Maximal named Airazor is Michelle Yeoh, whose previous blockbuster roles include two different MCU characters (Aleta Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Ying Nan in the Shang-Chi cast), while her voice acting roles include the Soothsayer in Kung Fu Panda 2 and Yuki in the Paws of Fury cast, more recently. 

The Malaysian-born Academy Award winner (for the Best Picture Oscar winner, Everything Everywhere All At Once) rose to fame by kicking butt in great action movies like Supercop and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon before stealing the show in the Crazy Rich Asians cast and the Disney+ original TV show, American Born Chinese.

Liza Koshy (Arcee)

As a loyal Autobot named Arcee, we have accomplished dancer and Internet personality Liza Koshy, who last played a movie character based on a popular toyline when she voiced Zipp Storm in 2021’s My Little Pony: A New Generation, in addition to voicing herself on Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? As for her live-action roles, her first major big screen credit was 2016’s Boo! A Madea Halloween before being cast on Hulu’s horror TV show, Freakish, landing her own YouTube original TV show (Liza on Demand), starring in Netflix’s 2020 dance movie, Work It, and judging contestants on NBC’s Dancing with Myself. 

Cristo Fernández (Wheeljack)

Wheeljack — an Autobot with ace mechanical skills — is voiced by Cristo Fernández, who is best known from Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso cast as Dani Rojas. Previously, he had a small role in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home mid-credit scene as a bartender serving an out-of-place Eddie “venom” Brock (Tom Hardy) and, that same year, played a human taking on some very volatile aliens in the sci-fi comedy Creatures.

John DiMaggio (Stratosphere)

Stratosphere — an autobot disguised as a rickety military transport jet — is only the latest of many Transformers (on the big or small screen) played by accomplished voice actor John DiMaggio. He has far too many iconic roles to list here, but among the most notable include another haywire robot named Bender from Futurama (formerly), various DC characters (including one chilling depiction of the Joker), and Jake the Dog from Adventure Time, to name few. 

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Nightbird)

One of Scourge’s most fearsome and skilled Terrorcons is Nightbird, who is voiced by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez — the first transgender actor to be a part of the Transformers franchise and first to be nominated for a Lead Actress Emmy for playing Bianca Rodriguez on Ryan Murphy’s ballroom culture-inspired drama, Pose. The successful stage actress also starred in Netflix’s  tick, tick… BOOM! cast and later starred in Apple TV+’s Loot opposite Maya Rudolph in 2022.

Colman Domingo (Unicron)

As Unicron — the huge, planet-eating Transformer the Terrorcons answer to — we have Colman Domingo, who has never played such a frightening character before, but has starred in some frightening titles with his starring role in the Fear the Walking Dead cast and supporting role in the Candyman cast from 2021. The Emmy winner (for his guest spot in HBO’s Euphoria cast) has also starred in quite a few fact-based titles (such as Lincoln, 42, Selma, The Birth of a Nation, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Zola), previously worked with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson for 2018’s Assassination Nation, and starred opposite Michael B. Jordan in the Amazon Prime original movie, Without Remorse.

Now that we have uncovered who plays the “robots in disguise” and their human allies/enemies, you are prepared to see Transformers: Rise of the Beast in theaters now!

Summer is here, and audiences expecting to see a number of big movies hit the theaters before Labor Day won’t be disappointed. After Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse enjoyed box office success, this weekend will bring even more popcorn-popping fun with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback are the two human stars in the franchise’s seventh live-action film, and the reviews are here to give fans an idea of whether or not this will be where they spend their movie ticket money this weekend. 

Rise of the Beasts is set in the ‘90s and introduces some fan favorite characters with the Maximals from Beast Wars. Pete Davidson also joins the universe as the Autobot Mirage, and critics’ first reactions were calling Davidson the scene-stealing MVP of the movie. Now we can dive a little deeper into what they think of the movie, and we’ll start with CinemaBlend’s review of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Our own Mike Reyes rates the film 3.5 stars out of 5, calling it the best of the series, though he says the Maximals don’t get as much screen time as you’d expect. He continues: 

Jonathan Sim of ComingSoon.net rates Rise of the Beasts 6 out of 10, admitting that it’s an entertaining film and one of the strongest in the franchise. That’s not saying much, though, as the director struggles to find his voice, the critic writes: 

Siddhant Adlakha of Polygon says the inclusion of the Maximals gave Steven Caple Jr. the opportunity to bring something new to the franchise; however, the critic says the beasts don’t factor into the film as much as one would hope from a movie with this title. The review concludes: 

Jeremy Mathai of SlashFilm feels the movie was merely trying to justify its existence, but Pete Davidson is a breath of fresh air. The critic rates it 5 out of 10 stars, saying: 

Christian Zilko of IndieWire also expresses disappointment in the movie, noting that the titular beasts don’t have much of an impact on the movie that lacks a plot that audiences can invest in. The critic grades the movie a D and says: 

It sounds like critics have some gripes where the plot of the movie is concerned, but ultimately many of them agree it offers some of the nostalgia, robotic battles and big explosions that fans of the franchise have come to expect. If you want to check this one out for yourself, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opens in theaters on Friday, June 9. Special screenings are also being held that will allow ticket-holders to see the movie a couple of days earlier on June 7. 

Be sure to check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what other flicks are headed our way soon, including many family-friendly options this summer. 

Much like how we saw the succession of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Solider when Sam Wilson officially took on the Star-Spangled mantle, Ironheart will see the anticipated succession of Iron Man from Tony Stark to teen genius Riri Williams. After meeting the young prodigy in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, we’ll get to see her as a lead when Ironheart hits Disney+ sometime in the next year or so as one of Marvel’s many upcoming shows.

In anticipation of this exciting addition to the MCU, here are the actors who've been unveiled for the Ironheart cast.

Dominique Thorne

Dominique Throne will be our leading lady in Ironheart, taking on the role of Riri Williams. We got to know the character when Riri appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Thorne’s prodigy is an extremely intelligent technology genius. In the comics, she decides to continue Tony Stark’s legacy after he ends up in a coma, and she is trained by an A.I. duplicate of the man behind Iron Man. While we don’t know if that will be her origin in the MCU, we do know Thorne's version learned from another young genius when she and Shuri, the princess and tech wiz of Wakanda, crossed paths. 

Before joining Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dominique Thorne had roles in the critically acclaimed films Judas and the Black Messiah, which also starred Black Panther’s Daniel Kaluuya, and If Beale Street Could Talk, which featured WandaVision and The Marvels star Teyonah Parris. 

Anthony Ramos

While Anthony Ramos’ character in Ironheart has been kept fairly under wraps, we know a bit about Parker Robbins. In footage shown at D23, according to IGN, Ramos’ character was shown, and afterward, Kevin Feige and Ryan Coogler revealed that he was in fact The Hood, one of the great street-level villains in the world of Marvel. 

As for the actor under the hood, Ramos’ stardom has been rising since he played John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the smash Broadway hit Hamilton. His other major role was in the film adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s first musical In The Heights, where he led the cast as Usnavi, and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, he's also in the legacy sequel to Twister, Twisters. 

Lyric Ross

Lyric Ross has been brought on to Ironheart to play Riri’s best friend, but sadly that’s really all we know about her character at the moment. The actress is best known for her work on the hit NBC drama This Is Us, where she played Déjà, the daughter Randall and Beth adopted when she was a teenager. Ross also led the cast of the stop-motion film Wendell & Wild, which also starred Black Panther’s Angela Bassett, as well as Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. 

Alden Ehrenreich  

All we know about Alden Ehrenreich’s involvement in Ironheart is that he’ll play a key role. The actor joins the MCU after starring alongside the OG Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., in the cast of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Ehrenreich is arguably best known for playing a younger Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Since then, he starred in the series Brave New World, and along with this MCU project, his recent schedule has included Oppenheimer, Cocaine Bear and Fair Play. 

Cree Summer 

You may not recognize her at first glance, but you've likely heard Cree Summer’s voice before. She is an extremely successful voice actress, with over 300 credits to her name. She is the woman behind characters like Susie Carmichael in Rugrats and All Grown Up!, as well as Princess Kida in Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Witch Haggar and other characters in Voltron: Legendary Defender, and Nebula in the animated Guardians of the Galaxy series. Summer is also well known for her role as Freddie Brooks in the NBC sitcom A Different World, which was on in the ‘80s and ‘90s. 

According to Deadline, Summer joins Ironheart in an unknown role. While her role is not confirmed, I personally would not be surprised if this successful voice actress acted as a J.A.R.V.I.S. or F.R.I.D.A.Y. equivalent in Riri’s suit. 

Manny Montana 

Deadline confirmed that Manny Montana would be joining the cast of Ironheart in an unknown role. The actor is likely best known for his role as Rio in the Good Girls cast. He has also appeared in other major shows, including Graceland, Westworld, Rosewood and Mission Force One. 

Shakira Barrera  

Shakira Barrera will be joining the Ironheart cast in a recurring role, according to Deadline. The actress was part of the iconic GLOW cast as Yolanda Rivas. The show was tragically canceled by Netflix unexpectedly, but Barrera has moved on to other projects. The actress has consistently worked and appeared in small roles on various shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Shameless. Along with Ironheart, she also has a film called Don’t Open the Door in the works.

Regan Aliyah  

Ironheart will be Regan Aliyah’s biggest role to date. Deadline confirmed she would be playing an unknown role in the upcoming Marvel series. Along with acting, Aliyah is also a rapper with multiple songs, including “BROWS” and “What's Next.” When the news was announced that she was cast, the actress posted on her Instagram about her excitement, saying “manifestation is a wild thing innit.” 

Zoe Terakes 

Zoe Terakes has been cast in a key, but not confirmed, role, according to Deadline. You may recognize them from when they starred alongside Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Shannon and Luke Evans in the cast of Nine Perfect Strangers. They also had roles in Wentworth, Janet King, Unravelling and Talk to Me. 

Shea Couleé

Shea Couleé is an iconic drag queen known for being on RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. She placed in the top four on her first season of Drag Race, then won All Stars in 2020 and then competed again on the 2022 season of All Stars. Along with the popular show, she is also a musician with songs like “Let Go” and “Your Name.” 

She will join the Ironheart cast as an unknown character according to Deadline, but I’m sure she will be fierce in whatever role that is.  

Harper Anthony  

Harper Anthony is a newcomer to acting, at only 9 years old, The Wrap reported that he will appear in Ironheart in an undisclosed role. The young actor has appeared in independent projects like Vulture City and City of Vultures, and he had a small role on the NBC hit Chicago Med. 

Paul Calderon 

Paul Calderon joins the Ironheart cast in an unknown role, according to Deadline. The actor from Puerto Rico is known for his roles in films from the ‘90s like Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms and King of New York. He has also had recurring roles on many shows, including Boardwalk Empire, Fear the Walking Dead and Bosch.  

Sonia Denis 

Sonia Denis is a writer, stand-up comedian, and actress. She will be joining Ironheart in an unknown role, according to Variety. Before this MCU project, she had roles in Set It Up and the animated series BoJack Horseman. She was a writer on the popular comedy series A Black Lady Sketch Show, and her stand-up routines have been aired on Comedy Central. 

While many of these characters are still shrouded in secrecy, the cast alone makes me extremely excited for Ironheart. As we wait for this exciting show, you can check out Marvel’s upcoming movies in the meantime. Also, you can stream the original three Iron Man movies, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the rest of the Marvel movies in order, with a Disney+ subscription. 

When it comes to animated films, DreamWorks is one of the kings. From Shrek to How To Train Your Dragon, DreamWorks has made some amazing films in its time. My personal favorite has always been the amazing biblical musical, The Prince of Egypt, but now, a new film has come to join that list of awesome animated movies - The Bad Guys. 

Debuting as part of the 2022 movie release schedule, The Bad Guys is the latest DreamWork's venture, which follows a gang of animals who are criminals and try to pull off the ultimate heist, but when they are caught, have to pretend they want to be reformed citizens. Here is the cast of The Bad Guys and where you might have seen or heard them before. 

Sam Rockwell (Mr. Wolf)

Mr. Wolf is the leader of the “Bad Guys” gang, and he is voiced by the superbly talented Sam Rockwell. Don’t be surprised if that name sounds familiar, as Rockwell is certainly one of those actors you’ve seen or heard many times before. 

In terms of movies, Rockwell has been in a variety of films, both critical and box-office hits. Some of these movies include Lawn Dogs, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Matchstick Men, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Moon, Seven Psychopaths, Richard Jewel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Stephen King adaptation, The Green Mile, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Way Way Back, Vice, Jojo Rabbit, and many, many others. 

Rockwell hasn’t been as active in television as he has in movies, mainly keeping his talents to the big screen. However, one of his biggest TV roles was voicing the character Vic Reynolds in the animated Netflix TV series, F is for Family. 

Marc Maron (Mr. Snake)

Next up in The Bad Guys, we have Mr. Snake, the second-in-command to Mr. Wolf who's voiced by Marc Maron. Primarily a stand-up comedian, Maron is known for his comedy and many guest-spots on late night shows, such as the Late Show with David Letterman or Late Night with Conan O’Brien. However, he has plenty of acting credits that you might recognize him from, as well. 

Maron has had roles in films like 2019’s Joker, Get A Job, Sword of Trust, Stardust, To Leslie, Respect, and more. He has also had experience in television. From 2013-2016, he starred in his own show, called Maron. He’s also had roles in shows such as Harvey Beaks, Easy, the Netflix series, GLOW, and many other small guest roles that you might have seen him in before. 

Anthony Ramos (Mr. Piranha)

Moving on to the next member of The Bad Guys, Anthony Ramos voices Mr. Piranha, who is the youngest of the gang and has a bit of a temper. Ramos has been making a name for himself the last few years with his musical and acting talent, so I wouldn’t be surprised if you have heard of him. 

Ramos was a part of the original cast of Hamilton, which was released on Disney+ in 2020 and gave him even more exposure. Since then, Ramos has appeared in a variety of movies and television shows. He was a part of the In the Heights cast as the lead character, as well as having smaller roles in movies like Godzilla: King of the Monsters, A Star Is Born, Trolls: World Tour, and more. 

Ramos is also no stranger to television. He had a big role as Mars Blackmon in She’s Gotta Have It, as well as a big role in Season 4 of In Treatment, and a guest role on the Starz series, Blindspotting. He’s also going to be in the upcoming Disney+ series, Ironheart, so keep an eye out for this one. 

Craig Robinson (Mr. Shark)

The fourth member of The Bad Guys gang is Mr. Shark, who is a supposed master-of-disguise. He is voiced by Craig Robinson, a hilarious actor and comedian who has been in many movies and television shows that you might recognize him from - or, at the very least, recognize his voice. 

Robinson has appeared in many big screen comedies, including This Is The End, Hot Tub Time Machine, Pineapple Express, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Sausage Party, and more. He’s also done a few dramatic films, with roles in movies like Dolemite is My Name and Morris from America. 

However, I know Craig Robinson originally from his work on television. One of his most prominent characters was Darryl Philbin as part of The Office cast. He’s also had many roles in other shows such as The Cleveland Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, American Dad!, Ghosted, and more. Robinson has also stepped into hosting a little bit, with his gigs on both The Masked Danced and Your Attention Please. Currently, he stars as Craig in Killing It on Peacock. 

Awkwafina (Ms. Tarantula)

Last but not least for the gang members in The Bad Guys, we have Ms. Tarantula, voiced by the talented Awkwafina. I’m sure at some point over the last couple of years you’ve heard Awkwafina’s name, and for good reason, as the actress is so funny and a star. 

Awkwafina has been in many films over the last few years. Some of her best include Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, being part of the Raya and the Last Dragon cast, and a big role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. She’s even going to be in the upcoming The Little Mermaid live-action remake as Scully. 

The star has also had a lot of experience in television as well. Awkwafina stars in her own series called Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, a comedy, but she’s also had other prominent roles as well, including a voice role in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, as well the host of Tawk. 

Richard Ayode (Prof. Rupert Marmalade IV)

Next up, we have Professor Rupert Marmalade IV in The Bad Guys, who is voiced by the talented Richard Ayoade. Ayoade has been in a number of movies and TV shows during his career, so you might have seen him in a couple of things before. 

With movies, Ayoade has appeared in many films such as The Watch, The Double, The Boxtrolls, was a part of the Soul cast, and many more. Ayoade has also been very prominent in television. His biggest role this far was portraying Maurice Moss in the comedy, The IT Crowd, but he’s also appeared in many other shows such as Time Trumpet, The Big Fat Quiz, Strange Hill High, Gadget Man, Travel Man, Apple & Onion, and many others. 

Zazie Beetz (Diane Foxington/The Crimson Paw)

Moving on, we have Zazie Beetz, who voices Diane Foxington in The Bad Guys, otherwise known as The Crimson Paw. Zazie Beetz is a name I’ve grown very familiar with over the last several years, due to her iconic portrayal of Vanessa in the FX series, Atlanta, which just returned for Season 3. 

However, Beetz has done more than just that and has been in many TV shows and movies. Some of her best known work thus far has been playing Domino in Deadpool 2,  Joker, Wounds, Dead Pigs, Geostorm, Lucy in the Sky, The Harder They Fall, and more. She’s also going to be in the upcoming Brad Pitt-led film, Bullet Train. 

Beetz's television works besides Atlanta includes playing Noelle in Easy, having a guest spot on Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone, and voice roles in Robot Chicken. 

Lilly Singh (Tiffany Fluffit)

Tiffany Fluffit, a news reporter in The Bad Guys, is voiced by Lilly Singh, and as someone who grew up watching her, it is so cool to see her in a big-time movie like this. Lilly Singh got her start making sketches on her YouTube channel, Superwoman, but then broke out into the mainstream media when she started to host her own late-night talk show, A Little Late with Lilly Singh. 

Even though she hosted her talk show for two seasons, Singh has also had a variety of television and movie appearances. Some of her movie roles include a voice role in Ice Age: Collision Course, Bad Moms, and more. Her TV appearances include small guest roles in shows such as Life in Pieces, Fahrenheit 451 (which was a made-for-TV film), The Simpsons, Medical Police, and a recurring role in the Hulu original series, Dollface. She’s also a judge on Canada’s Got Talent. 

Alex Borstein (Misty Luggins)

Last but not least, we have Alex Borstein, who voices Misty Luggins in The Bad Guys. I’m sure if you’re a voice-actor fan, you’ve heard of Alex Borstein, who has done an extensive amount of voice work during her career, but one of her biggest roles thus far has been voicing Lois Griffin in the iconic animated show, Family Guy. 

However, besides her big voice role, Borstein has done plenty of other parts as well in both movies and TV shows. Some of her movie work includes Catwoman, Little Man, The Lookout, Killers, Ted, the stopmotion film, ParaNorman, Love the Coopers, Extinct, The Angry Birds Movie, and more. 

Her other TV roles include being a part of MADtv and doing several sketches, guest roles on Gilmore Girls, voices on Robot Chicken, voicing Latoyah in Slacker Cats, portraying Lou Deckner in Shameless, Dawn Forchette in Getting On, Susie Myerson in the Amazon Prime original series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and many others. 

With such a large cast, it’s no surprise that all of these characters are played by such talented actors and actresses. Maybe now you've found a new show or movie to watch because of them. Hopefully they’re not as bad as the Bad Guys gang in their other projects, though. 

We know there are those of you out there who root for the bad guy. DreamWorks Animation must know it too, and their upcoming movie The Bad Guys gives you plenty of them (duh). The trailer for the film, which shows off its A-list cast, makes it look like a pretty fun heist flick, with even some Reservoir Dogs inspiration, but what else can we expect from Pierre Perifel’s feature directorial debut? The critics have screened the movie, and they’re here to help us figure that out.

Voicing the animated bad guys are Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Anthony Ramos, Craig Robinson and Awkwafina. This group of criminal animals who, upon being caught, pretend to attempt to reform themselves as model citizens. However, leader of the pack Wolf (Rockwell), is unexpectedly drawn to change his ways for real. So what’s the verdict? Let’s check out what the critics have to say, starting with the CinemaBlend review of The Bad Guys. 

Our own Eric Eisenberg rates it 3 out of 5 stars, saying while the movie looks fun, it never really tries anything interesting. He says it’s impossible not to notice similarities to 2016 hit Zootopia, and this one doesn’t stack up favorably to the Disney film:

Tom Santilli of Movie Show Plus doesn’t give the film quite as much credit, grading it a D. He says the film’s premise is ripe for fun, but there’s nothing good to be found, and the audience — both the children and the adults accompanying them — deserve better:

However, for some audiences, it’s hard to beat a redemption story, and Danielle Solzman of Solzy at the Movies enjoyed this one, rating it a 4 out of 5. She draws attention to the beautiful animation — which is one point the critics agree on, even in other, less favorable reviews. Solzman says: 

Frank Schek of The Hollywood Reporter says The Bad Guys is “criminally fun” — especially with some older-generation references to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs for the grown-ups — although the final act devolves into manic vehicular mayhem. This critic especially likes the casting of well-known actors who are actually well-suited to the roles:

Aaron Neuwirth of We Live Entertainment rates it a 7 out of 10, saying The Bad Guys incorporates plot twists, compelling character reveals, and engaging action sequences with plenty of space left for jokes and sight gags:

Josh Spiegel of SlashFilm rates the movie 6.5 out of 10, saying it has its charms but doesn’t quite stand up to some of its Pixar peers, including Luca and Turning Red. He also mentioned the animation style, which he says is a nod to Aaron Blabey’s book series that the movie is adapted from:

It sounds like critics are all over the place on The Bad Guys, but they do agree on the beautiful animation. Many also mention that the film tries to provide enough shout-outs to other movies to keep the adult portion of the audience on their toes while the kids are otherwise distracted by the more expected child-geared humor (yes, I’m talking about fart jokes). 

If you want to check this one out, you can soon. The Bad Guys premieres in theaters on Friday, April 22. While you’re at it, take a look at our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what other films are coming soon. 

It’s been seven years since the famous #OscarsSoWhite hashtag first went around after the Academy released a nomination list where all 20 acting nominations were given to white actors, which would be repeated in 2016. So where are we now? There is some POC talent being recognized in the performance category ahead of this year’s Oscar telecast, but the 2022 Academy Award nominations, only twenty percent are non-white nominees. This is especially disappointing considering how many incredible performances were left out of the race. 

The only non-white actors in the running for a performance Oscar this year are King Richard’s Will Smith and The Tragedy of Macbeth’s Denzel Washington in the Best Actor category (both of which have been recognized by the Academy before) alongside first-time nominees Ariana DeBose and Aunjanue Ellis in the Best Supporting Actress category. Now let’s take a look at great performances the Oscars overlooked. 

Colman Domingo (Candyman/Zola)

Let’s start with a Best Supporting Actor that was not among those picked by the Academy, but absolutely deserves to be recognized for his performances. Colman Domingo. The more “award season” pick is Zola, but the more I think about it, Domingo also pulled off an incredible performance in Candyman as well that I'd also pick over a couple of this year’s other nominees. In Zola, Domingo gives an affecting performance as a man on a stripper road trip (based off a real Twitter thread) as his character of Abegunde "X" Olawale takes us on a rollercoaster ride of emotion and intensity as the secrets of the plotline are uncovered. 

Additionally, Domingo is an absolute highlight in Candyman as William "Billy" Burke, a Cabrini-Green resident who forwards the Candyman legend through Yayha Abdul-Mateen II’s character. All around, Domingo is proving again and again he’s one of the best actors working today and deserves more recognition for his work. Hopefully when TV nominations come around he’ll get some love for his role on Euphoria as well. 

Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car) 

The Oscars have clearly been making an attempt to recognize more foriegn films in recent years, especially with the historical 2020 Academy Award moment when Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite won Best Picture. Ahead of this year’s telecast, there’s a key international feature being recognized, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car. But how do you recognize that film without its guiding lead performance, Hidetoshi Nishijima?

The Japanese actor carries a huge weight in the drama about an actor/director as he mourns a profound loss throughout the three-hour film. The performance is very internal and stoic, which is especially difficult for an actor to communicate to audiences. As crowded as this year’s Best Actor category is, Nishijima’s role in Drive My Car is something special. You can check out the movie now with an HBO Max subscription. 

Dev Patel (The Green Knight)

Throughout Oscar history, only a few actors of Indian descent have nabbed an acting nomination. Merle Oberon in 1935, Ben Kingsley four times between 1983 and 2004 (including his win for Gandhi) and Dev Patel in 2017 for Lion. The actor should have earned his second nomination this year (this time in the Best Actor category) for his role in The Green Knight. 

David Lowery’s perilous journey through the legend of Sir Gawain asks a lot of the actor as 90 percent of the film puts the focus on his character. Dev Patel plays a reluctant protagonist who must face the elements as he travels to meet the Green Knight along with driving an emotional narrative that subverts long held tropes about what it means to be a hero. 

Taylour Paige (Zola)

The Best Actress category this year is jam-packed with talent including Jessica Chastain, Olivia Colman, Penélope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Kristen Stewart’s memorable performances, but it’s clearly skewed toward not only the experiences of white women, but privileged white women (with the exception of Cruz). It’s too bad the Academy overlooked Taylour Paige’s performance as a part-time stripper in Zola. 

Along with the wild based-on-a-true-story road trip movie being entertaining, it also highlights the very real threats that Zola got mixed into. In Zola, the stripper becomes wrapped into the world of sex work and other dangerous activities she did not want to be part of, and it's made more real through Paige's performance. 

Ruth Negga (Passing) 

Rebecca Hall’s Passing adapts a classic ‘20s novel about the topic of “racial passing” in 1920s Harlem through the narrative of two old friends Clare and Irene, played by Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson. Both actresses deserved more recognition for their work on this film, not only at the Oscars but during award season in general. Ruth Negga plays Clare Bellew, a Black woman who lives as a white passing woman during the era, with a white husband and all. 

Things change for Clare when she spots her childhood friend Irene passing for white at a club and they strike up a conversation. Negga’s performance is very unique in that there’s a restraint about the character, who seems to be very much putting on a mask through her demeanor to fit into being white passing. The audience watches as she lets loose a bit with Irene’s social circles. Overall, Negga represents a huge part of history and continued uncomfortableness to be in one’s skin, especially as a light-skinned Black woman. 

Tessa Thompson (Passing) 

The second performance in Passing that the Oscars overlooked was with Tessa Thompson. Whereas Ruth Negga plays a woman in passing, Thompson’s role as Irene is more reserved and quieter, but just as powerful. Irene sometimes lives in passing, but typically lives out a life as a Black woman. She’s a more passive character than Clare, but both women’s arcs and dynamics drive the powerful story that is Passing.

Jennifer Hudson (Respect)

The final pick here is the most surprising snub because everything about it seems to scream Oscar nomination. Jennifer Hudson has long been attached to playing Aretha Franklin in a biopic. Before the Queen of Soul died in 2018, she picked Hudson to play her and all these years later it came together with Respect. The actress and singer beautifully transforms into Aretha in this film that takes her from being a shy preacher’s daughter to a powerhouse. 

Experts fully predicted Hudson to be nominated for her second Oscar with Respect, and yet she was snubbed this year from the Best Actress category. It’s especially shocking because most performance nominees award actors portraying well-known people. 

Despite these performances not getting a voice in this year’s Academy Awards, you can tune into the Oscars when they air on ABC on Sunday, March 27. 

Anthony Ramos' star keeps on rising at a quick clip, as the Hamilton and In the Heights lead is set to capitalize on his upcoming role in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts with another big franchise introduction, this time in the form of a mystery-cloaked role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At the moment, it looks like Ramos has been cast for the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart, and fans shouldn't assume that this will be a one-and-done appearance.

It’s not clear at this point who Anthony Ramos will be playing within the world of Ironheart, but it does sound like the role will live on beyond that lone Disney+ series. As an example, Deadline reports that Ramos’ character will first appear in one series before showing up in future projects, in a way that is comparable to Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror, who was introduced in stunning fashion in Loki ahead of his more villainous turn for the third Ant-Man film. (Presumably Ramos will appear in both streaming shows and feature films, though that wasn’t specified.)

Considering we already know that Dominique Thorne is set to portray Riri Williams, otherwise known as the heroine Ironheart, it’s easy to conceive a world where Anthony Ramos will serve as an overarching villain. Which villain is hard to discern, considering how wide-ranging Marvel’s rogues galleries can run, but some recent rumors have pointed to Ironheart possibly tying back into the MCU’s origins with Iron Man by introducing Ezekiel Stane, the son of Jeff Bridges' Obadiah Stane from the first film. There are obvious issues with certain details there, with genetics being one of them, so we're not putting all our eggs in that basket just yet. 

Not a whole lot of information is out there just yet regarding Ironheart, beyond the general notion that it will center on the young female hero Riri, who takes over the most badass suit of armor this side of (the late) Tony Stark. The character's live-action debut will actually take place during Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is currently set to bow in theaters ahead of Ironheart's premiere on Disney+. Things could obviously change on that front, but it's definitely a good sign for the upcoming streaming series to be moving forward with casting other noteworthy parts. Allegedly, anyway. 

Beyond the Transformers and MCU roles, Anthony Ramos will be part of the voice cast for The Bad Guys animated adaptation, as well as the sci-fi thriller Distant, which also stars Game of Thrones vet Kristofer Hivju. He'll also be lending his voice to the upcoming animated fairy tale series Fables, which is based on the beloved DC/Vertigo comic book series of the same name. 

For those who can't wait to see him back in action in any variety, fans can rewatch Hamilton for the 97th time on Disney+, while In the Heights and In Treatment are both available on HBO Max. Check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule for all the other upcoming shows hitting the small screen soon, with Ironheart hopefully joining that list in the near future.

There have been great heist films and there have been animated movies featuring anthropomorphic animals getting in all sorts of hijinks released over the years, but with The Bad Guys, we’ll get the best of both worlds. The upcoming DreamWorks Animation film, which has a voice cast featuring Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, Anthony Ramos, and other notable stars, will make its debut in Spring 2022, and will hopefully provide an answer for the question: can a bad guy go good?

If this is the first you are hearing about The Bad Guys movie, worry not because we have a whole vault full of information about the animated adventure including its release date, information on the cast, and other great details that will perk up your ears.

The Bad Guys Will Be Released Theatrically On April 22, 2022

The Bad Guys will provide thrills and laughs when it opens in theaters on April 22, 2022. The latest movie from DreamWorks Animation was originally slated to open theatrically on September 17, 2021, but the movie was postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and was later pushed back once again, per Deadline.

Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina And Anthony Ramos Lead The Bad Guys Voice Cast

The Bad Guys features one hell of a voice cast that includes Academy Award Winners, Golden Globe recipients, and several of the most respected comedic actors and comedians in show business today.

Leading the pack is Sam Rockwell, who provides the voice of Mr. Wolf, a seasoned thief who will do anything to keep his tight-knit group together no matter the cost. Awkwafina takes on the role of Ms. Tarantula, aka “Webs,” a hacker not too different from her Ocean’s 8 character. Anthony Ramos, hot off In the Heights, portrays Mr. Piranha, the muscle of the group. Marc Maron, of GLOW and WTF with Marc Maron Podcast fame, takes on the role of a safecracker Mr. Snake. Craig Robinson, a fixture of The Office cast, voices the master-of-disguise Mr. Shark.

Other members of The Bad Guys cast include Richard Ayoade, Zazie Beetz, Lilly Singh, and Alex Borstein, to name only a few.

The Bad Guys Follows A Group Of Animal Criminals Who Attempt To Fool The World Into Thinking They’ve Gone Good

According to the official plot synopsis by DreamWorks Animation, The Bad Guys centers on Mr. Wolf and his gang as they are finally caught in the act following years as being the world’s most-wanted villains. To keep his crew from spending the rest of their natural lives behind bars, Mr. Wolf brokers a deal: leave behind a life of crime and become law-abiding citizens. There’s just one thing, the fearless bandit has no intentions on being good (or so he thinks).

The Bad Guys Is Based On Aaron Blabey’s Series Of Children’s Books Of The Same Name

The Bad Guys, which was co-written by Etan Cohen, is based on the highly successful series of children’s graphic novels of the same name by author Aaron Blabey. According to a 2018 Variety report, millions of copies of The Bad Guys books have been sold over the years, and the original, released in December 2016, has ended up both the USA Today and New York Times best-seller lists. To date, there have been 14 books released in the series, with several more slated for release in 2022 and beyond.

Making his directorial debut with The Bad Guys is longtime DreamWorks animator Pierre Perifel, who previously worked on titles including Monsters vs. Aliens, Shrek Forever After, Rise of the Guardians, and Kung Fu Panda 2, to name only a few. Etan Cohen’s prior work includes Idiocracy, Tropic Thunder, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, and Get Hard, which he also directed.

Production On The Bad Guys Continued Remotely Throughout The Pandemic

Although most live-action productions (save for Malcolm & Marie, which was shot during quarantine) were forced to endure extensive delays during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a great number of animated films were able to continue through quarantine thanks to animators, designers, and voice actors working remotely. The Bad Guys was one of the productions mentioned among films that were being worked on remotely. 

In May 2020, when the pandemic was still in its early stages, Deadline reported that DreamWorks Animation projects like Croods 2, The Boss Baby: Family Business, and The Bad Guys were just a few of the animated projects that were able to avoid major delays in production. This list also included Tom & Jerry, Sing 2, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Soul, all of which have been released at this point in time.

We Could Be Able To Watch The Bad Guys Streaming On Peacock As Soon As 45 Days After Release

In the past few years, studios have turned to different methods of distributing movies to the masses. We have seen it with the Warner Bros. 2021 release model which saw the studio’s slate of films open in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously, while others, like Paramount and Universal, have elected to run with a model in which their major releases end up on their respective streaming services, Paramount+ and Peacock, a certain amount of days after opening in theaters.

According to Deadline, this will be the route Universal takes with The Bad Guys and the rest of the studio’s 2022 slate, which will all end up on Peacock as soon as 45 days after their theatrical and PVOD debut. The article also points out that it is unclear if the studio has plans for any additional day-and-date releases on Peacock like Halloween Kills, which debuted on the streaming service in October 2021.

The Bad Guys Trailer Offers A Glimpse Of The Action And Humor In The Animated Heist Movie

In December 2021, Universal Pictures gave the world its first look at The Bad Guys and its crew of thieves as they find themselves in one perilous situation after another. The two-minute trailer offers a glimpse at just some of the action and humor that will be featured in the latest offering from DreamWorks Animation while also not giving too much away. See for yourself:

If The Bad Guys is half as exciting as its trailer, there’s a lot to look forward to seeing when it opens in April 2022.

Expect to hear more about The Bad Guys (and hopefully find another trailer) before it opens in theaters (and later on Peacock). In the meantime, now is the perfect time to read up on all the other upcoming 2022 movies.

Dreamworks Animation is about to debut its newest feature film and it looks like a hilarious heist movie. It's also starring an impressive ensemble of voice talent including Sam Rockwell, Anthony Ramos, Awkwafina, Marc Maron, and more. It's called The Bad Guys. Check out the trailer up top. 

Sam Rockwell is the Big Bad Wolf, or as he's called here, Mr. Wolf. He's got a whole crew that he works with to carry off massive scams, that includes Mr. Snake (Marc Maron), Mr. Shark (Craig Robinson), Mr. Piranha (Anthony Ramos), and Ms. Tarantula (Awkwafina). However,  when Mr. Wolf gets a taste of what it's like to be one of the good guys, he decides to change the focus of his team and try to do good instead.

The trailer gives the general rundown on the story, including what appears to be an early caper from Mr. Wolf's team. We see that Ms. Tarantula is the one at the computer keeping an eye on things for the team from a tech standpoint. Mr. Shark is the grifter in disguise. Mr. Wolf seems to have a particular talent as a pickpocket, while Mr. Snake is the safecracker. All your standard heist tropes are here. 

The Bad Guys looks like it could be a great one. It's got the fun style that always comes with a good heist movie. At the same time, it looks hilarious. I'm not quite sure why all these characters seem to spend a large portion of the movie wearing onesie pajamas, but I can't wait to find out. 

You have to love a good heist movie, and The Bad Guys looks to be an exciting adventure while also being a funny comedy. There are clear Reservoir Dogs inspirations here, even the characters' names make one think of the Quentin Tarantino movie, and while the younger audience laughing at this one won't get that joke, it's likely one of many jokes that will be there primarily for the adult audience. 

As with most studios right now, there's a huge focus on franchises and Dreamworks has been trying to build its own with everything from Trolls to Boss Baby. But every once in a while you need to do something new in order to have new franchises to build. The Bad Guys certainly could be that. If the audience likes this adventure, future heists are always possible. 

Dreamworks has put together a remarkable slate of animated features that has been second to Disney in quantity, but the quality is quite usually top notch. From the How to Train Your Dragon adventures to the Kung Fu Panda movies Dreamworks has been able to blend adventure and comedy incredibly well, and The Bad Guys looks like another potential success.

2021 was probably the worst year in the Golden Globes’ 77 year history. They were rightfully called out earlier this year for a total lack of Black members, as well as other unethical practices, resulting in NBC refusing to air their ceremony for 2022. 

The HFPA is currently in the process of making reforms to their organization, and has recruited 21 new members this year (their total prior was about 86). It was uncertain if the HFPA would even announce nominees and winners for the films of 2021, but on October 15th they confirmed they would hold a ceremony in some capacity, with nominations to be announced December 13th at 6 A.M. PST. 

A consequence of the chaos this year for prognosticators is that we don’t actually have confirmation on what films will be campaigned in comedy or musical, making predicting films like CODA much more difficult. So in my predictions below I’m also predicting category placements.

Motion Picture Drama

If Belfast, Dune, King Richard, and The Power of the Dog don’t all show up here, I’d be shocked. In my mind that leaves open one slot for a wildcard to sneak in. Part of the challenge predicting this year is that we don’t know which films will be slotted in comedy or drama. If CODA is in drama, I think it has a shot here. Despite underwhelming reviews, we shouldn’t underestimate Nightmare Alley or Being the Ricardos either. Spencer and The Tragedy of Macbeth could certainly contend, as could either of Ridley Scott’s films: House of Gucci and The Last Duel. Right now I’m hesitantly predicting CODA, but I expect to be swapping out this slot up until nomination morning.

Drama Actor

Will Smith (King Richard), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog), and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth) are near-locks in this category. The remaining two slots are tricky, as much of the competition they’ll face at the Oscars is on the comedy/musical side. Joaquin Phoenix has a shot for his understated performance in C’mon C’mon (assuming that’s in drama), and though it's a long shot, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nicolas Cage sneak in for Pig. For now, I’m predicting Javier Bardem for his portrayal of Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos, and Bradley Cooper for Nightmare Alley.

Drama Actress

Don’t bet against these four: Kristen Stewart (Spencer), Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye), Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos) and Lady Gaga (House of Gucci). As for that final slot, Penélope Cruz and Olivia Colman are certainly in the conversation for their roles in Parallel Mothers and The Lost Daughter respectively, but those films could be a little under the radar for the Globes. They love actors who play musical icons (see Andra Day’s shocking win last year), so I’m predicting they’ll nominate Jennifer Hudson for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect. 

Motion Picture Comedy / Musical

This was the best year for musicals in recent memory, and unlike some years, the Globes have plenty of riches to pick from in this category. West Side Story, Tick, tick… Boom!, Cyrano, and In the Heights all have a great shot to make it into this lineup. But they’ll be competing with comedies Licorice Pizza and Don’t Look Up. I expect the lineup will be pulled from these six films. In the Heights and Cyrano are probably the most vulnerable of the musicals. Though recency bias would favor Cyrano, I’m predicting it to miss, as it’s the least acclaimed the bunch. Or maybe both will show up at the expense of Don’t Look Up, whose divisive reactions could work against it.

Comedy / Musical Actor

There are four actors in this lineup that no one should be betting against: Andrew Garfield (Tick, tick… Boom!), Peter Dinklage (Cyrano), Leonardo DiCaprio (Don’t Look Up), and Anthony Ramos (In the Heights). The final slot is keeping me up at night. I would love for them to go with Simon Rex for Red Rocket, but that’s probably wishful thinking. I could honestly see them going for Ansel Elgort in West Side Story, but in a year where the organization is on thin ice, I think they’ll know better than to bring that sort of controversy their way. I’m perhaps optimistically going with Cooper Hoffman for Licorice Pizza. Although he is young and hasn’t been as seriously in the awards conversation as his co-star Alana Haim, it certainly helps that he is part of a bigger overall contender. 

Comedy / Musical Actress

The two no-brainers here are Alana Haim for Licorice Pizza and Rachel Zegler for West Side Story. I also expect Emma Stone may pretty easily get a nomination for Cruella, considering that things start to get a little thin beyond here. If CODA is in comedy, Emilia Jones will be nominated. And if Haley Bennett is lead for Cyrano, I’d say the same. If not, the most realistic options in my mind are Melissa Berrera (In the Heights), Jennifer Lawrence (Don’t Look Up), and Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World). I am far too cynical to pick the latter, but I would jump for joy if it happened. I’m settling for Berrera and Lawrence for now.

Supporting Actor

I’m expecting both Ciaran Hinds and Jamie Dornan will make it in for Belfast and Belfast respectively. Jared Leto has a shot here for House of Gucci, especially considering he was surprise nominated for The Little Things last year. For the remaining two slots there are a lot of options. Jon Bernthal has a great shot at coat-tailing off of King Richard. And I’d love to see Robin de Jesus in for Tick, tick… Boom!, a film I expect they’ll adore. I’m predicting those two for now. Kodi Smit-McPhee has been garnering lots of critics awards, but I’m skeptical he’ll perform as well with certain major precursors. Troy Kotsur has been gaining steam for CODA, but like Yuh-Jung Youn or Paul Raci last year, he may be too unknown for the HFPA. I’m also watching out for Mike Faist (West Side Story), Bradley Cooper (Licorice Pizza), and Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar). Unfortunately I don’t have much hope for Jason Isaacs (Mass).

Supporting Actress

Four performances widely expected to be nominated here are Ariana Debose (West Side Story), Caitriona Balfe (Belfast), Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard), and Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog). Fighting for that last slot we have Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley), Meryl Streep (Don’t Look Up), Ruth Negga (Passing), and Ann Dowd (Mass). I am also considering Rita Moreno for West Side Story. Though this is somewhat of a long shot, it could be a great moment for the Globes to pick a veteran all-star for what will likely be their favorite musical there. But considering how CODA seems like it’s starting to take off, I’m going with Marlee Matlin.

Director

The contenders who seem most likely here are Steven Spielberg (West Side Story), Kenneth Branagh (Belfast), Denis Villeneuve (Dune), and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog). Many are predicting Paul Thomas Anderson for Licorice Pizza. I am skeptical. The director has never been nominated for a Golden Globe before. We can’t count out Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up), who was nominated for Vice and The Big Short. Nor should we underestimate Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) or Guillermo del Toro (Nightmare Alley). However, I’m going with Lin Manuel Miranda for Tick, tick… Boom! Some would call this a long-shot, but I think the film is stronger than many are assuming and this feels like just the kind of celebrity actor-director nomination they’re notorious for embracing.

Screenplay

To make up for the director snub, I’m predicting Paul Thomas Anderson will land his first Golden Globe nomination in screenplay for Licorice Pizza. I also feel confident writer-directors Jane Campion and Kenneth Branagh will be nominated for their widely celebrated films. Despite Being the Ricardos’ lackluster reviews I cannot in good conscience underestimate 7-time nominee, 3-time winner Aaron Sorkin in this category. I’ve got my eye on Don’t Look Up here, as well as King Richard. But I feel the love for West Side Story will be so strong that Tony Kushner will take a nomination.

With the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award nominations both taking place Monday the 13th, there will surely be a lot to discuss in terms of how it shapes the Oscar race. Check back here on Cinemablend for more awards analysis in the coming weeks.

Ever since the Transformers live-action franchise came into the picture in the summer of 2007, it has become one of the most successful, yet divisive, movie properties with titles that range from great to borderline offensive. And, for the most part, the series has focused on the centuries-long war between the friendly Autobots and the antagonistic Decepticons, so much so that there isn’t much ground left to cover in the long-running animosity between the two. 

That will change with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which will bring into the fold characters from the iconic CGI-animated series, Beast Wars, and throw them into the middle of New York City (and other locations) where they’ll interact with characters played by Anthony Ramos and other non-robotic lifeforms. Below is a quick rundown of everything we know about the upcoming movie and several reasons we should all be very excited for one the biggest upcoming 2023 movies.

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Will Be Released June 9, 2023

The Summer 2023 blockbuster season is shaping up to be one of the busiest in quite some time, with movies like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Fast X, and The Marvels all slated to hit the silver screen. There’s one more title to add to the busy, action-packed release schedule: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which is slated to open June 9, 2023.

The latest movie in the Transformers franchise was originally scheduled to open theatrically on June 24, 2022, but Paramount Pictures elected to postpone the rollout and instead release the movie on the June 2023 date that was originally tied to the upcoming Star Trek movie (it is now slated for a December 22, 2023 release), according to Deadline.

The Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Cast Includes Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Peter Cullen, And Ron Perlman

Over the years, the Transformers film franchise has always seen humans and robots interact for various reasons, and that tradition will continue when Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opens. This time around, Hamilton and In the Heights star Anthony Ramos will be taking on the human lead in the picture, when he portrays a Brooklynite named Noah, according to Collider. Appearing alongside Ramos will be Judas and the Black Messiah standout Dominique Fishback, who will be portraying an artifact researcher working in New York City named Elena. Luna Lauren Vélez, of Dexter and Oz fame, as well as rapper Tobe Nwigwe are also part of the movie’s human cast.

The latest Transformers movie will also see the return of Peter Cullen, who will once again provide the voice of Optimus Prime, the fearless leader of the Autobots. The movie will also see the live-action debut of Optimus Primal, the leader of the Maximals, who, instead of turning into a vehicle, can transform into a gorilla. Providing the voice of this iconic character will be Ron Perlman, according to another Collider report.

More than a year after the initial round of casting announcements, more additions to the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts cast were announced, including in October 2023, when Deadline reported that Everything Everywhere All At Once star and Time’s 2022 Icon of the Year, Michelle Yeoh, would be voicing the Maximal Airazor and that Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson would be voicing the Autobot character, Mirage. Then in December 2022, Deadline confirmed more additions to the cast, including that Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage would provide the voice of the Decepticon scanner, Scourge. 

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Is Set In 1994 And Will Focus On The Ancient Conflict Between The Maximals, Predacons, And Terrorcons

When Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opens in theaters in the summer of 2023, it will take audiences back to 1994 New York City (though parts of the film will take place in Peru), where they will follow Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback’s characters as they find themselves in the middle of an ancient conflict between three factions: the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons. Although a lot of the finer details have yet to be revealed at this point in time, experiencing a new story with characters who have yet to appear on the big screen will surely be a breath of fresh air for the franchise and its diehard fans.

The Movie Will Also Serve As An Origin Story For Optimus Prime

In addition to introducing the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will also serve as an origin story for Optimus Prime and will follow him as he first arrives on Earth, according to Variety. During a June 2021 virtual event attended by the outlet, it was revealed that Optimus Prime will look more like the character first introduced during the classic animated series and line of toys in the 1980s and less like the version seen in the movie franchise starting with 2007’s Transformers. It was also reported that other classic characters like Mirage, Arcee, and Bumblebee will all appear in the upcoming release.

This Is The First Time The Beast Wars Mythology Has Been Explored In A Live-Action Transformers Movie

Surprisingly, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be the first time the deep and rich mythology of the 1996 CGI-animated spinoff series, Beast Wars (which later had a continuation titled Beast Machines), will be explored in a live-action movie. 

Over the course of three seasons and 52 episodes (as well as multiple comic books), Beast Wars told the story of the Maximals (descendants of the Autobots) and the Predacons (the show’s version of Decepticons) whose fight over a mysterious artifact known as the Golden Disk leads them to travel through a wormhole that spits them out on an ancient Earth. With no modern vehicles to mimic, the robots transform into different animals ranging from a gorilla (Optimus Primal) to a dinosaur (Megatron).

The Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Trailer Brings Classic Beast Wars Characters To Life

Fans of Beast Wars who have been waiting more than 25 years for a live-action movie finally got to see characters like Optimus Primal, Cheetor, and more in December 2022 when Paramount Pictures released the first trailer for the upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and those classic Maximals have never looked better.

But, the trailer did more than just provide a first look at the Maximals in action, as the preview also showed off all the shiny Autobots and Decepticons that will appear in the movie, as well as the human characters caught in the middle of the machine-on-machine action. 

Creed II Director Steven Caple Jr. Is Helming Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

Stepping in to lead the charge behind Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is Steven Caple Jr., who is best known for directing Creed II in 2018. In November 2020, Deadline reported that Caple, who also directed two episodes of grown-ish, had been tapped to direct the film based on a script written by Job Harold. Shortly before production wrapped on the seventh installment in the Transformers film franchise in October 2021, Caple took to Instagram to show off some of the toys he was getting to work with while on set in Peru. And, while he has been mum on any additional plot details, Caple looked more than stoked to hang out with his “squad” of Autobots.

Anthony Ramos Had To Get His Driver's License For Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

When Anthony Ramos signed on for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, director Steven Caple Jr. had one request for the Broadway star: get a driver’s license. During a September 2021 appearance on the Sprout Podcast, Ramos revealed that he never really had a reason to get a driver’s license because he grew up taking the train (and later Uber) anywhere he needed to go in his hometown of New York City. That all changed when he was getting ready for the upcoming Transformers movie, which features a lot of cars and plenty of driving:

Anthony Ramos passed his driving test, secured his license, and has been able to fulfill his duties on the set of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, though he made sure to point out that he wasn’t doing any crazy car stunts or anything like that.

That about does it for all the information we have on Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, but make sure to keep checking up on the other upcoming Transformer movies coming down the line.

The multitalented Lin-Manuel Miranda became a household name thanks to the global sensation that is Hamilton. But Miranda’s first Broadway musical In the Heights was recently adapted for film, directed by Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Jon M. Chu. One sequence from the song “Blackout” has gone viral thanks to a TikTok challenge, and Miranda recently joined in on the fun with some Broadway talent.

After In the Heights hit theaters and HBO Max, one particular part of the movie started going viral thanks to a new social media challenge. The challenge sees two people reenact Usnavi and Vanessa’s fight during “Blackout”, with Anthony Ramos and Barerra even swapping roles to play along. Now Lin-Manuel Miranda did his own version, joined by original Vanessa actress Karen Olivo. Check it out below.

I mean, how delightful is that? The original Usnavi and Vanessa have reunited, and got to lip sync to one part of the In the Heights that they never got to on Broadway. Namely because the now famous “Blackout” happens to Nina and Benny in the stage version. Let’s break it all down.

The above video comes to us from the personal Twitter of Lin-Manuel Miranda. He’s super active on social media, so it makes total sense that he’d join in on the trend happening over on TikTok. And as the caption reads, it turns out that Nina actress Leslie Grace helped her co-star actually get this clip together. I guess it looks easier than it was.

Since In the Heights was released, more and more versions of the “Blackout” challenge have arrived on social media. Some folks have done the back and forth solo, while others do duets. As a reminder, you can check out Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barerra’s version below

Lin-Manuel Miranda and his original Vanessa actress Karen Olivo have collaborated a number of times aside from their work on In the Heights. They’d work together when Olivo starred as Anita in West Side Story, and did a production of Tick, Tick… Boom! together. Olivo also went on to play Angelica Schuyler in the Chicago production of Hamilton.

In the Heights had an interesting release, as it hit both theaters and HBO Max simultaneously. The movie adaptation also arrived as moviegoers are just returning to theaters, resulting in a somewhat disappointing box office performance. But there’s also the movie’s streaming numbers to take into account.

For his part, Lin-Manuel Miranda has a number of exciting releases coming down the line. He’s voicing the title character of Sony Animation’s Vivo, while also providing musical numbers. Miranda will also make his directorial debut in the film adaptation of Tick, Tick...Boom! starring Andrew Garfield.

In the Heights is still in theaters now, although it’s no longer streaming. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera are two of the biggest standouts from the film adaptation of In The Heights. They perfectly embodied their characters and helped countless new fans fall in love with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Tony-winning musical. Maybe the fact that they were so good in their roles is what makes their recent TikTok collab, in which they swap roles to take on a now-viral moment from the film, especially addictive.

Recently, Anthony Ramos shared a clip featuring Melissa Barrera on his social media accounts. The two actors, in split screen, lip sync their way through a snippet of the song “Blackout” from In The Heights, with Barrera taking on Usnavi’s lines and Anthony Ramos playing the role of Vanessa. Take a look at the hilarious video here:

If you haven’t seen In The Heights, the actors are reenacting a dramatic moment during a neighborhood-wide street party when their characters argue about their devotion to each other before Vanessa storms away. It's a powerful scene and one that's definitely a highlight in a film with so many other memorable moments.

On the surface, it may seem like a random moment for the pair of actors to recreate. However, the scene itself has gone viral on TikTok, where according to Newsweek, fans who haven’t even seen the film yet can’t stop replaying the verse and using it in their own videos. They’re seemingly more obsessed with the way Ramos delivers his character’s bruising line than they are concerned with plot details.

When celebrities join in on a social media trend, it can go a few different ways. Sometimes, it produces hilarious results, while other times it ends up feeling like they ruin the joke by trying too hard to be in on it. Thankfully in this case, Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera nailed the assignment. From Barrera’s impassioned frustration to Ramos’ inspired t-shirt -- er, hair -- flip, they fully committed to the bit and upped the ante for anyone else hoping to latch onto the clip’s virality.

While there has been some backlash surrounding casting in the In The Heights adaptation, the movie’s release has still been a big career moment for both of the actors. They’ve both earned critical praise for their convincing turns as the film’s romantic leads. Ramos was already making a name for himself, thanks to his work in both the stage and screen versions of Hamilton but, now that he’s proven he can carry a high profile film, he’s leveled up. In The Heights is Barrera’s first major Hollywood film role and, thanks to her compelling performance, it’s one that has already helped her make major career moves.

So it’s nice to see both of them make the most of this moment -- and also have a chance to have a little fun with it, too. In The Heights is currently playing in theaters.

While In The Heights was met with near-universal praise from critics when it was released in June, it also received accusations of colorism and backlash for the lack of Afro-Latinx representation. Both director Jon M. Chu and Lin-Manuel Miranda have since responded to the criticism. Now, the film’s star, Anthony Ramos, has also weighed in on the controversy surrounding the musical.

When Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’ In The Heights hit Broadway in 2008, many people saw it as a step forward for Latinx representation in musical theater. So when Jon M. Chu’s long-awaited film adaptation was finally announced, fans were thrilled that they’d see that representation on the screen as well as the stage. In The Heights follows the optimistic Usnavi as he dreams and dances his way through three days in his Washington Heights neighborhood. That neighborhood in New York City was officially designated as the ‘Little Dominican Republic’ in 2018 due to the large number of residents who identify as Domincan (via Patch).

Fans hoped that the characters on screen would reflect the makeup of Washington Heights -- including its Afro-Latinx population. But the cast is primarily comprised of actors with lighter skin. Anthony Ramos, who plays Usnavi in the In The Heights film, recently told the Associated Press that he’s seen the criticism of the film’s lack of Afro-Latinx representation, and that he sees it as a chance to learn and do better in the future:

The actor was direct and honest in his response to the situation. He also made it clear that he thinks the accusations of colorism in In The Heights are not a topic that is up for debate and expressed support for those who called out the lack of Afro-Latinx representation should be heard:

Anthony Ramos’ feelings regarding the In The Heights criticism are similar to those of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who tweeted a statement and apology. Miranda has been candid about the making of the production, even detailing the studio pushback he received regarding the casting of lesser known stage actors.

In The Heights is currently playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max.

Last summer we were treated to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton on Disney+, amidst theater closures over the (usually) fiery box office season. And this year, Miranda’s first musical, In The Heights, has a dazzling adaptation from Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu and is now on the big screen and HBO Max at the same time. S how will it do in ticket earnings?

Although the convenient option is certainly there for HBO Max subscribers per Warner Bros 2021 movie model, box office earnings still play a major role in the measured success of a film. In The Heights tells the story of a predominantly Latinx community in Washington Heights, New York, in an industry where this community is underrepresented. Ahead of the film’s opening earnings, there are some projections in place for In The Heights.

The critically-acclaimed movie is expected to debut at No. 1 against the opening of Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway at an estimated $24 million debut gross. The numbers were calculated by Box Office Pro ahead of the film’s first showings on Thursday and Friday. Now, that the weekend is starting to roll along, In The Heights could actually be performing under expectations at a number closer to $15 million.

In The Heights’ first screenings started Thursday evening and continued on to Friday, racking up a reported $5 million ahead of Saturday and Sunday, per Forbes. Although it seems like In The Heights will remain modest amidst recent box office darlings like A Quiet Place Part 2’s deafening $57 million opening weekend, we should keep in mind that in the past, musicals have opened low and developed long box office legs across a matter of weeks and months.

For example, 2017’s The Greatest Showman had an unimpressive opening weekend, starting its time in theaters at No. 4 with $8 million but rode a long wave as its songs and word of mouth caught on. It ended its run with a $434 million worldwide gross, becoming one of the highest grossing musicals of all time.

It will be a test of COVID-era box office economics to see if In The Heights can follow in the Hugh Jackman film's footsteps while also being available to view at home on HBO Max. Though it should be noted that the streaming service has not stopped other Warner Bros movies from doing well at the box office. Godzilla vs. Kong has become one of the most successful movies of 2021 so far, with a $441 million worldwide gross, surpassing its predecessor’s earnings from 2019.

Additionally, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and Tom & Jerry have managed to stick solid numbers while streaming on HBO Max. For the time being, it looks like In The Heights won’t have the most impressive first weekend of the summer season, but we’ll keep watch at how it progresses this weekend and beyond. The Lin-Manuel Miranda musical could still surprise us this season.

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Fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s lyrics and music in Broadway shows like Hamilton and Jon Chu’s style and sensibilities exhibited in Crazy Rich Asians are surely bursting at the seams waiting for the arrival of the film adaptation of In The Heights. And there’s good reason to be. Everything from the film’s depiction of the vibrancy of the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan to its story about a bodega owner imagining of a better life for himself and his community, In The Heights has all the makings of great, timeless masterpiece.

But with all of the excitement surrounding the movie, its stellar cast lead by Anthony Ramos, you might have looked over just how you can watch In The Heights streaming when it premieres Thursday, June 10, 2021. Fear not for we have put together a quick rundown of all the ways you can watch the new musical, based on Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, both now and in the future…

Where To Watch In The Heights Streaming

Just like all the other major Warner Bros. 2021 theatrical releases, In The Heights will be streaming on HBO Max on the same day it lands in theaters. And while everyone is excited to go back to the theaters, especially for a musical that looks as fun and moving as In The Heights, this release model will give everyone the opportunity to watch the adaptation of the Broadway sensation, as long as they have an internet connection and an ad-free subscription to HBO Max.

Starting Thursday, June 10, all you will need to do is open the HBO Max app on a compatible streaming device or the website, search for In The Heights, and press play. Before you know it, you’ll be transported to the hot and bustling streets of the Washington Heights neighborhood.

As noted, an ad-free subscription to HBO Max is required to stream In The Heights on the platform when it premieres. Warner Bros.' 2021 movies premiering same-day on HBO Max will only be available to ad-free subscribers. If you're on the ad-supported tier, you'll have to wait until the movie eventually comes back to HBO Max in the coming months after its initial 30-day run. 

If you're not an HBO Max subscriber, you can sign up here.

When Will In The Heights Be Available On DVD/Blu-ray?

And just like all the other Warner Bros. 2021 releases, In The Heights will only be available on HBO Max for 30 days from the day of its initial release. But don’t worry because it probably won’t be long before the movie ends up on VOD services and eventually home media like Blu-ray (and stunning 4K). An exact date for the VOD release has not yet be announced at this time, but if we go off the timeline for one of the studio’s more recent 2021 films, Godzilla vs. Kong, it looks like we can see In The Heights on digital services at some point before summer’s end.

Godzilla vs. Kong opened in theaters and on HBO Max on Wednesday, March 31, and eventually found its way to digital platforms on VOD on May 21, 2021, a little less than two months after its initial release. If we go with that model, In The Heights could be available on VOD services as early as late July or the beginning of August. The Legendary MonsterVerse movie will also be released on DVD/Blu-ray on June 15, which means we could see the new musical’s physical release before Labor Day. But again, no date has been confirmed for that, so we'll have to wait and see.

Hamilton And Other Great Lin-Manuel Miranda Movies And Shows To Watch Streaming

Either before or after watching In The Heights, it’s safe to say you probably want to check out some of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s other movies and TV shows that you either haven’t seen in a while or didn’t know the Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning singer and composer helped create. From Hamilton to Mary Poppins Returns and Moana to The New Electric Company, there’s a lot to check out.

Stream Hamilton on Disney+.

Stream Mary Poppins Returns on Disney+.

Stream Moana on Disney+.

Stream The New Electric Company on Hulu.

And remember, In The Heights is just one of many Warner Bros. movies coming to theaters and HBO Max before the year’s end, so make sure to check out the full schedule of 2021 new movie releases so you don’t miss a thing.

This poll is no longer available.

The cast of In the Heights including Anthony Ramos (Usnavi de la Vega), Jimmy Smits (Kevin Rosario), Dascha Polanco (Cuca), Corey Hawkins (Benny), Melissa Barrera (Vanessa), Leslie Grace (Nina), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Daniela), Gregory Diaz IV (Sonny), Olga Merediz (Abuela Claudia) and director Jon M. Chu discuss their new Lin-Manuel Miranda musical movie adaptation in this interview with CinemaBlend’s Corey Chichizola. Find out why Anthony Ramos prefers In the Heights over Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton and more!

Video Chapters

00:00 - Intro

00:48 - The Cast Talks "96 Thousand" And Jon M. Chu's Amazing Visuals

04:14 - Jon M. Chu On In The Heights' Visuals And Character Moments

05:48 - Melissa Barrera Talks Bringing The New Vanessa To Life

06:45 - Anthony Ramos On Why Hamilton Fans Will Love In The Heights

09:17 - How The Cast Feels About Certain Songs Getting Cut

14:34 - Olga Merediz and Daphne Rubin-Vega Discuss Process From Stage To Screen

16:42 - Dascha Polanco On Bringing A New Character To In The Heights

You can see In The Heights in theaters and streaming on HBO Max June 11.

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In 2018, director Reinaldo Marcus Green released Monsters and Men, one of the hidden gems of that year. It’s a film that stars three very popular rising actors: Anthony Ramos, John David Washington, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. Monsters and Men is a thought-provoking film that challenges viewers to ask questions, make choices, and rise up when faced with difficult decisions. The Monsters and Men ending further supports the film’s goal of starting an engaging conversation about what happens next.

Monsters and Men addresses topics of police brutality, the Black Lives Matter movement, and cop culture. It’s the type of movie that leaves an impression long after the credits roll. Monsters and Men doesn’t want to tell you what to think and feel about the movie and the situations presented in it but, instead, wants to inspire you to navigate your own path with this complicated topic. Let’s explore the Monsters and Men ending and how it sparks conversations.

What Happened At The End Of Monsters And Men

Zyrick's (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) father throws him a party to celebrate the night before his baseball showcase. Instead of staying to celebrate, He leaves to join the protest about the Darius Larson (Samuel Edwards) shooting. His father attempts to stop him by saying that things like this will continue to happen and it’s not worth risking his future, his ticket out.

Zyrick still decides to go. The protest starts off peaceful but eventually gets a bit out of hand. He returns home to his disappointed father. The next morning, Zyrick, his coach, and the scouts are excited to see him play. Meanwhile, Zyrick continues to ponder the events of last night. While getting ready for his game, he decides to put on a protest shirt that says “I Am Darius Larson” and heads to the baseball field. He takes a knee and Monsters and Men fades to black.

Why The Unresolved Monsters And Men Ending Works

Monsters and Men ends on Zyrick’s story, but each ending of all three men’s stories offers no resolution. Manny's (Anthony Ramos) story ends with him being arrested for allegedly selling a gun to a child. We see throughout Zyrick and Dennis's (John David Washington) stories that his girlfriend Marisol (Jasmine Cephas Jones) and activists like Zoe (Chante Adams) are continuing to fight for his freedom. However, there are no answers about whether the charges against Manny are ever dropped.

Dennis’s story ends with him choosing to protect his police brothers, specifically Scala (Steve Cirbus), by not helping the investigation into the Darius Larson shooting. We don’t know if he continues to remain silent or if one day, he’ll speak up. Zyrick chooses to fight for what he believes in but we never learn the effects of this action. Does he lose his chance to be recruited into the minor leagues?

In an interview with Pop Matters, Monsters and Men director Reinaldo Marcus Green discussed how in real life, we often don’t get things like this nicely resolved and all our questions answered. He wanted to at least give viewers some direction on the path that Dennis, Manny, and Zyrick were embarking on in their lives, but no definite conclusion for their stories. Green also added that characters like Dennis have no defined endpoint. It’s an ongoing battle of whether to speak up or to remain silent.

The Monsters and Men ending for each man feels realistic because, in this complex situation, there isn’t any real conclusion or definite path. It’s a constant struggle and chain reaction of choices.

Three Very Different Men With The Same Problem

Dennis, Zyrick, and Manny are united in many ways. They work or live in the same Bed-Stuy neighborhood, they all encounter the same two cops, and they all have some connection to the Darius Larson shooting. They also are all connected in being young men of color who are, at some point, targeted by the police.

Monsters and Men opens with Dennis being pulled over while driving. He later tells his partner that he’s already been pulled over six times and it’s only June. Being a cop doesn’t protect Dennis from being targeted because of the color of his skin. Throughout the film, Zyrick is a model for the community, quiet, stays out of trouble, and has a bright future because of his baseball career, but he’s still stopped and searched by the police, because at the end of the day, they don’t see his accolades, they see his skin color.

Each man is also united in the dilemmas they face with the Darius Larson shooting. They all must decide whether to do nothing and continue on with their lives or to take action. Two of them take action.

Creating A Balanced Conversation In Monsters And Men

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Green revealed that the inspiration for Monsters and Men came at Sundance. He was there with friends to premiere his short film Stop. One of his long-time friends, who is a white cop, was there too because he was in the film. Later that night, the topic of Eric Garner came up. The conversation started off normally, but progressively got more heated. This conversation led to the movie and the dinner scene in Monsters and Men.

At a dinner with friends, Lisa (Cassandra Freeman) asks Dennis for his opinion on the Larson shooting. She expects him to agree that something needs to be done about it and cops need more training or something to handle these situations better. Dennis grows increasingly defensive and says that Lisa doesn’t understand how it feels to be a police officer in that situation.

Green explained that he didn’t make Dennis a white cop, like his friend, because he didn’t want it to come off as a white or black thing. He wanted to present a more complex conversation and that worked better with Dennis being black. He wanted viewers to sympathize with him and see his perspective as much as they see Manny and Zyrick’s perspectives. He wanted police officers to also have their side of the debate shown.

The dinner scene is the best way Monsters and Men displays this complex conversation, because even if you don’t agree with Dennis’s point-of-view, you understand it. You see that he means what he says when he talks about fearing for his life on the job. The film then shows two police officers dying and how that causes ripples in the police force. Their death is felt just as strongly by these police officers as Larson’s death is felt by his community.

Lisa is also right in everything that she says, and Dennis not speaking up and his conversation with his wife after the police officers’ deaths show the problematic side of cops putting each other before communities that they’re sworn to protect. Monsters and Men allows each side of the debate to get their fair share of screen time and a chance to present their case to the audience.

What Choices Are The Audience Given In Monsters And Men

In the PopMatters interview, Green said this to summarize one of the main themes and purposes of the film:

Green further explained that the audience sees how difficult these choices are for the characters, but he hoped that it would inspire the viewers to do something. He discussed that the actions that hopefully are inspired by the film don't have to be as big as protesting but could be as small as how police officers choose to approach people in the future.

In an interview with The Fall Mag, Green also added that he hoped the audience would see themselves in one of the characters and that would inspire change:

Monsters and Men has a powerful message and great performances by the entire cast. You can see Anthony Ramos, John David Washington, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in other fantastic 2021 movies being released soon. Monsters and Men is currently streaming on Hulu. Stream it here.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda became a megastar thanks to his Broadway blockbuster Hamilton, which is a worldwide sensation. The original cast also became stars, including John Laurens/ Phillip Schuyler actor Anthony Ramos. Ramos is starring as protagonist Usnavi in John M. Chu’s In the Heights, the anticipated film adaption of Miranda’s first musical. I recently had the privilege of speaking with Ramos, where he explained why Hamilton fans will love the upcoming movie.

In the Heights was the first musical that Lin-Manuel Miranda brought to Broadway, winning a slew of awards in the process. He also played protagonist Usnavi, although Anthony Ramos is taking on the mantle for the movie version. Since Ramos is also a Hamilton alum, he knows exactly why those fans will enjoy John M. Chu’s film. You can see our full conversation on the matter in the video above.

John M. Chu found a killer cast to bring the Barrio of In the Heights to life. Anthony Ramos is the one familiar face for Hamilton fans out there, aside from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s small role as The Piragua Guy. The story is much more contained than the epic tale of America’s founding, but there’s still connective tissue between the two Tony Award winning pieces. In our conversation, Ramos spoke to the personal nature of In the Heights’ story, opening up with:

Sounds like a fair assessment. While Hamilton has a human story and personal relationships at its core, it also plays out across decades of time and featured events like the Revolutionary War. In the Heights follows a community and chosen family over the course of a few days, allowing you to zero in on the interpersonal dynamics.

From the trailers, you can see why In the Heights is truly like nothing Anthony Ramos has seen. John M. Chu adds magic and fantastical moments to the musical numbers, elevating the story in the process. Sometimes this is literal, as characters dance on the side of a building while belting a love song.

Movie fans can watch In the Heights on HBO Max on the same day as theaters. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

In the Heights was a history-making moment on Broadway, with its diverse cast highlighting the different cultures that make up the Latino community. The movie will similarly be a major step forward in regards to inclusion, with people of color behind and in front of the camera. In our same conversation Anthony Ramos addressed this aspect of the movie, saying:

Hot take alert. While Hamilton currently has more fans around the world, there are folks like Anthony Ramos and myself whose heart belongs to In the Heights. We’ll just have to see how moviegoers respond to the film version, and if they go home to memorize Lin-Manuel Miranda’s stunning music.

In the Heights was originally meant to arrive in theaters last year, but was pushed back a full year alongside countless other film projects. That’s when Hamilton got moved up, giving us a Lin-Manuel Miranda extravaganza for two summers straight. But rather than a filmed stage production, In the Heights is a bonafide movie blockbuster that makes Anthony Ramos a leading man.

In the Heights will arrive in theaters and HBO Max on June 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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In the Heights is poised to push Anthony Ramos’ career in a new direction. Ramos’ presence made musical and film audiences anticipate the musical film’s eventual release. But Ramos’ impact on the Warner Bros flick goes beyond just being its charismatic lead. Director Jon M. Chu was having trouble with the musical adaptation until the actor came into the picture. The In the Heights director broke down how Ramos’ casting helped to nail down the entire movie.

Anthony Ramos was brought aboard to play In the Height’s Usnavi. The actor’s casting served as an epiphany for director Jon M. Chu. The In the Heights filmmaker said the following about Ramos’ casting impacted the much-delayed musical film:

As evident by the response to the In the Heights trailer, Jon M. Chu was right in his assessment of Anthony Ramos’ star quality and charisma. Given the momentum of Hamilton, In the Heights is the prime opportunity to push Ramos into leading man status. From all the previews, the actor has taken over the role of Usnavi from Lin-Manuel Miranda and made it his own. He serves as the center of this small community within this bigger world without taking away from other characters.

But this wasn’t the first time Jon M. Chu has sung Anthony Ramos’ praises. The director stated to The New York Times that the actor “fills every box” when it comes to being a Hollywood leading man. Chu admitted that Ramos and Lin-Manuel Miranda had to convince him about the former being the top choice. When you look at the trailer, Chu made the right choice by casting Ramos as the lead.

This wasn’t the first time Anthony Ramos’ casting was doubted. Lin-Manuel Miranda revealed that casting In the Heights was an uphill battle. Miranda spoke about Warner Bros. wanting big-name Latin stars and musicians to fill the film’s cast. Thankfully, the Hollywood renaissance man won, and rising stars such as Ramos and Leslie Grace got a chance at a big-budget musical. Even the actor expressed how gratefulness to be part of the Warner Bros. musical film.

Even before In the Heights is released, the film’s cache has paid off with more lead roles for Anthony Ramos. Given the hype for the film, both it and Ramos are poised to be among summer 2021’s most talked-about topics. Fans will get to see Ramos’ full talents on display when the Warner Bros. musical arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on June 11. You can sign up for the streaming service with this link.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda’s name is synonymous with his Broadway blockbuster Hamilton, which has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. But his first Tony-winning show was In the Heights, which was recently made into a full-blown movie musical directed by Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker John M. Chu. Actor Anthony Ramos stars as Usnavi, and recently revealed what he’s most grateful for with In the Heights.

Anthony Ramos became a household name after starring in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton. His performance as John Laurens/ Phillip Schuyler was immortalized in the filmed stage production on Disney+, and he dove back into Lin-Manuel Miranda’s catalogue when playing protagonist Usnavi in In the Heights. Ahead of the movie’s release, Ramos addressed the power of the movie’s story and representation, saying:

He’s got a great point. Part of what made In the Heights such a massive success was because it featured a cast full of people of color, encompassing a variety of Latin backgrounds. And now that the movie version is nearly here, that story will become available to an even wider audience.

Anthony Ramos’ comments to Time shows how personal the Hamilton actor feels about the upcoming release of In the Heights. It’s rare to have so many people of color both behind and in front of the camera, and the movie is a celebration of the diversity of cultures that makes up the LatinX community. And Ramos understands how this project could positively impact audiences as well as the industry as a whole.

In the Heights will be released on HBO Max on the same day as theaters. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

It’s been a big year for Anthony Ramos, thanks to Hamilton arriving last summer and In the Heights now just days away. His continued collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda has resulted in yet another dream job, one that gives Ramos top billing in a major blockbuster. And all those Hamilton fans out there can’t wait to check out another gorgeous musical, this time given the full movie treatment.

The original Broadway cast of Hamilton have all gone on to great things, and Anthony Ramos is certainly no exception. Aside from In the Heights, he was seen in Spike Lee’s Netflix series She’s Gotta Have It, with film roles in A Star is Born and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Plus he recently booked an iconic Calvin Klein ad of his own.

In the Heights is arriving in theaters and HBO Max on June 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Actors are chameleons. They can alter their mannerisms and physicality to match characters that are wildly different from themselves. But sometimes the opposite is true - a character will feel so familiar that an actor can seamlessly slip into their skin. That’s exactly how Lin-Manuel Miranda feels about Anthony Ramos, the Broadway sensation who played the dual role of John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in Hamilton.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (composer of both In The Heights and Hamilton) sang Anthony Ramos' praises in an interview with Time. He recalled the fervor with which Anthony Ramos performed the material at his Hamilton audition, even bringing in a Les Mis reference in the process:

If the way the crowd roared when I saw Hamilton back in 2016 was any indication, Lin-Manuel Miranda was right. Anthony Ramos imbued John Laurens with a passion that mirrored Enjolras, the revolutionary leader in Les Miserables. It wasn’t just the desire for change, but the unshakable conviction that what he was doing was right.

When John Laurens urged the audience to “shout it from the rooftops,” the crowd had no choice but to oblige him. And when John Laurens sang “raise a glass to freedom, something they can never take away,” it was easy to imagine him in a dusty French bar with a tricolor cockade pinned to his lapel, convincing the other members of the Les Amis de l’ABC to fight and die for the cause.

That sort of fiery enthusiasm comes naturally to Anthony Ramos, whether he’s onstage or off. He also described his daily routine when he was on Broadway and it sounds It sounds exhausting, but you would never know based on his Hamilton performance or his ever-expanding resume.

Speaking of upcoming roles, that indefatigable energy will serve Anthony Ramos well when he steps into the role of Usnavi in the upcoming adaptation of Lin Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway musical, In The Heights. Usnavi is a Washington Heights bodega owner, and his relationships with the people in his community make him the centerpiece of the story’s plot. The role was originally played on Broadway by Lin-Manuel Miranda himself, so it seems fitting that Anthony Ramos should take the reins. Anthony Ramos will also star in the next Transformers movie.

Whether Anthony Ramos is stoking the fires of revolution or selling hot cafe con leche, one thing is for certain: he’s not throwing away his shot.

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Last summer, the Disney+ release of Hamilton livened up the season dry with blockbusters during quarantine. This year, the stylings of Lin-Manuel Miranda will return to the forefront, with In The Heights coming to streaming and theaters next month. It stars Anthony Ramos as Usnavi de la Vega, a first generation Dominican-American bodega owner in Washington Heights. Before we experience Jon M. Chu’s huge movie musical, let’s go back over Ramos' best moments in Hamilton.

Anthony Ramos was part of the original cast of Hamilton, which he originally auditioned for in 2014 while doing a dance show with the Rockettes in New York City called Hearts and Lights. In the award-winning musical, Ramos famously played the dual roles of John Laurens and Hamilton’s eldest son Philip throughout the musical. The In The Heights actor was an instrumental part of Hamilton’s rise to become one of Broadway's most popular musicals. Although he had a supporting role in Hamilton, it’s worth looking back on that before his largest movie role yet.

Now if you want to follow along with us with Hamilton (especially since Broadway has yet to open and all), you can check out the show with us over on Disney+. If you're not already subscribed to the streaming service, you can do so using this link. Now onto Anthony Ramos' best music moments from Hamilton:

Aaron Burr, Sir

Early in the Hamilton musical, Anthony Ramos has a key role as John Laurens alongside Daveed Diggs’ Marquis de Lafayette and Okieriete Onaodowan’s Hercules Mulligan. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Alexander Hamilton meets the statesman at a bar soon after arriving in New York and meeting his later enemy, Leslie Odom Jr’s Aaron Burr. In the song “Aaron Burr, Sir” we are introduced to the crew, including Ramos’ memorable “yo, yo, yo” as he provides some early bars on the historical American figure.

John Laurens is one of the most fun characters in the musical and the hype man of the earlier half of Hamilton. It’s fun to see how he interacts with Lafayette and Mulligan, and even though he’s not at the center of the spotlight here, his beaming energy is easy to recognize and caught our eyes right away.

My Shot

Directly after the previous song, Anthony Ramos keeps the eyes on him with the famed song “My Shot,” where Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Alexander Hamilton shares the ideas that would make him a controversial, but important figure in history. This is a truly great moment for the crew of Laurens, Lafayette and Mulligan as they befriend Hamilton and ‘rise up’ alongside his ideas. Laurens has a major line in the song when he says that “we’ll never be truly free until those in bondage have the same rights as you and me,” before announcing that Hamilton should be placed in front of a crowd.

The last moments of the song has Laurens bringing energy to the crowd as he leads the bridge of “My Shot” and serves as a loud voice of inspiration.

The Story of Tonight

This section of Hamilton gives Anthony Ramos an especially standout moment in “The Story of Tonight” when he becomes a main voice in the song about legacy and the Founding Fathers’ aspirations of freedom as they raise a glass. Ramos’ role in the song expands later in the production as well with the “The Story of Tonight (Reprise),” where his personality additionally shines as he drunkenly and hilariously asks Aaron Burr if he has a special someone “on the side.”

However, as history goes, John Laurens does not make it into the second act. Anthony Ramos’ character dies during a gunfight during the “Tomorrow There’ll Be More Of Us” sequence in the production.

Take A Break

In Act II, Anthony Ramos switches roles to play Alexander Hamilton’s son Philip. First off, he shows up as a nine-year-old who shows promise like his father by singing a cute and fun rap during the song “Take A Break,” led by Phillipa Soo’s Eliza Hamilton. The moment between Ramos’ Philip and Eliza will have an emotional payoff later in the musical, but this sequence is especially memorable due to Ramos’ ability to seamlessly switch up roles and play a younger character. It’s a funny moment to offset the drama of the rest of Hamilton.

Blow Us All Away

As Hamilton begins to wrap up, we see a teenaged Philip Hamilton being proud of his father’s contributions and hoping to continue his legacy as an adult. In “Blow Us All Away,” we meet Anthony Ramos’ as Philip all grown up, but he has a hot head due to someone telling him that his father is a scoundrel. In response, Ramos’ Hamilton challenges the man to a duel, going to his father to tell him what’s going on.

“Blow Us All Away” takes the audience through a huge arc in a short amount of time as he speaks with his father, who tells him to stand his ground in the duel, but offers him some forewarning. The song ends with the unfortunate death of Philip Hamilton.

Stay Alive (Reprise)

Anthony Ramos’ role in the production ends with the heartbreaking moment of death of Alexander and Eliza’s son due to the duel, which will be the same fate of Alexander a few songs later. Ramos delivers a major emotional moment in Hamilton has Alexander watches his son die and Eliza softly repeats the vocal runs they’d been practicing together in “Take a Break.”

The dual roles of Laurens and Philip Hamilton really serve as the energy and heart of the narrative in a lot of ways, and Ramos’ performance was, of course, the first person to bring those roles to life through his performance. A lot of Hamilton is about the Founding Father’s feeling of death; following him and Ramos’ characters definitely fall in line with this idea. The same person playing these close people to him adds some extra weight to it and makes it feel more like a repeating pattern

Now that we’ve gone back over Anthony Ramos most famous collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda we’re even more excited to check him out in his leading role with In The Heights coming to theaters and HBO Max on June 11.

Only a little more paciencia y fe, dear readers, because Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights is almost here! His hit musical has been adapted into a feature film, and after going through developmental delays, it’s finally on its way to our screens.

In The Heights stars Anthony Ramos as Usnavi, a role that was originated by Miranda in the Broadway show. Miranda has a small role as Piraguero, or Piragua Guy, and rounding out the cast is Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace and Olga Merediz. The musical adaptation was directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) and will release in theaters and on HBO Max on June 11. We've already seen critics share their thoughts on social media, and now their reviews are rolling in, so let's take a look.

Our very own Mike Reyes rated the musical flick a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, and if that’s not an indication of a great film, I don’t know what is. He calls In The Heights one of the best movies of the year, praising Ramos for solidly anchoring the cast. He also commends the directorial vision of Chu, acknowledging that sometimes movie musical adaptations can become too stagey, but this one artfully avoids that. Reyes says:

Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly also praised Chu’s direction, calling out specific aspects of the movie (like a waltz up the side of a building) as “magical realism.” She also applauds the script, commending screenwriter Quiara Alegría Hudes for the modern updates that help add even more meaning to the story. While talking about the writing and the film overall, Greenblatt said:

Monica Castillo of The Wrap also commended Chu for his “sharp” direction (Hmmm, I’m sensing a pattern here). She also really enjoyed the dancing, giving a special shout out to the number “Paciencia y Fe,” and complimented the acting chops of Ramos and other cast members. But one of the biggest aspects of In The Heights that Castillo applauded is its beautiful representation of Latino culture. Castillo said:

Mike Ryan of Uproxx complimented the magic of In The Heights and the love and community that the film shows. He argues that it’s a perfect movie to celebrate a hopeful return to normal after such a terrible year, and urges us to see it in a theater, if possible (oh heck yeah). Ryan said:

Hoai-Tran Bui enjoyed In The Heights overall, but had several criticisms that aforementioned critics did not. She criticized Chu’s direction, like some of his framing devices that she argued create distance between the audience and the story. She also noted that some of his visual details during the dance numbers specifically are too subdued. But she highly praised the songs and splashy musical numbers overall, saying:

Well, there you have it, folks. Most critics are highly praising In The Heights, and it won't be long now until you can see it on the big screen! (See what I did there?) It releases in theaters and on HBO Max on June 11, so do not throw away your shot to see this - oh wait... wrong show.

In the meantime, check out the other films releasing this summer with our release guide.

Anthony Ramos, who has recently stripped down to his underwear for a Calvin Klein ad, is currently set to be the leading man in the new Transformers movie. The new Transformers movies are being made with some support from some Marvel talent, and a new saga is adding some serious and in-demand acting talent to its cast. Now, it would appear that Ramos will be joined by a Judas And The Black Messiah star.

The new Transformers movie has cast Judas And The Black Messiah breakout Dominique Fishback to star opposite Anthony Ramos, per Deadline. Fishback has been on the rise over the past few years, having starred in notable films like The Hate U Give and Project Power, the latter of which paired her with Jamie Foxx. It's nice to see she's following up her role in the Daniel Kaluuya-led drama with one of the biggest franchises out there.

Adding two exceptionally talented and on-fire actors to lead your franchise’s next big movie seems like a good move, especially with the sheer amount of Transformers projects in the works. The next major installment of the Transformers franchise is still in development but based on its casting choices, it’s taking its time making its decisions to ensure the franchise hits big again.

The Transformers franchise started way back in 2007 with director Michael Bay, who oversaw the series until 2017’s Transformers: Last Knight. The series’s most recent entry was the 2018 spinoff Bumblebee, which has invigorated interest in the series and the renewed focus on creating new stories in this universe.

The Transformers movies have been influential and unique in the saturated land of mega-franchises, inspiring certain aspects within films like the fantastic Godzilla vs. Kong. Having the staying power necessary to be around for over a decade and still going strong means that the Transformers franchise has a firm fanbase that is looking for even more giant robot mayhem for years to come.

Some of the stars have also expressed interest in returning for more. Bumblebee star John Cena would love to make a sequel to the 2018 hit. With bonafide stars and burgeoning ones, Transformers has a lot of options with the amount of talent it can cultivate for the future of the franchise. With these most recent films, it would seem the producers are putting strong focus on Having talented actors with great chemistry in the midst of all the spectacle that comes with the giant robots.

Dominique Fishback is definitely a strong choice for this new chapter in the Transformers franchise. She's already dipped her toe into blockbuster territory with Project Power, so she should fit in well with this series. She and Anthony Ramos should be a fun pairing, and it'll be interesting to see what kind of characters they end up playing. All in all, the two should be able to shine should they stand alongside the iconic alien machines.

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There are hit Broadway musicals, and then there’s Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acclaimed production became a worldwide sensation, catapulting the original Broadway cast into superstardom. Anthony Ramos is one of those stars, who has been appearing in a ton of TV and film projects. He also recently stripped down to his underwear for an iconic Calvin Klein ad, and In The Heights director John M. Chu wants everyone to know what’s coming next for the actor-singer.

Anthony Ramos will play the lead role of Usnavi in the upcoming In the Heights movie, which is a film adaption of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original Broadway musical. The film is directed by Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker John M. Chu, who shared Ramos’ Calvin Klein ad on social media. Check out his message below.

Talk about high praise. While Anthony Ramos has definitely gotten his fair amount of praise, John M. Chu seems to believe his starring role in In the Heights is going to catapult him to new stardom. Luckily, we won’t have to wait long before that movie is released.

In the Heights will arrive on HBO Max the same day as theaters. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

John M. Chu posted his love for Anthony Ramos over on his personal Twitter page. The praise was accompanied by the actor’s recent Calvin Klein ad, which highlights how ripped the Hamilton icon is. Although Chu seems much more focused on the star power of his In the Heights collaborator.

Anthony Ramos will be playing the central character Usnavi in In the Heights. It’s a role that Lin-Manuel Miranda himself played in the original Broadway company, as well as various other productions. He’ll be narrating the story, while we also follow the lives of his relatives and friends in El Barrio.

In the Heights was of the many film projects delayed last year, being pushed back a full year as a result. Instead Hamilton arrived on Disney+ last summer, featuring Anthony Ramos’ duel performance as John Laurens and Phillip Schuyler. But instead of a filmed stage production, John M. Chu’s upcoming movie is a full movie spectacle.

Following appearing in Hamilton, Anthony Ramos has already booked a number of major projects including Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and A Star is Born. But In the Heights will mark the first time he’s top billing, and clearly John M. Chu is excited.

In the Heights is currently set to arrive in theaters and HBO Max on June 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

No one can stop Lin-Manuel Miranda. (The man is non-stop... Get it?) First his smash hit Hamilton was filmed with the original Broadway cast and released on Disney+ last summer, and now his hit musical In The Heights (which ran on Broadway for three years, was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards and won four) has been adapted into a feature film! After going through developmental issues, the movie is finally on its way to the big screen.

In The Heights (the movie) stars Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace and Olga Merediz and is directed by Jon M. Chu. It features music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also co-produces. With a screenplay by Quiara Alegría Hudes, the movie stars Ramos as Usnavi, a bodega owner who dreams about a better life and has mixed feelings about closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic after inheriting money.

The musical adaptation will release in theaters and on HBO Max on June 11, 2021 (and Anthony Ramos has thoughts on which release option you should choose), and critics have started sharing their thoughts of the film on social media.

Our very own Eric Eisenberg saw In The Heights for the home team, and even though he's not a "musical guy," he really enjoyed it! He gives special credit to Anthony Ramos and commends other aspects of the film, such as the music (no surprise there, as Lin-Manuel Miranda never disappoints), the choreography, and the set pieces. Eisenberg said:

Erik Davis of Fandango also had positive things to say about In The Heights - in fact, extremely positive things to say. He considers the movie among the greatest New York movies ever made and a beautiful celebration of community. He also complimented the music, calling it "spectacular" (again, no surprise there!), saying:

Esther Zuckerman, senior entertainment writer at Thrillist, also has high praise for the movie. She commends director Jon M. Chu for the musical numbers of the film, noting that they are the best she's seen in a movie in years. Zuckerman said:

The positive reactions seem to be a common theme among critics. Film critic Carlos Aguilar, whose credits include the New York Times, The Wrap, Variety, and others, is singing the movie's praises! He hopes that In The Heights will be a game-changer for Latino films in Hollywood, and has such high praise for Olga Merediz as Abuela Claudia that he predicts that she will win awards for her performance. He also applauds Leslie Grace's performance as Nina Rosario, calling her a "star." Aguilar said:

Clayton Davis, Variety film awards editor, also highly praised Merediz and Grace (hmm, I'm sensing a pattern here). He considers Grace a breakout star, and argues that audiences are going to fall in love with Merediz. He also applauds In The Heights for its dynamite production of Latino voices. Davis commented:

Yolanda Machado, whose credits include ELLE magazine, Observer, and Paste, also applauds the representation of Latinx, Black, and POC communities in In The Heights. She also commended Merediz's performance, noting that she couldn't stop weeping (so grab those tissues), and praised Melissa Barrera's performance as Vanessa. Machado said:

The overwhelmingly positive reactions were not present across the board, however, though they certainly represent the majority of critics' reviews. Robert Daniels, whose credits include the New York Times, IndieWire, and The Playlist, simply wasn't a fan of In The Heights, and specifically criticized how it was shot. He said:

Well, most critics seem overwhelmingly happy with In The Heights! It seems almost cruel that we have to wait so long for the movie musical to come out in theaters and on HBO Max on June 11. Paciencia y fe, dear readers.

While we wait for this highly anticipated film to release, you can plan your next trip to the theater or your couch with our 2021 movie release guide.

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Hamilton’s Anthony Ramos is on the verge of film superstardom with the upcoming release of In the Heights. But most people became familiar with the entertainer through his turn as John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton in the record-breaking Broadway musical. Ramos, Lin-Manuel Miranda and his cast members served as an inspiration for BIPOC folks in the theatre community and beyond. So Hamilton’s success on Disney+ was no surprise. Ramos revealed his main hope for the Disney+ project during its Broadway run and beyond.

The Broadway and Disney+ success of the smash-hit musical made Anthony Ramos a household name. Hamilton’s success appears to be translating into the hype surrounding In the Heights' hybrid release. Ramos explained who he wanted the Disney+ project to inspire:

Anthony Ramos’ words about Hamilton to Remezcla fell right in line with his need to inspire others through his work. The representation and musicality of Hamilton showed not just young Latinos but young people, in general, that they can be whomever they want to be without limitations. He wanted to inspire young Latinos to chase their dream as seen in his music and acting careers. This sentiment played a role in his music as he leans into sociopolitical topics to inspire the future. As an artist, the In the Height star is very much about using his output to uplift his people to a better life. You can’t fault him for wanting to change the world through his music and acting work.

Hamilton is currently available exclusively on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

With In the Heights’ release just around the corner, Anthony Ramos has served as an inspiration to millions of young people. The multitalented entertainer has pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a Latino in a hard industry such as entertainment. His rise to prominence can translate to young up-and-comers who wish to try and do anything under the sun. Plus, Ramos’ “everyday guy” appeal makes that dream even more attainable.

Anthony Ramos has become one of Hollywood’s rising stars in recent years. The success of Hamilton pushed him into the mainstream, but In the Heights is building up to be his true breakthrough. If the big-budget musical film is a momentous success, the actor-singer could be a prominent figure in Hollywood within the next decade. By achieving that, Ramos can serve as a vessel for young people to aspire to be.

Anthony Ramos’ need to inspire others can be seen in his work. The actor will be able to inspire young Latinos when In the Heights premieres on June 17 in theaters and on HBO Max.

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The Transformers movie franchise debuted back in 2007, and has never really been far from theaters. The massive blockbusters boasted insane visual effects, plenty of Bayhem, and of course the titular robots. But plenty of actors have starred in human roles throughout the past decade and change, including Shia LaBeouf, John Cena, Mark Wahlberg, and Hailee Steinfeld. There's a new Transformers movie coming, and it looks like the project has landed a Hamilton star. Namely, John Laurens/ Phillip Schuyler actor Anthony Ramos.

Since appearing in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, Anthony Ramos has booked a ton of high-profile projects. This includes starring in Spike Lee's Netflix show She's Gotta Have It, as well as film roles like Godzilla: King of the Monsters. And according to Deadline, the actor/singer is in final negotiations to join another mysterious installment in the Transformers franchise.

While Transformers has been absent from theaters for a few years, Paramount is currently developing a few different movies. One of said movies will be directed by Creed II filmmaker Steven Caple Jr., and now it looks like Anthony Ramos may end up starring in the mysterious blockbuster. This will mark Ramos' return to big budget blockbusters, and comes shortly before his starring role in In The Heights is finally released to the masses.

Moviegoers can re-watch Anthony Ramos' acclaimed performance in Hamilton on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

It's been fascinating to see how Paramount continues to make decisions about the Transformers franchise. In addition to Steven Caple Jr.'s upcoming movie, there's also an animated blockbuster in development. Clearly it looks like the property is going to have some major changes, which should hopefully result in revived interest in the sci-fi flicks.

As previously mentioned, Anthony Ramos has some experience with giant creatures threatening the world as we know it. He played Staff Sergeant Anthony Martinez in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, so he seems super prepared to join the Transformers franchise. Of course, there will be plenty of Hamilton fans out there hoping to hear some of his smooth vocals in the developing blockbuster.

Like so many other Hamilton stars, Anthony Ramos became a household name when Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway musical became a worldwide sensation. And before the original principals departed their roles, the show was filmed for prosperity. That filmed performance made it way to Disney+ last summer, resulting in even more acclaim for actors like Ramos.

We'll just have to see how the new Transformers movies come together, as more cast members like Anthony Ramos are signed on to continue the behemoth story. With Michael Bay no longer in the director's chair, there could be a new type of Transformers movie moving forward. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

It’s no secret that the movie industry has seen some serious setbacks for over a year now, and it’s likely you don’t have to look farther than your closest theater to see that. With a lot of big films skipping theaters all together, it may seem like the experience of watching a film has shifted to solely a "stay-at-home movie night." Though some films that audiences need to experience on the big screen, and Anthony Ramos apparently feels that way about the upcoming film adaptation of the broadway musical In The Heights. Now, he has a message for those who may be leaning to stay in when watching the movie.

Anthony Ramos plays one of the leading roles in the film adaptation of In The Heights, and says he really hopes people will take the leap and watch it in theaters. During an interview on The Elvis Duran Show, Ramos spoke highly of the experience the film will give moviegoers. Here it is in the actors own words:

While we absolutely will be able to watch In The Heights in theaters, the musical film will not be releasing only to theaters. Like all Warner Bros. films this year, In The Heights will be released to HBO Max on the same day it hits theaters. That means that anyone who is waiting for the film may opt out of a theatrical experience. In the same interview, Anthony Ramos pleaded with fans to see the film in theaters, making the film’s release pushback worth it. In the musical star’s own words:

You really can’t blame Anthony Ramos for being disappointed with a smaller theatrical presence for the musical - after all, musicals are meant to have a more grand experience intended for stages and big screens. Of course, Ramos also had a role in the filmed version of Hamilton, which did not have a theatrical presence at all and was released straight to Disney+, much to the stars’ inconvenience. It’s surely his hope that he doesn’t miss out, yet again, on a big theatrical opening for a musical film.

In The Heights is set to release on June 11th in both theaters and HBO Max. However, if you heed the words of star Anthony Ramos, you’ll be wanting to see the epic musical numbers and choreography on the big screen this summer!

From the star who made “I’m not throwing away my shot” into a household phrase, Lin-Manuel Miranda brings In the Heights from the stage to the big screen – although on a smaller scale than before. While Miranda is known for creating the smash Broadway hit, Hamilton, a musical about the history of Alexander Hamilton, In the Heights was what made him known on the Broadway scene.

The winner of four Tony’s at the time of its release, In the Heights is full of fun choreography, great music, and stories that will have you crying about the beauty that is the Washington Heights neighborhood in NYC. Hamilton was able to get its big break on Disney+ this year. It’s about time that In The Heights received one as well. With all the new movies coming out in 2021, this is all we know about the upcoming musical film.

In The Heights Will Release In Theaters and HBO Max On June 18, 2021

While it was originally supposed to come out in the summer of 2020 – with the first trailer coming out way back in December of 2019 – the film was pushed back off release due to the spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

However, since the deal that Warner Brothers and HBO Max made, In the Heights will release in theaters on a new opening date of June 18, 2021, while also simultaneously coming to HBO Max for your from-home viewing pleasure.

In The Heights Is An Adapted Musical From Lin-Manuel Miranda

While it is fun to see the brand-new sets, cast, and everything else that the movie has to offer, it is important to remember that this musical got its start on the stages of Broadway, as many musicals do. Lin-Manuel Miranda, a frequent visitor to Washington Heights, considering he once lived right next to the neighborhood, thinks of the musical as a love letter to the place that he called home.

Miranda is known for his work on several other films, whether that be through acting or his musical talents. He composed all the songs in the hit Disney musical Moana for its 2016 release,and had a starring role in Mary Poppins Returns, so it’s no surprise that now that he’s broken into the mainstream, he’s bringing In the Heights to the public for many more to enjoy, as well.

The Story Of In The Heights Will Focus Around Washington Heights

As mentioned before, the premise of In the Heights will focus on the titular community, and is as follows:

While the main story does focus on Usnavi and his daily upkeep with trying to chase his dreams, In the Heights provides many opportunities for rich storytelling. With a neighborhood as diverse and beautiful as Washington Heights is, there are so many tales to tell. Oh, and if you were a fan of the rap in Hamilton, you’ll surely enjoy some of the music in this banger of a musical as well.

Expect A “Big Swing” With Bright Colors And Beautiful Musical Numbers

Fun fact: when Lin-Manuel Miranda first released In the Heights, he didn’t think it was going to be as popular as it was. Even when he was making the movie, he thought it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but more like an “indie film” than a big-time motion picture.

But, Jon M. Chu, the director who signed on for In the Heights and is more commonly known for his hit, Crazy Rich Asians, had other ideas. Lin-Manuel Miranda talked about Chu in one of his latest interviews with Variety, saying how he had these big ideas for the upcoming musical:

When I think of movie musicals, I think of big hits like Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and more, so I’m hoping that both Jon M. Chu and Lin-Manuel Miranda have stuck to their plan to make this musical as big as possible.

Hamilton’s Anthony Ramos Will Play The Main Character, Usnavi, In The Film

You might have heard of Anthony Ramos before, the starring actor who will be taking on the role of Usnavi, the energetic bodega owner from the new film. Ramos was actually one of the main actors of the original Hamilton cast, where he played both John Laurens and Philip Hamilton.

Anthony Ramos has actually been in In the Heights prior to this starring role. He actually performed in a touring production of the show back in 2012, where he played Sonny de la Vega, the cousin of Usnavi in the musical. However, he's now switched over to the main role. Talk about moving on up.

The In The Heights Cast Is Full Of Talented Actors

Besides the main character, In the Heights has plenty of star power waiting to greet us upon its release. There are several Broadway stars who will be along for the ride, including Daphne Rubin-Vega who was in Rent, Gregory Diaz who starred in Matilda the Musical, and an original cast member from In the Heights is returning in the form of Olga Merediz, as Abuela Claudia.

Several other stars have also joined the lineup from TV and movies alike. Dascha Polanco from Orange is the New Black is involved, along with Stephanie Beatriz from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Corey Hawkins from Straight Outta Compton, and more.

Watch The Trailer For In The Heights

For anyone who hasn’t seen the most recent trailer, be sure to check it out!

Get excited for June 18, because you’re surely going to be shaking your behind to the awesomeness that is In the Heights.

While a lot of people had already seen Hamilton before it debuted on Disney+ last year, the film version showed millions more people just how insanely talented the original cast of the Broadway show really was, and it seems that even the other members of that cast are clearly in awe of the talent of some of the others. Hamilton's Anthony Ramos was recently named in the Time 100, which is a list of names the magazine believes are the people to watch in every aspect of life in the coming years. His co-star Leslie Odom Jr. wrote about Ramos' talent, and now Lin-Manuel Miranda stands looking at both of them, clearly thrilled with the talents of both men.

Hamilton's writer and star took to social media to share not only the fact that Anthony Ramos made such a distinguished list, but also that Leslie Odom Jr, wrote a beautiful piece about Ramos. Miranda says that the word "pride" does not properly describe his feeling at seeing his Hamilton co-stars supporting each other so well.

Anthony Ramos is probably best known now for playing the duel roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in Lin-Manuel Miranda's play, but like so many in that cast, Ramos' abilities hadn't gone unnoticed before even then. Since then Ramos has been able to use the Hamilton platform as a sort of launchpad for his larger career. The man can sing, and the man can act. As Leslie Odom Jr. says in his original piece for Time, Ramos is both an amazing talent and simply an amazing person.

These are certainly some strong words to hear that are likely humbling for Anthony Ramos. The fact that the man is an enormous talent isn't exactly new information. Outside of Hamilton Ramos has put up some impressive work in just the last few years, but more than likely a lot of people truly realized just how good he is thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's play.

And it shows just how incredible Hamilton was as a show. To have all these incredibly talented performers in one place is the sort of thing that doesn't usually happen. Leslie Odom Jr. has been nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in One Night in Miami, and so he's got to be on the short list for Oscar consideration. If Time is really right about Anthony Ramos, it likely won't be long before he is also being mentioned in the same sentence with major film awards.

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There are hit Broadway shows, and then there's Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton. The hip hop tale of America's founding became a pop culture sensation when it debuted in 2016, sweeping the Tony Awards and winning both a Grammy and Pulitzer Prize in the process. Now Disney+ subscribers can be in the room where it happened thanks to Disney+'s Hamilton movie starring the original cast. This includes actor/recording artist Anthony Ramos, who recently explained what it was like watching the show alongside fiancee and co-star Jasmine Cephas Jones.

Hamilton made Anthony Ramos a household name, thanks to his duel roles as John Laurens and Philip Schuyler. But aside from elevating the actor's career, Ramos also found love in now fiancee Jasmine Cephas Jones (aka Peggy/Maria Reynolds). The couple were able to truly see the scope of their Hamilton legacy thanks to the Disney+ movie, with Ramos recently sharing the story of watching the finished product. As he put it,

Well, that sounds intense. It looks like Anthony Ramos realized the immortal nature of the Hamilton cast's performance while finally sitting down to watch it on Disney+. Because while countless people listened to Ramos, Jasmine Cephas Jones and company in the show's Grammy winning cast recording, now their acting performances will live on forever. No pressure, though.

Anthony Ramos shared what it was like watching Hamilton while appearing on The Late Late Show with James Cordon. Obviously much of the conversation was around Ramos' time in Hamilton where he originated the roles that eventually led a boom in his film career. It's no exaggeration to say that Lin-Manuel Miranda's show changed his life, in more ways than one. And now the actor's immortalized performance as Laurens/Philip has the potential to change the lives of future audience members who get to watch the Hamilton's original principals in performance.

Hamilton is available exclusively on Disney+. You can use this link to sing up for the streaming service.

Shortly after Hamilton opened on Broadway in 2016 it became the hottest ticket on the great white way. Prices surged, and Lin-Manuel Miranda's dense and stunning score penetrated all sorts of pop culture including TV and film. The original principal cast have all gone on to great things, and Anthony Ramos and Jasmine Cephas Jones are no exception.

Since Hamilton, Anthony Ramos notably appeared in projects like A Star is Born, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It. As for Jasmine Cephas Jones, she was recently nominated for an Emmy for her role in #FreeRayshawn. Finally, both singers have be put out original music in the time since their talents were showcased on Broadway.

Hamilton is currently streaming in its entirety on Disney+. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Anthony Ramos has been a busy man over the past decade. He’s toured with the Broadway production of In the Heights, produced his own album and of course, had a dual role in the hit Broadway and Disney+ musical Hamilton, in which he played John Laurens and Philip Hamilton. However, during COVID, it sounds like Anthony Ramos has learned to slow down and look at things a little differently.

At one point in his career, Anthony Ramos planned to quit, but more acting jobs came his way. Now, it looks like he's at an opposite point in his life where he's been so busy he hasn't had a chance to take a breath. So now, Anthony Ramos believes COVID has given him a chance to slow down, be present, and live in the moment. Here’s what he had to say:

It's easy to understand Anthony Ramos' comments to American Songwriter. Without question, the coronavirus has changed our perspectives, our behaviors, and our daily lives. For Ramos, it sounds like that sudden and abrupt change has given him time to actually enjoy his life rather than work all of the time. He’s been able to focus on the present time rather than always looking to the future.

Yet despite current events and the slowdown, it doesn’t sound like Anthony Ramos will be going anywhere anytime soon. The Hamilton actor landed the starring role of the movie adaptation of In the Heights, which is also written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. However, that movie's theatrical release has been has been delayed due to the coronavirus, and it’s unknown when it will open. But when it does, some think it might be bigger than Hamiltonwhen it does see the light of day.

Just as it has with Anthony Ramos, COVID has forced plenty of celebrities and Hollywood actors to stop and have some perspective on their lives. A few months back, Kevin Hart gave an emotional, inspiring message on how everyone should take this time to be better. Hugh Jackman, who also seems to be working all the time, took time out of his day to get his hands dirty and help those in need.

It’s good to hear Anthony Ramos has been able to soak things up a little bit and enjoy the things around him. Hopefully, when things get back to normal, he’ll continue to work smarter. For more movie news, be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend.