Three years ago, when Nimona came out, I was so excited to watch it. It was being lauded as one of the best Netflix movies of 2023 (which was a particularly strong year), with a poignant message of acceptance — especially for the LGBTQ+ community and others who have experienced discrimination. Shamefully, I never got around to it, and Nimona fell further and further down my watch list. However, thanks to Pride Month and the trusty Netflix algorithm, it recently popped up again, and after finally watching it, I can’t stop thinking about one particularly powerful message.

First, a quick plot recap to get us all caught up: Nimona is based on a graphic novel by ND Stevenson (but is very different from the source material). The plot centers around Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight who is falsely accused of killing the queen and teams up with the titular shapeshifter to prove his innocence. The animated flick is filled with humor, heart, action and quotable lines like, “Arm-chopping is not a love language.” And while that’s a good message, it’s not the one that stuck out to me.

I Loved the LGBTQ+ Representation In Ballister And Ambrosius’ Relationship

These days it’s not quite as rare to see queer couples on TV and in movies, but there’s still not enough representation — particularly in family movies. In fact, back before Netflix saved Nimona from cancellation, there were reports that Blue Sky animators felt “pressure” from Disney to remove a same-sex kiss. Thankfully, there were no such issues at Netflix, because Ballister’s relationship with Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang) is so important to the movie.

Not only does it normalize queer relationships in a beautiful way, but their history together added so much depth to the central conflict, with Ambrosius being the one tasked with hunting down Ballister following the queen's murder.

As much as I love that Nimona put a gay couple front and center in the plot, it was Nimona herself who really made an impact on me.

Nimona’s Shapeshifting Was Such A Beautiful Metaphor For Living Your Truth

When Nimona first floated the idea of teaming up with fellow outcast Ballister to clear his name (in exchange for making her his sidekick), the disgraced knight didn’t realize quite what he was getting into. However, once he experienced her shapeshifting into a whale, ostrich, gorilla, rhinoceros, etc., he struggled to accept her because he couldn’t define her:

• Ballister: What are you?
• Nimona: I’m Nimona.
• Ballister: So you’re a girl and a rhino?
• Nimona: I’m a lot of things.

I really appreciated that Nimona never apologized for who she was; she never felt forced to define herself. There was no fantastical story, no lore behind her shapeshifting. Nimona was born that way, and she consistently brushed off Ballister’s attempts to put her identity in a box (with more patience than he deserved).

I think this is so important, especially for younger people who may be struggling with their identity or sexuality or any other issue, because Nimona not only gives them permission to be themselves, but she shows several examples of what they can say to people who pressure them to do otherwise. Sometimes, for instance, she used humor to deflect a narrow-minded question:

• Ballister: Can you just be you, please?
• Nimona: I don’t follow.
• Ballister: Girl, you.
• Nimona: But I’m not a girl. I’m a shark. *chomp chomp* Hey, you ever put your head in the mouth of one of these?

That leads me to the conversation that had me applauding in my living room — one that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

If You Take One Thing Away From Nimona, I Hope It’s This

The scene that stuck with me from Nimona is when the shapeshifter and Ballister are riding the train, and he asks her one more time to be “normal,” and instead of brushing it off or making a joke out of it, Nimona challenges him:

• Ballister: Can you please just be normal for a second?
• Nimona: Normal?
• Ballister: I just think it’d be easier if you were a girl.
• Nimona: Easier to be a girl? You’re hilarious.
• Ballister: I mean, easier if you look human.
• Nimona: Easier for who?

YES! Nimona knows that if a person or group of people or society is telling her to act or look a certain way, it is for their own comfort, not her benefit, and she doesn’t owe them that.

I think there are obvious LGBTQ+ parallels to be made here — I’ve specifically seen a lot of references to the trans experience — but I also think it’s bigger than that. Autistic people or those with ADHD may not act like others expect them to, and people with disabilities, different looks and different attitudes can be left out for not masking or conforming to societal “norms.”

I often tell my daughters to “Take up space,” and that they deserve to be in the room as much as everyone else, but I’m sure I’ve never been able to articulate it as well as Nimona does in this scene and throughout the movie. Basically it's that you don’t have to make yourself small or change who you are to make other people more comfortable.

In fact, at Ballister’s suggestion that life would be easier if she only presented as a girl, Nimona tells him it’s actually the opposite — that she actually feels worse if she doesn’t let all of her different shapes show through.

Now that I’ve finally discovered the beauty of Nimona, I’ve actually watched it multiple times, and I could go on about the other quotes I love from this movie (“They grow up believing that they can be a hero if they drive a sword into the heart of anything different. And I’m the monster?” What a gift this movie is.).

I’m sad that it took me this long to finally discover Nimona, and if you haven’t seen it (or haven’t seen it in a while), do yourself a favor and fire up that Netflix subscription. You can also check out some more upcoming LGBTQ+ movies we’re looking forward to.

While many Americans celebrated Labor Day weekend with the usual lineup of new streaming releases, college football, back yard barbecues and hanging out with family, Nimona actress Chloë Grace Moretz was experiencing one of the most joyous days of her still-youthful life. The celeb spent the weekend (and then some) celebrating her wedding nuptials with new spouse Kate Harrison and all manner of other festivities, and many of Moretz’s famous friends and fans chimed in to congratulate the couple.

Moretz started dating Harrison, a photographer and model, in 2018, two years after the former split up from Brooklyn Beckham. They’re purposefully kept themselves out of the spotlight over the years to avoid negative paparazzi moments, prioritizing their privacy. Still, they did go public confirming their engagement on January 1, 2025, with Moretz showing off their shared diamonds. Now, the big day has come and gone, with the Kick-Ass vet opting to go with a gorgeous blue-toned dress, while Harrison donned a more traditional white fit.

The reactions to the Vogue post that Moretz also shared were plentiful and heaping with compliments from stars such as Sophie Turner, Lily Collins and Sophia Bush, as seen below.

• SOPHIE TURNER: UNNNNNNNBELIEVABLE 😍😍😍congratulations you angels
• LILY COLLINS: Omggggg congrats! Stunnning 😍
• SOPHIA BUSH: So happy for you both!!! 🩵
• MAUDE APATOW: So beautiful ❤️❤️❤️
• DAN STEVENS: CONGRATULATIONS!!! 🎉❤️🩷

Many commenters adored Moretz's blue dress and everything else about her look, not to mention her then-bride-to-be. Alyssa Milano expressed it quite well with her one-word reaction seen below:

• ALYSSA MILANO: Obsessed.
• ALLISON PONTHIER: two beautiful souls 🩵 love you
• KYLE RICHARDS: Congratulations!!
• LIANA LIBERATO: chlo omg beautiful 🩵
• BELLA HEATHCOTE: CHLOE CONGRATS ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️ stunner

Vogue was on hand to witness both Moretz and Harrison's dress fittings in Paris, though the respective brides did not see the other's look until the appropriate time, with besties Kiersey Clemons and Jessica Lucatorto also in the mix. The Carrie star shared just how much friendships and loved ones have played a part in her and Harrison's journey, saying:

Hard to find fault in that sentiment! And speaking of loving love, let's check out some more celebrity reactions.

• SELMA BLAIR: 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍💋
• KYLIE SONIQUE LOVE: 😍😍😍
• MAGGIE ROGERS: 🥹❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
• PETER FACINELLI: Beautiful.
• ELIZABETH BERKLEY: 🩵🩵🩵🩵

Check out the video below to see Grace and Harrison in their full matrimonial glory.

Last heard in Netflix’s animated graphic novel adaptation Nimona, Chloë Moretz Grace will make a big splash in the back half of the 2025 movie schedule with Michael Showalter’s Christmas-set comedy Oh. What. Fun.,costarring Michelle Pfeiffer, Danielle Brooks, Denis Leary and many more.

She’ll also be part of the impending romantic comedy Love Language from Joey Power, with a slew of co-stars such as Anthony Ramos, Manny Jacinto, Lukas Gage, Isabel May and more. I don't imagine that movie will match up with her real-life love story, however.

Some of our best horror movies have been centered around characters who just so happen to be legendary creatures of the night: vampires. And, because of the enduring popularity of these mythological bloodsuckers, not only do we also have a number of TV vamps, but many famous actors who’ve portrayed some version of the famed, usually-human-looking beasts. Here for you now are 32 actors who’ve played a vampire.

Eddie Murphy (Vampire In Brooklyn)

So many vamps have been seen on screen that even a comedy and action movie legend like Eddie Murphy has played one. The 1995 horror comedy, Vampire in Brooklyn, saw the star play the last member of a group of Caribbean vampires, who hits New York to find a mate so that he can continue his family line.

Tom Cruise (Interview With The Vampire)

Who could forget the 1994 film that gave us Tom Cruise as the captivating and cruel (And blond!) bloodthirsty fiend, Lestat de Lioncourt, from author Anne Rice’s legendary novel series, The Vampire Chronicles? Of course, it also gave us Brad Pitt’s tortured vamp, Louis, and made a star out of young Kirsten Dunst.

Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

While there are some obvious stars to add to this list, let us not forget that the cast of famous (and soon-to-be-famous) vampires in The Twilight Saga films was quite stacked. That roster included noted child star Dakota Fanning, who portrayed the villainous Volturi guard member, Jane, who was able to mentally create sensations of pain in those who she deemed worthy of punishment.

Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood)

Several vampire-focused TV shows have hit the airwaves over the past 20 or so years, so we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the HBO hit, True Blood. Many of its stars portrayed members of vamp-kind for most or all of the series’ seven seasons, but Evan Rachel Wood made an equally impressive (bloody) splash as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, during her recurring guest appearances in Seasons 2-4.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight)

Back to Twilight! It’s not worth mentioning this franchise without bringing up lead romantic vamp Edward Cullen, as well as the man who brought him to life in five movies, eventuall live action Batman actor Robert Pattinson. Despite the fact that his love interest’s portrayer, Kristen Stewart, would have dumped Edward “immediately”!

Chloë Grace Moretz (Let Me In)

It’s possible that we don’t get creepier than kid vampires in movies and television shows, and that’s what we got with Chloë Grace Moretz’s Abby in the 2010 film, Let Me In. She befriends a young loner after moving into his apartment complex, but is (you guessed it) hiding nefarious purposes he could have never guessed, which end up taking his life in a most unexpected direction.

Salma Hayek (From Dusk Till Dawn)

This might be the shortest movie vampire appearance on the list, as 1996’s From Dusk Til Dawn saw Salma Hayek play the fanged exotic dancer, Santanico Pandemonium, only for about five memorable minutes that simply cannot be forgotten once witnessed.

Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows)

Undead life isn’t always filled with glamorous globe-hopping adventure, gorgeous mates who can’t resist you and other perks, at least according to 2014’s What We Do in the Shadows, which concerns the rather mundane day-to-day lives of vampire roommates, of whom Taika Waititi’s uptight and nearly 400-year-old vamp, Viago, is among.

Theo James (Underworld: Awakening, Underworld: Blood Wars)

Another big screen franchise that depended on heaps of stars to populate its supernatural world is that of Underworld. Two sequels saw Theo James play the heroic vampire, David, heir to one of the main vamp covens, and lead Selene’s one steadfast ally during an important time in her journey.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow Of The Vampire)

Not many cinematic vampires are said to be based on a real person, but the one played by Willem Dafoe in 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire is. He portrayed a fictionalized version of the real Nosferatu lead actor, Max Schreck, whom the crew begins to suspect is an actual vampire because of his behavior and the strange goings-on surrounding filming.

Gerard Butler (Dracula 2000)

Speaking of vampires who are based on real people…Author Bram Stoker based his Dracula on Vlad the Impaler, and Gerard Butler played yet another version of the ever-popular character in a film from, yes, 2000. This tale sees the ancient vamp accidentally awoken by a group of thieves who find and steal his highly protected coffin, which had been watched over by generations of the Van Helsing family.

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

A Marvel character that will soon have another portrayer when the upcoming Blade reboot finally begins filming, the original action/horror trilogy famously saw Wesley Snipes take on the vampire/human hybrid titular lead, who’s a nearly unstoppable vamp hunter bent on taking down all members of the species who bit his mother and infected him with their supernatural blood while he was still in utero.

Colin Farrell (Fright Night)

If a scary and suave undead night stalker is your type, look no further than Colin Farrell’s Jerry Dandrige in 2011’s remake of the 1985 cult classic, Fright Night. He may have to eventually do battle with a couple of teenagers, but he sure looks darn good doing it.

Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers)

A movie that takes a more science-fiction approach to a world overrun by vampires is the 2009 film Daybreakers, which sees Ethan Hawke play a vamp hematologist who refuses to drink human blood and is looking for a synthetic option to their usual meal of choice that will stop humanity from being wiped out by his more brutal peers.

Luke Evans (Dracula Untold)

Again with Dracula? Why, yes! This time, Luke Evans plays a Vlad the Impaler who only becomes a vampire to have the strength, speed and ferocity to turn back an invading army in an attempt to save the people of his kingdom. Does it work out for him? Well, yes…and no.

Kate Beckinsale (Underworld)

There’s no mentioning the Underworld franchise without giving respect to the main heroine, Kate Beckinsale’s Selene. In the first film she’s a vampire looking to destroy the werewolves that killed her family, but she ends up uncovering a major secret about the two sets of creatures and falling in love with a human, instead.

Alicia Silverstone (Vamps)

This 2012 horror comedy sees Alicia Silverstone play Goody, an old vampire who tries to stay young and hip while helping her much younger bloodsucking buddy, Stacy (Krysten Ritter), get used to her powers as they try to abstain from the red stuff during their immortal and unholy (sorta) lives.

Pedro Pascal (Bloodsucking Bastards)

Ever wondered what working in an office that was slowly being overrun by vampires who care as much about the bottom line as they do about drinking blood would be like? Just watch Bloodsucking Bastards, where beloved The Last of Us cast member Pedro Pascal begins turning his employees into the titular immortals.

Jim Carrey (Once Bitten)

Jim Carrey’s first leading role came in this 1985 comedy, where he played a teen virgin turned into a vampire by an alluring, 400-year-old creature of the night, who seduced him so she could use his blood to keep her youthful appearance.

Paul Reubens (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

In the 1992 horror comedy that eventually led to the long-running series of the same name, the late Paul Reubens starred as Amilyn, a vamp doing the bidding of a much more powerful bloodsucker who’s ruling his kind in Los Angeles.

Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood)

While HBO’s True Blood was positively filled with the undead, few of them made as much of an impact on audiences (and the lead, Sookie) as Alexander Skarsgård’s cunning and alluring (but sorta evil) 1,000-year-old Eric Northman. This also happens to be the role that really made Skarsgård famous.

David Boreanaz (Buffy, Angel)

When it comes to popular TV vampires, no one can discount the reign of David Boreanaz as evil vamp turned heroic vamp (and then sometimes evil vamp again) Angel, whom he played on Buffy the Vampire Slayer beginning with the first episode in 1997, through wrapping his run on the fifth season series finale of his own show, Angel, in 2004.

Sterling K. Brown (Supernatural)

Sterling K. Brown may best be known now for delivering heartfelt emotions as Randall Pearson on This Is Us, but for four episodes across Seasons 2 and 3 of the CW mega-hit, Supernatural, he played Hunter and dedicated vamp-hater-turned-vampire, Gordon Walker, to astounding, understandably cold-blooded effect.

Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys)

Even though Kiefer Sutherland was certainly a star on the rise by the time he starred in The Lost Boys in 1987, his part as apparent vampire motorcycle gang leader David cemented his leading man qualities and turned him into a household name.

Rami Malek (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II)

Sure, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best Rami Malek movies to watch, but let’s not discount his turn as the powerful (and ancient) Egyptian vampire, Benjamin, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II, one of the few creatures of the night in the franchise who can directly manipulate things, with his specialty being controlling fire, water, air and earth.

Bryce Dallas Howard (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

Yet another actor you may have forgotten was fanged in the expansive Twilight franchise is Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard. She took over the role of evil, vengeful vamp Victoria (who’s looking to kill Bella in retaliation for Edward killing her love, James) from Rachelle Lefevre, for the third movie, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Tilda Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive)

As one half of the very old vampire couple at the center of the 2013 dramedy, Only Lovers Left Alive, Tilda Swinton is a wife forced to visit the husband (played by Tom Hiddleston) she’s long been separated from once she realizes his lengthy undead existence has begun to bring him down, as she tries to force him to reevaluate the value of living forever.

Bill Nighy (Underworld, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans)

Every good vampire needs a parental figure to show them the ropes, and for Underworld’s Selene, that role was filled by Viktor, who was portrayed by Love, Actually star Bill Nighy. His Vampire Elder turned out to be more of a threat than the heroine ever expected, though, leading to some tense moments between Selene and her mentor.

Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker's Dracula) 

Back to Drac! One of the most popular films about the character is still 1992’s Bram Stoker's Dracula, which saw eventual Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban star Gary Oldman play Vlad Dracula.

Christopher Meloni (True Blood)

Where there is one vampire there are generally enough to have a whole hierarchy among their brethren, and as with the series True Blood, sometimes we get to see what that could look like. In Season 5, Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime star Christopher Meloni portrayed the Guardian, Roman Zimojic, who led the Vampire Authority and (ostensibly) set the rules for all vamps. Many, however, didn’t agree with his desire to have his kind fit in with human society, which caused a lot of problems for the calm, determined and deadly when challenged leader.

Nicolas Cage (Renfield)

If you guessed that this is yet another Dracula story, well, you’re sort of correct. 2023’s horror comedy, Renfield, stars Nicholas Hoult as the count’s titular long-time familiar, who’s tired of helping him kill innocent people and all the abuse he’s taken from the being who gifted him with immortality, as well as super strength and speed (when he eats bugs) 90 years prior. So, he gets help from a support group for people in codependent relationships in order to be able to live his own life again. Nicolas Cage is our Dracula here, and he’s a perfectly winking one, who still manages to be creepy and deadly.

Johnny Depp (Dark Shadows)

Johnny Depp has become known for his outrageous characters, and his Barnabas Collins is no different. The 2012 Dark Shadows film (which was based on the 1966-1971 gothic daytime drama of the same name) follows Barnabas after he’s cursed with vampirism in 1760, buried alive in a coffin, and then accidentally freed in the early 1970s. He rejoins the Collins family at the estate they still hold, while trying to keep his true nature a secret, but hijinks ensue as his past comes back to haunt them. 

This, of course, is just a small sampling of the famous actors who've portrayed vampires over the years, but if you decide to do a vamp movie/TV show marathon, you can start right here and have hours of entertainment.

Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the couple behind Westworld, introduced audiences to the mind-bending and action-packed Amazon Prime Video original series The Peripheral on October 21, 2022, and brought to life William Gibson’s 2014 novel of the same name. The show, which sees Chloë Grace Moretz take on the role of Flynne Fisher, who comes across the technology to take her nearly a century into the future, looks to be another great show from the developers of the upcoming Fallout TV-adaptation with a massive ensemble cast.

If you watched the first of eight episodes of the new show and are wondering why the actors in The Peripheral cast look so familiar, worry not, because we are able to break down each of the stars from the 2022 TV show. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get this show started…

Chloë Grace Moretz (Flynne Fisher)

Leading things off is Chloë Grace Moretz, who leads The Peripheral cast as Flynne Fisher, a young woman who helps support her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains by playing simulations before stumbling upon something more realistic than she could have ever imagined.

One of the most recognizable faces in young Hollywood, Moretz has jumped from one role to the next the past decade-and-a-half, becoming a major star thanks to Kick-Ass, Let Me In (which is pretty good), Hugo, Suspiria, The Addams Family animated franchise, and a few dozen others. Despite making a few appearances on shows like My Name Is Earl, Desperate Housewives, and 30 Rock over the years, The Peripheral is Moretz's first major live-action TV show (she previously voiced characters on My Friends Tigger and Pooh).

Jack Reynor (Burton Fisher)

Jack Reynor plays Burton Fisher, Flynne’s brother who is tasked with testing out the new simulation headset that holds all kinds of awesome and potentially dangerous powers.

Fans of the 2019 cult horror film, Midsommar, and its terrifying ending will most likely recognize Reynor from his portrayal of Florence Pugh’s on-screen boyfriend, Christian. He also had several other notable roles prior to joining The Peripheral cast, including movies like Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, Macbeth, and Transformers: Age of Extinction. He also previously appeared on the CBS All Access original series, Strange Angel.

Gary Carr (Wilf Netherton)

Next up is Gary Carr, who takes on the role of Wilf Netherton, a man living in 22nd-century London who encounters Flynne during her jump to the future and provides some key insight into how things became the way they are.

Throughout his career, which goes back nearly a decade-and-a-half, Carr has appeared on shows like the Amazon anthology series, Modern Love, Death in Paradise, The Deuce, The Good Fight, and a handful of episodes of Downton Abbey. His film work includes 21 Bridges, Bolden, and Caesar.

Eli Goree (Conner)

Eli Goree shows up on The Peripheral as Conner, one of Burton Fisher’s military buddies back in the present timeline.

Fans of Regina King’s Academy Award-nominated 2020 drama film One Night in Miami… will certainly recognize Goree from his portrayal of Cassius Clay, but that isn’t all the actor has done over the years. Prior to appearing in the One Night in Miami… cast, Goree landed roles like Dave Albritton in the 2016 historical sports drama, Race, as well as a number of TV gigs that include Da King in My Hair, Dead of Summer, The 100, Ballers, and Riverdale.

Louis Herthum (Corbell Pickett)

Louis Herthum appears in The Peripheral cast as Corbell Pickett, a less than virtuosic character whom Flynne and and Burton Fisher encounter on their journeys.

Before working with Joy and Nolan on The Peripheral, he collaborated with the pair on Westworld, where the actor portrayed host and ranch owner Peter Abernathy. Throughout his career, Herthum has had recurring roles on shows like Home Before Dark, Longmire, True Blood, and Murder, She Wrote alongside the late Angela Lansbury. His film work includes The Mist, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 12 Rounds, and multiple others.

JJ Feild (Lev)

Taking on the role of Lev, Wilf’s friend in the futuristic London, is JJ Feild, who is no stranger to the world of television. 

Throughout his career, Feild has landed roles on shows like Lost in Space (the Netflix reboot), New Amsterdam, Turn: Washington’s Spies, Turn Up Charlie, and various other one-off appearances. During that same stretch of time, he has also popped up in movies like Captain America: The First Avenger ,where he played Howling Commandos member James Montgomery Falsworth, Austenland, Ford v. Ferrari, and several others dating back a couple decades.

T’Nia Miller (Cherise)

T’Nia Miller appears in the cast as Cherise, the latest in a long line of small-screen roles for the actress.

With major roles on shows like Years and Years, La Fortuna, Foundation, and The Haunting of Bly Manor, where she portrayed Hannah Grose on the 2020 Netflix horror series, Miller has done a little bit of everything over the years. This even includes making a brief appearance alongside everyone's favorite Time Lord in a 2015 episode of Doctor Who and several other prominent British TV shows.

Charlotte Riley (Aelita)

Charlotte Riley appears on the new series as Aelita, a character caught up in the decades-spanning mystery at the center of the series.

Fans of the Peaky Blinders cast will certainly recognize Riley from her portrayal of May Fitz Carleton, but if not from there, then probably from roles in movies like London Has Fallen, Edge of Tomorrow, Easy Virtue, and In the Heart of the Sea. Her other TV appearances include shows like DCI Banks, The Take, Press, Trust, and the Guy Pearce-led 2019 BBC/FX adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

Alexandra Billings (Ainsley Lowbeer)

Taking on the role of 22nd-century detective Ainsley Lowbeer on The Peripheral is Transparent and The Conners’ Alexandra Billings.

In addition to playing transgender characters on those two comedy series, Billings has also spent her career appearing on shows like Never Have I Ever, The Rookie, How to Get Away with Murder, Grey’s Anatomy, ER, and several others dating back to the early 2000s. During that same stretch of time, the talent has landed roles in movies like Socket, Valley of Bones, and Paddleton, as well as the 2020 documentary, Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen.

Adelind Horan (Billy Ann Baker) 

Also appearing on this freshman show is Adelind Horan, who takes on the role of Billy Ann Baker on the new Amazon sci-fi series.

Throughout her career, Horan has made brief appearances on shows like The Deuce and The Punisher while also having a more prominent position on The Pioneers. She has also popped up in movies like Wanderland, Goldbricks in Bloom, Delenda, and a variety of short films.

Alex Hernandez (Tommy Constantine)

Alex Hernandez appears as a character by the name of Tommy Constantine.

Over the years, Hernandez has appeared on shows like Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Black Box, New Amsterdam, The Son, The Resident, Search Party, and Hemlock Grove, as well as a list of big-screen productions that includes the Vin Diesel 2020 superhero movie, Bloodshot, Mille and the Lords, Samuel’s Game, and Fireflies. He’s also voiced characters in Mafia III (plus its various DLC add-ons) and The Walking Dead: A New Frontier.

Katie Leung (Ash)

Showing up as one of Lev’s associates by the name of Ash is Katie Leung.

Fans of the Harry Potter movies and all things within the Wizarding World should recognize Leung from her portrayal of Cho Chang, starting with the fourth film in the franchise, 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. After playing the character three more times before the series came to an end with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, Leung went on to appear in T2 Trainspotting, The Foreigner, and Locked Down. Her TV roles appearances include Arcane, Strangers, Father Brown, Run, and Agatha Christie’s Poirot.

Melinda Page Hamilton (Ella)

Melinda Page Hamilton appears in The Peripheral as a character named Ella.

Over the years, she has done everything from briefly appearing in the Mad Men cast to playing a recurring character on How to Get Away with Murder and so much more. Her TV credits include shows like Vegas, True Blood, Mrs. America, Bones, Private Practice, Everwood, Nip/Tuck, and CSI: Miami to name only a few. Her film credits include Not Forgotten, God Bless America, and Sleeping Dogs Lie.

Chris Coy (Jasper)

Taking on the role of Jasper is Chris Coy, who has done a little bit of everything since breaking out onto the scene in the early 2000s.

Throughout his career, Coy has appeared in movies like Greenberg, The Culling, The Front Runner, and The Killing of Two Lovers, while also landing major TV roles on the likes of Treme, The Deuce, True Blood, and Castle Rock. He has also appeared in smaller capacities on shows like Criminal Minds, Bones, The Mentalist, CSI: New York, and Sons of Anarchy.

Austin Rising (Leon)

And then there is Austin Rising, who shows up on The Peripheral as Leon.

In the past decade, Rising has appeared on shows like Better Call Saul, Alt, Shameless, S.W.A.T., and Cartoon Hook-Ups, while also landing roles in a list of movies that includes Hostiles and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

You can see these actors and more when new episodes of The Peripheral go live Fridays on Prime Video. But remember, you will need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch the series and get all those other great features that come with the service.

Stream The Peripheral on Prime Video.

Chloë Grace Moretz has been a Hollywood staple for over a decade. While she’s been acting as long as she can remember, it’s safe to say that Moretz’s mainstream breakthrough came courtesy of 2010’s Kick-Ass. Playing the mature and skillful Hit-Girl endeared her to millions of moviegoers, but getting fame and success so early caused a privacy problem for the Tom & Jerry star. Years after starring in the film, Moretz got candid about her chaotic paparazzi experiences following her breakthrough role.

The Kick-Ass 2 star spent the past decade starring in notable films, including The Equalizer and Neighbors 2, but it appears that playing Hit-Girl stuck with her in a surreal way. Of course, Chloë Grace Moretz does remember her life before achieving Hollywood fame. The 25-year-old actress lived the life of a regular kid despite being a child actor. She opened up to Hunger about how being in the superhero comedy led to a dangerous moment between her family and the photogs.

Despite becoming an A-lister at 12 years old, she recalled being “blissfully unaware" of her celebrity. The intrusive nature of the paparazzi didn’t really hit her until much later. The moment happened after doing a red-carpet event at age 18. It shifted Moretz's perspective on the reciprocal nature of celebrity and media. She recalled the existential crisis she experienced, saying:

Chloë Grace Moretz's identity crisis led to seeking therapy to deal with her private and public personas colliding. Being filmed every minute or hour started to take its toll on the Suspiria actress’s self-esteem and identity. Age 18 can be a life-changing time for any young person, especially someone famous since early adolescence. There’s endless questioning around one’s identity and purpose as you shift from a child to an adult. It puts Moretz's withdrawal from several high-profile projects in 2016 in a new perspective. At age 25, she called acting another form of therapy for dealing with her fame and notoriety.

Things appear to be better for Chloë Grace Moretz as her acting career thrives. She is set to appear in the Netflix animated film Nimona, which will premiere in 2023. You can watch the film with a Netflix subscription when it debuts. On the TV front, the Hollywood actress will headline the sci-fi series The Peripheral, which will debut on Amazon Prime on October 21. Get an Amazon Prime Video subscription to watch the series on its release date. 

While Chloë Grace Moretz won’t be on the big screen in 2022, there are still upcoming movies to look forward to seeing this year. Just stream Kick-Ass on HBO Max to see why it's one of the best non-Marvel or DC superhero movies.

While 30 Rock was on television, it became a huge hit for NBC and ended up strengthening the careers of its 30 Rock cast, which included famous names like Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, and more. Several 30 Rock actors have only continued to succeed in their post-30 Rock lives, as there were also a lot of guest appearances. 

Many of the actors who popped up on 30 Rock back then have gone on to star in huge shows, big hit movies, and more. Since it’s been so long, and everyone has had such influential careers, their appearances on 30 Rock might have flown under the radar. Here are eleven 30 Rock actors who appeared on the popular sitcom that you may have forgotten about. 

Tituss Burgess (D’Fwan)

While many of us probably know Tituss Burgess from his breakout role as Tituss Andromedon on the Netflix original series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, he appeared in 30 Rock as D’Fwan. A member of Tracy Jordan’s wife’s entourage, D’Fwan was a hairdresser and friend of Angie, who had plenty of sass who appeared on the show for four episodes, during Seasons 5 and 6. 

Honestly, I could see why Tituss was cast in this role, as I feel like his character from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and 30 Rock are pretty similar in many ways. 

Amy Schumer (Stylist)

I feel like at this point everyone knows who Amy Schumer is, from her hilarious comedy specials on Netflix to movies like Trainwreck. But, before she blew up as a stand-up comedian and actress, Schumer had some guest roles in TV. One of which was on 30 Rock. 

While her moment was a “blink and you miss it” sort of deal, it’s still easy to point her out if you look hard enough. In the episode, “Mamma Mia!,” during Season 3 of 30 Rock, Amy Schumer plays a stylist who is working on Liz. Her only line is “Ugh, I’m gonna get some tape.” Again, super short, but it’s so funny to see her way before she was really famous. 

Cristin Milioti (Abby)

Cristin Milioti has had quite the career in both movies and television. From her role as "the mother" with the How I Met Your Mother cast to her parts in big movies like the Leonardo DiCaprio-led, The Wolf of Wall Street or Palm Springs, she has truly become a star. However, she had a minor guest role on 30 Rock back in 2011 during the sixth season of the show.  

In the episode “TGS Hates Women,” Milioti played Abby, an insufferable woman who was supposed to be something good for TGS when they were accused of misogyny, but that ends up backfiring royally for Liz. Her character was so much, and it was a great way to show her comedic timing before her breakout role on How I Met Your Mother. 

Adrienne C. Moore (Various)

The Orange is the New Black cast was full of stars from beginning to end, and one of those who grew on me over time was Adrienne C. Moore’s character, Black Cindy, a hilarious inmate. However, before she ended up becoming one of the most popular characters on OITNB, Adrienne C. Moore guest-starred in not one, but two episodes of 30 Rock.

In Episode 2 of Season 7, titled "Governor Dunston," Moore played the manager of a supply store who catches Liz and Chris attempting to jazz up their sex life a little bit. Her second guest role, however, was more memorable, this time having a name, Shanice, and working as a marriage bureau employee in Episode 7 of Season 7, titled "Mazel Tov, Dummies!," who says that she’ll never get married and catcalls Chris. Definitely a fun moment. 

Peter Dinklage (Stewart)

While Peter Dinklage did have a pretty successful career prior to this appearance, it wasn’t until he became a part of the Game of Thrones cast that he truly became famous, portraying Tyrion Lannister for all eight seasons of the show. But, before he was the smartest lion ever, he guest starred on 30 Rock for an episode in Season 3, titled “Senor Macho Solo.”

Dinklage portrayed Stewart, a man with dwarfism who is intelligent and looks to be exactly what every woman would want. The only issue is that Liz mistook him for a child when they first met - and everything else sort of starts to fall apart from there. This is personally one of my favorite guest spots because it’s always so funny to look back and see him before the Game of Thrones hype. 

Anna Chlumsky (Liz Lemler)

Anna Chlumsky was in Hollywood for a time as a child actress, but had taken a break so that she could finish school. Afterwards, she made her big return to TV, with her biggest role so far being that of Amy Brookheimer in the popular HBO original series, Veep. Before that even show premiered, she had made a minor guest role on 30 Rock in Season 1, on the episode, "The Fighting Irish."

While her appearance is brief, it is memorable. Anna Chlumsky played Liz Lemler (a play on Liz’s name, Liz Lemon), who was Floyd’s girlfriend. However, Liz (Fey) made quick work of her and fired her from TGS when she was told to get rid of 10% of her staff. Talk about making sure you’re the only Liz around. Even so, it’s always fun to watch the show and remember she was on here before Veep came out. 

Aubrey Plaza (NBC Page/Tour Group Leader)

I know. It’s hard to imagine a world where Aubrey Plaza wasn’t famous, after her huge role as part of the Parks and Recreation cast, or with her amazing movies, like Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Child’s Play, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, and so many more. 

But, for a couple of seconds in Season 1, Aubrey Plaza popped up as a NBC Page (a real-life position) that was leading a tour group, in the episode, "Tracy Does Conan." It’s crazy to think that only a few years after his appearance she got the part on Parks and Recreation. 

Donald Glover (Various)

Donald Glover has truly become a mastermind of the entertainment world. Not only is his a big musical act, making music through his alter ego, Childish Gambino, but he’s had so many hits that it’s hard to keep track. This includes being a part of the Community cast, creating his own FX comedy, Atlanta, appearing as young Lando in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and so much more. 

Before all of those success, Glover worked on 30 Rock. While it’s known that he was a writer on the show, Glover actually appeared on screen four times, in Seasons 1, 2, 3, and 6. While many of his roles were small, uncredited or improvised, it’s so much fun to see him pop up from time to time, knowing about the success he had not that long after.  

Ben Sinclair (Brooklyn Idiot)

There’s something about Ben Sinclair’s appearance on 30 Rock that sits so perfectly with me. If you don’t know, Sinclair created High Maintenance, an anthology series that tells the story of a cannabis courier, otherwise known as “The Guy,” who delivers his products to people in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. The show started off as a Vimeo series and then went on to become a television series on HBO. 

Why do I say this appearance is perfect in 30 Rock? Because of his character’s name - Sinclair’s character was literally called Brooklyn Idiot for the one episode he was on in Season 5, called, "100: Part 1." I mean, come on, could there not be a better pairing of character name / actor? It’s hilarious to think he went on to create a show about a Brooklynite years after his appearance. You gotta love it. 

Chloe Grace Moretz (Kaylie Hooper)

Kick-Ass had come out a year prior to Chloe Grace Moretz's first time on 30 Rock, but her career has only gotten bigger since, with appearances in movies like Dark Shadows, The Addams Family, Tom & Jerry and more. For three episodes, from Season 5 to Season 7, she played Kaylie Hooper, who was the granddaughter of Hank Hooper, the newest boss of NBC. 

Y'all, I could re-watch her interactions with Alec Baldwin’s character, Jack Donaghy, all day. While her character was only on three episodes, her appearances were so memorable, and I wish she was on the show more. I would have loved to see her rivalry with Jack play out, but it’s great to see how far Moretz has come in the film industry since then.

Matt Lauria (Winthrop)

Last but not least, we have Matt Lauria, who played Winthrop in the second episode, "Jack Gets In The Game," of Season 2 of 30 Rock. While his appearance was brief, the main reason I put this here is that this was actually Matt Lauria’s television debut, before he would go on to star in the highly successful sports series, Friday Night Lights, as Luke Cafferty two years later. 

Lauria has also appeared in a variety of other shows as main or recurring characters, such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Parenthood, the Apple TV+ series, Dickinson, the drama Kingdom, and currently has a main role in CSI: Vegas. It’s insane to think that this incredible career in television all started out with this one minor appearance, that you might have forgotten about, on 30 Rock. 

With several seasons under its belt, there are plenty of other celebrities or actors who have appeared on 30 Rock, but these are truly the ones who have become huge stars. I need to see if they’ll be popping up in any other TV shows or movies soon.  

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Mother/Android. If you have not yet watched the film, proceed at your own risk!

Mattson Tomlin’s Mother/Android packs one heart-punch of an ending. After everything that the characters, Georgia and Sam, go through over the course of the film, the only choice that’s left for them is making a devastating emotional sacrifice, and it’s wonderfully executed with powerful drama in the writing and great performances by stars Chloë Grace Moretz and Algee Smith. By the filmmaker’s own admittance, however, the impact that it makes wouldn’t have been nearly as great without some key advice from director Matt Reeves.

The filmmaker best known for Cloverfield and the last two Planet Of The Apes movies (not to mention the upcoming The Batman) came aboard Mother/Android as a producer when the movie was in early stages, and during a recent virtual interview with Mattson Tomlin he told me about a key piece of advice Reeves provided that wound up having a massive impact on the film’s script. As he explained, the character Sam was originally going to die in the second act, but he was convinced to keep him alive. Said the filmmaker,

Fully registering the impact of seeing Georgia and Sam toiling with the idea of giving up their newborn so that he can have a better life in a country that isn’t in the midst of a tech-centric apocalypse, Mattson Tomlin knew what he had to do:

Having personally been given up for adoption at a young age during the Romanian revolution, Mattson Tomlin was inspired to make a movie about the sacrifices his birth parents made, and it’s wonderfully delivered as the metaphor through the science-fiction genre and a Terminator-esque technological uprising. It’s personal and powerful, and part of that is due to a successful collaboration between two smart filmmakers.

Mother/Android, starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Algee Smith, and Raúl Castillo, is now available to stream on Hulu. To get prepared for all of the movies heading to theaters and streaming in the next year, check out our 2022 Movie Calendar.

The first three movies — Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things, and Judas and the Black Messiah— released through Warner Bros. new release model fell more into the superhero and crime thriller dramas, respectively, but the fourth entry in a long list of titles being released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously is a little more family-friendly but features a cast just as impressive as its predecessors. Seriously, the Tom and Jerry (or Tom and Jerry: The Movie) cast is one of the most impressive of the bunch, and in terms of animated features in recent years.

With everyone from Chloë Grace Moretz taking on the role of a young hotel employee doing her best to avoid disaster and find a solution for the titular cat and mouse, to Michael Peña doing his best impression of an evil mastermind, the live-action cast is something else. Combine that with Frank Welker (along with archival footage of Tom and Jerry original creators), Bobby Cannavale, Lil Rel Howery, and more filling out the voice cast, Tom and Jerry will leave you saying “I’ve seen/heard that face/voice before.”

To save you time (and sanity), we’ve put together this breakdown of the Tom and Jerry cast and where you’ve seen (or heard) them before.

Chloë Grace Moretz (Kayla)

Leading the live-action cast in Tom and Jerry is Chloë Grace Moretz, who portrays Kayla, the recently hired Royal Gate Hotel employee and wedding planner at the center of the story. Since landing a breakout role in the 2005 horror remake The Amityville Horror, Moretz has become and remained one of the most prolific and celebrated faces in young Hollywood. Over the years, Moretz has done everything from play the foul-mouthed and lethal Mindy McCready, aka Hit-Girl, in Kick-Ass and its sequel, Kick-Ass 2, bring the truth as Rachel Hansen in 500 Days of Summer, and even returned to the horror genre with Let Me In and Suspiria.

Michael Peña (Terrance)

There to thwart Chloë Grace Moretz’s Kayla in Tom and Jerry is Michael Peña’s Terrance, the meddling deputy hotel manager whose villainous scheme can bring all sorts of troubles for everyone at the Royal Gate Hotel. In recent years, Peña has become best known for his scene-stealing performance as Luis in Ant-Man and again (with truth serum) in its followup Ant-Man and the Wasp. The accomplished actor’s career doesn’t start and end with the MCU (to which he will return in 2022), however, as Peña has given outstanding performances in dramas like Crash and End of Watch as well as television series like Eastbound and Down and Narcos: Mexico.

Colin Jost (Ben)

Ben, one half of the couple engaged to get married at the Royal Gate Hotel, is played by none other than Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost. The “Weekend Update” host and one of the head writers of the popular sketch comedy show makes a rare film appearance in Tom and Jerry, having only acted in two other movies over the years. When Jost isn’t busy with SNL or being married to Scarlett Johansson, he spent some of his time appearing on WWE television, most notably at WrestleMania 35, where he participated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Rob Delaney (Mr. DuBros)

Rob Delaney, joined by his impressive mustache, portrays Mr. DuBros, the owner and manager of the Royal Gate Hotel in Tom and Jerry, the latest in a long line of comedies for the comedian-turned-actor. In recent years, Delaney has been seen in Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw (with all those cameos), and Bombshell, but he is probably best known for playing one of the co-leads in the Amazon original comedy series Catastrophe which he created and wrote alongside co-star and on-screen wife Sharon Horgan (and the late Carrie Fisher). Delaney is next set to appear in the Disney+ Home Alone reboot.

Ken Jeong (Jackie)

Jackie, the chef and baker at the center of the wedding preparations in Tom and Jerry is played by Ken Jeong, whose decades-spanning career has led to unforgettable performances in The Hangover, Community, and Crazy Rich Asians to name only a few. In addition to working as a standup comedian and actor, Jeong is also a licensed physician, which became the basis of his 2015 ABC comedy series Dr. Ken. More recently, Jeong has entered the game show genre, appearing as a judge or host on multiple shows including The Masked Singer (and its spinoff The Masked Singer) as well as I Can See Your Voice.

Pallavi Sharda (Preeta)

Bollywood actress Pallavi Sharda, who portrays the other half of the married couple to be, Preeta, doesn’t have nearly as many credits as her co-stars, but her body of work is impressive, nonetheless. Appearing in Bollywood titles like My Name is Khan, Dus Tola, and Love Breakups Zindagi, Sharda has also shown up in movies like Lion, Beecham House, and Retrograde in the past five years.

Frank Welker (Tom Cat; Jerry Mouse)

Providing the vocal effects for both Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse in Tom and Jerry this time around is primarily the prolific Frank Welker with archival recordings from William Hanna, Mel Blanc, and June Foray being used throughout the latest version of the classic cartoon. We rarely see Frank Welker’s face in any of his performances, but his voice has been featured in everything from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and essentially every animated version of the franchise since 1969, providing the voice of Fred Jones, in addition to all sorts of other minor characters. Welker, a longtime voice-actor for Hanna-Barbera, has gone on to voice characters like Jabberjaw, Crime Globe in The Super Globetrotters, and pretty much any given cartoon. He also provided vocal effects for Tommy Boy (the deer), Mars Attacks! (the martians), and Scoob! (Scooby-Doo).

Nicky Jam (Butch Cat)

Voicing the unsavory and unfriendly alley cat Butch is Nicky Jam, the American singer and songwriter known for his contributions to the Latin trap and reggaeton musical genres. When he’s not releasing hit singles like “X,” “Travesuras,” and “El Amante,” the award-winning artist has been trying out his hand in big-budget action flicks like xXx: Return of Xander Cage alongside the returning Vin Diesel and Bad Boys for Life, in which he portrayed Lorenzo “Zway-Lo” Rodriguez.

Longtime Kevin Hart collaborators Joey Wells, Harry Ratchford, and Na’im Lynn provide the voices of the various members of Butch’s gang of stray cats.

Bobby Cannavale (Spike)

A Tom and Jerry movie wouldn’t be the same without Spike, the oversized American Bulldog featured heavily as one of Tom’s fiercest foes throughout the property’s history. Providing the voice for Spike this time around is Bobby Cannavale, yet another actor to have appeared in both Tom and Jerry and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (he plays Jim Paxton in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp). Cannavale has also appeared in The Irishman, Mr. Robot, and Homecoming. Cannavale also falls in the middle of the Venn diagram of actors who have appeared on Sex and the City, Law & Order, and Oz.

Lil Rel Howery (Tom’s Shoulder Devil)

Ah, the classic trope of a character having a “devil” and “angel” on his shoulders is alive and well in Tom and Jerry, and none other than Lil Rel Howery is voicing Tom’s more sinister side this time around. The Chicago native has appeared on various TV comedies and stand-up comedy specials over the years, but he’s best known for his role as TSA officer Rod Williams in Get Out and if not that then Charlie in Bird Box. Howery was recently featured in the cast of Judas and the Black Messiah.

Tone Bell (Tom’s Shoulder Angel)

Since we’ve already knocked out Tom’s Shoulder Devil, I guess we have to talk about the kinder and more logical figment of the cat’s imagination. Portraying Tom’s Shoulder Angel in Tom and Jerry is Tone stand-up comedian and actor Tone Bell. Bell’s television appearances include a main role on the Netflix comedy series Disjointed and the BET drama American Soul in which he plays Richard Pryor. His film credits include The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Sylvie’s Love, and Little to name a few.

These are just the main members of the Tom and Jerry live-action and voice cast. With random animated (and live-action) characters popping up throughout the movie, including some classic Hanna-Barbera legends appearing from time to time, the cast of the latest animated film featuring the iconic cat and mouse duo is absolutely stacked. You can check out the live-action/computer-generated hybrid come to life in theaters or on HBO Max until the end of March 2021. And if you want to know what else is coming to theaters (and streaming services) this year, check out CinemaBlend's 2021 movie release schedule for all the latest updates.

Ever since breaking out as a child actor in the 2005 remake of The Amityville Horror, Chloë Grace Moretz has become one of young Hollywood’s brightest stars with star-marking performances in the Kick-Ass Rated-R comic book franchise, 500 Days of Summer, and more recently in the 2018 reimagining of the Italian horror classic Suspiria. Combine those roles with the various voice-acting gigs Moretz has undertaken over the years and you have yourself the perfect recipe for prolonged success in show business. And on the eve of the release of the Tom and Jerry live-action/computer-animated comedy, now’s the perfect time to see where Moretz will be taking audiences the next couple of years.

From more voice-acting work in the sequel to the 2019 reboot of The Addams Family to a emotional crime drama alongside Robert De Niro to sci-fi mystery thriller series coming from Amazon Studios, plus more, Chloë Grace Moretz will not only continue with her career trajectory these next couple of years, she will potentially take it to higher levels where the possibilities are endless. Let’s take a look at each of those upcoming film and television roles…

Tom And Jerry - February 26, 2021 (Completed)

It has been nearly 30 years since the release of Tom and Jerry: The Movie in 1992, but the iconic cat and mouse pair remain as popular as ever and could potentially reach new heights with the forthcoming release of Tom and Jerry. This time around, Tom and Jerry’s endless battle results in the pair getting kicked out of their home and finally splitting up after all this time. Some time later, when Jerry begins to cause trouble at the prestigious Royal Gate Hotel, a young staff member by the name of Kayla (Chloë Grace Moretz) hires the mouse’s former rival/friend to take care of business. The three soon have to come together, however, to uncover a diabolical scheme in the works.

This live-action/computer-animated feature-length film has been in the works since 2009, but sat in development hell for nearly a decade before Warner Bros. decided to move forward with the current version in October 2018, per Variety. Production on the live-action portion of the movie got underway in July 2019, a process that involved the animators coming to set to work with the actors who were allowed to improvise, according to Yahoo! Movies. Chloë Grace Moretz told the outlet that she looked to the work of Bob Hoskins in Who Framed Roger Rabbit to find the best way to act alongside the animated characters.

Originally slated to be released on April 16, 2021, Tom and Jerry was later pushed up to December 23, 2020 before again being pushed back to March 5, 2021, a date that was later revised again to February 26, 2021. Tom and Jerry is one of the Warner Bros. films set to be released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously.

The Addams Family 2 - October 1, 2021 (Post-Production)

Chloë Grace Moretz will soon return to another animation franchise when she reprises her role of Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family 2, the forthcoming sequel to the October 2019 box office smash featuring the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, and Better Midler as the kooky and spooky macabre family. The sequel was first announced in October 2020 with EW reporting that Bill Hader would be joining the cast as a new character named Cyrus and Javon “Wanna” Walton would be taking over the role of Pugsley Addams from the departing Wolfhard.

No plot details have been revealed at this time, but a brief logline from MGM revealed that the Addams family will find themselves tangled up in wacky adventures as they have run-ins with unsuspecting characters. This makes it sound like the Addams will be doing what they do best: freak out everyday people with their unique brand of family fun and games.

Originally set to be released on October 22, 2021, The Addams Family 2 finds itself on the short list of films that have actually received earlier release dates in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and will hit theaters three weeks early, joining Dune on October 1, 2021.

Mother/Android - TBD (Post-Production)

Fans of the 2020 Netflix sci-fi action flick Project Power, specifically it’s writing, are in for some good news as Mattson Tomlin, who penned the film’s script as well as Matt Reeves’ The Batman, will soon make his directorial debut with the thriller Mother/Android with Chloë Grace Moretz in the lead role. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Moretz will play Georgia, a mother-to-be, who goes with her boyfriend, Sam (Judas and the Black Messiah’s Algee Smith) on a perilous journey to escape their country as it battles a rouge artificial intelligence. Before Georgia can reach safety and give birth to her child, she must cross “No Man’s Land,” a stronghold of the android uprising.

When the project was first announced, Mattson Tomlin revealed that Mother/Android is loosely based on his parents who fled their native Romania for a better life elsewhere, calling it a “deeply personal story.” Production got underway in September 2020, per an Instagram post from the writer/director and wrapped in November 2020. There is no word on when or how Mother/Android will be released, but expect details in the coming months.

Love Is A Gun - TBD (Pre-Production)

The story of Bonnie and Clyde, the lovers-turned-robbers who became both famous and infamous for crime spree in the 1930s, has become the stuff of legend in the nearly 90 years since the infamous pair was gunned down in Northern Louisiana in May 1934. Well, that story, or at least a version of the classic tale, will come to the screen once more in Kiké Maillo’s Love is a Gun. Taking on the roles of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow will be Chloë Grace Moretz and Jack O’Connell, respectively.

Per a Deadline report from when the project was first announced in October 2018, Love is a Gun is based on the Jeff Guinn’s book Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde which has been adapted by Up in the Air scribe Sheldon Turner with updates by Narcos’ Johnny Newman. Principal photography was originally set to get underway in early 2019, but there have not been any updates on the progress of the production in more than two years. It looks like Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway’s portrayal of dangerous couple will remain the gold standard a little longer.

After Exile - TBD (Pre-Production)

Chloë Grace Moretz is also set to appear in writer/director Joshua Michael Sterns’ long-awaited family crime drama After Exile. The film focuses on a former criminal named Ted Delaney (Robert De Niro), who will stop at nothing to help his son, Mike (Shia LaBeouf) find his place in society after serving time in prison for killing an innocent victim in a violent robbery gone wrong. The project, which was first announced by Variety in August 2019, will see the elder Delaney work with his son so that Mike’s younger brother doesn’t follow in his footsteps and turn his life around before it’s too late. How Moretz and her character fit into the narrative has yet to be revealed.

The Philly Voice reported in September 2019 that After Exile was to begin production in and around the Philadelphia area that November, but there haven't been updates on as to when principal photography got underway, if it was completed, or when the movie will see the light of day.

The Peripheral (TV Series) - TBD (Pre-Production)

Chloë Grace Moretz will also appear in the Amazon original series The Peripheral from Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s Kilter Films and Warner Bros. TV. In October 2020, Deadline reported that the show is based on William Gibson’s bestselling novel of the same name, and will follow Flynne Fisher (Moretz), a woman trying to keep what’s left of her broken family in a small and largely forgotten rural town in a near-future America. Things change for Flynne, however, when she catches a glimpse at multiple and very different futures. At that moment, she is welcomed into a dazzling, hallucinatory look at the fate of all mankind.

The Amazon sci-fi thriller will also feature Gary Carr, who previously appeared on the streamer’s anthology series Modern Love. According to Variety, Carr will take on the role of Wilf, a publicist living in the 22nd Century who was also one of the points of perspective in the original novel.

The one-hour drama was picked up by Amazon in 2019 but there is no word on exactly when it will enter production or when we can expect to see it on our TV screens.

Those are all the different places where you’ll be able to see Chloë Grace Moretz in the next year or so, but make sure to check back for updates because the movie industry changes things up more now than ever before. And since you’re here, go ahead and check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 Movie Release Guide.

Bond and Blofeld. Jerry and Newman. Tom and Jerry. These are iconic nemesis teams that have gone down in the hall of fame as the best antagonistic relationships to ever be shown to the world. But in the new Tom and Jerry movie, it looks like that there’s peace between the formidable animated duo, after decades of infighting. Of course, it doesn’t take much to reignite the old flame of adversary, as an all-star cast helps pit cat against mouse in a live-action/animation crossover event for the big screen.

While Tom and Jerry sees these two foes split up and somewhat peaceful, it isn’t long before Jerry’s new residence at a swank New York hotel causes an uproar that’ll bring him back together with Tom. As “four Presidents, three popes, and two kings” have previously made this city landmark the perfect spot for a “wedding of the century,” a young upstart employee (Chloe Grace Moretz) is tasked with taking care of this problem for the higher ups. Which leads her to hiring who she thinks is the best cat for the job; and leads to Jerry’s reaction confirming what audiences around the world have known for years. In this battle of wits, the competition isn’t even close.

This isn’t just going to be the same old Tom and Jerry shenanigans though. As this is another modern reinvention of an old classic, courtesy of Shaft director Tim Story, there’s a bit of modern inspiration mixed in the standard Hanna Barbera hijinks. Part of which comes from an impressive live-action cast of comedy performers, including the previously mentioned Chloe Grace Moretz. Alongside her are co-stars like Ant-Man franchise star Michael Pena, Deadpool 2’s own X-Force recruit Rob Delaney, and The Masked Singer judge/laugh riot Ken Jeong. Jeong especially looks like he gets to have fun, chasing after the animated Jerry through a kitchen set-piece that involves a lot of cake.

Introducing a new generation to the adventures of Tom and Jerry isn’t an easy feat, as some are still getting over the rather disastrous animated musical that is Tom and Jerry: The Movie. But this time around, it looks like the references and sight gags will do the talking for this historic team of rivals. Though now that we think about it, should Tom and Jerry do well enough at the box office, maybe it’s time to cross them over with Sylvester and Tweedy for the ultimate sequel.

Tom and Jerry is currently slated for theatrical release on March 5, 2021; though the trailer is quick enough to leave the film as “Coming Soon.” So if we get any updates on whether or not this movie will be arriving on time, or on a delay, you can check back at CinemaBlend for more info. Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out our 2021 release schedule, as you can see what sort of competition Tom and Jerry will be facing in its current slot.

The Madonna biopic is officially back on track and it feels just like a dream. The Queen of Pop is directing, producing and co-writing the movie about her rise to fame with Juno’s Diablo Cody working on the script with her. Madonna is reportedly leading the search for the perfect actress to play her in the film being produced by Universal. Before the casting decision is made, let’s weigh in on who could be in the running.

Who can play Madonna… and be directed by Madonna as Madonna? It’s not an easy task for an actor to take on, but in the past few years performances such as Rami Malek’s Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and Taron Egerton’s Elton John in Rocketman prove it can be done. Check out our casting ideas and then vote for your favorite:

Florence Pugh

Our first choice for the Madonna movie is last year’s Little Women Oscar nominee Florence Pugh. The 24-year-old actress is coming off an incredible performance that had her starring in standout performances in WWE true story Fighting For My Family, horror masterpiece Midsommar and is set to star in Black Widow next year. Pugh has shown she can pull off a variety of roles, is the perfect age to play an up-and-coming Madonna and Pugh can sing too (just check out her old YouTube channel). She’s a fabulous character actor and we’re ready to see her take on a role that allows her to let loose, but also bring weight to the Vogue singer.

Chloë Grace Moretz

Whoa, doesn’t she look like Madonna? Chloë Grace Moretz is a natural pick for the role because of their passing similarities, but the actress has been showing off her acting chops since breaking out in 500 Days of Summer and Kick-Ass when she was twelve. After additionally starring in more mature roles in Carrie, If I Stay, Suspiria and Greta, moving to a biopic like the Madonna film feels like an organic step for the 23-year-old actress. She has a combination of wit and intenseness that could be perfect for the role.

Sabrina Carpenter

Next up is Work It’s Sabrina Carpenter, who is a bonafide pop singer in her own right, with four albums on the books already at the age of 21. The actress got her big start on Disney Channel in the Boy Meets World sequel Girl Meets World from 2014 to 2017. Check one of her music videos below:

Sabrina has since started to break out with a stint in Quibi series Royalties and the Netflix dance movie hit Work It. She’s already trained in song and dance, she could undoubtedly recreate some of Madonna’s iconic music videos.

Lily James

Another great choice for Madonna is Lily James, who not only showed off her vocals for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, but did an amazing impression of Meryl Streep’s Donna Sheridan in her younger form for the musical sequel. It’s basically an audition tape:

Therefore, she’s got all the elements of a great Madonna pick. James has an entrancing way about her that she has also shown off in Baby Driver, Yesterday and Disney’s live-action Cinderella that she can bring to the Material Girl.

Julia Garner

Are we spending too much time on the singing voice of the actress to-be in front of the role? Since Madonna is directing, she may want her own voice to shine through a-la Bohemian Rhapsody, which primarily had Rami Malek lip syncing Freddie Mercury’s voice. No idea if Ozark’s Julia Garner is a singer, but she just did some amazing impressions of Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani on Jimmy Fallon. The actress already likes to pay tribute to pop’s finest, and she’s been really incredible on the Netflix hit drama (she’s won two Emmys for) and received buzz for The Assistant early this year.

Kiernan Shipka

Another Netflix star Madonna should look out for to play her is the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Kiernan Shipka, who is 20. The actress got her start as Sally Draper in the legendary drama Mad Men from 2007 to 2015 and since made a name for herself on the fantasy series, which was sadly cancelled earlier this year. What Shipka has shown on Sabrina is her youthful charisma that can be carried over to a more mature role with Madonna. What inspired me to think of Shipka of Madonna is the series’ decision to have her star in a music video in character earlier this year called Straight To Hell.

Samara Weaving

We’ll just keep rolling with Netflix actresses, ok? Samara Weaving has been a bright star, particularly this past year with the release of horror comedy Ready or Not, Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series Hollywood and in Bill & Ted Face The Music recently. The Aussie actress is the niece of Matrix actor Hugo Weaving and just getting started in the industry. She’s 28, but easily can pull off Madonna in her younger years. She’s even got those baby blues.

Taylor Momsen

Another singer who could fill Madonna’s shoes is Taylor Momsen, who you may recognize from Gossip Girl or as Cindy Lou Who in How The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Momsen is a 27-year-old punk rocker who has been the lead in the rock band The Pretty Reckless for over a decade. She may not be active as an actress in recent years, but this could be an awesome comeback for her. Momsen has a cool edge to her that could enhance the Madonna movie, plus she’s super experienced being on stage and performing live.

Lady Gaga

Alright this is a strange pick sure, but have you seen A Star Is Born? Put Lady Gaga in everything! In Gaga’s early years, the pop singer was certainly emulating Madonna and it might be awesome to see her pay tribute to the ‘80s legend by bringing those killer vocals and Oscar-nominated acting chops to the biopic. The couple downsides to a hot pick like Lady Gaga as she's a true artist and doing a rerun of someone else’s life might not be in her favor or overshadow the legacy Madonna is trying to leave.

Madonna

The final pick we have for the Madonna biopic is… Madonna. Yes, the woman herself! Hey, she’s directing, producing and co-writing, might as well go all in right? The Irishman style, de-aging tech if she’d like it and just let her act out her life! This likely won’t happen considering the report detailed she is looking for a young actress, but we hope it does some of the time. Current Madonna could be this fourth-wall breaking Deadpool-like character who comes in and out throughout the movie to tell her story in hindsight. We don’t see an artist take the reigns of their own biopic very often (ever?), so why not lean all the way into this?

What do you think? Which actress is your top pick for Madonna in the biopic? Vote in the poll below and stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more movie and TV news.

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The Addams Family are a fictional group of ghouls who have enthralled audiences for decades. They're creepy and they're kooky and... you know the rest. Given the Addams' long tenure in the entertainment business (which includes comics, the TV series, and even a Broadway musical), plenty of actors have played the iconic members of the family. And for the upcoming Addams Family animated blockbuster, the always monotoned Wednesday was voiced by Kick-Ass actress Chloe Grace Moretz. And she used a specific alternative rock band to help her get into the character: My Chemical Romance.

My Chemical Romance made a big splash when they debuted in the early 2000s, with their album The Black Parade helping to make the group a household name. It turns out that Chloe Grace Moretz was a big fan of MCR at this time. And she helped use the music to get into Wednesday's emo personality. She revealed this to CinemaBlend's Jeff McCobb, check out their conversation below.

Well, that's one way to get into character. Voice acting can be a funny job, as there aren't scene partners or sets to utilize in order to transform into another person. But Chloe Grace Moretz was able to tap into her roots as a My Chemical Romance fan to help inform her character. And if the trailers for The Addams Family are any indication, it was a process that worked out.

Chloe Grace Moretz's comments to CinemaBlend's Jeff McCobb at The Addams Family junket helps to illuminate the process of voice acting. Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan's adaptation of the beloved spooky family's story has a killer cast (pun intended). Mortez is joined by the likes of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, and Stranger Things' Finn Wolfhard. But recording is usually a private experience, with actors having to find a way to bring their characters to life. And with such beloved and outrageous characters like The Addams, this job is doubly important to sell the movie.

Wednesday Addams has always been a fan favorite member of the family, as her monotoned voice and penchant for torture are in stark juxtaposition to the usual characterization of a young girl. Wednesday was notably played to perfection by Christina Ricci in the live-action Addams Family movies. Now Chloe Grace Moretz has the chance to bring her own version of the character to life, this time with the animated medium.

The new Addams Family movie is co-directed by the filmmakers who helmed Seth Rogen's Sausage Party. As such, cinephiles should expect plenty of twisted humor. Besides, who is as twisted as the Addams? But since directors Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan are working on a PG rated animated movie rather than a hard R, they're going to have to go for a more family friendly version of their humor. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, and how many mature jokes are added for the adults in the audience.

Related: The Addams Family First Trailer Has A Classic IT Joke

While My Chemical Romance split up a few years ago, their catalogue continues to resonate with fans. And ass Jeff McCobb mentioned during his above conversation with Chloe Grace Moretz, lead singer Gerard Way has continued to influence pop culture through comics, including The Umbrella Academy. That comic was recently adapted into a Netflix series, with Way serving as an executive producer on the streaming adaptation. What's more, The Umbrella Academy is getting a second season on Netflix.

You can enjoy Chloe Grace Moretz's performance as Wednesday when The Addams Family hits theaters October 11th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Neil Jordan’s Greta is a film that doesn’t need to do too much to be considered successful. It has a very simple premise that inherently comes with everything it needs to excite an audience, and really just needs to be put together properly with the right intentions to function. Obviously that still leaves plenty of latitude for error and unfortunate choices – one’s we’ve seen plenty of times in similar features - but fortunately, this is a case where those don’t overwhelm. Instead, it’s a fun thriller with a couple of engaging performance and legitimately shocking moments that doesn’t blow you away, but also does enough to keep you entertained for most of two hours.

Based on an original screenplay by Ray Wright and Neil Jordan, Greta begins centered on Frances McCullen (Chloe Moretz), a kind young woman from Boston who is trying to start her adult life living in New York City. One day while taking the subway home from work she discovers a green purse left behind on one of the seats, and being the good person that she is, she takes it with the intent of returning it to its owner. As it turns out, it belongs to Greta Hideg (Isabelle Huppert), a lonely aging French woman who lives in the neighborhood.

Having just recently lost her mother and being in a somewhat sensitive emotional state, Frances starts up a friendship with Greta, hoping to make her feel less lonely – despite constant protests from Frances’ roommate, Erica (Maika Monroe), who is weirded out by the whole thing. It turns out that this is a proper instinct, though, as it’s not long before things start getting more and more intense. As time goes on, Greta becomes increasingly obsessive and possessive, eventually revealing some terrifying secrets that show she is far from the innocent old woman you think she is at the start.

With its high-concept thriller plot, the name of the game in Greta is escalation, and it’s arguably what both makes and kind of breaks the movie – in that it very much shines in its pulpier moments, but drags when it resists pushing things too far. If you’re conscious of what the plot is going in, then you’re prepared for Greta essentially being a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, and results ultimately present a bit of a mixed bag. As much as you want the film to have a greater sense of self-awareness, it’s never fully willing to cross the razor-thin line that separates thriller and horror, and leaves you wanting in that respect. It is satisfying enough with the level of scary crazy that Isabelle Huppert reaches, but at the same time you leave wishing that it had gone a few steps further.

It’s noteworthy that this is definitely more of an approach problem than an actor problem, as the performances delivered by Greta’s two leads keep you engaged and absorbed even when the script proves to be a bit faulty at times. Frances as a character, for starters, presents a bit of a challenge given that naivety can sometimes translate as innocent stupidity, but Chloe Moretz injects her turn with enough empathy and understanding to not only keep you rooting for her throughout the story, but appropriately concerned about her ability to survive. There are definitely some moments in the narrative where she makes some extremely wrong choices, but the movie can get away with them because there is an understanding that Frances’ heart is in the right place.

As you would expect, though (it’s in the title, after all), the real star of the show here is Isabelle Huppert, who really does pull off a magnificent mounting malevolency as the movie plays out its creepy tale. At the start it’s very easy to see what Frances sees in Greta, as she appears sweet, nice, and simply desperate for company, but as the story progresses it’s also great to see how much fun the actress has taking the character off the rails – later in the film hitting some nice crazy peaks flipping tables in restaurants and slowly dancing by herself around a violence-filled living room. We’re not exactly seeing the birth of a new horror icon, but it’s legitimately exciting to see such a talented veteran capture something so manic.

Given the current pop culture climate and the heat possessed by the horror genre, it feels like Greta could have been a lot more, and it’s a bit of a disappointment in that regard – but it’s not a total disappointment. There is still enough here to have it qualify as a solid bit of entertainment, with a handful of moments that do stand out in your head and send some nice chills down your spine. It’s just also not a film that you are going to recall in full detail a year from now.

Although she had been acting on the big screen from a young age, when Mark Millar's Kick-Ass came to the big screen in 2010, it made an instant star of Chloë Grace Moretz, who was only 13 at the time of the film's release into theaters. Kick-Ass opened doors for the actress, and of course she was going to return for the sequel, 2013's Kick-Ass 2. However, looking back, the actress now says the experience was a little bit of a disappointment for her, and she explained more about her feelings about Kick-Ass 2 in a recent panel, noting at the Provincetown Film Festival:

The first Kick-Ass was notable for its R-rated nature and its black comedy sensibility. Plenty of fans got on board with the project, which was made on a middling budget, and went on to bring in over $96 million at the box office worldwide. That and solid reviews were just enough to earn the movie a sequel, a sequel that brought back Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass, Nic Cage as Big Daddy and Chloë Grace Moretz as Hitgirl. However, our own review of Kick-Ass 2 commented on the "choppy structure" of three separate storylines, and despite setting up for a third movie, that third movie was never made.

Speaking at the Provincetown Film Festival (via Indiewire), Chloë Grace Moretz went on to state that she would not get involved if a third movie would be made.

Hitgirl in particular's storyline is rough in Kick-Ass 2. Chloë Grace Moretz aged three years between the original movie and its sequel, and by the time the second film was coming together she was no longer an adolescent but a young woman. Personally, I think her storyline in the second movie really suffered because of her age change. By that time, Moretz was also the type of young woman who was taking big roles in projects like the Carrie remake and If I Stay and didn't really need to be propelled forward by the Kick-Ass franchise anymore. Although the actress does not seem excited about returning to play Hitgirl, more projects in the Kick-Ass universe were recently announced, and director Matthew Vaughn has mentioned previously that Kick-Ass and Hitgirl are going to be totally rebooted.

We'll have to wait and see what happens with the new projects; however, in the meantime, you can catch Chloë Grace Moretz in the upcoming R-rated flick Suspiria, which also stars Fifty Shades franchise actress Dakota Johnson. She's also voicing Wednesday Addams in the animated The Addams Family movie. Never say never, but it looks as if she's hung up the superheroine duds these days.

The Addams Family is finally returning to theaters, only instead of being live action again, the creepy and kooky characters will star in an animated movie, harkening back to their New Yorker roots. Late last year, it was reported that Oscar Isaac was being eyed to voice Gomez in the new Addams Family movie. Now the full cast has been unveiled, and not only is Isaac confirmed to be voicing Gomez, we've learned his co-stars will include Charlize Theron, Allison Janney, Bette Midler, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard and Nick Kroll.

Charlize Theron will be voicing the love of Gomez's life, Morticia. This will be Theron's third time starring in an animated movie, previously lending her vocal talents to Astro Boy and Kubo and the Two Strings. Taking on the role of Grandmama will be Broadway star and Oscar nominee Bette Midler, who voiced Georgette in 1988's Oliver & Company.

Bringing life to Wednesday and Puglsey, Gomez and Morticia's children, in The Addams Family will be Chloë Grace Moretz and Finn Wolfhard, respectively. Moretz has plenty of voice credits on her acting resume, including Bolt and My Friends Tigger & Pooh. While The Addams Family will mark Wolfhard's first major movie voice role, he's currently best known for starring in Stranger Things and IT, and he'll also voice one of the main characters in Netflix's upcoming Carmen Sandiego animated series.

That leaves Nick Kroll, a man who has starred in animated projects like Sausage Party, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and Big Mouth, to play Uncle Fester. There's no word yet on who will voice Lurch, although since he's a butler of few words, it's not like you need a major actor to play him (although it would be funny if an A-lister was brought in to recite what little dialogue he has). As for Allison Janney, she will be voicing the movie's main villain, Margaux Needler, a crafty reality TV show host. Janney's voice credits include Finding Nemo, Over the Hedge, Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Minions.

Along with revealing the full Addams Family cast, MGM also released the first image of how these characters will appear in animated form, and sure enough, they're delightfully mysterious and spooky.

While this movie won't be the first time that The Addams Family has been translated for animation, it can be argued that the public knows this property best from its live action offerings, be it on the big screen, on TV or as a stage show. Earlier in the decade, there were plans to make a stop-motion Addams Family movie, but those plans fell through, and now they're going the CGI route. Aside from the Family facing off against Margaux Needler, the only plot-related information that's been revealed is that the main characters will be preparing for their extended family to arrive for a major celebration.

Directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, The Addams Family animated movie will scare its way into theaters on October 11, 2019, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates. In the meantime, you find out what non-altogether ooky movies are hitting the silver screen later this year by scanning through our 2018 release schedule.

Luca Guadagnino made a splash recently with the arthouse homosexual romance Call Me By Your Name, which transcended its independent roots to become an Oscar contender, taking home a trophy for Best Adapted Screenplay. Guadagnino's films to date have been lush international excursions of the heart, so his next film is a bit of a headscratcher, though one that we find to be extremely intriguing. The director is remaking Dario Argento's 1977 Italian horror Suspiria, using his muse Dakota Johnson in the lead. And by the looks of this initial trailer, things are going to get quite unnerving.

Impossibly, Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria remake actually looks like it was filmed in the late 1970s, and kept in a secure case until the director was ready to show it to a modern audience. There isn't a single line of dialogue spoken in this clip, and yet the mood of the piece is conveyed through disturbing imagery and the use of Thom Yorke's original musical compositions. Yes, that Thom Yorke of Radiohead fame.

You can spot similarities and differences in Luca Guadagnino's approach to Dario Argento's original Suspiria, but the bones of the narrative structure appear to be in place. Susie (Dakota Johnson) is a talented ballerina who arrives at a world-renowned dance academy, to work under the tutelage of artistic director Madame Blanc (Tilda Swinton). The director has said numerous times that this is not a straight remake of Argento's masterpiece, but more of an effort to capture the intense feelings that he had while sitting through Suspiria the first time. It's the type of movie that burrows under your skin, and stays there for some time. And while this initial trailer doesn't give away the whole game, there's enough unnerving footage in the back half to convince us that things are going to get very weird when Amazon Studios puts Suspiria in theaters.

This is the second bit of footage that Amazon has tipped regarding Suspiria. At CinemaCon in Las Vegas earlier this year -- during a luncheon, for God's sake -- the studio brought a clip of Dakota Johnson dancing, under the watchful eye of Tilda Swinton. In a separate room, another dancer was going through similar ballet moves. It was as if the two women were connected. And yet, as Dakota's dance routine intensified, the other woman found herself being injured by invisible forces. Her body was being ripped apart, and the gore was a spare-no-vomit-inducing approach to body horror.

So yeah, Suspiria will not be for the weak-willed or delicate stomached.

Amazon Studios plans to release Suspiria in theaters on November 2, where it will compete against Disney's Nutcracker and the Four Realms, an untitled Tyler Perry movie, and Fox's Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody. Stay up to date on all upcoming movies by bookmarking our 2018 Movie Release Schedule.

Quite a few hearts were broken throughout 2016. From iconic, long-lasting marriages to eyebrow-raising flings, a ton of celebrities dealt with some romantic turmoil in the past devastating year. Let's take a look back at all the famous couples who called it quits in 2016.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Without a doubt the most shocking breakup of the year was the dissolution of Brangelina, Hollywood's paramount supercouple for over a decade. Angelina Jolie shocked the world when it was announced that she had filed for a divorce from Brad Pitt in September. The couple had become a tabloid fixture from the very start when Pitt reportedly cheated on Jennifer Aniston with Jolie while they were filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2005. They went on to have six children together --- three biological and three adopted from foreign countries.

Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris

Taylor Swift is pretty well known for her high profile relationships with famous men, but it looked like she had finally found her perfect match last year when she started dating Clavin Harris. Though they stayed together for over a year, Swift and Harris suddenly split up this summer, and it wasn't exactly the cleanest breakup. Harris went off on Swift on Twitter shortly after the split, accusing his ex's PR team of making him look bad by revealing that she was a writer on his hit track "This Is What You Came For."

Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston

Taylor Swift wasn't alone for long after her breakup with Calvin Harris. The singer quickly started a summer fling with Avengers actor Tom Hiddleston, which wound up fading away with the summer sun come September.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard

Perhaps the most troubling breakup of the year was Amber Heard's split from husband Johnny Depp. After a year of marriage, Heard filed for divorce from Depp this year, and followed that up with a restraining order and the accusation that he had been verbally and physically abusive to her throughout their relationship.

Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama

Wilmer Valderrama has a history of dating Hollywood's "it" girls, and many probably assumed that when he started dating Demi Lovato back in 2010 it would just be a short fling. However, the couple proved their doubters wrong by staying together for six full years before finally calling it quits this summer.

Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney

Talk about a "Bad Romance." Lady Gaga ended her five-year relationship with The Vampire Diaries star this summer, a year after they had gotten engaged.

Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart

J-Lo was ridin' solo for a bit in 2016. The singer ended her five-year relationship with backup dancer Casper Smart back in fall. Although, Jennifer Lopez may have already moved on to a bigger name beau --- Lopez has been snuggling up with Drake recently.

Mariah Carey and James Packer

J-Lo wasn't the only diva to deal with heartache in 2016. Mariah Carey started the year out with an engagement to Australian billionaire James Packer, but in fall the couple announced their split. Packer makes an appearance in Carey's new reality series Mariah's World, which was filmed before the breakup was announced.

Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger

What seemed like one of the most stable relationships in Hollywood hit a bump in 2016. Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger ended their decade-long relationship this year.

The Weeknd and Bella Hadid

After nearly two years together, young stars The Weeknd and Bella Hadid announced their breakup this fall. As two of the buzziest celebrities right now, it was reportedly too difficult for the singer and model to maintain their relationship in the midst of both of their busy schedules.

Chloe Grace Moretz and Brooklyn Beckham

2016 was an unkind year to young love. Unlike bestie Meghan Trainor who found love with Spy Kids star Daryl Sabara this year, Chloe Grace Moretz broke up with her boyfriend Brooklyn Beckham. So much for getting in with the famous Beckham family...

Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman

After five years together, Drew Barrymore announced that she was filing for a divorce from art consultant Will Kopelman in the summer of 2016. The couple has two children together, and stated that they will continue to co-parent the kids and remain friendly as exes.

Melissa Benoist and Blake Jenner

Although their relationship started out full of Glee, Melissa Benoist and Blake Jenner decided to end their three-year marriage at the tail end of 2016. Jenner had recently popped up in a cameo role on Benoist's hit show Supergirl, but soon after the couple cited irreconcilable differences and filed for a divorce.

Sometimes even celebrities need to take a break. Being in the almost never-ending cycle of tabloid news can wear out even the toughest among us, with paparazzi always looking to get the next juicy scoop to exploit. That's why Chloë Grace Moretz is hitting the brakes a bit. The 19-year-old actress was the subject of a lot of gossip and paparazzi over her dating life and feud with some family called the Kardashian's these last few weeks, which is why she's taking some time off to recharge her batteries and reevaluate the roles she picks.

Chloë Grace Moretz was in attendance at Deauville, where the young actress received the French film festival's Rising Star Award. The Hollywood Reporter caught of with Moretz, where she revealed that she had pulled out of all her upcoming film projects. Having filmed several movie roles in under a year, the actress stated that she needed time to remember why she became an actor in the first place.

With only 19 years on this Earth, Moretz already has 55 film roles under her belt, so she certainly hasn't been starved for work. One can hardly blame Moretz for wanting to pull back on the throttle. The past few weeks have seen Moretz as the subject of tabloid speculation centered around her love life and whether she was still in a relationship with her boyfriend, Brooklyn Beckham. She's also been locked in a social media feud with the Kardashians that began earlier this year. The negativity was weighing her down, but it seems to have lead to a positive personal revelation for the Kick-Ass actress.

As far as her future projects are concerned, Moretz wrapped up back-to-back filming for the psychological drama Brain on Fire and the thriller November Criminals, both of which are expecting a 2016 release. Moretz was slated to star in a live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid (that would make oodles of money), but now that she's pulled out, the fate of that movie is unknown. While she's taking a break from acting, Moretz will be trying her hand at producing. She's currently shopping around two new TV shows.

Chloë Grace Moretz has been acting since 2004, and got her first big film role 2005's Amityville Horror reboot. Her breakout performance came when she starred as the scene-stealing Hit Girl in Kick-Ass, where she curse, stabbed and murdered her way into our hearts. Some other of her roles include The Fifth Wave, Hugo, guest appearances on 30 Rock and this summer's Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.

Who said sororities aren’t allowed to have as much fun as the frats? In case you haven't heard, that’s pretty much the entire mission statement of Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. Although the college Greek system is often portrayed through incredibly masculine and misogynistic lenses in modern film and television, the upcoming sequel seems to have taken a vastly different approach to that concept. In fact, we’ve just learned that a cut sex scene between two of the film's stars would’ve placed a heavy emphasis on the notion of female empowerment. Sadly -- as I said -- it was cut.

Based upon a new report from Vanity Fair, it seems that Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising originally featured a sex scene between Chloë Grace Moretz’ character Shelby, and Zac Efron’s character Teddy. The scene reportedly existed as an "anti-sex scene" because it allowed Shelby to take full physical advantage of the admittedly handsome and happily objectified Teddy while keeping her clothes on. This entailed putting Zac Efron in some seriously compromising (and likely hilarious) positions. While the end result was something incredibly funny, it also didn’t thematically fit with the film’s message of sisterly bonding and empowerment, so the end result saw it cut from the final product.

Aside from the fact that the scene didn’t totally work within the greater context of the movie, the filmmakers also decided to cut it because it didn’t logistically work within the relationships built up by these characters. The movie reportedly makes a concerted effort to showcase that the ladies of Kappa Nu view Zac Efron’s Teddy as an "old man," and berate him mercilessly for it. As such, a sex scene between him and the supposedly 18-year-old Shelby would not have necessarily fit with everything preceding it in the film.

Neighbors 2 has generated some insane buzz for a comedy sequel. It seems to deconstruct the female side of the collegiate Greek system with even more surgical precision than the original did for fraternities. With so many people calling it one of the best comedies in recent memory, as well as one of the best comedy sequels of all time, it seems as though the filmmakers don’t have to worry about cutting that one particular scene.

Based upon everything we know about the upcoming sequel, it doesn’t seem like there will be any shortage of raunchy comedy when Neighbors 2 finally hits theaters. There‘s a good chance that the sex scene between Zac Efron and Chloë Grace Moretz will make it onto the special features of the DVD release, so you may still get an opportunity to see it someday. Neighbors 2 parties its way into theaters this weekend, so be sure to check it out.

After two films of trying to avoid the perils of young fraternities and sororities wrecking havoc, Seth Rogen's Mac and Rose Byrne's Kelly have had two Neighbors films full of conflict and misused air bags. So if Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising happens to be the hit that it wants to be, a concept for the obvious third entry is going to have to do something different. Enter Chloe Grace Moretz, with an idea that could make the potential Neighbors 3 something to look forward to.

During the red carpet premiere for Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, The Hollywood Reporter managed to catch up with Moretz, who is one of the new additions to the Neighbors family with this summer's sequel. Though you wouldn't know it considering the pitch she makes below for a third film, as she thinks the following is the most logical conclusion:

Right out of the gate, Chloe Grace Moretz's pitch for a sequel to Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising sounds like the most logical idea for expansion of 2014's surprise smash hit. Rather than keep the conflict at the same house for a third time around, especially when two might be seen as pushing it by some audience members, a change of venue that puts both parties off balance is the perfect raising of stakes. In fact, it wouldn't be all that surprising if Zac Efron, Seth Rogen, and Rose Byrne all joined forces with Moretz to stop some sort of external force confronting all of them at the same time. The most likely prospect in that case could be a drug cartel kingpin, but seeing as 22 Jump Street followed a similar trajectory, it would be wise to consider that idea really hard before making any decisions.

Of course, this idea isn't the only possible incarnation Neighbors 3 has seen, as we previously reported on the zombie themed pitch that Seth Rogen and Zac Efron put together in a little video that went out on Twitter earlier today. While Neighbors 3: Zombies Rising is a more goofball approach to a Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising sequel, it is an all-together new approach that the series could take to keep itself fresh. However, between both possible sequels on the table, the Neighbors franchise doesn't look like it's hurting for ideas, especially if Zac Efron and Chloe Grace Moretz are involved as partners in crime.

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is in theaters this Friday.

Though Universal’s upcoming live-action update of The Little Mermaid recently landed a star to take the lead in the form of Chloe Grace Moretz, it recently lost it’s director, Sofia Coppola. This is just one of the various bumps the project has experienced along the way to the big screen, but according to a new report, the project may have filled that gaping vacancy.

According to their sources, The Wrap reports that Rebecca Thomas is in early talks to take over the helm on The Little Mermaid for Universal and Working Title Pictures. This is preliminary right now, but with an eye on a 2017 release, having a filmmaker on board to guide the picture is going to be a big step forward for the picture.

There is a question of timing, however. In addition to The Little Mermaid, Thomas apparently still intends to direct an adaptation of John Green’s novel Looking for Alaska for Paramount. Though neither film has officially been given the green light, Alaska is reportedly further along the pre-production path, and while it doesn’t have any stars signed on just yet, the drama, adapted for the screen by writer/director/actress Sarah Polley (Dawn of the Dead, Stories We Tell), reportedly has its eye on Elle Fanning to lead the movie. While this could provide complications, without a specific release already on the books, Mermaid may have the flexibility to accommodate Thomas’ schedule, should they decide to go that route.

With no hard and fast date set for The Little Mermaid, Universal recently enlisted Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral veteran Richard Curtis to give the script another pass. Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 story, this tale—about a mermaid who wishes to become human after falling in love with a man she saves from drowning—has been told time and time again, though this iteration was reportedly inspired by a children’s puppet production of the narrative. So, if nothing else, it will be interesting to see if that plays into the finished product at all.

Though she was on board to direct for a good long while, The Virgin Suicides director Sofia Coppola bailed on the project back in June. In a recent interview, she cited the ubiquitous creative differences with the studio as the reason she left, saying that the two sides ultimately had distinct and conflicting visions for the movie, and she decided to work on something smaller, which is her preferred method of operation. She reportedly wanted to take the story in a much darker direction, while Universal wanted something more in line with Disney’s beloved animated retelling, and on a much larger scale that Coppola envisioned.

Live action remakes of well-known and beloved animated properties are becoming quite popular these days. Cinderella and Maleficent have already come to theaters and done quite well, and a live action version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is currently in the works. Another live action telling of an animated favorite, The Little Mermaid, will be on our screens before long, and star Chloe Grace Moretz has given us a hint of what we can expect from that film.

While talking to Entertainment Tonight, Chloe Grace Moretz spilled the news that this take on the classic will be even more likely to appeal to today’s young women:

She also notes that this story, instead of being based on the well-liked Disney cartoon from 1989, is based on the original tale from Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen which was published in 1837. (This also means that young Ms. Moretz will not be dyeing her hair red for the role, but we can dwell on that travesty later.)

That animated version of The Little Mermaid has the same basic focus as its source material. A young mermaid, unnamed in the Andersen story, dwells in an underwater kingdom but falls for a handsome human prince and desires to be human so that he’ll fall in love with her. The details of the two stories diverge a bit after that. And, as anyone who knows anything about old-time fairy tales could guess, things get a bit dark before we see any light.

Surely Chloe Grace Moretz’s words are calling a lot of possibilities to mind for anyone who was looking forward to this movie. But, let’s be honest here, her description of the film is really pretty vague, which isn’t a surprise at this point. Let’s keep in mind that the film’s idea of "modern" could be a host of different things. This could mean that the story will take place in a modern setting and end up sort of like a moodier version of 1984’s Splash. But, it could also mean that modern ideals will color a story set in the time period of the Andersen yarn.

As for her use of "revisionist," well, your guess is as good as mine. It’s almost a given that the filmmakers will take bits and pieces of the tale as their own and then come up with some of their own connections to add some modern spice to it. The tale could easily become more "progressive" just by making the titular mermaid’s love for a human prince a bit less all-consuming. You know, if she’s hot for him, but isn’t willing to do anything in the sea or on land to get him, or, if the young mermaid goes through severe pains to have him and then wishes she hadn’t.

Whatever the filmmakers decide to do with this classic, I’m sure they’ll make it intriguing for us to watch. And, no small part of that will be due to Chloe Grace Moretz and her modern view of the story they choose to tell.

Live action remakes of classic animated properties are almost as big a thing in Hollywood these days as shared cinematic universes. Disney is seemingly in the process of burning through their entire back catalog of beloved animated features. While it’s not set up at the Mouse House, a live action The Little Mermaid, despite some bumps along the way — like losing director Sofia Coppola — is moving forward, and the project has found its lead.

Working Title and Universal are teaming up to tell a new version of the Hans Christian Andersen 1837 story, and according to Variety, Chloe Grace Moretz is now all set to take play the titular little mermaid. Aside from the basics — a mermaid wishes to become human after falling in love with a man she saves from drowning — there aren’t a ton of specifics about this version of the tale that has been told and retold countless times. It has been said, however, that this iteration was inspired by a children’s puppet production.

Even though she’s only 18, Moretz has put together a resume that is as impressive as damn near anyone toiling away in the industry. With more than 50 roles under her belt, she’s already a veteran and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. She’d already been working steadily in movies and on TV when she caught a the attention of a lot of people after playing the diminutive superhero badass Hit-Girl in 2010’s Kick-Ass, and it’s only been up from there, starring in Carrie, the American horror remake Let Me In, and the Denzel Washington-led actioner The Equalizer, among many others.

Though Lost in Translation director Sofia Coppola left The Littler Mermaid recently due to the ubiquitous "creative differences," Moretz was reportedly in the mix for the role even then, at least in the studio’s eyes. The report indicates that Coppola’s unwillingness to go with a more established star like Moretz was part of her decision to bail.

It’s probably good that The Little Mermaid is not super imminent right now, as Chloe Grace Moretz has a fairly full dance card for the next little bit. She has the young adult alien invasion yarn The 5th Wave in the can, recently wrapped production on the biographical mental illness drama Brain on Fire, has teen murder mystery November Criminals in the works, and is in the process of filming Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.

With no hard and fast date set, after Coppola left, the studio also wanted to give the script another pass—also apparently part of why they waited until now to move ahead with Moretz. To achieve this goal, they are trying to enlist the services of Richard Curtis, of Love Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral renown.

Right now there’s no director in place or release date set, but as things progress on The Little Mermaid, expect details like those to be filled in.

The first trailer for The 5th Wave was pretty awesome, but the second trailer that recently dropped makes the film look even more intense than before. View the latest trailer for the Chloe Moretz sci-fi film below:

Sony Pictures dropped a new look at the upcoming adaptation of author Rick Yancey's first entry in his YA invasion trilogy. Moretz stars as Cassie, a young woman who survives four waves of an alien invasion and is about to experience a fifth while trying to find her brother. After banding together with other survivors around her age, Cassie embarks on the mission of a lifetime – just as the enemy is about to launch its most important offensive.

With a second trailer hitting only two weeks after the first look dropped, some would say that Sony is trying to make a huge marketing push in the hopes that The 5th Wave will find a larger audience in its January 2016 release. Considering how the new trailer plays compared to the old, it's not a bad way to re-enforce the message that this film isn't your typical YA project. While the old stand-bys are still present and accounted for in this fresh look at The 5th Wave, this second trailer is cut to amp up the action and suspense factors of the film. Quicker cuts, a tenser look at the five wave structure, and even some new shots of our band of teenagers training in a militaristic setting all make this new look akin to something you'd see slated for release in the dead of summer.

Meanwhile, that first look at The 5th Wave felt a bit closer to what you would expect out of a YA adaptation. The previous footage was a little paint by numbers in the way it laid out the basics of the plot, while making The 5th Wave look like more of a science fiction slow burn than a thrill a minute ride. Another interesting difference is that the first look, freshly dubbed as an "International First Look" trailer, opened with the footage of the confrontation between Cassie and a random stranger at the gas station; while ending on a more ominous, emotional beat. You can see this in the first look clip, included below.

It's common to re-cut trailers based on the localities said trailers are going to be released in, but no matter what territory you're watching the trailer out of, The 5th Wave still manages to look like a compelling piece of science fiction / action entertainment. Chloe Moretz looks as kick assed as she did back in her Hit Girl days, while at the same time showing off the more serious acting chops she's broken out for movies like If I Stay and Dark Places. We'll get to see if The 5th Wave is closer to being either the next Hunger Games or the next Twilight when it hits theaters on January 15th, 2016.

Aliens, major cities, and a family separated by chaos are all elements we’ve seen mixed together before. Yet somehow, the film adaptation of The 5th Wave looks like it provides a fresh spin on just what those things can do for a story. You can judge for yourself, as we’ve landed a look at the first trailer, which you can see below:

The Playlist stumbled on the trailer, which dropped today in a rather low key fashion, and it honestly looks pretty solid. The 5th Wave, based on the Rick Yancey book of the same name, tells the story of Cassie – a girl who’s persevered through four waves of a hostile alien invasion, and is trying to save her brother as a fifth and final wave is preparing to get underway. While the storyline sounds a bit derivative, the look and feel of this trailer really sells the film as a product for all ages, particularly with Ron Livingston and Liev Schreiber helping out as two of the prerequisite authority figures.

Of course, this is already sounding like Independence Day meets The Hunger Games, but that’s not particularly a bad thing. With the titular “5th Wave” sounding like a re-hash of the plot driving aspect of Stephenie Meyer’s The Host, you could be borrowing from worse influences in the YA landscape. Yet, The 5th Wave looks to be a more intense experience than most teen-aimed thrillers dare to take on. Even better is the fact that while there’s obviously going to be a love triangle that will probably last throughout the entire trilogy, should this franchise go the distance, it doesn’t look to be a massive selling point in this trailer.

Instead of watching Chloe Grace Moretz fawning over boys, her character seems to be closer to Hit Girl, as she struggles to keep it together in order to save her brother. We see Cassie scrounging for supplies and toting an assault rifle, instead of waiting for some shirtless hunk to come along and save the day. Even her voice over portrays that she understands the gravity of the situation. Two things are clear about Cassie in this trailer: she’s ready for action, and she’s focused on saving her brother at any cost. If this holds true during the finished product of The 5th Wave, we could see a worthy successor to the kick-ass spirit of Katniss Everdeen’s soon-to-end dominance over the box office.

This would obviously be music to Sony’s ears, considering they’re the studio that’s got The 5th Wave on their docket. Much like Lionsgate and The Hunger Games, the studio is poising this film for an off season test run, which could yield to the sequels – The Infinite Sea and The Last Star – being groomed for more tentpole friendly release dates. With The Hunger Games pulling in $152.5 million its first weekend, one imagines Sony’s hoping for a similar result before greenlighting any further adventures.

They shouldn’t hope too hard, though, as The 5th Wave doesn’t have as big of a market push as Suzanne Collins’ runaway literary hit did. Which means if you’re a fan of The 5th Wave, and if you have any intention on the subsequent books being adapted into films of their own, you should definitely show up to the theater when it’s released on January 15, 2016.

The original comedy Neighbors was a rare non-visual effects-filled studio-released summer blockbuster, it ended up being a huge hit when it was released back in 2013. When inexpensive movies make studios huge profits, it usually means that the sequel green light isn’t far off – and the Nicholas Stoller-directed comedy is no different. Now Neighbors 2 is set for release next summer, and it has just been revealed that it has a subtitle which gives us some insight into what the movie will be about: Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. Really, we should have seen this coming.

Production Weekly posted the full title, which seems to sync up with what we’ve learned so far about the sequel currently in production. Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising will revolve around a sorority house moving in next door to the family played by Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne from the first film. When they have trouble dealing with the sorority, they turn to their previous nemesis, played by Zac Efron, for help. We assume shenanigans ensue at this point.

As was confirmed earlier this week, Chloe Moretz has been cast in a major role in the film, and it’s expected that she will be the primary antagonist sorority sister. The female Zac Efron if you will. Moretz was the highlight of the Kick-Ass movies and we know Hit Girl could get pretty vile, so Moretz should feel right at home with the exceptionally vulgar comedy. In fact, we're more than a little curious to see what this plot will have her up to.

Neighbors R rating was one of the reasons its success was so surprising. During the summer movie season, PG-13 is always the ideal rating in order to allow the majority of moviegoers into the theater, but the Nicholas Stoller movie blazed the trail helped formed by titles like The Hangover and Ted. Ultimately, the movie managed to gross $268 million on an $18 million budget – so, again, it’s little surprise a sequel got the go-ahead. That being said, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising will need to provide the same sort of laughs, but without being the same laughs, to be successful – which is arguably a much higher bar.

Of course, that may be the only problem facing the movie. One wonders if the plot of the movie feels too obvious. It would probably be very easy for the production to take the original script, run a "find and replace" and swap out fraternity for sorority, and call it a day. One thing that would be nice would be to see a female-centered story that gives Rose Byrne more time to shine. Critics hailed her as one of the highlights of the original, as she really held her own. Maybe it’s time for Rogen to play second fiddle. That could go a long way to making the movie feel fresh.

Whatever ends up happening, we’ll certainly be checking out Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising when it hits next summer. Chloe Moretz has high bar to clear if she wants to out do Zac Efron’s performance in the original, but if anybody can do it, we have a feeling she can.

If you haven’t read Susannah Cahalan’s Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, you should pick up a copy. When she was 24, the author woke up strapped to a hospital bed with no means of moving or speaking, and no memory of how she got there. A promising young journalist for The New York Post, she used her skills to investigate her own life and piece together the events that led to her mental break by interviewing her friends and family, pouring over security footage from the hospital, and interviewing the doctors and nurses who treated her. What she discovered changed her life forever. Now, this true tale is becoming a movie with Kick-Ass’ Chloe Grace Moretz in the lead role, and the actress will be joined by some stellar co-stars.

Tyler Perry

Thomas Mann of Me, Earl & The Dying Girl and Jenny Slate of Obvious Child are already on board Brain on Fire, but Deadline reports that Tyler Perry is the latest addition. The director-writer-producer-actor is taking a break from his next projects to play Richard, Susannah’s boss at The New York Post. Perry has been broadening his acting resume outside the realm of films within his banner. He was recently featured as the sleazy lawyer in the Oscar-nominated Gone Girl, and we’ll see him take on the comic book role of Baxter Stockman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 in 2016.

Carrie-Anne Moss

Elsewhere, the trade also reports that Carrie-Anne Moss, our favorite ass-kicker from the Matrix saga, has joined Brain on Fire as Susannah’s mom, Rhona Nack, who, along with her ex-husband, watches in horror as her daughter flails and thrashes in the hospital. Moss has been staying relatively under the radar lately, with roles in Pompeii, the Vegas TV series, and Compulsion with Heather Graham. But she recently made headlines when Marvel announced her in a role opposite Krysten Ritter in Netflix’s Jessica Jones.

Richard Armitage

Lastly, Richard Armitage, who’s known for playing Thorin Oakenshield in the Hobbit trilogy, will play Susannah’s dad, Tom Cahalan. Aside from the world of Tolkien, Armitage has appeared on Hannibal as Francis Dolarhyde, in the found-footage disaster film Into the Storm, and he also had a small role in the first Captain America movie as Heinz Kruger, the assassin who shot Stanley Tucci’s Dr. Abraham Erskine. Given the buzz around the memoir, this project is an interesting choice for everyone involved.

Brain on Fire is directed by Gerard Barrett and is currently in production in Vancouver. The film doesn’t have a release date set just yet, though it’s slated for 2016.

Having already excelled in the likes of Kick Ass, Let Me In, Hugo, and Carrie, the world is waiting to see where Chloe Grace Moretz’s career veers over the next few years. From the sound of things, the 18-year-old actress is looking to tackle weightier and more complex roles, which is why she has signed up to star in Brain On Fire.

The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Chloe Grace Moretz will star in the film, an adaptation of Susannah Cahalan’s memoir from 2012. Charlize Theron is producing Brain On Fire, while Gerard Barrett has been hired to direct. Moretz landed the role after Dakota Fanning dropped out of the production due to a scheduling conflict, while Me & Earl & The Dying Girl’s lead Thomas Mann has already signed on for the feature too. 

Clearly Charlize Theron must have been impressed with Chloe Moretz’s talent when the pair worked on the impending Dark Places together. The thriller, produced by A24, is due to hit screens on August 7. But this could now be Chloe Grace Moretz’s time to really shine and prove to Hollywood that she is ready to move her career to the next echelon.

Brain On Fire possesses the perfect material to showcase Moretz’s acting ability as it revolves around a young woman’s struggles with a mystery illness, which results in her going insane. Written by Susannah Cahalan, Brain On Fire: My Month Of Madness was released on November 13, 2012. It was met by mostly positive reviews, and in May 2014 it was announced that Theron, through her company Denver & Delilah, wanted to bring the book to the big screen.

Brain On Fire recounts how Cahalan, who at the time was a writer for the New York Post, was ultimately diagnosed with encephalitis after several issues with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. Cahalan also lost an entire month from her memory, and after waking up in a hospital she was informed that she’d had several violent episodes and delusions. This diagnosis was complicated by several miss-diagnoses from doctors, with one insisting that she was simply "partying too much" and another stating that she actually had schizoaffective disorder. Finally, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. 

After coming to grips with her disease, Cahalan has since helped to raise awareness of her condition, which is relatively new. In fact, it had only been discovered just three years before she was diagnosed, and only 10% of people with the disease were actually being treated. Because of Cahalan’s work, a better understanding of the disease and its symptoms has been gathered.

There’s certainly enough there to showcase Moretz’s burgeoning talent. Before then we’ll get to see her when Dark Places hits later this summer, she also appears in the sci-fi thriller The 5th Wave, which will be released on January 15, 2016, and she just finished filming Sacha Gervasi’s November Criminals with Ansel Elgort . So you better get used to seeing her around over the next few months.  

Matthew Vaughn has admitted that plans are currently afoot to reinvigorate the Kick-Ass franchise, and he believes that before they create a Kick-Ass 3, they’ll need to win back fans with a prequel. And in order to do just that, Vaughn has revealed that they are looking to tell the story of how Hit-Girl and Big Daddy rose to be such impressive ass kickers.

The English director made this admission while talking to Yahoo Movies to promote Kingsman: The Secret Service's released on home entertainment. After revealing that he’s "not happily done with the franchise," Matthew Vaughn outlined his ambition to reboot the series. And his description of their intended prequel will have moviegoers leaping for joy with anticipation. Vaughn explained that they're working on an idea that would be an origin story for Hit Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) and Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage), mapping out how they became these costumed vigilantes.

But there’s a very good reason why Matthew Vaughn feels that the Hit-Girl and Big Daddy prequel will need to be created before Kick-Ass 3. Vaughn believes that the franchise needs to win back the trust of the original’s fans in light of the relatively poor response to Kick-Ass 2. Vaughn explained:

Now fans of the original, and there are plenty of us out there, will be fully aware that in Matthew Vaughn’s gory but glossy adaptation, Chloe Grace Moretz and Nicolas Cage played the aforementioned duo to such a captivating extent that you immediately wanted to become a part of their murderous family.

Those of you who haven’t seen Kick-Ass probably shouldn’t read ahead because there’s one rather big spoiler about to be mentioned. Are they gone? Good. Of course, by the end of Kick-Ass though Big Daddy has met a rather fiery death, so the only way to re-team Cage and Moretz would be to take a look at their origin. But Moretz is only getting older, so in order to do the possible prequel justice, they will have to get the ball moving rather quickly.

And Matthew Vaughn is currently in the prime position to get Big Daddy and Hit-Girl’s solo installment green-lit after the success of Kingsman: The Secret Service earlier this year. Made on a budget of $81 million, which Vaughn stretched to make his film as arresting and stylish as any other blockbuster this summer, Kingsman grossed $403.7 million and was met with generally positive reviews. He’s currently not attached to direct any future projects (though he's rumored to be interested in Kingsman 2), so there’s every chance that his next step will be to return to the Kick-Ass well for further rollicking adventures.

The comic book film adaptation, Kick-Ass was somewhat of a minor miracle when it was released back in 2010, since it managed to take an obscure cult favorite series and bring it somewhat faithfully to life on the big screen for a major wide release. It did…okay. Its 2013 sequel, however, would bring in a lot less than "okay." In a recent revelation, it seems that because of that poor performance, a planned spin-off film for the scene stealing fledgling femme fatale, Hit-Girl will never see the light of day.

In an interview with IGN, Kick-Ass author Mark Millar, promoting his latest film project Kingsman: The Secret Service, has looked back lamentably at how the future that he planned for the Kick-Ass film franchise fell apart. There was evidently hope that the sequel could eventually land a feature spin-off for Chloe Moretz's Hit Girl. The comic writer said,

The director that Mark Millar mentions, Gareth Evans, is best known for creating the acclaimed Indonesian action film franchise, The Raid, having written and directed the 2011 first film, its 2014 sequel, and its upcoming third film. Oh, and he will be writing the script to its American remake starring Taylor Kitsch and Frank Grillo. The series is known for its over-the-top brand of kung-fu style action along with its innovative cinematography. This definitely makes us wonder what his Hit-Girl spin-off movie could have been.

It really is a shame. The first Kick-Ass really did manage to catch the essence of realism relating to what would happen if a teenage boy with no formal combat training attempted to dress up in a funny-looking green costume and fight crime by night. Basically, he would get his ass KICKED. And while what we saw lacked the over-the-top brutality of Millar’s comic series, the point was conveyed. Besides putting the man who would later call himself Aaron Taylor-Johnson on the mainstream map, 2010’s Kick-Ass generated $96.1 million globally at the box-office - a respectable take for what was made on a relatively low $30 million budget. It would also bring the high-profile X-Men: First Class helming gig to director Matthew Vaughn.

However, its prospects of getting a sequel were seemingly unlikely, and for good reason; the first film seemed to hold up on its own and a potential sequel would find itself a dwarf among an evolving field of other comic book properties that were giants. Yet, budgeted even less than its original, the film got made. Unfortunately, the unlikely underdog sequel, directed by Jeff Wadlow, while even brandishing a fascinating role by Jim Carrey, was an abysmal performer at the box office - managing to scrape only $60.1 million worldwide. (Domestically, it barely covered its $28 million budget). The proverbial nail on the live-action coffin of the Kick-Ass franchise had been hammered before the film had even finished its run. Even Hit-Girl, herself, Chloe Moretz has essentially thrown in the towel for any prospect of a return as the psychotic purple-clad coed, acknowledging that she is "done with the character."

Rest in peace, movie Hit-Girl. Here’s to hoping you come back in 10 years in a reboot effort that some nameless, faceless Hollywood producer thinks will be a good idea for some unfathomable reason.

With X-Men: Apocalypse gearing up to start production next year, it was only a matter of time before we started hearing casting rumors - and today is the day that kicks it all off. To start, it seems that the franchise is first focusing in on finding actors to play young Jean Grey and Cyclops in the film - and if new rumors are to be believed, then they are looking at some very talented individuals.

The Wrap has the inside scoop on what's happening behind the scenes of X-Men: Apocalypse, and according to their sources the three leading candidates for the part of Jean Grey are Chloe Moretz, Elle Fanning and Hailee Steinfeld; while the top choices up to play Cyclops include Ben Hardy, Charlie Rowe and Timothee Chalamet. Director Bryan Singer first hinted back in April that the latest X-Men movie would be looking to find a pair of young actors to fill the shoes originally worn by Famke Janssen and James Marsden, and it looks like the search has begun. It's also been said that the film is going to find an actress to play a teenage version of Storm - the character played by Halle Berry in the original X-Men trilogy and Days of Future Past - but it makes sense that the search would start by focusing on Cyclops and Jean Grey as a pair, given their romantic relationship.

The first thing that fans will notice looking at these actor shortlists is that there is a distinct level of fame differential when it comes to the actresses going out for Jean Grey and the actors gunning for Cyclops a.k.a. Scott Summers. At this point, casual movie-goers are very familiar with Chloe Moretz, Elle Fanning and Hailee Steinfeld - thanks to their work in movies like Kick-Ass, Super 8 and True Grit - but Ben Hardy, Charlie Rowe and Timothee Chalamet are all relatively new to the industry. Hardy's only professional acting experience has been on the British soap EastEnders; Rowe has largely been featured on television and had a part in last year's Walking With Dinosaurs 3D; and Chalamet can be seen in theaters now playing Matthew McConaughey's 15-year-old son in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. Presumably the X-Men franchise wants to take one of these young actors and turn him into a star, but who will it end up being?

Not a great deal is known about X-Men: Apocalypse's plot at this point, though we do know that it will be set in 1983 and largely center on James McAvoy's Professor X, Michael Fassbender's Magneto, Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique, and Nicholas Hoult's Beast. Writer/producer Simon Kinberg wrote the screenplay based on a story that he developed alongside Bryan Singer, Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris, and the plan is to start production in the spring, targeting a May 27, 2016 release date.

Have you ever wished you could just take a time out on being an adult? What if you could run away and take a week off from big, scary life-changing decisions? Well, that's exactly what the unambitious anti-heroine of Laggies manages in the trailer above!

Keira Knightley stars in this indie dramedy as Megan, a grown woman who is not ready to grow up. She embarrasses her peer (Ellie Kemper) by tweaking the nipples of a giant Buddha statue. She relishes in make-your-own-pizza night with her dad, and literally runs away from her boyfriend (Mark Webber, because of course) when he earnestly proposes. But where can she go? Why not to the home of a teenager who she bought some beer for once?

Chloe Grace Moretz co-stars as Annika, a teen who is totally cool with giving Megan a place to crash for a week of figuring out what she wants in life. Less cool with this development is Annika's dad Craig, played by Sam Rockwell. While he's initially concerned about having this weird woman in his home, he is soon won over by Megan's charms. And who could blame him? She looks like Keira Knightley! And she's got an adorable American accent.

Laggies is the latest film from Lynn Shelton, who has previously created such celebrated comedies as Hump Day and Your Sister's Sister. Shelton's follow-up to the lesser acclaimed Touchy Feely made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last January, where it was called "superbly written," "charming," and "a feel-good, crowd-pleaser comedy."

To that end, here's its suitably charming poster for Laggies, which features the turtle teased up top.

We first got word about Laggies in the fall of 2011, when Shelton was suggesting it might be her follow-up to Your Sister's Sister. Of course, instead she moved to Touchy Feely. However, Laggies returned to our radar in early 2013, when Anne Hathaway was in talks to front the dramedy. At this time, Chloe Moretz, Sam Rockwell, and Mark Webber were also in negotiations. While they stuck around through the summer shoot, Shelton lost Hathaway to Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. But Hathaway's loss was Knightley's gain.

Laggies went on to lens in Seattle, Washington that June, wrapping by the start of July. The following January came its Sundance debut, and now this fall we'll get a chance to see what all the buzz is about when Laggies hits theaters on September 26th.

The Kids Are All Right director Lisa Cholodenko seemed to be locked in to helm the upcoming adaptation of Sam Munson's novel November Criminals, the project has undergone some shakeups in the last year, and today it's been reported that the film has not only found a new helmer, but also a new star. Sources have informed The Wrap that filmmaker Sacha Gervasi has taken over as both screenwriter and director, and that Chloe Moretz is now attached to star.

First published in 2011, the novel is set in Washington D.C. and tells the story of high school senior Addison Schacht, who moonlights as a pot dealer and amateur private detective. When a classmate of his is murdered, he takes it upon himself to try and solve the case, and it doesn't take long before he finds himself over his head. Moretz will be playing the female lead in the film, a girl named Phoebe, but the source doesn't specify exactly how she fits into the plot. Gervasi is currently working to find an actor to play Addison, which is described as being a "hotly-contested male lead."

Steven Knight, whose credits include David Cronenberg's Eastern Promises and the upcoming fantasy film Seventh Son, penned the first version of the script, but now Gervasi will be putting his own personal spin on the story. Gervasi, whose previous screenwriting credits include Steven Spielberg's The Terminal, got his big directing break helming the 2008 music documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil, which was a hit amongst critics. In 2012 he got his first chance to direct a narrative feature making the "behind the scenes of Psycho" movie Hitchcock, but this effort wasn't nearly as successful critically (though it did go on to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling). Get a sense of the filmmaker's style with the trailers below:

Moretz most recently reprised her role as amateur superhero Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass 2, and has Carrie coming out later this month just in time for Halloween. She's completed production on Lynn Shelton's Laggies, which co-stars Keira Knightley and Sam Rockwell, and next year will be featured alongside Denzel Washington and Melissa Leo in Antoine Fuqua's adaptation of the television series The Equalizer.

While this project seems to be still in early stages, it's ramping up very quickly. Indian Paintbrush is set to produce the film along with Knight, and production could start as early as January 2014.

We’ve been waiting to hear what the rest of the Kick-Ass 2 cast would have to say about the movie’s violence ever since co-star Jim Carrey publicly denounced its level of violence seemingly unprompted. With the movie set to open next week, Hit-Girl herself—well, Chloe Moretz—has finally responded to Carrey’s remarks and with apparent frustration. The Wrap reports Moretz essentially told the U.K. Sun she thinks it’s ludicrous to assume violent movies cause real-life violence. She says:

The sixteen-year-old actress’s last statement might be a bit of an overreach, but you see her point. People go into a movie knowing it’s fiction, and for the vast majority of us onscreen violence is not something that inspires us to commit real-life assaults or murders. Still, this appears to be the very thing Carrey, an outspoken gun control advocate, fears.

In late June, the comedian who plays the literally ball-busting vigilante Colonel Stars and Stripes in the sequel to the decidedly violent R-rated Kick-Ass surprised just about everyone when he shared the following thoughts on Twitter:

Millar has never been known for his eloquence or subtlety. But beyond promising fans of the first film even more mayhem, he previously pointed out that the first film—and he assures the second—don’t only show gory violence, but also their repercussions. This is part of what made Kick-Ass so affecting. Its hero is not invulnerable; he’s a brave kid with a superhuman fearlessness. He could die. Hit-Girl nearly dies, and then has to watch her father die. In Kick-Ass 2, the death of Chris D’Amico’s father inspires him to new heights of villainy. How well this plays out in the second film will be seen when Kick-Ass 2 opens on August 16th.

Last year’s surprise hit 21 Jump Street proved that not all 1980s reboots, revamps and remakes have to be terrible, and that was a project that seemingly came together in no time at all. Other shows from the ‘80s are not at all as lucky, such as Richard Lindheim and Michael Sloan’s The Equalizer, which was supposed to turn into a Weinstein Bros. movie back in 2005, and the intervening years have produced more fan frustration than anything else. (Unless Equalizer fans are completely against it, that is.)

Well now that the film has become an Antoine Fuqua/Denzel Washington project, it seems as if the film is well on its way to production, though it has a few more changes to make. Deadline reports Chloe Moretz has been offered The Equalizer’s female lead, skewing the character about a decade younger than the twenty-something the role was originally conceived for. With beyond-her-years roles in upcoming films like Kick-Ass 2and Carrie, it’s no surprise the 16-year-old is commanding such high-profile performances.

Based on a chemistry reading Moretz had with Washington – who also worked well with young Dakota Fanning in 2004’s Man on Fire – both the star and the producers were impressed enough with Moretz to give her a shot. They’ll be retooling the character a bit, but she would be playing a young prostitute, drawing instant comparisons to Jodie Foster’s breakout role in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver.

The Equalizer will follow Washington as Robert McCall, the mysterious retired intelligence officer with a hidden past who generally helps out people in need, but on a large scale. With a projected budget of around $50 million, the film will begin production soon after Richard Wenk’s script reworking. Sony has already set an opening release date of April 11, 2014.

Crime novelist Gillian Flynn broke through last summer in a major way with her third novel Gone Girl. The missing persons thriller was a must-read for any self-respecting bookworm. But before Gone Girl scored its movie deal, an adaptation of Flynn's previous—and likewise celebrated—book, Dark Places, was already in the works.

In February, Charlize Theron signed on to play the film's female lead, and earlier this week Chloe Moretz entered into talks for the mysterious role of Diondra. (Warning: looking for details on this character leads to spoilers.) Today Deadline reports Nicholas Hoult, who recently fronted Warm Bodies and Jack the Giant Slayer, has joined the growing ensemble.

Theron will star as Libby Day, a lonely woman who twenty-five years before narrowly escaped the horrific murder spree that took her mother and sisters, and left her brooding teen brother the only suspect. The novel begins in the present, but flashes back to the past as Libby reconsiders what might have happened that fateful night, beginning an amateur investigation that rattles her view of her mother, brother, and much, much more. Helping her in the investigation will be Hoult's character, Lyle, a young man who is the treasurer for a group of creepy but well-intentioned murder mystery enthusiasts called the Kill Club.

Having read the book, I confess I imagined Lyle as being a little lankier/less hunky handsome than Hoult. Of course, this is a movie, and Libby's getting a beauty upgrade (unless Theron goes full Monster) so why not Lyle? Considering Hoult's lovable turn as the self-conscious science nerd Beast in X-Men: First Class, he seems a good fit for the socially awkward amateur detective whose alternately a friend and irritation to Libby. In short, it's looking like Sarah's Key helmer Gilles Paquet-Brenner, who is adapting and directing Dark Places, has the beginnings of an extraordinary cast. Next I'll be curious to see who Paquet-Brenner picks to play brother Ben.

Chloe Grace Moretz has been taking on dark roles for a while now. The actress has made a name for herself with strong performances in some fantastically dark characters, including Mindy Macready (aka Hit-Girl) in Kick-Ass, and the strange and predatory Abby in Let Me In. Possibly joining the list is Dark Places, the feature adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel, in which Moretz is in talks to play Diondra.

Charlize Theron is on board to co-produce the film, as well as star in the project, playing Libby Day, a woman who once testified against her brother, Ben, believing him to have murdered their mother and two sisters when she was just seven. Twenty-five years later, Libby's confronted by a group called the Kill Club who are interested in learning the details of the murder in the hopes of finding proof that they might be able to use to free Ben. Deadline reports that Moretz is in negotiations to play the role of Diondra in the story, though they don't offer any specifics on the character, beyond her name.

Fans of the book will likely have something to say on whether or not the role is right for Moretz. Regardless, we know she is well equipped to handle dark roles (or places). And her planned participation in Dark Places is just one of numerous projects coming up for the actor. Not only is she reprising her role as Hit-Girl for Kick-Ass 2, but she's also set to play the title role in the upcoming new adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie.

You can get the book at Amazon, here.

Since her breakthrough with 2009’s mumblecore bromance Humpday, writer/director/actress Lynn Shelton has kept herself busy, directing some television in and around her features, including Your Sister’s Sister and the upcoming “massage therapist with a sudden aversion to touching people” dramedy Touchy Feely. But her next project already sounds like it will be her most interesting one yet - if the all-star casting is any sort of proof.

It’s been in the works for quite some time, but it looks like Laggies is finally on the fast track to production with Anonymous Content producing. Deadline reports negotiations are being finalized to add Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables), Chloe Moretz (Hugo), Sam Rockwell (Seven Psychopaths) and Mark Webber (The End of Love) to the cast. Even if this were a cat food commercial, these performers would guarantee it to be the greatest cat food commercial to ever exist.

From a script written by Andrew Seigel, Laggies tells the darkly comedic story of a late-twentysomething (Hathaway) caught up in a state of arrested development. When her boyfriend (Webber) proposes marriage, she flips out and tells everyone she’s going on a work retreat for a week, but actually spends her time hiding out with a 16-year-old (Moretz), her new best friend. Rockwell’s character would be an older guy named Craig, though it's not quite clear how he fits into the story (though we expect him to steal the show).

Films are often clunky when they pass off friendships between people separated by an age gap, but given that this is a comedy and not an emotional drama, Shelton seems like a perfect fit for the job.

The sequel we never quite believed would really happen isn't just happening-- it's yelling in your face in this brand-new, red-band trailer, which premiered at Next Movie. Yeah, you have to be over 17 to watch it. What do you think we are, child-endangerers?

Chloe Moretz has grown up a lot, but she's still kicking ass-- including Kick-Ass's ass, really-- as Hit Girl, even now that her Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) has passed on. But she's not the only one dealing with the legacy of her father. The guy who we knew as Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) in the original film has now transformed into the super villain Motherfucker, out to avenge his father's death in the first film at the hands of none other than his old pal… Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

While it's exciting to see the return of the kids from the first film, and Moretz remains the toughest teenager on earth, the real highlight here is Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars and Stripes, looking for all the world like a slightly younger Arnold Schwarzenegger, and affecting a bizarre accent that we can't quite place. We got a look at Carrey in costume in the first official image-- which also includes his German Shepherd in an American flag mask-- but there's nothing quite like seeing the funny man in action.

Though director Matthew Vaughn won't be returning, having moved on to X-Men: First Class and now producing the Fantastic Four movie, Kick-Ass 2 is now in the capable hands of Jeff Wadlow, who last made Never Back Down. You can check out Kick-Ass 2's brand new poster below, and learn more about it here. It's coming to theaters on August 16 this summer.

It's been more than a decade since he last did it, but Tim Robbins is stepping back behind the camera again and he's bringing the mother-daughter duo from Tim Burton's Dark Shadows with him. The Academy Award-winning actor is now attached to direct and Chloe Moretz and Michelle Pfeiffer set to star in Man Under, a new indie drama described as being similar in tone to American Beauty and The Royal Tennenbaums.

Variety says that Robbins will also act in the movie, which follows a family from Yonkers that see their lives "changed forever when a photo of them ends up in the Museum of Modern Art." The script was written by Ann Cherkis, whose only previously produced credit is the 2007 film The Secret with David Duchovny and Lili Taylor.

After taking a few years off, Robbins returned to the film world in 2011 to play Senator Hammond in Green Lantern and in 2012 played roles in movies Thanks for Sharing and Back to 1942. He only has three other feautre directing credits in his filmography, including the aforementioned Cradle Will Rock, Dead Man Walking, and Bob Roberts.

While Dark Shadows was Moretz's only film title in 2012, she is set to have a big 2013, the standout titles being the Carrie remake and Kick-Ass 2. Pfeiffer also starred in Alex Kurtzman's People Like Us this past summer and will next appear alongside Robert De Niro in the Luc Besson mob drama Malavita, which is based on the Tonino Benacquista novel "Badfellas" and will be released on October 18, 2013.

Nearly 36 years ago, Brian De Palma's adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel Carrie hit theaters. It not only terrorized audiences but also proved iconic in part because of Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie's powerful and frightening performances as the titular telekinetic teen and her maniacal mother, portrayals that earned each an Academy Award nod. With a legacy like this to live up to, remaking Carrie could easily be deemed destined to fail. But Boys Don't Cry director Kimberly Peirce has never shied away from a challenge. For Peirce, the key to making her Carrie distinct from De Palma's—which she admires—was to go back to the book for inspiration. So don't consider this a remake as much as a new interpretation of King's novel.

The differences in Peirce's approach were immediately clear with the premiere screening of the Carrie teaser at New York Comic Con yesterday. An aerial shot of a town at night, as somber voices speak of Carrie, travels over a building fully ablaze, clearly her high school on prom night. But the shot continues past the massive blaze, and down a street where there are patches of fires along the way, more and more carnage clutters the street until we see a small figure surrounded by flames. The shot pushes into her: Chloë Grace Moretz as Carrie. She's covered in blood and glares at us with gritted teeth as a young woman's voice, says softly, "She wasn't a monster, she was just a girl."

Moretz joined Peirce on the panel, along with Julianne Moore, who will play momma Margaret, and producer Kevin Misher. They confirm that like the trailer—and the book—the destruction Carrie unleashes will extend beyond the prom. And while each member of the panel repeated that the center of this film would be the twisted relationship between Carrie and Margaret White, there will also be blood. Lots and lots of blood.

First Moretz detailed how she's been coated in all kinds of blood over the course of the shoot, "wet blood, dry blood, fire blood," she counts off, adding, that after a few weeks of shooting "the blood became part of who you are," admitting she'd get back to her hotel with blood all over her, which likely alarmed some lobby lurkers. Later, Peirce detailed there was plenty of research and development into every aspect of the blood. Misher assured no pigs were harmed in the making of the movie, and Peirce recalled they tested blood dumping for 3 to 4 months, testing various consistencies ("thin, thick, not thin at all"), angles and trajectory, aiming, and amounts of blood from 3 to 5 gallons. She explained it was a careful balance, "How big is scary? How big is funny?" Asked how much fake blood was used in the making of Carrie, Peirce paused to do the math, "5 gallons per bucket, 50 tests…I'm going to go with 1,000 gallons of fake blood."

Besides all this talk of blood, the filmmakers and stars spoke again and again about Carrie and Margaret, and how the focus on them in the film will set this Carrie apart from De Palma's. "They really can exist as two separate, equal, really great things," Peirce insists, "The mother daughter relationship in our movie is profound. It's the heart of it."

Moore seems to have dug in deep for her portrayal of the overzealous and shame-ridden mother character, explaining, "For me the character of Margaret was rooted in isolation." She details that Margaret was once in a cult, then developed her own faith that phased out her former community, then "She thought when she was pregnant that the child was a cancer and delivered the baby alone…so her only community is Carrie…so when Carrie begins to move away from her" that is Margaret's breaking point. And that breaking point will be brutal for both mother and daughter, as Misher points out the film is intended for an R-rating, "So you could depict the work of the book accurately, you did not need to pull your punches."

When it came to questions from the audience, there was a predictable amount of fanboy adoration that led to some awkward moments. One audience member dressed as Kick-Ass asked Moretz for a private audience afterwards, and before she could respond, the crowd universally booed his creepy request. To her credit, the 15-year-old actress demurely declined after chastising us for not being nice. More shout-outs for her work as Hit-Girl, and pronounced anticipation for Kick-Ass 2 popped up, and one man took to the mic just to pronounce his love for Moore and Hannibal, 'cause why not?

The other recurring topic was bullying, namely, how the filmmakers tackled the issue in the light of recent movements to intervene with the rising tide of cruel—and sometimes deadly—abuse kids today are relentlessly hurling at each other. Peirce was reluctant to give away plot details, but offered that Carrie is contemporarily set, and she implied, cyber-bullying will play a part in Carrie's torment at the hands of her peers.

Despite the bleakness in the plot, Peirce repeatedly used the word "fun" to describe the film, and seems confident that it will appeal to broader audiences that her past efforts. With Moore and Moretz on board, Carrie got cautious optimism from many movie fans normally enraged by remakes, but when the first teaser hits the web, I wager even more fans will be won over. In the meantime, they did share something all of you can also enjoy: the phone number for the White residence. Moretz tells us that depending on when you call, you could get Carrie or Margaret on the line, and she assures us, "It's spooky!"

So, call Carrie: 207-404-2604. I did it, and I got goosebumps. No joke.

Carrie opens March 15th, 2013.

Back in 2010, Chloe Moretz starred opposite Kodi Smit-McPhee in Let Me In, a remake of the Swedish film Let the Right One In, and what I'd consider to be one of the darker, more disturbing (and better) vampire love stories in recent years. And while the two have been keeping busy since then, it looks like they'll be teamed up again for another film, as Moretz is in talks to join The Wilderness of James.

Scripted and directed by Michael Johnson, The Wilderness of James is described as "an indie film coming of age tale," set in Portland, that follows a young boy who's dealing with the absence of his father. Should negotiations go through, Moretz will star opposite Smit-McPhee, playing the role of Val. It sounds like it's just a matter of working out what she has going on this fall. Moretz' upcoming roles include the lead in Carrie, and her return to her role as Hit-Girl for Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall.

Both Moretz and Smit-McPhee are in the spotlight this week. Smit-McPhee's voice can be heard in the lead role of the excellent, recently released stop-motion animated thriller/comedy ParaNorman. Meanwhile, just yesterday, we got our first look at Moretz as Carrie for the Carrie remake, and the image is impressively haunting. The two had such great chemistry in Let Me In, allowing us to believe the connection between Abby and Owen instantly. The description of The Wilderness of James is vague, but I'm guessing it won't be quite as dark as Let Me In. Still, there's definite potential for something great with the two on screen together again. Hopefully her schedule will have room for this.

Boys Don't Cry director Kimberly Peirce is promising a more modern and character-focused version of Carrie, as she's in the midst of remaking Brian De Palma's 1976 classic. But one look at this first image of Chloe Moretz as the telekinetic teen and you might be getting deja vu. Moretz is missing Sissy Spacek's iconic pale blue eyes, but well, take a look below and see how similar all that blood looks.

Entertainment Weekly debuted that image, along with another one of Julianne Moore as Carrie's fire-breathing mother, the character played by Piper Laurie in the original film. To Moore's credit, she does look a little different from the de Palma film, and even though she's wearing a familiar looking white nightgown, they've ditched the 70s glitz and high collar and gone with something simpler, and much more appropriate for a deranged Christian woman. You can see a cropped image of that photo below, and click on it for the full size version at EW.

For Moore's part, as crazy as she looks here, she's working hard to find a humanity in her character: "What’s sad about it for me is that she’s clearly sick and here’s this poor child in the thrall of this person who is seriously ill. And on top of that, they have this mother-daughter relationship. So we want to make that relationship as meaningful as possible, even though it is horrible and destructive.” And no matter how much these images seem to drive home the idea that there's really no need for a Carrie remake, Moore and Moretz are both obviously talented enough to bring something extra to the table.

Will that something extra be worth seeing? Can we even begin to forget Spacek and Laurie's performances and let this one stand on its own? I have my doubts, but I'm willing to hold off on judging until Carrie finally comes to theaters March 13, 2013.

UPDATE: We have received an email sent on behalf of MGM informing us that Judy Greer has not signed on to the Carrie remake and that no actor has yet been cast as the gym teacher.

The original report follows:

We still don't really know what to make of the planned Carrie remake, from the fact that it exists at all to Chloe Moretz starring to Boys Don't Cry's Kimberly Peirce directing it. Every single casting choice since Chloe Moretz got on board has felt some strange combination of just-right and slightly off-- Julianne Moore as Carrie's psychotic mother, for example, needing to step up into a dominating role after a career of playing delicate, very broken women. Now here's another one to add to the list-- Bloody Disgusting reports that Judy Greer has signed on to play the gym teacher, who as you may remember is there for Carrie's traumatic pelting with feminine hygiene products in the gym and who might be the only encouraging figure in Carrie's life.

As much she has a reputation for comedy thanks to her work on Arrested Development and in movies like 13 On 30, Greer had a nice dramatic turn in The Descendants last fall, and she's got the kind of sweet demeanor that would make her well-suited for the role of the generous gym teacher, referred to in the original film as Miss Collins. But you also have to wonder if that part shouldn't have gone to an actual unknown, giving room for Moore and Moretz to take over in the central roles. Greer is really good at working a little bit of humor into dark moments, but Carrie doesn't seem to call for anything like that-- is this really the most interesting role she could take?

Even if the Carrie remake turns out to be a disaster, it's bound to be a fascinating one-- Peirce is a talented director who wouldn't just be trying for a cheap retread, and Moretz, Moore and Greer are bound to commit to their roles, even if they're constantly haunted by the actresses who originated them in the 1976 film. Even Miss Collins, a relatively small role, was played by Broadway legend Betty Buckley, not to mention Sissy Spacek as the title character and Piper Laurie as Carrie's mom. There's a lot to live up to here.

A sequel to the baroque superhero adventure Kick-Ass had long seemed a fevered dream of the comic's creator Mark Millar, who has developed a notoriety for leaking "news" that is either conjecture or wishful thinking. So when Millar declared that Kick-Ass 2 would go into production this summer, we were a bit leery. However, with The Avengers showing there's still a serious love of superhero features among moviegoers, all the studios are looking to capitalize, and so Universal is moving forward on Kick-Ass 2 with Cry_Wolf helmer Jeff Wadlow usurping Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn, who is too busy developing X-Men: First Class 2 to return. Nonetheless, Vaughn will help produce the sequel, which is slated to shoot in London this September.

Comic Book Movie uncovered these and more details on Kick-Ass 2 while attending a panel discussion that included Wadlow, who gamely answered questions about the upcoming adventure. The writer-director revealed he penned the screenplay over the holidays, and sought to find a place where the first movie and the second graphic novel intersect. Like its precursor, Kick-Ass 2 will take some departures from its source material, Millar's comic of the same name, as Wadlow explains:

As to specifics, he hopes to play up Hit Girl's part, despite the fact that her story is "sidelined" in Millar's second book. As she gives up her superhero alter-ego in the comic, its story instead focuses on Kick-Ass and Red Mist's evolution to the Motherfucker, a more vicious villainous incarnation. However, this approach may be problematic, as Moretz hasn't yet signed on to the sequel, though Wadlow says the two have met, she's read the script and is by his estimation, "very excited about what we're doing with Hit-Girl."

Kick-Ass stars Aaron Johnson and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are also said to be in talks, but it seems far more likely they'd be game to reprise their roles as their careers haven't exactly blown up as Moretz's has. Since her brazen breakthrough with pint-sized and foul-mouthed Hit Girl, the starlet delighted horror fans with Let Me In, and dazzled critics with Hugo. However, her most recent efforts aren’t faring so well. Dark Shadows tanked its opening weekend, accruing only $29 million, which smarts with a bloated budget of $150 mil. Plus this batty comedy—as well as the gritty coming-of-age tale Hick—were generally panned by critics. Could this urge her to return to the role that first won her such good will? Let's hope so, both because her upcoming Carrie remake is a risky venture, and because Kick-Ass 2 wouldn't be nearly as hard-hitting without her.

Margaret White, the mental mother of the telekinetic teen at the center of the horror classic Carrie, is undoubtedly one of the most disturbing characters ever set to screen. She associated sex and puberty with shame and sin, and so made her bullied daughter's home not a sanctuary, but another place of torment. Spitting out lines like, "They're all gonna' laugh at you," and "I can see your dirty pillows," Piper Laurie created a menacing movie mom for the ages. Now four-time Oscar nominee Julianne Moore will attempt to top Laurie's Oscar-nominated performance, as Deadline reports she has signed on to play Margaret White in the upcoming Carrie remake.

The production helmed by Boys Don't Cry director Kimberly Peirce had previously lined up Chloe Grace Moretz to front the remake. While many horror remakes of late have been little more than pale imitations of their source material, pairing Moretz—who has dazzled critics and genre fans alike with her work in Kick-Ass and Let Me In—with Moore immediately sets this revamp apart from the pack. Of course it's still a risky move to redo something that so many deem a classic, but I must admit curiosity as to what Pierce will do with the iconic tale of a sweet girl whose staggering abuse at the hands of her classmates and mother turns her into a psychopathic psychokinetic killer.

Also joining the cast is Gabriella Wilde who will play Sue Snell, the popular girl who takes pity on Carrie, and was played by Amy Irving in the original film. Casting Moore is an almost obvious move, as she's a fearless, capable actress who can bring depth to even the most heinous characters. However, Wilde's casting is a bit more befuddling. Her biggest role to date was as D'Artagnan's love interest Paul W.S. Anderson's Three Musketeers, which gave her little to do other than stern or swooning at the arrogant swashbuckler. While Wilde certainly has the look of a popular girl, it remains to be seen if she can hold her own against such solid performers as Moore and Moretz. Also troubling, next to Moretz, Wilde doesn't really look like a teenager. Nonetheless, Peirce is a director known to make bold choices. Whether or not these will pay off, we'll find out when Carrie opens on March 15, 2013.

Whether she's playing an innocent girl like Rachel in 500 Days of Summer or Isabelle in Hugo, or a force to be reckoned with, as Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass or Abby in Let Me In, Chloe Moretz continues to demonstrate an excellent range, putting her among some of the more talented young actors emerging. It's going to be especially great to see how she takes on the starring role in the remake/adaptation of the classic Stephen King story Carrie. But well before that, Hick arrives in theaters.

Adapted from Andrea Portes' novel, Hick made its official debut at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, but arrives in theaters and on demand next month. In addition to Moretz, the film also stars Blake Lively in a role that, based on the trailer below, bears little resemblance to her Gossip Girl character Serena van der Woodsen. While Moretz plays Luli, a small-town teen who sets off for Vegas to escape her abusive parents, Lively plays Glenda, a drifter with a preference for cocaine. As you'll see in the trailer below, Eddie Redmayne, Alec Baldwin and Juliette Lewis are also among the cast.

Thanks in part to the music and the pacing, there's a sort of mounting tension in the trailer that could indicate a similar tone for the film. And it looks like we're in for another great performance from Moretz in this one. Luli's list of pro's and cons ("Rich People" among the pros and "Might Die" as the only con), makes me think we might see some traces of humor in this otherwise drama-filled film. And while we're on the subject of dark films laced with humor, it's also worth noting that Hick reunites Rory Culkin and Alec Baldwin with Lymelife director Derick Martini.

Below is the official description for Hick, which hits theaters May 11…

The people behind the maybe-not-a-great-idea remake of Carrie had the chance to justify the whole effort by doing once simple thing: casting Sissy Spacek as Carrie's mom. The actress who originated the role of the telekinetic teenager would have been able to act circles around her replacement, Chloe Moretz, but also establish a nice link to the past, enabling this remake to acknowledge its predecessors, hand a meaty role to a veteran and bring on someone legitimately terrifying in this monster-mom role, all in a single swoop.

But of course, they're not going to do that, just like they didn't cast someone with the necessary vulnerability to play Carrie and brought in Moretz instead. But happily, they maybe have miraculously brought in someone who can do as much justice to the role as Piper Laurie did in the 70s. According to Bloody Disgusting, Columbia Pictures is in talks with Julianne Moore to take over the role. The film is set for a March 13, 2013 release, which means they'll have to move fast to secure an actress and get production started. And Moore really does seem well-suited to the role, with a good mix of intensity and her own vulnerability that might help you believe not just her terrifying presence, but how she might really be Carrie's mother to begin with.

With Kimberly Peirce on board to direct, Carrie can't quite be written off as your standard knockoff horror remake, but it's hard to know exactly what to make of it at all. Moore signing on might indicate a little more quality, but then again she's made plenty of crap over the years as well. More importantly, do you think she's right for the role? Let us know in the comments below.

Remakes are so common now that when announced they're almost immediately disregarded. Even circumstances where the project doesn't sound like such a bad idea they're still dismissed and lumped into the unoriginal pile - and often justifiably. Yet there are times when a remake is not only warranted, but the pieces are also put together so perfectly that we should welcome the revisit and/or new interpretation of the material. The upcoming remake of Carrie sounds great and now there's a set release date for Kimberly Peirce's interpretation of the Stephen King novel.

Coming Soon reports that Screen Gems has plans for Carrie to hit theaters on March 15, 2013. That's not necessarily a date to scoff at since the The Hunger Games just followed a similar schedule (also with a young female lead) and it's currently killing it in with teens at the box office. The 1974 novel was King's fourth book, the first to actually be published, and also the first of many of King's novels brought to the big screen. The original was directed by Brian de Palma and featured unforgettable performances from Sissy Spacek in the titular role and Piper Laurie as her scary, religious fanatic mother. It was announced just at the end of last month that Chloe Moretz is playing the role of Carrie this time around and, even though Spacek left huge shoes to fill (well, they were probably really tiny shoes but she was nominated for an Academy Award), the Let Me In and Kick-Ass actress is the perfect choice to reprise the role.

Personally, I'm not a fan of De Palma so not only am I excited to see someone else's take on the tale, but Peirce seems almost as an inspired a choice as Moretz. Her first film, Boys Don't Cry, was a solid debut, featuring some truly exceptional performances and I'm interested to see what she can get from the young actress who caught everyone's attention with her turn as the precocious sister in (500) Days of Summer. Not to mention, the revenge tale of a pubescent girl with telekinetic powers seems like a project best suited for a female director. Perhaps even more important than having a woman direct The Hunger Games sequel? An issue on everyone's mind lately.

The title role in the Carrie remake could prove to to be a breakthrough part for some young actress. It appears that opportunity has been offered to a girl who isn’t exactly as known as much by name as someone like Dakota Fanning, but has consistently delivered solid performances, movie after movie. She also knows a thing or two about playing dark characters. In fact, upon reflecting on some of her past roles, I’m not sure I can think of a better choice to take on Stephen King’s bullied teenager Carrie White than Chloe Moretz.

According to Deadline, MGM and director Kim Peirce have decided on Moretz to play the title role in the Carrie remake. The story follows a teen girl who has telekinetic abilities, which she inevitably uses against her fellow classmates at the prom. The classic horror was adapted from a Stephen King novel for a 1974 film starring Sissy Spacek. Per Deadline, an offer has been made for Moretz, and assuming negotiations work out, she’ll star in the remake.

Deadline mentions that Dakota Fanning was one of the names circulating for the role, and while I can see that, Moretz seems like a much better fit. Among her more recent roles, Moretz played Isabelle in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, and before that, she starred in the 2010 films Kick-Ass and Let Me In. Both Hit-Girl and Abby had dark sides (to say the least), and both parts demonstrated Moretz’ ability to portray girls that are as lethal as they are beautiful. Something tells me that could serve her well as Carrie White. Hopefully things work out with negotiations. In the meantime, fans of Moretz will find her on the big screen next month when Dark Shadows hits theaters.