They make up one of Hollywood's most enduring friendships and professional partnerships, so it's not a shock that Chris Messina fanboyed at the thought of working with both Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. 

The Mindy Project star had frequently collaborated with Ben Affleck in the past, appearing as a CIA operative in Affleck's Best Picture-winning film Argo and co-starring alongside the actor-director in the 2016 crime drama Live by Night. But Messina's performance as sports agent David Falk in the Air Jordans origin story Air was the first time he got to join forces with Affleck and his longtime famous pal Matt Damon. 

The thought of working with the Good Will Hunting dynamic duo clearly tickled Messina, as he told People he had to try "to remain cool" while rehearsing onset with the two actors: 

In Air, Affleck — who also directed the biographical sports drama — plays Nike's co-founder and CEO Phil Knight, while Damon takes on the role of the brand's basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro. 

It's the buddies' first onscreen reunion since 2021's The Last Duel, which they also co-wrote, and the ninth film they've been in together, along with Field of Dreams, School Ties, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot and, of course, Good Will Hunting. 

Messina told People that despite the pair's Oscar-winning bona fides — Ben and Matt famously won an Academy Award for Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, Damon has been nominated four other times and Ben also has that big Argo win —there was "no ego" from either performer on Air:

Messina also said Affleck had "the highest cinematic IQ of anyone [he] ever met" and that the filmmaker created "a really, really fun set" for the sports film: 

Clearly Affleck's approach worked: Air scored two 2024 Golden Globe nominations, one for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and one for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Damon's performance.

You, too, can join Chris Messina in fanboying over Ben and Matt's onscreen reunion in Air, by streaming it with an Amazon Prime Video subscription

If you're assembling a list of the top 10 adaptations of Stephen King's works from the last decade, consider including The Boogeyman. This film, produced by Shawn Levy and based on the 1973 short story of the same name, stands among the recent wave of upcoming movies and miniseries based on the famous horror writers' work to grace the big screen. It garnered favorable attention from critics, with Eric Eisenberg of CinemaBlend awarding it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. He praised it as a fantastic choice for a lively theater experience. Notably, the film also found success at the box office. As it becomes available for digital streaming, actor Chris Messina sheds light on what attracted him to this adaptation of King's work.

In an exclusive clip obtained by Screen Rant, The Mindy Project vet says it wasn't just the Maestro of the Macabre’s monster that drew him to the screenplay but the many different layers often present in King’s work. In the  behind-the-scenes clip, the actor explains:

In The Boogeyman, we're introduced to Sadie Harper, a high school student, alongside her younger sister Sawyer. They're both struggling with the recent loss of their mother, and their father Will (played by Messina) a therapist dealing with his own pain, isn't offering much support. But a sudden and desperate patient appears at their doorstep, seeking help. Little do they know, this sets free a horrifying supernatural entity that feeds on family distress. Sophie Thatcher and Chris Messina lead the ensemble cast, while the film showcases a genuinely terrifying creature brought to life through the artistry of renowned creature designer Keith Thompson.

Chris Messina wasn’t the only one attracted to Stephen King's work. Rob Savage, The Boogeyman's director, is surprisingly interested in another tale from King's collection that might catch you off guard. During an episode of our very own ReelBlend podcast, the filmmaker delved into not only the horror movie's success over the summer, including its unique connections to his previous two films, but also his aspiration to adapt The Langoliers next. While the sci-fi narrative might seem unconventional, Savage's impressive work makes him a great choice. His stellar work on the project led the studio to shift the film's release from streaming to theaters, a change partly influenced by King, who nudged things in that direction. With this recent success and recognition, Savage is now in a prime position to bring his rendition of The Langoliers to life.

If you have yet to see the movie, here's your opportunity. The Boogeyman is ready for digital viewing starting today, August 29. However, if you're eager for additional behind-the-scenes insights like Messina's take on what drew him to this adaptation, you'll need to exercise some patience. The Blu-Ray and DVD release, featuring all its fantastic extras, is set for October 10.

Stephen King and horror genre fans might be interested in exploring CinemaBlend's list of upcoming horror movies so they can plan their next hair-raising cinematic experience.

While we know that Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey's relationship was forever changed when they welcomed their little girl Matilda into the world, it turns out the actress' Based on a True Story co-stars were also impacted by her pregnancy. This influence she had turned out to be quite funny as the actress explained that the cast of her show on the 2023 TV schedule had to eat all her pregnancy cravings with her. 

Kaley Cuoco said that they finished filming the Peacock project three weeks before she gave birth, telling E! News that the situation was “insane,” understandably. The interviewer then noted that the Based on a True Story cast was gushing about how much they loved the actress, and the fact that “she’d bring Del Taco to set,” to which The Big Bang Theory alum said:

I’d assume she’s just joking when it comes to the gym memberships, however, it sounds like her co-stars: Chris Messina (who plays her on-screen hubby), Liana Liberato, Tom Bateman and Natalia Dyer, among others, were all subject to the Taco Bell and Del Taco cravings, which is honestly amazing. Based on this comment, and the other fun stories we’ve gotten from this set -- like the way Cuoco revealed she was pregnant to her colleagues and how her castmates had to help her get out of chairs because she was so close to her due date -- it sounds like they all had a great sense of humor about her pregnancy. 

Kaley Cuoco then went on to talk about how fun it was working on the set, while also speaking about the challenges of being pregnant and working. She joked that her castmate Chris Messina was not only impacted by the cravings, but he also served as a great footrest, as she said:

Just by watching the Based on a True Story trailer, it seems like this cast had a blast together, especially Cuoco and Messina, and I think these stories confirm that theory. 

Now, little Matilda Pelphrey is two months old, with her mom and dad gushing about her frequently. At one month Cuoco explained that she is “that mom,” who will post everything, and when the couple celebrated their anniversary, both the Flight Attendant star and Tom Pelphrey posted adorable photos of their baby. 

To go back and see Kaley Cuoco when she was very pregnant with the castmates she served “Taco Bell, Del Taco” and “donuts,” you can stream Based on a True Story with a Peacock subscription on June 8. 

There are a number of big movies coming to theaters this summer, including plenty of family-friendly options to pass the time while the kids are out of school. However, for those craving something a little more unsettling, you’ll soon be able to get your horror fix, when The Boogeyman hits the big screen on June 2. The adaptation of Stephen King’s 1973 short story is the next of the author’s many upcoming movies, miniseries and more, and the reviews are here to expand what we know about the adaptation.

The movie stars Sophie Thatcher (Yellowjackets) and Vivien Lyra Blair (Bird Box) as sisters mourning their mother’s death, with Chris Messina as their phsychiatrist father. The family’s lives are thrown even further into turmoil when a disturbed man (David Dastmalchian) arrives, claiming his children were killed by a monster that hides in the darkness. Early reactions from The Boogeyman’s screening at CinemaCon were positive, with moviegoers praising the acting, the action and edge-of-your-seat thrills, so what are the critics saying now? In CinemaBlend’s review of The Boogeyman, Eric Eisenberg rates it 4 out of 5 stars, saying this is a perfect movie to watch in a crowded theater. He continues: 

Kim Newman of Empire also rates The Boogeyman 4 out of 5 stars, calling it an “ungimmicky ghost story” powered by gnawing grief and crafted to deliver maximum scares with minimum fuss. The critic writes: 

Jonathan Sim of ComingSoon.net gives it a “Good” 7 out of 10, saying we’ve seen a lot of this kind of horror before, but director Rob Savage brings it to life and proves that he knows how to catch the audience off-guard. More from the review: 

Daisy Phllipson of Dextero says this movie is well worth the watch for horror junkies, even with a monster that is a little too digitized. The jump scares make up for all of that, and the critic rates it 4 out of 5 stars, saying: 

Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting gives the movie just 2.5 skulls out of 5, saying The Boogeyman offers plenty of well-executed scares that will stick with moviegoers, with compliments going to the cast. However, it fails to bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. The critic continues; 

While possibly not breaking any new ground in the horror genre, The Boogeyman sounds like one of the more satisfying Stephen King short story adaptations. The critics have no trouble recommending this for anyone in need of a horror fix when it hits the big screen on Friday, June 2. See what other horror movies are on tap for 2023, and check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what else is coming soon to theaters. 

When it comes to some of the latest and greatest movies, you can’t get much better than Air. The new film, starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis and so many more, tells the story of how Nike created the famous sneaker brand, Air Jordans, because of the legendary basketball player, Michael Jordan, before he was even the big star he'd eventually become. 

The film is loaded with stars, and I’m sure you’ve seen at least one or two of them in something other than this film. Let’s get into the Air cast, and where you might have seen them before. 

Matt Damon (Sonny Vaccaro)

First up on the list is the main man himself, Matt Damon, who plays Sonny Vaccaro in Air. Damon has been in Hollywood for some time, and has appeared in many films that have truly made him become a huge star. One of his breakout roles was in Good Will Hunting, alongside Robin Williams and Ben Affleck, where he also co-wrote the script with Affleck and won an Academy Award for it, but he’s been in many other roles besides that as well. 

These include the Julia Roberts-led rom-com, Mystic Pizza, the Jason Bourne franchise, the Ocean’s trilogy, The Departed, Syriana, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Last Duel, Saving Private Ryan, True Grit, Ford v. Ferrari, and many more. He was also the lead of The Martian cast, where he truly shined and even earned an Academy Award nomination for the role. 

Damon has also had some time in television as well, guest-starring on the popular show, 30 Rock, as well as a critically acclaimed role in Behind the Candelabra.

Ben Affleck (Phil Knight)

Next up is Ben Affleck, who plays Rich Knight. Affleck is actually also the director of Air, but it’s always awesome to see him take on a role in a movie that he is directing, like what he did with Argo. 

Affleck has been in many movies, including Good Will Hunting, but some of his other big roles are in films that include Dazed and Confused, Armageddon, The Sum of All Fears, Hollywoodland, Gone Baby Gone, The Way Back, The Tender Bar, and more. He also portrayed Batman in the DCEU for several movies, and was also recently in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel. 

Jason Bateman (Rob Strasser)

Jason Bateman has been in the business for some time, and he’s playing Rob Strasser in Air. Bateman has had a big career on television, with his career being revitalized by Arrested Development, and he gained even more acclaim for his main role in the Netflix series, Ozark. Besides this, he’s also appeared in many films. 

Some of his best include Teen Wolf Two, Necessary Roughness, Hancock, the coming of age comedy Juno, Game Night, the great Zootopia (which is getting a sequel from Disney), This Is Where I Leave You, Office Christmas Party, and more. Truly, so awesome to see him in a role such as this. 

Chris Messina (David Falk)

Chris Messina plays David Falk in the film, and the actor has been around in movies and on TV for some time. Primarily, many know him from the sitcom, The Mindy Project, but he’s also been in many other famous television shows such as the HBO series, Six Feet Under, Damages, The Newsroom, The Sinner, and Gaslit. He was also part of the main cast of Sharp Objects. 

Besides this, Messina was also in movies such as Julie & Julia, Ruby Sparks, Devil, I Care A Lot, Celeste and Jesse Forever, and Birds of Prey, among many others. 

Matthew Maher (Peter Moore)

Playing Peter Moore is Matthew Maher, who is primarily known for his smaller roles in movies and television shows, but he’s had a few bigger ones that you might recognize him from. In terms of movies, he’s appeared in Four Letter Word, The Killer Inside Me, Live by Night, The Outside Story, Captain Marvel, Funny Pages and others. 

On television, he has a main role on the hilarious HBO comedy, Our Flag Means Death, had a recurring role in Outer Range, and also appeared in a recurring role in Mozart in the Jungle. 

Marlon Wayans (George Raveling)

Moving on, we have Marlon Wayans, a famous comedic actor who is taking on the role of George Raveling in Air. Wayans has had experience in a dramatic role before, where he had a main part in Requiem for a Dream back in the early 2000s, but he’s mainly known for his hilarious comedies. 

These include many of the Scary Movie movies, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, The Heat, Norbit, A Haunted House and its sequel, and On the Rocks on Apple TV, as well as others. 

He was the star of the popular television show The Wayans Bros. alongside Shawn Wayans, and was also the star of his own short-lived sitcom on NBC, Marlon. He recently had his own comedy special, Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me, on HBO Max.  

Julius Tennon (James Jordan)

Next up on the list is Julius Tennon, who portrays James Jordan, Michael Jordan’s father. Tennon is actually married to Viola Davis (another one of the stars) in real-life, so it’s cool to see them play a husband and wife together in this film. 

Tennon has appeared in a variety of films prior to this, including The Woman King, Lila & Eve, Get On Up, the 2009 version of Fame, and more. For television, he appeared in many small guest roles, including How To Get Away With Murder, ER, The Jersey, The Closer, Criminal Minds, 7th Heaven, Walker, Texas Ranger and more. 

Chris Tucker (Howard White)

Chris Tucker, a famous actor and comedian, plays Howard White in Air, and the actor has been around for some time in the movie industry. He acted in all the Friday films, as well as had parts in movies such as The Fifth Element, Silver Linings Playbook, Jackie Brown and Money Talks. He became even more well-known when he starred in the Rush Hour films alongside Jackie Chan. 

Tucker has also had success in television with his stand-up comedy specials. 

Viola Davis (Deloris Jordan)

Last but not least, we have Viola Davis, who plays Deloris Jordan in Air, Michael Jordan’s mother. Davis is a prominent figure in the acting world and has been in many movies for a long time. In 2022, she was the lead in The Woman King cast – with many people feeling she deserved an Academy Award nomination for it.

Some of her other major roles that she has been in include The Help, Fences, both Suicide Squad movies, Get On Up, State of Play, The Unforgiveable, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Life is Not A Fairytale, and more. 

She was also the lead of the popular TV drama, How to Get Away with Murder, and portrayed Michelle Obama in The First Lady. 

With such a star-studded cast, it’s no wonder we have seen all of these stars somewhere before their time in Air, and I for one can’t wait to see what they do next.  

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are set to appear on the big screen together again, and this time they’re taking on the GOAT. Or, the GOAT’s shoes, as it were, as the biographical sports drama Air will tell Nike shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro’s story of trying to lock down Michael Jordan for a partnership with the fashion brand. Air premiered at South by Southwest this past weekend, and critics are here with their opinions of the Air Jordan origin story ahead of its April 5 theatrical release.

Matt Damon stars as the Nike employee who has the bright idea to cut a deal with NBA rookie Michael Jordan. Ben Affleck pulls double duty, starring as Nike boss Phil Knight as well as serving as Air’s director. The dynamic duo is joined by an A+ cast that includes Viola Davis as MJ’s mother, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, and more. Let’s take a look at what the critics are saying after the SXSW premiere. 

Valerie Complex of Deadline says every cast member’s performance is award-worthy, and while it’s hard to choose a standout, Ben Affleck shines in his fifth directorial project. The critic writes: 

Matthew Monagle of The Playlist agrees that Ben Affleck’s return to directing is something to be celebrated and says Matt Damon projects a kind of everyman confidence that makes the audience believe his character has the smartest voice in the room. The critic gives the movie a B, saying: 

Ryan Scott of SlashFilm rates Air 8 out of 10, noting that in the same way that Moneyball was a baseball story that wasn’t really about baseball, Air is a basketball movie that’s not about basketball. It’s a Michael Jordan story that’s not about Michael Jordan. You don’t have to like or be familiar with either subject to appreciate what Affleck and the stacked cast are doing. The review continues: 

James Preston Poole of Discussing Film calls the film a “crowd-pleaser,” and agrees with the above critic that it lives and dies by the performances. The talent delivers both in front of and behind the camera, the critic says, rating this one 4 out of 5 stars. More from the review: 

Richard Whittaker of the Austin Chronicle calls Air a “charming origin story” and says Ben Affleck disguises a powerful parable as crowd-pleasing entertainment. The critic echoes previous sentiments that moviegoers don’t need to be a fan of the Chicago Bulls great or basketball in general to like this movie:

Critics who caught the SXSW premiere of Air are giving high praise to Ben Affleck in his return to directing, as well as to the performances. Audiences don’t have to wait too long to catch this one on the big screen, as it’s set for theatrical release on Wednesday, April 5. 

While you apparently don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate Air, if you are one, check out some of the best sports movies and how to watch them. You can also revisit some of Ben Affleck’s best work, and be sure to check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to stay up to date on what’s coming to theaters soon. 

If you're a Stephen King fan, there's a hell of a lot to be excited about in 2022. Not only does the literary legend have two books coming out, but there are at least three film adaptations expected to come out: Firestarter with Zac Efron, the remake of Salem's Lot, and Netflix's Mr. Harrigan's Phone starring Donald Sutherland, Jaden Martell, and more. I say "at least" because more King news seems to pop up everyday... such as this casting announcement that reveals Sophie Thatcher and Chris Messina have signed on to star in a developing movie based on the short story The Boogeyman.

This is a project that has been development for a long time, with Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods having been first been hired to write the first draft of the script back in mid-2018, but now it has some serious forward momentum happening. Back in November of last year it was reported that director Rob Savage had signed on to direct the film, which will be a Hulu original, and now Deadline is reporting that the project has started developing its cast.

It's somewhat fitting that Sophie Thatcher would sign on to be a part of a Stephen King adaptation right now. The young actor has been earning a great deal of acclaim in recent months as part of the ensemble in the Showtime original series Yellowjackets, and King is a prominent member of the show's growing fanbase. The author let his opinions be known via his Twitter account earlier this month, calling it "a hell of a good survival story" and "a hell of a good mystery story."

The Boogeyman will be Sophie Thatcher's first Stephen King movie, but she is not alone in that department, as Chris Messina has not yet been part of a King project either. The Birds of Prey star has been back and forth between the big and small screens in the last few years – starring on television shows including The Mindy Project, Sharp Objects, and The Sinner – but in 2021 he delivered one of my favorite supporting performances of the year with his small role in J Blakeson's dark comedy I Care A Lot.

Mark Heyman has been working on the latest draft of the script for The Boogeyman, and at this point it's unclear how close the adaptation will hone to the original Stephen King short story – which is included in the collection Night Shift. The non-linear story centers on a man named Lester Billings who believes that his children have been killed by the eponymous supernatural entity. The trade report doesn't mention the specific roles that either Sophie Thatcher or Chris Messina will play.

To keep track of all developing Stephen King projects, check out our Upcoming Stephen King Movies and TV guide, and head over to our 2022 Movie Release Calendar to learn about all of the features currently scheduled to hit theaters and streaming before the end of the year.

There are a few ways in which Chris Messina’s Victor Zsasz in the upcoming Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) deviates from the character that is familiar to fans of DC Comics. The broad stroke details are certainly all there, as he’s still the psychopathic, blood-lusting serial killer who is covered with scars representing his various victims, but there are some notable alterations.

One of these changes is in his appearance, as he’s sporting a silver-dyed crew cut instead of the typical chrome dome – but there’s also an added passion in his life that’s original to the upcoming film: an obsession with Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask, as portrayed by Ewan McGregor.

Chris Messina and Ewan McGregor were paired for interviews during an event late last week in the middle of Hollywood – retitled “Harleywood” for the night in promotion of Birds Of Prey, and speaking with the duo I asked about the relationship between their characters in the film. Roman Sionis is the primary antagonist in the plot, with Victor Zsasz as his right hand man, and as described by Messina, the aide-de-camp really can’t get enough of his mask-loving club owner boss. Said the actor,

Thus far, the marketing for Birds of Prey has only given us a taste of what to expect from Roman Sionis – and none of it has been designated with a red band label – but we definitely have gotten a sense of the “very violent” side of the character Chris Messina mentions. The debut trailer for the film show the villain with a collection of hostages strung up by their ankles and giving the universal sign for “execute them,” and clearly Victor loves getting those kinds of orders.

While the relationship between Roman and Victor in Birds of Prey will be unique, it should be noted that the characters do have some history working together in the comics – an element that very well may have inspired their pairing in the new film. The two were first linked in 2009's Batman: Battle for the Cowl arc by writer/artist Tony Daniel, with Black Mask first enlisting Zsasz as part of a group of villains looking to conquer Gotham, and then financing the serial killer's wildest dreams with a suitcase full of money (resulting in an enterprise that sees Zsasz get rich from a scheme involving gladiator battles with kidnapped runaways and organized gambling).

It won’t be long until fans will be able to see these new incarnations of Victor Zsasz and Roman Sionis on the big screen (it will actually be Roman’s live-action debut), as Birds of Prey is now just a couple of weeks away from release. In the film, Harley winds up in Roman’s crosshairs following her break-up from the Joker – she having pissed him off in the past, and no longer under the protection of the Clown Prince of Crime – and she’s not the only one. In fact, Roman is actually at the center of many beefs and deals gone wrong, and it results in the formation of an unlikely alliance between Harley, Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez).

Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) arrives in theaters everywhere on February 7th, and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of our coverage in the run up to the release.

The end is nigh for The Mindy Project, which has only one season left on Hulu before the series finale. There are some loose ends that will need to be tied off and some stories that will hopefully receive closure before the series concludes. It's too soon to guess at everything that will happen in the sixth and final season, but we now know one story that will likely get some degree of closure. Chris Messina will reprise his role as Danny Castellano.

Chris Messina was the leading man of The Mindy Project for its first three seasons, but he became less of a constant presence starting in Season 4, and he was downgraded from a series regular to a guest star for Season 5. His career took off in some non-Mindy directions, and Danny wasn't around as much as a result. Mindy Project executive producer and star Mindy Kaling announced at the TCA press tour (via TVLine) that Messina will be back for multiple episodes in Season 6. While she didn't go into detail about how much he'll appear in those multiple episodes, at least we know he won't just pop in for a quick cameo in the series finale.

Fans of the Danny/Mindy romance shouldn't get their hopes up for the two the rekindle their love story. Mindy Kaling has said that a "happily-ever-after" doesn't need to depend on romance, especially when her character has her career and her son in her life. There's also the point that Mindy is married to Ben and Danny is married to Sarah, so they're not exactly free for any more spontaneous airplane hookups. If they do get back together, there will almost certainly be some heartbreak in store for Ben and Sarah.

Given that Danny and Mindy are very different people at different places in their lives than when they were a couple, a romantic reunion might be a little bit too fairy-tale, even for a show about a woman with a lifelong obsession with romantic comedies. That said, they were played as the big couple of the series, and it wouldn't be too shocking if The Mindy Project decided to fudge the details and put them back together in the finale, a la Ross and Rachel of Friends fame (or infamy).

The return of Chris Messina as Danny wasn't the only news to come out of the TCA press tour. We also know that Julie Bowen of Modern Family has signed on as a guest star in Season 6. She'll appear as a "rival mother" in one of the very last episodes.

The final season will premiere on Tuesday, September 12 on Hulu. Check out our rundowns of renewals and cancellations for cable/streaming and network TV for what else will be back, and don't forget to take a look at our summer TV schedule.

Chris Messina has found his first television role following his departure as a regular from the small screen comedy The Mindy Project. The actor has been tapped to co-star alongside headliner Amy Adams in the highly anticipated HBO drama Sharp Objects, and the two will come together under difficult circumstances while trying to solve mysterious murders.

Sharp Objects centers on reporter Camille Preaker (Amy Adams), who is fresh off her stay at a psychiatric hospital and is assigned a murder investigation in her hometown. The victims, two preteen girls, strike an emotional chord with Camille, who may be getting too close to the situation. Chris Messina joins the series as Detective Richard Willis, and Deadline tells us Willis and Preaker put their heads together to solve the mystery as well as unearth some other personal feelings along the way. For Adams and Messina, it will be their first collaborative project together since they played a couple in Julie & Julia. Quite different subject matter in that one.

For Chris Messina, this will be his third stint on an HBO series. The actor was first cast on the network all the way back in 2005 when he played Ted Fairwell on Six Feet Under, and he later jumped back to HBO in 2012 when he played often frustrated ACN President Reese Lansing on Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom. Both characters, while they were given a fair amount of screentime, were not lead roles like Sharp Objects will be for Messina.

Of course, lead roles are not anything new for Chris Messina. The actor spent four seasons and change on The Mindy Project as the dutiful Danny, and has done a terrific job. With the series set to conclude next Tuesday on Hulu, he will make Sharp Objects his main small screen squeeze, but for how long?

Currently, Sharp Objects is set for 8 episodes, which would fall in line with the network's recent spark of limited series like Big Little Lies and The Young Pope. The series is based on the novel of the same name by Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn. At the time the series was first announced, it was said Netflix was extremely interested in the project but lost out to HBO. There has been only one book for Sharp Objects, but limited source material has not stopped HBO from continuing to write for shows like The Leftovers, or even the more recent seasons of Game Of Thrones.

Amy Adams and Chris Messina sound like an awesome combination for HBO, who has has been pulling in more and more top tier talent with each successive series. No clues as to when Sharp Objects will come to HBO, but with the series currently being written, I think we can assume it will be a little bit longer before airtime. If you're jonesing for something new to watch right now we have a midseason premiere guide that's still a great resource for finding new shows, as well as a summer premiere schedule to remind you of all your favorite shows returning when it's warm out!

The Mindy Project has gone through some major ups and downs over the years. The series first premiered on Fox in 2012, then moved to Hulu for Season 4 in 2015 after getting the axe from Fox. The transition from network to streaming involved some changes, but the romcom dynamic of Mindy and Danny was enough of a constant that The Mindy Project still felt like the same show, though it began to look very different when Danny spent less and less time on screen before his breakup with Mindy. Now, The Mindy Project will feature even less of Danny in Season 5 as actor Chris Messina has been downgraded from a regular to a recurring guest star.

The switch from regular to recurring is pretty huge for an actor who started out the series second-billed to the lead. Chris Messina will appear sporadically throughout Season 5 to maintain a relationship of sorts with Mindy, according to TVLine. Given that the beginning of Season 4 featured the birth of Mindy and Danny’s son Leo, the fact that Danny will still pop in from time to time at least means that his character won’t be destroyed by Messina’s absence. There’s no way short of Danny dying that he would actually abandon Leo, and Mindy fortunately really isn’t the sort of show that would go so far as to kill off the guy who had been the male lead for four years.

Of course, Danny has gone through some changes in Season 4 that have rendered him much less of a romantic hero than he was in earlier seasons. Although he was overjoyed with the birth of his son and so committed to Mindy that he moved past his marriage insecurities to propose to her, he wasn’t such a great guy after little Leo came home. He didn’t react well when Mindy refused to give up her career to become a stay-at-home mom, and the relationship that had become the cornerstone of the show became somewhat toxic. Personally, I loved Danny and Mindy together as much as anybody in the earlier days, but I wasn’t exactly heartbroken when they broke up in Season 4.

Danny’s reduced presence in Season 4 has been a result of Chris Messina landing a role in Ben Affleck’s big screen venture Live By Night, which affected his availability for Mindy. If Live By Night goes well for him, Messina will likely have plenty to do in the future without playing Danny Castellano.

Chris Messina being downgraded to recurring for Season 5 doesn’t mean that he’ll never be back in a more regular capacity in the future. Mindy and Danny may still have the shot at a romcom happily-ever-after. As long as Danny doesn’t die during the run of the show, we can always hope that his character will be handled in a way that is funny rather than frustrating.

You can catch the rest of Season 4 of The Mindy Project when episodes are released on Tuesdays at 3:01 a.m. EST. For a look at what shows you’ll be able to watch on primetime, check out our summer TV premiere schedule.

With the exception of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck’s next big post-Gone Girl film is Live By Night. The project has been gathering more and more buzz, thanks to some of its more high-profile casting. Now, a crucial role alongside Affleck has been been filled by Chris Messina.

Variety reports that Messina, who you know from The Mindy Project, where he plays Dr. Danny Castellano, the love interest of Mindy Kaling’s Mindy Lahiri, will co-star in Live By Night opposide Ben Affleck. Previously, he had a major part on Aaron Sorkin’s HBO series The Newsroom, in which he plays Reese Lansing, the son of the network’s original owner.

Live By Night is set in the Prohibition era and examines the world of organized crime. Based on the Dennis Lehane novel of the same name, the summary describes the story as the "making and unmaking of a gangster," telling the tale of a man’s rise from being a petty thief in Boston to becoming the most successful rum runner on the Gulf Coast.

Affleck will presumably take the lead role of said gangster, while the report states that Messina will play his best friend and partner in crime. Maleficent’s Elle Fanning, Foxcatcher’s Sienna Miller, and Guardians of the Galaxy’s Zoe Saldana are also in negotiations to star in the film, which will be produced by Affleck and Jennifer Todd through their banner Pearl Street, as well as Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran’s Appian Way company.

Live By Night has long been in development, and Messina — much like Fanning, Miller, and Saldana — was said to be eyed for a starring role for quite some time. However, Affleck was committed to Gone Girl and the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, both of which slowed down the process. Variety reports that filming is finally expected to commence this November. In the meantime, more offers will go out to firm up the remaining cast.

This marks a rare role in a major release for Messina. Aside from TV, he’s been sticking to the indie realm for the most part, such as with roles in Cake with Jennifer Aniston, Manglehorn with Al Pacino, Alex of Venice with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and alongside James Franco in Palo Alto.

Nowadays we all know him as our friendly neighborhood serial killer, Dexter, but even Michael C. Hall himself admits “there’s more to acting than playing a serial killer.”

In the upcoming release The Trouble with Bliss, Hall stars as Morris Bliss, a guy in his mid-30s who calls his widowed father’s (Peter Fonda) apartment his own and actually bunks down in what looks to be his childhood room. Oddly enough, rather than date someone his own age, Morris falls for an 18-year-old student (Brie Larson) who just so happens to be the daughter of an old high school pal (Brad William Henke).

Morris is a pretty interesting specimen. He’s got hopes to make big moves, but seemingly lacks the motivation to do, well, much of anything – quite the opposite of Dexter. In honor of The Trouble with Bliss’ March 23rd limited release, Hall took the time to discuss his Dexter detox, his experience playing a more reactive character, working with writer-director Michael Knowles and much more. Check it all out in the interview below.

This film went through a fairly lengthy preproduction process. Were you on board the entire time?

Michael C. Hall: Yeah, I guess we shot it in the early spring. Initially we were going to do it in the previous fall and it in part didn’t work out because I got sick. But I stayed in touch with the director and they waited for me and reconstituted it all with I think an even better group of actors and so it turned out to be worth the wait. But yeah, as far as the actors go, I think I was the first person on board.

What made you think The Trouble with Bliss was worth sticking with?

I loved that it was a chance to go back to New York and work in the neighborhood I first lived in. I actually lived on East 5th street where Morris lives. I really liked the script, I really liked the character, I relish the opportunity to play someone who is really unspectacular [laughs], who is not uniquely afflicted or remarkably capable in any way. After spending so much time playing Dexter, that was a nice change of pace.

You've somewhat lived in Dexter's mind for about six years now, so do you need to go through a Dexter detox to be able to inhabit another character?

Yeah, I think so. I think just getting off the wheel [laughs], the Dexter wheel, does a lot of my work for me, taking a trip, just getting some time away form it. But I think encountering another character and doing something else really just goes a long way to reminding myself that there’s more to acting than playing a serial killer.

What's the very first thing you like to do when you get a new role? Do you have any sort of routine?

I think the first thing I try to do is read and re-read and re-re-read the script. That’s sort of the road map. And if I’m playing someone who is a real person or was a real person, I’ll do whatever investigating I can to find out about them. Or if I’m playing a person who has some sort of occupation, I’ll try to familiarize myself with what that’s all about. And I think that kind of research is helpful to ground you, but I think ultimately what’s required and the fun of it is the imaginative leap, just the magical what if or as if. What if I were this person? What if these were my given circumstances?

How about for Morris specifically? Is there anything you did for him that you’ve never done before?

I had the luxury of working with people I knew previously and I had the luxury of just hanging out with Chris Messina and Brad Henke in LA and also doing some rehearsals with Brie [Larson]. It’s also something that initially was happening several months before we actually shot it so in that sense I just had so much more time to let it simmer in the oven, you know? I wasn’t living with my widowed father or anything, but I certainly was living with very little money in that very neighborhood when I was just starting out in New York, so I suppose I imagined that all that time I’d spent was good soiling with which to plant the character.

I wouldn't say Morris is a man on a mission in this movie; it's more of a slice of life piece and about just seeing what move he makes next. Is that something that gives you more freedom when portraying a character?

Yeah. I think he described himself as craving direction, but also without direction and as a result it makes him more reactive. He has a sense of openness I think to experience or the possibility of experience and isn’t so directed or compelled. He’s more there to just be open to and listen to and witness whatever comes up for him so that’s sort of a different place from which to operate.

What’s going through your head while on set and just playing him reacting? Are you actually digesting what the other character is saying or doing or are you maybe thinking about direction Michael had just given you?

It varies. You are the horses, you are the chariot, you are the person driving the chariot and at any given moment you’re sort of in one of those three places and ideally some percentage of you is everywhere. It’s hard to say at any given point. You certainly think about what a character is after and try to focus on those things, but as in life, our mind is not always focused. [Laughs] You’ve got to tolerate whatever does or doesn’t come up.

Oh, do I know what you mean! So how about working with Michael? What kind of actor's director is he?

I think he is an actor’s director. Michael spent time as an actor earlier in his career and really, as a result, I think knows how to talk to actors, what to say, what not to say, how to say things simply, how to give suggestions that are really constructive and actable and not vague and esoteric. That was very much appreciated especially on an independent film budget and schedule where you don’t have the time to luxuriate in the myriad of possibilities. You kind of need to make a decision and move forward, so he was great in that sense. And he also just created a really playful and relaxed atmosphere on the set, which I think we all really appreciated.

He’s also an experienced cinematographer and editor, too, so did you notice that helping him at all?

Yeah, he’s cutting the movie in his mind probably as he was directing it and maybe knew what we did and didn’t need as far as his editorial take on what the film would ultimately look like, so it probably made for shorter days. [Laughs]

How many takes were you doing? Did he know what he wanted, get it and just move on?

It’s funny, I think he was to a degree open to being surprised and everything, but I think he knew the story that he hoped to tell and once he was assured he had what he needed, he moved on. No more than two to four takes and sometimes fewer and sometimes, you know, you’re talking about four takes of a scene that plays in one shot, so it’s kind of like which full ride are you gonna go with?

How does that compare to working on a show like Dexter? It's TV, so you're still churning out episodes pretty quickly, but I imagine you might have a little more room to breathe there.

I would say the pace is comparable really. The difference is that on the TV show we’re dealing with sets that we built, that our crew had worked on, that we know how to light, the crew at this point has a groove that they’re in and the actors all know their characters very well. On something like this we’re just jumping in in the deep end and there are so many more variables beyond your control and it’s a little less luxurious in terms of where you hang out between scenes or the craft service table, but it’s nice to be reminded of just how little you do need to make something.

Did you have any Larson’ Brie at craft service?

[Laughs] No, I didn’t.

Was that really the name of the Brie or did the production design team come up with that?

I think they made that as an inside joke.

And how about those paintball guns? Get to have any extra fun with those?

I got to shoot them at the wall, but nobody had any protective gear on so I didn’t shoot any people.

When first reporting the existence of the forthcoming romantic comedy Giant Mechanical Man, Mack claimed that the news was everything you could possibly hope to know about the project, given that we already knew the director (Lee Kirk), the stars (Jenna Fischer, Chris Messina, Topher Grace, Malin Akerman), and the concept (a zookeeper is stuck in a romantic triangle between a street performer and a motivational speaker). That was pretty much all there was to talk about, right?

Wrong! There's always room for more side characters, of course, and THR reports that Lucy Punch, Bob Odenkirk and Rich Sommer have all signed on for small roles in the film. They're not explaining any of the roles but Punch's, who will play Messina's character's girlfriend, but with Odenkirk recognizable from a current stint on Breaking Bad and Sommer still a regular on Mad Men as Harry Crane, you'll immediately recognize both of them when they pop up on the screen.

As for Punch, she's the least well-known of the three newcomers, even after roles in two high-profile films this summer, the comedy Dinner for Schmucks and Woody Allen's You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger. Both films underperformed, though, which helps explain why her name still isn't quite out there. Who knows, Giant Mechanical Man may turn out to be the big break; the project is already shooting in Detroit, so will likely show up at some point in the next year.

Films about decent men tempted to stray by beautiful strangers are nothing new, and neither are stories about love and lust in the big city, but the same old themes get a nice modern spin in Monogamy, the feature directing debut from Muderball's Dana Adam Shaprio. Starring Chris Messina in a concerted effort to break out of his bland Hollywood Nice Guy mold, the movie is suitably creepy and lyrical at turns, and makes excellent use of its modern gentrified Brooklyn setting. WIthout presenting anything particularly revolutionary or even unique, Monogamy is still a pretty satisfying take on a basic story that's fascinated filmmakers for decades.

Theo (Messina) and Nat (Rashida Jones) are in a comfortable long-term relationship and recently engaged, sharing a loft near the Brooklyn Navy Yard and an adorable dog, and supporting each other in their various artistic pursuits-- Theo's a wedding photographer, Nat's a budding musician. A little bored with the endless stream of fussy brides and grooms, Theo has also started up a side business as Gumshoot, in which he photographs people on the sly and theoretically reveals something about them. The business is just starting to pick up when he's contacted by the terse Subgirl, who asks him to photograph her on the tennis courts, but instead masturbates, very much in public and apparently for Theo's business.

Quickly distancing himself from both Nat and his friends, Theo becomes obsessed with Subgirl, following her again to several outdoor sexual assignations with a mystery man, and poring over close-ups of her photos late at night. Even when Nat winds up in the hospital thanks to a nasty cut on her thumb, Theo can't cut himself off, and of course there are consequences. He's not cheating, exactly, but clearly Theo's experiences at a distance with Subgirl cause him to rethink his cozy relationship, even on some level he knows better.

Along with Messina's brooding, remarkably sympathetic performance, Monogamy's greatest strength is its willingness to be vague, never truly taking sides between Theo's obsessions and Nat's rational desire to have her fiancee back. Even when the film seemingly supports Theo being unfair to Nat, like berating her for not wanting to have sex in her hospital bed, the scene is followed up with a scene of him being truly awful; neither Messina nor Shaprio (along with co-writer Evan M. Weiner) are afraid to make Theo unlikeable, and allow the audience to decide whether or not to go along with him. At times I felt my feminist ire rising-- who is this guy, anyway?--but I was always ready to see where Theo's downward spiral took him next.

It's also crucial that Jones is a performer equal to Messina, helping build a believable relationship between Theo and Nat in the earlier scenes and providing a kind of outlet for the audience as we shake our heads at his ridiculous actions. As Theo's obsessions pick up speed in the third act, though, Jones is largely left out, which is a mistake; we've come to like Theo in many ways because she does, and without her Theo is simply a mess-- a fact the movie recognizes, but a little bit too late.

With elegant-- maybe a little over-elegant-- cinematography, an excellent sense of place within New York, an inventive score and a well-rounded supporting cast, Monogamy has the look and feel of something that could expand well beyond the festival, even if just for the chance to see Messina-- last seen as the cuddly uber-husband in Julie & Julia--embrace his dark side.The movie could have been a little better to its female characters (those on-screen and off) and the ending is a major letdown, but in general Monogamy is surprising for how well it tackles themes we thought had been fully examined on film.

Follow along with all of our special, Tribeca 2010 coverage right here.

It was just a few days ago that I expressed reserved hopes for Devil, a new movie with a story from M. Night Shyamalan that stars Chris Messina... and that's pretty much all we were supposed to know. But plot details don't stay secret for long in this wild world of the Internet, and thanks to some clever sleuthing, Slashfilm has discovered what they believe to be the basic story.

Basically, the premise is pretty simple: A group of people, one of whom is the devil, are trapped together in the elevator.We know from Messina's casting that he's playing a recently sober cop, and apparently there's a security guard character trying to convince Messina to get everyone out of the elevator-- while also convincing the rest of the group that he's the "chosen one" to save them.

It sounds like a great concept for a play, with the whole claustrophobia angle, but hard to tell how it will work as a movie shot in such a small space. If they can gather a great cast around Messina, though, and make it seem somewhat possible that the devil would bother getting stuck in an elevator, I can see this working out.

Everyone is excited about seeing a potential career revival for M. Night Shyamalan with The Last Airbender partially because it's not his original screenplay, given him a chance to get away from the twists that at first made him cool, but late made him feel like a one-trick pony. But beware-- Shyamalan is not finished tinkering with the written word, and Chris Messina may be the next person to learn that the hard way.

He's set to star in Universal's Devil, a horror thriller that Brian Nelson wrote based on Shyamalan's story. In a big departure from his recent nice-guy roles in Julie & Julia and Away We Go, he's playing a homicide detective recently off the sauce. Variety reports that filming starts in Toronto on the 26th, with Quarantine directors John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle directing.

I never really wanted to give up on Shyamalan in the first place, so I'm actually totally interested to see how this plays out, especially with Messina doing such an atypical role give his career thus far. The man with a haunted past is a familiar character in Shyamalan's work, but maybe with enough people between the storyteller and the movie, this one might be a successful take on it.

Amy Adams and Chris Messina are pretty cute individually, but put together, they're practically magnetic. Even though they play the very flawed, very human Julie and Eric Powell in Julie & Julia, in person they're really just movie-star attractive and charming.

Still, their depiction of a modern marriage in Julie & Julia feels honest and real, making them perfect counterparts to the other half of the story, about the fairytale marriage between Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci). Read below as they talk about creating real people out of their characters, dealing with the massive amount of food they had to eat on camera, and Chris Messina's early brush with fame-- and Meryl Streep.

Amy, you've made a career of playing nice girls and making them interesting. How did you do that in this film?

Amy Adams: I think maybe my challenge is making someone not nice. I didn't see [Julie] as specifically a nice girl. I saw her as very human, sort of impatient and at times selfish. But those are things that we all are. For me it's just about creating human beings the way that I see them.

Nora said you guys were eating real food the entire time during the shoot. How did you do that without getting sick?

Amy Adams: Oh, Chris got fat.

Chris Messina: At one point they put a bucket next to me. The first time I ate a lot of food, it was like 32 bruschettas. The first 4 or 5 they were delicious. Around 7 or 8 they were turning, and I was starting to complain, and I thought I was going to throw up. And Nora yelled from the other room, 'Robert de Niro would do it.' So I kept going. But the food was amazing. There was the dinner I ate four lobsters in a row. I wouldn't eat dinner or have breakfast-- breakfast would be lobsters.

How did this movie change your perspective on food and eating?

Chris Messina: Nora, as you probably know, is an amazing foodie. After rehearsals we'd go to Peter Luger's. She's the type of woman you could call, you could be in the South Bronx lost, call her up and be like "I'm starving," and she'd tell you the exact place to go. I'm not a cook, and I don't think I ever will be. The movie definitely woke my tastebuds up for some better stuff.

Amy Adams: There was a kitchen on set, and everything was fresh. We were really spoiled with some amazing food. This movie taught me more about the meditative effects of cooking, really enjoying the process of cooking with friends and family.

Was it disappointing to you not to be working directly with Meryl this time? Were you aware of her performance as the filming was happening?

Amy Adams:: It's Meryl, so you know it's going to be fantastic. When we sat down for table read, we were told it was really informal, just a couple people. It wasn't. It was like 50-75 people in a room, and in walks Meryl, she had just come from a wig fitting, and she's in Julia Child's wig. Even after working with her and experiencing her brilliance and her work ethic, to see what she brought to the role of Julia Child in that table read, that was something I definitely had in mind.

Chris Messina: I was in a movie called Before & After with Meryl Streep. I was edited out of the movie, but no one told me. I think I was 18 or 19 years old. I sat across from her and asked her every question about acting. I completely embarrassed myself. I showed up with a girlfriend to the movie-- I think I got her there because I told her I was in a movie with Meryl Streep. She's the greatest we have.

You're playing an ideal marriage here, and a lot of people would consider that boring. How did you make that interesting?

Amy Adams:: There was a lot of conflict I thought..I feel they're a completely normal couple. They fight, and they have disagreements. What's being commented on that we don't see in films a lot, is a wonderful actor who showed up to support a female, playing a man supporting a woman in her pursuits. Hopefully men will go see this movie and go, wow, that's something to aspire to. That happens on the other side of the film with Stanley's character as well. And what a wonderful gift.