After Anne Hathaway successfully brought back one of her most beloved characters through The Devil Wears Prada 2, I’ve been curious about what’s been going on with The Princess Diaries 3. Thankfully, Meg Cabot, the author behind The Princess Diaries books, just shared a really exciting update about one of my most-anticipated upcoming Disney movies.

Anne Hathaway officially announced The Princess Diaries 3 was happening back in 2024 (via Instagram), but the actress and producer has also been busier than ever lately, between leading five films on the 2026 movie schedule and announcing that she's pregnant with her third child. Luckily, the book's author has an update about a return to Genovia, as she said:

Shut up! This makes me so happy to hear. Since The Princess Diaries 3 was announced, it sounds like there’s been a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make the movie the best it can be before cameras start rolling. I appreciate the care going into the movie, and what Meg Cabot told THR has me more excited that the film is finally shaping up.

She also said that she’s seen several versions of the sequel since it's been in development, and it’s now gotten to the point where she’s completely satisfied with where the script is now. In her words:

The Princess Diaries 3 is set to be directed by Adele Lim, who previously helmed the 2023 comedy Joy Ride and co-wrote both Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon. In the director’s latest update from last month, she said that it's been taking so long because she and the other producers are committed to “make the story right” since the franchise is “so beloved by so many people.”

Lim also hinted that the movie will be a rare wish-fulfillment movie about a queen, a “woman in her full power.” She also said they are planning to shoot the movie in Europe to “really show the audience Genovia in its full glory,” and fans of the first two movies can expect “a lot of fun returns.”

When it comes to who’s returning, aside from Anne Hathaway, I have a lot of questions and hopes. The main person I want to see back is Julie Andrews, who has previously said she’d be “happy” to do another one, but the 90-year-old hasn’t been doing much acting lately aside from voice work.

Considering everything on Anne Hathaway’s plate right now, I don’t see this movie fully taking off until next year, but Meg Cabot’s comments definitely have me anticipating the movie even more now.

If you’re a Star Trek fan who has a Paramount+ subscription, then you’ve been able keep up with the franchise’s TV offerings, starting with Star Trek: Discovery in 2017 (back when the platform was known as CBS All Access). Before that, though, Star Trek was chiefly kept in the public consciousness through the Kelvin timeline-set movies starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña and more. There have been numerous attempts to get another movie in this film series going, and Pine has sounded off with his thoughts about whether Star Trek 4 will actually happen.

This July will mark 10 years since Star Trek Beyond was released in theaters, and thus the last time we saw any of the crew members from this version of the USS Enterprise. However, since last year saw Paramount leadership changing due to the studio being acquired by Skydance, Variety asked Chris Pine at the Sundance Film Festival if he’s in the loop about what’s next in the Star Trek film front. He answered:

Chris Pine may be the face of the Kelvin Star Trek movies, but like the rest of us who aren’t Paramount studio executives, he’s in the dark about what’s next for the cinematic side of the Trek franchise. However, that’s not too surprising considering what Paramount reportedly has planned as of last November. Though the studio is looking to reinvigorate the Star Trek film series, it’s allegedly “moved on” from that happening with Star Trek 4. Meaning, there would be no reason to keep Pine and his cast-mates updated.

So unless news to the contrary is announced, it looks like we’ll have to put the final nail in this proverbial coffin and make peace with the Kelvin continuity consisting of just three movies. It’s the end of a saga that began when it was announced that Star Trek 4 would see Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk meeting his father, Chris Hemsworth’s George Kirk, who died right after he was born. As for whether he has any advice for the new Paramount leadership on what to do with Star Trek, Pine said:

In addition to the tumultuous journey Star Trek 4’s development took, Paramount announced in early 2024 that it was moving forward with an “origins” Trek movie, though it was never made clear if it was going to be set in the Prime or Kelvin timeline. It’s a moot point either way, as that project has also fallen by the wayside following the Paramount/Skydance merger. As for this new movie that’s now supposedly going to get the film series moving again, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are writing the script. It’s also said to be a “completely new take” on the Star Trek universe unconnected to any of the previous movies and TV shows.

Though Star Trek’s silver screen future remains shrouded in mystery, the TV side of the franchise is anything but that. Starfleet Academy’s first season is airing on Paramount+, and Strange New Worlds Season 4 is also expected to premiere sometime on the 2026 TV schedule.

It's been a long time since Star Trek had a movie in theaters, though it's not for a lack of trying. Paramount had several false starts over the past decade as it tried to get a film made, and when it finally had a chance to make it happen in 2025, Section 31 was made available with a Paramount+ subscription. There was also a movie from director Noah Hawley that almost happened, but it could've been derailed by a comment involving Chris Pine.

Hawley made waves on the 2025 TV schedule after his series, Alien: Earth, was released by FX. And after watching that show, I wrote about how it bummed me out that his Trek movie didn't work out. Now, in an interview with the SFF Gazette, he laid out just how close it was to happening before it was called off completely:

It's wild to hear this story now, with the context being that the movie ultimately didn't happen. It's also painful for me personally, because of how much I loved Alien: Earth and can only imagine how Hawley would've crushed it with a Star Trek story.

As it turns out, Noah Hawley's Trek idea got a lot further in the process than I assumed. The director revealed he was in the process of securing shooting locations when a change of staff put the progress to a grinding halt:

It's comments like this that offer some context as to why Star Trek's fourth Kelvin movie was stuck in development hell for so long. Paramount has balked at the opportunity to bring the franchise back to theaters a couple of times, despite several attempts to make it happen. This included an origin movie that was greenlit after Noah Hawley's was shot down, which we haven't heard a meaningful update on since.

This brings us to the present, in which Paramount Skydance has enlisted John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein to write a new Trek movie entirely separate from previous shows and movies. It's ironic, considering Noah Hawley's following comment about Chris Pine might've been what killed his movie:

Hearing that makes me want to bang my head against a wall, because I would've killed to see Noah Hawley's vision for Star Trek. Instead, Paramount let him go, and now, six years later, they're moving forward with the same direction he suggested years ago.

Of course, six years ago, there was still hope alive in the Star Trek fandom that Chris Pine and the rest of the Kelvin crew would be able to get together and do a fourth movie. However, in 2025, Chris Pine is as busy as ever, Zoë Saldana is about to release an Avatar movie, Zachary Quinto has NBC's Brilliant Minds, Karl Urban is wrapping up the final season of The Boys, and Simon Pegg is doing a bit of everything.

It's easy to see why Paramount Skydance opted to move on from the idea of a fourth Kelvin film happening, rather than try to pull that extremely busy group of actors together. If only they'd seen that back when Noah Hawley had a Trek script and was ready to shoot in Australia, but I guess there's no crying over spilled milk from a replicator.

Here's hoping we get a Star Trek movie filming before the end of 2026, or at least concrete plans for a date to start production! It's stories like these that make me cautious about theatrical plans for this franchise; however, maybe this time, we'll actually get to see a new story on the big screen.

Now that Freakier Friday successfully gave me the 2000s Disney childhood nostalgia I was craving, I especially cannot wait for the release of The Princess Diaries 3, which is officially in the works by the House of Mouse. Anne Hathaway made the announcement back in October 2024 when Crazy Rich Asians writer Adele Lim got on board to direct. Now that we’ve learned a bit more about what to expect from the sequel, the questions are flowing out of me.

Recently, Lim (who also helmed the underrated comedy Joy Ride and co-wrote Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon, put out an open casting call on her Instagram, in search of the new young lead of the Princess Diaries 3. The Disney production is looking for a 15-year-old mixed race actor to play the role of Olivia Robinson, who is described as “smart, sarcastic, armored and observant” along with revealing details that the new lead will be dealing with the loss of her mother by creating a “prickly exterior,” but is ultimately a “natural born leader.” With these details in mind, I want to talk about what’s on my mind next as a longtime fan of these movies.

What Will Be Olivia's Connection To The Original Movies?

At first, I became rather stumped about who Olivia Robinson is. But, then I did some digging and I learned that in the 11th book of the Princess Diaries book series by Meg Cabot, the character was introduced. In the novel titled The Princess Diaries, Volume XI: Royal Wedding, Mia finds out that she has a 12-year-old half sister of that name whom she attempts to bring into the family. That would explain Olivia’s connection to the story, but if you follow book adaptations like I do, you know that novels and movies can sometimes have little in common.

For example, in the same book, Mia is also in the middle of planning a royal wedding with longtime boyfriend Michael Moskowitz, who, as you might recall, was her crush in the first movie, but was nowhere to be found in the sequel. I don’t necessarily expect a straight adaptation where Mia does wed her best friend’s brother Michael, because that relationship wasn’t explored past the first movie.

However, I do think it would make a lot of sense for the Princess Diaries sequel to follow some of the beats of the original with a teen finding out she’s a princess, but this time a teen princess finding out about her roots from a long lost sister rather than grandmother. And, since Olivia has just lost her own mother, finding a family with Mia would be a really sweet way to see the series progress.

Will Mia Be Mentoring Olivia To Become Princess Of Genovia?

Of course I want to know how Hathaway’s Mia Thermopolis will fit into the whole thing. Will she be a lead with Olivia or take more of a backseat? Because Hathaway is involved in the movie, I can’t imagine her not being a lead, but who knows. Either way, I would imagine there would be some funny moments in there about Olivia finding out she’s a princess and trying to prepare for all the formalities should she decide to officially become part of the royal family.

My big question is whether Mia will be mentoring Olivia to be the next Queen of Genovia or simply remain a princess without a path to a larger role? We don’t know if Mia has children of her own or what she’s been up to since she decided not to marry but still take the crown. With over two decades between the last Princess Diaries movie, the sky is really the limit regarding her life.

Did Mia Marry Chris Pine's Nicholas From Princess Diaries 2?

After Princess Diaries 2 came out and in the years following, Chris Pine’s Nicholas Devereaux has remained a fan-favorite love interest for Mia, given how much chemistry Hathaway and Pine had in the 2004 movie. Pine has been asked about it a ton over the years, with the actor saying he’s “here for it,” because it was his very first movie. Given all the love for Mia and Nicholas, I hope the writers get the hint and have them as a couple all these years later, but hey maybe she’s met someone else, rekindled things with Michael or you know, has had better things to do with her time than be a married woman and queen at the same time.

I could also see the third movie bringing Pine into the fold, but having them rekindle after a prior breakup years ago. Now, that would make my heart flutter, too. Pine’s part in the second movie is very memorable, and it feels like fans are eager for this to happen, so I’m hoping the writers are listening.

Will Julie Andrews Be Involved?

That brings me to one more burning question that I think is perhaps the biggest curiosity I have about the next movie. Will Julie Andrews reprise her role? When she talked about it in early 2024, she said she’d been asked “so many times” but “sometimes it’s best to leave a good thing alone” before saying she’d be “very happy” if they did another one but didn’t “expect” to.

The iconic actress is currently 89 years old (she'll be 90 in October 2025), and hasn’t necessarily retired. She’s been doing a lot of voice work, such as for Bridgerton and the Despicable Me movies. Given all the love for her character, I would imagine she’d return, but I am curious to what level she could be in the movie. I really hope that she isn’t just written out or that her character doesn't die in the movie. As a big fan, I’d be happy with a couple of scenes between Hathaway and Andrews, but we’ll have to see. I know I’ll be pretty disappointed if she doesn’t appear at all, but I also completely respect Andrews if she feels like her on-screen acting days are behind her.

There’s no release date for Princess Diaries 3 right now as they are in the casting process, but I can’t wait to see who they pick and see pictures once production gets underway.

I’m sure that many of us spend at least some time on most nights scrolling through the best streaming services to find a movie that will help us unwind after a long day. When it comes to those with a Netflix subscription, obviously, there are nearly innumerable options for brand new 2025 Netflix movies and TV shows, but the current Top 10 list is filled with several films that actually didn’t originate from the streaming giant. And, I gotta say, I’m incredibly happy that a magnificent little movie called Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is finally (FINALLY!) hitting with viewers.

What’s In The Netflix Top 10 And Why I’m Excited Dungeons & Dragons Made It

It seems like spring is a great time for newcomers to the Netflix charts that aren’t original films for the service, as only one original movie is currently in the Top 10 right now. While that film, romantic comedy La Dolce Villa, is at number seven, the rest of the pack is as follows:

Wow. Are a ton of kids on spring break already? That’s a lot of minion-banana-talk filled animation for one Top 10, (honestly, maybe too much banana talk, as far as I’m concerned) but whatever keeps folks entertained is cool with me. We also have superhero fun (Venom: The Last Dance, which wasn’t well-received by critics), video game adaptation-related action (Uncharted and Super Mario Bros.), and one intense thriller in To Catch a Killer.

However, the number 10 spot is where my heart lies, because, y’all. People are finally watching Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, just like they should have in early 2023.

The action/adventure comedy released in late March of that year, and while it was critically lauded (including by CinemaBlend’s own Dirk Libbey in his review of the fantasy), people simply didn’t turn out for it in droves like they should have. In fact, Honor Among Thieves ended its theatrical run with just around $207+ million coming in worldwide, which is thought to have cost fans of the movie a much-deserved sequel.

If you still haven’t checked it out yet, D&D: HAT (I just love how that abbreviation looks) focuses on a rag tag band of characters led by Chris Pine’s thief, Edgin Darvis, who’s hoping to locate and steal a magical tablet that can bring his late wife back from the dead. The film really has absolutely everything one could want from a comedic fantasy. There are great fight scenes and big action set pieces, with lots of lore that can be easily grasped by even those who have never played D&D, plus it’s fully hilarious throughout.

And! On top of that, we get my favorite Chris Pine, which is silly-and-in-over-his-head Chris Pine. I mean, he sings in this movie (Multiple times!), and gets dragged for his plan-making skills. There’s even a character named Jarnathan!

Look, Pine was asked last year about the possibility of a sequel for his too-good-to-be-forgotten film, and he actually gave fans some hope. All we need to do now is head to Netflix, watch, rate it like the creators want you to, then watch it again (I streamed it twice in 2023 after already having seen it in theaters) and maybe we can actually get a sequel to one of the best fantasy films to come out in years!

One of the great modern conflicts of our time involves one question: Who is the “best Chris?” Between Chris Pratt, Chris Pine, Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth there are four major actors with the same first name. Not only that, but they all look vaguely similar. So, it not that surprising that Pratt repeatedly gets called by the wrong name.

Two of the four famous Chrises, Pratt and Hemsworth, appeared alongside Kris Jenner in a Super Bowl commercial for Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses over the weekend. The fact the ad brought in two of the famous Hollywood Chrises was clearly part of the joke.

Pratt told THR he doesn’t even bother correcting people who think he’s a different Chris, since it happens so often. Funny enough, though, there's one Chris he's not mistaken for. Pratt said…

It honestly isn’t even that shocking that Pratt gets mistaken for some of the other famous Chrises. They’re all good-looking, white dudes who usually have short hair and show up in superhero movies. (Not infrequently, they show up in the same superhero movies.) Honestly, Pratt and Pine also have last names that are nearly as similar as their first names.

Of course, Pratt’s joke about biceps probably reveals exactly why he doesn’t get mistaken for Chris Hemsworth. If there’s one Chris who probably doesn’t get confused for any other, it’s Hemsworth. He's a behemoth who physically more closely resembles Thor more than any of the rest of them.

The jury is out on whether Pratt and Hemsworth being in a Super Bowl ad together will make it all more or less confusing for the general public. The ad does specify which one of them is Chris Pratt, so maybe it will help his general name recognition. Of course, the fact they’re all wearing glasses, and neither actor usually does, probably won’t help. Check it out below.

Maybe the fact that three out of four famous Chrises aren’t expected to be showing up in the same movies will help clear the air. While we’ve been told that Star-Lord will return to the MCU, Chris Evans has seemingly denied rumors he will be returning to the franchise, and Thor's future in the superhero franchise is very much an open question. Of course, if the MCU decides to cast Chris Pine, all bets could be off. All of that aside, though, I just appreciate Pratt's self-deprecating take on how he's recognized.

To all my fellow fans who believe the Princess Diaries movies are some of the best rom-coms ever and have been hoping for a third film, our dreams are finally coming true! After years of speculation, Anne Hathaway confirmed The Princess Diaries 3 is happening, and she announced that Adele Lim will direct it. Now, the internet is having a proper freak out about this exciting news, and the hilariously relatable reactions fans are posting are going viral.

We’ve been waiting 20 years for another movie about the now-Queen of Genovia, and over those two decades the cast hasn’t really had updates about Princess Diaries 3. So, Hathaway’s announcement was monumental, and the energy amongst us fans can be encapsulated by this hilarious tweet from @sbstryker:

Keeping the hype going, @remi_mariee got over 30 thousand likes on their post that was simply a screengrab from Ted Lasso of Roy Kent saying “Fuck yeah, Princess Diaries,” because he's so right:

While there’s been a lot of talk about legacy sequels and the lack of new and original movies in Hollywood for years, let it be known, that this is an exception to that critique. @MediumSizeMeech pointed that out as they retweeted the news about Princess Diaries, writing:

We’ll take all the Mia Thermopolis we can get, and we’re also gonna need Chris Pine’s Nicholas back too.

As someone who grew up watching The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement on a VHS on repeat, I can safely say that Mia and Nicholas’ story is one of my favorite enemies-to-lovers tales, and I need to see them back together in another movie. @vixennreads had a similar take as they posted a fan-edit of Hathaway and Pine with the caption:

Thankfully, Chris Pine has said he’s down for Princess Diaries 3, and he’s even pitched silly ideas for what could happen to Mia and Nicholas. So, assuming scheduling works out, it seems like we could very well see Pine and Hathaway’s incredible chemistry back on screen soon-ish.

Speaking of the screen we’ll be seeing this on, @carolinerenard_ is going viral for their reaction to the Princess Diaries news and their call for it to get a theatrical release:

I agree, I desperately want to be in a room full of fans who grew up with the Princess Dairies movies to see this third installment. So, here’s hoping it's not a straight to Disney+ movie. We need Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews and Chris Pine on the big screen!

Overall, there’s so much love out there for Princess Diaries 3, and it’s clear that everyone is stoked to see what they come up with for this long-awaited sequel.

While the hype is real and warranted, there’s still a long way to go with this movie before we’re able to see it. So, while we wait for this threequel, check out the 2024 film schedule, and if you are looking to hang out with Mia and co. to prepare for The Princess Diaries 3, you can stream the first two films with a Disney+ subscription.

Sometimes, all it takes is one joint appearance in a movie or television show for two popular actors to become known as an acting duo, and sometimes they prove to work so well together that they go on to star in even more projects together. We’ve come up with a list of 32 acting duos who have worked together multiple times, so you can see if you’ve watched all of the times these talented stars have been on screen with each other.

Tina Fey And Amy Poehler

Obviously, this funny duo began their most famed time together while starring on Saturday Night Live, but Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn’t let the good times end there. The women were both in Mean Girls, starred in the movies Baby Mama and Sisters, and used their talents to great effect when co-hosting the Golden Globe Awards for several years.

Robert De Niro And Al Pacino

Two legendary actors make for a legendary acting duo, and while Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are frequently mentioned in the same breath, they’ve only been featured in four films together. Two of those movies, however, are absolutely the reason people often talk about them together as they count The Godfather Part II, Heat, Righteous Kill and The Irishman as their joint efforts.

Julia Roberts And George Clooney

Now, these two actually have made quite a few movies with one another, and largely with both in on-screen roles. Of course, it’s hard to forget that George Clooney and Julia Roberts are in all three of the Ocean’s Eleven films, but they’ve also starred in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney also directed), Money Monster and the 2022 rom-com Ticket to Paradise. The erstwhile Danny Ocean also produced August: Osage County, while Roberts starred.

Jane Fonda And Lily Tomlin

Frequently we see an acting duo together multiple times because they really are buddies in real life, and that’s true for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. After first starring together in the 1980 hit 9 to 5 (with Dolly Parton, of course) they eventually re-teamed for the Netflix series Grace and Frankie (which ran for seven seasons), as well as the dark comedy Moving On and 80 for Brady.

Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling

This duo has produced some well-known and beloved comedies and dramas over the years, as Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling first starred together in Crazy, Stupid, Love in 2011, moving on to Gangster Squad in 2013 and the Oscar-winning musical La La Land in 2016. Stone even once said she couldn’t “imagine” her life without Gosling, so these two will probably be friends forever.

Salma Hayek And Antonio Banderas

Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas sharing the screen in Desperado caused considerable heat, along with igniting a very real friendship, so it’s no surprise that they’ve now worked together a number of times. They’ve also been in the casts of Four Rooms, Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids 3: Game Over, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and both Puss in Boots animated movies. That’s a lot!

Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart

We’ve already born witness to a rather lengthy history of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart ripping on each other during their (apparently) laugh and roast-filled friendship, and the two megastars have, indeed, brought that chemistry to the big screen multiple times. The duo counts Central Intelligence, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its sequel, Hobbs & Shaw and DC League of Super-Pets as the titles they’ve appeared in together.

Matt Damon And Ben Affleck

If this isn’t a classic acting duo by now, there are none. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been “bizarrely close” friends since childhood, and they first joined forces to great effect by penning and starring in Good Will Hunting (after having both appeared in School Ties), which won them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. They also worked on Dogma in the 1990s, then, after nearly 25 years, they joined forces again to write and star in The Last Duel, and since then have also worked together on Air and the upcoming RIP for Netflix.

Denzel Washington And Don Cheadle

If only these two powerhouse stars had already been in more movies together…Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle’s first pairing was as P.I. Easy Rawlins and his loyal but unpredictable friend, Mouse, in 1995’s Devil in a Blue Dress. While their work in the film garnered critical acclaim, it would be over 15 years before they teamed again for Flight.

Sanaa Lathan And Taye Diggs

We should never underestimate the power of a franchise when it comes to popular on-screen pairings. Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs appeared in The Wood together in 1999 and then went on to star in The Best Man, its sequel and the Peacock mini-series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters. The duo also played the lead couple in the rom-com, Brown Sugar in 2002.

Scarlett Johansson And Chris Evans

Co-starring in a franchise with the same people will take an acting duo far, but Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans have surpassed even the typical standard where that’s concerned. Thanks to their joint time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ve appeared in a whopping seven movies together (including their mid-end credits cameo in Captain Marvel), and prior to their time as blockbuster movie-making superheroes they starred in The Perfect Score and The Nanny Diaries, bringing their current total to nine.

Anthony Mackie And Chris Evans

If you did enjoy many of those MCU movies, then you know that Chris Evans rubbed elbows with Anthony Mackie quite a bit there. But, did you also know that the two have been in XX non-Marvel movies together? Playing It Cool, What’s Your Number, and Ghosted also star/feature both actors and if you add in all their shared time in tights on screen, their total is also at nine.

Emily Blunt And Dwayne Johnson

The first time was a hit, so why not join forces again, right? Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson famously delivered winning chemistry in Jungle Cruise, and are coming back together for the upcoming drama The Smashing Machine. The two are also said to be willing to return for Jungle Cruise 2, whenever that can finally get off the ground.

Chris Pine And Ben Foster

The third time has been the charm so far for Chris Pine and Ben Foster. The duo famously portrayed bank-robbing brothers in Hell or High Water, joined up for The Finest Hours, and made it a three-peat in 2022 for The Contractor.

Margot Robbie And Will Smith

If it seemed that there could have been a little something extra going on between Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot when you watched 2016’s Suicide Squad, then it might have been because you picked up on the chemistry the duo first built in Focus from the year before.

Margot Robbie And Brad Pitt

This big screen coupling made quite a showing for themselves across less than a decade, as Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt have starred in The Big Short, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Babylon. 

Margot Robbie And Leonardo DiCaprio

Just imagine, had it not been for this pairing, we might not have the megastar who is Barbie actor/producer Margot Robbie right now. Her role in Wolf of Wall Street as the second wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s corrupt fraudster propelled her career, and by the time they starred in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood together Robbie was a major star.

Halle Berry And Hugh Jackman

We, again, have a superhero franchise to thank for bringing two great talents together, as Oscar winner Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman both have four of the X-Men movies among their credits. The duo also starred in Swordfish and Movie 43.

Awkwafina And Michelle Yeoh

This duo counts two megahits in their joint credits, with Awkwafina and Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh both having starred in Crazy Rich Asians (and we’re still waiting for that rom-com sequel) and the MCU entry Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Michelle Yeoh And Jackie Chan

Michelle Yeoh has been a star for several decades, and part of that reason is because of her breakout role in the 1992’s Supercop, which also starred Jackie Chan. But, they’ve made a number of other films with each other, including Supercop 2, and Hong Kong action films Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars, Project S, and both voiced characters in Kung Fu Panda 2, along with having starred in a 1984 watch commercial together.

Angela Bassett And Laurence Fishburne

While Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne were famously nominated for Oscars for their lead roles as Tina Turner and Ike Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do with It?, the duo was actually first together on screen for Boyz n the Hood in ‘91. They then later teamed up for Akeela and the Bee in 2006.

Julia Roberts And Richard Gere

If this isn’t a famous acting duo, then none are, despite their only making two movies with each other. Of course, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere starred in the mega-hit classic rom-com Pretty Woman and teamed up again for Runaway Bride in 1999.

Jennifer Aniston And Jason Bateman

For a while there, Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, who are friends in real life, were kinda on a roll. Their first joint film was The Break-Up in 2006, and since then they’ve filmed four additional movies with one another: The Switch, Horrible Bosses and its sequel, and 2016’s Office Christmas Party.

Kate Hudson And Matthew McConaughey

Who can forget the glorious chemistry created by Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days? No one, that’s who! This is why they made a second rom-com, Fool’s Gold, just five years later.

Kirsten Dunst And Jesse Plemons

It’s not unusual for an acting duo to become friends in real life, but Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons took that a few steps further after working on the TV series Fargo together. Not only have they since starred in the film The Power of the Dog (which netted each their first Oscar nomination) and the A24 drama Civil War, but they married in 2022 and have two sons.

Meg Ryan And Tom Hanks

We could hardly leave Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks off of this list, as the famed actors have co-starred in two of the biggest romantic comedies of all time. Everyone knows them for making Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail hits, but before all of that, they led one of the weirder rom-coms made with Joe Versus the Volcano, and reunited for the 2016 drama Ithaca, which Ryan directed.

Drew Barrymore And Adam Sandler

People often mention Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler as an acting duo they want to see more of and with good reason. The two have made magic in the classics The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates and Blended.

Adam Sandler And Chris Rock

This pairing goes back decades, to the time when Adam Sandler and Chris Rock starred on Saturday Night Live together in the ‘90s. Since then, the real-life buddies have appeared in seven movies together, with The Longest Yard, Grown Ups and its sequel, The Week Of and Top Five counted among that number.

George Clooney And Brad Pitt

Of course, George Clooney and Brad Pitt helped to make the Ocean’s Eleven franchise a hit, but the friends additionally teamed up for the live TV movie 8, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney directed), Burn After Reading and the 2024 films If and Wolfs.

Keegan-Michael Key And Jordan Peele

The duo of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who first became recognizable during their time on MadTV, eventually went on to their own acclaimed sketch comedy series, Key and Peele. But, while making names for themselves on other series and in a number of movies, they continue to work with one another on projects like Keanu, Toy Story 4 and Wendell & Wild.

Awkwafina And Simu Liu

It was the MCU that first brought Awkwafina and Simu Liu together in the hit film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and while we’re still waiting to see when that franchise will bring them back together, 2024 saw them team up again for the action comedy, Jackpot!.

Jane Fonda And Robert Redford

Dedicated film fans probably know that legends Jane Fonda and Robert Redford starred together in Barefoot in the Park and The Electric Horseman, but their joint movie appearances do go beyond that. They also starred in The Chase in ‘66 and reunited for Our Souls at Night in 2017, and both had their film debuts in 1960’s Tall Story.

As you can see, film history is packed with acting duos who’ve worked together more than once, and that will probably always be the case.

Chris Pine is a Los Angeles native through and through. Pine's best movies, like the Star Trek series, where he played Kirk, and Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, in which he portrayed a smooth-talking bard, have proven to tinseltown that he's great leading man material. However, even though LA is his home, he still admits that he has some major frustrations with it.

Playing Nicholas in The Princess Diaries 2 was life-changing for Chris Pine as it helped establish him as a high-profile Hollywood actor, and it opened up the door for more big roles. However, not every aspiring actor in Hollywood is so lucky. When The Finest Hours actor spoke to People, he admitted the type of people he grew up with in Hollywood:

Becoming an actor is not an easy path. Sure, living in The City of Angels can be beneficial, as it's easy to travel from place to place for auditions and it is the home of many in the industry. But, it's not only hard to make break through in Hollywood, and that makes some desperate. He's not even mentioning it's expensive to do so, too.

Pine's comedy-mystery film Poolman represented the Hollywood the actor grew up in, with his characters being Hollywood hopefuls who didn’t have the best luck. Pine’s pool cleaner character presented himself as an underdog who took it upon himself to investigate a shady business deal by a corrupt politician and a land developer which exposed a hidden truth regarding the inner workings of LA.

In real life, the Into the Woods actor says he is not leaving Los Angeles anytime soon, but he still has his frustrations over his hometown:

To note, plenty of super successful actors have left LA over the years. For example, Mark Wahlberg left Hollywood for Las Vegas as living in the home of the entertainment industry only helped him gain a couple of movie roles. Celebs like Matthew McConaughey and James Van Der Beek also left LA to live quieter lives with their families and be away from the hustle and bustle. That doesn't sound like what Pine has planned, but given his comments, it's easy to see why other stars may have felt the need for changes.

Despite Poolman not hitting well with the critics and Dungeons and Dragons having a not-so-great box office run, Hollywood is still treating the actor well. Pine just voiced King Magnifico in Disney’s Wish, and he's said he's open to returning for sequels of Star Trek and D&D, if those ever come to fruition. With plenty of 2025 movie releases coming and the luck Pine has had in this city and his ultimate love he has for it, I doubt he'll be amongst those leaving.

Not everyone will be 100% satisfied with where they live and the choices said place makes. But at the end of the day, like Chris Pine says, it’s still “home,” and when it's home we embrace both highs and lows.

The days of sleepovers and wearing pink pajamas while projecting a DVD of The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement feel like they were just yesterday. Unfortunately, they definitely weren't, as you could probably tell by the reference to DVDs. Anne Hathaway also reminded us all of this when she shouted out The Princess Diaries sequel on social media to celebrate its 20th anniversary. As someone who was raised on the best 2000s films and watched The Princess Diaries movies during my formative years, I’ve never felt older.

After celebrating the anniversary of the first Princess Diaries in 2021, Hathaway commemorated the sequel in a new Instagram post, writing:

The Interstellar star shared photos of some familiar faces that made The Princess Diaries 2 so special. She featured pictures with Chris Pine and Callum Blue, who played two of her love interests in the sequel film. The Oscar winner also shared a photo with director Garry Marshall and an adorable snap with Julie Andrews. One of the highlights, however, was a snippet from the song “Breakaway” by Kelly Clarkson, which was written for the film, and has since become an iconic song of the 2000s.

The Princess Diaries movies were perfect for my generation of young girls. They featured a charming, relatable performance by Hathaway, whose character Mia is just trying to get through the teen drama of high school when she is told by her grandmother (played by Andrews) that she’s actually royalty. She is also in line for the throne in the fictional European country of Genovia. Young Mia is in over her head, and she goes to princess lessons with her grandmother. They develop a bond, and Mia teaches the Queen how to be young again.

The sequel focuses less on high school drama, and more on the pressure on Mia to get married so she can inherit the throne. It’s fun to watch her date a number of goofy royal men, and eventually get swept off her feet by the supposed villain of the story played by Pine. However, the core story is more about independent womanhood. Mia decides not to marry anyone and rule as a single woman, just as her grandmother did. In the age of trad-wives on TikTok and dating app pressure taking over, seeing such a message of independence feels rare, and makes me nostalgic for this era of media directed at young girls.

This post also reminded me how many mainstream movies are no longer made for that demographic. The success of Anyone But You signaled that rom-coms are making a comeback, but that is an R-rated comedy that's definitely not appropriate for children. Barbie felt like a model for positive messaging geared at girls, but even that movie is PG-13.

Where are the sleepover movies? Where are the Cheetah Girls? The Parent Trap? Freaky Friday? The Princess Diaries movies now feel like a relic of a bygone era of girl power, and I think it’s about time we bring them back. Maybe if The Princess Diaries 3 finally heads to the big screen, the genre will have a renaissance.

You can revisit Anne Hathaway in both Princess Diaries movies with a Disney+ subscription. For more information on other great films available on the streamer, make sure to check out our feature on the best movies on Disney+ right now.

From the moment it debuted with a two-hour pilot episode in September of 1994 until it left the air in 2009, ER was a ratings monster. It regularly topped the ratings for the year during its 331-episode run and launched careers left and right. George Clooney for goodness sake! Not only did it have big stars in its regular cast like Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Maura Tierney, and Eriq LaSalle, but it also had a huge amount of guest stars and up-and-coming actors roll through the show. Here is our list of some of the biggest. 

Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman is most well known for playing the great Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation where he regularly delivered some of the funniest lines on the show. He didn't have anything funny to say in his one role on ER where he played a bandmate of a bass player in distress in the emergency room.  

Taraji P. Henson

The accolades for Taraji P. Henson's acting have come fast and fierce in recent years, but she's been showcasing her talent on screen since the late '90s. One of her earliest roles was in a Season 4 episode of ER, and then in Season 5, she returned in a different role. She kept landing guest roles for years on shows like CSI and Boston Legal before landing her starring turn in Empire and the rest is history. 

Bradley Whitford

A few years before the role of Josh Lyman on The West Wing would make him a star, Bradley Whitford appeared in two episodes of ER in 1995. He'd been working regularly for almost a decade at that point and would find small roles here and there for another few years before The West Wing. He's been an in-demand actor ever since. 

Kristin Davis

Before she was a regular on Melrose Place, and before she was one of Jerry's many girlfriends on Seinfeld, Kristin Davis played a woman who was very into George Clooney's character very briefly in one episode of the first season of ER. While she only showed up once on the show, it clearly opened some big doors - and big martini glasses - in the future. 

Zac Efron

Before becoming a star in High School Musical, Zac Efron was almost type-cast as a troubled teen. On ER he played a teenager who turned up in the emergency room after being shot. He was also a troublemaker in an early role on NCIS. These days he's one of the biggest stars to grace the screen, but he used to just be in trouble on screen! 

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor is something different to different generations. For some, he'll always be Renton in Trainspotting. Of course, for many, he'll always be a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. For even others, he's known as the guy who drove his motorcycle around the world in Long Way Round. You can't help but wonder if that name was inspired by his guest spot on ER in a Season 3 episode called "The Long Way Around" in 1997. 

Julie Bowen

While Julie Bowen is best known these days for playing Claire Dunphy in Modern Family, her career stretches way further back. Her first TV role came in the early '90s and her breakout role came in the 1993 Adam Sandler smash hit Happy Gilmore. In the late '90s, she had a nine-episode run on ER as the reoccurring character named Roxanne Please, who was John Carter's (Noah Wyle) girlfriend. 

Ving Rhames

1994 was a big year for Ving Rhames. Not only did he star in Pulp Fiction, but he also landed a reoccurring role as Walt Robbins, father-in-law to Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle). In total, he appeared in eight episodes over three seasons, but by then he'd also starred in Mission: Impossible and the rest is history. 

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu is no stranger to hit television shows. She was a star of Ally McBeal in the '90s and '00s, and in Elementary in the teens. Early on, she also appeared in cameos and supporting roles on big shows like NYPD Blue and The X-Files. She also made it onto three episodes of ER, in 1995. 

Chris Pine

Believe it or not, there was a time when Chris Pine wasn't one of the "Chrises" and wasn't one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He was, in his early days, just like so many other actors, just looking to snag any role they could. Luckily for Pine, it was on a show like ER. In fact, the show he appeared in during Season 9 of the show was his first credited acting performance. 

Don Cheadle

When Don Cheadle appeared as a doctor in a 4-episode arc in 2002 on ER, he was already well-established as an actor. In fact, it came not long after he was established enough to take his name off the credits of Ocean's Eleven, despite delivering some of the best one-liners in the movie. 

J.K. Simmons

Any fan of Law & Order knows just how ingrained J.K. Simmons was in prime-time television around the turn of the century. He was a regular on that show, and he turned up in a bunch of others as well, including an episode of ER in 2004. you can always count on a great J.K. Simmons performance, no matter what he is in. 

Christina Hendricks

While she had been cast in a number of shows before Mad Men, Christina Hendricks had never really broken through as a star. That changed with the AMC show, but before that, she was just a regular hard-working actress in Hollywood. One of her earliest gigs was on ER in 2002. 

Adam Scott

Adam Scott is not the only Parks And Recreation star to appear in ER early in his career, but he did have a pretty intense role as an injured man clinging to life in the emergency room way back in 1995. It's hard to imagine it took 15 more years to get the big-time attention he deserves when he landed his role on Park & Rec. 

Glen Howerton

In 2005 Always Sunny In Philadelphia took the world by storm and went on to become one of the longest-running sitcoms of all time. Glen Howerton played a huge part in that, as one of the stars and co-creators. A couple of years earlier, he was playing a very different role as a doctor in six Episodes of ER during its 10th Season. 

Keiko Agena

Gilmore Girls regular and co-star of Prodigal Son, Keiko Agena is one of the few actors who played two different characters on ER. She first appeared on the show very early in her career, in 1998, then later appeared in the final season in 2009. 

Jessica Chastain

With three Oscar nominations and one win, Jessica Chastain has proven she's among the best Hollywood has to offer. She proved her acting years ago though, in shows like ER. In only her second credited role, she appeared on ER in 2004 in an episode called "Forgive and Forget."

Aaron Paul

For most people, Aaron Paul is best known for his legendary role in Breaking Bad but years before that show would become a hit, he played a pretty similar character on ER in an episode called "A Saint in the City," way back in 2003. 

Octavia Spencer

In 1998 when Octavia Spencer appeared on ER, it was the latest in a string of supporting roles she landed early in her career. That string would continue for a little while longer before she emerged as one of the most beloved stars of the teens and '20s after her star-making role in The Help.

Mena Suvari

As it was for a lot of cast members, American Pie was huge for Mena Suvari. She had been working for a few years in Hollywood before that, picking up roles here and there in shows like Boy Meets World and movies like The Slums of Beverly Hills. Another early role came in a 1998 episode of ER where she played a high school cheerleader who didn't want to listen to her doctors. 

Kirsten Dunst

As a child actor, Kirsten Dunst's career started when she was just six years old. It would be a few years before she landed a brief reoccurring role as a troubled teen in six episodes of ER in the show's third season. 

Dakota Fanning

Quite a few child actors who went on to greater fame came through the doors of the emergency room at Cook County General Hospital, including a young Dakota Fanning. Fanning played a young girl named Delia who came in after a car accident and viewers find out she's a cancer survivor. 

James Cromwell

One of the ultimate "that guys" in Hollywood, James Cromwell has been acting for decades. His career really started in earnest in the mid-'70s and he's been playing supporting and starring roles ever since. On ER, he played a drug-seeking priest in four episodes in Season 7. 

Josh Peck

Josh Peck was a breakout Nickelodeon star as half of Drake & Josh. That wasn't his first role though. After a few small roles and a reoccurring spot in The Amanda Show (which led to Drake & Josh), he landed a small role in an episode of ER in 2002 as a kid with heart problems. 

Eva Mendes

Before Eva Mendes semi-retired to raise her family with Ryan Gosling, she was one of the biggest stars on the planet. You can trace her career all the way back to her very first role which came in 1998 on an episode of ER. It's wild to look back and watch her doing her first on-screen performances with George Clooney and not think about what lay ahead for both of them. 

Shia LaBeouf

Without a doubt, Shia LaBeouf has had one of the wildest careers of the 21st Century. There have been times when he was on top of the world, and others when he... definitely wasn't. One high point early in his career was of a kid in the emergency room of Cook County General in 2000, during Season 6. 

Milana Vayntrub

Milana Vayntrub eventually became one of the most recognizable actors in commercials as the AT&T pitchwoman. Long before that though, she was like a lot of child actors who got their start on ER. She appeared in three episodes, her first three credited roles, as a Russian girl, way back in Season 1. 

John Mahoney

Before scoring the role of a lifetime as Martin Crane on Fraiser, John Mahoney had been a steadily working actor going back to the '70s. After Frasier, he could pretty much write his own ticket. One role he chose to take was that of a self-professed "drag queen" whose long-time boyfriend was in rough shape in the hospital on ER in 2006, making a strong statement about gay marriage before many were brave enough to join him. 

Janel Moloney

One of the many great actresses who found early work in their career on ER was Janel Moloney. Moloney scored only a handful of roles between that and The West Wing, but boy was the West Wing lucky to have her - as was ER in its first season when she appeared in one episode. 

Amy Ryan

One of the most underrated characters in The Wire has to be Beadie Russell, played by Amy Ryan. About a decade before she joined The Wire in Season 2, she starred in a single episode of ER in the show's first season. She's been in many TV shows and movies since, including a beloved recurring role on The Office and in the underrated Netflix original Worth.

Rosemary Clooney

George Clooney isn't the only famous person in his family. His aunt is, of course, the inimitably Rosemary Clooney, who was one of the most beloved singers of her generation. She only had about a dozen acting credits on her impressive resume, but one was ER during the show's first season. What a great experience for her and her nephew. Her son, actor Miguel Ferrer, also appeared in an uncredited role in the series premiere of the show. 

Dan Hedaya

If you grew up in the '90s, Dan Hedaya was seemingly everywhere, but he's probably best remember by that generation as Cher Horowitz's angry but loving father in Clueless. On ER, he plays a lawyer with... questionable ethics, but a heart of gold. He appeared in four episodes over the length of the whole show. remembered

2023 was filled with spectacular films, with some being mega hits and others arguably not recieving the love they truly deserved at the box office. I’d passionately argue that one such film that belongs in the latter category is Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which I love. Despite offering a fun story, A+ cast, firm direction and big laughs, the fantastical adventure flick flopped at the box office. Nevertheless, some fans – including myself – have been holding out hope that a follow-up of sorts might still happen at some point. So you can imagine that I was pleasantly surprised when leading man Chris Pine was asked about a sequel and shared some upbeat thoughts.

The fan-favorite actor addressed the notion of another film in the franchise while appearing at Superhero Con in San Antonio this past weekend. When faced with the question of whether or not Honor Among Thieves could receive a sequel, he answered in the affirmative. Based on his comments, he seems to be under the impression that Paramount Pictures isn’t against telling more stories within the Forgotten Realms:

Of course, even though I’m a fan, I’m realistic about the chances of such a movie happening and would totally understand if it doesn’t. The latest flick in the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, which had a reported budget of $150 million only earned $37.2 million during its opening weekend back in March 2023. Honor Among Thieves wrapped its theatrical run with a global haul of a little more than $208 million. Needless to say, the flick wasn’t exactly profitable for the studio. Still, given how fun and creative the film is, it’s hard for me to not want a sequel after seeing it.

The critically lauded D&D: Honor Among Thieves centers around shady, but lovable, thief Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine), who seeks to obtain a Tablet of Reawakening to resurrect his late wife. Joining him on his quest are barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez), amateur sorcerer Simon Aumar (Justice Smith), druid Doric (Sophia Lillis) and heroic paladin Xenk Yendar (Regé-Jean Page). What results is a fantastical romp that takes the group to various locales. The film is also well directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, who co-wrote the script with Michael Gilio. There are so many memorable moments and characters as well as a host of Dungeons & Dragons easter eggs. However, I hold a special place in my heart for the gag involving Absolution Council member Jarnathan, who wasn’t expected to even be in the movie.

Any push to get another movie made may seem like an uphill battle, but Chris Pine’s comments make me confident that there’s a sliver of hope. It would seem at the very least that he has interest in returning as Edgin as does Sophia Lillis, who discussed a sequel last year. Just keep making your voices heard (in a respectful manner), fellow fans. And, with any luck, we’ll be back in the Forgotten Realms before we know it.

In the meantime, you can stream Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves with a Paramount+ subscription, and it’s currently available to Prime Video subscribers as well. Those looking for action flicks that have been hitting theaters more recently can learn about them using the 2024 movie schedule.

People have debated for years which Hollywood A-lister is most deserving of the “best Chris” title, but regardless of what Hemsworth, Evans or Pratt may be doing on the big screen, it’s Chris Pine who’s been showing the most bizarrely spectacular looks when it comes to fashion. After showing up to the set of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in pajamas and an overcoat, the Poolman star revealed that he’s got a reason for dressing the way he does.

Chris Pine’s latest movie Poolman hit theaters this weekend, and anybody who’s paid any attention to the promotion of the film likely saw the actor channeling his character in shorts, a blazer and hiking boots at the premiere in April. Things got a little more casual for his trip to Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as he arrived wearing a matching green-and-white pajama top and bottom set, along with a navy overcoat. Check out the bold look below: 

I have to admit, my favorite part of this look — which he paired with brown huaraches — is the pocket square he added to his long blue blazer. It gives a classy kick to the robe vibes.

Chris Pine did change out of his PJs before taking the stage with Jimmy Kimmel, adorning a matching white linen set with a few sporadic vertical stripes, but the late-night host seemed eager to address how the Don’t Worry Darling’s fashion choices have become “more outlandish” in recent years. While first attributing his new look to “too many mushrooms,” Pine then explained: 

I actually love that explanation. We deal with enough in life, so when it comes to what we wear, why shouldn’t we be having some fun and staying comfortable with it? 

Jimmy Kimmel recalled a few of his past looks as well, including Chris Pine’s viral short shorts, and the actor again namedropped Magnum, P.I. himself, Tom Selleck as his inspiration. Pine said: 

In addition to his outfits, Chris Pine has turned heads with other elements of his look, growing out a shaggy beard and styling his long hair in a way that got him roasted for looking like Rachel from Friends. He also apparently purchased a fanny pack to help him stay in character while filming Wonder Woman 1984. 

Hopefully the release of Poolman to theaters won’t mean the end of these eccentric fashion choices, because I am 100% here for the short shorts and pajama looks. Head to the theater to see the wild wardrobes he sports in the movie, too, and be sure to check out our 2024 movie release calendar to see what else is headed our way soon. 

Where’s Princess Diaries 3? If you can believe it, this summer will mark 20 years since the sequel, Royal Engagement, hit theaters and introduced us all to Chris Pine (Yes, it was his debut movie role). Ahead of the anniversary, Pine revealed his wishes for another Princess Diaries movie, and while his pitch is absolutely nuts, I’m also very much here for it.

What’s Going On With Princess Diaries 3? 

Talk of Princess Diaries 3 has been circulating since 2016, but at this point, we’re not totally sure if it’ll happen or not. When Mia Thermopolis herself, Anne Hathaway, was asked about returning to play the Queen of Genovia in a recent V magazine interview, she said development was “in a good place,” but there was “nothing to announce yet.”

Hathaway’s update comes after it was reported back in 2022 that Disney was working on a third Princess Diaries movie with screenwriter Aadrita Mukerji. (The movie's original writer, Shonda Rhimes, is busy with a Netflix exclusivity deal). Chris Pine has previously shared his interest in going back to the Disney property to play Nicholas Devereaux, but it sounds like the actors are still waiting on a script to read before anything is official. But, what would Pine do with Princess Diaries if he was given the reins?

Chris Pine’s Wild Pitch For Princess Diaries 3

When Chris Pine went back in time with his previous roles with Entertainment Weekly, as his directorial debut Poolman joins the 2024 movie releases, he brought up an idea for the sequel. In his words:

Now… this is unexpected. Of course, from our knowledge, Princess Diaries has never included sci-fi elements like time travel, but Pine definitely has developed a vision for what Princess Diaries 3 could be. Rather than making it your typical Disney sequel, it sounds like he wants to emulate Roman Holiday with Anne Hathaway and enlist Call Me By Your Name and Challengers director Luca Guadagnino.

Why I’m Actually Sold On Pine’s Left-Field Idea 

Look, I know Chris Pine’s idea is kind of wacky, but there’s one major reason why I’m kind of into it. If Mia and Nicholas somehow did find themselves in the 1950s, you know who they could meet? A younger Clarisse Renaldi! That’s right, imagine Mia actually helping her grandmother take up the crown before she was Julie Andrews?

Now of course I’d rather see Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews together in the same movie, Andrews is 88, and there’s a possibility that the actress would be in another Princess Diaries for a very short time, or not at all. If Princess Diaries 3 was a time travel flick, it would allow Hathaway to learn more about her grandmother and Genovia’s past.

Not a bad idea after all, huh? We’ll certainly keep you updated if we learn more about the project. For now, you can watch the first two Princess Diaries movies with a Disney+ subscription.

The Star Trek franchise is a beloved piece of pop culture, making up some of the best sci-fi movies of all time. While the franchise continues to expand on the small screen for those with a Paramount+ subscription, fans have been wondering about its future on the big screen after the ending of Star Trek Beyond back in 2016. And lead actor Chris Pine recently shared his honest (and confused) response to Star Trek 4's latest update. 

Back in March it was revealed that Star Trek 4 was back in development with new screenwriter Steve Yockey. While this was exciting for fans who want to see some of the best Star Trek characters return, it seems to have caught the current cast off guard. While speaking with Business Insider, Pine expressed some confusion, offering:

There you have it. Despite being Kirk himself, it seems like even Chris Pine doesn't know what the studio is cooking up with Star Trek 4. He thought there was a script, but it seems they're changing course for the upcoming sci-fi movie. Hopefully more information is released to the public soon (as well as the cast).

Pine's comments show how quickly things change in the entertainment industry, including in giant tentpole blockbusters. Things are constantly in flux, and it seems like Paramount is taking special care with exactly how they bring the reboot cast back for another blockbuster. 

Known colloquially as the Kelvin timeline, The Enterprise was brought back to theaters starting with J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek. That movie and its first sequel were wild successes, although the threequel Beyond had a more lukewarm reception upon its release. And since its release in 2016 fans have not-so-patiently been waiting for the beloved crew to suit up for another mission across the stars.

If/when another Star Trek movie ends up filming, it's no doubt going to be a very different experience for the cast. Namely because back in 2016 actor Anton Yelchin died suddenly when his car rolled back onto him in his driveway. The cast went through the marketing process for Star Trek Beyond while mourning, and it would no doubt be emotional to be back on set without the beloved Chekov actor with them. 

Only time will tell when Star Trek 4 finally starts shooting a new movie, all these years after Beyond was released. The cast isn't getting any younger, so time is seemingly of the essence. For his part Chris Pine seems down to return. In the meantime, check the 2024 movie release dates. 

“Director Chris Pine” is something we’ve gotten used to hearing as of late thanks to Poolman, his directorial debut, arriving in theaters. Of course, there are those who still hold out hope to see Pine in front of the camera and return to franchises like Star Trek movies, or the cancelled Wonder Woman 3.

In the case of the latter, the candidate for Hollywood’s Best Chris is still stunned it’s no longer an upcoming DC movie in the works. To be honest, I can totally get why he’s stunned – but I also understand why that sequel’s status probably wouldn’t have changed matters for him personally either way.

Why Chris Pine Is Still Stunned By Wonder Woman 3’s Cancellation

Chatting with Business Insider, Chris Pine shared his upset over the 2022 cancellation of Wonder Woman 3. Despite the negative fan response to Wonder Woman 1984, which also saw its box office impacted by a simultaneous streaming debut on HBO Max, the actor who memorably portrayed Steve Trevor doesn’t get why the studio pulled the plug.

Expressing his shock, Chris Pine said,

I’d venture a guess that the roster of projects making up DCU Chapter 1: “Gods and Monsters” is what ultimately killed the third Gal Gadot led picture. It doesn’t really help that Wonder Woman 1984’s critical reactions were a very mixed bag, with fans seeming to be even more upset with the end result of that controversial sequel. But at the same time, both Wonder Woman and its sequel combined to make just short of a billion dollars at the box office.

Even if Wonder Woman 3 were to happen, however, Chris Pine has basically written himself out of the potential cast list. And frankly, that’s wholly reasonable.

I Totally Get That Chris Pine Won’t Be Coming Back To The DC Movies

Following Steve Trevor’s death in Wonder Woman’s ending back in 2017, it was a pretty huge leap to bring him back for the events Wonder Woman 1984 – with the use of a wishing rock later seeing the character resurrected in another man's body. This is a comic book franchise, so there's always more than one way to resurrect a hero.

CinemaBlend's own Sarah El-Mahmoud previously questioned Wonder Woman 1984’s Steve Trevor controversial return, but per Chris Pine, we wouldn't have been asking similar questions about Wonder Woman 3. Chris Pine offered his thoughts on a third Steve Trevor sighting, saying,

Reviving Steve Trevor once was questionable, but bringing him back for a potential Wonder Woman 3 would have been an even larger misstep. And with DC moving on from the Gal Gadot incarnation of Princess Diana of Themyscira, it’s clearly time to leave Chris Pine’s intrepid aviator behind in the past for good. Are we ever going to get a better sendoff for this plot line than that first heart-wrenching finale back in 2017?

Seeing as it's what the actor behind the role literally wants, it doesn't seem like it's that big of a stretch to write Steve off for good. Don’t fret though folks, we’ll always have both Wonder Woman movies to look back on with varying degrees of fondness. And at the time of publication, those DC titles are available to stream with a Max subscription.

The Princess Diaries movies are two of the best rom-coms, and nostalgia has only made them grow fonder in the hearts of fans. Anne Hathaway has looked back on her teenage experience making the movies in a positive light, as they launched her to superstardom. Apparently, they were also very important to Chris Pine, who played the love interest in Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. He was a struggling actor when he was cast in the film, and he's admitted to being "terrified" to work on it. Now, he's opened up about why the payday for the movie was life-changing for him at the time.

In a recent interview with The Today Show, Pine talked about his directorial debut Poolman, as well as his early acting role and rise to fame in the 2000s. Before landing the role in Princess Diaries 2, the heartthrob was in serious debt, debating on asking his parents for money. However, this changed when he got a modest, but significant paycheck for the Hathaway-led teen flick. He reflected on the experience saying:

For context, $65,000 for a regular job that likely only lasts a few months is a hefty sum. However, in the world of acting, it is on the lower end, especially for a young actor in a principal role. Roles are few and far between, especially when you are just starting off, and it could be months, or even years before an actor lands a paying gig on the big screen again. A big-name actor like Chris Pine would probably not take a job paying only $65,000 now, unless it was truly a passion project.

But at the time, the check was truly life-changing. Not only could Pine pay off his debts and support himself at least for a while, but the high-profile nature of the film would likely lead to other work. With everything the Don’t Worry Darling actor ended up owing in debts and taxes and everything else, the payday was even less than the stated sum. However, this still was huge for him, and he remembers the project as something that set him on a positive path. He said:

Not only was this moment memorable for Chris Pine, but it was also memorable for fans as well. Pine and Hathaway had electric rom-com chemistry, and fans desperately want them to star in another rom-com together. Plus, the film remains one of the best enemies-to-lovers stories ever.

Pine's Sir Nicholas character isn’t as easy to play as it may appear. He had to be both charming and slimy, eventually winning over the heart of Princess Mia as well as the audience. It could only be done by someone like Pine, whose charisma is just on fire in the role.

It’s nice to hear that the movie played as much of an important role in the Star Trek star’s life as it did the fans.

You can revisit The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and Chris Pine’s dashing performance in it with a Disney+ subscription. You can also check out the 43-year-old in Poolman, which is in theaters nationwide. For more information on other exciting titles heading to cinemas and streaming in the near future, make sure to consult our 2024 movie schedule.

Looking back at Chris Pine’s best movies, the clean-cut-looking actor is leading man material gracing the screen with the Star Trek movies, Unstoppable,and the Wonder Woman movies. Then it took promoting his creepy role in Don’t Worry Darling to make the Hollywood actor to become meme-able. The Dungeons and Dragons actor reveals what his favorite memes of himself are, and the answer absolutely rocks!

Any unique behavior an actor exhibits is very quick to become a viral meme. Chris Pine was one of those actors becoming a meme star while promoting his role in Olivia Wilde’s movie Don’t Worry Darling. While speaking to E! News at the premiere of his directorial debut Poolman, the Star Trek actor was asked what his favorite memes of his was. Here was his A+ response:

This meme he’s talking about came from a press conference during the Venice premiere of the thriller-mystery flick. While director Olivia Wilde and Florence Pugh got into a long-rumored feud with speculations revolving around Wilde’s alleged affair with her star Harry Styles, Chris Pine got swept up in the Don’t Worry Darling rumor mill as well. Namely, there was a rumor that Harry Styles spit on Pine. The truth was that the two had a jet-lagged conversation with the pop singer leaning into the Princess Diaries 2 star to tell him something. He described his brain as “befuddled” from traveling which made him struggle to answer press questions, causing him to look up at the ceiling zoning out.

Other than the “Dissociating Chris” meme of the actor staring off into the ceiling, there’s another meme of himself that the Hell or High Water actor gave a hilarious response to:

Just in case this answer went way over your head like it initially did mine, there’s an explanation for Chris Pine’s new internet reputation. The clean-cut look that The Finest Hours actor tended to fashion early in his career, but that's been tossed aside for a more rugged look. During the red carpet premiere of Poolman, Pine pulled off wearing shorts, a flower, a blazer and hiking boots to make his introduction as an incoming director. One X user posted a photo of him wearing a long white garment with a caption saying the Just My Luck actor was “entering his middle aged lesbian aunt phase. Or wine aunt.” While Pine’s new look at the Poolman premiere may be giving me The Big Lebowski vibes, I still dig it.

Chris Pine proved to the internet that he is indeed meme-worthy with his favorite memes of himself being when he was staring off into space during the press conference of Don’t Worry Darling and being called a “lesbian aunt.” He's clearly showing admirable qualities in being able to laugh at himself and staying genuine to who he is. 

You can see Chris Pine in Don’t Worry Darling with your Hulu subscription and Max subscription. The 2024 movie release of his directorial debut Poolman will play in theaters on May 10th.

Chris Pine’s directorial debut, Poolman, is almost here, and earlier this week the Hollywood star strutted the red carpet in a viral ensemble only he could pull off that had him in a blazer with shorts and hiking boots. While at the premiere for his upcoming movie, Pine was asked to reflect on his first big red carpet, which happened to be for Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement, and it turns out he wasn't always this effortless at events. 

While on the red carpet for Poolman, which is coming up among 2024 movie releases this May, Chris Pine thought back to his first premiere, which was circa 2004, with ET. In his words: 

Talk about an iconic first red carpet-premiere, eh? Chris Pine was 23 years old when he made his feature film debut in the Princess Diaries sequel, and it was alongside Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews. When speaking about his first premiere further, he recalled his outfit at the time:

Princess Diaries 2 was Chris Pine’s introduction to being a Hollywood lead, and he recalls the red carpet experience getting him super nervous. When CinemaBlend spoke to Pine about his first movie back in November, the actor recalled being on the set of Princess Diaries 2 as well. As he shared, he was “so terrified basically the whole time” that he was going to “screw up.” He also described being on the set of the Disney movie as a “PhD fast course in how to be an actor.”  

If you can believe it, Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement turns 20 years old this August, making it the perfect time to rewatch it. You can check out our thoughts on the Disney sequel after we rewatched it and stream the comedy with a Disney+ subscription. Word on the street is that another Princess Diaries movie is in the works, with Hathaway recently telling V Magazine that development on another installment is “in a good place.” We’ll of course have to see if Pine does get a chance to return as Mia Thermopolis’ man. 

As Chris Pine paid homage to his first premiere 20 years later, he celebrated a milestone having directed his first feature film with Poolman. It’s about a pool cleaner living in Los Angeles who uncovers a water heist, i.e. Chinatown. The movie initially premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and is set to hit theaters on May 10. 

On a day-to-day basis, I think it’s safe to say that seeing someone wearing shorts, hiking boots and a blazer with a big flower on it is uncommon. Seeing that fit on a red carpet is even more unimaginable. However, leave it to Chris Prine to pull it off! 

As the release of his movie Poolman approaches on the 2024 movie schedule, the actor attended the premiere in a truly chaotic and honestly inspired outfit. Going from head to toe, the dude was rocking black sunglasses with orange lenses, a yellow-ish blazer with a massive pink flower fastened to it, a T-shirt that read “I heart LA,” grey short shorts (a kind of pants he’s gone viral for wearing before), hiking boots with red laces and some white socks with red stripes to top it off. Honestly, you need to see this look to believe it:

On top of all that, Pine is also rocking his long blonde hair – which his publicist once joked looks like the “Rachel from Friends” – and a shaggy beard. 

Now, what prompted this look? Well, the answer is his movie Poolman. If you watch the trailer for the film, which is also written and directed by Pine, you’ll notice basically every element of this fit is featured in the movie. From sunglasses that are very similar to his premiere glasses to the literal blazer and T-shirt combo, this look -- which the actor is pulling off magnificently by the way -- is quite literally inspired…by Poolman.

In the movie, Pine plays Darren Barrenman, a poolman from LA who gets involved in trying to solve a big mystery involving a corrupt politician. The lead actor’s character seems very silly, and he and his co-stars – Danny DeVito and Annette Bening – appear to be a very fun on-screen trio. Overall, this film looks chaotic in a very fun way, and that’s reiterated by the leading man’s costumes in the movie. 

So, with all that in mind, take another look at Chris Pine’s fit. You are bound to see the numerous connections to his upcoming movie. 

On the whole, Chris Pine is a very fashionable guy. Just take a look at the Don’t Worry Darling premiere photos, and you’ll see that. He wore a dapper brown suit to that premiere, and across his career, he’s had many other fabulous fits. However, there’s something to be said about how awesome this look is too. 

I love that it’s an homage to his movie, and I adore how happy he seems to be in this ensemble. There’s a reason Chris Pine is considered one of the best actors named Chris, and it’s because he’s unafraid to make bold choices like this. 

While Poolman won’t be available to audiences until May 10, it did premiere last year at the Toronto Film Festival. Sadly, reactions to Pine’s directorial debut were pretty negative. However, I had a lot of fun with the trailer, and after seeing the actor/writer/director’s wild look from the premiere, you better believe I’ll be seated for this film when it comes out in theaters. 

Stories about Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses have long been a Hollywood favorite. Sure, there are amazing fictional kings and queens like T’Challa in Black Panther and Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but this list is about the real ones. Historical depictions of some of the greatest, and worst, monarchs in world history. Kings like Henry VIII and Louis XIV. Queens like Elizabeth II and Victoria. Sure, the movies they appear in are not always the most historically accurate, but that doesn’t diminish the portrayals of royalty by these fine actors. 

Patrick McGoohan As King Edward I - Braveheart

Braveheart is far from the most historically accurate movie of all time, but one character that Mel Gibson and company at least got close to correct is Edward I, or Edward Longshanks, as he was known in the movie and at the time. He was a brutal, remorseless leader, and fought with the Scots for most of his reign. Patrick McGoohan’s performance of Edward is great, one of the real highlights of the movie. 

Judi Dench As Queen Elizabeth I - Shakespeare In Love

To be sure, Shakespeare In Love isn’t as loved today as it was when it was released in 1998. Its upset win for Best Picture at the 1999 Oscars over Saving Private Ryan is still questioned and the movie is often maligned unfairly. One reason it's unfair is Judi Dench’s fantastic performance as Queen Elizabeth I. 

Emily Blunt As Queen Victoria - The Young Victoria

Most of the images we see of Queen Victoria come from later her in her long reign, after Prince Albert died and the older queen was seen wearing black and looking dour. The Young Victoria is a fresh take, showing the queen, played by Emily Blunt, as young and vibrant. It wasn’t a huge hit in the United States, but it’s a really good movie, with a great performance by Blunt. 

Kenneth Branagh As King Henry V - Henry V

Kenneth Branagh has done more for Shakespeare in the modern age than anyone in Hollywood and the prime example is his portrayal of the titular king in Henry V. His delivery of the famous St. Crispin's Day speech is worth the price of admission alone. 

Colin Firth As King George VI - The King's Speech

Colin Firth’s performance and King George VI in The King’s Speech is as close to perfect as possible and well deserving of the Oscar he was awarded for it. Firth brilliantly plays both the reluctant king’s vulnerability and his strength. It’s a fine line to walk, as both are completely necessary to understand King George VI in full. 

Kirsten Dunst As Marie Antoinette - Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette is one of the most infamous royals of all time. The French queen is notorious in history for her aloof attitude towards the revolting French peasants during the French Revolution. The film Marie Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst as the titular queen, did wow audiences at first, but has since become one of Sofia Coppola’s most respected films, and with good reason. It’s a very modern movie telling an old story and Dunst’s performance enhances that perfectly. 

Elizabeth Taylor As Cleopatra - Cleopatra

Elizabeth Taylor’s performance in Cleopatra is one of the most iconic in Hollywood history. Though it deserves some criticism from more enlightened modern audiences, it doesn’t diminish the performance. Taylor is amazing and only a star like her could carry a movie on the scale and scope of Cleopatra. It’s a true Hollywood epic from the Golden Age of Hollywood and Taylor is as glamorous as any actor could be. 

Timothée Chalamet As King Henry V - The King

It’s not easy for any actor to step into one of Shakespeare’s best characters like Henry V in Henry V. This is a character that Laurence Olivier played on the silver screen for goodness sake!  Timothée Chalamet took the risk and it paid off for the actor and audiences in The King. The movie is a new take on Shakespeare’s plays,  taken from his four plays about historical English kings, so the pressure was on. Chalamet kills it in the movie, playing the role quite differently as others have, but it works for the updated version. 

Cate Blanchett As Queen Elizabeth I - Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a wonderful movie, anchored by a wonderful performance by Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I. Blanchett returned for a sequel, Elizabeth: A Golden Age which was a less-than-wonderful movie, but Blanchett was once again great. The performances in both set a new standard for the historical figure who has been portrayed often on film. 

Janet Suzman As Tsarina Alexandra - Nicholas And Alexandra

One of the most pivotal moments of the 20th Century was the overthrow and execution of Tsar Nicolas of Russia and his family by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution. It’s a story that has rarely been told on film in the West, but Nicholas And Alexandra is the rare exception. It’s a good movie, with a great Oscar-nominated performance by Janet Suzman.

Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi As King Cetshwayo - Zulu

Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi is not a professional actor, and the great 1964 film Zulu is his only appearance. His role as King Cetshwayo is also not a large one, but he makes this list because one, he was an actual Zulu chief in South Africa, and two, he was the son of the man he plays. King Cetshwayo who led the Zulu Kingdom at the time of the war depicted in the movie, so while the part was not big, it’s important to have it on this list. 

Jonathan Rhys Meyers As King Henry VIII - The Tudors

One of the most popular depictions of royalty on screen in the last couple of decades has to be Jonathan Rhys Meyers As King Henry VIII in The Tudors. Meyers plays a young, dashing version of the king that most people know from his later portraits, looking less healthy than the king was as a young man. Henry VIII is one of the most notorious kings in English history and Meyers shows why, but also plays him as anti-hero we all kind of love. 

Helen Mirren As Queen Elizabeth II - The Queen

Helen Mirren's performance as Queen Elizabeth in the Queen is everything you would expect, as the The Dame plays the role with respect, but with with a toughness that the queen was known for behind closed doors. 

Sean Connery As King Richard - Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves

We couldn’t make this list without one of the most famous cameos of all time. It’s one of the shorter roles on the list, but Sean Connery’s surprise appearance as King Richard at the end of Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves shocked and delighted audiences. In real life, King Richard spent almost none of his time on the island of Great Britain, preferring to remain in Aquitaine in France, so it’s a bit of a stretch that he would be at a wedding in England, but no matter, he makes everyone smile. 

Trine Dyrholm As Queen Margrete - Margrete: Queen Of The North

Margaret I of Denmark is one of the most important monarchs in European history, to say nothing of her being a woman in power in the Middle Ages, which was very rare. Her story is well known in Scandinavia, but less known in the United States. That’s even more reason to watch the Danish movie Margrete: Queen Of The North, along with Trine Dyrholm’s performance of the queen. 

Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton As Queen Elizabeth II - The Crown

How do you put only one of the three women who played Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown with such aplomb on this list? You can’t, so all three, Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton all make it. Each one brought their own panache to the role of the now-legendary queen who we lost in 2022. Foy and Coleman both won Emmys for the role and Staunton was nominated in 2023. It’s three fantastic performances by three wonderful actresses. They even got to act together at the end. 

Nigel Hawthorne As King George III - The Madness Of King George

King George III is most famous in the United States for being the king we fought a revolution against. While he is considered one of the greatest kings in English history, he also had a severe undiagnosed mental illness that affected him later in life. It’s that part of his life that The Madness Of King George is about. It’s a hard role to play, but Nigel Hawthorne nails the role. 

Leonardo DiCaprio As King Louis XIV - The Man In The Iron Mask

There are surprisingly few portrayals of King Louis XIV of France in English-language cinema, despite the Sun King being one of the most consequential monarchs in European history. The most notable one is a fictionalized version of King Louis by Leonardo DiCaprio in The Man In The Iron Mask.

Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, and Lesley Manville As Princess Margaret - The Crown

One of the best achievements of The Crown (among many) was the show’s casting. The three actors who played Princess Margaret, Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, and Lesley Manville, all did an amazing job. You can’t pick one of the next because they all simply nailed the tragedy and triumph of the princess in the shadow of her older sister, Queen Elizabeth II. 

Olivia Coleman As Queen Anne - The Favourite

Olivia Coleman is great at playing royalty on screen, even when it’s a wildly fictionalized and weird version of Queen Anne like she does in The Favourite. The movie is very loosely based on history but is very much representative of director Yorgos Lanthimos’ style. So while Coleman may not be playing Queen Anne exactly as she was, it’s still a downright amazing performance. 

Natalie Dormer As Anne Boleyn - The Tudors

Natalie Dormer is perfectly cast as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors. She’s beautiful, yet vulnerable, coy, yet determined, and sweet, yet conniving. Boleyn is one of the most tragic queens in English history and it’s hard to picture anyone but Dormer playing her after she starred in this show. 

Richard Harris As King Arthur - Camelot

We could argue all day about how “real” King Arthur was. More myth than man in English folklore, there isn’t even consensus on whether he existed at all. But no matter, Richard Harris’ portrayal of the legend in Camelot is still worthy of mention on this list because it’s so darn good and so darn iconic. 

Oliver Dimsdale As King Edward VIII - Downton Abbey

In the finale of Season 4 of Downton Abbey, audiences meet Edward VIII when he is still Prince of Wales, before becoming king and before his abdication shocked the world. Though it’s not the biggest role, Oliver Dimsdale instantly gives you a sense of exactly who the future Duke of Windsor was, a conniving womanizer who really wasn't fit to be king. 

Katharine Hepburn As Eleanor Of Aquitaine - The Lion In Winter

It’s hard to understand why The Lion In Winter isn’t as remembered as other movies from the late ‘60s, because Katharine Hepburn's performance as Eleanor Of Aquitaine, the queen of England in the 12th Century, is amazing. She even took home an Oscar for it. 

Sean Bean as Odysseus - Troy

In the original theatrical version of Troy, Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, played by Sean Bean, doesn’t have all that big of a role. He’s a scene-stealer though. In the director’s cut, which makes for a much better movie, the role is expanded. Plus, it's a rare movie that Sean Bean doesn’t die in. 

Sigourney Weaver as Queen Isabella I - 1492: Conquest Of Paradise

There’s no way around this: 1492: Conquest Of Paradise is not a good movie. It’s historically inaccurate and celebrates Christopher Columbus a little too much while ignoring a lot of his atrocities. Still, Sigourney Weaver, while slightly miscast, does a phenomenal job with what she’s given to do as Queen Isabella I of Spain, Columbus’ benefactor. 

Tadanobu Asano As Genghis Khan - Mongol

If this was a list of the worst performances of royalty, John Wayne’s offensive and terrible version of Genghis Khan in The Conqueror would be at the top of the list. On the flip side, we have the Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano as the Mongolian king in Mongol. It’s not the most widely-known movie, as it’s a Russian production in Mandarin and Mongolian. It’s worth your time and effort to seek it out though, it’s fantastic. 

Judi Dench As Queen Victoria - Mrs. Brown

Is there a role out there that Dame Judi Dench doesn’t nail? That’s a rhetorical question, of course, and her performance as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown is certainly no exception. Though the actual history in the movie is dubious at best, putting that aside and enjoying the movie is easy with Dench as the recently widowed queen. 

Gerard Butler As Leonidas - 300

Of all the movies in this movie that stretch the true stories to their max, 300 wins in that category. Still, Gerard Butler’s portrayal of Leonidas is a fan-favorite for good reason. Sure, it’s mostly because he looks so darn good, but the movie is fun, exciting, and completely unique, so we’ll allow for a little historical nonsense. 

Richard Harris As Marcus Aurelius - Gladiator

Another movie on this list that takes a lot of liberties with its historical accuracy, Gladiator basically changes everything about Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and Commodus’ (Joaquin Phoenix) real-life father/son relationship. But both Phoenix and Harris are fantastic in their roles, so again, we’ll allow it. 

Peter O'Toole As Henry II - The Lion In Winter

The Lion in Winter has a few excellent portrayals of royalty. Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Timothy Dalton as King Philip of France, and Anthony Hopkins as a young Richard The Lionhearted. Of course, the lead in the film, Peter O’Toole as Henry II is the lead for a reason. In a career filled with amazing performances, this is one of O’Toole’s best and resulted in one of his eight Best Actor nominations. 

Chris Pine As Robert The Bruce - Outlaw King

Robert The Bruce has been portrayed in a few films, probably most famously by Angus Macfadyen in Braveheart. While that performance is great, Outlaw King, with Chris Pine in the lead role, is a more historically accurate version of the story of Robert fighting the English and rising to King of the Scots. 

Audiences have always been fascinated by the lives of monarchs worldwide, and that is not likely to change anytime soon. We’ll continue to see great portrayals of royalty in entertainment for a long time to come. 

Into the Woods has been out for almost ten years now – I think it’s time we check up on the cast. 

As someone known to love musicals, I’ll be among the first to check out where the stars are now. I loved watching Mamma Mia!, and I will gladly tune into anything Amanda Seyfried makes. I may have mixed feelings about the Les Misérables cast, but they are all incredibly talented in many ways. And, of course, I could go on for hours about how much I love the West Side Story cast, too – because they are all so amazing. 

However, one musical cast that I still need to talk about is the Into the Woods ensemble. This was such a huge deal back in 2014 because the line-up of stars that were included in this movie was terrific. Actresses like Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Anna Kendrick led the talent, as did actors like Chris Pine and Billy Magnusson. 

Now, almost ten years later, let’s look at the Into the Woods cast and what they’re up to now. 

Meryl Streep (The Witch)

First up on this list has to be Meryl Streep, who played The Witch in Into the Woods. What can I say about her that hasn’t already been said? The actress is a visionary, an icon in every sense of the word. Honestly, she’s a Hollywood it-girl, and she continues to be. 

Since Into the Woods came out, Streep has appeared in various movies, from dramas to comedies. Some of her best-known hits include The Post, Florence Foster Jenkins, The Laundromat, and Little Women. She was also a part of the Don’t Look Up cast, and she appeared in other films such as the Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and Let Them All Talk. 

Streep also stepped into the world of television for a bit. Not only did she have a primary role that garnered critical acclaim in the second season of Big Little Lies, but she also had an important role in Season 3 of Only Murders in the Building. She was also a part of the Extrapolations cast. 

When writing this in November 2023, Streep has nothing set up for the future, but come on – it’s Meryl Streep. I’m sure it won’t be long before we see her again in some role that will blow us away. 

Emily Blunt (The Baker’s Wife)

Emily Blunt portrayed the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, the first time I witnessed Blunt’s musical talents. Since then, she has genuinely exploded in Hollywood, even more so than before, appearing in a variety of films that have showcased her acting prowess. 

Just in 2023, she was a part of the Oppenheimer cast, a role that earned her plenty of acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Along with that, she’s had starring roles in movies such as Sicario, The Girl on the Train, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, A Quiet Place and its sequel (which were directed by her husband, John Krasinski), Mary Poppins Returns, Sherlock Gnomes, Pain Hustlers and more. She also appeared alongside Dwayne Johnson in Jungle Cruise. 

Blunt hasn’t done much in television besides a starring role in The English, but truthfully, when someone is that busy with film, I can push that aside. She also has some great stuff set up for her, including her role in The Fall Guy cast and her part in the upcoming film IF. 

James Corden (The Baker)

James Corden has undoubtedly blown up since the release of Into the Woods. Corden is primarily known for his late-night talk show, The Late Late Show with James Corden, but he’s also appeared in various films. 

These include Trolls and Trolls World Tour, The Emoji Movie, Ocean’s 8, Kill Your Friends, The Prom, Cinderella, Cats, and more. He has also hosted the Tony Awards several times, and his series, Carpool Karaoke: The Series, which is a spinoff from a popular segment on his talk show. He will be in a new movie called Animals United 2: The Chilldown. 

Anna Kendrick (Cinderella)

While I already knew who Anna Kendrick was from her time in Pitch Perfect (a film I have watched time and time again), she had an excellent voice for Cinderella in Into the Woods. Since then, Kendrick has starred in a lot of film and TV. 

With films, Kendrick has appeared in both Pitch Perfect 2 and Pitch Perfect 3, as well as movies like Mr. Right, Digging for Fire, The Accountant, Table 19, A Simple Favour, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Alice, Darling, Woman of the Hour and more. She has also played one of the lead roles in all three Trolls movies.

She has appeared on television as well. She had a leading role on one of the best Max original shows, Love Life, and she had a voice role in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, reprising her role from the hilarious Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. 

Kendrick is set to appear in a new film called Unsound. 

Chris Pine (Cinderella’s Prince)

Chris Pine played Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods, and I still think about “Agony” today. Since then, he has had an incredible career over the past ten years. He continued appearing in Star Trek films, and he had a role in Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman: 1984. 

Aside from that, Pine appeared in films such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, High or Hell Water, A Wrinkle In Time, The Contractor, and more. He also held a starring role in the underrated Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and he played the villain in Disney's Wish. 

Pine also appeared in four episodes of Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later and six episodes of I Am The Night. Coming up, he’ll be in a new movie called Newsflash and should appear in the next Star Trek film, which has been unnamed so far. 

Johnny Depp (Big Bad Wolf)

Johnny Depp portrayed the Big Bad Wolf in Into the Woods, and he was the perfect choice because his vocal range is impressive. Depp has appeared in various movies since the film, including Alice Through the Looking Glass, Murder on the Orient Express, Mortdecai, Black Mass, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and the Fantastic Beasts movies. 

Depp had a career hold during the trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, which was very publicized, and already has a Netflix docu-series about it. But he returned with a new film in 2023 called Jeanne du Barry in France. He also had a prominent voice role in the Puffins miniseries. He doesn’t have anything set up yet, but I feel it won’t be long before we see him again. 

Lilla Crawford (Red Riding Hood)

You can’t have the Big Bad Wolf without Red Riding Hood, and Lila Crawford was undoubtedly the person to play her. Famous for taking on the role of Annie on Broadway before Into the Woods, Crawford played the character perfectly and delivered an expert performance. 

Since Into the Woods, she has appeared in two movies, Little Miss Perfect and Sunny Day. But the actress has found much more success in television. Her most significant role thus far has been a recurring part on Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin on Max, but she’s also appeared in shows such as Blue Bloods, The Who Was? Show, and Raven’s Home. She is set to appear in a new TV movie called Fairy Tale Forest. 

Daniel Huttlestone (Jack)

Daniel Huttlestone was another young child actor who got his start on Broadway before Into the Woods, where he played Jack. He portrayed Gavroche in Les Misérables just the year before, and then his role as Jack in Into the Woods further showed his musical talent. 

However, Huttlestone only appeared in a few other films after Into the Woods, including Friday Download, London Town, and The Lost City of Z. Other than that, we haven’t heard much from him in some time.  

Billy Magnussen (Rapunzel’s Prince)

Billy Magnussen was Rapunzel's Prince in Into the Woods, and he did very well after Into the Woods. With films, Magnussen has appeared in several, including Bridge of Spies, Aladdin, No Time To Die, Spy Kids: Armageddon, The Survivor, Game Night, The Many Saints of Newark, The Meddler, Ingrid Goes West, and many more. 

He has also appeared in several TV shows, including The People vs. O.J. Simpson, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Bold Type, Maniac, Tell Me A Story, and Made For Love. Coming up, he’ll be in the new Lilo and Stitch movie, a new series called The Franchise, and another film titled Lift. 

Mackenzie Mauzy (Rapunzel)

Mackenzie Mauzy played Rapunzel in Into the Woods, and since then, she hasn’t done much in film but has appeared in several TV shows. These include Forever, The Good Fight, Gone, and NCIS: New Orleans. Mauzy also appeared in the TV films Girls Night Out and Manson’s Lost Girls. 

Tracey Ullman (Jack’s Mother)

Tracey Ullman portrayed Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods, and she’s appeared in two films since, The Prom and Onward. Ullman has mainly stuck to television, especially with her starring role in The Tracey Ullman Show, but she’s also appeared in series such as Howards End, Mrs. America, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Next up, she’ll be in a new movie called The Actor and a TV show called Never Let Me Go. 

Christine Baranski (Cinderella’s Stepmother)

Last, but not least, we have Christine Baranski, who played Cinderella’s Stepmother in Into the Woods and made me never look at heels the same again. Since this film, she has appeared in movies such as Yellowbird, Trolls, A Bad Moms Christmas, Christmas on the Square, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, among others. 

Baranski also starred in The Good Fight from 2017 to 2022, and she held a primary role as part of The Gilded Age cast, among several voice roles. She is still co-starring in The Gilded Age during its second season. 

So many stars were a part of the Into the Woods cast, and now I have a million reasons to go and rewatch their movies again. I think it’s time for another Pitch Perfect rewatch; how about you? 

Chris Pine’s latest role has the actor portraying Disney’s latest animated villain in Wish. While the upcoming Disney movie marks the first time Pine has worked with Walt Disney Animation, the actor actually has deep roots with the House of Mouse. Nearly 20 years ago, the first movie he ever starred in happened to be The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, where he played the unexpected love interest to Anne Hathaway’s Mia Thermopolis. With that in mind, we asked the actor to reflect on his first experience on a movie set ahead of Wish’s release. 

On behalf of CinemaBlend, while speaking to Chris Pine at Walt Disney Animation, I asked the actor if he could speak to how his first Disney movie experience reverberates into his experiences as an actor today. Here’s how he responded: 

When the actor walked on the set of his first movie two decades ago, he was in his early 20s. He grew up as the son of two actors, CHiPs’ Robert Pine and Gwynne Gilford, so he must have had more of a grasp of the atmosphere than most newcomers, but as he shared with us, he was “terrified” on the set of Princess Diaries 2.  

Pine’s anecdote is certainly relatable to the feeling many of us have gone through when one does something for the first time. The actor was honest that being on the set meant that “every single pore” of his body was taking in the experience, and it sounds like everyday he was learning something new about how a movie set operates and how to be an actor. He likened it to a “PhD fast course” on his profession.

Despite the actor’s own personal fears, you’d never known it given his impressive first performance. In the movie, Pine brought his trademark charms to the screen in an enemies-to-lovers romance between Nicholas Devereaux and Mia Thermopolis as Hathaway’s character navigates the world of dating ahead of becoming queen of Genovia. 

Last time Chris Pine was asked about Princess Diaries 2, he shared he was down to return to the role for a third movie. While we don’t know if a third film will happen, especially considering Julie Andrews said last year she thought it was “too late to do it now,” it’s great to see Pine continue his relationship with Disney with his latest role. 

You can check out my thoughts when I rewatched Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement earlier this year, and check out the movie itself with a Disney+ subscription. Wish hits theaters on November 22. 

Disney is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and anticipation is especially high for Wish, its animated November offering. Many of the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ best features have come around Thanksgiving in years past, including Frozen, Coco, Wreck-It Ralph and Encanto. Wish features Asha (Ariana DeBose) as its heroine, who rebels against King Magnifico (Chris Pine) when she discovers the injustice of the king keeping — and only sparingly granting — his subjects’ deepest wishes. Critics have seen the upcoming Disney movie, so let’s see what they think.

First reactions to Wish were mostly positive, with several critics seemingly agreeing that this is the perfect film to celebrate Disney’s centenarian milestone. Our own Sarah El-Mahmoud agrees with that assessment in CinemaBlend’s review of Wish, as she notes how the movie honors the studio’s classic films with watercolor-like settings, talking animals, catchy tunes and a strong heroine. She rates it 4 stars out of 5, writing: 

Kate Stables of GamesRadar rates Wish 3 out of 5 stars, saying the studio succeeds in making a cute and earnest fairy tale, but due to the emphasis on homage, the end result lacks heart. Stables continues: 

Brian Truitt of USA TODAY acknowledges that critics looking for fault in the movie will find it, with Wish beating the Disney drum a little hard. However, Ariana DeBose is the film’s saving grace as Asha, with her plucky verve and powerhouse vocals. Truitt gives the movie 3 out of 4 stars, saying: 

Kate Erbland of IndieWire agrees that if viewers keep their focus on Asha, Star and Magnifico (as Chris Pine is clearly enjoying his delicious villain role), there’s definitely a lot to like as the House of Mouse throws back to its past while hinting at what the future holds. The critic grades the movie a B+ and says: 

For some, though, the movie just doesn’t work. Petrana Radulovic of Polygon describes what sounds like an “if you try to please everyone, you won't please anyone” scenario. Every detail, the critic writes, is a deliberate reminder of another movie that came before it — usually something better and more unique. Radulovic continues: 

The critics seem split over how well Disney was able to balance its goal of honoring the past while portraying its vision of the future or even telling a good story in the present. It does sound, though, like there are enough crowd-pleasing elements here, especially for a younger audience who may not be as concerned about the things that irked the critics. 

If Wish sounds like something you’d like to check out, you can do so soon! The movie is set to hit theaters on Wednesday, November 22, and be sure to check out our 2023 movie release calendar to see what else is coming to the big screen before the end of the year. 

Walt Disney Animation is celebrating Disney at 100 this fall with the release of Wish. The next of the upcoming Disney movies draws inspiration from the House of Mouse’s century of beloved animated titles, including building upon the components for which the studio is most famous. Between fun music numbers, magical happenings, talking animals and memorable villains, Wish has all those Disney trademarks. And it almost had another, but the filmmakers decided to leave it as a rough sketch. 

When I spoke to Wish producers Peter Del Vecho and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones on behalf of CinemaBlend, I asked them why Chris Pine’s King Magnifico doesn’t get an animal sidekick like many classic Disney villains before him have had. I’m talking about the Iago to Jafar, the Flotsam and Jetsam to Ursula and so forth. Here’s what Del Vecho had to say in response: 

When I think about Disney cats as villains, of course my mind went straight to Cinderella’s Lucifer. And since Wish seeks to pay homage to a host of Disney movies across a century of filmmaking, I wasn’t far off base. Lancaster Jones added this: 

As the Wish producers shared with us, an animal sidekick for King Magnifico was most definitely in the cards early in the production process, ultimately they decided to cut the sidekick in favor of bringing more depth to the King’s interactions with his wife and the queen, Amaya. When I subsequently asked Chris Pine about the story element that was cut from his character’s arc in Wish, he had this to say: 

While Magnifico’s cut animal sidekick never came across Chris Pine’s desk, the actor shared that he did recall coming back around the vocal booth throughout production to underline the character’s evilness even more. You can learn more about Pine’s villain via the early Wish footage we saw of his big bad song “The Thanks I Get.” Previously, the producers told me Pine was often “geeking out” about being part of the Disney movie during development. 

King Magnifico is a sorcerer who serves as the ruler of a fictional kingdom called Rosas, which is located on the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. In Rosas, Magnifico takes its residents' wishes for safe keeping when they turn 18 and then grants a handful of them a year to the excitement of his people. However, when a teenager named Asha challenges his rule, Magnifico goes to darker depths to maintain his power. 

Wish premiered last week to glowing first reactions from audiences. The movie hits theaters on November 22. 

Chris Pine is definitely used to drawing eyeballs in his direction, which usually happens on the big screen for blockbusters like Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves or his upcoming Disney feature Wish. Sometimes, however, the widespread attention comes from something far more mundane, such as the actor stepping out in a pair of short shorts that showed off far more of his thighs than they covered. Fans shared gaga reactions after the candid pics went viral, and the Wonder Woman star has now addressed his wardrobe choice with casual references to such legends as Tom Selleck and Magic Johnson. As one does. 

Pine was promoting his royal role as Wish’s King Magnifico when E! News brought up the short shorts that he donned for an L.A. workout class. Ever the self-aware gent, he waved off the idea that the look needed justification, saying he didn’t think there’s “anything to defend,” and went on to say: 

The idea of corduroy shorts can strike instant dread in certain people, just from the thought of the scritch-scritch sound it would make. But I guess it helps if the scritching is coming from a Hollywood A-lister like Pine, especially if he also happens to be wearing his eye-catching grandma cardigan at the same time. Which he wasn’t at the time, but it would have helped, I just know it.

Undaunted by any less-than-positive opinions about the look, Chris Pine said he’ll be rocking such cropped bottoms “until the legs go,” and advised everyone to look up Tom Selleck. And by all means, anyone who needs proof of Selleck’s thigh game needs not look any further than his iconic stint on Magnum P.I., with a few pieces of evidence seen below.

Not that Chris Pine only pulled from the world of acting when speaking to the appeal of short shorts. He also brought up Magic Johnson and the L.A. Lakers' Showtime era to prove his point, saying:

I believe HBO's Winning Time would have looked a lot different if all of its dramatized games were filmed with the actors wearing capri pants. Not just from the visual of the athletes in different uniforms, but from everyone attempting to move the same way in far more restrictive clothing. Those legs need to be able to move freely in any direction.

So anyone taking issue with the Don't Worry Darling star's wardrobe may want to just ignore him completely in the months and years to come, as we may just be at the earliest onset of the Era of Short Shorts. Now I'm gonna have Nair commercial jingles in my head for the rest of the day.

Chris Pine will next show up in theaters for his directorial debut Poolman, which drew much critical panning following its world premiere at TIFF 2023, including CinemaBlend's own negative opinion piece. While waiting for that, though, go back and re-enjoy his action-adventure glee in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves with a Paramount+ subscription.

In Hollywood, there are plenty of celebrities we all know and love, but sometimes, we might not realize that there are other actors they are related to, such as famous parents who have been around for decades. From new up-and-coming stars to people who have been in the business for some time, here are some celebrities with famous parents that you should know about. 

Gwyneth Paltrow

First up on this list has to be Gwyneth Paltrow. While the actress has built a career for herself over the last few decades with roles in movies like Shakespeare in Love, Seven, and of course, her role as Pepper Potts in the Iron Man movies, Paltrow comes from fame and is the daughter of Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner, both of which worked in the industry. 

Maya Hawke

Maya Hawke may be an up-and-coming star, with her breakout role as part of the Stranger Things cast and only continuing to grow as an actor as time passes, but her parents have been around for some time. Hawke is the daughter of the actor Ethan Hawke and the actress Uma Thurman, who were married for a time back in the early 2000s. 

Anderson Cooper

While we all know Anderson Cooper now for his presence on the cable news network CNN, Cooper came from a large family that we all know well. His mother was Gloria Vanderbilt, who was a part of the famous Vanderbilt family. 

Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston has become a significant actress in the last couple of decades, specifically for her time as Rachel Greene in the Friends cast and many other great movie and TV roles. But Aniston also comes from Hollywood royalty, as her father was John Aniston, who was on the classic soap opera Days Of Our Lives for 37 years. 

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie's best movies have only evolved over the years, from her time as the classic Disney villain, Maleficent, to her critically acclaimed roles. Jolie's father is Jon Voight, an Academy Award-winning actor; and her mother is Marcheline Bertrand, a Hollywood actress.

Chris Pine

Chris Pine is another example of someone you would never expect is the child of another celebrity, but his father was Robert Pine, and his mother was Gwynne Gilford. Robert Pine is best known for starring in the TV series CHiPS, while his mother appeared in many TV shows during the '70s and '80s. 

Colin Hanks

Colin Hanks has appeared in various films and TV shows over the last few years, including Fargo, Band of Brothers, Dexter, and more, and he hails from famous actor Tom Hanks. In 2022, Colin Hanks was a part of The Offer cast on Paramount Plus. 

Margaret Qualley

Margaret Qualley is another actress who has been up and coming for some time now, appearing in films like Death Note, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, and more, as well as in TV shows like The Leftovers and Maid on Netflix. Qualley's famous parent is Andie MacDowell, a former fashion model and actress who has appeared in films like St. Elmo's Fire, Groundhog Day and Four Weddings and a Funeral. 

Zoë Kravitz

Zoë Kravitz's best movies include The Batman, the Divergent franchise, and more, but she hails from a family of famous faces. Her father is the renowned guitarist/actor Lenny Kravitz, and her mother is a Hollywood it girl, Lisa Bonet. Zoe Kravitz is also the granddaughter of Roxie Roker, from the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons. 

Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson has appeared in plenty of movies, including the Fifty Shades of Grey series, and she is the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Johnson was known for his role on the TV show Miami Vice, and Griffith appeared in films like Working Girl, Something Wild, and more. 

Mamie Gummer

With a mother like Meryl Streep, it's no surprise that Mamie Gummer went into acting. Streep, known for many famous roles, was married to Don Gummer for several decades and had a few children with him, including Mamie Gummer. The actress has starred in the CW series Emily Owens, M.D., and appeared in films like Side Effects, Cake, and more. 

Rashida Jones

Rashida Jones is the daughter of the famous musician Quincy Jones. Considered a legend in the music industry, Jones was a significant influence and worked with several prominent musicians, such as Frank Sinatra and Count Basie. Rashida Jones  is known for numerous acting roles, including her part in the Parks and Recreation cast as Ann Perkins. 

Riley Keough

Riley Keough is an actress who has appeared in movies like The Runaways, Magic Mike, Mad Max: Fury Road, and more. She is the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley, who was the daughter of Elvis Presley. 

Liv Tyler

Liv Tyler is a well-known actress for her roles in movies like Heavy, Armageddon, Ad Astra, Wilding, and more, as well as the Lord of the Rings movies. But you might not know that Tyler is the biological daughter of Steven Tyler, the frontman of the famous band Aerosmith. 

Lily-Rose Depp

The actress is the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis. Lily-Rose Depp made a name for herself in 2023 with her starring role in The Idol cast on HBO. Depp has also appeared in other movies and roles, such as Tusk and A Faithful Man. 

Tracee Ellis Ross

While many know Tracee Ellis Ross as one of the main stars of the hit family show black-ish, Ross is the daughter of another famous face in Hollywood – Diana Ross, a legendary singer from the 1970s and beyond. Ross can sing like her mother, too, and recorded an album for the film The High Note in 2020.

Bryce Dallas Howard

Bryce Dallas Howard is known for many incredible movies and TV shows. She'll even be in the 2024 release of Argylle on Apple TV+ and is a well-known actress. However, her father, Ron Howard, began in Hollywood first and is a renowned director. Some of his biggest movies that he's directed include Willow, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, and Frost/Nixon.

Jessica Capshaw

Jessica Capshaw is primarily known for her role in the TV shows The Practice and Grey's Anatomy, which has gone on for many years. However, Capshaw is also the daughter of actress Kate Capshaw, whom you might know from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, among other films. Jessica Capshaw is also the step-daughter of a famous Hollywood director you may have heard of – Steven Spielberg.

Jasmine Cephas Jones

Jasmine Cephas Jones earned much acclaim for her roles in the Hamilton cast and went on to star in the Starz series Blindspotting, but her father, Ron Cephas Jones, had been in Hollywood for far longer. While he has numerous movie and TV credits to his name, you may known him in recent years from his part among the This Is Us cast before he sadly passed away in August 2023. 

Lily Collins

Lily Collins is known for her starring role in the Emily in Paris cast and several other movies like The Blind Side and Mirror Mirror. Her father, Phil Collins, is a well-known musician and was the lead singer and drummer of the band Genesis. 

Jack Quaid

I knew who Jack Quad was before I knew who Dennis Quaid was, thanks to the young actor being in The Hunger Games franchise and then in one of the best Amazon TV shows, The Boys. His father, Dennis Quaid, has been in Hollywood for many years. Dennis Quaid's list of films include The Parent Trap, Breaking Away, Vantage Point, and more. Jack Quaid's mother is Meg Ryan, an actress known for her great romantic comedies and hilarious comedic timing. 

Harley Quinn Smith

Harley Quinn Smith is a young actress on this list who has appeared in movies such as Tusk and Yoga Hosers. Her father is Kevin Smith, a filmmaker who has made movies like Clerks, Mallrats, and more. He also directed both Tusk and Yoga Hosers. 

Laura Dern

Laura Dern is the daughter of Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd. Bruce Dern has appeared in movies like Nebraska, Coming Home, and more, and Diane Ladd also appeared in films like Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Wild at Heart, Rambling Rose, and more. Ladd is the recipient of three Academy Awards. 

Allison Williams

Allison Williams has appeared in the show Girls and horror movies like the Jordan Peele-directed film Get Out and M3GAN. She is the daughter of Brian Williams, a famous news correspondent for NBC Nightly News. 

Kate Hudson

Kate Hudson is a well-known actress who has appeared in movies like Desert Blue, Almost Famous, Bride Wars, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, and more. Her mother is Goldie Hawn, and her biological father is Bill Hudson. Based on the post she shared honoring Kurt Russell -- her mother's long-time partner -- on Father's Day in 2022, it seems she has a very close family relationship with him. 

Liza Minnelli

When you think of Hollywood it girls, Liza Minnelli is bound to be one you think of, appearing in such movies as Cabaret, Stepping Out, The Act, and more. An EGOT winner, Minnelli is the daughter of director Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland, known for her starring role in The Wizard of Oz. 

Domhnall Gleeson

Domhnall Gleeson is primarily known for his roles in the Harry Potter franchise, where he played Bill Weasley, and appeared in Star Wars films and movies like Anna Karenina, Frank, and more. He is the son of Brendan Gleeson, a famous actor who has appeared in movies like 28 Days Later, The Banshees of Inisherin, Gangs of New York, and more. 

Kaia Gerber

Kaia Gerber is a well-known young model who has appeared in Fashion Week for the last couple of years. She is the daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, two famous models. Arguably, Crawford was one of the most popular models of the 1980s and '90s, and it's fitting that her daughter is turning out to be the same in the 2020s. 

Maude Apatow

While everyone knows Maude Apatow from the Euphoria cast, as her character in the show, Lexi, is a fan favorite, the actress grew up as the child of Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann. Judd Apatow's best movies that he has directed include Bridesmaids, Trainwreck, and The King of Staten Island, among others. Leslie Mann is a famous actress in films like This Is 40, Knocked Up, Big Daddy, and more. 

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis first appeared in the BC drama Quincy, M.E., and continued to gain popularity over time with her roles in the Halloween franchise and many other films. She is the daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, two well-known classic movie actors. Curtis lets their legacy live on now, and even won an Academy Award for her acting in 2023 for Everything Everywhere All At Once. 

Hailey Baldwin

Hailey Baldwin is a model who is the daughter of Stephen Baldwin, an actor who has appeared in movies like Bio-Dome, 8 Seconds, and more. She is also the niece of famous actor Alec Baldwin. Her legal last name now is Hailey Bieber, as she is married to well-known singer Justin Bieber, but many remember her as Hailey Baldwin from her earlier years in the industry. 

Cazzie David

Cazzie David is a scriptwriter and actor. She appeared in The Umbrella Academy on Netflix and has written TV show scripts for Hannah Montana, Eighty-Sixed, and more. She is the daughter of comedian and actor Larry David and Laurie David. 

Wyatt Russell

Wyatt Russell has appeared in shows like Black Mirror, Under the Banner of Heaven and more, and also was a part of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier cast. The actor is the son of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.

Other celebrities have famous parents out there, but these are just some you might not realize were related to someone famous. And now, I need to figure out who else might be related to someone I never knew about—time to dive into some Hollywood history. 

It feels like the year is quickly coming to an end, but there are still plenty of movies on the 2023 movie schedule as we head into the holiday season. Disney has been known to give us something to be thankful for in November, releasing animated classics like Encanto and Frozen around Thanksgiving. This year’s offering is Wish — the story of Asha, a 17-year-old who makes a wish on a star to save her kingdom — and critics who were able to catch an early screening of the upcoming Disney movie are hitting social media with their first reactions.

Asha is voiced by Academy Award-winner Ariana DeBose, and she’s joined by Alan Tudyk as her talking goat companion Valentino and Chris Pine as the delicious Disney villain King Magnifico. Anticipation seems to be high for Wish, as it’s already surpassed a major record set by Frozen 2. Let’s see what people are saying about the movie ahead of its November 22 release.

Junior Felix of The Hashtag Show seems to have gotten everything one could ask for from a Disney animated movie — high praise considering this is Disney’s milestone 100th anniversary. Felix writes on X: 

Dana Abercrombie of The Koalition agrees Wish is the perfect movie to mark the occasion, praising the leading voice actors: 

When it comes to Disney animation, the music is as big a factor as anything, and the Wish soundtrack doesn’t disappoint, according to Jazzy Tangcay of Variety. In fact there are at least two possible options worthy of following viral earworms of the past like Frozen’s “Let It Go” and Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” Tangcay says, writing:  

That should come as no surprise, since one of the things we know about Wish is that Grammy nominee Julia Michaels penned original songs for the movie. Also Ariana DeBose brings her own stacked resumé, which boasts projects like West Side Story, Hamilton and Schmigadoon! Aaron Perine of ComicBook.com seconds the above critic’s opinion, hinting that it won’t take parents long to memorize the songs on this soundtrack. Perine compliments the animation as well, posting: 

Caitlin Tyrrell of ScreenRant agrees with the other critics, praising the leading actors and the film overall as an appropriate offering for the 100th anniversary. Tyrrell writes: 

Wish is a classic story with modern twists — which certainly does seem fitting to honor the company’s long legacy — and Eric Goldman of Fandom says the animated wishing star and Chris Pine’s villain are the best parts. 

We’ve still got a couple of weeks before we can see Wish in theaters, and the full reviews next week should give us an even better picture of what critics think about it, but so far the reactions are overwhelmingly positive. While we wait for Wish to hit the big screen, you can get a jump on next year’s projects by checking out our 2024 movie release schedule. 

*Sigh* Alright. Here we go again because I rewatched one of my favorite movie musicals – Into the Woods – as an adult now, and boy, do I have thoughts. 

This isn't my first time in the musical rewatch rodeo. I'll be honest and say I freaking love movie musicals, from classic movie musicals to modern ones. I used to dig them so much as a kid because I loved to sing, dance and watch movies – how can you get any better than a movie musical? Some of my favorites have been both Mamma Mia! and Hairspray. I even rewatched Mamma Mia! and had so many thoughts.

But there are some movie musicals that, as I've gotten older, I've learned aren't the best adaptations of the stage productions they are based on. Les Misérables, for example, is one that I used to love as a child, but I watched Les Mis as an adult for the first time, and my opinion completely changed. 

I started to think – if my opinion could change for Les Misérables, because I know more about stage production now, could it change for other movie musicals that I used to adore? So I decided to put this question into practice by rewatching Into the Woods, the movie musical starring Meryl Streep that was released nearly ten years ago. And now, of course, I better understand what the musical is supposed to be like. 

And oh boy. We have to talk. 

I Still Believe That Meryl Streep Is The Best Part Of This Movie, That Hasn't Changed

Meryl Streep is a gift to this world; we must protect her at all costs. 

I've been a massive fan of Meryl Streep for a long time. I mean, who isn't? She's probably one of the biggest stars on the planet, and she has been nominated for over 20 Oscars, talk about impressive! 

She's skillful in her craft. And she's a star, from the best Meryl Streep movies to her parts in TV shows. 

That doesn't change for her role in Into the Woods. While there are other casting choices I'll get into in a bit, Streep was probably the best person for the Witch. She's a brilliant actress, and she can portray the being from the stage production very well. Obviously, she also has a great voice, a dramatic one that booms off the screen. I'll fully listen to her "Last Midnight" recording in my car as I drive. 

But I Can Not Stand Most Of These Casting Choices Now

Man, who cast this movie? It was like after Streep was cast, it was a downhill slide or even a nosedive. Alright, maybe that's a bit harsh, but when you look at the casting choices for some of these characters, they don't make sense and don't fit. 

For example – Anna Kendrick. I love her. There are so many great Anna Kendrick movies out there, and low and behold, I love the film Pitch Perfect and will fully rewatch it any time. However, something about her does not scream Cinderella. 

When I think of Cinderella, I think of someone who is bubbly and peppy and while I've seen Kendrick do that, I don't think that she fully takes on the role of Cinderella. It doesn't feel like I'm watching a character -- rather, it feels like I'm seeing Anna Kendrick dress up in costume instead of becoming Cinderella. 

Also, I know that James Corden has done theater work, but him as the Baker does not sit well with me. Again, the Baker is such a serious character in the stage production, as he would do anything to help his family. I look at James Corden, and I see him so much more as a comedic actor rather than someone who can portray the raw and dark moments that the show has. 

To be honest, I could think of many other musical actors that could have done an excellent job. I'm not entirely sure why Corden was the pick. Either way, I don't know where the casting went off the rails. 

The Music Is Relatively Still Well-Done

So I'll praise the film and say I still enjoy the music. I remember when I first heard the soundtrack to the movie, I was enthralled with it, and I instantly downloaded the entire score and soundtrack when I got home. 

I listened to it nonstop for a good few weeks before it wound up mixed in with all my other music on shuffle. But, even today, I'll take a moment to belt out "Last Midnight" or "Any Moment" or even the freaking prologue, because it's well done, I'll admit it. 

But There Are Also Some Songs From The Stage Production That Were Removed For Some Reason, And Other Changes

Even though the music is well-executed, I still need to figure out how I feel about the movie altering or outright removing several pieces. The film omitted several reprises and other songs. While I understand the need to keep the runtime reasonable, they could have included these songs if they wanted.

"Ever After" served as the Act 1 finale in the original production, setting the stage for Act 2 and propelling the entire story forward. However, it was left out of the film, and it turned into an instrumental piece. Another song that was cut was the reprise of "Agony." The same thing happened to "No More," which was also turned into an instrumental piece rather than a performance. 

It almost felt like the situation with Mulan, where they cut the songs from the live-action adaptation, even though the music was an integral part of what made the original movie exceptional.

This Is Also Way Lighter Than The Musical, Which I'm Not A Fan Of

As a teenager, I didn't know how dark the original musical was, but I wanted to see an accurate version of this story where everything dark in the stage production happens in the movie. 

The stage musical of Into the Woods has so many dark moments, from the Baker's Wife getting squashed by the giant to Rapunzel turning mad and also getting killed, to so much more, not only did it add intensity to the production but it added stakes -- which the film severely lacked. 

I'm not sure if it's because Disney distributed and made the film, so they felt that they had to cut the darkness down to appeal to a broader audience, but man, the movie we could have had would be a fantasy film for the ages. 

Also, Where's The Narrator?

So, the narrator of the stage production is who we rely on to keep us on track with the story if we need to catch up in any way. We should be paying attention, but with a story like Into the Woods, it can take a lot of work to navigate all the different levels to determine where we are and the time frame. That's why the narrator is there to aid us. 

The movie completely abandons this. Why? I'm not sure. The narrator plays an essential role in the stage production, and, shockingly, he's omitted from the movie adaptation. The narrator is a distinctively "theater" element, but they are also well-established in movies, so it's unclear why they chose to discontinue this practice.

I Still Enjoyed The Movie, But It's Not My Favorite Anymore

I still enjoy watching this movie. It's an entertaining musical with plenty of incredible scenery and good music, and the visual effects are pretty fun to watch. The acting from Streep is astonishing, as always, and she was very deserving of that Academy Award nomination. 

But this movie now sits behind a lot of other films. I wouldn't consider myself a theater person by any means, but I will say that having a better understanding – and appreciation – of the stage production opened my eyes to this movie and why many people who love the original musical aren't big fans of it. 

Do I still like it? Of course. But I don't think it's up there with my favorites anymore – I think I'll place it behind many other great ones. 

Plenty of great movie musicals are out there, but I just needed to talk about Into the Woods to get my thoughts and feelings out. Either way, it's time to use my Disney+ subscription, have a Disney movie musical marathon and get the karaoke machine out to sing along. 

For the first time since 2021’s runaway hit Encanto, another Disney animated musical is upon us with Wish. The original movie follows a teen girl named Asha as she becomes aware of injustices from her home’s ruler, Chris Pine’s King Magnifico, in the form of stolen wishes. The exciting film among 2023 new movie releases gave the Disney alum a chance to join the studio’s roster of villains, and per the filmmakers, he had the absolute best time doing so. 

For CinemaBlend, I had the chance to view around 30 minutes of footage of Wish and my biggest takeaway is how delicious of a villain we’re about to get with Chris Pine’s King Magnifico. After seeing a portion of the Disney movie at a press event at the El Capitan in Los Angeles, California, I spoke to Wish’s producers, who shared with me what it was like to work with the actor on his villain role. Here’s what Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones had to say: 

Chris Pine has a long history working for Disney, with his first movie role actually being 2004’s The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement where he played the unlikely love interest to Anne Hathaway’s Mia Thermopolis. A decade later he then played Cinderella’s Prince in the Disney adaptation of Into the Woods where he memorably sang two numbers. Nearly another decade later, Pine is checking off a major Disney box as the villain as Wish. And as the producer teased, he sings not one song but two. 

Wish producer Peter Del Vecho also jumped in to speak about what it was like working with Chris Pine. In his words: 

I heard the first song, it’s called “The Thanks I Get.” It’s a fun but powerful villain song that establishes the narcissistic character Magnifico is while also both paying homage to and rivaling other classic Disney songs of the sort. The second song of his is more of a mystery, as it likely occurs late in Wish. But the filmmakers teased that it's a duet between Pine’s character and the hero, Ariana DeBose’s Asha where the “villain and the hero align”. As Lancaster-Jones continued: 

Chris Pine has definitely had his share of playing both heroes and villains over the years, between his antagonist role in last year’s Don’t Worry Darling to leading a pack of heroes in Dungeons and Dragons earlier in 2023. I can’t wait to see what King Magnifico’s songs are in full context of the movie, along with the character’s journey as Asha rivals him. 

Along with King Magnifico sharing some of Pine’s likeness, the character of Asha was influenced by Ariana DeBose’s dance background and own personality as Wish’s writer Jennifer Lee told us. You can look forward to Wish and all the original songs written by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice when the movie hits theaters this November 22. 

Some of the greatest moments in the nearly 50-year history of Saturday Night Live involve cast members struggling (and ultimately failing) to contain their laughter, and they are not the only ones. Some of the greatest SNL hosts the show has ever had are not impervious to breaking character either. As you can see from the list below, infectious examples of major celebrities who caught a case of the giggles while on the air at Studio 8H are not in short supply.  

Adele (Africa Tourism)

Adele was a great SNL host despite a lack of acting experience, but even her famously strong lungs couldn’t hold back laughter in her Season 46 episode. It’s hard to decipher if it's Kate McKinnon’s accent or just the way she says “tribesman” that causes the singer to break in the faux African tourist ad, but once she does, never quite stops.

Ben Affleck (Iranian Film)

Out of many examples of Ben Affleck breaking on SNL, we chose the Season 38 sketch framed as an HBO First Look at an Iranian-produced dramatization of the making of his Best Picture Oscar winner, Argo, called Bengo F*ck Yourself. He first snickers about two minutes in at Fred Armisen as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad portraying Affleck and a moment later when explaining he took the part of a sound man “to be in a movie worse than Gigli.”

Christina Applegate (Matt Foley: Van Down By The River)

Everyone in the ‘90s-era SNL classic — the first appearance of the late Chris Farley as motivational speaker Matt Foley — could barely keep their composure, especially after the late comedy icon accidentally destroys a coffee table. Even before then, you can see Christina Applegate struggling to hide her laughter behind her hair.

Drew Barrymore (The Love-ahs With Barbara And Dave)

The laughter was as contagious as the unbridled passion of Will Ferrell and Rachel Dratch’s recurring characters in this Season 27 edition of “The Love-ahs” set in a hot tub after notorious breaker Jimmy Fallon caused a chain reaction. Nearly three minutes in, host Drew Barrymore (as The Love-ahs’ friend, Barbara) begins her struggle to keep from giggling that lasts the rest of the sketch.

Candice Bergen (Extremely Stupid)

In SNL’s second season, Candice Bergen accidentally called Gilda Radner’s dim-witted character, Lisa, by her own character’s name, Fern, during a faux PSA sketch. All the future Five-Timer’s Club member could do is laugh as Radner then turned her planned speech about stupid people’s rights into a brilliant roast of her co-star.

Emily Blunt (Escorts)

In this 2017 bit, first-time host Emily Blunt stars alongside Leslie Jones as a pair of sex workers explaining their quirky guidelines to their clients, which involves roleplaying as a clumsy maid character she created. Twice, the British A Quiet Place star cracks up when she dons a more cartoonish British accent to say her character’s catchphrase, “Oopsy-doopsy, I muffed it up again!”

Dave Chappelle (Uncle Ben)

It’s no secret Dave Chappelle likes to shake things up when he hosts SNL, like in this sketch commenting on the recent discontinuation of food brands Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Jemima in 2020. The comedian first cracks up when debuting his deep Dennis Haysbert impersonation and again when he breaks the fourth wall with a clearly unscripted comment that makes Pete Davidson spit out his Count Chocula fangs.

Daniel Craig (Deep Quote Game Night)

It must be hard not to break when the typically well-composed Kate McKinnon gets the giggles, which seems to be what happened to Daniel Craig about 90 seconds into the Season 45 sketch "Deep Quote Game Night." Honestly, we can’t imagine this bit about a movie quote guessing game that turns awkward would have been as memorable had the former James Bond actor kept a straight face.

Larry David (New Wife)

Larry David looks so unrecognizable in this Season 43 sketch as a boisterous business man talking up his new spouse (Cecily Strong) to his coworkers, it is amazing the SNL players involved held it together so well. The Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star causes himself to lose it completely, however, about three and half minutes into the "New Wife" sketch by the way he tells Beck Bennett’s character to “GET OUT!”

Billie Eilish (Hotel Ad)

The faux ad for a shockingly shady hotel is just one reason we’d love to see Billie Eilish return to SNL as both host and musical guest again. What makes this Season 47 bit so memorable (save a cameo from her brother and bandmate, Finneas) is the Oscar-winning singer’s frequent bouts of the giggles throughout.

Will Ferrell (Cast List)

Even a seasoned SNL veteran like Will Ferrell had to cover his mouth to hide his laughter in this sketch that was cut for time when he returned as host in Season 45. Of course, no one can contain themselves after he, as an over-serious high school theatre instructor, gets a little too close to Aidy Bryant when forcing the students to back away. 

Jamie Foxx (Maine Justice With Jamie Foxx)

Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx handles himself quite well as the bailiff in the Season 38 edition of “Maine Justice,” until it has a minute to go. All it takes is Jason Sudeikis’ uproarious judge saying the phrase “ass fire” to force the Django Unchained star to turn his head to hide his laughter, but Sudeikis kicks it up a notch by spontaneously kissing the actor’s arm.

Ryan Gosling (Close Encounter)

One of the most famous SNL breaks as of late is also our pick for Kate McKinnon’s best sketch ever: Season 41’s original version of “Close Encounter.” She has her future fellow Barbie cast member, Ryan Gosling, helplessly in stitches — just one of the host’s many breaks that night, actually — by the hilariously dry description of her otherwise horrifying alien abduction experience.

Tiffany Haddish (Whiskers R We With Tiffany Haddish)

You know comedy gold is afoot when Studio 8H brings in live animals, like in this edition of “Whiskers R We” from Season 43 that sees host Tiffany Haddish — who once auditioned for SNL — break Kate McKinnon and herself just seconds in with an unscripted, NSFW line prompted by a cat’s escape attempt. They both break again later on when a hairless feline tries to leap from McKinnon’s arms, visibly startling the future Haunted Mansion cast member.

David Harbour (Sauce) 

This Season 45 sketch starring Kate McKinnon as a frisky, elderly Italian immigrant and host David Harbour as his wife is far less messy than other sketches involving food have been. However, the Stranger Things cast member can’t help but smirk when McKinnon brings a finger dripping in sauce to his lips and inserts it right in his mouth. His laughter continues as they being to make out.

Sean Hayes (Jeffrey’s With Sean Hayes)

Many SNL hosts have fallen prey to the infectious shared laughter of notorious breakers, Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz, such as Sean Hayes in this early 2000s favorite set at elitist clothing store, Jeffrey’s. Seeing Will Ferrell ride in on a scooter about four minutes in and use an impossibly tiny cell phone really sends the Will & Grace cast member over the edge.

Kevin Hart (Barnes And Noble Firing)

It’s no wonder Tim Robinson got his own Netflix sketch series, I Think You Should Leave, with how effortlessly he cracks up Kevin Hart at the end of the Barnes and Noble-set sketch from Season 38. Robinson’s performance as the “old, useless” Carl makes it impossible for the comedian to get through his lines.

Jonah Hill (Benihana) 

The most recent time Jonah Hill played his own recurring SNL character, precocious six-year-old Adam Grossman, in Season 44 might be the best because it saw him break the most. Neither the Academy Award nominee nor Leslie Jones as his nanny can keep it together every time he taunts her by singing reggae hits. 

Janet Jackson (Corksoakers)

Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz are surprisingly stone-cold for most of the 2004 sketch as Italian winery owners explaining to tourists how they “soak corks.” However, host and musical guest Janet Jackson cracks up multiple times when she accidentally begins to say the actual suggestive phrase that “cork soaking” alludes to.

Keegan-Michael Key (The Muppet Show)

For anyone who ever got sick of Statler and Waldorf’s heckling, the Season 46 favorite starring Kenan Thompson and host Keegan-Michael Key as The Muppet Show venue security is for you. What makes it a classic is when the Key & Peele star beginning to chuckle after his aggressive assault on Statler causes record-breaking SNL veteran Thompson to break.

Adam Levine (Catfish)

This parody of Catfish likes to poke fun at how often Nev Shulman (host Adam Levine) mentions his name on the MTV reality series. About half-way through the sketch, the Maroon 5 frontman and former The Voice coach appears to break at his most animated utterance of the name, but bounces back pretty quickly by making it feel like a character trait.

Lindsay Lohan (Debbie Downer: Disney World) 

When people think of Rachel Dratch as Debbie Downer, they tend to think of this 2004 favorite set at a Disney World pancake restaurant that no one could keep a straight face during the sketch. First-time host Lindsay Lohan later revealed to Vogue that she was so overwhelmed by laughter, she decided to just walk off set as soon as she got the chance.

Julianna Margulies (Family Dinner)

This revolting 2000 sketch stars host Julianna Margulies as woman learning her boyfriend’s (Chris Parnell) dysfunctional salivary glands and weak teeth force his parents to feed him like a baby bird. By the end, the former ER cast member does the deed herself for the younger son (Chris Kattan) and can’t help but laugh the unspeakable act she just committed.

James McAvoy (New Orleans Vacation)

When James McAvoy hosted in Season 44, he experimented with almost as many voices as he used to play a man with DID in Split and Glass, but the one he used in this sketch was too much for him to handle. He can’t help but crack up nearly every time he puts on a thick, inauthentic Cajun accent to talk about he and his girlfriend’s recent trip to “N’awlins.”

Jason Momoa (Judge Barry)

When Jason Momoa makes a surprise cameo in a Season 45 sketch starring host Chance the Rapper as a courtroom judge of first impressions, he surprises himself with a hilarious flub. Both the Aquaman actor and the host can’t help but laugh when he calls himself a “paraplegic,” meaning to say “paralegal.”

Brittany Murphy (The Leather Man)

Season 28’s “The Leather Man” — which eventually goes off the rails courtesy of Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz — might actually be a prime example of the late Brittany Murphy’s exceptional talent. You can barely even tell when she breaks with the way she convincingly disguises her laughter as a quirk that fits perfectly in line with her character.

Pedro Pascal (Lisa From Temecula)

Just when you thought the internet could not love Pedro Pascal more, he earns its respect even more just by innocently succumbing to his own laughter during his Season 48 SNL episode. The most memorable instance came in this segment in when Ego Nwodim’s Lisa shakes the table with her aggressive steak cutting, giving the star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us a case of the giggles that proves contagious.

Chris Pine (Star Trek Lost Episode)

Initially, it seems that the most memorable highlight of this Star Trek parody will be Chris Pine’s spot-on William Shatner impression, until he snickers at the awkward line delivery of the guy playing Sulu. Fun fact, according to the SNL wiki, that gentleman is production designer Akira Yoshimura, who has played Sulu in many other sketches poking fun at the sci-fi phenomenon.

Margot Robbie (Actress Round Table) 

It is no wonder why Margot Robbie would go on to star in two movies with Kate McKinnon from how the SNL star brings the laughter out of the Australian actor in the sketch from 2016. Robbie almost loses focus of her otherwise consistent Keira Knightley impression by how fictional Hollywood veteran Debette Goldry’s (McKinnon) shocking memories get the best of her.

Adam Sandler (Sandler Family Reunion) 

In a sketch where Adam Sandler is surrounded by people imitating characters from his best movies, it was Jimmy Fallon as his grandfather who finally caused the fellow SNL retiree to laugh. Apparently, as Fallon later recalled on The Tonight Show, his overlong bout of gibberish was a happy accident caused by misreading the cue cards.   

Seann William Scott (Short Shorts For The USA)

One of Will Ferrell’s all-time best sketches on SNL first aired in 2001 and sees him wear a half-shirt and a thong to work in the name of patriotism. Host Seann William Scott holds back the urge to laugh at the ridiculous and revealing ensemble from beginning to end.

Justin Timberlake (Celebrity Family Feud)

For his second time hosting, Jimmy Fallon impersonated Jim Parsons in a “Celebrity Family Feud” alongside musical guest Justin Timberlake as… Jimmy Fallon, with an incredibly enthusiastic imitation that the pop star can’t help but crack up at himself.  There is no clip of the Season 39 sketch on YouTube currently, but we recommend using a Peacock subscription to check out the whole episode.

There is sure to be more where these came from when SNL comes back for its 49th season on NBC.

With Disney set to reach its 100th anniversary this fall, the studio is celebrating the massive milestone by releasing an all-new animated musical called Wish. As announced at D23 late last year, the upcoming movie is a love letter to a century of beloved movies with catchy song-and-dance numbers, breathtaking and innovative animation techniques, and a deeper exploration of what happens when one wishes upon a star. CinemaBlend had the great pleasure of seeing early footage of the November release, and Chris Pine’s villain character is already a standout. 

I attended Disney’s press event for Wish on Thursday, September 21 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California. While there, the movie’s filmmakers, Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, introduced to us Disney’s next animated musical by showcasing around 30 minutes of the movie and discussing their inspirations for it. I was very much impressed, and I need to talk about what I saw and what I’m most excited about for the release. There are some mild spoilers ahead, but only enough to set up the movie and get one excited for its premise and characters. 

The Early Wish Footage I Got To See 

The footage we were shown introduces audiences to the world of Wish, which takes place in the fictional Kingdom of Rosas, known around as "the kingdom of wishes" to its people, and is located off the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages. The first music number that we witnessed was sung by Ariana DeBose’s Asha as the 17-year-old character tours a group of people through the main kingdom, giving us a feel for the movie’s setting. It’s a playful song that’s going to take some serious repetition for me to learn the words to, but in a good way.

Then came the inciting incident of the story, where Asha, who is applying to be an assistant to Chris Pine’s King Magnifico, gets an interview with the man himself. While trying to impress the King with her skills and how she "cares too much," she learns more about the inner workings of the kingdom. 

Asha comes to learn that the king keeps villagers' wishes locked away and doesn’t actually plan to grant most of them, including her own grandfather’s. Asha is distraught by the realization and later sings a gorgeous “I Want” song that leads her to wish upon a star. The star itself, simply named Star, then comes down, greets her and enact its magic on her cute animal sidekick, who is a goat wearing pajamas named Valentino. Star gets Valentino to talk before bringing its magic to a whole forest of animals, who then sing another song with Asha. Classic Disney! 

Meanwhile, the entire Kingdom senses a shift in energy once the star falls from the sky, including King Magnifico, who states that he's been "threatened" by the new magic. Since the footage we watched wasn’t the movie all the way through, I believe something else happens before the last clip of the movie we got to see rolled, which was Chris Pine’s villain song. It’s called “The Thanks I Get," it's absolutely fabulous and what I want to talk about the most regarding the footage I watched.   

My Thoughts On Disney's Wish After Seeing 30 Minutes 

Before I get to why I'm super into Chris Pine’s delicious villain character, I want to communicate my first impressions about Wish as a whole. For one, I walked away from seeing the footage absolutely hyped to experience the entire Disney movie. 

I am a lifelong Disney fan who was a Disney Princesses fan as a young kid through and through, but I’ll admit some of the recent movies haven’t caught on with me as much as I’d like. Sure, that probably has to do with the fact that I’m no longer exactly the target audience for these movies, but I just haven’t seen a female-led Disney musical since Moana that was the whole package. I wish Raya and the Last Dragon was a musical and I was obsessed with the music for Encanto, but the story was rather predictable to me. 

I have a really good feeling about Wish though, because it does feel like it’s going to be a combination of a nostalgic Disney musical likened to the Disney Princess movies of my childhood, along with encompassing so many modern sensibilities from the studio. I’m excited that the animation style is implementing 2D and 3D animation, along with having music numbers that have a modern pop sound from Julia Michaels rather than going the typical musical theatre route. Then there’s the villain of it all…  

Why Chris Pine’s King Magnifico Might Be Disney’s Best Villain In Years

I was into Wish throughout my viewing of the movie’s early plot points, but I have to say, seeing Chris Pine’s villain song as King Magnifico really sold the whole movie for me. I love that the Disney movie is making it rather clear right off the bat that the King is the bad guy in the story. I’ve noticed that the animation company has centered its villain arcs in recent years around secret villains who are revealed to be the antagonist later in the story, so this is a nice change of pace.

The fact that King Magnifico has his villain song rather early in Wish harkens back to movies like Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Beauty and the Beast for me. The King is a textbook narcissist who basically opens “The Thanks I Get” by saying  he can’t fault himself for mirrors loving his face so much. It's a really fun villain song that is both menacing and funny. He also thinks he’s the hero because he’s granting wishes with his powers, and doesn’t see the injustice he’s creating in secret by not allowing the people of his kingdom to keep their wishes and perhaps make them come true on their own. 

With King Magnifico, between Pine’s inherent charm that he's bringing through to this animated role, and the story of the film itself, I’m interested in how entertaining it will all. And then there also looks like a valuable conversation about the pitfalls of power and ego. The fact that Asha is beginning her journey with the villain being apparent to her and needing to go on her own journey to oppose him, I just know there’s going to be some depth between the two of them as the story progresses. 

Could King Magnifico become among the best Disney villains we've seen? I think so! Of course, both of us have to wait to see Wish, which I'm filing under as one of this fall’s most exciting upcoming Disney movies, when it comes to theaters on November 22. 

The last several years have been quite good for Star Trek fans on the TV front, with shows like Discovery, Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks keeping Paramount+ subscribers entertained. The film side of the franchise, however, has been decidedly lacking, as there’ve been no Star Trek movies released since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. However, Lindsey Anderson Beer, who’s writing Star Trek 4, has shared a promising update on Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto’s next outing as Kirk and Spock, one which legitimately surprised me.

Star Trek 4 has been languishing in development hell for well over half a decade, and given all its false starts, I’d assumed that there was no chance of this movie ever getting made, or at the very least it had been tabled for the time being. Yet, while promoting her new movie Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, Beer informed Collider that Star Trek 4 is still moving down the creative pipeline, saying:

So per Lindsey Anderson Beer’s latest statement, while Star Trek 4 is still in the early stages, she sounds confident that it will eventually get off the ground. Beer was announced in summer 2021 to be co-writing the Star Trek 4 script with Geneva Robertson-Dworet, back when WandaVision’s Matt Shakman was still attached to direct. Now that Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is in the can and headed to Paramount+ soon, it’s unclear if Beer is set to do more work on the Star Trek 4 script at some point or if that project is well behind her, but either way, she’s in the loop enough to know that the next Kelvin timeline-set story hasn’t been shelved.

Beer’s comment follows  six months after J.J. Abrams, who directed the first two Kelvin movies and remains a producer on this corner of the franchise, said that he thinks Star Trek 4’s story is “as compelling” as 2009’s Star Trek, which kicked off the Kelvin timeline. At one time, the plan for Star Trek 4 was to have Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk meet his father, Chris Hemsworth’s George Kirk, who died at the beginning of Star Trek shortly after James was born. However, that version of the movie fell through due to Pine and Hemsworth having pay disputes with Paramount and the latter not approving of the script, resulting in it being officially shelved by early 2019.

No information about Lindsey Anderson Beer and Geneva Robertson-Dworet’s Star Trek 4 script has been shared with the public, and with Matt Shakman having exited the project to direct Fantastic Four in August 2022, the next Kelvin story has been left in a holding pattern. Ideally Beer’s assessment of the situation means that Star Trek 4 can finally start making some meaningful progress again, even if we don’t have a timetable for it just yet. Star Trek has experienced a resurgence on TV thanks to streaming, so it’d be a shame if this franchise couldn’t re-secure a foothold in the theatrical realm again to capitalize on that popularity.

It is worth noting, though, that there is at least one Star Trek movie to look forward to besides Star Trek 4, as the Michelle Yeo-led Section 31 has shifted from a TV series to a feature-length story, though it will be a Paramount+ exclusive. In any case, once there’s a major development with Star Trek 4, we’ll let you know. Until then, keep track of what movies are scheduled with our 2023 release schedule and 2024 release schedule.

On paper, Poolman sounds like a win. Chris Pine, still the “Best Chris” in my book, steps behind the camera for the first time to direct a story that’s one part The Big Lebowski, and one part Chinatown. Stop right there, I’m in. Then you learn that Pine’s original film, Poolman, follows a character that he created while riffing on ideas with Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins, and will act as Pine’s love letter to Los Angeles, and all the delightful weirdos who hail from Southern California and grew up in and around the Hollywood industry. Again, sounds perfect. Poolman was my most anticipated movie of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. But man, did it disappoint, and have me questioning whether Pine should be trusted with another original idea on film again. 

Poolman, much like Chinatown (the movie it blatantly and deliberately steals from), is a Film Noir that involves political corruption in Los Angeles that’s tied to the city’s water supply. Literal plot points are cribbed directly from Roman Polanski’s masterpiece. I guess if you are going to copy a film, Chinatown is an excellent source from which to steal. Only, Poolman’s lead character couldn’t be further from Jack Nicholson’s debonaire Jake Gittes. Instead, Pine plays Darren Barrenman, an optimistic bohemian who lives in a camper parked on the edge of the apartment-complex pool to which he has dedicated his life to keeping clean. 

The pool isn’t Darren’s only obsession. Apparently he also attends every city council meeting, where he badgers the committee chief about improvements to the city bus schedule, or the benefits of a trolley system in L.A. Because of his dedication and civic pride, Darren is approached by a femme fatale (DeWanda Wise) and advised that the politicians he harrasses actually are as corrupt as he believes, and she goads him into leading an investigation into the possible diversion of precious water in the city during a debilitating drought. 

Chinatown took very similar material and played it serious. Poolman aims for farce, but struggles to find a palatable tone. Pine seems to enjoy losing himself in Darren’s goofy spiritualism, and Poolman might have worked if he was the oddball in an otherwise straight story (like Ace Ventura, or The Dude). But everyone in Pine’s pedigreed cast is trying something different, and no one appears to be on the same page. Danny DeVito and Annette Bening constantly bicker and veer off on tangents as Darren’s closest friends and confidants, Jack and Diane. Jennifer Jason Leigh drifts in and out of Darren’s life as his on again/off again girlfriend, a Pilates instructor who whines about wanting to move to Palm Springs to open her own studio. Each scene with these co-stars feel like they’re trying to start up a new storyline that has nothing to do with the central mystery, and Pine can’t figure out how to streamline all of these together into a workable narrative. 

I can’t tell when Poolman takes place. Though painted as a product of the 1940s (or even 1960s) through its costuming and production design, Darren sends daily typewritten letters to Erin Brokovich – and comments on Julia Roberts’ portrayal of the activist – while other characters will reference their “three episode arc on Bones.” So it’s modern… sort of? But the time period also doesn’t matter, because the story lacks any worthwhile commentary about Hollywood then, or Hollywood now. As for the mystery, once all of the details are laid out on the table, you realize how nonsensical the entire crime has been from step one, so enduring the obnoxious journey comes with a half-hearted payoff and a dud of a finale.

Poolman’s complete and utter failure shocked me because Pine should be capable of so much more than this. The actor has worked with several incredible directors over the course of his career, and assumedly learned a thing or two about cohesive storytelling. Which means the spastic energy and incoherent plotting of Poolman was deliberate, and that’s a terrible choice. I’m not sure if Poolman will completely sink Pine’s directorial future. It’s possible that he finds a better screenplay in which to invest and gets another opportunity. But this colossal misfire guarantees that he has started his directorial career off on the wrong foot. Time to sign on for Dungeons and Dragons 2, and start repairing that image, stat. 

More from Toronto 2023:

Michael Keaton’s directorial debut is much better than Poolman.

So was Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, a taut period thriller. 

But Nicolas Cage won the fest with his bizarre comedy Dream Scenario. 

There is one Hollywood debate that has reigned supreme for many years now, and that is the discourse over which acting Chris is the best. Somehow, without having done any sort of national poll (from what I remember, at least) the running for that top spot has been firmly in the hands of four competitors this entire time: former Captain America Chris Evans, Guardians of the Galaxy’s Chris Pratt, our (sorta) current big screen Captain Kirk Chris Pine, and Thor’s Chris Hemsworth (in no particular order, obviously). But, one fan is now calling out the dubious voting process that landed these gents in the top four, noting that one “Zaddy” Chris has gotten the shaft.

Which Hollywood ‘Zaddy’ Needs To Be In The Running For Top Chris?

I feel as though anyone who has paid attention to the internet for the past couple of years will likely already know the answer to this one. Honestly, if you put Zaddy and Chris together in your brain, who comes to mind? It’s only one person, and his thirst era emerged in full in April 2021, when he returned to Law & Order: SVU to blockbuster ratings after a decade away. That man is none other than the posteriorly gifted Christopher Meloni. 

The 62-year-old sex symbol recently posted a video of himself water skiing on X, which prompted this response from a fan:

You know what? I’m surprised it’s taken this long for someone to call out how this particular Chris has been left out of the Top Chris conversation. My guess is that Meloni has amorous fans going back at least a couple of decades, as his time on SVU began in 1999 and quickly led to fan ships (though it wasn’t called that then) for his character, Elliot Stabler, and Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson.

It’s possible that the public needed two things to happen for Mr. Meloni’s fans to speak out. First, we had to get a glut of Chrises in, basically, one spot who were all roughly the same age. Enter the MCU and Chrises Hemsworth, Evans, and Pratt, with Pine pulling up at a similar time in his own major franchise, the rebooted Star Trek. Secondly, we had to be given the viral on-set photo taken by a fan, which revealed just how bodacious Meloni’s butt is. 

That’s set off two-plus years of folks talking about how hot the man is, along with his jacked physique being shown off on a magazine cover, and an absolutely hilarious nude sock commercial. 

Look, we all understand that this “best Chris” competition is a tricky thing, including the Chrises themselves. Evans might have a Sexiest Man Alive title under his belt, but even he dodged the question of who was top Chris shortly after receiving the honor. And, Pine went on record saying he’d have to “really just step it up” to secure that peak spot. However, I think there’s now plenty of precedent for Christopher “Zaddy” Meloni to at least join a newly minted Top 5 Chris debate, don’t you?

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was one of those movies that was received well by critics, and seemed to be enjoyed a great deal by those that saw it. Unfortunately, not a lot of people did see it when it was in theaters, leading to a less-than-stellar box office take. The movie wasn’t a hit initially, but it does seem to be finding an audience on Paramount+, so could we see a sequel? Co-star Sophia Lillis certainly hopes so.

Lillis played the Tiefling Druid Doric in Honor Among Thieves. She joins up with Chris Pine’s party of adventurers to fight a tyrannical ruler of the Kingdom of Neverwinter. Speaking with Indiewire, she said that she doesn’t know of any plans to make a sequel, but she hopes there is one, if for no other reason than she enjoyed working on the first movie. Lillis explained…

The fact that Honor Among Thieves wasn’t a more successful movie is almost shocking. The movie has over 90% approval from both fans and critics on Rotten Tomatoes, something that doesn’t happen all that often. Lillis herself says she talked to people who were maybe unsure of the film because they didn’t know Dungeons & Dragons the game, which is unfortunate since you really don’t need to know D&D at all to enjoy the movie.

Lillis says one of the things she liked about the film was that it works by itself, which is certainly true. No sequel is needed to make the first movie great. Having said that, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves ending leaves a door open to a sequel. The villain of the movie is defeated, but we learn they were ultimately the pawn of a bigger bad guy lurking in the shadows. The band of heroes also agrees to stay together and fight that bigger enemy if it ever appears. 

Honor Among Thieves made a little over $200 million worldwide on a reported $150 million budget. When adding in marketing and distribution costs, D&D clearly lost money, though how much is just short of impossible to know. Still, that doesn’t make a sequel impossible. A lot of people with a Paramount+ subscription do seem to be finding the movie, and if there’s a sense that the audience for a sequel may be much bigger than the original due to people finally discovering how great the movie is, it could absolutely happen.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was not the massive box office hit that Paramount and game developer Wizards of the Coast were probably hoping for. However, now that the movie can be easily viewed on Paramount+, a lot of new viewers are finding it and discovering that actually, as I said in our Dungeons & Dragons review, the movie is actually really good.

Most of the people just discovering the film are probably not serious Dungeons & Dragons players, so they probably have no idea that among serious gamers there’s a bit of controversy surrounding the movie because it technically violates the rules of the game. Let’s talk about the owlbear.

Why The Owlbear Technically Doesn’t Work In The Dungeons & Dragons Movie

Early in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves the group of heroes is building a party in an attempt to rob the vault at Neverwinter, and the hapless sorcerer Simon  (played by Justice Smith) suggests they recruit a druid he knows. They find Doric, (played by Sofia Lillis) in the woods battling soldiers of Forge, their old partner, and current antagonist. When we first see her, she’s actually in the form of a horse, then she transforms into the iconic owlbear, a massive animal the size of a grizzly bear but with feathers and the face of an owl, before making her escape as a human.

Most of the spells and abilities used in the Dungeons & Dragons movie are taken directly from the game, and this one is no different. Wild Shape is an ability that all druids have, players in the game gain this ability fairly quickly. At lower levels, druids can only turn into small creatures, and the more powerful they become, the larger the creature they can transform into.

However, this is where our problem comes in, the 5th Edition Player’s Handbook for Dungeons and Dragons states that Wild Shape allows Druids to transform into any beast they have ever seen before. The problem is that, despite the way it looks, an owlbear is not a beast, it’s a monstrosity. 

Another of the key books you need to play a game of Dungeons & Dragons is the Monster Manuel. This book lists (nearly) every possible living thing an adventuring party might come across on their quest, from basic animals like rats or wolves to the more exotic like djinns, and, of course, dragons. All of the creature's stats and abilities are listed, including the creature’s “type.” Beast is a specific creature type, so when the Wild Shape ability states that a Druid can transform into any beast, it means any creature of that specific type, and an owlbear doesn’t count.

This fact set off some players of D&D as far back as the first trailer for Honor Among Thieves because it showed the owlbear transformation scene. If the movie is supposed to be based on the game, then certainly it should abide by the rules of said game, right?

What The Honor Among Thieves Director Says About The Owlbear 

For what it’s worth, the filmmakers behind Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves did not make a “mistake” when they made the decision to let Doric transform into an owlbear. They were well aware that they were violating D&D rules with the decision. Speaking with IGN co-director and co-writer Jonathan Goldstein explained during the screenwriting process, which he shared with Michael Gillio and his co-director John Francis Daley, they did debate whether or not to make this change. Goldstein explained…

So why did they ultimately make the decision to change the rules here, when the movie largely follows the rulebook otherwise? In short, they thought it would look awesome in the movie. Goldstein continued… 

And to be fair, it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t look cool. The owlbear is certainly a unique animal. There’s nothing that looks quite like it, and the decision to have Doric transform into it allows the movie to include this iconic creature in a way that feels organic and certainly doesn’t seem out of place to anybody not intimately familiar with the rules of the game. One of the wonderful things about the film is that you don't need to know Dungeons & Dragons at all to enjoy the film.

Why The Owlbear Decision Makes The Movie More Like A Dungeons & Dragons Game, Even By Breaking The Rules

So in the final analysis the question becomes, does it matter? Does the decision of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves to violate the rules of the game it's based on somehow cheapen the movie or make it a poor adaptation of its source material? Not at all, in fact, in its own way, the decision to break the rules makes Honor Among Thieves even more like a D&D game.

I have played Dungeons & Dragons for years. I’ve been both a player and a Dungeon Master. The point of Dungeons & Dragons is to be fun for all involved, not to simply follow a set of rules. When a player wants to do something they could be capable of that would be awesome my inclination is to let them do it, unless it’s going to totally break something else in the game.

All the various rulebooks that make up Dungeons & Dragons the game are very clear that, at the end of the day, they all work at the will of the Dungeon Master. The person who has created the adventure for the players makes the final decision on everything and is entirely free to change rules as they see fit because the story is the thing that matters. The rules serve the story, not the other way around.

And that’s all that’s happening here. The idea that a Druid can transform into an owlbear may technically not follow the preexisting rules, but the story being told in Honor Among Thieves is a better story because Doric can do so, and so now she can. That’s all there is to it.

Timothy Olyphant is the talk of the town on television once again as people watch Justified: City Primeval. It's strange to imagine a world where the actor wasn't the face of the Justified franchise, but that was almost a reality thanks to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies. Olyphant recently talked about nearly scoring the role of Captain Kirk, but ultimately losing the gig to an up-and-coming actor named Chris Pine. 

The actor was a guest on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast and was asked about the time he auditioned for a role in Star Trek. Horowitz assumed that, given the actor's roles, he was in the running for Kirk right off the bat, but that was not the case. Timothy Olyphant recalled the story during the podcast and how he ended up losing his chance at playing Kirk to Chris Pine: 

There's about a 13-year age gap between Timothy Olyphant and Chris Pine, and as the actor said, J.J. Abrams wanted someone younger. Ultimately he went with Pine, who went on to become a hot star in Hollywood from that point onward. As for Olyphant, he's done quite well for himself, and it doesn't seem like he's sore about not getting to play Captain Kirk. Personally, though, I would've loved to see him as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, and think that would've been a great casting had it gone through. That role ended up going to Karl Urban.

Timothy Olyphant ultimately lost out on the Kirk job, but did get a chance to meet Chris Pine later down the line. It turns out he may also be someone who thinks he's the best "Chris" in Hollywood as he had nothing but positive things to say about the Star Trek actor. 

As mentioned, Timothy Olyphant is sitting back and watching the response to Justified: City Primeval, and Chris Pine is off doing his own thing as Star Trek 4 still struggles to see the light of day. The movie has faced numerous setbacks, but there's still optimism that it will happen at some point. Until then, fans continue to twiddle their thumbs and wonder if Paramount will ever take audiences back to the Kelvin timeline for more adventures. 

Consider this, though: there could've been a reality where it's 2023, we don't have Star Trek 4 and Olyphant is not the star of Justified. Thankfully though, he never played the Kelvin timeline's James Kirk, so we're only lacking one of those things at the moment! Both actors ultimately ended up where they should've been, though I do wonder what it would've been like seeing Olyphant's Kirk on the bridge. 

Those looking to revisit J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies can do so with a Paramount+ subscription. You won't find Timothy Olyphant in it, but maybe there's still time to get him on board for the next movie, assuming the latest attempt isn't too far along in development. 

It often feels like rom-coms are a dime a dozen, but the truth is that the best romantic comedies are ones built on several things. Fans of the genre enjoy snappy dialogue, inventive and/or realistic complications for the central couple, a swoon-worthy love story, and, of course, main characters portrayed by actors who have more than enough on-screen chemistry to make all of those pieces come together. 

What’s great about romantic comedies is that we’ve gotten more than enough couples like this over the past two plus decades, but some of them have either only partnered one time (which, granted, may be because their pairing is still relatively new), or haven’t been in a film together for many years now. So, let’s take a look at the (mostly) rom-com partners that we really think should make another movie together!

Meg Ryan And Tom Hanks

This duo probably feels like a no-brainer to you, and, well, it should! Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks have memorably joined forces for two rom-com hits, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, plus the 1990 cult favorite romantic comedy, Joe Versus the Volcano, so there’s no reason for them not to really round things out with a fourth film. I’d be down for a second chance romance where they learn to love again, wouldn’t you?

Diane Keaton And Keanu Reeves 

Yes, yes… Already I’m cheating here, but only a tiny bit. While the magnetic on-screen coupling of Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves wasn’t the main focus of Something’s Gotta Give, I have spent the past 20 years wishing they were. So, let's get these adorably crazy kids back together! They could play any kind of couple (bickering marrieds who are clearly still hot for each other, two folks who shouldn’t get together but can’t help themselves, etc.) and I’d be in the theater on opening night.

Lana Condor And Noah Centineo

Honestly, there might not be a cuter couple on this list. The dreamy teen romance movie pairing of Lana Condor and Noah Centineo was, obviously, gifted to everyone with a Netflix subscription in the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, and there’s a reason that so many people fell head over heels for them. These two sorta sparkle together on screen, and I’d love to see them reunite in a romance (or any comedy) that’s got more of an adult edge to it.

Alison Brie And Jason Sudeikis

We all adore it when a rom-com gives us something different, and 2015’s Sleeping with Other People does just that with its story of friends who openly acknowledge their sexual tension, but purposely avoid doing anything about it so as to not screw up what they have. Alison Brie and Ted Lasso cast lead Jason Sudeikis are amazing as the friends in question, and I’d love to see them bring their casual, but still sexy, chemistry to another film. 

Jenny Slate And Jake Lacy

A true pleasure of watching Obvious Child was seeing the relationship between Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy’s characters develop as she has trouble revealing that she’s getting an abortion several weeks after their one-night stand. They work great as a duo with a clear attraction that’s impeded by a secret, and we’d really appreciate it if we could watch him warm her butter and make her tea in a movie that sees them as fully coupled characters.

Constance Wu And Henry Golding

I cannot tell a lie; some of the reason for Constance Wu and Henry Golding making the list is simply because we are all dying for the Crazy Rich Asians sequel we’ve been promised for several years now. While we wait, I’m hoping we can at least get those two into another fun rom-com where he can bring his posh, suave energy to meet her adorably spunky, girl-next-door verve.

Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling

What’s not to love about Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, especially when they star opposite each other in a romantic story? They were sweet, sexy, bantery, and slightly goofy together in Crazy, Stupid, Love, then had all of that with more emotional depth in La La Land, and also had the same chemistry in Gangster Squad, but with an added veneer of danger. It’s been a rough few years; the world needs more of their exact thing, OK?

Kate Hudson And Matthew McConaughey

I know, I know! Matthew McConaughey doesn’t make rom-coms anymore, but that’s honestly no reason why he can’t re-team with Kate Hudson, 20 years after they first hit the screen together in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. The engaging push-and-pull of their romance in that film can easily be translated to, say, a movie where each is portraying a lawyer on the opposite side of a big murder case. There! Someone make that movie!

Queen Latifah And Common

Just Wright might not be the first movie you think of when it comes to Queen Latifah or romantic comedies, but it’s hard to deny that watching her play off of Common as they slowly go from not-quite-enemies to lovers was a genuine treat. Now all we need is the right vehicle for them so their individual easygoing charm can show us how well-matched they are on screen.

Jennifer Garner And Mark Ruffalo

There’s a reason that 13 Going On 30 is still so popular almost two decades later. That reason is Jennifer Garner’s joyful, weirdo energy as a teen suddenly transplanted to her adult life, sure, but it’s also how Mark Ruffalo calmly reconnects with the childhood friend he’d long ago lost touch with. They're just sweet together, OK? We saw them in The Adam Project. We need more!

Sandra Bullock And Channing Tatum

The luminous and hilarious pairing of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum was definitely not on my rom-com bingo card, but damn, it was a joy to behold once we got it. In The Lost City, they were perfect as a starchy and grieving romance novelist and her incredibly sweet but somewhat dim cover model who get caught in a life-or-death situation in the jungle, and all I can hope for is that we someday have a sequel to enjoy.

Billy Eichner And Luke Macfarlane

If an opposites attract energy is your thing, there’s no way for you not to enjoy the pairing of Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane. The Bros stars only just met up on screen in 2022, but we’d love to see them reunite in a rom-com that switches Eichner’s intense characterization and Macfarlane’s laid-back vibe around for additional laughs.

Meg Ryan And Hugh Jackman

Kate & Leopold is the rare romance where Meg Ryan’s character is less than sweet for much of the film, but watching her early ‘00s driven career woman begin to soften with the attentions of Hugh Jackman’s fancy man from the 1870s was a delight. Now if we can just get them to play off of one another when both are from the modern day, all will be right in the world.

Anne Hathaway And Chris Pine

We all know that The Princess Diaries 2 is so beloved that fans have wanted to bring the cast back for the now in development third movie for nearly 20 years, and part of that was because of the sweet, (sorta) slow burn love story between Anne Hathaway and Chris Pine’s characters. While everyone would love to see them as a long-married couple in a sequel, we’d also take them as, oh, I don’t know, bickering co-workers who can’t deny their attraction, so let’s stop stalling and get this coupling back on the big screen!

Julia Roberts And Hugh Grant

Look, I know that Hugh Grant is fully in his slimy villain era right now and is hilariously against even attempting rom-coms again. But! I think that makes the potential of this Notting Hill pairing coming back together even more appealing. Let him play a con-man who tricks Julia Roberts into falling in love, only to steal all her money and force her to track him down with a hilarious vengeance. I’d buy a ticket for that, OK?

Jennifer Lopez And George Clooney

Sure, sure. I’m cheating this entry a bit because, technically, Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney didn't star in a traditional rom-com together, but who among us can deny that they were HOT in Out of Sight? No one, that’s who! I say we get these two into a proper romantic comedy, but maybe one that’s not another Lopez wedding movie, just to switch things up.

Sanaa Lathan And Omar Epps 

Yes, this is another, more direct, fudging of this article’s concept, because Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps were a romantic drama pairing in Love & Basketball… but they were SO GOOD TOGETHER. Watching them play out a long-term path to eventual happiness was extremely satisfying, but maybe this time we can use that chemistry of theirs for a couple that has more good times than stressful ones.

Cristin Milioti And Andy Samberg

The chances that Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg will strike time loop movie gold again after Palm Springs is incredibly unlikely, and we wouldn’t want them to try. Instead, why not let these two portray criminals on the run for separate crimes who accidentally cross paths and fall in love while they’re on the lam? They can give us that same adorably wacky enthusiasm that we all loved the first time around that way!

Kristen Stewart And Aubrey Plaza

If you saw Happiest Season, then you saw the undeniable spark between Kristen Stewart and Aubrey Plaza as their characters (Who weren’t even dating!) dealt with a lot of toxicity during Christmastime. They managed to genuinely bond (and look great doing it) over their similar relationship trauma, so I say we go ahead and give these two an even bubblier romantic comedy where they can actually freakin’ end up as a couple! 

Gemma Chan And Harry Shum Jr. 

Obviously, we didn’t get a real romance between the characters played by Gemma Chan and Harry Shum Jr. in Crazy Rich Asians, but the movie sure did set up the promise of fulfilling the epic love story that was a part of Kevin Kwan’s novel trilogy. Fans got a very brief scene of them looking all cute and dreamy with each other and dancing during the mid-credits scene, so hear me now: WE NEED THAT ASTRID AND CHARLIE SPINOFF, ASAP!

Issa Rae And Kumail Nanjiani

It may be hard to cast two people who have perfect romantic chemistry, but it could be even harder to find a duo who can portray the first glorious blush of falling in love, that same couple once they’ve begun to fall apart, and then play them as they start to get closer… because they’re on the run after being accused of murder. Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are those people, and we’ve been wanting them back on screen since The Lovebirds to do something just as crazy and rom-commy again.

Reese Witherspoon And Josh Lucas

If you’re looking for a bickering duo who are hot together no matter what, that’s Sweet Home Alabama’s Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas, for sure. I’m sure they’d be great doing anything on screen, but also doubt anyone would mind if they paired for a story that would let them fight (and fight through) their attraction until they finally admit their feelings for each other.

Rachel McAdams And Domhnall Gleeson

You know what’s coming, right? After being apart for a decade, it’s About Time that Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson join forces again to bring fans another lovey dovey couple, and we don’t even care what the set up is!

Sarah Hyland And Tyler James Williams

Never has it been more enjoyable to watch a woman who’s not sure about the whole marriage thing date a man who’s very much ready for a long-term commitment than in The Wedding Year, and that was because of the well-matched chemistry/comedic energy of Sarah Hyland and Tyler James Williams. I think these two would be fantastic in an action/adventure rom-com like The Lost City!

Kristen Bell And Dustin Milligan 

Though Kristen Bell and Dustin Milligan starred in The People We Hate at the Wedding, which was more of a straight ahead comedy, they had a definite romantic comedy storyline and played off of each other beautifully. I’m imagining a cinematic rematch for them that involves both of their characters being messy and a bit angry this time, and I think they’ll be a delight to watch once again.

Vivian Oparah And David Jonsson

Even though Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson are a very new rom-com pairing, as their starring vehicle, Rye Lane, debuted in early 2023, there’s no doubting the fizzy joy one gets from watching their characters meet cute and end up slowly becoming attracted to each other over the course of one eventful day. These two can do anything together next, but I don’t think anyone would mind a sequel where we get to see this romance progress!

If nothing else, while we wait to see if these rom-com partners get back together on the big screen, we can all at least go back and enjoy the amazing films they’ve already given us!

While Wonder Woman fans are still sad about Wonder Woman 3 being scrapped, they got an unexpected mini-reunion as Chris Pine and director Patty Jenkins joined the picket line for the ongoing writers’ strike. However, the Wonder Woman duo reportedly didn’t come empty-handed as they reportedly provided snacks as a sign of support for striking TV and film writers.

The Pine-Jenkins sighting came courtesy of veteran TV writer and WGA strike captain Jonterri Gadson. She revealed on her Twitter account that Chris Pine and Patty Jenkins brought some empanadas for those marching on the picket line. Despite many Hollywood writers putting down their pens in protest, the A Black Lady Sketch Show writer couldn’t help but get a good pun to express her gratitude for the Hollywood A-listers’ presence. Check out her punny tweet below.

Gadson proved why she’s one of Hollywood’s most sought-after writers. This is what audiences might miss when the TV season starts this Fall. Seeing Chris Pine in the flesh seemed to throw her for a loop. Being the butt of the joke probably didn’t ruffle the Dungeons and Dragons star’s feathers as he’s down for a good laugh at his expense, including being the internet’s boyfriend.

While it was a nice twist on Pine’s name, she seemed to miss a great opportunity to use Jenkins in some way. However, it could’ve been hard to fit the Wonder Woman director’s name into the traditional Mexican food. The TV writer even called herself out by mentioning how starstruck she was to see Patty Jenkins as well.

As seen in Gadson’s protest photo, Chris Pine and Patty Jenkins weren’t just there to provide picketers food. Both A-listers were dressed casually in jeans, T-shirts, and comfortable shoes to join the growing number of protesters on the picket line. They even had their picket signs ready to go.

On the other hand, it was nice to see some members of the Screen Actors Guild and Directors Guild of America show their solidarity in TV and film writers’ efforts for better conditions and benefits. Multiple TV and film stars have come out to support the organization by picketing with the writers and bringing them food.

Neither Pine’s nor Jenkins’ support should be surprising as the former wrote his upcoming directorial debut Poolman, for which the latter serves as a producer. The film is one of many productions currently on hold as negotiations between Hollywood honchos and writers stay at a standstill. So, the two Hollywood heavyweights are behind the writers all the way.

It is unclear when Chris Pine’s first feature-length film will resume shooting. In the meantime, you can revisit Pine’s Steve Trevor in Patty Jenkin’s two Wonder Woman films by getting an HBO Max subscription. After watching both films, check their other collaboration, I Am the Night, through an active Hulu subscription.

Updated with video.

Jarnathan-related spoilers for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves are ahead. If you haven’t seen the fantasy film, or want to relive the fantastical adventure, you can purchase the movie digitally. 

One of the reasons Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is such a fun film for both D&D fans and newcomers alike is the plethora of incredibly unique creatures that live within the world of the Forgotten Realms. Of these fun creatures, Jarnathan the aarakocra, a massive bird, has become one of the beloved characters in the D&D universe. Now, one of the movie’s, co-directors, John Francis Daley is opening up about his feelings about the giant bird who sits on the prison council, explaining that he “didn’t expect” the lovable character to make it into the movie. 

When the fantasy film Dungeons and Dragons made its debut on the 2023 movie schedule, many fans immediately fell in love with Jarnathan, the bird who only appears in the first and last scenes of the movie. Videos about him went viral on TikTok, and the directors posted many behind-the-scenes clips showing how they created the fan-favorite character practically. Since the bird was such a massive project for the movie, it cost a lot of money to make, and was a very silly idea, Daley told CinemaBlend that he was actually quite surprised the studio allowed them to keep Jarnathan. He said:

I think it’s safe to say that for just about anyone who has seen this movie, they’d agree that Jarnathan is a real highlight, and we’re all also thrilled the studio approved of the bird. Even though he's only in the movie for a few minutes, those moments are outrageous and intensely creative, and so many fell in love with him and the silly nature of the prison escape he unwillingly took part in. Even though it’s a small scene it's pivotal, and many fans fell in love with Jarnathan and his kind demeanor, like TTRPGuy who posted this viral TikTok:

The comments underneath this video reiterate the immense love for this big bird, as fans noted Jarnathan feels like “a throwaway side character that the players become overly attached to” during a campaign. There was also a lot of love for the silly name Jarnathan, and how the energy we get from this character captures the vibe of a real D&D game. 

Overall, Dungeons and Dragons has received great reviews, and audiences have had a blast entering this fantastical world. While the D&D cast is magnificent and the action is incredible, what really makes this such a fun movie is all the unique creatures, characters, and D&D Easter eggs that help immerse you into this unique realm that includes an amazing giant bird named Jarnathan. 

Up until a new Marvel movie that people will be checking out this weekend, my favorite movie of 2023 was, without question, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. I simply couldn’t remember the last time I had so much fun in a movie theater. I loved everything about it, and I wasn’t the only one. Most critics loved the new Dungeons & Dragons movie, and most audiences that went to see it did as well. But there is one big problem: the audience that has actually seen it wasn’t nearly big enough.

Considering how strong the word of mouth was at release, I was actually a bit surprised when I discovered that, despite being out in theaters for over a month, Honor Among Thieves hasn’t even broken the $200 million mark at the global box office. It’s just short of that number, and with the film still technically in theaters, it could still break it. But even then, a $200 million box office run is frustrating for a movie that was so good and had so much more to offer with potential Honor Among Thieves sequels that we likely now won’t see.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Box Office Will Make A Sequel Tough

In comparison to the rest of the 2023 new movie releases so far, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves has done, well, OK. It’s the number five movie worldwide and still in the top 10 domestically, but when you look at things in an absolute sense, the picture changes drastically. With an estimated budget of $150 million before marketing, the movie is far from even hitting the break-even point, which is absolutely astounding for a movie that has such a positive response from those that have seen it.

Honor Among Thieves has a 90% critics score and a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. In a place where audiences tell critics they are out of touch and critics scream into a void regarding movies audiences don’t care about, everybody who has seen this movie seems to be in agreement that it's worth seeing.

But a $200 million box office haul does not a franchise make. Honor Among Thieves has made less than half of what Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has brought in, and that movie has been met with a lot of mixed-negative reviews. Even if the new D&D movie ultimately proves profitable, it’s not looking like it will do well enough to convince anybody that the world needs more of it.

Honor Among Thieves Is One Of The Most Accessible Blockbusters In Years

It’s certainly true that it's tough these days for any movie to get made unless it has some sort of popular IP attached to it. Audiences lament that it seems that every movie is a remake or a reboot or based on a comic book, and we frequently hear calls for more original concepts. Well, that’s the dirty little secret of Dungeons & Dragons: it has a title that implies a connection to a larger media franchise, but it’s all used in the service of a completely original story.

I have to assume that one of the reasons that Honor Among Thieves didn’t become an overnight smash is the fact that it had Dungeons & Dragons in its title. It’s a name that a lot of people know, but one that not nearly as many of them directly understand. This may have resulted in an audience that felt the movie was ”not for them” because they didn’t understand D&D.

While it’s perhaps understandable that people could react that way, it’s incredibly frustrating because it's clear the Honor Among Thieves filmmakers went the extra mile to make sure the movie was available to everybody. D&D, by its very nature, is actually a game about creating any story you want, so there’s no lore or history that becomes required to figure out the movie. If anything about D&D is potentially confusing, it's the mechanics of playing the game, which aren't featured in the film in any way.

Honor Among Thieves doesn't actually require any Dungeons & Dragons knowledge. It is a straightforward fantasy adventure with heroes, villains, magic and monsters. If you can understand those concepts, you’re ready to kick back and enjoy an incredibly fun, funny, exciting and surprisingly heartfelt adventure.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Is Going To Be “Discovered” On Paramount+

Not every great movie was a box office hit. That was true when people found movies later on cable TV and VHS, and it’s still the case today. I feel pretty confident that the same thing will happen when Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves arrives on Paramount+. We don’t know exactly when that will be, but with the theatrical release wrapping up, it could just be a few weeks away.

People are going to open their Paramount+ subscriptions, see the movie and recognize it as something that looked like it might have been fun when they saw the trailer online, and then finally give it a try. We will then find social media full of people who are shocked this movie didn’t do better because it’s actually a lot of fun, and they can’t believe nobody told them it was good! (Spoiler: everybody told them it was good).

If this happens enough, it could potentially relaunch the prospects of Dungeons & Dragons as a franchise. Something similar happened when Encanto went viral on Disney+ after having a fairly mediocre theatrical run. It now seems all but certain we will get more Encanto content from Disney in one form or another, but it seems likely that D&D will need a similar grassroots response to have any chance of future life.

I’ll certainly be holding out hope. I'll be beating the drum for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves as the best movie of the year that you probably haven’t seen until you see it and are forced to admit that I’m right. The movie is still in theaters, so you have a chance to help reverse this terrible situation if you hurry up and do it soon. 

2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, a company known for animated musicals, female protagonists, and wishing on stars. And so, it's fitting that this year’s production from Walt Disney Animation Studios will be an animated musical about a girl who wishes on a star. And it also appears to have something that has been largely lacking from many more recent Disney animated movies, a good old-fashioned Disney villain, voiced by Chris Pine.

Of all of the upcoming Disney movies, this is perhaps the most exciting. The first teaser for Wish is here and it introduces us to a land called Rosas and King Magnifico, voiced by Chris Pine. He tells us this is a land where wishes can come true. He sounds quite majestic and noble at first, but then we discover that not all is as it seems, as he wants all the wishes in the land.

We also meet Asha, voiced by Ariana DeBose, who wishes on a star, and is gifted with Star, who, among other things, gives her pet goat Valentino the voice of Alan Tudyk, who has spent most of his recent Disney appearances making animal noises. 

There's certainly a lot of detail about the main plot missing in this first trailer, that's usually the case with Disney teaser trailers, but everything that we do have here looks and sounds incredible. The animation style has a more traditional two-dimensional look, like Disney movies of old, and that's wonderful to see.

Also like classic Disney films, this movie appears to have an actual villain. Most recent Disney animated films have had their heroes battle against circumstances and personal challenges, and there's nothing wrong with that, some of those movies have been incredible. But Disney has a history of creating some of the most memorable bad guys in movie history and it will be fun to see a modern take on it. Chris Pine doesn't usually play the bad guy, but maybe that's why he seems so perfect, as King Magnifico doesn't seem to be outwardly seen that way, his motives are likely secret from his kingdom.

We also get our first tease of the music in the new musical. The song playing over the end is called "The Wish" and it's sung by DeBose and written by Julia Michaels and Benjamin Rice. I certainly want to hear the rest of it, so the trailer has done its job as far as that goes.

Wish will have something of a challenge ahead of it, as Disney Animation has been struggling at the box office of late. Last year's Strange World bombed pretty hard, and even Encanto, while the film eventually became a viral sensation, only found its audience when it was released on Disney+ after having a lukewarm run in theaters. 

But Wish looks like it ticks all the boxes of just the sort of movie that fans of Disney animation could possibly want. The only problem now is that we have several months we have to wait before the movie hits theaters.

D&D fans may be rushing to the theaters to see the new movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, but there is also likely a large group of people flocking to the medieval heist movie simply to admire the internet's boyfriends Chris Pine and Regé-Jean Page as well. The internet just can’t get enough of them, and it turns out, these two co-stars know it, and love it. So as fans go to admire the two beautiful men in the action-packed movie, Pine and Page are relishing the fact that they've been declared the “internet’s boyfriend,” and even troll each other over it.

Audiences are bound to go gaga over Chris Pine and Regé-Jean Page in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves as they give smoldering looks to the camera and face off against humongous monsters. So, while promoting the movie, The Princess Diaries 2 star jokingly told People that he and his Dungeons & Dragons co-star are very much aware of their role as the “internet’s boyfriend.”

I can only imagine Chris Pine and Regé-Jean Page laughing their heads off at all the creative ways the internet has expressed their undying love for them. Ever since Pine’s film debut in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, he’s had plenty of fans posting about his handsome looks and even tweeting about his penis after going “full Monty” in Outlaw King. Shameless these fans are, aren’t they? 

Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page is also not one to be oblivious to the internet fawning over him. He shared with People that the internet is “well-wooed.”

I’m sure the internet is appreciative of these hypothetical flowers as they continue to have hearts in their eyes and dazed smiles on their faces. 

Regé-Jean Page became Bridgerton’s breakout star when the regency-era Netflix series debuted. Unfortunately, this actor and his exceedingly good looks would not appear on the show again as it was revealed he would not be returning as Simon Basset and stuck to his guns on his decision to leave the series knowing his character’s arc was only meant to last a season. On the other hand, the odds of the 34-year-old actor becoming the next James Bond have become very high due to him being such a fan favorite in the Shonda Rhimes series. But, with this English actor’s film career taking off, he’s said being the next 007 is the farthest thing from his mind right now.

Along with audiences starring at the two actors with heart eyes, Pine and Page also have massive respect for each other. They complimented each other's work ethic, and good looks. However, they also had to do a bit of trolling at the same time, with Pine telling his co-star that "what is infuriating is he's also very funny." So, while the love and appreciation is real, it's always fun when a healthy dose of good-natured shade is thrown into the mix.

Being the “internet’s boyfriend” is a role that Dungeons and Dragon’s Chris Pine and Regé-Jean Page don’t plan on turning down anytime soon, and they seem to have a blast soaking up all the online love. So as long as fans are there to swoon, these two attractive stars will be there for the swooning audience. 

Watch the 2023 movie release of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves in theaters now. 

If there’s one thing that reviews of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves would seem to generally agree upon, it’s that the movie is a lot of fun. There’s plenty of humor to be found in the film, which is actually one of the ways that the D&D movie best represents its source material; the actual games tend to get quite silly now and then. It’s a very different tone than would have been attached to the game decades ago, considering there were people who thought the game was satanic.

Dungeons & Dragons has been around since 1974, but it is probably more popular now than it ever has been. Part of the reason for that may lie in the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980s, where a couple of high-profile incidents resulted in a stigma that the game was driving its players into literal Satan worship. Interestingly, the panic is apparently far enough in the past that actors in the new D&D movie weren’t even aware of it. Chris Pine was clearly surprised when speaking to Yahoo about the fear around the game. He explained…

As Pine points out, it always seems that there is something that parents are afraid is corrupting the minds of children. At various points, it’s been rap music, heavy metal music, first-person shooter video games, or just video games in general. But Chris Pine, being born in 1980, is just a tad too young to remember this as it was all happening while he was a baby.

For her part, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves co-star Michelle Rodriguez at least understands where this perspective comes from. She grew up in a strongly religious household and so seeing attempts to suppress something that is seen as going against religious principal’s doesn’t surprise her. She says…

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, there were a couple of incidents where kids who played Dungeons & Dragons committed suicide. While it’s understood now that those teens had mental health issues, at the time many rushed to blame the game. It was claimed that D&D introduced children to the occult and that magic spells and curses placed on characters in the games were seen as real by the players. There was even a 1982 made-for-TV movie, starring a young Tom Hanks, called Mazes and Monsters, based on a novel, about a young man who begins to lose his grip on reality after playing a D&D-like game.

Of course, for those of us that have actually played Dungeons & Dragons, such a response to the game seems wild. Pine himself, who was introduced to D&D as part of coming on board the film, knows firsthand what playing the game is really like, he continues…

Anybody who has ever come up with an intricate plan in a D&D game, only to have it completely fall apart, knows just how much laughing there can be around the table. It’s certainly good that this stigma didn’t last long. A lot of people have found community around the game, and now we all get to go to the theater together and enjoy a movie based on the game because so many people have embraced it.

Chris Pine is an incredibly versatile actor who’s played a variety of roles across his career, from a flirty young royal in The Princess Diaries 2 to the shady head of an organization in Don’t Worry Darling. Most might agree, however, that Pine is truly at his best when he’s playing dashing and adventurous characters. He does just that in his latest movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which sees him play smooth-talking bard Egdin Darvis. Though the actor has developed his own style, he has been influenced by some of the greats, and he totally blew the mind of his co-star, Michelle Rodriguez, when he revealed how an Indiana Jones scene influenced his D&D work. 

The latest cinematic take on the Dungeons & Dragons mythos seeks to effectively capture the essence of the beloved tabletop game on which it’s based. Reviews for Honor Among Thieves suggest that it does so quite well. Though even if you’re not familiar with the franchise, you'll likely be drawn to its classic blockbuster trappings. Chris Pine – who’s done his fair share of big-budget fare – is aware of what kind of movie this is. And while discussing the production with CinemaBlend, he explained just why he relishes these types of flicks: 

When it comes to the great actors that have graced the silver screen, Harrison Ford definitely stands as one of the most iconic. He’s delivered numerous memorable performances during his illustrious career. THough Ford shines in all sorts of films, he’s truly endeared himself to the masses through his turns in revered action/adventure features like Star Wars and Blade Runner. The Indiana Jones movies are, of course, amongst his most beloved cinematic outings and, if you’ve seen them, it’s not hard to understand why. Considering his body of work, it totally tracks that Chris Pine would be a fan of the series, and I probably would’ve geeked out like Michelle Rodriguez after learning about the combat-related Indy scene that inspired him:

Chris Pine: You know Edgin is very much of an archetypal type of hero, he’s Mr. Positive most of the time. And you know, I always come back to the moment of like, where [Indiana Jones] is faced with a guy that’s doing all sorts of fancy knife work, and then he shoots ‘em. It’s akin to that, you know?
Michelle Rodriguez: Oh dude, I totally see the Indiana now! Ah, I’m not gonna get that out of my head. That’s awesome.

Few movie scenes are as memorable as Indy’s brief standoff in Raiders of the Lost Ark, which sees the professor and archaeologist shoot a brute that prepares to take him on with a sword. And that’s only one of the great moments that Harrison Ford (under the direction of Steven Spielberg) played out as Jones. More could be on the way, too, as Harrison Ford is set to reprise the role of Dr. Jones one final time in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. 

While Indiana and Edgin face very different circumstances in their respective movies, they do possess some similarities. They’re both charming, they can get themselves out of tough situations and understand the value of having allies. Harrison Ford and Chris Pine’s characters definitely represent an archetype that we’ve seen for years now. And the latter certainly does a fine job of portraying it in this newest D&D installment. 

Check out Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves in theaters now, and take a look at CinemaBlend’s schedule of 2023 new movie releases for info on other big films arriving this year. Those feeling nostalgic for Indiana Jones can also stream the first four movies using a Paramount+ subscription.

When it comes to the Hollywood Chrises discourse, my allegiances have long aligned with Mr. Chris Pine. The man helped revitalize Star Trek with his amazing Captain Kirk, was an A+ love interest for Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and proved to be an all-around movie star with his career decisions over the years. I mean, we have a singing Spider-Man thanks to him and he’a sure to be a great bard in the Dungeons & Dragons movie. Somehow I forget I’ve been watching his movies just about all my life, starting with Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which I recently rewatched for the first time in forever. 

So, when I was in kindergarten, I got invited to see the first Princess Diaries movie during a friends’ birthday party, where us kids were taken to the El Capitan in Los Angeles to see it. It was the fanciest experience to me of all time. Little me was awestruck by seeing the costumes in person before seeing Mary Poppins’ Julie Andrews play opposite newcomer Anne Hathaway in a story about an everyday teen who learns she is a princess. As someone who was really big into Disney Princesses at the time, seeing a non-animated young girl in contemporary times becoming a princess was the best thing ever. Three years later came the sequel, 2004’s Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which I watched a ton as a kid, but recently revisited with some friends. We were living for it, and here are some of my thoughts about it now. 

I Can’t Believe This Was Chris Pine’s First Movie!?!? Iconic!

Nearly 20 years later, everyone knows Chris Pine’s name, but what I didn’t realize off the top of my head is that Princess Diaries 2 was actually Chris Pine’s first movie ever. Pine was 24 when the movie came out and while, on its own, it didn’t make him as famous as he would become a few years later with Star Trek, he certainly became the man of many young girl’s dreams with this early role. And you know what? I still get it. 

It’s honestly a slam dunk of a first role for Pine, as it introduced his lasting charm to the world. Not to mention the man got to act against eventual Oscar winner Anne Hathaway, the incomparable Julie Andrews and work with Pretty Woman director Garry Marshall with his first go on the big screen. He won and we won. 

The Hair… I Need To Talk About Nicholas’ Hair

The first thing that caught my attention is how big and puffy Pine’s hair is in the Princess Diaries sequel. The actor has certainly gone through a ton of hairstyles over the years, but I wouldn’t say that Nicholas Devereaux has the best one. It’s kind of glorious and makes sense for his character, but my goodness. Pine was actually asked about being down for Princess Diaries 3 while promoting Dungeons & Dragons recently, and he said he would be into it, but would be keeping his “helmet very close” in regards to his hair cut. So, even he knows what I’m talking about. 

Also, His Accent Is Weird But He’s Somehow Still Very Charming

In the sequel, Pine plays Lord Devereaux, the next male heir to the throne of Genovia who threatens Mia’s coronation, as she must obey a law to marry before she can become queen. Pine is from Los Angeles, so I get he couldn’t use his own accent to play a Lord of a nondescript European country, but what’s up with his accent? It’s just, like, “prince voice.” But while I find it weird, the guy still manages to sell it. Pine just has it I guess? 

It’s Really The Enemies-To-Lovers Of It All That Got Us Good

Now that I’m in my twenties and have become a huge film fan who has watched a ton of classic romantic comedies and reevaluated a few favorite Disney movies of my childhood, part of me thought rewatching Princess Diaries 2 would be a painful experience, but honestly, it still has a hold on me. Sure, there are a few comedic bits that are corny and meant for a younger audience, but the moments between Mia and Nicholas are a great use of the enemies-to-lovers trope that you can’t help but be enraptured by. 

The fountain kiss after they say how much they “loathe” each other? The part when he throws rocks at her window and they dance in the park at night to Norah Jones’ “Love Me Tender”...Excuse me? This movie knew what it was doing, and did it well.  

Its Ending Was Very Empowering For 2004 

Also, rather than Mia simply realizing she’s falling in love with Nicholas and marrying him, rather than Andew Jacoby (who wasn't a bad second choice for her, not going to lie), she decides to take action to abolish the law where women like her have to be married before becoming queen. By the end of the movie, she decides she’s simply not ready to get married yet, but is ready to rule. While Disney movies were starting to improve their messages at the time, I still find that storyline to be a great message about not letting outside pressure make you do something your heart is not into. 

10/10 would show this movie to the next generation. 

Julie Andrews Is The Most Charming Of Them All

While Pine is incredible alongside Hathaway in Princess Diaries 2, Julie Andrews absolutely steals the movie, especially with her sweet, second chance romance with Hector Elizondo ‘s Joe throughout the sequel. On top of the movie being empowering for Mia, it forwards the story of her grandma by showing that it’s never too late to fall in love and defy tradition. Andrews has so many great scenes throughout, but her being in those blue pajamas singing “Your Crowning Glory” with Raven Symoné is an all-time great movie moment from my childhood. 

I Want, But Don’t Need, Princess Diaries 3

This brings me to all this talk of a Princess Diaries 3, which has been coming and going for years, including word that a writer has been hired to pen a new movie for the franchise. Hathaway has shared that she’s passionate about making it happen, whilst Andrews is less optimistic. After rewatching the sequel, part of me wants to see an older Mia and Nicholas, perhaps after being married for sometime, and see much of this magnificent cast come together again. But another part of me is totally fine with leaving it be, especially knowing the late Garry Marshall was a major element in making these movies as magical as they are. 

You can watch Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement with a Disney+ subscription and see Chris Pine in Dungeons & Dragons, in theaters on March 31. 

The following contains spoilers for the end of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fantastically fun movie, one that nearly perfectly balances the adventure of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with…the frequent silliness of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. It’s one of the most fun times I’ve had at the movies in a while and based on the Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves ending, there’s a chance we’ll all be able to have more fun with this series before too long.

Honor Among Thieves certainly leaves itself open for a potential sequel, which is exactly what you’d expect from a movie like this, franchise possibilities had to be part of the initial conversation. While the film’s box office will ultimately determine what happens with that, I’m certainly ready for the potential future D&D movies, not just with sequels to this story, but the countless other stories that could be told. 

How Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Ends

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves sets our team of heroic adventurers against a red wizard named Sofina. She’s revealed to be the true power behind the throne of Forge (Hugh Grant), the acting Lord of Neverwinter. And while Forge is only after riches, Sofina is looking to use an ancient magical artifact to convert the people of the city into an army of the undead that will serve her master, Szass Tam.

In the end, Edgin, Holga, and their friends win out. Simon the Sorcerer is able to counteract the spell that got the best of him previously, and Doric the Druid goes all Hulk Smash on Sofina in owlbear form. We’re not sure she's completely dead, she was undead, to begin with, but after that beating, she probably wishes she could die again. Forge goes to prison, where one assumes we’ll find him if a future sequel needs him. 

Holga very nearly dies, she is played by Michelle Rodriguez after all, so of course she does. In fact, she actually does die, but death isn’t always the end in D&D.  Edgin uses the resurrection magic he’d wanted for his deceased wife in order to save his friend who had been with him through so much. Edgin and his daughter are back together. Simon and Doric are going to give their own relationship another try. 

How Honor Among Thieves Sets Up A Sequel

While the primary and secondary villains of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves are dealt with -- with one of them dead and the other in prison -- the movie is still sure to leave the door open for that potential sequel. It’s made clear in the final moments of the film that while Sofina is dead, Szass Tam, the lich ruler of Thay that she served, is still very much alive.

The adventuring party agrees that if Szass Tam does become a problem in the future, they will still be there to fight him, setting up a potential sequel that would continue the events of this story. There’s still a villain out there to be fought, which gives us an easy opening for a new adventure.

And there’s also Forge to be potentially dealt with. While he ends the movie in prison, we already see him trying to escape once, and so the possibility of him eventually succeeding is also there. He’s likely not a major threat on his own, he was only dangerous before because of Sofina’s power, but if he does get out, the possibility of joining forces with someone, or something, else has to be considered.

Dungeons & Dragons Could Become A Cinematic Universe

If Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves does well enough at the box office then we can be all but assured that another movie will get the green light and all the main stars of this movie will be back. It seems likely that they'd all have the option for a sequel in their contracts. However, there’s even more potential for the future of Dungeons & Dragons as a film franchise because it’s the sort of property that could easily be turned into a cinematic universe. Not only could we get sequels to the movie we have, but numerous spinoff stories, and, dare I say it, a multiverse.

The beauty of Dungeons and Dragons as a brand is that the tabletop role-playing game is, by design, an open-ended platform for the creation of unique and original stories. There are countless campaign books developed over the last 50 years that tell specific stories, but even they are designed to give the players the freedom to tell that story their own way within the adventure.

Even within this movie, we had the character of Xenk played by Rege-Jean Page. He wasn't a main member of the cast and his character sees the least development. In the language of D&D, he's an NPC, but there's no reason he couldn't become the leader of his own party in a future movie that has little, if anything, to do with Honor Among Thieves.

Not only that, but Dungeons & Dragons has created multiple planes of existence for stories to be created. Honor Among Thieves takes place around the city of Neverwinter, on the continent of Faerûn on a planet called Toril. As that implies, there are literal other worlds within this galaxy, never mind other locations in the same world, where future Dungeons & Dragons films could be set. They can all take equal inspiration from the game, but because of the very different worlds that are available, they can be very different movies. 

Part of the beauty of Honor Among Thieves was that the movie held tightly to the spirit of Dungeons and Dragons by not basing itself on any previously known events or story and simply creating its own adventure using the core components of the game. And this process can be used again and again to make more movies.

While I’m all for seeing more movies with the Honor Among Thieves cast, they’re fantastic, we can also see entirely different adventuring parties go on completely unrelated adventures. Some of them can have races of people, locations, and creatures that are entirely unique from the others. 

The cast and filmmakers behind the “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” movie, including Chris Pine (Edgin), Regé-Jean Page (Xenk), Michelle Rodriguez (Holga), Justice Smith (Simon), Sophia Lillis (Doric), John Francis Daley (Writer/Director/Executive Producer), and Jonathan Goldstein (Writer/Director/Executive Producer) join CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell to nerd out about the fantasy adventure. Watch as they discuss, delivering a DnD movie fans can be proud of, learning all of the game’s jargon, and… a “Fast and Furious” crossover?!

Video Chapters

00:00 - Intro
00:14 - The ‘DnD’ Filmmakers Discuss Celebrity Cameos And Staying True To The Game
01:23 - Regé-Jean Page and Justice Smith On The Fun Of Delivering The Most ‘Jargon’ In The Film
03:29 - Chris Pine Compares ‘DnD: Honor Among Thieves’ To ‘Indiana Jones’ And Harrison Ford
04:46 - Would Michelle Rodriguez Do A ‘DnD’/'Fast and Furious' Crossover?
05:31 - ‘DnD’s' Filmmakers Break Down The Incredible VFX We’ll Get To See
06:53 - Regé-Jean Page Talks How Playing DnD Translates To His Acting Career
08:05 - Outro

It’s hard to believe, but it's been over two decades since The Princess Diaries was released in theaters and nearly just as long since the sequel, Royal Engagement, followed in its footsteps. Fans of the beloved and charming Disney modern-day fairytale of the early ’00s have been clamoring for a third Diaries installment for years, and recently, one was announced. However, when it comes to the upcoming Disney movie, there's a question of which stars will return. Now, one of the franchise’s actors, Chris Pine, has given fans a glimmer of hope. It turns out he is interested in returning for the threequel, yet he'd apparently like one request to be met before he signs a deal.

Chris Pine famously played Mia Thermopolis' (Anne Hathaway) love interest, Nicholas Devereaux, in the 2004 sequel, which arguably helped establish him as a heartthrob at the time. The star was walking the red carpet at the premiere of his new action-adventure comedy, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, in Los Angeles on Sunday when he spoke with ET about the prospects of joining another sequel in the Diaries franchise. He enthusiastically indicated that he is ready to go and hinted that the ball is in Disney's court:

However, he A-lister admits that if he is part of a sequel soon, he has one request. He thinks his character’s hairstyle might need updating from the gloriously tall 2004 style he sported in his first outing. When jokingly asked by the interviewer whether or not Nicholas would still have hair that was “11 feet tall”, the Star Trek star comically responded that he thinks this time around, they will be keeping his “helmet very close.” 

While fans have been eager for news on the third film, plot details, and casting information have been kept hush-hush. However, what we do know is that Scorpion and Supergirl writer Aadrita Mukerji has been hired to pen a new Princess Diaries movie for Walt Disney Studios. Reportedly, Anne Hathaway has yet to sign on to the project, and Julie Andrews told People back in December it was unlikely she would  make a comeback for a third movie. Still, according to sources close to the project, the script is being written to entice both actresses to return. Maybe Chris Pine's interest, albeit with the request of a new “do,” could help the producers draw the other actors to the production.

The key reason The Princess Diaries story has not continued in some capacity up until now is likely due to the death of the original two films’ director, Garry Marshall, back in 2016. The news of Marshall’s passing hit fans a bit harder as the filmmaker was supposedly working on something tied to the franchise just a few months before his passing. During an April 2016 interview, Marshall opened up about what he was working on regarding the story of Queen Mia.

Whether or not the threequel finally materializes and can bring back the original cast is yet to be seen. But either way, the franchise will always hold a special place in the hearts of fans. With its heartwarming story and beloved characters, it has become a classic of the romantic comedy genre. We may return to Genovia sooner than later, but one thing is for sure. If the movie happens, Chris Pine will be sporting a much cleaner look. Until there is more news regarding a third movie, fans will have to settle for watching the originals, which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription. 

Also, Chris Pine can be seen next starring in his latest movie, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves, when it finally opens as part of the 2023 new movie release schedule on March 31.