Movies are an artifact of the time in which they are made. It can be somewhat jarring to watch a movie today that relies on landline telephones or doesn’t include the existence of the internet. However, a recent viral social media post has people discussing something else that has changed drastically over the years: child car seat laws.

A pair of Twitter posts has both gone viral recently regarding Disney’s 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. The first brought attention to what it called a “plot hole” that a viewer's kids were blown away by, a very young Lindsay Lohan sitting in the front seat of a car while talking to her on-screen dad, Dennis Quaid. A second tweet that has blown up on its own didn’t seem to understand what the issue was.

There are different issues at hand here, and it’s likely that both have led to the second tweet going viral. One group of fans assumed the post didn’t understand why a 12-year-old sitting in the front seat of the car was a problem, leading to many people discussing the fact that in most states today, it wouldn’t be legal for this child to be sitting there, though that certainly wasn’t the case three decades ago. Comments included…

• It is no longer legal for 12-year-olds to do that. - @hulsey_ryan
• in real life they would both get arrested - @TheGreatErenan
• Because before society got overly protective for no reason, kids could sit in the front seat. Fuck I use to ride in my grandfather's pickup in the late 80s with no seatbelt. - @Syphermce
• It was 1998. They didn’t have laws we have now. Kids can’t understand that - @ZombieGoddessxi

While laws regarding where and how kids can sit in cars vary by state, many, including California where this scene in The Parent Trap takes place, set a height limit of 4’ 9” before kids can sit in the front seat of a car. While finding Lohan’s height when she filmed The Parent Trap is a bit tough right now, considering the actress is 5’5” today, it’s certainly possible she was under that limit when this scene was shot.

But as many commenters point out, while it might be a bit wild to watch this scene today because of modern laws, it certainly wasn’t against the law when the movie was made for Lohan to be sitting in the front seat of a car. Beyond that, even if it was illegal, that still doesn’t make it a “plot hole.”

A plot hole is a gap or contradiction in a story based on the internal rules of the world. A dad putting his daughter in the front seat isn’t a plot hole, even if it happens to be a bad idea. Characters are allowed to make decisions antithetical to good sense and the law. Real people do all the time.

That said, if this conversation gets enough traction and if The Parent Trap 2 ever happens, I fully expect we'll get a scene that references this issue in the same way the Beauty and the Beast remake addressed every "plot hole" in that movie.

Back in 2018, I Can Only Imagine became a huge box office surprise, inspiring audiences much in the same way as the MercyMe song of the same name that the film was based on. It not only became one of the most successful faith-based films of all time, but one of the highest-grossing music biopics as well. However, that’s not where Bart Millard’s story ended, and critics are weighing in on I Can Only Imagine 2 as it hits the 2026 movie release calendar.

Much of the original cast returns for I Can Only Imagine 2, including John Michael Finley, Trace Adkins and Dennis Quaid. Milo Ventimiglia joins the group as singer-songwriter Tim Timmons. The sequel sees the creation of another MercyMe hit as the band faces health issues, parenting struggles and trauma. Mike Laxton of Today’s Christian Entertainment praises the sequel for portraying the band in a “new season of influence, responsibility, and growth.” His review of I Can Only Imagine 2 reads:

Pete Hammond of Deadline says Milo Ventimiglia is “completely authentic” here, while Trace Adkins provides much-needed humor and Sammy Dell is perfectly cast as Bart’s son Sam Millard. This film is definitely marketed toward Christians, but its messages of hope and love feel welcome and necessary for everyone in these dark times, Hammond says, writing:

Kelsey Kramer McGinnis of Christianity Today says I Can Only Imagine 2 had the opportunity to explore what it’s like for musicians after writing a megahit, knowing they may never again produce anything that reaches the same level of acclaim. For Christian artists, that’s even trickier as they balance material success with their faith. Instead, this movie leans on the same tropes as other movies about religion, as well as audiences’ enduring love for the song “I Can Only Imagine.” The critic writes:

Frank Scheck of THR says the upcoming music biopic struggles to find a compelling narrative, choosing to retread the trauma Bart experienced with his father. Also, with Sam being old enough to be responsible for his own health, his diabetes crisis plot also fails to evoke much sympathy from audience members, Scheck says, continuing:

Alonso Duralde of The Film Verdict says directors Andrew Erwin and Brent McCorkle find themselves in the same bind as their movie’s protagonist in trying to figure out how to move forward after a big hit. In the end they fail to rekindle the heartfelt musical drama of the first movie, making the sequel feel unnecessary. Duralde writes:

If you're a fan of MercyMe or just think this sounds like a good way to spend a couple of hours, I Can Only Imagine hits theaters on Friday, February 20.

You know what time period I love in film history? The early 2000s. And, it's mostly because I think a lot of the movies were completely unhinged. One of my favorite unhinged movies is the 2006 American Idol satire film, American Dreamz, starring Mandy Moore, Hugh Grant, and a bunch of other noteworthy actors.

I’ve already discussed my love for the Crank series, and it must be remembered that the early 2000s was also the reign of Uwe Boll (who once beat up his critics. I'm dead serious).

What's interesting about American Dreamz, though, is that upon its release, it took a critical drubbing, which you likely wouldn't expect from a movie that also stars the likes of Willem Dafoe, Dennis Quaid, and Marcia Gay Harden. So, why do I love it then? Well, you're about to find out.

This Movie Came Out During The Bush Years And It Feels It

Do you know what I like to call the early 2000s? The 24 years. Not only is it one of my favorite TV shows of all time, but I think it also perfectly encapsulates that post 9/11 time period, where it seemed like everybody was focused on “the War on Terror.” In this era, terrorists were the bad guys. And, while most movies and TV shows took this seriously, there were a few that lampooned the current events (Like Team America: World Police).

Going back to Uwe Boll, in 2007, we got a video game movie from him that you might not have even heard of called Postal, and it actually begins with a 9/11 joke. Obviously, the movie is in poor taste, but it's one of the few films that dared to poke fun at something that was relatively recent, and American Dreamz pokes fun, too, though a lot more effectively.

In a nutshell, the film is about a talent show called American Dreamz, which is a parody of American Idol. Hugh Grant plays the host, Martin “Tweedy” Tweed, and even though he isn’t as prickly as Simon Cowell, you know that that’s who he’s taking inspiration from. American Idol is still around, of course, but I think it was at its peak in the early 2000s, and this film perfectly captures that mania.

That said, this film ALSO tackles the terrorism side of the early 2000s, which might be why people weren’t in love with this film at the time, since it’s like two different movies. However, that’s why I love it! But first, let me talk about the reality TV/talent show component.

This Movie Both Loves And Hates Reality TV In Equal Amounts

Reality TV has been around at least since the late 1940s when Candid Camera jumped from radio to TV, but it came back into major prominence in the ‘90s with The Real World, and then exploded in 2000 with Survivor. Since then, the whole concept of “reality” television has kind of been shown to be a farce. The actual “reality” side is often staged, and even though it’s often cheaper than producing scripted television, that doesn’t mean that reality TV isn’t also somewhat scripted, and this movie delves into that.

Mandy Moore plays a wannabe superstar, and she sees being on American Dreamz as her chance at stardom. When a film crew comes to her house to let her know that she’s been selected, she runs outside screaming and yelling, but is then told to do it over again since they weren’t filming at the time, to which she obliges, going even more over the top. This is obviously a dig at the whole nature of “reality” television, and the movie takes several more digs at it.

That said, you also kind of get a sense that the director/screenwriter, Paul Weitz, actually appreciates the whole ersatz nature of the medium. Even though people are getting absorbed by the stories of the contestants, you also kind of feel like Weitz finds something charming in a nation glued to their screens and united in something as silly as a talent show.

In fact, it’s the talent show that brings both Americans and jihadists (Yes, you heard that right) together in the end, which I’ll get into next.

A Key Plot Point In This Comedy Involves Sleeper Cells. I'm Serious

Okay, so while you have the whole reality TV/talent show aspect of the film, you also have the political side, as Dennis Quaid plays the President of the United States. Quaid is obviously a stand-in for Dubya, and he really plays up the caricature. Anyway, America is at war with the Middle East, and a character named Omer (Sam Golzari) loses his mother to an American attack.

Serious stuff, right? Well, yes, but not in this movie. Because Omer just so happens to love show tunes, so even though he joined a jihadist outfit that wants to scream death to America, he’s also too clumsy and awkward to be a proper terrorist. However, with the outreach for new talent for American Dreamz, the jihadists see their chance to blow up a lot of people during a taping of the show. And, with the President now being enlisted as a new judge, what better time than now to strap a bomb onto Omer?

Didn’t I tell you this movie was unhinged? But it goes further. Because Chris Klein (who once starred in the worst movie I’ve ever seen in my entire life) plays the boyfriend of one of the contestants, and even though he gets dumped, their relationship plays into the narrative that American Dreamz is trying to push.

That said, once he gets jilted again, he straps on a bomb, ending this movie on a kaboom. I’m telling you. This movie is crazy!

Luckily, The Cast Is All Game For The Lunacy

Even though the film didn’t do well at the box office, and it wasn’t a hit with critics, it sure does have a pretty stacked cast.

As mentioned in the intro, some of the big names that star in this film are Dennis Quaid, Willem Dafoe as the Chief of Staff, Mandy Moore as the singer, Sally Kendoo, Jennifer Coolidge (who played Stiffler’s mom in Weitz’s American Pie and now plays Mandy Moore’s mom in this film) Chris Klein as Kendoo’s boyfriend, Marcia Gay Harden as the First Lady, and Hugh Grant as the host.

And the thing is, they’re all game for the film. This is a really goofy movie, and all of the actors are just as goofy. I think Dafoe might be one of my favorites, as he’s constantly trying to clean up the president’s messes. He plays an understated, yet very larger-than-life performance.

In fact, this movie kind of makes me think of another satirical film I love, Don’t Look Up, in that it shows people with all the power in the world being utterly inept at their jobs. Nobody comes out of this film looking like a brainiac, and it’s all the better for it.

So, in the end, American Dreamz is honestly a hidden gem from the early 2000s. And, even though it’s pretty dated by today’s standards, it’s still a pretty funny time capsule if you remember this era.

It’s been a treat for many fans to see Lindsay Lohan reprise her role as Anna Coleman alongside Jamie Lee Curtis when the sequel Freakier Friday hit the 2025 movie calendar. The follow-up to the 2003 flick became the “#1 comedy in America” upon its release, which naturally got people thinking about revisiting other LiLo movies. The Parent Trap from 1998 remains a much-beloved title, but should a sequel even be an option without Natasha Richardson? Lisa Ann Walter weighed in.

Lisa Ann Walter is well-known these days for her role on Abbott Elementary, but even her colleagues on the ABC sitcom remember her as Chessy from The Parent Trap. Speaking to People recently, the actress seemed into the idea of reviving the role, but she said Natasha Richardson’s death would have to be acknowledged thoughtfully, and other members of the cast might not be as into the idea. Walter said:

It would definitely be a difficult topic to broach, and Dennis Quaid — who played Nick, the father of twins Annie and Hallie — should definitely have a say in whether or not to continue the Parker-James story without Natasha Richardson — who played their mother, Elizabeth. Lisa Ann Walter is probably right, though, in that there’s likely a gentle and honorable way to do it. “If Nancy Meyers wrote it,” Walter said, she’d definitely be in.

Natasha Richardson died tragically in 2009 after falling and hitting her head during a skiing lesson. She thought she was OK but hours later developed a severe headache. She was airlifted from Quebec to a hospital in New York City, where she died two days later from a brain bleed.

It sounds like if a Parent Trap reboot or sequel were to happen, everyone involved — assuming Dennis Quaid and Lindsay Lohan would be on board — would want to treat the late actress’ memory as delicately as possible. As for if it should happen or will happen, we’ll have to wait and see.

This certainly isn’t the first time Lisa Ann Walter has discussed such a project. She even pitched an idea for The Parent Trap 2 that (not surprisingly) included a redemption arc for Meredith Blake — the supposedly evil would-be stepmother to Lindsay Lohan’s twins. In real life Walter is best friends with Elaine Hendrix, who played the villain in question and, when you really think about it, maybe Meredith wasn’t as bad as we originally thought.

I’ll be excited to see if any talks develop as far as furthering Annie and Hallie’s story (or Chessy and Martin’s, which was another idea from Lisa Ann Walter). In the meantime, though, the 1998 classic is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription or as part of a Disney bundle.

Voted to be CinemaBlend's favorite movie of 2024 (and my personal favorite of last year as well), writer/director Coralie Fargeat's The Substance is a body horror masterpiece that is chock full of absolutely disgusting sequences – but it's impressive that arguably the grossest of all is the scene where Dennis Quaid's Harvey is in a restaurant scarfing down shrimp. The way that the camera gets all up in his mouth as he chows down instantly turns your stomach. As sick as it is to see on screen, however, the actor had a blast filming it and enjoying a nice seafood meal.

This morning, Dennis Quaid was featured on Today talking about a bunch of his upcoming projects, but the interviewer made time in the conversation to specifically ask about his work on The Substance and the infamous shrimp eating scene. According to Quaid, he knew exactly how great the moment in the film would be as he was shooting it, and he was very happy to keep eating the sauce-covered crustaceans take after take:

For my money, there are few "how the sausage gets made" aspects of Hollywood that are as gross as the spit bucket: a friend to actors who don't want to make themselves sick performing take after take and angle after angle of a scene where their character is eating. That being said, I feel like Dennis Quaid throwing five pounds of shrimp in the making of The Substance may actually be even grosser.

I like eating shrimp, but there is definitely a point where too much is too much. That's apparently not a point of view that is shared by the star of Frequency and Far From Heaven. In his words,

I can understand if some of you are feeling some rumble in your guts after reading this, but I will say this: I will definitely think about Dennis Quaid eating three to five pounds of shrimp the next time that I watch The Substance, and I have a feeling that it will only enhance my appreciation for the nastiness of the moment in the extremely gnarly film.

If you're feeling up to testing my hypothesis yourself, the Oscar-winning film for Best Makeup and Hairstyling is available to stream right now – all you need is a Mubi add-on subscription on Amazon Prime Video (which is available with a seven-day free trial). For all of you physical media fans, The Substance is also available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray.

What are you doing on New Year’s Eve? It’s the popular question of the evening, and one that horror fans have easily answered thanks to one of the buzziest 2024 movies. Sure, you could watch Ryan Seacrest’s 20th time hosting Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve celebration, but I love the internet’s idea for how to start 2025. With The Substance.

While it's a movie that’s just about too bizarre to recommend, The Substance was also named the best movie of the year by CinemaBlend. Twitter is talking about watching the movie this New Year’s Eve, thanks to a pivotal scene that occurs on the last evening of the year.

The final scene of The Substance, that is still giving me legit nightmares, has the main character Elisabeth Sparkle hosting her own New Year’s Eve broadcast at the same time as she’s having a horrific reaction to a drug she’s been taking. Here’s when fans recommend turning on the film for the ultimate experience:

The Substance follows Demi Moore as a famous actress who is kicked off her long-running aerobics TV show on the day of her 50th birthday. After getting into an accident, she is referred to an off-market drug called The Substance that will allow her to live life as her younger self every two weeks. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a bloody, queasy good time that also has so much to say about how detrimental the lack of self love can be on someone, especially when they let all the unrealistic societal expectations of beauty take over.

Considering most of us usually start the new year having “lose weight”, “eat healthier” or “exercise more” on our resolutions (seriously, Statista found 51 percent of U.S. adults penciled one of those in), The Substance is actually a genius movie to ring in the new year. Literally, if you're not careful. Plus, it starts the year with a unique bang…

With 2025 almost here, there’s a ton of upcoming horror movies we’re excited for, but it’s really going to be tough to top what’s going on with The Substance. Given these social media responses, it sounds like the movie starring Demi Moore could go down in history as a twisted New Year’s Eve tradition for some.

If you’re looking to start your 2025 with a body horror bloodbath, you can stream with a Mubi subscription (which is offering 7 days free) or rent/buy it on Amazon. Happy New Year! Enjoy sparkling your life with this absolutely unhinged NYE pick should you dare to.

Spoiler Warning: There are some meaty spoilers for The Substance below. Please turn back if you’ve yet to watch the movie or have a weak stomach.

I’m not the biggest fan of body horror films, but when I kept hearing that The Substance was one of the best and most unforgettable releases on the 2024 movie schedule, I said “What the Hell” and gave it a watch. And let me tell ya, I LOVED Coralie Fargeat’s satirical horror film and everything about Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley’s outstanding, Oscar-worthy performances. I won't be surprised if this makes it on our Best Horror Movies ranking in time.

The body horror was amazing in all the best ways, the satirical tone of the film was biting, to say the least, and the story about a woman going to great lengths to prevent her fading star from going out entirely all resonated with me. And while there are some truly grotesque and stomach-churning moments throughout one of the best horror movies in a long time, there’s one scene that disgusted me the most.

Do you know what it is? Come along and find out…

The Substance's Body Horror Had Me Sqirming In My Seat With My Hands Covering My Eyes

I should have taken the advice of one of my colleagues when they said we were not prepared for The Substance shortly before its release, because they were right and I was not ready for what was about to go down. And as others on the site have pointed out since then, some scenes will give you legit nightmares if they don’t make you lose your lunch first.

Multiple scenes involving both Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) and her younger double Sue (Margaret Qualley) had me squirming in my seat with hands covering my eyes like I was a three-year-old watching the It miniseries for the first time. All those visuals of infected wounds, the buckets of bloody messes of flesh and gore, and that bonkers final act had me both queasy and glad to be watching this before dinner, and not after..

But The Scene Where Harvey Is Devouring Shrimp Made Me Want To Barf

However, no scene in The Substance made me feel as gross or upset as the lunch sequence early on where Dennis Quaid’s Harvey, an absolute scene-stealer in all the best and worst ways, nonchalantly informs Elisabeth that she’s no longer needed after turning 50 years old.

The way Quaid’s hyperactive, sleazy, and hideous antagonistic TV executive rips, tears, chews, and slurps his way through a plate of shrimp (why so much butter?) while talking about audiences loving seeing someone fart on screen before beating around the bush is disgusting on so many levels. And then he just leaves Elisabeth with this mess when he abruptly jumps from the table after fumbling over his words. Yet the shrimp remains...remain.

I honestly love shrimp more than just about anything edible, and I have a habit of eating so much of those little crustaceans to the point of making myself sick. But that's the good kind of sick, and I may have to lay off the little suckers after watching this sequence of terrible events play out.

In Addition To Being Truly Disgusting, The Sloppy Lunch Scene Is One Of The Most Important Scenes

After watching The Substance, I stumbled upon a clip from the Toronto International Film Festival premiere where Demi Moore called the shrimp scene “the most violent of the movie,” and you know, I have to agree with her. Sure, we don’t see bodies coming out of other bodies, or buckets of blood, or anyone getting hurt (at least not physically), but because of what it represents.

The shrimp scene pretty much lets you know how the rest of the movie is going to go: the male-dominated entertainment industry takes its stars, chews them up, spits them out, and then moves on without a proper explanation or goodbye or anything. Instead, those on the receiving end are left with a big, greasy, disgusting mess (and most likely the bill). If not for this terrible lunch meeting, I don’t know how the rest of the movie would have played out.

Now that I’ve finally digested the shrimp scene and the rest of The Substance, I think I can finally move on from Coralie Fargeat’s rare body horror experience. But with more than a few promising upcoming horror movies, I think the next stomach-churning experience is right around the corner.

The list of Taylor Sheridan’s shows feels like it's neverending, and the so the Rolodex of famous actors he’s also gotten into said series also feels infinite. From Kevin Costner’s role as John Dutton in the game-changing Yellowstone to Zoë Saldaña and Jeremy Renner’s turns in shows from Sheridan that aren’t about the Dutton family, the group of actors he’s gathered for these projects is staggering. 

Kevin Costner - Yellowstone 

Kevin Costner is kind of the man who started it all. At the time, he was the most famous person in the Yellowstone cast, and for five seasons he played the patriarch of the modern Dutton family, John Dutton. While he did leave Taylor Sheridan’s flagship western after the first half of Season 5, there’s no denying how much this character gave to the show and his career. 

Sam Elliott - 1883 

Some of Sam Elliott’s best movies, like Tombstone, are Westerns. And while Elliott has dabbled in television, there’s no doubt 1883 is a standout moment in his career. He joined Sheridan’s show as Shea Brennan, a Union Civil War veteran who agrees to take a group of immigrants West. He leads the group of pioneers on a journey from Texas to Montana, and Elliott gives a standout performance as the no-nonsense yet emotionally complex leader of the caravan. 

Harrison Ford - 1923 

Harrison Ford had never led a TV show until 2022 when he starred in 1923 as Jacob Dutton. While he’s known and beloved for playing Indiana Jones and Han Solo in film franchises, the Yellowstone prequel series was a fantastic turn in his career as he reunited with Helen Mirren, and led the spectacular cast of 1923. 

Zoë Saldaña - Lioness 

There are so many actors on this list who we likely never thought we’d see leading a TV series because they’re big movie stars. Well, if you’ve seen the Avatar movies or the Marvel movies in order, you’re aware that Zoë Saldaña has been busy for years between those and other projects. However, she joined the cast of Lioness in 2023 Joe, a CIA operative. 

Helen Mirren -1923 

Cara Dutton is one of the leaders of the Dutton household, and Helen Mirren plays her perfectly. She’s a confident Irish woman who knows how to run her household, and she and her husband Jacob are a perfect pair. Part of the reason why is Mirren and Harrison Ford are an excellent couple is they came back together for this project after working together on The Mosquito Coast in 1986. 

Tim McGraw - 1883 

When you think of Tim McGraw, country music is likely the first thing that comes to mind. However, he’s also a great actor, and 1883 proved that as he led the series as James Dutton, the man who moved his family from Tennessee to Montana to the ranch that is known today as The Yellowstone. McGraw played the character – alongside his wife Faith Hill who plays Margaret Dutton – for the first time in Yellowstone, and then after that, he signed on to make this miniseries about the Dutton’s big move. 

Kelly Reilly -Yellowstone 

Kelly Reilly was an established character actor before this, but Yellowstone made her a star. Her turn as Beth Dutton is magnificent, and watching her spar with Wes Bentley’s Jamie Dutton and fall in love with Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler are two of the reasons why she’s one of the major highlights of Taylor Sheridan’s flagship series. 

Billy Bob Thornton- 1883 

If you want to see the power of Taylor Sheridan and his casts, look no further than the fact that he got Billy Bob Thornton to make a cameo as Marshal Jim Courtright in Episode 2 of 1883. After that, he went on to sign up to lead Sheridan’s show Landman. However, the television journey within this Paramount universe began on the Yellowstone prequel.  

Jeremy Renner - Mayor Of Kingstown 

After starring in Taylor Sheridan’s film Wind River, Jeremy Renner collaborated with him again by joining the cast of his and Hugh Dillon’s show Mayor of Kingstown. The Avengers actor plays the titular Mayor, Mike McLusky, and he helps broker power between law enforcement, the prison and the power players in the town.  

Cole Hauser - Yellowstone 

Rip Wheeler was branded with the Y when he was young, and he’s given it to many ranch hands who live and work on the Yellowstone. While he’s not a Dutton by blood (though he is by law since he married Beth), he’s arguably one of the most loyal members of the family. Cole Hauser is the man behind this beloved character. While he had roles in big movies like Good Will Hunting, Dazed and Confused and 2 Fast 2 Furious, this part is arguably what made him a star.  

Faith Hill - 1883 

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have been married since 1996, and in 1883 they played the married couple Margaret and James Dutton. Hill is best known for her music and she had a few minor acting roles earlier in her career. However, this Yellowstone prequel was her first leading role, and she killed it as the surefire, tough and loving pioneer and mother.  

Tom Hanks - 1883 

You’ll probably do a double take when you see Tom Hanks as General George Meade in Episode 2 of 1883. The iconic actor appeared in a flashback that showed Tim McGraw’s character fighting in the Civil War. While we know him for starring in massive movies like Saving Private Ryan and Sleepless in Seattle, in this Taylor Sheridan show, he played a small yet impactful part in this sweeping story.  

David Oyelowo - Lawmen: Bass Reeves 

From The Butler and Selma, David Oyelowo is a formidable actor known best for his roles in these historic dramas. In 2023, he joined Sheridan’s series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, to play the titular man who was the first Black deputy U.S. Marshall. 

Wes Bentley - Yellowstone 

Jamie Dutton is a fascinating character. He’s not a cowboy like his brothers, and he’s always butting heads with his sister Beth. His story is complex and driven by his confusion about his place in his family. Wes Bentley plays this complex and often villainous character so well, and it’s a great addition to his already impressive career that includes films like American Beauty and The Hunger Games.  

Rita Wilson - 1883 

In Episode 6 of 1883, Rita Wilson appears to play a shop owner named Carol. Both she and her husband Tom Hanks had small cameos in this Yellowstone miniseries, and it goes to show how many incredibly famous and talented actors and singers will show up for these shows, even for a small part. 

Shea Whigham - Lawmen: Bass Reeves 

Colonel George Reeves was the Confederate army leader who cheated Bass Reeves out of his freedom. He’s played by Shea Whigham, a fantastic character actor who is known for his roles in TV shows like Perry Mason, Boardwalk Empire and more. It’s also worth mentioning that Lawmen isn’t the first time he’s worked with Sheridan as he had a role in Sicario: Day of the Soldado, which the Yellowstone creator wrote. 

Luke Grimes - Yellowstone 

Much like his on-screen siblings played by Kelly Reilly and Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes had a solid career before Yellowstone. However, his turn as Kayce Dutton made him a household name. Also, on top of his successful acting career, which involves this massive modern Western, he’s a country singer, and his music has been featured in Taylor Sheridan’s show.  

Nicole Kidman - Lioness 

Nicole Kidman plays CIA senior supervisor Kaitlyn Meade in Lioness. Before this, she made an impact in the TV space through the HBO hit Big Little Lies. She also starred in the shows The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers before signing on to be part of Taylor Sheridan’s political thriller that airs on Paramount+. 

Sylvester Stallone - Tulsa King 

Other than a few cameos and guest spots here and there, Sylvester Stallone hasn’t really done TV in a big way. However, that changed when he signed on to play Dwight "The General" Manfredi in Taylor Sheridan’s gangster drama Tulsa King. 

Will Patton - Yellowstone 

If you haven’t watched Yellowstone, be warned, there’s a major spoiler ahead! You’ve been warned.

One of the big reveals in Yellowstone came when Jamie found out that John Dutton wasn’t his biological father, and he was adopted. In Seasons 3 and 4, Wes Bentley’s character reconnected with his birth father, Garrett Randall, and he’s played by Will Patton, who is also known for movies like Remember the Titans and Armageddon.  

Morgan Freeman - Lioness 

Of course, Morgan Freeman plays a powerful character in Lioness. The actor with the most illustrious career and seriously iconic voice, joined the Taylor Sheridan show to play Secretary of State Edwin Mullins. 

Dennis Quaid - Lawmen: Bass Reeves 

In Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Dennis Quaid plays Sherrill Lynn. He is one of the series regulars, and like the titular character, he’s a deputy U.S. Marshall. 

Josh Holloway - Yellowstone 

Typically, in a Yellowstone show, one of the Dutton's adversaries is some sort of outsider who is trying to take their land. In Season 3, that guy was named Roarke, and Lost’s Josh Holloway played him. 

Aidan Gillen - Mayor Of Kingstown 

You know and likely love to hate Aidan Gillen as Littlefinger in Game of Thrones. I guarantee you’ll also know and love to hate him as the evil Milo in Mayor of Kingstown too. 

Michael Kelly - Lioness 

Michael Kelly is well known for his roles in action-packed and political thrillers like House of Cards and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. So, his joining Lioness to play the CIA’s deputy director Byron Westfield feels very fitting.  

Donald Sutherland - Lawmen: Bass Reeves 

The late great Donald Sutherland’s final role was as Judge Parker in Lawmen: Bass Reeves. From M*A*S*H to The Hunger Games to Pride and Prejudice, and so much more, his career was truly legendary and he capped it off with this Taylor Sheridan show. 

Josh Lucas - Yellowstone 

When you think of John Dutton, Kevin Costner is understandably probably the first person you think of. However, he’s not the only actor who plays the Yellowstone’s patriarch. In flashbacks, he’s portrayed by Josh Lucas, an actor who is also known for his parts in films like Sweet Home Alabama and Ford v. Ferrari. 

Graham Greene - 1883 

In the finale of 1883, Graham Greene plays Spotted Eagle, a Native American leader who helps guide James Dutton toward what will become his home in Montana. Before this, Greene worked with Sheridan on the film Wind River, and he has a history with other members of the Yellowstone cast as he performed alongside Kevin Costner on Dances with Wolves. 

Jacki Weaver - Yellowstone 

Jacki Weaver – an actress known for her roles in films like Silver Linings Playbook and Animal Kingdom – joined Yellowstone in Season 4 as Caroline Warner. She’s one of the folks who works at Market Equities, and she’s trying to obtain part of the Dutton’s ranch to build an airport.

Jerome Flynn -1923 

Jerome Flynn is best known for playing Bronn – a killer and cynical mercenary – on Game of Thrones. In 1923, he plays Banner Creighton, a rancher who gets into a partnership with a businessman who is trying to take the Dutton’s ranch. 

Andrea Savage - Tulsa King 

You likely know Andrea Savage as a comedic actress because of her roles in shows like I’m Sorry, Episodes and Veep. However, she turned into the dramatic genre and showed off a different side of her range by playing Stacy Beale in Tulsa King. 

Neal McDonough - Yellowstone

You can always count on Neal McDonough to play a really good bad guy. He did it in DC’s Arrowverse as Damien Darhk. He did it in Justified as Robert Quarles. Of course, he did it in Yellowstone too, as he played one of Season 2’s antagonists, Malcolm Beck. 

Overall, the list of performers who have worked on one of Taylor Sheridan’s many shows is overwhelming and growing. From A-listers to legendary character actors, many have said yes to working on these series, and that will likely keep happening as the super producer and writer continues to create. 

When it comes to upcoming horror movies, one of this year’s best may be hitting theaters this weekend, with Demi Moore’s body horror flick The Substance causing quite a stir amongst critics since its premiere at Cannes. The actress bares it all in the movie, but Moore says it’s not about the nudity. In fact, The Substance’s trailer seems to show that we’re in for a sexy and disturbing masterpiece of sorts. But what are the critics saying? The experts are weighing in ahead of the film’s September 20 release on the 2024 movie calendar, so let’s allow them to tell us what we’re in for.

Starring alongside Demi Moore is Margaret Qualley, as the women play two sides of the same aerobics instructor. Moore is a recently fired 50-year-old named Elisabeth Sparkle, who begins injecting herself with a serum to create a younger, more perfect version of herself called Sue (Qualley). Obviously things won’t go as expected, but no need to spoil any plot here. Let’s get to the critics, with our own Eric Eisenberg saying in the CinemaBlend review of The Substance that this “engrossing, horrifying, hilarious and wild” experience is a must-see for anyone who can stomach it. He gives it a perfect 5 out of 5 stars and writes:

James Mottram of GamesRadar gives the film 4 out of 5 stars, saying that Demi Moore, specifically, shines in what is possibly a career-best performance with plenty to say and “fountains” of blood. In Mottram’s words:

David Ehrlich of IndieWire has all the adjectives when describing this “go-until-you-gag epic,” saying that anyone with the stomach to sit through this “audacious, insanely gross” movie will enjoy one the most sickly entertaining theatrical experiences of the year. The critic gives it an A-, and continues:

Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic also calls it one of the best movies of the year, as he lauds Demi Moore’s fearless performance and writer/director Coralie Fargeat's accomplishment in making something that’s “hard to watch, impossible to turn away from.” The critic rates it 4.5 out of 5 stars, writing:

Meanwhile, Slate’s Dana Stevens went into The Substance game for the feminist horror and commentary on aging and beauty. However, after the 140-minute runtime, Stevens seemingly felt beaten over the head with the same message over and over in increasingly raunchy fashion. In the critic’s words:

The majority of the feedback has been positive, as The Substance is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a current 89% from nearly 150 critics’ opinions. Love it or hate it, this movie seems bound to be a talker, and if you want to be a part of that conversation, check this one out when it hits theaters Friday, September 20.

Even the biggest and brightest stars of Hollywood have movies that they’d rather not mention being a part of in polite company. And the list you’re about to read has some of the most infamous examples of those types of projects making silver screen history…just not in the way one would have expected.

Tom Hanks - The Bonfire Of The Vanities

While we’ve seen Tom Hanks’ comments on why The Bonfire of the Vanities didn’t work, the movie’s infamy as a box office dud is something he probably doesn’t address all that often. And who could blame him, as the public considered America’s Dad to be the worst casting choice to lead a satire about the amorality of late ‘80s/early ‘90s stockbrokers.

Jamie Lee Curtis - Virus

The film adaptation of Dark Horse Comics’ Virus is uncompromisingly bad, no matter if you’re familiar with the book or not. But the most entertaining thing to come out of it was the fact that star Jamie Lee Curtis has taken every chance to roast this picture with the most cutting of remarks. It’s truly one of the best cases of entertainers who have trashed their own movies.

Michael Caine - Jaws: The Revenge

This is an example of using class and wit to politely stuff a movie like Jaws: The Revenge into the trash bin of life. Actor Michael Caine’s remarks about never seeing the film, but loving its payday, is something that always hits like the best line at a cocktail party celebrating the movies we love to loathe.

Emily Blunt - Gulliver’s Travels

History almost gave us an Iron Man 2 with Emily Blunt playing the role of Black Widow. And then contractual obligations forced Ms. Blunt to pass, in favor of starring in the Jack Black vehicle Gulliver’s Travels. So yeah, maybe it’s best not to mention this one to this star of A Quiet Place, no matter how much you think she might laugh.

Dennis Quaid - Jaws 3-D

All legendary actors have the gigs that make them, and the ones that they took so early in their career that they’d rather not think about them. Dennis Quaid’s role in Jaws 3-D more than likely falls into the latter bucket, as it’s one of the two Jaws sequels that failed to make the cut with even the franchise’s most devoted fans.

Viola Davis - The Help

Academy Award winner Viola Davis scored a nomination for her role in Tate Taylor’s film adaptation of The Help. Despite her performance’s excellence, Davis still maintains her opinion of regretting having taken part in the movie’s production, and the resulting product. 

Bill Murray - Garfield

No cinematic icon is immune to trickery, especially a trickster like Bill Murray. With his infamous Garfield casting story seeing the comedy legend mistake the movie’s writer for one of the Coen Bros, you can kind of see why he’d use his Zombieland cameo in 2009 to poke fun at the film being his only life’s regret.

Mariah Carey - Glitter

Glitter wasn’t enough of a disaster to kill Mariah Carey’s acting career, and to her credit, she went on to deliver some amazing performances in films like Lee Daniels’ Precious. But whoo-boy, does this musical drama still sting to think about from time to time? 

Elijah Wood - North

While there’s an interesting selection of beloved films Roger Ebert absolutely hated, North is one of the flops that the legendary film critic rightfully roasted. Though it definitely wasn’t Elijah Wood’s fault, it’s probably best if you don’t approach him about this one without some sort of care. 

Jennifer Lopez - Gigli

As a legendary turkey in the world of infamously bad movies, even Gigli’s director Martin Brest has pointed thoughts about that epic fail. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s colossal dud of a rom-com has more than earned its place on the bad side of history, and one could bet that even its mere mention would inspire the most withering side eye from J.Lo herself. 

George Clooney - Batman & Robin

If there’s a constant in George Clooney’s career as an entertainer, it’s his regret over Batman and Robin. Stepping in after Val Kilmer bolted on Joel Schumacher’s second Gotham-based tentpole, you can bet the ER heartthrob wishes he could use a time machine to go back and prevent this experience from ever happening. 

Renee Zellweger - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

Out of the Oscar-winning pair of Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, it’s a safe bet that Ms. Zellweger would be the one who’d want to keep Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation off the table of discussion. Then again, she might be a bit more relaxed on the subject since so much time has passed. 

Robert Downey Jr. - The Shaggy Dog

Early on in his mid-Aughts comeback, Robert Downey Jr. diversified his acting portfolio with everything from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang to Good Night, and Good Luck. And mixed in with the lot was his role as the antagonist in Tim Allen’s remake of The Shaggy Dog. Downey would probably talk about the movie if asked, but one has to wonder what he’d say? 

Emma Watson - The Circle

For someone like Emma Watson, an actor who chooses their projects with a level of mindfulness and message in mind, The Circle must have seemed like a good choice. But the eventual public reaction to the film may have caused the Harry Potter vet to think twice even before approaching source material with names as storied as author Dave Eggers and director James Ponsoldt attached. 

Eddie Murphy - The Adventures of Pluto Nash

The Adventures of Pluto Naash is a habitual punching bag when folks choose to talk about the most infamous disasters in movie history. And thanks to that distinction, even the very open Eddie Murphy wouldn’t be mistaken for keeping this sci-fi/comedy flameout away from the conversation. 

Lucy Liu - Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever is an infamous movie without even taking into account that it somehow managed to snag the star power of Lucy Liu into its clutches. Admittedly, so few people remember this one that it doesn’t feel like she’d have to be on guard for random fans mentioning its existence. 

Matt Damon - The Great Wall

You might think that the “white savior” worries of Matt Damon’s character in The Great Wall are the reason he might not want to talk about this massive box office dud. But the fact of the matter is, he’d probably politely decline any discussion on the matter because it was a thundering failure that didn’t really win him any new fans.

Jennifer Lawrence - Dark Phoenix

How much did Jennifer Lawrence distance herself from the X-Men movies by time she made Dark Phoenix? Well, not only was her time in makeup severely reduced/scaled back in quality, but she died quite early in the final X-Men prequel from the Fox days. Maybe that's part of why the two-part structure was abandoned prior to its release. 

Sylvester Stallone - Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot

It’s the movie so bad that Arnold Schwarzenegger tricked Sylvester Stallone into starring in it. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is still a punch line for the Rocky franchise star/director, even decades after the film was released and tanked. One has to wonder how awkward some of those Planet Hollywood openings were, thanks to this awkward piece of history existing.

Lily Collins - Rules Don’t Apply

Actor Lily Collins is a talent that has the old Hollywood look down to a tee and isn’t afraid to show it. That confidence is probably what got her cast in Warren Beatty’s misguided rom-com Rules Don’t Apply, and to be fair, she and co-star Alden Ehrenreich are two of the only bright spots in this mostly forgettable throwback. 

Eddie Redmayne - Jupiter Ascending

If anyone is ready to admit Eddie Redmayne’s Jupiter Ascending performance is bad, it’s the man himself. While some might be inclined to give him more credit for his work in the Wachowski’s far-flung space opera, Redmayne’s criticisms of his role do come with some important caveats. 

Jennifer Hudson - Sandy Wexler

Adam Sandler is a talent who’s able to draw a wide range of actors into his orbit, and his Netflix movie Sandy Wexler was no exception. Playing a talent agent who knows a good client when he sees one, Jennifer Hudson is one of the people he rightfully tries to fast-track to fame. By no means does that proper judgment mean that this movie is something she, or most viewers, would even remember.

Hugh Jackman - Pan

Some flops crash and burn with very little trace of the wreckage. Others, like the Hugh Jackman starring Peter Pan adaptation Pan, collapse under ill-fated ambitions that don’t end up adding up in the end. But at least we got Jackman’s Captain Hook singing “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” in a totally bonkers musical number.

Pedro Pascal - Wonder Woman 1984

Pedro Pascal is almost universally recognized as one of, if not the best part of Wonder Woman 1984. That still feels like a far cry from something The Mandalorian star would even want to discuss, as its infamy is something that still echoes pretty strongly so close to its initial execution.

Dame Judi Dench - Cats

You can always count on an acting talent as iconic as Dame Judi Dench to tell it like it is. And whether it was reacting to her Razzie award nomination or the final look of her character in 2019’s Cats, she certainly hasn’t left any of her thoughts to the imagination. 

Daisy Ridley - Chaos Walking

One would probably think that Daisy Ridley would merely not want to remember Chaos Walking because of its unsuccessful bid for box office success. However, the protracted production and crazy amounts of reshoots and edits have probably ensured that the Star Wars vet has actually forgotten the ins and outs of this failed YA franchise.

Ben Kingsley - A Sound of Thunder

You don’t get to be an actor as legendary as Ben Kingsley without logging some seriously wild projects like A Sound of Thunder on your resume. This 2005 sci-fi disaster is so ill-regarded that its Game Boy video game adaptation is seen as a more favorable experience. That’s both terribly unique and just plain old terrible. 

Brendan Fraser - Monkeybone

Brendan Fraser is a lovable actor who knows how, and when, to get goofy. It’s just a shame that a project like Monkeybone never understood how to use those skills to its advantage, saddling The Mummy star with a movie that he more than likely hasn’t thought about for some time. 

Scarlett Johansson - Ghost In The Shell

There are some who might defend the live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson. Considering how much the movie has been rejected by even the source anime’s fans, and the kerfluffle that came from her casting as Major Mira Killian being seen as a bit of whitewashing, this project is probably one that the Marvel veteran would reasonably remain silent on.

Keanu Reeves - 47 Ronin

It’s not Keanu Reeves’ fault that 47 Ronin was a stinker for the ages. Although if one were to mention the movie to him in passing, he’d probably just smile and laugh, charmingly admitting defeat in that particular case of cinematic disaster. 

Will Smith - Gemini Man

What’s worse than a movie failing with one Will Smith in the starring role? Apparently, a technologically advanced picture like Gemini Man, which saw Smith playing against a CGI de-aged younger version of himself. Finally, a movie that rivals Wild Wild West for infamy on Mr. Smith’s resume.

Jack Nicholson - How Do You Know?

Jack Nicholson has been comfortably retired ever since making 2010’s How Do You Know? One has to wonder if he’d be equally as comfortable if he were to be prompted to remember the experience and the fallout that came from its release into theaters. 

As you can see, even the most talented of actors have their potential sore spots in conversation. Maybe they're not as shy about discussing these films as we'd think, and you can get a good story out of the deal. In any case, if there was a class of losers that the best and brightest of Hollywood wished they could forget, this is more than a formidable crop of titles that would fit that bill for good reason.

The horror genre has been thriving for a number of years, with the current renaissance bringing some of the best horror movies back to theaters with new sequels. But there's also been plenty of outstanding original concepts, including the upcoming horror movie The Substance. The first disturbing trailer for Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley's anticipated body horror flick is here, and Dennis Quaid’s smiling weirdo is already a scene-stealer.

The Substance got the longest ovation from Cannes this year, which is saying something considering how gruesome the body horror sequences are expected to be. The movie has also been getting hyped for Demi Moore's nudity, although the first trailer made it clear that these sequences would be anything but sexy. And we didn't even get much of the wild gore to come once it gets a wide theatrical release. Although Dennis Quaid's brief, smiling appearance is definitely one to remember as well. 

This first trailer is cut with some of the acclaimed critics responses from The Substance's early screenings. In it we see Demi Moore's protagonist Elisabeth Sparkle, who is the star of an aerobics show who is struggling after being fired when she turned 50. That's when a mysterious laboratory offers her "the substance" which will make her into a younger and more beautiful version of herself... but there's a twist.

Qualley plays this younger version named Sue, with the two characters forced to share one being and seemingly transform into each other in a bloody manor. Not much of this storyline was shown in the first trailer, although we saw bits and pieces of the two seemingly feuding for control over their body.

Dennis Quaid plays Elisabeth's boss Harvey, who is seemingly the man who decides she's too old for her job. He looks like a total creep in this first footage, asking either Elisabeth or Sue to smile for him and a crew of grinning men. And I have to assume that he's not going to make it out of the forthcoming horror flick alive.

While the Ghost actress has been getting attention ahead of the movie's release for going nude in the film, Demi Moore has taken umbrage with this narrative, claiming that the movie is so much more than that. And from the critical acclaim that's shown in this teaser, she's not wrong.

This isn't the first time that Demi Moore's looks have been the subject of her work. She made countless headlines for her work in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, which included a steamy bikini scene. And it should be fascinating to see if/how she uses this life experience for her performance in the horror movie.

The Substance is currently expected to arrive in theaters on September 20th. For now, check out the 2025 movie release dates.

Not all of the best movies from the 1980s have stood the test of time quite like other nostalgic favorites have. There are even plenty of ‘80s movies with A-list casts that just don’t get talked about much more these days. Take a look at some of our picks for ‘80s movies that deserve more love and see if we can help refresh your memory of them.

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

The first John Hughes movies that come to mind are probably The Breakfast Club or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, while Some Kind of Wonderful — which Hughes penned and Howard Deutch directed — is more likely an afterthought. The drama stars Eric Stoltz as a young man whose date with Amanda (Lea Thompson) sparks conflict with her ex (played by Craig Sheffer) and his best friend (played by Mary Stuart Masterson).

Brewster's Millions (1985)

Richard Pryor is better known for his Gene Wilder collaborations than for Brewster’s Millions — a comedy that puts him front and center. Director Walter Hill’s adaptation of George Barr McCutcheon’s novel (the second, following a 1945 edition) stars the late comic as a man tasked with spending millions of dollars within 30 days, but without keeping a single asset, in order to inherit an enormous fortune.

Hiding Out (1987)

Arguably, the role that made Emmy-winning Two and a Half Men Star Jon Cryer a star was his supporting role in Pretty in Pink, but he also had a noteworthy leading part that is rarely (if not ever) noted today. In director Bob Giraldi’s Hiding Out, he plays a stockbroker posing as a high school student after becoming targeted by the mob.

The Legend Of Billie Jean (1985)

Helen Slater’s most famous ‘80s movie role is probably the title hero of one of the most ill-received DC movies, 1984’s Supergirl. A film the actor might prefer to be better remembered for is The Legend of Billie Jean, in which she plays a teen outlaw on the run.

Lady In White (1988)

Among the more iconic movies set on or around Halloween, Lady in White is one that deserves more attention. Set in 1962, the clever, spooky thriller stars Lukas Haas as a young boy who becomes embroiled in the mystery of a murdered girl after meeting her ghost.

My Science Project (1985)

Perhaps if the sort-of time travel comedy My Science Project had not come out in the same year as, arguably, the greatest time travel movie of all time, Back to the Future, it might have a bigger fanbase. Also starring Fisher Stevens and Dennis Hopper, Christine’s John Stockwell this film leads as a slacker senior whose desperation to pass science class leads him to find a strange device with dangerous, otherworldly abilities. 

Night Shift (1982)

Despite being one of the best Michael Keaton movies, Night Shift has become one of the actor’s more obscure films, sent to the wayside by hits like Beetlejuice and the Batman movies. However, director Ron Howard’s screwball comedy, starring Keaton and Henry Winkler as morgue attendants helping ladies of the night secure a safer work environment, should be noted as the film that first helped the Oscar nominee become a star.

The Last Starfighter (1984)

Most of the best video game movies do not simply adapt a pre-existing title, but expand on the concept of interactive media in imaginative and exciting ways, just like in The Last Starfighter. From director Nick Castle, the vastly underrated sci-fi flick stars Lance Guest as a poor teen whose high score on an arcade game leads to his recruitment in a real intergalactic war.

1969 (1988)

Today, we know 24’s Kiefer Sutherland and the MCU’s Robert Downey Jr. best as action stars, which is a far cry from their roles in 1969. Winona Ryder and Bruce Dern also star in this much-forgotten anti-violence parable set around the Vietnam War.

After Hours (1985)

One might not expect to see a riotous, comedic romp anywhere on Martin Scorsese’s resume, but such a film does exist. To be fair, the plot of After Hours — involving a mild-mannered word processor (played by Griffin Dunne) embroiled in a series of increasingly dangerous circumstances over one night in New York — does seem like a Scorsese film on paper.

Innerspace (1987)

One of director Joe Dante’s most underrated and inventive films is Innerspace, which stars Dennis Quaid as a pilot testing a top-secret miniaturization technology who is accidentally injected into the body of a hypochondriac. Said man is played by Martin Short, who delivers some of his most hilarious manic energy in his dazzling sci-fi adventure which also stars Meg Ryan.

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

People do not express much nostalgia these days for Francis Ford Coppola’s fantasy teen comedy, Peggy Sue Got Married. Perhaps that is because the bulk of the story takes place in the 1960s, which Kathleen Turner’s title character is magically transported back to after fainting at her high school reunion.

Near Dark (1987)

How Near Dark — which fuses traditional vampire lore with an old-school Western tone in a modern setting — is not a more beloved horror classic just does not make sense. At least director Kathryn Bigelow went on to receive better recognition as the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar for The Hurt Locker.

River's Edge (1986)

One of the darkest films from the early years of both Keanu Reeves and Crispin Glover’s careers is River’s Edge. Dennis Hopper and Daniel Roebuck also star in this unsettling crime thriller about the life-changing effect that a murder has on the teenage killer and his friends.

Repo Man (1984)

Repo Man may be a sci-fi flick with more than 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, but it gets less attention these days than, say, 2008’s Repo! The Genetic Opera or Repo Men from 2010. Alex Cox’s cult thriller stars Emilio Estevez as a middle-class punk and Harry Dean Stanton as his mentor who chases after a Chevy Malibu carrying something not of this Earth.

One Crazy Summer (1986)

John Cusack stars in many of the most timelessly popular romantic, coming-of-age comedies of the 1980s, and was also in One Crazy Summer. Also starring Demi Moore and Bobcat Goldthwait, this funny summer comedy about the amusing adventures a young cartoonist embarks on when crossing paths with an aspiring singer is not quite the classic it could have been.

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

For years, the Wayans Brothers brought us some of the sharpest movie spoofs around and one of the earliest examples is I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. Writer, director, and star Keenen Ivory Wayans sends up the Blaxploitation genre with this action-packed, laugh-a-minute comedy that has not quite stood the test of time like Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood or the original Scary Movie.

Just One Of The Guys (1985)

Before there was She’s the Man, there was Just One of the Guys. However, the 2006 Amanda Bynes-led rom-com is the more well-known film about a young woman posing as a male than this one starring Valley Girl’s Joyce Hyser.

The Hidden (1987)

Why is it that unique fusions of disparate genres like detective noir and sci-fi horror rarely get the attention they deserve? A prime example of this is the unjustly overlooked The Hidden, which stars Kyle MacLachlan and Michael Nouri as a detective and an FBI agent pursuing an alien parasite committing various crimes as the human hosts it possesses.

Knightriders (1981)

To those who only know George A. Romero for his many classic zombie movies, we point you in the direction of Knightriders. The filmmaker writes and directs this grounded drama following a group of motorcycle-riding medieval reenactment performers and without a single reanimated corpse in sight.

Enemy Mine (1985)

One of the most heartwarming instances of enemies becoming friends in the ‘80s occurs in Wolfgang Peterson’s Enemy Mine. The futuristic sci-fi thriller stars Dennis Quaid as a human and Louis Gossett Jr. as an alien who are forced to put their respective species’ war with one another behind them when they become stranded on a deserted planet together.

My Bodyguard (1980)

Chris Makepeace’s Clifford lives every bullied teen’s dream to have someone bigger and stronger on their side in My Bodyguard. Despite its modern-day obscurity, the coming-of-age dramedy marked the film debut of several well-known stars — including Adam Baldwin, Joan Cusack, and Jennifer Beals.

Real Genius (1985)

Later, more serious roles in movies like Top Gun, The Doors, and Batman Forever have caused many to forget just how comedically talented Val Kilmer is. He gives one of his funniest performances in Real Genius as a fun-loving engineering student who discovers he and his younger roommate (played by Gabriel Jarret) have unwittingly been tasked to build a military-grade weapon. 

The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)

One of the more underrated ‘80s time travel movies is The Philadelphia Experiment, which is inspired by the alleged disappearance of a destroyer escort ship in the early 1940s. The film — which also spawned a 1993 sequel — follows two WWII-era sailors accidentally transported decades forward.

The Dream Team (1989)

The same year when Michael Keaton made his debut as Batman, he led a funny crime thriller called The Dream Team. He, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle, and Stephen Furst play four psychiatric patients on a day trip to New York City when their chaperone is targeted for murder.

The Serpent And The Rainbow (1988)

Arguably director Wes Craven’s most underrated film is The Serpent and the Rainbow, which is inspired by real-life anthropological researcher Wade Davis’ book of the same name. What also makes the Bill Pullman-led horror flick one of the more comparatively realistic zombie movies is its depiction of voodoo, which the original definition of the word “zombie” derives from.

Return To Oz (1985)

People who still have nightmares about Margaret Hamilton's performance as The Wicked Witch of the West in 1937's The Wizard of Oz might not have the courage to watch Disney's follow-up. A 10-year-old Fairuza Balk (of later The Craft fame) plays Dorothy in Return to Oz, which is noted by those who do remember it as one of the most visually traumatizing "kids movies" of the '80s or any decade.

Author! Author! (1982)

With how few family dramedies there are on Al Pacino’s resume, it is a shame he does not get more love for Author! Author! The Academy Award-winning legend stars as a playwright trying to balance the opening of his latest Broadway show with raising his stepchildren.

Miracle Mile (1988)

Following his scene-stealing role as Goose in Top Gun and years before he starred in ER, Anthony Edwards played the lead of Miracle Mile. Writer and director Steve De Jarnatt’s overlooked action flick follows a young man on a race against time after he becomes aware of an impending nuclear attack. 

The Night Before (1988)

Not to be confused with a raunchy holiday comedy movie from 2015 starring Seth Rogen, The Night Before is a coming-of-age rom-com with a dark mystery twist that predates The Hangover by a couple of decades. It stars Keanu Reeves as a teen whose struggle to find his missing date (played by Lori Loughlin) in L.A. is worsened by his inability to remember what happened on the way to prom.

Johnny Be Good (1988)

One of the lesser-known collaborations of Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Downey Jr. (including their shared one-season SNL stint) is Johnny Be Good, which also stars Paul Gleason and a young Uma Thurman. Hall plays the title role of this high school comedy about a football player struggling to decide which of the many college offers he receives would be best for him.

Haunted Honeymoon (1986)

Before her untimely death, SNL legend Gilda Radner starred in several films with her real-life husband, Gene Wilder. One of the last and most unfortunately overlooked is a fun horror-comedy called Haunted Honeymoon, in which the couple play newlyweds trying to cure the husband’s fears by staying in a creepy estate.

You may think you know ‘80s cinema, but your expertise will not be complete until you give these flick a try, or even revisit them for the first time in too long.

You know what all of the best sports movies have in common? Well, besides featuring stories centered around football, baseball, and even roller derby? They all include tremendous performances by actors that are believable and help the audience suspend disbelief, if only for a couple of hours. However, there are also movies where the actors, despite trying their best, are a little bit outside. 

Here are 32 times actors played professional athletes and whether or not they were believable.

Burt Reynolds (The Longest Yard)

Considered to be one of the best football movies of all time, The Longest Yard (the 1974 version) features a tremendous performance by the late Burt Reynolds as Paul Crewe, a former pro quarterback who ends up in prison and leads a group of prisoners against the guards in the annual football game. At the top of his game, Reynolds is a lights-out QB and play-caller in this iconic comedy.

Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)

Margot Robbie is to die for in the 2017 sports biopic, I, Tonya, which sees her take on the role of Tonya Harding, the talented and raw figure skater who made a mark on the sport before being tied up in its most notorious controversy. While Robbie’s off-the-ice scenes are superb, her figure skating was just as impressive, which should come as no surprise.

Jamie Foxx (Any Given Sunday)

Oliver Stone’s 1999 satirical sports dramedy, Any Given Sunday, sees Jamie Foxx portray Willie "Steamin" Beamen, the third-string quarterback for the fictional Miami Sharks football team. Foxx is outstanding in his take on the young QB and does a wonderful job of showcasing the character’s on-field talents and off-the-field escapades.

Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby)

Hilary Swank won an Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret "Maggie" Fitzgerald in Best Picture winner, Million Dollar Baby, and rightfully so. The talented actress told CBS News she spent three months training at a Brooklyn boxing gym before filming Clint Eastwood’s 2004 sports drama, and it shows.

Sylvester Stallone (Rocky)

Rocky is without a doubt the most well-known boxing movie of all time, and that’s mostly due to Sylvester Stallone’s commitment to the role of Rocky Balboa. Though not as bulked up as he was in later films in the franchise, Stallone has a great physical presence and ring awareness in his breakout role.

Kevin Costner (Tin Cup)

If Kevin Costner isn’t believable as a down-on-his-luck and washed-up golf pro looking for a shot at redemption and to settle an old score in Tin Cup, then I don’t know what will sell it to you. Sure, Costner seems more comfortable in baseball movies like Bull Durham and For Love of the Game, but his take on Roy McAvoy is top-notch. 

Emma Stone (Battle Of The Sexes) 

Emma Stone played tennis trailblazer Bille Jean King in the 2017 sports biopic, Battle of the Sexes, which saw her take on Steve Carell’s Bobby Riggs in the famous 1973 match of the same name. The Oscar winner does a great job when it comes to every aspect of the role, including those tense tennis scenes.

Geena Davis (A League Of Their Own)

Geena Davis looks, feels, and acts like a professional baseball player in A League of Their Own. There’s no need to suspend your disbelief when watching Davis’ Dottie Hinson lead the Rockford Peaches to one victory after another. The physicality, the presence, the believability are all there.

Chadwick Boseman (42)

Chadwick Boseman became a massive star in 2013 thanks to his celebrated portrayal of Jackie Robinson, the Professional Baseball Hall of Famer who broke the color barrier more than a half-century earlier. Boseman, who died in August 2020, was phenomenal in his performance and made the film’s various baseball sequences incredibly realistic.

Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire)

Okay, Cuba Gooding Jr.’s take on Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire is killer, even when you take out the classic “Show me the money” scene. He’s cocky, brash, and hard to deal with, but he can back it up and makes the big catch to earn his team a playoff berth. We’ll let the off-field antics slide…

Tim Robbins (Bull Durham)

Bull Durham, one of the best baseball movies of all time, sees Tim Robbins play Ebby “Nuke” LaLoosh, a hot-shot young pitcher with a “million-dollar arm, but a five-cent head.” And the six-foot-five-inch Robbins very much looked and acted like a talented yet undisciplined ball player. 

Wesley Snipes (Major League)

Wesley Snipes’ Wille Mays Hayes, who could run like Hayes but not hit like Mays in Major League, was a convincing ball player in the 1989 sports classic. Yeah, he had trouble hitting the ball (part of his character), but he had unmatched speed. The scene where he runs in his pajamas in spring training is still the stuff of legend.

Charlie Sheen (Major League)

If you were to build the ultimate baseball movie team, Charlie Sheen’s Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn from Major League would have a permanent spot as the closer. To pull off the dominant pitcher’s fastball, Sheen took it to the extreme and tried out steroids, as he later told Sports Illustrated. 

Damon Wayans (The Last Boy Scout)

Tony Scott’s The Last Boy Scout is an all-time great buddy action movie, one that also features a former professional football player, or at least an actor playing one. Though we don’t see his character in action on the field, Damon Wayans just gives off the energy of a pro quarterback who lost it all. 

Carl Weathers (Rocky)

Carl Weathers’ Apollo Creed was one of the linchpins of the Rocky franchise and served as one of Sylvester Stallone’s best on-screen opponents. Weathers not only looked like a boxer with that ridiculous physique of his (especially in the later movies), but he also had that “it” factor needed to play such a flashy character.

Tom Berenger (Major League)

It’s hard to imagine anyone besides Tom Berenger playing Jake Taylor, the veteran catcher with bad knees and just enough gas left in the tank, in Major League. Throughout the movie, it feels like the Cleveland Indians’ senior slugger has been through the wringer multiple times, and that’s thanks to the incredible work of Berenger.

Chris Hemsworth (Rush)

Ron Howard’s 2013 sports biopic, Rush, features top-notch performances by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl as James Hunt and Niki Lauda, respectively. While Brühl is great with his cool and collected demeanor, it’s Hemsworth who steals the show with his take on the self-confident and talented Formula One driver, thanks in part to the actor’s electric personality and physicality.

Paul Newman (Slap Shot)

There was no way we weren’t going to talk about Paul Newman in Slap Shot. Seriously, try to think about this beloved hockey movie with anyone else taking on Charlestown Chiefs player/coach Reggie Dunlop. Is he the most talented skater on the ice? No. But is believable in his portrayal of good, old-fashioned hockey? You bet! 

James Caan (Brian's Song)

Though James Caan was mostly recognized for his work in the latter half of Brian’s Song, this shouldn’t discount his portrayal of Brian Piccolo before he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. His take on the Chicago Bears halfback, along with Billie Dee Williams’ Gale Sayers, is phenomenal, to say the least.

Denzel Washington (The Hurricane)

Denzel Washington gave a commanding performance in the 1999 sports biopic, The Hurricane, which saw him take on the role of middleweight boxer Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter, who spent nearly 20 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of murder. Washington, once again proving he’s one of the greatest to do it, excels in the ring.

Keanu Reeves (The Replacements)

Audiences never got to see Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Utah throw a pass in Point Break, but we did get to watch the actor play another left-handed quarterback from Ohio State with his portrayal of Shane Falco in The Replacements. This is a "whatever" movie if there’s ever been one, but Reeves looks at home leading the Washington Sentinels after the regular players go on strike.

John Goodman (The Babe)

John Goodman looks like Babe Ruth in the 1992 sports biopic, The Babe, but he doesn’t really play like the Great Bambino. This isn’t a knock on Goodman’s talents as an actor, it’s just that it’s impossible to accurately imitate the unmatched talents of one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore)

Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore will probably always be considered one of the best sports comedies of all time. The movie is heavy on both humor and sports (especially if you include the hockey scenes), and Sandler pulls off both things really well. 

Raquel Welch (Kansas City Bomber)

In the 1972 sports drama, Kansas City Bomber, the late Raquel Welch played K.C. Carr, a recently retired roller games star who returns to sport to settle an old score. No surprise, Welch was great in the movie and was a dominant physical force on skates.

Robert De Niro (Raging Bull)

One of Robert De Niro’s best movies, Raging Bull, sees the Oscar winner take on the role of middleweight boxing champion Jake LaMotta at various stages in his life and career. De Niro, who went through a physical transformation for the part, could hold his own in the movie’s various boxing sequences and never looked out of place.

Robert Redford (The Natural)

Would saying Robert Redford looked natural in his take on Roy Hobbs in The Natural be too on the nose? Who cares! Redford’s boyish charm and remarkable swing of his trusty bat, “Wonderboy,” helped make Barry Levinson’s 1972 sports drama an all-time classic. 

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Not only was Mickey Rourke outstanding in Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler, but the actor’s portrayal of a washed-up Randy Robinson was also incredibly realistic. Whether he was in the ring or trying to fix the broken pieces of his life in the real world, Rourke bled, cried, and sweated like someone who had been in the squared circle for decades, not months.  

Tom Selleck (Mr. Baseball)

Mr. Baseball is one of those movies that feels like it should have been a much bigger deal, but here we are 30-plus years later with a baseball comedy that never really gets talked about anywhere besides the MLB Network. Despite this, Tom Selleck’s take on Jack Elliot, a New York Yankee who joins the Nagoya Chunichi Dragons of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League, is both fun and believable. Come on, the Blood Bloods star even took an at-bat in an MLB spring training game a year before the film’s release.

Dwayne Johnson (The Tooth Fairy)

Dwayne Johnson, one of the greatest WWE Champions of all time, and a former college football player for the Miami Hurricanes, played a hockey player in the 2010 Disney movie, The Tooth Fairy. The Rock is great in just about anything, but not so much on the ice.

Will Smith (Ali)

Will Smith received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali in Michael Mann’s 2001 epic sports biopic, Ali, and he did a decent enough job. The major problem with Smith’s performance doesn’t really have much to do with the actor, but instead, the man he was playing. Smith is great in the boxing sequences, but it’s hard to believe that he’s the greatest of all time and not an actor playing the iconic sports figure.

Dennis Quaid (The Rookie)

Dennis Quaid’s portrayal of Jim Morris in The Rookie is nothing short of magical. The way Quaid plays the high school chemistry teacher who becomes a major league pitcher more than a decade after his baseball dreams died is a lot of fun and believable. He has the heart and determination of the real-life Tamp Bay Devil Rays pitcher, which really carries the film.

Steve McQueen (Le Mans)

If there was a movie where Steve McQueen drives a car at a high rate of speed, you can guarantee the legendary actor looked natural doing so. That’s the case with the 1971 film, Le Mans, in which McQueen played Michael Delaney, a racer with a guilty conscience following a tragic accident. McQueen, who had experience as a race driver, looked like a natural.

Playing a professional sport is no easy task and takes years of training and dedication, but these actors did a fine job of playing athletes on the big screen. While some were better than others, each gave all they had.

Yellowstone fans have quite a while to wait before the release date of the series’ final episodes, but fortunately for those who have been enjoying creator Taylor Sheridan’s other projects, there’s still plenty in the works. Lawmen: Bass Reeves — the first entry in an expected anthology series, which stars David Oyelowo as the titular character — is Sheridan's latest offering, available to stream Sunday, November 5, with a Paramount+ subscription. Critics had the chance to screen the first few episodes ahead of their release, and they aren’t quite in agreement with how well this latest Western works.

Taylor Sheridan is named as an executive producer on the Paramount+ series, but unlike his other projects, he did not write or direct any of the episodes. In addition to David Oyelowo, other members of Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ cast include Dennis Quaid and Donald Sutherland in this drama based on the life of the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi. Let’s see what the critics have to say, starting with Alex Maidy of JoBlo. Maidy rates it a “Good” 7 out of 10, calling the first episodes “exciting, emotional and violent,” and writing: 

David Hookstead of OutKick says Taylor Sheridan has “another massive hit” on on his hands, and fans of his other series won’t be disappointed, as Lawmen delivers the performances and dark, gritty content we’ve come to expect. The critic continues: 

Akos Peterbencze of Paste calls Lawmen: Bass Reeves a “damn good Western.” It undoubtedly follows the imprint established by Taylor Sheridan but benefits from having creator and showrunner Chad Feehan’s undivided attention. Peterbencze writes: 

Not all of the critics agree, however, and Ben Travers of IndieWire grades it a C-. Lawmen: Bass Reeves is too formulaic, too rushed and too incurious, Travers says, to delve into the nuances of a former slave forced to fight for the Confederate army and a pacifist who picked up a gun every day. In the critics’ words: 

Daniel Fienberg of THR echoes the above sentiment, saying that Bass Reeves deserves to have his story told, but Lawmen doesn’t do justice to the man’s experience. Fienberg writes: 

The critics do seem to agree that the man portrayed by David Oyelowo is deserving of such a series, but it’s in the writing and execution that they disagree on how successful Chad Feehan was in that endeavor. It sounds like fans of Taylor Sheridan’s other works will be pleased, as Lawmen: Bass Reeves captures the same spirit, so if you’d like to check this series out, you can catch the series premiere on Paramount+ on Sunday, November 5. 

Amidst the upcoming Yellowstone shows that are heading to both TV and streaming (via a Paramount+ subscription), Taylor Sheridan continues to expand his slate of offerings for viewers in need of smart and methodical pulp westerns. Next up on the list is Lawmen: Bass Reeves, the first season of a historical anthology, for which Sheridan teamed up with fellow executive producer David Oyelowo, and which boasts Ray Donovan and Rectify vet Chad Feehan as its creator and showrunner.

The series, which was temporarily being branded as a second season for 1883, aims to dramatize the epic life and legacy of slave-turned-U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, a legend in Texas and other Southern states who isn’t nearly as widely revered in other parts of the country. Feehan aims to fix that with this eight episode season, and he secured a pretty stellar cast to bring the justice-seeker’s story to streaming audiences. 

David Oyelowo (Bass Reeves)

The Emmy-nominated David Oyelowo broke out on the small screen as part of the UK spy drama Spooks, but inarguably has found his biggest successes through cinema, as a co-star of such celebrated works as 2012’s Middle of Nowhere, 2013’s The Butler, and 2014’s Selma and A Most Violent Year. Which isn’t to take away from his TV voice work as Star Wars Rebels’ Alexsandr Kallus or The Lion Guard’s Scar. He most recently starred in Apple TV+’s sci-fi adaptation Silo, and will soon be seen in the Jay Z-produced biblical comedy The Book of Clarence.

In Lawmen, Oyelowo rocks both a clean-shaven face and a mustache as the titular icon Bass Reeves, whose storied life took him from the dangers of warzones and Southern plantations to a place of authority at a time when Black men rarely attained such responsibilities. In both life and the new series, Bass is/was a badass whose loyalties stretch as far and wide as his horse-riding and sharpshooting talents.  

Lauren E. Banks (Jennie Reeves)

An up-and-coming actress who previously appeared in such shows as Netflix’s Maniac and AMC’s Dietland, Lauren E. Banks’ biggest role to date was as the private attorney co-lead Siobhan on Showtime’s City on a Hill. In 2022, she also appeared in the acclaimed streaming limited series Roar and Gaslit. 

Banks joined Lawmen: Bass Reeves in the role of Jennie Reeves, the titular cowboy’s wife. It’s known that the couple sired a slew of children together, which speaks to the fact that Jennie is a strong and dependable provider for her family through thick and thin.

Demi Singleton (Sally Reeves)

Now at 16 years old, NOLA native Demi Singleton only has a handful of credits to her name, but it’s clear she’s making every choice count. Alongside her first role in 2019’s Goldie, Singleton landed a co-starring role in another historical drama, Godfather of Harlem, as gangster Bumpy Johnson’s granddaughter Margaret. She then hit an even higher level of fame in 2021 portraying the hyper-talented athlete Serena Williams in the Oscar-winning drama King Richard. 

For Lawmen, Singleton took on the role of Sally Reeves, Bass and Jennie’s eldest daughter, who no doubt develops some mothering skills of her own as the sibling to so many younger brothers and sisters.  

Dennis Quaid (Sherrill Lynn)

Throughout his many years in Hollywood, Dennis Quaid has largely been known for playing sympathy-earning protagonists in such favorites as Innerspace, Any Given Sunday, Frequency, The Day After Tomorrow and many more. Though mostly known for his film work, Quaid has developed his TV filmography in the past decade or so, with such projects as Vegas, Fortitude, Goliath and 2023’s Full Circle. He’ll soon be seen playing the titular former POTUS in the upcoming drama Reagan. 

Dennis Quaid gets to drop the good guy persona ever so slightly for Lawmen: Bass Reeves, where he plays U.S. Marshal Sherrill Lynn, a Deputy U.S. Marshal who crosses fateful paths with David Oyelowo’s character. Quaid is no stranger to Texas westerns, having portrayed Sam Houston in The Alamo, and for a Yellowstone-esque connection, the actor also played Doc Holliday to Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp in the 1994 film of the same name. 

Shea Whigham (George Reeves)

An actor who is often among the best parts of every project he stars in, Shea Whigham broke out in the 2000 war film Tigerland, and has played a slew of characters boasting military and/or law enforcement titles in the decades since. His TV career took off thanks to his role as Eli Thompson in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, and he’s stick with the premium cabler for later projects such as True Detective, Vice Principals, Perry Mason, and The Righteous Gemstones, not to mention other acclaimed dramas such as Waco, Gaslit, Fargo and Homecoming, to name but a few.

Shea Whigham looks right at home in Lawmen: Bass Reeves as another military man named George Reeves. With the series lead sharing this character’s surname, he’s presumably the slave owner responsible for Bass early on. 

Bass Reeves is set to make its streaming premiere on Paramount+ on Sunday, November 5, with back-to-back episodes dropping at once. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what else is heading to the small screen in the meantime.

With several upcoming Yellowstone shows on his creative deck, Taylor Sheridan’s next TV offering, the anthology-sparking Lawmen: Bass Reeves, comes from the dedicated efforts of star and executive producer David Oyelowo and creator Chat Feehan. The Paramount+ original released its first official trailer, as seen above, and I think everyone watching will agree it looks like it’ll stand proudly next to 1883 as another powerful and pulse-pounding frontier tale on the streaming platform. And Oyelowo’s badassery cannot be denied, even alongside the entirety of the Dutton family tree.

Anyone who isn’t already familiar with the legend of real-life Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves is in for quite an education, although everyone who is familiar will also be entertained, as Lawmen is covering the full storytelling gamut. It’s been a years-in-the-making passion project for Oyelowo to bring some form of Reeves’ story to the screen, and he naturally commands the shit out of the screen anytime he’s featured. 

The trailer features flashbacks of Reeves’ days as a criminal-thwarting federal peace officer in Arkansas, as well as his present-day tale (so to speak), in which he’s enlisted as a Deputy U.S. Marshal by Donald Sutherland’s domineering Judge Parker. To overly generalize things, the show focuses on David Oyelowo’s character tracking bad guys and shutting shit down with a team of fellow badasses on horseback, such as Dennis Quaid’s Marshal Sherrill Lynn and Barry Pepper’s Esau Pierce.

Pepper’s grizzled character looks like he knows a million ways to skin someone alive, which kinda runs counter to the emotion-dampening stoicism that Reeves brings. As a Black authority figure during that time period, there wasn’t much room to show any amount of weakness, and the performance delivers in full on that front. Not that he isn’t showing some emotion when using an assortment of weapons to take down thieves and other ne'er-do-wells, but those moments only get teased out in tiny pieces. 

I’d be remiss if I showered all the praise on Oyelowo (who shares co-producing honors with wife Jessica Oyelowo) without spreading those props out to also include co-star Lauren E. Banks (City on a Hill) as Jennie Reeves, who clearly knows how to hold her own ground in the face of seemingly certain doom at the gnarled hands of a group of hooded white folk. “Then I’ll just shoot you twice, just to be safe,” gets all the snaps and pops and crackles. He best get off that woman’s land before his last thought ends up splattered across his buddies’ hoods. 

Let’s give it up for that dude who was totally on fire in there, too. Because that’s gotta suck.

Along with the new trailer, Lawmen: Bass Reeves creator Chad Feehan shared a message that pointed out exactly why he’s at the show’s helm, from a Texas childhood fascination with the stories, to crossing paths with the fervent David Oyelowo, to a renewed thrust of research. And here’s how he explained what all that effort and energy became:

The original release plan for Bass Reeves was as a second season of 1883, which otherwise doesn’t appear to be continuing. But plans changed down the line, as the idea became more about celebrating the lawmen of yesteryear, without the need to tether the story to the Yellowstone universe. I wouldn’t have hated seeing some connective tissue between these worlds, as ridiculous as that might be where real-world people are concerned. I suppose it could still happen, though, so I’m keeping hope alive to see someone in the Dutton clan marveling at how much of a badass Oyelowo is.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is set to begin streaming on Sunday, November 5, with its first two episodes available for everyone with a Paramount+ subscription. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are galloping towards us next. 

Nancy Meyers’ movies really do have the power to make you feel so good inside. She graced us with The Parent Trap, one of the funniest family movies that you can watch so many times and never get tired of. The film’s director remembers the day she knew Dennis Quaid would be perfecting casting to play Hallie and Annie’s father and Lindsay Lohan shared her sweet response to that. 

The Parent Trap really was an excellent example of perfect casting. We see the film debut of Lindsay Lohan who was able to pull off playing two different characters as well as the graceful Natasha Richardson and the fun-loving Dennis Quaid as their parents. The Parent Trap director Nancy Meyers posted on Instagram the story of how she knew The Rookie actor was perfect for Nick Parker after her daughter gave her a throwback photo of him from the movie. Take a look at this heartwarming post below.

So, now we know that all it took was for Dennis Quaid to smile in this director’s direction to know he was perfect to play the dreamy Parent Trap father. Meyers’ intuitions were correct as Quaid really brought heart into the character. Speaking of Hallie, the actress who played her and Annie (aka Lindsay Lohan) provided a simple yet sweet response to Meyers’ post- a heart-shaped emoji. You better believe Instagrammers were very happy to see Lohan revisit her roots with this response. It also warmed my heart when one person commented to her that the Disney flick deserves a sequel where Annie and Hallie have their own set of twins. As many ‘90s classics are making revival sequels, let’s cross our fingers for this.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Lindsay Lohan has revisited her Parent Trap days. On the film’s 23rd anniversary, the Freaky Friday actress had a sweet exchange with Nancy Meyers on social media thanking her for “the opportunity of a lifetime.” It truly was as the Disney remake put this actress’s name on the map. She also reenacted a scene from the movie on TikTok showing us she still can do her impeccable British accent. And when Jenna Ortega and Fred Armisen remade a Parent Trap scene on SNL, the former child star responded with heart emojis and a simple “Bravo.” That’s a praiseworthy reaction from the actress who first portrayed the 11-year-old twins. It proves that even if it’s been over two decades since your film debut, it’s never truly left you.

As for what Nancy Meyers is currently up to right now, she was originally going to put together an all-star ensemble for a Netflix film. This big-budget rom-com was going to be called Paris Paramount starring Scarlett Johansson, Michael Fassbender, Owen Wilson, Penélope Cruz, and more. Unfortunately, Netflix dropped the project when they were only going to sign off $130 million for Meyers' film budget compared to her requested $150 million. However, not all hope is lost as according to AV Club, Warner Bros. might save the project by reportedly picking it up. Let’s hope so as The Holiday director has an uncanny knack for making audiences smile. We need more movies like hers to be shown.

Nancy Meyers truly picked a winner by casting Dennis Quaid in The Parent Trap and Lindsay Lohan apparently agrees. If you’d like to revisit the on-screen father/daughter duo, you can watch the beloved remake now on your Disney+ subscription.

Though some think Hollywood should hit pause on live-action talking animal movies, it doesn’t look like the trend is going to slow down anytime soon. The latest addition to the collection of talking dog films, Josh Greenbaum’s Strays, is now playing in theaters and brings with it an R-rated story and a star-studded group of actors who bring the adorable (and not-so-adorable) pooches to life.

As seen in the first Strays trailer, this isn’t as family-friendly as the best dog movies on Disney+, but that's okay, as the foul-mouthed canine-centric comedy gives the actors and comedians who portray its main characters plenty of time to do what they do best: make us laugh. If you’ve recently watched the 2023 new movie and want to know where you’ve seen the Strays cast before, look no further…

Reggie (Will Ferrell)

Leading off the Strays cast as Reggie, a recently abandoned Border Terrier, is Will Ferrell in his latest voice role.

Prior to providing the voice for a gullible pup who makes a new life (and a sweet revenge plan) on the streets with a group of stray dogs, the former Saturday Night Live mainstay portrayed characters in animated movies like Curious George, Megamind, and The LEGO Movie. Outside of the realm of animation (and popular SNL skits), the comedic actor has done a little bit of everything, with several of Ferrell’s funniest performances also being some of the best comedies of all time like Elf, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers. 

Bug (Jamie Foxx)

Taking Reggie under his wing, er, paw, is a street-smart Boston Terrier that goes by the name of Bug, who is portrayed by none other than Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx.

The actor, who played large roles in some of the best movies of the 2000s, has been a major force in Hollywood for decades at this point in his career thanks to unforgettable performances in everything from Dreamgirls to Django Unchained and Booty Call to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Though he took home Best Actor for his unforgettable portrayal of the titular character in Ray, there are also several other Foxx performances deserving of an Oscar. 

Maggie (Isla Fisher)

Next up is Isla Fisher, who joins the cast as Maggie, an Australian Shepherd who runs in the same pack as Reggie and Bug while on their wild escapades. Just like her co-stars, this is the latest in a long line of voice roles for the Australian actress.

Over the years, Fisher has appeared in animated movies like Horton Hears a Who!, Rise of the Guardians, Back to the Outback, and the outstanding Rango, as well as multiple small-screen cartoons. However, the actress is probably best remembered for starring roles in Confessions of a Shopaholic, Now You See Me, and Wedding Crashers, to name only a few. Fisher has also given commanding performances in the likes of Nocturnal Animals, The Great Gatsby, and Blithe Spirit throughout her career.

Hunter (Randall Park)

Rounding out the pack of pooches with mouths like sailors in the Strays cast is a therapy Great Dane named Hunter voiced by Randall Park, who you may remember from a number of his best performances, including a brief appearance as “Asian Jim” in a ridiculous prank on The Office.

Park’s involvement with the movie comes after a string of other voice roles, including a small part in the Paw Patrol: The Movie cast a couple of years ago, which followed other animated movies like The Lego Ninjago Movie and The Samurai of Tsushima as well as a string of animated shows that includes Star Trek: Lower Decks, BoJack Horseman, and Human Resources.

Also, Park is in the middle of an impressive 2023, which has included his directorial debut with Shortcomings, a reprisal of his Jimmy Woo role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (with The Marvels to follow), and the upcoming release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. 

Doug (Will Forte)

One of the few human characters to appear in our breakdown of the Strays cast, Will Forte shows up in the movie as Doug, Reggie’s former owner who’s the impetus for the dog’s revenge scheme to begin with.

Like Ferrell, Forte made a name for himself on Saturday Night Live, spending most the 2000s as a member of the show’s cast. In the years that have followed his 2010 departure from the sketch comedy program, the comedian and actor has gone on to appear on shows like The Last Man on Earth, The Great North, The Cleveland Show, 30 Rock, and countless others. His list of film credits is just as impressive, with everything from Nebraska to Booksmart and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story to Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. He’s even appeared in one of the best SNL movies, MacGruber, in which he portrayed his classic character from the show. 

Dennis Quaid As Himself

Continuing the tradition of actors playing themselves in movies, Dennis Quaid appears as, believe or not, himself, or at least a version of himself, as seen in the second teaser trailer.

Quaid’s career is one that goes back nearly 50 years, and during that time, he’s appeared in everything from over-the-top end-of-the-world disaster thrillers like The Day After Tomorrow to funny family movies like the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, and so much more. His versatile list of credits also includes The Right Stuff, Great Balls of Fire, Traffic, and A Dog’s Purpose, another pup-based movie, though also one with a much different tone. 

Other Actors In The Strays Cast

In addition to the main actors who either provide the voice of a character or appear in a live-action role in the movie, the Strays cast also includes some other major stars whose roles weren’t officially disclosed ahead of the films’ August 2023 release. 

This includes Frozen and Beauty and the Beast standout Josh Gad, former Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, Blue Beetle cast member Harvey Guillén, Stranger Things all-star Brett Gelman, legendary Seinfeld actor Rob Riggle, and Fleabag actor Jamie Demetriou.

Strays is currently showing in theaters nationwide. Before heading to the cineplex, check out what CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg had to say in his Strays review.

Hollywood may be known as the hub of entertainment, especially when it comes to filming movies and TV shows. However, as productions pop up all around the country, one state that hasn't gotten as much love is Texas, and Matthew McConaughey, Owen Wilson and more are trying to change that. The state has been the setting and filming location for many prominent movies like Boyhood, Bottle Rocket, Selena, and even the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. However, in recent years it's migrated elsewhere. So, in order to encourage more filming in the Lone Star State, McConaughey, Owen Wilson, and others got together for a PSA to do something about it.

You would think that a state like Texas would be used for filming frequently considering its vast and beautiful landscapes. While everything is said to be bigger in Texas, the film industry hasn’t been as of late, and there's a group of actors who want to change that. So, proud Austin native and actor Glen Powell posted a video on Instagram of a PSA for “Good for Texas” about why we need more filmmaking to be done in the southern state. Take a look at this informative video below:

Other than Powell, other actors featured in the video included Texans Matthew McConaughey, Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, and Billy Bob Thornton (who’s actually from Arkansas but played Davy Crockett in The Alamo). The actors explained there was a time when there were incentives of hundreds of millions of dollars given towards Texas filmmaking. However, those incentives decreased over the years because it was believed the money was going to Hollywood producers. Now, those jobs have migrated to other states like Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and more. Now, there's new legislation that could help bring productions back to the Lone Star State, and the actors wanted to make the public aware of it to help boost the Texas economy and job market. 

Whether these actors were born and raised in Texas or played Texans before, their passion for the second-largest state in the country reigns true. For example, Glen Powell has collaborated with fellow Texas native Richard Linklater on a number of movies filmed in their home state like Everybody Wants Some!!, Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood, and the upcoming movie Hitman. Owen Wilson’s film debut in Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket was filmed in various Texas locations too. And during the filming of the “Good for Texas” PSA, you can see Dennis Quaid in his deputy sheriff’s costume filming the upcoming Yellowstone TV series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which is filmed in Texas.

Of course, Matthew McConaughey is as Texan as they come as he and his wife, Camila, moved out of Hollywood and uprooted their family to Austin back in 2012 with occasional visits to California. When the Robb Elementary School shooting occurred in McConaughey’s hometown in Uvalde, the Oscar winner was one of many to speak up, and show support for those impacted by the devastating event. There was even a time the Dallas Buyers Club actor considered running for office in Texas. 

So, it’s no surprise these talented actors are standing together to defend Texas filmmaking.

The PSA ends with Glen Powell and the other actors promoting House Bill 3472, which will be voted this week, and offers great incentives towards more film productions happening in the great state of Texas. PSAs like these bring great awareness to the notion that while Hollywood may be a major film production location, it’s not the only one in the United States. 

Take a look at our 2023 movie releases so you’re aware of when Texan actors, directors, and productions will come to theaters this year.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid are currently promoting their much-anticipated Disney animated project, Strange World. The two actors have been in many major projects certifying themselves as Hollywood A-listers. They even once co-starred on the disaster blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, along with Shameless alum Emily Rossum. While this was a memorable film for many fans of the genre, it apparently wasn’t for Gyllenhaal, who had to be reminded of this collaboration in a recent interview. His reaction was hilarious.

A press junket interview with Yahoo! Entertainment recently went viral on TikTok which depicts the Spider-Man: Far From Home actor being reminded of the fact that he had worked with Quaid before. He could not be more surprised, and his emotions are apparent as he slowly remembers the film in question. You can check out Gyllenhaal’s very funny reaction below:

To be fair to Gyllenhaal, the two did not have a scene together and are experiencing the apocalyptic events of The Day After Tomorrow separately during the film. In addition, the two actors only provided voice work for Strange World, so likely did not perform alongside each other in this project as well. This may even be the first time the two movie stars have even met, as Quaid points out in the interview. While he may have an excuse for forgetting about the duo’s on-screen venture, this definitely doesn’t make his reaction less hilarious. 

While The Day After Tomorrow may have been forgettable for the Prisoners actor, it doesn’t seem like Strange World will be. He recently expressed how wowed he was by animation technology’s ability to replicate his own mannerisms, and early reactions of the film are very positive. In addition, the film features Disney’s first LGBTQ+ lead character, which definitely makes major strides for queer representation. 

Maybe one of these days we will get a true Gyllenhaal/Quaid collaboration where they actually get to have a scene together. They seem to have a good sense of humor, so a comedy could be a lot of fun. Unfortunately this may not happen anytime soon, as both actors have a slew of upcoming projects down the pike. This summer, Gyllenhaal started filming the Road House remake film he is starring in, and is also set to star in a Guy Ritchie film titled The Interpreter. Quaid is also signed on for a variety of projects including 2022’s Reagan and On a Wing and a Prayer, which is set for a 2023 release.

You can catch Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid in Disney’s Strange World, which hits theaters nationwide on November 23rd. Fans of the duo can also check out The Day After Tomorrow, which is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription. For more films hitting theaters and streaming later this year, make sure to check out our 2022 movie release schedule. 

Jake Gyllenhaal has just reached a new career high: he’s a Disney animated character. Across the actor’s over 30 years in Hollywood, he’s been nominated for an Oscar and become a Marvel character, among many other accomplishments, but now he can count himself among the lucky actors who have been part of one of House of Mouse’s iconic animated feature films. During his time in the vocal booth for Strange World, he was exposed to some serious Disney magic regarding how they captured his likeness. 

When CinemaBlend had the chance to speak to Jake Gyllenhaal at the Los Angeles press day for Strange World, the actor joked that Disney “stole our souls” during the animation process. In his words: 

In the video above, you can check out Jake Gyllenhaal’s full response regarding the things that the animators noticed about him while he recorded in the booth for his character, Searcher Clade. The interview also involved Dennis Quaid, who plays the father of Gyllenhaal’s character, Jaeger Clade. Quaid said the following about this process: 

Gyllenhaal went on to exclaim “deepfake!” at Quaid’s response before Jaboukie Young-White, who plays Ethan Clade, the first leading queer character in a feature film from Disney animation, shared his own experience on Strange World. He said this:  

It sounds like Disney animators are so spot on with some of the actor’s mannerisms that they got a bit freaked out. Sure, Jake Gyllenhaal has voiced an animated character before in last year’s Spirit Untamed, but this was a whole other experience, especially since he looks a lot like Searcher Clade. While joking with us, he made a ton of hand gestures while saying he never makes hand gestures, and yet Disney noticed that too.  

Strange World follows Gyllenhaal’s Searcher Clade, who is a famous farmer in the fictitious world of Avalonia with a long-lost adventurer father. When his winning crop begins to show signs of dying out, Searcher and his family (Young-White’s Ethan Clade and Gabrielle Union’s mother character, Meridian) go on an adventure to save Avalonia together. 

Ahead of its release, Strange World has received mostly positive reviews, including from CinemaBlend’s 3.5 out of 5 Strange World review. The movie is now playing in theaters. Check out what other upcoming Disney movies are coming out next here on CinemaBlend. 

Disney has taken us to many wonderful and also very “strange” worlds in its nearly 100-year history. In 2022, the company’s animation department is taking that specific mantra to heart with a new theatrically released movie called Strange World, in which a farmer is reunited with his long-lost father — a legendary explorer — after he and his family become embroiled in a dangerous mission through bizarre and unexplored terrain.

Disney has employed a star-studded ensemble of talented actors to breathe life into the lovable characters from this character-driven sci-fi/fantasy adventure that has come to theaters just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend. Let’s go over who plays who in the Strange World cast.

Jake Gyllenhaal (Searcher Clade)

Leading the Strange World voice cast as Searcher Clade, a simple man whose extraordinary family history catches up with him, is Jake Gyllenhaal. The Academy Award nominee is known for westerns like Brokeback Mountain and The Sisters Brothers, horror movies like 2001’s Donnie Darko and Velvet Buzzsaw, gritty crime thrillers like Zodiac and Nightcrawler, and action-packed popcorn flicks like Michael Bay’s Ambulance, most recently. 

In fact, one of the actor’s last collaborations with Disney (which his role as Mysterio in the MCU’s Spider-Man: Far From Home would, technically, not count as) was an action-packed popcorn flick called Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time from 2010. Gyllenhaal — who made his acting debut at 11 in 1991’s City Slickers — last leant his voice to an animated movie when he joined Netflix’s Spirit Untamed cast in 2021.

Dennis Quaid (Jaeger Clade)

As Searcher’s famous adventurer father, Jaeger, we have Dennis Quaid, who last played Jake Gyllenhaal’s onscreen dad in Roland Emmerich’s 2004 disaster movie, The Day After Tomorrow. He has also previously gone on bizarre adventures in classic ‘80s movies like Jaws 3-D, Dreamscape, Enemy Mine, and Innerspace and also in more recent years with horror flicks like Pandorum and another animated sci-fi film from 2007, Battle for Terra.

Quaid, who earned an Emmy nomination for playing Bill Clinton in 2010’s The Special Relationship, has played a few other historical figures — astronaut Gordon Cooper in The Right Stuff, Jerry Lee Lewis in Great Balls of Fire!, and Doc Holliday in Wyatt Earp, to name just a few — and has given acclaimed performances in grounded dramas like Traffic, Frequency, and Far From Heaven. We have barely scratched the surface of all this living legend is known for, but one other sci-fi father/son story we feel especially compelled to mention here is the 1999 time-travel drama, Frequency.

Jaboukie Young-White (Ethan Clade)

Playing Searcher’s 16-year-old, adventure-craving son, Ethan, is Jaboukie Young-White, whose first voice acting role was from a Disney movie: McNeely in 2018’s Ralph Breaks the Internet. He followed with spots on animated series for Netflix (namely Big Mouth, Bojack Horseman, and Battle Kitty), various characters on Amazon Prime’s Fairfax, his first reunion with Disney for two episodes of Baymax! as Mbita, and an episode of Fox’s The Great North, most recently.

The stand-up comedian, who made his feature film debut in 2017’s Rough Night, is also known for a few live-action Netflix exclusives, including Set It Up, Someone Great, and American Vandal (the latter of which he wrote for) and some Comedy Central originals — namely his tenure as a The Daily Show correspondent and three episodes of Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. He also played himself on Showtime’s Crashing, appeared alongside Joaquin Phoenix in A24’s C’mon C’mon, and landed recurring roles alongside Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building cast and on HBO Max’s Rap Sh!t.

Gabrielle Union (Meridian Clade)

As Meridian — Searcher’s wife and Ethan’s mother who is also a talented pilot — we have Gabrielle Union, who has previously starred in Disney projects both live-action (H-E Double Hockey Sticks in 1999 and 2022’s Cheaper by the Dozen) and animated (Jungle Cubs from the mid-1990s, an episode of The Proud Family, and Disney Channel’s The Lion King series spin-off, The Lion Guard, as Nala). She also leant her voice to an episode of Family Guy in 2005 and an animated Netflix movie from 2019 called Fearless.

The actor’s more iconic roles include Chastity Church from the 10 Things I Hate About You cast, Isis from the quintessential cheerleading movie, Bring It On, and the title character of the hit TV series Being Mary Jane, to name a few. Like her onscreen husband in Strange World, Union has also worked with Michael Bay in the second of the Bad Boys movies as Sydney Burnett, whom she would reprise on the series L.A.’s Finest and, also in 2022, starred in A24’s LGBTQ+ drama, The Inspection.

Lucy Liu (Callisto Mal)

The Clades are roped into the adventure at the center of Strange World by Callisto Mal — a former member of Jaeger’s team and now president of the nation of Avalonia — who is voiced by Jaboukie Young-White’s Set It Up co-star, Lucy Liu, whose voice acting career dates back to the mid-1990s. Her most notable animated credits, however, include the straight-to-video Mulan sequel from 2004 as Mei, the Kung Fu Panda franchise (including the upcoming fourth installment) as Viper, an episode of Star Wars: Visions called “The Duel,” and a guest appearance on Scooby-Doo and Guess Who? as herself.

Her most famous live-action roles span both the big and small screen — such as her Emmy-nominated performance as Ling Woo on Ally McBeal (which is also, reportedly, getting a sequel), Kitty Baxter in the 2003 Best Picture Oscar winner, Chicago, Alex Munday in the early 2000s Charlie Angels movies, O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill, and Joan Watson on CBS’s modern-day Sherlock Holmes reboot, Elementary. Liu, who also recently played herself on the 11th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, is about to join the DC movies universe a Kalypso in one of the most anticipated upcoming 2023 movies, Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

I am always game for a movie that takes its characters and its audience on a wondrous journey into a new and highly imaginative place, while also tugging at your heart strings a bit along the way. In fact, I think that Disney has quite a knack for doing just that with some of its most memorable features, and it looks like Strange World and its A-list cast is about to earn a spot alongside that collection.

Thanksgiving week is a good week to go to the movies. The kids are off school, it’s generally cold outside, and with new titles hitting theaters on Wednesday, it’s a great excuse to sneak away for a couple of hours before any holiday festivities begin. Disney’s got a handful of upcoming animated movies in the works, and the next to hit the big screen will be Strange World, the story of the Clade family, a group of farmers who set off on a mission to save their world of Avalonia. The reviews are in to help us decide if we want to fit this sci-fi adventure into our holiday week schedules.

Strange World stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White and Gabrielle Union as the Clades, and the trailer promises a trippy adventure, as well as a new Disney dog to love. It sounds like we’re off to a strong start, so let’s see if the critics agree, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Strange World. Our own Sarah El-Mahmoud rates the movie 3.5 stars out of 5, saying there were a couple of missed opportunities with the script, but overall, the multigenerational storyline is affecting. She says: 

Carlos Aguilar of The Wrap agrees with CinemaBlend’s critic that the movie is heavy-handed in its message about fathers and sons, and how a parent’s expectations can become an unfair burden on their children. In the critic’s words: 

Petrana Radulovic of Polygon says the adventure story competes too much with the plot involving the family dynamics. While the family story might be good to explore in a different movie, it serves to weaken the more interesting story here, the critic argues: 

Josh Spiegel of SlashFilm says Strange World lives up to its name in terms of its artistry, with buoyant pacing and trippy visuals but with a questionable marketing scheme. The critic says: 

Peter Debruge of Variety calls the movie creatively fresh and fails only in its unimaginative story. However, it sounds like this one is still worth the watch, according to this review: 

The critics all mention and seem to appreciate how the movie handles Disney animation’s first openly gay lead, Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White), in which there is no fanfare or coming-out moment, but rather, simply acceptance.

If you’d like to check out Strange World, you can do so in theaters beginning Wednesday, November 23. You can also check out what other Disney movies are coming up, as well as take a peek into the new year with our 2023 Movie Release Schedule. 

Netflix’s Tiger King seems like it became a pop culture sensation a lifetime ago, when in reality it released at the start of lockdown last year. That isn’t stopping other platforms from getting in on the Tiger King, as Peacock’s Joe Exotic TV show is getting closer to production. While Dennis Quaid was cast as Rick Kirkham, Joe Exotic’s reality show producer, he is leaving the project and someone else is taking over.

According to Deadline, William Fichtner will portray Kirkham to replace Dennis Quaid, who had to exit due to a scheduling conflict. Fichtner will star opposite Kate McKinnon, who will portray Carole Baskin, and Joe Mitchell, who is set to play Joe Exotic himself. The actor joins previously announced cast members Brian Van Holt, Nat Wolff, Sam Keeley, Lex Mayson, Dean Winters and Joel Marsh Garland.

William Fichtner has had an extensive filmography since 1987, appearing in dozens of movies and TV shows over the years including Nine Lives, Blades of Glory, The Lone Ranger, Independence Day: Resurgence, The West Wing, Prison Break, Empire and Mom. Fichtner also made his directorial debut with the feature film Cold Brook, starring alongside Kim Coates.

It will be interesting to see just what William Fichtner will bring to this role, and fans can only wonder what could have been with Dennis Quaid. Considering Fichtner’s long list of roles and the variety of them, he seems like the perfect fit for Joe Exotic’s reality show producer.

There is currently no word on when the new series will make its debut on Peacock, which is working under the Joe Exotic title for now. The fact that it stars an already-impressive cast says a lot, since the original series did wonders on Netflix. The show is set to center around Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin’s years-long feud following when Baskin learns Exotic’s scam with the big cats. The series will be based on the 2020 Wondery Podcast series Joe Exotic: Tiger King, which is created and hosted by Robert Moor.

With William Fichtner replacing Dennis Quaid due to Quaid's scheduling conflicts, it seems progress is being made on the Joe Exotic project. Even though Tiger King released on Netflix over a year ago, there are multiple shows being based around Joe Exotic and his schemes. During the wait for the Peacock series, you can always watch and rewatch the Tiger King docu-series that made such a splash in early 2020, when stay-at-home orders had people ready for some Netflix craziness. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on the Joe Exotic TV show on Peacock and check out our summer 2021 TV schedule to find out which shows to look forward to this summer!

Truth is stranger than fiction, and that was certainly proven with Netflix’s hit 2020 docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. But that fact hasn’t stopped filmmakers from wanting to fictionalize the weird world of big cat enthusiasts Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. The Kate McKinnon-backed scripted series Joe Exotic, which will stream exclusively on Peacock, is just one of several follow-up projects to center around the self-proclaimed “redneck, gun-toting, mullet-sporting, tiger-tackling gay polygamist.” (Amazon also has a scripted series in development, with Nicholas Cage set to star as Joe Exotic.)

Peacock’s Joe Exotic is based on the Wondery podcast Over My Dead Body, whose second season explores the world of big cat owners Joe Exotic (real name: Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage) and his nemesis Carole Baskin. Even if there weren't tigers involved, this was a story worth telling — from Baskin's questionable past to Joe Exotic's flamboyant lifestyle, and the rivalry that ended in a prison sentence - and the podcast drew acclaim from listeners and Baskin herself for its more objective perspective. Aside from Kate McKinnon, who will co-star as the aforementioned nemesis, plenty of well-known names are attached to portray the Tiger King's crew. Let’s take a look at an updated list of confirmed cast members for the highly anticipated streaming series Joe Exotic.

John Cameron Mitchell (Joe Exotic)

A star of stage and screen, John Cameron Mitchell will play the ostentatious title character, Joe Exotic, and Mitchell's spicy career seems appropriate for the role. Mitchell co-wrote and starred in the Off-Broadway hit Hedwig and the Angry Itch, and also directed and starred in the film version. Along with multiple theater roles both on Broadway and otherwise, Mitchell directed Rabbit Hole in 2010, starring Nicole Kidman. He’s directed music videos for Bright Eyes and Sigur Ros, as well as episodes of Nurse Jackie and GLOW. As an actor, Mitchell plays Gabe Parrish on the Hulu series Shrill and has had recurring roles on Girls and The Good Fight. He can also currently be heard on Anthem: Homunculus, a dark, musical podcast. Playing Joe Exotic will be a walk in the park for Mitchell.

Kate McKinnon (Carole Baskin)

Kate McKinnon, known for making us laugh as a longtime member of Saturday Night Live, will take on the role of Carole Baskin, the head of Big Cat Rescue with a possibly scandalous past who got caught up in a dangerous rivalry with Joe Exotic. McKinnon’s sketch comedy pre-dates SNL, as she was part of the original cast of The Big Gay Sketch Show. She is also known for co-starring in the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters, and has has built up a solid voice work career with multiple projects including The Angry Birds Movie, The Venture Bros., Finding Dory and voicing Ms. Frizzle on The Magic School Bus Rides Again.

Sam Keeley (John Finlay)

John Finlay, the ex-husband of Joe Exotic who became as famous for his gap-tooth smile as his relationship with the Tiger King, will be portrayed by Sam Keeley. The role seems like a departure for the Irish actor, who played Cooper Roback on the military drama 68 Whiskey and can also be found on the British sports drama The English Game on Netflix. But Keeley has done films of all genres, including historical action (In the Heart of the Sea), sci-fi (Monsters: Dark Continent) and horror (The Cured), so it’ll be interesting to see how Keeley embodies the animal lover.

Dennis Quaid (Rick Kirkham)

Rick Kirkham, the producer of Joe Exotic TV who witnessed (if not outright enabled) many of Joe Exotic's antics, is surely interesting enough to lead his own biographical series, so it's fitting that colorful Hollywood legend Dennis Quaid will play him in the Peacock series. Quaid has played a number of significant roles across genres, including A Dog's Journey and A Dog's Purpose as Ethan, The Parent Trap, The Rookie, Any Given Sunday, The Right Stuff and The Big Easy. The actor's mastery of comedy and drama, combined with some antics of his own, should lend themselves well to the world of Joe Exotic.

Brian Van Holt (John Reinke)

John Reinke, who lost both of his legs in a non-tiger-related accident, played a big part in Joe Exotic's story as a manager at the G.W. Zoo, and it will be Brian Van Holt portraying him on the TV series. Van Holt was most recently seen on the Fox drama Deputy as Cade Ward, but may be better known for his role as Bobby Cobb on the ABC sitcom Cougar Town. He is also known for his dual role in the 2005 thriller House of Wax, and along with being part of Ascension's main cast and recurring on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Van Holt has appeared on hit shows including Sons of Anarchy, CSI: Crime Scene Investigators and Burn Notice.

Nat Wolff (Travis Maldonado)

Nat Wolff will play another of Joe Exotic's husbands with the role of Travis Maldonado, whose drug abuse and tragic death were detailed in an episode of Netflix’s Tiger King docuseries. Wolff got his start as part of The Naked Brothers Band, a Nickelodeon series co-starring his brother Alex. He is also well-known for his roles in two John Green teen film adaptations, Paper Towns and The Fault in Our Stars, as well as for his role as Jeremiah in Admission alongside Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Most recently Wolff played Lloyd Henreid on the CBS All-Access mini-series The Stand.

It'll be interesting to see how some of these stranger-than-fiction stories will be handled in the Peacock scripted series, particularly when it comes to the more sensitive subjects like Travis Maldonado's death and the multiple animal abuse allegations. But with the popularity surrounding the big cat sanctuaries and their staff, it's sure to draw an audience, which will no doubt also be taken in by Kate McKinnon and the rest of this stellar ensemble cast. There's no doubt Joe Exotic will be entertaining in one way or another, but while waiting for first-look images and trailers, be sure to check out everything coming to 2021 summer TV!

Saying that 2020 is one of the strangest years in living memory isn't exactly news. With everything that's been going on from global pandemics to murder hornets, it's going to be tough to break into the list of the top 10 most bizarre things to happen this year. And yet, I think that whatever happens, the new short film John Bronco, that stars Walton Goggins and co-stars the likes of Bo Derek, Dennis Quaid, and even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar might still make the list, this one is weird.

John Bronco is a new short film on the way to Hulu that stars Walton Goggins as the eponymous pitchman for the Ford Bronco. It tells the story of the "rise, fall, and ultimate redemption" of the man who became a global sensation when he became the face of the popular vehicle. And if you're somehow shocked and amazed that you never heard of him, it's ok. John Bronco never actually existed. This is like The Blair Witch Project, written by somebody while high.It's a completely made-up story, which makes the brand new trailer that much more bizarre. Give it a look below.

I kind of love everything about this. From the VCR-era video quality to the vintage clip of Johnny Carson introducing John Bronco on The Tonight Show. It's all completely made up but if you stumbled upon this on Hulu by accident and hadn't been alive in the 1970s, you might actually start to believe this was on the level. It has all the hallmarks of what this film would look like if it actually were real. It's got a famous person's rise to celebrity from obscurity and even a mysterious disappearance thrown in just for fun. You start to wonder if maybe you saw this story on Unsolved Mysteries back in the day.

The website for the film is even better. It sets up John Bronco as a racecar driver who was hired by Ford to race a prototype SUV, and after he won the race and became an overnight sensation, Ford actually named the vehicle after him and hired him to be the spokesperson. It could have happened. It seems the mystery of just what happened to John Bronco will be the core of this new "documentary." One certainly wonders if we'll get an ultimate answer. Maybe that's for the sequel.

I'm not sure anybody would be a better choice for the lead in John Bronco than Walton Goggins. He has to be one of the best when it comes to playing completely bizarre characters completely straight. And while the characters here all look to be on the level, that's clearly the joke. The set up is what's completely off the rails.

John Bronco arrives on Hulu on October 15.

There aren't a lot of superhero-related TV shows on right now that are as wild and bloody as The Boys. However, despite some of the Amazon series’ gory and disturbing content, there’s a lot of dark humor to be found as well. In this case, the hilarity comes from a behind-the-scenes story where series star Dennis Quaid revealed how he had to make a dog hump a stuffed pig for Season 2. Yes, you read that right.

Season 2 will be adding some new characters to the show, including Aya Cash’s Stormfront, the latest member of The Seven and Homelander’s personal antagonist. Also joining The Boys next season is Butcher’s dog, Terror. The dog will be popping in to hump a stuffed pig in Season 2. Dennis Quaid got up close and personal with Terror, who has been trained to hump things on command. True to The Boys, the attack word is “boner.” Here’s what he told EW about the experience:

That’s an incredibly awkward and hilarious story. I didn’t think this show could continue pushing the envelope, but here we are. Dennis Quaid described Terror as “being a particularly horny dog” in the comic book series, so of course it’s something that the writers included in the show. I can’t even begin to imagine what the actor’s face looked like in that moment, or even why the trainers left him there alone with Terror. That said, I’m hoping that Quaid shouting “boner” more than once isn’t edited out. At the very least, it would make a great addition to the blooper reel.

Suffice it to say that Dennis Quaid won’t be spending the majority of his time in The Boys Season 2 dog-sitting Terror while he humps the stuffed pig. Quaid’s Hughie will be busy having a “very strained” relationship with Karl Urban’s Butcher. The two were on the same page for the most part in Season 1. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case in Season 2. Here’s how Quaid put it:

I, for one, hope that Hughie doesn’t mess things up with Terror the dog and make his relationship with Butcher even more strained. Either way, I’d wager that Hughie and Terror will develop a very loving relationship in Season 2 despite all the humping.

The first three episodes of The Boys Season 2 will premiere on September 4 on Amazon Prime, with the remaining five episodes dropping weekly thereafter. For more on what to watch in the coming months, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule.

Director Roland Emmerich’s Midway follows events from the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 through the pivotal Battle of Midway in 1942, which proved to be a turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II. The film tells its story through the eyes of the leaders and soldiers involved. Playing those leaders and soldiers is an all-star cast that includes, among others, Dennis Quaid and Patrick Wilson, who faced some very specific challenges during filming. In an exclusive interview with CinemaBlend at the Midway junket, the pair of actors spoke about the most challenging scenes they had to film for the war epic. Take a look.

Dealing with other people is truly life’s greatest challenge and as Patrick Wilson and Dennis Quaid joked here, the most challenging scenes to film in Midway were the ones with Woody Harrelson in them. Three-time Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson plays Admiral Chester W. Nimitz in the film, and his co-stars ribbed about the difficulties working with him, including a hilarious remark by Patrick Wilson that Woody Harrelson “smells of something.”

It’s a not-so-subtle reference to Woody Harrelson’s well-documented affinity for marijuana, a recreational substance that he gave up for a time, but recently went back to after hanging out with Willie Nelson (yup, I imagine that would do it). It would seem that smell could provide a unique set of challenges for filming a movie with Woody Harrelson.

Patrick Wilson and Dennis Quaid clearly had a lot of fun together working on the movie that landed in first place at the box office over Veterans Day weekend. After addressing the primary challenge to filming Midway, they eventually addressed to some others scenes that proved difficult, specifically any shot where they had to react to visual effects that they hadn’t seen.

As Patrick Wilson, who plays Edwin Layton in Midway, explained, having to react to something that you haven’t seen is particularly challenging. It requires you to use your imagination to paint a picture of what you are looking at and craft your performance accordingly.

And in a war epic like this, the majority of the battles obviously had to be done using visual effects. That meant that Patrick Wilson and Dennis Quaid had to react to planes flying, things blowing up and battles unfolding, using only their imaginations. That’s an extra layer of difficulty than it would be if you had the thing you were reacting to actually unfolding right in front of you.

This answer shows that as an actor, you aren’t just adopting a generic emotion or reaction to look surprised, sad, elated or whatever. Patrick Wilson wants to know what his character is physically looking at, which is a real challenge. He notes that it’s helpful when there is some pre-vis that he can look at to show him what will literally be happening in the film to help him paint that picture and guide his performance.

Dennis Quaid, who portrays William ‘Bull’ Halsey, also mentioned the infamous tennis balls on sticks that we often hear about from actors who are filming movies that require a lot of VFX and green screen work. Those tennis balls may help with your eyeline, but as Dennis Quaid said, it’s difficult to create the necessary emotion in your head when that is your reference point.

This isn’t the first time we have heard about the difficulty of working on VFX heavy films where the actors spend a lot of time in front of a green screen. In this computer-generated age, this practice is increasingly common, requiring today’s actors, or at least those acting in VFX-heavy blockbusters, to adapt. It’s basically a necessary skill to have at this point, but that doesn’t make it easy.

Midway is now playing. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the movies heading to theaters this holiday season.

Director Roland Emmerich last delved into the historical realm with 2015’s Stonewall, and now he’s returned to putting his stamp on real-life events through his World War II movie Midway, which chronicles the bombing of Pearl Harbor at the end of 1941 and the Battle of Midway that occurred half a year later. Dennis Quaid is one of the main members of this ensemble cast, and when recently speaking with CinemaBlend, he gave the following explanation for why the Battle of Midway was so important for the United States:

As Dennis Quaid noted, The Battle of Midway marked a major turning point for the U.S.’s involvement in World War II. Six months after Pearl Harbor was bombed, the event that finally led to the U.S. entering World War II (two years after the gigantic conflict began), the U.S. and Japanese naval forces clashed from June 4 to June 7 1942 in the Pacific Theater, and the U.S. emerged victorious, thus turning the tide of the Pacific War aspect of World War II.

Obviously the U.S. had been embroiled in various World War II battles in the six months ahead of the Battle of Midway, but that victory has gone down as one of the greatest naval engagements in world history. So what would’ve happened if the U.S. had lost the Battle of Midway? Here’s what Dennis Quaid had to say on the matter:

While that might be a subject worth covering in an alternate history tale, Roland Emmerich’s Midway is a relatively faithful adaptation of what went down in real life. Although as is traditionally the case with historical films, there are some creative liberties taken to streamline the story and make it more digestible for audiences.

Made with a $100 million budget, Midway, which Roland Emmerich first announced he was directing back in 2017 (although he’d pitched making it at Sony in the ‘90s), is one of the most expensive independent movies ever made. Emmerich was unable to get a major studio to bankroll the project, so he sought funding from individual sources, which added up to $76 million, plus $24 million in equity from many Chinese investors.

Dennis Quaid appears in Midway as Vice Admiral William Halsey Jr., who was initially named commander of the South Pacific Area and was later named commander of the Third Fleet for the rest of World War II. Quaid is joined in Midway by Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhardt, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Woody Harrelson, Darren Criss and many others.

Midway flies into theaters tomorrow, and be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of the movie. Don’t forget to keep track of what other movies are coming out in the near future with our 2019 release schedule and 2020 release schedule.

The story in the Dog's movies center on a pooch who finds his way back to his owner across a number lifetimes as different dogs. It will soon continue with A Dog’s Journey, which will pick up with Dennis Quaid’s character, who is now a grandfather.

Since the film will follow a new generation of Bailey’s reincarnations, Dennis Quaid is one of the few threads that bind the pair of movies together and it sure showed on set when he’d work with the puppers. When Iwe recently sat down with Quaid and Marg Helgenberger, who plays Ethan’s wife Hannah in the flick, she shared a bit of the actor’s claim to fame. Check it out in their words:

Ah yes, food! That’s definitely the ticket to get in with the dogs!! As Marg explained, Dennis would place some on his face to get the animal actors to react to him on camera or do specific tricks, and it looks like it worked. He of course has had some experience on the prior film, while she was stepping onto the saga for the first time with A Dog’s Journey. The actress played Hannah for the sequel, replacing Peggy Lipton, who passed away a few days ago of colon cancer at the age of 72.

Dennis Quaid isn’t only a skilled dog whisperer of sorts, he’s a lover of man’s best friend. In our interview, he elaborated about why they’ve been an important element of his life. Here’s what he said:

Isn’t that the truth! Dennis Quaid is certainly passionate about puppers and having them there to keep him in check is one of the many reasons why. You can imagine how great of an acting partner a dog is with all those traits above their paws. Check out the pair talk during the exclusive interview below :

A Dog’s Journey comes a few months after the release of A Dog’s Way Home, which may not be directly connected storywise, but shares the same roots – they’re both based on novels and scripts by W. Bruce Cameron. This film centers on Ethan’s granddaughter CJ as she must grow up apart from them, but has a protector in Bailey as his reincarnations continually bring him back to her.

The film opens this Friday, May 17 alongside John Wick 3 and The Sun is Also A Star. Will you be checking out the touching tale this weekend? Let us know your thoughts below.

It can be easy to feel a little déja vu at the movies these days with so many remakes afoot. In 2019, this may feel like it happened two times over when it comes to heartwarming dramas centered on dogs and their owners. Hint: it’s not all in your head. Since A Dog’s Purpose became a box office success in 2017, novelist W. Bruce Cameron has pumped out two follow-ups that have come out within months of each other: A Dog’s Way Home; and now, a direct sequel to Purpose, A Dog’s Journey.

My advice: if you haven’t yet checked these movies out, skip out on the other two and fetch this one up. For those already following the trilogy: rejoice (!) because A Dog’s Journey is the best one yet. It’s heartwarming, funny and unexpected at times – and for a movie like this, the latter is ruff to achieve (sorry, had to do it). Dog lovers will especially fall to pieces for this one, and there’s plenty of room in the human stories for cat people to enjoy this chapter, as well.

A Dog’s Journey centers on a dog named Bailey (voiced by Josh Gad) who has been reincarnated over and over as other dogs of various breeds over the course of around 60 years. This story began back in A Dog’s Purpose with Bailey’s relationship with Dennis Quaid’s Ethan and his wife Hannah (played by Marg Helgenberger, who replaces the late Peggy Lipton). This time, the movie has a more tightened focus on their granddaughter CJ, who is torn away by her mother as she deals with the aftermath of her husband’s death and becoming a single parent.

As Bailey approaches death, Ethan asks the dog to protect CJ in his next lives and he takes it to heart throughout A Dog’s Journey. The movie has Bailey’s dog forms being a part of her life as a kid, teen and adult. Admittedly, the ways in which Bailey keeps coming across CJ can be a bit ridiculous. But it’s entertaining to watch her grow up with Bailey by her side, and her coming-of-age storyline has a few profound things to say about self confidence, friendship and forgiveness.

After years of “dogs are a man’s best friend” stories, A Dog’s Journey benefits from this new spin. It also helps that CJ’s childhood bestie Trent is along for the ride, as well. The two (played by Kathryn Prescott and Henry Lau) share a sweet dynamic not often portrayed as earnestly on the big screen and are enough to really make this movie shine.

Another improvement from the original is how cleverly Josh Gad’s voice performance is utilized this time around. We may have director Gail Mancuso to thank here since she’s helmed various sitcoms such as Friends and Modern Family over the years. Bailey’s dog commentary often hits the right beats and often compliment the story well -- though yes, they sometimes are as corny as one might expect.

Sure it’s a whole lot of fluff but you just can’t help but go along and pet this story as it strolls along. Whether it be through CJ’s many meet-cutes with the dogs or the touching moments that aim to coerce all the tears out of you, A Dog’s Journey somehow makes it work. It’s reminiscent of the charm of Homeward Bound , and it deserves credit for daring to talk through some teaching moments usually not found in a PG family movie. You’ll “ohhhh” and “awwwww” at the puppies as they appear on screen, and likely end up getting swept up for the adorable ride.

_A Dog’s Journey _is a familiar family drama. Audiences have seen this before. And it offers the mush and cheesiness that usually comes with sweet dog stories. Basically  if you’re in the mood for a flick of this type, there hasn’t been one made on the big screen of this quality in some time, so enjoy.

Acting can be a soul-baring exercise, with performers digging deep down into their honest emotional experiences to show off a piece of themselves as they build a character. In the best case scenario, they find an acting partner – and a compassionate director – who can help coax the strongest, most accurate performance that suits the material.

But can you imagine trying to act alongside an industry veteran who has achieved legendary status thanks to their previous credits? Or being as honest and upfront opposite an actor you have admired for years? This is the situation that Meagan Good found herself in when sharing scenes alongside Dennis Quaid for their new thriller The Intruder.

Good told CinemaBlend in an exclusive interview that she initially was intimidated. But in the end, she had no reason whatsoever to worry, as she explained how Quaid made her feel at ease, and part of the process. Meagan Good said:

That’s the dream scenario. Even if, as it turns out, Dennis Quaid is playing a stalker who is ordered to make life very difficult for the younger couple who just bought his old home. That’s the premise behind The Intruder, which audiences got a look at in theaters last weekend.

However, Meagan Good also told us that she didn’t realize exactly how good her co-star was being in major scenes until she saw the finished product for herself. She went on to say to CinemaBlend:

Did you head out to see how good Dennis Quaid, Meagan Good and Michael Ealy are in The Intruder last weekend? Sure, a lot of people are still seeing Avengers: Endgame, and a handful of folks checked out Detective Pikachu. But this tense thriller pulled in $7.1 million in its second weekend, and has banked $21M to date. Not bad, for summer blockbuster counterprogramming.

The Intruder is still in theaters, so swing by and check it out while you still have time.

Looking at his career, Dennis Quaid is well known for playing heroes, from Annie and Hallie’s dad in Parent Trap to an inspiring baseball coach in The Rookie to an astronaut in The Right Stuff. It’s about time the 65-year-old actor try his hand at the bad guy, and in his newest role in The Intruder, he plays a menacing threat to one couple’s new life in Napa Valley.

The upcoming thriller helmed by Deon Taylor, the director behind Traffik and Meet the Blacks, has Quaid playing an older man who sells Scott and Annie (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) his home, but doesn’t know how to let go of his beloved property. During a recent press day for The Intruder, I spoke to Taylor about his time working with the legendary actor and he was floored with the eagerness he had with crafting a seriously creepy new villain. In his words:

The Intruder lead actors also gushed about Dennis Quaid’s performance in the horror flick, with Michael Ealy expressing how fun it was to watch him switch things up. Here’s what Ealy told CinemaBlend about his time working with Quaid:

Meagan Good explained that being on set with Quaid was freeing for them as well because he was given that space to shape his character. In her words:

Check out the actors and director Deon Taylor explain what it was like working with Dennis Quaid as he approached the frightening Charlie Peck in the movie in our interview:

As Deon Taylor notes, he didn’t know Dennis Quaid before this movie and decided to write him a letter about his interest in casting him in The Intruder. When the actor signed on, he was ready to go all in and do something “classic” with him. Did the actor succeed? You can decide for yourself when The Intruder hits theaters this weekend along with Long Shot and Ugly Dolls.

When you first learned about Deon Taylor’s The Intruder, you likely searched your brain for a second and thought, “Wait… It this a remake? Haven’t they made this movie before?” While no, this isn’t a remake, it might as well be one because yes, you’ve seen something like this, except you remember it being done better.

The movie follows a set up that's classic in the horror genre: a young couple moves into a new home and are disrupted by something unexpected that terrorizes their lives. This time, the pair is Annie and Scott (played by Meagan Good and Michael Ealy), who splurge on a beautiful house in Napa Valley to get away from San Francisco city life. The complication to their happy life is Dennis Quaid’s Charlie Peck, who sells them the house and then keeps dropping by unannounced as he struggles to let go of the property.

Here’s where the first problem in The Intruder arises: it’s so painfully obvious how creepy this guy is. We know he’s going to be the villain… we already have our suspicions. So there’s one thrill out the window already. Scott even writes him off immediately when he sees all the shotguns in the house. The only thing that keeps The Intruder going is Annie’s effort to have empathy for him. However, today’s audiences are too savvy, so watching a female characterization lean into foolish trust for a clearly problematic character for almost two hours purely just for our entertainment doesn’t work like the movie wants it to.

Dennis Quaid is trying real hard in The Intruder to be Jack Nicholson from The Shining but there’s a problem… this screenplay is nowhere near as clever as a Stephen King novel, so Quaid doesn’t have much to work with. When he’s creepy, it’s not the kind were somehow intrigued by, it’s the kind you swat away with a deliberate lack of eye contact and quickly move on. The movie could have been five minutes long if common sense was involved, so unfortunately, Quaid misses his chance at a good villainous performance.

Michael Ealy saves this movie. He adds the comedic balance and (a bit of) common sense that makes this movie kind of fun. If each of the actors took all their lines seriously the whole time, it would be much worse. In every one of his scenes, Ealy adds a bit to it. It helps that he's the only grounded character in the film. He even may convince you of a powerful message somewhere in there about gun control or standing up for yourself. That seems ambitious, though.

I will say this about The Intruder, I laughed a lot… more than most recent comedies I’ve seen. So many of the scenes are incredibly awkward. The conversations and big “tension” moments are just ridiculous and work much better comedically then they do with building suspense. At one point toward the middle of the movie when Charlie rolls up to the house yet again, it has a similar beat in sitcoms where a character like Kramer from Seinfeld might walk into a scene, because the audience is being conditioned to chuckle at the continued exchanges.

There’s one scene where Charlie visits the house once the couple have started to settle in where he gets upset over his old tapestry not being on the wall. I’m not joking, that’s the big first scary moment. There’s even tacky “suspenseful” music in the background and everything – here and throughout the entire movie. It’s the kind that’s reminiscent of the music that comes free with a video editing software.

The Intruder does have something going for it that I’ve witnessed in few audiences: engagement. The movie leans into film operating as a spectator sport. In a sea of strangers, you might hear quips about the characters’ decisions, and as the film hits the third act, this engagement only grows. It can be so infuriating as the tension builds that moviegoers are ganging up against the events of the movie – though most comments may to be the effect of, “Wow, that was dumb.” The Intruder actually knows we are smarter than what we see on screen, so it actually plays to that.

This only works to a fault because it’s never great news when the audience is one step ahead of a thriller. I like The Intruder much more as a comedy. Invite all your friends, grab some drinks and you’ll have a blast. Because if you’re looking for the smart, intriguing thriller the movie is marketed as, it’s flimsy, predictable and uninspired.

Heading into what's essentially the tail end of the summer blockbuster season, it's kind of hard to keep some of the movies straight, especially when some of them are sold so similarly. Take A-X-L and Kin: two movies I've been confusing for the past couple of weeks, as they've both been positioned as "kid finds tech that doesn't belong to them and goes on an adventure" romps setting out to do similar things. After actually seeing Kin, not only is it not deserving of such a top level layer of confusion, it's also not even the film its trailer is selling -- and it's all the better for it.

Eli (Myles Truitt) is about to reunite with his brother Jimmy (Jack Reynor), who has just gotten out of prison after a six year sentence. Unfortunately, that reunion is soon complicated by a botched robbery meant to pay off a dangerous criminal (James Franco) who protected Jimmy in prison. As if that wasn't complicated enough, Eli has a secret of his own: he possesses an otherworldly weapon that can do some serious damage. A weapon whose original and equally mysterious owners are looking to recover.

Considering that Kin is the feature film debut for writer/director pair Jonathan and Josh Baker, it is a pretty confidently crafted film. The visual style is clearly defined, and the characters are incredibly solid, leading to some clever performances from the entire cast. Particularly, Truitt and Reynor's chemistry as brothers skips past the fact that they're adopted, landing their on-screen relationship more along the lines of siblings that do not miss a step after six years apart. Throw into the mix Dennis Quaid (doing his best Harrison Ford impression) as the patriarch of the family, James Franco playing his standard psychotic / comedic villain archetype, and Zoe Kravitz as a kindly stripper, and you've got the core cast that drives Kin's interesting, but totally flawed story.

The fact that Kin's story isn't as polished as it should be is the greatest shame when it comes to evaluating this film. Looking at how it's being sold to general audiences, the final product is less schmaltzy and actually darker than the advertisements would let on. That comes from the fact that there's two different films that are fused into Kin's final product: a road drama where a pair of brothers are being chased by a murderous crime lord, and a family adventure where a young boy discovers a gun from out of this world and is being pursued by its rightful owners. While there's definitely credit due to Jonathan and Josh Baker for extending their short film, Bag Man, into a feature that works well enough, the seams between both concepts they're trying to marry are extremely visible.

If Kin had either dumped the concept of the gun and its retrieval completely, or written it into the script better, we'd be looking at possibly the biggest surprise of the summer. There are good patches of this film where the gun, and its owners, are such non-factors to the narrative that it really didn't need to be there. It's only important in the third act, which engages in a predictable, but really entertaining fire fight at a local police station. But just like Carrie Coon's FBI agent character, it really only comes into play in the last portion of the film, which throws a ton of intriguing, sequel-baiting twists onto the wall, and just barely sticks.

Kin is by no means a bad movie, so much as it's a sloppy story that still works as an entertaining experience. Reshaped a little bit, it could have been the anti-violence / pro-family message film that the Bakers are obviously trying to make. While the roughness of the final product does hold it back from being something greater, it doesn't make it an unwatchable film, just a mildly frustrating one. Still, it shouldn't be a problem for those who do take a chance on Kin to not only fall into its rather unique universe, but to come out on the other side wanting to see what happens next.

Dennis Quaid is returning to prominence right now, booking a steady stream of roles reuniting him with the limelight. But he's using this opportunity to also look back to the past, as he recounts his relationship with Meg Ryan and its ultimate demise. The actors met on the set of the 1988 movie D.O.A., and they were later married in 1991. Their marriage only lasted nine years, however, as they were eventually divorced in 2000 -- although they do share a child together, The Hunger Games' actor Jack Quaid (26). In a recent interview, Dennis Quaid elaborates on what happened during their break-up.

We're glad this ego check afforded Dennis Quaid an opportunity to learn. The discussion came up when the actor appeared on Megyn Kelly Today on Monday (via People). The conversation also brought up several of Dennis Quaid's former co-stars, including Meryl Streep ("jokester"), Andie MacDowell ("a beautiful, beautiful soul"), Lindsay Lohan ("one of the most talented people I ever met.") He also discussed the late Natasha Richardson, calling her "a worker, no ego; none of that crap other actors pull" and touching on her sudden death after a skiing accident in 2009 -- a tragedy that ultimately still weighs heavily on the veteran actor. But it was Meg Ryan who became the focal point of this discussion, and Dennis Quaid claims his time with Ryan was his most successful relationship to date. Ultimately, Quaid's sense of self and ego seems to have resulted in their separation.

You can hear Dennis Quaid's reflections on Meg Ryan, as both a co-star and romantic partner, in the clip below, courtesy of Megyn Kelly Today.

Dennis Quaid was last seen in this spring's religious drama I Can Only Imagine. The Parent Trap actor will next be seen in the sci-fi action film Kin, which also stars Jack Reynor, Zoe Kravitz and James Franco, which arrives in theaters on August 31st. Quaid will also soon be seen in The Intruder and Franco's The Pretenders, which are both expected to premiere later this year. He is also at the forefront of Fortitude, the Amazon Prime original series which will air its third and reportedly final four-episode season sometime this year.

The actor is also gearing up for one of his biggest roles to date: Ronald Reagan. Dennis Quaid shoots the upcoming biopic Reagan in the winter, which is expected to make its way into awards season next year. If that's the case, then Dennis Quaid will certainly be on top again. Meanwhile, we'll keep you posted on Dennis Quaid here at CinemaBlend.

The second season of FX's American Crime Story is still a ways off from releasing any footage, but there have been a number of casting announcements that have made it easy to get excited about what's to come. Season 2 will focus on the disaster of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath back in 2005. Now, executive producer Ryan Murphy has officially landed a fantastic actor to play the part of President George W. Bush. Dennis Quaid will bring Bush to life for American Crime Story.

The handling of Hurricane Katrina is far from the brightest spot in George W. Bush's legacy. His decisions during and after the storm have been criticized for their humanitarian and environmental consequences. EW reports that Dennis Quaid will play Bush in Season 3, although it is not yet known how many episodes he'll appear in during the series.

The cast was already shaping up to be pretty fabulous even before Dennis Quaid signed on. Matthew Broderick is on board to play FEMA Director Michael D. Brown, who was given control of the Federal Emergency Management Agency by President Bush despite a lack of qualifications. Brown failed to rise to the occasion when the disaster of Katrina struck. Assuming Bush and Brown have some scenes together, it should be interesting to discover how Quaid and Broderick bounce off of one another.

Annette Bening will tackle a role as well. She's slated to portray Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. The season will likely also involve actors who have appeared in past installments of Ryan Murphy's FX anthology series. All things considered, Season 2 with its take on Hurricane Katrina sounds quite different from Season 1, which covered the legendary O.J. Simpson murder trial. Season 3 certainly sounds like it will go in a brand new direction as well.

Dennis Quaid is probably best known nowadays for his work on the big screen, with movies like A Dog's Purpose, The Day After Tomorrow, and Frequency under his belt. Still, he's had some memorable performances on the small screen as well. He starred in the CBS period drama Vegas for its first and only season back in 2012, and he played Samuel Brukner on both seasons of Crackle's The Art of More so far. Quaid also turned in some striking performances on Fortitude as Michael Lennox in Season 2. Interestingly, American Crime Story will be the second time that Quaid plays a modern U.S. president. He portrayed President Bill Clinton in HBO's 2010 movie The Special Relationship. We'll have to wait and see how his version of Bush differs from his version of Clinton.

American Crime Story Season 2 will hit the airwaves in 2018. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in TV news, and don't forget to check out our summer TV premiere schedule to select your viewing options now and in the coming weeks. Be sure to drop by our rundowns for cable/streaming and broadcast TV renewals and cancellations as well. Our TV season finale schedule can give you all you need to know about your shows ending.

We all know that Jimmy Kimmel loves pranks. And a lot of people assumed that epic Dennis Quaid freak-out video was of his creation, even after he denied it in full on last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Now, thankfully, Funny or Die has come forward and claimed responsibility for the joke that some of us really hoped wasn’t a joke. Check out the full video below, in which the real Dopey the Dick may surprise you. Be warned of the NSFW language.

This is far and away one of the best things that Funny or Die has ever put together. Quaid’s wording in the initial video seemed a little too precise, which was one of the things that clued people in on it being a gag. And now we know it was worded like that specifically for a series of odd Airplane-style jokes that tied in with everything he was complaining about. A guy in a penis costume. A literal pile of horseshit. A group of zombie extras. A basket full of kitty cats. And that beautiful last line, “Blow me,” is solely in reference to getting his hair blow-dried to calm him down.

I love how they tied Jimmy Kimmel’s denial into the video itself, along with Access Hollywood, although there are probably some “comedy conspiracy theorists” who will assume that this is further proof he was in on it the whole time. Check out the clip from Kimmel below, and start saving your money for a new line of T-shirts.

I don’t know about you guys, but I squealed with delight seeing Quaid’s expletive-filled rant dubbed over the cartoon “Duck Amuck,” which is my absolute favorite Looney Tunes short ever. It links up almost too well, and now I feel like Dennis Quaid has to be the voice of Daffy Duck in whatever the next Looney Tunes movie is that inevitably gets made in the next few years. Lisps are funny still – I guess? – but there’s nothing like guttural hollering to make rabbit season feel far more dangerous.

So, somewhat sadly, we must remove Dennis Quaid from the pantheon of Hollywood stars who have temporarily gone off the deep end in public. Fortunately, his brother Randy Quaid is the mayor of WTFville in Canada, so we can just spend the meantime looking forward to his next video.

You know how a couple sometimes reconsiders at the eleventh hour and decides not to sign the divorce papers? Well, that didn’t happen with Dennis and Kimberly Quaid. Both members of the couple used the pen to show their anger on the official documents, turned them into their lawyers and only then had the touching change of heart. Consequently, these two are going to give it a go, even though they’ll technically be divorced when the paperwork gets approved.

According to TMZ, the problem is divorces without serious custody or financial issues are basically formalities. Once both parties sign and the paperwork is turned in, it goes through a very routine process through various steps until the record officially gets changed. Once that paperwork has already been signed and the process has begun, it’s really difficult to put a halt to it. Neither the Vegas actor nor his soon-to-be ex-wife, soon-to-be girlfriend have announced whether or not they’ll immediately remarry or freshen it up by dating, but if either decides to speak publically on the matter, we’ll let you know.

This isn’t the first time the Quaid family has undergone trials. Kimberly actually got a lawyer last year and filed divorce papers then too, but they were able to save the marriage in time during that ordeal. Consequently, the least of these two’s problems are whether or not they’re married. In fact, they should take long hard looks in the mirror and try to get to the root of what’s broken and figure out whether it can be fixed permanently.

When he introduced last night's screening of At Any Price, director Ramin Bahrani described star Dennis Quaid as "my Willy Loman." That's a powerful name to check just before your own saga about family business and the painful march of time, and it loomed over At Any Price in a way Bahrani surely didn't intend-- full of clanging dialogue and muddled melodrama, At Any Price largely stumbles through its own mythic saga of fathers and sons and the American dream.

The Willy Loman comparison, however misguided, is at least true. Quaid's indefatigable Henry Whipple sells seed to the corn farmers of southeastern Iowa and, ever aware of an opportunity to make a buck, farms his own land too. We meet him when he and his son Dean (Zac Efron) approach two grieving strangers in a graveyard, entirely because these strangers inherited farmland they might want to sell. But, as it is for most family-owned farms, modernity is creeping in, whether through encroaching big farming corporations or the lure of bigger lives for the Whipple songs-- eldest Grant is off climbing mountains in Argentina, while the sullen Dean dreams of racing cars.

It's a coincidence that At Any Price arrives after a summer in which Midwestern farmers were pummeled by a scorching drought, but Bahrani is clearly invested in family farms as a dying American tradition, and frequent shots of looming windmills over the corn concisely suggest the fast-arriving future. Unfortunately, on top of that he has characters saying things like "Those times, they were so simple" or "We're going to pick ourselves up by our bootstraps," putting a sharp point on what, in Bahrani's earlier films like Chop Shop, would have gone gracefully unsaid. When any of the performances start gaining momentum, they slam into the wall of the godawful dialogue-- Quaid is great at playing the big-toothed American huckster, but when he goes on a mini-monologue about not letting down the generations of farmers before him, the authenticity of the character vanishes.

When the story veers toward the gothic and violent in the third act, it starts to resemble modern blue-collar dramas like James Gray's The Yards, and it's a better fit for the on-the-nose dialogue as well as a performer like Efron, who sadly proves the limits of his range here. But the story also includes far too many detours that aren't rewarded, like both Henry and Dean's dalliances with the town tramp (Heather Graham), which results in a single scene where where Irene (Kim Dickens) confronts her husband about his infidelities, then never mentions it again. Making his first film with movie stars, Bahrani is clearly embracing the tropes of the old school Hollywood melodrama, but he and co-writer Hallie Elizabeth Newton seem terribly uncomfortable with them. Some of the expert details and authentic sense of place seen in Chop Shop would have gone a long, long way here.

There’s big news in the casting progress for the Nicholas Pileggi penned pilot over at CBS. Word is that Dennis Quaid is in talks for the lead role in the project, while former Shield actor Michael Chiklis is also negotiating for a potential spot. Negotiations are going slowly, but we could be seeing Quaid in his first regular series role if all goes well with the pilot.

The project, which is being co-written by Casino author Pileggi and Greg Walker, is based on the real life tale of a rodeo cowboy who becomes the Sheriff in Las Vegas during the 1960s – one heck of a time to be the face of the law in a city owned by mobsters. Deadline reports that Quaid is negotiating to play said cowboy, by the name of Ralph Lamb, for the pilot. Chiklis, who has a current deal on the books for development with CBS, is being considered for the part of a ruthless gangster who arrives in Vegas from Chicago. Obviously the two will be at odds with each other.

This project is definitely Nicholas Pileggi’s area of expertise, so I have some high hopes for it. It sounds an awful lot like a take on Casino, but with the focus more on the side of the law and less on the gangsters running America’s favorite gambling town behind the scenes. Getting Quaid on board in the lead role would definitely give the project a boost, and it sounds like good casting to me. I’m having a little more trouble picturing Chiklis as a gangster, but that might be because we’re used to seeing him on the other side of the law. It could be a very interesting change of pace for him.

Jennifer Aniston looks right at home in the upcoming comedy Wanderlust, starring opposite her Object of My Affection Paul Rudd (not to mention her real boyfriend Justin Theroux) and laying on the comedic charm we're so familiar with. But from here on out, Aniston looks to be stepping a little bit more out of her comfort zone. She's already attached to the Beaches-esque dramedy Miss You Already, and now Deadline reports that she is in talks for Switch, an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel that serves as a prequel to Jackie Brown.

The prequel moniker isn't entirely accurate-- Leonard's novel's frequently feature characters crossing over from one story to the next, and of course, Tarantino isn't involved in this one. But with Dennis Quaid also set to join Aniston, and a cast that already includes Ty Burrell, John Hawkes and Yaslin Bey, this movie ought to be able to get enough attention all on its own, even with the relatively unknown director Dan Schechter in charge of it. Hawkes and Bey would play the main characters, two ex-cons who kidnap the wife (Aniston) of a crooked real estate developer (Quaid), who refuses to pay the ransom and sees this as an opportunity to get rid of the wife he doesn't want all that much anyway. The crooks, not being dumb, then team up with the jilted wife to take all her husband's money anyway.

It sounds like the crime film will give Aniston plenty of room to show off her comedic skills, but Switch seems like a far cry from something like, oh, the Aniston comedy The Switch, which was the kind of strained rom-com that's much more familiar on her resume. She seems to know it's time for a change, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she might have to show us that's new.

Aging as a movie star isn't easy, of course, but Dennis Quaid is at least an example of doing it right. The former matinee idol is in some ways more attractive than he was back in the The Right Stuff days, but he's definitely still got it-- on HBO last year he even played that eternal symbol of middle-aged virility, Bill Clinton. So there's something sneaky and brilliant about casting Quaid opposite a younger and more modern hunk, Gerard Butler, and allowing them to go head to head. Blackfilm is reporting that Quaid has signed on to the upcoming Butler comedy Playing the Field; the two will play rival coaches of their childrens' soccer teams in a suburban neighborhood.

It's not clear that Quaid and Butler will be competing as anything other than coaches, but Butler's character does the object of affection for nearly all the women in the neighborhood, including one desperate housewife played by Uma Thurman. You can imagine how a guy like Quaid might feel a little threatened by the new arrival. Playing the Field starts shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana this month, directed by Gabriele Muccino, whose last film was the godawful Seven Pounds but also has The Pursuit of Happyness to his credit. It might be hard for him to move on as a filmmaker without Will Smith, but a cast this solid definitely can't hurt.

Legion stars Paul Bettany as a rogue angel and Dennis Quaid as a random guy trapped in a remote diner with him when Yahweh decides to destroy the Earth. For some reason God Almighty doesn’t just blink the whole thing out of existence, I guess he’s not as powerful as Barbara Eden on I Dream of Jeannie, instead he sends his horde of not as nice as you’d expect Angels to bludgeon the whole place to death one club at a time. Luckily, bullets are like Angel kryptonite… or something.

Ok maybe it doesn’t make a lot of sense but visually Legion looks like all kinds of badass. Below we have 6 clips from the film. Some new, some less than new, all so ridiculous they’re entirely cool. Take a look:

For years Cam Gigandet was a hard-working actor taking roles on TV shows like Jack & Bobby and The O.C., competing against hundreds of other blonds who were easy on the eyes. Then he slammed Robert Pattinson up against a wall in a little movie called Twilight, and things started changing quickly. Gigandet is quickly rocketing up to leading man status, but before he gets there he had to survive a true acting gauntlet: a series of one-on-one scenes with Dennis Quaid.

In this weekend's Pandorum, Quaid and Ben Foster play two astronauts who wake up on their ship with all the lights turned off and no one else around-- except perhaps some aliens. Gigandet plays a mysterious figure who helps Quaid figure out the situation while the two of them are trapped in a control center together. "I'm a flashlight for Dennis," he puts it cryptically, and given the various twists and turns of Pandorum, that's pretty much all he could tell me.

Luckily, we had plenty else to talk about, including the life-changing power of Twilight, getting an acting masterclass from Dennis Quaid, and filming a nude scene while covered in what could best be described as ultrasound gel. Check out the interview below, and see Gigandet in Pandorum starting this Friday.

I imagine since being part of Twilight you've been able to make a lot more choices in terms of the roles you take.

Yeah, that's opened up so many doors, and I'm so grateful for what that movie's done. It was really kind of a special little slice of life that brought me where I am today. Thankfully I got to do other things.

Do you feel somewhat grateful that you were there for the first one only? Robert Pattinson's life is never going to be the same. You don't have to be chased down the street by screaming girls or anything.

Yeah, exactly. We talked about this before we even started the movie, and that was one of the big selling points. Me, myself, I wasn't interested in doing that for the rest of my life. It was kind of the perfect balance for that movie.

Are you sticking with movies for now, or would you go back to TV?

No, I have too much fun on movie sets.

What's the big difference between movies sand TV for you?

It's very different and very new. As far as TV I think i would get too bored. I get bored easily. I want to try new things and put myself out there and take some risks.

The plot of Pandorum and your character's role in it are being kept very secret. What can you tell me about it?

That's one of the big things that you learn in the end of the movie, how I fit in, and how everything kind of fits in. What the movie is about is these crews are sent, or this entire crew is sent on a mission to find or start a new civilization. We meet two characters, Ben Foster and Dennis Quaid, and they wake up from the these [long-term sleep] pods and can't remember anything. Not only that, but the entire place is pitch black, nothing's working. I come into the story and find Dennis, and while Ben Foster is trying to find answers on his end, I kind of help Dennis come upon his own answers and find the truth in his own way.

When you're filming a movie that's secretive like this, can you even tell your family what your character is?

I can tell my family. It's weird. I've never had this sort of obstacle. It's also very fun, because you have this secret that you don't have to share.

Paul W.S. Anderson has compared this movie to Alien. Do you think that comparison is true?

Yeah. Whenever I read, when I read the script originally, and even while I was filming, it seemed so original, because it has so many different layers and it's about so many different things and you can look at it from so many different angles. I think it's its own masterpiece in a way.

What's it like to work with actors who are in costume as these zombie alien creatures?

We're all hanging out on set one day, and they finished one of the alien things, and he came out, and looking as close as I possibly could, I could not tell it was a real person. [In the movie] I don't actually have to deal with the aliens. I'm up with Dennis, and we are stuck in this control center, so 99% of the movie [for me] is just between me and Dennis. We had a really good time because it was just him and I not having to worry about anything else that's going on.

What's it like being able to hone in on your performance like that, trapped in a room with Dennis Quaid?

There's definitely a lot of pressure, because you're stepping out of your box, but then the added pressure of having to do that in front of Dennis Quaid of all people. It's one of those challenges that every actor dreams of. I loved doing it.

How did you two work together on these intense scenes?

He makes it very easy. It's a very dark, complex movie, and he brought a lot of light to the set in general. He made it very easy on me to take risks and experiment and play around and have fun, which is what you want in any actor. He definitely made it easy for someone as young as I working with someone as experienced as him.

So I read that there's a nude scene for you. Can you talk about filming that?

That was, yeah, one of the worst experiences. It wasn't just because of the apparent nudity. They had to put this stuff on my body that was similar to what you'd get at an ultrasound. But it's freezing cold. I couldn't put a coat on or anything like that, so I just had to stand in this stuff. They built this heater around me, because literally every breeze that would fly through, I would freeze to my very core. It was actually very hard. But it was a nice distraction, because I wasn't worrying about anything else.

Is it weird being the only one? In a sex scene there's at least someone else with their clothes off.

It's definitely weird. But I was so freezing, I could really care less about anything else that was going on. Try to get me warm and that's all I care about. I'll run around naked. If I'm warm, I'm fine.

I read somewhere that this movie is intended to be the beginning of a series. is that true?

I hope so.

It could lead itself into another one?

Definitely. There's a lot of questions that will remain.

Peter Morgan was on his way toward a Tony Blair hat trick, preparing to write and direct The Special Relationship after writing both the BBC movie The Deal and 2006's The Queen. Michael Sheen will have played the British prime minister in all three films, but now he'll be doing it with Richard Loncraine as a director, with Morgan just on board as a writer and executive producer.

THR doesn't explain why Morgan bailed, simply quoting a statement from HBO that Morgan will still be "Integrally involved in every aspect of the production." The Special Relationship will focus on the political dynamic between Bill Clinton (Dennis Quaid) and Blair, also featuring Julianne Moore as Hillary Clinton and Helen McCrory as Cheri Blair. Loncraine has a new movie coming out this summer, the comedy My One and Only, and also made 2004's Wimbledon.