There are some movies that, for better or worse, stick with us forever. Requiem for a Dream — a raw and traumatic exploration of addiction that happens to be one of the best movies of the 2000s — is definitely one of those. The psychological drama that was adapted from the equally devastating book is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and after reading Jared Leto’s tribute, my pupils are dilating over how fast time has flown.

Requiem for a Dream is one of those films that you remember exactly where you were the first time you watched it (and for many, that first time is the only time). Jared Leto, who stars as Harry Goldfarb, posted a touching video on Instagram to mark the film’s quarter-century milestone, as you can see below:

The clip shows Harry and his girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) high out of their minds, expressing their love for one another as they lay head-to-head. The camera spins as it zooms out of the shot, showing the couple’s literal downward spiral. Jared Leto says in the caption that he knew the Darren Aronofsky’s film was going to have an impact, writing:

Jared Leto isn’t the only one who has remained affected by the movie for 25 years. His co-star Marlon Wayans, who played his best friend and fellow heroin addict/dealer Tyrone, has also spoken recently about Requiem for a Dream, which is just one of the sexually explicit movies you can stream on Peacock.

Marlon Wayans noted the 25th anniversary of the film while promoting his latest psychological nightmare, HIM, which he says isn’t nearly as damaging as the 2000 book-to-screen adaptation. In fact, Wayans says we can count him as one of the one-and-dones, as he says he will never watch Requiem for a Dream again.

I understand this point of view, especially Marlon Wayans’ suggestion that it might be the most powerful “Don’t Do Drugs” PSA ever created. However, personally, I have partaken in multiple rewatches of this film, and I was shocked to realize that 25 years had passed.

That’s a long time for as often as this film still gets quoted in my household. Ellen Burstyn’s reading of, “I’m old!” from her epic monologue as Harry’s mom Sara Goldfarb has gotten particularly heavy use as the years have passed, as well as Harry’s preceding accusation: “You on uppahs?” We may also be known to break into a Tappy Tibbons chant anytime our kids mention juice, and I fear they may think “Join Us In Creating Excellence” is a more universal acronym than it is.

It certainly says something about a movie when it can still elicit a reaction in people who may have only seen it once, decades ago, proving Jared Leto’s instincts were definitely right when he saw something special in the Requiem for a Dream script. If you want to dive back into that nightmarish world in honor of its 25th anniversary, the movie is available to stream with a Peacock subscription.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced an entire generation of superhero movie fans to some of the comic book publishing giant’s most iconic characters, such as Iron Man and Thor. However, many of the heroes and villains we know from those Marvel movies in order have found their way to the big or small screen. Let’s honor some of the actors who brought them to life before they were inducted into the MCU.

Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man)

Some Marvel Comics fans have criticized the casting of Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, considering he was far older than when Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive arachnid at the time. While Tom Holland certainly fit the bill of a teenage vigilante better years later, Maguire is still remembered today as one of the best to play the role. Not to mention, he wore, arguably, the best cinematic Spidey outfit of all time.

Jessica Alba (Invisible Woman)

Following her Golden Globe-nominated breakthrough role on Dark Angel, Jessica Alba could be seen just about everywhere in the early 2000s. Ironically, she made her comic book movie debut in Tim Story's Fantastic Four as a superhero known for being unseen: Sue "Invisible Woman" Storm, who would be inducted into the MCU with Vanessa Kirby's portrayal.

Ben Affleck (Daredevil)

Ben Affleck would make an amusing, if not polarizing, impression when he joined a long line of live-action Batman actors for Zack Snyder's short-lived DC Extended Universe. More than a decade earlier, the Oscar winner cut his teeth in the world of superhero acting by playing the title role of 2003's Daredevil before Charlie Cox took over the role for the MCU in his own hit series.

Djimon Hounsou (Black Panther)

Djimon Hounsou has a small role in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy as Korath the Pursuer, but had voiced the Black Panther in a BET original animated series four years earlier. The Academy Award nominee would later share the screen as Korath with the MCU's T'Challa, Chadwick Boseman, for an episode of the animated anthology series, What If...?

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

Marvel's popular vampire hunter character would, technically, make his MCU debut when Mahershala Ali made a vocal cameo as Blade in the post-credit sequence of 2021's Eternals. However, the first actor to play the Daywalker in his own trilogy of Blade movies, Wesley Snipes, beat him to the punch by making a full, live MCU appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Dolph Lundgren (The Punisher)

It is hard to imagine Rocky IV star Dolph Lundgren with jet black hair, but he donned it to play Frank Castle in a straight-to-video feature adaptation of The Punisher in 1989. The role of the vengeful vigilante would be passed down a couple more times before Jon Bernthal took over as the MCU's official iteration, but the Swedish actor would later return to comic book movie acting as King Nereus in the Jason Momoa-led Aquaman movies.

David Hasselhoff (Nick Fury)

Samuel L. Jackson's performance as Nick Fury has become so definitive that Marvel would use his likeness in the Ultimate universe comics. However, the eye-patched secret agent's main iteration better resembles David Hasselhoff, who would, indeed, play him in 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., a made-for-TV movie that was intended to be a pilot for an original series on Fox.

Jennifer Garner (Elektra Natchios)

Jennifer Garner played a lighter interpretation of Matt Murdock's assassin lover, Elektra Natchios, in 2003's Daredevil and in her own spin-off film from two years later. While the Alias star would also reprise the role in Deadpool & Wolverine, the official MCU iteration, introduced in Season 2 of the Daredevil series, is played by Élodie Yung.

Chris Evans (Human Torch)

Chris Evans is one of the few MCU actors who can say he previously played a superhero from a different corner of the Marvel Multiverse. Years before he was cast as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, he starred in the 2000s Fantastic Four movies as the Human Torch, which he referenced to hilarious effect in Deadpool & Wolverine. The MCU later introduced its own official iteration of Johnny Storm, played by Joseph Quinn.

Lou Ferrigno (Hulk)

Before Bruce Banner's mean, green alter ego became the product of putting Mark Ruffalo in a performance capture suit, he was brought to life in live-action on the hit TV show, The Incredible Hulk, by Lou Ferrigno, standing in for David Banner actor Bill Bixby whenever he would get angry. The legendary bodybuilder also lent his voice to the role in the Incredible Hulk animated series and made a cameo as a security guard in both 2003's Hulk and the Edward Norton-led MCU debut.

J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson)

One of the few actors known for playing the same Marvel character both in and outside of the MCU is J.K. Simmons. The Academy Award winner stole the show as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies before reimagining the role as a conspiracy theorist and podcast host in the Tom Holland-led films.

Doug Jones (Silver Surfer)

The MCU would introduce a unique version of the Silver Surfer played by Emmy winner Julia Garner in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Doug Jones, a master of roles requiring performance capture and heavy makeup transformations, shares credit for portraying the first "live-action" iteration of the metallic-skinned alien from 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer with Laurence Fishburne, who provided the voice.

Robert Hays (Iron Man)

It is hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Tony Stark other than Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr., but Iron Man was the star of his own animated series years earlier in the mid-1990s. Voicing the wealthy vigilante was Robert Hays, who is best known for starring in the classic spoof movie, Airplane!, as Ted Striker.

Neil Patrick Harris (Spider-Man)

In 2003, MTV aired a TV show very loosely connected to Sam Raimi's Marvel movies called Spider-Man: The New Animated Series. Instead of Tobey Maguire, the actor providing the voice of Peter Parker was none other than future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris, who later contributed to the 2010 video game, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

Eric Allan Kramer (Thor)

Years before Chris Hemsworth's definitive performance as Thor in the MCU made him a household name, Eric Allan Kramer of Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Good Luck Charlie fame became the first actor the play the role in live-action in the 1988 TV movie, The Incredible Hulk Returns. However, I feel obligated to mention that Vincent D'Onofrio's role in Adventures in Babysitting as Dawson, who bears a striking resemblance to the God of Thunder, predates Kramer's portrayal by a year.

Rosemary Harris (Aunt May)

With all due respect and admiration for Marisa Tomei, the Oscar winner is certainly not the first person you would picture to play Peter Parker's Aunt May, as she does in the MCU. However, Rosemary Harris is not only the spitting image of the comic book character, but also gives a moving, iconic performance as May opposite Tobey Maguire's Peter in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.

Matt Salinger (Captain America)

One of the most notable screen iterations of Steve Rogers that pre-dates Chris Evans' portrayal comes from 1990's infamous straight-to-video feature, Captain America. Playing the title role is Matt Salinger, who, believe it or not, is the son of The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger, as the actor discussed with The Guardian.

James Avery (War Machine)

Most people know actor James Avery best from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast as Philip Banks. Around that same time, however, the actor lent his voice to the animated Iron Man series as James "Rhodey" Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, years before Tony Stark's buddy was portrayed in the MCU by Don Cheadle... and Terrence Howard, of course.

Nicholas Hammond (Spider-Man)

Before the role was brought to life by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, the first actor to play Peter Parker in live-action was Nicholas Hammond. The Sound of Music star led CBS' Spider-Man series and its two made-for-TV companion films in the late 1970s.

Jennifer Connelly (Betty Ross)

Liv Tyler appeared in 2008's The Incredible Hulk as Betty Ross, the colleague and love interest of Edward Norton's Bruce Banner. Years earlier, in 2003's Hulk, she was played by Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly, who was also subtly inducted into the MCU as the voice of Karen, the AI built into Peter Parker's high-tech suit in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Thomas Jane (The Punisher)

Three actors were brought in to play Frank Castle before Jon Bernthal was cast in the role for the MCU. The second, after Dolph Lundgren and before Ray Stevenson, and first to bring the vigilante into the 21st Century, was Thomas Jane in 2004's The Punisher, which sees the anti-hero take on a corrupt businessman responsible for his family's tragic deaths.

Cree Summer (She-Hulk)

Cree Summer is the prolific voice actor behind many well-known animated roles, such as Susie Carmichael from Nickelodeon's Rugrats. She was also the second person to voice Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, on the animated Incredible Hulk TV show almost a couple of decades before Tatiana Maslany was cast in the lead role of Disney+'s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Michael Chiklis (The Thing)

Jamie Bell and Emmy winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach (who also appeared on Jon Bernthal's The Punisher series) both played CGI versions of Ben "The Thing" Grimm in their respective cinematic adaptations of the Fantastic Four comics. However, Michael Chiklis admirably went the old-fashioned route and donned a heavy amount of prosthetics to play the orange, rock-skinned superhero in Tim Story's movies from 2004 and 2007.

Sam Elliott (Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross)

Following William Hurt's passing, Harrison Ford stepped in to play Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross for the MCU in Captain America: Brave New World, in which the military general-turned-U.S. president becomes the Red Hulk. However, you could argue that the most intimidating portrayal of the character is still that of Sam Elliott in 2003's Hulk.

Peter Hooten (Dr. Strange)

With the title's otherworldly, psychedelic imagery, it is not very surprising to learn that Marvel's Doctor Strange comics were first adapted for live-action in the 1970s. CBS attempted to launch a series focused on the Sorcerer Supreme with a pilot led by actor Peter Hooten, who was, of course, succeeded decades later by Benedict Cumberbatch as the MCU's official iteration.

Lisa Rinna (Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine)

While better known today as a star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Lisa Rinna also has the honor of being the first actor to portray Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in live-action in 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the MCU, the Italian-American noblewoman and CIA director is played by Seinfeld cast member Julia-Louis Dreyfus.

Conan Stevens (Man-Thing)

In 2005, SyFy aired a scary "movie of the week" inspired by the Marvel comic book character Man-Thing, played by Conan Stevens, who is essentially the publisher's equivalent to DC's Swamp Thing. The humanoid plant creature was painted in a far more sympathetic light in the Disney+ original Halloween special, Werewolf by Night, in which he was portrayed in motion capture by Carey Jones.

Ed Asner (J. Jonah Jameson)

Emmy winner Ed Asner's definitive TV role for years was cantankerous journalist Lou Grant on beloved TV sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the character's more earnest self-titled spin-off. In other words, he was a perfect choice to voice J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the 1990s.

Eric Bana (Bruce Banner)

The first live-action, theatrically released feature film adaptation of Marvel's The Incredible Hulk comics, director Ang Lee's Hulk, cast Australian actor Eric Bana as Bruce Banner. The brilliant physicist would later return to the big screen as part of the MCU, first portrayed by Edward Norton in his 2008 solo flick before Mark Ruffalo took over the role in subsequent installments.

Ed Gale (Howard The Duck)

Howard the Duck, one of the most bizarre characters in Marvel Comics' history, exists in the MCU, having first appeared in the post-credit sequence for Guardians of the Galaxy, voiced by Seth Green. The fowl extraterrestrial crimefighter made his feature debut, however, in a self-titled film from producer George Lucas, in which Ed Gale, a little person also known for playing Chucky in Child's Play, wore a duck costume on set while Chip Zien provided the voice.

Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic)

Before Pedro Pascal added the MCU to his ongoing list of franchises by playing Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, English actor Ioan Gruffudd played the stretchy superhero otherwise known as Mr. Fantastic in Tim Story's Fantastic Four movies.

Sticky Fingaz (Blade)

Mahershala Ali is actually not Wesley Snipes' direct successor to the role of Blade. Rap artist Sticky Fingaz played the vampire hunter in a short-lived TV series from 2006.

Top Gun: Maverick was the long-awaited return of one of the biggest blockbusters in movie history, and the box office did not disappoint. The film was full of incredible aerial action, but not all the action was in the skies. One particular scene in the film with Jennifer Connelly was reshot at Cruise’s insistence to make it more exciting, and it makes a lot of sense.

Jennifer Connelly plays Penny in the Top Gun: Maverick cast, a former love of Tom Cruise’s Pete Mitchell who reconnects with the pilot when he returns as an instructor at the Top Gun school. Their scenes in the film are certainly not the most exciting. They’re the romantic subplot. However, Connelly tells Vanity Fair that the first version of one scene with them, where the characters go sailing together, was killed off by Cruise because it was “boring.” Connelly explained…

The sailing scene has Connelly’s character Penny in control of the boat as she and Maverick spend a day on the water. However, Cruise didn’t like the fact that the seas were calm. He felt it didn’t show enough that Penny was a capable sailor. To that end, the scene changed locations and was reshot in a place with rougher seas, to show Penny as stronger and to make for a more interesting scene. She continued…

Director Joe Kowalski says the sailing scene was the hardest one in Top Gun: Maverick to shoot, and that it was shot three times, not just two, to get it right. 

As Jennifer Connelly points out, there isn’t a massive amount of screentime dedicated to Penny or her relationship with Maverick, so every second counts. This could have been a sweet romantic scene with two people spending a day on the water, but they wanted to convey more information, and for that, they needed an entirely different version of the scene.

This was the right call. Penny is presented as a stronger character by making this relatively simple change, and as an audience member, the scene is just more interesting than it would be otherwise. It shows that Penny is more capable on the sea than Maverick. Despite being in the Navy, he's not comfortable on the water. 

With Top Gun 3 currently in development, and Jennifer Connelly interested in returning, perhaps we'll see more of her character's sailing skills in the future.  

Many franchises have gone back to the well and created sequels decades after the original, but none of them have seen the success that Top Gun: Maverick had. That film made a billion dollars during a period, that is still ongoing, and theatrical releases in general are not the sure things they once were. With numbers like that, it was no shock that nobody wanted to wait three decades to make another one. Top Gun 3 is in early development now, and one person as excited as me to potentially see the movie get made is Maverick co-star Jennifer Connelly.

The early word is that we can expect to see Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, and Glen Powell from the Top Gun: Maverick cast return if and when Top Gun 3 happens. The fate of other characters is certainly up in the air, but Jennifer Connelly says that she would love to return, as she had a blast making the last movie and is ready to do so again. She told ET… 

The good news for Connelly is that any sequel that gets made in the next couple of years will more than likely use more of the characters from the last movie, so there will probably be a place for her. Top Gun: Maverick introduced a lot of new characters who weren’t in the previous film, but considering the decades that had passed, that only made sense. If the sequel takes place only shortly after the last film, bringing most of the cast back makes equal sense.

Of course, just because work is being done on Top Gun 3 doesn’t mean it will happen. There were multiple attempts to make Top Gun 2 a thing in the years after the first movie made Tom Cruise a star, but the stars didn’t quite align. While Cruise himself always made it clear that he was interested in a sequel, what was also clear was that he wasn’t going to make it unless conditions were just right. 

Connelly, however, isn’t just sitting by the phone and waiting to see what happens with Top Gun 3. The actress admits she’s spoken to director Joe Kosinski, who is expected to return to direct Top Gun 3 if and when it happens. Connelly is close with the director, who previously directed her in Only the Brave, and the two have spoken about the next Top Gun. It sounds like things are very much still in the “wait and see” period. She continued…

At this point, it’s likely everybody is waiting on the Top Gun 3 script that Ehren Kruger is reportedly working on. Without a script, and one that everybody is on board with, there isn’t much of a path forward. Once they have that, however, it seems likely that Top Gun 3 will go into production as soon as possible. Fans and the studio both likely want this one in theaters soon.

There was a time when music videos were as important as the radio in promoting the hottest artists and songs of the day. Back in the '80s and '90s, MTV was one of the most powerful cultural forces in the country, and that was reflected in how many stars you can spot in videos from the day. 

Sometimes, they were already huge stars, like Robin Williams and Chevy Chase, other times, they were actors looking to get their break and now, years later, we can marvel at their humble beginnings. This is a list of famous people in videos from the zenith of MTV highlights both.

Alicia Silverstone - "Cryin'"

Alicia Silverstone first got famous for starring in videos, specifically Aerosmith videos. The Clueless star appeared in three videos for the Boston rockers, the first for the song "Cryin'", then later showing up in the videos for "Amazing," alongside Dazed & Confused cast member Jason London. Silverstone's final appearance, and maybe the most famous video, was for the song "Crazy," alongside Steven Tyler's daughter, Liv Tyler. 

Courteney Cox - "Dancing In The Dark"

One of the most famous examples of a star getting her first break in a music video is, of course, Friends star Courteney Cox in the video for Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing In The Dark." The video, which came out in 1984, was directed by Brian De Palma and, according to Cox, she was one of several women Springsteen could have picked out of the audience, and it was random that he chose her. What kismit! 

Cindy Crawford - "Freedom '90"

Director David Fincher, who has had quite an amazing career in film, started in music videos. One of those videos, George Michaels' "Freedom '90," was challenging because Michaels told Fincher he wasn't going to appear in the video. Fincher decided to cast a bevy of famous supermodels to lip-sync the song, including Cindy Crawford in a bathtub. 

Eva Mendes - "Miami"

In 1998, a young actress from Miami was cast in a video for the Will Smith song, "Miami." Eva Mendes had starred in one direct-to-video movie at that point and was that actress. It would be another three years before her breakout role in Training Day. It's a brief moment in the video, as she drove her convertible next to Smith's on the causeway to Miami Beach.

In 1993, Janet Jackson was on top of the world. Her fifth album, janet. was another huge hit, selling millions of copies, partly on the strength of the single, "That's the Way Love Goes." Little did anyone know at the time that one of the extras in the video would go on to a career that eclipsed even Jackson's, a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez. 

Matt LeBlanc - "Miracle"

Bon Jovi's "Miracle" is, let's be frank, not the New Jersey legends' best work. One thing they did get right was the casting for the video. Matt LeBlanc was a young actor and model just starting out on a career, so while his job is really only to look good in this video, he certainly does. It would be a few more years before America was introduced to his comedic chops too. 

Hugh Laurie - "Walking On Broken Glass"

By the time Hugh Laurie appeared in the video for Annie Lennox's "Walking on Broken Glass" in 1992, he was already very famous in the UK. It would be a few more years until the legendary TV show House would debut in the US, making Laurie a household name on both sides of the pond. John Malkovich also stars in the video, reminding fans of his role in Dangerous Liaisons. 

Angelina Jolie - "Wondering"

Angelina Jolie was a model in Hollywood from her teen years on, so it's no wonder she would have a few videos of her resume, including The Rolling Stones' video for "Has Anybody Seen My Baby," but it is surprising to see her in a video for the Athens, GA-based jam band Widespread Panic's song "Wondering" from 1993. Jolie also appears on the cover of the band's album Everyday, which includes "Wondering."

Zooey Deschanel - "She's Got Issues"

Zooey Deschanel is as successful in music, with her duo She & Him as she is on the big screen, so of course she has an early credit in a music video. Deschanel appears with fiery red hair in the video for "She's Got Issues" by The Offspring. 

Naomi Campbell - "Is This Love"

Bob Marley died over four decades ago, but his legacy is as big as ever, with the release of the biopic One Love in 2024. Back in the day, the reggae superstar filmed a video in London for his song "Is This Love" featuring a couple of local kids, including a 7-year-old Naomi Campbell!  

Macaulay Culkin - "Black Or White"

Michael Jackson redefined what a music video could be with "Thriller" and after that, he often released short films that were much more than just a song, and often they had big stars in them. For "Black or White" in 1991, MJ brought in Macaulay Culkin and George Wendt to play father and son, for example. 

Christina Hendricks - "One Hit Wonder"

Long before Christina Hendricks hit the big time with her role in Mad Men, she was a model and struggling actor in the '90s. One of her earliest roles, way back in 1998, was in the video for "One Hit Wonder" by Everclear. Luckily for all of us, that wasn't her only hit. 

Matthew McConaughey - "Walkaway Joe"

Alright, alright, alright, we'll concede that Dazed and Confused is what made Matthew McConaughey famous, but before that, he appeared in Trisha Yearwood's video for her hit "Walkaway Joe," playing the titular character of the song. 

Wesley Snipes - "Bad"

For the second single, "Bad" from his album of the same name, Micheal Jackson teamed up with Martin Scorsese to make an 18-minute short film for the video. In the video, Jackson famously has a dance-off with his rivals in a New York subway station. One of the baddies is none other than Wesley Snipes, who only had a few credits under his belt previously. 

Patrick Swayze - "Rosanna"

Toto's song "Rosanna" is famously about Rosanna Arquette. Less well-known is that if you watch the video closely, you'll notice a familiar face as one of the West Side Story-like dancers. Patrick Swayze, one year before his big break in The Outsiders is one of the dancers. In an even cooler bit of trivia, another one of the uncredited dancers in the video is Cynthia Rhodes, who would co-star as Swayze's first dance partner, Penny, in Dirty Dancing. 

Elijah Wood - "Forever Your Girl"

Elijah Wood has been working in Hollywood forever. He started as a child actor in films like Back to the Future II and The Good Sun, but before those even, he had a part in Paula Abdul's video for "Forever Your Girl" in 1989. 

Chevy Chase - "You Can Call Me Al"

Chevy Chase was one of the biggest stars on the planet in 1986 when he starred in the video for "You Can Call Me Al" with his buddy Paul Simon. It is, no lie, one of Chase's best performances, and it's impossible not to crack up at his facial expressions and physical comedy in the video. 

Johnny Depp - "Into The Great Wide Open"

Johnny Depp has always wanted to be a rock star, so it was a great move by Tom Petty to get him to play the part of one in the video for "Into The Great Wide Open" in 1991. The video also stars the legendary Faye Dunaway and Gabrielle Anwar. 

Jennifer Connelly - "I Drove All Night"

The late, great Roy Orbison found almost as much fame after he died as he found in life. Two albums of all-new songs were released posthumously and one song, "I Drove All Night," released in 1992, featured Jennifer Connelly alongside Jason Priestly, in the video, along with Orbison in grainy images of an old TV appearance. 

Kirsten Dunst - "I Knew I Loved You"

Does anybody remember the band Savage Garden? The Aussie duo had a string of huge hits in the late '90s, including the song "I Knew I Loved You" which features Kirsten Dunst as a woman on a subway with whom the lead singer, Darren Hayes, is in love. 

Robin Williams - "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Bobby McFerrin's 1988 song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" has to be one of the most surprising #1 hits of all time. The song was huge when it came out, and went on to win three Grammys. Someone must have had an inkling though, because superstar Robin Williams co-stars in the video with McFerrin. 

Kim Basinger - "Last Dance With Mary Jane"

Tom Petty made some legendary videos during his career, but the strangest has to be the one for "Last Dance With Mary Jane" which features Kim Basinger playing a corpse, dressed up as a bride. Great song, but a very weird video.

Keanu Reeves - "Rush, Rush"

1991 was a big year for Keanu Reeves. Not only did he star in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and Point Break, but he also appeared as a James Dean-like character in the video for "Rush, Rush" by Paula Abdul. 

Eddie Murphy - "Do You Remember The Time"

In case you've forgotten just how huge Michael Jackson was in the early '90s, remember there was a time he could premiere a video on MTV, BET, and Fox all at the same time. The video starred Jackson, of course, along with Eddie Murphy and Iman as ancient Egyptian royalty. Magic Johnson also appeared. 

Katie Holmes - "Tongue Tied"

Katie Holmes' career was just starting to take off in 1999 with her starring turn on Dawson's Creek. She also found some time to appear in the video for the song "Tongue Tied" by pop punk band Eve 6. It's not the last time Holmes has appeared in a video, either. A year later, in 2000, she starred with Micheal Douglas and others in a Bob Dylan video. 

Winona Ryder - "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child"

By far the award for the strangest appearance on this list goes to Winona Ryder in the video for Mojo Nixon's song "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child." Leave it to the late Nixon for coming up with the most ridiculous premise for a song, then landing a star like Ryder to star in the video in 1989, the same year she appeared in Heathers. 

RuPaul - "Love Shack"

If one were to guess which 1980s video to expect a RuPaul appearance, the smart money would be a B-52's video. That's exactly what happened in 1989 when RuPaul popped up very briefly in the video for "Love Shack" as a dancer and partygoer. He wasn't close to famous yet, but he was good friends with the band and he fits right into the campiness of the video. 

Benicio del Toro - "La Isla Bonita"

Benicio del Toro made his big screen debut in 1988 in Pee Wee's Big Top, but a year earlier, he was one of the extras in the video for Madonna's "La Isla Bonita." He is way in the background and can only be clearly seen in one shot, but when you watch the video, it's unmistakenly del Toro. 

Liv Tyler - "Crazy"

According to Liv Tyler, she didn't meet her biological father, Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler, until she was eight, and didn't know he was her father for another few years. Still, by the time she starred in the video for "Crazy," they had developed a healthy relationship, and the video, in which she co-stars with Alicia Silverstone, launched her career.

Captain Lou Albano - "Girls Just Want To Have Fun"

Cyndi Lauper was one of the biggest breakout stars of early MTV and for good reason. The low-budget video for her debut single, "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" featured a quirky cast that included her mother (playing her mother), her lawyer, and wrestling star "Captain" Lou Albano as her father. It's a video as fun as the song and it was played on repeat in those early MTV days. 

John Goodman - "Wild Wild Life"

The song "Wild Wild Life" by The Talking Heads was part of their soundtrack for the David Byrne-directed film True Stories. For the video, he recruited some of the people who appear in the film, including John Goodman, who lip-syncs along with the song in a karaoke bar. 

LeVar Burton - "Word Up"

LeVar Burton first found fame as Kunta Kinte in Roots, one of the most memorable performances by any actor, ever. About a decade later, between Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation, Burton popped up in the video for "Word Up" by Cameo, playing a police officer trying to arrest the band. 

One video we left off this list because it's just too big a list on its own is the video for Ghostbusters which, in addition to the stars of the film also includes Chevy Chase, Danny Devito, Peter Falk, Al Franken, John Candy, and more. It's all too much to add to his list of some of the coolest appearances of stars in music videos! 

Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood are also some of the most often snubbed by the Oscars when it comes to Best Actor and Actress Academy Awards. Legends like Harrison Ford, Jamie Lee Curtis, and many others have somehow had some of the most successful careers in film, but have only been nominated for one Academy Award in the acting categories. 

Harrison Ford - Nominated For Best Actor (Witness)

Harrison Ford is a national treasure, most everyone will agree. Everyone, it seems, except The Academy, as he has only ever nominated once, for 1985’s Witness. This actor has been in two of the biggest franchises in history, plus the two Jack Ryan movies and so much more. He should’ve been nominated for The Fugitive at least. 

Eddie Murphy - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Dreamgirls)

Another icon of the late 20th Century and early 21st Century is Eddie Murphy, who has only been nominated once, for Dreamgirls in 2007. This is probably more testament to the Academy's apparent lack of appreciation for some of his best comedic performances because I dare you to find better ones in history than Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop or Coming To America. 

Gwyneth Paltrow - Nominated For Best Actress (Shakespeare In Love)

Gwyneth Paltrow will likely be a polarizing name on this list because the actor herself tends to be, but she’s had a number of wonderful performances over the years. Roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Emma, and The Royal Tenenbaums are all worthy of more consideration than she’s received over the years. She's earned just one nomination for Shakespeare in Love, for which she also won. 

Taraji P. Henson - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button)

Taraji P. Henson has been nominated for more than thirty acting awards across her sterling career. Somehow, only one of those was for an Academy Award. Her lone Oscar nomination was for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008, and it’s frankly astounding that’s the only one. At a minimum, she should have been nominated for Hidden Figures alongside her cast-mate Octavia Spencer. Hopefully, this changes with her role in the upcoming remake of The Color Purple. 

Hugh Jackman - Nominated For Best Actor (Les Misérables)

Hugh Jackman is one award away from achieving EGOT status. The “O” is missing and shockingly he’s only been nominated once for an Oscar, for his performance in Les Misérables. The multi-talented Jackman has won so many awards, but is shut out yearly at the Academy Awards. The Oscars may not show much respect to comic book films, but everyone else does, and saying he should have been nominated for Logan isn’t a stretch, nor is saying it about his performance in The Greatest Showman.

Jamie Lee Curtis - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

Jamie Lee Curtis is one of the most versatile actors of her generation. Horror, comedy, drama, she does it all. And yet, she has little to show for it in terms of Oscar nominations. She finally was nominated (and won) for Everything Everywhere All At Once but where were the nominations for My Girl and A Fish Called Wanda?

Salma Hayek - Nominated For Best Actress (Frida)

It’s been more than two decades since Salma Hayek was first nominated for an Oscar, for 2001’s Frida and she’s not been nominated since. Hayek is an icon and one of the most beloved actors today, yet never seems to get the attention of the Academy. This is likely in part due to the discounting of action films, which have become Hayek’s bread and butter, but that doesn’t mean her performances in movies like Traffic and Beatriz at Dinner weren't worthy of attention.

Matthew McConaughey - Nominated For Best Actor (Dallas Buyers Club)

When Matthew McConaughey won the Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club after being nominated for the first and only time, he led his speech with his trademark “Alright, alright, alright” and while his role in Dazed and Confused is a classic, he certainly deserved nominations for other roles, like how about a nod for his supporting role in The Wolf Of Wall Street or his performance in the vastly underrated Mud?

Samuel L. Jackson - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Pulp Fiction)

If there is anyone on the list that should be a perennial nominee, it’s Samuel L. Jackson. His lone nomination came from his unforgettable and meme-able turn in Pulp Fiction, but he’s an actor who steals every scene he's in, in a good way. Just his roles in Quentin Tarantino films alone, like Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, are worthy of nominations, but it hasn’t happened, sadly. Thankfully for all of us, Jackson was given an honorary Oscar in 2021 for his contributions to film, which is some consolation. 

Uma Thurman - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (Pulp Fiction)

Speaking of Pulp Fiction, the Tarantino classic also led to Uma Thurman’s one and only Academy Award nomination. Despite being one of the biggest stars on the planet, Thurman seems to have no luck getting the attention of the Academy. One role that really stands out is in the under-appreciated Prime. 

Benedict Cumberbatch - Nominated For Best Actor (The Imitation Game)

One has to believe that more nominations will be coming for Benedict Cumberbatch. Thus far, his only acknowledgment from the Oscars was for his wonderful performance as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. There are plenty of other roles he could have been nominated for, especially as William Bulger in Black Mass and Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate and that’s just the roles in which he’s played real people! 

Mark Wahlberg - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (The Departed)

In 1990, no one would have expected “Marky” Mark Wahlberg to appear on any kind of list like that, but almost 35 years later, it’s astounding his only Oscar nomination has been for The Departed (one of our picks for the 100 best movies of the 2000s). You have to question why he was ignored for Boogie Nights, for sure. The Fighter is another clear snub, though he was technically nominated for Best Picture as a producer of the film. 

Halle Berry - Nominated For Beat Actress (Monster's Ball)

When Halle Berry earned her one Oscar nomination for 2001’s Monster’s Ball, she was the odds-on favorite to win. She had become one of the biggest stars of the 1990s and now was her time to shine. She won, of course, but sadly, it would be the last time Berry would be nominated, so far, at least. It’s a shame because there are plenty of roles she’d be deserving of a nomination, like Frankie & Alice, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Laurence Fishburne - Nominated For Best Actor (What's Love Got To Do With It)

This could be the most shocking on the list. At first thought, you might guess Laurence Fishburne was nominated for his amazing work as Furious Styles in Boyz n the Hood or Professor Phipps in John Singleton’s other masterpiece, Higher Learning. Alas, the Matrix star has only one nomination, for playing Ike Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It, and he didn’t win. 

Josh Brolin  - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Milk)

Josh Brolin has been a favorite since he was a teenager in The Goonies. He’s also starred in some powerhouse movies, like Sicario and, most of all, No Country For Old Men. No Country won a slew of Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Barden, and yet Brolin wasn’t even nominated. It frankly doesn’t make sense. Brolin’s lone nomination came from his wonderful performance in Milk, but that was the year that the late Heath Ledger won for The Dark Knight.

Sharon Stone - Nominated For Best Actress (Casino)

You could argue that while Sharon Stone was brilliant in Casino, it wasn’t even her best performance, though it’s the only time she’s been nominated. She wasn’t nominated for Basic Instinct, despite winning the Golden Globe for the role, nor for the underrated The Muse in 2000. At least we have Casino. 

Tilda Swinton - Nominated For For Best Supporting Actress (Michael Clayton)

2007's Michael Clayton was awash in acting nominations, including George Clooney for Best Actor and Tom Wilkinson for Best Supporting Actor. The only winner of the night, though, was Tilda Swinton for Best Supporting Actress. Over her incredible career, Swinton has been honored for other roles, like her parts in The Deep End, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and even Snowpiercer, but this remains her only Oscar nod. 

Liam Neeson - Nominated For Best Actor (Schindler’s List)

Long before Liam Neeson re-invented himself as an action star in summer blockbusters, he was a character actor carving out a nice career in film. Then came the epic Schindler's List. He was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor in a movie, though he lost out to Tom Hanks for Philadelphia. In the 30 years since, Neeson has not been nominated, not even for fantastic turns in The Gangs of New York, Michael Collins, or Rob Roy. For shame.  

Lupita Nyong'o - Nominated For Best Actress (12 Years A Slave)

Lupita Nyong'o burst onto the Hollywood scene with her heartbreakingly beautiful performance in 12 Years A Slave. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress and has since been racking up the accolades everywhere... except the Oscars. Despite well-received turns in Us and Queen of Katwe, not to mention her roles in the Black Panther films, she hasn't again been nominated. 

Sean Connery - Nominated For Best Supporting Actors (The Untouchables)

Sean Connery was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and yet he was virtually ignored by the Academy for his whole career. Setting aside his brilliance as James Bond, Connery should’ve earned nods for The Hunt For Red October, and The Name Of The Rose, at least. Instead, his only nomination came for The Untouchables, which, thankfully, he won. 

Alec Baldwin - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (The Cooler)

Another fantastic performance in The Hunt for Red October that didn’t get recognition is Alec Baldwin’s as Jack Ryan. Baldwin could’ve been nominated for either of his two on-screen performances in 1992, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Prelude To A Kiss, but again he was snubbed. His only nomination came for his role in The Cooler.

Diane Lane - Nominated For Best Actress (Unfaithful)

Diane Lane found her footing in film in the late 1990s with outstanding performances in movies like A Walk on the Moon and The Perfect Storm, either of which could've been award-winning. Instead, it wasn't until 2002's Unfaithful that she got the recognition she deserved when she was nominated for Best Actress. 

Bill Murray - Nominated For Best Actor (Lost in Translation)

The Academy has missed out on great performances by one of the best comedic actors the world has ever seen in Bill Murray. Stripes, Ghostbusters, What About Bob?, and Groundhog's Day are some of the most beloved comedies of all time, and Murray was never recognized. Nor was he for his brilliant turns in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. Murray's sole nomination came, deservingly, for 2003's Lost In Translation. 

Jennifer Connelly - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (A Beautiful Mind)

Jennifer Connelly has been wowing audiences for decades, including in 2022's massive hit Top Gun: Maverick. It appears though, that she has not been wowing the Academy, as she's only ever been nominated for one Oscar, which she won, for her role in 2001's A Beautiful Mind. Other roles have earned her other awards, like her parts in Requiem For A Dream and The House of Sand and Fog, but to date, nothing from the Academy Awards. 

Kathleen Turner - Nominated For Best Actress (Peggy Sue Got Married)

Despite massive hits like Body Heat, Serial Mom, and of course, Romancing The Stone, Kathleen Turner has only earned one Oscar nomination, for the vastly underrated Francis Ford Coppola film from 1986, Peggy Sue Got Married. Surely this icon of the screen deserves more. 

Robert Redford - Nominated For Best Actor (The Sting)

It’s astounding that the great Robert Redford has only one acting nomination in his whole career, for The Sting. Though he defined what a movie star is, Redford never received Oscar attention for roles in All The President’s Men, All Is Lost, Out Of Africa, and Three Days of the Condor, among many others. The list is endless here. He has been nominated twice for Best Director, for Ordinary People and Quiz Show, and won for the former. Redford also received an Honorary Oscar in 2002.

Catherine Zeta-Jones - Nominated For Best Actress (Chicago)

At the 75th Academy Awards, Chicago was the biggest winner of the night, garnering 13 nominations and winning six of them, including Catherine Zeta-Jones for Best Actress. Alas, this, so far, is the only time the Welsh actress has even been nominated, despite powerhouse roles in Traffic and Entrapment. At least she shares this dubious distinction with her husband Michael Douglas. 

Micheal Douglas - Nominated For Best Actor (Wall Street)

Gordon Gekko in Wall Street is one of the all-time great cinema villains and Michael Douglas richly deserved the Academy Award he won for playing the part in 1988. An actor with a slew of amazing performances from Falling Down, to Traffic, to Fatal Attraction and more, with only one acting nomination. He was also nominated/won for Best Picture in 1976 as the producer of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. 

Lauren Bacall - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (The Mirror Has Two Faces)

Lauren Bacall was one of the true icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood, starring in such films as The Big Sleep, Key Largo, and many, many more over her career. Shockingly, it took until 1997 for the Academy to recognize her work when she was finally nominated for a Best Supporting Actress role for The Mirror Has Two Faces. She did finally receive a well-deserved honorary Oscar in 2000. 

Kevin Costner - Nominated For Best Actor (Dances With Wolves)

Dances With Wolves was the darling of the Oscars in 1991. It was nominated for 12 awards, winning seven, including Best Director for Kevin Costner and Best Picture, which Costner won as a producer. It was also the one and only time Costner has been nominated for an acting Academy Award. There are so many other iconic parts he should’ve gotten more credit for, like JFK, Bull Durham, The Untouchables, and Hidden Figures, just to name a few. 

It just goes to show that even being a huge box office draw, and a megastar doesn't mean you'll get recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Oscars are incredibly hard to win and even being nominated is an honor, they say. Still, for everyone on the list, you'd think they'd have more than one.  

Anyone who regularly peruses social media – and has done so for a while – is probably aware of one simple fact: trolls are going to be trolls. Sadly, there are some across the interwebs who stir up controversy and, in a number of cases, celebrities are involved. This weekend, in fact, one such person attempted to take a shot at Zendaya while making an argument on Twitter. They also brought Jennifer Connelly into the discussion and indirectly insulted her as well. And after you learn what they had to say, you may understand why people weren’t exactly happy with the viewpoint the user was trying to get across. 

A social media user known as @CristusVictor took to Twitter on Saturday to post about how they measure attractiveness amongst women. They dropped two photos – one of Zendaya and a classic pic of Jennifer Connelly. (The former starlet is notably shown not wearing makeup.) The person suggests that the Spider-Man star is not “above average attractive,” while also alleging that the supposed standards for beauty have changed in the past few decades: 

I think most would agree that there are several things to take note of here. Honestly, by this point, we should probably be well past the days of rating women in such a way. On that note, it’s hard to imagine anyone thinking of Zendaya – who’s in a relationship with Tom Holland – as being anything less than gorgeous. I mean, the Emmy-winning Euphoria star is practically the definition of beauty and grace (on the inside and out). Plus, she also rocks some pretty sweet and edgy looks on the red carpet. 

As for Jennifer Connelly, in my humble opinion, she is not – and has never been – a “7.” She was certainly beautiful during the ‘80s and ‘90s and remains so to this day. Anyone who saw her “extraordinary” work in Top Gun: Maverick (which is streamable with a Paramount+ subscription) would probably attest to the latter point. Despite all of this, the Twitter user doubled down on their viewpoint, responding to someone by saying, “No 7s and 8s were just hotter back then.” Though they also claimed that they weren’t aiming to criticize the Dune star with their sentiments:

The replies are filled with folks who are unimpressed with this take, with some questioning the notion of an “average” woman. Others are echoing the sentiment that the two women do not need to be rated. People, especially celebrities (both men and women), have been ranked or categorized for some time now, and one would hope that the Internet would drop this habit.

Of course, I’m more than certain that both Zendaya and Jennifer Connelly would be unbothered by any of this – if they’re even aware of the discourse for that matter. Both exude plenty of confidence and, while words can hurt any of us, I’m sure they seem to have developed thick skin over the years. In short, let’s just be kind and keep it classy on social media, guys.

Top Gun: Maverick was one of the most successful movies of 2022 that couldn’t and wouldn’t stop making money at the box office. But other than the impressive box office records it was dominating left and right, this beloved sequel really touched the hearts of fans who first saw Maverick fly in his cockpit back in 1986. Jennifer Connelly, who played Maverick’s love interest, remembers that sweet moment she knew Top Gun: Maverick would have a glowing effect on audiences.

It can be an amazing feeling to discover one of your newest projects takes the box office by storm as well as the 2023 Academy Awards, garnering six nominations including Best Picture. While promoting her next big screen role Bad Behaviour, Jennifer Connelly spoke to Indiewire on whether or not she saw the success of Top Gun: Maverick coming.

Having the privilege to be able to see Top Gun: Maverick on the IMAX big screen really was an opportunity you needed to grab. Critics noted in their reviews that one of the best parts of seeing this action drama was feeling like you were in the cockpit with the characters. As the IMAX screen allows you to see and hear all more than you ever could in your own living room, audiences will feel like they’re stepping into an adventure up in the sky. And if Connelly’s kids had their own heart-racing reactions to seeing their mother’s movie, you know other people’s children will feel the same way.

Another aspect that makes working on a movie very enjoyable is the people you work with. The Labyrinth actress continued to talk about what it was like working with the long-awaited sequel’s director Joseph Kosinski and, of course, Tom Cruise.

Jennifer Connelly and Tom Cruise really did have great chemistry in Top Gun: Maverick. All of the tweaking the action filmmaker did for their romance plot was absolutely worth it in showing a romance that started in the ‘80s that went on and off for decades to finally get the heartwarming results by the film’s end. Connelly said the “extraordinary” experience she had working with Cruise was uncovering his liveliness and generosity, taking every opportunity he could grab onto. It’s no wonder she felt this stunt-driven actor deserved an Oscar nomination for his hard work on the film. Even if this box-office star was hugely snubbed from this year’s Oscars, his performance of Maverick truly resonated well with everyone who took delight in his high-grossing film.

After Jennifer Connelly took her kids to see Top Gun: Maverick, it’s a good lesson for celebrities to let their kids be their test audience to see if their new release will hold up. Luckily, this Oscar-nominated sequel experienced the overwhelming success that any film would be fortunate to have. You can watch Jennifer Connelly’s aircraft-action drama Top Gun: Maverick now on your Paramount+ subscription.

Top Gun: Maverick was the smash blockbuster movie hit of Summer 2022, and reached yet another pinnacle of recognition by nabbing a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. The movie is a fast-paced good time, but wouldn’t quite complete the sequel equation without the central romance between Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connelly’s characters. Now, director Joseph Kosinski has shared how their characters’ relationship changed throughout filming the movie to better suit the story Kosinski was going for. 

The Oblivion director sat down with Vanity Fair to detail behind-the-scenes factoids about the most difficult scenes to bring together for Top Gun: Maverick, and how the different character relationships were established. The action filmmaker revealed that Cruise and Connelly’s relationship was approached much differently as written in the original script, and he explained why changes were made while filming, revealing that establishing scene between the characters at her bar was just as hard to capture in some ways as the high-flying stunts. In his words:

This is such an important scene in the film because it not only pull the audience into Penny and Mav's relationship, but also the various dynamics between other characters, as well as Maverick’s internal battles concerning his past. The scene is doing a lot of heavy lifting in terms of exposition, and was likely very difficult to achieve due to changing dynamics between the characters. Kosinski further detailed how the central romance became reworked throughout the production process by explaining:

The romance is the beating heart of the film, giving Maverick additional emotional stakes, and other plot elements populating Top Gun: Maverick may not have worked as well without that being handled properly. Kosinski clearly made the right decision by tweaking the dynamic between these two characters. Their love story is totally believable as an on-again, off-again relationship that's spanned many years, and Cruise and Connelly's chemistry makes us root for them.

The actors are also clearly supportive of each other off-screen as well. Connelly has described Cruise as “extraordinary” for his work throughout the film, and stated that she believes the megastar deserved an acting Oscar for his efforts. Cruise was unfortunately snubbed for the acting nomination, even as the film received plenty of Academy recognition. Connelly has sung the Mission: Impossible star’s praises over and over again before and since the blockbuster hit theaters, and the experience was seemingly a blast for the actress. 

Cruise can be an intimidating actor to work with, due to his undying commitment to getting the intense action scenes perfect, but it seems like Connelly kept up just fine. Would she have been as enthused had their storyline revolved around re-building chemistry after reuniting for the first time in 30+ years? Impossible to say, and we thankfully don't have to worry about it. 

Anyone who missed the action flick in theaters can stream Top Gun: Maverick now with a Paramount+ subscription. For more fun popcorn movies coming to theaters and streaming in the near future, make sure to check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 movie release schedule. 

The nominations for this year’s Academy Awards come out tomorrow. And while there are many films and roles that are expected to receive nominations, there are always a few surprises in the mix. It seems likely that fan-favorite Top Gun: Maverick will receive some nominations, including a strong likelihood it could be one of ten movies nominated for Best Picture. But fans wonder if Tom Cruise could also receive a Best Actor nomination. His co-star in the film, Jennifer Connelly, is on board with the idea. 

While a Tom Cruise nomination for Best Actor is considered something of a longshot, the man is at least in the conversation. And the people that know firsthand just what Cruise accomplished on the set of Top Gun: Maverick are those supporting such a nomination. Glen Powell has previously said he supports Cruise being nominated, and now Jennifer Connelly has told Variety the same thing, arguing…

Top Gun: Maverick is that increasingly rare movie which was both a massive commercial success and critically praised. While Maverick is mostly seen as a technical achievement due to the practical action sequences, there are certainly those that think Cruise could sneak in with a nomination for Best Actor.

While there are some nominees that are all but assured to have their names read tomorrow, including Brendan Fraser for The Whale and Austin Butler for Elvis, a lot of pundits think that at least one of the five slots is more or less up for grabs. So Cruise has a shot.

Jennifer Connelly calls out two specific areas where she thinks Tom Cruise’s performance is worthy of Best Actor consideration. On the more traditional dramatic side, she mentions the film’s core relationship, between Cruise’s Maverick and Miles Teller’s Rooster. Beyond that, however, she points out that the film’s flying sequences, because they were all done practically, also required a lot of acting skill. She continues…

If Tom Cruise does happen to receive an Oscar nomination tomorrow it will be the fourth of his career. Cruise was previously nominated for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia. 

Top Gun: Maverick shouldn't have worked as well as it did by all past standards of measures when it comes to legacy sequels. It was a sequel released almost four decades after the original. Still, from its initial reception to wide release, Maverick proved to be a sequel delivering everything you want from a blockbuster. Part of what drew moviegoers to the cinema in flocks was the willingness of the Tom Cruise-helmed action movie to put in a level of effort big tentpole franchises don't often take the time to do anymore. The movie's director, Joseph Kosinski, has opened up about the effort put into the movie, and revealed which of the scenes was the hardest to achieve in the blockbuster sequel, and it's not one you'd probably initially guess.

In an interview with The Wrap, Kosinski revealed that though years went into the planning and staging the complex aerial sequences, it was a much more seemingly simple shot that was the most difficult to capture. The scene in question is where Penny (played by Jennifer Connelly) takes Maverick out on her boat.

And respond to it audiences did. Top Gun: Maverick had an impressive box office run. The movie opened at No.1 and stayed in the top ten for an almost unheard-of 20 more weeks, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing domestic release of all time. The film broke a wild record for Paramount and was the biggest box-office hit of Tom Cruise's career. 

Its clear moviegoers were drawn to the filmmaker's insistence on capturing as much practical aerial footage (and in this case nautical sequences) as possible. This meant the actors had to work as their own cockpit cinematographers for many of the aerial scenes, giving the movie a sense of life and weight that is hardly on display in summer blockbusters these days. No wonder the high-octane movie soared past $1 billion and became a worldwide phenomenon. 

The only question is, what's next for the franchise? After such a warm audience reception and breaking box-office records left and right, is a third Top Gun possible? Well, Maverick star Miles Teller says he and Tom Cruise have discussed it, and Jay Ellis also revealed four things the Maverick cast would want to see in a third film. At this point, another Top Gun seems like a no-brainer for the studio and the stars. If a Top Gun 3 does happen, let's hope the filmmakers don't have to face as challenging a sequence as the one on Penny's boat. No one likes waiting for mother nature to get their shot! 

Top Gun: Maverick is available to rent or purchase on home video. For all your movie-going plans, stay tuned to CinemaBlend and check out our list of upcoming movie releases.

We've all been there: you're out in public and you get stuck near some strangers in mid-argument. You overhear what they are discussing, and you know who is right... but do you say anything? It's a tough situation in which to find yourself stuck, but it must be even worse if you're a world-recognized trivia champion like Ken Jennings, who recently posted about such an encounter on social media. 

Earlier this week the Jeopardy host evidently found himself on an airport shuttle and listening to a family have a debate about the movie Top Gun: Maverick. There was back and forth about whether or not the character played by Jennifer Connelly was featured in the original film from 1986, and Jennings took to Twitter to ask his followers if he should intervene:

For the record: no, Jennifer Connelly's character in Top Gun: Maverick is not technically a character from the Tony Scott-directed movie. Penelope "Penny" Benjamin's name is mentioned a couple times in Top Gun, and the wonderful chemistry between Connelly and Tom Cruise definitely illustrates a long history between the on-screen romantic pair, but she is not actually featured in the 1986 blockbuster.

It seems fair to assume that Ken Jennings knew this bit of trivia while riding on the airport shuttle listening to the family have their "heated" discussion, and it's totally understandable that he didn't know whether or not to contribute to the discussion. After all, some people don't take kindly to strangers eavesdropping, and Jennings probably doesn't want to give the impression that he is showing off his intelligence.

In a follow-up Tweet, Ken Jennings compared his situation to a classic moment in the comedy Annie Hall. In the film, Woody Allen's character has a fantasy about summoning philosopher Marshall McLuhan to quiet a pretentious stranger who is pontificating while standing in line at the movie theater. In this more modern situation, Jennings is McLuhan... but does he really want to be "that guy"?

Sadly the Jeopardy star didn't post a Tweet answering whether or not he ever ended up providing the answer to the Top Gun: Maverick trivia, but either way hopefully the argument was eventually settled and peace was restored in the family. It certainly provided some entertainment for those of us on the interwebs.

For those of you who are still feeling the high from Top Gun: Maverick's blockbuster release this summer and want to go for another ride, the movie is still playing in 1,127 nationwide, so check your local listings (it ranked in tenth place at the box office this past weekend). The big screen is the best way to watch the film, but it's also available for digital rental via Amazon, Vudu, Google, and Apple. The 4K and Blu-ray will be released on Halloween, and Paramount+ subscribers can expect to see it streaming before the end of the year.

Jennifer Connelly, well known for her roles in Labyrinth, A Beautiful Mind and He’s Just Not That Into You, has not appeared on the big screen a lot lately. Sure, many were excited about her lead role in TBS’s Snowpiercer, but it’s been a while since she’s been in a memorable movie. That is until she landed a key role in Top Gun: Maverick as Maverick’s former girlfriend, Penny. After completing her steamy scenes with Tom Cruise, it looks like Jennifer Connelly has already got her next role all lined up. 

The Hulk star is set to star in the dark comedy Bad Behaviour. According to Deadline, Jennifer Connelly will play a former child star seeking enlightenment at a retreat while trying to navigate the complicated relationship she has with her daughter. Alice Englert is the actress playing her daughter, who you may know from her roles in Beautiful Creatures and The Power of the Dog. 

Not only will Alice Englert be acting in Bad Behaviour, she's also writing the screenplay and making her directorial debut with this flick. Hopefully, this new adventure the 28-year-old up-and-coming director will be undertaking will be a successful one. Playing the retreat's spiritual leader will be Ben Whishaw, who you may remember in the lead role of Adam Kay's series This Is Going to Hurt and playing Q in the latter three Daniel Craig-led James Bond movies. Ana Scotney, Dasha Nekrasova Karan Gill and Marlon Williams help complete the cast of this New Zealand-set independent film.

The fondest experience Jennifer Connelly had being part of Top Gun: Maverick was being able to work with her leading man, Tom Cruise. She could not help but be impressed with Cruise’s hard work and commitment to the movie. While she may have been “paranoid” about knowing her lines, he got them down flat. It’s like he was born to take on the role of Maverick. What she also found “extraordinary” about the Mission: Impossible star was his generosity in everything he does and his ability to seize opportunities. It proves that if you think very fondly of your on-screen partner, it will bring out that natural chemistry audiences will see onscreen. 

Considering all of the box office landmarks that Top Gun: Maverick has hit, it will likely be easy for critics and audiences to fall in love with Jennifer Connelly all over again. This hit sequel was breaking records on its first day flying through the box office at $51.8 million, with $19.3 million from preview screenings. This action-drama film also had Cruise's best opening weekend, taking in $124 million in 4,735 theaters. While this film marked a box office record for Tom Cruise by the actor having a number one box office hit for five consecutive decades, this can also mean great things for Jennifer Connelly. 

With Top Gun: Maverick passing the $1 billion mark, this means millions of people have seen the talented Jennifer Connelly and will continue to do so as we see her career reach new heights, which now includes Bad Behaviour. If you haven’t seen this 2022 movie release yet, you can still see Top Gun: Maverick in theaters now.

“Top Gun: Maverick” stars Miles Teller (Rooster), Jon Hamm (Cyclone), Jennifer Connelly (Penny Benjamin), Jay Ellis (Payback), Monica Barbaro (Phoenix), Glen Powell (Hangman), Greg Tarzan Davis Coyote), Danny Ramirez (Fanboy), Lewis Pullman (Bob), Charles Parnell (Warlock), Bashir Salahuddin (Coleman), plus producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski discuss their highly anticipated “Top Gun” sequel in this interview with CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell. Find out how Tom Cruise surprised Jennifer Connelly with a flight, how the cast supported each other during the movie’s delay and more.

Video Chapters

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 00:30 - Were Miles Teller And The Cast Really Acting When Flying In The Jets In ‘Top Gun: Maverick’? 
• 02:40 - Jon Hamm Is Bummed He Never Got To Fly In A Plane For ‘Top Gun 2’ 
• 03:00 - Tom Cruise Surprised Jennifer Connelly With An Impromptu Flight While Filming 
• 04:00 - Why Glen Powell Had To Change Hangman’s Original Call Sign Before Filming 
• 05:44 - Jennifer Connelly Had A Call Sign On Her College Running Team And It’s Totally Badass 
• 06:35 - Discussing 'Top Gun's' Iconic Soundtrack & Lady Gaga's "Hold My Hand" 
• 08:45 - Miles Teller Shares How Fear of Failure Actually Motivated Him To Sing In The Film 
• 09:30 - The 'Top Gun: Maverick' Cast On Tom Cruise ‘Pushing Them Beyond Their Limits’ 
• 13:14 - Filming 'Top Gun: Maverick' Flooded Jay Ellis With Emotional Memories Of Growing Up In A Military Family, Brought Him So Much Pride 
• 14:40 - Jerry Bruckheimer Tried To Make 'Top Gun 2' In The 1980s, Tells Us Why It Didn’t Happen 
• 15:14 - The Cast Reflects On Why They’re Really Glad The Movie Has Been Delayed For So Long

The upcoming legacy sequel Top Gun: Maverick has been receiving a lot of pre-release press for the aerial sequences captured by director Joseph Kosinski, as well as the intense boot camp leading man Tom Cruise put his co-stars through so that they could convincingly play Naval aviators who are worthy of the Top Gun label. Young guns like Miles Teller, Glen Powell and Monica Barbaro knew what they were signing up for when they took their parts in Top Gun: Maverick (including, it seems, training for the shirtless beach football scene). Jennifer Connelly, however, got a little bit more than she bargained for while filming a scene for the sequel. 

In the original Top Gun film (which you can stream on certain platforms), Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has a torrid fling with his flight instructor, played by Kelly McGillis. There’s mention in the screenplay of a former love, Penny Benjamin, and we finally meet that character in the form of Jennifer Connelly in Top Gun: Maverick. But Penny owns a San Diego bar. She’s not flying planes. So during a scene that the actress filmed with Cruise, she didn’t expect to take off… until Cruise took over. As Connelly tells CinemaBlend:

Normally, in circumstances such as this, I’d freak out. But Tom Cruise has been flying all sorts of aircraft his entire life. And when he isn’t flying them, he’s hanging on to the outsides of them!

Also, Jennifer Connelly ended up loving the experience, as she went on to tell CinemaBlend:

So much of that comes back to preparation, as well as dedication. It all shines through in Top Gun: Maverick, which has been receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, and recently got a five-minute standing ovation from the crowd at the Cannes Film Festival gathered for a premiere there. Cruise and Lady Gaga have been hyping up fans by gushing over her original song for the movie, and Cruise’s co-stars can’t say enough good things about working with the legendary A-lister. It’s all leading to an incredibly memorable time at the multiplexes, which you can start enjoying once Top Gun: Maverick arrives in theaters on May 27, 2022.

Tom Cruise is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, if not the single biggest movie star in the world-- and that’s a title he has held for decades. Outside of all the huge movies that he’s been a part of and the fact that he’s willing to perform all his own stunts, Cruise is just famous for being famous. It would be little shock if the Mission: Impossible icon just didn’t have the time for “the little people” anymore, but according to his Top Gun: Maverick co-star Jennifer Connelly, he still does and he's actually quite generous.

Jennifer Connelly is on the cover of the first issue of Amazing magazine and in its pages (via ET)  she talks about the experience of working with Tom Cruise on the highly anticipated Top Gun sequel. Connelly says she found Cruise to be extraordinarily generous. While he might be a huge movie star, he apparently never takes that fact for granted. She explained… 

Seizing opportunities is certainly something that we can all agree Tom Cruise has no problem doing. At least if by “opportunities” we mean “insane stunts.” Cruise always wants to be the guy on the screen doing whatever it is that his character is doing, and he’s gone to significant lengths to be sure he’s able to do those things.

His exuberance is also something we’ve seen play out. Not only does Tom Cruise do his own stunts but he truly seems to love doing them. His enjoyment of his own job has reportedly been a problem from time to time. 

At the same time, the fact that Tom Cruise always seems to want to be “the guy” on screen could appear to be an indication that he’s anything but generous. However, Jennifer Connelly says that he actually really is. The idea that he doesn’t take anything for granted, when Tom Cruise could certainly get away with less, is nice to hear. Far too often our favorite stars can do things that make them less than ideal. It’s nice to discover that the celebrities that so many people love are at the very least decent people.

We’ll get to see the end result of Tom Cruise’s exuberance and generosity next May, when he and Jennifer Connelly co-star in Top Gun: Maverick. That film, along with Cruise’s next Mission: Impossible movie, has been continuously delayed, but one certainly hopes that we’ll finally be able to see the sequel next summer.  

In a year filled with 2020 box office holdovers, Top Gun: Maverick has become one of 2021’s most anticipated films. Viewers have been waiting to see Tom Cruise back in action as Maverick since the film was announced. This time around, Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly is one of many newcomers to join the high-octane franchise. Despite the film dealing with fighter planes, Connelly didn’t expect to be in the air. But all that changed as the actress spoke on her anxiety before flying with Cruise.

While Tom Cruise remains one of Hollywood’s top earners, he has become known for doing his stunts. Of course, Top Gun: Maverick would be no different. Prior to being cast in the movie, Jennifer Connelly was already struggling with flight anxiety. So doing some crazy in-air stunts was less than ideal. Connelly explained her feelings at the time, saying:

In her Graham Norton Show interview, Jennifer Connelly opened about how the innocent moment shifted quickly as she and Tom Cruise sat in the aircraft. Connelly revealed how Tom Cruise broke the news to her:

Hearing Jennifer Connelly describing the moment was both insightful and scary. But knowing Tom Cruise’s stunt and flying background, Connelly shouldn’t have been too surprised. As evident by his injury during the Mission: Impossible Fallout shoot, Cruise seemingly doesn't mind taking risks for his craft. That project was a major hit, and next up the actor will be in the cockpit. Hopefully, Connelly's own flight sequence will be a highlight in the Top Gun sequel.

Jennifer Connelly’s anecdote was a nice peek behind the scenes into the anticipated sequel. With that in mind, the film has been plagued with multiple delays for varying reasons. Despite the latest delay, fans of the original film won’t have to wait much longer to see Tom Cruise and company. You can catch Top Gun: Maverick will arrive in theaters on Nov. 19, 2021.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Snowpiercer Season 2 episode "Many Miles From Snowpiercer." Read at your own risk!

The latest Snowpiercer episode was a big one for Melanie Cavill, as viewers finally got to see her for the first time since she left the train in order to run tests at a facility on the recent snowfall on Earth. The episode brought some stunning new revelations to the table, and the process of filming brought on a pretty big gross-out moment for actress Jennifer Connelly.

I got a chance to speak with Jennifer Connelly about Season 2 of Snowpiercer, and our conversation led to whether or not she's had any gross-out moments on set. The actress revealed that Melanie's capture of the rat took at least a couple of takes to nail down, thanks in part to her uncooperative co-star.

It was not at all obvious on Snowpiercer that Jennifer Connelly was uncomfortable with rats, especially after the scene in which we saw Melanie cooking one over a fire. Of course, I'm assuming the rat in that scene wasn't alive, and that can tend to make all the difference in these situations. I can't say I wouldn't have reacted the same way, though Connelly seemed to be in good spirits about the incident now that it's over.

This is not the first time Snowpiercer has relied on live animals for its production. When I spoke to Ruth actress Alison Wright in Season 1, she revealed that the crew actually used live cockroaches for that sabotage scene in the first-class dining car. Wright said that trainers were brought in to rile the bugs before the scene was shot to encourage more activity. I doubt anyone planned for the rat to try and escape in the botched version of the scene, so that may have just been a bit of improv the rat was trying out.

I can talk about rats all day, but obviously, I and many other Snowpiercer fans have to be wondering why the train blew past Melanie when she was supposed to be boarding. Making it 30 days in isolation and bad weather was bad enough for Melanie, to the point that if she can't make it back on board, I don't like her odds of survival. Of course, given that the train flew by looking like it was out of control, maybe her odds of survival on the train wouldn't be that much better?

Snowpiercer airs on TNT Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Season 2 is barreling ahead like a runaway freight train, so be sure to read up on what Lena Hall had to say about Miss Audrey's mysterious powers before next week's episode.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Snowpiercer Season 2 episode "A Great Odyssey." Read at your own risk!

The first time Jennifer Connelly's Melanie Cavill left the train on Snowpiercer, it seemed like a death sentence for the character. It's hard to argue the vibe doesn't feel the same she's departing the train for a second time to further investigate the recent discovery that it "snowed" on Earth. Whether she's successful or not, it seems to me like the character made her biggest mistake to date.

The obvious risk is that Melanie runs into trouble on her way to the station and dies. Melanie sustained some wicked injuries on her prior venture outside of the train, though nothing that couldn't be fixed by the medical advancements created on Big Alice. This time, Melanie will have to brave the elements and stay alive for a full month before the train has a chance to come back and find her. There's a high chance of Melanie dying, obviously, which is part of the reason Mr. Wilford is so excited about it happening.

And in the hypothetical Melanie does survive, is her leaving Snowpiercer the best idea in the first place? Melanie has been shown as one of the only people to essentially checkmate the conniving Wilford to this point, so he may have a chance to cook up some schemes in her absence. Layton already has his hands full with unrest on the train. Can he really go toe-to-toe with Wilford as well? If Melanie does return to Snowpiercer, there's no telling in how the situation in the train could change in the month she's away.

As foolish as it may be, the answer for Melanie's decision is better explained in my conversation with Jennifer Connelly about Snowpiercer Season 2. Connelly spoke about her character's change between Season 1 and 2 and the natural shift in her responsibilities that come along with it.

While Melanie Cavill only just reunited with her daughter Alex and has every reason to stay and help maintain order on Snowpiercer, she also can't ignore this calling for the greater good. If there is a chance things are changing on the outside, and the world can one day return to normal, Melanie wants to do all she can to ensure humanity is ready and capable of that next step. It doesn't make her decision any less reckless, but perhaps a bit nobler.

Snowpiercer airs on TNT Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET. For more on the series, be sure to read up on my conversation with Daveed Diggs about Andre Layton, and how he felt about Josie's big return in the prior episode.

No one in their right mind would refute Stan Lee’s title as the ultimate king of cameos, having showed up in more superhero movies than anyone else can claim - including the rare DC adaptation once. While the late comic book mogul’s traditional appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe never failed to make us chuckle or bring a smile to our faces, due to the common expectation of his cameos, I almost find it more more memorable and hilarious when a celebrity shows up in a comic book flick when you least expect it.

Sometimes a superhero movie cameo is played earnestly and to served the story directly, such as when Hugh Jackman showed up in X-Men: Apocalypse as “Weapon X” or Neil DeGrasse Tyson providing his cosmic expertise to a deep discussion of the Man of Steel in Batman v. Superman. However, it is always more fun when those brief appearances are played for laughs, such as the Russo Brothers’ many no-longer-so-covert attempts at sneaking as many Community cast alums into their Marvel movies as possible.

Personally, I would not consider those particular superhero movie cameos as ones truly turned out a laugh riot, but there are countless others I that would count as such - not just in their execution but also in the underlying pop culture reference they brilliantly poke fun at. I believe that the following 12 actors and their appearances in films inspired by the pages of Marvel, DC, and even beyond, do fall under that criteria - such as this actor, who was actually the first to play Ant-Man in a live action setting.

Garrett Morris - Old Man In Car (Ant-Man)

In a 1979 episode of Saturday Night Live, host Margot Kidder reprised her role as Lois Lane, who invited fellow superheroes to a party at her and Superman’s apartment, including Ant-Man (Garrett Morris). It was this sketch that inspired Paul Rudd to tap the Not Ready For Primetime Player and for a brief role in his 2015 Ant-Man movie as a man whose car Scott Lang puts a huge dent in during a bewildering test run of Hank Pym’s shrink suit.

Lou Ferrigno - Security Guard (The Incredible Hulk)

The first live action appearance of The Incredible Hulk was also on TV in the late 1970s, as played by Lou Ferrigno, who would not only voice the big, green hero for the MCU, but would appear on camera in both of his solo movies - each time as a security guard. His cameo in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk (which also pays subtle tribute to Bill Bixby, who played Ferrigno’s human alter ego on the original series) is arguably funnier, in which the bodybuilder gets bribed by Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) with pizza for access to Culver University’s lab.

Jennifer Connelly - Karen (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

A fellow alum of 2003’s Hulk who would make a brief, and far more subtle, MCU appearance is Jennifer Connelly as Karen - Peter Parker’s nickname for his Spidey suit’s built-in AI, courtesy of Tony Stark. The banter between Tom Holland and Connelly’s disembodied voice is already one of the most endearingly funny moments in Spider-Man Homecoming, but what really makes this cameo is the fact that the Oscar winner’s real-life husband is Paul Bettany, who voiced Stark’s virtual assistant JARVIS before upgrading to Vision.

Adam Brody - Super Hero Freddy (Shazam!)

Years before the behind-the-scenes drama of 2017’s Justice League, Warner Bros. hired George Miller for an adaptation of the DC superhero team, featuring Adam Brody as The Flash, that never happened. It became one of the most infamous let-downs of the former OC star’s career, which is why his appearance as a grown-up, super-powered Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) in 2019’s Shazam! is especially satisfying, albeit snicker-inducing.

Billy Dee Williams - Two Face (The LEGO Batman Movie)

Speaking of actors who were robbed of a comic book role opportunity, Billy Dee Williams was cast in Tim Burton’s Batman as Harvey Dent - who was later recast in 1995’s Batman Forever with Tommy Lee Jones as the Gotham DA’s villainous alter ego. The Star Wars actor finally received justice in 2017 when he voiced Two-Face in The LEGO Batman Movie - which I think is at least tied with Killer Croc’s proud declaration to have done “something” (an indictment on his Suicide Squad portrayal) as the animated film’s funniest cameo.

Elon Musk - Himself (Iron Man 2)

A lot of people like to have fun thinking of billionaire tech industrialist Elon Musk as the real-life counterpart of Tony Stark (save the whole superhero thing, of course). The comparison is so on-the-nose, really (even beyond the reality within the MCU), that you cannot help but just laugh at the plausibility of witnessing Stark and the South African-born Tesla founder casually discuss plans for “an electric jet” at a party, just as they do in Iron Man 2 in 2010.

Hugh Jackman - Wolverine (X-Men: First Class)

At a time when no X-Men film felt complete without Wolverine, in 2011, director Matthew Vaughn and co. managed to squeeze Hugh Jackman into the 1960s-set prequel X-Men: First Class for an uncredited appearance that, while extremely brief, remains one of his most memorable in the franchise. When a younger Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) approach the cigar-chomping mutant in a bar, before they can even announce the purpose of their visit, he dismisses them with a tease of the racy language he would use more frequently in Logan.

Brad Pitt - Vanisher (Deadpool 2)

Logan was also heavily ridiculed in Deadpool 2 - the sequel to star Ryan Reynolds' apology for his original portrayal of the Merc with a Mouth (or, more accurately, without one) in X-Men Origins: Wolverine - and was also home to a slew of amazing cameos. Among of the most pleasant surprise appearances in the 2018 action-comedy is the literally, blink-and-you-miss-it reveal of Brad Pitt as invisible X-Force member Vanisher, which was achieved by buying the Fight Club actor some Starbucks coffee, as Reynolds later claimed.

Matt Damon - Redneck #2 (Deadpool 2), Actor Loki (Thor: Ragnarok)

Another Deadpool 2 cameo many did not catch on their first viewing was Matt Damon as a hillbilly explaining his strange toilet tissue aversion to an equally well-disguised Alan Tudyk before a deadly interruption by Cable (Josh Brolin). The Oscar-winner’s more overt, and arguably more hilarious, surprise appearance months earlier in Thor: Ragnarok (as an actor hired by Loki to reenact his “death” in Thor: The Dark World) was also a group effort with Chris Hemsworth’s brother, Luke, playing the God of Thunder and Jurassic Park’s Sam Neill as their father, Odin.

Most Of The X-Men Cast (Deadpool 2)

Speaking of group efforts, just about, the most epic cameo that Deadpool 2 had to offer required the participation of several additional other Marvel movie actors whose absence was jokingly acknowledged in the previous film. That joke was recalled to perfection when Wade Wilson, once again, complains about the lack of X-Men characters in his presence at the Xavier Mansion, unwitting to the fact that Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), and others are right behind him, but Beast (Nicolas Hoult) closes the door to Xavier’s office before he can notice.

Lynda Carter - Principal Powers (Sky High)

Calling Lynda Carter’s role in Sky High a cameo is honestly a bit of a reach, but she does make a pretty funny reference at one point to her years leading the Wonder Woman TV show in the late 1970s. Not to mention, she does get less screen time in the 2005 Disney flick as Principal Powers, head of the titular school for young superheroes in training, than her co-star Bruce Campbell, who essentially made his superhero character debut as Coach Boomer (a.k.a., Sonic Boom) despite a few earlier, small comic book movie appearances.

Bruce Campbell - Ring Announcer, Snooty Usher, And Maître D’ (Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy)

I bet director Sam Raimi even agrees that no movie of his feels truly genuine without the presence of his iconic Evil Dead franchise star in some capacity, which is why we are hoping to see Bruce Campbell in the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel and why he cameos in all three of Raimi’s Spider-Man movies. From a wrestling host who names Peter Parker’s alter ego in the first film, to an usher who refuses to let him into Mary Jane’s play in Spider-Man 2, and a French restaurant maître d’ in the final installment, you could make an argument for why each of Campbell’s appearances is better than the rest, or even that they get funnier with each movie.

What do you think? Is Bruce Campbell the primary reason you still re-watch Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy often, or do you find the B-movie king’s cameos to be an unwanted distraction in your favorite comic book movie franchise? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on some of the other funny moments that tend to pop up in superhero movies, here on CinemaBlend.

Following close to two decades of anticipation, producer James Cameron finally delivered with 2019's Alita: Battle Angel. Based on the early 1990s cyberpunk manga series by Yukito Kishiro, Alita was a long-brewing passion project for the Titanic/Avatar filmmaker, and he realized his vision through director Robert Rodriguez. 

Starring Rosa Salazar in the lead role, along with Christoph Waltz, Mahershala Ali, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley, and Ed Skrein in the supporting cast, this sci-fi blockbuster was a huge movie, and it found a loyal fanbase since its release last year. Whether or not a sequel is imminent is unclear, particularly since it's not certain how much of a profit the film made. But whether or not the Alita sequel comes to be, there will likely be many movie lovers who'll want to know what this cast has in the works. Therefore, here's what the cast of Alita: Battle Angel is doing now.

Rosa Salazar (Alita)

As the title character herself, Rosa Salazar got her own starring vehicle as Alita in Alita: Battle Angel. While this breakthrough part is currently her most famous and well-recognized role, Salazar is also known for her performances in The Maze Runner sequels, The Divergent Series: Insurgent, CHIPS, NBC's Parenthood, Bird Box, Man Seeking Woman, and American Horror Story Season 1. The Canadian actress also earned acclaim for her performance in the indie romantic dramedy, Night Owls. 

Following Alita's release, Salazar was seen in the lead role of Amazon Prime's Undone. She was also in an episode of CBS All Access' Star Trek: Short Treks and heard in episodes of Dirty Diana and Big Mouth. Salazar also starred in the indie drama, No Future, which recently debuted in the film festival circuits. Next, she'll be seen in Pink Skies Ahead and Netflix's upcoming series, Brand New Cherry Flavor.

Christoph Waltz (Dr. Dyson Ido)

In the role of Dr. Dyson Ido, the cyborg-scientist who becomes Alita's father figure, Christoph Waltz provides an emotional parental performance in Alita: Battle Angel. Best known for his Oscar-winning performances in Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained, respectively, the Austrian actor has seen his profile rise significantly over the course of these past ten years. Some of his most noteworthy performances appear in The Zero Theorem, Big Eyes, Spectre, Downsizing, Water For Elephants, Carnage, and Muppets Most Wanted. 

Following his performance in this sci-fi blockbuster, Waltz has been seen in the Quibi series, Most Dangerous Game. He's also been on the festival circuits with Rifkin's Festival and Georgetown, the latter of which Waltz also directed. Next, Waltz will reprise his role as Blofeld in No Time To Die. He also stars in The French Dispatch, and he'll lend his voice to Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio.

Keean Johnson (Hugo)

As Hugo, a scrap dealer and Alita's love interest, Keean Johnson played one of the key roles in Alita: Battle Angel. This role is one of his first major film performances, as he's more commonly associated with his TV work. He starred in Spooksville, Nashville, The Fosters, and Guidance. Following his role in Alita, Johnson is most commonly known for his role in HBO's Euphoria. He was also recently seen in Midway, We Summon the Darkness, and Low Tide. Earlier this year, Johnson starred in Cut Throat City and Emperor. Next, the actor will be seen in The Ultimate Playlist of Noise.

Mahershala Ali (Vector)

Playing the part of Vector, an influential entrepreneur at The Factory with some criminal intents, Mahershala Ali provided one of his most prominent roles following his Oscar-winning performance in Moonlight. Shortly after Alita's release, Ali won his second Oscar for his role in Green Book. He is also known for his work in House of Cards, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and 2, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Hidden Figures, Crossing Jordan, The 4400, Luke Cage, and more. 

Most recently, Ali starred at the forefront of HBO's True Detective Season 3 and he appeared in the second season of Hulu's Ramy. Next, Ali is expected to lend his voice to the new series, Invincible, and he's currently slated to play Blade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether that's a show or a movie is still left either unclear or undetermined.

Jennifer Connelly (Dr. Chiren)

As Dr. Chiren, Dr. Ido's estranged wife and a cyborg-engineer who works with Vector, Jennifer Connelly played a prominent role in Alita: Battle Angel. The actress is best known for her Oscar-winning performance in A Beautiful Mind, as well as her lead roles in Requiem for a Dream, Labyrinth, Career Opportunities, House of Sand and Fog, and Phenomena. Connelly is also known for her work in Hulk, The Rocketeer, Dark City, Blood Diamond, Noah, and He's Just Not That Into You, among other films. 

Following her time in Alita, Connelly joined the main cast of TNT's Snowpiercer, based on the Bong Joon-ho movie of the same name, and the show was already picked up for another season. The newest episodes are expected to come out sometime in later in 2020. Next, Connelly will be seen in Top Gun: Maverick, which is currently slated for July 2nd, 2021.

Lana Condor (Koyomi)

Playing the part of Koyomi, a friend to Hugo and Tanji, Lana Condor received one of her most high-profile early roles in Alita: Battle Angel. While the talented young actress is also known for YouTube channel and her work in X-Men: Apocalypse, she rose to fame through her lead role in Netflix's To All The Boys I Loved Before, and its sequel, To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, from earlier this year. She's also recognized for her supporting turn in Patriots Day. 

Following her role in Alita: Battle Angel, Condor became the star of Syfy's Deadly Class and lent her voice to the English dub of Rilakkuma and Kaoru and the final season of BoJack Horseman. She also starred in the coming-of-age rom-com, Summer Night. Next, Condor will star in the third, presumably final sequel, To All The Boys: Always And Forever, Lara Jean.

Ed Skrein (Zapan)

In the role of Zapan, a sword-wielding bounty hunter cyborg with a vendetta against Alita, Ed Skrein provided a menacing antagonistic role in Alita: Battle Angel. Prior to his work in Robert Rodriguez's blockbuster, Skrein was best known for his role in Games of Thrones, as well as his villainous turn in Deadpool. He was also at the forefront of The Transporter: Refueled. Outside of acting, Skrein is also a musician; he released a studio album, The Eat Up, in 2007. Around the time Alita: Battle Angel came to theaters, Skrein also received praise for his work in If Beale Street Could Talk. 

Following Alita's release, Skrein has since starred in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Midway, and Born a King, the latter of which went to film festivals last year. He'll next appear in Naked Singularity, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, and Prisoners of the Ghostland.

Jackie Earle Haley (Grewishka)

As Grewishka, an imposing criminal cyborg who works as Nova's personal assassin and enforcer, Jackie Earle Haley provided an intriguing supporting turn in Alita: Battle Angel. A former child actor best known for his role in The Bad News Bears films, Haley's acting career was revived when he starred in Little Children, for which he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination. He'd go on to provide memorable performances in Watchmen, Shutter Island, and 2010's A Nightmare on Elm Street, and he starred in Dark Shadows, Lincoln, 2014's RoboCop, The Dark Tower, London Has Fallen, and more. 

He also made his feature directorial debut with 2015's Criminal Activities. Haley appeared in several episodes of Human Target, Preacher, The Tick, and Narcos: Mexico. Most recently, Haley starred in No Future and Death of a Telemarketer, both of which hit the film festival circuits earlier this year.

Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Tanji)

In the role of Tanji, Hugo's scrap-dealing friend and criminal accomplice, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. played a notable supporting character in Alita: Battle Angel. In the past few years, Lendeborg Jr. has amassed an impressive filmography which includes Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Brigsby Bear, Love Simon, and Bumblebee. He also starred in episodes of Wu-Tang: An American Saga and Day by Day. Most recently, he was seen in John Leguizamo's Critical Thinking earlier this month. Next, Lendeborg Jr. will star in Bliss and Night Teeth.

Eiza Gonzalez (Nyssiana)

Playing the part of Nyssiana, a wanted cyborg assassin, Eiza Gonzalez gave life to one of the most memorable characters in Alita: Battle Angel. The film/TV actress first gained popularity through her role in the musical telenovela Lola, érase una vez. She also starred in the lead role of Nickelodeon's Sueña Conmigo. From there, Gonzalez starred in From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, which is where she first started collaborating with director Robert Rodriguez. She was then seen in Jem and the Holograms, Baby Driver, and Welcome to Marwen. 

Following her role in Alita, Gonzalez has most notably appeared in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Bloodshot, and Cut Throat City. Gonzalez is also in I Care A Lot, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month. Next, Gonzalez is slated to star in Godzilla vs. Kong and Love Spreads.

Edward Norton (Nova)

In the role of Nova, Edward Norton made a quick blink-and-you-might-miss-it cameo in Alita: Battle Angel. It's apparent that he was there to tease his looming role in the proposed sequel, though it's still not clear when that'll happen or if it'll come together now that 20th Century Fox is owned and operated by Disney. Nevertheless, should this rumored sequel come together in the near future, Norton will likely play a key role in the proceedings. He's a well-respected actor with several prestigious credits and accolades to his name, notably through his outstanding performances in Primal Fear, Fight Club, American History X, 25th Hour, The Illusionist, Moonrise Kingdom, Birdman, and more. 

He's also known for his work in The Incredible Hulk, The Bourne Legacy, Red Dragon, Rounders, and more. Most recently, he directed, starred in, and adapted Motherless Brooklyn. He'll next be seen in The French Dispatch.

Who is your favorite Alita: Battle Angel character and/orcast member? Are you hopeful for the sequel? Be sure to let us know in the comment section!

Warning! The following will contain spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Snowpiercer. Read at your own risk!

Snowpiercer Season 1 came to quite an exciting ending on TNT, and in what feels like par for the course, the finale left us with some questions to ponder. Some might even say they're just about the biggest questions of the season, since Layton's short rule over the titular train may be in jeopardy thanks to an unexpected arrival that sets up Season 2.

The emergence and alleged return of Mr. Wilford (played by Sean Bean) was crazy enough, but what's even crazier are all the potential implications that his arrival sets up. I'll get into all that below, of course, as well as some of the other plot points that inspired our final batch of questions going into the possibly long wait for Season 2.

Was The Revolution All For Nothing?

The biggest casualty of Mr. Wilford's return may be Layton's new order for the train, which had only just gotten put into place. Wilford will arrive on a train that's operating differently from the way he attended, and he's presumably coming from a train that had maintained the familiar First-Third Class hierarchy. But did Wilford have Tailees on his train, and were they allowed to stay? Will he allow Layton (who isn't based on Thomas Jefferson to the best of our knowledge) to interfere with the state of the train he's been on? If that's the case, it's hard not to think the entire revolution was all for naught.

Is There Any Real Future Between Layton And Zarah?

Layton and Zarah momentarily bonded after agreeing to provide a good future for their child, but it seemed like a romantic relationship was actually far removed from the equation. It may be that Layton still hasn't let go of the fact Zarah left him for Third, or that she sold Josie out to Melanie after the child was threatened. In either case, this seems like one pairing that is shouldn't inspire any romantically hopeful hashtags, though that could change in Season 2.

Is Wilford A True Genius Or A Con Man?

A couple of episodes ago, Melanie and Ruth shared their thoughts about who Mr. Wilford was, and their viewpoints varied drastically. I was inclined to believe Melanie saw Wilford as something of a fraud and con man, because Ruth seemed out of the loop on so many things, but that capture of the train gave me pause. If Wilford was merely an incapable idiot, how did he manage to run a completely separate train that has survived just as long as the one run by Melanie and the engineers? Is it possible both of the women were partially right, with the truth about Wilford lying somewhere in between?

Will Melanie Be Reunited With Her Daughter?

Season 1 ended with Melanie outside the Snowpiercer after she failed to stop Mr. Wilford from attaching his newly revealed train. Because of that, she missed meeting her daughter, who'd fallen into Mr. Wilford's care since the trains departed. I'm not wholly convinced Melanie is done trying to uncouple the trains, mind you, and after seeing what she's been capable of in the past, think she could be successful. My question is, will she break the trains up without ever realizing she missed a chance to see the daughter she thought was dead? How tragic would that be?

Okay, So Is That Melanie's Daughter?

The Season 2 teaser had me relatively certain that Sean Bean is playing Mr. Wilford, but is that girl claiming to be Melanie's child really who she says she is? Melanie said her daughter and parents weren't at the platform like they were supposed to be, so maybe Wilford found them to get leverage on Melanie. On the flip side, Snowpiercer has taught me that the apocalypse can make people desperate and eager to do whatever it takes to survive, so who's to say that a conniving Wilford didn't coach some random girl to pose as Melanie's daughter? It would be the perfect way to manipulate her after his shocking arrival, and if Wilford is the man Melanie has teased, such a ploy sounds like it would be in his wheelhouse.

Will Ruth Turn On The Snowpiercer?

When it was first thought that Mr. Wilford was on his way, no one was more excited than Ruth. She's going to be his greatest ally on Snowpiercer if he wants it, and is likely more than willing to do his bidding, provided it's not too extreme. Ruth does have a moral compass, though I question how much it has been affected by recent events and the change in the train's hierarchy. I mean, she pulled a gun on Layton in front of children, so it's not like she's in the most stable of moods at the moment.

How Many More Trains Are There?

The appearance of a second train was pretty mindblowing, and now I'm questioning just how many trains might be in rotation. I know the graphic novel Le Transperceneige detailed several trains were running, so can we assume several more trains are still operating seven years after departure? And if those trains are fully independent of the Snowpiercer, what might their bottled-up societies be like in comparison?

Does Anybody Feel Bad For LJ?

I'm sorry, but are we really supposed to feel bad for LJ? She was a key part of this revolution, yet didn't take a moment to foresee that she would lose her parents in the Tail and Third's coup of the train? I don't feel bad, especially considering she was chopping off penises not that long ago. She deserved to get put out of her car and lost within the train, though that may make her all the more dangerous whenever she seeks to be in the spotlight again.

Am I Supposed To Know How The Mirrored Train Car Works?

I've seen it a few times now, and I'm still in the dark about the mirrored train car works, along with Miss Audrey's whole schtick. I understand that she does some spiritual healing, but those spiritual sequences are a real trip. Are those moments just Snowpiercer showing us what's happening in character's heads, or is that train car stocked with high-budget special effects? I'm fine with either answer, but I feel like I need that insight to effectively gauge the character of Miss Audrey as a whole.

Snowpiercer Season 1 is complete, and Season 2 is on the way to TNT at some point in the future. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more details on the series, and the latest news happening in television and movies.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Snowpiercer episode "These Are His Revolutions." Read at your own risk!

The revolution has arrived on Snowpiercer, and it seems like now was about as good a time as ever for Andre Layton, the Tail, and Third to wage their war against the First Class denizens. Of course, that was largely by design thanks to Layton revealing Melanie's secret to LJ, and making sure the upper crust was well into a power struggle of their own that kept their attention held.

The start of the revolution certainly looked strong, but can that pace be maintained through the rest of the season? I'm not entirely sure that it can, especially after that final scene showing Pike in First eating cake. I have a couple of questions based on that scene alone, as well as some regarding some other big events of tonight's episode. So let's get down to business.

Why The Hell Is Pike Working With First Class?

While I'm familiar with the type of characters that actor Steven Ogg is generally cast as, I have to admit I did not expect Pike's supposed heel turn. While Layton was unwilling to bury the Tail for a better life for himself, it's looking like Pike may be willing to do that and more if First Class is giving him a good enough offer. I could be wrong, and I'm hoping I am, but he was really loving that cake.

How Did Pike Recover From The Drawers So Soon?

Considering the state of everyone who has come from the drawers, I'm rather amazed that Pike looked to be doing as decently as he was, health-wise. Had he been out of the drawers a long time? And if so, exactly how long? Has Pike been primed to work for First Class since the beginning? I wouldn't be surprised at this stage, given how the Folgers seem to be pushing so hard for power. If so, though, things may get worse for Layton real soon.

Would Ruth Really Let Melanie Die?

Speaking of surprises, Ruth has really shown a different side since it was confirmed that Melanie had been acting as Mr. Wilford all along. She wants blood and told Melanie as such by saying she would be executed for her crimes. That sounds rather extreme, especially considering Ruth has to understand that Melanie has been the main reason this train has avoided chaos for 7 years. Did the Mr. Wilford concept really mean that much to Ruth, or is she just riding the thought of being  someone with a real say in how the train operates?

Is Miles Ok Being Holed Up In That Room?

Bennett was forced to lock down the engine room to prevent Grey and his Jackboots from storming the area, and shut off himself and Miles from the rest of the train. Bennett isn't dumb; he's going to know that Miles had something to do with the revolution, and I don't like the kid's chances of holding on in a confined space with a full-grown man. Though with Javi captured, Miles is the only backup Bennett has, so perhaps being a second-in-command will keep Miles from suffering any wrath from Bennett.

Are Jinju And Bess Done?

The line has been drawn for the revolution, and as the previous episodes have foreshadowed, Jinju and Bess are on opposing sides. It's disappointing, since they were certainly in contention for the most likable couple on the train, but I just don't see them getting back together now that Bess has officially joined in with Third and the Tail. This may make for an uncomfortable reunion later should one of them be captured by the other side, and I have to wonder if either one of them still has enough feelings to speak up and/or spare the other's life if it came to that.

Why Did People Think So Highly Of Wilford?

Melanie's opinion of Wilford and Ruth's opinion seem to vary wildly, and I'm not quite sure who to believe. Melanie, of course, has kept the train running for seven years, and Ruth... Well, she's good at expressing the needs of First Class. Still, Ruth seems to believe that Wilford was this brilliant man with a vision, and Melanie tried her best this episode to express how untrue that was. Did this mystery man run a massive PR campaign ahead of the train's departure? Did he have a noted track record for success? If he figured out a running train could keep people from freezing to death, surely he can't be quite as thick as Melanie suggested.

Is Melanie Telling The Truth About Wilford?

If it hasn't been evident by now, I do not trust Melanie Cavill. She's been so consistent about showing that she's willing to say whatever she needs to say to survive. She knows that making it past the next obstacle means she has a good chance at escaping the next opportunity she gets. The whole story about Wilford feels accurate enough, because we know Melanie understands just about everything about the train. Was Wilford really going to run it into the ground though? I'm not so sure on that and am just naturally skeptical of everything she says at this stage.

Where Do The Brakemen Stand?

Roche and the Brakemen stood aside and let Layton and the revolution pass in tonight's Snowpiercer, but to what end do they support the revolution at large? Staying out of It is help enough, though I think having them join in to help to Third and the Tail would give the rebellion a big advantage. My instinct is that Roche will stick with Layton's side just based on his character, and that the Brakemen will follow suit. I'm sure First won't be happy about that, but they have Grey and the Jackboots to protect them, so it's not a major loss.

Why Was Strongboy Speaking Mandarin?

In one of the weirder scenes so far from Snowpiercer Season 1, the formerly nonspeaking Strongboy emerged from his Kronole sleep apparently fluent in Mandarin. It doesn't seem like something he knew prior to his trip to the drawers, so is this a side effect of his time in stasis? Kronole is a hell of a drug apparently, and if crazy stuff like that is happening to Strongboy, I'm wondering what long-term effects the Kronole will have on others who have been under for longer stretches.

Snowpiercer airs on TNT Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest on what's happening with the series, and to stay up to date on the latest news happening in television and movies.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Snowpiercer episode "The Universe Is Indifferent." Read at your own risk!

Shit is getting real on Snowpiercer and, if I'm being entirely honest, I didn't quite expect it. The revolution seems to be right around the corner, and there are still three episodes to go in Season 1. I'm grateful this show has not once taken its foot off the gas since the premiere, but I have more questions now than ever before in light of all Snowpiercer's unpredictable moments.

There's just so much that happened on "The Universe Is Indifferent" that is worthy of discussions and speculations, and I've covered a lot of it below. Here's what I'm thinking about after Episode 7, and why I'm a little mad at Josie even though she's likely dead.

Would Ruth Really Take Over For Melanie?

Right now, I think all viewers are aware that the Snowpiercer's inner workings would be a real shitshow if it wasn't for Melanie Cavill. As the real Mr. Wilford, she's the problem solver and master engineer, even if the residents of the train think she's just Wilford's mouthpiece. Judging by the cold exchange between Melanie and Ruth at the end, I believe the show is indicating that Ruth is having thoughts about taking her coworker's job if the Folgers can swing it, though I think she'd balk at subbing for Melanie if she actually knew the whole story.

Why Didn't Josie Use The Freezing Device On Melanie?

Snowpiercer seemed to show the death of Josie tonight, and while I would normally be leery of buying into an off-screen death, Melanie exiting that frozen room appeared seemingly made things as open and closed as it gets. It was a devastating death, though I can't help but feel some anger over Josie's failed opportunity to freeze Melanie's head off when choking her with the device's tube. The switch was right there, and Josie could've taken Melanie out with ease! I obviously understand why it didn't happen for the sake of the narrative, but maybe the scene could've been handled just a bit differently, so that it wasn't so obvious that Josie missed such a golden opportunity.

Will Zarah Feel The Wrath Of The Tail?

With Josie supposedly dead, and Layton rallying the tail and third class for revolution, one has to wonder what will happen to Zarah. She sold out Josie to Melanie in front of the whole back car, and while she was basically threatened to go through with it, the Tailees were furious to see one of their former comrades become a traitor. I would think she'll be in some danger if she happens to cross paths with any of the Tailees soon, so hopefully Layton will be there to intervene and keep her out of harm's way.

Has Melanie Lost Control Of The Train?

Melanie is still running things at the end of Snowpiercer's seventh episode, but I think it's more than fair to add "only barely" to that. Unrest is now coming from all classes within the train, and she just had to murder Layton's love interest in a life-or- death situation. Melanie looked cold and calm at the end, but what she should really be feeling is fear and anxiety. Everything is spiraling out of control, and given all her insiders, I find it hard to believe she doesn't already know that a revolt is coming.

Melanie's Secret Has To Come Out Soon, Right?

If Layton was hoping Melanie's secret would stay under wraps until he had more time to prepare, he probably shouldn't have confided in LJ Folger. I think Layton probably knows she'll drop that knowledge the first chance she gets, however, which is precisely why he chose to tell her, despite their past together. Plus, other characters are in on the news by now, so I can't imagine Melanie will make it through another episode without being exposed as the actual Mr. Wilford.

Can LJ Be Trusted?

Even if the overarching goal is to let the train know the Mr. Wilford secret as soon as possible, I'm still pretty nervous about Layton letting LJ in on Melanie's alter ego. LJ is the real wildcard of Snowpiercer, and while she would probably love a revolution to mix things up, she's just a fan of chaos in general. I could see her playing along with the tail and third class, only to stir the pot even further in unexpected way down the line. Bringing LJ into all this was a bad move if you ask me, but no one did, so I'll just sit on this thought until I'm right.

Who Will Control The Train If There's A Revolution?

A potential team-up between the tail and third class would make for a solid revolution aboard the Snowpiercer, but is that a better bet for victory than the first class with the power of Commander Grey and the Jackboots? It's hard to say, especially with the second class still up in the air on where they'd fall in a conflict. Given the tension between Bess and Jinju, I'd wager the second class would skew mostly in favor of maintaining class hierarchy, which would pair them with the first. I also keep wondering how this train will keep moving if everyone is fighting and no one is actually working, which has me pondering if anyone will be in charge of the train by the time this is over.

Can The Train Survive Without Melanie?

Everyone seems intent on bringing down Melanie Cavill, though not one person has stopped to audibly consider the impact of doing so. Even Layton, who sussed out she's been operating as Mr. Wilford, doesn't fully realize how integral she is to keeping this train running, not to mention the day-to-day decisions she has to make to keep everyone alive. I think it's clear that neither side of this upcoming revolution can handle a train crisis nearly as well as she can, and major problems will surface if either side gets rid of her entirely.

Can Layton Be The Leader He Needs To Be?

Andre Layton is the incredibly clever hero of this show, and he often gets results. I should remind everyone, though, that even when he was in the tail, he wasn't considered a definitive leader.  so I find it hard to believe he's up for the challenge of running the entire train if he comes out on top. Leading a revolution is one thing, but maintaining order afterward and starting the new normal will be something else entirely.

Snowpiercer airs on TNT Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the series and for the latest happening in the world of television and movies.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Snowpiercer episode "Trouble Comes Sideways." Read at your own risk!

A near-disaster saved the day on the latest Snowpiercer, at least for anyone named Melanie Cavill. The Thirdies were about to kick off the first step of their uprising, but a well-timed train emergency seemed to restore train's faith in Mr. Wilford, as well as a non-mutinous status quo.

Whether that will actually last is another conversation entirely – it won't last, obviously – and this conversation is centered on the many other questions I had after watching this episode. Some admittedly come out of frustration over the way these characters can drive me bananas sometimes, but others are born from genuine curiosity about other elements that I hope will be explained in the coming weeks.

Is Melanie's Interest In Miles Genuine?

Miles and Melanie shared a couple of scenes in "Trouble Comes Sideways," and I'm genuinely curious what her intentions are in building that relationship. Snowpiercer has shown Miles to be a gifted and intelligent boy, so yes, it does track that she would keep him in mind to be a future engineer. Still, after everything that's happened with Layton, I think she's going to keep Miles as close as possible, knowing she can protect herself from him, and possibly use him to coerce Layton into working for her once again.

Was Melanie Telling The Truth To Layton?

Layton learned that certain people on the Snowpiercer have files designated with an "X," and while he already seemed bent on taking down Melanie, those discoveries gave him extra motivation. When he confronted her, Melanie explained these names were not targets, but rather valued passengers because they were considered vital for returning to life once the world becomes safe for life again. Layton believed her, but I'm not really sure why; he should be well aware by now that Melanie thrives by any means necessary. This episode showed she has prevented disaster by thinking on her toes, and I'm thinking she did the same in that situation.

Did Osweiller Let Bess Off The Hook?

After it looked like Osweiller was going to make Bess' life a living hell by holding that secret over her head, the brakeman appeared to mellow out after surviving the train turbulence. I got the sense he may not snitch after all, though I'm having trouble working out a reason exactly why. Osweiller had no particular interest in Layton or the Tailees, and I certainly feel like he wouldn't sacrifice anything to see them move up in the world. Perhaps he just realized Bess is the closest thing he has to family, and in some weird way, feels an obligation to protect her after that realization. I'm honestly stumped by this one if he doesn't tattle.

Will Bess Tell Jinju The Truth?

The biggest moment of this episode of Snowpiercer for me was when Bess returned to second class and Jinju. It looked like Bess was about to tell her lover everything that happened in the past episode, and I feel like that would be a huge mistake. We've seen how close Jinju is with Melanie, and while I do think she cares for Bess, I'm not sure Jinju is willing to risk the overall safety of the train solely for her. If Osweiller won't be the one to blow the whistle on Bess freeing Layton, I have a sneaking suspicion Jinju will.

LJ Is Already Chilling In Public Like It's Nothing?

Fresh off her murder pardon, LJ Folger was seen chilling amidst the chaos of the train looking as cool as a cucumber. I'm not surprised by that, but I am surprised that she's publicly back out in first class so soon after her trial. Remember, LJ was found guilty, and she only escaped being sent to the drawers because Melanie suspected LJ knew her Mr. Wilford secret. The fact that she's hanging out in society again so soon makes question the morality of those in first class even more than I already had been.

Will The Train's Close Call Keep Away Unrest?

The third class strike was seemingly cancelled at the end of Snowpiercer, as it seemed everyone was simply happy to be alive after the train nearly derailed. As mentioned, it was good news for Melanie, but there's the question of how long that peace will be maintained. Eventually, people will forget the near-death experience, and something will happen on the train for which the first class will suffer far less for than everyone else. If and when rebellious feelings return, I now question if the uprising will still come from third class, who were cheering for the mechanics at the episode's end.

Is Boscovic A True Friend Or Foe?

The first time I saw Bojan Boscovic back in Episode 2, I felt he was for sure a future villain. This episode made me think I judged him far too harshly. He's legitimately good with children, and was quick to congratulate Melanie on her saving the train, beyond  just seeming like a good-time friend to all. I feel like I'm the villain for those initial assumptions, and honestly, hope that Boscovic works his way into the story in a greater capacity as the series goes on. And if he does turn to villainy, it would be that much more of a twist.

Why Didn't Melanie Take The Glory?

I know Melanie is always one for keeping a low profile, but seriously, if there was ever a time to reveal that she was Mr. Wilford, that was it. Instead, she passed off the win to her alter ego, and in the process, continued her charade for the masses as Wilford's mouthpiece and nothing more. I can't help but feel she would've won some people over with that admission, and could have shaken up the train population's opinions about her decisions. Maybe if the murder wasn't so recent, she would have confessed, and the train could've gotten used to saying "Ms. Cavill" instead.

Can We Get More Stories From The Tail?

This episode featured the most emotional and touching scene from the Tail, which is crazy because none of the major characters were involved. I won't lie, that little girl's reaction to seeing the reflection of the outdoors was a tearjerker. I'd love to see more personal subplots like that going forward, since small detours like that keep the story from dragging in episodes like these. Especially when the majority of viewers clearly know the train is going to be still be around and working by each episode's end.

Snowpiercer airs on TNT Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on Season 1, and for the latest news happening in television and movies.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Snowpiercer Season 1 episode "Justice Never Boarded." Read at your own risk!

Snowpiercer's murder trial is done, although justice wasn't served, and unrest continues to build inside the train. The TNT drama upped the ante once again with another whirlwind episode that featured a lot of moving pieces in those final minutes that some viewers may have overlooked.

Actress Annalise Basso hinted to CinemaBlend last week that LJ wouldn't not locked up for long, and is now a free person thanks to "Mr. Wilford's" late-game intervention. That decision sent ripples through the train, and the trial seemingly distracted everyone enough that major changes could be introduced once everyone gets back to work and realizes everything that has happened. Here are all the big questions on my mind following "Justice Never Boarded."

What Happened to Osweiller?

Bess was forced to make a bad decision by the episode's end, and she clubbed her corrupt partner Osweiller in the back of the head in order to help Josie save Layton from his stasis. Osweiller was gone when Bess returned, though some of his blood was still on the wall. So did Osweiller get up on his own? I'm thinking someone collected and hid him, perhaps someone hoping to either blackmail Bess or protect her from any repercussions that her betrayal may bring about.

How Long Can Layton Stay Hidden?

I mentioned last week how difficult it would be to save Layton from his perilous situation, especially given Melanie's interest in stopping him from revealing her secret. It won't be long before it's discovered he again went missing, and Melanie will turn that train upside-down looking for the homicide detective who, according to Bess, was already supposed to be back in the tail. Layton may not have long to stay hidden, which isn't ideal considering it looks like his forced slumber really did a number on him.

Which Class Will Start The Revolt?

With the small First Class group discussing a coup in this Snowpiercer episode, I'm beginning to wonder if every class of the train is experiencing their own levels of unrest. The Tailees are looking to make a move but are still more or less powerless, and the third class seems well-organized and building towards something, but who knows what second class is up to. Perhaps they'll be the ones to incite everything, but I'm only saying that because it seems like that train section is the main one not getting much attention in the story so far.

Does LJ Know Melanie's Secret?

The Folgers were ready to keep LJ away from punishment by any means necessary, but it was the psychopath herself that seemed to save herself in the eleventh hour. It was clear Melanie thought LJ may have known she was actually Mr. Wilford, but did LJ actually know that? I'm suspicious, if only because I'd have to think LJ would've already tried to leverage Melanie before now, similar to what she attempted with Layton. If she does know, I can't help but think things will only get worse for Melanie going forward.

How Many Other Weirdos Live In First Class?

Was I the only one who couldn't stop shuddering during all the scenes between LJ and her father? That scene with the eye was somehow more uncomfortable than all the love scenes between Game of Thrones' Cersei and Jaime Lannister combined. If those are the type of people hanging out in first class, I can't imagine what other depravity could be happening up there with the others. Seriously, did she have to SNIFF her dad's glass eye before popping it in her mouth?

Does Melanie Have An Informant In The Tail?

With Snowpiercer's latest reveal that Melanie has an informant in first class, I now suspect that she has somebody in the tail as well. If she did, I'd think it would have to be one of the workers in sanitation, seeing as they're the only ones that viewers have seen who exit the tail and return frequently. It wouldn't make much sense for anyone else, nor would it make sense for Melanie to journey back there herself unnoticed.

So Everything Layton Told Others About The Tail Was True?

When Layton started talking about the tail to other people on the train in past episodes, I assumed his anecdotes were basically glorified scare tactics. After his dream sequence, however, it does seem like he was being honest with his stories about the cannibals and how they murdered the leader and ate his heart. I guess if nothing else, I now know to believe just about everything Layton says. (Unless he's just always had weird cannnibal dreams, and those are what influenced his tall tales.)

Does Anyone At The Head Of These Potential Revolts Seem Better?

With a few potential revolts now brewing on Snowpiercer, I can't imagine any other group leaders being a better commander than Melanie. The tail has been lost since its failed attempt, the first class is consulting that scarred security head who just screams major villain, and the Thirdies have the increasingly shifty Terrence. None of these people seem capable of running the Snowpiercer, so I don't know how any of these revolts will succeed even if they do overthrow the train's powers-that-be.

Will Josie Make It Back To The Tail Unnoticed?

Josie switched places with her Thirdie friend earlier in the episode, and has been traveling the train ever since. It looked like she was heading back after dropping Layton with Zarah, though she was witnessed by a guard as she left the tail, which has me wondering if she'll even be able to make it back. If anyone discovers that Josie left, she'll lose an arm for sure, so I have to think she won't risk going back to her spot on the train for a while if there's even the slightest hint of danger.

What Are The Aftereffects Of Layton's Time In Stasis?

Layton seemed to be feeling better than before by the very end of Snowpiercer, but I highly doubt that means he's 100%. At the very least, I could see him developing a Kronole habit as some sort of drug dependence, though I don't know who would want to willingly experience those nightmares he seemed to be having. Does that kind of thing happen with everyone, and if so, what's it going to be like when the Tailees are brought back after being put under? Assuming it happens of course, since there are no guarantees.

What kinds of questions do you have about the show? Let us know in the comments, and don't for get that Snowpiercer airs on TNT Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the series, and for the latest news happening in television and movies.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Snowpiercer's "Without Their Maker." Read at your own risk!

The murder has been solved, but the drama feels like it's only just begun on TNT's Snowpiercer. A lot of details that viewers weren't privy to last week are now out in the open, but to be expected, there's an entirely new set of mysteries for audiences to try and unravel while waiting for the next episode to arrive.

Snowpiercer dropped some reveals that other dramas may stretched across a whole season. Apparently, this long-gestating series has bigger fish to fry, and is looking to hit its audience with more twists and turns than you'd expect from a train on a predetermined track. Here's some of the major questions I have on the heels of this latest episode "Without Their Maker," from worries about Layton to the future of the Snowpiercer in general.

How Long Will Layton Be Under?

In Episode 4, Layton figured out what would be quite an enormous reveal for the train's inhabitants, and it looks like the Snowpiercer protagonist will pay for his detective skills. He confirmed to Melanie that he knows that she's actually Mr. Wilford, and she reacted by drugging him with an anesthetic to keep him in an unconscious state, which didn't seem like that wise of a move given all he'd learned prior.

Layton is now out for the count until further notice, and while it might get resolved immediately, I'm wondering if he could indeed be down for at least one or two full episodes in order for the story to shift elsewhere in the train for a bit. Hopefully not too long, since Daveed Diggs is one of the highlights of this show!

Will LJ's Actions Affect The Folger Family?

Snowpiercer already set up that no one in First Class has ever been arrested of a crime. That changed when LJ Folger had the (dis)honor of being the first after her failed attempt to convince Layton to cut her a break.

Whether or not LJ will actually see a long-lasting penalty for her heinous crimes remains to be seen, though I'm sure it could all be spun as her being coerced mainly by her bodyguard Erik. Even so, one has to think that the Folger's pristine image in First Class will be damaged once word potentially spreads that their daughter is a murderous psychopath, right?

What Will The Tail Do About Layton's Disappearance?

The Tail was thrilled to have successfully gotten a former Tailee to sneak them a message from Third Class, but the news that got delivered was bittersweet, and not just because it was in a bug bar. The freeloaders in the back learned that Layton was missing, which puts a dent into things.

Layton was supposed to be their guide to the ins and outs of the Snowpiercer, and now they've lost their most valuable resource. Is it even possible for them to still be able to coordinate a rescue during his time away? Honestly, this message seems to just be super unhelpful, since I don't know what any of the Tailees can do about it.

What's Melanie's Endgame Here?

I can understand in the short-term why Melanie thought she'd found an easy solution. LJ wasn't some agent looking specifically to discover Mr. Wilford's actual identity, and Layton actually figured it out. So it was obvious that she'd direct her attention to him once the murder was solved.

But for the bigger picture, I think that even those who don't care about Layton would question why he was taken out of commission for his investigatory services. Melanie certainly doesn't want more attention brought in her direction, but may have just invited a lot of it putting the train's only homicide detective in a sleep-induced state. Seems like a stupid plan for someone so smart and decisive, but we'll see!

Will News Of The First Class Murderer Spread Throughout The Train?

Another issue I can see Snowpiercer dealing with is the rest of the train reacting badly to the news that the recent murders were the actions of a First Class train member. That's especially true if LJ escapes any meaningful prosecution, which is a possibility, considering those in the front don't seem to follow the same judiciary rules as everyone else.

This could create real unrest on the train, thus sowing even deeper seeds for a revolution. All this tension has to be building towards something, and I can only imagine when this powder keg explodes, the aftermath will be epic.

Can Layton Be Rescued?

I don't think there's any denying people will notice Layton's absence, though I struggle to wonder what anyone but Melanie can do about it. Even if someone breaks in the holding room and saves him from his slumber, they can only hide him for so long.

Snowpiercer is a big train, but the security protocols have shown it isn't hard to track someone down when necessary. I don't see someone taking the risk given the consequence will be far greater once whoever rescued Layton is found. Personally, I think he's going to be out until Melanie herself brings him back, which may be sooner than later.

Will Josie's Infiltration Continue To Work?

Josie successfully got a job in sanitation and was able to use her break-time to escape into other parts of the train in order to make contact with a former Tailee. With her biometric key, Josie should be able to go on additional missions of this nature, though the risk is rather large, considering her capture would assuredly take away the Tail's most valuable gift that it could hope for.

I'm hopeful that Josie can continue to advance the interests of the Tail with more data-based missions, but not sure she can maintain the charade indefinitely. There are too many variables at play for this not to go wrong at one point or another.

When Will The House/Train Of Cards Crumble?

One thing that seems abundantly clear on Snowpiercer is that the situation on the train is getting worse with every episode. It certainly feels like things will continue to deteriorate until some big event changes up the status quo, at which time I have to assume that complete chaos will ensue.

We already know there is growing unrest in the Third and Tail, and I have to believe one or the other will act soon to try and enact major changes for the train's class structure. As for what that means for those sitting pretty in the front of the train, I'm sure it won't be good, though perhaps Melanie will pull it all together and regain control and order before Season 1 is over.

Do you have any burning questions about this episode of Snowpiercer? Throw them into the comments below, and catch the series on TNT Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. As always, continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest goings on in the world of television and movies.

Although Tom Cruise’s Pete Mitchell developed a romantic relationship with Kelly McGillis’ Charlie Blackwood during Top Gun, when the events of Top Gun: Maverick roll around, they’re no longer together. Instead, Captain Mitchell will be courting Penny Benjamin, the owner of a bar near the Top Gun flight school, played by Jennifer Connelly.

Because the actress is playing Tom Cruise’s love interest in Top Gun: Maverick, needless to say that the two of them spent a decent chunk of time working together during the course of principal photography, and Jennifer Connelly came away from the project being impressed with Cruise’s work ethic. As Connelly explained:

Considering how Tom Cruise hasn’t shined away from doing elaborate and dangerous stunts on screen, not to mention that he’s partnered with Elon Musk and Doug Liman to shoot a movie in space, it’s unsurprising, yet still good to hear Jennifer Connelly reaffirm his commitment to quality work while she spoke with Extra to plug her new TV show Snowpiercer. Co-star Miles Teller voiced similar thoughts a year ago when he said that he’d been struggling to keep up with Cruise’s pace on Top Gun: Maverick.

As such, Jennifer Connelly found herself extra cognizant about remembering what she needed to say during her scenes. In her words:

This is just the latest example of Tom Cruise going the extra mile during the making of Top Gun: Maverick. Others include joining his castmates for difficult flight tests (which he also paid for) so they’d be properly prepared for the gravitational forces when they’d be flying combat jets, as well as requesting that practical effects be used rather than primarily rely on CGI. In other words, he was no slacker.

Along with Tom Cruise and Jennifer Connelly, Top Gun: Maverick’s cast includes Val Kilmer (who of course is reprising Tom “Iceman” Kazansky), Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, Monica Barbaro, Charles Parnell, Danny Ramirez and Manny Jacinto. Tron: Legacy’s Joseph Kosinski directed the feature, and Cruise’s Mission: Impossible collaborator Christopher McQuarrie wrote the script with Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer.

While Top Gun: Maverick was previously set to come out later this month, it’s now flying into theaters on December 23, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more coverage on the flick. Don’t forget to also look through our 2020 release schedule to learn what other movies are supposed to arrive later in the year.

Top Gun: Maverick feels the need for speed -- more motorcycle speed.

The Top Gun sequel is still filming, with Tom Cruise back as the now Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Jennifer Connelly joined the cast of the 2020 film, and it looks like she literally has his back, as they're recreating a very memorable scene from the 1986 flick.

In the first film, Kelly McGillis played Charlie Blackwood, flight instructor and eventual Maverick love interest. In one scene, the romancing pair rode a Kawasaki Ninja GPz900R, adding to the cool factor of a movie already stacked with cool aviation stunts.

Well, who could resist proving they are still just as cool as they were 32 years ago? Not 56-year-old Tom Cruise. Cruise helped put Ninajs on the map three decades ago, and he hopped on a Ninja H2 for a new scene with Jennifer Connelly.

Leaked set photos are now speeding across social media, showing Tom Cruise back in aviator sunglasses and a bomber jacket, with a smiling Jennifer Connelly riding behind him. He looks almost exactly the same, which is pretty enviable.

The new set pics aren't official photos -- unlike that Day 1 shot of Cruise's Maverick that started a fresh Air Force vs. Navy feud. It's clear Maverick is going to be heavy on the nostalgia -- potentially even gracing fans with another volleyball scene -- and we have no complaints about that. Val Kilmer is returning as Iceman, with Miles Teller cast as the late Goose's son. The rest of the heavy-hitter cast includes Ed Harris, Jon Hamm, and Glen Powell.

So far, Cruise has just done a lot of teasing like that, purposefully keeping things vague. He recently told Entertainment Tonight, "There's gonna be jets, very fast jets. There's gonna be an aircraft carrier, maybe two. And a wide range of jets." Also, "It's gonna have music... We have a soundtrack. There's gonna be actors in it. [And a] motorcycle, definitely [a] motorcycle."

Well, we know about the motorcycle now. When Jennifer Connelly was first being eyed for the female lead, she was said to play a single mother who runs a local bar near the Navy base. Tom Cruise confirmed her involvement, but not her role, calling the Oscar winner "a great actress, obviously," and "very vibrant." He added to AOL, "When you see the film, you'll see why she's perfect for it."

Top Gun: Maverick is being directed by Joseph Kosinski, and it was recently revealed that Cruise's Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and Fallout writer/director Christopher McQuarrie was also joining the team to punch up the script.

He should have plenty of time to help get it right, since Top Gun: Maverick recently delayed its highway to the danger zone from July 2019 to June 26, 2020. In the meantime, check out more on the Top Gun sequel, and bookmark our 2018 calendar for what's still ahead this year.

We're still about a year away from the release of Top Gun: Maverick, but we do know some of the actors who are on the highway to the Danger Zone. So far the confirmed cast is made up of legacy characters from the original like Tom Cruise's Maverick and Val Kilmer's Iceman, as well as Miles Teller, who joins the franchise as Goose's son. Now the production is looking to add an Oscar-winning actress to this long-awaited sequel. She may have starred in The Rocketeer years ago, but Jennifer Connelly still has the need for speed and is being eyed to play the female-lead in Top Gun: Maverick.

Jennifer Connelly, who won an Oscar for her work in A Beautiful Mind, would play a single mother who runs a local bar near the Navy base where all the flyboy shenanigans are taking place. Negotiations are in the early stages, according to The Hollywood Reporter, but should she sign on, Jennifer Connelly would be the female lead in the film opposite Tom Cruise's Pete Mitchell. The actress has never worked with Tom Cruise before, but she has worked with Top Gun: Maverick's director Joseph Kosinski on last year's Only the Brave.

Just given the description of the character and her being the female lead, one has to assume that she will probably be the love interest for Tom Cruise's Maverick. This naturally begs the question, what about Charlotte Blackwood? The romance between Kelly McGillis' Charlie and Tom Cruise's Maverick was a big part of the first film, and when Top Gun ended, you presumed that they would be together. There is no guarantee that the role Jennifer Connelly is that of a love interest for Maverick, but presuming it is, that would seem to indicate that Kelly McGillis will not be in the film, and that Charlie and Maverick didn't wind up together after all. Sequels always complicate happily ever afters.

The expectations for Top Gun: Maverick are sky high, built up over thirty plus years, and even producer Jerry Bruckheimer has acknowledged that this sequel has to be good. And although there are bad films with great casts, adding great talent puts a film in a great position to succeed. Jennifer Connelly is a super talented actress, so she would be an awesome addition to Top Gun: Maverick. The character sounds fun too; a single mother running a bar near a Navy base probably has to deal with all kinds of nonsense, so she should be more than up to the task of sparring with Maverick.

Top Gun: Maverick flies into theaters on July 12, 2019. You'll next be able to see Jennifer Connelly in Robert Rodriguez's Alita: Battle Angel, releasing in theaters on December 21. Check out our calendar for all of the biggest movies hitting theaters this year, and for all the latest in speed and the need for it, keep strapped in to CinemaBlend.

After nearly two decades of working as an actor, Paul Bettany is getting set to head behind the camera for the first time - and he's already started to assemble an awesome cast to back him up. Jennifer Connelly and Anthony Mackie are both now set to star in the project, which, according to Variety, is titled Shelter.

Unfortunately, if you're looking for more details about the project you're just a bit out of luck. It would seem that Bettany wants to keep any and all details about the film a secret for now, including a plot description. The actor cum director wrote the screenplay himself, but we don't even know what genre it falls into since the trade simply describes the movie as an "indie feature." Given that production will be taking place in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs later this year, at the very least we know that the story's setting.

This will be the first time that Bettany has stepped behind the camera in any capacity, as he doesn't even have a producorial credit to his name yet. As an actor, he most recently reprised his voice-only role as the digital butler Jarvis in Shane Black's Iron Man 3, but his last live-action part was in the 2012 Nick Murphy-directed crime thriller Blood with Mark Strong and Brian Cox. At the start of next year he will be seen alongside the likes of Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall in Wally Pfister's directorial debut Transcendence. Perhaps it was seeing the Academy Award-winning cinematographer take a chance at being a director that inspired Bettany to finally take the step.

Connelly, who is actually Bettany's wife in addition to being his lead actress, hasn't been featured in a ton of films these last few years, last appearing in writer/director Josh Boone's 2012 dramedy Stuck In Love, but she has a trio of films on her upcoming slate in addition to Shelter. In February 2014, she will play a big part in Akiva Goldsman's adaptation of Winter's Tale; then in March she will be seen playing Russell Crowe's wife in Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic Noah (teaming her with the director for the first time since Requiem for a Dream). Lastly there's the new feature from writer/director Claudia Llosa, Cry/Fly, which doesn't have a release date yet.

Mackie, meanwhile, has become one of the more popular supporting actors in Hollywood and has kept busy doing an assortment of projects both big and small. His most high-profile upcoming role is in Joe and Anthony Russo's Captain America: The Winter Solider - in which he will play Sam Wilson a.k.a. The Falcon - but he also has the Julian Assange pic The Fifth Estate coming out this November, and the Ben Affleck-Justin Timberlake thriller Runner Runner due out in October. He has also completed work on the comedy A Many Splintered Thing, which is expected to come out some time later this year.

Stuck in Love is the first feature film from writer-director Josh Boone. And while this is our first look at his ensemble romantic-comedy, its insanely stacked cast speaks well for its script. Untangling several interwoven stories about sex, love and romance, Stuck in Love stars Kristen Bell, Logan Lerman, Jennifer Connelly, Greg Kinnear, Lily Collins, Spencer Breslin, Admission's Nat Wolff, and Patrick Schwarzenegger in his first role since Jock Kid Game #3 in 2006's The Benchwarmers. And its first trailer seems to suggest that no matter what age you are, or what stage of life you're in, love can be baffling.

This is one thing that unites every member of the Borgens family. Father William (Kinnear) is a celebrated author who has been suffering from major writer's block since his wife Erica (Connelly) left him for a younger, fitter man. His teenage children are also both aspiring writers. Rusty (Wolff) is a science fiction enthusiast who admires Stephen King and seems destined for heartbreak when he pursues a gorgeous but troubled girl (Trespass's Liana Liberato). Samantha (Collins) is on the verge of publishing her first novel, and in response to her parents' divorce decides she'll duck love in favor of flings. But nothing for the Borgens goes quite according to plan.

Samantha meets a boy worth reconsidering her no-love position for. William begins to abandon his obsession with his ex when he starts an affair with a much younger and bubblier neighbor (Bell), who urges him to dive back into the dating pool. And Rusty learns love means more than his favorite novels ever let on.

Stuck in Love made its world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival last fall. It opens in limited release April 19th, and expands into a wider release on June 14th.

For as long as Darren Aronofsky's Noah has been in the casting stage, which began when Russell Crowe signed on to star, we've heard whispers about the Oscar-nominated director wanting Jennifer Connelly to play his female lead. While performers such as Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman and Douglas Booth have signed on to the movie since, Connelly has remained a question mark in connection to the film. Today the fog has begun to clear.

Variety has word that Jennifer Connelly is now in negotiations to star in Noah. Based on the biblical story, the movie will follow the titular character as he becomes "disillusioned with the way humans have treated their planet." Should she choose to sign on Connelly will play Noah's wife. Winstone will play the film's villain, Lerman and Booth will play Noah's sons, and Watson will play Booth's love interest.

The movie would be an interesting double reunion for actress. In 2000 she put on one of the greatest performances of her career in Aronofsky's disturbing drug drama Requiem for a Dream, and one year later she starred alongside Crowe in Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind (a turn that won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress). She will next be seen in the dramedy Writers, which was written and directed by Josh Boone, and, coincidentally, that film also happens to star Logan Lerman. I think the universe is telling her to be in Noah.

Earlier this month, we learned that Paramount had set the release date for Darren Aronofsky's Noah for March 2014. The lengthy wait for the adaptation of the classic Old Testament story will likely give us plenty of time to wrap our minds around the idea of a bible-focused Aronofsky story. In the meantime, some interesting new details have emerged about the project, including cast additions and the film's targeted rating.

When I think of Aronofsky, I think Black Swan and Requiem For a Dream, which leads to a sort of squirming sensation and the strange combination of the desire to re-watch these movies and never watch them again. I'm never quite sure which comes through louder. Probably the former. Regardless, the idea of a film that focuses on Noah as told by Aronofsky is intriguing, to say the least. Add in Russell Crowe's involvement as star, and there's even more reason to look forward to 2014.

Paramount's Adam Goodman spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about a number of topics, among which was Noah. Goodman's response to the inquiry about Aronofsky's film was brief, but filled with interesting tidbits about the project…

The PG-13 rating seems like an obvious route to take for a story like this, however it already suggests a deviation from Aronofsky's typically darker (and usually R-rated) style. As are the mentions of "big, robust production" and "a remarkable adventure," which likewise seem fitting for a story like this, especially when factoring in the inevitable flood, but don't quite fit the more dramatic style of filmmaking that we've seen from some of Aronofsky's other movies. All the more reason to look forward to the film.

And then of course, there's the mention of Saoirse Ronan and Jennifer Connelly. We knew Crowe was set to star, but Ronan and Connelly are very interesting developments that Goodman seems to confirm in his comment. And "perfect combination of casting" really wouldn't be an exaggeration, given the mentioned talent.

We saw some of the best Connelly had to offer when she worked with Aronofsky for Requiem for a Dream. We also know she has great chemistry with Russell Crowe, thanks to A Beautiful Mind. Meanwhile, even with numerous strong performances in previous roles, I feel certain we've only just begun to see Soairse Ronan's potential as an actress. She has number of upcoming projects in the works, including a starring role in the adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's The Host, which at present, happens to release a year (almost to the day) before Noah is set to hit theaters.

Following his Oscar win for penning Gus Van Sant's poignant biopic Milk, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black decided to take to the director's chair himself to helm his next script, What's Wrong With Virginia. The drama, which co-stars Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris and Emma Roberts, was completed in 2010, and soon scored a spot at the Toronto International Film Festival. However, there it had a lackluster showing and was subsequently lost amid such high-profile productions as Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go, and John Cameron Mitchell's Rabbit Hole. From there, it faded from the spotlight and was left with no promise of theatrical release. However, THR now reports that this has all changed thanks to the Toronto-based, indie distribution company Entertainment One, who has just purchased the rights to distribute the feature throughout North America.

The melodrama, now called simply Virginia, centers on the tumultuous relationship between a mentally unstable single-mom (Connelly) and her lonely teen son (Harrison Gilbertson), who is on a desperate quest to uncover the identity of the father he's never known. Convinced his real dad is the local Sherriff (Harris), who is by all accounts and upstanding family man, the boy begins some amateur detective work that takes him into dangerous terrain as he falls for the Sherriff's lovely daughter (Roberts). Toby Jones, Carrie Preston, and Yeardley Smith co-star.

Entertainment One (also known as eOne) has announced plans to release Virginia as early as this spring. Dylan Wiley, eOne Films US vp of theatrical marketing and distribution, believes the drama will be a great fit, saying:

No specific release date has yet been announced.

Part Saved, part Get Shorty, part out of control game of hot potato, the first trailer for George Ratliff’s Salvation Boulevard just dropped, and it is a frantic back-and-forth between Christians, atheists and a reformed hippy. The Christians are led by Pastor Dan Day (Pierce Brosnan), a charismatic preacher who turned his church into a thriving business. The atheists are led by Dr. Paul Blaylock, a liberal professor who openly opposes the teachings of the Church. And the lonely hippy is Carl Vanderveer (Greg Kinnear), an idiot who doubles as the perfect patsy.

The thing I love about this trailer is how quickly it establishes its characters’ personalities. Within thirty seconds, we have a very good sense of the three men at the center of the controversy and how each relates to each other. A naysayer may argue that’s easy to do with a triumvirate of such divergent personalities, but it seems clear from the limited clip that Salvation Boulevard is eager to meddle with those clichés. Take a look at the teaser below…

Distributed by IFC Films, it’s unclear how wide of a release Salvation Boulevard might get, especially considering it didn’t make too much noise at Sundance, but regardless of its ultimate theater count, the film should appear on OnDemand after its official July 15th release date. As you can see from the above clip, it also stars Marisa Tomei, who makes a habit of popping up in great indies, and Jennifer Connelly who’s made her fair share of wonderful films. Add those ladies to a byline that already includes Brosnan, Harris and Kinnear, and the cast is arguably as good as we’ll see all year.

You can head on over to Apple to see the high resolution version.

With movies like Requiem For A Dream, House Of Sand And Fog, and Little Children featured prominently on her curriculum vitae, actress Jennifer Connelly has established herself in the acting world as a heavy dramatic actor. It’s not too uncommon for her movies to sincerely bum you out. Let’s just hope that her next movie doesn’t do that, however – after all, it is a Vince Vaughn-Kevin James comedy.

Starting on Monday this week, I’ve been posting interviews and reports from this past summer when I went to visit the set of The Dilemma. Directed by Ron Howard, the film represents the second time that Connelly has worked with the director, and the first time since their last film, A Beautiful Mind, took home Best Picture at the Oscars. Sitting down with the actress on set, we discussed what it was like playing Vaughn’s girlfriend, the differences in Howard’s approach when it comes to comedy and how hard it is to learn the game of ping-pong.

Can you talk about your character in this movie?

I play a woman named Beth who is kind of just a really nice girl. She's a chef. She has her own restaurant. She does pretty well in her chosen vocation. She's just sort of like an uncomplicated, not neurotic, very easy going, supportive, nice person who lives with Ronnie who Vince [Vaughn] plays. He's my boyfriend and she's just one of those people that you go, “God. I wish I reacted like that in that situation.” She's just kind of nice. Easy.

How much of you is in her?

I don't know. It's probably like some fantasy version of me. They're always characters and she's in a very different situation than I'm in. But she's nice and it's been nice being here.

Is it nice being Vince Vaughn's girlfriend?

It's been good. I think he's really good in this movie which is interesting because obviously it's funny and he's very funny in it, I think, and he and Kevin are really funny together. But also there are scenes that are moving and a little more dramatic and it was nice for me to see him doing that, too. You don't get to see much of that side of him.

How funny do you get to be?

Well, she's not really, Beth is not really…I think she's a nice character but she's not a particularly hysterical character. She's not dour or anything. She's not a stick in the mud. I think she has a sense of fun but she's not a real comedienne. She's more of the nice straight guy, I'll say, who likes to have fun.

Does she have secrets like everyone else or does she get caught up in everyone else's?

Yeah, sort of. She has one thing that she doesn't necessarily talk about it but it's kind of like a thing that you might not need to bring up anyway. So technically yes but I wouldn't say that it's a real secret.

This is your second movie with Ron Howard. How has it been different from working with him on A Beautiful Mind?

Really different subject matter, but I love Ron. Ron is great to work with. And it was similar, a really similar process. He likes to have a good amount of time for prep. So we had that. He likes to talk through the script and work through all of that stuff before you start shooting and we did that on this, too. He loves to cover scenes. Did that here, too. Get it all in the bag. So it's a very familiar style on the set. He's like the sweetest guy in Hollywood. He's so nice to work with. So it was a nice reunion.

Any differences because of the material? Have you seen him take a different tact?

No. Things have been pretty easy on this. I feel like things have been pretty easy on this show. There might've been a little, just because of the subject matter, a slightly more intense set when we worked on A Beautiful Mind. So it feels like things perhaps have been a bit smoother, a bit shorter days. The whole French hours thing. It feels pretty light and comfortable on set and not that we had a bad set on A Beautiful Mind. It was also really nice but just a little less complicated maybe with what we're doing here.

In A Beautiful Mind your characters knows much more of what's going on as compared to this where your character isn't sure what Vince's character is doing. Ron said it was a different approach for you to play. Can you elaborate on that?

They're such different people and such different movies and such different circumstances I don't know how you'd even link them or why it would even behoove one to try and make a comparison other than it's the same director. There's nothing contextually in common. There's nothing in terms of period in common. There's nothing in terms of personality in common. You may as well compare this to a Requiem For A Dream. This is a whole different thing.

Were you attracted to doing a comedy since you have a lot of heavier drams in your background?

Yeah. I thought it was fun. I liked the idea of playing someone where I thought, “God. She's just normal. She's just nice.” I thought that sounded great. I mean, I've just recently done a couple of movies that have more comedy in them. Straight before doing this I did a movie called Salvation Boulevard and that's sort of hopefully funny. Then before that I did What's Wrong With Virginia which is sort of dramatic and I think sort of funny. It's been nice recently working on things that have more comedic elements in them. I did also like the fact that she was this kind of person, something about her that I really liked. I like that she's just someone who wants to be happy. She is a woman who is happy and fights for happiness and tries really hard to make other people happy and to make the day go by nicely and make you feel good. That's kind of what she wants. I like that it was sort of that simple with her in a way. She wanted it to be simple.

But that being said, was it a challenge to play a character that was nice?

It's always a struggle to try and do things, to be decent at it. I don't ever think it's easy. With every movie I do I think, “God. I've gotten myself into another one. Can I do it? Is it going to be okay?” I always work really hard and try hard and try and learn what I've done, what I've just done. I won't say that just because she's easy going that I have a laissez fair attitude about my work because she's an easy going character.

So what is the challenge of that then, playing a character who wants to be happy?

I guess it's the same as any movie. You try and make things make sense. You try to believe in what you're doing and make it all seem believable and real.

Were you excited by the improvisational element of this film and with what the guys do with that, jumping in there and seeing what you could bring to the film in that way?

Yeah. It seems like we always do a sort of clean take, a clean pass at everything and then they'll do where it's more off the cuff. It's nice and it's really a different way of working. Sometimes it's wildly different and really long. You think, “This is a whole different direction.” It's fun, really fun to do that. Again, there are places where it's appropriate where I think, “Beth would be a part of it,” and then there are places where it's clearly just Ronnie doing his thing. You just sort of watch that thing which is really amazing.

Were you hoping to have a comedy project under your belt before going into American Pastoral?

No. That movie is just like IMDB relic. That was a movie that Paul [Bettany] and I discussed doing like so many years ago, ten years ago. I think that's something that someone posted. You can't believe anything you read on the internet, mostly.

Do you know what you're doing after this?

I don't. I'm going to have a vacation because I've been working and I want a vacation.

Now that you're wrapping up on this shoot can you recall a challenging or memorable scene that you guys got through?

Definitely the ping-pong. I was so nervous. I had to play ping-pong in this movie. The first day that I showed up and I said, “Ron. I'm really going to give this my all but you might want to have a ping-pong double.” Right now, my moniker at home is Snake Hands Connelly. I'm just not down with the paddle and the whole hand eye coordination thing. It's not a thing that I grew up doing a lot of. No skills in the back pocket with the ping-pong. I worked on that. I worked on that really hard, I have to say. I spent a lot of time playing ping-pong on this movie.

Was it a scene with Vince?

In the movie I play with Vince.

How was it learning with him then?

Well, we didn't practice together. I practiced with a coach actually. Yep. I had a ping-pong coach. We got a ping-pong table in the hotel and anyone I could wrangle to come play ping-pong with me I'd get up there playing ping-pong.

Did you master it?

I don't think I mastered anything. I think that'd be giving myself too much credit but I did do okay. You can tell me what you think. I was so nervous because I had a break and I was in New York and I went to this ping-pong club. I wanted to keep practicing. I don't have a ping-pong table at home. So I went to this ping-pong club and I played there and there were all these people watching there and suddenly I literally couldn't hit the ball. I got really terrified that when we got out to the set that I would all fall apart but I did okay.

How many hours did it take to shoot that scene?

It actually went really quickly.

Very few comedy movies see all of their humor come straight off the page. Sure, a good script can both tell a great story and be hysterical, but unless a director is a real stickler, it’s normal for the acting talent to experiment with improv, sometimes not only making the dialogue funnier but also fleshing out the character a bit more. This past summer I had the opportunity to witness this first hand on the set of Ron Howard’s The Dilemma.

Back in August, I was flown to Chicago where I and a small group of other film journalists were treated to a day not only watching the production in action, but speaking with the director and stars Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, and Jennifer Connelly. Deep into production – in fact, there was only one week left in production – we settled in to watch some of the most popular comedic actors working today do what they do best.

In the film, Vaughn and James play Ronny Valentine and Nick Backman, owners of the B&V Auto Garage and sitting on the verge of a major deal that would make their dreams come true. But there’s a problem: while at a local arboretum, Ronny witnesses Nick’s wife, Geneva, played by Winona Ryder, cheating on him with another man, played by Channing Tatum). Ronny then, of course, is left with an incredibly hard decision to make – does he tell his friend about Geneva’s infidelity or does he remain silent? He begins asking anyone he can for advice about what he should do, all while doing his best to keep it from Nick while he makes his decision.

Sitting in the mock auto garage, I was privy to two consecutive scenes, the first a heart to heart conversation between Ronny and Nick; the second the entrance of Ryder and Connelly, the latter actress playing girlfriend to Vaughn’s character. Check out a spoiler-free rundown of the two scenes below.

Sitting on either end of a black leather couch in their place of business, Nick apologizes to his best for being so absent lately, but seems completely unfazed by Ronny’s appearance. On the right side of Ronny’s face is a horrific rash that simply looks all-too painful. Though Nick is caught up in the deal and waiting for a call, he has allotted eight minutes in his schedule for the two to sit down and talk. Ronny says that he’s been thinking of proposing to his girlfriend, Beth, but hasn’t yet. Instead he’s waiting for the right place to do it, but feels like he’s sabotaging himself. Finally Nick takes notice of Ronny’s skin condition, which Ronny chalks up to “adult on-set allergies,” saying that it’s a one-time thing. Trying to move the conversation, Ronny insists that they should be talking about their business deal and stay away from any personal stuff – obviously trying to avoid any possible conversation about Geneva.

The next scene we watched them shoot, after the actors to a break to speak with us, featured Geneva and Beth entering the auto garage. “What a sexy, sexy car,” Geneva remarks. “If only it were fuel efficient!” Beth continues. Embracing their significant others, the women tell the men that they are going to take them out to dinner. Both Nick and Ronny say that they are too busy, but the women say that they’re only busy because they’re burnt out. Beth assures them that it isn’t a celebration dinner, as they have yet to close the deal, but rather a “pre-celebration.” The scene ends with Geneva walking over to Ronny and saying “What’s wrong with your face?”

As alluded to in my opening paragraph, the most fascinating thing to watch on set was the evolution of dialogue in the scenes, particularly in the first. Viewing multiple takes, it was obvious that the first go-round was from the script verbatim, but as they kept going and going, Vaughn and James made it their own. The core of the dialogue stayed the same – they still had to get from point A to point B – the little details would change from take to take, particularly when Vaughn described the symptoms of his outbreak. Easily the most interesting aspect of it, however? With every take the scene got funnier and funnier, causing James to bust out laughing multiple times.

On the other side of that, I also walked away admiring the filmmaking and acting process even more. To understand my point, try this little experiment: walk into your bedroom and sit down on your bed. Say out loud “I hope I don’t have nightmares tonight” and get under the covers. Then get up, make up your bed, walk out of the room and do that 20 more times. How long does it take before your brain to go into auto-pilot or you simple get bored? While comedy may seem fast-paced and witty on screen, it seems to require a great deal of discipline, making yourself give 100% every time, even in the face of extreme repetition.

On paper the scene performed by Vaughn and James was humorous, but it’s what they were able to morph the material into that was so impressive. The performers never let themselves fall asleep at the wheel and were in the zone for every take, bringing everything they had and trying to make the movie as funny as they could. Hopefully all of that effort and focus will come through in the final product.

The Dilemma has a new international trailer and it doesn't have a gay joke. Vince Vaughn still thinks electric cars are gay, he's just not going to say it in the trailer. Smart move.

More important than the relative femininity of electric cars is Jennifer Connelly, who appears to be operating at her highest level of attractiveness since Requiem for a Dream in this trailer. The tone’s a little different than the American teasers and if you’re at all interested in what Ron Howard is doing directing a fairly standard seeming Vince Vaughn comedy then give it a look below.

The Dilemma will sort itself out in theaters on January 14th. For more information and images visit our Film Database.

Dustin Lance Black paved a pretty golden road for himself the moment he met up with Gus Van Sant. Black's first screenplay, Milk, snagged him an Oscar, and now his directorial debut What's Wrong With Virginia comes with Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris in the lead roles and, of course, Van Sant as an executive producer. But while he kept it simple and let the performances and the story speak for itself in Milk, Black comes to Virginia armed with dozens of ideas and pastiches from other films, none of which fit comfortably into this small-town melodrama.

Like Milk, though, Virginia is propped up by a strong central performance, with Connelly doing some of her best work in years as the unstable-verging-on-totally-nuts Virginia. Living in a beach town and raising her teenage son Emmett (Harrison Gilbertson) on her own. He's strongly suspected all his life that his father is local sheriff Dick Tipton (Ed Harris), who has carried on an affair with Virginia for decades, and Emmett's hunt for answers gets more urgent when he falls for Tipton's daughter Jessie (Emma Roberts). Meanwhile Virginia continues losing it, faking a pregnancy and ignoring what appears to be lung cancer and attempting to rob the local bank-- and that's without even getting into her newfound interest in becoming a proper Mormon.

The movie is all over the place in every imaginable way, set in some modern-day American pastiche of the 50s as translated by David Lynch and Todd Haynes, vacillating wildly from camp to melodrama to harsh satire and back again, and relying on us to stay grounded in the whole thing by Gilbertson's Emmett, who seems like a nice kid and all, but sure doesn't have the strength to carry a movie on his shoulders. Both Emmett and Virginia narrate the story as flashbacks, and while Virginia's narration is far more unreliable, she's the only one you want to hear from. Wearing bleached blonde hair and a series of billowy dresses, Connelly has rarely looked more fragile or dangerous; like Virginia she's adrift in a world that doesn't quite appreciate her, and just as you root for Virginia to pull it together and leave town, you root for Connelly to track down a better movie.

With talent like Toby Jones, Carrie Preston and Amy Madigan struggling mightily to get noticed amid the din, Virginia starts to feel manic well before the ending attempts to mix violence and comedy with distasteful results. The film has enough big names attached to probably attract some buyer interest, and there are snippets of good things here-- Connelly's performance, cinematography by Eric Alan Edwards, music by Nick Urata-- that are worth championing for those so inclined. I felt mostly that it was an early draft for something that could potentially have great power with a little more focus.

More Cinema Blend coverage from the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival right here.

Ron Howard is taking a break from his usual tactic of scrounging for Oscars to make the modern-day comedy The Dilemma, about a man (Vince Vaughn) who learns that his best friend's (Kevin James) wife (Winona Ryder) may be cheating on him. Given that the last movie he made with even a slight amount of comedy was How the Grinch Stole Christmas, that's one hell of a change of pace, but far more welcome than, say, another adaptation of a Dan Brown book.

Anyway, The Dilemma won't hit theaters until next year, but USA Today has snagged the first image from the film, in which the four leads (Jennifer Connelly) visit the famous Chicago hot dog stand Wieners Circle and get the traditional verbal abuse from the employees. I'm a New Yorker and I had no idea why anyone would be willingly yelled at by people serving you hot dogs, but I long ago gave up on understanding that Midwesttern cattle hub. Check out a portion of the image below, click on it for the full version at USA Today, marvel at the notion that Winona Ryder could be married to Kevin James somehow.

The last time Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany were in a movie together, it was 2001's A Beautiful Mind, a film in which their characters never met and Bettany's, well, wasn't quite what he seemed. But the two actors managed to meet and fall in love on that set, and now, nearly 10 years later, are acting opposite one another in Creation, a drama about the personal crisis that plagued Charles Darwin and his wife, Emma, as Darwin struggled to finish his manuscript for his groundbreaking book On the Origin of Species.

Based on the book Annie's Box by Randal Keynes, Darwin's great-grandson, Creation shows the devastating effect that the death of their eldest daughter Annie had on the Darwins, bringing Emma even closer to her faith in religion and causing Charles to question his work on evolutionary theory, which had begun 21 years earlier. Told in a non-linear form and incorporating flashbacks to the very beginnings of the Darwin's marriage, Creation is the story of both a family and a man trying to make a name for himself, a marriage and the theory that nearly tore them apart.

Last week Bettany and Connelly were both on hand to talk about Creation, and below is our conversation with Bettany, who was as lively and funny as you might expect from a guy playing both Charles Darwin and a fallen angel in separate movies releasing on the same day (Creation and Legion, if you haven't been keeping track). He told us about the experience of working with his wife, the transformative experience of being face to face with an orangutan, why he fights to have the same makeup artist on every film, and how a camera can cure his fear of bugs. He ended the conversation with kind of a manifesto: "I'll make any fucking movie I choose!" Keep reading to see how the conversation got there.

So how was working with your wife on this film?

Awful. It was awful. I carried her through the whole movie. [Everyone laughs] No, it was amazing. There was some initial fears. We've wanted to for ages, and then you get the chance to, and then you worry you're going to giggle or something. [The first day on set] she comes out and she's in a funny dress, and her hair's funny, and I've got a bald head and I'm 45 pounds heavier, and we just sort of looked at each other and giggled. And then that was it, we got on with it. She is a great actress. She is incredibly focused. She is fastidious. She is in bed with me at night, which is really useful when you're on a six-day shoot and you want to talk about the next day's work and it's a really hard schedule. In movies the leading and actor and the leading actress are often in bed together, but perhaps they're not talking about the next day's work. We were.

Can you talk about playing Darwin and a fallen angel [in Legion] in the same week?

I think I have a very shallow and very short concentration span. I do something and i think, I' going to do the absolute opposite of it next. That's really the result of that. It's kind of great, because you keep everybody guessing.

There's an uncanny physical resemblance between you and Darwin.

There's a certain resemblance in that I'm blond and he was tall and had a high forehead, but i have in my opinion the greatest makeup artist in the world, Veronica Brebner. I have worked with her for 10 years, on over 10 films. She's very clever.

So what does she do to turn you into Darwin?

Eyebrow wigs. I had to shave my head, I had three different wigs. I do love the shared creation of things. I get myself into trouble when I fight for the same people to be on movies with me. It is a shared responsibility.

How often does an actor get to work with the same makeup artist?

I have caused such a stink about it. What's funny is everybody thinks I'm going to be a nightmare when I get on set. It's the one thing that I've never backed down on. One is because she is incredibly creative and brilliant in her execution, and two is, I'm really particular about who's touching my face at 5 o'clock in the morning for three hours.

How do you and Jennifer decide to work together and not keep one of you at home with the kids?

It's really tempting, because she's really good. Everybody else gets to work with her! Film sets are great for children. Working on them is a different thing.

Was it doubly fun having both parents there?

I don't know. Frankly my son likes it when I'm on a set where I"m killing vampires. He doesn't come to the set of The Young Victoria and say, 'That was great when you roundhouse kicked the queen in the head.'

How was working with the child actors?

It's great. You have a different responsibility in terms of working with children. You want to get it done quickly. It's awful when you see children overworked and tired. It's how my wife grew up, and I don't like it. It's just not right. And they tend to be better in the first and second takes anyway, when they're fresh. Martha West [who plays Darwin's daughter Annie in the film], she's an incredibly bright girl who I hope they hide and she gets to go to university and grow up and have a real normal life.

And how about working with the orangutan?

I defy anybody to sit down and play with an orangutan and say I share no connection with you. It's one thing to sort of hear about it or see it, it's another to sit with that thing looking into your eyes and playing with you. None of the stuff that we had prepared worked. I was going to play the harmonica, I was going to dance, whatever. The fact that he took the harmonica from me and played the harmonica, the fact that he took my pen started drawing on my pad-- just happened. He took my wig off at one point, because he didn't like it. He dragged me into his little cage.

Were you scared?

No, I wasn't. My heartbeat tends to lower when cameras are on. I tend to get much calmer. I'm anxious in everyday life. I'm anxious about my kids' health, my health, whether I"m going to get the job I want, the chicken's going to turn out all right, the dog's going to poop in front of the paparazzi. You get on a film and someone much brighter than you has written you great words to say. You do things you never thought you could do in front of a camera. I remember on Master and Commander-- I fucking hate bugs. The moment the camera was on, I could touch them, they're crawling over my hand. Though cockroaches I couldn't do.

You just started Priest, right? With the same director as Legion?

They are really separate. The second movie-- we went into it with the same spirit, but the second movie, we had like three times the budget, and it was so much fun. They liked the first one enough to trust us before the receipts came out to give us a new movie with three times the budget. It's a nice way to earn your money, with people that you really like. Then you make other sorts of movies, and some of these sorts of movies. You're happy. You've got a balance.

Is that variety, doing movies like Creation and like Legion, what you love about doing movies?

I will not be put into a position where I have to look like 'I'm an important actor.." I'll make any fucking movie I choose. For whatever number of reasons. Because I thought it was fun, because I wanted to try and see what that was like, because I wanted to work with that particular actor. Why did Daniel Day-Lewis make Nine? I don't know, maybe he fucking felt like it. I just hate the snobbery. I'll make any damn movie I want for a lot of different reasons.

Creation is a Charles Darwin biopic, of sorts, which stars Paul Bettany as the famed and weirdly still controversial scientist who first came up with the notion that hey, maybe this God guy isn’t responsible for everything. Yes right-wing fundamentalist I know you don’t look like a monkey (ok you kind of do), but that’s not really what the Theory of Evolution says, though I realize it sounds good when you’re firing up the flock on a Sunday morning.

The first trailer for Creation has arrived and it portrays Darwin as a man of deep integrity conflicted over what he’s about to unleash on the world. Jennifer Connelly co-stars as his wife who, never really approved of what he was doing but loved him anyway. Watch: