Apple TV+ has reunited the team behind Black Bird for the upcoming new series Smoke, with the added perk of Jurnee Smollett returning to TV to co-lead opposite Taron Egerton. While the 2025 TV schedule series won't be Smollett's first venture since HBO's Lovecraft Country was cancelled back in 2021, Detective Michelle Calderone will be the actress' first series regular role in years. She spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of Smoke's premiere on June 27 to explain what the new project had that brought her back to the small screen for her biggest role since Lovecraft Country.

Smoke is inspired by the Firebug podcast, with Black Bird's Dennis Lehane creating and writing the new show for anybody to watch with an Apple TV+ subscription. The action centers on arson investigator David Gudsen (Taron Egerton) and Detective Michelle Calderone (Smollett) joining forces to try and take down two arsonists. Suffice it to say that there are twists on the way as episodes release weekly, and nobody will be confusing Smollett's performance as Michelle with her work as Leti on Lovecraft Country.

So, why return to a series regular role for Smoke, when she spent the majority of the years since Lovecraft Country working on films? I asked Jurnee Smollett that very question during Apple TV+'s press junket for Smoke, and she shared:

Smollett wasn't picking and choosing projects based on whether they were film or TV, so working mostly on movies in recent years wasn't a direct reaction to the sting of Lovecraft Country's cancellation. She was also not the only Smoke cast member to express admiration for Dennis Lehane during the junket, although she was the only one to list his "classics" that made her such a fan.

Black Bird was certainly a thrilling addition to Dennis Lehane's list of credits back in 2022, and Jurnee Smollett went on to share the specifics of Smoke that really attracted her to the series. She said:

I won't get into Smoke spoilers here, but I can say that there are certainly layers to several characters to prevent them from being qualified as all good guys or all bad guys. It's also clear from the trailer alone that Jurnee Smollett's Michelle and Taron Egerton's Dave are going to have a complicated dynamic. Take a look:

In addition to Jurnee Smollett and Taron Egerton, Smoke stars Rafe Spall, Greg Kinnear, John Leguizamo, Ntare Mwine, and Anna Chlumsky, among others. Like Egerton, this series will be a repeat collaboration with Dennis Lehane for Greg Kinnear, who was part of the Black Bird cast.

Fortunately, the wait to check out Smollett and Egerton as co-leads is nearly over, as Smoke premieres the first two episodes of the season on Friday, June 27. Like Jensen Ackles' Countdown on Amazon Prime as one of the week's other biggest premieres, episodes will continue to release weekly on Apple TV+ following the doubleheader pair of premiere episodes.

Considering how many child stars have walked away from Hollywood, it is always so inspiring to see an actor who started early and continues to act to this day. Of course, some of them would walk away from the spotlight or experience a bit of a career hiccup before making an impressive return, either with more acting roles or in a new medium altogether. See for yourself by taking a look at these former child actors who went on to impress us as adults.

Mayim Bialik

After hitting it big as the title character of the hit '90s sitcom Blossom, Mayim Bialik lived a normal life that included earning a neuroscience degree and starting a family. She made her major industry return by joining the Big Bang Theory cast as neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler, which led her to lead another sitcom called Call Me Kat and host Jeopardy! for a short time.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

After getting his start in movies like Angels in the Outfield and A River Runs Through It and playing an alien posing as a human teen on the great ‘90s TV show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Joseph Gordon-Levitt never really went away from Hollywood. However, he did experience a moment of relative obscurity before roles in the likes of (500) Days of Summer, a few great Christopher Nolan movies, and his many collaborations with Rian Johnson put him on the A-List.

Jurnee Smollett

Jurnee Smollett made a grand impression in her youth with a recurring stint on Full House and as the title role of the acclaimed Black horror movie, 1997's Eve’s Bayou. Her career would take an astonishing turn toward A-list success in 2020 after her Emmy-nominated turn in HBO’s Lovecraft Country, which was followed by her role as Black Canary in DC’s Birds of Prey, her great performance in Amazon Prime’s The Burial, and more.

Jason Bateman

Following his debut appearance on Little House on the Prairie, his roles on sitcoms like Valerie (later called The Hogan Family after some major casting shake-ups), and his lead part in Teen Wolf Too made Jason Bateman an '80s heartthrob. Years later, playing Michael Bluth in the Arrested Development cast made him a comedy icon before his Emmy-nominated turn as Marty Byrde in Netflix's Ozark cast further proved his remarkable versatility.

Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer – who proved she was an acting powerhouse at 9 years old with her debut role in Barbershop 2: Back in Business before scoring her first lead role in 2006's Akeelah and the Bee – never needed a comeback moment because her notoriety never really stopped. However, it is clear that the multi-talented Emmy winner was never more popular before her scene-stealing performance in Jordan Peele’s 2022 alien invasion movie, Nope.

Josh Brolin

After making his acting debut at 17 in 1985's The Goonies cast, Josh Brolin rarely had another role quite as successful until, at 39, he was cast in 2007's instant classic Western movie, No Country for Old Men, as Llewellyn Moss. The son of James Brolin went on to receive an Oscar nomination for 2008's Milk, was cast as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first big bad, Thanos, and has given commanding performances in various other acclaimed films.

Drew Barrymore

Many forget that, years after 1982's E.T. the Extra-terrestrial made her a sensation at just 7 years old, Drew Barrymore had a few career shake-ups due to personal drama including addiction. Yet, her astonishing performance in the opening scene of 1996’s Scream brought her back to the A-List and earned her roles in blockbusters like Charlie's Angels and TV shows like Santa Clarita Diet before she found later success as a daytime talk show host.

Neil Patrick Harris

Playing the prodigious title role of Doogie Howser M.D. made Neil Patrick Harris a household name, at least for a while. His popularity would skyrocket, however, when he played Barney Stinson in the How I Met Your Mother cast, which opened up many avenues for the now multi-Emmy-winning performer, from working with David Fincher on Gone Girl to hosting award shows and taking the stage on Broadway.

Gaby Hoffman

Gaby Hoffman had an amazing run as a child actor in the late 1980s and early 1990s with roles in movies like Uncle Buck, Field of Dreams, Now and Then, and Sleepless in Seattle. After stepping away to focus on her education, she resurfaced as a sought-after talent with her Emmy-nominated starring role in the Amazon Prime original TV show, Transparent.

Ke Huy Quan

Following his iconic roles in classic '80s movies Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, as Short Round, and The Goonies, as Data, Ke Huy Quan’s role offers began to disappear. That would change decades later when he won an Academy Award for his uplifting performance in A24's acclaimed multiverse movie, 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Anna Chlumsky

For years, Anna Chlumsky was best known for her heartbreaking performance as 11-year-old Vada in 1991's My Girl. Years later, she significantly increased her star power with her multi-Emmy-nominated role in the hit HBO series, Veep, as Amy Brookheimer.

Macaulay Culkin

One of the most essential examples of a “former child star” is Macaulay Culkin, who had Hollywood in the palm of his young hands after leading the original Home Alone cast as Kevin McCallister. He still acts from time to time, having shown up in the American Horror Story Season 10 cast or on HBO's The Righteous Gemstones, is in a power couple with Brenda Song, and finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023.

Christina Ricci

Christina Ricci would continue to find notable acting roles beyond her star-making turn as Wednesday Addams in 1991's The Addams Family and 1993's Addams Family Values. However, starring in Showtime’s Yellowjackets cast did wonders for her modern notoriety before she revisited her breakout role with a fun part in Netflix’s Wednesday cast, opposite Jenna Ortega.

Christian Bale

Christian Bale owes his fame to starring in Steven Spielberg's 1987 period drama Empire of the Sun and the cult-favorite 1992 musical Newsies but his menacing turn in 2000's American Psycho earned him wide respect as an adult. However, leading Christopher Nolan's live-action Batman movies as Bruce Wayne made him one of the top actors of his generation, leading to his Oscar win for 2011’s The Fighter.

Danica McKellar

Danica McKellar embodied the ultimate girl next door when she was cast in the original Wonder Years as Winnie Cooper from 1988 to 1993. Much later in her career, she would acquire a much different fanbase when she became one of the most prolific stars on the Hallmark Channel with roles in movies like Christmas She Wrote and Swing into Romance.

Cole Sprouse

Cole Sprouse had already acted alongside his sibling, his identical twin brother Dylan, numerous times (such as in Big Daddy) before Disney Channel’s The Suite Life franchise made them teen idols. However, you could argue that Cole was never more popular after he joined the Riverdale cast as Jughead Jones.

Hilary Duff

There were few teen Disney Channel stars who became quite as iconic and as quickly as Hilary Duff after she starred in the title role of Lizzie McGuire. She would find later success in the scene-stealing supporting role of Kelsey Peters on TV Land’s Younger and as the lead protagonist of Hulu's short-lived but well-liked How I Met Your Mother spin-off, How I Met Your Father.

Josh Peck

Josh Peck first rose to fame on Nickelodeon by scoring major roles in kid-friendly comedies like The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh. He would later prove his worth as a versatile actor with more mature roles, such as on Fox's Grandfathered or in Christopher Nolan’s Best Picture Oscar winner, Oppenheimer.

Vincent Kartheiser

Vincent Kartheiser first made a name for himself by appearing in ‘90s teen movies like Alaska and Masterminds. However, he would find later and greater success after starring in AMC's Mad Men cast as Pete Campbell.

Kurt Russell

Following his feature debut in 1963’s It Happened at the World’s Fair alongside Elvis Presley, Kurt Russell continued to have success as the star of light and funny Disney movies like The Strongest Man in the World. In 1981, he reinvented himself as an action movie icon after playing Snake Plissken in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, which led to plenty more awesome movie roles, such as R.J. MacReady in The Thing and Coach Herb Brooks in Miracle.

Kieran Culkin

Kieran Culkin was previously best known as Macaulay Culkin’s younger brother, who also showed up in the Home Alone movies and played Matty Banks in the Father of the Bride movies. However, he would become one of the more prolific Culkin siblings following his Emmy-winning turn in the Succession cast as Roman Roy and other widely acclaimed performances.

Johnny Galecki

For years, Johnny Galecki was best known for playing the third Rusty Griswold in 1989's National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and David Healy on Roseanne. He would later reprise the latter role on The Conners years after experiencing a career resurgence by playing Leonard Hofstadter on CBS' The Big Bang Theory.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

Thomas Brodie-Sangster made an impressive feature film debut as Liam Neeson’s onscreen stepson in the 2003 rom-com, Love Actually. The British actor would later surprise audiences with his role as Jojen Reed in the Game of Thrones cast, leading to parts in the Maze Runner movies and Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.

Tyler James Williams

Tyler James Williams became a bonafide sitcom star by playing a young Chris Rock on Everybody Hates Chris, which led to more interesting roles, such as Lionel in the acclaimed 2014 indie comedy, Dear White People. However, his recurring role on the Walking Dead cast and multi-Emmy-nominated turn as Gregory Eddie on the Abbott Elementary cast earned him wide respect as an adult actor.

Alisan Porter

Alisan Porter only appeared in a handful of movies, including Ron Howard's Parenthood and John Hughes' Curly Sue in the title role, before she walked away from acting when she was still very young. She would later reinvent herself as a talented musician when she competed in and won the tenth season of NBC's hit singing competition show, The Voice.

Ashley Johnson

Ashley Johnson broke into the business when she joined the Growing Pains cast as the Severs' youngest child, Chrissy. She is best known these days as a prolific voice actor who has breathed life into iconic roles such as Gretchen on Recess and Ellie in the hit post-apocalyptic video game The Last of Us, which was adapted into an HBO series that she cameoed on.

Jennette McCurdy

Jennette McCurdy became one of the most promising young talents to break through on Nickelodeon, having been cast on iCarly as the charmingly bullish Sam Puckett. However, she became better known and even better respected years later for her acclaimed, revealing 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, which focuses on her life as a reluctant child actor.

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha Lyonne began her career early in life – notably appearing on Pee-wee's Playhouse – and seemingly hit her peak in her late teens and early 20s with the American Pie movies and But I'm a Cheerleader before substance abuse caused her career to slow down. Years later, Emmy-nominated turns on TV shows like Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll (which she co-created), and Poker Face and a few acclaimed movie roles reignited her wonderfully versatile career.

Mara Wilson

Following her star-making roles in Mrs. Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street, and Matilda, Mara Wilson walked away from the spotlight soon after starring in Thomas and the Magic Railroad. She would later take up minor, infrequent parts after becoming better known for writing about her experiences as a top child actor.

Haley Joel Osment

Haley Joel Osment would never go on to play a role quite as iconic as young medium Cole Sear in, arguably, the best M. Night Shyamalan movie, The Sixth Sense (which earned him an Oscar nomination) at 11 years old. However, his work as an adult – such as recurring roles on hit series like Silicon Valley and The Boys and memorable parts in movies like Kevin Smith’s Tusk – has been nothing short of exciting.

Taylor Momsen

Taylor Momsen made a charming debut as Cindy Lou Who in 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas and, in her teens, made an impression on the Gossip Girl cast as Jenny Humphrey. She would later reinvent herself as the frontwoman of a successful rock group called The Pretty Reckless.

Lukas Haas

Following an acclaimed run as one of the most revered child actors of the 1980s for his roles in Witness and Lady in White, Lukas Haas went on to take progressively smaller roles as he grew up. However, much of the projects he has taken in his adulthood – including movies like Inception and Babylon and TV shows like The Righteous Gemstones and War of the Worlds – have been met with great receptions.

Hollywood sadly lost another beloved legend this week, as Star Wars and Field of Dreams vet James Earl Jones died at 93. With a career that kicked off on the theater stage in the 1950s before his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s excellent satire Dr. Strangelove, Jones was a prolific and dedicated talent who worked with some of the best in the business, and many of his former co-stars and longtime fans paid tribute following his death.

As one of the relative few EGOT-earning celebrities out there, James Earl Jones has been an inspirational force to plenty of actors young and old within the entertainment industry, and judging by the outpouring of love and appreciation, it’s clear his impact was widespread and likely won’t be fading away anytime soon. (Darth Vader, he was not.) Let's look at some of the loving messages shared on social media.

Mark Hamill

Arguably the most famous of all of his roles, James Earl Jones voiced all-time great movie villain Darth Vader across several Star Wars films and more (sometimes aided by tech wizardry). And while he wasn't the actual physical performer under Vader's helmet, the actor still made quite an impact on his younger co-star Mark Hamill, who shared the following message:

To be sure, Mark Hamill definitely wasn't the only Star Wars vet who shared the love.

Billy Dee Williams

Having starred as Lando Calrissian across three Star Wars films, Billy Dee Williams is a beloved sci-fi icon who was lucky enough to call James Earl Jones a friend. Here's how he paid his respects via Instagram:

That booming voice was known for more than just Darth Vader, of course, with millions of Disney fanatics out there having long adored him for voicing The Lion King's Mufasa.

George Lucas

The spearheader behind all things Star Wars, at least in the early years before Disney took over, George Lucas helped turn Jones into a globally renowned superstar, even if the actor wasn't initially credited for his voicework as Darth Vader. (That came later.) Here's the filmmaker's statement, as shared on the Star Wars Instagram:

True to his words, many of James Earl Jones' most effective roles, even the villainous and scary ones — The Sandlot's Mr. Mertle among them — were made all the more effective because of the humanity that remained intact behind the performances.

Kevin Costner

Outside of the world of Star Wars, one of James Earl Jones' best movies was a feel-good baseball flick that everyone loves. No, I'm not talking about The Sandlot again, but rather 1989's Field of Dreams, co-starring Kevin Costner, who shared his own tribute to the late legend.

Sure, it's possible that another actor could have stepped into the role of Terence Mann and made it work opposite Costner's Ray Kinsella, but it wouldn't have been the grand slam performance that James Earl Jones delivered to the heartwarming drama.

Debbie Allen

The always wonderful Debbie Allen, who'd previously cast James Earl Jones in her Broadway revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, took to Instagram to share her own tribute to the late, great actor.

The EGOT status was already a sign of his GOAT nature, but having Debbie Allen say it only solidifies the notion.

Octavia Spencer, Steve Toussaint, Josh Gad And More

There are probably too many celebs paying tribute to James Earl Jones to provide a comprehensive rundown of all the kind words being shared in his name, here's a smattering of R.I.P. posts from his adoring fans and occasional co-stars.

• Jurnee Smollett: Today we lost a giant. James Earl Jones was more than a legendary actor - he was a voice that carried strength, dignity, and grace. From his iconic roles to his profound impact on the arts, he paved the way for so many of us. His legacy will continue to inspire generations. Rest in power, King 🖤 #JamesEarlJones
• Octavia Spencer: I’m incredibly saddened to learn of #JamesEarlJones’ passing today. Legendary doesn’t even begin to describe his iconic roles and impact on cinema forever. His voice and talent will be remembered always. Sending love to his family, friends and countless fans in all the galaxies, far, far away. 🤍🕊️
• Michael Beach: I got to work with Mr. James Earl Jones 3 times. The first time I was only out of college for a few years and it was on his show Gabriel’s Fire. The last time was as his son and #robertduvall nephew in a film called #afamilything … I felt nervous and lucky everyday on set with two super actors!…I knew him as a quiet and kind man. But he was a giant to me in many ways and each time I was in his presence I just felt like I was learning and clearly making great career choices!…Thank you Mr. Jones! Respect and appreciation to you and condolences to your family. #ripjamesearljones #aclassic #alegend #moviedad
• Jason Alexander: James Earl Jones was as powerful and profound as he was gentle and grace-filled. His voice could command or move men to tears. His work, all those amazing characters, will remain in my heart and memory all my days. I knew him very briefly and he was everything you’d hoped he would be. May he rest well. #RIPJamesEarlJones

Gabriel's Fire isn't a movie that often comes up when discussing Jones' biggest hits, but it obviously holds a special place in The Perfect Couple star Michael Beach's heart. And some of the actor's other fan-faves like Coming to America and Claudine get namechecked by Josh Gad and House of the Dragon's Steve Toussaint in the posts below:

• Josh Gad: Shattered. There are icons and then there is this man. How do you remember someone who gave us some of the greatest stage and screen performances of all time? For so many of us, you defined our childhoods from Star Wars to Lion King, from Field of Dreams to The Sandlot, from Coming to America to Dr. Strangelove. Thank you James for giving your life to art and filling our lifetimes with some of the best performances of any resume ever. It was an honor to know you and and an even bigger honor to get perform in a theater with your namesake. 💔 #ripjamesearljones
• Omar Epps: Thank you for gifting us with dignity, grace, and resilience. A peaceful warrior who inspired many by exemplifying truths. Though your smile was disarming, the strength of your presence was felt by any who had a chance to share space with you. Being one of those fortune few, I salute you for having persevered, and flourished through it all. Blessings to your family, and may you dance with the angels now!🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾#RIPJamesEarlJones
• Steve Toussaint: So, just heard the news of this master's passing. What a legend. What a colossus! What a voice! Obviously there was that "Star Wars" thing he did, but, there was also "Great White Hope", there was "Claudine", there was "Field Of Dreams"; I could go on... I won't. Was lucky enough to meet him very briefly backstage after he performed in "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" as Big Daddy. A kind and charming man, he made my year! #ripjamesearljones

While there will no doubt be another actor who attempts the Darth Vader voice for upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, there will never be another Hollywood icon quite like James Earl Jones, from his persona to his acting ability to his unmistakable voice. It's been a great ride.

We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to the family and friends of James Earl Jones during their time of mourning.

The phrase “former child star” is most often associated with someone who was famous when they were much younger, but is not quite as well-known — or, perhaps, does not even act anymore — as a grown-up. Yet, for every starlet who has risen and fallen, there are just as many who have beaten the odds and have gone onto bigger and better things as adults, like these beloved celebrities.

Macaulay Culkin

The first person you might think of when you think of “former child stars” could be Macaulay Culkin, who was on top of the world when he led the original Home Alone cast as Kevin McCallister. While his notoriety would slow in subsequent years, it is always a treat to see him show up in ensembles like the American Horror Story Season 10 cast or Kid Cudi’s Entergalactic cast.

Lukas Haas

Lukas Haas was one of the most acclaimed young actors of his time with leading roles in 1985’s Witness, opposite Harrison Ford, and the underrated ghost story, Lady in White, from 1988. He has since made a living taking smaller roles in otherwise big movies like Inception and Babylon, plus he's shown up on TV shows like The Righteous Gemstones and War of the Worlds.

Jurnee Smollett

With an Emmy nomination for HBO’s Lovecraft Country, a scene-stealing role in DC’s Birds of Prey, and a stellar turn in Amazon Prime’s The Burial, Jurnee Smollett has established herself as one of the strongest talents of her time. However, that was already clear with her recurring role in Full House and her astonishing performance in 1997’s acclaimed Black horror movie, Eve’s Bayou, when she was still a child.

Jason Bateman

From his debut role on Little House on the Prairie to his years on the sitcom Valerie (which would become The Hogan Family), Jason Bateman showed great versatility as a performer in his younger years. He has upheld that reputation ever since, as seen by his Emmy-nominated work leading the Arrested Development cast and, later, the Ozark cast. His ability to shift from starring in funny movies like Horrible Bosses to dramas like Air is remarkable.

Dakota Fanning

Racking up more than 20 credits before she turned 10, Dakota Fanning was everywhere in the early 2000s — catching the attention of filmmakers like Steven Spielberg for War of the Worlds and holding her own against actors like Robert DeNiro in Hide and Seek. Save her age, nothing much has changed for the actor, who appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast and reunited with her Man on Fire co-star, Denzel Washington, in 2023’s The Equalizer 3.

Ryan Gosling

A 13-year-old Ryan Gosling entered show business as a Mouseketeer, paving the way for him to star in back-to-back scary anthology TV shows for kids (Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Goosebumps), lead Young Hercules, and more. Leading 2004’s The Notebook cast paved the way for him to be an action hero in Drive and Blade Runner 2049. On top of all that, he also earned Oscar nominations for Half Nelson and La La Land, and made us laugh as part of the The Nice Guys ensemble and the Barbie cast as Ken.

Brie Larson

After some faux ads on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show marked her debut at 9, Brie Larson went on to star in a family sitcom with the late Bob Saget (Raising Dad), was in a YA novel adaptation (Hoot), and she even had a singing career in her teens. Now, she is a comic book movie star (for appearing in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and playing the MCU’s Captain Marvel), and she has an Oscar for Room from 2015.

Kenan Thompson

On All That — Nickelodeon’s answer to Saturday Night Live — one of the young cast’s most prominent breakouts was Kenan Thompson, who went on to co-lead his own kid-friendly sitcom with Kel Mitchell, aptly named Kenan & Kel. The Emmy winner went on to break the record for longest-running SNL actor and lead his own adult sitcom, Kenan.

David Krumholtz

After making his debut playing a child actor in 1993’s Life with Mikey, David Krumholtz became a prominent child actor with roles in Addams Family Values as Wednesday’s love interest and Tim Allen’s head elf, Bernard, in The Santa Clause. The crime procedural, Numb3rs, earned him greater recognition, leading to a career that includes lending his voice to Sausage Party, appearing in the Oppenheimer cast, and reprising Bernard on Disney+’s series, The Santa Clauses.

Neil Patrick Harris

Playing a kid genius on Doogie Howser M.D. made Neil Patrick Harris a household name, which he acknowledged when he later played himself in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Of course, the five-time Emmy winner is better known today as Barney Stinson from the How I Met Your Mother cast, Count Olaf on Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, and so much more.

Josh Brolin

At 17, first-time actor Josh Brolin immediately made his mark on pop culture as part of the Goonies cast in the role of Brand Walsh. However, he really got heads turning at 39 when he starred in one of the best movies of the 2000s, No Country for Old Men. The son of Hollywood veteran James Brolin has an Oscar nomination for Milk and multiple comic book movie roles under his belt (Jonah Hex, MCU’s Thanos, and Cable in Deadpool 2), among other great achievements. 

Haley Joel Osment

After debuting in Forrest Gump and starring on The Jeff Foxworthy Show, Haley Joel Osment’s Oscar-nominated performance in, arguably, the best M. Night Shyamalan movie, 1999’s The Sixth Sense, made him a sensation. He went on to earn leading parts in Pay It Forward and Steven Spielberg’s A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. More recently, Osment has been known to pop up in the most unexpected places — Kevin Smith’s Tusk, a guest role on The Boys, Netflix's animated fantasy series Dogs in Space, to name a few — but always with grand results.

Ethan Hawke

After debuting in Joe Dante’s Explorers at 15, Ethan Hawke only grew in prominence in his later teens and throughout his 20s by starring in Dead Poets Society, Reality Bites, etc. He went on to earn Academy Award nominations for Training Day and Boyhood. He completed Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy with 2013’s Before Midnight, became a Scream King with great horror movies like Sinister, and he's done a fair amount of work behind the scenes, too.

Abigail Breslin

Just four years after M. Night Shyamalan gave 6-year-old Abigail Breslin her big break with Signs, her role in the Little Miss Sunshine cast made her one of the youngest Oscar nominees of all time. As she matured, so would her roles — such as a teenage murder suspect in Stillwater or a vigilante in the Accused cast for Fox.

Mayim Bialik

Mayim Bialik stole the show from the Big Bang Theory cast as Amy Farrah Fowler and later led Fox’s Call Me Kat in the title role. However, the Jeopardy! host’s status as sitcom royalty dates back to the ‘90s as the star of Blossom.

Brenda Song

Perhaps Brenda Song’s most iconic character is London Tipton from the Suite Life franchise — which is just one of the roles that made her a prominent Disney Channel star. Beyond the children’s cable giant, she was in one of the best David Fincher movies, The Social Network, led Netflix’s Secret Obsession, and had a main role in Hulu’s Dollface.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Despite being removed for disruptive behavior when making his show business debut on Romper Room at 3 years old (as he revealed to David Letterman), Leonardo DiCaprio went on to lead a winning child actor’s career that included a season on Growing Pains and an Academy Award nomination for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Things would only get better as he grew up, earning even more Oscar nominations — and one win for The Revenant — and becoming as important to Martin Scorsese’s filmography as his This Boy’s Life co-star, Robert DeNiro, whom he reunited with in 2023’s Killers of the Flower Moon.

Tyler James Williams

Tyler James Williams started out appearing on Sesame Street before landing the title role of Chris Rock’s autobiographical sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris. Following an acclaimed indie comedy (Dear White People) and a recurring role on the Walking Dead cast, the actor became sitcom royalty again when he joined the Abbott Elementary cast, which earned him multiple Emmy nods.

Kurt Russell

Former Disney star Kurt Russell made his feature debut in 1963’s It Happened at the World’s Fair alongside Elvis Presley, and he went on to play him in a made-for-TV biopic and Forrest Gump. Several great movie roles later, Russell is one of the top action heroes of all time, and now he's working with his family by joining the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters cast alongside his son, Wyatt, who is playing his younger self.

Jodie Foster

After getting her start on TV at a very young age (the first gig being The Doris Day Show), Jodie Foster got a head start on the more mature roles she would become known for when she appeared in Taxi Driver at 14. The two-time Academy Award winner (for The Accused and Best Picture Oscar winner The Silence of the Lambs) would continue to work from both in front of and behind the camera.

Johnny Galecki

In 1989, 14-year-old Johnny Galecki appeared as Rusty in the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation cast, and he also starred in another holiday classic, Prancer. I would not be surprised if many did not realize that Leonard from The Big Bang Theory was the same actor, but they were likely more hip to that fact by the time he reprised his role from Roseanne, David Healy, on The Conners.

Miranda Cosgrove

Even with Jack Black in the lead, Miranda Cosgrove stole the show in 2003’s School of Rock, and she went on to do the same thing as the evil Megan in the Nickelodeon sitcom, Drake & Josh. One of her most notable credits as an adult was a Paramount+ exclusive revival of iCarly — another Nickelodeon show she led as a teen.

Keke Palmer

Her bombastic debut role in Barbershop 2: Back in Business made it clear that then-9-year-old Keke Palmer was a powerhouse talent. The Emmy winner would continue to demonstrate her skill as the lead of Akeelah and the Bee and much later in life as part of Jordan Peele’s Nope cast.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar

While Zach Morris from the Saved by the Bell cast is still the role he is best known for — he even reprised it in a Peacock exclusive revival — Mark-Paul Gosselaar managed to prove his versatility in later years. He had a successful stint as a detective on NYPD Blue, played a rebellious lawyer on Franklin & Bash, and an abusive captor in NBC’s Found.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Before starring on the great ‘90s TV show, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Joseph Gordon-Levitt made multiple TV appearances and starred in classic movies like Angels in the Outfield and A River Runs Through It. These days, he is best known for his many collaborations with Rian Johnson, his Golden Globe-nominated turns in (500) Days of Summer and 50/50, and running the creative collaboration platform HitRecord.

Sean Astin

Before playing the title role of Rudy and starring in the Lord of the Rings movies as Sam, Sean Astin was best known as Mikey in The Goonies. In addition to his accomplished voice acting career, one of his most celebrated roles as of late is Bob Newby from the Season 2 cast of Stranger Things — a show very much inspired by The Goonies.

Kirsten Dunst

After making her film debut in star-studded The Bonfire of the Vanities, Kirsten Dunst really made an impression at 12 playing a 70-year-old bloodsucker in Interview with the Vampire. Starring in the Spider-Man movies as Mary Jane Watson swung her right into the A-list and, in 2022, she received an Academy Award nomination for The Power of the Dog.

Kieran Culkin

With his roles in the Home Alone movies and in Steve Martin movies (both parts of Father of the Bride), it seemed like Kieran Culkin was on his way to the same level of stardom as his brother, Macaulay. However, it was not until later in life when he was thrice Emmy-nominated for starring in HBO’s Succession cast that he became the star he was destined to be.

Selena Gomez

Before leading Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place made Selena Gomez a star, she got her start on Barney in the early 2000s. She now has two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her performance on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building cast and a Daytime Emmy nod for her Max original cooking show, Selena + Chef.

Elle Fanning

Before breaking out in the Super 8 cast, Elle Fanning’s claim to fame for a while was starring as a younger version of sister, Dakota, in I Am Sam and Taken. Now, she has an Emmy nomination for leading Hulu’s The Great, which is just one of the many Victorian-era roles she has played in more recent years.

Christina Ricci

For years, Christina Ricci’s performance in Barry Sonnenfeld’s Addams Family movies was the definitive iteration of young Wednesday Addams. The Yellowjackets cast member got to revisit those days with her supporting role on Netflix’s Wednesday cast, opposite Jenna Ortega in the lead this time.

Danica McKellar

Some of the most memorably endearing moments from the original Wonder Years involved Danica McKellar’s Winnie Cooper and her puppy love relationship with Fred Savage as Kevin Arnold. Romance is a big part of the actor’s career these days, primarily appearing in popular Hallmark movies like Christmas She Wrote and Swing into Romance.

Knowing the kind of career they would one day lead, I am sure these celebrities wear their “former child star” identities as a badge of honor.

We’re in a strange time when it comes to upcoming DC movies. While there are only a handful of months to go until Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods hit theaters, last week brought the shocking news that Warner Bros. Discovery decided to scrap Batgirl. This has led to many fans worrying if other DC projects are on the chopping block, including the Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) spinoff Black Canary, which features Jurnee Smollett reprising the title character. Now Warner Bros. Pictures has addressed where things stand with this particular superhero movie.

Like Batgirl once was, Black Canary has been set up as an HBO Max movie rather than a theatrical release. We learned that Black Canary was on the way almost a full year ago, and for those of you who’ve been looking forward to this project, good news: it hasn’t been shelved. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Pictures informed TV Line that Black Canary remains in development at HBO Max. There’s still no specific timetable on when Black Canary will start filming, let alone be released, but at least it’s clarified to still be in the works, just like HBO Max’s live-action Green Lantern series.

When we met Jurnee Smollett’s Dinah Lance in Birds of Prey, she was a singer at the nightclub belonging to Ewan McGregor’s Roman Sionis, a.k.a. Black Mask, which is where she met Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Dinah also inherited the genetic ability to sonic scream from her late mother, but rather than use her power to protect the innocent, she became largely withdrawn from society. However, events unfolded in Birds of Prey that led Dinah to team up with Harley, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Helena Bertinelli/Huntress, Rosie Perez’s Renee Montoya and Ella Jay Basco’s Cassandra Cain to take down Black Mask. By the end of the movie, Dinah, Helena and Renee decided to form the title team of heroines.

Along with Jurnee Smollett’s Dinah Lance jumping back into action, the Black Canary spinoff is being written by Misha Green, with the two having previously crossed professional paths on the TV shows Underground and Lovecraft Country. Back in May, Green said that she was still working on the script, and Smollett has said that the move will delve more into Dinah’s backstory and show off the character’s martial arts skills. When Batgirl was being shot, set photos showed there would have been visual references to Black Canary, but now we’ll obviously never see those within a finished product.

CinemaBlend will continue sharing updates on Black Canary’s progress, including if it ends up being shifted to a theatrical release (just like what happened with Blue Beetle), as well as any major changes that emerge from Warner Bros. Discovery’s new 10-year plan for DC Films.

Over the past decade the comic book genre has dominated the box office. And as such, countless actors have portrayed superheroes on the big screen. Actress Jurnee Smollett debuted as the DCEU’s Black Canary back in Birds of Prey, and she’ll also be getting a spinoff project on HBO Max. And Samuel L. Jackson’s advice to Smollett about playing a superhero is so on brand.

Samuel L. Jackson has been in the MCU since the very first movie, appearing as Nick Fury in Iron Man’s credits scene. And while he hasn’t worked within the DCEU, Jurnee Smollett asked the legendary actor for some advice with playing Black Canary. She shared Jackson’s A+ advice during a conversation with THR, saying:

Samuel L. Jackson is known for his unique sense of humor and potty mouth, so this advice is sure to delight his generations of fans out there. Rather than getting specific with the craft of bringing comic book stories to life, Jackson simply told Jurnee Smollett to feel confident and show off her talents. More specifically to piss all over her role in Birds of Prey and beyond. And piss she did.

Jurnee Smollett’s hilarious anecdote about Samuel L. Jackson comes as the actress is promoting her new Netflix movie Spiderhead opposite Chris Hemsworth. Eventually the conversation turned to her role in the DC Extended Universe, which will be expanded with her developing spinoff movie for HBO Max. While she was careful not to reveal anything about said spinoff, Smollett is thrilled with how well received her Black Canary has been.

As previously mentioned, Samuel L. Jackson has been involved in the MCU for over ten years, and his tenure as Nick Fury seemingly isn’t ending anytime soon. He served as the connective tissue of the franchises in Phase One, bringing the team together for the first Avengers movie. Since then he’s appeared in a variety of roles over the last decade and change. Looking ahead, Jackson is expected to star in both Secret Invasion and The Marvels.

As for Jurnee Smollett, the DCEU is far less crossover-heavy than its Marvel counterpart. So while she’ll be getting a spinoff project as Black Canary, it’s unclear if we’ll ever see the character reunite with her fellow Birds of Prey. But if the HBO Max project does well, perhaps that’ll renew Warner Bros.’ interest in that franchise.

Spiderhead is streaming now on Netflix, and the next DC movie hitting theaters is Black Adam on October 21st. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

“Spiderhead” stars Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and Jurnee Smollett, as well as director Joseph Kosinski and producer Eric Newman discuss their new Netflix original film with CinemaBlend Managing Editor Sean O'Connell. Watch them discuss the film’s twisted script, the vague timeline, how Miles Teller and Joseph Kosinski are celebrating “Top Gun: Maverick’s” success, and much more.

Video Chapters

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 00:20 - When Miles Teller decided to take on “Spiderhead” 
• 01:18 - When Jurnee Smollett decided to take on “Spiderhead” 
• 01:58 - Chris Hemsworth on when “Spiderhead” takes place 
• 02:41 - Miles Teller on when “Spiderhead” takes place 
• 03:00 - Jurnee Smollett on when “Spiderhead” takes place 
• 03:41 - Joseph Kosinski on when “Spiderhead” takes place 
• 04:20 - Eric Newman on when to reveal plot twists 
• 05:43 - Chris Hemsworth on navigating his character’s American accent 
• 06:38 - Miles Teller on celebrating “Top Gun: Maverick’s” massive success 
• 07:15 - Joseph Kosinski on celebrating “Top Gun: Maverick’s” massive success 
• 07:48 - Chris Hemsworth on a potential crossover of “Interceptor,” “Extraction,” and “Expendables”

CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

The DC Extended Universe is constantly keeping moviegoing audiences on our collective toes, both on screen and off. Warner Bros. recently announced a number of upcoming DC movies that are being developed for HBO Max, the latest of these being Jurnee Smollett’s Black Canary. And the writer recently offered an update that’ll please purists out there.

Following her debut in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Jurnee Smollett’s Black Canary is returning to the DCEU with her own solo flick. The developing project is being written by Lovecraft Country creator Misha Green, further proving what a great working relationship she has with Smollett. Green was recently asked if she’s using the DC hero’s adventures on the page as inspiration, to which she said:

Well, there you have it. While some comic projects like Joker tell a story separate from the lore of DC comics, the Black Canary movie will indeed be influenced by her adventures on the page. Although smart money says Misha Green will put her own spin on the DCEU in the process.

The above message from Misha Green comes to us from her personal Twitter, and will likely be a relief to the hardcore DC fans out there. Every time a comic book movie is produced, purists judge how accurate the adaptation is based on the comics. It remains to be seen how they will ultimately factor into the Black Canary movie.

Just like Batgirl and Blue Beetle, the Black Canary movie is expected to be a HBO Max exclusive. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Jurnee Smollett made a strong entrance into the DCEU with Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey. The R-rated flick ended with Black Canary forming the titular team of heroes alongside Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez). We’ll just have to see what happened with that trio once Canary’s solo flick arrives.

The developing Black Canary movie once again shows how Warner Bros. has been moving away from crossover-heavy projects and is instead focusing on director-driven solo movies. It’s unclear if Justice League or Birds of Prey will ever get a sequel, but characters like Flash and Canary are getting their time in the spotlight. Still, it’s thrilling to learn that the DCEU is committing to expanding both on the big screen and via streaming. Now the question is: which character is getting the HBO Max treatment next?

The next DC movie hitting theaters is The Batman on March 4th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

These days, Jurnee Smollett is known for her fan-favorite performance as Dinah Lance/Black Canary in Birds of Prey and her Emmy-nominated performance as Leti Lewis on Lovecraft Country. So it's easy to forget that she was once the cute little child actor who was a staple of ‘90s sitcoms. Her most memorable role is arguably that of Denise Frazer on Full House, which paired her up with young Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Being on the classic sitcom seems to have been a special experience for the actress, and she even recently shared a cute memory about filming her first scene.

Jurnee Smollett joined the cast of Full House during the ABC sitcom’s sixth season so, by that point, viewers had already fallen in love with the Tanner family. Joining such a popular show would be daunting for anyone, let alone the 4-year-old Smollett. But as she explains, she had no trouble playing off the Olsen twins and getting a feel for being in front of a live audience:

The actress’ comments to THR don’t come as much of a surprise, given her performance on Full House. Jurnee Smollett brought plenty of charm and humor to the character of Denise, and her interactions with Michelle served as funny (and downright adorable) moments. All in all, Smollett’s acting abilities and her apparent desire to channel fellow sitcom vet Janet Jackson proved to be a winning combination.

Acting alongside the Olsen twins had to be a treat for the young actress as well. Like Jurnee Smollett, the two displayed immense talent very early in their careers. This would lead to their shared character, Michelle, becoming a breakout character on Full House. Even to this day, TV fans still quote the little girl’s famous, “You got it, dude” catchphrase. So fans were greatly disappointed when the two opted not to return for Netflix’s Fuller House.

Had Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen chosen to reprise the role of Michelle Tanner, there’s a chance the producers may have sought to bring back Jurnee Smollett’s Denise. Smollett, however, probably isn’t too disappointed about not having been able to return to her sitcom roots. As mentioned, she has been quite busy with other projects, and she just recently added another to the list.

It was recently confirmed that she’ll be reprising her role as the DC Extended Universe’s Dinah Lance in a Black Canary solo film. The project will allow Jurnee Smollett to reteam with Lovecraft Country showrunner Misha Green, and both seem to be looking forward to the new collaboration.

The future is certainly bright for Jurnee Smollett, as she continues to reach new heights in Hollywood. Nevertheless, it’s nice to see that she still has fond memories of her time on Full House and appreciates how it helped mold her as an actor.

Full House is available to stream on Hulu.

Birds of Prey introduced Black Canary to the DC Extended Universe, and Jurnee Smollett’s performance was one of the movie's highlights. Now, Smollett is set to return in a Black Canary solo movie set for HBO Max, and fans are very excited to see her return. The internet has been pulling for more her version of Dinah Lance in the DC universe for a while, and the actress herself has been adamant about wanting to return to the character. So it seems everyone has now been granted their wish. Now, the actress has reacted to the recent movie news with a sweet response.

Jurnee Smollett reacted to the Black Canary movie news via Twitter and, as expected, she couldn't be more excited. Her response was also followed by a flood of congratulations and excitement from fans. Here is her reaction tweet:

The excitement from Jurnee Smollett is refreshing, and you can't help but be happy for her. It's also great to see that she'll be reunited with Misha Green, the showrunner of Lovecraft Country, which was canceled by HBO despite the fact that it landed several Emmy nominations and amassed a significant fanbase. The two collaborators appear to have a great working relationship and personal friendship, which should bode well for the DC film. This is also another nice notch for the in-demand Misha Green, who is also reportedly is writing and directing the sequel to Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider.

And in case you need more evidence of how close the two are, Jurnee Smollett also replied to Misha Green’s response to the news with another tweet. Check it out for yourself down below:

As Misha Green says, this announcement is just the start of a long journey for Black Canary but she seems to be willing and ready to work alongside Jurnee Smollett again. Interestingly, Green also leaves a cryptic string of emojis that seem to be outlining some of her ideas for the film, which will be fun for fans to try and make out.

In Birds of Prey, Black Canary (or Dinah Lance) saved Harley Quinn and ultimately teamed up with her and the film's other heroes to take down the villainous Black Mask, played by Ewan McGregor. Her connection to Harley Quinn is essential and might lead to more collaborations, including (hopefully) a sequel to Birds of Prey.

DC and Warner Bros. are really starting to rev up production on DCEU movies and shows, as Black Canary is only the latest of several confirmed projects that have made progress lately. Fans will be able to look forward to seeing other heroes like Batgirl and even Blue Beetle get their cinematic shine, and it's exciting to know that we can now add Dinah Lance to that list. And for those who aren't in the know, check out our list of upcoming DC projects as you await these exciting projects.

Amidst Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn breaking things off with Joker, she found solace in a badass girl gang, with Birds of Prey coming out in early 2020. That title group included Jurnee Smollett’s Dinah Lance, who will now reportedly return to the DCEU thanks to news that a Black Canary movie script is in early development at HBO Max. The writer behind the script is Emmy-nominated Lovecraft Country creator Misha Green.

The report about the Birds of Prey spinoff was initially an exclusive to Cinelinx and then additionally confirmed by Collider. The news comes following months of internet campaigning from DC fans who shared their interest in seeing more of Jurnee Smollett’s Black Canary, along with both the actress and Green previously sharing their interest in bringing this to life.

Jurnee Smollett and Misha Green worked together on HBO’s Lovecraft Country, which was axed by the network despite it being well loved by viewers and receiving 18 Emmy nominations. A Black Canary movie is a great way for the pair to work together again and Warner Bros to utilize Misha Green’s unique voice.

Misha Green is also writing and directing the Alicia Vikander-starring Tomb Raider 2 and penning a female-led action thriller starring Jennifer Lopez called The Mother. Per this Black Canary report, the standalone movie is in early development, so it could be some time before we see Dinah Lance back in action, but it’s exciting that the character could be singing once again after her memorable introduction in Birds of Prey.

The next question on the table here would be whether any of the other Birds of Prey actors might join Jurnee Smollett on this standalone project. The first character that comes to mind is Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress, but there’s also Rosie Perez’s Renee Montoya and Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, of course. Robbie just appeared in The Suicide Squad for her third DCEU appearance, but the actress has shared her interest in jumping back into the character as soon as she can.

This Black Canary movie looks like it could be a smaller-scale project as well since it’s being developed for HBO Max rather than Warner Bros film division. Recently, there have been a number of moves between DC and HBO Max as WB stays competitive with Disney+’s Marvel model. For example, the upcoming Batgirl movie starring Leslie Grace is also being made for HBO Max. And John Cena will star in a Peacemaker series following The Suicide Squad.

Along with being a member of the Birds of Prey, Dinah Lance is also associated with the Justice League and most famously Green Arrow in the comics. We’d certainly be curious how she could be showcased on her own through Misha Green’s collaboration with DC. Until we know more, check out what other upcoming DC projects are on the way.

After so many disappointing years of TV award shows failing to give horror series the proper amount of respect that the genre deserves - to say nothing of the film side - I have all but extinguished my expectations whenever nominee announcements roll around. Yet this year, Lovecraft Country pulled off the nearly impossible task of netting 18 different Emmy nominations, more than any other HBO or HBO Max series. And yet, it was less than two weeks before the nominations were announced that HBO confirmed Lovecraft Country's cancellation. So even when horror wins, it still loses.

Had Lovecraft Country excelled with nominations mostly in the Creative Emmys categories, which is usually the case for genre TV, I might not have come out of those announcements quite as frustrated with HBO's cancellation decision. I would have likely stared massive daggers at the TV Academy instead, surely, but that wasn't necessary at all, because the TV Academy showered Lovecraft Country with nominations in every single major acting category under the Drama umbrella save for Guest Actress, as well as for the biggest award of the night, Outstanding Drama Series. Check out the full rundown of above-the-fold nominations below.

That quintet of actors delivered some transcendent performances in Lovecraft Country's sole season, bouncing from emotional family drama to body horror to racial tension to dark romance, and all while sprinkling bits of humor and levity when needed. I obviously have no idea if Jurnee Smollett and future MCU star Jonathan Majors will win out in their respective categories, since The Crown and The Handmaid's Tale are Emmy magnets, but the point is that nearly the entire main cast was considered to be among the best on TV. So why did the show deserve to get cancelled?

To flip my earlier sentiment, if Lovecraft Country had ONLY earned the above nominations, and nothing in the Creative Emmy categories, it would at least be slightly more understandable why HBO turned down creator Misha Green's pitch for Season 2. Green herself was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for penning the amazing series premiere, "Sundown." It's probably worth noting here that even if HBO now reversed course and renewed the drama for a second season, it'd be a stickier issue now that Green signed on for an overall deal with Apple TV+.

Let's look at everything else Lovecraft Country was nominated for, to really drive the point home. Considering all of the acting nominations, the Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series nom should surprise no one. It also earned nods for Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes and Outstanding Stunt Performance for the space-and-time-spanning episode "I Am," while also being recognized for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for the premiere, which also led to Outstanding Sound Mixing, Outstanding Sound Editing, and Outstanding Cinematography. Rounding things out are nominations for Outstanding Music Composition ("Rewind 1921"), Outstanding Music Supervision ("Strange Case"), Outstanding Special Visual Effects, and Outstanding Main Title Design.

One can only hope that Misha Green will go on to bring more brainy horror shows to the table with Apple TV+, which had a massive day of nominations of its own, with Ted Lasso earning a whopping 20. More to the point of this story, the streaming service's horror series Servant, from filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, was recognized for Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series. And while we're at it, Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor got the nod for Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special. But that's about it as far as non-Lovecraft horror nominations go. (Although if we wanted to count HBO Max's Doom Patrol here for its sometimes quite horrific content and tone, it's an Outstanding Stunt Coordination nominee.)

Let's hope voters know what they're doing when it comes to giving Lovecraft Country all the love when the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards air on CBS on Sunday, September 19, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

It's time for a 10-year reunion. It's hard to believe that a full decade has passed since NBC's acclaimed football drama series, Friday Night Lights, left the air. Starring Kyle Chandler in the Emmy-winning role of Coach Eric Taylor, this television adaptation of H.G. Bissinger's best-selling non-fiction book, which also inspired the 2004 film, featured acclaimed performances from Connie Britton and Aimee Teegarden. It also launched the careers of future big-league stars like Michael B. Jordan, Jesse Plemons, Minka Kelly, Taylor Kitsch, Adrianne Palicki, and Jurnee Smollett. With its 10-year anniversary crossed, let's see what Friday Night Lights' star-studded cast is doing now.

Kyle Chandler (Eric Taylor)

As Eric Taylor, the head coach of the Dillon Panthers, Kyle Chandler won an Emmy playing the protagonist of NBC's Friday Night Lights. Prior to his time on this show, Chandler starred in Early Edition, Homefront, What About Joan?, and The Lyon's Den. Following his time on Friday Night Lights, Chandler gave a two-time Emmy-nominated performance in Bloodline. He was also Emmy-nominated for his guest turn in Grey's Anatomy. His other TV credits include Catch-22, Robot Chicken, and King of the Hill.

Away from TV, Kyle Chandler played Hamilton Jordan in Argo. He was also seen in Super 8, The Wolf of Wall Street, Manchester by the Sea, King Kong, Game Night, First Man, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Additionally, the actor appeared in The Kingdom, The Spectacular Now, Zero Dark Thirty, Carol, and The Midnight Sky. Most recently, Chandler starred in Godzilla vs. Kong. Currently, he's filming Slumberland.

Connie Britton (Tami Taylor)

In the role of Tami Taylor, a guidance counselor at Dillon High and the wife of Eric Taylor, Connie Britton gave a two-time Emmy-nominated performance in Friday Night Lights. Away from this series, Britton gave an Emmy-nominated performance as Rayna Jaymes in Nashville. She also received an Emmy nomination for her work in American Horror Story. Additionally, Britton starred in 9-1-1, Dirty John, and Spin City.

Away from television, Connie Britton appeared in Friday Night Lights (2004), Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Bombshell, Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The To Do List, This Is Where I Leave You, A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), and Beatriz at Dinner. Most recently, Britton was seen in Promising Young Woman. She was also heard in Pandemica. Next, Britton will appear in Joe Bell and The White Lotus.

Aimee Teegarden (Julie Taylor)

Playing the part of Julie Taylor, the eldest Taylor daughter, Aimee Teegarden is a liberal-minded character in Friday Night Lights. Following her time in this show, Teegarden starred in the short-lived Star-Crossed, as well as Notorious. Her other television credits include The Ranch, 90210, Robot Chicken, CSI, Legend of the Seeker, Hannah Montana, CSI: Miami, and Cold Case. Away from TV, Teegarden starred in Prom and Rings. Her other film credits include Call of the Wild, Love and Honor, A Change of Heart, and For Sale by Owner. The actress also produced and starred in Beneath the Darkness, Beautiful Wave, and Bakery in Brooklyn. Last year, she appeared in Guest House.

Most recently, Aimee Teegarden guest-starred on The Rookie. Next, the actress will be seen in The Road to Galena.

Michael B. Jordan (Vince Howard)

As Vince Howard, a troubled teenager who becomes the football team's leader through Coach Taylor's guidance, Michael B. Jordan played a primary part on Friday Night Lights for the show's final two seasons. Discovering his breakout role in The Wire, Jordan found fame after Friday Night Lights with his star performances in Chronicle, Fruitvale Station, Just Mercy (which he produced), and the Creed movies. The actor also stole the show as Erik Killmonger in Marvel's Black Panther. His other film credits include That Awkward Moment, Fantastic Four (2015), Red Tails, Hardball, and Black and White. Additionally, Jordan can be seen in All My Children, Parenthood, and Raising Dion.

Most recently, Michael B. Jordan produced and starred in Tom Clancy's Without Remorse. The actor also lent his voice for Love, Death & Robots. Next, he'll be heard in What If. Currently, Jordan is filming a role in Denzel Washington's A Journal for Jordan. He'll also expected to star in Danny Boyle's Methuselah. Additionally, Jordan reprises his titular role in Creed III, which serves as the actor's directorial debut.

Jesse Plemons (Landry Clarke)

In the role of Landry Clarke, a well-studied student-turned-football standout, Jesse Plemons plays a transformative character in Friday Night Lights. Shortly after his time in this show, Plemons played Todd Alquist in Breaking Bad, which is a role that he reprised in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. He also received an Emmy nomination for playing Ed Blumquist in Fargo Season 2. Furthermore, Plemons received another Emmy nomination for his performance in Black Mirror. Plemons' other TV credits include Olive Kitteridge and Drunk History.

Away from television, Jesse Plemons starred in Other People. He also appeared in The Irishman, Game Night, Vice, Bridge of Spies, Black Mass, The Master, Observe and Report, Varsity Blues, and The Post. Last year, Plemons starred in I'm Thinking Of Ending Things. Most recently, Plemons appeared in Judas and the Black Messiah. Next, he'll be seen in Jungle Cruise, Antlers, and The Power of the Dog. Currently, Plemons is filming the lead role in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. He's also signed on for Love and Death.

Taylor Kitsch (Tim Riggins)

Playing the part of Tim Riggins, the party-loving fullback of the Dillion Panthers, Taylor Kitsch found his first brush with fame in Friday Night Lights. Following this NBC series, Kitsch played the titular role in John Carter and starred in Battleship, Savages, Lone Survivor, The Grand Seduction, and Only the Brave. His other film credits include X-Men Origins: Wolverine, American Assassin, 21 Bridges, John Tucker Must Die, Snakes on a Plane, and The Covenant. Additionally, Kitsch appeared in HBO's The Normal Heart.

Away from film, Taylor Kitsch played Paul Woodrugh in True Detective Season 2. Later, the actor earned acclaim for portraying David Koresh in Waco, which Kitsch produced. Most recently, Kitsch starred in Shadowplay. Currently, Kitsch is filming Amazon Prime's The Terminal List. Additionally, he's signed on to star in Neill Blomkamp's Inferno.

Jurnee Smollett (Jess Merriweather)

As Jess Merriweather, the East Dillon Spirit Squad leader and the former girlfriend of Landry Clarke and Vince Howard, Jurnee Smollett played a primary character in the last two seasons of Friday Night Lights. Away from this NBC series, Smollett played Nicole Wright on True Blood. Additionally, the actress was a series regular on Underground, The Defenders, Wanda at Large, and On Our Own. Her other TV credits include Grey's Anatomy, Parenthood, Do No Harm, and Full House. She's also heard in Sofia the First.

Away from TV, Jurnee Smollett played Eve Batiste in Eve's Bayou. She also starred in Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. Her other film credits include The Great Debaters, Gridiron Gang, Hands of Stone, Roll Bounce, and One Last Thing. Most recently, Smollett starred in HBO's Lovecraft Country. She also appeared in Birds of Prey and The Twilight Zone. Next, Smollett will be seen in Escape from Spiderhead.

Minka Kelly (Lyla Garrity)

In the role of Lyla Garrity, a smart, bubbly cheerleader infatuated with Jason Street, Minka Kelly played a primary character in Friday Night Lights for four seasons. Away from this show, Kelly played Gaby in Parenthood, Valerie Stahl in Almost Human, and Eve French in Charlie Angels (2011). Her other TV credits include What I Like About You, Jane the Virgin, and Drunk History. Currently, Kelly plays the part of Dawn Granger/Dove in HBO Max's Titans. The actress also starred in Hallmark Channel's The Beach House.

Additionally, on the big screen, Minka Kelly starred in The Roommate. She also played Jackie Kennedy in The Butler. Her other notable film credits include (500) Days of Summer, The Kingdom, Papa: Hemingway in Cuba, Just Go With It, Searching for Sonny, and Naked. Next, Kelly will be seen in Lansky, She's in Portland, and Titans Season 3.

Adrianne Palicki (Tyra Collette)

Playing the part of Tyra Collette, a self-thinking woman who doesn't care about football in a sports-obsessed town, Adrianne Palicki is a strong-willed girl in Friday Night Lights. Outside of this series, Palicki plays Barbara "Bobbi" Morse in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Commander Kelly Grayson in The Orville. Her other notable TV credits include Supernatural, Robot Chicken, From Dusk till Dawn: The Series, and Supernatural.

Away from TV, Adrianne Palicki played Ms. Perkins in John Wick. She also appeared in G.I. Joe: Retaliation, S.W.A.T.: Under Siege, Legion, Elektra Luxx, and Red Dawn (2012). Most recently, Palicki was seen in the short film, Thoughts and Prayers. Next, Palicki is expected to appear in The Orville Season 3, which was picked up by Hulu, and With/In.

Scott Porter (Jason Street)

As Jason Street, a quarterback for the Dillion Panthers, Scott Porter plays a protege player in NBC's Friday Night Lights. Outside of this show, Porter played George Tucker in Hart of Dixie. He also played Blake Calamar in The Good Wife and Nestor Williams in Caprica. His other television credits include Scorpion, Why Women Kill, and As the World Turns. Additionally, the voice actor has a recurring role in Harley Quinn. He can be heard in Avengers Assemble and Ultimate Spider-Man.

Additionally, Scott Porter's film credits include Bandslam, Dear John, Speed Racer, Music and Lyrics, 10 Years, Prom Night, The Good Guy, and The To Do List. Currently, the television actor plays a main role in Ginny & Georgia. He was also seen in Lucifer.

Gaius Charles (Brian “Smash” Williams)

In the role of Brian "Smash" Williams, the confident running back for the Panthers, Gaius Charles played a joke-loving, career-driven star athlete on Friday Night Lights. Following this show, Charles played Dr. Shane Ross in Grey's Anatomy. He was also a series regular on Taken and Aquarius. Additionally, he had a recurring role in God Friended Me.

Additionally, in film, Gaius Charles can be seen in Salt, The Messenger, The Stanford Prison Experiment, and Takers. Most recently, the television actor provided a recurring role in Roswell, New Mexico. Next, Charles will be seen in Land of Dreams and Alice.

Matt Lauria (Luke Cafferty)

Playing the part of Luke Cafferty, a newcomer to the East Dillion team, Matt Lauria is a hard-working personality in Friday Night Lights. Outside of this series, Lauria played Ryan York in Parenthood, Ryan Wheeler in Kingdom, and Ben Newton in Dickinson.

Additionally, Matt Lauria played main roles in Tell Me a Story, Little Birds, Traitors, and The Chicago Code, as well as a recurring role in Lipstick Jungle. In film, he appears in Miss Bala (2019), Ma (2015), and Shaft (2019). Next, Lauria is seen in CSI: Vegas and To Leslie.

Dora Madison (Becky Sproles)

As Becky Sproles, Luke's girlfriend, Dora Madison, a.k.a. Madison Burge, played a recurring role in Season 4, followed by a lead part in Season 5, in Friday Night Lights. Elsewhere, Madison starred in Chicago Fire. She was also a series regular on What Would Diplo Do? and a recurring player on Dexter, Star-Crossed, and Chicago Med.

On the big screen, meanwhile, Dora Madison starred in Bliss. Also, Madison appeared in Everybody Wants Some!!, The Loft, Song to Song, Divine Access, and Night of the Babysitter, which she also produced. Most recently, Madison appeared in VFW. Next, the actress will be seen in Lapsis.

Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen) 

Playing a main role in Friday Night Lights' first three seasons and a recurring role in the final two, Zach Gilford portrayed Matt Saracen, a rising quarterback for the Dillon Panthers. He was also a love interest to Julie Taylor. While Friday Night Lights wasn't Gilford's first screen credit, it was certainly one of the roles that took his career to the next level. Since the NBC drama wrapped up, Zach Gilford has gone on to take on a number of TV roles, the most recent of which include Good Girls and the part of Ben Walker on L.A.'s Finest. 

On the big screen, Zach Gilford appeared in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film The Last Stand, and played a starring role in The Purge: Anarchy.  Coming up, he's among the cast of the Netflix horror series Midnight Mass.

You can stream Friday Night Lights on Peacock.

It’s been six years since Parenthood’s sixth season wrapped, tying up the stories of our beloved Bravermans. And while the actors on Parenthood were an ensemble master class — boasting names like Lauren Graham, Peter Krause, Dax Shepard and Craig T. Nelson, to name just a few — the generation of Braverman grandchildren provided an opportunity for a number of young up-and-coming actors to guest star as the friends and foes who came in and out of the Braverman youngsters’ lives. Let’s take a look back at some of the famous faces you might have forgotten were on the NBC weekly cry-fest, and even some you might not have known back then.

Michael B. Jordan (Alex)

Michael B. Jordan had a recurring role in Seasons 2 and 3 as Haddie’s boyfriend Alex, who Haddie meets working at a soup kitchen. Alex is older, a recovering alcoholic who lives alone after leaving an abusive situation. So it’s no surprise that Adam and Kristina take issue with him dating their 16-year-old daughter, but Alex is consistently a model of the perfect boyfriend, and you can’t fight young love. I can't believe Jordan was only in 16 episodes, because I absolutely fell in love with him in this role, but bigger and better things awaited on the big screen.

Michael B. Jordan garnered multiple awards and nominations for his roles in Fruitvale Station, Creed and Black Panther. Michael B. Jordan is as busy as ever, starring in the upcoming action thriller Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse. He’s also stepping behind the camera for the first time, serving as director for Creed III, as well as reprising his role as Adonis Creed.

Jake Borelli (Steve’s Friend)

You might know him better as Dr. Levi Schmitt (or "Glasses") from Grey’s Anatomy, but back in the Season 1 episode of Parenthood, “Team Braverman,” Jake Borelli had a small role as a friend of Steve, Haddie’s ex-boyfriend who slept with her cousin Amber post-breakup. As Steve continues to pursue Amber — all while Amber endures the slut-shaming that comes with the wonderful double standard of high school — Steve’s friend also expresses his frustration that Steve won’t just let it go. If only Borelli would use that line of thinking with his Grey’s hook-up Nico.

Zosia Mamet (Kelsey)

Back in Season 2, Zosia Mamet had a short stint on Parenthood as Amber’s friend Kelsey. Kelsey’s parents blame bad-influence Amber after Kelsey drinks too much at a Halloween party and ends up alone in the pool as she’s mocked by the other party-goers. (But how many of them can say they they’ve been carried out of a pool by Billy Baldwin? Who’s the real winner here?) The final nail in the friendship coffin comes when Kelsey gets into Yale and Amber fails to get accepted into college. After Parenthood, Zosia Mamet went on to co-star in Girls, and most recently was excellent as Ani, best friend of Kaley Cuoco’s Cassie, on The Flight Attendant.

Evan Peters (Brandon)

Evan Peters has caused quite a stir lately as Pietro Maximoff/Ralph Bohner on WandaVision, but back in the Season 2 episode “New Plan,” he played Brandon, Amber’s blind date to the prom. Haddie and Alex hook Amber up with Brandon, who Alex knows from the community center, so the couples can double-date. Evan Peters’ presence here is almost suspiciously uneventful, but maybe I’ve just seen too many episodes of American Horror Story.

Jurnee Smollett (Heather Hall)

Jurnee Smollett was a seasoned actor already by the time she joined the ensemble cast of Parenthood in Season 5 as Heather Hall. And Smollett brings that veteran energy to the role of Kristina’s very capable campaign manager; her interview scene with Kristina is especially hilarious, as she dominates the conversation, leading Kristina to meekly ask, “Are you hired?” Smollett started acting at age 5 as Denise Fraser on Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper and Full House, and has been a TV mainstay ever since, more recently as the fabulous Leti Lewis on Lovecraft Country and Black Canary in Birds of Prey — a role fans hope to see her reprise.

Anthony Carrigan (Cory Smith)

Anthony Carrigan has made a name for himself in recent years as NoHo Hank on Barry and Victor Zsasz on Gotham. He most recently caused trouble for the most excellent titular duo in Bill and Ted Face the Music. But toward the beginning of his career, Carrigan had a small arc on Season 2 of Parenthood as Adam and Sarah’s new boss as T&S, Cory Smith. Cory’s eccentricity first drives Sarah to quit, and Adam is later let go after he and Cory butt heads over advertising ideas.

Scott Porter (Amber’s Significant Other)

Before Hart of Dixie and long before he was Mayor Paul Randolph in Ginny & Georgia, Scott Porter had an uncredited cameo in Parenthood’s series-ending montage. At the end of Season 6’s “May God Bless and Keep You Always,” scenes from the Bravermans’ future are shown to the tune of the theme song, and Scott Porter is shown as Amber’s future significant other, sitting at the dinner table with Amber’s family, holding a little girl, presumably his and Amber’s daughter, as Amber’s ex Ryan York (played by fellow Friday Night Lights alum Matt Lauria) drops off their son. The two men shake hands, assuring viewers that Amber is in a healthy co-parenting situation.

Vanessa Marano (Holly)

Vanessa Marano gained fame as April from Gilmore Girls, but she made an appearance in the Parenthood universe as Holly, Drew’s lab partner in Season 2’s “Date Night.” Sarah sees Holly and Drew working together on a science project and senses chemistry between the two. Sarah gets super intrusive and encourages Drew to make a move, saying girls like a confident guy. So he does, and Holly shoots him down, making for a super awkward scene where Drew repeatedly asks Holly to leave. Marano has since appeared on the Netflix revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, as well as in Dexter, Switched at Birth, and the movie Saving Zoe, which she co-stars in with her sister Laura Marano.

Courtney Ford (Lily)

Before playing Nora Darhk on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Courtney Ford was the cellist Lily in six episodes of Season 3. Lily is a recording artist at Adam and Crosby’s recording studio, The Luncheonette, and she and Crosby start dating while he’s on the rebound from his and Jasmine break up. The relationship becomes problematic for Jasmine, particularly when Lily forms a connection with her and Crosby’s son Jabbar. Crosby ultimately ends it with Lily and gets back together with Jasmine. Ford went on to land roles as Kelly Kline on Supernatural and Portia Bellefleur on True Blood.

Part of the fun of rewatching our former favorite series is seeing which of the familiar actors you didn’t know or didn’t remember from your first watch. Parenthood’s all-star cast provided a perfect opportunity for guest stars, not to mention the number of Bravermans, who all needed friends, co-workers and significant others to facilitate drama over the course of six seasons. We may not have new episodes of Parenthood to look forward to anymore, but be sure to check out the 2021 TV premiere dates to find out when to catch your new favorites.

Alright, it’s been over a year since Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey hit theaters. Pay up. Where’s our followup? And no, The Suicide Squad doesn’t exactly count. I want to see Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn with the girls again out on the town in Gotham City, and I’m not the only one. On Wednesday, tens of thousands of fans decided to campaign for the return of Jurnee Smollett’s Black Canary in the DCEU in the form of an HBO Max series.

So far, over 16,000 Twitter users have posted using the #BlackCanaryHBOSeries hashtag to share their love for Jurnee Smollett getting her shot at a streaming series following her introduction in 2020’s Birds of Prey. The message is pretty clear cut and simple: fans want to see more Dinah Lance:

Hey, the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut hashtag worked, didn’t it? DC fans are hoping that the trending topic will send some shockwaves over Warner Bros' way, and I’m totally on board. Black Canary is an incredible character within DC Comics who has previously been explored on television with the CW’s Arrow series, but wouldn’t it be exciting for Warner Bros to take a card out of Disney’s playbook and start developing more of its characters on its streaming service?

There’s already a few in the works, such as the GCPD show being developed for Matt Reeves’ The Batman universe and a Peacemaker series starring John Cena to follow James Gunn’s upcoming The Suicide Squad. So a Birds of Prey spinoff series is most certainly possible if wanted, and the people want it:

Oh yeah, and we’ll take Mary-Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress too! By the end of Birds of Prey, Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya and had formed a girl gang crime fighting groupm and I bet it’s still alive and kicking even if Harley Quinn and Cassandra Cain ditched the ladies. As another Twitter user said using the trending hashtag:

The campaign even roped in some talent who seems very much interested in writing an HBO Max Black Canary show. Gail Simone is a notable comic book writer, who has penned Birds of Prey along with Deadpool, Wonder Woman and Batgirl comics. Here’s how she reacted:

All the love even reached Jurnee Smollett herself, who took a moment to thank the fans for their love for her version of Black Canary. Can you believe at one time the casting choice received backlash?

Jurnee Smollett has previously said she would “do it again” if asked, and we’re ready as fans too. Your move, Warner Bros. While we wait for the next canary cry, check out the full DCEU lineup set for the next few years.

One of my favorite things about House is that, unlike some other popular medical dramas, it seemed to have a clear stopping point in mind. Yet, the Fox series, starring Hugh Laurie in the Golden Globe-winning title role of a cynical, Sherlock Holmesian diagnostics expert, boasts a hefty amount of guest stars after eight seasons. Not to mention the fact that many of these up-and-comers of the time, such as the talented Elle Fanning or Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, are some of the most recognizable names in Hollywood today.

As it tends to be the case when searching for A-listers whose early appearance on a TV show may have slipped your mind, there were many to choose from among those who can say they had the “pleasure” of having their case investigated by Dr. Gregory House and his team. Of course, to save us all some time, we have narrowed down the list to just 17 of our favorite pre-fame House actors, starting with one of the most charismatic and versatile talents of our generation.

Michael B. Jordan (Will Westwood)

While he had already found a steady career with roles on The Wire, Friday Night Lights, and in the film Chronicle, Michael B. Jordan would not become a household name until Ryan Coogler cast him in 2013’s Fruitvale Station, followed by the title role in Creed, and in Black Panther as Erik Killmonger. Right in between that star-making transition was a guest spot on the final season of House as a blind man who experiences a strangely high sensitivity to sound right as he is about to propose to his girlfriend (The Big Bang Theory’s Margo Harshman).

Jeremy Renner (Jimmy Quidd)

Fellow MCU alum Jeremy Renner was once an underrated Avenger, but fans are already bittersweet over his imminent exit once Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop takes over in the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye. Prior to his role in The Hurt Locker (his first of two Oscar-nominated performances), the actor and musician appeared on House’s fourth season as a punk rocker whose bouts of coughing up blood may be the least of his problems.

Judy Greer (Morgan West)

If you do not recognize Judy Greer as Scott Lang’s ex-wife, Maggie, in Ant-Man or Bryce Dallas Howard’s sister in Jurassic World, you may recognize her as the voice of Cheryl Tunt on Archer. However, you might not have initially recognized the star of 2018’s Halloween as a House patient convinced that the appearance of a strange cat has sealed her death (something even the skeptical doctor almost begins to believe), on the drama’s fifth season.

Randall Park (Brad)

Judy Greer’s Ant-Man and the Wasp co-star Randall Park has a much bigger role on the Disney+ series WandaVision, in which he reprises his MCU character, FBI agent Jimmy Woo. One of the earliest appearances of the comedian (otherwise known from ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, as a marine biologist in Aquaman, and as Asian Jim on The Office) was on Season 2 of House, as a man who attempted his own circumcision.

Yvette Nicole Brown (Ellen Stambler)

Speaking of House characters making big mistakes, Yvette Nicole Brown starred in another Season 2 episode as an organ procurement agency employee who unwittingly becomes the bearer of bad news for a man previously unaware of his wife’s death. At this time, the actress was already well-known to younger viewers as Helen on Drake & Josh before becoming one of many Community regulars to make an MCU cameo later on.

Evan Peters (Oliver)

Another Marvel movie scene-stealer (but not in the MCU) is Evan Peters, whose first action sequence as Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past is cited as one of the most dazzling in the entire franchise. Before breaking out on American Horror Story, the then 21-year-old played a teenager taken hostage by a man desperate to receive House’s diagnosis in Season 5.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Juan “Alvie” Alvarez)

Composing and starring in the Tony winner In the Heights already made Lin-Manuel Miranda a Broadway star, when he brought his rap skills to the two-hour Season 6 premiere of House as the disgraced doctor’s bipolar roommate at Mayfield Psychiatric hospital. Today, the multi-talented actor / writer is internationally known for creating the blockbuster musical Hamilton, and his recent starring role on HBO’s series adaptation of the His Dark Materials book series.

Skylar Astin (Derrick)

Another actor who started out on Broadway is Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist star Skylar Astin, who broke out into the mainstream in 2012’s Pitch Perfect as Anna Kendrick’s pop culture-obsessed love interest. That same year, he appeared on Season 8 of House as a college cheerleader initially brought into Princeton–Plainsboro for nosebleeds and dizziness, but his case becomes more serious when he claims to hear voices that are not there.

Breckin Meyer (Brandon)

Before playing an artist somehow seeing the world as a Picasso painting on Season 5 of House, Breckin Meyer was best known as Travis in Clueless, a college student desperate to retrieve his own mistakenly sent sex tape in Road Trip, and Garfield's owner, Jon, in the critically reviled live action film with Bill Murray as the lazy cat. Since, the Emmy-nominated Robert Chicken producer starred as one half of the titular attorney duo from Franklin & Bash and more recently appeared in Unpregnant, an HBO Max exclusive dramedy feature.

Jurnee Smollett (Tracy)

Speaking of HBO, working on the network's series adaptation of Lovecraft Country and playing Black Canary in DC flick Birds of Prey brought Jurnee Smollet further into the mainstream than her breakout childhood role on Full House did. In a minuscule coincidence, House, on which she played a married assault victim with massive breathing problems, is the third of five medical dramas she has guest starred on, including (unsurprisingly) ER.

Elle Fanning (Stella Dalton)

ER actually marked the acting debut of Dakota Fanning, but instead of following in her sister's footsteps, the equally talented Elle Fanning landed a spot on a different medical drama, House. The then 8-year-old actress appeared on the series' second season as the daughter of a businesswoman (Julie Warner) suffering from uncontrollable muscle spasms.

Mike Moh (Waiter)

Elle Fanning's sister would also grow up to appear in Quentin Tarantino's dark, Oscar-winning love letter to cinema's Golden Age, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, which also features Mike Moh, in a memorable performance as Bruce Lee during his years on The Green Hornet. One of the former stuntman's first legitimate acting gigs was as an unnamed restaurant server on Season 7 of House.

Taraji P. Henson (Moira)

Mike Moh would later score a recurring role on Fox's music industry drama Empire, which stars the incomparable Taraji P. Henson in the Golden Globe-winning role of Cookie. The actress also earned an Oscar nomination in 2008 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but three years earlier, she appeared on Season 2 of House as the ambitious agent of a star cyclist, in a plot loosely inspired by early allegations of Lance Armstrong's doping scandal.

Jimmi Simpson (Daniel Bresson)

Another notable David Fincher movie veteran is Jimmi Simpson, who appeared as a grown-up survivor of Zodiac in the director’s 2007 film about the search for the elusive serial killer. Hidden within the Westworld star's many memorable TV guest appearances (such as Black Mirror's "U.S.S. Callister" episode) is a spot on House's fifth season as a priest whose admission to Princeton-Plainsboro after claiming to see Jesus eventually leads to suspicions of sexual abuse.

Felicia Day (Apple)

Also famous for a career full of notable guest spots and recurring roles is Felicia Day, who is best known as Penny in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, the villainous Kinga Forrester on Netflix's Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot, and from Supernatural as Charlie Bradbury (and her evil doppelgänger). The Geek Goddess paid reality a painful visit on Season 5 of House as a woman who becomes the latest (and sole surviving member) of many who fell ill years after receiving an organ donation from the same man.

Blake Anderson (Ethan)

Netflix has been the home of many recent projects involving Blake Anderson, who is best known today as the co-creator and co-star of Workaholics, which ran for seven seasons on Comedy Central. Right around the time that gross-out sitcom was taking off, the comedian made an appearance on House as a patient who suspects his grayed fingertips are frostbitten, until Dr. House rightfully assumes this to be proof the young man has been stealing from the cash register from work.

Noah Segan (Sir William)

Speaking of criminal activity, Noah Segan has played his fair share of bad guys in nearly everything Rian Johnson has directed (save Trooper Wagner in Knives Out and his X-wing pilot role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi). Among his notable TV guest spots (including a cameo as a firefighter in the Johnson-directed Breaking Bad episode "Ozymandias") is a Season 6 appearance on House as a Renaissance Fair performer admitted after suffering a painful defeat in a jousting competition.

What do you think? Did House have a magic touch when it comes to treating potential future A-listers? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on this popular medical drama, as well as even more inside looks into what your favorite celebrities were up to before they were stars, here on CinemaBlend.

After 17 seasons on the air (so far?), it really should come as no surprise that Grey’s Anatomy can boast a countless number of impressive guest stars, including many stars who can call the sexy medical drama one of their first gigs before becoming a household name. We decided to take on the challenge of identifying as many notable celebrities who appeared on the Shonda Rhimes hit before their big break or in a role small enough to have since fallen into obscurity. We came up with a staggering tally of 23 actors, starting with one beloved Emmy winner who knows a thing or two about playing a medical professional.

Sarah Paulson (Dr. Ellis Grey)

One year before American Horror Story’s 2011 premiere, Sarah Paulson appeared on Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Ellis Grey (Meredith’s mother) in an ‘80s flashback episode that sees her treat an AIDS patient at Seattle Grace when the disease was still new to the public. More recently the actress has played a psychiatrist from hell in Glass, a nurse from hell in Ratched, and also a mom from hell in the hit Hulu original Run.

John Cho (Dr. Marshall Stone)

To lead his acclaimed feature-length debut, Searching, Run director Aneesh Chaganty cast John Cho - also known as Sulu in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies. However, when he appeared on Grey’s Anatomy as a surgical intern in need of surgery after falling asleep at the wheel, the Korean-born actor’s defining role was Harold Lee in the 2004 cult comedy Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, whom he would reprise in two sequels.

Keke Palmer (Sheryll Jeffries)

Also known primarily for comedies (especially for children) was Keke Palmer, when she played a pregnant teen on Grey’s Anatomy’s tenth season. The 27-year-old actress and singer has since gone on to find darker work on horror series like MTV’s Scream and Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens and played a con artist stripper in Hustlers opposite Jennifer Lopez.

Alanna Masterson (Hillary Boyd)

Another “scream queen” to appear on Grey’s Anatomy in her early days is Alanna Masterson, who is best known for playing Tara Chambler for five seasons of The Walking Dead. Her young, seemingly mature, one-off role on the medical drama put her through a different kind of horror when she took psychedelic mushrooms, tried to fly off her roof, and broke 52 bones.

Tessa Thompson (Camille Travis)

Like Alanna Masterson, Tessa Thompson is best known for a comic book role (Valkyrie in the MCU), as well as the Creed franchise, absurdist satire Sorry to Bother You, and high-concept sci-fi thriller Annihilation, to name just a few. Much earlier, in 2006, she played Richard Webber’s niece Camille Travis (later recast in Season 4 by Camille Winbush) before showing up in a different role on the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off, Private Practice, in 2009.

Dylan Minnette (Ryan)

Actor and musician Dylan Minnette also appeared on a second Shonda Rhimes hit (Scandal) years after he played a 9-year-old born without external ears on Grey’s Anatomy’s fourth season. The now 24-year-old star would go on to appear in horror movies of a light variety (Goosebumps) and a bleak variety (Don’t Breathe), as well as lead the cast of the teen drama 13 Reasons Why for Netflix.

Sydney Sweeney (Erin Weaver)

Speaking of dark teen dramas, the Emmy-winning HBO series Euphoria is 23-year-old Sydney Sweeney's biggest claim to fame yet, following her role opposite Amy Adams on Sharp Objects and a recurring spot on The Handmaid's Tale for Hulu. Earlier, in a heartbreaking Season 11 episode of Grey's Anatomy, she played the daughter of a man who discovers what he thought was heartburn is actually much worse.

Elisabeth Moss (Nina Rogerson)

Speaking of The Handmaid's Tale, Elisabeth Moss won an Emmy for her lead role on the dystopian drama after receiving several nominations for playing Peggy Olson on Mad Men. The star of acclaimed 2020 horror flick, The Invisible Man, previously appeared on Season 3 of Grey's Anatomy as a woman whose mother suffers from a strange condition that causes her bones to grow when experiencing trauma.

Justina Machado (Anna Nyles)

Also appearing on Grey's Anatomy's third season was actress Justina Machado as a new mother who initially assumes her breast cancer tumor was a clogged milk duct. The 48-year-old former Six Feet Under star later became better known as a nurse and mother on the cancelled Netflix sitcom One Day at a Time and more recently competed as a finalist on Dancing with the Stars.

Jesse Plemons (Jake Burton)

Netflix is also the home of several recent films starring Jesse Plemons, such as the Oscar-nominated The Irishman, Charlie Kaufman's I'm Thinking of Ending Things, and El Camino, in which he reprised his sociopathic Breaking Bad character, Todd. Right before landing his first starring role on Friday Night Lights, Plemons was almost completely unrecognizable in his Grey's Anatomy guest spot as a teen with a deadly brain tumor caused by a rare bone disorder.

Dean Norris (Vince)

Fellow Breaking Bad alum Dean Norris also made an early appearance on two episodes of Grey's Anatomy as a mechanic whose friend and colleague is injured in a ferry crash during Season 3. The 57-year-old acting veteran was later cast in the series adaptation of Stephen King's Under the Dome, landed a recurring spot on Shonda Rhimes' Scandal, and is currently preparing to reprise his role from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark for the upcoming sequel.

Abigail Breslin (Megan Clover)

Dean Norris also briefly appears in acclaimed indie comedy Little Miss Sunshine, which earned then 10-year-old Abigail Breslin an Oscar nomination in 2007. Between her 2002 film debut in Signs and that later star-making moment, the future star of the Zombieland movies played a girl whose repeat visits to Seattle Grace brought up suspicions of her foster parents' treatment of her, before it was discovered that her insensitivity to pain was to blame for her frequent accidents.

Leslie Odom Jr. (P.J. Walling)

2020 Was a big year for Leslie Odom Jr. with Hamilton coming to Disney+, the animated musical series Central Park premiering on Apple TV+, and One Night in Miami hitting theaters in December. The actor and singer was still on his way to stardom when he appeared in a Grey's Anatomy episode with an intriguing DC connection as an, initially reluctant, donor in a domino kidney transplant, which Justice League Unlimited voice actors George Newbern (Superman) and Carl Lumbly (Martian Manhunter) are the recipients of.

Maggie Siff (Ruthie Sales)

Like most actors your can think of, Leslie Odom Jr. also appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, much just like Maggie Siff did after playing a woman suffering from osteoporosis on Season 4 of Grey's Anatomy. It would be one of the last of her many early TV guest spots before becoming a notable presence on series like FX's Sons of Anarchy, AMC's Mad Men, and most recently, Showtime's Billions.

Theo Rossi (Stan Giamatti)

Maggie Siff's Sons of Anarchy co-star Theo Rossi, who would go on to play Marvel villain Shades on Netflix's Luke Cage series, has also been a guest on Grey's Anatomy. In a tearjerker two-part episode from Season 4, he played a paramedic, and husband of a Seattle Grace radiologist, who becomes trapped with his partner and best friend after their ambulance collides with another once they've dropped off a patient.

Danielle Panabaker (Kelsey Simmons)

Speaking of TV comic book adaptations, The Flash star Danielle Panabaker was relatively well-known for movies like Disney's teen superhero comedy Sky High, and the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th before she starred in one Grey's Anatomy episode. In Season 6, her character is forced to spend Thanksgiving at Seattle Grace, where she becomes engaged to her boyfriend after successfully receiving a heart transplant.

Jurnee Smollett (Beth Monroe)

Speaking of DC adaptations, Birds of Prey star Jurnee Smollett was probably best known as Michelle Tanner's friend Denise Frazer on Full House years before she played the first survivor of a clinical tumor trial run by Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd, unlike her ill-fated boyfriend, in a two-part Grey's Anatomy episode. Today, the 34-year-old actress has numerous notable credits to her name, most recently the supernatural period drama, Lovecraft Country, on HBO.

Jamie Chung (Trina Paiz)

Jurnee Smollett's Lovecraft Country co-star Jamie Chung has also starred in several comic book adaptations, including Batman prequel series Gotham, the animated Big Hero 6, and its sequel series on Netlflix, the 2014 sequel to Sin City, and the infamous Dragonball Evolution, from 2009. The following year, the Korean actress (also a veteran of MTV's The Real World) played a newlywed forced to spend her honeymoon at Seattle Grace after she and her husband fall 100 feet into a ravine while mountain climbing.

Rachel Brosnahan (Brian Weston)

Her impressive recurring spot on House of Cards, and Emmy win for playing a female comedian in the 1960s in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, has made Rachel Brosnahan one of the most sought after actresses of her generation. Much earlier in her career, the star of the new Amazon Prime original film I'm Your Woman played a young transgender man seeking to complete his sex reassignment surgery at Seattle Grace in Grey's Anatomy's ninth season.

David Denman (Rick Jacobs)

When David Denman appeared on Grey's Anatomy in 2007 as the victim of a faulty parachute, most audiences probably recognized him best from The Office, where he played former Dunder Mifflin employee and the ex-fiancé of Pam Beesly, Roy Anderson. He would later reunite with his old onscreen romantic rival John Krasinski in Michael Bay's 13 Hours, play the father of a Power Ranger, star in Steven Soderbergh's country-fried heist comedy Logan Lucky, and will next appear opposite Kate Winslet in the upcoming HBO mini-series Mare of Easttown.

Millie Bobby Brown (Ruby)

One of the most successful child stars in Hollywood today is British teenager Mille Bobby Brown, who most recently played the title role of Enola Holmes, and will soon reprise her Godzilla: King of the Monsters character in a film that pits the atomic reptile against King Kong. Just one year before first playing young psychokinetic, Eleven, on the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, Brown guest starred on Grey's Anatomy as a young girl receiving medical advice from Seattle Grace over the phone after an earthquake leaves her mother incapacitated at their remote cabin.

How many of these Grey's Anatomy appearances do you remember? Let us know in the comments below!

Spoilers below for those who haven't yet watched Lovecraft Country's wild season finale. You have been warned!

After giving audiences nine episodes of the most mind-expanding storytelling on TV, Misha Green's Lovecraft Country came to a howling stop with its Season 1 finale. "Full Circle" reflected on all the magical madness that played out previously, while also setting up a potential future for this ever-changing ensemble of characters and cast members. Assuming, of course, that HBO deems the show worthy of a Season 2 order. But before we get into that kind of speculation, there are an abundance of WTF moments to talk about from this thrilling and tragic conclusion.

It's a shame that we're already at the end of Season 1, but at least Lovecraft Country left viewers with more than enough big moments to ponder once the credits were finished rolling – without a post-credits scene, for the record. For anyone who missed our previous looks back on WTF moments, here's everything we noted from Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, and Episode 8. Now before this "stalling the inevitable" incantation truly takes hold, let's take a musical road trip through the finale's weirdest and wildest moments.

No Visual Clue In The Title Screen

Perhaps calling this a WTF moment is a bit extreme, but each of the previous nine episodes featured a small and simple visual clue on the title screen, beneath each episode's name, for something important that shows up later in the respective eps. However, this one didn't utilize such an image, although it did showcase a zoom-out on a striking background that incorporated imagery from the entire season. So it wasn't a total loss, but I guess I didn't realize how much I looked forward to that particular element until it was gone. Knowing this show, that's probably a metaphor for something.

Hanna's Flaming House Is Actually A Safe Haven

Despite Jonathan Majors' Tic and Jurnee Smollett's Leti having dreams making it look like Hanna's burning house was a hellscape, it was revealed to actually be a safe spot fueled by Hanna's rage and populated by the spirits of Tic's magic-protected relatives. Such as Tic's mother, Dora (Erica Tazel)! Weirdly enough, that burning abode is where Tic accepted his eventual fate, understanding that it needed to happen in order to truly keep the future bloodline safe and protected. It's also where Leti studied up on her magical skills with Regina Taylor's Hattie. Essentially, this house would be the best place to level up if Lovecraft Country were a video game.

Diana's New-Old Arm

Thanks to everyone's successful efforts to stop Diana from turning into a Topsy and/or Bopsy clone, she returned from her nightmarish slumber to her natural state. Well, except for her arm, which became a gnarled and withered souvenir from her cursed experience. I'm pretty sure I gasped with too much concern as Diana screamed during that reveal, which taps into the worst repercussion that a curse could have on a promising artist like Diana.

Rest In Anti-Peace, Titus Braithwhite

Because this show hadn't already brought enough justice to quasi-resurrected racists, Tic and Leti returned to the tunnels they discovered in Episode 4 in order to bring back the grand wizard poobah himself, Titus Braithwhite. And not to gather 'round for his undoubtedly splendid family anecdotes (sarcasm), but to remove his magical protection and truly send him off this mortal coil – with a piece of his chest missing – thanks to some assistance from Leti and Tic's trio of bewitching ancestors. Unfortunately, that happened after he transported himself elsewhere and tipped Abbey Lee's Christina off to his presence as she totaled her car and flew through its windshield like an evil blonde javelin. That accident was a WTF moment unto itself, really.

"Would You Be Willing To Die To Fuck Me?"

Jamie Chung's Ji-Ah offered up a top contender for Best Line of Lovecraft Country Season 1, as well as Best TV Line of 2020, with this English-translated response to an unwanted suitor who appeared uncomfortably interested in her "exotic" nature. Note that she gets all the points here, while the WTF actually goes to that dorky hornball for stepping way out of his lane.

Hippolyta's Machine: The Home Version

While it wasn't so explicitly laid out, Lovecraft Country appeared to show that Hippolyta found a far easier way to tap into her extra-dimensional identities without driving out to that abandoned-ish observatory. She seemingly built one of those machines inside her house, and then showed it to Diana – though not to viewers directly – when trying to make her daughter feel better about her arm situation. If anybody could craft such a science-enhancing construction, it's definitely Hippolyta, who also proved herself to now be an accomplished comic book writer/artist, as it should be.

Tic Eating Some Yucky Raw Yuck-Ass Chest Meat

Remember when Tic and George were smart enough not to eat any of Samuel Braithwhite's liver meat earlier in the season, and how nicely set up it was with the plates and the utensils and the cloches? In hindsight, that would have been a utopia situation compared to Tic trying to gnaw down on the so-very-thick flesh that he'd carved out of Titus' chest, followed by a blood chaser. Combating the absolute grossness of Tic's disgust with his own situation was Montrose's surprisingly sage advice to "pinch and swallow" as a way of making it easier on himself. Granted, spooky flesh isn't the same as rotgut moonshine, but the suggestion was still extremely fatherly of Montrose.

Lovecraft Country Got Me Again With A Body-Switch Twist

Within the narrative context, it makes all the sense in the world that Christina utilized a Ruby potion in order to pull a mega-reversal on Leti & Co. ahead of the big ritual. What doesn't make sense, though, is that after the variety of twists that already went down with Christina's identity-swapping potions, that I somehow still didn't see this coming until five seconds before the reveal played itself out. Misha Green and her creative team set up the perfect distraction with Leti and Ruby's sibling rivalry, which then makes Ruby's unfortunate fate all the more depressing.

Fight Night

Before the shock of Ruby's potential death could truly set in, Lovecraft Country unleashed its biggest fight scene of the season, with Leti facing off against Christina-as-Ruby, which was a nice and important layer to that dispute, which ended in Leti being thrown out of a window and to her "death" below. (That moment was legitimately shocking as it happened.) Meanwhile, the other heroes were caught up in a brawl with a c(k)lan of Braithwhite followers, and it was nearly as shocking to see that Montrose, Ji-Ah and the pitchfork-swinging Hippolyta survived and took out all those old-timey white folks without suffering any serious injuries. Big thumbs up for the back-and-forth edits that made the scene feel so frantic and badass, too.

Ji-Ah Saved The Day

As if shutting that dude down so fucking hard earlier in the episode wasn't enough, Ji-Ah brought the previously introduced shaman's words to reality by taking on the darkness that was expelled during Christina's ritual, which basically did what Christina's blood would have done had Ruby's mini-heist been successful. While tapping into their minds, she also tipped viewers off to some of Tic's final machinations setting up his letter to Montrose and Diana's shoggoth power, as well as Christina catching Ruby and hooking her up to IVs like William and Hillary.

Tic Still Died, Though

Yeah, both the writers and Jonathan Majors himself absolutely set the table for Tic to die by the end of this episode, but did I still expect to hear about some kind of spell reversal that would allow him to survive while still granting his future bloodline exclusive access to magical powers? I most definitely did. But it didn't happen, and even though it's hard to tell whether Tic was truly a hero or not throughout all of Lovecraft Country's first season, his death was definitely a major blow that is a truly difficult one to mourn in traditional ways, considering what it means overall for Leti and their son-in-the-making. That said, it's very interesting to consider how Montrose will do with his role as a reformed grandfather.

So Did Christina

On the flip side, it was quite quick and easy to get over Christina's death once it finally happened in full (we think). Despite having some redeemable qualities – such as her partially progressive views about Black people that specifically provide her with certain advantages – and showing signs of remorse over possibly killing Tic for a failed spell, the character's true colors were always as white as her pale skin, so she doesn't deserve lavish memorials. For as much as I did predict that Christina would die, though, I most definitely did not foresee HOW it would happen. Namely, having Diana show up with a new bionic arm to squeeze Christina's throat until it literally burst, which was fucking awesome. Because seriously, don't you just sometimes think certain people need to have their throats exploded, with or without bionic arms involved?

Diana, Queen Of The Black Shoggoth

Similar to how Hippolyta completely transformed herself throughout the season, Diana also ended the finale as a different character from who she was early on, both mentally and physically. As revealed in Christina's death scene, Diana's curse-mangled arm was amputated and replaced by a rocking bionic arm, giving her a sense of power and pride that wasn't there before her encounter with Topsy and Bopsy. I'm assuming that replacement happened during a wormhole trip with Hippolyta. As well, those final moments fully confirmed that Diana now controls the protective power of the Black Shoggoth, which Tic was seen passing over to her in Ji-Ah's visions. That shot of the monster running up and howling at the moon is definitely one of the sweetest visuals of the season, and I hope it becomes a poster I can hang on my wall.

Without any more episodes left to go in Season 1, Lovecraft Country fans now have to patiently wait to hear what HBO will decide for the show's future. In the meantime, it's currently available to stream in full on HBO Max, but be sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates as they become available, and stay up to date with our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are coming soon.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched the latest episode of HBO's Lovecraft Country.

In Lovecraft Country's previous installment, Aunjanue Ellis' Hippolyta took an unprecedented trip across time and space to recognize and celebrate her true self, and she was sadly still missing in action during the events of Episode 8, titled "Jig-a-Bobo." Fortunately, creator Misha Green & Co. gave viewers lots of weird and wild moments to mull over in her absence, though it's rather un-fortunate that Hippolyta and George's daughter Diana became the central target of this episode's most evil forces.

Let's hop on our bicycles and pedal straight into the belly of the beast to go through all the WTF moments that went down in Episode 8. For those who may have missed our earlier Lovecraft Country features, you can check out the most baffling scenes from Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, and Episode 7.

Diana Getting Cursed

Having discovered Diana's Orithyia Blue comic book beneath that cop's corpse from last week's episode, Mac Brandt's über-heinous Captain Seamus Lancaster accosted the young girl in an alleyway as the public mourned Emmett "Bobo" Till's murder, itself a real-world tragedy. Using dark magic that caused Jada Harris' Diana to hallucinate maggots and flies, Lancaster smeared his sticky saliva on Diana's face, which was surely part of the curse, but was still grosser than grossy gross. More real-life discomfort set in when Diana exclaimed "I can't breath!" while being held back by the other cop. Thankfully, the encounter ended without more physical torture, though even that might have been more preferable to the mental mindfuck spawned by those roaming eyes on the Cream of Wheat sign as Diana ran away. I think I got goosebumps on the inside of my body from that one.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

After that creepy Cream of Wheat dude, the next sign of Diana's personal haunting came inside Montrose's bathroom, where his edition of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin came alive in the most frightful way. At first, the already questionable cover image featured the seemingly happy characters Topsy and Eva in front of a mirror. But as Diana grew more stressed, the book's cover showcased a far more ghoulish and murderous version of Topsy sporting a purely wicked grin and long, sharp fingernails, and then it mysteriously fell off of its shelf, and all to a stress-inducing version of A.F. Winnemore's "Stop Dat Knocking at de Door." If only that was the last time Topsy would appear...

Ruby's Body-Morphing Orgasm

Ruby and Christina's relationship, as it were, managed to produce yet another completely bonkers and gory AF moment. With character motivations being debatable, Ruby's sponge bath turned more lustful after she downed some of the potion and had sex with "William" as her white counterpart "Hillary." It was already interesting enough to consider the scene's race/gender elements just in that context, but then Lovecraft Country took things up a notch by having Ruby break through her caucasian exterior during what I have to assume is one of the bloodiest climaxes ever put to film. I hope Christina has an endless supply of mattress covers, or at least some truly magical laundry detergent.

A Nightmare On Topsy And Bopsy Street

To say it right away, absolutely everything about Kaelynn Gobert-Harris' Topsy and Bianca Brewton's Bopsy gets A+ accolades for unbridled WTF freakiness. Starting with their sanity-breaking backwards-skipping appearance at the train station, Topsy and Bopsy rather immediately became Lovecraft Country's most nightmarish entities. To that end, I can't imagine it was completely coincidental that the episode featured a trio of sing-song jump-ropers while also giving the two creatures long, sharp fingernails, since those two visual references easily brought to mind Freddy Krueger and the Nightmare on Elm Street films. Diana's final scene, which we'll get to in a bit, was also reminiscent of that dream-centric franchise. Maybe I was just looking for any reason possible to not focus on Topsy and Bopsy when they were on screen.

The Lovecraft Country Book

When Tic emerged from the time-traveling portal in "I Am," I thought his Lovecraft Country book was meant to have been penned by Courtney B. Vance's George Freeman. However, the real story is enjoyably weirder. Tic revealed that he'd actually traveled to the future, where the novel was to be written by Tic's son, who would be named after the late uncle. Wildly enough, Tic reveals the book's story about their family history, with certain changes that match up with Matt Ruff's real-world novel that the TV show is based on, such as Christina being a male (named Caleb), George having survived the trip to Ardham, and Diana being a boy named Horace. I love this kind of meta shit.

Christina's Assisted Suicide Attempt

After having a testy conversation with Ruby about their respective feelings on Emmett Till's murder and its aftermath, Christina attempted the ultimate form of vicariousness by paying two white dudes to basically echo Till's murder with her body. In this truly uncomfortable scene, the men brutally beat Christina to a bloody pulp before wrapping barb wire around her neck, shooting her in the head, and sending her body to the bottom of the river. (Seeing her slide backwards off of the dock offered an added chill, too.) Of course, Christina didn't actually die like Till did, since she is protected by magic. Instead, she emerged from the water with a hysterical mix of sobbing and laughter, making it totally unclear what her next move is going to be.

Diana's Big Showdown

After being chased throughout the episode, Diana went on the offensive by luring Topsy and Bopsy into a closed store for a showdown. It's not entirely clear how well Diana was doing by her lonesome, as it appeared she was just clobbering the two glow-eyed ghouls with a pipe without causing any lasting damage. But Montrose tipped the scales away from Diana with his well-intentioned embrace to calm her down, allowing Topsy and Bopsy to sink their claws in, causing visible wounds to appear on Diane's arms that Montrose couldn't possibly understand. This felt like another quasi-nod to the Elm Street films, where Freddy's dream attacks would simultaneously appear on victims' sleeping bodies in the outside world. Here's hoping Montrose quickly figures out a way to reverse the situation by the time Episode 9 starts up.

The Return Of The Shoggoth

After settling some of their personal issues, Tic and Montrose attempted a magical team up in placing a protection spell on Tic. Though neither man thought it was successful, the spell's true effect became clear at the end of the episode during the cops' most unlawful shootout at Leti's house. The very same scene where viewers also witnessed Leti's newfound invincibility. Just when it looked like Tic would become another dead Black man at the hands of law enforcement, a Shoggoth suddenly burst from the ground and saved him. It was the monster breed's first appearance since Episode 2, and the situation mirrored the beasts' arrival in the series premiere, in that the Shoggoth totally mauled all of the cops in the area to stop them from harming Tic. It even threw one over the house, which was hilariously over-the-top in the face of all the heightened suspense.

Since we apparently don't have to worry too much about Tic and Leti's survival anymore – yeah, right – now all of our hopeful attention can pivot to Hippolyta, even though she clearly seemed happier on her adventures than she did while in mourning. With only two episodes left to go in Season 1, Lovecraft Country airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET.

While waiting to find out what happens next, stay tuned to CinemaBlend and stay current with our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way in the near future.

Some truly baffling spoilers are below for anyone who hasn't yet watched Episode 7 of Lovecraft Country.

After six episodes that embraced all manner of horror – from Ruby and Christina's body gore to deadly mythical monsters to Ji-Ah's inner demons – Lovecraft Country truly tapped into the cosmic side of H.P. Lovecraft's oeuvre with "I Am." Obviously, it also tapped into lots of other head-scratching and eye-popping and soul-empowering elements throughout its runtime, and we are here to celebrate not only those moments, but also Aunjanue Ellis and her increasingly developing Hippolyta.

The episode started off with a confounding moment that we aren't including below – a piece of paper surviving the Braithwhite mansion fire – but things quickly got far from awe-inspiring from that point on. (For those who aren't caught up with our past features, be sure to check out the most WTF moments from Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6.)

William Was A Real Person

I suppose this shouldn't have been too much of a shock, considering actress Jamie Neumann first appeared as the racist character Dell before returning as Hillary Davenport, making it clear that something bad happened to Dell before Ruby's white-woman adventures. Still, it was wild to hear Abbey Lee's Christina justifying the body-morphing process. It definitely works better for the story that Jordan Patrick Smith's William was real before he was killed by Captain Lancaster, since that gives Christina revenge motives on top of her other goals. I do wonder if there are any other characters in Lovecraft Country who are this familiar with such metamorphosis tactics.

Tic And Leti Catching Montrose And Sammy

In one of the biggest scenes from Episode 7 that wasn't steeped in genre, Jonathan Majors' Tic and Jurnee Smollett's Leti arrived just in time to witness the end of Michael K. Williams' Montrose having his breakfast spat with his lover Sammy (Jon Hudson Odom), and it very nearly sent Tic careening past the edge all over again. (It's good, then, that the show didn't have him walk in on Montrose and Sammy in bed.) Majors delivered some Emmy-worthy acting in the aftermath, and truly sounded like a hurt child when contemplating the true source of Montrose's abuse. After just semi-chastising Sammy for communicating with a neighbor, one would think Montrose would have been a bit more careful. Not that he expects visits from Tic all the time.

The Machine And The Murder

After brilliantly devising the location coordinates within the orrery (which a curious Leti later found within the Freeman house), Hippolyta arrived at a dome-shaped building in the town of Mayfield, and shit got downright wacky from there. Hippolyta discovered a big, complicated machine that looked straight out of a Vincent Price movie, and as she was in the midst of figuring some complicated shit out, she was accosted by a pair of policemen, and then Tic came seemingly out of nowhere to help her. By the time it was over, Hippolyta had shot and killed one of the cops, and then she, Tic and the other cop all entered the mysterious wormhole that popped up out of nowhere, as wormholes do.

Hippolyta's Journey Part 1: Inside The Glowing Hub

Plainly stated, everything about Hippolyta's story from this point is Peak Lovecraft Country what the absolute fuck-ery. She was first blasted down onto a planet (possibly Earth?) at a non-civilized point in the timeline, and she was confronted by a giant glowing structure and some of its robot-esque minions. She then woke up nude, noticing strange implants on her wrists, and soon met Karen LeBlanc's futuristic mentor-goddess, whose name in the credits is "Seraphina AKA Beyond C'est," with the latter being an enjoyably odd Beyoncé pun. After figuring out lots of high-minded math that sounded kind of like Tool lyrics, Hippolyta was allowed to choose her idealized reality for the second stage of her journey.

Hippolyta's Journey Part 2: Dancing With Josephine Baker

Lovecraft Country thankfully gave Hippolyta time to shine with genuine happiness during her completely unexpected jaunt to Paris, where she took part in some risqué stage shows fronted by historical icon Josephine Baker, as portrayed by Carra Patterson. From the awkwardness of Hippolyta's disastrous first performance to the intensity of her admission to Josephine that she wanted to kill white people – after having actually killed that cop – this phase of the journey allowed Hippolyta to rediscover her self-assurance and her independence, before putting her back into a leadership position.

Hippolyta's Journey Part 3: Tribe Wars

Hippolyta zipped from lavish stage shows to a completely different form of practiced grace as she trained to be a warrior within what I assume is the Mino, an all-female militant group that thrived during the 19th century within part of the Fon population in western Africa. (They were unofficially called the Dahomey Amazons by white Europeans, which is likely a comic book nod to Hippolyta being the Amazonian mother of Wonder Woman.) She ascended from new recruit to leader and led her group to a virtuous victory against a group of white male soldiers, and also delivered one of the most badass beheadings possible. In the end, that victory was just a blip on the radar, with a far more massive wall of soldiers coming to slaughter all the women, but this experience gave Hippolyta what she needed to move forward.

Hippolyta's Journey Part 4: Meeting Aliens With George

Next, Hippolyta's trek got more inherently personal, as she went back to a point before Courtney B. Vance's George was murdered, and they had an emotional conversation about everything she'd been through after his death, complete with her self-reflections. Crazily enough, George accompanied Hippolyta on the next jaunt, which took them to a gorgeously luminescent and non-Earthly planet, where the pair got a gift from some aliens and studied plant life. Beyond featuring some of Lovecraft Country's most impressive costumes and set designs, this final leg of the journey directly reflected the space fantasy from Diana's comic book, which makes that final shot of the comic beneath the dead cop all the more mysterious.

That Lovecraft Country Book

I love when stories like this embrace being meta and self-referential, and that happened in a huge way when Tic held up a physical copy of Lovecraft Country after he was thrown back out of the wormhole. (What happened to him in there, though, and what happened to that other cop?) Only this book wasn't written by the real source material's author Matt Ruff, but rather by "George Freeman." Its cover depicted an image that looked a lot like Hippolyta standing before the glowing structure earlier in the episode, and featured the tagline "Journey into worlds within worlds within worlds." So does this book's existence mean that Hippolyta actually did go back in time, and that she and George actually did go into outer space together? It doesn't seem likely, but it would be super cool if Diana's Orithyia Blue comic was directly inspired by her parents' own space adventures.

Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap. Misha Green and her excellent creative team did it again, and left viewers with way too much to think about while waiting for the next episode. Remember to keep watching as Season 1 continues airing on HBO every Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. ET. Also be sure to keep current with our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet seen Lovecraft Country's latest episode.

So far, each episode of HBO's Lovecraft Country has been an adventure unto itself, from the literary monsters of the premiere to the haunted house horrors of "Holy Ghost" to the race-swapping insanity of "Strange Case." That streak continued with "Meet Me in Daegu," a war-torn flashback that finally introduced Jamie Chung's Ji-Ah, whose previous appearances fell outside the bounds of reality and proper context. Suffice to say it's obvious why Lovecraft Country held back: Ji-Ah is a completely different kind of fucked-up monster than what we've seen before.

This episode also gave viewers a more clear notion of what sent Jonathan Majors' Tic over the edge during his Korean War stint. But instead of rehashing the main plot points, let's just dive straight into the jaw-dropping lunacy that makes Lovecraft Country the most unpredictable show on TV. (For anyone who missed my earlier features, check out the biggest WTF moments from Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4 and Episode 5.)

The Trolley Song

Given a million chances to guess how Jamie Chung's mysterious character would be introduced in full, I would never have landed on "short musical dream sequence inside a movie theater set to Judy Garland's 'The Trolley Song' from Meet Me in St. Louis." In hindsight, it was a pretty brilliant way to suggest the joyful humanity still embedded in Ji-Ah, despite the otherworldly creature also lurking within. But in the moment, it was yet another way Lovecraft Country used music to subvert expectations in meaningful and head-scratching ways.

Hairy Tentacle-Tail Sex Blood Explosion

Had something more benign followed Ji-Ah's speed-dating experience, that scene might have made it into this list. However, it led directly into what will no doubt remain one of Lovecraft Country's Top 3 WTF moments, with Ji-Ah going from sexy seductress to pure nightmare fuel as a bunch of snakelike tendrils exited her body and violently inserted themselves into her post-coital victim, played by Heroes vet James Kyson. The whole thing was fascinatingly gross, and I can't quite tell why, but the most disturbing element to me was how Ji-Ah mimicked the memory of the dude's celebratory yell right as she turned him into a blood bomb. I didn't even think that was a thing that COULD bother me, so thank you, Lovecraft Country.

Ji-Ah's Mythology

With Ji-Ah, Lovecraft Country delivered its signature take on the mythical creature known as the kumiho, which in this scenario seems to be a shapeshifter who can supposedly achieve true humanity after seducing and sacrificing 100 men. The mystical entity originated as a 1,000-year-old fox with nine tails, with the latter concept surfacing in live-action as Ji-Ah's toothy appendages. Not only is Ji-Ah killing all these men, but she's also ingesting all of their memories (and then some), which becomes especially important once it's revealed that she killed her father, who molested her when she was young, Then that reveal is made all the more unnerving by her mom's twisted investment in Ji-Ah's gore-soaked mission. Could this storyline possibly exist in any other show beyond Lovecraft Country?

Tic Losing His Virginity To Ji-Ah

Note that the WTF-ness here is not at all tied to Tic being a virgin in the first place, since that's perfectly natural. Rather, it's tied to that moment happening at all, considering Ji-Ah's ostensible hatred for Tic in the beginning over her best friend's death. It did seem obvious that they would end up becoming an item, no matter how temporary the relationship, but it's still a weird-as-all-the-fucks coupling to say the least. (Good on Uncle George for setting up that movie screening, though.) Looking back, it certainly adds a new layer to Leti losing her virginity to Tic a few episodes back, as well as Tic's unease regarding certain sexual references earlier in the season.

The Tails Seeing Tic's Future

Of course this moment was going to happen eventually. You can't just set all these WTF dominoes up not to have them come crashing down accordingly. But while it was obvious Tic would survive his introduction to Ji-Ah's tails, I didn't foresee their prophetic abilities, which revealed to Ji-Ah the mysterious way that Tic will die. Ji-Ah did try to thwart the omen by telling him not to go home, but Tic wasn't exactly in the most willing state to take advice from anyone who just had tails sticking out of their eye sockets. (Good on both of them for those instincts, I suppose.) Still, that moment provided context for the unsettling way Episode 5 ended, with Tic calling Ji-Ah and asking how she knew about the "D-I-E" message he'd found. As well, now we know why the all-red Ji-Ah appeared in Tic's series-opening dream sequence.

That Ending

For one, it was shocking to see Ji-Ah's mother lovingly embrace her after Tic's befuddled exit, and it was even more surprising that she took Ji-Ah back to the mudang (shaman) who could actually provide answers for this supernatural situation. Not that they were particularly encouraging answers. After locking eyes with a brilliantly red-hued fox, Ji-Ah was told once again that her mortal desires don't mean anything, and then the mudang offered this ominous warning:

I'm not sure why I expected this episode to be a one-and-done installment for Jamie Chung's Ji-Ah, but it seems obvious now that my assumption was extremely wrong. So what will Ji-Ah's life be like between the end of Episode 6 and the point when Tic calls her? Hopefully we'll find out even more in Episode 7 and beyond. And if it all happens without seeing any more fuzzy tails squeezing out of anyone's ear canals and nostrils, that would be pretty cool.

Lovecraft Country airs every Sunday night on HBO. While waiting to see what new WTF moments await us next week, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are popping up soon.

Major spoilers below for the latest episode of Lovecraft Country, so be warned!

It's hard to believe that it was just a week ago that Tic, Leti and Montrose were facing corpse-tainted waters in underground tunnels kept hidden by Hiram Epstein's perverse magic. With "Strange Case," Lovecraft Country moved away from Indiana Jones and honed its pulp-horror focus in on Wunmi Mosaku's Ruby half-enjoying some adventures in race-swapping and store-managing. Basically that whole storyline can be found below.

So without further a-Davenport, let's dig into the biggest WTF moments from Episode 5. For those who didn't see our earlier WTF rundowns, check out everything that made us scratch our heads from Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3 and Episode 4.

Ruby Waking Up As A White Woman

In comparison to scenes that occur later in "Strange Case," Lovecraft Country's opening sequence seems rather tame. But seeing what appeared to be a nude white woman waking up in complete disarray and calling herself Ruby was downright jarring to all the applicable senses. (Okay, mostly sight.) The post-title sequence with the cops roughing up the Black kid that she collided with was unfortunately far less of a WTF moment, whether we're talking about the 1950s or the 2020s.

Ruby's Gnarly Transition Back To Black

Just when we were getting used to the idea of Ruby taking over a white woman's body, she got a lesson in body-morphing from "William," during which she realized that her white-woman nature was not at all permanent. The shots of Ruby's body moving around underneath the outer skin were both awesome and unnerving at the same time. I'd make a comparison to A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge, but I already used my Freddy quota when I brought up Dream Warriors last week. That eyeball in the mouth, seen above, was an excellent touch.

Tic Beating The Shit Out Of Montrose

Did Montrose deserve to get the shit beaten out of him for killing Yaheema the Deciphering Siren? Absolutely. But did I expect Tic to go all UFC on not-really-his-father after he figured out what happened? Not really. Granted, Lovecraft Country has hinted pretty hard at Tic having a dark and violent side that opened up when he went off to war, and he even said as much in this episode. But I didn't necessarily think his eagerness to gain access to these magical spells would have been another catalyst for his violent side to come out all over Montrose's face.

Montrose Getting His

Montrose is a textbook case of repression, so it makes perfect sense in this world for him to be gay and in a physical relationship with another man, Sammy, and for Montrose to aggressively return to that relationship to cope with the shame and anger over Tic whooping his ass. The more shocking thing about Montrose's journey in this episode is that their relationship is clearly deep enough that Sammy both knows enough to expect Montrose to occasionally need rough-edged quickies, and that he cares enough about Montrose to allow it to happen. Is Montrose actually capable of being a sweetie pie?

That Cop's Body And The Dude In His Closet

Truth be told, it's not all THAT shocking that Mac Brandt's Captain Lancaster had a guy strung up in his closet with his tongue cut out, since that guy's police tactics are anything but lawful and justice-minded. (Though I guess it's surprising that it was a white guy in there.) But the bigger WTF moment came when Lancaster had his shirt opened up, and his different-colored torso was revealed, as well as a line of wounds just under his throat. What kind of body experiments went on with this dude's body in the name of Hiram Epstein?

"Just Let Me Smell It"

In hindsight, I don't know whether or not viewers were supposed to believe all the female Marshall Field's employees who claimed that Mr. Hughes never came onto them, considering he got flirty early on with "Hillary Davenport" and then far more than flirty with Tamara, to whom he uttered the nausea-inducing line "Just let me smell it." Maybe the whole point was that Mr. Hughes had a thing only for Black women – despite his quick use of racial slurs – and inherently felt Ruby's energy coming from "Ms. Davenport." I could only get so far in thinking about it before the phrase "Let me smell it" echoed through my head and made me run my head under cold water.

Mr. Manager Takes A Heel

Speaking of Mr. Low Down And Dirty Hughes, he got his just desserts when Ruby made him think things were getting sexual, and then dropped a can of nightmare worms inside him. After making her now-former boss suck on her high heels as lube, she stabbed him right in the ass with it over and over again, which admittedly made every orifice on my body slam shut hard enough to suck all of the oxygen out of the room. (Don't ask me to explain that scientifically, but I'm pretty sure that's what happened.) Mr. Hughes then had to watch his attacker shed all of her skin and become a gore-covered Black woman, which probably made him forget about his anal pains for at least a split second. Incidentally, I'm very interested to know what would come up if those skin pieces got tested for DNA.

William = Christina

Throughout the first four episodes, it was clear that Christina and William were more than just friends, and while I thought there were definitely related in some way, I didn't immediately suspect that William was a White Male Avatar that Christina adopted to live the most privileged kind of life in the 1950s. I definitely should have seen it coming after Ruby's situation was revealed earlier in the episode, but I guess I was fixated on that being a singular situation. But still, wowzers. Now I'm wondering if it's possible for Christina and Ruby to take on different forms than just William and Ms. Davenport, respectively.

Tic's Phone Call

Tic came to a most frazzling realization at the end of the episode upon discovering the "D-I-E" translation, which made him immediately dash to the phone, where he rattled off a really long number to the operator. It wasn't made clear the person was on the other end of the line, but it almost definitely has to do with Jamie Chung's Ji-Ah, who showed up in the first two episodes, and appeared heavily in the preview for Episode 6. But what did she know, and what did she tell Tic that he should have listened to? She looks like she dealt with some pretty awful shit at the hands of the U.S. military, but what happened there, and what is Tic's big trauma?

Now at the halfway point of Season 1, Lovecraft Country has another five episodes left to go, and they'll be airing Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. EST. While waiting for more madness from Episode 6 and beyond, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are heading to the small screen soon.

Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't yet watched Lovecraft Country's fourth episode, "A History of Violence."

Against all odds, Lovecraft Country largely held back on major WTF moments throughout the first half of Episode 4, although they definitely started piling up as the minutes ticked by. "A History of Violence" essentially jumped from the haunted house format of Episode 3 into an Indiana Jones-esque adventure, as Jonathan Majors' Tic, Jurnee Smollett's Leti and Michael K. Williams' Montrose went on a trek to hunt down the missing pages from the Book of Names.

Let's all hop in the car to drive up to Boston for this week's look at Lovecraft Country's most WTF moments, starting off with the very first sequence. (For those who might have missed them, check out our WTF features for Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3.)

Montrose's Breakdown

Montrose definitely had some curious reactions to reading the Bylaws and Precepts of the Order of the Ancient Dawn, and it makes me all the more fascinated by scenes in which Montrose is around other characters but isn't also covered in sweat and drunkenly freaking the fuck out. He's clearly going through a hardcore case of mourning over George's death, while no doubt also being thrown for a loop by the fantastical text. But instead of just tossing the book into a dumpster, Montrose sets fire to it inside his own living room, saying "Smells like Tulsa," while wearing only boxers as he watched it burn. (The episode's title felt quite real there.) At least we later learned that Montrose returned his library books instead of burning everything he read.

Opening Titus' Vault Door

This shit was like something right out of The Legend of Leti: A Tic to the Past. I know Montrose was clued in, but I still can't believe they managed to figure this vault door out without some kind of online walkthrough – perhaps George had one in his glove compartment – not to mention that it took all of five minutes to arrive at the precise solution. And maybe it was the complete seriousness of the crime they were committing or something, but nobody went nearly as apeshit with pride as they should have as soon as the door started to open.

The Giant Chasm

Given everything that these characters have seen thus far, nobody blinked too hard upon seeing a giant gap in the earth that was only traversable by an extremely long and thin slat of wood. This was one of those moments where I had to remind myself that magical defense mechanisms exist in Lovecraft Country, and that I should not spend the next 10-15 minutes thinking about how those giant pendulums were first installed over that giant pit, and who would have been able to make that installment happen. (Clearly someone from Edgar Allen Poe's family.) To showrunner Misha Green's credit, by the time the wood started to ash into nothingness, it felt like the only logical thing the wood could have done in that moment.

William And Ruby Getting It On To Marilyn Manson

Lovecraft Country's new "It" couple is obviously William and Ruby, whose vertical bar conversation turned into a horizontal bedroom conversation, which was something I definitely did not see coming when the episode started. William thankfully didn't seem to be taking advantage of Ruby in any way, so good for them! Making their lovemaking all the more meaningful was the accompanying Marilyn Manson cover of Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You," meaningful because it's a white guy performing a not-safe-for-the-women song originally written by a Black artist that partially inspired Manson's shock-rock career path. Lovecraft Country continues to impress with its layered soundscape.

The Elevator And Neighbor's Corpse

How did Leti not lose her fucking mind after seeing her neighbor's corpse down in those tunnels? How did no one lose it whenever they came across that elevator? In this moment, I fully had it in mind that the giant chasm room might have been a wormhole-adjacent situation that didn't follow normal physics, but the sight of the elevator still left me gobsmacked. How many times in life have I been stuck in a scenario where I wished there was a backdoor back to the comfort of my house? Or a water-logged home elevator, in this case. But if I ever actually found one, I would probably lose touch with my senses for a short while.

The Blood Door

By this point in the episode, I should not have been surprised for Tic, Leti and Montrose to come upon a rather technical door that ran solely on blood, and not just your run of the mill blood, because that shit will make a one-armed corpse out of whoever's brave/dumb enough to try it out. (Though kudos on anyone else in the world actually finding this fucked up door in the first place, considering what had to be done to get there.) But I was still kind of surprised to see it, and I was already deep into wondering how the door would have pulled Tic's blood upward into the applicable chambers before I remembered to stop it. Sweet ladder drop, too.

The Dining Hall Of Death

If Lovecraft Country ever inspires a Halloween attraction of some kind, I can already tell my favorite part would be the recreation of this corpse-ridden dining hall that wouldn't have felt out of place on Game of Thrones if someone knocked all of those cobwebs out and replaced them with olde tyme sex workers. I don't at all understand how this bizarrely designed room existed where it did, with glass ceilings that were apparently underwater. In any case, the entire scene was enjoyably grotesque and spooky, given that everyone in the room died instantaneously in the midst of a regal dinner – even the baby was eating – and I wish they could have just hung out in there a little longer. Though I guess that instinct isn't a natural one.

The Siren Decipherer

When it comes to gnarly first appearances, let's give it up for Yahima Maraokoti, a long-dormant siren shocked awake by someone trying to snatch her pages. Things got seriously ghoulish there at first as she got the ol' bones working again with the most hideous body movements. Then, after a bit of full-frontal nudity revealed the duality of her nature, she related her bonkers story concerning her connection to Titus, revealing that all those corpses were her family. And guess what? She could decipher the pages, and Tic could arbitrarily understand her language. But then guess what after that? It turns out she was siren-cursed and so leaving the death room took away her voice forever. Well, I guess that leads to our next entry.

Montrose The Murderer

All these WTF moments started off with Montrose, so it only makes sense for the episode to end with him going off the beaten path and murdering the best chance everyone had of getting the pages deciphered. Montrose has made it clear that he wants to protect Tic, and obviously Leti if she's around, so he presumably doesn't take too kindly to the thought of Tic gaining access to magical spells, since that would just draw him deeper into this already fucked up occult world. That said, he did seem genuinely interested in knowing if Yahima could reverse the spell, so Montrose probably has motivations I'm not aware of just yet.

Lovecraft Country airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET, and in between viewings, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage. Those curious about what's coming to the small screen soon should check out our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule.

Spoilers below for Lovecraft Country's wild third episode, so be warned!

No matter what kind of horror subgenre Lovecraft Country tackles, you just know showrunner Misha Green is going to deliver the goods. Or the evils, in the case of Episode 3, "Holy Ghost," which dropped a haunted, ghost-filled house into the HBO series' racially charged storytelling. Leti was goaded into purchasing the house once owned by the deceased-but-not-gone Hiram Winthrop (first name-checked in the the Braithwhite house), whose unlawful experiments led to the Baby-Head Basketball Player Ghost and seven other disturbing spirits roaming the halls of Leti's home.

For my money, the Baby-Head Ghost is the most dread-provoking imagery we've seen yet from Lovecraft Country, at least on a purely visual level. (Obviously the show's murderously racist acts are more disturbing.) When creator Misha Green spoke with CinemaBlend and other outlets ahead of the Season 1 premiere, I asked what the idea was behind that adorably ghastly baby head, and she said it was inspired by real-world medical experiments combined with the fictional Hiram Winthrop's dark mythology. In her words:

Honestly, I could not have asked for a better explanation, and that's precisely the kind of brainstorming rabbit hole I was picturing, since you can't possibly start the creative process with "Baby-Head Ghost." That's the kind of concept that only happens after you've already tapped into "time travel" as a topic, since the sky is the limit after that.

As well, I wholeheartedly adore that diabolically wicked backstory that explains how Baby-Head Ghost came into existence, with imprecise time travel techniques causing malformations with his and others' bodies that are reminiscent of stories about the alleged Philadelphia Experiment. It's all so damned bothersome to consider, and that's on top of the far more heinous experiments that went down in real life, from the highly unethical Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment – which lasted 40 years and led to many avoidable deaths and diagnoses – to government-funded irradiation treatments and many more.

As if the anatomy-clashing look of the Baby-Head Ghost wasn't nightmarish enough by itself, Lovecraft Country's creative wizards doubled down by adding an infant's cries and giggles to the mix. It created quite the weird juxtaposition to have such childlike noises floating around during such a hectic and heightened scene, and Misha Green also explained that audio addition, saying:

Sometimes learning the behind-the-scenes story about a particular horror moment or scene provides some comfort in knowing the innocuous details that served as inspiration. That's not what Lovecraft Country is bringing to the table, though, so we can likely expect for true terror to be accounted for in the storytelling, both on the screen and off.

Episode 3 definitely provided star Jurnee Smollett a chance to show off her dramatic range, bouncing between joy and trauma as the episode wore on. And Leti's confrontation against Hiram Winthrop delivered as emotionally cathartic a genre performance as I've seen in a while, and was perhaps also the most peacefully handled exorcism possible. During the same Lovecraft Country press event, I asked Smollett to talk about tapping into that emotion for Episode 3's climax, and here's how she answered:

For Jurnee Smollett, that episode was as much about drawing to the surface inherited traumas from her family history, and using that to bring her own truth to Leti's story. And while it's hard to outwardly want to celebrate trauma in any fashion, applause all around to everyone responsible for putting it all on display for Lovecraft Country.

Lovecraft Country airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to keep tuning in to see what will happen next, and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage. In the meantime, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule to see what else is on the way.

Major spoiler warning for Lovecraft Country's third episode, so be warned!

Lovecraft Country went from one uniquely terrifying abode to another with its third episode, "Holy Ghost," which somewhat surprisingly started off with a three-week time jump that sidestepped the bulk of the mourning (and explanation) process regarding George's death. Obviously that opening reveal was far from the most WTF moment of the hour, which again featured plenty of emotionally grounded scenes to balance the pulpy horror weirdness. I love this show from my head down to the skeleton-filled tunnels below my feet, but more on that later.

More so than the first two episodes, "Holy Ghost" pulled its focus in for a haunted house tale that ramped up the dread with its day-by-day structure. Now, let's once again take a hair-raising ride through Lovecraft Country's most WTF moments, this time from Episode 3. (For those who may have missed my earlier entries, here are the moments that threw me the hardest from Episode 1 and Episode 2.)

The Ghost Whose Mouth Was Ripped Open

While one could argue that Tic's dimension-opening experiences in "Whitey's on the Moon" might fall under the umbrella of being "supernatural," this episode certainly makes its "Holy Ghost" title quite literal. It all started with Leti being shocked awake by a ghost that was missing the bottom part of her face, which led down to the basement, and so on. But before any eventual explanations came around, viewers were branded with the spooky sight of that silver-haired and red-eyed ghoul sporting meat market debris where her mouth and chin would be. Ghosts aren't always this gnarly, but Lovecraft Country know its audience.

Leti Keeping Her Mouth Open While Walking Through Cobwebs

Okay, so this isn't particularly tied to any of Lovecraft Horror's more genre-heavy moments, but watching it still made me squirm across the entire surface area of the couch I was sitting/perching on. While taking what was obviously her first trip through the basement, Jurnee Smollett's Leti walked through a literal wall of cobwebs and kept her mouth open in disgust the whole time. If I'm in that same situation, I'm knocking those cobwebs down from three feet away with a mop handle, and even then my lips would be pushed impossibly close together.

"George Is Dead"

Scenes with Ouija boards are nothing new in horror movies and TV shows, so it usually takes something unique to make it stand out. Creator Misha Green crafted an effectively simple scene with Jada Harris' Diana and her friends that culminated in the supposed spirit introducing itself as "George Is Dead," which sent a still-mourning Diana running away. The scene's creepy WTF-ness really kicks in after the episode ends, and you realize that the ghosts in the house had not only absorbed the information that George had died, but were also aware of Diana enough to know she would be severely hurt by that delivery. They were some ol' nosy-ass ghosts.

Hippolyta And That Orrery

Aunjanue Ellis' Hippolyta was obviously the character still mourning George's death the hardest, as evidenced in the unnerving way she dismantled his copy of Dracula. Sure, she seemed to already be having a good time at Leti and Ruby's housewarming party, but something took over her Hippolyta once she opened the door on that ornate orrery, origin unknown. (Alliteration win.) The device's existence in the house was already weird, and made all the more curious by its absence later when the racist neighbors burst into that room. Hippolyta presumably has the orrery at home, but why was she so taken by it?

Leti Getting Buck On Her Neighbors' Cars

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially when that scorn is then amplified by the unending blares of car horns lining the street, and lit by the blazing cross in the yard. Enough was enough for Leti, who had the only sane reaction, which was to bust the shit out of all the neighbors' cars trying to intimidate her into moving. No matter how sane, though, Leti's revenge was still WTF since she did it knowing the risk of police violence, which did indeed occur. Almost as WTF was that shithead cop dumping exposition about the house's history, but he was trying to scare her, and it ended up helping her.

The Face In The Photographs

I'm a fanatic for puzzles of all kinds, but unsurprisingly, none of the puzzles I've ever worked on involved haunted markings on photographs. And I consider it a good and necessary thing, because if I ever did find such markings, and if I laid them out together in a way that it depicted a face that suddenly rose up out of the floor like the Freddy Worm in Nightmare on Elm Street 3, and then screamed "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" then I would avoid doing puzzles again for the rest of my life. And that would be a shame.

The Ghost With The Baby Head

By the midway point of "Holy Ghost," I foolishly thought I had a handle on how disturbingly grotesque Lovecraft Country was going to get. Little did I know that I would later be hollering "Nope!" at my TV while trying to traverse all of my body's molecules backwards through my recliner, whether by force or by folly. I will never be able to unsee the adult-sized basketball player ghost with the tiny baby head, and his cries and warbles are forever etched on my eardrums. So, kudos to Misha Green and the effects team, but also, how could you? (Here's Misha Green's explanation for this nightmare creation.)

Everything Involving The Elevator Ghost

Right after Baby Head showed up, one of the doomed neighbors was decapitated by the speeding elevator, and viewers could barely make out that it was operated by a ghost that appeared to be working outside the inner circle of mismatched specters that Leti assumedly liberated from their tortured afterlives. The dark spirit returned in Leti's epilogue sequence, taking the elevator down to a tunnel far underground that not only had the neighbors' corpses, but also way too many skeletons for anything nice and reasonable to have happened. What was up with those symbols that lit up as the elevator descended? Something from the one of the Book's hidden pages?

Tic Trying To Murder Christina

As it went with Leti's car vandalism, I completely understood the core motivation behind Tic's intention to take out another Braithwhite family member before skipping town. But in the moment, I was baffled that such an intelligent character as Tic would attempt to murder a magical being so soon after he was almost killed by a large number of supernatural entities. I guess at that point, he figured his life wouldn't suddenly take a hard left away from otherwordly things trying to murder him, so he might as well try and get a step ahead however possible. Unfortunately, now Christina knows that Tic wanted her dead, even if she looked more aroused by it than anything else, which was another WTF-moment-within-a-WTF-moment.

For more wild and horrifying moments, always remember to tune into Lovecraft Country on HBO every Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. ET. And to see what other shows will get scared up in the near future, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere guide.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched Lovecraft Country's second episode.

With its series premiere, Lovecraft Country gave viewers abundant pulp-horror proof that the 1950s were not a safe place to be black. (As if real life wasn't already proof enough.) Alas, it only took one more episode for the HBO drama to (seemingly) officially kill off its first major character, as Courtney B. Vance's George Freeman died of a gunshot wound delivered by Tony Goldwyn's cultish loon Samuel Braithwhite. But as shocking as it may have been for viewers, Vance himself was not upended by that shocking plot twist.

Even though Jurnee Smollett's Leti is technically shot first in the episode – and she actually dies – Abbey Lee's Christina magically resurrected her to further coerce Jonathan Majors' Tic into taking part in her father's ritual. Sadly, George did not receive that same mystical helping hand, making the character's final 48 hours on the planet a truly weird adventure. Speaking with THR about George's death, Courtney B. Vance pointed to horror's history with people of color, saying:

With some rare exceptions for films such as George Romero's original Night of the Living Dead or Wes Craven's People Under the Stairs, or movies where the main Black lead is the actual villain (as in Candyman), horror films are historically not so kind to Black characters, or any other characters of color. It's definitely one of the genre's most glaring tropes, but one that filmmakers such as Jordan Peele have been course-correcting in recent years. And it's no coincidence that Peele is one of the executive producers on Lovecraft Country.

So yes, in a TV show where nearly all the principal actors are portrayed by Black actors, it was inevitable for Lovecraft Country's first major death to come from that group. (While we can consider Christina and possibly William to be major white characters, ol' Samuel Braithwhite did not make that cut before being turned to dust.) But before George was gone forever, he introduced to viewers the notion that Tic may have been his own son, though Michael K. Williams' Montrose didn't want to hear it. Even without George around in future episodes, that potential truth is presumably going to be an albatross around some of the characters' necks.

Courtney B. Vance spoke to the importance of legacy in a story like this, and for George himself. But in the actor's mind, George's death doesn't have to just be a depressing burden on the others. In his words:

How will George's death affect Tic and Leti as Lovecraft Country goes on? Will they rocket forward in facing the setting's mysterious monsters head-on? Or will they take a step back and approach the situation with the kind of determined logic that George would? Too bad they won't have a big ass mansion to mourn him from, though.

Lovecraft Country airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates, and head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see what else is on the way.

Major spoilers below for those who haven't yet watched the second episode of Lovecraft Country.

Anyone who marveled at the unique weirdness of Lovecraft Country's series premiere wouldn't have been out of line for thinking the HBO horror series would pull back the reins for a more subdued second installment. Yet, "Whitey's on the Moon" was every bit as bonkers as its predecessor, if not more so, as it further developed the show's central narrative and characters. One oddball element that didn't make the list: Gil Scott-Heron's spoken-word poem "Whitey on the Moon" playing over the episode's mystifying climax, which was unpredictably perfect.

Join me once more as I gleefully go through all the most baffling scenes and moments that turned my brain upside-down and inside-out. Now let's start movin' on down to our first WTF entry from Lovecraft Country's second episode.

The Jefferson's Theme Song

Though the series premiere ended with the central trio arriving at the Braithwhite mansion covered in blood, Episode 2 immediately left all that mess behind in the opening seconds, thanks to Ja'Net DuBois' oh-so-familiar voice singing The Jeffersons' theme song "Movin' On Up." As viewers would later find out, both Courtney B. Vance's George and Jurnee Smollett's Leti had lost all memory of the previous monster-filled evening, and both characters found themselves overwhelmingly impressed with their rooms in the mansion, with George surrounded by his favorite books, and Leti finding wardrobe full of outfits that fit perfectly. It was all too good to be true, of course, but for a few culture-clashing minutes there, it felt like everyone had made it up that hill.

Everything About Christina Braithwhite

After first showing up to save Tic, Leti and George from highway racists, Abbey Lee's Christina Braithwhite once again protected the trio from harm in the woods. It turns out she's the one with the magical whistle that sends the monsters away, and she's also the Bible-quoting daughter of Tony Goldwyn's Samuel Braithwhite, the egotistical leader of a freemason-esque group called the Sons of Adam. It's clear that Christina has a helping hand out for Tic & Co., while still following her father's orders (at least before he died), but how will she remain in these characters' lives after everything that went on in this episode?

Samuel's Liver And Onions, Hold The Onions

Who else agrees with me that Tic should have hauled major ass as soon as he saw Samuel getting his liver removed via impromptu tabletop surgery? Sure, Christina's nonchalance was a small sign that things weren't too out of the ordinary, but seriously, how many times could she have seen something like that happening? In any case, it was revealed later that Samuel's liver had been "prepared" for consumption by the Sons of Adam, as part of his wild plan to bring the Garden of Eden to the modern day. It is insane to me that Samuel's entire storyliver, er, storyline got told in a single episode.

The Cow-Monster Birth...Thing

What. The. Fuck. Though. For. Real. Because. What. Is. Happening. Some unidentified kid summoned Christina to go to the barn, where she assisted in the breech birth of what appeared to be a baby Shoggoth, only it came from the body of a normal cow. So did one of the monsters copulate with one of the fertile bovines, or was this somehow done via artificial insemination? (That concept alone is worth its own article.) The birth seemed to be pretty noteworthy among those in the barn, but it wasn't fully clear what was meant when one of the hands asked if Christina had ever done that before. Did he mean delivering a monster-cow hybrid, or just a normal calf? Also, why was she treating the wormlike beast with such motherly affection?

Tic's Waking War Nightmare

While inside the mansion, Tic, Leti and George all dealt with manifestations of their subconscious thoughts. George had a peaceful visit from Tic's mother Dora, who was clearly his lover at one point, while Leti started getting down and dirty with an entity she believed to be Tic. More interesting, though, was Tic's nightmare situation, in which he got into a major brawl with a female soldier presumably from the Korean War.

It was quite the well-choreographed fight, which was awesome, but the most WTF part of it all is that the soldier was played by Jamie Chung, who appeared in the premiere's opening sequence as the red-stained woman who descended from the UFO. After normalcy was restored, Tic mentioned to the others that something horrible happened in the war, though George wouldn't let him get a full confession out. Did he kill that woman? Did he love her?

Umm, Tic Might Be George's Son?

In a super-quick turn of events, the group discovered Michael K. Williams' mansion-escapee Montrose Freeman, and then Leti and George got shot. While Leti survived, George knew his time was running short (more on that lower), so he tried having a final-hour conversation with Montrose about Tic's true parentage, which is apparently up for debate. Given Montrose's angrily defensive reaction, it seems like the brothers had gone down that topical route before, which basically proved that George did indeed have a presumed affair with Dora.

It's clear that Tic takes after George in terms of his literary fandom and the way he isn't instinctively an abusive ass like Montrose is/was. But could George actually be Tic's father, and if so, how would that revelation change Lovecraft Country's narrative?

That Whole Ritual Scene

In most other shows, Lovecraft Country's epic third-act sequence would have happened in the finale, but somehow this mega-bananas situation played out before audiences had a chance to fully grasp what the hell Samuel Braithwhite's plans were. It turns out Tony Goldwyn's self-supremacist was kind of a McGuffin motivator for Tic to become one with his heritage. Power to Lovecraft Country for that effects-heavy sequence (set to the aforementioned "Whitey on the Moon" poem), which temporarily opened up a portal back to the Garden of Eden as Tic became enveloped by the dark energy.

However, it all went to shit for Samuel and the Sons of Adam once Tic inexplicably caught sight of his pregnant ancestor. He raged out and turned everyone else in the room to dust – a really cool visual – before causing the whole damned mansion to collapse in a massive heap. I guess there's no point in getting the cops involved for those whackadoo cultists, but what about Christina and the farmhands and anyone else who lives there?

R.I.P. George

Considering Leti's gunshot wound magically disappeared, I totally expected the same to happen with George by the end of the episode. Yes, even after his conversation with Montrose that we talked about earlier. Surely something happened during Tic's ritual situation that would have also allowed George to survive his injury, right? RIGHT? Sadly, no, that wasn't the case at all.

While George could always resurface down the road in flashbacks or dream sequences, it's a big blow for Lovecraft Country to lose the magnificence of Courtney B. Vance so early on in its first season. Not that the rest of the cast isn't equally brilliant, and to that end, I can't wait to see Aunjanue Ellis get more screen time as she mourns George's death. But still, damn.

Did you guys enjoy all the madness from Episode 2? Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more news and features about Lovecraft Country, which airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see what other new and returning shows are on the way soon, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule.

Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't yet watched Lovecraft Country's series premiere.

When one looks at the entirety of HBO's acclaimed programming, the horror genre is perhaps the most sorely underrepresented in the bunch. That anti-trend is slowly changing, however, and the network's latest original Lovecraft Country is another big step in the right direction, both for horror fanatics and for audiences in general. The proof is more than present in the wacky and disturbing season premiere, "Sundown," which provided viewers with more than enough batshit-crazy moments on Sunday night to keep thinking about on Monday morning.

Showrunner Misha Green and her creative team have kicked off Lovecraft Country's first season in fine form, bringing a stellar live-action cast to the adaptation of Matt Ruff's 2016 novel. By combining the otherworldly "weird fiction" of horror icon H.P. Lovecraft with the author's knowingly prejudiced opinions, Lovecraft Country delivers a pulp-driven trip back in time that feels like it could still take place today, for better or worse. Now let's run down the list of all the premiere episode's most bonkers scenes and WTF moments.

That Opening Nightmare Sequence

With a newsreel-lite aesthetic, Lovecraft Country opened on a Korean War battle scene that transitioned from black-and-white to color as an agog Jonathan Majors' Atticus "Tic" Freeman feasted his eyes on the impossible: a fiery battleground being lit up by UFOs, War of the Worlds-esque pods, a red-stained Jamie Chung, motherfucking Cthulhu and more otherworldly threats.

Then, totally expectedly (he said with heaping sarcasm), MLB legend Jackie Robinson split Cthulhu in half with a baseball bat and walked through the remains before the slimy-as-hell creature reformed itself. Granted, it was all revealed to be a nightmare Tic was having, but you just know it was a sign of...things...to come.

The Simmonsville Car Chase

After that gobsmacker of an opening, Lovecraft Country's premiere settled into its plot formation and character introductions, and had viewers waiting for the next big WTF moment. It happened during an exceedingly misguided diner visit, which quickly led to Tic, Jurnee Smollett's Leti, and Courtney B. Vance's George being chased by rifle-wielding racists, with some in a siren-blaring firetruck. Lest anyone think such bigotry would be limited to citizens' personal vehicles.

The two-car gunfight jumped from the suburbs to the highway, which is where a mysterious silver Bentley entered the picture and caused the racists' car to flip over, presumably killing them all. From the unidentified car stepped Abbey Lee's Christina (though she isn't named yet), whose eye contact with Tic revealed nothing of her motives. But something is definitely weird here, since the other car flipped over without actually hitting anything, so it's not clear what actually caused the accident. Assuming the Bentley didn't have invisible karma ramps connected to its driver-side doors, WTF happened here?

That Sundown Car Chase

Car chases aren't the most prevalent sequences in horror projects, but Lovecraft Country capitalized on the above entry with an even more stomach-churning pursuit. After the trio stopped on the side of the road in frustration, they were approached by a cop whose smile belied his hatred. He warned them that they were in a "sundown town," where non-whites would face threats and violence (and even death) if caught in city/county limits after dusk. Naturally, the sun was already starting to sink towards the horizon, putting everyone in a dangerous spot.

Though the cop let them go – and only after making Tic use a slur against himself – he aggressively followed them to the county line, even ramming into their vehicle during what will go down as one of the most terrifying car chases ever shown on TV, despite topping out at only 25 miles per hour. Thankfully, the protagonists made it out of the county with nary a second to spare, but before anyone could get too excited, Tic & Co. were hit with the gut-punch realization that more cops were blocking the road ahead.

The Monsters' Arrival

Obviously the true monsters in this episode (and entire series) are the racist supremacists spread throughout the country, but Lovecraft Country would have been remiss if it didn't bring out more literary creatures. Just when it seemed like Tic, Leti and George were going to be mercilessly killed and buried in shallow graves, the woods came alive with hungry Shoggoths (presumably), which most definitely did not sound like fucking wolves, Sheriff.

The biggest asshole cop immediately had his arm severed when one monster bit a chunk out of his shoulder, and more wonderfully gory mayhem soon followed. The light-sensitive creatures rocked multitudes of sharp teeth, and their bulky bodies were covered with constantly opening-and-closing eyes. I'm not quite sure how they could be so massive and vicious, but also nimble and agile enough to relatively quietly traverse across treetops without crashing through everything, but that's probably not the mystery I should focus on here.

That Cop's Transformation

I'll admit that while I was flummoxed by the one cop's ability to still walk around and think semi-clearly after his shoulder was turned to blended lasagna, it didn't immediately occur to me that his survival was in service of a monstrous transformation. But that's indeed what ended up happening in the cabin, as Officer White People Only soon succumbed to his wound and started morphing into one of the beasts. And because the other cop was too traumatized to shoot the snarling malformation before him, his dumbass got bitten as well.

Thankfully, Leti saved the day/night by driving the car through the cabin, which sent the cop-monster on the run. Perhaps the bigger WTF element of this scene was Leti's motivation in that moment. A. She was honking the horn a lot and drawing way more attention to herself, and B. she had no way of knowing that Tic and George would be ready and able to try and move out of harm's way before she crashed through the wall. Granted, killing them both would have been a harsh way to end the premiere, but it was still a wild character choice.

The Whistle

Just when it looked like Tic and Leti would have to stay up all night making sure there were enough flares to keep the monsters at bay, a loud whistle suddenly pierced the sky and caused the Shoggoths to retreat. That moment inspired more than a few questions.

The timing of that whistle was certainly key for the protagonists' safety and not the cops', but where did it come from, and who is responsible? And what's the range on that whistle? And are we meant to believe that the monsters have all been trained to react to the sound, or could it be something more evolutionary?

"We've Been Expecting You, Mr. Freeman. Welcome Home."

After surviving a night like none other in their lives, a still-bloodied Tic, Leti and George arrived at their destination in Ardham, which ended up being a massive mansion on a dirt road. There, Tic saw the same silver Bentley from the previous day, and the three were greeted at the door by Jordan Patrick Smith's William (who goes unnamed here). It is William who delivered the above line welcoming Tic "home," but WTF?

First, good on William for being the one white person not to react negatively to Tic, Leti and George, but he didn't bat an eyelash at the three of them being covered in blood. Even if he was expecting them, their distress should have alarmed him in some way. But also, who is he, and why was he expecting them? Does it have something to do with Tic's father, the subject of their cross-country trip? And how is this dude connected with the blonde woman from Simmonsville?

That was one hell of a series premiere, wasn't it? With lots and lots of other horrifying moments yet to come – both in terms of supernatural creatures and super-racist creatures – Lovecraft Country airs Sunday nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage, and head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows are on the way.

Spoilers below for Lovecraft Country's series premiere, so be sure to watch before reading!

Lovecraft Country kicked off its first season on HBO with a monster-filled premiere that introduced audiences to Jonathan Majors' Atticus Freeman and the search for his father, along with his friend Leti (Jurnee Smollet) and his uncle George (Courtney B. Vance). The dramatic horror series is set in the 1950s, where deadly racial tensions ran rampant across the United States, and those tensions inspired one of the most intense car chases I've ever seen, despite also being the slowest car chase I've ever seen.

The premiere's title, "Sundown," is in direct reference to "sundown towns," areas where white residents used any means necessary to keep other races out of town after dark. (Although it's not like they were too friendly during the day, either.) Atticus, Leti and George were first accosted by an intolerant cop and his foreboding warnings about crossing the county line before the sun set, and they remained his target even after they drove away. The cop's intentions of sabotaging their exit, combined with the trio's fear, made it the most harrowing car chase that never exceeded 25 mph.

During a recent Lovecraft Country press junket, I asked star Jonathan Majors if he could talk about bringing that agonizingly engaging car chase to life. Here's what he had to say:

Lovecraft Country is showrunner Misha Green's adaptation of Matt Ruff's 2016 novel, which shined a light on several real-world racial horrors often swept under history's rug, such as sundown towns/counties and the 1921 Tulsa massacre that became far more publicized in the premiere of HBO's Watchmen adaptation in 2019. As hectic as that opening is, Lovecraft's car chase manages to capsulize that same abject terror without any explosions or gunshots. Just two cars driving down the highway at non-blazing speeds.

During our interview with Misha Green, who also co-created the Jurnee Smollet-starring Underground, she brought up that sweat-inducing car chase while generally speaking about mixing real-world historical horrors into the more supernatural storytelling within Lovecraft Country. In her words:

Thankfully, everything we've been taught about H.P. Lovecraft's various gods and monsters not being real is still very much in line with reality. At least for now. I guess there are still quite a few months left for 2020 to make it happen.

On a more serious note, part of my genre fanaticism comes from knowing that 99% of the situations I watch in horror movies and TV shows couldn't possibly ever happen to me or anyone else. However, the terror that I felt while watching Lovecraft Country's car chase, as well as plenty of other moments throughout the season, came from knowing that this shit can, did and does happen to other people simply based on the color of their skin. This obviously isn't new information in and of itself, but it's still a rarely utilized storytelling avenue for horror, and the world is all the better for Misha Green (and executive producer Jordan Peele) bringing it to the forefront in Lovecraft Country.

Everyone get ready for more Lovecraft Country, with new episodes airing every Sunday night on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET. Check out our round-up of the best horror movies on HBO Max, and then head to our 2020 Fall TV premiere schedule to plan for primetime in the months to come.

The more HBO widens the genre scope for its original programming, the better off TV fans will be, with the last ten years serving as concrete proof. For anyone needing another piece of gloriously ghoulish evidence, I present to the room the dramatic horror Lovecraft Country, which follows in the spiritual footsteps of Watchmen, The Outsider and even Tales from the Crypt. (We can also throw Westworld and Game of Thrones in there, in terms of Lovecraft Country putting all of its budget on the screen.) The show is a horror fan's utopia, from the scares to the dread to the bloodlust, but you don't have to be a horror fan to appreciate it.

Set during the 1950s, when extreme segregation was still very much in practice, Lovecraft Country is Underground co-creator Misha Green's take on the acclaimed 2016 novel written by Matt Ruff. Without going into spoilers (either now or at any point below), the show basically follows a group of people in search of a lost family member that unwittingly enter a dark part of the country where horror legend H.P. Lovecraft's monsters are just as present as the author's well-documented racist and elitist beliefs. Now let's go a little deeper into the many reasons why Lovecraft Country is a horror triumph that any HBO viewer should appreciate.

Lovecraft Country Embraces All Forms Of Horror

H.P. Lovecraft's name is mentioned right there in the title of the show, so you already know otherworldly monsters will be afoot, and that things get pretty fucking weird pretty damned quick. But Lovecraft Country isn't wholly inspired by its namesake, taking a far more broad approach to the genre with its literary pulp flag flying high. Showrunner Misha Green and her creative team take the story to other supernatural places beyond ancient monsters, with lots of psychological terror, dread, practical gore, dark mysticism, and shocking visuals placed throughout the season. I'll end this by saying there were at least two brain-spinning moments in the episode "Holy Ghost" that caused me to holler "Nope!" at my TV.

But It's Not ALL Horror

As much as Lovecraft Country encompasses the entire horror spectrum, the story is a very relevant and eye-opening window into "sundown towns" and other heinous historical artifacts. Indeed, much of the series' dread specifically comes from how the writers and directors approach racially charged encounters, since those moments are all the more horrific for being based on fact instead of fantastical stories. Lovecraft Country is also very much a story about Jonathan Majors' Atticus Freeman deepening relationships with his street smart uncle George (Courtney B. Vance), his absentee father Montrose (Michael K. Williams), and his friend Leti Lewis (Lurnee Smollet), as well as Leti and her sister Ruby's (Wunmi Mosaku) attempts to make a better life for themselves and others. Love, hope and an impossible search for the American Dream resonate in the spaces surrounding the visual frights.

Lovecraft Country's Cast Is Amazing

Everyone in the show can get name-checked for bringing true dramatic weight to this horror project. Both True Blood vet Jurnee Smollet and Da 5 Bloods' Jonathan Majors get to evolve Leti and Atticus from episode to episode in ways not often depicted in the genre. (Smollet delivers perhaps the most powerful performance I've ever seen in a scene involving ghostly entities.) The People v. O.J. Simpson's Courtney B. Vance and When They See Us' Aunjanue Ellis are expectedly polished as Atticus' uncle and aunt George and Hippolyta Freeman, and their characters' stories also take unexpected turns. The same goes for Montrose Freeman, as played by The Wire's Michael K. Williams, who shared the same role as Majors in the miniseries When We Rise. Rounding things out are equally excellent performances from Lux Æterna's Abbey Lee, Vikings' Jordan Patrick Smith, and Luther's Wunmi Mosaku, with Scandal's Tony Goldwyn also making a bafflingly odd appearance.

The Locations And Sets Are Eye-Popping, Too

HBO seemingly spared no expense for Misha Green's Lovecraft Country and its visual splendor, even if "American in the 1950s" doesn't sound like eye candy. From the period-decorated towns to the lushness of the Braithwhite's mansion to the mysterious underground locations, there's always something interesting to behold. (Not to mention the monsters and other horror-centric sequences.) Even seemingly normal sets like the central house in Episode 3 are turned into something more magnificent through the narrative and cinematography. And you can see it all, too, since Lovecraft Country thankfully doesn't suffer from a dearth of brightness that sometimes plague shows like Game of Thrones and The Outsider.

And The Effects Are Awesomely Freaky

Okay, so non-horror fans probably won't appreciate this as much, but Lovecraft Country hits it out of the park in terms of mixing its practical and digital effects. The Lovecraftian monsters are enjoyably weird and nasty-looking, while other CGI entities are equally nightmarish in different ways, and it all looks great. On the gore side of things, the show reaches moments that truly feel like they'd be taken from 1958's The Fly if David Cronenberg went back in time and directed that one first. Even though it won't mean anything to anyone just yet, let's just say that Ruby's story goes there.

Lovecraft Country Comes From Misha Green And Jordan Peele

Noted horror fanatic Misha Green has worked on a variety of popular fanbase-friendly shows such as Heroes and Sons of Anarchy, and expertly blended terror with American history with the cancelled-too-soon Underground. So much of what she's learned is on display in Lovecraft Country, from embracing certain tropes to upending others, and telling important stories without being overtly maudlin or melodramatic. It probably doesn't hurt that comedy and horror superstar Jordan Peele serves as an executive producer, considering the brilliant Get Out and Us laid the groundwork for a new rise in horror projects from Black filmmakers and other people of color.

Music Is Utilized In Very Interesting Ways

Misha Green created an unexpectedly evocative sonic soundscape for Lovecraft Country, which brings an assortment of audio formats and genres to viewers' ears. Certain scenes are set to a haunting orchestral score, while others will be set to anachronistic bass-bumping tracks from Cardi B and other rap/hip-hop stars. Then there are scenes set to soulful live music performances, inspirational speeches, and even a Nike commercial. And it just wouldn't be a gothic monster-piece if there weren't a couple of Marilyn Manson songs thrown into the mix, amirite?

While I'm not naive enough to think that absolutely everyone everywhere will fall in love with HBO's Lovecraft Country, I certainly hope to change the minds of anyone who hears about Lovecraft Country and wants to avoid it for being a horror series, or for telling racially timely stories. Watch this shit. But first, check out the full trailer for Lovecraft Country below.

So whether you absolutely adore horror or you tend to be more skittish about genre TV, Lovecraft Country deserves a chance to win you over. Check out the series premiere on HBO when it airs Sunday, August 16, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see what other shows are coming in the near future, head to our Fall TV 2020 premiere schedule.

2020 obviously didn’t go as planned, but Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey is still one of the most high profile releases to come out this year. The DC spinoff had Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn finding a group of gal pals to take down Ewan McGregor’s scene-stealing Black Mask after her break up with Jared Leto’s Joker. Months after its release, we still have no idea if Warner Bros has a Birds sequel in the works. If the call should come, here’s how Black Canary actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell would answer:

Not only would she do it, Jurnee Smollett told EW she’d jump at the opportunity “in a heartbeat.” The 33-year-old actress could not say if there’s been any internal discussions about another Birds of Prey, but she’s still as enthusiastic about the character as ever nonetheless. For now, the actress is gearing up to star in the new fantasy horror HBO series Lovecraft Country produced by Get Out’s Jordan Peele.

Birds of Prey introduced mainstream audiences to Dinah Lance, previously seen on television with Katie Cassidy’s portrayal on CW’s Arrow. The February release also included Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress, Rosie Perez’s Renee Montoya and Ella Jay Basco’s Cassandra Cain into the DCEU mix. The movie itself ended up being a primarily Harley Quinn-centric story, but still served as a great vehicle to get viewers intrigued by the Birds of Prey team from the comics.

Unfortunately for the movie, it performed under expectations for a comic book blockbuster, making $201 million worldwide against a $84 million production budget. Birds of Prey holds as the lowest grossing DCEU movie to date, under the $363 million of 2019’s Shazam, which is already set for a sequel.

If the numbers were better for Birds of Prey, we may already have heard about a sequel. But it's not outside of the realm of possibility either for the Birds of Prey to return. Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is still a major player in the DC Universe since she is set to show up in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad next summer. Even if another Birds of Prey movie is out the window, Jurnee Smolett’s Black Canary could find a place in another DC movie.

Margot Robbie and Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson are reportedly working on a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie together for Disney. Does that mean they are moving on from the DC property? Birds of Prey is set to debut on HBO Max August 15, so maybe that could boost the audience for that film? You can also check out Jurnee Smollett in Lovecraft Country on HBO starting August 16.

Warner Bros. has quite a few different DC projects in the works, but it looks like its fast-tracking Birds of Prey. The movie will team up Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn with DC heroes Huntress and Black Canary, both of whom were cast this week. Mary Elizabeth Winstead will be taking on the role of Huntress while Jurnee Smollett-Bell landed Black Canary. We've still got a while before we see any stills of the two in costume, but the internet is wasting little time to fill in the gap. Check out this fan rendering of Smollett-Bell as Black Canary.

from r/DC_Cinematic

There's never any shortage of fan art when it comes to superhero movies, and we can expect a wave of Birds of Prey art to hit the web before the movie starts releasing its content. Until then, one Redditor by the name of IamTsukasa as shared their take on Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary. The art takes heavy inspiration from Arrow's version of the character over on the CW. (In fact, it might be the same costume. The Arrow Cave is used as a background). Regardless, this is a decent look at what Smollett-Bell could look like, but I think that the movie costume won't take much inspiration from the CW.

Black Canary has gone through a few different costumes (and origins) in the comics, but the majority typically involve fishnet stockings. It'll be interesting to see what direction the movie takes it, as Black Canary -- like many female superheroes -- has a history of being sexed up in the comics, and I doubt fans want to see that reflected in a major motion picture.

For those who may not be familiar, Black Canary is a street-level superhero in DC Comics. She's one of the best martial artists around, and she possesses a sonic blast that she calls her "Canary Cry." Her origin can be a bit complicated, as she has been rebooted and retconned a few times. At one point she was a founder of the Justice League, and at another, she was the daughter of the first Black Canary and picked up her mantle. She's usually romantically linked to Green Arrow, forming one of DC's power couples. Additionally, she's a frequent member of the Birds of Prey, an all-female crime-fighting team.

Very little is known about the plot of Birds of Prey, but it will be Black Canary's debut in the DCEU. Cathy Yan will direct based on a script written by Christina Hodson. Warner Bros. is eyeing a release date of February 7, 2020. For more movie news and updates, be sure to stick with CinemaBlend, and we'll keep you posted as soon as that information is available.

The DCEU is making its boldest move yet with Harley Quinn's Birds of Prey movie. Instead of getting her own solo film, the Suicide Squad standout is returning with a new badass squad.

The Birds of Prey are definitely a famous comic book team, but they aren't nearly as recognizable as the Justice League or The Bat Family. With that in mind, we have compiled a handy guide to help get you up to speed on the basics of Birds of Prey before the movie comes out in 2020. Let's start with the big trailer:

She's Harley frickin' Quinn! But let's focus...

What Is The Official Birds Of Prey Movie Title?

Margot Robbie, a.k.a. Harley Quinn, revealed in an Instagram photo that the full title of the movie is Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). It is a mouthful! Harley co-creator Paul Dini said he loves the title, and the photo Robbie posted of the script, calling it "classic Quinnsanity" for a character who often scribbles "wacky thoughts" all over things like her therapist's pad. The title also works as a tongue-in-cheek riff off the movie Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). Bird humor never gets old!

What Is The Birds Of Prey Release Date?

Birds of Prey is currently scheduled for release on February 7, 2020. It follows DCEU movie releases Aquaman (December 21, 2018) and Shazam! (April 5, 2019) and precedes Wonder Woman 1984 (June 5, 2020). Birds of Prey was previously set to open on Valentine's Day 2020, but it was moved back one week, so it wouldn't conflict with Bond 25, which was opening that February 14 but moved itself to April 2020 anyway.

What Is The Birds Of Prey Rating?

Birds of Prey is currently confirmed to be rated R. That's in line with what Margot Robbie wanted when she pitched the idea of "an R-rated girl gang film." She wanted her Harley Quinn to be part of it, but not have it be a solo film. If this R rating holds, it will be the DCEU's first R-rated release. Robbie's Harley first appeared in Suicide Squad, but that film had the usual PG-13 rating for DCEU films. This will be an edgy departure, following the successes of other R-rated comic book films like Fox's Deadpool and Logan.

When Did Birds Of Prey Start Filming?

Birds of Prey reportedly started filming in January 2019 in Los Angeles, under the working title Fox Force Five, and ended filming in April 2019. The working title intel came from Production Weekly (via Pursue News), and Pulp Fiction fans should recognize it. It's the name of the TV show Pulp character Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) was working on, following an all-female team of secret agents. So between Birdman and Pulp Fiction, Birds of Prey is already off to an early start with sly pop culture references. The script for Birds of Prey was written by Christina Hodson and the film is being directed by relative newcomer, Dead Pigs director Cathy Yan. She's only the second woman to direct a film for the DCEU, after Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins. She's also the first Asian woman to ever direct a superhero movie.

What Is The Plot Of Birds Of Prey?

Warner Bros. has yet to release an official synopsis for Birds of Prey, but here's what the film is reportedly about: Harley Quinn is said to bring this girl gang together, with Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Black Canary, and Rosie Perez's Detective Renee Montoya protecting Ella Jay Basco's Cassandra Cain after she comes across a diamond belonging to crime boss Roman Sionis, a.k.a. Black Mask, played by Ewan McGregor. In DC Comics, the Birds of Prey lineup has expanded over the years, but the covert ops and crimefighting team is usually anchored by Batgirl/Oracle (aka Barbara Gordon), Black Canary (Dinah Laurel Lance), and the Huntress (Helena Bertinelli).

Harleen Quinzel a.k.a. Harley Quinn - Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie was a scene-stealer in Suicide Squad, and her Harley returns to lead this semi-spinoff. Before she met and fell in love with the Joker, Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a psychiatrist assigned to Arkham Asylum. The DC Comics villain was voiced by Arleen Sorkin in Batman: The Animated Series, and played by Mia Sara in The WB's 2002 Birds of Prey TV series. The DCEU is reportedly still working on David Ayer's Gotham City Sirens movie, with Robbie's Harley Quinn returning and working with Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy. But first, Harley is working with more traditionally heroic crime fighters, the Birds of Prey.

Margot Robbie's star has only risen since Suicide Squad was released in 2016. In the past two years, she has landed a series of high profile projects -- including Queen Elizabeth I in Mary Queen of Scots and Sharon Tate in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. She also picked up her first Oscar nomination for I, Tonya, which she also produced. She's the perfect choice to lead her own film, but it says a lot about her collaborative spirit that she preferred this film to be an ensemble rather than a Harley spinoff.

Dinah Laurel Lance a.k.a Black Canary - Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Jurnee Smollett-Bell was cast as crime fighter Black Canary. The CW's Arrow-verse recently brought the Black Canary mythology into the mainstream with the character played by played by Katie Cassidy. Dinah Lance, a.k.a Black Canary, is one of the best hand-to-hand combatants in the entire DC universe, and her abilities are further bolstered by her sonic "Canary Cry" power, which can shatter glass and burst eardrums. The prospect of Black Canary making an appearance in a Birds of Prey movie is exciting on its own, but also because it also lays possible groundwork for the DCEU to introduce her mentor, Wildcat, as well as her longtime boyfriend, Green Arrow.

Smollett-Bell broke out as young Eve in the 1997 film Eve's Bayou, and had a lead role in Denzel Washington's 2007 film The Great Debaters. She followed that with series regular roles as Jess Merriweather on Friday Night Lights and Nicole Wright in True Blood. This superhero film will be a departure for her, but it should also be a great showcase.

Helena Bertinelli a.k.a Huntress - Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Mary Elizabeth Winstead will play Huntress, who has had several iterations in the DC world. According to Variety, Birds of Prey will show her as a former mafia princess who was devastated at a young age when her family was killed in a mob hit. That turns her into a vigilante, and ultimately leads her to join the Birds of Prey team. Typically operating out of Gotham City (and often considered an honorary member of The Bat Family), Huntress has become known for her generally violent tactics, as well as her trademark use of a crossbow as her primary weapon. Most non-comic book readers will likely remember the villainous portrayal of the character during the first two seasons of The CW's Arrow. Although she is not an original member of the Birds of Prey organization, she has become inextricable from the team, and generally considered one of its most recognizable members.

Winstead will reunite with her Fargo Season 3 co-star Ewan McGregor in Birds of Prey. She was a standout in 10 Cloverfield Lane, and already has comic book adaptation experience from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, which helps get us excited to see her wield a crossbow as Huntress.

Detective Renee Montoya - Rosie Perez

Fearless Oscar nominee Rosie Perez has been cast as Gotham City Police Department Detective Renee Montoya. Renee Montoya was created for Batman: The Animated Series and returned for The New Batman Adventures. She has previously been depicted in Gotham, Batman: Bad Blood and Batman: The Telltale Series. In the comics, Renee is also one of the DC universe's most prominent gay characters. At one point in the comics, she became The Question, following her mentor Vic Sage.

It's not clear yet if Birds of Prey will include The Question aspect of Renee Montoya's story or if she'll stick to being a police detective. But, since Rosie Perez was interested enough to take the role, hopefully that means they gave her character a lot of good material.

Cassandra Cain a.k.a. Batgirl - Ella Jay Basco

Young Ella Jay Basco will make her film debut as Cassandra Cain. In the comics, Cassandra is a teenager/young adult, but in Birds of Prey the half-Asian Cassandra will be a child. Cassandra Cain was introduced in the comics as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva. The child prodigy was raised to become a skilled martial artist and assassin. Weirdly enough, Cassandra was taught not to speak; instead, the parts of her brain normally used for speech were trained to read other people's movements and body language. She ultimately became one of Barbara Gordon/Oracle's field agents. Cassandra is one of several characters who have assumed the role of Batgirl. In the comics, Cassandra also goes by the name Orphan.

This will be a breakout role for Ella Jay Basco, whose first credit was as 3-year-old Evelyn Yu in the "Perfect Storm" episode of Grey's Anatomy back in 2013. Since then, she's only had a few TV series roles, and this will be her first movie. What a way to make a debut!

Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask - Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor will be playing Birds of Prey's villain, Black Mask, Deadline confirmed. His Roman Sionis is a mob boss who leads the False Facers gang. Roman came from a rich family, and his parents cared more about that wealth than him. They'd drag him to parties and force him to be friends with other rich young Gothamites like Bruce Wayne. Roman hated his parents' fakeness -- their masks. When they died in a suspicious fire he inherited the Janus Cosmetics Corporation but drove it into the ground, leaving the door open for a Wayne Industries buyout. So, Roman came to hate Bruce Wayne. He carved a mask from his father's black coffin, hence the name, and eventually became one of Gotham's most ruthless crime lords.

This won't be the first time Ewan McGregor plays a villain, or joins a blockbuster franchise, but he did play Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequels, so it's definitely a departure. Some of us still know the Scottish actor best from Trainspotting and singing in Mouin Rouge! He took a rare trip to TV to join fellow Birds of Prey star Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Fargo Season 3, and right before this movie opens he'll play grown-up Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep. We're definitely looking forward to seeing what McGregor brings to the dark role of Black Mask.

Victor Zsasz - Chris Messina

The most recent addition to the Birds of Prey cast is actor Chris Messina as villain Victor Zsasz. In the comic, Victor is a self-mutilating serial killer. For every life he takes, he carves a mark on his body. Since his entire body is covered in cuts, you can see how many lives he's taken. Victor was once a successful business man in Gotham, but he gambled everything and lost to The Penguin. Victor was about to jump off a bridge when he was attacked by a homeless man. (Only in Gotham can you be attacked mid-suicide.) Victor murdered the homeless man in self-defense, and that inspired him to kill as many people as possible.

Chris Messina is one of those actors who seems to have been in everything, from Six Feet Under and The Mindy Project to Vicky Christina Barcelona and Away We Go. This is definitely a new direction for him, and it further illustrates the bold choices being made for this DC film.

Other Confirmed Actors

Two other actors have been confirmed to be a part of Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) at this point, but we don't know much about either of the characters they'll be playing. Comedian Ali Wong, who's best known for her two Netflix specials (Baby Cobra and Hard Knock Wife) and her work on ABC's American Housewife, has been tapped to play someone working alongside Renee Montoya in Gotham law enforcement. We don't know right now if this means she's another cop or someone else working for the GCPD, or if she's a lawyer, but it should be fun to watch Wong bring her manic energy to the film either way.

Actor Robert Catrini has also been added to the film, but his role is being kept super mysterious for now. Catrini is a character actor with over 100 film and TV credits dating back to 1995, and has appeared in shows such as Law & Order, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ally McBeal, General Hospital, 24, Criminal Minds, True Blood and Homeland.

Other Birds Of Prey Characters Who Could Appear

So far, Birds of Prey has yet to cast Barbara Gordon, and it's possible they will leave the daughter of Commissioner James Gordon behind. But, we'll see. Plenty of other characters have rotated through the Birds of Prey roster over the years. Potential additions to the cast include, but are certainly not limited to, Katana, Hawkgirl, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy -- although major roles for Poison Ivy and Catwoman may be saved for Gotham City Sirens, if that ever gets off the ground. It's also worth noting that the Birds of Prey team lineup is not inherently exclusive to women; male heroes like Nightwing and Blue Beetle have taken up honorary positions among the roster at various points throughout their publication history.

How Does Harley Quinn Relate To The Birds Of Prey?

Given the fact that the Birds of Prey often operate out of Gotham City, they have come into conflict with Harley Quinn numerous times over the course of their publication history. It's not clear yet how Birds of Prey will connect Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn to the heroines, but Mary Elizabeth Winstead said the movie is sort of a Suicide Squad spinoff, with Harley bringing the girl gang together. The Birds of Prey have worked with villains in the past, and Harley Quinn has definitely proven herself willing to cooperate with others when it benefits her.

How Does Birds Of Prey Connect To The DCEU?

Birds of Prey will be the eighth film in the DC Extended Universe, following Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, and Shazam! Birds of Prey will be released nearly a year after Shazam!'s April 5, 2019 opening, but -- as of this moment -- just four months before Wonder Woman 1984 arrives on June 5, 2020.

We'll have to see if Birds of Prey includes a connection to the Wonder Woman sequel. Wonder Woman 1984 started filming well before Birds of Prey, and it was originally scheduled to open toward the end of 2019, before Birds of Prey's current release. Now that the dates have been switched, Birds of Prey may include some kind of segue into the next chapter of Wonder Woman's story -- even if that story is another prequel, this time set in the 1980s.

If you're a fan of Friday Night Lights who also happens to watch Parenthood, you may have noticed that Jason Katims has a tendency to bring actors from his previous series over to the current one. It's likely how we got Michael B. Jordan, Minka Kelley and Matt Lauria, among others. And soon we can add Jurnee Smollett, another FNL beauty who's been cast to play a role in the NBC drama series. Smollett is set for a recurring role in Friday Night Lights' approaching fifth season.

TVline posted the news, stating that Smollett will recur as Heather Hall, "a smart, feisty, up-and-coming political dynamo" who - SPOILER alert! - is hired by Kristina to be her campaign manager. Kristina's running for local office! There's plenty of potential for interesting plot developments there, especially if her obligations to the campaign conflict with her responsibilities to her family and particularly to Max, who's always needed a bit of extra attention. I'm also wondering if Heather Hall will turn out to be a friend to Kristina? Or could she pose some competition to her down the line? That's probably thinking a bit far ahead.

As mentioned, Smollett is a Friday Night Lights alum, having played Jess Merriweather in the series. If it's BBQ that you crave in Dillon, Jess was the girl to go to. In addition to managing the family business, Jess also looked after her three younger brothers and she lead the East Dillon Spirit Squad. Go Lions! More recently, we've seen Smollett fighting the good fight as pro-supernatural activist Nicole Wright on True Blood. She also appeared in the short-lived medical dramas Do No Harm and The Mob Doctor. And amidst her numerous small-screen roles, she toyed with infidelity in Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. The movie wasn't particularly great - a bit on the melodramatic side if you ask me - but Smollett carried the lead well. And she's pretty great in everything she's in, so I have no trouble seeing her fitting in well at Parenthood.

Smollett's casting follows word that fellow Friday Night Lights alum Matt Lauria would be returning to the series for Season 5. Lauria's character is involved with Amber in the series, while newcomers David Denman and Linda Walger are signed on for arcs involving Julia and Joel. Denman will play a volunteer and stay-at-home-Dad who connects with Julia, while Walger will have something to do with Joel's work situation and she says or does something that upsets Julia over her own situation as a full-time Mom. Ray Romano is also set to return for Season 5, which relates to Sarah's story.

Smollett's role fills in another blank in the series, related to another branch on the Braverman family - this one Kristina and Adam. Hopefully we'll hear some news about what's going on with Crosby and Jasmine.

HBO got pretty busy on Friday, teasing fans with a ton of new images from the show’s upcoming sixth season, which is set to premiere on June 16. With under a month to go before the new episodes appear, the subscription cable network has been busy sending teaser and trailers fan’s way. The set of twenty pictures released via Facebook is really the motherload in terms of giving us a sneak peak at the future of the series, although the images don’t tell us much about where the plot will go.

At the end of True Blood’s fifth season, shit hit the fan with the Authority. The final few scenes offer a pretty big payoff for viewers, as well as a pretty big cliffhanger leading into Season 6. I’m assuming the top image will come sometime early in the season, when Sookie and Tara are dealing with the aftermath of a faction of vampires gone rogue, as well as Lilith’s big choice.

In addition to some action shots, we also get some first looks at some of this season’s newest recurring characters and guest stars. Rutger Hauer’s first image shows about how excellent his character, Niall Brigant, physically looks, with wild hair and a splendid tailored costume. Additionally, we get a first glance at Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s character, Nicole Wright, Arliss Howard’s Governor Truman Burrell, and Rob Kazinksy’s Ben Flynn. Check out tons of other new stills, below.

True Blood's sixth season premieres on June 16 at 9 p.m. ET.

True Blood is busy gearing up for Season 6 and has added two more names to the cast. Friday Night Lights’ and The Defenders’ Jurnee Smollett and 90210’s Amelia Rose Blaire have both joined the cast for the show’s new episodes. While Smollett will have a more prominent role, whether or not Blaire will stick around is likely dependent on performance, as well as the writers.

According to Deadline, the two women will be joining the cast in very different roles. Smollett is set to play Nicole Wright, a woman who doesn’t worry too much about her cash flow, but does worry about her morals and those of others. Smollett has spent the last couple of years jumping into movie roles as well as a couple of episodes of The Mob Doctor, but her role on True Blood will be another regular gig.

Blaire is joining the cast as the daughter of True Blood newcomer, Governor Burrell, who will be played by Arliss Howard. Blaire’s character, Willa Burrell, does not particularly get along with her father, or his anti-vampire policies. However, Governor Burrell’s and his daughter’s family problems run much deeper, as her mother and his wife left them for a vamp. Currently, Blaire’s role is only recurring, but as noted before, dependent on performance and writing, the young lady could very well become a series regular. And with a potential vampire war teased at the end of last season, I wouldn’t be shocked if vampire politics were front and center in Season 6.

HBO’s True Blood is set to premiere in June.