https://www.cinemablend.com/television/last-few-seasons-of-the-west-wing-often-criticized-but-i-want-to-talk-about-one-great-final-season-episodeI’ve said this a few times now, but the 2025 movie schedule has been loaded with great horror experiences. From the soulful and thought-provoking Sinners to the white-knuckle thrill ride that was 28 Years Later to the madness of Weapons, there have been some great thrills and chills on the big screen. And while there are still a few more horror flicks coming out before year’s end, there’s one I have to see: Coyotes.

As someone who has had more than a few run-ins with those peculiar canines over the years, the upcoming horror movie starring the dynamic duo of Justin Long and Kate Bosworth as a family being hunted by coyotes seems right up my alley, even if I’m afraid it’ll hit too close to home. That said, I’m on board for Colin Minihan’s next creature feature…

No Matter Where I Go, I Can't Seem To Escape Coyotes

A few days ago, I prepared to let my chickens out of their coop and noticed my six hens were losing their minds (like, more than usual), which I thought was strange. But before I could get outside, I saw a massive coyote on the other side of the fence just sitting there watching them in their collective state of panic. This isn’t the only run-in I’ve had with these canines since moving into my house three years ago, as we see them walking in the woods or hear them going wild whenever an ambulance drives by at night.

It was even worse when I lived in a small farming community in the heart of Illinois. From hearing about my father-in-law having to scare a pack away when he was working on his pond to watching a group of farmers hunt a few in the fields to watching them run by my house, I’m like a magnet for these big pups.

This Is What Makes Me So Excited For Coyotes

Though I’ve never been hunted or attacked by a coyote, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a close call. Honestly, that’s what makes me so excited for Coyotes. When I saw the Coyotes trailer a couple of weeks ago, and was welcomed into an outrageously violent and darkly humorous story about a family being hunted by a pack of angry canines, I was blown away by the concept and bloody kills teased throughout its two-and-a-half-minute runtime.

This movie looks over-the-top in all the best ways. I mean, with Achilles tendons being ripped out, fingers being bitten off, and people being set ablaze, there’s going to be some gnarly kills here. Add a character that looks like a modern-day Delbert McClintock from the terrifying ‘90s horror flick Arachnophobia, and you have yourself a damn good time on the horizon.

However, Can Justin Long Survive Two Horror Movies In 2025?

Justin Long has been in his fair share of horror movies over the years, and more times than not, his characters bite the dust in bloody and spectacular fashion. From Jeepers Creepers to Barbarian, Long has essentially become the Sean Bean of the horror genre, and it’s honestly one of the funniest running gags in Hollywood. That changed this summer when he played the father of a missing child in Weapons, but it got me wondering…

Will Justin Long’s character survive Coyotes? Is the universe really going to allow us to enjoy two movies where he doesn’t meet some bloody end in the same year? God, I hope so. But at the same time, it would be more good, bloody fun.

I plan on seeing Coyotes as soon as it hits theaters on October 3, but maybe I’ll put the chickens back in their coop before I leave, so I don’t have to worry about a tense run-in with my canine neighbor.

Dave Franco and Alison Brie are now among real-life couples who’ve starred in horror movies, thanks to their 2025 movie release, Together. The body horror film sees Brie and Franco play a couple on the outs, who literally come “together” due to a supernatural force. Now, it would seem that after Franco and Brie, another notable couple has lined up a scary movie. Husband-and-wife duo Justin Long and Kate Bosworth are headlining a horror movie as well, and it sounds like a wild one!

News of Kate Bosworth and Justin Long's new movie comes courtesy of THR. The scary flick is called Coyotes, and it's set to debut at Fantastic Fest on September 20th. A horror-comedy directed by Colin Minihan, the flick centers around a family targeted by coyotes in their Hollywood Hills home. If that doesn't sound like a true nightmare, then I don't know what does.

While there have been plenty scary animal movies that involve dinosaurs, sharks, bears, and even dogs, I’ve never seen one that involves coyotes as the main threat. With one of the well-known traits of the canine breed being their distinct vocals with which they call each other, there's plenty of creepy potential for this film. Should the filmmakers achieve their goal of delivering a frightening tale, fans may hear ominous howls long after the credits roll.

“Scream King” Justin Long has actually collaborated with his wife -- to whom he's been married since 2023 and shares a child with -- in the horror genre before. They were both part of the cast of Barbarian, with Bosworth making a vocal cameo. Both also co-starred in House of Darkness (which is streamable with a Hulu subscription). The prospect of seeing the couple work together again is exciting, but I also just love their general interactions with each other.

Bosworth and Long proved they were couple goals the year they tied the knot when the Jeepers Creepers actor penned a sweet 40th birthday tribute to his then-future wife. The Blue Crush actress returned the favor with lovey-dovey photos of the couple that could make anyone believe in love. Coyotes likely won't be a mushy film, but I'm still eager to see how Long and Bosworth's natural chemistry manifests on screen.

There’s something special about real-life couples co-starring in horror flicks. What's satisfying about Together is that it contributes to the body horror wave, and, on top of that, it showcases the genuine chemistry of Dave Franco and Alison Brie. The combination of intimacy and unsettling terror is palpable and, collectively, it's enough to make audiences root for the two protagonists to beat the curse that's fusing them.

Still, Dave Franco and Alison Brie, it’s time to step aside for Kate Bosworth and Justin Long, who could prove with Coyotes that they're also a couple capable of delivering true frights by way of the silver screen. Be sure to keep an eye out for developments on Long and Bosworth's film, and be sure to check out Together in theaters now!

While the podcasting market continues to expand, with everyone and their mom seeming to have one, there truly are some gems on the airwaves. Regardless of your familiarity and regularity in dabbling, where does one start? As someone who dabbles in a few series and loves a good pop culture injection of any form, a celebrity-hosted show can offer a lot! These stars’ pods cover plenty of ground from BTS on favorite sets to politics to emotionally forward conversations. If you’re lost, in a rut or just looking for another stellar title to add to your audio arsenal, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive in!

Oprah’s Super Soul - Oprah Winfrey

We know her, we love her, and the dynamic Oprah Winfrey continues to evolve and push interviewing bounds. Super Soul is more or less an adaptation of her inspiration and often a spiritual talk show that ran through the early 2020s. Be prepared to hear some deep conversations if you aren’t already, though we all know it tends to come with the unmistakable Hollywood giant.

Literally! With Rob Lowe - Rob Lowe

The 61-year-old Hollywood vet has wide-ranging conversations with plenty of well-known professionals. Whether it's well-established or rising stars in movies and TV, music or sports, Lowe jumps right in with them. And as a member of The Brat Pack, the pull he has with landing guests is pretty impressive and diverse.

Renegades: Born In The USA - Barak Obama, Bruce Springsteen

Though it only ran for one season and has 8 episodes to its name, the former president and The Boss’ collab rocked. Their conversations consisted of the changing dynamics of the USA through the lens of music, personal happenings, fatherhood and future revitalization. They also share their backstory on how the friendship and pod came to be.

Goop - Gwyneth Paltrow

Paltrow and Goop’s virality continues to regularly break the internet (especially those body-forward scented candles). But the Hollywood A-lister and her empire went to new heights with the addition of their own podcast, which she hosts. Naturally, it dives in holistically to grander topics with today’s ‘brightest thinkers and culture changers’ to dissect the conversation at hand.

Wiser Than Me - Julia Louis-Dreyfus

As always, when Louis-Dreyfus commits to a project, she knocks a role out of the park. One of her most recent titles as host of Wiser Than Me is no different; her interviewing women who are expert veterans in their given career is a true delight. She’s had everyone from Jane Goodall to Jane Fonda, and she’s just getting going.

Good Hang - Amy Poehler

Don’t overlook the Parks & Rec star’s Good Hang, even though it may be one of the newest entries on the list. Poehler’s sunshine bright vibes radiate through the show while she chats with A-list Hollywood names. But the most signature part shines through when she has a mini cameo from a friend of the guest who praises them ahead of the main convo. (If you haven’t seen or know where the viral clip of Rachel Dratch fumbling with headphones on a Zoom, now you do.)

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend - Conan O’Brien

In the comedian’s corner of the interview world, you can certainly expect his signature smart silliness he has brought to the masses over the decades. But why did he jump into the world? As the title implies, and per his summary, O’Brien realized after years of interviewing celebs, ‘the only people at his holiday party are the men and women who work for him,’ and wanted to change that.

Fly On The Wall - David Spade, Dana Carvey

While not an outright Saturday Night Live podcast, two huge alums, Spade and Carvey, lead this industry-leaning show. The pair has their fair share of guests and covers plenty of Studio 8H lore depending on who’s with them that week. Beyond the sketch show conversations, they often jump into current pop culture, current events and even fan-submitted fare.

Bill Gates And Rashida Jones Ask Big Questions - Bill Gates, Rashida Jones

Gates and Jones came together at the beginning of the pandemic in search of musing about some big questions. Though there are only five episodes, nothing seems off the table, from climate change to the psychology behind lying. But the unexpected co-hosts tackle these larger sociological and worldly topics with intentionality and ease.

The Big Podcast With Shaq - Shaquille O'Neal

The dynamic retired basketball player continues to surprise us with his plays (he just confirmed he was a Swiftie on the Kelces’ pod), and did just that when he kicked off his new podcast network by way of his own. Aptly named, Shaq and co-host Adam Lefkoe, of course, talk sports among themselves and alongside guests, but also hit a range of topics.

Minnie Questions - Minnie Driver

The Good Will Hunting actress’ offering sets up each interview through seven thoughtful questions. Though each question is relatively simple, it’s proven time and again that it unearths quite a conversation. Her therapy session meets fireside chat structure stands apart from other celebrity podcasts since its intention dives into a soulful exploration of life’s questions.

All There Is With Anderson Cooper - Anderson Cooper

While plenty of entries on the list cover an array of subjects from casual conversations, behind-the-scenes Hollywood magic and love and relationships, Cooper dives into loss (which he’s experienced multiple times over since childhood). What started as the beloved CNN news anchor processing the passing of his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, and the ins and outs that go along with it, has blossomed into something much more. He’s built a safe ground for guests and listeners alike to reflect and process the big topic.

Red Table Talk - Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris

The multi-generational, familial women-hosted show has gone viral a few times over since its inception on Facebook. Nothing, as we’ve seen, is off limits in this conversational style show and doesn’t shy away when things get nitty gritty. Though the OG got the axe in 2023, it got going again with no ties to Facebook, and its episode catalog continues to rank with some of the best Hollywood fodder out there today.

The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart - Jon Stewart

The beloved TV host has a podcast that pairs with his regularly scheduled show. The Weekly Show offers a more expansive look into our ever-developing world with notable minds in essential roles across the professional field. If you’re looking for even more Stewart material, he had a short-lived but excellent 2 season show called The Problem with Jon Stewart that dove into topics that were ‘too big for TV.’ With either, you can count on a laugh paired with some big, thought-provoking discussions.

SmartLess - Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Sean Hayes

SmartLess is like an improv dinner party you weren’t invited to, but somehow snuck into. Each episode brings a surprise guest to the table, and with it comes comedy, curiosity, and the kind of bromantic chaos that three A-listers with zero filters can deliver. It’s part talk show, part therapy session, and all charm—who would’ve guessed the vibe would be achieved by the Michael and Gob Bluth actors with a dash of the Jack McFarland actor.

Armchair Expert - Dax Shepard

Maybe one of the most recognizable and longstanding on the list, Shepard started his series in 2018. Though the premise is relatively simple in terms of chatting with well-known faces, things can go deep quickly. The CHiPs alum has had ex-costars like Lauren Graham, incidentally spill about Parenthood peer, Mae Whitman’s baby daddy, and Oscar-nominated stars like Michelle Williams reflect about her late ex-partner, Heath Ledger. Needless to say, there’s a lot to work with here (and a 300+ episode backlog to sift through).

Office Ladies - Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer

Of course, there was bound to be at least one rewatch pod in the bunch, and with The Office ranking as one of the best sitcoms ever, it’s a natural pick to include. Kinsey (who played Angela Martin/Lipton/Schrute) and Fischer (who played Pam Beesly Halpert) recount excellent tidbits and memories as they rewatch the NBC classic while hosting Dunder Mifflin cast and crew members.

Life Is Short - Justin Long

First and foremost, I’ve got to give the Jeepers Creepers actor’s name for his show is A+ play on words (specifically short and long). But, behind the small chuckle the title of the pod offers is a surprisingly poignant base for Long and his brother, who co-hosts the show. The siblings jump in the deep end with their guests and discuss all there is about life, which includes everything from emojis to their perspective on life.

LeVar Burton Reads - LeVar Burton

Fiction lovers and previous PBS Kids unite! The beloved Reading Rainbow star’s pod is a modern-day take on the classic 26-year run show, but now catered toward adults. Short form stories are the main genre he dives into each week, and the whole thing feels just like a little bit of a time machine, for those who tuned in regularly to RR.

New Heights - Jason, Travis Kelce

No, I’m not talking about their mom, Donna Kelce, landing a spot on S4 of The Traitors US, but it’s worth mentioning. The NFL family show is full of BTS looks into being brothers while also playing football professionally. They also often go out of bounds of the shared ground and discuss everything from pop culture to UFOs.

The High Life - Ricki Lake

The former television host is getting back to her roots with The High Life. And while she still has plenty of Tinseltown names as guests, the focus with her offering is health and wellness. Nothing is off the table within the larger landscape; she hits everything from menopause to energy healing.

Las Culturistas - Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers

In case you’d like to know, this is my ride or die pick of the list. The college besties-turned-Hollywood-darling co-hosts have amassed a cult turned mainstream following thanks to culture catch-ups, regular bits they have A-list guests participate in (what sparked their interest in culture and their wry ‘I Don’t Think So Honey!’ critique of something) and their own award show. Clearly, I could go on about it, but if you need more proof, Tina Fey’s iconic advice to Yang speaks to why we, ‘readers, kayteighs, publicists, finalists and kyles,’ love it all.

WTF With Marc Maron - Marc Maron

The rough around the edges comedian and actor’s podcast is one of the most well-known celebrity series. As a blueprint of public figures' iterations to come, Maron got started in 2009 after his radio show got canned. In the decade-plus he’s been at it, he hosted writers, directors, comedians, actors and many more in the typical style that is commonplace today. But, heads up, he just announced his show will end this fall, so don’t miss out!

Podcrushed - Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, Sophie Ansari

The Gossip Girl alum’s shared show isn’t a far cry from the hit teen series fodder. They’ve just spun the clock a little further back to schoolyard drama and middle school crushes. Badgley, alongside Kavelin and Ansari, takes on listeners' stories, reads them and explores all the ins and outs of starting to grow up (and all the turmoil that tags along).

Broad Ideas - Rachel Bilson, Olivia Allen

While you may know of Bilson’s other pod, Beyond The O.C., involving ex-castmate Melinda Clarke, Broad Ideas includes her longtime bestie, Olivia Allen. The new duo essentially cover any ground two girlfriends would in any given conversation (mental health to ghosts are promised). But hosting a new guest to join in on the fun each week brings it to the next level.

The Mess Around With Hannah And Lamorne - Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone

If you know anything about where these two co-hosts met, you can probably guess this is a New Girl rewatch series. And if you know that, you probably know they played CeCe and Winston (Bishop), respectively, and the title comes from a bit that the characters shared. Also, plenty of past cast and crew come through to reminisce about all the shenanigans that went down in 4D.

Films To Be Buried With With Brett Goldstein - Brett Goldstein

Though he’s still relatively new to the scene, the Ted Lasso star is hitting it big (and is now on Shrinking). With that success, his unique corner of the recording studio has only found more success. And while the title of Goldstein’s show is pretty straightforward and self-explanatory, it has me hooked. I think it’s safe to say he’s just getting started.

At Your Service - Dua Lipa

While I haven’t actually listened to the singer and actress’ show, it may be the hidden gem on the list. Heading into her third season, she continues to host a slew of knockout guests, and her collection of candid conversations runs the gamut of interesting fare. Everything from psychedelics to running Apple.

Getting Better With Jonathan Van Ness - Jonathan Van Ness

Ever since being introduced as the current generation’s hair & grooming lead on Queer Eye, JVN has been stealing the show as they help build up others. By natural curiosity and the drive to learn, the Getting Better podcast helps them grow and build spaces to learn even more. The weekly episodic content comes in all shapes and sizes–from finance lessons to discourse on culture, they’ve got it covered.

Why Won’t You Date Me? - Nicole Byer

The Nailed It! host is also a pro-podcaster. If you go looking for Byer’s love and relationship pod, you may find quite a slew aside from the aforementioned one (Best Friends!, 90 Day Bae and Newcomers). But this humorously titled one is the most well-known and long-standing one, where she has everyone from friends and experts to an occasional ex or two dish all about dating and love.

Lovett Or Leave It - Jon Lovett

While Jon Lovett’s beginnings aren’t traditional Hollywood standards material, the comedian was a former speech writer for Barack Obama. From there, he and fellow Obama peers (Dan Pfeiffer, Tommy Vietor and Jon Favreau–not to be confused with the A-lister) then co-hosted Pod Save America. His newest show is a hybrid of political news mixed with fun, well-known guests, and a bit of shenanigans all tied into one, always providing a laugh.

The Bald And The Beautiful - Trixie Mattel And Katya Zamolodchikova

One of RuPaul’s Drag Race’s biggest winners, Trixie and ride or die fellow queen, Katya, have taken the world by storm together. After meeting on season 7, they quickly went on their way to make creative projects together, starting with their viral cult followed series, UNHhhh, to their aptly titled pod. It’s a lot of the same banter, just funneled into discussing pop culture and Tinseltown-leaning topics.

The idea of having roommates has never been more fun thanks to FOX’s comedy series, New Girl. Even though it’s been over and done with for years, it remains one of the most rewatchable TV shows ever. Aside from hitting play on the hilarious sitcom for all the great bits in the loft, it’s also a blast for all the major actors who guest-starred over the years. While there are way too many for this list to hold, we’ve compiled some of the biggest names that appeared on the show.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis guest starred as the mother of Zooey Deschanel’s Jess Day in the Season 2 episode, “Parents.” Curtis was a great pick to match the quirky spirit of the sitcom’s leading character, and she returned to the series five more times after her initial debut on the series in Season 2.

Taylor Swift

When one thinks of Taylor Swift, sure, “actor” isn’t the first title that comes to mind, but over the years the phenomenon of a singer/songwriter has racked up numerous acting credits in projects like The Lorax, Cats and Amsterdam along. Oh, and what about all those epic Taylor Swift music videos? Anyways, Swift made an appearance in the Season 2 finale of New Girl when Cece is getting married to Shivrang. At the altar, the groom calls off the wedding to say that he wants to marry Swift’s character of Elaine instead.

Prince

One of the most memorable moments in New Girl has to be when the cast is invited to go to a party at Prince’s house… and they actually meet Prince. The Season 3 episode came about thanks to the iconic artist expressing interest in appearing in the show as a fan of the comedy. There’s nothing like that scene when Nick and Jess have a freakout when he appears.

Tiffany Haddish

Girls Trip actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish had a small role in the Season 3 episode “Exes” as a date of Damen Wayans Jr’s Coach. She is part of the plotline of Schmidt deciding to get his own apartment and encouraging Winston and Coach to use the place whenever they like for their hookups. In the scene, all three of them have used it at once and it freaks out Haddish’s character of Leslie.

Rob Reiner

All In The Family’s Rob Reiner returned to the sitcom fold as Jess Day’s dad, Bob, in multiple episodes of New Girl. The beloved actor (and director of classics like The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, This Is Spinal Tap and Stand By Me) was in eleven total episodes of the series, appearing in almost every season of the show.

Lisa Bonet

The Cosby Show’s Lisa Bonet guest starred in the Season 4 episode “Teachers” as an education guru named Brenda Brown. Jess and Coach meet the character while attending together. She calls Coach out for his attitude during the presentation that causes him to stop being Jess’s “buffer” while she tries to ignore her feelings for a British teacher she’s crushing on at her school.

Kaitlin Olson

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olson (who is back for Season 17 of the comedy) guest starred in New Girl for two episodes in Season 4. She plays Bob Day’s much younger fiancée, who happened to be the high school rival of Jess and Cece back in the day.

Josh Gad

The Book of Mormon and Frozen’s beloved snowman voice actor Josh Gad guest starred in three separate episodes of New Girl (in Season 2, 3 and 4) as a delivery man named Bearclaw who falls head over heels with Jess. He first appears in the episode “Katie” as a blind date gone wrong before also being in “Birthday” and “Walk of Shame.”

Dermot Mulroney

My Best Friend’s Wedding actor Dermot Mulroney is “Fancyman” in New Girl. The actor appeared as a guest star in eight episodes of the show throughout its run after becoming a favorite in Season 1. In the two part episode “Fancyman,” he is introduced as the wealthy father of one of Jess’s students who she strikes up a romance with.

Olivia Rodrigo

Yes, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actress turned massive pop star Olivia Rodrigo was on New Girl, but it was before reaching mega-stardom. In the Season 6 episode “Young Adult,” Rodrigo plays one of the students in Jess’s school who becomes a huge fan of Nick Miller’s novel The Pepperwood Chronicles. In an effort for her students (including Rodrigo’s character of Terrinea) to like her better, Jess sets up a meeting between a few of the students and Nick.

Megan Fox

In Season 5 of New Girl, Zooey Deschanel was pregnant in real life and since that was not in the cards yet for Jess Day, the decision was made to have her character leave for a while on Jury Duty while Deschanel went on maternity leave. The creators decided to bring in Megan Fox’s Reagan to take Jess’s place and she ended up being part of 15 episodes of the series. Fox is of course also known for being in the Transformers movies, Jennifer’s Body and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Alan Ritchson

Before Alan Ritchson starred in one of the best Amazon Prime shows, Reacher, the actor had a memorable guest spot on New Girl in the episode “Micro”. In the Season 4 episode, Ritchson used his comedic chops as a guy Jess is seeing who she struggles with getting past the fact that Ritchson’s Matt has a micro penis.

Henry Winkler

Happy Days and Barry actor Henry Winkler appeared in New Girl (alongside the incredible Julie Hagerty and Taran Killam) in the Season 5 episode “What About Fred.” In the episode, Jess is dating a guy named Fred (Killam), who she finds very boring, but falls for spending time with his charismatic parents Winkler and Hagerty’s Flip and Nancy.

Parker Posey

Parker Posey, aka the “Queen of the Indies,” especially during the best movies of the 1990s, had a great guest appearance in New Girl during the Season 2 episode “Re-Launch.” Schmidt is having a re-branding party for himself and Posey plays a dishevelled shot girl who was not as advertised.

John Cho

Star Trek’s John Cho appeared on New Girl for the Season 5 episode “Jury Duty.” Jess tries to get out of getting on a case for a chance to be acting principal. She asks her friends to help, but fails miserably in front of Cho’s character, who ends up being the man questioning her for the case after they initially have a flirty meet-cute.

Adam Brody

The OC and Nobody Wants This’s Adam Brody was one of Jess’s ex-boyfriend’s, Berkley, in the Season 3 episode, “Exes.” In the episode, Jess tries to prove to Nick that exes can still be friends by introducing him to Berkley, but she’s proved wrong when she finds out his true intentions.

Quinta Brunson

Before Quinta Brunson was the Emmy-winning creator and star of the hit ABC comedy, Abbott Elementary, she had a brief role in New Girl, in the Season 7 episode “Mario.” When Nick is trying to propose to Jess, she unexpectedly adopts a dog, throwing off his plans. Brunson plays a restaurant host that Nick speaks to on the phone as the plans shift.

Stephen Amell

Arrow star Stephen Amell, who played the Green Arrow for eight seasons on The CW, was on New Girl for a couple of episodes in Season 1. He played Cece’s jerk boyfriend Kyle in “The 23rd” and “Valentine’s Day.” Cece ends things with Kyle in the latter episode after realizing she has feelings for Schmidt.

Jessica Biel

7th Heaven and The Sinner actress Jessica Biel stopped by New Girl for the Season 4 premiere “The Last Wedding.” When the gang goes to yet another wedding, Biel plays a single woman who ends up competing with Jess to earn the affection of its best man (played by Reid Scott).

Justin Long

Justin Long had a memorable guest star arc on the first season of New Girl. He plays Paul Genzlinger, a music teacher co-worker of Jess’s whom she starts dating in time for the show’s first Thanksgiving episode. Paul is often thought of as a male version of Jess. After the couple date for about a month and breakup, Long made a re-appearance in Season 4’s “Walk Of Shame.”

Linda Cardellini

New Girl fans got to meet Jess’s sister, Abby Day, in Season 3 through Linda Cardellini’s three-episode arc. The Dead To Me actress plays Jess’s troublemaker older sibling, who is just about completely opposite to the sitcom’s leading actress. Jess is constantly embarrassed by Abby’s behavior when she comes to stay in the loft after Jess saves her from prison.

Alexandra Daddario

Baywatch and The White Lotus’ Alexandra Daddario played one of the neighbors to the New Girl gang in two episodes of the series. Daddario’s Michelle is deemed as one of the “hot” new neighbors that Schmidt, Winston, Coach scramble to impress after their first meeting left something to be desired. Daddario appears in Season 3’s “Mars Landing” and Season 4’s “Goldmine.”

Andy Samberg

For quite a few years, New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine were both big comedies airing on FOX at the same time. So in Season 6, the networks decided to crossover the comedies with a special New York episode for New Girl. While the friends are in the Big Apple, Jess gets some help from Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta and the other cast. (The cast of New Girl was also on an episode of B99 called “The Night Shift” that aired the same week in 2016).

Peter Gallagher

The OC’s Peter Gallagher was in multiple episodes of New Girl as Schmidt’s father, Gavin. The vineyard owner first appears in the Season 5 episode “D-Day” when Jess is assisting Schmidt with wedding preparations. Gallagher, who has also been in famous movies like American Beauty and While You Were Sleeping, was a great fit to play Schmidt’s absentee dad.

Randall Park

Before Randall Park became the star of Fresh Off The Boat, Always Be My Maybe and WandaVision, he was briefly in a Season 1 episode of New Girl as an employee at a phone company (with frosted tips), who makes fun of Nick for his crazy low credit score.

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha Lyonne is a famous TV actress for her roles in Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll and Poker Face. Prior to those roles, she had a small role in New Girl’s third episode ever, “Wedding.” She played Gretchen Nelson, an acquaintance of Schmidt, who he ends up sleeping with at every wedding they both attend even though he claims he cannot stand her.

Dylan O'Brien

Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien plays the guy Jess Day lost her virginity to on the night of her prom back when she was in high school. In the episode “Virgins” from Season 2, Jess runs into him many years after their first meeting, but what could have been a sexual fantasy turns into an embarrassing moment for the two of them.

Brenda Song

The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody actress Brenda Song was in a few episodes in Season 2 (and one in Season 3) as Daisy, a love interest for Winston. It’s a short-lived romance for Winston, but Song is a guest star in what we consider to be No. 1 of the best New Girl episodes, “Cooler.”

Joey King

Before Joey King was the star of Netflix’s The Kissing Booth movies or the numerous 2024 movies she’s been in like A Family Affair, Uglies and Despicable Me 4, she was a popular child actor who was in Ramona & Beezus with Selena Gomez or the Taylor Swift music video “Mean.” She was also in a Season 1 episode of New Girl called “Bully” as one of Jess’s students.

Carla Gugino

Carla Gugino, known for the Spy Kids movies and being in multiple Mike Flanagan horror projects was in three 2012 episodes of New Girl as Schmidt’s new boss, Emma. In the first episode Gugino stars in “Menzies,” Schmidt gets into a sexual contract with her that doesn’t go as planned.

Nick Kroll

The very funny Nick Kroll is known for starring in The League, along with creating the Kroll Show and Netflix’s Big Mouth. In Season 2’s “Chicago,” where the gang goes to Nick’s hometown for his father’s funeral, Kroll plays one of Nick Miller’s brothers, alongside Bill Burr! You can tell Kroll and Burr had tons of fun with the Chicago accent bringing some levity to a rather emotional New Girl episode.

Fred Armisen

Saturday Night Live favorite (who was behind some of SNL's funniest recurring characters) and Portlandia lead Fred Armisen had a brief role in New Girl for the season five episode “No Girl.” While Jess is at jury duty, the gang rent out her room to random people, and Armisen plays a guy named Brandon. His short time there made a huge impression because of how funny he is with the guys. Remember when he read Schmidt his romance writing or dressed up like Jess at one point?

Disney+ is bringing an all-new live-action Goosebumps TV series to audiences of a certain age, and the creative team pulled in quite the A+ actor to appeal to both those who grew up with the books and younger generations: Justin Long. He isn't just the bridge between millennials and Gen-Z, though, but also an actor capable of walking the fine genre line the Disney+ series has to walk. Executive producers for the show recently spoke the show's praises when talking to CinemaBlend, and namechecked New Girl and Barbarian as prime examples for why Long was the ideal talent for this lead role.

I was honored to speak to executive producers Conor Welch and Pavun Shetty about  Goosebumps' first streaming series, and why Justin Long was a go-to casting choice. Welch was quick to bring up that there aren't a lot of actors in Hollywood who jump between comedy and horror as often or successfully as Long, and how that familiarity with both cinematic moods translated to working on the R.L. Stine adaptation anthology.

Justin Long appears in Goosebumps as Mr. Nathan Bratt, a new English teacher in town who moved into the creepy Biddle house. The house has a sketchy history known to some in the town, and will be central to the five teens who come in contact with it throughout the series. As a teacher and owner of this mysterious house, it goes without saying he'll come into contact with the main characters a fair bit. 

Pavun Shetty continued praising Justin Long and brought up his previous work that helped lead to Goosebumps. Shetty had some personal experience in seeing the actor during his guest role on New Girl and noted his part in the cast of Barbarian was out in the world not long before filming on the Disney+ show: 

As someone who was honored to see the first batch of episodes in advance, I can confirm Justin Long embraces both elements in Goosebumps. While the horror isn't quite as grotesque as what one might see if they check out his wild performance in Kevin Smith's Tusk, there's a lot of fear to draw in the role.

I think audiences will be surprised to see just how scary he can make a middle-aged geeky English teacher look. I was impressed and agreed with the EPs that not everyone could play this role as well as he did.

Goosebumps has long been an entry-point for Horror to young audiences, and as such, has to navigate between being spooky and fun at the same time. Those who tune in with a Disney+ subscription can expect a performance from Justin Long that is as frightening as it is funny to watch. It's a bit more extreme than previous live-action adaptations, but it's a treat and great for family watching this Halloween season. 

Goosebumps premieres its first five episodes on Disney+ and Hulu on Friday, October 13th. Viewers beware they'll be in for a scare, but also some delightful fun and acting that might just reinvigorate the series once more for audiences. 

It’s a great time to be a horror fan. The genre has been experiencing a renaissance for a number of years now, to the delight of moviegoers. In addition to some of the best horror movie franchises returning with new sequels, we’ve also been treated to a number of original concepts. That includes Zach Cregger’s Barbarian, which was one of the best horror movies of 2022 and a completely wild ride. Given its critical and box office success, fans are wondering if we might be The Mother back on the big screen in a sequel. Barbarian’s Georgina Campbell recently offered her honest thoughts about this concept.

Actress Georgina Campbell played protagonist Tess in Barbarian, and absolutely sold every twist and turn of the horror flick. The ending of Barbarian saw her miraculously surviving, while also forming an unexpected bond with the monstrous Mother. Campbell spoke to ComicBook about whether or not a sequel is being developed, and she answered honestly, saying:

Do you hear that sound? It’s countless Barbarian fans out there crying because apparently the horror property won’t grow into a full-blown franchise. Because per the movie’s star, filmmaker Zach Cregger isn’t interested in expanding the narrative with another film. This stands in juxtaposition to Cregger previously revealing he actually had a few ideas that could grow into a sequel.

Campbell’s comments about Barbarian 2 are sure to be disappointing for horror fanatics like me who would like to learn more about the twisted underground world of the 2022 flick. Throughout the runtime of Barbarian, we learn that the monstrous villain is actually a victim of generations of inbreeding and sexual assault. While she perished in the third act of the movie, there are decades of time that could have presumably been explored via sequels. 

Another reason why so many horror fans were hoping for a Barbarian sequel was because of just how wild of a ride the original movie was. At first we follow Tess as she arrives at an Airbnb that’s already being occupied by Bill Skarsgård’s Keith. The first act makes it seem like Keith might be a creepy villain, only for them to discover underground tunnels, and Mother popping up and brutally murdering him. Tess is presumed dead, Justin Long’s AJ is revealed to be the owner of the house, also seemingly unaware of the tunnel systems. Tess and AJ unite to try and survive their ordeal, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Barbarian’s spoilers were heavily guarded ahead of its release, making for a great theatrical experience. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like a squeal is happening.

Barbarian is streaming with a Max subscription. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

While movie sets are all about play and pretend, many times over the years, actor relationships have bloomed into real romances offscreen. Between couples like Spider-Man’s Tom Holland and Zendaya, or married couples like Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, there are a lot of instances of co-stars dating in real life we love to root for. It’s just about impossible not to get behind Justin Long and Kate Bosworth as a Hollywood pairing after reading their latest social media PDA. As the Blue Crush actress hit a birthday milestone, Long penned the sweetest tribute to her that has us falling in love with this match. 

Justin Long and Kate Bosworth got close on a project they worked on together early last year in Arkansas and were rumored to be dating before Long confirmed it on Chelsea Handler’s podcast in May 2022. Taking to Instagram on Bosworth’s birthday, Long posted this: 

Along with an adorable group of photos of the couple, Justin Long proclaimed his love for Kate Bosworth, saying cute things like how she’s the “best part” of his day everyday, along with calling her “deeply compassionate,” “the most fun to do everything with” his “joy” and “best friend.” The tribute was made as the actress turned 40 on January 2. Bosworth also posted the following around the same time: 

Bosworth called Justin Long her “love,” “light,” “peace” and “thrill.” She sweetly thanked the actor for holding her hand as they go to sleep, tying her shoelaces and making her “laugh so hard” she had to leave the room. It’s all about the little things oftentimes! 

She also thanked him for the “best birthday ever.” As Bosworth celebrates her milestone, she also shared a ton of photos of themselves together on her Instagram story, doing things like going on vacation and enjoying a romantic horseback ride together in the desert. The couple have previously shared their adventures abroad in Ireland and shared the screen in 2022’s House of Darkness, a horror comedy that reimagined Dracula. 

Bosworth also was briefly part of Justin Long’s latest movie, Barbarian, as a voice over for the character of Melissa. Barbarian premiered in the fall to bonkers reactions about its many twists and turns and high praise from Stephen King. You can check out CinemaBlend’s Barbarian interviews, and it is streaming with an HBO Max subscription.  

Following the sweet proclamations of love from these two as Kate Bosworth turns 40, we are ready for a romantic comedy starring these two. It’s sweet to see these two having so much adoration for each other and don't mind getting a little mushy in front of the world so we all know how they feel about each other. It sounds like Bosworth has a lot of love in front of her as she enters her 40s! 

The man following Paul Rudd’s tenure as People’s Sexiest Man Alive is none other than America’s Ass himself, Chris Evans. As a firm believer that Chris Evans is the best of the famous Chris-s, and as a long-time fan of the actor, I was thrilled to find out he was awarded the title of Sexiest Man Alive, and so were many celebrities. However, there were others who had hilariously jealous posts as well. No matter what, it's all in good fun, and it's entertaining to see such a range of celebrities (from Taika Waititi to Topher Grace) reacting to the news.

Evans and Dwayne Johnson announced the news last night from the set of their movie Red One. Then Evans took to Instagram to post the cover, noting that he has big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of Paul Rudd, but nonetheless he’ll do his best. You can check out the post here: 

Following the post, the celebs weighed in with angry, thirsty and complimentary comments. We’ll begin with the most aggressive of the responses. Evans’ fellow  Lightyear cast member and MCU actor Taika Waititi responded in a classic way, commenting: 

I’d assume Waititi’s allegiances are with Chris Hemsworth, hence the aggression. It’s honestly on brand for the Thor: Love and Thunder director to troll like this, and it’s hilarious.  

Justin Long commented on the post too, and seemed to be all for a second term for Paul Rudd as the sexiest man alive, writing: 

Listen, I’m with Justin to an extent, I love Paul Rudd too. However, that’s not how the rules of the Sexiest Man Alive work. Sadly Long’s Walk Hard co-star could not stay with the title.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Topher Grace, who starred alongside Evans in the 2014 rom-com Playing it Cool, was hilariously disappointed he was not awarded the title, writing: 

Sticking with the theme of celebrities who are bummed they didn’t get the title, Final Destination and Casper star Devon Sawa tweeted: 

In a much nicer statement, but still in the same vein as Sawa and Grace, Frozen star Josh Gad commented: 

It wasn’t all snark and sass on social media though. Many other celebs posted their support, and thirst for the Captain America actor taking the sexiest man moniker. Evans’ Gifted co-star Octavia Spencer commented: 

Sticking with the theme of compliments, fellow hot person and MCU star Simu Liu complimented the Sexiest Man Alive with many  🥵 emojis. I’d assume this encapsulates how many, myself included, reacted to seeing the news this morning.

Back in the world of Twitter, Evans’ co-star in Avengers: Endgame Yvette Nicole Brown, posted: 

I doubt our “handsome Ransom,” as the official Knives Out account commented, will let the title go to his head. In the announcement video, he seemed quite bashful about his new title, and it was very endearing.

I’m honestly a bit shocked it took People so long to give Evans the title in the first place. I mean if you’ve seen the Marvel movies in order, you know he’s been rockin’ a hot bod as Captain America since 2011, and was dubbed America’s Ass in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Not to mention, he’s an activist, a dog dad to Dodger, plus he's a fashion icon who can rock a sweater, cable-knit or otherwise. So, I’d say all the flattering comments are well deserved.

If you are looking to catch 2022’s Sexiest Man Alive in a new movie, he’s had multiple entries on the 2022 film schedule, with The Gray Man and Lightyear. You can also always go back and watch America’s Ass, and now the World's Sexiest Man Alive in various Marvel movies with a Disney+ subscription. 

Leave it to horror author Stephen King to tell you if a horror movie is worth watching. Many of his best adaptations give audiences an eerie feel where if you didn't read his books first, you would never know what’s coming in each scene. That’s exactly what the horror film hit Barbarian does to audiences where there are twists and turns in every direction. One of Barbarian’s stars, Justin Long, felt starstruck after seeing Stephen King’s praise of the movie.

Stephen King was asked by a fan on Twitter if he saw the new movie Barbarian and the beloved author responded by calling it “crazy good” and that it blew him away. After Justin Long read King’s reaction, he was so touched that his movie received praise from the “King of Horror” himself. Makes me wonder if he caught on to the unintentional joke tying into one of his works in the movie. You can check out the starstruck tweet below:

Justin Long plays an actor hard on his luck in the entertainment industry who stays at a rental property he owns without realizing there’s something creepy and mysterious happening below. When talking about Barbarian in an interview, the Jeepers Creepers actor said he was awestruck by how scary the script was and that the movie continues to keep you guessing. It was hard for him to know what exactly to talk about to avoid any of Barbarian’s spoilers. Luckily, the film’s trailer tells as little about the film as possible where an Airbnb has been double-booked with a certain threat lurking in this situation. What’s the threat, you may ask? I recommend going into this movie as blindly as possible so you’ll never know what’s coming.

Barbarian was considered a sleeper hit at the box office, scaring up solid numbers. At a budget of $4.5 million, it debuted at $10 million on its opening weekend. While it did experience a 40% drop week-to-week, Deadline Hollywood said that horror films tend to drop by 65% so that was still very impressive for Zach Cregger's solo directorial debut. Ultimately, the popularity of this original horror movie allowed it to open up in 550 theaters on its third weekend and is now at $42.5 million. Proves that less is more when it comes to promoting an original horror film.

Stephen King wasn’t the only one to send out his praises. Critics were saying that Barbarian does an excellent job providing audiences with its twists and turns. When it had its streaming premiere on HBO Max, the reactions were wild as fans took selfies of their reactions, and one noted they had no idea what direction the movie would go in. While it may be cliched to have a horror movie feature a mysterious basement tunnel, you would have to be lying to say you saw any of these twists coming.

Justin Long had a deep appreciation for Stephen King’s praises of Barbarian. If you want to know for yourself what has people buzzing about this jaw-dropping horror film, watch it now on your HBO Max subscription.

Seriously though, if you’ve yet to see Barbarian, I recommend streaming it with an HBO Max subscription before you read further. It’s worth the surprises! 

After Barbarian impressed at the box office last month, the horror movie has already become available on streaming, leading to a whole new wave of audiences experiencing its terrifying premise. It’s one of those movies where you just have to turn to someone to say WTF, and people are taking to Twitter to vent about the wild release. 

Barbarian is one of the most well-reviewed movies of 2022 (we gave it a 4 out of 5 in our review), so obviously when it hit HBO Max, people were going to tune in. Here’s one accurate depiction of what it’s like to watch Barbarian: 

The marketing for Barbarian for one was extremely clever. The trailer made one believe they were walking into a very different movie than what it actually is. For example, many people probably thought Bill Skarsgård was going to be the villain after playing Pennywise in the IT movies. Plus, the actual creature hiding in that Airbnb basement is just such an unexpected reveal. 

During CinemaBlend’s Barbarian video interviews, we spoke to writer/director Zach Cregger about his inspirations for the movie’s creature, which he likened to Grendel from Beowulf. Yep, once you’ve seen that breastfeeding scene between the creature and Justin Long, you’ll just never be the same either. 

Plenty of conversations about Barbarian revolved around how ridiculous the protagonists were for going into the deep dark basement of the Airbnb when there were clear signs of danger. But hey, if everyone was smart in horror movies, we wouldn’t get these nightmare scenarios. You often don’t get into these situations by looking both ways and doing all your research. This one just about sums it up: 

Barbarian has especially received a lot of praise for how unexpected it is. The movie cleverly has two beginnings that bring two different characters into the same house (and they both find completely different tones with the whole thing). Justin Long in particular brings some comedy to the movie following Georgina Campbell and Bill Skargard’s Tess and Keith starting the movie off. As another Twitter user praised: 

Not everyone was impressed with the big twists though. Perhaps it was all hyped up too much for some expecting their minds to be blown: 

While it feels like Barbarian’s run from theaters to streaming was shorter than usual, it comes just in time for Halloween, when audiences are particularly ready to get a bit scared. Barbarian remains one of the most wild and memorable movie experiences of 2022, so no wonder people are sounding off on social media about it right now. 

MAJOR SPOILERS are ahead for Barbarian, now playing in theaters. 

Barbarian is one of those horror movies you don’t just watch, you experience. And in the case of this film, not only critics are digging it, audiences are walking out of theaters calling Barbarian “crazy” and “rare.” No wonder the movie started off the spooky season with a No. 1 debut at the box office over the weekend. Before Barbarian opened to such high praise, writer/director Zach Cregger spoke to CinemaBlend about how test screening benefitted the movie ahead of its theatrical release. 

During our Barbarian interviews, which also include the film’s stars Justin Long and Georgina Campbell, Zach Cregger informed us about how test screenings were beneficial to the horror movie. In his words: 

So what brought the score up? As Zach Cregger shared, one key scene in Barbarian was added to the movie due to early audience feedback. As he continued: 

Hey, test screenings can be valuable. As Cregger shared, people where not fully understanding the backstory of the mother and the man in the basement, so they added a line to clarify this. As an audience member, I will say that scene was an 'Aha!' moment for me regarding the explanation of the Barbarian ending. 

As a result of Zach Cregger holding test screenings and listening, the movie changed for the better. As he shared, while not all filmmakers would care about holding them and looking to feedback, he absolutely found it an important part of the filmmaking process. Cregger is a first-time horror filmmaker and it helped him out to get some audience participation. 

While Barbarian starts with Georgina Campbell’s Tess and Bill Skarsgard’s Keith finding themselves double-booked in an Airbnb, it’s what lurks in the house’s neighborhood that really ends up supplying the film's terror. Tess, along with the house’s owner AJ, played by Justin Long, later on, become imprisoned by a beastly woman who is one of many victims of years of abuse against women by the prior owner of the house. Having it spelled out that the creature is actually the daughter of the man enriches the concept. 

Following Barbarian, you can follow along on what upcoming horror movies are coming out next and look out for more exclusive interviews here on CinemaBlend. 

When it comes to horror movies, this year has been filled with them. Indeed, the 2022 movie release schedule has been packed to the brim with some amazing additions to the world of horror, from the gory A24 flick, X, to The Black Phone, which added to the long list of amazing horror movies from Blumhouse Productions. And now, we’re about to get another horror entry from 20th Century Studios – Barbarian. 

The film, which has been highly anticipated all this year, is finally out in theaters for all to enjoy, and some of those cast members might be looking a little familiar to you. For those who are wondering exactly where they’ve seen the Barbarian cast before, here are some of their most-known projects. 

Georgina Campbell (Tess)

Starting off with the star that you’ve most likely seen in many other projects, we take a look at Georgina Campbell, who plays Tess in Barbarian. The actress has appeared in a variety of films and television series prior to her part in Barbarian. Some of her biggest film roles thus far have included playing Kay in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, as well as Fig in All My Friends Hate Me.

Campbell has appeared more in television. She had the recurring role of Whitney Landon in Sadie J, played Rochelle in the miniseries, One Night, Jasmine in After Hours, a detective in Broadchurch, and was even featured in the fantastic Black Mirror episode, “Hang the DJ.” Earlier in 2022, she was featured in the Apple TV+ miniseries, Suspicion. 

Justin Long (A.J.)

Moving on, we now take a look at Justin Long, who plays A.J. in Barbarian. Long is actually a horror movie veteran, and has been in movies such as the first Jeepers Creepers, which started a franchise, as well as Drag Me To Hell. However, Long has appeared in many other popular movies, ones that you’ll most certainly recognize. 

Some of his biggest roles have been in Dodgeball, Accepted, Idiocracy, Serious Moonlight, 10 Years, Comet, Dear David, and more. He also voiced Alvin in a series of Alvin and the Chipmunks movies. Long has also appeared in plenty of television as well. His biggest role was as Warren P. Cheswick in the TV series, Ed, and he voiced Kevin Murphy in F is for Family. 

Bill Skarsgård (Keith)

Next up on the cast list for Barbarian is Bill Skarsgård, who plays Keith. If you recognize that name as a horror movie fan, you've got a good memory, as Skarsgård (at least to me) is horror movie royalty for his portrayal of modern horror movie villain, Pennywise, in both IT films, a role he is going to be reprising in a new prequel series, according to Variety. 

However, Skarsgård is a very talented actor and has done much more than just horror films. Some of his other big roles in movies include voicing Deviant Kro in Eternals, appearing in Simple Simon, The Divergent Series: Allegiant, the Charlize Theron-led spy thriller, Atomic Blonde, and the independent film, Nine Days, among others. 

He’s also had much success in television. He portrayed Roman Godrey in the horror series, Hemlock Grove, and several characters in Castle Rock (which was unfortunately cancelled, but I love it anyway). He also portrayed the main role of Clark Olofsson in the TV show, Clark, in 2022. 

Matthew Patrick Davis (The Mother)

Moving on, we take a look at the next cast member of Barbarian, Matthew Patrick Davis, who portrays The Mother. The actor has primarily played smaller roles in his time in Hollywood, but has appeared in several TV shows as a guest, including Days of Our Lives, Joan of Arcadia, Veronica Mars, Jane the Virgin, American Dad!, and more. He was also a recurring guest star on the fantasy comedy series, Dwight in Shining Armor.

Richard Brake (Frank)

Next up on the list, we have Richard Brake in the Barbarian cast, who plays Frank. Brake is also what you would consider horror royalty in my eyes, but not for his movies. While he may look different without all the makeup, Brake actually portrayed the ultimate villain, The Night King, for both Seasons 4 and 5 of Game of Thrones. 

However, he’s more than just that iconic villain, and Brake has done plenty in the world of movies and television. Some of his biggest parts in films have been in Batman Begins, 31, Mandy, Water for Elephants, Thor: The Dark World, The Death of Stalin, 3 From Hell, and more. Other than Game of Thrones, Brake has appeared in several television shows, including Peaky Blinders, Mob City, Ray Donavan, Cursed and others. 

Brake also had a guest role on the hit Disney+ original show, The Mandalorian, and also had a regular role on Absentia. 

Jaymes Butler (Andre)

Jaymes Butler is the next cast member of Barbarian to take a look at, and he plays Andre. For most of his career, Butler has been in supporting guest roles for many television shows and movies. Some of his biggest parts for television have been in iCarly, Special Unit, Southland, Missing, and NCIS. 

In terms of movies, a few of his supporting guest roles have been in big flicks such as Snowden, the first film in the Resident Evil film franchise, and more. 

Kurt Braunohler (Doug)

Last but not least, we take a look at Kurt Braunohler as part of the cast of Barbarian, who plays Doug. While he is primarily known for his comedy, Braunohler has been in many movies and TV shows. You may have seen his name several times on the hit TV show, Bob’s Burgers (which actually just got a movie in 2022), where he has voiced several characters throughout the series’ run. 

But, Braunohler has been in plenty of other TV shows as a guest star. Some of his biggest include The Good Place, American Housewife, Mr. Mayor, Lady Dynamite, Take My Wife, Gravity Falls, and more. 

He’s also had minor appearances in films like The Big Sick and Long Shot, as well as B-Roll. 

While the cast for Barbarian is small, in my personal opinion that usually indicates that a film is going to knock it out of the park. We can better focus on the characters, instead of keeping track of a large ensemble that many other movies tend to have. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what they all do next after this film’s release. Another horror movie, perhaps?  

“Barbarian” stars Justin Long and Georgina Campbell along with Writer and Director Zach Cregger join CinemaBlend to discuss their buzz-worthy new horror film. Learn why the cast trusted Cregger’s vision for the story, working with Bill Skarsgård, how audience feedback shaped the film, and much more!

Video Chapters:

0:00 Intro / Zach Cregger on CGI vs Practical

0:31 Zach Cregger shares how the trailer came about

1:20 Cregger on reading fan theories online

2:10 The cast on their trust in Zach Cregger’s script when it came to finding their characters

3:30 Cregger explains how Tess and AJ are two sides of the same coin

4:07 Georgina Campbell shares how Tess’ journey helps drive the tonal shifts in the film

5:06 The intention of casting Bill Skarsgård as Keith

5:52 Zach Cregger on test screenings prior to release

6:50 Justin Long shares that this is his favorite horror experience to date

We frequently rave about horror movies and the way that they play in the theatrical setting. Sure, you can dim the lights in your own pad and get lost in a creepy story (and here we have ranked the 30 best horror movies of all time). But when you are surrounded by like-minded audience members who are all perched on the edges of their seats awaiting the next jump scare, it adds a certain level of hype and anticipation that can only be mimicked once a special scary movie plays in a multiplex, and everyone packs in for opening weekend.

This is what happened in San Diego when CinemaBlend and AMC Theatres hosted an advanced screening of the upcoming horror movie Barbarian, starring Justin Long, Bill Skarsgard, and Georgina Campbell. The story kicks off when a young woman, arriving in Detroit for a job interview, learns that the AirBNB that she booked already is occupied by another patron. The less that I tell you about where Barbarian goes from there, the better, because there are some bizarre twists awaiting you in that house. And under it. And outside of it. Just read our review.

But we also caught up with audience members who were heading into the AMC Mission Valley 20 during San Diego Comic-Con to see what the fuss around Barbarian was about. One guy already was excited for the outcome because he knew he was bringing a secret weapon – his wife – to the free screening. Even before he had seen a frame of Barbarian, he told CinemaBlend:   

Yep, that’s what happens. One or two audience members get wrapped up in the story, and their enthusiasm can bring the rest of the crowd along for the ride. But what kind of ride is in store with Barbarian? We asked one man as he left the theater, and he told us:

Succinct. To the point. I like it. I hear what you are saying. “Didn’t you mention that Justin Long is in this movie?” Yes, he is. But his character is definitely one of those story twists that we can’t elaborate on, because to do some would ruin some of the movie’s surprises. Because, as this satisfied patron said when leaving the screening of Barbarian: 

I’ll leave it up to our final audience member, who weighed in on Barbarian and merely warned:

You can grab advanced tickets to Zach Cregger’s Barbarian now that it’s heading to theaters. It’s screening at AMC Theatres as part of the chain’s Thrills & Chills program, and should be one of those horror movies that people are discussing amongst themselves immediately after, so check out the trailer, and then be part of the conversation afterward.

Barbarian has been the talk of online after a clip featuring Bill Skarsgard hit the internet (and he might not as the villain this time). The horror film comes from the mind of The White Kids U Know alum Zach Cregger, who wrote and directed the upcoming film. The film marks Cregger’s horror debut after directing the comedy Miss March. Of course, critics have screened Barbarian ahead of its September 9 release, and the reviews are now in.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’s Georgina Campbell stars Tess Campbell, a young woman who finds a strange man (played by Bill Skarsgard) already in the Airbnb she’s renting. Soon, Tess regrets her decision to stay as the house is filled with more unexpected twists than an unannounced house guest.

What did critics have to say about the horror-comedy thriller? Let’s kick things off with CinemaBlend’s review of Barbarian. CinemaBlend's own Sarah El-Mahmoud gave the film a rating of 3.5 stars out of 5, saying the film offers a wild ride filled with twists and turns as Zach Cregger tries with mixed results to balance fear and comedy throughout the horror film. She states:

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter felt it was hard to talk about Barbarian as “it relies so heavily on unexpected plot twists that defy your expectations.” That didn’t deter him from heaping praise on the horror comedy while pointing out some formulaic moments with the film’s surprising plot twists:

Collider’s Chase Hutchinson gave the horror film a B- rating as he felt the blend of ridiculousness and fright pushed the viewer’s suspension of belief to “a breaking point.” The comedic moments ultimately “deflate much of the tension” upon reaching the unexpected twists:

Benjamin Lee of The Guardian was less than impressed with the horror flick, giving it a rating of 2 out of 5 stars. He felt the twists and turns of the film didn’t pay off as it leans too much into the comedy and away from the suspense and pseudo-commentary. In his words:

If you want to see how the unexpected twists and turns play out, you’ll be able to check out Barbarian when it arrives in movie theaters on Friday, September 9. Until the horror comedy hits the cinema, you can watch Justin Long talk about the upcoming film. You can also take a glance at our 2022 movie schedule to see what other horror films are arriving this year.

Director Kevin Smith is following up Clerks III with another sequel to a film in his rapporteur. He seemingly wants to go back to one of the most bizarre additions to his filmography. Smith has decided to make a sequel to the 2014 film, Tusk starring Justin Long. 

Long revealed that Tusk 2 is currently being developed by Smith during a recent interview with SlashFilm. The Barbarian star was asked to come back for the sequel, along with some other familiar faces from the original indie film. Long revealed:

Tusk is certainly a strange one to revisit. The film is essentially about a podcaster, played by Long, who encounters a strange man he wants to interview for his podcast. A curse is put on him and -SPOILER ALERT- the podcaster slowly turns into a walrus throughout the film. 

While incredibly strange, the film clearly draws inspiration from David Cronenberg’s The Fly, about a man who transforms into the title insect. The film developed a cult following, and was somewhat of a major part for Jeff Goldblum, so it's understandable why Kevin Smith would be interested in emulating the premise. 

As to what Tusk 2 would be about? One can only guess. Long’s fate in the original film leaves me scratching my head about his possible involvement. Maybe Long feels a deeper connection to the character now that the actor has his own very successful podcast, Life is Short with Justin Long. 

I would never doubt Kevin Smith’s ability to convince actors to return to their old stomping ground. Smith got Ben Affleck to return for an appearance in both Jay and Silent Bob: Reboot and Clerks III. Smith and Affleck became friends in the early 90s, and Smith was essential to getting Good Will Hunting made. The two recently rekindled their friendship, and Smith attended Affleck’s wedding to Jennifer Lopez. 

Smith has had quite an eventful few months. Aside from attending the lavish Bennifer wedding, and promoting Clerks III, Smith recently was confronted with a bomb threat at The Atlantic Moviehouse in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey, a theater he recently purchased. The indie director was unsure whether to take the threat seriously, or see it as a dig at the quality of the director’s films. Smith’s films, like Tusk, aren’t for everyone. 

Well, I will continue to speculate about what a Tusk sequel may entail, and if I will embrace such a ludicrous film. In the meantime, Kevin Smith’s Clerks III will be in select theaters starting September 13th, 2022. You can also catch Justin Long starring alongside Bill Skarsgård in Barbarian also in select theaters starting September 9th, 2022. 

For more information about indie movies releasing this year, Kevin Smith and beyond, check out our 2022 movie release schedule. 

Actor Justin Long chats about his upcoming horror film ‘Barbarian,’ reuniting with Kevin Smith for ‘Clerks III’ and more in this interview with CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Long also reflects on working with Bruce Willis in ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ and gives his thoughts on the actor's retirement. 

Video Chapters

00:00 - Intro
00:32 - Justin Long Praises ‘Barbarian’ Director Zach Cregger
01:31 - Justin Long Is Afraid of Disney
02:25 - The Originality of ‘Barbarian’ and Going Against Certain Horror Tropes
04:00 - Justin Long Loves Working with Kevin Smith (‘Clerks III’)
05:10 - Justin Long On Bruce Willis’ Retirement and Working Together on ‘Die Hard’
06:22 - Justin Long Perfectly Describes The …Charm? Of Comic-Con

So, here’s the thing. I’m not sure we fully appreciated the star-power of New Girl while the FOX series was on the air from 2011 to 2018. Sure, we’ll never forget Zooey Deschanel’s Jess going full-on quirky girl or Jake Johnson’s Nick Miller being the lovable doof he was, Max Greenfield’s Schmidt with his lotus pear conditioner or Lamorne Morris’ Winston and his misadventures with Ferguson. But, what also makes a sitcom as good as it was the New Girl guest stars who often managed to be super memorable and added a ton of laughs to the series. I’m talking about Taylor Swift, Prince, Dylan O’Brien and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Following my recent rewatch of the series and a few years removed from its series finale, I figured its time to rank the best guest appearances during New Girl’s seven season run. But first, I want to get a notable honorable mention out of the way:

New Girl's Guest Of Honor: Megan Fox

Megan Fox had a 15-episode guest arc while Zooey Deschanel’s Jess was on jury duty and the actress took maternity leave on the show. Although it didn’t seem fair to rank her with the others because she had significantly more screen time, I wanted to highlight Fox’s part in the series. Writing your star out of their series for a while is supposed to be a disaster, but it wasn’t thanks to the Transformers star. Fox’s Reagan brought a completely different flavor to the series, as a closed-off and suave temporary roommate to the New Girl cast. In the process, the actress showed off her comedic chops in a new way and provided a really interesting arc to the series. New Girl took a big swing and it paid off here. Anyway, on to the ranking!

11. Dylan O’Brien - Virgins - Season 2

Remember the time when the loft recalled how they lost their virginities? In the Season 2 episode, each of the roommates told their own stories of their first times and as it turns out Jess’ story involved The Maze Runner’s Dylan O’Brien. The actor struts into the show with style after an ill-fated prom night for Jess. He only strums a song for her on the guitar, but as the story goes, years later they meet each other at a bar and the results are absolute chaos. 

Dylan O’Brien’s guest spot is incredible because we expect him to be the rom-com heartthrob of Jess’ past, but nope… we were played in the best way.

10. Taran Killam - What About Fred - Season 5

One of the funniest aspects of New Girl continues to be its dating stories, and one Season 5 treat gave us Taran Killam’s Fred. In the episode, Jess is going out with the SNL alum’s character, who plays a hilariously boring oddball that feels like someone we’ve all met somewhere. What happens is she ends up sticking around with him because she loves hanging out with his parents more than him (played by Julie Hagerty and Henry Winkler). Killam is having fun playing around with his boring boyfriend bit and it really shows. Not to mention that amazing break dance moment with Winston.

9. Linda Cardellini - Sister - Season 3

Megan Fox wasn’t the only “anti-Jess” to shake up the FOX show throughout New Girl. In Season 3, Linda Cardellini’s character of Jess’ rebel sister was introduced into the show. You really can’t help but laugh and cringe at the wacky storyline Cardellini's character goes through as she uses her and her roommates, most memorably by dating Schmidt just so she can have a place to stay. It’s just about the worst match ever when Abby Day gets with Greenfield’s character, but it’s fun to watch play out.

8. Jessica Biel - The Last Wedding - Season 4

We really don’t get to see Jessica Biel in enough comedy roles these days, but in Season 4 of New Girl, she did a hilarious guest spot as the other woman in the way of Jess going home with the best eligible bachelor of the wedding she and the loft is attending. Throughout the episode, Jess and Biel’s character Kat end up following a man around (played by Ben Feldman) to crazed levels. Biel has solid chemistry with Zooey Deschanel in the episode and her character swept us off our feet in the matter of 20 minutes.

7. Adam Brody - Exes - Season 3

The OC and Shazam! actor Adam Brody also joined New Girl as a guest star to play another one of Jess’ former lovers in a Season 3 episode that tackles the question of whether one can be friends with exes. In the episode, Jess attempts to convince Nick that he can remain friends with his ex Caroline (played by Mary Elizabeth Ellis), but in the process she learns that she has been leading on Adam Brody’s Berkley for years. Adam Brody plays an adorable new dad who seems harmless, but then really mixes things up in a sharply funny way.

6. Fred Armisen - No Girl - Season 5

Another gem that came out of the time New Girl was without Zooey Deschanel is when SNL funny man Fred Armisen played one of their strange live-in roommates early on. Armisen played a reserved and mysterious housemate that kind of just hangs around the house with nothing to say until the very end when he does a 180 and shows up dressed as Jess Day, and even acts like her. It’s an odd anomaly since he hadn’t met Jess during his stay, but that’s kind of why it’s so hilarious and a great guest appearance.

5. Taylor Swift - Elaine’s Big Day - Season 2

A truly great celebrity guest appearance is a surprise one, and that’s what happens in the Season 2 finale of New Girl with Taylor Swift. The pop singer’s role in the series might actually have the shortest screen time on this list, but it’s undeniably memorable, and for that it finds a place in the top five! During the memorable finale that has Cece getting her arranged marriage to Shivrang amidst protest and pranks from Schmidt and Winston, along with some developments in Jess and Nick’s relationship. As the wedding episode reaches its finale, Taylor Swift pops out to pronounce her love for Shivrang. It’s a weird and funny twist for the episode and the perfect insert of someone as iconic as the singer.

4. Jamie Lee Curtis And Rob Reiner - Parents - Season 2

A genius bit of casting in New Girl was the decision to make Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner Jess’ parents in the series. The pair made a few recurring appearances to the Fox series after their introduction in Season 2, but every single time they were an absolute delight. They play a divorced couple who are convincingly Jess’ mom and dad and it’s so much fun to see the pair play off each other and the cast. They truly struck gold with these two and New Girl is better for their additions to the series.

3. Josh Gad - Katie - Season 2

New Girl also gave us Josh Gad more unhinged than ever with his role as Bearclaw in Season 2. In the episode “Katie”, the actor uses his unique brand of humor to play a man she meets at a bar on the same episode she meets David Walton’s Sam Sweeney (her famed doctor boyfriend). In the episode, she blows off Bearclaw to go out with Sam, and things get super awkward. Gad returns in two more episodes to deliver his best moment, a woodland animal musical. Bearclaw makes excellent use of the Frozen actor and has some of the most laugh-out-loud moments in the show.

2. Justin Long - Bad In Bed - Season 1

As we soon approach the end and top of the New Girl guest star ranking, we’ve come to the last of Jess’s ex boyfriends. I guess that makes my favorite guest boyfriend in the series Justin Long’s Paul Genzlinger, who is basically the male version of Jessica Day. The couple meet in the first season of New Girl at school and then briefly date. Long has a few episodes on the show, but every time his dynamic with the cast is absolutely perfect. He plays a bit of a golden retriever boyfriend and plays off the awkwardness of Jess in a really fun way. A moment of silence for that cringe-y sex scene where Jess tries to mix it up in bed with roleplaying… nope, can’t do it, still hilarious as ever.

1. Prince - Prince - Season 3

Was it ever going to be anyone else but the late Prince? The Season 3 guest spot might be the most iconic moment in the series ever, and there are so many reasons why. The singer was apparently a big fan of the sitcom, and therefore allowed the cast to grace his presence for an episode about the loft gang getting into an exclusive party hosted by Prince. The episode comes at a pivotal moment in the series where things are heating up between Jess and Nick, and Zooey Deschanel’s character is gearing up to say those three special words to him. The Prince episode is majestic, fun and showcases everything that’s wonderful about New Girl.

All seven seasons of New Girl is currently available to stream on Netflix. Which notable guest star on the series was your favorite? Vote in the poll below. That's my queue to backwards moonwalk out of here!

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Rawson Marshall Thurber's Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story is an unconventional sports movie in many ways, and one of the specific ways is how the actors really participated in the action. Films about baseball don't have performers hitting Major League-level fastballs, and football tackles are never as rough as they look, but the Vince Vaughn comedy very much went the extra mile as far as pelting members of the ensemble cast with rubber sports balls.

One of the most memorable moments in the movie in this department is the sequence when the team from Average Joe's Gym has their first training session with Rip Torn's Patches O'Houlihan. Obviously the wrenches that are thrown around in the scene are fake, but the pitch machine used to launch balls was very, very real, and Vince Vaughn recently recounted how the experience was actually pretty scary.

With his new film Freaky now in theaters, Vaughn sat down with GQ for a career retrospective, and while discussing Dodgeball one of the memories he recalled was about that pitch machine. Apparently the director wanted to make the experience as authentic as possible, but that had the effect of putting the star ill at ease. Said Vaughn,

Unfortunately, the timing of Vince Vaughn's complaint wasn't exactly stellar. While he was personally shocked to discover how fast dodgeballs were being launched through the machine, he wasn't actually the first member of the cast to stand in front of it. Vaughn continued,

For what it's worth, while the audience may not be able to pick up the specific speed of the ball as its flying through the air, that extra 30 or 40mph certainly has an impact on the actors' reaction to being hit, and it results in some fantastic physical comedy (Justin Long's sacrifice of his body was particularly worth it, as it is hilarious to watch him just get absolutely crushed by red rubber)

Those of you who are now curious how this knowledge makes the scene play differently are in luck. If you don't already have the movie on Blu-ray or DVD, it's available to rent or buy from digital retailers, and is currently streaming on Cinemax (which you can access directly with an account or cable subscription, or through Hulu or Amazon).

Testing for the novel coronavirus has been on the rise in recent days, but that doesn’t mean everyone who is showing symptoms is guaranteed to be getting a test. Connecticut-based actor Justin Long recently revealed that he, his brother and his brother’s girlfriend Maggie all believe they have all gotten the viral disease, but that they aren’t in a “high risk” group, so like many others, were unable to get tested.

In new episodes of “Life is Short with Justin Long” the actor referred to his brother as “still slightly Covid-y,” also revealing how the three of them came into contact with the illness through Christian’s partner Maggie. Per Long:

Later, both Christian and Justin dealt with mild symptoms that seemed very similar to what Maggie had, with Christian noting “the exact same symptoms” cropped up a day after Maggie had them, including “achy-ness, some nausea, headaches and then the tightness in the chest.” Christian and Justin Long later said the Long family cases have not been confirmed.

In addition, Justin Long said on another episode of his podcast that his brother Christian in particular was having some of the smell and taste symptoms that have come up with coronavirus, but that it seems to be coming back.

The podcasts, which premiered last week, sounds as if they were recorded before many of the stay-at-home orders grew more serious across the United States, so it’s interesting to Justin Long hear Justin Long talk with David Harbour (who was on to promote Stranger Things Season 4) and his brother about the disease before some of the newer information has come in. In fact, at the point the podcast was recorded, the actors talk about how cases in New York were still fairly rare.

In addition, Justin Long also revealed he has a 103-year-old Grandmother who survived the Spanish Flu back in 1918, along with her other family members who caught the disease. Luckily the Long family and Christian's girlfriend say they are “OK” whether or whether not it was coronavirus and some symptoms, like the weird taste and smell thing detailed, have started to abate somewhat.

Long is certainly not the only celebrity who has probably had coronavirus. Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Idris Elba and others have revealed they've tested positive. In Elba's case, his symptoms were basically nil. Meanwhile, some other celebrities, including America's Got Talent judge Heidi Klum, have had trouble getting tested as well.

Love is in the air on The Conners! Although the show has not even premiered yet as the follow-up to the ill-fated Roseanne, a new love interest has already been cast for Darlene, and sitcom fans may recognize him. Justin Long, who played a memorable love interest on New Girl, is on board to romance Darlene, and hilarity is bound to ensue.

Not too many details are currently available about Justin Long's character, but his name will be Neil and he won't be a one-off guest star. He's on board in a recurring capacity, according to TVLine, so maybe the relationship will go well for Darlene! She could probably use a fun new dynamic in her life considering what happened to her mother, the new responsibilities that will probably fall on her shoulders following Roseanne's death, and the complications that will come with the return of David.

Yes, Johnny Galecki will reprise his role as Darlene's former flame and the father of her children in the upcoming first season of The Conners. He was back as David in the first and now only season of Roseanne, and that season was kind of a bummer all around for the Healy family. The revival revealed that Mark had passed away and David turned out to not be the greatest dad to his and Darlene's kids. Any fans who were hoping for a rekindled romance for David and Darlene may want to resign themselves to the duo remaining separate, at least for now. Darlene isn't the only one with a love interest.

David's girlfriend Blue will appear on The Conners, to be played by Juliette Lewis of Secrets and Lies. As of now, Lewis and Johnny Galecki are only slated to appear in one episode, which also points toward no rekindled romance between David and Darlene, even if Darlene still had some lingering feelings for him after his Roseanne appearance. Maybe Neil will be exactly what Darlene needs! She may need the occasional break from her family.

Darlene isn't the only Conners regular who is getting a new love interest. Love will be in the air for Jackie as well, which may be yet another sign that the show intends to explore new relationships for her character. Steve Zahn will play Jackie's new guy, and she'll come to regret asking Dan to "vet him" in the Halloween episode. Something tells me Darlene won't be asking Dan to vet Neil!

We'll have to wait and see. Although The Conners is keeping the same cast from Roseanne (aside from Roseanne Barr, of course), there are bound to be significant differences between the shows, and not just due to the recasting of a certain character. Find out what the Conners will look like without Roseanne when the show premieres in the fall lineup on Tuesday, October 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

If "smart stupid comedy" was an official sub-genre, and if that sub-genre had a literal poster boy, it would be Human Giant and Childrens Hospital vet Rob Huebel. The scene-stealing comedian has a new show coming out for YouTube Red called Do You Want to See a Dead Body?, based on his Funny or Die shorts, and it looks to be about as hilariously insipid as TV can get, which means we can't wait for its November 15 premiere. In fact, we've got an exclusive clip below from one episode guest-starring Justin Long. Fair warning: there's pixelated nudity here, but it's largely safe for work.

The whole concept behind Do You Want to See a Dead Body? involves Rob Huebel asking a celebrity if they want to go see a dead body. But instead of the coming-of-age humbling inspired by Stand By Me's similar journey, this show goes on much weirder and sillier adventures. Like, for instance, Huebel taking Justin Long out to find a corpse and taking a detour to a nude beach first.

It's not often (or ever) that a TV show dives into the hidden world of one of Mother Nature's most undesirable creatures: the nude beach bully. But Do You Want to See a Dead Body? bravely went there, with Broad City's John Gemberling and another Childrens Hospital vet, Seth Morris, playing the unclothed and overly protective troublemakers. To think that there are beachcombers like that out there in the world, going around and slapping innocent corpse-seeking men's bare chests and putting a vengeful power-grip on their testicles...well, it just gives me the chills.

In hindsight, even before this episode was teased in the first trailer for Do You Want to See a Dead Body?, we all should have known that the show would feature a nude beach brawl. How else would we get to see Rob Huebel giving one of his fabulously loud howls? Okay, so there are probably a few other ways to make it happen not involving some dudes' junk flopping about by the seaside, and we might very well get to see some other big screams in the season. But this one still felt inevitable.

For its first season on YouTube Red, Do You Want to See a Dead Body? will obviously star Rob Huebel, but we also know he'll be joined by a bunch of other funny people like Terry Crews, Judy Greer, Adam Scott, Rob Scheer, Alexandra Daddario, John Cho, Danny Pudi, Adam Pally, Joe Lo Truglio and more! That's basically the best guest cast list on TV, so don't be a dumb-dumb by going out and looking for your own dead bodies when Rob Huebel is already ready and willing to show you several of them.

Do You Want to See a Dead Body? premieres on YouTube Red on Wednesday, November 15. Maybe you'll hear something about the show soon on our To see what other shows are yet to premiere in 2017, head to our fall TV premiere schedule. And to see what's not coming back, check out our 2017 cancellation rundown.

The billion-dollar franchise is back in action and moving forward on a new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. We’ll admit, the first film wasn’t too shabby, but between The Squeakquel and Chip-Wrecked the quality hasn’t quite been five stars. So why another film? Well, believe it or not, the franchise has already banked over $1 billion, and a new film is pretty much a guarantee for more money flow.

While plot details have not been divulged, the title, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip sounds like the band is going on tour. The Hollywood Reporter announced the director that has signed on for the project. Walt Becker known for Van Wilder: Party Liaison, Wild Hogs, and the Disney film with John Travolta and Robin Williams, Old Dogs, has signed on to direct the fourth film. He’ll pair with screenwriters Adam Sztykiel (Due Date) and Randi Mayem Singer (Mrs. Doubtfire) for the live-action/GG hybrid film. It is still unclear whether or not the previous Chipmunks including Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney will return to voice their characters, but if this film is to fit in the series, we can guess that they will probably be back singing their favorite chipmunk cover songs.

It’s pretty wild though, that each movie has grossed such an insane amount of money despite critical and negative reviews. The first film released in 2009 Alvin and the Chipmunks earned $361 million worldwide. The second earned even more, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel banked $443 million. And while the last movie didn’t do quite as well during its 2011 release it still earned $342 million worldwide.

So really, it’s no surprise that 20th Century Fox hopped on the train to get a new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie rolling, it’s a guarantee money-maker. Even back when David Cross attempted to defend his decision to appear in the movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked, it all came down to the money. The actor took home $150 million after only three weeks. He used the money to put a down-payment on his house. And while fans of his thought it was a sell-out move that totally killed his cred, Cross finally admitted his own disgust at the project and the awful experience he had with it. But what it really came down to, was Cross telling his fans, ‘hey guys, stupid kid movies pay the bills’. And sometimes, actor’s have to cash in, but at what cost?

We’ll see who caves in to the money-making machine that is Alvin and the Chipmunks for this next film. And if there are any big names, it’s probably because they need some extra dough. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Road Chip is scheduled to release December 16, 2016.

Netflix’s first attempt at an adult animated comedy, Bojack Horseman, debuted two months ago and shocked audiences who weren’t expecting such a personal story behind all the sex and alcoholism jokes. The streaming service will once again head to the 2D world of animation by teaming up with Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Television for F is for Family, which already boasts a cast that includes Justin Long, Laura Dern and Bill Burr, the stand-up comedian whose stage stories inspired the series. Does this finally make Burr a household name yet?

F is for Family will center on over-the-top patriarch Frank Murphy (Burr), his wife Sue (Dern) and son Kevin (Long), who is called the oldest, presumably meaning more family members will be cast later. There isn’t a real plotline yet, but it takes place during the 1970s, which the press release describes as “a time when you could smack your kid, smoke inside and bring a gun to the airport.” Katie O’Connell, CEO of production company Gaumont International Television, calls it a “hilariously edgy” style of comedy, so it sounds like the creative team will do everything necessary to assert its adult tone.

F is for Family will run for only six episodes, and was created by Bill Burr and Emmy-award winning writer Michael Price (The Simpsons), the latter of whom will serve as showrunner. Also executive producing is actor/producer Peter Billingsley (Couples Retreat). Here’s how Burr describes the chance to make this project a reality.

Burr is a rising star, spinning a fan favorite character out of a small role on Breaking Bad. He’ll soon be working with some of the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia guys for an upcoming FX comedy called Pariah, and his latest stand-up special will hit Netflix on December 5. You can find some of his other specials on Netflix and on YouTube.

Justin Long knows comedy, and he knows voicework. He’s been in animated things like Alvin and the Chipmunks and the shortlived series Unsupervised, and his most recent TV work was actually for the animated Comedy Central series TripTank. Dern, who reclaimed her TV fame in HBO’s Enlightened, flexed her comedy muscles this year in Comedy Central’s Kroll Show and Drunk History. She’ll undoubtedly be great in this.

It’s unclear when F is for Family will go into production, but Netflix is planning on releasing it in all of its territories in 2015.

Justin Long has revealed that he was petrified when he was cast as George Harrison of The Beatles in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

This is despite the fact that Long’s Harrison, Paul Rudd’s John Lennon, Jack Black’s Paul McCartney and Jason Schwartzman’s Ringo Starr were only a small part of the 2007 comedy, which documented the absurd life of John C. Reilly’s 1950’s rock-and-roller, and drew heavily on the plot of the Johnny Cash biopic, Walk The Line.

Long even admitted during a Reddit Q&A to promote his role in Kevin Smith’s Tusk that the night before filming he watched various documentaries of the Fab Four. "We were so nervous – it was such a daunting task to play the Beatles (even though it was a comedic movie) – we wanted to respect how sacred they are," he explained.

It wasn’t just Long who was overawed by the possibility of playing one of The Beatles though. In fact, his co-star, Schwartzman even called Rudd’s room and told the pair that "he was freaking out" too. However, Jack Black soon came to their rescue and tried to pass down some sage advice to the trio that he hoped would guide them through their worries. Long recalled, "One of those guys said they had run into Jack Black the day before and asked him if he was nervous (to play Paul). Jack said, 'No, dude, I got it. Just watch Hard Days Night!' Unfortunately though, this had the adverse effect on the trio, as they then became convinced that, according to Long, "Jack would come in and blow [them] all away."

It all turned out OK though, and Long, Black, Schwartzman and Rudd’s version of The Beatles was actually one of the highlights of the film, which, even though it was a pretty impressive lampooning of the biopic genre, sadly failed to connect with an audience, and ultimately flopped at the box office. You can check out their downright hilarious scenes from Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story below:

Justin Long also revealed that, despite the toil and strife that went into his preparation, playing George Harrison turned out to be "one of the most fun days of [his] life," and he even received commendation for his portrayal from a pretty reliable source. He shared:

You can check out Long in Kevin Smith’s bizarre horror flick, Tusk , in cinemas across the country starting today.

Justin Long has revealed that he would love to team up with Tusk director, Kevin Smith, again to reprise his Zack And Miri Make A Porno character, Brandon St. Randy.

Smith directed Long for the first time in the 2008 sex-comedy, which revolved around Seth Rogen’s Zack and Elizabeth Banks’ Miri making an X-rated video together in order to raise some much needed funds. Long’s Brandon St. Randy, a gay-porn star who Zack starts chatting to at his high school reunion, was one of the best things in Zack and Miri, and it sounds as if he had a blast making it too.

Long declared during a Reddit Q&A session to promote Tusk, his latest film with Smith: "I would love to do Brandon St Randy again – 2 of the most fun days of my life." He then even teased that the duo had even devised a possible spin-off film which would revolve around a road-trip between B.S.R and his boyfriend, Robert "Bobby" Long, who was played by Brandon Routh.

"When he sent me the script for Tusk he prefaced it with a letter in which he said he wanted me to do ‘a two-hander character study’," Long explained. "I thought it was the Brandon St Randy/Bobby Long road trip movie." Unfortunately for the actor though it simply "turned out to be a script about a human walrus," something that Smith had "failed to mention in his letter."

Tusk revolves around Long’s Wallace Bryton, a podcaster who learns about mysterious seafarer, Howard Howe, played by Michael Parks, who then takes him hostage and attempts to turn him into a walrus. Despite the bizarre premise, Long admitted during his chat with Reddit’s legion of users that it didn’t take much convincing for him to join the horror extravaganza as he had previously had a blast being on set with the Clerks filmmaker.

"I would’ve done anything Kevin wanted me to," Long declared. "I was kind of in even before I read the script. It sounds pretty simple and trite but I always try and weigh the potential fun in doing something – Kevin’s sets are the most fun – whether you’re a gay porn star or a walrus or, maybe one day, BOTH!" Now that’s an image.

Clearly Long still holds a flame for his time in Zack and Miri because he even went on to note that his favorite ever film role was as B.S.R. It’s just a shame that the film is now regarded as a failure since it flopped at the box-office and ultimately gave the always "bankable" Rogen one of his worst opening weekend grosses.

To call Zack and Miri a failure is still pretty harsh though, since not only did it possess a pretty decent laugh rate and was downright adorable in places, even if the avalanche of raunch did take away from its sentiment, it also introduced the world to Brandon St. Randy. And we can only hope that Long and Smith will eventually return to the character one day. Especially if he’s turned into a walrus.

Long before he was palling around with John McClane in Live Free or Die Hard or being turned into a walrus by Kevin Smith, Justin Long was starring in one of the best sci-fi cult classics of the last 20 years. Director Dean Parisot's 1999 comedy Galaxy Quest, both a spoof and loving tribute to Star Trek, was the actor's first big screen acting gig and featured him as an obsessive geek who helps the stars of his favorite television show save the world from evil aliens. It was a pretty fun part, and one that Long apparently would love to reprise - as indicated by his recent enthusiastic reaction to talk of a possible Galaxy Quest 2 during a recent Ask Me Anything session.

With Kevin Smith's Tusk in theaters this weekend, Justin Long took to Reddit to answer any and all questions from his fans - and because this is the internet it took no time at all for the first question to be asked about the possibility of a Galaxy Quest 2. Asked if he would have any interest in reprising the part, the actor responded, "Absolutely! I'd love to see what Brandon Wheeger is up to 15 years later." Furthermore, he also confirmed that he has heard talk about a sequel, but that he's unsure exactly how "real" any of it is. He finished his answer saying,

It's hard to tell if what Long heard about Galaxy Quest 2 comes from behind the scenes of Hollywood or the press, as this is actually the second time this year that we've heard word about the potential sequel. As a sort of celebration of the first Galaxy Quest's 15 year legacy, a bunch of actors were asked if they were interested in coming back, and each of them - from Tim Allen to Sigourney Weaver to Sam Rockwell - expressed interest in the opportunity. Producer Mark Johnson has added that he thinks Dean Parisot would be game to return to the director's chair as well, but he also insisted that the entire project really hinges on screenwriter Robert Gordon - who has said that he has ideas for a Galaxy Quest 2.

If Galaxy Quest 2 were to become an actual thing and actually feature Brandon as a returning character - and we're speaking strictly in hypotheticals here - I'd be curious to see how they approached it. They could go the easy route and make him the stereotypical 36-year-old sci-fi geek living in his parent's basement, but hopefully that would be too easy a target for Gordon and Parisot. Maybe have him featured within the movie as a continuity consultant on a in-universe Galaxy Quest reboot? It's just one idea.

Kevin Smith is primarily known as a comedy director, with titles like Clerks., Dogma, and Zack and Miri Make A Porno all coming out over the last 20 years. In 2011, however, he changed things up in a major way and brought us the R-rated horror film Red State. For his next feature, Tusk, Smith is once again sticking with blood and guts over laughs, and as you can see in the photo above, it's going to be pretty disgusting.

In celebration of star Justin Long's birthday, Smith sent out the image over his Instagram account. The picture came with the message, "Happy bloody Birthday to the bravest actor I've ever worked with: Mr. TUSK himself, JUSTIN LONG! #WalrusYes."

So exactly what the hell is going on in this picture? Well, in Tusk Justin Long stars as Wallace Bryton, a podcast host who goes missing after going to interview a mysterious seafarer named Mr. Howe (Michael Parks). As you can see, Long doesn't end up being the kind of kidnapping victim who is tied up and locked in a closet. Instead, it would seem that Mr. Howe is determined to transform Wallace into some kind of human walrus. This involves stitching Wallace's arms to his chest and knocking out all of his teeth (where else are the tusks going to go?). Tusk also stars Haley Joel Osment as Teddy Craft, Wallace's co-podcast host who goes searching for his friend along with his girlfriend, played by Genesis Rodriguez.

This image doesn't really give us any kind of bigger grasp on the story or how Kevin Smith plans on shooting the film, but there is definitely a lot to like here for horror fans. Great practical effects work is always welcome, and this movie looks epically gruesome in all the right ways.

Tusk went into production last November and has been in post since then. The distribution company A24 has signed on for the movie, and while no release date has been announced yet, the film is expected to get a conventional theater release sometime in the third quarter of this year. Hopefully it will end up right in the weeks leading up to Halloween, which would mean getting a first trailer in the next couple of months. Does this image of Justin Long on a surgery table get you excited to see the film? Answer our poll and tell us what you think in the comments below.

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Kevin Smith has always been known to attract an interesting cast of notables in his films. Will Ferrell, Mark Hamill, Michael Parks, George Carlin, and Carrie Fisher are all among the stars that Smith has directed, and if a Justin Long interview with a Long Island outlet is any indication, the following cryptic tweet from Smith himself was confirmation that Johnny Depp (Transcendence) is on board for his latest film (of the moment), Tusk.

The following is the tweet, uncovered by The Wrap, that sparked curiosity from Smith's Twitter feed, from back in last September:

All of that secrecy was undone by Justin Long being interviewed by a bunch of kids in Long Island. He dropped the bomb when talking about how he was starring in the film about the definitely family un-friendly story of a man obsessed with walruses to the point where he lures people into wearing a walrus suit... right before he kills them. The film's idea grew out of an episode of Mr. Smith's Smodcast, with his sights originally on Quentin Tarantino to play the role of Guy Lapointe, a French-Canadian detective assigned to the case of this peculiar murderer.

Depp will apparently be playing the role that Tarantino turned down, which seems like a natural fit for him as he has not only lived in France for a good, long period of time, but it also gives him a chance to adopt another accent into his repertoire. If this news is double confirmed to be true, this could actually be an interesting turn of events for Smith and Depp alike. For Smith, this would only further bolster the cast list he's maintained over his storied career, and for Depp it could be a chance to do something different and not mainstream again. The film also co-stars Michael Parks (Red State) as said murdering madman.

Johnny Depp outside of the mainstream has always been a fun proposition, and if you need a refresher on why that is, it's highly suggested you watch Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. For the uninitiated, or those lacking a proper memory of the film, a scene is embedded below. Depp's next starring role will be in Transcendence, opening on April 18th, and Tusk is expected in theaters at some point this fall. So don't be surprised if you see a couple more walruses than usual at your local Halloween party.

Kevin Smith, that old lug. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, he struck gold in the self-realization department by saying that when it comes to comedy, it makes more sense to pour as much funny stuff out as possible on a podcast rather than lose a huge chunk out of life trying to get a movie made. Comedy is a genre of the moment, while scary movies tend to stick in the craw a little longer, as fears are more mentally debilitating than senses of humor. And so it is with full verve that Smith is diving into his next thriller, the surreal walrus horror Tusk, and has confirmed that Justin Long and Red State star Michael Parks are on board to star. Also, this will serve as a palate cleanser before he kicks Clerks III into high gear.

A little backstory: Smith based his screenplay on a newspaper ad from a man who had a pretty strange request involving a roommate. The man claimed to have been lost at sea for six months with only a walrus as his company. In the ad, he says he’s never had “such a fulfilling relationship with anyone, human or otherwise,” and says that he had spent months “constructing a realistic walrus costume, which should fit most people of average proportions, and allow for full and easy movement in character.” Of course, he wanted his roommate to spend a couple of hours a day wearing the suit and be his walrus-sound-making friend. But hey, no rent!

So with Parks in mind, Smith “wrote the script around him, so it’s nothing but Michael Parks dialogue porn. Justin Long is the guy in the walrus suit. I needed a guy who has expressive eyes because once you’re in that suit, you’re covered.” While he had originally envisioned Quentin Tarantino in the role, he asked Long if he’d take the part and Long responded, “This is awfully scary but how can we not? Let’s fall down this hole.” Can’t call it a rabbit hole or the walrus will get jealous.

And while Smith had previously called the film something like a “cuddly Human Centipede,” he said when he got the costume designs back from the masterful designer Robert Kurtzman, he thought, “’Holy shit, it’s a monster movie. I had no idea.’ I thought I was making a kind of sister thriller to Red State. As soon as I saw the designs, I go, “Of course this is a monster movie and he’s Dr. Frankenstein.”

All in all, this is pretty exciting news, for Smith fans and beyond. Long is mostly known for comedic and romantic roles – his romantic comedy A Case of You will probably come out before year’s end – he got his big break in the cult (for some reason) horror Jeepers Creepers and transitioned nicely into Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell. Parks, meanwhile, is a veteran in almost every genre imaginable, and will soon be seen in Jim Mickle’s We Are What We Are.

With a modest budget of around $2 million, Tusk is set to go into production on October 21, and if Smith has his way, “you’ll see Tusk up in Sundance in January.” I’m probably looking forward to this flick more than I am Clerks III at this point. How about you guys?

This week, rumors that Amanda Seyfried and Justin Long are currently dating one another on the sly began to whisper around the Internet. First, he just so happened to come along with her to the premiere of her new film, Lovelace. Second, the two were sharing a meal on Thursday and cosying up with one another while doing it. The verdict: they are totally hanging out and are probably dating.

US Weekly initially noted that the couple had begun spending time together around the time of Seyfried’s recent movie premiere. Then E! caught the couple out on a dinner date on Thursday, hanging out at an Italian restaurant called Cecconi’s, which is located in trendy and hopping West Hollywood. The outlet is also noting they drank white wine, which literally has nothing to do with the fact they might be dating, but I guess is a hot fact to consume if you are into celebrity drink choices. Currently, Seyfried and Long’s reps are staying mum about the possible relationship, but let's be serious, something is clearly up.

Both Seyfried and Long have had several high-profile romances. Seyfried dated Desmond Harrington, Dominic Cooper and once even noted she went out with Alexander Skarsgard, explaining that he is very funny. Long’s highest profile romance was probably with actress Drew Barrymore, which ended way back in 2008. That was a long time ago, however, and maybe he’s ready to commit to a relationship with another badass, high-profile actress.

Long may not be admitting he’s dating Seyfried, but the 35-year-old actor did admit she rocked out in Lovelace via the very public forum, Twitter.

Celebrities may not always be purposefully keeping secrets when they first begin dating. Sometimes they let people in on a need-to-know basis, and the general populace and the media aren’t a part of that inner circle. I’m guessing it’s generally easier to keep things under wraps until you know you stand a good chance of being with a person for the long haul. That way if famous couples drift apart or decide they don’t have much in common, they don’t have to go through the rigmarole of scrutiny related to the break-up. Since I’m not a celebrity, I can’t prove this theory, but if you have a better one, by all means, let us know in the comments.

The 27-year-old actress has an extremely busy schedule and Long is no slouch either. Whether or not hanging out leads into something serious will likely depend on the amount of fun the couple have together and whether or not it’s worth juggling schedules to make something serious work. Either way, we’ll keep you updated, whether this one moves forward or fizzles out.

Writer-director Tom Holland continues to add pieces to his upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s short story Ten O’Clock People. As we reported earlier, Justin Long has been attached to the lead role. Now THR adds that Rachel Nichols is negotiating to join him in the horror-thriller.

King’s story – pulled from the old anthology Nightmares and Dreamscapes -- follows a man who tries to quit smoking. His efforts, however, wake him up to a disturbing reality about people in authority surrounding him in the real world. He’s prompted to join a mysterious group called The Ten O’Clock People. Nichols would play a member of that posse.

People will be a return to the horror genre for Long, who starred in the Jeepers Creepers franchise early on in his career. Holland, meanwhile, was the “father” of several classic horror films from our youth. He directed the original Fright Night and the first Child’s Play. He adapted King for the TV movie The Langoliers, and tackled several episodes of HBO’s long-lost Tales from the Crypt.

Nichols, however, is making a name for herself in the action genre. Yes, the former model was in the 2005 Amityville Horror remake alongside Ryan Reynolds. But her top credits include a stint on Alias and roles in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, 2011’s Conan the Barbarian reboot, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. No real clarification on what her part would be in Ten O’Clock People, but the fact that Holland continues to add cast members means he’s likely ready to begin filming, shortly.

Justin Long might always be remembered as “the Mac guy,” because his commercials for the computer giant so far have eclipsed his film work. Long has appeared in a Die Hard sequel, Galaxy Quest, two Jeepers Creepers movies, Dodgeball and a string of Alvin and the Chipmunks flicks, but maybe a potential collaboration on a vintage Stephen King short story will put him over the top.

Long, according to Deadline, is angling for the lead role in an adaptation of The Ten O’Clock People, which Tom Holland will write and direct. The plot follows a character named Brandon Pearson on his quest to quit smoking, only his efforts lead to some disturbing developments.

The story was published in King’s 1993 compilation Nightmares & Dreamscapes, which has inspired film versions of two other tales: The Night Flier and Dolan’s Cadillac. Later, on TNT, a handful of the stories from King’s collection inspired episodes, but I can’t remember Ten O’Clock People being one of them.

Once upon a time, Hollywood was in a mad dash to adapt as many King properties as it could get its hands on. Though there has been a steady trickle of King adaptations over the years, things seem to be ramping up. Chloe Moretz recently started production on Carrie, Ben Affleck wants to make The Stand, Ron Howard keeps threatening to make The Dark Tower, which would be a massive undertaking, and now there’s this. What do you think? Have you read the short story? Is Long the right choice for a King adaptation? Share your thoughts below.

Sienna Miller and Brendan Fraser are the latest actors to sign on to the Justin Long-penned romantic comedy A Case of You, joining a cast that includes Long himself, his co-writer Keir O'Donnell, Evan Rachel Wood, Peter Dinklage and Busy Philipps. The movie centers on a young writer who looks for love online, and uses his "gift for fiction"--as David Mamet would say--to enhance his dating site profile. Of course, when it comes time to meet the girl he's managed to impress with lies, he must personify his false online profile in his real life. Trouble ensues.

Variety, which has revealed this latest casting update, makes no mention of what roles Miller and Fraser are slated to play, but since Long and Wood were the first cast members to be announced, it's likely they'll play the love-struck leads and Fraser and Miller will have to fit into the cast elsewhere. A Case of You is currently shooting in New York, which means Miller, who recently revealed her baby bump at fashion week, will likely be playing a pregnant woman. But beyond that, the parts they'll play remain a mystery.

As an actor, Long has had a varied career, bouncing from studio rom-coms like He's Just Not That Into You to genre offerings like Drag Me to Hell to kid flicks like Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, yet he hasn't garnered much notice of late. Perhaps this is why he's decided to try his hand at writing and producing with A Case of You, as a way to better direct his career. His younger brother Christian, who contributed to the script, will produce alongside Long. Kat Coiro (L!fe Happens) is helming the feature which is due out next year.

By this point, it’s probably fair to say that Justin Long is better known for the film’s he’s appeared in, than for playing the “Mac” in the “Get a Mac” Apple ad campaign. As great (and memorable) as those ads were, Long has appeared in enough films before and since then to show his true potential as an actor. He’s also done some TV work, including voice-work in FX’s new animated comedy Unsupervised, as well as a charming recurring guest appearance Fox’s New Girl. It looks like we’ll be getting to see his potential as a writer (and a producer) with the upcoming indie film A Case of You.

The news about the project, which comes from Variety, includes some great casting updates. Joining Long, who is also set to star, is Evan Rachel Wood and Peter Dinklage. Directed by Kat Coiro, the story follows a writer who embellishes his online profile in an attempt to impress a girl, which results in her falling in love with him. He ends up in a mess as he has to try to “keep up the act.” Variety doesn’t mention whether this is a comedy or a drama (maybe a little of both?), nor do they specify what roles the actors will be playing, but Long as the writer and Wood as the girl he fibs to sounds like it could fit.

Cougar Town‘s Busy Phillips, who co-starred in He’s Just Not That Into You with Long, is set to co-star. Keir O’Donnell will also co-star, in addition to contributing to the writing, along with Long’s brother Christian.

The whole cast sounds great, but as a Game of Thrones fan, it’s especially exciting to hear of Dinklage’s involvement in the film. With the series headed into its second season, and Dinklage coming off well-deserved Emmy and Golden Globe wins, it’s no surprise to see his name popping up in other projects. In addition to A Case of You, he’s also set to star alongside fellow HBO TV star Ryan Kwanten in the Joe Lynch directed Knights of Badassdom, as well as Sacha Gervasi’s My Dinner with Herve. He’s also lending his distinctly deep voice to the fourth Ice age film, Continental Drift.

The new trailer for Going the Distance is, overall, a pretty big improvement. Drew Barrymore and Justin Long’s movie about a long distance romance has never seemed more upbeat and fun. The story moves along quickly, the teaser really gets to the point, and the trailers filled with snappy music and cute little one-liners. It’s incredibly affable and far better paced than any of the previous trailers we’ve seen for the film. But they’ve ruined Jim Gaffigan.

Say what you want about the previous trailers but that moment where Jim Gaffigan eats dinner while Drew Barrymore and Justin Long have sex on his dinner table killed. Its still in this trailer but it’s been recut in a way that’s just not funny at all. That’s alright. Gaffigan has a couple of other good moments in this version and the trailer does a much better job overall of making this movie seem like its worth Going the Distance. See what I did there?

Watch the newest trailer for Going the Distance below:

This weekend pretty much marks the end of the summer movie season, as the last three big movies anyone cares about-- Eat Pray Love, The Expendables and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World-- hit theaters at last. With the season of explosions and heroes out of the way it's time to start looking forward to fall, which is when, thank the Lord, the movies generally start getting really, really good. It's a long way to November 24 but I've already got my eye on Love and Other Drugs, a romantic comedy starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal and directed by Ed Zwick, whose most recent films were the very much not-romantic comedies Defiance, Blood Diamond and The Last Samurai.

It could be a weird match, sure, but it could also be great, the happy ending you wanted for Gyllenhaal and Hathaway's characters in Brokeback Mountain with the added benefit of a lot of Viagra jokes (Gyllenhaal's character is a pharmaceutical salesman). Apparently the first trailer for Love and Other Drugs hits this weekend, and The Playlist picked up on both the first stills from the film in Entertainment Weekly's fall preview and a brief presentation of the trailer from Entertainment Tonight. You can see all of those things below-- the trailer is, in typical ET fashion, overrun by annoying commentary from the hosts, but you can ignore that to see what looks like a pretty well-done dramedy, starring two actors who both do great things when given the chance (i.e. not Prince of Persia and Bride Wars).

It might not be the hippest or the biggest of the movies remaining to come out this summer, but I'll admit I'm pretty excited about Going the Distance, the relationship comedy starring on-again, off-again couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long as a pair who decide to give a long-distance relationship a shot. I like both of them and really like a decent romantic comedy, and something that might potentially combine those things is a movie I'm perfectly happy to see.

The new one-sheet for the film doesn't really give us all that much to go on-- it's a little quirky and different but also a pretty simple cuddly image-- but come on, don't we all wish Justin Long would lean us against a brick wall and smile at us like that? No? Just me? Fine then-- you can't be my plus-one when this movie finally comes out and my summer ends perfectly. Going the Distance hits theaters August 27; if you're intrigued by the poster below, check out the trailer that hit a while back.

A children's movie done right can be a great thing. Creating a film that both kids and adults can enjoy equally is nothing short of a magical process, with each demographic getting something different out of the experience. From the look of the first international trailer for Lionsgate's Alpha and Omega, this film won't be one of them.

Lionsgate Films UK posted the trailer on its YouTube account and the video is nothing more than a Lady and the Tramp ripoff with wolves instead of dogs (real stretch there, guys). The short clip is nothing more than a minute of cheap slapstick humor and jokes about heavy wolves lying on top of smaller wolves. By the end you get the sense that someone just plum forgot to stick in a fart sound effect. Also, Steppenwolf's Born To Be Wild should be forever banned from appearing in another movie promotion.

Check out the trailer below.

Justin Long and Drew Barrymore were a popular couple for a while-- a shot of them kissing in the surf is still one of Barrymore's top Google hits-- and then they broke up, which was a bummer for those of us who like both of them way more than we'd like to admit (not that I know or anything). Then they were dating again, then they weren't, then they figured there was one good way to capitalize on the fact that everyone cared about their relationship status-- they made a romantic comedy together.

And thus we have Going the Distance, a rom-com about two people who meet cute six weeks before she's planning to move across the country, then make the generally idiotic move of trying a long-distance relationship, even though they themselves know it's pretty idiotic. I read the screenplay a while back and found it charms in bits and pieces-- clearly it was written by a dude who wanted to write a screenplay about his fantasy girlfriend, and rang really false when dealing with any of the female characters. But with Barrymore and Christina Applegate on board as the female leads, not to mention Jason Sudeikis in a key "buddy" role, this may be one of those cases where a good cast and direction (American Teen's Nanette Burstein is behind the camera) can save a script that's just so-so.

In Iron Man 2 Sam Rockwell plays Justin Hammer, the wealthy industrialist who just doesn't quite have the panache to be a Tony Stark. But not all is lost-- Rockwell is getting his chance to play a superhero after all. In fact, he's playing Batman. And Justin Long is his Robin. No, seriously.

According to Production Weekly, Rockwell and Long will be reprising their roles as the crimefighting duo for another take on "Robin's Big Speed Date," which originated in 2007 as a short directed by James Duffy (you can watch it embedded below). The new take on the same material will be part of the giant anthology now known simply as Untitled Comedy-- it's the one that will feature Hugh Jackman sporting testicles on his chin and Chloe Moretz as a girl getting her first period, among presumably many other juvenile and hilarious set-ups.

Rockwell and Long will be joined in the new "Robin's Big Speed Date" by John Hodgman as The Penguin, Leslie Bibb as Wonder Woman and Josh Hamilton, also part of the original short playing an ordinary guy, will play Superman. The entire concept might not work for a feature film, but as one short in a whole lineup of crazy shorts, it's hard to imagine much of anything that would be funnier.

Hat tip to Slashfilm for posting the original short.

If you haven't loved Jason Sudeikis as Liz's Cleveland-bound boyfriend Floyd on 30 Rock, then what the hell have you been doing with your time? She finished her Teamsters sub for him! The SNL player has already proven himself capable of playing a character with a few extra dimensions, and even though he probably won't need those skills playing "the best friend" to Justin Long's character in Going the Distance, it's at least nice to know that he has them.

Going the Distance is that odd movie in which on-again off-again real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Long will play a couple struggling through a long-distance relationship. According to THR Sudeikis will play Box, Long's friend who tells him to ditch the long-distance thing. Want to make a guess at Box being that player character who doesn't think any lady is worth it? And then he falls in love with one of the female characters-- my guess is Christina Applegate-- at the end?

I want to think more of this movie, both because I inexplicably like Justin Long and Barrymore has some appealing romantic comedies in the past. But even if it's generic, they had the good sense to cast Jason Sudeikis. That has to count for something, right?