James Cameron is a filmmaker who will go down in history as the writer and director of some of the greatest films of all time. He's made so many hit movies it’s almost hard to count, but he thinks the list should be even longer, as Cameron recently claimed credit for writing the surfer crime movie Point Break.

In a recent interview, Cameron claimed credit for the film, saying that he “got stiffed” by the Writers’ Guild when it came to credit on the movie. The actual credit went to screenwriter W. Peter Iliff, but speaking with EW, you won’t hear him complaining. Iliff confirms that Cameron did work on the film and says he has nothing but respect for the Avatar director. The screenwriter said…

Iliff details the story of Point Break, which he wrote based on an idea from filmmaker Rick King, with Ridley Scott originally attached to direct. The movie would then jump around studios, and lose Scott to Black Rain, before it ended up at 20th Century Fox with Kathryn Bigelow directing.

Bigelow was married to James Cameron at the time, who was on the same lot making The Abyss. Iliff is honest that Cameron and Bigelow wrote the “production draft” of the script based on his original screenplay. One moment that Cameron specifically added was apparently the famous scene of Keanu Reeves' Johnny Utah jumping out of a plane after Patrick Swayze’s Brodie without a parachute.

As far as who gets the credit, the Writers’ Guild of America determines credit by having a jury of other writers review multiple drafts of the script, in order to determine who contributed what and decide how many of the authors should receive credit for the final product. W. Peter Illiff received sole screenplay credit, with Illiff and King receiving Story credit.

I’m not sure anybody would blame Illiff for being frustrated by Cameron’s recent comments that he deserves credit for writing the film. However, that doesn’t appear to be happening. Illiff, who says he hasn’t seen James Cameron in years, doesn’t appear to be bothered by the issue. He continued…

Illiff would go on to write the Harrison Ford-led Patriot Games and Varsity Blues, both the film and the follow-up TV series. James Cameron would go on to direct three of the top five highest grossing movies ever made. It seems everything turned out fine for all involved.

There are plenty of upcoming horror movies hitting the 2025 movie calendar as Halloween approaches, but A House of Dynamite is horrifying in a whole different way. It’s not ghosts or murderers or bumps in the night that threaten the protagonists in this apocalyptic political thriller, but a nuclear missile. Critics have seen the movie as it makes its premiere on the Netflix schedule, so should we be adding this to our watch lists?

A House of Dynamite features an ensemble cast led by Idris Elba as the president of the United States and is directed by Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty). The film follows the response of the U.S. government when faced with an impending nuclear strike from an unknown enemy, and Dana Stevens of Slate calls it both “an ingenious puzzle box” and a nail-biting cautionary tale. The critic says:

Brian Truitt of USA TODAY agrees this isn’t an easy watch, but it’s an important one. The way it plays out mostly in real time adds to the audience’s stress, he says, but the film loses a bit of steam by repeating the same window of time from different characters’ perspectives. Truitt gives it 3 out of 4 stars, writing:

Mark Hughes of Forbes says the director boasts one of the most impressive resumes in modern filmmaking, with her movies asking complex questions and forcing us to examine ourselves and our society to see what our history and present say about our future. A House of Dynamite certainly accomplishes this, Hughes writes:

John Powers of NPR says that, sadly, Kathryn Bigelow’s warning about nuclear war won’t likely have any real-world effect when it comes to those holding the codes. A House of Dynamite probably won’t result in making us safer, but it’s exciting nonetheless. Powers says:

While the majority of critics seem to agree with those above — A House of Dynamite holds a “Certified Fresh” 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an equally high score from the audience.

Johnny Oleksinski of the NY Post calls the movie a cheesy “overcooked casserole.” He gives the movie 2 stars out of 4, writing that it feels like a ‘90s disaster flick. In Oleksinski’s words:

A House of Dynamite saw a limited release in theaters and is now available to stream with a Netflix subscription, as of October 24. It certainly sounds like a different kind of horror scenario to mix into this month’s haunting tales.

The directors on this list are among the greatest in the history of cinema, with films that are considered the best of all time; films that will never be forgotten. What about those movies they brought all their tremendous talents to, but which aren’t remembered as well? Here is our list of great movies, by great directors, that don’t get talked about enough these days. 

The Frighteners - Peter Jackson

The Frighteners is such a great movie, and it’s criminally underrated. No, it's not as sprawling or overwhelming as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, but it has all the heart and more. Michael J. Fox leads as a con man/exorcist who can see and interact with ghosts. The Frightners is really funny, well-paced, and delightful. 

The King Of Comedy - Martin Scorsese 

When you think of Martin Scorsese, “comedy” is not usually the first word that pops into your head, but The King Of Comedy is really a pretty great movie, and while it’s technically a comedy, it’s really dark. Goodfellas has some comedy in it, like Joe Pesci acting like a clown… but a true (dark) comedy? This Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis-led film stands alone in Scorsese’s canon. 

Peggy Sue Got Married - Francis Ford Coppola

Peggy Sue Got Married is a deceptively simple film. Unlike Francis Ford Coppola’s more-talked-about epics like The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now, this film, starring Nicolas Cage and Kathleen Turner, is smaller, but that doesn’t mean it’s lesser. It’s a weird time-travel tale, but at its heart, it’s really a love story, and while it's not Coppola’s best work, it’s well worth a watch and should be talked about more often. 

Jackie Brown - Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Taratino has famously said that his next movie, his 10th, could be his last. Whether that holds true or not remains to be seen, but it’s a safe bet Jackie Brown will still be his least talked about.

Strange Days - Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow’s won Oscars (for The Hurt Locker) and she’s directed cult classics (Point Break). Strange Days is certainly closer to the latter. In it, Bigelow dabbles in science fiction, a rarity for her, but it’s unsurprising, as Strange Days was written by her then-husband James Cameron. It doesn’t have the iconic quotes that Point Break has, nor is it as white-knuckle as The Hurt Locker, but it is a great time capsule to filmmaking in the mid-90s and well worth remembering. 

Amistad - Steven Spielberg

Wedged between The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan in Steven Spielberg’s filmography, is Amistad. It’s easy to understand why this powerful historical drama revolving around a landmark court case regarding the slave trade is overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. It’s a moving story, told expertly as only Spielberg can, with a monster cast including Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman, and Djimon Hounsou, among many others. 

Clockers - Spike Lee

Let’s be clear here, Clockers is not Spike Lee’s finest work. It doesn’t reach the heights of movies like Do The Right Thing or Malcolm X, but it's still a really good movie. It gets lost in Lee’s stellar filmography, which is understandable. It’s also a testament to just how good Lee’s career has been. 

Talk Radio - Oliver Stone

Talk Radio has everything you expect from an Oliver Stone movie. Its pacing and storytelling are perfect, it’s a fascinating and terrifying story that pulls from the real-world events of a murdered radio show host. It also has a healthy dose of conspiracy, as any great Stone film does. 

The Bling Ring - Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring is a meta-tastic heist film that is not only a ton of fun to watch with celebrity cameos and great acting performances, but it also touches on some of the emerging trends that exploded in the years after the movie came out, notably influencer culture. It’s too often overlooked in Coppola’s stellar filmography. 

The Game - David Fincher

David Fincher is a master, and his filmography is full of great movies, like Se7en and Fight Club. The movie he made between those two classic is The Game with Sean Penn and Michael Douglas. Understandably, it’s overshadowed, but it’s an amazing film that is every bit as good as those two more talked-about movies. Even when people watch Fincher’s whole body of work, The Game gets overlooked and it shouldn’t. 

Casualties Of War - Brian De Palma

Casualties of War was released in 1989, which was the tail end of a slew of excellent Vietnam War movies released in the late ‘80s, like Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, and Hamburger Hill. Despite earning well-deserved praise from critics, the Brian De Palma film bombed, and as such, it's unfortunately one of the director’s least talked about movies when it should be one of the most. 

Matchstick Men - Ridley Scott

Usually, when movie fans talk about Ridley Scott, it’s his sprawling historical epics like Gladiator or Napoleon that dominate the conversation, along with sci-fi classics like Alien and Blade Runner. Matchstick Men is a smaller movie, a dark comedy about a con man with a myriad of personal problems played by Nicolas Cage. It’s a wonderful performance by Cage, and despite not performing well at the box office, it’s been well-reviewed over the years.

Inherent Vice - Paul Thomas Anderson

Inherent Vice from Paul Thomas Anderson is a complicated movie, based on a complicated book by Thomas Pinchon. It’s easy to understand why it’s not as talked about as some of Anderson’s other movies, like There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights, but it’s every bit as good as those, featuring great acting performances and wonderful cinematography. 

Out Of Sight - Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderberg is known for stylish filming techniques with snappy dialog and interesting plot twists. It’s all right there in Out Of Sight, but the movie still gets overlooked. It was Soderbergh’s first big-budget film, and maybe that’s why it doesn’t get talked about enough. It was also his first collaboration with George Clooney, which makes it even more confounding that it’s not more popular. 

Barry Lyndon - Stanley Kubrick

It’s hard to really argue that any of Stanley Kubrick’s films are not talked about enough, but Barry Lyndon comes the closest here. It’s most revered for its cinematography, but it’s also a wonderful story. While it doesn’t have the panache of A Clockwork Orange or the scope of 2001: A Space Odyssey, it’s still a Kubrick film and it’s one of the best ever made. 

Stardust - Matthew Vaughn

Matthew Vaughn has quietly put together one of the finest resumes in Hollywood. The Kingsman movies are a hot franchise, he’s dabbled in Marvel, and may have inspired the choice of Daniel Craig as James Bond after directing him in Layer Cake. Stardust seems to get lost in the shuffle, but it’s maybe, low key, his best film. 

Ryan's Daughter - David Lean

David Lean is rightfully most remembered for three films, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago. Lost in the discussion of those films is Ryan’s Daughter, a retelling of Madame Bovary set at the end of World War I. It was the last film Lean directed for 14 years and we can only wonder what he might have done had he not semi-retired. 

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson has developed one of the most distinct styles in film history, which translates brilliantly to animation, as well. Anderson’s first foray into the genre was Fantastic Mr. Fox, starring George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and Bill Murray, among others. While it may never outshine his live-action classics, it should be discussed more as one of his best works. 

Bound - The Wachowskis

The DNA of the Wachowskis is very evident in Bound, their first movie. It was made on a shoestring budget, so it doesn’t have the over-the-top effects of The Matrix series, but you can see where they were headed in their filmmaking. 

Intolerable Cruelty - Coen Brothers

When you have a filmography like the Coen Brothers, inevitably, some of the movies won’t get talked about as much as others. Intolerable Cruelty is one of those that gets lost in the mix, behind movies like The Big Lebowski and others that are among the best movies of the ‘90s and beyond. 

Insomnia - Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan is among the most beloved directors of the 21st century, creating what feels like independent films, but with monster budgets. That DNA was on display early in his career with Insomnia, which has everything you’d expect from a Nolan movie, but with less than half the budget of Oppenheimer. 

The Fan - Tony Scott

There are few better action directors in Hollywood history than Tony Scott. Most remembered today for classics like Top Gun, and Days of Thunder, The Fan should be talked about more. It’s not a perfect movie, but De Niro’s performance is terrifying (in a great way) as a baseball fan obsessed with Wesley Snipes' character. It’s action horror, and it’s great. 

Vincent And Theo - Robert Altman

Robert Altman had one of the most up-and-down careers in Hollywood history. After a string of successes in the ‘80s, his career was almost sunk by Popeye. It took years for him to rebound, but he did with Vincent & Theo. That led to a career revival, but it’s hardly remembered anymore, overshadowed by his early and later films. 

She's Having A Baby - John Hughes

One of the biggest reasons John Hughes is so loved by people who came of age in the ‘80s and ‘90s was his ability to write and direct genuine teenage characters. That extended to a young married couple starting their lives together in She’s Having A Baby. It’s not as quotable as some of Hughes’ other movies, but it’s still sharply written and a fun watch. 

Only The Lonely - Chris Columbus

Chris Columbus has some directed some huge films in his career, most notably Home Alone and Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone. He's also got movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Adventures in Babysitting on his resume. One film that is not talked about enough is Only The Lonely starring John Candy as a man looking for a wife, but dealing with a controlling mother. 

Beowulf - Robert Zemeckis

Generations of high schoolers have been confounded and frustrated by Beowulf. Some love the old English classic, but many hate it. It takes a bold director to take it on as a movie. Robert Zemeckis makes it work, and work well. Still, given the material, it’s not a surprise it’s not talked about as much as Zemeckis’ more popular movies like Back to the Future. 

Great Expectations - Alfonso Cuaron

Director Alfonso Cuaron has made some of the best movies of the last 20 years, including Roma, Gravity, and Y tu mamá también. One of his films that doesn’t get talked about much anymore is 1998’s Great Expectations starring Gwenyth Paltrow and Ethan Hawke. It’s a bold modernization of the classic Dickens novel that can be polarizing, but still worth talking about more.

Ed Wood - Tim Burton

Of all the movies Tim Burton has made, it’s unsurprising that Ed Wood is one of his least discussed. It’s a love letter to legendary B-Movie director Ed Wood, and despite being filled to the brim with great performances, it's not as popular as many of Burton’s other works. 

Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil - Clint Eastwood

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is not exactly the kind of film you might expect from Clint Eastwood, but you should. Some of his best work is when he strays away from the tough guy movies he’s so well known for and this is a great one, starring John Cusack and Kevin Spacey. 

Away We Go - Sam Mendes

Sam Mendes is best known for movies that cover heavy topics, movies like American Beauty, 1917, and Road to Perdition. That's probably the reason 2009's Away We Go with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph isn't talked about as much, but it's a sweet movie about a couple dealing with major changes in their life and how to handle them. 

Sleepers - Barry Levinson

Sleepers is a dark, dark film. It's also really, really good. With an all-star cast that includes Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Kevin Bacon, and many more, it's surprising it doesn't get talked about as much as some of director Barry Levinson's other work, but given the subject matter, it can be a very hard watch.  

High Anxiety - Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks is a living legend and his filmography is filled with some of the most quotable movies of all time. One that doesn't get quoted much, or even talked about much, is High Anxiety. It was, believe it or not, the first time Mel Brooks also played the lead in one of his movies, so that alone should garner more attention. 

Great directors usually have long filmographies, so it's only natural that some of their finest work would be talked about less than their most groundbreaking or biggest films. That said, many movies should be talked about as much as those classics, but aren't. Here's to that changing now! 

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

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

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

Brewster's Millions (1985)

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

Hiding Out (1987)

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

The Legend Of Billie Jean (1985)

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

Lady In White (1988)

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

My Science Project (1985)

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

Night Shift (1982)

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

The Last Starfighter (1984)

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

1969 (1988)

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

After Hours (1985)

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

Innerspace (1987)

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

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

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

Near Dark (1987)

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

River's Edge (1986)

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

Repo Man (1984)

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

One Crazy Summer (1986)

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

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

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

Just One Of The Guys (1985)

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

The Hidden (1987)

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

Knightriders (1981)

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

Enemy Mine (1985)

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

My Bodyguard (1980)

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

Real Genius (1985)

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

The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)

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

The Dream Team (1989)

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

The Serpent And The Rainbow (1988)

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

Return To Oz (1985)

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

Author! Author! (1982)

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

Miracle Mile (1988)

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

The Night Before (1988)

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

Johnny Be Good (1988)

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

Haunted Honeymoon (1986)

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

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

Many incredible movies created by women are available to watch now, and today, we will discuss the game-changers. Throughout the history of cinema, many notable films have come out that have changed the course of history. From the best fantasy films to the best horror films to so many others – I could talk about them for hours. 

However, today, we will focus on a specific group of fantastic women who have directed game-changing movies. Barbie was released in 2023, directed by Greta Gerwig, and along with this blockbuster, we’re going to go down the list and talk about 12 films that have changed lives forever, some older and some new.

Barbie (2023, Greta Gerwig)

First up on the list is Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig. If you haven’t seen Barbie yet, I’m unsure what you’re doing because it’s been everywhere the last few months. The film follows Barbie as she enters the real world when she realizes she needs to make the girl playing with her happy again for her to remain a normal Barbie. 

The movie received stellar reviews and became the highest-grossing movie ever directed by a woman, with over $1 billion documented at the box office, it broke major records at Warner Bros. Now, I’m pretty sure everyone wants to be a Barbie. Me included. 

Wonder Woman (2017, Patty Jenkins)

Wonder Woman was released in 2017. The first movie follows the story of Diana Prince, a female warrior known as an Amazon who takes on the role of Wonder Woman when the Amazonian's lives are threatened by outside forces that might be caused by Ares, the Amazonian’s long-time enemy, and who just might be causing World War I.

Wonder Woman is not only one of the few female-centric superhero movies, but it was the first superhero movie directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins. She returned to direct the second film, but it’s unclear if Wonder Woman 3 will happen since the shakeup at DC with James Gunn. Right now, it’s not in the works, but who knows what will happen. 

While the third installment might be in question, there's no denying the power of 2017's Wonder Woman. 

The Hurt Locker (2008, Kathryn Bigelow)

Kathryn Bigelow directed The Hurt Locker. It was an intense and gritty war movie that detailed the journey of an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, from their time in combat to how it affected them afterward and their PTSD. 

With The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director in 2009. Since then, there have been two other winners – Chloé Zhao (who we will talk about next) and Jane Campion, who directed 2021's The Power of the Dog. Even so, Bigelow was the first ever to win, and that in itself is a huge accomplishment. 

Nomadland (2020, Chloé Zhao)

Nomadland tells the story of a widow who travels around the United States in her van, living her life as a nomad. Chloé Zhao directed the movie, and she was the second woman ever to win Best Director at the Academy Awards.

This film is impressive for so many reasons, but for me, it’s always been the fantastic cinematography that stands out as a true highlight. Zhao put in some tremendous work when making this 2021 Best Picture winner and it shows through its gorgeous imagery and wonderful performance from Frances McDormand.

American Psycho (2000, Mary Harron)

Directed by Mary Harron, American Psycho was a satirical psychological horror film starring Christian Bale. It told the story of an investment banker who spent his nights as a serial killer while keeping it hidden from his everyday life of working in NYC. 

Harron created a classic with American Psycho. Not only is Bale’s performance considered one of the best in horror, but the story itself is full of hilarious black comedy that looks at themes such as yuppie culture, capitalism, and the need to consume the best of everything. There are also some awesome American Psycho behind-the-scenes facts you should check out too that make the movie even better.

Lady Bird (2019, Greta Gerwig)

Of course, I’m putting Lady Bird on here. Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut was a solid coming-of-age movie that detailed the life of a young girl trying to live her life, and her complicated relationship with her mother. 

I love this movie. I have for a long time. Gerwig delivered something so raw and perfect with Lady Bird that I find it hard to discover another coming-of-age film close to its greatness. It perfectly details the transition of becoming a young woman and the complex feelings that arise with not only our family but within ourselves. 

The Woman King (2022, Gina Prince-Bythewood) 

The Woman King was released in 2022 and was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The movie is based on a real group of warrior women in Africa called the Agojie that existed between the 17th and 19th centuries, and mainly follows a general as she trains the next generation of warriors against their enemies. 

This film was a snub at the Academy Awards, and it deserved much more recognition. The Woman King cast is stunning, but Viola Davis was the big star. And Prince-Bythewood brought an incredible historical-action film that showed badass women refusing to back down in the face of their enemies. I love it. 

The Babadook (2014, Jennifer Kent) 

Arguably, The Babadook, directed by Jennifer Kent, began a trend of psychological horror movies taking over at the box office years later, such as Ari Aster’s Midsommar or Hereditary. The film tells the story of a single mother dealing with her son seeing a humanoid monster in their home, but it soon turns their lives upside down. 

The movie is just utter perfection in terms of horror. Truthfully, it’s one of the best horror movies of the last 20 years, and I would re-watch it again. Kent built suspense in such a way that now, it’s imitated in many other psychological horror movies that have been released. 

The Farewell (2019, Lulu Wang)

Released in 2019 and directed by Lulu Wang, The Farewell follows the story of a Chinese American family who discovers that their grandma does not have long to live. So, they decide to schedule a family gathering for everyone to celebrate her one last time, instead of telling the older woman of her fate. 

The Farewell is one of those movies that comes once in a lifetime where everything fits perfectly. The film accurately depicts the lives of Asian culture. It features a stellar leading Asian cast, and it highlights Awkwafina's talents as a dramatic actor. She’s going to be in a new movie called Quiz Lady soon, but in my mind, this movie is her best so far.

Marie Antoinette (2006, Sofia Coppola)

Sofia Coppola has been making some headlines for her new film, Priscilla, which will be released later in 2023, but my favorite of hers has always been Marie Antoinette. Released in 2006, the film depicts the life of the famous Queen of France, especially in the years leading up to the French Revolution. 

Not only did the movie win the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, but Coppola gave audiences a movie that had some of the best cinematography for a period piece. Marie Antoinette was a visual spectacle for the eye.

Clueless (1995, Amy Heckerling)

Clueless, directed by Amy Heckerling, was a coming-of-age teen comedy that was loosely based on the Jane Austen novel Emma and took place in Beverly Hills. The movie follows a teenager who decides to start doing more good deeds, but in doing so, she starts to learn more about herself and how much she can change too.

The film has been labeled as one of the most epic teen films ever. You can’t meet someone nowadays who doesn’t at least know a few quotes from the movie. Not to mention, Heckerling also gave audiences a great take on Emma in a hilarious, modern way. 

Women Talking (2022, Sarah Polley)

Lastly, we have Women Talking. The movie, directed by Sarah Polley, is based on the 2018 novel of the same name, and it follows the story of a group of Mennonite women who discuss their future when they find out that the men of their colony have a history of sexually assaulting their women. 

The movie was not only nominated for Best Picture but won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sarah Polley, who wrote and directed it. The film talks about some serious topics, and it is considered one of the best movies of 2022. It's also pretty funny that Polley's daughter played a prank on her mother, saying that the Academy was asking for her Oscar back -- thankfully, Polley still has her win for this incredible film.

There are so many other notable films that you should watch that women directed, but these are just some that come to mind for me. If you haven’t seen any of them, check them out. 

Here is a little tidbit of information that is going to come as a surprise to just about no one, but some of the best action movies of all time have been directed by trailblazing female filmmakers who have proven that the genre isn’t reserved solely for their male counterparts. Over the years, Academy Award winners like Kathryn Bigelow have come in and released a few of the most transformative action flicks, like Point Break, that we’re still talking about 30-plus years later. But, she’s not alone…

In the past, we’ve talked about all the great horror movies from female directors, as well as pointed out some of the best superhero movies told from the female perspective, and so now feels like a great time to point out a dozen badass action movies by female directors and what makes each so great.

Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow)

Although Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 action thriller, Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze wasn’t the biggest hit with audiences or critics upon its release (it opened just one week after her then-husband James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day came out), it has since earned a reputation as being one of the best action movies of the early 1990s, and perhaps of all time. 

The film centers around Reeves’ FBI Agent Johnny Utah, as he goes undercover to bring down Bodhi (Swayze), the leader of a group of surfers who fund their lifestyles by committing over-the-top bank heists while dressed up like former U.S. presidents. With thrilling heist scenes, daring skydiving sequences, and one of the all-time great movie villains, there’s a lot to love with this cult classic.

Wonder Woman (Patty Jenkins)

A few years after leaving the production of Thor: The Dark World, Patty Jenkins took her talents to the DCEU with the 2017 smash hit, Wonder Woman, a movie that not only made the Monster director one of the most sought after names in Hollywood, but helped take the growing cinematic universe to the next level.

Wonder Woman is nothing short of a comic book movie masterpiece, with exquisite action set pieces (especially the epic “No Man’s Land” sequence), a rich and detailed story, and an outstanding performance by Gal Gadot, who first took on the role of Diana Prince one year earlier in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The Old Guard (Gina Prince-Bythewood)

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood and her 2020 Netflix original, The Old Guard, made great strides in Hollywood, specifically when it came to the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in an action movie. This, combined with Prince-Bythewood’s unique take on the genre and the source material, created a hellacious and thrilling action spectacle that did a lot while never feeling overstuffed or unnecessary.

In case you aren’t familiar, The Old Guard centers on a group of centuries-old warriors who all have amazing regenerative healing abilities that allow them to essentially come back from the dead over and over again. After fighting together for nearly a millennium, the group finds themselves the target of a mysterious party, while at the same time taking in a new member to the family.

The Matrix (The Wachowskis)

The landscape of action movies was forever changed in 1999 when The Wachowskis released the groundbreaking and mind-bending box office smash hit, The Matrix. With the movie, and the directors’, blend of heavy philosophical questions about truth, freedom, and identity, it’s easy to see why it’s still held in such high regard more than 20 years after its release.

On the surface, The Matrix is about one man — Neo (Keanu Reeves) — saving humanity from being enslaved by machines and used as a power source, but the more you peel back at that onion’s layers you find all kinds of statements and questions that turn it into anything but a straight-forward, run-of-the-mill action flick.

Birds of Prey (Cathy Yan)

It is easy to feel bad for Cathy Yan’s female-centric comic book movie, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), considering the global theater market came crashing down just a few weeks following its February 2020 release, but don’t let this take anything away from the criminally outrageous and fun action movie it is. Plain and simple, this movie rocks!

In the aftermath of Harley Quinn’s (Margot Robbie) breakup with the Joker, the Suicide Squad member finds herself with a big old target on her head, as just about every big bad (and just about anyone she hurt over the years) comes looking for revenge, including Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). But, don’t count her out, as Harley has some friends of her own; some very badass friends with equally great backstories.

Tank Girl (Rachel Talalay)

If you are a fan of the Mad Max movies, the punk rock mentality, and a heavy dose of feminist themes, then Rachel Talalay’s 1995 sci-fi cult classic, Tank Girl, is worth checking out. This movie is absolutely and undeniably bonkers, but this is a good thing, a very good thing. Set in 2033 where most of the planet’s fresh water is controlled by an evil corporation, Rebecca Buck, a.k.a. Tank Girl (Lori Petty), rises to the occasion to save her friends and humanity in whole fell swoop.

There’s just so much to love here, including Petty’s take on the underdog comic book character, the insane action sequences, outstanding soundtrack, and those human-kangaroo hybrids (your eyes aren’t deceiving you). But overall, it’s a fun, silly movie that isn’t afraid to tackle some big topics.

Punisher: War Zone (Lexi Alexander)

Not to be confused with the Thomas Jane-led The Punisher that came out a few years earlier, Lexi Alexander’s 2008 bonkers and very R-rated comic book movie, Punisher: War Zone, is an absurdly fun and ridiculous movie. Is a great movie? No, not really. Is it a blast? You bet!

The movie centers on Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) as he tries to fight off the legions of criminals, goons, and psychopaths hired by Jigsaw (Dominic West) to take down the Punisher after he left the crime boss hideously disfigured. But, don’t worry about the story, because the action sells the movie, especially the parkour scene where the Punisher makes a guy explode mid-flip.

Blue Steel (Kathryn Bigelow)

A little more than a year before Kathryn Bigelow released Point Break, the future Oscar winner came out with an equally as impressive crime action thriller called Blue Steel, which happens to be one of the best Jamie Lee Curtis movies. The drama in this one picks up after rookie cop Megan Turner (Curtis) puts an end to one criminal, but inadvertently kicks off another reign of terror when a psychopath (Ron Silver) picks up the dead man’s gun.

Though more toned down (in scope, not in violence) than the movie that would come out a year later, Blue Steel isn’t for the faint of heart. The great cat-and-mouse game between cop and criminal is brilliant throughout the movie and adds a great deal of tension.

Speed Racer (The Wachowskis)

Despite being a box office bomb and not being well received by critics, The Wachowskis’ 2008 adaptation of the classic Japanese manga and anime series, Speed Racer, is a dazzling display of cinematic greatness. Sure, an appreciation (or obsession) with the intellectual property helps in this regard, but it’s never too late to give it a second chance.

The movie looks and feels just like the old animated series and features multiple aspects, including those outrageously treacherous races with danger around every corner, the identity of Racer X (Matthew Fox), and so much corporate greed, that make you think you’re watching an HBO drama.

The Peacemaker (Mimi Leder)

Mimi Leder’s 1997 political action thriller, The Peacemaker (no, not the 2022 HBO Max show starring John Cena), is one of those movies that isn’t necessarily the best the genre has to offer, but is fun and engaging enough that you’ll be glad you watched it. When a train containing nuclear weapons vanishes after a wreck in Russia, nuclear specialist Dr. Julia Kelly (Nicole Kidman) and U.S. Army Ranger Thomas Devoe (George Clooney) attempt to find the missing weapons, which is easier said than done.

The pairing of Kidman and Clooney works really well throughout The Peacemaker and adds another level of drama and contention as the two characters, who are polar opposites, learn to work together. Bickering, banter, and plenty of explosions are found throughout.

Eternals (Chloé Zhao) 

Chloé Zhao became the second female filmmaker (the first being Kathryn Bigelow) to take home an Academy Award for Best Director with her 2020 sensation, Nomadland, and immediately followed it up with one of the most ambitious entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet. That movie, Eternals, introduced audiences to some of the MCU’s most interesting and powerful heroes thus far.

Although not everyone’s favorite Marvel movie, there’s a case for Eternals being the most beautiful entry in the saga over the years, and that’s mostly because of Zhao’s eye for great shots and insistence on shooting on location whenever possible. When Zhao said she was from the "Terrence Malick school of filmmaking," she really meant it with this one.

Aeon Flux (Karyn Kusama)

A little more than a decade-and-a-half before she directed the pilot episode of the popular drama series, Yellowjackets, Karyn Kusama helmed the 2005 live-action adaptation of the MTV animated series, Aeon Flux, with Charlize Theron taking on the role of the titular heroine. Set 400 years after a deadly pathogen wiped out most of life on Earth, the movie features some flashy action and multiple plot twists before Aeon Flux can fulfill her mission.

Aeon Flux didn’t fare all too well at the box office, with critics, or fans of the original series, but Theron’s take on the iconic ‘90s character is fun enough to make it a fun cinematic experience.

Hopefully this all sheds light on some of the more forgotten movies on this list as well as the female directors who brought the stories to the big screen. And, with so many female filmmakers at the helm of some of the upcoming 2022 movies, expect this list to get longer in time.

You may have seen more horror movies directed by women than you even realize. While many of the best horror movies are anchored by a great lead performance from a female actor – such as Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween or Neve Campbell in Scream – female horror movie directors have rarely received the credit they deserve over the years, with “horror auteur” more often attributed to men like John Carpenter or the late Wes Craven.

Luckily, as female filmmakers have become more prevalent and acclaimed in the industry, so have female horror auteurs, such as Coralie Fargeat, whose latest film, The Substance, is being called one of 2024’s best movies. In that regard, let’s begin our celebration of the most esteemed macabre masterpieces by the most talented horror movie Scream Queens from behind the camera by revisiting the French director’s feature debut.

Revenge (2018)

Director: Coralie Fargeat

Starring: Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens

What it’s about: A young woman sets out to violently retaliate against her married boyfriend and his hunting buddies after they leave her for dead in the Moroccan desert.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: The aptly titled Revenge (also available with a Shudder subscription) is easily one of the best revenge movies in recent memory for Coralie Fargeat’s brilliantly unique use of the wild thriller’s subtextual themes.

How to watch Revenge

• Stream Revenge on Amazon with AMC+ add-on
• Buy Revenge on Blu-ray on Amazon

American Psycho (2000)

Director: Mary Harron

Starring: Christian Bale, Chloë Sevigny

What it’s about: A successful yuppie begins to succumb to his homicidal tendencies in 1980s Manhattan.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Mary Harron brings a distinctly cheeky and endlessly fascinating flavor to her brutal adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’ novel, American Psycho, which is an indictment on toxic masculinity way ahead of its time.

How to watch American Psycho

• Stream American Psycho on Netflix
• Rent or buy American Psycho on Amazon
• Buy American Psycho on Blu-ray on Amazon

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)

Director: Halina Reijn

Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova

What it’s about: A group of twenty-somethings try to figure out who among them is a murderer when one of them mysteriously turns up dead.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: With her second directorial effort, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Halina Reijn turned out one of the best A24 horror movies for its bold Gen-Z satire and clever whodunnit reinventions.

How to watch Bodies Bodies Bodies

• Stream Bodies Bodies Bodies on Paramount+ with Showtime add-on
• Rent or buy Bodies Bodies Bodies on Amazon
• Buy Bodies Bodies Bodies on Blu-ray on Amazon

Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022)

Director: Michelle Garza Cervera

Starring: Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal

What it’s about: A woman’s dream of getting pregnant comes true, only to curdle into an inexplicable nightmare.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Michelle Garza Cervera (who also co-writes) mixes a real Mexican folklore legend with profound themes of parenthood and sexual identity to craft her intense Spanish-language thriller, Huesera: The Bone Woman.

How to watch Huesera: The Bone Woman

• Stream Huesera: The Bone Woman on AMC+
• Rent of buy Huesera: The Bone Woman on Amazon

The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

Director: Amy Holden Jones

Starring: Michelle Michaels, Robin Stille

What it’s about: A group of high school girls stalked by a power-drill wielding, escaped maniac during a suburban sleepover.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Based on the title alone, The Slumber Party Massacre sounds like just another trashy B-movie, but is lauded today as one of the greatest ‘80s slasher movies for Amy Holden Jones’ commentary on female representation in the horror genre at the time.

How to watch The Slumber Party Massacre

• Stream The Slumber Party Massacre on Amazon Prime
• Buy The Slumber Party Massacre on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Babadook (2014)

Director: Jennifer Kent

Starring: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman

What it’s about: A widowed single mother suspects that a character from her son’s pop-up book is real and poses a dangerous threat to them.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Australian writer and director Jennifer Kent’s bleak, relentlessly unnerving feature-length debut, The Babadook, is one of the best horror movies to address grief, as metaphorically represented by its ominous, titular villain.

How to watch The Babadook

• Stream The Babadook on Netflix
• Rent or buy The Babadook on Amazon
• Buy The Babadook on Blu-ray on Amazon

Jennifer’s Body (2009)

Director: Karyn Kusama

Starring: Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried

What it’s about: A meek high school student discovers that a satanic ritual turned her popular best friend into a man-eating succubus.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Another horror flick with overlooked nuanced commentary is director Karyn Kusama and Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody’s Jennifer’s Body – one of the best Megan Fox movies for its poignant analysis of teen sexualization and demonizing social politics in high school.

How to watch Jennifer’s Body

• Stream Jennifer’s Body on Hulu
• Stream Jennifer’s Body on Peacock
• Stream Jennifer’s Body on Paramount+
• Rent or buy Jennifer’s Body on Amazon
• Buy Jennifer’s Body on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Invitation (2015)

Director: Karyn Kusama

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Emayatzy Corinealdi

What it’s about: While attending a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife and her new boyfriend, a man begins to have haunting suspicions of the gathering’s true purpose.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: A more disturbing and earnest thriller from director Karyn Kusama is The Invitation – a masterpiece of slow-burn horror that keeps the tension high all the way to its gut-punch ending.

How to watch The Invitation

• Stream The Invitation on Amazon Prime
• Stream The Invitation on Tubi
• Buy The Invitation on Blu-ray on Amazon

XX (2017)

Director: Jovanka Vuckovic, Annie Clark, Roxanne Benjamin, Karyn Kusama

Starring: Natalie Brown, Melanie Lynskey

What it’s about: A couple grows concerned when their son refuses to eat, a woman tries to hide her husband’s corpse on the day of her daughter’s birthday, and other strange and scary tales.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Karyn Kusama also wrote and directed "Her Only Living Son" from XX – the horror anthology movie exclusively featuring segments helmed by women, including Jovanka Vucokovic’s "The Box), Roxanne Benjamin’s "Don't Fall", and Annie “St. Vincent” Clark’s "The Birthday Cake."

How to watch XX

• Stream XX on Tubi
• Rent or buy XX on Amazon
• Buy XX on Blu-ray on Amazon

Saint Maud (2020)

Director: Rose Glass

Starring: Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle

What it’s about: A Welsh former nurse and devout Catholic believes God has chosen her to rescue a terminally ill dancer from damnation.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Rose Glass (who later made another great A24 movie with Love Lies Bleeding) brilliantly toys with your expectations of whether or not our titular hero is truly the saint she strives to be until the startling final moment of one of the best horror movies on Amazon Prime, Saint Maud.

How to watch Saint Maud

• Stream Saint Maud on Amazon Prime
• Buy Saint Maud on Blu-ray on Amazon

Candyman (2021)

Director: Nia DaCosta

Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris

What it’s about: A Chicago-based artist becomes dangerously obsessed with an infamous urban legend.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Much like the 1992 Clive Barker adaptation of the same name that proceeds it, Candyman is a profound example of the powerful social commentary that horror is capable of, thanks in part to the entrancing visual style of director Nia DaCosta.

How to watch Candyman

• Stream Candyman on Freevee through Amazon
• Buy Candyman on Blu-ray on Amazon

Fresh (2022)

Director: Mimi Cave

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sebastian Stan

What it’s about: A woman thinks she has finally found the man of her dreams, until his true intentions for her are revealed.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: One of the best horror movies on Hulu is Fresh – writer Lauryn Kahn’s brilliant modern dating commentary that Mimi Cave makes into a dazzling, intense, and even surprisingly tasteful visual feast once it evolves into a nightmare.

How to watch Fresh

• Stream Fresh on Hulu

Raw (2016)

Director: Julia Ducournau

Starring: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf

What it’s about: A veterinary student’s strictly vegetarian diet is challenged when she begins to develop a strange, new appetite.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: If you enjoyed Fresh, but were hoping for something a little less reserved in its graphic nature, try Raw – French filmmaker Julia Ducournau’s feature-length debut, which proved she is a master of the surreal.

How to watch Raw

• Buy Raw on Blu-ray on Amazon

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)

Director: Ana Lily Amirpour

Starring: Arash Marandi, Sheila Vand

What it’s about: A romance begins to blossom between an emotionally troubled young man and a mysterious woman hiding an unusual and deadly secret in a small, Iranian town.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Shot in black and white, Ana Lily Amirpour’s feature-length debut from 2014, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, is one of the most unique vampire movies ever made, for its amusing contrast between its quiet tone and grounded story elements with startling instances of classic horror elements.

How to watch A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

• Rent or buy A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night on Amazon
• Buy A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night on Blu-ray on Amazon

Near Dark (1987)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Starring: Adrian Pasdar, Jenny Wright

What it’s about: A troubled man from a small town crosses paths with a beautiful woman who belongs to a traveling group of bloodsuckers.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: If you enjoyed A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night but were hoping for something a bit bloodier and more action-packed, try Near Dark – the wild, punk rock vampire tale that put Kathryn Bigelow on the map years before she became the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar for The Hurt Locker.

How to watch Near Dark

• Buy Near Dark on DVD on Amazon

Pet Sematary (1989)

Director: Mary Lambert

Starring: Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne

What it’s about: A doctor and family man is seduced by the death-defying power of a Native American burial ground close to his new home.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Following a career mostly in directing music videos, Mary Lambert made her feature debut with the 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, which is considered one of the best films based on the author’s work, for its strong take on themes of grief and even its campy moments.

How to watch Pet Sematary

• Rent or buy Pet Sematary on Amazon
• Buy Pet Sematary on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Fear Street Trilogy (2021)

Director: Leigh Janiak

Starring: Kiana Madeira, Sadie Sink

What it’s about: A group of teens race against time to uncover the dark secrets plaguing their town in order to break a deadly curse.

Why it is one of the best horror movies from a female director: Leigh Janiak’s triple feature loosely inspired by Goosebumps author R.L. Stine’s young adult series, Fear Street, makes up some of the best horror movies on Netflix, by spanning different time periods and styles of classic horror filmmaking in a thoroughly entertaining fashion.

How to watch the Fear Street trilogy

• Stream the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix

With how many strong thrillers focus heavily on female characters (whether it is from the perspective of a heroic Scream Queen or a female horror villain), women have a special – if not better – understanding of the genre than even some of the greatest male horror filmmakers ever. So it really should come as no surprise that women were at the helm of so many classic favorites and recent hidden gems.

In addition to the esteemed guidance of developer and executive producer Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian has been blessed with an outstanding variety of talents in the director’s chair. The likes of prestigious TV director Deborah Chow (set to executive produce the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi solo series), Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi (also the voice of robot IG-11), Bryce Dallas Howard (outdoing her own father on a Star Wars project) and other directors were at the helm of at least one episode of the Disney+ exclusive’s premiere season.

With Season 2 approaching not fast enough, one of the things we are excited to see (in addition to Pedro Pascal’s interstellar bounty hunter/adoptive father back in action) is who will filling in for directorial duties for future episodes. We have heard that Star Wars veterans Rian Johnson and J.J. Abrams have expressed interest, but considering The Mandalorian seems to have benefited greatly from welcoming in new blood to a galaxy far, far away, perhaps the series should continue to honor that tradition.

With that in mind, I have compiled a collection of names who would be perfect to direct a future episode. Not only would their directorial vision appropriately match the tone of The Mandalorian, but they may bring the already exciting storytelling to new heights.

David Fincher

Lately, David Fincher has made television his primary focus, serving as executive producer on several Netflix series, such as Mindhunter or Love, Death & Robots, so why not bring him over to Disney+ for an especially intense episode or two of The Mandalorian? Fincher might be the last name you would think to associate with the streaming service considering a more prevalent trend of cynicism throughout the Fight Club director’s career. However, if you recall, he got his start directing music videos for the likes of Paula Abdul and Madonna and made a seamless transition to lighter fair with the magical The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, so I do not think Baby Yoda’s cuteness will be threatened by the director’s touch.

Patty Jenkins

Also known for having a dark vision is Patty Jenkins, especially from her brutal, Oscar-winning Aileen Wuornos biopic Monster, but the filmmaker has more eclectic talents than many might realize, having also directed episodes of Arrested Development and Entourage. Not only could Jenkins balance The Mandalorian’s humorous moments with its more prevalently earnest tone, but also apply the same magnetic energy she brought to Wonder Woman for its action sequences. Plus, it would make for a pleasant reunion with Pedro Pascal, whom she directed in the 2015 TV movie Exposed.

Alfonso Cuaron

I cannot recall a more masterful depiction of the perils of outer space than Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, which is why I would argue that the visceral sense of interstellar danger in The Mandalorian could definitely benefit from the four-time Oscar-winning, Mexican-born filmmaker’s distinguished imagination. Like how he rejuvenated the Harry Potter franchise with his dazzling third installment, Cuaron could bring a unique sense of style that no Star Wars project has ever seen before. Just the thought of a seamless, single-shot battle sequence between Mando’s Razor Crest and an Imperial ship (from an episode shot all in real-time) is enough to have me begging for it to become a reality.

Kathryn Bigelow

Speaking of interstellar danger, the name of the franchise is Star Wars, right? Yet, rarely have any of the films or related properties -- The Mandalorian included -- truly captured the reality of combat, like how Kathryn Bigelow did with 2009’s The Hurt Locker, resulting in her Best Director Oscar (the first awarded to a woman). Full disclosure: I am not one to necessarily promote graphic violence, especially on Disney+, but The Mandalorian has come closer to that than any live action program on the streaming service and fans are hoping to see Season 2 up the ante. Bigelow’s vision would be just what the series needs to get that extra boost of authenticity to its shootouts.

Denis Villeneuve

I do not believe there is a more dignified voice in sci-fi cinema than Denis Villeneuve, as the French-Canadian filmmaker made clear to me with the astounding achievements of Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. With his upcoming Dune update being referred to as “Star Wars for adults,” I am amazed he had not been considered to be a part of the franchise before. Tapping him to bring his gift for complex, rawly emotional narrative and intoxicating aesthetics to at least one episode of The Mandalorian would be a sufficient test run before, maybe, giving hm his own spin-off trilogy?

Jennifer Kent

“Mando” is a bounty hunter of exceptional boldness and pristine ability, so much so that I believe we have still have yet to see his skills put to the ultimate test. If Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent (whom you may know from her 2014 horror masterpiece The Babadook) put Pedro Pascal’s hero on a pursuit as hellish as the vengeful heroine of her 2019 period drama The Nightingale endures, that would make for one relentlessly gripping journey.

Phil Lord & Christopher Miller

Whatever your opinion of Ron Howard’s take on Solo: A Star Wars Story may be, you got to feel bad for how things ended for its initial helmers, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The duo behind instant classics 21 Jump Street and The LEGO Movie must have had a refreshing vision for the Han Solo origin story that might not be exactly what the world of The Mandalorian asks for, but, like everything else they do, they could easily figure out how to perfect it. Giving them another shot at their own Star Wars epic (without too much creative stifling) with an episode of the series would be more than Lord and Miller fans could ask for.

Steven Spielberg

Of all the names I have listed here, no one is more qualified to take the journey to a galaxy far, far away than the single most important filmmaker of the last 50 years. While he might be hesitant to take the job out of loyalty to his friend and co-creator of Indiana Jones, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg has the fantastic scope, brimming ingenuity, and undeniable passion for out-of-this-world storytelling that no one else can master quite the same. Therefore, no episode of The Mandalorian may be as unequivocally adventurous, magical, or simply epic as his.

Do you believe these cinematic titans are the right fit for The Mandalorian, or is there someone else you feel deserves the honor more? Let us know and be sure to check back for more updates on the Star Wars spin-off series here on CinemaBlend.

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Shortly after Harrison Ford shared the exciting update that he’d finally be cracking the whip on the set of Indiana Jones 5 in April, a bomb was dropped. Steven Spielberg is no longer directing the movie anymore. This will mark the first time the legendary filmmaker will not head an Indy flick, but he’s reportedly still producing. So it’s time to put our best alternatives for directors on the table. Who could rise to the occasion and make Ford’s return to the fedora worthwhile?

Many fans are coming into Indiana Jones 5 with a certain weariness. 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull didn’t impress overall and it’s gone through a ton of script rewrites. So much so that the original writer David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Spider-Man, 2017’s The Mummy) left and returned to the screenplay to say “we’ve got a good idea this time”. Indiana Jones 5 needs a good director to lead its vision. The loss of Spielberg is a tough blow, but since he’s gone it could be a good opportunity for the franchise to do something different.

With the report of Steven Spielberg’s exit, it's said the director wanted to ”pass along Indy’s whip to a new generation to bring their perspective to the story”. James Mangold is reportedly in talks to take directing duties. This is a great choice already! Mangold is coming off a Best Picture nomination for Ford v. Ferrari and he’s the filmmaker behind Logan, Walk The Line and Girl, Interrupted. But if for some reason he doesn’t end up sticking to the high-profile project (he is developing The Force with Matt Damon and a Bob Dylan biopic with Timothée Chalamet), here’s some more ideas for Indiana Jones 5:

David F. Sandberg

One of the things on the checklist of Indiana Jones fans is a return to the ‘80s filmmaking Raiders of the Lost Ark was born from. Just when it feels like movies aren’t just made like they used to anymore something like David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! hits theaters. The DC film felt like a cross between Big and Superman and struck that unique balance between an action-adventure film being family-friendly and just fun. This is the kind of tone that could be perfect for Indiana Jones 5. Plus, Sandberg has a background in horror (Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation) and some of the most fascinating elements of the franchise was when it leaned into that direction.

Kathryn Bigelow

For a more gritty approach to Indiana Jones why not bring in Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow? The director has been making nail-biting action flicks for decades but has yet to put her name on a massive franchise. She’s the name behind 1991 classic Point Break, 2010 Best Picture winner The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty. What’s interesting about a Bigelow Indiana Jones 5 is she’s been keyed into politics and war through her work. She won’t make a movie without it having something to say and that’s in the DNA of this franchise. Indy is a globetrotter and the artifacts he finds often have him entangled in government affairs and so forth, Bigelow’s voice could elevate Dr. Jones’ adventure in a completely fresh way.

Deborah Chow

If Lucasfilm is looking for a fresher face to helm Indiana Jones 5, it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if they pulled from a director they’ve been working closely with lately on Star Wars: Deborah Chow. The up-and-coming filmmaker is set to helm the Obi-Wan Kenobi series for Disney+ and she’s coming off lending her talents to a couple of the most impressive episodes of The Mandalorian. Prior to this, she has directed episodes of Mr. Robot, Jessica Jones and Better Call Saul. Kathleen Kennedy certainly sees something in Chow and it would be an awesome debut feature film for a female director to be given the keys to.

Jon Favreau

Along the same lines, Jon Favreau has been a pivotal pillar in Lucasfilm’s new era. The director led Star Wars to television with The Mandalorian and back in 2008 he helmed the first movie of the MCU, Iron Man. Sure, he’s in high demand, but if you look at The Mandalorian as a series, it’s very much influenced by the Indiana Jones movies. It’s been nice to see Jon Favreau move away from live-action Disney remakes with the Star Wars series and Indiana Jones 5 might be a good fit for him as well.

Sam Mendes

Along the same lines of Kathryn Bigelow as a choice, Sam Mendes has historically been a director who makes important films. Just a few months ago, many experts believed 1917 was poised to win Best Picture after all. Roger Deakins’ unbroken shots aside, what stood out about Mendes’ 1917 was its message about the tiredness of war. And as Indiana Jones grows older, fans might be looking for more depth in his adventures. Mendes also took over the Bond franchise for a while and produced some of the best of the franchise with Skyfall and Spectre.

Denis Villeneuve

It’s become clear over the years that Harrison Ford sticks with directors who he trusts and has worked together before. The actor probably signed on to Indiana Jones 5 to begin with because he wanted to work with Steven Spielberg again. Recently he talked about how he cameoed in Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker because J.J. Abrams asked him to. Simple as that. Now that Spielberg is out, one would imagine Ford would jump at the opportunity to work with Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve. Although he has limited screen time, you could tell Ford really responded to the direction with his performance.

These are all hypothetical choices of course. Many of these directors are busy working on other projects and the latest reporting suggests James Mangold has the project in his hands. It’s tricky because the script for Indiana Jones 5 has been passed along for so long and it’s unclear whether Lucasfilm is aiming to stay on schedule for its July 9, 2021 release date. These choices don’t just put their name on any old thing.

What do you think? Which of these directors would you like to see behind Indiana Jones 5? Or do you have another filmmaker in mind? Sound off in the comments and vote in our poll below.

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has had a relatively rocky history when it comes to recognizing the efforts of female directors in the industry. Luckily, we can say that some women have been nominated for (and even took home) the Best Director Oscar, and even for films that became Best Picture Oscar winners.

In either instance, the list is still a mere handful in both at the moment. Let’s take a closer look at this rare yet often discussed topic by reviewing the women who have competed and proved victorious in this Oscar category so far.

Lina Wertmüller (Seven Beauties)

The late Lina Wertmüller had nine feature-length directing credits under her belt, two of which she directed under male pseudonyms, before she became the first woman to be nominated by the Academy for Best Director in 1977. The film was Seven Beauties – the American title given to this World War II-era Italian drama starring Wertmüller’s frequent collaborator Giancarlo Giannini as a prisoner of a German concentration camp with a dark past and seven unattractive sisters that we learn more about through flashbacks.

Seven Beauties was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director, but lost in every category, and Wertmüller, who lost to Rocky director John G. Avildsen was never nominated again. However, in 2020, the then-91-year-old Italian filmmaker became one of the year’s recipients of the traditional honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement, alongside David Lynch and Wes Studi.

Sofia Coppola (Lost In Translation)

Ten years after The Piano earned Jane Campion a Best Screenplay win (but a Best Director loss – more on that later), history would prove to repeat itself. In 2004, Sofia Coppola (daughter of Oscar-winning The Godfather helmer Francis Ford Coppola) received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Director, for her sophomore directorial effort, Lost In Translation.

The dark, quasi-romantic comedy – considered one of the best movies of the 2000s – featured an Academy Award-nominated performance by Bill Murray as a fading movie star who strikes up an unlikely friendship with the young neglected wife of an entertainment photographer, played by Scarlett Johansson, while in Tokyo. Coppola lost in the Best Director category that year to Peter Jackson for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, but accepted Lost in Translation’s sole Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay.

Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker)

Anticipation for the 2010 Oscars proved to be an exciting time, especially for the Best Director category with Lee Daniels (the second Black director to receive a nomination, for his historical drama The Butler) and The Hurt Locker helmer Kathryn Bigelow (the fourth woman to be nominated in the category) among the year’s nominees. It would prove to be a night of history in the making once the winner was announced.

While presenting the award, Barbra Streisand made a point of mentioning that this could be the first time the winner for Best Director could be a woman or an African-American before opening the envelope to reveal that, in a category that also included Jason Reitman, Quentin Tarantino, and James Cameron, Bigelow came out on top. For her expert direction of one of the best war movies of its time (which also won in five additional categories, including Best Picture), Bigelow made it possible to say that a woman has won the Oscar for Best Director… for the first time, at least.

Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird)

Greta Gerwig’s Academy Award nomination for Best Director in 2018 was a big deal, and not just because she was the fifth woman to earn the nod. Her directorial debut, Lady Bird, received plenty of love at the Golden Globes that year, earning star Saoirse Ronan a lead actress award and being crowned Best Picture in the Musical or Comedy division. However, Gerwig’s sole nomination was Best Screenplay, which Best Director award presenter Natalie Portman famously commented on before listing the “all male nominees,” causing co-presenter Ron Howard to awkwardly chuckle.

The coming-of-age dramatic comedy, chronicling the struggles of a Catholic high school student in early 2000s Sacramento, received five Oscar nominations, none of which it won. However, seeing Gerwig acknowledged by the Academy for directing the highly acclaimed Lady Bird was praised as a wonderful achievement, nonetheless. However, it would also make her snub in 2020 for Little Women and again for Barbie at the 2024 Academy Awards a disappointment in the eyes of many.

Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)

The backlash from Gerwig’s directorial snub for Little Women seemed to speak volumes to the Academy based on their choices in the Best Director the following year. For instance, Emerald Fennell’s debut, Promising Young Woman – a darkly comic revenge thriller starring Carey Mulligan in her second Oscar-nominated performance – earned five nominations, including Best Director.

The English filmmaker would accept the award for Best Original Screenplay, but did not take home Best Director. However, if it is any consolation, a woman did win Best Director that year.

Chloé Zhao (Nomadland)

For the first time ever, two women were simultaneously included among the Best Director nominees in 2021, which also included Lee Isaac Chung for Minari, David Fincher for Mank, and Thomas Vinterburg for Another Round. The other female contender, in addition to Emerald Fennell, was Chloé Zhao for Nomadland, which stars Frances McDormand as a woman who joins a real-life culture of people who travel the country in vans they call their homes.

The drama – which also stars non-celebrities portraying themselves representing their nomadic lifestyle – took home three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for McDormand (her third), and Best Director for Zhao. In addition to being the second woman to win in the category, she is also the first woman of color to receive the nomination in the first place.

Jane Campion (The Piano, The Power Of The Dog)

Seventeen years after Lina Wertmüller’s revolutionary Best Director nomination, New Zealander Jane Campion became the second woman to receive the honorable nod – one of eight Oscar nominations given to 1993’s The Piano. The harrowing 19th-century drama earned star Holly Hunter (who was up for two different acting categories that same year) and her onscreen daughter, then 11-year-old Anna Paquin, statuettes for their performances. Campion also won for her screenplay but lost Best Director to first-time winner Steven Spielberg for Schindler’s List.

However, in 2021, Campion released a Netflix original Western movie called The Power of the Dog – an adaptation of Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel following the relationship between an intimidating cattle rancher (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and his new sister-in-law’s son (Kodi Smit-McPhee). It became the first film directed by a woman to be nominated for more than 10 Academy Awards but only took home one: Best Director. Thus, Campion – after becoming the first woman to be nominated in said category twice – became the third woman to take home the prize in 2022.  

Justine Triet (Anatomy Of A Fall)

While Barbie helmer Greta Gerwig was not among the nominees for the Best Director Oscar in 2024, it was not a completely male-dominated race. In addition to Martin Scorsese for Killers of the Flower Moon, Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer, Yorgos Lanthimos for Poor Things, and Jonathan Glaser for The Zone of Interest, Justine Triet was nominated for Anatomy of a Fall.

The French crime drama – starring Best Actress nominee Sandra Hüller as a mother standing trial for her husband’s mysterious death – was recognized in five categories, including Best Original Screenplay Triet and Arthur Harari, which is the only Oscar the film took home. Nolan ended up winning Best Director for Oppenheimer, which also won Best Picture, but seeing a female contender in that race – especially amid Gerwig’s snub – still made it an exciting one.

The Substance (2024)

The CinemaBlend staff's collective pick for the best movie of 2024 has also been hailed as one of the best horror movies in recent memory, The Substance. The story of an aging actor (played by Demi Moore) who takes a black market drug to create a "better version" of herself (played by Margaret Qualley) was the heartbreaking, thought-provoking, outrageous, and often disgusting vision of Coralie Fargeat, who absolutely deserved a Best Director nomination in my eyes.

Luckily, the Academy agreed, and the French filmmaker received a 2025 Academy Award nomination for her innovative and refreshingly hands-on directorial style, in addition to four others for the body horror thriller, including Best Actress for Moore, Best Original Screenplay for Fargeat, and Best Picture. The Substance ended up only taking home a well-deserved Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar for Pierre Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli's incredible work, while Sean Baker was named Best Director for Anora, which also earned Best Picture. Still, Fargeat's nomination marks a milestone for the rarely recognized horror genre.

For now, the record stands with nine women receiving the Best Director nomination (including two nominations total for Campion), and three winners among them. So, it appears that seeing women in this category (and even winning) is becoming a bit more common for the Oscars. Perhaps with more female filmmakers coming onto the scene and an increased rise in acknowledgment of their contributions to cinema, its commonality will only continue to grow.

Just as Robocop Returns felt like a comfortable prospect, what with co-writer/director Neill Blomkamp on board for what seemed like a go picture, a wrench was thrown into the works. Blomkamp has now departed the project, as MGM wants to get the film underway in timely fashion and the District 9 creator is set on making a horror-thriller elsewhere.

So now there’s a movie that needs to be made with a director’s chair sitting vacant and waiting to be filled. If MGM wants to do things right and save RoboCop Returns, it needs a special breed of director to carry the torch of satirical sci-fi action into the 21st century.

That specific criteria could only be covered by a select group of directors, and nine names in particular come to mind. RoboCop Returns stands the best chance at being the long awaited sequel fans have always wanted, if it lands one of the following candidates we humbly submit to your attention.

The Wachowskis

If you were to just take The Matrix alone into consideration, The Wachowskis would have enough action and sci-fi credentials to land the gig of directing a RoboCop sequel with no problem. That said, limiting their filmography to that specific point would not only be unfair to them, but it’d also excise a very important piece of the puzzle.

With later films like Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas and even Jupiter Ascending, The Wachowskis engaged in more criticism towards the bureaucracy of the modern, corporate world. Combining their skill set from the entirety of their film canon, this famed pair of directors could make one hell of a comeback on the back of RoboCop Returns, especially since that big Matrix rumor turned out to be false.

Boots Riley

When you make a satire as sharply witted and visually stunning as Sorry To Bother You, it becomes a calling card for a film like RoboCop Returns. As this proposed sequel is supposed to act like a directly linked sequel to Paul Verhoven’s original, it would really help if a director can put together a biting wit and some eye-popping effects work.

Director Boots Riley is just that sort of director, as his cinematic corporate takedown feels like a cousin to the sort of message the 1987 original was sending when it came to the activities of the corrupt OCP. Not to mention, if there’s enough time for a bit of a rewrite before production, Riley could lend his darkly unique vision to ensure that RoboCop Returns hits harder than ever in a modern economy.

Mike Judge

RoboCop films definitely need a pedigree when it comes to action filmmaking, so in that respect, Mike Judge would have to bone up on how to make his potential vision of RoboCop as combat ready as Paul Verhoven’s series originator. However, when it comes to potentially hiring the mind behind Beavis and Butthead and Idiocracy to direct RoboCop Returns, the world wouldn’t have to worry about his satirical skills.

One could even argue that’s the harder part of the RoboCop formula to master, as one can easily learn action, but satire isn’t as readily taught. Thinking about the ways Judge used both of those landmark projects to say something about popular culture and political degeneration, the stage would be set for RoboCop Returns to bring the franchise back to its socially charged roots.

Lexi Alexander

Hollywood owes Lexi Alexander big time for making a movie as absolutely bonkers, and as joyously fun, as Punisher: War Zone. A film that wasn’t afraid to get bloody or go over the top with its violence and humor, her work on that movie felt like a direct descendant of RoboCop’s 1987 madness. As such, granting Alexander the director’s duties for RoboCop Returns would be one hell of a payback.

Alexander’s directing skills have only gotten sharper through working on such popular shows as Arrow, Supergirl and How To Get Away With Murder. But perhaps the greatest asset in her toolbox is the fact that Lexi Alexander has personal experience in martial arts and stunt work. So if you ever wanted to see what RoboCop Returns would look like if it was a stunt-filled masterpiece with high levels of cartoony snark, Ms. Alexander is the person you want to hire.

Edgar Wright

There has never been a genre that Edgar Wright couldn’t make his own. From Shaun of The Dead to Baby Driver, with Hot Fuzz in-between, the man’s hit a lot of spots on the map of moviemaking. Droll wit, slick action and well-tuned performances are all hallmarks of his work, so RoboCop Returns feels like a film that could not only sing in his hands, it would also be a payoff to most of the work he’s already done in his career.

You can practically see Simon Frost as a slimy OCP executive, Nick Frost as a scientist who’s keen on keeping Alex Murphy an autonomous hero for the people, and at least one shoot-out of insanely fantastic proportions. If RoboCop Returns goes to Edgar Wright, not only would we see things landing in the right hands, Wright just might be able to respectfully reinvent what being a RoboCop movie truly means.

Rachel Talalay

Rachel Talalay may not be the most readily apparent option for directing RoboCop Returns, but in a similar mode to that of Lexi Alexander, Talalay knows how to go out there with her work. Just look at her work on films like Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare and Tank Girl, and you’ll see a special sort of filmmaker. Recently, her television work has been her claim to fame, as Talalay has directed episodes of shows like Supergirl, Riverdale and The Flash, but there’s one show that qualifies her extensively to work on RoboCop Returns.

With three two-part season finales of Doctor Who under her belt, and two of those seasons involving work with the Cybermen, Talalay has work with robotic characters and sarcastic humanoids locked down. Throw that in with her previous experience in some very experimental films of the ‘90s, and this project starts to look like a fantastic fit.

Dan Trachtenberg

10 Cloverfield Lane was one hell of a debut for director Dan Trachtenberg to cut his cinematic teeth on. Jumping straight into an anthological entry in a pre-established franchise is daunting even if you’re a practiced hand at filmmaking, but Trachtenberg did it in style and won a lot of fans in the process.

RoboCop Returns would be a fantastic fit for this auteur’s genre-ready hand, but if you need some more selling, try this on for size. Without Dan Trachtenberg’s skills, we may have never gotten Amazon’s The Boys as a regular series, as he directed the pilot. Setting up a world of over-the-top action and darkly comic corporate malfeasance isn’t for everyone, but Trachtenberg is clearly up to the task.

Kathryn Bigelow

Most folks know Kathryn Bigelow for her more serious films like The Hurt Locker and Detroit, both of which are socially relevant dramas that have a poignant message to deliver. So RoboCop Returns with her at the helm would definitely be able to play the notes of the story that see sympathy for the cyborg law enforcement agent at their most human.

However, in her earlier films Near Dark and Strange Days, there was a very horror/sci-fi slickness that gave us anti-heroes and sympathetic villains that knew how to smile when they were engaged in shady activities. It’d practically be like coming home for Bigelow to take over this new RoboCop sequel, and her prestige worthy skill set could be the sort of sheen the series could use in its latest iteration.

Paul Verhoven

Sometimes, if you want a job done right, you’ve got to do it yourself. If the folks at MGM really want to get things going with RoboCop Returns, while also ensuring this new film feels like a true successor to the RoboCop name, it’s best if they bring back the man himself. Paul Verhoven should be brought back into the RoboCop series in order to directly connect his original film to the future.

As Verhoven is still an active film director, his satire muscles haven’t had that much of a flexing since 1997’s Starship Troopers. While that project may have felt like an oddity at its time of release, the level of dark humor it engaged in was way ahead of the curve. Ideally, if we want RoboCop Returns to be as effective as the first film in the series, you’re going to want to bring the man who helped start it all on board to steer the ship right.

RoboCop Returns is in a crucial stage right now, as the right director means everything to how this production can and will move forward. Neill Blomkamp is a big act to follow, as the man’s vision of science fiction seemed pretty spot on for the project. But as you can see, there’s others that could make some pretty interesting fits in the RoboCop landscape. All that needs to happen is for the studio to make the right choice.

The Bond franchise is building to a climax next year, with Daniel Craig potentially stepping down as the suave superspy following the debut of Bond 25. However, as excited as many fans are about the next installment in the series, it recently hit a setback with the departure of 28 Days Later's Danny Boyle from behind the camera. Now, the movie may be pressing pause to figure out which filmmaker will step in and take the franchise in a fresh direction. Yet, I'd argue the proposed story for Bond 25 seems tailor-made for Kathryn Bigelow to step in and work her magic.

The first thing worth mentioning is that the Bond franchise (along with other blockbuster series) has been pitched to Kathryn Bigelow below, specifically by Sony head honcho Amy Pascal. Addressing these opportunities to take on AAA blockbuster movies, the Zero Dark Thirty director opened up to Variety last year and noted she's currently more interested in films that appeal to her sense of journalism than pure entertainment. The director said:

That's what makes Danny Boyle's exit from Bond 25 feel like such a unique opportunity for Kathryn Bigelow. Though the film is still in development, and we don't know too much about it yet, some details that have surfaced in the wake of Boyle's departure have suggested that Bond 25 have suggested a story that leans into current headlines, with recent reports noting that the proposed story will focus on the "modern-day Cold War." With a real-life conflict serving as the backdrop of the newest installment in the 007 mythology, this could very well become the premise to pique Kathryn Bigelow's interest.

With all of this said, I also want to note the fact that a Bond film is right up Kathryn Bigelow's alley from a pure filmmaking point of view. With her work on Point Break back in the 1990s, she showed that she could stylistically do gritty action. Just look at the now famous chase scene from that classic heist film, below!

Moreover, with films like The Hurt Locker and Detroit she showed us what she could do in the realm of sustained tension. If she could combine all of those elements together with the budget and reputation that the Bond franchise is known for having (she has mostly worked on relatively-smaller films throughout her career) then we could have something very different and very enjoyable on our hands.

Then there's the simple fact that we've never had a female director on a James Bond movie. It's no secret that the franchise kind of needs a big shot of adrenaline in the wake of the polarizing Spectre, and a big part of that could involve bringing in a filmmaker with a decidedly distinct point of view. It's not that any of the male directors who have worked on recent Bond films like Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, or Spectre have done bad jobs, but bringing in fresh blood that's notably different from previous filmmakers could work wonders on the path to giving the franchise a new flavor.

Of course, tying all of this back together, the biggest key would be selling Kathryn Bigelow on the opportunity. There's no indication that she has been approached for Bond 25, and her previous statements about franchise filmmaking have made it clear that she would probably need to be convinced to take on the job. Having said all of that, the idea of doing a Bond movie based on the current state of Russia-America relations could be the plot point to bring her into the fold, and her talents as a Hollywood legend could make Bond 25 one to remember.

All in all, that's my take, but what's yours? Let us know what you think of Kathryn Bigelow as the possible filmmaker to take on Bond 25 in the poll, below! Until we learn more about the film, you can check out our movie premiere guide to stay in-the-loop on all of the movies that will debut on the big screen in 2018!

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Since winning both the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars with The Hurt Locker in 2008, Kathryn Bigelow has been a different kind of filmmaker. While her early career's highlights featured more genre fare like Near Dark, Point Break, and K-19: The Widowmaker, the victories at the Academy Awards have steered her work more towards real-life drams -- first with 2012's Zero Dark Thirty and now with her new film, Detroit. But while the overall tone of Bigelow's work may changed, what has stayed perfectly consistent is her acute ability to utterly captivate and thrill audiences with pure intensity, and her latest once again showcases a filmmaker at the very top of her game.

Succeeding two stories set in the Middle East, Detroit reunites Kathryn Bigelow with screenwriter Mark Boal for an equally potent drama in the Midwest -- transporting audiences back 50 years to the summer of 1967 and the events of the notorious Algiers Motel incident during the Detroit riot. Bringing together a fantastic young ensemble, each member delivering an utterly gripping performance, it's a stunning, emotional cinematic experience with a clear statement to make and a powerful delivery.

Following a beautiful animated opening detailing the pre-World War I Great Migration and the post-World War II suburban sprawl, Detroit begins with a reenactment of the famed fuse that lit the powder keg in the 12th Street Riot: the police raid on a speakeasy where black men and women were celebrating the return of two soldiers from the Vietnam War. It was the escalating chaos that ensued from this incident that led to citywide disturbances, and set the stage for what would happen two days later at the Algiers Motel. While deftly establishing what will ultimately be key figures in the story, the movie immediately hooks you with its first act, and lets the audience see the full depth of the social tensions.

These introductions highlight normal people who are just trying to live their lives in a city in the midst of crisis. Melvin Dismukes (John Boyega) is a hard-working man who moonlights as a security guard, and takes every precaution he can to keep himself and those around him safe. Larry Reed (Algee Smith) is a passion-driven Motown singer doing anything he can to live out his dreams, and at the start of the story is just hoping to have a fun night with his friend, Fred (Jacob Latimore), after his band's performance gets shut down. Julie Ann (Hannah Murray) and Karen (Kaitlyn Dever) are two young women who have just arrived to the city and are simply hoping to enjoy their youth. They are quick snapshots, but you instantly connect with all of these individuals as human beings, and it makes the ensuing events all the more intense and horrifying.

With most of the ensemble assembled at the Algiers Motel, it's a stupid act of rebellion -- the firing of a cap pistol out of a window at a group of National Guard soldiers -- that truly sets Detroit in motion, and it's from that point on that the film pins you to the front of your seat (save the moments where it devastatingly blows you backwards). Police officers Krauss (Will Poulter), Demens (Jack Raynor) and Flynn (Ben O'Toole) lead a raid on the motel, and while searching for the non-existent gun use the scenario as an excuse to ultimately commit murder and awful psychological torture. The men and women of the Algiers are lined up against the wall in the main hall of the motel by the clearly racially-motivated cops, and while Dismukes arrives to do what he can to try and deescalate the situation, prejudices, anger, and fear rule the atmosphere as the officers execute their "Death Game."

It's impossible to watch Detroit without considering the context of modern events involving Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Terence Crutcher and more, and it disturbingly serves to make the events portrayed all the more devastating. As a specific, non-fiction-based story, Kathryn Bigelow's film serves to highlight an important moment in U.S. history, but also isn't shy in its suggestion that certain parts of our society haven't actually changed much in the last five decades. It creates an odd sensation, as while you come out of the movie feeling emotionally gutted and mad at the world, it also comes packaged with the hope that the artwork can successfully open eyes.

Only making a movie every three to four years or so, Kathryn Bigelow isn't exactly prolific, but she comes up to the plate swinging hard every time, and Detroit is an unquestionable home run. Being released in the summer, it's currently a bit separated from the rest of the awards-fare that will be hitting in the fall, but you can rest assured that the film will be in frequent conversations as the Best of 2017 is considered at the end of the year.

We're currently living in a time that is rather great for movie trailers. Recent months have seen big and exciting trailers for big budget movies like Transformers 5, Pirates of the Caribbean 5, Wonder Woman and most recently Thor: Ragnarok. Today is bringing us Kathryn Bigelow's first trailer for Detroit, a movie that will take a look at the 1967 riot in the eponymous city, as well as the people living within the city itself during tumultuous times. The full trailer is sharp, intense and affecting. Give it a watch.

The new trailer for Detroit tends to highlight the intense state of affairs during the Detroit riot. In the new footage, there are police streaming in, as well as paratroopers and more. Chaos on the streets is rampant. There's a heightened state of alert, and even jokes about coffee and sugar take an insidious tone. Chaos is really the key word in the trailer, and if Bigelow's past projects are any indication, Detroit should be riveting.

Kathryn Bigelow has been in the business for a long time, but has earned a lot of critical acclaim for real life stories-turned-movies with The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty. It's been five years since the latter film was released, and Detroit will be her next film, at least following a couple of shorts she produced more recently.

Detroit has been coming together for a while now, and casting was cemented this past fall when Star Wars: The Force Awakens' John Boyega, John Krasinkski, Will Poulter Anthony Mackie, Ben O'Toole, and Straight Outta Compton's Jason Mitchell, among others, were added to the lineup. At the time, Kathryn Bigelow was targeting a 2017 release date for Detroit, meaning the film would mark 50 years since the riot first happened in the Michigan city.

The movie is now set to be released on August 4, which means we have a long summer and probably 3-4 more trailers to sit through before we finally get to take a real look at Detroit. On the bright side, this movie looks good, and may well be worth the wait, which is great news, especially for Will Poulter, who is better than The Maze Runner and Chronicle of Narnia movies he is most known for. Hey, we can't all be plucked from obscurity and thrown into a Star Wars movie...

While we wait there are a ton of cool summer movies coming up. Be sure to look into those and bookmark what dates you need to head to the theater with our 2017 movie schedule.

Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy recently made comments that made it sound like there simply weren't enough women directors out there at the right level to handle directing a Star Wars movies. While the task may be tough, it's not impossible. Simply because most women aren't given the chance to direct blockbuster features doesn't mean that there aren't plenty who have shown the skills to handle it.

To be clear, we have no idea if any of these women would want to direct a Star Wars movie if given the chance. Maybe they've been asked and have already turned the job down. But if we were going to look for women who were already accomplished directors and capable of handling big-budget movies, here's where we would look first.

Michelle MacLaren

It used to be that directing television was leaps and bounds away from directing movies. For many shows, that's simply not the case anymore. Series like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are just as involved as any feature-length movie. Michelle MacLaren has directed episodes of every major TV series you can think of, and in many cases, she's handled several, including the recent finale of Westworld. These are shows with major budgets for both digital and practical effects, that require handling filming in multiple locations with numerous characters. If she can handle directing back to back episodes of Game of Thrones, she can make a movie.

S.J. Clarkson

While Marvel has received a lot of credit for their cinematic universe on the big screen, their TV efforts on Netflix have received nearly universal acclaim. S.J. Clarkson was the director tasked with setting the tone of Jessica Jones when she was put in charge of the first two episodes. Marvel apparently thought she did such a good job that she's been brought back to do the same thing with The Defenders. She can take existing characters within a universe and put her own spin on them, while making a spectacular show that gets viewed like a movie anyway.

Rachel Talalay

Just like a TV season can open like a movie, it can also close like one. The BBC has brought Rachel Talalay in to help close out two consecutive seasons of Doctor Who by doing back-to-back episodes both times. She'll also be directing an episode of Sherlock next season, and those are essentially movies. Add to that the fact that she directed several episodes of the CW's various superhero shows and she clearly has an eye for the material like Star Wars. Plus she directed Tank Girl, which is both awesome and had a budget that would be equal to $40 million today. That's no small change.

Mimi Leder

While seeing women direct major summer movies is unusual, it has happened. Mimi Leder directed both Deep Impact and the George Clooney-led action film The Peacemaker in the mid-1990s. While Deep Impact may have been the more cerebral of the "asteroid hitting earth" movies, when compared to Michael Bay's Armageddon, it wasn't entirely without its own blockbuster elements. While Leder has been focused more on TV in recent years, we wouldn't be averse to see her return to the big screen and bring that intelligence to the galaxy far, far, away.

Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow may have never done a big special effects blockbuster like her ex-husband, James Cameron. She doesn't need to do so to have the credibility. She's won an Oscar for directing, nothing else need be said. Bigelow is a great director who has made great movies and we have no doubt that if she ever wanted to make a summer blockbuster, she could do it. The only difficulty here might be convincing her to do it, but with the variety of different kinds of Star Wars movies we may see in the future, there's a chance something could come along that might interest her.

Patty Jenkins

The next best thing to winning an Oscar for directing is directing somebody else to one. Patty Jenkins did that when she directed her first motion picture, Monster, starring Charlize Theron. That was more than 10 years ago, however. Today, Jenkins has exactly the sort of resume that Lucasfilm must be looking for. She's directed a big budget comic book movie, Wonder Woman, that will be out next year. Even if it doesn't live up to the hype, it will likely propel Jenkins into the top tier of directors. At least, it should. She's got to be on the Lucasfilm radar at this point.

Gwyneth Horder-Payton

If you are looking for a new job, it helps to have connections within the organization. Maybe that will cause Disney to give Gwyneth Horder-Payton a look. She directed several episodes of Once Upon A Time for ABC. However, she's also directed multiple episodes of The Walking Dead and Sons of Anarchy. She's also been able to show that she's capable of working over the long haul, as the first assistant director on over 30 episodes of The Shield. The dues have certainly been paid, and a certain point you have to give a person a chance to prove they can succeed.

Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay is, we suppose, the poster child for exactly what Kathleen Kennedy says she's looking for. Selma was DuVernay's first major motion picture after working in television, but she knocked it out of the park. It was nominated for numerous awards and won several of them. Now, Ava DuVernay will be the first woman of color to direct a movie with a budget over $100 million, Disney's A Wrinkle in Time. Will this film then act as the stepping stone to even bigger projects? We'd certainly love to see it, and we're guessing that if DuVernay wants a _Star Wars _ move after her current project, she can probably get one.

Jennifer Lee

One of the reasons that Kathleen Kennedy says that finding directors is hard is because Star Wars films are these massive undertakings with lots of moving parts that need to be managed. So is every animated feature ever made, so why not look to the woman who helped direct the most successful one ever? Frozen had a budget of $150 million and it's one of the top 10 highest grossing movies ever made. Jennifer Lee was the first woman to helm one of Disney's animated features. If she ever wants to make the jump to live action, there's no reason to believe she can't do just as well.

Last week, a report circulated throughout the web regarding the new Tomb Raider movie that is currently in development. According to unnamed sources, Zero Dark Thirty’s Kathryn Bigelow, Twilight’s Catherine Hardwick, and The Leftovers’ Mimi Leder were on the shortlist to direct the film about a younger Lara Croft. But, you know what they say about that grain of salt, right? As it turns out, Bigelow has no interest in making the video game movie.

According to a rep for Bigelow, the filmmaker has not had discussions with anyone about the project, and furthermore, they say that she "does not have any interest in directing this film."

So, there you have it. In light of this development on Tomb Raider, the validity surrounding the other two directors on this shortlist is thrown into question. So it’s probably best to take those names with a grain of salt as well.

Kathryn Bigelow won two Oscars for her work on The Hurt Locker back in 2009, and was nominated for a third Academy Award after making Zero Dark Thirty. Since the latter, however, she hasn’t directed a feature film. Her name has been tossed around for a number of rumored projects, including Tomb Raider, though we're still waiting for more concrete information regarding where those productions are in development.

She has an executive producer credit on the Matthew Heineman documentary Cartel Land, and there have been reports that she may set aside Paramount’s Triple Frontier in order to focus on a film about the story of Bowe Bergdahl - an army sergeant who was held captive by the Taliban for five years after he left his base in Afghanistan. Mark Boal, who produced and wrote Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker, has reportedly penned the script.

As far as the Tomb Raider movie goes, we last heard that it was Evan Daugherty of Divergent, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Snow White and the Huntsman who had been tapped to develop the script centered on Lara Croft’s first major archaeological expedition. Basically, the idea is to make a feature film more in the vein of the new Rise of the Tomb Raider video game. In addition, MGM had made a deal with Warner Bros. to bring the project to life.

Angelina Jolie portrayed Croft in the first two video game movie adaptations — Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. A director and actress has yet been named for the new reboot, and the same is true for a lead actress.

The last we heard on the reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise, Evan Daugherty (Divergent, Snow White and the Huntsman, TMNT) was hired to work on the story treatment, while MGM struck a deal with Warner Bros. to bring it to life. Now, according to the latest rumor buzzing about the Web, the director’s shortlist has been whittled down to three female filmmakers. And they’re all pretty great.

Tracking Board reports that Tricia Brock, who directed episodes of TV shows like Girls and Orange Is the New Black, was offered the job, though she ultimately turned it down. Now Kathryn Bigelow, Catherine Hardwicke, and Mimi Leder are the three eyed for the film. Reportedly, producers are looking for a Michelle McLaren type for the post.

Bigelow won two Oscars (Best Picture and Best Director) for her Iraq War film The Hurt Locker, which took home a total of six statuettes. In 2013, she was nominated for Best Picture for Zero Dark Thirty, though she was snubbed from the Director category. Though she executive produced the documentary Cartel Land and helmed a short film called Last Days, she hasn’t had a major feature film gig since the Jessica Chastain-led film, though she plans to make True American with Tom Hardy.

Hardwicke is best known to the public as the director of the first Twilight film, and she returned to join other female panelists like Kate Winslet and Octavia Spencer to judge Lionsgate’s Twilight short film fan competition. She followed up the franchise by helming the Amanda Seyfried-led Red Riding Hood and episodes of Hell on Wheels and the now-canceled Low Winter Sun. She will next direct the film based on the young-adult novel Stargirl with young stars Joey King (White House Down, Stonewall) and Charlie Plummer (Boardwalk Empire).

Last on the rumored shortlist is Leder, who has a long list of TV credits. Most recently, she helmed episodes of HBO’s The Leftovers (for which she’s also an executive producer), Shameless, Almost Human, Smash, and Nashville. She’s prepping for the premiere of The Leftovers season 2 on October 4.

The new Tomb Raider movie will center on a younger Lara Croft as she embarks on her first major archaeological expedition, not unlike the recent video game Rise of the Tomb Raider, which is scheduled for release on November 10. The film is being fast tracked, though no actress has been announced in the leading role.

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If you're going to bribe someone, the least you could do is bribe them right, that's only fair. This is something the screenwriter and director of Zero Dark Thirty should have kept in mind as they went about bribing CIA officers for information about the raid that cost Osama Bin Laden his life. If there's anything worse than bribing someone, it's bribing them with fake goods.

Vanity Fair ran a story about how Mark Boal and Kathryn Bigelow – the writer and director of Zero Dark Thirty respectively – reportedly used everything from big ticket meals to fancy trinkets and branded swag to convince CIA officers to divulge inside details of the most famous manhunt of our time. While it must be stressed that the materials provided were deemed "sensitive, unclassified" information, it is also equally important to mention that Boal and Bigelow did not have security clearance of any kind when they received the information. That still doesn't excuse the fact that part of the bribes mentioned in the Vanity Fair piece were an overvalued bottle of tequila and a fake pair of Tahitian pearl earrings.

While Zero Dark Thirty has been in the collective rearview for some time, the film and the mission it was based off of have been a consistent lightning rod for controversy. Though, to be fair, the controversy never really goes anywhere. Not only was any possible prosecution on the CIA's part dropped, but a congressional investigation that was launched around the time of the film lead to nowhere pretty fast as well. Perhaps part of the lack of punishment is the fact that some of the bribes that were issued weren't as fancy as they were made out to be. 

Interestingly enough, Zero Dark Thirty wasn't the only project based on the hunt for Osama Bin Laden that landed in hot water for its loose lips. Around the same time, the developers of Medal Of Honor: Warfighter sought out information from Navy SEALs, and seven SEALs ended up being disciplined for divulging information that they had no right to provide. At this point, don't be surprised of a future film reveals the actual location of Bin Laden's remains to be under Citi Field. 

As talented as Kathryn Bigelow is, she might want to ditch her partners and straighten up a bit. After all, she also happened to direct The Hurt Locker - which itself was at the center of a controversy, albeit that was over Oscar votes. Still, with no official project on her plate as a follow up, she'll have plenty of time to think over what she's done before she ventures back into the world of film. Whatever that next project may be, it'll be interesting to see if it's military related, and how much co-operation she'll receive in that arena.

It’s been a tradition over the life of the Mission: Impossible franchise to have a new helmer in the cockpit every time a new sequel is about to leave the tarmac. This has led to each film in the series taking on its own artistic direction, while keeping the basic rudiments required to make a Mission: Impossible film. So as Tom Cruise is sparking up talk of Mission: Impossible 6 being in development, he’s going to need a new director to help shepherd this new film into being.

But who should be the next creative genius in the director’s chair? Who would Mission: Impossible 6 benefit from the most if they were recruited? We’d like to think that the following list of 10 competitors would make an excellent short list for Cruise, Skydance Productions, and Paramount Pictures to consider. It’s time to light the fuse, and run down the 10 people we think Mission: Impossible should tap for a very important mission.

10. Christopher McQuarrie

Pro: Christopher McQuarrie obviously already has experience directing a Mission: Impossible movie, and with his plate pretty clear in terms of what his next project will be, it’s as good a time as any to ask him back. Considering the quick turnaround Tom Cruise wants Mission: Impossible 6 to have, bringing on McQuarrie would help accelerate the process. The two men are sympatico, as McQuarrie has written several films for Cruise and directed the two of the last three titles in Cruise’s filmography. Another McQuarrie/Cruise collaboration could push the quality of the series into the stratosphere.

Con: In order for Mission: Impossible 6 to be ready within the next two years, there’s going to be a need for some quick scripting and even quicker pre-production / shooting. If Christopher McQuarrie came back to direct the next film, it can be assumed that he’d want to write it as well. This would be a bit of a tight space to work his way out of, as one duty could interfere with the other on such a tight schedule. Also, part of the charm and longevity to the Mission: Impossible franchise is the fact that each film has a fresh take on Ethan Hunt’s adventures, and having McQuarrie come back would ruin that.

Most Qualifying Film: Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

9. Rian Johnson

Pro: Rian Johnson’s experiences with directing films such as Brick and Looper inform us that Johnson’s sensibilities aren’t too far off from those needed to make a Mission: Impossible film. The dark noir storytelling of Brick, combined with the action of Looper would make a particularly interesting entry into the official canon. The bonus is that should Johnson decide he ever wanted to make a film like this, much like Christopher McQuarrie, he’d probably want to write it himself.

Con: Despite his involvement in the filming of Star Wars Episode VIII, Rian Johnson isn’t really all that interested in tentpole filmmaking. While he’s worked with action before, he’s always been more of a front and center character sort of filmmaker. Unless the franchise scaled itself back, or presented some sort of irresistible draw, for him to say yes to this probably wouldn’t happen. Not to mention, the window of two years is scrubbed with Johnson’s Star Wars film hitting theaters on May 26, 2017.

Most Qualifying Film: Looper

8. D.J. Caruso

Pro: D.J. Caruso is one of those directors who stayed under the radar with films like The Saltan Sea and Two For The Money, only to blow up overnight after the one, two punch that was Disturbia and Eagle Eye. The latter film especially showcases why Caruso would be such a good fit for the Mission: Impossible franchise, as it is an exercise in well-timed action set pieces that are able to also sustain a feeling of suspense. Bonus points would be awarded if Caruso got former collaborator Shia LaBoeuf to sign on as a villain.

Con: Caruso has been out of the public eye for quite some time now, with his last major Hollywood release being 2011’s box office bomb I Am Number Four. Paramount might be reticent to hire their former collaborator when he hasn’t had much theatrical experience in the past couple of years. This is only compounded by the fact that his latest film, The Disappointments Room, is currently in limbo thanks to its distributor’s bankruptcy woes. Without a recent track record to stand by, D.J. Caruso might be more of a gamble than Paramount wants to take.

Most Qualifying Film: Eagle Eye

7. Kathryn Bigelow

Pro: When you think of Point Break, you think of high octane action mixed with cat and mouse chases. When you think of Zero Dark Thirty, you think of intense character drama set against the backdrop of a geopolitical manhunt. Combined the two concepts, as well as previous experience with Jeremy Renner, and you have the best scenario for a Mission: Impossible sequel that would be expertly handled by the director of both of those films, Kathryn Bigelow. History would also be made, as this would mark the first female director in the franchise.

Con: Bigelow’s days of being a studio gun for fire seem behind her, as she’s shepherded several projects into being that have all taken on subjects of reality based drama. Mission: Impossble 6 is probably barely a blip on her radar, as her projects are out of the realm of summer blockbusters. Also, it would probably take a pretty big deal to get Kathryn Bigelow to the table for an Ethan Hunt outing, which could be good for the studio’s prestige season game - yet useless for their tentpole roster.

Most Qualifying Film: Zero Dark Thirty

6. Edgar Wright

Pro: Adept to shifting genre at the drop of a hat, Edgar Wright is the type of director that could make a hell of a splash with a huge budget in his hands. Not only would a Mission: Impossible film put Wright in touch with dear friend and colleague Simon Pegg again, but it would also give him the chance to direct Tom Cruise. Given his penchant for attracting both marquee and legendary character actors, a Cruise/Wright project just seems like a great fit. Not to mention, Wright knows how to stage action while embracing offbeat humor.

Con: Wright has been burned by the studio machine before, as former Paramount collaborators Marvel Studios forced his departure from this summer’s Ant-Man. With only a year separating him from the fiasco, Edgar Wright might still be gun shy when it comes to working with a big studio. Not to mention, his writing might skew a little more towards the humorous side, which would in turn may require a bit script doctoring after the first draft of Mission: Impossible 6 is handed in. If not handled carefully, this could turn into history repeating itself.

Most Qualifying Film: Hot Fuzz

5. Doug Liman

Pro: If you talk to anyone who’s seen Edge Of Tomorrow, you’ll hear an almost universal wave of praise. With Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie making up two thirds of last summer’s heart winning team, there would be only one member left to draft: director Doug Liman. As he’s proven that he can work with Cruise at a professionally impressive level, Liman’s varied experiences in the cinematic espionage department nails his candidacy down with experience in laughs and explosions.

Con: Get used to this line of reasoning, because it’s going to come back quite a bit in the next couple of candidate’s entries. Liman’s candidacy as a Mission: Impossible helmer is in jeopardy for one gigantic reason: Edge Of Tomorrow’s box office performance. Despite all of the stars aligning, and tons of praise heaped upon its back, the film eked out a long term success that wasn’t as propulsive as Warner Bros would have liked.

Most Qualifying Film: Edge Of Tomorrow

4. Ben Stiller

Pro: Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise are basically the acting equivalent of peanut butter and chocolate, as the two have woven in and out of each other’s professional lives - finally colliding with 2008’s Tropic Thunder. While we’re still waiting for that Les Grossman movie everyone was talking about not too long ago, Stiller’s directing chops could be broken out as soon as his duties on Zoolander 2 are finished. All he’d need is to brush up on his action directing chops again, and he’d be set!

Con: While Ben Stiller has a healthy relationship with Paramount, particularly as a directing talent, he hasn’t given them a hit since 2008. While The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty managed to make twice its budget back, it was a "hit" on the same par as Edge Of Tomorrow. Zoolander 2’s success or failure could either make or break any possible deal to make a Stiller helmed Mission: Impossible flick, and if it should fail, the prospect might be as impossible as Ethan’s darkest missions.

Most Qualifying Film: Tropic Thunder

3. Joe Carnahan

Pro: Fun fact: Joe Carnahan was once considered for the position to direct Mission: Impossible III. While that never panned out, Carnahan didn’t stop working with action, violence, and smatterings of mortality and comedy. With Smokin’ Aces, The A-Team, and The Grey, Carnahan has shown he can play with smart assed action, heavy emotional beats, and classic TV adaptations - all in equally impressive fashions. This second chance could be just the ticket to kicking Carnahan into the A-list rankings.

Con: The reason Carnahan’s Mission: Impossible III never happened was due to studio politics, and the lack of autonomy with the project. With a high visibility studio film like Mission: Impossible 6 in the balance, there’s obviously going to be a certain degree of ball that needs to be played between director and studio. Considering one of his last high profile experiences with a major studio involved his hysterical film Stretch getting dumped onto VOD platforms, we’d venture to guess his eye for action might stay trained on the realm of TV for a little longer.

Most Qualifying Film: Smokin’ Aces

2. Antoine Fuqua

Pro: Before any sort of technical evaluation, allow us to throw out a possibility that will almost assuredly sell you on an Antoine Fuqua directed Mission: Impossible 6. Imagine Denzel Washington pitted against, or aiding, Tom Cruise in a mission that would set the stakes so high, it’d be hard to imagine a Mission: Impossible 7 without exploding? Fuqua’s action pedigree speaks for itself, especially with The Equalizer keeping him in the game after Olypmus Has Fallen. Those two films alone show that Fuqua can handle character and scope, and he can do it with an economy of story and budget.

Con: Fuqua is a busy man, with The Magnificent Seven and The Equalizer 2 both looming in the distance. His schedule will be a tough one to wrangle without dropping one of those two projects, and we’re pretty sure he wouldn’t do that as easily as other directors might. Not to mention, while Fuqua can handle gritty action/drama pictures like the ones mentioned above, they aren’t exactly known as films with overtly humorous notes. While a grittier Mission: Impossible does sound intriguing, it would make it feel like more of a copycat than its own self

Most Qualifying Film: Olympus Has Fallen

1. Tom Cruise

Pro: Tom Cruise started producing when he made Mission: Impossible, and throughout his time as a producer he’s indulged in his twin appetites of doing his own stunts and learning the movie making process. With Mission: Impossible 6 starting to live the moment after he mentioned it, having Cruise raise the baby he created in the artistic either would be a hell of a career move. With his talent behind and in front of the camera, Cruise will have the most control he’s ever had over a Mission: Impossible film.

Con: While Tom Cruise directing Mission: Impossible 6 might be an exciting prospect, it’s also a nightmarish one. In a worst case scenario, Cruise’s inexperience would gum up the works and drag the production through a quagmire of doubt. What’s more, without a director to offer checks and balances to the worldwide star’s vision, the final product might be a bit more artistically biased to Cruise’s character than usual.

Most Qualifying Film: N/A

The nation has been consumed with the story of Bowe Bergdahl in recent weeks. The soldier was a POW of the Taliban for five years before he was released to the American public, though his situation was awash in controversy. And now, Bowe Bergdahl's story will be observed in two possible new movies, both by highly respected filmmakers.

Deadline reports that Kathryn Bigelow is gearing up to tell Bergdahl's story, while Fox Searchlight will be collaborating with Todd Field on a possible film about the story. Bergdahl has fascinated and riled up many, to the point where the story is still ongoing, so it will be interesting to see where the filmmakers take it. Will their films deal with his imprisonment? Perhaps they will be about the accusations that he deserted his fellow troops before being taken? Or will it deal with the media fallout, when suddenly the famous statement was amended to say, "Support Our Troops, Unless..."?

Kathryn Bigelow's project re-teams her with screenwriter Mark Boal, who previously worked with her on The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty. Clearly Bigelow has reinvented herself as a chronicler of our occupation of the Middle East, after a long and somewhat unfulfilling stint as a studio action gun for hire. She's still the genius behind Point Break, of course, but you wonder what sort of concessions she made by the time she was working with Harrison Ford on the literally and figuratively waterlogged K-19: The Widowmaker. Reportedly Boal and Bigelow have been following the story for awhile now, and the film will be made independently with the support of superproducer and all-around baller Megan Ellison.

Todd Field, meanwhile, has only directed two films, but they were the intense, Oscar-nominated In The Bedroom and the dark satire Little Children, both of which were highly acclaimed, mordant films that skirted the edge of genre. Field's film will take its inspiration from the article America's Last Prisoner Of War by Michael Hastings. That article, which was penned two years ago and can be read here, dealt mostly with the negotiations to bring Bergdahl back, which led to the American government releasing five accused Taliban soldiers from Guantanamo Bay. You can imagine how this was something that people were testy about.

Field is reportedly working on The Creed Of Violence with Christian Bale, though he's previously been linked to a diverse collection of films, including the romance Beautiful Ruins and the Cormac McCarthy adaptation Blood Meridian. Hastings, who passed away under mysterious circumstances last year, was also the inspiration for the upcoming Brad Pitt film The Operators. There are a lot of moving pieces here, in other words, but we could have competing Bowe Bergdahl movies. Kathryn Bigelow's film may be more nuts-and-bolts while Todd Field deals with the human aspect, but that's just speculation. Meanwhile, the story continues to unfold.

From the moment Kathryn Bigelow's follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Hurt Locker was announced, critics and the media were buzzing about its Oscar prospects. On paper it already seemed a winner, reteaming The Hurt Locker's Oscar-winning director (Bigelow) and its Oscar-winning screenwriter Mark Boal on a story about the search for Osama bin Laden. Once the notorious terrorist was tracked and killed in real-life, the filmmakers reworked their screenplay, then set to work shooting with a star-studded cast as secretly as they could.

This secrecy had us positively salivating to see the final film. And when it was at long last screened, we were blown away by Bigelow and Boal's daring yet never exploitative exploration of this hard-fought victory. But despite winning widespread critical praise, a slew of critic awards, and being deemed a decided frontrunner for Best Picture, Zero Dark Thirty lost momentum hard and fast. The LA Times explored why, speaking with many of the people behind the movie. And the answer essentially comes down to profits over accolades.

Trouble for the film started in December. As its limited release began, politicians and pundits—whether they had seen Zero Dark Thirty or not—began accusing it of being "pro-torture." December is primetime for Oscar promotion, so Sony (via Columbia Pictures) had a serious dilemma to face. Should they engage in the debate and risk giving the controversy staying power? Or should they keep quiet so as not to scare off moviegoers? They chose the latter asking the eager-to-respond filmmakers to say nothing in the film's defense until its nationwide release date on January 11th, 2013. From the standpoint of box office performance, this approach worked.

The $40 million dollar film has earned more $88 million domestically, and over $101 million worldwide. It's a flat-out box office success. But the cost of Sony's silence may well be the Oscar, since much of the most heated debates came right as Academy members were filling out nomination ballots. When the nominations were announced, Bigelow was a noticeable and shocking omission in the Best Director category. Bigelow has chosen not to go on the record for this story, but the decision to stay silent for so long has ultimately flustered Boal, who says:

Sony's silence allowed the film to become a political football, one that politicians gladly played with to grab headlines, while Hollywood shrunk to avoid them. At least one member of the Academy has flat out admitted the torture controversy negatively impacted his view of the film. "The [lawmakers] hijacked the marketing of the film, " Boal declares, "With what, to my mind, was an intellectually dishonest publicity ploy."

Right before the film's wide release both Boal and Bigelow spoke up, he at a talk at Loyola Marymount University, she in the LA Times and The Tonight Show. But it appears the damage was done. On Oscar night, Zero Dark Thirty is up for five nominations: Best Achievement in Editing, Best Achievement in Sound Editing, Best Performance for an Actress in a Leading role, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture. But those of us following the Oscars closely aren't optimistic for Zero Dark Thirty taking any of them.

In the end, it seems Zero Dark Thirty might have been too much for the Academy to handle. Speaking to the film's response, Boal has offered, "We made a serious, tough adult movie and we got a serious, tough adult response. Not all of it was honest and not all of it was fair and not all of it was correct. But at the end of the day it all comes with the territory."

Normally we don't get too worked up over which person or group has stepped up to support a particular movie, especially a movie that's a hit with critics and audiences already. But from the moment Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal began making it, Zero Dark Thirty was not your usual movie. A detailed and lengthy recreation of the ten-year search for Osama bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty reveals all kinds of information that the general public previously didn't know, and steps right into the ongoing debate about torture by showing, practically in its first scene, a source being water boarded and abused right in front of our heroine Maya (Jessica Chastain).

A lot of very smart and plenty of very dumb things have been said about Zero Dark Thirty's torture already, to the point that Martin Sheen recently felt the need to apologize for signing a petition that asked the Academy not to award it. But now a group I pretty much never expected to hear from has stepped in. According to Deadline, the 9/11 Parents & Families Of Firefighters and WTC Victims has issued a statement supporting the film, saying "we find it deeply disturbing that some of our elected officials want to discourage other 9/11 families and the public from seeing this outstanding film."

You can read the full statement over there, which includes some oddities-- they misspell Bigelow's name and put "film critics" in scare quotes for some reason-- but also an inarguable statement at the end: "All citizens should see this film and make their own decisions about its value. This is what democracy is about." I know I'm not the only movie critic who goes crazy when a movie becomes such a big conversation piece that people start arguing about it without having seen it, and that happened in a big way with Zero Dark Thirty, which began attracting controversy well before most audiences had started to see it. The conversations around Zero Dark Thirty as a film has been interesting, but as a political football, it loses all its nuance and interest and becomes just another thing for people to scream about on CNN.

Sadly, this statement from the 9/11 victims families probably isn't going to help anything, since mentioning "9/11" is the surest way to make a political conversation even more insane and heated. But more power to them for sticking up for themselves, and forcing all these overheated pundits to recognize that, for some people, the death of Osama bin Laden was a whole lot more personal than for everyone else.

Newly minted Oscar nominee and Critics Choice Awards winner Jessica Chastain is winning accolades all over the place for her intense, focused performance as Maya in Zero Dark Thirty, the woman who led the search for Osama bin Laden even when the rest of the CIA seemed to have given up. It's a closed-off and unemotional performance, to the point that some say they don't see her acting at all. But when you meet Chastain in person, you realize just what a transformation it was. She's friendly and bright and seems eager to make you comfortable, even in the span of a four-minute interview she's conducting before a Broadway performance that night.

There are a million fascinating things about Zero Dark Thirty, which is finally opening in wide release this weekend, but I was especially interested in the way it dealt with Maya's gender, and how her femininity is never talked about out loud, but influences everything she does and the way her colleagues react to her. By the time she'd finished answering my question about it Chastain apologized for going on too long, explaining "I'm very passionate about this." See what she had to say, and also her knowledge about the real-life Maya, in our quick conversation below.

We've all had a few hours now to process this year's Oscar nominations, to scream to the heavens demanding justice for Ben Affleck or running through the forest with fireworks to celebrate Beasts of the Southern Wild. So now that the dust has settled, what are the snubs that are still burning us up? Who are we going to miss the most on Oscar night?

We've already gone over the curious case of Ben Affleck who will have to console himself with his beautiful wife and daughters and giant biceps, but what other people are we really sore about this morning? Read below for what we consider the 5 most criminal omissions from this year's Academy Award nominations-- and let us know in the comments what you're steamed about too.

Skyfall for Best Picture

No matter what happened with the Oscars, 2012 was always going to be James Bond's year. It was the spy's 50th anniversary onscreen, and he celebrated it with his most financially successfully and critically acclaimed movie ever, Skyfall. No James Bond had ever been nominated for Best Picture, or even an acting prize, but this year seemed like the time to break that streak, with acclaimed director (and previous Oscar winner) Sam Mendes lending it enough gravitas to make the cut.

But alas, this is still the Academy that famously snubbed The Dark Knight Rises and gave Best Picture to The Hurt Locker instead of Avatar; they do not want their movies to be too huge, and Skyfall in the end was too much of a blockbuster to allow them to take it seriously. Yes, it scored 5 nominations in the end, and could very well win for Adele's theme song and Roger Deakins' gorgeous cinematography. But call us selfish if you want-- we just thought it deserved even more.

Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director

After seeing Kathryn Bigelow's breathtaking follow-up to her Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker, I walked out of the theater and into the crisp December air, where I joined a bundle of other critics in the resounding consensus that poor Ben Affleck had just lost his shot at the Best Director Oscar. Both filmmakers seemed a lock whenever talk of Oscar contenders arose, and today the director category offered the biggest shocks and snubs of all. Katey's already addressed Affleck, so allow me to talk Bigelow.

Focusing on the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, it would have been understandable if Bigelow had favored sensationalism and nationalism-inspired revenge in Zero Dark Thirty. Instead, she rejected both and showed a remarkable restraint, offering a riveting war drama that was presented the complexities and moral quandaries of the War on Terror in a way that was hard-hitting yet not exploitative. While much has been shouted about the film's inclusion of torture, I think Zero Dark Thirty commands its audience to question the cost paid for the death of Bin Laden, but doesn't offer us the salve of a "right" or "wrong" answer. It's a brave move that sadly was not recognized by the Academy.

Looper for Best Original Screenplay

The Academy might not be known for jumping out on a limb to recognize fun box office hits, but now and again, voters are willing to go there in the screenplay categories. From Bridesmaids to Wall-E to When Harry Met Sally…, there are plenty of examples in the past, and given the WGA and National Board Of Review nominations among numerous others, there was hope Looper’s clever, wonderful science fiction writing could break through and earn Academy recognition for scribe Rian Johnson.Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

In the end Looper was bested by Amour, Django Unchained, Flight, Moonrise Kingdom and Zero Dark Thirty. Some of those screenplays are not only deserving, but better than Looper. Flight, however, not so much. The former is an extremely clever, well-conceived vision that utilizes every one of its characters and offers a wonderful blend of intrigue, action and one-off quips. Conversely, the latter is a good premise that winds around, wastes some of its supporting characters and relies almost entirely on Denzel’s incredible performance. The Academy flat-out got it wrong here, but considering Johnson also wrote the brilliant Brick, he should have more shots at nominations in the future.

Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Supporting Actor

Watching Leonardo DiCaprio work it’s easy to see how seriously he takes his craft. With each new role he brings a unique level of intensity and charisma and it’s established him as one of the premiere actors working in Hollywood today. But never has he looked like he was having more fun or put on a better performance than in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, which makes his snub in this year’s Best Supporting Actor category all the more harder to take.

From the moment that he turns to greet Django (Jamie Foxx) and Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) in his first scene, DiCaprio is completely invisible within evil plantation owner Calvin Candie, and while his turn is certainly not without some purposeful scenery chewing, it’s all part of the big picture of his performance. Much like what Waltz did with Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, DiCaprio’s Candie is able to flip the switch back and forth between magnetic and terrifying throughout the film, which not only makes it fully emotionally engaging but also deeply entertaining. It’s obvious how much the Inception star wants his piece of Oscar gold, and it’s a tragedy that Django Unchained won’t help him get closer to his dream.

Cloud Atlas for… anything

Cloud Atlas earned as many Oscar nominations this morning as you and I: Zero. The sprawling tone poem of a movie swung for the fences by completely struck out with the Academy, posting a giant goose egg when all the nominations were revealed. We never expected Cloud Atlas to compete for Best Picture. But surely the genius of Cloud Atlas could be recognized in an Adapted Screenplay category by Academy members who marveled at the seamless way the film merged the seven storylines from David Mitchell’s massive tome into one interconnected dialogue? Or the herculean efforts that went in to shape-shifting the cast for plotlines in vastly different worlds would be acknowledged in the Make-Up, Visual Effects Production Design or Cinematography categories?

Nope. Instead, Mirror Mirror and Snow White and the Huntsman scored Oscar nominations, while Cloud Atlas was sent packing. Bashing the Oscar nominations is fruitless, the cyber equivalent of spitting in the wind. Cloud Atlas wouldn’t be a better movie had it scored 11 nominations, and it isn’t a worse movie because the Academy failed to recognize it. The movie remains the movie, and one I deeply admire for its ambition, its courage, its confidence, its lunacy and its impeccable craft. But by failing to recognize the passion and precision that went into such a massive project, the message being sent to filmmakers is, “Stop trying so hard,” when the absolute opposite should be Hollywood’s message, year after year.

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Zero Dark Thirty could be the most fascinating, or the most controversial, or the most kick-ass film of the holiday season-- given that it's about the Seal Team Six raid that killed Osama bin Laden, it could easily be all three of those things. But nobody really knows yet, since Zero Dark Thirty has yet to screen for any critics, and if anyone has seen it, they're not telling. That'll change soon, though. The review embargo for the new film from The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow ends on Sunday, and we'l have our review posted soon after.

So in these last few days before the Zero Dark Thirty mystery is revealed, why not speculate about what might come after it? Bigelow and her screenwriter collaborator Mark Boal were working on a different bin Laden-focused project, about the failed effort to kill him in Tora Bora in 2001, when history caught up with them and bin Laden was killed in April of 2011. As they told Entertainment Weekly, they scrapped the Tora Bora project to make Zero Dark Thirty after the news broke, but they haven't ruled out returning to it. Asked if a Zero Dark Thirty prequel could happen, Boal said "Yeah, I think so. Why not? But I think the last thing [either of us] wants to do right now is talk about making another movie.”

That's pretty standard talk from someone who just wrapped up a film, and you can't blame them for wanting to focus on what they've just accomplished rather than moving on to what's next. But given that Bigelow and Boal last collaborated on The Hurt Locker, which seems to have a similar tough-guy military theme to Zero Dark Thirty, it wouldn't be totally beyond reason for them to tell another, very different story about Osama bin Laden. But would we rather see the two of them try something new instead? Sounds like both Bigelow and Boal would rather we see Zero Dark Thirty before applying the pressure about what happens next, so let's do them that favor for now.

Kathryn Bigelow was working on her follow-up to The Hurt Locker in the spring of last year, and happened to be right on the tail of history as her movie about the assassination of Osama bin Laden dovetailed with the Al-Qaeda leader's real-life death. We still don't really know the details of the film, Zero Dark Thirty, or how much it will reveal about the real SEAL Team Six mission to kill bin Laden, but with the film set for release this December, the first trailer has debuted. And since they can't tell us a whole lot, they may as well take advantage of it and make the entire trailer look redacted. You can see what I mean when you watch the trailer below.

In an accompanying interview at Entertainment Weekly, director Bigelow says she made the project because of fascination with people like SEAL Team Six, "who dedicate themselves to really difficult and dangerous things for the greater good […] I personally want to know how they caught bin Laden. All I can do is hope that it interests other people.” Like other real-life dramas Apollo 13 or United 93, everyone already knows the ending of Zero Dark Thirty, but the story will be about more than bin Laden's death, chronicling the decade-long mission to kill the man behind the 9/11 attacks, and the fearless people who pulled it off.

And even with a release date scheduled for well after the November Presidential elections, Bigelow and her screenwriter collaborator Mark Boal are eager to distance themselves from any political messages: "There’s no political agenda in the film. Full stop. Period," says Boal. “A lot of people are going to be surprised when they see the film. For example, the president is not depicted in the movie. He’s just not in the movie.”

There's much more in the EW interview where that came from, including how bin Laden's death affected the film. Take a look and join us in anticipating Zero Dark Thirty's December 19 release.

It’d be a good idea to learn the name Callan Mulvey. The Australian actor just locked up two roles in high-profile action thrillers that will be hitting U.S. soil soon.

According to the Web site IF.com.au, Mulvey landed a role in Kathryn Bigelow’s Osama Bin Laden hunt Zero Dark Thirty, where we assume he’ll play one of the Navy SEALs responsible for eliminating the terrorist threat. The site says Mulvey joins Mark Strong, Joel Edgerton and Jessica Chastain in a production that’s set to begin filming in India this April.

But that’s not all. Mulvey also will play a part in the Zack Snyder-produced 300 sequel, Battle of Artemisia. As we reported earlier, the sequel is going to shift its focus to the flamboyant villain Xerxes, and could even lure original actor Rodrigo Santoro back for the role. But it won’t exactly be a prequel. Just don’t get comfortable with these ideas, as the screenplay does appear to be in flux. There’s time, though. IF.com.au claims the blockbuster will be in theaters in August 2013.

We know very little about Mulvey. Born in New Zealand but raised in Australia, his credits include work on the television series Rush, Home and Away and Heartbreak High. But he appears poised to make the leap to high-profile feature films, and solid work in both Dark Thirty and Artemisia could propel him to Edgerton or Gerard Butler status.

We've known for months now that Kathryn Bigelow's next film will be about SEAL Team Six, the squadron that managed to find and kill Osama bin Laden. We've known that the project will reunite Bigelow with writer Mark Boal, who won an Oscar for his Hurt Locker script. We've known that the film will star Jessica Chastain, Chris Pratt, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, Nash Edgerton, Jason Clarke, Mark Strong, Kyle Chandler and Fares Fares. We've known that the movie will be released on December 19th. Despite all of that, though, one key piece of the puzzle has been missing: the goddamn title. As the aforementioned information has leaked out we've called the movie things like Untitled Bin Laden Thriller or, more colloquially, Kill Bin Laden, but the actual title has been a mystery...one that has finally been solved.

According to Reuters, Bigelow's project, which has moved into the production phase, is using the title Zero Dark Thirty. While that kind of sounds like nonsense, in military-speak it's defined as "a very early starting time" or 30 minutes after midnight. But while having a title for the movie is nice, sadly the site also has some bad news. As first reported yesterday, the title is currently filming in India, but the new story says that the production has caused conflict in the country. In an act of protest, members of the right wing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad stormed the set in Chandigarh today. The reason for the protest is that they don't like India being used as a stand-in for Pakistan, which they see as their "sworn enemy."

When asked for comment, Vijay Bhardwaj, a leader of the radical Vishva Hindu Parishad, said "They have made Chandigarh like Pakistan, as if it is Pakistan. We strongly oppose this and we will not let them put Pakistani flags here and we will not let them shoot for the film." The article doesn't say how the production is handling the protest, though it does say that the police were brought in to intervene.

Director Kathryn Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal have been tight-lipped on details about their collaborative follow-up to the Oscar-winning Iraqi War drama The Hurt Locker, but THR has uncovered that Bigelow's untitled thriller, which centers on the Navy SEAL Team Six operation that killed Osama bin Laden, is currently shooting on location in India. While Bigelow and her crew have been working hard to keep the mysterious feature under wraps, locals of Chandigarh's Sector 15 noticed set dressings that made over their neighborhood to resemble Pakistan, specifically, "Autorickshaws with Lahore number plates and signboards painted in Urdu caught the attention of passers-by.”

The Times of India newspaper broke the story and reported that Bigelow had arrived Tuesday to begin production the following day. After a five-day shoot in Chandigarh, Bigelow's crew will move south to the desert region of Rajasthan, which will likewise serve as a stand-in for Pakistan. Bigelow has often expressed her preference for shooting on location whenever possible, but obvious safety concerns barred her from shooting her latest feature in Pakistan. Notably, she pulled a similar setting swap for The Hurt Locker, shooting on location in Jordan—just miles from the Iraqi border--rather than Iraq proper. This was still considered a risky move, scaring off many mainstream investors and forcing Bigelow to independently produce the film. Of course, we all know how well that turned out.

Bigelow's bold determination in her vision made The Hurt Locker such a standout, apparent through the film's gritty realism, heart-stopping cinematography, and riveting performances. It's a mean feat and high standard she seems set to repeat between this location shooting and the incredible cast she's culled together, which includes such rising stars as Jessica Chastain, Chris Pratt, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Ehle, and Fares Fares. At this rate it seems certain that as soon as this thriller gets a title, it'll be touted as one of 2013's major award contenders.

There were a lot of people sad to see Coach Taylor's run on the small screen end but Kyle Chandler shouldn't be too upset considering the recent string of roles in high-profile feature films filling up his free time. And don't worry fans, one of the projects includes a potential Friday Night Lights film that will focus on everyone's favorite 'clear eyed, full hearted, can't lose' Coach. However, before he returns to the sidelines, he will first apparently be reporting for duty on Kathryn Bigelow's SEAL Team 6 flick commonly referred to as Kill Bin Laden.

Deadline reports that Chandler has just signed on for the Mark Boal scripted film that follows the events leading up to the assassination of Al Queda leader Osama Bin Laden. The article states that Chandler will be playing a CIA agent in the fast-tracked factual account of the military operation but nothing has been confirmed. The Emmy winning Actor (taking home the Best Actor Drama statue) will join an incredible ensemble that includes Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Edgar Ramirez, Jason Clarke, Mark Strong and Chris Pratt. Yeah, amazing.

The article also mentions the recent legal troubles that the film has fallen prey to - even though Sony has smartly scheduled the release for December 19, well after the upcoming election (but the marketing will start to appear right in the heat of it all... oops) - as the Pentagon announced an investigating into the charges issued by Rep. Peter King that the Kill Bin Laden film somehow received access to inside information from the Obama administration while crafting the script. They better be prepared for much more of this as I imagine the film will face nothing but public scrutiny right up to and well after its release. Besides the controversy, I am really looking forward to seeing how The Hurt Locker creative team handles these recent true events, especially with such a wonderful cast on board.

The still untitled international thriller from Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal opens December 19, 2012. It stars Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Edgar Ramirez, Jason Clarke, Mark Strong, Chris Pratt and now Kyle Chandler. Chandler can be seen next in Ben Affleck's Argo and Allen Hughes' Broken City.

Fans of NBC's Parks and Recreation have come to know actor Chris Pratt as the lovable and dim-witted Andy Dwyer, but now he's apparently up for a role that would cast him in a very different light. Twitch is breaking the news that Pratt is in talks to play the lead role in Kathryn Bigelow's film about the death of Osama Bin Laden, unofficially referred to as Kill Bin Laden.

Pratt will join a cast that already includes Jason Clarke, and formerly included Joel Edgerton until he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. It's unclear if Pratt is taking over the role formerly occupied by Edgerton, but both are described as "lead" roles, so that is most likely the case. Other actors rumored to be up for parts in the flick include Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, and Idris Elba. Pratt most recently appeared in both Moneyball and What's Your Number? this fall.

The project was actually in the works before the notorious terrorist leader was killed last May, prompting a series of rewrites to bring the script in line with the new ending real life had dropped in their laps. Those rewrites, as well as a congressional investigation into whether the Obama administration was inappropriately providing the production with classified info about the operation, both likely combined to push the film's release back, likely until after the next presidential election.

Bigelow's film is just one of several projects focusing on Bin Laden and/or Navy SEALs. There's also Into the Blue, director John Stockwell's Code Name Geronimo, Peter Berg's Lone Survivor, and Christopher McQuarrie's multimedia project Rubicon.

So it’s Jason Clarke of TV’s The Chicago Code – and not Joel Edgerton, as was widely rumored – who’ll be the first man cast for Kathryn Bigelow’s as-yet-untitled Osama Bin Laden thriller. Deadline reports that the Hurt Locker director has tapped Clarke for her terrorist-hunting team, and is circling other high-profile actors and actresses to join the ranks of a feature she intends to film early next year.

Though Bigelow was one of the first filmmakers to announce a military drama surrounding the hunt for Bin Laden – getting on the proverbial board long before Bin Laden was captured and killed by U.S. forces – she’s now racing against competing projects trying to get a Bin Laden picture into theaters. She’ll reunite with Oscar-winning screenwriter Mark Boal to recount the efforts of SEAL Team Six, who tracked the Taliban leader to Pakistan and eliminated him in his private residence.

And who, according to Deadline, might join Clarke? While I’m not ready to count out Edgerton (who’d be ideal for a role based on his look alone), Bigelow reportedly is eyeing Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Rooney Mara and Edgerton’s Warrior co-star Tom Hardy for the film. That’s a mighty impressive wish list, though the site admits that scheduling could be an issue for a number of those castmembers. As for Clarke, audiences soon will be able to see him opposite Shia LaBeouf in The Wettest County in the World, which also happens to co-star Tom Hardy . He also has a part opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, currently filming in Australia.

If you've ever watched an old action film and a recent one back to back-- say, Terminator 2 and The Dark Knight-- you can clearly tell that action filmmaking has changed a lot in the last decade. In sharp contrast to the last century of moviemaking, today individual shots can last milliseconds while the camera swoops by in a blur, making it a whole lot harder to get a sense of space in many action scenes scene. Paul Greengrass has turned his kind of filmmaking into his signature style in the Bourne films, using handheld camera and quick pans to throw you into a scene with Jason Bourne and make you feel as disoriented as he probably does. But far more often the style can backfire, giving you movies like Clash of the Titans or even, at moments< The Dark Knight., where entire action scenes go by without you understanding exactly what's happened.

In the two long, very smart video essays below, Indiewire blogger Matthias Stork has dissected this kind of action filmmaking, which he calls "chaos cinema." He starts with clips from movies like The Wild Bunch and Die Hard that show very clearly how things used to be-- you see a gun fire and in the next shot see where the bullet lands, or cut from the inside of the car in a chase scene to the outside of it with no doubt as to where you are at any point. Moving into scenes from movies like Transformers, Bad Boys 2, Shoot 'Em Up and many more, the change in style is obvious, from the use of handheld camera to the content of each shot-- all action, all the time!-- to the quick shots that go by so quickly you can't even tell what they're of. Watch the two videos below to find out much more, and stick around after as I explain why I'm not totally on board with everything here.

I get as frustrated as anyone else when I can't get my bearings in an action scene-- for me it's the one major flaw in The Dark Knight, a movie that gives you spectacular chases with the Batmobile but often makes them impossible to see. But I'm also rankled by the condescending tone of Stork's narration, in which he throws out knee-jerk value judgments like "The only art here is the art of confusion." Though Michael Bay and Paul Greengrass have plenty of detractors, and Sam Peckinpah may well have had a heart attack trying to follow the action in The Bourne Ultimatum, their work also has a style and a substance all to itself-- they have broken the rules of classical cinema and given us something chaotic and tricky, yes, but also new. What they do doesn't always work, and you could argue that the Bourne movie chase scenes would be much better if you always knew what was going on in every shot-- but to write off the Bourne action scenes as incoherent and shallow because of the use of handheld camera seems overly dismissive to me.

Yes, the "chaos cinema" style is used badly more often than not, as the clips from Battle: Los Angeles handily prove. But this is how filmmaking moves forward. Think of the way the likes of Bosley Crowther reacted to the now-classic Bonnie and Clyde and the slow motion "dance of death" that ends the movie. Think of how many people thought the intense cutting in the opening scene of The Wild Bunch, between the action and a group of kids torturing scorpions, was too intense. I'm not saying that "chaos cinema" is the natural evolution of moviemaking, that it's style we should stick with or that it's being used well. But it does seem deliberately stodgy to write off the entire style, to allow only that Kathryn Bigelow uses it well in The Hurt Locker and otherwise call it crass and confusing. These videos do an excellent job of identifying chaos cinema and explaining how it works, but I wish they weren't so anxious to condemn the style entirely.

As I sit here typing this, the American economy is crumbling. Stocks are plummeting, America’s credit is terrible, and Europe seems to be in even worse shape. It’s at times like these that we turn to our leaders, looking for action. So of course Congress is investigating Kathryn Bigelow’s movie about killing Osama bin Laden instead.

Written by Mark Boal, the film is to be Bigelow’s first movie since winning Oscars with The Hurt Locker. It’s actually more about Seal Team Six, the guys who killed Osama and interestingly, was written before bin Laden was killed. It was later rewritten to include that happy, ding dong Osama’s dead, ending. Congress’s problem, or rather one Rep. Peter King’s problem with the movie, is that he’s worried the White House has granted Bigelow and Sony Pictures access to confidential information in order to help them with their project.

Or at least that’s what he cites as the reason for stirring up controversy while talking to the media. King is the chairman of the house committee on Homeland Security and Tuesday he sent a letter to the CIA and the Department of Defense asking them to mount an investigation. He says, “The procedures and operations that we used in this raid are very likely what we'll use in other raids. There’s no way a director would know what could be tipping off the enemy.”

First, I wasn’t aware that the United States was going to make a habit out of running around the world assassinating political figures. Or rather I wasn’t aware they were willing to admit that they’re doing that. By saying that the government will want to use this technique in other raids, isn’t King admitting as much? Who’s the guy who can’t keep a secret here? Quiet you.

Later on in the article he goes on to say, “The fact that the movie is going to be released three weeks before election day, the people at the CIA told me they had no idea that this was the plan… They were never told it was gonna come out so close to election day.” Wait, why does that matter? Actually I don’t think Mr. King gives a shit about any kind of national security risk. It seems more likely that the Republican congressman is concerned about the positive effect this movie could have on the public perception of President Obama and the Democratic party.

For their part the White House has rejected King’s claims that they’ve done anything improper. In a statement released today the White House confirmed, “The claims are ridiculous. We do not discuss classified information. And I would hope that as we face the continued threat from terrorism, the House Committee on Homeland Security would have more important topics to discuss than a movie.” You’d think so, wouldn’t you?

Meanwhile the film’s director Kathryn Bigelow seems to be wondering why in the world King assumes this is going to be a partisan film. She says, “This was an American triumph, both heroic and non-partisan, and there is no basis to suggest that our film will represent this enormous victory otherwise.”

Johnny Depp has been trying for years to get an adaptation of the 1960s television series Dark Shadows made into a movie, but, a few months ago, it finally became a reality when both he and Tim Burton signed on to the project with the intention to begin filming in January 2011. Unfortunately for Johnny, it now looks like he'll have to wait an extra four months. Deadline reports that the production of the film has been set back to April, though no official reason for the move is given. The script has been written by Seth Grahame-Smith, of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies fame, who came onto the project after the departure of Big Fish writer John August.

What now complicates things is Depp's involvement in Kathryn Bigelow's Triple Frontier/Sleeping Dogs (who the hell knows the real title). While the actor isn't officially attached to the film as they are trying to figure out scheduling issues. The film is supposed to start filming in February and Depp has expressed keen interest in working alongside co-star Tom Hanks and the Hurt Locker director, but his passion for Dark Shadows and friendship with Tim Burton might prove a fairly large obstacle.

Thanks to The Hurt Locker's immense success at this year's Academy Awards, Kathryn Bigelow had her pick of any follow-up project she wanted, and was on the list for everything from the Planet of the Apes prequel to the Spider-Man reboot. Rather than selecting one of those franchise movies, however, she instead decided to reteam with Hurt Locker scribe Mark Boal to make Triple Frontier, a film about drug trafficking on the borders between Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. Thanks to a recent controversy, though, she now may be regretting that decision.

AFP says that Argentina and Paraguay are refusing cooperation with the film, claiming the subject matter could hurt their tourism industry. According to the report, both country's tourism ministers have contacted each other and are "deeply indignant" in regards to how the area is portrayed.

While it's easy to see the country's point of view - who wants to visit an area overrun with crime? - even the most minor research will tell you that the Triple Frontier is not a place for tourists. The area has been a hotbed for organized crime and Islamic terrorist groups for years now and is so far away from cities like Buenos Aires and Asunción that it shouldn't really affect anyone's plans for a South American getaway. To be blunt, anyone who purposely travels to the Triple Frontier knows exactly what's going on there.

Kathryn Bigelow is going from diffusing bombs to focusing on drugs. The Playlist is reporting the Academy Award winner director of The Hurt locker will start filming next year on a project described as “in the vein of Steven Soderbergh’s Traffic.” The film, titled Triple Frontier, will focus on the region on the borders of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay (Los Tres Fronteras) that's home to much drug trafficking and terrorist activity. Bigelow will keep a winning team together by again working with writer Mark Boal.

When you win awards for great movies the rumors start flying. Triple Frontier already has names like Denzel Washington, Javier Bardem, Sean Penn being tossed around to star, but The Playlist is quick to point out these are only whispers and probably nothing more. Bigelow’s newfound Hollywood cache makes projects like these gain steam quickly. Who wouldn’t want to stand next to old Oscar for a couple of minutes and work with a director whose grittiness and raw detail could give us an ultra-intense look at the underworld and far-reaching effects of the drug trade?

Sunday night was kind of a big deal for Kathryn Bigelow. And by that I mean she became the hottest director in Hollywood overnight. Over the next year, and probably longer, Bigelow is going have every film in production to pick and choose from. While it will certainly intensify over the next few months, however, that is not to say that she hasn't already had a couple of major offers that she has already turned down. It turns out that one of those job offers was at the helm of Sony's rebooted wall-crawler franchise.

The Los Angeles Times has run a feature on some of the top Oscar winners and what their next move will be. While it mentions what we have already known about Bigelow for months now, that she will be reuniting with Mark Boal, who also took home the Oscar, for a pet project titled Triple Frontier, it confirms the rumor that she turned down Sony's offer to direct the new Spider-Man movie, which now has (500) Days of Summer director Marc Webb attached.

That officially makes two directors from this year's Best Director pool who were offered the gig and turned it down (they wanted Cameron as well). But who's to say how Bigelow's direction might have turned out? Prior to her six year absence from feature films, the director was known for her work in the action genre, be it the Keanu Reeves classic Point Break, or the Harrison-Ford-as-a-Russian movie K-19 The Widowmaker. It's not clear why she turned down the film, but let's hope it had something to do with a "Fuck Sony, Go Sam Raimi" mentality.

It's not uncommon for production companies to find themselves in legal trouble over their content or copyright of their films. From something as simple as a billboard displaying an iconic personality to severe copyright infringement, it all gets looked at. Once a film starts getting recognized, it goes under the microscope, and whether they're right or wrong, people will come out of the woodwork to see if they can take a piece of the proverbial pie.

The latest example of this is Master Sgt. Jeffrey Sarver, who claims that the most awarded film of the year, The Hurt Locker, was a literal transcription of his life to the big screen. You might be thinking, “Well, that could be said by ANY IED specialist participating in the wars right now,” and you're right, but Sarver has a little more to base his accusations on.

Journalist Mark Boal wrote an article for Playboy about his time in the Middle East embedded with a bomb defusing team, which as you probably guessed, Master Sgt. Sarver was a part of. Boal then took his experience with Sgt. Sarver's squad to write the screenplay for The Hurt Locker-- not so farfetched to think that elements of his life made it into the fictional story.

The story comes from CNN and says nothing about the specifics of how his life was ripped off, but the claim is enough to get attention. Even if Sarver does have a strong case, taking on a juggernaut film studio may prove too difficult or expensive for him to get want he wants, which is just a little recognition, and of course a few bucks.

Was K-19: The Widowmaker the last semi-good movie Harrison Ford made? Since that film's 2002 release, the man who gave us Han Solo and Indiana Jones has delivered Hollywood Homicide, Firewall, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Crossing Over, and Extraordinary Measures. I don't remember much about K-19 other than Ford's questionable Russian accent, but in that company it looks like a work of genius.

Based on real events, K-19 casts Ford as Captain Alexei Vostrikov, commander a Soviet nuclear submarine at the height of the Cold War. After an accident shuts down the ship's reactor cooling system, Vostrikov must try to prevent a nuclear incident that could spur World War III while struggling for command against his executive officer (Liam Neeson). The movie is getting a new Blu-ray release May 4th, no doubt because it was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who's currently riding high on an Oscar nomination for The Hurt Locker. Bigelow has proven herself a talented director over the years, so her commentary is a welcome inclusion to the release, and might make K-19 a good purchase for film fans looking to see how her style has evolved over the past few years. It'll run you the more-or-less-standard Blu-ray price point of $29.99.

K-19: The Widowmaker Blu-Ray Special Features

• Commentary by director Kathryn Bigelow and cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth
• The Making of K-19: The Widowmaker
• Exploring the Craft: Make-Up Techniques
• Breaching the Hull
• It’s in the Details
• Theatrical Trailer (HD)

After telling us a few weeks ago that the Planet of the Apes reboot was underway and with producer Peter Chernin in charge, New York Magazine is reporting that the project has hit a small speedbump on the way toward getting made: actually finding someone to direct it.

Chernin started by aiming high, going to Kathryn Bigelow, Robert Rodriguez, and Let the Right One In director Tomas Alfredson. Unsurprisingly, all of them said no (did he really think Bigelow would take on a project so guaranteed to get attacked?), and now it's on to the second tier of directors who have all had schlocky but profitable movies come out in the last year or so. Offers have gone out to the Hughes brothers (The Book of Eli), Pierre Morel (Taken), James McTeigue (Ninja Assassin), Dennis Iliadis (The Last House on the Left) and Scott Stewart (Legion).

The script is called Caesar, which is pretty much all anyone knows about it, though I guess now we can assume it takes place on the Ides of March and involves someone stabbing an ape in a very public location. You don't really need me to tell you that this continues to be a horrible idea, so I'll just repeat Vulture's joke: Uwe Boll, it's time to make your move.

Kathryn Bigelow’s best director nomination for The Hurt Locker at this year’s Oscars is almost a foregone conclusion. That should mean she’s about to become a hot commodity around Hollywood, and, it’s probably only a matter of time before she too ends up being rumored to direct Spider-Man. But she won’t, because she’s already line up her next project. Kathryn Bigelow is heading back to the terrorist controlled territory.

In The Hurt Locker she told the story of an American bomb disposal unit working in the unfriendly streets of Iraq. Production Weekly says that in her next movie, she’ll tell the story of an American journalist held prisoner by the Taliban. The film is Held by the Taliban, based on a series of articles published in the New York Times by David Rohde.

Rohde’s stories start with his kidnapping, as he’s whisked away and held prisoner for seven months and ten days. His captivity begins in Afghanistan, but eventually they were moved to Pakistan in those tribal areas where we all know Osama bin Laden is hiding, yet everyone pretends he isn’t so we don’t have to actually go in and do anything about it. To be honest, if anyone but Bigelow was doing this, I doubt anyone would be interested. America is long past the point of war-story burnout, and we’re even more tired of hearing about kidnapped reporters. But Bigelow proved with The Hurt Locker that she has a unique perspective on the Middle East problem. It’s her perspective, more than anything else, that I’m most interested in.

UPDATE! MTV claims to have picked up a story from the New York Times in which they say Production Weekly's report is a complete fake and Bigelow isn't involved in this film. We've been unable to find the story referenced by MTV in the Times online edition, but if true, the Times would be in a position to know since the story was first published in their pages.

Following 2002's K-19: The Widowmaker, it took six years for Kathryn Bigelow to bring another feature to the screen-- and she rewarded us for the wait by making The Hurt Locker, the best Iraq war movie yet. For her next feat, though, she won't be waiting so long. She's re-teaming with Hurt Locker writer Mark Boal to make another action drama based on real-life events, this time set in the border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.

And no, it won't be a drama about land rights. According to Variety, Triple Frontier will focus on the organized crime that flourishes in the area, though further plot details are being kept under wraps. Boal, a journalist who wrote The Hurt Locker after being embedded with American forces in Iraq, is working on the new screenplay now.

There's a million things to be happy about here, from the fact that Bigelow and Boal are smart people making movie for adults to the simple notion of a new movie being based on an original idea. Maybe it won't be as good as The Hurt Locker, but anything half as intelligent and interesting as that movie will still be worth watching.

I'm going to make a guess and assume you haven't seen The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow's action-packed new drama that most everyone is praising as being an Iraq war movie that you'll actually want to watch, simultaneously entertaining and important in a bigger sense.

So why would I assume you, dear Cinema Blend readers, are so ignorant that you haven't seen one of the most acclaimed movies of the year? Because for some reason Summit Entertainment opened the film in about two theaters against Transformers 2, and the movie is taking its sweet time winding its way through larger moviegoing markets. It may never make it to your hometown theater at all, which would truly be a shame. But if you live near a major city and like good movies, you should most definitely be seeing The Hurt Locker soon.

Need another reason? Check out the first 8 minutes of the film below, snagged by Trailer Addict. There are no spoilers in it at all, just a tense action sequence that gives a great sense of what Bigelow does with the rest of the film. The slow release pattern and lack of stars may suggest that The Hurt Locker is some meditative indie, but it's much more interested in being a slamming action picture with an actual thought in its brain. Watch the 8 minutes below, and know your movie ticket will be well spent.

"Hurt Locker 2 I won't be in," Jeremy Renner tells a group of us near the end of our interview. That's not a knock at the movie, which is getting stellar reviews, or at Kathryn Bigelow, the movie's director whom Renner calls "tougher than anybody on set." But after Renner described working on days of 125-degree heat in the Jordan desert, and donning a 100-pound bomb deflection suit on top of it, none of us could blame him-- we wouldn't want to be in the sequel either.

The Hurt Locker, set in Iraq, follows an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, a group of soldiers with very specific skills who are dispatched to disarm roadside bombs and other Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Renner plays Staff Sergeant William James, a hot-shot and skilled bomb dismantler who initially butts heads with Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) when he joins their unit. The film evolves not only as a study of the kind of character you need to become to cope with a job this intense, but as a dramatic nail-biter-- every scene is literally life and death.

When we spoke to Renner during New York Comic Con, none of us had seen the movie, so unfortunately no one could get into specifics. But he still had lots to say about the experience of filming a movie so intense, the bonding that gets you through the day, and all the Canadian T-shirts he packed to bring to the Jordan set.

What's your super bad-ass military experience?

Yeah, zero. I avoided that whole plight. But I was fortunate enough to learn a lot for them. Yeah, it's exciting, it's thrilling, it's a heart-pounding experience. It's pretty intense, man. I was glad to be a part of it.

Who trained you?

EOD [Explosive Ordnance Disposal] team leaders at Fort Irwin were my main mentors during the project, actually. Yeah, I thought I was in pretty good shape, but jeez man, what these guys can do. My hat's off to these guys.

How long was the training?

Probably two weeks, there every day. Then off and on, just random things. A lot more than the physical, it's the mental aspect. What fuels somebody to do what they do makes them a very specific individual. Don't get me wrong, EOD is a very specific job. Not many people are bomb dismantlers. But what fuels them to do that makes them more specific, and that's what I was trying to figure out. It was a very complex character to play. I was trying to get a grasp on how volatile he was.

What did you get out of meeting the people who do this work?

First I was shocked, for lack of a better word, at how nerdy they are. They're all very, very smart. It's also technical. It's really interesting. These are not A-type personalities. They're completely selfless. Obviously their job is very selfless. It's the main thing that I kind of got from it. Usually they'll become a civil servant of some point, when their time is up. Firefighter, a lot of them are teachers. Interesting.

Was there a camaraderie among you and the rest of the cast?

Yeah, we all bonded. Even if we hated each other, which we didn't, you have to bond if you're dealing with extreme circumstances. Not even what we're shooting, but how we're shooting it. The 125 degree heat. Everyone's passing out, everyone's sick. There was trauma happening. Someone's face blew up from the fireworks that we had. Trauma and drama was happening off-camera every day, so we had to cling together, especially Anthony, Brian and I.

What's the experience like working with Kathryn Bigelow?

She's a painter, is really what she is. She's such a visual human being. If you look at any of her films, they are very very visual. That allowed us to film the emotion behind it. She just sat back and kind of painted. She sat her cameras where she needed to do it, let us do our job and she did hers. She knows more information really than she needs to know, or will ever really transcribe to film. But she tries to keep it as honest as possible. She wanted fresh, emerging faces. She really wanted to play it as real as possible.

That intensity that you're mentioning. It's very in your face, very strong stuff. Were you surprised by that working with a female director?

Gender had nothing to do with it. This girl was tougher than anybody on set. She's this supermodel looking woman. She's spright. How she dealt with that day in and day out, I have no idea, because I barely did.

How was it shooting in Jordan?

I was scared before, I'll be honest with you. I was an ignorant American, not knowing very much about Muslim culture or the Middle East, for that matter. So I was going over as a Canadian. I had Canadian hats and T-shirts. I didn't know! "I can't be an American in the Middle East." And after being there, there people are so generous and welcoming. We learned that they're more Westernized than I ever thought. We're their biggest ally over there. Obviously the heat sucks. It's unbearable. The Red Sea, the Dead Sea, all within hours of each other. Amazing, amazing place.

Was there improv involved in some of the scenes?

A lot of that stuff we played around with. She sort of set up a situation, and I'd go figure it out. There were some specific things that she wanted. We just kept playing. Again, we had 200 hours of footage. We just kept shooting and shooting, coming up with different things. Being in the suit is seemingly torturous at first, but it ends up being pretty peaceful. Your whole body and spirit is being crushed by all this weight, but you don't hear very much. I'd play a lot of times Beethoven when I'm in the suit, so it's almost like this peaceful, poetic thing. You feel so safe, even though you're not. And personally, it's so dang hot that it doesn't get any worse than that. All these guys are roasting slowly out in the sun. When I take it off, I'm feeling good.

You seem to have a particular interest in playing military roles.

Yeah, there's something interesting about that. Different types of movies all the way around. One's very genre, 28 Weeks Later, and SWAT being a big blockbuster. This is the most intense, I think, out of all of them. Do I love guns? Eh, I think they're interesting. It's a playground for me. For me, as Jeremy, I never get to play with guns. I know how to use them very well now, because of my job. It's like being a boy again, getting to run around shooting guns. For me, it's fantasy.

What do you think the audience for this movie is?

It's pretty broad, to anybody who likes action, which I think is a lot of people. Could it be a big summer movie? Yeah, I think so. But it's very intelligent, and has a lot of great character driving elements in it that drive the story. I think all across the board, I think men and women will both enjoy it, because it has something to say about human drama. It's not just some check your brain at the door action movie.

Hurt Locker 2 I won't be in.