“You can’t handle the truth!”

Delivered by an enraged Jack Nicholson to a demanding Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men, that’s a line that will be remembered for as long as people are watching films, and it’s one of many special parts of the legacy of director Rob Reiner – who we sadly lost late last year. It’s an iconic moment in an iconic film, with two bona fide movie stars going head-to-head, and as great as it is to see on screen time after time, it’s even better when you know a sweet bit of trivia from the day that it was shot.

In the wake of Reiner’s passing. CBS News aired a special title Rob Reiner: Scenes From A Life that features interviews with those whom the filmmaker worked with and was close to, and one segment concerns the creation of his beloved Aaron Sorkin-scripted, marine-centric courtroom drama from 1992. Kiefer Sutherland, who played 2nd Lt. Jonathan Kendrick in A Few Good Men (a few years after working with the director on Stand By Me), recalls being on set the day that the production was shooting the scene where Nicholson’s Col. Nathan R. Jessep took the stand, and he reflected on a memorable silence after Reiner called cut:

It didn’t sound like Rob Reiner was really desperate for a second take from the man who is widely considered to be one of the best actors of all time, but it never hurts to get one for safety. And they didn’t exactly end up having a super long day either.

According to Sutherland, the production had a full day of shooting planned following the big standoff between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, but Reiner was perhaps a bit too happy and wowed to keep working, so he shut it all down and sent everyone home early. Said the actor,

It was proper and earned satisfaction, as recognized by how that famous scene exists in pop culture. Despite only having three scenes in the movie, Jack Nicholson went on to earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination – though he ended up losing the trophy to Unforgiven’s Gene Hackman.

If you have not done yourself a favor and rewatched A Few Good Men recently (either in memory of Rob Reiner or just as a film to throw on), you really should do so, as it really is a tremendous work, and no matter how many times you may have heard it, the “You can’t handle the truth” scene still sends chills down one’s spine. The movie isn’t currently available to stream on any of the major subscription services, but it is available for digital rental and purchase from online retailers and has been released on 4K UHD and Blu-ray for physical media collectors.

In 2014, 24: Live Another Day revisited all-around badass Jack Bauer four years after the main 24 series concluded. However, the limited series left off on a relatively open-ended note with Kiefer Sutherland’s character. Talk of a 24 revival has subsisted since then, and in September, Sutherland shared that executive producer Howard Gordon came up with an idea that he likes. Gordon has now confirmed this is true, although he does have a specific concern about moving forward with a 24 revival.

Gordon, who worked on 24 for the entirety of its run and served as showrunner for its latter four seasons, discussed this chapter of his career while talking about his new series The Beast in Me, which can now be streamed with a Netflix subscription. When Deadline interviewer Nellie Andreeva brought up what Kiefer Sutherland had said, Gordon stated the revival is “absolutely in process” and being developed, but Disney, the parent company of 20th Century TV, has not “committed to it.” A little later, he provided the following insight into his mind:

24 was one of the most popular non-HBO prestige TV shows of the 2000s, with the action drama delivering 24-episode seasons that week to week explored an hour in the dangerous life of federal agent Jack Bauer. 24: Live Another Day and the short-lived spinoff 24: Legacy opted to shorten their seasons to 12 episodes, and I honestly doubt that if 24 was revived, we’d go back to those full seasons. Nevertheless, I’m glad Howard Gordon has finally settled on an idea that he’d feel comfortable moving forward with, whether it’s another shortened season or even a 24 movie.

At the same time, I understand where he’s coming from given how successful 24 was in its day. We live in an era where more older shows than ever are being brought back for new installments, and while some are well received, there’s certainly no shortage of others that are not. So Howard Gordon has every right to be cautious about moving forward with the project. As much as I want to learn what happened to Jack Bauer after he was carted off to Russia for the crimes he committed in Season 8, I’d be more disappointed if those answers came at the cost of the 24 revival not sticking the landing.

Hopefully this idea Gzordon’s come up with is strong enough to warrant moving forward with, even if some kinks still need to be ironed out. For now, remember that 24, including Live Another Day being labeled as Season 9, can be streamed with a Hulu subscription.

In 2014, the clock stopped ticking for Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer. Four years after the stellar 24 came to its official end after eight seasons, 24: Live Another Day picked back up with the character in London, and that miniseries is now known as 24 Season 9. But there have been attempts to bring Jack back to the airwaves, and not only has Sutherland read a script for the 24 reboot, he explained why it’s taking so long to become a reality.

The actor from the short-lived Rabbit Hole opened up on the subject while appearing on Montreal Now with Aaron Rand to tap about his new line of Canadian whisky, Red Bank Whisky. When Rand asked Sutherland about where things stand with 24 being revived, he answered:

Trying to move a project forward without any scripts having already been written isn’t always the best course of action, so I’m not shocked that those earlier attempts at reviving 24 didn’t bear any fruit. However, now a script has been written, although it’s unclear if it’s for the first episode of a new TV series or a one-off TV movie. Either way, Kiefer Sutherland is impressed with what he read and sounds like he’s still game to reprise Jack Bauer in this version of the project.

That being said, the TV landscape is quite different compared to when 24 was airing, and now the show is now owned by a different company, which complicates bringing it back. As Sutherland explained:

At the end of 24: Live Another Day, Jack Bauer was taken by Russian agents to answer for killing the Russian foreign minister and his lead operative, as well as his attempted assassination of Russian President Yuri Suvarov. All this was done to exact revenge for Renee Walker being murdered, but when Chloe O’Brian was apprehended as Live Another Day was winding down, he agreed to give himself up in exchange for his freedom. The one-season spinoff 24: Legacy did not address Jack at all, although his former ally Tony Almeida did appear in the latter half of that show.

So what happened from there? Has Jack Bauer been languishing in a Russian prison this whole time? Or did unseen events result in him ending up somewhere else? These are some of the questions that this 24 reboot can answer, and I hope that Disney is willing to give this espionage franchise another shot. And frankly, I’d rather the new 24 become a Hulu exclusive instead of returning to Fox, as that would allow for the show to go even harder with its violence and adult material.

Though it’s not set to debut on the 2025 movie schedule, the casting process for Sunrise on the Reaping is a huge event taking place on this page of the calendar. Fans of The Hunger Games have been following rather closely, while also having their own dream candidates for key roles in this Haymitch Abernathy-centric prequel.

And while the role of President Snow has finally been cast with an A-lister I’ll always show up for, there’s a huge missed opportunity that I have to talk about - as I still kind of wish it happened.

Ralph Fiennes Adds The Hunger Games To His Notorious YA Villain Trophy Case

I really cannot fault the logic that saw the powers that be casting Academy Award nominee Ralph Fiennes as the next iteration of President Coriolanus Snow. What’s crazy is that THR’s announcement of this Hunger Games news has actually landed on the three-year anniversary of actor Tom Blyth landing this very role in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes cast.

While commemorating this new move, producer Nina Jacobson offered the following statement:

Naturally, whenever someone mentions “Ralph Fiennes” and “YA” in the same sentence, images of his portrayal of Harry Potter’s Voldemort come flooding to mind. That’s with good reason, too, as the man used those skills that made him a chilling Nazi officer in Steven Spielberg’s Holocaust drama on a literary figure that swims in some very similar circles.

So casting through pop culture trauma is definitely a solid move, especially with this Conclave star. That being said, I have to side with the Hunger Games fans for a moment, as Sunrise on the Reaping has lost yet another prime opportunity to honor families in the performing arts.

I Still Wonder How Kiefer Sutherland Would Have Done As President Snow

I get that nepotistic casting isn’t always the answer, and I need to restate the fact that I still love Ralph Fiennes as the new President Snow. But just as loyal revolutionaries of Panem flooded TikTok hoping for Cooper Hoffman to succeed his father as the younger Plutarch Heavensbee in Sunrise on the Reaping, I was right there with them in casting Kiefer Sutherland as a younger version of his father’s menacing politician.

Once again, the actor who landed the gig is not a bad choice, especially with Jesse Plemons playing young Plutarch in this second prequel. But considering that Hoffman is another consummate performer who’s shone brightly in an Alex Garland war story, it’s another possibility that’ll live on in my head.

Even with my fan-casting brain warmed up, the potential reasons for not casting Cooper Hoffman or Kiefer Sutherland are just as valid. I wouldn't want either of them to be stressed by living up to their father’s legacies; with Hoffman previously discussing those pressures in his upcoming Stephen King film The Long Walk. It’s an unfair concept, as both men are exemplary performers in their own right, which circles right back to why they were fan-cast in the first place.

I will say, for someone who’s never been an intense fan of The Hunger Games, Ralph Fiennes’ casting as President Snow kind of inspires me to finally watch The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. There’s plenty of time to either catch up with or rewatch this landmark YA saga, as The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is set to dawn in theaters on November 20, 2026.

Even the greatest actors have ups and downs in their careers. For some, it's more dramatic than others. John Travolta was virtually forgotten about before Quentin Tarantino cast him in Pulp Fiction, for example. Then there was "The McConaissance," when Matthew McConaughey roared back to prominence. Those two are hardly alone in finding roles that brought them back. Here is our list of 32 roles that saved actors' careers. 

Pulp Fiction - John Travolta

This was a big one. In the late '70s, there wasn't a bigger star than John Travolta. On the strength of a hit TV show (Welcome Back, Kotter), and two huge hits at the box office with Saturday Night Fever and Grease, Travolta was on top of the world. Then, almost all of a sudden, poof, he was gone. In the 16 years between Grease in 1978 and 1994, he appeared in only 11 movies, and three of those were Look Who's Talking movies and most of them bombed. Then Tarantino came along and cast him as Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction and once again, Travolta was on top of the business and he's never looked back. 

Dallas Buyers Club - Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey exploded onto the scene in the early '90s in Dazed And Confused, where he delivered some of the most iconic quotes. In the mid-90s he started playing more dramatic roles in movies like A Time To Kill, Contact, and Amistad. By the early 2000s, he established himself as a popular lead in rom-coms. Then, after a few of his movies struggled to make an impact in the late 2000s, his star faded a little. That all changed in 2013 when he starred in, and won a Best Actor Oscar, for Dallas Buyers Club and The McConaissance was born. 

Stranger Things - Winona Ryder

With movies like Beetlejuice, Heathers,  The Age of Innocence, and Little Women, Winona Ryder was a superstar in the late '80s and early '90s. But in the early '00s, after some bad press for her shoplifting conviction, Ryder's star had fallen quite a bit and she even took a short break from acting. Though she never fell off the map completely, it wasn't until she starred in Stranger Things starting in 2016, that Ryder returned to the top. 

Judy - Renée Zellweger

Between Jerry McGuire in 1996 and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason in 2005, Renée Zellweger was one of the most popular and successful actors in Hollywood. With a slew of hits and awards,  Zellweger could do no wrong. Then, after a few less-than-successful movies, the industry showed how fickle it could be and she fell off the A-list. That all changed in 2019 with Judy, followed up with the TV series The Thing About Pam.

The Whale - Brendan Fraser

the 1990s were Brendan Fraser's decade. He had some massive hits, most notably The Mummy in 1999, but soon after, it's like everything dried up. He worked still, but barely and it left the world asking what had become of the heartthrob. He answered every one with his amazing performance in The Whale, winning the Best Actor Oscar and roaring back to the top. 

Birdman - Michael Keaton

In the 1980s, Michael Keaton delivered some of the funniest lines in some of the funniest movies. In the mid-90s and early 00s, his career slowed a bit. He was still working but wasn't the big star he'd been when he got the role in Tim Burton's Batman. That is, of course, until he starred as an actor much like himself in Birdman and brought the great actor back to the top of the A-list. 

House Of Cards - Robin Wright

When she burst onto the scene in The Princess Bride, the sky was the limit for Robin Wright. She reached new heights with her role as Jenny in Forrest Gump but found herself a tabloid regular with her marriage to Sean Penn. Ultimately, she found perhaps her greatest fame when she landed the role of Claire Underwood in Netflix's House Of Cards. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once - Ke Huy Quan

Has there ever been a feel-good story in Hollywood like Ke Huy Quan's return to fame after winning an Oscar for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once? After decades of virtually not working in the industry, having found fame as a kid, Quan was once again the toast of the town. 

Halloween (2018) - Jamie Lee Curtis

She's been called the original slasher film "final girl" for her role in the original Halloween, and Jamie Lee Curtis rode that fame to the top of Hollywood. You might not remember, but in 2006 she actually announced her retirement from acting. Though she didn't give it up completely, she was very selective about roles, mostly playing supporting characters. That changed with 2018 Halloween when she roared back into the business head first. 

Sin City - Mickey Rourke

People forget just how huge Mickey Rourke was in the 80s. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to be with him, as they say. Then, he decided he'd put acting on the back burner and become a boxer. After a somewhat successful run, he returned to acting, and with Sin City and The Wrestler, Rouke was back on top in Hollywood

Scream - Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore became a huge star as a kid in the 1980s with movies like E.T. and Firestarter. In her teens, some personal problems derailed things a little, but when she starred in Scream, it brought her completely back and she's never looked back. 

Wild - Reese Witherspoon

When Reese Witherspoon won the Academy Award for her performance in 2005's Walk The Line, she was on top of the world. Just a few years later though, after a string of poorly performing romance movies Witherspoon dubbed her "love triangle period," her career hit a valley. Then came Wild which marked not only her resurgence as an actor but her transition to big-time producer as well. 

Iron Man - Robert Downey, Jr

There probably isn't a more famous comeback story than Robert Downey, Jr. After years of personal problems and addiction, his career looked like it was going to be completely wasted. Then Downey sobered up and landed the role of a lifetime as Tony Stark/Iron Man and the rest is history. 

Arrested Development - Jason Bateman

Jason Bateman has had quite a few ups and downs in his career. In the '80s, he was a teen star on the verge of big things, but then his career hit a serious lull. It really wasn't until the cult success of Arrested Development that Bateman once again commanded must-see TV. 

Ryan Reynolds - Deadpool

With big roles in 90s TV shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Two Guys And A Girl, Ryan Reynolds was poised for huge success. At first, that's what he found, but it started to fizzle out with a string of forgettable movies in the late '00s and early teens, including the disaster that was The Green Lantern. Then came another superhero movie in 2015 called Deadpool and now he will be doing that until he's 90. 

Yellowjackets - Christina Ricci

By no fault of her own, Christina Ricci's career hit a string of bad luck with projects that she shined in, but for one reason or another didn't capture the attention of audiences. That changed, obviously, with Yellowjackets starting in 2021. 

The Godfather - Marlon Brando

People forget that when Francis Ford Coppola cast Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, Brando was on the outs in Hollywood. It's well-known lore at this point that Coppola had to fight to get the legend in the movie, but we're all grateful he did. 

24 - Kiefer Sutherland

With roles in Stand By Me, The Lost Boys,  and the two Young Guns movies, the late '80s and early '90s were big for Kiefer Sutherland. The mid and late '90s saw a bit of a lull with some box office disappointments. In 2001, Sutherland took on the role of Jack Bauer in 24, which quickly became one of the most popular shows on TV and Sutherland rode it to a new level of fame. 

 Orange Is The New Black - Natasha Lyonne

Legal and personal problems almost completely derailed Natasha Lyonne's promising career in the '00s. Thankfully, she got the help she needed and cleaned up, she scored a role on the Netflix hit Orange Is The New Black and she's continued to crush in a number of roles since. 

This Is Us - Mandy Moore

Around the turn of the century, Mandy Moore was unstoppable, starring in hit movies and charting on the Top 40. It was in 2016, however, when she was cast as the matriarch in This Is Us that her fame shot to an entirely new level. 

The Town - Ben Affleck

After a big decade in the '90s, Ben Affleck's fame in the '00s was more about the tabloids than it was about his filmography. It took a few years, but eventually, he proved to everyone how great a filmmaker he was with The Town in 2010, and ever since, he's been crushing it. 

Monster-in-Law - Jane Fonda

There weren't many bigger stars in Hollywood than Jane Fonda in the '70s and '80s. Then, in 1991, she announced she was retiring from acting, coinciding with her marriage to Ted Turner. She returned, to everyone's delight, in 2005's Monster-In-Law alongside Jennifer Lopez and has scoring hits ever since. 

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle - Neil Patrick Harris

Like his character on Doogie Howser, MD, Neil Patrick Harris was a prodigy. However after the hit show ended, he struggled to move into more adult roles. Surprisingly, it was playing a fictionalized version of himself in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle that landed him back on audiences' radar screens, and then he landed his most famous gig on How I Met Your Mother

Bohemian Rhapsody - Mike Myers

Mike Myers was everywhere in the 1990s. From SNL to Wayne's World (one of the best movies based on an SNL character) to Shrek to Austin Powers, he was on top of the world. In 2010, after a string of box office misses, he retreated from the scene, only to emerge with a glorious role in 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody. 

John Wick - Keanu Reeves

After proving to be box office gold for a couple of decades, Keanu Reeves had a string of misses in the late '00s, but when he teamed up with director Chad Stahelski for John Wick in 2014, he helped launch a whole new franchise that continues to pump out hits. 

Unfaithful - Diane Lane

Diane Lane has always been selective about her roles, going back to her early days in Hollywood in the '80s. This has led to multiple career "revivals" but the most notable has to be her turn in the hit Unfaithful in 2002 which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars in 2003. 

Airplane! - Leslie Nielsen

For a generation of audiences, Leslie Nielson will forever be known for his roles in some of the best parody movies like Airplane! and The Naked Gun. But before Nielson was delivering hilarious lines in those movies, he was known for his dramatic acting., though his career had slowed before he reinvented himself in the first Airplane!  

Striptease - Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds was one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the '70s, but a few poorly received movies in the '80s knocked him off that lofty perch. While many might point to his role in Boogie Nights in 1997 as reviving his career, it was really his hilarious performance in Striptease from a year earlier that put him back on the map.

No Country For Old Men - Josh Brolin

After finding success as a young star in the 1980s in movies like The Goonies, Josh Brolin hit a career drought that lasted more than a decade and left him wondering if he'd ever regain his earlier success. He did so and more after his amazing turn in No Country For Old Men in 2007 and has been one of Hollywood's best ever since. 

Trading Places - Don Ameche

With an amazing career that had started in the 1930s, Don Ameche's bookings dried up in the 1970s. Luckily for all of his, he landed a role as one of the Duke Brothers in Trading Places and he once again was a huge star, this time with a whole new, younger, generation of fans. 

Sea of Love - Al Pacino

It is easy to forget that even the greatest sometimes find themselves in slumps. Such was the case with Al Pacino in the mid 1980s. After all the incredible success of the '70s, he learned how fickle Hollywood can be and it wasn't until 1989's Sea Of Love that Pacino regained his rightful spot among the elite. 

Rocky Balboa - Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone is responsible for some of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history, but even the great ones stumble. Stallone had a pretty rough run of bad movies in the late '90s and early '00s, but when he returned to his roots in 2006's Rocky Balboa, he once again found his footing and not only starring in Rambo, reviving his other monster franchise, but he launched a new one with The Expendables.

The world of Panem is continuing to grow as Haymitch’s Hunger Games prequel movie was just announced. Suzanne Collins’ upcoming book Sunrise on the Reaping takes place during the second Quarter Quell where Katniss and Peeta’s future mentor Haymitch won 24 years before meeting them. As President Snow still ran Panem at the time, fans have already made up their minds about who they’d like to play the middle-aged ruler, and “it’s really the only logical choice.”

In The Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Tom Blyth played young President Snow back when he was a mentor for The Hunger Games. In the OG Hunger Games trilogy, Donald Sutherland brilliantly portrayed the older President Snow. Now, fans would like his son, Kiefer Sutherland, to take on a middle-aged Coriolanus for the next prequel film, as @IMDBorg pointed out. And this tweet below explains a lot of our feelings about this prospect:

It truly is a “logical” choice. Donald and Kiefer Sutherland have such a strong resemblance to each other that I find it hard to picture anyone else playing a middle-aged version of the character Donald brought to the big screen.

Not to mention, the two are already examples of celebrities who’ve worked with their children. The 24 actor made his film debut in his father’s dramedy Max Dugan Returns followed later by A Time to Kill and Forsaken. While the two Sutherlands wouldn’t be able to be in the next Hunger Games movie together, it would still be a unique experience to see Kiefer Sutherland take on his father’s iconic role.

TikTok user @imperator.marikosa also pointed out that we've seen a father-son duo play the older and younger versions of the same character recently and with success. In the first season of Monarch: A Legacy of Monsters, which you can watch with an AppleTV+ subscription, Kurt Russell and his son, Wyatt, both played Lee Shaw. Based on the successful casting of the Russells, the creator used the show to explain why Kiefer Sutherland should take on a middle-aged President Snow:

I agree that it’s absolutely fun to watch parents and children playing younger or older versions of the same character. We’ve seen that before in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang between Robert Downey Jr. and his son Indio, The Wife with Glenn Close and her daughter Annie Starke, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter’s Mila Jovovich and her daughter Ever Anderson. This type of pairing works very well for realistic character development and is a fun fact fans always love to engage with.

After the Twitter user mentioned above suggested Kiefer Sutherland take on the role of a younger President Snow for the Haymitch prequel, you can imagine how many fans were in agreement in the comments. Here's a sampling:

• Sometimes the obvious answer is also the right one.- @Get Me Another…
• Of course!! Who else would you choose?? He also plays an excellent bad guy.- @Sko Hayes
• Holy moly…why didn’t I think of that?!😳😳😳 - @Cory Sims
• If Monarch Legacy of Monster's can do it, both Kurt & Wyatt knocked it out of the park. Hunger Games can pull this off brilliantly as well.- @Mcusr
• Oh shit- @D ☔️
• Every time I am reminded that Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland are father and son, my brain processes it like it's new information- @not followed by anyone you’re following
• Duh right? Keifer is right there- @Rotienne

The ayes have it that Kiefer Sutherland is a fan-favorite choice to play a middle-aged version of President Snow for Haymitch’s prequel film. I can’t think of anyone better to portray the Panem president’s sinister personality at this age, and I hope this fan-casting becomes reality.

As Suzanne Collins’ prequel novel Sunrise on the Reaping comes out on March 18, 2025, you can expect to see its film adaptation hit theaters on November 20, 2026. While we wait for more updates about this thrilling project, make sure to check out the 2024 movie schedule so you don't miss either of the Sutherlands' next projects.

Some of our best horror movies have been centered around characters who just so happen to be legendary creatures of the night: vampires. And, because of the enduring popularity of these mythological bloodsuckers, not only do we also have a number of TV vamps, but many famous actors who’ve portrayed some version of the famed, usually-human-looking beasts. Here for you now are 32 actors who’ve played a vampire.

Eddie Murphy (Vampire In Brooklyn)

So many vamps have been seen on screen that even a comedy and action movie legend like Eddie Murphy has played one. The 1995 horror comedy, Vampire in Brooklyn, saw the star play the last member of a group of Caribbean vampires, who hits New York to find a mate so that he can continue his family line.

Tom Cruise (Interview With The Vampire)

Who could forget the 1994 film that gave us Tom Cruise as the captivating and cruel (And blond!) bloodthirsty fiend, Lestat de Lioncourt, from author Anne Rice’s legendary novel series, The Vampire Chronicles? Of course, it also gave us Brad Pitt’s tortured vamp, Louis, and made a star out of young Kirsten Dunst.

Dakota Fanning (The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

While there are some obvious stars to add to this list, let us not forget that the cast of famous (and soon-to-be-famous) vampires in The Twilight Saga films was quite stacked. That roster included noted child star Dakota Fanning, who portrayed the villainous Volturi guard member, Jane, who was able to mentally create sensations of pain in those who she deemed worthy of punishment.

Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood)

Several vampire-focused TV shows have hit the airwaves over the past 20 or so years, so we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the HBO hit, True Blood. Many of its stars portrayed members of vamp-kind for most or all of the series’ seven seasons, but Evan Rachel Wood made an equally impressive (bloody) splash as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne Leclerq, during her recurring guest appearances in Seasons 2-4.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight)

Back to Twilight! It’s not worth mentioning this franchise without bringing up lead romantic vamp Edward Cullen, as well as the man who brought him to life in five movies, eventuall live action Batman actor Robert Pattinson. Despite the fact that his love interest’s portrayer, Kristen Stewart, would have dumped Edward “immediately”!

Chloë Grace Moretz (Let Me In)

It’s possible that we don’t get creepier than kid vampires in movies and television shows, and that’s what we got with Chloë Grace Moretz’s Abby in the 2010 film, Let Me In. She befriends a young loner after moving into his apartment complex, but is (you guessed it) hiding nefarious purposes he could have never guessed, which end up taking his life in a most unexpected direction.

Salma Hayek (From Dusk Till Dawn)

This might be the shortest movie vampire appearance on the list, as 1996’s From Dusk Til Dawn saw Salma Hayek play the fanged exotic dancer, Santanico Pandemonium, only for about five memorable minutes that simply cannot be forgotten once witnessed.

Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows)

Undead life isn’t always filled with glamorous globe-hopping adventure, gorgeous mates who can’t resist you and other perks, at least according to 2014’s What We Do in the Shadows, which concerns the rather mundane day-to-day lives of vampire roommates, of whom Taika Waititi’s uptight and nearly 400-year-old vamp, Viago, is among.

Theo James (Underworld: Awakening, Underworld: Blood Wars)

Another big screen franchise that depended on heaps of stars to populate its supernatural world is that of Underworld. Two sequels saw Theo James play the heroic vampire, David, heir to one of the main vamp covens, and lead Selene’s one steadfast ally during an important time in her journey.

Willem Dafoe (Shadow Of The Vampire)

Not many cinematic vampires are said to be based on a real person, but the one played by Willem Dafoe in 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire is. He portrayed a fictionalized version of the real Nosferatu lead actor, Max Schreck, whom the crew begins to suspect is an actual vampire because of his behavior and the strange goings-on surrounding filming.

Gerard Butler (Dracula 2000)

Speaking of vampires who are based on real people…Author Bram Stoker based his Dracula on Vlad the Impaler, and Gerard Butler played yet another version of the ever-popular character in a film from, yes, 2000. This tale sees the ancient vamp accidentally awoken by a group of thieves who find and steal his highly protected coffin, which had been watched over by generations of the Van Helsing family.

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

A Marvel character that will soon have another portrayer when the upcoming Blade reboot finally begins filming, the original action/horror trilogy famously saw Wesley Snipes take on the vampire/human hybrid titular lead, who’s a nearly unstoppable vamp hunter bent on taking down all members of the species who bit his mother and infected him with their supernatural blood while he was still in utero.

Colin Farrell (Fright Night)

If a scary and suave undead night stalker is your type, look no further than Colin Farrell’s Jerry Dandrige in 2011’s remake of the 1985 cult classic, Fright Night. He may have to eventually do battle with a couple of teenagers, but he sure looks darn good doing it.

Ethan Hawke (Daybreakers)

A movie that takes a more science-fiction approach to a world overrun by vampires is the 2009 film Daybreakers, which sees Ethan Hawke play a vamp hematologist who refuses to drink human blood and is looking for a synthetic option to their usual meal of choice that will stop humanity from being wiped out by his more brutal peers.

Luke Evans (Dracula Untold)

Again with Dracula? Why, yes! This time, Luke Evans plays a Vlad the Impaler who only becomes a vampire to have the strength, speed and ferocity to turn back an invading army in an attempt to save the people of his kingdom. Does it work out for him? Well, yes…and no.

Kate Beckinsale (Underworld)

There’s no mentioning the Underworld franchise without giving respect to the main heroine, Kate Beckinsale’s Selene. In the first film she’s a vampire looking to destroy the werewolves that killed her family, but she ends up uncovering a major secret about the two sets of creatures and falling in love with a human, instead.

Alicia Silverstone (Vamps)

This 2012 horror comedy sees Alicia Silverstone play Goody, an old vampire who tries to stay young and hip while helping her much younger bloodsucking buddy, Stacy (Krysten Ritter), get used to her powers as they try to abstain from the red stuff during their immortal and unholy (sorta) lives.

Pedro Pascal (Bloodsucking Bastards)

Ever wondered what working in an office that was slowly being overrun by vampires who care as much about the bottom line as they do about drinking blood would be like? Just watch Bloodsucking Bastards, where beloved The Last of Us cast member Pedro Pascal begins turning his employees into the titular immortals.

Jim Carrey (Once Bitten)

Jim Carrey’s first leading role came in this 1985 comedy, where he played a teen virgin turned into a vampire by an alluring, 400-year-old creature of the night, who seduced him so she could use his blood to keep her youthful appearance.

Paul Reubens (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

In the 1992 horror comedy that eventually led to the long-running series of the same name, the late Paul Reubens starred as Amilyn, a vamp doing the bidding of a much more powerful bloodsucker who’s ruling his kind in Los Angeles.

Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood)

While HBO’s True Blood was positively filled with the undead, few of them made as much of an impact on audiences (and the lead, Sookie) as Alexander Skarsgård’s cunning and alluring (but sorta evil) 1,000-year-old Eric Northman. This also happens to be the role that really made Skarsgård famous.

David Boreanaz (Buffy, Angel)

When it comes to popular TV vampires, no one can discount the reign of David Boreanaz as evil vamp turned heroic vamp (and then sometimes evil vamp again) Angel, whom he played on Buffy the Vampire Slayer beginning with the first episode in 1997, through wrapping his run on the fifth season series finale of his own show, Angel, in 2004.

Sterling K. Brown (Supernatural)

Sterling K. Brown may best be known now for delivering heartfelt emotions as Randall Pearson on This Is Us, but for four episodes across Seasons 2 and 3 of the CW mega-hit, Supernatural, he played Hunter and dedicated vamp-hater-turned-vampire, Gordon Walker, to astounding, understandably cold-blooded effect.

Kiefer Sutherland (The Lost Boys)

Even though Kiefer Sutherland was certainly a star on the rise by the time he starred in The Lost Boys in 1987, his part as apparent vampire motorcycle gang leader David cemented his leading man qualities and turned him into a household name.

Rami Malek (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II)

Sure, Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the best Rami Malek movies to watch, but let’s not discount his turn as the powerful (and ancient) Egyptian vampire, Benjamin, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part II, one of the few creatures of the night in the franchise who can directly manipulate things, with his specialty being controlling fire, water, air and earth.

Bryce Dallas Howard (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)

Yet another actor you may have forgotten was fanged in the expansive Twilight franchise is Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard. She took over the role of evil, vengeful vamp Victoria (who’s looking to kill Bella in retaliation for Edward killing her love, James) from Rachelle Lefevre, for the third movie, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Tilda Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive)

As one half of the very old vampire couple at the center of the 2013 dramedy, Only Lovers Left Alive, Tilda Swinton is a wife forced to visit the husband (played by Tom Hiddleston) she’s long been separated from once she realizes his lengthy undead existence has begun to bring him down, as she tries to force him to reevaluate the value of living forever.

Bill Nighy (Underworld, Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans)

Every good vampire needs a parental figure to show them the ropes, and for Underworld’s Selene, that role was filled by Viktor, who was portrayed by Love, Actually star Bill Nighy. His Vampire Elder turned out to be more of a threat than the heroine ever expected, though, leading to some tense moments between Selene and her mentor.

Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker's Dracula) 

Back to Drac! One of the most popular films about the character is still 1992’s Bram Stoker's Dracula, which saw eventual Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban star Gary Oldman play Vlad Dracula.

Christopher Meloni (True Blood)

Where there is one vampire there are generally enough to have a whole hierarchy among their brethren, and as with the series True Blood, sometimes we get to see what that could look like. In Season 5, Law & Order: SVU and Organized Crime star Christopher Meloni portrayed the Guardian, Roman Zimojic, who led the Vampire Authority and (ostensibly) set the rules for all vamps. Many, however, didn’t agree with his desire to have his kind fit in with human society, which caused a lot of problems for the calm, determined and deadly when challenged leader.

Nicolas Cage (Renfield)

If you guessed that this is yet another Dracula story, well, you’re sort of correct. 2023’s horror comedy, Renfield, stars Nicholas Hoult as the count’s titular long-time familiar, who’s tired of helping him kill innocent people and all the abuse he’s taken from the being who gifted him with immortality, as well as super strength and speed (when he eats bugs) 90 years prior. So, he gets help from a support group for people in codependent relationships in order to be able to live his own life again. Nicolas Cage is our Dracula here, and he’s a perfectly winking one, who still manages to be creepy and deadly.

Johnny Depp (Dark Shadows)

Johnny Depp has become known for his outrageous characters, and his Barnabas Collins is no different. The 2012 Dark Shadows film (which was based on the 1966-1971 gothic daytime drama of the same name) follows Barnabas after he’s cursed with vampirism in 1760, buried alive in a coffin, and then accidentally freed in the early 1970s. He rejoins the Collins family at the estate they still hold, while trying to keep his true nature a secret, but hijinks ensue as his past comes back to haunt them. 

This, of course, is just a small sampling of the famous actors who've portrayed vampires over the years, but if you decide to do a vamp movie/TV show marathon, you can start right here and have hours of entertainment.

Anyone who has seen Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation must wonder for at least a second if there is truth in Bill Murray’s character of a famous American actor in Japan to film a commercial. Well, there definitely is. Huge American and European stars have been hawking products in Japanese commercials for decades. 

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood, some of whom you’d never expect to be selling cars and shampoo in the States, are happy to do it in Japan. While there was a time those stars may have been labeled as “sell-outs” in the U.S. for doing commercials, it was very lucrative to appear in ads in Japan, without the baggage. Here are just a few of the celebrities who have made those Japanese ads. 

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is known in the U.S. for her Miss Dior perfume commercials, but in Japan, she’s better known for selling Lux shampoo. The commercial we found is a pretty standard shampoo commercial, very similar to one you’d see in the States with long, flowing locks being flung to and fro. 

Jodie Foster

Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster is one of those actors you’d least expect to see in a commercial, but in the ‘90s, Foster starred in a campaign for Honda Civics. The commercials are pretty bland, with lots of shots of a smiling Foster standing near the Hondas she was selling. 

George Clooney

He may be one of the biggest movie stars of all time, but George Clooney isn’t above slinging coffee in Europe or doing extensive voice-over work on American commercials. In Japan, he’s the face of Kirin Beer in at least a couple of commercials, co-starring with some CGI songbirds. 

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves has developed a reputation for being one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. It makes sense that a product would be interested in having him as a spokesman. In the United States, he occasionally does a commercial or two, most notably for Squarespace. In Japan, he’s also popular. Like a lot of Western celebs, he’s been hired by the whiskey maker Suntory to do commercials. As always, he looks cool doing it. 

Madonna

At the height of Madonna’s fame in the ‘80s and ‘90s, it would’ve been very rare to see her endorse a product on TV in the United States, but in Japan, she was part of a big campaign for Takara, a whiskey made by Blanton’s for the Japanese market. The commercials don’t look like they took up much of the Material Girl’s time, however, as they are just cuts from her music videos spliced with buzzwords and shots of the bourbon. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Lately, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been showing up in more and more commercials. At the 2024 Super Bowl, he was in a State Farm ad, for example. It seems the former Governator likes the idea of picking up a nice paycheck for a minimal amount of work, and who can blame him? It’s something he’s been doing in Japan for decades, going back to the pinnacle of his fame in the ‘90s when he endorsed an energy drink called Alinamin V. These might be the strangest of all the commercials too, featuring Schwarzenegger’s giant head popping out the bottle and other over-the-top images. 

Miles Davis

No one defines “cool” quite like Miles Davis did. The late jazz legend had a reputation for being prickly, but fans still wanted to be him. His sound on trumpet was unique, as was his style, and it all oozes authenticity. Endorsing products in the U.S. might have branded him a “sell-out” to his fans, but in the ‘80s, he could go to Japan, where he was also a big star, and shoot commercials for Honda Scooters, and no one would be the wiser in North America. 

Britney Spears

Britney Spears might be the least surprising person on this list. At the height of her fame in the late ‘90s, she’s exactly the kind of celebrity that would be huge in Japan. Spears took advantage of that fame, starring in a series of commercials for Go Go Tea. The pop star also appeared in an ad for Mikakuto Gummy Candies as well. 

Harrison Ford

Back in 1996, Entertainment Weekly reported that Hollywood stars could make anywhere from $500K to $2 million for a couple of days’ work on a Japanese commercial. It explains why actors like Harrison Ford, who no one would have expected to see in an ad in the ‘90s in America, would spend a few days in Japan shooting commercials for Kirin beer. We don’t know how much he made, but it’s safe to assume the Star Wars star made enough to pay Jabba back and then some. 

Cameron Diaz

SoftBank is one of the largest holding companies in Japan and it loves to bring over American stars to promote its services. One such star was Cameron Diaz, who in the mid-’00s starred in commercials and print ads all over Tokyo for the cell phone giant. No doubt such a campaign made it possible for the actress to semi-retire in 2014. 

Brad Pitt

Coffee, specifically canned coffee, seems to be one of the more lucrative areas of advertising for Western stars in Japan. None other than Brad Pitt even showed up in one in the ‘90s. Pitt stars as an office worker getting more work done after drinking a can of Roots Coffee. 

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis is big in Japan. He’s been spotted selling everything from cars to financial services. Daihatsu and SoftBank have both hired the Die Hard legend to hawk their wares. He even learned a phrase or two in Japanese for the spots. 

Sharon Stone

Just as in America and Europe, Japanese beauty brands love to hire a famous actress to taut their product’s ability to make everyone as beautiful as they are. Sharon Stone was a major spokeswoman for Vernal soaps, for example. Stone also appeared in commercials for jewelry and other luxury wares. 

Ben Stiller

When you watch the Kirin ad Ben Stiller did back in the late ‘90s, it makes you wonder if it was the main inspiration for Zoolander. It feels like an outtake from the movie about a male model, it’s so goofy. Don’t get it wrong, it’s supposed to be over-the-top and funny, so it fits the character of Derek Zoolander perfectly, even if Stiller wasn’t actually playing the role. It’s also better than Zoolander 2.

Francis Ford Coppola

Of course, the most famous example in the West of a star doing Japanese commercials is the fictional Bob Harris (Bill Murray) doing Suntory ads in Lost In Translation. The inspiration for the film, or part of it, had to be Sofia Coppola’s father, Francis Ford Coppola doing ads in Japan in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Including one for Fuji Cassettes, and yes, Suntory whiskey. 

Sylvester Stallone

Rocky star Sylvester Stallone got on the Japanese advertising train back in the mid-’90s, including doing some very strange commercials for Bayern Sausages. An Italian-American doing ads for German sausages in Japan. It’s the UN of commercials! 

Brooke Shields

Back in the ‘80s, Brooke Shields was huge. For much of the decade, she found a lot of work in Japan in ads for everything from tissues to coffee to stereos. No doubt that helped her pay for her Princeton education, where she studied during a break from her career in the mid-’80s. 

Richard Gere

In 2009, Japanese company Suntory bought Orangina, the sparking orange beverage from France. Almost immediately, Suntory did what they had done so often in the past, they hired an American actor for an ad campaign. Richard Gere starred in a few commercials for the brand at the dawn of the 2010s, playing a classic Japanese comedy character from the ‘60s and ‘70s named Tora-san.  

Audrey Hepburn

By the early 1970s, Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn had already semi-retired from acting, starring only sporadically in a few movies in the ‘70s before bowing out completely. Still, she did work in Japan occasionally in commercials, including one for wigs from 1970, which seems pretty odd, but hey, it’s Audrey Hepburn, so who are we to question it?

Leonardo DiCaprio

Even the great Leonardo DiCaprio has gotten in on the Japanese ad business, hawking credit cards in the ‘90s and Jim Beam more recently. You might expect the latter, but definitely not the former, in the United States. 

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway is another glamorous actress who has been known to pop up in luxury and beauty ads in Japan. One product, Lux Shampoo, is well known for using American stars in its ads for its products. The rom-com star pitched for the company a few times in the mid-’00s. 

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Suntory Whiskey definitely takes the win for grabbing some of the biggest stars from the U.S. to sell its products. Even way back in the ‘70s, it was paying Sammy Davis, Jr. to do commercials for them. They even got him to scat for one of them, and it’s a gem. 

Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones has been a regular in Japanese commercials for a long time, and watching some of the more bizarre ones, he’s clearly having a lot of fun. It definitely references his role in the Men in Black series, but beyond that, it’s hard to pin what they are about, exactly, except that he’s selling coffee. 

Nicolas Cage

It’s no surprise to find Nicolas Cage on this list, now is it? Going back a couple of decades, the actor did a series of commercials for Pachinko games, which are Japanese slot machines and pinball machines.

Kyle MacLachlan

In what might be the absolute best and most bizarre entry on this list, Kyle MacLachlan starred in a whole series of commercials for Georgia Coffee as Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks. The commercials played out like a bizarre mystery, just like the show, and also featured other characters from the show, and the famous intro. It’s truly awesome… and weird… and awesome.

Sean Connery

If you want someone elegant and cool to advertise your whiskey, why not hire James Bond himself, Sean Connery? That’s exactly what Suntory did in the early ‘90s and he’s everything you want him to be in the ad. 

Hugh Jackman

When you have the talents of a true song-and-dance man like Hugh Jackman, it’s smart to take advantage of that. It’s what Lipton Ice Tea did in 2010 to amazing results with the Deadpool & Wolverine star dancing around a Japanese hotel. 

Cindy Crawford

Cindy Crawford was the most famous model in the world in the ‘80s and ‘90s, so it’s no surprise she’d been seen on Japanese TV selling lots of stuff, as she was virtually everywhere else in the world. For example, in Japan, she hawked a sports drink called Pocari Sweat. Sweat seems like an odd thing to name your drink, but Crawford could sell anything in those days. 

John Travolta

Canned drinks are huge in Japan and the competition for customers is intense, which has led to a lot of American stars getting lucrative gigs. John Travolta is one such star, who was hired to appear in an ad for Tokyo Drink. Naturally, he danced his way through it. 

Hulk Hogan

Professional wrestling has long been hugely popular in Japan. American wrestling stars like Hulk Hogan have been traveling to Japan to work for decades. With that fame, came commercials for the Hulkster, like one in the early ‘90s hawking Hitachi Air Conditioners. 

Quentin Tarantino

It’s not always just actors either. Quentin Tarantino, whose Kill Bill movies are a tribute to Japanese culture, popped up in an ad for SoftBank’s cell phone service. The director looks like he had a blast making the spots, too. 

Kiefer Sutherland

When 24 debuted, it instantly became one of the biggest hits on TV, and that success translated to Japanese TV as well. So much so, that Kiefer Sutherland was hired by the energy drink Calorie Mate to star in a series of commercials in the style of the spy show. 

There was a time when “selling out” was a real concern for artists and their fans. It’s far more common today to see big stars in commercials. Before it became okay to be seen selling stuff on TV, those big names could head to Japan for a nice paycheck, without retribution from hardcore fans. Until the internet, it was rare for an American or European to even know the stars had done it. Now with the internet, we get to see all these great commercials they were doing. 

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.

Fame is a tricky thing, and sometimes the biggest stars in the world can lose it all. Personal problems, changing times, and other factors can lead to a once-promising career disappearing almost over night. These stars, however, reversed their trajectories and came out on top after enduring rough times, in this list of actors who made remarkable career comebacks. 

Robert Downey, Jr.

Robert Downey, Jr was one of the most promising young actors in Hollywood in the 1980s, starring in films like Less Than Zero, Chaplin, and Natural Born Killers. In the mid-90s his life went infamously went off the rails with substance abuse problems. When it looked like he'd thrown it all away, he cleaned up and his fame exploded as he became one of the highest-paid actors in the MCU.

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda has had a few ups and downs in her career. After breaking out as a star in the '60s, she was later shunned by many for her notorious trip to North Vietnam during the war. She rebounded and starred in hits like 9 to 5 and On Golden Pond. In 1991, Fonda married Ted Turner and completely stepped back from acting. She didn't appear in anything at all until after their divorce in 2001, but roared back to prominence in the 21st Century. 

Rob Lowe

As a member of the "Brat Pack" in the 1980s, Rob Lowe was on top of the world. That all came crashing down when a videotape of Lowe in a compromising situation was leaked. His hard partying had caught up to him, and though he got sober in 1992, he would spend much of the decade playing smaller roles or in direct-to-video movies. In 1999 he landed the role of Sam Seaborn in The West Wing and was once again on top, where he's stayed ever since. 

John Travolta

In the late '70s, there was no bigger star than John Travolta. From Welcome Back, Kotter to Grease and Saturday Night Fever, Travolta was in some of the biggest pop culture touchstones of all time. Then the '80s came and his career hit a serious lull. While he was in the hit Look Who's Talking and its sequels, it was 1994's Pulp Fiction that vaulted Travolta back to the top. 

Natasha Lyonne

In the late '90s, Natasha Lyonne was one of a group of budding stars in American Pie and other movies like Slums Of Beverly Hills before health and addiction problems derailed her career. Thankfully for all of us she came out of those those stronger and has since starred in fantastic shows like Orange is the New Black and Russian Doll. 

Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser winning the Oscar for 2022 The Whale capped off one of the greatest comeback stories in Hollywood history. His work had all but completely dried up in the late '00s and 2010s, but his career has had the most incredible resurgence in the 2020s. 

Winona Ryder

Winona Ryder defined "movie star" for late Gen Xers in the '90s, but after her infamous arrest for shoplifting in 2001, her career nosedived and she didn't appear in a movie for about three years after. For the next decade or so, she worked steadily but didn't regain her star power from early in her career. That changed when she starred in Stranger Things, starting in 2016, and she once again became a huge star. 

Dave Chappelle

In 2003 Dave Chappelle debuted Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central and it became a massive hit. Despite the network throwing tens of millions of dollars at the comedian to keep the show going, he turned it down and walked away. Chappelle stayed away for most of the next decade before reviving his standup career, and while Chappelle continues to garner controversy, it's safe to say he's as big as ever. 

Betty White

When Betty White died in 2021 she was mourned by millions. The beloved actress had been a television star since the 1940s, but not all of those years were in the spotlight. After early success in the '50s in Life with Elizabeth and other sitcoms, White's career hit a lull for more than a decade. She returned to the big time with her role on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the '70s, The Golden Girls in the '80s, and then later with Hot in Cleveland in the 2010s.

Ke Huy Quan

There is no more heartwarming story than that of Ke Huy Quan's resurgence. the actor, who first found fame as a child in The Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, completely disappeared from Hollywood. For twenty years, he appeared in not one TV show or movie, before returning in 2021 with a role in Finding ʻOhana, and then winning an Oscar for his performance in 2022's Everything Everywhere All At Once. 

Michael Keaton

Michael Keaton was a controversial choice when he was cast as Batman in Tim Burton's Batman in 1989, but it shows just how famous he was at that time. After Batman Returns, Keaton's star faded and he starred in a run of films to mixed reviews. In 2014 Keaton starred in the very meta Birdman, as a former superhero star looking to regain his fame. It worked, at least for Keaton. 

Katharine Hepburn

Anyone with a career as long as Katharine Hepburn's is bound to have some slow periods. The most amazing fact of the legendary actress' career was the 34-year span between Best Actress Oscars. She won in 1934 for Morning Glory and then again in 1968 and 1969 for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and The Lion in Winter, respectively. She would win her fourth 13 years later in 1982 for On Golden Pond. 

Mickey Rourke

In the 1980s Mickey Rourke starred in a string of hits. Eventually, though, his reputation as being difficult to work with overshadowed his performances and he was left in the Hollywood wilderness until triumphantly returning to his past glory in 2008 with The Wrestler.

Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier was one of the biggest stars of the '50s, '60s, and '70s. Then came the '80s, when he stepped away from acting and concentrated on directing, to mixed reviews. In 1988 he turned back to acting and had a wonderful late career resurgence with films like Shoot To Kill and Sneakers. 

Jason Bateman

In the 1980s it looked like Jason Bateman was a surefire bet to be a huge star. Then the '90s came and his career pretty much dried up. He had some guest spots on TV shows, but little else. He was all but forgotten. In 2003, Fox debut a show you may have heard of, Arrested Development, with Bateman as the star, and he's been huge ever since. 

Keanu Reeves

It's hard to remember a time when Keanu Reeves wasn't one of the biggest stars in the world, but after his success in the '90s and early '00s with The Matrix and Speed and more, he starred in a slew of commercial and critical failures. Thankfully for Reeves fans everywhere, John Wick came along and Reeves was back on top of the mountain, where he still is. 

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore almost became a Hollywood child star casualty after her string of hits as a kid in the 1980s. She had a rough childhood that led to substance abuse problems as a teenager. Against the odds, she got through it all and became an even bigger star on the other end. 

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris first got famous as a child prodigy playing a prodigy on Doogie Howser, MD. After the sitcom ended in 1993, he struggled to regain that popularity. That is, until he played a fictionalized version of himself in Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle in 2004. Soon after he landed the role he's best known for, Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother. 

Matthew McConaughey

Most of Matthew McConaughey's early career was made up of starring roles in rom-coms. In 2009 the Lincoln Lawyer star took a two-year acting hiatus to re-evaluate his career. He emerged in 2011 by taking on more serious roles and leaving his rom-com leading man reputation behind. Since the so-called "McConaissance," McConaughey's become on of the most acclaimed actors of the 21st century. 

Nicolas Cage

By 2009 Cage was one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood, and one of the highest-paid actors in the business, but it seems he couldn't curb his spending and ended up in debt to the IRS and other creditors. As a result, Cage seemingly took every job offered to him, and he put out an immense catalog of straight-to-video movies that few people have ever watched. Finally, in 2022, Cage revealed he was finally debt-free and started being more selective with his roles. this led to acclaimed roles in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and 2023's Dream Scenario.

Mandy Moore

Mandy Moore's career started like a comet as a singer in the late '90s which she parlayed into an acting career. That career slowed way down in the early 2010s, only to be revived in a massive way with her starring role on the NBC hit This Is Us. 

Christian Slater

With starring roles in Heathers, Pump Up The Volume, and Gleaming The Cube, Christian Slater became a Gen X icon. He scored a number of high-profile roles in big-budget movies in the '90s, before work started drying up in the early 2000s. He returned to Hollywood prominence with his award-winning role in Mr. Robot and has maintained it ever since. 

Luke Perry

Luke Perry was one of the biggest television stars of the 1990s as part of the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210. After the show ended though, his star faded some. That is, until he was cast in the CW's Riverdale and he was discovered by a whole new generation of fans. Tragically, Perry died in 2019 at age 52. 

Christina Ricci

Childhood success for Christina Ricci didn't immediately translate to success as an adult. She's always worked steadily, but her fame never quite reached the heights of her early career in The Addams Family. That changed in 2021 with Showtime's Yellowjackets. 

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh first found international fame with her roles in the James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouch Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She maintained a level of success, but she exploded to new heights with her Oscar-winning turn in 2022's Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. 

Neve Campbell

Neve Campbell was huge in the '90s with her starring role in the show Party Of Five and movies like The Craft and Wild Things. In the early 2000s, she starred in the Scream franchise, but hit a lull after that. Recently, she's been back on top with roles in The Lincoln Lawyer and Twisted Metal. 

Channing Tatum

Fans might not think that Channing Tatum has never had a career lull, but he has actually had a couple. He's always had to fight the idea that he's all looks and little substance (which is far from accurate), and that has affected his career at different points. He's always rebounded with strong performances like the one in Foxcatcher, however. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence's career hasn't really had a financial downturn, her lull was completely her choice. After a couple of poorly reviewed films and becoming the most famous victim of the iPhone hacking scandal, Lawrence stepped away from acting for two years in 2019. She triumphantly returned in the great movie Don't Look Up in 2021. 

Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey was first famous for starring in teen comedies like Loverboy and Can't Buy Me Love. He bounced around for a few years after that, working steadily but hardly a star. That changed in a big way when he landed the role of Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd in 2005 on Grey's Anatomy. 

Marlon Brando

The 1960s weren't kind to Marlon Brando. After establishing himself as a bonafide star and one of the finest actors of the 20th century in the '50s, his mercurial nature earned him a reputation as difficult to work with. A string of box office failures didn't help. Famously, he pushed hard to get the role of Vito Corleone in The Godfather, and wow, was that the right move! He won an Academy Award and reminded everyone how great an actor he was. 

David Carradine

Leave it to Quentin Tarantino to help revive a star's career like he did with John Travolta. David Carradine was huge in the 1970s as the star of Kung Fu, and while he always found work, it took until Kill Bill in 2003 that he found that same level of fame again. 

Kiefer Sutherland

After becoming one of the biggest teen idols of the '80s, Kiefer Sutherland spent most of the '90s in smaller, supporting roles. In 2001, however, he landed the role of Jack Bauer in 24 and it became the part he's most known for, becoming a television icon over the run of the show. 

Fame, as they say, is fleeting, and these actors prove there can always be a second act in Hollywood. 

Stephen King fans have a whole lot to look forward to in 2024. The author’s latest book, the collection You Like It Darker, is scheduled to arrive in stores in May, and while specific release dates haven’t been announced, it feels safe to keep our fingers crossed about both Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot and Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, there’s a few last bits to go over for 2023 in this latest edition of The King Beat.

In this week’s column, I have a King-related suggestion for your New Year’s resolution, thoughts from the writer about Christmas-centric media, some new Stand By Me trivia from Kiefer Sutherland, and, as always, a new Recommendation Of The Week. Let’s dig in!

Going Into 2024, Adjust Your Movie-Watching Habits Stephen King-Style

I have a confession to make: I love a good rewatch. It’s always wonderful to check out films and shows I’ve never seen and broaden my taste (and I certainly do plenty of that, as evidenced by the fact that I watched 138 new releases in 2023), but I also frequently turn to familiar favorites in my down time. If you’re the same way and looking to try and shake that habit in 2024, there’s a New Year’s resolution you may want to borrow from Stephen King.

Specifically, I’m referring to the deal that King made with himself back at the start of 2022. Almost exactly two years ago, the writer came up with an interesting system for his movie-watching habits in order to try and catch up with notable titles that he missed in the past: he selected one film to watch from every year between 1961 and 2021 with a concentration on features that he hadn’t previously seen. Thanks to this plan, he ended up watching a lot of terrific classics and excellent recent releases.

So what did he end up watching? Being the active social media user that he is, he posted every step of his cinematic journey on Twitter, and below you can check out the full rundown of titles he screened:

• 1961 - The Innocents
• 1962 - The Manchurian Candidate
• 1963 - Hud
• 1964 - A Hard Day’s Night
• 1965 - The Hill
• 1966 - Seconds
• 1967 - Point Blank
• 1968 - The Producers
• 1969 - Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
• 1970 - M*A*S*H*
• 1971 - Fiddler On The Roof
• 1972 - Aguirre, The Wrath Of God
• 1973 - Mean Streets
• 1974 - The Parallax View
• 1975 - The Sunshine Boys
• 1976 - Network
• 1977 - Eraserhead
• 1978 - Straight Time
• 1979 - Wise Blood
• 1980 - Breaker Morant
• 1981 - Blow Out
• 1982 - Sophie’s Choice
• 1983 - Risky Business
• 1984 - 1984
• 1985 - The Trip To Bountiful
• 1986 - River’s Edge
• 1987 - Au Revoir Les Enfants
• 1988 - Hairspray
• 1989 - The Little Mermaid
• 1990 - The Godfather III, The Death Of Michael Corleone
• 1991 - Boyz 'n The Hood
• 1992 - Reservoir Dogs
• 1993 - Menace II Society
• 1994 - The Lion King
• 1995 - Outbreak
• 1996 - Trainspotting
• 1997 - 12 Angry Men
• 1998 - Little Voice
• 1999 - Fight Club
• 2000 - Under Suspicion
• 2001 - Enemy At The Gates
• 2002 - Road To Perdition
• 2003 - The Last Samurai
• 2004 - Dead Man’s Shoes
• 2005 - L’Enfant a.k.a. The Child
• 2006 - 16 Blocks
• 2007 - Fracture
• 2008 - Ponyo
• 2009 - Up
• 2010 - The Way Back
• 2011 - The Ides Of March
• 2012 - The Master
• 2013 - Dallas Buyers Club
• 2014 - Life Itself
• 2015 - Ant-Man
• 2016 - Silence
• 2017 - Life
• 2018 - The Clovehitch Killer
• 2019 - Them That Follow
• 2020 - I Care A Lot
• 2021 - Stillwater

From the cult comedy classic Hairspray, to the F-bomb worthy Boyz In The Hood, to the anarchic chaos of Fight Club, the man spent months feasting on excellent cinema, and it didn’t take him the full year to complete his resolution, as he was able to wrap things up by late August.

If you haven’t watched some/most/any of the titles that Stephen King watched, his list is a great place to start – and it’s certainly better than signing up for a gym membership that you quit on by February.

Stephen King Went Into Full Dad Mode For Christmas… And Admitted To Not Being The Biggest Fan Of Christmas Movies And Music

As evidenced by the eclecticism of his writing (not to mention the list above), Stephen King has a deep appreciation for a wide variety of genres. He’ll always be primarily associated with horror, and he certainly has a deep love for scary stuff, but it’s far from an exclusive relationship. That being said, it was surprising this month when King took to Twitter to make a shocking confession: when it comes to Christmas movies and music, you can definitely count him out.

More than simply not liking them, he apparently hates them. The topic came up when King saw a post from his friend/fellow novelist Ray Garton, who took to his own account to recommend that his viewers make a double feature out of two seasonal classics starring Bing Crosby: Holiday Inn and White Christmas. Not mincing words, King retweeted the suggestion with a four word response: “I hate Christmas movies.”

He didn’t stop there, however. The haterade continued to flow four days later when Stephen King saw a post asking Twitter users about the Christmas song that “gets you.” Instead of sharing his own personal favorite, he opted to dismiss “almost all” of it – sharing particular hatred for “Holly Jolly Christmas,” most famously sung by Burl Ives:

Before you start calling Stephen King a Grinch, however, it should be noted that the man did have some cheer to spread during the 2023 holiday season. Evidently this family-centric time of year brought out the father in him, as he shared a pair of dad jokes that are as cute as they are groan-worthy:

Assuming that your eyes didn’t just roll out of their sockets, let’s move on to a cool bit of trivia about one of the best Stephen King movies of all time…

Kiefer Sutherland Shares The Story Of How Rob Reiner’s Adaptation Of “The Body” Became Titled Stand By Me

It’s not unusual for films to alter their titles from the source material they’re based on, but it’s a rare occurrence when it comes to the works of Stephen King. Not counting anthologies like Creepshow and Cat’s Eye, there are only a few examples in Hollywood history – and that includes “Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption” becoming The Shawshank Redemption and “Secret Window, Secret Garden” becoming simply Secret Window. Among these projects, Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me is a notable standout, and Kiefer Sutherland recently revealed the possible backstory behind the change.

The actor best known to Stephen King fans as Ace Merrill was a guest on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon late last week, and it was during a discussion of Sutherland’s guitar skills that he shared a wonderful behind-the-scenes story. According to him, there was a day on the Stand By Me set when he was casually jamming with co-star River Phoenix, and Rob Reiner overheard what the song that they were playing. The song? Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me.” Said Sutherland,

Fallon followed up by asking if there was a direct correlation between that moment and the decision to change the title, and while Sutherland couldn’t say for sure, it certainly seems like he thinks it played at least some role:

Shakespeare tells us that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but given how generic “The Body” is as a title, I think it’s safe to say that Rob Reiner and his fellow filmmakers made a smart call with the change.

Recommendation Of The Week: “Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption”

Whether or not you decide to form a specific New Year’s resolution for 2024, it’s always best to charge into January with feelings of optimism, and there is no better place to find that energy in the Stephen King canon than “Rita Hayworth And Shawshank Redemption.” First published in the 1982 collection Different Seasons, the novella unquestionably goes to some dark places (it is a story set in prison, after all), but it uses that darkness to showcase the indomitable qualities of the human spirit and the power of hope.

If you’re a dedicated King fan, you’ve probably seen writer/director Frank Darabont’s film adaptation of the story more times than you can count, but if you’ve never read the source material, that’s a situation you should remedy. In addition to featuring some notable differences, it’s a beautifully written experiment in perspective (King wrote it to echo the style of author Max Brand, a.k.a. Frederick Schiller Faust), and it even has some specific ties to New Year’s celebration in that protagonist Andy Dufresne maintains a specific tradition during the holiday.

That does it for this week’s King Beat, but I’ll be back next Thursday to ring in the new year with a brand new column, and in the meantime, you can dig further into King history with my Adapting Stephen King series.

One challenge of becoming a fan of a streaming service show is facing the possibility that it could get canceled after one season. Netflix is already known for its one-season cancellations and other services, like Max and Disney+, have also been known to ax a show after a single season. Now, Paramount+ has taken part in this streaming service trend with Kiefer Sutherland’s new series Rabbit Hole getting the bad news after one season along with other shows.

This past spring, Paramount+ debuted two thriller series that got one-season orders. The first was the spy espionage series Rabbit Hole starring Kiefer Sutherland about a corporate spy framed for murder. About a month after that show dropped Fatal Attraction, which was based on the iconic 1987 movie about a passionate affair that takes a violent turn, came out. Sadly, according to EW, both of these Paramount+ originals didn’t make it past their first seasons with a spokesperson releasing a statement about it.

While it’s a real shame that both of these thriller series became short-lived, it’s good that they’re not going to be removed altogether from the streaming platform. Last summer, Paramount+ canceled four shows and removed them from the service completely. 

As part of the plan to integrate Showtime, Star Trek: Prodigy, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Queen of the Universe, and The Game became nonexistent to the streaming service. While decisions like this can benefit streamers once they receive a tax write-off, it can be controversial because shows that many people worked really hard on become completely unavailable. Luckily, Rabbit Hole and Fatal Attraction can still be seen by Paramount+ subscribers today. 

In order to get a better understanding of why streaming shows are getting axed after one season, it helps to know what it takes for streaming shows to get greenlit in the first place. For traditional television shows, networks order test pilots to determine if that one-episode introduction to the upcoming series is worth ordering a whole season for. Streaming shows are a whole different ball game where there are no pilot episodes. Everything is narrowed down to the pitch that creators give to streaming platforms. If the pitch is well-received, a season order is approved. With so many more greenlights on streaming platforms compared to network shows, this leads to increased chances of cancellation.  

The Paramount+ series Fatal Attraction had a star-studded cast of Lizzy Caplan and Joshua Jackson, but its star power wasn’t enough to garner favorable reviews. The audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes may be 71%, but the critics gave it 37% with its consensus saying its “clumsy execution ultimately dulls this story's edge.” 

Rabbit Hole, on the other hand, got more positive scores from critics and audiences. It was also Kiefer Sutherland’s return to TV after 2016’s ABC-turned-Netflix series Designated Survivor, which had a three-season run and is one of Sutherland’s best shows.

Rabbit Hole’s co-creator Glen Ficarra wrote the lead role for the 24 actor after hearing he was looking for work, and he knew audiences would follow him whether he played a hero or a con man. It’s good that even if the series was short-lived, audiences can still follow Sutherland by watching the show's first season on the platform.

Paramount+ is falling in line with one-season cancellations with Rabbit Hole and Fatal Attraction not getting a second-season order. But, at least streamers have the chance to see them both through a Paramount+ subscription. Take a look at our 2023 TV schedule so you can catch more premieres of upcoming shows. 

I have always appreciated when people follow in the footsteps of their famous parents. In fact, I think it is fun to see actors collaborate with their own children on-screen, of which there are more than enough examples. The following are 30 of our favorite movies and TV shows that proved to be a family affair for the stars involved.

Adam, Jackie, Sadie, And Sunny Sandler (You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah)

Not only did producer Adam Sandler star as the father of two girls played by his real daughters, Sadie and Sunny, in the You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah cast in 2023. The Netflix original coming-of-age dramedy also stars the comedian’s wife, Jackie, while Idina Menzel handled the role of Adam’s onscreen spouse.

Andie MacDowell And Margaret Qualley (MAID)

According to MAID developer Molly Smith Metzler, it was actually star Margaret Qualley who brought up the idea of casting her own mother, Andie MacDowell, as her character’s mother. The Golden Globe-nominated Four Weddings and Funeral star plays Paula (a woman with severe bipolar disorder) opposite the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast member in the Netflix original miniseries based on Stephanie Land’s memoir.

Angelina Jolie And Vivienne Jolie-Pitt (Maleficent)

Vivienne Jolie-Pitt gave her debut (and, so far, sole) onscreen acting performance opposite her mother, Angelina Jolie, in 2014’s Maleficent — a live-action reimagining of Sleeping Beauty from the villain’s perspective. According to Vanity Fair, the then-5-year-old got the part of a younger version of Elle Fanning’s character, Aurora, because other children were too afraid of the Academy Award winner in full makeup and costume in the title role.

Ben And Jerry Stiller And Anne Meara (Various)

Ben Stiller shared the screen with both of his late parents, legendary comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, multiple times — the first being the 1989 mockumentary, That’s Adequate, followed by 1991 horror-comedy, Highway to Hell. Ben later played a sadistic fitness guru who purchases a youth weight loss camp from his parents’ characters in Disney’s 1995 summer comedy movie, Heavyweights, before casting them 2001’s Zoolander, with Jerry as Maury Ballstein and Meara cameoing as an egg-throwing protester.

Billy Ray, Miley, And Noah Cyrus (Doc, Hannah Montana)

Both Miley Cyrus and her sister, Noah, made their acting debuts on the medical drama, Doc, which was led by their musician father, Billy Ray Cyrus. Years later, the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer took a supporting role on Miley’s smash hit Disney Channel show, Hannah Montana, which Noah would also appear on in various unnamed roles.

Brendan, Domhnall, And Brian Gleeson (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 1, Frank Of Ireland)

Brendan Gleeson reprised Mad-Eye Moody in the penultimate installment of the Harry Potter movies, which also starred his son, Domhnall, as Ron Weasley’s older brother, Bill, in 2010. More than a decade later, the Academy Award nominee starred opposite the Star Wars movies actor and his younger son, Brian, in an episode of their Amazon Prime comedy series, Frank of Ireland, as a new boyfriend of the title character’s mother.

Blythe Danner And Gwyneth Paltrow (Sylvia)

In 2003, Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow played the title role of a biopic about Sylvia Plath. To play the renowned writer and poet’s mother, Aurelia, Paltrow’s real-life mother, Tony and Emmy Award winner Blythe Danner was cast.

Chris, Tristan, And India Hemsworth (Thor: Love And Thunder)

After his older brother, Luke, portrayed his comic book character in a play in Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth made 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder a real family affair. Not only would Luke return, but Chris’s son, Tristan, appeared as the title character’s younger self in a flashback and his daughter, India, played Gorr the God Butcher’s daughter, Love.

Clint And Scott Eastwood (Gran Torino, Trouble With The Curve)

The first time Clint Eastwood acted alongside his son, Scott, was in 2007’s Gran Torino for a scene in which — as the Suicide Squad star claimed to Conan O’Brien — his father threw a few unscripted insults toward his character. Five years later, Scott starred in the baseball movie Trouble with the Curve as a minor leaguer discovered by his father’s character.

Damon Wayans And Damon Wayans Jr. (Blankman, My Wife And Kids, Happy Together)

Daman Wayans Jr. debuted as the younger version of his father’s character — aspiring superhero, Kevin — in the funny ‘90s movie Blankman, before landing a recurring role on his sitcom, My Wife and Kids, and later inviting him to play his dad on his own sitcom, Happy Together. In early 2023, Deadline reported that the Wayans are developing a new sitcom that will pair them up as an on-screen father-son duo once again.

Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, And Rumer Willis (Various)

Rumer Willis’ first two acting gigs were alongside her mother, Demi Moore, as Angela Albertson in the underrated ‘90s movie, Now and Then, and as the daughter of Moore’s character in the classic stripper movie, Striptease. The actor and singer’s next two roles would be alongside her father, Bruce Willis, with an uncredited cameo in the 2000 comedy, The Whole Nine Yards, and as the daughter of Willis’ character in the 2005 thriller, Hostage.  

Donald And Kiefer Sutherland (A Time To Kill, Forsaken)

The first time Donald and Kiefer Sutherland appeared in a movie together — namely 1996’s A Time to Kill — Donald played a civil rights lawyer and Kiefer played a vicious white supremacist. Nearly two decades later, the father and son played a father and son in a western called Forsaken.

Eugene, Dan, And Sarah Levy (Schitt's Creek)

The Schitt’s Creek cast has more than two related actors in it. Eugene Levy and his son, Dan (who also created the hit sitcom together), play Johnny Rose and his son, David, and Dan’s sister, Sarah, also stars as Café Tropical owner, Twyla Sands.

George And Mayan Lopez (Lopez Vs. Lopez)

Comedian George Lopez teamed up with his daughter, Mayan, and Debby Wolfe to create the NBC sitcom, Lopez vs. Lopez. The series — which  was renewed for a second season, according to Variety — also stars George and Mayan as a father and daughter forced to reconnect after year when they have no choice but to move in together.

Henry And Jane Fonda (On Golden Pond)

The 1981 film adaptation of the acclaimed play On Golden Pond was a very special moment in Henry Fonda’s career. In addition to being his final performance, which earned him a Best Actor Oscar, it saw him share the screen with his real-life daughter, Jane, who played his estranged daughter.

Johnny And Lily-Rose Depp (Tusk, Yoga Hosers)

A nearly unrecognizable Johnny Depp plays Guy LaPointe in Kevin Smith’s bizarre A24 horror movie, 2014’s Tusk, which also stars his daughter, Lily-Rose, as a convenience store employee. When Smith made a spin-off in 2016 focusing on Lily-Rose and Harley Quinn Smith’s characters called Yoga Hosers, Depp reprised the French-Canadian P.I. as well.

Judy Garland And Liza Minnelli (In The Good Old Summertime, The Judy Garland Show)

As The Guardian recalls, the multi-talented Liza Minnelli was just three years old  when she made her acting debut with a brief cameo at the end of 1949’s In the Good Old Summertime, alongside her mother — the iconic Judy Garland. The Wizard of Oz star later invited her daughter to perform with her on her variety program, The Judy Garland Show, in the early 1960s.

Kirk, Diana, Michael, And Cameron Douglas (It Runs In The Family)

It Runs in the Family, marks a rare instance of a movie starring three generations of an actor family. It stars Kirk Douglas and his former wife, Diana, as the father and mother of a man played by their real son, Academy Award winner Michael Douglas, whose own actual son, Cameron, also stars as his eldest son in the 2003 dramedy.

Leslie Mann And Iris and Maude Apatow (Knocked Up, This Is 40)

Leslie Mann’s character in 2007’s Knocked Up and its 2012 quasi-sequel, This is 40, is married to writer/director Judd Apatow in real life. Their children, Iris and Maude — the latter of which went on to star in the Euphoria cast as Lex Howard -- appear in both This is 40 and Knocked Up with Leslie Mann.

Martin And Charlie Sheen And Emilio Estevez (Various)

Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez are celebrity siblings who have acted together multiple times, including once with their father, Martin Sheen, with small roles in Badlands. However, every other time the actors appeared alongside Martin was individually — with Charlie in Wall Street, Cadence, and Hot Shots, most notably, and with Estevez in In the Custody of Strangers and The Way.

Meryl Streep And Mamie Gummer (Heartburn, Evening, Ricki And The Flash)

When speaking to Jimmy Fallon, Mamie Gummer looked back on her acting debut as a toddler in the 1986 dramedy Heartburn, which was led by her mother, Academy Award winner Meryl Streep. More than twenty years later, Gummer played her mother’s younger self in the 2007 romantic drama, Evening, before playing her estranged daughter in 2015’s Ricki and the Flash.

Ralph And Julia Macchio (Cobra Kai)

Ralph Macchio’s daughter, Julia, has made a name for herself as an actor in movies like Girl Most Likely and shows like Showtime’s City on a Hill. She would share the screen with her father on a couple episodes of Netflix’s Karate Kid sequel series, Cobra Kai, as Daniel LaRusso’s cousin, Vanessa — a young, but highly skilled, child psychology grad student.

Ryan And Tatum O’Neal (Paper Moon)

According to Collider, the record for youngest Oscar winner is still held by Tatum O’Neal for her performance in 1973’s Paper Moon. Her character in the crime dramedy directed by the late Peter Bogdanovich is a precocious, Depression-era orphan who teams up with a con artist who could be her father, played the actor’s actual father, Ryan O’Neal.

Robin And Zelda Williams (In Search Of Dr. Seuss, Nine Months, House Of D)

Zelda Williams had her first taste of show business with her father -- Academy Award winner Robin Williams -- right beside her in the 1994 TV movie In Search of Dr. Seuss and the following year with her small role in the Hugh Grant-led rom-com, Nine Months. Her first starring role in a theatrically released film was in 2004’s House of D, which also marked the third and final time she acted alongside her late father.

Sean And Dylan Penn (Flag Day)

Sean Penn and Robin Wright’s daughter, Dylan Penn, got her start as a model before she took up acting. Her biggest role to date was as the unwitting daughter of a criminal played by Sean in 2021’s Flag Day, which the two-time Academy Award winner also directed.

Sylvester And Sage Stallone (Rocky V, Daylight)

In the Rocky movies’ fifth installment, Rocky Jr. was the debut role of star and director Sylvester Stallone’s real-life son, Sage, who would later appear with his dad in the ‘90s action movie,  Daylight. Sage went on to become the founder of Grindhouse Releasing — which prevented him from reprising his Rocky V role in Rocky Balboa — and, according to CNN, sadly passed away at 36 in 2012.

Thandiwe Newton And Nico Parker (Reminiscence)

Nico Parker — known for Disney’s live-action Dumbo remake and HBO’s The Last of Us cast — is the youngest daughter of actor Thandiwe Newton and filmmaker Ol Parker. However, in the 2021 futuristic noir, Reminiscence, she appeared alongside the Westworld star as a grandmother and granddaughter. 

Tom, Colin, Elizabeth, Chet, And Truman Hanks (Various)

Tom Hanks has shared the screen with all four of his children. He cast Colin Hanks in a small role in That Thing You Do! before appearing alongside him again in 2008’s The Great Buck Howard. Elizabeth Hanks was also in That Thing You Do!, but debuted in Forrest Gump. Chet Hanks has been in Larry Crowne and Greyhound and Truman Hanks normally does technical film work, but has appeared in three of his dad’s movies — News of the World, A Man Called Otto, and Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.

Will, Jaden, And Willow Smith (The Pursuit Of Happyness, After Earth, I Am Legend)

Jaden Smith has played his father's onscreen son in two of Will Smith's movies — the first being his debut role in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness and the second in the M. Night Shyamalan movie, After Earth. Willow Smith also made her acting debut as her father’s daughter in a heartbreaking flashback sequence from 2007’s I Am Legend.

If you're familiar with some or all of these films, you may agree that much of these parent-child pairings demonstrate the magic that can come from family members working together on screen. 

Major spoilers below for They Cloned Tyrone, so tread ever so carefully if you haven’t yet watched.

A directly laid-out movie title like They Cloned Tyrone may indicate that the project itself will be similarly straightforward and to the subject-predicate-object point, but that couldn’t be further from reality. As headed up by John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris, this Netflix Original is a densely plotted and topsy-turvy sci-fi conspiracy thriller that is just as hilarious as it is head-scratching at times. Directed by Juel Taylor, Tyrone is a movie best enjoyed through multiple viewings, with many moments and lines of dialogue gaining further value once viewers have seen everything play out. And even then, the conspiracy, Old Fontaine, and the final scene are still worthy of further explanation. 

So allow me to put on my clarification cap in order to dive into the racially murky waters of They Cloned Tyrone to dig into everything that played out amidst all the expertly delivered dialogue flying out of Foxx’s Slick Charles and Parris’ Yo-Yo. 

How The Glen Was Central To A Government Conspiracy 

The very first second of They Cloned Tyrone — the blue eyes of a cartoonish white man advertising products to a Black audience — is as brilliant an opener as could possibly exist for a mystery thriller of this nature, as it’s the cypher unlocking both sinister plots at the heart of the film’s conspiratorial plotting. The Glen is a testing ground for a frighteningly repugnant government-funded experiment couched into the stated goal of promoting unity and discord.

Or, to put it another way: powerful white people have sectioned off entire neighborhoods for the purposes of testing and perfecting mind-control techniques on Black people, both those of biologically pure and cloned natures. Nearly every single element being advertised, enjoyed, and consumed within The Glen was in some way manufactured or tweaked by the shadowy group that Kiefer Sutherland’s shitbird character belongs to, from the hair products to the malt liquor to certain songs on the radio (#Ruckus) to fried chicken recipes and beyond. The majority of the local population are lab mice in a maze disguised as a neighborhood, and it’s a bunch of neo-Nazis controlling the feeding tubes, and just about everyone is under surveillance. 

The Glen sits atop a physical infrastructure comprising areas dedicated to manufacturing and distributing the aforementioned goods, research and development for brainwashing and mind control, clone storage, and more. Many key locations throughout the neighborhood are connected directly to the underground via elevators, with a vast number of mostly caucasian employees on all levels servicing the cause, from scientists to security guards to federal agents to stockroom grunts.

With all manner of “one equal race” propaganda on display throughout both the underground and the streets above, the Powers That Be use clones as a way of wildly expensive population control, and a way to not raise unnecessary alarm or worry amongst those who haven’t (yet?) been cloned. And as seen in the film, sometimes clones are put into their respective cycles when previous versions are still alive and kicking, extending how much of an ethical nightmare it all is. 

Not everything is explained in full about this process, and it’s not 100% clear how long it’s been in place, which helps the film lean into a strangely timeless vibe, even if there are references to everything from Hollow Man to the superiority of blockchain. (The fact that the audio device serving as Fontaine’s “mom” is so old possibly speaks to how long he’s been going through those motions.) It’s not entirely clear what the chain of command is beyond Kiefer Sutherland’s character and his boss, which takes us to… 

 What Old Fontaine’s Ultimate Goal Actually Was

When John Boyega’s Chester clone was introduced in a bodyguard capacity for Kiefer Sutherland’s not-quite-head honcho, that was the audience’s first clue that the “Fontaine” clone wasn’t the only one drawn from the source DNA. Which made it slightly less shocking to see the actor rocking facial prosthetics as Old Fontaine. (He’s introduced as the O.G. version, but given everything else, there’s room to speculate that even he was a clone.) At face value, Old Fontaine’s quest is virtuous, but it’s in the same empty manner as the propaganda flowing through The Glen, and is soiled all the more so by his position as the experiment’s lead geneticist.

As it was touched upon earlier in the film, Fontaine is heavily influenced by the death of his younger brother Ronnie, and it’s further explained that he was callously shot by a cop who left the child to die on the ground unattended, where medical attention could have saved his life. It clearly happened many years in the past, but Old Fontaine is still sticking with the idealized goal of making sure “what happened to Ronnie can never happen again,” even though one has to think They Cloned Tyrone takes place in a reality where similar instances happen at least as often as they do in the real world. I’m admittedly unsure if that speaks to Old Fontaine’s mental state being stretched thin, or if he’s so dedicated that he can’t see outside of his own trauma.

O.F.’s goal, which employs technology and research in part funded by neighborhood experiments like The Glen, is only slightly more nuanced than those of his colleagues. To him, brainwashing and mind control aren’t the best way to get people to agree with each other. In his mind, that problem can be solved if everyone just has the same brain, more or less, as opposed to all being of the same skin color, sexuality or nationality. And it appears he developed/created five perfect specimens to go out into the world to spread their homogenized DNA, with more of their kind presumed to follow. 

Whether or not those follow-ups would differ from the five examples lined up in his office, it’s unclear. It’s also not 100% clear if anyone else that Old Fontaine worked with was fully aware of his subset to-do list, but it didn’t seem like his work was fully sanctioned. Not only because he referred to the others’ efforts as being short-sighted, but because they’re a bunch of racists whose initial clone-breeding efforts led to afro-topped white dudes who are horny for Black women.

Old Fontaine’s efforts were possibly all in vain, however, as he was shot (presumably to death) by Chester, at the command of the younger clone. Which is perhaps the best sign of just how far the character had strayed from his core self, since it took Fontaine no time at all to react negatively to what he was hearing, and didn’t hesitate to have his maker, as it were, killed off amidst all of the clones being freed throughout the neighborhood.

What They Cloned Tyrone’s Final Scene Means 

Though we’d already seen multiple versions of the movie’s central character, with Chester also in the mix, Old Fontaine made it clear that a whole bunch of clones had been created before the one that we followed through most of the movie. (Including the one that Slick Charles tied up and left alone in his motel room.) And during one of the news reports showcasing the chaos, the character seen above holds up a file featuring pictures of Fontaine, and claims that there were also experiments happening in far larger locations such as Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. 

They Cloned Tyrone’s final scene, which follows the end title card, opens up with another John Boyega character waking up and going through almost the exact same daily routine as Fontaine, from lottery scratch-offs to lifting weights to drinking 40s, only it’s very clearly happening in Los Angeles. As he’s hanging out with friends, they see a breaking news report about The Glen’s clone situation, confirming the scene aligns with the rest of the film’s timeline. 

Everyone in the room was shocked to see one of the Fontaine clones emerging from a crowd, with one of the friends turning to say, “Ain’t that you, Tyrone?” Beyond being a hilariously low-key way of addressing the film’s title, and right before that amazing “Who Cloned Tyrone?” revamp from Erikah Badu, the scene makes it clear just how far along the experiments are outside of The Glen. And it proves Old Fontaine’s point that his work will still continue, in a manner of speaking, regardless of everything that Slick, Yo-Yo and Fontaine helped make public. 

In the end, our trio of heroes are aiming to take a trip to Memphis, with Yo-Yo taking point on motivation and being an authentic human. (We think?) And while it’s unclear if there are any sequel ideas in place, Tyrone’s late-stage introduction certainly opens the door for a new uprising to take place on a larger scale in L.A. But even if that doesn’t happen, this isn’t the kind of cliffhanger ending that needs to be followed up on. 

For me, They Cloned Tyrone is one of the best sci-fi thrillers on Netflix or otherwise that I can think of, and anyone with a Netflix subscription might as well give it a rewatch after reading, to pick up on all the clues.  

Netflix releases new movies nearly all the time, and while some can fly under the radar, there are many that become hugely popular, and today, we’re going to be talking about the latest Netflix film to hopefully join that category, and that’s the already critically adored They Cloned Tyrone. 

The film, which got a stellar review from CinemaBlend and has a star-studded cast, tells the story of a trio of unlikely allies that are focused to investigate an underground government conspiracy when they find out that clones might be among them, more than they realize. The film stars Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and more, so let's talk about where you might have seen the The Cloned Tyrone cast before. 

Jamie Foxx (Slick Charles)

Our first leading actor, Jamie Foxx, has been in the business for many years, having appeared in plenty of films during that time. He is playing Slick Charles in They Cloned Tyrone. While he has spent several years on television, appearing in shows such as In Living Color and in his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show, he has continued to prove just how much of a movie star he really is. 

Some of his biggest movies include Dreamgirls, Booty Call, Miami Vice, Baby Driver, the emotional Pixar film, Soul, Jarhead, Horrible Bosses, the Quentin Tarantino movie, Django Unchained, Just Mercy, Day Shift and more. He also won an Academy Award for his lead role in Ray, where he played Ray Charles, and portrayed Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, reprising the character years later in Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

After a medical incident in early 2023, he, thankfully, appears to be making a full recovery, and it’s awesome to see him on screen once again, where it looks like he is having the time of his life. 

John Boyega (Fontaine)

Next up on this list is John Boyega, a young actor who has been making waves in the business for the last decade, and plays Fontaine in They Cloned Tyrone. While he's had plenty of voice roles on television, including a major part in the show Major Lazer, he’s mainly stuck to movies. Primarily, he is known for his role as Finn in the Star Wars franchise, but has since appeared in many other movies. 

He's also appeared in movies such as Detroit, Breaking, Pacific Rim: Uprising, The Circle, Imperial Dreams, Attack the Block and more. He was also a part of The Woman King cast in 2022.

Teyonah Parris (YoYo)

Also a part of the main trio in They Cloned Tyrone is YoYo, who is played by Teyonah Parris. The actress has appeared in many films and television series before. You likely know her from the WandaVision cast, where she played Monica Rambeau, a role she is set to reprise in the upcoming movie, The Marvels. 

Parris has had many other television roles before, including her recurring part in the Mad Men cast, her recurring role on Empire, and when she was a part of the main cast on Survivor’s Remorse. 

The actress has also appeared in a variety of films. These include Dear White People, Five Nights in Maine, If Beale Street Could Talk, Point Blank, the 2021 adaptation of Candyman, and The Photograph. 

David Alan Grier

David Alan Grier is the next person on our They Cloned Tyrone cast list, and the actor has been in the industry for many years. He’s appeared in so many different films and television shows that it’s almost hard to keep track, so we’ll talk about his main roles that you might recognize him from. 

In terms of movies, some of Grier’s biggest films include Streamers, A Soldier’s Story, Boomerang (one of Eddie Murphy's best movies), Jumanji, The Big Sick, Road Hard, Bewitched, and more. He is also set to appear in the upcoming adaptation of The Color Purple. On television, Grier has had roles in series such as The Carmichael Show, where he was a prominent part of the cast, A Series of Unfortunate Events, In Living Color, Martin, Damon, The Cool Kids, Joe Pickett, and more. In 2022, he was a part of the recurring cast on The Patient. 

Kiefer Sutherland

Next up on our cast list is Kiefer Sutherland, who has been in many movies and TV shows. Sutherland is primarily known for his main role in the Fox television show, 24, but has appeared in many other series, such as The First Lady, The Fugitive, Touch, Designated Survivor, and more. 

He has also appeared in many movies like Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, Bright Lights Big City, The Renegades, Picking Up The Pieces, The Sentinel, Pompeii, Ground Control, The Contractor and others. 

J. Alphonse Nicholson

Moving on, we take a look at J. Alphonse Nicholson, who is a part of the They Cloned Tyrone cast. Nicholson had a role on P-Valley, as well as guest roles on FBI: Most Wanted and Chicago P.D. 

Nicholson also appeared in several movies such as Perfectly Single, Just Mercy, Mother’s Milk, Southern Gospel and more. Most recently, in 2023, he was in the cast of the Hulu film, White Men Can’t Jump. 

Tamberla Perry

Next up is Tamberla Perry. The actress hasn’t been in many films just yet, but she’s appeared in several television shows, including All American: Homecoming, Dare Me, Suits, How To Get Away With Murder and The Good Fight. Hopefully, after They Cloned Tyrone, we'll get to see way more of her in the future. 

Eric Robinson Jr.

Last but not least is Eric Robinson Jr., who is the last person from the main cast. He hasn’t been in many films just yet, but he did have guest roles on series such as New Amsterdam, The Ms. Pat Show, and Power Book II: Ghost.

There’s a good mix of both established Hollywood stars, as well as relative newcomers to the industry here, but with a film as funny as They Cloned Tyrone, I’m sure it won’t be long before we see many of them working in even more prominent movies and shows in the future. 

The Night Agent, which is currently streamable with a Netflix subscription, became a runaway streaming hit when it debuted in March. Not only did the show bring in huge numbers for the streaming service, but it has also arguably helped raise the celebrity status of some of his stars. This has been true for lead actor Gabriel Basso, whose portrayal of Peter Sutherland has mostly attracted positive responses. The show has already received a Season 2 renewal, and it looks like Basso has another gig on the docket as well. He’s teaming up with Kiefer Sutherland and more for a new movie. 

Gabriel Basso and Kiefer Sutherland will star in the latest directorial effort from Clint Eastwood, Juror #2. Deadline reports that at this point, Basso is currently in negotiations to join the production. Should the actor officially sign on the dotted line, he’d join not only Sutherland but also Toni Collette, Nicholas Hoult and Zoey Deutch. Needless to say, Basso is in excellent company. 

Clint Eastwood also serves as a producer on Juror #2 and will direct from a script penned by Jonathan Abrams. The movie centers on a man who finds himself faced with a serious moral dilemma while serving on the jury for a major murder case. Depending on what the character – Justin Kemp – chooses to do, he could either free or convict the wrong killer. The Night Agent star is set to have a juicy role in Eastwood’s latest, as he’ll reportedly play the man who’s on trial. I’m surely interested in seeing him mix it up with the other actors, especially Kiefer Sutherland, who (like him) is no stranger to political thrillers.

The fact that Gabriel Basso has that particular role is somewhat ironic. The Netflix drama sees him play a character who’s on the right side of the law, even though he eventually comes into conflict with the U.S. government due to a far-reaching conspiracy. But in this new movie, the star is set to portray someone who may or may not have committed a serious crime. I’m interested in seeing Basso in such a role, as it’ll be a solid counterbalance to his heroic turn on the show. 

Like the other recent castings, this latest one is also further evidence that Clint Eastwood can still line up plenty of top-tier talent for his productions. The last decade of his illustrious career alone has seen him work alongside the likes of Tom Hanks, Bradley Cooper, Olivia Wilde and Laurence Fishburne. One would hope that as is customary with the best entries in his filmography, Eastwood will be able to get some strong performances out of his actors. 

As eager as some may be to see Gabriel Basso take on this new gig, others are surely pumped to see him play Peter Sutherland again. A few things have been said about The Night Agent Season 2, though we don’t know what exactly lies ahead for its characters. There’s also uncertainty as to whether it’ll still arrive in 2024, thanks to the ongoing WGA writers strike. We’ll have to wait and see how things pan out on that front, and the same can be said for Basso’s upcoming collaboration with Clint Eastwood, Kiefer Sutherland and co.

Be sure to check out the schedule of 2023 new movie releases for news on big-screen debuts while you wait for more word on Juror #2. Also, do yourself a favor and read up on Clint Eastwood’s best movies as an actor and director.

Watching Rabbit Hole, you can feel the influence of classic espionage thrillers and spy movies radiating off of it. The web of deception that’s been concocted for this new Kiefer Sutherland show is directly inspired by ‘70s spy thrillers, but updated to fit a modern-day setting. And as the show’s star and its creator explained, these influences really helped mold the show into what it is today. 

When asked about what movies inspired their show, Kiefer Sutherland immediately name-dropped Three Days of the Condor and Marathon Man as two of the major influences for Rabbit Hole. The actor told CinemaBlend that both films have a spiraling effect, and they deal with the complexities of the truth, he elaborated on this point, and talked specifically about the Robert Redford-led movie, saying: 

Sutherland then talked about Marathon Man, and how Dustin Hoffman’s character starts to trust the very people who are after him. The 24 alum explained that these layers of trust and deception can disorient an audience, and he said the creators of Rabbit Hole have done a good job taking inspiration from ‘70s thrillers and creating a suspenseful and exciting series. 

Glenn Ficarra, one of the writers and creators of the series, explained that one of the ways ‘70s spy movies influenced Rabbit Hole was through the way it builds its tension. He also noted that in every good spy movie, there are tons of layers and surprises. So, as someone who has seen Rabbit Hole, I can confirm the layers that get revealed with each episode are always shocking, and it really feels like you are falling deeper and deeper into this plot with every episode. Ficarra elaborated on how these older movies influenced their Paramount+ series, telling CinemaBlend: 

It’s very true, the cast of Rabbit Hole even had a hard time explaining their new series quickly because of all the twists and turns it takes, and we have ‘70s spy thrillers to partially thank for that. Watching all the twists and turns unfold, a la old-school thriller, is so fun, and it’s also fascinating to see how plot devices from these older movies are used in a series made for the 2023 TV schedule. 

To see how these influences come to fruition on screen, be sure to check out Rabbit Hole every Sunday with a Pararmount+ subscription. 

We’ve come to know Kiefer Sutherland as a heroic man with a plan. Many have come to recognize him from his time as the leading man in shows like 24 and Designated Survivor, however, in the new complex series Rabbit Hole, he’s not the obvious protagonist we’re used to seeing, it’s a bit more complicated than that. So, when Glenn Ficarra and John Requa were developing their espionage thriller, they needed a guy who people would trust, so that they could deceive the audience, which is why Kiefer Sutherland was the perfect choice for John Weir. 

Glenn Ficarra said that they actually worte the part specifically for Sutherland, the writer explained to CinemaBlend why they had him in mind, and what made them want to cast the 24 alum in their new show:

This idea of a layered thriller excited Sutherland, and he told Collider that when he was approached by Ficarra and Requa about the role he was reminded of the ‘70s thriller he loved, and explained that when he started his career he “really wanted to get to do those films.” The actor was drawn to the complex layers of deception that the show had, and he loved the idea of playing a con man. Ficarra loved that idea too, especially considering Sutherland’s career of playing heroes, he noted that the juxtaposition of his filmography to this character he was being asked to play would be fun for people to watch, explaining: 

Sutherland’s career is filled with lots of heroic characters, but the first two that come to mind for me are Jack Bauer in 24, which could get a revival, the rumors are always swirling, and Designated Survivor, where he played the Secretary of Housing turned President of the United States Tom Kirkman. Both shows were beloved by fans, and were long-running, even though Designated Survivor did have to move to Netflix at one point. So, with Rabbit Hole I know I had a preconceived notion of who Kiefer Sutherland tends to play whenever he’s in a TV show, and the creators are right, his casting really did help create this web of deception that the show is based on. 

While Sutherland’s character in Rabbit Hole is actively a part of the problem, like Jack Bauer in 24, John Weir in Rabbit Hole is ultimately trying to stop a force that could potentially destroy a nation. The two characters are also both highly motivated to do what they need to do to get their job done, and sometimes that means crossing legal and ethical lines that they probably shouldn’t. 

I think Ficarra and Requa had the right idea when they decided to approach Kiefer Sutherland about taking on this Paramount+ series. Audiences love seeing this iconic actor in intense dramas like 24 and Designated Survivor, and they will likely love seeing him in this espionage thriller Rabbit Hole.

New episodes of Rabbit Hole drop every Sunday for those with a Paramount+ subscription, and be sure to stay tuned to the 2023 TV schedule to see what other shows like this one are coming to the small screen soon. 

Kiefer Sutherland, no matter if he is playing unsettling villains in some of the best ‘80s movies or one of the greatest TV heroes, is one of those actors who gives performances you just can’t help but watch. The incredibly prolific and charismatic actor has long been incredibly fascinating whenever in front of the camera, which may just be the case for his latest project, the Paramount+ original series, Rabbit Hole.

But before we’re taken off on yet another adventure with the Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe winner, let’s take a look back at the best Kiefer Sutherland movies and TV shows, titles that show the range and dedication of one of most well-known actors of our time.

24 (2001 - 2010)

Over the course of 24’s nine seasons and nearly 200 episodes, Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer was a morally-ambiguous counter-terrorism agent who would do anything and everything to thwart disaster on the national, and even global scale. This combination of elements from political thrillers, high-stakes action stories, and the spy genre worked to create not only one of the best shows of the early 21st century but also a hero unlike anyone who came before.

24 stood out from the pack because of Sutherland’s iconic character and a unique narrative structure that saw each episode take place in real time.

Stream 24 on Hulu.
Buy 24 on Amazon.

The Lost Boys (1987)

There were plenty of vampire movies in the ‘80s, but few have withstood the test of time better than Joel Schumacher’s 1987 summer horror classic, The Lost Boys. The movie follows brothers Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam Emerson (Corey Haim) as they move to Santa Clara, California, only to discover that the seaside town carries a dark and deadly secret: motorcycle-riding, leather jacket-wearing vampires.

Kiefer Sutherland’s David Powers, one of the lead vampires, might not be the best horror villains of all time, but few, if any, look as cool and stylish as this charming and devilish vampire.

Rent/buy The Lost Boys on Amazon. 

Stand By Me (1986)

One of the best Stephen King adaptations, Rob Reiner’s 1986 coming-of-age drama Stand By Me follows four longtime friends as they set off into the woods to locate the body of a missing boy on the final day of their summer break. What starts out as a normal hiking trek through the Oregon forest, quickly turns into a journey to childhood’s end.

Kiefer Sutherland, showing up as the unforgettable villain, John “Ace” Merrill, is so good at playing the bad guy, and that’s even before you see him threaten a group of kids with a switchblade..

Stream Stand By Me on Showtime.
Rent/buy Stand By Me on Amazon.

Flatliners (1990)

Joel Schumacher’s 1990 psychological horror thriller, Flatliners, centers on a group of medical students as they set out to solve the mystery of death. But over the course of their experiments, which involve briefly stopping their hearts, the scientists learn that actions have consequences, and you can’t cheat death.

The Flatliners cast is filled with great actors from top-to-bottom, with everyone from Julia Roberts to Kevin Bacon to Oliver Platt playing meaningful roles, but at the core of the film is Kiefer Sutherland’s Nelson Wright, the group’s ambitious and daring ringleader.

Stream Flatliners on Tubi.
Rent/buy Flatliners on Amazon.

A Few Good Men (1993)

A Few Good Men, the 1992 military courtroom drama written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Rob Reiner, follows Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) as he tries to prove that two Marines accused of murdering a fellow soldier were acting on orders from high command, which proves to be no easy task.

Though the movie is mostly remembered for the back-and-forth between Cruise and Jack Nicholson’s characters, it also features a key performance from Kiefer Sutherland, who commanded the Marines to carry out a “Code Red” order. 

Stream A Few Good Men on Tubi.
Rent/buy A Few Good Men on Amazon.

Young Guns (1988)

After the man who hired them and treated them as his own is gunned down, a group of the misguided youth, led by Billy the Kid (Emilio Estevez) seek vengeance against those responsible for the misjustice. But in doing so, the gang of outlaws draw the attention of every authority figure in the American West.

Christopher Cain’s 1988 Western, Young Guns, is full of young stars in the making, including Charlie Sheen, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dermot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko, and Kiefer Sutherland. The second-generation actor kills it (quite literally) in his portrayal of Old West icon Doc Scurlock.

Stream Young Guns on Freevee.

Dark City (1998) 

Alex Proyas’ 1998 sci-fi flick, Dark City, follows everyman John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) as he awakens to find he has a spotty memory and is implicated in a string of murders he doesn’t remember if he committed or not. But with each attempt to make sense of the situation, Murdoch falls a little deeper down.

Kiefer Sutherland’s complex Dr. Daniel Schreber is one of the more fascinating characters in Dark City, which is saying something considering the all-time great performances by William Hurt and Jennifer Connelly.

Rent/buy Dark City on Amazon.

The Fugitive (2020)

The short-lived Quibi streaming service put out a handful of great shows, including The Fugitive, a reimagining of the classic TV drama of the same name. This time around, the show centers on Mike Ferro (Boyd Holbrook) a parolee who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time during a terrorist attack.

Though Quibi ceased operations in 2020, you can still watch Kiefer Sutherland’s outstanding take on Detective Clay Bryce on The Roku Channel. And with each of the 14 episodes ranging anywhere from six to nine minutes apiece, it won’t take long to finish.

Stream The Fugitive on The Roku Channel.

Phone Booth (2002)

Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) finds himself in quite the situation after making the mistake of picking up a payphone in Times Square, and is forced to play a sinister game with a sadistic killer who has him in his sights.

Joel Schumacher’s 2002 thriller, Phone Booth, is an 81-minute thrill-ride that happens to feature one of the best Kiefer Sutherland performances, even though it’s largely a voice performance. The menacing tone and cadence of “The Caller” is enough to send shivers down your spine.

Rent/buy Phone Booth on Amazon.

Melancholia (2011)

Lars von Trier’s tense and somber end-of-the-world drama, Melancholia, explores the effects depression and impending doom have on different people as the two sisters – Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg) – prepare for a rogue planet to crash into Earth.

Kiefer Sutherland is a driving force throughout Melancholia with his portrayal of Claire’s husband, John, who is skeptical of the ensuing disaster, at least he claims to be. This moody and dramatic affair isn’t for everyone, but it does serve as a nice change of pace for the disaster film genre.

Stream Melancholia on Kanopy.
Rent/buy Melancholia on Amazon.

Designated Survivor (2016 - 2019)

One of the most inventive shows to use the presidential line of succession as a plot device, Designated Survivor follows Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) as he comes to terms with being the leader of the free world after everyone else in the government is killed in the bombing of the U.S. Capitol building. But this is just the beginning of his problems in this political thriller.

The series, which was canceled by ABC after two seasons and later revived by Netflix (only to be given the ax again), saw Sutherland’s character in a number of tense and exciting situations, and did a fun job of playing with its terrifying premise.

Stream Designated Survivor on Netflix.
Buy Designated Survivor on Amazon.

This is just a portion of Kiefer Sutherland’s decades-long career, but maybe we’ll touch on those at a later date. For now, take a look at the 2023 TV schedule to see when you’ll see Sutherland on the small-screen once again.

Since it transitioned over from CBS All Access a little more than two years ago, Paramount+ has put out some of the most engaging shows in the streaming world, including Tulsa King and the various Yellowstone spinoffs, with a great number of exciting originals on the way. You can add John Requa and Glenn Ficarra’s spy thriller, Rabbit Hole, to that list of Paramount+ original series.

If you have a Paramount+ subscription and are planning to watch the new series, which will be streaming on the platform as of March 26, there’s a good chance you want to know where you’ve seen the Rabbit Hole cast before. Well, worry no more, for we are about to go over each of the stars and why they look so familiar.

Kiefer Sutherland (John Weir)

At the center of Rabbit Hole, and its cast, is Kiefer Sutherland, who takes on the role of John Weir, a corporate spy who may have bitten off more than he can chew with his latest assignment.

No stranger when it comes to TV, Sutherland received multiple accolades (a Primetime Emmy, a Golden Globe, and much more) for his turn as Jack Bauer on the long-running Fox crime drama 24, which he followed up with a few seasons on the ABC political thriller Designated Survivor, a show that was eventually picked up by Netflix. Throughout his career, Sutherland has also given iconic performances in the likes of Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, Young Guns, Flatliners, and more, cementing himself as one of the best villains of the ‘80s in the process. 

Charles Dance (Dr. Ben Wilson)

Charles Dance, a veteran of TV, film, and the stage, shows up on Rabbit Hole as Dr. Ben Wilson, the shadowy figure who hires John Weir to carry a massive corporate espionage plan.

Fans of Game of Thrones will recognize Dance from his captivating and merciless portrayal of Tywin Lannister during the first few seasons of Game of Thrones, while those who watched The Crown will remember him for his take on Lord Mountbatten during the expensive Netflix show’s third and fourth seasons. But that is just a small part of Dance’s career, as he has played Bond villains, key figures in the Alien franchise, and dozens of other movies and TV shows over the years. 

Meta Golding (Hailey Winton)

Meta Golding appears on Rabbit Hole as Hailey Winton, another enigmatic character whose true alliances, and plans, remain shadowy at best.

Fans of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, a.k.a., the best entry in the franchise thus far, will most likely recognize Golding from her portrayal of Enobaria, the District 2 tribute, in the 2013 dystopian sci-fi action flick, as well as its 2015 sequel, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. Golding has also appeared on shows like Empire, Colony, Dark Blue, and House throughout her career.

Enid Graham (Josephine 'Jo' Madi)

Next up is Enid Graham, who shows up on Rabbit Hole as Josephine “Jo” Madi, an FBI agent who crosses paths with John Weir during his secretive mission.

If you watched the 2021 HBO crime drama series, Mare of Easttown, then you’ll probably recognize Graham from her portrayal of Dawn Bailey, the mother of the girl whose disappearance is at the center of the show. Over the years, Graham has also landed prominent roles on shows like The Sinner, Boardwalk Empire, and even Oz, on top of one-off appearances on dozens of shows such as The Good Wife, Law & Order, Blue Bloods, and FBI: Most Wanted. Her film credits include The Rewrite, Silver Tongue, and Blue Valentine, to name a few.

Rob Yang (Edward Homm)

Rob Yang takes on the role of Edward Homm on Rabbit Hole, an executive who finds himself becoming the mark in one of John Weir’s complex corporate espionage assignments.

Having most recently appeared as a member of The Menu cast, Yang has long popped up in movies like Glass, The Bourne Legacy, The Adjustment Bureau, and The Unidentified, as well as a few dozen TV shows such as Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Americans, Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television, The American Rust, and the first season of HBO’s soon-to-be-ending drama series, Succession, to name only a few. Yang also voiced multiple characters in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, including the 2009 DLC, The Ballad of Gay Tony and the uber-successful Grand Theft Auto Online.

Walt Klink (The Intern)

Next up is Walt Klink, who shows up in the Rabbit Hole cast as a mysterious character known simply as The Intern.

Throughout his brief career in front of the camera, which only goes back to 2019, Klink has popped up on a number of TV shows such as Brugklas, Lieve Mama, Maus, Arctic Circle, and The English, to name only a few. On top of those appearances, Klink has also landed roles in a number of short films, the most recent being Niels Bourgonje’s Barrier. 

Jason Butler Harner (Miles Valence)

And rounding out the main portion of the Rabbit Hole cast is Jason Butler Harner, who takes on the role of Miles Valence, an associate of John Weir who sends the corporate spy on the fateful assignment that will forever change the course of his personal history.

Over the years, Harner has appeared on just about every version of Law & Order imaginable, as well as other staples of the broadcast TV crime procedural drama with shows like The Closer and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Harner has also landed roles on the likes of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Walking Dead, and Ozark in recent years as well. His film credits include everything from The Good Shepherd to Next and The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 to The Family Fang.

You can see all these stars and other members of the Rabbit Hole cast in action when new episodes premiere Sundays on Paramount+. If you want to know about all the other new and returning shows coming to the small screen this year, check out our 2023 TV schedule for all the latest.

Stream Rabbit Hole on Paramount+.

Explaining Paramount+’s latest series on the 2023 TV schedule Rabbit Hole is not an easy task. Trying to boil down this espionage thriller is nearly impossible because of all its twists, turns and surprises. However, Kiefer Sutherland, Charles Dance and Meta Golding attempted to explain their new series quickly, and let’s just say two of them were successful, while the other fell down a bit of a rabbit hole, for lack of a better term, showing just how complex Rabbit Hole is. 

How Kiefer Sutherland Would Describe Rabbit Hole

Considering Kiefer Sutherland is both the star and an executive producer on his new show Rabbit Hole, it makes sense that he’d have the longest answer to this question. The 24 alum explained the overall concept of the series to CinemaBlend, and told us all about the world in which this espionage thriller takes place. He said: 

The show does a great job of slowly peeling back its layers, and revealing the complexities of this world that John Weir operates in. As Sutherland explained it’s all about the truth, and it’s up to the audience to decide who they want to believe and who is lying. 

Sutherland also went into detail about how “incredibly topical” this series is, noting that how people decide what to believe and why they do so is vital to Rabbit Hole, the actor said:

So, while this was a fairly long answer, it does convey the gist of this twisty-turny show, and Sutherland really helped place it in current events, making it clear that Rabbit Hole is not only thrilling and mysterious, but also relevant. 

How Rabbit Hole Stars Charles Dance And Meta Golding Would Explain The Series 

Kiefer Sutherland’s co-stars, Charles Dance and Meta Golding explained the show in a similar manner, however, they did so in a few less words. 

Dance, who has been on his fair share of complex shows, like Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones and Lord Louis Mountbatten on The Crown for example, succinctly described Rabbit Hole. He did it by describing what’s at the center of the show: personal data. The actor behind one of the most mysterious characters at the beginning of the Paramount+ series said:

Meta Golding, who plays Hailey Winton, a woman who ends up in Keifer Sutherland’s character’s world, had a similar answer, describing Rabbit Hole like this: 

Since the release of the first trailer, it’s been unclear what exactly Rabbit Hole is about. Like any rabbit hole, there is a lot to uncover, discover and get stuck in when it comes to this series. However, what we do know is this espionage thriller is centered around the power and danger of data, and somehow all these characters get tangled up in a messy situation within the world of high finance and commerce. 

To find out what exactly is down this Rabbit Hole and to see if this show becomes one of Paramount+’s best series all you need is a Paramount+ subscription in order to stream the premiere on Sunday, March 26. 

Kiefer Sutherland has had a remarkable career in film and television that has lasted over 30 years. From the coming of age drama Stand by Me to his role as Jack Bauer in 24, which Sutherland may not be quite done with, the actor has played many memorable roles that have become part of popular culture at large. But the actor also thinks he may have accidentally been a style icon as well, though not a very good one. It seems Sutherland’s character in The Lost Boys may have greatly helped to popularize the mullet.

Speaking with GQ, Kiefer Sutherland recently recounted several of his most popular roles and when discussing the character of David, the vampire he played in The Lost Boys, the actor states that he ended up with the “business up front, party in the back” haircut because he was trying to emulate his own rock ‘n’ roll idol, while also staying true to instructions he received from director Joel Schumacher. Sutherland explained… 

Having now read this description, you can certainly see it when you look at David in The Lost Boys. He’s got the short spikey white hair of Billy Idol down perfectly. While the “White Wedding” singer has appeared in films, he could have been a star in his own right on screen, as Idol was supposed to co-star in Terminator 2 once upon a time. Then you add the long hair in the back that the director really wanted. If Kiefer Sutherland had kept his hair completely long he still would have looked like an ‘80s rocker, but a completely different sort.

The mullet as a hairstyle certainly predated The Lost Boys, but the style’s height of popularity was, without question, the 1980s. And so it’s certainly possible that Kiefer Sutherland’s appearance in The Lost Boys was part of what brought about that popularity. A young Jeremy Renner sported a mullet back in the day and so did a lot of others. While the mullet is derided now, David in The Lost Boys is sort of the epitome of cool for the era. It’s not hard to imagine people wanting to emulate the characters look and then going and getting the haircut to match. 

It’s actually funny to hear Kiefer Sutherland say that he changed his hair because he thought he looked like a “bad wrestler” considering how popular the mullet would become among wrestlers for a long time. Perhaps that’s because of what happened here and the massive unintentional influence of The Lost Boys. Will we see something similar happen if The Lost Boys gets remade?

There are only a handful of stories about what goes on in the White House and in the country from the point of view of the U.S. President’s spouse. The premiere season of creator Aaron Cooley’s new series offers three that are ripped straight from the history books and performed by some of the most renowned actresses of their generation. Take a look at who is playing whom in Showtime’s The First Lady cast, starting with one of the most powerful and beloved women in Hollywood as one of the most powerful and beloved women in the world.

Viola Davis (Michelle Obama)

The 44th First Lady, Michelle Obama, is the most recent real-life person Viola Davis has portrayed after playing James Brown’s mother, Susie, in Get On Up and the title role of Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom - both music biopics also starring late Marvel star Chadwick Boseman. Speaking of superhero movies, the actress has also appeared in three DCEU installments so far (both Suicide Squad movies and Peacemaker) as Amanda Waller - a character who bears a few similarities to Annalise Keating, her Emmy-winning role from How to Get Away with Murder. Davis also has an Oscar for giving, arguably, her all-time best performance in 2016’s Fences after previously being nominated for Doubt in 2009, The Help in 2012, and later receiving a nod for the aforementioned Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Betty Ford)

Before playing Betty Ford, who served as First Lady from 1974 to 1977, the last real person Michelle Pfieffer played was Bernie Madoff’s wife, Ruth, in the HBO movie, The Wizard of Lies - which earned her her sole Emmy nomination. The actress (also known for the 1999 thriller What Lies Beneath, the 1996 rom-com One Fine Day, 2007’s Hairspray, and more) also starred in 1993's politically inspired drama, Love Field, which earned her her third Oscar nomination after 1989’s Dangerous Liaisons and The Fabulous Baker Boys from 1990. Like Viola Davis, Pfeiffer is a DC movies veteran, haven given one of the greatest Catwoman portrayals ever in 1992’s Batman Returns, and would also join the MCU as Janet Van Dyne in Ant-Man and the Wasp in 2018.

Gillian Anderson (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Before playing Eleanor Roosevelt - the United States’ longest serving First Lady (1933-1945) - Gillian Anderson played royalty (Catherine the Great’s mother, Joanna, with Hulu’s The Great cast for Season 2) and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on Season 4 of Netflix’s The Crown - for which she received her second Emmy. The Chicago native won her first Emmy for her most iconic role, FBI agent Dana Scully, on one of greatest sci-fi shows ever, The X-Files. Anderson has also starred on NBC’s Hannibal as the title character’s psychiatrist, the personification of all media on Starz’s American Gods, and a sex therapist and mother in the Sex Education cast for Netflix.

O-T Fagbenle (Barack Obama)

As Michelle Obama’s husband and the 44th U.S. President, Barack Obama, we have O-T Fagbenle, who - like his on-screen wife on The First Lady - is also known for superhero movies, having appeared in the Black Widow cast in 2021. The British-born actor of Nigerian descent is even better known as Luke Bankole from Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale cast, for his recurring role on HBO’s short-lived queer dramedy, Looking, and appearing alongside the WeCrashed cast for Apple TV+ more recently. Fagbenle also works behind the scenes, most notably on his satirical comedy series Maxxx, which he created, produces, composes, occasionally directs, and stars on in the title role.

Aaron Eckhart (Gerald Ford)

As Betty Ford’s husband and the 38th U.S. President, Gerald Ford, we have Aaron Eckhart, who last played a (fictional) U.S. president in Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen (but not the third installment, Angel Has Fallen). The Thank You For Smoking star - like his on-screen wife on The First Lady - also has a history of comic book movies, having played Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight and a modern interpretation of Mary Shelley’s “The Creature” in I, Frankenstein. More of Eckhart’s more notable credits include 1999’s Oscar-winning Erin Brockovich, the 2003 sci-fi adventure The Core, the dreary family drama Rabbit Hole from 2010, and the 2016 biopic, Sully, opposite Tom Hanks.

Kiefer Sutherland (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

As Eleanor Roosevelt’s husband and the 32nd (and longest-sitting) U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, we have Kiefer Sutherland, who last played a (fictional) U.S. president on Designated Survivor after years of defending the country by more aggressive means as Jack Bauer on 24. After debuting alongside his father, Donald Sutherland, in 1983’s Max Dugan Returns, he went on to become one of the biggest stars of the decade (and the next) with roles in Stand By Me, the star-studded Western Young Guns and its sequel, and his multiple collaborations with Joel Schumacher (such as The Lost Boys, Flatliners, and A Time to Kill). His additional, notable 21st Century credits include Alexandre Aja’s Mirrors, Lars von Trier’s Melancholia, and a few video game series - namely Call of Duty and Metal Gear Solid.

Jayme Lawson (Young Michelle Obama)

Playing Michelle Obama’s younger self (when her last name was Robinson) is Jayme Lawson, who was last seen holding a political position in The Batman cast as Gotham City mayoral candidate Bella Reál in 2022. She made her feature film debut two years earlier in Farewell Amor and will next share the screen with her The First Lady co-star, Viola Davis, in the historical epic, The Woman King, in 2022. Also, later this year, she will play another historical figure - civil rights activist Myrlie Evers, widow of Medgar Evers - in an upcoming biopic about Emmett Till.

Regina Taylor (Marian Shields Robinson)

Playing Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Shields Robinson, is Regina Taylor, who made her feature film debut opposite Morgan Freeman in 1989’s Lean on Me and went on to be cast on the Emmy-winning series I’ll Fly Away from 1991 to 1993. This led to a career in more classic films - such as director Spike Lee’s Clockers from 1995, 1996’s Courage Under Fire (opposite Denzel Washington), and 1998’s The Negotiator (opposite Samuel L. Jackson). These days, Taylor is best known for making notable guest appearances on TV shows like NBC’s The Blacklist, The Good Fight on Paramount+, and two episodes of Lovecraft Country on HBO.

Dakota Fanning (Susan Elizabeth Ford)

Playing Gerald and Betty Ford’s daughter, Susan, is Dakota Fanning, who debuted in an ER episode before becoming one of her generation’s most renowned child stars with movies like 2004’s Man on Fire, War of the Worlds the following year, or Coraline as the title role. Playing Cherie Curie in The Runaways (opposite fellow Twilight movies cast member Kristen Stewart) led to more adult roles like Squeaky Fromme in the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood cast or Sara Howard on TNT’s period crime drama, The Alienist. Fanning’s upcoming film, The Nightingale, will be her third collaboration with her sister, Elle, after I Am Sam and the Syfy miniseries, Taken, and their first time not playing the same character at different ages.

Judy Greer (Nancy Howe)

Playing Betty Ford’s friend and secretary Nancy Howe is Judy Greer, who recently portrayed a highly exaggerated version of the very first First Lady, Martha Washington, in Netflix’s America: The Motion Picture voice cast and actually has another fact-based political drama in the works called The White House Plumbers. The actress has well over 100 other acting credits, but is best known as Cheryl Tunt in the Archer cast and for multiple blockbuster franchises - namely the MCU as Ant-Man’s ex-wife, Jurassic World as Bryce Dallas Howard’s sister, or the new Halloween movies as Laurie Strode’s daughter. You may likely recognize her from countless other films, like 13 Going on 30, and TV shows, like Arrested Development, just to name a few.

Ellen Burstyn (Sara Delano Roosevelt)

Playing Eleanor Roosevelt’s mother-in-law, Sara Delano Roosevelt, is Ellen Burstyn, who previously played a U.S. president’s mother twice (Barbara Bush in W. and Elizabeth Hale in Netflix’s House of Cards cast), as well as mother of a former First Lady on USA’s 2012 miniseries, Political Animals, for which she won her second Emmy. The screen legend is even better known for her Oscar-nominated roles in movies like The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist (one of the best horror movies), and Requiem for a Dream, and her Oscar-winning performance as the title character of Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Burstyn also played an older Jessica Chastain in Interstellar, Blake Lively’s daughter in The Age of Adaline, and recently reprised her Emmy-winning role as Bernadette Stabler on Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Lily Rabe (Lorena “Hick” Hickok)

Playing Lorena Hicock - a journalist and close friend (or, allegedly, more than a friend) of Eleanor Roosevelt is Lily Rabe, whose last major role in a fact-based political drama was Liz Cheney in Vice from 2018. Ten years after making her screen debut in the 2001 rom-com, Never Again, opposite her mother, Jill Clayburgh, the actress made her first appearance on the show she is best known for: American Horror Story. Some of Rabe’s other notable acting credits include HBO’s six-part drama The Undoing, a couple of episodes of The Underground Railroad on Amazon Prime, and the streaming platform’s acclaimed period drama, The Tender Bar, from director George Clooney.

Jackie Earle Haley (Louis McHenry Howe)

Playing Franklin D. Roosevelt’s advisor Louis McHenry Howe (with no relation to Nancy Howe) is Jackie Earle Haley, who last played a real-life political official (Confederacy VP Alexander Stephens) in 2012’s Lincoln. Like some other The First Lady cast members, he was once a popular child star (best known for the classic sports movie The Bad News Bears), has an Oscar nomination (for 2006’s Little Children), and has starred in a number of comic book adaptations (2009’s Watchmen, the short-lived Human Target series, AMC’s Preacher, Amazon Prime’s The Tick, and Alita: Battle Angel). 

Kate Mulgrew (Susan Sher)

Playing Michelle Obama’s Chief of Staff, Susan Sher, is Kate Mulgrew, who is a bit of a legend on the small screen. She is best known as the first woman to play a Star Trek captain (Kathryn Janeway, whom she debuted as on Star Trek: Voyager and most recently reprised on Star Trek: Prodigy) and for her Emmy nominated role in the Orange is the New Black cast as iron-mitted prison cook Galina “Red” Reznikov. She is also no stranger to comic book adaptations (she voiced Red Claw on Batman: The Animated Series) and still dabbles in sci-fi, such as Showtime’s upcoming series remake of The Man Who Fell to Earth.

See how well Showtime’s The First Lady cast portrays these historical and modern political figures when the series premieres on Sunday, April 17, 2022, at 9 p.m. ET.

While the James Bond movies are still pretty much the game to beat in pop culture, other operatives have made their own brutally memorable mark as well. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and 24’s Jack Bauer are two such combatants who have given the British end a run for its money in the past couple of decades, with fantastic results. So to see the trailer for The Contractor pit Chris Pine against Kiefer Sutherland is such a thrill because, in my mind, it’s the Jack Ryan/Jack Bauer showdown I’ve always wanted. 

As you watch the trailer, recently released by Paramount, we’re introduced to Pine’s character, Special Forces Sergeant James Harper. A man who’s fallen on hard times after being discharged from the military, Sergeant Harper is looking to take a one-time gig for a windfall of cash. Cue Sutherland’s shadowy superior, who offers just that sort of opportunity at the right time. 

However, as the mission progresses, Sergeant Harper starts to question who he can really trust. This is exactly when you’d expect a hail of gunfire to ruin a perfectly peaceful operation; and it does. Our characters may go by different names in The Contractor, but after seeing the star of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and the man who saved the world over several seasons on the Fox network having a head to head phone call, the Jack-lympics seem to have arrived. 

As if pitting Chris Pine against Kiefer Sutherland wasn’t enough of a thrill, this new movie also marks a very special reunion for the Hell or High Water actor. Reteamed with Ben Foster, the opening act of the trailer highlighting how their characters are “like brothers” only brings back memories of their previous work in that surprise smash hit from 2016. Though one could hope the ending is a little happier for Mr. Foster this time around. 

It’s all going to come down to the title match of Pine vs. Sutherland, Ryan vs. Bauer. The Contractor doesn’t show much of that eventuality in its trailer, nor should it. When you’ve got a fight this exciting in your corner, you don’t give away the main event for free. If anyone really needs to be sold on the road to that showdown, there’s plenty of action showing Chris Pine fighting, exploding, and shooting his way to the truth. 

Placing a bet on Chris Pine's victory is the smart money, however this could be the warm-up Kiefer Sutherland needs to potentially bring Jack Bauer back again. So does anyone really lose in this scenario? The only way things cold look better is with the promise of a special in-character commentary track with Daniel Craig and Tom Cruise as James Bond and Ethan Hunt, providing a play by play of who's the better operative. Anyone who knows how to make that happen will be the true hero.

The Contractor debuts in theaters and VOD on April 1st. To see what other upcoming movies are heading our way, you don’t need top secret clearance. All you need is to start asking the right questions. Also, if you're an adrenaline junkie looking for some content you can watch now, check out CinemaBlend's list of the best action movies and how to stream them.

To people of a certain age, there are no vampire movies more iconic than Joel Schumacher’s 1987 horror classic The Lost Boys. With remarkable performances by Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric, and “The Two Coreys,” as well as a great story and setting, there are multiple reasons the movie has a soft spot in so many hearts nearly 35 years after its release. And with a remake on the way, now seems like the perfect time to go back to the small beach town of Santa Carla, California, and take a trip down the boardwalk of memories and awesome behind-the-scenes facts. Who knows, there might be stories involving The Sexy Sax Guy…

Richard Donner Was Originally Attached To Direct A More Kid Friendly Version Of The Lost Boys

The version of The Lost Boys we all know and love is quite different from what was originally pitched during the film’s development. Instead of being a moody and angsty movie with motorcycle-riding vampires directed by Joel Schumacher, The Lost Boys was initially going to be geared more towards a younger audience with the late Richard Donner at the helm. In 2008, Schumacher told The Hollywood Interview that Donner (who stayed on as executive producer) was in the director’s chair and wanted to make a “cutesy, ‘G’-rated movie” with no wild teenagers or motorcycles. But, after Donner got a chance to direct Lethal Weapon he handed the reins over to Schumacher to do his magic.

Joel Schumacher Spent Six Weeks Trying To Convince Jason Patric To Join The Lost Boys Cast

A lot of the weight of The Lost Boys lies on the shoulders of Jason Patric and his performance as the tormented Michael Emerson as he comes to terms with becoming a vampire, and director Joel Schumacher immediately saw something in the young and relatively unknown actor when casting. Getting Patric to sign on would prove to be no easy task for Schumacher, as Patric continually turned down his offer. In the 2004 documentary The Lost Boys: A Retrospective, Schumacher revealed that he met with Patric pretty much every day for six weeks and tried to convince him that the movie wouldn’t be like other exploitation horror movies. Patric finally relented and agreed to sign on, which was good news for Schumacher, because he didn’t have a second choice lined up.

The Lost Boys Included Unused B-Roll Footage From Top Gun Due To Budget Cuts

There seems to be a trend with classic ‘80s horror movies experiencing budget cuts just before the start of production, and it’s no different for The Lost Boys. Shortly before his passing in June 2020, director Joel Schumacher told Empire that Warner Bros. got “cold feet” just before shooting was about to start and slashed the budget by $2 million. The art department was affected the most, and production designer Bo Welch had to come up with some ingenious ways of doing more with less. One of these ways was taking unused B-roll footage from Top Gun that was then used for the POV shot of a vampire flying through the clouds.

Kiefer Sutherland’s Look In Lost Boys Was Inspired By Billy Idol

Kiefer Sutherland’s David Powers may be one of main antagonists in The Lost Boys but he has remained a fan favorite and heartthrob over the years due to his iconic look (that platinum blonde mullet). Initially, David was supposed to have a different look, as Sutherland told Yahoo Entertainment in 2019. According to the actor, Schumacher wanted David to have long blonde hair, but this made Sutherland look like a wrestler and he wasn’t really fond of the appearance. So, on his first day on set, Sutherland had the makeup team trim his hair short on the top and sides to make him look more like Billy Idol, who he said was really cool at the time. And, even though Schumacher wasn’t pleased at first, Sutherland said he and the director laughed about it for years.

Corey Feldman Based His Portrayal Of Edgar Frog On ‘80s Action Movie Heroes

Corey Feldman’s Edgar Frog is another iconic character from The Lost Boys, and part of the reason for that is the way in which he portrayed a teenage vampire hunter alongside his on-screen brother, Alan Frog (Jamison Newlander). In the above mentioned 2004 documentary, the Stand By Me star revealed that when he was doing a reading of the script, Joel Schumacher approached him and said he needed to “butch it up a little bit.” What he meant by this was to go home and watch various Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, and other action movies of the time, and meld those characters together to create something. What we got was Edgar Frog, fearless teenage vampire hunter.

Alex Winter’s First Day On Set Was The Famous Beach Party And He Had No Idea What He Was Getting Himself Into

There is one scene in particular in The Lost Boys that has become a monster of its own in the decades since the film’s 1987 release, and that is the beach party scene that features Tim Cappello, a.k.a. Sexy Sax Guy, all oiled up and singing “I Still Believe” as hundreds of party-goers dance on the beach. Well, as ridiculous (and ridiculously awesome) as this scene is for those watching the movie, it was even more so for the cast, as Alex Winter revealed during a 2021 interview with CinemaBlend:

Tim Cappello and “I Still Believe” have each gone on to become two of most memorable parts of The Lost Boys, and the song was even used in a pivotal scene in the 2018 Paramount Network limited series Waco with Taylor Kitsch’s David Koresh playing the song as federal agents wait outside the Branch Davidian compound.

Kiefer Sutherland Broke His Wrist While Trying To Impress A Girl On Set

Kiefer Sutherland and the actors who played the other motorcycle-riding vampires in The Lost Boys did their own stunt work during production. And, though this makes all the classic motorcycle scenes look even more badass, there were some drawbacks, like the time Sutherland broke his wrist while trying to impress a girl walking along the Santa Cruz boardwalk.

During the 2019 Dallas FanExpo, Kiefer Sutherland shared the story and explained that he performed a wheelie in an attempt to show off, but by doing so he failed to notice a train track. Upon hitting the obstacle, the actor was thrown off the bike and broke his right wrist in three places. After that a special cast had to be created for Sutherland, who also had to start riding a bike with the brake and clutch on the left side because of the injured wrist.

‘The Two Coreys’ Became Fast Friends On The Set Of The Lost Boys

In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s there were few duos of young actors more recognizable than Corey Feldman and Corey Haim, a.k.a. “The Two Coreys.” All in all, the co-stars and friends would go on to make a total of nine movies together before Haim died of an overdose in March 2010. But, all stories have to start somewhere, and for The Two Coreys that was the set of The Lost Boys where they met and became fast friends. During a 2007 joint interview on Larry King Live, Haim revealed that he and Feldman “just clicked” when they met each other more than 20 years earlier. Whether it was in front of the camera or behind the scenes, the pair were inseparable for a time and would even complete each other’s sentences.

The Lost Boys Almost Had A Different Ending

The Lost Boys has one of the all-time great horror movie endings with Grandpa (Bernard Hughes) crashing his jeep into the house and impaling Max (Edward Hermmann) in the process before saying the famous line:

However, this wasn’t the original ending of Joel Schumacher’s 1987 horror film. According to Paul Davis’ 2017 book Lost in the Shadows: The Story of The Lost Boys (via Gizmodo), there was originally going to be an additional scene that displayed a mural of Max in the early 1900s, wearing a straw hat and with a smile on his face, talking to a group of young boys. This scene was moved to the end credits before being removed entirely when the aforementioned slashed budget resulted in the mural never being created and the scene never being shot.

Joel Schumacher Wanted To Make A Spinoff Called Lost Girls

There would eventually be two direct-to-DVD sequels — 2008’s Lost Boys: The Tribe and 2010’s Lost Boys: The Thirst — but Joel Schumacher wanted nothing to do with continuing the stories of any of the characters from the original because, as he told Rotten Tomatoes in 2007, all the “lost boys” were dead and there wasn’t really a story there. Instead, Schumacher suggested making a female-centered spinoff called Lost Girls:

Unfortunately, Lost Girls never came to be, but maybe parts of that idea will make their way to the upcoming remake of The Lost Boys.

Hopefully these fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from the making of The Lost Boys give you a greater appreciation of Joel Schumacher’s iconic vampire movie. If you are in the mood for more thrills and chills, check out all the upcoming horror movies coming to theaters and streaming services in the near future.

Since its release in 1987, The Lost Boys has endured as a classic in the horror-comedy genre, and it also played a big role in boosting the careers of actors like 24’s Kiefer Sutherland and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure’s Alex Winter. In recent years, there were plans to revive the property as a TV series for The CW, but that ended up being scrapped. Now word’s come in that The Lost Boys will instead be remade for the big screen instead, and there’s already some talent attached, including Knives Out’s Jaeden Martell.

Having starred as Jacob Thrombey in Rian Johnson’s 2019 whodunnit and young Bill Denbrough in the two IT movies (as well as recently playing the Morty to Christopher Lloyd’s Rick), Jaeden Martell is now set to star in this remake of The Lost Boys with Noah Jupe, whose credits include the Quiet Place movies, Ford v Ferrari, The Night Manager and The Undoing. There’s no word from THR on who the actors are playing but since this is described as a “brand new, reimagined take” on The Lost Boys, it’s possible these will be completely new characters rather than contemporary versions of people from the 1987 original.

Behind the scenes, Randy McKinnon, who’s writing Warner Bros and DC’s Static Shock movie, will pen this Lost Boys remake, and I Am Not Okay With This’ Jonathan Entwhistle will direct the project. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Fred Berger are attached to produce through their Automatik production company. No specific plot details for the remake have been revealed other than that it will be set in “modern day.”

For those unfamiliar with the original Lost Boys, the movie followed two brothers who moved to Santa Carla, California with their recently divorced mother to live with her father. The brothers, Michael and Sam, soon cross paths with a biker gang of vampires who, like the Lost Boys from Peter Pan, never grow up. Kiefer Sutherland and Alex Winter’s costars included Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Dianne Wiest, Brooke McCarter and Billy Wirth, among others. Batman Forever’s Joel Schumacher directed the movie off a script written by Jeffrey Boam, with Janice Fischer and James Jeremias having come up with the story.

The Lost Boys scored a fair amount of positive critical reception during its initial release, and it made over $32 million worldwide off a reported $8.5 million budget. The movie spawned two direct-to-video sequels, 2008’s Lost Boys: The Tribe and 2010’s Lost Boys: The Thirst, both of which were received negatively. The Lost Boys lore has also been explored in a few comic book series, and a stage musical adaptation is in development that could premiere in 2022.

While we wait for more information on what’s in store for this remake of The Lost Boys, don’t forget that our 2021 release schedule and 2022 release schedule are available for you to plan your theatrical viewing in the near future accordingly.

It’s been over a decade since the Kiefer Sutherland-led 24 ended its initial eight-season run on Fox in 2010. Watching CTU agent Jack Bauer break all the rules in the name of fighting terrorism was can’t-miss television in the early aughts, thanks to its plot twists, cliffhanger endings and foreboding ticking clock. And while Fox has maintained heavy interest over the years in recreating the magic of the real-time, split-screen drama (leading to the limited series and one-season spinoff) this latest update gives us hope that viewers just might see Jack Bauer on the small screen again.

Kiefer Sutherland has definitely voiced interest in the past when it comes to reprising the role of the rebellious Counter Terrorist Unit agent, but where does Fox stand on another Jack-Bauer-led project? Fox Entertainment President Michael Thorn recently told Deadline that there was “potential” for such an outcome, and that conversations are being had. In his words:

These claims aren’t completely out of the ordinary, as Fox has worked on developing multiple 24-related projects in the works over the years that didn’t come to fruition, usually with an impetus on focusing on characters other than Jack Bauer. But what’s interesting about this comment is Thorn’s assumed willingness to answer that question with Jack in mind, rather than choosing to steer the topic toward completely new angles for the 24 universe to return to. Which obviously doesn't guarantee a celebratory return from Kiefer Sutherland's resident badass, but it's a start.

What’s Dennis Haysbert up to these days? Is there some kind of buddy cop situation that could happen between Bauer and former President Palmer? I’d be down for that. A whole series focusing solely on Mary Lynn Rajskub's Chloe, with occasional phone calls from Jack, would also be great, dammit! Or, you know, a fully on-brand 24 season involving high-stakes threats and the like.

Kiefer Sutherland led the 24 franchise as Jack Bauer for its original eight-season run, as well as in a 2008 TV movie — 24: Redemption — and limited ninth season in 2014 — 24: Live Another Day. When Fox revived the series in 2017 for 24: Legacy, Jack Bauer was not involved. Instead the narrative followed Eric Carter (played by Corey Hawkins from In the Heights and The Walking Dead) as a war veteran and agent for the newly re-established CTU. The 12-episode series followed the same real-time format (with a 12-hour time jump in the finale) as the original, but had trouble attracting viewers and was canceled after one season.

After 24: Legacy’s cancellation, Fox may have been more hesitant to follow the 24 format down a different road with new characters. Last year Fox announced it had halted progress on two 24 spinoff series in production. The first was a Jack Bauer prequel series that would have shows fans how Jack turned into the no-holds-barred CTU agent that he was when audiences first met him back in 2001. The second proposed project revolved around 24’s real-time ticking clock and planned to bring the format to other genres, such as a legal thriller.

While it’s far from an official confirmation, the Fox president’s comments are definitely enough to pique the interest of 24 fans, who haven’t had a proper Jack-Bauer-induced adrenaline boost in years. Until we hear more concrete news from Fox Entertainment, all nine seasons of 24, as well as 24: Legacy are streaming on Hulu. And be sure to check out our 2021 Fall TV Schedule for the upcoming premiere dates of all your favorite shows.

Kiefer Sutherland is officially heading to Paramount+! The 24 and Designated Survivor alum will executive produce and star in an espionage drama that’s been ordered straight to series at the streaming service, and it sounds like a spinoff of one of Sutherland’s former shows.

The new drama, which THR reports does not currently have a title, will revolve around James Weird, who is a private espionage operative who will be played by Kiefer Sutherland. Weird is battling for the preservation of democracy against the forces of misinformation, behavior manipulation, surveillance and interests controlling extraordinary powers. The plot sounds similar to Kiefer Sutherland’s 2001-10 series, 24, which followed his character, Jack Bauer, as he tried to subvert terrorist plots and save his nation from the ultimate disaster.

The untitled series comes from writer-directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, who will executive produce alongside Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Gogolak and Suzan Byme and is produced by ViacomCBS’ CBS Studios. The eight-episode drama is expected to debut on Paramount+ in 2022. The series will also reunite Sutherland with ViacomCBS executive David Nevins, who bought and developed 24 during his time at Fox.

Kiefer Sutherland is best known for his role as Jack Bauer on Fox’s 24, which ran for nine seasons and 204 episodes. He won an Emmy, Golden Globe, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite Awards for his role on the drama. In 2020, Sutherland starred in the Quibi action thriller The Fugitive. Due to Quibi getting the axe soon after, the series wasn't destined for a long life. Hopefully this new streaming show will prove to be a better success, especially since Paramount+ is already seeing numbers with the wide library it has.

Last year, Kiefer Sutherland had mentioned he wanted to bring Jack Bauer back and that he always “left the door slightly ajar” in regards to possibly returning to his iconic character. While this new untitled series isn’t 24, the project sounds familiar to a kind of show that he has starred in before. There’s hope that Sutherland will bring some of his Jack Bauer charm to James Weird so fans will have some feeling of 24 in the new Paramount+ show. And there’s so far no word on who will star in the show with him, so there is a possibility that there may be a 24 reunion in the future.

Kiefer Sutherland’s untitled series is the the latest Paramount+ Original to come to light, joining Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, the Rugrats reboot, musical docuseries From Cradle to Stage, The Real World Homecoming: New York, The Challenge: All Stars, and the seventh and final season of Younger. The streaming service has a wide library, expanding across CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, and plenty of movies and other originals, that also include the CBS All Access originals.

While there are presently more than a dozen upcoming Stephen King movie and television adaptations in the works, few (if any) are more anticipated than director Edgar Wright’s announced remake of The Running Man. As great as the 1987 version starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is, it’s a film that deviates from the source material in some extreme ways, which makes the prospect of a more faithful big screen take potent with potential. Having only been announced a few weeks ago, it’s a project that is still very much in its early stages, but that fact certainly isn’t stopping my brain from spinning and imagining what it could be.

That being said, I figured I might have some speculation-driven fun thinking about the cast of the new movie – and just as I did for the upcoming remake of Firestarter with Zac Efron, I’ve challenged myself by only considering actors with past experience in Stephen King adaptations. The result is an ensemble that I definitely feel could do justice to The Running Man, so read on for my picks, and my arguments for why each of them should land their respective roles.

Jovan Adepo (The Stand) As Ben Richards

I previously wrote a feature detailing my argument as to why Ben Richards should be a Black character, so in an effort to not repeat myself I’ll just focus on why Jovan Adepo is the right pick to play the protagonist of The Running Man – a destitute and desperate citizen of a horrible future who agrees to be the contestant on a televised nationwide manhunt so that he can afford medicine for his wife and dying child. This is a role that requires an actor who exudes fortitude and resilience, and Adepo has proven consistently that he both has those qualities, and is one of the most talented up-and-coming stars in the industry. 

From his portrayal of Larry Underwood in the recent The Stand miniseries, to his remarkable turn as young Will Reeves a.k.a. Hooded Justice in HBO’s Watchmen, Adepo clearly has the skills to play a version of Richards who deeply contrasts with the Arnold Schwarzenegger version and deliver a dark and powerful performance as the hero.

Patrick Wilson (In The Tall Grass) as Dan Killian

Patrick Wilson is an impressive talent who has regularly proven that he can play heroes just as well as villains, but Vincenzo Natali’s In The Tall Grass definitely took advantage of his ability to do the latter, and Edgar Wright’s The Running Man would do well by casting him as Dan Killian to do the same. Killian is the head producer of the titular dystopian television program, and gives off classic smarmy executive vibes while also being charming enough to be persuasive. Wilson is a star who could easily take material like that and use it to run chills up and down the spines of audiences.

Jharrel Jerome (Mr. Mercedes) As Bradley Throckmorton

Bradley Throckmorton is one of the most important characters in Stephen King/Richard Bachman’s The Running Man. While Ben Richards has his own axe to grind, it’s Bradley who helps open the protagonist’s eyes to some big truths about the horrors of the world – specifically dealing with pollution in lower income urban neighborhoods and the bogus nose filters that offer zero protection. Thinking about this, I found myself reflecting on the dramatic scene in the second season of Mr. Mercedes when Jharrel Jerome’s Jerome Robinson talks about how life is wholly different while attending Harvard, and in doing so realized he would be a great choice as Ben’s vital resource who helps him better understand the realities of the world and figure out how to survive while on the run.

Jeremy Ray Taylor (IT/IT Chapter Two) As Elton Parrakis

When describing Elton Parrakis in The Running Man, Stephen King/Richard Bachman repeatedly remarks on his “baby face,” and while technically IT/IT Chapter Two star Jeremy Ray Taylor is too young for the part (in the book he’s a full grown adult who works in vending machine maintenance), he just fits the bill too well to not be the choice for this feature. Like Bradley, Elton is another resource that Ben goes to as he continues to evade his pursuers, but while he has great intentions, he also has some liabilities – the most significant being…

Adrienne Barbeau (Creepshow) As Virginia Parrakis

While Ben Richards has enough charm and perseverance to get help from people when he really needs it, some individuals are too wrapped up in the evil fictions spun by The Running Man television show to believe him, and they turn on him when they get the opportunity. Virginia Parrakis is one such individual, and also happens to be Elton’s mother, who lives with him in his house in Portland, Maine. Adrienne Barbeau, who memorably plays the grating Wilma “Billie” Northrup in “The Crate” segment of Creepshow, could do fantastic things with the part, and while she would perhaps be a touch too old to play Jeremy Ray Taylor’s mother, Virginia could easily be changed to be Elton’s grandmother.

Julianne Moore (Carrie/Lisey’s Story) As Amelia Williams

Following her turn as Margaret White in the 2013 remake of Carrie, Julianne Moore will soon be returning to the world of Stephen King adaptations playing the lead role in the Apple TV+ miniseries Lisey’s Story – but it would be amazing to see her add another title to that specific filmography by playing Amelia Williams in Edgar Wright’s The Running Man. Though she arrives late in the story, Amelia is a major player in the third act of the story, as she starts off as Ben Richard’s carjacking victim/hostage and slowly begins to trust him as threats begin to close in. It’s a fascinating character because you’re never quite sure what move she is going to make – be it to turn on Ben or help him – and Moore could do wonderful things with that kind of enigmatic personality.

Kiefer Sutherland (Stand By Me/A Creepshow Animated Special) as Evan McCone

Kiefer Sutherland has already played one of the best villains in a Stephen King adaptation, delivering a terrifying turn as Ace Merrill in the classic Stand By Me, and while he recently returned to the author’s material with a role in 2020’s A Creepshow Animated Special, The Running Man would be an opportunity to play another awesome antagonist. Evan McCone is the leader of a group known as the Hunters, who have a specific role to play on the eponymous reality program tracking down and eventually killing the contestants. It’s a character brimming with both authority and menace, and Sutherland’s presence and famously gritty voice could make him a sincerely scary individual.

With The Running Man remake still only in the early stages of development, it can’t be said for certain when we’ll start hearing about actors actually being cast in the film – but that news is being anticipated with bated breath. You can be sure that CinemaBlend will have all of the information about the movie as more updates are announced, so stay tuned!

Halloween is right around the corner when it comes to TV, and Kiefer Sutherland is getting spooky for the season by joining his first Stephen King project since Stand by Me back in 1986. He's coming to the scariest streaming service on the market for a special in honor of Halloween, but he definitely won't be revisiting his Stand By Me days for Shudder.

Kiefer Sutherland (best known on the small screen for 24) is set to star in The Creepshow Halloween Special, based on stories by Stephen King and Joe Hill. The special will release on Shudder, a.k.a. AMC Networks' streaming service specifically geared toward horror, thriller, and supernatural content. It will be animated, with Sutherland playing the character at the center of King's story.

The Creepshow Halloween Special will adapt Stephen King's short story by the name of "Survivor Type," and Kiefer Sutherland will play a man who is determined to stay alive on a deserted island no matter the cost... all on his own. As if a version of a Stephen King story on the small screen just in time for Halloween wasn't promising enough, a Walking Dead veteran is making the adaptation happen.

The Walking Dead executive producer Greg Nicotero also produces Creepshow for Shudder, and he is responsible for adapting Stephen King's "Survivor Type" as well as directing the full Creepshow Halloween Special. The second story in the special will be an adaptation by Melanie Dale of Joe Hill's "Twittering from the Circus of the Dead," starring Joey King of Netflix's The Kissing Booth as a teenager on a family road trip. In true scary story style, that road trip will include a visit to "the gravest show on earth."

After the first season of Creepshow released in time for Halloween in 2019 and scored a renewal for Season 2 on October 30 last year, it's only fitting that Creepshow will release something in honor of the spookiest holiday of the year. Greg Nicotero shared some details about The Creepshow Halloween Special, saying:

While Creepshow fans may have previously hoped for the second season of the live-action series to premiere in time for Halloween this year, production was delayed due to the pandemic. The Creepshow Halloween Special can happen thanks to the animated format. The second season is in production now after the delay.

Creepshow isn't the only series to turn to animation to produce new content when live-action wasn't an option; with the winning combination of Stephen King and Kiefer Sutherland bringing a story to the small screen in time for Halloween, horror fans should have some frights to look forward to.

The Creepshow Halloween Special will release on Monday, October 26 streaming on Shudder. If you haven't checked Shudder out just yet, the streamer boasts "the largest human-curated selection of high-quality, spine-tingling, and provocative films, TV series, and originals," with always something "new and unexpected" for members. Plans start at $4.75 per month for the originals and library of content, but you can try seven days for free.

If you're in the market for some non-horror options as the temperature drops, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule.

Fox had plans for not one, but two 24 spinoffs before it scrapped plans for both projects. However, that doesn’t mean the door is completely shut on the franchise just yet. As it turns out, series star Kiefer Sutherland isn't against returning, with the 24 actor all-in on bringing back Jack Bauer... but with a catch.

The last fans saw of Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer was in the 2014 limited series 24: Live Another Day. Since then, the actor has kept busy, most recently starring in Quibi’s The Fugitive. However, Sutherland says he’s always “left the door slightly ajar” with regards to possibly returning to the long-running series. Here’s what he told Forbes:

It sure sounds like Kiefer Sutherland is poised and ready to return to 24 if the “quality of the story” being told is good enough. The fact that he doesn’t seem to mind if that story is depicted in a film or another season is testament to Sutherland’s dedication to the Fox series.

All that said, 24 ended well enough and I don’t think that every return to a past project is always a good thing. However, there’s a pretty good reason why Kiefer Sutherland isn’t so quick to turn down an opportunity to return as Jack Bauer. In his words:

24 creator Howard Gordon also believes that doing more within the show’s universe would be worth it so long as it’s the “right story,” and I’m sure that when there is a good enough arc, Fox execs and Kiefer Sutherland will jump at the chance to give fans more of Jack Bauer.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. While waiting for more info on all things 24, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule for other TV options in the meantime. Do you want to see more Jack Bauer? Let us know in the poll below!

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Fox’s 24 is one of those properties with a premise that is recognizable to fans. Although Kiefer Sutherland’s Jack Bauer has been a key factor in the success of 24 over the years, the network always has ideas in mind for other ways to reboot 24 and word on the street is that Fox really wants to make a new series happen.

Speaking out at TCA this year, original 24 creator Howard Gordon revealed that more 24 does seem to be on Fox’s radar. In addition, he revealed some details on what is going on with the potential project, but noted he is more interested than involved, stating,

What I like about Howard Gordon’s reveal about the network’s point of view is the part about it having to be “worth doing.” The series originally ran between 2001 and 2010 (a lengthy run for any TV show) and has been revived twice since then. The first time came in 24: Live Another Day, which aired in 2014 and starred Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer. The second, 24: Legacy starred Corey Hawkins and other new characters.

The big difference between the two is Jack Bauer in the first and the lack of Jack Bauer in the second. As an event series with Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Live Another Day is fairly well thought of by the critics and nabbed good ratings. 24: Legacy was middlingly reviewed and was cancelled after one season. So “worth doing” seems to be a particularly germane component to Howard Gordan’s comments to Deadline.

*What Else We Know About A Possible 24 Reboot *

To be clear, Fox knows people have fond feelings about 24. A while ago, news broke that the network had not one but two possible projects set in the world of the series in the works. While at TCA, the network actually confirmed those two projects but tragically also noted they won’t be moving forward.

At that time, Fox did say more 24 was a cool idea and not dead in the water. In fact, after the Howard Gordon interview, Deadline did ask around and confirmed any revival or reboot is still prelimary, which squares with Gordon saying he was only loosely in the know.

Would Kiefer Sutherland Play Jack Bauer Again?

To be honest, Kiefer Sutherland has been really wishy washy about potentially ever returning to play Jack Bauer. Back in 2016, when Legacy was still a thing, Bauer was not present, and Kiefer Sutherland had to answer plenty of questions about the possibility of ever cameoing, giving varying answers depending on the timeframe. Then the show was cancelled and the question became moot anyway.

But here’s what the actor previously said. First, at the end of Live Another Day, he was bluntly saying he wouldn’t be back. Then he was all into the, nah I’m not really needed opinion, noting the show was great and that they wouldn’t need him then also mentioning he’d “said that twice” and still returned to play the character both times, which gave fans hope.

Cut to later in 2016 when he said there were no plans for Jack Bauer to make a comeback. Now, time has passed with no 24 at all.

So never say never, but never get your hopes up either is the lesson I’m taking from all of this.

While Kiefer Sutherland’s schedule might seem wide open to those not up to date after Designated Survivor’s cancellation, the actor is going to be back in the action game for The Fugitive, a TV remake of the popular movie. That will be hitting schedules in 2020 of this year. For more on this year’s premiere, take a look at our midseason TV schedule. Now, I have to ask...

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Kiefer Sutherland has responded to the Designated Survivor cancellation news. Last week, Netflix announced that the show would not be getting renewed for Season 4. Thus, cancelling the series and making its first season on Netflix its last. Taking to social media, Sutherland remained ever professional in his reaction to the show's second cancellation. In a video, Sutherland said:

So classy! Taking it in stride, Kiefer Sutherland kindly expressed his gratitude for everyone’s support on Instagram. The actor shared that he was backstage getting ready to play a show as he sat down to address the cancellation. It was sweet of him to take the time to share a message regarding Designated Survivor’s fate. He seemed to be in okay spirits despite the news.

The show getting cancelled twice and not too long after Season 3 debuted has to be a heart-breaker, and quite possibly still sinking in. Of course, Kiefer Sutherland is likely grateful that the show got to come back in the first place. It was more than Designated Survivor was initially slated to get.

That is because Designated Survivor almost did not live to see Season 3. The series originally aired on ABC. After two seasons, it was cancelled in May 2018. The network later explained the surprising reason it made the decision.

Not too long after its initial cancellation came word that Designated Survivor could get saved. The Season 2 finale provided ample impetus to continue the story of Kiefer Sutherland’s Tom Kirkman and company. Even with that, it was not until later in the year that Season 3 started to really come together.

Months after getting cancelled, Netflix announced that it had green-lit Designated Survivor for Season 3. It was not too much longer before the new cast members for the third season started to get added. An ER alum joined the show, and later an NCIS vet also signed on along with others.

In the end, Designated Survivor became one of the few cancelled TV shows to get saved by another network. Along with his film career, Kiefer Sutherland is a massive name in television having secured a highly successful fan-favorite run on 24. What does the future hold for him? Fans are undoubtedly hoping for a television return.

A little over a year after getting cancelled, Designated Survivor Season 3 premiered on Netflix in June. In spite of how the showrunner changed things up, the show got cancelled a month after it premiered. For Kiefer Sutherland fans, the wait for his TV follow-up has officially begun.

You can watch the video of Kiefer Sutherland addressing Designated Survivor’s cancellation below:

Between 24 and Designated Survivor, Kiefer Sutherland should be able to find another television show. You can stream all three seasons of Designated Survivor on Netflix, among other recent premieres, as well as the South Korean remake Designated Survivor: 60 Days. Season 3 of the original series has been among this summer’s premieres.

Well, it was fun while it lasted. Designated Survivor, which was picked up for Season 3 by Netflix after being cancelled by ABC, has just been cancelled by the streamer that saved it.

The Kiefer Sutherland-led political drama had a breakout season when it debuted on ABC in the fall of 2016. Not only were reviews from critics strong, but the audience was interested to see Sutherland, late of the very popular Fox series 24, take on the role of American politician Tom Kirkman, who becomes President of the United States after an explosion kills everyone in the line of succession before him.

Unfortunately, Designated Survivor's ratings fell pretty hard in Season 2. And, while star Sutherland thought, in April 2018, that the show had a solid shot at getting renewed, Designated Survivor was cancelled about a month later. ABC president Channing Dungey didn't even site the drop in ratings for the show's cancellation, instead pointing to "behind-the-scenes churn" which led to the series seeing a number of showrunners come and go in a short time. This turnover led the network to feel less than sure about the creative direction, and this (probably combined with the decline in ratings) led to show's demise.

Designated Survivor had four different showrunners in its first two seasons, including Amy B. Harris who oversaw the pilot before the show was officially picked up by ABC, and even for an industry as fickle as television, that's a lot. Apparently, though, this "churn" didn't faze Netflix, because when the show's production company put out feelers to see if anyone would be willing to pick Designated Survivor up, the streamer quickly took the bait and saved the show, even getting started on production before it was officially announced that the show would return. But, it turns out that that was for good reason.

Season 3 had the opportunity to pick up on the intense cliffhangers that fans were left with from the previous season, which included, among other things, President Kirkman deciding to run for re-election as an independent and almost finding out whether or not he would face impeachment for his actions early in the season. As most people who pay attention to ratings probably know by now, Netflix is very shy when it comes to releasing such stats on its programming, so we don't know just how bad things were numbers-wise when Designated Survivor returned.

It is worth noting, though, that all 10 episodes of Season 3 just hit the streamer on June 7. So, it would seem that less than two months of possible viewing time was all they needed to make a decision on whether or not Designated Survivor was worth investing in again.

If you haven't had a chance to catch up on Designated Survivor just yet, however, there's no reason to fear. According to a statement released by Netflix and obtained by TVLine, all three seasons will be available for viewing there "for years to come."

And, if you have finished Designated Survivor, there is plenty of content coming to TV in the next few weeks to keep you happy until all the fall premieres.

After making a name for himself in movies like The Lost Boys, Young Guns and Flatliners, Kiefer Sutherland took the TV world by storm when he was cast to play federal agent Jack Bauer in 24. For eight regular seasons, one revival season and a TV movie, viewers watched Jack thwart terrorist plots within a day, usually working for the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) and never hesitating to break the rules for the greater good.

But Kiefer Sutherland made his last appearance as Jack Bauer in 2014, and nowadays he’s too busy playing Tom Kirkman on Designated Survivor, so it remains to be seen if he’ll ever play Jack again. Regardless, in 2017, Fox embarked down the spinoff path with 24: Legacy, which starred Corey Hawkins as Eric Carter, who filled Jack’s role as the skilled operative rushing to stop the bad guys.

Neither 24 nor 24: Legacy are on the air anymore, and while there’s been talk of developing a prequel series centered around a young Jack Bauer, for now the franchise remains in limbo. Nevertheless, perhaps you’re a 24 fan who missed out on 24: Legacy during its first airing and are interested in checking it out, or maybe you caught 24: Legacy and are now ready to see what all the fuss was behind its predecessor.

So how do 24 and 24: Legacy compare to one another? That’s what we’re here to give the rundown on, and naturally we’ll start off delving into 24 proper and what it delivered during its run. And to be completely forthcoming, there will be some spoilers in play for both shows.

24 (2001 - 2010, 2014)

24 premiered on November 6, 2001 on Fox, and in with a title like that, all the seasons of 24’s main run were 24 episodes long, with one episode corresponding to one hour of the day. 24: Live Another Day opted to only deliver 12 episodes long, and the final episode of that revival fast forwarded 12 hours in the final portion to properly wrap up the day.

If there’s one thing you can say about 24, it’s that it didn’t provide a lot of opportunities for the characters or the viewers to catch their breath, as each hour in a season was packed with action. Jack Bauer and his allies would race against the clock to prevent various acts of terrorism from being completed, whether it was an assassination being carried out, a nuclear weapon being detonated, a deadly virus being unleashed, etc.

Often times the seasons would be divided into anywhere from two-four acts, with a new villain, either connected to the previous main antagonist or operating separately, taking over in the latter half of the season. Usually villains would be killed off during the seasons they were introduced, but there were a few baddies who antagonized Jack Bauer across multiple seasons, like Sarah Clarke’s Nina Myers and Tzi Ma’s Cheng Zhi.

Kiefer Sutherland was the only actor to appear in every season of 24, but Jack Bauer certainly wasn’t without frequent allies. Other major characters who appeared across numerous seasons included Jack’s daughter Kim, played by Elisha Cuthbert; fellow CTU agent Tony Almeida, played by Carols Bernard; President David Palmer, played by Dennis Haysbert; and CTU analyst Chloe O’Brian, played by Mary Lynn Rajskub.

As big of a badass as Jack Bauer was, he’s also one of TV’s most tragic characters. His efforts to save lives and stop widespread destruction came at great personal expense. At least once per season, you could count on someone close to him dying, and while Jack was generally good about keeping his emotions in check in the midst of a crisis, all those losses would keep weighing him down as the years progressed.

Critically-speaking, while not ever 24 season was a winner (Season 6 is especially rough to get through), for the most part it was a hit and won numerous awards, including the 2006 Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. 24 also generated a lot of political talk through its use of torture, as Jack rarely hesitated to inflict pain on a captured villain if he knew they had information that could prevent another attack. This plot element drew more criticism in 24’s later seasons and was toned down towards the end of the run.

24: Legacy (2017)

Three years after Jack Bauer made his final televised appearance (for now?), Fox gave the world 24: Legacy, which kept the format as its predecessor, with federal agents rushing to stop terrorist plots over the course of a single day. Like the old saying goes: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Filling Jack Bauer’s role in 24: Legacy was Corey Hawkins’ Eric Carter, an ex-Army Ranger who learns that he and his squad mates are being hunted down and killed because one of them stole a flash drive containing a list of U.S.-based terror cells and the means by which to activate them. Eric didn’t have anywhere near the amount of baggage Jack had, but he was going through his own personal struggles, like getting used to civilian life and dealing with marital problems.

All of 24: Legacy’s main cast was comprised of new characters, including Eric’s wife Nicole, played by Anna Diop; former head of CTU Rebecca Ingram, played by Miranda Otto; current CTU head Keith Mullinsm played by Teddy Sears and presidential candidate John Donovan, Jimmy Smits. The only character from 24 to return for 24: Legacy was Carlos Bernard’s Tony Almeida, and hardly any of his history the original show was touched upon. Coral Peña’s Mariana Stiles was also the cousin of Edgar Stiles, a CTU analyst from 24 Seasons 4 and 5, but that’s where 24: Legacy’s ties to 24 ended; it was very much a standalone show.

Like 24: Live Another Day, 24: Legacy only consisted of 12 episodes, and Fox premiered the first episode after the Super Bowl. While it was the highest-viewed episode in 24 franchise history, it was the lowest-viewed post-Super Bowl program since 2003’s Alias.

The show’s ratings significantly dwindled from there, and the season as a whole earned a mixed critical reception. Although there were seeds planted for a Season 2, 24: Legacy was cancelled in June 2017, two months after the last episode aired.

24: Legacy Compared To 24

If you’re simply looking for one season of counterterrorism-themed action, 24: Legacy is an okay pick. There are enough exciting and enjoyable moments sprinkled throughout the season, and even with some loose plot threads lingering at the end, the main story story wraps up decently enough.

However, in comparison to the original 24, 24: Legacy just doesn’t measure up. Had it been the first show to come out, its premise would be been much more novel, but when lined up to to the collective decade of stories 24 delivered, 24: Legacy barely brings anything new to the table, instead relying on rehashing the same old tropes from its predecessor: the main protagonist circumventing authority and barely suffering any consequences for it later, a mole within a government agency, etc.

Granted, some of these tropes are present in a lot of spy and action stories, and there’s nothing with 24: Legacy relying on a few of them. That said, the point of a spinoff is to deliver something different compared to what came before and, in many cases, be accessible to folks who never caught the previous show. 24: Legacy fulfills the latter requirement, but regarding the former, aside from the different cast, it just feels like one of the earlier seasons of 24 with better technology.

So if you have to choose between the two shows, 24 is unquestionably the one to pick. As mentioned earlier, not all of the seasons were exceptional, but the saga of Jack Bauer, from Season 1 to the Redemption TV movie to the Live Another Day revival, makes for a thrilling watch. Maybe 24: Legacy could have turned things around in Season 2, but judging it on just the one season, it shows off more of 24’s flaws than it does what made the original appealing.

You can stream both 24 and 24: Legacy on Hulu now, and if there’s any news about the 24 franchise continuing, we here at CinemaBlend will let you know about it. For now, you can learn what’s hitting the airwaves this summer with our handy premiere schedule.

When Kiefer Sutherland returned to TV for his non-Jack Bauer role on Designated Survivor, it seemed possible the show could easily last longer than an actual U.S. President's official term in office. Unfortunately, so-so ratings and behind-the-scenes issues caused ABC to cancel the drama after just two seasons, leaving its cliffhanger completely unresolved. But it now appears that Designated Survivor Season 3 in in active development and may indeed be going into production soon, although it's not immediately clear how, or where it would be airing. And those aren't the only mysteries.

Rather than Kiefer Sutherland himself sharing the news himself, or ABC putting out some cryptic teasers, the potential Designated Survivor reveal comes from the most recent report from the reliable publication Production Weekly. It's listed that Designated Survivor Season 3 is set to kick off production in Toronto, which is also where the previous seasons were filmed. As well, no cast members are listed for Season 3, although Keith Eisner is listed once again as showrunner, a role he filled in Season 2, even though Neal Baer was reportedly going to take over showrunning duties in Season 3. And finally, it's stated that the show is going under the working title of The White House Project, presumably to discourage onlookers from taking pics and leaking spoilers. Of course, onlookers probably wouldn't be paying attention to a show if they aren't even aware it's back on the air.

Unfortunately, the news about the cast was comparable to the news about where Designated Survivor would even be planning to air Season 3, in that it was fully absent. One would think ABC would go public with news about resurrecting Designated Survivor for another season, so it's probably not the network. There were rumors going a while back that said Netflix would step in to renew the political thriller, but unless the streaming giant is also being coy for no real reason, then it's probably not heading to Netflix, either. ABC is presumably still one of the production companies behind the drama, so perhaps there are active discussions behind had amongst execs about where Kiefer Sutherland's Tom Kirkman should show up next.

It would be a curious turn of events if Designated Survivor would go back into production in Toronto, given how conversations went down between the star and the (former?) network after Season 2. Kiefer Sutherland's contract had a stipulation that called for the show to change filming locations from Toronto to Los Angeles, which ABC was not at all interested in, since that would have meant more expensive productions. And Designated Survivor was already a pretty expensive show to put together each week already. Of course, the show got cancelled before that issue could really come to a head anyway. Did Kiefer loosen up about filming in Toronto? Or will there be a whole new cast?

For what it's worth, Designated Survivor is getting a remake for Korean television. But that isn't what this is. Unless it's all a big conspiracy...

Until we find out something more substantial about Season 3's chances of happening, Designated Survivor's first two seasons are currently available for streaming on Hulu, for anyone who hasn't fully caught up just yet. And if you're in need of something different to throw on, head to our fall TV premiere schedule.

ABC has not renewed the political drama Designated Survivor yet, leaving some to wonder if the series and its commander-in-chief will live to see Season 3. The first season premiered to big ratings in 2016 and was quickly renewed by the alphabet network for a second season. A renewal for Season 3 has been less forthcoming, but there may be some news on the horizon, and series star Kiefer Sutherland is speaking out about whether or not he believes the drama will be renewed for a third season.

Kiefer Sutherland shared his positive renewal thoughts with Digital Spy, and the date he mentions is likely a reference to ABC's upfront presentation, where the network tends to officially announce its giant slate of new and returning programs for the following broadcast season. While networks can always announce the renewal of a show early, bubble shows often have to wait until May to learn their fate. By May 15, Designated Survivor will have been a few weeks out from its Season 2 finale, which could mean many things for the series, depending on how it all wraps up.

For one, Designated Survivor's standings in the ratings will be able to be better assessed by then. While it was a sizable hit in the ratings when it premiered in 2016, those numbers definitely declined across Season 2's many episodes. When discussing the potential for a Season 3 renewal, Kiefer Sutherland followed up his hopeful take on the show's chances by offering his thoughts whether a shorter season might help things.

Kiefer Sutherland makes a strong point here. In the case of Designated Survivor, a reduced episode account could run in the show's favor for a myriad of reasons, including those he mentions. Not only would it maintain the series' creative integrity, but it could also help heighten the show's renewal chances.

Committing to a series for a full season of 22 episodes is a huge risk for the network to take on any show these days. If ABC were to give Designated Survivor the green light for an abbreviated season, the show could focus on telling a tightly constructed story that may bring fans rushing back to the series. Too many bubble shows end on cliffhangers, and with this scenario, fans could watch Designated Survivor Season 3 safe in the knowledge they will experience a complete story from the series.

The penultimate episode of Designated Survivor Season 2 airs on ABC on April 18 at 10 p.m. ET, and the big finale airs April 25. To find out when ABC's other new and returning series will debut, check out our guide to TV's midseason and summer premieres.

The midseason finale of Designated Survivor was a shocking one, as fans witnessed the death of First Lady Alex Kirkman after the vehicle carrying the President's wife was t-boned by a large truck. Its been known for awhile actress Natascha McElhone was leaving the series, but the way the show wrote her off left many wondering just how things will move forward when it returns in 2018. Emily actress Italia Ricci recently shared some details on where things are headed, and it looks as though Tom is in for a tough time in 2018:

It's tough to lose a loved one in a sudden and unexpected way, and it might be a little tougher when you're the President. When Designated Survivor returns, the show will time jump 10 weeks into the future, or a little over two and a half months following the death of the First Lady. It sounds as though Tom attempts to block out anything that might trigger a reaction to the death of Alex, which will be hard as his staff will ask him to make some decisions Italia Ricci told TVLine are "emotionally uncomfortable."

As far as what decisions Tom may be asked to make during this time remain a mystery, as Designated Survivor is jumping into some previously uncharted territory. Only 3 First Ladies have died while the President of the United States has been in office, and none of them were in a car accident-- which has to have some interesting implications. For example, if it's discovered that the person driving the car was distracted or inebriated, how does the President respond? Many advocacy groups would surely look to the President for tougher regulations or penalties towards future offenders, which could always stir up some controversy.

Designated Survivor might also question whether or not the fictional president is fit to lead while mourning. It's certainly a question someone would ask in the real world, and its possible members of Tom's staff may pressure him into pushing through different policies in an effort to make things look like "business as usual." Even if that doesn't happen, it would be surprising if the series doesn't at least have one person questioning Tom's mental state, as a national tragedy of that scale would have a magnifying glass on the President even larger than usual.

Designated Survivor returns to ABC Wednesday, February 28 at 10:00 p.m. ET. For a look at what other shows are set to premiere or return around that time, be sure to visit our midseason premiere guide.

One of the biggest questions that has surrounded director Niels Arden Oplev's Flatliners is the question of whether it's a sequel or a remake. After all, the movie's ensemble does include Kiefer Sutherland, who played the lead, Nelson, in Joel Schumacher's original 1990 film. Now that it's coming out, however, we can confirm that the thriller is a remake -- as Sutherland plays a character with no established connections to the other role -- but Oplev recently told me that an early cut did have a scene that linked the two stories together. Said the filmmaker,

Pleasing older audiences versus younger audiences is always a conundrum that crops up when a new movie is handling material that is a few decades old, and it's an issue that ultimately requires decisive decision making on behalf of a filmmaker. In the case of Niels Arden Oplev, who I spoke with last weekend during the Flatliners Los Angeles press day, he had to choose whether he would be willing to confuse a significant cross-section of the audience by including a nice nod to fans of the original film, and at the end of it all he decided it was not worth the sacrifice.

In the original Flatliners, Kiefer Sutherland had the part that Ellen Page basically plays in the new movie. He is a hot-shot and gifted medical student who becomes fascinated with the idea of what comes after death, and teams up with some friends and colleagues for some terrifying experimentation involving killing and resurrecting each other. His character in the 2017 film is a professor who doesn't have the same name as in the original (instead of Nelson Wright his lab coat says Dr. Barry Wolfson), but perhaps the deleted scene suggests that he's using a fake name to try and hide his Flatlining past.

We'll have to wait for the Blu-ray/DVD to discover the full implications of Kiefer Sutherland's role in the new Flatliners, but Niels Arden Oplev did note in our interview that he was very happy to have his presence on set. The new movie may not be a full-on sequel, but the director obviously did position the actor's presence to be a key nod to what came before:

Flatliners arrives in theaters this weekend, so stay tuned for more about the movie here on CinemaBlend.

A brand new series is always the most difficult form of television to gauge in terms of ratings. Some shows can start off white hot -- only to peter out -- while other series slowly but surely build up momentum and find a following. On that note, the ratings for ABC's Designated Survivor have been a roller coaster for the network since its initial debut in September. However, now it seems that last night's midseason premiere of the politically charged drama experienced a notable rating upturn that probably feels like good news for the cast and crew of the freshman series.

A new report from TVLine indicates that last night's Designated Survivor midseason premiere experienced an increase in viewership compared to the numbers generated by the midseason finale -- which aired all the way back in December. The eleventh episode of the series to date, the midseason premiere drew in 5.9 million viewers and a 1.3 rating. This performance is still relatively small compared to the Designated Survivor series premiere (which saw a phenomenal 10 million people tune in to watch the night it premiered), but the ratings seem to still be holding strong -- making Designated Survivor ABC's third highest rated drama behind Grey's Anatomy and Scandal.

This effective return for Designated Survivor should come as a stroke of good news for ABC, because the Kiefer Sutherland-fronted series has not been quite as big of a hit as the network had anticipated. The series is still performing well when DVR numbers are factored into the equation, but people are not watching it the night new episodes air in a way that ABC had hoped. Numerous theories have circulated as to why Designated Survivor has not pulled in the anticipated numbers -- one of which suggests the possibility that political fatigue and frustration with the 2016 election, the Trump administration, and the general political process have turned people off of the show.

There's a strong case to be made that this theory holds water. After all, CinemaBlend's own Laura Hurley referred to Designated Survivor as "fresh and frightening" in her review of the new series. In an exhausting political atmosphere, frightening might not be for everyone right now. The series returned to ABC last night with strong ratings and a solid sense of forward momentum, so we will just have to wait and see whether or not it can sustain those qualities as it charges to the end of its first year.

As always, CinemaBlend will keep you up to date regarding the latest and greatest news related to Designated Survivor. The ABC political drama airs every Wednesday night at 10 p.m. EST.

Looking for more information concerning all of the remaining spring television debuts left in 2017? Make sure to take a look at our comprehensive midseason premiere guide and fill out your TV viewing schedules accordingly!

Kiefer Sutherland returned to primetime TV this year for ABC's high-intensity political thriller Designated Survivor, Dad-glasses and all. It has become blatantly clear that people were extremely interested in getting the actor back on the small screen, and that the strong word-of-mouth surrounding the premiere was working. Enough so that Designated Survivor has completely broken the record for the biggest ever Live+7 Day delayed audience for any network telecast. In Kiefer, we trust.

It's true that the world of TV ratings has only relatively recently shifted to placing more importance on delayed viewing, but it's obvious why those stats are getting more attention. People generally just aren't watching as much live TV as they used to, but even so, Designated Survivor netted 10 million viewers on the night of the premiere. And when the Live+7 numbers were all accounted for, the season premiere was seen by over 17.7 million viewers, meaning over 7.7 million people tuned into Designated Survivor in the six days following its live airing. That's something that not even Kiefer Sutherland's characters should be able to do, and yet...that was the sound of a record breaking that you heard.

The previous record set for Live+7 Day viewing was held by The Big Bang Theory, and I'm sure you can guess that the sitcom episode in question was the one in which Sheldon and Amy got it on. 7.18 million people watched the episode in that first week of delayed viewing, so that means Designated Survivor brought in over 500,000 more people in that timeframe.

And when it comes to that all-important key demographic of adults 18-49, Designated Survivor crushed just as hard, doubling its 2.2 Live+Same Day rating to a 4.4 delayed viewing rating. According to Deadline, that was a bigger lift than anything since How to Get Away With Murder's impressive DVR numbers back in 2014. Both the total viewers and the demo numbers would be ambrosia for the majority of everything else on TV.

Designated Survivor only recently got its episode count bumped up from 13 to 22, giving it a full freshman season (alongside fellow new series Speechless). And that was just when its Live+3 numbers were looking outstanding. (It had 5.3 million more viewers after the three days.) I wonder if we'll get to hear the network just flat-out giving the thriller a whole new season after celebrating this milestone.

Designated Survivor will hopefully continue to blow ratings records up when it airs on Wednesday nights at 10:00 p.m. ET, right after ABC's comedy block. To see when you can watch everything else in the coming months, check out our fall TV schedule.

I don't know what it is, but 2016's slate of new TV shows has been one of the best in recent memory, and that includes cable channels, streaming outlets and broadcast networks. One of the most popular freshman series is Kiefer Sutherland's political thriller Designated Survivor, and ABC has expressed its happiness and faith in the series by giving it and the similarly acclaimed family comedy Speechless full season orders, bringing each show's total number of episodes to 22. Party in the Oval Office!

Designated Survivor getting a guaranteed back nine episodes is one of the least unexpected news stories that could have come out today. Audiences love Kiefer Sutherland, as 24 fanatics can attest, and they have tuned out in droves for the new thriller. In it, Sutherland plays Tom Kirkman, a low-level government cog who gets hoisted into the position of POTUS after a deadly terrorist attack, and it's up to him and other somewhat inexperienced D.C. citizens to figure out if and when other attacks are following. It's a real winner, too, as you can read in our review.

In its 10:00 p.m. ET timeslot on Wednesday evenings, Designated Survivor was watched by over 10 million people for its premiere episode, with the live audience dipping to just under 8 million for the second episode. Those numbers are impressive on their own - it's the most successful show in the timeslot for ABC in years - but Designated Survivor also wins out with its stellar DVR numbers. The premiere episode gained nearly 5 million more viewers in Live+3 Day totals, which is massive and bigger than any broadcast debut's DVR numbers in the past two years. And it's got more awesomeness yet to come.

The newest member of ABC's Wednesday night comedy block is the Minnie Driver-led Speechless, which has also made some big waves with viewers. Created by Friends writer Scott Silveri, Speechless' other big star is wheelchair-bound actor Micah Fowler as J.J. DiMeo, a teenager with cerebral palsy. The show's hilarious writing, mixed with its focus on the disabled community's place within modern society, makes it easily one of the sharpest broadcast comedies on TV.

While not AS popular as Designated Survivor, Speechless is doing just fine for itself. With a premiere watched by over 7.3 million people on the night, the new comedy also has some impressive DVR numbers, and the show is in the top 10 for both total viewers and for the key 18-49 adult demographic. (After Live+3 Day totals were accounted for, the premiere was watched by over 9.1 million people.) As well, Speechless was second behind only CBS' Kevin Can Wait in terms of key demo numbers for new comedies, and it was tied in the fifth spot for shows where the young adult demographic is concerned. Everybody loves J.J.

Without the rating issues other shows are dealing with, Designated Survivor airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 10:00 p.m. ET, while Speechless brings the laughs earlier on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. ET. Head to our fall premiere schedule to see when all the other new and old shows will hit the small screen.

Kiefer Sutherland brought a new brand of action hero to the small screen as Jack Bauer in the 24 franchise. He wowed audiences by turning in intense performances in two dozen episodes year after year. He's moved on from the show that made him a TV star, but it turns out that there's something he really misses about his time on 24. Sutherland had this to say about carrying on after the end of 24:

The original run of 24 lasted for eight seasons, starting in November of 2001 and not coming to an end until May of 2010. Filming involved six-day work weeks filled with long days of action and drama for nine months out of the year, so it's no surprise that Kiefer Sutherland formed some deep bonds with the cast and crew. The bonus twelve episodes of 24: Live Another Day in 2014 seemed no less intense, even if the production schedule was shorter. Sutherland went on during his stop by The Jess Cagle Interview (via EW) to explain that the whole 24 family went through weddings and births and milestones together during the run of the show. No wonder that he went through a sort of withdrawal when he had to face life and work without them.

Of course, Kiefer Sutherland does seem to have recovered from his post-24 breakup slump. His new ABC show Designated Survivor got off to a thrilling start, and the ratings for the premiere were fantastic. It even picked up an extra five million viewers thanks to its DVR performance. Tom Kirkman is a pretty different character from Jack Bauer, but Designated Survivor may help fans of the original 24 deal with the fact that Sutherland won't be involved in the upcoming spinoff 24: Legacy.

That said, the door seems to be open to Kiefer Sutherland if he ever wants to return to the 24 franchise. The man himself has said that there are no plans at this point for him to appear in Legacy, and he evidently has faith that the franchise can continue just fine without him, but he hasn't entirely ruled out returning to the role of Jack Bauer at some point. In the meantime, we'll have to be content with the fact that Designated Survivor will see a 24 reunion of sorts. 24 alum Mykelti Williamson is on board for recurring role in Designated Survivor Season 1.

Hopefully Kiefer Sutherland will be able to find another sort of family with Designated Survivor as he found on 24. You can catch him in action as President Tom Kirkman on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

With 24: Legacy set to take over primetime in January, everybody has been talking about Kiefer Sutherland heading back to that danger-filled universe as the all-powerful Jack Bauer. But little did we know that the real CTU reunion was actually going to come to Sutherland's new ABC drama Designated Survivor, as 24 vet Mykelti Williamson has joined the cast for a pretty big role.

The basic premise behind Designated Survivor involves Kiefer Sutherland's Tom Kirkman going from a lower-tier cabinet member in Washington D.C. who gets thrust into the limelight as President after a terrorist attack effectively kills off everyone ahead of him in line for the position. A similar occupational advancement comes to Mykelti Williamson's Admiral Chernow, who is the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. With a strong military background, Chernov will put his intelligence and his chutzpah to work as one of Kirkman's most trusted advisors in the horrific aftermath.

It's unclear just how much good advice we're going to get from Admiral Chernov, as Deadline reports Mykelti Williamson has only been tapped for a recurring role in Designated Survivor's first season. Considering the actor wasn't in the pilot, we don't know when he'll end up popping up, either. Here's hoping this is more because he joined late rather than a sign that he'll be making an early exit. After all, the terrorist attack that destroyed D.C.'s elite is only the first in a line of potentially deadly incidents.

As you'll probably recall, Mykelti Williamson was one of the last obstacles that Jack Bauer had to deal with, as the actor played the bureaucratic Special Agent Brian Hastings, whose efficiency standards were challenged by Jack and Chloe. Interestingly, Williamson also teamed up with Kiefer Sutherland on the Fox drama Touch after 24 initially ended. Since then, he's been all over TV, with roles on Nashville, Justified, Underground, and more. Earlier this year, he reprised his CSI: NY character of Chief Brigham SInclair on CBS' Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. He'll also be seen in the BET drama Rebel.

With hopefully plenty more 24 cast members set to be announced as future cast members, Designated Survivor will bring TV audiences back into the oval office on Wednesday, September 21, at 10:00 p.m. ET. Head to our fall TV schedule to see when all your other favorite stars will be back on the small screen.

Though Kiefer Sutherland has spent more years of his career on the big screen than on television, he found his most iconic role on Fox's 24 as the take-no-bullshit Jack Bauer. Everyone and their mother wants him to show up on the upcoming spinoff 24: Legacy, but he'll next take on playing the POTUS for ABC's Designated Survivor. And it sounds like he might not have too much TV left in him after this one. Here's what he said.

Let's not forget that Kiefer Sutherland first tried to make the transition away from Jack Bauer with the two-season drama Touch (as well as the short-form The Confession). So while he might have been tired after being Jack Bauer for those first eight years, he was still interested in getting that TV job stability after 24 initially left Fox. And he then returned for the limited series 24: Die Another Day, so he was only playing Bauer for half the time. Seems like he might just be ready to leave the medium altogether if Designated Survivor doesn't work out.

That is, of course, also working with the assumption that Designated Survivor would somehow not work out. And there is every indication that audiences are going to eat this show up, confirming its place as one of Sutherland's great gifts. He stars as Tom Kirkman, who is suddenly promoted from his job as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development when a terrorist attack successfully kills everyone in Washington D.C. above his pay grade, and it's up to him to step into the role of President and lead a healing country.

And just as Jack Bauer was the man that CTU and the world needed to take down enemy threats, Tom Kirkman will give Kiefer Sutherland a different avenue to use in keeping the country safe. We likely won't see him doing the kinds of things Bauer was known for, at least not at the same rate, which will hopefully keep his spirits up should Designated Survival prove successful enough to earn multiple seasons.

Though there are similarities with the roles, Sutherland talked with TV Guide Magazine about getting behind a character that goes from low-level cog to Free World leader in an afternoon. (There's definitely no similarity between Designated Survivor and our current hunt for a new president.) And this role was apparently enough to draw him back to the medium for another go; not so much the case when it came to going back to the 24 universe, though that could still technically happen for him and others.

Do your duty as an American and as a TV fan by keeping Kiefer Sutherland on TV by watching Designated Survivor when it kicks off its first season on ABC on Wednesday, September 21, at 10:00 p.m. ET. To see when everything else is coming back later this year, check out our fall TV schedule.

Plans for FOX's 24: Legacy have been ramping up for about a year now, and one thing has been hotly debated: will Kiefer Sutherland reprise his role in the show? Well, Sutherland has an answer for you, but we're still not sure if we believe him.

Kiefer Sutherland spoke to Deadline at the ABC Television Critics Association party (he was there to support his new show, Designated Survivor, on the network) on Thursday and was asked if he would be appearing on the continuation of the series when it returns to FOX next year. His answer seemed pretty definite:

I know what you're thinking, What's the problem with that answer? Sounds like he knows what he's talking about to me. Normally that would be true, but Kiefer Sutherland has waffled a bit on whether or not his iconic character, Jack Bauer, would show up in 24: Legacy. Around the time that the project was first announced, Sutherland came out and said that his time as Jack Bauer was over; he noted that he wanted to return to TV, but was interested in doing new things for the medium. He also went on record saying that the new series would be just fine without him or Jack Bauer, because "the real star of 24 is the idea."

That all seems very concrete. But then, about three months ago, with 24: Legacy cast and filming, Kiefer Sutherland was asked again about the possibility of showing up in the new series (man, he must get tired of that), and he responded with a decidedly non-committal "you never know what's going to happen," since his character is still alive and not being held captive by any terrorists as far as we know. Add to that the fact that, just within the last month, 24: Legacy executive producer Howard Gordon let it slip that there was a plan in place for Sutherland to reprise his role, if the actor could fit the appearance into his current schedule.

While the show will feature all new characters, including a new central protagonist, Eric Carter (played by Corey Hawkins), it would seem that there will always be a way to sneak in at least a little Jack Bauer to the ongoing adventures of the CTU. And, while it sounds like a smart play to have a contingency plan for the character just in case Sutherland can take some time away from Designated Survivor, the basic gist of all this back and forth would seem to be that nothing has been decided one way or another. It should also be noted, though, that at the same party, Howard Gordon said that there were no plans for him to come back. Whether that means they haven't tried to talk Sutherland into it, or that the show doesn't actually have a plan in place for his return (as Gordon had said before), remains to be seen.

Well, that just clears everything right up, doesn't it? No? It's OK, we can see for ourselves if Kiefer Sutherland shows up on 24: Legacy when the show premieres February 5 on FOX.

Over the past year, the Flatliners remake has been picking up steam. Some young and rising talent has joined the picture, a director is in place, and all the makings of a new life for the 90's sci-fi cult classic seem to be aligned. However, some new information has come to light which indicates that the Niels Arden Oplev directed film isn't what it seems to be, much like one of the characters that's recently been cast in the film. In fact, it's the reason that Kiefer Sutherland is returning for another round of medical mayhem, as he's reprising his character from the original film in what can now be referred to as a sequel.

UK publication Metro got to speak with Sutherland, and in their recent conversation the Designated Survivor actor revealed that while it's not totally spelled out, his character of med student Nelson Wright not only graduated, he's a teacher! Kiefer Sutherland clarified his role as follows:

This new information is interesting, considering that this new film was being sold under the Flatliners name, with the express purpose of leading to a modern reboot. Should the title remain, it would be one of the most confusing decisions since 2011's The Thing ended up being a prequel to 1982's The Thing. Considering how that film turned out, they may want to change their name to Flatliners: The Awakening, or something less confusing, in the hopes of not confusing fans and newcomers alike.

To be completely honest, this development makes us a little less fearful for the Flatliners project, as a sequel would mean that Kiefer Sutherland isn't being brought back just to slyly nod at the original film. If used properly, Sutherland's presence could advance the story of medical students exploring what awaits on the other side of eternity. Rather than tread the same ground of Joel Schumacher's original film, there's a good chance that Sutherland's original character could lead to not only a deeper understanding of the phenomenon explored previously, but it could leave the door open for further appearances of the original Flatliners team.

In time, what was once seen as a reboot for today's kids could be a full fledged adventure between past and present Flatliners, though we'd assume that such a prospect would be left to decide after the potential success of this now sequel is fully evaluated. We'll have a bit of a wait though, as Flatliners aims to revive the brand on August 18, 2017. However, you can soon get a regular dose of Kiefer Sutherland, as his new show, Designated Survivor premieres on Wednesday, September 21st at 10 PM EST.

The upcoming remake of the 1990s thriller Flatliners has already assembled a talented cast, featuring Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, James Norton and Kiersey Clemens. For the next addition, however, the production has gone old school and is introducing Keifer Sutherland to the ensemble - the first actor from the original to join up.

Deadline has the scoop on this casting news, reporting that Keifer Sutherland has not yet signed on the dotted line, but that his people and the production are close to making a deal. There isn't much information available about the role that the actor will be playing in the movie, though the report does say that he will be a "seasoned doctor" in the movie. What's unclear is the possibility that he could once again be playing Nelson Wright (making the Flatliners remake less of a remake and more of a sequel).

In the original Flatliners, released in 1990 and directed by Joel Schumacher, Nelson Wright is one of five medical school classmates (Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin and Oliver Platt) who work on science experiments to try and discover what happens after death. To do this, they volunteer to actually flatline and be resurrected in order to recount their experiences. They start making exciting discoveries, but things start to go sideways as they begin to be haunted by the sins of the past. At the end of the movie, Nelson nearly dies, but is saved at the last minute.

Keifer Sutherland's time as memorable TV hero Jack Bauer appears to be at an end, but he's been keeping busy recently with big screen projects. Most recently he had what was actually one of the funniest parts in Zoolander 2 (though that isn't saying a great deal given the quality of the film). He's also completed work on writer/director Andrew Dosunmu's drama Beat-up Little Seagull, which has him starring opposite Michelle Pfeiffer.

We've been hearing stories about Hollywood wanting to bring back Flatliners for quite a long while now, with buzz starting in 2008 about a potential television series based on the movie. It was in 2011 that this feature version remake started moving, getting a script written by Source Code scribe Ben Ripley. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo's Niels Arden Oplev has been sticking with the project since early 2012, and you have to give him a lot of credit. A lot of projects in development this long simply fade away, but the industry knew it wanted more Flatliners, and that's exactly what it's getting. According to Deadline, production on the picture is starting later this week in Toronto - and while no release date has been announced, we can expect it to land some time in mid-to-late 2017.

We always hate saying goodbye to our favorite characters, and it was especially tough the last time we saw Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer save the day, even though we technically only spent about 10 days with the guy. We currently have our fingers crossed that the terrorist-deflecting hero will return for the upcoming spinoff, but if Sutherland had has his say for the character's fate, there would be no hope of ever seeing Bauer again. Here's how 24 showrunner Howard Gordon put it.

Oh, Kiefer Sutherland. As if anyone within Fox would allow the fate of such a money-making TV persona to be decided by anyone else, much less an actor wanting to do something for the sake of either the character or the art. Killing off the man who made 24 a primetime TV staple could never be anything but a business decision, I'd think. Certainly it's up to Sutherland to say whether or not he would return to the role at any point, but he probably doesn't have much say on Bauer's mortality.

It's not that surprising that Sutherland wanted his character to come a specific resolution, since it's such a big part of his life, and it's hard to resolve anything further than killing it off. Interestingly, though, Howard Gordon didn't mention to Variety at what point Sutherland was campaigning to get his super-badass six feet under. One would assume that it was either as Season 8 or the Live Another Day limited series were being put together, and not in the middle of Season 2 or anything.

And how in the hell do you kill of Jack Bauer anyway? He's escaped death so many times in the past, walking away from seemingly inescapable situations, that I can't feasibly imagine how 24 would legitimately and concretely kill him off. It would have to be something like him jumping in front of an airplane to save someone, or being shot into space for a suicide mission to destroy a renegade blackhole headed for Earth. Although, he was almost never seen eating, so maybe he would just suddenly starve to death one day.

Since he'll probably always be alive, Jack Bauer could definitely reappear on the small screen for 24: Legacy, something that he'd once been dead set against but then later reversed his adamance and said it was a possibility. That's basically the same thing Gordon said about it, too. Until that happens, though, we'll just have to get used to watching Corey Hawkins heading 24 while Sutherland enters the presidency for the ABC drama Designated Survivor.

24: Legacy will debut on Sunday, February 5, 2017, after which it will settle into a weekly Monday night schedule.

I think it was Benjamin Franklin who coined the phrase "A Jack Bauer's day is only done when a Jack Bauer himself is done." And because that particular character has not yet bitten any bullets in the 24 universe, there is always the distinct possibility that we may see him again. It might happen sooner than you'd expect, too, as 24: Legacy executive producer Howard Gordon has revealed there is a plan in place to bring Jack back if actor Kiefer Sutherland can make it happen.

The basic story for 24: Legacy is already set in stone, but it sounds like there's still some writing and crafting to do for the rest of Season 1. Gordon knows that Sutherland isn't dead set against the reprisal idea, and according to Deadline, the writers already have a tentative arc set up for Jack Bauer if everything plays out. The plan would be to get him for a handful of episodes (at the outside) in the second half of the season, so that the schedule wouldn't conflict with that of his upcoming drama Designated Survivor, in which he'll play the president.

Yeah, it'd be pretty dumb of Howard Gordon and the rest of the creative team to decide that they definitely wouldn't want Jack Bauer around for the upcoming spinoff, since he basically is the franchise at this point. And for his part, Kiefer Sutherland has gone from claiming he was done with stopping fictional terrorists to saying he'd be open to some kind of a limited return when taking an executive producer role on the continuation. And that's exactly what it sounds like would be waiting for him if Sutherland opted to do it.

That's not that only bit of interesting exhaust coming out of the rumor mill, as it's apparently possible that other former 24 characters may appear on the spinoff as well. This is something that fans were obviously hoping for when the series was announced, but no familiar faces have been added to the cast yet, and no one at Fox has been open about seeking anyone out, either. So that's fantastic if it's indeed true, since Jack Bauer is hardly the only character from this tension-filled world that would be welcome on our screens again for 24: Legacy. I just want there to be a weekly poker game between President Palmer, Chloe, Tony and Aaron. I mean, we'd only see part of one session, but that'd be enough.

When it comes to the real story, 24: Legacy centers on Corey Hawkins' Eric Carter, an ex-Army Ranger fluent in black ops who returns to the U.S. from a mission and finds that the mission is not done with him. To keep his family safe, he must enlist the help of former CTU head Rebecca Ingram (Miranda Otto) and CTU itself to stop a serious threat from going through. The series also stars Jimmy Smits, Teddy Sears, Dan Bucatinsky, Ashley Thomas, Anna Diop and more.

24: Legacy will debut on Fox on (Super Bowl) Sunday, February 5, 2017. Head to the next page to watch the action-packed trailer for Season 1.