Steven Soderbergh has become one of the film’s most iconic directors in my opinion. While he’s known for his suave crime thrillers and heist adventures, he’s also received lots of acclaim for his films that feature scathing social commentary. While there are commonalities between a lot of his movies, like his massive ensemble of A-list actors who return time and time again, he also makes unexpected choices and zigs when we all expect him to zag (see his decision to direct Magic Mike). 

So, considering the director is back at it again, working with Channing Tatum for the fourth time on the final film in the Magic Mike franchise, Magic Mike's Last Dance, we figured it’d be a perfect time to rank this director’s top ten movies. 

Honorable Mention: Ocean’s Twelve  

Now, is Ocean's Twelve a bit of a hot mess, yes, but that’s part of the fun. The cast has admitted to knowing people don’t love Twelve, Don Cheadle included, who said to those who don’t like the movie: “that’s cool, you didn’t have to @ me.” And I agree with him, it’s fine if you don’t like this movie, however, don’t hate on Ocean’s Twelve, because it’s a grand ol’ time.

Seeing the gang go on a European vacation to do pull a few wild heists with a fun French villain and epic cameos (I’m looking at you Robbie Coltrane and Bruce Willis), plus the truly iconic Julia Roberts bit, is something to appreciate. Not only is the film fun it’s also technically masterful, with fun cuts, a brilliant score from David Holmes, and A+ performances from the returning ensemble. 

Rent/buy Ocean’s Twelve on Amazon.

10. The Limey (1999)

Terence Stamp gives a commanding performance in Soderbergh’s 1999 film The Limey. Stamp plays an Englishman who makes his way to Los Angeles in an effort to find the man who took his daughter’s life. I think this movie is showing off Soderbergh’s style at its peak, it doesn’t seem to conform to what a studio wants, and it isn’t afraid to make bold technical decisions. You can see the director’s affinity for bold editing, jazzy music and criminally inclined characters on full display in this film. It also shows everything Soderbergh is capable of in a stylish smooth criminal kind of way, if you know what I mean.  

 Rent/buy The Limey on Amazon or stream on Showtime.  

9.  Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989) 

You know you’re off to a good start when your first feature film wins the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Not only did Soderbergh take home that prestigious honor early in his career, the screenplay for Sex, Lies, and Videotape was also nominated for best original screenplay at the 1990 Academy Awards. While all these accolades are amazing, this movie also set the tone for Soderbergh’s career of making edgy movies that explore topics a lot of people may be scared to tackle. 

This movie starring James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Laura San Giacomo and Peter Gallagher shows the complex relationship between a couple and their other partners in the dramatic, yet darkly comedic way Soderbergh is a master of.

 Buy Sex, Lies and Videotape on Amazon.  

8. Contagion (2011)

What’s interesting about this movie is it’s not a thriller that relies on big outlandish scares to terrify the audience. Soderbergh uses patience and the horror of reality to slap the audience in the face, and make them realize this might actually be how a global outbreak would go down. And it did in 2020. Soderbergh's plot is not that far off from accurate, which makes sense considering many behind-the-scenes facts about Contagion include the lengths the cast and creatives went to research what could actually happen.

Watching the beginning of the movie kind of feels like a historical drama in a way considering what we all went through in 2020, and it was made in 2011. The cast, including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet and Laurence Fishburne, to name a few, all give haunted, terrified, yet calm performances that really hammered home the scary yet level-headed tone of the film. 

You can stream Contagion with an HBO Max subscription.

7. Logan Lucky (2017)

Logan Lucky, or "Ocean’s 7-11" as it’s referred to in the literal movie, is a hillbilly heist that is a delightfully good time and wicked smart, in my humble opinion. This movie marked the director’s return to film, after Soderbergh’s short retirement, and obviously, it had to be another heist movie. 

What I really love about Logan Lucky is it allows you to see actors like Daniel Craig (Joe Bang walked so Benoit Blanc could run), Channing Tatum and Adam Driver in roles we’ve never seen them in before. They all play characters that come off as dimwitted at first, however, as the movie progresses you realize you are the dumb one, and this little West Virginian family, and this film, is pretty genius.

 Buy/rent Logan Lucky on Amazon or stream on Showtime.  

6. The Informant!

This movie will really sneak up on you with how funny and twisty it is. Over the course of 1 hour and 48 minutes, Soderbergh takes you on a wonky journey through our protagonist Mark Whitacre’s (Matt Damon) perspective, and as the story unfolds you start to realize just how unreliable our narrator is. 

Much like the Ocean’s movie, this is a plot that will have you wondering what is really going on the whole time. Also, it's full of fun performances from its ensemble, but especially from Damon, who is acting his face off. It’s by no means the smooth heist the Ocean’s movies are, however, it has the snappy dialogue and misleading plot that harkens back to one of Damon and Soderbergh’s best collaborations. 

Rent/buy The Informant! on Amazon.

5. Traffic (2000)

Like Contagion what makes this movie so scary is how grounded it is. It’s not relying on massive dramatic events, it’s using the terrifying, realistic implications of the War on Drugs to spook audiences. By examining the impact drug use and addiction has on different types of people and social groups, Soderbergh uses Traffic as a way to provide a thorough and brutal look into how this issue has affected the United States. 

The film clearly had an impact on the film industry too as it went on to be nominated for five Oscars, and win four -- this happened in the same year Soderbergh was nominated for directing Erin Brockovich. Benicio Del Toro took home a trophy for his performance as an agent working on the Mexican border, Soderbergh won Best Director, and the film also took home awards for its editing and adapted screenplay. 

Rent/buy Traffic on Amazon.

4.  Magic Mike (2012) 

On the surface, Magic Mike seems like it will just be a movie full of hot men stripping and that’s it. However, Soderbergh and the movie’s star Channing Tatum made this a heartfelt film about a stripper who is struggling with aging out of his job, and trying to figure out what he wants to do next. 

Along with capitalizing on Tatum’s dance and stripping background, as well as his comedic timing, the cast is also made up of actors who are having a blast making this film, especially Matthew McConaughey. And not only are the guys great strippers. but they're also likable characters who you want to root for. 

You can stream Magic Mike with an HBO Max subscription.

3.  Erin Brockovich (2000) 

This movie won Julia Roberts her Oscar, and changed the game for women in film. Not only does Erin Brockovich tell the incredible story of a real woman who fought against PG&E, Roberts was also part of breaking the glass ceiling for actresses’ salaries by demanding better pay on the film. 

With this movie, Soderbergh managed to capture the story of a single mom in an empowering way, that shows other women what is possible. That mixed with Roberts demanding better pay, and her stand-out award-winning performance, makes this an incredibly impactful film, unlike anything else Soderbergh has made.

 Stream Erin Brokovich with an Amazon Prime subscription.   

2.  Out Of Sight (1998) 

I don’t think it’s possible to have a more charismatic duo than George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez in a cat-and-mouse romance together. Clooney plays a career criminal and JLo is the agent trying to take him down. However, there’s an undeniable attraction between the two, and despite their opposition, they can’t stay away from each other. 

This movie introduced the world to Geoge Clooney, the movie star, it let us know Jennifer Lopez is an actress with range, and it showed us just how amazing Soderbergh is at mixing genres and creating a menacing, tense, funny and suave films. Out of Sight oozes with charm, and was the start of a beautiful partnership between the actor and director.

Stream on Freevee through an Amazon Prime subscription. 

1. Ocean's Eleven (2001)

To be fully transparent, Ocean’s Eleven is one of my favorite movies of all time. It’s the movie that made me realize how much I love heist films. It’s the movie that made me aware of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. And it’s one of the most fun movies ever made, in my opinion.

This Rat Pack remake capitalizes on Soderbergh’s smooth style and affinity for making movies about career criminals, and it brings together an ensemble that makes it clear that the Ocean’s Eleven cast is one of the greatest ensembles of all time. Between Clooney’s undeniable charisma, Pitt’s snacking and irresistible sidekick, a myriad of other A-List actors at the top of their games, plus Soderbergh’s snappy pace, jazzy sound and timeless tone, this movie has stood the test of time and is a modern classic. 

 Rent/buy Ocean’s Eleven on Amazon. 

Well, there you have it, Steven Soderbergh’s top ten movies. Admittedly this was an extremely hard list to put together because of his wide breadth of work. However, in this list, you can see both the director’s range and tendency to lean into similar genres and tones. Overall, Steven Soderbergh’s career is remarkable, and his work is all worth checking out, including his film on the 2023 movie schedule, Magic Mike’s Last Dance, which hits theaters on February 10. 

Sebastian Stan is a name that should sound very familiar these days. From starting his career with smaller TV roles to becoming a big name in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan has made a name for himself in Hollywood with his diverse portfolio of amazing portrayals, from a man with a metal arm and heaps of trauma to psychopaths and rock stars. 

If you’re looking for some Sebastian Stan movies and TV shows that you can watch right now, check out these picks down below. 

The Martian (Amazon Rental)

In this Academy Award-nominated film, The Martian follows the story of a man stranded on Mars when his team thinks that he is dead after a harsh storm on the new planet. Now, alone and with barely any way to survive, he has to rely on his smarts, talents, and everything else to survive until a rescue can occur. 

Sebastian Stan portrayed Dr. Chris Beck in The Martian, the flight surgeon for this mission, and he (alongside everyone else in this crazy ensemble of stars) shines. Everyone does so well here, including Stan, creating the ultimate space drama. 

Rent The Martian on Amazon.

Logan Lucky (Hulu)

In Logan Lucky, a family decides to pursue a heist and steal money from the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race, all while trying to avoid getting caught by security officers, people who work for the government, and others. 

While Sebastian Stan’s role as Dayton White wasn’t a huge part of the film, he stole every scene he was in. It’s because of his character that the Logans are even able to escape with the money in the first place, and his lines are delivered perfectly. Watching Stan in this comedy just makes me want to see him in many more. 

Stream Logan Lucky on Hulu.
Rent Logan Lucky on Amazon.

The Bronze (Hulu)

Oh, The Bronze is a fun one for Sebastian Stan fans. The Bronze, a sports comedy, follows a former gymnastic Olympic bronze medalist who takes it upon herself to train an up and comer, so she can get herself back in the spotlight. 

Sebastian Stan plays Lance Tucker, the Team USA coach in The Bronze, and let me say that this movie was genuinely so silly in so many ways and Sebastian Stan was one of the best ways. His character is a riot and so funny, and there’s one scene featuring him and Hope (the main character) that will have you laughing your ass off. I swear to you on my life. While I do think you need to be into sports at least a little to really enjoy the film, it’s still such a fun time. 

Stream The Bronze on Hulu.
Rent The Bronze on Amazon.

Pam & Tommy (Hulu)

At this point, I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard of Pam & Tommy on Hulu. This miniseries tells the story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, their whirlwind romance, and the private sex tape that was stolen from their home and leaked online that changed their lives forever. 

While everyone in the Pam & Tommy cast is phenomenal, there’s nothing quite like Sebastian Stan as Mötley Crüe drummer, Tommy Lee. It’s hard to remember that this is literally the same man who plays Bucky Barnes for Marvel, but he puts on a performance that stands out amongst the rest, and the story is entertaining from beginning to end, and makes me want to watch the Pamela Anderson documentary coming to Netflix even more. 

Stream Pam & Tommy on Hulu.

I, Tonya (Hulu)

In this Academy Award-nominated film, I, Tonya tells the story of famous Olympic ice skater, Tonya Harding, and her fall from grace when she gets caught up in a crime that connects her to an attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan. 

It is criminal that Sebastian Stan was not nominated for an Oscar for his performance in I, Tonya. While I am also partial to Margot Robbie and her killer ice-skating skills in this, Sebastian Stan as Jeff Gillooly (who was Harding’s husband) was so well-done and should have received all the awards. Truly, one of his best performances so far in his career. I could re-watch it over and over again. 

Stream I, Tonya on Hulu.
Buy I, Tonya on Amazon.

The Devil All The Time (Netflix)

Based on the book of the same name, The Devil All the Time is a Netflix original that follows a young man who is hell-bent on protecting anyone that he loves when his hometown becomes corrupted with people who are selfish and will do anything in order to succeed. 

Sebastian Stan plays Lee Bodecker, a sheriff who, like the main character, Arvin, is very protective of his sister but has a corrupt side as well. Stan isn’t in the film for very long (since there are so many amazing actors in The Devil All The Time cast), his scenes are great. I especially love the moment between him and Tom Holland (Arvin) near the very end, which really caps off the movie beautifully, but I can’t reveal exactly what. I think you should just watch it regardless. 

Stream The Devil All the Time on Netflix.

Fresh (Hulu)

Ever wonder how a romantic comedy can turn twisted in a half hour? Take a look at Fresh, a Hulu original film that follows the story of Noa and Steve, two seemingly normal people in a relationship that takes a dark turn when they go away for a weekend to spend some time together. 

I’m going to be honest in saying that Sebastian Stan as Steve absolutely terrified me in this film. I don’t know what it is - I’m so used to him playing “good guy Bucky Barnes” for Marvel that the idea of him as this charmingly unbalanced person really unnerved me - which is why it’s such a good performance of his. He pulls it off so well, from the beginning to the end of the film. 

Stream Fresh on Hulu.

Ricki And The Flash (Pluto TV)

Ricki and the Flash stars mega-star Meryl Streep as the titular Ricki, who left her family years ago to become a rockstar, even though it never worked out for her. However, she returns years later in order to make amends when her daughter is going through a hard time. 

If the idea of Meryl Streep rocking out on a guitar isn’t enough for you to want to watch this film, Sebastian Stan as Joshua Brummel should be enough. While it’s not a role that immediately stands out amongst many on this list, his role in Ricki and the Flash feels sweeter and tamer than many of the others, showing what it’s like to have a family that’s distant and how amends must be made over time and not instantly. The whole cast worked wonderfully together. 

Stream Ricki and the Flash on Pluto TV.
Rent Ricki and the Flash on Amazon.

We Have Always Lived In The Castle (Netflix)

As someone who really enjoyed the mystery novel this was based on, We Have Always Lived In The Castle was a great adaptation. This film follows a family that lives in isolation after a tragedy struck them six years ago, but when a cousin of theirs arrives with sinister hidden intentions, it’s up to the family to stop him. 

Sebastian Stan was excellent in his role as Charles Blackwood. He perfectly portrayed his charm mixed in with evil intent, and so much more into one, creating a a great horror movie villain. We Have Always Lived In The Castle is certainly a great Netflix horror movie that’s perfect for Halloween, but you can watch it any time of the year for Stan’s awesome performance in it. 

Stream We Have Always Lived In The Castle on Netflix.
Rent We Have Always Lived In The Castle on Amazon.

The Last Full Measure (Amazon Rental)

In this army film based on the very true story of William H. Pitsenbarger, The Last Full Measure follows William during his time in Vietnam saving 60 men as a Pararescuman, and later on, the struggles of Pentagon staffers to try and get him awarded the Medal of Honor thirty-two years after he sacrificed his life. 

Sebastian Stan actually stars in this film as Scott Huffman, who was loosely based on William Parker Hayes Jr., one of the people who was tasked with getting Pitsenbarger  the Medal of Honor years later. And, honestly, watching this film again makes me realize how great of a lead actor Stan really is, because he portrays the role so well and elevates this war movie alongside the rest of the brilliant cast. 

Rent The Last Full Measure on Amazon.

Gossip Girl (HBO Max)

Before he ended up becoming huge in Marvel and other areas of his career, Sebastian Stan was on the legendary CW show, Gossip Girl. This dramedy followed the lives of the elite on the Upper East Side of New York, and the scandals both teenagers and adults got themselves into on a daily basis. 

While Stan’s character, Carter Baizen, only appeared for eleven episodes out of the whole series, every single time he was on the screen he was awesome and conniving, and a fantastic character overall. As one of his earlier roles, Stan makes Carter one of the most memorable recurring characters even years later, which says a lot about his acting skills. 

Stream Gossip Girl on HBO Max.

His Role As Bucky Barnes In Marvel (Disney+)

It’s why you’re here - heck, it’s how I know about him. Sebastian Stan took on the role of Bucky Barnes in Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers childhood best friend, who later is captured by HYDRA and ends up becoming the Winter Soldier. Now, years later, he’s appeared in several MCU films and even his own television show.

I have full faith that even without Marvel, Sebastian Stan would have brought us many amazing roles, because he’s a truly talented actor. But, you can’t deny that playing Bucky Barnes probably helped a lot. From the moment he stepped on the screen, to appearing as a part of The Falcon and Winter Soldier cast, this man embodied the role of Bucky Barnes, displaying that full spectrum of badassery, trauma, charisma, and so much more. I truly cannot imagine anyone else playing this role, and I can’t wait to see him again, hopefully in the upcoming Captain America 4 alongside Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson - let the bromance continue, please!

Stream his Marvel movies and TV shows on Disney+.

With so many movies and shows already, I’m sure Stan is only going to become even bigger over time, and hopefully it won’t be long before we see him in another great movie or TV role.  

Channing Tatum has been a household name for over a decade. From his starring roles in dance movies to his work in comedies and dramas, the actor has proven that he’s capable of many different roles. With a career that’s been going strong for more than fifteen years, though, he’s had some ups and some downs. 

Today, we're going to talk about Channing Tatum movies and rank his best films. You just might have a new favorite movie to watch soon! 

11. White House Down (2013)

Action movies have always been something I’ve genuinely enjoyed. With some of the best action movies out there, like Die Hard or John Wick, they always entertain me, usually through their stupendously crazy odds, talented cast, and cool stunts and effects. White House Down attempted to do that, but in the end I feel like it fell flat in comparison to many other great action films that take place around politics. 

However, I can say that I really like Tatum’s performance in this film. I think that if given the right script, Tatum would blow an action film like this one out of the water and become the next big action-movie star, but he just hasn’t been given the chance yet. 

10. Coach Carter (2005)

If you haven’t heard about Coach Carter, it’s a great basketball movie that tells the real story of Ken Carter, a high school basketball coach who ended up suspending all of his basketball team for their academic scores in school, despite them being undefeated. This was one of Tatum's first major roles. 

The reason why I put it so low on this list is that we’ve seen how good of an actor Tatum has become over time, and how much he has improved since this movie. However, it would basically be a sin not to list Coach Carter. Tatum, alongside all of the other players on the team, really put on a great group performance, showing that smarts are just as important as basketball skills. 

9. The Book Of Life (2014)

As someone who loves her films filled with Hispanic heritage and lore, The Book of Life is brilliantly well-done, from the animation to the story, mixed in with a star-studded cast that Tatum is a part of. 

However, I don’t see him as a voice actor. 

While I do think his voice role is better than in Coach Carter and White House Down, I personally believe that the role of Joaquin could have been performed just a tad better. By whom, I’m not sure, but there’s something about Tatum’s voice in this that doesn't quite fit. 

Even so, he really gives his all as Joaquin and helped create a fun movie that entertains kids and adults, while also educating people on Mexican culture. 

8. Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)

The Kingsman series has shown that people are still very much interested in spy action adventures. This is what I was saying before - if Tatum is given the proper script, he can really shine in movies that are action-based. He already has the build of an action star - he just needs the perfect movie, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle, could have been that. 

But, it’s ranked at number eight because he’s barely in the movie. 

They could have done so much with Tatum’s character, Tequila. He was one of the first Statesman that Eggsy got the chance to meet and yet he got sick so quickly in the film that he basically went unused. Just his few moments were some of the best in the movie, and they squandered the opportunity by barely giving him any screen time. I’m still upset about it, as you can tell.

7. She’s The Man (2006)

She’s The Man, a teen comedy that stars both Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, is all about girl empowerment and trying to show that women are just as good as men in sports, specifically soccer. Tatum’s character, Duke, is the resident hot captain of the boy’s team with funny moments and tunnel vision towards girls, and while that seems superficial on the surface, the truth is, he plays the role well. 

He often has hilarious dialogue and really nice moments with Bynes' character, creating an all-around fun experience, and makes the film not only fun for younger audiences, but older ones, too. Thank God she fought for his role in the movie, because I don’t think I could picture anyone else playing Duke.

6. Hail, Caesar! (2016)

Hail, Caesar! had a crazy amount of stars in it, and Channing Tatum was just one of many. The Coen brothers struck gold again with their comedy and created a movie that is quite hard to forget once viewed, and Tatum playing Burt Gurney is one of the best parts. 

Again, it’s a moment that isn’t that big in the film, but is unforgettable. His musical performance, “No Dames,” is paired with a tap dance that's some of the funniest stuff ever, but the reason I put this specific appearance from him here is that it really shows just how talented he is. The dude acts, sings, and tap dances all in one scene. He has some serious moves, and this is definitely one of his under-appreciated movies. He deserves so much more praise for it. 

5. Magic Mike Series (2012-2015)

This had to be here. You know it does, I know it does, but let’s just say it now - Channing Tatum is great in Magic Mike and its sequel, but it’s certainly not his best. It's about mid-range.

While Magic Mike is one of the movies that really blew Tatum’s name up and made him a household name (probably because of his very shirtless performance), what makes these movies great are his dance skills. He is able to move like no one is watching and honestly, I wish I was that talented. Magic Mike is another great way of showing how skilled of a performer he is.

The story is sort of mid-tier and nothing revolutionary, but I can appreciate his sick dance moves and decent acting performance, enough that I’m looking forward to Magic Mike 3. But one amazing dance movie beats this series. 

4. Step Up (2006)

The first movie in this iconic dance movie series is truly the best, and one of Tatum’s best performances from not only his early days in film, but overall. This is the first time we really see how skillful Tatum is with his feet. His dance skills in this are off the charts, and his chemistry with his co-star, Jenna Dewan, is immaculate - which makes sense, since they were married for several years after meeting on the set of this movie. 

However, Tatum really does do well in this role. While the movie is primarily centered around dancing, Tatum’s character, Tyler, is going through a tough time in his life. He starts out as a troublemaker, but learns to become a better person through dance and the help of others. It’s a simple story arc that showed off Tatum’s ability as an actor and a performer. Screw what the critics say - I love this film and he is fantastic in it. 

3. Logan Lucky (2017)

Oh, Logan Lucky. I have to say, when I first heard about this film, I didn’t think it was going to win me over like it did, but by God, did it. This film follows the Logan family as they plan to (and do) rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway, all while avoiding people like the FBI. 

Channing Tatum stars in this film alongside a huge ensemble cast that includes big names like Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Sebastian Stan, and more, and yet his character is who I remember the most. Not just because he’s the main character, Jimmy Logan, but because he does such a good job leading this film. 

From the moment he devises the plan to rob the speedway to the interactions with his family and everything else in-between, Tatum rocks it from beginning to end. I’m almost upset that he didn’t get more praise for this role because it shows just how good he is at comedy. I demand a Logan Lucky 2. 

2. Foxcatcher (2014)

You know, through everything on this list, I haven’t mentioned Channing Tatum in a straight-ahead drama. It’s either been comedy, dance, or action. The only other role that’s really come close to a drama is his part in Coach Carter, but he wasn’t the focal point of that movie. 

Foxcatcher is an amazing work of art for sports fans, and this movie proves that Tatum deserves to be in far more dramas than Hollywood allows him to be in. 

The film, following the story of Mark and Dave Schultz, two real-life brothers who earned gold medals at the Olympics for wrestling, is a thrilling sports movie, and while all three of the leading actors shine (Tatum, Steve Carell, and Mark Ruffalo), I love Tatum’s performance in Foxcatcher. 

His ability to show the true trauma and mental gymnastics that Mark Schultz went through to achieve greatness is astounding, and he deserved so much more love for his role. 

Hollywood, hear my plea - put Tatum in more dramas, damn it. He deserves praise. 

1. Jump Street Series (2012-2014)

Tatum’s best films so far have been the Jump Street movies, 21 Jump Street and 22 Jump Street, and there is nothing that can change my mind.

Channing Tatum is good in many things, from dramas to dance movies to heist films, but even if I like him in all of those, comedy is really where he shines. He is a badass in the Jump Street series, and his comedic timing is some of the best I’ve seen in a long time when it comes to buddy-cop films. 

I mean, I’m pretty sure the “My name is Jeff” scene from 21 Jump Street has been memed so many times it’s almost a dead meme now. His reaction to Schmidt getting with the captain’s daughter in 22 Jump Street is iconic. He just works in these movies, which is why it needs to be my number one on this list. 

If he ever decided to do a legit third movie with Jonah Hill, I’d be down. Maybe make that crossover with Men In Black that was planned? Now that would be some film. 

Regardless of what you like from Tatum, there’s no denying that the man isn’t talented, and these are just some of my favorite picks of his. There are plenty of upcoming Channing Tatum movies that we can all look forward to, and until those come out, we have these great films to watch in the meantime.   

In October 2021, Matthias Schweighöfer took us back into the world of Army of the Dead, but instead of offering another zombie thriller, like Zack Snyder did earlier in the year, the director-actor gave Netflix subscribers a story that didn’t have nearly as many ghouls as its counterpart, but more than made up for it with a series of great heists and a thrilling origin story for fan favorite Ludwig Dieter. 

If you like what you saw and want to know about more movies like Army of Thieves, you have come to the right place, because we have a nice and varied list of the best heist movies that share some similarities with the Army of the Dead prequel. From classics like Heat to modern gems like Baby Driver, there’s a lot to choose from here…

Army Of The Dead (2021)

Years after a zombie outbreak has consumed Las Vegas, an elite squad of mercenaries (and an obsessive safecracker) are sent into the walled-off Sin City to pull off an improbable heist at a casino in the middle of ground zero.

Why it’s worth checking out: After watching Army of Thieves, I immediately wanted to go back and watch Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead for a few reasons, with the biggest being Matthias Schweighöfer’s Ludwig Dieter. Now that you know the character’s backstory and why he’s so obsessed with the vault at the center of the heist, it makes his journey into the quarantine zone all the more meaningful and enjoyable to watch. Also, there’s no such thing as too much Ludwig Dieter and his high-pitched screams whenever he’s in danger or just overly excited.

Stream Army of the Dead on Netflix.

• Check some of the other best movies on Netflix.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

As soon as Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is released from prison, the career criminal decides to put together a crack team to pull off what could very well be the biggest heist in the history of Las Vegas, but also one that could land him back behind bars, or worse…

Why it’s worth checking out: Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 heist comedy, Ocean’s Eleven (a remake of the Rat Pack classic of the same name), not only features one of the most impressive robberies in modern movie history, it is also filled with more than a dozen interesting characters with their own goals, motivations, and fears. And, like Army of Thieves, this star-studded crime caper is full of moments in which it looks like they'll be caught and everyone is going back to prison.

Stream Ocean’s Eleven on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Ocean’s Eleven on Amazon.
Buy Ocean’s Eleven on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Italian Job (2003)

When his friend and partner in crime betrays him and his tight-knit group of international thieves, Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) makes it his mission in life to get back at Steve Frazelli (Edward Norton) the only way he knows how: an elaborate heist with revenge and riches up for the taking.

Why it’s worth checking out: Much like Army of Thieves, the 2003 remake of The Italian Job features a story built around a thief finding his way, taking his skills to major cities around the world, and trying to rebound after being double-crossed by one of his partners. What it lacks in the sophistication and grace of the 1969 film of the same name, starring Michael Caine, this F. Gary Gray heist thriller makes up for with loads of great action.

Stream The Italian Job on Cinemax.
Rent/Buy The Italian Job on Amazon.
Buy The Italian Job on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Baby Driver (2017)

Following a series of successful bank robberies, but also a few too many close calls, Baby (Ansel Elgort), a music-obsessed getaway driver, plans to pull off a final job before driving into the sunset with Debora (Lily James), a waitress offering him a shot at redemption. However, Baby’s employer and partners in crime won’t make that an easy task.

Why it’s worth checking out: Edgar Wright’s 2017 crime thriller Baby Driver, like Army of Thieves, centers on a likable protagonist, who, despite being a part of a crime syndicate, never feels like he truly belongs with him and is destined for something greater than a life that bounces from one illegal job to the next. 

Rent/Buy Baby Driver on Amazon.
Buy Baby Driver on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Thief (1981)

A no-nonsense and highly skilled jewel thief named Frank (James Caan) takes on what he thinks will be a series of simple heists when he’s offered a gig with Chicago crime boss Leo (Robert Prosky). But, after a series of successful heists, and favors from his new employer, Frank becomes trapped in the cutthroat mobster’s web, setting in motion a deadly showdown. 

Why it’s worth checking out: One of the best things about Michael Mann’s Thief, besides James Caan’s commanding presence, is the way in which it defies conventional heist movie wisdom, in that Frank, a career perfectionist, never messes up during any of the jobs, and things only go awry because of someone else’s jealousy and betrayal, much like with Ludwig Dieter in Army of Thieves.

Stream Thief on The Criterion Channel.
Buy Thief on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Point Break (1991)

Rookie FBI Agent (and former Ohio State quarterback) Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) goes undercover and infiltrates a group of surfers who bankroll their lifestyle by carrying out a series of bank robberies in the Los Angeles area. While investigating the “Ex-Presidents,” Utah finds himself becoming transfixed by the group’s charismatic leader, Bodhi (Patrick Swayze).  

Why it’s worth checking out: There’s a scene in Army of Thieves in which Alexis Broschini (Stuart Martin) dons a Richard Nixon mask and robs a bank as a distraction for the real heist. This mask, and the brazen bank robbery, have references to Point Break, the “Ex-Presidents,” and their style of intense tactics.

Rent/Buy Point Break on Amazon.
Buy Point Break on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

• Take a look at the best movies on Amazon.

Fast Five (2011)

On the run from multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Diplomatic Security Service and its agent, Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) put together a top-notch team of criminals, thieves, and drivers to pull off a remarkable bank heist in Brazil.

Why it’s worth checking out: Justin Lin’s Fast Five took the Fast and Furious franchise in a new direction upon its release in April 2011 when he turned the series’ focus away from street racing to international heists. With a great balance of story, action, and a tight-knit group of outcasts, it also happens to be one of the best heist films of the past 10 years.

Stream Fast Five on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Fast Five on Amazon.
Buy Fast Five on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Heat (1995)

Following a life of over-the-top, yet successful, bank heists, career criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) plans one final job in downtown Los Angeles that could set him up for the rest of his days. There to prevent him from completing his dream heist is Detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), who does everything he can to track him down and end the robbery before it even begins.

Why it’s worth checking out: If you are a fan of the cat-and-mouse game that plays out during Army of Thieves, you will love the pairing of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Michael Mann’s 1995 epic crime drama, Heat. Like the history shared by Gwendoline Starr (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Delacroix (Jonathan Cohen) in the new Netflix movie, the two figures at the center of this story have a connection that becomes more and more personal at every step.

Stream Heat on Starz.
Rent/Buy Heat on Amazon.
Buy Heat on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Logan Lucky (2017)

Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum), his one-armed brother Clyde (Adam Driver), sister Mellie (Riley Keough), and convict Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) pool together resources, skills, and creativity to pull off an impossible heist at Charlotte Motor Speedway during the middle of the Coca-Cola 600, one of the biggest Nascar races of the year.

Why it’s worth checking out: Steven Soderbergh’s highly-inventive crime comedy, Logan Lucky, like Army of Thieves, perfectly blends together great heists, hilarious encounters, and an extra topping of zaniness that makes it a treat worth revisiting time and time again. And, despite being one of the funniest movies of 2017 it also features some real nail-biters.

Stream Logan Lucky on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Logan Lucky on Amazon.
Buy Logan Lucky on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and a group of outcasts set off an a suicide mission to steal the plans for the Death Star, so that the Rebel Alliance can find a way to destroy the Galactic Empire’s new super weapon before it’s too late.

Why it’s worth checking out: Okay, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story probably isn’t the first movie that comes to mind when you think of a heist film, but at the center of the prequel is a riveting story about a ragtag group of rebel fighters breaking into a heavily-fortified base to steal plans that could forever change the future of the galaxy.

Stream Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on Amazon.
Buy Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Hopefully, each of these movies do the trick when you’re looking for something to check out after watching Army of Thieves.

No, it's not just you, Adam Driver was everywhere in 2019. Actually, Driver has been everywhere since audiences first fell in love with his character, Adam Sackler, on the HBO comedy-drama series Girls way back in 2012. And ever since then, Driver has given us some of the best performances and become one of the most prolific actors of his generation.

It is hard to find a bad movie in Adam Driver's extensive filmography, but it's even harder to narrow down Driver's movies down to the top 10, but we're going to give it our best shot.

10. While We're Young (2014)

Adam Driver had already worked with director Noah Baumbach by the time the two got together for While We're Young in 2014, but the two expanded upon the relationship for their second of four collaborations. And although While We're Young doesn't have the same impact on viewers as Marriage Story would do five years later, this film about a middle-aged couple falling in with a young hipster couple in New York City still has a lot to say in its own right.

This comedy-drama follows the lives of Josh (Ben Stiller) and Cornelia Schrebnick (Naomi Watts), a couple on the rocks, as they meet and become friends with a young couple, Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby Massey (Amanda Seyfried). As Josh and Cornelia grow closer to the young and free couple, they begin to see the real side of Jamie and Darby. Throughout his performance, Driver convincingly brings the stereotypical hipster filmmaker archetype to life in a way that is so infuriating that you can't wait for him to get his comeuppance.

9. Paterson (2016)

By the time Adam Driver wowed audiences and critics alike in Jim Jarmusch's 2016 drama Paterson about a week in the life of a bus driver and poet, he had already become a household name after receiving three consecutive Golden Globe nominations for his role in Girls. Driver would only continue that in his riveting performance of the titular Paterson.

Over the course of a week, the film follows Paterson as he wakes up, goes to work, writes poetry, walks his dog, and goes to his favorite watering hole at night. Although this premise doesn't seem as exciting as some of Driver's later roles, the actor is able to bring so much poignancy and raw emotion to the performance that turns this film into a reflective and contemplative exercise of the human heart. The scenes in which Paterson scribbles down poetry in his tattered notebook become works of art thanks to Driver's performance and great direction by Jarmusch.

8. Frances Ha (2012)

Two years before he was given a larger role in Noah Baumbach's While We're Young, Adam Driver was given a small, yet memorable role in the director's 2012 feature Frances Ha. The film came out less than six months after Driver was introduced to the world on Girls, and was just the beginning of the great things that were to come for the actor.

This short, black and white indie film follows the life of a struggling dancer, Frances Halladay (Greta Gerwig, who also co-wrote the film), as she tries to find a new living arrangement after her roommate and best friend Sophie Levee (Mickey Summer) decides to move from Brooklyn to Tribeca. Over the course of this 86-minute film, Frances briefly meets Driver's character, Lev Shapiro and his roommate Benji (Michael Zegen), which gives us some of the most absurd scenes in the film. Driver so accurately portrays the upper class hipsters of New York as he bounces from one ludicrous conversation to the next.

7. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

In a movie as heart-wrenching and bleak as Inside Llewyn Davis, seeing Adam Driver make a brief appearance as a baritone country western singer by the name of Al Cody comes as nice moment of levity. And though Driver only shows up in one scene of this critically acclaimed film from the Coen brothers, we're still talking about it nearly seven years after the fact.

The film follows a week in the life of struggling folk singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) as he tries to get his life in order while also trying to get his music career to take off. Throughout Inside Llewyn Davis, Davis encounters terrible situation after terrible situation, including the revelation that he could be the father of his friend, Jean Berkey's (Carey Mulligan) unborn child. When Jean tells Davis that he needs to pay for the abortion, he takes a studio gig with Jean's husband Jim Berkey (Justin Timberlake) and Driver's Al Cody for a novelty song. It's hard not to laugh as Cody practices his iconic vocal delivery as the other two musicians have a tense conversation about the song.

6. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)

Prior to the release of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote in 2018, director and screenwriter Terry Gilliam spent nearly 30 years trying to get his adaptation of the classic novel Don Quixote off the ground. Between 1989 and 2018 (the year the film was released), Gilliam cast everyone from Robin Williams to Johnny Depp in the role that eventually went to Adam Driver. But even after filming the long-awaited film, Gilliam's masterpiece wouldn't see the light of day for several years after distribution rights and other legal issues were finally settled upon.

The film centers around Driver's character of Toby, an advertising executive who goes back to the location of a film he shot years ago where he is confronted by an old Spanish shoemaker named Javier (Jonathan Pryce) who is convinced that he is actually the famous character from the novel. Not only does Javier believe he is the real Don Quixote, he is also convinced that Toby is his trusty squire Sancho Panza. What follows is a surreal retelling of the classic novel with as many twists and turns as the original book and its murky history.

5. The Dead Don't Die (2019)

If you were to tell me 10 years ago that before the end of the decade we would have a zombie movie directed by Jim Jarmusch starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloe Sevingy, Tilda Swinton, and Tom Waits I wound't believe you. Despite sounding like one of the most preposterous ideas, that's exactly what we got in the surreal and absurdist take on the zombie genre with The Dead Don't Die.

This movie, which follows several inhabitants of a small town that becomes ground zero for a zombie invasion, is about as polarizing as a zombie movie released in 2019 can get. People either love The Dead Don't Die's tone and multiple examples of breaking the fourth wall, or they hate it. Despite the divisiveness around the movie, one thing is for sure is that Adam Driver absolutely kills his delivery as Officer Ronald Peterson in every scene. There are several lines (talking about the film's theme song and asking Bill Murray's character if he read the script) that are delivered with such a deadpan delivery, it's amazing that Driver got through it without cracking up. If you want to watch an absurd zombie comedy movie, look no further.

4. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Say what you will about Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and there's a lot to say, but no one can take away from the brilliant performance given by Adam Driver as the conflicted Kylo Ren. We were introduced to the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa two years earlier in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but Driver's take Ren as he forms a connection with Rey (Daisy Ridley) does nothing but further expand the character and his motivations.

Besides the attack on his mother's Resistance ship near the beginning of the film, Kylo Ren spends much of the movie trying to connect and form an alliance with Rey, which ultimately leads to the iconic "Throne Room" scene where the two take down Supreme Leader Snoke's Praetorian Guard. But just when it looks like Ren is about to turn away from the dark side, he doubles down and declares that he is the Supreme Leader of The First Order. Following the scene, Ren falls deeper into the dark side as he takes on his uncle and former Jedi master Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). Throughout his entire arc in the film (and series as a whole), we see a certain sadness and degree of pain in Ren's eyes that make us want to root for him, despite his despicable actions.

3. Logan Lucky (2017)

Four months before appearing in Star Wars:The Last Jedi, Adam Driver appeared in Steven Soderbergh's redneck heist film, Logan Lucky. Driver portrays Clyde Logan, a veteran who lost the lower half of his left arm in Iraq, who teams up with his brother, Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) and Joe Bang (Daniel Craig) to rob Charlotte Motor Speedway after Jimmy is fired from a construction company working at the racetrack.

The film is essentially a white trash take on Soderbergh's successful Oceans trilogy, only this time the heist is set in the hills of North Carolina's NASCAR country opposed to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas. The thieves are even dubbed the "Oceans's Seven-Eleven" by the press after they pull of the heist during the Coca-Cola 600 race. To add even more tension to the heist, Clyde has to get sent to prison so that he can help Joe Bang escape prison, pull off the heist, and return to his cell before the guards notice. This section of the movie is just as tense as the heist, if not more.

2. BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Most of the praise from BlacKkKlansman is geared towards the stellar performance by the film's lead John David Washington for his portrayal of real-life African-American Colorado Springs police officer Ron Stallworth who infiltrated and exposed the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, but Adam Driver's portrayal of Philip "Flip" Zimmerman is just as vital to the film's success.

The film really picks up after Stallworth starts a line of communication with the local KKK chapter, which is where Driver's character comes in. Stallworth can talk to the KKK on the phone all he wants, but in order to fully carry out the operation, he has to enlist the help of Zimmerman to handle the face-to-face interactions with the hate group. Zimmerman, who is Jewish, is put in a few tough spots during his multiple meetings with the KKK, including one where they try to make him take a polygraph test to prove he's not Jewish. The movie feels like a comedy in spots, but the situations and messages found throughout paint a disturbing picture of hate groups in America.

1. Marriage Story (2019)

And then there is Marriage Story, the 2019 drama from Noah Baumbach about a married couple going through a divorce on opposite sides of the country. Anchored by performances by Scarlett Johansson as Nicole Barber and Adam Driver as Charlie Barber, this raw and gut-wrenching movie feels all too real in several of its most intense moments.

When I first watched Marriage Story upon its release on Netflix in late 2019, I was taken aback by the performances of its stars portraying the two central characters as they try to keep their family together as it's being ripped apart by outside forces. And although the marriage cannot be salvaged, Nicole and Charlie fight tooth and nail to keep loving one another. This movie will pull out your heart, break it into a million pieces, and then force you to put it back together while wearing a blindfold. There's one scene in particular where you can see Driver and Johansson seem to pull from their own personal failures as their characters have one of the most intense arguments in recent memory.

Do you agree with our list of the best Adam Driver performances, or do you think that something should be added or taken away? Does Star Wars: The Last Jedi deserve to be on this list? Let us know in the comments.

For a while, Hilary Swank had an epic run at the movies. In the late nineties and early 2000s, she earned an Academy Award for her role in Boys Don't Cry and later won a second Oscar for her role in Million Dollar Baby. However, as the 2000s wore on, the actress slowed down from acting a bit, only making a big comeback this past year with roles in Logan Lucky, 55 Steps and now the upcoming Getty-based TV series Trust. The actress recently opened up about her break from acting, noting on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that she spent the time taking care of her dad. She said:

As part of a lengthy segment on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, she explained that she wasn't as prevalent on the big or the small screen for a while because her dad was going through one of the hardest journeys that humans can go through. He had a lung transplant, and survived it, so Hilary Swank spent a lot of time helping her dad recoup. She has appeared in a few projects recently, and will be starring in Trust, which airs on FX later this week.

Although there isn't a gigantic gap in her resume due to the timing of when her projects eventually came out, Hilary Swank also told Stephen Colbert that she took a whopping three years away from acting before ultimately getting back into the business. According to the actress,

She's not the first and she's unlikely to be the last actor to take some time off in Hollywood. Following the release of Red Sparrow, Jennifer Lawrence mentioned she was going to take a year off from acting to pursue other interests; in her case the next year should include working on Represent. Us. She'll also be working on some projects that are already in development, so her year off likely is more of a year off from filming. Other actresses, including Michelle Pfeiffer and Cameron Diaz, have also taking extended time off, for varying reasons.

Now, Hilary Swank seems to be back in fine form. Trust is going to be a limited series over at FX, and early reviews for the project are just starting to roll out. It will hit the schedule on March 25. Plus, CinemaBlend will obviously keep you updated as the actress signs on for more big screen projects. In addition, Swank has What They Had coming later in 2018. For a full look at 2018 movies, check out our guide.

Music has been an integral part of the film medium from the very beginning, with scores accompanying silent features long before the introduction of "talkies" -- and it's been realized time and time again that bonding the perfect song to the right moment can create an incredible magic. Every year we see great examples of this in the greatest movies of the year, and as you might have guessed, 2017 is no exception.

With the year winding down we are looking back on the best that the world of cinema had to offer in the last 12 months, and today we're specifically looking at the realm of movie music moments. There were many remarkable marriages of the mediums featured in 2017, and below and across the next few pages we've highlighted our 10 favorites:

"Bellbottoms" in Baby Driver

Since I started writing this list back in 2009, I've maintained a rule that a film can only have one entry in each annual feature. This has been hard to maintain over the years due to certain music-centric titles, but none have challenged me quite like Edgar Wright's Baby Driver. The whole edit is genius within the way it's synchronized to the soundtrack, and it essentially leaves the feature as one endless movie music moment. Needing to pick a single song, however, I went with the stunning opening provided by the beat of The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's "Bellbottoms." The audience is completely fresh into the story when Ansel Elgort's Baby hits play on his iPod, unleashing this intense jam, and before it's over you know exactly what this brilliant piece of cinema is all about.

"Remember Me" in Coco

Pixar has a long, long legacy of successfully pulling (if not straight up yanking) emotional heartstrings, and it's a tradition maintained by Lee Unkrich's Coco. What makes the new film particularly special within that, however, is the utilization of music. At the end of the movie Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) is desperate to save the soul of Héctor (Gael Garcia Bernal), and the only way to do that is by reminding his great-great-grandmother, Coco, of the song that her father used to sing to her as a child: "Remember Me" (based on music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez). It's beyond touching and uplifting in the Pixar spirit, and the studio's best use of emotion and music since the use of Michael Giacchino's score in the opening of Pete Docter's Up.

"You'll Never Know, Just How Much, I Love You" in The Shape Of Water

The classical sensibilities of Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water are a big part of what make it such a remarkable cinematic experience -- and in few places does that shine greater than the stunning underwater dance set to Alice Faye's "You'll Never Know, Just How Much, I Love You." It's a moment of fantasy within a fantasy story, as we watch the full flood of emotions that Elisa (Sally Hawkins) feels for the Amphibian Man (Doug Jones) erupt, not only in the form of the water filling the small peaceful apartment, but also the beautiful voice that she can't actually produce. It also happens to be a wonderful expression of del Toro's appreciation for golden age cinema, the song originating from 1944's big screen musical Four Jills in a Jeep.

"Father and Son" in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

There are few modern blockbusters where the soundtrack was as hotly anticipated as the film itself, but James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is certainly a perfect example. The writer/director collected a fantastic collection of songs to fuel the action of his first Marvel Studios entry back in 2014, and he didn't disappoint with what he put together for Awesome Mix Vol. 2. And while there are multiple film moments that could have made their way on to this list if featured in a different feature, the true highlight is the use of Cat Steven's "Father and Son." There are few comic book movie moments as genuinely emotional as the Ravager funeral for Michael Rooker's Yondu Udonta, and the somber sounds of Stevens' acoustic guitar is more than enough to make you erupt in tears.

"Redbone" in Get Out

A huge part of what makes Jordan Peele's Get Out so phenomenal as a directorial debut is Peele's adept attention to detail in every single moment of the film. It not only adds to every experience watching it, as you pick up on certain elements that you didn't catch the first time, but more importantly demonstrates the writer/director's skills as a storyteller. Music-wise he has the fantastic work of first-time movie composer Michael Abels regularly heightening tension and drama with his score, but with the introduction of Daniel Kaluuya's Chris is smartly played with Childish Gambino's "Redbone" -- what Peele describes as a "chill groove" on the director's commentary. The first lyrics played, "Stay woke," is an immediate signal to the audience that the protagonist is coming into the story with his eyes open... albeit not fully prepared for what's ahead of him.

"Crash Into Me" in Lady Bird

Dave Matthews Band's "Crash Into Me" is one of those quintessential 1990s song that has aged oddly -- now a track that inspires snorts of contempt whenever it comes on the radio. Its lyrics are seriously mixed up, struggling with a strange balance between romantic and terrifyingly creepy, but still the crooning voice and acoustic riffs have a hypnotizing quality. It certainly adds a nostalgia bent to Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird, featured multiple times as a song unapologetically enjoyed by Saoirse Ronan's titular character, but is equally thematically relevant. The coming of age story has Lady Bird just as twisted up as the message of the music, and it's used perfectly in moments of peer defiance and great sadness for the protagonist.

"Love My Way" in Call Me By Your Name

Like Lady Bird, Luca Guadagnino's Call Me By Your Name is a beautiful coming of age story, crafting a story of young love and heartbreak through the eyes of young Elio (Timothee Chalamet). During a summer of 1983 in Italy, the teenager becomes infatuated with the free-spirited, handsome Oliver (Armie Hammer), who is staying with his family to assist in his father's work. After some brief clashing at the start, the Elio and Oliver start to become close, and it's while watching the latter dance to classic, ultra-'80s new wave ballad "Love My Way" by The Psychedelic Furs in a nightclub that we start to see the former's feelings start to blossom beyond friendship.

"Who's The (Bat)Man" in The LEGO Batman Movie

Batman has been one of the most significant pop culture characters on the big screen in the modern era, but that's a big part of what makes Chris McKay's The LEGO Batman Movie so much fun. It celebrates the incredible legacy of the superhero, even successfully making in-jokes at his expense that the majority of audiences understand. All of this is true about the entire film, but that amazing energy is awesomely distilled in the opening sequence featuring Patrick Stump's "Who's The (Bat)Man." It's not quite the earworm that "Everything Is Awesome" was from the first LEGO Movie, but it perfectly fits a fantastic blast of action featuring basically every villain that the Caped Crusader as battled over the last 78 years.

"Hangin' Tough" in IT

Music can be a powerful cinematic tool when put in skilled hands. With only a couple notes or lyrics, a filmmaker can tell an entire story within a moment. Now, admittedly the presence of New Kids On The Block makes for a running joke in Andres Muschietti's IT, but I want to specifically celebrate the brief clip of "Hangin' Tough." All of two seconds of the song is played when Beverly Marsh (Sophia Lillis) discovers the NKOTB poster hanging in the bedroom of "New Kid" Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), but it perfectly cements a perfect moment between the two characters destined for love. Thanks to the success of IT, their relationship will probably be forever associated with the band, but that just leaves us excited for more boy band moments in the upcoming IT: Chapter 2.

"Take Me Home, Country Roads" in Logan Lucky

No less than six major releases in 2017 utilized the music of John Denver, and while it turns out that is no mere coincidence, one example stands above the rest. It's been 11 years since Little Miss Sunshine used child pageantry to craft a fantastic movie music moment out of Rick James' "Super Freak," and now Steven Soderbergh has used a similar setting to make heartfelt use of John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in Logan Lucky. The fact that the generally unreliable, unlucky Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) makes it to his daughter's performance at the pageant is a key moment for the character in the film, and the tune is sung with love from the stage by young Farrah Mackenzie. You also have to just give it bonus points for using the song and actually being a film set in "almost heaven, West Virginia."

November is a month for tryptophan and parades, but it's also a month for some pretty big home entertainment releases. As the holidays approach, people are looking for stocking stuffers and the major studios are ready to oblige. You can take a look at the myriad movie and TV releases, below, which includes some big stuff from Pixar, some fun releases from Netflix and more. One of the upcoming releases this month is Westworld: The Complete First Season, which means instead of a few weeks before the release of Season 2, fans can pick up the set presumably at least a few months before the show (finally) comes back to HBO.

If you are looking for October's list of DVD and Digital releases, we have you covered. Per usual, Digital releases are the same day as the Blu-ray and Digital, unless otherwise noted in the early Digital column.

Tuesday, November 7 Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Releases

Cars 3

Patti Cake$

The Glass Castle

American Dad! Volume 12

Ingrid Goes West

Heartland

The Crown: The Complete First Season

Westworld: The Complete First Season

Masterpiece Poldark: The Complete Third Season

Gun Shy

Family Guy Season 15

The Limehouse Golem

Killing Ground

Overdrive

The Godfather Trilogy: Omerta Edition

Champion

Week of Tuesday, November 7 Early Digital Releases

Battlecreek (November 3)

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

The Hitman's Bodyguard

Birth of the Dragon

Tuesday, November 14 Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Releases

Atomic Blonde

24: Legacy

Wind River

Doctor Who: The Complete Tenth Series

Preacher: Season One

Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You

The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature

6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain

Amityville: The Awakening

Brigsby Bear

Unlocked

The Secret Scripture

Aquarius

Week of Tuesday, November 14 Early Digital Releases

Logan Lucky

Brigsby Bear

Tulip Fever

Tuesday, November 21 Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Releases

The Hitman's Bodyguard

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Good Time

Leap!

Birth of the Dragon

The Librarians: Season Three

Savage Dog

Lemon

Jungle

Thumper

The Villainess

Mule

The Fall: Series 3

Ryde

Dark Signal

Crown Heights

Beach Rats

Week of Tuesday, November 21 Early Digital Releases

IT

American Assassin

Despicable Me 3

Home Again

The Trip to Spain

Woodshock

Tuesday, November 28 Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Releases

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life

Logan Lucky

Tulip Fever

Lost in Paris

The Defiant Ones

Rememory

Woodshock

I Do Until I Don't

M.F.A.

Super Dark Times

Acts of Vengence

Week of Tuesday, November 28 Early Digital Releases

All Saints

Detroit

If you've seen a glut of movies in 2017, there's a good chance you heard a John Denver song in at least one of them. And while it may seem like a giant coincidence that movies from Alien: Covenant to Okja and Logan Lucky to Kingsman 2 all used a John Denver song this year, there is some method to the madness, and namely it comes in the form of one Brian L. Schwartz. But who is that, you may ask?

Brian L. Schwartz is behind 7S Management, which has managed John Denver's estate since 2010. Over the last few years 7S, which includes Schwartz and his business partner Amy Abrams, have been strategizing to get more of John Denver's music into the popular realm. The two didn't even stand out as obvious choices for the gig at the beginning, according to Yahoo, as their business is more about managing bands than estates. But they were hired by John Denver's children because they had intriguing ideas about how to get Denver's music back into the public consciousness, and that included pitching Denver's stuff when movie studios were looking for tracks from that era.

Still, they were hired over seven years ago, so what took so long for John Denver to be, well, everywhere? Per Brian L. Schwartz, his team helped the Denver estate to switch publishing partners, and those labors are now bearing fruit. He said,

Interestingly, John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" has been used to very memorable effect this year in both Logan Lucky and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. In the former movie--and we're about to get into minor spoilers--Channing Tatum's character, Jimmy Logan, makes it to his daughter's pageant, just in time for her to bolt out the lyrics to his favorite song and get the whole auditorium singing along. Kingsman 2 also uses the song during a big moment, as the lyrics serve as a distraction for some bad guys and a rousing final act for one of the film's major characters.

As for Alien: Covenant and Okja, the former also uses a version of "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and the latter uses "Annie's Song." The circumstances in Okja were a little different because they were a result of Bong Joon-Ho really wanting the track in his Netflix movie, and getting it. But counting it all, there are four big movies harkening back to John Denver this year, and that's not including Denver's music appearing in stuff like Free Fire and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. I gotta say, I don't hate it. To see what movies will or won't feature John Denver in the coming months, take a look at our full premiere schedule.

Anticipation for director Andres Muschietti's IT has been boiling for weeks now, but in the past three days audiences showed Hollywood just how hungry they were for this new Stephen King adaptation. After making a stunning $51 million on Friday alone, the new blockbuster has shattered multiple records, and has immediately become one of the most successful fall releases of all time. Check out the top 10 below!

It was rather amazing to watch the estimates for IT's opening weekend climb over the last few weeks. First it was between $50-60 million. Then it was $85 million. Then came $95 million. Hell, as of mid-Saturday the professional prognosticators were still saying that the horror feature would probably make around $103 million. Now, however, the final figures are in, and they are stunning. The $117 million take is a stunning achievement by itself, but even more amazing when you consider it has an R-rated horror title between released during the fall season.

In the eyes of box office analysts these are all elements that usually ding opening weekend numbers, but IT obviously shattered both expectations and records. It's the most successful horror opening of all time, and the most successful fall opening of all time - and it would be the most successful R-rated opening of all time had Deadpool not set the bar so high in February 2016 making $132 million during its first three days.

The immense success of IT is not only wonderful because Andres Muschietti has made a legitimately great film, but also because the box office news that we've been getting in the last few weeks has been truly dreadful. August was an extremely hard movie month to get through, and you can see it all on display in the rest of the Top 10 that unfolded above (the rest of the weekend's totals in the Top 10 are equal to only about a quarter of IT's take). The Hitman's Bodyguard, which got rough reviews when it was released in mid-August, finally got dethroned from the number one spot after three weeks, and it has still only managed to make $64 million thus far. Spider-Man: Homecoming - which was released in early July - is somehow still holding on to the seventh spot. It's a great thing for the industry to see so many people excited by a new release, and it gives us renewed hope for how the rest of 2017 will play out.

As you can see, the only other new release this week was the Reese Witherspoon-starring romantic drama Home Again, which got absolutely crushed. You get the sense that the film came out hoping that it would attract movie fans who aren't big into the horror scene, but it seems that it didn't take into account that the competition would be a true-blue all-around crowd pleaser. It should be noted that the $9 million take isn't devastating, as it's hard to imagine the feature carrying a huge price tag, but it's performance certainly does look incredibly underwhelming compared to IT's final tally.

Given the strong buzz that IT has, and then fact that it should continue to be watercooler conversation for the next week, there's a strong chance that the new Stephen King movie will put up impressive second week numbers as well. That being said, it does face some interesting competition in the form of Darren Aronofsky's mother! (another critically-acclaimed horror feature), and the Michael Cuesta-directed action thriller American Assassin. We'll be back next week to analyze the aftermath, so we'll catch you then!

This Labor Day weekend is shaping up to be one for the record books... except, it's not the kind of history the studios want to make. Official stats are still rolling in, but so far as the traditional weekend goes, this will be the lowest-grossing Labor Day box office in 12 years, with only one movie reaching double-digit figures in the millions and other films struggling to pad their totals. Here's the rundown:

A quick glance at this weekend's box office chart suggests that not a lot changed. Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds' The Hitman's Bodyguard held on to the top slot of the Top 10, with the horror hit Annabelle: Creation holding on to its second-place finish. The latter has inched closer to $100 million, making it a true late-summer success and a shot in the arm for the Conjuring Cinematic Universe that James Wan is helping Warner Bros. build.

In third place, also very encouraging, is Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen's Wind River, a tense murder mystery from writer/director Taylor Sheridan. The movie took in $5.8 million domestically in its fifth week, because it has been rolling out into more theaters, building on buzz and capitalizing on the fact that people know Sheridan from his previous films, Sicario and the exquisite Hell or High Water. Wind River currently has $18M in the bank on a reported $11M budget, a tidy win for The Weinstein Company.

Beyond the top three, there wasn't much change, with movies like Logan Lucky, Dunkirk and even Spider-Man: Homecoming holding on to the same slots that they had the week before. Marvel and Sony's Spider-Man movie is doing much better than the Amazing movies in the States, coasting well above $300M at the box office and showing impressive legs. Wonder Woman, meanwhile, pushed its massive cume to $408.9M with and additional $1.9M over the holiday weekend.

There were a few unusual blips at the box office that bear note. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind returned to select theaters and notched $1.8M in 901 locations. Also, the upcoming Marvel television show Inhumans tested its waters on IMAX before being available on ABC, which is a lot more than I expected people to pay for a show that they'll be able to watch for free. And after botching the marketing campaign, Weinstein finally unveiled the steamy romance Tulip Fever, with Alicia Vikander risking her marriage in order to screw Dane DeHaan. But audiences didn't turn up, as the Fever only banked $1.2M in 765 theaters. Not terrible. But not good. Which kinds up sums up this entire box office weekend, in a nutshell.

In Hollywood, certain actors get known for certain sorts of roles. Once an actor shows a particular skill or affinity for a certain type of performance, it makes sense to put that actor back into a similar position. It's a sure thing and trying something new doesn't always work.

Actors, for the most part, don't like this, as it keeps them in a box and doesn't let them try new things. Every once in a while, an actor is given a chance to shine by doing something new. A lot of the time, all this does is remind us why these actors only play particular roles. Sometimes, however, an actor shows up in the last role you'd expect them to take, and absolutely nails it. Here are 10 times actors blew us away by trying something we never saw coming.

Daniel Craig, Logan Lucky

Most people probably weren't all that familiar with Daniel Craig as an actor before he was tapped to be the new James Bond. If you had seen him before, it was likely in a movie like Layer Cake. For this reason, it was surprising to see him pop up in the recent Steven Soderbergh heist movie Logan Lucky, playing a southern, bank-robbing convict with a penchant for explosives. If we hadn't ever seen Craig before, we would have assumed that's who he was. He's the highlight of Logan Lucky and now we want to see what else he can do.

Jim Carrey, The Truman Show

While Jim Carrey has made a wide variety of films by this point in his career, back in 1998, he was really only known for ridiculous over-the-top comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Those films fell in line with the work he'd done on television as part of the sketch comedy show In Living Color. This is why nobody knew quite what to expect when he stepped out of that comfort zone for the first time in The Truman Show. The surreal drama had none of the slapstick humor we expected from the actor, and yet, he was absolutely perfect in the role. This opened several new doors for Carrey as a bona-fide Movie Star.

Robin Williams, One Hour Photo

Similar to Jim Carrey, there was a time when Robin Williams was known strictly for comedy. His frenetic personality lent itself perfectly to movies and TV shows that just had you laughing until you hurt. He surprised us a lot as he began to shift to more dramatic films like Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting, where he won an Academy Award. However, that shift wasn't nearly as impressive as the one he made in One Hour Photo. Playing a photo developer who develops an unhealthy obsession with his customers, Williams wasn't just surprisingly serious, he was terrifying.

Charlize Theron, Monster

Charlize Theron has been stunning audiences throughout her career. It's no surprise that she's often cast as the femme fatale or in some other role that has sex appeal as a key component. However, for her Oscar-winning turn in Monster, the actress didn't just change the sort of role she played, she changed everything about her. Theron was unrecognizable in the role of a serial killer, which may have helped audiences look past the actress and see the performance to be something truly special. We haven't seen her do anything like it since.

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Your first exposure to Heath Ledger could have come from a few different places. Perhaps you knew him from the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You, or maybe you saw him in A Knight's Tale or Brokeback Mountain. Whatever sort of film you used to associate with Heath Ledger, nobody knew what to expect when he was cast as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Few people probably expected the performance we got. The fact that nobody saw it coming is half the reason Ledger's role has become so iconic, even in such a short time. The Joker has been around for decades, but now everybody who takes on the role is competing with Heath Ledger

Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Jonah Hill made his name working in comedies written by the likes of Judd Apatow and starring the likes of Seth Rogen. As such, Hill became associated throughout his early career not simply with comedy, but with a particular brand of comedy. This made his role in Moneyball a stand-out moment for the young actor. Hill plays a Yale-educated math nerd, and if anything, he's the straight man when paired with Brad Pitt. Moneyball earned Hill his first Oscar nomination, which was well deserved. It also started him on a path toward other films that have also earned him award nominations.

Emma Watson, The Bling Ring

Emma Watson spent a decade of her life making a single film franchise, so in this case Watson wasn't simply known for a single type of role, but in fact a single role, Hermione Granger. A couple years after the Harry Potter franchise wrapped, Watson took a part which was about as far from the family friendly Hermione as you could get. In The Bling Ring, Watson played a character at the center of a group of Hollywood thieves who broke into the homes of celebrities. Everybody loves Hermione, but Watson proved she could play a role that's utterly detestable, as well.

Steve Carell, Foxcatcher

Steve Carell found his way to the public eye on The Daily Show and so it would make sense that when he made the leap to film, he started out in comedies. We expect to see him in movies like the 40-Year-Old Virgin or adding his voice to the Despicable Me franchise. What we don't expect to see him do is play a psychotically obsessed wrestling coach who becomes a murderer in Foxcatcher. Carell's role as John du Pont not only isn't funny, it's truly chilling. It's not that we didn't believe the actor was capable, we just never thought we'd see it.

Cameron Diaz, Being John Malkovich

We're not sure that anybody in Being John Malkovich is really playing to type, as a Charlie Kaufman movie is pretty much the definition of unusual. However, while everybody else in the cast had certainly been in their share of offbeat films before, Cameron Diaz was probably the last person we would think of for the role she played. Diaz had done all sorts of comedies up to this point, and while Being John Malkovich probably still technically counts, it's a bizarre sort of humor. Her character is as far from the romantic comedy sex appeal we were used to seeing as possible. She was plain and more than a little odd. She was perfect.

Michael Keaton, Clean and Sober

While Michael Keaton has made his name in just about every sort of movie imaginable at this point, in the late 1980s his movies all had the same thing in common -- comedy. From Mr. Mom to Johnny Dangerously, Keaton made some really funny movies. Before Keaton surprised us by being Batman, however, he surprised us by playing a drug addict who struggles to make his way out of addiction. It was the last thing in the world we expected from the actor at the time, but it was a harbinger of things to come, such as the number of amazing dramatic roles he's played recently.

Patrick Hughes' The Hitman's Bodyguard is one of only a small number of movies in summer 2017 to own the box office for two weekends in a row - but looking at the numbers that Hollywood put up in the last three days, there is nothing to be proud of here. Check out the full rundown in the chart below.

I'm afraid to report that your eyes are definitely not deceiving you here. While it's customary for at least a few movies in the Top 10 to make more than $10 million in one weekend, this weekend saw only one title hit that mark. The result is a historically low box office, the likes of which, according to Box Office Mojo, we have not seen since September 2001. This is what happens when there aren't any new exciting movies arriving in local cinemas.

Rather than being dethroned by either Leap! or Birth of the Dragon, The Hitman's Bodyguard managed to hold on to its number one spot during its second week with a not-great 53 percent drop. That brings it's total domestically to $39.6 million - which at least must be nice for investors, given that the whole thing reportedly cost $30 million to make. Clearly its not a big money maker, but it's also definitely not a flop.

To go back to those new releases, Leap! is at least keeping some consistency during the summer 2017 season, as it's yet another example of a disappointing animated feature this year. Most of the underwhelming titles to date have been sequels, including Cars 3, The Smurfs: The Lost Village, and The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature, but still the new movie fits right in with The Emoji Movie (which you can now see slipping off the Top 10 after dropping three spots in one week). Leap! hardly earned any excitement with reviews - as it stands with a 37% on Rotten Tomatoes with only 41 reviews registered - but apparently it has definitely won over the people who actually went to go see it. According to CinemaScore, audiences actually gave it an "A."

Hanging out with a "B" CinemaScore, Birth of the Dragon also didn't exactly inspire audiences to run out and buy tickets. The kung fu film, which is a fictional biopic of sorts about Bruce Lee, certainly didn't have a very high budget - but it's hard to imagine anyone being super happy with its opening weekend numbers. Even if this was a found footage movie made for pennies, nobody is walking away happy with a $2.5 million take over three days (that's only $1,546 per theater).

Thankfully, the cinematic doldrums of August are coming to an end this week - but I'm sad to report that we have yet another crazy bland weekend of new releases coming up. While we will see the arrival of IT, mother!, and Kingsman: The Golden Circle in coming weeks, this Friday we will see the arrival of the Michael Apted-directed thriller Unlocked, and Justin Chadwick's period drama Tulip Fever. Stop by next Sunday to see how it all shakes out!

Steven Soderbergh came out of retirement to helm Logan Lucky, and the moment should have been met with some more fanfare than what we got this past weekend. Anyone who knows the story of Logan Lucky's production knows that this was an odd duck of a film in terms of how it got made. Even more absurd is the fact that the bar the film had to theoretically cross to become a success was absurdly low. So why the hell is Logan Lucky's supposed failure so upsetting, and why is it such an important hill to fight on? Quite simply, because it signals some grim stuff for the future of Hollywood, now that we see the results of Soderbergh's experiment.

This ode to Americana, NASCAR, and thievery was supposed to represent "getting it right," and proving that if a filmmaker who's versed in what they're doing has top-to-bottom control of the machine, it'll produce something fans are more likely to see. By making a movie that isn't tampered with by studio hands at all, and by someone who's been proven to please the masses (see Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's trilogy as an example), this was to be the future for auteurs who want to step outside of the tentpole factory and make something personal. (Read this piece in the L.A. Times for more details on how Soderbergh circumvented the Studio System in getting Logan Lucky into theaters.) In turn, this could have inspired other projects that would push the boundaries of independent filmmaking, and create a more diversified portfolio of films that play like a blockbuster, but are made for so much less.

But, with no one showing up for Logan Lucky on opening weekend, the question left lingering in the air is, "Why bother with an experiment like Logan Lucky if nobody will see it?" While there's no sleep to be lost over losing money, as Soderbergh made similar deals that Valerian and The City of a Thousand Planets had with shoring up its production costs ahead of time, it's the lack of profit that will undoubtedly put future _Logan Lucky-_type projects on the "maybe" pile. Let's face it, despite franchise tankers like Transformers: The Last Knight and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the tentpole business is still healthy and kicking. Wonder Woman proved that, and even before the summer had begun, Disney cashed a huge check named Beauty and the Beast, which happens to still be the top-grossing film of the year. So if you want to keep seeing remakes and sequels, you're fine. But if you want to see filmmakers let loose like they did in Logan Lucky, you're probably going to have to wait for a little.

Surely, Steven Soderbergh won't let it push him off course, as he's only in it to make his own movies the way he wants to, and sell them the way he feels they should be sold. But there's one big problem: who's going to distribute the films for him? Bleecker Street is a smaller studio, and while they surely have no problem releasing smaller films, if they don't see a healthy enough return to entice them to come back, that's more money that Soderbergh will have to shell out to distribute. This could lead to smaller distribution next time out, which will only kill the chances of making a profit even further. If Logan Lucky was deemed a failure, then anything less than that will surely be seen as abysmal, confining Steven Soderbergh to a reputation of indie flops.

It's hard not to think that thanks to the third place finish for Logan Lucky, there's a chance we'll lose Steven Soderbergh to retirement again. Even worse, we'll probably be seeing less risky films of its ilk. Movies come and go, but voices like the one that brought us sex, lies and videotape, The Limey, and Ocean's Eleven, are hard to come by. To movie fans who wanted to see this film succeed, bringing more vibrant and out-there films to the multiplex, this is frustrating as anything. But to the studios that are more concerned with bringing in record-breaking profit drivers, this news couldn't be better. Which is a real shame, because if a major studio was partnered with Soderbergh, with even just a slightly higher profile ad campaign throughout the summer, this could have been a more successful film that could have helped the studio system reform their image. Everyone could have won, and now, that possibility feels even further from our collective grasp.

What can you, the potential fans of truly independent filmmaking, do? Well, you can go see Logan Lucky in theaters now, and throw some dough to the good ol' boys trying to knock over the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Or, you could see anything else, and just try to block out how a really fun flick with Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig, and an assortment of other fine folks may have died on the vine. It's all up to you, folks.

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Though it feels like it only just started, summer 2017 has finally begun to draw to a close. The last three months saw a wave of movies debut in theaters, and now that the dust has settled, we can finally see which films emerged victorious and which films fell flat. On that note, we have gone through this summer's offerings to make sense of the winners and losers. Take a look at our compilation, and make sure to let us know what lessons Hollywood can glean from this season in the comments section below!

Winner: Patty Jenkins

In terms of accolades and box office staying power, this summer almost certainly belongs to Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins. Diana Prince's solo movie has made historic amounts of money, and many people are even calling for Jenkins to get Oscar recognition when awards season rolls around. That is pretty good when we consider how heavily the odds seemed stacked against Wonder Woman and the DCEU before Jenkins' film debuted. Beyond that, she proved herself as a shrewd negotiator in her deal to direct Wonder Woman 2, which will ultimately see her become the most highly paid female director in Hollywood.

Loser: Steven Soderberg

Steven Soderbergh completely shattered the mold and threw out the pieces with the Southern-themed heist romp Logan Lucky. The film was a creative gamble at almost every step, as Soderbergh sidestepped the traditional studio and distribution model to release the movie almost completely independently -- which required his A-list cast to take fairly substantial pay cuts just to make the film work. Alas, if we are to go by the movie's opening weekend, it does not look like the gamble paid off, as Logan Lucky ultimately disappointed when it finally made its debut in theaters.

Winner: DC

Although DC only released one movie this summer (compared to Marvel's two), it was a doozy. Wonder Woman came in like a wrecking ball when it premiered on June 9, and the film has made an astonishing amount of money throughout its theatrical run -- to say nothing of its widespread critical accolades. However, Wonder Woman isn't the only reason why DC has had a great summer; the DC slate unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con came packed to the brim with great projects (such as The Flash: Flashpoint), and it shows that the DCEU seems to be moving in a solid direction.

Loser: Phil Lord And Chris Miller

Although Lucasfilm didn't release a Star Wars movie this summer, there's still been some turbulence in the galaxy far, far away. The issues began earlier this summer when Phil Lord and Chris Miller stepped down as the directors of the Han Solo movie, which reportedly stemmed from their heavy emphasis on improv on the set, and an overly comedic tone that didn't mesh with Lucasfilm's vision for the project. The project itself seems to be back on track with Ron Howard in charge, but this has handily turned into one of the summer's biggest debacles.

Winner: Diversity

The concept of diversity in film has existed as a hot button issue for years, but this summer showed how studios could embrace representation and monetize it for some serious success. Although comedies generally didn't perform all that well this summer, the two standouts were How To Be A Latin Lover (which, as the title suggests, centers on a Latino lead), and Girls Trip (which stars a predominately black female cast). Couple that with the success of Wonder Woman, a female-drive superhero movie, and it makes a compelling case for the success of diverse ensembles and protagonists on film.

Loser: Movie Stars

Big names will almost always carry box office clout, but summer 2017 was not a great time for actors that we traditionally associate with the phrase "movie star." Big name stars like Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise and Dwayne Johnson all found themselves at the forefront of some serious financial duds (at the domestic box office, at least) while films with newer faces like Gal Gadot and Tom Holland made some significant money with American audiences. It could just be an off year, but it certainly raises a debate over whether or not a name alone can still sell a film in the United States.

Winner: Self-Contained Stories

Despite the fact that cinematic universes continue to thrive and create some truly fantastic stories, summer 2017 saw a huge boom in the success of self-contained stories -- which seems like a continuation of Logan's success earlier this year. Movies like Wonder Woman and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 take place in existing cinematic universes, but directors Patty Jenkins and James Gunn both kept their films at arm's length from the DCEU and Marvel Cinematic Universe, respectively. The distance seems to have paid off, and it's becoming clear that audiences still like stories with real beginnings, middles and endings.

Loser: Franchise Starters

While self-contained stories saw a big boom in summer 2017, potential franchise starters mostly fell flat. That trend kicked off early with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, and then truly showed itself with the release (and domestic failure) of The Mummy. While we are still going to get more films out of the Dark Universe, the critical misstep of Alex Kurtzman's monster movie appears to have shown us the very real folly of trying to lay too much groundwork in an unestablished universe before fans have even really demonstrated that they want it to become a reality.

Winner: Superhero Movies

We basically had to see this one coming. It's been well over a decade since Nolan reinvigorated the comic book movie genre with Batman Begins, and the adventures of Marvel and DC heroes continue to reign supreme as Hollywood's top cash cow. Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming all made commendable money this summer, and trailers dropped for upcoming projects (like Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League) that only continue to promise great things for the future of silver screen superheroes. People often talk about fatigue in this genre, but we don't see too many signs of it yet.

Loser: Most Other Franchises

Franchises inspired by the world of comic books may have done very well this summer, but most other tentpole film series didn't fare so well. From Transformers: The Last Knight to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the critical or commercial (and sometimes both) performances of these blockbuster franchises seems to point to a growing sense of stagnation. We don't anticipate franchises going anywhere anytime soon (they've been a Hollywood staple since the earliest days of Star Wars), but it looks like we may be seeing a fundamental shift in audience preferences and tastes.

Winner: Indie Films

Although some moviegoers have lamented the apparent decline of the small to medium-sized movie in recent years, summer 2017 seemed to show that the small-scale indie still has plenty of gas left in the tank. Movies like The Big Sick and Baby Driver premiered to widespread critical acclaim, and both films made handsome sums of money relative to their scope. Even in a world where Batman and Iron Man continue to dominate the overall zeitgeist, this summer made it fairly clear that intimate stories can still survive (and sometimes thrive) when handled correctly on the silver screen.

Loser: Animation

We all knew that 2016 would be a tough act to follow in the realm of animated movies, but nobody could've anticipated how weak summer 2017 would be when the rubber hit the road. From Cars 3 to Despicable Me 3 (and even some movies that weren't threequels), the animated genre seldom found any real opportunities to wow us this summer, and the positively reviewed films (such as Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie) didn't live up to the standard of last year's standouts like Finding Dory. Hope remains high for fall and winter to deliver, but summer was a letdown.

Winner: Horror Movies

Horror movies have generally been on a massive upward swing over the course of the last few years, and this summer really drove that idea home. Between the critical success of art-house thriller It Comes At Night, the amazing financial strength of shark thriller 47 Meters Down and the out and out blockbuster opening of David F. Sandberg's Annabelle: Creation, the world of monsters, demons and serial killers has proven incredibly fruitful for Hollywood this year. If you're one of those people who likes to get scared, then there doesn't seem to be any reason to worry.

Loser: Comedies

In stark contrast to the success of the horror genre in summer 2017, many of the comedies released within the last few months have not necessarily lived up to their star power. Films like Baywatch, Rough Night and Snatched all made money, but they barely cleared their budgets at the domestic box office -- which is not something that we expect from films driven by Dwayne Johnson, Scarlett Johansson and Amy Schumer. Last year provided moviegoers with the unexpected blockbuster success of Bad Moms, but arguably no broad appeal comedy released this summer has managed to match that level of fanfare.

This weekend's big new releases were all about laughs, but one of the two titles managed to do much more business than the other. Patrick Hughes' The Hitman's Bodyguard toppled Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky. See the full rundown of the Top 10 in the chart below!

The Hitman's Bodyguard, which sees a trained guardian (Ryan Reynolds) try to protect a professional assassin (Samuel L. Jackson), did not get a ton of love from critics, but it still managed to get enough butts in seats to take the number one spot this weekend. Unfortunately, it's not much of a crown, as this was easily one of the weakest box office showings we've seen in 2017, with the Top 12 movies grossing only $81.5 million (for comparison, the release of Beauty and the Beast back in mid-March saw that particular weekend's Top 12 gross rise to $253.5 million). Only two movies managed to make eight-figure sums, and even Annabelle: Creation still fell off 55 percent following its strong start.

If we want to see a silver lining in this result, it's that people at least did seem to respond well to The Hitman's Bodyguard. The new number one movie was entirely sold on the expected chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, and those that went to go watch it were apparently happy with what they saw (it received a "B+" grade according to CinemaScore). As for the business side of things, the film was reportedly only made for $29 million, so it's on a good track towards making a profit. It will be curious to see how the feature winds up working internationally, as the jokes may not wind up fully translating, but it's possible that the action will.

Sadly, there are fewer positive things we can say about the results for Logan Lucky, as apparently the movie gods had the opposite fate in mind for the southern fried heist feature. The film marks the big screen return of Steven Soderbergh, who "retired" after 2013's Side Effects, and it has received some of the most positive reviews of the year, and yet apparently only few felt compelled to buy a ticket at their local theater. Having the same reported budget as The Hitman's Bodyguard, it looks like it will have a harder road to walk while aiming towards making a profit - but the good news is that buzz and names like Steven Soderbergh, Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Daniel Craig will help give it legs in the long term and hopefully ultimately make it a success.

With seven of the Top 10 movies at the box office only making between $3 and $7 million this weekend, there aren't really any more standout performances to analyze, but what is depressing to see is just how fast The Dark Tower is fading. Stephen King fans spent decades hoping for an epic blockbuster worthy of the material being adapted, but after just three weeks it looks like the would-be blockbuster is ready to already drop out of the rankings (it's never great to drop five spots in a single week). The $41.6 million that its made domestically is bolstered by the $30.2 million its made in foreign markets, but it's still hard to call any of it good news.

Being trapped in the cinematic doldrums that is August, unfortunately we can't tell you that we have any box office fireworks coming up in the near future. This week will see the wide release of the animated Leap!, the Bruce Lee-centered Birth of the Dragon, and the religion-themed All Saints - and we will be back next Sunday to analyze how the rumble goes down.

After a four year absence from the big screen, Steven Soderbergh is back in the director's chair with a real crowd pleaser. Logan Lucky offers a heist comedy with a finger on the pulse of America's heartland. Set against a blue collar backdrop and boasting an immensely strong ensemble cast, Logan Lucky is Ocean's Eleven by way of Bruce Springsteen's driving "Johnny 99".

Channing Tatum's Jimmy Logan is a kindhearted but down-on-his-luck blue collar guy who just wants to be a good dad to his adorable little girl. Unfortunately, she's now spending most of her time with his ex-wife and her new husband (pitch perfect character role performances from Katie Holmes and David Denham). When Jimmy, through no fault of his own, loses another job, he decides to use inside information to pull a heist at North Carolina's Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Jimmy, we learn, comes from a famously unlucky family, or so the saying around town goes. By his side are his loyal siblings, Clyde and Mellie. Adam Driver plays the former, channeling his inner Tim Blake Nelson as a one-handed Iraq vet turned bartender. Riley Keough plays the latter, with a supporting performance that begs for significantly more screen time. From there, the Logans build out a team of good old boy criminals, including one performance from Daniel Craig that's so good, you barely even recognize him in the role. His Joe Bang is so funny, he's one of the chief reasons Logan Lucky is probably going to to be remembered for some time to come.

Sure, Logan Lucky delves into a few clichéd moments now and then, but Steven Soderbergh reminds us that's he's ultimately very good at clichés. The director's own Ocean's Eleven is very much a roadmap (it's even directly referenced in this new film), with NASCAR and Coca-Cola standing in for the simultaneous god and monster that was Las Vegas in his Ocean's trilogy. Stacking the deck with a lot of familiar faces (this is Channing Tatum's fourth film with him), Soderbergh and his cast aren't afraid to have fun, and the feeling ends up being contagious.

Certain to illicit Coen brother comparisons (Steven Soderbergh explains on the Ocean's Eleven commentary track that Joel and Ethan Coen were actually considered to play the 2001 film's Malloy Brothers), Logan Lucky also touches on themes from throughout Soderbergh's filmography. The economic strife that served as the backdrop for his Depression-era drama King of the Hill (itself centering on a pair of brothers) is still depressingly present 100 years later. It's just now set in a world that has a whole lot more in common with Mike Judge's King of the Hill.

Logan Lucky also has something in common with Edgar Wright's Baby Driver when it comes to sleek southern charm. It similarly benefits from an excellent sense of pacing and a story that keeps revealing inspired new talent throughout. Some characters play much larger roles than others, but just about everyone gets a memorable moment, be it Seth MacFarlane as an obnoxious racing sponsor, Dwight Yoakam as an unpleasant prison warden or Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice) as a woman who, tellingly, represents a hopeful dream of both love and affordable healthcare.

While there was a lot of media focus on Soderbergh's retirement from the big screen a few years ago, the Academy Award-winning director also didn't really go anywhere. He followed Side Effects with the TV movie Behind the Candelabra and directed all 20 episodes of the early 1900s medical drama The Knick.

Meta-heist or no, Logan Lucky is nevertheless a straight up good time at the movies. It's a slice of American apple pie. While some might grumble that they've had better, or that apple pie itself is just too ordinary, anyone in the mood for a fun cinematic treat should very much like the taste of this one. Also, thanks to quite a few phenomenal performances and a clever screenplay with some neat twists and turns, they'll likely be back for seconds.

Few modern celebrities have experienced career trajectories quite as bizarre and interesting as Channing Tatum. The former male stripper (both in real life and on the silver screen) has graduated to the A-list in a major way, and his resume seems to become increasingly eclectic with each passing year. So how does Tatum go about deciding which jobs to take? As it turns out, his daughter plays a pivotal role in the Logan Lucky actor's decision to pick (or not pick) a project. Per Tatum:

We're sure the money helps, but it's not all about that for him -- at least not anymore. When seemingly surefire hits like Jupiter Ascending and G.I. Joe: Retaliation did not turn out the way that he assumed they would, he apparently had to take a long hard look at the roles offered to him and decide which ones were worth being away from his family for months at a time. This transition in Channing Tatum's career seems to have occurred roughly four years ago, and you guessed it, that pretty much coincides with the birth of his daughter.

You can certainly see the DNA of this idea if you look at Channing Tatum's filmography from the last few years. Between roles in films like The Coen Brothers' Hail, Caesar!, Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight, Steven Soderbergh's Magic Mike, and his upcoming reunion with Soderbergh for Logan Lucky, it seems that he has endeavored to avoid pigeonholing himself in a particular archetype or character. As a result, Tatum hasn't necessarily maintained a consistent presence as a leading man in recent years, but he has continuously delivered scene-stealing performances as a character actor.

Oddly enough, Channing Tatum's bigger upcoming projects also appear to have taken ample inspiration from the mentality described in his interview with EW. When CinemaBlend caught up with the actor at San Diego Comic-Con to ask him about the development of his long-dormant Gambit solo movie, he revealed that the success of movies like Deadpool and Logan fundamentally shifted the focus of Gambit's behind-the-scenes evolution. Instead of a more traditional blockbuster in line with the average, ensemble-oriented X-Men films, it now looks like he has opened the door to a smaller and more off-kilter approach to his standalone superhero film. One thing seems pretty clear at this point: Tatum knows how to take risks and make them work in his favor, so that's something to get excited about.

Make sure to catch Channing Tatum alongside Adam Driver and Daniel Craig in Logan Lucky, which opens in theaters today; then check him out again next month when Kingsman: The Golden Circle debuts on September 22.

Can you feel the summer sprinting toward a finish line with all of the major blockbusters behind us? That's not to say what's hitting the big screen is all bad, but the seasonal hype has definitely ebbed. This week we get Steven Soderbergh's return and a buddy action movie. Get ready for The Hitman's Bodyguard and Logan Lucky. It's gonna be a Rotten Week!

Just remember, I'm not reviewing these movies, but rather predicting where they'll end up on the Tomatometer. Let's take a look at This Rotten Week has to offer.

What do you get when you put together a one-armed bartender, his simpleton brother, and an escaped demolition man in a mission to rob a huge NASCAR motor speedway? You get the glorious return to the big screen for Steven Soderbergh! Logan Lucky will be Soderbergh's first feature in the director's chair since 2013's Side Effects (83%). And along with Magic Mike (81%) and Haywire (80%), it's his third collaboration with Channing Tatum.

In true Soderbergh fashion, Logan Lucky's cast is awesome from top to bottom. Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Katie Holmes, Seth McFarland and more round out what looks to be an Ocean's Eleven heist flick gone redneck, replete with laughs, action and fantastic visuals. With 22 reviews in already, the flick is sitting at a solid 100%. I don't see that score coming down much considering how glowing most critics are all in on the lightweight and fun feel of the film. It's Soderbergh back doing what he does best with a great cast to boot.

In what mostly looks like an opportunity for Samuel L. Jackson to set a new record for most times using the word "Motherfucker," and Ryan Reynolds to uphold his snarky/likable demeanor, The Hitman's Bodyguard hits the screens this week. Reynolds is a by-the-book bodyguard tasked with protecting Jackson's "Best Hitman in the World" persona against a bunch of people shooting at them. It looks very light on story and mostly an excuse for joke-cracking between the two, with a bunch of shit blowing up in the background. I'm on board, but I'm getting the sense the bulk of critics won't be.

While it likely has an overall generic feel to it (the trailer didn't provide a single thing of substance), it should appeal to fans of the two actors. They appear to just play themselves while holding guns and cursing at each other. Director Patrick Hughes has a hit and a miss in the action department with Red Hill (78%) and The Expendables 3 (32%). This latest looks like it's going to trend more toward the latter, with it sitting at 50% on the Tomatometer with ten reviews posted. I expect it to drop some over the course of the week, even though I do think there's a core group of viewers who will love this thing.

The Rotten Watch went two for three last time around. _Annabelle: Creation _(Predicted: 78% Actual: 68%) just made the cut, and comes in with a solid score for a horror film. There's a lot of ways this genre can go awry, but coming in close to 70% has to be considered a huge win for the third movie in the franchise. Or the prequel to the prequel.

Meanwhile, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature (Predicted: 10% Actual: 11%) sucked as expected. This struck me merely as a cash grab aimed at kids whose parents don't have the time or inclination to read the reviews of the first in the series. Let's hope we don't see The Nut Job 3: Nut-orious (or some equally awful name).

And finally, The Glass Castle (Predicted: 67% Actual: 50%) missed with many critics, underwhelming as a film adaptation of the best-selling memoir by Jeannette Walls. Those who panned it thought the film didn't strike the same emotional chords as the book, and had a hard time reconciling some of the characters you were meant to "root" for. Not a terrible flick, but I expected the score to be quite a bit higher.

Next time around we've got All Saints, Birth of the Dragon and Leap. It's gonna be a Rotten Week!

August is, technically, the last month of summer movie season, so things tend to move a little slower. That being said, there are still a handful of exciting films that are coming our way in the month that herald the eleventh hour of summer vacation. Some look intense, others look like good fun, and all are ready for your hard earned movie dollar to purchase a ticket and enjoy their wares.

If you'd like to relive July's spin 'round the wheel, you can go back to last month's new movie listing here. But if you're ready for a fresh batch of popcorn, then follow us into the showroom for a look at the biggest offerings August has to offer.

The Dark Tower

The film we know as The Dark Tower is an interesting animal in and of itself. While it's technically a sequel to the Stephen King series of novels, it's also going to obviously tie into the mythology of the world that came before. So while fans are worried about all of those concerns, it looks like there's still a fun action movie hiding behind the cloud that's preemptively surrounded this film. It's a good thing it's one of this month's first films, as we're excited to see where this goes.

Opening: Friday, August 4th

Kidnap

If you're looking to jazz up your career, nothing says excitement like a high speed action thriller! Much like Liam Neeson before her, Halle Berry is ready to kick some ass and take some names, as Kidnap sees her fighting to get her son back. Not only that, but this could be the movie that makes the best case for a minivan as a tactical weapon of speed and ferocity. Ok, so maybe that's just a little too much, but in any case, it looks like Berry's ready to give it her all to get her on-screen son back, and that could make for a fun Saturday afternoon at the movies.

Opening: Friday, August 4th

Detroit

At this point of the year, awards season starts to linger on the mind. Dunkirk may be one of the first best picture contenders, but Detroit looks ready to give it a run for its money. Kathryn Bigelow's historical drama recounts the true story of a harrowing incident of police brutality during the Detroit riots in 1967. With a top notch cast that includes Anthony Mackie, Will Poulter and John Boyega, the film's intensity looks to come, in equal parts, from both the cast and the source material. Score another awards contender to keep an eye out for.

Opening: Friday, August 4th

Annabelle: Creation

The Conjuring universe is still growing, and apparently folks weren't satisfied with just one helping of Annabelle, as Annabelle: Creation is just waiting to be unwrapped by the moviegoing public. Call us crazy, but this sequel actually looks pretty spooky. In fact, we'd even say it looks scarier than the first film, and that was still pretty creeptastic. We could have another Oujia: Origin of Evil on our hands, as this sequel looks like it's ready to blow its predecessor out of the water.

Opening: Friday, August 11th

The Glass Castle

Another film that's looking to make an early run at positive Oscar buzz is The Glass Castle, which is based on the heartbreaking memoir written by Jeanette Walls about her tumultuous childhood and her confrontation of such events as an adult. Reuniting Short Term 12's director, Destin Daniel Cretton, and star, Brie Larson, is just the beginning of the incredible roster of talent, as Woody Harrelson and Naomi Watts are also part of the film, playing the Walls' family parents. Larson, naturally, plays Jeanette, and it looks like she just might get her second Oscar for this film, if the trailer is any indication. Hopefully the Academy, and audiences far and wide, have plenty of Kleenex to watch this one with.

Opening: Friday, August 11th

The Hitman's Bodyguard

Every now and then, a movie comes along that looks like it was made just for the internet's pleasure. The Hitman's Bodyguard looks like the latest film to hold that honor, as the pairing of Samuel L. Jackson and Ryan Reynolds looks to be just what the comedy doctor ordered. Two of the most meme-worthy action heroes are ready to try and deliver more bang for the buck, as Reynolds has to protect Jackson as he attempts to testify in a high profile court case. Naturally, chaos and laughter ensue.

Opening: Friday, August 18th

Logan Lucky

Steven Soderbergh's unique brand of comedy is something we're always up for, and Logan Lucky looks like it's going to be everything we'd dreamed his return to be. With Channing Tatum and Adam Driver plotting to steal tons of money from Charlotte Motor Speedway, there's the heist angle that we've always known and loved Soderbergh for. But with a supporting cast that includes Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank and Daniel Craig, the comedic end of the stick looks pretty strong as well. Go ahead and try to stay away from this one; it's impossible.

Opening: Friday, August 18th

Patti Cake$

Turning back once again to the subject of awards buzz, there's a movie that's been slowly building itself a profile of positive buzz over the year: Patti Cake$. Fox Searchlight's latest attempt at festival glory and awards buzz focuses on Patricia Dumbrowski, a Jersey Girl who's ready to become the next rapping sensation. The movie has received a lot of fantastic reviews, and it's looking to parlay that into a nice and early head of steam that'll carry the film to the December prestige chase. Every time we see the trailer, we're reminded of why it might succeed. This truly looks like a film with its heart on its sleeve and a song in its heart.

Opening: Friday, August 18th

Tulip Fever

Love is a risky prospect in any time period. It's even more perilous when that love happens to be between a poor artist and a rich man's wife. Which is why Tulip Fever sounds like the type of movie that'll make you fall in love, but look over your shoulders in the process. Dane DeHaan and Alicia Vikander are the star-crossed pair, with Christoph Waltz playing the husband to Vikander's Sophia. So yeah, knowing Waltz's track record as a cinematic baddie, we'd be careful if we were DeHaan's Jan. If you've been craving a period romance with high art and high stakes, your prayers look like they've been answered.

Opening: Friday, August 25th

With fall fast approaching, we have officially started to gear up for 2017's most prestigious films. There are a lot of buzz-worthy movies to watch out for, but one of the most interesting of the bunch is Logan Lucky. Steven Soderbergh's NASCAR-centric heist flick has garnered an avalanche of critical praise, but now it seems there's quite a bit of buzz behind the scenes as well. Why all the commotion? Well, according to new rumors, it now appears that Logan Lucky's credited screenwriter may not even exist.

That's right. Despite the fact that a woman named Rebecca Blunt (a first-time screenwriter) is credited on Logan Lucky's script, mounting evidence (primarily the film's vague and unspecific press campaign) seems to suggest that the name may be a pen name for someone else close to the production. With that in mind, the first obvious possibility to consider is that Steven Soderbergh wrote the Logan Lucky screenplay himself. He's already known for using fake names for his projects, so it's not outlandish to think that he did it again. That said, it's been fifteen years since the Magic Mike director wrote an original film (2002's Solaris), and he is already crediting himself on other non-directing aspects of the movie, such as editor and cinematographer.

Another possibility suggested by the initial THR report about Rebecca Blunt is that it's a pseudonym for former Talk Soup host John Henson. The E! host is a friend of the Soderbergh family, and he reportedly spent the last few years working on a screenplay with story elements bearing a strong resemblance to the Daniel Craig, Channing Tatum and Adam Driver-fronted heist film.

Finally, one of the most distinct possibilities is that Steven Soderbergh's wife Jules Asner is responsible for writing the script. There's certainly credence to it being true as the former model is a published author in her own right, she was on set during production and she even reportedly has a family history that loosely resembles Logan Lucky's story. In fact, The Playlist claims to have confirmed her as the projects' definitive screenwriter, thus making her one of the most compelling and convincing candidates of the lot.

In the face of this bizarre story, Steven Soderbergh has primarily denied any mischief on his part. The legendary director even recently spoke out to EW and doubled down on the claim that Rebeca Blunt is genuine, and that she deserves the credit for her work on Logan Lucky, saying:

That comment is what makes this situation even stranger. Steven Soderbergh isn't just playing coy about whether or not Rebecca Blunt exists; he's earnestly defending her work and insisting that this mystery woman wrote Logan Lucky's screenplay. We're still not sure what to make of it, but it's obvious that there's more here than meets the eye. Whatever the reason, it's utterly confusing to try and figure out why no one wants to step forward to claim this golden ticket.

Only time will tell who wrote the screenplay for Logan Lucky, but no matter what, it's clear that the film already looks amazing. Make sure to check it out when it debuts in theaters later this summer on August 18, and take a look at CinemaBlend's movie premiere guide for more information on the rest of 2017's most highly anticipated theatrical releases!

There's no getting around it; Steven Soderbergh made a permanent mark on the heist genre with his three Ocean's films. After leaving such an impact in the realm of silver screen grand larceny with Ocean's 11 (and 12 and 13), one would think that he would want move on from the genre altogether. However, Soderbergh recently opened up about his decision to step behind the camera for his upcoming heist dramedy Logan Lucky, explaining that the project's fundamental differences from the Ocean's movies were what drew him to the job. Soderbergh elaborated:

The fact that Logan Lucky doesn't feel like an extension of the Ocean's 11 universe ultimately seems to be the biggest draw for Steven Soderbergh. On paper, the film maintains numerous similarities to the type of movie that the Ocean's 11 director has already shot in his career, but the film's tone, style, and core themes feel wholly different. It's not a story about white-collar gentlemen criminals taking on a casino in Las Vegas; it's a distinctly blue-collar story that depicts a decidedly different world.

On that note, Logan Lucky's basic premise feels like the traditional Soderbergh-esque heist formula with a dash of The Coen Brothers thrown in for good measure. Centering on two down-on-their-luck brothers (Channing Tatum and Adam Driver) the film tells the story of their mission to steal $14 million from a major NASCAR event. This brings them into contact with a deranged criminal demolitions expert named Joe Bang (a delightfully absurd Daniel Craig), and as you would likely expect: everything that can go wrong eventually does go wrong.

Check out the recently released trailer for Logan Lucky below to see how Steven Soderbergh's latest film is so stylistically different from his Ocean's 11 movies:

In the end, it's probably for the best that Steven Soderbergh has opted to move on from the world of Danny Ocean to try his hand at directing such a fundamentally different heist-themed project. His former franchise will continue to live on anyway, as Ocean's 8 (which features an all-female cast including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, and Rihanna) will finally debut next year. Soderbergh is also attached to that project as its producer, but he has opted to hand off directing duties to The Hunger Games director Gary Ross. It's different -- as the director made abundantly clear in his comments to ABC News -- but it's similar enough that he understands the landscape.

Logan Lucky will officially debut in theaters at the end of the summer on August 18. Considering everything we have seen from the movie so far, I think it's safe to say that it's going to make off with quite a bit of our money in the process.

Steven Soderbergh knows how to do two things really well: make fun out of tales of thievery, and re-introduce us to stars that we've always loved. In his latest film, Logan Lucky, we're about to meet someone we never knew we were waiting to meet. Ladies and gentlemen, in the trailer below, you're going to see the performance that makes Daniel Craig a madcap comedic lead, and we're all the better for it.

Oh, and as if Daniel Craig's comedy debut wasn't fun enough, Logan Lucky sees Channing Tatum and Adam Driver playing the film's proper leads. A pair of brothers down on their luck in the South, they get an idea in their head. Something so stupid, and yet so brilliant, that it just might set them up for life: they're going to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600. But seeing as these two would-be criminals are going to need some help compromising the vault in question, they're going to seek some help. Which is, of course, where Daniel Craig's character of Joe Bang comes in.

Right from the get-go, Daniel Craig's approach to this role looks to be nothing short of comedy gold. From his exaggerated southern accent, to his closely shaved blond hair and jacked arms, he looks like the type of wise-talking hood Steven Soderbergh has made serious hay with over the course of his career. Logan Lucky certainly continues that tradition, but it also gives us a new way to look at the actor who has mostly been recognized as the modern face of James Bond. While his career is up in the air in the respect of his tenure as the legendary super spy, it's nice to know that there's a fresh career in comedy awaiting his eager chops.

But don't think the rest of the cast of Logan Lucky is just nobodies and slouches, as the film lives up to the positive fortunes the title indicates. A murderer's row of actors are lined up to fill in various slots in the film's line-up. In addition to Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Daniel Craig, the movie also stars Katherine Waterston, Katie Holmes, Sebastian Stan, and Hilary Swank. Not to mention, Seth MacFarlane and Riley Keogh both serve as fantastic cherries on top of this sundae of madness that's ready to be served at the tail end of this summer's box office season. We'll see just how well things turn out for our band of ribald robbers when Logan Lucky breaks into theaters on August 18th.

Who knew that NASCAR could serve as the backdrop for a heist thriller? Apparently Steven Soderbergh, that's who. Although it's very early in its development, Logan Lucky is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing thrillers in recent memory. Not too much is known about the project, but we know that Soderbergh has enlisted the acting talents of Daniel Craig and Channing Tatum as a pair of brothers who stage a daring robbery during a major NASCAR race.

However, it obviously takes more than a talented director and a pair of equally talented lead actors to tell a compelling heist story. According to a new report from THR, Logan Lucky has enlisted some incredibly stellar actors to fill out the supporting roles in the ensemble. Across the board, it's a talented band of actors and actresses, so let's get the ball rolling with the Oscar winner of the bunch...

Hilary Swank

The first performer confirmed to have joined the cast of Logan Lucky is none other than Oscar winner Hilary Swank. Out of all the actors present on the roster for the film, Swank has arguably the most impressive resume, having previously garnered two Oscars for her work on Boys Don't Cry, as well as Million Dollar Baby. We don't know the exact nature of the role she will play in Logan Lucky, but she's historically particular about the parts she picks, and we can likely assume she will bring her trademark intensity to the film.

Michael Shannon

These days, if you need to cast an actor to portray an all-around bad dude, there's no better performer to turn to than Michael Shannon. An incredibly skilled actor with a diverse portfolio of roles, Shannon has made a name for himself in the world of indie films with movies like Midnight Special and 99 Homes, as well as major blockbusters like Pearl Harbor and Man of Steel. Although we don't have many details about his role in Logan Lucky, we can reasonably expect Michael Shannon to once again embody the sort of vile character he's so good at portraying.

Katherine Heigl

Here's where things get a little more interesting. Although she achieved famed fame for her roles in Grey's Anatomy, 27 Dresses and Knocked Up. Katherine Heigl hasn't really appeared in many noteworthy films in recent years. That being said, she's an undeniably talented actress, and her place within the talented ensemble of Logan Lucky could signal the beginning of the Katherine Heigl comeback very soon.

Adam Driver

Unlike Katherine Heigl, whose career has decline somewhat in recent years, Adam Driver has slowly, but surely, become a household name with a strong resume of roles. First gaining notoriety in the hit HBO series Girls, Driver has made a swift transition to the silver screen with roles in Inside Llewyn Davis, and While We're Young. However, the former soldier's biggest break came last year with his career-making role as Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens.

Seth MacFarlane

Although he has become a household name over the course of the last two decades with his work in the field of animation, Seth MacFarlane doesn't have too many live-action credits to his name. His most recent effort -- 1,000 Ways To Die In The West -- fell fairly flat at the box office, but it's clear that he has more talent as an actor than he ever gets credit for. If his role in Logan Lucky is received well by critics and audiences, this could mark the beginning of a brand new Seth MacFarlane on the silver screen.

Riley Keough

The final confirmed member of Logan Lucky's cast, Riley Keough has made a very good impression on critics and audiences in a very short amount of time. She has appeared in numerous films, ranging from The Runaways, to Mad Max: Fury Road, and, most recently, The Girlfriend Experience. Logan Lucky will mark her reunion with director Steven Soderbergh following their work on 2012's Magic Mike, so the iconic director clearly sees something in this young talent.

With such a talented ensemble of actors and a noted visionary behind the camera, Logan Lucky could be the thriller to beat in the near future. We will bring you more information related to the upcoming NASCAR heist film as it becomes available to us.