Every streaming service has a few megahits, and The Morning Show is definitely one of the best Apple TV+ shows to watch. Those with an Apple TV+ subscription were treated to the first episode of The Morning Show's fourth season, which introduces Marion Cotillard into the mix. It turns out it was her first TV show ever, and she explained the great advice Emmy winner Billy Crudup gave her on how to enjoy this particular job.

The Morning Show Season 4 is officially here, and the premiere episode was explosive. Picking up some time after the Season 3 cliffhanger finale, we were introduced to Cotillard's newcomer Celine, who is on the board of the network. As you can see in the video above, I had the privilege of speaking with the Oscar-winning actress, where she shared what it was like to join her first TV project. In her words:

That definitely sounds like a new way of working. Film actors typically get their full scripts (unless you're in the MCU, who guards them). This has allowed Cotillard to have a full understanding of her character's arc in titles like La Vie en Rose, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Taxi. This wasn't the case for The Morning Show, and she had to bring Celine to life only knowing what goes down in the first four episodes of the new season.

I asked if this was a freeing process for Cotillard, who once again shared what an adjustment and practice in faith joining The Morning Show ultimately was. But it turns out that Cory Ellison actor Billy Crudup had some choice words that helped her pull it off. As she told me:

Talk about a good perspective. Crudup has a long career in TV and film, and has starred in all four seasons of The Morning Show. The Apple series is known for its wild twists, concerning character's personal and professional lives. It sounds like Cotillard was able to be that happy puppet and portray Celine with this new way of acting. And so far I'm loving this new character.

The Season 4 premiere, titled "My Roman Empire", introduced Celine, but it seems she has a history with the characters that we know and love. It should be interesting to see where she goes throughout the next nine episodes, especially since Marion Cotillard made it seem like there were twists she wasn't expecting. Bring it on!

The Morning Show airs new episodes Wednesdays on Apple TV+ as part of the 2025 TV schedule. And I'm hoping Cotillard sticks with the show for the long run.

The Academy Award for Best Actress has been handed out every year since 1929 — it was initially awarded to star Janet Gaynor for her roles in 7th Heaven, Street Angel, and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans — and in the near-century since, it's been presented 97 times to 79 actresses. Winning that coveted statuette is unsurprisingly a dream come true for many a big-screen performer, but the award does come with added attention on the actress's next projects. Will whatever they work on next be as critically acclaimed or commercially successful? Here are 32 films that Oscar-winning actresses did after taking home the Academy Award, and how they were received.

Emma Stone

The whole La La Land Oscars brouhaha at the 2018 ceremony was quite memorable, but clearly so was star Emma Stone's performance as aspiring actress Mia Dolen opposite Ryan Gosling's jazz pianist Seb Wilder. One of Stone's best movies, the role earned the star her first Best Actress win (she would strike gold yet again with her 2024 victory for Poor Things). Her next performance also stirred up awards buzz: she was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award for portraying tennis legend Billie Jean King in the sports drama Battle of the Sexes.

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep's history with the Academy Awards is long and legendary: over her decades-spanning career, she's been nominated for a record 21 Oscar nominations, winning thrice. After taking home the Supporting Actress statuette for Kramer vs. Kramer, Streep got her first big Best Actress win for one of her most iconic performances: as the titular character of the devastating 1982 drama Sophie's Choice. Her next role was just as haunting: as Karen Silkwood in the 1983 thriller Silkwood, for which she earned yet another Best Actress nod.

Michelle Yeoh

Along with kicking major butt, Michelle Yeoh made history with her starring role as Evelyn Quan Wang in the 2022 action-dramedy Everything Everywhere All at Once, for she became the first Asian performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Following that notable win in 2023, the Wicked star lent her voice to the sci-fi flick Transformers: Rise of the Beasts as Airazor, a Maximal warrior who transforms into a peregrine falcon. That title earned largely mixed reviews, and it currently sports a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jessica Chastain

After losing out on the Oscar for Zero Dark Thirty, Jessica Chastain took the Best Actress trophy home for her transformative role as televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker in the 2022 bio-drama The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Her next project was far less successful with awards bodies — the action-spy thriller The 355 was both a critical and commercial bomb, reportedly losing Universal an estimated $93 million. Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph wrote: "Despite the strong cast, this is the film equivalent of a corn-syrup-based fizzy drink being passed off as chic in taller, slimmer cans."

Frances McDormand

Three-time Best Actress winner Frances McDormand took home her first Oscar in 1997 for her instantly iconic performance as Minnesota police chief Marge Gunderson in the classic Coen Brothers dark comedy Fargo. Later that year, the acclaimed performer joined a heavyweight lineup of actresses — including Glenn Close, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Ehle — in the World War II drama Paradise Road. However, despite that acting clout, the film received mixed reviews, with its approval rating at a lowly 43% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Brie Larson

Child actor turned Marvel superhero Brie Larson took her career to a whole new level with her performance as kidnapping victim Joy "Ma" Newsome in the 2015 survival drama Room, for which she swept the subsequent awards season and took home the Best Actress Oscar. In 2016, the Lessons in Chemistry lead starred in another survival drama, this time the Ben Wheatley-directed action-comedy Free Fire. CinemaBlend's own Gregory Wakeman wrote of the film: "Free Fire has enough gun blasts and violence to entertain, but ultimately lacks the requisite surprises or savvy to be anything more than a frivolous diversion."

Olivia Colman

Olivia Colman's Best Actress win for her portrayal of Queen Anne in the black-comedy period piece The Favourite was a deserved yet delightfully shocking moment at the 2019 Oscars. Her next role was equally strange, but less acclaimed: she appeared alongside Kaitlyn Dever, Jim Gaffigan and Walton Goggins as snake-handling fundamentalists in the horror mystery Them That Follow. Though it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, it earned mixed reviews from critics.

Cate Blanchett

One of the most versatile actors in the industry — she's played Queen Elizabeth I and Bob Dylan, for crying out loud! — eight-time Oscar nominee Cate Blanchett secured her first Best Actress win in 2014 playing a neurotic former socialite in the Woody Allen-directed dramedy Blue Jasmine. And speaking of versatility, the Aussie star followed that awards win with a voice role in the animated fantasy sequel How to Train Your Dragon 2, which got its own Oscar nod for Best Animated Feature.

Sandra Bullock

Rom-com queen Sandra Bullock received her first Best Actress nomination and win in 2010 for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy in the biographical football drama The Blind Side. Her next film credit was the Stephen Daldry-directed 2011 drama Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which did manage to score a Best Picture nod but not without controversy. Chris Krapek of The Huffington Post called the film "not only the worst reviewed Best Picture nominee of the last 10 years, [but] easily the worst film of 2011."

Katharine Hepburn

Hollywood icon Katherine Hepburn earned four Academy Awards for Best Actress out of 12 nominations across her illustrious film career—a record for any performer. The leading lady's first Oscar win was in 1934 for the Pre-Code drama Morning Glory (the rest would come later in the star's life), which she followed up with John Cromwell's Spitfire. Some viewers found Hepburn miscast as "hillbilly" faith healer Trigger Hicks — the film has a 35% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman didn't win the Best Actress Oscar for one of her most beloved performances, as cabaret star Satine in Moulin Rouge! but she instead secured the big win only a year later for playing English writer Virginia Woolf in The Hours. The Babygirl star's first post-award project was the 2003 avant-garde thriller Dogville, written and directed by Lars von Trier. Though the film prompted quite a polarizing response from critics at the time of release, it did end up on several best-of-the-decade roundups, including The Guardian and Paste.

Jennifer Lawrence

If they didn't already love her from her work in the David O. Russell dramedy Silver Linings Playbook, the world certainly fell for Jennifer Lawrence when she charmingly tripped up the stairs to accept her Best Actress statuette in 2013. That fall, she would reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen in the second Mockingjay movie, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which is widely considered the best installment of The Hunger Games film series (it's got a solid 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating) and earned Lawrence a Critics' Choice nod.

Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren is a regal onscreen presence no matter what the role, but her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 docudrama The Queen welcomed her among the Hollywood royalty known as Oscar winners. However, despite the film title, she didn't strike gold with her next project: the Nicolas Cage-led adventure flick National Treasure: Book of Secrets, alongside Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris and Diane Kruger. Per Rotten Tomatoes, critic consensus said of the 35% "Rotten" movie: "A talented cast goes to waste in the improbable National Treasure: Book of Secrets."

Jodie Foster

One of Hollywood's most acclaimed child stars — she was only 12 years old when she starred opposite Robert De Niro in the Martin Scorsese masterpiece Taxi Driver, earning her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress — Jodie Foster successfully segued into more adult fare with the 1988 legal drama The Accused. As an assault survivor Sarah Tobias, Foster received a Best Actress win—it wouldn't be her last, with the star winning the same award for her next film release, one of the greatest horror movies of all time, The Silence of the Lambs.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry made Oscar history when she became the first African-American woman ever to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performance as a struggling widow in 2001's Monster's Ball. After becoming an Oscar winner, Berry became a Bond Girl — bikini-sporting NSA agent Jinx, to be exact — in the 2002 spy flick Die Another Day, opposite Pierce Brosnan as 007. However, the latter is widely considered to be the worst entry in James Bond's canon.

Julie Andrews

A legendary performer across both screen and stage, Julie Andrews won her Best Actress Oscar in 1964 for a truly iconic role: as the titular nanny extraordinaire in Mary Poppins. And she didn't stop there — the very next year, she would get yet another Academy Award nomination for an equally beloved character, as The Sound of Music's Maria, the sweet, singing governess to the Von Trapp family. Talk about an epic filmography!

Kathy Bates

One of the best Kathy Bates performances, as obsessive superfan Annie Wilkes in the 1990 Stephen King thriller Misery, earned the talented actress her first Academy Award nomination and win. (She would have three more Oscar nods across her decades-spanning career.) Bates' next film role was in the South African drama The Road to Mecca, based on the Athol Fugard play of the same name — the performer was praised for both her acting and her accent work.

Hilary Swank

Before there were transgender characters like Emilia Pérez (Emilia Pérez), Sin-Dee Rella (Tangerine), or Raymond Rayon (Dallas Buyers Club), there was Brandon Teena, the real-life trans man at the center of the 1999 drama Boys Don't Cry. Hilary Swank's harrowing, career-making performance as Teena earned the star her first Best Actress award, with critics like Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman calling the actress a "revelation" in the film. Reactions to her next movie, the 2000 supernatural thriller The Gift, were far more mixed. A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote: "The picture is saved from mediocrity by [director Sam] Raimi's smooth competence, and by the unusually high quality of the acting."

Renée Zellweger

After prior Best Actress nominations for two of her best movies, Bridget Jones' Diary and Chicago — plus a Best Supporting Actress win for Cold Mountain — Renée Zellweger finally got her big Best Actress win for her portrayal of Judy Garland in Rupert Goold's Judy. After taking a multi-year break from acting, Zellweger's much-anticipated next film credit will be a return to a beloved role, in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman was so convincing as a troubled ballerina in the 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan that she thought the film was a docudrama while making it. So, it's no surprise, then, that her tour-de-force performance garnered the star an Academy Award for Best Actress. Ever one to keep you guessing genre-wise, Portman's next role was in the 2011 stoner fantasy-comedy Your Highness, which sadly was a box office bomb and received largely negative reviews from critics.

Cher

The "Goddess of Pop" Cher officially added the title of "Oscar winner" to her already legendary showbiz career with her 1988 Best Actress triumph for one of her best movies, the acclaimed rom-com Moonstruck. Her next movie role came two years later as Rachel Flax, the saucy single mom to young Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci in the 1990 dramedy Mermaids. The heartfelt title has been dubbed an "underappreciated 1990s coming-of-age gem" by The Guardian, which singled out Cher's performance as "nothing short of magical."

Kate Winslet

One of the greatest performers of her generation, it took Kate Winslet a whopping six Oscar nominations before she finally took home the Academy Award for Best Actress, for playing a former Nazi camp guard in 2008's The Reader. Her next onscreen role was in the 2011 black comedy Carnage, by disgraced director Roman Polanski. The film received positive reviews, with critics praising the performances of the cast, including Winslet's — she earned a Golden Globe nod for Best Actress in a Motional Picture Musical or Comedy.

Julia Roberts

After a decade that solidified her as rom-com royalty, Julia Roberts proved her dramatic bonafides by winning the Best Actress Oscar for playing the title role in the 2000 legal drama Erin Brockovich, one of her best movies. America's Sweetheart returned to her romantic comedy roots with her next film, fittingly entitled America's Sweethearts, though critics weren't too sweet on the movie. It only holds a 33% approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with the site's consensus reading: "Despite its famous cast, the movie lacks sympathetic characters and is only funny in spurts."

Susan Sarandon

After Oscar nominations for Atlantic City, Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo's Oil and The Client, Susan Sarandon was finally named Best Actress by the Academy for playing Sister Helen Prejean in 1995's Dead Man Walking. Her next film was the decidedly lighter kids' flick James and the Giant Peach, in which Sarandon voiced the character of Miss Spider. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with Randy Newman's score earning an Oscar nod; however, the film was a box office failure, grossing $300,000 less than its budget.

Marion Cotillard

French movie star Marion Cotillard became the first actor to win an Academy Award for a French-language performance for her transformative turn as legendary singer Édith Piaf in the 2007 music biopic La Vie en Rose. Her next film credit was another biographical drama — this time, the Michael Mann-directed gangster film Public Enemies, alongside Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. Though many critics praised the leading performances, reviews were mixed, with the title holding a 68% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin's acting debut in 1986's Children of a Lesser God saw the actress making Oscar history not once but twice: she became the first deaf performer to ever win an Academy Award, as well as the youngest winner in the Best Actress category. The CODA star followed up that momentous victory with the 1987 Western Walker, starring Ed Harris, Richard Masur and Peter Boyle. The historical drama was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 38th Berlin International Film Festival but received very polarized reviews and was a failure at the box office.

Gwyneth Paltrow

Fun fact: Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't initially supposed to star as Viola de Lesseps in the 1998 Bard-inspired romantic comedy Shakespeare in Love — Julia Roberts was. But Gwyn is no doubt grateful the latter ultimately left the production, as the role won her a Best Actress Oscar. Her next project was equally acclaimed: 1999's Anthony Minghella-helmed thriller The Talented Mr. Ripley scored five Academy Award nominations.

Audrey Hepburn

Screen legend Audrey Hepburn won her first Oscar in 1953 for her debut starring role, as Princess Ann in the classic black-and-white comedy Roman Holiday. The British beauty would later be nominated four more times for films like her first post-award project, the 1954 Billy Wilder-directed dramedy Sabrina, as well as The Nun's Story, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Wait Until Dark.

Sally Field

The Academy likes her, they really like her — yes, Sally Field has won not one but two Best Actress statuettes, the first being for her inspiring performance in 1979's Norma Rae and the second five years later for another one of her best films, Places in the Heart. Following her first win, Field reprised her role as Carrie, or "Frog," in 1980's Smoky and the Bandit II opposite her real-life love Burt Reynolds. Though the sequel was a box office success, prompting a third film, it received almost entirely negative reviews from critics.

Charlize Theron

One of the best Charlize Theron roles was also the star's most remarkably unrecognizable: the South African-born actress earned a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of real-life prostitute and serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 crime drama Monster. Her next big-screen performance was the 2004 war drama Head in the Clouds, which saw Theron acting opposite her then-romantic partner Stuart Townsend. The film was a critical and box office failure; in the San Francisco Chronicle, Walter Addiego wrote: "If not for the presence of Charlize Theron, it's hard to imagine this film would have attracted anywhere near the kind of attention it's gotten."

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon proved she was more than just a musical sidekick with her Oscar-winning performance as June Carter Cash in the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. The Legally Blonde star was next seen in the harrowing 2007 political thriller Rendition opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streep and Peter Sarsgaard. However, "the impressive cast cannot rescue Rendition, which explores complex issues in woefully simplified terms," reads the critics' consensus on Rotten Tomatoes, with the film at a paltry 47% approval rating.

Elizabeth Taylor

Through much of the mid-20th century, celluloid icon Elizabeth Taylor was one of MGM's most bankable stars. In fact, her final film for the studio — 1960's Butterfield 8, playing glamorous call girl Gloria Wandrous — earned the movie star her first Academy Award for Best Actress. Her next performance was just as iconic: as the titular Egyptian queen in the 1963 historical epic Cleopatra, which received nine Oscar nominations and four wins, though, alas, none for Taylor specifically.

When it comes to Apple TV+, they’ve been coming out with hit after hit, whether it be the famous Ted Lasso, or the award-winning Severance, there’s plenty on the streaming service to love. And now, they’re back with the latest ensemble series, Extrapolations. 

The TV show is an anthology drama series that shows the effects of climate change across the world, from different characters that are somehow all connected. In any show like this, there are many stars that you have probably seen somewhere before. Here is where you might have spotted the Extrapolations cast. 

Kit Harington (Nicholas Bilton)

First up on the list is Kit Harington, who plays Nicholas Bilton in Extrapolations. Harington is primarily known for his role as Jon Snow in the Game of Thrones cast, but he’s also had roles in shows such as Gunpowder, and was in movies like Pompeii as well as Eternals. 

Daveed Diggs (Rabbi Marshall Zucker)

Daveed Diggs portrays Rabbi Marshall Zucker in Extrapolations, and the actor has been on a grind recently with his shows and movies. While Diggs is primarily known for his role in the Hamilton cast, he’s the star of Snowpiercer, and was also in big movies such as Soul and Blindspotting. 

Sienna Miller (Rebecca) 

Next up is Sienna Miller, who plays Rebecca. Miller has been in films such as The Lost City of Z, Foxcatcher, American Woman, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. She was also in the TV film, The Girl. 

Meryl Streep (Eve)

Portraying Eve in Extrapolations is Meryl Streep, a name that I’m sure we are all very familiar with. Streep has been in so many movies that it’s hard to even keep track sometimes. I’m sure that somehow, someway, you have heard of her, so let’s go over some of her best roles and where you’ve seen her before.  

Streep got started back in the 1970s on the stage, but later on moved into movies and TV with films such as Julia, Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice, Out of Africa, Death Becomes Her, The Bridges of Madison Country, The Post, Little Women, The Devil Wears Prada, Into the Woods, The Hours, and more. If you want to hear something crazy, she holds the record for the most nominations by an actress for the Academy Awards – 21. 

Besides movies, Streep has done a lot in television, as well. She had a lead role in the miniseries, Holocaust, as well as a starring part in the second season of Big Little Lies. She was also a part of the miniseries, Angels in America, which won her a Primetime Emmy award. 

Michael Gandolfini (Rowan)

The son of James Gandolfini, Michael Gandolfini portrays Rowan in the series. He’s been in films such as Ocean’s 8, and portrayed the younger version of Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark on HBO Max. He is also going to be in Beau is Afraid, coming out later in 2023.

Heather Graham (Hannah)

Moving on, we take a look at Heather Graham, who plays Hannah. She’s been in many films that you might recognize her from, such as Six Degrees of Separation, Boogie Nights, Bowfinger, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Horns and more. She also had a supporting role in Twin Peaks, and was in the shows Scrubs and Californication. 

Tahar Rahim (Omar) 

Tahar Rahim portrays Omar in Extrapolations, and this actor has already been all over in movies and television. Rahim is mainly known for his role as Judas in the film Mary Magdalene, as well as his big part in The Looming Tower, but he’s also been in movies such as The French Prophet, and the miniseries, The Serpent.

Matthew Rhys (Junior) 

Moving on, we take a look at Matthew Rhys, who plays Junior. Rhys is primarily known for his starring role in the famed drama, The Americans, but he’s also been in films such as The Edge of Love, The Post, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and more. He’s also the titular character in Perry Mason, and has done voice work in the underrated animated show, The Owl House. 

David Schwimmer (Harris Goldblatt) 

Harris Goldblatt is played by David Schwimmer, and I’m pretty sure most of us are aware of Schwimmer from his time as part of the Friends cast. However, he has plenty of movie work under his belt, including the Madagascar series, Nothing But the Truth, The Pallbearer and more. He was also a part of Band of Brothers, and was one of the stars of The People vs. O.J. Simpson. 

Diane Lane (Martha)

Next up is Diane Lane, who plays Martha and has been in many, many movies. Some of her biggest hits have been Man of Steel, The Cotton Club, Streets of Fire, The Lady Beware, and Hollywoodland. 

Edward Norton (Jonathan) 

Edward Norton plays Jonathan, and he has been around in the film industry for some time. Recently, he was a part of the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery cast, and was also the lead in The Incredible Hulk, but has starred in many other movies, like Fight Club, Bourne Legacy, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, among others. 

Mia Maestro (Mariama)

Moving on, we have Mia Maestro, who plays Mariama in Extrapolations. Maestro is primarily known for her role in shows such as The Strain and Alias, as well as her parts in The Twilight Saga, and her role in Frida.

Indira Varma (Gita) 

Indira Varma plays Gita and was also a part of the Game of Thrones cast, but has been in other television roles such as on Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Amazon original, Carnival Row, Luther, Human Target and more. She was also in movies like Silent Hours and the Disney+ original movie, The One and Only Ivan. 

Adarsh Gourav (Guarav)

Next up on the list is Adarsh Gourav, who plays Guarav in Extrapolations. The actor is primarily known for his work in Bollywood, as he’s appeared in many Hindi films, but he was also in the American film, The White Tiger in 2020. He was also a part of the online web series, Hostel Daze. 

Keri Russell (Olivia Drew)

Another big name here is Keri Russell, who plays Olivia Drew. Russell is also known from her starring role in The Americans (alongside her real-life partner, Matthew Rhys), as well as her breakout starring role on the college show, Felicity, but has since appeared in many other shows and movies. Most recently, she starred in Cocaine Bear, but has also appeared in films such as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, We Were Soldiers, and more. 

Gemma Chan (Natasha)

Moving on, we take a look at Gemma Chan, who plays Natasha. Chan was also a part of the Eternals cast, but has appeared in many other movies, such as Don’t Worry Darling, Crazy Rich Asians, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and more. She was also a part of the Humans television series. 

Marion Cotillard (Sylvie)

Marion Cotillard is a French actress who plays Sylvie on Extrapolations. Cotillard is primarily known for her Academy Award-winning role in La Vie en Rose, but has been in many other movies such as Taxi, Inception, The Immigrant, Midnight in Paris, The Dark Knight Rises and others. 

Eiza Gonzalez (Elodie)

Next up on the list is Eiza Gonzalez, who plays Elodie in Extrapolations. The young actress was primarily known for her role in Spanish telenovelas for many years, but has since started to break into Hollywood with many roles in movies such as Baby Driver, I Care A Lot, Godzilla vs. Kong, and 2022’s Ambulance. 

Tobey Maguire (Nicolas) 

You’d really have to be living under a rock to not know who Tobey Maguire is, and thankfully, he’s back in action in Extrapolations, where he plays Nicolas. Maguire is primarily known for his years as Spider-Man, where he played Peter Parker for three films and reprised the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but he’s done plenty in the acting industry besides that. 

His biggest roles besides Spider-Man include those in The Great Gatsby, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Pleasantville, The Cider House Rules, Brothers, and many more. He was also recently in 2022’s Babylon, which was nominated for an Academy Award. 

Forest Whitaker (Augustin)

Last but not least, we take a look at Forest Whitaker, who has been in the industry for some time and appeared in many, many big-time movies. He plays Augustin in Extrapolations. Some of Whitaker’s biggest roles thus far have included parts in movies like Platoon, The Great Debaters, The Butler, Respect, The Crying Game, Good Morning Vietnam, and The Last King of Scotland. 

Whitaker has also appeared in such big films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Series, and was also in Black Panther. Currently, he stars in the series, Godfather of Harlem. 

Keep in mind that this isn’t even the complete cast, so if you’re at all interested in seeing anyone else that might not be on this list, be sure to check it out at Apple TV+. Either way, Extrapolations is looking to be an intense show – and with an even more intense cast list. It’ll still be fun, that’s for sure.  

In December 2003, audiences around the world were introduced to the fantastical story and over-the-top characters of Big Fish. What some will call the best Tim Burton movie, this fantasy dramedy about a man learning to appreciate his father and his form of storytelling before it’s too late, features some of the best actors of the time and continues to enchant viewers of all ages.

But, nearly 20 years have past since we first watched a man catch a catfish with a wedding ring, visit an idyllic town hidden in the forest, and change the lives of countless people, and it’s safe to say you are probably wondering what the Big Fish cast is up to. Here is the answer to your question…

Ewan McGregor (Young Edward Bloom)

In Big Fish, Ewan McGregor plays the younger version of the Edward Bloom, the charismatic storyteller whose life journey was the stuff of legend. Already a major force in Hollywood by the time he worked with Tim Burton in the fantastical drama (the movie came out just one year after the release of Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones), McGregor has only become a bigger star in the years following its release.

All in the last five years, Ewan McGregor has appeared on Fargo, continued his globe-trotting motorcycle adventure docuseries with Long Way Up, and portrayed a grown-up Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep. McGregor will return to the “galaxy far, far away” when he leads the upcoming Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Albert Finney (Old Edward Bloom)

The beloved legend of film, television, and the theatre, Albert Finney, took on the role of the older version of Edward Bloom in Big Fish, and brought with him decades of experience. The two-time Golden Globe winner continued to show up in movies like Ocean’s Twelve, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Skyfall before stepping away from acting in 2012. Finney passed away in February 2019 at the age of 82.

Billy Crudup (Will Bloom)

Taking on the role of Will Bloom in the Big Fish cast is Billy Crudup. In the years since playing the once-dismissive son of Edward Bloom, Crudup has gone on to appear in movies like Spotlight, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (he previously worked with the director for Watchmen). 

Billy Crudup received a great deal of praise for his portrayal of Cory Ellison on the Apple TV+ original series The Morning Show, including a Primetime Emmy and Critics Choice Award in 2020.

Jessica Lange (Sandra Bloom)

Two-time Academy Award winner Jessica Lange portrays Sandra Bloom through much of Big Fish. The star of movies like Tootsie, Blue Sky, and Cape Fear, Lange has continued to appear on the big screen in recent years with movies like The Gambler, Wild Oats, and the upcoming Marlowe.

Over the course of the past decade, Jessica Lange has been a major player on the FX horror anthology series, American Horror Story, appearing on five of the show’s seasons since its debut in 2011. 

Alison Lohman (Sandra Bloom)

Alison Lohman, who broke out with her role in the 2002 drama, White Oleander, portrays the younger version of Sandra Bloom in Big Fish. Lohman followed up the Tim Burton film with movies like Matchstick Men, Beowulf, and Drag Me To Hell through the first decade of the 21st Century.

Upon stepping away from professional acting after marrying filmmaker Mark Neveldine in 2009, Alison Lohman began to spend her time raising her children, as well as serving as an online acting coach, a service she continues to offer to this day.

Marion Cotillard (Joséphine)

Marion Cotillard was already a sensation in her native France but started to break through with American audiences with her take on the character Joséphine Bloom in Big Fish. In the years following the film’s release, Cotillard appeared in Inception, Contagion, The Dark Knight Rises, and Macbeth, to name only a few.

More recently, Marion Cotillard has appeared in movies like Dolittle and Annette, and will soon join the star-studded cast of the Apple TV+ anthology series Extrapolations.

Helena Bonham Carter (Jenny/The Witch)

Helena Bonham Carter takes on two roles in Big Fish: Spectre resident Jenny and the Witch who showed a young Edward Bloom how he would die. In the years following the film’s release, Bonham Carter went on to land the role of Bellatrix Lestrange in the final four Harry Potter movies, and work more recently in Ocean’s 8 and Enola Holmes.

The versatile actress also found success on television, with one her most notable performances being that of Princes Margaret on the third and fourth seasons of The Crown. Helena Bonham Carter appeared on the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special in early 2022, where she had a memorable encounter with Daniel Radcliffe.

Danny DeVito (Amos Calloway)

Amos Calloway, the circus ringmaster (and werewolf) in Big Fish, is portrayed by the versatile Danny DeVito. The Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award winner has an extensive filmography to say the very least, including a great number of film and television appearances in recent years.

One of the leads of long-running comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which released its 15th season in late 2021, Danny DeVito has appeared in movies like Dumbo, Jumanji: The Next Level, and The One and Only Ivan over the past few years, with more movies on the way, like Haunted Mansion and Sniff.

Robert Guillaume (Dr. Bennett)

The late Robert Guillaume appeared as one of the major supporting characters, Dr. Bennett, in Big Fish. The Primetime Emmy and Tony Award winner passed away in October 2017 at the age of 89, per Deadline, leaving behind a legacy in film, television, and theatre. His list of credits range from the sitcom Soap to Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night and the 1994 animated smash hit, The Lion King, and even the 2004 video game, Half-Life 2.

Matthew McGrory (Karl The Giant)

Matthew McGrory portrayed the gentle and misunderstood Karl the Giant in Big Fish, which was a far stretch from the characters the actor played before and after. Due to his large stature, McGrory worked in mostly horror movies like House of 1000 Corpses and The Devils Rejects, and fantasy shows like Charmed and Carnivale. Saddly, McGrory passed away in August 2005 at the age of 32, according to the New York Times.

Steve Buscemi (Norther Winslow)

Taking on the role of the poet-turned-millionaire Norther Winslow in Big Fish is Steve Buscemi. One of the best character actors by the time he appeared in Tim Burton’s beloved classic, Buscemi has continued to find success in just about everything he does, whether it's as an actor or director.

Since 2019, Steve Buscemi has had one of the lead roles on the TBS anthology comedy series Miracle Workers, has appeared on Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, and even showed up on an episode of Rick and Morty. He will next appear in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.

Ada Tai and Arlene Tai (Ping and Jing)

Sisters Ada and Arlene Tai appear in Big Fish as the conjoined twins Ping and Jing, but unlike their characters, they are not physically attached at the hip (though they work extensively together). The sisters last appeared on film in 2014, when they were featured in the short film The First Minute. The sisters currently own and operate the Los Angeles-based interior design company A&A Design Firm.

Loudon Wainwright III (Beamen)

Taking on the role of Spectre mayor, Beamen, in Big Fish is Loudon Wainwright III, the accomplished singer-songwriter who has also made several appearances in movies and television shows throughout his career. His most recent acting credit was the 2018 murder mystery series Mosaic, though he continues to release music, like the 2020 studio album I’d Rather Lead a Band.

David Denman (Don Price)

Don Price, Edward Bloom’s friend-turned-enemy in Big Fish, is played by David Denman, who most will recognize as the despicable Roy Anderson on The Office. Denman continues to be busy in Hollywood with movies like Brighburn and Greenland both having been released in the past few years. In 2021, Denman was featured in the main cast of the HBO dramatic limited series, Mare of Easttown.

Deep Roy (Mr. Soggybottom)

Taking on the role of Amos Calloway’s assistant and most-trusted friend, Mr. Soggybottom, in Big Fish is Deep Roy. The actor, stuntman, and puppeteer has appeared in dozens of movies over the years, including Star Trek, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Hook, and even Return of the Jedi. Roy’s most recent feature film appearance was in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, though he does stay rather busy with his booming Tik Tok account.

Missi Pyle (Mildred)

Missi Pyle appears in Big Fish as Mildred, one of the residents of Spectre who had an impact on Edward Bloom. Throughout her career, Pyle has made appearances on shows like Drunk History, Dirty John, and most recently, Y: The Last Man. Her most recent movie appearance was in the 2019 psychological drama Ma.

Well, hopefully this helps you make sense of the massive Big Fish cast. And, who knows, maybe we’ll see those familiar faces in some of the upcoming 2022 new movie releases.

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Annette is French director Leos Carax’s latest fantastical, satirical film. It stars Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, with original music by Sparks. Driver and Cotillard play Henry McHenry and Ann Defrasnoux. The pair are nearly polar opposites, at least on paper. She’s an elegant opera singer who makes everything sacred, and he’s a brass “mildly offensive” comedian who finds nothing sacred. Their whirlwind romance reaches a dramatic boiling point after the birth of their daughter Annette (Devyn McDowell). This leads to the intense Annette ending.

Annette is one of those movies that has about five million things that deserve a deep dive. It could also be one of those films where some of the things that film writers and critics overanalyze actually have no deeper meaning. This adds to Annette’s complexity. There are many things that I could and would love to talk about from the film, but I am going to explore the Annette ending. Let’s start.

Warning: This post contains major spoilers about Annette.

What Happened At The End Of Annette

After murdering The Conductor (Simon Helberg), Henry publicly announces that Baby Annette will perform no more. She has one final performance at the Super Bowl Halftime, but she refuses to sing. She then tells the world that “daddy kills people.” Henry is arrested and his trial begins.

He tells the judge that he can’t tell the truth because he’ll be killed if he does. Henry then expresses his regrets about killing Ann and succumbing to his rage and jealousy. He first sees her ghost as the Ann that was, then he sees the vengeful ghost form. She tells him that it will be the vengeful Ghost Ann that will haunt him for the rest of his life.

Some time has passed and Annette comes to visit him in jail. She confronts Henry about how he destroyed her life, made her turn to darkness, and give up singing. She also vows to forget him and her mother--who she also blames for her exploited childhood.

Henry pleads with her but she’s facing her own inner turmoil of completely forgiving or forgetting her former family. She also tells Henry that he now has nothing to love. Annette’s time runs out and leaves Henry in prison to ponder what he’s done.

Baby Annette’s Physical Transformation

Originally, Annette was going to be a concept album with the Sparks brothers carrying a toy doll while touring. Carax decided to employ that fake baby element in the film. It made more sense for Carax to use a puppet because he didn’t want to use CGI and babies can’t really sing. A puppet allowed the character to have life, even without flesh and blood.

We only see Annette in her puppet form for most of the movie, so when she becomes a girl at the very end, you need to readjust to this new reality. Henry notes that Annette “has changed.” This is a nod to her physical transformation and emotional one as Henry has clearly been in prison for some time, and she’s grown up more.

In an interview with Los Angeles Times, Carax explained why Annette turned from puppet to girl.

I think Annette becoming a human girl at this moment worked so well because, as Carax said, it’s the big confrontation between Annette and Henry. It also fits because, throughout the film, Annette has been a metaphorical puppet as well. She’s been exploited by her father and used to further scratch his own ego. The same can be said about Ann as well, which is why Annette’s anger towards both of them is justified.

Both of Annette’s parents cherish her because she’s theirs, not necessarily for who she is, which becomes more apparent as she’s a voiceless puppet until the end. I also think Annette suddenly goes from puppet to girl because Carax doesn’t want the viewers to get too comfortable by knowing and expecting the film to be one way. He wants to shake things up one last time before the Annette ending.

The Final Performance Of Baby Annette And How She Stopped Singing

Upon my first viewing of Annette, I was a bit confused about how she could suddenly stop singing. Once I rewatched it, I realized that Annette covers her eyes to block out the lights. However, I think Annette’s ability to stop herself from singing in this moment goes deeper. In this moment, Annette has lost the only person who unselfishly loved her, The Conductor.

Instead of allowing her father to continue to use her, she takes a stand and destroys him. There is a line with Ghost Ann where she says “I am no longer love, I am now revenge.” I think this line also applies to baby Annette. In that moment, with the death of The Conductor, she lets go of all love for her father and only wants revenge. It’s when her transformation from puppet to real girl begins.

The Final Fourth-Wall Break In Annette

Annette has several moments where it breaks the fourth wall. The more famous one is at the very beginning with the intro song “So May We Start.” During the Annette ending, Henry glances at the camera and then tells it to stop watching him and turns around to face the wall. The final scene is of the puppet Annette and her ape doll on the floor.

Sparks and Carax make comments to the audience throughout the film, sharing their complicated relationship with the viewers (e.g. “‘who will die for us? Will die for us? No one can take her place but you who despises us.”). With his final words, Driver implies that the audience got their show of his misery and can now go away. It’s similar to how Henry speaks to the audience in his comedy shows.

Interestingly, many are calling Annette an “anti-musical'' because it tries to disrupt many preconceptions about musicals. One of my favorite TV musical lines is “The curtains close on a kiss. God knows, you can tell the end is near.” This line (to me) always gave a nod to traditional musicals.

Many musicals end with a kiss, a triumph, the hero learning his lesson--some sort of happy ending. This isn’t always the case for rock operas, but it’s kind of the standard people come to expect with musicals. So for Annette to not have that traditional musical ending, it once again gives the audience something unexpected.

In an interview with The New York Times, Carax spoke about the process of making a movie musical and summed it up this way:

Henry’s Abyss In Annette

The final song in Annette is “Sympathy for the Abyss.” In it, Henry is trying to give his daughter some advice to not make the same mistakes of jealousy, anger, and letting the ego control life. In this moment, Henry finally gets his mistakes, but it may be too late because Annette doesn’t want to forgive him.

Though this isn’t a traditional musical happy ending, it does offer some closure for the viewers. Because Henry does at least get some of the error of his ways, but it’s made more somber when Annette tells him that he can’t love her, not really, which I interpreted to mean that because of who he is, his narcissism and self-loathing, that he can’t truly love anyone.

Annette is one of the best Adam Driver movies for his performance and the sheer ambition of the film.

Annette may be one of the most divisive 2021 movies (so far). It’s definitely a movie primed for a strong cult following. Annette is a film that’s not made for the masses, but will be consumed by them because of the nature of it being on a streaming platform, and having Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard as its stars, two of the most recognizable names across the globe.

Carax set out to make a movie experience like no other with Annette, and I think he succeeds. I think it doesn’t matter if you loved or hated Annette, the film deserves some admiration because it chose to be different in a movie world full of reboots, remakes, prequels, sequels, and adaptations. Stream Annette on Amazon Prime.

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The last time we saw Academy Award nominee Adam Driver in a movie that could technically be considered a musical was as a session musician in the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis from 2013. The last time we saw French Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard in a movie that was undoubtedly a musical was as the wife of a sleazy filmmaker in Nine from 2009. The talented pair are now acting alongside each other for the first time as the romantic leads of a new musical that is sure to be one of the most bizarre and visually striking 2021 movies you will see all year - if you know how, where, and when to find Annette streaming, that is. So, may we start helping to point you in the right direction?

Annette Will Be Available To Stream On Amazon Prime August 20

The English-language debut of French filmmaker Leos Carax, Annette, tells the story of a successful stand-up comedian (Adam Driver) and an acclaimed opera singer (Marion Cotillard) whose marriage comes under fire not long after the birth of their unique daughter, played by Devyn McDowell in the title role. Carax co-wrote the screenplay with Ron and Russell Mael of the influential pop rock duo Sparks, who also wrote the music and lyrics and conceived the original idea for this engrossingly strange cinematic experience.  

Audiences from select cities in the United States can already see Annette on the big screen for a limited time as of Friday, August, 6. However, those who are not so lucky will just need a subscription to Amazon Prime Video, on which the film will be available to stream on Friday, August 20, 2021.

Stream Annette On Amazon Prime on August 20.

Will Annette Be On Netflix?

When I said that Annette, which also stars Simon Helberg of The Big Bang Theory cast as an unnamed orchestra conductor, would be available to stream at home on Amazon Prime Video as of Friday, August, 20, 2021, I should have specified it as its exclusive streaming home. Therefore, the digital platform will remain the only place you can stream the musical following that premiere date. While the idea of it being made available for Netflix subscribers is wishful thinking, I would not expect it to switch homes or even be shared by both platforms anytime soon.

If You Have Already Seen Annette In Theaters…

If you happen to be one of the lucky Americans who have caught Annette on the big screen and want to learn more before it becomes available on Amazon Prime Video, we at CinemaBlend have you covered in that regard, too. Read all about the proposed Rihanna cameo that was scrapped when the singer (known for films like Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and Ocean’s 8) dropped out of the project or the time Adam Driver took a smoke break when the film received an unexpectedly long standing ovation after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in July 2021. 

We also recommend checking out The Sparks Brothers - director Edgar Wright’s recent documentary about the film’s creators and composers, Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks. Rent The Sparks Brothers on Amazon.

With the number of exciting titles that the Star Wars movies star already has in his resume of upcoming films, could Annette be remembered as one of the best Adam Driver movies of this year (or even his entire career)? We will let you be the judge of that when the inventive musical experience hits Amazon Prime Video on Friday, August 20.

You’ve heard of Hot Girl Summer, but what about Adam Driver Autumn? The Star Wars actor is about to have a huge season between the release of The Last Duel and House of Gucci, but before the two dramas come to us in the fall, Driver is the star of a nearly two and a half hour-long rock opera called Annette, and the reactions are wild.

Annette sees Adam Driver playing a provocative comedian and Marion Cotillard playing his wife, an opera singer. The movie is about how the couple’s life changes when they welcome their daughter named Annette, who is portrayed by a wooden marionette puppet in the film. Excuse me? Hey, it’s a movie that exists, and there are a lot of incredible reactions to the film. This one, for example:

Uh... what? Annette premiered at Cannes Film Festival last month to a standing ovation from its audience that dragged on so long that Adam Driver lit himself a cigarette in between the praise. The movie comes from French filmmaker Leos Carax, who also made 2012’s Holy Motors. Annette hit theaters this past weekend and it’s set to come to Amazon Prime Video later this month.

In all honesty, and the internet seems to like to be scathingly so, Adam Driver looks to be the big sell here. And it's not just his performance; there's also his bare butt. Fans can’t get enough of Kylo Ren giving his all to Annette:

Oh, and apparently there’s a scene when Adam Driver sings to Marion Cotillard’s character while giving her oral sex, which is … new. That’s the kind of information about Annette that seems to really allow us to understand what we’d be getting into if you choose to visit the rock opera:

Aside from the pleasure Annette is giving Adam Driver fans, well, it just sounds like it’s a kooky time. Fans are taking to Twitter to contemplate what they just witnessed and not everyone is into it.

Annette has received some positive praise from critics, with Polygon’s Kristy Puchko calling it “remarkable,” whilst the vocal minority did not dig the experience. The thoughts on social media, however, are not always coherent:

Adam Driver’s latest movie sounds like a memorable experience through and through. Whereas some people are collecting their thoughts on Twitter to share their love and ultimately recommend the weird AF movie musical.

Still feel like you have no idea what to expect from Annette? Perhaps that’s the magic of it. Annette is playing in theaters now and will come to Amazon Prime Video on August 20. Adam Driver’s other projects include him playing a knight in The Last Duel this October and acting alongside Lady Gaga for House of Gucci, coming November 24.

When I think of Christopher Nolan, there are several films that stand out which make me think of what an amazing director and filmmaker he is. We have classics like The Dark Knight trilogy, the space-thriller Interstellar, and so many others. But, the one film that stands out to me the most is the 2010 classic, Inception.

If you don’t remember the movie, Inception follows the story of a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious of all of his targets, and is offered a chance at having his criminal history erased after utilizing that same technology to plant an idea in someone's mind. I know, just reading that, it already feels like your brain is in a blender – but the movie itself was fantastic, and the Inception cast has been up to plenty since then. From Leonardo DiCaprio to Michael Caine, this what the Inception cast has been up to since the film’s iconic release.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Dom Cobb)

Out of everyone on this list, you most likely know the most about Leonardo DiCaprio. He’s been in some amazing movies since the very beginning of his career, and that hasn’t stopped since his appearance as Dom Cobb in Inception. DiCaprio has appeared in several award-winning films, such as Django Unchained, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Revenant, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the latest Quentin Tarantino film, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.

Leonardo DiCaprio has also been very active in environmental awareness, even producing Ice on Fire, a film about global warming. DiCaprio has a new political satire disaster film, titled Don’t Look Up, which is the story of two low-level astronomers who are trying to warn mankind about an asteroid that will destroy Earth. He’s going to be starring alongside other big stars such as Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, and several others, so it’s sure to be just as intriguing as some of his most recent ventures.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur)

Moving onto one of the other main stars of Inception, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has had plenty of work since the film’s release. He’s starred in Looper, the superhero film The Dark Knight Rises, and done some voice over work in The Wind Rises by Studio Ghibli and the mystery thriller, Knives Out. In 2020, Joseph Gordon-Levitt also had a part in the popular Netflix film, Trial of the Chicago 7.

Moving on in his career, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is going to be stepping into the Disney world with more voice work, as he is going to be portraying Jiminy Cricket in the upcoming live-action remake of the classic Disney film, Pinocchio. This film, which will also have Tom Hanks as one of his co-stars, doesn’t have a set release date yet, but will debut on Disney+, so be prepared to hear some of Gordon-Levitt’s awesome acting skills on this take on the fantasy tale.

Elliot Page (Ariadne)

Elliot Page has had plenty of changes in his work-life – including some awesome film and TV roles. He’s had a pretty important role in the Fox version of X-Men as Kitty Pryde, starred in the Flatliners remake and the 2019 Tales of the City series, and since 2018, has had a main role in the popular Netflix show The Umbrella Academy.

In the next couple of years, he’ll have voice roles in two animated films, titled Naya Legend of the Golden Dolphin and Robodog, as well as continuing his role on The Umbrella Academy in its upcoming third season.

Tom Hardy (Eames)

Another big star who has had a super successful career post-Inception, Tom Hardy has been all over the map of genres in film. Like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy also had a role in The Dark Knight Rises, portraying Bane, the main villain. For another action film, Tom Hardy had a starring role in Mad Max: Fury Road, which was nominated for several Academy Awards, as well as a role in the Christopher Nolan film, Dunkirk.

One of Hardy’s most recent ventures has been taking on the leading role in the Venom franchise, which has the sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, coming out in 2021. Along with several other films that he has coming up, the next couple of years are going to be filled with interesting films for the popular actor.

Ken Watanabe (Mr. Saito)

Moving onto a character that may not have been as featured, but was still just as important, Ken Watanabe portrayed Mr. Saito expertly and has been plenty busy since the film’s release. Recently, Watanabe has had a voice role in the Wes Anderson film, Isle of Dogs, as well as some live-action roles in Godzilla and several of the Transformers movies. He also had a part in the Pokemon live-action film, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, where everyone’s favorite video game critters came to life.

Coming up in the next couple of years, Ken Watanabe is going to have a voice role in an upcoming film titled Kensuke’s Kingdom, as the role of Kensuke himself. He will also have a main role in a TV series titled Tokyo Vice, a crime drama that is based on the book of the same name.

Dileep Rao (Yusef)

Dileep Rao, while his role was small in Inception, has kept moderately busy since the film’s release. Besides Inception, he’s had a couple of film roles, one being in the iconic horror film, Drag Me to Hell. However, one of his main ventures since working on Inception has been taking on the role of Dr. Max Patel in the hit James Cameron film, Avatar.

While Rao has had a few guest appearances on TV shows and worked on other films, his main project – or rather projects – that he has coming up are the Avatar sequels, in which he will be portraying the same character. So, when those weird blue aliens finally decide to show up to theaters after more than a decade of being away, be sure to keep an eye out for him.

Cillian Murphy (Robert Michael Fischer)

For someone whose role wasn’t super big in Inception, Cillian Murphy has grown immensely in his acting career. Murphy has had plenty of film work in the intervening years, and in several other genres. If you’re trying to check out a war film, look to Dunkirk, where he shared the screen with Tom Hardy once again. If you’re into horror movies, Murphy will be appearing in A Quiet Place: Part II when it premiers in May of 2021.

Cillian Murphy will also have a role in the upcoming film Kensuke’s Kingdom alongside Ken Watanabe, so try to listen in closely to see if you can recognize his voice among that cast. However, arguably the biggest parts that Cillian Murphy has had since his role in Inception was his main role on the TV hit Peaky Blinders, a British period crime drama, for which he was the star. Truly, he is someone who has definitely spread his wings in terms of different genres.

Tom Berenger (Peter Browning)

Ever since Inception, most of the cast has kept relatively busy and picked up many films, but in the case of Tom Berenger, he’s kept his career on the down-low and relaxed a bit. That’s not to say he hasn’t still been busy, however – he has simply stuck to smaller films since his time on the mind-bending blockbuster.

Tom Berenger had a main role in the direct-to-video franchise Sniper, as well as multiple other direct-to-video films as well. He’s also had some guest appearances on multiple TV shows, such as Hawaii Five-O and Training Day, the TV series which was based on the award-winning movie.

Marion Cotillard (Mal Cobb)

While her role was really small in this film, even though Dom was very much connected to Mal emotionally, Marion Cotillard, who was more known for her French roles, broke out into mainstream movie success after her English-language role in Inception. Like others on this list, Cotillard had a role in The Dark Knight Rises, as well as parts in several other big-time hits such as the Academy-Award nominated Midnight in Paris, Contagion, and Anchorman 2.

In terms of what she has coming up, Cotillard is going to have a feature role in an upcoming film titled Annette, a musical which will tell the story of a stand-up comedian (played by Adam Driver) and his world-famous soprano wife, whom Cotillard will portray, and how their daughter, named Annette, will change their lives forever. It’s most certainly an interesting premise, and I’m excited to see what she could bring to this new film, for whenever it is released in the future.

Michael Caine (Professor Stephen Miles)

If you wanted to look up a picture of a living movie legend, I’m pretty positive a photo of Michael Caine would be one of the first images you see. Not only did this man have an amazing career prior to his role in Inception as Professor Stephen Miles, but he’s also had several other big roles after the film’s release as well. For the fourth time mentioned on this list, Caine had a role in the action film, The Dark Knight Rises (I’m beginning to see a trend with Christopher Nolan here), a part in Interstellar, and the 2020 release Tenet.

In terms of other films besides the work of Christopher Nolan, Michael Caine has made appearances in action films such as Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and Kingsman: The Secret Service. And, Michael Caine has a few films planned to come out within the next couple of years, as well.

Twist, which will be a modern adaption of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, Best Sellers, a story about an old author trying to save a publishing company, and Medieval, a fantasy film about a mercenary group that does dirty work for nobles. He is surely going to be a very busy man, and I can’t contain my excitement for some of the awesome projects he has lined up.

Which new film are you looking forward to the most? Let’s just all hope that none of the endings of these new movies are as crazy as the Inception ending – I think we would all have a headache after viewing the Christopher Nolan classic again.

You can watch Inception on Amazon here.

There was a time when you could watch Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 thriller Contagion and say to yourself: “Something like that would never happen, and if it did, it wouldn’t be like that.” But, here we are 10 years later living in a completely different world from the one we knew a decade ago, one that is eerily similar the one crafted by Scott Z. Burns. And, even before the pandemic made the movie a little too familiar, the Contagion cast, which was anchored by the likes of Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, and Jude Law, among others, had been around quite a bit before appearing in this anxiety-inducing drama.

So, what has the large ensemble of the Contagion cast been up to recently, and what have they worked on since the worst public health crisis in our lifetime started more than a year ago? Let's break down where they've been, where they are, and where they're going.

Kate Winslet (Dr. Erin Mears)

Besides telling her friends why they should never watch Contagion now that the stuff of fiction has become everyday life for all of us, Kate Winslet is keeping rather busy with a slew of upcoming projects, including the HBO limited series Mare of Easttown, which is slated to premiere in April 2021. The Divergent actress is also set to return to the worlds of fantasy/sci-fi with James Cameron’s Avatar sequels, starting with Avatar 2 in December 2022. And, much like her character, Dr. Erin Mears, Winslet has spent much of the past year advocating for COVID-19 awareness and best practices alongside other members of the cast, including Matt Damon.

Matt Damon (Mitch Emhoff)

In Contagion, Matt Damon’s character, Mitch Emhoff, and his on-screen daughter are both immune to the effects of the MEV-1 virus, but in May 2020, the accomplished actor/producer/writer revealed that his real daughter had contracted COVID-19. Luckily, his daughter (and her college roommates) recovered.

When not dealing with the issues (both personally and professionally) caused by the ongoing health crisis, Matt Damon has remained just as busy as ever with a number of upcoming film and television projects both in front and behind the camera. This includes Ridley Scott’s The Last Due,l which he wrote alongside his longtime friend and creative partner Ben Affleck, who also stars alongside him.

Jude Law (Alan Krumwiede)

Will Jude Law ever get to play James Bond once Daniel Craig puts down the martini glass and his standard PPK? Who knows, but the Contagion star (Was there anyone worse than Alan Krumwiede?) has been quite busy and his schedule will be just as full (if not more so) in the years to come with everything he has going on. With the third Fantastic Beasts film in production, the world will soon see the younger and conflicted Albus Dumbledore once more, after being introduced to the soon-to-be Hogwarts headmaster.

While we probably won’t see Jude Law’s Yon-Rogg in the Captain Marvel sequel, he'll take on the role of another antagonist from under the Disney umbrella when he portrays Captain Hook in the upcoming Peter Pan & Wendy.

Marion Cotillard (Dr. Leonora Orantes)

Much like her character, Dr. Leonora Orantes in Contagion, Marion Cotillard is not one to let people suffer just because they were given the short end of the stick. Throughout her career, the Academy Award-winning actress (La Vie en Rose) has used her platform to be a voice for the voiceless, doing everything from locking herself in a cage at the Louvre museum to protest Russia’s jailing of Greenpeace activists in 2013, to making a push for sustainability on the red carpet in 2020.

On the acting side of things, Marion Cotillard has shown up in everything from 2015’s Macbeth, where to she played Lady Macbeth alongside Michael Fassbender, to Dolittle, where she provided the voice of Tutu, a French fox. She will next appear in the musical Annette.

Laurence Fishburne (Dr. Ellis Cheever)

Since the release of Contagion, in which he portrayed the CDC’s Dr. Ellis Cheever, Laurence Fishburne’s career has continued to be as fruitful as it was in the years leading up to his 2011 performance. With multiple awards, including a Primetime Emmy in 2020 for his turn on FreeRayshawn and the Gregory Peck Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 San Diego International Film Festival, the former Matrix star has had a lot to celebrate.

Looking ahead, Laurence Fishburne will appear in the animated television series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (which he helped get off the ground) as well as a few film projects, including The Ice Road and All the Old Knives, though his John Wick 4 status remains unclear.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Beth Emhoff)

Since her portrayal of Beth Emhoff, aka the woman who brings the virus to America, in Contagion, Gwyneth Paltrow has let her acting career (at least in film) take a backseat to other projects like her Goop brand. Now, this doesn’t mean she hasn’t been in anything, as Paltrow has appeared in five entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since the 2011 thriller, as well as a number of television projects, including The Politician and her Netflix original The Goop Lab.

Bryan Cranston (Lyle Haggerty)

Bryan Cranston isn’t in Contagion all that much, but whenever his character, Rear Admiral Lyle Haggerty, is on screen, the award-winning actor makes the most of every second. The same can be said for Cranston’s career in general since then. With celebrated performances in biographical dramas like Trumbo and All The Way, not to mention the conclusion of Breaking Bad and the start of the Showtime original Your Honor, the former Malcolm in the Middle star has been on an absolute tear, and he doesn’t look to be stopping anytime soon.

Jennifer Ehle (Dr. Ally Hextall)

Jennifer Ehle has made a career out of playing strong, confident characters who take control of any situation to the best of their ability, and she did the same with Dr. Ally Hextrall, the dedicated CDC research scientist in Contagion. With appearances in Zero Dark Thirty, the Fifty Shades franchise, and a number of other film projects, Ehle has continued to show why she’s one of the best actresses out there.

Then there is Jennifer Ehle’s television work, which includes two brief appearances on the consistent fan-favorite The Blacklist, as well as two political limited series, The Looming Tower and The Comey Rule.

Elliott Gould (Dr. Ian Sussman)

Since taking on the role of Dr. Ian Sussman, the University of California research scientist whose work helps develop a vaccine in Contagion, Elliott Gould has continued to be one of the most prolific actors in all of Hollywood. With film credits that include Ruby Sparks, Dangerous Lies, and Ocean’s 8, in which he reprised his character, Reuben Tishkoff, as well as television productions, including Mulaney, Doubt, Ray Donovan, and even Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the cool and suave actor has just kept going.

Chin Han (Sun Feng)

Chin Han’s portrayal of Sun Feng, the government official with quite a secret in Contagion, might not be as recognizable as some of the other stars of the 2011 pandemic movie but the Singaporean actor has been in a few of the biggest movies and television shows of the 21st Century with everything from The Dark Knight to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and The Blacklist to Arrow under his belt. We’ll next see Han in the April 2021 release of the bloody Mortal Kombat reboot, in which he will play the evil and powerful Shang Tsung.

John Hawkes (Roger)

John Hawkes isn’t in Contagion for very long, but his character, Roger, is a part of one of the most heartwarming scenes in the movie when Ellis Cheever gives the custodian’s son a dose of the vaccine. Hawkes, an incredible character actor, has gone on to show up in movies like Lincoln, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and The Peanut Butter Falcon, but his biggest success in the past 10 years was in the 2012 drama The Sessions, which netted him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. Hawkes also returned for Deadwood: The Movie, reprising his role of Sol Star from the original HBO series.

Sanaa Lathan (Aubrey Cheever)

Sanaa Lathan briefly appears in Contagion as Ellis Cheever’s finacée Aubrey, a role which she followed up with performances in movies like American Assassin, The Best Man Holiday, and Native Son. In addition to her film roles. Lathan has done quite a bit of voice work throughout her career, most notably Family Guy and Harley Quinn.

Demetri Martin (Dr. David Eisenberg)

Demetri Martin is another actor who appears in a smaller role in Contagion, in which he takes on the character of researcher Dr. David Eisenberg. Since the release of the 2011 drama, Martin has released two comedy albums, appeared in various commercials for Lunchables, and provided his voice for the 2019 revival of Crank Yankers.

Enrico Colantoni (Dennis French)

Enrico Colantoni appears in Contagion as DHS official Dennis French, but he will always be known for his portrayals of Keith Mars in the teen mystery drama Veronica Mars, and Elliott DiMauro on the sitcom Just Shoot Me! Colantoni’s most recent appearances include A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Feel the Beat, and the third season of Westworld, in which he appeared in one episode in 2020.

Monique Gabriela Curnen (Lorraine Vasquez)

Monique Gabriela Curnen, who portrayed San Francisco Chronicle journalist Lorraine Vasquez and one of the people who fell for Alan Krumwiede’s games in Contagion, hasn’t been in a movie since the film’s release, but her television career is alive and well. In the past 10 years, Curnen has had major roles on shows like Power and the Netflix space drama Away, as well as smaller one-off appearances on shows like Taken, Elementary, and Person of Interest.

It is hard to believe that Contagion will be 10 years old later this year and it’s even harder to believe that the film is more relevant now than ever before. Judging by everything we’ve heard about the names on this list, the same can be said about the relevancy and staying power of its cast.

Robert Downey, Jr. surrounds himself with a supporting cast of animals, with whom his physician character possesses the ability to speak to, in Dolittle. The animal characters are brought to life by, of course, CGI trickery and an A-list ensemble voice talents.

In his first role outside of the MCU sandbox in years, Robert Downey, Jr. clearly owns much of the spotlight as the title role of the adventure fantasy based on Hugh Lofting’s novels. However, we believe the animal cast of Dolittle, now playing in theaters, deserve just as much attention. In that spirit, who are these animals and who is voicing them?

Barry (Ralph Fiennes)

In comparison to previous sinister roles, such as Lord Voldemort or Amon Goeth in Schindler’s List, Barry may be one of the more lighthearted villains Academy Award-nominee Ralph Fiennes has played. Despite making friends with most of the animals he meets, Dr. John Dolittle finds an adversary in the gold-fanged tiger who eyes the physician for his next meal when he finds himself locked in a dungeon with him.

Betsy (Selena Gomez)

Easily the tallest of Robert Downey Jr.’s onscreen animal friends, Betsy is a giraffe voiced by former Disney Channel star and current pop star, Selena Gomez. The actress and singer, who made a recent surprise turn in Jim Jarmusch’s horror-comedy The Dead Don’t Die last year, has also lent her voice to Sony Animation’s Hotel Transylvania trilogy as Count Dracula’s daughter, Mavis.

Chee-Chee (Rami Malek)

You have heard of the Cowardly Lion - now, meet the Cowardly Gorilla. Oscar-winner Rami Malek, who will also appear as James Bond’s next villain in No Time to Die, goes from portraying a larger than life rock star in Bohemian Rhapsody to a larger than life jungle beast in Dolittle. However, despite his size, Chee-Chee is far meeker and more anxious than one would expect a gorilla to be, but that does not stop Robert Downey, Jr.’s Dr. John Dolittle from selecting him as his right-hand man.

Dab-Dab (Octavia Spencer)

Octavia Spencer, the titular antagonist of last year’s thriller Ma, plays an absent-minded duck named Dab-Dab in Dolittle. This is the third time the Oscar-winning actress has voiced an animal, after playing a snake in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and an otter in Zootopia, and her second voice role in 2020, along with playing the Manticore in Pixar’s upcoming fantasy Onward.

Dragon (Frances de la Tour)

Of all the creatures in Dolittle’s ensemble, none is more “fantastic” than the fire-breathing dragon that the film’s trailer sees Robert Downey Jr. and his pals awkwardly crossing paths with. Dragon is voiced by Tony-winning English actress Frances de la Tour, who is no stranger to fantasy, having played half-giant Madame Maxime in Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and a full giant in Into the Woods.

James the Dragonfly (Jason Mantzoukas)

In addition to a dragon, Robert Downey Jr. also interacts with a (much smaller) dragonfly named James in Dolittle. Providing the voice of James is Jason Mantzoukas, a comic actor of Greek descent known best as co-host of the How Did This Get Made? podcast, the impeccably crass fan-favorite Rafi on the long-running FX comedy The League, and his surprisingly earnest turn as the ominous Tick Tock Man in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.

Jip (Tom Holland)

How fitting for Tom Holland, whose Peter Parker follows Tony Stark like a dog in Spider-Man: Homecoming, stars in Dolittle, alongside MCU co-star Robert Downey Jr., as a dog. Playing Dr. John Dolittle’s house pet, Jip, also allows Holland the unusual opportunity to use his natural British accent, unlike his other big voice acting role this year in Pixar’s Onward, alongside fellow Dolittle animal star Octavia Spencer.

Kevin (Craig Robinson)

Like his co-star Octavia Spencer, Craig Robinson also provided the voice of a talking snake in Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, but in Dolittle, he and Spencer do not have animals in common. The former Office actor who recently starred in the Golden Globe-nominated Netflix biopic Dolemite Is My Name is the voice of a rambunctious squirrel named Kevin.

Plimpton (Kumail Nanjiani)

After playing a dog named Rusty in the animated HBO series Animals., Kumail Nanjiani is once again lending his voice to a talking animal character, this time an ostrich named Plimpton in Dolittle. Plimpton is the second CGI character in a live action movie voiced by the Pakistani-born comedian after playing pint-sized alien Pawny in Men in Black: International. The Academy Award-nominated co-star and writer of 2017’s The Big Sick just starred in the sixth and final season of HBO’s hit comedy Silicon Valley and is set to make his MCU debut later this year in Eternals.

Poly (Emma Thompson)

Polynesia (“Poly” for short) is a parrot with a far more sophisticated vocabulary than the typical squawk of your average tropical bird. In Dolittle, she is often seen going toe-to-talon with Robert Downey, Jr.’s character as to who should be considered the alpha of the group. Voiced by Academy Award-winner Emma Thompson, whose performance in the comedy Late Night recently earned her a Golden Globe nomination, Poly’s British accent gives her a heartwarming classiness that rivals most humans.

Tutu (Marion Contillard)

It is not very often that foxes are depicted as French, but French-born Marion Contillard’s performance as the voice of Tutu must be a unique turning point for the animal in cinema. Dolittle is the first English-language voice acting role for the actress, best known as a Christopher Nolan regular and for her Oscar-winning performance in La Vie En Rose, which depicts the life of French singer Edith Piaf.

Yoshi (John Cena)

After playing a kind bull in Ferdinand, John Cena once again plays a walking contradiction to nature in Dolittle as Yoshi, a polar bear who cannot stand to be cold. The wrestling star began his onscreen career as the title role of the WWE-produced action flick The Marine in 2006 and has gone on to play a variety of roles, such as an overprotective dad in Blockers and a hostile government agent in the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee. He is set to star in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and also recently followed in his WWE colleague Dwayne Johnson’s footsteps by joining the cast of Fast and Furious 9.

It seems that Robert Downey Jr. has an impressive zoo of talent to back him up in Dolittle. Be sure to check back for more updates on the family adventure and its large cast here on CinemaBlend.

From Zero Dark Thirty and The Martian to Interstellar and Molly's Game, Jessica Chastain has left her mark on Hollywood through a variety of movies over the last decade, and her profile is only going to increase. Next February the actress will antagonize Professor Xavier's team of mutant superheroes in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and today brings word that she's joining 355, a large-scale spy film that will see her teaming up with some other popular actresses.

Having just worked with Jessica Chastain on X-Men: Dark Phoenix, director Simon Kinberg has brought Chastain aboard for 355, and the main cast will also include Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong'o and Fan Bingbing. The women will play a team of top international agents from around the world who must set aside their political and social differences and join forces to stop a sinister global organization from obtaining a weapon that could plunge the world into chaos. 355 is described as a "grounded, edgy action thriller" that's aiming to put a female stamp on what's been a primarily male-dominated genre. Theresa Rebeck wrote the script, and the goal is for 355, which Kinberg says is tonally similar to the Bourne movies, to launch a franchise.

While Jessica Chastain is just one of the actresses who will headline 355, she's actually the one who was the driving force with making this movie happen, as she pitched the idea to Simon Kinberg and the other actresses, and slowly but surely, the ball got rolling. Having worked with a female-led ensemble in The Help and dipped her toes into espionage storytelling with Zero Dark Thirty, Chastain was interested in merging those two things together, and 355 is the result. With a cast like that, it's hard to imagine a studio not quickly snatching the movie up. As for what to expect from 355, Kinberg says that the actress will share equal screen time, and then revealed the following to Deadline:

All of Jessica Chastain's 355 co-stars have some blockbuster experience under their belt, with Marion Cotillard appearing in both The Dark Knight Rises, Penelope Cruz appearing in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Lupita Nyong'o appearing in Black Panther and Fan Bingbing appearing in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Seeing the five women kicking ass together on the big screen will ideally result in a highly entertaining action movie.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates about 355 as they come in, but in the meantime, if you're interested in learning what's hitting the silver screen later this year, take a look at our 2018 release schedule so you can plan your trips to the theater accordingly.

Art is designed to provoke a reaction from its viewer. We're supposed to get emotionally invested in the stories that we see in movies. Having said that, sometimes people can have reactions to films that aren't necessarily what you'd expect. Actress Marion Cotillard says that the comedy Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly is one that always makes her cry.

Crying at movies is one of those things that's happened to pretty much all of us at one time or another. When everything works the way it's supposed to and the audience is drawn into a story, any moment that has the potential to make you sad, or extremely happy, could potentially cause the tears to flow. We would not have expected Step Brothers to cause that sort of reaction, but everybody is different. Marion Cotillard tells W Magazine that the end of the movie is one that gets her every time.

As the quote is part of a larger feature dealing with several of the biggest actors and actresses of 2016, it has no context, so exactly how Marion Cotillard and the interviewer got on the topic that led to this revelation is unclear. We're guessing it was an interesting conversation.

To be fair, the conclusion of Step Brothers isn't a scene entirely without sentiment, it's just that the sentiment is the joke. The film's finale sees Will Ferrell singing "Por ti Volaré," a love song, entirely in Spanish. Everybody at the assembled gathering begins to have an emotional reaction to the beautiful performance, resulting in enemies reconciling and people falling in love right there on the spot. The magic of the moment is the punchline, though apparently for some the moment is quite real.

At the end of the day, we have very little control over what things cause us to react emotionally. If you find the end of Step Brothers to be a touching moment, then that's what it is. Will Ferrell's musical performance is actually quite impressive and that's the case whether he's trying to be funny or not.

Are there any moments in film that get you to react in usual ways? let us know in the comments.

The following contains HEAVY SPOILERS for Assassin's Creed from the get go, including full details of its conclusion. So you shouldn't read ahead if you haven't seen the latest attempt to cure the video-game curse.

Come the end of Assassin's Creed, Marion Cotillard's Sophia Rikkin is in a bit of a pickle. Not only has her father, who also just so happens to be her boss and the CEO of Abstergo Foundation, Jeremy Irons' Alan Rikkin being murdered, but he was killed by Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender), who acquired his assassin skills from the Animus project she designed. As such, Marion Cotillard has now suggested that Assassin's Creed 2 will see her character become rather unhinged because of this conclusion.

Marion Cotillard made this admission to me when I sat down to talk about Assassin's Creed with the Academy Award winning actress (La Vie En Rose). After I quizzed Marion Cotillard about where Assassin's Creed leaves Sophia Rikkin, she remarked:

The ending to Assassin's Creed certainly leaves Sophia Rikkin's world in upheaval, while she has to watch as Callum Lynch, who has now transformed into a fully-fledged assassin, and two fellow assassins, including Michael K. Williams' Baptiste, roam the rooftops of London, while her father lies dead in front of her. So, clearly, there's plenty of story left to explore between Callum and Sophia.

But what are the chances that Assassin's Creed will actually get any sequels? Michael Fassbender recently admitted to me that the plan is for Assassin's Creed to expand into a trilogy, but those plans have been slightly scuppered since its first outing was met with a huge sway of negative reviews, and currently holds a score of just 17% on Rotten Tomatoes.

In fact, Assassin's Creed is only projected to make somewhere between $25-$35 million at the box office over its first six days, meaning that it'll have to do very well to get to $100 million domestically. Assassin's Creed's international box office, which could be hefty considering the game's worldwide popularity, will have to cover this deficit just to make its $125 million budget back, while it already looks unlikely that further films will be ordered. So you better appreciate Assassin's Creed while it's in theaters, starting with its trailer below.

Meanwhile, you can check out part of my chat with Marion Cotillard regarding Assassin's Creed underneath, too.

Assassin's Creed is now in cinemas everywhere.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains massive spoilers for Allied. If you have not yet seen the film, and don't wish to know details about the ending before doing so, please save this page and click away to another one of our wonderful articles!

While Robert Zemeckis' Allied opens as a fun, romantic, action-packed World War II spy movie, it's ending is quite tragic. It not only turns out that Brad Pitt's Max Vatan has unknowingly spent years married to a German spy (Marion Cotillard's Marianne Beauséjour), but she winds up killing herself to protect him. It's one of the darkest directions that Steven Knight's script could have gone, but Zemeckis believes it was integral to the story being told -- as it is an ultimate sacrifice in the name of love.

Prior to Allied's release, I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Robert Zemeckis during the film's Los Angeles press day, and after our conversation had drifted into spoiler territory, I asked him specifically about the ending. I asked both about whether it was always the way the story was going to end, and why he felt it the finale was important, and he laid out his perspective:

What's interesting to note -- and I did -- is that this doesn't immediately come across in the ending of the film. In the movie, we watch Max try to escape with Marianne in a plane, but get stopped by his military colleagues. Acknowledging that there is no way out of the situation, Marianne takes Max's loaded pistol out of the glove compartment, and shoots herself in the head. At this point in the story, it's entirely possible that she committed suicide because she saw no other way out for herself... but then Max finds the letter that she left that confirms that she was sacrificing herself for her husband and child.

I noted this while talking with Robert Zemeckis, and he agreed that it was a crucial element to drive home what "Marianne" had done and how she felt. Said the director,

Allied is now in theaters everywhere, and you can check out Robert Zemeckis' comments about his next film HERE!

The newest clip for Assassin's Creed has given us our first good look at the Animus, the virtual reality machine that allows Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) to relive the memories of his ancestor Aguilar de Nerha from over 500 years ago in the Spanish Inquisition. But far from being a dainty headset that Callum Lynch simply places over his head, the Animus is a rough and brutal piece of machinery that causes its subject quite a bit of pain. You can see for yourself in the footage below.

Ouch. Things eventually get a little bit better for Michael Fassbender in Assassin's Creed, though, but only after he has had his spinal cord violated and then he has been lifted into the air by a crane that then drops him down to the ground so that he can undergo the regression that gives him access to the memories of his long deceased ancestor. As you do.

Based on the hugely popular video game series of the same name, which has sold more than 93 million copies over the course of 9 games, Assassin's Creed once again pairs up director Justin Kurzel with actors Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, after the trio previously worked together on _MacBeth. _

In Assassin's Creed Fassbender's Callum Lynch is saved from his own execution by Abstergo Industries, which is a modern-day version of the Templar Order. Abstergo Industries then force Callum Lynch to participate in the Animus Project, which is where he relives the memories of his distant ancestor Aguilar de Nerha so that he can gain his knowledge and learn his skills and then battle the Templars.

You can get a better feel for Assassin's Creed by watching the trailer for action adventure film, which also stars Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson and Michael K. Williams, below.

Assassin's Creed has got a bit of a battle on its hands to claw back its estimated budget of somewhere between $130 million and $200 million. That's because it's being released on December 21, which is just five days after Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits, while it's also released on the same day as the Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt led-Passengers and Mark Wahlberg's Patriots Day, too. However, the popularity of the Assassin's Creed video game series means that it has a better chance of appealing to larger worldwide audience than the latter two films, and there's every chance it could replicate the success of Warcraft from earlier this year, which bombed domestically but flourished internationally.

Real life drama can sink a film as easily as it can help it soar, which is undoubtedly what Paramount seems to be counting on in order to make Allied an irresistible night out at the movies. And just in time to capitalize on the recent rumors that its starring couple, Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard, have been having an affair, the studio has released a new clip to tease the World War II romantic thriller. Prepare to have your heart broken below.

The 60 second spot was released through Paramount Pictures' YouTube channel earlier today, and the timing couldn't be better, as the Robert Zemeckis helmed film found itself in the spotlight for some interesting reasons. Rumors were swirling that a supposed "third party" was involved in the Pitt / Jolie divorce, and as history has shown us, the Mr. and Mrs. Smith actor can really get into character with his leading ladies. With the story of Allied focusing on a pair of World War II spies who may or may not be falling in love during a relationship for the sake of cover, it's something that could really strike a meta-chord in the public eye.

Putting aside the fact that TMZ has come out and declared that any Pitt / Cotillard action in real life is nothing beyond a load of bunk, Allied is wise not to let the sun set on this story. While still a legendary director, Robert Zemeckis could use a well earned hit after his previous biopic, The Walk, tanked out at the box office last September. So any sort of boost that the film can give to its profile is going to be needed between now and its November release date.

As far as how this second, leaner look at Allied stacks up to the previous full trailer, it's actually more effective in selling its film than the longer advertisement. One big reason this look at the film excels is the fact that it teases one of the story's big plot points without overselling it, as Brad Pitt is taken into a secret room towards the end of the trailer and told something so shocking, going home feels a little chilly. Which is in direct opposition of the first trailer, which plays up Pitt's dilemma, and possibly teases its resolution.

Of course, the best reason for Allied to seize the moment and play up the Brad Pitt / Marion Cotillard rumors is simply because it makes the film's presence known. The film isn't exactly blowing up social media, and there's a good chance that a lot of movie fans have forgotten that this film is coming up in the next couple of months. With its November 23rd release date fast approaching, we'll see if audiences fall in love with Allied, or merely pass it over in favor of another option.

There are several formulas for creating an award winning film. Allied looks to be following one of them perfectly. Previous award nominees, making a film set in World War II. While the structure may be a formula, the film looks anything but. Here's the first look at Bratt Pitt and Marion Cotillard in the new spy thriller by Robert Zemeckis.

While the trailer does a good job of keeping us guessing as to exactly what it is that we're seeing, the basic premise of Allied is available for us to learn. Bratt Pitt plays an intelligence agent who meets a French resistance fighter, played by Marion Cotillard, in North Africa in 1942. Later, the pair are reunited in London and resume the affair they began previously. However, as there is still a war going on, the pair face difficulties in keeping themselves, and their relationship alive. There may also be some question as to whether or not they're both entirely honest about where their allegiances lie. We wonder if the title, Allied, shouldn't include a question mark.

The first thing that we really noticed in the trailer wasn't a shot or a story point, it was the director. We're so used to seeing Robert Zemeckis behind something computer animated or more family friendly that it's easy to forget he directed films like Denzel Washington's Flight, or that he directed Tom Hanks in Cast Away as well as Forest Gump. This looks to be a return to form. No uncanny valley animation or 3D gimmicks in sight, just drama.

While Allied, which is produced by Graham King, is marketing itself as an espionage thriller, the trailer gives us plenty of straight up action as well. Both Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard are seen wielding machine guns in the trailer, we also get a shot of tank nearly exploding. While Allied feels like a film trying to hit an Oscar BINGO, it doesn't look to be a straight character driven drama, like so many of your traditional Best Picture nominees. This one at least appears to have some action as well.

Allied is written by Steven Knight, the man behind the hit series Peaky Blinders. This is also the first of two Brad Pitt films that the writer will be involved in, he also worked on a draft of World War Z 2. He was also the writer behind Viggo Mortensen's Academy Award nomination for _Eastern Promises. _

Everything about Allied looks set up to receive awards consideration. That doesn't mean that the film won't be good enough to deserve whatever accolades it receives. We'll find out when we see Allied on screen November 23.

Video games have come a long way when it comes to narrative. With more hours of gameplay than many TV series, never mind movies, this means that there's a lot of story to adapt when the movie studios come looking for new movies to make. Assassin's Creed has been an incredibly popular game series since it debuted in 2007. Now it's being turned into a feature film, with hopes of turning it into a franchise as big as the games themselves.

While the movie looks to be taking the basic premise of the Ubisoft video game's structure, there will be many differences as well. Take a look at the trailer so you can get a taste of what you're in for.

There's a lot we still don't know about the Assassin's Creed movie, but here's a breakdown of the structure of the game, as well as that of the movie.

What Is The Assassin’s Creed Release Date?

Assassin’s Creed is scheduled for a North American Release on Dec 21, 2016. December is usually the home of the award-worthy films, which would put Assassin's Creed in a class by itself. However, with the return of a certain major franchise, the assassins may have their work cut out for them. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is hitting theaters the weekend prior, and if Star Wars: The Force Awakens is any indication, Rogue One could have some serious staying power.

What Is The Assassin’s Creed Rating?

Assassin’s Creed is currently unrated, but we anticipate a PG-13 rating when it is finally released. The film will fall squarely into the modern action genre, and as such, it is likely to have a rating similar to other movies of its type. All of the Assassin's Creed games have received M ratings, which is closer to that of an R for the MPAA, however, the M rating does not restrict game sales the way an R rating can do for movie tickets. It's possible, however, that the film could go for an R rating as other game-to-film series have done (Resident Evil).

What Is Assassin’s Creed About?

While a great deal of Assassin’s Creed is still clouded in mystery, the first trailer gives us the story’s basic premise. Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) is dead. At least, that’s what the rest of the world believes. He recently faced execution, but rather than being killed, his death was faked and he’s now being held by a company called Abstergo. They claim to be working toward the future of mankind, but as their methods are somewhat questionable, their motives are as well. Abstergo has perfected a technology that will allow Callum to experience the memories of one of his own ancestors. Abstergo needs him to do this in order to obtain information that the ancestor had, but has since been lost.

A large portion of Assassin’s Creed will take place during the Spanish Inquisition. Here, Michael Fassbender will portray, Aguilar, a member of an ancient order of assassins involved in a feud with the Knights Templar. Exactly how the Spanish Inquisition will fit into the modern day story is still unclear.

The Game

The film version of Assassin’s Creed is based on a long running video game series of the same name. Begun in 2007, Assassin's Creed is simultaneously a science fiction series and a historical adventure at the same time. The story follows a centuries long battle between two factions, the assassins and the Knights Templar. The sides have been fighting for the fate of humanity for centuries. In the initial games the characters are faced with a world ending event (based on the famous 2012 Mayan calander doomsday conspiracy theory). The Templars believe that if humanity is to to be saved, they, as the best and brightest humanity has to offer, must take control. Assassin’s believe in free will above all else, and that a life lived under somebody’s thumb is no life at all.

In the games, the primary objective of these historical experiments is the recovery of objects called Pieces of Eden, ancient technology with immense power, left behind by a race of beings that predate humanity. Whether this will be the objective of the film as well is not yet clear, though it has been said that the Assassin’s Creed movie is taking place within the same universe as the games, so it’s a safe bet that the goal in the film will, somehow, be related.

The key mechanics of the Assassin’s Creed games are based on free running and other parkour like skills. Assassins can climb the near sheer sides of buildings barehanded, and are most at home running across rooftops, jumping from one building to the next. The trailer shows us a fair amount of this. We can be sure that action will be a key aspect of the film.

How Will Assassin’s Creed Be Different From The Game?

While there are many things that we can assume about the movie, based on the game, it's to be expected that some changes will be made. First and foremost, we know that the movie is not an adaptation of any game in the series, but rather it’s another chapter in the same universe. The primary modern day protagonist of the game series is a man named Desmond Miles, who grew up as an assassin, but rejected the lifestyle and left home, only to be eventually found by the Templar order and kidnapped. What little we know about the character of Callum Lynch appears to suggest that he will not know much, if anything, about his ancestor’s involvement in the assassin order.

The biggest difference that we know of so far, is that while the games spend the vast majority of their time on the historical period, the film will deal much more with the modern day character. It will be interesting to see how this difference impacts the story. In the games, our hero has always been the historical character, Ezio Auditore, in Renaissance Italy or native American Connor during the American Revolution. The modern day character of Desmond Miles was always our conduit to that character, but was never of any particular importance himself. The movie is planning to flip the script and make the modern day Callum Lynch the story’s driving character.

Michael Fassbender

Michael Fassbender was not familiar with the Assassin’s Creed franchise when he was approached about the role. Since then, he’s become very excited about the film as he has also signed on as a producer. Callum Lynch appears to be a very different character than we’re used to seeing in Assassin's Creed. While killing is, of course, a standard part of assassin life, spilling the blood of innocents is expressly forbidden within the creed. It’s unlikely that Aguilar will be the same sort of character, this has the potential to give Fassbender two very different characters to play.

Supporting Characters

The supporting cast of Assassin's Creed looks to be very strong and contains several stellar actors. Jeremy Irons will play Alan Rikken, the man in charge of the facility where Callum Lynch is being held. His daughter, Dr. Sofia Rikken, played by Marion Cotillard, is actually the one running the experiment on Callum in the Animus. While father and daughter do appear to be working together, there may be some degree of conflict between the two.

During the Spanish Inquisition era scenes we see several people dressed in the traditional assassin robes, most of what we get from them are action shots without much context. We are introduced to a female assassin in the trailer rather prominently, this appears to be Ariane Labed's Maria, a role that was originally planned for Alicia Vikander. She'll be playing the female lead in the historic portion of the movie. The games have been a little light on female assassins, so Maria could end up as the one of the most important women in the entire franchise.

Brendan Gleeson will be playing the father of lead character Callum Lynch in the modern day. We know from an early preview, that we see will see Callum as a young boy along with his younger father (played by Brendan’s son Brian) early in the film. This means that we will meet the father in the modern day story as well, though we don’t know how. Callum’s father Joseph appears to be an active member of the assassin order, though, due to circumstances, he was never able to impart this wisdom to his son.

The Director

Justin Kurzel has never directed a big budget action movie before. He’s better known for smaller productions like his recent adaptation of Macbeth. However, on that project, he worked with both Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, who are back with him for Assassin's Creed. This means both actors are likely confident in his ability to pull all of the vastly different aspects of the movie together.

Abstergo/Templars

Abstergo is the modern focus of the Knights Templar. It's a large corporation, which funds the various templar plans. One of the key Abstergo technologies is the Animus, a machine that is able to recover genetic memory from its subjects. The key conceit of Assassin's Creed is that each of us carries in our cells the memories of our ancestors. By recovering this, the Animus can cause a person to relive the events of somebody who lived hundreds of years in the past. It would seem that Callum Lynch's ancestor during the Spanish Inquisition has some knowledge that the Templars need, and by forcing him to relive these events, they can get it.

One key difference about the movie version of the Animus is that it is a much more massive machine. The Animus of the video game is essentially an examination table that the subject gets strapped into, the action in the past takes place entirely in the mind. Here, the animus appears to be the world's most advanced virtual reality rig, where the subject physically runs around just as he does in the memory. This machine includes a large mechanical arm that keeps the subject from running outside of the machine's range. One, likely unintended, result of this is that Callum Lynch will learn how to fight like an assassin by reliving the experience of one.

Assassins

Opposing the Templars are the assassins. While the Templar order exists in plain sight, as part of Abstergo, the assassins live in the shadows. The implication of the games is that the templars have done a fairly decent job hunting down and exterminating assassins in the modern age. There aren't many left, the hiding is out of necessity, not strategy.

The assassin’s look, of a long robe with a hood is an iconic image which the movie will be continuing. Exactly how the assassins hide in plain sight when nobody else wears outfits like that is not clear, but perhaps the film will help explain that. One line in the trailer tells us that the actual Assassin's Creed, the words that they live by, will be in the film as well.

The assassin’s chief weapon is the hidden blade. We see a pair of these devices attached to Callum Lynch’s arms in the trailer. Each device holds a small knife-like blade that can spring forward, and then retract, so that an assassin may covertly stab a target, without anybody in a crowd even being aware that it has happened.

The Spanish Inquisition

While the Assassin's Creed game series has covered numerous time periods, the movie will delve into an entirely new era. The games have covered the Crusades, the Renaissance, and the French Revolution, but the movie will give us the Spanish Inquisition.

As the Spanish Inquisition was actually the beginning of the Templar order, historically speaking, it makes sense that this would be a chosen time period for the film.

What we don’t know is exactly how the Spanish Inquisition will play into the film’s larger story. We do know that at least one historical figure, Torquemada, will appear as a character in Assassin’s Creed, and it’s common for real historical people to make appearances throughout the game franchise. Since the names we know from history are the people who shaped it, it’s common for them to turn out to be either or Assassins or Templars. Most of America’s founding fathers were associated with the Assassins, while loyalists were Templars. People viewed as historical heroes turn out to support the Assassins. Historical assholes are always Templars.

Franchise Possibilities

Since the Assassin’s Creed video games are almost a yearly franchise, and 2016 will be the first year without a new console game in the series since 2008, it’s a safe bet that the hopes are that the movies will have sequels as well. Rumors have claimed that early work on the sequel has already begun. According to those rumors, Michael Fassbender will reprise his lead role in a follow-up.

If the plan is to follow the game’s structure in some way, this would make sense. The first several games followed the character of Desmond Miles, but involved him experiencing the memories of different ancestors. This would allow the movie to travel to different historical eras as well as different geographical locations. We fully expect that the Assassin's Creed movie will set itself up for sequels, and if the movie is financially successful, we will see them happen.

Hollywood has struggled, over the years, converting popular video games into successful film franchises. That doesn’t stop studios from trying, however. Later this summer, Duncan Jones will unveil Warcraft, while Oscar winner Alicia Vikander just agreed to try on Lara Croft’s cargo shorts for a new big-screen Tomb Raider adventure. Additionally, Assassin’s Creed is making a go at silver-screen fortune, with Michael Fassbender in the lead role. We just got our first look at the new movie, via the full trailer. Give it a look:

Working off of the stories presented in the long-running video game series by Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed casts Michael Fassbender as Callum Lynch, a man whose mysterious heritage traces back through a line of secret killers. Using an incredible new technology, Callum appears to be able to assume the identity of Aguilar, one of his past descendants, and embark on a series of missions to retrieve priceless artifacts. Did we mention that this is all during the Spanish Inquisition? Because the amazing technology that Callum becomes a guinea pig to can send him back through his own familial timeline.

This movie won’t lift its plot directly from one of the games. For one, Callum Lynch isn’t a character in the games. In this movie, he will be a bartender who is abducted by a mysterious corporation, and forced to work in The Animus, the machine that allows him to somehow tap into his ancestors’ memories and conduct the missions – all through his own genetic profile. We know we're giving an extremely basic explanation of this technology, but we'll trust Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons to explain everything much better in the context of the Assassin's Creed adaptation.

As far as looks go, Assassin's Creed definitely captures the high flying stunt work and insane combat that fans of the video games will appreciate. However, the trailer looks better than your average video game adaptation has any right to, and that's thanks in part to the director, Justin Kurzel. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he previously worked with Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender on the most recent adaptation of Macbeth, which also explains the smoky aesthetic to the film's overall look to its Spanish Inquisition storyline. Say what you will about whatever the story's about to do, but at least the film looks like a video game adaptation that remembered to bring a cohesive product to market.

Naturally, seeing as Assassin's Creed drops in theaters on December 21st, we'll bet that a more full trailer will hit later this summer, detailing what the story behind Callum Lynch's new lease on life.

There’s been more hype around the upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie that just about any video game adaptation that’s come before, and for good reason. It has an interesting director at the helm, a fantastic cast, and the potential to be pretty damn awesome if it all comes together. Production is just getting rolling, and now we’ve got our first look at the set.

This first look at the set comes courtesy of Azaïzia Aymar, the head of content for Assassin’s Creed at Ubisoft, the video game publisher behind the hugely popular series of games. While it doesn’t really give away anything, there is a nice nod to the saga that gamers will appreciate, and if nothing else, Aymar’s enthusiasm is readily apparent in this tweet.

There’s no look at star Michael Fassbender or any of the other actors who will appear, but this picture does show off the logo of Abstergo Industries, which those of you who play Assassin’s Creed will know as the company controlled by the Templars in the world of the game. This photo is apparently from inside of the set of their corporate headquarters.

Aymar also took over the official Twitter account for Assassin’s Creed over the weekend and revealed a few new tidbits about the movie. He said that the movie features a new story, and that Michael Fassbender plays two characters, one in the modern day, and one who is part of the past. In the present he will play a character named Callum, while the historical character is named Aguilar, a distant relative of his other on screen persona.

He also noted that they’re taking a Star Wars style approach to building this world—you knew they want this to be a franchise, of course. It sounds like the movie is going to be part of a realm that includes the games, Assassin’s Creed comics, and whatever else they can dream up, all in service of creating a similar sprawling shared universe.

Directed by Justin Kurzel, who helmed the upcoming Macbeth, and costarring Marion Cotillard, Brendan Gleeson, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Jeremy Irons, Assassin's Creed hits theaters on December 21, 2016. And if it’s popular, prepare for the brand to expand even further.

Something wicked this way comes, and it’s the new Macbeth trailer. Michael Fassbender plays the titular role in the latest adaptation of the Shakespeare classic. As we get closer to the year’s end and the fog clears off from the 2016 Oscar contenders, this film from director Justin Kurzel is rising up in the ranks. Watch the dark and stormy new footage below.

This new Macbeth trailer makes the film out to be the Dark Knight of Shakespeare plays. The color palette and, obviously, the tone are dark; the symphonic accompaniment is dramatic and stirring; and the crescendo-ing chants mimic the "Deshi Basara" one from The Dark Knight Rises. But in all seriousness, it’s difficult not to get excited over this.

For those who didn’t pay attention in high school English, Macbeth tells of the Scottish thane. He encounters three witches who foresee him to "be king hereafter." Incited by his persuasive wife, Lady Macbeth, as well as his own ambitions, he murders the king and takes the throne for himself. Afterwards, he plummets into madness and — since the play is called The Tragedy of Macbeth I’m not spoiling anything here — he dies. Though the shortest of Shakespeare’s tragedies, it’s considered one of his most powerful, examining the destructive force of unchecked political ambitions, and the physical and psychological turmoil that can ensue.

We haven’t received a feature film Macbeth adaptation since the 2006 version with Clash of the Titans’ Sam Worthington and December Boys’ Victoria Hill. But this one has a dynamite cast. Fassbender is joined by Marion Cotillard, who is also re-teaming with Fassbender and Kurzel for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie adaptation, as Lady Macbeth. Also cast are The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’s Elizabeth Debicki (Lady Macduff), Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’s Sean Harris (Macduff), Harry Potter’s David Thewlis (Duncan), Transformer: Age of Extinction’s Jack Reynor (Malcolm), and Child 44’s Paddy Considine (Banquo).

Though it’s still early to be prejudging potential Oscar nominees, we’re gonna do it anyway. While Macbeth as a whole could be good for a Best Picture nomination, both Fassbender and Cotillard seem ripe for Best Actor and Best Actress nominations. So far, the former category is shaping up to also include Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl, Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant, (potentially) Jason Sagal in The End of the Tour, and Fassbender (again) for the Steve Jobs biopic. For Best Actress, women like Cate Blanchett in Carol, Julianne Moore in Freeheld, Carey Mulligan in Suffragette, and Jennifer Lawrence in Joy are early standouts. However, there are still plenty more films and performances to see emerge before the year is up.

Macbeth is scheduled for release in the U.S. on December 4th.

Brad Pitt clearly loves his World War II dramas. Fresh off the success of Inglorious Basterds and Fury, the actor has decided to once again return to the period for his next film, and he’s bringing along Oscar-winng actress Marian Cotillard for the ride too.

According to The Wrap, the French actress has now signed on the dotted line for the untitled project, which will be a combined released from Paramount and New Regency. However, unlike Brad Pitt’s two previously World War II-based excursions, this film, written by Steven Knight, is destined to be a more romantic, mysterious, and dramatic piece, without the colossal bloodshed of Fury and Inglorious Basterds. But as it’s set during the Second World War I’m sure there will be some deaths for people to devour.

Pitt and Cottillard are set to play two assassin in the flick, and the stupendously attractive duo will fall in love during a mission to kill a German official. Told you there would be blood. In fact, the pair fall so much in love that they soon marry. However, their marriage is quickly ruined when he’s told that his wife is a double agent working for the German government. It’s made even worse when he’s told that he then must kill her. Is it just me or does this material seem ripe for comedy too?

The film is actually shaping up very nicely indeed. Not only does it have two absolutely stellar stars on-board, both of whom ooze sex appeal and charisma, but it’s also being directed by Robert Zemeckis. The Back To The Future and Forrest Gump director, who picked up an Academy Award for Best Director for his work on the latter, is currently putting the finishing touches to the intriguing The Walk.

It’s certainly a change of pace for Zemeckis, who has spent most of the last decade working on special effects movies like The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol, which have tried to fully utilise technological advancements in the medium. Even The Walk, which is a retelling of Philippe Petit’s walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on August 7, 1974, is set to fully take advantage of 3D Imax in a way that hasn’t been done before. This untitled romance should be a much more straight-forward film for Zemeckis though, and if he can eke out stunning performances from his two leads like he did with Denzel Washington in Flight then we should be on for a real winner.

Alongside Pitt, Cotillard, and Knight’s involvement, Zemckis, Steve Starkey, and Graham King are producing the romantic spy drama, while Knight is also an executive producer with Jack Rapke, Patrick McCormick, and Denis O’Sullivan. Production was due to begin this fall, however, Zemckis will be too busy promoting The Walk and Cotillard is still shooting Assassin’s Creed, so filming has been pushed back to start in early 2016.

At this point, there is quite a bit of clout that comes with having Michael Fassbender be at the lead of a particular project, but apparently Fassbender's presence wasn't quite enough for the filmmakers behind the upcoming video game adaptation Assassin's Creed. It's become clear that they weren't satisfied just having an Oscar nominee playing the male lead in the movie, and have no cast Oscar winner Marion Cotillard to be the main female presence in the blockbuster.

News of this casting deal comes to us from Deadline, and while details about Cotillard's character are being kept under wraps for right now, she very clearly plays a vital role. This is because there is apparently already a plan in place that would see her return in her role should the first film be successful and lead to a sequel. Fassbender has a similar deal in place as well, and it's pretty clear that the companies behind the production, New Regency and Ubisoft, are very confident in the feature's potential.

Based on the game series that launched in 2007, Assassin's Creed follows a hero named Desmond Miles - an ordinary bartender who comes from a long line of prominent assassins. Despite having a desire to escape this lineage, Desmond is eventually kidnapped because of it, and winds up being forced to use a device called the Animus. This allows Desmond to experience the memories of his ancestors first hand, and his captors hope to use this so that they can locate a collection of tremendously powerful artifacts. At this stage, it's unclear how closely the movie adaptation will follow the video game, though Ubisoft is very involved with the production and may see to it that the film narrative doesn't stray too far away from the source material.

Marion Cotillard is best known for her work in smaller productions, having won the Oscar for her role in the Edith Piaf biopic La Vie en Rose, and last year earning acclaim for her performance in Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Two Days, One Night. Thanks in particular to Christopher Nolan, however, she has gotten a taste of blockbuster filmmaking before. In 2010 she played the femme fatale role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Inception, and in 2012 she was the duplicitous Miranda Tate a.k.a. Talia al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises.

What's interesting about the production of Assassin's Creed is that Marion Cotillard's arrival to the project creates a trio reunion for a film that we haven't actually seen yet. The film's director, Justin Kurzel, just recently worked with both Cotillard and Michael Fassbender on a big screen adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, which sees the two stars playing Lady Macbeth and Macbeth, respectively. That film doesn't have a release date just yet, but it's pretty clear that all three of them enjoyed working together on the project.

Filming on Asssassin's Creed is scheduled to start up in the early fall of this year, as the film has already been dated to be released on December 21, 2016.

Film festivals are often where the buzz for Oscar season begins. And at the 52nd New York Film Festival, buzz on the Best Actress race is brewing around Two Days, One Night thanks to Marion Cotillard. The French Academy Award winner earned her first Oscar in 2008 for the Edith Piaf biopic La Vie en Rose, which offered the mesmerizing actress the opportunity dig into histrionics. But her latest demands something very different, yet still striking and emotionally resonant.

From Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne comes Two Days, One Night, a follow-up to their 2011 NYFF entry The Kid with a Bike. The Belgian brothers came from documentary, and these roots show in their naturalistic narratives that offer unadorned actors and intimate tales of human drama. In this instance, Marion Cotillard stars as Sandra, a wife and mother of two who is struggling with depression. This is not the kind of depression that Hollywood likes to sell complete with gnashing of teeth and pained wails. It's quieter, more about a lack of verve and oppressive melancholy. It's true to life, and at times hard to watch. But every step of the way, Cotillard nails this tricky performance.

Sandra's depression has forced her away from her job, but on the brink of her return she discovers she may lose it completely. It all depends on the vote of her co-workers. But the cards are stacked against her. Their choice is a substantial bonus, or Sandra keeping her job at the solar panel plant. Over the titular time period, Sandra must seek out her colleagues and convince 9 out of 16 to vote for her, and against their bonuses. It's essentially begging, which would be hard enough for anyone. But Sandra's depression worsens her feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness as she intrudes on her co-workers lives, homes and personal secrets. While she pushes herself to press on through awkwardness, embarrassments and violence, we're left to wonder if the battle is worth it.

While this is a plot that could easily lend itself to hysterics, the Dardennes reject that approach. Sandra never attempts to play upon her co-workers sympathies. She never mentions her children or the house she will lose if her income vanishes. She never cries for their pity. Instead, she soldiers on--though often with a defeated look that is positively crushing.

Cotillard trusts in the brothers' approach completely. The glamorous star of red carpets and big Hollywood movies allows herself to be shown wan and deflated, with greasy hair and a ratty ponytail, bra straps protruding from a simple tank top. She delivers an ungarnished portrait of depression in a slice of life form that allows no room for star power. And the results are profoundly moving.

Though their actors are stripped of makeup and enviable wardrobes, the Dardennes don't strip the film of beauty. Their frames often rest in striking compositions, where the colors of Sandra's casual costumes play perfectly with her surroundings. Peaks into the doorways of co-workers' homes add texture and intimacy. Adding to the tension of the film, the Dardennes implement handheld cinematography that quivers with life and amps up a feeling of anxiety. And in moments where Sandra and her husband (Fabrizio Rongione) are in the car together, planning their next move, the pans from to the other from the back seat put the audience in the car in a way that makes it feel like we too are on this journey with them, rooting for Sandra despite her setbacks.

Two Days, One Night is a quiet film that delicately examines depression. The Dardenne's production design is naturalistic, but with pops of color that make for lovely frames and poetic simplicity. Their cinematography is clever without being flashy. But this film lives or dies by Marion Cotillard. And so it lives, with a heartbreaking thrum and moments of glorious hope.

I won't dare say Marion Cotillard will win an Oscar for this role. The Academy tends to favor far flashier fare for their big night. But for giving such a stripped down and impactful performance, she damn well deserves one.

Two Days, One Night will premiere at the New York Film Festival on October 5th. A limited theatrical release will follow in the US on December 24th, 2014.

The last directors to really leave their stamp on William Shakespeare's work and get away with it were Sir Kenneth Brannagh and Baz Luhrman. (An argument could be made for Ralph Fiennes’s Coriolanus, but alas not enough people have seen it yet to really discuss it in full.) If the new photos from Justin Kurtzel’s adaptation of Macbeth are any indication, we might be seeing another name added to that luminary list.

The works of Shakespeare are adapted about as often and as frequently as directors have picked up young adult franchises in the past decade or so. Before Edward Cullen was the cover boy for teenage angst, young prince Hamlet wore the crown for several decades prior. In fact, the only real difference besides Shakespeare and YA adaptations (besides the quality of the source material) is that it’s even more disastrous if someone manages to screw up the translation from page to screen. (Does anyone else remember Love’s Labours Lost? Maybe Ethan Hawke or Mel Gibson’s Hamlet?)

Of course, a director is usually only as good as the actors they’re using, which is why the photos from The Daily Mail’s story on Kurtzel's Macbeth production give us more of a reason to anticipate this latest version. Michael Fassbender is starring as the reluctant murderer Macbeth, with Marion Cotillard as his more motivated other half. Fassbender was interviewed by The Daily Mail’s columnist, Baz Bamigboye, and judging by some of his remarks there’s a new dimension of understanding to the classic character:

Fassbender further articulated that such a disorder was:

Throw in the fact that he and his wife are still mourning the loss of their child, and you’ve got a couple that has the perfect motive to strike down a king. All of the characters (save for Lady MacBeth) will be speaking with authentic Scottish accents, with an authentic period setting and a more visceral/Braveheart look to the face painted warriors. Truth be told, it’s way early to tell how well this is going to turn out, but just evaluating the two photos and the interview with Fassbender is enough to make classic literature fans excited.

With roles in plenty of other literary adaptations, Shakespeare seems to be the last landmark for Michael Fassbender to conquer… unless they decide to cast him as Professor Snape in the "destined to happen 20 years from now" BBC Miniseries of Harry Potter. For now though, Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth opens in the UK early 2015, with release dates in the U.S. and other territories still up in the air.

Do you want to be married to Michael Fassbender? Wait, before you jump at the opportunity, you probably need the details. First of all, it's only on screen. Second of all, it's a marriage that, by the time the story starts, has already gotten a little strange. Third, it's a marriage that ends in not just your death and his death, but the death of pretty much everyone else around you. Being Mrs.Fassbender might be great, but being Lady Macbeth is a much tougher job.

Which might be part of why Natalie Portman has backed away from it. Deadline reports that Portman has bailed on a planned new adaptation of the Shakespeare classic Macbeth, but another Oscar winner, Marion Cotillard, has taken her spot. Deadline says that Fassbender is only "still in the mix" for the Macbeth role, so presumably Cotillard could wind up scheming and bloodying up her enemies alongside another top-flight actor. After all, the last time Portman and Fassbender tried to team up it was for Jane Got A Gun, which devolved into chaos not long after Fassbender walked away from the project. He seemed to know something nobody else did on that one… maybe Portman is the one in the know this time?

An adaptation of a Shakespeare play is very different from a feminist Western, obviously, and this spin on Macbeth has more than just history on its side-- The King's Speech producers Iain Canning and Emile Sherman are backing it, with Snowtown helmer Justin Kurzel behind the camera. Macbeth has been adapted for the screen dozens of times, starring everyone from Orson Welles to Toshiro Mifune (in the Kurosawa version Throne of Blood) to Sam Worthington. Yes, Avatar star Sam Worthington played the role, in a 2006 Australian flop I'd never heard of until this moment. (Warning: The below trailer is NSFW because in this version, Macbeth has sex with the three witches who are now schoolgirls. You've been warned)

There haven't been many details on how Kurzel plans to adapt Macbeth, or even if he'll keep the original medieval setting or update it to modern day. Cotillard, though, ought to be able to easily fit in regardless. Sure, her English-language roles since winning the Oscar for La vie en Rose haven't been as outstanding as they ought to be, getting lost in the messy ensemble of Nine, luring Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale in Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, respectively, and at least holding her own in the large casts of Contagion and Midnight in Paris. But she's earning good word for her role in James Gray's upcoming The Immigrant, and it's clear that the La vie en Rose performance was no fluke. If an actress ever wants to prove her chops, the Lady Macbeth role is a surefire way to do it. Macbeth is set to start production next year, so prepare to see Cotillard put to the Shakespearean test sometime late in 2014.

Since being released in 1943, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's French novella The Little Prince has become a staple of childhood literature. And today that story took major steps towards getting a big screen adaptation.

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the folks behind an upcoming animated feature version of the book have been keeping busy casting, and have lined up an impressive, long list of stars. The trade reports that James Franco, Rachel McAdams, Jeff Bridges, Marion Cotillard, Benicio Del Toro and Paul Giamatti have all signed up to voice characters in the movie. Mark Osborne, who has plenty of experience lining up A-list celebrities for voice over work having directed 2008's Kung Fu Panda, is attached to helm, though there's no mention of who will be handling the script.

For those unfamiliar with the book, the plot centers on a pilot who crashes in the Sahara desert and miraculously comes across a young boy who claims to hail from an asteroid and has fallen to Earth. The pilot fixes his plane and tries to get it ready for flight again while the boy tells him stories about his homeworld. Sources have informed THR that Bridges will be providing the voice of the pilot, but fails to mention who the rest of the actors will be portraying.

The story has been adapted numerous times for both television and film, one of the most notable being the live-action feature version from 1974, directed by Stanley Donen. There's no mention of when the new take on The Little Prince is aiming for release.

After Joaquin Phoenix turned the press tour for writer-director James Gray's haunting romance Two Lovers into his own cultural experiment for the bizarre I'm Still Here, I suspected Gray would never work with the enigmatic actor again. But apparently their bond can overcome even the most peculiar publicity stunts, as the two have re-teamed for Gray's upcoming period piece set in 1920s New York.

In The Lowlife, Phoenix plays a sneering pimp who exploits a Polish immigrant's desperate need for funds to save her sickly sister, turning her into a reluctant burlesque performer. The Dark Knight Rises' Marion Cotillard plays this snagged stripper, while Jeremy Renner plays a charismatic magician she meets on the vaudeville circuit, who inspires her to hope for something more than the cruel life she knows.

The film recently wrapped its New York City shoot, and now The New York Times has revealed an early look at The Lowlife within a profile on Oscar-nominated cinematographer Darius Khondji (Evita). The still, seen below, features Phoenix looking pretty dapper for a pimp and Cotillard looking very conservative for a burlesque performer. But the frame is lovely with its shift in colors and stark foreground, proving a perfect tease for The Lowlife's eventual marketing rollout.

Cotillard has an unearthly beauty and an edgy charm that makes me eager to see her perform old-school burlesque, but I'm most excited to see Renner's intense energy channeled into a magician, and bound for conflict with Phoenix. While all this will have to wait until the film's eventual debut (no release date has yet been slated), I'm going to hope in the meantime that the film's marketing team will use the 1920s setting as an excuse to make The Lowlife's promo poster pop with vaudeville-styled flair.

It's almost time for the stars of The Dark Knight Rises to start making the rounds for what will inevitably be a huge publicity push, and yet, it's unclear just how much they'll have to talk about. Director Christopher Nolan is still keeping an incredibly tight lid on plot details, to the point that a single tidbit can become a news story-- or, in the case of Marion Cotillard, a single word.

Talking to THR in advance of the Cannes Film Festival, where her film Rust and Bone will debut, Cotillard spoke about how Nolan reworked the script and the schedule on The Dark Knight Rises to accommodate new mother Cotillard, and also a tiny bit about her character Miranda Tate. The information is more in context than in direct quotes from Cotillard, so here's the entire paragraph in question:

Here's the thing-- no matter how unequivocal that single-word "yes" sounds, we have no real way of knowing if Cotillard is telling the truth. It seems totally plausible that she'd simply lie about the complexities of her character in order to avoid the wrath of Nolan, and particularly to throw us all of the scent of what's long been rumored: that she's playing Talia al Ghul, daughter of Liam Neeson's villainous Ras al Ghul, who has a likely cameo. There's also been casting of a child actress to play a young Talia, plus set photos showing Cotillard in a very Tali-esque outfit. Can all that evidence be overruled by a single "yes"?

It's your call. Personally I'm not ruling anything out, and I'm not really sure I want to anyway-- the mystery is a big part of the fun right now. The Dark Knight Rises comes to theaters soon enough, on July 20, and it's going to be a little unique to not know all that much between now and then.

From the moment Marion Cotillard was cast as the previously unknown character Miranda Tate in The Dark Knight Rises, speculation ran rampant that she would instead be playing Talia al Ghul, daughter of the villain Ras al Ghul played by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins. We know that Josh Pence has been cast to play a younger version of Ras al Ghul in a flashback, but most speculation had pointed to Cotillard playing his daughter in present day. But what if Talia wasn't appearing in the present day of the film, but in the past?

That's the crazy idea pointed to clearly by, of all things, a story in the local British newspaper The Surrey Comet about child actress Leilah De Meza, who apparently was offered the role of "young Talia al Ghul" in The Dark Knight Rises. According to De Meza's mother she turned down the part because it would have required her to shave her head-- "We were concerned how this could have affected Leilah’s confidence and general social welfare." The story was passed on to io9 by a reader, and as they point out this doesn't necessarily mean that Cotillard is in fact playing the older Talia-- but then again, why would they introduce a character in flashback and not have her return at all?

It's also unclear which actress got the part-- American 11-year-old Joey King is the only young actress cast so far, but it's unlikely she'll have an accent that would match up at all with Cotillard's. Regardless, the young Talia isn't likely to be the major figure in the movie-- who we really need to watch out for is Cotillard, who now more than ever seems to be playing someone who isn't what she seems. We'll probably only find out for sure on July 20 next year, when The Dark Knight Rises finally hits theaters.

It's December. For most people that means a change in radio stations, more egg nog and the occasional snow shovel. For those of us writing about film, it means a constant barrage of “For Your Consideration” posters. This year has been no exception. I just ran into two. The first, for Rabbit Hole, asked we consider Aaron Eckhart, Nicole Kidman and Dianne Wiest; the second, for Inception, asked I consider it for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Leonardo Dicaprio. Notice anyone's name missing?

As the major, non-technical awards go, there has been some Inception buzz for the four categories I mentioned, as well as Marion Cotillard for Best Supporting Actress. In fact, our own Oscar Expert Katey Rich has listed her as having an outside chance for months now; yet, even though she's pictured prominently on the advertisement shown below, currently running on influential websites across the internet, there's no mention of nominating her. Take a look:

Now, for those of you unfamiliar on how this works, let me give you a little rundown. Basically, the whole thing runs like a swap meet. Every studio asks nominations for practically everyone involved. In fact, Inception officially lists six supporting actors and two supporting actresses, one of which is Cotillard, but after haggling and hedging of bets, they really only push a couple. The others remain up for consideration, but without their own studio truly backing them, they become completely irrelevant. It's just like a swap meet. If you go to one of those booths and the guy behind the counter keeps steering your attention toward two or three items, it's very unlikely you'll consider purchasing the battle axe at the end of the table. Marion Cotillard is that battle axe at the end of the table.

Let's be honest: it was unlikely Marion Cotillard was going to get nominated whether Warner Brothers pushed her or not. There's just too many other things to love about Inception, but with her now unofficially off the table, the studio is free to concentrate on Picture, Director, Screenplay and Leo. Three of those seems to have a chance, one of them not as much. No offense, Leo, but the others aren't competing against themselves in Shutter Island.

A few weeks ago we were trumping up the "battle of the blondes" between Blake Lively and Scarlett Johansson as they both vied for the lead female role in Gravity, the outer-space thriller from director Alfonso Cuaron that's already set to star Robert Downey Jr. Angelina Jolie had originally been on board for the film but bailed several months ago, and even with Downey Jr. on board the producers were apparently struggling to come up with someone to replace Jolie.

We all knew Angelina Jolie was one of a kind, but apparently she's so unique that Warner Bros. searched through all of Hollywood's starlets only to try and get Jolie back again. Deadline reports that after testing the likes of Lively, Johansson, Sandra Bullock, Marion Cotillard, Carey Mulligan, Olivia Wilde and nearly every other hot young actress you can name, the studio went back to Jolie with a better offer, and she still passed. Apparently Downey Jr.'s role is small compared to the female lead, and they need a gigantic female star to carry the film-- and there's no bigger star right now, once again, than Jolie.

Running down the list of all the other projects Jolie has in mind, from the Bosnian war love story she plans to direct to Salt 2, Deadline speculates she won't come back to Gravity no matter what, and I have to agree. Now it's just going to take one of those actresses to have the chutzpah to say not only can she act like Jolie, but she can open a movie all by herself like Jolie-- when, of course, no other female star has that power, especially for action movies. Maybe by passing Jolie is trying to help breed a new female action hero to follow her lead. It's too bad Warner Bros. didn't trust themselves or their property enough to actually give it a shot, though now they'll have to. I hope Naomi Watts or Abbie Cornish or whoever they cast-- I'm rooting hardest for Cotillard--gives 'em hell and proves Jolie right.

Outside of Christopher Nolan, Jonah Nolan and David Goyer, nobody has any idea what is in store for Batman 3. There has been rampant speculation about castings and villains, but it's almost all guaranteed to be false. Most recently, the trend has been to suggest that the stars of Inception will be heading into the Batman universe, starting with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as The Riddler. The newest rumor fits right in there.

Batman Movie News (via Comic Book Movie, who has since taken the story down) suggests that Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, who played Leonardo DiCaprio's wife in this past summer's blockbuster, has been offered a role in the upcoming sequel. According to the report she will either play Catwoman or Talia al Ghul (while we're throwing things out there, why not Poison Ivy?). The story comes from a former Warner Bros. intern who said,

This story is, of course, a rumor, and likely a false one at that. Starting with the fact that Comic Book Movie took down the story, nobody has any clue as to what new characters will be and it's possible that the script isn't even finished yet. The only reason this rumor exists is because Christopher Nolan directed Inception and Marion Cotillard starred in Inception. That is all.

The Colin Farrell comeback, which got started with his surprise Golden Globe win for In Bruges last year, led up to a bit part in Crazy Heart and rolls along with June's Ondine, may have just hit its peak. Variety reports that Farrell and Marion Cotillard are attached to star in Cosmopolis, an adaptation of Don DeLillo's novel to be adapted and directed by David Cronenberg.

Farrell will play a rich guy who takes a 24-hour journey across Manhattan, losing all of his money, occasionally running into his wife (Cotillard), and being stalked by two men over the course of one very eventful day. The project will be presented for potential buyers at Cannes this week, and filming is already scheduled to take place a little under a year from now in New York and Toronto. Cronenberg is planning to film his Sigmund Freud/Carl Jung project A Dangerous Method starting this month in Europe, but apparently the guy just can't sit still. We'll only be more excited for Cosmopolis if he comes up with a way to work Viggo Mortensen in there somehow.