It’s safe to say that when anyone thinks of Ferris Bueller, they probably think about skipping school, as Matthew Broderick’s character is infamous for having the most epic "sick day" ever. Though this doesn’t mean Ferris would stay the same aloof guy we loved in the iconic John Hughes high school movie. And it turns out Broderick is thinking the same thing. When the actor stopped by The Guardian to spill some BTS moments, he shared what he believes happened after the movie. And his comments about Ferris as an adult are bumming me out.

This isn’t the first time Broderick has shared BTS trivia, having previously revealed some conflicts with Hughes when filming Ferris Bueller. The actor once thought the chance of a sequel was possible (until Hughes' passing), but that hasn’t prevented him from thinking about "what happened to Ferris." He gives the answer, along with some cheeky shade at ‘80s hair. If you don’t like the idea of Ferris as an adult, you may not like Broderick’s answer:

Truthfully, at some point Ferris would have to grow up. What was beloved about him as a ‘teen’ may not play as well in an adult. Admittedly, it’s harder to think about Ferris growing up after hearing from Broderick how much went into fine-tuning his character to the perfect blend of slacker and charmer. Hughes even nixed a scene after a screen test in fear of how it’d make Ferris come across.

Bringing this character to life was truly a collaborative effort, from specific details of his costume to even making the dance scene feel spontaneous. In fact, you can relive these moments with a Paramount+ subscription. It was important to the actor that Ferris was “a little cool and aloof,” but more importantly, he says:

But there’s one thing that Broderick feels would have held his character back from fame, and it has to do with his and sidekick Cameron's hairstyles. Since they were coming off the Gene Saks’ military play, Biloxi Blues, they had “timeless hair-dos." But the actor can't help thinking about how they could have easily had “crazy mullets, in which case, it would not have become a timeless classic.” Broderick's most recent projects include a guest appearance on Elsbeth. Meanwhile, his co-star Alan Ruck can be seen playing a jerk on Rooster.

Though I do have good news for Ferris Bueller fans as Broderick and Ruck will be reuniting after 40 years for a new movie. The Jon Turteltaub-directed film, The Best is Yet to Come, is currently in production and will bring the costars back together for a bucket list road trip adventure. The two will be playing best friends who set off to do everything they’ve always wanted to do before life got in the way.

If you squint just right, this almost feels like a Ferris Bueller sequel. Surely, we’ll get a few nods to the classic movie and maybe even an idea of what an adult Ferris would be like.

I’m a huge fan of 1983’s WarGames starring Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy. The film, currently available with a Prime Subscription, also has a wonderful supporting cast that includes Dabney Coleman, Barry Corbin, James Tolkan, and John Wood, who plays Professor Stephen Falken. It’s that last role that I recently learned was originally conceived to be played by none other than John Lennon. That wouldn’t come to pass, of course, but I find myself daydreaming about what it would have been like.

Falken Was Written With Two People In Mind

Recently, I was watching a behind-the-scenes feature for the surprisingly influential WarGames that included an interview with co-writer Walter F. Parkes. In the piece, Parkes talks about him and co-writer Lawrence Lasker writing the initial script in 1980. The working title of the film was The Genius, and at the center of the story was the Falken character, who the writers loosely based on Stephen Hawking, but with the face of John Lennon. I had to dig deeper.

In 2008, Parkes and Lasker were interviewed for a story in Wired magazine about the movie, and Parkes talked about it again, saying:

Lasker went on to say that casting Lennon was further on in the process than I would have thought. Lasker told Wired:

So Lennon was keen, apparently. Sadly for the movie, and even worse for the world, Lennon was shot and killed as Lasker and Parkes were still writing the script in December of 1980, so they were forced to change directions, and ultimately it was John Wood would get the role. Wood is fantastic as Falken, and I can’t imagine Lennon would have been better, but it sure would have been surreal.

The Making Of WarGames Was A Bigger Mess Than I Ever Knew

Martin Brest was WarGames’ original director, but after disagreements with the movie's producers, Brest left the project, and John Badham took over. This is another “what-if” I’d like to see in an alternate timeline. As I said, it’s one of my favorite movies, so I think Badham (one of the most underrated directors of the '80s) did a wonderful job on it, and apparently made a version that wasn’t as dark in tone as Brest had in mind.

Still, at the time, Martin Brest was a hotshot director who directed two of the best ‘80s movies, in my opinion: Beverly Hills Cop in 1984 and Midnight Run in 1988. Both of those are comedies, as is his underrated Going in Style from 1979, so seeing his vision of a darker WarGames sounds intriguing to say the least. Alas, like John Lennon starring as Falken, it’s something we didn’t get to see. I can’t say I’m mad, because I think WarGames is almost perfect as it is, but those are really tempting fantasy ideas.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since one of the best movies of the ‘80s, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, premiered. To this day, Ferris is quoted frequently, and the John Hughes movie remains a staple in its stars’ filmographies. So, you can imagine the excitement I felt when I learned that Ferris himself, Matthew Broderick, and Alan Ruck, who played his best friend Cameron, were reuniting for a new movie four decades after they made this iconic comedy.

Now, somewhat shockingly, Ruck and Broderick have not worked together in decades. After Ferris Bueller, they were in the 1998 film Walking to the Waterline, and last year, they each appeared in their own episodes of Elsbeth (however, their paths did not cross there). In short, it’s been a very long time since they’ve collaborated. However, that’s all about to change with The Best is Yet to Come, which should premiere on the 2026 movie schedule. So, with that in mind, I asked the Succession actor what his first day back on set with Broderick was like, and he said:

As the legend goes, Rip Van Winkle was asleep for 20 years before he woke up to find that the world had changed. So, when Ruck and Broderick got to work together 40 years after Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, it was wild for them to realize how much had evolved since the last time they collaborated.

However, while the Ferris Bueller’s cast has grown up, they clicked back into it like no time had passed. Ruck explained what that felt like to me, too, saying:

It sounds like this energy will serve the movie they made well, too. The film, which is titled The Best Is Yet to Come, will see Broderick and Ruck play two best friends, per Deadline. However, after a massive misunderstanding, there’s a clock on their relationship. So, they get in a car to go find one of their estranged sons. Along the way, they also cross off some bucket list items.

Considering the two actors played best friends immaculately in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, this feels like the perfect film for them to star in, especially since they’ll once again be playing pals who are trying to make the most of their lives.

The movie will be directed by Jon Turteltaub (who directed While You Were Sleeping and National Treasure) and written by Allan Loeb (who penned Just Go With It and The Space Between Us). Ruck and Broderick will also star in it alongside Sutton Foster, Mary-Louise Parker and Thomas Mann. So, all around, it seems like a good team has formed for this movie.

Now, the question is: When will it come out? A date has not been announced, but the film wrapped, and Ruck told ET that he’s hopeful it’ll be released this year. So, here’s hoping we get to see this reunion soon! In the meantime, you can stream Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with a Paramount+ subscription.

1983’s WarGames, which I recently rewatched with my YouTube TV subscription, is truly one of my favorite ‘80s movies. Really, it’s probably one of my favorite movies from any decade. The movie is so charming and seemingly innocent. Or at least it was when I used to watch it on VHS when I was a kid. It’s not all that innocent, of course, which I recognize now, but I had no idea that it actually influenced President Ronald Reagan to create new policy around national security and the burgeoning computer age.

WarGames Was Ahead Of Its Time

It’s not exactly a hot take to say WarGames was ahead of its time. The utterly charming movie stars Matthew Broderick as a high schooler with early hacking skills and Ally Sheedy as his new girlfriend, who find themselves in the middle of a situation that could lead to World War III. It’s one of those ‘80s films where teenagers found themselves in situations they never should have been in.

It was a very early example of hacking culture in Hollywood, like 1980s icon Broderick’s David calling into his school computer and changing his grades, and later hacking into a software company’s servers to play video games. When he does that, it kicks off a series of events that eventually lead him to NORAD and, almost accidentally launch a nuclear attack on the USSR. That premise piqued the interest of no less than the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, and eventually led to new national security directives and formal legislation.

This Government Program Was No ‘Star Wars’

Having a former actor in the White House in the 1980s led to an interesting Venn diagram that overlapped movies and policy. Most famously, Reagan called his proposed nuclear missile defense program “Star Wars,” after the George Lucas classic. That program famously struggled to ever become reality, but the influence of WarGames did.

According to The New York Times, Reagan, who loved to watch the latest movies, had a screening of the movie at Camp David, and the situation it presented — a hacker accidentally almost starting a “Global Thermonuclear War” — spurred Reagan into action. A short time later, he met with his national security advisers and members of Congress and explained the plot of the movie. At the end, he pointedly asks if something like that was possible. A week later, he got his answer: Yes, it could theoretically happen.

The Movie Led To The First Directive On Hacking

About a year after Reagan’s meeting, the administration issued National Security Decision Directive Number 145, or National Policy on Telecommunications and Automated Information Systems Security. It outlines the advancement of computers and technology, as well as the dangers they could pose to national security. While it had been a topic among some enlightened scientists for decades at that point, this directive was the first official policy on hacking from the US government.

Art has affected policy for centuries, and this example shows that you never really know what kind of impact a work of art, in this case, WarGames, could have on the broader world. It’s not a movie that was trying to change the world, and yet, it did in some very real ways. Just another reason it’s one of the best '80s movies.

Chances are that if you fell in love with a dance sequence in a major movie over the past four decades, it was because of Kenny Ortega. The choreographer/director has worked on some of the best '80s classics, like Dirty Dancing and, of course, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. John Hughes’ classic high school hooky comedy was actually Ortega’s first “directing assignment” in his early career.

Part of those duties included calming a nervous Matthew Broderick before filming the big Chicago parade sequence. So clearly the pressure was coming from a pretty relatable place. When Kenny Ortega sat down with ET to discuss some of the his most notable achievements, he described those concerns, and how they were eventually settled, as follows:

Of course, we now know Matthew Broderick as a song and dance man thanks to working on projects like the Broadway mega-hit The Producers. However, his duties on Ferris Bueller (which is currently streaming through a Paramount+ subscription) were fairly early in this still burgeoning career. Keep in mind, by that point his major claims to fame were the films WarGames and Ladyhawke.

Those movies, while being absolute classics, didn’t exactly work out the musical muscles required. That is, unless I missed a scene where Mr. Broderick and the WOPR supercomputer sang a stirring duet of “We'll Meet Again.”

Adding even more pressure to this scenario was the fact that this movie moment to feature The Beatles' cover of “Twist and Shout” not only needed Matthew Broderick to lip-sync and dance, he had to do it on an actual parade float in a sequence that needed to be nailed in one take.

Kenny Ortega, who was directing the second unit on Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with 12 cameras in an actual Chicago parade, certainly had his work cut out for him on his end too. The results speak for themselves, as you’ll see in the clip below, featuring what’s now regarded as one of the best ‘80s movie music moments:

Ferris Bueller may not be one of the “real heroes in ‘80s movies,” but he sure knew how to cut a rug. Landing the moment that saw Matthew Broderick helping to prove that 1986 was the best year for movies, Mr. Ortega’s skills would go on to land even more dancing feats, with Hocus Pocus and High School Musical awaiting him down the line. For those achievements and more, I think we all have to admit once again that Kenny Ortega is a righteous dude,

Spoilers ahead for the Valentine's Day episode of Elsbeth Season 2, called "Tiny Town" and available streaming now with a Paramount+ subscription.

Elsbeth is the place to be in the 2025 TV schedule to find celebrities in guest star roles, often playing murderers with entertainingly bizarre motives. Season 2 started out strong with Nathan Lane as a murderous opera lover, and his former Producers co-star Matthew Broderick is on the way next. While I'm hyped for Broderick as a Broadway fan after speaking with the show's costume designer, I can't help but hope for more of Ioan Gruffudd after "Tiny Town" and his introduction as a dreamy musician/firefighter from Scotland to woo Carrie Preston's character..

In the Valentine's Day episode, Gruffudd's Angus was the unlikely witness to a murder from Scotland via a video installation transmitting live video between NYC and his – you guessed it – tiny town thousands of miles away. He quickly managed to charm Elsbeth, complimenting her brightly-colored wardrobe, flirting via cell phone, and having his own music available. And since celebrity guest stars on the CBS show tend play murderers, I was paranoid throughout the episode that a reveal was coming that Angus was a bad guy.

Instead, the reveal was much cuter, as he traveled those thousands of miles to meet Elsbeth in New York City and explain that music isn't his main source of income. No, he's a firefighter, continuing Elsbeth's streak of catching the eye of fire first responders. He's no murderer – he's just a dreamy musician/firefighter who traveled from Scotland to celebrate Valentine's Day. Alas, Angus lives an ocean away from the leading lady, so this isn't the beginning of a full-time, in-person romance for Elsbeth, but I can always hope to see Gruffudd back as the character, right?

My hopes are certainly high after speaking with Elsbeth costume designer Dan Lawson recently at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta. After putting together Carrie Preston's Breakfast at Tiffany's look back in the fall, Lawson chatted with me on the TVfest red carpet about what to expect with the show's return in 2025:

A big part of that "unique world" is of course the rotating cast of famous guest stars who will deliver killer performances, with Season 2 standouts including The Conners star Laurie Metcalf as a procedural star-turned-murderer, Pamela Adlon as a chef who's not afraid to kill for her career, and Eric McCormack in a much more chilling role than his work on Will & Grace. Dan Lawson went on to tease some more upcoming stars:

I had to shout out Nathan Lane as the first guest killer of Season 2, especially since a former co-star of his is on the way in the not too distant future. Regarding Lane, who previously played another character in the world of Elsbeth Tascioni, the costume designer said:

News had broken about Broderick coming on board Elsbeth shortly before I spoke with Dan Lawson, and while it's a bit of a bummer that he and Alan Ruck as his former Ferris Bueller's Day Off co-star were in different episodes of early 2025, I was thrilled that Elsbeth Season 2 landed both stars who originated the lead roles of Broadway's Producers before reprising the roles in the film version. When I admitted as much, the costume designer shared:

While Broderick won't share an episode with his fellow Producers or Ferris Bueller alums in Season 2, his episode will be a family affair. His son, James Wilkie Broderick, will also appear as a guest star, with the duo playing Lawrence Grey and Carl. According to the episode description from CBS, the case kicks off with the death of a college admissions officer, while Elsbeth quite literally ends up fencing with Matthew Broderick's character.

Called "Foiled Again" and airing on Thursday, February 20 in Elsbeth's usual 10 p.m. ET time slot on CBS, the episode will also feature the return of Carrie Preston's real-life husband Michael Emerson. Check out the promo below:

Keep tuning in to CBS on Thursdays following Matlock in the wake of Kathy Bates' big award for more of Elsbeth Tascioni. If you've missed any episodes so far, the full first season and all of Season 2 so far can be found streaming on Paramount+. If you, like me, are a Broadway fan excited about Matthew Broderick joining Elsbeth in the same season that featured Nathan Lane... well, I wouldn't count on his character bursting into song, but perhaps wielding a deadly weapon!

Warning: SPOILERS for the Only Murders in the Building episode “CoBro” are ahead!

Last week’s Only Murders in the Building episode, titled “Ghost Light,” ended with Charles Haden-Savage, Oliver Putnam and Mabel Mora getting into a fight and going their separate ways. Fortunately, Charles and Oliver were able to patch things up this week in “CoBro,” and all it took was an unhinged Matthew Broderick to make that happen. Yes, the star of Broadway hits like The Producers and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying stopped by one of the best Hulu shows, and Only Murders showrunner John Hoffman explained the simple, yet brilliant idea behind pairing him and Martin Short together.

After unsuccessfully auditioning numerous actors to replace Charles as The Constable on Death Rattle Dazzle after the Brazzos alum quit the production, Oliver finally caught in a break thanks to producer Cliff DeMeo, who called in his old friend Matthew Broderick to take over the role. Unfortunately for Oliver, he quickly learned that the Only Murders version of Broderick is extremely method, to the point that his perfectionistic tendencies are more of a detriment than a gift. As for why Hoffman decided to recruit Broderick for Only Murders in the Building, he started off by saying this to TV Line:

Yes, with Nathan Lane having already lent his talents to Only Murders in the Building’s first two seasons as Teddy Dimas, it was only fitting that Matthew Broderick also join the Hulu show, albeit as himself rather than another original character. Alas, this version of Matthew didn’t cross paths with Teddy, although “CoBro” did see the return of Teddy’s son, Theo, who joined Mabel and Tobert’s investigation into Ben Glenroy’s death, but I digress. 

Going back to Broderick, Hoffman said the origin of his inclusion came from the need for a “great replacement” for Charles Haden-Savage who would “be a threat [to Charles] and a saving grace [for Oliver].” Furthermore, this actor would also need to “be comfortable making fun of himself,” and the man who charmed the world as Ferris Bueller was game to do this. The showrunner continued:

Basically, as John Hoffman put it, it boiled down the following scenario: “What if one of the nicest guys ever just drove Oliver insane?” It was indeed a delightfully creative choice, with Broderick getting way too obsessed with the minutiae of The Constable role and getting on Oliver Putnam’s last nerve. And if all this wasn’t hilarious enough, Martin Short’s character also FaceTimed Mel Brooks, creator of The Producers, to confirm just how much of a pain Broderick was to deal with, with the director of Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and many other great comedy movies declaring to Oliver, “You’re fucked!” Here’s what Hoffman had to say about Brooks’ inclusion:

Oliver ultimately decided to fire Matthew Broderick and rehire Charles Haden-Savage back onto Death Rattle Dazzle, with the two friends then apologizing to each other for their respective actions. However, they still have yet to mend their relationship with Mabel, which has become more complicated now that she’s not only moved out of the Arconia, but also restarted the Only Murders podcast without their involvement. As for Broderick, just because he and Oliver aren’t working together doesn’t mean their paths couldn’t cross again. That’s more incentive to greenlight Only Murders in the Building Season 4.

For now, there are just three episodes left in Only Murders in the Building Season 3, each continuing to drop on Mondays. Browse through our 2023 TV schedule if you’re interested in what other current programming is available to watch.

Making movies might seem like it’s all fun and games, but at the end of the day, it can actually be a stressful job for the cast and crew. There are budgets to stick to, scenes to shoot, and nervous or entitled egos to manage. Even the most skilled directors and actors sometimes butt heads when it comes to creating a movie. The latest actor to break his silence on an incident with a director is Matthew Broderick, who opened up about his time filming Ferris Bueller’s Day Off with the late director John Hughes.

Appearing on THR's It Happened in Hollywood podcast, Broderick opened up about his time with legendary teen movie director while filming Ferris Bueller's Day Off. He recalled a costume test in the early days of production that left John Hughes feeling less than impressed; he allegedly went so far as to call some of the cast boring, with the actor noting, "He said none of us were ‘fun to watch.'" While there’s no denying Hughes' genius when it came to teen movies, it appears he sometimes acted just like the callous adults in his movies. Per the star: 

As a big fan of Hughes’ films and of Broderick's performance as Ferris Bueller, this is a bit surprising to me. While it’s no secret that Hollywood directors sometimes create a less-than-ideal work environment for their actors, it’s hard to imagine someone like the director, whose filmography largely had him dealing with teen and young adult actors, doing that same thing. 

Thankfully, Broderick was quick to defend the famous director in the same interview, saying: 

It seems like Matthew Broderick and John Hughes's disagreements stemmed from their desires to make the best movie they could. Thankfully, their hard work paid off, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off became the 10th highest-grossing movie of 1986 and one of the best 80s movies of all time.  

Fans can revisit Broderick’s iconic role in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which is available now with a Netflix or Paramount+ subscription. And don’t forget to keep checking our new and recent movie streaming feature for news about when Broderick’s latest role as Laird Becker in No Hard Feelings will be available to watch. If you're a fan of the movie, you might also want to keep an eye out for the Ferris Bueller spin-off that is in development, as well. 

Now, to quote Ferris Bueller: “You’re Still here? It’s over. Go home.” 

Spoilers for Netflix’s Painkiller are ahead. If you haven’t streamed the limited series on the 2023 TV schedule, you can watch it now with a Netflix subscription. 

Right after Painkiller’s disclaimer is read, the Netflix series opens with a fire alarm going off in a massive mansion and Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” playing in the background. This unique opening is how we are introduced to Richard Sackler, the man who led the charge to get OxyContin on the market and in the hands of anyone he could. It’s also what we hear the very last time we see the antagonist played by Matthew Broderick. 

As I watched the series, I was really struck by how it began and ended with Broderick’s Richard Sackler by himself, in his mansion, with a fire alarm going off and the lyrics “hello darkness, my old friend,” playing. It was incredibly thought-provoking, and to me, it signified the loneliness this guy might have felt having made all this money but simultaneously caused an insurmountable amount of pain. The show’s director, Peter Berg, had a similar thought as he started out his explanation about this choice by telling CinemaBlend:

This book-to-screen adaptation is based on Barry Meier's Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America's Opioid Epidemic and a New Yorker article by Patrick Radden Keefe called “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain,” and it follows the rise and consequences of OxyContin. At the center of the story is Richard Sackler, who worked to distribute and sell the drug. He made billions, as Berg said, but the drug has also caused lots of addiction and death. 

Thinking about the weight those consequences might have on someone, Berg explained why the opening and closing scenes show us how Sackler could have felt about what he had caused. The Friday Night Lights creator said:   

Based on Berg’s comments, it seems like he wanted to illustrate how Sackler might have felt when he was alone and had a moment to contemplate the consequences of his actions in that massive house. To me, the alarm signified the persistent calls to put a stop to the selling of OxyContin on such a mass scale, and the Simon & Garfunkel song alluded to how this guy had acted in a way that left him all by himself. It’s a illuminating and fascinating choice, and opening and closing the show that way really made me think about what Richard Sackler did, and how much pain this drug has caused. 

If you want to see if your interpretation of these two scenes matches Peter Berg’s, you can stream Painkiller now on Netflix. 

Spoilers for Netflix’s Painkiller are ahead. You can stream the series that just premiered on the 2023 TV schedule with a Netflix subscription. 

The OxyContin crisis and opioid epidemic is was not started by one person and it's not a singular issue, and in Painkiller that is made very clear. There are flashbacks that show the beginnings of Purdue Pharma and its founder Arthur Sackler, played by Clark Gregg. However, the greater toxic relationship between the drugs and marketing is shown through this character appearing as a ghost-like spirit in the primary antagonist’s, Matthew Broderick’s Richard Sackler, imagination as he creates and sells the drug. It’s a fascinating creative decision, and the producers told CinemaBlend all about why they made it, and how it helps illuminate just how long these problems have existed. 

Throughout the show, Gregg’s character is seen talking to his nephew, Broderick's Richard, about why it’s important to keep selling and pushing the drug. This created a link from Purdue’s founder, Arthur Sackler, to the man who led the charge to sell OxyContin, Richard Sackler. Eric Newman, an executive producer of Painkiller, explained why they decided to have the two characters interact this way, rather than relying on devices like flashbacks. He told CinemaBlend:

It’s important to note that Arthur Sackler didn’t live to see the creation of OxyContin, he died in 1987 and the drug was developed and patented in 1996. However, his legacy certainly impacted its creation. Newman elaborated on this idea, saying:

Newman went on to explain that bringing in Gregg to play Richard Sackler’s uncle in the form of a ghost-like spirit was a way of showing that Painkiller tells a story that shows “what’s wrong with a lot of the business.” He continued to explain this idea, and how it’s portrayed through Gregg’s character, saying:

This mode of storytelling is one of the major ways Painkiller fictionalized the real story. 

Like all shows based on a true story, this book-to-screen adaptation featured disclaimers, but they were read by families impacted by OxyContin addiction. Both this mode of showing people the real-life implications of this issue, and the fictionalized story between Arthur and Richard can help viewers see what Purdue Pharma did has spanned across generations. Barry Meier, the author of the book Painkiller is partially based on and a consulting producer on the show, spoke to this idea, and how dramatizing this element of the story actually really helped. He said:

Both Clark Gregg and Matthew Broderick portray two real men who were responsible for the rise of OxyContin and the terrible crisis that followed. Gregg playing Aurther as a sort of ghost to Broderick’s Richard really helped hammer that point home, and truly showed that this issue, that’s still going on today, spans across generations. 

With all shows and movies based on true events, there is a disclaimer making it clear that what you are about to watch has been adapted and dramatized. For many projects, this message is important to let audiences know that everything they see isn’t always the truth. In Netflix's latest show on the 2023 TV schedule, Painkiller, which documents the rise and consequences of OxyContin, these disclaimers aren’t just text on screen. They are read by families who have lost loved ones to addiction, and the producers explained to CinemaBlend why they made that decision. 

At the beginning of each Painkiller episode, a disclaimer is read by one or two people who have lost a loved one to OxyContin and have been impacted by the opioid epidemic. For example, in Episode 1, Jennifer Trejo-Adams, a mother who lost her son Christopher to a long battle with addiction, notes that moments in the show are fictionalized. Then she says “what wasn’t fictionalized” and proceeds to tell the story about how her son died in a parking lot after years of addiction. At the end, she gets emotional and starts to cry, which happens in most of the disclaimers throughout the season. It’s moving, quite powerful and it shows the audience the real-world implications of Purdue Pharma and drug addiction. 

Executive producer, Eric Newman elaborated on these disclaimers, and explained why they were a challenge, and why they decided to have family members read them, rather than simply putting text on the screen. He told CinemaBlend:

Newman also noted that they didn’t want to let Purdue and Richard Sackler “off the hook” while speaking with the LA Times, and he said Netflix’s legal team was on board with the idea for the disclaimers. This led to him and the show’s director Peter Berg going out to film the clips, and the producer said that while it was “hard” to produce, it was “really effective.”

Painkiller is a book-to-screen adaptation of Barry Meier's Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America's Opioid Epidemic and a New Yorker article by Patrick Radden Keefe called “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain.” Meier served as a consulting producer on the Netflix series, and was also moved by the testimonials and disclaimer at the start of each episode. He told me:

While speaking with the two producers, I noted that I was incredibly moved by these testimonials, and it really helped ground the series, and show the real-world consequences of OxyContin. 

Each clip is emotional and feels very raw and candid. As Newman said, they were hard to film, but also extremely important, and the families wanted to help. Overall, not only are these clips the show's required disclaimer, they are also an effective way to show just how many people have been impacted by OxyContin and drug addiction. 

If you are interested in watching Painkiller, which just premiered on Netflix’s TV schedule, you can stream it right now with a Netflix subscription. 

No Hard Feelings is one of the latest films to come out in the summer 2023 movie season. The Jennifer Lawrence-led film is about parents who post an ad on Craigslist, saying that they will give a young woman a car if she dates their socially-awkward 19 year old son, Percy. The premise leads to a lot of hilariously funny moments with a surprising amount of heart. Now, the cast of the film is opening up about the real life ad inspiration and the controversial subject matter.

In a recent interview, the cast of No Hard Feelings got candid with The Hollywood Reporter about some of the themes in the film, and why it ultimately worked for the story they were trying to tell. Laura Benanti plays Percy’s mother, one of the parents who posts the icky Craigslist ad that attracts Lawrence’s character. Her perspective on the premise was that it acts as a warning for parents that get too involved with the lives of their children. She explained: 

Matthew Broderick, who plays Percy’s father in the film, had a similar perspective on the premise. He echoed Benanti’s feelings about helicopter parents, and also saw it as a satire about the lengths parents will go to try to make big life transitions seamless for their children. He said:

Percy’s parents' parenting skills in No Hard Feelings are beyond questionable, with audiences having to suspend their disbelief that people would do such a thing for their son. However, the premise wasn’t completely out of the bounds of reality. The director of the movie, Gene Stupnitsky, revealed that the inspiration for the film was a real life Craigslist ad for something very similar. As for if someone like JLaw’s Maddie character answered the ad, it still remains a mystery. The filmmaker detailed:

It certainly makes a crazy premise for a movie, and the writers definitely let their imagination run wild when it came to the central relationship between Percy and Maddie. I’m dying to know if the real life ad sparked something similar. Despite the center idea being sure to raise some eyebrows, No Hard Feelings is surprisingly very sweet, with Lawrence giving her all to the performance and getting love from critics. It's a different kid of role for the Oscar-winning actress, showing she can do anything. No Hard Feelings is one of those rare theatrical studio comedies that doesn’t always get a cinematic release, and hopefully is a sign that there will be more like it in the future.

You can see Jennifer Lawrence, and the rest of the comedic cast in No Hard Feelings, in theaters nationwide. Fans of the actress should also check out our feature on some of the best projects from the Hunger Games star. For more information on other films hitting cinemas later this year, make sure to consult our 2023 movie release schedule.

Over the years, there have been a lot of sex comedies that have both made us laugh and left us in shock. We’ve seen it with classics like Porky's, the various American Pie movies, and so many others. Though the jury is still out on No Hard Feelings, Gene Stupnitsky’s latest raunchy comedy, the actors who appear on screen could make this a movie we won't soon forget.

If you recently watched the new film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Andrew Feldman, or plan on checking it out in the near future, there’s a good chance you’re wondering why the No Hard Feelings cast looks so familiar. Well, worry no longer, for we are about to break it down now!

Jennifer Lawrence (Maddie)

Jennifer Lawrence tops the No Hard Feelings cast as Maddie, a down-on-her-luck Uber driver who has to find a new way to do her job after her car is repossessed, which leads to her answering a Craigslist ad like no other.

Prior to playing a young woman hired to help a couple’s 19-year-old son break out of his shell, Lawrence made a name for herself in films like Silver Linings Playbook, which earned her an Oscar and the Hunger Games movies. Since then, Lawrence has given a variety of great performances in everything from American Hustle to various titles in the X-Men film franchise, to dramas like Causeway, and so much more. 

Andrew Feldman (Percy)

Playing opposite Jennifer Lawrence is Andrew Feldman, who portrays Percy, the sheltered and awkward 19-year-old whose parents made the Craigslist ad.

Though he doesn’t have nearly as many credits as his co-star, Feldman has made a handful of appearances over the course of the past half-decade. This includes roles in movies like A Tourist’s Guide to Love, shows like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and multiple stage productions, including Dear Evan Hansen, Ratatouille the Musical, and Catch Me If You Can. 

Matthew Broderick (Laird)

Matthew Broderick shows up as Laird, Percy’s father who posted the Craigslist ad in an attempt to get his son some life experience.

Best known for his career-defining performance in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which could be a movie that plays out entirely in Cameron Frye’s imagination, Broderick has made countless film and TV appearances over the years. Movies like Wargames, Project X, The Lion King, and Election have all featured the actor (or his voice) in a major capacity. In more recent years, Broderick has also popped up on the small screen with roles on everything from The Conners to Better Things. 

Laura Benanti (Allison)

Laura Benanti appears in No Hard Feelings as Allison, Percy’s mother, who finds a rather unique way of getting her son to go out into the world and live a little.

Fans of movies like Worth, Here Today, and Tick, Tick… Boom! will surely recognize Bananti from her roles in each of those movies, but the majority of her career has been spent on the small screen and Broadway stages. Starting with TV, the actress has appeared on shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Nashville, Supergirl, The Detour, and the Gossip Girl reboot series. She has also won a Tony and various other awards for performances in productions like Gypsy, In The Next Room, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown over the years.

Natalie Morales (Sara)

Next up is Natalie Morales, who takes on the role of Sara, Maddie’s best friend.

Prior to appearing in the new comedy, Morales made a name for herself on the small screen, with prominent roles on shows like Dead to Me, Santa Clarita Diet, The Grinder, and The Middleman. She also appeared sporadically with the Parks & Recreation cast during the show’s run, as well as a few episodes of The Newsroom, Girls, and Mr. Mayor. Her film credits include The Little Things, Battle of the Sexes, and Stuber, to name only a few. 

Scott MacArthur (Jim)

Scott MacArthur appears in the No Hard Feelings cast as Jim, Sara’s husband and another one of Maddie’s closest friends.

In addition to being a part of the Mad Men cast for an episode early in the AMC show’s run, MacArther has a few other appearances that might ring a bell. Throughout his career, the comedic actor has popped up on everything from How to Be a Gentleman to Angie Tribeca, and The Mindy Project to Numb3rs. He’s also had more prominent roles on the likes of The Mick, The Righteous Gemstones, and Killing It. Movie wise, MacArthur has landed roles in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Halloween Kills, and The Starling, to name a few.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Gary)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach also pops up in No Hard Feelings, in which he plays Maddie’s ex-boyfriend and tow truck driver, Gary.

If you’re currently binging The Bear Season 2 with your Hulu subscription, or at least catching up with the show’s first season, then you’ll certainly recognize Moss-Bachrach from his outstanding portrayal of Richard “Richie” Jerimovich, a performance that is so good it’s hard to believe he’s not from Chicago. Over the years, he’s also appeared on shows like The Punisher, NOS4A2, Girls, John Adams, and multiple titles set in the Law & Order universe. His film roles include everything from Tesla to Live Free or Die and American Splendor to The Royal Tenenbaums. 

Kyle Mooney (Jody)

Former Saturday Night Live castmember Kyle Mooney appears as Jody, Percy’s former nanny.

In addition to being on SNL for the better part of a decade, Mooney has multiple film and TV credits to his name, including the 2017 comedy film, Brigsby Bear, which he also co-wrote. Throughout his career, Mooney has popped up on shows like Drunk History, Bob’s Burgers, Killing It, The Great North, and Nathan For You. 

Hasan Minhaj (Doug Khan)

And then there is Hasan Minhaj, who takes on the role of real estate agent and Maddie’s former classmate, Doug.

Though Minhaj has appeared in movies like The Spy Who Dumped Me, Most Likely to Murder, and Rough Night over the years, he is mostly known for his time as a correspondent on The Daily Show and his Netflix show, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. On top of that, he’s had some great stand-up comedy specials and roles on shows like the Apple TV+ original series, The Morning Show  

No Hard Feelings is currently playing in theaters nationwide. If you want to know about the other great upcoming releases, take a look at our 2023 movie schedule. 

Ever since Jennifer Grey’s new memoir Out of the Corner has come out, she has been revealing piece by piece the juicy gossip of her tough life in Hollywood during the ‘80s. She has so far spoken about how her nose jobs made it hard for her to get work as well as what it was like to date Johnny Depp. While we know that one of her Hollywood beaus was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off co-star Matthew Broderick, what you may not know is that he wasn’t exactly in Jennifer Grey’s corner when she auditioned for her iconic role in Dirty Dancing. 

One of the toughest parts of two celebrities in a romance can come regarding their professional lives and competition within the relationship. The Dirty Dancing star wrote in her memoir (via the The New York Post) about how her Ferris Bueller co-star seemingly did not have faith that she would land the role as Baby in Dirty Dancing. What's more, he was reportedly reassured by that theory. As Jennifer Grey put it,

Jennifer Grey also revealed in her memoir that Matthew Broderick did not even want to hang out with her at a nightclub the day before her audition. He reluctantly agreed only after she begged him to come. Sounds to me like a lot of jealousy was at play here. While Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Grey portrayed sibling rivalry in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, they actually had a secret off-screen romance during the filming of this John Hughes classic. The iconic ‘80s star originally planned on ending the romance once filming was over, but Grey found herself falling for Broderick. 

Even though the Ferris Bueller co-stars were engaged for a brief period in 1988, it wasn’t until the two of them were in a car crash in August 1987 that their relationship was revealed. In the crash that occurred in Northern Ireland with Jennifer Grey sitting passenger, Matthew Broderick drove into the wrong lane causing a head-on collision that killed a mother and daughter. The emotional trauma that Jennifer Grey endured from that devastating car crash was reportedly the end of this brief romance. 

Jennifer Grey must have made Matthew Broderick’s head spin when she landed the role that made everyone say “Nobody puts Baby in the corner.” Not only was her on-set chemistry with Patrick Swayze noted, but so was her memorable lift scene in the film no matter how terrified she was to do it. She’s also got her sequel for Dirty Dancing going as she reprises her classic role. With the 62-year-old actress’s new book and upcoming film, we cannot wait to see Jennifer Grey wow audiences again.

What we can learn from the Jennifer Grey and Matthew Broderick relationship is the importance of finding someone who will root for your success instead of stroking their own ego by bringing you down. You can watch the sibling chemistry between the two stars in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on your Paramount+ subscription as well as Dirty Dancing on your HBO Max subscription. 

Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. That is a valuable lesson I once learned from the immortal words of Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller in writer and director John Hughes’ iconic 1986 comedy - and one of the best high school movies of all time - about one young man’s struggle to take it easy.

While the fourth-wall-breaking, titular character was obviously the star, some argue that the real heart and soul of the movie was Alan Ruck as Cameron Frye and, of course, who could forget Ben Stein’s epic, show-stealing economics rant? There is something to love about several of the supporting players, many of whom are in our breakdown of what the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off cast has been up to lately, starting with the silver-tongued lead.

Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller)

Teenage con artist and all around “righteous dude,” Ferris Bueller was not quite the breakthrough movie role of Matthew Broderick - that's WarGames from 1983 - but it does remain the one character he is best known for, even after voicing Simba in the original The Lion King cast in 1994. He also played a smaller, more domesticated talking cat in Season 4 of Rick and Morty and will also lend his voice to an upcoming documentary about the Gettysburg Address. 

In February 2022, the theatre-trained actor returned to Broadway with a production of Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite with his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker. Broderick is also playing disgraced pharmaceutical industry tycoon Richard Sackler in Netflix’s upcoming limited series about the opioid crisis, Painkiller, and will star alongside Marisa Tomei and Anne Hathaway in the romantic dramedy She Came to Me, which is now in post-production.

Alan Ruck (Cameron Frye)

Fellow theatre-trained actor Alan Ruck is also best known for playing Ferris Bueller’s  neurotic best friend, Cameron. The former Spin City star has actually reprised the character in two different commercials poking fun at Ferris Bueller’s Day Off - one for garage door opener manufacturer Liftmaster, and another for Dominos Pizza starring Stranger Things’ Joe Keery in the Bueller-esque role.

Ruck’s more recent contribution to the coming-of-age genre was joining the Freaky cast as a temperamental wood shop teacher in the fun teen slasher from 2020. Before then, he was already starring on the hit HBO dramedy, Succession, as Connor Roy. He is also playing real-life physician and entrepreneur Jay Rosan on Hulu’s upcoming limited series about disgraced Theranos founder, Elizabeth Holmes, The Dropout.

Mia Sara (Sloane Peterson)

As Ferris Bueller’s girlfriend, Sloane, we have Mia Sara, who previously made her feature-film debut as Princess Lily in the Ridley Scott-directed fantasy, Legend, the previous year. She would go on to star in memorable films like the 1994 sci-fi action flick Timecop, opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme, and play Harley Quinn on the short-lived DC TV show, Birds of Prey, in the early 2000s.

Her last major acting role was another princess in another fantasy called Dorothy and the Witches of Oz - a reimagining of the classic story - from 2011 before retiring to focus more on motherhood, according to an interview with Games Radar. However, she would find a new career as a poet publishing her work in the literature magazine, Barrelhouse, since 2016.

Jennifer Grey (Jeanie Bueller)

As Ferris Bueller’s sister, Jeanie - who is understandably jealous of all the attention her sibling gets - we have Jennifer Grey, who broke out a couple of years before Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in the teen action thriller Red Dawn. The ’80s icon would then land her most famous role a year after starring in the high school comedy by reteaming with Red Dawn’s Patrick Swayze to play Baby Houseman in Dirty Dancing.

More recently, the actress would appear in recurring roles alongside the Grey’s Anatomy cast in 2019, and on the rebranded Roseanne revival, The Conners, the following year. In 2022, she appeared on the Hulu original comedy Dollface as the mother of Kat Dennings’ character, Jules Wiley.

Cindy Pickett (Katie Bueller)

Ferris Bueller’s mother, who is almost completely unwitting of her son’s troublemaking ways, is played by Cindy Pickett. Right after starring in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the former Guiding Light star would go on to join the cast of hit medical drama St. Elsewhere until 1988 and also star in films like the Stephen King-penned guilty pleasure, Sleepwalkers, in 1992 or the Pauly Shore-led comedy, Son in Law, the next year.

She, more recently, had guest spots on hit TV shows like Burn Notice, and Outcast from executive producer Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead fame. Speaking of zombies, Pickett also starred in the 2018 miniseries, Age of the Living Dead, and her most recent acting credit is the drama, Chasing the Rain, from 2020.

Lyman Ward (Tom Bueller)

Playing Cindy Pickett’s onscreen husband, before becoming her real-life husband for six years afterward, is Lyman Ward. The actor’s most notable roles before Ferris Bueller’s Day Off include a recurring spot on the hit ’80s TV show, Hart to Hart, and the horror sequel A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, in 1985.

Ward would also appear alongside his then-wife, Cindy Pickett, in Sleepwalkers, play a Secret Service agent in 1996’s Independence Day, and poke fun at his ‘80s coming-of-age film legacy in Not Another Teen Movie in 2001. He more recently appeared on the Emmy-winning Amazon Prime original dramedy, Transparent, in 2015 and starred in a horror filmed called In the Forest in 2022.

Edie McClurg (Grace)

As Grace, a secretary at Glenbrook North High School, we have comedian Edie McClurg, who had previously made her feature film debut in the classic Stephen King adaptation, Carrie, a decade earlier. She would go on to work with John Hughes several more times, such as in 1987’s Planes, Trains & Automobiles, She’s Having a Baby the following year, and Curly Sue from 1991.

She has also leant her relatively recognizable voice to several classic animated Disney movies, including 1989’s The Little Mermaid, and Wreck-It Ralph from 2012. She more recently voiced herself on an episode of Family Guy in 2020 and, two years later, starred in Eyes Upon Waking, alongside Joe Estevez - Charlie Sheen's uncle.

Charlie Sheen (Boy In Police Station)

Speaking of Charlie Sheen, he made a very memorable cameo in Ferris Bueller’s Day-Off - opposite his Red Dawn co-star, Jennifer Grey - as an unnamed, soft-spoken delinquent - which he would make fun of in a 2015 Goldbergs episode. Also in 1986, he led the cast of Oliver Stone’s Best Picture Oscar winner, Platoon. He would go on to reunite with Alan Ruck when he replaced Michael J. Fox in the Spin City cast in 2000, before becoming the star of Two and a Half Men, for which he was eventually replaced by Ashton Kutcher due to struggles with his own sobriety.

When his series adaptation of Anger Management ended after two seasons on FX, the four-time Emmy nominee played the president in 2013’s Machete Kills; had the title role of the first A24 movie, 2012’s A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III; and was one of five strangers trapped in an elevator during the World Trade Center attack in 2017’s 9/11. He will star as himself, along with former Entourage cast members Kevin Dillon and Kevin Conolly, in the upcoming series, Ramble On.

Ben Stein (Economics Teacher)

Also appearing in just a couple of scenes from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but to unforgettably hilarious effect, is Ben Stein as an unfathomably dull economics teacher. The ever-quotable, partially improvised role was his second acting job ever and led to a very successful career of randomly popping up in various other movies and TV shows, from Ghostbusters to Seinfeld to a role in the John Hughes-penned Dennis the Menace cast in 1993. 

Stein’s instantly recognizable voice has also been heard in various animated shows, like King of the Hill and The Fairly OddParents, and he and Jimmy Kimmel once served as co-hosts of the game show Win Ben Stein’s Money from 1997 to 2002. His last and most notable acting credit was in 2018 when he played historical figure Alexander Hamilton in The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time.

If you're wondering what happened to Principal Edward Rooney, his portrayer, Jeffrey Jones, wasn't included here because, in 2003, he pleaded no contest after being arrested for inducing a minor to pose for sexually explicit photographs.

You’re still here? It’s over. Go read a different CinemaBlend article or revisit the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off cast again by watching the movie, which is now streaming on Showtime. Go. 

Matthew Broderick is building a busy television slate. In fact, the Ferris Bueller star is doing everything but taking the day off. The actor has signed on for a role on the Roseanne spinoff, The Conners.

Matthew Broderick is set to star as Peter, and the role is an integral one. He will be a love interest for Jackie, per Deadline. Yes, Jackie is getting some love! There is good news for fans anxious to get a glimpse of Broderick as Jackie's new man, because Broderick's debut as Peter is fast approaching.

The character will make his debut in The Conners' Halloween episode, which is entitled "There Won't Be Blood." While that title is seemingly a reference to Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 film There Will Be Blood, which wasn't a horror movie, the episode is set to air October 30, just in time for Halloween.

Other than Matthew Broderick's Peter being a love interest for Jackie, not much else is known about the character. Details regarding Peter's personality or how he and Jackie come to find each other is not currently available, but we do know that he will recur as Peter. So, Jackie's new love is not set to leave any time soon. With Broderick's first episode set to air rather imminently, it will be intriguing to see if any further details emerge before it airs.

Jackie having a boyfriend for one episode would have been nice. Having him recur, though, should be more satisfactory in the long-term. It will give him a chance to have more of an impact on Jackie's life and the show as a whole. Another thing that is clear is that this is a case of excellent casting. Matthew Broderick and Laurie Metcalf's separate engergy on screen should gel quite well when they get together. You do not even have to see them act opposite each other to have hopes in that regard.

Given what an amazing comic actor Matthew Broderick is, him joining a sitcom makes perfect sense. From Ferris Bueller's Day Off and The Freshman to appearances on 30 Rock and Modern Family, it's clear that Broderick will be able to bring something special to The Conners.

The Conners is not shying away from romance. Jackie is the latest character scheduled to get a new love interest. The show recently cast Justin Long as Neil, a romantic interest for Jackie's niece, Darlene. He is also set to recur on the series. And, along for the season is Darlene's ex-husband, David, who will show up with a love interest of his own. For that role, The Conners has cast Juliette Lewis as David's hippie girlfriend, Blue. Plus, D.J. and his wife are reunited, so we may finally get to see how that couple handles domesticity.

If anything else, the Roseanne spinoff is set to have quite a few romantic entanglements. As for Matthew Broderick, his casting on The Conners comes along with two other series for the busy star. He has also signed on for Netflix's Daybreak and to recur on FX's Better Things.

New episodes of The Conners air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The Roseanne spinoff is among a fresh slate of programming airing on ABC this fall, so be sure to keep up to date on all the premieres.

Fox is at it again. The network hopped on the live musical bandwagon with Grease: Live in January 2016, and they plan to keep things going with A Christmas Story Live! on December 17 at 7 p.m. For the uninitiated, A Christmas Story is a 1983 film about nine-year-old Ralphie Parker and his family and the comedic trials and tribulations they go through during a holiday season in the 1940s. Little Ralphie only wants one thing for Christmas (a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle), and he spends the film trying to convince everyone that it's the perfect gift for him while also dodging bullies, dealing with his cranky father and being comforted by his kind mother.

The movie has become a holiday classic, while Christmas and/or Christmas Eve are frequently home to all day marathons of the film. Its popularity even spawned a Broadway musical in 2012, which was nominated for three Tony Awards. This live version of the story will be based on both the film and that musical, with songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who scored the Broadway show, once again teaming up to compose new songs for A Christmas Story Live!

After announcing the three hour project in May, Fox was slow to let us in on who would be filling the show with song come December. But, now, casting information for the special is finally starting to trickle in, so read on to see who we can expect to hit the stage in a few months!

Andy Walken - Ralphie Parker

The people behind A Christmas Story Live! knew they would have to get the casting of Ralphie Parker right, as the boy they chose for the part would have to lead the production. Well, after a nationwide casting search, 11-year-old Seattle, Washington native Andy Walken has finally nabbed the role. The young actor got his first credit in 2015 with a part on NCIS, and has since been seen in Heartbeat, The Most Hated Woman in America and Escaping Dad.

Maya Rudolph - Mother Parker

As I mentioned above, Ralphie often butts heads with his cranky dad and gets tormented by bullies, but, he's got his mom on his side all the way. As the nurturing and supportive Mother Parker, Maya Rudolph will be lending her talents to A Christmas Story Live! While best known for the seven hilarious seasons she spent on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007 (where her impressions of Donatella Versace and Beyonce garnered many laughs), the funny lady has appeared in many films and other TV shows over the years. Rudolph has worked her magic in 50 First Dates, Away We Go, Grown Ups, Bridesmaids and television shows The Grinder and Maya & Marty among many others.

Matthew Broderick - Adult Ralphie

Anyone who's seen the film knows that A Christmas Story has a narrator in the form of an adult Ralphie who relives the tale for our enjoyment, and for the live version that role will be taken on by star of stage and screen Matthew Broderick. In the movie, the audience never actually sees Ralphie as an adult, we only hear his voice. And, while it seems like a shame to cast someone as well known as Broderick and only have him lend his voice to the production, we don't know right now if he'll actually appear on screen for the broadcast. The Tony winner has been entertaining the masses for decades, and has starred in films such as War Games, Ladyhawke, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Lion King, The Producers (he also starred in the Broadway play) and Tower Heist.

Jane Krakowski - Miss Shields

Since Ralphie is a little boy, one person who plays a big role in his life is his teacher, Miss Shields, and for the Fox version of the musical Jane Krakowski will take on that part. Krakowski is best known for her work as the nutty Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock, but she's recently gained notice for another wild character, Jacqueline, on the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Krakowski's no stranger to singing and dancing, either, as she won a 2003 Tony award for her work in the Broadway musical Nine.

Chris Diamantopoulos - Old Man Parker

As Ralphie's dad, known in the movie only as Old Man Parker, actor Chris Diamantopoulos has signed on to fill his cantankerous shoes. Possibly best known for his recent work in the HBO hit Silicon Valley, Diamantopoulos has also appeared in Good Girls Revolt, Episodes, Hannibal, The Office, Arrested Development and 24, among many other shows. He also recently starred in the popular Broadway musical Waitress.

Ana Gasteyer - Mrs. Schwartz

Even though young Ralphie has a few bullies to contend with, he does also have a few friends to have childhood adventures with, and, lucky for those friends, they have parents. As the mother to Ralphie's friend Schwartz, SNL vet Ana Gasteyer will be taking on the role of Mrs. Schwartz. While known for her impressions of celebrities like Martha Stewart and Celine Dion, Gasteyer has gone on to appear on a wide variety of shows since her time on the sketch comedy, including Suburgatory, The Good Wife, Lady Dynamite and People of Earth. She also graced the small screen in Grease: Live! and has starred in Broadway productions of The Rocky Horror Show, The Royal Family and Wicked.

Tyler Wladis - Randy Parker

The story of Ralphie Parker just isn't complete without his infamously meatloaf-hating little brother, and for Fox's A Christmas Story Live! that part has gone to Tyler Wladis. The young actor has, so far, mostly done theater work in Syracuse, New York and Maine, so he should be great with the live aspect of the show.

JJ Batteast - Flick

Even if you've never seen the whole film of A Christmas Story, you've probably seen the most famous scene from it, and it's all thanks to Flick's poor decision. Broadway actor JJ Batteast, who appeared in Motown the Musical, will play the kid who gets his tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole in the live production.

Sacha Carlson - Skut Farcus

Remember those bullies that Ralphie and his friends come into contact with? Well, Skut is the main neighborhood bully that makes life a living hell for the kids, and the character will be played by Sacha Carlson.

Ken Jeong - Salesman and Restaurant Owner

In a slightly surprising move, actor Ken Jeong, who's best known for his comedic turns on both the big and small screens, will be playing two parts in the live production of A Christmas Story. Jeong has signed on to play both a Christmas tree salesman and a restaurant owner in the show. The doctor turned actor has made a big impression on audiences with his roles in The Hangover, Community and his own series Dr. Ken.

David Alan Grier - Santa Claus

It's not a Christmas special without Santa, and A Christmas Story Live! has nabbed The Carmichael Show's David Alan Grier to fill the fat man's fluffy red suit. Grier is a three-time Grammy and Tony nominee who made his live TV musical debut in 2015 when he played The Cowardly Lion in NBC's The Wiz Live! but he's mostly known for his comedic roles on In Living Color from 1990-2001.

Be sure to bookmark this page, as we'll be updating it as the cast of Fox's A Christmas Story Live! continues to be revealed!

The Lion King animated classic we know and love features a storyline with nods to Hamlet after Simba runs away following his father's death at the hands of Scar. But if The Lion King's creative team had stuck with its original draft, Simba would never have run away to live the good life with Timon and Pumbaa. Instead, he would have been raised by Scar. On the upcoming The Lion King Signature Collection Blu-ray, producer Tom Schumacher explained to Matthew Broderick what initially was going to happen, noting,

Tom Schumacher was on The Lion King since nearly the very beginning when it was still rolling with the title The King of the Jungle, and was, as Schumacher describes, a story where Scar was a baboon and it was all about lions and baboons. A lot of things clearly changed as the Disney film was moving forward, but after it became clear that Scar was not going to (poorly) parent Simba after killing Mufasa, the movie was still able to retain Matthew Broderick for the role.

In the interview, which is part of the special feature "Nathan and Matthew: The Extended Lion King Conversation," Matthew Broderick admits he has no recollection of the alternative storyline, telling Schumacher (and Nathan Lane, who is also present) that he thought the role was supposed to always be based on a Shakespeare classic.

Although Hamlet does come into play thanks to Simba recalling his father's ghost in the sky, that wasn't the original intention of the team creating The Lion King. The creative team just wanted an actor they knew could play a fun and free-spirited character in the movie... and they'd all seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Once the new plot was finalized, there was clearly still plenty of room for Broderick to play the adult version of Simba, and the rest is history.

Disney has been creating new signature releases for a while, and the Lion King Signature Collection is going to be out on Digital and Disney Movies Anywhere starting on August 15. The flick will then return to Blu-ray and DVD with the Signature Collection edition on August 29. Here's what else is coming up in Home Entertainment during the month of August.

It seems Ryan Murphy has the power to do just about anything on television these days. As he should, considering he's the driving force behind a variety of successful shows. The producer recently snagged actress Annette Bening for a rare television appearance for the upcoming Katrina: American Crime Story, and somehow, he's managed to top that. Murphy and FX announced today that another well-known actor, Matthew Broderick, will come on board as the series tackles the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina.

Broderick enters Katrina: American Crime Story playing the role of former FEMA director Michael D. Brown, who was responsible for the federal disaster response to Hurricane Katrina. As some may remember, Brown faced heavy criticism with regard to the federal response to Hurricane Katrina and the amount of aid FEMA provided to New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. On September 12th, 2005, Brown would hand in his resignation, less than a month after Katrina initially struck. Following the events of Katrina, Brown was called before a congressional hearing in which he and his staff's emails from before and after Hurricane Katrina hit were released. It's likely that many of those emails will be used by Matthew Broderick and the writers to fill in what was happening behind the scenes.

It's safe to say that playing the head of FEMA means that Matthew Broderick will be shown a lot in the series, as a lot of the Katrina disaster revolved around funding arguments between the state and federal level. Undoubtedly, we will be seeing Broderick's Michael D. Brown exchange words with Annette Bening's Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, who often battled with FEMA for more resources and funding. Katrina: American Crime Story is said to follow the events of and following Hurricane Katrina, so it's likely we'll be seeing Broderick again after Brown resigns on the series. That's good to know because I'm very excited to see him in the spotlight again!

Matthew Broderick's casting may not be a coincidence, as one of his most recent appearances in the mainstream was Warren Beatty's Rules Don't Apply. Broderick appeared in the film along with, you guessed it, Annette Bening, so maybe she played a role in getting the actor in Katrina: American Crime Story. Before that, Broderick's most recent appearance on television was a voice acting role on the Cartoon Network series Adventure Time. Broderick also appeared on TV Land's The Jim Gaffigan Show and FX's Louie a couple years back.

I'm excited to see Matthew Broderick back in a dramatic role. I always thought he was great in _Election (_although that's more of a black comedy), so I have high hopes for him in Katrina: American Crime Story. The FX series doesn't have a premiere date as of yet, but we'll keep you posted when that changes. In the meantime, check out what else is coming up in a couple weeks with our midseason premiere guide.

With Disney's live-action remake machine in full swing, it was inevitable that The Lion King was going to be a high priority for the studio to put into production. In fact, it's such a high priority that director Jon Favreau is tackling it before any sort of movement is made on The Jungle Book's sequel. Who could blame him for jumping at the chance to retell this Disney classic, as it's still one of the most popular films from their animated canon, even after 22 years of existence.

Part of that film's success could be chalked up to the stellar cast that was assembled to bring The Lion King to life. Sure you can recite the dialogue by heart and sing the songs at top voice on cue, but can you recall where all of the cast members are today? Whether you can or can't, it seems like a good time to catch up with the cast of The Lion King. Whoever they get to voice these classic characters in the new film, it's going to be tough to beat this roster of talent.

Matthew Broderick

Already a big name for several choice films throughout the 80's, Matthew Broderick began a sort of career renaissance with his role as the adult version of Simba in The Lion King. Despite the tragic backstory, one could definitely see a Ferris Bueller sort of vibe in Simba's character, and it was a role that served as a perfect transition into Broderick's later career in both drama and comedy. As of late, Broderick has become more of a star on the stage, with The Producers and Nice Work If You Can Get It earning him sterling notices, though he was most recently seen in Warren Beatty's Rules Don't Apply.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Who better than then teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas to play the younger version of a character that was being voiced by a very grown up Ferris Bueller? Thomas, or "JTT" as his fans like to call him, was a big name on the ABC hit sitcom Home Improvement, and would eventually make two more live action films at Disney - Man of the House and I'll Be Home For Christmas. By 1998, Jonathan Taylor Thomas left acting to focus on his studies, which included missing out the finale for Home Improvement. But by 2000, he returned to the fold with roles on TV shows like Smallville and, most recently, Last Man Standing.

James Earl Jones

A veteran of stage, screen and franchise acting, James Earl Jones' Mufasa may die in the first act, but his presence was felt throughout the film. With all three original Star Wars under his belt, not to mention scores of other film classics, his presence was one of the most iconic in the entire cast roster. Jones would not only go on to voice Mufasa again in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, he also continues to be the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars universe, with his most recent appearance taking place during Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Jeremy Irons

As another iconic villainous type in The Lion King's cast, Jeremy Irons actually got to play the villain of the piece as well. His rendition of Scar is still ranked as one of the top baddies of Disney history, and it's a credit to a career that saw him play evil in both fictional and non-fictional capacities. Jeremy Irons was most recently seen as Alfred in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, a role he'll continue to play throughout the DC Universe's future films, and can next be seen in this month's Assassin's Creed.

Nathan Lane

Mostly known in the Broadway theater community for his work at the time, Nathan Lane probably had no idea the hit he'd have on his hands as the meerkat Timon. But when The Lion King took off like a rocket, "Hakuna Matata" became a household catchphrase, and Lane a household name. He would parlay this success into other films like The Birdcage, but the stage was still his primary love. Lane would later reteam with Matthew Broderick for both The Producers and The Odd Couple on Broadway, and has more recently been seen in his guest role on ABC's Modern Family.

Ernie Sabella

As if The Lion King didn't have enough theatrical actors to its credit, in came Ernie Sabella, who'd made a name for himself with shows like The Robber Bridegroom and Guys and Dolls. Coincidentally enough, the man who would be Pumbaa had not only co-starred with Nathan Lane in that last show, he also went on to partner with him in the revival of A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, as well as with bit parts in films like Mouse Hunt. Out of all of the cast members of The Lion King, Sabella is the only one to currently reprise their role full-time on Disney Junior's animated show, The Lion Guard.

Whoopi Goldberg

A comedic legend by the time The Lion King knocked on her door, Whoopi Goldberg was already an Academy Award winner and a prolific film performer. Yet her performance as the de facto leader of Scar's hyena henchmen, Shenzi, is at times comedic and downright threatening. After her time on The Lion King, Goldberg would reprise two of her most famous roles in Disney related pictures, both as Sister Mary Clarence in Sister Act 2, and Shenzi in The Lion King 1 1/2. She is currently at home on the panel for ABC's The View.

Cheech Marin

Most kids today probably recognize Cheech Marin's voice as Ramon from the Disney/Pixar hit Cars, but before he became a low-rider, he was Tito the chihuahua in Oliver and Company and Banzai the hyena in The Lion King. Mostly known for his career as a comedian, most often paired with partner Tommy Chong, Marin opened up a new avenue of roles for himself with his time at Disney, as he went on to star in future kids films like the Spy Kids franchise and Beverly Hills Chihuahua, as well as became a frequent partner of film-maker Robert Rodriguez. Cheech can next be heard in Cars 3, debuting summer 2017.

Jim Cummings

Winnie The Pooh. Darkwing Duck. Pete from Goof Troop. Chances are, if you're a fan of animated voice acting, you're a fan of Jim Cummings - the legendary voice behind all of those characters, and many more. Ed, the derpiest of all hyenas, was his claim to fame in the world of The Lion King, but his voice has been among many other projects in the decades since his crazy laugh gave Ed his laughable charm, and helped cover the higher notes Jeremy Irons' couldn't hit in Be Prepared, when his voice decided to give out. Cummings most recently provided additional character voices for Illumination's The Secret Life of Pets.

Moira Kelly

Still in the beginning phases of her career, Moira Kelly was the perfect choice for Nala - Simba's betrothed and ultimately the emissary that would retrieve Simba, in order to save Pride Rock from Scar's rule. Before The Lion King, Kelly was mostly known for her roles in The Cutting Edge and Chaplin, but afterwards she would go on to a prodigious career in TV roles, most notably in the role of Mandy Hampton in season 1 of The West Wing. Moira Kelly would reprise her role as Nala, alongside Matthew Broderick as Simba, in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, and was last seen in a guest spot on Drop Dead Diva.

Rowan Atkinson

Parents probably knew Rowan Atkinson as either the eponymous Mr. Bean or the eponymous Black Adder. However, children of the 90's first came to know this British comedic legend through his vocal stylings as Zazu, the stuck up hornbill who served as majordomo to the kings of Pride Rock. Since then, Atkinson made his mark on American audiences with the film versions of Mr. Bean's adventures, as well as the role of a narcoleptic drifter in Rat Race. Most recently, he's branched out to detective dramas, with his lead role in the British crime series, Maigret.

Robert Guillaume

At the time, Robert Guillaume's best known role in his acting career had been that of Benson, the whip smart butler from Soap and his self-titled spin-off. Which was probably a good thing, as his wisdom carried over into the role of The Lion King's Rafiki, the spiritual baboon guide of Pride Rock. If it wasn't for his wisdom, and Nala's love, Simba might never have returned to reclaim the throne. Guillaume would go on land a role in Aaron Sorkin's legendary Sports Night sitcom, as well as reprise his role in The Lion King 1 1/2.

Sarah Jessica Parker's new HBO show may be called Divorce, but she's actually spilling about her wedding day. The actress and fashion icon appeared on Watch What Happens Live last week, and told host Andy Cohen that she regrets wearing a black dress to her wedding to Matthew Broderick.

After a caller describes Sarah Jessica Parker's choice to wear a black wedding dress "badass," SJP relents and says that she actually just picked out whatever the store that she went to had hanging on the racks.

What they had hanging was a black Morgane Le Fay gown (you can see pictures of it on Brides.com), which Sarah Jessica Parker picked out and wore to her 1997 wedding ceremony in New York. Parker has actually spoken about regretting the black dress before in a 2006 interview with Marie Claire. In that interview, SJP reveals that the reason she was embarrassed to wear white was that she didn't want to draw so much attention to herself, even on her wedding day. The wedding was also meant to be a surprise for Parker and Matthew Broderick's guests, and SJP showing up in a puffy white gown might have tipped off their friends and family.

The dress may not have been Sarah Jessica Parker's ideal choice, but the man definitely was. Parker and Matthew Broderick are now approaching their 20th anniversary, and have three children together. The year after her marriage, Parker began her starring role as Carrie Bradshaw on the long-running HBO dramedy Sex and the City, which became her most iconic role to date. SJP just returned to the HBO dramedy realm earlier this week with her new series Divorce, which premiered last Sunday.

Entertainment Tonight shared the segment of Parker's interview on Watch What Happens Live. Check the clip out below (or watch the full episode here.)

Aside from past fashion regrets, Sarah Jessica Parker also spoke to Andy Cohen about her encounter with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West last month. Parker had taken her teenage son James Wilkie Broderick to one of Kanye West's concerts in Madison Square Garden, and she says that she was a big fan of both Kanye and Kim. Apparently, Kardashian found out that James is a huge Kanye fan and set it up so that he could meet her husband, and Parker noted how "lovely" and "warm" the couple was to both her and her son.

While not a box office blockbuster or a major movie star vehicle, Ferris Bueller's Day Off has become one of the most popular comedies of all time. Now, on its 30th anniversary (do you feel old yet?), we're learning all sorts of new things about the film. Alan Ruck has given us some backstory on one of the film's many great sequences. When Cameron Frye was playing the part of Sloane's dad on the phone with Mr. Rooney, Ruck was doing a specific impression of an old Broadway director that he and Matthew Broderick once had, in order to try and get Broderick to crack up.

Alan Ruck and Matthew Broderick were already friends when they worked together on Ferris Bueller's Day Off. They had also previously worked together on Broadway, on Neil Simon's play Biloxi Blues. Ruck tells Oprah: Where Are They Now, that on the set of the play, Broderick used to do an impression of their director, Gene Saks. So, when Ferris Bueller director John Hughes gave Ruck the freedom to improvise his phone conversation with the school principal, the voice he's doing isn't a generic "dad voice," but rather, it's an impression of Broderick, doing an impression of their old director.

Alan Ruck didn't tell Matthew Broderick he was going to going to be doing the voice. Hearing the actor tell the story, it sounds like he was really just doing it for fun, and was actually surprised when that take was the one that ended up in the final cut of the film. He credits director John Hughes for letting the young actors improvise on the set. While he admits that not all of it worked, he thinks the opportunity to try was very special and was one of the pieces that helped make Ferris Bueller's Day Off such a special film. Check out the scene below.

In a movie that is full of great sequences, this may be Alan Ruck's comedic high point in the film. For a character who spends most of the film in an absolute panic, Cameron here is at his most confident. Honestly, if Ferris hadn't inserted himself at the end, we're sure Cameron would have had everything under control.

Alan Ruck has had roles in countless films and TV shows but he will likely always be remembered most for his part in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Overall, he seems ok with that. It's an experience he remembers fondly. What is your memory of Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

If you were a kid in the 1980s, there may have been nobody in the world quite as cool as Ferris Bueller. The character portrayed by Matthew Broderick in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off was the coolest teenager in the world, capable of getting away with anything. If you ever daydreamed of being just like him, a new contest is going to give you that chance. Just in time for the movie’s 30th anniversary, you can recreate the famous day off by going to all of the places that Ferris went with his friends on that fateful trip.

The contest is a joint collaboration between Fathom Events, who is running screenings of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off this month as part of the film’s anniversary, and GroupOn. Between now and May 16, you can enter to win a trip to Chicago that will include spending time at all of the major landmarks seen in the film. You can go to the Willis Tower (formerly Sears) deck, visit the Art Institute of Chicago, and have lunch at the Everest restaurant. In addition, you’ll be able to attend a "hometown baseball game." For some reason, it does not mention the Chicago Cubs or Wrigley Field, which was the location used in the film, whether it was an issue of not having the rights to use the names, or because the game will not be at Wrigley Field is not clear. Finally, you’ll get a luxury sports car rental in order to get you from place to place. Just be careful which valet you leave it with.

This is only one of the ways that fans are celebrating the anniversary of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. If you’re already in the city of Chicago later this month, the city is planning Ferris Fest, where fans can sit in the same seats at Wrigley Field where the famous friends chanted at players, and see a recreation of the parade float where Matthew Broderick did a Lip Sync Battle worthy rendition of "Twist and Shout." You’ll miss out on these festivities if you win the trip, however, as that prize won’t get you to Chicago until July.

So, if you always wanted to be Ferris Bueller, you have a chance to walk in those footsteps. Who did you think was the coolest kid of 80’s cinema? Was there somebody else you’d rather have been when you were that age? Ferris Bueller's 30th Anniversary iTunes release comes out May 17

Movie characters don’t get much cooler than Ferris Bueller. A teenager seemingly driven by pure id, he pretty much does whatever he wants whenever he wants, and doesn’t really ever concern himself with the consequences. The guy even proves to have a keen sense of style and fashion, wearing multiple outfits over the course of writer/director John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that left a permanent park on popular culture. But how exactly did these iconic outfits come together?

This year marks the 30th anniversary of both Pretty In Pink and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and late last month I had the pleasure of interviewing Marilyn Vance: the costume designer on not only those two films, but also John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club and Weird Science. During our chat, we got to talking about the various iconic looks of Ferris Bueller, and she actually wound up detailing the origins of two of the character’s most notable get-ups:

The Vest

When thinking about the classic "Twist and Shout" musical scene on the Von Steuben Day parade float in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, one instantly remembers the strangely-pattered vest that Ferris wears while thrilling the crowd. It turns out that any fan of the film could have easily replicated this look after seeing the movie, but the process would have involved tearing apart a newly purchased garment – because it turns out that what is a vest in the movie was actually a sweater that Marilyn Vance. Said the great costume designer,

This is funny to learn if not just because of the thought of Ferris Bueller wearing the untampered garment in the actual film. While the vest definitely sold Ferris as a cool guy giving a cool performance, he probably would have looked a whole lot dorkier if he were wearing a button-down sweater while singing.

The Jacket

While Marilyn Vance was able to find the right look she was going for with the vest in a store, the same couldn’t be said for the jacket that Ferris Bueller is wearing for most of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. As a character, Ferris really does what he can to defy categorization – particularly in high school terms – so Vance had to get a bit creative in figuring out exactly what he would wear:

The 1980s was certainly a strange time for fashion (look no further than Duckie’s various costumes in Pretty In Pink, but Ferris Bueller had an impressively timeless look that really authenticates his absolute cool-ness. It’s a tremendous credit to Marilyn Vance’s work.

Pretty In Pink is now available for purchase in Digital HD, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is available on Blu-ray.

My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who said Ferris Bueller took this day off 30 years ago. I guess it's pretty serious.

Actually, it was the guys at Baseball Prospectus who used incredibly deductive reasoning to figure out which Chicago Cubs game Ferris (Matthew Broderick), Cameron (Ala Ruck) and Sloane (Mia Sara) attended in John Hughes’ masterpiece, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. They figured this out back in 2011, using statistics shown on screen during the game to peg the afternoon contest between the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves on June 5, 1985 as the Wrigley Field stand that attracted the gang. They even figured out that the foul ball Ferris caught was hit by Atlanta rightfielder Claudell Washington in the top of the 11th inning. That’s fantastic. I just want to scream, "Saaa-wing batt-ah!" at my laptop screen.

The report points out that real game was actually tied at two, and not scoreless, as the pizza guy tells principal Ed Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) in jest. But seeing as how Hughes used the baseball game as a mere pitstop on Ferris’ busy day, we’re not going to nitpick the details. Especially because, as the baseball site calculates, the foul ball had to have been caught somewhere around 4 pm (inning 11 in an afternoon game), which means Ferris had roughly two hours to squeeze in the litany of events that took place in the movie AFTER the baseball game – namely, the museum visit, the trip to the Sears tower, the swim in Sloane’s pool, the confrontation in Cameron’s garage, and the parade dance.

The Von Steuben Day Parade has created suspicion that Ferris actually skipped school in September. Celebrating the life of Prussian general Baron Friedrich Von Steuben, it takes place late in that month around his birthday. As it turns out, however, both suppositions are correct. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the game Ferris and company attended was actually filmed on September 24, and the parade took place a few days later on September 28. When it came time to edit, John Hughes cut their footage with the earlier game to give the impression that Ferris' epic day out was on June 5.

Yes, yes. We hear you. It’s a movie. And it’s a classic. One of our favorites, which – thanks to some incredible number-crunching – took place on this calendar day 30 years ago. By the time that you are reading this, it’s likely far too late for you to ditch work or school. And saving a sick day by licking your palms and doubling over isn’t nearly as fun on non-anniversary days. But try to maintain the spirit of Ferris Bueller today, and heading into the weekend. Do something spontaneous. Entertain a close friend. Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around for a while, you could miss it.

Tad Quill's multi-camera comedy pilot still doesn't have a title, but it does have sit-com veteran James Burrows set to direct, not to mention Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth attached to star. And now we can add Phill Lewis to the list. The actor joints he cast of the pilot, which stars a recently widowed father who's looking to get back into the dating scene.

Broderick is set to play the lead role of Jack in the project, while Kristin Chenoweth of Pushing Daisies and GCB will play his sister. And now Deadline is reporting that Lewis is on board to play Jack's best friend and co-worker. It's reportedly a lead role in the project, so we should expect to see him around quite a bit if this comedy goes to series.

Lewis' credits are extensive, with appearances in a number of comedies (Raising Hope, The Big C, Scrubs and How I Met Your Mother) and quite a few kids shows, including playing Mr. Moseby in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and The Suite Life on Deck. And Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans may remember him as the friendly, smoking guidance counselor in the Beauty and the Beasts episode. I liked Mr. Platt, but unfortunately, his character wasn't meant to last, as he went the way or Mr. Flutie in falling victim to a student's supernatural-related ailment. Among Lewis' most recent credits is a part on Special Agent Oso for Disney Channel. But we may be seeing him on CBS soon enough if things work out for Quill's project.

Veteran actor Matthew Broderick has done plenty of guest stints on television in the past, but now he’s set to headline a comedy pilot over at CBS. Broderick is signed on for the still-untitled Ted Quill pilot the network announced pretty late in the game, back in February.

Broderick will star in the pilot as Jack, a father and widower who has spent enough time mourning and is now ready to tie his sails to a new partner. That’s a pretty vague description for a comedy, but not wholly unexpected from a network that often starts with easy premises and creates memorable characters from those simple initial ideas. According to Deadline, Quill’s pilot has gone through the wringer and was originally a pilot at CBS three years ago. Normally, I’d say a shelved pilot is probably not the best idea; however, that pilot never came together thanks to problems with casting a strong name for the lead rather than an issue with the overarching premise.

Apparently, Broderick is a big enough name to give the pilot a go this time around. The Tower Heist actor usually sticks to films and guest starring TV roles, including 30 Rock and Modern Family, so that he can stay committed to theatrical productions. It should be noted that a few years back, the actor was also expected to star in an NBC workplace comedy, but that never panned out. This time around, a meeting with Quill gave the actor a reason to come onboard. I wish I could have been there to see that pitch from the producer. Hopefully, the untitled pilot will get a name and nab one of those elusive open spots on CBS in next year’s schedule.

The 2012-2013 TV season has a couple Broadway stars making the transition to the small screen. The Book of Mormon star Andrew Rannells is starring in NBC's new comedy The New Normal, while his Mormon co-star will star in NBC's 1600 Penn, which premieres during midseason. Between those two shows and the Broadway-focused drama Smash, it seems like NBC has cornered the market, but ABC has its own Broadway star set to guest star during this season's Modern Family.

Matthew Broderick might be better associated with some of his film roles (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, WarGames, but the actor has also done plenty of stage work, and won two Tony Awards. He was nominated for one for The Producers, but lost to Nathan Lane, who - as it happens - has already appeared on Modern Family twice, playing Pepper Saltzman, one of Cameron and Mitchell's friends. And now Lane's Producers (and The Odd Couple) co-star Matthew Broderick will take a turn guest starring at the comedy.

ABC announced today that Matthew Broderick will make a guest appearance in the upcoming fourth season of Modern Family. He's set to play a neurotic new friend of Ty Burrell's character Phil's. No word on when the episode will air, but it certainly sounds like a fun role. Broderick has a great sense of humor and anything involving Phil is bound to be amusing at the very least.

Just the other day we shared some cast photo for Season 4 of Modern Family, which includes a reminder of a pretty big plot-point left hanging at the end of Season 3. How will Jay react to learning he's about to become a father? We'll find out when the comedy returns September 26 (and airs Wednesdays from 9:00-9:30 p.m., ET) on ABC.

Super Bowl Sunday will inevitably be packed with starry, hilarious commercials, but it's probably going to be hard to beat this Honda ad, which as promised, brings back Matthew Broderick to play a grown-up version of Ferris Bueller. Well, it seems he's actually just playing Matthew Broderick, playing hooky from his job as a Hollywood actor, but Broderick has taken his Ferris duties very seriously, as you can see in the ad below.

It's amazing how many Ferris Bueller references they manage to cram into such a short ad, and you can check out the list gallery below for screenshots that show off some of the hidden inside jokes. It's also fun to see the places where they put on a spin on the familiar stuff, like Ferris leading a Chinese New Year parade with a traditional Chinese song instead of "Twist and Shout," or calling mom on the phone inside the car. Of course it's still a car commercial, and you're not going to be able to fully replicate Ferris Bueller's Day Off in two and a half minutes, but as a bit of nostalgia used for marketing purposes, it's not half bad. Look for it to air during the Super Bowl along with plenty of other glitzy, expensive ads this Sunday.

Below are the inside jokes we managed to find; can you think of any we missed?

Guy on the roller coaster wearing Cameron's Redwings jersey.

Apparently Matthew is on the phone with the principal's frazzled secretary Grace. "Grace... GRAAAAACE!"

A guy at the museum is wearing Ferris's familiar vest.

Shoutout to Ferris's clarinet playing at the beginning of the film. "Never had one lesson."

Does what this guy is drinking seem strange for a horse racing track? That's because it's a shoutout to Ferris's fruity drink by the pool.

The office at the beginning seems full of nods to the film. Doesn't Ferris use a trophy as part of his bedroom set-up with the "sleeping" mannequin? There's also the baseball, a bull (stock market), and Grace's pencils and White-Out...

It was hard not to get excited about the clip that was going around the internet yesterday, seeming to show an all-grown-up Ferris Bueller making plans for the Super Bowl. Was Matthew Broderick going to show up onstage at halftime and lead a singalong to "Twist and Shout"? Was there some kind of sequel in the works? The mystery was the fun part, so if you're hanging on to that, you might not want to read what's next.

Car site Jalopnik has hunted down a source who reveals that Broderick will be reviving Ferris for a Honda commercial that, indeed, will air during the Super Bowl next Sunday. The spot will mimic a lot of elements of the original film, and will even repeat the scene where the valets take Cameron's dad's Ferrari on a joyride-- only this time, they'll be driving a Honda CR-V. The ad is such a big deal that they even brought in The Hangover director Todd Phillips to put it together, which means the spot should be heavy on anarchic spirit, and maybe as raunchy as you can get away with during an event as huge as the Super Bowl.

We pretty much expected that the Bueller spot would be some kind of commercial, so it's hard to be too disappointed to hear that Ferris has sold out in his old age. But is a Honda spot really what we were hoping for? Or should we wait to see the ad before judging whether this was a good idea. Check out the original teaser again below and speculate what else Ferris might get up to in his Honda in the comments below.

Let me get this out of the way right now. Tower Heist is stupid. It’s so dumb, in fact, that I can’t imagine anyone watching it and not mumbling, “Wait—what?” at least once. Its gaps in logic are numerous, and its plot holes are big enough to lower a car through. Its idiocy is such that with almost any other heist movie, that quality would likely become its fundamental characteristic. On paper, the audience should have left this movie confused and angry, but thanks to a brilliant performance by Eddie Murphy, a slew of great scenes and a few awesome asides, people walked out laughing and reminiscing about their favorite parts.

I’m not here to argue logic and reason don’t matter. I could write five thousand words on all the ways this film could have been improved, but I don’t want to. Like the rest of the audience, all I want to talk about are the moments that really worked. Sure, somewhere in the back of my head, I’ll always be angry about what could have been, but right now, I’m pleased as hell about what is.

As I’m writing this, my boss Josh Tyler is compiling a list of the stupidest things about Tower Heist. No doubt his list will be exhaustive, but like me, he still enjoyed the hell out of this movie. You almost certainly will too. Here are a few of the reasons why this film is worth your money…

WARNING! SPOILERS! This will be a spoiler intensive discussion of the movie Tower Heist.

If you don’t want to know, stop reading right now! Go no further. You’ve been warned.

Eddie Murphy Is Brilliant: Most comedians inevitably hit a wall in which the public’s perspective of what is or is not funny passes them by. Only the most brilliant seem timeless, and Tower Heist proves Murphy is just as capable of stealing a movie now as he was in the early 80s. There are at least five or six scenes Eddie runs away with here, outclassing even his funny co-stars and building a torrent of hilarious momentum throughout the film. I particularly enjoyed his rant on the pros of lesbian boobs, but nearly a dozen of Eddie’s better lines will still be with me weeks from now. Is he back? I guess that depends on whether you mistakenly thought he went away.

Tea Leoni And Ben Stiller Have A Realistic Drinking Scene: Movies often use booze as a catalyst for either a big emotional reveal or outlandish behavior. In Tower Heist, Stiller and Leoni get drunk like real human beings. Talking over shots and occasionally leaning in too close, they have a few laughs, shoot the shit and leave without making decisions with long-term repercussions. It’s a great way to unwind with the characters and an even better way to laugh with Leoni, and by proxy every good-natured and drunk female you’ve ever met, as she high steps her way out the door and into a cab.

Michael Pena Continues His Run Of Great Supporting Roles: Michael Pena has been great in a lot of more serious roles, but it’s his recent supporting turns in Observe & Report and 30 Minutes Or Less that stick out for me. That wonderful nitwit energy is on full display here, as he plays a former Burger King employee who impulsively goes along with Stiller’s idiotic scheme likely because he doesn’t have anything better to do. His comedic style plays very well juxtaposed against the other leads and despite what it might seem like from the ski mask conversation in the trailer, Pena never lets his character morph into a dumb caricature. Job well done.

It Handles Swearing Well: This might seem like an idiotic reason to see a movie, but we’ve all sat through PG-13 crime flicks that feel fundamentally off because the characters aren’t letting enough racy material fly. That’s never an issue with Tower Heist. Murphy especially has a filthy mouth, which seems about right for his character. The best thing I can say about the language is that I didn’t notice the film was PG-13.

Matthew Broderick Makes The Most Of Every Line: Living in a rundown motel after losing his condo, Broderick deals with fear and hunger in equal measure. He’s almost as pleased about free crackers during the planning scene as he is terrified when Murphy makes him steal from a department store to prove his worth. He’s arguably the least important of the four main characters, but he also crushes nearly every time he opens his mouth. His Mr. Fitzhugh reminded me a bit of his turn on 30 Rock, which is absolutely a compliment. Broderick might always be remembered for his home run as Ferris Bueller, but he’s more than capable of doubling off the fence in roles like this.

The Dialogue Is Handled Perfectly: Even the best comedians have strengths and weaknesses. They have certain rhythms and paces at which they thrive and others that don’t suit their timing. Eddie Murphy, for example, needs room. He’s always funnier after the first line. For him, the initial comment is a starting point from which he can build. Matthew Broderick, on the other hand, is better with the hilarious aside. He gets in and gets out without one wasted word. Tower Heist might have some structural problems, but its director Brett Ratner puts each one of his actors in the best possible position for success. The conversations end at exactly the right moment, and the cut-to shots are timed perfectly. The result is an often sleek and consistently funny film.

Keep the list going! Discuss and debate these better moments below, or add a few of your own!

While he'll bring a completely different vibe to the project, I have to applaud the casting of comedian Nick Thune to replace Patton Oswalt in NBC's comedy pilot Beach Lane. Thune does a spoken word comedy that's a little odd but a lot funny, and he deserves a potential big break like this.

I've not fanatically followed Thune's work, but I've heard him on The Bob & Tom Show, and seen some of his stand-up on Comedy Central. Thune is one of those young comedians who's been on the verge of "blowing up" for a couple of years now. I always wonder, though, if these comedians will get a chance to have any influence on the material they'll be working on when they transition to television.

After all, the reason Thune is succeeding is because of his own written material, so he knows a thing or two about comedy. Will the writers of Beach Lane allow him to tweak the character to better suit his style? Thune will be playing an irresponsible millionaire heir, according to Deadline Hollywood, which fits perfectly with his laid back nonchalant style.

The series also stars Matthew Broderick as the celebrity author Thune hires to run his small-town newspaper. Which means a workplace comedy. If we're lucky they can flesh out the cast with some great side characters and NBC might actually have another workplace hit on their hands.

It was just three days ago that we brought you the news that Patton Oswalt had signed on for a major role in the upcoming NBC pilot Beach Lane, in which he would play a slacker heir to a Hamptons newspaper. The show co-starred Matthew Broderick and Kristen Johnson and seemed like a great vehicle for Oswalt's return to TV after a long stint on The King of Queens.

But apparently the comeback wasn't to last. THR reports that Oswalt may have already bailed on Beach Lane, following Tuesday's table read in which, apparently, something pretty awful happened. The producers have offered him another role on the show, but it's not clear if he'll accept, and really, does that really seem like the solution? Clearly there's something wrong enough that he's willing to walk away from a solid paycheck, and odds are it's not the character.

You may also remember that just a few weeks ago Megan Mullally bailed on a Broadway production of LIps Together, Teeth Apart apparently because she couldn't put up with Oswalt as a castmate. In that debacle Mullally had been painted as a bad guy-- what a diva!-- but Oswalt leaving Beach Lane after just one table read shines a different light on the situation. Is he actually the diva, ruining productions left and right? Or are the cosmos just aligned against this guy? Expect to hear more as the news is either confirmed or denied.