Filmmaker Gore Verbinski has been entertaining movie lovers for decades with films like The Ring, Pirates of the Caribbean and Rango, but after a couple of flops, he disappeared for a decade. Finally the director has returned with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, a sci-fi action-comedy that hits the 2026 movie calendar on February 13. Critics have seen the flick and are generally in agreement about this “bonkers” return.

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die stars Sam Rockwell as a man from the future who’s caught in a time loop as he attempts to save the world from the A.I.-dominated era he came from. Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Juno Temple and more also star in the flick that’s being celebrated by critics including Kristy Puchko of Mashable, who calls Gore Verbinski’s middle finger to A.I. “earnest and human and utterly bonkers,” writing:

Chris Bumbray of JoBlo rates the upcoming action film a “Great” 8 out of 10, admitting that Gore Verbinski is taking a wild swing with Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, but it’s one of the more “invigorating and original pieces of sci-fi” the critic has seen in a long time. Bumbray says:

Peter Debruge of Variety says Sam Rockwell carries the comedy of the movie, particularly with his character’s exaggerated impatience with a society that needs to be scolded as much as it needs to be saved. Debruge’s review of Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die reads:

Aidan Kelley of Collider also gives it an 8 out of 10, saying this “raucous” sci-fi action flick is filled to the brim with absurdist comedy, creative insults, frenetic camera work and insightful commentary on the state of the world. In Kelley's words:

David Rooney of THR says it’s good to have Gore Verbinski back behind the camera, and Sam Rockwell is great with his “wry balance of doofus, savant and wisea--,” but it falls just short of expectations with a script that isn’t as funny or fresh as it should be. Rooney continues:

Most of the reviews for Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die are positive, with the movie standing at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. If fighting an A.I.-dominated future is at the top of your to-do list (or must-see list!), check out Gore Verbinski’s return to filmmaking starting Friday, February 13.

I love a good sports drama, and while there are surely some great options coming up on the 2025 movie calendar, one in particular from last year caught my eye recently when I was perusing the offerings of my Prime Video subscription. Unstoppable is the story of Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and overcame a number of obstacles — physical, financial and otherwise — to win an NCAA Division I wrestling championship. This movie left me so inspired by what Robles was able to accomplish, not just as an athlete but a man with the cards stacked against him.

The thing is, I didn’t hear much about Unstoppable before it hit streaming, and what I did know about the movie was in reference to how Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck would navigate the movie’s premiere amid their divorce. JLo stars as Anthony Robles’ mom Judy, while Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity produced the film. I’m here to say this movie is more important than what happened when Lopez and Damon ran into each other at a film festival. Robles’ story deserves to be told, and while that’s the biggest reason I recommend this movie, it’s not the only one.

I Knew Anthony Robles Was Going To Be Impressive, But I Was Absolutely Blown Away By What He Was Capable Of

Going into Unstoppable, it was no secret that we were about to see some incredible physical accomplishments from Anthony Robles — played in the movie by Emmy Award winner Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us). However, that was far from the only thing standing in Anthony’s path. A large family, an abusive stepfather and the looming threat of eviction meant that the wrestler had to fight to even get to college — and it didn’t help that no viable programs were willing to take a chance on him for an athletic scholarship.

The process of Anthony walking onto the Arizona State wrestling team was the best part of the movie for me. The drive that he had — played by Jerome without an ounce of self-pity — was unbelievable, and several times I found myself thinking, “No way they’ll make him run bleachers. No way they’ll make him do a relay race while carrying a weight. No way they’ll make him climb a mountain on crutches.”

Not only did he do all those things (see the photo above), it was never a question whether he was going to. His coaches didn’t give him an out, and Anthony didn’t ask for one. His undeniable skill and relentless hard work earned him the respect of his teammates — who, according to the movie, fought for his place on the team when budget cuts threatened the wrestling program — as well as his coach Shawn Charles (Don Cheadle).

Unstoppable Features An Amazing Cast, Including Jennifer Lopez and Don Cheadle

Another reason I was surprised I hadn’t heard more about Unstoppable was because of its cast. Jharrel Jerome, known for his roles in Moonlight, Mr. Mercedes and the aforementioned When They See Us, gives us a hero to root for. Despite having a two-legged actor playing Anthony (a green legging was used during filming, with Jerome’s right leg being edited out in post-production, and Robles actually acted as Jerome’s stunt and body double), I never once questioned the actor’s portrayal of an athlete with one leg.

Then there’s Jennifer Lopez, who showed Judy Robles’ own unstoppable spirit in championing her son. I’d hate to have been any of the people in the crowd making jokes about the wrestler's leg in front of her or any of the opponents who had the gall to argue Anthony had an unfair advantage because it was easier for him to make weight.

It wasn't just her unwavering love and support, though. We also saw Judy escape her abusive marriage, find a way to keep the roof over her children’s heads and ultimately pursue her own education. It’s not hard to see where Anthony Robles got his can-do attitude from.

Other highlights are, of course, Don Cheadle as the Arizona State wrestling coach, Bobby Cannavale as Judy’s husband and Michael Peña as Anthony’s high school wrestling coach Bobby Williams. Cheadle is so inspirational and charismatic, I’d probably follow him into war. Speaking of charisma, Cannavale oozed it out of every pore... until his face would go dark at the flip of a switch, signaling trouble for — at the very least — Judy.

Unstoppable Provides Everything You Want In A Sports Drama

Unstoppable doesn’t break the mold when it comes to biographical sports dramas, but it doesn’t really need to. There’s a reason we love a great inspirational movie. We love to see the underdog come out on top (though I hesitate to even call the athlete an underdog, because he never once made me question whether he was talented enough or deserving enough to get everything he worked so hard for).

Jerome really drives Anthony’s motivation home in a moving speech to Bobby Williams, where he lays out exactly why winning the NCAA wrestling championship is so important to him. He has no delusions of a post-college wrestling career. He says he knows the first thing people notice about him is the thing that is missing. Going into his senior season, he’s worked so hard for his one chance to change people’s perspective of him, and even if you know (or can guess) how his story ends, I guarantee you’ll be better for having watched it play out.

Critics and viewers agree that Unstoppable is a movie not to miss, with a Certified Fresh 77% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer and 87% on the audience’s Popcornmeter. It’s a fairly by-the-book sports drama with a great cast, but the main reason I think this is one of Amazon Prime Video’s best movies is because this real sports star deserves to be known and to be known for his character, drive and talent.

As the characters joke a couple of times in the movie, you might even find yourself forgetting Anthony Robles only has one leg, and I have to imagine that’s exactly what he wants. Unstoppable is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.

Of all the mysteries of life, one that continues to confound us is what, exactly, lies beyond our planet. After thousands of years of peering into outer space as far as we could, we began to look for those answers in a very concrete way by sending people to the stars, and our movies have reflected our desire to know more, meaning that a number of humanity’s biggest and brightest stars have played space-faring individuals on screen. Here for you now are 32 famous actors who’ve played astronauts.

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Let’s start with one of the more harrowing views of space travel, Gravity, which garnered a number of Academy Award wins after its 2013 release. Sandra Bullock stars as Dr. Ryan Stone, who’s on her first space mission in order to help upgrade a telescope. But, things very quickly go wrong when she’s doing a spacewalk, and debris from a recently deactivated satellite hits the shuttle and leaves her stranded with many of her crew dead, Ryan floating through space, and desperate to find a way back to earth all on her own.

Brad Pitt (Ad Astra)

A space trip that doesn’t go too much better involves Brad Pitt’s Roy McBride in 2019’s Ad Astra. When Roy is tasked with traveling to Mars to see if the crew of a mission that was searching for other intelligent life, which was led 29 years earlier by his father, is still alive, he’s unwittingly thrust into a situation that’s far more dangerous than even standard space travel is known to be.

Ryan Reynolds (Life)

Noted comedic actor and big-screen superhero talent Ryan Reynolds has also donned a space suit for the very much not comedic Life, a 2017 ode to terror in space. After a probe returns to the International Space Station with soil samples from Mars, what is at first a dormant cell quickly turns into, well, life, and begins to cause a lot of horrific trouble for Reynolds’ engineer and the rest of the crew.

Halle Berry (Moonfall)

If you’re starting to sense a theme here, that outer space is dangerous, congratulations, because you really are paying attention. In the sci-fi disaster epic, Moonfall, Halle Berry’s NASA deputy director has to investigate when the moon begins to leave its orbit and come closer to Earth, threatening all of civilization. When she digs deeper into the mystery, however, she finds a government cover-up that goes back many decades and is forced to head back into space with a small crew to take care of the growing problem herself.

Michael Peña (A Million Miles Away)

Considering the incredible number of films we have where those who head into space are prominent characters, there are actually relatively few based on the lives of real people. A Million Miles Away stars Michael Peña as José M. Hernández, a Mexican-American engineer who served as a migrant worker when he was a child and went on to become an astronaut who worked aboard the International Space Station.

Viola Davis (Solaris)

There are many sci-fi films of the mind-trip variety and Solaris is no different. Viola Davis portrays one of the last surviving members of a space station crew orbiting the titular alien world, who must then try to help George Clooney’s visiting psychologist understand the truly strange phenomena that led to the death or disappearance of most of the crew. If you enjoy a twisty ending that leaves you with lots of questions, you’ll enjoy this one.

Mark Wahlberg (Planet Of The Apes)

You know this story; you love this story. Planet of the Apes saw Mark Wahlberg take over the role of an astronaut who crashes on a foreign planet, only to find that apes are now the dominant species, while humans are mostly without speech and used as slave labor. 

Chris Evans (Sunshine)

And here we have yet another space movie where a mission does not quite go as planned. Sunshine features stars like Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as the crew of a ship that’s been tasked with traveling to our dying sun to deliver a bomb in the hopes of reigniting it so that our planet can avoid another catastrophic ice age.

Adam Driver (65)

Ever wonder what Earth was like about 65 million years ago when dinosaurs still ruled the land? Well, that’s what alien astronaut Mills (Adam Driver) accidentally finds out when his ship is struck by a large field of asteroids and crashes on our planet, leading him to have to protect the only other survivor as they flee many dangerous beasts in an attempt to get to a faraway escape pod so they can return home.

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

It’s possible we’d have far fewer of these “if it can go wrong on a space mission it will” science fiction films without what many consider one of the best horror movies of all time, Alien. The classic stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, one of a seven-person crew who unknowingly stumble upon the ultra-dangerous xenomorphs that would go on to become legendary in sci-fi horror, which quickly leads to pretty much nothing but increasingly bad times on their doomed mission.

Tom Hanks (Apollo 13)

We’ve hit upon another story based on some real-life adventures! In Apollo 13, Tom Hanks stars as Commander Jim Lovell who, along with Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), board their 1970 mission to the moon in order to become the third American crew to land there. However, trouble starts almost immediately.

Natalie Portman (Lucy In The Sky)

While not completely a true life story, 2019’s Lucy in the Sky is billed as being “loosely inspired” by the life of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak. The plot concerns Natalie Portman’s Lucy, who has just returned from her first space mission, which had such a huge impact on her that she no longer feels connected to her family or life here. As she pushes herself to return on the next mission, she undergoes a mental breakdown that sends her life into a tailspin.

Glen Powell (Hidden Figures)

While the amazing biopic, Hidden Figures, focuses on three Black women (Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who worked as NASA mathematicians during the height of the Space Race in the 1960s, we do still get an astronaut in this film. Twisters star Glen Powell plays John Glenn, who became the first American in orbit in 1962.

Robert Pattinson (High Life)

You’d think a movie called High Life would finally focus on some good times in space, but…nahhhhh. Robert Pattinson is a member of a crew of convicts on death row who’ve been sent to retrieve energy from a black hole, with the experiments of their commander leading to a child being born on board while crew members spiral out of control.

Tom Cruise (Oblivion)

Tom Cruise’s 2013 film, Oblivion, features him in a twisty plot that involves a post-apocalyptic Earth, evil A.I., even more evil aliens, and his character trying to figure out exactly what’s going on with his assigned mission. This is a good one that people hardly ever talk about.

Jodie Foster (Contact)

Based on the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan, Contact stars Academy Award winner Jodie Foster as a scientist who specializes in the search for extraterrestrial life, and finds a big clue toward that goal when she locates a radio signal that appears to be sent from a distant star, and is eventually chosen as the person to make first contact with the alien race behind the signal. Contact is an amazing film that is a must-see for sci-fi and space movie lovers.

Colin Farrell (Voyagers)

This movie is a real (space) trip. Voyagers stars Colin Farrell as the leader of a crew of very young adults who were bred away from humanity and had some of their hormones and emotions suppressed in the hope of keeping them manageable. But, when two of the crew realize what’s been done to them and convince everyone to stop taking the chemical, well, the proceedings get extremely emotional and tension doesn't let up for quite some time.

Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar)

By now, it’s probably pretty clear that our idea of space travel and exploration is mainly one of danger, especially from the unknown, and Christopher Nolan’s wildly successful Interstellar is certainly another addition to the film canon that shows us that. In it, Matthew McConaughey plays a former NASA test pilot who’s chosen to lead a mission through a wormhole that is hoped to lead to at least one habitable planet for humanity, which is dealing with a global famine that’s threatening an extinction event. 

Idris Elba (Prometheus)

Those Alien xenomorphs just won’t leave us alone, will they? In Prometheus, we get their origin story as a crew following an ancient star map searches for the beginnings of humanity, but instead finds…you know, a secret plot and lots of terror. Idris Elba portrays Janek, the heroic captain of the doomed spaceship.

Adam Sandler (Spaceman)

If you’ve ever gotten the sense that space travel can be kind of lonely, Adam Sandler’s Spaceman turns that idea up to 11. His astronaut is six months into a solo mission that sees him missing his wife and the unborn child he left behind, when he realizes he has a stowaway: an alien creature who can communicate telepathically with him, and seeks to understand humans while helping alleviate the astronaut’s loneliness.

Ryan Gosling (First Man)

This biographical drama sees Ryan Gosling play Neil Armstrong, who became the first man to walk on the moon in 1969. The story follows Armstrong, his wife Janet (Claire Foy), and other astronauts and NASA figures as they prepare for the famed Apollo 11 mission that led to Armstrong making history.

Angela Bassett (Supernova)

Even two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett has taken a turn at playing a space explorer whose time there does not go as planned. When she and her crew answer a distress call from thousands of light years away during their deep space mission, things go from bad to worse at, well, the speed of light.

Matt Damon (The Martian)

Matt Damon famously starred in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, playing astronaut Mark Watney, who’s forced to survive on Mars alone after being accidentally left behind when he’s presumed dead by the rest of his crew as they’re forced to evacuate. 

Bruce Willis (Armageddon)

Possibly the best non-traditional astronaut movie ever made, Armageddon stars good guy Bruce Willis as an oil driller recruited to go into space with a team of his mean so that they drill into a massive asteroid, implant a nuke in it and blow it up in the hope of stopping it from destroying the planet and human civilization as we know it. I got excited just writing that!

Laurence Fishburne (Event Horizon)

In space, no one can hear you scream. Unless you’re on a spaceship with other people that’s destined to run into loads of trouble, then, you know, all of those people will probably be able to hear you. There’s lots of screaming in 1997’s Event Horizon, which stars Laurence Fishburne as the captain of a rescue ship that goes to answer a distress call sent by a ship that disappeared several years prior. There’s a vivisection in this one. I’m starting to think we should just leave space alone.

Robert Duvall (Deep Impact)

You must remember Deep Impact, as it was released about two months before the more popular Armageddon, but featured a comet being on a collision course with our precious homeworld. Robert Duvall plays the pilot for the crew that’s dispatched to (you guessed it) drill into the comet and nuke it to smithereens. The mission does not go off without a hitch, and that’s why they call this a disaster movie.

Ethan Hawke (Gattaca)

In a society where most babies are created with genetic altering to make sure they have only the best traits of each parent, a man (Ethan Hawke) who was born without that practice poses as a man who was altered so that he can reach his dream of becoming an astronaut without all of the discrimination that people like him suffer in a society where people are expected to be “perfect” to have the best opportunities in life.

Sam Rockwell (Moon)

Ok, so maybe being in space, in general, isn’t always terrible. But it definitely seems like being alone in space for an extended period could be a bad sign for your future. Such is the case with Moon, where Sam Rockwell plays the lone human operating a mining facility on the titular celestial body, who comes to a startling revelation as he nears the end of his three-year work term.

Clint Eastwood (Space Cowboys)

Clint Eastwood has portrayed a number of (basically) good guys, so it makes complete sense that he would have stepped into the shoes of an Air Force pilot who retired long ago, but ends up leading a mission of other retired pilots to fix an old Soviet communications satellite that’s in danger of crashing to Earth.

Liv Tyler (Space Station 76)

As you’ve likely noticed, there are not a lot of comedies among this bunch, but Space Station 76 is definitely one of them. This “retro-futuristic” parody stars Liv Tyler as the newly arrived station’s co-pilot, who soon comes to realize that the apparently utopian lives of those on board are hiding some very real problems.

Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest)

Here is another comedy that’s been a cult hit pretty much since its release in 1999. Galaxy Quest focuses on the cast of a fictional Star Trek-like series who are pulled into a hilariously real war between alien races, when the kind, gentle aliens have seen their show and believe it’s a documentary.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox)

The Cloverfield franchise grew with this 2018 entry, which stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as an engineer aboard an orbiting space station where the plan is to test a particle accelerator in the hope of using it to provide the planet with infinite energy. You know what happens, right? Things don’t go as planned.

Many of our finest actors have pretended to travel in space for our entertainment, and this list gives you a number of amazing options should you decide to launch an astronaut movie binge session.

Not all biopics are made equally. Over the years, we’ve seen a mix of movies based on real figures that do and do not involve the people they're depicting. But when it came to adapting the story of José Hernández and his lifelong dream of joining a NASA mission, A Million Miles Away writer/director Alejandra Márquez Abella made it a priority to involve not only the man himself but his family as well. And that's incredibly understandable, as they're very important to the story. On that note, Abella discussed the sweet way Hernández's relatives were part of the filmmaking process.

When CinemaBlend spoke to Alejandra Márquez Abella about her new film, she discussed a number of topics. That included her inspired decision to shoot A Million Miles Away completely in Mexico. But we also talked about how the Hernández family came into play during its production. Abella had these lovely sentiments to share about them:

The inspirational movie tells the story of José Hernández (played by Michael Peña), the son of Mexican-American migrant farmworkers who's raised in California. Despite facing numerous obstacles throughout his life, he becomes a successful engineer and goes on to join the NASA program, after being rejected 11 times. 

In addition to telling the astronaut’s story, the movie also delves into the sacrifices his family had to make in the process. That includes those of his wife, Adela, who's played by Alita: Battle Angel alum Rosa Salazar. She's a real standout among the A Million Miles Away cast. Alejandra Márquez Abella spoke to her abilities as a performer as well as Adela's arc in the movie, saying:

Another memorable element of this production is how it implements the advice José Hernández received from his father as a kid, which he uses to help reach his dreams throughout the movie’s chapters. The director shared how this element of the astronaut’s life was brought into the film in such a memorable way. In her words: 

It’s great to hear that José Hernández and his family got to play a big role in the telling of their story. Alejandra Márquez Abella clearly put a lot of care into this endeavor and made sure to bring in their perspectives accordingly. José is an inspiring figure to the Latino community. who's unfortunately not always mentioned in the history books. With this film though, his journey is not only more accessible to audiences, but it can perhaps also immortalize his trip to the stars.

A Million Miles Away is available to stream now with an Amazon Prime subscription. It's one of many great movies to watch during Hispanic Heritage Month, which is being observed through October 15. You can also read up on other great new films by checking out the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.

NASA astronaut José M. Hernández’s inspiring journey to the stars, which has now been told through Amazon Prime’s A Million Miles Away, epitomizes the American Dream. The latest of the great space movies tells the story of Hernández’s life from being born in California to Mexican-American migrant farm workers, to earning a spot in NASA after years of rejection from the program, and finally going to space. While these events greatly took place across the United States, writer/director Alejandra Márquez Abella had a great reason why she wanted the production to be in Mexico. 

Alejandra Márquez Abella is a Mexican filmmaker who helmed her first English-language feature film with A Million Miles Away starring Michael Peña and Rosa Salazar. While José M. Hernández’s story greatly takes place across the United States, Abella spoke with CinemaBlend why she chose not to shoot on location. In her words: 

You wouldn’t necessarily know it by watching the movie, now streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription, but A Million Miles Away cast and crew shot the whole project in Mexico. As Abella explained: 

It was an inspired idea on Alejandra Márquez Abella’s part considering the entire movie is a tribute to a Mexican-American family, and how against all odds, José Hernández followed his dream to become a NASA engineer and venture out into space. It's incredible that the filmmaker decided to use her opportunity to give back to her people and provide jobs to a completely Mexican crew on A Million Miles Away. The decision encapsulates the spirit of Hernández’s story. 

A Million Miles Away is an adaptation of José Hernández’s book Reaching For The Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut, which was published back in 2012. After growing up working alongside his family on the fields of California, Hernández earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and would go on to develop the first full-field digital mammography imaging system, which helped aid the early detection of breast cancer. 

The movie sees Peña, who notably was part of The Martian cast prior to this role, playing Hernández as he faces a number of obstacles on his way to being accepted to the NASA program in 2004 in Houston, Texas. He was turned down eleven times prior to his acceptance. The astronaut would go on to embark on the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009 as a mission specialist, amidst other accomplishments. 

You can learn about José M. Hernández’s story with Alejandra Márquez Abella’s A Million Miles Away, streaming on Amazon Prime now. 

Many of the best space movies that are based on a true story focus primarily on the astronauts’ journey post-liftoff. However, A Million Miles Away – a new Amazon Prime original movie based on the memoir of the same name – is the story of one man’s lifelong journey to earn himself a spot on the United States Space Program.

The man in question is José Hernandez, who is portrayed by Michael Peña in the inspirational drama, which is available stream with an Amazon Prime subscription now. Before you check it out for yourself (if you havn't already), let’s take a look at who plays who in the A Million Miles Away cast and what else you may recognize them from with our following breakdown, starting with the acclaimed lead actor.

Michael Peña (José Hernandez)

As established, leading the A Million Miles Away cast as José Hernandez – a migrant farm worker who dreams of traveling the stars – is Michael Peña, who previously played an astronaut in 2015’s The Martian and contended with strange astronomical circumstances in Moonfall in 2022. However, he has more frequently played cops (such as in End of Watch), soldiers (like in Fury), and government agents (including Jack Ryan spin-off hopeful Domingo Chavez, most recently). Some of Peña’s other most notable credits include back-to-back Best Picture Oscar winners (Million Dollar Baby and Crash), leading another biopic about an influential figure of Mexican heritage (2014’s Cesar Chavez), and playing fan-favorite MCU character Luis in the first two Ant-Man movies.

Rosa Salazar (No Character Name Provided)

Playing Jose’s wife is Peña’s CHIPS co-star Rosa Salazar, who had a first season American Horror Story role you may have forgotten about around the same time she joined the Parenthood cast in the recurring role of Zoe DeHaven. She eventually found movie star success as Brenda in the Maze Runner movies, in Netflix’s Bird Box cast, and as the cybernetic title role of Robert Rodriguez’s manga-inspired modern cult favorite Alita: Battle Angel. She has since found TV star success as the lead of Netflix’s bizarre horror miniseries Brand New Cherry Flavor, and the Amazon Prime’s unique fantasy series Undone, but she is also reportedly joining the MCU with a role in the upcoming Marvel movie Captain American: Brave New World.

Bobby Soto (No Character Name Provided)

Another A Million Miles Away cast member who has a credit in common with Peña (namely Netflix’s Narcos: Mexico) is Bobby Soto, who, like Peña, can also say he has worked with writer and director David Ayer (on 2020’s The Tax Collector). This is actually his second biopic about an influential Mexican-American figure released this year, having also appeared in Hulu’s Flamin’ Hot (the legitimacy of which has since been put into question, however). Following guest spots on hit crime TV series like Cold Case and The Closer, Soto made his feature film debut in 2011’s A Better Life, went on to star in movies like 2020’s The Quarry and The Listener two years later, and has a drama in the works called Grapefruit.

Sarayu Blue (No Character Name Provided)

Sarayu Blue also has a credit in common with Peña, as one of her first movies was 2007’s Lions for Lambs. She is also part of the MCU, having guest starred on an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Dr. Jazuat. She's risen in popularity after starring in 2018’s Blockers; leading her own, short-lived sitcom, I Feel Bad; joining the Happiest Season cast; and appearing in Netflix’s To All the Boys franchise as Trina Rothschild. Blue was also in several episodes of Never Have I Ever, lent her voice to Max’s ill-received Velma, and her upcoming Amazon Prime original drama series, Expats, is set for a 2024 premiere.

Veronica Falcón (No Character Name Provided)

With the exception of her 2007 English-language debut, Not Forgotten, much of Veronica Falcón’s filmography was previously made up of Spanish movies and TV shows... until she starred alongside Alice Braga on USA’s Queen of the South. She went on to star on HBO’s Perry Mason reboot, landed a small role in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast, was in the latest installment of the Purge movies (The Forever Purge), and appeared in the Jungle Cruise cast as Trader Sam. She was more recently on Ozark Season 4, stars in Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, and has a horror movie called Imaginary set to come out in 2024.

Julio César Cedillo (No Character Name Provided)

Julio César Cedillo also has a few titles in common with his A Million Miles Away co-stars – Michael Peña with Narcos: Mexico, Sarayu Blue with The Bridge, and Veronica Falcón with Queen of the South. However, he has plenty of interesting credits to boast on his own, including a recurring role on Walker, Texas Ranger; the harrowing Stephen King creature feature The Mist; and director Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario, to name a few. More recently, he appeared in Netflix’s 2021 Western, The Harder They Fall and joined the platform’s Chupa cast in 2023.

Garret Dillahunt (No Character Name Provided)

Perhaps one of the more underrated A Million Miles Away cast members is Garret Dillahunt, who has a sizable resume of easily recognizable credits – including the Deadwood cast as two different characters and one of the best movies of the 2000s, No Country for Old Men. But he’s done plenty more than just western TV shows like Justified or Best Picture Oscar winners like 12 Years a Slave, having also starred on the Fox sitcom Raising Hope; in Rian Johnson’s 2012 sci-fi noir Looper; and joined Netflix’s Army of the Dead cast shortly after completing his Fear the Walking Dead stint. Even more recently, he was in the Where the Crawdads Sing cast and led the Freevee original comedy Sprung. 

Eric Johnson (No Character Name Provided)

Like Garret Dillahunt, Eric Johnson may not be a household name, but has a resume that might suggest otherwise. Highlights include a major part on Smallville’s first season, playing the title role of Syfy’s Flash Gordon series reboot, and the Fifty Shades movies as Jack Hyde. More recently, Johnson was in Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor and the final season of Vikings, and he is set to reprise his Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin character, Sheriff Beasley, in the next spin-off, Summer School.

Join in on this inspirational journey by logging in to stream A Million Miles Away on Amazon Prime now!

Warning: spoilers for Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Season 4 are in play. If you’re not caught up with the final season, you’ve been warned.

With the series finale of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan now square in the books, the future of the Clancy-verse is still a bit of a mystery. Though it was announced that a potential spinoff fronted by actor Michael Peña was in the works, details on that project are still tightly under wraps. However, should the green light be given, the MCU vet already has some ideas on which of his recent co-stars he’d love to bring along for the ride.

Speaking with Michael Peña and Louis Ozawa, during an interview that took place before the SAG-AFTRA strike, the future of Jack Ryan definitely came up in conversation. Speaking about who could be involved in the franchise's future, Peña gave CinemaBlend this list of co-stars he’d love to recruit: 

The 2023 TV schedule saw the conclusion of the John Krasinski-led series by wrapping with its titular hero walking away from clandestine service. With Peña’s character present for this moment, the next chapter of this franchise could see him taking point. At least, that’s what it felt like when watching the Jack Ryan series finale, “Proof of Concept.” 

In the final moments of the series ending episode, John Krasinski's ultimate boy scout sees his friends James Greer (Wendell Pierce), Mike November (Michael Kelly), Domingo Chavez (Michael Peña), and Elizabeth Wright (Betty Gabriel) gathered together. Before leaving, he frames them all with his hands and says "Hell of a team photo." Knowing the extended universe of Tom Clancy novels, that moment feels like a double down on these cast members being a part of what comes next. 

When Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan was announced to be ending with Season 4, it came with an added bonus of Michael Peña being cast as another legacy character from Clancy’s wide roster of heroes. In the role of Domingo “Ding” Chavez, the Ant-Man star ventured into some pretty dark territory with this potentially huge role. 

If the next chapter of Domingo's story is explored, the infrastructure is already present for a continuation series that focuses on Ding as its new main character. This is perfect, as he's connected to yet another huge thread that's been developing in the Clancy-verse.

You see, Chavez is a member of one of Tom Clancy’s most memorable brands connected to the wide web of Jack Ryan stories: Rainbow Six. That title is something that’s been danced around rather frequently in the library of anyone who has a Prime Video Subscription. This is in part thanks to the ending of Michael B. Jordan's Without Remorse which showed the creation of said organization of clandestine operatives. 

The trailer for Jack Ryan Season 4 even dropped an easter egg that connected Michael Peña’s badass operative to the organization started by Jordan’s John Clark. So the two worlds could be connected in a future project, if the powers that be have the right idea in mind. There would definitely need to be some changes though, as in the 1995 source novel Jack Ryan is president of the United States.

All sorts of possibilities are in the air, and an interview with Collider saw series EP Allyson Seeger confirm that hopes to move forward on a potential spinoff for Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan are still in the air. While the flagship series has taken its final bow, this is one of those cases where the door is wide open for a continuation, with Michael Peña’s Domingo Chavez as a possible key.

Thankfully, you can see just how awesome the man they call "Ding" is in action. While the world will just have to wait and see what comes next, all four seasons of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan are now streaming on Prime Video. 

Looking back at the history of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, the series will partially be remembered for John Krasinski’s unique approach to the character. The four-season saga on Prime Video’s 2023 TV schedule will also be remembered as a resurgence of the serious, mission-focused drama that the Ryan-verse has always traded in. 

With that sort of ethos, I thought that even the set itself would be a serious affair, in the midst of all the counterterrorism action that goes into the mix. That was, until members of the cast told me about how they kept things light during shooting, which apparently involved a good amount of fart humor.

As I was on hand for the press day of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, speaking with Michael Peńa and Louis Ozawa revealed that lightness on set. In particular, Peńa hinted at that reality, when he shared the following with CinemaBlend: 

That knowledge was revealed in response to a comment where I noted that although Peńa’s Domingo “Ding” Chavez and Ozawa’s Chao Fah are technically on different sides of the law, there’s still a magnetic chemistry between them even in battle. Based on what we know about Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Season 4, the conflict that’s about to take place this season is great enough to end a series on. So it’s good to know that everyone got to decompress for a bit, even when  massive moves of geopolitical destabilization were on the table. 

With that in mind, I was deeply curious what the shenanigans of choice were, and what sort of moments arose from them. This is where Louis Ozawa jumped in with an anecdote about those farts that were promised at the top of this story. But alongside that response, Michael Peńa further explained just why levity is important on a project such as this. Here’s what Peńa and Ozawa told CinemaBlend:

Louis Ozawa: "There’d be hours in the car. Hours in the car, a lot of silly sophomoric flatulence humor, if I may add. We like to keep it loose in-between takes, even in the most dramatic situations."

Michael Peńa: "Well sometimes … you’re an adult, you’re doing something, and at the end of the day you realize what you’re doing. You’re acting and you’re pretending, sometimes you’re pretending that you’re driving. And if you step out of character for like just a second in-between shots, you realize just how crazy it is, the things that you’re doing, and what you’re being paid for. I have it almost every project, you’re like, ‘This is what I do for a job.’ And somebody coming in, he’s like, ‘Yeah, can I see you drive again?’ ‘Can I see a left hand turn?’ … It just seems crazy sometimes, grown ups playing make believe. When you step out of it, that’s when it can look funny."

It might seem a bit odd to bring up make believe when taking into account the counterterrorism drama those with a Prime Video subscription should expect from Jack Ryan. The more serious aspects are technically what’s kept the Tom Clancy brand in business ever since the beginning, with the ultimate boy scout at the center of most of them. 

That said, even as far back as The Hunt for Red October, a streak of snarky humor has run through the entire franchise, which could be another criteria to rank the Jack Ryan actors of past and present against. With actors like Louis Ozawa and Michael Peńa understanding the balance between the two moods while making Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan helps make sure neither end is oversold.

That sort of reflex only serves the potential future all the better, as Peńa’s in-development Clancy-verse spinoff could potentially keep this successful enterprise going. For now, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is about to embark on its final season, starting with its two episode premiere on June 30th. While there’s still plenty of fun jokes to be enjoyed, upon last inspection, sadly none are fart-related. 

After Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan ends its run on July 14th, John Krasinski will have played the character for four seasons and 30 episodes. The fifth actor to have played Tom Clancy’s titular hero, he’s also leaving behind the longest-running incarnation of the character so far. While the final opinions of the fans will have to wait until next month’s grand finale, the cast of Jack Ryan have shared their feelings on how Krasinski’s portrayal will be remembered. 

Don’t worry, you’re not venturing into any spoilers for the June 30th premiere of Season 4, or any of the subsequent two-episode drops leading to the Jack Ryan finale. However, there are some fun anecdotes and compliments, thanks to the fact that I was on hand to ask after such feelings personally.

The press day of the Prime Video subscription driver connected me virtually with cast members like Michael Kelly and Wendell Pierce, who respectively play Mike November and James Greer themselves. As two of the longest-running cast members on the series, Pierce and Kelly have seen John Krasinski’s handling of the Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan machine personally. They shared their feelings with CinemaBlend:

Michael Kelly: "I think he will be remembered as the guy who did it the best. Maybe I’m biased, I love what those other guys did. I think they were great. But I think given John had a slight advantage in that we were able to do the story in long format. All the other guys had to do it in an hour and a half, we were able to tell the story over four seasons of eight episodes a season, or six this season.

"To me, John I felt brought not just the humanity of Jack Ryan, and the intelligence. He’s an incredibly gifted action star as well. But the humor, right? He brings that little extra thing that he does so well, the ability to blend all three of those things: he’s an action star, funny, and very connected to humanity and the righteous way. I think that he was able to blend those three perfectly and that’s my opinion. And sure I might be biased, but I think he’s the best one."

Wendell Pierce: "John had the vision for the show. He’s a producer on the show, and he was able to pull together all the departments, and pull together all the actors and directors, and the scripts. And really, everyone shared the vision Jack Ryan. To be able to do that in the long form, so you can take advantage of it, so you don’t have to sell any element short, and really develop it in a way, like a visual novel, knowing that the audience is gonna stick with you. And he’ll be remembered for that, pulling together the vision."

Serving as an executive producer on the series, John Krasinski is not only a driving force in front of the camera, but he’s also lent his prowess to the production side of Jack Ryan’s streaming run. His respect for the material has always been apparent, right down to Krasinski’s reaction to meeting with the CIA on behalf of the show.

Someone who also appreciates that dedication is Abbie Cornish, as the hands-on approach of the Krasinski-era of Jack Ryan is part of why she thinks the Amazon Prime franchise will endure. Returning for Season 4, her Dr. Cathy Muller gets to pose more personal challenges to our hero, especially because of how she happens to reappear in his life.

Sharing the room, and the love, was actor Betty Gabriel, another returning figure in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Reprising her role of Elizabeth Wright, Gabriel's character faces some huge obstacles through her and Dr. Ryan's new positions as Acting Director and Acting Deputy Director of the CIA. Even in the light of such gravity, Betty was able to still crack a joke when explaining to CinemaBlend why she thinks John Krasinski will be remembered as Jack Ryan: 

Betty Gabriel: "Oh, I think he’ll be best remembered for his height. You know, you can see him from across the country. I think he’s just got this way of bringing levity to quite severe, serious situations. I think the newer generations have had the luxury of content and news, and that sort of being filtered through a humorous lens, if that makes sense. The Jon Stewart shows … and Trevor Noah. You have a lot of comedic news shows, and you have a lot of information coming at you. I think he’s able to operate on that wavelength that’s quite lightning quick, and slightly funny." 

Abbie Cornish: "What a great character for him to play and embody. Even later on in the seasons, John was so integrated in terms of story, and writing, and co-creating, producing; all of this kind of stuff. It really is an empire, and I think he’s a great Jack Ryan."

The more serious piece of Betty Gabriel’s assessment makes perfect sense, especially when recalling the fact that during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, John Krasinski kind of had that gig carved out. Thanks to his creation of Some Good News, the former star of The Office became even more notable in pop culture’s landscape. Eventually, Krasinski had to sell the show, with part of the reason being that Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan tied up his schedule, and he could no longer host.

Who knows what the future holds now, as Dr. Ryan’s days of adventure are coming to a presumed end? I say presumed because while Jack Ryan is packing up, the in-development spinoff with Michael Peńa could always bring John Krasinski in as a guest star, should it need to do so.

As he helped wrap this collection of memories, Peńa was joined by co-star Louis Ozawa. Playing the role of antagonist Chao Fah, Ozawa’s character eventually gets to know his enemy through a Clancy-verse chess match that’s reminiscent of Clear and Present Danger. But in real life, the actor actually has a personal connection to Krasinski, which he used as part of how the series lead will be remembered:

Louis Ozawa: "I think his cerebral nature. He’s a smart dude. I first met John 20 years ago at Brown University, and he’s a smart guy. Witty, super sharp, as we all know. … I think that’s what people take from it. There’s always a little sense of humor, even in the most dire situations, and that’s great. Super charming. … I buy that he’s the smartest guy in the room." 

Michael Peńa: "I think it’s the fact of, maybe it has something to do with his history, like he was on The Office. He was that guy and then he transitioned into the Jack Ryan of it all, maybe it’s the perception of who he is, and who he is as a person, that I think he just fits this character perfectly. Like when you see the first season, and you see him in the boardroom and he’s coming up with these ideas, you buy it. … That he’s thinking outside the box. Everyone’s looking at the same image, but he’s getting something different out of it. I love that. That’s something that you still see, even in this season. It’s hidden in plain sight. And that’s what’s great about the show, is that you can solve it along with Jack, if you can think like Jack."

No matter which version of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan you favor, you need to believe him both in the field and in the boardroom. When the actor who plays him next has to say he’s “just an analyst,” they’re clearly going to have a tough act to follow. Maybe for those reasons, John Krasinski might be able to stick around for some follow-up appearances, as the world of the Ryan-verse is still going, whether he’s at its center or not. 

Considered to be one of the best Prime Video series, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan kicks off its fourth and final season in the 2023 TV schedule, starting June 30th. Unlike previous seasons, the six episodes will be rolled out in pairs, over three weeks leading to July 14th’s explosive wrap up. So if you need time to dig into why James Greer is so thankful about Jack saving him in Russia, there’s an opportunity to do just that. 

It’s almost over, Tom Clancy fans. Season 4 of Prime Video’s hit adaptation Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan marks the end of the road that we’ve known was coming in the 2023 TV schedule. With that finality comes the promise that the John Krasinski incarnation of this legendary hero is going to go all out in the homestretch; and the trailer for Season 4 is definitely promising that sort of thrill. Especially when we now have our first look at Michael Peña’s Rainbow Six Character, Domingo “Ding” Chavez in the mix. 

Prime Video released the first look at this latest chapter of Ryanverse action, and it’s all building to some pretty heavy stuff. With Jack Ryan now serving as the Acting Deputy Director of the CIA, his latest mission seems to be focused on a threat that’s very close to home. It’s a job that requires Jack to not only work once again with longtime mentor and collaborator James Greer (Wendell Pierce) but also the slyly funny CIA station chief, Mike November (Michael Kelly). 

It also puts Ryan in a position to try and recruit “the deadliest operator the CIA’s ever employed, putting Michael Peña front and center to take his place in the Jack Ryan cast. Domingo “Ding” Chavez isn’t just a random name plucked from the Tom Clancy universe of characters either, as Peña’s initial casting announcement came with news of a potential spinoff in the works.

While it’s not exactly specified that Rainbow Six is on the table, there is an easter egg in this Jack Ryan Season 4 trailer that brings us a step closer to that very reality. Check out what Chavez’s file contains in the split second it comes up on screen:  

It appears that the CIA team of operators known as “Rainbow” already exists in this universe, and Mr. Chavez could be the key to introducing this concept further. Though another major question will be how and if Michael B. Jordan’s Rainbow Six movie connects to the potential spin off Michael Peña is currently earmarked for. Thanks to Without Remorse’s ending also introducing the legendary 1998 Tom Clancy novel into the mix, we might just see this ambitious crossover finally taking shape. 

Obvious timeline questions aside, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Season 4 looks to be a promising gateway to the future while also providing a proper send off to John Krasinski’s CIA analyst/hero. With all of the gunplay, enhanced interrogation, and one-liners fans have come to expect, this dynamic action/adventure series looks like it’s properly headed to one final day at the office.  

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan kicks off its fourth and final season, starting on June 30th. Just know that in order to gain access to this latest debrief, as well as the rest of the Ryan mission files, you’ll need a Prime Video subscription for clearance.

When it comes to some of the biggest films of the last decade, one that always pops up in my mind is The Martian. The Academy Award nominated movie told the story of a lone astronaut who had to find a way to survive on Mars after mistakenly being left for dead by his team, and told a tale of perseverance and strength. 

But with a film that was so well-received and with many stars headlining it, one might be wondering where the cast of the feature adaptation of Andy Weir's popular novel might be today. Well look no further, as this is what The Martian cast has been up to, and what they have going on in the next couple of years. 

Matt Damon (Mark Watney)

First up on this list is Matt Damon, the star of The Martian, who plays Mark Watney. From his Academy Award-nominated role, Damon has gone on to star in several movies that you might recognize. He had a funny cameo role in Thor: Ragnorok, a role he's expected to reprise in the upcoming 2022 movie release, Thor: Love and Thunder. 

Besides that, he’s also had starring roles in films such as The Great Wall, Stillwater, and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel. And he reprised his famous role as the titular character in Jason Bourne. Besides his upcoming appearance in Love and Thunder, Damon is also going to be appearing in the new Christopher Nolan film, Oppenheimer. 

Jessica Chastain (Commander Melissa Lewis)

Next up, we have another big-time star, Jessica Chastain. Since her role as Commander Melissa Lewis in The Martian, Chastain has appeared in a number of movies and been a part of television as well. 

In terms of films, she was in The Zookeeper’s Wife, It: Chapter Two, a part of The 355 cast, won an Academy Award for The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and more. She was also in the miniseries, Scenes From a Marriage, and in the TV series, George and Tammy. 

Coming up, she is going to be in several films, including The Good Nurse, Memory, The Division and Mother’s Instinct, so keep an eye out for this talented actress. 

Kristen Wiig (Annie Montrose)

Kristen Wiig portrayed Annie Montrose in The Martian. Known for her hilarious yet moving comedic roles Kristen Wiig has done plenty of movies since the film. She was in the 2016 version of Ghostbusters, closed off the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, was one of the villains in Wonder Woman 1984, was in the comedic hit, Barb And Star Go To Vista Del Mar and more. 

She’s also appeared in TV shows as well, including a recurring voice role in the adult animated series, Big Mouth, voiced Jenny Hart in Bless the Harts, and was in MacGruber. Coming up, she’s going to continue her role in the Despicable Me franchise in the upcoming Despicable Me 4, and she'll also be appearing in Mrs. American Pie on Apple TV+.

Jeff Daniels (Theodore “Teddy” Sanders)

Now we have Jeff Daniels, who played Teddy Sanders in The Martian. Daniels has been in many TV shows since his appearance on The Martian. He did have a big role in the film Allegiant, but TV is where he really shined in recent years. 

Daniels had a part in the miniseries, Godless, The Looming Tower miniseries, and recently starred in the Showtime series American Rust. Coming up, he’s going to be appearing in a new Netflix limited series called A Man In Full. 

Michael Pena (Major Rick Martinez)

Michael Pena played Major Rick Martinez in The Martian, and has been quite active in his career. He had a voice role in The Lego Ninjago Movie, had a fun part in Ant-Man as well as its sequel, was in the latest rebooted version of A Wrinkle in Time, had a big role in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, and most recently was a part of the Moonfall cast.

He also had a huge role as Kiki Camarena in the TV series, Narcos: Mexico. Next up, he will be in the upcoming film, Secret Headquarters, as well as reprise his role as Luis in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

Sean Bean (Mitch Henderson)

Sean Bean played Mitch Henderson in The Martian. Bean has been very active in television, and has appeared in many shows. He appeared in Legends, Wasted, Broken, The Frankenstein Chronicles, The Oath, Medici, Curfew, World on Fire, Time, and most recently, Snowpiercer, all in main or recurring roles. Talk about a big-time actor.

He’s also appeared in films like The Young Messiah or Dark River, but television is where Bean really shined. Coming up soon, he’s going to be in another new BBC series called Marriage, as well as a new movie role in Knights of the Zodiac.

Kate Mara (Beth Johanssen)

Kate Mara played Beth Johansson in The Martian, and has grown her career even more since then. In terms of movies, she’s appeared in such hits like Captive, Morgan, The Senator, Ghostwriter and more, but television is also where she’s been able to show her talents. 

She had a voice role in Moonbeam City, played Zoe Barnes in the House of Cards cast, portrayed Patty Bowes in the Ryan Murphy drama, Pose, and starred in the miniseries, A Teacher. Soon, she’s going to be in a new TV miniseries for FX called Class of ‘09. 

Sebastian Stan (Dr. Chris Beck)

Sebastian Stan has only continued to grow in popularity since his role as Dr. Chris Beck in The Martian, appearing in many TV shows and movies. One of his biggest roles is playing Bucky Barnes, otherwise known as The Winter Soldier, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a role that he reprised for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier cast. 

Other than the MCU, Stan has been active in both movies and television. Some of his biggest roles were I, Tonya, where he received critical praise for his performance, Destroyer, The Devil All The Time, Monday, The 355, the Hulu original movie, Fresh and more. He’s also dived back into TV for a bit to play Tommy Lee as part of the Pam & Tommy cast on Hulu. Coming up, he's set to appear in the film Sharper. And in 2020 he was listed among the stars of the film The Brutalist, though we haven't seen updates on that project since. 

Aksel Hennie (Dr. Alex Vogel)

Next up, we have Aksel Hennie, who played Dr. Alex Vogul in The Martian. He’s appeared in films such as The Congo Murders, The Cloverfield Paradox, The Doorman, The Middle Man and more. He’s also had roles in TV shows such as White Wall and Nobel. 

In the next couple of years, he will be in a new film called Immortal. According to Deadline, the film began production in September 2021. 

Mackenzie Davis (Mindy Park)

Mackenzie Davis played Mindy Park in The Martian, and she’s appeared in films such as Blade Runner 2049, Freaks of Nature, Tully, Terminator: Dark Fate, the 2020 Christmas film, Happiest Season and more. She’s also had roles in TV shows like Halt and Catch Fire, as well as the miniseries Station Eleven. She even played Yorkie in the famous Black Mirror episode, “San Junipero."

In 2020, Variety included her among the cast of an upcoming film called Alpha Gang. 

Benedict Wong (Bruce Ng)

Benedict Wong's star has continued to rise over the last several years since The Martian released and he played Bruce Ng. His biggest role thus far has been playing Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently as part of the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cast, but Wong has done plenty of other TV shows and movies too. 

Some of his highlights include a big role in the film Nine Days, a role in the Raya and the Last Dragon cast, a starring role in the TV series, Deadly Class, a voice role in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and more alongside his many appearances in Marvel. Coming up, he’s going to be in the new Disney+ Marvel show, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and in a Netflix TV series called The Three-Body Problem.

Donald Glover (Rich Purnell)

Donald Glover played Rich Purnell in The Martian. Besides his accomplished music career as Childish Gambino, Donald Glover has appeared in many movies, including Solo: A Star Wars Story, Guava Island, The Lion King, and more. 

He’s also been the creator and star of his own FX series, Atlanta, which as of writing this, just wrapped up its third season. Soon, he’s going to be starring in a TV series called Mr. & Mrs. Smith based on the movie of the same name. 

Chen Shu (Zhu Tao)

Chen Shu portrayed Zhu Tao in The Martian, and since then has appeared in a variety of TV shows and movies. These include, but aren’t limited, to the movie Fell in Love Like a Star, the miniseries A Love for Separation, the TV series, Peace Hotel, the TV series Behind the Scenes, the film Cloud Mountain and more.

Eddy Ko (Guo Ming)

Eddy Ko played Guo Ming in The Martian, and has appeared in a couple of films, including Beyond Redemption, The God of Wealth, and The Thousand Faces of Dunjia. 

Chiwetel Ejiofor (Vincent Kapoor)

Last but not least, we have Chiwetel Ejiofor, who has also continued to make a name for himself since his role as Vincent Kapoor in The Martian. Since the film, he appeared in Triple 9, Mary Magdalene, The Lion King, The Old Guard, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, and portrayed Baron Mordo in both Doctor Strange and its sequel. 

He also had a role in the TV series, The Man Who Fell to Earth. Among his upcoming projects are The Pod Generation, The Old Guard 2, and Rob Peace (the latter which he's expected to direct, per a report from Variety in 2020.) 

With so many stars, it’s hard to sometimes keep track of all the amazing stuff that they’re doing, but it's clear everyone's been busy with interesting movies and TV shows since the sci-fi film released in 2015. 

John Krasinski has had a hell of a career over the last several years thanks to a ton of amazing gigs. Between directing the first two installments of A Quiet Place (along with appearing in both movies, albeit briefly in the sequel), as well playing Jack Ryan as part of the lineup of Amazon Prime shows, the former The Office star has shed his Jim persona quite effectively. 

With the latest developments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe offering him a potential new gig in the world of movies, the news that Jack Ryan is ending isn’t too surprising. Though what is pleasantly making news is the fact that a potential spinoff starring MCU alum Michael Peña could spell big news for Prime Video’s Ryan-verse. Be warned, there are SPOILERS for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ahead!

Jack Ryan Season 4 Will Be The Last For John Krasinski

Though Season 3 is still waiting for an official premiere date, Deadline has reported that Season 4 of Jack Ryan will be its last. Apparently John Krasinski was committed to only four seasons anyway, so this is more of a logical departure point than a surprise cancellation.

Of course, that contractual obligation came at a, shall we say, fantastic time, seeing as Krasinski made his big debut as Reed Richards in last weekend’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Despite his character’s untimely fate, the world is still questioning just what’s going on with John Krasinski and the MCU. 

One piece of the potential puzzle may be solved, as a failure to renew the popular Jack Ryan series seems to hint that Krasinski will continue playing one of Fantastic Four’s key leads. Even better still, some think that this new opportunity might go a bit deeper, allowing him to also direct the Marvel movie, filling the vacancy left by recently departed director Jon Watts. 

Windows and doors seem to be closing and opening with Jack Ryan’s countdown to the end. As for Michael Peña, it's unclear if he'll be returning to the MCU in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, but even if that happens, he too might a new gig that involves a shift in the Marvel Studios ecosystem. Should this go through, it could mean huge things for the Ryan-verse’s continuation. 

A Potential Spinoff With Michael Peña’s New Jack Ryan Character Could Mean Big Things

Apparently Jack Ryan’s forthcoming Season 3 finale is the key to a new spinoff that’s being developed. Michael Peña is allegedly showing up in that episode, playing a character Tom Clancy fans should recognize in name alone: Domingo “Ding” Chavez. A fixture in several of Clancy’s novels, there’s one possibility that feels ripe for the taking, should this be the character that Peña is indeed playing.

Most notably, there’s “no firm concept or script” for this spinoff, and all that’s been officially announced is that Michael Peña will be in Jack Ryan Season 3. That being said, if Ding Chavez is joining the party, then Michael B. Jordan’s excitement over potentially Rainbow Six adaptation may be justified. As the ending to Without Remorse clearly laid the groundwork for that to happen, these unconfirmed rumors of a Peña-led spinoff in development seem to align with movement on that front.

If this is the case, then John Krasinski is leaving his Jack Ryan days behind at the right time. Seeing as Tom Clancy’s legendary character eventually becomes President and serves in that post during Rainbow Six’s events, it’s starting to feel like a plan is in motion. Maybe there’s still hope for an eventual Splinter Cell movie/series after all, should Prime Video stick the landing. 

For now, the first two seasons of Jack Ryan are currently available to stream for Amazon Prime subscribers. Season 3’s debut is still awaiting an official premiere date. Speculation says it should drop in 2022, with Season 4 concluding things in 2023, but we'll have to wait and see what official news comes down the line.

Roland Emmerich has made more end-of-the-world disaster movies than just about anyone else in Hollywood. And while not every single one of his disaster flicks have been well-received by critics and/or audiences, many have two things in common: they feature insane action set pieces and focus on multiple groups of characters dealing with a bevy of problems as the world is coming to an end around them. We’ve seen it in Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and 2012, and now once again with the  spectacle that is Moonfall.

If you have just watched (or plan on watching) Roland Emmerich’s latest adventure, there’s a good chance you are wondering exactly where you’ve seen the Moonfall cast over the years. Well, worry no more because we’re about to break down all the biggest stars of the sci-fi thriller.

Halle Berry (Jocinda ‘Jo’ Fowler)

Leading the Moonfall cast is Halle Berry, who plays NASA executive and former astronaut Jocinda “Jo” Fowler as she suits up once again to save Earth from a mysterious force that has knocked the moon off its orbit and onto a collision course with the planet that will end life as we know it.

There have been a lot of great Halle Berry movies over the years, including Monster’s Ball (which earned her an Academy Award), John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, and Bruised, a film she not only starred in but also produced and directed. Berry also has some impressive work on the small screen, including The Extant and her Golden Globe-winning performance in the 1999 TV movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.

Patrick Wilson (Brian Harper)

Patrick Wilson appears on the Moonfall cast as former NASA astronaut Brian Harper, one of the view people on the planet that believes that not only is the moon crashing into the planet but that there is a darker force behind it all.

Over the years, Patrick Wilson has done everything from appear in Broadway musicals like The Full Monty and Oklahoma!, give commanding performances in TV series like Angels in America and Fargo, and show up in movies like Aquaman (and its upcoming sequel), Watchmen, and most notably the Conjuring franchise, in which he portrays paranormal investigator Ed Warren. Wilson also previously worked with director Roland Emmerich in the 2019 military action film Midway.

John Bradley (K. C. Houseman)

Taking on the role of the conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman who first alerts the world to the possible end-of-the-world event in Moonfall is John Bradley, who will seem awfully familiar to those longtime fans of Game of Thrones.

In addition to his career-defining portrayal of unlikely hero Samwell Tarly on the long-running HBO fantasy drama series, John Bradley has shown up on shows like Shameless, Borgia, Robot Chicken, and Urban Myths, as well as movies like Grimsby, Patient Zero, and Anna Karenina.

Michael Peña (Tom Lopez)

Michael Peña shows up in Moonfall as Tom Lopez, the husband of Brian Harper’s ex-wife and a wealthy car dealer, a role that was originally supposed to be played by Stanley Tucci, per Deadline.

When he’s not showing up and stealing scenes as Luis in the Ant-Man franchise, Michael Peña has made a name for himself in movies like Million Dollar Baby, American Hustle, Cesar Chavez, Crash, and dozens of other roles in drama, comedy, and beyond. Expect to see Peña (and hopefully his character’s hilarious explanations) in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Charlie Plummer (Sonny Harper)

Taking on the role of Sonny Harper, Brian Harper’s estranged son in Moonfall, Charlie Plummer, who has built up a healthy filmography over the course of the past decade.

With shows like Boardwalk Empire, Granite Flats, and Looking for Alaska under his belt, Charlie Plummer has been a fixture on the small screen for quite some time. His film work, which is equally impressive, includes All The Money in the World, Not Fade Away, and Dark Was the Night.

Kelly Yu (Michelle)

Kelly Yu appears on the Moonfall cast as Michelle, a college student who finds herself at the center of of the end-of-the-world drama.

The singer-turned-actress has landed roles in a number of different Chinese productions over the years, including So Young, The Ex-File 3: The Return of the Exes, and Back to Earth. She has also released a handful of albums, including the 2021 LP Intermezzo.

Donald Sutherland (Holdenfield)

Donald Sutherland shows up in Moonfall as Holdendfield, a shadowy figure at NASA, who seems to know the dark truths behind the space agency’s most monumental achievements.

A two-time Golden Globe winner (Citizen X, Path to War), Donald Sutherland is one of the most prolific working actors, having appeared in over 140 movies and 42 TV shows throughout his 60-year career. This includes The Dirty Dozen, Animal House, JFK, Cold Mountain, and The Hunger Games movies, to name just a very small portion of his work.

Eme Ikwuakor (Doug Davidson)

Taking on the role of Doug Davison, a military official and Jo Fowler’s ex in Moonfall, is Eme Ikwuakor, who has appeared in an equal number of comedies, dramas, and action movies and shows over the years.

Over on the TV side, Eme Ikwuakor has appeared on Marvel’s Inhumans, Extant, and On My Block, with one-off roles on Silicon Valley and The Comeback. His film work includes Concussion, Ink, and Everything Before Us. He will soon appear in the 2022 Netflix movie The Gray Man.

Carolina Bartczak (Brenda Lopez)

Taking on the role of Brian Harper’s ex-wife Brenda Lopez in Moonfall is Carolina Bartczak, who fans of the X-Men franchise will recognize as Magneto’s ill-fated wife Magda in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Throughout her career, Carolina Bartczak has also appeared in movies like An Audience of Chairs, Brick Mansions, and The Smurfs 2 as well as shows like The Bold Type, Mayday, and Covert Affairs.

This about wraps up the main Moonfall cast. Hopefully all of this saves you some time after you watch Roland Emmerich’s latest disaster artist. If you want to know what else you can expect to see at the theater, check out CinemaBlend’s schedule of all the 2022 new movie releases.

John Krasinski is officially coming back as Jack Ryan, as Amazon has renewed the Tom Clancy series for a fourth season ahead of the Season 3 premiere. Not only that, but it looks like the streaming series will be getting beloved Ant-Man star Michael Peña for its fourth stretch of episodes.

The actor, who plays Luis in the Marvel Studios franchise, has been cast in an unknown role for the fourth season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, according to Deadline. Whether the star's character will be revealed ahead of or during the series remains to be seen. At this point, a tentative release window has not been announced for the season, as filming only recently wrapped on the third.

This isn’t the first time Amazon has given the show an early season order. In 2019, the streamer renewed the series for Season 3 before the second one premiered. John Krasinski wasn’t the obvious choice for the titular character, yet that didn’t stop people from tuning in. And in the process, they proved to the streaming service that the show has a solid fanbase. Critics did have mixed reactions to the first season but, despite this, the show thrived.

The show's viewership numbers also make the early renewal unsurprising. Following Season 2’s release in late 2019, it was revealed by a Nielsen measurements report that the season had an average minute audience that exceeded 4.6 million and that it raked in over 7.3 million total viewers in the first week of its release. In the U.S. alone, there was an audience reach of 9.2 million in unique TV viewers. With those figures in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising if Jack Ryan sees even more viewership as time goes on. And of course, that could mean the series might have a future beyond the newly-announced Season 4.

New series star Michael Peña has an extensive background in both film and TV. He was last seen in this year’s Tom and Jerry and is set to star in the upcoming thriller Moonfall. Many are also hoping that he'll reprise his fan-favorite role as Luis in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Peña’s last TV role was in the first season of Narcos: Mexico in 2018. Considering his skills as an actor, it'll be cool to see what he brings to his latest project.

Season 3 of Jack Ryan has yet to receive a release date and, given how long of a hiatus the show has been on, one would hope that an announcement is imminent. Regardless, it's just great to know that we can still look forward to more new episodes in the future. In the meantime, check out the shows you can look forward to this year with CinemaBlend’s 2021 fall TV guide!

The first three movies — Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things, and Judas and the Black Messiah— released through Warner Bros. new release model fell more into the superhero and crime thriller dramas, respectively, but the fourth entry in a long list of titles being released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously is a little more family-friendly but features a cast just as impressive as its predecessors. Seriously, the Tom and Jerry (or Tom and Jerry: The Movie) cast is one of the most impressive of the bunch, and in terms of animated features in recent years.

With everyone from Chloë Grace Moretz taking on the role of a young hotel employee doing her best to avoid disaster and find a solution for the titular cat and mouse, to Michael Peña doing his best impression of an evil mastermind, the live-action cast is something else. Combine that with Frank Welker (along with archival footage of Tom and Jerry original creators), Bobby Cannavale, Lil Rel Howery, and more filling out the voice cast, Tom and Jerry will leave you saying “I’ve seen/heard that face/voice before.”

To save you time (and sanity), we’ve put together this breakdown of the Tom and Jerry cast and where you’ve seen (or heard) them before.

Chloë Grace Moretz (Kayla)

Leading the live-action cast in Tom and Jerry is Chloë Grace Moretz, who portrays Kayla, the recently hired Royal Gate Hotel employee and wedding planner at the center of the story. Since landing a breakout role in the 2005 horror remake The Amityville Horror, Moretz has become and remained one of the most prolific and celebrated faces in young Hollywood. Over the years, Moretz has done everything from play the foul-mouthed and lethal Mindy McCready, aka Hit-Girl, in Kick-Ass and its sequel, Kick-Ass 2, bring the truth as Rachel Hansen in 500 Days of Summer, and even returned to the horror genre with Let Me In and Suspiria.

Michael Peña (Terrance)

There to thwart Chloë Grace Moretz’s Kayla in Tom and Jerry is Michael Peña’s Terrance, the meddling deputy hotel manager whose villainous scheme can bring all sorts of troubles for everyone at the Royal Gate Hotel. In recent years, Peña has become best known for his scene-stealing performance as Luis in Ant-Man and again (with truth serum) in its followup Ant-Man and the Wasp. The accomplished actor’s career doesn’t start and end with the MCU (to which he will return in 2022), however, as Peña has given outstanding performances in dramas like Crash and End of Watch as well as television series like Eastbound and Down and Narcos: Mexico.

Colin Jost (Ben)

Ben, one half of the couple engaged to get married at the Royal Gate Hotel, is played by none other than Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost. The “Weekend Update” host and one of the head writers of the popular sketch comedy show makes a rare film appearance in Tom and Jerry, having only acted in two other movies over the years. When Jost isn’t busy with SNL or being married to Scarlett Johansson, he spent some of his time appearing on WWE television, most notably at WrestleMania 35, where he participated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

Rob Delaney (Mr. DuBros)

Rob Delaney, joined by his impressive mustache, portrays Mr. DuBros, the owner and manager of the Royal Gate Hotel in Tom and Jerry, the latest in a long line of comedies for the comedian-turned-actor. In recent years, Delaney has been seen in Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw (with all those cameos), and Bombshell, but he is probably best known for playing one of the co-leads in the Amazon original comedy series Catastrophe which he created and wrote alongside co-star and on-screen wife Sharon Horgan (and the late Carrie Fisher). Delaney is next set to appear in the Disney+ Home Alone reboot.

Ken Jeong (Jackie)

Jackie, the chef and baker at the center of the wedding preparations in Tom and Jerry is played by Ken Jeong, whose decades-spanning career has led to unforgettable performances in The Hangover, Community, and Crazy Rich Asians to name only a few. In addition to working as a standup comedian and actor, Jeong is also a licensed physician, which became the basis of his 2015 ABC comedy series Dr. Ken. More recently, Jeong has entered the game show genre, appearing as a judge or host on multiple shows including The Masked Singer (and its spinoff The Masked Singer) as well as I Can See Your Voice.

Pallavi Sharda (Preeta)

Bollywood actress Pallavi Sharda, who portrays the other half of the married couple to be, Preeta, doesn’t have nearly as many credits as her co-stars, but her body of work is impressive, nonetheless. Appearing in Bollywood titles like My Name is Khan, Dus Tola, and Love Breakups Zindagi, Sharda has also shown up in movies like Lion, Beecham House, and Retrograde in the past five years.

Frank Welker (Tom Cat; Jerry Mouse)

Providing the vocal effects for both Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse in Tom and Jerry this time around is primarily the prolific Frank Welker with archival recordings from William Hanna, Mel Blanc, and June Foray being used throughout the latest version of the classic cartoon. We rarely see Frank Welker’s face in any of his performances, but his voice has been featured in everything from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! and essentially every animated version of the franchise since 1969, providing the voice of Fred Jones, in addition to all sorts of other minor characters. Welker, a longtime voice-actor for Hanna-Barbera, has gone on to voice characters like Jabberjaw, Crime Globe in The Super Globetrotters, and pretty much any given cartoon. He also provided vocal effects for Tommy Boy (the deer), Mars Attacks! (the martians), and Scoob! (Scooby-Doo).

Nicky Jam (Butch Cat)

Voicing the unsavory and unfriendly alley cat Butch is Nicky Jam, the American singer and songwriter known for his contributions to the Latin trap and reggaeton musical genres. When he’s not releasing hit singles like “X,” “Travesuras,” and “El Amante,” the award-winning artist has been trying out his hand in big-budget action flicks like xXx: Return of Xander Cage alongside the returning Vin Diesel and Bad Boys for Life, in which he portrayed Lorenzo “Zway-Lo” Rodriguez.

Longtime Kevin Hart collaborators Joey Wells, Harry Ratchford, and Na’im Lynn provide the voices of the various members of Butch’s gang of stray cats.

Bobby Cannavale (Spike)

A Tom and Jerry movie wouldn’t be the same without Spike, the oversized American Bulldog featured heavily as one of Tom’s fiercest foes throughout the property’s history. Providing the voice for Spike this time around is Bobby Cannavale, yet another actor to have appeared in both Tom and Jerry and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (he plays Jim Paxton in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp). Cannavale has also appeared in The Irishman, Mr. Robot, and Homecoming. Cannavale also falls in the middle of the Venn diagram of actors who have appeared on Sex and the City, Law & Order, and Oz.

Lil Rel Howery (Tom’s Shoulder Devil)

Ah, the classic trope of a character having a “devil” and “angel” on his shoulders is alive and well in Tom and Jerry, and none other than Lil Rel Howery is voicing Tom’s more sinister side this time around. The Chicago native has appeared on various TV comedies and stand-up comedy specials over the years, but he’s best known for his role as TSA officer Rod Williams in Get Out and if not that then Charlie in Bird Box. Howery was recently featured in the cast of Judas and the Black Messiah.

Tone Bell (Tom’s Shoulder Angel)

Since we’ve already knocked out Tom’s Shoulder Devil, I guess we have to talk about the kinder and more logical figment of the cat’s imagination. Portraying Tom’s Shoulder Angel in Tom and Jerry is Tone stand-up comedian and actor Tone Bell. Bell’s television appearances include a main role on the Netflix comedy series Disjointed and the BET drama American Soul in which he plays Richard Pryor. His film credits include The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Sylvie’s Love, and Little to name a few.

These are just the main members of the Tom and Jerry live-action and voice cast. With random animated (and live-action) characters popping up throughout the movie, including some classic Hanna-Barbera legends appearing from time to time, the cast of the latest animated film featuring the iconic cat and mouse duo is absolutely stacked. You can check out the live-action/computer-generated hybrid come to life in theaters or on HBO Max until the end of March 2021. And if you want to know what else is coming to theaters (and streaming services) this year, check out CinemaBlend's 2021 movie release schedule for all the latest updates.

You know who’s hilarious? Michael Pena. The Mexican-American actor steals every scene he’s in, and he’ll have you crying with laughter. But here’s the thing about Michael Peña. He’s also a damn good dramatic actor, too, and he might just have you crying because he pulled off a serious performance. In fact, the first character who came to my mind when I thought of Michael Peña movies was the rambling raconteur Luis from Ant-Man. But then, when I actually went through his many roles for this article, I said, damn. This dude can act.

Because out of all the various projects that I’ve seen him in, I would actually say that I don’t even purely consider Michael Peña to be a comedic actor, even though he’s made me laugh on several occasions. That’s just how amazing he is. The same guy who had me choking on my popcorn in Observe and Report also had me crying in my popcorn with End of Watch. So, here are the 10 best performances by Michael Peña in movies and television. And if you don’t like my picks, I can handle it. I’m a professional. Oh, and minor spoilers up ahead.

10. Dora And The Lost City Of Gold (Cole Marquez)

You can be forgiven for never having seen Michael Peña’s brief performance in Dora and the Lost City of Gold. But since I have kids, I had to see it, and while I was watching it, I kept wondering when it was all going to be over.

But I also wondered when Michael Peña’s character, Cole Marquez, who is Dora’s father, was going to return. Remember how I mentioned earlier that Michael Peña steals every scene he’s in? Well, Cole Marquez, who is only really in the beginning and the end of the movie, is the best part of the entire film. He’s trying to get Dora to open up to be around other people, and every line he has is golden. He’s genuine, he’s ebullient, and he’s just as out of step with reality as Dora, with the best part being that he doesn’t even realize it. And that’s why he’s wonderful!

9. The Shield (Detective Armando Renta)

Detective Armando “Army” Renta was only in Season 4 of the Michael Chiklis show, The Shield, but he made all ten of his episodes count. This is one of those dramatic roles that I never really thought about until I took another glance at Michael Peña’s resume, and thought, oh, yeah! He was so good on The Shield!

Getting framed for the murder of a little girl by the drug kingpin, Antwon Mitchell (played by Anthony Anderson) Peña plays a character who wants to work with the good guys. But he has trust issues, like when he refused to take the lie detector test that would have easily gotten him and his partner, Shane, off the hook. You feel for the guy, even though you’re probably also yelling at the screen for him to just take the damn test.

8. Battle: Los Angeles (Jon Rincon)

Battle: Los Angeles, which also stars Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez is a really frustrating movie because I so much want it to be good, but it’s not. It’s about an alien invasion, and it has marines fighting in the streets of America, which is right up my alley. But it’s all just really blah. Except for Michael Peña, of course. He plays a father named Jon Rincon who rises up to the call of heroism in a battle raging in the streets.

Playing an ordinary man who gets caught in an extraordinary situation, Jon picks up a gun in the middle of a firefight and starts shooting to save others. Unfortunately, he takes a bullet for the soldiers. And would you believe that this is the only emotional moment in the entire movie for me. I’ve only seen Battle: Los Angeles twice, but with both times I got a little teary-eyed when Michael Peña’s character took one for the team.

7. Eastbound And Down (Sebastian Cisneros)

Now, while I kind of forgot that Michael Peña was on The Shield because of his subdued (but potent!) performance, I’ll never forget him as the rich boy, Sebastian Cisneros, on the second season of the HBO show, Eastbound and Down.

Sebastian is one of those hilarious characters who fits right into the crazy orbit of Kenny Powers. He tries to help Kenny get back into the game, but finds out that Kenny is a bad investment. My favorite scene is when Sebastian is swinging around a samurai sword by his bed while Kenny threatens to stick Sebastian’s laptop up his ass. “My spreadsheets!”

6. Fury (Corporal Trini "Gordo" Garcia)

David Ayer directed this gritty war drama which also stars Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf as they pilot a tank through Nazi Germany. Fury is, at its heart, an ensemble film. But Michael Peña, who plays the tank driver, is definitely one of the most essential character in the entire movie.

And of course Peña pulls it off. He occasionally pops his head out to banter with the others, and Peña is so good, that you just kind of buy that he’s a soldier who’s seen some stuff and is unfazed enough to still crack jokes. Because if we’ve learned anything in this article, it’s that Peña can switch from drama to comedy at the drop of a helmet.

5. Observe And Report (Dennis Chavante)

Besides Peña’s work on Eastbound and Down, we rarely get to see him play a scummy character, which is a shame, since he does such a good job at it! In Observe and Report, which is actually a super dark comedy, Peña plays a fellow mall cop with Seth Rogan’s character, Ronnie Barnhardt.

Like most of Peña’s roles, Dennis is a minor character who steals the movie. He gets Ronnie to do a number of drugs, and their scenes wasting the day together are probably the funniest in the entire film. But as scummy as he is, he’s also the kind of character who can also show respect where respect is due. That is, of course, after he knocks them unconscious and runs.

4. Crash (Daniel Ruiz)

Crash has unfortunately been derided as one of the worst movies to ever win Best Picture. And while, yes, Crash, isn’t the greatest movie in the world, the standout in this ensemble movie is undoubtedly (you guessed it) Michael Peña. He plays a locksmith named Daniel Ruiz who has a brush with death, but manages to come out okay.

The scene he’s in is probably the most famous moment in the entire movie. It’s when a man who runs a convenience store that was recently robbed gets so mad that he goes to shoot Daniel for not putting a lock on his door. But Daniel’s daughter runs out to protect her father, and Peña gives one of the most blood-curdling screams when his daughter leaps into his arms. It gives me chills. Crash may not have deserved the Oscar, but Peña certainly did.

3. Cesar Chavez (Cesar Chavez)

This is almost criminal, but out of all the films on this list, Cesar Chavez is the only one that Michael Peña is actually the main star. Directed by Diego Luna and also starring America Ferrera, this biographical film concerns the real American hero, Cesar Chavez, as he organized farm workers to protest and fight back against racism and unfair treatment.

To be honest, the movie is just okay. But Michael Peña’s commitment to the performance is what makes this movie resonate. When he stands his ground against racist jerks who are trying to threaten the farm workers with force, you just want to pump your fist and go, yeah! Do it, Chavez! This performance makes me proud to be an American.

2. End Of Watch (Officer Zavala)

End of Watch is the kind of movie that makes grown men cry. It’s the story of two police officers played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, and their friendship as they ride together and keep the neighborhood safe.

But here’s the thing. David Ayer, who also directed Training Day, is a master at making you like his cops. And you really like Michael Peña’s Officer Zavala in this movie. He’s a family man who also has his partner’s back as if he’s family, too. Gyllenhaal is the main protagonist here, but it’s Peña’s character who makes the biggest sacrifice of all. And what ultimately happens to him at the end genuinely made me cry ugly tears. I just loved his character so much and I hated to see what happened to him! Hated it! Michael Peña freaking made me cry! Now that’s talent.

1. Ant-Man (Luis)

Last but not least is a seemingly minor role in a big Marvel tentpole film, but doggonit, if Luis isn’t the most endearing, memorable character in the entire film, I don’t know who is.

I want you to think back to both Ant-Man movies. While there are a number of cool action set pieces in both of them, the one thing I vividly remember is Luis’s long-winded stories. And its just that Luis has so much energy and wonder, and it’s like he’s just as shocked as we are at the events that are unfolding in front of him. Honestly, I want a whole movie devoted to Luis, and that’s saying something when a character who is not even the main hero makes you want a whole lot more of him.

Michael Peña is one of those rare actors who can craft magic out of any performance. No matter what he’s in, I’ll watch it. Wouldn’t you? But what are your favorite Michael Peña performances? Leave your thoughts in the poll or the comments section down below.

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In 2014, Sam Wilson, played by Anthony Mackie, was brought into the MCU as a supporting character to Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and now he is sharing the spotlight with Sebastian Stan in the hotly anticipated Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Last year saw a similar occurrence on the big screen when Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprised their Fast and Furious franchise roles as the title characters of Hobbs & Shaw, an over-the-top action spinoff to the over-the-top action series.

This hit movie and soon to be hit series (most likely) are proof that the rare sight of characters who are not the main hero earning a promotion from second banana to first has become much less rare. Furthermore, many of these spin-off stars have also happened to be people of color, such as the aforementioned Anthony Mackie and the half-black, half-Samoan Dwayne Johnson. This only begs the question of whom from these beloved side characters we can expect to receive the same treatment next.

Well, it just so happens that 11 sidekicks, comic reliefs, and even a few villains (all of whom are also people of color) came to our minds. While there is no telling the chances of when (or, better yet, if) these spin-off movies (or series) could see the light of day, is it still a fun concept to dream up. Plus, it never hurts to give the people in charge a few ideas.

Rod Williams (Lil Rey Howery) - Get Out

In retrospect, I think we can all agree the true hero of Jordan Peele’s Get Out is Rod Williams, the loyal best friend of Daniel Kaluuya’s protagonist Chris Washington. Not only does this proud TSA agent, played by comedian Lil Rel Howery, come through for his buddy in the end, but Chris may not have come within inches of falling prey to his monstrously racist potential in-laws had he listened to him in the first place. Plus, Rod was easily the funniest element of the poignant, Academy Award-winning thriller (especially when laughs were needed), and to bring his wit and unique detective skills to a film of his own would be a welcome sight.

Domino (Zazie Beetz) - Deadpool 2

Speaking of real heroes, Ryan Reynolds’ “Merc with a Mouth” would almost literally be scraps on the side of the road if not for Domino, who was also the only other member of the newly formed X-Force to survive a brutal windstorm at the top of their inaugural mission. While the genuinely lucky lady was never drawn as a specific ethnicity in the comics, half-black and German-born Atlanta star Zazie Beetz made the mutant mercenary her own in Deadpool 2, practically running away with the show despite coming in at the halfway point. Domino already has the fans and an X-Force centered movie was a hot topic at one time, so why not just give her top billing instead?

Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) - The Star Wars Saga

Here, we make the transition from talk of the X-Force to the X-Wing, particularly the most talented man in the Rebel Alliance behind the wheel of one, that is. Latino actor Oscar Isaac had already received much praise for his work in indie flicks like Drive or as the title character of the Coen Brothers’ love letter to folk music Inside Llewyn Davis before playing Poe Dameron in J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens made him a bonafide movie star. The brazen pilot and charming hero would remain an exciting element of the saga’s more recent entries and, given how little we still really know about him, I believe this is a Star Wars character who could inspire a prequel with some purpose, for once.

O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) - Kill Bill Vol. 1

Speaking of prequels with purpose, is there a single fan of the Kill Bill movies who did not want to see more from O-Ren Ishii’s past after that Japanese anime style interlude explaining her origin? For how memorable Uma Thurman was as The Bride, the vengeful hero of Quentin Tarantino’s two-part revenge epic, Lucy Liu’s fierce, MTV Movie Award-winning performance as her half-Chinese, half-Japanese-American former colleague turned adversary (and Yakuza leader) is key to Kill Bill Vol. 1’s lasting iconography almost two decades later. Whether it would be live-action or anime, one movie or a whole series, a spin-off depicting Oren’s glory days as one of the world’s top assassins would be a dream come true.

Lucius Best/Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) - The Incredibles

Speaking of glory days, we caught a glimpse of Nick Fury prior to his promotion at S.H.I.E.L.D., courtesy of a de-aged Samuel L. Jackson in Captain Marvel, and it looks that may be the extent of the character’s origins we are bound to see in the MCU. Yet, it might actually be even more fun to see Lucius Best, Jackson’s animated role from The Incredibles movies, giving evil the cold shoulder when it was still legal for super-powered vigilantes to do so as Frozone. After two movies with Bob (Craig T. Nelson), Helen (Holly Hunter), and the rest of the Parr clan in the spotlight, it is about time Pixar gives their most memorable scene stealer his own adventure and, perhaps, finally give his wife, Honey, a proper introduction.

Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) - Fast And Furious Franchise

Another beloved character originating from a group of heroic outlaws is Leticia Ortiz, or “Letty” for short, who has, arguably, had it the worst of anyone in the Fast of Furious cast. From being assumed as murdered by a deadly explosion that actually gave her severe amnesia to watching her own husband, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), blackmailed into working against their close-knit crew, I would not be surprised if things actually went better for her if she went solo for a bit. If Hobbs & Shaw is any indication that a spin-off from this high-octane action franchise can work, Michelle Rodruiguez’s nearly two decades as the fearless street racer should be more than enough evidence that she deserves to be the next one in line, which even Diesel seems to agree with.

Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) - Suicide Squad

On a similar note, I am surprised that no one questioned the absence of Amanda Waller in Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, a female-driven spin-off from Suicide Squad that put Margot Robbie and a group of overlooked DC heroines in the spotlight. Other than the fact that the Task Force X founder has no canonical affiliation with the Birds of Prey and Harley probably hates her guts for putting an explosive in her head, Viola Davis’ irresistible deviousness in that role deserves more attention. Of course, the Oscar-winner is set to reprise the character for James Gunn’s rebootquel(?), but it might be a real treat to see the inner workings of “The Wall’s” corrupt world in a more centralized, in-depth setting that does without the distraction of costumed anti-heroes.

Lo Pan (James Hong) - Big Trouble In Little China

Amanda Waller is not the only antagonistic character we would love to see as the star of the show. Even if you do not know prolific actor James Hong by his real name, he is unmistakable as Lo Pan, an ancient sorcerer who creates problems in San Francisco’s Chinatown in hopes of regaining human form to rule the universe in Big Trouble in Little China. Instead of a sequel or remake of this darkly comic, supernatural kung-fu extravaganza from director John Carpenter, I would rather see a prequel that shows us how Lo Pan went from a fierce warrior to a vengeful wizard, only to fall prey to Kurt Russell’s bumbling trucker Jack Burton.

Luis (Michael Peña) - Marvel Cinematic Universe

Even more surprising than the means of Lo Pan’s eventual defeat is how pivotal Luis was to Scott Lang’s heroic evolution, as he was able to pass on the message that he was needed for Steve Roger’s team in Captain America: Civil War. Of any comic relief you can still name from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ant-Man’s fast-talking thief, played brilliantly by Michael Peña, is, without question, the most memorable and consistently hilarious. Fans even requested that Avengers: Endgame begin with his own dazzling, tangent-filled recap, which could totally be a reality in his own film about… I dunno, maybe working his way up in the security field?

Sofia Al-Azwar (Halle Berry) - John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

Fans of the ongoing John Wick franchise would probably have no trouble figuring out what might be in store for if Sofia Al-Azwar got her own spin-off movie. The Casablanca Continental hotel manager, played by Academy Award-winner Halle Berry, made a brief, but exciting appearance in the Keanu Reeves-led action series, without much else learned about her than having a past with John and her impeccable combat skills. So, there is also a pretty good chance that assassination is in her resume and, quite frankly, I would love to see more from that side of her in a potential prequel, if not just to see Berry have another hit.

Short Round (Ke Huy Quan) - Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom

Even with the disappointment of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the second film from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ iconic series is not without its controversy either. This is due, in part, to Short Round, the young, orphaned sidekick of Harrison Ford’s archeologist played by Ke Huy Quan, and I truly fail to understand to why because he is a badass and the one responsible for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom having a happy conclusion. You can tell me all day that you find the kid obnoxious, and I will continue to fight that until a grown-up Short Round (either reprised by Quan or recast with, say, The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun) gets his own adventure, which I would rather see than a fifth Indiana Jones movie, to be honest.

What do you think? Do you agree that these supporting players are most deserving of a little more support or did we unwittingly leave out a few others who have gone unjustly overlooked long enough? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on characters from a minority demographic who are taking Hollywood by storm, as well as more articles that acknowledge the unsung heroes of movies and TV shows, here on CinemaBlend.

Relative to other approaches taken when attempting to revive a classic television show as a movie, doing a bit of genre bending with Fantasy Island as a horror feature is actually a smart concept. Call it pessimistic, but there is something inherently creepy and suspicious about someone offering to fulfill anyone’s deepest desires, and having all of the action unfold in a remote location only enhances that eeriness. Should that foreboding premise and paranoid atmosphere be combined with clever story and engaging characters, the potential is obvious.

The problem with Jeff Wadlow’s Fantasy Island is that the movie skips a few steps in that final part of the equation. The setting (provided to the production by the natural wonders of Fiji) is gorgeous, and the cast is filled with talented performers, but everything else feels half-baked. Questionable choices when it comes to key details eventually snowball into full-blown problems, and never is it entertaining enough to justify any of it.

Chief among these key details are the fantasies requested by the guests at the mysterious island resort run by the laconic, white suit-wearing Mr. Rourke (Michael Pena). Of the four played out, really only one of them feels realistic/not totally slap-dashed. Elena (Maggie Q) wanting to go back and reverse her biggest regret – not accepting a marriage proposal – is the only thread in the film that actually tracks, while everyone else is forced to do some ridiculous heavy lifting.

The desire for step-brothers Bradley (Ryan Hansen) and Brax (Jimmy O. Yang) to “have it all” is laughably simplistic and undercooked; Melanie (Lucy Hale) immediately comes across as a psychopath for her desire to treat her high school tormenter (Portia Doubleday) like a character in a Hostel sequel; and it’s ridiculous to watch the magic of the island do all the heavy lifting narratively when it comes to Randall (Austin Stowell), who winds up on a time travel adventure with his dead veteran father as a result of his initial boilerplate desire to be in the army.

Fantasy Island doesn’t make any creative effort with its story, and it shows.

The rule is given that every fantasy must run its course and can’t be stopped, which is an open door invite to “careful what you wish for”/Monkey’s Paw shenanigans – but that’s why the fantasies that prop up the plot are so important, and there’s a serious problem in the audience recognizing the setup, but the characters being completely blind. Any rational person put into the base scenario of Fantasy Island would have the wherewithal to provide a certain extra level of detail in their requests as to ensure they get everything they want out of the experience, but that kind of thinking is presented as being totally beyond the various protagonists.

While the thinking among the director and his co-writers may have been that keeping things a bit open with the fantasies allowed for more plot options as things start taking darker twists, what it instead comes across as is lazy. There is no challenge or creativity in the storytelling, just a series of shortcuts that are needed to get to a totally telegraphed twist (which still manages to be unearned when reflecting on the details).

It’s not entirely accurate to call Fantasy Island a horror movie.

It would be nice to tell you that Fantasy Island’s shortcomings are balanced out by a solid collection of fun and clever scares. After all, this is a production from Blumhouse, which has become incredibly influential in the realm of horror. In reality, though, there isn’t a frightening frame in the thing; and actually calling it a “horror movie” is a misnomer.

Helping absolutely nothing is the decision to go PG-13 over an R rating (why not let this film go totally nuts, and, dare I say it, fantastical?), but even that doesn’t really matter because the narrative doesn’t provide anything that would even be enhanced by gruesome gore. Fantasy Island’s version of horror is a giant, scarred man in surgical scrubs randomly popping up places, maliciously bumbling around, and groaning, and half-second flashes of a guy with burnt skin randomly appearing in various scenes. The genre downgrade “Thriller” doesn’t fit because it’s not thrilling, and it’s not a comedy because it doesn’t even manage to be unintentionally funny. You could call it a drama, but even that implies a certain level of emotional attachment to the story that audiences just won’t get.

There’s potential for characters played by Michael Pena and Lucy Hale, but it’s all squandered.

The collection of missed swings is frustrating, as is seeing the talented ensemble working with the material. Past work in film and television has shown us how funny Ryan Hansen and Jimmy O. Yang can be, but here all they get are flat, obvious jokes paired with lazy exposition. Given what’s exposed about her through her fantasy, Melanie should be an exciting and unique role for Lucy Hale, but, as dark as it is to say, everything interesting about her falls away as soon as she realizes she’s hurting her real high school bully instead of a hologram. And while the idea of Michael Pena filling the shoes of Ricardo Montalban sounds exciting on paper, the part is mostly him stoically standing around and delivering purposefully-emotionless instructions to the guests.

Without any scares, surprises, or special performances, Fantasy Island culminates as a bad feature version of a 43-year-old intellectual property – and it’s hard to say what audience it’s targeting or for. As for those who do buy a ticket, it’s the kind of film that you start to forget at soon as they leave the theater, so hopefully the cast and crew at the very least had a memorable time in Fiji making it.

Following the release of Avengers: Endgame, Marvel Studios unveiled its Phase 4 slate of films and TV shows at San Diego Comic-Con. One film absent from that slate was Ant-Man 3 and there seemed to be some doubt, even among the cast, that Marvel’s smallest hero would get a third solo outing, like many of his MCU compatriots. That worry was for naught because Ant-Man 3 is officially happening, but when? Addressing his possible return in the threequel, star Michael Peña offered some insight, saying:

The key detail to hone in on here is when Ant-Man 3 is expected to shoot. According to Michael Peña, who played the hilarious Luis in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp, the third Ant-Man movie is a year away from filming. So Ant-Man 3 might start filming sometime in early 2021.

I say might because things can always change and this isn’t a firm date. Michael Peña admits that he doesn’t know for sure if he will be returning for the third film. So it’s not like he has a call sheet for Ant-Man 3 in 2021 saving the date. That said, as far as he knows, we’re about a year away from the start of production on Ant-Man 3 and he probably has a better idea than the general public.

Michael Peña’s belief that Ant-Man 3 is about a year away from filming also matches up with what we heard when reports about Ant-Man 3 officially happening first surfaced. Those reports indicated that Ant-Man 3 could start shooting at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year. So Michael Peña’s estimate is in keeping with that prevailing wisdom.

We don’t know much about Ant-Man 3 yet and it seems that neither does Michael Peña. We know that star Paul Rudd will be back and Petyon Reed will once again return to direct the third installment. As of yet there is no word on Evangeline Lilly returning as Hope Van Dyne and Michael Peña is unsure about his character’s future.

As Michael Peña tells ComingSoon.net, you never know what’s going to happen post-Avengers: Endgame. Marvel is entering a whole new phase and as they introduce new characters it’s possible that others will fall by the wayside. He’s hoping Luis isn’t one of them though. There is of course still plenty of time for all the familiar Ant-Man faces to come aboard before shooting begins.

Michelle Pfeiffer has indicated that she wants to return for Ant-Man 3 and Michael Douglas seemingly confirmed his involvement and also cited a January 2021 start date. With production starting roughly a year from now, we can probably expect to see Ant-Man 3 in 2022, possibly July 29, 2022, as part of what we assume will be Phase 5, along with other exciting possibilities.

We’ll keep you updated on Ant-Man 3 as news develops. In the meantime, check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what movies you can look forward to this year.

This summer, the popular Nick Jr. series Dora the Explorer is making the big jump to live-action with its first theatrical movie. Isabela Moner straps on the purple backpack to go on a journey through the jungle to save her missing parents and find a lost city of gold. Danger, friendship, and foxes dressed as burglars abound! Check out the first trailer for Dora and the Lost City of Gold right now.

Just about anything with a recognizable IP is getting the movie treatment these days and that's especially true for Dora the Explorer. The iconic children's education series was one of the longest running programs on Nick Jr. and it spun off a number of series, specials, and TV movies over the course of its 172-episode run.

Given the fourth-wall breaking nature of the show and its very specific format, it's fair to say that some people were curious how a live-action movie would work. Would it embrace those elements of the show or would it be a more straight-forward and grounded take on the material? The answer, it seems, is a little bit of both. The first trailer for Dora and the Lost City of Gold dropped last night and it presents a Dora who is more adept at navigating the literal jungle than the jungle of high school.

The new trailer lays out the basics of the plot. The film follows Dora (Moner), an energetic but reckless teenage explorer who is sent to high school by her parents (Michael Peña and Eva Longoria) to meet kids her own age. While Dora has trouble fitting in, she and some of her classmates are dragged back to the jungle in order to save her parents and find a mythical city of gold.

This trailer is a pretty solid confirmation that Dora is shooting for a younger target audience and it looks fun for that age group! It's silly and over the top, which is certainly a good tone to have when your main character hangs around with a monkey and keeps flare guns in her backpack instead of textbooks.

My only gripe is that Boots the Monkey isn't wearing any boots. Is he named Boots just because it's cute? #NotMyBoots

The only other thing missing from this trailer is Swiper the Fox. The kleptomaniac fox is voiced by Benicio del Toro, but it looks like the marketing team is saving the reveal of what Swiper looks and sounds like for a rainy day.

Regardless, you can watch Dora and the Lost City of Gold when it arrives in theaters on August 2, 2019. There's still quite a few months of movies left to go before then, and you can learn about each and every one of them in our handy 2019 movie release guide.

Get this man more truth serum! It feels like a lot has happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Ant-Man and the Wasp came out last summer, but that was the most recent MCU film. Next month, we get Captain Marvel, then Avengers: Endgame, then somehow Spider-Man: Far From Home will bring back Peter Parker. There's a lot to remember after 10 years of MCU movies, with everything building up to Endgame. You know what would be perfect right now? A big ol' MCU recap video from Ant-Man's Luis (Michael Peña):

Yes! Bring Michael Peña in for another crazy fast-talking recap, voicing all the MCU characters to date.

This idea comes from the instant classic scene in last summer's Ant-Man and the Wasp, when Luis was given truth serum so Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) could discover the location of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). That backfired a bit when ALL the truth came pouring out of Luis, including the story of how he met Scott in prison, re-enacting Scott's relationship with Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and even a special metaphor for raspberry filling.

Here's the scene, if the video is still up by the time you see it.

Ant-Man and the Wasp was actually the 20th film in the MCU. This all started in 2008 with Iron Man, then The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Marvel's The Avengers. That was Phase One. Phase Two gave us Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Ant-Man. Phase Three includes Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Right now, the timeline is pretty confusing -- and not just because half the world got snapped at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, while Scott Lang/Ant-Man was in the Quantum Realm. We're about to meet Brie Larson's Captain Marvel, but that will also take us back to the 1990s. And after Endgame, we need to catch up with Tom Holland's Peter Parker, who should be dusted right now. Was Luis dusted too?

Paul Rudd's Scott Lang was featured in the first Avengers: Endgame trailer, so we know he has a major role in the April movie. But it really would help -- and be hilarious -- to have Luis do his own special brand of recapping in a Marvel Studios video. Please? If Thor can keep getting videos with his roommate Darryl, surely Marvel can get some folks together for this recap.

Captain Marvel is the next MCU movie, opening March 8. Avengers 4, aka Endgame, opens April 26. Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives July 5. Here's what else you can look forward to watching on the big screen in 2019. Oh, and Ant-Man and the Wasp just showed up on Netflix, if you want to get some of your own raspberry danish and binge away.

After hearing, roughly six months ago, that the Netflix drama Narcos, now known as Narcos: Mexico, would be heading to a new location for Season 4 and adding Michael Pena and Diego Luna, we finally have more details on what the new season will be about and who the cast will be playing.

Netflix released information on the upcoming fourth season today. After three seasons of following the cocaine trade in Colombia and the rise of the drug kingpins of the late 1980s, Narcos: Mexico brings the action to a new country in order to examine the where the modern war on drugs began. This time saw a Mexican drug trade that was a messy conglomeration of independent dealers and growers, that is, until Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) takes over with the Guadalajara Cartel. Michael Pena is seen above in character as DEA agent Kiki Camarena, who moves from California to Guadalajara with his wife and young child in order to take on a new position trying to take down the cartel. According to the official synopsis from Netflix, his mission will be far more complex than he imagined, leading to "a tragic chain of events" that will affect "the drug trade and the war against it for years to come."

As you can likely tell from what Netflix said about the new season, Kiki's undercover work went a long way toward finding out valuable information about Félix and his operations, but he soon realized he'd grossly underestimated the system that Félix developed. Félix, for his part, was one of the biggest narcos in the history of Mexico, and is considered the founder of the modern Mexican drug trade. And, even though he appeared to a quiet and kind leader, his ambition came above everything. He's described as being fiercely loyal to those around him, including his employees, intelligent and, ultimately, unknowable.

The cast for Narcos: Mexico is quite an impressive one, and includes many familiar faces. While we haven't been given details about who these other actors will be playing, we do, at least, know which characters they'll be playing. The large cast includes Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen, Little Children) as Jim Ferguson, Matt Letscher (Scandal, The Flash) is playing James Kuykendall, Alejandro Edda (Fear the Walking Dead) is Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman, Lenny Jacobson (Nurse Jackie) as Roger Knapp, Alyssa Diaz (Ray Donovan, The Rookie) is portraying Mika Camarena and José María Yazpik will reprise his role on the series as Amado Carrillo Fuentes.

Narcos: Mexico will debut on Netflix sometime this year, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more details on when you can watch the popular crime drama. For more on what you can watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our summer premiere guide.

Every Marvel Cinematic Universe offering comes with its own unique tone and style, but comedy has always stood out as a critical element of each movie. These movies almost always come packed to the brim with gags, but few have ever reached the heights of humor in Peyton Reed's Ant-Man and The Wasp. Not only is it a hilarious movie in its own right, but it also offers up a perfect antidote for the overwhelming sadness of Avengers: Infinity War.

On that note, and with the movie now in theaters, we have put together a list of the funniest moments from Ant-Man and The Wasp. With so many awesome scenes to get to, let's get started with where we find Scott Lang at the beginning of the movie.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Ant-Man and The Wasp! Read ahead at your own risk!

Scott's Daily Routine Under House Arrest

Paul Rudd is the kind of movie star who oozes charisma, and Ant-Man and The Wasp capitalizes on that by just letting him cut loose in one of Scott Lang's first scenes. The guy has been on house arrest for the last two years, and it's clear that he has gotten pretty bored, so he's taken up more than a few strange habits. It makes for a fantastic montage, as we see Scott do everything in his power to try and pass the time -- ranging from playing the drums to crying while reading The Fault in Our Stars. It's honestly a perfect way to set up the movie, as well as to remind us that Scott Lang is not a macho tough guy like Thor or even Captain America; he's a sensitive dad who's not afraid to have some fun.

Woo Explaining Scott's Crimes

Global politics are hard to dumb down for a child to understand, and Agent Woo does an abysmal job of explaining Scott Lang's crimes during the events of Captain America: Civil War to Cassie, Scott's daughter. Initially starting off on the right foot with a metaphor about how it's bad to draw on the walls, the explanation falls apart when he starts talking about Scott going to Germany and drawing on the walls with Captain America, eventually devolving into complicated exposition regarding the legal ramifications of Scott's actions. Cassie Lang is very clearly a smart girl in the Ant-Man movies, but Woo did not read his audience well at all when he opened his mouth.

Janet Possessing Scott's Body

Ant-Man and The Wasp doesn't skimp when it comes to awesome, well-utilized science-fiction tropes, and one of the best examples is when Janet van Dyne possesses Scott Lang to provide Hank and Hope with the information that they need in order to get her out of the Quantum Realm. The scene is heavy on exposition, but it also gets some of the biggest laughs, especially once the audience remembers that Scott Lang is actually completely unaware of what is happening to him (which shines through perfectly when he comes to and notices that he's holding Hank's hand). The kicker? Paul Rudd actually does an amazing impersonation of Michelle Pfeiffer, and we wonder how much he practiced that.

Truth Serum

Ant-Man and The Wasp is packed with some great running gags, one of which comes in the form of the ever-present debate over whether or not truth serum actually exists. The chemical cocktail is first suggested by Luis, Kurt, and Dave when they're captured by Sonny Burch's gang, with the henchmen insisting that the syringe they use is not the cliché that constantly pops up in movies and TV shows. Nevertheless, the three wombats remain unconvinced throughout the run of the movie, and their persistence actually forces Burch and his men to eventually realize that they actually HAVE been using truth serum when they find themselves injected with the substance at the end.

Scott As A "Kid"

Prior to the release of Ant-Man and The Wasp, on-screen evidence told us that Scott Lang could either make himself incredibly large or incredibly small depending on the needs of the situation. However, things get a bit more complicated in this latest film when the Ant-Man suit keeps failing him. As a result, there are several moments in the movie (particularly when he infiltrates Cassie's school) that the Pym Particle technology winds up making very strange. Scott is left standing around three or four feet tall, and he has to hide in plain sight by pretending to be a child. The gag then continues after he gets out of the school, as the pint-sized Avenger is mocked mercilessly by Hank and Hope in the van.

Baba Yaga

The John Wick franchise isn't the only action film series that can make jokes about the Baba Yaga now, and Ant-Man and The Wasp really pulls it off. The scene in question comes when Sonny Burch and his henchman corner Luis, Kurt, and Dave to interrogate them about where Scott, Hope, and Hank have gone. The mystical beast of Slavic origin had been previously teased earlier in the movie, but then Ghost appears out of nowhere and confirms Kurt's belief that the Baba Yaga actually exists. Ghost's arrival in the scene comes out of nowhere, and the combination of jump scare with a solid joke gets a big laugh.

Close-Up Magic

Sure, Doctor Strange's Dr. Stephen Strange may be on the road toward becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, but he's not the only member of The Avengers roster who has the ability to use magic. More specifically, Scott Lang spent quite a bit of time learning the ins and outs of close-up magic during his time under house arrest, and the technique comes up multiple times in Ant-Man And The Wasp's story. The tactic eventually comes in handy when they want to beat Ghost, but the funniest moments come when simpler characters like Agent Woo and Paxton cannot figure out how Scott does his illusions. Even in a world where The Hulk and Thor exists, simple card tricks still seem to excite them.

Luis' Story

Remember when Michael Pena got to cut loose as Luis in the original Ant-Man and tell his rapid-fire stories? Well, Peyton Reed and the folks at Marvel clearly realized that those sequences worked with fans back in 2015, because we get yet another awesome tale narrated by Scott's ex-con best friend in the sequel. This time we learn the backstory of Scott and Luis' friendship during their time in prison (and see the awesome hairstyle that Luis was rocking at the time), as well as Luis' perceived version of the events that transpired during the original Ant-Man. We don't know if Ant-Man 3 is going to happen, but if it does, then we really want to see more of these stories.

Ant-Man And Cap

Have you ever met a celebrity or a public figure and then tried to play it up like you and that person are much closer than you really are? Well, Scott Lang has, and it turns out that he's a Captain America fanboy after the events of Captain America: Civil War. The thief-turned-superhero is forever changed by the act of working alongside The First Avenger, and that notion shines through in how he constantly name drops Captain America (or Cap) throughout his mission with Hope and Hank. The kicker? Hope is not particularly interested in what Scott has to say about the star-spangled hero, and she doesn't even seem impressed by his newfound status as an almost Avenger.

The Seagull Gag

It is a major testament to the Ant-Man franchise that it manages to make us feel so many complex emotions for the ants -- who never actually get to speak or express themselves in any meaningful way. Scott's own affinity largely helps in this department, and you can see it in the anger he feels when seagulls keep eating them when he tries to catch a ride at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco during the climactic chase of Ant-Man and The Wasp. Those pesky flying creatures are what keep him from going after Sonny Burch, and it isn't until Ant-onio Banderas swoops down to pick him up that he's able to continue his pursuit. Alas, Ant-onio ends up perishing as well, forcing Scott to become Giant Man one more time.

The Dinner Plans

Last but not least, we finish up our list with one of the best gags between Scott Lang and Agent Woo - specifically at the end when the FBI breaks into Scott's house in an attempt to catch him as he returns from his mission with Hank and Hope. Scott is able to evade capture with the help of his daughter, and Woo tries to act tough by stating that he will be seeing Scott around. Woo means to play the moment off like a cliché macho cop, but Scott highlights the ridiculousness of it by implying that Woo is asking him to dinner -- which Woo eventually does when it becomes clear that he actually kind of likes Scott.

In 2006, the folks at the newly formed Marvel Studios began mapping out a plan of attack for a movie franchise. This endeavor included discussions about films for Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and Ant-Man. The last name on that list didn't get his own solo adventure until four years after Captain America's first solo film debuted, but it was such a big hit that Ant-Man is now getting his own sequel in the form of Ant-Man And The Wasp.

The new film is set to be the first Marvel Studios feature with two titular heroes, but that's the least exciting thing about it in comparison to everything else it has going on. As we regularly do for upcoming major blockbusters, we've constructed this What We Know So Far guide to keep track of everything going on with Ant-Man And The Wasp, so read on, learn, and keep checking back for future updates!

What Have We Seen From Ant-Man And The Wasp?

Luckily, since we don't have much longer to wait until Ant-Man and the Wasp is released, we finally have a trailer that lets us in on some of what we can expect from the new film. The above trailer shows off The Wasp's powers, gives us a look at villain Ghost and lets us know that the film takes place after Captain America: Civil War, along with telling us that, because of Scott's actions in that film, Hope and Hank have had to make themselves (and their work) scarce. All in all, it looks like this sequel has a good shot at being as much fun as its predecessor.

What Is Ant-Man And The Wasp's Release Date?

Marvel Studios began a tradition of releasing three movies a year starting in 2017, and that tradition will continue in 2018. The year kicks off with Ryan Coogler's Black Panther in February, and it will be followed by Joe and Anthony Russo's The Avengers: Infinity War in May. Ant-Man and The Wasp will be title number three for Marvel, and is set to come out on July 6, 2018.

Of course, this release date puts the film in a fascinating position. The Avengers: Infinity War is expected to be a two-parter that concludes its story with the untitled Avengers 4, but it's unclear exactly how the movies released in-between will be impacted (especially Ant-Man And The Wasp, given that Scott Lang will participate in Infinity War). Captain Marvel, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, is the only other title set to be released in this specific timeframe, and since it's a prequel set in the 1990s, it won't be impacted by what happens in Infinity War, although Carol Danvers is confirmed to appear in Avengers 4.

What Is Ant-Man And The Wasp's Rating?

The MPAA doesn't get its hands on any movie until shortly before its release -- mostly because the version of the film they are viewing is the one that is likely going to be hitting theaters. Because of this, we can't say with absolute certainty what the rating of Ant-Man And The Wasp will be, but you can feel free to bet every cent you have on it ultimately being labeled with a PG-13 score.

Why? For starters, it wouldn't make a ton of sense for Ant-Man And The Wasp to be R-rated simply because it's not a rating that really fits the character (even if Paul Rudd can be really funny when allowed to curse as much as he wants). More importantly, however, it's been firmly stated by higher-ups at Disney that despite the success seen by titles like Deadpool and Logan, there are no plans to make an 18+ movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For something closer to that, fans are much better off checking out the Marvel Netflix shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, or Luke Cage.

The Director

In case you don't remember, there was a bit of a kerfuffle regarding the director job on the first Ant-Man. Writer/director Edgar Wright had been attached to the project for years and years, co-writing the script with partner Joe Cornish, but just a few months before the start of production the filmmaker and Marvel Studios parted ways over creative differences. Director Peyton Reed, who was once almost brought on to make Guardians of the Galaxy, was hired as Wright's replacement -- and the studio was so happy with his work that they brought him back for the sequel.

Pulling in $519 million globally, Ant-Man made a strong showing when it was in theaters back in the summer of 2015, and Peyton Reed was able to ride that success to a gig directing Ant-Man And The Wasp. Of course, an important difference in the making of the sequel is that Reed has had much more than a few weeks for pre-production, and instead has had a much greater amount of time to construct the comic book adventure film he really wants to make.

What Is The Story Of Ant-Man And The Wasp?

Taking place after the events of Captain America: Civil War, where Scott Lang was last seen being broken out of The Raft prison with his other Team Captain America allies by Steve Rogers, Ant-Man and the Wasp will follow Scott as a fugitive. Although he is keeping up his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he is also trying to balance them with his family life. Cue Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym re-entering his life, as they need Scott's help on a new mission, which will require him to learn how to fight in the field alongside Hope, who is now officially The Wasp.

The other plot thread we expect the sequel to explore is the mystery behind the original Wasp, a.k.a. Janet Van Dyne. As we learned in Ant-Man, she and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) used to operate as a spy duo for S.H.I.E.L.D. -- but she disappeared forever when she exceeded safeguards and overrides her suit's regulator, disappearing into the Quantum Realm (a.k.a. the Microverse). When Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is in the alternate dimension, the shadow of Janet Van Dyne can be seen, and it's been heavily suggested that Ant-Man And The Wasp will follow the endeavor to try and rescue her.

Another plot thread the sequel will have the opportunity to follow concerns the fate of Martin Donovan's Mitchell Carson. He got away with a vial full of Pym Particles at the end of Ant-Man, and while there was a deleted scene that featured him being captured by Scott Lang, that's not officially canon. As a result, we may learn what happened to Carson and his sample of shrinking molecules in Ant-Man And The Wasp.

Scott Lang

Thanks in large part to the never-ending charm of Paul Rudd, Scott Lang has quickly emerged as a fan-favorite character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the simple promise of seeing him back on the big screen again is exciting. We not only got to see his origin story play out in the original Ant-Man -- which chronicled his path from thief ex-con to shrinking superhero -- but in 2016 fans also got to see him fight as part of Team Cap in Captain America: Civil War (where he made his debut as Giant Man). Of course, that film had some pretty serious consequences for the character, and we'll have to see how Ant-Man And The Wasp deals with them.

Last we heard from Scott Lang, he was being kept as a prisoner on the underwater prison known as The Raft -- but his incarceration didn't last very long. Along with Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Scott is released by Captain America -- though we don't know where he went from there. This answer very well may come in The Avengers: Infinity War, but there may wind up being so many questions that some of them need to be answered in Ant-Man And The Wasp. For example, what has been up with his ex-wife (Judy Greer) and daughter, Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson)?

Hope Van Dyne

Hope Van Dyne was originally written to have a role in Joe and Anthony Russo's Captain America: Civil War, but actress Evangeline Lily's pregnancy at the time of production wound up making this a bit impossible. As a result, we've had to wait for her to start flying around while the size of deadly bee -- but, no matter what, we expect our patience to be rewarded in the summer of 2018. Hope is also sitting out Avengers: Infinity War so as not to draw attention away from her big superhero debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp. From the trailer we know that we'll be treated to Hope's standard Wasp incredible shrinking abilities, and see that she'll also some nice offensive weapons to help fight baddies in addition to the hand to hand combat skills she showed off in the first film. What we don't know yet is how long she's been acting as The Wasp (if at all) since the original film.

Hank Pym

It looked like Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) might have been a goner in the third act of Ant-Man -- having been shot trying to save his daughter, Hope -- but that proved not to be the case. Instead, he revealed that the tank he keeps in his pocket is no ordinary key chain, and with the use of some Pym Particles he and his daughter rode the military vehicle to safety and medical care.

Of course, the end of Ant-Man also saw the destruction of Hank Pym's famed company, Pym Technologies, but we now know, thanks to the trailer, that he was able to continue his work courtesy of the building that he can shrink into what is essentially carry-on luggage. Even though Hank and his daughter had to go on the run because of their association with Scott, he continued to work with both of them to help them with their costumed hero work. It was, after all, confirmed in Captain America: Civil War that he had been working with Scott on the whole "Giant Man" trick.

Janet Van Dyne

Going into San Diego Comic-Con 2017, one of the biggest bits of news that could have been revealed was whether or not we'd actually see more than a costumed glimpse of Janet Van Dyne when Ant-Man And The Wasp hits theaters. Well, Marvel did not disappoint fans when they announced that we would, in fact, be treated to a storyline that somehow included the first Wasp. It was revealed that Michelle Pfeiffer had been cast as Hope's mother, meaning that we can likely expect to see some major scenes from her in the film.

We've mentioned Janet Van Dyne a few times now, but this is where we will really dig into the details of who she is. While not actually a spy herself, Janet was Hank Pym's wife and partner during his S.H.I.E.L.D. spy days, and worked with him wearing a special flying shrinking suit. During one particular mission, she and Hank found themselves desperate to stop a launched missile, and Janet sacrificed herself by shrinking too far and entering the Quantum Realm (you can read our full explainer of that dimension HERE). She's been there for decades, but if a rescue narrative plays out in Ant-Man And The Wasp, that may be what results in her return.

Of course, there's no way to know right now if a rescue mission will be what brings Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet to the sequel. It's possible that we could only see her as a figment of Hank or Hope's imagination. But, considering how important the character is to their history and the history of the tech that they and Scott use, it's a lot more likely that an attempt will be made to free her from the Quantum Realm. Right now, we'll just have to wait and see what Ant-Man And The Wasp has in store for her.

Luis & The Gang

The promise of every Marvel solo film is not just the return of a titular hero, but also the return of specific ensembles of supporting cast members. In the case of Ant-Man, this means the big screen return of Luis (Michael Pena), Dave (Tip 'T.I.' Harris) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian). All three of them operate as Scott Lang's thieving partners in crime, and we suspect that they will be given at least one big job to do in Ant-Man And The Wasp.

As is the case in all classic cinematic heist gangs, each member has their own specific job on any given gig. Luis is the man with the plan, always knowing somebody who knows somebody who has a line or a possible mark. Kurt is an expert with computers, able to remotely hack systems and help the man on the inside. And Dave is the reliable wheel-man, who, unfortunately, has to sometimes drive Luis' ratty van around. Together they provided some of the comedic highlights of the first Ant-Man, and we fully expect them to do the same in Ant-Man And The Wasp.

Maggie Lang

In case you were wondering if we'd see Scott's family again, it's been confirmed that Judy Greer is returning as his ex-wife, Maggie, and Abby Ryder Forston will reprise his daughter, Cassie. Maggie will likely be aware of how much trouble Scott has been in, seeing as how we see him with his daughter in the trailer, and also as he gets fitted with an ankle monitor so the authorities can track him. You can bet Maggie will be wary of any open attempts Scott makes to see their daughter, but it looks like she'll be sympathetic enough to let him continue to have a part in Cassie's life, even if it is limited.

The Newcomers

Everybody loves a sequel because it means the returns of characters that audiences fell in love with -- but they're also great because it provides opportunity to introduce some fresh faces to the mix. This is most definitely true when it comes to Marvel movies, as there are thousands of characters from the comics just waiting to be brought to life for the first time. We don't yet know how many we can ultimately expect to appear in Ant-Man And The Wasp, but news out of SDCC 2017 did reveal a few key new players outside of Janet Van Dyne.

Hannah John-Kamen, whose credits include the series Killjoys, as well as episodes of Black Mirror and Game of Thrones, has signed on to be in the Marvel blockbuster as Ghost. In the comics, Ghost is an industrial saboteur for hire who wears a suit of his own design which allows him to become intangible so that he can phase through things, which is a skill the film seems to have kept. As you've probably noticed, the comic book version of Ghost is also male, so clearly Ant-Man And The Wasp is going to reimagine the character a bit. The comic character has also never had his secret identity revealed even though he's been around for 30 years, so it'll be interesting to see if this Ghost has a name or history that we find out about during the course of the film.

Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne has also joined the cast as Bill Foster, a scientist who would come to be known as the superhero Goliath. In the comics, Foster worked with Hank Pym, and created his own version of Pym's growth formula which led to him using it to become Goliath. Since we've seen Scott use Pym's suit to grow in size in Captain America: Civil War, it's possible that Ant-Man And The Wasp will see Foster show up to lend some assistance with this new found ability. I have to admit, though, that it would be a shame if we didn't also get to see Laurence Fishburne suit up as Goliath, even if it's only temporary. Along with Ant-Man and the Wasp, Fishburne also has another Marvel project in the works, though he hasn't provided any details about it yet, including whether or not it will involve Bill Foster.

Randall Park

Joining in on the fun in the new film as longtime S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jimmy Woo is Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat, Veep). In the comics, the former FBI agent specialized in infiltration and information gathering, making him a great asset for covert operations. He's also known for helping take down Godzilla by using Pym Particles to shrink the beast, which worked as a temporary fix. While we don't know exactly what Park's Jimmy Woo will be doing in Ant-Man And The Wasp just yet, it's unlikely that we'll see him fight Godzilla. That would be cool, though, wouldn't it?

Walton Goggins

Some pleasantly surprising casting news came down when we found out that Justified, Vice Principals and The Hateful Eight actor Walton Goggins was joining Ant-Man And The Wasp as Sonny Burch. The character is chairman of Cross Technologies in the comics, and since Ant-Man saw Darren Cross (also known as the first film's big bad, Yellowjacket) die, Burch is likely trying to run the company in his stead. Seeing as how Burch is a bad guy in the comics, we can probably count on his desire to win at business leading to some questionable decisions that put lives in danger.

A big part of creating this guide is to keep up with new casting announcements, so keep checking back to this page as more news comes in about Ant-Man And The Wasp.

2018 looks as though it's going to be a busy year for Michael Peña. The actor is already set to reprise his role as Luis in Ant-Man and the Wasp, he's appearing in Disney's live-action telling of A Wrinkle In Time, and it has just been announced he's heading to Netflix. Netflix has announced that Peña will join actor Diego Luna when the two sign on for Season 4 of Narcos as it prepares to come to the service in 2018.

As of this writing, it is unknown what roles have been assigned to Michael Peña or Diego Luna, but their presence will undoubtedly elevate the acclaimed Netflix original series. The news of Season 4 is no surprise, since Narcos was guaranteed the run back when the show was renewed for Season 3. The series is currently in production in Mexico City, which is fitting, because Season 3 ended with the DEA realizing the drug trade had shifted to Mexico. The teaser for Narcos Season 4 features a Mariachi band, which is believed to have been a style of music originated in Jalisco, Mexico, which seems to further indicate the Season 4 will spend a good amount of time there.

The castings also make sense considering that Michael Peña's father is originally from Jalisco (Peña was born in Chicago), and Diego Luna grew up in Mexico City. Narcos will mark the second time the two actors have collaborated. Prior to this project, Luna cast Peña for the role of Cesar Chavez in his 2014 film of the same name. Diego's schedule for 2018 is a bit lighter than Peña's, although he is due to have a couple of acting projects set to release in 2018, titled A Rainy Day In New York and Berlin, I Love You.

The addition of both Michael Peña and Diego Luna are great for Narcos; these talented actors will bring a lot to the series whether they're DEA agents or drug smugglers. Hopefully, the two share some scenes together, as it would be great to see these two team up or butt heads while the drug war continues on in the series. For those wondering if the drama was still going to focus on the cocaine drug trade, this Mariachi band covered in white powder seems to answer that question:

Narcos has been revealed to be coming to Netflix in 2018, but no specific release date has been announced at this time. For a look at upcoming programming, visit both our fall premiere guide and midseason premiere guide to stay up to date. Those wanting to see which shows were canceled in 2017 can find out by visiting our cancellation guide.

Tone is often one of the trickiest aspects of cinematic storytelling. Inconsistency can stop an audience from understanding a movie's intent, and rapid, ungraceful changes can wind up being disorienting for both movie-goers and performers. For example, it's hard to have a character go from accidentally sticking their head in their friend's naked crotch to then having them express an emotional secret. But that's exactly what writer/director/star Dax Shepard had to do in the making of CHIPS, and he couldn't be more proud of his co-star Michael Pena. He recently told me,

Dax Shepard detailed the trickiness of this particular sequence when I sat down with both him and Michael Pena at the Los Angeles press day for CHIPS earlier this month. Taking into consideration both the big comedy scenes as well as the big vehicle-heavy action sequences in the movie, I asked them both about the most challenging scene to put together -- and the filmmaker told me why one of the most ridiculous moments wound up being one of the hardest.

In the scene in question, John (Dax Shepard) wakes up naked on a rainy day and finds himself in serious pain thanks to the hip surgery he once had performed courtesy of his motocross past. What he really needs to do is get to his bathtub, but it's a feat that he can't accomplish himself. Even though they don't really like each other, he winds up calling his new partner, Ponch (Michael Pena) for help -- and after a bit of physical comedy involving Ponch's face to John's crotch, they wind up having an intimate talk that winds up solidifying their friendship.

As Michael Pena explained in the interview, part of what made this sequence easier to pull off was the fact that it was actually engineered in reverse. He recalled that rather than taking care of everything in order, it wasn't until after they had figured out the emotional levels for Ponch's confession that they incorporated the "faceplant." Said Pena,

You can watch Dax Shepard and Michael Pena talk about their work on the set of CHIPS in the video below:

CHIPS arrives in theaters this Friday, March 24th, and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interviews with the cast.

While it doesn't happen 100% of the time, Hollywood has a bit of a pattern when it comes to adapting classic action television shows for the big screen. Whether it's 21 Jump Street, The Dukes of Hazzard or Starsky And Hutch, audiences have seen a surprising amount of dramatic material get really silly and comedic when the material is retrofitted as a feature. Because of these examples, it would be understandable if people thought the same thing of the upcoming CHIPs movie... but that actually isn't the case. Instead, it was writer/director Dax Shepard's intention from the start to always emphasize the film's chases and shootouts, and for the humor to really just function as a bonus.

The subject of tone in the CHIPs movie was something that came up in conversation with Dax Shepard all the way back in December 2015, when I joined a small group of film journalists to visit the set of the upcoming film while it was still in production. Discussing the many aspects of the film with the writer/director/producer/star, one question that came up was whether or not the adaptation would be playing up the campiness of the original television show, which ran from 1977 to 1983. Shepard stressed that this was something that the production definitely wasn't doing, and that while there would definitely be laughs featured, that wasn't the reason he set out to make the film. He explained,

It is noteworthy that while Dax Shepard himself is more experienced in comedy than anything, he has surrounded himself with a cast of very talented serious actors. As the filmmaker himself pointed out, Vincent D'Onofrio is really the big name at the top of that list, but he's also working alongside both Michael Pena and Kristen Bell. That being said, all of those actors also have a number of funny performances and titles on their resumes, so we definitely don't expect that CHIPs will be too short on laughs.

For your viewing pleasure, you can get a taste of the tone of the upcoming CHIPs movie by checking out the trailer below:

We are now less than a month away from the release of CHIPs, which is set to arrive in theaters on March 24th. In the meantime, be sure to keep coming back to CinemaBlend, as we'll have plenty more about the movie from our interviews with the film's fantastic cast, including this story on Dax Shepard's bizarre inspiration for the film!

As we've learned time and time again in Hollywood, inspiration can come from pretty much anywhere. Sometimes it's really good source material that gets the creative juices flowing; sometimes it's hazy memories of a very weird dream; and sometimes it's a result of normal occurrences in everyday life. In the case of the upcoming CHIPs movie from writer/director Dax Shepard, you'd think it would be Option #1, but the truth is that the filmmaker's desire to make the movie came from Option #3 - as Shepard was convinced he wanted to make the project because of a Google search he did years ago for a completely unrelated project.

I learned about this bizarre origin story back in December 2015, when I had the chance to join a small group of film journalists for a trip to the set of CHIPs while it was still in production. We started the day sitting down with Dax Shepard and getting his views on the project, and it was during the interview that he revealed exactly where the project started for him. It turns out it was all because of a random internet search for spelling of the name "Poncharello" -- the last name of Erik Estrada's character from the original CHIPs television series. Shepard explained,

It didn't take too long after that point for Dax Shepard to really start investing himself in the possibility of actually making a CHIPs movie. Fortunately, it was something he was able to start really thinking about almost immediately, because he already knew somebody that could get the wheels to start turning. Andrew Panay -- who was friend of Shepard's and a producer on his directorial debut, Hit And Run -- had already been trying to get a CHIPs film made for over a decade, and so Shepard figured that he would be the right guy to turn to:

As you can certainly guess at this point, the quick exit very much worked in Dax Shepard's favor, as he wound up not only being the writer, director, and star of CHIPs, but even wound up with a producer credit as well. From that point forward he was given the freedom to make the R-rated movie he wanted to make -- albeit on a limited budget -- and the finished product will be in a theater near you in just a few weeks.

Specifically, CHIPs -- which co-stars Michael Pena, Kristen Bell and Vincent D'Onofrio -- will be in theaters on March 24th. Between now and then, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, as we have more from our trip to the set of the movie coming your way very soon!

After the success of the 21 Jump Street franchise, studios have been on the look out for intellectual properties that they can mould and adapt for a modern audience in an irreverent and comic fashion. Next on the list is the reboot of CHiPs, the 1970s television drama about California Highway Patrolmen who rode around on humungous motorbikes. Michael Pena and Dax Shepard are stepping into the roles made iconic by Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox, respectively, but they're taking CHiPs in a much raunchier direction.

During a recent discussion with Entertainment Weekly regarding CHiPs, Dax Shepard, who is writing, directing, and starring in the buddy cop action comedy for Warner Bros, admitted that the film is going to have an R-rating. But while that gives them free license to add some expletives to the film, Shepard admitted that it's mostly because of the amount of nudity. Dax Shepard explained:

CHiPs revolves around Officer Jon Baker (Dax Shepard) and Officer Frank 'Ponch' Poncherello (Michael Pena), two middle-aged Los Angeles motorcycle officers. They find themselves embroiled in chaos when Vic Brown (Vincent D'Onofrio), a former LAPD cop that was kicked off the force and is now the leader of a group that steals cars, starts wreaking havoc across the city. As well as the above trio, CHiPs is also going to star Adam Brody, Rosa Salazar, Kristen Bell, and Jane Kaczmarek.

During his discussion with Entertainment Weekly, Dax Shepard insisted that he wants the movie version of CHiPs to be akin to both Bad Boys and Lethal Weapon, as he explained that the comedy in the film comes from a very real place, where the stakes are palpable. Shepard even provided more information on his characters, explaining that he's playing a former games writer that decides to try and woo back his wife by joining the California Highway Patrol.

Meanwhile, Michael Pena portrays an FBI agent that's asked to go undercover within the CHP so that they can figure out which cops are dirty. Together, the pair begin to investigate a number of armored car robberies, which sees them roaming around Los Angeles looking for evidence.

We'll get to see Dax Shepard's version of CHiPs when it's released on March 24, 2017.

Horse Soldiers sounds like a story Steven Spielberg would make with Daniel Day-Lewis, using perfect period detail to enthrall us with tales of brave men riding into battle on trusty steeds. It's not that, exactly, though to will be a true-life story of brave young men galloping into combat, only it will take place in Afghanistan in the days and weeks following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, and it just started putting together its impressive cast.

Horse Soldiers will work from a non-fiction novel by Doug Stanton (which you can order right here), which pit a small band of Special Forces soldiers against Taliban forces on the ground in Afghanistan. The book explains how these brave men battled Taliban forces back into the stronghold city of Mazar-i-Sharif, only to find themselves outnumbered by attackers posing as POWs. The material sounds incredibly cinematic, and Deadline today reported on the actors lining up to join the fight.

Chris Hemsworth will trade his hammer for a rifle when Horse Soldiers gallops into war. The actor has played with both period combat (In The Heart of the Sea) and international espionage (Blackhat), though he has struggled to bring in an audience outside of the Marvel umbrella. Even when he plays against type -- like stealing scenes in the Ghostbusters reboot -- the project gets derided. Could Horse Soldiers break his streak?

Michael Shannon makes every movie better, so simply adding him to the ensemble of Horse Soldiers means that we'll be way more invested in its unpredictable outcome. Shannon thrives in everything from crude comedies to big-budget blockbusters, but he's also extremely picky with his screenplays, so if he's circling this script, it must be decent.

Another Marvel veteran (see him in Ant-Man), as well as a gifted character actor, Michael Pena will suit up for Horse Soldiers alongside his fellow brethren. Pena has been extremely busy as of late, contributing to Collateral Beauty, the CHiPs remake, Ava DuVernay's A Wrinkle in Time and the upcoming Murder on the Orient Express remake. But when the cameras roll on Horse Soldiers, he'll be ready.

Deadline finally reports that the last actor signing up for the war drama will be Austin Stowell, a relative newcomer who has impressed recently in films such as Whiplash and Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies. This could be a true breakout role for Stowell, and he'll be sharing scenes with some true powerhouses.

Working from a screenplay by Peter Craig (The Town, Blood Father), Horse Soldiers will be directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, a first-time filmmaker making his big screen debut. No word yet on when the film will be released, so keep it locked here for more details. We'll report them as they become available.

Ant-Man may not be the biggest Marvel superhero (figuratively and literally), but he's gotten off to a good start in the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the past year. Scott Lang and his supporting cast debuted in the aptly-named Ant-Man movie, and the Tiny Titan was one of the many heroes who participated in Captain America: Civil War this past May. In 2018, he'll return to fight evil alongside Hope van Dyne, who will have finally become The Wasp. Aside from those two protagonists, no other characters from the first movie had been confirmed to return for Ant-Man and the Wasp, but that changed today when it was reported that Michael Peña will reprise Scott's buddy Luis for the sequel.

After dropping the news that Michael Peña is starring the upcoming horror thriller The Bringing, THR mentioned that the actor is already primed to play Luis again for Ant-Man and the Wasp. Peña previously told our own Eric Eisenberg that his return seemed likely earlier this year, but now it seems to be a concrete deal. That makes him the third-Man actor confirmed to return besides Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly. There's a good chance that fans will see Michael Douglas return to play Hank Pym, but that hasn't been officially confirmed yet. There's also no word if we'll see Luis' fellow thieves, Dave and Kurt, return as well.

Luis was introduced in Ant-Man as Scott Lang's former roommate in prison, and after Scott completed his sentence, Luis was there to pick him up. Soon after, Scott joined his buddy, Dave and Kurt in their criminal shenanigans, but those "three wombats" (as Hank Pym called them) got to prove their worth by helping infiltrate Cross Technologies to stop Darren Cross, with Luis specifically going undercover as a guard. Many will agree that Luis continually stole the proverbial show with his contagious enthusiasm and his tales of learning juicy information while at art shows and wine tastings. Ant-Man and the Wasp definitely needs to have at least one of these funny moments. Perhaps he heard something interesting while seeing a Hamilton performance?

When we last saw Ant-Man in Captain America: Civil War, he had been imprisoned at the Raft with Scarlet Witch, Hawkeye and Falcon after they were captured by Iron Man Man's forces, but they were all broken out at the end by Steve Rogers. Scott is no stranger to being a criminal, but being on the run for being an unregistered superhero is a lot different than being imprisoned for "burglarizing." Since the authorities likely won't be willing to help, maybe Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne will seek out Luis for some unorthodox assistance, and he'll enjoy every minute of it.

Ant-Man and the Wasp hits theaters on July 6, 2018, with shooting scheduled to begin sometime in July 2017. As for Michael Peña, you can see him next playing Simon Scott in the comedy-drama Collateral Beauty on December 16.

Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man is chock full of fantastic performances, helping it become one of Marvel Studios’ funniest films to date, but if there’s any actor who steals the show it’s Michael Pena as the motor-mouthed, waffle-making Luis. Every moments he is on screen is an absolute delight, so it would naturally be a crime if the character didn’t return for the upcoming sequel, Ant-Man And The Wasp. The good news, however, is that it looks like the star is locked in to reprise the role.

Earlier today at the SXSW Film Festival, I had a wonderful time sitting down for an interview with Michael Pena, Alexander Skarsgard, and writer/director John Michael McDonagh to talk about their new film War On Everyone (which is absolutely incredible), and it was at the very end of the interview that I took the opportunity to ask Pena about his status in regard to Ant-Man And The Wasp. And while I got the sense that perhaps not everything is set in stone, he did seem very confident that we will get to see Luis in another chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Said the actor,

An original character created for the big screen, Luis was introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a former cellmate and best friend of Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd). He is a professional criminal, and also not exactly the smartest guy around, but what he lacks in moral fiber and intelligence he makes up for with loyalty and dependability. He also happens to be the guy with all of the contacts, as he’s not only the one who winds up being responsible for Scott meeting Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), but he also winds up being integral in getting his friend in contact with Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon.

When Ant-Man And The Wasp was officially announced as being in development back in October of 2015, the announcement came with the news that Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly’s Hope van Dyne were confirmed to return for the follow-up – but those were the only two actors on the list. Simply using logic, we assumed that they wouldn’t be the only two stars who would be coming back to reprise their role in the blockbuster sequel, and it’s definitely exciting that Michael Pena will be back for more action as well.

Ant-Man And The Wasp, which will be directed by Peyton Reed, is still a bit far off – not set for release until July 6, 2018 – but as we get closer and closer to that date, we will be getting more information about its development – so be sure to stay tuned!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe concluded Phase Two this year with two movies: the status quo-shaking Avengers: Age of Ultron, and, two months later, the smaller-scale (pun intended) Ant-Man. It was an interesting move to have such a grand event open up the year and follow it up an origin tale, but it paid off. While not everyone enjoyed them, both movies were overall critical and commercial successes, and much of that was due to the new players we met.

Just like we did with Marvel’s small screen endeavors over the last year, we’ve gone through and selected the best characters the studio introduced in 2015. While Marvel still has yet to get a good handle on most of its movie villains, this year saw several great protagonists debut who made great impressions in their first appearances, from heroes getting their start to supporting characters who helped out. And even better, most (if not all) of these folks will be returning in the near future. Take a look at who made the final cut.

5. Hope Van Dyne

Although Scott Lang was Ant-Man’s eponymous protagonist, without the strong and confident Hope van Dyne, the mission wouldn’t have been successful. Hope had all the skills and knowledge necessary to infiltrate Cross Technologies, so if her father hadn’t been worried about her suffering the same fate as her mother, Janet van Dyne, she would have been the one in the Ant-Man suit and Scott would have simply given pointers on breaking and entering. Regardless, she proved herself to be a key ally and talented fighter, and in the midst of all the insanity, got to strengthen her relationship with her previously estranged father. Hope didn’t have the chance to suit up alongside Scott in the movie, but with Ant-Man and the Wasp coming in 2018, we’ll finally see her inherit the Wasp mantle from her mother and fight crime as a superhero, just like many hoped she would.

4. Ant-Man

Because Ant-Man was one of Marvel’s more humorous movies, that meant it needed a protagonist who could both deliver the laughs and beat up the bad guys. We got that through Scott Lang, a former thief desperate for redemption. Granted, it didn’t take long for him to turn back to crime, but once he started training to be Ant-Man, that’s when his full potential was realized. Part of what made Scott so appealing was how "human" he was compared to Marvel’s other big protagonists. This is a normal guy who was thrown into the superhero life and dealt with a learning curve when it came to fighting and shrinking. It wasn’t easy for him to deal with these new challenges, but he was victorious in the end. Sprinkle in some sharp quips and amusing moments in the Ant-Man suit (like his test run), and Scott proved to be a great addition to the MCU. We’ll see more of his lightheartedness next year in Captain America: Civil War.

3. Scarlet Witch

Even if you ignore that Avengers: Age of Ultron killed Quicksilver, it was clear that his sister got more development. Throughout the 2015 blockbuster, moviegoers saw Scarlet Witch struggle alongside her brother following the loss of their parents and trying to find their place in the world. However, Wanda Maximoff’s abilities, like hypnosis and telekinesis, made her personal conflicts much more compelling. Being able to sense other people’s emotions, meaning she has to endure the same things those around her felt, isn’t easy to control. In the latter half of the movie, Wanda and Pietro learned what Ultron really had planned, and realizing they were on the wrong side, they joined the Avengers and became heroes. However, following Pietro’s death, Wanda really cut loose with her power, and the anguish on her face clearly showed that this is a superhuman who feels emotional pain worse than the rest of us. Now that she’s on of the New Avengers, we’ll watch her learn more about her powers and deal with life without her brother next year in Captain America: Civil War in the midst of the massive conflict.

2. Luis

As mentioned earlier, Ant-Man is one of Marvel’s funniest movies so far, and many of those humorous moments were courtesy to Scott Lang’s friend Luis. He may not have been a pro at his line of work (he couldn’t even get away with stealing two smoothie machines), but he exuded so much enthusiasm that it was practically contagious. The man stole every scene he was in, from telling Scott how he obtained the family van to bragging about his exploits at the Pym mansion. Beyond his cheery attitude, Luis showed he’s not your stereotypical small-time hood. He may be a criminal who hangs out with some weird folks, but he also enjoyed the finer things in life, like wine tasting and art galleries, and on top of that, has a penchant for storytelling…sort of. While he hasn’t been announced to return for Ant-Man and the Wasp, it’s more likely than not that Luis will be back to exude positivity and tell more accounts of what his friends heard through the grapevine.

The Vision

For years, Tony Stark’s A.I., J.A.R.V.I.S., was simply a computer program that assisted Tony Stark and the Avengers, but in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he evolved into something much greater. After avoiding being erased by Ultron, J.A.R.V.I.S. was downloaded into an android body, and after an Infinity Stone and Thor-channeled lightning were thrown into the mix, he became The Vision. He had the least amount screen time of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but he made a great impression while he was around. The fact that he was worthy enough to lift Thor’s hammer is a testament to his character, but actions speak louder than words, and Vision proved he has humanity’s best interests at heart. Despite being "born yesterday," Vision is also one of the wisest beings the MCU has introduced, and his last words to Ultron before killing the megalomaniacal robot (or so it seemed) still resonate. He’ll learn more about humanity next year as a participant in Captain America: Civil War, and while not official yet, he’ll also probably show up in the Avengers: Infinity War movies.

Those of you who watched Ant-Man this summer will be more than aware of how much Michael Pena stole the show. In pretty much every scene he featured, he immediately made viewers chortle. If you have been pining for more Pena, you are in luck, because the Blu-ray trailer for Ant-Man features the actor reprising the role of Luis, as well as outtakes and deleted scenes. In fact, don’t just take my word for it, have a gander at the trailer for yourself below.

Even though he’s an ex-con that still dabbles in crime, I’d trust Luis with everything I own. He’s just that gosh darn loveable. Which is why the above trailer, shared by USA Today, which features Michael Pena in character as Luis describing all of the wonders that are included in the package through a majestic voiceover, is simply divine.

I mean, how could you not love his description as the titular, diminutive character as "Dr Phil for ants"? But, even though Michael Pena owned the above trailer, what will the Blu-ray and home releases actually feature?

Well, your usual fare. There’s an audio commentary from both Peyton Reed and Paul Rudd, some featurettes about the making-of and how Marvel and their very talented visual effects crew managed to make their titular character so teeny tiny, as well as some deleted scenes, and a gag-reel that not only shows Paul Rudd doing some rather delightful dancing, but also features him celebrating landing at the bottom of the stairs a little bit too enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Pena also insists that the Blu-ray will help to explain how director Peyton Reed and screenwriter Adam McKay were able to merge together Luis and his fellow "super-fly, super-handsome crew of delightful gentlemen." Those of you who are eager to see more of Michael Pena providing comic-relief in a glorious fashion don’t have to wait until Ant-Man is released on Blu-ray to get your fix though. That’s because he also does just that in The Martian too, sparring with the likes of Matt Damon, Sebastian Stan, Kate Mara, and Jessica Chastain throughout Ridley Scott’s deep space adventure. He's probably just a little bit funnier in Ant-Man than he is in The Martian, but that's mainly because he has more screen time.

Of course, Michael Pena is expected to return as Luis in the now confirmed Ant-Man sequel, Ant-Man And The Wasp, which is due out in summer 2018. And while Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily’s characters are both eponymous, we all know that we’re really going to watch the blockbuster just to see more Michael Pena. I mean, if he doesn’t get a fully blown spin-off or one-shot in the very near future, then Marvel is making a huge mistake.

Last weekend, Ridley Scott’s space adventure The Martian took over the box office, winning tons of praise from critics as well as moviegoers, and for good reason, it’s a fantastic movie (read our review here). A new deleted scene just hit the airwaves, and it provides an illustration of a number of the selling points for the movie, especially Matt Damon’s sense of humor.

Check it out below, and don’t worry, there aren’t any real spoilers if you haven’t seen the film yet, as all of this is similar to the TV commercials leading up to the release.

This clip first appeared over at EW, and though there isn’t much context, it appears that it is from relatively early in the movie. The plot of The Martian revolves around astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon), who is part of the first manned mission to Mars, and, after the rest of the crew abandons him on the surface in the face of a horrific storm, thinking he is dead, he finds himself alone on the Red Planet.

As you can imagine, every move is life or death in this situation, and as Mark struggles to figure out how to survive, this clip shows that he also remains dedicated to the scientific nature of the mission. Though with his superior officer and fellow crewmembers gone, he’s doing it his way, and getting a little personal with some of the equipment.

One of the coolest elements about The Martian is how big a role science plays. Every option Watney faces boils down to a big science project, and this is the kind of movie that shows how awesome science and math and engineering can be. And he details all the science in a way that makes it accessible to average viewers out there who may not have advanced degrees. These video journal entries also serve as a way to disseminate this information without it feeling overwhelming.

Something that was unexpected about The Martian, at least for those of us who didn’t read Andy Weir’s novel, is the sense of humor. It’s a predominant feature of the film, does a lot of work, and really serves to ground the character—sometimes he laughs because things are funny, sometimes it’s a gallows humor, and sometimes he laughs because the only other option is to cry. And then sometimes, like when he bags on Martinez, played by Michael Pena, it’s also just damn hilarious.

Around these parts, The Martian is one of our favorite movies of the year so far, and given an almost $55 million opening weekend and almost unanimous positive reviews, there are a lot of folks out there who seem to agree. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s definitely one to check out.

Perhaps this won’t come as the most shocking news, especially considering that her husband is directing the film, but Kristen Bell has joined the cast of hubby Dax Shepard’s upcoming adaptation of the fan-favorite 1970s and ‘80s cop drama CHiPs. While you may be thinking, "Oh, great, yet another reboot," this one is setting itself apart, in part thanks to what has become a really good cast.

According to The Wrap, the Veronica Mars and Forgetting Sarah Marshall star has signed up for Warner Bros. revamp of CHiPs. The latest addition to an ever expanding cast, Bell joins the like of Ant-Man’s Michael Pena, The O.C.’s Adam Brody, Rosa Salazar, who shows up in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials this weekend, and Daredevil baddie Vincent D’Onofrio, who will reportedly play the villain here as well.

On screen, Bell has been keeping busy with projects like Showtime’s House of Lies, and she just finished filming the comedy The Boss alongside Melissa McCarthy and her husband, Ben Falcone, who wrote and directed the movie. Then there’s that whole Frozen thing that she was a part of, you may have heard of that one, not to mention two young daughters at home.

Fans of the original series know that CHiPs revolved around a pair a California Highway Patrol officers—Erik Estrada’s Frank "Ponch" Poncherello and Larry Wilcox’s Jon Baker—who tool around the Southern California highways on their motorcycles, feathering their hair, and having adventures. In addition to directing, writing the script, and producing, Dax Shepard is also going to star as Jon, while Michael Pena will take the role of Ponch.

Aside from those roles, and the general overview of the movie, which sounds pretty much identical to the show, we don’t know a ton about CHiPs. However, if you expect it to be one of those projects that spoof and mock the original, like 2004’s Starsky & Hutch, you may be in for a surprise.

In a recent interview hyping up Ant-Man, where he plays a wacky criminal sidekick to Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, Pena compared the tone of the film more to something like Lethal Weapon. There is going to be comedy and one liners and humor, but that won’t be the main focus. The film will apparently revolve around the action, characters, and plot, and have a bit more grit in its soul. From how Pena makes it sound, CHiPs is intended to be more of a throwback to movies like Lethal Weapon and 48 Hours, or maybe even Beverly Hills Cop, than a straight-ahead send up of the series.

If the wait for Ridley Scott’s adaptation of The Martian is too much for you to bear, then today is your lucky day. We have new video of the ARES-3 crew, and if the clip below is any indication of what to expect, the humor of Andy Weir’s book is very much intact.

Through the ARES: Live archive, we’ve been given access to snippets of the crew’s psychological evaluations after a 10-day isolation period. While we saw the crew before in their farewell video before departing on their launch, this new video gave us an even better look into the crew’s already vibrant personalities. With a manned mission to Mars in the balance, and the eyes of the world on them, this is the best time for the crew to really ponder all of the big questions plaguing the mission.

For instance, Matt Damon’s Mark Watney wonders just how Aquaman can control whales despite the fact that they are mammals. A little further up on the scale, we have Michael Pena’s Rick Martinez and Sebastian Stan’s Dr. Chris Beck, who are the chief smart-asses of the ARES-3 mission. Both are apparently men of healing, as they’ve credentialed themselves as practitioners of tension relief and the soul, respectively. Though, Dr. Beck is the only actual medical expert of the two, as Major Martinez is the mission’s pilot.

And all the way on the other end of the spectrum are the mission’s two badasses: Jessica Chastain’s Commander Melissa Lewis and Askel Hennie’s Alex Vogel. Both are fearless, and adapted to all of the extreme conditions that their mission will throw at them. Commander Lewis’s submarine story is an especially inspired piece of background that shows us just why she’s been picked to be the first female mission commander to head to Mars. Which leaves one crew member to occupy the dead center of the spectrum. She knows it all and isn’t afraid to tell, and she’s Kate Mara’s computer guru Beth Johanssen – our guide to the personalities and quirks of the ARES-3 crew.

While The Martian promises to be a harrowing journey of survival and ingenuity, much like the source novel that it’s adapting, it also needs to have a fair amount of humor and wisecracks. Watney’s narration through the book can get a bit snarky at times, and since the man practically promises to "science the shit" out of Mars, you know he’s good for some colorful commentary.

This psych evaluation video that Fox has released is another effective tool in building the emotional attachment to the characters in The Martian, because we get to see the crew at their normal operating capacities. Considering the Ridley Scott film will push everyone to the brink, testing their limits and their sanity, it’ll be even more rewarding thanks to the foundation these ARES: Live videos are building. Here’s hoping we get a tour of Mission Control soon, as their side of the story is just as important as the trials of Watney’s battle to survive the Martian wastes.

The Martian launches into theaters on October 2nd, and will be present at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, as well.

As much as Ant-Man is a superhero adventure like Marvel’s other movies, it’s also been heavily advertised as a heist movie. Nowhere is that more clear than this new featurette showing off the team that assists Scott Lang in stealing back Hank Pym’s shrinking technology from big bad Darren Cross. Check it out!

In this video, courtesy of The Wall Street Journal, Ant-Man’s cast and crew, including Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, talk about how the heist elements play a key role in the story. Here’s the mission: Hank recruits Scott to steal Cross’ Yellowjacket armor and other secrets back so that Cross can’t "unleash chaos upon the world." As expected, breaking into Pym Industries to get the job done isn’t as simple as walking through the front door, and although Scott has the Ant-Man suit, he’ll still need help breaking in. Much to Hank’s dismay, this means calling in Scott’s old team, who Hank grudingly calls "wombats", as well as Hank’s daughter, Hope Van Dyne, to assist.

Let’s take a look at who our band of thieves are. First there’s Kurt, played by David Dastmalchian, who is the team’s hacker. Second is Luis, played by Michael Peña, who will be in disguise as the inside man at Pym Industries. You probably remember him from that preview when he freaked out after noticing the tiny Scott on his shoulder. Then there’s Hope, played by Evangeline Lilly. Nicknamed "The Coach," we’ve seen her in various previews and clips teaching Hank how to fight and helping him learn how to harness the Ant-Man suit’s powers and ust them to their full potential. Finally, we have the last member of Scott’s original crew, Dave, played by rapper T.I., who will be the "wheel man," a.k.a. the getaway driver. It’s been said before, but when moviegoers sit down to watch this on the big screen, they’ll essentially be taking in Marvel’s version of Ocean’s Eleven.

Judging by the featurette, it’s clear Kurt, Luis, and Dave will provide a lot of the film’s comic relief, and it also doesn’t sound like these guys are necessarily the best at their jobs (Luis was arrested for stealing two smoothie machines). That said, when your buddy comes calling for help, and shows off cool shrinking powers, of course you’re going to get in on the action. Now Scott’s chances of retrieving the Yellowjacket armor have improved…but this caper is still going to be tough to pull off.

You can catch Ant-Man in theaters on July 17.

In the modern era, in which all previously created material must be mined in order to produce a feature film, eventually you end up with some fairly oddball choices. When the news hit that the CHiPs reboot was moving forward many of us probably had the same feeling: Get ready for another comedy remake based on corny material. Well, we just got some new info on the movie and it looks we’re in for something completely different.

In an interview with Collider, Michael Pena, who will play Frank "Ponch" Poncherello, spoke a bit about the tone the movie was going for, and it’s not comedy. He said:

To confirm the Lethal Weapon comparison, Pena specifically says the movie is looking for an R rating. While the Lethal Weapon movies got slightly lighter in tone over the four films in the series (with the addition of Joe Pesci and Chris Rock in the latter films), they were all rated R, and the original is absolutely not a comedy. Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs, half of the leading pair with Danny Glover, was also played a bit more for laughs in the sequels but plays a much more clearly disturbed individual in the 1987 original. If CHiPs ends up looking a lot like Lethal Weapon expect any humor to be black.

This is a significant change from similar properties that have received the feature film treatment in recent years. When viewed through a modern lens many TV shows from the 70’s and 80’s like The Dukes of Hazzard or Starsky and Hutch are seen as too silly to be taken seriously. The solution has been to turn the film versions into a straight comedies rather than to attempt to modernize the drama. It would surprise absolutely nobody if the same tactic was taken with CHiPs.

So now it looks like we’re getting ready for a much grittier action/drama surrounding the California Highway Patrol. Are you looking forward to seeing what writer/director Dax Shepard, who will also star as the other half of the leading pair, Jon Baker, can do by taking a serious look at the original material, or is such an idea doomed to failure?

Comic book movie fans may still be coming down from the blockbuster high that was delivered earlier this year in the form of Joss Whedon’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Marvel Studios isn’t wasting any time giving movie-goers another taste of their Marvel Cinematic Universe. In less than a month, the company will be delivering Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man - and while that date may still seem far away, the good news is that we have some amazing coverage to satiate your hunger.

In addition to visiting the set of Ant-Man late last year with a small group of other film journalists, last week I also had the opportunity to go to the edit bay for the movie at Industrial Light And Magic in San Francisco, and there I got to watch about 30 minutes from the film. Introduced by director Peyton Reed, co-producer Brad Winderbaum, and ILM VFX Supervisor Russell Earl, the various sequences shown gave us an extended peek at the unique and great new elements the feature has to offer, and has gotten us even more pumped to watch the full thing. So what did I get to see? Read on and find out!

The Opening Scenes

Similar to Guardians of the Galaxy, the film doesn’t open with the Marvel Studios logo, but instead with a flashback to 1989. We see what is clearly a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility, and sitting/standing around a table are some of the most important members of the organization, including John Slattery’s Howard Stark (last seen in Iron Man 2, Hayley Atwell’s Agent Peggy Carter (who has once again been aged up beautifully), and a character played by Martin Donovan (who the filmmakers/studio wouldn’t identify). While they are working on something together, they are interrupted when a young Dr. Hank Pym – played by a digitally de-aged Michael Douglas and looking amazing – storms in calling Stark’s name.

While the S.H.I.E.L.D. founder attempts to distract Hank by telling him that he is supposed to be in Russia, Hank explains that he instead discovered something in the defense labs: an attempt at recreating the Pym Particle serum that allows him to shrink (shown as a small tube of red liquid). The group debates the proper applications of the miracle technology, with Hank accusing S.H.I.E.L.D. of making him their "errand boy" and stealing his research. It’s at this time that Donovan’s character decides to make a snide remark about Hank’s deceased wife, Janet, and his inability to protect her – which leads Hank to slam the guy’s face against the table.

Hank takes this moment to tender his resignation, swearing that as long as he is alive, nobody will get his formula. Howard tries to make him change his mind, but it’s too late, and Hank gets out the door. It’s debated that they shouldn’t even let the genius scientist leave the building – which Peggy violently protests against – and Howard agrees. He explains that he has known Hank a long time and that he won’t be a security risk… unless they turn him into one.

The Marvel Studios logo rolls, accompanied by some salsa music, and the audience is not only transported to the present day, but also into the story of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who is still in prison. It appears as though he’s pissed off the wrong guy, as our future hero is in the midst of fighting a guy twice his size (Robert Crayton). Scott’s punches do very little against his opponent, and it looks like he is in big trouble – but it turns out that this is merely a friendly ritual being performed because the film’s protagonist is being released from prison.

As he gets out of the gates, Scott is greeted by Luis (Michael Pena), who was his former cellmate and has made space for the future hero in his apartment. Luis begins to talk about how he has some interesting people that he wants his friend to meet, hinting at a connection to the crime world, but Scott adamantly refuses. Now that he has spent some time in prison, he is changing his life and going on the straight and narrow for the sake of his young daughter (dropping in the fact that he has a Masters in electrical engineering). He’s fully confident that he can get back on his feet, but he also underestimates how easy it is to get a job after a prison stint…

Smash cut to Scott working the counter at a Baskin Robbins, where we see him dealing with an idiot who is attempting to order a burger – or at least something "hot and fresh." Bad as this is, the situation escalates when he is called into the manager’s office. It’s revealed that Scott lied on his resume to get the job, and while the boss actually thinks that it’s really cool how Scott stole from billionaires and fought the system, he fires him anyway.

Scott walks home to the apartment he shares with Luis – a building with downstairs neighbors playing thumping dance music at high volumes – and when he gets in he’s introduced to a number of new supporting players: David Dastmalchian's Kurt - a Russian described as being a computer whiz - and T.I. Harris’ Dave. When they bring up what’s referred to as the "Vista Job," complimenting the "robbery," Scott gets defensive and explains that it was only a burglary, as he despises violence and that robbery implies an act of threat. Luis then tells the story of Scott’s big job, which involved him whistleblowing on his old company for overcharging customers, getting fired, and then hacking into their system to redistribute millions to the company’s victims. Scott realizes that the group is attempting to recruit him for a job – one involving a "perfect Scott Lang mark" – but our hero steadfastly refuses. Of course, we know he’ll break eventually, and we’ll get to that on the next page

In a span of five scenes, this opening covers a whole lot of ground, and establishes a lot of information that will surely be important for the rest of the film – though I will admit that the pacing of it all felt a touch rushed. We’ll have to wait and see how it plays with the rest of the film, and the good news is that the rest of the footage we saw was chock full of stuff that you should be very excited to see for yourself.

Learning About The Heist

The next clip shown picked up a bit after the intro sequences, and was set up by Peyton Reed saying that it’s been hard for Scott Lang to be there for his daughter post-prison, and that he has begun slipping back into his old ways. The scene begins with Scott Lang coming back to his apartment clearly furious about something, going to the fridge and grabbing a beer. Luis asks him an innocuous question about his night, and Scott ignores him by instead asking about the job tip that was hinted at earlier. Luis couldn’t be more excited to hear this news, and jumps into game-planning mode.

Luis begins launching into the details of the plan, with Roy Ayers’ "Escape" from the Coffy soundtrack in the background and giving the whole scene a fun ‘70s spy aesthetic. While Luis occasionally gets comically off-track with his story at times, he eventually gets down to the heart of the matter, explaining the chain of people from whom he’s heard about the billionaire aforementioned "perfect Scott Lang mark" – who is pretty obviously going to be Dr. Hank Pym.

What’s really great about this sequence is that the footage not only stylistically shows the story that Luis is describing, jumping from source to source, but interlaces the narration perfectly so that when he is talking for other people, it looks like his words are coming out of their mouths in his voice. The sync and Michael Pena’s fantastic delivery mesh together to create a very memorable sequence that’s funny and weirdly feels like a throwback and something fresh at the same time.

Scott’s First Shrinking Experience

Surely many of you have seen the "Ant-Man in the shower" still featured above, and I imagine many of you have wondered what the hell he’s doing in there. Well, I’m now happy to report that I can tell you, and that it ties into Scott Lang’s first experience shrinking.

Picking things up post-heist, the third piece of footage began with Scott Lang in the bathroom washing his face, and looking over to see the Ant-Man suit he stole sitting next to him. He presses some of the buttons on the hands, discovering they don’t work, and finds the switch that releases the tube of Pym Particles (which looks exactly like it was shown in the first scene). Wanting to figure out what it can do, Scott starts to put his electrical engineering skills to use, and works to make the costume functional again.

Having accomplished this mission, Scott decides to put on the costume while standing in the shower – but he begins to question this choice when he hears through the door that Luis and the others are home. Not wanting to get caught, he clicks one of the buttons on his hands, and instantly finds himself shrunk down to the size of an ant. Scott is stunned by these events, and looks up to see that Luis has entered the bathroom and has approached the tub. In his ear, Scott hears the voice of Dr. Hank Pym, who first notes that the world looks a lot different at a small size – but then adds that our new hero is being exposed to a "trial by fire" and has had his grow button deactivated remotely.

Luis turns on the water, and Scott suddenly finds himself running for his life from gigantic droplets. Fortunately, the novice hero doesn’t get sucked down the drain, but he does get washed out of the tub and falls through the cracks in the floor to the apartment below. He winds up landing on a spinning record – playing the thumping music that’s been constantly present in the building – while Scott tries to run, he gets hit by the needle and knocked to the floor. There, he must escape the peril that is a lot of people walking around (with Ant-Man occasionally being magnified within pairs of clear platform shoes). Even after he escapes this madness, though, the trip isn’t over. After escaping the forest of clomping feet, the new Ant-Man falls through a grate into yet another apartment where he must face his deadliest foe yet: a vacuum cleaner. Scott winds up getting sucked up into the bag, swirled around with all kinds of dust and debris, but manages to successfully leap out. Heading to the wall, he gets in through a hole, but there he has a showdown with what looks like a giant rat. After evading the creature with the help of a trap, Hank speaks to Scott again, complimenting him on the test run, and telling him that he can keep the suit for now. This gets a simple reply from our protagonist: "No thank you."

Of the footage that was shown during the edit bay visit, this stuff was by far by favorite. The movie employed the usage of macrophotography in filming the shrinking sequences – which is to say extreme close-up photography used to make small things look giant – and the effect is absolutely beautiful when Ant-Man is thrown into the mix. I expect that the sequences that take place in these kinds of environments, be it the inside of a vacuum cleaner or an ATM, will be what makes this movie stick out from the rest of the Marvel pack.

The First Battle With Yellow Jacket

When we were on the set of Ant-Man late last year, we actually had the chance to watch one of the most exciting sequences of the movie – specifically the first showdown between Scott Lang and Corey Stoll’s Darren Cross in his weaponized Yellow Jacket costume (which is actually entirely motion-capture created). It was awesome to see such a crucial scene unfold, but the bonus is that they also showed us a near-completed version of the moment during the edit bay visit.

Set on a helicopter, the sequence begins with a tiny Ant-Man falling out the door of the flying vehicle, growing to full size, and quickly grabbing on to a seatbelt to save his life. He manages to pull himself back to the door, but when he looks inside he is greeted with horror, as Darren Cross has put on his Yellow Jacket costume and has his stingers pointed directly at him. Ant-Man immediately starts taking evasive maneuvers, shrinking and diving away, and Yellow Jacket begins to fire, barely missing the hero with every shot. Eventually Yellow Jacket shrinks too, and the two men start bouncing around the cabin fighting. The bad news is that the villain’s blasts wind up taking out the pilot of the helicopter, but the good news is that neither Ant-Man nor Yellow Jacket are around to see the consequences of this happening. This is because the chaos results in the two tiny men getting locked inside a briefcase, which then falls out of the helicopter and begins plummeting to the ground below.

The fact that heroes and villains can shrink and grow while fighting guarantees that the action in Ant-Man will be unlike any Marvel Studios title, and really unlike any big budget blockbuster before, but what’s also tremendously exciting are the various environments that the movie can explore – like the inside of a briefcase falling out of the sky. If all of the footage I was shown is any indication, the next film from Marvel should be a very exciting ride.

It was a couple weeks ago that 20th Century Fox gave us our first look at Ridley Scott's The Martian in the form of some brand new stills... but this brand new viral video for the movie is infinitely cooler. Check it out below!

Posted by the YouTube account Ares: Live, this isn't a trailer for The Martian, but rather - it seems - a video that was designed specifically for the marketing. And when's the last time you saw a piece of viral so over-stuffed with big name talent? Matt Damon gets the biggest portion of the spotlight here, but co-stars Jessica Chastain, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Michael Pena and more get in on the action as well. It's a fun preview, and - with any luck - the first of many to come.

In case you couldn't tell from the video, the larger context of what's going on here is that this crew of fun astronauts is launching into space with the hopes of landing on Mars. The good news is that they make it, the bad news is that it isn't long before they're struck by serious drama. A storm winds up hitting the settlement that they establish, and they are forced to abandon their mission... unaware that they leave a man behind. Matt Damon's character, Mark Watney, is left stranded on the surface of the Red Planet, and must use any and all of the resources at his disposal to try and both survive and contact NASA back on Earth.

Interestingly, one of the best times we've seen A-listers take full part in a movie's viral marketing was back in 2012 when Michael Fassbender was enlisted into videos for Prometheus... another Ridley Scott film. I wonder if this means that the director really likes this kind of marketing, and uses his resources to make them as good as they can possibly be.

Back in April, I attended the 20th Century Fox presentation at CinemaCon where the first ever footage from The Martian was shown, and I must say that I was very impressed. It took a very interesting tone - emphasizing a comedy element in the survival drama - and it looks like it could be a very entertaining movie. Hopefully this new viral for the film is an indication that we may get our first trailer soon enough, so be sure to stay tuned in the coming weeks for the footage!

The Martian opens in theaters nationwide on November 25th.

CHiPs is one of those projects that's been kicking around Hollywood long enough that it's secured a nice and cozy home in development hell. Close to a decade ago, the TV adaptation had some forward momentum in its corner, but ultimately ran out of gas on the side of the road. Momentum is on their side yet again, as Dax Shepherd and Michael Pena have been signed for the two lead roles of Officers Baker and Ponch in the recent past, and a new player has just signed on. Get ready for some more villainous goodness from Vincent D'Onofrio, as he's joined the CHiPs cast as of this week!

The Hollywood Reporter broke the scoop, which pegs D'Onofrio as the baddie in the action-comedy reboot of the classic 1970's TV show. So what's Vincent D'Onofrio's racket this time around? Apparently, the thievery of exotic cars is the name of the game, and the man who once patrolled the beat of Law And Order: Criminal Intent would know the game best – as his character is also a former cop. Other than that, not much is known about the film, but that's all we need to be interested.

Throughout his career as an actor, Vincent D'Onofrio has played various types of character, but any role that brings out his inner hard ass seems to be right in his wheelhouse. Just ask anyone who's seen his portrayal of Wilson Fisk, also known as "The Kingpin," on Netflix's breakout hit Daredevil, and they'll tell you that there's some really good reasoning that's gone into bringing out the legendary actor's mean streak once again. Not only does D'Onofrio's casting look good on paper, it also looks like the right move to drive the modern box office denizen to a future showing of CHiPs'!

Considering we almost had a CHiPs flick with Wilmer Valderrama and Chris Evans circa his Fantastic Four days, we should be lucky that the film has taken this long to become a going concern. What could have been a straight up comedy had turned into a somewhat serious project that will undoubtedly draw influence from the success of the Fast And Furious franchise, in an attempt to drum up some excitement. So far, it looks like Dax Shepherd has done us a solid in his capacity as co-writer/director, by remembering one of the reasons the Universal franchise works as well as it does: it knows how to cast a villain! Let's just hope he's learned a thing or two about his craft since 2010's forgettable Hit And Run lived up to its name in theaters.

CHiPs doesn't have a clear timetable as to when it will start filming, or when it's looking to be released, but when we have more information – you'll hear it from us the moment we've learned it.

Hollywood has been threatening a movie based on the cops television series CHiPs for nearly a full decade, but only now does the project seem like it actually has some real direction. Dax Shepard, the actor best known for playing Frito in Mike Judge's Idiocracy, has been hired by Warner Bros. to not only write and direct a feature version of the late-'70s/early-'80s series, but also star. He will be playing Officer Jon Baker in the film, a role originated by Larry Wilcox, but the film has already found its new Ponch as well:

The comedy/drama double threat Michael Pena has signed on for the part that introduced the world to Erik Estrada. Pena has been pretty damn busy of late, not only starring in movies like Cesar Chavez, Amercan Hustle and the upcoming Fury, but also working on the television series Gracepoint. Along with Shepard's Officer Baker, he will patrol California highways on motorcycle while wearing tight khaki uniforms. Their main motivation will be to hit on attractive women, while also stopping car insurance scams and the like. Deadline says that the tone of the project will be "semi-serious" and take cues from titles like Bad Boys and Lethal Weapon.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this news and Pena's casting in particular is who the future Ant-Man star is taking the role of Ponch away from. That '70's Show actor Wilmer Valderrama first became attached to play Ponch in a CHiPs movie back in 2004, when classic shows like Starsky and Hutch and The Dukes of Hazzard were getting the big screen treatment. Deadline notes that Valderrama showed up in executive Greg Silverman's office in costume, said "Funny, right?" and got the job. Years passed, and while Chris Evans was rumored for the role of Baker, the movie never got made. Now that things are looking up for the property again, we can assume that the reason why Valderrama is not back is because he's still known as "That '70's Show actor."

Shepard got his first taste of directing when he co-helmed the 2010 comedy Brother's Justice with David Palmer, and the two filmmakers teamed up again in 2012 for the feature Hit and Run (which co-starred Shepard's wife, Kristen Bell). Part of what the actor cum director brings to CHiPS is that he is a professional race car and motorcycle driver, which means that he can help orchestrate and perform some of his own stunts for the film.

Do you like this set up for a CHiPS movie? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Director John Hillcoat is pretty excellent when it comes to rugged films about outlaws, with 2012’s Lawless and 2005’s The Proposition as obvious standouts, but his upcoming thriller Triple Nine will turn the good guys into the outlaws, and it’s just gained a giant cast of talented actors that will almost certainly make this the biggest film of his career. The previously cast Chiwetel Ejiofor and Casey Affleck will be joined by Kate Winslet, Michael B. Jordon, Aaron Paul, Teresa Palmer, Michael Peña, and Gal Gadot. I would take a deep breath after saying all that, but I’m afraid someone else might join the project in the meantime.

Triple Nine didn’t just gain a huge cast, either. Deadline reports Open Road Films has preemptively snagged the domestic distribution rights, while Sierra/Affinity will be shopping it around for international buyers at the European Film Market. I’m guessing it won’t take long to attract many a studios’ deep pockets.

The film centers on a group of corrupt policemen who find themselves on the wrong end of a blackmail threat from the Russian mafia, and are tasked with performing a dangerous and nearly impossible heist. The plan will involve setting up and taking down a rookie cop to draw attention from the rest of the force, while part of the dirty cop squad are across the city working on the actual job. Everything goes haywire when the rookie cop survives his attack, and even more double-crossing and dirty tricks come into play. There are hints of many other heist action films, but I’m betting the script from Hillcoat and Matt Cook will feel like an original story.

While there's no word on which actor will be playing what parts, I’m pretty sure we can count on either Jordon or Paul as the rookie cop - although I can easily see Paul as a no-smiles member of the Russian mob. Really, it’s equally possible Gadot or Palmer will take the role.

Jordan and Winslet were in two of this past weekend’s debuts, That Awkward Moment and Labor Day, respectively, and Paul will soon be seen in the video game quasi-adaptation Need for Speed. Peña will soon star as labor leader Cesar Chavez in the biopic that takes his name, and Palmer is starring in the romantic sci-fi Parts Per Billion. You may have heard Gadot’s name a time or two recently, as she’ll portray Wonder Woman in Zack Snyder’s upcoming Batman/Superman movie.

Open Road is planning on putting Triple Nine out in theaters some time in 2015. Even if you happen to be unfamiliar with Hillcoat’s features, you were still probably one of the many millions who saw his latest work, the culture-friendly Super Bowl commercial from Coca Cola that became something of an Internet phenomenon (for all the wrong reasons). You can watch it below, but save any racially undignified remarks for the dinner table.

As follow-up to writer-director David Ayer’s jaw-dropping cop drama End of Watch, we anticipate Fury will be full of action and tense moments. But for our first look at the World War II drama that is now in production, Ayer has chosen to share a peaceful moment featuring his star-stacked cast.

In its original tweet, it’s a bit hard to make out whose who in this pic. But in the blown up image below, you can make out from left to right Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief’s Logan Lerman, End of Watch’s Michael Pena, Brad Pitt sitting in the center, The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal, and Shia LaBeouf.

Fury stars these five as members of an American tank crew that’s cutting its way through Germany in the final days of World War II. The arguable sixth member of this unit is Fury, the tank you see them resting on above. As he did with End of Watch, Ayer plans to create a gritty and earnest portrait of a job that demands incredible tenacity and bravery. “What these men went through is worthy of a complex, honest portrayal,” Ayers has said. “This will have incredible, visceral action and complex rich characters. I plan to bring tank combat to life in a way that lands with a modern audience.”

Pitt plays a tough as nails Army sergeant called Wardaddy, who leads his unit in the mission to make a major blow to the Nazi forces. LaBeouf will portray that familiar war movie figure of the young man who is eager for battle until he faces the true horrors of war. Pena will play Fury’s oft-drunk driver, who has made a solemn vow to never go into war sober. Lerman will be the crew’s youngest member, reluctant gunner Norman Ellison, who was trained in the Army as a typist. Finally, Bernthal will tackle the role of Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis, an Arkansas native whose can be as cruel as he is cunning.

After End of Watch, we’re on board for whatever Ayer does next, which technically would be the upcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger crime-drama Sabotage. Rather than writing and directing as he did on End of Watch and will do on Fury, this feature has him as a hired gun helmer, directing the action icon in the tale of a DEA task force being picked off one by one after they plunder a drug cartel’s safe house. Open Road Films will unleash Sabotage on January 24th, 2014. Columbia Pictures plans to bring forth Fury in theaters on November 14th, 2014.

As much as I appreciate laughing uproariously at a good comedy or getting an emotional charge from a pointed drama, I’m never happier with a movie than when it’s actively terrorizing my mental state. The feeling hasn’t gone away with age, but the percentage of movies that provoke that feeling has drastically lessened, due to over-saturation I’m sure. But I’ll take three dozen shitty zombie and vampire movies to get one amazing one. And I’ll sit through just as many predictable slasher flicks to find the one that really chops my socks off. But when it comes to movies about exorcisms, I think the devilish well dried up many years ago. Once oxymoronically-named movies like The Last Exorcism: Part II exist, there’s nowhere left to turn.

So of course The Vatican Tapes is finally going into production next month, after first surfacing back in 2009. The horror film, directed oddly enough by Mark Neveldine (Crank 2: High Voltage), only had actor John Patrick Amedori (The Last Stand) previously attached, but a recent press release announced the rest of the cast, as well as a more detailed description of the film. Feel free to mull over the many different areas you think The Vatican Tapes could go before moving on to the next paragraph.

Olivia Dudley (Chernobyl Diaries) will play 27-year-old Angela Holmes, “an ordinary girl who begins to have a devastating effect on anyone close to her, causing serious injury and death.” Michael Peña (End of Watch) will play local priest Father Lozano, who believes Holmes to be possessed. He calls in Vicar Imani – to be played by Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond) – and Cardinal Bruun – played by Peter Andersson (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) – but it turns out the demon inside her is more ancient and evil and Satanic and evilly ancient Satanical than any of them could possibly comprehend!

The original description of the film said it was a leaked video tape about an exorcism gone wrong, which made me think it would take a found-footage shaky cam approach, something we’ve seen before. But there’s no mention of this format in the press release. I kind of hope they scrap it entirely, and the “tape” in the title doesn’t mean anything at all. Keep us guessing, Neveldine!

Rounding out the rest of the cast is Dougray Scott (Hemlock Grove), who will play Holmes’ father and Kathleen Robertson (Boss), whose character doesn’t get a description. This will also be the first American film debut for Russian actor and musician Alex Sparrow.

Christopher Borrelli (Whisper) wrote the screenplay based on a story he created with Chris Morgan, who wrote the last four Fast & Furious movies.

Neveldine and Morgan’s involvement make me think this movie could get really over-the-top really quickly, and if that happens, I’ll be possessed to cut you guys in line at the theater.

It's been nearly two years since Oscar-nominated screenwriter Keir Pearson announced his plans to write a biopic about Cesar Chavez, the labor organizer who fought for the rights of migrant farm workers in the Southwest in the 1960s and 70s. The biopic seemed to have stalled out somewhere in development since that announcement, but today we're learning it's gotten a big, starry boost. Variety reports that Michael Pena is set to play Chavez in an adaptation of Pearson's script to be directed by Diego Luna, the actor known for roles in Y tu Mama Tambien and more recently Contraband.

Luna has one feature film behind him, 2010's coming of age story Abel, but Chavez will likely be a whole lot bigger, and with bigger stars to go along with it. America Ferrera is set to play Chavez's wife, Helen Chavez, while Rosario Dawson will play his aide, Dolores Huerta. The Variety writeup says the action of the film will focus on Chavez organizing the largest non-violent protest in U.S. history on behalf of farm workers, though since Chavez led several similar strikes throughout his career, it's unclear if it will focus on one of them or meld several together into a single story. Luna also provided a statement about the importance of Chavez's work:

As big a step as this will be for Luna, it's even huger for Pena, who has shown a big range in everything from the dramatic Crash to the ridiculous Observe and Report, but has never had the breakout role to really put him on the map. Chavez seems like it could do exactly that, and no matter how the film turns out, a strong performance from Pena will likely get noticed no matter what. Shooting is set to begin in Mexico in April, and if we're lucky, we might get a look at Chavez before the end of the year.

When Aladdin first arrived in theaters it changed the world of animation forever. While up to that point the medium largely relied on professional voice actors to bring characters to life, the 1992 Disney film was the first to ever have a major movie star be a main focus in a project's advertising. Animation hasn't been the same since, as studios now regularly turn to big name actors to voice the leads in their projects, be it Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy in Shrek, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in Toy Story, or Jack Black and Angelina Jolie in Kung-Fu Panda. Now the cast list for the upcoming DreamWorks Animation project Turbo has been announced and it's clear that tradition is still alive.

THR is reporting that Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Luis Guzmán, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Michelle Rodriguez, Maya Rudolph, Ben Schwartz, Kurtwood Smith, Snoop Dogg and Samuel L. Jackson will all be voicing characters in the animated film. The film follows a garden snail (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) who dreams of racing and moving fast. While his desire has resulted in him becoming an outcast in the snail community, when his wish is granted he begins on a path that will lead him to the Indianapolis 500. The article doesn't specify who any of the new actors will be voicing in the film. David Soren, who has served as a story artist for years under DreamWorks, is directing the project based on a script that he wrote with Robert Siegel and Darren Lemke.

I've seen some pretty outstanding casts in animated films before, but this may very well be the best I've ever seen. Let's hope that the finished product is just as solid.

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!

How does one follow up the tough task of playing a philosophy-spouting, hat-wearing spiritual guide in the underrated The Adjustment Bureau? If you are Anthony Mackie, you go gangster.

Mackie, who also earned an Indie Spirit nomination for playing Jeremy Renner’s right-hand man in Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar-winning The Hurt Locker, has been added to the impressive Gangster Squad ensemble at Warner Bros., according to Variety. He’ll co-star alongside Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Michael Pena in a period police thriller based on actual events surrounding an LAPD bureau created specifically to combat East Coast mobsters who were heading west. The trade says Mackie will play LAPD lieutenant Rocky Washington.

Even if Gangster, directed by Zombieland helmer Ruben Fleischer, comes off as a B-level L.A. Confidential, it will be a project worth tracking. The cast is spectacular, and the ripped-from-the-headlines gambit works even when those headlines are decades old. Plus, the popularity of the crime-solving L.A. Noire video game proves there is an audience hungry for these types of stories, providing they are handled properly. As for Mackie, you can rent his Adjustment Bureau later this month, and see him alongside Hugh Jackman in the robot boxing drama Real Steel later this year.