Three years ago, when Nimona came out, I was so excited to watch it. It was being lauded as one of the best Netflix movies of 2023 (which was a particularly strong year), with a poignant message of acceptance — especially for the LGBTQ+ community and others who have experienced discrimination. Shamefully, I never got around to it, and Nimona fell further and further down my watch list. However, thanks to Pride Month and the trusty Netflix algorithm, it recently popped up again, and after finally watching it, I can’t stop thinking about one particularly powerful message.

First, a quick plot recap to get us all caught up: Nimona is based on a graphic novel by ND Stevenson (but is very different from the source material). The plot centers around Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight who is falsely accused of killing the queen and teams up with the titular shapeshifter to prove his innocence. The animated flick is filled with humor, heart, action and quotable lines like, “Arm-chopping is not a love language.” And while that’s a good message, it’s not the one that stuck out to me.

I Loved the LGBTQ+ Representation In Ballister And Ambrosius’ Relationship

These days it’s not quite as rare to see queer couples on TV and in movies, but there’s still not enough representation — particularly in family movies. In fact, back before Netflix saved Nimona from cancellation, there were reports that Blue Sky animators felt “pressure” from Disney to remove a same-sex kiss. Thankfully, there were no such issues at Netflix, because Ballister’s relationship with Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang) is so important to the movie.

Not only does it normalize queer relationships in a beautiful way, but their history together added so much depth to the central conflict, with Ambrosius being the one tasked with hunting down Ballister following the queen's murder.

As much as I love that Nimona put a gay couple front and center in the plot, it was Nimona herself who really made an impact on me.

Nimona’s Shapeshifting Was Such A Beautiful Metaphor For Living Your Truth

When Nimona first floated the idea of teaming up with fellow outcast Ballister to clear his name (in exchange for making her his sidekick), the disgraced knight didn’t realize quite what he was getting into. However, once he experienced her shapeshifting into a whale, ostrich, gorilla, rhinoceros, etc., he struggled to accept her because he couldn’t define her:

• Ballister: What are you?
• Nimona: I’m Nimona.
• Ballister: So you’re a girl and a rhino?
• Nimona: I’m a lot of things.

I really appreciated that Nimona never apologized for who she was; she never felt forced to define herself. There was no fantastical story, no lore behind her shapeshifting. Nimona was born that way, and she consistently brushed off Ballister’s attempts to put her identity in a box (with more patience than he deserved).

I think this is so important, especially for younger people who may be struggling with their identity or sexuality or any other issue, because Nimona not only gives them permission to be themselves, but she shows several examples of what they can say to people who pressure them to do otherwise. Sometimes, for instance, she used humor to deflect a narrow-minded question:

• Ballister: Can you just be you, please?
• Nimona: I don’t follow.
• Ballister: Girl, you.
• Nimona: But I’m not a girl. I’m a shark. *chomp chomp* Hey, you ever put your head in the mouth of one of these?

That leads me to the conversation that had me applauding in my living room — one that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

If You Take One Thing Away From Nimona, I Hope It’s This

The scene that stuck with me from Nimona is when the shapeshifter and Ballister are riding the train, and he asks her one more time to be “normal,” and instead of brushing it off or making a joke out of it, Nimona challenges him:

• Ballister: Can you please just be normal for a second?
• Nimona: Normal?
• Ballister: I just think it’d be easier if you were a girl.
• Nimona: Easier to be a girl? You’re hilarious.
• Ballister: I mean, easier if you look human.
• Nimona: Easier for who?

YES! Nimona knows that if a person or group of people or society is telling her to act or look a certain way, it is for their own comfort, not her benefit, and she doesn’t owe them that.

I think there are obvious LGBTQ+ parallels to be made here — I’ve specifically seen a lot of references to the trans experience — but I also think it’s bigger than that. Autistic people or those with ADHD may not act like others expect them to, and people with disabilities, different looks and different attitudes can be left out for not masking or conforming to societal “norms.”

I often tell my daughters to “Take up space,” and that they deserve to be in the room as much as everyone else, but I’m sure I’ve never been able to articulate it as well as Nimona does in this scene and throughout the movie. Basically it's that you don’t have to make yourself small or change who you are to make other people more comfortable.

In fact, at Ballister’s suggestion that life would be easier if she only presented as a girl, Nimona tells him it’s actually the opposite — that she actually feels worse if she doesn’t let all of her different shapes show through.

Now that I’ve finally discovered the beauty of Nimona, I’ve actually watched it multiple times, and I could go on about the other quotes I love from this movie (“They grow up believing that they can be a hero if they drive a sword into the heart of anything different. And I’m the monster?” What a gift this movie is.).

I’m sad that it took me this long to finally discover Nimona, and if you haven’t seen it (or haven’t seen it in a while), do yourself a favor and fire up that Netflix subscription. You can also check out some more upcoming LGBTQ+ movies we’re looking forward to.

Riz Ahmed has added another great performance to his already stacked resume, with his version of Hamlet being among the latest of 2026 movie releases. The Sound of Metal Oscar nominee has been wanting to make his own take on William Shakespeare’s legendary tragedy since he was a teenager, and now that it’s here, he spoke to CinemaBlend about reimagining the famous “To Be Or Not To Be” Speech.

The new version of Hamlet gives it a South Asian context with Riz Ahmed playing a man from a wealthy family living in modern-day London, dealing with the recent death of his father. The centerpiece of the film has to be when Ahmed delivers his own version of “To Be Not To Be” while behind the wheel of a sports car after committing one of Hamlet’s famous murders. Here’s what the actor said about his version of the speech:

Ahmed had a different interpretation of the speech from the way it’s typically presented to the audience, and used this to his advantage while on the film. As he continued in our interview:

It’s an excellent idea to turn up the heat for the “To Be Or Not To Be” speech for the medium of film, but as he described, shooting his vision for the independent film posed one big challenge for the sequence when it came to the day on set. In his words:

How wild is that? After already condensing the speech (and entire play to be a two-hour movie), Riz Ahmed and the production team realized he’d have to condense it even more to shoot the scene on the day. It certainly makes for a high-octane version of the speech that’s much more exciting and urgent than we’ve possibly ever seen Hamlet.

The new Hamlet movie is helmed by Aneil Karia, who previously worked with Riz Ahmed on their Oscar-winning short, The Long Goodbye. It also stars the likes of Timothy Spall, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s Morfydd Clark and Joe Alwyn.

Along with Riz Ahmed’s Hamlet movie, the British actor has been all over the place recently, such as for his new show Bait, as Severus Snape for Audible’s version of the Harry Potter books and as one of the first hosts for Saturday Night Live UK. Hamlet is now playing in theaters!

Since William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is arguably the most famous tragedy in literature, it’s not necessarily a surprise to find another iteration of it among the 2026 movie releases… until you take a closer look. The latest iteration of the iconic play is given a fresh spin thanks to Riz Ahmed’s longtime dream to tell his own version of it. told from a modern, South Asian point of view. CinemaBlend had the chance to speak to the movie’s director about telling Hamlet in a new context.

Hamlet follows a wealthy British South Asian man living in modern-day London, who’s dealing with the recent loss of his father. The movie features Shakespearean language and condenses the play into two hours. When I asked the director, Aneil Karia, about adapting the famed play with a new cultural context, he said this:

Karia was approached by Riz Ahmed about six months after their collaboration on the Oscar-winning short The Long Goodbye. He said his first reaction to the project was thinking he’s “not the guy for this” due to his lack of connection to Shakespeare and the material. However, once he read the script Ahmed worked on with screenwriter Michael Lesslie (2015’s Macbeth, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and Now You See Me Now You Don’t) he started to become “excited” by it. As he continued:

This version of Hamlet certainly finds a unique and timely way to retell Shakespeare’s play despite it being over 400 years at this point. It’s told more like a thriller and involves a lavish dance sequence at a wedding, Riz Ahmed monologuing in a speeding sports car, and violent death sequences (of course). Karia also said this:

Along with Ahmed leading the cast, the movie also stars The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power’s Morfydd Clark, Joe Alwyn and Timothy Spall. It’s earned a fresh 73% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Reimagining Hamlet was on Riz Ahmed’s mind since he was a teenager, but it took being two decades into his career before he was able to make it. The Brit has a huge resume of great movies, including earning a Best Actor Oscar nomination for 2019’s The Sound of Metal. As of late, he’s been busy, between recently hosting the new series Saturday Night Live UK and portraying Severus Snape in Audible’s Harry Potter audiobooks.

You can see his version of Hamlet in theaters now.

There are some actors who embody a role so well that it's hard to separate their performance from the character. I'd classify Alan Rickman's performance as Severus Snape as a great example, as he really did make the role in the book-to-screen adaptation of Harry Potter his own. The only other Snape performance that I'm used to is Jim Dale's voice for the character during his narration of the original U.S. audiobooks. Suffice to say, it's been an adjustment to hear a different voice behind the Potions Master, but after finishing up the full cast audio edition of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I realized that Riz Ahmed's take on the character has really grown on me.

I guess I should start by saying that my feelings about Alan Rickman's Snape are kind of complicated. On one hand, Rickman is iconic, and I think he elevated the Harry Potter movies with his take on the deadpan, often grumpy professor, who Harry and his friends occasionally thought was up to no good. But on the other hand, as a major fan of the books, there were things about Rickman's Snape that were different from what I imagined about the character. Part of that could be due to Jim Dale's voice performance on the original U.S. audiobooks, but I think another part was the tone Snape takes in the book being different (to me, anyway) than Rickman's tone, which was dry and even funny at times. The point of bringing this up at all is to emphasize that Rickman has a very specific take on Snape -- a take I loved, for sure, but not an exact match for how I imagined him from the book.

What I've realized in listening to these new full-cast audiobooks is that Ahmed's take is not only different from Dale's and Rickman's, but I also appreciate that the Sound of Metal and Relay star doesn't seem to be trying to channel either of their versions of the character for his own. And it's just as well, as I think one of the things that makes Rickman's performance stand out includes his facial expressions and pauses, in addition to line delivery. Given that we're dealing with an audio production here, the actors are bringing the characters to life by voice alone. Ahmed's take really captures Snape's specific way of speaking, often soft-spoken but articulate and very deliberate. I suppose we could say the same for Rickman's take, but the delivery is different.

I don't know if I've just been distracted by all of the other great voice performances on these new editions of the audiobooks (James McAvoy's Moody performance in Goblet of Fire, for example, was off-the-charts!), or it's the fact that Snape stands out more as a character in Order of the Phoenix, but this was the book that got me noticing how great Ahmed's performance is. In the fifth Harry Potter book, Dumbledore tasks Snape with teaching Harry Occlumency, which leads to a few 1:1 training sessions between the Boy Who Lived and one of his recurring nemeses. Most of the time throughout the books, the Snape we see is one who keeps his emotions in check, however there's a scene in Order of the Phoenix when he loses his cool–when he catches Harry with the Pensieve containing his memories–and you can really hear the emotion in Ahmed's voice as Snape throws Harry out of his office.

I'm absolutely loving these newly released audiobooks, and I'm especially looking forward to Audible's release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which elevates Snape's involvement in the story in a couple of major ways (to put it mildly). I can't wait to continue to hear Riz Ahmed's version of the character. If Paapa Essiedu weren't already lined up to play Severus Snape in HBO's upcoming TV series adaptation of Harry Potter, I'd be dream-casting Ahmed in the role. Alas, I'm excited to see what Essiedu brings to the character when the show debuts. At the very least, Ahmed's performance is a reminder that, as much as we may love Alan Rickman in the role, it's also great to see new takes on one of the series best and most-layered characters.

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The most successful and long-last sketch series in all of entertainment, Saturday Night Live is once again attempting to spread its wings and expand in the form of a brand-new spinoff set on the other side of the planet. Saturday Night Live UK aims to deliver the same skewed and satirical comedic approach to British life as the original does for the U.S.

With an all-new set of cast members that seemingly won't cross over with the U.S. group at any point, the new series is set to debut soon, and fans around the world will be able to stream it, depending on one's specific location.

How To Watch SNL UK In The UK

Local comedy fans who can't wait to watch Saturday Night Live UK don't have to go very far for laughs. The new show will be airing on Sky and NOW.

Not around the homefront when SNL UK debuts? You'll still be able to watch "Live from..." anywhere by accessing Sky or NOW via VPN.

How To Watch SNL UK In The U.S. And Canada

U.S. residents who aren't looped into any UK services will need to wait until the morning after new episodes air to watch. The March 21 episode will debut via Peacock subscription on the morning of March 22, and that pattern will continue throughout the season.

Rather than using Peacock, Canadian sketch comedy fans will be able to use the streaming service Crave to catch up on new episodes the day after they first air natively.

Any Americans or Canadians traveling abroad will likely be unable to log into Peacock or Crave at will, so signing up for a VPN will help keep you up to date without worries about missing episodes. Read on to learn how to make it happen.

The Guest Hosts And Musical Performers Lined Up So Far

• March 21 - Episode 1: Tina Fey, Wet Leg
• March 28 - Episode 2: Jame Dornan, Wolf Alice
• April 4 - Episode 3: Riz Ahmed, Kasabian

The SNL UK Cast

• Hammed Animashaun
• Ayoade Bamgboye
• Larry Dean
• Celeste Dring
• George Fouracres
• Ania Magliano
• Annabel Marlow
• Al Nash
• Jack Shep
• Emma Sidi
• Paddy Young

Saturday Night Live UK FAQ

1. When does SNL UK premiere?
The new show debuts in the UK on Saturday, March 21.

2. Will SNL UK be like the U.S. version?
According to NBCU, the UK version of the long-running sketch series will bring the same eagerness to get laughs from viewers via sketches, the guest's opening monologue and other more pointed messages. The difference, of course, will be the distinctly UK sense of humor and stable of pop culture references to make. Aa well, the "Weekend Update" will now be centered squarely on news from that country.

3. Is Lorne Michaels Involved?
The Saturday Night Live spearheader is indeed serving as an executive producer for the across-the-pond spinoff, and his production company Broadway Video is co-producing alongside Universal Television Alternative Studio's UK hub.

4. Who Is The Head Writer?
A good seaosn of SNL often dependson who is in control of the writers room. In this case, it's Daran Johnson, a writer for such proejcts as Year Friends, Parlement and Wedding Season. Meanwhile, serving as director is Emanuelle in Sin City star Liz Clare.

I’ve recently started attending some of the Monday mystery movie events at my local theater. With the number of 2025 movies I’ve seen this year, I like the idea of incorporating some randomness into my theater-going experience.

While it goes by different names depending on the theater chain (AMC Screen Unseen, Marcus Mystery Movie, etc) the Monday mystery movie event is a screening of a new, unnamed movie on a Monday night for a low price. Of the few I’ve attended, it appears to be the same film being screened across various theater chains. While there’s usually some speculation on social media about the title, the whole point is that you show up not knowing what movie you're seeing until the movie starts. Besides the date and time of the screening, the listing only includes the movie’s rating and general length. My theater also says if it’s a horror or not.

I Hoped I'd See Nobody 2, But I Guessed Wrong

So far, my experiences attending the mystery movie Monday have been pretty great, even when I guess wrong. Case in point: this week, because Nobody 2’s release date is this coming weekend, I guessed that it might be the Bob Odenkirk sequel. Also, it's rated R, which would match the teased mystery movie. Relay’s theatrical release isn’t until next week (August 22), so I hadn’t even considered it, though I now realize that the level of earliness of the mystery movie varies.

While I showed up for the screening thinking Nobody 2 was a possibility, my mindset with these screenings is very much: “I get what I get.” Guessing right is fun, but if I get to see a movie I hadn’t heard about or planned to see in the theater, and it turns out to be really good, well, that’s even better. I realize that I'm spinning a figurative wheel and hoping for the best with these screenings, which I think we all sort of do when we go see a movie, in that we don’t know for sure if we’re going to enjoy it. This just adds a bigger layer of mystery in that we don't know exactly what we're about to see. So if you’re super picky about what movies you see, this experience may not be for you.

Before this week, the last time I did a Monday mystery movie, I ended up seeing The Life of Chuck, which was what I'd hoped for, especially after Eric’s high praise for it in his review. It was fantastic, and I was delighted to get to see it a bit earlier than its theatrical release. (CinemaBlend’s Laura Hurley ended up accidentally seeing it twice due to her own Monday mystery movie experience, but that’s another story.)

Now Let's Talk About Relay, Because Wow

In the case of this week’s experience, I went in hoping for one movie, but it turned out to be something else. And that worked out, as Relay was such a fun, suspenseful movie, and a great one to see in the theater with a crowd.

Directed by David Mackenzie, Relay stars Riz Ahmed as a man who works in the shadows, helping people broker deals with companies that usually have something to hide. The titular “relay” refers to the relay phone service he uses to communicate with clients anonymously and confidentially. Sarah (Lily James) hires this man to help her after she kept documents from a former employer that could expose research findings they don’t want made public. Because she has these documents, she’s being harassed by the company at life-ruining levels. Ahmed’s character takes on the job to sort the situation out with her, and the thriller really takes off from there. Sam Worthington plays the guy who leads the team of life-ruining harassers trying to get the documents back on behalf of the company. Watch the trailer below:

As has been the case in the past two Monday Mystery Movie screenings, my theater was impressively full for a Monday night. People are certainly showing up for a mystery screening, at least in my neighborhood. And the tension in the room for this film was palpable, which added to my enjoyment.

Like I said, this wasn’t a film that was big on my radar, but after seeing it, I learned that it debuted at TIFF in 2024, and with 28 reviews as of this writing, it’s currently holding a respectable 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is exactly why I’m loving the Monday Mystery Movie screenings. I don’t love going out on a Monday night, but I need this kind of randomness in my life. I'm not sure if I would've chosen to see Relay in the theater otherwise, but it was a great big-screen experience.

Relay arrives in theaters on Friday, August 22. If it sounds like your type of film, give it a shot. The cast is great, as is the New York City setting, and it kept me guessing throughout.

For the past couple of decades, Tom Cruise has primarily stayed in the realm of action movies, with the Mission: Impossible franchise and the uber-successful Top Gun: Maverick taking up most of his time. However, that’ll soon change when the Hollywood icon leads Digger, directed by one of Hollywood's most interesting filmmakers, Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

More and more details are finally emerging for this secretive movie, and we finally got a full trailer showing us way more than anything we've seen before. It looks pretty awesome, and it's going to be so fun to see Tom Cruise as this wild character on the 2026 movie schedule. Here's what we know so far, including the new trailer.

What Is The Digger Release Date?

2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest movie years in quite a while, and before the year comes to an end, we’ll get to see what Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Tom Cruise have cooking, as the Digger release date has been set for October 2, 2026.

I have little doubt that Iñárritu will likely be in the discussion, at least, for another Best Director Oscar nomination. He's going to have some stiff competition, as he is one of many Oscar-nominated (and winning) directors with big movies coming out this year, including Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, and Denis Villeneuve.

The Digger Trailer

We've been waiting forever for the Digger trailer, and it finally arrived in July, and it's even wilder than I expected. I knew this would be a wacky movie (in the best way), but even I was surprised just how out there it is. We also get our first look at the other actors in the movie, including a lot of John Goodman, whose scenes are giving serious Dr Strangelove vibes, Sandra Hüller, who can be so funny in her dry, German way, and Riz Ahmed, who may just steal the show.

My anticipation is definitely growing after this bonkers trailer.

The Digger Cast

As Tom Cruise has shown time and time again, he is more than capable of carrying a movie on his own. However, he won’t have to do all the heavy lifting here, as Alejandro G. Iñárrituhas put together an absolutely incredible group of actors that includes Oscar winners, Emmy winners, and even a member of the Saturday Night Live Five-Timers Club. It's especially fun that we'll get to see John Goodman play the President of the United States again, after he briefly did on The West Wing a quarter-century ago (albeit with a very different style here).

Here’s everyone who’s joining the Digger cast:

• Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell
• Sandra Hüller
• John Goodman as the President of the United States
• Michael Stuhlbarg
• Jesse Plemons
• Sophie Wilde
• Riz Ahmed as an assistant to the President
• Emma D'Arcy
• Robert John Burke
• Burn Gorman

What Is Digger About?

Though a lot of specifics are being kept under wraps at the moment, Deadline did share a simple synopsis for Digger back in August 2024. The movie, which was untitled at the time of the report, will center on Digger Rockwell, the most powerful man in the world, as he embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity’s savior. From the trailer, it seems to involve nukes, Antarctica, and a lot of stress for those in charge.

What makes this whole concept even more interesting is the fact that the humanity-killing disaster he is trying to prevent is one of his own making. We’ve seen Cruise save the world countless times over the years, be it from aliens, rogue nations, mummies, and diabolical madmen, but this sounds far more bizarre than anything that he’s done in a very long time.

Iñárritu Has Described The Movie As A 'Brutal, Wild Comedy of Catastrophic Proportions'

Though Iñárritu and Cruise have both created some undeniably comedic moments throughout their respective careers, neither is really known for comedy. That said, we will get to see how the two handle dark comedy when Digger opens next fall. During a 25th anniversary celebration of Iñárritu’s 2000 drama, Amores Perros, at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival (via The Hollywood Reporter), the man behind Birdman and The Revenant had this to say when teasing the movie:

During the same event, Deadline asked Iñárritu about working with Cruise and how that experience went. In his answer, the director offered some more details about the movie:

I didn't think we'd be getting a Les Grossman-type performance out of Cruise here, but it actually looks like we will be, and I'm all in on that. It's so great when Cruise steps out of the action hero cape he's so often in, so this could be something special.

Today the road to the Academy Awards began with the announcement of this year’s Oscar nominees. Many of the nominations were expected, though there were a few Oscar nomination surprises and some even more surprising Oscar snubs. And one of the things that a lot of people are talking about is the presentation of the nominees itself, as people seem to love the work done by Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed. 

Ahmed and Williams were tasked with revealing the nominees for all of the Oscar categories. And based on the response on Twitter, it sounds like these two should be brought back to do this every year, if not host the awards themselves. Williams was specifically praised for what appeared to many as a concerted effort to pronounce everybody's name right.

While today wasn’t the Academy Awards itself, it’s still a really important day. While “it’s an honor to be nominated” is something of a cliché, it’s also very true. Being nominated for an Oscar is a big deal for people who make the cut, especially in categories that don’t always get a lot of fanfare. Hearing one's name pronounced correctly, especially for those people who probably tend to hear their name get mispronounced often, is probably a really big deal.

Perhaps part of the reason that Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed worked so well together is that they’ve done so before. One fan watching this morning’s announcement realized that, since Riz Ahmed appeared in a couple of episodes of the HBO series Girls, where Williams was a regular. So this was a special moment for fans. 

Whether it's the Oscars awards show itself or the announcement of the nominees, usually people tend to focus on what went wrong or what didn’t work with the host. It could be jokes that don’t land, scripted banter that comes off like scripted banter, or other decisions that make the presentations feel out of touch; this sort of thing rarely goes off without a hitch. But this time, it really seems like it did. Praise all around. 

Of course, the moments that are often the most memorable are those that were clearly and obviously unscripted. The funniest point of today’s announcements came while Riz Ahmed was reading the nominees for Best Animated Short, and he had to take an audible breath, leading to laughter from those in the room, after reading the name of one particular nominee. 

It’s actually unclear exactly what Riz Ahmed found so funny. He may have needed a beat after reading out My Year of Dicks, which, yes is very funny. However, he may have actually been reacting to the name of the final nominee, with the perhaps equally fantastic title, An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe It. We’ll find out if either of these fantastically titled short films wins the Oscar when the Academy Awards are broadcast on March 12. 

Despite nearly a quarter of the world’s population being Muslim, throughout Hollywood history there has not only been a major lack of representation of Muslim characters, but the few on screen are typically overwhelmingly stereotyped and made into villains of the story. There’s a lot of work left to be done when it comes to the portrayal of Muslim characters in movies and TV shows, but in recent years there have at least been more authentic and varied depictions on screen – most recently with Marvel Studios introducing its first Muslim superhero with Ms. Marvel. 

Last summer, a report by USC (via Deadline) estimated that just 1.1 percent of characters in 100 popular U.S. films made from 2017 to 2019 were Muslim and out of 200 films worldwide, just over 90 percent did not feature even one Muslim speaking character. The study also showed that over half of Muslim characters were in films set in the past. In summation, Muslim characters have greatly been erased from popular media. Despite these stats, there have been a handful of great recent portrayals of Muslim characters who’ve managed to break some much needed ground: 

Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) - Ms. Marvel 

The most mainstream and exciting depiction of a Muslim character to date is Ms. Marvel, starring Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan. The Disney+ series follows a teen Avengers superfan and American Pakistani Muslim living in Jersey City who gains the ability to harness cosmic energy and create constructs from a magical bangle. 

The Disney+ show is adapted from the comic character created by Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, and writer G. Willow Wilson. The series highlights a Muslim family living in the United States and trying to uphold their traditional values by going to the mosque and celebrating holidays like Eid in a refreshingly authentic way. We can’t wait to see this series soar and Ms. Marvel make her transition to the big screen for 2023’s The Marvels. 

Ramy (Ramy Youssef) - Ramy 

Hulu’s Golden Globe-winning series, Ramy also depicts a New Jersey Muslim, but from a much more grown up perspective. Created by American-Egyptian comedian Ramy Youssef, this dramedy takes a super honest approach to what it’s like growing up as a first-generation American Muslim these days. Ramy is caught between living in the western world and trying to uphold the values of his family, and runs into struggles with his faith and relationships. 

It’s incredibly relatable to those of the same background and has been praised as such, not only for Youssef drawing from personal experience, but looking to his costars like May Calamawy for theirs. The series also has a great storyline involving Mahershala Ali (who is really an American Muslim as well) which showcases a Black Muslim and Imam in a post-9/11 divided community. 

Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) - The Big Sick 

Another especially personal portrayal of a Muslim character came in the form of the 2017 romantic comedy, The Big Sick. The Amazon film, which was written by husband and wife Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon, loosely tells their love story. Amidst Kumail being constantly set up by his parents with Pakistani women with hopes for an arranged marriage, he meets Emily, a white psychology student, not soon before she becomes hospitalized and is placed in an induced coma. 

Kumail pretends to be her husband to visit her and ends up creating a bond with her parents, who have a skewed view of Muslim Americans. The movie was praised by other Muslims for portraying its lead character as a normal American in a romantic comedy, with some of the intricacies of his background also weaved in as well. 

Dahlia Qadri (Sophia Ali) - Grey’s Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy has long been one of the most popular TV shows of the modern age. So when the ABC series decided to include Dr. Dahlia Qadri as a surgical resident on the medical series, it became a major moment for Muslim representation. Indian-Pakistani American actress, Sophia Ali, portrayed the character from Season 14 to 16. 

Dahlia is a rare recurring character in a network series to wear a hijab and in one especially viral 2018 episode (S14, E13), Dr. Qadri broke stereotypes about female Muslim characters when she takes off her hijab to save a patient and when asked why, she says "It's a symbol of my faith. And my faith is about service and compassion."

Adena El Amin (Nikohl Boosheri) - The Bold Type

Iranian-Canadian actress Nikohl Boosheri made network TV history, as well, on Freeform’s The Bold Type as Adena El Amin, a photographer and artist who had a powerful storyline throughout the show’s five season run. Adena has been praised by Muslim viewers for the show’s depiction of topics relating to her hijab, which she says empowers her within the series. Plus, Adena is a rare Muslim character from the LGBTQ+ community. In the series, a love story blooms between Adena and Aisha Dee’s Kat Edison, who even find a happy ending by the series’ conclusion. 

Sayid (Amir Korangy) - Superstore

There are not enough Muslim characters who are simply fun and funny and in a light-hearted space of a sitcom, but NBC’s Superstore turned that around with their recurring character, Sayid, played by Amir M. Korangy for Seasons 4 through 6. Sayid is another misfit worker at the Cloud 9 store who gets into their hijinks, but between that there’s a few situations that inject his identity. In one episode storyline, Sayid must share the same utility closet he uses for prayers with America Ferrera’s Amy when she needs it for breastfeeding. In another episode, it discusses his status as a Syrian refugee, all while keeping its sitcom tone. 

Abdul Karim (Ali Fazel) - Victoria & Abdul

In a rare moment in movies, Universal Pictures released Victoria & Abdul in 2017, which tells the true story of Queen Victoria’s unlikely friendship with her Indian servant, Abdul Karim. The movie starred Dame Judi Dench as the Queen in the late 1800s as she develops an interest in Ali Fazal’s Abdul Karim, a Muslim from British India. Through the movie, it explores Islamophobia and Colonialism in a unique way we don’t typically see in theatrical releases.  

Parvana (Saara Chaudry) - The Breadwinner 

Also in 2017, the Angelina Jolie-produced animated feature, The Breadwinner, was released. The movie is an adaptation of a book of the same name about an 11-year-old girl named Parvana and her family who struggle to survive in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The movie was praised by Afghani audiences, particularly for its depiction of the Taliban rule and its strict interpretation of Islam that fiercely restricted women’s freedoms. It allows an Afghan girl to tell her own story and be a strong character. The movie was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2018 Oscars, but Pixar’s Coco took home the award. 

Nadia Shanaa (Mina El Hammani) - Elite

Over on streaming, Netflix's teen thriller, Elite, includes a Muslim character in Mina El Hammani’s Nadia Shanaa. Nadia, who was in Seasons 1 through 4 was a transfer student who was the daughter of Palestinian immigrants. Her character served as a way for Elite to discuss some common conflicts Muslim teens deal with as the balance between practicing her religion and fitting in at school clashes. For example, finding interest in a boy at school despite it being against her values and discussions related to her hijab, which at one point is banned at her school. Elite began an uncommon discussion in high school-set series. 

Naya Temple (Betty Gabriel) - Counterpart 

The short-lived Starz series, Counterpart, starring J.K. Simmons, featured another female Muslim character in Betty Gabriel’s Naya Temple. The Get Out actress plays a former FBI agent in the series who's hired to assist in its exploration of parallel Earths. Naya is a practicing Muslim, and per IndieWire, in order to play the role authentically the actress reached out to the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) and actually learned the Islamic prayer for Counterpart. The character showed a practicing Muslim who doesn’t regularly wear a hijab (like many Muslim women throughout the world) who is also a Black American. 

Changez Khan (Riz Ahmed) - The Reluctant Fundamentalist

We’ll wrap this list up with a 2012 film that signalled the beginning of some of the Muslim representation we’ve seen even more recently in the movies and TV shows above. 2012’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist was another rare Hollywood movie that featured a Muslim lead in Riz Ahmed’s Pakistani-American character, Changez Khan. 

In the political thriller, Kate Hudson plays an American professor who is kidnapped and held for ransom. Liev Schreiber’s Bobby Lincoln is an American journalist who arranges a meeting with Khan under suspicion that he kidnapped her. Despite being an educated American, the movie shows how Khan is victim to the negative image of Muslims following 9/11 as he's blamed for a crime he did not commit.  

For the time being, these characters are exceptions to a norm in movies and television that greatly erases Muslim characters. As these characters open the door for normalizing telling more stories about a major part of the population, perhaps in five to 10 years this list will be overflowing with examples. 

Riz Ahmed is an actor who constantly challenges the perception of his craft. He’s not afraid to experiment with his career, taking on bolder and bolder roles as his fame grows. This bravery has won him numerous awards, including a 2022 Academy Award for Best Short Film (Live Action). The best Riz Ahmed movies and TV shows challenge viewers, while showcasing engaging and fascinating stories. Many of Ahmed's movies and shows are available to watch on your favorite streaming services.

For this list, I chose some of the best Riz Ahmed movies and TV shows streaming across multiple platforms and those available to rent or buy. I mainly selected films that had Ahmed as a main character or in a very important supporting role. Also, I tried to vary this selection to include multiple genres. Let’s explore where you can watch all of these great projects.

The Night Of (2016)

The Night Of is an HBO miniseries that aired eight episodes in 2016. It stars Riz Ahmed as Naz, a young man accused of murder. Most of the series depicts Naz’s prison journey. It’s a heartbreaking show that highlights the problems with the justice system. It is also a complex story that allows Ahmed and others to shine through their acting choices. 

The Night Of dominated the 2017 Emmy Awards, receiving multiple 2017 Emmy nominations and winning five, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Riz Ahmed. 

Stream The Night Of on HBO Max.
Buy The Night Of digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Night Of on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Sound Of Metal (2019)

Sound of Metal follows Ruben (Riz Ahmed), a drummer who begins to lose his hearing. He fights against this reality, but finds support and companionship within a deaf rehab community, especially as his relationship with his girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke), begins to fall apart.

Sound of Metal is one of the best movies of 2020. It’s not only a really enthralling film that does wonderful things with sound, which earned it a 2021 Academy Award, but it features one of Riz Ahmed’s best performances yet. Viewers can completely immerse themselves in his journey because of the raw sincerity that he brings to this performance.

Stream Sound of Metal on Amazon Prime.
Buy Sound of Metal on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Mogul Mowgli (2020)

Riz Ahmed co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in Mogul Mowgli. The film follows Zed (Riz Ahmed), a rising rapper who returns home before a big European tour begins. He faces an unexpected challenge as his body begins to betray him.

He’s diagnosed with a degenerative autoimmune disease, and he’s starting to lose the ability to control his body. Mogul Mowgli is a partly experimental film as it plays around with how it constructs its narrative. It’s also a great movie about identity, family, and dreams, and what happens when your biggest dream begins to be taken away from you in a way that’s beyond your control.

Stream Mogul Mowgli on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Mogul Mowgli digitally on Amazon.
Buy Mogul Mowgli on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Long Goodbye (2020)

The Long Goodbye is a short film that accompanied Riz Ahmed’s second studio album of the same name. The movie starts with a South Asian family in Britain preparing for a wedding. Things take a sudden turn and escalate. 

The less than 12-minute film is haunting because it’s unexpected, but that’s the point. It’s supposed to hit you hard with the horrors of the action and make clear the objective of the film and the message behind Ahmed’s lyrics. It comes as no surprise that it won the Oscar for the Best Live Action Short.

Stream The Long Goodbye on Youtube.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a prequel to Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and follows a group of Rebels who join forces with the hope of helping to further the rebellion by stealing the plans for the Death Star. 

The Rogue One cast includes Diego Luna, Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen, and Riz Ahmed. Ahmed plays Bodhi Rook, a former Imperial cargo pilot and an important key to this mission. Rogue One is a bit different from other Star Wars movies, which could make fans think it’s one of the best Star Wars movies or one of the worst. Those who consider themselves neutral to the franchise may just enjoy it for the intriguing storyline and interesting cast of characters.

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

The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012)

The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a thriller based on the book of the same name. It tells the story of Changez (Riz Ahmed), a young man who finds success at a Wall Street firm but finds his life changed after September 11, 2001.

He becomes a target and outsider in a place he once called home. It also follows him as he tells his story to a reporter named Bobby (Liev Schreiber). Bobby believes that Changez may be involved in the kidnapping of an American professor. The Reluctant Fundamentalist is at its strongest when focusing on Changez’s frustrating and infuriating journey of becoming an outsider in a country where he worked so hard to belong.

Buy The Reluctant Fundamentalist digitally on Amazon.
Buy The Reluctant Fundamentalist on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Four Lions (2010)

Four Lions is a satirical movie about four aspiring terrorist jihadis. It stars Riz Ahmed, Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay, and Adeel Akhtar. The film is co-written by Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, and Sam Bain.

Four Lions makes a very dark subject hilarious. These terrorists really believe in what they’re doing, but they’re so bad at it that it becomes like a Three Stooges episode. This makes the ending equal parts entertaining and heartbreaking. The entire cast gives great performances in Four Lions, and it’s the sharp writing that we’ve come to expect from Jesse Armstrong and Sam Bain (who co-created the U.K. hit, Peep Show) that really sells this movie. 

Stream Four Lions on Tubi.
Rent/buy Four Lions digitally on Amazon.
Buy Four Lions on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Dead Set (2008)

Dead Set is a horror dramedy that follows employees and contestants of Big Brother during a zombie outbreak. It features some past Big Brother U.K. contestants, including former host Davina McCall and narrator Marcus Bentley. 

Charlie Brooker wrote Dead Set and Yann Demange directed the five-episode miniseries. Riz Ahmed plays a fictional character who's trying to survive and find his girlfriend, who is one of the employees on the Big Brother set. This is a great show for Big Brother fans, because it’s a satirical look at the world of Big Brother and the audience that engages with it. Ahmed’s character is one of the most important in the show and one of the audience’s emotional navigators in this story.

Stream Dead Set on Netflix.
Buy Dead Set on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Venom (2018)

Venom stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist who finds himself sharing a body with an alien symbiote that gives him super powers. The first film follows Brock as he tries to navigate his new situation with Venom. He also has to stop genius inventor Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed) from using these symbiotes to destroy and dominate the world and humanity.

Ahmed rarely plays such a theatrical villain character, so it’s fun to watch him embody this role. His version of Carlton Drake shows him being a bit insane, but in an enjoyable way. He’s a great Marvel movie villain.

Stream Venom on Starz.
Rent/buy Venom digitally on Amazon.
Buy Venom on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Encounter (2021)

Encounter is the story of a man who takes his children in an effort to save them from an alien invasion. The film is directed by Michael Pearce and co-written by him and Joe Barton. It stars Riz Ahmed, Octavia Spencer, Lucian River Chauhan, and Aditya Geddada.

Encounter is a controversial pick because it received mixed reactions from viewers and critics. It’s a film that’s better the less you know going into it, so I won’t talk too much about the plot. I will say, however, what I liked about Encounter is the performances. Riz Ahmed gives a performance that hooks you from the beginning and doesn’t let go.

Stream Encounter on Amazon Prime.

Nightcrawler (2014)

Nightcrawler follows Lou (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he tries to grow his film production company. Lou films crime footage to sell to the local news, and as Lou’s business grows, his morals shrink.

Riz Ahmed plays Lou’s intern, Rick. He’s an important factor in the Nightcrawler ending, and Ahmed gives a performance that’s a bit more subtle than Gyllenhaal’s performance but just as fascinating. You understand Rick’s motives just as much as you understands Lou’s driving force.

Stream Nightcrawler on Netflix.
Rent/buy Nightcrawler digitally on Amazon.
Buy Nightcrawler on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Some of the best Riz Ahmed movies and TV shows showcase some of the best South Asian characters on film. They’re engaging, have an authentic voice, and highlight Ahmed’s ability to effortlessly embody these characters.

These are only a few of the best Riz Ahmed movies and TV shows currently streaming, so if you’re just starting to become a fan of the talented actor, musician, and storyteller, then make sure to check out some of his other projects, including Trishna, Una, The Sisters Brothers, Girls, The OA, and many others. 

After many years of South Asian characters in movies and TV being largely stereotypical side characters, there’s recently been a shift in Hollywood. In recent years, there are more and more examples of leading characters played by actors who have roots in India and Pakistan, among other locations in South Asia. Plus, they tell stories that don’t put them into a small boxes, and represent a larger experience that is what representation in film and TV is all about. 

We all deserve to be seen on the big and small screen, and characters like these open more doors for this community that makes up 25 percent of the population of the world. From regency romance to a Marvel superhero, we’re celebrating some recent great South Asian characters in movies and television. Check it out: 

Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) - Bridgerton

Bridgerton became the talk of the ton in 2020 when the Netflix series became the most successful original TV show for the streaming service. For the recent Season 2, Julia Quinn’s The Viscount Who Loved Me was adapted for television with its lead Kate played by British-Indian Sex Education actress, Simone Ashley. For the romance, the character was altered slightly to be Kate Sharma instead of Sheffield, with her and her family’s backstory being from India. The 2022 season seamlessly infused Indian culture into Kate and her sister Edwina’s identity whilst also ushering in an Indian lead of a romance set in the Regency era and for a very mainstream series. 

Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed) - Sound Of Metal 

When it comes to South Asian actors being considered for award season buzz, oftentimes the storylines have been around starring in a story about and set in their home country such as 1982’s Gandhi and 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire. Riz Ahmed changed this when he received an Oscar nomination for Sound Of Metal, becoming the first Pakistani actor and first Muslim actor to be included in the Best Actor category. In the drama, Ahmed plays a drummer in a metal band and drug addict who loses his hearing and must join a shelter for deaf recovering addicts. Ahmed’s incredible performance included the actor learning American Sign Language and how to drum like a pro. 

Dev Shah (Aziz Ansari) - Master Of None

After Aziz Ansari ascended into popularity on Parks and Recreation as the sarcastic and entrepreneurial Tom Haverford, the comedian created his own series in Netflix’s Master of None. The show, which he also starred in and wrote, really showed the actor’s personal perspective as an actor and Indian-American immigrant through a somewhat fictional lens. One especially memorable episode is called “Indians on TV” where he touches on how Indian actors are often expected to be stereotypes with heavy accents. In the most recent season of the show, Ansari took a step back from starring to highlight Lena Waithe’s character while he showcased his impressive directorial approach. 

Lucy Gulliver (Geraldine Viswanathan) - The Broken Hearts Gallery

The romantic comedy is a beloved genre, but over the years it has been plagued with the same faces and tropes over and over again. In 2020, though, Aussie actress Geraldine Viswanathan got to shine as the lead of The Broken Hearts Gallery alongside Stranger Things’ Dacre Montgomery. In the movie, Viswanathan plays a young woman who recently suffered a breakup and decides to start a gallery devoted to fallen relationships. The movie delivers a quality and unique rom-com that allows its half-Indian (of Tamil ancestry) main character / actress to lead the type of movie that has gone to white actresses over the years, and without her identity having to be her core personality trait, either.

Javed Khan (Viveik Kalra) - Blinded By The Light

Blinded By The Light premiered at the Sundance Film Festival before becoming a beloved (yet underrated) dramedy in 2019. The movie, directed by Gurinder Chadha, who previously made history as the helmer of Bend It Like Beckham, is about the son of Pakistani migrant parents, Javed, who falls in love with Bruce Springsteen’s music and uses it as an inspiration to write his own poetry. The story is inspired by the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, who co-wrote the Blinded By The Light script. The movie and the character of Javed show how music can speak to and connect with anyone, including an immigrant kid who feels otherwise like an outsider in his life. 

Mindy Lahiri (Mindy Kaling) - The Mindy Project 

After Mindy Kaling wrote for and portrayed Kelly Kapoor on The Office, the comedian pitched her own comedy to FOX, The Mindy Project. She created, produced and starred in the series about a gynecologist’s attempts to balance her personal and professional life. The series that aired for six seasons brought Indian representation to television in a big way, with Kaling becoming the first Indian American to have her own TV show on a major network, and in a way that wasn’t solely focused on her ethnicity, but addressing the life of a working career woman, and later, motherhood.  

Sheriff Hassan (Rahul Kohli) - Midnight Mass

Mike Flanagan’s incredible Netflix horror franchise continued in 2021 with an original series called Midnight Mass, which served as an existential discussion about faith alongside its scares. Among the cast was the groundbreaking character of Sheriff Hassan, played by Rahul Kohli (previously in The Haunting of Bly Manor and iZombie). He played the island’s sheriff, who is a Muslim who struggles with his teenage son to fit into the town’s predominantly Catholic population. Within the series, Midnight Mass beautifully represents a South Asian Muslim family and their difficulties in the western world as all the spooky things take place. 

Rhea Kumar (Avantika Vandanapu) - Spin

Disney Channel is known for propelling young stars into mega stardom, such as Zendaya, Miley Cyrus, and Zac Efron, with their original films and TV shows. In 2021, the network made a massive move in representation by releasing the new DCOM, Spin, which is about an Indian-American teen who works at her tight-knit family’s restaurant, but realizes her true passion is to be an EDM DJ. The movie highlights Indian culture in a beautiful way and allows its young star, Avantika Vandanapu, to shine in a breakout performance. 

Alex Parrish (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) - Quantico

Another network television win for a great South Asian character is Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ leading role in the ABC series, Quantico. The Indian A-lister moved to the American market to star in the thrilling drama about an FBI agent who becomes the prime suspect of a terrorist attack. It’s another first, with the actress becoming the first Indian actor to lead a primetime drama on American TV. But, Chopra Jonas also did so by playing a charismatic, badass, and intriguing character during the series’ three seasons. 

Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) - The Green Knight

Medieval epics have always been led by white men, but David Lowery’s 2021 adaptation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight gave Dev Patel a unique role in that space. The existentialist storyline allowed Patel to deliver a meaty performance that comments on the hero’s journey in a refreshing (yet taxing) trudge to meet the Green Knight. Patel’s performance is one of the best of 2021 and should have really gotten more Oscar recognition. 

Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) - Never Have I Ever 

Following Mindy Kaling’s The Mindy Project, she moved behind the scenes completely to create Never Have I Ever, a coming of age Netflix series. It stars newcomer Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, who hails from Canada and was born to Tamil parents. It is loosely based on Kaling’s childhood experiences, as it follows an Indian-American Tamil high school student dealing with the sudden death of her father, who decides to change her social status, though it does not come easy. The show is much like a lot of high school series in a lot of ways, but it also adds the layers of her grappling and balancing her Indian-American identity as well. 

Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) - Eternals 

After Kumail Nanjiani made waves as a Pakistani-American comedian, writer, and actor in projects like Silicon Valley and The Big Sick, he was cast as the first South Asian superhero in Marvel’s Eternals. Not only does the movie include a big-screen Bollywood dance sequence, but Nanjiani got super ripped to take on the role because he wanted to make sure the first Pakistani superhero “could hang with Thor and Captain America.” Kingo is an Eternal and flashy actor who continued this breaking of stereotypes and continues to show Hollywood that South Asian actors have range and can fit in all genres far and wide.  

In just the past few years, there’s been an uptick in South Asian representation and a lot of different firsts for its large population in the framework of Hollywood. Here’s to more great South Asian characters in the years ahead. We’ll look out for more examples of them in new TV shows and upcoming movie releases. 

Riz Ahmed has had an incredible career over the years. Since making his first acting appearances in 2006, the British actor has starred in major television and film productions, including HBO’s The Night Of and Best Picture nominee The Sound of Metal. Ahmed's performance in the Amazon Studios film earned him a Best Actor nomination, becoming the first Muslim to do so in the history of the Academy Awards. While he didn’t take home the coveted trophy this year, he did take to social media to reflect on his incredible awards season journey.

In a recent post on Twitter, Riz Ahmed thanked fans for supporting the movie during awards seasons, while also hinting at The Sound of Metal’s humble beginnings. Check it out:

Ahemd’s Tweet is just the cherry on top of an impressive awards season. The actor noted just how incredible it was to go from his preparation for the film, drumming in a basement, all the way to the biggest night in entertainment. Talk about starting from the bottom. Although he didn’t end up winning, it sounds like Ahmed was just grateful to even be considered.

That being said, It wasn’t all losses for The Sound of Metal this year. Out of six total nominations, director Darius Marder’s film went on to fittingly win Best Sound and Best Film Editing. I know I was pulling pretty hard for Ahmed and co-star Paul Raci to take home awards of their own, but it's nice to see that the Academy still shared some love for the flick.

The Sound of Metal follows heavy metal drummer Ruben (who has a seriously impressive band shirt collection) as he copes with losing his hearing. Since releasing on Amazon last December the film was praised by critics for its impressive sound design and all-star performances from Ahmed and Raci. It’s no surprise to see Ahmed thanking fans after the ceremony, as he shared a similarly touching behind-the-scenes thank you after The Sound of Metal’s initial Oscar nominations.

Hopefully The Sound of Metal’s success will mean that Riz Ahmed has the opportunity to lead larger scale projects in the future. He’s already proved that he’s seriously talented, now it’s time to give this man a budget production and let him loose. Just don't hold your breathe for him to lead a Rogue One prequel.

For those of you who have yet to see The Sound of Metal (seriously, what are you doing??), it's currently streaming on Amazon Prime. If the impressive number of Oscar nominations hasn’t sold you yet, maybe we can, as it’s one of the best movies of the year according to CinemaBlend. Keep checking back with us for more movie news items.

Star Wars fans, we’re at the dawn of a new era for a galaxy far, far away. After Rise of Skywalker concluded three generations of Skywalkers, Disney and Lucasfilm are building the universe across streaming and on the big screen, and I cannot wait. But before moving forward, it’s a solid time to appreciate our favorite Star Wars entries in recent memory. And I’m pleased to report I’m not the only one who is still gushing about Rogue One.

The 2016 movie took a step back from all the Skywalker drama to deliver a genuine war movie about how a ragtag group of rebels stole the Death Star plans before they were placed in R2-D2's care in A New Hope. Recently, out of nowhere, Rogue One just became a trending topic on Twitter if only for fans to remind each other of its excellence:

Does there really need to be a reason to gush about a great movie? It looks like the movie dominated the social conversation when a viral tweet asked Star Wars fans to make a choice between Force Awakens, Phantom Menace, Solo: A Star Wars Story or Rogue One. And I think we’ve found a winner here considering the resounding words of admiration that were immediately thrown toward Rogue One:

Before Rogue One, Star Wars had been explicitly tied to the story of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. And while Rogue One’s story is definitely part of the puzzle piece here, there was something refreshing about diving into the Star Wars world with Felicity Jones’ Jyn Erso and Diego Luna’s Cassian Andor leading an impressive ensemble. Plus, it told a standalone story with a definite ending hat really grounded the Star Wars franchise in a new way.

Not only was it incredibly fun, but it had an effecting story. With each rewatch, it only gets better. And as one Twitter user pointed out, the production design of Rogue One was absolutely breathtaking:

And the way Gareth Edwards’ film got us attached to its characters with the constraints of their limited screen time? Also, unmatched! One fan used the trending topic to share his love for Riz Ahmed’s Bodhi Rook in Rogue One:

Rogue One is truly a standout Disney era Star Wars film and will hopefully inspire more filmmakers working with Lucasfilm to tell stories from different angles that prioritize good storytelling amidst the franchise's large-scale action and special effects. If you didn’t quite give it a chance before, I'd recommend to give it another pass now. This fan says it best:

What’s exciting is Rogue One fans will be getting a prequel to the film with Andor in 2022, a series that will focus on Cassian Andor’s adventures. And there does seem to be more of a focus on standalone Star Wars movies moving forward, including Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron.

Where does Rogue One rank for you against other Star Wars movies? Vote in our poll below and check out all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows coming our way.

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In the decades since A New Hope debuted in theaters, the Star Wars franchise has continued to enthrall audiences. The galaxy far, far away is ingrained in pop culture, and the fandom is always eager for more content. The Skywalker Saga is complete, so there's no telling what types of stories will brought to theaters next. Some fans are holding out hope for a Rogue One prequel or sequel, and now actor Riz Ahmed has addressed those rumors.

Riz Ahmed made his debut in the galaxy through Gareth Edwards' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, playing former Imperial cargo pilot Bodhi Rook. While the entire team sacrificed themselves for the titular mission, The Cassian Andor series will serve as a prequel starring Diego Luna. As such, fans are hoping more characters end up appearing in a prequel movie or show. Recent Golden Globe nominee Ahmed was asked about said rumors, to which he said:

Well, there you have it. It looks like Riz Ahmed has no plans to return to the galaxy far, far away. And while the franchise continues to expand through projects on the silver and small screens, those prequel rumors might not have legs to stand on.

Riz Ahmed's comments to THR are blunt, and show what it's really like working in the Star Wars franchise. Because while you may be privy to the events of a movie you're involved in, after that actors go into the dark like the rest of us. His Rogue One co-star Diego Luna will be making a return to the beloved property, but it doesn't sound like Ahmed's character will be getting the same treatment just yet.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is currently available on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Since The Rise of Skywalker completed the main nine-film narrative of Star Wars, fan are eager to see what type of stories will take place on the big screen in the future. The first of these will be Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron, but there are many still holding out hope for sequels to previous standalone films like Rogue One and Solo.

Given Bodhi Rook's backstory, there does seem to be the potential for him to appear in a future project. This would peel back the curtain on his time serving the Galactic Empire, and perhaps give more context for his decision to be a spy. Only time will tell if this ever happens, though.

Regardless of his Star Wars future, Riz Ahmed's career continues to be on the rise. He was featured as the villain in Venom, and recently starred in The Sound of Metal. His performance in the latter film universally acclaimed, and he was recently nominated for a Golden Globe. As for Bodhi's future, only time will tell depending on how long the Cassian Andor show runs.

The Star Wars franchise will continue to expand through live-action shows on Disney+, as well as the developing Rogue Squadron film. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Darius Marder's 2020 drama Sound of Metal is getting a great deal of praise as of late, and it's not just because of the movie's gripping story about a drummer in a metal two-piece coming to terms with his sudden and unexplained hearing loss. The director and cast, which is led by Riz Ahmed, Olivia Cooke, and Paul Raci, provide great representation of the deaf and underground music communities with a level of detail and care that is rarely seen in a major motion picture. 

CinemaBlend has previously covered the movie's portrayal of deaf people and how the film's leads prepared for those early musical performances, but another thing I noticed on a recent watch was the great band tee shirts worn throughout.

As someone who grew up in the punk and hardcore scene of my hometown where I performed in clubs on the wrong side of the tracks, booked house shows for traveling bands, and really found myself in a group of misfits and outcasts, seeing shirts from bands like Youth of Today and Rudimentary Peni brought back a ton of memories. And since not everyone may be familiar with the different shirts worn by Riz Ahmed (and one by Olivia Cooke) in Sound of Metal, I thought I would explain the bands, the history, and how they fit into the movie. With that in mind, spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the movie yet!

Youth Of Today Hoodie - Worn When It's Revealed Ruben Is A Recovering Addict

One of the most prominent articles of clothing in Sound of Metal is the classic Youth of Today "Positive Outlook" hooded sweatshirt just hours after the drummer loses his hearing and right as the audience learns that he is a recovering addict. This is quite ironic considering the fact that the band and iconography on the front of the shirt (a hand with a bold "X" for straight edge). Youth of Today is one of the hardcore community's most notable and vocal straight edge (refrain from drugs and alcohol) and vegan bands dating back to the band's 1985 formation in Danbury, Connecticut. To find out that Ruben is not only dealing with his sudden hearing loss but also battling addiction issues (he's clean at this point in the story), gives the placement of the iconic hoodie more weight.

If given the chance, I would love to ask director Darius Marden if this was an intentional choice or just happenstance. Something else that caught my attention (though it most likely has nothing to do with the movie) was Ruben's dyed blonde hair. Youth of Today and other "Youth Crew" bands in the New York Hardcore scene in the '80s and '90s often dyed their hair blonde and helped start a trend that is still seen in the punk and hardcore scene all these years later. If you didn't know any better and just saw a screenshot of Riz Ahmed, you'd think he was just some hardcore kid grabbing a post-show meal with that blonde hair and Youth of Today hoodie.

Rudimentary Peni Shirt When Ruben First Meets Joe

Another piece of band merch seen throughout Sound of Metal is Ruben's Rudimentary Peni shirt that is being worn during one of the most pivotal scenes in the entire movie: the recently deaf drummer's first meeting with Paul Raci's Joe at the rural deaf community where he can get the help he needs. This shirt is quite fitting, not only for Ruben's character in his moment of crisis but also his feelings during that first fateful meeting that will forever change his life, especially considering the history and legacy of Rudimentary Peni.

For those not well-versed on British anarcho-punk bands from the 1980s, Rudimentary Peni is an abrasive, macabre, and witty band led by guitarist and lyricist Nick Blinko, who for the past 40 years, has helped shape the worlds of punk, hardcore, and even metal with his semi-autobiographical lyrics dealing with everything from sociopolitical issues in England and abroad as well as Blinko's psychological issues throughout his life, including being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. The shirt that Ruben is wearing in this scene (and others later on) is taken from Rudiemtnary Peni's second album, 1988's Cacophony, which features artwork drawn by Blinko.

GISM Shirt When Ruben Volunteers In Diane's Class

Another band shirt that shows up on more than one occasion in Sound of Metal is the variation of the GISM "Punks Is Hippies" shirt that has been printed and reprinted more times than anyone can count at this point. Ruben is seen wearing the ratty, sleeveless shirt featuring one of the pioneers of the Japanese punk and hardcore scene in quite a few scenes, but one of the most memorable is when he first starts volunteering in Diane's (Lauren Ridloff) class for deaf students. There's a stark contrast between the well-mannered students in their school uniforms and the disheveled drummer at a moment of crisis wearing a pair of combat boots, torn jeans, and an old shirt that has either turned brown or washed with bleach to give it that distressed and worn out look.

Since forming in Tokyo in 1981, GISM (which stands for everything from Guerrilla Incendiary Sabotage Mutineer to God In The Schizoid Mind to Grand Imperialism Social Murder), has become and remained one of the most influential and controversial bands in the international punk, hardcore, and metal scenes. The band originally went on a hiatus in 2002, but got back together in 2016 for a show in the Netherlands, which also happened to be GISM's first show outside of Japan.

Einstrürzende Neubauten Shirt When Ruben Prepares For Surgery

One of the lesser known bands to have a shirt featured in Sound of Metal is the German experimental musical group Einstrürzende Neubauten (Collapsing New Builds), which has been a fixture of the industrial and noise genres since forming in West Berlin in 1980. Known for composing unconventional musical soundscapes with custom-built instruments mostly made from scrap metal and tools, Einstrürzende Neubauten makes total sense here, considering what is happening to Ruben at this point in the movie.

We first see Ruben wearing the Einstrürzende Neubauten shirt (with the band's logo based on a prehistoric cave drawing) while he considers undergoing surgery for cochlear implants (which create a metallic, distorted, and unnatural sound), which again is a great way of describing the band's music. I don't know if this was intentional choice by director Darius Marder, but it's a great use of foreshadowing if that is the case.

Motörhead Shirt When Lou Sends Ruben Off To Therapy

The final band tee shirt on this Sound of Metal list isn't worn by Ruben, but instead is seen on Olivia Cooke's Lou when she decides that her boyfriend and bandmate needs to undergo therapy to come to terms with his deafness. At first, it's hard to make out what band this is, but upon close inspection (and making my wife question me as to why I kept pausing the movie), this is an Arabic version of the iconic Motörhead "England" shirt. There have been a ton of variations of this classic shirt over the years, but this is the first time I've seen one with the band name in Arabic but the "England" text still in English.

I don't know if the shirt holds a higher meaning or not, but it is a nice homage to one of the most influential bands of all time, and couldn't come at a better time considering this month marks five years since the band's ending following the December 2015 death of its bassist, singer, and cultural icon, Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister.

These aren't all the shirts featured throughout Sound of Metal, so make sure to sound off in the comments if you have information on ones that I missed.

The beauty of a truly great performance is when actors can make us believe completely they are their characters. In the instance of Sound Of Metal, Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke were tasked with becoming a punk-metal band, with Ahmed’s Ruben as the drummer and Cooke’s Lou as the lead singer and guitarist of their fictional duo, Blackgammon. Both actors did some major preparation for the movie coming to Amazon Prime this weekend.

Sound of Metal follows the fallout when Ruben begins to lose his hearing and struggles to adapt to his new situation. He seeks help in Paul Raci’s Joe, a leader within a deaf community in the movie. When CinemaBlend’s Jeff McCobb spoke to the cast of Sound of Metal, Olivia Cooke opened up about her experience becoming a punk rocker with these words:

It sounds like Olivia Cooke really had to start from scratch, and her mentor was an actual musician who showed her the ropes for guitar-playing, singing and the art of the vocal technique of screaming, a common element in metal and punk music. The Ready Player One actress also worked with Margaret Chardiet on the lyrics for the music in the movie’s fictional band. Then, she and Riz Ahmed collaborated together too, and worked to create their band for the film. It had to be a lot of work. Rogue One actor Ahmed said this about his own experience:

What’s crazy is not only did Riz Ahmed learn the drums for Sound of Metal, but he also had to pick up sign language. It’s seriously intense. Now Ahmed is already an accomplished rapper, so he’s already musically-inclined. But he found drums to be a completely different animal to tackle, and he’s not exactly running to another drum set anytime soon. Although it wasn't easy to pick up, he really loved the challenge of learning about communication from a new perspective.

Sound of Metal was written and directed by Darius Marder, who previously wrote The Place Beyond the Pines with Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper. The movie is a must-see that has been highly-praised by critics, including CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg, who gave the movie a 4.5 out of 5 score and said Riz Ahmed especially pulls in one of his “best” performances. Sound of Metal is coming to Amazon Prime on Friday, December 4. Check out what else is rounding out the year with CinemaBlend’s 2020 release schedule and stay tuned for more exclusive interviews.

If you haven’t been paying attention to the rise of Riz Ahmed in Hollywood, you’ve been missing out. When given worthy material, regardless of the genre, the­ young actor is able to make the most out of every second of screen time with his unique energy, and is always captivating and impressive – be it in Chris Morris’ hilarious dark comedy Four Lions, Dan Gilroy’s brilliant thriller Nightcrawler, or Jacques Audiard’s refreshing western The Sisters Brothers. Any film that properly harnesses his power is a film worth being curious about, and that very much is Darius Marder’s Sound Of Metal all over.

Part character study and part aesthetic experiment, the movie has a high-concept plot that is executed with rawness and blunt emotional power, examining a rarely-explored world and crafting an affecting cinematic experience from it. It not only features some of the best work of Riz Ahmed’s young career, but instantly establishes Darius Marder as a filmmaker to keep an exceptionally close eye on.

Sound Of Metal is the story of Ruben (Ahmed), a recovering addict and drummer of a metal punk duo called Blackgammon with his girlfriend, Lou (Oliva Cooke), on vocals and guitar. They’re relatively successful, playing a nationwide tour and zigzagging across the country in their fully-equipped RV, but right before a show in Missouri Ruben notices that something is seriously wrong. Without any warning his hearing all but totally disappears, leaving the world sounding like indistinguishable fuzz.

Going to the doctor hoping that there is some kind of a fix, he instead gets the devastating news that he is almost entirely deaf, and that the only way to even try and slow the deterioration would be to stay away from loud noise – synonymous with him giving up his music career. At first he gives denial a spin, but when Blackgammon’s next show leaves his hearing even worse, he confesses to Lou what’s going on and his rage nearly brings him to the brink of using again.

Ruben learns that a cochlear implant would cost as much as $80,000 – money he doesn’t have – and his need to find a way to cope leads him to an organization for people like himself. It’s here that he works to try and adjust to his new way of life, but at the same time he endlessly struggles with his desire for things to go back to the way they were before.

Riz Ahmed delivers an all-in performance that is one of the best of the year.

It’s always wonderful to hear about actors fully committing to their roles through specific training, and Riz Ahmed’s turn in Sound Of Metal is a fantastic example, with the actor having both learned ASL and to play the drums in preparation for his performance. It’s dedication that pays off brilliantly in the film, adding a bonus layer of authenticity on top of what is already a deeply emotional turn. A person can only theorize about what their reaction would be to losing one of their senses, but Ahmed gives it justified scariness and intensity that makes the movie particularly enthralling, as Ruben’s whole life revolves around his appreciation of sound and noise. He makes the pain feel real, and it hits you in the gut.

Sound Of Metal presents a unique and fascinating experience with its use of sound, giving the title multiple meanings.

The journey taken by the protagonist in the film is not one we’ve seen frequently from Hollywood stories, and what makes it particularly effective is the way in which it’s able to put the audience inside of Ruben’s mind with awesome sound design and sound mixing – not to mention fixed closed captioning. Sound of Metal frequently lets the audience borrow the drummer’s ears, and that kind of point of view does everything to enhance and deepen your appreciation for what he’s going through. Riz Ahmed’s performance is so powerful that it’s not something that’s explicitly needed, but it’s also the perfect aesthetic touch.

On the subject, it’s also fascinating to realize how that special sound design evolves the meaning of Sound of Metal’s title throughout the movie. In the first act it can be read as the kind of music that Ruben plays and that he can no longer fully hear; then it’s about the feelings of reverberations felt through literal metal; and finally, without getting into spoilers, it will give you a new outlook on the phrase “tinny sound.” It’s a great illustration of the film’s layers, and impressive attention to detail.

Expected tropes are avoided in Sound Of Metal’s story, making it all the more powerful.

Even just the sheer originality of Sound of Metal makes it effortlessly easy to appreciate. Not only does it take on subject matter rarely seen in movies, but it also has no time to deal in any of the tropes you expect from stories about individuals with disabilities. There are certainly moments when you think you know the specifics of the path its taking, but the film doesn’t make time for the predictable, and instead finds fresh ways to both expand Ruben’s story and take him to fascinating emotional places. Right down to the final scene – which is a note of perfection – it trades in the unexpected, and captivates you with it.

It’s a shame that Sound of Metal isn’t getting the opportunity to play as a normal theatrical release due to the pandemic, as it’s a film that begs for the most immersive sound system possible – so hopefully it’s able to capture the attention it deserves and can possibly get a big screen re-release when the world returns to normal. What’s more important to recognize overall, however, is that the movie is incredible regardless of how you end up watching it.

Back in April, much of the Star Wars family and friends gathered in Chicago for the Star Wars Celebration. Rogue One’s Riz Ahmed was among those expected to attend, but he had to cancel at the last minute. Now, the actor alleges he missed out on the celebration due to racial profiling at the airport.

While at CAA’s Amplify Leadership Summit earlier this week, a conference focusing on issues of diversity and multicultural issues, Riz Ahmed spoke out about being constantly held up, searched, and interviewed at airports for the past 15 years due to his Pakistani background. It recently caused him to miss out on meeting fans at the Star Wars Celebration when Homeland Security denied him from boarding his plane.

Take a look at the tweet the Star Wars Celebration account had to put out, following Homeland Security reportedly delaying Riz Ahmed's trip:

Tons of fans left the convention that day certainly disappointed not to see Riz Ahmed in attendance, and the event had to organize ticket exchanges and refunds to guests as a result. Some fans have now responded to the tweet in disappointment that the Twitter account didn’t bring the reason to light sooner. During Ahmed’s speech at the summit (via THR), he discussed the problem at hand in his view:

The actor has made positive waves in terms of representation for Muslims in Hollywood, starring in films such as Nightcrawler, Jason Bourne, and as Carlton Drake in Venom, which made $855 million worldwide last year.

Combined with his role as Bodhi Rook in 2016’s Rogue One, that puts Riz Ahmed in the worlds of both Star Wars and Marvel. The actor also won an Emmy in 2017 for leading the HBO series The Night Of, becoming the first actor of South Asian descent to take home the prize.

Riz Ahmed has also shown interest in working with Marvel to bring Ms. Marvel to the big screen with Mindy Kaling and Kumail Nanjiani. She is Marvel’s first Muslim character to headline her own comic series. Kaling has confirmed that she’s talked with Marvel about the potential project, but nothing is set in stone.

There are other strides in the industry being made by actors such as Rami Malek, who recently became the first Arab-American to win the Best Actor Oscar after dazzling as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. Mahershala Ali, who identifies as Muslim, also recently won two Best Supporting Actor Oscars for Moonlight and Green Book.

There has also been an uptick of Desi actors in big films this summer, such as with Mindy Kaling’s Late Night, newcomer Himesh Patel starring in Yesterday, Kumail Nanjiani in Stuber coming in July, and Blinded By the Light coming this August. Check them out, among other exciting 2019 releases!

Westerns come in all shapes and sizes. But traditionally, the heroes of that particular genre ride into town wearing white, while they stave off a threat that's dressed head to toe in black. Over the years, the conventions of the Western genre have been twisted and tweaked by talented filmmakers, but few have been manipulated quite the same way that Jacques Audiard does for The Sisters Brothers. Take, for example, the siblings of the title. They are hired killers, men trained to hunt down prey for their despicable boss, The Commodore (Rutger Hauer). And yet, Eli (John C. Reilly) and Charlie Sisters (Joaquin Phoenix) are borderline likable, and you even end up rooting for them as the movie jogs along. We asked John C. Reilly about that, and he opened up by saying:

In The Sisters Brothers, which is preparing to open in more theaters after a limited release in select markets, John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix play squabbling siblings who work together as a murderous team, even though Phoenix's character likes their jobs as bounty hunters way more than Reilly's character does. Their latest assignment is to hunt a man (played by Riz Ahmed) who has invented an unusual chemical substance that can aid in the gold-mining expeditions of the Old West. Only, travel in that day is slow, and the Sisters brothers run into conflict every stop of the way. Plus, Ahmed has met with Jake Gyllenhaal, and they have plans of their own.

Here's John C. Reilly, talking about the reputation of the siblings in The Sisters Brothers, and why he finds them sympathetic:

The Sisters Brothers is an unexpected journey through some soulful storytelling, digging far below the surface of four interesting men who come across as out of touch with their own time. Photographed beautifully by cinematographer Benoit Debie (Enter the Void), it's both an homage to classic Westerns, and a reinvention of this type of storytelling.

The Sisters Brothers should be playing in a theater near you as we speak.

Ever since Spider-Man 3's release, Sony Pictures has had a Venom movie in some form of development. The project came close to getting off the ground when the Amazing Spider-Man series was planning to expand, but after those plans collapsed, it seemed like Venom was once again on ice. Then 2017 happened, and seemingly out of nowhere, Sony announced that it was fast-tracking a Venom movie after a year of no updates.

Now Venom joins the growing ranks of superhero movies that turn the tables and focus on villains/anti-heroes, like The Punisher, Suicide Squad, Black Adam, Gotham City Sirens and the Doctor Doom movie. It also sounds like Sony is taking extra care to deliver a Venom to audiences this year who is more faithful to the source material, though there will be several key differences between this new live-action iteration and his comic book counterpart. With Venom looking like it will be one of the more intriguing blockbusters of 2018, here are all the important details that have been released about the project so far. Let's start with the most recent, intrigue and violence-filled trailer, shall we?

Whoa! While the first trailer didn't actually show us even a hint of Tom Hardy as Venom, this one not only answers some story questions, but finally gives fans a full look at the supervillain/anti-hero. Now, let's move on to all the info we've been able to gather about the film!

What Is Venom's Release Date?

Venom will be released in theaters on October 5, 2018. This is an odd month to release a superhero film, but as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Logan and others have taught us, a movie in this genre doesn't have to be released in the summer or the November/December season for it to be successful. Plus, since Venom is intended to feel more like a horror movie than a straightforward superhero flick, releasing it outside the usual blockbuster season may help it stand out even more. Currently, Venom only has competition on that opening weekend in the form of the Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga remake of A Star Is Born, meaning it should have the market cornered on those who want to watch a dude who's been taken over by an alien eat some bad guys.

What Is Venom's Rating?

As mentioned earlier, Venom will have a horror tilt, which is fitting, since Venom is one of the scarier Marvel comics villains. With extra frights comes extra violence, and when paired together, they usually equal an R rating. And, while director Ruben Fleischer had said he wanted the movie to comfortably rest in that adult territory, the lure of easily getting young butts in seats led the film to be cut in a way that would allow for a PG-13 rating. Tom Hardy, for one, has said that he thinks this was a good move, and that the film was still able to double down on the character's scarier traits and violent tendencies. But, he's also made it known that he'd love the sequel to be able to go way darker, and fully embrace an R rating, much like Deadpool and Logan. Potential Spider-Man cameo be damned.

Venom's Director

Ruben Fleischer is taking the reins on Venom, and he has plenty of experience in both the horror and action realms. Fleischer is best known for directing the horror comedy Zombieland, which came out two years before The Walking Dead TV series hit the scene. In 2011, he reunited with Jesse Eisenberg to direct 30 Minutes or Less, and two years later he helmed Gangster Squad. Venom marks Fleischer's first feature-length directorial project since Gangster Squad, but he's also been keeping himself busy on television by executive producing and directing episodes of Superstore, American Housewife and The Santa Clarita Diet. If Fleischer can pull off the same kind of unique genre melding with Venom that he did with Zombieland, then this will be a movie that can be enjoyed just as much by comic book fans as by horror fans. Fleischer has also said that Venom will be inspired by the works of David Cronenberg and John Carpenter.

What Is The Story Of Venom?

In January of 2018, Ruben Fleischer revealed that the story for Venom would actually be based on two comic stories that the character starred in. One is Lethal Protector, a six-issue miniseries which ran in 1993. In this series, Eddie Brock moves to San Francisco after telling Spider-Man that he would give up his Venom-filled life of crime. While there, though, his past comes back to haunt him when the father of one of his victims hires mercenaries to kill him. This caused a commotion which drew Spider-Man to the city, and he and Venom eventually had to face off against five of the Venom symbiote's offspring.

The second story is Planet of the Symbiotes, which ran in 1995. Eddie finally realized how much the symbiote was corrupting him, and managed to drive it out. But, this pissed the alien off so much that it called to a nearby spaceship filled with symbiotes to attack the Earth. This story features Carnage, as well as the five symbiotes from Lethal Protector.

Something that's confirmed in the most recent trailer is the fact that at least one symbiote will come from outer space, as we see the symbiote being taken from the wreckage of a crashed ship in the opening moments. The trailer also tells us that we'll follow Eddie Brock as he investigates The Life Foundation, which has obtained the creature and is using the symbiote to experiment on people and try to force human evolution. Obviously, that's going to go badly, and when Eddie is accidentally joined to the Venom symbiote, he's going to be fighting agents of the foundation to stay safe and, possibly, keep others who have joined with symbiotes from causing deadly trouble all over the city.

Eddie Brock/Venom

Tom Hardy will play Eddie Brock/Venom in the Venom movie. Hardy is no stranger to the world of comic book media, having previously played Bane in The Dark Knight Rises and being attached to lead the 100 Bullets movie. Hardy was also supposed to play Rick Flagg in Suicide Squad, but he had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts, and he was replaced by Joel Kinnaman. Hardy is the second actor to play Venom in live action, preceded by Topher Grace in 2007's Spider-Man 3. Well, third if you count Ryan Kwanten's performance in the fan made short film Truth in Journalism.

While several individuals have become Venom in the comics over the decades, including Mac Gargan (better known as the Scorpion) and Flash Thompson (Peter Parker's bully-turned-friend who went by Agent Venom), Eddie is the one who's most associated with the name.

Eddie was introduced in 1986's Web of Spider-Man #18, and in his early appearances, he was a reporter for The Daily Globe. Eddie thought he finally found his journalistic break when he started looking into the serial killer known as The Sin-Eater. During his investigation, Eddie was contacted by a man named Emil Gregg, who claimed to be the Sin-Eater. After speaking with Gregg and finding what he thought was evidence to support Gregg's claim, Eddie wrote up an expose that revealed the killer's identity. However, soon after it was revealed that Gregg wasn't the real Sin-Eater, as Spider-Man had caught the real killer. Eddie was instantly fired from his job, and his already emotionally distant father cut off communication with him entirely.

Eddie blamed Spider-Man for what happened, and one night, he found himself at a church where he wrestled with his hatred for the superhero and whether or not he should kill himself. Coincidentally, this was the same church where Spider-Man was trying to rid himself of the alien symbiote that was trying to take over his body. Peter Parker was able to use the church's bells to free himself from the symbiotes' hold, as intense sounds are one of its weaknesses. But the symbiote didn't go without a new host for long, as it quickly attached itself to the emotionally wrecked Eddie, and when they joined together, Venom was born.

Thanks to the symbiote's time with Peter Parker, Venom has all the same abilities as Spider-Man, from wall-crawling to super strength greater than Spidey's, to even shooting web-like material made from its own body. In addition to the inherited Spider-abilities, the symbiote can also heal its host more quickly, filter out toxic substances, share any memories it obtained from previous hosts and shape shift to camouflage or disguise itself. As if all these powers weren't enough, Venom also can't be detected by Spider-Man's spider sense, although he didn't inherit a spider sense of his own. As for weaknesses, intense sounds and fire are the main things that can bring him down.

Carlton Drake

The villainous head of The Life Foundation will be played by Riz Ahmed in Venom. It was thought that he would be taking on the role of Carnage when he was first added to the film's cast, but that turns out not to be true. Instead, the movie's panel at SDCC 2018 revealed that his Carlton Drake would, indeed, become so intrigued by the experiments he's running that he decides to use himself as a guinea pig, with Drake becoming the evil symbiote known as Riot in the comics. The Venom trailer which was released at the end of July 2018 finally showed off some of the conflict that audiences can expect between Venom and Riot, even though it does take quite a bit of eagle-eyed viewing to see it about two-thirds into the spot. But, it's good to know we can count on Drake doing more than leading The Life Foundation with a wicked grin.

Ann Weying

Eddie Brock's ex-wife, Ann Weying, was a successful lawyer, and during one of Venom's rampages, Ann helped Spider-Man talk Eddie down and convince him to give up. During another story, the Sin-Eater shot Ann, and to save her, Eddie had the Venom symbiote bond with her to heal her wounds. By doing this, Ann became She-Venom, and during her brief time with the symbiote, she killed the two men who tried to attack her and Eddie. After Ann was freed, she tried to blame her actions on the symbiote, but Eddie told her that the symbiote never forces its host to do something they don't want to do. Ann was then arrested, but Eddie sent the Venom symbiote to her so she could escape prison. She-Venom went for another round against some criminals, and when Eddie was injured, she gave up the symbiote to save him. But those experiences were too much for her, and months later she killed herself due to her inability to cope with having been She-Venom and seeing Eddie transform back into Venom.

Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) is portraying Ann in Venom, but for the purposes of this story, it sounds like she'll be a district attorney who falls for Eddie while he's still coming to terms with being joined with the symbiote, instead of already being his ex-wife by the time the movie starts. As for if she'll become She-Venom, that's unlikely, given that Eddie is the star of the show, but who knows, maybe to defeat Carnage, Eddie will need to let go of part or all of his symbiote and give it to Ann so she can lend assistance. However, Williams noted in December 2017 that no efforts had been made to digitize her appearance, so it sounds like She-Venom is out for the time being.

Cletus Kasady/Carnage

Venom is, as of this writing, just a week away from opening, but we still have no idea if Carnage will fill any antagonist position in the movie, even though it's been rumored that the character will be around for quite some time. If he is, it will be something to see, because unlike Venom, Carnage doesn't have a moral compass. Cletus Kasady was one of the world's most notorious serial killers, guided by the mindset that only through chaos can one truly be free. Eventually, he was captured and sent to Ryker's Island, where he shared a cell with Eddie Brock. When the Venom symbiote sneaked into the prison to re-bond with Eddie, it left behind an offspring, and because this alien species don't feel any attachment to their children, Eddie's symbiote didn't clue him in on the "baby." After Eddie's escape, this new symbiote bonded with Kasady, turning him into Carnage and passing along the same spider-powers that the Venom symbiote inherited from Spider-Man (including super strength greater than Spidey and Venom's) and natural abilities of a symbiote. Carnage is also able to shoot parts of its symbiote as weapons that disintegrate seconds later; something Venom can't do.

With his powers and psychopathic mind, Carnage is one of the Marvel universe's most dangerous villains, making him a great opponent for Venom on the big screen. No details about the Venom movie's version of Carnage have been revealed yet, including whether it will remain an offspring of the original symbiote or if it's a completely separate entity, or whether or not we'll actually see Carnage as opposed to just seeing the man who would later become him. Fortunately, Venom hates Carnage almost as much as he hates Spider-Man, so seeing the symbiote-powered characters clash on the big screen should be a treat.

When actor Riz Ahmed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) was added to the Venom cast in the summer of 2017, rumors swirled that he had been cast as Carnage in the movie. But, those rumors were quickly shot down by reports which noted he was filling another major role in the film. Not much more was said about Carnage until early April 2018, when another set of rumors led many to believe that Woody Harrelson, whose potential casting was reported in December 2017, would actually be the one filling the role of the murderous, chaos-loving symbiote/serial killer. Nothing is concrete just yet, but it's all but been confirmed that there will be a mid-credits scene at the end of Venom, meaning that Carnage (and Harrelson) could surprise us then.

Dora Skirth

Luckily for Eddie Brock, after he decides to take on The Life Foundation he'll have some help in the form of Jenny Slate's Dora Skirth. Dora, who is a character created just for the film, works for the foundation and helps Eddie out by giving him some insider information on the symbiote the organization is experimenting with. Not so luckily, his trip behind the scenes of the foundation with Dora appears to be how he ends up becoming one with Venom.

Spider-Man

Following The Amazing Spider-Man 2's underwhelming performance, Sony decided to scrap its plans for a Spider-Man cinematic universe and teamed up with Marvel to bring the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The result was introducing the third cinematic incarnation of Peter Parker in Captain America: Civil War, followed by Spider-Man: Homecoming a year later. Spider-Man has a bright future ahead of him in the MCU, but the same can't be said for Sony's spinoff movies. Even though Tom Holland's Spider-Man adventures and Venom exist in the same reality, i.e. the MCU, Spider-Man will not show up during Eddie Brock's standalone story; not even for a cameo, all rumors to the contrary. It's a shame, because many have been hoping see a better brawl between Spidey and Venom after Spider-Man 3 failed to impress on that front. Alas, all we can hope for now is if Sony is willing to reverse this policy and fit Spidey into a Venom sequel if that is greenlit.

Sony's Marvel Universe

Venom isn't the only Spider-Man-centric movie Sony has coming down the pipeline. Silver & Black was also in development for a time, but, after being delayed indefinitely in February 2018, the movie was then scrapped in favor of two separate solo films, meant to focus on Silver Sable and Black Cat. Both characters have been allies and also enemies to Spider-Man over the years, reportedly going up against villains like Tombstone, Tarantula, Scorpion and Chameleon. At this point, neither film is expected to include the presence of Spider-Man, much like Venom. Also in development right now is a film set to focus on Cindy Moon, a.k.a. Silk. Details on this film are also under wraps, but Silk is a cool comic character who was bitten by the same spider as Peter Parker, and (while not as strong as him) is faster, has a more powerful sixth sense and can shoot webbing from her actual fingertips. These three projects have joined Spike Lee's Nightwatch movie and Morbius the Living Vampire as potential films from this shared universe, and we'll be sure to keep you updated as these films move forward.

Sony has been keeping its cards surprisingly close to its chest regarding Venom. Not very much about the plot is known and even character names have been largely kept under wraps as the movie inches closer to its release date. However, nothing stays hidden for long, especially at San Diego Comic-Con. At the Venom panel, more details about the movie were dropped for those in attendance, including CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell. One of the juiciest bits was that Riz Ahmed's secretive character was finally revealed. He's playing Dr. Carlton Drake, who will become an evil symbiote known as Riot.

During the Venom panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Riz Ahmed revealed some new details about his character Dr. Carlton Drake. As seen in the trailers, he works for the Life Foundation and is a genius billionaire inventor who's trying to find the future of humanity in outer space. This leads him to come in contact with the symbiotes, which then go on to cause some havoc. Turns out Drake will be getting in on that havoc himself, and it was confirmed at the panel that he will become Riot, a symbiote villain from the Venom: Lethal Protector comic series.

There's not a whole lot to Riot in the comics other than that he's one of five symbiotes that run wild and battle Venom. However, the movie will add some unique flair to the villain. According to director Ruben Fleischer, the movie version of Riot can jump from host to host, implying that Drake won't be the only one who wears that symbiote in the movie. It's unknown if any of Riot's symbiote brothers and sisters will show up in the film.

Riot as the villain may surprise those fans who were still holding out hope that Carnage would be featured in the movie. The character has long been rumored to show up in Venom with Woody Harrelson as a key contender to play the part, and while there is still no official confirmation, it's worth noting that Ruben Fleischer did say at the panel that there "may be other villains in Venom."

Venom is all set to be released on October 5, 2018. That's still plenty of time to catch up on all the latest news, which you can do by checking out our What We Know So Far guide.

About a week ago, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who always plays his MCU cards close to the chest, created quite a stir when he revealed that Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel, was definitely, sort of, in the works. Although his phrasing allowed for some flexibility, his words are encouraging for those hoping to see the Inhuman make her way to the MCU before long. It may be a ways off, but should Marvel move forward with Ms. Marvel, actors Riz Ahmed and Mindy Kaling have already thrown their hats into the ring to help bring the character to the MCU. Take a look:

Riz Ahmed must really like the character, as he is already proposing that he, along with other talented names like Mindy Kaling and Kumail Nanjiani, work on the screenplay for the potential film. And while this is just a hypothetical at this point, a Ms. Marvel movie would certainly be lucky to have these three working on the screenplay. Kumail Nanjiani is an Oscar-nominated screenwriter for his film The Big Sick, and Mindy Kaling has a lot of writing experience on The Office and The Mindy Project. Kamala Khan is a fun and youthful character that these three would be well suited to bringing to life. Mindy Kaling seems up for it too, as she is a huge fan of the character.

With Marvel increasing the diversity of its offerings both in front of and behind the camera, it would makes sense to have these three take a crack at Ms. Marvel. While a writer doesn't have to share the same race, ethnicity or religion as a character to do them justice, there is a certain level of understanding that those that do can impart. Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American and a Muslim, and those parts of her identity are part of her story. Both Kumail Nanjiani and Riz Ahmed are of Pakistani descent, and Riz Ahmed is a Muslim, so they can bring that experience to the character and have it speak to an audience that isn't used to this sort of portrayal on screen.

Ms. Marvel is probably quite a ways off at this point, but the enthusiasm around Kevin Feige's comments certainly has to have perked up the ears of those at Marvel Studios. And while Mindy Kaling and Riz Ahmed have already offered to write the film, it is never to early to start fan casting. Artist BossLogic did just that on Twitter. Check it out below:

BossLogic is offering up Linnea Berthelsen as a potential Kamala Khan, and that's certainly a solid choice. The actress was previously seen playing the superpowered Kali/Eight on Stranger Things. My guess is that this fan casting and chatter will only get louder in the years to come. But you can't have Kamala Khan without Carol Danvers, and she'll be introduced to the MCU when Captain Marvel hits theaters on March 8, 2019. Keep an eye on our Marvel Cinematic Universe page for all the latest on what lies ahead in the MCU.

It's been nearly a year since Venom transitioned from languishing in development hell to moving forward as an actual movie, but there's still a lot of secrecy surrounding the project. For instance, of all the actors who've been announced as part of the cast so far, we only officially know who two of them are playing: Tom Hardy will portray the eponymous protagonist and Michelle Williams will portray Eddie Brock's love interest, Ann Weying. Unofficially, however, a new report has come providing the identities of three of Venom's other major players, including Jenny Slate's character, who until now has only been said to be a scientist.

While most characters in a comic book movie are usually taken straight from the printed page, Saturday Night Live alum Jenny Slate is reportedly playing someone brand new named Dora Skirth, who works for the Life Foundation. Director Ruben Fleischer recently confirmed that Venom is based off the Lethal Protector and Planet of the Symbiotes storylines, and the Life Foundation was featured heavily in the former tale. While it's certainly possible that Slate's Dora Skirth could end up being amalgamation of certain minor characters from the comics, for now it appears that she'll just be working on whatever this organization has cooking behind its walls.

As for the other two actors mentioned in MCU Exchange's report, Scott Haze and Riz Ahmed, unlike Jenny Slate, they apparently are playing characters who do originate from the comics. Haze, recently seen in Only the Brave, will portray Roland Treece, while Ahmed of Rogue One and The Night Of fame will portray Carlton Drake. Both sit on the Life Foundation's Board of Directors, and this report also claimed that other board members like Dr. Collins and Dr. Emerson will appear in Venom. In the comics, the Life Foundation is responsible for creating the symbiotes Scream, Riot, Agony, Lasher and Phage. It remains to be seen what the Life Foundation is plotting in the Venom movie, but if the group is anything like its comic book counterpart, than it's up to no good.

Of course, even if we assume that Jenny Slate, Scott Haze and Riz Ahmed's Venom characters are all part of the Life Foundation, there's still an antagonistic mystery that has yet to be solved: Carnage. Last year it was reported that Carnage, whose primary host in the comics is serial killer Cletus Kasidy, would be Venom's main villain, but we have yet to learn who will play this symbiote-powered menace, though here are still a few actors in the cast who could potentially fill this role, like Reid Scott or perhaps even Woody Harrelson. Assuming that Carnage is actually appearing in Venom, it's a good bet that he, along with Venom and any other symbiote that appears, will have direct ties with the Life Foundation in this universe.

Venom hits theaters on October 5. To find out what other blockbusters are arriving this year, check out our 2018 release schedule.

The Venom movie remains a mystery -- though, with each passing day, it's becoming a well-cast mystery, at the very least. Tom Hardy has signed on to the Sony Spider-Man spinoff movie, which will be directed by Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Gangster Squad). And new reports attach Rogue One standout Riz Ahmed to the super-villain story... though his role is being kept under wraps.

So, let's fire up the speculation machine to see who Riz Ahmed could potentially play when Venom arrives in theaters next October. The movie's due to film in the fall, and it will operate in the same world as Tom Holland's Spider-Man, though it will not be connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That being said, it's expected to be populated with familiar characters from Spidey's comic-book pages, and the initial reports on Ahmed's casting say he will be playing a "popular" Marvel character. Based on rumors we have been hearing about Venom and the planned Sony Spider-Man spinoff universe, here are the characters we realistically think Riz Ahmed could be playing in Ruben Fleischer's Venom:

Carnage

Before we get too far into this entry, we need to point out that conflicting reports already are swirling about the possibility of Ahmed playing Cletus Cassidy, the homicidal maniac who eventually becomes Carnage. Some background information: Both Venom and Carnage owe their superpowers to an alien symbiote that Spider-Man brought back from space. The origin of these characters likely will have to change in the Venom movie, but if you are going to introduce Venom into a cinematic world, then pitting him against Carnage makes the most sense.

However, reports that confirm Ahmed for Carnage quickly were met with counter-reports (like this one, from THR) that say he's up for a different, major role -- with names like Matt Smith and Pedro Pascal being rumored for Cassidy. Someone is going to play Carnage in the Venom movie. It just might not be Riz Ahmed.

Kraven the Hunter

This goes beyond "popular" Spider-Man characters that Riz Ahmed bears a striking resemblance to (though he'd make a fantastic Kraven on screen). The party line at Sony has been that they'd love for spinoff movies to focus on villains that we haven't yet seen in Spider-Man movies, and no one has brought Kraven the Hunter to life on screen. Yes, it's possible that Kraven is being held for an MCU Spider-Man story. But what if they introduce him in the Venom movie, creating a connective tissue between the Sony spinoff and the Marvel/Sony collaborations?

In a report several weeks back, Kraven's name was also floated as one of the characters that Sony hoped to develop -- alongside Mysterio, Venom, Black Cat and Silver Sable -- so this could be the way that Ruben Fleischer plans to use Riz Ahmed in Venom. We'd certainly be down.

Mysterio

This one's a bit of a stretch, though as I mentioned in the previous entry, Sony seems hellbent on making the illusionist Mysterio into a viable villain for the spinoff Spider-Man universe. Mysterio never struck me as a Rogues Gallery villain who translated into a modern time. Marvel found a way to update The Vulture (Michael Keaton), and the tease for The Scorpion made me believe that he'd be a viable villain. But Mysterio wears a fishbowl on his head, sports a ridiculously billowy cape and an Aquaman-tight Spandex suit. Also, as I just said, he's basically an illusionist who tricks Spider-Man with elaborate visual gags. Worse villains have shown up in numerous comic-book adaptations, for sure, but until I see Mysterio actually WORK on screen, I'm filing him away as a possible mistake waiting to happen.

The Chameleon

This could be interesting. The Chameleon is another one of those classic Spider-Man villains (literally, introduced in 1963's The Amazing Spider-Man #1) who has yet to see the light of day on a movie screen. This might be because Chameleon didn't originally have major super powers to speak of -- he just used techniques to disguise his identity. Riz Ahmed isn't an imposing figure, so I could see him being employed to play a stealth, manipulative figure like The Chameleon in a Venom movie. Also, he could then be shared with the MCU so that he appears in an upcoming Spider-Man story.

It's the use of the word "popular" that keep tripping us up as we speculate. Are Mysterio and Chameleon popular enough to qualify? Because of this, my money is on Ahmed playing Kraven the Hunter in Venom, and potentially setting himself up for a future Kraven movie... or moving Kraven over to the MCU. Thoughts? Head to the next page and vote in our poll.

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As Spider-Man prepares to aid the other heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Avengers: Infinity War, Sony Pictures is moving forward with its standalone Venom movie. So far, only one actor is attached to the horror-centric comic book movie: Tom Hardy, who will play Eddie Brock, who turns into the eponymous protagonist. Now Hardy's second co-star is reportedly being lined up, as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor Riz Ahmed is currently eyed to join Venom.

Riz Ahmed is in "early talks" to board Venom, and while Variety's report said that he would play a "popular Marvel Comics character," no specific details about said character were provided. However, THR states that Ahmed would not be playing Carnage, the confirmed main antagonist, in the movie, although he was supposedly up for that role before changes were made to the script. Doctor Who's Matt Smith, Narcos' Pedro Pascal and The Danish Girl's Matthias Schoenaerts are also apparently up for the same part.

2016 was a big year for Riz Ahmed. He'd already earned accolades for his performance as Rick in the Jake Gyllenhaal-led thriller Nightcrawler back in 2014, but last year saw him achieving worldwide fame for playing Bodhi Rook in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first of the Star Wars Anthology spinoffs. His other notable credits include playing Aaron Kalloor in Jason Bourne and starring as Nasir Khan in the HBO miniseries The Night Of, the latter for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy. Ahmed was also reportedly in the mix to play Aladdin in Disney's upcoming live action remake of the 1992 animated movie, but that role ended up going to Mena Massoud. It's hard to predict who Ahmed's Venom character would be even if we just consider characters from the Spider-Man "family" (which Sony has the film rights to), but it certainly would have been cool to see him playing Cletus Kasady, the serial killer who will eventually become Carnage.

No official plot details have been revealed about the Venom movie yet other than it will see the symbiote-enhanced Eddie Brock battling Carnage. Since Venom will not cross over with Tom Holland's version of Spider-Man, the movie will come up with a new origin story for the symbiote (be it alien or manmade) and how it attaches itself to Eddie. It's also rumored that Eddie's ex-wife Ann Weying (who briefly becomes She-Venom in the comics) will appear. Director Ruben Fleischer of Zombieland fame has said that Venom is aiming for an R rating, and that it will have a horror tilt.

Venom will wreak havoc in theaters on October 5, 2018.

Slumdog Millionaire isn't the type of movie that we're frequently talking about nearly a decade later. However, when it came out in 2008, it was a big hit, winning a slew of Academy Awards--including best picture--and becoming another hit for 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle. While you probably remember the movie for shining a spotlight on Dev Patel, one other now-popular actor tried out for the movie. Riz Ahmed really wanted the gig, and really pushed limits during his audition with Danny Boyle. However, it was an audition that probably tanked his chances of appearing in Slumdog Millionaire, as he spit on the director while trying out for the part. The actor recently said:

While speaking with The Handmaid's Tale's Elisabeth Moss, Riz Ahmed revealed his Slumdog Millionaire audition was hand-down his worst audition. The Rogue One: A Star Wars Story actor said he wanted the role that Dev Patel ended up getting, which was the lead character Jamal, a young man who happens to do well on Who Wants to be a Millionaire in India, thanks to picking up random information throughout his life. However, Danny Boyle thought Ahmed would be better playing the brother, a gig which ended up going to Madhur Mittal. From what Riz Ahmed said in the video (published by Variety), he may have tried way too hard during the audition. At least he can laugh about it, now.

The world is full of stories about actors really going for it during auditions. Sometimes these stories end well, as happened when Kelly Rohrbach made the decision to audition for Baywatch in a bathing suit, something none of the other candidates did. Sometimes things don't end so well for the actors, as happened in the case with Riz Ahmed and Slumdog Millionaire.

Thankfully, spitting at a major director doesn't seem to have affected Riz Ahmed's career on the whole. After taking roles in a bunch of indies, the actor has broken out in recent years, appearing in Nightcrawler and Rogue One, and then on TV in the critically acclaimed The Night Of. He might have had that bigger break a little earlier if the Slumdog Millionaire audition had worked out, but it all turned out well for the actor in the end. You can next catch him in The Sisters Brothers, which doesn't have a release date yet.

Even though it was released back in December, we still haven't stopped discussing and dissecting Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The first Star Wars standalone film was met with critical acclaim and box office success, cementing Disney's plan to release a new Star Wars film every year for the foreseeable future. Part of what made Rogue One so great was how it bridged the gap between the prequel trilogy and A New Hope, especially during the film's final sequence. Although not it appears that the epilogue featuring a deadly Darth Vader and CGI recreated Princess Leia was a shock to everyone- including the cast.

Rogue One actor Riz Ahmed (aka Bodhi) recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about his various acting projects. Of course Rogue One was a big part of the conversation, where Ahmed revealed that the main cast actually had no idea about the film's ending sequence until they were in a screening room. He said,

Is anyone else gobsmacked? While Star Wars has always been vigilant about keeping spoilers on the DL, it appears that they took it to another level with Rogue One. Because not even the group of rebels themselves knew how the film would end.

And while this seems a bit extreme, in a way the cast is lucky. To start, they didn't have to worry about accidentally spilling the beans during interviews in the months leading to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story's release. They couldn't ruin the ending because they simply didn't know it.

Additionally, this also allowed the cast to be genuinely surprised by a film they were in. This is surely a unique experience, as starring actors are usually privy to the major plot points in their film. But being able to see both Vader's badass fight scene and the CGI rendering of a young Carrie Fisher must have been just as mind blowing as it was for theater audiences. In that way, the Rogue One cast could really connect and empathize with the fan experience.

This is not the first time that the Star Wars franchise has taken desperate measures to keep their secrets under wraps. Mark Hamill and other cast members are reportedly given bonuses if the movies keep their secrets, and the infamous "I am your Father" line from Empire Strikes Back was added in post in order to keep even the crew in the dark.

The next installment in the Star Wars franchise is The Last Jedi, which will arrive in theaters on December 15th, 2017.

The more that we learn of the evolution of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, especially in the final months of its production, the more astonishing it is that the film ended up being as good as it was. The latest revelation regarding the changes to Rogue One is that Riz Ahmed was originally supposed to play a character named Bokan, and his entry into the film was completely different, too. Ahmed made this admission himself, before then providing further details regarding Bokan. The actor recalled:

In the original drafts of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which were written by Gary Whitta, Bokan was once again being pursued by both the film's heroes and villains, and was still a key ingredient to exposing the Death Star's weak spot. But this time around, Bokan was part of Saw Gerrera's small crew that used a moon as their hideout. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and the Rebels came into contact with Saw, Bokan and their pals after they crash-landed on the moon due to an electrical storm. Saw had actually modified his ships so that they could handle such an environment, but every other ship that tried to infiltrate it crash-landed. This is why the Empire had never been able to find Saw Gerrera.

Director Gareth Edwards gave an insight into why the character started to alter, as he insisted, "We though it would be stronger if he wasn't Saw Gerrera's guy, but instead he knew Galen." But as the film changed, so did the character, so much so that it was deemed necessary to change the name of Bokan to Bodhi Rook. But this was also symbolic, with Riz Ahmed explaining to Entertainment Weekly, "Bodhi means awakening. He's a character who goes through kind of an enlightenment." Despite the huge alterations, Edwards decided not to switch Ahmed with another actor because he noted that he was "good at playing conflicted decency."

For those of you that are trying to picture just exactly how crazy Bokan was supposed to be in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, take a look at Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now. Which also just so happens to be footage of either a man on drugs, or a man who is so used to being on drugs that he puts in the most convincing display of such in the history of celluloid.

I'm not sure how much help he'd have been in the Battle Of Scarif. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story arrives on Digital HD tomorrow, and on Blu-ray/DVD April 4.

While it's already been a month since Rogue One: A Star Wars Story flew into theaters, the conversations revolving around Star Wars' first standalone movie hasn't slowed down. And while Rogue One had some big names, it's also a star-making moment for newcomers like Riz Ahmed. Ahmed played the hilariously quirky Bodhi Rook, a former Imperial pilot who defected to the rebels. Ahmed also had a break out role in the acclaimed HBO drama The Night Of, making 2016 basically Ahmed's year. This success should only continue as he gains notoriety, and Riz Ahmed is already heading back to the small screen in less than a month.

Entertainment Weekly recently did a preview of everything to expect in HBO's Girls, which will debut its sixth and final season in just a month's time. It revealed there that Riz Ahmed will be guest starring in Girls this season, specifically in the premiere episode.

Riz Ahmed will play a surfer character, who meets series lead Hannah (Lena Dunham), and presumably attempts to teach her how to surf. Fans of the series will know that Hannah often runs away from any sort of physical activity, so this interaction is sure to be great TV.

Girls executive producer and occasional director Jenni Konner went into some detail about Riz Ahmed's performance, as well as how his newcomer character will affect the greater narrative of the series. With a finite amount of episodes left in the comedy, any new characters that are introduced can be assured to push at least one character's plot forward, and Riz's will do so for Hannah.

It looks like Riz Ahmed will be able to flex his comedic muscles in Girls' season premiere. We've seen his sense of humor through interviews and press junkets, so I'm really looking forward to seeing him live in such a silly and funny world.

What is clear from his inclusion in yet another HBO series is that the premium network really likes Riz Ahmed. This can be a major help in a growing career, as HBO has been known to keep their favorites steadily employed. Just look at Evan Rachel Wood. After doing a few episodes as Queen Sophie in True Blood, she eventually booked a leading role in the miniseries Mildred Pierce. And now Wood is once again working for HBO as the leading character in the sci-fi hit Westworld, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Girls will premiere for the final time on February 12th, including the delightful Riz Ahmed.

Last year, I had the incredible fortune of sitting with the stars of Star Wars: The Force Awakens prior to the blockbuster's release, and during each of those conversations I asked each of them their favorite and least favorite part of the whole process. Each of them provided diverse and fun answers, which gave a great glimpse into what what the unique experience was like. So, naturally, when I sat down with the cast of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story earlier this month, I took the opportunity to ask the same question.

During the San Francisco press day for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, I spoke with Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelson and Ben Mendelsohn, and got all of them talking about their favorite and least favorite parts of making the movie. Check out their answers below and on the next few pages!

Felicity Jones

Before entering the Star Wars universe, Felicity Jones was primarily known for her work in serious drama (her Oscar-winning performance in The Theory Of Everything being a prime example), so when it came to making Rogue One, her favorite bit was diving into the action. The actress told me that she had a great deal of fun working with the stunt team and making the film's action sequences authentic. The downside of the production for Jones was just the rough conditions that many of the film's environments had to offer -- but it certainly sounds like it was a tough time that was worth it in the end.

Diego Luna

Of all the Rogue One actors I talked to, Diego Luna had far and away the most apparent enthusiasm for his time in the world of Star Wars - and that was fully reflected in his answer to my question and favorite and least favorite moments. He was clearly overtaken with joy any time he was surrounded by the world of the classic sci-fi saga, and he never wanted any of it to end. Literally his least favorite part of production was whenever Gareth Edwards would always say 'Cut' at the end of a shot.

Alan Tudyk & Riz Ahmed

Alan Tudyk didn't always have to get into the tougher stuff in Rogue One (an extended rainy sequence seeing K-2SO staying indoors), but Riz Ahmed found that flying around in spaceships wasn't always the most comfortable thing. Similar to Oscar Isaac's experience making Star Wars: The Force Awakens, he quickly found out that it can make you just a bit ill to stay in one for too long. At least they got to be in some amazing places while they were filming!

Donnie Yen

Donnie Yen found his favorite and least favorite parts of making Rogue One: A Star Wars Story orbiting the same arena. As cool as it is making a Star Wars movie, it is also hard work when you're doing a lot of stunt and action work in rough environments -- which is why Yen felt a sense of relief when it all came together. As for his least favorite part of the production, the thing that was hardest for him was just being away from his family during the many months of shooting. Surely getting to go back to them made the aforementioned last day of filming that much sweeter.

Mads Mikkelson & Ben Mendelsohn

Like Diego Luna, Mads Mikkelson wasn't shy about expressing his Star Wars love and getting to wear his "fanboy hat" while making Rogue One (taking off that hat when diving into the material as an actor). Impressively, that left him with zero complaints and nothing to qualify as his "least favorite" thing about making the movie. Similarly, Ben Mendelsohn felt it was an honor just to be a part of this legendary franchise, while also admitting that keeping so many secrets about the production wasn't his favorite thing to do.

The following story contains spoilers for Paul Greengrass's Jason Bourne. Stop reading now if you've yet to see the summer blockbuster.

This past summer, Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) came out of semi-retirement to tackle a nagging memory about his father, and the Treadstone program that helped turn him into a lethal agent of the United States government. Hard truths were learned, as Bourne learned to work with, and then against, a double-crossing CIA operative named Heather Lee (played by Alicia Vikander). Their collective paths eventually cross near the finale with Aaron Kalloor (Rogue One's Riz Ahmed), a tech genius being funded by our government to create Deep Dream, a social media program that can further our government's efforts to spy on every living human being.

As Jason Bourne drew to a close, Bourne (Damon), Lee (Vikander) and Kalloor (Ahmed) had open-ended resolutions that easily could be picked up in the next Bourne movie... if there is another Bourne movie. And when I spoke with producer Frank Marshall about Jason Bourne and the future of the franchise, he told me all of this is intentional:

That's what struck me about Jason Bourne. Yes, Matt Damon is going to come back. But thanks to movies like Ex Machina, The Danish Girl and the upcoming Tomb Raider relaunch, she has become a household name who you'd be happy to build a franchise around. The same is about to be said for Riz Ahmed, who has built up his audience with HBO's The Night Of, and has the potential to explode with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Frank Marshall admits that they got these actors at the front of the curve, but he then knows that he has the capability to capitalize on their popularity if and when they develop the next Bourne story.

As for the state of that sequel, and the secret to its possible success, Frank Marshall tells me:

You can relive the fruit of that labor with Jason Bourne, which hits DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Order it here.

It has been a pretty good year for Riz Ahmed. Not only was The Night Of roundly lauded and labelled as one of the best TV dramas of the year, but so was his performance. And while he followed it up with a role in Jason Bourne, and he'll end the year with his role as Bodhi Rook in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. So when it came to his 33rd birthday on Thursday December 1st, Riz Ahmed had a lot to celebrate. Ge did so in a rather spectacular fashion, as he got to see Rogue One for the very first time at Skywalker Ranch.

Riz Ahmed took to his Twitter account to boast about seeing Rogue One a full two weeks before it hit cinemas, while at the same time dropping a rather spiffing Death Star emoji that everyone needs to immediately start incorporating into their tweets. Riz Ahmed wrote,

Rogue One's release date of December 16 is now tantalizingly close. In the impending blockbuster Riz Ahmed portrays Bodhi Rook, who is a former imperial pilot that has strong piloting and technical skills and now works with the Rebel squad. Just from his description alone it sounds like he has all the hallmarks of a cult classic Star Wars character.

Riz Ahmed is just one of a number of fine, eclectic actors that fellow Brit Gareth Edwards decided to cast for Rogue One. Felicity Jones, who previously was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award because of her performance in The Theory Of Everything, leads the way as Jyn Erso, but the posse of actors is equally as impressive.

That's because she is joined by the always arresting Diego Luna, as well as the hysterical Alan Tudyk, the memorable Forest Whitaker, the adept Donnie Yen, and the imposing Jiang Yen. There's also the small matter of James Earl Jones returning to voice a certain Darth Vader, and Mads Mikkelsen will clearly be eating up the screen as Galen Eros, the distant father of Felicity Jones' Jyn, too.

Just in case you're not excited enough for Rogue One, you can watch the trailer below again to ramp your anticipation all the way up to 11.

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

Rogue One is just fourteen days away from release. That's when we can then start the countdown to Star Wars: Episode VIII, which will eventually follow on December 15, 2017. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

There are certain basic ideas that we have come to expect from the Star Wars franchise -- things that rear their heads in every entry in the long running saga. However, that will soon change when the first standalone Star Wars movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, hit theaters later this year. Rogue One won't just take the action away from the Skywalker clan to tell a different story; according to actor Riz Ahmed; the upcoming film will also present us with characters that possess far greater complexities than anything we've seen from this franchise before. He explained:

Rogue One star Riz Ahmed recently sat down with The Wrap and laid out the major reasons why the first standalone Star Wars film will feel incredibly distinct from the other entries in the main saga. By his own estimation, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has a much grittier, and "edgier" feeling than the other films in this series. Loyalties will be questioned, and the morality of our characters will be put to the test more than ever before. After all, these characters are criminals and rebels drafted to fight a clandestine war.

If you've seen a single Star Wars film then you probably can already understand where he's coming from. Over the course of the last seven Star Wars movies, the saga has pretty much relied on very clear cut definitions of good and evil to construct its characters. Even at his most roguish, Han Solo's anti-hero persona never felt like it teetered on the brink of villainy. With the release of Rogue One, we will see the morality of our characters delve into a much more grey area.

It goes without saying that this represents a gamble for the Star Wars saga. On one hand, it shows that the series has matured to the point where filmmakers can start telling this type of story within the Star Wars universe. On the other hand, it will certainly be interesting to see whether or not Rogue One actually feels like a Star Wars movie without the reliance on a traditional good vs. evil narrative. Everything we've seen from the film promises a stellar adventure, but we will have to wait and see whether or not director Gareth Edwards can properly take the saga in a new direction.

CinemaBlend will keep you up to date regarding all of the latest and greatest Star Wars news as more information becomes available to us. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will hit theaters later this year on December 16, 2016.

If you wanted to describe Rogue One: A Star Wars Story to a complete stranger, you'd be hard pressed to find an exact genre that encapsulates the entire experience. Straddling the lines of action-adventure, sci-fi, war movie, and heist caper, the Gareth Edwards directed film promises to be an experience unlike anything Star Wars fans have seen to this point. Just ask any of the actors involved in the film, such as The Night Of's Riz Ahmed.

The hot young star was recently spotted in an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Ahmed had some pretty awesome words that described why Rogue One: A Star Wars Story isn't just the prequel flavored cash grab that some may think it is. In fact, Ahmed suggests that the following factors set the film apart from the rest of the canon:

Riz Ahmed comments on the shoot for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story make it sound like the film really put him through his paces. On top of that, they echo the sentiment that the movie that's been sold day on as Star Wars meets a war movie is still going to deliver on that promise. The key phrase "boots on the ground" pretty much invokes that sort of spirit, and it's the approach we've seen in the trailers thus far. However, that isn't enough to completely convince us that the film we were promised from the beginning is still going to be the one we get in the end.

With a highly publicized round of re-shoots that are supposed to put the film more in line with 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has always threatened to turn into a different experience than as advertised. While the war movie aesthetic has been talked up in the past, the final product's "edge" factor has yet to be seen. In the best case scenario, Riz Ahmed's time on the re-shoots was long enough that he's in a significant amount of the new footage, thus confirming that the editing process hasn't watered down Rogue One: A Star Wars Story all that much.

Of course, there's a possibility that the edit that makes the grade might be one where Ahmed's character is reduced and/or changed from what he remembers shooting on set. While we hope that's not the case, we are coming off of a summer where we were promised a lot more Suicide Squad than we got, and found ourselves scratching our heads as to how the trailers could have steered us so wrong. Regardless of whatever editorial changes may have been made, at least Riz Ahmed's perceived version on what Rogue One: A Star Wars Story aligns with the version of the film that we want to see on the big screen. Seeing how close the version that will hit theaters on December 16th will match up to the original intent will definitely be part of the fun.

It's an awesome time to be a Star Wars fan. When Disney bought out Lucasfilm back in October of 2012, they laid out a plan to expand the world George Lucas created to a degree we've never seen before. They may have scrapped all of the Expanded Universe material that accumulated over the years (or at least decreed that it's not official canon), but they're working their tails off to fill in that void with projects like the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

At this point, we already have new novels, an animated television series in Star Wars Rebels, a handful of comic book titles from Marvel, and, of course, J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens. All of the expanded universe stuff is great, but the movies are what fans really want to see, and in addition to a new trilogy of interconnected saga movies, we're getting a series of standalone, so-called, "anthology" films that examine unexplored areas of the Star Wars saga, illuminating various corners of that far, far away galaxy.

Within these anthology movies, which have also been called "Star Wars Stories," we'll get to peer into the hidden crevices of this universe we love so much, explore different times and places, and possibly learn about events we've only ever heard about. The first of these is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and we have a lot of questions. Who is going to star? What will it be about? Will we see familiar characters? Will this impact/be impacted by the other films? Let's take a look at what we know about Rogue One so far.

First, let's take a look at the newest trailer!

And now let's break down what we know about the latest Star Wars feature, starting with:

What Is The Star Wars: Rogue One Release Date?

As mentioned earlier, it's a good time to be a Star Wars fan. In addition to the surplus of other officially canon material, which includes everything from TV shows to comics and video games like Star Wars: Battlefront, we're getting at least one movie a year for the foreseeable future - alternating between Episode titles like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Anthology chapters, like Star Wars: Rogue One. Star Wars movies have, up to this point, traditionally arrived in theaters in May of their respective years of release. The Force Awakens changed that trend, however, and was a huge winter blockbuster in December 2015. For now, the franchise will stick to this schedule, as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is scheduled to be released almost exactly one year after, with a December 16, 2016 release date on the calendar.

From the look of things, there won't necessarily be a ton of consistency release date-wise with the upcoming films. Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII, which doesn't currently have a title, will also be a pre-Christmas release, coming out on December 15, 2017. Less than six months later, specifically on May 25, 2018, audiences will be treated to Phil Lord and Chris Miller's Han Solo film - and then Colin Trevorrow's Star Wars: Episode IX will come out a year after that (on May 24, 2019).

What Is The Star Wars: Rogue One Rating?

Films don't typically get their official rating until just a few weeks before they open, so, since we still have some months to wait before Star Wars: Rogue One hits theaters, we aren't completely sure of the rating just yet. But, the Star Wars movies have a long history of PG or PG-13 ratings, so you can bet that this film will be in line with that track record. Star Wars: The Force Awakens had a PG-13 rating, and it's even more likely that Rogue One will carry the same rating when it opens this December.

The Director

Pretty much the first thing we learned about Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, even well before the title was revealed, was that Gareth Edwards was going to direct. Edwards only has two feature directorial efforts under his belt, but they certainly made an impact. His first film, 2010's micro-budget Monsters, is a tense, unique take on the creature feature - one where the filmmaker handled all the visual effects himself. While that movie wasn't exactly a blockbuster hit, Edwards' talent caught the eye of Hollywood, and he was given the reins of 2014's Godzilla revamp. His attempt to bring the King of the Monsters back to the metroplex was a rousing success.

These two very different films showcase a varied skill set that should serve Edwards well on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He's shown he can tell a character-driven story, as well as one that relies on action, large-scale special effects, and spectacle - and both of those elements will come in handy in deep space. In Monsters, the titular beasts are relegated to the background, adding an extra layer of mood and tone to the story that is really about two people wandering the wilderness. This shows that he has the ability to get you emotionally invested in the people onscreen, without relying solely on flash to keep your attention. While Star Wars has always been full of eye candy, it's the characters that stick with you.

What Is The Star Wars: Rogue One Story?

We've been hearing rumors about the plot of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story since the earliest stages of development, with whispers of rebels, a daring heist, and an Ocean's Eleven-style ensemble of characters coming together to pull off a job. At Star Wars Celebration 2014, we got confirmation that some of that is correct. The story follows a band of rebel fighters who steal the plans for the first Death Star. That definitely covers the heist element, not to mention it sets the action in the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, as resistance to the Galactic Empire begins to build momentum.

While this links the story to the main narrative thrust of the Star Wars saga, it also looks like it might do something no movie in the franchise has ever done: focus on normal people in the universe. The Jedi mythos has figured prominently into every extant Star Wars film, and while we've seen and encountered non-powered people, with the exception of Han Solo, they've never really taken center stage. If nothing else, this is going to be a drastically different view of this universe in which we've spent so much time, and it's been promised that, while most of the Saga has been rather black and white, Rogue One is one big shade of gray in terms of who is right and who is wrong in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire.

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones)

When the cast for J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens was first announced, one of the immediate reactions was that there were only a few female characters. Obviously the release of the blockbuster revealed that Daisy Ridley's Rey will be the central hero of the new saga trilogy, but those won't be the only new movies featuring strong female leads. The first actor confirmed to be in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was Felicity Jones, and it will be through her eyes that we see the movie's story unfold. In addition to popping up in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the 31-year-old British actress received an Academy Award nomination for her role as Jane Hawking in the biopic The Theory of Everything.

As for the character that Felicity Jones will be playing, the first teaser trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story does a pretty fantastic job giving us a bit of backstory for Jyn Erso. On her own since she was a teenager, she is a fighter with very little appreciation for authority - which leads her to find a home for herself in the rebellion. The footage we've seen seems to suggest that she'll be undergoing a bit of training in the movie, but it also sounds like she will have a key role in the heist of the Death Star plans.

The Leading Men

Felicity Jones is the central protagonist of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but the nature of the film's story demands a fairly large ensemble of actors - and that's exactly what the production has collected. During Walt Disney's D23 Expo in August of 2015, the studio confirmed a number of the main members of the cast. This is a list that includes:

Diego Luna

Ben Mendelsohn

Donnie Yen

Jiang Wen

Forest Whitaker

Mads Mikkelsen

Alan Tudyk

Riz Ahmed

Very little is known about most of the characters that the actors are playing in the movie, but some information has leaked out and been revealed in footage. For example, it's been reported that Alan Tudyk won't be featured in the movie in person, but instead will be providing a motion capture performance (playing a droid called K-2SO). Additionally, Mads Mikkelsen will not be playing a villain in the movie (a nice break for him), and will reportedly be Galen - who may be Jyn Erso's father.

Instead of Mikkelsen, it instead seems as though the central villain of the film will be Director Orson Krennic, played by actor Ben Mendelsohn. Almost nothing has been revealed about this character yet, though we do know that he is a high-ranking member of the Galactic Empire, and that he looks damn good in a space cape.

It's also been revealed that the character being played by Forest Whitaker has an interesting bit of history. In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story he will be playing Saw Gerrera - which is a name that fans of the animated Clone Wars television show should recognize. Gerrera, paired with his sister Steela, were featured in four episodes of the series' fifth season, and they were rebels who fought alongside the central heroes, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-wan Kenobi, and the young Ahsoka Tano. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set 20 years after those events, so it will be interesting to learn exactly what he's been up to since then.

What 'Anthology' Means

You have probably noticed by now that Rogue One is being called an "anthology" film. When you think of what normally constitutes an anthology film, you generally call to mind films made up of multiple chapters - essentially a series of connected short films (with the V/H/S and ABCs of Death series, there has been a glut of such projects in horror lately). The Star Wars franchise is tweaking that definition slightly, and basically using the word "Anthology" to mean "Stories Told Outside Of The Central Saga."

This classification sets Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the films that will follow it apart from the "Episodes," and while the events will impact the continuity of the Star Wars universe (obviously stealing the Death Star plans plays a big role) they're markedly different from what has come before. We've so far seen the journey of the Skywalker family in the films, and the Anthology films will tell stories just outside of that realm. It also appears these movies will explore side stories that appear to have less focus on the Force and the Jedi.

In addition to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, LucasFilm and Disney are developing two other Anthology projects, set to come out in 2018 and 2020, respectively. The first, which is set to be directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, is the untitled Han Solo movie, starring Alden Ehrenreich as the younger version of Harrison Ford's legendary smuggler character. The third project, which has yet to reveal its central subject, was going to be directed by Josh Trank, but has been in stasis ever since the film and the filmmaker parted ways in 2015.

Familiar Characters

As mentioned earlier, a significant part of the raison d'etre for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is to tell the stories of characters not necessarily directly related to the Skywalker clan and the central Star Wars saga. Of course, that doesn't mean that the film won't have a handful of recognizable faces from previous chapters in the franchise. We've already talked about Forest Whitaker's role as Saw Gerrera from Clone Wars, and the first trailer showed that Genevieve O'Reilly will be reprising her role as Rebel leader Mon Mothma from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (the character first played by Caroline Blakiston in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. But they won't be the only familiar faces that we see in Gareth Edwards' blockbuster.

It was first confirmed in the trailer shown at Star Wars Celebration 2016 that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will feature the big screen return of one of the most iconic villains in cinema history: Darth Vader. Unfortunately, because the footage only featured the Sith Lord's breathing and a reflection of his image, it wasn't exactly informative in terms of what role the great antagonist will play. As shown in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, he is definitely in the mix once the Death Star plans get stolen, intercepting Princess Leia on the Tantive IV, but we don't really now how he will be involved while the mission is actually happening.

Another character who fans will very likely be excited to see return for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a key figure from George Lucas' prequel movies: Senator Bail Organa. Played by Jimmy Smits, Organa was first introduced in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and while he obviously sits in an important political position within the fictional universe, fans mostly recognize him for something else: he is Princess Leia's adopted father. Smits has gone on record about his role in Rogue One, calling it both a "cameo" and a "small part," so obviously we're still very much in the dark about his larger role in the film.

John Williams

For many of us, John Williams and his rousing scores are practically synonymous with Star Wars. If you need a reminder of just how important his work is to these movies, just check out this scene from A New Hope without his signature sound. While the 83-year-old composer was back to contribute to The Force Awakens, he will not work on any of the Anthology movies. Consequently, we won't hear his soaring themes in Star Wars: Rogue One, making it the first Star Wars movie to hit theaters without a Williams score.

While he may be no John Williams, Gareth Edwards and company have found a strong replacement in Academy Award-winning composer Alexandre Desplat. He and Edwards worked together on Godzilla, and there are few composers out there as celebrated. He walked away with an Oscar in 2015 for his work on Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel - and he was actually competing against himself in that race, as he was also nominated for his contribution to The Imitation Game. It will be interesting to see if he puts his own unique stamp on Star Wars with Rogue One, or if he attempts to channel John Williams.

With the juggernaut that is Star Wars: The Force Awakens largely in the rearview (we still plan to see it a couple more times before it leaves theaters), it’s time to look to the future of that far, far away galaxy. The next chapter is less than a year away, and actually looks to the past of the franchise. Star Wars: Rogue One is the first of the standalone Star Wars Story movies that explore parts of this universe that fall outside of the main narrative through line of the Episodes, and according to one of the stars, it, and the director, bring something very different to the table.

Nightcrawler star Riz Ahmed plays an as-yet unidentified role in Star Wars: Rogue One, but he had some interesting things to say about director Gareth Edwards, and what he adds to the Star Wars universe when Hey U Guys caught up with him on the red carpet at the BAFTAs. He said:

From the beginning, this is what we’ve hoped for from the Star Wars Story movies like Rogue One. The Episode movies, like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the Rian Johnson-directed Star Wars: Episode VIII will continue the main story we know and love, including familiar characters. On the other hand, these spinoff movies will help to give this universe a broader scope and even more depth and texture. They will shine a light into heretofore-shadowy corners. Another point of differentiation is that they will reportedly have very little, if anything, to do with the Force and the Jedi, which has been such a focus in the Episodes.

Though we don’t know a ton of specifics, Rogue One tells the story of the theft of the plans for the original Death Star. Set before the events of A New Hope, it follows the exploits of the team dispatched to procured these plans and has been described as a heist film. Darth Vader and a cadre of bounty hunters are also said to be involved. So that’s promising.

Riz Ahmed’s statement about Rogue One being a war film is also not the first time it’s been called that. In fact, terms like "gritty" have been tossed around, and it’s even been compared to Vietnam War movies like Hamburger Hill.

However it shakes out, Star Wars: Rogue One promises to be something quite different from what we have come to expect from Star Wars. How audiences respond to that remains to be seen, but we’ll see it for ourselves on December 16.

There’s a fair amount of mystery still swirling around Star Wars: Rogue One, even after the panel hosted by Gareth Edwards at Star Wars Celebration. We know that Edwards is directing the heist story about a team retrieving Death Star plans. At the moment, Felicity Jones has been cast, and the project – from what we hear – might have circled her co-stars.

According to Variety, the Star Wars: Rogue One team is looking at Nightcrawler co-star Riz Ahmed to play the lead male role in the Star Wars spinoff movie. At the same time, The Wrap adds that The Hunger Games standout Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair) also is up for a role in the growing ensemble. Sources couldn’t tell the trade site who Ahmed or Claflin would play, though Variety did note that Ahmed "likely" would play a rebel soldier, which is what we believe Jones would play, as well.

Ahmed’s most recent part was that of Rick, an entrepreneurial camera man who got in with the wrong people – well, person – when he took a job combing the streets of Los Angeles with the predatory Louis Bloom (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) in Nightcrawler. It was a striking turn in a dark and somber movie, and Ahmed held his own opposite Gyllenhaal and against the cool and stylish scene design by writer/director Dan Gilroy.

Claflin, meanwhile, has dabbled in large-scale blockbuster fare. In addition to the Hunger Games movies, he played a part in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean films, and acted in Snow White and the Huntsman.

We learned a good amount regarding Star Wars: Rogue One at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim. Gareth Edwards took to the stage to fill fans in on the plans to expand Star Wars beyond the normal Saga, which will be contained to J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson’s films. Set in the years between Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, this films is being positioned as an action-packed heist film. It’s also believed to be an ensemble film, so we expect to hear more names added to the cast sheet before too long.

At what point is it possible to find something funny in something tragic? There is a mysterious number somewhere in the vast universe that dictates when we as an audience can finally look at a horrible event or group of people in our history and laugh at it. It is only the greatest satirists in the world that have mastered this mystifying timeline and, after watching the film Four Lions, it is obvious that Chris Morris qualifies.

Morris’ debut film is a comedy about the loveable bunch known as Islamic suicide bombers. Five British-Pakistani men are trying to do right in the eyes of their God by killing themselves with an explosive whilst in a populated area. The only problem is that the collective IQ of the group hovers somewhere between the square root of pi and Verne Troyer’s shoe size. There’s Waj (Kayvan Novak), a man so dumb he has to photograph himself to determine whether or not he is confused; Barry (Nigel Lindsay), who thinks the best way to send a message to Al Qaeda’s enemies is by bombing a mosque; Hassan (Arsher Ali), who delivers his terrorist message in rap lyrics; and Fessal (Adeel Akhtar), who wears a box over his head while on video because he doesn’t want to “show an image.” Leading the pack is Omar (Riz Ahmed), the Moe in charge of his group of stooges, who just wants to do right by his wife and son. Together they try and figure out the perfect location to spread their message, but whether it’s God or fate, something seems to be standing in their way.

As great as the performances were, what truly makes this movie magnificent is its script. Written by Morris as well as Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain and Simon Blackwell, hardly a minute goes by when you aren’t risking suffocation from laughing so much. More than just the characters, who are simply brilliant, it’s the situations in which the group finds themselves that are a real scream. The scenes where Omar is talking with his family, be it putting his son to bed with his own special version of the Lion King or expressing to his wife how upset he is with the mission’s progress, are genius, playing on every sappy drama about “keeping the family together” that has come out over the last hundred years. And while I can’t divulge too many details without providing spoilers, I want you to imagine four terrorists running around the streets of London as an upside-down clown, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, an ostrich rider and a honey monster.

But satire doesn’t exist just to make you laugh; it’s also there to make you think and Morris doesn’t hold back in this department and is an equal opportunity offender. As bad as the Islamic characters in this film are presented, the British police come off just as bad, more often than not making truly horrendous mistakes in their efforts to apprehend the terror suspects. Commenting on racial profiling and rendition techniques, the film’s main focus may be the five mujahideen, but security forces get their fair share of criticism.

Four Lions is easily one of the funniest movies that I have ever seen. After the amount of pain that our country and other countries around the world suffered as a result of these radicals, it would be a crime for this film not to find distribution. As outrageous the subject is, not a single person walked out of the screening and every joke was followed with uproarious laughter. On more than one occasion I found myself just laughing, not at the scene, but just thinking back to everything else that had happened in the movie. If, by some misfortune, this film doesn’t get more exposure stateside, I would recommend flying to England, locating Chris Morris’ home and begging him for a screening. It would be worth every penny.

For more coverage from the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival click here.