Euphoria Season 3 has offered up more than a few surprises, and that’s saying a lot for a show that’s generally known for having wild twists and turns. Amid Rue’s dabbling in high-stakes drug dealing and Cassie’s OnlyFans journey, there have also been some surprising pop culture references. Earlier this season, fans were treated to a 90 Day Fiancé nod, but what’s even more surprising is that the latest episode includes Superman in a way. Since then, DC Studios’ James Gunn has even responded to the nod.

One of the newest additions to the Euphoria cast this year is the legendary Sharon Stone, who plays network exec Patty Lance. The seventh episode of the season, “Rain or Shine,” features a scene that takes place in Lance’s office that’s located on the Warner Bros. Studio Lot. And one particular shot of the office shows a large Superman standee in Lance’s workspace, which is modeled after David Corenswet’s version of the Man of Steel. Take a look at the sweet Easter egg for yourself:

Such an unexpected DCU reference is cool enough on its own, but Gunn’s response is definitely the icing on the cake. The co-CEO of DC Studios was prompted to weigh in after Threads user @princejdcu shared a photo of the scene and referred to the backdrop as Gunn’s real-life office space. Journalist Brandon Davis then chimed in, saying that the office actually belonged to co-CEO Peter Safran. After that Gunn weighed in with his funny comment:

Seriously, I never would’ve expected Euphoria to have a DC reference of any kind, yet it makes sense that the show would utilize Gunn and Safran’s office. The Sam Levinson-created drama series is produced by HBO Entertainment, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, so that would explain the crew’s ability to film on the studio lot. However, is it weird that I now want to know what Rue, Jules or Cassie think about Gunn’s critically acclaimed Superman film?

There’s, of course, a reason James Gunn is apparently “never” in his office, and that’s because he remains busy in the field. Even now, he’s currently overseeing filming on Man of Tomorrow, which is the follow-up to his Supes film. The upcoming superhero movie also represents another installment in DCU Chapter 1, which is moving right along. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but what seems certain is that the movie is poised to further kick this new continuity into high gear.

As for Euphoria, the show may or may not be reaching the end of its run, as it’s yet to be confirmed whether its third season will also be its final chapter. There are still those who seem to be holding out hope that Season 4 might still happen, though. More immediately, there’s only one episode left in this season and, whether or not, it closes out the series as a whole, I’m led to assume it’ll offer some big moments. I’m also curious as to whether or not that episode will nod to other pieces of pop culture, superhero-related or not.

Watch the season finale of Euphoria, which airs on HBO at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 31. The episode will also be available to stream with an HBO Max subscription, and that membership also provides access to James Gunn’s Superman and more DC content.

No one in Hollywood has a career quite like Sharon Stone’s, and that same distinction can be made about her personal life. The actress added turning 68 years young (in a bikini) to a slew of other accolades and accomplishments she's earned over the years, but one of her most noteworthy experiences skews far more harrowing than celebratory, and has nothing to do with any of her on-screen projects. It does involve a scary-as-all-balls Komodo dragon, though.

The actress went back in action for 2025’s Nobody 2 ahead of hitting the 2026 TV lineup as part of Euphoria Season 3, but it’s her tumultuous 2001 trip to the Los Angeles Zoo that has racked up votes and comments on a TIL Reddit post just under 25 years since it went down. The post links back to a Smithsonian article titled “The Most Infamous Komodo Dragon Encounters of the Century,” which is hilarious, but could absolutely be the title of the scariest horror movie of any given year. And that cites a very detailed 2001 Time interview that Stone gave two weeks after.

So what happened? The bare-bones version is: Stone’s ex-husband Phil Bronstein (executive editor of the San Francisco Examiner) had never seen a Komodo dragon in person before, and Stone trusted a reportedly not-so-trustworthy zookeeper to allow Bronstein a close audience with the largest living lizard species on the planet. Suffice to say, it went poorly. But Stone’s version has to be heard before we get into those who only recently discovered this awfulness went down.

Sounds fairly satisfying so far, right? Especially with all the reassurances from the zookeeper, who then offered up a catastrophic piece of advice. Stone continued:

Yep, this was almost the point at which panic began to set in, but not before Stone said there was a brief period of disbelief where the three of them stared in shock. Then came the panic, as well as several panic-worthy moments happening in short and quick order. She said instead of trying to pull his foot back out of the lizard's mouth, which could have caused it to lunge at another part of his body, Bronstein wisely stepped down and pinned the creature's jaw to the ground. Not that it just laid there willingly. She continued:

Adding to this nightmare was the fact that the trio was being viewed behind glass by other zoo visitors, including young children, who watched as the star of Basic Instinct and Total Recall screamed in fear while a Komodo dragon made lunch out of a man's foot. The trio had to make their way out of the cage safely, without letting the Komodo escape, while Stone had to fashion a tourniquet to wrap around her husband's lower leg. And it's not like the lizard was calmly resting after that ordeal, either.

Needless to say, it was an emergency that she'll likely never forget, in the same way that the internet won't. Speaking of, here's an assortment of comments that made me smile and/or chuckle in good humor.

Some Choice Reddit Reactions To Learning This Story

• A+++!! 9 toes up! Would go again!! - @kuhas
• Unfortunately Phil's feet were white too. It was a critical miscalculation on the zookeeper's part. - @BobTulap
• He ignored his Basic Instincts. - @theRealGermanikkus
• He remembers that day well, with total recall - @killeronthecorner
• Was the handler just two Komodo dragons in a trench coat? - @NoGamble_NoFuture
• “Excuse me, Mr. Stone, are you trying to seduce me?” - The Dragon, probably. - @BrainCane
• AMA Request: a kid who saw Sharon Stone's then-husband get attacked while petting a Komodo dragon. - @Khaeos
• All giant lizards are pettable once - @GLaDOS_Sympathizer
• Valentine's Day present, hug the lions. - @maverickLI

Thankfully, Phil Bronstein did make it through the ordeal mostly intact, and the tendons were reattached surgically. It's assumed he never made any personal visits to any other Komodo dragons, though the actress states in the Time interview that the zoo continued to allow people to have up-close experiences with such carnivores.

Sharon Stone was at the top of her game in Sam Raimi’s under-appreciated western The Quick and the Dead, and I have to wonder how Ellen McKenzie would have handled the situation. I mean, she probably would have eliminated the threat before it could even become one. If James Bond can do it in Skyfall, The Lady sure can.

Here’s hoping neither Stone nor Bronstein anyone else ever has to go through an experience like that again, especially not under the guise of a surprise gift.

Few actresses manage to achieve the kind of icon status that Sharon Stone has notched over the course of her illustrious career. The Oscar-nominated actress has plenty of film and TV credits under her belt, and she continues to add to her filmography. Now 68, Stone has firmly landed on “queen” status, and it’s lovely whenever she receives her flowers. To that point, Stone recently received love after she shared a photo of herself in a bikini, as Pom Klementieff, Laura Benanti and others showed her some serious love.

Stone is quite active on social media, where she treats her followers to some truly sweet posts. Just recently, she really drew some positive attention when she shared the aforementioned swimwear photo on Instagram. Stone’s post referenced the imminent arrival of warmer months, and this comes ahead of what will be her 68th summer. Check out the snapshot of the Casino star, which shows her basking in the sunlight and foliage in front of a pool:

The fan-favorite actress looks downright lovely, and she’s certainly getting me pumped for the prospect of warmer weather. What’s really delightful about this post, though, is the sheer amount of buzz it seems to be creating. As of this writing, the post has amassed over 139,000 likes and, of course, there’s that slew of celebrity reactions I mentioned. Take a look at what Benanti, Klementieff, Leslie Mann and more had to say:

• 🔥🔥🔥 - Pom Klementieff
• 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 - Laura Benanti
• ❤️ - Leslie Mann
• My love. GORGEOUS. ❤️❤️ - Uzo Aduba
• 🔥🔥🔥- S.E. Cupp
• ❤️🔥🔥🔥 - Sophie Monk

It’s lovely to see fellow stars and media personalities shouting out Sharon Stone, who’s really working that bikini. There’s just so much to love about Stone, from her boldness as an artist to the no-nonsense and candid approach she possesses when doing interviews. She’s truly a legend for a myriad of reasons and, more recently, it’s been delightful to see her emerge as a positive force within the social media landscape.

What I find to be particularly interesting are the anecdotes that Stone shares about her experiences within the entertainment industry. For example, she previously opened up about her wild time hosting Saturday Night Live, which involved some audience members storming the stage. Fellow stars have also shared cool stories about Stone, including Leonardo DiCaprio, whose salary for 1995’s The Quick and The Dead was actually paid by Stone.

Unfortunately, not all the stories Sharon Stone herself has shared have been positive, including her recollection of being pressured to sleep with co-stars to build chemistry. However, despite any negativity, Stone continues to thrive and land roles. (Her portrayal of a power-hungry baddie in Nobody 2 is one of the more recent performances Stone has given that I really enjoy.) So here’s to plenty of future gigs for Stone as well as plenty of other summers during which she can sport a bikini.

Stone’s next film is the comedy film In Memoriam, which also stars Marc Maron, Lily Gladstone, Judy Greer, Justin Long and more. This 2026 movie schedule entry will premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 6.

Though it wasn’t the first or best Western movie I ever watched, The Quick and the Dead was one that my older brother and I watched countless times growing up. Like the criminally underrated Toy Soldiers, this great Sam Raimi movie starring Sharon Stone, the late Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and a pre-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio was on TNT whenever I would flip to channel 17 back in the day.

However, 30 years after this gunslinging epic about a mysterious drifter named “The Lady” coming into an Old West town to enter a duel tournament and get some old-fashioned revenge, I rarely hear people sing this movie’s praises or even know what it is. That’s a shame, a crying shame. If, for some reason, you’ve never watched The Quick and the Dead, here’s why you should change that…

The Quick And The Dead Pulls Off So Many Great Western Movie Archetypes

Though it’s not one of the best films of 1995 (that was a stacked year, so this isn’t a knock on it), The Quick and the Dead is a fun, violent, and outrageously fun Western that feels like both a love letter to the genre and a slight reinvention at the same time. Not only are there the time-honored tropes like duels, revenge, and redemption (it’s the name of the town, for crying out loud), but the movie also features some wonderful archetypes.

You have the mysterious drifter coming into town in the form of Sharon Stone’s “The Lady.” You have the former outlaw-turned-preacher with Russell Crowe’s Cort, and the flipside with Gene Hackman’s ruthless outlaw-turned-sheriff John Herod. And then there’s “The Kid,” Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, who wants nothing more than to earn his dad’s acceptance. All of these work really well and don’t come off as feeling cheap, unnecessary, or overdone.

The Movie Showcases Leonardo DiCaprio And Russell Crowe’s Talent Before They Were Megastars

Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman were already on top of the world when The Quick and the Dead came out in February 1995, but the same can’t be said for Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. Going back and seeing these two future A-listers when they were on their respective ascents to stardom is so much fun to watch, especially considering they’d share the screen again a decade later in Body of Lies.

Both seem so eager, so fresh, and so believable in their parts. DiCaprio, barely 20 years old at the time, is especially electric in his portrayal of a young gunslinger trying to make a name for himself and win the affection of his iron-fisted and mercilessly cruel father. I know hindsight is 20/20, but you can see that spark in DiCaprio’s eyes whenever he’s on screen.

However, don’t let my praise of a young Leo take attention away from Russell Crowe. Released two years before L.A. Confidential and five years before his Oscar-winning performance in Gladiator made him one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, this Western was an early showcase (at least in the United States) of Crowe’s capabilities. His charm, command of the screen, and believability can all be felt.

While The Quick and the Dead isn’t streaming anywhere right now (that changes all the time), you can rent a digital copy with an Amazon subscription or pick up a physical copy to see what all the fuss is about. Hey, maybe enough people will watch, and we can start talking about this awesome 1995 Western again.

Ever since Sharon Stone was announced as the villain in Nobody 2 about a year ago, we’ve been curious about how the actress best known for Casino, Basic Instinct and Total Recall would bring to the action comedy about an assassin-turned-family man. When CinemaBlend spoke to Ben Odenkirk, the movie’s star and producer, he shared the story behind how he convinced her to join the franchise, and his beloved Breaking Bad spinoff, Better Call Saul, had something to do with it.

When I sat down with Odenkirk during the Los Angeles Nobody 2 press junket, I shared my curiosity about getting Sharon Stone on board for the movie. He luckily had a great story about how she joined the cast. In his words:

Considering how great Bob Odenkirk was as Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul over the years, the actor was nominated for a lot of major awards during its six-season run, including earning five Golden Globe nominations. As Odenkirk expressed, during one of the times he was at the award shows, he actually met Sharon Stone, and she revealed she’s a big fan of the series.

He later remembered her when it came to casting the villain for Nobody 2. Here’s what happened next:

While Odenkirk admitted Stone’s character, which has been called “batshit crazy” by the Nobody 2 director, isn’t a complicated role, he really wanted the chance to work with the actress. So he wrote her a letter making his case, and obviously it worked. She in turn plays Lendina, who Hutch crosses paths with while trying to leave behind his assassin ways on a family vacation. Bob Odenkirk also said this about getting to share scenes with the talented actress:

Now that the Nobody 2 release date is here, fans of the first Nobody movie can see what Sharon Stone brings to her role. The actress was actually originally going to play a DC villain in Blue Beetle, before she was replaced by Susan Sarandon. Thankfully, she found another juicy big bad role, this time with an actor she admired herself, in Bob Odenkirk.

And how sweet does this exchange sound? Bob Odenkirk and Sharon Stone seem to be genuine fans of each other’s work, and it ended in the pair getting to be in the same movie. You can see them in the latest of the 2025 movie releases, Nobody 2, now playing in theaters.

I love a good action movie. Today, few franchises hold a candle to John Wick when it comes to action. The creativity and style of the fight and chase sequences help the movies stand out. However, there is a small film that, by virtue of sharing the same producer and the same writer as the original John Wick, comes closer to recreating that success than anybody likely expected: Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk.

Bob Odenkirk wasn’t exactly who people expected to lead a physical action-heavy movie, which is part of why it was all so good when it came together. I’ve been almost as excited for the Nobody sequel as I am for the next John Wick chapter, but after reading this description of Sharon Stone as the villain in Nobody 2, maybe I feel differently. Director Timo Tjahjanto, who is taking over the franchise, recently spoke to Empire, where he described Stone’s character saying,

The long-in-development Nobody 2 sees Bob Odenkirk’s character, Hutch, who has returned to his life of violence, attempt to take his family on a vacation only to inadvertently run afoul of a criminal empire run by Sharon Stone. While the trailers for Nobody 2 certainly show some of the “batshit crazy” that Tjahjanto is talking about, as the character seems to be larger than life – though considering the outrageousness of the premise, that’s part of the fun.

While we’ve seen Sharon Stone play some outrageous characters in her career, it’s been a while since we’ve seen the side of her that we saw in Basic Instinct or even Catwoman. That movie may have been terrible, but Stone certainly gave it her all. The director says Stone was his first choice for the role, though he never actually expected she’d take it; it turns out she surprised him. Tjahjanto said,

Timo Tjahjanto seems quite excited to have landed Sharon Stone. Nobody 2 will actually be one of the actress' most significant recent roles. The film also includes Colin Hanks as a corrupt sheriff, and sees the return of Connie Nielsen as Hutch's wife and Christopher Lloyd as Hutch's dad.

Sharon Stone was originally cast to play the villain in Blue Beetle, though she eventually had to pull out of the film. While Nobody 2 may not technically be a comic book movie, her character certainly sounds like some sort of supervillain. It’s a role she could certainly play once, and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing her do it here when the sequel arrives in theaters everywhere on August 15.

Your favorite movie and TV star had to start somewhere and, sometimes, that somewhere is appearing in commercials. There have also been some cases in which an actor has already made it to the top but decided to lend their star power to a TV ad. You can find both kinds in the following collection of TV commercials featuring some huge celebrities.

Ben Affleck (Burger King)

An early blip in Ben Affleck's acting career was a commercial for the popular fast food chain, Burger King. The future live-action Batman actor and Academy Award-winning filmmaker plays a teen who accidentally invents Door Dash when his car phone intercepts a car from a girl who wants to order a whopper.

Cameron Diaz (Coca-Cola)

When Cameron Diaz was still a model primarily, one of her first experiences with acting – before making her feature debut in The Mask – was in a TV ad. The future Shrek movie star shines in an early '90s Coca-Cola commercial that feels a lot more like a perfume ad from the era in its alluring direction.

Paul Rudd (Super Nintendo)

All of Paul Rudd's versatile talents – from making us laugh in movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin to thrilling us as Ant-Man in the Marvel movies – can be traced back to a Super Nintendo commercial he did in the early '90s. He plays a very enthusiastic video gamer who attracts a crowd when he, somehow, hooks up his console to a drive-in theater projector for the ultimate experience of playing The Legend of Zelda and other favorites.

Jennifer Lawrence (My Super Sweet 16)

Jennifer Lawrence got to be the original My Super Sweet 16 girl without appearing on the actual reality TV series that documented wealthy young women's extravagant birthday celebrations. MTV ran dramatized promos for the then-new show starring the future Academy Award winner and Hunger Games movie star as the birthday girl who encounters a few mishaps during her festivities.

Brad Pitt (Pringles)

Years before he starred in Super Bowl Heineken ad helmed by his Fight Club director, David Fincher, the then-up-and-coming Brad Pitt got a taste of commercial acting by starring in a 1988 Pringles spot. He plays one of three surfer dudes who become stranded on the side of a California road when a trio of lovely women approach them for an impromptu Pringles party.

Amy Adams (Commercial Federal Bank)

Mainstream audiences first became aware of Amy Adams' impeccable singing talent in 2007's Enchanted but customers at Commercial Federal Bank were really the first to discover her. In 1997, the multi-Oscar nominee starred as an Olvia Newton-John lookalike in a parody of 1978's Grease for the bank.

Steve Carell (Brown's Chicken)

Steve Carell's channeled his inner Michael Scott long before leading NBC's The Office cast when he was just starting out acting in commercials. In the early 1990s, he played a Brown's Chicken employee whose clumsy mistake while setting up a marquee advertising "cholesterol-free cooking" accidentally convinces customers the food will cost them nothing.

Drew Barrymore (Pillsbury)

It must have been clear to anyone who spotted Drew Barrymore in her early Pillsbury commercial that she was destined to capture our hearts in E.T. the Extra-terrestrial just a few years later. The 1979 ad stars the then-four-year-old as a little girl whose mother cheers her up on a rainy day by making chocolate chip cookies.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Bubble Yum)

Before breaking out with his supporting role in Growing Pains and really hitting big leading the Titanic cast, the up-and-coming Leonardo DiCaprio did a few commercials. One sees the future Oscar winner demonstrate his natural charisma while demonstrating the powerful flavor of Bubble Yum bubble gum.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Alinamin V)

You may never be able to look at Arnold Schwarzenegger the same way again after witnessing the series of gobsmackingly bizarre ads the Terminator star filmed in Japan long after his big break. As the spokesperson for an energy drink called Alinamin V, the future California governor puts on a maniacally large smile and is sometimes seen riding the beverage's bottle into space or popping out of it like a genie.

Mila Kunis (Telephone Tammy)

Had Mila Kunis' Jackie Burkhart been a child of the '90s, Telephone Tammy – a doll who responds to your call with an included play phone – sounds like the kind of toy she would have grown up with. Not to mention the fact that the future That '70s Show cast member appeared in a commercial for Mattel when she was just starting out.

Morgan Freeman (Polaroid)

Future Academy Award winner and voice-over extraordinaire Morgan Freeman starred in a number of TV commercials early on in his career. One such ad was a 1970s spot for Polaroid, not as the man holding the camera that instantly prints out photos but the man telling the amateur photographer to cool it with the reshoots.

Britney Spears (Maull's)

Die-hard fans of pop superstar Britney Spears know that she started out as a child actor who worked with Ryan Gosling on The Mickey Mouse Club, among other rising stars. One of her earlier roles was a young girl who was apparently very excited to eat a home-cooked hamburger in a commercial for Maull's Barbecue Sauce, a local St. Louis brand.

Mark Hamill (Kodak)

Before playing Luke in the Star Wars movies made him familiar with technology from a galaxy far, far away, Mark Hamill represented what must have felt like a futuristic innovation at the time. He starred in a 1975 commercial for a Kodak camera that takes high-resolution photos from far away, allowing him to snap a shot of his girlfriend (and her mother) on a balcony while he stays on the ground.

Anne Hathaway (Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate)

Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway first showed her talent for performing in romantic dramas like One Day and The Idea of You in a 1996 commercial for Better Homes and Gardens. She plays a young woman who believes she and her boyfriend will still have time to spend before his family moves away until they learn the real estate agency has already sold the house.

J.K. Simmons (Farmers Insurance)

From his memorable roles in HBO's Oz and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies, J.K. Simmons was pretty well known by the time he was cast as Professor Nathaniel Burke of the University of Farmers for a long-running Farmers Insurance ad campaign. When he won his Oscar for Whiplash, host Neil Patrick Harris sang an impromptu parody of the company's commercial jingle.

Harrison Ford (Kirin)

Playing Han Solo in Star Wars and the title hero of the Indiana Jones movies made Harrison Ford an international star and one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He would also increase his notoriety in Japan by starring in a series of commercials for a regional brand of lager called Kirin.

Keanu Reeves (Corn Flakes)

Before playing a master of kung fu in The Matrix, a master of gun-fu in the John Wick movies, and a master of excellency in the Bill & Ted movies, Keanu Reeves played a master of sneaking a bowl of cereal for himself. The role of a waiter who enjoys some of the breakfast food he has been hired to serve comes from an '80s-era ad for Kellogg's Corn Flakes.

Betty White (Snickers)

Snickers had a funny ad campaign starring well-known actors as metaphorical representations of the out-of-character behavior of hungry people. One of the earliest, and funniest, stars the legendary Betty White as a dude who needs a bite of the protein-loaded candy bar when his performance in a casual football game is off.

Bruce Willis (Seagram's Coolers)

When he was best known for Moonlighting and before starring in one of the all-time greatest action movies, Die Hard, Bruce Willis had another claim to fame: Seagram's Golden. He served as the adult beverage's spokesperson in a series of ads, some of which utilized his musical talents.

Jeff Goldblum (Apartments.com)

It's a little strange how a performer as widely recognized and beloved as Academy Award nominee Jeff Goldblum would be hired to star in an ongoing ad campaign as an original character and not just as himself. Nevertheless, the star of Jurassic Park and The Fly is dazzling and dazzling in the Apartments.com commercials as Brad Bellflower.

Sharon Stone (Finesse)

In the 1990s, films like Basic Instinct and her Academy Award-nominated role in director Martin Scorsese's Casino made Sharon Stone one of the most esteemed, and desirable, actors of her time. In the 1980s, her looks helped sell Finesse shampoo as one of the most desirable brands in the hair care market.

Jack Black (Pitfall)

It appears that Jack Black's charismatic, high-energy sense of humor was something he possessed from a young age. Exhibit A: his appearance in a 1982 commercial for Atari's Pitfall, as a wide-eyed child in a safari hat enthusiastically recalling his experience in the jungle-set video game, years before he played a jungle-set video game character in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Burger King)

No one would have believed, in 1983, that an adorable six-year-old girl who became a recurring spokesperson for Burger King would grow up to become one of the fiercest horror Scream Queens in the genre's history. Yet, that would become Sarah Michelle Gellar's destiny after leading the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast as the titular defender against evil.

Tobey Maguire (Tropicana Twister)

In 1991, when he was still a teen, Tobey Maguire did an ad for a blended juice drink from Tropicana called Tropicana Twister. The future Spider-Man actor only briefly appears as a kid who breaks the fourth wall, suggesting that broccoli be added to the next unique flavor combination.

Courteney Cox (Tampax)

Before starring in the Friends cast as Monica Gellar, Courteney Cox was best known in the 1980s for dancing with Bruce Springsteen in the "Dancing in the Dark" video. However, did you catch the future Scream movies star's appearance in a Tampax ad as a gym patron?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Pop-Tarts)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of the most acclaimed former child stars who still act, with film and TV credits that back to the late '80s and early '90s like Angels in the Outfield and, of course, 3rd Rock from the Sun. If you go back even earlier than those classics, you can see the future Looper and Inception star in a 1991 ad for Kellogg's Pop-Tarts as a child who child urging his father to have breakfast before he leaves for work and offers him the toaster pastry.

Bryan Cranston (Preparation H)

Four-time Emmy winner and one-time Academy Award nominee Bryan Cranston has worn many faces throughout his career, from a hapless suburban dad in the Malcolm in the Middle cast to a ruthless drug lord as the lead of the Breaking Bad cast. Years before then, he wore the face of a spokesperson for Preparation H in a commercial from the early 1980s.

Willem Dafoe (Mercedes Benz)

With roles like one of the best Spider-Man movie villains, Green Goblin, and others, Willem Dafoe has proven time and time again that he plays an exceptional bad guy. Thus, he was the perfect choice to star in a Super Bowl ad for Mercedes Benz as the Devil, who almost convinces a young man to trade his soul for the car until he learns how affordable it is.

Geena Davis (WMET)

With an eclectic career that includes her Academy Award-winning role in The Accidental Tourist, the horror-comedy movie favorite Beetlejuice, and plenty more, it is clear Geena Davis can be anything. So, we imagine early '80s TV viewers who lived in the region where WMET broadcasted had no trouble accepting her as the voice of the local rock radio station when she starred in its enchanting commercial.

Jeremy Renner (Duracell)

Before he was defending the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the Avengers, Jeremy Renner made a living as a commercial actor. One of his greatest hits was a 90s-era Duracell ad in which he plays a tourist in Mexico whose stereo battery harnesses the power of a herd bulls.

John Travolta (U.S. Army)

Years before he played Santa in a Capital One ad and sent up his role in Grease for T-Mobile, John Travolta starred in an Army recruitment promo in 1973. Just four years later, his Academy Award-nominated lead role in Saturday Night Fever made him one of the biggest stars on the planet.

Having already been a comedic talent for several decades, and then making a big splash in the dramatic realm through Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, among other projects, Bob Odenkirk made his action genre debut in 2021 with Nobody, which may end up being considered one of the best action movies in the coming years. Now Odenkirk is gearing up to reprise retired assassin Hutch Mansell, and the latest thing we know about Nobody 2 is who will play the villain. Although it’s a surprising choice, I’m still eager to see how brutal the brawls between these two characters get, assuming they come to blows.

Just one month after it was confirmed that Nobody 2 was moving forward, it’s been announced that Sharon Stone has boarded the sequel. Although no official plot details have been revealed yet by Universal Pictures and 87North, THR has heard that Stone has been tapped to play the main antagonist. This news follows five months after the release of What About Love, the 2024 movie that Stone starred in with Andy Garcia and Iain Glen.

From Total Recall and Basic Instinct to Casino and Antz, Stone has formed an impressive filmography over her nearly 50-year-long acting career. In recent years though, she’s focused more on TV work, with those credits including Mosaic, Ratched and The Flight Attendant. As already mentioned, it remains to be seen if Stone’s Nobody 2 character will actually fight Bob Odenkirk’s Hutch or if she’ll be a villain directing her goons to kill him, though I certainly hope it’s the former. I’m already on board for seeing this sequel, but seeing those two actors go mano a mano would only increase my interest.

While Odenkirk and Stone are the only actors attached to Nobody 2 so far, there’s also behind-the-scenes talent to keep track of on the sequel. The Night Comes for Us’ Timo Tjahjanto will direct the feature off a script written by Nobody writer Derek Kolstad, Odenkirk, Jack Ryan’s Aaron Rabin and Kate’s Umair Aleem. Odenkirk is also producing Nobody 2 with Marc Provissiero through their Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment banner, and the other producers include Kelly McCormick and David Leitch from 87North, and Braden Aftergood from Eighty Two Films.

Nobody 2 is set to be released August 15 on the 2025 movies schedule, the same day that Ryan Reynolds’ Animal Friends will arrive. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news on how the sequel is coming along. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, Nobody cannot be streamed, though it can be purchased/rented on digital platforms. If you’re looking for newer Sharon Stone content to watch, her appearances in The Flight Attendant can be accessed with a Max subscription.

Saturday Night Live is one of the best sketch comedy shows of all time, and over the years some of SNL’s most popular sketches have definitely tested the limits with sometimes-controversial humor. With time, it can become obvious that things went too far, and Dana Carvey apologized to Sharon Stone for a sketch during her 1992 guest-hosting stint in which he played an Indian man who asked Stone to take off her clothes to get through airport security.

What’s considered humorous changes with time, and Dana Carvey acknowledged on the podcast Fly on the Wall that he would be “literally arrested” now if he participated in the “Airport Security Check” sketch that he was a part of during Sharon Stone’s appearance. Carvey said: 

Podcast co-host David Spade agreed the sketch was “so offensive,” in how the airport security team — which comprised characters by Dana Carvey, Rob Schneider and Kevin Nealon — asked the Basic Instinct actress to remove her jacket, stockings and ultimately her shirt. 

Sharon Stone offered grace in response, telling the comedians:

The actress, indeed, had likely seen bigger problems earlier that evening, as she also recalled on the podcast how people had stormed the stage saying they were going to kill her as she prepared to give her monologue. Sharon Stone also commented on the state of comedy as a whole, lamenting that this “weird and precious time” has people putting up boundaries, and everyone is so afraid that “people can’t be normal with each other anymore.”

Dana Carvey reiterated that he intended no harm — either through his portrayal of an Indian man or his character’s actions — and praised Sharon Stone for her performance. He told her:

The podcast hosts called Sharon Stone a “good sport,” and it’s good to know that she hadn’t felt uncomfortable with the sketch back when she did it. However, as David Spade and Dana Carvey pointed out, we’re unlikely to see anything of that nature happen in SNL’s current age. 

Up next on Saturday Night Live, Ramy Youssef will host at 11:30 p.m. ET March 30 on NBC with musical guest Travis Scott. The show can also be streamed with a Peacock subscription. Be sure to check out the other upcoming SNL hosts, as well as all of the other upcoming premieres with our 2024 TV schedule. 

Part of what makes Saturday Night Live so much fun is the live element and the potential for anything to happen when all of the guest hosts and cast members take the stage. This can lead to amusing moments when somebody can’t stop laughing during a sketch, or if there’s a wardrobe malfunction (or, in JLo’s case, a hair malfunction). However, in 1992, guest host Sharon Stone had a much bigger problem, when audience members apparently stormed the stage, threatening to kill her just before she went live from 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Sharon Stone and Pearl Jam were Saturday Night Live’s guests on April 11, 1992, and the Basic Instinct star recently spoke to David Spade and Dana Carvey about the wild experience she had. After executive producer Lorne Michaels was mentioned, Stone shared with the SNL icons on the Fly on the Wall podcast why she thinks “Lorne is a wonderful person,” revealing it’s in no small part because “he personally saved my life.” The actress said: 

Now I’ve heard of bosses being hands-on, but it’s certainly not every day that you hear about one springing into action to protect their talent from an actual attack. It sounds like things got pretty physical, too, with Sharon Stone estimating that there were between three and five people who Lorne Michaels was “physically trying to contain.” 

That must have been quite a thing to witness as the cameras began to roll, because as they say, the show must go on. The actress continued:

It’s possible that the home viewers were none the wiser to any of the drama that was occuring in the studio, as footage of that monologue doesn’t show any kind of fracas happening off-camera. You can see Sharon Stone’s opener for yourself below: 

Sharon Stone said on Fly on the Wall that she’d just started working as an AIDS activist in 1992, and at the time there was a lot of uncertainty and mistrust in the amfAR organization and what their goals were, which was apparently why the SNL audience members targeted her. She said she remained “terrified” throughout her appearance, because she had to run through the audience several times during the show. Stone said: 

Hosting Saturday Night Live has got to be a pretty daunting experience, and I can’t imagine what it must have been like to do that while knowing there were people there who wished her harm. That show ended up being Sharon Stone’s only appearance on SNL, but it’s no wonder she maintains a high opinion of Lorne Michaels. 

Up next on the iconic sketch show, Ramy Youssef will host with Travis Scott appearing as the musical guest. Tune in at 11:30 p.m. ET Saturday, March 30, on NBC, and be sure to see what premieres are coming soon with our 2024 TV schedule. 

Anyone who has seen Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation must wonder for at least a second if there is truth in Bill Murray’s character of a famous American actor in Japan to film a commercial. Well, there definitely is. Huge American and European stars have been hawking products in Japanese commercials for decades. 

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood, some of whom you’d never expect to be selling cars and shampoo in the States, are happy to do it in Japan. While there was a time those stars may have been labeled as “sell-outs” in the U.S. for doing commercials, it was very lucrative to appear in ads in Japan, without the baggage. Here are just a few of the celebrities who have made those Japanese ads. 

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is known in the U.S. for her Miss Dior perfume commercials, but in Japan, she’s better known for selling Lux shampoo. The commercial we found is a pretty standard shampoo commercial, very similar to one you’d see in the States with long, flowing locks being flung to and fro. 

Jodie Foster

Two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster is one of those actors you’d least expect to see in a commercial, but in the ‘90s, Foster starred in a campaign for Honda Civics. The commercials are pretty bland, with lots of shots of a smiling Foster standing near the Hondas she was selling. 

George Clooney

He may be one of the biggest movie stars of all time, but George Clooney isn’t above slinging coffee in Europe or doing extensive voice-over work on American commercials. In Japan, he’s the face of Kirin Beer in at least a couple of commercials, co-starring with some CGI songbirds. 

Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves has developed a reputation for being one of the nicest guys in Hollywood. It makes sense that a product would be interested in having him as a spokesman. In the United States, he occasionally does a commercial or two, most notably for Squarespace. In Japan, he’s also popular. Like a lot of Western celebs, he’s been hired by the whiskey maker Suntory to do commercials. As always, he looks cool doing it. 

Madonna

At the height of Madonna’s fame in the ‘80s and ‘90s, it would’ve been very rare to see her endorse a product on TV in the United States, but in Japan, she was part of a big campaign for Takara, a whiskey made by Blanton’s for the Japanese market. The commercials don’t look like they took up much of the Material Girl’s time, however, as they are just cuts from her music videos spliced with buzzwords and shots of the bourbon. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Lately, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been showing up in more and more commercials. At the 2024 Super Bowl, he was in a State Farm ad, for example. It seems the former Governator likes the idea of picking up a nice paycheck for a minimal amount of work, and who can blame him? It’s something he’s been doing in Japan for decades, going back to the pinnacle of his fame in the ‘90s when he endorsed an energy drink called Alinamin V. These might be the strangest of all the commercials too, featuring Schwarzenegger’s giant head popping out the bottle and other over-the-top images. 

Miles Davis

No one defines “cool” quite like Miles Davis did. The late jazz legend had a reputation for being prickly, but fans still wanted to be him. His sound on trumpet was unique, as was his style, and it all oozes authenticity. Endorsing products in the U.S. might have branded him a “sell-out” to his fans, but in the ‘80s, he could go to Japan, where he was also a big star, and shoot commercials for Honda Scooters, and no one would be the wiser in North America. 

Britney Spears

Britney Spears might be the least surprising person on this list. At the height of her fame in the late ‘90s, she’s exactly the kind of celebrity that would be huge in Japan. Spears took advantage of that fame, starring in a series of commercials for Go Go Tea. The pop star also appeared in an ad for Mikakuto Gummy Candies as well. 

Harrison Ford

Back in 1996, Entertainment Weekly reported that Hollywood stars could make anywhere from $500K to $2 million for a couple of days’ work on a Japanese commercial. It explains why actors like Harrison Ford, who no one would have expected to see in an ad in the ‘90s in America, would spend a few days in Japan shooting commercials for Kirin beer. We don’t know how much he made, but it’s safe to assume the Star Wars star made enough to pay Jabba back and then some. 

Cameron Diaz

SoftBank is one of the largest holding companies in Japan and it loves to bring over American stars to promote its services. One such star was Cameron Diaz, who in the mid-’00s starred in commercials and print ads all over Tokyo for the cell phone giant. No doubt such a campaign made it possible for the actress to semi-retire in 2014. 

Brad Pitt

Coffee, specifically canned coffee, seems to be one of the more lucrative areas of advertising for Western stars in Japan. None other than Brad Pitt even showed up in one in the ‘90s. Pitt stars as an office worker getting more work done after drinking a can of Roots Coffee. 

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis is big in Japan. He’s been spotted selling everything from cars to financial services. Daihatsu and SoftBank have both hired the Die Hard legend to hawk their wares. He even learned a phrase or two in Japanese for the spots. 

Sharon Stone

Just as in America and Europe, Japanese beauty brands love to hire a famous actress to taut their product’s ability to make everyone as beautiful as they are. Sharon Stone was a major spokeswoman for Vernal soaps, for example. Stone also appeared in commercials for jewelry and other luxury wares. 

Ben Stiller

When you watch the Kirin ad Ben Stiller did back in the late ‘90s, it makes you wonder if it was the main inspiration for Zoolander. It feels like an outtake from the movie about a male model, it’s so goofy. Don’t get it wrong, it’s supposed to be over-the-top and funny, so it fits the character of Derek Zoolander perfectly, even if Stiller wasn’t actually playing the role. It’s also better than Zoolander 2.

Francis Ford Coppola

Of course, the most famous example in the West of a star doing Japanese commercials is the fictional Bob Harris (Bill Murray) doing Suntory ads in Lost In Translation. The inspiration for the film, or part of it, had to be Sofia Coppola’s father, Francis Ford Coppola doing ads in Japan in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Including one for Fuji Cassettes, and yes, Suntory whiskey. 

Sylvester Stallone

Rocky star Sylvester Stallone got on the Japanese advertising train back in the mid-’90s, including doing some very strange commercials for Bayern Sausages. An Italian-American doing ads for German sausages in Japan. It’s the UN of commercials! 

Brooke Shields

Back in the ‘80s, Brooke Shields was huge. For much of the decade, she found a lot of work in Japan in ads for everything from tissues to coffee to stereos. No doubt that helped her pay for her Princeton education, where she studied during a break from her career in the mid-’80s. 

Richard Gere

In 2009, Japanese company Suntory bought Orangina, the sparking orange beverage from France. Almost immediately, Suntory did what they had done so often in the past, they hired an American actor for an ad campaign. Richard Gere starred in a few commercials for the brand at the dawn of the 2010s, playing a classic Japanese comedy character from the ‘60s and ‘70s named Tora-san.  

Audrey Hepburn

By the early 1970s, Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn had already semi-retired from acting, starring only sporadically in a few movies in the ‘70s before bowing out completely. Still, she did work in Japan occasionally in commercials, including one for wigs from 1970, which seems pretty odd, but hey, it’s Audrey Hepburn, so who are we to question it?

Leonardo DiCaprio

Even the great Leonardo DiCaprio has gotten in on the Japanese ad business, hawking credit cards in the ‘90s and Jim Beam more recently. You might expect the latter, but definitely not the former, in the United States. 

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway is another glamorous actress who has been known to pop up in luxury and beauty ads in Japan. One product, Lux Shampoo, is well known for using American stars in its ads for its products. The rom-com star pitched for the company a few times in the mid-’00s. 

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Suntory Whiskey definitely takes the win for grabbing some of the biggest stars from the U.S. to sell its products. Even way back in the ‘70s, it was paying Sammy Davis, Jr. to do commercials for them. They even got him to scat for one of them, and it’s a gem. 

Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones has been a regular in Japanese commercials for a long time, and watching some of the more bizarre ones, he’s clearly having a lot of fun. It definitely references his role in the Men in Black series, but beyond that, it’s hard to pin what they are about, exactly, except that he’s selling coffee. 

Nicolas Cage

It’s no surprise to find Nicolas Cage on this list, now is it? Going back a couple of decades, the actor did a series of commercials for Pachinko games, which are Japanese slot machines and pinball machines.

Kyle MacLachlan

In what might be the absolute best and most bizarre entry on this list, Kyle MacLachlan starred in a whole series of commercials for Georgia Coffee as Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks. The commercials played out like a bizarre mystery, just like the show, and also featured other characters from the show, and the famous intro. It’s truly awesome… and weird… and awesome.

Sean Connery

If you want someone elegant and cool to advertise your whiskey, why not hire James Bond himself, Sean Connery? That’s exactly what Suntory did in the early ‘90s and he’s everything you want him to be in the ad. 

Hugh Jackman

When you have the talents of a true song-and-dance man like Hugh Jackman, it’s smart to take advantage of that. It’s what Lipton Ice Tea did in 2010 to amazing results with the Deadpool & Wolverine star dancing around a Japanese hotel. 

Cindy Crawford

Cindy Crawford was the most famous model in the world in the ‘80s and ‘90s, so it’s no surprise she’d been seen on Japanese TV selling lots of stuff, as she was virtually everywhere else in the world. For example, in Japan, she hawked a sports drink called Pocari Sweat. Sweat seems like an odd thing to name your drink, but Crawford could sell anything in those days. 

John Travolta

Canned drinks are huge in Japan and the competition for customers is intense, which has led to a lot of American stars getting lucrative gigs. John Travolta is one such star, who was hired to appear in an ad for Tokyo Drink. Naturally, he danced his way through it. 

Hulk Hogan

Professional wrestling has long been hugely popular in Japan. American wrestling stars like Hulk Hogan have been traveling to Japan to work for decades. With that fame, came commercials for the Hulkster, like one in the early ‘90s hawking Hitachi Air Conditioners. 

Quentin Tarantino

It’s not always just actors either. Quentin Tarantino, whose Kill Bill movies are a tribute to Japanese culture, popped up in an ad for SoftBank’s cell phone service. The director looks like he had a blast making the spots, too. 

Kiefer Sutherland

When 24 debuted, it instantly became one of the biggest hits on TV, and that success translated to Japanese TV as well. So much so, that Kiefer Sutherland was hired by the energy drink Calorie Mate to star in a series of commercials in the style of the spy show. 

There was a time when “selling out” was a real concern for artists and their fans. It’s far more common today to see big stars in commercials. Before it became okay to be seen selling stuff on TV, those big names could head to Japan for a nice paycheck, without retribution from hardcore fans. Until the internet, it was rare for an American or European to even know the stars had done it. Now with the internet, we get to see all these great commercials they were doing. 

Everyone comes from somewhere and, before Leonardo DiCaprio hit it big with Titanic, he was a struggling working actor in Hollywood. While he had early success on the sitcom Growing Pains, and in small independent films like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Basketball Diaries he was far from the movie star we know him to be today. In his journey to becoming one of the most recognizable actors of his generation, he received some help along the way. You may be surprised to hear that there's a sweet story involving Sharon Stone paying his salary on one of his earliest movies, 1995's The Quick and The Dead.

The 49-year-old leading man was promoting his latest film, Killers of the Flower Moon, when he was asked about Sharon Stone, who recently said that she was a fan of his most recent Martin Scorsese collaboration. During the interview with E!, he was asked about Stone paying his salary along with Russell Crowe’s when they worked on  the aforementioned movie together back in the '90s. Apparently, the studio didn't want to pay the young actors, and the Casino legend stepped in to take matters into her own hands. The Romeo + Juliet co-lead has since become a major star, but he remains appreciative of Stone's efforts:

As for why the Total Recall icon decided to pay Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe’s salaries on The Quick and the Dead, she had a really great reason. According to the Oscar nominee, it was simply because she wanted to work with them and was willing to put up her own money to do so. Clearly, she saw something in the two young actors, and wanted to help in any way she could. DiCaprio described the act of kindness, saying:

While Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio went on to become Oscar winning movie stars, at the time, Sharon Stone was the major star in the equation, and had top billing alongside Gene Hackman for The Quick and the Dead.  She was one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood after starring in Basic Instinct and around that point, had also worked with Martin Scorsese on Casino, which earned the star her sole Oscar nomination. She was at the top of her game, using her own stardom to help other young actors who were just starting to find their own footing. You love to hear about artists supporting their peers in such a way, and it's also great that DiCaprio is still grateful even after all these years.

Since then, the Wolf of Wall Street star has paid it forward in his own way, adivsing young actors who are just starting out. He famously gave guidance to Timothée Chalamet, with whom he worked with on Don’t Look Up, and fans once observed the actor praising Jacob Elordi for Euphoria at a party. Stardom ebbs and flows, and it's nice that the old guard does its best to lift up rising talent while at the peak of their own careers. Sharon Stone seemingly set a great example that her co-star took after. Hopefully, the next generation of superstars will carry on this trend, creating a solid support system for up-and-comers in the process.

You can see Leonardo DiCaprio in the ever-captivating Killers of the Flower Moon, which is currently playing in theaters nationwide and is one of the biggest titles on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases will be available for Apple TV+ subscribers in the near future. You can also check out Sharon Stone in her latest film, Beauty, which is currently streamable for those with a Netflix subscription. 

Some of the biggest stars in Hollywood are also some of the most often snubbed by the Oscars when it comes to Best Actor and Actress Academy Awards. Legends like Harrison Ford, Jamie Lee Curtis, and many others have somehow had some of the most successful careers in film, but have only been nominated for one Academy Award in the acting categories. 

Harrison Ford - Nominated For Best Actor (Witness)

Harrison Ford is a national treasure, most everyone will agree. Everyone, it seems, except The Academy, as he has only ever nominated once, for 1985’s Witness. This actor has been in two of the biggest franchises in history, plus the two Jack Ryan movies and so much more. He should’ve been nominated for The Fugitive at least. 

Eddie Murphy - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Dreamgirls)

Another icon of the late 20th Century and early 21st Century is Eddie Murphy, who has only been nominated once, for Dreamgirls in 2007. This is probably more testament to the Academy's apparent lack of appreciation for some of his best comedic performances because I dare you to find better ones in history than Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop or Coming To America. 

Gwyneth Paltrow - Nominated For Best Actress (Shakespeare In Love)

Gwyneth Paltrow will likely be a polarizing name on this list because the actor herself tends to be, but she’s had a number of wonderful performances over the years. Roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Emma, and The Royal Tenenbaums are all worthy of more consideration than she’s received over the years. She's earned just one nomination for Shakespeare in Love, for which she also won. 

Taraji P. Henson - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button)

Taraji P. Henson has been nominated for more than thirty acting awards across her sterling career. Somehow, only one of those was for an Academy Award. Her lone Oscar nomination was for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2008, and it’s frankly astounding that’s the only one. At a minimum, she should have been nominated for Hidden Figures alongside her cast-mate Octavia Spencer. Hopefully, this changes with her role in the upcoming remake of The Color Purple. 

Hugh Jackman - Nominated For Best Actor (Les Misérables)

Hugh Jackman is one award away from achieving EGOT status. The “O” is missing and shockingly he’s only been nominated once for an Oscar, for his performance in Les Misérables. The multi-talented Jackman has won so many awards, but is shut out yearly at the Academy Awards. The Oscars may not show much respect to comic book films, but everyone else does, and saying he should have been nominated for Logan isn’t a stretch, nor is saying it about his performance in The Greatest Showman.

Jamie Lee Curtis - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

Jamie Lee Curtis is one of the most versatile actors of her generation. Horror, comedy, drama, she does it all. And yet, she has little to show for it in terms of Oscar nominations. She finally was nominated (and won) for Everything Everywhere All At Once but where were the nominations for My Girl and A Fish Called Wanda?

Salma Hayek - Nominated For Best Actress (Frida)

It’s been more than two decades since Salma Hayek was first nominated for an Oscar, for 2001’s Frida and she’s not been nominated since. Hayek is an icon and one of the most beloved actors today, yet never seems to get the attention of the Academy. This is likely in part due to the discounting of action films, which have become Hayek’s bread and butter, but that doesn’t mean her performances in movies like Traffic and Beatriz at Dinner weren't worthy of attention.

Matthew McConaughey - Nominated For Best Actor (Dallas Buyers Club)

When Matthew McConaughey won the Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club after being nominated for the first and only time, he led his speech with his trademark “Alright, alright, alright” and while his role in Dazed and Confused is a classic, he certainly deserved nominations for other roles, like how about a nod for his supporting role in The Wolf Of Wall Street or his performance in the vastly underrated Mud?

Samuel L. Jackson - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Pulp Fiction)

If there is anyone on the list that should be a perennial nominee, it’s Samuel L. Jackson. His lone nomination came from his unforgettable and meme-able turn in Pulp Fiction, but he’s an actor who steals every scene he's in, in a good way. Just his roles in Quentin Tarantino films alone, like Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight, are worthy of nominations, but it hasn’t happened, sadly. Thankfully for all of us, Jackson was given an honorary Oscar in 2021 for his contributions to film, which is some consolation. 

Uma Thurman - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (Pulp Fiction)

Speaking of Pulp Fiction, the Tarantino classic also led to Uma Thurman’s one and only Academy Award nomination. Despite being one of the biggest stars on the planet, Thurman seems to have no luck getting the attention of the Academy. One role that really stands out is in the under-appreciated Prime. 

Benedict Cumberbatch - Nominated For Best Actor (The Imitation Game)

One has to believe that more nominations will be coming for Benedict Cumberbatch. Thus far, his only acknowledgment from the Oscars was for his wonderful performance as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. There are plenty of other roles he could have been nominated for, especially as William Bulger in Black Mass and Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate and that’s just the roles in which he’s played real people! 

Mark Wahlberg - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (The Departed)

In 1990, no one would have expected “Marky” Mark Wahlberg to appear on any kind of list like that, but almost 35 years later, it’s astounding his only Oscar nomination has been for The Departed (one of our picks for the 100 best movies of the 2000s). You have to question why he was ignored for Boogie Nights, for sure. The Fighter is another clear snub, though he was technically nominated for Best Picture as a producer of the film. 

Halle Berry - Nominated For Beat Actress (Monster's Ball)

When Halle Berry earned her one Oscar nomination for 2001’s Monster’s Ball, she was the odds-on favorite to win. She had become one of the biggest stars of the 1990s and now was her time to shine. She won, of course, but sadly, it would be the last time Berry would be nominated, so far, at least. It’s a shame because there are plenty of roles she’d be deserving of a nomination, like Frankie & Alice, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Laurence Fishburne - Nominated For Best Actor (What's Love Got To Do With It)

This could be the most shocking on the list. At first thought, you might guess Laurence Fishburne was nominated for his amazing work as Furious Styles in Boyz n the Hood or Professor Phipps in John Singleton’s other masterpiece, Higher Learning. Alas, the Matrix star has only one nomination, for playing Ike Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It, and he didn’t win. 

Josh Brolin  - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (Milk)

Josh Brolin has been a favorite since he was a teenager in The Goonies. He’s also starred in some powerhouse movies, like Sicario and, most of all, No Country For Old Men. No Country won a slew of Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Barden, and yet Brolin wasn’t even nominated. It frankly doesn’t make sense. Brolin’s lone nomination came from his wonderful performance in Milk, but that was the year that the late Heath Ledger won for The Dark Knight.

Sharon Stone - Nominated For Best Actress (Casino)

You could argue that while Sharon Stone was brilliant in Casino, it wasn’t even her best performance, though it’s the only time she’s been nominated. She wasn’t nominated for Basic Instinct, despite winning the Golden Globe for the role, nor for the underrated The Muse in 2000. At least we have Casino. 

Tilda Swinton - Nominated For For Best Supporting Actress (Michael Clayton)

2007's Michael Clayton was awash in acting nominations, including George Clooney for Best Actor and Tom Wilkinson for Best Supporting Actor. The only winner of the night, though, was Tilda Swinton for Best Supporting Actress. Over her incredible career, Swinton has been honored for other roles, like her parts in The Deep End, We Need to Talk About Kevin, and even Snowpiercer, but this remains her only Oscar nod. 

Liam Neeson - Nominated For Best Actor (Schindler’s List)

Long before Liam Neeson re-invented himself as an action star in summer blockbusters, he was a character actor carving out a nice career in film. Then came the epic Schindler's List. He was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor in a movie, though he lost out to Tom Hanks for Philadelphia. In the 30 years since, Neeson has not been nominated, not even for fantastic turns in The Gangs of New York, Michael Collins, or Rob Roy. For shame.  

Lupita Nyong'o - Nominated For Best Actress (12 Years A Slave)

Lupita Nyong'o burst onto the Hollywood scene with her heartbreakingly beautiful performance in 12 Years A Slave. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress and has since been racking up the accolades everywhere... except the Oscars. Despite well-received turns in Us and Queen of Katwe, not to mention her roles in the Black Panther films, she hasn't again been nominated. 

Sean Connery - Nominated For Best Supporting Actors (The Untouchables)

Sean Connery was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and yet he was virtually ignored by the Academy for his whole career. Setting aside his brilliance as James Bond, Connery should’ve earned nods for The Hunt For Red October, and The Name Of The Rose, at least. Instead, his only nomination came for The Untouchables, which, thankfully, he won. 

Alec Baldwin - Nominated For Best Supporting Actor (The Cooler)

Another fantastic performance in The Hunt for Red October that didn’t get recognition is Alec Baldwin’s as Jack Ryan. Baldwin could’ve been nominated for either of his two on-screen performances in 1992, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Prelude To A Kiss, but again he was snubbed. His only nomination came for his role in The Cooler.

Diane Lane - Nominated For Best Actress (Unfaithful)

Diane Lane found her footing in film in the late 1990s with outstanding performances in movies like A Walk on the Moon and The Perfect Storm, either of which could've been award-winning. Instead, it wasn't until 2002's Unfaithful that she got the recognition she deserved when she was nominated for Best Actress. 

Bill Murray - Nominated For Best Actor (Lost in Translation)

The Academy has missed out on great performances by one of the best comedic actors the world has ever seen in Bill Murray. Stripes, Ghostbusters, What About Bob?, and Groundhog's Day are some of the most beloved comedies of all time, and Murray was never recognized. Nor was he for his brilliant turns in Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums. Murray's sole nomination came, deservingly, for 2003's Lost In Translation. 

Jennifer Connelly - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (A Beautiful Mind)

Jennifer Connelly has been wowing audiences for decades, including in 2022's massive hit Top Gun: Maverick. It appears though, that she has not been wowing the Academy, as she's only ever been nominated for one Oscar, which she won, for her role in 2001's A Beautiful Mind. Other roles have earned her other awards, like her parts in Requiem For A Dream and The House of Sand and Fog, but to date, nothing from the Academy Awards. 

Kathleen Turner - Nominated For Best Actress (Peggy Sue Got Married)

Despite massive hits like Body Heat, Serial Mom, and of course, Romancing The Stone, Kathleen Turner has only earned one Oscar nomination, for the vastly underrated Francis Ford Coppola film from 1986, Peggy Sue Got Married. Surely this icon of the screen deserves more. 

Robert Redford - Nominated For Best Actor (The Sting)

It’s astounding that the great Robert Redford has only one acting nomination in his whole career, for The Sting. Though he defined what a movie star is, Redford never received Oscar attention for roles in All The President’s Men, All Is Lost, Out Of Africa, and Three Days of the Condor, among many others. The list is endless here. He has been nominated twice for Best Director, for Ordinary People and Quiz Show, and won for the former. Redford also received an Honorary Oscar in 2002.

Catherine Zeta-Jones - Nominated For Best Actress (Chicago)

At the 75th Academy Awards, Chicago was the biggest winner of the night, garnering 13 nominations and winning six of them, including Catherine Zeta-Jones for Best Actress. Alas, this, so far, is the only time the Welsh actress has even been nominated, despite powerhouse roles in Traffic and Entrapment. At least she shares this dubious distinction with her husband Michael Douglas. 

Micheal Douglas - Nominated For Best Actor (Wall Street)

Gordon Gekko in Wall Street is one of the all-time great cinema villains and Michael Douglas richly deserved the Academy Award he won for playing the part in 1988. An actor with a slew of amazing performances from Falling Down, to Traffic, to Fatal Attraction and more, with only one acting nomination. He was also nominated/won for Best Picture in 1976 as the producer of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. 

Lauren Bacall - Nominated For Best Supporting Actress (The Mirror Has Two Faces)

Lauren Bacall was one of the true icons of the Golden Age of Hollywood, starring in such films as The Big Sleep, Key Largo, and many, many more over her career. Shockingly, it took until 1997 for the Academy to recognize her work when she was finally nominated for a Best Supporting Actress role for The Mirror Has Two Faces. She did finally receive a well-deserved honorary Oscar in 2000. 

Kevin Costner - Nominated For Best Actor (Dances With Wolves)

Dances With Wolves was the darling of the Oscars in 1991. It was nominated for 12 awards, winning seven, including Best Director for Kevin Costner and Best Picture, which Costner won as a producer. It was also the one and only time Costner has been nominated for an acting Academy Award. There are so many other iconic parts he should’ve gotten more credit for, like JFK, Bull Durham, The Untouchables, and Hidden Figures, just to name a few. 

It just goes to show that even being a huge box office draw, and a megastar doesn't mean you'll get recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Oscars are incredibly hard to win and even being nominated is an honor, they say. Still, for everyone on the list, you'd think they'd have more than one.  

Sharon Stone has been a Hollywood icon and public figure for decades, thanks to her long and successful career in TV and film. This includes her turn as Catherine Trammel in Basic Instinct, one of the most iconic ’90s movie roles. But as we’ve seen from other celebrities, fame and fortune don’t make them immune to life’s trials and tribulations. On Thursday night, during the Women’s Cancer Research Fund’s (WCRF) An Unforgettable Evening fundraiser, Sharon Stone was presented the Courage Award for her support of breast cancer research, and dedication to raising awareness for the cause. During her heartfelt speech, the Oscar-nominated actress spoke about losing half of her money in the recent banking collapse. 

From the charity event stage, the actress paid respect to the night’s other honorees, spoke about her own breast cancer health scare and misdiagnosis, and explained how her own hairstylist had just begun chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. According to The Hollywood Reporter, things became particularly emotional for the Casino actress when she broke down in tears as she passionately tried to rally the crowd to give more money to the evening’s cause. She said:

The Quick and the Dead star did not elaborate on which “banking thing,” but many pointed to the fact it was most likely the recent Silicon Valley Bank collapse that the actress was referring to. 

Sharon Stone continued to try and rally the crowd by sharing that she recently lost her brother, Patrick Stone, who died last month at age 57 due to heart disease, but that did not stop her from attending the event. The actress told the crowd, “it’s not an easy time for any of us,” before telling them what she believes true courage looks like. She continued:

It’s incredible to witness Sharon Stone’s commitment to worthy causes despite dealing with personal tragedy. Proceeds from the event support the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, a Breast Cancer Research Foundation program. WCRF was founded by Quinn Ezralow, Marion Laurie, Kelly Chapman Meyer, Jamie Tisch, and the late Anne Douglas and Renette Ezralow. You can see Stone’s tearful plea to the crowd in the video below. 

Sharon Stone is no stranger to sharing emotional and personal details about herself. During the Covid pandemic, the Beautiful Joe star was open about how multiple family members had died of the virus. She took to social media to shed light on the state of the pandemic, specifically how COVID-19 had affected her family.

When she’s not using her name and clout for worthy causes, Sharon Stone stays busy in front of the camera. Her latest film to hit the 2023 new movie release schedule, What About Love, a romantic drama, saw a limited release on Valentines of this year, with a broader release to be still announced. But, If you’ve never seen her classic film Basic Instinct and are curious about what all the fuss was about back in the day, it can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription.

While the last several years have seen Sharon Stone star in projects like The Laundromat and The Flight Attendant, the actress is still quite well known some of her earlier movies, particularly her Golden Globe-nominated turn as Catherine Trammel in Basic Instinct, one of the truly iconic ‘90s movie roles. Unfortunate, the 1992 erotic thriller ended up negatively impacting the custody case over her son when a judge asked the boy if he knew Stone made “sex movies.”

The controversy surrounding Basic Instinct has been well documented in the decades since its release, with Sharon Stone in particular drawing attention for that interrogation scene where she briefly uncrosses her legs and the audience can plainly see she’s not wearing underwear. While appearing on the Table for Two podcast, Stone shared that this moment played a role in her losing custody of her son Roan. She explained:

To provide additional context, Sharon Stone married journalist Phil Bronstein in 1998, and two years later, they adopted Roan. By 2004, Stone and Bronstein’s divorce was finalized, with the judge ruling that the latter would remain custody of their son, who certainly wasn’t anywhere near old enough to see, let alone understand the content in Basic Instinct. As Sharon Stone explained, her brief moment of nudity in Basic Instinct was used against her in a personal matter, despite the fact that this scene of hers came nowhere close to the kind of nudity she saw on television. She continued:

Basic Instinct marked Sharon Stone’s second time working with director Paul Verhoeven. The first time was 1990’s Total Recall, which served as her breakthrough movie. Regarding Basic Instinct, Stone alleged in her 2021 memoir The Beauty of Living Twice that she hadn’t been informed that her vagina would be easily seen in the shot, but Verhoeven claimed he’d properly communicated with her about the shot. 

Regardless of which version of the story is true, that moment, along with Basic Instinct’s other sex scenes, resulted in the movie’s gaining notoriety in Hollywood. Unfortunately, one of the costs was a judge using this as rationale to rule in Phil Bronstein’s favor over hers in the custody case for Roan. This led to Sharon Stone checking into the Mayo Clinic for “with extra heartbeats in the upper and lower chambers,” i.e. her heart literally being broken, as she put it.

If you’ve never seen Basic Instinct and are curious about what all the fuss was about back in the day, it can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. Although Sharon Stone didn’t end up starring in the upcoming DC movie Blue Beetle, she will appear in What About Love, which doesn’t have a release date yet.

“Cancel culture” may have started out with the intention of ensuring that people were held accountable for offensive actions or behavior, but the practice of “canceling” someone has always been a controversial one. This has seemingly been particularly true for celebrities, many of whom have lost jobs and income as a result of such displays of public outcry. Despite if or how they’ve been affected by cancel culture, a number of famous faces, including Kevin Hart, Kim Kardashian, Lizzo and Johnny Depp have used their respective platforms to share their views on the phenomenon.

While social media has been a huge tool for putting certain behaviors on display in the court of public opinion, it’s also been helpful in continuing the dialogue about what we’re trying to accomplish in doing so. Over the years, the effectiveness of “canceling” people has often been called into question, and everyone’s got an opinion about what cancel culture means in regards to free speech and censorship. Celebrities in all corners of the entertainment world have spoken out, so let’s take a look at what some of them have said about cancel culture.

Lizzo

Lizzo seemingly needed no reason to speak her mind on cancel culture early in 2023. The self-love-promoting singer took to Twitter to share why she thinks the practice has become “misused and misdirected.” Her full statement: 

Many of the commenters agreed, saying the focus should be put back on accountability. 

Joe Rogan

It wasn’t just Joe Rogan who experienced backlash in February 2022, but Spotify as well, when the UFC commentator and TV personality was accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccine, as well as using a racial slur in multiple episodes of his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience. Rogan said the efforts to cancel him backfired, telling British pundit Douglas Murray (per the NY Post): 

Spotify does not disclose its podcasts’ subscriber numbers but THR sources said Joe Rogan’s show has had steadily increasing numbers but didn’t spike due to any one event. 

Kevin Hart

Kevin Hart spoke about cancel culture in 2021, noting how he thinks things have gone too far, but he agrees that there should be consequences to people who inflict real damage. In his words: 

The Hart to Heart host was the subject of controversy in 2018, when old tweets resurfaced with homophobic language, causing Kevin Hart to step down as host of the 2019 Academy Awards. When he spoke on the subject in 2021, he said people need to be allowed to learn from their mistakes. He continued: 

The assertion that people aren't going to be perfect and need to be allowed to make mistakes seems to be one commonly made.

David Spade

Famed Saturday Night Live comedian David Spade opened up in 2022 about his thoughts on comedy in the age of cancel culture, saying: 

David Spade admitted he’s not typically one who “starts a lot of shit” with his own comedy. 

Ricky Gervais

British comedian Ricky Gervais shared a similar opinion back in a 2020 interview with Metro. As a comedian who does stir the pot a bit more, it's no surprise he's commented on the phenomenon, noting that everyone has a different idea of what cancel culture means, and some people take it too far. The Office star said:  

He said everyone doesn’t have to agree with everyone else, but people who think others don’t have the right to say something they don’t agree with are opposing free speech. 

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against Amber Heard was one of the biggest pop culture moments of 2022, and in the midst of his legal battle, he issued a warning about cancel culture, saying: 

Johnny Depp was forced to step down from the Fantastic Beasts franchise amongst abuse accusations in the years-long legal battle with his ex-wife. 

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian has had her share of scandals over the years, but in 2021 she called cancel culture “ridiculous,” telling the podcast Honesty (per People): 

She went on to say that if we cancel someone for past behavior, we’re “not inviting them into the conversation to really understand.” 

Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone didn’t mince words when discussing cancel culture on the Just Jenny podcast in 2021. She called it the “stupidest thing I have ever seen,” pointing out that we can all grow from listening to different perspectives. The actress said: 

She further implored people to “stop being so small” and “grow some empathy.” 

Megan Fox

Megan Fox has spoken about being “objectified” in certain jobs during her career, but when fans went after director Michael Bay in 2020, the actress defended the Transformers director and publicly stated her distaste for canceling people: 

The actress appeared to note her fans’ good intentions, but didn’t want the director to face consequences for something he didn’t do. 

Bryan Cranston

In January 2021, Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston appealed for more forgiveness in the world and less canceling, telling the AP: 

He implored people to remember that asking for forgiveness is a human strength, not a weakness. 

Rowan Atkinson

Mr. Bean actor Rowan Atkinson blamed social media for today’s society of “us vs. them” mentality, telling the Radio Times (via Deadline) in 2021: 

He said that thought fills him with fear about the future. 

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin shared his thoughts on cancel culture in a lengthy video on Instagram, saying the situation was getting out of hand. While he admitted there are people who deserve to be punished, we shouldn’t punish everyone the same way, pointing out that “even the criminal justice system recognizes that.” He continued: 

He seemed to fall in line with a number of other celebrities who said people who get “canceled” don’t deserve to have their whole lives ruined. 

Kelly Osbourne

Kelly Osbourne shared her 2 cents on the phenomenon in 2021, after her mother Sharon Osbourne parted ways with The Talk following allegations of racism. Kelly said: 

Ozzy Osbourne’s younger daughter pointed out that nobody feels like they can make a mistake because of what the online chatter might do to their careers and lives. 

Phillipa Soo

Rather than expressing her opinion about cancel culture, Hamilton actress Phillipa Soo shared her advice for those who have been “canceled,” imploring them to listen to what is being said and learn from the experience. She said on Twitter: 

In the opinion of many celebrities, it seems cancel culture may not be achieving the desired outcome in holding people accountable for offensive actions and statements. Hopefully we can continue figuring out the appropriate action to take to effect real change, and it seems many celebrities think that listening to each other and acknowledging that people make mistakes is one step in the right direction. 

Welp, folks, there’s been a shakeup in the Blue Beetle cast. A few weeks ago, it was reported that Sharon Stone was being lined up to play the upcoming DC movie’s main villain, Victoria Kord. Evidently thing didn’t end up working out with the Basic Instinct actress though, as she’s no longer attached to Blue Beetle. Not to worry though, as another actress has already been tapped for the Victoria Kord role.

That honor goes to Susan Sarandon, per an update from The Wrap. As mentioned when Sharon Stone was initially attached to play Victoria Kord, this is a new character created specifically for the Blue Beetle movie. That said, she shares the same last name as Ted Kord, who held the Blue Beetle mantle in the comics for decades before Jaime Reyes hit the scene. Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña is bringing Jaime to life in Blue Beetle, and we got our first look at the young hero in his armored-up form at the last DC FanDome.

Unlike Sharon Stone, who previously starred in 2004’s Catwoman, Blue Beetle will mark Susan Sarandon’s first time working in the superhero movie space. That said, Sarandon does have some experience acting in fantastical stories, such as Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas. Along with winning the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Dead Man Walking, Sarandon’s other prominent credits include The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Bull Durham, Thelma & Louise and Enchanted. She also scored an Emmy nomination in 2017 for her turn as Bette Davis in the FX series Feud: Betty and Joan.

Back when Sharon Stone was in talks for Blue Beetle, it was reported that Victoria Kord is supposedly Ted Kord’s wife, resulting in two questions being posed. First, does Victoria’s presence mean that we’ll see Ted in Blue Beetle? Second, assuming Ted is in the movie, is he involved with Victoria’s nefarious scheme, or is he against whatever she’s plotting. Given Ted’s years of heroism within the DC Comics pages, it’s difficult to imagine the creative minds shining an antagonistic light on Ted, but anything is possible, I suppose.

While we’re still in the dark on specific Blue Beetle plot details, casting for the movie has been a relatively open book. Susan Sarandon’s Victoria Kord will be joined in the baddie corner by Mayans M.C. star Raoul Max Trujillo, who’s reportedly playing Carapax the Indestructible Man, and Bruna Marquezine will play Penny, Jaime Reyes’ love interest. We’ll also meet many members of Jaime’s family, including Belissa Escobedo as his sister Milagro, George Lopez as Uncle Rudy, Adriana Barraza as Nana, Elpidia Carrillo as Rocio and Damián Alcázar as Alberto. So far the only announced actor whose role hasn’t been revealed yet is What We Do in the Shadows’ Harvey Guillén.

Originally intended to join Batgirl as an HBO Max exclusive offering, Blue Beetle is now poised to hit theaters on August 18, 2023. Keep visiting CinemaBlend to learn more updates on its progress.

Back in 2016, actress Sharon Stone revealed that she was going to appear in a Marvel movie. Six years later, nothing has come of that, but for those of you who’ve been eager for the Basic Instinct star to contribute to the modern superhero movie landscape, you’re in luck! Word’s come in that Stone is contributing her talents to the DC Extended Universe by playing the Blue Beetle movie’s main villain.

Sharon Stone has reportedly boarded Blue Beetle to play Victoria Kord, who’s a new character created for the movie. That said, her last name should ring a bell to longtime DC fans, as Ted Kord is the second Blue Beetle, holding the mantle decades before Jaimes Reyes, the protagonist of this upcoming movie, came along. The Wrap also shared that Mayans M.C. star Raoul Max Trujillo has been cast as Carapax the Indestructible Man, who originates from the comics.

Blue Beetle will mark Sharon Stone’s second time appearing in a DC movie, as she previously starred opposite Halle Berry in the critically-panned Catwoman. In recent years, Stone has bounced around between movies and television, with her credits in the former category including Running Wild, The Disaster Artist and The Laundromat, and her small screen appearances including Agent X, Mosaic and Ratched. She’s also set to recur in the upcoming season of HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant.  

Now that it’s been shared that Sharon Stone is playing lead antagonist Victoria Kord in Blue Beetle, obviously many DC fans will now be wondering how Ted Kord fits into the picture. Deadline has heard from its own sources that Victoria is believed to be Ted’s wife, so does that mean Ted, if he is indeed appearing, is being painted in an antagonistic light in the movie, or will he disapprove of whatever his wife is plotting? To be clear, Jaime Reyes is operating as this movie’s Blue Beetle, so don’t expect to see Ted suit up in his own Blue Beetle costume. Still, considering Ted’s heroic history and the fact that he mentored Jaime during the DC Rebirth era, it’s hard to imagine him being reimagined as a villain in the DCEU.

In any case, Sharon Stone’s casting now adds even more questions about what Blue Beetle holds in store. Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña will play the DCEU’s version of Jaime Reyes, and the Blue Beetle cast also includes Bruna Marquezine, Harvey Guillén, Belissa Escobedo, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo and Damián Alcázar. Behind the scenes, Charm City Kings’ Angel Manuel Soto is directing the feature, and Miss Bala’s Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer wrote the script.

Originally intended to be an HBO Max exclusive release (like Batgirl), Blue Beetle is now slated to arrive in theaters on August 18, 2023. Look through our guide of upcoming DC movies to discover what else we can look forward to in the DCEU.

When it comes to the '90s, there are so many iconic movies that I’m sure every single one of you has seen reading this article. But with these iconic movies comes iconic film roles, and these actresses were some of the best in the business. Here are several actresses with some truly iconic film roles in '90s movies. 

Kate Winslet (Titanic)

Considering Titanic was once the biggest film in the world, it’s not surprising the first pick here is Kate Winslet, who played Rose DeWitt Bukater. It’s certainly one of Winslet’s best films so far, and put her on the fast track to become the famous actor she is today.  

Gwyneth Paltrow (Se7en)

While Gwyneth Paltrow known amazingly well now from her variety of film performances, her role of Tracy Mills in Se7en is certainly an iconic one, with her character playing an essential role throughout the story. It wasn’t that long after she would star in Shakespeare in Love and win an Academy Award for her acting. 

Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct)

Yes, this is Sharon Stone from that controversial scene in Basic Instinct. But no one can deny that her performance in this film was great, and she acted her butt off in this erotic thriller. Every single scene she was in, she stole the show.

Jodie Foster (The Silence Of The Lambs)

The '90s were filled to the brim with iconic horror films like The Silence of the Lambs, and was only the third film in history to win the Big Five at the Academy Awards - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Actor. Best Actress went to Jodie Foster for her amazing portrayal of Clarice Starling. 

Sandra Bullock (Speed)

While Sandra Bullock is currently busy in 2022 with her film, The Lost City, one of her first big roles ever was starring alongside Keanu Reeves in the action film, Speed, portraying Annie Porter, the main love interest of the film and a total badass. 

Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands)

This is definitely one of Winona Ryder’s best movies. Playing Kim Boggs in Edward Scissorhands, Ryder perfectly captured what true kindness is meant to look like, and her love story with Edward is one for the history books that anyone would adore to witness.  

Rachel Leigh Cook (She’s All That)

While the reboot, He’s All That, made plenty of references to the original film, She’s All That just can’t be beaten, and that includes Rachel Leigh Cook’s iconic performance as Laney Boggs. I mean, who could forget that memorable “Kiss Me” scene? It’s the epitome of teen movie makeovers. You have to love it. 

Meryl Streep (The Bridges Of Madison County)

Meryl Streep has been around for many years in the movie industry and has some amazing films under her belt. And while she did plenty of movies in the '90s, my personal favorite performance of hers was in The Bridges of Madison County, where she played Francesca Johnson, a married mother who has a steamy four-day love affair with a photojournalist. Her chemistry with Clint Eastwood is second to none. 

Meg Ryan (Sleepless In Seattle, You’ve Got Mail)

A legendary queen of romantic comedies, you could not stop Meg Ryan in the '90s. Not only was she in two iconic roles in romantic comedies, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, both of those films were alongside Tom Hanks and showed just how amazing their chemistry is. 

Demi Moore (Ghost)

That damn pottery scene has been recreated by so many people - I mean, even Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart recreated it! - but no one can quite beat Demi Moore's performance. She shined in her leading role of Molly Jensen alongside Patrick Swayze. I think all of us have wished at least once we were in her shoes. 

Sarah Michelle Gellar (I Know What You Did Last Summer)

While plenty of folks know Sarah Michelle Gellar for her portrayal of Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Gellar starred in another horror hit that same year portraying Helen Shivers in I Know What You Did Last Summer, giving a masterclass in chase scenes in horror movies. 

Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act, Ghost)

Whoopi Goldberg is certainly an iconic name that I am sure you’ve heard of plenty of times before, and she had not one but two iconic roles in the '90s. To me, my favorite is her lead role in Sister Act, starring as Deloris Van Cartier and bringing some soul into religion, but I can’t not mention her Academy Award-nominated performance as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost. 

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)

It’s one of Julia Roberts' best movies. Pretty Woman has some pretty iconic scenes, but none of them could have been accomplished if not for the charming performance that Roberts delivered as Vivian. I’m pretty sure every time I’ve watched that movie, all I want is to be in that bathtub. That looks so damn nice.

Drew Barrymore (Scream) 

Drew Barrymore was only in the first twelve minutes of the first Scream movie, and yet her scene has become iconic in every sense of the word. You go up to a horror movie fan and ask “do you like scary movies?” and they’ll know exactly what film its from as well as what scene - and Drew Barrymore is the star of it. 

Neve Campbell (Scream)

Even if Drew Barrymore was the star of the first twelve minutes, it was Neve Campbell that became the star of the Scream franchise, reprising her role in every single new film since, showing just how badass she is as the ultimate final girl. 

Reese Witherspoon (Cruel Intentions)

Witherspoon has been in many movies and some great TV shows, but back in the '90s, she was still just starting out, and Cruel Intentions was a breakthrough role for her. She played Annette Hargrove, a young woman who was the target of the two main characters of the film. In this '90s movie, she showed just how talented she is at acting. 

Alicia Silverstone (Clueless)

Ugh, as if! Alicia Silverstone truly stole the screen when she played Cher in Clueless, a story about a teenage girl who ends up befriending a new student and decides to give her a makeover. I mean, those outfits alone are definitely iconic enough for her to be on this list.  

Laura Dern (Jurassic Park)

Raise your hand if you’re excited to see Laura Dern back in Jurassic World: Dominion. *Raises hand* Regardless, Laura Dern in the original Jurassic Park was freaking amazing, and Dr. Ellie Sattler was a badass that I looked up to, and I can’t wait to see what she’s been up to after all these years. 

Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You)

Ugh, 10 Things I Hate About You is one of my favorites, and it’s legit because of the chemistry that Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger have in this film. They are my all-time favorite romantic couple and Julia Stiles rocks it as Kat. 

Halle Berry (Jungle Fever)

While Halle Berry has been in plenty of badass roles over the last two decades, there was a time where she was just getting started in Hollywood. One of the first films that she had a supporting role in was Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever, where she played Vivian. While she's gone on to play more prominent roles since then, it was one of the movies that broke her out onto the scene and paved the way for bigger things down the line, like X-Men and Monster’s Ball. 

Natalie Portman (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)

Padme Amidala, known as the Queen/Senator of Naboo and Anakin Skywalker's lover (later wife) was a Star Wars character that made her debut in 1999, and was a badass in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Natalie Portman portrayed the legendary Star Wars character for the prequel trilogy, and inspired young girls everywhere - but we don’t need to talk about how her character ends in Revenge of the Sith. 

Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction)

While my personal all-time favorite Uma Thurman performance is her role in Kill Bill, one of her biggest roles prior to this was portraying Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction, earning her a nomination at the Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor. I mean, she was the literal character featured on the poster for this film, and honestly, I can see why. She has such star appeal. She has plenty of great performances but this is one of her best. 

Mena Suvari (American Beauty)

This 1999 film, American Beauty, told a captivating story about a man having a midlife crisis, but the main star to me of this was Mena Suvari as Angela Hayes, the object of affection for the main character, Lester Burnham. Even if the film didn’t age too well, I think we call agree Suvari was phenomenal in it. 

Robin Wright (Forrest Gump)

If you’re not saying “Jenny” by the end of Forrest Gump in a Southern drawl, I don’t think we were watching the same film. This Academy Award-winning film starring Tom Hanks told the story of Forrest Gump and his legendary life, often times where he would think of his young love, Jenny, played by Robin Wright. Their love story is a tumultuous one, but a memorable one as well. 

Kirsten Dunst (Interview With The Vampire)

Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire is iconic for many reasons, showing how amazingly talented she was as an actress at the tender age of eleven. She later went on to star in films like Bring it On and Spider-Man, but no one can quite forget her character, Claudia.

Salma Hayek (Desperado)

Salma Hayek has been in many different kinds of films, such as being a part of the Grown Ups cast or starring in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, but Desperado was one of the early films that made her the star she is today. Starring alongside Antonio Banderas as Carolina, Hayek was badass and her character was just as amazing. It’s definitely one of her best movies, and I would watch another film with both her and Banderas.  

Angela Bassett (What’s Love Got To Do With It, Waiting To Exhale) 

Angela Bassett is a master-class actress, and has shown just how amazingly talented she is in any role. I mean, there are so many movie parts that she should have been nominated for an Oscar, However, one of her most iconic roles from the '90s did indeed earn her nominations - her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It. And another great role for Bassett in the '90s was Bernadine Harris in Waiting to Exhale. Both of these movies were great showcases of her acting prowess. 

Whitney Houston (The Bodyguard)

“And I will always love you.” 

You know the song, I know you do. It’s one of the most iconic songs of all time and has been performed by so many people. Even though it was originally written by Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston sang this iconic song for the soundtrack for The Bodyguard, where she played Rachel Marron, a famous singer who falls for the bodyguard tasked with protecting her. 

Michelle Yeoh (Tomorrow Never Dies)

Last but not least, we have Michelle Yeoh in Tomorrow Never Dies. While she’s been in plenty of amazing movies such as Crazy Rich Asians and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, one of my personal favorites of hers is her role as Wai Lin, a Chinese spy and an ally to James Bond. 

Yeoh is a bloody badass. This James Bond alum truly defined the term “kick ass and take names” because she was one of the best Bond girls ever, in my opinion. I would gladly see her return to the franchise alongside Pierce Brosnan, but I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon, so I’ll just re-watch this movie over and over. 

There are truly so many other iconic roles, but these are some of the best that you should check out again next time you want to watch a great movie. Now, if you don’t mind me, I’m going to re-watch Jurassic Park again before the latest sequel.  

There are a lot of movies and shows leaving Netflix in February 2022, but the popular streaming service has found a way to make the major departures sting a little less with some spectacular additions. One of those new series, Murderville, is an improvisational murder mystery show that follows Will Arnett’s Terry Seattle as he and several celebrity guests (playing themselves) solve various crimes and find themselves in one zany situation after another.

But you may be wondering exactly where you’ve seen those celebrity guests as well as the cast of characters created specifically for this show. Well, to save you time and solve the mystery, we’ve come up with a comprehensive list of the Murderville cast and why they look so dang familiar.

Will Arnett (Detective Terry Seattle)

Taking on the role of Terry Seattle, the homicide detective at the center of Murderville, is Will Arnett, who is no stranger when it comes to offbeat comedies or Netflix shows, having previously appeared on BoJack Horseman and was a fixture of the Arrested Development cast (the revival on Netflix) prior to that.

There’s a good chance you have seen or at least heard Arnett in movies like The LEGO Movie (and The LEGO Batman Movie), Hot Rod, Let’s Go to Prison, Ratatouille, and dozens of others. His TV work includes The Incredibly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Riviera, and The Morning Show, to name only a few.

Haneefah Wood (Chief Rhonda Jenkins-Seattle)

Stepping in as Chief Rhonda Jenkins-Seattle on Murderville is Haneefah Wood, who has put together a string of great performances on a number of popular comedy series over the course of the past two decades.

These shows include everything from Baskets to Law and Order: Criminal Intent and Truth Be Told to The League, with others sprinkled in throughout. Wood also took on the role of Blanche Hodel in the 2016 Fox production of Grease Live!.

Lilan Bowden (Medical Examiner Amber Kang)

Taking on the role of Medical Examiner Amber Kang on Murderville is Lilan Bowden, who has made countless one-off guest appearances on some of the most iconic comedy series in recent memory.

Throughout her career, Bowden has appeared on everything from Parks and Recreation to Life in Pieces and Drunk History to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Bowden’s most prominent role to date is probably that of Rebecca “Bex” Mack on the Disney Channel original series Andi Mack, which ran from 2017 to 2019.

Philip Smithey (Detective Darren ‘Daz’ Phillips)

Portraying Detective Darren “Daz” Phillips on Murderville is Philip Smithey, who has appeared on a variety of TV shows, movies, and even a popular sports video game franchise throughout his career.

If you played NBA 2K19 then you’ll most certainly find Phillips (or at least his voice) familiar as he provided the motion-capture and voice-work for the “My Player” character in the chart-topping basketball video game. Smithey has also shown up on Switched at Birth, Johnson, Code Black, Grace and Frankie, Grey’s Anatomy, and a whole lot more.

Annie Murphy

The rest of the Murderville cast consists of celebrity guests playing themselves in each of the Netflix series’ episodes. Starting off is Annie Murphy, the Primetime Emmy Award-winning actress who received multiple accolades and endless praise for her portrayal of Alexis Rose on the smash hit comedy series Schitt’s Creek.

Upon the conclusion of one of the best shows to binge on Netflix, Murphy became the lead of the Kevin Can F**k Himself cast, the darkly funny AMC comedy series. And it looks like Murphy will be sticking around on Netflix a little longer as she is set to appear on the upcoming second season of Russian Doll.

Conan O'Brien

Longtime late night talk show host, Saturday Night Live writer, and Simpsons scribe Conan O’Brien also appears on an episode of Murderville, as seen in the show’s hilarious teaser trailer along with the other celebrities. O’Brien seems to be busy as ever following the conclusion of his long-running TBS series Conan, especially now with the promising Netflix improv series, which is par for the course for the respected comedian and fixture of late night TV.

Over the years, O’Brien has served as host of Late Night, The Tonight Show, and Conan, but has also appeared on countless TV shows and a long list of movies (mostly as a cameos). This includes 30 Rock, Futurama, Spin City, How I Met Your Mother, and Silicon Valley. And Let’s not forget his seemingly random inclusion in the PlayStation game Death Stranding.

Ken Jeong

Doctor-turned-comedian Ken Jeong is one the most recognizable faces on the Murderville cast and perhaps just about any project he has been involved with throughout his career. Whether he’s stealing scenes in The Hangover movies, jumping up with pure joy as a panelist on The Masked Singer, or being part of some of the craziest Community stories, Jeong has done a lot over the years.

Just watch any popular comedy series going back to the early 2000s and you’ll see Jeong in one form or another. This list includes The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, MadTV, and even the criminally underrated Grounded for Life, to name just a small portion of his output.

Kumail Nanjiani

Kumail Nanjiani, who became an internet sensation when he got absolutely jacked for Eteranls, shows up as himself on Murderville, and helps (or at least tries to help) Will Arnett’s Terry Seattle solve one of the detective’s many homicide investigations.

The star of movies like The Big Sick, Stuber, and The Lovebirds, Nanjiani has become one of the most prominent faces in comedy in the past decade, thanks in part to his unique sense of humor and side-splitting performances on shows like Silicon Valley, Portlandia, and one-off appearances on a variety of other shows.

Marshawn Lynch

Unlike the rest of the celebrity guests on the Murderville cast, Marshawn Lynch is not a trained actor but instead a Super Bowl champion running back who spent a large portion of his 12-year NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks. 

Despite that, Lynch is one of the most charismatic and electric faces you’ll see on TV, whether it be in various Skittles commercials, appearances on Conan, and those epic interviews he would reluctantly give during his NFL career. But this isn’t to say Lynch hasn’t appeared on TV shows over the years, as he has shown up on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The League, and Westworld.

Sharon Stone

Last but certainly not least on the list of the Murderville cast is Golden Globe winner Sharon Stone, who brings with her decades of experience. 

Throughout her career, Stone has given memorable performances in Basic Instinct, Casino, The Quick and the Dead, The Disaster Artist, and dozens of other movies. Her TV work includes The Practice, Ratched, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.

Murderville is just one of the new Netflix shows you can enjoy on the popular streaming service. If you want to know what else will be joining the hilarious murder mystery on Netflix and other platforms, check out CinemaBlend's 2022 TV schedule.

A big name is joining the cast of The Flight Attendant for Season 2. The HBO Max thriller starring Kaley Cuoco will delve more into Cassie’s upbringing in Season 2, with Sharon Stone signing on to play Cassie’s mother Lisa Bowden. Nothing goes better together than newfound sobriety and a judgy mother, right?

Season 1 focused a good bit on Cassie’s relationship with her father, and the tragic accident that contributed to her alcoholism. Sharon Stone’s role as Lisa is certain to only further examine the trauma that continues to haunt Cassie, as Deadline reports Season 2 will focus more on their relationship. Cassie and her mother were reportedly estranged after Lisa no longer had the patience to deal with her daughter’s alcoholism.

The new season will see Cassie Bowden continuing to work with the CIA on some level as part of the agency's human asset program. The events of Season 1 forced Cassie to admit she had a drinking problem, and Season 2 will show the struggles she has staying sober, which undoubtedly is where her mother Lisa will factor in, through one way or another. It also seems like Cassie is in for more romance, as Mo McRae is joining the cast as Benjamin Berry, the CIA agent Cassie's assigned to who happens to have a reputation for getting close to his assets.

Also joining The Flight Attendant as series regulars for the second season are Callie Hernandez, a quick-tempered and calculating bounty hunter whose impulse-control issues often get in the way of her job, and JJ Soria as Esteban Diaz, Gabrielle’s partner and lover who tries to keep a level head and stay focused on the job, but often gets just as heated as his girlfriend. 

T.R. Knight will return in a recurring role as Cassie’s brother, Davie, who had his own complicated relationship with his father, so we’ll see how that family dynamic continues to reveal itself in Season 2 with the addition of Sharon Stone. Also returning are series regulars Zosia Mamet as Cassie's BFF Annie, Griffin Matthews, Deniz Akdeniz as Annie's boyfriend Max, and Rosie Perez as flight attendant Megan, who was already under investigation by the CIA. 

Sharon Stone is a legend, with hundreds of acting credits to her name, including Basic Instinct, The Quick and the Dead, Casino and The Disaster Artist. Recently she's appeared in the Netflix limited series Ratched and in 2021 published her memoir The Beauty of Living Twice, in which she details her journey of healing, love, and purpose on and off sound stages around the world. Now she can look forward to giving Kaley Cuoco a slice of motherly hell in the streaming dramedy.

Stay tuned on a release date for The Flight Attendant Season 2, which is set to premiere sometime in spring of this year. In the meantime, you can revisit Season 1, which is available for streaming on HBO Max and check out what other premieres are coming soon on our 2022 TV Schedule.

In Basic Instinct, Sharon Stone is at the center of what is regarded as one of the most famous and controversial scenes in Hollywood history. In the memorable interrogation sequence in the film, the actress is seen uncrossing her legs in front of a group of men to reveal that she is not wearing any underwear. During the scene, director Paul Verhoeven captured frontal nudity of the actress, and Stone has since alleged she was coerced and misled into flashing to the camera. The filmmaker has now responded to her claims.

Unfortunately, this is coming down to a ‘he said, she said’ situation. In Sharon Stone’s memoir The Beauty of Living Twice, which came out back in March, the 63-year-old actress shared her experience working on the film. She writes in the book that when the scene was filmed she was told to remove her white underwear due to it reflecting the light, and that the camera would not be able to capture her genitalia. Stone said it wasn’t until she was invited to privately view the film that she was made aware of the what was featured in the sequence. Here’s Paul Verhoeven’s response to her claims to Variety:

There are clearly two very different versions of the story here. Check out Sharon Stone’s exact comment about the scene as written in her memoir:

Perhaps Sharon Stone thought the crotch shot would be implied in Basic Instinct when in fact Paul Verhoeven, also known for directing Total Recall and Robocop, planned to film her genitalia the entire time? There is certainly some miscommunication or falsification between one member of the pair that we cannot objectively identify because there are two versions of the situation being discussed.

In Stone’s telling of the events, she shared her disgust with the filmmaker, recounting that she slapped Paul Verhoeven across the face as soon as she viewed the scene. The actress said she went on to call her lawyer Marty Singer, who told her it was illegal to shoot up her dress in the first place and she could file an injunction. But at the end of the day, Stone decided to allow the scene to hit theaters and today her performance in it remains one of her most well-regarded.

Paul Verhoeven previously shared that the sequence was shot without the men you see in the room in the scene including Michael Douglas and Wayne Knight, who react to the shocking nudity reveal. According to the director this was at Sharon Stone’s request. This adds another dispute in the story of the scene at large, because if Stone wasn’t actually going to be flashing anyone, why the privacy? Either way, this is a serious Basic Instinct allegation being made about the filmmaker that remains unresolved following Verhoeven's response.

Sharon Stone and her sex symbol status will always be synonymous with her Hollywood career. The award-winning actress memorably brought the heat to movies like Basic Instinct, Total Recall and Casino. Unfortunately, during the time Stone was a huge leading lady, the industry was a much more volatile place for women than it is today. In her upcoming memoir The Beauty of Living Twice, she recalls some troubling treatment toward her on film sets, including being pressured to sleep with co-stars.

The Basic Instinct actress remembers a lot of conversations around her regarding whether she was “fuckable” in the eyes of top brass in Hollywood. In an excerpt of her book coming in late March, Sharon Stone said she had a producer invite her to his office and explain why she should have sex with her co-star so the pair to create on-screen chemistry. Following the conversation, her co-star apparently made a number of passes at her too (which she believes was at the request of the producer), continuing with these words:

Stone said she challenged one of the producer's expectations for her to sleep with a co-star, explaining to him that she should not be responsible for the male actor's inability to perform “one whole scene out in the test,” according to her recollection. Instead of giving into the pressure to have sex with her male co-star, she speaks on The Beauty of Living Twice (per Vanity Fair) about asking instead for someone who “could deliver a scene and remember his lines.” Pretty simple of an ask, right? According to Sharon Stone, she was deemed “difficult” for saying it.

The actress famously had a brief full-frontal nude moment in 1992’s Basic Instinct in the famous and controversial interrogation scene, which she also speaks out about in the memoir. Expanding on previous comments, Sharon Stone explains that she was coerced into flashing her crotch without underwear on. According to the 63-year-old actress, she was told that her white underwear was “reflecting the light” and the crew couldn’t “see anything” on set.

It’s certainly a concerning aspect of Sharon Stone’s career to hear about, also because if multiple producers said it to her, chances are other actresses dealt with something of the same variety on film sets in the '90s. Stone also addressed trying to allow space for amends years later between her former colleagues with these words:

It’s unfortunate to hear about Sharon Stone’s behind-the-scene experiences but, by using her voice, she can perhaps expose some corruption within the Hollywood system. The 2021 celebrity memoir, The Beauty of Living Twice, hits shelves and online stores on March 30.

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We didn’t get to see too many of our favorite actors, musicians, and even wrestlers in 2020 due to everything going on in the world, but the likes of Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Stanley Tucci, John Cena (and more) weren’t just sitting around twiddling their thumbs. In fact, all three of those celebrities and others like them filled up their vacant calendars by writing books. Everything from memoirs to works of fiction and even in-depth examinations of the lyrics of a former Beatle were crafted in recent months.

To save everyone time and energy, we’ve put together a breakdown of just 15 books written by celebrities that are due to be published throughout 2021 (and some that have already been released to bookstores around the globe). There’s a lot to get into here, so let’s get started, shall we…

Ethan Hawke - A Bright Ray Of Darkness

When people hear the name Ethan Hawke they probably think back to his roles in films like Training Day, Dead Poets Society, or the Before trilogy, but the Academy Award nominee is also somewhat of an accomplished writer. Hawke’s third novel, A Bright Ray of Darkness, which sounds like it takes inspiration from the actor’s own life, centers on a young man preparing for his big professional breakthrough with his Broadway debut just as his failing marriage implodes. Exploring themes like love, art, and fame, Hawke’s third novel was published February 2, 2021.

A Bright Ray of Darkness is available now. Order it on Amazon.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas - Unfinished: A Memoir

We will soon be seeing a lot of Priyanka Chopra Jonas when she appears in The White Tiger and The Matrix 4 later in 2021, but the Indian actress and wife of the youngest Jonas brother has already gotten off to a tremendous start to the year with the release of her first book, Unfinished: A Memoir. Published February 9, 2021, the revealing memoir serves as a platform for one of the most recognizable faces in show business to share her life story and the complexities of her life. With sections dedicated to her upbringing, decades-spanning acting career, and humanitarian efforts, Unfinished offers a never-before-seen look at the actress’ incredible story.

Unfinished is available now. Order it on Amazon.

Chip Gaines - No, Pain, No Gaines: The Good Stuff Doesn’t Come Easy

It is hard to stroll through any given store (both physical and digital), watch TV, or browse the internet without seeing Chip and Joanna Gaines in one shape or another, and it will soon get even harder. In addition to working on the launch of the Magnolia Network, Chip Gaines is also preparing to launch his latest book, No Pain, No Gaines: The Good Stuff Doesn’t Come Easy. The upcoming memoir/self-help book will guide readers through Gaines’ journey to launching a successful brand with his wife while also talking about what matters most in life: family and goals.

No, Pain, No Gaines is due out March 16, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Sharon Stone - The Beauty Of Living Twice

Golden Globe-winning actress Sharon Stone (Casino) has been a part of the Hollywood story for more than 40 years, giving scene-stealing performances in everything from Basic Instinct to The Disaster Artist. Now, Stone will tell her own story in her upcoming memoir The Beauty of Living Twice, in which she details her journey of healing, love, and purpose on and off sound-stages around the world. This honest and at times humorous recounting of Stone’s life can’t be missed.

The Beauty of Living Twice is due out March 30, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

John Cena - Be A Work In Progress: And Other Things I’d Like To Tell My Younger Self

In 2021 we’ll see John Cena (or will we?) make his Fast & Furious debut in F9, show up in The Suicide Squad (and an HBO Max series of his own), and all other sorts of madness. And while we are waiting for all of the wrestler-turned-actor’s upcoming movies and shows, we can read his non-fiction book Be A Work In Progress: And Other Things I’d Like to Tell My Younger Self. This heartfelt and hopeful collection of thoughts, wisdom, and stories (not to mention illustrations by Valeria Petrone) sounds like it will be a lot like Cena’s Twitter feed, which is actually being turned into a book of its own: Do Your Best Every Day To Do You Best Every Day.

Be A Work In Progress and Do Your Best Every Day To Do You Best Every Day is due out April 6, 2021. Pre-order both on Amazon here and here.

Brandi Carlile - Broken Horses: A Memoir

Singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile has continued to be one of the most prolific and successful musicians of her time with a decorated solo career as well as a few major collaborations with music’s brightest stars. The story of how Carlile got to this point in her career with her five Grammys and shelves of other awards is told in great detail in her upcoming book Broken Horses: A Memoir. From growing up as an openly gay teenager in Seattle to sharing the stage with the late John Prine, it’s all on display here.

Broken Horses is due out April 6, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Julianna Margulies - Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life

For years, Julianna Margulies has been a fixture of television with celebrated performances first on the medical drama ER and then the legal drama The Good Wife, but now we’ll get to a different side of the three-time Primetime Emmy winner’s book Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life. This upcoming memoir will explore not only Margulies’ time on the two award-winning shows but also her personal coming-of-age story before she found success on our television screens week after week for decades.

Sunshine Girl: An Unexpected Life is due out May 4, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Andrew McCarthy - Brat: An ‘80s Story

Andrew McCarthy, who initially found success as a member of the “Brat Pack” with appearances in quintessential ‘80s movies like St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, and Less than Zero, has gone on to have success both in front and behind the camera over the years. And although the latter part of McCarthy’s career (especially all the shows he’s directed) would be perfect for a book, Brat instead focuses on his first taste of success and the hardships that came from it during the the 1980s.

Brat: An ‘80s Story is due out May 11, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Seth Rogen - Yearbook

Since breaking out with his performance on Freaks and Geeks, Seth Rogen has become one of the most consistently funny, witty, and charming threats in Hollywood with everything from Superbad to An American Pickle under his belt. In May 2021, Rogen’s fans will get to step into the mind of the man behind the madness with Yearbook, a collection of stories about his upbringing, early attempts at stand-up, and how he became one of the funniest names in show business.

Yearbook is due out May 11, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Kevin Hart - Marcus Makes A Movie

Kevin Hart has spent the better part of the past decade dominating at the box office (and on Netflix with his stand-up specials) and so it was only a matter of time before the comedian-turned-actor wrote his own children’s book. Marcus Makes a Movie follows a young boy who dreams of making a superhero spectacle after getting stuck in an after-school film class. What Marcus has in ideas (and a hero) he lacks in skill or basic knowledge of filmmaking, causing chaos to ensue.

Marcus Makes a Movie is due out June 1, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Richard Marx - Stories To Tell: A Memoir

Richard Marx is responsible for more than a dozen of the biggest songs of all time with classics like “Endless Summer Nights,” “Right Here Waiting,” and “Now & Forever,” and now the prolific singer-songwriter will share the stories behind those songs and his success in Stories to Tell: a Memoir. This decades-spanning recounting of some of the Grammy winner’s biggest moments (both highs and lows) and continued success years after the fact will shed light on what has inspired the acclaimed musician all these years.

Stories To Tell: A Memoir is due out July 6, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Evanna Lynch - Untitled Memoir

Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the final four Harry Potter movies and later became an outspoken activist will soon be sharing her story in a yet-to-be-titled memoir set for release this September. This coming-of-age story will follow the Lynch from her days as a young aspiring actress to superstardom in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, documenting the struggles she faced along the way. Touching on her recovery from anorexia and how she would go on to portray her favorite character from J.K. Rowling’s series of books, Lynch provides a touching and inspiring story about growing up.

Evanna Lynch’s untitled memoir is due out September 14, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Trisha Yearwood - Trisha’s Kitchen: Easy Comfort Food For Friends And Family

Country music icon (hello Con Air) and daytime cooking show host Trisha Yearwood is no stranger when it comes to cooking up hits in the kitchen, and she’ll soon share with the world even more of her delicious creations in Trisha’s Kitchen: Easy Comfort Food for Friends and Family. Packed with 125 unique recipes (plus photos and fun anecdotes), this cookbook will do to your taste buds what her music has been doing to your ears for decades.

Trisha’s Kitchen is due out September 28, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Stanley Tucci - Taste: My Life Through Food

Stanley Tucci has appeared in several food-based movies over the years and even has his own culinary travel show on CNN with Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, and so it should come as no surprise that he has several cookbooks under his belt. In October, the accomplished actor will add yet another book to the list with Taste: My Life Through Food. This decades-spanning memoir will explore Tucci’s love of all things food and how that passion impacted roles in The Big Night and Julie & Julia.

Taste: My Life Through Food is due out October 12, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Paul McCartney - The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present

There are accomplished musicians and then there are the likes of Paul McCartney, the former Beatle who has continued to find success in just about everything he sets his eyes on for well over a half-century now. This November, the music icon will release a massive collection of his lyrics titled The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, which includes notes, stories, and other details about dozens of history’s best songs.

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present is due out November 2, 2021. Pre-order it on Amazon.

And not to be outdone, several celebrities released books in the final weeks of 2020 that are more than deserving of a quick shoutout before end things here. For starters there is Steve Martin’s A Wealth of Pigeons: A Cartoon Collection and then Kathie Lee Gifford’s inspiring memoir It’s Never Too Late: Make the Next Act of Your Life the Best Act of Your Life, which can be found here and here.

Elliot Page has long been an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and, after the actor came out as a non-binary, transgender person earlier this month, he received a wave of support from across the web. Kind words came from a number of stars, including his castmates from Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy. Now, Page has taken to social media to share his gratitude for the support, while stars like Jennifer Garner continue to reach out.

In a recent Instagram post, Elliot Page took the time to share a selfie and thank those who have shown their support since he came out. The actor also used the opportunity to encourage his followers to support TranSanta, an initiative that seeks to provide gifts for transgender youth in need, and Trans Lifeline, a crisis hotline that provides support for transgender people. Check out his post down below:

The amount of positive energy surrounding Elliot Page’s announcement was nice to see, and it’s still going strong. Sometime after he posted the message, Jennifer Garner, who worked with Page on 2007’s Juno, lent her support to her former co-star saying, “Major, huge love to you, Elliot.”

Garner’s comment would be the first of a few positive comments that would follow. Page’s Freeheld co-star, Julianne Moore, also chimed in with a short and sweet, “Love u.” Sharon Stone also commented, wishing Page “the happiest and safest life journey with every blessing, filled with love and joy.”

Elliot Page has been a well-known and well-loved actor for years now, having starred alongside a variety of stars in films ranging from Juno and Super to Inception and Whip It. But as mentioned, the actor has always used his platform to show support for others.

During his career, Page has done work with The Human Rights Campaign and actually came out as a gay woman when during the organization’s THRIVE conference back in 2014. By doing this, Page may have helped those who could have been having a hard time coming to terms with their sexuality.

The actor has also been a vocal supporter for those who have experienced abuse, especially within the entertainment industry. Page did so by detailing his experiences with X-Men: The Last Stand director, Brett Ratner, who outed his sexual preference while he was working on set. Others like Page’s X-Men co-star, Anna Paquin, came to his defense and corroborated the claims, which helped to spark a serious conversation about the industry.

With all that Elliot Page has done for so many over the years, it’s truly fitting that he receives that same measure of love. The actor has a bright future ahead of him, and we’ll be waiting intently for his upcoming projects, including the third season of The Umbrella Academy.

Keep it here at CinemaBlend for more news from the world of TV and movies.

The past few months have been an unprecedented time, as global health concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic continue to alter daily life. The numbers of people who have been affected by the coronavirus are massive, and include a number of well known celebrities. And while the public has followed as actors like Tom Hanks and Idris Elba recovered, it turns out that actress Sharon Stone has lost a few loved ones from the virus-- and also has other family members who are currently hospitalized and fighting for their lives.

Sharon Stone has been a public figure for decades, thanks to her long and successful career in TV and film. But as we've seen from other celebrities, fame and fortune haven't left them immune from the COVID-19. After recently sharing that her sister was in the hospital and fighting the virus, Stone opened up about already losing multiple loved ones to the coronavirus. As the Emmy and Golden Globe winner shared,

What a tragedy. It looks like Sharon Stone and her family have truly been struggling as a result of the global pandemic. Because with multiple members of her family hit with strong versions of the virus, she's no doubt feeling a mixture of grief, nerves, and shock. And our thoughts are with Stone and her loved ones at this difficult time.

Sharon Stone shared these personal and very emotional details over on her personal Instagram page. While her generations of fans are eager to see the 62 year-old actress appear in Ryan Murphy's Ratched series, she's recently taken to social media in order to shed a light on the ongoing pandemic, specifically how COVID-19 has affected her family. Because in addition to losing two loves ones, she has more family members whose fate is currently unclear.

Prior to recording a video on her social media about the harsh realities of COVID relate to her family, Sharon Stone originally posted a photo of her sister who is in a special COVID room of the hospital, and fighting the virus in isolation. After that went viral, she ultimately opened up more about the subject, revealing that she'd lost loved ones and that both her sister and brother-in-law are currently hospitalized as well. What's more, the actress claims that her sister isn't doing well, which is no doubt especially heartbreaking and anxiety inducing.

Sharon Stone's generations of fans will just have to wait and see if the actress provides more updates on the status of her loved ones who are still fighting COVID-19 in the hospital. She's clearly using her platform to help spread awareness about the dangers of the virus, and there will be plenty of people closely following the ongoing situation. Everyone at CinemaBlend is thinking about Stone during this difficult time.

Nude scenes. It feels like they have been part of the filmgoing experience for as long as any of us can remember. And that’s because they essentially date back to the Silent Era. We’re talking George Melies’ After the Ball in 1897. Trying to tackle the history of on-screen nudity would be, as you’d imagine, pretty daunting. But that hasn’t stopped the new documentary Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies.

There are a surprising number of famous Hollywood nude scenes included in the new documentary, covering everything from Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct to Dakota Johnson in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. The filmmakers really did their homework. But when we asked them during a recent press sit down just how many nude scenes they included, director Danny Wolf and executive producer Jim McBride (best known as Mr. Skin) were caught off guard, and guessed:

Yes, by narrowing their focus to the benchmark examples of male and female nudity in Hollywood, Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies still covers a ton of ground. The documentary gets roughly 55 different interviewees to sit down and discuss their experiences with on-screen nudity in the film industry. This dates as far back as Fast Times at Ridgemont High director Amy Heckerling analyzing the impact of Phoebe Cates’ strip tease by the swimming pool, up through Shannon Elizabeth discussing how she likely owes her career to being nude in American Pie.

And it sounds like an exaggeration, but when Skin director Danny Wolf jokes that there are 40,000 scenes they wanted to include but didn’t, you easily can rattle off a number of examples that don’t make the final cut of the documentary. Later in our interview, they mention trying to reach out to Jennifer Lawrence and Kathy Bates, as examples of actors who have experience with on-screen nudity that didn’t make it into the final cut of Skin. Maybe there’s room for a sequel.

We posted the trailer for Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies a few weeks back. Here it is again, if you missed it:

Skin features exclusive interviews with actors including Pam Grier (Jackie Brown, Foxy Brown) and Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Caligula) as well as directors Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon), Kevin Smith (Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Clerks) and Heckerling (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless). The movie will be available on demand beginning on August 18.

Sharon Stone was in show business long before she ignited the screen in Paul Verhoeven's steamy Basic Instinct. She battled Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall, was part of the Police Academy series, and had numerous TV gigs on various sitcoms. But her performance as the manipulative Catherine Tramell was so mesmerizing and white-hot, we basically break down her career to pre-Basic Instinct and post-Basic Instinct. Stone nailed the role from the get go, as evidenced by this early audition tape, which she just shared:

I might need a drink and a cigarette after watching Sharon Stone burn through that scene. The actress shared the clip as part of #WaybackWednesday, taking us all the way to 1992 -- or the months before it -- when she was preparing to step into the role of Catherine Tramell, a crime novelist accused of killing a rock star, mainly because the guy died in a way that's described in one of Catherine's books. Michael Douglas stars as Nick, the beleaguered detective investigating Catherine's involvement. To the surprise of no one, they engage in a steamy affair.

Basic Instinct was a culture-shaking movie event back in 1992. Not for this audition. Rather, for a controversial scene where Sharon Stone is interrogated by detectives and decides to distract the men by crossing and uncrossing her legs... all while wearing no underwear, whatsoever. Relive that NSFW scene below:

But as the clip proves -- and as the audition tape proves -- Basic Instinct wasn't JUST a hit because it dabbled in the taboo. Plenty of films do that without ever climbing above their basic-cable, late-night aspirations. This one connected on a deeper level because Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas were bringing a palpable, sweaty heat to their roles, and Basic Instinct tapped into a dangerous current of sex and murder. You felt dirty while watching it, and that was by design of director Paul Verhoeven and, especially, screenwriter Joe Eszterhas.

Basic Instinct turns 25 this year, which helps explain why Sharon Stone was feeling nostalgic for her time wielding the ice pick. This also means that a several years from now, we'll be celebrating the anniversary of 2006's ill-fated Basic Instinct 2. That's less sexy. I wonder what Sharon Stone can share on social media from that movie? Were there auditions? If so, they likely ended up in a Hollywood Boulevard dumpster.

Ryan Lochte has become almost as big a name in Olympic sports as Michael Phelps, though not for all the same reasons. The swimmer is trying to bounce back from some bad PR, and he's looking to Hollywood to do it. Following a Dancing with the Stars debut that was marred by protest, the olympian has moved on to film, he just signed to play a role in an upcoming Sharon Stone film.

Ryan Lochte will star alongside Sharon Stone, Famke Janssen, and Ellen Burstyn in A Little Something for Your Birthday. The film follows Stone as an aspiring fashion designer who is dealing with an overbearing mother played by Burstyn. Tony Goldwyn plays an attorney who attempts to win the heart of Sharon Stone.

The Hollywood Reporter doesn't explain the role Ryan Lochte will play in the film. Based on the fact that he's about the fifth name down the list of stars, at the most, and the fact that he's never acted before, we're going to guess that he doesn't actually have a lead role. THR does use the word "stars" so we'll assume he's got more than a cameo, but it may just be a couple of scenes interacting with the key characters.

Ryan Lochte made headlines following the Rio Olympic Games, not for his performance in the pool, but for his actions outside of it. Following public allegations that he and some friends had been robbed at gunpoint, the truth came out eventually and it was revealed that had just been drunk and vandalized a Brazil bathroom.

Whether or not Ryan Lochte can act is a question that has yet to be answered. Beyond, of course, his performance in front of news cameras when he claimed that he was robbed and then had to go out and apologize to the public for lying. His actions were not taken well by large parts of the public who protested his performance on Dancing with the Stars which began shortly after the Olympics ended.

Casting swimmers as actors is actually in the classic Hollywood tradition. Back in the 1930s and 40s Johnny Weismuller was a Hungarian swimmer who famously played Tarzan in a series of films. American Buster Crabbe also played the role after winning gold at the Olympics. There was even a possibility that Michael Phelps might have gone on to follow in their footsteps, but that didn't work out too well for him. Perhaps Lochte will have better luck.

A Litte Something for Your Birthday is being described as a coming of age comedy. We'll have to wait and see whether Lochte can be funny. The film will be shopped around to investors later this fall. There's no release date as of yet.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a good track record with recruiting talented, veteran actors, and last month, they added Basic Instinct star Sharon Stone to their ranks. The actress revealed that she'd been cast in a "wee part" for an upcoming Marvel movie, but wouldn't disclose any more information about it. Stone is still staying mum about her character's identity, but recently she provided two more clues about her involvement in the MCU.

The first clue that Stone provided in an interview with AARP is that she'll be playing a superhero rather than go down the villainous path. Okay, so she'll be fighting for good rather than terrorizing the other MCU heroes. That's good to know. The other clue is that her character's special power will be "heat." Well, that definitely narrows down the list of candidates by a lot, though there are still quite a few possibilities left over.

So, who could Sharon Stone's character be? Right away, I thought of Firestar from the '80s animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, but that immediately got tossed aside. If the MCU wanted to pair Tom Holland's Peter Parker with Firestar in Spider-Man: Homecoming, they would have picked an actress closer to his age. Phoenix also came to mind, but that character belongs in 20th Century Fox's X-Men universe, and will be played by Sophie Turner if that character is fully adapted again. There are a few other minor flamed-themed heroes, but then a peculiar name jumped out: Abigail Brand.

Longtime Marvel readers know Brand as the head of S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient World Observation and Response Department), the agency tasked with dealing with alien threats against Earth What some may not know is that she is able to coat her hands in flame, giving off enough heat that she can melt through metal. This, along with her ability to change her tongue's shape so she can communicate in alien languages, is due to her half-human nature. Abigail Brand is younger in the comics than Sharon Stone is currently, but if the MCU is looking for an actress to play a leader who's had plenty of experience leading an organization that big, she fits that excellently.

The other question on our minds if which Marvel movie Sharon Stone will appear in. Doctor Strange has already finished filming and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is still in production, so we can rule those out. That leaves entries like Black Panther and Captain Marvel, but if Stone is indeed playing Abigail Brand, then that would make her a good fit for Avengers: Infinity War. She and her agents learn that Thanos is coming to Earth and she warns the Avengers to prepare for his arrival. Whether that's what the plan is or not, because Stone said her part is small, perhaps she'll simply cameo in one movie and then have a bigger presence in a follow-up.

We'll keep you apprised on Sharon Stone's Marvel involvement as more updates come in, but let us know what you think about her mystery character in the comments below.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has begun to expand at an exponential rate. Captain America: Civil War has blown the shared universe’s door off of its hinges, and opened up a world of possibility for an army of new characters. With that in mind, Marvel has enlisted the help of some truly iconic actors and actresses to bring these characters to life. One such actress is Sharon Stone, who has just announced that she will have a small part in a future Marvel movie.

During a recent interview with James Corden, Sharon Stone revealed that Marvel has enlisted her for a mysterious role in an upcoming movie:

Sharon Stone’s next project will take the form of a coming MCU movie, but she cannot divulge any more than that due to the fact that she signed a confidentiality agreement. We’re not exactly sure why she insisted on using "wee" twice as an adjective, but there it is. There’s always the possibility that she means Marvel literally gave her a small part, in which case we think the studio may have cast her has Janet Van Dyne a.k.a the original Wasp.

Janet Van Dyne only shows up for one scene in the original Ant-Man film from last year, and we as an audience never actually get to see her face. The mask of her Wasp outfit obscures her face in a flashback sequence with her husband Hank Pym, and she eventually sacrifices herself by going "subatomic" to stop a ballistic missile, so we never get a chance to see her again. Although Hank Pym has spent years mourning the "death" of Janet, many have assumed that she might be returned to him during the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp because Scott Lang himself came back from the subatomic realm at the end of Ant-Man.

Only time will tell, but we definitely think that would be an awesome storyline to see played out on the silver screen. One thing’s for certain: fans of Basic Instinct would probably love to see Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone reunited as Ant-Man and The Wasp, respectively.

All that being said, we really cannot say for certain what part she will have in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s future. With so many awesome character set to debut, there’s really any number of possibilities at this point. Perhaps she will play someone from Spider-Man’s mythos, or maybe even that of Black Panther; Sharon Stone is an incredibly talented actress, so we have faith in Marvel Studios’ ability to cast her for the perfect role.

We will bring you more Marvel news as it becomes available to us. For now, be sure to check out Captain America: Civil War, which is currently in theaters.

Sex sells – that much we know. The 1992 murder mystery Basic Instinct – starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone – most certainly understood just how to sell its sexual content to audiences. Everyone who has heard of Paul Verhoeven’s Basic Instinct will instantly recall the iconic scene of Sharon Stone slowly opening and closing her legs in a police interrogation. The film’s content could most certainly be described steamy, but it required the inclusion of more dramatic elements to keep an R-rating.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Verehoeven opened up about how he got away with showing such raunchy sex scenes in Basic Instinct:

By contrast, Verehoeven’s film Showgirls received an NC-17 rating almost exclusively for the amount of nudity it features. The story of Las Vegas strippers does not even include much in the way of actual sex or violence, but its sheer amount of full frontal nudity garnered it such a severe rating. The inclusion of the threat of violence allowed the filmmaker to elevate the sexual content of Basic Instinct beyond mere gratuity and gave Verhoeven more freedom to extend the sex scenes.

This revelation also sheds an interesting light on the way in which our society perceives its taboos. In general, we seem to have a much more lackadaisical attitude towards violence – and potential violence – than we do about sex. Just think about it, filmmakers can easily maneuver their films’ violent content into a PG-13 rating, but frontal nudity will all but guarantee an R rating. In the Rolling Stone interview Verhoeven even went so far as to address this as a distinctly American phenomenon, and that a school teacher in Holland once explained to him that the female breast was the most beautiful thing in the world. PG-13 films even allow for one or two F bombs before the MPAA draws the line – see: X-Men: First Class. Debate on which creates a bigger detriment for society can be left for another day, but it’s an interesting contrast to keep in mind.

Basic Instinct remains a classic to this day for its balance of sensuality with visceral thrills; aspiring filmmakers looking to push the envelope should refer to it as a way of obtaining a more favorable rating.

As production on the action-comedy American Ultra kicks off in New Orleans. Lionsgate is announcing some enticing new additions to the cast: Bill Pullman, Tony Hale and Sharon Stone. This trio joins an ensemble that already includes Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, John Leguizamo, and Walton Goggins.

Here's the official plot synopsis for American Ultra, which was just revealed in a press release announcing the start of principal photography

Eisenberg will front the action-packed and funny feature as Mike. Stewart, who has recently wrapped on a trio of dramas (Clouds of Sils Maria, Anethesia, and Still Alice) and previously co-starred with Eisenberg in Adventureland, will play Phoebe, while Stone is set for the role of sleeper agent wrangler Victoria Lasseter. For now, Lionsgate is currently keeping quiet on what roles the rest of the cast will play.

We first got word of American Ultra back in the fall of 2013, when Eisenberg and Stewart signed on to headline. At that time we learned the screenplay was penned by outspoken scribe and Superman aficionado Max Landis, best known for writing the 2012 super-powered thriller Chronicle.

Taking the helm of this action-comedy is Nima Nourizadeh, who made his directorial feature debut in 2012 with the party comedy Project X.

Development on American Ultra went below the radar through the winter, but just last month the movie made headlines with reports Uma Thurman was in talks to co-star. She will be playing a government agent who has deep ties to stoner/sleeper agent Mike. But with this latest press release, it is clear Thurman is out and Stone is in as Victoria Lasseter. I'll be honest: with the character description plus Stone in the role, I'm imagining Lasseter as a live-action Malory Archer. Which is awesome.

American Ultra is expected to hit theaters in 2015.

It was just two days ago that Andie MacDowell and Rainey Qualley joined the growing cast of Mother's Day. The pair are an even more fitting addition to the upcoming drama once you know the actresses happen to be mother and daughter in real life, same as the previously cast Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri Martino. But the film won't be only be filled with actresses who share the female familial bond since Christina Ricci already has a part in the project, as does the newly added Sharon Stone.

Variety reports that Stone has boarded Mother's Day. Stone's sons won't be able to celebrate the holiday on-screen with their mom because the film focuses solely on XX relations. 12 sets of mothers and daughters to be exact, and how their stories play out on that one particular holiday. Even though Stone doesn't have a daughter, she should be well prepped for the part after having just wrapped Lovelace where she played Amanda Seyfried's mom.

With Stone on board, that still only totals three sets in the ensemble so far (although there is no mention that Stone and Ricci's characters match up), meaning a lot of casting remains for writer-director Paul Duddridge. Perhaps we'll see some other celebrity families sign up for the project from the first time feature film director? Duddridge previous credits include writing, directing and producing the British TV series Annually Retentive starring Rob Brydon. No word on when the movie might start shooting but if I were them, I'd plan for a Mother's Day 2013 release. Free advertising!

Tom Felton may know a thing or two about playing a villainous-type, and his days of Harry Potter have likely trained him well in the art of sinister facial expressions, however the role he’s been recently cast him sounds especially creepy.

While Tony Kaye’s film Detachment ready to make its US debut later this month, his next project is a sexual thriller called Attachment, which will have Sharon Stone playing a teacher who cheats on her husband with one of her students. According to what Kaye told Coming Soon, Tom Felton has been cast to star opposite Stone, playing the student her character has an affair with. Beyond his Mrs. Robinson-esque sexual exploits, Felton will play the student antagonist, who apparently goes on to stalk Stone’s character, while dating her own daughter.

Felton appears to be keeping busy since his days of playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films. His first post-Deathly Hallows role had him surrounded by primates in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. And coming up, he’s starring alongside Ashley Greene in Todd Lincoln’s The Apparition.

It’s good to see Felton continuing to branch out, though as a Harry Potter fan, the description for his character in Attachment certainly creates a bizarre mental picture.

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman recently made huge steps towards actually getting their Linda Lovelace biopic off the ground. Earlier this month it was reported that Amanda Seyfried and Peter Sarsgaard were both in talks for the film, with the actress playing the former starlet and the actor signed up to play her abusive husband/pimp, Chuck Traynor. Now a third piece of the puzzle has been added.

According to the AP, Sharon Stone has been enlisted to play Linda Lovelace's mother in Lovelace. While the article is thin on details about how she will fit into the film, there were significant moments of extreme drama between Lovelace and her mother in real life. When she was 20, Lovelace, then known as Linda Susan Boreman, gave birth to a child and her mother told her that she was going to put the baby into foster care until Linda was old enough to care for it. In reality, her mom put the child up for adoption. Later, Lovelace was involved in a terrible car accident and while she was living at home she met Traynor and he brought her into the porn industry.

If you're going to cast an actress to play Amanda Seyfried's mother I actually don't think there are very many better choices than Stone in this particular instance. Her career is in definite need of a boost (when is the last time you saw a Sharon Stone movie?) and while I can't imagine that the part is very big - again, it all depends on how the script is structured - there is just enough drama here that Stone could give a memorable performance.

Yesterday is widely remembered as the anniversary of the Oklahoma City federal building bombings, but April 19 also marks an entirely different, violent American tragedy-- the 1993 raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. 81 people, including 17 children, were killed after the government tried to investigate illegal weapons at the compound, resulting in a 51-day siege and eventually an immense fire. Anyone who came of age in the 90s likely thinks of this any time the town of Waco is mentioned.

There's an amazing story in the Waco situation that has yet to make it to film, and now director Rupert Wainwright will be the first to fictionalize it. Production Weekly reported that Kurt Russell, Adrien Brody and Sharon stone are attached to the film, titled Waco, which is scheduled to film this fall. Additional information at Wainwright's official site notes that he co-wrote the screenplay with investigative journalist James Hibberd, who currently writes for The Hollywood Reporter.

As for the actors on board, the story includes so many federal agents and Branch Davidian members that it's impossible to tell which real-life people will make the cut, though Brody is a pretty likely candidate to play David Koresh, the Branch Davidian leader who also perished in the fire. It could be an amazing role for Brody-- charismatic cult leaders tend to make great screen characters-- and a strong performance from Brody could attract some eyeballs to what will doubtlessly be a difficult movie to watch. Difficult, that is, but probably necessary.

Sharon Stone might be more famous for being sexually provacative than any other actress her age-- except Courtney Love, maybe, but we're not talking about her here. Sharon Stone is the woman who crossed her legs in Basic Instinct, and even at the age of 51 continues to be an icon of powerful, somewhat terrifying female sexuality.

But when I tell you that she's going to star in a movie about prostitution, hold your horses. Stone won't be playing the prostitute in question. She told Pretige, a Hong Kong magazine, that her next project will be Satisfaction, about a young male prostitute (played by Chris Evans) who loses the support of one older woman (Carice van Houten) and winds up with another (Stone).

In Stone's words:

Evans may have a great role coming up in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, but he could really use another good one, and this at least sounds promising. That unless, unless we're heading into Basic Instinct 2 territory, in which case everyone ought to stay far, far away.