Whenever a director goes back to change an earlier movie, as James Cameron is thinking about doing with his 1986 classic Aliens, people understandably get nervous. Cameron, who has proven just how popular his 3D work is with the Avatar franchise, believes he can update one of the best sci-fi movies of all time AND one of the best horror movies of all time with his 3D technology, and I’m all for it. Usually, I’m one of the people who doesn’t want to see perfection messed with, but that’s not the case here, because I think Cameron has made smart moves with Aliens.

It Looks Like This Is Happening

More than any other director in Hollywood, James Cameron has leaned into 3D technology. The success of the Avatar series is proof-positive that he knows how to create a movie with it, and he doubled down on that with the concert film he made with Billie Eilish, Hit Me Hard and Soft, which came out earlier this year to rave reviews. While promoting that movie, he spoke with Letterboxd about converting Aliens to 3D. Cameron said:

He said that converting the film could work today because of where the technology is today:

If anyone knows just how far the latest 3D technology can go, it’s Cameron, as he’s been largely responsible for pushing the new tech forward with Avatar. It’s one reason I really trust his idea here, but it’s not the only one.

The Last Time He Tweaked Aliens, It Really Worked

A couple of months ago, I wrote about how I’d never seen the director’s cut of Aliens. When I did finally watch it, I loved it. That’s not always the case for me, either. In fact, it’s way more common that I love the original theatrical version over any director’s cut of a movie I love. While there was one added scene I didn’t care for in Aliens, overall, I do think Cameron’s director’s cut is a better movie. And that’s really saying something about a movie that I think even surpasses the first movie in the series.

It’s for that reason that I trust Cameron here. I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the Avatar films, and I don’t always love 3D movies, but I don’t think Cameron would mess around with Aliens if he didn’t believe that this could work. He’s a master of film technology, so I have to believe he’s going to do right by the film and its legions of fans like me.

I’ve probably seen Aliens a couple of dozen times in my life, but until recently, I hadn’t watched one of the best sci-fi movies ever in one sitting in at least a couple of decades, and I’d never seen the director’s cut. Until just last week, it was available with an HBO Max subscription. James Cameron released it in 1991 on Laser Disc only (I never had one of those). I’ll just say upfront, I wish I hadn’t waited so long. While I love the theatrical cut, this version is definitely better in almost every way. There was one backstory I loved being included in, but there was another I was less enthusiastic about.

Ripley Backstory Makes The Movie So Much Better

There is about 20 minutes more movie in the Aliens Director’s Cut, and most of that time is spent on two scenes. The first is Ripley’s recovery after being found floating in space after 57 years at the beginning. In a conversation with Burke (Paul Reiser), it’s revealed that Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) had a daughter when she left Earth in the first movie of the franchise, Alien. She (and we) also learned that her daughter had died two years before at age 66.

This informs so much more about Ripley than the original theatrical cut and makes her relationship with Newt (Carrie Henn) later in the movie more visceral. It totally changes the dynamic in that final confrontation with the queen alien, much more potent, as well, as two mothers come to an understanding with each other. I really don’t understand how this was ever removed from the original cut. It makes the movie so much better.

Newt’s Backstory Took Some Mystery Away

On the other hand, there is another backstory that wasn’t included in the original, that of Newt and her family. In fact, we get a lot more of the colonists on LV-426, seeing their lives on the planet before they were decimated by the aliens. A big part of this time is spent with Newt, her brother, and their parents as they head outside of the base to investigate the crashed ship. It’s where we first see the alien and how they get into the base in the first place.

I was pretty disappointed by this. Not because it wasn’t well shot, or well told. I just love the mystery of Newt that is presented in the original cut. We only know what happened to her family and the other colonists through her descriptions. Aliens is as much a sci-fi-horror flick as it is one of the best action movies ever, and the mystery is so much more effective than seeing what actually happened. It’s a cool scene, for sure, but it takes away something from the overall story, rather than adding to it like Ripley’s backstory.

I understand why James Cameron feels that this is the definitive version of Aliens (still the best movie in the franchise). Sometimes director’s cuts are just self-indulgent slop (I’m looking at you, Apocalypse Now Redux), but that is not the case here. It’s a better movie with these included scenes, but I would have loved it even more if the mystery of Newt’s backstory stayed the same.

Today is Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday, and that in and of itself is remarkable. My first real exposure to the man who is inarguably the greatest nature documentary presenter of all time came in the DVD collection of 2006’s Planet Earth, which you can now watch with an HBO Max subscription. I say the DVD collection, because even though I watched the 11-part series on the Discovery Channel here in America when it first aired, on this side of the Atlantic, the narrator was not Attenborough, but Sigourney Weaver.

The decision to have Weaver, who we're going to see later this month in The Mandalorian and Grogu on the 2026 movie schedule, do the narration was a bad call. Not because she was bad, as she was, in fact, great. However, I think even she would agree that not featuring Attenborough was the wrong choice, and there is evidence that I’m not alone.

I Mean No Shade Towards Sigourney Weaver, But We’re Talking About The GOAT

I want to stress that I really don’t think Discovery’s decision to “re-cast,” as it were, the narrator for the now-legendary nature series with Weaver has anything to do with Weaver’s work. I am a huge fan of the Aliens star, and I think she did a wonderful job on the series. At least, as best as I can remember. However, we’re literally talking about the GOAT here. Attenborough, even at 100, is still mesmerizing fans with his knowledge, his line delivery, and his gravitas.

There is no one better, and there hasn’t been anyone his equal since his career began in the 1950s at the BBC. He’s old school in the best possible way. In the US, he wasn’t quite the cultural icon he has been in the UK until much later in his career, but now, he’s also who we have come to see as the premier nature documentary presenter. When a new nature doc comes out, like our friends across the pond, we expect to hear his voice telling us about the mating rituals of turquoise-browed motmots, red-lipped batfish, and blue-footed boobies.

It Seems Many Agreed With Me At The Time

After the series initially aired on the BBC with Attenborough and in the US with Weaver, each version was released on DVD. The people spoke with their wallet, and the Attenborough version outsold the Weaver version by some margin. In fact, today, if you want to buy the series on DVD or Blu-Ray, only the British version is available. If you want to watch the series on HBO Max, it’s also the Attenborough version. Honestly, though I prefer that one, it would be cool if the Weaver version were available, too.

There have been some sequels and follow-ups to the original series, like the Blue Planet series, and two more Planet Earths, and all have been presented by Attenborough alone. This is hardly a surprise, of course, given the success of the original’s DVD sales. There is just no way around Sir David Attenborough being better than everyone else on planet earth when it comes to nature docs, so cheers to him for turning 100, and let’s hope for 100 more!

The Mandalorian & Grogu isn't only the first of upcoming Star Wars movies to hit the big screen in a while, it's also the first time we've seen characters based on one of the Disney+ TV shows be adapted for movie theaters. As such, there have understandably been some questions from fans. When CinemaBlend had the chance to see the opening of one of the most exciting of 2026 movie releases, presented by director Jon Favreau. And one thing we've been wondering about the movie more makes sense now. Let's get into it:

Fans Like Me Have Been Wondering How Din Got Another Razor Crest

If you're a viewer of The Mandalorian TV show, you might have noticed that Din's Razor Crest ship has mysteriously back in the marketing, including The Mandalorian & Grogu trailer. Oh, and there's even a LEGO set for it. But ever since that was revealed, fans have pointed out one thing about it. How is it around?

You know the one that exploded in Season 2? Well, when we had the chance to see the first 18 minutes of the movie as presented by director Jon Favreau, the question was answered. And it's kind of been set up already... just not directly.

How The Mandalorian & Grogu Explains How He Gets The New Ship

The Mandalorian & Grogu starts by taking the audience right inside the action of one of Din and Grogu's bounty missions which takes place around and inside the famous AT-ATs. It's a thrilling way to start the film, and is already full of so many moments that had me giggling and "oohhing" over Grogu (who's apparently going to "level up" in this one) in particular. Once they finish the messy mission, they meet with Sigourney Weaver's new character of Colonel Ward to settle up and get assigned for the next thing.

And, it's Colonel Ward who gives Din a new Razor Crest for a very specific reason. She needs him to go on a mission relating to the Hutt family (hence Jeremy Allen White's role of the muscular son of Jabba), and the ship is basically an advance to get him to agree to the very dangerous ask. Our first look at Mandalorian & Grogu ended with him jetting off with the Razor Crest, which is sort of the perfect setup for the movie to take place (and leave me wanting more!)

We'll get to see where exactly the Razor Crest takes Din and Grogu when the movie hits theaters on May 22!

One of the most anticipated 2026 movie releases will feature one of the smallest cinematic heroes hitting the big screen, as the upcoming Star Wars feature The Mandalorian and Grogu set to blast into theaters on May 22. That’s just over two months away, which is great, but fans are still somehow still in the dark regarding who the movie’s major villain will be. Unless the answer has been staring us in the face all along, that is.

WIth the final big post-Super Bowl trailer dropping in February, Mandalorian and Grogu may technically be finished revealing new footage ahead of the actual release — save for shortform TV spots and any BTS segments shared via Disney+ subscription or social media. But beyond some seemingly lower-tier antagonists, such as Jeremy Allen White’s Ratta the Hutt, the bigger threats facing Pedro Pascal’s hero are still seemingly unknown. But the theory posed by ScreenRant suggests that the big bad could be the movie’s biggest co-star: Sigourney Weaver.

Could Sigourney Weaver's Colonel Ward Be A Secret Star Wars Villain?

Truth be told, when Weaver was first announced as the newest cast member to join the Star Wars universe for Jon Favreau's first franchise feature, I immediately joked about her being the movie's baddie, but more in line with the pop culture rule of "the most famous guest star in the procedural is always the murderer." Bringing in this level of legend can't just be for a bit role, and I don't see her standing alongside Mando in hero mode throughout the runtime.

Sure, the creative team could have looped Sigourney Weaver into the mix for a role that's solely authoritative, for Din to either obey with loyalty or go against rebelliously. It's not so far out there a notion, since there aren't any other new live-action human characters that have been cast. We will indeed see some returning characters such as co-screenwriter Dave Filoni's Trapper Wolf and Jonny Coyne's faction leader, and there will no doubt be some surprise reveals in store. But Weaver being the marquee new addition could really go either way.

It would be a fantastic shift for Weaver, who has spent the majority of her career playing protagonists, with the Alien franchise's Ellen Ripley being the one she'll forever be synonymous with. Not to downplay other fan-favorite roles such as Ghostbusters' Dana — there is only Zuul? — and Avatar's Dr. Grace and Kiri. At this point, the expectation is always for her to play heroes, or at least helpful side characters.

That said, she did play a crafty and well-spoken villain in Bryan Fuller’s A+ Dust Bunny last year, so perhaps Weaver is currently transitioning into her Villain Era. Which would probably help to make the character's fictional history mean more within the context of the upcoming movie. Weaver has spoken about Ward having a lengthy history with Leia Organa. On the one hand, that will allow the new movie to reference the O.G. heroine without leaping through hoops. But because that connection sets up the expection for the Colonel to be on Mando's side, it's kind of a perfect set-up to eventually upend with a devious twist.

If anyone needed any visual proof of Sigourney Weaver's possible descent into villainy, just look at the disrespect she shows Kate Hudson over the latter's physical interactions with Grogu.

I can't wait to see whether or not Weaver's character calls Pedro's Din a "b---h" at any point during The Mandalorian and Grogu. I will do a cartwheel down the theater aisle if it happens. But if it ends up being General Thrawn? Yeah, that'd be worth a cartwheel or two as well, even if he likely won't be popping up until Ahsoka Season 2.

Find out which baddies Mando and Grogu will be facing off against when the next Star Wars feature hits theaters on May 22, 2026.

Considering that the Tomb Raider video game franchise owes its origins to Indiana Jones, there are few video game characters quite as well-suited to an onscreen adaptation as Lara Croft. We’ve seen the adventuring woman in big-screen films and animated series, but now the upcoming live-action Tomb Raider series is coming together as nearly a dozen roles have been cast for the show, including a pair of heavyweights in Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs.

The upcoming Tom Riader series is written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and will star Sophie Turner in the lead role as Lara Croft. Up to now, hers was the only role that had been cast, but today several new additions were announced, including a few that will be recognizable to fans from the game. The descriptions of the characters come from Variety.

• Sigourney Weaver - Evelyn Wallis, “a mysterious, high-flying woman who is keen to exploit Lara’s talents”
• Jason Isaacs - Atlas Demorney, Lara’s uncle
• Bill Paterson - Winston, Lara’s Butler
• Martin Bobb-Semple - Zip, Lara’s Tech Support and Friend
• Celia Imrie - Francine, the head of advancement at the British Museum
• Jack Bannon - Gerry, Lara’s personal pilot and snack collector
• John Heffernan - David, an exhausted government official who finds himself tangled up in Lara’s unusual world.
• Paterson Joseph - Thomas Warner, “a senior government official brought in to clean up an almighty mess.”
• Sasha Luss - Sasha, “a fierce, deeply competitive new adversary of Lara’s.”
• Juliette Motamed - Georgia, “a devoted, by-the-books curator at the British Museum, dedicated to the ‘proper’ preservation of history.”
• August Wittgenstein - Lukas, “an illegal raider who shares history with Lara in more ways than one.”

As somebody who has generally enjoyed playing Tomb Raider video games and watching the various adaptations, I’m always interested in what a new take on the material would bring. Every step of the princess has made this particular project especially intriguing, from bringing in Phoebe Waller-Bridge as co-showrunner and writer to the casting of Sophie Turner; every choice hasn’t necessarily been the most obvious, but that’s what makes it interesting.

Game fans will recognize some of the characters listed here, like Winston, Lara’s Butler, who players would routinely lock in the freezer (iykyk), and Lara’s uncle, who is usually portrayed as a less-than-loving family member, making it just the sort of role we’d expect from Jason Isaacs.

The most interesting character, however, is the one being played by Sigourney Weaver. The word “exploit” being used would seem to indicate that she’s not playing one of the “good guys” either, but time will tell. Weaver has certainly played her share of villains, though she's generally the good guy, so we'll have to wait and see how this character shakes out.

The casting of so many characters that aren’t previously known would seem to confirm what had been previously rumored; that this series, which will be available with a Prime Video subscription, will be a fresh take on the material, rather than an adaptation of a previous game. It’s yet another decision that has the potential to make the show truly unique, and I, for one, can’t wait to see it.

The following contains a minor spoiler for Avatar: Fire and Ash.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is getting solid, if not stellar, critical reception, and its opening weekend box office has been rock solid, albeit quite up to the level of the previous entries. While some of the movie’s set pieces may not be achieving the same degree of wonder the franchise once did, one place where it has to be said Avatar 3 does move forward is in the character drama, including the relationship between Spider and Kiri.

We see a romance begin to bloom in Avatar: Fire and Ash between the Na’vi Kiri, played by Sigourney Weaver, and the human Spider, played by Jack Champion. In the story, both characters are teenagers, so the relationship makes sense. Of course, in reality, Sigourney Weaver is…not a teenager. Speaking with THR, the actress explains how the scene, which has Kiri kiss Spider for the first time, came together behind the scenes, saying…

While Sigourney Weaver says there’s “no room” for consideration of the ages of the two actors in that moment, I’m not sure I’d go that far. One of the few moments that took me out of the film while watching Avatar: Fire and Ash was this moment because my brain absolutely considered their ages in that moment. I wasn’t exactly sure how old Jack Champion was in that scene, but I wondered if what I was seeing was exactly what it appeared to be because of that age difference.

Having said all that, the scene absolutely does work, because while you may be aware consciously of that age difference, the scene still feels real. It’s a testament to the motion capture work that most of the time, you never think of Kiri as anything other than a teenager.

So the two didn’t actually kiss while filming, which is certainly the right choice under the circumstances. Weaver clarifies that this was perhaps the only scene in the movie where she is not acting opposite the other actors in the film. Because of the movie’s heavy use of CGI and motion capture, there are always questions about just how much is “real.”

Of course, what’s ultimately important about what’s “real” is that the emotional stakes of the moment are properly conveyed, and Sigourney Weaver and Jack Champion absolutely achieve that goal. Avatar: Fire and Ash is in theaters now.

Major spoilers for Avatar: Fire and Ash lie ahead.

One of the coolest elements of the Avatar movies has to be all the worldbuilding James Cameron has created to make Pandora feel like a real place. In the latest installment, Fire And Ash audiences get to dive deeper into the fictional planet he’s created throughout the story. One highlight of the critically-acclaimed Fire and Ash is the moment The Great Mother seems to be revealed for the first time, and it has a link to 2001: A Space Odyssey.

As soon as I saw what appeared to be a large purple baby when Kiri finally got to connect with The Great Mother, I knew I had to ask about that scene during CinemaBlend’s interview with James Cameron. When posed with the question of whether the scene was inspired by 2001, Cameron confirmed how the Kubrick film informed his approach to that big moment:

Based on how James Cameron answers the question, there’s more to explore about the Ewya past what happens in Avatar: Fire And Ash. The Ewya is an interconnected biological network that helps regulate the planet’s ecosystem that Kiri seems to have a particularly strong connection to. Cameron also said this:

The more the Avatar movies push forward, the more Cameron gets to explore the fictional world. That includes the ways in which Pandora evolves as a singular entity. It’s certainly a solid reference to take inspiration from one of the best space movies of all time, and, Cameron told me the moment is a window into what questions were left unanswered for future movies.

Hopefully, the director gets a chance to show us what he’s talking about regarding The Great Mother and Kiri’s interesting relationship. The filmmaker told me he's “artistically” ready to work on Avatar 4 and 5, but wants to wait for the movie’s global performance to determine what's next. He also has “a couple of other projects” he’s interested in doing. Additionally, Cameron said the sequel will need to make “two metric fucktons of money" to make a profit.

I wonder if the fact that Spider (a human) is able to tap into the network will change the Ewya or The Great Mother in any way moving forward. At the end of Fire and Ash, Spider certainly had a positive experience there, so I might be wrong about that. However, Cameron’s comments certainly point to more mysteries to uncover, and I'm so curious if we'll get to see more of The Great Mother beyond his 2001-like moment. We'll have to wait and see if another sequel heads to the movie release schedule in the coming months.

Check out Avatar: Fire and Ash in theaters now and stream the first two movies using a Disney+ subscription.

When we lost Alan Rickman, we lost an incredible acting talent. He was a star who commanded the screen whenever he was on it. while we still have all of the great movies he made, we’ve lost out on all the movies that could have been, and that includes a sequel to Galaxy Quest, according to his co-star.

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Galaxy Quest co-star Sigourney Weaver discussed the sequel that might have happened if the stars had aligned. She says there was always interest from the cast in making a sequel, but following the passing of Alan Rickman, it doesn’t appear anybody wants to make it anymore. She said:

The story of Galaxy Quest 2 is an interesting one because the script for the movie already exists. Tim Allen had previously mentioned that Robert Gordon, who wrote the original film, had written a sequel, and there were plans to film it before Rickman passed.

Sigourney Weaver explained what may have been the reason why a Galaxy Quest sequel didn’t happen sooner. The version of the film that was released had been significantly edited by Dreamworks, in order to make it more family-friendly, apparently removing many of Alan Rickman’s “strange and wonderful” scenes. This led Gordon to refuse to let DreamWorks have the sequel. Weaver said:

Despite any alleged studio issues, there were reportedly plans to film Galaxy Quest 2 at Amazon back in 2016. Unfortunately, that was the year that Alan Rickman passed away. This obviously killed any short-term plans to make the movie, and now, nearly a decade later, it doesn’t appear there is any greater interest in touching the material without the full cast.

Galaxy Quest 2 is far from the only movie that we’ll never see because somebody passed away. In the end, it’s likely better to let those things go than to try and make them without the people who made the original great. Sigourney Weaver thinks we need a director’s cut of the original Galaxy Quest with Alan Rickman’s deleted work restored, and that sounds like a pretty great idea. The movie is already a classic; some extra footage to showcase the late actor could make it even better for longtime fans.

A sequel to Galaxy Quest seems all but impossible at this point. However, a Galaxy Quest TV series concept was in development years ago. As of the Skydance/Paramount merger earlier this year, Deadline reports that another take on the show is developing at CBS Studios.

Filming Avatar movies is no small feat, and it should come as no surprise that it takes time for James Cameron and co. to shoot those massive blockbusters. The second and third installments in the franchise were actually shot simultaneously over several years, and a lot can change in that period of time. As cast member Signourney Weaver explained to CinemaBlend, during that stretch, she got to see the younger actors grow up. Weaver also joked about that, while the kids themselves talked about coming of age on set.

Sigourney Weaver Recalls Working With The Younger Actors Of The Avatar Franchise

The Alien icon was in a very interesting position while making the Avatar sequels, given her role as Jake Sully and Neytiri’s adopted daughter, Kiri. Because of that, Weaver shared a lot of scenes with the kid actors who make up the rest of the Sully family, including Jack Champion, Trinity Bliss and Britain Dalton. While speaking with CB about the franchise’s latest film, Fire and Ash, Weaver praised her co-stars, saying that they “come into their own” in the film. She also shared a sweet story about auditioning with Champion:

As a young person, I honestly couldn’t understand how adults would be so enamored with how me or other kids would grow over time. As an adult, though, I now understand it, and Sigourney Weaver’s sentiments really resonate with me. The Way of Water and Fire and Ash were filmed together between 2017 and 2020, so Weaver spent a lot of time with the kids. Of course, at the same time, they were getting acclimated to being on such a massive set and, as expected, they had some unique experiences.

Avatar’s Younger Actors Tell Us About Growing Up On Set

When CinemaBlend interviewed Avatar’s “kid” stars for The Way of Water, they expressed enthusiasm over being part of the massive franchise. Those feelings were still present when we spoke with them this time around. Now-21-year-old Champion, now-16-year-old Bliss and 22-year-old Bailey Bass (who plays Metkayina tribe member Reya) have fond memories of being on set during their formative years. Bass and Bliss spoke about the challenges of transitioning out of traditional school to film, though the latter has sweet take:

Those are memories that the stars will be able to hold onto for years to come. Imagine getting to shoot scenes and swim with Sigourney Weaver as well as other stars like Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington. And, of course, there’s the fact that the kids were directed by James Cameron, one of the most prolific filmmakers of all time. Needless to say, they had very unique childhoods.

Fans will get to see more of the results of the actors’ years of hard work when Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19th as part of the 2025 movie schedule. In the meantime, grab a Disney+ subscription to stream the first two films in the series.

There are a lot of people in the world who would have trouble not going all “fanboy” if they ever met Mark Hamill. Lord knows I would be one of them. One would think that, by this point in his career, Hamill has seen so many other stars so often that there’s nobody who would get him excited, but it turns out he’s a big fan of Sigourney Weaver, a.k.a. Alien's Ellen Ripley.

The beginning of Star Wars and the future of Star Wars recently converged when Luke Skywalker met one of the cast of The Mandalorian and Grogu. Hamill says in a post on Bluesky that he went “all fanboy” when he met Sigourney Weaver recently, saying…

Mark Hamill is far from the only one who became a huge fan of Sigourney Weaver after seeing Alien. It's one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, and it, like the original Star Wars, launched a franchise that is still going strong to this day.

In much the same way that Hamill is seemingly done with Star Wars, Sigourney Weaver has likely put the Alien franchise behind her. However, she’s recently jumped ship to become part of the galaxy, far, far away, something Hamill apparently wasn't aware of until now.

The picture, however, is priceless. It honestly really does give the “fan boy” vibes pretty strongly, as Mark Hamill is clearly excited, while Sigourney Weaver actually looks a little shocked by the whole experience.

I've loved Sigourney Weaver ever since one of my all-time favorite movies, ALIEN. Couldn't resist going all fanboy on her yesterday & asking for a photo. She told me she's now in the cast of The Mandalorian. Talk about bad timing: she's now in that galaxy far, far away, years after I checked out! 💔

— @markhamillofficial.bsky.social (@markhamillofficial.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-09T22:22:41.363Z

This isn't Hamill's first fanboy moment. He's also written about the way he freaked out a bit upon meeting former Beatle George Harrison. This puts Sigourney Weaver in some pretty impressive company.

We’ve seen a bit of Sigourney Weaver in the first trailer for The Mandalorian and Grogu, though it’s unclear exactly how big her role is. She's explained that her character is a former Rebel pilot who is now trying to help maintain order on the Outer Rim of the galaxy, where The Mandalorian and Grogu do most of their work.

It is a bit weird seeing her in the world of Star Wars considering how iconic she was in a different sci-fi franchise that started in the 1970s. As much as Alien and Star Wars have in common, they are also wildly different science fiction films.

Still, this is a great picture of two absolute sci-fi legends. It would be wonderful if they could do something together at some point. Maybe they could launch an entirely new franchise together. I’d certainly watch that.

OK, hear me out, I didn’t grow up on the Indiana Jones movies or Star Wars, so my love for Harrison Ford didn’t really exist until I saw his Emmy-nominated performance as the grumpy therapist Paul in Apple TV’s comedy Shrinking. So, for the last few years, I’ve been playing catch-up and appreciating his filmography from a new perspective. Most recently, I streamed his rom-com Working Girl for free on YouTube, and I gotta say, he really brought the rom and the com.

Working Girl Is Streaming For Free On YouTube

For those who might not know, Working Girl, the great rom-com from Mike Nichols that stars Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver and Harrison Ford, can be streamed for free on YouTube TV with ads.

Full transparency, I’ve been wanting to watch this movie for a while, and was thrilled when this option came up. After watching Season 2 of 1923 and Shrinking, I’ve been actively trying to watch more of Ford's work.

I knew Jack Trainer from Working Girl was one of Ford’s best characters, and the idea of seeing him in a rom-com made me very happy. So, when I realized I could watch the film for free with a few commercials, I was quick to jump at the opportunity, and boy, did this movie deliver.

Harrison Ford's Performance In Working Girl Is Equal Parts Swoonworthy And Hilarious

It’s no secret that Harrison Ford has and probably always will be a heartthrob. Characters like Han Solo and Indiana Jones have left many swooning or wanting to be just like him. And in his personal life, Ford and his style have been an inspiration for many. In Working Girl, he fully embraces the part of the love interest, and he really left me both with butterflies and laughing.

In this 1988 movie, Melanie Griffith’s Tess McGill works for Sigourney Weaver’s Katharine Parker, and when Katharine gets injured, Tess uses her absence from work as an opportunity to advance. That leads her to Ford’s Jack Trianer, and the two work together to successfully pull off her plan. They also…fall in love.

From Jack’s first meeting with Tess, where he tells her, “let’s just meet like human beings,” my heart was fluttering. Harrison Ford is so charming as this businessman, and like Tess, I couldn’t help but fall for him.

Meanwhile, he’s also really funny throughout the movie. The shenanigans at the wedding are a great highlight of this, as we got to see Jack chugging a tropical drink and then walking out of a women’s restroom stall and telling the distraught bride that she looks “glorious, fabulous, stunning, super, elegant [pops mouth], perfect.”

Oh, and how could I forget the funny scene where Jack changes his shirt in his office while on the phone and has to wave off the clapping onlookers. That moment is the best of both worlds.

Throughout the film, Ford’s comedic timing is on point, and that, mixed with the romance of it all, makes for one grand ol’ time.

So, if you are looking for a fun and free movie to watch, give Working Girl a shot. It’s a Harrison Ford classic for a reason.

By and large, everyone who’s been watching and talking about Alien: Earth has come away with majority-positive reactions, with loads of praise going to creator Noah Hawley and the show’s massive creative team for their gorgeous efforts. But in the scheme of things, there are only a select few whose opinions really matter for those who’ve been following the Alien movie timeline since the missions began, and scream queen Sigourney Weaver is certainly a big part of that list.

Weaver’s potential return to the role of Ripley aside, her opinions about new canonical projects are always valued by the fandom, since she’s arguably had more experience with the franchise than anyone else. So when she opened up about having watched Alien: Earth, ears were perked. She told Collider:

To her point, pulling this sci-fi narrative away from the saliva-dripping Xenomorphs and putting it more on humanity was a big reason why Noah Hawley wanted to devote himself to this project from the jump. As it goes with most iconic horror properties, the monsters always get the marquee attention, but it's the human elements that make the projects relatable and keep audiences coming back for more. It helps when the human characters aren't just ciphers of archetypes, also, and Alien: Earth definitely has more complex ideas at play.

Weaver specifically pointed out how much she enjoys the show's digging into its core themes, despite not painting humanity in a very positive light. As she put it:

Case in point, the fifth episode was crafted more or less as a full-length prequel companion to Ridley Scott's Alien, with the Maginot ship serving as more or less a mirror image of the Nostromo. It played out with much more of a survival horror vibe than prior episodes, trading a vastness in scope for close-quarters terror, showing off just how much budgetary scope the show is afforded by FX and Hulu.

The show is always noteworthy for putting the focus on Weyland-Yutani and its current execs, rather than having them serve in an overarching antagonistic role as per usual. Having the billionaire genius Boy Kavalier as a separate antagonist only ups the ante, while also keeping greed and selfishness at the forefront. Poor Wendy and the other kids.

Will fans get to see Sigourney Weaver's Ripley making an appearance in Noah Hawley's series? It doesn't seem extremely likely just yet, although A:E takes place just two years before the events of Alien, so there wouldn't need to be any story gymnastics put into place to make it work, even if some deaging CGI would likely come into it.

Alien: Earth drops new episodes every Tuesday on FX or via Hulu subscription at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Copycat is a 1995 psychological thriller about a psychologist and a homicide detective partnering to bring down a serial killer who copies other serial killers. It stars Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, and Dermot Mulroney. I had never heard of this movie until I saw it on the Netflix top ten list of that week. I was surprised by the film for several reasons, including that it’s one that I hadn’t come across before.

Hunter, Mulroney, and Weaver are fairly well-known names in Hollywood. Additionally, Harry Connick Jr. has a pretty key role in Copycat. Of course, there are many amazing psychological thrillers and films about serial killers that I have not seen or heard. Yet, I still found myself surprised that Copycat slid past me for over 30 years. It’s a movie I thoroughly enjoyed, and it fits right into the types of movies that entertain me. This discovery made me appreciate Netflix’s Top 10 lists even more. Let me explain.

Copycat Is A Movie I Never Heard Of Before Seeing It On The Netflix List, But I immediately Became Engrossed In It

I only watched Copycat because I was curious why a movie from the ‘90s was trending on Netflix. The top ten list from that week mainly included movies new to Netflix, but that’s what made the film stand out. Some movies were well-known or popular on the list, but not as many lesser-known movies. Copycat grossed a decent amount at the box office and did really well in VHS rentals, too.

This fact makes it even more surprising that I hadn’t heard of the film before, especially as someone who saw most movies when I was younger on TV or by renting them. However, in 1996, I was still a child. Therefore, it’s not surprising that I hadn’t seen a movie about a serial killer. It would be more surprising if I had seen it at that age. However, as a movie fan, especially one of thrillers, horror movies, and really good ‘90s films, I would assume somewhere the movie would come up on my radar.

Copycat being so popular amongst former movie rental people is probably why it started trending on Netflix. People may have recognized it, and nostalgia took over. It’s also a possibility that the description just intrigued watchers, similar to how it might have appealed to movie renters. It’s also kind of fascinating that Copycat was such a success on VHS and has now become a success on a streaming service, especially one with physical media origins.

In many ways, Netflix’s top ten lists are just the new versions of the “what’s new and popular” sections at movie rental stores. This makes Copycat’s popularity even more amusing.

It Was One Of The Most Enjoyable Movies I Watched That Week

I watched a lot of movies the week I saw Copycat on Netflix. Many of those films were 2025 releases. Most of them just didn’t deliver in terms of intrigue or entertainment. Copycat was such a fun and fascinating watch. It had all the attributes of a captivating ‘90s thriller. The characters capture my attention, the plot is enthralling, and the mystery kept me hooked for the 120-minute runtime.

It was simply a perfect popcorn watch. Copycat isn’t a movie that requires a lot of thinking, but it does force you to engage and pay attention. In a world with so many other distractions and time-consuming habits, sometimes it’s just enough for a movie to hold your attention for the full runtime.

Also, I found the whole idea of a copycat serial killer to be an overall smart plot choice. I don’t know that much about serial killers or true crime stories, but I recognized most of the serial killers mentioned in Copycat. This made me curious how the film would incorporate these killers’ stories into it. I needed to watch to the end.

It Reminded Me To Not Just Watch Recent Movies Or Well Known Ones

Netflix’s popular movies and TV shows tend to be some of the already popular movies and TV shows, or new Netflix TV shows released that week. Then there are occasionally a couple of films or TV shows that manage to crack the Netflix top ten list that are new to the platform, but not necessarily new or recently released movies. Sometimes they are indie films, cult classics, or lesser-known movies or TV shows.

I also noticed that, along with Copycat, Animal Kingdom also made Netflix’s top ten list of that week. Animal Kingdom was one of my favorite series during its initial run. Therefore, seeing that series do well on Netflix, and enjoying Copycat so much, it made me remember that there are a lot of great TV shows and movies that go beyond recent releases. Clearly this is an obvious thing to remember, but I, like many, sometimes get distracted by new films and TV shows. The newness makes me forget to watch classics or just older movies and TV shows.

So many of them deserve my attention as much as some of the movies that have just been released. Netflix’s top ten list may be mainly comprised of newer movies, but the few ones not in that category deserve some attention as well.

That’s What I Think Is The Beauty Of Netflix’s Top Ten: It Introduced Films To More People, Not Just New Ones

I enjoyed Copycat so much that I may rewatch it at some point before it leaves Netflix. These lists may seem meaningless to most, but they can become a marketing tool for the film. There are many other movies I found on Netflix that aren’t Netflix original content but things licensed by them. The film or TV show could be decades old, but I had never heard of it until Netflix recommended it or it made their top ten lists.

They can also introduce a new audience to the film or TV show. As someone who grew up watching Dawson’s Creek, I love seeing new people discover the melodramatic, romantic mess that I loved so much growing up, and it still has a place in my heart. Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Degrassi are all TV shows I loved growing up and have had a resurgence of popularity amongst a younger generation because of their availability on streaming services.

These top ten lists can really be a great way to discover a new favorite, and that helps give them a purpose beyond just how they help Netflix determine what to renew or cancel. The introduction of new films and TV shows is what makes these lists worth having.

I Hope To See More Films Like Copycat Do Well On Netflix And Other Streaming Services

Copycat is a basic ‘90s thriller. It feels very specific to the genre and time. It also doesn’t feel like a big production movie with a big budget and huge stars. All three leads are famous and were at the time, but they weren’t the biggest names in Hollywood then.

Copycat, which is easy to watch with a Netflix subscription, isn’t a grandiose movie, but it’s not quite an indie film. It’s just a moderate-budget movie with a good story and great actors. I like to see more unexpected and less flashy movies succeed on streaming services. It could mean more movies like this make it to streaming services or are filmed, created, produced, and released.

How perfect is it that Sigourney Weaver is in The Mandalorian And Grogu movie? The 2026 release will be the first Star Wars film since The Rise of Skywalker, and when we got a first look during this past weekend’s Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan, we also learned more about Weaver’s new character through first footage and a short chat with Weaver herself. I especially loved hearing from the Alien icon about her lovely experience in a galaxy far, far away.

After we experienced Star Wars Celebration’s panel, which also included the surprise announcement Ryan Gosling will be in the next Star Wars movie after The Mandalorian And Grogu, Sigourney Weaver told us this about stepping onto Jon Favreau’s set:

Someone start blasting the cantina music from Star Wars, because it sounds like Weaver had an epic time in one of the galaxy’s bars during her time on The Mandalorian And Grogu. But as she shared with us, a scene where she’s interacting with an alien giving her a drink might have already been cut. Oh, how I wish I could have been a fly on the wall with Weaver on the set of the movie following her sweet descriptions of the whole experience.

As the actress shared, the set was full of crew members who have been working on Star Wars films and TV shows for years upon years, and it was such a joy to join the family. Weaver also offered insight into her character with these words:

In the footage we watched at Star Wars Celebration, Weaver seems to be in charge of Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin and Grogu as they are sent on an important mission to save the galaxy. Weaver has previously gushed about working with Grogu, but it was especially interesting to hear from her what working with the puppet looked like on set. As she continued:

We're looking forward to learning more about Weaver’s character in the year leading up to The Mandalorian And Grogu's release on May 22, 2026. We still have yet to see what’s going on with Jeremy Allen White’s alleged character in the movie! You can keep track of all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows here on CinemaBlend as we wait.

We are here at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo, Japan to report live on all the big news on upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows coming out of the convention! We've so been looking forward to this after the event skipped a year following 2023's London celebration, and this one's poised to be epic! And the convention is kicking things off with a panel for The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, hitting theaters in summer 2026.

Going into the panel we knew writer/director Jon Favreau, writer Dave Filoni and "special guests" are set to grace this kick-off panel, but of course it exceeded our expectations with all of what came out of it. Here's what happened while we were there. (And check out what happened at the Lucasfilm Animation panel from Friday as well).

I am seated at the Makuhari Messe's Celebration Stage on this beautiful morning in Tokyo with the the warmth of ramen I had last night still soothing my soul. A ton of fans are already seated as a DJ hypes up the audiences.

I can't wait to learn about the first Star Wars movie since Rise of Skywalker! We've loved seeing The Mandalorian with our Disney+ subscription, but this going to be a whole new experience. Stay tuned as attendees continue to take their seats and the whole thing officially starts at the top of the hour...

OK, cell phones and a rainbow of lightsabers are up to the sound of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" blasting as we wait for the panel to begin. The host is getting everyone fist bumping and getting energized. It's almost time!!

The panel has opened with a clip of Princess Leia doing her "Only Hope" monologue as a montage plays featuring Luke, Mando, Rey, Ahsoka, Anakin Padmé, Cassian, Yoda, Darth Vader and such as our wristbands glow. Star Wars Celebration sure can hype up a crowd. I'm in my feels about Star Wars already.

R2D2 and C3PO are on stage, people! They've come to greet the crowd in Japanese and introduce Dave Filoni and Kathleen Kennedy! The audience gave them a warm standing ovation before Kennedy thanked attendees for being the "best fans in the galaxy"!

Filoni also pointed out how Japan was of course a huge inspiration for George Lucas, making it the perfect setting for this year's celebration. This is the first time it's been in Japan since 2008 during the sixth celebration.

Kathleen Kennedy is now speaking to the "numerous" films Star Wars is working on, from Filoni, along with directors Simon Kinberg, Taika Waititi, James Mangold and more. But wait, now she's introducing Deadpool and Wolverine director (and future Star Wars filmmaker) Shawn Levy to the stage!! What a huge surprise. Looks like we're getting more than The Mandalorian And Grogu out of this panel.

Levy has announced they are shooting his Star Wars movie THIS FALL. He's calling it a "standalone adventure" that takes place a few years after the events of episode 9! The attendees reacted to that with a big "OHH" from the crowd. Here's one thing he said to the crowd:

"[Kathleen Kennedy] and I sort of talked for a while about, well, maybe there's a movie we could work on together. And I remember in August of 2022, I got a call that I'll never forget. Kathy said, let's do it. And so we started developing a movie and it was wide open as to what it would be."

It's definitely exciting to hear about the new era of Star Wars is well on its way to emerging after the franchise mostly taking place on Disney+ in recent years.

Levy mentioned that their have been rumors that Ryan Gosling is in his movie which first circulated in January. And low and behold: RYAN GOSLING is on stage! The actor received a standing ovation while wearing a "Never Tell Me The Odds" baseball cap. He also sweetly shared a photo from his mom of his Star Wars bedsheets from childhood that she somehow still has. Clearly the actor has been a longtime fan of the franchise.

Gosling says the movie is a "great story with original characters" and praises Levy, adding that he doesn't think there is "a more perfect filmmaker than Shawn." Levy also jumped in to clarify it's not a sequel and it will not be attached to the sequel films.

Now we have a title: Star Wars: Starfighter. And, it's coming to theaters on May 28, 2027. We got a first look at the logo at the panel. Here it is:

OK, after that bombshell... we're moving to The Mandalorian and Grogu with Jon Favreau now joining Kennedy and Filoni ton stage to talk about the 2026 release.

Sigourney Weaver and Pedro Pascal are on stage now! Pascal shared that he's not at all surprised that The Mandalorian is such a hit. He knew it would be a big deal since he was first introduced to the TV show's storyboards.

The audience really embraced Weaver when she arrived, and she's really taken aback. There's a photo on the screen of her on set in a rebel pilot outfit and some droids. She said that while she hadn't seen the series while it was coming out, Favreau asked her to watch it and Grogu "stole" her heart.

Favreau brought on Grogu on stage next (yay, my wish came true!) Now that all the main stars are on stage (except for the rumored Jeremy Allen White), they are going to show first footage now.

The footage was KILLER! Favreau said they aren't quite ready to release a trailer yet, but that felt close to one. It started with an epic fight sequence with Mando in brand new all black armor before cutting to more scenes from the film.

Guys, there was much Grogu, be still my heart. In one moment Mando flew through the air with him in his arms and there was quite a few moments of him using the Force. Sigourney Weaver's character looks like she's not having any of Din Djarin's antics, calling his style "messy" in one scene before looking a bit bothered by Grogu in another. One standout element of it all was seeing the return of the AT-AT in a snowy scene. The movie is set to hit theaters on May 22, 2026.

That's all for the panel. I'm running to a press line next with the cast, so stay tuned for exclusive interviews along with more panel live blogs with Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Dave Filoni, Jon Favreau and more to break down what we just saw.

The incredible box office success of Avatar: The Way of Water showed that despite many suggesting that the Avatar franchise had been forgotten, nothing could be further from the truth. The movie was a smash hit, and we can expect that the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash, assuming it’s not pushed off the 2025 movie schedule, will be more of the same. Then James Cameron will go to work on two more movies, and for the love of all that’s holy, hopefully Anya Taylor-Joy will be part of that cast.

Taylor-Joy stars in the new sci-fi action movie The Gorge, coming out this week and available with an Apple TV+ subscription. She appears alongside Avatar star Sigourney Weaver, who apparently suggested to ET that she hopes Cameron sees the film and then casts Taylor-Joy in a future Avatar movie. It seems the young actress would absolutely say yes if that offer came along because she’s a massive Avatar fan. She said…

James Cameron, if you’re reading this, as I’m sure you are, please cast Anya Taylor-Joy in the next two Avatar films. It'd be best if it was an important role that will be key to both of the final two films, but really anything that lets her play a Na’vi would be acceptable.

James Cameron only filmed two of his planned four Avatar movies in the last go-round, and with Avatar 4 set for release in 2029, and the extensive work these movies require, we can expect pre-production to get underway not too long after Avatar: Fire and Ash gets released.

There will certainly be brand-new characters that will need to be cast. Each Avatar movie thus far has, and will, introduce us to new tribes of Na’vi. So we can guess the last two films will do the same, meaning many new actors will be needed. In addition, we know there will be a time jump early in Avatar 4, and depending on how long that jump is and what characters will be impacted by it, there might be an opportunity for Anya Taylor-Joy to play an older version of an existing younger character.

Certainly, if you want an actor who knows the Avatar franchise well already, you might not be able to do better than Anya-Taylor-Joy. She apparently watched the first movie more times in one go than most people have probably seen in their lives. She said…

If Anya Taylor-Joy loves the Na’vi that much, she really should get the chance to be one. We'll let you know if that happens.

Fans have had to do a considerable amount of waiting when it comes to upcoming Star Wars movies but, at the very least, one will finally blast into theaters in 2026. I’m referring to The Mandalorian & Grogu, which will continue the story of Din Djarin and his surrogate son. Details on the movie are scarce at the moment, but what is known is that the legendary Sigourney Weaver is a member of the cast. She hasn’t revealed much about her role, but she did gush about getting to work with the one-and-only Grogu.

Since The Mandalorian debuted for Disney+ subscription holders in 2019, much of the Star Wars fanbase has been taken with the diminutive alien formerly known as Baby Yoda. That level of love extends to those privileged enough to work with the animatronic creation. Sigourney Weaver discussed her experience while chatting with our sister site, GamesRadar+. You may not be surprised to hear that she had a delightful time working with the “little badass”:

Can anyone really blame the Alien icon for joining the film simply because of the fan-favorite character? I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be a bit starstruck if I simply caught a quick glimpse of the adorable animatronic – let alone actually had an opportunity to share scenes with it as an actor. What the Oscar-nominated actress’ comments speak to is the notion that regardless of how long someone has been in the entertainment industry, they can still possess a sense of fun and child-like wonder.

As for me, I still “wonder” just who Sigourney Weaver is playing in this upcoming film. Unsurprisingly, she remained relatively tight-lipped about her character, who’s rumored to be a New Republic general. She did, however, provide a few non-spoilery details, and it sounds like she will have dealings with Mando:

When it comes to concrete pieces of information about The Mandalorian & Grogu, it’s been confirmed that Jon Favreau – who created the series on which the show is based – helmed it. He directed from a script he co-wrote with fellow producer Dave Filoni. As far as the cast goes, Pedro Pascal is back as Din Djarin, while Jonny Coyne is reprising his role as an Imperial Warlord from the series. Jeremy Allen White is also starring in the film and is apparently playing the role of Rotta the Hutt. On the other side of the equation, fan-favorite Boba Fett will not appear in the film, unfortunately.

Early teases of the film, however, have hinted at a big adventure for Din Djarin and Grogu – one that I’d hope is certainly worthy of telling on the big screen. After seeing Sigourney Weaver’s comments, I’m even more eager to get a glimpse of the film. I’m also looking forward to seeing Weaver and Grogu share the screen. Here’s hoping the two share some truly memorable moments.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is set to open in theaters on May 22, 2026. While you wait for it, stream all three seasons of its small-screen counterpart on Disney+, on which you can also check out the Star Wars movies in order.

Some of the biggest and best actors have never won competitive acting Oscars. Some of those names might completely shock you as they have certainly put in the performances that make them worthy of winning the awards. There are a few on this list who have won honorary Oscars or won in other categories, like directing or acting, but none of these stars have been bestowed with the one they probably want the most. So here is our list of actors and actresses who have shockingly never won an Oscar for acting.

Glenn Close

At the top of the list of actors who have shockingly never won an Oscar has to be the great Glenn Close. For decades Close has been putting amazing performances on film, and yet that golden statue has eluded her. She has won multiple Tonys, Emmys, and Golden Globe awards, yet, despite an amazing eight nominations for either Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress, she's yet to win one.

Tom Cruise

There is no bigger "movie star" on the planet than Tom Cruise. While no one would realistically expect Cruise to be nominated for his action roles like in the Mission: Impossible movies (though, his stunt work in those movies should really be acknowledged), the Top Gun star has put in the work with Oscar-worthy performances in films like Rain Man, Jerry Maguire, Born on the Fourth of July, and Magnolia. He has been nominated four times, but he's yet to take home the prize.

Angela Bassett

In 1994 Angela Bassett lost out on the Best Actress Oscar for her incredible, transformative performance as Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do with It. Not to take anything away from the winner, Holly Hunter for The Piano, but it's frankly astonishing Bassett didn't win. Sadly, though she was honored in 2024 by the Academy, she still has yet to win a competitive Oscar.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp has gotten a lot of bad press in recent years and that may hurt his future chances to win an Academy Award, but frankly, it's amazing he hasn't already won multiple Oscars, and yet he's never won even one. Despite three nominations and many other amazing performances, the Pirates Of The Caribbean star is still Oscar-less.

Sigourney Weaver

It's hard to believe that Sigourney Weaver hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar since the 1980s, when she was nominated thrice. In spite of wonderful performances in huge hits like Avatar and Aliens, she's still searching for that golden statue.

Bradley Cooper

Honestly, you can almost smell the desperation on Bradley Cooper to win an Oscar and that's completely understandable. Cooper is one of the best actors of his generation and has been nominated five times in an acting category (and another seven times in other categories), but hasn't won...yet. He'll surely get one.

Annette Bening

Five nominations and no wins. That's Annette Bening's resume at the Oscars and that is shocking. For decades she's been crushing it on screen and despite those nominations, most recently in 2023 for her incredible performance in Nyad, a win has eluded her.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey may have burst on the scene in wild comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask - and we can argue that amazing comedic performances don't get nearly enough love from the Academy - but his more serious roles, like in Man on the Moon and even The Truman Show are certainly worthy of Oscars. Despite multiple Golden Globe nominations and wins, the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind actor has never even been nominated for an Oscar.

Amy Adams

When Amy Adams was first nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for her breakthrough performance in Junebug, a betting person would have bet everything that she would win an Oscar in her career. Yet here we are more than 20 years later and despite five more nominations, Adams is still Oscar-less.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has played every kind of character and starred in every kind of movie. From mega-franchises like Star Wars and the MCU, to more indie films like Pulp Fiction and Do The Right Thing, Jackson has done it all in Hollywood, except win a competitive Oscar and he's shockingly only been nominated once. He was honored by the Academy in 2021 for his body of work.

Scarlett Johansson

In 2020 Scarlett Johansson was nominated in both the Bet Actress category for Marriage Story and Best Supporting Actress for Jojo Rabbit. She lost out in both that year and despite an incredible career, they remain her only nominations.

Laurence Fishburne

Literally, since his breakout movie role when he was only 16 in Apocalypse Now, Laurence Fishburne has been putting in award-worthy performances. One of the most astonishing facts on this list, Fishbourne has only been nominated once, for What's Love Got to Do with It in 1994. Despite roles like Furious Styles in Boyz n The Hood, Professor Phipps in Higher Learning, and countless others, he still hasn't won.

Hugh Jackman

While he's best known for his work as Wolverine these days, the multi-talented Hugh Jackman has a ton of performances that have deserved more attention from the Academy. He's won every other award on the planet, including three of the "EGOT" awards, but he's still missing the "O."

Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams has been nominated for an Academy Award five times, starting with her breakout role in 2005's Brokeback Mountain. She has yet to break through with a win though. Certainly, she will at some point, right?

Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan was just 13 years old when she landed her first Oscar nomination for her performance in Atonement. The Lady Bird star has been nominated three subsequent times but hasn't been able to nail down an award yet. A win for Ronan at some point seems inevitable, given how she crushes every role she's in.

Matt Damon

Another one of the biggest movie stars in the world who has yet to win an acting Oscar is Matt Damon. His most recent of three acting nominations was for 2015's The Martian, and while he has won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, an acting award has eluded him.

Salma Hayek

Despite her transcending performance in Frida, the great Salma Hayek wasn't able to win an Oscar in a stacked category in 2003 (Nicole Kidman won for The Hours). Despite numerous great performances, that remains Hayak's only nomination. For shame.

Willem Dafoe

Despite being one of the most reliable actors in Hollywood for more than four decades, somehow Willem Dafoe has yet to win an Oscar. It seems like every single role he takes on is award-worthy, and yet, despite four nominations, starting with Platoon, he still has yet to take home an Academy Award.

Carey Mulligan

2009's An Education garnered Carey Mulligan her first Oscar nom, and she's since nominated another couple of times, for Promising Young Woman in 2021 and Maestro in 2024. She's run into some stiff competition, but surely at least one of those performances was Oscar-worthy.

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo has been acting his butt off for decades. For that hard work, he's received four Best Supporting Actor nominations, and shockingly, not for his work in Dark Waters, which might be his best performance of all. It's confounding.

Michelle Pfeiffer

The great Michelle Pfeiffer landed her first Oscar nomination in 1988 for Dangerous Liaisons and picked up two more for The Fabulous Baker Boys in 1989 and Love Field in 1992. Since then? Nothing. Zip. She has not even received a nomination as one of the best actresses of her generation. That has to be remedied, as it makes no sense.

Ralph Fiennes

Between 1996 when he was nominated for The English Patient and 2025 when he was nominated for Conclave, the great Ralph Fiennes wasn't even nominated for an Oscar despite countless award-worthy performances.

Naomi Watts

With two nominations and zero wins, Naomi Watts finds herself on this list. She was first nominated in 2004 for 21 Grams and again in 2013 for The Impossible, but she hasn't lucked out with a win yet. Surely one is in her future though, she's too much of a force not to win one.

Ryan Gosling

Year after year Ryan Gosling has put up fantastic performances, so his inclusion on this list is among the most surprising. He seems like a shoo-in to have won at least one Oscar, right? In not for Barbie or Half Nelson, both of which he was nominated for, then certainly for La La Land. Alas, he's yet to take home a trophy.

Alfre Woodard

When Alfre Woodard was nominated for her first (and to-date only) Oscar nomination way back in 1983 for Cross Creek, you'd be crazy to predict she would not get another one for what is now more than 40 years. Despite amazing performances in films like 12 Years A Slave and many others, she has been shut out.

Warren Beatty

There was no bigger movie star than Warren Beatty in the late '70s and '80s and despite a slew of hits, Beatty has never won an Oscar. Beatty has been nominated four times for Best Actor, yet his only Academy Award win came for Best Director for Reds in 1982. He didn't even win for Dick Tracy! He wasn't actually nominated for that iconic role though, which is understandable.

Laura Linney

Over her long, impressive career, Laura Linney has been nominated for many awards. She's won multiple Emmys and multiple Golden Globes, but she's never taken home a golden statue from the Academy. Linney has been nominated three times, for 2000's You Can Count on Me, 2004's Kinsey, and 2007's The Savages, but lost out each time. Linney has never been in a movie that has won Best Picture, either.

Ed Harris

Ed Harris is one of the best character actors of the last 50 years and yet he's never won an Oscar. He's been nominated three times for Best Supporting Actor, for Apollo 13, The Truman Show, and The Hours, plus picking a nomination for Best Actor for Pollock, but alas, he's never won. Weirdly, he's also 0-3 on Emmy nominations too. He has picked up two Golden Globes though.

Joan Allen

Joan Allen is an actress flies a little under the radar despite putting in amazing performances in everything she is in. It might because she's been incredibly unlucky at winning awards, despite multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG nominations. That luck includes her Oscar nominations, of which she has three, for Nixon, The Crucible, and The Contender, but sadly no wins.

Richard Gere

Despite being box office gold since the early 1980s, Richard Gere has shockingly never been even nominated for an Oscar. He's been in beloved movies that have stood the test of time like Pretty Woman, An Officer And A Gentleman, Primal Fear, Runaway Bride and so many more, but no nominations. Crazy.

Isabelle Huppert

It might not be a huge surprise that a French actress like Isabelle Huppert hasn't won an Oscar, as obviously the winners are almost always from English-language films. Still, Huppert is one of the most decorated actresses of all time in her native France, having been nominated 16 times (and winning twice) for the César Award (France's version of the Academy Awards). She was nominated for an Oscar in 2016 for Elle but lost to Emma Stone (for La La Land).

Paul Dano

It almost seems pre-ordained that at some point Paul Dano will win an Oscar. In performance after performance, he just crushes it. From There Will Be Blood to Love & Mercy, the list of his amazing performances just keeps growing. Like others on this list, the fact that he hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar is mindboggling.

When your picture’s a hit, everyone can hear you cheer. Right about now we’re probably hearing director/co-writer Fede Álvarez making some noise, thanks to Alien: Romulus’ success echoing into the 2025 movie schedule. With a sequel in development, it’s the right time to do something big for the fans, and there’s a Sigourney Weaver rumor that seems to suggest that’s what’s happening for Romulus 2.

Though I’m excited that the Alien movie timeline icon could be returning, I’m not sure how I feel about the potential details as to how. Per unnamed sources reported by DanielRPK (via ComicBook.com), this potential further expansion of the universe director Ridley Scott helps oversee could be bringing Ellen Ripley back into the fold.

Apparently this would be through Alien: Romulus 2 using some sort of digital de-aging, as this potential appearance would necessitate such methods. Unfortunately no other details are provided as to what sort of role our last survivor of the Nostromo would play, and how she might cross paths with Cailee Spaeny’s Rain. Honestly, that’s the least of my concerns after reading this rumor.

I would absolutely love to see Sigourney Weaver (who starred in some of the best sic-fi movies of all time) return for another battle with Xenomorphs. In fact, I’m still someone who mourns the loss of Neill Blomkamp’s promising Alien 5 project, which would have given us a “present day” Ripley back in action with Michael Biehn’s very much alive Cpl. Hicks. And clearly, if one of the stars of the Avatar franchise not only found time, but also interest to jump back into this world - I’d buy a ticket in a heartbeat.

Flipping to the other side of that coin, even with Alien: Romulus’ Ripley easter egg in play, there’s part of me that doesn’t want to see her return in such a manner. With everything we don’t know about how this sequel will use the character, there are a lot of other questions that start to pop up.

For instance, how much CGI de-aging are we talking about here? That query is especially valid considering Fede Álvarez’s “corrections” to Romulus’Ian Holm appearance. Which, to be fair, partially ease my woes as his dedication to getting it right is 100% in the right place.

At the same time, does this mean Sigourney Weaver will be physically acting as Ellen Ripley once again? I wouldn’t be surprised if the 20th Century Studios brass somehow steamroll over minor scheduling issues with the Avatar sequels, but there's bound to be a moment or two where one project needs to take priority. I think we all know who's getting preferential treatment when it comes to that coin flip.

While I am a bit fearful for how this rumor may play out, there is a bright side to this new Alien: Romulus 2 rumor. Should it be true, there’s a possibility that Àlvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues may be using Ellen’s return to set up a very promising crossover. As both men have taken influence from Alien: Isolation, perhaps we’ll get to see Amanda Ripley somehow reunited with her mother - while teaming up with Rain for whatever egg hatched hell comes next.

I’ll try to keep an open mind until we have more information, and I’m sure all of you fine readers will do the same. While we wait for progress on the sequels to both Alien: Romulus and Alien: Isolation, the former can currently be streamed through usage of a Hulu subscription. If you’re looking for more, don’t forget that the FX original series Alien: Earth will be premiering this summer, and available on that very same platform.

There is nothing more iconic than a good looking leather jacket on a movie star. There are as many styles of jacket as there are stars, which makes looking good easy. From Marlon Brando to Keanu Reeves, leather jackets have been a part of some of the most incredible looking costumes ever. So, here is our list of some of the most iconic leather coats and jackets in Hollywood history.

Marlon Brando In The Wild One

This list wouldn't be complete without including the O.G. leather look on Marlon Brando in The Wild One. The 1953 film about a biker gang was not only a big hit in theaters, but it was a huge influence on society. From the outlaw biker gangs who took inspiration from the look to regular folks who saw the leather jackets as the coolest of cool.

Wesley Snipes In Blade

Wesley Snipes is the coolest-looking superhero in Blade with his iconic look in leather and sunglasses. Everything about the costume and the character oozes cool and defines Blade's renegade nature.

Arnold Schwarzenegger In The Terminator Movies

Leather jackets definitely provide a look for someone to say "Don't mess with me," and nowhere is this more true in Hollywood than when Arnold Schwarzenegger wears one in the Terminator movies. Starting with the first movie, he's usually seen in one and you definitely don't want to mess with him.

Rooney Mara In The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Leather jackets have always been a symbol of rebelliousness in Hollywood. In The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, it's the perfect look for Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) to portray both her anti-social nature and her tough exterior. You can't imagine wearing anything else.

John Travolta In Saturday Night Fever

In the 1970s, no one was cooler than John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. The strut, the hair, the dancing, and the leather jacket all made that possible. The look is so iconic that people are still imitating it today, five decades later.

Carrie-Anne Moss In The Matrix Movies

It's safe to say that The Matrix movies would not be the same if the characters were dressed in anything but the coolest and toughest-looking leather jackets and coats. From Neo to Morpheus to, of course, Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) in her amazing looking long leather coat. It's just such an amazing bit of costume.

Brad Pitt In Fight Club

Not every leather jacket has to be black to look completely awesome. Tyler Durden's reddish-brown jacket in Fight Club has become one of the most famous looks in Hollywood. Of course, it's easy for Brad Pitt to pull off almost any look, but he might just look his coolest in Fight Club.

Hugh Jackman In The X-Men Films

Leather jackets have been used a lot over the years to depict both heroes and anti-heroes. Nowhere is this more clear than on Logan aka Wolverine, as depicted by Hugh Jackman in the X-Men and now in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Logan is anti-social to an extreme and his leather jacket definitely indicates that you don't want to pick a fight with him.

Olivia Newton-John In Grease

The costumes in Grease are amazing. Of course, the T-Birds' jackets are fantastic, but it's the leather jacket that Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) dons in the last act that looks the most amazing. She completely changes her look and the jacket is what inspires the whole thing.

Keanu Reaves In The John Wick Movies

Keanu Reaves loves to wear leather in his movies, but the brown leather jacket in the first John Wick movie is probably the coolest. It's great because it's cool as heck, but it's not too over the top for the retired assassin. It makes John Wick seem normal, yet completely cool and ready for anything.

Eddie Murphy In Raw

In his standup movie Raw, Eddie Murphy takes the cool leather look to the next level. Not only does he have an amazing purple leather jacket, he compliments it with matching leather pants. It wasn't the first time he wore a leather outfit on stage, he wore a similar red one in his first standup movie, Delirious, but the purple one in Raw tops the red one in every way.

Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds

Dangerous Minds isn't the best movie in Michelle Pfeiffer's filmography, despite having an amazing soundtrack, but for an actress who had a whole bunch of iconic looks in the '80s and '90s, her jeans and leather jacket look in the movie is one of the most memorable. It's a costume that tells you so much about the character without saying a word.

Steve McQueen In The Great Escape

It's hard to argue that Steve McQueen isn't one of the coolest stars in Hollywood history. Of course, you can earn that kind of praise without at least one leather jacket. In The Great Escape, McQueen's brown leather bomber jacket is the epitome of cool. Even when he is covered in dirt, he looks great, but it's when he's wearing the jacket that he looks his best.

Tom Cruise In Top Gun

In the '80s, there was no movie cooler than Top Gun and there was no cooler character than Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, played by Tom Cruise. The leather bomber jacket Cruise wore in the movie became so iconic and such a key characteristic of the role that when Top Gun: Maverick released its first teaser, the jacket was a big part of it.

Harrison Ford In Raiders Of The Lost Ark

There is something about a distressed leather jacket that brings authenticity to a character that few other costume pieces can. Nowhere in film history is this more true than with Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in all of the Indiana Jones movies. The jacket, along with the hat and the whip, completely define the character in every way. Is there any other kind of jacket you could ever see Indy wearing? Of course not.

Uma Thurman In Kill Bill

There are a lot things that make Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill cool, but Uma Thurman's yellow leather motorcycle jacket tops the list. It's become an iconic costume over the years, and while not everyone could pull off the look, Thurman certainly does and everyone loves it.

Mel Gibson In The Mad Max Movies

As distressed leather jackets go, Mel Gibson's in the Mad Max movies is among the best looking. Looking into a dystopian future, it makes complete sense that leather jackets would still be part of the fashion. They are almost indestructible and have that classic look that almost no other piece of clothing has.

Joey Lauren Adams In Chasing Amy

This one flies a little bit under the radar, but it's an amazing look and deserves to be on this list. Alyssa (Joey Lauren Adams) in Chasing Amy has a lot of "rock and roll" to her style and nothing says rock star like leather.

Samuel L. Jackson In The MCU

As Deadpool asks in the post-credits scene in the original Deadpool movie, "Did you expect Samuel L. Jackson in a saucy leather number?" Well, yes, frankly we might have, since Jackson, playing the cooler-than-cool Nick Fury often shows up in a fantastic-looking leather jacket in the MCU. It is something we expect (even if Deadpool wasn't in the MCU at the time).

Tom Hardy In The Dark Knight Rises

Great Villains are often in leather. In The Dark Knight Rises Bane wears one of the greatest leather coats ever. The fur-lined brown leather number is perfect for his character and it's a look that not every villain could pull off, but Bane (Tom Hardy) certainly does.

Halle Berry In Die Another Day

Halle Berry has a few iconic outfits in the Pierce Brosnan-led James Bond film Die Another Day and while her bikini may be the most famous, the red leather jacket she wears for a lot of the movie is one heck of a look too. Sure, the movie isn't the best Brosnan-era Bond film, but you can't deny how great Berry looks in her costumes.

James Dean In Rebel Without A Cause

Seven decades after his death in 1955, James Dean is still the epitome of cool. Though he only starred in three movies, his impact on pop culture is immense. His red leather jacket in Rebel Without A Cause is one reason why. Because Dean's career was so brief, we don't have a lot of "looks" from him, making the jacket that much more iconic.

Kurt Russell In Escape From New York

If you want to look cool and look like you just don't care about anything, a distressed leather jacket can tell a lot of people just how you feel without saying a word. Take the look of Snake Pilsson (Kurt Russell) in Escape From New York. Has anyone ever looked tougher, cooler, and more aloof in an action film? No, not really.

Sigourney Weaver In Aliens

Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) is one of the most amazing characters in action movie history. Of course, that means she must look cool as heck in leather, and she does in Aliens. It's not her most iconic look, but come on, you can't deny how awesome it is.

Tom Cruise In Mission: Impossible

Let's be honest, Tom Cruise always looks good in a nice leather jacket, but if you're ranking his costumes by how good looking they are, the jacket he wears in the first Mission: Impossible is at the top. When he is doing his sleight of hand with the disc with the NOC list on it while wearing the jacket is one of the best non-action scenes in the whole series.

Peter Fonda And Dennis Hopper In Easy Rider

If you wanted to be a rebellious hippie in the late 1960s, a leather jacket was a good place to start with your look. Especially if you were on a motorcycle like Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in Easy Rider. Fonda has a more traditional biker look with his black leather jacket, but Hopper's character goes for a sweet suede jacket with some awesome fringe. Both look amazing.

Anne Hathaway In Get Smart

Get Smart might not be the best movie that Anne Hathaway has ever been in, but her white leather coat looks fantastic in it. It's not the only time Hathaway has shown up in an iconic leather look, who could ever forget her look in The Dark Knight Rises, it is a unique look that you don't see in a lot of movies. Of course, she completely pulls it off.

Matt Dillon In The Outsiders

The greasers in The Outsiders are mostly known for their jean jackets, but one greaser, Dally (Matt Dillion) wears a leather jacket and he looks exactly the part in it. It's not the cleanest jacket in the world, we wouldn't expect it to be, but man it looks so cool!

Laurence Fishburne In The Matrix

Like many of the characters in The Matrix, Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) looks totally iconic in his leather duster. Sure it's not a "jacket," but there was no way we could leave it off of this list!

Jon Voight In Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy is a little bit of a forgotten movie these days, but it was a massive hit when it was released. Those who know, know. Jon Voight's suede jacket with the long fringe isn't a look everyone can pull off, and even in the movie it's not always the best look, but looking back, it's safe to say it belongs on this list as one of the best in Hollywood history.

Jason Momoa In Fast X

It's not hard for Jason Momoa to look cool, I think we can all agree. Still, in Fast X, that black and white snakeskin-looking leather jacket is simply amazing. It's not a look that anyone can pull off, in fact, many would look ridiculous in it, but not Momoa, not by a longshot.

Emma Stone In La La Land

Red leather is a fantastic look, though not everyone looks good in it. Emma Stone in La La Land isn't just anyone though. Stone just looks fantastic in the jacket and it, along with all the others on this list, has become iconic.

The 1980s was not just a great time for movies but for the people in them. Many of our all-time favorite actors got their start in '80s movies (or at least started to hit it big during that time).

The question is, in what film did these stars hit their peak of cinematic brilliance during that decade? Let's see if we can provide an answer by looking at the best '80s movies starring the most iconic '80s actors, in our opinion.

Bruce Willis (Die Hard)

While the TV series Moonlighting made Bruce Willis a household name, playing John McClane, a New York cop at war with violent German thieves in an LA high-rise on Christmas Eve, made him a movie star in 1988. However, Die Hard might be the actor's best film in any decade, let alone the greatest action movie of all time. 

Sigourney Weaver (Aliens)

Fans have been debating which is the best Alien movie for years but no one disagrees that James Cameron's Aliens is the best Alien movie of the '80s. The 1986 sci-fi movie classic, in which our human protagonists take on plenty more than just one vicious extraterrestrial this time, saw Sigourney Weaver reprise Xenomorph survivor Ellen Ripley to Academy Award-nominated acclaim.

Jack Nicholson (Terms Of Endearment)

The single most iconic Jack Nicolson performance from the 1980s, arguably, comes from the horror movie classic, The Shining. However, we chose to highlight his Academy Award-winning performance in director James L. Brooks' tragic 1983 Best Picture Oscar winner, Terms of Endearment, as Garrett, who forms a complicated relationship with his widowed next-door neighbor, Aurora Greenway (Shirley MacLaine). 

Meg Ryan (When Harry Met Sally...)

Meg Ryan made up one of Hollywood's most beloved onscreen couples with Tom Hanks, but we loved her the most in the '80s when she was falling in love with Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally... Considered one of the greatest rom-coms of all time, director Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron's clever and sweet 1989 favorite traces the titular duo's evolution from enemies, to friends, to lovers over the course of 12 years.

Tom Cruise (Top Gun)

Everyone had the need, the need for speed, in 1986 when director Tony Scott's romantic, action-packed instant classic, Top Gun, ruled the box office, captured the hearts of audiences everywhere, and spawned an acclaimed blockbuster sequel in 2022 called Top Gun: Maverick. If Tom Cruise was not a movie star before then, there was no doubt he was at the top of A-list after giving his all as daredevil Navy pilot, Maverick.

Meryl Streep (Sophie's Choice)

There are few actors with as much esteem in Hollywood as the great Meryl Streep, who earned her second Academy Award for her mesmerizing, heartbreaking performance in the title role of Sophie’s Choice. Writer and director Alan J. Pakula's adaptation of William Styron's passionate novel follows the relationship between a Polish woman who survived the Holocaust and a Jewish-American man (played by Kevin Kline) who is obsessed with the tragedy.

Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice)

The all-time best Michael Keaton movie and performance might always be up for debate but no one can deny that, in the 1980s, no film saw him demonstrate his high-energy comedic talents and versatility better than Beetlejuice. The Oscar nominee plays the title role of Tim Burton's 1988 horror-comedy classic (actually spelled "Betelgeuse") — a sleazy "bio-exorcist" begrudgingly enlisted by a recently deceased couple (played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) to scare their home's new inhabitants out.

Sally Field (Steel Magnolias)

The 1980s was a great time for Sally Field, who won both of her Oscars during that decade — one for Norma Rae in 1980 and another in 1985 for Places in the Heart. However, we believe the one film that best encapsulates the actor's stunning range is the powerful, charming 1989 dramedy Steel Magnolias, in which she shines brightly among an ensemble cast including Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts as a close-knit group of Louisiana women.

Eddie Murphy (Coming To America)

There were few movie stars in the '80s bigger than Eddie Murphy, who made such a huge impact in very little time on SNL before hitting it big with feature-length classics like 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop. Yet, 1988's Coming to America was the first film to see him disappear into multiple roles and, not to mention, African Prince Akeem's search for love in Queens, New York, amounts to a hilarious and heartfelt story.

Molly Ringwald (The Breakfast Club)

The first face we tend to picture when we think of the Brat Pack is Molly Ringwald, who was the go-to young female actor for coming-of-age dramedies of the '80s, such as Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles. However, her best film — and, arguably, the greatest high school movie of all time — is writer and director John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, in which she and four of the decade's most essential stars (Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judd Nelson) play a group of socially disparate teens who find unexpected kinship during Saturday detention.

Denzel Washington (Cry Freedom)

Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington received his first Oscar nomination for his moving portrayal of activist Steve Biko in director Richard Attenborough's Cry Freedom. The 1987 film focuses primarily on the friendship between the influential Black anti-Apartheid activist and the white South African journalist Donald Woods (Kevin Kline), who puts his own life at risk to investigate Biko's death.

Jodie Foster (The Accused)

Not only does 1988's The Accused feature one of Jodie Foster's most powerful, Academy Award-winning performances, but it is also an enduringly relevant indictment of a flawed justice system that silences women. Foster plays Sarah Tobias, the victim of a violent assault who, along with her prosecuting attorney, Katheryn Murphy (Kelly McGillis), is challenged by a case that puts the blame on her.

Robert De Niro (Raging Bull)

Out of all of Robert De Niro and director Martin Scorsese's collaborations, none have been as unique and as moving as 1980's Raging Bull. De Niro delivers a roaring one-two punch in the masterful sports movie as real-life boxer Jake LaMotta, tracing his rousing success in the ring and his tragic self-destructive tendencies outside of it.

Cher (Moonstruck)

In 1987, Cher proved that she was a master in both the world of music and the world of acting with her Academy Award-winning performance as Loretta Castorini in Moonstruck. Soon after the widowed Italian-American woman agrees to marry her boyfriend, Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello), she finds herself falling deeper and deeper in love with his brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage).

Harrison Ford (Raiders Of The Lost Ark)

One of Harrison Ford's all-time greatest characters is the rough, resourceful, globe-trotting archeologist Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones. The iconic hero was first introduced in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark — director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas' tribute to cinema that would later inspire countless tributes to its stunning visual design, John Williams' sweeping score, and its endlessly thrilling, wall-to-wall action.

Diane Keaton (Reds)

Diane Keaton is an absolute revelation in co-writer and director Warren Beatty's 1981 historical epic, Reds. She plays famed activist Louise Bryant who falls in love with radical-minded fellow journalist John Reed (Beatty) as he hopes to bring the ideals of Russia's Communist Revolution to the United States.

Robin Williams (Dead Poets Society)

The late Robin Williams gives us the best of both his comedic energy and dramatic authenticity in director Peter Weir's moving 1989 drama Dead Poet's Society. As English teacher John Keating, he serves as a much-needed role model to a close-knit group of Catholic boarding school students (played by rising stars such as Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard) who learn how to seize the day.

Michelle Pfeiffer (Scarface)

It was in the '90s when three-time Academy Award nominee Michelle Pfeiffer really began to hit her stride but her strongest work in the '80s is, arguably, Scarface. She stars in director Brian de Palma's 1983 gangster movie classic as Elvira Hancock, who becomes the wife of Cuban crime lord, Tony Montana (Oscar winner Al Pacino).

Morgan Freeman (Glory)

One of the most inspiring Morgan Freeman performances comes from 1989's beloved, moving war movie, Glory. The Oscar winner stars as Sergeant Major John Rawlins, who is the highest-ranked Black member of his regiment in the U.S. Army during the Civil War.

Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)

Legendary comedian Whoopi Goldberg earned her first Academy Award nomination for her heartbreaking performance as Celie Johnson in 1985's The Color Purple. Director Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's seminal novel chronicles decades in the life of the Black, Southern woman as she endures dehumanizing adversity and traumatic abuse. 

Kurt Russell (Escape From New York)

One of co-writer and director John Carpenter's best movies, 1981's Escape from New York, takes place in a war-torn future when Air Force One crash lands inside a maximum security prison that used to be the Big Apple and the President of the United States (Donald Pleasance) is taken hostage by the prisoners. The only one who can save him is a recently arrested, hardened war veteran named Snake Plissken, which is easily one of Kurt Russell's coolest roles and certainly one of his greatest performances.

Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction)

While we do not condone treacherous acts like boiling a family's pet rabbit alive, we would consider Alex Forrest to be a villain with understandable motivations, and not just because Glenn Close gives a brilliant performance in 1987's intense thriller, Fatal Attraction. It was married lawyer Dan Gallagher's (Michael Douglas) mistake to indulge in a one-time fling with the New York editor, who then misconstrues the affair for love and continues to taunt him and his family in increasingly horrifying ways.

Sylvester Stallone (First Blood)

Sylvester Stallone has played many iconic roles in many great action movies, especially in the 1980s, but his best role from that decade would have to be John Rambo in First Blood. The 1981 adaptation of David Morell's novel is not a conventional shoot-em-up thriller like the later Rambo movies but an emotionally charged, nuanced drama in which the burdened Vietnam veteran is pushed to the edge by a cruel sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and wages a war against a whole town.

Goldie Hawn (Overboard)

Many of Oscar winner Goldie Hawn's most memorable roles see her sharing the screen with her real-life romantic partner, Kurt Russell, and the couple's chemistry was at an all-time high in director Garry Marshall's Overboard. Hawn stars in the inventive and charming 1987 rom-com as a spoiled socialite with amnesia who is convinced by a carpenter (Russell) that she is his wife and the mother of his four boys to get back at her for her cruel treatment. 

Bill Murray (Ghostbusters)

Academy Award nominee Bill Murray is one of the most beloved comedic talents of the '80s (or any decade, really) and to understand why, all you need to do is watch 1984's Ghostbusters. Also one of director Ivan Reitman's best movies, the spooky, kooky classic sees Murray's masterfully witty Peter Venkman team up with Ray Stantz (writer Dan Aykroyd), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) to rid New York of its scariest spirits.

Geena Davis (The Accidental Tourist)

Geena Davis earned an Academy Award for her wonderfully eccentric performance in 1988's The Accidental Tourist as Muriel Pritchett. Emotionally distant travel writer Macon Leary (William Hurt) meets and begins to fall for the free-spirited dog trainer after splitting with his wife (played by Kathleen Turner), following the death of their son, in director Lawrence Kasdan's moving dramedy. 

Kevin Bacon (Footloose)

It is no wonder why Chris Prat's Peter Quill regarded Kevin Bacon's role in Footloose as one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history. Ren singlehandedly brought dance back to the cruelly repressed small town of Bomont in the timelessly entertaining music movie from 1984.

Kathleen Turner (Romancing The Stone)

The ultimate romantic adventure comedy would have to be director Robert Zemeckis' 1984 hit, Romancing the Stone. Kathleen Turner is wonderful as novelist Joan Wilder, who enlists the help of a rogue mercenary to help rescue her kidnapped sister in Colombia and ends up joining him on the search for a prized artifact. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator)

The film that made Arnold Schwarzenegger the leading action movie hero of the 1980s remains his best action movie from the decade, as far as we are concerned. The Austrian bodybuilder gives a pitch-perfect, ice-cold performance as one of the best '80s movie villains — the cybernetic title role of James Cameron's The Terminator, which is sent from a war-torn future to prevent the birth of humanity's savior by killing his mother, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton).

Jane Fonda (9 To 5)

After taking the '70s by storm as one of the decade's biggest and most acclaimed stars, Jane Fonda started off the 1980s right with 9 to 5. In the hilarious workplace satire, her character, Judy Bernly, teams up with fellow office assistants Violet (Lily Tomlin) and Doralee (Dolly Parton) to turn the tables on their nightmare of a boss (played by Dabney Coleman).

Dustin Hoffman (Rain Man)

In his second Academy Award-winning performance, Dustin Hoffman plays autistic-savant Raymond Babbitt in Barry Levinson's Best Picture Oscar winner, Rain Man. He stars opposite Tom Cruise as his younger brother, Charlie, who gets to meet him for the first time in this beautiful family story from 1988. 

Daryl Hannah (Wall Street)

You can find Daryl Hannah in many of the '80s' most iconic cinematic classics but the cream of the crop would have to be Wall Street. She stars in Oliver Stone's riveting 1987 drama as Darien Taylor, who once shared a romance with corrupt stockbroker Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) and begins a relationship with his ambitious protege, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen).

When it comes to sequels in Hollywood, there is a certain logic in studios taking a "more of the same" approach. After all, follow-up movies are generally produced following a successful release, and it makes sense to try and give audiences more of what they've proven to like. One franchise that has long been an exception to this, however, is Alien – and that difference is very much reflected in Sigourney Weaver's recalled reaction to reading the script for James Cameron's Aliens for the first time.

Weaver is currently having a big week, as she received the the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, and while recently reflecting on her incredible career in an interview with Deadline, she was asked about her experience working with directors Ridley Scott and James Cameron for Alien and Aliens. She remembers that she was aboard working on a project when she first got the screenplay for the latter title (easily one of the great science-fiction films of all time), and she was blown away by how different it was from the former. Said Weaver,

One can assume that Sigourney Weaver was expecting Aliens to be a more traditional sequel that would see the heroic Ellen Ripley once again locked into another horrific circumstance involving a monstrous xenomorph (or multiple xenomorphs, as the title of the sequel implies), but she instead found herself reading a completely different kind of story – one that would see her teaming up with a crew of space marines investigating an emergency situation on a moon colony. Instead of being straight horror like its predecessor, Aliens is an extremely awesome action movie.

Back in the mid-1980s, Weaver was shocked by the radical new direction for Aliens, but she also very clearly has a great deal of appreciation for the franchise turning her into a cinematic legend as a female hero. In the new interview, she couldn't specifically contrast the difference between working with Ridley Scott and James Cameron, but she did acknowledge that none of her work in the Alien franchise (also including Alien3 and Alien: Resurrection) had her getting a "more of the same" feeling. Said the actor,

Of course, the Alien franchise is big in the zeitgeist right now thanks to Fede Álvarez's Alien: Romulus – which has both been well-received by critics and has pushed Deadpool & Wolverine out of the top spot at the box office. The new film is currently playing in theaters everywhere, but if you're in the mood to revisit the classic chapters of the beloved franchise starring Sigourney Weaver, all of the movies in the Alien movie timeline are currently available to watch with a Hulu subscription.

The 2024 movies released so far have been a reminder that some franchises have staying power for a reason. Thanks to co-writer/director Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus, the world has now been reminded of the impact that the Alien movie timeline has had on people, and that even includes the prequels.

Everyone seems to be talking about the landmark sci-fi series, including Sigourney Weaver, who has made some exciting comments about a potential return. With those sentiments in mind, I think it’s time to revive Neill Blomkamp’s awesome sequel pitch, commonly known as Alien 5. I’m not saying that without a proper list of reasons, as this is one of those ideas that needs to be carefully considered.

Sigourney Weaver’s Hopeful Comments On A Potential Alien Return

This journey of renewed hope begins through reporting out of the Venice Film Festival, as Deadline recently sat down with the OG Alien star. Discussing Ms. Weaver’s career almost always winds up including some sort of discussion surrounding Ellen Ripley’s origin story and what she thinks about the franchise's current era.

However, this response to the question of whether or not the sci-fi icon coil return to the fold is what sparked my excitement. Here’s what Sigourney Weaver said about a hypothetical legacy-quel:

Some may think that this is a pretty standard answer that someone with Weaver’s stature would issue. However, given Sigourney Weaver’s previous Alien comments seemingly putting those hopes in an unending cryo-sleep, encountering this new turn in the tale means quite a bit. That sort of news certainly couldn’t have come at a better time thanks to current events once again placing the Alien franchise firmly in people’s minds.

Alien: Romulus Has People Fired Up About The Franchise Again

While Alien: Romulus’ second weekend box office saw a dip in its domestic fortunes, the movie has so far grossed an estimated $229 million worldwide. Now we all know that typical Hollywood accounting prevents us from knowing the magic number 20th Century Studios execs want to hit before considering the film a hit. But with that in mind, the estimated $80 million budget paints quite a nice picture, as the movie has almost made three times that estimated spend.

People are fired up about the discourse surrounding Romulus, with debates surrounding the movie still raging at this moment. It seems to be positive on the whole, so with people interested in more Alien stories, and if that concept includes Sigourney Weaver’s return, you can bet that the buzz would be undeniably loud.

Neill Blomkamp’s Awesome Alien 5 Concept Is Still Intriguing

We really did miss out when Neill Blomkamp’s Alien 5 was cancelled, and I say this with the full admission that I love Ridley Scott’s Alien prequels. I get that priorities had to be kept in mind, and the Gladiator director wasn’t done with that world just yet. But looking back on the details of Blomkamp’s Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection friendly pitch, the post-Romulus climate makes this potential continuation even more exciting.

Just as Alien: Romulus celebrated every movie in the canon, District 9’s mastermind was looking to do justice by both Ripley and Hicks (Michael Biehn). With early plot details and concept art showing the Aliens warriors reunited and ready to kick some Xenomorph ass once again, you can’t tell me that people don’t still want this to happen. It's a point that only becomes more relevant when reflecting on how this story had the approval of both Sigourney Weaver, and another party key to Aliens’ success.

Both Sigourney Weaver And James Cameron Loved Alien 5’s Pitch

Getting Sigourney Weaver on board with Alien 5 already feels like a coup on its own. However, having Avatar director James Cameron also approving this current defunct project should have been the push it needed to stay alive. Weaver’s 2018 remarks confirmed Cameron’s approval of Neill Blomkamp’s developing legacy-quel, which is something that means a lot coming from the person who sold an Alien sequel with clever punctuation.

While there is a caveat that James Cameron also approved of the idea that eventually became the extremely divisive Terminator: Dark Fate, that shouldn’t scare people off completely. If there’s any voice in this conversation that should ring out the loudest, it’s Sigourney Weaver’s, as she’s lived with the character through four films spanning across several decades.

It’s that sentiment that I want to leave you all with, because while I really want this Alien 5 pitch to come to fruition, I’m also ok with leaving Ellen Ripley where she lies. Returning to Ms. Weaver’s latest say on the matter, here’s how she balances out that enthusiasm previously expressed:

Could an Ellen Ripley-starring Alien 5 be amazing, especially with Neill Blomkamp at the helm? I still believe the answer to that question is a hale and hearty “Yes.” But should we push the subject just to make it happen? No. Should Blomkamp and Sigourney Weaver meet again, and agree with a concept to move forward, it should absolutely be allowed to move forward.

As we’ve seen in light of the success of Prey, the Predator franchise clearly has room for a potential direct sequel, as well as a spinoff that jumps into another corner of that story. So let’s not think that Alien: Romulus’ success should spoil the hypothetical resurrection of Alien 5.

If this whole rundown has you as excited as I am to dive back into the world of Ellen Ripley, and the rest of the history of strong female leads in the Alien franchise, it’s as easy as hitting up your Hulu subscription! Or, if you haven’t caught Fede Álvarez’s latest shocker, Alien: Romulus is still in theaters, ready to hear you scream.

Ruling over the box office roost in its first weekend of release, the 2024 movie Alien: Romulus has reignited 20th Century Studios’ long running sci-fi franchise. A huge part of that tradition has come from the fact that the 1979 original started something that would carry on throughout the rest of the Alien movies timeline, as well as the various spin offs and tie-in media that came after. 

Throughout the entirety of this IP, there has been a strong current of female leads that have built this saga into what it currently is. Whether serving the forces of good, or in some cases working for The Company itself, the entire Alien series has been anchored by this collection of women who have saved humanity countless times in the depths of space.

How Alien’s History Of Female Leads Almost Didn’t Happen

The history of Alien starts with the script from writers Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett, which was actually written without genders set in stone for the characters. According to a 1976 draft house on The Daily Script, the project then known as “Starbeast” carried this insightful stage direction:

Of course, history played out in its own fun way, as the suggestion to make Ellen Ripley Alien’s witty survivor was apparently made on the studio level. In a 2020 L.A. Times interview with Ridley Scott (via CBR) then president of 20th Century Fox Alan Ladd Jr. was the person who pitched Ripley to be a female character. And the rest, as they say, was long lasting history. 

Ellen Ripley (Alien - Alien: Resurrection)

Ellen Ripley: warrant officer and last survivor of the Nostromo, her adventures would become legendary. Surviving three encounters with the Xenomorphs, and being resurrected for one last ride in Alien: Resurrection, her clear thinking is the stuff of legend. Not to mention, thanks to a really impressive shot in her final film in the series, Sigourney Weaver actually sank a basket from quite a distance, without looking, and on the first take.

Private First Class Jenette Vasquez (Aliens)

Throughout her adventures, Ripley didn’t have all of the fun being a strong female lead. Aliens made sure to introduce another fan favorite in the character of Private First Class Jenette Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein). A Colonial Marine who just needs to know where a target is to take it out, her tragic backstory has been fleshed out through a recent continuation novel, Aliens: Vasquez by author V. Castro.

Annalee Call (Alien: Resurrection)

Alien: Romulus introduced the world to another new Synthetic through the character of Andy (David Jonsson), who ranks as one of the least threatening androids in this universe. Right up there with him would be Annalee Call (Winona Ryder), the artificial person who helped clone, Ripley 8, and her surviving crewmates from The Betty escape the fury of a rather unique Xenomorph queen. 

Elizabeth Shaw (Prometheus)

An archeologist who helped unlock the key to discovering the Engineers’ home world, Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) is kind of the Indiana Jones of Alien. Though getting a little too wrapped up in her work leads to some horrific consequences, like unwittingly giving birth to a new life form and fighting for her life against the creators of Mankind.

It’s a shame she was eventually revealed to be killed by David (Michael Fassbender). While Elizabeth helps put David back together in the Alien: Covenant promo short “The Crossing,” her good intentions lead to her untimely death, thanks to the android’s betrayal and usage of his human companion as a Xenomorph experiment kit. 

Meredith Vickers (Prometheus)

Not all strong women in the Alien universe are playing for the side of good. Marking one of the rare female antagonists, Prometheus’ Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) is a Weyland Industries’ company woman from head to toe. Taking after her own father and company founder Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), Meredith’s ambition leads to her downfall; thanks to getting crushed by a downed Engineer spaceship that rolls over her fleeing body.

Amanda Ripley (Alien: Isolation)

In the film canon of the Alien movies, the extended version of Aliens tells us that Ellen Ripley’s daughter is dead. But apparently the video game and book canon have seen her live a richer life, and somehow cheat death. Fighting her own battle against Xenomorphs in the game Alien: Isolation, Weyland-Yutani engineer Amanda survives the disaster of the Sevastopol Space Station through her crafty resolve, and is apparently frozen in cryo-stasis, past the date of her supposed death. 

Daniels (Alien: Covenant)

The space colonists of Alien: Covenant’s titular spaceship found themselves fall prey to the machinations of David (Michael Fassbender), leaving the would-be final girl Daniels (Katherine Waterson) to seemingly escape with good guy android Walter (also Fassbender). But, as Alien: Covenant’s twisted ending showed us, Daniels has more than likely been turned into a Xenomorph breeding lab, thanks to David’s old switcheroo with Walter.

Rain Carradine (Alien: Romulus)

So far, the Alien franchise’s run of strong female leads ends with Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), the functional lead of Fede Álvarez’s current entry in the canon. Without spoiling any details from the Alien: Romulus ending, let’s just say that Rain’s struggle against the Xenomorphs is a welcomed entry in the halls of women who save the day in space.

It’s truly crazy to think that if it wasn’t for a simple decision made in 1979, the world of the Alien movies could have turned out vastly different. Without Ellen Ripley’s heroic journey into terror, the path may not have been paved for other female pop culture icons who helped break down barriers in action and sci-fi cinema.

It’s truly crazy to think that if it wasn’t for a simple decision made in 1979, the world of the Alien movies could have turned out vastly different. Without Ellen Ripley’s heroic journey into terror, the path may not have been paved for other female pop culture icons that helped break down barriers in action and sci-fi cinema. 

However, I’d like to leave you with a quote from Sigourney Weaver herself, courtesy of an Alien Anthology YouTube video honoring a 2019 high school production of the original film. When reflecting on Ripley’s status as a female character, Weaver highlighted exactly why this decision worked:

Ellen Ripley will always be a role model for good character writing and strong female leads getting their due in blockbuster entertainment. So long as her example inspires creative forces in the right ways, that legacy will carry on for some time to come. That decision can be honored by the fans by not only going to see Alien: Romulus in theaters, but also by revisiting the best moments of Warrant Officer Ripley herself via the use of a Hulu subscription. 

One of the late-summer surprises at the box office this year has been the performance of Alien: Romulus, the seventh entry in the ongoing Alien series that ends up being one of the best films released this year. By setting its story in the time frame between Sir Ridley Scott’s Alien and James Cameron’s Aliens, Alien: Romulus filmmaker Fede Alvarez borrows heavily from the icy-cold chills of Scott and the overblown action of Cameron… even though he admits that the studio pushed back a bit on that crazy third act. While appearing on CinemaBlend’s official ReelBlend podcast, Alvarez talked about links that he possibly included in Alien: Romulus addressing where Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley might be found. And now, some eagle-eyed fans think they caught it.

Just for background sake. At the end of Ridley Scott’s Alien, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) has ejected the terrorizing alien into outer space. She places herself – and Jones the cat – into cryo-stasis, and the next time we see them on screen is during Cameron’s Aliens, released in 1986. Ripley’s “final” confrontation looked like this.

Because Alien: Romulus is set, on the timeline, between Alien and Aliens, then Ripley should have been in stasis somewhere. And Alvarez told the ReelBlend that he hid some direct references to Ripley “in plain sight,” and was waiting for people to find them. Well, now that the movie has been in theaters for a little while, fans think they have found the references. Over on AVPGalaxy.net, one user claims that a Starcub-class cruiser is spotted drifting away from the Renaissance station. But that’s not the only reference.

Later in the film, when Kay (Isabela Merced) is locked in a chamber with a Xenomorph, and Rain (Cailee Spaeny) is begging Andy (David Jonnson) to unlock the door, this user claims that you can see Ripley’s Narcissus shuttle docked in the background. This would mean that when the Weyland-Yutani team scooped up the ejected alien at the beginning of Alien: Romulus, they also retrieved Ripley and Jones, and kept them on the Romulus for some time.

As luck would have it, we conducted an interview with Wētā VFX Supervisor Daniel Macarin, and when we mentioned the presence of Ripley’s stasis pod, we learned what goes into their process, as he explained:

This, to me, is a refreshing way to handle a legacy sequel. Find a way in that runs counter to the existing story, and don’t force the inclusion of existing characters. Granted, Alien: Romulus is guilty of that, as well. But it feels to me that Romulus tries to tell its own story, employing toys from the franchise, but setting up an ending that can allow for its own exploration of the Alien mythology, if Fede Alvarez or another filmmaker wanted to pick up a thread and pull.

Alien: Romulus is still drawing crowds to theaters, and is a good send off for Summer as we scan the full slate of upcoming 2024 releases and see what’s coming our way in the Fall.

I know, I know, I might as well have been in cryosleep my whole life, because I had no idea James Cameron’s Aliens would be as good as it is. The 1986 movie is high up on our list for the best horror movies of all time and the best sci-fi movies ever made, but even still, it took my anticipation for the release of Alien: Romulus to finally press play. Sure, I had seen the original Alien movie years ago, but recently I’ve been finally making my way through the Alien movie timeline, and I need to talk about my thoughts regarding the franchise’s first sequel.

So here’s the thing: Hollywood doesn’t have the best track record with sequels. In my opinion, it's incredibly rare for the second movie in a blockbuster to be worth seeing, especially for the '80s. There’s the re-watchability of the iconic Back To The Future Part II and the Star Wars movies, or the way Terminator 2: Judgement Day transformed Sarah Connor to think about, but then there are movies like Jaws 2 or Halloween II that really didn’t hold a candle to their iconic first films. I didn’t think Aliens could possibly be as good as the first, but I’m happy to realize that assumption was wrong.

Aliens Drops Ripley Into A War Movie, And It’s A Blast 

While I expected the second Alien movie to follow the same final girl trope the first movie is famous for, I was surprised to learn that James Cameron’s sequel goes a different route with the framing of another Xenomorph invasion while viewing it with my Hulu subscription. Rather than Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley being caught in the same scenario for the second time, she finds herself waking up after 57 years in her escape shuttle and among a group of Colonial Marines. While Alien was a science fiction survival slasher in a lot of ways, Aliens feels a lot more like an action-packed war movie, as Ripley and a crew of these Marines go on a mission to exterminate a ton of Xenomorphs that have invaded their colony.

This premise gives Aliens a new place to go that is both exciting and not a rehash of the practically perfect Ridley Scott film. It was engaging to see how Ripley has been affected by the events of the first movie and how the crew of Marines deal with killing off the very dangerous extraterrestrials. Also, as a massive fan of Cameron’s other movies, I loved how much Aliens reminds me of T2, yet kept the integrity of the world Scott established.

Ellen Ripley Is In Good Hands With James Cameron 

Along that same vein, I was pleased to see Ripley remained the badass iconic female character she is (who is not solely defined by her gender, but sets herself apart from male leads in the genre) for Aliens. I'm sorry to say this is a rare notion, even sometimes in today's major releases. So naturally, this was one of the major concerns I had going into Aliens. I’ve seen instances of one filmmaker doing right by a woman-led movie, only for the sequel to water her down. Thankfully, Ripley was in the hands of writer/director James Cameron, who has a commendable reputation of writing female characters over the years. You can really spot the difference too of how Scott and Cameron did right by her when you watch the very male-gazey Alien 3, that’s for sure.

I was impressed with how Aliens explores Ripley’s trauma without either victimizing her, glorifying her or likening her to some kind of video game-like character who has all the gifts and special traits. Ripley has a quiet confidence about her, and Weaver’s portrayal of her really grounds the movies because she's a protagonist that isn't put on a pedestal. I love that Cameron allowed there to be room for her to deal with the emotions she has regarding her trauma whilst also giving her some major action moments that were not as present in Scott’s original horror flick, such as her in the techno-suit fighting the queen and telling her to “Get away from her, you bitch!” of course.

The Alien Franchise Is Better For The Inclusion On Newt 

I particularly loved the introduction of Newt in Aliens. The character is a great addition to the franchise because the inclusion of Newt allows Ripley to process her trauma with someone who has just experienced the same thing as she has. Ripley finds strength through being there for Newt, and protecting her gives her another reason to push forward and make a meaningful relationship with another character. After the death of her entire crew in Alien, it’s surely difficult for Ripley to form major connections with all the Marines knowing they may all die, but she can focus on the survival and well-being of Newt, and does.

I also appreciate how neither Ripley or Newt are these superhuman action heroes. They feel like real people who are relying on each other in order to survive. The inclusion of Newt helps humanize Ripley further in a way that was not fully explored in Alien, and that in of itself made me happy this sequel exists.

And I’m Amazed Aliens Doesn’t Look As Old As It Is

When I rewatched Alien, I was struck by how it didn’t feel like a movie made in the 1970s due to a huge amount of practical effects and a rather timeless script and set design. Aliens continues that feeling, and of course it does. It’s James Cameron! The amount of practical sets and effects is really felt as one watches the movie. I swear it even looks better than some science fiction and horror movies I’ve seen in this decade. Apparently an FX artist from Aliens is even part of the Alien: Romulus production; that’s how well this movie holds up on a visual level!

As my love for the Alien movies has now formed more deeply, I can see myself easily either choosing between Alien or Aliens based on my mood, or opting for a double feature for both in a row like I do with other awesome movies that have just as good sequels. I’m sure for the huge Alien fans who read this, this is not news, but I hope my fresh perspective on seeing it for the first time was insightful And for those who had only seen Alien or haven’t dipped their feet into any of the movies, I can now highly recommend you check them both out without fear the sequel will disappoint you.

Sometimes, a character and a project come around that impacts the zeitgeist deeply, and when that happens, the role becomes permanently attached to an actor’s legacy. This list includes over 30 actors from some of the greatest movies and TV shows who will forever be remembered for one role. 

Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter, Harry Potter 

While Daniel Radcliffe’s list of best movies is long and notable – with entries like Swiss Army Man and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – he will always be known first and foremost as The Boy Who Lived. The actor took on the titular role of Harry Potter when he was 12 years old, and he’s the face of a franchise of movies that have raised countless people. So, while he is beloved for lots of things, nothing will ever be as big and prominent as his role in the Wizarding World.  

Aaron Paul – Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad and its cast truly took the world by storm, and the guys leading the charge, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, became certified legends because of it. It’s hard to separate Paul from Jesse Pinkman, and the impact he made with his fellow ensemble members in this incredible show.  

Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

When you play one of the greatest TV characters of all time, obviously, it’ll be the thing you’re most remembered for. For Sarah Michelle Gellar, she’ll always be known as the legendary Buffy the Vampire Slayer after playing the empowering and strong titular character for seven seasons in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. 

Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man/Tony Stark, Iron Man

Yes, Robert Downey Jr. won an Oscar for Oppenheimer, and yes, he’s well known for roles in other films, like Sherlock Holmes. However, when you single-handedly help successfully start a cinematic universe like the one Marvel has and star in nine of those projects, yes, you are going to be known for playing that character forever.

So, when it comes to RDJ’s legacy, his role as Iron Man/Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be the thing he’s remembered forever for.  

Elijah Wood – Frodo, Lord of the Rings

Like Daniel Radcliffe and Harry Potter, so many grew up with Elijah Wood and Lord of the Rings. His portrayal of the hobbit Frodo Baggins was incredibly impactful, and while he has gone on to play a variety of memorable roles, there’s no denying the power of the Rings. 

Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia, Star Wars

You can’t talk about the late great Carrie Fisher and her career without mentioning Princess Leia and the Star Wars movies. She inspired a whole generation as her intelligent, stubborn and empowering princess, and the five films she was a part of helped define sci-fi in film. 

Leonard Nimoy – Spock, Star Trek

Live long and prosper, my friend. Forever and always the legendary Leonard Nimoy will be known for originating the role of the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock in Star Trek. 

Christopher Reeve – Superman, Superman

Christopher Reeve’s legacy is rooted in him playing Superman in four films. Even the documentary that came out about his life in 2024 leans into his time playing Clark Kent, as it’s called Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. 

James Gandolfini – Tony Soprano, The Sopranos

The Sopranos is considered one of the greatest shows on television, and James Gandolfini’s performance as Tony Soprano is a major reason why. The actor won three Emmys for his performance in the series, and his name, face and voice are synonymous with the beloved HBO drama. 

Alicia Silverstone – Cher Horowitz, Clueless

When I think of Alicia Silverstone, I immediately think of Cher, because she is and always will be best known for her iconic performance in one of the best movies of the ‘90s, Clueless. 

Sigourney Weaver – Ellen Ripley, Alien

Sigourney Weaver changed the sci-fi game when she starred in Alien. Ellen Ripley is a magnificent and strong leading woman in this sci-fi horror flick, which in 1979, was not something we saw very often. 

Jim Parsons – Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory

“Bazinga!” Will always follow Jim Parsons, and that’s because of his tenure playing Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. The actor has four Emmys for playing the role, he starred in all 280 episodes of the comedy, and his character even inspired a spinoff, Young Sheldon, which came to an end in 2024 after its own seven-season run. 

Kit Harington – Jon Snow, Game of Thrones

The world was introduced to Kit Harington because of Game of Thrones, and he will always be remembered as the heroic Jon Snow. His role in the GOT cast was vital, and over the years, as we watched him battle it out at The Wall and work toward saving Westeros from winter, it was impossible not to fall for him. Now, while Harington has been in numerous other projects since then, it’s impossible not to think of him as this epic fantasy hero first. 

Emma Watson – Hermione Granger, Harry Potter

These days, Emma Watson doesn’t act anymore, and she’s killing with her gin company Renais. However, she’ll also always be remembered as a wonderful actress who brought life to the beloved witch Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. 

The Entire Cast of Friends

Yes, the cast of Friends all went on to have successful careers after the NBC sitcom. However, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and Courteney Cox are best known as Rachel, Ross, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler and Monica, and they always will be, because they’re the ones with a hit TV show. 

Ralph Macchio – Daniel LaRusso, The Karate Kid

After three Karate Kid movies, and six seasons of its highly successful spinoff Cobra Kai, you’d be silly not to think that Ralph Macchio will always be remembered for playing Daniel LaRusso. 

Linda Hamilton – Sarah Connor, The Terminator

Linda Hamilton played Sarah Connor in The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Terminator: Dark Fate. She’s beloved for portraying the protagonist in this sci-fi franchise, and she’s synonymous with this series that she starred in alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Chris Hemsworth – Thor, Thor

While many Marvel actors have become synonymous with their characters, one who really stands out is Chris Hemsworth and Thor. Physically, the Australian actor perfectly embodies the God of Thunder, and throughout his time playing the character he added an unexpected sense of humor to the role – especially post-Thor: Ragnarok – that he’ll be remembered forever for. 

Kristen Stewart – Bella Swan, Twilight

Twilight, the debate about Team Edward vs. Team Jacob and Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan took over the zeitgeist between 2008-2012. To this day, while she’s gone on to star in incredible films like Spencer and Love Lies Bleeding, the role that made her a household name is one of the parts she’ll always be remembered for. 

Heath Ledger – The Joker, The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger is widely regarded as the best Joker, because of his commanding performance as the legendary Batman villain in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. This movie was also one of his last before his untimely death, and he won a posthumous Oscar for his incredible take on the infamous big bad. 

Millie Bobby Brown – Eleven, Stranger Things

Millie Bobby Brown has made quite a few successful films, like the Enola Holmes movies. However, it’s undeniable that the role that will define her career is Eleven in Stranger Things. She was only 12 when she started playing the mysterious super-powered human, and over the course of the show’s five-season run, both she and the ensemble of the Netflix series, have become pop culture icons because of the show. 

William Shatner – Captain Kirk, Star Trek

If you take a look at the four projects listed at the top of William Shatner’s IMDb page, all of them are Star Trek movies where he played Captain Kirk. The man starred in seven films and a long-running TV show as the beloved captain, so of course it’s what he’s best known for. 

Michael J. Fox – Marty McFly, Back to the Future

From Family Ties to Teen Wolf, Michael J. Fox and his shows and movies were ‘80s staples. However, there’s no denying that the project he’ll always be remembered for is Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future. To this day, the project is considered one of the best ‘80s movies, and Fox is still beloved for playing the charismatic, funny and heroic Marty McFly. 

Reese Witherspoon – Elle Woods, Legally Blonde 

In the over two decades since Legally Blonde’s release, so many have been inspired to pursue their dreams and wear lots and lots of pink. That’s because Elle Woods truly left an amazing mark on the zeitgeist, and it’s because of Reese Witherspoon’s heartfelt, funny and preppy performance as the incredible lawyer-in-training. 

As Elle Woods would say, “What like it’s hard” to create one of the best characters and movies of the 2000s? 

Jon Hamm – Don Draper, Mad Men

While Jon Hamm is a wicked comedic actor, and he’s starred in a myriad of fun movies, nothing will ever come close to Mad Men. For 92 episodes, Hamm led the Mad Men cast as Don Draper – which he took an Emmy home for in 2015 – and he’ll always be recognized for playing the charismatic creative director of Sterling Cooper.

Judy Garland – Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is a film that has raised generations of kids since 1939, and it’s still a family classic. So, when you lead a beloved musical like that, as Judy Garland did, and it remains relevant and loved for over eight decades, obviously, the role you’ll always be known for is that one. 

David Tennant – The Doctor, Doctor Who

While everyone who has played the titular timelord on Doctor Who is known for that role specifically, David Tennant is a fan-favorite Doctor, and it’s single-handedly the project he’s best known for. While he’s dabbled in many other critically acclaimed projects, like Good Omens and Broadchurch, he is and always will be the beloved actor who graced our screens as the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors first and foremost. 

Anthony Hopkins – Hannibal Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs

Silence of the Lambs is one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it’s in part thanks to Anthony Hopkins' truly terrifying cannibal Hannibal Lecter. In fact, his character became so popular that it inspired three more movies and a TV show. 

Sarah Jessica Parker – Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

I’m sure Carrie Bradshaw inspired many women to become writers, and I know she left many of us fantasizing about living out our lives in New York City. Sarah Jessica Parker truly slayed the role, and her own sense of style and charismatic personality meshed perfectly with Carrie. Along with playing the writer in the OG series Sex and the City, SJP has also portrayed her in two movies and the series And Just Like That. 

Emilia Clarke – Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones 

Khaleesi, Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen, those are all the names Emilia Clarke’s dragon rider went by in Game of Thrones, and she gave an absolutely commanding performance as her. While her ending wasn’t what most wanted, there’s no denying how amazing it was to see Daenerys rise from a woman trying to survive to a powerful leader, and that’s because of how brilliant Clarke was in the role. 

Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker, Star Wars

He was the face of the original trilogy, and you can’t think about Star Wars without thinking about Mark Hamill and Luke Skywalker. While the actor is well-known for other roles, especially in the world of voice acting, his most prominent part has to be this. 

Gal Gadot – Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman

Sadly, there aren’t many superhero movies led by women. However, luckily, we do have a few wonderful ones, and that includes Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. She played the beloved hero with so much grace, poise and strength, and she’ll 100% always be remembered for it. 

Obviously, while all these actors have played other prominent roles in well-known movies and shows, there’s no question that when we consider their legacies, these parts will be the first ones we think about. They’re that iconic, and we have these performers to thank for them. 

One of Lifetime’s most powerful dramas that’s a real must-see, especially for Pride Month, is Prayers for Bobby. Based on Leroy F. Aarons' book recounting the true story of Mary and Bobby Griffth, where a young man took his own life in the early 1980s after his devout Christian mother refused to accept his sexuality. The new Hulu release may be incredibly hard to watch due to its intense subject matter, but Prayers for Bobby is an influential drama you need to see for its important message of loving and listening to LGBTQ+ youth instead of turning a blind eye.

It's Based On A True Story

In 1979, 16-year-old Bobby Griffith was growing up with a close-knit Christian family consisting of his mother, father, an older brother, and two younger sisters. Everything changed for the Griffith family when Bobby revealed to his mother, Mary, that he was gay. She believed it was her mission to “cure” her son of this “sin” by placing Bible verses on her son’s mirror and sending him to counseling at the Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church. 

But, Bobby’s self-loathing grew worse, as his mother was sure her son would go to Hell if he wasn’t "cured." He dropped out of school two months before graduating and moved in with his boyfriend in 1983 only to return home six months later. On August 27th, 1983, Bobby jumped off a freeway overpass into the path of an 18-wheeler truck where he died instantly. After Mary read about her son’s agonizing struggles in his diary entries, she realized that she and the Church played a part in her son’s suicide. She ultimately became an LGBTQ+ advocate.

It Features Outstanding Performances

Prayers for Bobby truly delivers outstanding performances worthy of the Emmys it won. Sigourney Weaver, known for playing one of the best female sci-fi characters in the Alien movies, gave a heartbreaking performance as Mary Griffith. Her character delivered to us the ability to feel anger towards her ignorance of her son and tears when tragedy befell. 

Another performance worthy of praise was that of Ryan Kelley, who played Bobby. You may have seen this actor on one of the best modern DC shows, Smallville, playing a mind-reading child and in the indie coming-of-age film Mean Creek. Kelley was excellent in showing Bobby's caring, gentle nature, as well as leading our hearts to break with him in the scenes when his depression spirals. These two actors truly shaped the Lifetime biopic.

It Has Themes Of Acceptance And Understanding

The based-on-a-true-story biopic shows us the journeys of two characters. The first half of the movie focuses on Bobby discovering his homosexuality. At first, he wants to “cure” himself of his feelings as much as his mom does, so he can gain acceptance back into his family. But then, Bobby realizes that his sexuality is not a choice and a part of who he is.

After he takes his own life, the story then shifts to Mary, who tries to find acceptance towards her son and make sense of it. She begins to do what she should have done when Bobby was alive, like educating herself about the LGBTQ+ experience through a different church and attending PFLAG meetings to gain an understanding of the community. While the world we live in can be cruel to specific groups, this movie teaches us that a lack of understanding and acceptance can lead to isolation and depression for those in real need of empathy and love.

It Discusses The Role Of Faith And Religion

Mary’s ignorance towards what her son went through has to do with her inner conflict towards her beliefs. Based on a bunch of memorized Bible verses, she truly believed in Scripture that said gay people would end up in Hell. It also doesn’t help that the Church plays a role in shaping the personal beliefs of members by telling them to pray away those who are gay.

In order to make sense of her son’s homosexuality, she speaks to a reverend from a church Bobby visited. He informed her that the Bible has numerous verses with different interpretations throughout time that are not all to be taken literally. As Mary’s newfound understanding of her son became clear, she searched for forgiveness from Bobby, God, and herself. It was through her faith that God loves everyone, including the LGBTQ+ community, that she used her new beliefs to help those like her son.

It Carries An Important Call To Action Towards Compassion And Understanding

Bobby killed himself because he was convinced his mother would never change her attitude toward accepting a gay son. Audiences can watch Prayers for Bobby and know that it is always possible to change deeply held beliefs. Education and listening to the personal stories of those who are either gay or parents of gay children can shape your knowledge and move you to do remarkable things.

We saw what Bobby’s rejection did to him. And, he’s not the only one who’s killed themselves for not being accepted because of their sexuality. According to The Trevor Project, it’s estimated that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ youth seriously consider suicide yearly with at least one person attempting suicide every 45 seconds. Through viewing Prayers for Bobby, you can be inspired to take proactive steps to ensure there are no more LGBTQ+ youths who consider suicide, but instead feel love among their peers.

To Learn About The Enduring Legacy Of Mary Griffith

After Mary changed her negative perception of the LGBTQ+ community, she decided to take it a step further by becoming an advocate. Not only did she join the PFLAG family, but she became president of the East San Francisco Bay chapter. 

Through her public speaking efforts, she spoke out against issues like conversion therapy and used her story as a cautionary tale for parents to listen to their children instead of any religious scare tactics. There was even a scholarship in Bobby Griffith's name from 1990 to 2020 awarded to Contra Costa County high school graduates who contributed to improving the environment of the LGBTQ+ community.

As for Prayers for Bobby, the 2009 Lifetime movie reached 6.1 million viewers within two days of its premiere. Critics sent praise toward it and it was even nominated for two Emmys. Sigourney Weaver was also given The Trevor Life Award from The Trevor Project for her role in the biopic. With such a large audience and gaining award-season attention, the TV movie received widespread attention.

This powerful biopic that celebrates real-life LGBTQ+ figures may be very hard to watch, but we must do so to change the perspectives of those who believe advocating for the LGBTQ+ community means turning their backs on a Higher Power. Through Prayers for Bobby, we learn the important lesson of being open to different perspectives and listening to what LGBTQ+ youth have to say.

You can see Prayers for Bobby right now with your Hulu subscription. Make sure to look at our guide for Rotten Tomatoes’ high-ranking LGBTQ+ films to add to your watchlist.

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

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

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

Brad Pitt (Ad Astra)

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

Ryan Reynolds (Life)

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

Halle Berry (Moonfall)

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

Michael Peña (A Million Miles Away)

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

Viola Davis (Solaris)

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

Mark Wahlberg (Planet Of The Apes)

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

Chris Evans (Sunshine)

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

Adam Driver (65)

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

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

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

Tom Hanks (Apollo 13)

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

Natalie Portman (Lucy In The Sky)

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

Glen Powell (Hidden Figures)

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

Robert Pattinson (High Life)

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

Tom Cruise (Oblivion)

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

Jodie Foster (Contact)

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

Colin Farrell (Voyagers)

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

Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar)

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

Idris Elba (Prometheus)

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

Adam Sandler (Spaceman)

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

Ryan Gosling (First Man)

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

Angela Bassett (Supernova)

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

Matt Damon (The Martian)

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

Bruce Willis (Armageddon)

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

Laurence Fishburne (Event Horizon)

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

Robert Duvall (Deep Impact)

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

Ethan Hawke (Gattaca)

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

Sam Rockwell (Moon)

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

Clint Eastwood (Space Cowboys)

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

Liv Tyler (Space Station 76)

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

Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest)

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

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox)

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

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

Stories about Kings, Queens, Princes, and Princesses have long been a Hollywood favorite. Sure, there are amazing fictional kings and queens like T’Challa in Black Panther and Abe Froman, the Sausage King of Chicago in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but this list is about the real ones. Historical depictions of some of the greatest, and worst, monarchs in world history. Kings like Henry VIII and Louis XIV. Queens like Elizabeth II and Victoria. Sure, the movies they appear in are not always the most historically accurate, but that doesn’t diminish the portrayals of royalty by these fine actors. 

Patrick McGoohan As King Edward I - Braveheart

Braveheart is far from the most historically accurate movie of all time, but one character that Mel Gibson and company at least got close to correct is Edward I, or Edward Longshanks, as he was known in the movie and at the time. He was a brutal, remorseless leader, and fought with the Scots for most of his reign. Patrick McGoohan’s performance of Edward is great, one of the real highlights of the movie. 

Judi Dench As Queen Elizabeth I - Shakespeare In Love

To be sure, Shakespeare In Love isn’t as loved today as it was when it was released in 1998. Its upset win for Best Picture at the 1999 Oscars over Saving Private Ryan is still questioned and the movie is often maligned unfairly. One reason it's unfair is Judi Dench’s fantastic performance as Queen Elizabeth I. 

Emily Blunt As Queen Victoria - The Young Victoria

Most of the images we see of Queen Victoria come from later her in her long reign, after Prince Albert died and the older queen was seen wearing black and looking dour. The Young Victoria is a fresh take, showing the queen, played by Emily Blunt, as young and vibrant. It wasn’t a huge hit in the United States, but it’s a really good movie, with a great performance by Blunt. 

Kenneth Branagh As King Henry V - Henry V

Kenneth Branagh has done more for Shakespeare in the modern age than anyone in Hollywood and the prime example is his portrayal of the titular king in Henry V. His delivery of the famous St. Crispin's Day speech is worth the price of admission alone. 

Colin Firth As King George VI - The King's Speech

Colin Firth’s performance and King George VI in The King’s Speech is as close to perfect as possible and well deserving of the Oscar he was awarded for it. Firth brilliantly plays both the reluctant king’s vulnerability and his strength. It’s a fine line to walk, as both are completely necessary to understand King George VI in full. 

Kirsten Dunst As Marie Antoinette - Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette is one of the most infamous royals of all time. The French queen is notorious in history for her aloof attitude towards the revolting French peasants during the French Revolution. The film Marie Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst as the titular queen, did wow audiences at first, but has since become one of Sofia Coppola’s most respected films, and with good reason. It’s a very modern movie telling an old story and Dunst’s performance enhances that perfectly. 

Elizabeth Taylor As Cleopatra - Cleopatra

Elizabeth Taylor’s performance in Cleopatra is one of the most iconic in Hollywood history. Though it deserves some criticism from more enlightened modern audiences, it doesn’t diminish the performance. Taylor is amazing and only a star like her could carry a movie on the scale and scope of Cleopatra. It’s a true Hollywood epic from the Golden Age of Hollywood and Taylor is as glamorous as any actor could be. 

Timothée Chalamet As King Henry V - The King

It’s not easy for any actor to step into one of Shakespeare’s best characters like Henry V in Henry V. This is a character that Laurence Olivier played on the silver screen for goodness sake!  Timothée Chalamet took the risk and it paid off for the actor and audiences in The King. The movie is a new take on Shakespeare’s plays,  taken from his four plays about historical English kings, so the pressure was on. Chalamet kills it in the movie, playing the role quite differently as others have, but it works for the updated version. 

Cate Blanchett As Queen Elizabeth I - Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a wonderful movie, anchored by a wonderful performance by Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I. Blanchett returned for a sequel, Elizabeth: A Golden Age which was a less-than-wonderful movie, but Blanchett was once again great. The performances in both set a new standard for the historical figure who has been portrayed often on film. 

Janet Suzman As Tsarina Alexandra - Nicholas And Alexandra

One of the most pivotal moments of the 20th Century was the overthrow and execution of Tsar Nicolas of Russia and his family by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Revolution. It’s a story that has rarely been told on film in the West, but Nicholas And Alexandra is the rare exception. It’s a good movie, with a great Oscar-nominated performance by Janet Suzman.

Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi As King Cetshwayo - Zulu

Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi is not a professional actor, and the great 1964 film Zulu is his only appearance. His role as King Cetshwayo is also not a large one, but he makes this list because one, he was an actual Zulu chief in South Africa, and two, he was the son of the man he plays. King Cetshwayo who led the Zulu Kingdom at the time of the war depicted in the movie, so while the part was not big, it’s important to have it on this list. 

Jonathan Rhys Meyers As King Henry VIII - The Tudors

One of the most popular depictions of royalty on screen in the last couple of decades has to be Jonathan Rhys Meyers As King Henry VIII in The Tudors. Meyers plays a young, dashing version of the king that most people know from his later portraits, looking less healthy than the king was as a young man. Henry VIII is one of the most notorious kings in English history and Meyers shows why, but also plays him as anti-hero we all kind of love. 

Helen Mirren As Queen Elizabeth II - The Queen

Helen Mirren's performance as Queen Elizabeth in the Queen is everything you would expect, as the The Dame plays the role with respect, but with with a toughness that the queen was known for behind closed doors. 

Sean Connery As King Richard - Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves

We couldn’t make this list without one of the most famous cameos of all time. It’s one of the shorter roles on the list, but Sean Connery’s surprise appearance as King Richard at the end of Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves shocked and delighted audiences. In real life, King Richard spent almost none of his time on the island of Great Britain, preferring to remain in Aquitaine in France, so it’s a bit of a stretch that he would be at a wedding in England, but no matter, he makes everyone smile. 

Trine Dyrholm As Queen Margrete - Margrete: Queen Of The North

Margaret I of Denmark is one of the most important monarchs in European history, to say nothing of her being a woman in power in the Middle Ages, which was very rare. Her story is well known in Scandinavia, but less known in the United States. That’s even more reason to watch the Danish movie Margrete: Queen Of The North, along with Trine Dyrholm’s performance of the queen. 

Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton As Queen Elizabeth II - The Crown

How do you put only one of the three women who played Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown with such aplomb on this list? You can’t, so all three, Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton all make it. Each one brought their own panache to the role of the now-legendary queen who we lost in 2022. Foy and Coleman both won Emmys for the role and Staunton was nominated in 2023. It’s three fantastic performances by three wonderful actresses. They even got to act together at the end. 

Nigel Hawthorne As King George III - The Madness Of King George

King George III is most famous in the United States for being the king we fought a revolution against. While he is considered one of the greatest kings in English history, he also had a severe undiagnosed mental illness that affected him later in life. It’s that part of his life that The Madness Of King George is about. It’s a hard role to play, but Nigel Hawthorne nails the role. 

Leonardo DiCaprio As King Louis XIV - The Man In The Iron Mask

There are surprisingly few portrayals of King Louis XIV of France in English-language cinema, despite the Sun King being one of the most consequential monarchs in European history. The most notable one is a fictionalized version of King Louis by Leonardo DiCaprio in The Man In The Iron Mask.

Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, and Lesley Manville As Princess Margaret - The Crown

One of the best achievements of The Crown (among many) was the show’s casting. The three actors who played Princess Margaret, Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, and Lesley Manville, all did an amazing job. You can’t pick one of the next because they all simply nailed the tragedy and triumph of the princess in the shadow of her older sister, Queen Elizabeth II. 

Olivia Coleman As Queen Anne - The Favourite

Olivia Coleman is great at playing royalty on screen, even when it’s a wildly fictionalized and weird version of Queen Anne like she does in The Favourite. The movie is very loosely based on history but is very much representative of director Yorgos Lanthimos’ style. So while Coleman may not be playing Queen Anne exactly as she was, it’s still a downright amazing performance. 

Natalie Dormer As Anne Boleyn - The Tudors

Natalie Dormer is perfectly cast as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors. She’s beautiful, yet vulnerable, coy, yet determined, and sweet, yet conniving. Boleyn is one of the most tragic queens in English history and it’s hard to picture anyone but Dormer playing her after she starred in this show. 

Richard Harris As King Arthur - Camelot

We could argue all day about how “real” King Arthur was. More myth than man in English folklore, there isn’t even consensus on whether he existed at all. But no matter, Richard Harris’ portrayal of the legend in Camelot is still worthy of mention on this list because it’s so darn good and so darn iconic. 

Oliver Dimsdale As King Edward VIII - Downton Abbey

In the finale of Season 4 of Downton Abbey, audiences meet Edward VIII when he is still Prince of Wales, before becoming king and before his abdication shocked the world. Though it’s not the biggest role, Oliver Dimsdale instantly gives you a sense of exactly who the future Duke of Windsor was, a conniving womanizer who really wasn't fit to be king. 

Katharine Hepburn As Eleanor Of Aquitaine - The Lion In Winter

It’s hard to understand why The Lion In Winter isn’t as remembered as other movies from the late ‘60s, because Katharine Hepburn's performance as Eleanor Of Aquitaine, the queen of England in the 12th Century, is amazing. She even took home an Oscar for it. 

Sean Bean as Odysseus - Troy

In the original theatrical version of Troy, Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, played by Sean Bean, doesn’t have all that big of a role. He’s a scene-stealer though. In the director’s cut, which makes for a much better movie, the role is expanded. Plus, it's a rare movie that Sean Bean doesn’t die in. 

Sigourney Weaver as Queen Isabella I - 1492: Conquest Of Paradise

There’s no way around this: 1492: Conquest Of Paradise is not a good movie. It’s historically inaccurate and celebrates Christopher Columbus a little too much while ignoring a lot of his atrocities. Still, Sigourney Weaver, while slightly miscast, does a phenomenal job with what she’s given to do as Queen Isabella I of Spain, Columbus’ benefactor. 

Tadanobu Asano As Genghis Khan - Mongol

If this was a list of the worst performances of royalty, John Wayne’s offensive and terrible version of Genghis Khan in The Conqueror would be at the top of the list. On the flip side, we have the Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano as the Mongolian king in Mongol. It’s not the most widely-known movie, as it’s a Russian production in Mandarin and Mongolian. It’s worth your time and effort to seek it out though, it’s fantastic. 

Judi Dench As Queen Victoria - Mrs. Brown

Is there a role out there that Dame Judi Dench doesn’t nail? That’s a rhetorical question, of course, and her performance as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown is certainly no exception. Though the actual history in the movie is dubious at best, putting that aside and enjoying the movie is easy with Dench as the recently widowed queen. 

Gerard Butler As Leonidas - 300

Of all the movies in this movie that stretch the true stories to their max, 300 wins in that category. Still, Gerard Butler’s portrayal of Leonidas is a fan-favorite for good reason. Sure, it’s mostly because he looks so darn good, but the movie is fun, exciting, and completely unique, so we’ll allow for a little historical nonsense. 

Richard Harris As Marcus Aurelius - Gladiator

Another movie on this list that takes a lot of liberties with its historical accuracy, Gladiator basically changes everything about Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) and Commodus’ (Joaquin Phoenix) real-life father/son relationship. But both Phoenix and Harris are fantastic in their roles, so again, we’ll allow it. 

Peter O'Toole As Henry II - The Lion In Winter

The Lion in Winter has a few excellent portrayals of royalty. Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Timothy Dalton as King Philip of France, and Anthony Hopkins as a young Richard The Lionhearted. Of course, the lead in the film, Peter O’Toole as Henry II is the lead for a reason. In a career filled with amazing performances, this is one of O’Toole’s best and resulted in one of his eight Best Actor nominations. 

Chris Pine As Robert The Bruce - Outlaw King

Robert The Bruce has been portrayed in a few films, probably most famously by Angus Macfadyen in Braveheart. While that performance is great, Outlaw King, with Chris Pine in the lead role, is a more historically accurate version of the story of Robert fighting the English and rising to King of the Scots. 

Audiences have always been fascinated by the lives of monarchs worldwide, and that is not likely to change anytime soon. We’ll continue to see great portrayals of royalty in entertainment for a long time to come. 

It’s been about a week since SAG-AFTRA officially called for an actors strike, and it’s been sending additional shockwaves throughout Hollywood along with the 2023 WGA Writers Strike raging on too. But as it turns out, not every major actor is sitting things out to walk the picket line, as we’ve learned that stars such as Jenna Ortega, Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and more have been given the go-ahead to resume work on their projects thanks to a loophole of sorts. 

On Wednesday, a list of productions were released by SAG-AFTRA that have signed an “interim agreement” with the Screen Actors Guild that allows certain productions to resume work without violating the strike order. These productions that have signed the interim agreement and are posted on the site are reportedly completely independent – meaning they are not operating under a studio contract. Currently, 45 projects are on that list. 

Among the productions that were approved are projects that star some major movie stars. Death of a Unicorn for one, is an A24 film that is set to star Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter who accidentally run over a unicorn on their way home. The movie was set to start shooting in Hungary from a script by Alex Scharfman, who is also directing, and now will continue to do so. A24 is not part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which SAG-AFTRA has been in negotiations with, therefore many of the studios productions could resume as scheduled. 

Another movie of note that's been greenlit to continue production is The Rivals of Amziah King, a crime thriller starring Matthew McConaughey, since it's being fully financed by Black Bear Pictures. Additionally, there's David Lowery’s Mother Mary, another A24 movie, where Anne Hathaway will play a fictional musician and Michaela Coel will co-star as an iconic fashion designer. The movie has been described as an “epic pop melodrama” and is being financed by A24 and Topic Studios.

Other movies set to remain in production amidst the actors strike is Owen Wilson’s action comedy Bride Hard, a movie called Dust Bunny starring Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver, and another action comedy called The Killer’s Game with Sofia Boutella, Scott Adkins, Dave Bautista, Ben Kingsley, and Ice Cube. Additionally, the upcoming horror movie The Watchers, which is set to star Dakota Fanning and be the directorial feature debut of M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter Ishana Shyamalan, is also set to still roll cameras. 

As actors like Mandy Moore have spoken out from the picket line about not getting residuals for their work, and one report about studios trying to get AI likenesses reminded us too much of a recent Black Mirror episode, it sounds like the independent movie space is getting a chance to resume work as usual at least. Stay tuned for more updates.

Following Ghostbusters: Afterlife's triumphant success and Sony CEO Tom Rothman’s enthusiastic approval, a sequel confirmation was as predictable as Slimer’s insatiable appetite. As we eagerly anticipate the franchise hitting the 2023 movie release schedule, what seems certain about the upcoming untitled follow-up is that it'll see Spengler’s brilliant grandchildren strap on the iconic proton packs and continue wrangling supernatural forces. Thanks to Afterlife’s post-credits scene, there’s buzz about Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts possibly returning but, sadly, one OG star isn’t returning for the sequel. Cue the collective sigh: Sigourney Weaver won't reprise her character, Dana Barrett, this time around. 

Sigourney Weaver recently discussed the prospects of appearing in the upcoming sequel. She reprised her role as Dana briefly in Afterlife, leaving fans hopeful for more ghostly encounters for the star. But alas, Weaver revealed during an interview with Collider that she wasn’t even asked to be part of the upcoming Ghostbusters installment. She talked about a missed opportunity, nonchalantly commenting:

Afterlife takes place three decades after the events of the often sidelined Ghostbusters II (though I think it’s better than most people remember). It revolves around the fractured family of the late Egon Spengler (played by the late Harold Ramis). They find themselves uprooted to Oklahoma, where they inherit the mysterious farm Egon left behind upon his death. The film exceeded expectations at the box office, raking in an impressive $205 million on a budget of $75 million, much to the delight of Sony Pictures. As a sequel, it provided the perfect chance to bring back familiar faces from the beloved universe, such as the OG titular team and supporting characters like Sigourney Weaver’s Dana and Annie Potts’ Janine, albeit in cameo appearances.

The follow-up, tentatively titled Firehouse (which is a fitting choice given the tantalizing location hints), has kept its plot tightly under wraps. However, what we do know is that Afterlife 2 is a direct sequel to the 2021 hit and started filming March. While Sigourney Weaver won’t be reprising her role, we can rejoice in the returns of McKenna Grace as Egon’s brilliant granddaughter, Phoebe, Finn Wolfhard as Egon’s charismatic grandson, Trevor, and Carrie Coon as Egon’s daughter, Callie. Let’s also not forget the beloved Paul Rudd, who will charm us as the kids’ science teacher and Callie’s love interest – because who doesn’t adore Rudd? Joining the cast are exciting new additions such as Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, James Acaster, and Emily Alyn Lind, ensuring a fresh infusion of talent and laughter. 

We'll have to wait for more news on whether other franchise legends like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Annie Potts and maybe, just maybe if we are lucky, Rick Moranis, will join the sequel or will be left out like Sigourney Weaver. But in the meantime, let’s embrace the excitement of seeing a new Ghostbusters director take charge, new characters joining the mix, and maybe even some returning villains. Hopefully, the film is a fresh and original addition to the series.

Mark your calendars because the Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel is set to hit theaters on Wednesday, December 20th, 2023.

In Paul Schrader’s movie on the 2023 movie schedule, Master Gardener, which serves as the third movie in his man in a chair trilogy, we are asked to think about acceptance and forgiveness. In the movie, Sigourney Weaver plays a rich woman who takes in a man who used to be a white nationalist and her niece who has found herself in some drug trouble. As the movie progressed I found myself wondering why her character took in these two people, and ultimately how her decisions led to her giving up some of her power. And for the legendary actress, she found some of her answers to those questions by going back to William Shakespeare’s play King Lear.

Over the course of Master Gardener, we see Ms. Haverhill go from a fairly giving, but selfish, property owner who takes in folks with troubled pasts to someone who aggressively kicks the two main characters out of her home. While talking to CinemaBlend about this shift in her character, and how she ultimately ends up giving her garden to the man she kicked out, Weaver noted how she went back to King Lear to understand her character’s final choice, saying:

Weaver was part of a production of King Lear in 1970 when she was part of a group at Stanford called the Company, the Stanford Magazine reported. The actress played Goneril, the eldest of the king’s three daughters, so it makes sense why she was referencing back to the play for this movie. 

In the case of Master Gardener, it makes sense that Sigourney Weaver kept returning to King Lear for inspiration. The king in Shakespeare’s play values appearances, which is his major flaw, and the moral of the story is that one’s actions always speak louder than words. 

In Paul Schrader’s movie, Ms. Haverhill is someone who deeply values appearance, which you can clearly see when she picks out an outfit for Maya, how she presents herself, and her obsession with her garden. 

Also, the relationship between the two stories gets closer with the moral of the play also being one of the themes of this movie. Actions, like Narvel taking care of Maya or Ms. Haverhill taking both of them in, do speak louder than words because it shows their change, and proves that they’ve been able to grow despite their seemingly unredeemable pasts. 

I find it fascinating how Weaver has used her theater training, specifically when it comes to Shakespeare, to help inform her film career. She spent time doing a lot of plays during her undergraduate time at Stanford, and then she attended Yale’s School of Drama where she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts. The actress even told Vulture that while filming Alien she kept thinking about Henry V, so it seems like she's been able to use Shakespeare in lots of her projects no matter the genre.

These days many of us recognize Sigourney Weaver as a sci-fi legend for her work in the Alien movies, though she said the “ship has sailed” when it comes to reprising Ripley, and the Avatar movies, as she came back for The Way of Water, and will be in the upcoming Avatar 3. However, she also takes on roles in serious dramas, like Shcrader’s Master Gardener, and it was incredibly interesting to learn how she developed her character, and how she worked to understand Ms. Haverhill’s motivations and choices. 

To see Sigourney Weaver’s performance in Master Gardener, it’s currently playing in theaters.  

One of the many fan-based holidays that’s celebrated on an annual basis is April 26th, a date more commonly known as Alien Day. Commemorating the world that started with Ridley Scott’s 1979 blockbuster sci-fi movie, it’s also a celebration of Sigourney Weaver and her iconic role as Ellen Ripley. This year is a little special when it comes to the legacy of this space-bound icon, as Weaver explained why the “ship has sailed” on her ever playing that role again. 

Our sibling publication Total Film sat down with Weaver in a discussion that yielded the reasoning why she’s through with her days fighting off Xenomorphs. Sadly, a little more salt is added to the wound, as the Avatar franchise star revealed the one Alien project that she would have been game for an appearance: 

If you needed any more reason to be angry that Neil Blomkamp’s Alien 5 died in development, this Alien Day is a special one for you. In a movie that aimed to not only restore Hicks and Newt to the land of the living, but also bring Sigourney Weaver back to the terrifying saga that saw her as its lead for four films, the proposed sequel was set to give fans everything they supposedly wanted. 

Of course, a choice had to be made among the top brass at 20th Century Studios, and Ridley Scott’s underrated Alien: Covenant was already in the works. Not even the fact that James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver loved Blomkamp’s idea could change the tide, and history wound up delivering the result you can see today. As a staunch fan of that particular story, as well as Scott’s prequel saga in general, I can’t say that living in a world where Covenant exists is a bad thing.

And yet, I’m of the mind that both movies could have coexisted, hypothetically giving Alien fans more of a good thing. Much like Neill Blomkamp’s aborted Robocop legacy-quel, his Alien 5 concept will live on as one of those prospects that fans would love to get their hands on. Any sorts of treatments and/or concept art for those two movies alone would be such a hot topic, were they ever to circulate among the respective fandoms. 

If there was a contest about which one would spark the greater interest, Sigourney Weaver’s new remarks would undoubtedly be the deciding factor. Honestly, who doesn’t want to read Ellen Ripley’s potential last battle against her extraterrestrial arch-nemesis after knowing that it was so good it would have given us one more round of Weaver magic? 

Maybe if the stars align and the same sort of attitude that brought multiple discarded drafts of Alien 3 to life, Ripley could return in an audio drama/novelization that puts this story to rest once and for all. Provided Neill Blomkamp were allowed to make that so, that could be the key to one more chance to get Sigourney Weaver into a proper farewell to that beloved character.

For now, we may have to say goodbye to the chances of Ellen Ripley's return, but the esteemed actor who made her famous is still very much at work. You can currently see Ms. Weaver in Avatar: The Way of Water, which is currently available for rental and purchase on all major digital platforms; and she’s already filmed her role as Kiri for Avatar 3 and 4. Meanwhile, a new non-Ripley Alien movie is currently in production, and is slated to debut as a Hulu exclusive at an undisclosed point in the near future.

Let me tell you something that truly changed my life as a young girl – women in movies. There are so many blockbuster films that I watched as a kid and fell in love with because of not only the content I was viewing, but the badass actresses I was watching on the screen. From sci-fi horror movies to dystopian young adult films, I have and will always be in love with these amazing actresses who put their all into leading these blockbuster movies to success – or having standout roles that I truly can’t forget. Here are some of my favorites, from Viola Davis to Sigourney Weaver.

Viola Davis (The Woman King)

Obviously, we need to start this list with a killer performance from 2022, Viola Davis in The Woman King cast. She's had plenty of awesome roles before that you might recognize her from, but her portrayal of General Nanisca, of the real-life warrior women, the Agojie, did something to me and wow, I’ve never been terrified of Viola Davis kicking my butt, but here we are. If you haven’t had the chance to watch her in this fantastic Black-led film, please do so.

Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) 

The Mad Max: Fury Road cast was filled with stars who have gone on do plenty, but everyone always talks about Charlize Theron, who portrayed Furiosa in the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic action film. There’s a reason why there’s a prequel film coming out about her character – she was badass, a killer, and I would watch her over and over again if I could. 

Letitia Wright And Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the Marvel Cinematic Universe took a different turn in the world Black Panther, putting T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, and his mother played by Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett, at the forefront. Through their strong performances in a story about Wakanda post-T’Challa, and their journey through grief, they gave compelling performances. Bassett was even nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the film. 

Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde)

If you want to talk about one of the most iconic college films of all time, Legally Blonde needs to be on that list. The story is of a former fashion student, played by the lovely Reese Witherspoon, who goes to Harvard in order to win her boyfriend back. Elle Woods is the picture perfect example of when you put your mind into something and being able to achieve it – and she did that and more once she got into that school. Witherspoon's Elle was the perfect casting. 

Zoe Saldana (Avatar Films)

Let’s be honest – when it comes to the Avatar films, we all remember Neytiri more than Jake. He’s cool and all, but Neytiri. 

In both Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, Zoe Saldana gave an incredible performance as Neytiri, not only as a warrior but as a mother in the sequel, showing amazing emotions through a motion capture performance. 

While Zoe Saldana is known for many other amazing roles (like playing Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, and Uhura in the Star Trek franchise), showing just how much of a badass she is, there's really nothing quite as amazing as her role in these films.  

She’s right up there with Andy Serkis with these incredible motion-capture roles. You can’t help but love her. 

Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

If you haven’t had the chance to watch the Best Picture winner, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, I’d highly suggest watching it, if not just for Michelle Yeoh’s incredible performance. Winning the Oscar for Best Actress, Yeoh is electric in her starring role as the matriarch of this movie’s family, and displays an impressive range of emotions and badass martial arts that makes this film fantastic. Trust me when I say every bit of time viewing this movie is worth it. 

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games Series)

Jennifer Lawrence was someone that I grew up watching in The Hunger Games franchise, and while I am excited for the prequel film that will star another great young actress (Rachel Zegler), no one can defeat the powerful performance that Lawrence gave through all four movies. A revolutionary like Katniss, living in a world that is overcome with chaos and unfairness, and leading a war for freedom is the perfect example of what a reluctant leader is, even though she rocked her responsibilities at the same time. 

Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow)

You want to hear a fun story? When I saw Marvel’s Avengers with my dad, way back in 2012, when I was thirteen years old, I knew nothing about superheroes, only that most of the popular ones were male. Then I saw Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson) and looked up at my dad and said, “she’s a girl.”

Ever since then, my love of superheroes blossomed, but it always started with me seeing someone like me on the big screen. While I personally believe Black Widow should have happened sooner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s no denying that Johansson delivers a stellar final performance playing the role that made me love Marvel in the first place. 

Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman)

Let’s talk about another female superhero – one I did know way back when, Wonder Woman, and how Gal Gadot is literally the perfect person to play the iconic role, both in Wonder Woman and its sequel. She had the beauty of the famous character, but was able to bring a fierceness I had never seen, a bravery that made me want to go out and be as strong as her. I’ll always be upset that the chances of her continuing to play her are low now, but I enjoyed her as the hero for the time that we got her. 

Uma Thurman (Kill Bill Vol. 1 And 2)

God, do I love a vengeful woman. There’s something about watching a girl be a complete badass and take down her enemies that I adore, and both Kill Bill movies, starring Uma Thurman, are just that. While she has been in plenty of other amazing films, her as the Bride was utter perfection and I would, hands down, dress up as her for Halloween if I could. Definitely one of Quentin Tarantino’s best – and yes, I still want to see a sequel years later. 

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

An icon among icons; you can’t have a list like this and not bring up Sigourney Weaver. Famous for her role in the sci-fi horror film, Alien, she is the blueprint for badass female action stars. Ellen Ripley is an iconic character in every shape and form, but she could only become as historic as she is now thanks to Weaver’s portrayal. She was even nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. 

Angelina Jolie (Maleficent)

Disney villains sometimes get a bad rap, but let me tell you, I never thought I would feel bad for Maleficent, who seemed to be the pure portrayal of evil in Sleeping Beauty – that was until the live-action Maleficent, where she was portrayed by Angelina Jolie. 

I swear, anything Jolie touches ends up turning to gold, but her as Maleficent did something to me. She was able to still accurately portray that viciousness that made her such a good villain in the first place, but add so much heart to the character I never thought possible, including a backstory that truly shook me. In terms of live-action Disney villain movies, you can’t get better than this.  

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Fun fact – Gravity is one of the only films in my life that I ever felt sort of sick while watching – because who wants to imagine spinning around in space for hours. But that doesn’t mean Sandra Bullock’s performance wasn’t amazing. Featuring the story of astronauts who are stranded in space after their shuttle is destroyed, Bullock truly shows what terror is like with her performance, and made me quite scared of space. She even got an Academy Award nomination for it. 

Carrie Fisher (The Star Wars Movies)

While we can talk about iconic Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker or Han Solo, let’s be honest – they wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher. Featuring an iconic performance in all three original films, as well as the sequels later on, Carrie Fisher made young girls want to travel the galaxy and be just as brave as her, as she did for me. While Natalie Portman and Daisy Ridley also brought us iconic characters like Padme and Rey, there’s no one quite like Leia. 

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)

Julia Roberts is a queen of rom-coms and has truly helped create some of the best movies, and one of my favorites from her is Pretty Woman. An iconic film about a sex worker getting to live a life of luxury after being hired and falling in love with a rich man, Roberts gave the performance of a lifetime and made us all believe in love – also receiving several nominations and awards for her performance in the film. 

Neve Campbell (Scream)

Scream is probably one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time and certainly one of the best horror movies ever, but what is Scream without its final girl, Sidney Prescott? Portrayed by Neve Campbell, the actress brought the character to life for five Scream films before ultimately not coming back to the role for Scream VI. However, she became many people's favorite final girl with how she always made it out alive – with a gun in her hands. 

Meryl Streep And Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!)

Last but not least, we need to talk about Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried, both of whom are just amazing in Mamma Mia! Admittedly one of my favorite movies, these two actresses perfectly capture the relationship between a mother and daughter, while also having their own compelling storylines of finding love on a remote Greek island. You really can’t get better than them. 

These are just few performances from blockbuster movies that are led by women, and I’m sure there are some I'm missing, but if you choose to watch any of these films for any reason, you won’t be wasting your time. Every single one of them is absolutely amazing. 

Over the holiday, James Cameron transported audiences to the mythical land of Pandora courtesy of his Avatar sequel, where the Na’vi – and a rebel soldier named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) – fight off human invaders to protect the natural resources of their environment. The storyteller says that he has enough narratives to sustain at least five more sequels, and thanks to the way he uses his motion capture techniques, he might be able to keep using the same cast members over and over again. Because when Kevin Smith found out that Sigourney Weaver was playing a teenaged Na’vi in Avatar: The Way of Water, it damn near blew his mind.

Many of us spent the holiday tracking the box-office results of Avatar: The Way of Water around the world, seeing if the sequel could rejuvenate the box office and bring audiences back to the multiplexes in droves. And for the most part, it did! But while we focused on the impact of the anticipated sequel, fellow filmmaker Kevin Smith was marveling over the craft. As part of his Best of 2022 episode of Fatman Beyond, Smith marveled over the fact that Sigourney Weaver, a member of James Cameron’s original cast, returned for Avatar: The Way of Water 13 years later… but this time played a Na’vi teenager named Kiri. This fact melted Smith mind. He told his audience, and his co-host Marc Bernardin:

Kiri is the daughter of Sigourney Weaver’s character, Grace, from the original Avatar. Though, it is a mystery who Kiri’s father is in Avatar: The Way of Water. The question is raised, but is never answered. No doubt, Cameron is sitting on that secret reveal for the sequels. During the run up to the release of the sequel, Weaver talked about the preparation that went into the role, which included her studying teenagers at a local high school. And when Kevin Smith elaborated on the process that had to occur to turn the 73-year-old Weaver into a teen, the writer-director said:

No, she don’t. James Cameron kept a number of his original cast members around for Avatar: The Way of Water, cooking up a method for bringing Stephen Lang back as Colonel Miles Quaritch, and reuniting Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana as his leads, Jake and Neytiri. The cast has stayed so busy between Avatar movies, they had no clue how many movies they’d appeared in between 2009 and the release of Avatar: The Way of Water. Hopefully they won’t have to wait as long for the rest of us to see what they have in store for Avatar 3.  

Avatar: The Way of Water is playing in theaters as we speak.

Avatar: The Way of Water has finally arrived – after only 13 years of waiting. For some, it may be crazy to think that it’s been over a decade since the public’s last trip to Pandora. Though there are probably others who felt every bit of that long gestation period. Like the public as a whole, the stars of the franchise themselves had also been looking forward to James Cameron’s science fiction follow-up. However, they’ve all been busy since the first film’s release, as evidenced by their lengthy filmographies. On that note, CinemaBlend put Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and their co-stars to the test by having them guess how many films they’ve done since 2009.

CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell sat down with the cast during the Way of Water press junket. During the chats, he asked whether the stars knew just how many big-screen productions they’d been a part of since the first movie in James Cameron’s planned saga. When the question was posed to Sigourney Weaver, who plays Kiri, she admitted that she didn’t, before learning that she’d done 24 movies in that time span. She then provided an interesting response: 

Sigourney Weaver clearly knew filming was going to be challenging, and that turned out to be true. Like her co-stars, Weaver had to train for the water-related work that was necessary for production and ultimately pulled it off tremendously. The same is also true for Miles Quaritch actor Stephen Lang, who’s done 38 films since the first installment in the franchise. The veteran actor was asked whether it feels like he’s done that much work since then and dropped an honest answer: 

Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington, who portray Neytiri and Jake Sully, have also been busy, with the former tallying 22 and the latter 25. Saldaña quipped that she thought it was only five, while Worthington mused that 21 of his “never came out.” Saldaña has, of course, starred in a number of blockbusters, and two of the movies released in that time – Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame – are among the all-time highest-grossing films alongside Avatar. The actress went on to discuss her good fortune and what it means to be able to grow within the entertainment industry: 

These stars have definitely had professional journeys that few actors get to embark upon, and it’s great to see that they’re fully conscious of that fact. Of course, it’s not over yet, as there are three additional Avatar movies planned, with each in a different stage of production. I’m eager to see how many flicks Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and their co-stars can get in the can between the releases of those installments. 

Avatar: The Way of Water is playing in theaters now, while the first movie can be streamed using a Disney+ subscription. As the year winds down, also be sure that you check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to learn about what’s arriving next year.

Light spoilers for Avatar: The Way of Water lie ahead, so proceed with caution.

Avatar: The Way of Water has finally arrived, and a number of the stars from the original are along for the ride, including Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña. One franchise alum that some probably didn’t expect would be involved in the proceedings is Sigourney Weaver, who played the now-deceased Dr. Grace Augustine in the first movie. This time around, Weaver plays Kiri, the adopted daughter of Jake Sully and Neytiri. Interestingly, the veteran actress had one primary concern when it came to taking on the role, and she’s revealed how it was eventually resolved. 

Ahead of the highly anticipated sequel’s release, director/co-writer James Cameron shed some light on the intimate relationship between Sigourney Weaver’s two characters. Kiri was born from Grace’s avatar, though the specifics of the conception are still a bit foggy, particularly the identity of her father. Weaver sat down with CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell to discuss her work on The Way of Water and explained how her new role came to fruition: 

Sigourney Weaver once said that James Cameron cast her as a 14-year-old girl because he believed she was “immature” enough to pull it off. The 73-year-old Hollywood veteran said that enjoyed getting to embody that youthful energy. Later in the interview, Weaver spoke about her approach to the role while also discussing the key worry that she had amid her preparation: 

Kudos to the Alien icon for putting in the work to ensure that she was able to craft Kiri effectively, and anyone who’s seen the film likely knows that she absolutely nailed the role. As she noted, kids can have a variety of voices, so there was certainly room for her to try out different vocal tones. The actress also mastered a number of other challenges to prepare for her performance. For example, she underwent freediving training along with the rest of the cast. Talk about commitment.

Sigourney Weaver and James Cameron will surely continue to add new layers to Kiri, as the actress is set to reprise the role in the smattering of Avatar sequels that are on the way. One can’t help but be curious about what lies ahead for the inquisitive, young Na’vi. Regardless of how things play out for her though, I’m confident that Weaver will continue to beautifully breathe life into this character with no concerns whatsoever.

Avatar: The Way of Water is now playing in theaters, and you can also stream the original 2009 movie using a Disney+ subscription. With the year winding down, be sure that you also take a look at the 2023 new movie releases schedule to learn about what’s premiering in the new year.

The stars of James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” including Zoe Saldaña (Neytiri), Sam Worthington (Jake), Kate Winslet (Ronal), Sigourney Weaver (Kiri) and Stephen Lang (Quaritch) discuss the “Avatar” sequel in this interview with CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell. Zoe and Sam have hilarious reactions to finding out how many movies they've been in since 2009's "Avatar," Kate talks about what makes her and James Cameron get along so well and much more.

Video Chapters

00:00 - Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver & The 'Avatar 2' React To The High Volume Of Movies They've Been In Since 'Avatar'
01:19 - Zoe Saldaña Has Immense Gratitude For 'Avatar' And James Cameron's Filmography
02:27 - Kate Winslet Braces Herself to Watch 'Avatar 2'
02:47 - Kate Winslet: 'Titanic' Was ‘A Terrifying Experience’ For James Cameron
03:35 - Kate Winslet Pinpoints What Makes James Cameron's Screenplays Resonate
04:52 - Zoe Saldaña: 'Neytiri Challenged Me The Most In 'Avatar: The Way Of Water.' She's Fighting Fear'
06:16 - Zoe Saldaña Teases What's Next For Jake And Neytiri
06:53 - Sam Worthington: '[James Cameron] Has a Great Track Record For Sequels'
07:38 - Stephen Lang Describes The Nuances of What Makes A James Cameron Script
08:52 - Sigourney Weaver's Chief Concern About Returning For 'Avatar: The Way Of Water,' And How It Was Resolved
10:52 - Kate Winslet Was Honored to be part of the 'Avatar' Cast
11:23 - How Kate Winslet Felt When 'Avatar' Topped 'Titanic' At The Global Box Office

Among the many cast members returning to Pandora for Avatar 2 is Sigourney Weaver, but her role in the film is not what we were expecting. Rather than James Cameron bringing back Avatar’s Dr. Grace Augustine from the dead, the actress will play the 15-year-old Na’vi daughter of Jake Sully and Neytiri, Kiri. While the choice certainly feels like a random role for Weaver, Grace and Kiri apparently have a major connection. 

Ahead of Avatar: The Way of Water hitting theaters next month, James Cameron has shed light on Kiri. Here’s what he said of the thread between Sigourney Weaver’s two Avatar characters:  

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cameron explained that Kiri is actually born of Dr. Grace Augustine’s Na’vi avatar and then adopted by Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully and Zoë Saldana’s Neytiri as their own. Kiri will be a naturally conceived Na’vi born and raised in Pandora’s rainforest. 

When we catch back up with the Na’vi couple in Avatar: The Way of Water, they’ll have five children: Kiri is their eldest among Jamie Flatters’ Neteyam, Britain Dalton’s Lo'ak, Trinity Bliss’ Tuk and an adopted human child named Spider, played by Jack Champion. When it comes to Kiri, Cameron shared that the character is “a true sensitive” who is “very connected to the world around them, far beyond a normal Na'vi.” 

The Avatar filmmaker also teased what’s going on with Kiri in one of many underwater The Way of Water sequences teased in the trailers. According to James Cameron, before she experiences the wonders of the oceans, she’s going through an “anxious and depressed state.” Connecting to the water gives the new character a “transformative experience” that allows her to joyfully reconnect with her environment. 

Sigourney Weaver has spoken about her new role as Kiri, sharing that playing a 15-year-old and in the specific motion capture conditions James Cameron has his actors play with had her have to “work in a completely different way” and proved to be a challenged for her. While playing the character, Weaver did extensive training for Avatar 2, including the likes of parkour, burpees and freediving. 

It’s certainly a unique way for Sigourney Weaver to come back to the fold for Avatar after Dr. Grace Augustine’s death. It will allow the 73-year-old to play a role in a different phase of their life and mindset, and one she wouldn’t typically be able to in live-action. Along with Weaver’s return to the franchise, Kate Winslet, Stephen Lang, Edie Falco, Cliff Curtis and Jemaine Clement are also among the Avatar 2 cast. The Way of Water hits theaters on December 16. 

After over a decade, Avatar: The Way of Water is finally hitting theaters at the end of this year. The primary cast that includes Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña are all returning to Pandora to continue the story that became a global phenomenon. To much of the surprise of fans, Sigourney Weaver is also returning for the sequel, despite her character dying in the first film. But James Cameron clearly had a different vision for Weaver’s future within the franchise. The acclaimed director cast Weaver as the 14-year-old daughter of Worthington’s Jake Scully and Saldaña’s Neytiri. This seemed like an odd choice, considering Weaver is 73, but as per usual, there is a method to Cameron’s madness. 

In an interview with the New York Times, the cast of Avatar 2 sat down to talk about the much anticipated sequel film, and how the follow up films will seek to reach the heights that the original did. When Weaver was asked about her new role in the sequel films, she revealed that she feels that the casting may not be as strange as people think.

This is such an interesting way to keep Weaver involved in the franchise, as she was a highlight of 2009’s Avatar, and always elevates every project she is a part of. The Avatar films are made using motion capture technology, so Weaver’s performance will be more based on emotion, movement, and delivery of dialogue, rather than having to look the part. So this means that Weaver just will have to act and behave like a 14 year old Na’vi rather than looking like one. As long as the Ghostbusters actress’ childlike spirit shines through, she will for sure be great in the role. 

One would be silly to doubt James Cameron’s vision, as he is yet to disappoint. Flooding a soundstage to shoot the Titanic may have seemed crazy to some, but that movie’s visuals were exquisite. Titanic ended up becoming a global sensation and was the highest grossing movie of all time. Cameron topped his own record with Avatar, which was a completely original concept. Avatar had no built in fan base that many blockbuster successes had, yet billions of people went to the theater to see Cameron’s blue aliens fly through the sky. At this point, underestimating any filmmaking decision by the Terminator director feels ill-advised. 

While many plot details from Avatar: The Way of Water are still under wraps, some information is slowly trickling out as we get closer to the release date. Cameron has stated that this film will be family oriented, and Stephen Lang is set to return as a primary villain, even though he also met his demise in Avatar. In addition the film is said to center around a water-based Na’vi tribe, so there will be many oceanic visuals to look forward to. 

Avatar: The Way of Water will premiere in theaters on December 16th. Its predecessor, Avatar, was temporarily removed from streaming platforms for a limited theatrical run, but is set to return for Disney+ subscribers to stream ahead of Avatar 2’s release. In the meantime, Starz subscribers can currently stream Aliens, another joint cinematic venture from James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver. For more information on films hitting theaters and streaming later this year, check out our 2022 movie schedule. 

It took James Cameron more than a decade to finally bring us the long promised Avatar sequels. The director has spoken previously about the trouble he had writing the films, and how the planned trilogy expanded into a total of five Avatar movies. Now Sigourney Weaver has perhaps given us a hint as to part of the reason writing the films was so hard. They’re really personal stories for Cameron. 

We’ve seen in the trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water that the main characters from the first film, Jake and Netyiri, have built a family, and from things James Cameron has said, we know that this family will be at the core of all the forthcoming sequels. Sigourney Weaver tells Variety that’s what makes the films so personal for James Cameron, because the family in the movie is inspired by his own. According to the actress… 

The first trailer for Avatar: The Way of Water is mostly just a lot of beautiful imagery from the movie, but it does include one line of dialogue from the film, Jake saying that their family “is our fortress.” It certainly backs up Sigourney Weaver’s comments here about the importance of family that will be at the core of the movie. 

While Sigourney Weaver’s character from the original film died, we’ve known for years that the actress would be returning for the sequels. The answer as to how that would be possible has only created more questions than answers, as Weaver will be playing Kiri, a teenage Na’vi who is a member of Jake and Netyiri’s family. 

Anybody who has kids certainly understands the idea that we become more vulnerable once we have children. I’ve had difficulty with any scene in any movie that shows a child in jeopardy since having kids myself. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the children in this family will be at the heart of the conflict in Avatar: The Way of Water, and the film will deal with how this impacts both the children themselves as well as the parents who are so focused on trying to keep them safe. 

So much of the talk surrounding the Avatar sequel has been around the technical aspects of production, like the extensive underwater filming, that very little is known about the actual story being told. We’ll likely get one more trailer before Avatar: The Way of Water arrives this December that will hopefully give us some more specifics. The original Avatar is in theaters now.

James Cameron is a filmmaker known for spectacle, especially in his record-breaking 2009 blockbuster Avatar. Fans have waited over a decade to finally return to Pandora thanks to the movie’s delays, although excitement has been buoyed thanks to attractions at Disney theme parks. The highly anticipated sequel The Way of Water is heading to theaters this holiday season, and Sigourney Weaver recently revealed the training she did to play her new Na’vi character in the movie.

Sigourney Weaver and James Cameron clearly have a great working relationship, which was on full display throughout the first Avatar movie. But after her character Dr. Grace Augustine perished in the first film, fans were curious how the Alien icon would factor into the sequel’s story. She’s actually playing Jake and Neytiri's young Na’vi daughter Kiri, which will come to life thanks to motion capture and extensive visual effects. Weaver recently spoke to Interview Magazine about The Way of Water, where she explained the skills she had to pick up while filming the blockbuster. In her words,

Well, there you have it. While Sigourney Weaver’s appearance will be greatly changed thanks to Avatar: The Way of Water’s post-production process, she still had to put all of her body into bringing Kiri to life. That includes picking things up like parkour and freediving. As we know, there was a great deal of underwater work done while the cast was filming footage for the Avatar sequels. 

Sigourney Weaver’s comments to Interview show just how much work goes into creating a movie like Avatar: The Way of Water. While dealing with motion capture suits and technology is already challenging enough, she and co-stars like Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, and newcomer Kate Winslet also did some incredibly physical work to make the project a reality.

There has been a ton of hype around how much underwater work the cast of Avatar 2 ultimately participated in. Kate Winslet broke a world record in the process, with teasy images of her filming at the bottom of a pool quickly going viral as a result. Sigourney Weaver opened up about learning free diving, saying:

That certainly sounds intense. While actors have been known to pick up new skills for genres like the superhero movies or musicals, the Avatar cast had to really train their body and minds in order to hold their breath for so long. We’ll have to see how thrilling this makes the upcoming sequels’ action sequences.

Luckily for the many folks out there who saw and loved the first Avatar, the sequel The Way of Water is nearly here. Following years of delays, the first of many sequels will arrive in time for Christmas this year. And given Shazam 2’s recent delay, there should be even less competition for James Cameron's latest.

Avatar: The Way of Water will hit theaters on December 16th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Over ten years since the theatrical debut of James Cameron’s Avatar, which would unseat Titanic and become the highest-grossing movie of all time, the science fiction adventure franchise will finally return later this year with a sequel. We only know so much about The Way of Water right now, and more is sure to be revealed. But one major element of it that we do is that it'll introduce Jake Sully and Neytiri’s kids, who were added to the storyline for a specific reason that's near to the filmmaker’s heart. 

James Cameron has been planning his Avatar sequels pretty much since the original movie released in 2009. The writer-director is a shrewd filmmaker, who is typically very deliberate when it comes to the creative decisions that he makes. When Cameron was asked about the decision to give its protagonists, played by Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, children, he explained that it adds something crucial that he doesn't think is present in contemporary fantasy films:

As the legendary director explained to Empire, in some large franchises, heroes stand alone without families. Also, James Cameron himself has a large family, and it's an important part of his life. With that, he decided to add the young characters to the upcoming 2022 movie and presumably the other planned sequels. 

From what we know, Jake and Neytiri will have three biological Na’vi children in Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton) and Tuktirey (Trinity Bliss). Additionally, they will come across an orphaned human boy that they take in played by Jack Champion. Additionally, Sigourney Weaver will play a Na’vi teen named Kiri, thanks to the power of motion capture. Her original character in the franchise, Dr. Grace Augustine, died in the first movie. 

Also part of the Avatar: Way of the Water cast are Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Michelle Yeoh, Vin Diesel, Cliff Curtis and Jemaine Clement, just to name a few. The movie implements some cutting-edge technology, especially when it comes to its many underwater sequences, which were filmed with performance capture... underwater – a first in cinema history.

James Cameron is making Way of the Water to specifically be enjoyed on the big screen, which he is confident the “audience wants.” And considering the massive number of views the Avatar 2 trailer received when it dropped online (which allowed it to surpass recent Star Wars movies along with Black Widow and Incredibles 2) this could be another huge release for Cameron. 

We don’t know the runtime, but given James Cameron’s recent words about it, it looks like it’ll be a long sit. But if the dynamic amongst this new movie family is as compelling as the director is teasing, it should be entertaining throughout. Avatar: Way of the Water hits theaters on December 16th. You can also stream the first movie now with a Disney+ subscription.

In the first Avatar movie (which you can watch now with a Disney+ subscription), Sigourney Weaver starred as Dr. Grace Augustine, an exobiologist and head of the Avatar Program on Pandora. Despite meeting an untimely end in the feature, James Cameron announced a few years after its release that the Alien actress would be back for the sequel as a new character. We’ve spent almost a decade wondering how Weaver would fit into the Avatar 2 picture, but that mystery has finally been solved, as her role in the officially-titled Avatar: The Way of Water has been revealed.

While a common guess was that Sigourney Weaver would be back for Avatar: The Way of Water to play the personification of the Tree of Souls, which Grace was brought to in the first movie in a failed attempt to transfer her soul to her Avatar body, in reality, she’s playing a Na’vi named Kiri, who’s the adopted teenaged daughter of Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully and Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri. Check out a crisp image look at this character below:

Well this is quite the twist! Incidentally, although we’re only just now learning that Sigourney Weaver is playing Kiri, this isn’t the first time we’re seeing this character. She can briefly be spotted about a third of a way into the Avatar: The Way of Water trailer swimming underwater. See for yourself!

If you look at the full image of Kiri over at Empire, you’ll see the young Na’vi watching a video recording of Dr. Grace Augustine. In other words, it’s Sigourney Weaver watching Sigourney Weaver… that’s trippy. Regarding getting to play a teenaged character for Avatar: The Way of Water, Weaver, who’s currently 72, told the publication it was a chance to bring out her inner child, saying:

James Cameron acknowledged that this was a “big” acting challenge, having “a 60-something actor playing a character [decades younger than] her actual biological age.” But Sigourney Weaver was up to the task, and she ended up workshopping with a group of teenage girls to channel the right kind of youthful energy. The filmmaker continued:

Given that Sigourney Weaver is confirmed to also be in Avatar 3, fans can take comfort knowing that Kiri will make it out of Avatar: The Way of Water alive… unless, of course, she’s appearing as yet another character in the threequel, in which case there’s another mystery we have to wrack our brains about. In any case, Kiri’s siblings include Jamie Flatters’ Neteyam, Britain Dalton’s Lo’ak and Jack Champion’s Javier “Spider” Socorro, the latter of whom is a human who was born on Pandora and rescued by Jake and Neytiri. Let’s also not forget Weaver isn’t the only actor from the first Avatar movie who’s back for the sequel despite their character dying. In Stephen Lang’s case though, he’ll be reprising Miles Quaritch, with the main antagonist somehow having been resurrected, though Lang’s performance now involves motion capture.

Avatar: The Way of Water is one of the many 2022 movie releases left to look forward to, opening in theaters on December 16. Avatar 3 will follow on December 20, 2024, and the other two announced sequels are slated for 2026 and 2028, respectively.

We have seen countless major movie franchises come and go, but few have had the global appeal of James Cameron's Avatar, which continues to hold the record as the highest-grossing movie of all time, pulling in $2.85 billion worldwide as of 2022 when the 2009 blockbuster was re-released. The year also saw the reveal of Avatar 2’s official title – Avatar: The Way of Water – along with a visually stunning first trailer and special footage shown at CinemaCon, which boosted fan anticipation by lightyears. 

Luckily, after fans have patiently waited years for sequels -- during which some people have experienced the original for the first time -- the wait finally came to and end in December 2022. In fact, the day on the 2022 movie release schedule when the latest installment of the Avatar franchise hit theaters is where we shall start in our breakdown of everything we know about the blockbuster.

Avatar: The Way Of Water Came Out in December 2022 

Originally set for release back in 2015, Avatar: The Way of Water suffered one delay after another in the years following. Situations that led to this extended wait would involve the surprise announcement of the fifth installment in 2016, the Disney/Fox merger in 2017, and, of course, the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020. 

Luckily, it was in September of that year when James Cameron confirmed that principal photography had wrapped on Avatar 2 and that the third installment was also almost finished. By then, the film had been set for a theatrical release on December 16, 2022, and would surpass $1 billion less than a month later.

James Cameron Returns To Direct Avatar: The Way Of Water

The first Avatar was truly a passion project for James Cameron, as the filmmaker spent years and years developing both the script and the technological advancements that it needed to be made. So, you didn't really expect him to hand off the sequels to someone else, did you? While the filmmaker later told IGN he would have to train an apprentice to finish the franchise if he is unable to himself, Cameron did come back for just Avatar: The Way of Water -- which Sigourney Weaver said is also a very personal film for the director -- and also intends to helm the third, fourth, and fifth installments as well.

He also spoke about his big plans for the technological side of things, such as filming at higher frame rates and using performance capture underwater. The sequel, indeed, pushed the boundaries of what can be accomplished in modern filmmaking. Cameron wants to show that the first film's success was not a fluke, and the director is certainly not expecting success to come automatically to the Avatar sequels simply because the first one did well.

James Cameron Co-Writes The Avatar 2 With Multiple Writers

James Cameron brought in a full team of collaborators to help write the Avatar sequels, including Josh Friedman -- David Koepp's co-writer on Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds remake -- who is credited as helping write the story for Avatar: The Way of Water along with Rise of the Planet of the Apes veterans Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver and Armageddon's Shane Salerno. They will also be working side-by-side with Cameron on further sequels, which will introduce "whole new worlds, habitats, and cultures." This very well could mean that we will get to meet more kinds of intelligent alien species beyond what the second chapter introduces.

While the Avatar sequels were written as one large, ever expanding beast, and are being largely filmed together, we're being told that each of them have been created as standalone films, rather than being four parts of a larger story. As we now know about Avatar: The Way of Water, specifically, the story is focused around the oceans of Pandora. The details we have about new characters would appear to confirm that much.

Avatar 2’s Plot Involves Jake And Neytiri’s New Family And A Water-Based Na’vi Tribe

In 2016, while promoting Toruk, James Cameron teased that the sequels -- which were still in their early development at the time -- would be a family saga, following the continuing adventures of Jake Sully, Neytiri, and their children. That description was essentially echoed by producer Jon Landau in 2020, when he provided more specific details about the plot of Avatar: The Way of Water, long before the then-rumored title was confirmed.

Landau added that Jake and Neytiri’s family would be forced to leave their home and explore the further regions of Pandora, especially those that are overridden with water. This is where they would become acquainted with an aquatic Na’vi tribe known as the Metkayina.

Sam Worthington And Other Cast Veterans Return In Avatar 2

As the plot details above would suggest, Australian actor Sam Worthington and MCU star Zoe Saldana signed a deal to reprise human-turned-Na’vi Jake Sully and his native-born lover (and fierce warrior), Neytiri, respectively, in the Avatar: The Way of Water cast and in subsequent films. Other Avatar veterans who joined them on this new journey include Dileep Rao as Dr. Max Patel, Joel David Moore as Jake’s human buddy and Na’vi enthusiast Norm Spellman, Giovanni Ribisi as the greedy RDA administrator Parker Selfridge, and CCH Pounder as the Na’vi’s spiritual leader, Mo’at.

Another cast member whose return was more surprising upon announcement is James Cameron’s Oscar-nominated Aliens star, Sigourney Weaver -- whose character in the first film, Dr. Grace Augustine, passed away -- as Jake and Neytiri's adoptive teenage daughter, Kiri. Stephen Lang -- who calls the new film "gorgeous" -- is also back as the ruthless Col. Miles Quaritch, despite receiving two arrows to the chest, along with Matt Gerald as Corporal Lyle Wainfleet, who was crushed by a hammerhead titanothere. 

Kate Winslet And Other Franchise Newcomers Join The Avatar 2 Cast

Also reuniting with James Cameron for Avatar: The Way of Water is Titanic cast lead and Academy Award winner Kate Winslet as Ronal -- a somewhat rival of Neytiri -- from the Metkayina tribe, whose chief, Tonowari, is played by Cliff Curtis. Other newcomers include Jemaine Clement (according to Twitter) as marine biologist Ian Garvin, and Edie Falco as Gen. Ardmore and Brendan Cowell as Capt. Mike Scorseby from the RDA.

There are also many young newcomers in the Avatar 2 cast, such as the three playing Jake and Neytiri’s children -- Jamie Flatters as the oldest son, Neteyam; Britain Dalton as the middle child, Lo'ak; and the youngest child, Tuktirey, is played by Trinity Bliss. Youngsters from the Metkayina tribe include Filip Geljo as Tonowari’s son, Aonung; Bailey Bass as freediver Tsireya; and Duane Evans Jr. as Roxto. Playing a human named Spider is Jack Champion.

Many Avatar 2 Sequences Were Actually Filmed Underwater

No discussion about Avatar is complete without mentioning the technology involved. The Academy Award-winning visual effects for the first film by Weta Digital sparked a major revolution in the movie industry, particularly its cutting-edge use of performance capture before it became a far more common process. It has, of course, been used again to make Avatar: The Way of Water, but the sequel also charts new territory with the method.

James Cameron, the crew, and the cast (in full performance capture) went as far as actually submerging themselves to film sequences that take place underwater. Kate Winslet reportedly managed to stay underwater seven minutes at time while playing Ronal. Cameron also talked to Vanity Fair about filming in a large tank with some of the younger new cast members who, not being able to speak, used a “kind of sign language” to convey their dialogue.

Future Sequels

Even with a runtime that exceeds three hours, there are more stories to tell following Avatar: The Way of Water in the form of at least three more movies. Avatar 3 was filmed concurrently with Avatar 2, is currently scheduled for release on December 20, 2024, and was mostly finished as of late 2021. Cameron and co. still have some things to finish for Avatar 4, which is currently set to come out on December 16, 2026.

The fourth installment actually went a few years without a proper greenlight from Disney as it was being developed. The same goes for Avatar 5, which is slated for December 22, 2028, at the moment.

Despite its success, it is no secret that Avatar had its critics. However, it appears that the ones who truly do still have a special place in their hearts for the action-packed, visually stunning sci-fi spectacle will have the opportunity to spend a lot of time in Pandora for the next few years. The journey has continued with Avatar: The Way of Water, which is now playing in theaters.

For the longest time, it seemed as if those Avatar sequels were going to be the sorts of movies that languished in development hell forever. However, over the last few years the wheels continued to turn, and finally, the first of James Cameron’s multiple sequels has landed on the big screen. The highly-anticipated sci-fi epic is already receiving heaps of praise from critics, including CinmaBlend’s own Corey Chichizola, who have all drawn attention to the visuals, story, and outstanding performances in Avatar: The Way of Water.

Speaking of the Avatar: The Way of Water cast… There’s a good chance you want to know to know who all is appearing in James Cameron’s first movie in more than a decade, whether it be returning stars like Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, and Sigourney Weaver, or the list of newcomers that includes Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, and many others. Let’s take a look at all the actors and where you’ve seen them before… 

Sam Worthington (Jake Sully)

Once human, but now existing entirely inside his Na'vi Avatar, Sam Worthington’s Jake Sully will once again be leading James Cameron’s exploration of Pandora, as he faces new dangers and the return of an old threat in Avatar: The Way of Water. 

In the years since the world last saw Worthington set foot onto Pandora, the British-Australian actor has appeared in titles like Clash of the Titans, Man on a Ledge, Hacksaw Ridge, Manhunt: Unabomber, and Under the Banner of Heaven.

Zoe Saldana (Neytiri)

Zoe Saldaña’s Neytiri was the primary member of the Na'vi that the first Avatar focused on, and provided for some of the movie’s more emotional moments as she grew closer to Jake Sully and showed him the ways of the Na'vi. 

Saldaña has become one of the most notable faces in Hollywood in the 13 years since appearing in Avatar, with her portrayal of Gamora in the Marvel Cinematic Universe making her recognizable around the world (and galaxy). But that isn’t all, as she has also appeared in the likes of The Adam Project, Amsterdam, and the more recent Star Trek movies.  

Sigourney Weaver (Kiri)

Even though her character, Dr. Grace Augustine, died protecting the Na’vi in Avatar, Sigourney Weaver has been attached to the various sequels for about as long as anyone else. This time around, Weaver takes on the role of Jake Sully and Neytiri’s adopted teenage daughter, Kiri.

This will mark the third time Weaver has worked with James Cameron, as the badass action star famously portrayed Ellen Ripley in 1986’s Aliens before teaming up with the director for the first Avatar. Since last setting foot on Pandora, Weaver has appeared in movies like The Cabin in the Woods, My Salinger Year, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife in one of the movie’s end credit sequences.

Stephen Lang (Colonel Miles Quaritch)

Stephen Lang's Colonel Miles Quaritch very much perished in the battle of Pandora at the end of the first film, and yet, Lang is set to be the primary antagonist of the story going forward, and he looks and sounds tougher than ever before.

In the years since his character was on the receiving end of spears, arrows, and poisonous air, Lange has continued to be a prolific actor with appearances in movies like Don’t Breathe, Hostiles, and Old Man. 

Kate Winslet (Ronal)

A big addition to the Avatar: The Way of Water cast is a name familiar to James Cameron fans, as he'll be working with Kate Winslet for the first time since the 1997 release of Titanic. Instead of playing a human going across the Atlantic, Winslet plays Ronal, a free diver of the Metkayina clan.

Since last working with Cameron, Winslet has appeared in movies like The Reader, which earned her an Oscar and Golden Globe and shows like Mare of Eastown, which added even more hardware to her collection.  

Joel David Moore (Norm Spellman)

Joel David Moore played the role of Norm Spellman, who became Jake Sully's friend, after previously being friends with his deceased twin brother Tom, and who ended up fighting alongside Jake in an Avatar at the end of the film. Eventually, Spellman lost the link to his Avatar but was allowed to stay on Pandora after all the other humans were kicked off the planet.

Prior to starting up work on Avatar: The Way of Water, Moore landed roles on shows like Bones, Medium, and Forever, as well as a list of movies that includes Savages and Cut Throat City.   

CCH Pounder (Mo'at)

CCH Pounder returns to the Avatar: The Way of Water cast as Mo'at, the Na'vi spiritual leader we met along with Neytiri's father who was the village chief.

A prolific TV actor, Pounder has spent the past decade-plus appearing on shows like The Shield, Sons of Anarchy, Warehouse 13, NCIS, Archer, and The Good Fight, to name only a few.  

Jamie Flatters (Neteyam)

Jamie Flatters is one of a whole collection of young actors who will be bringing entirely new characters to life in Avatar: The Way of Water, which will see him play Neteyam, the firstborn son of Jake and Neytiri.

Flatters’ previous credits include So Awkward, The School for Good and Evil, and The Forgotten Battle.  

Britain Dalton (Lo'ak)

Jake and Neytiri's second child is named Lo'ak and will be played by Britain Dalton. Dalton will be known to viewers of the Amazon series Goliath, starring Billy Bob Thornton, but he may also sound familiar to fans of the Uncharted video game series as he voiced the young Nathan Drake in 2016’s Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.  

Trinity Bliss (Tuktirey)

Jake and Neytiri's youngest child is their only daughter, Tuktirey. Tuk (as she is often called) is played by Trinity Bliss. The young actress has appeared on shows like Best Foot Forward and The Garcias and the Pixar film Turning Red, all released in 2022.

Cliff Curtis (Tonowari)

One of the first big new additions to the cast of Avatar: The Way of Water and its following sequels was Fear the Walking Dead's Cliff Curtis, who takes on the role Tonowari, the leader of Pandora's reef people.

In addition to his work on Fear the Walking Dead, Curtis is most recognizable from appearances in movies like The Meg, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Doctor Sleep, and Training Day.  

Filip Geljo (Aonung)

The Metkayina people have a collection of young actors joining their cast as well. Those with small children might recognize Filip Gejio as a member of the PBS children's series The Odd Squad, but in Avatar: The Way of Water he'll take the role of Aonung, a young hunter and free diver, and also the son of the Metkayina clan leader, Tonowari. 

Bailey Bass (Tsireya)

The next actor joining the cast as a young member of the Metkayina is Bailey Bass (front and center in the image above), in the role of Tsireya. Reya, as she'll apparently be known, is described as a graceful and strong free diver, a skill which seems to be key to the Metkayina way of life, as every young actor who has been cast has the same skill. This will only be Bass' second film role to date, so she's made quite a leap from relative obscurity to one of the biggest film franchises ever.

Duane Evans Jr. (Roxto)

Duane Evans Jr. will play another young hunter and free diver of the Metkayina, named Roxto. Evans will be recognizable to residents of New Zealand for his recurring role on the primetime soap opera Shortland Street, and as Rhino in Netflix's Sweet Tooth. 

Matt Gerald (Corporal Lyle Wainfleet)

And then there's the third actor whose character died in the first Avatar and yet will return for all the sequels. You'd be forgiven for not remembering Corporal Lyle Wainfleet from the first movie. He wasn't given a great deal of focus the first time around, until he was trampled to death by native Pandoran wildlife. And yet, somehow, Gerald’s character will be back in The Way of Water. 

Jack Champion (Javier 'Spider' Socorro)

Jack Champion takes on the role of Javier 'Spider' Socorro. Champion's role is unique for several reasons. Not the least of which being that he plays a human being. He plays a human born at Hell's Gate, but one who prefers his time spent in the rainforests of Pandora.

Jemaine Clement (Dr. Ian Garvin)

In May of 2019 another addition to the cast of the Avatar sequels was announced. Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement was revealed to be playing Dr. Ian Garvin, is a marine biologist. Based on the phrasing of the announcement, Clement will be around for all of the sequels as well. 

Chloe Coleman (Young Lo'ak)

In May of 2019 another addition to the cast of the Avatar sequels was announced. Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement was revealed to be playing Dr. Ian Garvin, is a marine biologist. Based on the phrasing of the announcement, Clement will be around for all of the sequels as well. 

Jeremy Irwin (Young Neteyam)

Jeremy Irwin is a newcomer to Hollywood with only a single TV movie credit to his name prior to scoring Avatar 2. He plays a younger version of Jake and Neytiri’s oldest child, played throughout the rest of the movie by Jamie Flatters. 

Giovanni Ribisi (Parker Selfridge)

Giovanni Ribisi is yet another member of the original Avatar cast to reprise his role from the first film, once again playing Parker Selfridge, the man in charge of the expedition to Pandora. 

In the years since his character was forcibly removed from Pandora, Ribisi has appeared in movies like The Rum Diary, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Selma, and A Million Little Pieces.

Dileep Rao (Dr. Max Patel)

Dileep Rao played Dr. Max Patel, of the heroic scientists that sided with the Na’vi in the first movie, a role he takes on once again in The Way of Water. 

Over the years, Rao has appeared in Drag Me To Hell, Christopher Nolan’s Inception, and Murder of a Cat.

Edie Falco (General Ardmore)

Edie Falco takes on the role of General Frances Ardmore, the new head of the Resources Development Administration in Avatar: The Way of Water.

Falco has made more than her share of fans through years of television roles. She has more than a dozen Emmy nominations thanks to her roles on both Nurse Jackie and The Sopranos. She is set to appear on Pete Davidson’s upcoming Peacock series Bupkis. 

Brendan Cowell (Captain Mick Scoresby)

Brendan Cowell shows up in Avatar: The Way of Water as Captain Mick Scoresby,the captain of a marine hunting vessel on the oceans of Pandora.

Though he is more known in his native Australia, Cowell did land a brief role on Game of Thrones near the end of the HBO show’s run. 

CJ Jones 

CJ Jones will be familiar to fans of Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, where he played the deaf foster father of Ansel Elgort’s character. Jones has only appeared in a couple of projects since then, but he will be Avatar: The Way of Water in an undisclosed role.  

As massive as the Avatar: The Way of Water cast looks, the franchise will only continue to grow from here, as the likes of Vin Diesel, Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, and Oona Chaplin are all set to take on various roles in upcoming sequels. But while we wait for more information on the upcoming Avatar 3, take a look at the 2023 movie schedule to get the dates for all those massive blockbusters set to premiere in the meantime. 

The Fast and Furious 10 cast keeps getting bigger and bigger, with additions like Jason Momoa and Brie Larson, who was welcomed to the family by Vin Diesel himself in April 2022. But, even though the final chapter in the high-octane franchise appears to be loaded with great actors, there’s always room at the table when there’s a seemingly never-ending supply of beer, as long as it’s Corona. 

With all the casting news that’s has been coming out ahead of the film’s 2023 release, I have been thinking about some of the actors who I’d like to see in the two-part finale, whether they play characters working alongside Dom Toretto and crew or step in as one of the franchise’s numerous villains. Here’s what I’ve come up with…

Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh has long been one of the most interesting and versatile actresses in Hollywood and abroad, and that was before her performance in the critically acclaimed mind-bender, Everything Everywhere All at Once. I mean, just look at the list of her best movies and you’ll see why she would be a good fit in Fast and Furious 10. She has experience in martial arts masterpieces like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, spy flicks like Tomorrow Never Dies, and multiple Hong Kong action comedies.

And, the great thing about Yeoh is that she is more than capable of handling her own either as a villain or protagonist who could make life interesting for the Toretto crew in their next and potentially last adventure.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis is no stranger when it comes to massive franchises, considering she has long been a part of the DCEU as the morally bankrupt and mission-focused Amanda Waller. Davis could come in as a shady government official and be pretty much a more sinister and less jovial version of the Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) character who could string Dom and company along.

On the flip-side, director Justin Lin could use this reputation to pull off a big bait-and-switch with Davis’ character for some great misdirection in the final act of the franchise. We’ve seen the Academy Award winner play less evil characters in the past in The Help and Widows, roles that showed she’s a force of good to be reckoned with.

Matthias Schweighöfer

Army of Thieves breakout star Matthias Schweighöfer would also be a fun addition to the Fast and Furious franchise in its final set of adventures. In addition to already having worked with Nathalie Emmanuel in the globe-trotting heist film, Army of Thieves, the German actor who played the master safecracker Ludwig Dieter just seems perfect for Fast and Furious 10. I mean, the franchise has long had some impressive heist scenes, which is something that was the actor’s bread and butter in 2021.

It would also be fun to see Schweighöfer take on a more sinister character who plays on his natural charisma to really get into the heads of the Toretto crew. If not, it would also be funny to see him play some kind of tech whiz who has to be rescued by the heroes. Just imagine scenes featuring him and Tyrese Gibson.

Omar Sy

Lupin star Omar Sy is another actor I would like to see show up in Fast and Furious 10, and it doesn’t seem all that far-fetched considering his background. Over the years, he’s been featured in the X-Men movies, the Jurassic World franchise, and various other large-scale productions that blend action, drama, and comedy, all staples of the Fast and Furious series.

With France being a country that has yet to show up in the saga at this point, Sy could play some kind of contact who helps Dom Toretto and crew take on any one of the film’s villains. And, with his charisma and natural likability, he could become a character that is further explored in one of the proposed spin-off films.

Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver has proven time and time again that she is one of the most badass actresses in Hollywood, with memorable roles in the Alien movies, the Ghostbusters franchise, and the massively successful Avatar, with more on the way. All there is left to do is add the Fast and Furious movies to that list of box office smash hits featuring the screen legend.

It doesn’t have to be a big role. Hell, it could be something as small as Weaver providing the voice for some rogue artificial intelligence that plays head games with the Toretto crew. Weaver could also step in as some new villainous mastermind who is behind all the other antagonists who have tested the Fast and Furious family all these years.

Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi isn’t the first, second, or even fifth name you think of when it comes to actors who would be great in Fast and Furious 10, but he’s honestly a perfect choice. He has experience in massive productions like this with his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and movies like Free Guy and Green Lantern. Plus, his distinct sense of humor could create some hilarious interactions with other members of the cast.

Hero, villain, random lackey, it doesn’t matter, Waititi can handle it all. And since he’s not the typical action star, it would be great to see him have to take part in some of the franchise’s insane stunts. 

Yayan Ruhian

Fans of Gareth Evans’ The Raid are all too aware of Yayan Ruhian’s on-screen presence and capabilities in a big fight. The actor, who has also appeared in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and multiple other action flicks, could bring a lot to the franchise, and not just in front of the camera. Ruhian is also an established fight choreographer and could help take the combat sequences in Fast and Furious 10 to the next level. 

I would want Ruhian to play something larger than a henchman character if he were to join the franchise, because he’s much more than a silent ass-kicker who could serve an ass-whooping to the Toretto crew. He has shown time and time again, especially in The Raid 2, that he can handle more emotional and complicated story arcs.

Dave Bautista

Dave Bautista has said he has no interest in joining the Fast and Furious franchise, but this is the man who stepped away from professional wrestling a couple of times and still came back. Not saying there’s a chance, but a boy can dream, right? 

If Bautista showed up in Fast and Furious 10 and immediately started going after John Cena’s Jakob Toretto like it’s the 2005 Royal Rumble all over again, then I’d down for it. Even if you throw Bautista’s connection to Cena over the rope, there’s a lot he could do with the movie, either as a hero or villain. But, come on, we all want to see Bautista play some kind of sophisticated and menacing ass-kicker who pushes the crew to their limits.

While we don't yet know who else will be joining the film's cast, there is already quite a bit we do know about the upcoming Fast and Furious 10, which is easily one of the most anticipated movies of 2023.

As abortion access continues to be a debated topic amongst U.S. officials to this day, one of the Sundance Film Festival’s most buzzy releases this year is going back to the ‘60s. Call Jane is a star-studded historical drama that features Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver playing two women in that decade who fought for women’s rights by taking the issue into their own hands. While it’s not nearly among the best films at the festival, the story itself is worth your time. 

Call Jane is directed by Phyllis Nagy (who wrote 2015’s awards darling Carol) and informs its audience on the Jane Collective, which was an underground abortion access service ran by women from the late ‘60s up until Roe v. Wade was passed in 1973. Elizabeth Banks, who has been vocal about women’s topics in Hollywood before, leads the film as Joy, a fictional housewife who finds herself looking to get an abortion when her doctor shares that the procedure would be in the best favor of her health. 

As Joy quickly learns, she will have to claim that she is on the brink of suicide in order to get approved for the procedure, and once she does get permission, the way it's offered to her is super sketchy and terrifying. It’s then that Joy finds the Janes, which was a real organization that helped women who needed abortions when the government failed to provide these resources to them. Former Alien star Sigourney Weaver plays Virginia, a leader in the Janes, and she and Joy form a professional partnership to help more women who need it. 

Unfortunately, Call Jane will likely be another under-the-radar movie about women’s rights to be rarely referenced except during times like Women’s History Month, because it’s not a particularly strong Sundance offering. The movie is a very by-the-book exploration of the Jane Collective, and the fact that Joy’s story is fictional only contributes to this. That being said, I’m still happy I checked out, because it gave me more perspective on the history of abortion access in the U.S.

The biggest standout moments of Call Jane is when the movie is getting specific about the abortion procedure. Movies and television very seldom get into the nitty gritty of what it’s like to get an abortion (especially in the ‘60s), but Call Jane takes its audiences through the process with Elizabeth Banks’ Joy and later on with other women. Don’t worry, it’s not graphic or anything. Allowing audiences to be in the shoes of a woman getting an abortion is the step in the right direction of destigmatizing the topic. 

Call Jane could also further the conversation in terms of showcasing the myriad of reasons women seek abortions. One woman cannot continue her chemo treatment without an abortion, for example, while many others were led astray by the sex education system as to how one can get pregnant or raped. 

The movie has yet to receive a wide release, but follow along here on CinemaBlend for more Sundance coverage as more films from the festival screen for critics this week.