I love Sphere in Las Vegas. I’ve been to seven Phish shows there over the last couple of years, and it really is a concert experience that is impossible to compare to anything else. I’ve yet to catch a movie there, but I am prioritizing my personal 2026 movie schedule to include a trip to Sin City to see The Wizard of Oz later this summer. After reading an interview with the head of Sphere Studios, I’m doubling down on my thought that maybe concerts are going to be the primary income producer for the unique venue. Here’s why.

Movie Studios Love Premium Viewing Options

In the age of streaming and post-Covid, it’s no secret that movie theaters have struggled more than ever. While things have rebounded somewhat in the last few years, fewer people are going to theaters for movies than they were a decade ago. A big revenue driver for theaters and studios has been premium formats like IMAX and 4DX theaters. I see a lot of movies in theaters, and IMAX is definitely my preferred viewing experience, for example. Sphere is the logical (though expensive) extension of that kind of experience, but on steroids.

So far, the multi-billion-dollar venue has created two film-going experiences. The first, Postcard from Earth, from director Darren Aronofsky, is basically a nature documentary at its heart, but way more than that, given the scale of the screen. The second is the wildly successful The Wizard of Oz, which has been raking in big bucks for the venue. A third film, an extreme sports doc called Over The Edge, from Free Solo directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, is next on the docket for Sphere.

According to a report from the company (via Deadline), Sphere has sold 2.2 million tickets to the slightly revamped 1939 classic and brought in $290 million. Sphere, like IMAX and 4DX, offers something that regular theaters simply can’t. It’s an immersive experience. It’s not just the giant screen; it’s the incredible sound (something I really took note of in my concert experiences there), the heptic seats, and technology that allows for huge props and fun moments to be incorporated into the viewing experience. During the tornado in The Wizard of Oz, for example, the venue can produce wind and drop leaves from the ceiling, bringing viewers into the film.

Movies Seem To Offer A Better ROI

The biggest reason I think movies, not concerts, are the future of the venue is that it’s incredibly expensive for artists to create shows at the venue. Finding hard numbers is difficult, but it’s easy to see that the graphics are not cheap. What makes it complicated for artists is that the show can’t be replicated anywhere else. Sphere is one-of-a-kind (at least for now), and it’s not like you can load the graphics on a hard drive and do the same show in 30 arenas across the country.

It’s probably not cheap to make movies for the venue, either, but once the upfront costs are sunk, Sphere can play the movie over and over, multiple times a day, 365 days a year. Obviously, that’s impossible for The Eagles to do. By the end of 2026, the legendary rock band will have played 64 shows over two years at Sphere. By contrast, The Wizard of Oz can be shown the same number of times in just two or three weeks. Sure, tickets are more expensive for The Eagles, but that difference is easily made up and exceeded by the sheer number of screenings for a movie.

The high cost of production also means the number of artists who can even afford to play the Sphere is limited. As we’ve seen, all the artists who’ve played the venue are legacy artists like U2 (who always try to do cool things, visually), Dead & Company, and Metallica, who are slated to start a new residency this fall. They all have followings big enough to fill the 18,000 seats over multiple shows, at a premium price. As I said, it’s not cheap to produce these shows, so long residencies are critical. There aren’t an endless number of artists who can do this.

Lastly, Sphere is planning more venues across the world, allowing movies to be shown multiple times a day in multiple places all year round. That’s something else that no artist can do.

Sphere Seems To Be Leaning This Way

While Sphere was built as a concert venue, and I truly hope that aspect never goes away because it’s simply incredible to see a show there, it seems like the company is leaning more into movies as it matures, especially given what the venue's technology is capable of. Sphere’s studio head, Carolyn Blackwood, recently told Deadline in that article:

The company’s COO, Jennifer Koester, echoed that:

They’ve even developed their own camera (with the help of Aronofsky) to shoot for the giant screen. Not only have they shown that they can create unique bespoke content like Postcards from Earth, but they can also reconfigure classics for the venue. To me, this seems like a win-win for Sphere and for movie studios and filmmakers looking for the next big thing.

While so far, The Wizard of Oz is the only known property that has been converted for the 16K screen at Sphere, I think there will be more on the way. Koester says the company is in talks with rights-holders and studios for future movies. It could be Golden Age classics like Lawrence of Arabia (imagine seeing the desert on that screen!), or more recent hits like Avengers: Endgame. We’ll have to wait and see which movies get adapted for Sphere.

Please don’t stop booking bands, though. It really is the coolest concert experience in the world right now.

Is it just me, or does the 2026 movie calendar feel a little barren without another Wicked movie coming out this fall. Of course, I knew Wicked would just be two acts as that’s how it has always been for the stage musical, but now that the curtain has fallen on the movie adaptation, I think it’s high time we talk about the lion in the room. What’s Universal going to do next with Wicked after its commercial success?

What Universal Has Said About More Wicked Movies

When Wicked: For Good hit theaters this past fall and smashed box office records, it marked the end of the full story of the Broadway musical being told on film. But, if I know anything about how Hollywood works, it’s that the industry doesn’t typically send titles packing when they make the kind of impact these movies did. And, when Universal’s chief marketing officer Michael Moses spoke to Vulture back in November, he said this:

Now, I don’t personally love the business model of figuring out how to branch out universes just because a studio has made a lot of money and can, but what can I say, it works for Hollywood. Just look at those Fast & Furious movies! Various cast members from the Wicked movies are also keeping their minds open on the topic, including Jonathan Bailey, who said this to Esquire:

That “potential” is what I want to talk about next. I think I’ve come up with the three most viable ways Universal could continue Wicked, and it’s time to talk about it.

How I Think A Wicked Followup Could Happen

While Universal could certainly try to continue the story after the events of the Broadway musical, I don’t think they should do that. I think the best way in would be to focus on one of these three arcs:

A Glinda Spinoff

The Wicked followup that feels the most “duh” to me is Ariana Grande reprising her role as Glinda for a bubblegum-pop filled journey through Oz. The pop queen really transformed into a movie star for these movies as an indisputable highlight of these adaptations, and it definitely felt like there was room for her character to expand even further by the end of For Good. After being kind of a hack witch throughout the events of both Wicked films, she finally was able to perform magic and she’ll certainly be facing a lot of new challenges as the new leader of Oz.

Recently, it was also announced that Wicked author Gregory Maguire is publishing a prequel called Galinda: A Charmed Childhood. I could see Universal deciding to adapt that along with adding some new material for Grande – perhaps as a brand new musical? It’s kind of a no-brainer if they can find writers who can really create a new story worth telling for her.

Perhaps the whole crux of a new Wicked movie is in the idea that Glinda thought Elphaba did die for years until she somehow discovers she’s been in hiding, and goes on a quest to save her from something. I’m also still on the edge of my seat about what happened to Tin Man after the events of For Good!

Son Of A Witch Adaptation

It’s also worth noting that Maguire has four Wicked novels, a sequel series called Another Day, a short story collection about Oz folklore and a prequel novel for Elphaba. The first sequel to the events of Wicked is called Son Of A Witch and it’s about the son of Elphaba and Fiyero. His name is Liir, and he’s a 14-year-old boy who goes on a quest to find his half sister in a politically-fractured Oz.

The reason why I think this is less likely to happen than a Glinda spinoff is because in the novel, Elphaba is already dead, and it’s even more dark than the original Wicked book. Since these movies have thus far been family friendly, perhaps Universal might loosely adapt it, or use it as an inspiration for a new story that’s still about Elphaba and Fiyero’s son?

A Movie About The Origins Of Oz

Another path down the yellow brick road Universal could take to continue the world of Wicked is by going back in time, using the prequel route, and telling the story of Oz. When fantasy or sci-fi movies are popular, Hollywood certainly likes this idea – think Star Wars or Hunger Games. I do think I’d be interested to know how Oz was able to trick the people of the fantastical world. He was an all powerful wizard for decades, but this would leave out one thing that makes Wicked so great: the female friendship between Glinda and Elphaba.

Personally, I don’t love any of these options, but I’m not the kind of genius who revitalized The Wizard of Oz into Wicked, either. No matter what happens, I think what would really get me to sit up and pay attention is if there was another Wicked movie musical, with some incredible talent behind it to expand a new corner of the world.

While thinking about what Universal might be “figuring out” from a fan’s perspective, I also think it would make sense for there to be a pretty significant wait for the next movie. For example, I think after a few years of missing Glinda, Elphaba and the world, I would be all in on going back to Oz and catching up with the poppy-filled fantasy land.

Anyways, this is quite a puzzle isn’t it? No matter what does or does not happen with Wicked at Universal, I feel I have been changed for good by the musical being adapted into films!

While some movies have dark or ambiguous endings, and some of them can be truly great, the happy ending is traditionally what we expect from our entertainment. We want our heroes to win, and the characters we’re emotionally invested in to be happy. However, unless a movie gets a sequel, we never really know what happens after the credits roll.

A recent post on Reddit has been getting a lot of attention, which suggests that some movies, while they might have a happy ending, leave things in a place where it’s actually logical to assume things won’t end up as a happily ever after, after all. The OP suggests that repopulating the Earth at the end of Wall-E probably isn’t going to go so well, considering nobody on the spacecraft has any idea how to do it. (I guess a little trial and error never hurt anyone.)

Others chimed in with similar unfortunate situations, including:

• Wizard of Oz , nothing changed because she had a dream, they are still killing Toto - No_Variety9420
• Snowpiercer. They definitely got eaten by that polar bear as soon as the movie ended. - morningnerds
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Congratulations Charlie, you now own the largest child endangerment class action lawsuit in the country - Ocounter1
• Back to the Future. George and Lorraine will soon realize that this is not the child they raised. - BitcoinMD
• I mean pretty much the entire class is getting expelled on the spot from the, no doubt very expensive, school the minute Mr Keating leaves the room at the end of Dead Poets Society, right? 🤔 - Academic_Visual116

As somebody whose kids recently watched The Wizard of Oz, I have to say I had exactly the same thought as the comment above, when thinking about the fact that, unlike the original novel, the movie suggests that Dorthey’s experience in Oz is entirely a dream. This means she’s simply returned to the same situation she was in that caused her to run away, and an angry woman has a court order requiring her dog to be put to sleep.

Some of these others are pretty good as well. It’s totally unclear exactly what happened to the other kids in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and while Wonka himself is probably on the hook personally, if Charlie is the owner of the factory, he might be found liable in court. Speaking of the court, I think things might end up being even worse for Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society. What happens if the parents of Neil think Keating is responsible for their son’s suicide, they could attempt to bring charges against him, and a lawsuit is almost a guarantee.

The Back to the Future comment is a key one as well, as time travel is one of those things that makes less sense the more one thinks about it. And Back to the Future's time travel makes far less sense than some other cinematic examples.

Honestly, this is all very depressing, as the more I think about it, the more I realize that a lot of movies might be darker than intended if you think about what happens next.

Throughout the 2000s, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson were some of the most famous young actors in Hollywood thanks to their leading roles in the Harry Potter movies. So while playing Harry, Ron and Hermione took up a lot of their time, that didn’t stop the trio from being pitched other movies to work on. One of them was a bizarre remake of The Wizard of Oz that Radcliffe immediately knew wouldn’t work.

The Harry Potter actor recalled this experience while appearing on Hot Ones to promote his new NBC comedy series The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, which premieres in its normal timeslot on the 2026 TV schedule February 23. When asked by host Sean Harris about “bizarre or unique” pitches he’s said yes to, Radcliffe instead went in the opposite direction, saying:

Um… what? I would love to pick the brain of the person who came up with that bonkers idea. I can at least understand wanting Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson to lead an adaptation of another popular fantasy novel, and I could see Watson at that age playing Dorothy. But it all falls apart with The Cowardly Lion busting out karate moves, and Radcliffe was not impressed with the premise. He continued:

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious to learn more about this Wizard of Oz remake and if it had any weird twists on Scarecrow and Tin Man. However, I agree with Daniel Radcliffe that we’re better off with this movie not being made into reality. Just the thought of seeing The Cowardly Lion karate-kicking flying monkeys is cringe-worthy.

Besides, it’s not like we’ve been lacking in new takes on Frank L. Baum’s original 1900 novel over the last few decades. Disney delivered Oz the Great and Powerful in 2013, and, of course, we went down a different kind of prequel route in 2024 and last year with the two-part adaptation of Wicked. Then on TV, there was the then-Sci-Fi Channel’s Tin Man miniseries in 2007 and the short-lived series Emerald City that aired on NBC in 2017. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will continue to be adapted in various ways, but the one Daniel Radcliffe was pitched just wasn’t necessary.

In addition to The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Daniel Radcliffe can also now be seen alongside Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez in a filmed production of Broadway’s Merrily We Roll Along, which is available for purchase on digital. You can also revisit his Harry Potter years with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson by streaming those movies with your HBO Max subscription.

A number of movie musicals have won Best Picture over the years, and we'll have to see if Jon M. Chu's Wicked: For Good joins those ranks. Wicked's sequel is killing it at the box office, and both franchise and stage show have a ton of fans. And it looks like the property is expanding, as author Gregor Maguire revealed that he's got a Glinda prequel novel coming out next year titled Galinda: A Charmed Childhood. As someone who is a hardcore Wicked fan, I've got complicated feelings about this choice.

I grew up obsessed with the musical, and have been a Wicked Act II apologist from the jump. While I adored seeing the story on the big screen, I'm not sure that it needs to be further expanded. Deadline reported that Maguire's novel is coming next year, and now I'm worried that Universal will end up making a book to screen adaptation that will make Wicked into a full-blown movie franchise.

Wicked broke box office records upon its release, and For Good was similarly successful. And with so many movies flopping nowadays, it makes sense that Universal might want to cash in on this enthusiasm however it can. But I'm worried that more movies will end up cheapening the legacy of Jon M. Chu's pair of musical blockbusters.

The idea of a Galinda prequel is also a bit puzzling. Mostly because when we meet the character in Wicked she's still very much still stuck in her old ways. Her privilege makes her blind how she could offend others, particularly Elphaba and Boq. What's great about the story is seeing how she matures and grows thanks the two women's friendship. So how much story will there be in a book (and possible movie) that's all about Galinda's early life?

Obviously there's no guarantee that Galinda: A Charmed Childhood will be made into a movie, but this isn't the first time that someone from the Wicked team has hinted at expanding the franchise. Composer Stephen Schwartz has also hinted at a spinoff project, telling The Ankler:

While Universal hasn't made any announcements about continuing the Wicked franchise, the fact that both the writers of the novel and musical are interesting in expanding the world might hint that there's more to come. The first movie (which is streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription) was an Oscar-nominated success, and if For Good also gets nods then it might further encourage the studio to move forward with more stories set in Oz.

Wicked: For Good is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list. As for Galinda: A Charmed Childhood, that book is currently expected to arrive September 29th, 2026.

A number of musicals have won Best Picture over the years, and another contender is coming in the form of Jon M. Chu's Wicked: For Good. The first movie (which is streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription) was an Oscar-nominated success, and anticipation for the sequel is sky high. Moviegoers are expecting Dorothy Gale to factor into the drama, although it turns out that we won't see the Wizard of Oz protagonist's face throughout its runtime. Chu explained why this was a purposeful choice, and it makes a great deal of sense.

What we know about Wicked: For Good depends on how well you know the stage musical. But even hardcore fans will seemingly be surprised, including the two new songs written by Stephen Schwartz. In an interview with People, the Crazy Rich Asians director explained why we won't see Dorothy's face in the sequel, saying:

This makes a great deal of sense narratively, and also continued in the trend of the stage show. In it Dorothy off stage and referenced, except for the ending where her shadow is seen throwing a bucket of water on Elphaba a la The Wizard of Oz. There's been online debate about who is playing Dorothy in Wicked: For Good, but it seems like that discourse was ultimately for nothing.

Prior to these latest comments, Jon M. Chu teased how much Dorothy we'll see in Wicked's sequel. While footage has shown her alongside the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion, we seemingly shouldn't expect her to have any lines of dialogue. At least not enough to warrant showing her face in For Good. After all, she's not the focus of this particular story. That honor goes to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo's Glinda and Elphaba.

Despite this, Dorothy and her friends have been featured pretty heavily in Wicked: For Good's trailers. This is presumably thanks to the ongoing fan love for The Wizard of Oz, hopefully convincing non-musical fans to head to theaters and see it for themselves. We just shouldn't expect too much from Judy Garland's signature character.

While Dorothy's face won't be featured in For Good, the same can't be said for her friend. I won't spoil how the Scarecrow and Tin Mn factor into the story, but Colman Domingo is voicing The Cowardly Lion in the sequel. How much we'll hear from his remains to be seen, but this is definitely something fans are interested in.

All will be revealed when Wicked: For Good hits theaters on November 21st as part of the 2025 movie release list. The early buzz for the sequel is overwhelmingly positive, so we'll have to see if it manages to beat out the success of its predecessor.

A number of movie musicals have won Best Picture over the years, and that could happen again this Awards Season thanks to Jon M. Chu's Wicked: For Good. After the first Wicked crushed at the box office (and streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription). The wait is nearly over, and it was just revealed that Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo will be voicing the Cowardly Lion. And fan are totally reaking out about it.

What we know about Wicked: For Good is changing everyday as we get closer to its release in November. There's been some question about who will be playing the Lion, with Chu teasing that moviegoers will be hyped. Now we can confirm that's true, with Domingo posting on Instagram about his role. Check it out below:

And just like that, the acclaimed actor has joined the adventures of Oz in Wicked: For Good. It's unclear how large the role of The Cowardly Lion will be, given he doesn't have much to do in the stage musical. But with a talent like Colman Domingo voicing him, I have to assume he'll have more lines than what Broadway fans are used to.

While this casting might be a surprise, it seems to be a happy one. Fans immediately took to the comments section to share their excitement about star of Euphoria (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription) joining the Wizard of Oz prequel. Some choice comments include:

• AHHHHHHHH!!! ICONICAL - caras_atl
• It’s not James Cordon? 😔 - movieswithepicz
• Jon chu, it is my birthday. This is the best birthday gift a young woman could ever ask for. I am so thankful for you and Coleman and the wicked movie. - alyssa.hinson
• Listennnnnnn!!!! And I can’t waitttttt to see what he wears on the red carpet 😩😭😭 - magicallyadulting_
• Surprised they shared this before the premiere, but I am so thrilled! 🦁 - lorimarie703

Clearly audiences are hyped about this casting, even if we haven't actually heard Domingo as The Cowardly Lion yet. The character was shown briefly in the Wicked: For Good trailer, but we likely won't hear his voice until the sequel hits theaters. Luckily, the wait is nearly over.

Those who watched the first Wicked movie will recall how the Cowardly Lion briefly appeared as a cub. After Doctor Dillamond is removed from Shiz University, a new teacher comes in to show the wonders of putting an animal in the cage. Eventually Elphaba and Fiyero step in and rescue the little guy, setting him free in the forest before Cynthia Erivo sings "I'm Not That Girl."

Exactly how this beloved Wizard of Oz character factors into the story when Wicked: For Good hits theaters on November 21st as part of the 2025 movie release list. But this casting should only help to further increase excitment over the project

If you’re paying attention to the 2025 movie calendar, you know we’re just a month away from the release of Wicked: For Good. If you’re already familiar with the hit Broadway musical, you may think you know what’s coming for the storyline and songs, but there are so many surprises in the movie that have yet to be revealed. One of them is concerning The Cowardly Lion and who will be voicing the role.

When director Jon M. Chu spoke to Deadline about the making of Wicked: For Good, he teased that we should be getting excited for the mysterious actor behind The Cowardly Lion. He said that he approached the star about the part via an Instagram direct message. In his words:

Now, this is an interesting mystery. Who could it be? It must be someone pretty good if he’s talking about them like this, but they’d also have to have an Instagram as well. The director also said this:

Now that’s something fun to ponder ahead of Wicked: For Good hitting theaters next month. Of course, I looked online to see what people are guessing, but the guesses run the gamut way too much for there to be really any contender for us to talk about at the moment. It must be someone big, but who?

Wicked: For Good is set to not only continue the story of Glinda and Elphaba’s storyline after they met the Wizard of Oz together and went on separate paths, but it will also feature a spin on the classic story of Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion’s journey to Oz as well. (I know I was skeptical about Wicked being two movies, but knowing how much story there is to cover, I’m extremely excited that it was split up.)

Aside from the Cowardly Lion tease from Chu, the director has recently talked about how the Tin Man and Scarecrow will have “incredible” practical makeup and costumes. He also confirmed that Dorothy’s face won’t really be featured after previously telling CinemaBlend, “I do think it's important for whoever Dorothy is to you, to try to respect that as much as possible,” back in December.

If the story of Wicked is completely new to you, I might suggest you avoid the final Wicked: For Good trailer, but boy, are we excited for all the answers (new and old) to reveal themselves to audiences when the movie hits theaters on November 21.

Last week, The Wizard of Oz at Sphere in Las Vegas debuted, and it immediately wowed audiences. It’s not something you’ll find on the 2025 movie schedule, because from the videos I’ve seen, it’s a whole lot more than just a cinema experience. We’ve talked a lot about 4DX movies here at CinemaBlend, but Sphere takes that to a whole new level, and the videos that have begun circulating on social media show just how amazing its first major motion picture experience is.

Now, it’s time to up the ante and combine two of the best works of art in the 20th Century, The Wizard of Oz and Pink Floyd’s legendary Dark Side of the Moon, just like I used to on my 27” tube TV in college in the ‘90s. It's already a big time for the classic story, with the box office success of Wicked. Let's keep things rolling!

The Wizard Of Oz Looks Like An Incredible Experience

When I first started seeing videos pop up on Instagram over the weekend, when The Wizard of Oz began its run, I immediately started plotting a quick weekend jaunt out to Sin City to see it. I was lucky enough to catch four Phish shows at Sphere in 2024, and I was blown away by the screen, sure, but even more by the sound of the cutting-edge venue. For The Wizard of Oz, they pulled out all the stops:

The chairs shake, the wind blows, the leaves and apples fall from the ceiling, and that screen looks incredible, especially when you consider the movie is almost 90 years old (yet still incredibly influential). I scoffed at the ticket prices at first (even the most affordable tickets are over $100), but it's easy to see from the videos that a ton of production went into this, and the prices, though shocking for a movie, are understandable.

Let’s Use That Sound System For Some Pink Floyd!

Long before anyone knew what “going viral” meant in a pop culture kind of way, we had things like “Dark Side of the Rainbow.” With a lot of people in my generation, word spread from coast to coast that if you hit play on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at the right time at the start of the movie (the second time the MGM lion roars), the music and the lyrics would sync up almost perfectly with the visuals of The Wizard of Oz.

For a while, we were doing it every weekend, it seems. We would argue over whether it was done on purpose by David Gilmour and company, or if it was just a happy accident (it’s the latter), and we loved every second of it. It’s an album I’ve loved since junior high, and I still love today, even if I’ve heard it hundreds or thousands of times at this point in my life. Now, I want to hear it with that incredible sound system at Sphere, while feeling the wind blown during the tornado with Clare Torry's powerful voice belting out the singing in “Great Gig In The Sky.”

I’m still going to try to get out to Vegas for the “regular” version of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, but if they cut a deal with Pink Floyd and combine it with Dark Side, and add it to the 2026 movie schedule, I’ll be first in line.

This Pride Month, we continue to celebrate the representation of LGBTQ+ people in media here on CinemaBlend as the month itself was created as a way to commemorate the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Since the first Wicked: For Good trailer finally dropped during the first week of June, it’s a great time to talk about the lasting impact of the musical’s connection to the queer community.

From its roots in The Wizard of Oz to the coming release of Wicked: For Good this November, the cultural phenomenon has long found a deep connection with queer people. Let’s get into it, because it’s an important piece of its legacy.

The Wizard Of Oz Has Long Been Thought Of As Queer-Coded

You can’t really talk about Wicked without going way back in time and starting with The Wizard of Oz. Based on the Oz books from L. Frank Baum, one of the most iconic movies ever made by Hollywood is of course 1939’s The Wizard of Oz movie starring Judy Garland. It’s a classic-period to every fan of cinema, but it also holds a lot of significance to the queer community.

No, there’s not explicitly any LGBTQ+ characters in the musical fantasy, but there’s something about Dorothy leaving her black and white world to go “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” that does make it explicitly queer coded. When Dorothy arrives in the beautiful Technicolor world of Oz, she finds solace in a group of outsiders like herself coming together to protect her. The movie’s “found family” story has resonated with queer audiences for decades, especially before there were actual queer characters anywhere to be found in media. There’s also this camp quality to the movie that has long served as inspiration for the queer community, particularly through drag queen performances.

And these days The Wizard Of Oz is so intertwined with the LGBTQ+ community that it’s hard to even separate the two, such as the saying “friend of Dorothy” becoming a code gay men used to identify each other and themselves back in the day when many more were closeted. Or, there being speculation that The Wizard Of Oz in part inspired the Pride Flag being a rainbow as a reference to the film as well, per Queer Sites by David Higgs (via Google Books).

There’s also the piece that Judy Garland is hailed as a gay icon, too. LGBTQ+ scholar Nathaniel Frank said (via EW) because she “compared herself to a wind-up doll, manufactured by adults for their entertainment” and was “was never able to really be herself. And yet, when she performed, she exhibited this level of authentic emotion,” she developed such a prominent following of gay fans who could identify with her struggles, and came in droves to support her during her career.

The Wicked Book Makes The Romantic Undertones To Glinda And Elphaba’s Relationship Canon

With all that history in context, let’s move over to Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch (which became a series of four books). The novelist, who is gay himself, decided to explore the origin story of the Wicked Witch through his book series before it would become the hit musical a few years short of a decade later that we all know and love. After years of readers sensing some romantic tension between Elphaba and Glinda in the book, including through the characters sharing a kiss in one moment, Maguire said this to Them in 2024:

In the book itself, Elphaba and Glinda never get into an official relationship together, but there’s absolutely some romantic tension between the pair throughout in a way that could be seen as a romance for those who want to ship them, or a complex friendship for those who want to see it too. As Maguire shared in the above statement, he didn’t want to make a “declarative statement” about their relationship, and so he didn’t. This certainly carries over to the musical and the movie, though there is never a kiss in the musical from Stephen Schwartz.

Elphaba’s Arc Is A Queer Allegory, Too

When it comes to Wicked the book and musical, it’s also worth noting that aside from a hint of romance between its two main female characters, perhaps even greater is the queer allegory at the center of Wicked Witch’s arc. In both versions Elphaba, has to deal with the ramifications of being different (since she has green skin), and through her journey to become the Wicked Witch she accepts herself for who she is. Particularly through the song “Defying Gravity,” she finds power in being green, and chooses to lean into it rather than hide who she is. The song is thought of a gay anthem just like The Wizard Of Oz’s “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”.

The Movies Feature Numerous Queer Actors

And when it comes to the cast of the Wicked movies, the production has stayed true to the queer history of the title by casting predominantly LGBTQ+ actors in many of the main roles. Cynthia Erivo (Elphaba), Jonathan Bailey (Fiyero). Marissa Bode (Nessarose), Bowen Yang (Pfannee) and Bronwyn James (ShenShen) are all queer actors.

So, there’s no doubt The Wizard of Oz and Wicked belong to the LGBTQ+ community, and have connected so deeply to the queer community for years. But perhaps what sets it apart from other more niche new LGBTQ+ movies is that the beauty of the Wonderful World of Oz is how it’s made to appeal to everyone. Whether you are a gay person who loves the Glinda/Elphaba relationship, or someone with no ties whatsoever to this context, it’s clearly been made for anyone to enjoy and feel connected, and will continue to for generations to come. We can’t wait for Wicked: For Good, which is part of the 2025 movie release calendar to hit theaters on November 21.

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved stories in fiction, and thanks to Wicked it has once again become one of the most successful franchises around. While it isn’t technically connected to the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland, the first chapter of Wicked took many visual queues from the popular film. The daughter of Judy Garland says she doesn’t think her mother would have any problem with that, and she believes Garland would have been very welcoming to Jon M. Chu's film.

Lorna Luft, one of Garland’s daughters, recently spoke with People and when asked about the new musical hit, Luft was confident that her mother would have been a fan. She said plainly:

The Wizard of Oz used to air on TV every year around Thanksgiving, and so I watched it once a year like clockwork. Since that era ended, however, it's been a really long time since I've seen the classic film. After having watched Wicked and thinking about Judy Garland now, it makes me want to revisit the old film again.

Garland’s role as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz is the actress’ most iconic performance. For many, the film version is the definitive version of The Wizard of Oz, supplanting even the book the movie was based on. Judy Garland made some incredible movies in her career, but it will always come back to The Wizard of Oz.

It’s not difficult to imagine that Judy Garland would have loved Wicked. She wasn’t just a movie star but a major Broadway force as well. One imagines she could have been a huge fan of the original show that inspired the Wicked movie, and then seeing it become a movie would have been another level of joy.

While Lorna Luft is sure that her mother would have loved Wicked, there is something she’s less confident about. When asked what part of Wicked would have been her mom’s favorite, Luft isn’t so sure, saying:

To be fair there are probably a lot of Wicked fans who have trouble deciding what they’re favorite part of the first movie is. While “Defying Gravity” is the most iconic song, there are plenty of other pieces that had people signing in the theater when the movie came out.

Of course, if we believe Judy Garland loved Wicked: Part One, then one can only imagine how much she would enjoy Wicked: For Good. The second Wicked movie, which will encompass Act Two of the stage musical, will see large parts of the story taking place concurrently with the events of The Wizard of Oz.

While Dorthy isn’t traditionally a major character in the story, director Jon M. Chu has confirmed that Dorthy has a role in the next movie. One has to guess Judy Garland would have gotten a kick out of seeing her iconic film from a different perspective.

Some call it the "Mandela Effect," but really, movies have been getting misquoted since the dawn of Hollywood. Usually, the quotes are close to correct, but there is still something clearly off about them. It can even lead to huge arguments when the more famous version of a quote is wrong (We're looking at you Darth Vader). Here is our list of movie quotes that people always get wrong.

"Luke, I am your father." - The Empire Strikes Back

It may be the most famous misquote of all time. At the end of Empire Strikes Back, after Luke and Darth Vader have battled to the edge, and with Luke hanging on for dear life, Darth takes a moment to tell him who his father is. "Luke, I am your father," is not what Vader says, however. Luke tells Vader that Obi-Wan told Luke that Vader had killed his father, and Vader says, "No, I am your father!"

"Play it again, Sam." - Casablanca

Yes, Sam is the piano player. And yes "As Time Goes By" is Rick and Ilsa's song in Casablanca, but at no point in the movie does anyone say "Play it again, Sam." Instead, what most people are misremembering is Ilsa requesting the song when she first walks into Rick's Cafe. What she actually says is "Play it once, Sam"

“Beam me up, Scotty." - Star Trek

"Beam me up, Scotty" has become one of the most iconic quotes from the entire Star Trek franchise. The only problem is that no one, not Captain Kirk, not Spock, not Bones... no one, ever actually used that line in the whole history of the TV or in any of the movies that followed. It is, more or less, completely made up. Kirk does say "Scotty, beam us up," in one episode, but that's as close as anyone gets.

“We’re going to need a bigger boat.” - Jaws

This one is close. Very close. The line Brody actually says in Jaws is "You're gonna need a bigger boat." The confusion may come from Clerks, where Randal misquotes it as "We're."

"Hello, Clarice" - The Silence Of The Lambs

This one is hard for people to believe, but Hannibal Lector doesn't say "Hello, Clarice" when the two characters meet in Silence Of The Lambs. It wouldn't even make sense, as they have yet to formally meet, so he would never be so informal. Instead, he simply greets her with "Good morning."

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” - Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

This one is a little tricky. In Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, the witch is often quoted as saying "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" That is, in fact how it is written in the original story that the movie is based on, including in the original German. BUT, in the movie, the quote is actually "Magic, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

“Do ya feel lucky, punk?” - Dirty Harry

Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) doesn't actually say the exact line "Do ya feel lucky, punk?” in Dirty Harry. It's close, but what the hard-boiled detective says is "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky? ' Well, do ya punk?”

"Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" - The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre

The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre is a legendary movie starring Humphrey Bogart, but the most famous line from the movie actually comes from the leader of a Mexican gang they come across as they search for the treasure. The line "Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" has been misquoted many, many times over the years in many movies and in pop culture. The original line in the movie is, "Badges? We don't have no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges!"

“If you build it, they will come.” - Field Of Dreams

This is another one that people always just miss by a nose. When you hear the famous quote that the voice from beyond in Field Of Dreams says, usually it's "If you build it, they will come." It probably is due to the long line of cars at the end of the movie that coming to watch the baseball and save the farm. Instead, what the mysterious voice actually says is "If you build it, he will come," meaning Kevin Costner's character's father.

“I’m king of the world!” - Titanic

This one is really getting pedantic, but while we're here, let's get it right. When quoting Leonardo DiCaprio's character in Titanic, most people say, "I'm king of the world!" What the character actually says on the prow of the ill-fated ship is "I'm the king of the world!" Yeah, pedantic, we know.

“Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?” - The Graduate

The Graduate is a stone-cold classic about a college guy having an affair with the older friend of his parents. There is no question what is going on in the scene where this famous line comes from, but doesn't actually go down like this. Instead of asking, "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?" what Ben (Dustin Hoffman) actually declares is, "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me!"

“Mama always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’” - Forrest Gump

This is one that we're really splitting hairs with, but while we're doing this list, we might as well get them all out of the way. In Forrest Gump, Gump actually says "My mama always said life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get." It's usually misquoted as "life is like a box of chocolates."

"Cowabunga, dude." - The Simpsons

This is a pretty odd one. It's pretty clearly a mashup of two different IPs that both came to prominence around the same time. Bart Simpson has never said "Cowabunga, dude" in the whole history of The Simpsons. "Cowabunga, dude" comes from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While Bart does say "Aye Carumba," he doesn't ever quote the Turtles.

"Houston we have a problem" - Apollo 13

This one goes back way further than 1995's Apollo 13. This line, or the real line, was first uttered by Jack Swigert during the actual Apollo 13 mission in 1970. What Swigert actually said was, "Houston, we've had a problem here." Captain Jim Lovell repeated it in real life. In the movie, all you hear is Hanks say "Houston we have a problem." So the movie is actually doing what everyone else had been doing, misquoting the now famous line.

“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore" - The Wizard Of Oz

“I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" has become one of the most famous misquotes in Hollywood history. It's been said in movies and TV shows for decades. Of course, it's not what Dorothy actually said in The Wizard of Oz. The exact quote is actually, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.”

"Greed is good." - Wall Street

In Wall Street, Michael Douglas plays one of the best villains of the 1980s, and his character, Gordon Gekko, definitely believes that greed is good. That's not exactly how it expresses the sentiment. In the famous speech, Gekko says, "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." We've all shortened to what many believe is now the actual quote.

"A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do" - Hondo

“A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do," has become more than just a famous line by the legendary John Wayne. It's become a modern mantra. Unfortunately, like the other famous lines on this list, it's quoted incorrectly The real line said by The Duke is "A man oughta do what he thinks is best." Quite different, don't you think?

"What if I told you..." - The Matrix

One of the most famous misquotes ever, and it's all due to modern memes is Morpheus saying "What if I told you..." in The Matrix. Though the meme's photo does come from the scene where Morpheus is telling Neo about the matrix, he never actually says those words at any point.

“I’m ready for my close-up now, Mr. DeMille.” - Sunset Boulevard

The ending of Sunset Boulevard is one of the most iconic scenes of all time. As Gloria Swanson, as NormaDesmond, makes her way down the stairs, she turns to the camera and says “I’m ready for my close-up now, Mr. DeMille.” Except, that's not exactly what she says, we get it backwards. What she actually says is, "Alright, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Same effect, but slightly different wording, just like most of the quotes on this list.

The great thing about fiction is it allows people to temporarily suspend their disbelief for the sake of entertainment. Many of the most beloved movies of all time have strange and downright ridiculous premises if you try to explain them out loud, but their strangeness is a part of their charm. Here are 32 films with absolutely ridiculous plots.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

This movie was a critical and commercial darling, and its plot is utterly bizarre. A disillusioned laundromat operator traverses the multiverse, battles soldiers masquerading as IRS office workers, and dances with hot dog fingers in order to save her estranged, nihilistic daughter. It is, by far, one of the best and zaniest Best Picture winners that we’ve seen in a very long time.

21 Jump Street (2012)

On the surface this film seems relatively normal: it’s the classic tale of an awkward nerd and a dumb, handsome jock forming an unlikely duo while navigating the trials and tribulations of high school. Only this time, they’re also buddy cops going undercover as high school students in a sting operation to arrest the dealer of a new illicit drug. And, fittingly, the movie’s visuals are just as trippy as its premise.

Legally Blonde (2001)

In many ways, Legally Blonde was ahead of its time due to how it disrupted harmful stereotypes about hyper-feminine women. Its plot is still a bit goofy though, as it involves a popular, blonde sorority girl working her behind off to secure a spot at one of the most competitive law schools in the country, just to prove to her pretentious ex-boyfriend that she’s worthy of him taking her seriously. Thankfully the film ends with her ditching the loser and discovering a true penchant for law.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

One of the highest-grossing films of all time has one of the most convoluted plots of all time. A billionaire, retired superhero and his team invent time travel so that he and his fellow superheroes can travel to different timelines and capture magical, rainbow-colored stones so that they can reverse the devastating effects of a purple villain’s success in eliminating half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. Don’t worry, though: you only have to watch 21 films to understand it.

Poor Things (2023)

This colorful, quirky science fiction movie earned Emma Stone her second Oscar, and by just listening to its plot, it’s clear to see why. Stone portrays a woman whose brain has been replaced by that of an infant, and in the beginning of the film she cannot even properly pronounce the word “blood,” but by the end, she is studying to become a doctor. The dramatic transformation she undergoes, while traipsing around Europe and learning philosophy, is equally strange and impressive.

Back To The Future (1985)

Back to the Future is widely thought of as the quintessential time travel movie, and the implications of its time travel are seismic. A teenager accidentally travels 30 years into the past after meeting his eccentric science friend, and while stuck in the past, he inadvertently interferes with the relationship of his teenage parents, which threatens his very existence. Now he has to ensure that the couple stays together before he is erased from history, while dealing with the uncomfortable fact that his teenage mother has taken a liking to him.

The Mask (1994)

Back in the ‘90s, Jim Carrey was arguably the King of Ridiculous Movies, and his turn as Stanley Ipkiss in the mask not only allowed him to show off his excellent comedic sensibilities, but also his amazing face acting and physical capabilities, as his character quite literally turns into a cartoon come to life with a neon green face after donning a magical mask. The bad CGI stretching and morphing only adds to the zany enjoyment of the movie.

Happy Death Day (2017)

There is no worse birthday present than death, and this film forces its protagonist to endure it every birthday. The protagonist, a mean sorority girl, dies on her birthday, and she is forced to relive the tragic day every single day until she figures out who the person responsible is. Also, she has limited time to figure out who the person is before she dies for real (as in, she stops coming back to life).

The Boss Baby (2017)

A lot of animated movies lean into the fact that they are marketed towards kids, and there are few better examples than The Boss Baby. This zany movie’s plot involves the existence of an absurd baby-making corporation in the clouds that delivers a baby with hopes of rising the corporate ladder to a family with a disgruntled former only child, and the unlikely brother duo must work together to stop puppies from becoming the most loved creatures in the world.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)

Speaking of absurd animated movies, the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise as a whole is pretty bizarre with its takes on marine life, but its movie definitely pushes the boundaries of what’s believable. In this movie, Plankton steals King Neptune’s crown and frames Mr. Krabs for it, just so Neptune will punish Krabs and give Plankton a chance to steal his coveted burger recipe, sell those burgers at his restaurant, and become dictator of Bikini Bottom. And it’s up to SpongeBob and Patrick to retrieve the crown while driving in a car made out of a Krabby Patty.

Home Alone (1990)

The ridiculousness of Home Alone’s plot likely comes from the fact that such a scenario happening in real life would be deeply sad. A young boy, who already feels like an outsider in his own family, is left behind by said family when they go on a Christmas vacation. And if this minor being left unattended isn’t bad enough, he is forced to set up elaborate, dangerous traps to ward off persistent, home invaders.

Divergent (2014)

The Divergent movie was just one of a multitude of young adult, dystopian franchise films that became massively popular during the 2010s, and it, by far, has the most head-scratching premise. In its future, what’s left of humanity after a cataclysmic war has divided itself into factions based on rudimentary personality traits, such as kindness and honesty. In this reality, you are seen as a massive threat that must be eliminated if you dare to be intelligent, honest, and selfless at the time.

Barbie (2023)

Stereotypical Barbie spends most of her life in an idyllic, woman-ruled, plastic paradise until one day she begins to experience existential dread and the horrible tragedies of cellulite and flat feet. She must then embark on a journey from her perfect Barbie Land to the Real World and discover the meaning of life and womanhood in a male-dominated world. And Ken’s also there, but he’s just Ken.

Cocaine Bear (2023)

The ridiculousness of this movie’s plot can really be summed up with its title. After sacks of cocaine fall into the woods, a bear accidentally becomes addicted to it and attacks the residents of a small town. While this sounds like the plot of a horror movie, it’s actually quite hilarious in the stupidest way possible, because the amount of opportunities these people are given to escape from or incapacitate the bear are numerous, and yet they choose idiocy every single time.

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Harry Potter’s story has become such a classic by now, that it’s hard to think that at one point it was another strange idea that had to be marketed to the world. In the first movie, Harry is an orphaned boy that is neglected and mistreated by his foster family, only to be politely kidnapped by a gentle giant who tells him he’s a wizard and sends him off to attend a magical boarding school. Also, a fully grown wizard has hated him since he was a baby, because that’s normal.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

It’s normal when starting a new relationship with someone to not want to think about or compare yourself to their exes. Now, imagine that not only did you have to meet all seven of their exes, but you had to battle them to the death too, preferably in video game combat style. Those are the insane lengths Scott Pilgrim goes through to be with Ramona Flowers.

Twilight (2008)

It’s a tale as old as time: a teenage girl who hates the cold and rain moves to the Pacific Northwest to live with her distant father to allow her mother to travel the country with her new husband, and, while in the Pacific Northwest, said teenage girl meets and falls in love with a sparkly, 108-year-old vampire that not so secretly wants to drink her blood. And then, they live happily ever after or something like that.

The Princess Bride (1987)

The best part of The Princess Bride is its ridiculousness. There’s such a warmth to the film due to the fact that it obviously does not take itself seriously, exemplified by the princess herself being named “Buttercup,” she pushes the man whom she believed took the life of her former lover down a hill, only to realize said man is her true love, and rolls down the hill with him. And this is all after he incapacitates the three men who kidnap her. And that's just the beginning!

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The most-seen film in movie history also has the most beloved, ridiculous plot in movie history. A young girl and her dog get caught in a tornado, and the storm transports them to a faraway land where there are good witches, bad witches, flying monkeys, talking lions and scarecrows and more. And in order for her to get home, she has to follow a yellow brick road in ruby red slippers.

Despicable Me (2010)

In this silly tale, a villain, seeking to earn more respect in the villain community, plots to steal the moon, which is simple enough. So, obviously, the best way to go about doing so is adopting three orphaned girls and sending the girls to sell cookies at his villain competitor’s house, so that he can infiltrate said house and steal the competitor’s shrink ray to successfully steal the moon. At least, that’s what Despicable Me tries to convince its admittedly very young audience makes sense.

White Chicks (2004)

It’s common to look back at media from decades again with a modern perspective and assess whether said media from that earlier time would be made today. This movie is a clear example of one that is a product of its time, not only because of its crass racial humor, but also because of its dumbfounding plot: two Black, male FBI agents masquerade as blonde white women to protect two social heiresses from being kidnapped. Hijinks ensue, and lewd jokes abound.

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

When your movie is being led by comedic genius Robin Williams, it’s likely to have a ridiculous plot, and Mrs. Doubfire is no exception. In this family-friendly flick, Williams portrays an unemployed voice actor going through a difficult divorce. After he is only granted supervised visitation rights to his kids, he comes up with an outrageous plan to spend more time with him: pose as an elderly, female nanny named “Mrs. Doubtfire.”

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

In this film’s universe, all major, commercial holidays coexist with one another and have their own lands which can be accessed by secret, tree-encased portals. The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town becomes disillusioned with his life there, stumbles across the Christmas portal, and falls in love. He does everything in his power to introduce his own, twisted form of Christmas to his macabre home, to limited success.

The Parent Trap (1998)

In yet another case of questionable parenting, a British woman falls in love with and marries an American man, and she gives birth to twin daughters. The couple divorced shortly after the girls are born, and instead of trying to work out a joint custody situation, the parents decide to keep one daughter each and raise her in their respective home countries and pretend the other daughter does not exist. This eventually leads to the girls meeting each other and learning of each other’s existence for the very first time at summer camp, and after a period of rivalry, they decide to join forces to get their parents back together.

13 Going On 30 (2004)

This is another movie that shows you how weird its plot is just with its title. An awkward, 13-year-old wants to skip the uncool parts of life and live life as a successful, 30-year-old woman in New York. And on her birthday, she gets her wish, waking up in the body of a rich, stylish magazine editor with a not-so-great personality. The most bizarre, yet impressive part of this movie is watching Jennifer Gardner portray a 30-year-old woman with the brain of a 13-year-old girl who’s trying to pretend like she’s a 30-year-old woman.

Shazam! (2019)

If you were to ask a child what their dream superpower is, becoming an adult probably wouldn’t be their tenth choice, let alone their top choice, but Billy Batson in Shazam! makes it look super cool. After being chosen by an ancient wizard, the foster kid, can now morph into a fully grown man at will by yelling “Shazam!” and he gets a suite of cool powers.

Central Intelligence (2016)

Few Hollywood best friends are more endearing than Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, and their on-screen chemistry comes to life in this silly buddy cop action movie. Johnson’s character is a formerly obese nerd turned jacked CIA agent who needs Hart’s character’s accounting skills, even though the latter hasn’t seen the former since his days as a star athlete. Of course, they save the world in the campiest, most hilarious ways.

Spy Kids (2001)

Surely many kids have wondered what their lives would be like if their mild-mannered, suburban, if a little boring, parents were actually top-secret spies. Well for the brother-sister duo in this movie, that lifestyle is anything but fun as it leads to them being captured by a villain with giant, sentient thumbs for minions. And, that’s not even the weirdest part.

Matilda (1996)

A young, precocious girl is neglected by her family, so she finds solace in reading a lot. Unlocking so much of her brain’s potential at a such young age grants her telekinetic abilities, which she uses to enact revenge on her parents and awful principal, Ms. Trunchbull.

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

A mysterious, eccentric chocolatier, invites a select group of children with accompanying guardians to his famed chocolate factory, only to discover that there are horrors at every turn, including chewing gum that can turn you into a human-sized blueberry and fizzy drinks that cause you to float, which is fun, until you’re dangerously close to a whirring ceiling fan. The only reason this film is thought of as cheerful and child-friendly, and not downright terrifying, is because it hams up how utterly ridiculous it is.

Alvin And The Chipmunks (2007)

A live-action movie with talking animals will always necessitate some suspension of disbelief, but when those talking animals are chipmunks that also sing, and quickly become the world’s biggest pop stars, at some point a line is crossed and any semblance of realism has flown out the window. The only thing more ridiculous than the rodent singers themselves are all the times their manager, turned adoptive father Dave screams “Alvin!”

The Nutty Professor (1996)

In this movie, Eddie Murphy portrays a brilliant, obese professor who develops a groundbreaking weight-loss formula. Insecure about his size and eager to impress the girl of his dreams, the professor tests out the drug on himself, and he successfully slims down, only for the thin version of himself to develop an evil alter ego and fight to take over the professor’s life permanently. Not only are the performances of this film hilarious and outlandish, especially with Eddie Murphy playing multiple roles, but the visual gags of the professor switching between his thin and large self are something to behold.

Glinda descending in her bubble at the beginning of Wicked and singing “No One Mourns the Wicked” is honestly unforgettable. In both the Broadway musical and the film that just premiered on the 2024 movie schedule, it’s an iconic opening moment that features a jaw-dropping and detailed gown. However, there’s a big difference between the two as Ariana Grande’s dress (which took 225 hours to make, by the way) directly pays homage to The Wizard of Oz while the stage production does not, and we finally know why that’s the case.

On Broadway, Glinda’s opening gown is a pale blue color. Meanwhile, in the film, it’s pink – just like the character's dress in the original Wizard of Oz film (which you can stream with a Max subscription). According to costume designer Paul Tazewell, they wanted to directly pay homage to the OG movie, which is something the stage production wasn’t allowed to do, as he explained to People:

For context, Wicked the musical is based on the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire. In the 2003 Broadway adaptation, Glinda wears many colors that are not pink, which veers away from the color pallet of the character in The Wizard of Oz film. As the costume designer explained, there were legal issues with using that signature color on stage, and that’s why they didn’t do it.

However, when it came time to make the movie, they were able to get clearance and use the light pink color that is synonymous with The Good Witch.

After explaining the color debacle, and the amazing fact that they were able to make their garment pink, Tazewell broke down the other parallel between Grande’s dress and the one Billie Burke wore in The Wizard of Oz. Not only is it similar in color, it has a comparable silhouette too, as he said:

It’s details like this that prove why Wicked is getting five-star reviews. The care and work put into legendary pieces of wardrobe like this and Cynthia Erivo’s witch hat help tell the story of Glinda and Elphaba, and it makes the world of Oz even more immersive.

Now, if learning all this wasn’t mind-blowing enough, just wait until you hear the numbers that go with the making of Glinda’s dress. It took 225 hours of hand-beading and over 20,000 beads to craft it. On top of that, there were 137 pattern pieces used to craft the layered pink gown.

Overall, all of this came together to create an unforgettable costume for Ariana Grande to wear during this flash-forward that shows her witch after the journey she and Elphaba go on in Wicked. It’s detailed, gorgeous, extra and totally Glinda, and it’s an indicator of who she becomes over the course of this story. To me, that’s wonderful and proves the power of a great costume.

The cherry on top is the fact that it also pays homage to the film that came before it, 1939’s The Wizard of Oz.

Now, it will be interesting to see what magical fashion moments Paul Tazewell concocts for the next film, Wicked: Part 2, because I’m sure they’ll be detailed, complex and pay homage to both the original film and the Broadway musical that this movie is based on.

SPOILERS for Wicked: Part 1 are ahead! Also, I don’t dive into what happens in Act 2 of the musical – so, you are safe from those here. If you haven’t seen the film yet, you can catch it in theaters now.

I grew up watching The Wizard of Oz; I played it on repeat as a little kid. However, I hadn’t revisited it until after I saw Wicked in theaters right before its premiere on the 2024 movie schedule. While I saw the musical on Broadway a couple of years ago for the first time, I remembered almost none of the plot, and can only sing along to the hits. So, I went into its movie adaptation with an unfocused view of how the original film impacted it.

However, after I left Wicked and gave it a five-star review, I immediately re-watched The Wizard of Oz. And I have to say, my feelings about the characters in the OG film have totally changed.

When Glinda Comes Down In Munchkinland My Feelings Were Very Muddled

To be honest, I didn’t think much about The Good Witch growing up with The Wizard of Oz. She was just a gorgeous gal who appeared in her bubble at the start and end of Dorothy’s journey, and I never really connected her to The Wicked Witch.

Well, that’s totally changed now.

When Wicked opened with “No One Mourns The Wicked” and Glinda descended in her bubble to talk to the Munchkins about the death of the witch, I couldn’t help but clock the way she was seemingly masking how she felt about it all. Then, by the end of the movie, it was clear that Glinda and Elphaba were best friends who split ways at a heartbreaking moment, and I couldn’t help but feel the weight of that as I watched the 1939 film.

Overall, Glinda went from a wholesome, sweet and bubbly witch who juxtaposed the Wicked Witch perfectly, to a complex character who made a choice to not go with her friend that changed the course of both their lives forever. Knowing that she didn't go with Elphaba and stayed with The Wizard and Madame Morrible, I desperately want to know what was going through her head during her interactions with the Munchkins in both The Wizard of Oz and Wicked, because her past with Elphaba certainly adds a new and tragic weight to them.

I’ve Never Been A Fan Of The Wizard…Now, I Can’t Even Empathize With Him

Upon reflection, the Wizard has never really been that good. I mean, he was hiding his identity and lying to an entire population about his power. However, when I watched The Wizard of Oz as a child, I never saw him as that bad.

However, Wicked totally changed that. Not only is he hiding his identity and lack of power from his constituents, but he’s a big part of an evil plan too. Watching him and Madame Morrible get excited about the monkeys growing wings and hearing them talk about making them spies was despicable. Plus, his wanting to use Elphaba’s power for his own gain is disgusting!

When I initially watched The Wizard of Oz, I guess I always saw this leader as a fish out of water trying to succeed. Obviously, there’s a lot more to it than that in the original film, but watching the new musical helped amplify the leader’s true motivations and selfishness.

I Have A Lot More Empathy For The Wicked Witch Of The West

Now, I’m not even close to the first or last person to make this claim, because it’s the point of Wicked: I feel so much empathy for The Wicked Witch of the West. The show is meant to give you Elphaba’s origin story and teach you about how she became The Wicked Witch, and her tragic beginnings provide a lot of context for her later actions.

However, while that’s something I always understood and supported when I saw Wicked on Broadway and in the movie theater, watching The Wizard of Oz really hit differently. I hadn’t seen the original movie since I was a little kid, so I hadn’t had the opportunity to watch it with this new understanding of the Wicked Witch.

Knowing how much she cares for those around her – and especially those who are mistreated or different – as well as the mistreatment she’s faced all her life, I couldn’t help but feel sad for the witch while watching The Wizard of Oz.

Plus, with every move she made in the original film, I was thinking about how maybe it was a performance. Maybe, she’s pretending and putting on an act. Maybe, she’s drowning in these evil expectations. I couldn’t help but ponder all of that as I watched the Wicked Witch of the West torment Dorothy and co. because the Elphaba we met in the first part of Wicked wouldn’t do that.

Also, Between Wicked And The Wizard Of Oz, I Can’t Stop Thinking About The Monkeys

While I’m on the subject of The Wicked Witch of the West acting in a way I couldn’t fathom after seeing Wicked, let’s take a second to talk about the monkeys, because they hammer home that point. Elphaba is adamant about helping the animals in the musical – she saves the lion with Fiyero, she’s the only one wanting to help Dr. Dillamond, and she’s mortified when she accidentally gives the monkeys wings.

So, seeing the Wicked Witch with the monkeys in the original film was a bit jarring. However, this time, I viewed it more as them serving her, because she’s the only one who doesn’t treat them like servants or slaves (in Wicked that is). Without knowing about Elphaba, The Wicked Witch’s monkeys seem like minions.

However, after watching Wicked, I couldn’t help but think that the monkeys might have followed her for a reason, because the Wizard treated them truly, truly terribly.

Honestly, from the lead characters to various side ones in the OG film, this new musical movie really changed my perspective on them.

Now, I can’t wait to see how the release of Wicked: Part 2 impacts my feelings about the original film more! However, while we wait for its release on the 2025 movie schedule, you can stream The Wizard of Oz with a Max subscription and catch Wicked: Part 1 in theaters now.

“Coach, I got a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore,” is a funny line Ted Lasso says to Coach Beard right when they get to London. That’s a very obvious nod to The Wizard of Oz and the AFC Richmond coach being from Kansas. However, it turns out that the connections between the classic film and the incredible Apple TV+ show run a lot deeper than that, Brett Goldstein recently explained. Now, I really need to re-watch the show with all this in mind.

Considering the well-reviewed Wicked is dominating the 2024 movie schedule, its predecessor, The Wizard of Oz, is also being brought up in many conversations. This includes one Goldstein had with EW about Ted Lasso and its inspirations. When asked, the writer and Roy Kent actor quickly confirmed that the 1939 film 100% parallels the comedy, and he pointed out some Easter eggs in the show too, saying:

Along with all the references, Ted’s story also parallels Dorothy’s. As we saw at the end of Ted Lasso Season 3, he found that there really is “no place like home” as he left the UK to go back to Kansas. While he didn’t click any ruby slippers, and he took a nice flight home, the sentiment of him finding himself with AFC Richmond and developing a new appreciation for his home reflects the journey Dorothy goes on.

However, it wasn’t just Ted’s story that mirrored The Wizard of Oz's characters, as the Roy Kent actor continued to draw connections, saying:

Now, I really need to rewatch the show and pay attention to the arcs of the rest of the Ted Lasso cast!

While I always saw the connection Ted shared with Dorothy, I didn’t think much beyond that. However, Goldstein’s comment makes so much sense.

In the series, Roy Kent spends a lot of time learning how to not suppress his feelings and trust his heart, kind of like the Tin Man. Meanwhile, Rebecca does find the courage to stand up for herself against Rupert and really own her power in a healthy way, which is similar to the cowardly lion finding his strength. Meanwhile, Jamie Tartt is a bit brainless at the start. However, by the end, like the Scarecrow, he proves to be an intelligent and caring leader of AFC Richmond.

Now, I’m so curious to figure out if there are any other big parallels. Is Rupert the Wizard or The Wicked Witch of the West? Is Coach Beard Toto? Would we consider Nate a flying monkey and the team munchkins? Maybe Keeley is Glinda the Good Witch? I guess I need to do a full rewatch of Ted Lasso now to figure all this out.

Thankfully, that’s super easy, because all three seasons of Ted Lasso are available with an Apple TV+ subscription and The Wizard of Oz is streamable with a Max subscription. So, I think it’s time to go back down the Yellow Brick Road to Oz and AFC Richmond to see these fun parallels in action!

This list is all about the most spectacular ways that some of favorite characters - the ones we love and the ones we love to hate - have been killed off on screen. Movies and TV have both produced some pretty incredible moments like this. So whether it's the hero or the villain, here are some of the most insane deaths ever seen in movies and on TV.

Marion Crane - Psycho

Almost more than any director in film history, Alfred Hitchcock wrote his own rules. One of the most interesting things he ever did was to kill off who was seemingly the main character in Psycho, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) in the first act of the movie. Of course, her murder in the shower has become one of the most iconic scenes in film history.

Radio Raheem - Do The Right Thing

The tension in Do The Right Thing slowly simmers just under the surface until it boils over when Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito) and Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) burst into Sal's Pizzeria and demand changes. After Sal smashes Raheem's boombox, the cops arrive and in the struggle, Raheem is choked out by the police, leading to the destruction of Sal's. It's amazing that the movie is more than 35 years old and we're still talking about the same issues.

Robb Stark - Game Of Thrones

Is there any death on this list more dramatic and shocking than Robb Stark's on Game of Thrones? The Red Wedding is a legendary TV moment, among the best ever broadcasted. It shocked anyone who had not read the books and remains one of the most spectacular deaths, along with his wife, his unborn baby, and his mother, ever filmed.

John Coffey - The Green Mile

It's one of the most heartbreaking moments in film history when John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) meets his inevitable end in The Green Mile. Still, he goes out spectacularly with sparks flying and tears flowing.

Charlie Pace - Lost

ABC's Lost had some pretty memorable deaths, but none more so than Charlie Pace's last moments as he warned about the incoming boat and sacrificed himself in one of the most heartbreaking moments in TV history.

Hans Gruber - Die Hard

It's hard to believe that Hans Gruber in Die Hard was Alan Rickman's first movie role. His death, as he falls from Nakatomi Tower, looking up at the camera as he goes, is iconic. It's become one of the most meme'd scenes in movie history and is easily one of the most spectacular deaths in film history.

Gus Fring - Breaking Bad

For years, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) was one of the most despised characters on TV. His death was worthy of such an amazing villain as he is not only blown up but survives long enough to walk out of the room where it happened and button his jacket before collapsing to the floor.

Thelma And Louise - Thelma And Louise

When Thelma And Louise was first released, the ending completely shocked people. No one expected the movie's heroes to go out like they did, by driving their car off the cliff. Still, it was on their own terms and they did it together, making it all that much more spectacular.

Adriana La Cerva - The Sopranos

There were quite a few deaths over the seasons in The Sopranos, but the episode when Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo) is rubbed out is maybe the most incredible. The tension in the episode is impressive even by The Sopranos standards as no one wanted to see Adriana go, even though everyone knew why it was happening.

The Wicked Witch of the West - The Wizard Of Oz

"I'm melting" is one of the most iconic lines in Hollywood history as the Wicked Witch of the West is dying in The Wizard of Oz. There really isn't much more that needs to be said about this spectacular death.

Maximus Decimus Meridius - Gladiator

For years, Maximus (Russell Crowe) in Gladiator obsessed over avenging his family's death and taking down Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Despite Commodus playing dirty in their final showdown, Maximus finally prevails, killing Commodus before he collapses and dies.

Tony Stark - Avengers: Endgame

Avengers: Endgame is the 22nd movie in MCU history and so it was only appropriate that Tony Stark - the character that started it all - would be the one to finally take Thanos out by snapping his fingers with the Infinity Gauntlet on. It led to his spectacular death, of course, but it was worth it.

Col. Kurtz - Apocalypse Now

After building for two hours, the climactic death of Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) at the end of Apocalypse Now is one of the most dramatic and violent moments in film history. The scene, juxtaposed with the sacrifice of a cow, is terrifying and amazing.

Glenn - The Walking Dead

The death of Glenn (and Abraham) was one of the most controversial moments of The Walking Dead. That was partly due to the extreme violence that turned a lot of people off, but it was mostly because Glenn was such a beloved character. Still, it was a death that was totally unforgettable.

Kong - Dr. Strangelove

Peter Sellers may be the most celebrated member of the Dr. Strangelove cast (and for good reason), but Kong, played by Slim Pickens steals the show at the end with his death by riding a nuke down as it drops towards it's target.

Kenny McCormick - South Park

We couldn't make this list without including poor Kenny McCormick, the hapless member of the South Park crew. Kenny has been killed over 100 times over the show's incredible run and in some of the most ridiculous and fantastic ways, like getting crushed by a tree, getting hit by a volcanic boulder, and dozens of other ways.

Rosalind Shays - LA Law

Rosiland Shays' death by falling down an elevator on LA Law was one of the most shocking moments in television history. It came completely out of nowhere in a time in television when a death like that wasn't common at all. It actually changed TV storytelling.

Mark Greene - ER

Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) was one of the most beloved characters on ER and his death, while a different kind of spectacular than most of the others on this list. It wasn't a shocking moment, as it was a tragic slow death by cancer. It was still among the most heartbreaking moments ever.

Zoe Barnes - House Of Cards

For the first season of House Of Cards, Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) was one of the most important characters. The journalist was both investigating and getting a little too involved with Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey). Her surprising death shocked audiences as Frank threw her in front of a subway train. It came completely out of nowhere, and yet made total sense in the context of the show.

Roy Batty - Blade Runner

The death of Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) at the end of Blade Runner has become one of the most legendary deaths of all time. It is not at all what anyone in the audience expected when the main villain of the movie turns into a hero at the very end, saving Deckard (Harrison Ford) before smiling as he dies. Time to die.

Alec Trevelyan - GoldenEye

You knew there was no way this list was going to be complete without including at least one death by a Sean Bean character, right? There have been so many spectacular deaths over the actor's incredible career, but for our money, you can't beat the death of his character Alec Trevelyan in the James Bond movie GoldenEye when Bond drops him to his death and he is crushed to make sure it's final.

Lane Pryce - Mad Men

Mad Men was unlike any other show on TV at the time and Lane Pryce's death by suicide is the perfect example of why. The character, played by Jared Harris was a fan favorite and while story-wise his death made perfect sense, it was still shocking.

William Wallace - Braveheart

Braveheart might be one of the most historically inaccurate films ever made, but William Wallace's death at the end is still pretty spectacular ( and not all that different from what really happened to the Scottish hero). We can't go into all the violent details here, but if you know, you know.

Nick Chevotarevich - The Deer Hunter

One of the most tragic characters in '70s cinema has to be Nick Chevotarevich, played by Christopher Walken. Even after the Vietnam War draws to a close and his best friend makes it back home after escaping a POW camp, Nick gets stuck in Saigon, playing dangerous games of Russian Roulette for months. When Mike (Robert De Niro) finds him, Nick is completely checked out, and that makes his horrible death all the more sad.

Quint - Jaws

Quint (Robert Shaw) is the grizzled fisherman who promises to catch "the fish" in Jaws, but in the end, it's the fish that catches him. As has often been pointed out, one of the most effective things about the classic movie is that the shark is rarely seen, so when Quint is eaten it's one of the scariest and most exciting moments of the movie.

Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom - Con Air

Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich) in Con Air is one of the most over-the-top movie villains of the '90s, so of course he had to get killed in an over-the-top spectacular way. First, he is knocked out and handcuffed to a firetruck that crashes into a bridge, tossing Cyrus into some powerlines, and electrocuting him, but that's not all. He then falls into the path of a pile driver doing road work, which comes down on his head.

Private Pyle - Full Metal Jacket

Private Pyle (Vincent D'Onofrio) is, at the beginning of Full Metal Jacket a hopeless Marine recruit who can't do anything right. As the first act of the movie plays out, he gets more competent but also starts to lose his marbles. It all culminates in an incredibly tense scene when he shoots and kills his drill sergeant before turning the gun on himself.

Marissa Cooper - The O.C.

Say what you want about about The O.C., but the creative decision to kill off one of the main characters and star of the show, Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) in Season 3 was a bold one. The way she died, in the arms of Ryan (Ben McKenzie) after a car wreck is just as dramatic as the decision to have the character die.

Jack Torrance - The Shining

That final image of a frozen Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) in The Shining is one of the most enduring snapshots of a movie filled with incredible visual moments. A spectacular villain like Jack deserves a death as memorable as it is.

Sgt. Elias - Platoon

Platoon, as is said in the movie, is a battle for the soul of Chris (Charlie Sheen) between Elias (Willem Dafoe) and Barnes (Tom Berenger). Barnes wins the battle between himself and Elias when he shoots Elias towards the end, but Elias wins Chris' soul with his spectacular death as the helicopters lift away and Elias is left with arms outstretched as the Vietnamese soldiers gun him down for good.

Gennaro - Jurassic Park

We just had to include this one. Donald Gennaro isn't the main character of Jurassic Park, in fact, he's not even one of the main supporting characters. But him getting eaten by the T-Rex while hiding on the toilet is one of the silliest, and most insane deaths, of any movie, ever.

John Doe - Se7en

The ending of Se7en is one of the most talked about and debated, moments in film history. John Doe (Kevin Spacey) completely manipulates David Mills (Brad Pitt) into doing exactly what wants, completely the complete over-the-top murder spree ever seen on the big screen.

The term "MacGuffin" was coined by Angus MacPhail, an English screenwriter who often worked with Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock himself is often associated with the term, as he used the term often and, indeed, employed MacGuffins often in his movies. The term refers to an object (usually) that is central to the motivation of the characters in a film and is used to move the plot along.

There is debate amongst film fans as to whether a MacGuffin can be a person, or if it has to be something that is otherwise pointless to the plot, but for this list's sake, we're not making any kind of distinction. It can be a person or a character. It can be crucial to the plot, or irrelevant. It is just something that carries the plot forward.

Pee-Wee's Bicycle In Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

One of the classic '80s MacGuffins is, of course, Pee-Wee Herman's bicycle in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. After it is stolen, Pee-Wee embarks on a cross-country trip to the Alamo's basement to find it. Without the stolen bicycle, there is no movie, so it is, indeed, a true MacGuffin.

The Briefcase In Pulp Fiction

One of the coolest uses of a MacGuffin is by Quentin Tarantino in Pulp Fiction. We never even see what the MacGuffin really is, just the briefcase it's housed in. We know it radiates golden light and leaves everyone who sees it a little speechless, so it must be something either incredibly beautiful, incredibly valuable, or both.

Doug In The Hangover

Sometimes, the MacGuffin is a person. You can argue all you want about whether or not that counts, but we're not listening. The best example we can think of to prove it can be a character is Doug in The Hangover. The movie doesn't happen without the search for Doug, and the groom-to-be isn't really much of a character otherwise, with only a few scenes at the beginning and at the end. Without him though, there isn't even a bachelor party to create the hangovers in the movie.

Big Worm's Money In Friday

In Friday Craig (Ice Cube) gets sucked into Smokey's bad day after Smokey (Chris Tucker) gets himself into trouble with the local neighborhood dealer and must come up with the money he owes him or else. It doesn't motivate Smokey all the much, but hey, it finally does by the end.

The Death Star Plans In Star Wars

There is a lot of debate over what the MacGuffin is in the original Star Wars. Some say it's the plans for the Death Star that R2-D2 is tasked by Princess Leia to deliver, others say it's the droid itself. Let's quit splitting hairs here because they are both kind of the same thing, and they are both critical to the whole adventure.

The Letters Of Transit In Casablanca

In the very beginning of Casablanca, it's explained that everyone in Casablanca during World War II is trying to get out and on to their next place of safety, usually the U.S. via Portugal. That's what makes letters of transit so important, especially when you are wanted by the Germans for being a spy, as Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) is. His hunt for them, and Rick (Humphrey Bogart) hiding them is what drives the plot (along with Rick and Elsa's love story).

The Dude's Rug In The Big Lebowski

The Coen Brothers love to use MacGuffins in their movies, and for The Big Lebowski, they created the perfect one - The Dude's rug. It's a completely meaningless object in the grand scheme of things, but without The Dude's ire at the destruction of it and the hunt to replace it (because it really tied the room together), there would be no adventure at all.

The Ring In The Lord Of The Rings

One of the greatest MacGuffins in film and literature is the one ring to rule them all in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. There is no question it's a true MacGuffin, as literally everyone and everything in the franchise is motivated by it.

The Ark In Raiders Of The Lost Ark

All of the Indiana Jones movies have used MacGuffins to send our hero, played by Harrison Ford, on his adventures. In the first of the five movies, it is, of course, the Lost Ark of the Covenant. It's being chased by both Indy and the Germans, and whoever gets it first could change the fate of World War II and, indeed, the whole world.

The Fabergé Egg In Octopussy

A lot of James Bond movies employ MacGuffins to motivate the super spy into action. One of the most fun has to be the Fabergé Egg in Octopussy. Not only is it a really cool-looking MacGuffin, but it's not something you'd ever think a spy like Bond would need to be worried about, yet it also works perfectly within the story.

Rosebud In Citizen Kane

At the very beginning of Citizen Kane, we hear Kane say "Rosebud." For the rest of the movie, we are left wondering what that means. It turns out, as we discover in the final scene that Rosebud was Kane's childhood sled and that his entire motivation in life and through the movie was to find that lost bit of his youth. Without the sled, there is no Charles Foster Kane, tycoon.

The Plans For The Silent Plane In The 39 Steps

Of course, you have to include Hitchcock on this list, as he was the master of the MacGuffin. The most common one people point to comes from one of his earliest movies, The 39 Steps. You can argue over whether it's the secret plans for the plan themselves, or Mr. Memory, who has memorized those plans as the MacGuffin, but either way, the movie's plot relies on those plans to motivate all the characters in the film.

Ruby Slippers In The Wizard Of Oz

Two of the most famous props in history are Dorothy's ruby slippers in The Wizard Of Oz. The twist here is that it's not our hero Dorothy looking for the MacGuffin, it's the Wicked Witch of the West desperately seeking them out and trying to steal them. "Home" motivates Dorothy, while the shoes motivate her enemy.

The Grail In Monty Python And The Holy Grail

The Cup of Christ, or The Holy Grail, is a common MacGuffin in pop culture. Indiana Jones and his father search for it, and so does Robert Langdon in The Da Vinci Code. The most ridiculous (and hilarious) search for the mythical cup has to be Monty Python's quest for The Grail. Like so many others, they come close to grasping the holy relic, only to be thwarted by the police in the end. It's really a silly story.

Private Ryan In Saving Private Ryan

One great example of a person or a character being a solid MacGuffin is Private Ryan (Matt Damon) in Saving Private Ryan. Ryan is really only there to motivate Miller (Tom Hanks) and his chosen team to save him. He's otherwise irrelevant to the story. Sure, we care if Ryan's been a good man since getting saved, but mostly, we care about the other characters in their hunt for him.

The Maltese Falcon In The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon in The Maltese Falcon is a wonderful example of a MacGuffin being basically just a random object. The object could be anything, it just happens to be the little statue that is motivating everyone in the movie. It's maybe the most basic example of a successful MacGuffin in film history.

The Chimera Virus In Mission: Impossible 2

Every Mission: Impossible movie has a MacGuffin. Some are cooler than others and even though Mission: Impossible 2 is generally ranked as the worst in the franchise, the MacGuffin is kinda the coolest. A virus that could wipe out life on Earth. Now that we've all gone through a traumatizing pandemic, it feels even more motivating.

The Infinity Stones In The MCU

There is no more ubiquitous MacGuffin in movie history than the Infinity Stones in the MCU. They appear in one form or another in more than a dozen movies, culminating with the destruction of Thanos and his minions at the end of Avengers: Endgame when Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr) sacrifices himself to save the world and prove he has a heart.

Colonel Kurtz In Apocalypse Now

Marlon Brando's wild performance as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now is part of what makes it such an incredible movie. Without it, it would unquestionably be less of a film. BUT, Willard (Martin Sheen) could have been searching for anything important to motivate him and the boat's crew up the river. It just happened to be a rogue psychopath.

The Necklace in Ocean's 8

Obviously all the best heist movies usually have a pretty motivating MacGuffin. In Ocean's 8 it is a pretty traditional one. It's simply a very valuable necklace around the neck of an actress played by Anne Hathaway. How Ocean's crew goes about stealing it is what makes the movie great, but it's still just a thing at the end of the day that could have been anything else.

The Declaration Of Independence In National Treasure

There is no bigger piece of American history than the actual Declaration Of Independence. As a MacGuffin in National Treasure, it makes for the perfect object worth stealing. For Benjamin (Nicholas Cage), the motivation is pathological, as he'll stop at nothing to acquire it.

The President In Escape From New York

There are arguments that the briefcase handcuffed to the President (Donald Pleasance) is the real MacGuffin in Escape From New York, but let's give those going after it a little credit and hope that they at least partly wanted to save the man himself.

The Heart Of The Ocean Necklace In Titanic

James Cameron needed to find a good reason for us to get invested in the love story in Titanic because, without it, it's just a disaster movie that would have been over too quickly. The way he brings us all into the hunt for the ship and the stories on it before it sinks is the fictional "Heart Of The Ocean" necklace owned by Rose and had been in her possession all that time.

Red Ryder BB Gun In A Christmas Story

Ralphie gets berated by Santa, dismissed by his mother, pens a wonderful composition for his teacher, and eventually shoots his eye out all in his desire to own a "Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time." It's the ultimate MacGuffin.

The Briefcase Full Of Money - No Country For Old Men

There is no bigger motivator in the world than money. For better or for worse, that's how it goes. Even someone like Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) in No Country For Old Men, who seems only slightly motivated by money goes through a terrible ordeal to keep the briefcase full of money he found and everyone else is after.

The Buried Money/The Big W In It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World

A MacGuffin doesn't get any plainer than cash at the end of an epic race like in It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World. The price, $350,000 buried under "a big W" in a California state park motivates one of the greatest comedic casts ever assembled to race each other to find the buried money.

Genesis Device In Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan is often thought of as the best of all the Star Trek movies, and certainly the best that features the cast of the original series. In it, both the crew of the Enterprise and their arch-enemy, Khan, are in desperate search of The Genesis Device.

The Buried Treasure In O Brother Where Art Thou?

Yet another movie where the MacGuffin is buried treasure, but we couldn't leave the Coen Brothers' classic O Brother Where Art Thou? off the list. Though it's based on The Oddessy, where the motivation was to get home, this one is a little simpler. Three idiot prisoners trying to get rich quickly. In the end, it's more about the friends we met along the way.

The Diamonds In Diamonds Are Forever

James Bond often has some interesting MacGuffins and as the years have worn on, they've gotten increasingly complicated. It makes us yearn for the days when it was just a simple bag of diamonds, as it is in the aptly titled Diamonds Are Forever.

Turboman Doll In the Jingle All The Way

Every Christmas there is a hot toy that people occasionally come to blows over, like Frank in Seinfeld, for example. In Jingle All The Way, it's a Turbo Man doll and one father is willing to go to extreme lengths to get one for his son!

The Pink Panther Diamond In The Pink Panther

Peter Sellers' portrayal of Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther is one of the all-time great comedic performances. In it, he is searching for the stolen Pink Panther diamond. It's a classic MacGuffin, but worth mentioning because the hunter is such a goof.

Green Destiny Sword In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Occasionally, a MacGuffin is a supernatural object or even a supernatural weapon like the Green Destiny Sword in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The movie, though highly stylized and more of a visual work of art than a true quest, still has a fairly simple motivating device, just like all the best MacGuffins.

The Wicked movie has finally landed on the 2024 movie schedule, bringing the beloved Broadway musical to life on the big screen. While it offers a dazzling reimagining of the land of Oz, some fans might notice a few key differences in the visuals. From Dorothy’s red slippers to the iconic Yellow Brick Road, the movie makes subtle changes that are both creative and practical. Director Jon M. Chu recently opened up about the updates, explaining that they stemmed from artistic decisions and the realities of navigating intellectual property rights tied to The Wizard of Oz.

You might be in for a surprise if you were expecting Dorothy to click her glittering ruby heels. While the 1939 classic made ruby slippers iconic, MGM still holds the rights to many elements of that film, including the dazzling red shoes. In an interview with Variety, Jon M. Chu revealed that the team behind Wicked instead looked to L. Frank Baum’s original novels, where Dorothy’s slippers were described as silver. Staying true to Baum’s vision and sidestepping legal complications, the filmmaker explained:

For Chu, Wicked is more than a whimsical prequel—a story with real stakes, unlike The Wizard of Oz, which Chu describes as “potentially a dream.” Chu's film establishes Oz as a living, breathing world with its own cultures and struggles. This shift in tone is evident from the very beginning. Chu deliberately places viewers at “the most famous crime scene in cinema and literature,” referencing the Wicked Witch’s hat in a puddle as a way to ground the story in emotional and narrative depth.

This grittier, more grounded approach reflects the heart of the play adaptation: the unlikely friendship between Elphaba and Glinda–Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo play the witches at the center of the story–and how their personal journeys shaped the Oz we know from The Wizard of Oz. The creative alterations made by the Crazy Rich Asians helmer may be a bit jarring to some viewers who revere Victor Fleming's '39 film, but others might find them refreshing.

Adapting Stephen Schwartz's Tony-winning play was always going to be a balancing act, and Jon M. Chu leaned into this challenge by splitting the story into two parts. The first film–the story was divided into two films–focuses on Elphaba and Glinda’s time at Shiz University, setting the stage for the emotional and political conflicts that will unfold in the upcoming Wicked Part Two, slated for the 2025 movie schedule.

But, despite the cosmetic changes from The Wizard of Oz, Wicked stays true to its roots, even bringing back original Broadway stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth for special cameos. This nod to the musical’s legacy and the best emotionally charged songs ensures that longtime fans will feel the magic while new audiences alike will be swept into the story. You can see the film in theaters now and, if you're feeling nostalgic, stream the iconic Oz film using a Max subscription.

You've heard the saying, "The book's always better than the movie." Well, it turns out that's not always true. Sometimes films are able to streamline through a novel's tedious exposition or confusing jargon. Other times they're able to bring fantastical worlds to life in a more spectacular way than you might have imagined. Either way, here are some book-to-screen adaptations that are at least as good as — and sometimes better than — their source material.

Jaws

Never bet against Steven Spielberg, especially with John Williams providing what turned out to be an Oscar-winning score! The 1975 thriller Jaws is widely considered to be one movie that's at least as good as its source material. Spielberg cut out a lot of side plots from Peter Benchley's 1974 novel, and the actors really elevated the book's largely unlikeable characters, particularly Robert Shaw as Quint, turning the film into a classic you can watch over and over.

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

There are some pretty big differences between Roald Dahl's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the 1971 classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder (not to mention the 2005 remake and 2023 prequel). That means it's probably a matter of personal preference regarding which is "better," but it's hard to argue with Mel Stuart's musical fantasy.

The Thing

While John W. Campbell Jr.'s 1938 novella Who Goes There? is considered a classic for its deeply developed characters and an alien that's smarter — and therefore possibly scarier — than its movie's equivalent, John Carpenter's The Thing from 1982 is considered one of the best horror movies of all time. Its truly repulsive monster and effective special effects hold up even decades later.

Stand By Me

Lots of Stephen King novels have been adapted for the screen, and not all of those projects have been great. Stand By Me, however, which was adapted from "The Body," from the Different Seasons collection, is considered one of the best movies from the '80s. Some people prefer the movie, if only for the nostalgia kick provided by its phenomenal casting of Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell.

The Ring

Both the Americanized 2002 horror The Ring and Koji Suzuki's 1991 novel are highly acclaimed, but the book simply can't match the movie in terms of the creepy imagery from the cursed video.

Fight Club

Brad Pitt and Edward Norton are simply incomparable as a dynamic duo in 1999's Fight Club. Not only is the movie considered one of the best of the '90s, and Chuck Palahniuk — author of the 1996 book of the same name — has spoken positively about David Ficher's film.

The Lord Of The Rings

I don't think anyone's arguing the talents of J. R. R. Tolkien here, and indeed many do prefer the world-building and lore of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings saga. However, other fans argue that the films are more inviting, bringing emotion to the characters and cutting through all of the author's descriptive text.

The Hunger Games

There's no question that Suzanne Collins' The Hunter Games books could stand on their own, but it was thrilling to see those terrifying games portrayed on the big screen. From the worlds built for the youngsters' trials to The Hunger Games' ridiculous outfits, it's no wonder many hold Jennifer Lawrence's movie trilogy in such high regard. To me, it was worth it all to see Katniss' red carpet-worthy "Girl on Fire" dress.

The Shining

The Shining is one of Stephen King's best books, and — thanks in large part to Jack Nicholson's unforgettable turn as Jack Torrance — the horror movie of the same name also remains a time-honored classic. Both will scare the daylights out of you, and there are enough differences between Stanley Kubrick's film and the book that The Shining is totally still worth reading after you've seen the movie.

Requiem For A Dream

Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1978 novel Requiem for a Dream is a good read, but you just can't beat the performances turned in by the cast of Darren Aronofsky's 2000 film. Whether it's the heartbreaking tailspin of Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans' characters into addiction, Ellen Burstyn's obsession with being on television or Christopher McDonald's haunting Tappy Tibbons leading a chant about JUICE, this movie elevates the already-harrowing text into something that you won't be able to shake.

Room

Emma Donoghue's 2010 novel Room is told from the perspective of 5-year-old Jack, which gives a different POV to the story of a mother and her son escaping after years of captivity than the 2015 film adaptation. The book is undoubtedly gripping, but the movie holds its own, earning four Academy Award nominations, including a win for Brie Larson for Best Actress.

The Silence Of The Lambs

It doesn't matter how good Thomas Harris' 1988 novel The Silence of the Lambs was — and it was definitely good — the 1991 film adaptation won the Academy Awards' "Big Five," which includes the Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Demme), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Talley). Since its release there have been three more movies and two TV series based on these characters, so I'd say that paints both the film and the novel in a phenomenally successful light.

Mean Girls

It's not really fair to compare 2004's Mean Girls to the source material that inspired it. That's because Tina Fey adapted one of the best high school movies of all time from Rosalind Wiseman's self-help book Queen Bees and Wannabes, which is a guide for parents to help their teenage daughters survive in a world of cliques, gossip and boyfriends. While moms of teens (myself included) could probably use all the help we can get, there's no way Queen Bees and Wannabees could stand up to Mean Girls' most quotable lines and pop culture references.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird has been a staple in schools since it came out in 1960 for its exploration of themes like race and stereotypes. It wouldn't be fair or correct to say that the 1962 film was better, but Gregory Peck and Mary Badham gave performances that earned them Oscar nominations as Atticus and Scout Finch, respectively. Overall the movie won three of the eight awards it was up for (including Best Actor for Peck), which should make it worthy of being considered as good as Lee's novel.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

While many still prefer Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the 1975 movie made Randle Patrick McMurphy's crimes more palatable for the moviegoing audience and ultimately won five of the nine Academy Awards it was nominated for, including Best Actor for Jack Nicholson and Best Actress for Louise Fletcher (Nurse Ratched).

Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch, but the movie proved why Hitchcock was the master of suspense, with that infamous shower scene likely inspiring audience members to start double-checking the locks on their bathroom doors. While the 1960 film may be as good (or better than) the book, the same can't be said for 1998's Psycho, which is considered one of the worst remakes in Hollywood history.

The Shawshank Redemption

Adapted from Stephen King's novella from Different Seasons, The Shawshank Redemption was turned into a classic movie that many think surpasses its source material. Frank Darabont's 1994 film adds a lot to the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), Ellis "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) and their decades together in prison. The film garnered seven Oscar nominations but did not win any.

Jurassic Park

Michael Crichton set the stage with his 1990 novel Jurassic Park for how dinosaurs could come to exist in the modern era and Steven Spielberg got hold of the idea and ran with it, creating a world for the big screen that we'd only ever dreamed about. As good as the book is, there was just something about seeing the prehistoric beasts walking amongst the humans with our own eyes, and that idea has since inspired two trilogies and several TV series.

Forrest Gump

A lot was changed in the story of Forrest Gump between the 1986 novel by Winston Groom and the 1994 Robert Zemeckis film, but for many, it was Tom Hanks' heartbreaking portrayal that got us, along with plenty of quotes still being repeated today. The six Academy Awards from 13 nominations also speak to it being a pretty good movie adaptation.

The Hunt For Red October

The 1990 spy thriller The Hunt for Red October cut out quite a few subplots and a lot of technical language from Tom Clancy's best-selling debut novel, making it more approachable for a wider audience. Without the popularity of this movie, would we still live in a world with three dozen Jack Ryan novels, a handful of films and a TV series? Thankfully we don't have to consider the alternative.

The Notebook

Nobody tells an epically sad love story quite like Nicholas Sparks, and that includes his 1996 novel The Notebook. However, seeing Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams' chemistry as they brought Noah and Allie's story to life in the 2004 drama was what really stuck with fans over the years.

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is one of the funniest and most quotable movies of the 1980s, and it's considered just as good as its source material, though the two are very different. William Goldman's 1973 novel is highly praised amongst those who have read it, with many fans suggesting that people who have only seen the movie would still enjoy the book.

A Clockwork Orange

Stanley Kubrick's 1971 adaptation of A Clockwork Orange is a fairly loyal interpretation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel, save for a few changes to make Malcolm McDowell's Alex more palatable. Many prefer the film's darker ending, as well, to the more optimistic conclusion Burgess wrote.

Little Women

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women has been adapted twice in recent decades — the 1994 version starring Winona Ryder as Jo March and Greta Gerwig's 2019 film. Because each iteration alters the March sisters' stories to better reflect the societal roles and priorities of a woman in that day, it only makes sense that audiences connect more with the updated material.

The Wizard Of Oz

No matter how classic L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is — and there are plenty who are staunch defenders of the book — there's nothing quite like seeing Dorothy step from her sepia-toned Kansas farmhouse into the fantastic Technicolor world of Oz in 1939's The Wizard of Oz. The film adaptation remains a beloved children's movie all these decades later.

Shutter Island

Both the 2003 psychological thriller by Dennis Lehane and Martin Scorsese's 2010 adaptation of Shutter Island starring Leonardo DiCaprio are highly regarded by fans, with many choosing to experience both, despite knowing how it ends. The movie stays loyal to the novel and can be considered at least as good, if not better.

The Devil Wears Prada

In Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada, her fictionalized account of working for Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is undoubtedly fascinating, but Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly on top of the performances of Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and the rest of the cast elevate the story.

The Godfather

Mario Puzo's 1969 bestseller The Godfather was arguably made even better by Francis Ford Coppola by focusing his film on Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone and his relationship with son Michael (Al Pacino), thereby streamlining the novel's grand story.

A Simple Favor

In the movie adaptation of A Simple Favor, many find Anna Kendrick's Stephanie more likable than the blogger in Darcey Bell's 2017 novel of the same name. To that point, Blake Lively makes her own character Emily feel even more dangerous.

Blade Runner

Ridley Scott's Blade Runner is considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time and many think it's even better than its literary counterpart, Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? From Harrison Ford's portrayal of android hunter Rick to the book's bleaker ending, this is the rare film that surpasses its source material in many fans' eyes.

City Of God

Fernando Meirelles' celebrated 2002 crime drama City of God expands on the 1997 novel by Paulo Lins in its performances and how it illustrates gang life in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Respect and homage are paid to the people of the region, and the cinematography shows the beauty that exists amidst the tragedy.

Drive

Many fans seem to prefer Nicolas Winding Refn's 2011 movie Drive to the 2005 book by James Sallis, crediting the director and Ryan Gosling with further developing the Driver and other themes in Sallis' work.

We're off to see the Wizard, the Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, when Wicked tornadoes its way onto the 2024 movie schedule.

But is he really so “wonderful”? That’s been put into question ever since the 1939 The Wizard of Oz movie (Which, believe it or not, isn[t the first adaptation of the novel). This idea of the wizard not being such a wonderful person is put even more into question with the film adaptation of Wicked, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.The wizard is not just some humbug in this story, but rather has more...let’s just say...questionable motives.

And, with Wicked Part 1 coming in November, what better time than now to check out some other interpretations of the famous 1900 book by L. Frank Baum? Take a skip down the Yellow Brick Road with me?

The Wizard of Oz (1939) 

The OG. The classic. One of the most influential movies of all time. The list of plaudits for this film goes on and on, and for good reason. Even though it came out all the way back in 1939, it can still easily be watched today.

In fact, when I was on a plane ride to Japan recently where I got to watch several movies, one of the films I rewatched was The Wizard of Oz, and I enjoyed it with my son beside me.

Telling the story of Kansas adventurer Dorothy (and her dog) getting sucked up into a tornado, and plopped down into a strange new world, The Wizard of Oz is one of the most imaginative stories ever told.

The characters are instantly recognizable: The Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, Glinda, the Good Witch. And that’s just the good characters. You then have the Wicked Witch of the West, the flying monkeys, and the super sketchy Wizard.

It’s all just perfect, absolutely perfect, and the original The Wizard of Oz is a must-watch if you haven’t seen it yet and intend to go see Wicked. The story of “the wicked” witch Elphaba becoming an outcast is good enough on its own, but it’s made all the better if you already know the other characters like The Wizard, Glinda, and especially the Scarecrow. Oh, and speaking of which…

The Wiz (1978) 

Directed by Sidney Lumet, and starring an all-black cast featuring Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, Richard Pryor, and Michael Jackson (as the Scarecrow!) The Wiz is a widely beloved movie today, but, would you believe that it was a commercial failure upon its initial release?

With a budget of $24 million, and box office earnings of $21 million, The Wiz waited for years (and new audiences) to finally become a beloved film. Which is fine, since the same happened to the original The Wizard of Oz, which had a $2.7 million budget and only eked out a box office of $3 million when it first came out. So, that film was a far bigger flop than it’s seen as today.

No matter, since The Wizard of Oz is now a classic, and so is The Wiz. In this version, Dorothy, played by Diana Ross, is a school teacher from Harlem, and she gets whisked away to Oz in a snowstorm.

The rest of the movie plays out much like the original movie, but with a lot more songs, and a very unique version of Oz, with dancing crows, and, er, prostitutes. Instead of skipping down the yellow brick road, they “ease” on down it.

Honestly, if you only see one Oz movie (Besides the 1939 one, of course) before you see Wicked, make it The Wiz. It’s something else.

Return To Oz (1985) 

Return to Oz is the stuff of nightmares. In this sequel of sorts to the 1939 movie, Dorothy is in a mental institution (You heard that right), as Aunt Em and Uncle Henry don’t believe Dorothy when she talks about the land of Oz.

In fact, the doctors are about to give Dorothy shock therapy, when she’s rescued, and then returns to Oz, which has changed dramatically since her last time there.

In this Oz, she has new companions, like a talking chicken, a giant pumpkinhead man, and a robot. She’s also hunted by these really creepy people called The Wheelers.

If this all sounds like a fever dream to you, then you’re not alone, as I once thought I dreamt this movie, only to learn that no, I had seen it as a child, and it was just as bizarre as I remember it being.

Based on the third novel, Ozma of Oz, Return to Oz sees Dorothy up against a new villain in the Nome King, who is also really creepy. Honestly, if you like what you’re hearing, then you should definitely check it out. It’s pretty far off the beaten path from Wicked, but it’s an interesting curiosity all the same.

The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz (2005)  

Picture your favorite Muppet. Now, envision them in Oz, as that’s pretty much what you get with The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz. This time around, Dorothy is played by the singer Ashanti, and she wants to sing backup for the Muppets.

Unfortunately (Or perhaps, fortunately) she gets swept away in a tornado, and goes on an adventure, where it’s pretty much the original story…but with Muppets. [Cue an Animal drum solo.]

However, that “but with Muppets” part makes all the difference, as this is probably the wackiest version of the story ever told. How wacky is it? Well, so wacky, that it’s the only one that actually has a scene with Quentin Tarantino swinging a sword at Kermit the Frog.

Yeah. It’s that kind of movie. Check this one out for a laugh and a healthy dose of Gonzo.

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz (2011) 

This might sound like an odd comparison, but do you know how in The Lord of the Rings movies, the fellowship is broken, and Sam and Frodo go off on their own to drop the ring into Mount Doom, while the others fight in order to provide them the opportunity to do so?

Well, Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz kind of feels like that, as it’s the story of The Wizard of Oz, but with Tom and Jerry kind of acting on the fringes of that story.

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s nowhere near as epic as The Lord of the Rings films. However, in this playful movie, Tom and Jerry are kind of just there, while Dorothy is going on her own little adventure.

It’s not a particularly long movie, but if you like Tom and Jerry, and want to see them in Oz, then this is a nice primer for Wicked.

Oz The Great And Powerful (2013)  

Though it’s not one of the better Sam Raimi movies, Oz the Great and Powerful might be the best companion piece to Wicked once the film eventually comes out. That’s because much like Wicked, OtGaP is a prequel to the events of The Wizard of Oz, but this time, instead of making the “wicked” Witch of the West the protagonist, we get Oscar Diggs, aka, the wizard as the hero.

The film goes deep into the wizard’s relationship with the three witches, and it’s a visual spectacle. There are hints of the story that would later come to be, but it’s cool seeing Oz from a different perspective. It’s certainly worth a gander if you want to see a vastly different version of the story.

And, that’s the list. For more news on all things Wicked-related, be sure to swing by here often.

When you watch a movie that is named after a character, such as Forrest Gump or Aladdin, you can typically expect the story to be about that person but that is not always the case. Sometimes the film’s title is synonymous with a person who is important to the true protagonist’s arc, either as a loved one, an enemy, or even just a memory. The following are some of the greatest cinematic classics that go against the tradition of making the title character the main character.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

One of the best Studio Ghibli movies, My Neighbor Totoro, follows the adventures Satsuki and Mei (voiced by Dakota and Elle Fanning in Disney's 2005 English dub) in an enchanted forest. Along the way, they meet the titular, whimsical, furry spirit that they call Totoro (after its own species), who would also become Studio Ghibli's mascot.

Abigail (2024)

Filmmaking collective Radio Silence's modern update of the 1936 vampire movie, Dracula's Daughter, is called Abigail, which takes its name from Alisha Weir's young ballerina who turns out to be not so young and not so friendly. However, the story is told mainly from the perspective of Melissa Barrera's "Joey" and the other professional thieves who are shocked and devastated to learn they were hired to kidnap an immortal bloodsucker.

The Terminator (1984)

Arnold Schwarzenegger was, understandably, the face of the marketing and got top billing for the classic sci-fi movie, The Terminator, since he played the eponymous cyborg, which also made him the action icon he is known as today. However, writer and director James Cameron's breakout hit is really about the woman he is programmed to murder, Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton), who is destined to be the mother of humanity's savior in a world ravaged by machines.

Chasing Amy (1997)

Anyone who watches the acclaimed Kevin Smith movie Chasing Amy for the first time is probably surprised to learn that Joey Lauren Adams' character (and unlikely love interest for Ben Affleck's Holden due) is named Alyssa. Amy is not even a character in the story but an ex-girlfriend the normally quiet Silent Bob (Smith) recalls in conversation to demonstrate the film's theme of unattainable romance.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

One of the best romantic-comedy movies of its time, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, is the story of Peter Bretter (writer Jason Segel), who takes a Hawaiian vacation in hopes of getting over his recent break-up with the titular actor, played by Kristen Bell. Unfortunately, Peter discovers that Sarah is at the same resort and even in the suite right next to his and has brought along her new beau, rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand).

Kill Bill (2003-2004)

Uma Thurman's The Bride has such a raging vendetta for her former boss (and justifiably so) that writer and director Quentin Tarantino named his two-part revenge movie saga after him. We do not even get to officially meet David Carradine's Bill until Kill Bill Vol. 2. and see him earn his deserved comeuppance until after our deadly protagonist has rid the world of her four other most hated enemies.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Oscar "Oz" Diggs (James Franco) is the title character of Oz the Great and Powerful, Sam Raimi's 2013 prequel to the 1939 film adaptation of L. Frank Baum's novel, The Wizard of Oz. Of course, that seminal classic is all about Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her quest to find said "wizard" so she can return home (which there is no place like) after a wicked tornado whisks her and her dog, Toto, into the mystical land.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

The name of the Coen Brothers' cult favorite comedy about a case of mistaken identity gone out of control, The Big Lebowski, is a play on the title of the classic film noir movie that inspired it, The Big Sleep. It is also the nickname that Jeff Bridges' aging hippie protagonist, The Dude, gives to a Los Angeles millionaire who also bears his legal name, Jeffrey Lebowski (played by David Huddleston).

Coco (2017)

One of the best Pixar movies (and also one of the animation studio's biggest tearjerkers), Coco, is a winning fantasy about young music lover, Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), and his adventure through the afterlife on Dia de los Muertos. We never actually learn just how important his great-grandmother, Mamá Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguía), is to the story until near the end.

Beetlejuice (1988)

Tim Burton and co. must have realized Michael Keaton's mischievous bio-exorcist (whose name is really spelled "Betelgeuse") was going to be the most memorable character in the beloved horror-comedy movie (despite only 17 minutes of screentime). Otherwise Beetlejuice — which is really about the recently deceased Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis), and their bid to scare a new family out of their house — could have been named House Guests or even Scared Sheetless.

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Talk to any connoisseur of fine literature and they might tell you that Jay Gatsby is the central character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's tragic rags-to-riches story, The Great Gatsby, which Baz Luhrmann adapted into a hit in 2013. However, the entire story is told from the point of view of the narrator, Nick Carraway (played by Tobey Maguire in the Luhrmann version), which makes him a better fit to be called the protagonist.

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Tom Hanks leads Saving Private Ryan as Capt. Miller, whose crew is tasked with finding the sole surviving son of the Ryan family (played by Matt Damon) behind enemy lines. The opening flash-forward of Steven Spielberg's masterful war movie even tricks you into believing the elderly World War II veteran is Hanks' character since we witness the harrowing action through his eyes.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

The acclaimed fourth installment of George Miller's Mad Max movies gives the titular post-apocalyptic drifter (now played by Tom Hardy) a co-pilot in the form of Charlize Theron's Furiosa. Even the biggest fans of Mad Max: Fury Road would agree that the instant classic action movie really belongs to the one-armed warrior woman who deservingly earned her own prequel spin-off called Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

Tron (1982)

The visually groundbreaking Disney favorite, Tron, is named after a sentient digital security program that appears in the digital world with a resemblance to its creator, Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner). Of course, the hero of the story is Alan's co-worker, Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges), who is forcibly sent to the digital world where his video game skills certainly come in handy.

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Gene Wilder's performance as the titular chocolatier in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is so wonderfully whimsical and iconic that it is easy to forget poor, young Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum, a child star who walked away from Hollywood soon after) is the true protagonist. In fact, Roald Dahl's novel is called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which Tim Burton honored with the title of his 2005 adaptation.

Rebecca (1940)

Played by Joan Fontaine, the central character of director Alfred Hitchcock's Best Picture Oscar winner Rebecca remains unnamed throughout the story. The psychological thriller's title character is the former wife of our protagonist's new husband, 'Maxim' de Winter (Laurence Olivier), who has died but her memory continues to haunt his lavish estate.

The Exorcist (1973)

I would not be surprised if many audiences did not know what an exorcist was before seeing William Friedkin's horror movie masterpiece about a secular actor (played by Ellen Burstyn) who turns to religion for an answer to her young daughter, Regan's (Linda Blair) concerning behavior. Thus, they might not have not realized that Max von Sydow's Father Merrin (who only appears at the beginning and near the end to cure Regan's demonic possession, with help from Jason Miller as Father Karras) was the title character of The Exorcist.

Weekend At Bernie's (1989)

It is not unusual for a movie's title character to be dead most of the time (see Casper) but murdered businessman Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser) is not the protagonist of Weekend at Bernie's or its 1993 sequel. The screwball comedy follows Bernie's employees, Larry Wilson (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard Parker (Jonathan Silverman), who try to conceal the fact that their boss is dead while spending a few days at his beach house in the Hamptons.

The Invisible Man (2020)

On the ReelBlend podcast, Leigh Whannell recalled when Blumhouse asked how he would reimagine the classic Universal Monster Movie, The Invisible Man, and said he would tell it from the point of view of the transparent fiend's victim. This led him to craft the story of Cecelia Kass (Elisabeth Moss), who suspects that her abusive, supposedly dead, tech innovator husband is alive and has figured out a way to be close to her without being seen.

Laura (1944)

In the 1940s mystery drama Laura, Det. Lt. Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) finds himself falling in love with the titular femme fatale, played by Gene Tierney. The only problem is that the object of his affection is the woman whose murder he is investigating.

Heathers (1988)

There are three characters named "Heather" who make up the antagonistic clique in the classic high school movie, Heathers. However, the central focus of the dark comedy is Winona Ryder's Veronica Sawyer, who teams up with the rebellious J.D. (Christian Slater) to punish the popular ladies for the errors of their ways.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The title of director Jim Sharman's cult favorite musical horror comedy movie, based on Richard O'Brien's stage show, comes from Peter Hinwood's Rocky Horror, the hunky creation of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). However, even the scientist is not the protagonist of The Rocky Horror Picture Show — a position shared by lovebirds Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), who take refuge at Frank-N-Furter's spooky mansion on a dark and stormy night.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

The title character of one of Stanley Kubrick's best movies, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, is really just one supporting member of a vast ensemble that also includes George C. Scott as Gen. 'Buck' Turgidson and James Earl Jones in his motion picture debut as Lt. Lothar Zogg. In fact, the German nuclear war expert is one of three characters portrayed by comedy legend Peter Sellers in this uproarious Cold War-era satire.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

The story of Robert Zemeckis' Who Framed Roger Rabbit is centered around Charles Fleischer's animated hare struggling to clear his name in a murder case. Yet, the true hero of the groundbreaking classic is the guy helping prove his innocence, Bob Hoskins' Eddie Valiant, who was once the go-to private eye for helping "toons" in need before his brother's murder.

Rachel Getting Married (2008)

Director Jonathan Demme's Rachel Getting Married stars Rosemarie DeWitt as Rachel Buchman, who is about to tie the knot with her music producer fiancé, Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe). However, the dramedy is really about Rachel's sister, Kym (Anne Hathaway), and how her decade-long struggle with addiction affects her relationship with her family, especially during the weekend of the ceremony.

The Bride Of Frankenstein (1935)

First, let's get one thing straight for anyone who might still be confused: "Frankenstein" is not the name of Boris Karloff's Creature, but the man who created it, played by Colin Clive. Thus, The Bride of Frankenstein is a bit of a misnomer as the scientist is not the one seeking to wed the titular reanimated female (Elsa Lanchester) who, not to mention, does not even have much screentime in the sequel to the 1931 Mary Shelley novel adaptation.

Waiting For Guffman (1996)

Co-writer and director Christopher Guest also leads the mockumentary favorite Waiting for Guffman as Missourian Corky St. Clair, who dreams of hitting it big in the world of musical theatre. Mort Guffman is the name of a renowned Broadway producer who is supposedly going to show up to see Corky's original musical, Red, White and Blaine, which puts the entire production into a tailspin.

Dr. No (1962)

Is it not a bit ironic that the first major James Bond movie is named after the bad guy, played by Joseph Wiseman? Anyhow, it still did not make any difference because Sir Sean Connery immediately proved to be such a natural in his debut as MI6 agent 007 that there was no question he was the star of Dr. No.

Kangaroo Jack (2003)

In Kangaroo Jack, the main characters, Charlie (Jerry O'Connell) and Louis (Anthony Anderson), accidentally lose $50,000 after leaving it in a jacket they place on a kangaroo before it hops away. However, the Australian animal is not actually named "Jack," but he apparently resembles a man Charlie and Louis once knew named Jackie Legs, which is where the not-so-family-friendly adventure gets its title.

The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Joel and Ethan Coen's The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, one of the best Western movies on Netflix, is an anthology-style collection of bizarre tales set in the Old West. Tim Blake Nelson plays the titular singing cowboy, who is actually the star of just one of the film's six segments.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Before Avengers: Infinity War, no comic book movie had ever employed so many superheroes into one story before. Even then, this epic story is not really about any of those costumed vigilantes, but the guy they are trying to stop: Thanos (Josh Brolin).

Searching For Bobby Fischer (1993)

There are several movies about Chess champion Bobby Fischer that you could watch, such as 2014's Pawn Sacrifice. However, Searching for Bobby Fischer, which stars Max Pomeranc as a young, but brilliant chess player, is not one of them.

Con artists have been popular characters for a long time in Hollywood. Some of the most loved films from Hollywood's earliest days feature them, like The Wizard of Oz and The Music Man. In honor of that long history, here is our list of some of our favorite movies about con artists and their sneaky ways. 

American Hustle

American Hustle was sometimes jokingly called "American Hair and Makeup" because of the elaborate examples of both in this movie set in the 1970s. That's appropriate too, as the movie is loosely based on a real con set up by the FBI to nab corrupt politicians. The hair and makeup in the movie are also just a great bonus that help make American Hustle a really fun movie. 

Heartbreakers

Heartbreakers is a classic con artist movie. Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt play a mother-daughter team who trick men into marrying and giving up their money. It's filled with little scams throughout, which is also a fun little bonus, and has a great twist at the end, that you'll just have to watch the movie to find out about. 

The Sting

Without a doubt, one of the best movies about grifting has to be The Sting. The superstar cast led by Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Robert Shaw chew up the scenery in this fast-paced and delightful classic. The key ingredient in the movie is David S. Ward's script which effortlessly explains what could be a fairly complicated con to understand on the surface. 

The Wolf Of Wall Street

While The Wolf Of Wall Street may be more about the dangers of excess and ego, at its heart is the massive grift that Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his cohorts pulled off as they built their fraudulent company. Scams on Wall Street are nothing new, they just took them to a level previously unseen. 

The Grifters

Any list like this is going to have to include anymore called The Grifters. The movie, starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, and Annette Bening as a trio of con artists plays out like a '50s crime novel set in the early '90s. It has a "classic" feel to it and it's really fun. 

Ocean's Eleven

Some might call Ocean's Eleven a heist film, and it is. But it's also got a whole lot of grifting going on in it. Every one of the "eleven" has some hustle to their game, especially Danny Ocean (George Clooney). The smooth-talking burglar uses his wits more than his brawn to pull off their incredible heist. It makes for some incredible dialog and a some unforgettable moments. 

The Greatest Showman

It might not be totally fair to call PT Barnum a con artist, but there is a reason he is associated with the famous quote, "There's a sucker born every minute," though he almost certainly didn't actually say it. But as a showman, there was still a little grift in him. He just made it worth it to be to give them his money. 

Boiler Room

Years before The Wolf Of Wall Street, Ben Affleck, Giovanni Ribisi, and Vin Diesel teamed up for Boiler Room about a sketchy brokerage firm running basically the same scam Jordan Belfort ran that inspired the Scorsese movie. It's a raw look at the industry and its shifty ways. 

A Fish Called Wanda

Wanda Gershwitz (Jamie Lee Curtis) isn't the greatest grifter of all time, and her boyfriend Otto (Kevin Kline) has to be one of the dumbest ever. Teaming up with Ken and Archie (Michael Palin and John Cleese, respectively) doesn't help them much, either. Somehow, A Fish Called Wanda has become a little bit of a forgotten classic more than three decades after its release, but it's still wild and hilarious and we promise you won't be DISAPPOINTED with it. 

The Wizard of Lies

One of the worst, most destructive con men in history was Bernie Madoff. His decades-long con left many innocent people holding the bag. Two good happened after that. First, Madoff spent the last decade of his life having a miserable time in prison and second, HBO made a pretty darn good movie about the whole scam, starring Robert De Niro as Madoff. 

Six Degrees of Separation

The movie Six Degrees of Separation is based on a play by the same, itself loosely based on the life of grifter David Hampton, who scammed money out of Manhattan socialites by convincing them he was the son of actor Sidney Poitier. That's exactly what Will Smith's character, Paul, does in the movie.  And yep, if you're wondering it's the play that brought the term into the mainstream. 

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Tom Ripley, played by Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley is one of the more terrifying hustlers on this list. Through the tense movie, he proves he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. This is not one of the "fun" movies about con artists. 

Focus

Will Smith plays a con man who Margot Robbie has the misfortune of trying to con. It sets up an interesting dynamic and while it's not the most original idea to ever come of Hollywood, its sleek production and snappy script make well worth anyone's time. 

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Now we come to an all-time classic. Steve Martin and Michael Caine play two con artists forced to come together to pull off some huge cons in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and it works well...until it doesn't and they find themselves on the other end of a grift. It's just the best comedy about con artists ever made, and one of Steve Martin's best movies too, don't you agree?

The Wizard Of Oz

This is a tricky one to place on here, but there is no doubt that on the surface, the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz is a perfect example of a scam artist. He's a pretty great one too, seeing as how he got the whole of Oz to believe his nonsense. He can't pull one over on Dorothy though, she's sees his scam almost immediately. 

The Usual Suspects

"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist," says everything you need to know about Verbal Kint aka Keyser Söze (Kevin Spacey). It's a line that sums up the entire movie in one breath. Verbal Kint is the ultimate confidence man, brimming with exactly that, confidence, after all, he pulls off his grift in the middle of a police station filled with cops looking for him. 

Saltburn

Like The Talented Mr. Ripley in the '90s, Saltburn takes things to absolute extremes when it comes to scams. Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is diabolical in the planning and execution of his scam. The fact that he gets away with it only makes it that much more disturbing. 

Catch Me If You Can

There's a lot to unpack with Catch Me If You Can. The movie, with a great cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, is based on the autobiography of career criminal Frank Abagnale. It's a fantastic movie that fans can watch over and over, but it may in and of itself all be a scam. There is a lot of doubt in how much of the book - if any of it - is true at all. So meta. 

Matchstick Men

In Matchstick Men, Nicolas Cage plays a con artist who really has everything always going against him. It's a look into what happens when cons go wrong, really. Like a lot of movies about grifters, we root for the criminal, and Cage's performance and his character's bad luck make it easy. 

The Spanish Prisoner

The Spanish Prisoner is the name of one of the oldest and most widely used scams in history. The movie of the same name is basically Steve Martin's character pulling this grift on Campbell Scott's character. It's the same scam that we've all had attempted on us by Nigerian scammers promising great wealth by helping them with a lost rich relative. 

The Producers

Of all of Mel Brooks' amazing movies, The Producers might be the one that is most surprising in how it's endured over the years, with a wildly successful musical based on it and another movie based on the musical. In the end, the plot it just a good old-fashioned scam. 

The Prestige

Magicians are, at their heart, con artists. Any great magician will admit to it. It's how they use the power of deception that separates them from criminal grifters. That's why The Prestige finds its way onto this list. Competing magicians fooling each other with their tricks and illusions are nothing more than scams. 

Now You See Me

Now You See Me is a perfect example of magicians using their powers of persuasion and artistry for crime. The magicians in the movie use everything they've learned about magic and illusion to commit crimes but with a side trick of actually acting a bit like Robin Hood with the ill-gotten gains. It's complicated, but that's what makes it great. 

Curly Sue

Kids have been used in deceptions for centuries and in the movies we've seen it with movies like Curly Sue. It's a classic grifter movie, with James Belushi playing the most stereotypical con man of all time. And yet, the movie still works really well. Sure, it's a bit dated, but hey, keep a sharp eye for a young Steve Carell, who made his film debut here. 

Leap Of Faith

It turns out Steve Martin has a real knack for blaming scam artists. In Leap of Faith, he plays one of the oldest versions of a grifter on earth - the religious type. Martin stars as Jonas Nightengale, a con man who discovers that he can make serious money by pretending to be a faith healer, using every trick in the book to separate desperate people from their money. 

I Love You Phillip Morris

I Love You Phillip Morris is really a love story, but it's about a con man who is so in love with Phillip Morris he can't stop scamming people or breaking out of jail to be with him. Jim Carrey's performance as Steven, the con artist is one of the most underrated of his stellar career. 

The Good Liar

Romance scams, like the one in The Good Liar, are as old as time. When it's Ian McKellen playing the grifter though, you know it's worth checking out. He's just so perfect in the role of an aging hustler running his scam on a widow (Helen Mirren). 

The Frighteners

Director Peter Jackson's The Frighteners is a different kind of grifter movie. The main character, played by Michael J. Fox runs his scams with the help of a few ghosts that only he can see. It's honestly one of the most underappreciated movies by Jackson with fantastic performances all around.  

The Music Man

If you've never seen The Music Man, but you're a fan of The Simpsons, you are more familiar with the plot that you may be aware. One of the best Simpson's episodes of all time has to be "Marge Vs. Monorail" and it's basically all based on The Music Man. In the movie, the "Man" isn't selling a monorail, but he is selling the town a scam with his words and his songs. 

Maverick

Mel Gibson has a few forgotten hits, and Maverick is a great example of one that should be better remembered. Gibson plays a gambler and card sharp in late 19th Century America on his way to play in a poker tournament but finds plenty of ways to hustle on the way. 

White Men Can't Jump

Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) sure knows how to hustle guys on the basketball court. He quickly becomes Sidney Deane's (Wesley Snipes) nemesis on and off the court. That is, until the two team up to hustle for even more money. 

Trading Places

While Trading Places is strictly about con men, the con that Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) and Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) team up to pull on the Duke Brothers at the end surely makes it worthy of addition to this list. Like many on the list, it's really easy to root for the ones pulling the scam. 

Men may be the more traditional villains in movies, but women have been some of the best. The kind of characters we just love to hate, played by some of the greatest actresses of all time. Here is our list of some of the best female villains in film history.

Nurse Ratched - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Louise Fletcher's performance as the manipulative Nurse Ratched is one of the most chilling to grace the silver screen. Her iron-fisted rule over McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) and the rest of the patients is quietly evil, making it way more effective and terrifying than an over-the-top style of villain. 

Wicked Witch Of The West - The Wizard Of Oz

There may be no more recognizable villain, male or female, to movie fans than the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard Of Oz. The Margaret Hamilton character has been scaring kids (in the best way) for almost a century. The role is so iconic that when we think of a generic "witch," we almost always picture the Wicked Witch of the West. 

Alex Forrest - Fatal Attraction

You know we couldn't make this list without the absolutely unhinged Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) in Fatal Attraction. Close's performance of the jilted lover is consistently ranked among the great villains of all time and it's easy to see why. The movie keeps viewers on the edge of their seats as she gets more and more detached from reality, leaving us all terrified of what could come next. 

Madeline "Ma-Ma" Madrigal - Dredd

Madeline "Ma-Ma" Madrigal (Lena Headey), the gang boss in 2012's Dredd, is among the most ruthless criminals on film in recent years. Her control over the housing block Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is trying to police is fanatical and all-encompassing. Ma-Ma doesn't seem to have - or want - friends or advisors, just soldiers in her battle for control. 

Mary Lee Johnston - Precious

A lot of the villains on this list are traditional movie villains. Mary Lee Johnston (Mo'Nique) in Precious is not traditional. She's also the "realest" villain on this list. So real, it's horrifying, making Precious being a great movie that you almost never want to watch ever again. She's so evil it's really hard to watch. Mo'Nique is fantastic, bringing this wicked character to life on the screen. 

Phyllis Dietrichson - Double Indemnity

Female villains are nothing new, of course. One of the all-time classic examples is Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity from 1944. Barbara Stanwyck plays the traitorous wife who takes advantage of an insurance salesman (Fred MacMurray) by dragging him into her diabolical plan to off her husband and collect on his life insurance. 

Kathryn Merteuil - Cruel Intentions

High school bullies make great villains. They make especially great villains when they are as manipulative as Kathryn Merteuil (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in Cruel Intentions. Kathryn has no morals and no ethics, she only cares about herself and doesn't care who she hurts. That's why watching her get caught in the end is so satisfying. It's also maybe the best use of music in the movies. 

Pamela Voorhees - Friday The 13th

In the history of horror movies, one of the most iconic has to be the original Friday The 13th. While Jason Voorhees is on the Mount Rushmore of slasher film villains after countless sequels and spinoffs in the franchise, it's his mother who is the real villain in the original and that's why she, Pamala Voorhees (Betsy Palmer), deserves to be on this list. 

Mystique - X-Men

Magneto may the "big bad" in most of the X-Men movies, but he wouldn't be nearly as threatening without his right-hand woman, Mystique. Played by both Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence in the movies, the shapeshifting mutant does a lot of Magneto's dirty work. 

Elektra King - The World Is Not Enough

Given James Bond's history with women, you might expect more of his villains to be women. While there are plenty of henchmen, there are not a lot of women who played Bond villains. One great exception is the diabolical Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) in The World Is Not Enough. King,  wasn't born evil, but she definitely turned that way, perhaps even more extreme than the man who made her that way. 

Regina George - Mean Girls

Ruining Regina George's life might not have made Cady (Lindsay Lohan) happy in Mean Girls, but it sure was satisfying to watch! George, played by the great Rachel McAdams, is one of the all-time great girl-bullies in movie history. The manipulative popular girl gets what's coming to her in the end, after proving how awful she can be to even her closest friends. 

Bellatrix Lestrange - Harry Potter

It's impossible to see anyone other than Helena Bonham Carter in the role of the Harry Potter Bellatrix Lestrange. She plays the role of the villain perfectly in the series. Most of Potter and Co.'s enemies are male, of course, but one of the scariest has to be Lestrange.

Cassandra Nova - Deadpool And Wolverine

The MCU has a handful of female villains and for the most part, they are among the most powerful of all the villains. Take Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin) in Deadpool And Wolverine, for example. She's just as powerful as her brother, Charles Xavier, but she's pure evil. That's a terrifying combination. 

Annie Wilkes - Misery

This list would certainly not be complete without one of the meanest villains of the '90s, or any other decade in film history. Annie Wilkes, played by Kathy Bates in an Oscar-winning performance. She completely stole the show in one of the greatest horror movies of all time and earned a place on the Mount Rushmore of movie villains. 

Mama Fratelli - The Goonies

Big-time fame came late to Anne Ramsey. The actress had built a solid career in Hollywood as a character actor, but she really hit the big time after playing the villainous Mama Fratelli, matriarch of a hapless, yet very mean family, in The Goonies. Tragically, she died just three years later of cancer at age 59. 

Amy Dunne - Gone Girl

Is there anything as scary as a cold, calculating villain like Amy Dunne in Gone Girl? Amy, played by Rosamund Pike, is certainly justified in her beef with her cheating husband, put her method of revenge is pure evil. It's also darn impressive, and in the end, she "wins," so she deserves to be on this list. 

Miranda Priestly - The Devil Wears Prada

Everyone has had bad bosses, but no one has had a boss quite as awful as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. Meryl Streep's performance as the ultimate boss from hell is one of the best of her amazing career and a rare example of the actress playing a true villain. 

Cruella DeVille - One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Disney has a long history of great female villains, and close to the top of the greatest ones has to be Cruella DeVille. The One Hundred and One Dalmatians baddie knows exactly how to tear out viewers' hearts in everything she does, to say nothing of making coats from puppies. 

Aileen Wuornos - Monster

Charlize Theron plays one of the rare real people on this list, serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. Monster is the perfect description of her, too. While her unbelievably terrible life that led to her murders is something no one would wish on their worst enemy, what Wuornos became is pure evil in every way. Theron won an Oscar for her performance as Wuornos, who was executed in prison a year before the movie was released. 

Hela - Thor: Ragnorak

Some of the most powerful villains in the MCU are women and Hela in Thor: Ragnorak certainly qualifies here. Cate Blanchett's chameleon-like performance is just so great and Hela looks so cool, that you almost want to root for her. 

Maleficent - Sleeping Beauty

When you're such a good villain that they start making spin-offs about you, you absolutely belong on this list. Maleficent is one of the all-time great villains in Disney history and we love to hate her so much that she even got two films all her own in the 2010s, starring Angelina Jolie as the diabolical fairy, where we learn she's maybe not as evil as it seems. 

Harley Quinn - Suicide Squad

Of all the villains on this list, Harley Quinn is the most fun. Yeah, she's a psychopath, sure, but she's a fun psychopath! That's really all she wants to do, have fun and create chaos and that makes her pretty endearing in a lot of ways, as does Margot Robbie's awesome performance as the manic pixie dream psycho in the Suicide Squad movies. 

Veronica - Heathers

On the surface, you may argue that Heather Chandler (Kim Walker) is the villain in Heathers. Like Regina George, Chandler is the alpha mean girl in the crew of Heathers. But really, it's Veronica (Winona Ryder) and her boyfriend J.D. (Christian Slater), who are the real baddies here. They're the ones committing the murders, after all.  

Elle Driver - Kill Bill

Daryl Hannah was mostly known for rom-coms and more "innocent" characters before she was brilliantly cast by Quentin Tarantino as Elle Driver in Kill Bill. The California Mountain Snake, as Driver was known as part of the Deadly Vipers is a remorseless killer and relentless in her pursuit of her intended victim. 

Elsa Schneider - Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade

Elsa Schneider is the worst kind of traitor, she's a Nazi traitor who turns on one of cinema's great heroes, Indiana Jones. It's an unforgivable sin that earns her place on this list. Allison Doody's performance is great, as the surprise twist is something few saw coming. 

Catherine Tramell - Basic Instinct

It's unfortunate that Basic Instinct is really only remembered for one scene, surely you know which one. It's sad because Sharon Stone's work in the film as the calculating Catherine Tramell deserves to be remembered for more than just that interrogation scene. It's arguably the finest performance of her career. 

Jadis The White Witch - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Jadis The White Witch (Tilda Swinton) is, in the end, really nothing more than a dictator and a bully. She just has powerful magic to help her in her mercurial schemes and grievances. Not only does she delight in turning her enemies to stone for even the most minor slights, but she also plunges Narnia into winter for decades. 

Madison Lee - Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle

Traitorous villains, like Madison Lee (Demi Moore) in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle are the worst kind of people, but they make for some epic baddies in movies. A former Angel, Madison turns to the dark side after she thinks Charlie disrespects her and goes after her old friends with total abandon. 

Ursula - The Little Mermaid

It's hard to narrow down all the great Disney female villains for this list, but we had to include Ursula from The Little Mermaid. She's the epitome of everything that makes Disney villains great. Life's full of tough choices, isn't it?

Mallory Knox - Natural Born Killers

Like many others on this list, Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis) in Natural Born Killers is in some ways a victim of circumstance. Her upbringing was shocking, and her husband Mickey (Woody Harrelson) is the catalyst for their crime spree. Neither of those things gives her a pass though. Instead she makes this list as an all-time great villain. 

Frau Farbissina - Austin Powers 

One of the great Bond villainesses. Rosa Klebb in From Russia With Love is the inspiration for another great, Frau Farbissina in the Austin Powers franchise. Mindy Sterling's performance as Dr. Evil's right-hand woman is just pitch-perfect as a parody and she absolutely deserves to be on this list. 

President Alma Coin - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) is the classic bad guy in The Hunger Games movies, but after Snow is finally deposed and Alma Coin (Julieanne Moore) takes over as President, it turns out she's just as ruthless as Snow. Her pettiness towards Katniss doesn't do much to endear her to anyone, either.

More times than not, if there is a pet in a movie, we’re going to love them more than the rest of the cast. We’ve seen it in everything from family-friendly comedies like Babe to all-time great sci-fi thrillers like Alien and countless others. And since we had so much fun looking back on the greatest movie dogs, we thought we’d give the rest of the animal kingdom some love by breaking down 32 of the best pets in Hollywood history. 

Let’s look at some of the beloved cats, dogs, fish, and alien creatures that have stolen our hearts over the years.

Gizmo (Gremlins)

While the rest of his siblings are off causing all kinds of mayhem in Kingston Falls, Gizmo spends the entirety of Gremlins being not only a cute and adorable pet, but also a brave companion for Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan). He’s not your typical pet, but this furry and brave mogwai is a creature we’d all love to have in our house.

Beethoven (Beethoven)

Sure, Beethoven destroys the Newton home on more than one occasion, likes to steal bacon, and uses dress shoes as his chew toys, but there’s no denying this massive St. Bernard is one of the best movie pets in Hollywood history. Like, come on, he even turns George Newton (Charles Grodin) from a neurotic mess of a man who hates dogs to a slightly less neurotic man who takes in no fewer than a dozen dogs at the end of the movie.

Babe (Babe)

Babe, one of the best family movies from the ‘90s, features what is perhaps the most beloved on-screen pig in Hollywood history. The titular sheep-pig, which warmed everyone’s hearts including James Cromwell’s farmer in the 1995 classic, never lets the other animals’ comments or attitudes get the best of him. 

Jonesy (Alien)

One of only two survivors of the Nostromo incident in Alien, Jonesy the cat has become one of the most recognizable felines in Hollywood history. The orange tabby cat that was on a yearslong mission to deep space for some reason, shows up again in Aliens, but doesn’t get to leave Earth’s orbit, which is a shame.

Oliver (Oliver & Company)

Sure Billy Joel’s Dodger is the definition of cool in Oliver & Company, but the titular feline is there to melt our hearts and teach us about bravery and new beginnings. Though he starts out as an orphan, Oliver, an adorable kitten voiced by Joey Lawrence, does eventually find a family and does everything he can to make it his forever home.

Toto (The Wizard Of Oz)

One of the most well-known terriers in Hollywood history, Toto is a major part of The Wizard of Oz and is quite crucial to its plot. Not only does he give the Wicked Witch of the West a hard time throughout the movie, but he also doesn’t fall for the Wizard’s act and exposes him for the fraud he is.

Hedwig (The Harry Potter Movies)

What other movie pets have their own iconic theme composed by the legendary John Williams? This alone puts Hedwig in the top tier of animals in Hollywood history, but it’s honestly just one part of Harry Potter’s trusty owl’s on-screen accomplishments. And the way she puts her life on the line to protect the young wizard is nothing short of commendable.

Toothless (How To Train Your Dragon)

Dragons don’t have to be massive, ferocious, or obsessed with gold to earn a spot in Hollywood history, and that’s the case for Toothless in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise. Ever since his first appearance in the 2010 franchise starter, this adorable yet courageous pet and companion has come through big for Hiccup time and time again.

Blofeld's Cat (From Russia With Love)

There are quite a few recurring characters in the James Bond franchise and one of the most frequently featured is Blofeld’s cat, which was a major fixture in the early movies. The pet belonging to the fearsome leader of Spectre, this white cat is adorable even if it’s part of one of the biggest crime syndicates in Hollywood history.

Abu (Aladdin)

Sure, Genie makes a case for himself with “You Never Had A Friend Like Me,” but the titular hero in Disney’s Aladdin had a great pet and friend all along: Abu. This crafty monkey with a knack for lifting valuable objects and artifacts, has more street smarts than just about any other animal in the studio’s history, which is saying something.

Jiji (Kiki's Delivery Service)

One of Hayao Miyazaki’s best movies, Kiki’s Delivery Service features one of the most beloved Studio Ghibli characters with its titular witch, but the movie also has an all-time great movie pet. Jiji, Kiki’s talking cat, who was voiced by the late Phil Hartman in the 1998 English dub, is crafty, sassy, and devoted to his human. With a quip and morale boost at every turn, we’d all be better with a cat like this.

Wanda (A Fish Called Wanda)

Wanda, the angelfish and not the character played by Jamie Lee Curtis, in A Fish Called Wanda doesn’t do as much as other pets on this list, but it is key to one of the most iconic scenes from this hilarious ‘80s crime comedy. Anyone down for fish and chips?

Sassy, Chance and Shadow (Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey)

For folks of a certain age, Sassy, Chance, and Shadow are three of the most recognizable pets of all time. Sure, they wouldn’t have had to cross a mountain pass if they had just stayed put, but we have to give it to them for going to extreme lengths to get back to their owners, even if it means almost dying multiple times in Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.

Vito Corleone's Cat (The Godfather)

Despite only being featured in one scene, Don Vito Corleone’s cat in The Godfather has become one of the most unforgettable characters in the crime epic as well as one of the most recognizable pets in Hollywood history. And the notoriously dark and shadowy opening scene with Vito and the cat is even better in the 4K remaster, which adds so much to the feline’s character. 

Arthur (Beginners)

Beginners is a charming and heartful romantic comedy that touches on love, happiness, loss, and new beginnings (hence the name). And while Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, and Melanie Laurent are all masterful in their respective roles, it’s the dog, named Arthur, who steals the show. This Jack Russell terrier, whose thoughts are shown in subtitles, has great comedic timing, which makes the 2011 movie so much more fun.

Cat (Breakfast At Tiffany's)

Holly Golightly’s pet, appropriately named “Cat,” is honestly one of the best things about Breakfast at Tiffany’s and helps make the iconic Audrey Hepburn movie so beloved. And who is there in the timeless final scene in which Holly and Pual Varjak get back together in the pouring rain? Yep, it’s Cat.

Benji (Benji)

When it comes to legendary on-screen pooches, Benji is near or at the top of the list. Ever since the 1974 classic, Benji, the beloved dog has melted audiences’ (of multiple generations) hearts and provided for some adventurous moments along the way.

Jinxy (Meet The Parents) 

Jinxy cat can wave, flush toilets, and make life miserable for Greg Focker in Meet the Parents, but despite being antagonistic against Ben Stiller’s character in the 2000 comedy, he’s still one of the best. Who else can make Rober De Niro’s Jack Byrnes turn into a big softy like that? No one, not even his daughters.

Max (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)

At the heart of every version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is Max, the Grinch’s best friend, trusty assistant, and beloved pet dog. It’s hard not to feel sympathetic towards the iconic pooch, especially before the Grinch’s heart grows three sizes…

Buddy (Air Bud)

We’ve lost count of how many times Buddy has saved the day in the Air Bud movies, but it’s a lot. It all goes back to the ‘90s kids sports movie where the Golden Retriever joins the basketball team after escaping from an abusive circus clown. Are there any other dogs that can shoot hoops (and later play football and just about every other team sport)?

Mike Tyson's Tiger (The Hangover)

Mike Tyson has a pet tiger in The Hangover because of course he does. Probably the most exotic, deadly, and out-of-left-field pet in the history of cinema, the infamous boxer’s tiger is involved in one of the movie’s most hilarious sequences, one that’ll leave you laughing and scratching your head as you try to figure out how this happened.

Stitch (Lilo and Stitch)

Yeah, Stitch is technically an alien lifeform and not an animal from Earth, but the little blue creature from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch is just too good to not mention. We can’t understand a thing he says and he causes a lot of mischief, but isn’t that true about all pets?

Ulysses (Inside Llewyn Davis)

Ulysses, the cat Oscar Isaac’s titular character in Inside Llewyn Davis brings with him after getting locked out of a friend’s apartment, is honestly one of the best big-screen feline characters of the 21st century. He represents the struggling folk singer’s life so well and adds so much to this Coen brothers movie.

Daisy (John Wick)

Daisy, we didn’t know you all that long, but you’ve remained in our hearts for the past decade. A present from John Wick’s late wife to help him with his grief ended up becoming the spark for the retired hitman’s return back to the underworld. There have been more John Wick dogs over the years, but Daisy will always be the first.

Clyde (Every Which Way But Loose)

Clyde the orangutang playing the comedic relief to Clint Eastwood’s straight man in Every Which Way But Loose is one of those great primate movie performances and provides for so many great moments. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with a rambunctious ape that likes to flip people the bird?

Virgil (Project X)

Virgil isn’t your typical pet, which is what makes this chimpanzee so great in Project X (the 1987 sci-fi drama and not the 2012 party flick). Part of a secret military project and later the best friend of Matthew Broderick’s Jimmy Garrett, this advanced primate embarks upon an epic adventure as he and his human counterparts seek a better life.

Goose (Captain Marvel)

Goose may look like a normal housecat, but this isn’t your everyday tabby. Instead, as seen throughout Captain Marvel, Goose is an alien creature known as a flerken and has all kinds of crazy strengths and powers. Just watch your eye.

The Ranchor (Star Wars: Episode VI - The Return of the Jedi)

On the surface, the ranchor looks like a ferocious and massive monster in Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi, but as we see after the creature’s death, it’s actually someone’s pet. Just look on the trainer’s face when Luke kills the beast in Jabba’s palace. Heartbreaking.

Dug (Up)

There have been countless pets in Pixar movies over the years, and one of the best is Dug from Up. Equipped with a collar that turns his thoughts into words, this fun-loving, ball-obsessed, and adventurous canine is a source of entertainment throughout this beloved 2009 animated gem.

Rajah (Aladdin)

What makes Rajah such a great pet, well, besides being a freaking tiger? Well, he projects Jasmine from countless threats throughout Aladdin and never falls for Jafar’s games, which is more than you can say about pretty much every character in this Disney staple. But don’t let that fool you, because he’s actually a big softie.

Sven (Frozen)

Reindeer are better than people, especially when it comes to Sven in Frozen. The longtime friend, companion, and pet of Kristof’s in this massive box office hit. He doesn’t talk, but this trusty character has all kinds of emotions and never ignores the call to adventure.

Wilbur (Charlotte's Web)

There’s a good chance Charlotte’s Web would have earned an Oscar if the Best Animated Feature category existed at the time of its release. A lot of that is because of the infectious energy of Wilbur, the prized pig who becomes the source of inspiration for the titular spider and her incredible creations. Sure, he doesn’t become a sheep-pig, but he’s still pretty great.

A lot can happen to a movie between the time a script is written and a premiere is held, and in some cases, a whole lot of bad can happen. Over the years, Best Picture winners, some of the greatest horror movies of all time, and cult classics have experienced nightmarish productions, with some being far worse than anyone could have ever imagined.

Come with us as we go through the history of Hollywood and break down 32 movies with disastrous productions that have since become the stuff of legend. And while we will be avoiding spoilers, some details are not for the faint of heart.

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1982)

Arguably the most infamous disastrous production, Twilight Zone: The Movie is mostly remembered for the on-set deaths of Vic Morrow and child actors Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen, who were all killed in a freak accident involving a helicopter. Slate would later write extensively about the accident, what led to it, and how the segment’s director, John Landis, dealt with the ramifications.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Though known as one of the best war movies ever made, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic is more times than not remembered for being one of the most intense, grueling, and disastrous productions. An overweight and ill-prepared Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen’s heart attack, and several other issues have since been well-documented in documentaries like Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse.

The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)

The Island of Dr. Moreau is one of those movies that so many people wanted to work on, but it just wasn’t in the cards. The early dismissal of original director Richard Stanley (he was replaced by John Frankenheimer less than a week into shooting), Marlon Brando’s odd behavior, and Val Kilmer stepping in when Bruce Willis left shortly before production began all contributed to the madness on set.

Rust (Unreleased)

Who knows if the world will ever get to see Rust, as Joel Souza’s Western film has been wrapped up in all kinds of investigations, criminal trials, and litigation ever since a freak accident on set claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in October 2021. According to the Los Angeles Times, star Alec Baldwin was practicing a shooting scene when his gun fired a live round, killing Hutchins and injuring Souza. Production has been suspended ever since.

Fitzcarraldo (1982)

Werner Herzog’s 1982 epic Fitzcarraldo tells the story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (Klaus Kinski) as he attempts to transport a steamship through rivers and over a steep hill to find his fame and fortune. Herzog, not one to take the easy way out, decided that he and his crew would drag an actual 320-ton ship up a hill, as seen in the must-watch Les Blank documentary, Burden of Dreams. 

The Shining (1980)

In addition to having some great improvised movie moments, Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of The Shining also has a reputation for being a movie where the tyrannical director pushed and pushed and pushed his cast to their breaking point. Kubrick’s primary target, Shelley Duvall, had an especially hard time on set, according to The Mirror, and was left in poor health because of the intense and chaotic shoot.

Jaws (1975)

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 summer blockbuster, Jaws, had everything you’d want in a big movie: legendary acting performances, an all-time great John Williams score, and one of the scariest monsters captured on screen. As the director remembered in Spielberg: The First Ten Years (via Vanity Fair), a boat began to sink with the actors (and sound equipment) aboard, the shark didn’t work half the time, and the whole project went over budget. Still, it’s one of the greatest of all time.

Back To The Future (1984)

Back to the Future is remembered today as one of the best ‘80s movies and an iconic sci-fi flick that helped turn Michael J. Fox into the biggest actor on the planet. But before the Family Ties star came into the picture and brought Marty McFly to life, Eric Stoltz was famously cast and then fired weeks into the production. Though all of the McFly scenes were reshot, there’s still a single shot of Stoltz in the final cut. 

The Revenant (2015)

The Revenant, which earned Leonardo DiCaprio his first Oscar, experienced one of the most grueling and difficult productions in recent memory. Director Alejandro G. Inarritu insisted on shooting the film in order, which caused a myriad of issues along the way, including going over budget by the tune of $7 million, subjecting the cast and crew to extreme weather conditions, and having to move everything to a different continent to find cold enough weather.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

The Wizard of Oz is a movie that should get its own biographical drama series because so much drama happened on the set of the landmark 1939 film. From the production using asbestos to make fake snow to the alleged abuse and harassment on set to recastings and new directors, a lot went wrong in the process of making one of the most influential films of all time.

Star Wars (1977)

Star Wars (later retitled Episode IV – A New Hope) launched one of the biggest franchises of all time back in May 1977, but it wasn’t all peas and carrots on the set of the game-changing sci-fi epic. George Lucas and company battled all kinds of issues during the disastrous production including shooting in the deserts of Tunisia and Death Valley, budget problems, and droids that just wouldn’t work led to a series of headaches for all involved parties.

Cleopatra (1963)

Described by the A.V. Club as both an unmitigated disaster and runaway smash hit, Cleopatra is one of the most well-known movies of all time. Production of the epic starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton was stalled by unexploded World War II landmines, medical emergencies, and a ballooning budget.

Waterworld (1995)

A bad movie with a great plot, Kevin Costner’s Waterworld has a reputation for being one of the worst and most expensive box office failures of the ‘90s. According to Yahoo! Entertainment, Costner’s choice to ignore Steven Spielberg’s advice about shooting on open water was largely to blame for the movie’s massive budget and a plethora of issues experienced by the cast and crew on the set.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

On top of being a wildly inaccurate biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody is also a film that was marred by on-set issues. A lot of the issues were connected to original director Bryan Singer, who was fired partway through production after numerous run-ins with the cast and outbursts on set. But the problems didn’t stop there, as the screenwriter later sued the film’s producers.

Titanic (1997)

James Cameron’s Titanic is one of the biggest movies of all time, as well as one that experienced one of the strangest incidents during production. As later covered by outlets like Variety, someone spiked the cast and crew’s clam chowder with PCP, which resulted in dozens of people flooding a local hospital suffering from all kinds of psychedelic and physical effects.

Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is a top-tier sci-fi classic, but the director’s techno-noir film wasn’t without its fair share of incidents. From rewrites to missing deadlines to an insistence on adding narration by Harrison Ford, there was a lot that went wrong before the movie hit the big screen.

Heaven's Gate (1980)

Heaven’s Gate, the 1980 Michael Cimino movie and not the cult from the ‘90s, is often regarded as one of the worst and most disastrous movies of all time. Released a few years after Cimino’s iconic The Deer Hunter, the Western epic ended up coming in $30+ million over budget, many days late, and according to IndieWire, was so bad United Artists decided to shelve the film not long into its run.

The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)

The Bridge on the River Kwai, Davide Lean’s 1957 war epic is often regarded as one of the best World War II films, but it too, had its share of production issues. Among them were problems director David Lean had with the British actors and the botched filming of the iconic bridge explosion caused by a cameraman not getting out of the way in time.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Regarded as one of the best action movies of all time, Mad Max: Fury Road took the genre to new heights with its story about Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) and Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron). However, as reported by Vanity Fair, the two stars hated one another, which made things difficult on set.

Tombstone (1993)

One of the best Westerns ever made, Tombstone is one of those movies you just have to watch whenever it's on TV. But we’re lucky the movie was even made, as its production was the stuff of nightmares (at least for Hollywood). Kevin Jarre, the screenwriter and original director, was fired early in production and there have long been rumors that star Kurt Russell was his replacement, not George P. Cosmatos, who’s credited as the director.

The Crow (1994)

The Crow, which would go on to become one of the biggest cult classics of the ‘90s, will forever be known as the movie in which star Brandon Lee was tragically shot and killed during production. 

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, was long believed to be a movie that would never see the light of day. Over the course of nearly 30 years, multiple attempts, and countless casting replacements, Gilliam finally released the movie in 2018

Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

One of the most shocking movies of all time, Cannibal Holocaust has become a rite of passage in some circles due to its gratuitous violence and pure depravity. The found footage horror film, which features the decapitations of animals among other things, ended up getting its director, Ruggero Deodato, sent to court after people thought it was a real documentary.

Sorcerer (1977)

Riding high on the success of The French Connection and The Exorcist, William Friedkin took on one of his most ambitious projects: Sorcerer. The box office dud is mostly remembered all these years later for being the movie that sent at least 50 crew members to the hospital with ailments like gangrene and malaria, per Collider.

The Abyss (1989)

Though not the best James Cameron movie, The Abyss is still a great addition to the sci-fi genre and a wonderful alien movie. But know what wasn’t great? The film’s production. Cameron pushed things way too far for the cast, crew, and himself to the dangerous limits throughout the shoot, and, according to SyFy, he almost died on set.

Deliverance (1972)

Few movies capture a sense of dread and danger better than Deliverance, and it sounds like what happened behind the scenes was just as terrifying as anything featured in the 1972 thriller. Between Jon Voight almost dying performing a stunt, fistfights on set, and run-ins with the locals, a lot went wrong.

Alien 3 (1992)

David Fincher is one of the best directors in Hollywood, but the man behind Seven, Fight Club, and The Social Network had a bad start in the business thanks to the disastrous Alien 3. Fincher has been vocal about the production woes in the past, which could be attributed to a revolving door of creatives and a studio not knowing what it wanted.

World War Z (2013)

Have you ever watched World War Z and wondered why the final act of the 2013 Brad Pitt zombie movie feels like it has nothing in common with everything that led to that point? Well, that’s because the final third of the movie was completely rewritten and reshot.

Roar (1981)

Watch the Roar trailer and it shouldn’t take long to figure out why this 1981 cult classic is on the list. During the production of this wild creature feature, 70 crew members were injured by real-life lions, with some getting gangrene and puncture wounds.

American History X (1998)

It wasn’t so much the production of American History X that was the disaster as it was the post-production work. According to The Independent, director Tony Kaye, who was upset with New Line Cinema for making him recut and lengthen the film, ended up punching a wall and breaking his hand during the editing before going on a crusade to bad-mouth his film and having his name removed from the credits.

Tootsie (1982)

Going off an excerpt from David McGiffert’s The Best Seat in the House (via The Wrap), it sounds like Dustin Hoffman was just as difficult to work with as his character in Tootsie. In his book, the assistant director goes into great detail about the confrontations between Hoffman and director Sydney Pollack, which really adds to their characters’ scenes together.

Suicide Squad (2016)

Before all the Justice League brouhaha in the years that followed, the DCEU gave the world Suicide Squad, a movie pieced together by so many different parties it’s unnecessarily complex and hard to follow. Years later, director David Ayer still gets crap for the movie.

Some of these movies are cinematic masterpieces, while others have been largely forgotten to the sands of time. However, they all have something in common: they all had disastrous productions.

Everybody loves a good dog movie — not just because most humans cannot seem to get enough of the animal they call “man’s best friend,” but because many of them depict the canine in a heroic light. We picked out a hefty selection of some of our favorite examples of lovable movie and TV dogs whom we can thank for treating us to a happy ending to cheer for. That being said, we also cannot promise that the dog does not die in all of these films and series, but we can assure you that, through their vigilant acts, they did not pass on in vain.

Buddy Leads Josh's Basketball Team To Victory (Air Bud)

Perhaps the Citizen Kane of animal sports movies is Disney's Air Bud, which starred real-life canine celebrity Air Buddy in the title role. After the Golden Retriever is befriended by a boy named Josh (Kevin Zegers), he discovers that he has an astonishing talent for playing basketball and becomes the star player of Josh's team.

Pongo And Perdita Save All Of Cruella's Kidnapped Puppies (One Hundred Dalmatians And One Dalmatians)

While we have a soft spot for the 1996 live-action remake, especially for Glenn Close’s performance as Cruella de Vil, we felt Disney’s original 1961 animated adaptation of Dodie Smith’s book was more deserving of a mention as it is largely told from the perspective of Pongo, Perdita, and their puppies. In addition to rescuing their own children from the cruel fashionista's clutches, the canine couple prevent a whopping 101 Dalmatians (hence the title) from being made into a spotted fur coat.

Benji Rescues Paul And Cindy (Benji)

One of the most famous fictional dogs in history is Benji — the star of many adventures, the first of which was released in 1974. In the Oscar-nominated film, the titular stray (played then by a mixed breed named Higgins) is accepted into the family of two children after saving them from a kidnapping.

Every Time Scooby-Doo Helps Mystery Inc. Crack The Case (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?)

Whenever the villain of the week is unmasked, they always say that they would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for “those meddling kids,” in reference to Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, and Velma. However, the titular Great Dane from the original classic cartoon, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?, plays a pivotal role in Mystery Inc. and the amount of times his loyalty, occasional bouts of courage, and astonishing ability to speak helped solve the case should not go unnoticed, especially by the criminal caught in the end.

Sparky Saves Beethoven (Beethoven)

The eponymous St. Bernard from the Beethoven franchise is an undeniable canine hero, but the one who really saves the day at the end of the 1992 first installment is his buddy, Sparky. The Jack Russell Terrier prevents evil veterinarian Herman Varnick (Dean Jones) from shooting Beethoven by biting him in the crotch. 

Jock And Trusty Rescue Tramp From The Dogcatcher (Lady And The Tramp)

After he is wrongfully accused of attacking Jim Dear and Darling's baby, Tramp (Larry Roberts) is taken away by a local dogcatcher. However, when neighboring Scottish Terrier Jock (Bill Thompson) and elderly bloodhound Trusty (Bill Baucom) overhear evidence of his innocence, they track him down and derail the dogcatcher's carriage, which unfortunately causes Trusty to become injured in the commotion.

Copper Prevents Amos From Shooting Tod (The Fox And The Hound)

Disney's animated adaptation of Daniel P. Mannix's book, The Fox and the Hound, tells the story of two animals whose friendship is torn apart by the realization that they are meant to be natural enemies. However, their mutual affection remains strong enough in their adulthood that the hound, Copper (Mickey Rooney), protects his fox friend, Tod (Kurt Russell), from his owner — a hunter named Amos (Jack Albertson).

Toto Alerts The Others To Help Rescue Dorothy (The Wizard Of Oz)

In the 1937 family movie classic, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s (Judy Garland) chances of getting back home to Kansas are threatened by the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) when her flying monkeys bring her and Toto to the castle. Luckily, the Cairn Terrier manages to escape and finds the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Tin Man (Jack Haley), and Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), whom he leads back to the castle to save Dorothy.

Bolt Draws The Firefighters' Attention (Bolt)

In Disney's 2008 animated movie, Bolt, John Travolta voices the title role of a White Swiss Shepherd who believes he is the hero he plays on TV, only to discover he only possesses average abilities when he becomes lost in New York. However, he does end up becoming a real hero when his barks alert nearby firefighters to where he and his owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus), are trapped in a burning building.

Every Time Underdog Saves Polly (Underdog)

There are many great superhero pets we could have mentioned here — such as Batman’s Ace — but we thought we would go with the underdog canine vigilante, who is aptly called Underdog. The Lois Lane to the super-powered Beagle’s Superman was Sweet Polly Purebred, whom he sprung into action to save in nearly every episode of his 1960s-era animated series.

Lou Defeats Mr. Tinkles (Cats & Dogs)

Domesticated house pets got their own spy movie spoof with 2001’s Cats & Dogs, which depicts canines and felines’ natural rivalry as a more complex, high-stakes situation. The one who thwarts Mr. Tinkles’ (voiced by Sean Hayes) plan to make all humans allergic to dogs, and saves his own family in the process, is rookie agent Lou (voiced by Tobey Maguire) — a Beagle who decides that he is better off being a regular dog.

Charlie Gives His Life For Anne-Marie (All Dogs Go To Heaven)

In Don Bluth's 1989 classic, All Dogs Go to Heaven, conniving German Shepherd Charlie (Burt Reynolds) escapes the afterlife with the intent of avenging his murder, but ends up befriending an orphan named Anne-Marie (Judith Barsi). He loses his life again attempting to save the little girl from a fire, which grants him a place in Heaven again and allows him time to temporarily visit his human friend in spirit.

A Mortally Wounded Hooch Saves Turner From Hyde (Turner & Hooch)

In the 1989 buddy cop comedy, Turner & Hooch, the eponymous Dogue de Bordeaux is shot trying to protect Det. Scott Turner (Tom Hanks). Luckily, Hooch still has the will to get up and bite the crooked Chief Hyde (Craig T. Nelson), distracting him for enough time to let Turner take him out.

Gromit Saves Wallace From Were-Rabbit Hunters (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit)

What makes Gromit one of the greatest pop culture sidekicks in history is his intelligence and unbridled loyalty toward his friend, Wallace (originally voiced by Peter Sallis). This is most evident in the duo’s 2005 feature-length adventure, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, in which the Beagle discovers Wallace is the titular half-human, half-bunny creature and must protect him from people intent on getting rid of him.

Otis Helps Milo To Safety (The Adventures Of Milo And Otis)

The entire story of The Adventures of Milo and Otis (originally released in Japan as A Kitten's Story) is one big, dangerous collision course for a cat named Milo. Luckily, the orange tabby cat's new buddy, a stray pug named Otis, chases after him, helping him out of his jam by the end.

Reggie And His Friends Bring Doug To Justice (Strays)

The year 2023 brought us an adult take on the talking dog movie called Strays, in which a naive Border Terrier named Reggie (voiced by Will Ferrell) realizes that he was intentionally abandoned by his abusive owner, Doug (Will Forte), and sets out to get even with him. With the help from his new furry friends — Bug (Jamie Foxx), Maggie (Isla Fisher), and Hunter (Randall Park) — Reggie exacts his revenge by biting off… well, let’s just call it Doug’s “favorite thing.”

Scraps Saves The Mayflower (Airplane II: The Sequel)

In the 1982 follow-up to the classic parody movie, Airplane! — aptly titled Airplane II: The Sequel — a malfunctioning AI sending the Mayflower to the Sun instead of the Moon is not the only issue the commercial space shuttle is facing as someone also brought aboard a time bomb they bought from the duty-free shop. An attempt to get bring the device, stashed in a briefcase, to a safe place ends with the briefcase hurtling in the hair, but a passenger dog named Scraps catches it in his mouth before it can hit the ground.

Max Stops Tyler From Killing Justin (Max)

The title character of Max is a military-trained Malinois (played by a show dog named Carlos) who is haunted by the death of his handler, Kyle (Robbie Amell) and is taken in by the family of the fallen Marine. He forms a close bond with Kyle’s younger brother, Justin (Josh Wiggins), and risks his life to save the teen and his father (Thomas Haden Church) from Kyle’s friend Tyler (Luke Kleintank), who turns out to have ties to an illegal weapons trade.

Old Yeller Saves Katie And Lisbeth From A Wolf (Old Yeller)

In Disney’s 1957 adaptation of Fred Gipson’s novel, Old Yeller, the titular Black Mouth Cur (played by Spike) performs many heroic acts that earn him a place among the Coates. His final deed was protecting Katie (Dorothy McGuire) and Lisbeth (Beverly Washburn) by fighting off a wolf, which is ultimately shot by Travis (Tommy Kirk), but not soon enough to prevent it from biting Old Yeller, who sadly contracts rabies as a result.

Dan And Ann Save Grandpa And Billy (Where The Red Fern Grows)

Two of the most loyal and protective dogs in the history of fiction come from Wilson Rawls' 1961 novel, Where the Red Fern Grows, which was first adapted for film in 1974. Billy's two raccoon-hunting dogs, Dan and Ann, end up rescuing the boy's injured grandpa and, later, Dan sacrifices his life to prevent a mountain lion from attacking Billy, which later costs Ann her will to live.

Baxter Tells The Mama Bear To Leave Ron And Veronica Alone (Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy)

One of the funniest examples of a dog who is smarter than his owner is Baxter from 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy, who not only speaks Spanish but can apparently speak bear, too. That is how he convinces a mother grizzly to step away from Ron (Will Ferrell) and Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) when they become trapped in the bear habitat at the zoo.

Jake's Many Adventures With Finn (Adventure Time)

On one of the all-time best animated TV shows, Adventure Time, the sole remaining human in the Land of Ooo, Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), could have never completed his many quests to protect the mystical, post-apocalyptic world without his buddy, Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio). In addition to his various magical abilities, the talking dog of unspecified breed saves the day again and again just by being a supportive friend.

The Wolf-Dog Rescues Gabriel (Where The North Begins)

One of the most famous canine actors in Hollywood history is Rin-Tin-Tin and one of his most famous roles was known as The Wolf-Dog from Where the North Begins. Initially raised by wolves as a puppy, the German Shepherd is later adopted by a fur trapper named Gabriel (Walter McGrail) after saving him from a certain death. 

Togo Helps Deliver The Life-Saving Serum (Togo)

The 2019 Disney+ original movie Togo is inspired by the true story of musher Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe) and his titular sled dog, who was considered too small and weak when he was born, only to become the leader of his pack. In 1925, Seppala and the 12-year-old Siberian husky embark on a 600-mile trek through a harsh arctic storm to deliver a cure for a deadly epidemic, only to see an Alaskan husky named Balto receive the credit.

Chance, Shadow, And Sassy Save Themselves (Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey)

Who says that an animal has to save someone else to be considered the hero of their story? In Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey — Disney’s 1993 adaptation of Sheila Burnford’s novel — American Bulldog Chance (voiced by Michael J. Fox) and elderly Golden Retriever Shadow (Don Ameche), along with their feline friend, Sassy (Sally Field), manage to find their way back to their family after days lost in the wilderness.

The Many Adventures Of Boomer (Here's Boomer)

In the early 1980s, a series called Here's Boomer aired for two seasons, during which a stray mixed breed (played by Johnny the Dog) traveled the country, often running into people who needed assistance. For 20 episodes, he helped the likes of a family whose camping trip was interrupted by a bear attack, a visually impaired man wanting to be a cyclist, cops looking to crack a big case, and more.

Delgado Saves Chloe From El Diablo (Beverly Hills Chihuahua)

Drew Barrymore’s Chloe may be the titular breed of Disney’s 2008 comedy, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, but she would have never survived her dangerous journey through Mexico City without the help of Delgado (voiced by Andy Garcia). The street-smart German Shepherd is even responsible for helping her escape the clutches of an evil Doberman named El Diablo (Edward James Olmos).

The Sled Dogs Safely Pull Ted And Jack From The Edge Of A Cliff (Snow Dogs)

In 2002’s Snow Dogs, Miami dentist Ted Brooks (Cuba Gooding Jr.) must put his newly found mushing skills to the test to bring his biological father, Jack (James Coburn), to the finish line of a major Alaskan sled race during a bad storm. Their sled nearly falls off a cliff on the way back, but their seven Siberian Huskies and Border Collie, Nana, pull them to safety.

Rowf And Snitter Rescue Abused Lab Animals (The Plague Dogs)

Based on Richard Adams’ novel, the 1982 animated adventure drama, The Plague Dogs, follows a Labrador-mix named Rowf (Christopher Benjamin) and a smooth fox terrier named Snitter (John Hurt), who are hunted under suspicion that they may carry a deadly disease. As it turns out, the commotion they caused around town resulted in the shutdown of the local lab from where they escaped, which, inadvertently, saved the other animals kept there from experiencing any further cruel treatment.

Bingo Rescues Chuckie And Safely Disposes A Bomb (Bingo)

The was a dog movie in 1991 and Bingo was its name-o. It follows a Border Collie who gives up his unsatisfactory life as a circus performer to search for a boy he once befriended named Chuckie (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.), who later gets kidnapped for ransom. Bingo manages to help Chuckie get out of the burning building where he was being held by activating a fire alarm that alerts the fire department and, later, carries a bomb that was also in the building to an area where it does not harm anyone upon detonation. 

Reno Rescues Wilder From Neo-Nazis (Top Dog)

In response to a trend of action movies partnering cops with canines, 1995 saw the release of Top Dog, starring Chuck Norris as Lt. Jake Wilder, who is initially reluctant to work with a Briard named Reno after his previous owner dies. However, the dog turns out to be a wonderful partner, freeing Wilder from captivity by Neo-Nazis by biting through his bindings and joining in the fight to take down their who operation.

Browning Solves His Own Murder (Oh Heavenly Dog)

We admit that 1980's Oh Heavenly Dog might be a bit of a stretch because the heroic canine in question is actually a reincarnated human, namely Chevy Chase as a private investigator named Browning. He is assigned to return to Earth and solve his own murder, with the catch that he is given the body of a mixed breed who is billed as Benji, but is actually played by Benjean, the daughter of original Benji actor, Higgins.

You may have noticed that we did not mention Lassie in any of these examples, but that is because including her would have been too on-the-snout, as far as we are concerned. After all, when was that Rough Collie not saving somebody at some point?

Mistakes happen. We're all human, including the most talented people in Hollywood, and we all make them. Given how huge some productions are, and the coordination it takes to make a big Hollywood movie, it's actually amazing more mistakes don't happen. When they do sneak through into a final product, you can be sure people will talk about them, so here are some of the errors we're still thinking about, even years later. 

Pretty Woman's Ever Changing Breakfast

One of the most famous continuity errors in Hollywood history has to be the now-infamous breakfast scene in Pretty Woman. When Vivian (Julia Roberts) sits down for breakfast, she picks up a croissant and starts to eat it. A couple of seconds later, the scene cuts back to her and she takes a bite of a...pancake. Then after another cut, she takes the same bit of a clearly different pancake. 

Han's Hands In The Empire Strikes Back

Han Solo (Harrison Ford) being frozen in carbonite is one of the most iconic scenes in film history, and yet, there is something that just doesn't make sense. When Han is led to the machine and lowered into it, his hands are tied at the wrist in front of him and his arms are tied to his side. When his frozen body emerges, his hands are separated at his side. 

Oppenheimer Flags With Too Many Stars

Even Best Picture winners can have mistakes, but this one, as some fan theories pose, may have been intentional. In one scene, Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy). In one scene in the movie, Oppenheimer is being cheered on by people waving American flags that have 50 stars on them, but in 1945, when the scene takes place, there were only 48 stars on the flag. Some have argued that this was intentional on director Christopher Nolan's part, as the story is being told by Oppenheimer in the future. 

The Octopus In The Goonies

The Goonies is a classic, and one line has confounded viewers for decades. At the end of the movie as the kids are recounting their adventures to the reporters, Data (Ke Huy Quan) tells them that "the octopus was really scary." What octopus you might ask? Well, in a deleted scene the Goonies do encounter an octopus, but it was cut from the final version. 

The Fake Baby In American Sniper

Practical effects can make things look more realistic, or, as in the case of a swaddled baby in American Sniper, very fake. In one scene Bradley Cooper holds his character's "baby" in his arms, clearly using a level to move the prop and make it look real. 

Dorothy's Black Shoes In The Wizard Of Oz

Everyone would agree that Dorothy's ruby slippers in The Wizard Of Oz are among the most iconic movie props in history, they are even in the Smithsonian. Yet, in the scene where she is picking apples, she's wearing ordinary black shoes. 

The Holdovers Has Modern Cars

The Holdovers was one of the best movies of 2023, though it was set in 1970 and 1971. Whenever a movie is filming exterior shots for period pieces, there is a risk of missing something in the background, and in The Holdovers, it was modern cars parked on the side of the road in Boston. 

Braveheart Car

Braveheart doesn't have the best reputation for accuracy among historians, but even the most stringent critic can forgive the fact that for a brief moment, really no more than a single frame, there is clearly a car behind the Scottish soldiers. 

Jacob's Moving Tattoo In Twilight

This one seems pretty easy to mess up, and it's fairly minor, but still. In the Twilight series, Jacob (Taylor Lautner) has a tattoo that migrates up and down his arm. The tat, obviously a temp for the movie, starts high on his shoulder but later is closer to his bicep. This is a little pedantic, sure, but you can also be sure that people who watch the movie over and over notice it every time. 

The Dark Rises...And Misspells Things

I before E, except after C and in sounding like...heist. We'll be the first to admit that the English language has some strange rules that don't always apply, which is why it's easy enough to excuse the crew on The Dark Knight Rises for misspelling the word "HEIST" in a newspaper headline, spelling it "HIEST." 

The Klutzy Storm Trooper In Star Wars

One of the most infamous movie mistakes comes from one of the biggest movies of all time. The case of the klutzy stormtrooper in the original Star Wars is one of the most inadvertently funny moments in Hollywood history. It's so funny that later versions of the movie added in a sound effect to draw attention to the mistake. 

The Ben-Hur Wrist Watch

1959's Ben-Hur is one of the great epics from Hollywood's golden age. The huge set pieces and hundreds of extras make for an amazing watch. With all that going on, especially in the film's famous chariot race scene, it's understandable that the crew would miss that one of the actors driving a chariot was wearing his wristwatch. 

Van Ant-Man And Giant Ant-Man

Even blockbusters with huge budgets sometimes overlook stuff. Case in point: Avengers: Endgame. The end of Endgame is one of the greatest moments in the history of the MCU, it's an epic battle that includes every Avenger battling Thanos and his army. It's so big, that there are even two Ant-Mans. One Ant-Man is busy trying to hotwire his van, but when it cuts to the wide shot of the battle, there is giant Ant-Man battling it out with his Avenger buddies in the background. Oops. 

De Niro To Dummy In Casino

Martin Scorsese's Casino is an amazing movie, but there is one thing that eagle-eyed viewers catch every time they watch it. In the scene when Robert De Niro's character's car is blown up in an attempt to kill him, there is a cut just moments before the explosion where the actor has clearly been replaced by a dummy. At least no De Niros were hurt in the making of the film. 

Cardboard Cut-Out In Three Men And A Baby

This one goes back decades. For years, there were even rumors of a ghost on the set of Three Men and A Baby when a cardboard cut-out prop was left in the wrong place on set. The prop, seen behind a curtain in a scene with Ted Danson was clearly not supposed to be there, and in the days before we all had the ability to freeze-frame everything, the rumor spread like wildfire. 

Bullet Holes In Pulp Fiction

While Pulp Fiction certainly plays with time and reality in some ways, one way Quentin Tarantino probably didn't mean to is with the bullet holes in the wall of the apartment at the beginning after Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) shoots Brett (Frank Whaley) but before he gets shot at. If you look closely, you can see there are suddenly holes in the wall behind Jules, holes that wouldn't be there until Brett's friend shoots at Jules. 

Clueless Car Crash

Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and her friends are not very good drivers in Clueless. While taking her driver's exam in her brand new Jeep, Cher attempts to change lanes and sideswipes a parked car, taking off her side mirror. Literally moments later, she pulls the Jeep over and the mirror is miraculously back where it belongs. It's a Beverly Hills miracle. 

An Explosive Gas Canister In Gladiator

Period pieces, especially those set in ancient times, are susceptible to missing more modern objects in the frame. Take one of the best ever, Gladiator for example, when a chariot crashes at the Coliseum and a gas canister is exposed, hidden underneath, presumable to help propel the prop. 

A Car In The Shire In LOTR: Fellowship Of The Ring

J.R.R. Tolkien probably didn't intend for there to be cars in the Shire in Lord of the Rings, yet, there is one. In a wide shot, as Sam and Frodo are just starting out on their journey in Fellowship Of The Ring, in the top right of the screen, there is a clearly visible car driving down a dirt road in the background. If they had hitched a ride, it would've made for a much shorter trilogy. The car has since been edited out of later versions. 

Dorothy's Hair

Hairstyles can be especially tricky sometimes, and this is very evident in The Wizard of Oz as the length of Dorothy's pigtails changes a number of times throughout the movie. 

Keeping Them Separated In Raiders 

Sometimes, the mistakes we focus on aren't really mistakes, but they aren't perfect filmmaking, either. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) famously hates snakes. When he falls into the pit of snakes in the Egyptian desert, a cobra rises up to strike. Luckily for Indy, there is clearly (ahem, pun intended) a piece of plexiglass between him and the snake. It was edited out of later versions. 

Tran's Shirt In The Fast And The Furious

No one has ever called the Fast franchise high art, that's not the point. Like many films that are high art, however, there are mistakes. Like in the original The Fast And The Furious, when Tran is in his car ready to drag race. First, he's wearing a black t-shirt, then, right before the race starts, he's suddenly wearing a black tank top. It got really hot, really quickly. 

JFK's Clothes In Forrest Gump

Even in black and white, audiences know when the color of a costume changes. Or, in this case, two different videos of John F. Kennedy were used when Forrest Gump "met" the former president. His suit and tie are clearly two different colors, one darker than the other, in the clips. 

Let There Be Light In Gone With The Wind

During the Civil War, it was reasonable to expect to see gas lamps on the streets of Atlanta. What you wouldn't expect, or even know about, are electric lamps like the ones mistakenly used in the movie. Thomas Edison was only about 17 years old at the time. 

Horse Kick In The Last Samurai

Sometimes what is funny to us, was probably no laughing matter on the set. In a calvary scene in The Last Samurai, there is clearly a moment when an extra gets kicked by a horse as Tom Cruise's character rides in. Ouch. But funny. 

The Sweeper In Quantum Of Solace

Finding good extras is never easy. Take, for example, the case of the phantom sweeper in the James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. In a scene with Bond on a pier, there is an extra in the background meant to be a worker on the docks. He's sweeping with a big broom, but that's not enough to keep his job, as he's just sweeping air. 

The Cop In Two Places Batman Begins

In Batman Begins, either every cop looks exactly the same, or one actor was used to play two different cops, or in Christopher Nolan's Gotham City, one person can be in two places as once. Come to think of it, with Nolan involved, maybe this was on purpose?

The Cowboy Pirate Of The Caribbean

If you saw a cowboy and a pirate together at a Halloween party, you wouldn't think twice about it. When you see a pirate amongst the pirates in Pirates Of The Caribbean, you know it's a mistake, but that's what happened in Curse of the Black Pearl when it appears a crew member was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. 

A Parsec Is Not A Measure Of Time, Han! 

One of the all-time classic nerd-out moments comes in the original Star Wars when Han Solo famously tells Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) that he did the Kessel Run in  "less than 12 parsecs!" Unfortunately for Han, parsecs are a measure of distance, so it tells Obi-Wan nothing about how fast the Millennium Falcon is. 

Buddy The Elf Isn't The Worst Dresser in Elf

Sure, Buddy's suit in Elf stands out among the throngs on the streets of New York, but in one scene, there is an extra with a way a worse sense of fashion, as he has buttoned his suit jacket to his overcoat. We've all had mornings like that though. 

Maverick's Sunglass In Top Gun

Tom Cruise made Ray Ban Aviators the hottest glasses of the 1980s by wearing them in the original Top Gun. Maverick's glasses, however, are magical, as one of the last scenes of movie, when he Iceman (Val Kilmer) confronts him to tell him he can be his wingman anytime, Maverick takes off the glasses. Then they hug, and Slider (Rossovich) picks Maverick up and, like magic, the glasses are back on. 

Where Is Ben Going In The Graduate?

Sometimes movies have to do things that automatically make the mistakes to be more cinematic. Like in The Graduate when Ben (Dustin Hoffman) is supposed to driving to Berkeley on the Bay Bridge, but he's clearly on the top deck, which only heads the other direction, towards San Francisco. Obviously, it makes for the better shot than with a deck above him in his awesome Alfa Romeo, but it's still the wrong way. 

Cinephiles are likely aware of the fact that movie memorabilia can be incredibly valuable. For instance, someone laid out $96,000 for Prince’s Purple Rain costume, while $160,000 was spent on Star-Lord’s helmet from 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy when it went up for auction. Another famous film that has highly coveted props and outfits is The Wizard of Oz, and something was stolen over a decade ago. The ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland’s Dorothy Gale were snatched but eventually recovered. Now, the thief’s motive has been revealed, and it’s oddly comparable to the main plot of the 1939 fantasy flick.

The iconic kicks were stolen in 2005 by Terry Jon Martin, who nabbed them from the Judy Garland Museum in the late actress’ hometown, Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Martin, who’s now 76, is a former mobster who apparently pulled his share of crimes back in the day. The senior citizen pleaded guilty to the crime in October 2023, and his reason for taking the shoes in the first place was divulged in a memo filed by his attorney, Dane DeKrey. Per the lawyer, Martin made off with the pair of items, because he believed they were studded with actual rubies and planned to extract and sell them. However, after speaking to a fence, he learned that the gems were actually made of glass and, as a result, Martin dumped them less than two days after the theft.

According to The Washington Times, the defendant smashed through the glass door of the museum to gain entry and then proceeded to destroy the case holding the slippers. Terry Jon Martin allegedly hadn’t committed a crime for a decade up to that point but was enticed to go for a “final score” by one of his former associates from the mob. While he was apparently hesitant at first, Martin eventually decided to go through with the plan. After he got rid of the props, someone else got their hands on them, and the FBI ultimately reclaimed the shoes in 2018 after an individual attempted to claim the insurance award for them. Martin wasn’t formally charged with taking them until 2023.

It’s hard not to see the irony in this situation. The Wizard of Oz – one of the most influential movies of all time – sees making her way across the titular land after being told that a mystical man can send her back home to Kansas. Of course, she eventually finds out that the so-called wizard isn’t all he’s cracked up to be. In the case of the now-reformed mobster, he was also told that the supposed rubies he sought had value, though that didn’t prove to be the case. It’s a strange coincidence, to say the least, and one has to wonder whether the legal team can see it as well.

To be fair, some probably could understand why the defendant thought so much of the value of the slippers, which are just one of several pairs that exist and are housed in different places. They’re reportedly insured for a whopping $1 million and, more recently, prosecutors have valued them at $3.5 million. As mentioned, it’s far from the only item of the movie to have a lot of value. Dorothy’s dress sold for $480,000 during an auction held back in 2012. 

As it stands, Terry Jon Martin is set to be sentenced on January 29 in Duluth, Minnesota. He’s currently dealing with health issues and reportedly has been given only months to live. With that, his legal team is hoping that he’ll receive a compassionate release. And, should such forgiveness be granted to Martin, that would also fall in line with the third act of the famous film in a way.

Anyone with a Max subscription can stream The Wizard of Oz alongside other classic films. Hulu subscribers also have access to the classic musical.

Many of the best kids movies that the whole family will love tend to fall under a genre category that people of all ages and all walks of life can enjoy: adventure. With so many great titles to choose from, we figured we would save you the time and compile some of favorite adventure family movies that would be perfect for your next big movie night. Let the journeys begin!

The Goonies (1985)

A group of young friends must evade deadly booby traps and outwit a ruthless criminal family in search of buried loot that could save their neighborhood.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: The Goonies is easily one of director Richard Donner’s best movies for its funny take on adventure tropes from a child’s perspective.

Stream The Goonies on Tubi.
Rent or buy The Goonies on Amazon.

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

A young man (voiced by Jay Baruchel) strikes up a relationship with a dragon that could change the course of people’s war with the creatures forever.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: By flipping the script on how humans typically interact with winged, fire-breathing creatures in most fantasy tales, the exciting How to Train Your Dragon cements itself as one of the best DreamWorks Animation movies ever.

Stream How To Train Your Dragon on Netflix.
Stream How To Train Your Dragon on Amazon Prime.
Stream How To Train Your Dragon on Peacock.

Shrek (2001)

A cantankerous ogre (voiced by Mike Myers) and a talking donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy) set out to rescue a princess (voiced by Cameron Diaz) so the selfish Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) will remove fairy tale creatures from the ogre’s swamp.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: DreamWorks’ groundbreaking adaptation of William Stieg’s children’s book, Shrek, was the clear winner for the first Best Animated Feature Oscar for its ruthless parody of animated fantasy movies at the time.

Stream Shrek on Peacock.
Rent or buy Shrek on Amazon.

Spy Kids (2001)

Two children (played Alexa PenaVega and Daryl Sabara) discover their kidnapped parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are secret agents and become their last hope to be rescued.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: While the filmmaker is known better for grown-up entertainment, Spy Kids is still one of director Robert Rodriguez’s best movies for brilliantly bringing a child’s idea of espionage to life.

Stream Spy Kids on Netflix.
Stream Spy Kids on Paramount+.
Rent or buy Spy Kids on Amazon.

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

A lonely boy named Bastian (Barret Oliver) becomes transfixed by the wondrous world of a mysterious book.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: You too will be transfixed by the incredible visuals and hair-raising thrills in Wolfgang Petersen’s adaptation of Michael Ende’s novel, The NeverEnding Story.

Rent or buy The NeverEnding Story on Amazon.

The Princess Bride (1987)

The story of a heroic loner (played by Cary Elwes) aspiring to reunite with his true love (played by Robin Wright) is read to a sick boy (played by Fred Savage) by his grandfather (played by Peter Falk).

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: Director Rob Reiner’s action-packed, surprisingly funny, and endearingly romantic adaptation of screenwriter William Goldwyn’s novel, The Princess Bride, is a beloved, undisputed classic of the adventure genre.

Stream The Princess Bride on Disney+.
Rent or buy The Princess Bride on Amazon.

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989)

An inventor (played by Rick Moranis) discovers his shrink ray works, but only after it accidentally makes his son, daughter, and next door neighbors' two boys microscopic. 

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: Arguably the best Honey, I Shrunk the Kids movie is Disney’s timeless original, in which the bulk of the action takes place in a grassy backyard that seems like a dangerous jungle from our young protagonists’ perspective.

Stream Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on Disney+.
Rent or buy Honey, I Shrunk the Kids on Amazon.

Peter Pan (1953)

A group of siblings are taken by the chivalrous leader of the Lost Boys to a magical land where no one ever ages and pirates like Captain Hook sail the seas.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: Not only is Disney’s classic animated movie, Peter Pan one of the definitive adaptations of J.M. Barrie’s seminal stage play, but it is also one of the best pirate movies ever made.

Stream Peter Pan on Disney+.
Rent or buy Peter Pan on Amazon.

An American Tail (1986)

A young Russian mouse (voiced by Phillip Glasser) struggles to find his family after becoming separated from them while immigrating to America.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: A classic you might have thought was a Disney movie growing up, An American Tail is one of animation legend Don Bluth’s most exciting, and heart-wrenching, masterworks.

Rent or buy An American Tail on Amazon.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Dorothy (Judy Garland), her dog, Toto, and others embark on a quest through a wondrous land “somewhere over the rainbow” to find a legendary being who may be able to send her home.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: Few films from Hollywood’s golden age are quite as influential to the fantasy/adventure genre, especially in terms of aesthetic, than this adaptation of Frank Baum’s novel, The Wizard of Oz — a not-so-scary witch movie with a still-pretty-creepy and wicked antagonist.

Stream The Wizard of Oz on Max.
Rent or buy The Wizard of Oz on Amazon.

Spirited Away (2001)

A young girl (voiced by Daveigh Chase) finds herself in a strange place inhabited by odd creatures that were once human.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: Perhaps the best anime movie for both kids and adults is writer and director Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli classic, Spirited Away.

Stream Spirited Away on Max.
Rent or buy Spirited Away on Amazon.

The Spider-Verse Movies (2018, 2023)

A teenager (voiced by Shameik Moore) embarks on thrilling adventures with people from different realities after a radioactive spider bite gives him extraordinary powers.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: Arguably the greatest Spider-Man movies so far are Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (also one of the best superhero movies to win an Oscar, for Best Animated Feature) and its first follow-up, Across the Spider-Verse, for their unbelievably inventive depiction of the Multiverse.

Rent or buy Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on Amazon.

Stream Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Netflix.
Rent or buy Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse on Amazon.

Jumanji (1995)

Two children (played by Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce) play a board game that releases a man who has been trapped in the jungle for decades (played by Academy Award winner Robin Williams) and must help them finish the game to stop its exotic mayhem.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: While this franchise has changed dramatically in recent years, despite a few things that don’t make too much sense, director Joe Johnston’s original Jumanji is, arguably, the most dazzling adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book to date.

Stream Jumanji on Amazon Prime.

Labyrinth (1986)

After her wish sends her infant stepbrother into an enchanted land, a teenage girl (played by Jennifer Connelly) must set out to rescue him from the Goblin King, Jareth (David Bowie), before it is too late.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: Jim Henson’s most iconic creations may be the Muppets, but his cult favorite fantasy epic, Labyrinth (which was also executive produced by George Lucas), has a very special place in the hearts of its devoted followers.

Buy Labyrinth on Blu-ray.

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

Pee-wee (played the late Paul Reubens) searches far and wide for his prized, stolen bicycle.

Why it is one of the best adventure family movies: Reubens’ iconic man-child headlines his first big screen effort in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, which is not only one of director Tim Burton’s best movies, but also his feature-length debut.

Rent or buy Pee-wee's Big Adventure on Amazon.

You and your whole family can have an epic time without leaving your home by watching these classic adventure movies.

Sometimes things just don't work out. In the movie world, a lot of money is on the line, and that makes some decisions very difficult. On occasion, that means recasting a role for any number of reasons. Sometimes, it's as simple as everyone agreeing that things just aren't working artistically. Sometimes it's worse, like when an actor gets in trouble off-screen. Here is our list of notable times a movie role had to be recast. 

Marty McFly (Back To The Future)

One of the most famous incidents of a role being completely recast comes from the production of Back to the Future. The movie was originally being filmed with Eric Stoltz playing Marty McFly when they decided to pull the plug and reset with Michael J. Fox in the lead role. There is a belief that at least one shot with Stolz remains in the movie, but the other scenes shot with Stoltz had to be reshot when Fox took over the role. 

J. Paul Getty (All The Money In The World)

In one of the most infamous recasting situations in history, All The Money In The World had to do major reshoots for the movie after dismissing Kevin Spacey from the lead role of J. Paul Getty. Spacey was in a lot of trouble that doesn't need rehashing here, and the production brought in Christopher Plummer to fill the role. It affected not only the lead role but the supporting roles around it as well, so it had to be a very hard decision to make. 

Paddington (Paddington)

When Paddington was first announced, Colin Firth was to be the voice of the beloved bear. Unfortunately, things just didn't work and Firth and the production mutually agreed to part ways after principal photography had wrapped. Future James Bond star Ben Whishaw stepped in and re-recorded all of the voice parts for the bear. 

Corporal Dwayne Hicks (Aliens)

It's hard to image anyone but Michael Biehn as Hicks in Aliens, but he was not the first actor in the role. James Remar, of The Warriors and Dexter fame, was originally cast, but he was arrested during production and fired. Biehn stepped in and the rest is history.

The Predator (Predator)

Kevin Peter Hall, who stood 7'2", played the titular Predator in the first two movies of the Predator franchise, but originally, that role belonged to the "Muscles from Brussels" Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme is said to have hated the suit and was unhappy with the role, so he left the production. 

Lenina Huxley (Demolition Man)

Just a few days into production, Lori Petty split from the cast of Demolition Man. Direct Joel Silver chalked it up to creative difference, though Petty has said that she and the film's star, Sylvester Stallone, simply weren't working well together. Petty was replaced with Sandra Bullock and it helped launch her to superstardom. 

Marlin (Finding Nemo)

William H. Macy was Disney's first choice for the role of Marlin in Finding Nemo. The veteran actor had, according to the DVD commentary, reportedly recorded almost all his dialog for the part when the studio decided to go a different direction, artistically and brought in Albert Brooks to take over. 

Marianne Peters (Army Of The Dead)

One of the more dramatic revamps came from Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. Chris D’Elia was originally cast in the role that would eventually become Marianne Peters in the movie. D’Elia was fired from the production after facing serious accusations from women and Tig Notaro was hired to fill the role, completely changing the gender of the character. 

V (V For Vendetta)

James Purefoy was the first actor hired to play the masked V in V for Vendetta, but he reportedly wasn't happy about wearing the mask during production and left the film, though he has strongly disputed that and has explained that he left the production over creative difference. Hugo Weaving was hired to take over and the rest is history. 

Christof (The Truman Show)

Talk about a "what if", Dennis Hopper was originally in the role of Christof in The Truman Show. It's not exactly a total miscasting, but instead of the calm, calculating villain that Ed Harris played, it was sure to be a more unpredictable character, as Hopper was so good at playing. 

Captain Benjamin Willard (Apocalypse Now)

Apocalypse Now is one of the most notorious film shoots of all time. One part of that was the recasting of the lead role. Martin Sheen is brilliant as Capt. Willard, but Harvey Keitel was originally in the role. Director Francis Ford Coppola apparently wasn't happy with Keitel's performance and dismissed him a few days into filming. 

Captain Queenan (The Departed)

Martin Sheen was not the first actor hired for the role of Queenan in the The Departed. Director Martin Scorsese originally went with Irish actor Gerard McSorley in the role. Soon after filming began, though, the legendary director had a change of heart and laid McSorley off, bringing in Sheen. 

Eli Sunday (There Will Be Blood)

It is simply impossible to imagine anyone other than Paul Dano in the role of Eli Sunday in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood. His performance is simply breathtaking. He wasn't the original actor to film for the part though, that was an actor named Kel O’Neill. O'Neill was let go after shooting began and Dano replaced him. 

Wolverine (X-Men)

Can you even believe that Hugh Jackman almost wasn't Wolverine in the X-Men franchise? It's unfathomable today, but it's true. The part was originally supposed to be played by Dougray Scott, but an accident on the set of Mission: Impossible 2 left him unavailable for the part and the rest is history. 

Dirty Harry (Dirty Harry)

Clint Eastwood's delivery of the line "do you feel lucky" has become one of the most iconic lines in cinema history, but that line almost went to Frank Sinatra, of all people. Sinatra was, according to Eastwood, the studio's choice for the role, but he turned it down because he reportedly couldn't hold a gun, for some reason. 

Tuffnut Thorston (How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World)

For the first two How To Train Your Dragon movies, T.J. Miller voiced Tuffnut Thorston. In the third, however, the voice role was done by impressionist Justin Rupple. Rupple was brought in to recreate the comedian's voice after Miller was fired off the movie due to a slew of legal accusations against him. 

Sabretooth (X-Men)

This is a case of an actor being replaced between films in a franchise, rather than on set. In the first X-Men film, Tyler Mane played Sabretooth, but he was recast in an artistic decision by Liev Schreiber, because, according to Mane, he was a better fit to play Wolverine's brother. 

Alex Magnussen (Next Goal Wins)

Next Goal Wins, by director Taika Waititi, is a delightful film that had to replace one of its stars for not-so-delightful reasons. The role of soccer executive Alex Magnussen was originally played by Armie Hammer, but due to numerous legal allegations, Waititi replaced Hammer with Will Arnett. 

Rachel Dawes (The Dark Knight Trilogy)

Katie Holmes' performance in Batman Begins was not everyone's favorite, though from what she's said in the past, it sounds like it was her choice not to return to the role. When it came time for the second film in the Dark Knight Trilogy, The Dark Knight, Holmes was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal in the role of Rachel Dawes. 

The Tin Man (The Wizard Of Oz)

One of the more famous examples of an actor being replaced in a film was that of the Tin Woodsman in The Wizard Of Oz. Future Beverly Hillbillies star Buddy Ebsen spent weeks on set, covered in the silver makeup for the role and, it turns out, the paint dust made him very sick and it landed him in the hospital. He was replaced by Jack Haley, but can still be heard singing in the movie at times. 

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho)

Christian Bale's performance as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho is perfect. How different would it have been had it been Leonardo DiCaprio? We almost found out. According to the film's writer, Guinevere Turner, DiCaprio backed away from the part after Gloria Steinem convinced him to turn down the violent role.  

Jack (Don't Worry Darling)

The details are murky over what happened with Shia LaBeouf leaving the production of Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. The director claims he was fired, but LaBeouf says he quit. Ultimately, it doesn't matter why, as the great Harry Styles replaced him. 

Samantha (Her)

Samantha Morton brought her name and her voice to the computer in Spike Jonze's Her, but in post-production, Jonze had a change of heart and recast the voice role, with Scarlett Johansson taking over. 

Shrek (Shrek)

In one of the more tragic recasting situations, the late Chris Farley, who had already recorded much of his part, died during the production of Shrek. Farley was replaced by a fellow SNL alum, Mike Myers, and his portrayal is brilliant. 

Meg Altman (Panic Room)

Director David Fincher's Panic Room originally starred Nicole Kidman as the protagonist Meg Altman alongside the character's daughter played by Kristen Stewart. Only a couple weeks into production, Kidman had to drop out after being injured on the set. She was replaced by the great Jodie Foster.

Zee (The Matrix Reloaded)

Zee in The Matrix Reloaded was originally played by Aaliyah, but tragically, the singer died in a plane crash before production was completed. Another singer Nona Gaye, stepped into the role and most of the part had to be re-shot. 

Victoria (Twilight)

In the first Twilight movie, Victoria was played by actress Rachelle Lefevre, but just as filming began for the second film in the series, according to Lefevre, she was unceremoniously dropped from the role. Production had even picked up her option for the role before production started. Bryce Dallas Howard replaced Lefevre in the role of Victoria. 

Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter Series)

Sometimes casting decisions aren't controlled by anything except fate. Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series is a sad example of that. The great Richard Harris played the role of the schoolmaster in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, and intended to continue playing the part, but fate stepped in and Harris died before production began on the third film. The equally great Michael Gabon took over for the remainder of the series. 

Tony Shepard (The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus)

Heath Ledger died during the production of The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, but he wasn't really replaced, per se. Instead, director Terry Gilliam hired three friends of the late actor to fill in as Tony in a kind of magical way within the confines of the story, having to rewrite it somewhat. Jude Law, Colin Farrell, and Johnny Depp stepped up to help complete the film and play the role of Tony. 

Jack Salmon (The Lovely Bones)

In a sentence that is hard to believe, Ryan Gosling was fired from The Lovely Bones because of his looks. According to Gosling, director Peter Jackson was unhappy that the actor had gained 60 pounds specifically for the role. Miscommunication in pre-production left both actor and director not knowing what the other had planned, so just as the film was supposed to start filming, Gosling was dropped and Mark Wahlberg stepped in. 

Chico Tyrell (The Lords Of Flatbush)

Sylvester Stallone and Richard Gere have one of the most infamous feuds in Hollywood history and it dates back to 1974 and the film The Lords Of Flatbush. According to Stallone, the feud began when they were working together on the film and Stallone asked Gere not to eat some chicken near him. Gere ignored Stallone, got some grease on the Rocky star's pants, and shortly after was fired from the film. Gere was replaced by Perry King.

Aragorn (Lord Of The Rings Series)

Actor Stuart Townsend pulls no punches when he talked about being fired from the set of the Lord Of The Rings movies to EW (via Irish Independent). Right before principal photography was to begin after he'd spent months preparing for the role, he was fired by the production and, according to him, wasn't paid for his work. He was replaced by Viggo Mortensen in the role of Aragorn. 

It's not easy to replace an actor at the last minute, or even well into the game, but sometimes it needs to be done. There are a lot of reasons why movies replace actors in roles, but in most cases, it seems to be for the best. 

There’s nothing quite like the comfort of classic family movies. Tons of new movies from every genre come out throughout the year, such as the packed 2024 movie schedule, but every once in a while, it’s fun to bask in the warmth of revisiting one of these cozy movies. Each of them are timeless in their own ways, whether they’ve actually remained favorites for decades upon decades, or are barely collecting dust on our shelves. 

Classic family movies can come from all sorts of places, from the African Savannah to outer space. The main through-line is all of these are great titles to enjoy with all ages and explore why family is so important to each of us in many different forms. 

Shrek (2001)

One of the best movies of the 2000s that remains a cultural phenomenon to audiences since it was released is Shrek. There have been many movies based on classic fairy tales, but this DreamWorks Animation film took an amusingly modern spin on the whole thing by making its heroes a green ogre and his donkey friend, along with making his love interest Princess Fiona, a glowing parody of the traditional archetype. 

Shrek sees its titular ogre go on a quest to confront Lord Farquaad of Duloc in the kingdom’s palace after he notices an influx of fairytale characters are being exiled to his swamp, where he has long found bliss and solitude. Along the way, he becomes a hero in his own right as he meets and helps beloved literary characters like the Gingerbread Man, Pinocchio, The Three Little Pigs and the Magic Mirror. 

Stream Shrek on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Shrek on Amazon. 

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Ready to step into a world full of pure imagination? All you need is Charlie Bucket’s golden ticket and you’ll be headed straight to the twisted magic of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. The 1971 movie starring Gene Wilder adapts Roald Dahl’s 1964 bestseller, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with songs, a colorful vision and mysterious wonder. 

The scrumdiddlyumptious musical fantasy follows a poor paperboy named Charlie Bucket who happens upon one of five golden tickets hidden inside Wonka chocolate bars in light of a contest promising a tour of the factory and lifetime supply of chocolate. Once he and his Grandpa Joe step inside the walls of Willy Wonka’s factory alongside the other winners, a series of unexpected occurrences shake up the tour. 

Stream Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory on Max.
Rent/Buy Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory on Amazon. 

Toy Story (1995)

Pixar’s inaugural film, Toy Story, is an undeniable triumph in family filmmaking, between its innovation in computer animation and laugh-out-loud comedic beats between Tom Hanks’ Woody, Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the Toy Story voice cast. Every kid develops their imagination by playing with toys and imagining the story around them, so the Pixar movie's narrative is easy for audiences of every generation to connect with. 

Toy Story, one of the best films of the '90s, is about a cowboy doll named Woody, who is Andy’s longtime favorite toy and leader of the room’s chest of play things. However, when Andy becomes enamored with the hottest new toy, Buzz Lightyear, Woody has to wrestle with abandonment along with the consequences that occur thanks to his deep dislike and jealousy of Buzz. It's also one of those great movies that's not even 90 minutes long. 

Stream Toy Story on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Toy Story on Amazon. 

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

One of Steven Spielberg’s most iconic ‘80s films, E.T. Extra-Terrestrial, is not only a fantastic classic family movie, but a fantastic introduction to science fiction for all ages. The touching 1982 movie explores the possibility of alien contact by exploring an unlikely connection between a 10-year-old boy and a creature from another world. 

When a young alien gets separated from its family in the San Fernando Valley, Henry Thomas’ Elliott happens upon E.T. and takes him in. The pair begin to develop an empathic connection as they spend time together, but as authorities continue to look for the alien’s presence, Elliott becomes determined to protect his otherworldly friend. 

Stream E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial For Free With Ads on The Roku Channel.
Rent/Buy E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial on Amazon. 

Despicable Me (2010) 

While many family films resort to the typical maniacal villain archetype as the antagonist of storyline, Despicable Me turned all that on its head and has become a modern treasure for all ages. Not to mention, the 2010 Illumination film introduced the world to those funny yellow Minions! 

Despicable Me stars Steve Carell as the voice of Gru, a veteran supervillain who hatches a plan to steal the moon in order to stay relevant in the profession of evil. In the midst of his devising, he decides to use the likes of three orphaned girls to steal a shrink ray from his key supervillain adversary, Vector. However, as Gru and the girls become acquainted, the four of them become a found family.  It's still the best of the Despicable Me movies we've seen! 

Stream Despicable Me on Peacock. 
Rent/Buy Despicable Me on Amazon. 

Mary Poppins (1964) 

Now here’s a classic family movie that’s practically perfect in every way! 1964’s Mary Poppins is not only one of the most treasured Disney movies of all time, it’s one that Walt Disney’s own fingerprints are on. The fantasy musical is also one of Julie Andrews’ most renowned roles as a nanny with magical sensibilities. 

Mary Poppins is about the Banks family, a household of four living in Edwardian-era London and not necessarily connected with one another. But when the family’s patriarch, George Banks, hires Andrews’ Mary Poppins to watch over his two children, Jane and Michael, the nanny takes not only the children, but the entire family on an adventure that changes them forever. 

Stream Mary Poppins on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Mary Poppins on Amazon. 

Jumanji (1995)

When gathered with family, one popular pastime is diving into a fun board game. 1995’s Jumanji, which is based on Chris Van Allsburg’s children’s book of the same name, explores the idea of a board game having real world consequences. 

In the original Jumanji, a young Alan Parrish, who finds a board game that was buried for a century as a kid and becomes sucked into the game while playing with his friend Sarah. Over two decades later, two kids who’ve just moved into the Parrish mansion come across the game and soon find out the game summons all sorts of creatures, like giant mosquitoes and devious monkeys. They must find adult Alan (played by Robin Williams) and Sarah (Bonnie Hunt), and finish the game together in order to stop the nightmares of Jumanji. 

Stream Jumanji on Max.
Rent/Buy Jumanji on Amazon. 

Paddington (2014) 

After decades of Paddington Bear bringing smiles to children via books first created by Michael Bond, the adorable literary character was brought to the big screen in 2014 with Paddington. This story is as sweet as the marmalade Paddington is so fond of! 

Paddington is a bear whose story begins in the deep jungles of “Darkest Peru,” where his Aunt Lucy encourages the cub to travel to London after their home is destroyed. There, he comes across the Brown family, who take him in while he looks for an explorer with connections with his family. At the same time, Nicole Kidman’s Millicent Clyde, who is a wicked museum taxidermist, hopes to kill and stuff Paddington. 

Stream Paddington on Netflix.
Stream Paddington on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Paddington on Amazon. 

The Lion King (1994)

Across Disney’s fruitful Renaissance Era primarily of the ‘90s came the behemoth that is The Lion King. The spin on Shakespeare’s Hamlet follows the epic journey of a lion named Simba as he deals with betrayal, loss and adversity on his way to become the king of Pride Rock. 

Between Elton John’s unforgettable music, a ton of quotable lines and the movie’s breathtaking animation, The Lion King is one of the great classic family movies. The 1994 movie really encapsulates Walt Disney Animation at its best, along with telling a powerful (and very fun) story. 

Stream The Lion King on Disney+.
Buy The Lion King on Amazon. 

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

One family movie has transcended over eighty years of time and remained a favorite: The Wizard of Oz. The 1939 musical fantasy from MGM adapted L. Frank Baum’s own classic story of Dorothy Gale’s odyssey to Oz from her farm in Kansas told through this gorgeous transition from black and white to color. 

As Judy Garland’s Dorothy follows the yellow brick road at the direction of a good witch named Glinda, she meets a Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion on her way to the Emerald City. It’s an enduring classic that every generation can appreciate and enjoy. 

Stream The Wizard of Oz on Max.
Rent/Buy The Wizard of Oz on Amazon. 

Cozy with the family with a movie queued up yet? We hope you enjoy one or all of these classic family movies on your next home movie night! 

Some of what many would consider to be the greatest movies of all time are also those based on classic and beloved novels. And while there are folks out there who think you don’t need to read the book after watching the movie, there are dozens of examples that prove otherwise. 

From Academy Award-winning dramas to a few landmark fantasy films and just about everything in between, here are 32 books that you might still want to read after you watch the movie. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s start strolling through this library of great titles… 

Jurassic Park

Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park and the Michael Crichton book on which it was based are both cultural touchstones in their respective worlds. And while they share the basic concept of a disaster falling upon an amusement park full of cloned dinosaurs, there are some key differences that make reading the book an entirely different experience.

The Shining  

Stephen King is no fan of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, the 1980 adaptation of his horror novel of the same name. Kubrick’s version makes all kinds of changes when it comes to the characters (played by Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duval, and Danny Lloyd) and the overall departure of his original intentions.

The Harry Potter Books

Even though there were eight Harry Potter movies (The Deathly Hallows was split in two) that were all at least two hours long, a lot of material was cut when adapting J.K. Rowling’s popular fantasy books. While we wait for the upcoming Harry Potter series on Max, now would be a great time to go back and read all the novels.

Dune

Denis Villeneuve's 2021 adaptation of Dune (the second half is due in March 2024) gets a lot of things right when it comes to adapting Frank Herbert’s influential sci-fi epic, but like other movies based on fantasy novels, there’s a lot left on the page. This classic, 896-page epic won't be a quick read but it's a classic. 

To Kill A Mockingbird  

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is considered one of the great American novels, and it's a must-read (if you haven’t already) even after watching the 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck. The narration by Scout throughout Lee’s book adds an incredible quality and pacing to the story, a childlike wonder that isn't quite captured in the screen version.

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz  

L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is totally worth reading, especially if you’ve seen the 1939 film adaptation. And while both share similar story components, the original text is full of so much more, including a longer stay in Oz, an army of mice saving Dorothy and company from the poppy field, and very different versions of those well-known characters.

The Hobbit And Lord of the Rings Trilogy 

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels, some of the best literary experiences of all time, were famously turned into two trilogies by Peter Jackson. And while the movies are awesome in just about every possible way, Tolkien’s original books include so much more story. No extended version could contain all of this.

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer 

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer stands a good chance of winning a ton of awards, and rightfully so. But if you want to go back and read more about J. Robert Oppenheimer, his life, and role in the creation of the Atomic bomb, American Prometheus, Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin’s 700-page biography is going to fill in a lot of the blanks.

The Color Purple  

Alice Walker’s The Color Purple is a Pultizer Prize-winning novel that should be read at least once in your life. Yeah, it was turned into a decorated movie adapted by Steven Spielberg (with a musical-based version coming out in December 2023), but Walker’s rich text and plot threads add so much to the story.

World War Z   

It’s hard to imagine a movie adaptation being less like the source material than 2013’s World War Z. Unlike the movie, which focuses on one character experiencing Hell on Earth, Max Brooks’ novel is set up like an oral history with each chapter focusing on a different, and sometimes, terrifying event, narrated by various characters. 

Rita Hayworth And The Shawshank Redemption

Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption has been the highest-rated movie on IMDb for a very long time, and is considered one of the top-tier Stephen King adaptations. Interestingly enough, the 1994 movie starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman is based not on a novel, but a 127-page novella, originally included in the book Different Seasons.

It

Stephen King’s It, all 1,138 pages of it, tells the fascinating and frightening story of a group of kids (later adults) teaming up to defeat a demonic entity multiple times throughout their lives. The 1990 miniseries, and a pair of theatrical releases that followed years later, only touches on part of King’s epic, and the full story must be explored. 

Ready Player One 

Steven Spielberg’s 2018 adaptation of Ready Player One is fun and all, but it’s an almost completely different experience when compared to Ernest Cline’s original novel. There are more than a dozen major differences ranging from minor changes to massive reimaginings of key sequences.

The Martian  

If you got a kick out of the blend of comedy, drama, and intense sci-fi action in Ridley Scott’s The Martian, then Andy Weir’s novel of the same name is going to be something to check out. It has the same tone but more of it.

All You Need Is Kill (Edge Of Tomorrow)

All You Need is Kill was later turned into Edge of Tomorrow (also known as Live Die Repeat) with Doug Liman taking on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s novel. There were all kinds of changes made for adaptation ranging from its characters and story to how the ending plays out.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower  

Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which is based on his book of the same name, is a wonderful adaptation that mostly sticks to the source material. However, there are enough changes to make reading the coming-of-age novel worth a read, specifically its epistolary presentation.

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump the movie and book are two completely different beasts, so much so that watching and reading each version is an entirely different experience. Nearly every aspect of the story was changed in some way when being adapted into an Oscar-winning film, including Forrest’s personality and its ending. Forrest even goes to space in the book, which never happened in the movie.

Pride And Prejudice 

With so many different adaptations of Pride & Prejudice over the years, sometimes it’s fun to go back and read Jane Austen’s original novel to see how each version sticks, or diverts, from the source material.

I Am Legend 

Though I Am Legend the book and movie follow an almost identical path through the majority of their respective stories, the 2008 film adaptation starring Will Smith makes a drastic change to Richard Matheson’s original novella with its ending. We won’t ruin it for the uninitiated, but it completely changes how you see Dr. Robert Neville. 

2001: A Space Odyssey 

Stanley Kubrick and author Arthur C. Clarke shared credit on the 2001: A Space Odyssey screenplay, which Clarke later turned into a novelization. In addition to some shifts in the tone and style, the novel also makes the main portion of the story a mission to Jupiter opposed to Saturn as seen in the classic sci-fi epic.

Gone Girl  

We could write a whole article about how David Fincher’s 2014 adaptation of Gone Girl differs from Gillian Flynn’s novel. In fact, the entire third act was rewritten by the acclaimed author for the movie starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike.

The Accidental Billionaires (The Social Network)

Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book, The Accidental Billionaires, which was later adapted by Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher as The Social Network, details the founding and early days of Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg. If you’re looking for a more detailed (as surprising as that may be) look at the social media giant, this book will do the trick.

The Hunger Games Books

Some would say The Hunger Games is a better movie than book, but the only way to know for sure is by reading Suzanne Collins’ 2008 young adult dystopian novel and its various sequels (and prequel).

In Cold Blood  

In 1967, Richard Brooks adapted Truman Capote’s 1966 true crime thriller, In Cold Blood, a painstakingly crafted breakdown of a quadruple-murder and the two men who carried out the senseless act of violence. Capote’s words just fly off the page, especially in the tense and foreboding opening chapter. 

Fight Club 

Fight Club the movie and book have the same basic premise: a nameless narrator befriends the man he’s always dreamed of being, starts an underground combat group, and then things get out of hand. However, if you want to see characters and situations not covered in David Fincher’s movie, as well as a different ending, check out Chuck Palahniuk’s novel.

Little Women 

There have been a total of seven adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s 19th-century coming-of-age novel, Little Women, each making minor changes of their own over time. If you’ve seen one, two, or all of them, you should probably read the book to see what’s changed and what’s stayed the same. 

No Country For Old Men 

The Coen brothers’ Academy Award-winning adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men is one of the best films of the 21st century, but the book is also more than worthy of a read. It’s sparse, it’s violent, and features a lot more of Tommy Lee Jones’ character as he provides the narration throughout.

American Psycho 

After making your friends watch American Psycho, why not have a book club with Bret Easton Ellis’ 1991 novel of the same name. Surprisingly enough, Mary Herron’s 2000 adaptation is a toned down version of Patrick Bateman’s descent into madness, and cuts back a lot of the central character's outlook on life and other social groups.

Trainspotting  

Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting, which was later adapted into a film of the same name by Danny Boyle, is more of a series of short stories than the film starring Ewan McGregor. The book is also written in the Scottish dialect. While the text can sometimes be a challenge, it's never enough to take away from this story that is at times hilarious and other times heartbreaking.

Matilda  

Danny DeVito did an outstanding job bringing Roald Dahl’s Matilda to life back in 1996, but this doesn’t mean it’s a 100% faithful adaptation. This is a good reason to go back and read the timeless children’s book, as it’s similar but different, familiar yet fresh. There are also a number of changes in the 2022 musical inspired by the book, meaning fans of the Netflix movie should check out the book if they haven’t already.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been adapted for screen and stage numerous times, but it’s never too late to go back and read the fantastical and whimsical novel. It’s fun to see how Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Tim Burton’s more faithful 2005 adaptation compare to this fun children’s book with all its bad eggs and imaginative treats.

The Exorcist 

William Peter Blatty wrote both the novel and film versions of The Exorcist, but this doesn’t mean they are entirely the same. The book, which came out only two years before William Friedkin turned it into a movie, is surprisingly even darker, more sinister, and more graphic. On top of that, there are also numerous minor differences throughout its story, so much so that reading it is a fresh experience.

With a whole slew of upcoming book-to-screen adaptations coming to theaters (and streaming services) in the coming months, you can expect to see some major changes to this list in the near future. 

There are many classic characters of folklore that are staples of many great horror movies, such as witches. These spell-casters are often depicted as ruthless harbingers of doom in some of the darkest tales that cinema has ever told — such as Robert Eggers’ aptly titled, unsettling drama, The Witch, from 2016. However, there are just as many films that portray them as little more than a kooky, creepy obstacle or even a magical miracle you would like to have on your side.

If some of the younger members of your family are interested in stories about witches as Halloween approaches, and you are interested in showing them movies that show the lighter side of that world or at least portray it in a more family-friendly means, your wish is our command. We brewed up the following collection of not-so-scary movies about witches you can find now on streaming or as a digital rental.

The Witches (1990)

A young orphan (Jasen Fisher) and his grandmother (Mai Zetterling) must find a way to defeat a gathering of evil sorceresses at an English hotel after their leader (Anjelica Huston) transforms the boy into a mouse.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: To be perfectly honest, when it comes to family-friendly movies about witches, one of the creepiest of the bunch is, most likely, director Nicolas Roeg’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, which would be adapted again with star Anne Hathaway and director Robert Zemeckis 30 years later.

Rent or buy The Witches (1990) on Amazon.
Rent or buy The Witches (2020) on Vudu.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

After a tornado brings a Kansas girl (Judy Garland) and her little dog to a magical, far away land, she enlists a scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a man made of tin (Jack Haley), and a meek lion (Bert Lahr) to accompany her to find a famed magical man who may hold the key to helping her return home.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: Admittedly, Margaret Hamilton’s Wicked Witch of West — who has it out for Dorothy in this groundbreaking adaptation of Frank Baum’s novel, The Wizard of Oz — is an example of a classic cinematic villain known for giving children nightmares, but her archetypical green-faced, pointy-hat-clad appearance is pretty tame by today’s standards.

Stream The Wizard Of Oz on Max.
Rent or buy The Wizard Of Oz on Amazon.

Bedknobs And Broomsticks (1971)

A witch in training (Angela Lansbury), a cynical magician (David Tomlinson), and three orphaned children (Ian Weighill, Cindy O’Callaghan, and Roy Start) use an enchanted bed set to travel the world in search for the missing piece of spell that could help the British Army during World War II.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: Despite its dark, historical backdrop, Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks — based on the book by Mary Norton — is one of the most lighthearted and fun stories that deals with the topic of witchcraft ever put the celluloid, and featuring a few visually stunning sequences that combine live-action footage with animation, a la Mary Poppins.

Stream Bedknobs and Broomsticks on Disney+.
Rent or buy Bedknobs and Broomsticks on Amazon

Teen Witch (1989)

A luckless-in-love high school outcast (Robin Lively) learns from an unusual stranger (Poltergeist star Zelda Rubinstein) that she is a descendent of spell casters from Salem. She then uses her newfound propensity for magic to work her way up the social ladder.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: While most coming-of-age movies about young girls practicing magic tend go in horrifying directions — 1996’s cult favorite The Craft comes to mind — Teen Witch imagines that the worst consequences that may come from witchcraft are a few ridiculous hijinks and an innocent crisis of morality.

Stream Teen Witch on Max.
Rent or buy Teen Witch on Amazon.

Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)

A 13-year-old girl (Kirsten Dunst, in the English-language version), forced to live on her own for a year as part of her magic-wielding training, finds work helping a pregnant bakery shop owner deliver her products, for which she uses her trusty broom for travel.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: All of the best Studio Ghibli movies involve magic in some way, shape, or form, but writer and director Hayao Miyazaki’s Japanese animal retelling of Eiko Kadono’s novel, Kiki’s Delivery Service, is one most definitively rooted in folklore related to witchcraft — from the aforementioned broom, to Kiki’s talking, black cat, Jiji (Phil Hartman).

Stream Kiki's Delivery Service on Max.
Rent or buy Kiki's Delivery Service on Amazon.

The Hocus Pocus Movies (1993, 2022)

Centuries after they are put to death for their wicked ways, three Salem-based sisters (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker) are accidentally resurrected by a group of children on Halloween night… twice.

Why they are not-so-scary witch movies: Perhaps the most iconic and widely beloved of Disney’s witchy favorites is Kenny Ortega’s directorial debut, Hocus Pocus, which would go on to become annual Halloween tradition for fans of all ages and spawned a Disney+ exclusive sequel from director Anne Fletcher.

Stream The Hocus Pocus Movies on Disney+.
Rent or buy Hocus Pocus on Amazon.

Sabrina The Teenage Witch (1996)

After she is sent to live with her eccentric aunts (Sherry Miller and Charlene Fernetz), a young woman (Melissa Joan Hart) discovers on her 16th birthday that she comes from a family of magical beings.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: Before Hart played the title role of the hit sitcom it inspired, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, she led this feature-length, made-for-TV adaptation of the Archie Comics fantasy title that also starred a young Ryan Reynolds.

Stream Sabrina The Teenage Witch on Freevee through Amazon.
Stream Sabrina The Teenage Witch on Peacock.
Stream Sabrina The Teenage Witch on Tubi.

Practical Magic (1998)

Two sisters (Academy Award winners Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman), who come from a long line of witches, struggle to cope with the heinous judgment from their peers and a curse that prevents them finding love without an ill-fated outcome.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: From director Griffin Dunne, the underrated Halloween flick, Practical Magic, is one of Bullock’s most memorable movies, as well as a best for Kidman, for the uniquely grounded and relatable way it depicts witchcraft by framing it as a dark romantic comedy.

Stream Practical Magic on Hulu.
Rent or buy Practical Magic on Amazon.

The Halloweentown Movies (1998-2006)

The adventures of a young woman (originally played by Kimberly J. Brown and later recast by Sara Paxton) who comes from a family known to be the most powerful group of witches from an alternate dimension in which ghosts, goblins, and other things that go bump in the night are common, everyday folk.

Why they are not-so-scary witch movies: While some young Disney lovers would spend their spooky seasons watching Hocus Pocus for the umpteenth time, for those who had Disney Channel, it was all about Halloweentown — and its sequels, Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge, Halloweentown High, and Return to Halloweentown — which also stars Debbie Reynolds as the Cromwells’ matriarch.

Stream the Halloweentown Movies on Disney+.
Rent or buy the Halloweentown Movies on Amazon.

Scooby-Doo And The Witch's Ghost (1999)

The meddling kids and talking dog from Mystery Inc. are invited by a famous horror writer (Tim Curry) to a small town famous for the legend of the author’s ancestor, who is said to have practiced witchcraft in her day, but of the wicked kind.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: While Fred, Daphne, Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby typically specialize in apprehending regular people disguised as mythical beings, the titular villain from the classic, straight-to-video feature, Scooby-Doo and the Witch’s Ghost — without giving too much away — is certainly one to be taken more seriously.

Rent or buy Scooby-Doo And The Witch's Ghost on Amazon.

The House With A Clock In Its Walls (2018)

A young, orphaned boy (Owen Vaccaro) is sent to Michigan to live with his uncle (Jack Black), whom he discovers is warlock who needs his help to find a device that could bring for the end of days if put in the wrong hands.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: Also starring Cate Blanchett, this fun, whimsical, mysterious family adventure based on John Bellairs’ 1973 children’s novel is one of the last films you would expect from director Eli Roth, but The House with a Clock in its Walls manages to bring out the lighter side of the filmmaker behind Hostel and the upcoming horror movie, Thanksgiving.

Rent or buy The House With A Clock In Its Walls on Amazon.

Nightbooks (2021)

A young boy (Winslow Fegley) who loves scary stories finally finds a life-saving use for his obsession when he makes a deal with a witch (Krysten Ritter) to keep him alive if he supplies her with a different creepy tale every night.

Why it is a not-so-scary witch movie: If you took the plot of Misery, added a twist similar to the wraparound segment from anthology horror movie Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, and gave it more of a family-friendly flair, you would have Nightbooks — a Netflix original that was actually inspired by the Middle-Eastern folk tale collection, One Thousand and One Arabian Nights.

Stream Nightbooks on Netflix.

The Harry Potter Movies (2001-2011)

After an orphaned boy (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers that he is a wizard, he enrolls in a school that specializes in the mystic arts, where he and his new friends (played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson) must contend with a notorious, evil being from his past.

Why they are not-so-scary witch movies: Some may not often think of the Harry Potter movies as witch movies in the definitive sense, but since Hogwarts is officially a school for both witchcraft and wizardry, it certainly counts. 

Stream the Harry Potter Movies on Max.
Stream the Harry Potter Movies on Peacock. 
Rent or buy the Harry Potter Movies on Amazon.

As Harry Potter and some of the other characters in these movies show, not all witches are too scary. Which witch movie is the one which you love the most?

When we visit theme parks it's because we want to experience our favorite movies in new and exciting ways. Today you can enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe at Disneyland Resort or pass through the gates of Jurassic World at the Universal Orlando Resort Velocicoaster. But it’s almost always new movies that get the new rides. However, one theme park is getting ready to open an entire theme park land dedicated to one of the most popular movies of all time, The Wizard of Oz. The only problem is if you want to experience the new Wizard of Oz land, you’ll need to take a trip to Australia.

Yesterday, Warner Bros. Movie World, located on Australia’s Gold Coast, revealed plans to open a new precinct in the theme park dedicated to the Wizard of Oz. The area will include two new attractions, a suspended family coaster, and a family boomerang racer. Based on concept art, the boomerang racer will exist in a part of the land that looks like Dorthey’s Kansas home, while the suspended coaster will be attached to the castle of the Wicked Witch. An area that looks like the Emerald City will also be constructed, complete with yellow brick road and looks to be more of a general play area.

Theme park attractions are often a symbol that a movie has achieved a certain level of success and cultural ubiquity. Having said that, they’re also promotional, which means we often see new rides designed to celebrate new movies. It’s awesome to see Warner Bros. Movie World going back and giving a classic like The Wizard of Oz the theme park love that it deserves. If theme parks had been a thing in the 1940s you can be all but certain we would have seen Wizard of Oz attractions, but the movie had seemingly missed its window.

We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to theme parks in the United States but there are some top quality parks in other parts of the world that deserve notice. Several movie studios have parks elsewhere. Warner Bros. runs a park in Abu Dhabi in addition to Australia. Lionsgate has a theme park in China, and another in Dubai that includes a John Wick roller coaster. Some of your favorite movies have theme park attractions, you just have to leave the country to find them.

Warner Bros. Movie World currently has areas of its park dedicated to the superheroes of DC, as well as Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes. It also has shows dedicated to moviemaking in general, similar to what you might find at Universal Studios Hollywood. The addition of the Wizard of Oz area will fit perfectly into what Movie World already has going on. The new precinct is expected to be completed in 2024. 

The story of how Mario Puzo’s epic crime novel, The Godfather, was made into one of the most acclaimed movies of all time is as captivating as the film itself. Such is why producer Albert S. Ruddy’s experiences making the 1973 Best Picture Oscar winner have been made into a 10-part limited series called The Offer, which premiered exclusively on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 28, 2022.

Of course, the mob movie masterpiece is just one of many films that are famous (or infamous) for their notably controversial or even downright disastrous productions, including one that also comes from director Francis Ford Coppola. In fact, let’s start our list of movies that we believe deserve to have their stories told in a behind-the-scenes miniseries like The Offer with that classic.

Apocalypse Now

The torrid production of the 1979 Vietnam War drama Apocalypse Now faced pretty much every problem you could ever imagine happening on a film set (budget constraints, last minute casting changes, constant script rewrites, etc.) and even more that seem unimaginable today. For instance, star Martin Sheen had a heart attack that he opted to keep secret and also suffered bloody injury while filming a chaotic scene that he urged to have left in. All the bizarre details were later chronicled in the 1991 documentary, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, which I would like to see dramatized one day in a series that could see The Offer cast’s Don Fogler reprise his role as a Francis Ford Coppola at the end of his rope.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau

Another film whose notorious behind-the-scenes issues (some of which were also caused by star Marlon Brando) later inspired a documentary is the 1996 adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau - director Richard Stanley’s dream project that quickly became a nightmare. The filmmaker was forcibly replaced with John Frankenheimer after just days - mostly due to his reported clashes with Val Kilmer - and later snuck onto the set disguised as one of the movie’s half-human, half-animals hybrids just out of spite. It also led him step away from filmmaking completely until finally returning with his adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s Color Out of Space in 2020.

Gone With The Wind

There was also a director shake-up on the set of 1939’s Oscar-winning, blockbuster period epic, Gone with the Wind, that actually led to more heated arguments after the fact. Star Vivian Leigh apparently could not stand working with Victor Fleming, who replaced original director George Cukor because (as rumors suggest) his homosexuality made Clark Gable uncomfortable. However, similarly to The Offer, I think a series based on this years-long and often chaotic production should be told from the perspective of its producer, David O. Selznick, who was constantly at odds with almost everyone involved as he struggled to see his own vision of Margaret Mitchell’s novel brought to life.

The Wizard Of Oz

When Victor Fleming was brought on to helm Gone with the Wind, he was already in the middle of making another soon-to-be classic that was littered with problems of a more disturbing sort. Shudder’s original docuseries, Cursed Films, debuted its second season with an episode on The Wizard of Oz, which covers infamous behind-the-scenes facts like the abuse inflicted on young Judy Garland, the use of asbestos for fake snow, two near-death accidents, and plenty more that could easily fit a 10-episode series. I think a drama unveiling all the bizarre and upsetting events that happened while making an otherwise iconic, family-friendly fantasy would make quite an impression on audiences.

Twilight Zone: The Movie

Production on Twilight Zone: The Movie, a horror anthology film inspired by Rod Serling’s TV series, was beset by tragedy when a helicopter crash occurred while filming, resulting in the deaths of Vic Morrow and two child actors. Director John Landis was later put on trial and more details about the situation were exposed, including claims of recklessness and laws related to regulations for working conditions and hours for child actors allegedly being violated. A TV series could explore what went wrong before the tragedy, and what fully happened during the investigations and trials afterwards.

Jaws

Steven Spielberg became well versed in production troubles from working on his soon-to-be classic thriller, Jaws. The reason why the 1975 creature feature goes for long stretches without showing its centerpiece creature on camera is because the mechanical shark (nicknamed “Bruce”) was constantly malfunctioning, which is just one of the many behind-the-scenes stories about Hollywood’s first blockbuster worth noting. In fact, I would watch a making-of drama just see a recreations of the famous feud between Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. 

Roar

Luckily, Jaws can claim to not have been plagued by any on-set injuries, but the same can certainly not be said about another creature feature, this one made in the early 1980s, called Roar. The film is about a group of people terrorized by a swarm of wild lions - a horror that 70 cast and crew members were also subjected to in reality, suffering countless attacks and injuries caused by the animals on set. The movie itself, which was marketed by its dangerous reputation when it was finally released in the United States in 2015, is not really considered horror, but I am sure fans of the genre would devour a show about the production.

The Evil Dead

Fans of the Evil Dead movies are just as entertained by stories of the painful and exhausting low-budget production of the 1981 original (which star Bruce Campbell is always game to share) as the frightening content of the film itself. However, more fascinating is how horrifying some of the on-set tension was (somewhat by design) - such as when director Sam Raimi repeatedly poked Campbell’s sprained ankle with a stick at one point. If a behind-the-scenes series was made, I would especially hope to see it cover how Raimi had to defend the cult classic in court after it was initially banned in the U.K.

I never shy away from the chance to learn more about what filmmakers can go through, and seeing some of these situations recreated as a drama can be just as intriguing. However, finding an actor with the right chin to play Bruce Campbell in a biographical Evil Dead series would be one tough challenge.

Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is almost here, and by all reports, the movie is fantastic. The buzz surrounding it even before the film was released was quite high, considering it was a remake of one of the most beloved and successful movie musicals of all time, and many critics are of the opinion that the new version absolutely lives up to all the hype. It’s a great movie, and we can be sure that come awards season, this new West Side Story will be recognized perhaps just as much as the original one was.

And if West Side Story does become as successful, if not more so than the original film production, then we can be sure of one thing: Hollywood is will repeat that formula. When something works in Hollywood, we know that even if nobody is quite sure why it worked, it will be tried again. That means we should get ready, because some more classic movie musicals are probably about to be remade.

This is not to say the movies on this list should be remade, but if Hollywood is going to start remaking classic movie musicals, whether we like it or not, they could do worse than considering these great films. Who knows, maybe, just maybe, these remakes could turn out just as good as the originals, if not better.

The Sound Of Music 

There may be no more popular movie adaptation of a Broadway musical than The Sound of Music. This movie and Mary Poppins are what made Julie Andrews a movie star, and the most popular versions of the songs from this musical are from the film adaptation, not any of the Broadway productions. This may have started as a Broadway show, but for most people, The Sound of Music is a movie first.

The Sound of Music has been remade before on television and revived on Broadway, but we’ve never seen a full-on remake of it for the big screen. There’s somebody out there, some great director, who loves this movie and could do it justice.  

My Fair Lady 

The story of The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins is not complete without a discussion of the other great musical of the era, My Fair Lady. Julie Andrews starred in the film versions of those first two, but she originated the role of Eliza Doolittle on Broadway. Still Audrey Hepburn was great in the film version, even if she couldn’t sing.

This is one of the all time great musicals, if not the greatest movie musical ever. It seems like, if Hollywood is looking toward classic remakes, they have to consider this one. 

Guys And Dolls 

Most of the movies on this list won at least one Academy Award, and while Guys and Dolls did not, it was nominated for a few. The original film version included Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando, which is an impressive pedigree... even if Brando, while a wonderful actor, didn’t have the best singing voice.

This one actually seems like it could be a contender for a remake in the near future as the idea has been around for a while and appears to have picked up steam recently. Vin Diesel has even made noises about wanting to star in a new adaptation of My Fair Lady, and he arguably sings better than Brando.

Singin’ In The Rain

It’s a movie that has one of the most iconic film scenes ever produced. The performance of the song “Singin' in the Rain” is a moment that you likely know by heart even if you’ve never actually seen the movie, and the musical is so good that most would argue that scene that everybody knows isn’t even the best part.

While Gene Kelly's aquatic dance number is part of the collective unconscious, it’s hard to tell how many modern movie fans have actually seen this one, but the name recognition is there. Those two things together could spell remake. And if Tom Holland can play Fred Astaire, certainly there's somebody out there who can take on somebody as iconic as Gene Kelly.

 The Music Man 

The film adaptation of The Music Man from the 1960s sees a lot of people from the original Broadway performance, like star Robert Preston, return for the screen version. Maybe that’s why the film adaptation is such a perfect encapsulation of the stage performance. But to be sure, this is a film adaptation of a popular musical, and nobody has tried to do this on the big screen since then. It’s hard to be a better Harold Hill than Robert Preston, on stage or screen.

But somebody is about to try. Hugh Jackman is about to take the Broadway stage in a revival of The Music Man. If we’re going to remake classic movie musicals, doing what the last version of this one did, and borrowing the stage cast for a fresh film adaptation, might not be the worst idea. 

The Wizard Of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is both one of the all-time greatest stories ever written and one of the most popular musical film adaptations ever made. Remaking the film version of The Wizard of Oz probably feels like sacrilege to a lot of people. A lot of us grew up with this one. What could one possibly bring to the story that Judy Garland didn’t already bring back in 1939?

I don’t know the answer to that question, and I don’t know if anybody does, but that doesn’t mean somebody somewhere isn’t going to try.  If the screen adaptation of Wicked ends up working and somebody wants to make a sequel to that, here it is. 

There was a time when it seemed like remakes of these movies, including West Side Story, were never going to happen. This is actually a surprising thing to say considering that remakes of everything else in the world seem to be on the table. And yet, these classic movies became so iconic that even though they had built-in name recognition, it seemed there was no real interest in trying to make them again.

But if West Side Story truly is the success that it seems it might be, then Hollywood is certainly going to take the lesson from it (right or wrong) that even the most classic musicals can be remade and be successful. Is remaking any of these movies a good idea? Maybe not, but if Hollywood is going to start looking for musicals to remake anyway, starting with these ones is a logical choice.

I grew up on fantasy movies. For a kid who was admittedly a bit of a loner, fantasy was my way of escaping this world and stepping into a new one, and now, years later and all grown up, there’s still a special place in my heart for fantasy movies.

From The Lord of the Rings to Matilda, anyone can enjoy some magic, dragons, and fantastical adventures every once in a while. With that in mind, here are the best fantasy movies and sagas currently streaming and/or available for rent.

The Lord Of The Rings Saga (2001 - 2003)

If you haven’t heard of The Lord of the Rings, I don’t know what rock you’ve been living under. This famous Academy-Award-winning franchise follows a group of heroes, who are sometimes a bit reluctant to step into that role, as they step out into the world to save it from evil. It’s based on the novels by J.R.R. Tolkien.

This saga is famous for a reason. Not only is the story compelling, filled with plenty of fantasy adventure along the way with dragons and magic, but the visual effects are breathtaking. Even now, two decades after the first movie arrived in theaters, I still stand in awe whenever I watch the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Directed by the brilliant Peter Jackson, the fantasy world surrounding this astonishing series will take your breath away. We’ve even taken the opportunity to rank The Lord of the Rings movies.

Stream The Lord of the Rings saga on Max
Rent/Buy The Lord of the Rings saga on Amazon.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

Princess Mononoke is a perfect early example of the fantasy worlds that Studio Ghibli can create. It takes place in the late Muromachi period of Japan and follows a young Emishi prince and his involvement with the humans and the gods who control the forest.

Studio Ghibli movies are filled to the brim with wonderful color and beautiful animation, but Princess Mononoke has plenty of fantasy elements added in there as well to make the film feel even more vibrant. Hayao Miyazaki has some of the best-animated films out there in my opinion, and Princess Mononoke is certainly near the top of our ranked Hayao Miyazaki list.

Stream Princess Mononoke on Max.
Rent/Buy Princess Mononoke on Amazon.

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

If you’re looking for a romance unlike any other, Edward Scissorhands is the way to go. The film follows a young man named Edward who’s built and brought to life by a man who dies before he finishes his creation, leaving Edward with scissors for hands. But soon, he finds comfort in a family that takes care of him, and he falls in love with their daughter.

Edward Scissorhands is exactly the kind of movie I think about when it comes to fantasy romance. There’s plenty of fantastical moments in there, but the romance is the main plot line - the fantasy only adds to it. Not only that, but it’s also one of the best Christmas’ movies out there, and one of Johnny Depp’s best characters.

Stream Edward Scissorhands on Disney+.
Rent Edward Scissorhands on Amazon.

The Witches (1990)

Starring Anjelica Huston, The Witches is the dark fantasy that will have you not only laughing but on the edge of your seat. The movie, based on the novel of the same name, tells the story of a boy and his grandmother who work together in order to prevent a group of evil witches who seek to turn little kids into mice.

This film is just a fun time. The movie didn’t do incredibly well at the box office when it initially released, but man, it has become a favorite of mine over the years, and a favorite of many others. Huston’s performance is one of her best, and the movie is hilarious with its fantasy aspects. I just love it.

Rent/Buy The Witches on Amazon.

The Princess Bride (1987)

You want to talk about classic fantasy, look no further than the iconic The Princess Bride. Adapted from the novel of the same name, The Princess Bride follows Westley, a farmhand who, with the help of some companions along the way, must rescue his true love, Princess Buttercup, from Prince Humperdinck.

The film is loved by many fantasy lovers for its solid story and fun fantasy aspects, but for me, it’s always been the awesome cast featured in this film. With big stars like Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Andre the Giant and so many more, it’s worth a watch for anyone, even if fantasy isn’t your favorite genre. The comedy will keep you going no matter what.

Stream The Princess Bride on Disney+.
Rent/Buy The Princess Bride on Amazon.

Cinderella (2015)

Out of all of the Disney princess live-action movies that have been released over the last decade, I have to say that Cinderella is my favorite. Starring Lily James as the titular character, this retelling of the classic fairytale is a dream come true. We follow Ella, a young woman who gets the chance of a lifetime to attend a ball – and there, through the help of her animal friends, she meets a prince so sweet.

I mean, it’s Cinderella, what more could you ask for in a fantasy? Obviously it’s not as intense as some of the others on this list, but if you’re looking to introduce your child to fantasy and you don’t want it to be completely animated, then this Cinderella is a great way to do so – also, Cate Blanchett’s performance as Lady Tremaine is stupendous.

Stream Cinderella on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Cinderella on Amazon.

Ella Enchanted (2004)

This jukebox musical movie will get you off your feet. Ella Enchanted stars Anne Hathaway and follows the story of Ella, a girl who was “gifted” obedience as a baby by a fairy, but in reality, it just makes her do anything anyone ever tells her to do. She decides to find that fairy that get this gift taken away from her so she can live freely.

Ella Enchanted is one of those films that will forever be a comfort movie to you after the first time you watch it. Anne Hathaway is always a charming actress to follow in any of her roles, but there’s just something about her as Ella that always brings a smile to my face. The fantasy aspect is fun, with plenty of kooky magic, but you’ll fall for the relatable characters and the cute love story more.

Stream Ella Enchanted on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Ella Enchanted on Amazon.

Highlander (1986)

Featuring Christopher Lambert in one of his best roles, Highlander is the epic high fantasy that once you watch it, you’ll love it for the rest of your life. The series follows a Scottish man who is actually an immortal, a person who will live forever unless he is beheaded, and how he and the other Immortals fight for centuries until only a few remain – and of course, this final battle happens in the middle of New York city in 1985.

This movie is just wacky from beginning to end but in the best way, because it really is an original idea that we don’t see that often. Taking place over multiple centuries and introducing plenty of new characters, Highlander is one of those movies that has gained a lot of fame over the last few decades, and has a strong fanbase even now.

Stream Highlander on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy Highlander on Amazon.

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Guillermo del Toro has always been a master of horror and fantasy, as well as visual effects and so much more, but did you know that can use that in fantasy too? Pan’s Labyrinth, directed and produced by del Toro, tells the story of our world intertwining with a mythical one, five years after the Spanish Civil War, where everything is centered on an overgrown labyrinth.

I really can’t get into the plot of this film without giving much away, for those who haven't seen it, but trust me when I say that Pan’s Labyrinth is considered a classic in cinema for a reason. The make-up, special effects, animatronics, and CGI alone could carry this film even if the story wasn’t good, but it’s truly an immersive and fantastical tale of fantasy, mixed in with several real-world elements like fairy tales and mythical creatures.

Stream Pan’s Labyrinth on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Pan’s Labyrinth on Amazon.

Mary Poppins (1964)

Mary Poppins is arguably one of the most known Disney movies of all time. Starring Julie Andrews in one of her best films, the movie tells the story of a family who needs a nanny to take care of their children. In comes Mary Poppins, the perfect nanny there is.

There’s a lot to love about Mary Poppins. The fantasy aspects are so much fun, the music is great, the animation is fun, and the dance sequences are energetic. There’s a reason why this movie ended up becoming a major hit with musicals. While they did create a sequel with Emily Blunt years later, the original will always reign supreme.

Stream Mary Poppins on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Mary Poppins on Amazon.

Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) 

You’ve seen him once already on this list, but I knew I had to include this fantastic film one way or another. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a retelling of the classic story of Pinocchio, a little wooden boy that comes to life after his maker, Guiseppe, loses his son.

This movie… hits, man. Yes, you will love the fantasy elements – I mean, it’s Guillermo del Toro, he knows how to make a great dark fantasy movie. You will even think some of the music is catchy. But, you stay for the emotions that this film brings up, because I swear to you, it will make you cry. It made me cry several times. It even won the 2023 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Stream Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio on Netflix.

Enchanted (2007)

Think of all the Disney princess movies, and then think of a film that parodies them in the best way but still features a fun love story. That’s Enchanted, starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. The movie tells the story of a young woman who finds herself thrown into the human world and learns to survive in the scariest place she’s ever encountered – New York City.

Enchanted is a lovely time. Rewatching the movie is always a blast, but even if you’ve never seen it, it’s worth the hour and a half to check it out. The music itself is so much fun, and you’ll be on your feet in no time for this sweet fairytale. There’s even a sequel that was released in 2022, but I personally believe that the first is better.

Stream Enchanted on Disney.
Rent/Buy Enchanted on Amazon.

Where The Wild Things Are (2009)

Based on the novel of the same name, Where The Wild Things Are follows a young boy who feels lonely in the world and runs away from home, only for him to sail to a strange island that is inhabited by “Wild Things,” who decide to make Max their king, but there’s much more behind these creatures that Max doesn’t know.

I think anyone will relate to Where The Wild Things Are in some way or another. Obviously the fantasy aspect of this film is great. The usage of CGI mixed in with animatronics and puppetry is really a work of art and the fact that this film received such little box office attention is such a crime. But the real theme of the movie is what people relate to – being thankful for the life you have, and learning to grow in more ways than one.

Stream Where The Wild Things Are on Max.
Rent/Buy Where The Wild Things Are on Amazon.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

I mean, I can’t have a fantasy list without mentioning one of the first big-time movies. The Wizard of Oz is all about Dorothy, a young woman who is whisked away to a wonderful world of color after her home is hit by a tornado. It’s up to her, plus some friends she meets along the way, to find her way back home and avoid the Wicked Witch of the West.

The movie itself is fantastic and has inspired many bodies of work after it, including the musical Wicked, which is filled with amazing music and is receiving a two-part Wicked movie adaptation. Judy Garland’s voice is beautiful to listen to any day of the week, and no matter how many fantasy movies you might have seen, the transition from black and white to color in this film is one of the best scenes in cinema. A true masterpiece. It’s a classic movie that is available to stream.

Stream The Wizard of Oz on Max.
Rent/Buy The Wizard of Oz on Amazon.

The Green Knight (2021)

The Green Knight is a fantasy film unlike any other. The main story follows Gawain, a man from the legends of King Arthur, as he travels across the land to fulfill a request.

I don’t want to say too much about The Green Knight or risk giving too much away. Let’s just say not only is it one of the best fantasy movies, but it’s one of the best movies about King Arthur out there. The cinematography is out of this world, the acting impeccable, and the story is so freaking good. It’s genuinely one of the best movies I think I have ever seen, and if you haven’t gotten the chance to see it, do yourself a favor and watch it.

Stream The Green Knight on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy The Green Knight on Amazon.

Spirited Away (2001)

Spirited Away is a different type of fantasy film. This Academy-Award winning movie follows the story of Chihiro, a young girl who mistakenly enters the world of Kami after her parents are turned into pigs.

As a child, I don’t think I ever quite understood this story as much as I do now. Not only does Spirited Away have stunning animation and really cool fantasy elements with the inclusion of magic and sorcery with the witches and spirits here, but the story is also fantastic. There are several messages of what true love is like, friendship, and the ability to believe in oneself. Hayao Miyazaki knocks it out of the park again on this one.

Stream Spirited Away on Max.
Rent/Buy Spirited Away on Amazon.

The Neverending Story (1984)

Based on the novel of the same name, The Neverending Story is the fantasy film that kids my age and the generation before grew up with. The movie follows a young boy who discovers a book that takes him into the biggest quest of his life – trying to stop a dark force from taking over a magical land.

The Neverending Story is able to craft fantasy extremely well, while also hitting emotional points you wouldn’t quite expect from a movie catered to older children and teenagers. There are scenes that will cause you to sob for hours on end in this film, even if you have seen it before – and if you know, you know.

Rent/Buy The Neverending Story on Amazon.

Matilda (1996)

Directed by Danny DeVito, Matilda is based on the novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, and follows the story of a young girl with telekinetic abilities who uses her powers to confront both her horrible family and the terrible principal of her school, fighting back with magic and kindness.

I’m the biggest supporter of Matilda, and while I’ll be the first to recommend the 2022 musical Matilda on Netflix, I will also fully recommend this one as well because it’s great. For children, they’ll love the main character and her sweet nature and how she never loses her smile or her wit. For adults, you’ll love the magic and the sheer resilience that Matilda has. There’s something for everyone.

Stream Matilda on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Matilda on Amazon.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies (2003 - 2017)

Are you ready to be a pirate? Because I sure am. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has several movies in it, but they all mainly follow the incredible, drunk pirate, Jack Sparrow, on his miscellaneous and dangerous adventures across the sea,

There’s a lot I could say about this franchise. While the movies are entertaining in many ways with its fantasy aspects, I’d say there’s even more than that which is awesome. The fight scenes are badass, but the best part is no doubt Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow. The actor fully embodies the role and becomes the pirate.

Stream the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on Disney+.
Rent/Buy the Pirates of the Caribbean movies on Amazon.

Damsel (2024)

Starring Millie Bobby Brown, Damsel is one of the latest Netflix original films which will take you on the ride of your life. The movie follows a young woman who is betrothed to Prince Henry, a prince of a neighboring kingdom, to help her own home, but after the wedding, she is sacrificed to a dragon. It’s up to her to find her way out and survive before the dragon gets her next.

I’ve loved Millie Bobby Brown for a long time, and I love strong female characters in fantasy because it feels like we don’t get enough of them, so when I saw Damsel, I knew I had to put it on this list. The film can be predictable at times, but it’s still a ton of fun with some great costumes, an interesting story, and a fun performance from Brown. It’s a movie I’d recommend for a fun little afternoon.

Stream Damsel on Netflix.

The Harry Potter Movies (2001 - 2011)

I can’t make a list like this and not mention Harry Potter. In this famous movie saga, we follow Harry Potter, the boy who somehow survived the killing curse, “Avada Kedavra,” when he was a baby. Now, it’s up to him, his friends, and any other allies along the way to somehow stop the darkest wizard of all time, Voldemort.

This is the epitome of fantasy, that and The Lord of the Rings. There’s nothing quite like Harry Potter. The friendship of Harry, Ron, and Hermione is one that can never be forgotten, but the side characters are just as amazing as well. The mythical creatures are innovative and unique, such as Buckbeak the Hippogriff, and the world-building within J.K. Rowling's story is absolutely phenomenal. It’s hard to believe that places like this come from one author’s head, but it’s all here. There’s so much upcoming for the world of Harry Potter that it’s almost a must to re-watch this fantastic series.

Now’s the time to stream the movie before the Harry Potter Max reboot comes out - and maybe obsess over Daniel Radcliffe’s best films.

Stream The Harry Potter saga on Peacock.
Stream The Harry Potter saga on Max.
Rent/Buy The Harry Potter saga on Amazon.

With all these wonderful fantasy options, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were whisked away to a magical world not that long from now. Whichever you choose either way will surely have you intrigued for days – or possibly even years – to come.

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For what it is worth, HBO Max has one of the biggest and most versatile collection of movies on any streaming service out there, with literally thousands of movies ranging all genres, languages, and time periods. Where else can you watch Wonder Woman 1984 and then immediately jump into something like City of God or Modern Times? But deciding on what to watch (I mean after you jump into the latest addition to the DCEU) is no easy task and it isn’t hard to find yourself lost in the library of cinema’s greatest achievements. That’s where we come in.

Whether you are a new subscriber who jumped on the HBO Max train ahead of all the Warner Bros. releases, someone who has been with the service since day one, or someone who is finally able to access everything after the Roku deal was worked out, here are a couple dozen movies to enjoy on the streaming service. From superhero epics to romantic comedies, here are some of the best movies on HBO Max.

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) And Other DCEU Movies, Including Justice League (2013)

If you are a fan of the DCEU and DC Comics superheroes like Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League, there is no better place to turn to that HBO Max. With everything from Man of Steel to Wonder Woman 1984 streaming right now, you can see where the shared universe has come from and where it’s going moving forward.

Wonder Woman 1984 will be available to stream on HBO Max starting 12:00 p.m. EST on December 25 (Christmas Day) and will remain available to stream on HBO Max for 31 days from its theatrical release. Stream Wonder Woman 1984 here.

Stream Justice League, and Man of Steel, and others on HBO Max.

The Batman Movies (1989 - 1997)

The four Batman movies directed by Tim Burton and later on by Joel Schumacher are a mixed bag when it comes to quality, but each has a certain quality that make them classics in their own way. From the dark and art deco Gotham city in 1989’s Batman to the pun-infested madness of Batman & Robin, there’s a lot to enjoy here.

Stream Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin on HBO Max.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

There are few movies that withstand the test of time and continue to fill audiences with as much wonder as The Wizard of Oz. Chances are you’ve already seen Dorothy (Judy Garland) being transported from black-and-white Kansas to the technicolor dreamland that is Oz, but have you taken a trip down the yellow brick road in glorious HD?

Stream it on HBO Max here.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Tim Robbins' take on the wrongfully convicted Andy Dufresne and and the poetic narration from Morgan Freeman’s Ellis “Red” Redding make Frank Darabont’s classic The Shawshank Redemption one of the best Stephen King adaptations and movies of the past 30 years. It’s true that the movie has played on TNT more than probably any other movie, but now you can watch the lanky Dufresne spend his time planning his escape without sitting through all those commercials.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

The Die Hard Movies (1988 - 1995)

It is not Christmas until Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) falls from Nakatomi Plaza, so why not start a Christmastime marathon with the first three Die Hard movies? From 1988’s original holiday spectacle involving a cold and hardened New York cop in sunny Los Angeles to 1995’s Die Hard With a Vengeance there’s plenty to enjoy with this trilogy of John McClane (Bruce Willis) adventures this holiday season.

Stream Die Hard, Die Hard 2, and Die Hard With a Vengeance on HBO Max.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

In the 1987 romantic drama Dirty Dancing, Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) goes from the timid black sheep of her high society family to a strong and self-assured woman after meeting and falling for dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) in one of the most timeless and watchable dance movies out there.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Chasing Amy And Clerks (1994 - 1997)

Following the success of Clerks and Mallrats, which saw Kevin Smith lightly dabble in the world of romantic comedies, the filmmaker went all out with 1997’s Chasing Amy. More of a drama than anything else from Smith’s filmography, the movie follows Holden McNail (Ben Affleck) as the hopeless romantic comic book artist tries to win over fellow artist Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams), who, unbeknownst to him, is not really looking for the same thing.

Stream Chasing Amy and Clerks on HBO Max.

The Way Back (2020)

Another great Ben Affleck movie streaming on HBO Max is the 2002 sports drama The Way Back, which centers on former basketball hotshot Jack Cunningham (Affleck) as he struggles with his own personal demons while also trying to resurrect his former high school’s basketball program. This isn’t your typical sports movie and HITS hard, especially when discovering just what sent Jack’s life over the edge.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

When Harry Met Sally (1989), Crazy Rich Asians (2018) And Other Romantic Comedies

There are some truly amazing romantic comedies on HBO Max with something for people of all generations. With timeless classics like Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally, the Nia Vardalos-penned indie smash hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and more recent phenomenons like Jon Chu’s Crazy Rich Asians there is plenty to choose from if you’re looking for a great date night movie, something to watch with friends, or just a way to forget about life for a bit.

Stream When Harry Met Sally, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Crazy Rich Asians on HBO Max.

The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (2001 - 2003)

Over the course of three consecutive holiday seasons, Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy reigned supreme at the box office, bringing millions of families to the theaters to take part in this landmark achievement in storytelling and special effects. From the beginning of Frodo’s (Elijah Wood) journey to destroy the ring to Aragorn’s (Viggo Mortensen) rise from outcast to king, now’s the perfect time to begin the unexpected journey once more.

Stream The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King on HBO Max.

Cast Away (2000)

It may be hard to believe, but Robert Zemeckis’ epic survival drama Cast Away was released 20 years ago this month. Starring Tom Hanks as FedEx systems analyst Chuck Noland, the movie centers on a man’s transformation from a time-obsessed executive with everything he ever wanted to someone with nothing but the will to live. And even though it gets a little long in the final act, Cast Away is an achievement in storytelling, acting, and filmmaking that should be revisited.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

You’ve Got Mail (1998) And Joe Vs. The Volcano (1990)

No on is saying You’ve Got Mail is the best romantic comedy and no one is saying that the 1998 remake of a remake is even the best movie starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, but there’s a certain quality to this oddly aged movie that makes it something you can’t help but watch on a cold winter’s night. Maybe its the early days of the internet, the idea of a big box store killing off a mom-and-pop bookstore, and everything else about this movie that makes it more like a time capsule to a more simple and less technologically advanced era. And if that isn’t your cup of tea, there’s always the tried and true Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks classic that is Joe vs. The Volcano from a time when Hanks had some really out there roles.

Stream You’ve Got Mail and Joe vs. The Volcano on HBO Max.

The Matrix Trilogy (1999 - 2003)

We still have a little less than a year until we get to see what Neo (Keanu Reeves) has been up to in The Matrix 4, but why not start your homework early watch the Wachowski’s definitive sci-fi action flick The Matrix and see how the siblings redefined the action genre with that layered story, eye-catching special effects, and mind-boggling plot devices. And while the two sequels aren't viewed as favorably as the 1999 original, they each have their own moments.

Stream The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions on HBO Max.

Enemy Of The State (1998) And Wild Wild West (1999)

One of the biggest head-scratchers in the history of movies will always be Will Smith’s decision to turn down The Matrix for Wild Wild West, but the 1999 steampunk western is a bonkers sideshow that has become a beast of its own in the 22 years since its release. With a cast that also includes Kevin Kline, Selma Hayek and Kenneth Branagh, you can see what drew the Fresh Prince to the spider-infested adventure. At least the year before we got Enemy of the State, which remains one of Smith’s best performances and best movies involving a cat as a central character.

Stream Enemy of the State and Wild Wild West on HBO Max.

Casablanca, Citizen Kane And Other TCM Movies

For film buffs who don’t have the money to get the Criterion Channel, HBO Max has more than enough classic movies from Hollywood’s various eras and from around the world. With classics like Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Cool Hand Luke, and An American In Paris, the Turner Classic Movie section on the streamer is a beast of its own and will afford you the opportunity to revisit your favorites from yesteryear or finally watch those movies you’ve always been too afraid to admit you’ve never seen.

Stream Turner Classic Movies on HBO Max here.

Bessie (2015)

The Primetime Emmy Award-winning HBO biopic Bessie features one of the best performances from Queen Latifah’s career as she takes on the life and career of blues singer Bessie Smith. With an amazing story and cast that also includes Michael K. Williams, Khandi Alexander, Mike Epps, and Tory Kittles, there are plenty of reasons why this one of the most watched HBO original movies of all time.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Happy Gilmore (1996) And Billy Madison (1995)

No one is saying that Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore are the best movies or best comedies of all time, but there are few movies from the ‘90s that are more quotable and enjoyable as Adam Sandler’s back-to-back side-splitters. Whether it’s Sandler’s take on the spoiled son of a hotel magnate or failed hockey player coming up with ways to save his grandma’s house, this pair of movies are just as enjoyable now as they were upon release.

Stream Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison on HBO Max.

The Crow Movies (1994 - 2006)

The Crow will probably always been remembered for being the movie where star Brandon Lee was killed, but this quintessential 1994 action thriller about a rock star coming back from the grave to exact revenge on those who killed him and his wife should also be remembered for its dark tone and gripping story.

Stream The Crow, The Crow: City of Angels, and The Crow: Wicked PowerOn HBO Max.

The Friday Trilogy (1995 - 2002)

Ice Cube was already a star by the time he co-wrote and starred in 1995’s Friday, but the rapper-turned-actor a bonafide megastar with the release of the stoner comedy and its two subsequent sequels Next Friday and Friday After Next. With the story of Craig Jones (Ice Cube) getting fired and spending an entire day doing a whole lot of nothing until standing up to neighborhood bully Deebo (RIP Tiny Lister Jr.) and insane cast, there are plenty of reasons this movie remains just as beloved 25 years later.

Stream Friday, Next Friday, and Friday After Next on HBO Max.

Richard Jewell (2019)

Clint Eastwood’s 2019 drama Richard Jewell tells the story of the security guard (Paul Walter Hauser) falsely accused of planting the bomb that killed one and injured more than 100 others at the 1996 Olympic Games.

Stream it on HBO Max here.

Risky Business (1983) And Other Tom Cruise Movies

Time and time again, Tom Cruise proves why he became and remained one of the brightest stars in Hollywood. And while not every single one of Cruise’s films can be streamed on HBO Max, you can watch the career-making performance as a high school student trying to save his butt in Risky Business and several other great additions to his filmography on the streamer.

Stream Risky Business, Magnolia, The Last Samurai on HBO Max.

The Lethal Weapon Movies (1987 - 1998)

There are buddy cop movies and then there is Lethal Weapon, which features one of the best pairings of a straight-laced detective in Danny Glover’s Roger Murtaugh and wild-eyed man-on-the-edge in Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs. Over the course of four Lethal Weapon movies, the unlikely duo bring justice back to the streets and become responsible for millions in property damage.

Stream Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3, and Lethal Weapon 4 on HBO Max.

The Austin Powers Movies (1997 - 2002)

The first Austin Powers movie will forever be one of quintessential comedies of the ‘90s and serve as one of the crowning achievements of Mike Myers’ legendary career. See the British secret agent and his terrible teeth find himself as a man out of time in International Man of Mystery and its two sequels.

Stream Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Austin Powers in Goldmember on HBO Max.

Those are just a couple dozen of the great movies you can watch on HBO Max right now. Which one do you plan on watching over the winter break? Sound off in the comments below.

HBO Max has finally made its big premiere. While it's easy to groan at the prospect of yet-another streaming service (I've certainly been there), if you're a film lover, there is definitely a lot worth considering here. Indeed, the site contains hundreds of movies available at the mere click of a button, including a surprisingly huge archive of great movies and bonafide classics. If you love classic movies, and you're looking for something good (or even great) to watch on HBO Max, we're here to help. Here are just a few of the classic movies available on HBO Max, including The Wizard of Oz.

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Somewhere over the rainbow isn't too far away. Indeed, 1939's The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved and cherished family movies in cinematic history, and it's not hard to see why. With its lovable batch of characters, dazzling visuals, enchanting world-building, catchy songs, and big heart, this fantasy musical adaptation of L. Frank Baum's 1900 children's book is considered one of the greatest movies of all-time. And deservedly so. It's one of the most magical movies ever made, and audiences both young and old continue to love it to this day. There's no place like home, and thanks to HBO Max, you can now stream the adored movie from the comfort of your own home — whether that's Kansas, Oz, or anywhere in-between.

Stream The Wizard of Oz on HBO Max here.

Casablanca (1942)

When Casablanca geared into production, nobody involved thought it would be anything more than another studio movie. Something that would end up lost in the sea of hundreds of movies produced throughout the years. To say the opposite happened would be an incredible understatement. 1942's romantic WWII drama isn't merely great; it's widely considered one of the finest films ever, notably with a rich screenplay, top-notch cinematography, striking locales, and iconic performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Not to mention some of the most well-quoted lines in cinematic history. This Best Picture-winning masterpiece isn't merely one of the finest Hollywood films of the '40s. It is arguably one of the best films ever made.

Stream Casablanca on HBO Max here.

Citizen Kane (1941)

Few films tower above Citizen Kane. Orson Welles was only 25 when he made this epic drama about the life-and-legacy of Charles Foster Kane (based heavily on William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer, among other famous figures and tycoons) is quite often considered not merely one of the best movies of all-time but arguably the best. Certainly not a bad achievement for your first major film. While the movie itself was met with controversy upon release, it has since received an abundance of acclaim, not merely for Welles' work in front-and-behind the camera but also for its stunning cinematography, incredible make-up, sharp editing, thunderous score, and adventurous narrative structure. It's a film that's been studied and discussed endlessly. If you haven't seen it (or want to revisit it), it's available on HBO Max.

Stream Citizen Kane on HBO Max here.

City Lights (1931)

There are a treasure trove of classic Charlie Chaplin movies. Many of which are available on HBO Max, including Modern Times, The Great Dictator, The Kid, The Gold Rush, and 1931's City Lights. Made during the rise of sound films, Chaplin opted to keep his silent film format for this silent romantic comedy, which follows the misadventures of The Tramp falling in love with a blind woman, though it was the first time Chaplin composed the score to one of his pictures. Although it's hard to pick one's favorite Chaplin film, City Lights is often considered one of his best — if not his best — among film historians and casual moviegoers. If you're in the mood to catch up or revisit some classic Charlie Chaplin movies, including this one, go to HBO Max.

Stream City Lights on HBO Max here.

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

If you've ever taken a film school class, there's a good chance that you've seen Bicycle Thieves at least once or twice. The Italian neorealist drama from director Vittorio De Sica is a simple-yet-deeply affecting tale of a poor father post-WWII on the search for his stolen bicycle, which was the main source of his livelihood. Though not always an uplifting tale, it is celebrated for its compelling character drama and its nuanced social commentary. It was initially ill-received in Italy, but in the years since its release, it has often been hailed as one of the finest movies ever made. It is another movie that has been studied constantly and discussed religiously. Certainly, if you haven't had a chance to see it for yourself, it's worth seeking out on HBO Max.

Stream Bicycle Thieves on HBO Max here.

Godzilla (1954)

Whether it's seen as a powerful political commentary on the lasting damage of Japan's nuclear holocaust or as an entertaining monster movie that has inspired a variety of B-movies and major blockbusters in the decades to follow, 1954's endearing Godzilla has certainly risen above the ranks of several other monsters movies by being a sharp, compelling commentary with a memorable movie monster who continues to remain relevant and entertaining in the years to come. While there are several entertaining additions to this franchise, none of them have truly captured the same success as this classic. And we'll continue to see its influence with this year's upcoming blockbuster, Godzilla vs. Kong.

Stream Godzilla on HBO Max here.

King Kong (1933)

First introduced to the silver screen in 1933, King Kong is certainly one of the biggest, most recognizable characters in cinematic history. The very large gorilla-like creature, one who eventually met its tragic end whenever he fell in love with a beautiful young woman, continues to be seen in new movies and in various new iterations, notably with the upcoming, aforementioned Godzilla vs. Kong set to hit theaters later this year, but it's hard to top this original. For as much as Peter Jackson's three-hour remake deserves respect, and Kong: Skull Island isn't without its fleeting thrills, the original King Kong is a wondrous achievement, with a romantic story, full action-packed sequences and some impressive stop-motion animation which brings this gigantic creature to life on the screen. If you love King Kong and you haven't seen the original, check it out.

Stream King Kong on HBO Max here.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Practically ever picture directed by the late Stanley Kubrick is a bonafide classic. Throughout several decades and across various film genres, Kubrick's unmistakable style shined bright, capturing his singular vision and creating some of the most iconic, lasting visuals in cinematic history. That's certainly the case with 1968's awe-inspiring 2001: A Space Odyssey. The space-based sci-fi blockbuster, which follows a voyage to Jupiter gone awry whenever the spaceship's sentient AI begins to have a mind of its own, features striking imagery, extraordinary special effects, a haunting score, and lots of thoughtful commentary on human's place in history and the future ahead. Kubrick's best movie is often an ongoing point of discussion, but this is certainly among his greatest triumphs. It is an extraordinary, heavily influential work of brilliance. See it on the biggest screen available to you.

Stream 2001: A Space Odyssey on HBO Max here.

Alien (1979)

In space, no one can hear you scream. But there's a good chance that you've heard of Ridley Scott's influential 1979 sci-fi horror film, Alien. The movie has inspired sequels, novels, comic books, and more, but none of them (not even the exceptional follow-up, Aliens) have ultimately captured the same intensity as this captivating space-based creature feature. Anchored by a strong lead performance from Sigourney Weaver, Alien is considered one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, and it's easy to see why. You can check it out for yourself on HBO Max.

Stream Alien on HBO Max here.

Seven Samurai (1954)

You've probably seen several movies inspired by Seven Samurai, including everything from The Magnificent Seven to A Bug's Life, but if you haven't made the time to watch Akira Kurosawa's epic masterpiece, you should definitely make the time to do so. Though it's a long sit, coming in at a hefty 207 minutes (including an intermission), it's most certainly worth every second. This movie is widely considered one of the finest foreign-language films ever made — as well as simply one of the best movies ever made, period. It's a stunning accomplishment, filled with great pathos and fight sequences, and if you've been putting it off for some time (which is a little understandable since, again, it's long-as-hell), you should make a point to check it out.

Stream Seven Samurai on HBO Max here.

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

If you haven't had a chance to sing the rain yet, you're certainly missed out. There are few movies out there more richly and wonderfully delightful than 1952's Singin' in the Rain. Though it depicts the transitional period between silent films and talkies, and three performers who are caught in the midst of this moviemaking shift, this lighthearted and winning depiction of Hollywood is splashy, exuberant, invigorated and just plain lovely. Choreographed, co-directed, and starring Gene Kelly, this immensely spellbinding movie is often considered one of the best musical movies ever made. And it's easy to see why. From its iconic scenes to its incredible dance sequences, along with its winning characters and rousing emotional beats, it's a sunny success.

Stream Singin' in the Rain on HBO Max here.

Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

The term "star-making role" can sometimes be thrown around liberally. Sometimes even hyperbolically. But one cannot overstate how much 1955's Rebel Without A Cause (as well as East of Eden, which also came out that year) turned James Dean from a promising young TV actor to a marquee name to a movie icon. Sadly, this is also the year that Dean was tragically taken from this world in an automobile accident that kept him forever young. While Hollywood has never truly recovered from the loss of such a bright and talented young actor, it's easy to see the radiant star-power in this passionate performance. What should've paved the way for a sparkly career was unjustly one of his final roles, but his spirit is still burning alive anytime someone pops this classic teen drama on their screen.

Stream Rebel Without A Cause on HBO Max here.

Nanook of the North (1922)

Though it is considered one of the earliest and one of the most prolific documentaries in cinematic history, the legacy of 1922's Nanook of the North is ultimately a little more complex. The silent film from director Robert J. Flaherty captures the struggles of an Inuk man named Nanook and his family in the Canadian Arctic, but while it's presented in a documentary format, there are several sequences that were deliberately staged, ultimately making it a docudrama by today's standards. However, the idea of blending documentary and drama wasn't prevalent at the time, thus ultimately polarizing a few critics in the years following its release. But however you look at these controversies, Nanook of the North is still considered a groundbreaking piece of cinema, capturing a vivid, intimate look at culture that's rarely seen in movies — even today.

Stream Nanook of the North on HBO Max here.

Other Great Classics Streaming On HBO Max

The following are other classic movies available on HBO Max right now... 

8 1/2 (1963)

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

An American in Paris (1951)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Battle of Algiers (1966)

Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Breathless (1960)

Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Eraserhead (1977)

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Harold and Maude (1971)

Jules and Jim (1962)

Network (1976)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

North by Northwest (1959)

Rashomon (1950)

Safety Last! (1923)

Stagecoach (1939)

The 400 Blows (1959)

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

When it comes to making movie magic, all sorts of different spells are used to conjure up the images you see on the screen. Whether it's practical effects, CG, or a variety of other methods, Hollywood resorts to many different different tactics to make the movies come to life. That's certainly the case with 1939's spellbinding The Wizard of Oz. The fantastical masterpiece is an incredible achievement, particularly when it comes to its make-up, art direction, and costume designs. Many aspects of the film's imagery are iconic today for a reason. However, when it comes to one aspect of Oz in particular, it wasn't movie magic. It was the real deal. Specifically, we're talking about the hairy costume used to bring the Cowardly Lion to the screen. Indeed, to create the effect of the famously scaredy-cat lion, real-life lion fur was used to make the pelt look authentic. Oh my!

On the auction site Bonhams, where the costume was being sold, someone on Reddit dug through the description of Bert Lahr's signature costume and they discovered a surprising and potentially upsetting piece of information. Apparently, the Cowardly Lion costume seen in the classic film was constructed from real lion skin and fur. The attire was reportedly made from a wide mix of human hair and lion fur and hide, with the hair/mane coming from the former while the body fur itself (including on the feet) came from the latter. While the fur does look realistic, one probably wouldn't guess it was real.

Since we're talking about the very early days of moviemaking here, there was probably only one (maybe two) costumes on hand for the actors. There has been a lot written about the difficulty of making this movie, particularly when it comes to the costumes. For instance, the Tin Man's silver sheen was apparently so toxic that it caused actor Jack Haley to go to the hospital. Therefore, the methods of making the Cowardly Lion's signature costume are believably extreme too, using real-life lion fur and skin to make the human-sized lion a reality. As a piece of classic movie history, you don't have to imagine that it sold for a pretty penny. The final bid drew in a little over $3 million, which honestly sounds low. You might think that it'd go a little higher.

Naturally, if The Wizard of Oz were made today, there's no way in hell they would allow this to happen. PETA would be surely slamming down every door at MGM, throwing protests galore because of this information. But The Wizard of Oz was originally released back in 1939, which means that such animal ethics and animal protection groups weren't around back then (at least, not to the same size and scale they are today). Also, it should be noted that in the '30s, fake fur designs weren't what they are today. That might've played a factor in using real opposed to fake lion fur while creating this classic costume.

In any case, when it came to making the Cowardly Lion's famous costume, it is safe to say that these designers weren't afraid to use the real thing.

Technological advancements, coupled with stringent safety protocols, have made Hollywood far safer as it strives to show off visual spectacle than the industry was 80 years ago. But when the influential The Wizard of Oz hit theaters in 1939, before the advent of modern filmmaking, crews created immersive moviegoing experiences using fewer resources and more tricks. Some of these tricks posed serious health hazards, but they weren't scrutinized enough to discourage implementation.

The Wizard of Oz crew was guilty of this. During the film's production, crew members sprinkled Dorothy with asbestos and hoped that people would believe it was snow. It was convincing to me when I first saw it, but I was six years old, so a ton of the finer details in that movie went over my unnaturally large head.

According to a recent Vanity Fair article, the asbestos incident was only one of many stories that, in today's world, would horrify audiences. One story that Vanity Fair didn't cover involved some of the Munchkin actors sexually harassing Dorothy actress Judy Garland, an incident that totally should have topped Vanity Fair's list.

Back when The Wizard of Oz was fresh and new and novel, Hollywood (and the world that shaped it) had very different ideas of what was “safe” than we do today. Asbestos was used in holiday decorations distributed across America, posing health risks for people who took Christmas and other celebrations seriously. Just as alarming is the fact that chrysotile, which is white asbestos and the most commonly used form of the dangerous substance, was used in roofing, brake pads and shoes, interior fire doors, stage curtains, popcorn ceilings, and many, many other types of building materials people that were around every day.

It's scary stuff, and the fact that it was so widely-used made the dangers it posed that much more real. Even worse than all that? The dangers of asbestos were first noted in 1899. In other words, the crew members working on The Wizard of Oz likely knew of its negative health effects and showered Judy Garland with it anyway.

Health hazards aside, The Wizard of Oz still stands as one of the most important films ever made. It's so important that, even now, both movies and TV shows continue to draw inspiration from the classic. And, even cooler, the film was shown in 3D and IMAX across the nation in the fall of 2013. It's safe to say that the film will continue to inspire and encourage both new and seasoned filmmakers to create powerful, enduring stories that move and wow moviegoers.

How has The Wizard of Oz impacted your life? Has it done so at all? Which of the many Oz-inspired films and shows have you seen and enjoyed? Which did you see and not enjoy? Sound off in the comments section below!

The dystopian subgenre is an area of film history rich with bold and detailed (albeit bleak) visions of the future, but we’ve never seen anything quite like the one presented in author Reed King’s new novel FKA USA. Set just a few decades from now, and written like a memoir from the perspective of its protagonist, Truckee Wallace, the plot takes readers through the wasteland remnants of a post-secession America – with corporations controlling large regions, outlaws holding others, and vast segments deemed uninhabitable due to extreme weather conditions. And while the story may currently only exist in book form, that may not stay true for long.

FKA USA isn’t arriving in bookstores until this Tuesday, June 18th, but Warner Bros. decided not to wait and see sales numbers before imagining what the adventure could look like on the big screen. The studio purchased the film rights to the story all the way back in November, and this means we might only be a few years removed from seeing a cinematic adaptation. It will admittedly be an interesting challenge for filmmakers, as the storytelling is woven into a wonderfully complex and dense fictional world history, but it’s a challenge worth taking on if it means seeing Reed King’s frightening, funny, weird, and Wizard Of Oz-tinged vision come to life.

King (which is a pseudonym) has been working on the book for nearly a decade – which I recently learned from an email exchange with the author via his publicist. The inspiration for the story first stuck when he was doing a lot of traveling, and had the opportunity to witness and experience the many different cultures that all exist within the borders of America. What seemingly turned the plot toward the dystopian, however, was the fact that he also taken aback by the disconnect that exists between all of the different populations. Wrote the author,

It was from here that FKA USA started to piece itself together. Readers are introduced to Truckee Wallace as a nobody teenager living in what used to be Little Rock, Arkansas (now known as Crunchtown 407). He has assimilated to the hellish life that exists on Earth, full of chemically-created food and addiction to electronics, but everything changes with the reemergence of his former best friend – who attempts to kill a talking goat in a vat of chemicals at the factory where Truckee works. This sets off a chain of events that sees the would-be hero on a cross-country adventure trying to stop a potential apocalyptic event.

Along the way Truckee is joined on his journey by not only the intelligent-but-fainthearted goat, named Barnaby, but also a friendly android named Sammy, and a lobotomized giant (a.k.a. “Straw Man”) named Tiny Tim. It’s an ensemble purposefully reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz – with each respectively standing in for Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow – and it was apparently a key element that came together as the author began to define his lead characters. King explained,

It’s an element of the book that could come together in a fascinating way on the big screen. After all, Warner Bros. owns the rights to Victor Fleming’s 1939 classic, which means that the movie could potentially recycle some iconic cinematic imagery. I specifically asked Reed King about it, and while he noted that the final decisions would certainly be in the hands of the director making the adaptation, he added that trying to get around those elements would probably be a challenge:

On theme with his willingness to leave those kinds of decisions to the filmmakers adapting FKA USA, Reed King also wrote in his responses to my questions that he doesn’t have a personal desire to be directly involved with the writing of the project. On the contrary, he’s curious about seeing another creative’s take on his work (not to mention that the whole experience writing the novel was apparently exhausting enough). Wrote King,

We’ll see what happens as FKA USA navigates its way through development at Warner Bros. – but you don’t have to wait for the film adaptation to experience the epic and wild story for yourself. The book will be on shelves everywhere on Tuesday, so go pick up a copy, and enjoy.

Bohemian Rhapsody dominated this past awards season, but get ready for two more contenders this year with Taron Egerton’s Elton John in Rocketman and now Renée Zellweger’s Judy Garland in upcoming biopic Judy. The Bridget Jones actress is taking on one of the most iconic legends in Hollywood this fall with an upcoming music biopic about the triple threat during her last tour as a singer. Check out the new trailer below:

Wow! Renée Zellweger’s transformation for Judy has an uncanny resemblance to the showbiz icon. In the trailer, the actress emulates Judy Garland’s facial expressions and mannerisms to a T, while also singing her most well-known song, The Wizard of Oz’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Yes, that’s Zellweger really singing, not Garland. Anyone else hear Oscar?

The trailer shows a series of flashbacks of Judy Garland’s early years, with newcomer Darci Shaw playing a more youthful Garland during her time on the set of her most memorable role as Dorothy in Wizard of Oz. The film will follow Garland in London for her five-week sold old run at The Talk of the Town in December 1968, before the accidental overdose that she died from six months later, at 47 years old.

The film from Roadside Attractions shows Judy Garland at a time when her voice has weakened, and she undergoes battles with her management and her drug addiction. It starts during her romance with her soon-to-be fifth husband Mickey Deans, whom she weds during the London show run. Deans, who was a musician, will be played by American Horror Story’s Finn Wittrock. He found her dead in the bathroom of their home in June 1969.

Judy will also star Michael Gambon as Garland’s manager Bernard Delfontm and Rufus Sewell as her third husband Sidney Luft, with whom she had two kids. One of Garland’s daughters, Liza Minnelli, has been vocal about her disapproval with the biopic, previously posting the words “I do not approve nor sanction the upcoming film about Judy Garland in any way” after rumors spread that she was meeting with Renée Zellweger to help her prep to play her mother.

Renée Zellweger nabbed the project helmed by True Story director Rupert Goold in October 2017. The screenplay for Judy was written by Lovesick creator Tom Edge, adapted from a stage play by Peter Quilter titled End of the Rainbow. A previous movie about Garland had Anne Hathaway attached.

The movie is an exciting role to see Renée Zellweger take on following her long break from moviemaking between 2010 and 2016. The actress made her comeback with a sequel to her famous rom-com role in Bridget Jones’s Baby in 2016. This looks to be a memorable role for Zellweger as she takes on the actress famous for her Hollywood legacy and roles such as in 1954’s A Star Is Born. The film hits theaters on September 27.