AfterWes CravenunleashedScreamonto audiences in 1996, the idea of going into franchise territory was a stretch for many. With an incredibly stacked cast that includedNeve Campbell,Matthew Lillard,Skeet Ulrich,Rose McGowan,Drew Barrymore,Courteney Cox, and more, how could any other film even dream of following it? Just one year later, Craven, writerKevin Williamson, and the rest of the creative team behindScream 2answered those questions. Not only did the sequel include more of the hottest stars of the decade, likeLaurie Metcalf,Sarah Michelle Gellar,Jerry O’Connell,Timothy Olyphant, andJada Pinkett Smith, but it also gave audiencesone of the biggest surprise Ghostface unmaskings of the film series....

Spoilers ahead forBatman Begins. Christopher Nolandidn’t invent the origin story for superheroes, but he made sure that for the foreseeable future, origin stories would become the primary mode of rebooting franchises for over a decade. Until this point, characters were pretty much fleshed out in their debut adventure. There might be an explanatory first act followed by a montage like inSam Raimi’sSpider-Man, but Nolan defined what studios would demand. “A gritty reboot in the vein ofBatman Begins” may as well have been a macro in the Hollywood trades....

Be aware there areSPOILERSfor IT, IT Chapter TWO and Stephen King’s original novel below. Stephen King’sITis a beast. A massive horror epic that spans decades, embraces a vast ensemble of characters, details the sprawling history of Derry, Maine, and dips a toe in mind-bending cosmic mythology, the exact details of the novel were never going to make it to the screen, even with two long feature films. DirectorAndy Muschiettiand screenwriterGary Daubermanhad to do a lot of trimming to transform King’s classic story into a two-part tale – even with a near-three-hour runtime for the second half....

Perhaps the most iconic image from the original adaptation of Stephen King’sItis Pennywise (Tim Curry) poking his head out from the storm drain. A new image has been released fromAndrés Muschietti’s upcoming remake, and the thinking seems to be, “Hey, we need an image that’s reminiscent of the iconic image from the original.” So some folks put their heads together, and their solution was this [viaEW]: That’s Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) sticking his head out of a sewer pipe....

ScreenwriterJesse Armstrongisa skilled storytellerand an expert at creating relatable and memorable characters. He is best known for his work on critically acclaimed TV shows such asPeep Show,Fresh Meat, and, of course,Succession. The hallmarks of his writing are wit, dark humor, insightful social commentary, and nuanced characters. Indeed, Armstrong has a unique ability to capture the complexities of human relationships and explore the darker aspects of modern society. WithSuccessioncoming to an end this year, now’s a good time to look back on his best projects as rated by Rotten Tomatoes, and look forward to the future....

Keanu Reevesis a lot of things - a wonderful human being,a charismatic screen presence, possibly immortal, and of course, an action movie legend. It’s the latter topic that he’s been reflecting on, by taking part inThe Art of Action,a YouTube series hosted by stunt guruScott Adkins. Adkins recently starredalongside Reeves inJohn Wick: Chapter 4as the grotesque German assassin Killah, having a memorable fight scene in a bombastic nightclub, and the pair got together virtually to take a deep dive into Reeves' action career....

Christmas romances may be all the rage this year, but Netflix and Lifetime can take a backseat, because this is now officially the only holiday rom-com I care about. Variety reports thatKristen Stewartis in talks to star in TriStar PicturesHappiestSeason, a new holiday film fromClea DuVall. DuVall is set to direct the film from a script she co-wrote withMary Holland. The film follows a young woman who plans to propose to her girlfriend at her family’s annual holiday party, but runs into trouble when she discovers that her partner hasn’t come out to her conservative parents....

Well it sounds like theX-Mentimelineis about to get evenmorecomplicated. Last year, the exciting news broke thatFargocreatorNoah Hawleywas developing anX-MenTV series withSimon Kinberg,Bryan Singer, andLauren Schuler DonnercalledLegion. Comics fans knew full well what that title meant: that we’d be dealing with David Haller, the son of Professor Charles Xavier who deals with issues of mental illness as he starts to display his powers. However, Hawley’s plans forLegion—which just got picked up to series by FX withDownton AbbeyalumDan Stevensin the lead role—may offer quite the departure for folks looking for a straight comics adaptation....

Welcome to the latest episode of Movie Review Talk with Scott Mantz! On this episode, Scott, Matt Atchity, and Andrew Freund are discussing four new releases –The Predator,White Boy Rick,A Simple FavorandPeppermint. The critics also give their thoughts on theJurassic World: Fallen KingdomBlu-ray that comes out on digital and Blu-ray soon. The Predatoris directed byShane Black, the writer of the original 1987Predatorfilm that starredArnold Schwarzenegger. This film starsBoyd Holbrook,Sterling K. Brown,Keegan-Michael Key,Olivia Munn,Jacob Tremblay,Thomas JaneandTrevante Rhodes....

Syfy has revealed a first look at the highly anticipated new seriesNightflyers, which is basically a horror story set in space. The show is based on a 1980 novella written byGame of ThronesscribeGeorge R.R. Martinand follows eight scientists and a telepath who embark on a mission to the edge of the solar system in the hope of making contact with alien life. Terrifying and violent events begin to take place, testing the loyalties and mental fortitude of those aboard the titular ship....

The fine folks at Blizzard have revealed details about whatOverwatchfans can expect at San Diego Comic-Con this year. In terms of panels, there will be a panel called “Behind the Scenes of Overwatch’s Newest Hero” on Friday, July 20th from 3:15-4:15pm PT in Room 6BCF (Upper Level). There, game developersMichael Chu(lead writer),Arnold Tsang(assistant art director),Geoffrey Garnett(senior sound designer), andGeoff Goodman(principal game designer) will give a behind-the-scenes look atOverwatch’s newest hero Hammond, aka Wrecking Ball....

WhenThe Suicide Squadhits theaters (and HBO Max) in August, it’s not the last we’ll see of writer/directorJames Gunn’s vision for this universe. As soon as Gunn put the finishing touches on his first-ever DC movie, he went out and wrote a spinoff TV series revolving aroundJohn Cena’s character Peacemaker, aptly titledPeacemaker. The show is set to debut in early 2022 on HBO Max, and our first look at the new series has arrived courtesy ofEmpire Magazine....

As the creator ofThe Thick of ItandVeep, not to mention the writer/director behindThe Death of Stalin,Armando Iannuccihas become a ruthless chronicler of how damn absurd politics can be on multiple continents. Which is why he fully acknowledged during a recent phone interview with Collider that his latest film,The Personal History of David Copperfield, is quite different from those more cynical projects. Instead, Iannucci’s irreverent adaptation of theCharles Dickensclassic, available now on VOD, is something he wanted to make feel “hopeful and optimistic and joyful....