The behind-the-scenes drama continues for Yellowstone. So much so that it could make for its own interesting show. The hit-maker of Paramount+, Taylor Sheridan, has been dealing with a lot of controversy for this last season when his star, Kevin Costner, disputed the production schedules and made it difficult for filming when he opted not to return. As the old saying goes, “The show must go on.” So, the series would push forward with its final episodes without Costner. While Sheridan was disappointed by the series of events, he would look forward to working with his new name actor, Matthew McConaughey on a spin-off continuation of the modern stories featuring the Dutton family.
Sheridan is seemingly having to put out more fires as ComicBook.com reports that the spin-off is now in danger of losing the popular cast members from Yellowstone who would be crossing over. The yet-to-be-named spin-off has not been able to officially sign on Kelly Reilly, who portrays Beth, Cole Hauser, who is set to continue as Rip, and Luke Grimes, who would be returning as Kayce. According to Puck News, the returning cast is holding out for a larger payday. Particularly Reilly and Hauser, who, besides Costner, are the faces of the series. As Yellowstone developed into a major success for the streamer, the two are reportedly asking for $1.25 million an episode, which would make them some of the highest earners on television.
The negotiations are apparently not going smoothly. The streaming network has set a deadline for them to close a deal on the new show, and if there hasn’t been an agreement made, the Yellowstone spin-off may lose more Dutton family members. However, it is also being reported that the actors are individually negotiating their contracts, which could mean one or two actors could still close a deal and the sequel show may see just a sliver of its popular stars return. While Matthew McConaughey is a big draw on his own, the show would seemingly rely on the immediate Dutton family members for its continuation. However, the studio is also banking on new notable names that would join the returning cast to round out the ensemble. Sheridan and McConaughey have been planning on the collaboration, but McConaughey himself has yet to sign on. Puck News would also report on Michelle Pfeiffer being courted to star in the show and apparently, she’s closer to signing a deal than McConaughey currently is.
The winners for the 51st Saturn Award were unveiled last night, with Avatar: The Way of Water leading the winners with four awards. Barbie, Dial of Destiny and Oppenheimer took three. On the TV front, Star Trek: Picard led with four wins, while Outlander and Wednesday trailed with two apiece. In addition to these, Keanu Reeves received the inaugural Lance Reddick Legacy Award.
Check out the complete list of all Saturn Award winners across film, television and home media — which you know we love — below:
Best Science Fiction Film
Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) The Creator (20th Century Studios) M3GAN (Universal Pictures/Blumhouse) Prey (20th Century Studios/Hulu) Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount/Hasbro)
Best Fantasy Film
Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount Pictures/Hasbro) Haunted Mansion (Walt Disney Studios) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney Studios)
Best Horror Film
Barbarian (20th Century Studios) Evil Dead Rise (Warner Bros. Pictures) Insidious: The Red Door (Screen Gems/Blumhouse) Renfield (Universal Pictures) Scream VI (Paramount Pictures) Smile (Paramount Pictures) Talk to Me (A24)
Best Superhero Film
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Blue Beetle (DC/Warner Bros. Pictures) The Flash (DC/Warner Bros. Pictures) Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios)
Best Action / Adventure Film
Bullet Train (Sony Pictures) The Equalizer 3 (Sony Pictures) Fast X (Universal Pictures) John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate Films) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount Pictures) The Woman King (TriStar Pictures)
Best Thriller Film
Don’t Worry Darling (Warner Bros./New Line Cinema) Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix) The Lesson (Bleecker Street) The Menu (Searchlight Pictures) Knock at the Cabin (Universal Pictures) Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures)
Best Animated Film
Elemental (Pixar/Walt Disney Studios) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (Dreamworks/Universal) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures/Marvel) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures) Suzume (Crunchyroll) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount Pictures)
Best Actor in a Film
Ralph Fiennes, The Menu (Searchlight Pictures) Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Ben Kingsley, Jules (Bleecker Street) Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) Chris Pratt, Guardians of the Galaxy – Vol. 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Keanu Reeves, John Wick: Chapter 4 (Lionsgate Films) Sam Worthington, Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm)
Best Actress in a Film
Viola Davis, The Woman King (TriStar Pictures) Mia Goth, Pearl (A24) Anya Taylor-Joy, The Menu (Searchlight Pictures) Amber Midthunder, Prey (20th Century Studios/Hulu) Margot Robbie, Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) Zoe Saldana, Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm)
Best Supporting Actor in a Film
Nicolas Cage, Renfield (Universal Pictures) Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) Ryan Gosling, Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) Michael Keaton, The Flash (DC/Warner Bros. Pictures) Stephen Lang, Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Mads Mikkelsen, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney)
Best Supporting Actress in a Film
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) Jane Curtain, Jules (Bleecker Street) Melissa McCarthy, The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney Studios) Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Sophie Wilde, Talk to Me (A24)
Best Younger Performer in a Film
Halle Bailey, The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney Studios) Vivien Lyra Blair, The Boogeyman (20th Century Studios) Jack Champion, Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Xolo Maridueña, Blue Beetle (DC/Warner Bros. Pictures) Violet McGraw, M3GAN (Universal Pictures/Blumhouse) Noah Schnapp, The Tutor (Vertical Entertainment)
Best Film Direction
James Cameron, Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Greta Gerwig, Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures) James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy – Vol. 3 (Marvel/Walt Disney Pictures) James Mangold, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Mark Mylod, The Menu (Searchlight Films) Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer (Universal Pictures) Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou, Talk to Me (A24)
Best Film Screenwriting
Avatar: The Way of Water, James Cameron and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Barbie, Noah Baumbach & Greta Gerwig (Warner Bros. Pictures) The Menu, Seth Reiss & Will Tracy (Searchlight Films) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Erik Jendresen & Christopher McQuarrie (Paramount Pictures) Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan (Universal Pictures) Pearl, Ti West & Mia Goth (A24)
Best Film Music (Composer)
Avatar: The Way of Water, Simon Franglen (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Barbie, Mark Ronson & Andrew Wyatt (Warner Bros. Pictures) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, John Williams (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) The Little Mermaid, Alan Menken (Walt Disney Pictures) Renfield, Marco Beltrami (Universal Pictures) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Daniel Pemberton (Sony Pictures/Marvel)
Best Film Make-Up
The Covenant, Donald Mowat (United Artists Releasing) Evil Dead Rise, Luke Polti (Warner Bros. Pictures) Guardians of the Galaxy-Vol. 3, Alexei Dmitriew (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Oppenheimer, Luisa Abel, Jason Hamer (Universal Pictures) Prey, Alec Gillis, Tom Woodruff Jr. (20th Century Studios/Hulu) Renfield, Christien Tinsley (Universal Pictures)
Best Film Editing
Avatar: The Way of Water, Stephen Rivkin, David Brenner, John Refoua, James Cameron (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Fast X, Dylan Highsmith, Kelly Matsumoto, Corbin Mehl, Laura Yanovich (Universal Pictures) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Andrew Buckland, Michael McCusker, Dirk Westervelt (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) John Wick: Chapter 4, Nathan Orloff (Lionsgate Films) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Eddie Hamilton (Paramount Pictures) Oppenheimer, Jennifer Lane (Universal Pictures)
Best Film Production Design
Avatar: The Way of Water, Dylan Cole, Ben Proctor (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Barbie, Sarah Greenwood (Warner Bros. Pictures) Guardians of the Galaxy-Vol. 3, Beth Mickle (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) John Wick: Chapter 4, Kevin Kavanaugh (Lionsgate Films) Oppenheimer, Ruth De Jong (Universal Pictures) Renfield, Alec Hammond (Universal Pictures)
Best Film Costume
Avatar: The Way of Water, Bob Buck, Deborah Scott (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) Barbie, Jacqueline Durran (Warner Bros. Pictures) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ruth E. Carter (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Guardians of the Galaxy-Vol. 3, Judianna Makovsky (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Joanna Johnston (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Oppenheimer, Ellen Mirojnick (Universal Pictures)
Best Film Visual / Special Effects
Avatar: The Way of Water, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett (Walt Disney/Lightstorm) The Creator, Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, Neil Corbould (20th Century Studios) Guardians of the Galaxy-Vol. 3, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, Dan Sudick (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Andrew Whitehurst, Kathy Siegel, Robert Weaver, Alistair Williams (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney) Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, Neil Corbould (Paramount Pictures) Oppenheimer, Andrew Jackson, Giacomo Mineo, Scott Fisher, Dave Drzewiecki (Universal Pictures)
Best Independent Film
Aporia (Well Go USA) Brooklyn 45 (Shudder) Fall (Lionsgate Films) Jules (Bleecker Street) Pearl (A24) The Tutor (Vertical Entertainment)
Best International Film
Madeleine Collins (Greenwich Entertainment) Missing (Dark Star Pictures) The Origin of Evil (IFC Films) Ransomed (Well Go USA) Speak No Evil (Shudder) Sisu (Lionsgate Films)
Best Science Fiction Television Series
Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Foundation (Apple TV+) The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm/Disney+) The Peripheral (Amazon) Silo (Apple TV+) Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS)
Best Fantasy Television Series
Ghosts (CBS) Good Omens (Amazon) House of the Dragon (HBO/Max) The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power (Amazon) Mayfair Witches (AMC) Schmigadoon! (Apple TV+) Wednesday (Netflix)
Best Horror Television Series
American Horror Story (FX/Hulu) Chucky (NBC/Universal/Syfy) Fear the Walking Dead (AMC) From (MGM+) Interview with the Vampire (AMC) The Last of Us (HBO/Max) What We Do in the Shadows (FX/Hulu)
La Brea (NBC/Universal) Manifest (Netflix) Outlander (Starz) Quantum Leap (NBC/Universal) Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Amazon) The Witcher (Netflix) Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Best Television Presentation
Black Mirror (Netflix) Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (Netflix) Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+) Marvel’s Werewolf by Night (Marvel/Disney+) The Midnight Club (Netflix) Mrs. Davis (Peacock) The Munsters (Universal 1440 Entertainment) Werewolf by Night (Disney+)
Best Animated Television Series or Special
Chainsaw Man (Crunchyroll) Gremlins: Secrets of Mogwai (HBO/Max) Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (Netflix) Harley Quinn (HBO/Max) My Adventures with Superman (Cartoon Network/Adult Swim) Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+) Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Lucasfilm/Disney+)
Best New Genre Television Series
Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) The Ark (Electric Entertainment/Syfy) The Last of Us (HBO/Max) Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power (Amazon) Silo (Apple TV+) The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) Wednesday (Netflix)
Best Actor in a Television Series
Tyler Hoechlin, Superman & Lois (Warner Bros. Television) Sam Heughan, Outlander (Starz) Diego Luna, Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Anson Mount, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us (HBO/Max) Harold Perrineau, From (MGM+) Patrick Stewart, Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS)
Best Actress in a Television Series
Caitriona Balfe, Outlander (Starz) Lauren Cohan, The Walking Dead: Dead City (AMC) Emma D’Arcy, House of the Dragon (HBO/Max) Rebecca Ferguson, Silo (Apple TV+) Tatiana Maslany, She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law (Marvel/Disney+) Rose McIver, Ghosts (CBS) Elizabeth Tulloch, Superman & Lois (Warner Bros. Television)
Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series
Jonathan Frakes, Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Harvey Guillen, What We Do in the Shadows (FX/Hulu) Ernie Hudson, Quantum Leap (NBC/Universal) Ethan Peck, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Ed Speleers, Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Matt Smith, House of the Dragon (HBO/Max) Todd Stashwick, Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS)
Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series
Jess Bush, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Celia Rose Gooding Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Genevieve O’Reilly, Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Jeri Ryan, Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Katee Sackhoff, The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Sophie Skelton, Outlander (Starz) Rebecca Wisocky, Ghosts (CBS)
Best Younger Performer in a Television Series
Milly Alcock, House of the Dragon (HBO/Max) Freya Allan, The Witcher (Netflix) Zachary Arthur, Chucky (NBC/Universal/Syfy) Brec Bassinger, Stargirl (Warner Bros. Television) Jenna Ortega, Wednesday (Netfix) Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us (HBO/Max) Igby Rigney, The Midnight Club (Netflix)
Best Guest Star in a Television Series
Gael Garcia Bernal, Marvel’s Werewolf by Night (Marvel/Disney+) Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Nick Offerman, The Last of Us (HBO/Max) Amanda Plummer, Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS) Andy Serkis, Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+) Paul Wesley, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS) Catherine Zeta-Jones, Wednesday (Netflix)
Best Classic Film Home Media Release
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (Warner Archives) Invaders from Mars 4K (Ignite) It Came from Outer Space 4K (Universal Home Entertainment) It, The Terror from Beyond Space 4k (Kino Lorber) The Manchurian Candidate 4K (Kino Lorber) The Night of the Hunter 4K (Kino Lorber) Secret of the Incas (Kino Lorber)
Best Television Home Media Release
Better Call Saul (The Complete Collection) (AMC) Creepshow (Season 3) (Shudder) Doctor Who: The Abominable Snowman (BBC) Interview with the Vampire (Season 1) (AMC) Loki (Season 1) – 4K Steelbook (Disney Home Media) Night Gallery, Season 3 (Kino Lorber) Quantum Leap, Season 1 (Universal Home Entertainment)
Best 4K Home Media Release
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 4K (Criterion) The Exorcist 50th Anniversary Edition 4K (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) Cujo 4K (Kino Lorber) John Wick, Chapter 4 – 4K (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Needful Things 4K (Kino Lorber) To Live and Die in L.A. 4K (Kino Lorber) Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition 4K (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Best Film Home Media Collection
Arsene Lupin Collection (Kino Lorber) Irwin Allen: Master of Disaster Collection (Shout Factory) Mr. Wong Collection (Kino Lorber) Shawscope: Volume Two (Arrow Video) Superman 1978-1987 4K Collection (Warner Home Video) Universal Classic Monsters: Icons of Horror, Volume 2 (Universal Home Entertainment) Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary 25 Film Collection: Vol. 4 (Thrillers, Sci-fi, Horror) (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
The leaders in the film category as far as nominees went were Avatar: The Way of Water with 12, Oppenheimer with 11 and Dial of Destiny with 9. TV was led by Picard with 7, Strange New World with 6 and Andor and The Last of Us with 5 apiece.
What do you think of this year’s Saturn Award winners? Give us your thoughts below!
Last night’s Grammys was a night of predictable winners, surprise appearances and even an arrest.
While Phoebe Bridgers was the big winner with four awards, it was Taylor Swift who took home Album of the Year (Midnights), making her the only artist to win the award four times. This honor was given by Celine Dion, in a shocking appearance considering her 2022 diagnosis of stiff person syndrome, leaving her unable to perform. After a standing ovation, she told the crowd, “Thank you, all! I love you right back…You look beautiful. When I say I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart. Those who have been blessed enough to be here at the Grammy Awards must never take for granted the tremendous love and joy that music brings to our lives and to people all around the world.”
In another shocking moment, rapper Killer Mike — who had won three Grammys earlier in the night — was arrested on battery charges. He has since been released, but maybe the Academy could take some notes here…Another notable winner was Miley Cyrus, who won her first Grammys for “Flowers”.
While we couldn’t possibly name every winner from last night’s Grammys — there are around 100 categories (you can see the full list here) — the main categories were filled with some notable names: Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance went to Cyrus, Song of the Year to Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell for “What Was I Made For?” (from Barbie) , and Pop Duo/GroupPerformance went to SZA’s “Ghost in the Machine”. Partly due to her band boygenius, Bridgers won the most awards, namely Best Rock Performance and Song for their “Not Strong Enough”. Swift also took home Pop Vocal Album. Best New Artist was VictoriaMonét. On a more historic note, Monét’s daughter, who was featured on her “Hollywood”, is now the youngest nominee in Grammy history — she turns three later this month.
Also on the film front outside of Barbie, Oppenheimer won the Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack Album for Visual Media. Ludwig Göransson and “What Was I Made For?” are also up for Oscars in their respective categories.
What did you think of last night’s Grammy winners? Let us know below!
It’s Taylor Swift’s world now, and we’re all just living in it. Just when you thought 2023 was safely in the books as the official year of Taylor Swift, news comes from the star herself that she’s got a new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” coming out on April 19. She announced the release while accepting her 13th Grammy to date, saying, “I know the way the Recording Academy voted is a direct reflection of the fans’ passion. So, I want to say thank you to the fans by telling you a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years, which is that my brand new album comes out April 19. It’s called The Tortured Poets Department. I’m going to go post the cover right now. Thank you. I love you!”
Indeed, 2024 is going to be another big one for Swifties. But what else was 2023 all about? Barbenheimer, of course, and the box office phenomenon did not leave the Grammy’s empty-handed. Barbie won an award for its soundtrack and “best song written for visual media” for Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell’s “What Was I Made For.” Meanwhile, Ludwig Göransson won a score Grammy for Oppenheimer, while John Williams took home his 26th (!) Grammy for his track off the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny soundtrack, “Helena’s Theme.”
All this bodes well for Oppenheimer winning for its score at the Academy Awards, which would mark Göransson’s second Oscar following his win for Black Panther – if he wins (essentially a lock).
Check back in the am for a list of all the Grammy winners.
Those who don’t follow professional wrestling may not appreciate just how tough and grueling it is. It isn’t enough to be on the road 200+ days a year, getting dropped on your head or your back every night, dealing with injuries, losing your spot on the roster, and worse. If you’ve seen films like The Iron Claw,The Wrestler, or the old Beyond the Mat documentary, you know that professional wrestling is grind like no other.
But the other aspect that goes underappreciated is how much wrestling relies on acting. If you have any hope of making it big, it isn’t enough to be able to do a tope suicida or Texas Cloverleaf on the way to a 5-star mat classic. You have to be able to act your role, day in and day out. Often, you have to act live, in front of an audience of thousands, with absolutely no safety not. Not everyone can do it, but those who can have often parlayed that skill into a career in Hollywood. In fact, professional wrestling might be one of the top stepping stones to an acting career right now.
There are so many professional wrestlers in Hollywood, starring in major studio flicks, that you might not even know when you see them. Everybody knows John Cena, Dave Bautista, and The Rock, who are most definitely on this list of the 10 best wrestlers-turned-actors ever. But which one can call themself the undisputed champion? And is there a dark horse contending for the title? Let the Royal Rumble begin!
10. Nathan Jones
Okay, so Nathan Jones might not have had the best wrestling career ever. The Aussie powerlifter had a stint in the WWE, but overall he wrestled for somewhere less than a decade. His big highlight might’ve been teaming up with Brock Lesnar and another wrestler-actor “Big Show” Paul Wight, in the 2003 Survivor Series. But Jones is someone you have definitely seen on the big screen. He’s unmissable in his first major role, cutting defeated in a single stroke by Brad Pitt’s Achilles at the start of 2004’s Troy. He would go on to have roles battling Tony Jaa in 2005 action classic The Protector; he’d battle Stone Cold Steve Austin in 2007’s awesome The Condemened, as well, and Jason Momoa in 2011’s Conan the Barbarian. But you probably recognize Jones best from his role as Rictus Erectus, brother to Immortan Joe, in Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s a role he was so good at, Jones is coming back for the prequel, Furiosa!
9. Hulk Hogan
I tried so so hard to keep Hulk Hogan off this list, but there’s no denying the impact ol’controversial Terry Bollea had as an actor. In the ’80s, when he was stealing the show as “Thunderlips” in Rocky III, delivering a bone-crunching backbreaker that would make Bane jealous, he transcended the sport of professional wrestling. He brought wrestling into the mainstream and out of its self-imposed isolation. The Hulkster would go on to body slam his way through a bunch of awful films, including No Holds Barred (which I recounted lovingly as part of Joblo’s Reel Action), Santa With Muscles, Suburban Commando, and worse…like his atrocious Thunder in Paradise series that makes some of his worst matches look like works of art.
8. Adam Copeland
The Rated R Superstar, Adam “Edge” Copeland, is currently burning up the ring in All Elite Wrestling after a Hall of Fame-worthy WWE career. But during a lot of his time in the ring, Copeland has been very busy as an actor in multiple roles on the big and small screen. A legit talented actor, his big break came when he played Lachlan in 2000’s Highlander: Endgame. The less said the better about his 2002 buddy comedy with Jamie Kennedy, Bending the Rules, or 2021’s air hijacking flick Money Plane. There’s good stuff, I promise, but mostly on the small screen where Copeland was a solid regular on the long-running series Haven, and he killed it as Atom Smasher on The Flash. But Copeland’s best performance by far was as Flatnose on the series Vikings for multiple seasons. He’s due to play Ares in Disney’s Percy Jackson series, too, keeping the good fight alive.
7. Andre the Giant
How great must you be to be considered among the best for your one and only movie role? It speaks to the perfect casting when Andre the Giant played the lovable mercenary Fezzik in The Princess Bride. The Eighth Wonder of the World was truly that, a giant of a man who was soft spoken and warmhearted, traits he brought to that role beautifully. You literally couldn’t imagine anyone else playing it other than Andre, and it’s a shame we never got to see more him as an actor.
6. Kevin Nash
Big Daddy Cool Kevin Nash kinda sneaks up on you…not like he ever could really do that with his 6 foot 10 frame. But his filmography takes you by surprise. The New World Order leader (alongside fellow listmate Hulk Hogan) has an impressive list of credits, including one you might not even know. That was Nash behind the Super-Shredder mask in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, hiding that pretty bearded face! Nash’s big break was in 2004 when he played a Russian giant battering Thomas Jane in The Punisher. Always a gifted funnyman on the mic, it gave Nash the chance to show his physical and comedic chops, skills he would display later in all three Magic Mike films, as well as the first John Wick (he was the rare baddie who lived through it!), and as wrestler Bass Reeves in the DOA video game adaptation.
5. Roddy Piper
This list is probably going to cause some folks to want to hurl me through a glass window, but I don’t care. The next two on this list could probably be swapped, but I’m going with Rowdy Roddy Piper at number five! Piper is one of the all-time great wrestling talkers. You can see that gift put to its best use in his iconic role as John Nada in John Carpenter’s They Live. Who else could make a line like ““I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubblegum” work other than the Hot Rod?
4. Jesse Ventura
“I ain’t got time to bleed.” “Sonuva bitch is dug in deeper than an Alabama tick.”
Yeah, that’s right, #4 is Jesse “The Body” Ventura. The ex-Minnesota governor, author, and former WWE Hall of Famer hasn’t acted in ages, but his filmography speaks for itself. He channeled a friendship with fellow bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger into memorable roles in Predator as the gatling gun-wielding Blaine Cooper and as Captain Freedom in The Running Man. And while some would rather I not mention his lead role in 1991’s Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe, I won’t do that because that movie’s a super duper guilty pleasure. With roles in Ricochet, Repossessed, and the classic Demolition Man, Ventura is more than worthy of being so high on the list.
3. John Cena
John Cena has come such a long way from where he started. From his first major role in WWE’s The Marine, to his first dramatic role in Legendary, to leading global blockbusters and the hit Peacemaker series, Cena has put his “hustle, loyalty, respect” credo to the test. His charisma and likeability were undeniable, but he had to work at being a better actor. So that’s what he did. So what if he still only has his “Five Moves of Doom” after two decades of wrestling? Cena had a whopping six movies in 2023 alone, including Barbie, Fast X,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Hidden Strike alongside Jackie Chan!
2. Dave Bautista
Undeniably the best dramatic actor who ever performed a spinebuster and played a muscle-bound deacon (if you can find Deacon Bautista footage, here it would go), Dave Bautista had the fastest rise to Hollywood prominence that I’ve ever seen. With roles in The Scorpion King 3 (somehow he never battled The Rock!), The Man with the Iron Fists, and Riddick, it was his role as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy films that made Bautista a star. But it’s his dramatic work in Blade Runner 2049, Hotel Artemis, and more that cemented him as a legit actor, while hit films such as Dune and Glass Onion prove that Bautista can pretty much do anything he sets his mind to.
1. Dwayne Johnson
The Rock’s acting career mirrors that of his WWE run. In both cases, what started out as pretty cringy and unwatchable blossomed into greatness. Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest stars in the world, with multiple hit films to his credit such as Fast Five, San Andreas, Rampage, Jungle Cruise, and Black Ad...well, maybe not that last one. His voice alone is enough to put butts in seats, as it did with Disney’s Moana. Johnson’s carefully crafted persona has rubbed some people the wrong way, but he’s so charming, funny, and commanding that we’ll pay to see him in pretty much anything. And if he goes through with a teased run for President, whose to say he won’t put the smackdown on the White House, too?
When The Office went off the air more than 10 years ago, we had to assume the doors of Dunder Mifflin were closed to fans for good. But, with nostalgia getting a promotion and reboots now in a premium parking spot, it wouldn’t be entirely off base to expect the series to come back in some form. And so how about a movie?
Talk of a reboot of The Office sprouted again last month, but one former (perhaps surprising) The Office contributor has an idea for getting the original cast back together. Appearing on the Office Ladies podcast, actor Bryan Cranston – who directed the season nine episode “Work Bus” – showed curiosity on the subject, saying, “Let’s say that there’s not a reboot series, but what if there was a movie? Something to where we can see where these people are. These people in the entire cast that we’re curious about. We wondered at the end, where did they go? What did become of them?”
Cranston’s pitch is a little vague, but both Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey – who played Pam Beesly/Halpbert and Angela Martin, respectively – would be on board. Kinsey said, “I would do it…I would do it for my kids, because I think they would think that’s fun.” Fischer, too, would agree to sign on if series creator Greg Daniels was spearheading the project. “I mean, if [showrunner] Greg [Daniels] did it, because I would trust it. You know? As long as Greg is writing it and he’s in charge of it, then I say yes.”
Daniels was reportedly meeting with a team of writers in January to figure out how to expand the universe of The Office. This would entail bringing in a fresh cast, with potentially a few familiar faces making cameos (Fischer and Kinsey both said they would at least like to pop in). While this may not be the most ideal avenue for fans, it just might be time to move on from the beloved characters. For his part, Steve Carell (the Dundie Award-winning Michael Scott) is well aware that his character may not fly in today’s climate…
Is it possible to pull off a movie version of The Office? Would there be enough interest? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
Margot Robbie’s run on the awards circuit won’t extend nearly as far as many think she’s deserving of, as the actress was snubbed (if that’s even a thing) by the Academy Awards. When the nominations were announced, there was immediate uproar and disbelief over both Robbie and director Greta Gerwig missing out in their respective categories for Barbie. Some thought Robbie didn’t make the cut because of Barbie’s genre, while others truly felt the star didn’t give as high-caliber of a performance as the eventual nominees. Some, however, may not have been able to see just how complex the performance was. Now, Robert Downey Jr. – who is on his way to his first Oscar for fellow summer blockbuster Oppenheimer – is defending Robbie, saying she isn’t getting nearly enough credit for her work.
Speaking at a SAG-AFTRA Foundation event (via Indiewire), RDJ noted, “It never fails to impress and remind me how little you need to do to be effective…Just the simplest version of expression, that’s what the camera wants. The closer the camera gets, the more it wants it. Time and time again, it’s demonstrated that it’s super effective…Margot Robbie is not getting enough credit, in my opinion…America [Ferrera] has this amazing speech. And by the way, she nails it! I’m watching it and go, ‘Wow, that was a really tough one. That’s like a one-act play. The whole movie hinges on it.’ But it’s the cuts away to Robbie so actively listening that I realize Greta [Gerwig] is really on to something here. But it’s Robbie who had to trust, and it’s hard when someone who has the fucking two-page passage, and they go, ‘OK, now let’s jump in and get Bob,’ and you’re like, ‘I’ve been listening to this all day and now I have to make it work!’”
While Margot Robbie will have to root on fellow Barbie stars Ferrera and Ryan Gosling (both nominated in the supporting categories), she does have a nod for producing the Best Picture nominee. Outside of an Oscar nomination, Robbie has been recognized consistently throughout awards season, earning nods from the Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA, with the Golden Globes of course putting her in the Musical or Comedy category. Which brings up another point: the Academy is far from keen on comedy, as it hardly gets recognized and when it does it’s normally in the supporting categories, as if the Academy is saying in code that comedy will never be the prestige attraction of drama (or, the lead categories).
There is definitely a case that Margot Robbie was deserving of a Best Actress nomination for Barbie, worthy of bumping a name from the list of five. She – with help from Gerwig, as RDJ suggests – brings some poppy laughs early on but shows that there is a lining of tragedy in both the character and our society as she views it, making Barbie far more intricate than the plastic doll we all expected when the project was first announced.
Do you agree that Margot Robbie hasn’t gotten enough credit for Barbie? Was she snubbed? Share your thoughts below!
The Boys actress Erin Moriarty has returned to social media following disparaging remarks made by commentator and podcaster Megyn Kelly over alleged plastic surgery.
Despite the damage Kelly’s comments did, Erin Moriarty posted on Instagram to show camaraderie with and lend support to her followers who have also been victims of harassment. “Dropping in to say 1) I love you all 2) v grateful to be holding my little dude [her dog] again and 3) to [those] that came forward to talk to me, were vulnerable enough to share: you are f***ing amazing…Stories that should be heard FAR more than mine…I do believe we have a long way to go. In the meantime: talk to me. I wanna hear. Safe zones, empathy and/or sympathy, and catharsis: a medicinal combo. Trust me.”
The issue stems from an attack from former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, who cited Erin Moriarty as an example of women who rely too much on plastic surgery, adding that there was a trend of women transforming themselves into a “fake version”. On the image Kelly used in her case, Moriarity responded, “[I] got my make up done that day and it involves major contouring and I remember leaving and feeling pretty.” She added that the claims were “disgustingly false”, furthering saying that the “before” photo Kelly used was from actually from close to a decade before, misleading viewers.
Kelly herself was the victim of online harassment due to her outfit at the 2016 Republican National Convention, being labeled an “escort” and a “whore” on social media; this shaming itself was extremely wrong, so it’s disheartening to see one woman who was victim of verbal abuse dish it out to another. Unfortunately, Erin Moriarity has been no stranger to harassment, addressing trolling from The Boys fans that made her feel “silenced”, “dehumanized” and “paralyzed.”
Megyn Kelly’s allegations of sexual abuse against Fox News CEO were depicted in the 2019 film Bombshell. Charlize Theron, who played Kelly, earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
What do you make of Erin Moriarty’s recent social media post? What do you expect the outcome to be? Give us your thoughts on the issue in the comments section below.
When Prue Halliwell was killed off in the third season of Charmed, there was only one name to blame as far as fans were concerned. No, it wasn’t Shax but rather Alyssa Milano, whose reported behind-the-scenes feud with Shannon Doherty led to her onscreen sister dying in the season finale, “All Hell Breaks Loose.” Now, Milano is speaking out against the claim, saying she didn’t even have the pull to have someone removed from the show.
In an Instagram post, Alyssa Milano wrote of the allegations against her over the Charmed drama, “This was so long ago that any retelling of these stories from anyone is just revisionist history. I will add, though, with absolute certainty-everything was documented. There was a professional mediator (I was told Holly [Marie Combs] and Shannen would not participate in any mediation) and an on-set producer/babysitter who were both brought in to investigate all claims. It was then recommended by this mediator, after collecting testimony from cast AND crew-what changes should be made if the show was going to continue. The studio, Aaron Spelling, and network made the decision to protect the international hit that was Charmed. I did not have the power to get anyone fired. Once Shannen left we had 5 more successful seasons and I am forever grateful.”
The post came off of Alyssa Milano having been asked about the situation by a fan at MegaCon. It was there that the actress — who played Phoebe Halliwell — circumnavigated the question a bit, never really saying it was untrue that she got Doherty fired but also saying the entire situation has been unfortunate for both the cast and fans. “I will just say that I’m sad. And I don’t think it’s really that I’m sad for me or for my life or how it does or does not affect my life. I’m the most sad for the fans. I’m the most sad that a show that has meant so much to so many people has been tarnished by a toxicity that is still to this day, almost a quarter of a century later, still happening.”
Alyssa Milano also added that she wished people could move on, as it only conjures up bad memories from making Charmed. Still, she does hope for a reunion, saying, “Do I wish that we could all sit on a stage? Yeah, because again, this was like almost a quarter of a century ago. How is it possible to continue to hold on to that? And I’ve, you know, I think been very upfront and taken accountability for and apologized for, whatever part I played in the situation. And I’ve been very forthcoming about that. And so I don’t know how else to fix it. I even don’t know if I could put myself out there any more than I already have to try to fix it. But yeah, it’s heartbreaking.”
The last quote does stand in a bit of contrast to Alyssa Milano’s follow-up on social media, as she says she has taken responsibility, even though she would later deny any wrongdoing. Regardless, it is unfortunate to the legacy of Charmed — which ran eight seasons — that such a dark cloud hovers over its reputation.
However Alyssa Milano’s comments are interpreted and received by Charmed fans, it does seem unlikely that the leads will ever join up again. Instead, we got a reboot that, yes, led to a feud between the writers of both versions. Perhaps Cursed might have been a better title…
Were you a fan of Charmed? Do you see the feuds ever coming to an end?
It can’t be denied that as far as martial arts movies go, the best ones come from Asia, particularly Hong Kong during their action heyday, which was arguably the 70s, 80s and first half of the ’90s. That said, martial arts movies were also making a foothold in the States at the time, thanks mainly to Bruce Lee-mania following the release of Enter the Dragon. Before that movie, very few actors in Hollywood seemed like they were credible martial artists, except maybe James Coburn, a student of Lee’s, who pulled off some pretty good-looking moves in the otherwise silly Our Man Flint movies. Steve McQueen also had training but didn’t use martial arts on screen.
Up to then, though, the most notable uses of martial arts in movies usually revolved around Judo, with James Cagney showing off some good moves in the film Blood on the Sun, while Spencer Tracy – who was HEAVILY doubled, demolished Ernest Borgnine in the classic thriller Bad Day At Black Rock with only one arm.
But, in the seventies, fight sequences started to get better, with the Asian influence especially notable in Blaxploitation movies because many of the stars, including Fred Williamson and Jim Kelly, had legit training. When Chuck Norris came along towards the end of the decade, you also started to see mainstream stars dip their toes into martial arts. Still, sometimes the results weren’t pretty, such as when Richard Burton uses drunk-fu to beat up a racist in the abysmal melodrama The Klansman (check out my choice for the worst fight scene ever right here).
In the eighties, fights in American movies started to get good. However, the way they were shot often didn’t quite match up to what was happening in Hong Kong, with a great example being the climactic fight between Mel Gibson and Gary Busey in Lethal Weapon. Both actors had been extensively trained in a variation called Jailhouse Rock, which was popular in prisons, but there was too much rain and close cutting to showcase the movies.
That said, there were some great American martial arts movies then – and loads of great ones are being made now, so here’s our list of the best American martial arts movies ever made. Note that movies like The Matrix or John Wick, which married martial arts with gunplay, didn’t make the list, with this dedicated more to straight-up martial arts mayhem.
Honorable Mention: The Undisputed sequels:
So, if you know action, our mentioning these sequels probably established us as somewhat legit, as director Isaac Florentine and his leading men, Michael Jai White and Scott Adkins, brought something new and fresh to the DTV world. The first two sequels, Undisputed 2 and 3, are arguably more famous than the now obscure Walter Hill movie they’re sequels to.
10. Kill Bill:
Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill pushed the envelope for martial arts mayhem, but then again, being a student of film, should you expect anything else? Tarantino had Yuen Woo Ping as a choreographer plus, The Street Fighter himself, Sonny Chiba, along with the very proficient David Carradine (who only really shows off his moves in a deleted sequence opposite Michael Jai White), and Uma Thurman. For my money, the best fight sequence in the film is the first one, where Thurman goes at it with Viveca A Fox, but the House of Blue Leaves sequence is also a classic.
9. Big Trouble in Little China:
At the time, this movie was a box office flop, but years later, people finally caught on and started digging the fact that John Carpenter was making a beautiful Hong-style action fantasy movie in the vein of Mr. Vampire and Zu Warriors. The martial arts in this beats anything happening in American action movies at the time, even if much of it is wire-fu in the classic WuXia fashion.
You can’t do a best American Martial Arts movie list and not include Steven Seagal. Granted, he never really made a pure martial arts movie in his heyday, but the ultra-violent aikido style he broke out in Above the Law and those first few movies were highly influential on American action movies of the area. At his best, Seagal was excellent, but it could be argued that the lean and mean Seagal was only ever present in those first five movies, with everything after Under Siege going downhill. Too bad.
7. Revenge of the Ninja:
Cannon Pictures did more to bring Ninja’s into the mainstream than any other movie studio. While their first Ninja movie, Enter the Ninja, is a joke, the sequel, Revenge of the Ninja, which elevated the first movie’s bad guy actor, Sho Kosugi, to a hero, is a slick movie and the best of their loose Ninja Trilogy. The director, Sam Firstenberg, also did a great job with the first two American Ninja movies, thanks to the untrained Michael Dudikoff being a gifted mimic and athlete, who, likely, could have been a JCVD-level star had Cannon put more money into his movies.
6. Best of the Best:
While the notion of casting James Earl Jones as the coach of a national martial arts team is almost as silly as the fact that the out of shape Chris Penn plays one of their best fighters, Best of the Best is still one of the most legit martial arts films of the era. It mixes the sports genre with martial arts. It gets the attitude of competition better than a lot of other films of this ilk, with it emphasizing sportsmanship and the surprising bond you establish with your opponent, no matter who wins. Philip Rhee is a terrific lead in this, thanks to the fact that his skills are legit. Still, Eric Roberts, despite no training, also acquits himself very well, thanks to the fact that he took the choreography very seriously and got himself into peak physical shape.
5. The Last Dragon:
Martial Arts movies had a significant cult status in the inner city, and The Last Dragon is Motown’s tribute to the genre, with a young black marital artist named Taimak, our likeable lead, Leroy Green, aka Bruce Leroy. The music is excellent, as are the fights, with the movie stolen by Julius Carry as Sho’nuff, the shogun of Harlem. Carry wasn’t trained, but he proved to be a good mimic, and attitude is everything sometimes.
4. Kickboxer:
While often overshadowed by Bloodsport, Kickboxer helped bring Muay Thai into the mainstream, and the movie features Van Damme at his best, with terrific training sequences, an incredible final battle between JCVD and Michel Quissi’s Tong Po, and Van Damme shaking his ass in a bar fight. Also, who could forget the opponents wrapping their hands in bandages and dipping them in broken glass, which was sent up brilliantly in Hot Shots Part Deux
3. Bloodsport:
More JCVD, with this the movie that made him a star. We’ve talked about this a lot on JoBlo, but it introduced the term kumite into the mainstream and also showcases a wide variety of different styles of martial arts. This is a movie made by people who genuinely know the genre
2. The Karate Kid:
While I maintain that the fights in these movies were never great, with Ralph Macchio’s fight skills leaving a lot to be desired (he’s better as a martial artist on Cobra Kai – which has AMAZING fights), this movie did more for martial arts as a practice than any other movie on this list. It led to an explosion in Karate schools across North America, and, thanks to the gentle discipline and philosophy of Mr. Miyagi, proved that karate, and martial arts in general, is an art form that can help a lot of people discover an inner strength they never knew they had.
Bruce Lee’s only American movie, it came out posthumously and was such a cultural phenomenon that it led to a kung-fu craze that was so big, within a year, you had Roger Moore’s James Bond kung-fu fighting his way through The Man with the Golden Gun. Lee’s so damn good in this, but John Saxon also acquits himself well in the fight scenes; Jim Kelly, in some ways, is almost as iconic as Bruce is with his massive afro.
So that’s our list – special thanks to EJ Tangonan, who edited this video, for helping brainstorm this list.
