Released in 2009, director James Cameron’s film Avatar became the first movie to officially gross more than $2 billion. Then it took him thirteen years to get a sequel into theatres, so it wasn’t clear if the follow-up was going to be able to replicate that success. But then, sure enough, Avatar: The Way of Water also grossed more than $2 billion, paving the way for not only Avatar 3, or Avatar: Fire and Ash, (which is scheduled to reach theatres on December 19, 2025) but also Avatar 4 and Avatar 5 – which will be released on December 21, 2029 and December 19, 2031, respectively. A couple of months, Avatar: Fire and Ash unveiled some pieces of concept art, and now Empire has shared a couple more pieces of concept art, which can be seen below.
First, we have a look at the Ash Clan. Cameron told Empire, “Varang (played by Oona Chaplin) is the leader of a people who have gone through an incredible hardship. She’s hardened by that. She will do anything for them, even things that we would consider to be evil. One thing we wanted to do in this film is not be black-and-white simplistic. We’re trying to evolve beyond the ‘all humans are bad, all Na’vi are good’ paradigm.” Cameron also praised Chaplin’s performance, saying she made her adversarial character “feel so real and alive.“
Then there’s the Wind Traders, who use giant creatures to fly. Cameron said, “They’re nomadic traders, equivalent to the camel caravans of the Spice Road back in the Middle Ages. And you know, they’re just fun. Like all Na’vi, they live in a symbiosis with their creatures. If you’ve got any nautical blood in your veins, you’ll want to be on [their] ship.“
In addition to Oona Chaplin, the cast of Avatar: Fire and Ash includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Brendan Cowell, Jemaine Clement, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald, and David Thewlis.
Cameron has let it be known that he also has ideas for a potential Avatar 6 and 7, but they’ll only be made if there’s still a demand for the franchise. “They’ll be just far enough apart that they remain events, hopefully, in the lives of fans, of people who want to follow us, but not so far apart that it’s like there’s a generational difference between one movie. We’re fortunate we survived that, right? We got over that hurdle. So now we believe it’s going to come at the right pacing.“
There’s a lot more Avatar: Fire and Ash news to come, especially since Empire will be releasing new reports on the film every month through December, and we’ll keep you updated here on JoBlo.
What did you think of the Avatar: Fire and Ash concept art? Are you looking forward to this movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
This … is … the emergency room! Movie sets may take extra precautions to ensure there are no serious injuries, but we all know that accidents happen. And when you have an action-heavy movie like 300, things are bound to take a cliff dive.
Gerard Butler broke out in a huge way with Zack Snyder’s 300 nearly two decades ago (seems crazy it was back in 2006, doesn’t it?), stepping in as one of the go-to action stars. But it didn’t come without some missteps, as Butler suffered a pulled tendon in his arm, a pulled hip flexer and nerve damage in his leg. Thankfully for him, the bulk of the injuries happened to others. “I remember every day somebody was getting taken to the hospital. You’d be doing a fight, you turn around, there’s a guy down there, a spear went in his eye. Another time, you turn around, there’s a guy over there who just fell, broke his ankle. I mean, it was insane.”
While it feels incredibly dated now, 300 felt so revolutionary at the time, especially when it came to the special effects and showing the potential for comic book movies. His sophomore effort also put Zack Snyder on the map (I still think his debut, a remake of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, is his best), although it can be argued whether or not he lived up to the hype that surrounded and followed 300.
And even though he is far removed from King Leonidas, Gerard Butler is still seeing injuries that, while he may not always get them on the set, do carry into when cameras start rolling. As he recently revealed about shooting Den of Thieves 2, “I was not in the best shape, and it was a pretty physical movie, and I didn’t have a chance to get the surgery on my ACL, so I made this movie with a freshly torn ACL, and it was pretty rough.” Say what you want about his career but Butler is undoubtedly a trooper.
Do you think 300 holds up nearly 20 years after its release?
This … is … the emergency room! Movie sets may take extra precautions to ensure there are no serious injuries, but we all know that accidents happen. And when you have an action-heavy movie like 300, things are bound to take a cliff dive.
Gerard Butler broke out in a huge way with Zack Snyder’s 300 nearly two decades ago (seems crazy it was back in 2006, doesn’t it?), stepping in as one of the go-to action stars. But it didn’t come without some missteps, as Butler suffered a pulled tendon in his arm, a pulled hip flexer and nerve damage in his leg. Thankfully for him, the bulk of the injuries happened to others. “I remember every day somebody was getting taken to the hospital. You’d be doing a fight, you turn around, there’s a guy down there, a spear went in his eye. Another time, you turn around, there’s a guy over there who just fell, broke his ankle. I mean, it was insane.”
While it feels incredibly dated now, 300 felt so revolutionary at the time, especially when it came to the special effects and showing the potential for comic book movies. His sophomore effort also put Zack Snyder on the map (I still think his debut, a remake of George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, is his best), although it can be argued whether or not he lived up to the hype that surrounded and followed 300.
And even though he is far removed from King Leonidas, Gerard Butler is still seeing injuries that, while he may not always get them on the set, do carry into when cameras start rolling. As he recently revealed about shooting Den of Thieves 2, “I was not in the best shape, and it was a pretty physical movie, and I didn’t have a chance to get the surgery on my ACL, so I made this movie with a freshly torn ACL, and it was pretty rough.” Say what you want about his career but Butler is undoubtedly a trooper.
Do you think 300 holds up nearly 20 years after its release?
While Hollywood continues to reel from the devastating L.A. wildfires, the WGA is honoring some of the film industry’s best and brightest by announcing the 77th annual Writers Guild Awards nominees. The yearly celebration of excellence in film, TV, new media, news, radio, and promotional writing is always a highlight of the year, as the event brings attention to many hard-working individuals across a broad spectrum of entertainment.
Anora, A Real Pain, Challengers, Civil War, and My Old Ass are among the films nominated for the Original Screenplay category, while shows like The Boys, The Diplomat, Fallout, Mr. & Mr.s Smith, and Shōgun compete for Drama Series excellence.
The WGA plans to announce the winners on February 15 in New York at the Edison Ballroom and in Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton.
Here are the nominees for the 77th annual Writers Guild Awards:
Screenplay
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
A Real Pain, Written by Jesse Eisenberg; Searchlight Pictures
Anora, Written by Sean Baker; Neon
Challengers, Written by Justin Kuritzkes; Amazon MGM Studios
Civil War, Written by Alex Garland; A24
My Old Ass, Written by Megan Park; Amazon MGM Studios
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
A Complete Unknown, Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks, Based on the Book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald; Searchlight Pictures
Dune: Part 2, Screenplay by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, Based on the Novel Dune by Frank Herbert; Warner Bros. Pictures
Hit Man, Screenplay by Richard Linklater & Glen Powell, Based on the Texas Monthly Article by Skip Hollandsworth; Netflix
Nickel Boys, Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes, Based on the Book The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead; Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios
Wicked, Screenplay by Winnie Holzman and Winnie Holzman & Dana Fox, Based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, From the Novel by Gregory Maguire; Universal Pictures
DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY
Jim Henson: Idea Man, Written by Mark Monroe; Imagine Documentaries
Kiss the Future, Screenplay by Bill S. Carter, Story by Bill S. Carter and Nenad Cicin-Sain; Fifth Season
Martha, Written by R.J. Cutler; Netflix
War Game, Written by Tony Gerber & Jesse Moss; Submarine Deluxe
Television, Streaming and News
DRAMA SERIES
The Boys, Written by Geoff Aull, Jessica Chou, Paul Grellong, Eric Kripke, Ellie Monahan, Judalina Neira, David Reed, Anslem Richardson; Prime Video
The Diplomat, Written by Peter Ackerman, Eli Attie, Debora Cahn, Anna Hagen, Julianna Dudley Meagher, Peter Noah; Netflix
Fallout, Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video
Shōgun, Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu
COMEDY SERIES
Abbott Elementary, Written by Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, Riley Dufurrena, Justin Halpern, Joya McCrory, Chad Morton, Morgan Murphy, Brittani Nichols, Rebekka Pesqueira, Kate Peterman, Brian Rubenstein, Patrick Schumacker, Justin Tan, Jordan Temple, Garrett Werner; ABC
The Bear, Written by Karen Joseph Adcock, Joanna Calo, Rene Gube, Will Guidara, Matty Matheson, Alex Russell, Catherine Schetina, Christopher Storer, Courtney Storer; FX/Hulu
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Written by Larry David, Jon Hayman, Justin Hurwitz, Carol Leifer, Stephen Leff, Jeff Schaffer, Nathaniel Stein; HBO | Max
Hacks, Written by Genevieve Aniello, Lucia Aniello, Guy Branum, Jessica Chaffin, Paul W. Downs, Jess Dweck, Ariel Karlin, Andrew Law, Carol Leifer, Carolyn Lipka, Joe Mande, Aisha Muharrar, Pat Regan, Samantha Riley, Jen Statsky; HBO | Max
What We Do in the Shadows, Written by Jake Bender, Max Brockman, Zach Dunn, Shana Gohd, Amelia Haller, Sam Johnson, Jeremy Levick, Chris Marcil, William Meny, Sarah Naftalis, Marika Sawyer, Paul Simms, Rajat Suresh, Lauren Wells; FX/Hulu
NEW SERIES
English Teacher, Written by Brian Jordan Alvarez, Wally Baram, Jake Bender, Emmy Blotnick, Zach Dunn, Dave King, Stephanie Koenig, Jonathan Krisel, Paul Simms, Samantha Shier; FX/Hulu
Fallout, Written by Jake Bender, Karey Dornetto, Zach Dunn, Kieran Fitzgerald, Chaz Hawkins, Lisa Joy, Carson Mell, Jonathan Nolan, Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Gursimran Sandhu, Graham Wagner; Prime Video
Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Written by Carla Ching, Adamma Ebo, Adanne Ebo, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Schuyler Pappas, Francesca Sloane, Yvonne Hana Yi; Prime Video
Nobody Wants This, Written by Barbie Adler, Jane Becker, Jack Burditt, Vali Chandrasekaran, Craig DiGregorio, Erin Foster, Lindsay Golder, Steven Levitan, Pat Regan, Niki Schwartz-Wright, Neel Shah, Noelle Valdivia, Ron Weiner, Ryann Werner; Netflix
Shōgun, Written by Shannon Goss, Maegan Houang, Rachel Kondo, Matt Lambert, Justin Marks, Caillin Puente, Nigel Williams, Emily Yoshida; FX/Hulu
LIMITED SERIES
The Penguin, Written by Vladimir Cvetko, Breannah Gibson, Erika L. Johnson, Lauren LeFranc, Corina Maritescu, Megan Martin, John McCutcheon, Shaye Ogbonna, Nick Towne, Noelle Valdivia, Kira Snyder; HBO | Max
Presumed Innocent, Written by Miki Johnson, David E. Kelley, Sharr White; Apple TV+
Ripley, Written by Steven Zaillian; Netflix
Say Nothing, Written by Clare Barron, Joe Murtagh, Kirsten Sheridan, Joshua Zetumer; FX/Hulu
True Detective: Night Country, Written by Katrina Albright, Alan Page Arriaga, Namsi Khan, Issa López, Chris Mundy, Wenonah Wilms; HBO | Max
TV & STREAMING MOTION PICTURES
The Great Lillian Hall, Written by Elisabeth Seldes Annacone; HBO | Max
Prom Dates, Written by D.J. Mausner; Hulu
Rebel Ridge, Written by Jeremy Saulnier; Netflix
Terry McMillan Presents Forever, Written by Bart Baker; Lifetime
ANIMATION
“Bottle Episode” (The Simpsons), Written by Rob LaZebnik & Johnny LaZebnik; Fox
“Cremains of the Day” (The Simpsons), Written by John Frink; Fox
“Night of the Living Wage” (The Simpsons), Written by Cesar Mazariegos; Fox
“Saving Favorite Drive-In” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Katie Crown; Fox
“The Tina Table: The Tables Have Tina-ed” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Greg Thompson; Fox
“Winter Is Born” (Blood of Zeus), Written by Charles Parlapanides & Vlas Parlapanides; Netflix
EPISODIC DRAMA
“Anjin” (Shōgun), Written for Television by Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks; FX/Hulu
“The Beginning” (Fallout), Written by Gursimran Sandhu; Prime Video
“Fear of the End” (Evil), Written by Rockne S. O’Bannon & Nialla LeBouef; Paramount+
“First Date” (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), Written by Francesca Sloane & Donald Glover; Prime Video
“Olivia” (Sugar), Written by Mark Protosevich; Apple TV+
“Pilot” (Elsbeth), Written by Robert King & Michelle King; CBS
EPISODIC COMEDY
“AGG” (Somebody Somewhere), Written by Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen and Bridget Everett; HBO | Max
“Bulletproof” (Hacks), Written by Lucia Aniello & Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky; HBO | Max
“Linda” (English Teacher), Written by Jake Bender & Zach Dunn; FX/Hulu
“Napkins” (The Bear), Written by Catherine Schetina; FX/Hulu
“Once Upon a Time in the West” (Only Murders in the Building), Written by John Hoffman & Joshua Allen Griffith; Hulu
“Petiole” (The Sticky), Written by Brian Donovan & Ed Herro; Prime Video
COMEDY/VARIETY SERIES – TALK OR SKETCH
The Daily Show, Head Writer Dan Amira Senior Writers Lauren Sarver Means, Daniel Radosh Writers David Angelo, Nicole Conlan, Devin Delliquanti, Zach DiLanzo, Jennifer Flanz, Jason Gilbert, Dina Hashem, Scott Hercman, Josh Johnson, David Kibuuka, Matt Koff, Joe Opio, Randall Otis, Zhubin Parang, Kat Radley, Lanee’ Sanders, Scott Sherman, Jon Stewart, Ashton Womack, Sophie Zucker; Comedy Central
John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A., Writers Anna Drezen, David Ferguson, Fran Gillespie, Langston Kerman, Jeremy Levick, John Mulaney, Alex Scordelis, Rajat Suresh; Netflix
The Kelly Clarkson Show, Head Writer Jordan Watland Writers Kevin Hurley, Nik Robinson; Syndicated
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Senior Writers Daniel O’Brien, Owen Parsons, Charlie Redd, Joanna Rothkopf, Seena Vali Writers Johnathan Appel, Ali Barthwell, Tim Carvell, Liz Hynes, Ryan Ken, Mark Kramer, Sofia Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips, Chrissy Shackelford; HBO | Max
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Head Writers Ariel Dumas, Jay Katsir Writers Delmonte Bent, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Paul Dinello, Glenn Eichler, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Michael Cruz Kayne, Eliana Kwartler, Matt Lappin, Caroline Lazar, Pratima Mani, Felipe Torres Medina, Opus Moreschi, Carley Moseley, Asher Perlman, Michael Pielocik, Tom Purcell, Kate Sidley, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux, Steve Waltien; CBS
Saturday Night Live, Head Writers Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell, Kent Sublette Writers Rosebud Baker, Dan Bulla, Megan Callahan-Shah, Steven Castillo, Michael Che, Mike DiCenzo, Alex English, Jimmy Fowlie, Martin Herlihy, John Higgins, Steve Higgins, Vannessa Jackson, Colin Jost, Erik Kenward, Ben Marshall, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Jake Nordwind, Ceara O’Sullivan, Josh Patten, Gary Richardson, Pete Schultz, KC Shornima, Asha Ward, Auguste White, Celeste Yim; NBC
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS
The 77th Annual Tony Awards, Written by Dave Boone; CBS
A Closer Look with Seth Meyers: Primetime Live Election Special, Head Writer Alex Baze Writing Supervised by Mike Scollins Closer Look Writing Supervised by Sal Gentile Written by Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Sal Gentile, Matt Goldich, Allison Hord, Mike Scollins, Seth Meyers, Mike Shoemaker; NBC
Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die, Written by Nikki Glaser; HBO | Max
Ramy Youssef: More Feelings, Written by Ramy Youssef; HBO | Max
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Jeopardy!, Writers Marcus Brown, Michael Davies, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC
Pop Culture Jeopardy!, Writers Marcus Brown, Buzzy Cohen, Michael Davies, Chip Dornell, John Duarte, Mark Gaberman, Debbie Griffin, Michele Loud, Traci Mack, Amy Ozols, Louis Virtel, Billy Wisse; Amazon Prime
DAYTIME DRAMA
Days of Our Lives, Head Writer Ron Carlivati Writers Sonja Alarr, Kirk Doering, Christopher Dunn, Jamey Giddens, David Kreizman, Henry Newman, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine D. Schock; Peacock
General Hospital, Head Writers Elizabeth Korte, Chris Van Etten Writers Nigel Campbell, Ashley Cook, Emily Culliton, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Catherine LePard, Patrick Mulcahey, Dan O’Connor, Shannon Peace, Stacey Pulwer, Anne Schoettle, Scott Sickles, Micah Steinberg; ABC
The Young and the Restless, Head Writer Amanda L. Beall Writers Susan Banks, Jeff Beldner, Marin Gazzaniga, Lindsay Harrison, Marla Kanelos, Rebecca McCarty, Madeleine Phillips, Dave Ryan; CBS/Paramount +
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC, LONG FORM AND SPECIALS
“A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers” (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), Written by Rick Riordan & Jonathan E. Steinberg; Disney+
“I’m Pogey” (Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock), Written by Charley Feldman; Apple TV+
Out of My Mind, Written by Daniel Stiepleman; Disney+
“The Sign Language ABCs” (Sesame Street), Written by Jessica Carleton; HBO | Max
“Welcome to Spiderwick” (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Written by Aron Eli Coleite; Roku Channel
SHORT FORM STREAMING
Die Hart 3: Hart to Kill, Written by Tripper Clancy; Roku Channel
Tiny Time Travel, Written by Annabeth Bondor-Stone, Cynthia Furey, Tim McKeon, Nikki Palumbo, Connor White, Moujan Zolfaghari; PBS Kids
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT
“The American Vice President” (American Experience), Written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS
“The Cancer Detectives” (American Experience), Written by Gene Tempest; PBS
“Part One: Inferno to Paradise” (Dante), Written by Ric Burns and Riccardo Bruscagli; PBS
“Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal” (American Experience), Written by Jamila Ephron; PBS
The Space Race, Written by Mark Monroe; National Geographic Channel
NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Alabama IVF Ruling Sends Shockwaves Across America” (CBS Evening News), Written by James Hutton, Rob Rivielle; CBS News
“Assassination Attempt” (CBS Evening News – Special Weekend Edition), Written by Craig Wilson, James Hutton, Claudine Cleophat, Joe Clines, Rob Rivielle; CBS News
“Willie Mays Tribute” (CBS Newspath), Written by Gerald Mazza; CBS News
NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“Finding Cillian Murphy” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve; CBS News
“Fine Print: Carl Hiaasen” (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Richard Buddenhagen, Lesley Stahl; CBS News
“History Repeats Itself in Northern Gaza One Year Later” (Ayman), Written by Rajaa Elidrissi; MSNBC
“The Resistance” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve; CBS News
“Understanding Travel Advisories” (ABC NewsOne), Written by Erik Pierorazio; ABC NewsOne
DIGITAL NEWS
“The Food That Makes You Gay” Written by Jaya Saxena; Eater
“Mise-en-Seine: A Paris Olympics Diary”, Written by Henry Grabar; Slate
“Sent by God”, Written by Molly Olmstead; Slate
“The Unraveling of Nancy Mace”, Written by Jim Newell; Slate
“What Is Hamas Thinking Now?”, Written by Akbar Shahid Ahmed; HuffPost
Radio/Audio
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
“Art on Trial” (One Year: 1990), Written by Evan Chung; Slate
“Deadly Exes: Domestic Violence Awareness with Annie Elise” (Serial Killers), Written by Maggie Admire; Spotify Studios
“A Hotbed of Homosexuality” (Slow Burn), Written by Christina Cauterucci; Slate
“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… Will He Want a Welfare Check?” (Decoder Ring), Written by Cheyna Roth and Patrick Fort; Slate
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“6:40am News – November 6, 2023”, Written by Philip Pilato; 1010 WINS AM & FM
“12-15-2023, World News This Week”, Written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio
“Inside a Gaza Hospital” (What Next?), Written by Mary Harris and Rob Gunther; Slate
“Passages: Three Women Who Made A Difference”, Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“World News This Year 2023”, Written by Robert Hawley; ABC News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“The Athleticism and Empathy of Horses” (Press Play 2024), Written by Robert Hawley; ABC News Radio
“The bleeding edge” (Unexplainable), Written by Byrd Pinkerton; Vox
“Charles Osgood Remembered”, Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
Promotional Writing
ON-AIR PROMOTION
“Fortune Favors the Bold. Promotions for Tracker and King & Conqueror”, Written by Molly Neylan; CBS
“LC Voting Ads”, Written by Desireena Almoradie, Angad Bhalla; YouTube
“NCIS: Season 21 Legacy, Launch and Beyond Trailers”, Written by Erial Tompkins; CBS
“NYSNA AMC Campaign”, Written by Adrianna Hernandez Stewart, Angad Bhalla; YouTube
Djimon Hounsou is pulling the curtain back on an injustice in the film industry. After 30 years of entertaining audiences on screens big and small, Hounsou told CNN‘s Larry Madowo he’s “struggling financially,” despite featuring in tentpole films and receiving two Oscar nominations. Commenting on African representation in cinema, Hounsou says, “Yes, quite a bit has changed,” but not enough to keep him from worrying about his future’s stability.
“When I came out with Amistad, I was nominated for a Golden Globe, but they ignored me for the Oscars, talking about the fact that they thought that I had just came off the boat and off the streets where Steven Spielberg used me for this film,” Hounsou told Madowo.
“This conceptual idea of diversity and all that, it still has a long way to go. Systemic racism don’t change like that anytime soon,” he added.
Djimon Hounsou is an actor I have always enjoyed seeing. Two nights ago, I watched Furious 7, where he plays Mose Jakande, a terrorist leader and mercenary who secretly worked with Cipher (Charlize Theron). Hounsou spends much of the movie chewing scenery and making trouble for Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his extended family of death-defying speed freaks. Hounsou is a delight, much like he is in films like Amistad, Blood Diamond, Constantine, Push, Captain Marvel, and more.
“After 30 years, let’s say maybe the first 10 years was really trying to acclimate myself to the industry,” he said. “I’ve been in this business and making films now over two decades, and still, with two nominations, Oscar nominations, been in many big blockbuster films and yet I’m still struggling financially to make a living. I’m definitely underpaid.”
When Madowo expressed concern and surprise about Hounsou’s situation, the actor added, “That’s a sign for you that systemic racism is not something that you can deal with lightly. It’s so deep, inserted in so many things that we do across the board, and you don’t overcome it.”
What’s sad is that this is not the first time I’ve heard Hounsou talk about Hollywood’s unfair and unfortunate treatment. It’s a sign that despite people’s efforts, an imbalance persists within the film industry that studios, executives, and filmmakers must address. One day, I’d like to hear Hounsou share a different, more rewarding story. He’s certainly paid his dues and is worth every penny.
In Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the Catholic priest and fascist collaborator Father Vincent gets on your radar almost as soon as you land in Vatican City. It can be a while before you meet him face to face, but before that point, you may get the chance to help yourself to some of his most closely-guarded…
In Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the Catholic priest and fascist collaborator Father Vincent gets on your radar almost as soon as you land in Vatican City. It can be a while before you meet him face to face, but before that point, you may get the chance to help yourself to some of his most closely-guarded…
Sebastian Stan plays a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; his character, Bucky Barnes, has been in several MCU films and will next be seen in Thunderbolts*, which is set to reach theatres May 2, 2025. Now, Variety has confirmed that Stan is attached to another comic book / graphic novel-based project, one that he has been rumored to be involved with for at least three years: they wrote that Stan is “currently developing a film adaptation of Ed Brubaker’s graphic novel Reckless.”
What is Reckless? It’s a series that’s published by Image Comics, and they provided the following description: Sex, drugs, and murder in 1980s Los Angeles, and the best new twist on paperback pulp heroes since The Punisher or Jack Reacher. ED BRUBAKER and SEAN PHILLIPS, the modern masters of crime noir, bring us the last thing anyone expected from them—a good guy. Meet Ethan Reckless: Your trouble is his business, for the right price. But when a fugitive from his radical student days reaches out for help, Ethan must face the only thing he fears…his own past.
There is franchise potential here, as the original Reckless has been followed, so far, by Friend of the Devil, Destroy All Monsters, The Ghost in You, and Follow Me Down. Here’s some information on each one – Friend of the Devil: It’s 1985, and things in Ethan’s life are going pretty well…until a missing woman shows up in the background of an old B-movie, and Ethan is drawn into Hollywood’s secret occult underbelly as he hunts for her among the wreckage of the wild days of the ’70s. Destroy All Monsters: It’s 1988, and Ethan has been hired for his strangest case yet: finding the secrets of a Los Angeles real estate mogul. How hard could that be, right? But what starts as a deep dive into the life of a stranger will soon take a deadly turn, and Ethan will risk everything that still matters to him. The Ghost in You: It’s the winter of 1989 and Ethan is out of town, so this time, Anna has to tackle the job on her own. When a movie scream queen asks her to prove the mansion she’s renovating isn’t haunted, Anna will stumble into the decades-long mystery of one of Hollywood’s most infamous murder houses…a place with many dark secrets—some of which might just kill her. Follow Me Down: In the wake of the 1989 earthquake, Ethan takes a trip to San Francisco to search for a missing woman. But almost immediately, he finds himself going down a path of darkness and murder in a case unlike anything he’s faced before.
I haven’t read the Reckless books, but I am a fan of Sebastian Stan and all of this sounds very cool to me, so I look forward to seeing how the movie adaptation is going to work out.
Are you interested in Reckless? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and if you have read any of the graphic novels, tell us what you thought of them.
