A decade before Knight and Day was released, a movie like it would have killed with audiences: Come on, it starred Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz and looked to perfectly mash humor and action in a way that so few male/female-led action-comedies had for years. Yet, it didn’t connect. But why? There are a lot of reasons, really, and not just, as Roy Miller would say, “one of those things.” Through lousy marketing, hokey promotion, poorly timed sneak previews, and even Katie Holmes, Knight and Day fizzled, less “beautiful dress” than beautiful mess…But it did at least inspire a Bollywood remake, so suck on that, Vanilla Sky! Let’s find out: What Happened to this Movie?!

Knight and Day began, as with so many Hollywood screenplays, as a spec script, or a work that is uncommissioned but written in hopes of selling it to a studio (think Basic Instinct and Good Will Hunting). And that screenplay was written by Patrick O’Neill…at least originally. And it was called All New Enemies…at least originally. And it was geared up to have landed an R rating…at least originally. This is one motorcycle you’ll want to strap into because there are going to be a lot of screenwriters, a lot of title changes and a lot of plot developments.

In total, it’s estimated that around 12 writers circled what would eventually morph into Knight and Day, including Ted Griffin (Ocean’s 11), Laeta Kalogridis (the Bionic Woman remake) and Simon Kinberg (Mr. and Mrs. Smith). While we may not know exactly what their individual contributions were, no doubt you can see marks of most of these movies/TV shows in the final version of Knight and Day.

The first title change came early enough, when All New Enemies was retitled Wichita, so named for where the movie starts, with Diaz’s character having just made an auto parts deal there. Speaking of the Kansas city, the opening sequence was at one point set virtually, with Cruise and Diaz’s characters meeting online. This, like so much else, would be ditched. Around this time, the movie was set up at Revolution Studios… but this would be short-lived, moving over to Sony, where it was retitled Trouble Man.

Now, let’s chat directors. The original director was Gridiron Gang’s Phil Joanou. But when Sony bailed on the movie and Fox picked it up, in came Tom Dey, director of Shanghai Noon and Failure to Launch. Eventually, directing duties would go to James Mangold, then best known for Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma. For Mangold, it was an opportunity to loosen up his filmography a bit and not worry about doing an Oscar-caliber movie.

At Fox, Knight and Day would be reworked seemingly constantly. One major focus for the studio was to develop a romance angle between the leads, something that seemed obvious back when the characters were changed from a male and younger co-star to two adults: a male and a female, a “night and day”, as it were. They, too, brought in yet another writer – What Happens in Vegas’ Dana Fox – to help. Yes, there were a lot of writers who had their pen in the ink, so much so that it was a long discussion with the Writers Guild of America over who would get final credit. Since it couldn’t be determined who contributed the most “significant” portion of the script, final credit went to original writer Patrick O’Neill. But playing off of Knight and Day’s numerous drafts, he said, “I still don’t know exactly what it’s about, and that’s what’s so cool. What’s even cooler? These two superstars reminding us why they’re superstars.”

So, who would those superstars be? Well that’s about as deep as the revolving door of writers. One original star was Adam Sandler, attached back in the Wichita days around 2005. As for why he turned it down, he said, “I just don’t see me with a gun.” He would instead lead Grown Ups, which, unfortunately for Knight and Day, will come up a bit later…When it was Trouble Man at Sony, both Chris Tucker and Eva Mendes were tied to the lead roles. Eventually, in came Cameron Diaz to play June Havens, while Gerard Butler circled the role of Roy Miller aka Matthew Knight. He, however, would opt to do The Bounty Hunter opposite Jennifer Aniston instead.

So, when does Tom Cruise enter? Well, once he ditched the lead role in Salt – which itself had a gender swap, with Angelina Jolie later taking the lead – and The Tourist, a role that a few actors were considered for but eventually fell on Johnny Depp. Knight and Day would be Tom Cruise’s chance for some redemption, as Lions for Lambs (2007) and Valkyrie (2008) were far from hits. His public reputation had slid dramatically, too, as he had taken to jumping on daytime talk show couches and blasting psychiatry and growing Scientological ties, which probably played into Fox’s poorly managed marketing campaign later on…As Mangold remembered, “In my totally selfish mind’s eye, I could not imagine he was going to make any other choice.”

Knight and Day, too, would give him the chance to get back in the action game. Not surprisingly, Cruise was very hands-on, bringing his trademark magnetism and presence to the process, helping develop his character into something it hadn’t yet become despite so many drafts. He even brought some ideas to the action sequences, particularly when he has Diaz on a motorcycle and flips her onto his lap, something he had actually been wanting to do in a movie for a while. After all, he does love motorcycles…In one key sequence, he remembered, “The stone road was very slick. That’s why we chose that Ducati. The tires were good. It was lighter in weight than the superbikes…The heart was definitely pumping that morning!” We have to imagine Cruise was sent at least one Ducati from the Italian manufacturer.

Cruise was also so committed that he cut his salary nearly in half to $11 million. He also didn’t take box office residuals – that is, until after investors got their money back. And there were – as you probably figured based on the production history up to this point – a lot of studios: Dune Entertainment, New Regency, Pink Machine, Todd Garner Productions, Tree Line Film…

Cameras on Knight and Day (final title, we promise!) finally rolled in September 2009, with a lot of the movie shot in Massachusetts, including Bedminster, where one of the movie’s most dynamic scenes – the plane crash – was shot. Fox would even pay the fire department $30,000 for their efforts. Other locales included Los Angeles, Austria and Jamaica, including one part that had been seen in 1988’s Cocktail.

Production on Knight and Day had far fewer issues than pre and post. With most – OK, some – of the issues behind, Mangold, Cruise and Diaz set out to make a fun, adult-geared movie that would feel loose and hopefully put Cruise back at the forefront of entertainment. As Mangold put it, “What I didn’t want was another film that felt so storyboarded so that it felt like a piece of machinery. I wanted to feel like we were finding the movie as we made it.” He added, “I just felt like there was a Tom I missed in the movies. The vulnerable side, the idea that six agents with Uzis might not make him blink but a girl needing to talk about whether he missed her is hard…To see Tom have an unforgettable human moment is better than any special effect.” And Cruise does indeed have many human moments in the movie, chiefly around his humor, which the star has really never been given enough credit for. As Diaz put it, “Tom hasn’t really gotten to be funny [lately]…We got to laugh a lot on this movie and blow shit up.”

But could it blow up the box office? Well, let’s take a look at the marketing, which was completely mishandled by both the creatives and the suits. For example, one poster didn’t even have Cruise and Diaz’s faces on it! As a co-president of Fox marketing said, “It was a way for us to signal that this was a different, adult kind of movie…It wasn’t in any way us trying to hide anyone, simply to make the film look unique.” But it was still like Fox didn’t want to be too attached to their male lead, just in case his stigma carried through to the box office. There was even a weird marketing stunt – designed solely to go viral (never a good sign) – showing the dynamic between Cruise and Diaz, with Diaz kicking Cruise’s chest. But this ended up being mocked for being forced and phony.

Marketing the film was somewhat difficult despite the A-list stars. According to Fox domestic distribution President Bruce Snyder, “This is not as easy a sell as a sequel or a movie based on an existing property. We feel our best tool is to get word of mouth out on it.” One way to do so was with a sneak preview, a pre-release buzz tactic meant to boost numbers, something the studio knew Knight and Day would need. After all, buzz was quiet. As Fox’s marketing co-president Tony Sella put it, “It was a problem with our message. The minute the [bad] tracking came out, we went into Def Con 5, because the tracking never lies. We reacted almost daily in a way to make the campaign better, with different ideas and different spots.”

One move saw Fox opting to hold their preview on the Saturday before it opened; in short, having a poorly received preview so close to the wide release could have killed the movie before it even hit theaters. According to another Fox distribution bigwig: “It’s an adult movie opening on a Wednesday, but we opened it there and snuck it on Saturday because we believe the word-of-mouth will be good, so we’re set for a pretty good opening weekend. Remember, it’s an original, adult movie, which we expect will run for quite a while.”

Knight and Day had its world premiere on June 16th, 2010 in Seville, Spain, where a portion of the movie was shot. It opened one week later on June 23rd…making just $3.8 million on its first day. By the end of the weekend, Knight and Day was #3 at just $20.1 million, well below #2, Grown Ups; consider this: was actually moved up two days so as to get a leg up on the Sandler ensemble (so much for that)…And then it dropped to #5 the next week, down to #7 the week after that and finally out of the top 10 in its fifth week. Another challenge was with Toy Story 3, which would of course go on to become one of the highest-grossing movies of 2010.

With a budget pegged between around $120 million, Knight and Day would go on to make $76.4 million domestically, faring much better worldwide with another $185.5 million, bringing the total gross to $261.9. Later on, it took in $32.8 million in home video sales. Producer Steve Pink would later credit writer Patrick O’Neill and the characters, but also wondered, “Otherwise I have no idea how it stayed alive.”

Had Knight and Day come out, say, 10 years earlier, when Cameron Diaz could have rode her popularity and Charlie’s Angels-level action finesse and Tom Cruise had a better reputation in the public eye, it may have been a major hit all around. Instead, it’s something else: a sort of wink for those that have bothered watching it. Knight and Day deserved a better marketing campaign, resulting in a lousy box office outing. But, as they say: those who know, know. All around, Knight and Day is a damn good movie: it’s funny, it’s nicely paced, the set pieces are a blast, the onscreen chemistry is palpable…

As Fox production president Emma Fox put it, “This is the kind of film that needs to be discovered, and I think it will be.” Maybe someday it will. Then again, that’s a dangerous word – just hopefully not a code for “never.”

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This is really something special. A movie that resonates with me to such a degree that it is etched upon all that I love within the genre. It feels like a twisted take on a certain Marvel hero who loves to show off his patriotism—and love for his country—through blood, bullets, and even a bar brawl. All he was missing was a vibranium shield. This film involves a charismatic, stone-cold stoic, and reserved antagonist that you sometimes cheer for, even if he has a bloodlust towards innocent bystanders. I would like to defend myself by saying that it’s not just a cult-classic, but a bona fide, badass flick that displays multiple elements of thriller, comedy, action, and horror. It gels together so damn well, that you can’t believe it’s not butter. Today we’re discussing Adam Wingard’s 2014, stranger-danger film, The Guest (watch it HERE). And it may just be one of the Best Horror–No wait, scratch that. You know what, this IS one of the Best Horror Movies You Never Saw.

Director Adam Wingard has been making horror films for quite some time. Most notably, another favorite of mine, the 2011 horror invasion slasher, You’re Next. Mr. Wingard has a clear, intuitive vision in his films. Not only does he have a great pedigree and knowledge when it comes to action, but his characters are also witty and smart. They shatter the stereotypes we are so accustomed to within the horror genre. When I finished watching You’re Next, I was only more excited for what he had up his sleeve. And while he directed some segments in various anthology films, his next feature film wouldn’t be until 2014. Teaming up with his VHS and You’re Next scribe, Simon Barrett, they set to make a thriller about a guest from hell.

It’s been said that Simon Barrett originally had an alternate premise to The Guest, which he stalled on and later banished to the shadow realm. However, when Adam Wingard pitched his very different take to Barrett, Simon took their ideas and melded them together. The screenplay was completed just eight weeks later, and shooting commenced in the summer of 2013. The film had a budget of just $5 million as cameras got rolling in New Mexico.

The Guest centers on the Peterson family, Anna, Luke, Laura, and Spencer as they are visited by a soldier by the name of David. David was the “best friend” of their oldest son, Caleb who was killed in action and served on the battlefield together. The Peterson family welcomes David to stay while they get their priorities and grievances in order. Sounds like a lovely, and courteous affair by the Petersons. Oh if only they had realized they were in a horror movie. David involves himself in the personal lives of the Petersons, and they take a liking to him. However, when strange occurrences, along with a detective snooping around, and suddenly David doesn’t look so great. Luke and Anna come to realize that the man they’re sheltering has ulterior motives that may just be detrimental to their home life. And life in general.

Spoilers here for those who haven’t seen this movie and want to go in completely fresh.

Because David harbors some unexpected government secrets that could put the Peterson family in the crosshairs of not just David, but other bad guys as well. War is hell; a despicable thing. When a human being is sent to that travesty, and the horrors they see are unfolded, it takes a toll and they’re forever changed. If they’re lucky enough to return home, rarely are they the same person. They come back as something different. David came back as a monster in disguise.

And I know that this is a horror movie but dammit if this movie doesn’t have some incredible action. There are multiple scenes that display fast-paced and brutal fist ballet that puts it right up there with action flicks like John Wick, The Matrix, or Face Off. And where those movies go hard with the CGI, we’re treated to a ton of practical effects here. Who needs CGI when real movie magic is full-on practical here? This is enough to give Christopher Nolan a magical tingle in his pantalones if he watched this. It’s just that good.

The Guest wouldn’t be as amazing as it was if it weren’t for the lead of David, played by Dan Stevens. Director Adam Wingard always wanted Dan for the role but told him he needed to bulk up and be in peak physical shape prior to production. This wasn’t exactly a shock as Stevens was emaciated and looked like Christian Bale’s role in The Machinist. So Dan spent two times a day working out and packed on a whopping 25 pounds of muscle and six-pack abs. Believe it or not, they waited to shoot the infamous shirtless scene where David is in the Peterson house so he was able to get as much muscle on as possible. They wanted to be able to use that specific shot in the trailers. They wanted to sexually objectify David and fetishize him so that people would be into a character that was essentially bad and cunning in nature. David is a cold, calculated, and ruthless antagonist, but he never shows it at the start. He is cool, reserved, and displays alpha wolf components, only to strike like a scorpion at a moment’s notice. If you notice in the film, he rarely blinks. This would leave the impression that there is something seriously wrong with David, but no one would catch on while watching the film. But you can’t help but wonder if David is just a good guy under the control of a failed experiment, or if he is just truly sinister as well? Maybe it’s a mix of both, which makes him the perfect specimen under the super-soldier program. The guy can handle all types of firearms, does excessively well in hand-to-hand combat, and sure knows how to carry a beer keg.

There are also great standouts from the supporting cast, most notably Maika Monroe, who plays Anna. Maika Monroe starred in some other great films post-The Guest like another cult classic It Follows as well as the upcoming Longlegs. There is also the late, great, Lance Reddick of John Wick fame who plays Major Carver. Carver plays the head of the KPG In this and is just as badass as David. Both display militaristic integrity and are always a few steps ahead of the curve; although David runs through him like a knife through butter. You also have father, Spencer Peterson played by Leland Orser who has seen his fair share of horror films like Alien Resurrection, and Seven. May I add he has one of the fucking gnarliest Alien deaths in the whole franchise. And lastly Mr. Papa Giorgio, Russ Griswold himself, Ethan Embry as a gun dealer who gets into a situation that he should have avoided right from the jump. Your luck has just run out my friend.

Since I put The Guest so high on that pedestal, or Mt. Rushmore of “Best Unseen Horror Films” if you will, I should probably get into why. There always comes a point in time when you pop in a movie on a day that you are home, just to kill some time and not meet any lofty expectations. And once the credit rolls, you have to pick your jaw off the floor. THIS. MOVIE. DOES. JUST. THAT. Big claims, I know, but here me out. Let’s start off with one of the big moments of the film: that bar fight bully beatdown. A scene that elevates and hits a fever pitch until breaking into a disastrous, bone-crunching melody that you just need to root for the bad guy. Because David IS.A.BAD.GUY. However, in this scene he’s more of a wicked guardian angel who would have fit nicely in that infamous church scene from Kingsman. It starts when David takes the younger son, Luke out for a drink. But it’s true purpose is to get back at the jock bullies that hurt Luke. It’s a scene that stays calm until the switch flips and all-out chaos erupts, hitting revenge-fueled epic proportions. Not only is the fight choreography great, but the lead-up is incredible. There’s David buying the jocks some feminine cocktails to rile them up. It all ends with David scaring the bartender into letting him and Luke go, which was a total chef’s kiss. Although I’ll be honest, cosmopolitans on the rocks aren’t bad on a tropical island, give it a try.

Let’s not forget the scene capper, with David rolling a few grenades into the diner to eliminate those who know about him. It all leads up to an amazing shootout when David realizes the KPG is after him. They’re a government organization that specializes in creating super-soldiers. This leads to an all-out war at-home scenario between David, the family members, and Major Carver and the KPG agents trying to eliminate the threat of David from going haywire. Gives John Wick a run for its money. And then we have the epic showdown at the Halloween high school dance between David, Carver, Luke, and Anna. It’s hard not to appreciate a slasher/thriller hybrid that takes place inside a school that involves foggy dance floors, neon lights, and even funhouse-style mazes. It’s all a delight to see David do some dirty work while his “David’s playlist,” cd is playing on the speakers that Anna gave him prior.

The Guest unfortunately made just $2.7 million at the box office. Given that 5-million-dollar budget, that meant it didn’t even break even. Truly a shame, considering just how amazing this film is. It has a critical reception of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Remarkable numbers for a movie that has literally crept under most people’s radar. A total disservice to the film itself. The Guest is a movie that belongs on your DVD shelf, no questions asked. For such a simple title, it goes to great lengths to encapsulate the shitstorm about to hit The Peterson’s doorstep courtesy of their special guest. Looks can be deceiving, and they serve as a reminder to not give in to temptation or friendship just based on appearances. The Guest should have spawned a sequel as its ending is a love letter to splatter flicks of the 70’s and 80’s. Hell, I’d say the ending is so great that even Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving had to copy it for its own. That’s just a subjective opinion, since that ending has been done before, I’m looking at you too, Halloween Resurrection, for fuck’s sake. But hey, the comparison is there.

Now go check out The Guest, as it’s highly deserving of this title, potentially crowning itself as the head honcho of the most overlooked horror film to date. I mean hell, I’d even say that synth score is just as good as Blade Runner 2049. Bold claim, but I dare say you will not be disappointed.

A couple previous episodes of the Best Horror Movie You Never Saw series can be seen below. To see more, and to check out some of our other shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

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Several months ago, word leaked out that Maggie Gyllenhaal was set to direct a film called The Bride, a new take on the concept of the 1935 classic The Bride of Frankenstein  (watch it HERE). At first, we heard that the movie was being made for the Netflix streaming service, but it’s actually set up at Warner Bros. – and the studio has just announced that they will be giving Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! (yes, there’s an exclamation point in the title) a theatrical release, IMAX screens included, on October 3, 2025.

The first two cast members Gyllenhaal secured for the project were her The Dark Knight co-star Christian Bale and her husband Peter Sarsgaard. Since then, the cast has grown with the additions of Penelope Cruz, Jessie Buckley, and Annette Bening. Quotes from Bale have indicated that he may be playing Frankenstein’s Monster in the film. Production List had reported the following line-up of cast and characters: “Cruz as the bride Myrna, Bale as Frankenstein, and Sarsgaard playing a detective.” But a later report described Buckley as “the star” of the film, so there’s some confusion over who’s playing the titular Bride.

The Bride! has the following synopsis: A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.

This isn’t a Universal project, but it wouldn’t be the first Bride of Frankenstein remake to be made by a different company. In 1985, Columbia Pictures brought us another movie simply called The Bride, which starred Sting as Baron Charles Frankenstein, Jennifer Beals as Eva (the bride) and Clancy Brown as Viktor (the monster). A few years ago, it was announced that Scarlett Johansson was going to star in a similar project called Bride for A24 and Apple, but that still hasn’t made it into production.

Are you interested in The Bride! and are you glad to hear it’s getting a Halloween season 2025 release? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.

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Jennifer Lopez has had a bit of a career resurgence lately. While the actress-turned-singer had been dabbling back in movies with an acclaimed performance in Hustlers, she’s also been in films like The Mother for Netflix and Shotgun Wedding for Amazon. Recently, J. Lo has had a dual feature film release about self-reflection and self-discovery through her music with the movies This is Me…Now and The Greatest Love Story Never Told, which are both available on Prime Video. You may have also recently caught her and her hubby, Ben Affleck, dropping a Dunkin’ rap jingle in a recent Super Bowl ad. Netflix has now released the trailer for the upcoming Atlas, which has Lopez dipping her toe in the science fiction genre.

The official plot synopsis from Netflix reads,
“Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez), a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.” The film sports an impressive cast to join Lopez, including Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, Gregory James Cohan, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla and Mark Strong.

The new AI-themed sci-fi film comes from scribes Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite. Sitting in the director’s chair is Brad Peyton, who previously worked on blockbusters with Dwayne Johnson when he helmed San Andreas and Rampage. Producers on Atlas include Brad Peyton and Jeff Fierson for ASAP Entertainment; Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell for Safehouse Pictures; Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and Benny Medina for Nuyorican Productions; and Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter for Berlanti/Schechter Films. Samson Mücke and Michael Riley McGrath are on board as executive producers.

Atlas is set to touch down on May 4.

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The new Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game from Gun Interactive was just released for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One back on August 18th, and the developers have been keeping a steady flow of updates coming ever since. A while back, we heard a new killer character, a new victim character (with the voice and likeness of genre icon Barbara Crampton!), and a new map called The Mill (which brings to mind a location from the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake) would be added to the game soon – and now we know exactly when The Mill will be available for players to enjoy: March 28th!

The date announcement was made on X, where it was revealed that The Mill will allow players to “scramble up multiple floors, traverse through a Ghost Town, or sneak around a dry river bed.”

Matches of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game pit 4 victim characters against 3 killer characters. The story of the game has the following set-up: When Maria Flores went missing, and local law enforcement seemed to stall out in their search, her younger sister Ana teamed up with some of Maria’s friends from college to pick up the trail. The game takes place before the events of director Tobe Hooper’s 1974 classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (watch it HERE).

Kane Hodder (who also worked on Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III) did the motion-capture performance for Leatherface in the game, as well as the Grandpa character. Other motion-capture performers include Sean Whalen (The People Under the Stairs) as The Hitch-hiker; Troy Burgess (Swedish Dicks) as The Cook; Kristina Klebe (Don’t Kill It) as new killer character Sissy; and Dove Meir (Dig) as new killer character Johnny. Scout Taylor-Compton (Rob Zombie’s Halloween) did the mo-cap for all of the female victim characters while Hunter C. Smith (Lucky) did the mo-cap for all of the male victim characters. Although Whalen did the mo-cap for the Hitch-hiker, Edwin Neal, who played the character in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, provided his voice for the game. Damian Maffei (The Strangers: Prey at Night) provided the voice of Johnny, and Michael Johnston of Teen Wolf did the same for Danny. BAFTA winner Cissy Jones did the mo-cap and vocal performance for Nancy. You can find out more about the killer characters at THIS LINK and the victim characters HERE. To learn more about the voice cast, head over HERE.

Have you been playing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre video game, and are you looking forward to the addition of The Mill map? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson are no strangers to the science fiction genre. Ferguson can currently be seen in the epic new chapter of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, while Pratt is known for bringing Star-Lord to the screen in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The Hollywood Reporter has now revealed that the Pratt and Ferguson sci-fi thriller that the two are set to co-star, Mercy, is set to be released theatrically next summer on August 15, 2025. Mercy is an Amazon MGM Studios production and will have Timur Bekmambetov at the helm. Bekmambetov is the action director behind such projects as Night Watch, Wanted, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and the ill-fated Ben-Hur remake.

Mercy comes from screenwriter Marco van Belle and the synopsis states that Pratt plays “a detective in the near future who finds himself accused of a violent crime and having to prove his innocence in a society where capital crime is on the rise.” The movie is produced by Charles Roven, the frequent Christopher Nolan collaborator who is currently enjoying the recent Academy Awards sweep for their film Oppenheimer. Roven will be producing along with Atlas Entertainment SVP Robert Amidon, Bekmambetov’s BEL studio, and film producer Majd Nassif. Cameras intend to roll this spring.

While Roven brought this property to Amazon MGM, the studio is currently finding ways to revive many IPs from the roaring lion’s slate. This includes the legacy franchise of the James Bond films as well as Robocop and the upcoming Road House remake. Mercy director Bekmambetov had released a statement about his involvement with the project, “Amazon is the ideal partner for telling this crucial story about the future challenged by artificial intelligence and for engaging in this conversation with a wide audience. I’m happy to reunite with Chris Pratt on this project, who, since the release of ‘Wanted,’ has become one of the highest-grossing actors of our time. Collaborating with Chuck Roven will help us create an epic cinematic experience.“

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While Bloodsport, the 1988 martial arts tournament movie, is widely considered by fans to be Jean-Claude Van Damme’s best film, it almost never saw the light of day. Indeed, according to Nick De Semlyen’s book, “Last Action Heroes” (buy it here), the film was deemed unreleasable by Cannon Pictures head Menachem Golan. The film sat on the shelf for fourteen months and was considered so bad that Golan intended to release the movie direct-to-video.

Things got so heated that Golan refused to go ahead with a proposed sequel to Lone Wolf McQuade, which would have featured Van Damme teaming up with Chuck Norris (who was an early mentor to JCVD). He wanted Michael Dudikoff instead.

According to the book, Van Damme, who had returned to his old job as a limo driver when the movie wrapped, convinced the studio to allow him to re-edit the film with Towering Inferno editor Carl Press. The two reworked the fight scenes and trimmed down some of the drama, resulting in a faster-paced cut that the studio allowed them to release.

However, in 1988, the studio was on the verge of going under, thanks to their attempt to hit the big time with a trio of would-be blockbusters in 1987. The films Over the Top, Masters of the Universe and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace all tanked at the box office, and in 1988, the studio could barely afford to promote Bloodsport. Thus, JCVD and the film rolled out in Asia and Europe before hitting North America, and by then, the film’s international success meant that the film was already profitable. It only grossed $11.7 million domestically, but overseas, it made over $50 million, all on a budget of only $2.3 million. On VHS, it became one of the biggest-selling titles in the Warner Bros library.

It’s incredible that Menahem Golan didn’t think the film was worth releasing, given how bad some of the product Cannon put out in their heyday was. Most studios would have never released Superman IV in the shape it was in theatres. Of all the films Cannon produced, Bloodsport is arguably the one with the most staying power. It is considered by many (myself included) to be one of the best American Martial Arts movies ever made.

Of course, after Bloodsport was a hit, JCVD was immediately put into two more Cannon films, Cyborg and Death Warrant. But the time the latter film came out, Golan had left the company. If JCVD had been stuck in a long term contract with Cannon, many believe his career would have never taken off. Take for example what happened to Michael Dudikoff. He should have been cast in bigger movies post American Ninja and Avenging Force, rather than smaller films. In many ways, their spendthrift ways doomed him to a career dominated by DTV movies.

Do you think Bloodsport is JCVD’s best movie? Let us know in the comments.

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The Fall Guy had its world premiere at SXSW just last night and reviews right out of the gate are explosive, with many calling it one of the best action comedies in years. This is pretty awesome to hear considering the movie is based on a TV show that most of us likely never watched and some of us may have never heard of.

But the hype is real for The Fall Guy, so let’s check out some of the praise:

Ahead of the first screening of The Fall Guy, star Ryan Gosling introduced the movie alongside director David Leitch, sharing stories from the set and working to give stunt people their due, something that Gosling and co-star Emily Blunt also did during Sunday’s Academy Awards in a special presentation of cinematic stunt work (although we all know the category still deserves real recognition). Gosling also noted that The Fall Guy was meant to be a genuine crowd-pleaser, which seems to hold based on the initial reactions.

As such, it’s great to see that this combination of on-screen charisma and stellar stunt work has worked. Hopefully this translate to the box office as well, as The Fall Guy is in a prime position for Universal to help kick off the summer, landing a May 3rd release date that puts it ahead of franchise movies Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Bad Boys 4, and Inside Out 2.

While it’s too early for a projected Rotten Tomatoes score, we’re absolutely looking at The Fall Guy being fresh and now officially one of the must-see movies of the first half of 2024.

None other than Steven Spielberg shared his love of the movie with Gosling at the Golden Globes, much to the star’s surprise…so it looks like all those that also dug The Fall Guy are in some pretty good company! On this interaction, Gosling said, “As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t matter anymore what happens. Steven Spielberg liked it. That was an all-time moment for me. I’m really excited for people to see it. I think it’s a really special movie.”

Here is the plot of The Fall Guy: “Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a stuntman laid low by an on-set performance gone so wrong that it nearly killed him, while Emily Blunt is Jody Moreno, a former camera operator (and former love) getting her big break as the director of a ridiculously extravagant sci-fi Western that needs his help.” Lee Majors, who starred in the series of the same name, is expected to make a cameo…But no, Gosling will not be singing the theme like Majors did.

Are you looking forward to The Fall Guy more now that reactions were strong out of SXSW? Let us know in the comments section below!

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While Sony’s Spider-Verse movies Madame Web and Morbius both laid eggs at the box office (to put it mildly), another live-action franchise from the studio has been minting money – the Venom films. Despite pretty awful reviews, the first movie made $856 million worldwide. The sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, only made just over $500 million (still a lot of moolah), but that was due to opening during the pandemic (it was actually the third highest-grossing movie of the year). With the third film pretty much guaranteed to make money no matter how it fares with critics, Sony is moving it up slightly on the release calendar, with it now set for October 25th, 2024. The movie also has a new title, Venom: The Last Dance. 

This pre-Halloween weekend propelled Five Nights at Freddy’s to a huge opening, and Sony is no doubt hoping to score with horror audiences as well as superhero fans. It has some competition with Leigh Whannel’s The Wolf Man, so I would expect the latter film to move off that date. Venom: The Last Dance features Tom Hardy returning as Eddie Brock/ Venom, with Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor in undisclosed roles—no news yet on whether or not Michelle Williams will return as Brock’s love interest. For a movie that’s been filming for months, there’s impressively little info out there about it. Kelly Marcel, who wrote the other two films, makes her directorial debut with this one. Hardy has previously said this will be the end of the Venom trilogy. Indeed, the title seems to suggest Hardy might be done with the franchise, which has proved to be a big moneymaker.

Meanwhile, another Tom Hardy action movie, Havoc, directed by Gareth Evans, is supposed to (maybe) come out this year via Netflix, while Hardy will also soon be seen in Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders. 

Are you looking forward to Venom: The Last Dance? Let us know in the comments. 

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Zack Snyder doesn’t seem like the type of guy who is overly concerned with reviews, but audiences did take notice when the much-anticipated Rebel Moon received the worst reviews of Snyder’s career (our own Chris Bumbray did enjoy it). With the release of Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver just a month away, Snyder responded to the backlash, admitting that his movies tend to be polarizing.

“I don’t really have a rebuttal to the reviews,” Snyder told Empire. “For whatever reason, the reaction to my movies is very polarising, and it always has been. The movie, it doesn’t seem like there’s that much in it that would warrant such visceral responses.“

Following the release of The Scargiver, Snyder will be releasing R-rated director’s cuts of both movies, which will include “all the gore and the hard R-ness and the nudity and the violence and crazy shit.” He added that he’ll be interested to see what the critics say about the director’s cuts because they’re a “different kettle of fish.” We still don’t know exactly when they will be released, but Snyder recently said that they will likely drop this summer on the same day, encompassing six hours total.

Here’s the official logline for Rebel Moon: “When a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival. Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a battle over the fate of a galaxy is waged, and in the process, a new army of heroes is formed.“

Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver will continue “the epic saga of Kora and the surviving warriors as they prepare to sacrifice everything, fighting alongside the brave people of Veldt, to defend a once peaceful village, a newfound homeland for those who have lost their own in the fight against the Motherworld. On the eve of their battle the warriors must face the truths of their own pasts, each revealing why they fight. As the full force of the Realm bears down on the burgeoning rebellion, unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge, and legends are made.“

Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire is streaming on Netflix and will be followed by Rebel Moon: Part Two – The Scargiver on April 19th.

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