Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Dune: Part Two and Frank Herbert’s Dune novels.
The first part of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune may have introduced Paul Atreides to audiences as the story’s ultimate protagonist, and the Fremen’s prophesied messiah and hero, but there’s always more to the story of “the chosen one” than meets the eye.
In Dune: Part One, the Padishah Emperor tasks House Atreides to take control over Arrakis and its production of spice, which is the main component in interstellar travel, and the means by which the whole of humanity functions as a galactic species. In secret, the Emperor has plotted to destroy House Atreides through their old rival House Harkonnen, which is precisely what happens in the movie.
By the end, Paul Atreides, the prophesied messiah of the desert people, and a man haunted by visions of humanity’s future, escapes the Arrakeen fortress with his mother and finds the Fremen. Dune: Part Two picks the story up from there, and revolves around Paul’s war against the Harkonnen and the Padishah Emperor.
You can read ahead if you want to know where this crusade will leave Paul, but be forewarned that the text includes heavy spoilers for Dune: Part Two and its ending.
Is Paul Atreides a villain in Dune?
Image via Warner Bros.
To answer that question, you have to understand that Frank Herbert’s idea of morality doesn’t necessarily boil down to a simple good and evil worldview. Paul Atreides is a man destined for greatness, but with greatness also comes the burden of responsibility and the charge of making tough decisions.
By the end of Dune: Part Two, Paul has been waging war against the Harkonnen by relying on his Fremen troops and Fedaykin warriors. These are religious zealots who believe him to be their messiah, and Paul finds he has to lean on those ideological tenets to keep the Fremen loyal to him, even if he knows they’re false and incredibly misguided. Ultimately, Paul is forced to use House Atreides’ secret and forbidden stockpile of atomic warheads to destroy the Arrakeen fortress, which is a war crime by humanity’s reckoning after the Great Convention treaty.
Paul then ascends the throne as the new Padishah Emperor, but when the other Great Houses refuse to acknowledge his rule, he orders his Fremen army to “lead them to paradise,” instigating a new holy war that spreads across the galaxy, causing the deaths of dozens of billions of people. Paul, as we see him in the books, justifies this by claiming the alternatives he saw in his visions were much worse, but it’s ultimately up to the audience to determine whether his actions are understandable, let alone justifiable.
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Warner Bros. Discovery threatened to deal another harsh blow to moviemaking as a whole when it considered shelving Coyote vs. Acme for a $30 million tax write-down, eliciting the fury of film fans around the world. Now lead actor Will Forte is offering his two cents.
Coyote vs. Acme is a comedy movie mixing animation with live-action from the Looney Tunes franchise, where Wile E. Coyote decides to sue Acme Corporation, hiring a struggling attorney (Forte) to go up against Wile E.’s former boss (John Cena), now representing Acme.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s initial decision to give Coyote vs. Acme the same fate as Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt was so severely contested that the studios eventually decided to open it up to outside buyers. Distributors, including the likes of Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount, couldn’t, however, match the $75–$80 million Warner Bros. Discovery was asking for the film, and so Coyote vs. Acmewas left in limbo.
Image via Warner Bros.
Forte got the chance to watch it. The SNL alum confessed to his X followers that he expected the film to be “a hunk of junk” since no one seemed interested in giving it a chance, but the outcome was somehow worse. The actor found it “incredible,” which makes the fact that it might never see the light of day, or the dim light of a movie theater, even more soul-crushing. Described by Forte as being “super funny throughout, visually stunning, sweet, sincere, and emotionally resonant in a very earned way,” Coyote vs. Acme continues to attract support from all corners of the culture and entertainment world.
Forte addressed his statement to the cast and crew of the film, saying that Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision, which he “f*cking hates,” is not a reflection of the film’s quality, and that everyone involved should feel very “proud” to be part of “something so special.” “Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication, and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame,” the actor concluded.
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For better or for worse, the Oscars are responsible for some of the biggest pop culture moments around the world (including the infamous slap from the 2022 Oscars). We’re more connected than we’ve ever been in our current internet age, but as most of us participate in our own nice online communities, monoculture moments like the Academy Awards are few and far between. While less viewers tune in to watch the ceremony in the streaming era, the memes and social commentary that stem from the awards show prove the Oscars are still relevant enough for us talk about with our friends in the weeks after the broadcast.
That being said, the Academy Awards would be far less interesting without hosts making memorable moments, both good and bad. Last year, Jimmy Kimmel returned to host the Oscars after hosting previously in both 2017 and 2018. Flash forward to now, and Kimmel has been rewarded with the hosting gig once again, giving him the perfect chance to rank amongst history’s best Oscar hosts. So in honor of the upcoming ceremony, let’s take a look at some of the best and worst hosts to ever grace the Academy Award’s stage.
Best: Hugh Jackman (2009)
In 2009, Hugh Jackman was tapped to host the 81st Academy Awards, and the actor put on a show reminiscent of old Hollywood, complete with a nine-minute musical number where he masterfully sang about that year’s nominees, with a cameo from Anne Hathaway. “The Academy loves to support range,” the Wolverine actor says during his opening speech, and he proved his own in spades. Unfortunately for us, Jackman has only hosted the one time, and the Academy has cut back on musical numbers, reportedly due to time constraints. He has expressed interest in returning to host again, but until he does, we can enjoy his past Oscars gig on YouTube for the time being.
Worst: Chevy Chase (1988)
In 1987, comedian Chevy Chase successfully co-hosted the Oscars alongside Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan and was asked to return the following year. When he did, his condescending jokes and improv never connected with the crowd, resulting in an awkward program. For most people of a certain generation, Chase is best known for starring in Community (and for generally being an asshole), but in the late ‘80s, he was at the height of his career with several high-budget comedies and Saturday Night Live behind him. Not even a snazzy opening number was enough to save Chase from flubbing his hosting gig, and after this Oscars, he never hosted an awards show again.
Best: Ellen DeGeneres (2007, 2014)
Ellen DeGeneres had hosted previously in 2007, but the 86th Academy Awards showed the then-Ellen host at her best. Her opening monologue did a good job balancing being funny without overstepping and offending the audience (unlike some other hosts you’ll see on this list), but it’s not just her effortless banter with the nominee’s that makes DeGeneres one of the best Oscars hosts of all-time. The moment she decided to take a selfie with some of the biggest stars of the night, she created one of the most talked-about Oscars moments and simultaneously broke Twitter by becoming the site’s most-retweeted picture at the time — and she did all that while ordering pizza for the nominees.
Worst: Liza Minelli, Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor and Walter Matthau (1983)
Exactly 40 years ago, the 55th Academy Awards was hosted by Walter Matthau, Liza Minelli, Dudley Moore, and Richard Pryor. For some unknown reason, the four hosts performed a musical number, but evidently only Minelli appeared to have practiced beforehand. Pryor looks moments away from a panic attack and forgets some lines, Moore tries to carry his performance with charisma and the occasional ad-lib, while Matthau looks like he’d rather be anywhere but the Oscars stage. It feels like this was meant to be funny (and with a lineup like that, it could have been) but the obviously anxious and unprepared hosts make this one of the worst Oscars hosting line-ups.
Best: Jon Stewart (2008)
Jon Stewart’s 2008 Oscars hosting gig was actually his second; his first time in 2006 wasn’t necessarily bad, but his delivery was off, and his time on the stage ended up passable but underwhelming. Second time around, Stewart had the difficult task of opening the Oscars after the Hollywood writers’ strike, which ended only 11 days before the ceremony. Not an enviable task, but it was one he pulled off with aplomb; his confidence helped his jokes about a post-strike Hollywood’s emotional state land (“Does this town need a hug,” he asks after listing “this year’s slate of Oscar-nominated psychopathic killer movies”) and he kept a playful tone throughout the night. Most notably, he brought back a then-19 Markéta Irglová so she could finish her acceptance speech after she and co-writer Glen Hansard won Best Original Song with “Falling Slowly.”
Worst: Jack Lemmon, Rosalind Russell, Jimmy Stewart, Bob Hope, and Donald Duck (1958)
The 30th Academy Awards had many hosts, and some of them were even great when left to their own devices. However, the Academy changed things up this year by introducing an animated host, with Disney’s own Donald Duck stepping in to help front the Oscars. Reportedly, the actors made of flesh and blood had a difficult time working alongside their animated coworker, and the show was awkward at best. Unfortunately for us, Donald Duck did such a poor job as a host that the Academy has scrubbed the internet of any clips of the seven-minute segment. As a result, we tragically can’t confirm how bad it was and without the official Oscars recap, we might not even know it even happened.
Best: Whoopi Goldberg (1994, 1996, 1999, 2002)
In 1994, Whoopi Goldberg made history as both the first African American and woman to host the Academy Awards. She proved herself more than capable of providing comic relief while handling more sensitive moments, as she handed over the Best Picture Oscar for Schindler’s List. During the show’s opening ceremony, the host famously called herself an “equal opportunity offender” before launching into a rapid-fire list of all the causes she supports. Many of the issues Goldberg brought up are still debated today, so it’s not hard to understand why she followed up the list by jokingly saying, “took care of everything, didn’t I? Including my career.” If anything, her first hosting gig helped her relationship with the Academy, and she was asked back for another three ceremonies.
Worst: Seth MacFarlane (2013)
Seth MacFarlane’s Oscars gig feels like an extended SNL sketch, which should’t be a bad thing, if this were actually an SNL skit. In the opening, William Shatner descends via a screen as Captain Kirk to warn MacFarlane he’s about to put on one hell of a bad show. Unfortunately, this attempt at a tongue-in-cheek joke falls flat when MacFarlane proceeds to put on a bad show. The promo could be interpreted as a poorly-delivered warning against sexism, as all of the celebrities featured are in on the joke, but then, MacFarlane just continues to be legitimately sexist by joking about women giving themselves the flu to look “good” for the ceremony, saying Zero Dark Thirty is about “a woman’s innate ability to never let anything go,” and making an awful joke about Chris Brown and Rihanna that I don’t even want to put in print. Hey, at least he proved he can sing!
Best: Bob Hope
Bob Hope is an Oscars legend who hosted the ceremony a staggering 19 times between 1948 and 1978. For many, Hope’s steady voice and deadpan one-liners were what made the Academy Awards so memorable for many movie lovers during those golden years. His comedic timing was always on point, and his jokes were funny without being mean (though not without controversy; many of them have aged poorly as one might expect four decades after his last hosting gig). For many of the hosts on this list, Hope is the hosting blueprint, self-deprecating (“I hope your favorite wins tonight, although I know mine won’t.”) and able to poke fun at the Academy without stepping on too many toes. In 1966, he was presented with a special gold medal for his Oscars services throughout the years.
Worst: Anne Hathaway and James Franco (2011)
Quite honestly, Anne Hathaway does not deserve to be on this list. She has done nothing wrong; in fact, her only crime during the 2011 Oscars was being too enthusiastic. James Franco and Hathaway make for an awkward pair in the best of circumstances and with millions of eyes on them during the broadcast, this was not the best of circumstances. Franco is incredibly low-energy compared to the wide-eyed Hathaway — it’s like watching your grade’s chill class clown give a class presentation with the overachieving president of the drama club. Even Franco isn’t necessarily that bad, it’s the combination of the two together that makes this one of the most painful Oscars ceremonies to watch. From Hathaway’s over-compensating line delivery to Franco’s poorly-received drag skit later in the evening, this is undeniably some of the worst hosting we’ve seen at the Oscars.
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You might think that in 2024, which marks an incredible 85 years since his comic book debut, every single type of Batman story going has already been told. Batman if he looked like the guy from American Psycho? They’ve done it. Batman teaming up with two Ezra Millers to talk about spaghetti? For some reason, they’ve done that too. And yet here comes Batman Azteca: Choque De Imperios to prove us wrong and make apparent that there are still fresh takes on the Dark Knight to be explored after all these decades.
A wholly unique DC animated movie, Batman Azteca will move the Caped Crusader out of modern-day Gotham City for once and drop him down into Mesoamerica. With DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran credited as executive producers, the film is believed to be the first of Gunn’s much-touted “Elseworlds” titles, those releases that fall outside of the continuity of the burgeoning DCU to tell self-contained stories set in their own, very different universes.
And Batman Azteca is certainly very different from any other screen iteration of the hero we’ve had so far. Here’s all you need to know about the Central American Batman you never knew you needed.
What is Batman Azteca: Choque De Imperios about?
Image via Warner Bros. Animation
English title Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires, the animated movie was announced back in June 2022, along with the release of some gorgeous promo art which unveiled our first look at the titular twist on the iconic character. As you would expect, Aztec Batman will be a wholly original interpretation of the Bat-Mythos, drawing from both historical events and characters and Mesoamerican mythology to bring its world to life. As the synopsis reads:
“In the time of the Aztec Empire, Yohualli Coatl — a young Aztec boy — experiences tragedy when his father and village leader, Toltecatzin, is murdered by Spanish Conquistadors. Yohualli escapes to Tenochtitlan to warn King Moctezuma and his high priest, Yoka, of imminent danger. Using the temple of Tzinacan, the bat god, as a lair, Yohualli trains with his mentor and assistant, Acatzin, developing equipment and weaponry to confront the Spaniard invasion, protect Moctezuma’s temple, and avenge his father’s death.”
Who is in Batman Azteca: Choque De Imperios?
Image via Warner Bros. Animation
The full cast for Batman Azteca has yet to be revealed at the time of writing, but nonetheless we know who’s playing the titular version of the flying rodent-themed vigilante. Narcos: Mexico star Horacio Garcia Rojas takes the lead as Yohualli while Omar Chaparro (Detective Pikachu) voices Yoka — a character that something tells us is this universe’s variant of the Joker. Álvaro Morte (Money Heist) portrays Two-Face aka real-life figure Hernán Cortés. José Carlos Illanes, meanwhile, voices another actual Spanish conquistador, Pedro de Alvarado (he’ll presumably turn out to be a Batman villain too).
We’re not yet aware who’s voicing Yohualli’s right-hand man, Acatzin, although it’s clear he’s the Aztec answer to Alfred. We also know that the movie will feature the likes of Forest Ivy (Poison Ivy) and Jaguar Woman (Catwoman), but their voice performers have likewise yet to be announced. By the looks of things, though, the film promises to end up with an all-Mexican cast.
Where and when could Batman Azteca: Choque De Imperios release?
Image via Warner Bros. Animation
Although it is typical for Warner Bros, to release its DC animated movies straight to digital and DVD, Batman Azteca is not a typical animated movie so it is actually being pitched as a streaming exclusive that is on its way to Max. While we don’t yet know exactly when it could arrive, the fact that HBO Max Latin America debuted a first-look image from the film (see the pic at the top of the page) indicates that the most unlikely Batman movie of the year — somehow even more so than dark musical Joker Folie à Deux — could hit streaming sometime in the first half of 2024.
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The Fantastic Four has stolen much of the attention of late, so let’s give a much-deserved moment in the spotlight to another MCU movie coming in 2025 that was just quietly moved up the slate. Don’t forget, Thunderbolts recently switched release dates with FF, so it’s now due to hit theaters May 2, 2025.
And that’s a pretty tall order considering that production is only just beginning, as per the end of February. Luckily, the cast is full of super-soldiers, so we have faith they can complete this daunting endurance test and bash out a blockbuster in little over a year. Although, having said that, one super-soldier might not report for duty as much as we thought…
Bucky Barnes’ Thunderbolts role may be way smaller than his fans are expecting
Photo via Marvel Studios
Are we going to be able to look at Bucky Barnes the same way again after we see Sebastian Stan play Donald Trump (in an upcoming movie about the ex-POTUS’ early years in business)? Well, the good news is we might not have to look at him as much as anticipated. Thunderbolts has always been discussed as an ensemble film but with Florence Pugh and Stan as co-leads. However, the Yelena Belova actress confirming she’s started shooting before anyone else has led to an alleged bit of intel claiming Stan is not the co-lead. In fact, he might be as low as the sixth most important character in the movie. Now that’s a bolt from the blue!
Marvel Studios reportedly planning to launch brand-new franchise in 2026
Image via Marvel Entertainment
It’s been said time and again that Marvel Studios is putting all its chips on the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, both of whom are making their grand entrances in the MCU soon, in order to bolster the flailing cinematic universe. So that’s why it’s so surprising that a new rumor claims that Marvel is set to launch a brand-new franchise in 2026 based around a character we haven’t seen in the MCU yet. Don’t get too excited that we’re about to get a, say, Nova or Alpha Flight movie just yet, as this is just a rumor and it’s as vague as they come (it’s unknown if it refers to a film or TV series), but it’s another encouraging sign that Marvel is on its way back up again.
Dave Bautista is so done with Drax, but he’s not necessarily done with the MCU
Photos via Marvel Studios/Remix by Christian Bone
Has Dave Bautista actually left the MCU? How can we be sure that he’s not been in every Marvel movie since Guardians 3, but he’s just standing so still that we didn’t see him? While we ponder that conundrum, Bautista has made it known that, while he’s definitely done as Drax and nobody can make him don that grey bodypaint again, he’s up for returning to Marvel to play some kind of “ominous villain.” If you ask me, this leaves the door open for him to replace Jonathan Majors’ Kang as the big bad of Avengers 5, but who knows what the studio’s plan is on that front. I’m just saying, the fans’ll never see it coming… mostly because he’s invisible.
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Sword Art Online may not be among the longest-running anime out there, but it has been pumping out content for over a decade, which is impressive in and of itself. Of course, this speaks to the series’ massive popularity, but also to its quality.
Following Kirito, this story is a staple in the life of any isekai anime fan that wishes to dive into a new world. Beloved for its colorful visuals, exciting action scenes, and compelling story, Sword Art Online continues to pull in new viewers to this day. It’s only natural, considering anime’s increasing popularity in recent years. Still, this may be a daunting series for folks to dive into, as several seasons and movies have been released over the years, and more yet to come.
Granted, watching an anime is fairly simple, as you can simply go through each season in order, without much worry about timelines. When we add films to the mix, though, things can get confusing. Thus, if you want to know how how many movies are in the franchise, what they’re called, and how to watch them, you’ve come to the right place.
How to watch the Sword Art Online movies in order
There are currently four animated movies in the SAO franchise, and while you’re free to watch them all in order of release, that’s not the best way to enjoy them. Each of these films have a place in the story’s timeline, thus, most fans will recommend that you watch them chronologically. To aid you in that process, here are all the movies listed in order:
Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night (2021)
Note: This is a retelling of the anime’s first arc from Asuna’s perspective.
Note: This is a recap of season 1 with some extra content.
Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (2017)
If you want to enjoy the entire series chronologically, with all the available anime seasons and films in the mix, you can also do so. In fact, some would argue that’s the very best way to go about it. Thus, make sure to watch everything in the following order:
Sword Art Online episodes 1-2
Sword Art Online Progressive: Aria of a Starless Night
Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night
Sword Art Online episodes 3-25
Sword Art Online: Extra Edition
Sword Art Online II
Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online season 1
Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale
Sword Art Online – Alicization
It’s worth mentioning that this list is in development, considering that SAO Alternative has a second season on the way, and there is a new movie project in the works. Hopefully it won’t take too long for them to be released, but until then, you can catch up on the franchise with Crunchyroll.
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The cast of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies is exceptional. A list of Hollywood’s most resounding names cherry-picked for their screen presence and ability to shoulder the massive weight of Frank Herbert’s source material. Jason Momoa fits the bill as few do.
The 44-year-old actor, who rose to fame on a similarly hefty book-to-screen adaptation as Game of Thrones‘ Khal Drogo, breathed life into the character of Duncan Idaho, House Atreides‘ most skilled soldier, pilot, and fighter.
What happens to Duncan Idaho in Dune?
Image via Warner Bros.
In the first film, we witness the close bond between Duncan and Timothée Chalamet’s Duke Paul Atreides, who sees the older man as an idol and a brother figure. He’s fascinated by Duncan’s account of his time living with the Fremen and asks to tag along on his missions.
When Arrakeen, the fortress stronghold on Arrakis and the Atreides’ new home on the desert planet, is attacked by the Harkonnens and the Emperor’s troops, Duncan is one of the few who manages to escape, taking an ornithopter (the insect-shaped helicopters of Herbert’s fictional universe) with him. He later rescues Paul and his mother Lady Jessica from the desert, taking them to a Fremen hide-out in an old Botanical Testing Station.
The Emperor’s elite military force, the Sardaukar, eventually finds them, and Duncan heroically sacrifices himself to save Paul. He takes on a large group of the universe’s strongest soldiers by himself, and holds out for an impressive amount of time, before eventually succumbing to his wounds.
In his short amount of screen time, Jason Momoa became one of Dune‘s stand-out performances as Duncan’s relationship with Paul provided a kind of comradery and vulnerability that is rare in Herbert and Villeneuve’s epic-scaled space opera.
Does Duncan return for Dune: Part Two?
No. Following his death, Duncan is not brought back for Dune: Part Two, not even via flashbacks. He’s barely even mentioned by name in the film, which is a shame considering how special his friendship with Paul was in the first installment. Nevertheless, his death is eventually avenged by the Duke-turned-Messiah and another important member of House Atreides, thought to be dead in the 2021’s Dune.
His now-iconic battle salute, which Momoa himself came up with as a nod to his son’s Kali training is, however, mimicked by Paul during one of the most intense battles in Part Two — a quiet yet powerful homage to a close friend. “That’s a Kali move, where you put your hand on your heart and put it on your head. That’s to Timothée in the movie, but that’s to my son in real life,” Momoa told IndieWire in 2021.
Those familiar with the source material know that, in the books at least, Duncan’s death at the Botanical Testing Station is not the end for his character. We will keep it as vague as possible so as not to ruin it for those who, unlike me, have successfully fought off their curiosity to find out what happens in Dune Messiah, but let’s just say we might see more of Jason Momoa in Arrakis yet.
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On paper, it was supposed to be a grand slam dunk. One of the most beloved brawling movies of all time in Road House, one of the best actors around in Jake Gyllenhaal and a company that was eschewing standard moviemaking in Amazon Studios.
Unfortunately, nothing turned out as anyone would have hoped. The director is boycotting the film and the original screenwriter is now suing Amazon Studios for copyright infringement. How did it all go so wrong?
Let’s start with the start: the original Roadhouse. Released in 1989, Roadhouse tells the story of James Dalton, a cooler hired to turn a raucous honkytonk club into a respectable enterprise. Played by Patrick Swayze with enough swag and sex appeal to fill a swimming pool, it’s an American classic. Oh, and Dalton has a black belt in karate AND a Ph.D. in philosophy.
The plot is fairly straightforward. Dalton annoys the wrong person when he fires a bunch of employees and in the process finds himself in the crosshairs of the town’s business tycoon and drug lord, named Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), who holds the town under his iron grip by using his henchman and intimidation. Dalton tries to improve the Double Deuce while Wesley tries to sabotage the club and kill him. It also stars Kelly Lynch as a love interest and Sam Elliot as a fellow bouncer.
The remake, which has gone through various actors and writers over the years, is set for release on Prime Video on Mar. 21. It stars Gyllenhaal as a UFC middleweight fighter who ends up working at a “roadhouse” in Florida. The movie supposedly follows some of the same story beats as the original. The original movie was written by R. Lance Hill, who goes by the pen name of David Lee Henry. This brings us to the lawsuit.
The ‘Roadhouse’ Lawsuit
This is where things get juicy. Hill filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement against Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios along with its parent company, Amazon Studios. He alleges that Amazon deliberately ignored his attempts to get back the rights to the screenplay because it would interfere with the company’s remake. He says Amazon put a deadline on finishing the film (Nov. 10) before the copyright expired and Hill would be able to reclaim his work.
Hill asked the U.S. Copyright Office to return the work to him after the rights expired in November 2023. Hill claims that Amazon didn’t finish the remake in time, due to the writer’s strike, until the end of January this year. The complaint says that the studio “steamrolled ahead with the production of a remake of the 1989 Film derived from Hill’s Screenplay.” To do this, he alleges, the studio used generative artificial intelligence to recreate actors’ voices and finish the film. If this is true, it would mean that Amazon broke the collective bargaining agreements of the strike with SAG-AFTRA and the Director’s Guild of America.
This lawsuit has huge implications for the future of Hollywood itself, and could very well set a precedent for how studios are allowed to use AI moving forward. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of them by the original authors of works like Friday the 13th and The Terminator. There’s a provision in copyright law that allows authors to reclaim the rights to their work after a period of time, generally around 30 years. This is of course bad news for studios who stand to lose rights to some of the most popular and lucrative franchises in movie history.
The lawsuit also says that Amazon used AI to finish the film at a “considerable additional cost” instead of honoring his copyright claim. An Amazon spokesperson released a statement denying the claims.
“The lawsuit filed by R. Lance Hill regarding Road House today is completely without merit and numerous allegations are categorically false. The film does not use any AI in place of actors’ voices. We look forward to defending ourselves against these claims.”
Hill wants damages and a court order that validates his November 11, 2023 claim on the work. Amazon Studios, he said, didn’t have “rights to make, produce or distribute the 2024 Remake or any other post-termination derivative work based in whole or in part on the Screenplay and/or the 1989 Film (as derived from the Screenplay).”
A lot of things could end up happening here, but most likely they’ll go back and forth for a while and then come to an agreement aka they’ll pay Hill enough money that he won’t care whether or not Amazon used AI or not. If he sticks to his guns and takes it to court, things could get interesting.
This fiasco is the latest controversy in a movie that’s just been mired in them. Before the lawsuit, the movie’s director got into it with Amazon over its release being streamed and not put in actual movie theaters. Director Doug Liman decided to boycott the film’s premiere because he claims the studio promised him the film would be released in theaters. He released a fiery statement saying that the studio “seems intent on burying” the movie in streaming and not on “the big screen where great movies and movie stars belong.” Studios should put up a sign, he said, that says, “TALENT BEWARE, NOT WELCOME HERE.”
Interestingly, Gyllenhaal recently was interviewed by Total Film and pushed back on those claims: “I adore Doug’s tenacity, and I think he is advocating for filmmakers, and film in the cinema, and theatrical releases. But, I mean, Amazon was always clear that it was streaming.”
Hill’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, argues that studios keep exploiting talent despite “the asset base of all major entertainment studios” being content. “It is time they respect the fundamental rights and artistry of creators on whose sweat and toil their empires are based.”
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There are so many stories to come out of World War II, and we’ve had so many adaptations of the real life heroism displayed during the war, that it’s almost difficult to believe there are war stories yet to receive attention. But Tyler Perry’s new film, Six Triple Eight, is set to tackle a story few have heard.
When will Six Triple Eight release?
There currently isn’t a firm date for when the film is set to be released, but Netflix’s Tudum has assured us that the film will be available to watch sometime this year. Well, that’s a pretty big time frame, and we don’t even have a trailer yet, so we’ll have to wait until that comes out first before we can get a more accurate release date.
The plot
The film will follow the true story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the United States’ only WAC (Women’s Army Corps) unit whose members were of women color. The 855 women were tasked with sorting through all the undelivered mail that had accumulated over the course of three years, and delivering said mail to soldiers on the front lines. All in all, there were 17 million pieces of mail to sort through and put into soldiers’ hands, and the 6888th Battalion accomplished their mission three months ahead of schedule, working under dangerous conditions, in segregated quarters, and without weapons.
The story of these women, and their efforts to raise the morale of soldiers far from home, hasn’t been as widely celebrated as it deserves. However, in recent years, the 6888th has seen greater recognition, having been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Joe Biden in 2022. Tyler Perry, who’s known for his work on both the big and small screen, promises to shine a light on these unsung heroes, and hopefully draw even more attention to their inspirational tale.
The cast
The film promises a cast full of talent with Kerry Washington, known for her roles in Scandal, Ray, and Django Unchained, taking the lead in an as of yet to be named role. The rest of cast is pretty stacked, with Ebony Obsidian, Susan Sarandon, Milauna Jackson, Sam Waterston, Kylie Jefferson, Dean Norris, Shanice Shantay Sarah Jeffrey, and even Oprah Winfrey.
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Warning: This article contains spoilers for Dune 2. Please proceed with caution.
Dune 2 is filled with some of Hollywood’s brightest names, and recently it was confirmed that Anya Taylor-Joy is yet another star who will be appearing in the second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s iconic novels.
Taylor-Joy joined the cast at the London premiere of the film and confirmed that she was in the movie on the red carpet. Although she didn’t say exactly what role she had taken on, there were a lot of people on social media who figured it out ⏤ and they were recently proven correct.
Her character is one that’s vital to the Dune world that Herbert so expertly crafted, but fans of the novel series will be aware that her appearance means there’s been a huge shift from the timeline in the novel. Who does Taylor-Joy play in Dune 2, and what does that mean for the series and any potential sequels? Scroll on, dear reader, scroll on.
Who does Anya Taylor-Joy play in Dune 2?
Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage
In Dune 2 (stylized as Dune: Part Two), Taylor-Joy will be taking on the role of Alia Atreides, the daughter of Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and the late Leto Atreides, and brother of Paul (Timothée Chalamet). She only has a minor role, as Alia is technically in the womb for most of the film (and a lot of the latter half of the first Dune book, which the film is being adapted from); however, she speaks near the end and is also revealed in a vision to Paul during the film (hence her name on the cast list).
In the Dune universe, Alia’s mother Jessica ingests sandworm bile (known as the Water of Life) in a ceremony to become the Reverend Mother of the Fremen, a role that can only be taken by Bene Gesserit like her. However, this has the effect of causing Alia to be born with all the memories of her ancestors. This also means she is born talking and aware of her surroundings. In the book, she does communicate with her mother, but is in the womb as an embryo the entire time. In the movie, however, she has a line in the final scene as Rebecca gives birth, asking, “What is happening, mother?” A little creepy? Sure. But also super cool.
Alia is vital to the plot of the following Dune books, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune, taking on the role of villain in the third. However, she doesn’t physically appear in Dune at all, nor in any of Paul’s visions in the first novel, making this a departure from Herbert’s books.
Does Anya Taylor-Joy being in Dune 2 change the plot from the novels?
Image via Universal Pictures
In some ways, Taylor-Joy appearing in Dune 2 is a change from the novels, but it could also be argued that it’s not that big of a shift in a lot of ways. Plus, by virtue of being split into two, the movie has already drifted away from the book.
One inarguable difference between the big-screen adaptation and its source material is the fact that this is a timeline change. In the book, there are around two years of fighting between the Fremen and the Harkonnens before it all ends, whereas in the movie this war takes place over nine months. This isn’t just confirmed by biology, but also the fact that Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) writes in her diary that it’s still 10,191, which is the same year that Dune (the first film) was set in. So, whereas Alia is over a year old at the end of the first book, in the film she’s only recently born.
Setting back the timeline a couple of years isn’t the biggest deal in the grand scheme of things, especially with the way that the Dune series spreads out over several years. After all, in the second book Alia is a teen who falls in love with a ghost clone of Duncan Idaho known as Hayt (which we hope means the return of Jason Mamoa). And, in the third book, she is an adult who becomes an antagonist after getting in touch with the memories of Baron Harkonnen, who her brother is fighting against in this film.
However, one major change that comes from this shift is the fact that Alia doesn’t kill the Baron in the film, which she does in the book (thus granting her the incredibly cool nickname Alia of the Knife). This is a bit sad, as the creepily aware baby killing Harkonnen is a pretty intense moment in the novel that would have been great to have on screen, but audiences who aren’t weirdly deep into Herbert’s lore will probably prefer the more narratively satisfying outcome of Paul doing it.
Other film adaptations have shown this moment, but they’ve also been much worse than Villeneuve’s, so we’ll let this one slide.
Does this mean there’s going to be a Dune 3? And will Anya Taylor-Joy be in it?
Image via A24
While Dune 3 has yet to be confirmed, it seems pretty likely that there will be another installment. The cast members all seem pretty keen on it and the money and great reviews are already rolling in, so the studios are likely to be on board, too.
If Villeneuve does make a third installment, it’s likely to be based on the second novel, Dune Messiah. Alia plays a huge role in this book, but she’s also a teenager, which means we’re likely to see yet another timeline shift, as Taylor-Joy is very much an adult woman. However, we don’t foresee this being a massive problem given the rest of the weird things that go on in the Dune universe.
What’s exciting for fans of the franchise is that Taylor-Joy is roughly the same age as Alia is in the third book, Children of Dune, in which the character also plays a massive part. Despite the director claiming he only wants to make a maximum of three Dune films, this casting of the Queen’s Gambit actress means that things are set up for a fourth adaptation. Add in a pile of money from the studio and a devoted fanbase and it’s not hard to see Villeneuve going back on his desire to limit this film series to a trilogy.
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Prime Video turning Red, White & Royal Blue into a film not only served to fuel the existing hype around the book that is yet to stop winning hearts, but also trained the spotlight on its lead stars, Nicholas Galitzine, and Taylor Zakhar Perez.
After watching the film, it is almost impossible on a cosmic level to curb the urge to know more about the two actors, especially Galitzine, who sends hearts swooning as Prince Henry and minds reeling as they try to deduce whether he is also gay in real life.
Well, yes, the actor plays the closeted British prince with exceptional finesse. But that’s not the only factor driving the query around his sexual orientation. It is a fact that Red, White & Royal Blue is hardly the first time Nicholas Galitzine has played an LGBTQ+ role on screen, prompting folks to wonder about the actor’s actual sexual orientation.
What other LGBTQ+ roles has Nicholas Galitzine played?
Yes, Galitzine’s many fans might prominently remember him as Prince Robert in 2021’s live-action Cinderella, and his more devoted followers will list the number of LGBTQ+ roles that precede his Prime Video stint — Conor Masters in Handsome Devil, Timmy Andrews in the reboot The Craft: Legacy, etc.
Also, the actor is set to play George Villiers King James VI of Scotland and I of England’s lover in the drama Mary & George, set to release sometime in April 2024.
Given Galitzine’s career trajectory so far, one question — further motivated by his sizzling chemistry with Perez in Red, White & Royal Blue — has been getting asked a lot…
Is Nicholas Galitzine gay and is he dating anyone?
Galitzine would hardly be the first actor to play LGBTQ+ roles regardless of whether he is gay, bisexual, or straight. But as the world keeps speculating, let us tell you that, so far, Galitzine has not made any public comments concerning his sexual orientation. In fact, in an interview with L’Officiel from October 2023, Galitzine discussed the difficulties of dating while gaining fame, mentioning that he had to part ways with prior girlfriends due to the obstacles of traveling all the time.
That being said, very little is actually known about his personal life or romantic relationships as he is one of the many celebs who like to keep their private life away from prying eyes. Regardless of his orientation, the young actor has certainly built a lifelong fanbase with a plethora of passionate followers, many of which are apart of the LGBTQ+ community themselves.
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The first two parts of one of sci-fi’s greatest epics will be out within days, but is that where the story ends? The incredible tale of Paul Atreides has been put to screen before, but never with the success Denis Villeneuve’s films have enjoyed.
Already, with the official release of Dune: Part II, people are clamoring for more, and more may be incoming. The Dune franchise is based around Frank Herbert’s novels of the same name, the first originally penned in 1965. What started as a single book gradually grew into a sprawling franchise, as Herbert, and later his son, expanded on the original with several subsequent releases. In total, there are more than 25 separate books to enjoy, ranging from full-blown novel to accompanying short stories and comics, and each of them further enrich the sprawling world Herbert created more than 50 years ago.
The first two Dune movies directed by Villeneuve span the entirety of Frank Herbert’s original book. A huge amount of content was released following that story, however, which invites the potential for quite a bit more Dune content in the future.
A third Dune film is entirely possible, and, it seems, quite likely. Villeneuve has expressed interest in putting out a Dune: Part III if Part II does well, and the film is already on track to vastly surpass its predecessor. With that in mind, chances are good that we’ll be getting another entry eventually. Part III will contain the story of Herbert’s Dune: Messiah, continuing the events of Part II with a broader, and more critical, look at the kind of power offered up by the story’s massive stakes, and its consequences.
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Kenneth Mitchell was a Canadian actor, known for his time on Star Trek: Discovery, as well as his brief stint in the MCU movie, Captain Marvel. Mitchell was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and made this news public in 2020, although the disease had already progressed to the point of him needing a wheelchair by 2019.
ALS is a terminal neurological disease that affects the nervous system and causes people to lose control of their muscles. It is degenerative, so Mitchell slowly lost control of his limbs, and then his voice. His family shared an obituary post to social media following his death, which included a poem penned by Mitchell detailing how he wants to be remembered by his family and friends.
Who did Mitchell play in Captain Marvel?
Image via Marvel Studios
The 2019 superhero origin story of Carol Danvers featured a very talented cast, including Kenneth Mitchell who played Joseph Danvers, the superhero’s father. We see his character in one of the many flashbacks of the movie that show Carol getting her memories back.
Joseph Danvers was somewhat hard on his daughter, as he and his wife tended to favor their son, Carol’s older brother Steve, over their younger child. In the flashback, we see him yelling at her for her repeated participation in sports which he deems dangerous and unsuitable for her because she is a girl. However, this doesn’t faze Carol or cause her to lose her nerves. Instead, we see her channel his words as well as the words of everyone else who didn’t believe in her at multiple points in the movie.
Mitchell’s portrayal of Joseph Danvers wasn’t too different from his comic book counterpart, though some details about his character were not explored in the movie. For example, Joseph Danvers in the comics was a former Navy officer and a widower when he met Marie, Carol’s mother. Another change the movie made was making Carol Danvers fully human, unlike in the comics where she is half-Kree due to her mother being Kree. The comic version of Joseph Danvers had to deal with the realization that his wife was an alien and later came to accept Carol’s powers.
Mitchell’s role in the movie, though small, was memorable, though his family has shared that his work is not what he will be best remembered for. In the obituary, it was written that while Mitchell played a host of characters during his career, he will be best remembered for his passions and interpersonal relationships.
The emotional write-up touched on his five-year struggle with ALS and how he was able to maintain his joy and positive outlook on life despite it. The obituary detailed his many passions and strengths, particularly emphasizing his dedication to fatherhood and family. Mitchell is survived by his wife, two children, his parents, and a brother.
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