(Photo by Fox, AMC, HBO,BBC America, Syfy)
The oldest show on our list, I Love Lucy, which started airing in 1951, starred Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo, who brought humor to every struggle — even if they were often self-made.
Our list also pays homage to young heroines like Midge Maisel (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Betty Suarez (Ugly Betty) and fresh characters like Regina King’s Sister Night in Watchmen and the women of The Mandalorian played by Ming-Na Wen, Katee Sackhoff, and Rosario Dawson in some of the newest shows on TV and streaming.
Have a look at a few of our favorite fearless females on TV, then head to the comments to tell us which female characters inspire you.
(Photo by CBS. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Yes, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo infamously slept in separate beds on I Love Lucy, but the depiction of an interracial marriage on TV (the very first) was radical enough. And that wasn’t all: Ricky played straight man to Lucy’s irrepressible and mischievous spirit, as she bounced off the edges of the television set with wild schemes and even wilder facial expressions and comic timing. The show may have been in black-and-white, but Lucy brought the color.
(Photo by Paramount. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Writer and producer Gene Roddenberry’s original Star Trek TV series was responsible for numerous firsts, but Nichols’ position as one of the first black woman in a leading role on TV inspired a generation. Nichols told Rotten Tomatoes she feels “honored” to have been a part of a visionary show and about that time Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “ordered” her not to quit the series.
(Photo by CBS. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Mary Richards was a smart, sassy, independent, modern professional who young women in 1970 looked up to and saw as a friend and sister, as well as a model for future career women. Headlining her own series, Moore was admirable in her own right, after having enjoyed fame as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
(Photo by CBS. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
The creation of psychologist William Marston, Amazon princess Wonder Woman (a.k.a. Diana Prince) was given the seal of approval by his wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, also a psychologist and her husband’s collaborator. Patriotic, loving, and strong, Wonder Woman leaped from comic books, where she started in 1941, to television screens in 1975, serving as a unique TV option for young girls more accustomed to seeing Batman and Superman portrayed in live action.
(Photo by NBC. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
No-nonsense mom Clair Huxtable was a lawyer and the rock of her family. She represented a black middle-class too often overlooked in early television, entering the living rooms of people of every race as a model of both motherhood and career woman. Her fearlessness manifested itself in her unapologetic confidence as a professional and co-head of the household.
(Photo by NBC)
If you want an indication of the cultural potency that Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy Sbornak (Bea Arthur), Rose Nylund (Betty White), and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) enjoy to this day, just turn on your TV: seemingly at any time of day, on a number of cable channels, you will find the four women sat there in their wicker-heavy living room or noshing in their kitchen, swapping zingers about money, Reagan-era politics, or life in St. Olaf. While all four women are tropes, the genius of the show – and the incredible performances at its center – was that all had depth and tenacity, and their bond was of a kind that all viewers, regardless of gender, wanted with their own pals and confidants.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Courtesy Everett Collection.)
Springfield’s pointy-haired do-gooder and moral center of TV’s longest-running primetime show, Lisa Simpson has been through it all over her 30 years on our screens (and eight years of life): She’s launched her own Malibu Stacy rival; become president of the United States; maintained her staunch vegetarianism while living in a home of people who refuse to “make friends with salad”; and fended off the persistent advances of Milhouse. She is TV’s ultimate feminist icon.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
From the start of their association, FBI agent Dana Scully was most often playing her A-game while it seemed her partner, Fox Mulder, was still sifting through the sandbox. Sure, there really were aliens in that sandbox, but Dr. Scully’s scientific approach proved the truth that was out there, however out-there that truth was. She was as potentially lethal as she was wicked smart.
(Photo by Everett Collection.)
Seriously, who even remembers TV’s Hercules? (OK, we kinda do – but mostly because the Kevin Sorbo–starring ’90s show was where we first met Lucy Lawless’s Xena ahead of the character getting her own spin-off that ran for six seasons from 1995 to 2001.) We love Xena for her ferociousness, her can-do and do-good spirit, her “Ayiyiyiyiyi” battle cry, and her many-college-theses–launching companionship with sidekick Gabrielle.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Courtesy: Everett Collection)
To be a Buffy fan 2021 is to be conflicted – under close examination, through a modern lens, it’s been hard in recent years not to see that the series’ often inspiring feminist messages and its game-changing positioning of the victim/damsel as ass-kicking vamp-hunting hero lived alongside problematic relationships with race (not a single significant character of color until the final season), LGBTQ issues (see its use of the dead lesbian trope), and even the feminism for which it’s been long hailed (Buffy kicks ass, sure, but is also hugely dependent on the not-great men around her emotionally). And then there were the recent accusations from Charisma Carpenter (who played popular girl Cordelia Chase, who ultimately evolves into a hero in her own right) – backed up by several cast members – that the show’s creator and one-time geek hero, Joss Whedon, was an emotionally abusive orchestrator of a toxic environment on Buffy and spin-off Angel. And yet: For decades now, the women of the Buffyverse – Buffy herself (Sarah Michelle Gellar), powerful witch and former timid nerd Willow (Alyson Hannigan), reformed demon Anya (Emma Caulfield Ford), good-hearted Tara (Amber Benson), younger sister finding her voice Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), and Cordelia – have been sources of inspiration for their intelligence, bravery, growth, and yes… ability to kick ass. That they’re lately inspiring conversation about the complicated relationship we sometimes find ourselves in with our pop-culture heroes, with the actors leaning into the conversation and largely coming out in support of Carpenter, shows a different kind of heroism equally worth applauding.
(Photo by NBC)
In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit, led by a fierce woman who is singlemindedly focused on bringing perpetrators to justice. Olivia Benson is so inspirational that her crusade for victims has spilled over into Mariska Hargitay’s real life: The actress is a leading activist dedicated to ending the rape-kit backlog and has helped fight for sexual assault survivors with her Joyful Heart Foundation, now 15 years into its mission to change society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.
Super-spy Sydney Bristow had a wig collection to die for and the world’s coolest job at Credit Dauphine, which was not actually a boring bank but the front for what Sydney thought was the CIA. But once she learned the truth — that she was not working for a black-ops CIA division but actually part of an alliance working against the U.S. government — she became even more badass as a double agent trying to take down the bad guys and also figure out what the hell a Renaissance inventor named Milo Rambaldi had to do with it all.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
In war, the survivors are not always the winners of the battle, and the story of Firefly is the story of some of those losers. Zoe, a former corporal in the Independent Army, travels through space as the second-in-command to Captain Mal Reynolds of the Serenity. Whether battling cannibalistic human Reavers or having Mal’s back in smuggling negotiations with the unsavory elements in areas outside of the Alliance’s reach, Zoe proves herself again and again as a warrior to be reckoned with — if you dare.
(Photo by SCI-FI. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Some corners winged when they found out that “Starbuck” of Ronald D. Moore’s reimagining of the 1978 sci-fi series would be a woman. But Katee Sackhoff left no question about her abilities as the hard-drinking, mercurial fighter pilot. Her female costars — Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin, Grace Park as Sharon “Boomer” Valerii/Number Eight/Sharon “Athena” Agathon, Tricia Helfer as Number Six, and, later, Lucy Lawless as D’Anna Biers/Number Three — also left and indelible mark on the face of sci-fi. The series, in fact, takes top spot in our list of the 100 Best Science Fiction Series of All Time.
(Photo by Warner Bros. Television. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Inside, the petite blonde private investigator — along with her pitbull sidekick Backup — is a gooey marshmallow. On the outside, however, she’s a tough-talking, sarcastic student eager to solve any cases her rich high school (and then college) classmates send her way, from missing mascots to murder.
(Photo by ABC)
Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) is the “dark and twisty” heroine of our dreams. Since the show’s 2005 inception, we’ve seen Meredith grow from an uneasy surgical intern to a self-assured, award-winning leader in her field — and watched Pompeo become one of the highest-paid actors on TV to boot. Grey’s also launched Sandra Oh into the spotlight through her character Cristina Yang, a tough-as-nails heart surgeon whose ambition knows no bounds. The duo quickly became one of TV’s most lasting friendships, and even coined the iconic phrase “you’re my person.” Their mentor, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), fiercely modeled tough-as-nails leadership as well as feminine strength and vulnerability. Then there’s Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary), Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), and not to mention Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) — basically, Grey Sloan Memorial is chock full of tough women who save lives on a daily basis. What’s more fearless than that?
(Photo by ABC)
After America Ferrera joined the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but before she taught you How to Train Your Dragon or charmed us into an impulse buy in her Superstore, she was fearless Ugly Betty, a bright but style-challenged woman who starts her career in the unlikely role as a personal assistant at a high-fashion magazine. Based on a Colombian telenovela, the four-season series presented an intelligent underdog paddling for her life in shark-infested workplace waters. Besides her smarts, Betty Suarez’s superpower was her tenacity.
(Photo by NBC)
You get the sense there’s not a whole lot of distance between 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon and the woman who created and plays her, Tina Fey – especially if you’ve read the latter’s bestselling autobiography, Bossypants. And either woman would qualify for this list. Like Fey once did, Lemon works as a head writer on a major network sketch comedy show, juggling deadlines, egos, and a personal life that’s far less glamorous and much more relatable than what we usually see in glossier, NYC-set comedies. She fearlessly deals with the likes of overbearing boss Jack Donaghy, as well as her series’ impossible lead stars, and shows while you may not be able to “have it all” – Career! Kids! Love! Fulfillment! – you can do good work, forge strong friendships, and keep us cracking up as you try.
(Photo by AMC)
In the sexist world of Mad Men, AMC’s ’50s-set ad-industry drama, Peggy and Joan were beacons of female ambition. Peggy was observant and cunning, while Joan was brash and unapologetic. The characters were flawed and made bad decisions, but would rise from the ashes of their self-immolation to reach again for the brass ring so often denied to them. Their stubborn refusal to stop their respective career climbs in the face of adversity became a most admirable shared quality.
(Photo by Victoria Will/AMC)
Who can slice through mobile meat sacks with the greatest of ease? These women! Who watches friends and family die, but still returns to the fight? These warriors! Who fights zombie hordes week-after-week seemingly without breaking a sweat? The women of The Walking Dead. Maggie (Lauren Cohan), Michonne (Danai Gurira), and Carol (Melissa McBride) are just three of the female characters who’ve proven their zombie-whacking prowess on the AMC horror series over its nine-season run. It must feel good to be so badass…
(Photo by Showtime)
Though Shameless managed to continue for a bit without Rossum’s Fiona Gallagher, there’s no denying from anyone who’s ever watched the series that she was the heart and soul of both the Gallagher family and the show. And though her final season seemed hellbent to bring her down a peg or two — not that she was ever on easy street, as this is Shameless — nothing could change that fact.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Think what you will about the inclusion of Cersei (Lena Headey) on our list — the woman has mad survival skills, as do the rest of Game of Thrones‘ still-standing (for now) female characters: Sansa (Sophie Turner), Arya (Maisie Williams), Brienne (Gwendoline Christie), and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). Let’s not forget the B-team of Missandei, Meera, Yara, Ellaria, and little Lyanna Mormont. And we’ll pour one out for Catelyn, Ygritte, Margaery, Osha, Myrcella, Shireen, Ros, Leaf, Irri, Talisa, Tyene, Obara, Nymeria, Septa Mordane…
(Photo by Showtime)
Nobody’s perfect, and Claire Danes’ Carrie Mathison certainly suffers from her share of inner demons — not to mention bipolar disorder — but that doesn’t stop her from being one of the most consistently effective intelligence agents in TV history… and a mother. Carrie regularly goes above and beyond what’s asked of her, frequently putting herself directly in harm’s way, to make sure her team gets what it needs. Is it a little reckless sometimes? Sure, but without risk, you don’t get the kinds of results she delivers, and you don’t get the kinds of results she delivers unless “she” is Carrie Mathison.
(Photo by ABC)
Political operative and sometime puppetmaster Olivia Pope captivated audiences as the head of her own Washington, D.C., crisis management firm for seven seasons. The Shonda Rhimes series gave Pope a complicated love life with fictional U.S. President Fitzgerald Grant III as her heart’s commander in chief and a non-stop, harrowing career path. Washington presented a character made up of equal parts resolve and grace, giving young women everywhere a role model despite her occasional missteps.
(Photo by Lacey Terrell / HBO)
Spouting sharp one-liners from the mind of Armando Iannucci (Google the dildo croissant line immediately) and imbued with incomparable fierceness by gazillion-time Emmy winner Louis-Dreyfus, Selina Meyer is one of the most terrifying politicians on TV. (Seriously, if it were between Meyer and that guy who got the boot from that Netflix series, we’d put our money on the former.) Yet for all the nastiness she can exude and the colossal mishaps that set her back, it’s easy to miss the point being made in this show: Meyer is rarely the cause of her failures. She’s surrounded by buffoons, mostly men, and is — as fearlessly as ferociously — trying to clean up the messes they create and get to where she knows she belongs.
(Photo by James Minchin/FX)
Yes, being a Russian spy is a pretty big crime — but does it compare to the felony of not giving Russell a Golden Globe or Emmy for her portrayal of The Americans’ Elizabeth Jennings? Like, not even once over the course of six years in which the show was Certified Fresh for every season and during which time critics were lauding her work as one half of the clandestine “all-American” couple that was secretly squirrelling away secrets for the USSR and occasionally brutally killing Americans who got in their way? Elizabeth Jennings is the ultimate anti-hero (sorry Walter, Tony, Don): a woman doing very bad things for what she perceives to be very good reasons – the well-being of her country and the protection of her family.
(Photo by Netflix)
Wright’s Claire Underwood may not be the sweetest woman on this list, but she makes a strong case as one of the most fearless. After all, few people — man or woman — would thrive under the kind of pressure she’s faced as the wife of Frank Underwood, and fewer still would have the nerve to leave Frank behind and re-emerge from the rubble of their relationship to become the most powerful person in the world. She’s ambitious, but she’s got the spine to achieve her lofty goals.
(Photo by BBCA)
Being a single mother tends to make you fearless, but imagine raising a precocious child while you try to get to the bottom of an international conspiracy. Maslany finally earned a well-deserved Emmy in 2016 for portraying not only Sarah Manning, but also every single one of Sarah’s Leda clones — including Alison, Cosima, Helena, Rachel, MK, Beth, Katja, Jennifer, Krystal, and more — who band together and use their unique talents to solve a mind-bending mystery. Her multi-layered performance is every bit as fearless as the Clone Club.
(Photo by FOX)
Diaz is an enigma. She loves leather jackets, motorcycles, archery, and Nancy Meyers movies (to the point that she will call you an “idiot” if you confuse Meyers for Nora Ephron). She’s also perhaps the one Brooklyn Nine-Nine character whose stories mostly always work no matter what pairing she’s put into. Oh, and she’s a bisexual icon. Diaz is, simply put, dope.
(Photo by Matthew Peyton / Comedy Central)
Yas queens! Twentysomething BFFs Ilana and Abbi are the true embodiment of the millennial hustle: Though they graduated from college into the less-than-supportive gig economy, the duo will stop at nothing to achieve their dreams in New York City.
(Photo by Starz)
Time-traveling wife Claire not only has to contend with the mind-blowing fact that she’s slipped 200 years through time from the 1940s to the relatively barbaric 1740s, but also that her husband’s doppelganger in that time is a twisted rapist. (In fact, the Starz series based on Diana Gabaldon’s book series has gotten some flack for its sexual assault plotlines.) But Claire endures, and endures, and endures — through violent attacks and the tragic deaths of loved ones. Nevertheless, she persisted.
(Photo by ABC)
High-powered lawyer and professor Annalise Keating delivers legendary monologues on a weekly basis while unapologetically defending herself against personal and professional attackers; defending her students like a mother lion; defending her clients like their lives depend on it — because they do — and in doing so, shines a light on real-world inequalities within the criminal justice system and educational institutions.
(Photo by The CW)
There are three generations of fearless Villanueva women on Jane the Virgin. Jane (Gina Rodriguez) is a writer, teacher, and a mom. Jane is often chided by friends and foes for being persistent, but that’s not a negative quality. She isn’t willing to sacrifice her high standards and falls in love fearlessly. Jane’s passion makes her who she is, and we love her for it. Then there’s Alba (Ivonne Coll), Jane’s abuela, who immigrated to the United States from Venezuela with her husband before her daughter Xiomara (Andrea Navedo) was born. Xiomara, Jane’s mother, lives in absolute contrast to her religious upbringing — she does what (and who) she wants, when she wants, and she’s a cancer survivor to boot.
(Photo by ABC)
In a franchise that has talking raccoons, hammer-wielding gods, and several varieties of green people, it’s hard for any regular human to stand out. But through resolve and determination in the face of some big comic-book events, Agent Peggy Carter made her mark. Atwell navigates the character through the 1940s, when it was uncommon to have women in the military at her capacity, juggling professional issues with Carter’s personal life, and creating a robust, complete portrait of a fighter in strange times.
(Photo by Fox)
Oh, yes, she did. She may back off every now and again if it suits her purposes, but Empire matriarch Cookie Lyon does not back down. And though not every move she makes is admirable, her ferocity and spirit should be taught in schools.
(Photo by ABC)
If you only know Wu from her role as Rachel Chu in Crazy Rich Asians, you are missing out. For five seasons, she has been delivering one of the most TV’s most hilarious and unsung comedic performances as Huang family matriarch Jessica, whose high standards for her kids, husband, and neighbors (poor Honey) drive most of the laughs and heart of the show.
(Photo by Eric Liebowitz / Netflix)
The 15 years Kimmy spent in an underground bunker maybe made her a little oblivious to the real-world dangers she should be afraid of, but that doesn’t automatically disqualify the fact that she approaches every new task, every impending adventure, with the kind of brazen gusto appropriate for someone whose life essentially skipped from age 14 to 29. Plus, we could all learn a little something from Kimmy’s unflappable can-do attitude.
(Photo by Netflix)
Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein are two of the funniest and toughest female characters on television. Not only did they start their lives over completely when their husbands left them (for each other), but they forged an incredible friendship in the process. And then? They started their own business selling vibrators geared toward older women. Together, the two polar opposites are unstoppable and an absolute joy to watch.
(Photo by The CW Network)
As Supergirl, Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) can fall into a lot of the same traps that people criticize her cousin Superman for. She sees a lot of things — if not everything — in black and white and often can’t see how her privilege makes her struggles as an alien minuscule to a lot of others’ struggles as an alien. But like her cousin, Supergirl is a beacon of hope (and wholesome badassery), and Kara Danvers is no slouch either. She loves musicals, donuts, and seeing Oliver Queen get cut down to size.
Meanwhile, her adoptive sister Alex (Chyler Leigh) led an entire government organization for two years, but pivoted out of that when her priorities changed. Now, she’s on the edge of becoming a superhero in her own right (something the show should’ve done sooner). Then again, it also introduced Nia Nal (Nicole Maines) and told her story of becoming Dreamer, the first out trans superhero on television. Like Kara, both Alex and Nia Nal are beacons of hope (in their own particular ways) and fearless to boot; in fact, both were featured in season 4 episodes about that very topic.
(Photo by Netflix)
In an entertainment world soaked through with male anti-heroes, Ritter’s turn as powerful, but flawed and often-reluctant do-gooder Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) feels fresh and needed. This is no Disney princess. She’s the ass-kicking, alcoholic BFF you never knew you wanted — and for her Jessica Jones BFF, Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), she is the one person willing to do everything to save her. Even if it meant putting Trish behind bars.
They are just two examples of the women who braved and sometimes conquered the New York of Marvel’s Netflix shows. Misty Knight (Simone Missick) was the best cop on the force and an even better force for justice when she had to leave the NYPD behind in Luke Cage and The Defenders. Elektra (Elodie Yung) brought the town under her heel for one shining moment in Daredevil, and while we never got to see much of Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) wielding mystical energies in Iron Fist and The Defenders, her final, full-power appearance still leaves us hoping we’ll see her and her sword return to another part of the Marvel Universe.
(Photo by FX. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
The 2010s have seen a number of reassessments of major 1990s tabloid figures; those who found themselves splashed across the front of the Enquirer in the morning and the butt of so many punchlines late at night are now being shown in a new light. Lorena Bobbit? Try laughing now that you know the real story. Wanna talk about that “blue dress”? Try watching a recent interview with Monica Lewinsky, campaigning against bullying these days, first. Marcia Clark, the prosecutor in the OJ Simpson trial, was for a long time known as the woman who let OJ go — and the woman with that hair. Ryan Murphy’s The People v. O.J. Simpson and Paulson’s portrayal of Clark in the limited series showed us the story behind the headlines, one about a talented lawyer working her ass off as her own department as savage media outlets worked to bring her down. (We will never forget the “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” episode.) Clark is now, rightfully, enjoying a career renaissance.
(Photo by WGN America)
Though the WGN America series unfortunately only got two seasons, it made the most of them, especially in its second season and especially when it came to the women of Underground. While we’re all eagerly awaiting Smollett-Bell as Black Canary in the Birds of Prey feature film, her work as runaway house slave–turned–beacon of hope Rosalee should never be forgotten. The second season also introduced Hinds as Harriet Tubman, giving one of the best (and criminally under-praised) performances of 2017 — to the point where an entire episode (“Minty”) was “simply” Tubman giving a speech to a crowd.
(Photo by Netflix)
Who can stop a truck with her bare hands and down a full box of Eggos for breakfast? This mystery girl, who first caught our attention — and that of three Hawkins boys — when she appeared on our screens in Netflix’s Stranger Things in 2016. As she’s settled into Hawkins life, “El” (played in a star-making performance by British actress Brown) has proven herself the town’s most resourceful defender against the dangers of the Upside Down. And dammit if we don’t cry every time she even looks at Hopper.
(Photo by John P. Johnson/HBO)
Sure, they’re killer robots, but should we hold that against them? Each achieved a moment of transcendence in which they broke the binds of servitude. As metaphors go, robots busting up a slavery ring makes for excellent TV and some stellar female anti-heroes — or are they heroes? We’re still figuring it out.
(Photo by HBO)
As a Los Angeles thirtysomething navigating personal and professional relationships alongside her BFFs, Rae portrays an everyday (yet sadly rare) kind of fearlessness: The kind required to confront your own decisions, good and bad, and move forward from them.
The three women of the Alvarez/Riera clan all bring a different brand of fearlessness to the table. Machado’s Penelope, a veteran who, in the show’s third and final season, successfully studies to become nurse practitioner, is a fighter who’ll do anything to keep her family strong. Gomez’s Elena bravely came out of the closet in the show’s first season, and showed similar tenacity for two more seasons thereafter. And Lydia – an incomparable and scene-stealing Moreno – laced her Cuban fabulousness with plenty of wisdom and heart. The three will be missed.
(Photo by Amazon Prime Video)
Addressing downer issues like divorce and glass ceilings with comedy sometimes may be the only way to address them, and Midge Maisel is making a career of it. Midge charges head-first into her problems with aplomb, and though her obsession with the circumference of her thighs may be disturbing, that she’s so hilarious while wielding the measuring tape allows her a pass for such quirks. The series has won eight Emmy awards so far, including Outstanding Comedy Series, multiple awards for series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for star Brosnahan providing ample validation for the series itself, as well as its chipper, outspoken, and, most importantly, funny lead character.
(Photo by Take Five/Hulu)
After the U.S. government was overthrown by a theocratic dictatorship, June lost her husband and daughter trying to escape to Canada and was forced into sex slavery as a “handmaid,” a forced pregnancy surrogate assigned to a rich and powerful family affected by a worldwide infertility plague. But although she was stripped of her identity and forced to go by “Offred” (or “of Fred” as the handmaid of Commander Fred Waterford), she never lost her will to live. She discovered her daughter was still alive and will stop at nothing to save her, her newborn daughter by the commander’s chauffeur, and the rest of the women oppressed under the totalitarian regime.
(Photo by Adam Rose/Netflix)
Samantha navigates racism and discrimination at a predominantly white Ivy League college. A college radio DJ, she has a platform that both elevates her message and often exacerbates her problems dealing with social injustice and bias, while also juggling her social and academic lives — all of which she does fearlessly, even when fear is her biggest challenge of all.
(Photo by CBS All Access)
Since its start in the 1960s, the Star Trek franchise has grown both in size and in socio-political philosophy. Part of that growth hit streaming service CBS All Access in 2018 with season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery, which focuses on the struggles of a female crew member of its starship with male captains playing a supporting role to her main storyline. Martin-Green’s Burnham is the thread connecting an otherwise ensemble cast that features Yeoh as both earnest, upstanding Captain Georgiou and her indomitable alt-universe counterpart, Emperor Georgiou.
(Photo by BBC America)
TV’s most recent and most glorious odd couple has got to be the whack-job assassin central to BBC America’s Killing Eve, Villanelle, and Eve, the dutiful MI5 security officer chasing her. Created by Fleabag genius Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the series’ first season is Certified Fresh at 96%, and season 2, due April 7, looks on track to repeat that stellar Tomatometer performance. What makes these two characters so fearless? Their cat-and-mouse game for one, but also that they keep switching off in the cat and mouse roles, keeping audiences both engaged and appreciative.
(Photo by Jeff Weddell/Netflix)
Netflix’s iteration of Sabrina the Teenage Witch is decidedly much darker than the ’90s kid-TV version. Kiernan Shipka’s Sabrina is powerful — and not just because of her witchy abilities. This teenage witch looks death and darkness in the eye, and always trusts her intuition. There’s absolutely no quiver in her voice when she confronts a swarm of threatening witches at the start of the series. Sabrina refuses to give up her powers or sign her name away to the Dark Lord (i.e., the devil). She’s not about to let the underworld’s patriarchy control or undermine her.
(Photo by Colin Hutton / © BBC)
The story of Doctor Who — a time-traveling extraterrestrial lifeform who acts as a sort of space-time cop, battling intergalactic and alternate-universe threats and occasionally regenerating — took what is arguably its most profound turn yet with its 13th doctor. For the first time since the iconic British sci-fi series began airing in 1963, the Doctor regenerated as a woman. Whittaker took on more than just a staple of British pop culture when she agreed to play the role, but also its rabid fan base (for both good and bad). So hats off to the Doctor and her new adventures, as well as the brave woman who accepted the gig.
(Photo by © 2020 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.)
The Mandalorian brought three amazing women into its second season. Although we met Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) in the first season, we really only saw her brilliance in a battle and her sense of honor recently – and after watching her take out some Imperials, we definitely want her in our squad. Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), meanwhile, made such an impact that we’re ready to follow her into flames to liberate Mandalore … even if her claim to the throne is currently shaky. And while Ahsoka Tano was already a fan favorite from animated Star Wars shows, her first live action appearance (in the form of Rosario Dawson) revealed a seasoned Force-user whose stories we will follow religiously.
(Photo by The CW)
Whether saving all of reality, throwing a bachelorette party across time, or finding their purpose in life, the women of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow are the key reason to watch the show. Each of their journeys allowed them to be, at various times, broken, zany, ill-prepared, tactical geniuses, and heroic. Not that it always happened in that order or leads them to the same end state. Charlie (Maisie Richardson-Sellars) found her peace and left the team. Zari 1.0 (Tala Ashe) accepted the world she came from no longer exists and stepped aside so Zari 2.0 (also Ashe) could become the hero she was meant to be. Meanwhile, Sara (Caity Lotz) and Ava (Jes Macallan), opposites in almost every respect, found cooperation and love with each other. Also, they ended up leading the team!
(Photo by The CW)
Although Ryan has only been on the job a few months, she’s already shaking up our perceptions of a Caped Crusader. We’ll be honest, we were worried when we first heard she would be “from the streets,” but that perspective proved to be more illuminating in terms of story and indicative of what happens when someone approaches superhero-ing with empathy regarding to reasons behind most crime – even if she still needs to fight the truly corrupt. Also, her life experiences gave her such an unexpected confidence in the suit that it now seems like she was always meant to wear it.
(Photo by ABC/Jennifer Clasen)
By virtue of seeing them to the end of the S.H.I.E.L.D. story, one of the most striking elements of Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet) and Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) as characters is the way they became better by knowing each other. When we met them, Daisy – then called Skye – was youthful chaos while May was the absolute model of precision. At the same time, though, both had closed off great aspects of themselves for reasons revealed over the course of the program’s first four years. By the time they ended up 90 years in their own future, they were equals in terms of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and by the time the series ended, equals as women and adoptive family. Their journey to become more open and confident (in ways others than you might expect) may not have been the program’s main story, but it is one of its most rewarding.
(Photo by Michelle Faye/Wynonna Earp Season 2, Inc./Syfy)
First and foremost, Wynonna is the hot mess you want in your corner. Always passionate and protective of those she loves, she is also, somehow, the same woman who walked back into Purgatory a few years back to raise literal hell. When the chips are down, she’ll get good and drunk before gathering herself and finding the courage to fight against the darkness. She’ll also be surprisingly funny in the midst of that doubt spiral. But that mixture of irreverence, irresponsibility, and, ultimately, perseverance is why we want her on our side and why we’ll always fight for her.
(Photo by Colin Bentley/The CW)
By the end of Arrow’s run, Star City was filled with women any superhero team would love to add to their roster. Whether quick with the quips like Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards), great in fight like Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) and Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy), or born for the job like Mia Smoak-Queen (Katherine McNamara), each was a full-fledged hero whether or not they wore costumes or if their costumes varied wildly in different realities. And considering how dreadful some of the realities they visited could be, they are also all remarkably well self-possessed. Yes, even Felicity. It took a certain strength to raise a daughter far from friends knowing she will become the Green Arrow one day. It also took equal amounts of gumption and vulnerability for Laurel – a villain from a different Earth – to put her past behind her and grow into someone Dinah could forgive for killing one of the few people she ever loved. And though we never got to see the full story, we imagine Mia had a special fortitude to put up with Laurel and Dinah when they moved to her time in 2040.
(Photo by The CW)
In the most recent seasons of The Flash, Iris, Caitlin, and Killer Frost have all gone on journeys underscoring a certain fearlessness among them. For Iris, it was building her own newspaper, actually staffing it, and going after a story so big, its effects are still being felt. Caitlin’s journey saw her not just accepting her powers came with a different, wilder personality, but that Killer Frost had the right to be her own person even if they share the same body. Frost, meanwhile, took the opportunity Caitlin gave her to learn how to be a whole person with vulnerabilities, responsibilities, and even tact (well, sometimes).
(Photo by CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX)
For the Hargreeve sisters, overcoming fear was the only way to become better people and better siblings during their time away from the 21st century. In Allison’s case, it took the form of joining the 1960s Civil Rights movement without allowing her reality manipulation powers to do most of the work. Vanya’s faced a different challenge: forgiving Allison for convincing her she had no powers when they were children. Of course, losing her memory when she first arrived in 1961 and finding a caring, non-Hargreeve family might’ve helped. Nevertheless, for Allison to reach a point where she could help Vanya and for Vanya to reach a point where she would not just accept it, but smile about it is the greatest show of strength either has made to date.
(Photo by The CW)
Whether moving to a new town in Nebraska, learning how to fly, or convincing people that being better is worthwhile, Courtney’s courage is wrapped up in a surprisingly sunny optimism for a teenager who supposedly grew up on Southern California. Nevertheless, it makes her a compelling lead as it proves to be infectious among the friends she makes and the viewers at home. And if you recall how hard it was to get club in high school off the ground – or for that club to make the simplest decision – Courtney’s ability to resurrect the Justice Society of America with an handful of outcast teens is a superpower in its own right.
(Photo by The CW)
Anissa is fearless in her causes, whether she supports them as herself, the superhero known as Thunder, or the street vigilante and sometimes freedom fighter called Blackbird. Living with one superhero persona is hard enough – just ask her sister Jennifer – but two requires a special sort of fortitude just to recall who each identity has met and how many people know the secret about both, one, or neither. And that’s on top of caring for her girlfriend, who until very recently was in a coma. Nevertheless, Anissa gives a lot to what she believes in. Jennifer, meanwhile, took a longer road to accepting her powers and the desire to use them for the common good as Lightning. It’s still not easy, what with her mother asking about the SAT and a dubious social media presence, but at least she has a sense of purpose now. Contrast this with just a few years ago, when her fondest wish was just to be “normal.” That may just be the natural arc of a teenager, but it is still nonetheless heroic.
(Photo by History)
Vicious when necessary and as fierce in her passion as protecting her clan, Vikings’ lead matriarch set the standard for female warriors in Michael Hirst’s six-season saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his savage brood, based on the true story of the 9th-century Danish king. By the time she said goodbye to the series in the last season, she was worshiped as a goddess by her people — and TV fans everywhere.
(Photo by Fox)
Series creators J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman conjured a late 2000s answer to The X-Files heroine Dana Scully, who Fox lost after nine seasons on TV in 2001. (She would later return for a two-season revival.) Dunham was the FBI muscle of the Fringe universe, however; leaving the scientific side of the search for whatever truth was out there mainly to her somewhat untrustworthy consulting partner Dr. Walter Bishop and his son Peter.
(Photo by Jill Greenberg / © Warner Brothers / Courtesy: Everett Collection)
Why on Earth would Sarah Connor trust a Terminator? She wouldn’t, which is one reason Cameron Philips doesn’t reveal her true nature until absolutely necessary to save teenage John Connor’s life. When his killer mom and the 2027-era Terminator team up, John’s smothered in a protective cocoon of fearless women.
(Photo by Syfy)
Each of this space opera’s principal female leads kicks major ass in her own way: Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper), an equal partner in ownership and operation of the Rocinante and brilliant engineer with a heart of gold; Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), the foul-mouthed planet leader who mops the floor with condescending politicians; Bobbie Draper (Frankie Adams), the former Mars Marine Corps. Gunnery Sergeant who now uses her very particular set of skills to help save the solar system; and Camina Drummer (Cara Gee), the Belter captain and former security chief who later makes a living as a space pirate.
(Photo by Amazon Prime Video)
She’s a teenage assassin with major daddy issues. When they cooked up Hanna in the lab, they broke the mold – sort of. In this Amazon Prime Video adaptation of the feature film, we come to find out that Hanna isn’t alone; she was part of a legion of designer killers raised from birth. With special training from her father, however, she may be the deadliest.
(Photo by Netflix)
Amidst the magical creatures of Netflix’s The Witcher, Ciri and Yennefer reign. In season 1, young Ciri was just learning about her deadly powers, while Yennefer journeyed from physically disabled farm girl to one of the realm’s most powerful sorceresses.
(Photo by HBO)
Angela works for the Tulsa police force as Sister Night in a world in which law enforcement officers don masks to hide their identities from racist extremists responsible for an attack on police. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ 1986 DC Comics series serves as the inspiration for Damon Lindelof’s HBO show set 34 years after the events of the comic series in the Watchmen alternate reality.
(Photo by Elizabeth Morris/HBO)
Battling monsters, racists, and dark magic, Leti holds her own in the mystical world developed by Misha Green for HBO. The horror series is an adaptation of the 2016 novel by Matt Ruff set in the 1950s about the mysteries of the town where writer H. P. Lovecraft set his stories.
(Photo by Charlie Gray/Netflix)
Chess prodigy Beth Harmon ignores the mores of 1950s and ’60s America and pursues her passion for chess as she grows from a precocious child to a striking young woman. Along the way, she becomes a chess champion and travels the world.
(Photo by Sabrina Lantos/FX)
FX’s limited series Mrs. America, about the campaign to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and the Phyllis Schlafly-led campaign block it, was teeming with strong women – some who used their powers for good, and a couple who, shall we say, did not. But among a raft of inspirational characters and the rich performances that brought them to life (Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem, Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug among them), it was Uzo Aduba’s Shirley Chisholm – the first African American Congresswoman and the first Black major party candidate to run for President – who stood out. The series, and Aduba’s embodiment of the determined and unbowed politician, brought Chisholm’s achievements once more into the public eye, sparking a renewed interest that might have just nudged forward the announcement of upcoming biopic Shirley, which will star Oscar winner Regina King.
(Photo by Disney+/Marvel Studios)
It might have been Agatha all along, but it was Wanda and Monica who gave viewers two very different types of compelling heroes to root for in Disney+’s first MCU series, WandaVision. With Wanda (Olsen), well, it was complicated: While her grief – and some skillful manipulation from outside forces – turned her into a psychological terrorist of sorts, holding an entire New Jersey town hostage under her mind-control powers, she ultimately overcame herself and her enemies, discovering and embracing new levels of power and making an ultimate sacrifice for good. (Did she take enough responsibility for the terror she unleashed? We will leave that to the dozens of think pieces asking that question across the Internet right now.) For Monica, the S.W.O.R.D. agent following in her mother’s footsteps who was always a step ahead of her superiors in working out the Hex and its implications, it’s less complicated. An unambiguous hero imbued with new powers at the series’ end – and an exciting path forward via the upcoming Captain Marvel 2 – the only real question was whether Monica was robbed of her moment to truly shine in her MCU debut.
(Photo by CBS)
At the center of two of the most compelling and complicated legal dramas of the last few decades are two of the most compelling and complicated TV characters to ever pass the bar. Both start their respective series, CBS’s The Good Wife and its Paramount+ spin-off The Good Fight, at low points: Wife’s Alicia Florrick (Margulies) at the side of her husband as he confesses to adultery during a packed press conference; in Fight’s first episode, Diane Lockhart (Baranski) has lost her fortune in a scheme and her hopes for the future (Trump has just been elected). Watching as they fight their way back, rebuilding their careers and their lives, is a bumpy, thrilling, and inspiring ride – one punctuated by plenty of whiskey (for Diane) and generous glasses of red (for Alicia).
(Photo by Netflix)
The title of this article says “fearless” – not “good.” Nor “decent.” Nor “exhibiting behavior we recommend you emulate.” And so it is that these two exemplary antiheroes and sometime murderers join the ranks of the Golden Girls and Wonder Woman, celebrated – or at least cautiously admired – for their ruthlessness in taking care of business in male-dominated criminal worlds. Wendy Byrde’s (Linney) journey from go-along-with-it wife of embezzler Marty (Jason Bateman) to deal-making leader of the family business is a brutal delight to witness. Meanwhile, scene-stealing Garner made Ruth Langmore – foul-mouthed, calculating, but ultimately caring leader of the rough-and-tumble Langmore clan – a formidable favorite from day one.
(Photo by NBC)
She’s been the head of an FBI unit and a criminal profiler. She knows how to keep her own history as under wraps as possible. She has dealt with subordinates calling her “sir” because they don’t like answering to a woman. She’s faked her own death. She can banter with a criminal mastermind played by James Spader. She can crack a case in under an hour. In short, do not mess with Elizabeth Keen.
(Photo by Everett Collection)
An astrophysicist and member of the U.S. Air Force who eventually rises up the ranks to colonel, Samantha Carter has the perfect LinkedIn resume to get the attention of anyone putting together an elite team of officers to venture into space in search of alien life. A Gulf War veteran who is daring but pragmatic, she is also protective of her team and definitely someone you want on your side when exploring the unknown.
(Photo by Carole Segal for Netflix)
Dogged with no time for makeup and blowouts, Sarah Linden does not like letting cases go unsolved – particularly when the victims are women and even if they affect her own mental health. She will obsess over crime files and — probably rightly so — question everyone else’s police work until she finds out, say, how a 17-year-old girl came to slowly drown while trapped in the trunk of a politician’s car or how to stop a serial killer who is preying on young runaways.
(Photo by Netflix)
A no-nonsense small-town cop who has seen way too much hardship in her life (her daughter killed herself; her sister is a recovering alcoholic and heroin addict), Sergeant Catherine Cawood is not to be trifled with. Not by a punk kid loitering in broad daylight. Not by the idiot criminals planning a kidnapping. And certainly not by Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), the man who raped and impregnated her daughter.
(Photo by Netflix)
It’s the Wild West and women have to band together – particularly in a small New Mexico town like this Netflix miniseries set in an 1880s town where a mining accident claimed most of the men. The characters include Merritt Wever’s Mary Agnes, who is smart enough to know a bad deal from some greasy businessmen when she hears it, and Michelle Dockery’s Alice, a struggling single mom who is boss of her ranch. But the show is primarily remembered for its final episode. That’s when, sick of all the lies and bloodshed, the female characters and join forces, lock, and load inside the town’s hotel.
(Photo by Everett Collection)
The first female cyborg, Jamie Sommers could run fast and hear everything. She was also a pretty decent spy when she wasn’t busy teaching middle school. Sometimes, this included stopping a doomsday device. Others, it could mean fighting female robots or tracking down a bionic dog. She also makes time to find love and foster relationships outside of work.
(Photo by HBO)
It’s not every girl who gets to spend her childhood frolicking around Oxford and going on other adventures with her sidekick (or dæmon) pine marten before things get really weird. The quick-thinking (and silver-tongued) Lyra saves children from kidnappers, her father from prison and learns that maybe you shouldn’t trust adults. And that’s all before she crosses a portal to another world and finds all-new ways that she has to protect herself and learn who to trust.
(Photo by Netflix)
The women of Litchfield Penitentiary may be locked up, but they are not silenced. Over the course of the Netflix dramedy’s seven seasons, we saw characters like Danielle Brooks’ Taystee Jefferson, who negotiated with authorities after a riot and set up an educational system for inmates that would also honor Samira Wiley’s Poussey Washington, an inmate the system let down. There were also characters like Laverne Cox’s Sophia Burset, who fought discrimination and emerged from the prison as a prospering member of society, and Kate Mulgrew’s “Red” Reznikov, who might have had trouble on the outside but rose to power once incarcerated. And then there was Taylor Schilling’s Piper Chapman, who finally learned that she was no better than any of these people just because she came from privilege.
(Photo by Apple TV+)
Emily Dickinson was more than a recluse who kept her poetry mostly hidden from the world during her lifetime – and, in Hailee Steinfeld’s embodiment of her in the eponymous Apple TV+ series, one gets to see a modern take on what the writer’s life was like. Here, there’s twerking, romance with her sister-in-law, carriage rides with Death (Wiz Khalifa) and a natural inclination to fight her mother’s expectations that she marry a proper young man.
(Photo by Michael Parmalee / ©FX / Courtesy Everett Collection)
The category is … fearless! Introducing the eclectic group of performers who make up FX’s series about the New York City underground ball scene in the 1980s and ‘90s. Chief among them: Mj Rodriguez’s Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista, who is creative (and also scrappy) enough to pull together her own “house” (or support group) where she can “mother” (or mentor) “children” with overlooked potential like Angel (Indya Moore) – or one of her rivals, the imposing and persevering Elektra Wintour (Dominique Jackson).
(Photo by Richard Cartwright/ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Being so good at your job that you inspire a literary character is impressive enough, but Kate Beckett did it all while chaperoning Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), a man-child author who shadowed her at work to draw inspiration for his latest literary heroine, Nikki Heat. Even better: Once the dynamic with her charge sparked, she was able to learn from his unique perspective as well. (Then, of course, they fell in love. A tale as old as time.)
(Photo by ABC/Jack Rowand)
Fairy tale princesses were typically portrayed as damsels in distress — but not the versions from ABC’s storybook drama that ran from 2011 to 2018. No, the women of Once Upon a Time — including Lana Parrilla as Regina/The Evil Queen, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Emilie De Ravin as Belle, Rebecca Mader as The Wicked Witch — took on their traditional fairy tale roles, both good and evil, and turned those stereotypes around. Fun fact: OUAT was the first-ever Disney property to portray Snow White with a sword in hand. That’s pretty fearless.
Listen, things could’ve worked out pretty terribly for English teenager Alyssa, considering her partner in crime was a psychopath who wanted to kill her. But it was Alyssa who stepped up when she and James were in danger, and it was Alyssa who had the tenacity to keep going against impossible odds. Plus, she was darkly funny throughout their whole adventure.
(Photo by Sam Taylor / Netflix)
Not only are these two fiercely independent women used to taking care of themselves, but they’re also totally beyond buying into society’s internalized patriarchal values regarding sex and female pleasure. They know what they want and they know how to get it — but that hard outer shell can sometimes encase a gooey, vulnerable center.
(Photo by Anika Molnar/Netflix)
It takes more than courage to escape a sheltered life like Esther’s, having been born and raised into an insular Orthodox Jewish community in New York City. Despite the fact that she didn’t know any other way of life, she knew it wasn’t for her — and she risked everything to pursue the life she wanted.
(Photo by Beth Dubber/Netflix)
Not only did Detectives Duvall and Rasmussen solve a sexual assault case ignored by the male detectives who originally investigated it, they managed to bring justice to women across multiple states who had no closure surrounding their own traumatic assaults — and they’re both based on real-life people. Talk about fearless.
(Photo by Dean Hendler/NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection)
At first glance, Sarah Walker is a sweet, stunning girl-next-door type. That dazzling smile belies the fact that she’s also a blonde bombshell CIA agent with fierce fighting skills, serious smarts, and at least a half dozen aliases she can slip into at any moment.
(Photo by Jack Zeman / FOX)
As written, Athena Grant is a smart, badass LAPD Sergeant who is very good at her job. But thanks to the award-winning actor who plays her, she’s also kind, understanding, and layered. That means she helps save victims of earthquakes, highway collapses, serial bombings, human trafficking and much, much more, then goes home and finds time to be a kind, loving, understanding mom as well.
(Photo by Patrick McElhenney/FXX)
The characters of It’s Always Sunny can be ruthlessly mean — including (and sometimes especially) Sweet Dee, who can give just as good as she gets (and she takes a lot of crap from her coworkers at Paddy’s Pub). Ultimately, even if Dee doesn’t do the right thing in any given situation, she holds her own and shows viewers what the right thing actually is.
(Photo by FX)
After watching any season of Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology series it’s clear why he continues to work with the same troupe of actors year after year: they’re amazing. Whether up against villains real or imagined or embodying evil in some way, shape or form, the women of American Horror Story — Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Lily Rabe, Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Taissa Farmiga, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd and more — crush it every time.
Don’t see your favorite fearless female on our list? Tell us all about it in the comments!
Contributors: Erik Amaya, Jean Bentley, Jacqueline Coley, Debbie Day, Whitney Friedlander, Ryan Fujitani, LaToya Furguson, Sophie-Marie Prime, Joel Meares, Allison Shoemaker, Ashley Bissette Sumerel, Alex Vo
In our latest episode of Vs. we’re paying tribute to cinema’s greatest scream queens… by making them battle it out to the final reel! (To be fair, something each of them has some practice in.) It’s slasher icon Jamie Lee Curtis against sci-fi icon Sigourney Weaver against ghostface killer Neve Campbell against fisherman’s not-friend Sarah Michelle Gellar as we seek to crown horror’s ultimate portrayer of the “final girl.” How will the battle play out? Well, first we’re trapping them in a mansion with about 30 escaped-from-a-mental-hospital serial killers… Oh wait, no, not that, that would be illegal. We’re actually comparing their box office performance, Audience and Tomatometer Scores, and the quality of their enemies, and adding a bonus round for good measure. Will it be Ripley, Laurie, Buffy, or Sidney who lives to earn that sweet sequel paycheck? Watch along as Rotten Tomatoes Contributing Editor Mark Ellis breaks it down, then have at us in the comments.
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Thought it was too late for more Game of Thrones theories? You thought wrong. Check out Kit Harington’s latest fan theory debunking, some major Disney+ plans, and more of the week’s biggest TV news.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
One of the biggest deaths of the final season of Game of Thrones came when Arya Stark heroically killed the Night King. Though the internet exploded with the requisite cheering for the pint-size assassin that night, the next day a fan theory bubbled up that implied Jon Snow had whispered to his little sister to go find the villain and take him out. Kit Harington, who played know-nothing Jon Snow, called the theory “crap.”
“What, the big man goes and tells the little girl to go and [do it]? No thanks. That’s crap,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview about his Emmy-nominated season 8 performance. “She did it all on her own. It had nothing to do with Jon.”
He did wish that Jon had a hand in the Night King’s death, though.
“I was so happy for Maisie and Arya,” he said, but “I was secretly like, ‘I wanted to do that!’ Especially because I love fighting with Vlad, who also played the White Walker I fought at Hardhome. I’ve never seen a better swordsman. But it was a really great twist, and it tied up Maisie’s journey in a really beautiful way. Over the seasons, we’ve seen her build up these skills to become this hardened assassin, and she uses it all to kill our main antagonist.”
As far as Jon Snow’s fate at the very end of the series, Harington told the magazine that he thinks his character is living happily with the Wildlings beyond the Wall.
“Seeing him go beyond the Wall back to something true, something honest, something pure with these people he was always told he belongs with — the Free Folk — it felt to me like he was finally free,” he said.
Disney Channel has a picture-perfect plan for fans of its early 2000s series Lizzie McGuire: A rebooted sequel series with original star Hilary Duff and original creator Terri Minsky. The new series, which will debut on Disney+, will see Lizzie as a 30-year-old millennial navigating life in New York City. (And yes, the animated version of Lizzie will be back to bring some of Lizzie’s inner monologue to life.)
(Photo by Buena Vista Pictures courtesy Everett Collection)
Attention Halloween lovers in the Los Angeles area: Freeform is bringing back its Halloween House for a second year to celebrate the network’s annual 31 Nights of Halloween programming. Fans will be able to visit the Sanderson Sisters’ cottage from Hocus Pocus, the Addams Family living room, the spiral hill from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and plenty more photo ops. Freeform’s 2019 Halloween House will be located at the Hollywood Athletic Club, and this year’s 31 Nights of Halloween event will include staples Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and The Addams Family, as well as Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters 2, Scream, Scream 2, and Scream 3, among other iconic spooky films.
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The cast of the upcoming 28th season of Dancing With the Stars includes singers, athletes, TV stars, and more. Competing for the mirrorball trophy are country star and American Idol vet Lauren Alaina, supermodel Christie Brinkley, pop star Ally Brooke, recent Bachelorette Hannah Brown, Queer Eye lifestyle expert Karamo Brown, The Office’s Kate Flannery, NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, actor Kel Mitchell, NBA champion Lamar Odom, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek, and The Supremes singer Mary Wilson. Professional dancer pairings will be revealed on the season premiere, which airs Monday, Sept. 16 at 8 p.m. on ABC.
(Photo by HBO)
MTV is staging a mini Sopranos reunion on its upcoming VMAs telecast. Stars Drea De Matteo, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, and Vincent Pastore will present an award at the 2019 ceremony in Newark, New Jersey on Aug. 26. Other presenters include Ice-T, John Travolta, Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness, Rick Ross, Salt-N-Pepa, and US Women’s National Soccer Team champions Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger, and Ashlyn Harris among others.
(Photo by ABC/Matthias Clamer)
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Ming-Na Wen already has her next role lined up: The Mandalorian. The actress’ involvement in the live-action Star Wars series was announced at D23 on Friday, but no more details about her role were revealed.
The long-awaited live-action Cowboy Bebop series has found another star: Elena Satine has signed on to play Julia, “a sultry beauty with a voice to die for, the dream-like object of Spike Spiegel’s (John Cho) desire,” per Variety.
The Walking Dead star Christian Serratos will play the titular role in Netflix’s upcoming Selena: The Series, according to Vulture. The show follows the coming-of-age story of Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla, who was killed at 23 by a business associate. Per Vulture, the series is meant to last for two seasons and will begin production in Mexico next month. Jennifer Lopez famously played the singer in the 1997 biopic Selena.
Doctor Light is headed to Titans to terrorize the superheroes in season 2 of the DC Universe series. According to Deadline, Michael Mosley will star as the evil scientist who manipulates light to pursue his own criminal ends. The series returns Sept. 6.
Dame Harriet Walter and Danny Sapani have joined the cast of BBC America’s Killing Eve for the spy thriller’s third season, which has begun production in Europe. Laura Bell Bundy will recur on NBC’s choral comedy Perfect Harmony as Kimmy, a high school mean girl and rival to star Anna Camp’s Ginny.
(Photo by Justin Lubin/NBC)
The Good Place’s William Jackson Harper has signed on to star in Amazon’s adaptation of The Underground Railroad. He’ll play a freeborn black man who meets escaping slave Cora on her journey to freedom.
A new adult is moving to Riverdale to go head-to-head against a teenager: According to Deadline, Juan Riedinger will play Dodger, Archie’s nemesis, in the upcoming fourth season of the CW drama.
Carrie Underwood is set to host the 53rd Annual CMA Awards alongside “guest hosts” Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton in a celebration that will honor legendary women in country music. The award show will air live on ABC Nov. 13. Nominees will be announced on Good Morning America on Aug. 28.
NCIS: New Orleans will welcome CSI: NY’s Eddie Cahill in a recurring role, according to Parade.
Michael Beach is joining NBC’s Chicago P.D. as crime boss Darius Walker, a businessman/drug dealer/philanthropist “who uses his profits from his drug business to funnel back into urban communities and, literally, help innovative and ambitious young entrepreneurs,” showrunner Rick Eid told TVLine.
Steven Soderbergh’s latest project: A new film for the yet-to-launch HBO Max streaming service tentatively titled Let Them All Talk. The film, by Deborah Eisenberg, follows a celebrated author (Meryl Streep) who goes on a journey with old friends (Candice Bergen, Dianne Wiest) and her nephew (Lucas Hedges), who becomes involved with a literary agent (Gemma Chan). Production has begun in New York, and will continue onboard the Queen Mary 2 and in the U.K.
The second season of Amazon’s Homecoming has a new director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, who will also executive produce. Stephan James and Hong Chau are set to return to the thriller, with Janelle Monae headlining the season after Julia Roberts’ departure.
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The latest rom-com headed to the small screen: Serendipity. NBC is developing an hour-long series based on the 2001 Kate Beckinsale–John Cusack film, which followed two people who fall in love and are separated, then spend years trying to find each other again. Jonny Umansky is writing the TV version.
Sarah Michelle Gellar has signed on to headline Fox’s adaptation of the novel Other People’s Houses, a dramedy about nine people living in the “quiet, well-off Larchmont neighborhood of Los Angeles” told through the lens of social media, according to Variety. Gellar will also executive produce on the project, from Ringer creators Eric Charmelo and Nicole Snyder.
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Although TV has seen a resurgence of musicals in recent years, a series doesn’t have to be Glee or Smash (may they RIP) or Crazy Ex-Girlfriend to feature singing and dancing. In fact, the musical episode has a fine history of adding a little razzle dazzle to non-musical shows throughout the years — to both wonderful and disastrous effect.
Sometimes the format works, like in ABC’s fairy tale fantasy Once Upon a Time episode “The Song in Your Heart” (the network’s The Middle will also break into song in an upcoming episode), and sometimes it doesn’t, like the completely unnecessary late-season 7th Heaven episode.
Below, find a list of some of television’s most notorious musical episodes from non-musical shows. Which one is the best?
This week in TV news, the next America’s Next Top Model, Xena gets a reboot, casting news, and more!
Yesterday, WGN America screened its highly anticipated original series Underground at the White House as part of the White House Office of Public Engagement’s Black History Month event, “These Hallowed Grounds.” Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to President Barack Obama, provided opening remarks, and the premiere episode was lauded by attendees at the event. Prior to the screening, the Underground cast and creative team, including executive producers John Legend and Akiva Goldsman and stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge, Christopher Meloni, Alano Miller, Jessica de Gouw and Amirah Vann, participated in panel discussions in which they elaborated on the inspiration behind the escape thriller. Underground premieres Wednesday, March 9th on WGN America.
If you loved Will Smith’s I Am Legend up until its final chapters, you’re in luck; a decidedly different denouement can be found on the special edition DVD, our top pick for you home video enthusiasts. For more subdued thrills, the Oscar-nominated romance Atonement is also new to shelves; Disney’s delightful princess pic Enchanted offers even lighter fare. More adventurous moviegoers have magnificent critical bungles to dissect in Richard Kelly’s science fiction Southland Tales, Guy Ritchie’s crime pic Revolver, also new this week.
I Am Legend – Two-Disc Special Edition
Tomatometer: 68%
While Will Smith‘s last-man-on-Earth pic broke box office records last December and proved yet again that the erstwhile Fresh Prince is worth his salt as an action hero, the final scenes of Francis Lawrence‘s adaptation (from the Richard Matheson novel) left many viewers cold. But Warner Bros. has the ultimate treat for those of you who left the theater shaking your heads: a wildly different alternate ending on the Two-Disc Special Edition of I Am Legend that might just redeem the theatrical cut’s last-act inanity. The muscled Smith acquits himself well as the last remaining survivor of a global outbreak, tromping the empty streets of Manhattan by day and battling the vampiric infected by night while slowly going crazy from loneliness. Catch the usual special features on an accompanying DVD-ROM, but again, the real reason to pick up this release is the film itself — and its bonus alternate ending.
Tomatometer: 82%
Keira Knightley and James McAvoy star as young lovers torn apart by a single, devastating lie in director Joe Wright‘s stunning epic romance. When rich and beautiful Cecilia Tallis (Knightley) gets caught in a clinch with her childhood friend, Robbie Turner (McAvoy), their love must withstand a false accusation by Cecilia’s young sister, Briony (Saiorse Ronan) then prison, war, and separation. Wright’s critically acclaimed period pic — the epitome of the prestige piece, and movingly executed — is at once romance, mystery, war film and character drama, all set to Dario Marinelli‘s Oscar-winning syncopated, symphonic score. Deleted scenes, featurettes on adapting the Ian McEwan novel and making the film, and a commentary track by director Wright complement the release.
Tomatometer: 93%
The limitation of classic Disney films like Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty has been that, while perfectly…enchanting within the confines of their animated worlds, such stories couldn’t possibly translate with real actors. (Besides, where would you find real mice and birds that could sew Cinderella’s dress together without making a mess?) Enter Enchanted, Disney’s stab at a live-action princess movie complete with animal friends and impromptu singing; with the lovable Amy Adams as a cartoon heroine come to life in dirty, real-life New York City, the Mouse House gamble proved lucky. Critics liked the film’s relentlessly cheery sensibility and self-aware Disneyfications; we like a good blooper reel on any DVD release. Extras include Carrie Underwood’s music video for “Ever Ever After” and behind-the-scenes featurettes for two of the film’s Oscar-nominated songs.
Tomatometer: 34%
Not a single American film in the past few years has piqued as much curiosity, or as much critical debate, as Richard Kelly‘s Southland Tales. A huge-scaled futuristic-philosophical romp about fate in post-nuclear Los Angeles starring the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott, Justin Timberlake, and half the cast of Saturday Night Live, Kelly’s sci-fi opus was either an artsy, ambitious endeavor or simply the sophomore slump inevitably following Kelly’s similarly divisive Donnie Darko. Yours truly was in the infamous Cannes audience when Kelly unleashed his behemoth upon the world and will be among the obsessed watching the DVD over and over for any clue as to what he was thinking; alas, no explanation by way of director commentary appears on this initial disc.
Tomatometer: 13%
Fans of author Susan Cooper’s children’s fantasy series The Dark Is Rising will likely be disappointed, if not downright outraged, by this big-screen adaptation of her second book. Why? Try skipping the first novel entirely and making a number of story alterations, the most obvious of which is Americanizing the 14-year-old protagonist. But critics say that even the uninitiated viewer should be wary, lest subpar computer graphics, a boring script, and a fantasy yarn that is decidedly un-fantastic — about a teen plopped into an ancient battle between good and evil — is your idea of a good time.
Tomatometer: 16%
In his latest film, Guy Ritchie tackles gangsters and criminals — shocker, right? But Revolver, his last film since the disaster that was Swept Away, is more than just an uber-Brit shoot-em-up starring Jason Statham…ok, so it also stars Statham (who made his name in early Ritchie films Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch). And it was a critical and commercial disappointment (just like Swept Away). That’s partially because Revolver, like Ritchie compatriot Matthew Vaughn‘s Layer Cake, is an existential kind of gangster thriller — perhaps over-indulgently so, say scribes. Con man Jake Green (Statham) leaves a long prison stint to seek revenge on the man who put him there (Ray Liotta). Throw in gambling, hitmen, Andre “3000” Benjamin, a blood disease, supposed Kabbalah references, and philosophical musings galore, and you’ve got one heck of a mess — just the latest in Ritchie’s filmography before his next crime pic.
Thus concludes our latest round-up of new releases. Remember your Latin: “Nam et ipsa scientia potestas es.”
THE SMURFIEST SMURF SMURFIE EVER SMURFED IN SMURFEATERS
News of a all-CGI Smurfs movie made the news cycle a few years back, but I think it was quickly dismissed as one of those curious announcements that we would never actually see made into a movie (like say, a live-action Transformers movie. Oh wait…). Well, the thing is actually happening, and footage of it from some big Smurfs shindig in Europe has appeared online, in French. The CGI imagery mostly appears at the end of the clip, and the guys at Coming Soon have done some screen captures for your browsing ease. Obviously, this is very early work, but right now, the Smurfs sort of look like VeggieTales characters, but that could just be a symptom of the work not being done yet. Maybe they’ll look like Smurfin’ Beowulf by the time they’re done, heh.
TIM BURTON’S ENTIRE MOVIE CAREER HAS BEEN BUILDING UP TO THIS
Walt Disney Pictures announced a revamping of their release dates for the next few years, and the list included a date (March 19th, 2010) for Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton‘s take on the Lewis Carroll classic, which will combine performance capture (think Beowulf), live action and the wonders of digital 3-D. Linda Woolverton, who wrote Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and cowrote The Lion King is adapting this second Disney adaptation of Alice. In a sense, Tim Burton already made his own sort of Wonderland movie in Nightmare Before Christmas, with its wide variety of holiday-based fantasy characters. The funny thing is that if you try to imagine a “gothic” take on Alice, like what you might think Tim Burton would do, there already exists something like that, which is American McGee’s Alice, a video game from several years ago, which is perhaps slightly dated (graphics wise), but is still visually stunning and sort of awesome. There is not just the game, however, but also Universal Pictures’ plans to adapt McGee’s game into its own gothic-hued Alice movie, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as an all-grown-up Alice who returns to Wonderland to find it even more twisted and disturbing 20 years later. That Alice project has been bubbling through development for nearly a decade now, but I suspect the allure of beating Burton’s movie to the punch might just get it started again soon, with Burton’s movie 23 months from release.
COMIC BOOKS, VIDEO GAMES, ACTION FIGURES… AND NOW BOARD GAMES
Universal Pictures and Hasbro announced a deal this week to adapt at least 4 movies based on Hasbro properties in the next six years, with the goal of the first one coming out in 2010, and there being at least one a year every year after that. Hasbro’s properties are quite vast, and apparently at the top of their target list are Monopoly (already announced as a project for director Ridley Scott!), Battleship, Ouija, Clue (a new movie, not a sequel), Stretch Armstrong (at one time in development as a Jackie Chan movie) and Magic: The Gathering. The possibilities are quite extensive, as you’ll see if you follow the subidiary links on Hasbro’s Wikipedia page. For example, in addition to Magic: The Gathering, Hasbro also owns Dungeons and Dragons, and all of those great campaign settings, like Dragonlance, Planescape and Ravenloft. The Milton Bradley board games also have several concepts that are as good for big budget movies, I suppose, as say a Disney theme park ride or Jumanji (Candyland and Hungry Hungry Hippos, in particular). Of course, we’ll probably just end up getting a Mr. Potato Head movie starring Tim Allen that opens in late August and is forgotten by Labor Day.
AKIRA: AN ANIME MOVIE SO AWESOME IT HAS TO BE REMADE WITH REAL ACTUAL PEOPLE… HUH?
These days, whenever I hear about movie remake projects that were (A) pretty good the first time around and (B) claim to be truer adaptations of the original material than (A), the first thing that pops in my head is Stephen King‘s The Shining TV mini-series from about 10 years ago (it was that long? wow.). Now, admittedly, it was Stephen King’s novel, and I guess he felt like his original vision warranted getting made, but this new thing of his was supposed to compete in some way with Stanley “Freakin” Kubrick’s masterpiece of horror? And so, Leonardo DiCaprio is producing a two-movie live action adaptation of the original six Akira manga books, the first half of which was adapted in the late 1980s as arguably the greatest sci-fi anime movie ever, ever, ever. We know Akira is the greatest because of what they say about imitation and flattery, and 20 years of anime movies and TV shows have flattered it A LOT. It’s unconfirmed whether DiCaprio will actually act in the movies (although there is a well-reported rumor that he would play Kaneda, the sort-of main character, the leader of a motorcycle gang). What is confirmed is that the setting will be “Neo Manhattan” (Americanizing the “Neo Tokyo” of the books and anime movie), and that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be playing Tetsuo, the young man with the ca-razy, big-exploding-bubble-at-the-end-of-the-movie, psychic powers who is the other sort-of main character (the titular Akira is important but not a protagonist/antagonist in the traditional sense). The director (Ruairi Robinson) and writer (Gary Whitta) are both new to Hollywood feature films, and Warner Bros hopes to release the first half of the adapation in the summer of 2009, possibly right around the same time Joseph Gordon Levitt will also be seen in theaters as Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe.
2012: THE END OF THE WORLD AS ROLAND EMMERICH KNOWS IT
As 1999 gave way to 2000, and then 2001, etc., it seemed like all the paranormal “experts” out there started adjusting their doomsday scenarios a bit. Now the world wasn’t supposed to end last week, it was just a few more years yet. A favorite target is 2012, which is reportedly the end of the Mayan calendar, and therefore, the target date for all sorts of big bad mojo, hocus pocus, allakhazam, etc. And so, Roland Emmerich, who has built his big budget blockbuster career around various doomsday scenarios (aliens in Independence Day, big lizards in Godzilla, global warming in The Day After Tomorrow, etc), announced this week that his next project would be called 2012 (which Internet people pretty quickly figured out was connected to the Mayan calendar… thing), and it was up for sale to the highest bidder. That studio turned out to be, not soon after, Columbia/Sony, which will release it sometime in the summer of 2009, giving us about two and a half years to prepare for whatever terrible fate Emmerich predicts for us.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
Roland Emmerich isn’t the only high profile type director in the apocalypse game, though. M. Night Shyamalan‘s new movie, The Happening, comes out this June 13th, 2008, and the first trailer recently appeared in theaters and online. The slightly hilarious thing, though, is that about a week before *that* trailer, a completely different trailer appeared online, which basically gave away the “twist” of the nature of the big bad apocalyptic thing that’s “happening.” You have to imagine that Shyamalan probably had a mild heart attack when he saw the big reveal given away in the trailer, and hence, the yanking. Anyway, if you want to watch that trailer with a knowledge of what the movie is about, here in spoiler space (click and scroll) it is: Some sort of a new biological life form is spreading, causing people to be obsessively compelled to commit suicide, sort of a “Lemming Effect”. Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel‘s huge, gorgeous eyes star.
WOLVERINE AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS
X-Men Origins: Wolverine lit up the movie news sites nearly every day this week, as a large ensemble cast was trickled out in dribbles and spurts. What we’re left with a week later is a cast that looks more and more like the movie should be called Weapon X or even X-Men 4, as it includes nearly every character ever connected in the X-Comics in any way to Weapon Plus or the Weapon X program, and a few that weren’t. Where to start? Well, first off, there is Danny Huston, who will be playing the younger version of Stryker (Brian Cox) from the second movie (keep in mind that in the comics, Stryker wasn’t even involved with Weapon X). And then, there are the many, many Weapon X characters: Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber, replacing Tyler Mane with someone who is more “actor” than “wrestler/stuntman”), Silver Sable (Lynn Collins), John “Kestrel” Wraith (Will I. Am of the Black Eyed Peas) and Agent Zero (AKA Maverick) (Daniel Henney). Not part of Weapon X (traditionally) but also included in the cast are Gambit (Taylor Kitsch from TV’s Friday Night Lights) and “Barnell” (Dominic Monaghan, who played Charlie on Lost, and also played a recurring midget in a few movies back in the early 2000s. I KEED.).
The confusing thing about Monaghan’s character of “Barnell” is that the trades are saying that he has electricity powers, but the only Barnell in the Marvel universe is a mutant named Beak, who is a sad sack with the physical features of a bird (beak, chicken feet, feathers all over, the whole thing), without the expected ability to actually, you know, FLY. Beak is miserable and very sympathetic in a “zero to hero” way that Monaghan would be perfect for (let me admit right up front that Beak is one of my favorite new X-characters introduced in the last 10 years). So, why they’re saying he’s got a completely different M.O. is mildly bizarre. If they’re going to fake us out, you have to wonder why they would bother using the “Barnell” name. And, oh, yeah, there are also rumors that an extra has been seen sporting a huge fat suit as The Blob.
With all these potential enemies (or team mates of a sort) being announced, Wolverine’s biggest threat was also announced this week, in the form of the daughter of that “Achey Breaky Heart” guy, and the unstoppable juggernaut that is The Hannah Montana Movie. If her B.O. beats Wolverine’s B.O. on the 5/1/09 weekend, it will be a sort of generational milestone, I suspect. I would give Hannah Montana her own story, but ummm… I don’t really have much to say. I’ve seen commercials for the TV show, and it appears to be about a teenage girl who is secretly a Britney Spears type pop star. And it’s very popular with girls who were born after I received my Masters Degree. Oh hey, look, I actually did write a paragraph about Hannah Montana. So… NEXT!
WOULD YOU RATHER BE REMEMBERED AS EBENEZER SCROOGE, OR FRASIER CRANE?
Comedy director David Zucker (whose filmography started with Airplane! and most recently includes Scary Movie 3 & Scary Movie 4) has set his particular style of movie satire on tackling the Christmas genre, apparently, with plans of doing a modernized, Americanized adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, called An American Carol. Kelsey Grammer starred in a TV version a few years back as Ebenezer Scrooge, and so he’s been picked by Zucker to star in this version as well. I’m sort of reminded of how many times Patrick Stewart has played Scrooge (in a 1999 TV movie, and in several stage versions), and to this movie’s detriment (before it’s even made), of how great Stewart was as Scrooge. I’m pretty sure Patrick Stewart probably would not have signed on for Zucker’s movie, so… yay for Frasier.
WOULD YOU PREFER STOP! OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT… AGAIN!?
With the “chapter closing” movies for both Rocky and Rambo actually performing fairly well at movie theaters (as opposed to being double-packed as direct-to-video DVDs, heh), Sylvester Stallone appears to be setting his sights on repeating the magic with other movies he starred in 20 years ago. Next up? I don’t remember the character’s name, and I’m not inspired enough to look it up, but whoever he played in Cliffhanger? That guy. The sequel will be called The Dam, and I’m guessing it involves a dam.
WHY FIGHT THE STREETS? WHAT HAVE THEY EVER DONE TO YOU?
With lots of other fighting games (Tekken, Mortal Kombat, etc) getting live action movies going, a new Street Fighter movie is also on the way, with Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang on Smallville) being cast as the main character as Chun Li, and Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile), Chris Klein (American Pie) and Rick Yune (Die Another Day), also costarring. After a game gets already adapted as a movie that includes those four sacred words (Jean. Claude. Van. Damme.), can a second movie, even with a completely different cast and look for a new generation, ever hope to be as… well, whatever that movie was? Andrzej Bartkowiak (Exit Wounds, Romeo Must Die) is directing.
SHAKING OUT THE REST OF KETCHUP IN THIS WEEK’S BOTTLE
And that, as they say, was the week that was.
Greg Dean Schmitz
Do you have a scoop for Greg? You can contact him at http://www.myspace.com/gregdean88
Lee Pace may be the only man in Hollywood slowly building a career around associations with resurrection (see ABC’s Pushing Daisies). While rebirth certainly factors into his upcoming suspense thriller Possession ,Pace’s new film is decidedly darker than what you’ll find on prime time — Law and Order spin-offs not withstanding. Judge for yourself — here‘s the Possession trailer, exclusively on RT.
Possession tells the story of Ryan (Michael Landes), who’s protective of his errant brother Roman. Ryan’s wife Jessica (Sarah Michelle Gellar) tolerates her husband’s insistence in helping Roman, despite his intrusions on their personal lives. In an attempt to save Roman from what he thinks is a dangerous decision, Ryan races after Roman and the two are in a collision that results in coma for them both. When Roman survives, Jessica faces the tragedy of widowhood and the added trauma of an irksome brother-in-law, who’s overwhelmed by her husband’s memories. After the requisite appearances by priests, moody flashbacks and occasional chest-grasping (“What’s this I’m feeling?!”) the film is set to offer some decent suspense.
The trailer shows off some of the film’s moody lighting, the involvement of the supernatural, and clever camerawork contributed by directors Joel Bergvall and Simon Sandquist, the Swedish team that garnered attention for 2002 suspense thriller The Invisible. Adding to the foreign flourish is producer Roy Lee, the man behind J-Horror (you know, Ringu [aka The Ring], Ju-On [aka The Grudge] etc.), who’s got a reputation for “cannibalizing” J-Horror by taking the reigns on a US remakes himself. Possession, a remake of 2002’s South Korean release Addicted (aka Jungdok) follows this tradition. In recent years foreign horror has been pretty cache and the importation of horror from abroad (Vacancy, The Vanishing,
Funny Games) has proved an exciting asset to US Box Office. That alone makes Possession interesting.
Out on Leap Year (February 29), 2008, you can click here to see the Possession trailer.
The Southland Tales trailer is online, and Yahoo! Movies has it!
Director Richard Kelly‘s latest won’t hit screens until November 9, but with its huge, bizarre cast and skeptical-squint-inducing synopsis, it’s long been a subject of intense scrutiny from cineastes all across the Web. If this trailer is any indication, the movie is just as wonderfully weird as we’ve come to expect.
Don’t expect to come away from it with much of an understanding of what it’s all about, but you’ll get a look at The Rock, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Justin Timberlake, Mandy Moore, Seann William Scott, Wallace Shawn, and Jon Lovitz, in character. Click the link below!
Source: Yahoo! Movies
It’s got what might be the largest cast and most difficult-to-describe storyline of any major motion picture this year, so of course, Richard Kelly‘s Southland Tales is being observed closely by many film lovers as it gets closer to its November release date. FirstShowing has been down in the trenches all along, and is now offering some new details about Southland‘s trailer — and a pile of stills from the movie.
First, some background on Southland Tales, for anyone who hasn’t been following along. The film’s synopsis describes it like so:
Director Richard Kelly follows up cult favorite DONNIE DARKO with this sprawling epic about a futuristic version of Los Angeles that harnesses the power of the ocean to produce energy. The eclectic cast includes The Rock, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Justin Timberlake, Mandy Moore, and Janeane Garofalo.
Sounds a little strange — and it doesn’t even get into the appearances of Seann William Scott as twin brothers, Wallace Shawn as a villain named Baron Von Westphalen, a blond Jon Lovitz, and Kevin Smith as a legless vet. Oh, and a musical performance by Timberlake.
Clearly, this is one of 2007’s must-see films, and if you’re one of the people who have been anxiously awaiting the trailer, FirstShowing has good news — according to Richard Kelly himself, it will be surfacing on television and the Web during the first week of September. That’s just around the corner (check your calendars if you don’t believe us), but if you’re the impatient type, and are willing to settle for photos, follow the link below for a gander at some shots from the movie.
Source: FirstShowing.net
This is a brief one, but worth discussing regardless: According to Whedon.info, an anonymous "independent filmmaker" who had been angling to acquire the services of Sarah Michelle Gellar for an upcoming film recently had his hopes dashed when he received some disappointing news from Gellar’s management. To quote Mr. Anonymous Filmmaker:
"Unfortunately, yesterday we were informed that she wouldn’t be able to do it because there might be a clash with ‘Batman.’"
As with all things in life, consider the source; there’s the very real possibility that this is nothing but a bunch of unfounded hooey. On the other hand, with Maggie Gyllenhaal already on board to play Rachel Dawes, Gellar’s involvement would give the film two female leads — perhaps leading, as Cinematical has speculated, to the appearance of Bat-villain Harley Quinn.
This will need more corroboration before it’s really worth taking seriously, but anything that might keep Gellar from making another would-be horror movie is good news in our book.
Source: Whedon.info
Source: Cinematical
A half-dozen new soldiers enter the marketplace this weekend trying to topple the kingdom of "300" which has reigned supreme at the box office for the past two weeks.
Mark Wahlberg toplines the sniper thriller "Shooter," animated ninja turtles fight crime in "TMNT," and mutated zombies attack in "The Hills Have Eyes 2." In addition, moviegoers will get to choose from the kids adventure "The Last Mimzy," the sports saga "Pride," and the Adam Sandler drama "Reign Over Me." Holdovers should witness some large declines as these new pics all fight over the time and attention of ticket buyers. The box office may not have room for all to survive.
Seventeen years after shocking the film industry with a record March opening, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back but in animated form in "TMNT." The Warner Bros. toon features the voices of Patrick Stewart, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Ziyi Zhang and carries a PG rating that is friendly for kids. Given the violence, "TMNT" should skew more to boys and might even pull in those who grew up with the characters in the late 1980s and early 1990s. With all the R-rated films recently, there have not been too many choices for kids this spring. "The Last Mimzy" is the only new release that will provide direct competition for that audience. Bringing its turtle power to 3,110 theaters, "TMNT" may generate a bow of roughly $16M this weekend.
They’re back.
Hot off his recent Oscar nomination, Mark Wahlberg hits the big screen in the action thriller "Shooter" playing a former Marine sniper trying to clear his name after being wrongly accused of trying to assassinate the U.S. President. The R-rated film comes from "Training Day" director Antoine Fuqua and co-stars Danny Glover and Michael Peña. The film is banking on the starpower of Wahlberg who has been able to anchor hits in recent years. Late summer pics like last year’s "Invincible" and 2005’s "Four Brothers" opened to $17M and $21.2M, respectively, and brought in solid sales overall. "Shooter" is targeting the adult action crowd with appeal that will reach both men and women. Certainly "300" will play to much of the same audience and be a factor. Though no Damon or Cruise, Wahlberg has indeed become a believable action hero and is in a role that audiences will buy him in. Plus his Academy nod for "The Departed" has only increased audience respect for the former rapper. Opening in 2,600 theaters, "Shooter" might take in about $16M for the weekend.
Mark Wahlberg, playing a guy named Swagger, in a movie called "Shooter."
Last March, Fox Searchlight hit gold with the horror remake "The Hills Have Eyes" which bowed to $15.7M and grossed $41.8M overall. A year later, the sequel is born this time coming out through Fox Atomic, the studio’s new division geared towards young adult audiences with genre fare. "Eyes 2" once again is targeting the horror crowd with slick marketing hoping to lure in those seeking R-rated gore and violence. Plus the distributor is premiering the trailer to the upcoming fright sequel "28 Weeks Later" with the new "Hills" installment to help give moviegoers more for their money. Much of the audience for the first pic will probably return, although the sequel will face more competition as "300" and "Shooter" will both be drawing in young men. Attacking 2,500 theaters, "The Hills Have Eyes 2" could open to around $13M this weekend.
"The Hills Have Eyes, Too."
New Line studio chief Bob Shaye steps back into the director’s chair with the family adventure "The Last Mimzy" based on a popular short story. The "E.T."-like film about a boy and a girl who find a mysterious animal with mystical powers hopes to attract an audience of kids and parents, but will have to face some stiff competition from its studio’s former heroes, the Ninja Turtles. That toon should take away more boys than girls so "Mimzy" may end up skewing a bit more female. New Line hopes that much of the crowd that spent $75M and counting on "Bridge to Terabithia" will take a spin with this new effects-filled fantasy so sneak previews were held to help raise awareness and get buzz spreading. Still, a competitive environment will probably cut into its potential. Landing in over 3,000 sites, "The Last Mimzy" might gross about $12M this weekend.
"The Last Mimzy."
Targeting the African American audience this weekend is Lionsgate with its swim team drama "Pride" starring Terrence Howard. The PG-rated film will try to appeal to males with the sports saga and females with its human drama and half-nude muscular men. But Howard has not yet proven that he can open a picture on his own and "Pride" may not be the one to increase his future salary demands. "Remember the Titans" and "Coach Carter" both opened north of $20M and much of that was due to starpower. Plus Chris Rock found out last week that African Americans will not just show up for any film with a predominantly black cast. Diving into 1,518 theaters, "Pride" could swim to a weekend gross of about $7M.
Terrence Howard in "Pride."
Adam Sandler goes back to serious territory with the R-rated drama "Reign Over Me" playing a man whose life fell apart after his wife and kids were killed on 9/11. It’s no surprise Sony is releasing the film given all the cash the comedian has made for the studio over the years. Don Cheadle and Jada Pinkett Smith co-star. Given the subject matter, the rating, and Sandler’s Bob Dylan haircut, the actor’s core audience of immature young males will not be lining up this time. Remember "Spanglish‘"s $8.8M bow? Well, it could get worse for "Reign." After "United 93" and "World Trade Center," demand isn’t very high for yet another look at September 11. Given all the choices in the marketplace, adult audiences will be divided between many films so only a small slice might go this way. Debuting in 1,671 venues, "Reign Over Me" could open with about $6M.
Sandler and Cheadle in "Reign Over Me."
The mighty King Leonidas barely broke a sweat over the last two weeks in his box office victories. But the invading armies this weekend will pose a great threat to "300"’s rule. "Shooter" and "Hills" will provide the most direct competition. A 50% drop may be in order which would leave the Warner Bros. epic with roughly $16.5M for the frame and an impressive $157M in 17 days.
"Wild Hogs" may finally see a normal drop and slide by 40% to $11M giving Buena Vista $121M to date. "Premonition" should lose half of its audience and fall to $9M for a ten-day cume of $30M.
LAST YEAR: Spike Lee and Denzel Washington joined forces for the heist thriller "Inside Man" and found themselves at number one with a potent $29M opening. Universal went on to collect $88.5M domestically and $183M worldwide. The competing actioner "V for Vendetta" dropped from first to second with $12.3M falling 52% in its second weekend. Debuting in third was the horror flick "Stay Alive" with $10.7M on its way to $23.1M for Buena Vista. Rounding out the top five were "Failure to Launch" with $10.5M and "The Shaggy Dog" with $9M, both in their third weekends. Bowing in seventh place was the blue collar comedy "Larry the Cable Guy" with $6.9M leading to a $15.7M final.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
Its long, circuitous journey to the big screen is just about over, but those of you who just can’t wait another 10 days to get a good look at your heroes in a CGI half shell, we’ve got 62 images from "TMNT" for your immediate perusal!
The Kevin Munroe-directed "TMNT," hitting theaters March 23, features the voices of Mako, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Billy West, Patrick Stewart, Zhang Ziyi, and Chris Evans, pits the wisecracking, pizza-loving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their mentor, the wizened old rat known as Master Splinter, against their longtime enemies the Foot Clan, an evil industrialist, and a horde of ancient monsters.
CG’s come a long way…these turtles look way more ripped and ready for action than they did in either 2D or full body costumes.
Fighting in the rain ups the ante, but it certainly looks like Imagi Animation’s done it well.
"TMNT" hits theaters March 23. Click to see more photos!
Feast your eyes on the brand new official poster for "TMNT"! You know what that means — the heroes in a half shell are hitting theaters soon!
With the hard-shelled foursome of 1980s cartoon lore coming to theaters in a few weeks, it’s time to unveil the official poster for "TMNT"! If you were a fan back in the day, you’re probably a little curious to see how the revamped, slickly animated big screen version of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" will turn out. RT is pleased to bring you a first look at the "TMNT" poster art:
If you don’t already know, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Rafael and Donatello are coming in two weeks to save New York City from an evil industrialist (voiced by Patrick Stewart), battle their old ninja nemeses in the Foot Clan, and eat a lot of pizza. Old friends April O’Neil and Casey Jones are also on hand to assist the turtles, voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar and Chris Evans, respectively. Even Zhang Ziyi is in the mix as one of Shredder’s proteges.
You can check out the CGI action by watching the "TMNT" trailers here, and watch IGN Movies’ WonderCon interviews with director Kevin Munroe and producer Thomas Gray.
After 13 years, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are returning to the big screen. Unlike their previous three films, this time the turtles will be brought to life through computer animation. Rotten Tomatoes was invited to have a look at the new film, and talk with two of the principal creators; producer Tom Gray and writer/director Kevin Munroe of Imagi.
Author: Travis Fickett
The turtles have already seen a successful revival in the form of an animated series that began in 2003. This convinced Tom Gray, one of the producers of the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" movie, that it was time to bring the heroes back to the big screen. But this time, he knew things would have to be done a bit differently than the Turtles’ heyday in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
"To do the turtles in live action it would cost over a hundred million dollars," Gray said. "Doing it in CG is not only more economical, but we can do a lot in CG that we couldn’t do in live action."
The Turtles circa 1990, 1991, 1993
The footage shown in the preview reel was a testament to this fact. The movie looks big and the camera zips through tunnels and flies over a very nice looking digitally reproduced New York City. The look of the film, while computer generated animation, manages to maintain the feel of a moving comic book. There is a gritty texture to the art, but it never tries to go for the photo-realism of something like Final Fantasy. The stylized feel is partly due to the involvement of Art Director Simon Murton, better known for his work on live action films such as "The Crow."
While not a direct sequel of the previous three films, "TMNT" is also not a complete re-imagining. This is not an origin story, instead picking up with the turtles after they’ve had some experience and adventures. The story, conceived by Munroe and Turtles’ creator Peter Laird, begins with the Turtles in disarray. Splinter has sent Leonardo on a quest to South America, and when he returns he finds the Turtles broken apart and a new vigilante named "The Night Watcher" is patrolling the streets. Munroe and Laird felt that it was time to move on from Shredder and his Foot Clan, so a new villain will be making a debut in this film.
Along with the Turtles and Splinter, reporter April O’Neil and vigilante Casey Jones will also appear in the film. This time around, April is voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar while Casey will be voiced by Chris Evans, best known as the Human Torch in the "Fantastic Four" films.
"We fought for the turtles to be played by people who were not known actors," says Gray, talking about the casting process. However, for April and Casey it turned out that Evans and Gellar were both fans of the turtles and wanted to be involved. Patrick Stewart also voices a character and Laurence Fishburne is providing some narration. "We didn’t want to do the Dreamworks thing where everyone is a famous player," Gray added.
One unfortunate turn of events for "TMNT" was the death of legendary Japanese actor Mako, who lends his voice to Splinter. While Mako did record all of his dialogue for the film, he died one day after his involvement with the film was announced.
"His character stayed intact and it’s a really good performance," said Munroe. He’s a dad. There’s such a warmth to his character and a seasoned quality to his voice."
Because the turtles were at the height of their popularity in the late ’80s and early nineties, many of the original fans are now adults. However, with the new cartoon and toy line, there are many new fans in a much younger demographic. Gray and Munroe were asked how they were going to address this disparity.
"We wanted to take care of our fan base, first of all. Those are what we call "the alums" who were there with us in the ’90s. We wanted to make a movie that would be satisfying to them, push it a little bit without actually going into the PG-13. We don’t want to dumb it down with too much ‘cowabunga.’"
The fight choreography developed through working with the Hong Kong animation facility, where Chinese animators took the designs and direction from Los Angeles and turned them into full blown animated sequences. "We originally were going to bring in a fight coordinator," said Gray. "But at the end of the day we didn’t need it. The people in Hong Kong having grown up with Jackie Chan and John Woo movies, it’s in their DNA. They knew how to do choreographed fights! I was astonished."
According to director Kevin Munroe, "TMNT" is "The quintessential turtles movie; big and fun." He didn’t feel it was necessary to make one film for a younger audience and then use lots of inside jokes and innuendo for adults. Instead, the action and the relationships between the turtles will have a shared appeal for a broad demographic.
The question remains if audiences will eagerly embrace a new Turtles movie, but "TMNT" does seem to have a lot going for it. From the design of the characters, the gritty look of the animation to the frenetic and inventive action sequences, the movie seems poised to recapture the elements that made the turtles such a unique phenomenon the first time around.
"TMNT" hits theaters March 23, 2007. Watch the trailer here!
The forthcoming "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" CGI movie has turned into an all-star affair. It features have Sarah Michelle Gellar as April O’Neil, along with Zhang Ziyi and Patrick Stewart in key roles. It even has Kevin Smith in a bit part.
"I play a short-order cook who has a problem in his kitchen with some kind of alien and then one of the turtles — who is not known to be a turtle — shows up to save my diner," said Smith. "But I literally have five lines, most of which are panicky kind of ‘Don’t kill me, don’t kill me.’ That kind of line."
When the evil Shredder attacks/ These Turtle boys don’t cut him no slack.
The film’s co-producers, The Weinstein Company, wanted someone from their stable to be in the film, though it’s hardly a typical Kevin Smith character. "Just in as much as it’s my voice. That’s it."
Even Smith doesn’t know exactly why they chose him. "That’s a great question. I’m still trying to figure that out myself but when they called, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll do that in a heartbeat. Why not? The turtles.’"
Turtle power!
Really, his only goal was to see the completed footage. "I saw the fight scene that follows my scene on the rooftop in the rain. What’s great about it is because it’s CG, they were able to accomplish more in that fight sequence than they were able to accomplish when they were people in suits. There’s just more freedom of movement. It’s really good looking. I love that trailer, like when you’re on the rooftops and they open their eyes and they’ve got the white eyes and s—. Then when I saw the movie and they have pupils, I was just like, ‘Oh man, I wish it was just white eyes because that’s so badass, so comic book-y.’"
Three new releases welcome in the new year this weekend, but moviegoers are likely to keep spending their cash on holiday holdovers.
Family audiences have the new toon "Happily N’Ever After," teens will be offered the drama "Freedom Writers," and the comedy crowd will have "Code Name: The Cleaner." Also, the sci-fi drama "Children of Men" expands across the country after a powerful debut last weekend in limited release. Early January is usually home to two kinds of films – weak pictures that can’t cut it during the competitive holiday season and acclaimed films expanding wider hoping for awards. This frame will see just that with current chart-topper "Night at the Museum" hoping for a third reign in the number one spot.
Kids who have had enough of digital penguins will have a chance to see a new animated film this weekend with Lionsgate’s "Happily N’Ever After." The PG-rated film tells the story of Fairy Tale World after Cinderella’s wicked stepmother takes charge. Sigourney Weaver, Andy Dick, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and hubby Freddie Prinze Jr. lend their voices. "After" has a funny premise and with "Shrek the Third" still four months away, some audiences may give this one a try for the time being. Last January, "Hoodwinked" posted some strong numbers playing to the same crowd and bowed to $16.9M over four days with a potent $7,051 average. "Happily" does not have the same marketing strength behind it plus it faces more competition. Last weekend, six films with G or PG ratings sold over $10M
worth of tickets over four days and even with heavy declines, there will be lots of choices for family audiences. Looking to attract the biggest opening among the three new films on Friday, "Happily N’Ever After" enters 2,381 theaters and may take in around $7M this weekend.
The British animated import "Happily N’Ever After."
Two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank takes the Michelle Pfeiffer route and plays a teacher schooling a group of inner city kids in "Freedom Writers" from Paramount and MTV Films. Directed by writer-turned-director Richard LaGravenese, the PG-13 film also stars "Grey’s Anatomy" hunk Patrick Dempsey. Teens and urban youngsters will make up the core audience here as Swank’s mature adult following will likely pass on this role. The actress just doesn’t have the commercial chops to anchor a film like this on her own and the buzz is not loud enough for this to become the next "Dangerous Minds." Paramount is hoping that its push on MTV will help bring in the young vote, but the pic lacks the bang to make teens want to spend the bucks. Opening in about 1,200 theaters, "Freedom Writers" could debut with around $5M.
Hilary Swank, conjuring Michelle Pfeiffer and Edward James Olmos in "Freedom Writers."
Also expected to put only a small dent into the box office this weekend is the comedy "Code Name: The Cleaner" starring Cedric the Entertainer and Lucy Liu. Pairing black and Asian actors in an action comedy worked wonders for "Rush Hour," but here audiences will likely find the premise forced. Cedric plays a janitor who is duped into becoming an undercover agent and finds himself in the middle of an arms scandal. Both stars are great supporting players but neither has a track record of anchoring big hit films. Interested moviegoers will probably wait for the DVD. Look for the New Line release to also debut in the vicinity of $5M.
"Codename: The Cleaner" isn’t expected to clean up at the boxoffice.
Expanding nationwide on Friday into 1,200 locations after a powerful limited bow is Universal’s futuristic drama "Children of Men." The Alfonso Cuaron-directed pic about the London of the future where no humans have been born in eighteen years stars Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and Michael Caine. The R-rated film debuted to $702,982 from only 16 theaters for a sensational four-day average of $43,936. Serious adult moviegoers are the target audience here so the studio’s own CIA thriller "The Good Shepherd" will be the primary competitor. Reviews have been strong which will help. For the weekend, "Children of Men" could deliver roughly $7M.
Clive Owen and his golden aura in "Children of Men."
Since the incoming line-up of films is not likely to do too much damage to the box office charts, it should be smooth sailing for "Night at the Museum" which looks to spend its third straight weekend at number one. "Happily N’Ever After" will take away a bit of the family crowd, but overall competition should not be too intense. Coming off of the holiday weekend, the Ben Stiller smash may drop 40% and collect $22M worth of tickets and push its stellar cume to $163M.
Will Smith‘s Golden Globe-nominated performance in "The Pursuit of Happyness" has kept moviegoers interested for three weeks. The Sony hit may slide 40% as well grossing $11.5M which would give the father-son venture $123M to date. "Dreamgirls" has been generating the best averages around since opening. Paramount could witness a 35% drop to around $9M for the frame and lift its cume to $55M.
LAST YEAR: Horror fans powered the new fright flick "Hostel" to the number one spot over the first weekend of 2006 with a $19.6M debut. The low budget Lionsgate hit went on to scare up $47.3M. Holdovers filled up the rest of the top five. "The Chronicles of Narnia" slipped to second with $15.6M followed by "King Kong" with $12.6M. The comedies "Fun with Dick and Jane" and "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" took up the next spots with $11.9M and $8.4M, respectively. The weekend’s two other new releases bombed miserably. Fox’s comedy "Grandma’s Boy" bowed to just $3M while the actioner "BloodRayne" barely made it into the Top 20 with $1.6M. Final grosses reached $6.1M and $2.4M.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
This week at the movies, we’ve got a postmodern fairy tale ("Happily N’Ever After," with voicework from Sigourney Weaver and Sarah Michelle Gellar), a wacky conspiracy caper ("Code Name: The Cleaner," starring Cedric the Entertainer and Lucy Liu), a committed teacher ("Freedom Writers," starring Hilary Swank), and a chilling dystopia ("Children of Men," starring Clive Owen and Michael Caine). What do the critics have to say?
Once upon a time, in the land of make-believe (better known as Hollywood), there was a brand new formula for making dazzling kiddie movies. It was called CG, and children all over the world rejoiced when such fare as "Toy Story" and "Shrek" hit the theaters. But then an evil curse plagued the land, as a string of mediocre stories threatened to make CG stale. The latest: "Happily N’Ever After," a postmodern "Cinderella" spoof. Critics say this is a pretty charm-free affair, with less-than-dazzling images and a bland storyline. At six percent on the Tomatometer, this is a pretty grim fairy tale. And among CG features, only "Doogal," at five percent, is lower-rated.
"Sure, magic will do the dishes, but can it make my movie funny?"
Cedric the Entertainer is a funny guy, and as a supporting player he’s stolen scenes in everything from "Lemony Snicket" to "Be Cool." Sadly, he’s yet to have a starring vehicle that has utilized his comedic talents to the fullest, and it appears "Code Name: The Cleaner" is no exception. In this action/comedy, Cedric plays a janitor who stumbles into the middle of a government conspiracy, from which he tries to extricate himself with the help of Lucy Liu. The critics say the weak script does none of the actors any favors, playing up absurd thriller elements to leaden effect. At a big fat zero percent on the Tomatometer, this one’s in dire need of a "Clean-" up.
"Yes, I’ve always enjoyed the sophisticated yet robust taste of Xtreme Fruit Skittles."
Liberal and conservative education experts both have it wrong. What our inner city schools need is neither greater funding nor vouchers. In order to save the impoverished students of America, we need an unconventional, no-nonsense teacher to instruct students in ballroom dance, football, or poetry, preferably in the guise of Antonio Banderas, The Rock, or Michelle Pfeiffer. In "Freedom Writers," Hilary Swank plays a fresh-faced teacher who gets her students in touch with their creative writing side, and — wonder of wonders — it’s getting reasonably good reviews. The critics say the film may be clichéd, but it’s earnest and features strong performances. At 64 percent on the Tomatometer, this may be one to "Write" home about.
"Remember, Bagels for Complacency Day is next week."
Director Alfonso Cuaron may have made his best movie yet with "Children of Men," continuing a hot streak that began with "Y Tu Mama Tambien" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." This time, Cuaron has envisioned a world where women have become infertile and every country has become a dystopia or slipped into a fascist state. At 92 percent on the Tomatometer, critics are praising not only the film’s technical aspects (including seamless CG work, fluid camerawork, and complex battle scenes), but also the emotional story and performances.
"Any fool knows a dog needs a home and shelter from pigs on the wing."
Also opening this week in limited release is "Thr3e," a psychological serial killer flick with a spiritual twist, which is currently at 17 percent.
Alex Vo contributed to this article.
Recent CG Animated Films:
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77% — Happy Feet (2006)
76% — Flushed Away (2006)
41% — Everyone’s Hero (2006)
76% — Cars (2006)
64% — The Ant Bully (2006)
Recent Hilary Swank Movies:
————————————–
36% — The Black Dahlia (2006)
92% — Million Dollar Baby (2004)
100% — 11:14 (2003)
42% — The Core (2003)
92% — Insomnia (2002)
Recent Cedric the Entertainer Movies:
———————————————
81% — Charlotte’s Web (2006)
14% — Honeymooners (2005)
55% — Madagascar (2005)
29% — Be Cool (2005)
9% — Man of the House (2005)
Recent Clive Owen Movies:
———————————
88% — Inside Man (2006)
21% — Derailed (2005)
77% — Sin City (2005)
68% — Closer (2004)
29% — King Arthur (2004)
Opening in a few days is Lionsgate’s animated fantasy "Happily N’Ever After," which offers a modern spin on a whole bunch of old fairy tale characters. (Where have I heard that one before?) And if you’re undecided as to whether or not you want to see the flick, feel free to check out a new quartet of clips over at Yahoo! Movies.
Click right here for the clips and trailers and such.
Synopsis: "When the wizard in charge of Fairy Tale World goes on holiday Cinderella’s wicked stepmother takes over the world, which is home to characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Seven Dwarves and Rapunzel."
The voice cast includes the likes of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sigourney Weaver, Patrick Warburton, and George Carlin. As stated earlier, the movie opens on January 5th.
Here’s a post-holiday treat for all you "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" fans out there: Seems like a Russian movie site got their hands on over 100(!) snapshots from the upcoming "TMNT" flick, which is a CG-animated reboot of the kitschy old ’80s heroes.
Stop by JoBlo’s for directions to the Russian site.
Kevin Munroe‘s "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which will feature the voices of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patrick Stewart, Chris Evans, Zhang Ziyi, and Kevin Smith, opens on March 23rd.
**As expected, the photos have been taken down.**
Hey, remember that new "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" flick that’s been on its way for a while now? Yep, it’s still coming, but now we have a few things to share. Namely the voice cast.
Although it looks like the turtles themselves will be played by newcomers, we now know that Sarah Michelle Gellar will be playing April, Chris Evans will do the voice of Casey Jones, Zhang Ziyi will be the villainous Karai, and Kevin Smith will get a bit part as a diner chef. Interesting.
Check out all the new "TMNT" info at USAToday. They have new pics too!
There was no stopping the Kazakh sensation Borat which expanded nationally this weekend after a stunning debut and remained at the top of the North American box office once again.
In fact, the top three spots remained unchanged as ticket buyers ignored most of the new offerings aimed at them this weekend. Will Ferrell‘s new comedy Stranger Than Fiction posted a respectable opening, but Hollywood stars Russell Crowe and Sarah Michelle Gellar suffered some of the worst openings of their careers this weekend as their new films, A Good Year and The Return respectively, were both dead on arrival. The overall marketplace struggled to keep pace with previous years as for the first time since 1997, the first half of November failed to deliver a single film with a weekend gross of at least $30M.
Borat crushed its competitors for a second straight weekend as the raunchy docu-comedy expanded from 837 to 2,566 theaters and grossed a stellar $29M, according to studio estimates. By more than tripling its theater count, Fox put its hit into full nationwide release and actually saw its three-day take climb 10% over the debut frame. Borat’s per-theater average understandably dropped by two-thirds this weekend to a still strong $11,302. The ten-day cume stands at an amazing $67.8M and at its current pace, the $18M movie-film could find its way to the $140M mark from the domestic market alone.
Thanks to a wave of media hype this fall, the Sacha Baron Cohen creation has become a national phenomenon and is already make benefit from glorious word-of-mouth and repeat business, according to the studio. Holdover theaters witnessed drops of about 30% from last weekend which is encouraging as it moves forward to fight off James Bond and other holiday pics armed with a war chest full of marketing dollars. Borat has become the first film to spend back-to-back weekends at number one since the football drama Invincible which opened in August, and has generated the best ten-day start of any movie since the Will Ferrell blockbuster Talladega Nights which also co-starred Cohen. Both comedies saw their main stars appearing on talk shows in-character to generate publicity.
Holding steady in the runnerup spot was Disney’s Christmas flick The Santa Clause 3 which dipped only 13% to an estimated $16.9M. After ten days, the Tim Allen sequel has grossed $41.1M putting it behind the pace of the last installment in the franchise. In 2002, The Santa Clause 2 also bowed on the first weekend of November and dropped 15% to $24.7M in its sophomore session. Its ten-day cume of $60M repped 43% of its eventual $139.2M gross. Clause 3 looks to be on course to erode at a similar pace which would allow it to reach the vicinity of $90M.
Also staying put for a second weekend was the animated comedy Flushed Away which remained in third place with an estimated $16.7M. Off only 11%, the Paramount release has upped its cume to $39.9M and remains just a step behind Santa. With better buzz and a slightly slimmer decline, Flushed could also reach the same region and conclude its run near the $90M level.
Santa and Flushed opened last weekend and split the family audience almost evenly with only a $700,000 difference in their weekend debuts. This frame, the gap was cut down to only $200,000. Per-theater averages were also close with Santa averaging $4,885 from 3,458 and Flushed averaging $4,508 from 3,707 sites. But both films will face stiff competition on Friday when Warner Bros. goes after the exact same crowd with its heavily-hyped penguin toon Happy Feet which has been backed by a sizable marketing push.
Will Ferrell‘s newest comedy Stranger Than Fiction led the frame’s new releases and bowed in fourth place with an estimated $14.1M from 2,264 theaters. Averaging a solid $6,228, the PG-13 film about a man who discovers his life is being narrated by an author earned good reviews and co-starred Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The production budget for the Sony release was under $30M. According to studio data, Fiction’s audience was 55% female while 53% were under 30. As a smart comedy aimed at young adults, the film did not open like Ferrell’s bigger smashes like Talladega Nights ($47M), but it does hope to have good legs.
The horror sequel Saw III fell hard once again dropping 55% in its third weekend to an estimated $6.6M pushing the 17-day cume to $69.9M. The third installment in the popular torture franchise is running a bit behind the pace of last year’s Saw II which enjoyed a third-weekend take of $9.1M for a total of $73.9M over the same number of days.
After two successful weeks in limited release, Paramount Vantage’s cross-continent drama Babel expanded nationally to mixed results with an estimated $5.7M. The Brad Pitt–Cate Blanchett pic averaged a decent $4,517 from 1,251 locations and raised its sum to $7.5M. Last weekend, Babel grossed just under $1M from 35 theaters for a potent $26,264 average, but arthouse films don’t always remain powerful after expanding into all regions of North America.
Martin Scorsese‘s The Departed took in an estimated $5.2M in its sixth mission, down 32%, giving Warner Bros. $109.8M to date. With $58M overseas, the Leonardo DiCaprio–Matt Damon cop drama sits at more than $168M worldwide and counting. Opening close behind in eighth place was the horror pic The Return with an estimated $4.8M from 1,986 theaters for a weak $2,405 average. For Sarah Michelle Gellar, the PG-13 film’s debut represented her second worst opening ever in a lead role after 1999’s Simply Irresistible with $2.2M. Focus Features was the distributor.
The magician pic The Prestige followed with an estimated $4.6M, off 38%, for a $46M cume to date for Buena Vista. Like Gellar, Russell Crowe also bombed with his new entry. The romantic comedy A Good Year bowed to just $3.8M, according to estimates, averaging a poor $1,827 per theater from 2,066 sites. Fox’s PG-13 pic barely entered the top ten as Crowe suffered his worst opening since Mystery, Alaska‘s $3.1M launch in 1999. Like so many other fall films targeting mature adults, Year just did not have room to breathe and flopped instantly. Poor reviews also hurt the Ridley Scott-directed picture which played mostly to older women.
Another new release that failed to excite paying customers was MGM’s action thriller Harsh Times which debuted outside of the top ten with an estimated $1.8M from 956 locations. Averaging a sluggish $1,913 per site, the R-rated pic finds Christian Bale playing a bad cop on the streets of South Central.
Four films dropped out of the top ten this weekend. Clint Eastwood‘s war saga Flags of Our Fathers grossed an estimated $2.8M falling 36% in its fourth attack. The $90M Paramount release has amassed only $31M to date and looks headed for an underwhelming $38-40M finish. Miramax’s awards contender The Queen continued to expand, but faced the first weekend decline of its seven-week run. The Helen Mirren film collected an estimated $2.6M from 484 venues for a decent $5,372 average. The Queen was playing in 387 theaters last week and bumped its cume to $13.8M while its average declined by 29%.
Sony’s hit toon Open Season tumbled 53% to an estimated $1.4M. With $83.5M in the bank, the $85M film should end its season with around $86M. Just a week away from giving audiences a dual voice role in the Warner Bros. toon Happy Feet, funnyman Robin Williams saw his political comedy Man of the Year pass the $36M mark. A final tally of just under $40M seems likely for the not-so-stellar Universal title.
The top ten films grossed an estimated $107.4M which was dead even with last year when Chicken Little remained at number one with $31.7M; and down 18% from 2004 when The Incredibles stayed in the top spot with $50.3M.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
This weekend, multiplexes hope to cram in lots of moviegoers thanks to a wide selection of new films. Six movies open or expand nationally on Friday making for what will be one of the most competitive weekends of the holiday season.
Adult audiences looking for a laugh can see Will Ferrell in a more mature role in "Stranger Than Fiction." The female vote will be split with daughters going for a scare with Sarah Michelle Gellar in "The Return" while their mothers can spend the evening with Russell Crowe in the romantic comedy "A Good Year." The action flick "Harsh Times" rounds out the menu of new releases targeting young men.
In addition, the cross-continent drama "Babel" expands across the country after two weeks of stellar results in limited release. Despite all the new opponents entering the field, reigning box office incumbent "Borat" will go fully national in an attempt to be re-elected for a second term as commander-in-chief. Rarely does a November weekend have so many new offerings. The fight for screens and moviegoer attention will be fierce. Not every film will survive so some casualties will be left behind on the battlefield by the end of the frame.
After battling Sacha Baron Cohen with race cars last summer in "Talladega Nights," Will Ferrell once again takes on the British comedian at the box office with "Stranger Than Fiction" which will try to stop the seemingly unstoppable "Borat" machine. In the PG-13 film, the funnyman plays an agent with the IRS who begins to hear a voice narrating his life and his every move. Emma Thompson provides the voice while Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, and Queen Latifah co-star. Directed by Marc Forster ("Finding Neverland," "Monster’s Ball"), "Stranger" takes an A-list comedian and puts him in a more mature and serious film that still has some comedic elements. That means that the 14-year-old boys who powered "Talladega Nights" to a $47M opening will take a pass this time around.
When Jim Carrey went arthouse, he saw "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" open to $8.2M with a $6,042 average and "Man on the Moon" bow to $7.5M with a $3,615 average. Adam Sandler‘s "Spanglish" debuted to $8.8M and a $3,617 average. It can often be a tough sell to take a comedian known mostly for mainstream comedies and put him into a more mature film, even if it still has laughs. "Stranger Than Fiction" might find it difficult to pull in teens and young adults, but mature adults will have interest. Reviews have been generally good and the concept makes the film stand out in the current marketplace. Competition for adults will come from both "Babel" and "A Good Year" while "Borat" will continue to steal away millions of moviegoers looking for a good laugh. Launching in 2,264 theaters, "Stranger Than Fiction" might open with roughly $16M.
Will Ferrell screaming at a bus in "Stranger Than Fiction."
Halloween may have passed but those in search of a scare, and were disappointed that "The Grudge 2" did not have Sarah Michelle Gellar in a full role, will have a chance to see their favorite vampire slayer in the new supernatural thriller "The Return." With a commercially friendly PG-13 rating, the spookfest finds Gellar playing a young businesswoman guided by mysterious forces to avenge her own death from a previous life. In the horror genre, Gellar is a bonafide star and can pull in teens and young adults. But with so many fright sequels cramming into theaters recently during the pre-pumpkin period, many genre fans might be all scared out by now. Luckily for "The Return," competition will not be too fierce as nothing else is exciting teenage girls at the moment. The marketing push has been decent, but in many ways it does not stand out as something special or unique that is worth seeing right away. Opening in 1,986 theaters, "The Return" might gross around $8M over the weekend.
Sarah Michelle Gellar, padding her horror credentials in "The Return."
Russell Crowe reteams with his "Gladiator" director Ridley Scott for a trip to a new genre (romantic comedy) in "A Good Year." The PG-13 film finds the former Maximus playing a financial guru who finds women and wine at a french vineyard he inherits. Talk about a tough sell. On paper, the Scott-Crowe combo is box office gold, only they chose to try out a type of film that will repel fans who spent $187.7M on the 2000 Best Picture Oscar winner. Plus the Fox release has no notable female star to boost its potential. Add to that the bad buzz that "Year" received at the Toronto Film Festival plus the mostly negative reviews from critics, and it surely will have its work cut out for it. Could this be "All the King’s Men" all over again?
"A Good Year" stands as that rare film which reunites an Oscar-caliber director with an Oscar-winning actor that earns bad reviews and lukewarm studio support. Crowe’s last film "Cinderella Man" bowed to $18.3M from 2,812 theaters for a $6,515 average in June of last year and was considered an underperformer. The actor’s latest picture lacks the Ron Howard film’s strong critical support, added starpower from Renee Zellweger, and sizable push from Universal. "A Good Year" should play mostly to adult female audiences as the male appeal is low. That makes "Babel" and "Stranger Than Fiction," which have better cross-gender appeal, direct competitors this weekend for mature couples. Opening in 2,066 theaters, "A Good Year" could find itself with about $8M this weekend and a rough road ahead.
Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott enter chick flick territory with "A Good Year."
Still in the top ten with "The Prestige," Christian Bale comes back for double duty in the new action thriller "Harsh Times" from MGM. The R-rated film from the writer of "Training Day" finds the Caped Crusader playing an ex-Army Ranger enlisting with the LAPD who still has ties into the crime world in South Central. "Harsh" will play to urban audiences and should skew male but will find the marketplace difficult to navigate with bigger titles like "Borat" and "Saw III" already doing strong business with that demo. Bale lacks the drawing power of Denzel Washington in his Oscar-winning role in "Training Day" so the grosses should not be in the same ballpark. A moderate national release in over 900 theaters will also limit the potential. "Harsh Times" will have to fight hard in order to crack the top ten and could finish the frame with around $3M.
Christian Bale as a psychopath in "Harsh Times."
Among holdovers, all eyes will be on "Borat" this weekend. Can the Kazakh superstar spend another weekend at number one? Following its robust $26.5M bow from 837 theaters, the Sacha Baron Cohen starrer has delivered solid midweek results grossing over $3M on both Monday and Tuesday. Now, Fox will expand the raunchy comedy on Friday by more than tripling the run to 2,565 theaters allowing everyone to have easy access to the most-talked-about film of the season. Word-of-mouth has been encouraging and "Borat" might even reach the Holy Grail of the box office – repeat business.
Last weekend’s potent average of $31,607 will certainly come crashing down since the film will be in more theaters and most of the hardcore fans have now already seen it. But the buzz is still hot and the Uzbekistan-hating TV journalist is now trying to crossover into new audience segments not initially sold on the concept last week. With the frame’s new films all a mixed bag without a surefire smash among them, "Borat" looks ready to retain its hold on the number one spot. A weekend gross of around $24M could result giving Fox a stellar $62M in only ten days.
"Kazakhstan is the greatest…"
Another cross-cultural film with a five-letter title starting with a B expanding over the weekend is "Babel" starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Paramount Vantage has attracted scorching results in limited release for two weeks and is now hoping that moviegoers nationwide are ready for the acclaimed drama. Last weekend, "Babel" popped into the Top 20 with a stellar $26,264 average from 35 locations. On Friday, the R-rated film expands to over 1,200 sites and should continue to play to an upscale adult audience.
"Babel" is likely to play to the same crowd that powered last December’s "Syriana" to a $11.7M bow from 1,752 theaters for a $6,699 average. That film had more theaters and a star, George Clooney, who is despised by many American moviegoers for his political beliefs. On the other hand, Pitt can cheat on his wife and father a baby with another woman, and the public still can’t get enough of him. That’s pure starpower. But "Babel" is not the type of commercial role that Pitt attracts large crowds to. Still, the average should be solid so given its level of distribution, "Babel" could gross about $10M this weekend.
Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, looking rather disheveled in "Babel."
Disney and Paramount went head to head last weekend with competing kidpics and split the family vote in half pretty evenly. "Flushed Away" is getting better word-of-mouth and is offering audiences something new so its decline might be smaller than that of "The Santa Clause 3." Kid movies opening in early November typically have good legs and enjoy strong second weekend holds. Sophomore drops for recent films of the genre include 21% for last year’s "Chicken Little," 29% for 2004’s "The Incredibles," 15% for 2003’s "Elf," and 15% for 2002’s "The Santa Clause 2." This weekend, "Clause 3" might drop by 25% and "Flushed" could wash away 20% leaving each with a three-day tally in the neighborhood of $15M. That would push ten-day cumes to roughly $39M a piece for the Mouse House pic and the rat toon.
LAST YEAR: Disney’s poultry toon "Chicken Little" stayed at number one for a second weekend with an impressive $31.7M. Three new releases followed within a tight range. Sony’s big-budget kidpic "Zathura" bowed in second with $13.4M on its way to a disappointing $28.2M. Jennifer Aniston was close behind with her thriller "Derailed" which opened to $12.2M. The Weinstein Co. release went on to gross a moderate $36M. Paramount’s urban action pic "Get Rich or Die Tryin’" debuted in fourth place with a $12M weekend and $17.7M over five days. The 50 Cent starrer finished its run with $31M. Rounding out the top five was the military drama "Jarhead" which tumbled 58% to $11.7M. Premiering to sensational results was the period film "Pride & Prejudice" which grossed $2.9M from only 215 theaters for a sizzling $13,326 average. The Focus release went on to become an awards contender and took in $38.4M making it the top-grossing pic among the weekend’s new films.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
This week at the movies, we ve got a rom-com in Provence ("A Good Year," starring Russell Crowe), a guy whose life is a novel ("Stranger than Fiction," starring Will Ferrell), interconnected tales of despair ("Babel," starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett), a tough homecoming ("Harsh Times," starring Christian Bale), and supernatural visions ("The Return," starring Sarah Michelle Gellar). What do the critics say?
"Stranger than Fiction" is a movie about a guy named Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) who discovers that his life is being narrated and controlled by a bitter, brilliant novelist (Emma Thompson) who intends to do him in. As a result, Crick tries to turn the tables and reclaim his own life story. Sounds totally meta, huh? Well, critics generally say this is one head trip that won’t trip you up, thanks to warm performances and an agreeably kooky (and not over-heady) script. At 68 percent on the Tomatometer, it’s a fact that "Fiction" is Fresh.
"Guess how much I liked ‘Mystery, Alaska.’"
There’s a new movie out called "A Good Year" that’s being described as "Under the Tuscan Sun" with a guy in the main role. Even weirder, it’s from the ultra-macho team of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe — y’know, the dudes who brought you "Gladiator." Perhaps it isn’t much of a surprise that the critics are finding this pairing of filmmakers and material doesn’t totally work. Crowe stars as an arrogant, hyper-competitive London banker who inherits a house in Provence; laughs, love and life-lessons ensue. The scribes give Crowe and Scott props for trying to stretch, but unfortunately, they also say the film is working way too hard to be whimsical. At 29 percent on the Tomatometer, this "Year" isn’t looking so…. well, you get the idea.
"Babel" is a story of a shot heard ’round the world. A boy in Morocco unintentionally shoots an American tourist, and the ramifications of his mistake are felt in the U.S., Mexico, and Japan. Critics are praising Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu‘s latest as an elaborate, stylistically deft emotional juggling act, with fine performances from Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and particularly Rinko Kikuchi as a deaf teenager trying to make her way in the world. If there is a complaint from the scribes, it’s that "Babel" may be overly ambitious, but most concede that it’s ambition of a high order. At 73 percent on the Tomatometer, "Babel" is Certified Fresh.
"I suggest you stop killing people; it’s doing a number on your cholesterol."
"Harsh Times" is not a movie with a misleading title. However, critics are split on whether this dark, intense story of an Iraq war vet returning home is ultimately rewarding. "Harsh Times" stars Christian Bale as a man consumed by his memories of war; as he tries to integrate back into society, he finds it impossible to suppress his violent impulses. Some critics have praised "Harsh Times" for its performances and intensity, but others say it’s too relentlessly grim and brutal to really be worthwhile. "Harsh Times" currently stands at 52 percent on the Tomatometer.
"The Return" marks Sarah Michelle Gellar‘s, uh, return to the horror genre. Guess what? It wasn’t screened for critics. Guess that Tomatometer, children.
"To tell you the truth, I’ve been listening to a lot of Prince lately."
Also opening this week in limited release: the Mongolian import "The Cave of the Yellow Dog," featuring breathtaking scenery as well as cute kids and adorable doggies, is at 100 percent on the Tomatometer; "Iraq in Fragments," a structurally adventurous documentary about the state of Iraq, is at 82 percent; "Cautiva," an Argentine film coming-of-age tale about an uprooted teenager, is at 80 percent; "Come Early Morning," a tale of Southern small-town life starring Ashley Judd, is at 65 percent; "F***," an examination of the English language’s naughtiest word, is at 50 percent; "Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus," starring Nicole Kidman as the gifted but troubled photographer, is at 33 percent; and the historical fiction "Copying Beethoven," about the great composer’s relationship with a copyist, is at 27 percent.
Recent Russell Crowe Movies:
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81% — Cinderella Man (2005)
85% — Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
78% — A Beautiful Mind (2001)
40% — Proof of Life (2000)
78% — Gladiator (2000)
Recent Will Ferrell Movies:
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72% — Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
41% — Winter Passing (2006)
70% — Curious George (2006)
52% — The Producers (2005)
24% — Bewitched (2005)
Blood will flow and screams will be deafening at North American multiplexes this weekend when the horror sequel "Saw III" buzzes its way into theaters. While there will be no fight for the number one spot, the rest of the top ten will see new films and holdovers scrambling for high positions.
The political thriller "Catch a Fire" opens on Friday in moderate national release and the comedy "Running with Scissors" expands into major markets after an impressive debut in limited release last weekend. Meanwhile, star-driven pics "The Prestige" and "The Departed" will try to remain popular choices with adult moviegoers.
If it’s Halloween, it must be "Saw." That’s the tagline that Lionsgate hopes will keep horror fans coming back for a third helping of pain for the newest chapter in its highly profitable fright franchise, "Saw III." The R-rated film finds Jigsaw returning to terrorize another set of young people. Once again, the formula of no stars plus extreme brutality unleashing its fury on the weekend before the pumpkin holiday remains intact. Now a major player in the horror genre, Lionsgate opened its first "Saw" in 2004 to the tune of $18.3M and grew its audience over the following year, especially with DVD, to propel the sequel to a $31.7M bow. Over the last 15 months, no other R-rated film has opened better. Now, a marketplace without many exciting choices for the 17-30 age group will embrace a film, though familiar, that appeals to young adults.
Another unfortunate dude opens "Saw III."
This month has already seen a pair of horror franchise pics open weaker than their predecessors which bowed in mid-October of recent years. "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning" debuted to $18.5M, down 34% from the $28.1M of 2003’s "Massacre," and "The Grudge 2" launched with $20.8M, a steep 47% less than the Gellar original. But "Saw III" is in a different situation. "Beginning" was a prequel three years later with not much new to offer while "Grudge 2" was no longer a star vehicle. "Saw III" promises more of what its fans want – brutality, gore, and torture – so it stands on almost equal footing when compared to the last installment. The fan base has probably not grown much in the last twelve months and some might even drop out thinking it’s just the same offering yet again. But with competing fright flicks fading fast, "Saw III" will basically be the only horror film in town for those getting ready for Halloween. Opening in over 3,000 theaters, "Saw III" might cut up around $30M.
Tim Robbins plays an elite South African leader and Derek Luke stars as an oppressed everyman in the apartheid drama "Catch a Fire." Directed by Phillip Noyce ("Patriot Games, "Clear and Present Danger"), the PG-13 political thriller tells the true story of a man captured and tortured by his government, only to become a radical freedom fighter for his people. Focus is likely to attract an audience similar to the one it saw last fall with another African-set political pic, "The Constant Gardener." The Ralph Fiennes–Rachel Weisz film boasted a similar level of starpower and screens when it bowed to $8.7M over three days from 1,346 locations for a solid $6,444 average.
Derek Luke in the inspirational "Catch a Fire."
Reviews for "Fire" have been generally positive, but it will not be an easy sell at the box office. Robbins is the top star here and his track record selling tickets is spotty when it comes to films where he is the solo anchor. Plus the marketplace is filled with pictures targeting mature adults like "The Departed," "The Prestige," and "Flags of Our Fathers" so a crowded field will make it tough for "Fire." Using the ‘based on a true story’ angle in the marketing is always a helpful thing and Focus will soon see how much mileage it can get from it. Attacking 1,305 locations, "Catch a Fire" might capture about $6M over the Friday-to-Sunday session.
Annette Bening‘s dysfunctional family pic "Running with Scissors" enjoyed a strong platform debut last weekend with a scorching $28,263 average from only six sites. This Friday, Sony hopes to build on its bow by expanding the R-rated film into 586 theaters across North America. Critics agree that "Scissors" is not the next "Little Miss Sunshine." Reviews have been unflattering which will limit the commercial potential of a film that will mostly play to upscale adult audiences. A weekend take of around $3M could result diluting the per-theater average down to the neighborhood of $5,000.
Annette Bening and Brian Cox in "Running With Scissors."
Arthouses continue to get more crowded with fall films hoping for critical buzz and possible awards attention. Paramount Vantage packs the most starpower with its Brad Pitt–Cate Blanchett drama "Babel" which took home Best Director honors at Cannes this year for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu ("Amores Perros," "21 Grams"). The R-rated tale trots across the globe from Morocco to Mexico to Japan with four interweaving stories about people from around the world who have no idea how connected their lives are. "Babel" opens in just six locations in New York and Los Angeles, most of them major multiplexes, and expands nationally in November. Reviews have been solid.
Brad Pitt, in the oscar-buzz grabber "Babel."
With Election Day around the corner, President George W. Bush stars in two documentaries that will try to stir up some controversy in order to get audiences running to their local theater. Newmarket Films releases "Death of a President," a docudrama about the fictional assassination of Bush in October 2007 and its aftermath. The R-rated whodunit was one of the hottest films at the Toronto Film Festival last month and hopes to capitalize on its buzz when it invades over 100 theaters this Friday. Also trying to wage a Red State vs. Blue State rivalry is "Shut Up & Sing" which examines the hardships that The Dixie Chicks faced recording their new album after their public outcry against the current Commander-in-Chief. The Weinstein Company opens the film in New York and Los Angeles on Friday before expanding to much of the country on November 10.
"D.O.A.P"
Among holdovers, the period thriller "The Prestige" and the mob drama "The Departed" should remain popular contenders in the top five. "Saw III" should not detract from either pic too much and the frame’s other new films will not play wide enough to offer significant competition in the rankings. "Prestige" swiped the top spot last weekend and is well-liked by moviegoers. A 40% drop would give Buena Vista about $9M and a ten-day total of $28M. "The Departed" has been holding up superbly so another 30% dip would leave Warner Bros. with around $9.5M which could be good enough for a third consecutive weekend at number two. The cume would rise to $90M.
LAST YEAR: Doing what its predecessor couldn’t do, "Saw II" opened triumphantly at number one and grossed a sturdy $31.7M for Lionsgate on its way to $87M continuing its most popular horror franchise. Sony countered with its family friendly adventure sequel "The Legend of Zorro" which debuted in second place with a decent $16.3M. The pricey Antonio Banderas–Catherine Zeta-Jones pic went on to reach just $45.4M domestically. Meryl Streep and Uma Thurman quietly bowed in third with the comedy "Prime" which opened to $6.2M from less than 2,000 theaters. Universal found its way to a $22.8M final. The horse flick "Dreamer" held up well in its second jump taking in $6.1M while fellow kidpic "Wallace & Gromit" rounded out the top five with $4.3M in its fourth weekend. The fourth new wide release of the frame, Nicolas Cage‘s "The Weather Man," got rained out collecting a mere $4.2M leading to a wimpy $12.5M finish.
Author: Gitesh Pandya, www.BoxOfficeGuru.com
