Steve Pond's Blog, page 89
July 13, 2025
‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Star Julia Garner Schools Critics of Silver Surfer ‘Genderswap’ – Because Duh, It Isn’t One
For anyone whinging about Julia Garner’s role in “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” the “Ozark” star has a gentle suggestion: Read a comic book. An old one. By Stan Lee and John Buscema.
In a red-carpet interview with the BBC at the “First Steps” premiere in London, a reporter asked Garner about the response from certain … fans … who were upset that the “Silver Surfer” is female. The “Wolf Man” actress gave a gracious response – in which she embedded a savage, blink-and-you-missed it schooling.
“I’m just going to still do my job,” she said. “Also, it’s Shalla-Bal, so it’s different.”
What Garner could have said was: “My character is Shalla-Bal, who first appeared in ‘Silver Surfer No. 1,’ created by Stan Lee and John Buscema in 1968, who, despite going through intense turmoil, manipulation and a forced separation from her beloved Norrin Radd (aka Silver Surfer), becomes a strong leader, diplomat and empress on her home planet of Zenn-La and remained a key character in the comic-book series through the decades.”
And she would have been right.
She could have added something like, “So it’s not a gender-swap, FAKE NERDS, try reading a classic comic book sometime, or maybe let me Google that for you?”
But Garner isn’t like that, apparently, because the only other thing she said, when asked how she felt about the whiplash to a positive reaction after the trailer played, was a lot more forgiving.
“I was just happy that it was resonating with people,” she actually said. “I’m just grateful to be at this stand.”
“Fantastic Four: First Steps” comes out in U.S. theaters on July 24.
The post ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Star Julia Garner Schools Critics of Silver Surfer ‘Genderswap’ – Because Duh, It Isn’t One appeared first on TheWrap.
JD Vance Met With Protestors, Boos and Some Cheers During Disneyland Vacation | Video
Hundreds of people gathered outside Disneyland Resort Saturday to protest a visit from vice president JD Vance, his wife Usha, and their children. Vance was also met with boos and some cheers in the park.
The visit spurred varying reactions on social media. @DisneyScoopGuy, who visited Disneyland 234 days in a row in 2024, shared a video showing the family of four walking by on X but offered no commentary.
Vice President JD Vance treated with many more cheers than boos during his family visit to Disneyland yesterday pic.twitter.com/147n5gEyJs
— OC Scanner
The OC_Scanner shared its own video of the family (and significant security detail) being greeted by more cheers than boos during the same visit.
Protesters came out to protest J.D. Vance since he was trying to bring his family to Disneyland!
— Suzie rizzio (@Suzierizzo1) July 12, 2025pic.twitter.com/U1aKrpoTjP
But many protestors gathered outside the park, where many waved poles bearing American and Mexican flags while calling for the Vances to “go home.” The protests were met with drivers who honked their horns, typically a signal of agreement.
Protesters outside the Grand Californian Hotel at the Disneyland Resort today where Vice President JD Vance is staying for the weekend.
— Matt (@DisneyScoopGuy) July 12, 2025: @huntersowards pic.twitter.com/G2QQdwEVx1
DisneyScoopGuy also shared another video of the protestors, noting they were gathered outside the Grand Californian Hotel.
Stephen Miller,
— Ivan Rosa (@IvanRosaDnes) July 13, 2025
sure, that's why people love JD Vance. Especially at Disneyland in Florida… pic.twitter.com/wP1vwIPRpq
In another video, a woman is heard telling Vance, “We support immigrants, we support America!” before she asks, “I thought California was violent?”
California Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento noted in a post shared via Instagram that the visit comes at a sensitive time for the state. “I welcome any policymaker to visit, listen and witness the hard-working immigrant communities that make our county strong,” he wrote. “I respect the office, but I can’t respect policies that hurt our people.”
“There’s a huge contrast between the work we do on the ground — supporting families with food, resources, and hope — and an administration whose policies feel designed to crush the very communities we serve,” Sarmiento added.
The post JD Vance Met With Protestors, Boos and Some Cheers During Disneyland Vacation | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
A Full List of Upcoming DC Movies
What, exactly, is going on with DC? The answer is, a lot.
After an aborted attempt by Zack Snyder to create a unified universe of characters and subsequent successful one-offs like “Joker” and “The Batman,” Warner Bros. installed James Gunn and Peter Safran as the new co-CEOs of DC Films, under which they will build out an interconnected DCU of films, TV shows and video games over the next eight to 10 years.
That universe officially got off and running with “Superman,” written and directed by James Gunn, a colorful and buoyant and unabashedly comic book-y adaptation introducing David Corenswet’s Kal-El to the world. The film’s opening weekend box office and assurances from WBD boss David Zaslav seem to indicate this DC reboot’s going to stick, at least for now. And there’s a lot in the pipeline.
As for those other DC movies that have already been released as part of the “Snyderverse,” Gunn and Safran said those will exist as part of something called “Elseworlds” — essentially not DCU canon, in a separate universe, but with the potential for those characters to cross over into the unified DCU in the future. Maybe. But probably not.
Other films like the upcoming sequel to “The Batman” will remain disconnected but continue on, living in their own little universes.
Below, we’ve assembled a complete list of upcoming DC movies, including current cast information, release dates and what we know about each project so far.
Supergirl
Milly Alcock plays Supergirl in the DC Universe (Getty Images/DC Comics)Release Date: June 26, 2026
Cast: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham
The second DC movie to be released will be “Supergirl,” after “House of the Dragon” actress Milly Alcock made a cameo at the end of “Superman.” Alcock’s Supergirl is Superman’s cousin, and as revealed in Gunn’s film, she loves to party off-planet. Oh, and Krypto is her dog. “Supergirl” is heavily inspired by the Tom King comic book “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” and will find Alcock’s character on a quest for revenge. Matthias Schoenaerts plays Krem of the Yellow Hills, and Craig Gillespie — the filmmaker behind “I, Tonya,” “Cruella” and “Lars and the Real Girl” — directs. The movie completed production in May 2025.
Clayface
Tom Rhys Harries play Clayface for DC (Getty Images/DC Comics)Release Date: Sept. 11, 2026
Cast: Tom Rhys Harries
James Gunn and Peter Safran didn’t originally intend to make Clayface part of their initial DC Universe offerings, but Mike Flanagan — the filmmaker behind Netflix’s “Haunting of” series and “Doctor Sleep” — turned in a completed script for a “Clayface” movie that was too good to ignore. James Watkins (“Speak No Evil”) is directing this lower-budget, horror-tinged DC film about the original Clayface, a B-movie actor who becomes entirely made of clay. Production begins in 2025.
The Batman – Part II
Warner Bros.Release Date: Oct. 3, 2025
Cast: Robert Pattinson
Shortly after “The Batman” successfully rebooted the Batman franchise, Warner Bros. announced that Matt Reeves will return to write and direct a sequel with Robert Pattinson once again starring. Those are all the plot details we have at the moment, and the follow-up has been delayed many times, but Reeves and his co-writer Mattson Tomlin turned in a completed script at the beginning of July 2025 and Gunn has said it’s “great.” “The Batman” does not exist within the DCU as we know it (it’s in an “alternate universe” so to speak) and Gunn is casting a different Batman for his in-universe “Brave and the Bold” movie.
The Brave and the Bold
DC ComicsRelease Date: TBA
Cast: TBA
While Robert Pattinson’s Batman will continue on in “Elseworlds,” the DCU will get its own Batman in “The Brave and the Bold.” Based on Grant Morrison’s Batman run, the film will introduce the DCU’s Bat-family.
“This is the introduction of the DCU Batman, Bruce Wayne, and also introducing our favorite Robin, Damian Wayne, who is a little son of a bitch assassin murderer,” Gunn said of the film. Batman didn’t know Damian existed for the first 8-10 years of his life, and Gunn describes this as “a very strange father/son story” about the duo. Andy Muschietti, who directed “The Flash” and the “It” movies, is attached to direct.
Swamp Thing
DC ComicsRelease Date: TBA
Cast: TBA
“Logan” and “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” filmmaker James Mangold is developing a “Swamp Thing” movie, which will be part of the DCU. The film investigates “the dark origins” of Swamp Thing.
The Authority
DC ComicsRelease Date: TBA
Cast: TBA
Based on the Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch comic book series “The Authority,” this film will incorporate characters from DC’s Wildstorm imprint into the DCU.
“One of the things with the DCU is it isn’t just a story of heroes and villains and not every movie and TV show is going to be about good guy versus bad guy, giant thing from the sky comes and good guy wins,” Gunn explained. “There are black hats, white hats and gray hats. There are people that are anti-heroes, and there are people that are very questionable, like The Authority, who basically believe that you can’t fix the world in an easy manner, and they sort of take things into their own hands.”
The post A Full List of Upcoming DC Movies appeared first on TheWrap.
Mandy Patinkin Insists Gaza War Is ‘Endangering the Jewish Population’ in Impassioned Plea for Peace | Video
Mandy Patinkin issued a strong, impassioned warning about the potential consequences of Israel’s war in Gaza. “They are endangering the state of Israel” as well as “endangering the Jewish population all over the world,” Patinkin said in an emotional interview with the New York Times.
The stage and screen actor delivered a call for the war’s end and its impact on Gaza’s civilians. “He is the most dangerous thing, not just since October 7th. It has been a deeply troubled situation,” Patinkin said of the country’s prime minister Benjaman Netanyahu.
Actor Mandy Patinkin makes an impassioned plea for Jewish people around the world to think about the consequences of what they're doing and allowing to be done in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/Y19eLpsHpH
— gato fumador (@KweenInYellow) July 13, 2025
“And to watch what is happening for the Jewish people to allow this to happen to children and civilians of all ages in Gaza, for whatever reason, is unconscionable and unthinkable,” he continued. “And I ask you Jews everywhere all over the world to spend some time alone and think, ‘Is this acceptable and sustainable?'”
Patinkin was joined by his wife, Kathryn Grody, who also spoke about the ongoing war and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
“I hate the way some people are using anti-semitism as a claim for anybody that is critical about a certain policy. As far as I am concerned, compassion for every person in Gaza is very Jewish,” Grody said. “And the fact that I abhor the policies of the leader of that country does not mean I’m a self-hating Jew or an anti-semitic.”
The Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday that more than 55,000 people have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, the Associated Press reported. The health ministry does not differentiate between civilians and members of Hamas.
The ministry has also reported 127,394 have been wounded. It is believed there are many more dead buried under rubble throughout the Gaza Strip.
In recent weeks dozens of Palestinians have been shot and killed while attempting to receive food and aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a Delware-based non-profit established in February and which operates with the backing of the Trump administration.
Unlike the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which has operated in the region for decades, contractors for the GHF carry weapons.
Those guns have resulted in scenes and deaths that Chris Hayes described as “obscene and depraved” on July 4. On July 3, two U.S. contractors told the Associated Press that their colleagues who are guarding those distribution sites are “using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food.” The AP examined first-person accounts and video to support the claim.
The post Mandy Patinkin Insists Gaza War Is ‘Endangering the Jewish Population’ in Impassioned Plea for Peace | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
David Zaslav Celebrates ‘Superman’ Box Office Win, Touts ‘Bold 10-Year Plan’ for DC: ‘Just the First Step’
David Zaslav celebrated the $122 million opening weekend box office of “Superman” as “just the first step” in his overarching plans for the DC brand on Sunday, congratulating DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran on the launch of the rebooted brand.
“I remember my first meeting with James three years ago. He spoke about growing up in Missouri and how the characters of the DC Universe weren’t just stories to him, they were like his family,” the Warner Bros. Discovery CEO said in a statement. “His personal bond with these DC heroes was powerful and I knew then that James was the right person to bring them to life. His love for the DC world runs deep, and it shines in every frame of his work.”
The executive continued by touting the opening of “Superman” as the beginning of a “bold ten-year plan” that Gunn and Safran have mapped out, and that Zaslav has approved. “The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.”
Gunn, too, took to social media to celebrate the successful box office of the film.
“I’m incredibly grateful for your enthusiasm and kind words over the past few days. We’ve had a lot of ‘Super’ in Superman over the years, and I’m happy to have made a movie that focuses on the ‘man’ part of the equation – a kind person always looking out for those in need,” Gunn wrote on Threads. “That that resonates so powerfully with so many people across the world is in itself a hopeful testament to the kindness and quality of human beings. Thank you.”
The $217 million global launch of “Superman” this weekend is a solid start for the film, and positive reviews from both critics and audiences should pave the way for a strong continued performance at the box office — something previous DC films “Man of Steel” and “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” struggled to capture after big opening weekends.
The pressure was on. When Zaslav combined Warner Bros. and Discovery, he enacted a plan to capitalize on WB’s biggest IP with new “Lord of the Rings” films, a “Harry Potter” TV series and a reboot of the DC universe. “Superman” is the first of these to kick off, and the revamped DC will continue with the release of a “Supergirl” movie and a horror-tinged “Clayface” movie next year alongside the HBO Max series “Lanterns” starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as Green Lanterns.
Gunn has also teased the next film featuring Corenswet’s Superman, although he has hinted that it may not be a straightforward sequel. Additionally, Gunn and Safran are developing new takes on Batman and Wonder Woman, and of course an eventual “Justice League” movie that will bring all the main DC heroes together.
Read Zaslav’s full statement below.
Three years ago, I hired James Gunn and Peter Safran to reimagine and unify the creative direction of DC under one leadership team, by breathing new life and excitement into one of the most iconic storytelling franchises in the world. James and Peter’s commitment to honoring the legacy of the DC Universe while forging something new and enthralling is inspired.
I remember my first meeting with James three years ago. He spoke about growing up in Missouri and how the characters of the DC Universe weren’t just stories to him, they were like his family. His personal bond with these DC heroes was powerful and I knew then that James was the right person to bring them to life. His love for the DC world runs deep, and it shines in every frame of his work.
“This weekend, we watched Superman soar as James Gunn’s passion and vision came to life on the big screen. Superman is just the first step. Over the next year alone, DC Studios will introduce the films Supergirl and Clayface in theaters and the series Lanterns on HBO Max, all part of a bold ten-year plan. The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.
The post David Zaslav Celebrates ‘Superman’ Box Office Win, Touts ‘Bold 10-Year Plan’ for DC: ‘Just the First Step’ appeared first on TheWrap.
Karlovy Vary Film Festival Critic’s Take: Czech Cinema Triumphs and Stellan Skarsgård Makes a Splash
Having a front row seat to all the goings on at the 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival this week meant seeing some invigorating new films that, much like Cannes did just a couple months back, confronted the frequently dark and painful parts of our world in an attempt to find whatever small slivers of humanity they could. The films couldn’t always hold onto this feeling and the searching could often be more than a little fraught, though the festival’s brightest spots came from the ones that tried to do so all the same.
In particular, the best two films in the main competition were the Czech films “Broken Voices” and “Better Go Mad in the Wild,” the latter of which rightfully took home the top prize Saturday evening while the former received a special jury mention for the exciting newcomer Kateřina Falbrová. Though their recognition opened up discussion on what film will become the Czech Oscar submission (the consensus being that it was likely to be “Broken Voices” as it’s more grounded in history where “Better Go Mad in the Wild is less conventional), the films could not be more different, serving as a demonstration of the range of the country’s cinema in 2025.
Where “Broken Voices” was about a real case of abuse and how people can look the other way, “Better Go Mad in the Wild” is a hybrid documentary that uses inventive approaches to create a narrative of sorts about two real-life twins finding meaning in life. What united them and the other standout competition films of the festival (such as “Bidad” and “When a River Becomes a Sea”) was how they remained driven by a profound sociological interest in everyday people.
Beyond that, there were also outstanding films already known from having shown at prior festivals that still felt integral to the identity of Karlovy Vary this year. Most significant was Dea Kulumbegashvili’s astounding “April,” a formally ambitious and assured drama about a OB/BYN performing abortions. It’s a film that has only grown more urgent since it premiered back at Venice last year and is certain to be one of the best of the year. More than anything, it’s good to see her film getting in front of as many audiences after it never received a proper release in her home country of Georgia, due to it not getting a distributor out of concerns of government repression.
The director, who also led a masterclass at the festival, will also make her next feature in America under Emma Stone and Dave McCary’s production banner Fruit Tree, making her current film even more critical to catch up with. That Karlovy Vary provided a chance to see Kulumbegashvili’s compassionate yet agonizing vision of sound and fury on the big screen was a highlight all on its own. What makes it so outstanding is the immense care Kulumbegashvili brings to both craft and character, representing the pinnacle of what modern cinema can only aspire to be.
There were plenty of other such films from other festivals, such as the Sundance entries “All That’s Left of You,” “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” “Peter Hujar’s Day,” and “Zodiac Killer Project.” Berlin supplied Michel Franco’s “Dreams,” and as usually KVIFF programmed a large number of films from Cannes, including “Dangerous Animals,” “It Was Just an Accident,” “Resurrection,” “Sorry, Baby” and “Urchin.”
Outside of the films, an onstage interview with Stellan Skarsgård captured the most attention. It came when the Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård told the Hollywood Reporter columnist Scott Feinberg and a live audience that the late filmmaker Ingmar Bergman “was a Nazi during the war and the only person I know who cried when Hitler died” — which, based on the reverberations it has caused in film circles, seems to have been the first time many heard about the director’s history. (Bergman never attempted to hide his initial Nazi sympathies but disavowed Hitler after the war when the extent of Nazi atrocities became evident.)
The post Karlovy Vary Film Festival Critic’s Take: Czech Cinema Triumphs and Stellan Skarsgård Makes a Splash appeared first on TheWrap.
Fox News Hosts Attack Trump Dismissal of Epstein Problem: ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ | Video
Several Fox News programs have blasted Donald Trump’s continued dismissal of the administration’s ongoing Jeffrey Epstein problem this weekend. As “Fox & Friends Weekend” anchor Kevin Corke put it Sunday, the situation is becoming a “ticking time bomb.”
Corke’s comment was in response to host Charles Hurt’s insistence that, “If there’s anybody who could walk in and say, ‘OK, we’ve resolved all of the questions and there is nothing here,’ it would be President Trump and his crew.”
“The problem is, you can’t really do it without giving some explanation. And there has to be some explanation. And I think that’s why you have a lot of people still pretty with a lot a very valid questions,” Hurt added.
“You can defuse this ticking time bomb if you simply get out there,” Corke interjeceted.
“You can’t tell me that a thousand people were hurt and that there are no people out there that we can arrest,” he continued. “You can tell me that, ‘Sorry. We don’t have a list.’ Fine, don’t have a list. Tell me who the perpetrators were. Let’s depose every single person who might have had a chance to get on that list, and might have been out there at that island and let’s talk to them.”
“Let’s find out what happened,” Corke continued. “You’re telling me there are videos out there in New Mexico and on the island and in New York and nobody saw anything? I don’t buy it. And that’s why they need to get out there and face the fire.”
That sentiment is similar to one expressed Saturday on “Mediabuzz.” Host Howard Kurtz noted that many MAGA voters feel betrayed by Trump’s “refusal to release anything from Jeffrey Epstein.”
Guest Sarah Bedford agreed. “I think it’s obvious that this is a huge PR disaster for the Trump administration!” she said. “There’s no way for them to spin their way out of this.”
Bedford also said the Trump administration’s tactics are actually contributing to the growing conspiracy theories surrounding the topic.
Fellow guest Lucy Caldwell also explained that many MAGA voters made sex trafficking a central issue while casting their vote, and they are “super concerned” about the narrative surrounding Trump and Epstein.
On Sunday Trump took to Truth Social to insist such concern should end. “What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’” Trump wrote. “They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening. We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and ‘selfish people’ are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein. For years, it’s Epstein, over and over again.”
Last week, Trump also fired back at a reporter asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about the department’s most recent review of its own investigation into Epstein.
“Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years,” Trump said before Bondi replied. “Are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.”
“I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein at a time like this, when we’re having some of the greatest success, and also tragedy with what happened in Texas. It just seems like a desecration,” he added.
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The 7 Best Hidden Gems on Prime Video in July
Amazon’s Prime Video has a collection of underseen, unfairly forgotten films. The streamer’s massive film library has a Western that was robbed of the attention that it deserved by the COVID-19 pandemic, one of 2024’s best dramas and the most underrated movie made by one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the past 20 years. It even has one sci-fi film that you have likely never heard of before, despite it being the blockbuster that first united Tom Cruise with his future “Top Gun: Maverick” director.
Here are seven hidden gem movies streaming on Prime Video in July.
“A Most Violent Year” (A24)“A Most Violent Year” (2014)Released in the midst of A24’s ascent up the independent film world, writer-director J.C. Chandor’s “A Most Violent Year” is a slow-burn crime drama that deserves to be more well-known among moviegoers. The film follows a fuel supplier (Oscar Isaac) whose adherence to his own professional and moral compass is tested by corrupt competitors, familial instability and unwarranted, high-level government attention in 1980s New York City.
Featuring a pair of simmering, powerhouse performances by Isaac and Chastain, who plays the tactful wife of Isaac’s Abel, “A Most Violent Year” is a measured drama that builds its tension and emotional weight as it goes. Shot with beautiful, muted light by cinematographer Bradford Young, it is the rare throwback to the American dramas of the 1970s that does not feel phony or forced, but rather textured and gripping. If you have not seen it yet, now’s your chance.
“Slow West” (A24)“Slow West” (2015)Scottish filmmaker John Maclean’s feature directorial debut, “Slow West,” is very much its own thing. It follows a young Scotsman (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who travels to the American West in search of the love of his life (Caren Pistorius) and ends up hiring an Irish bounty hunter (Michael Fassbender) to protect him along the way. Thanks to its sense of romance and whimsical dialogue, “Slow West” feels at times like a Western riff on a traditional fairy tale — a vibe that cinematographer Robbie Ryan reinforces with his bright, colorful cinematography.
The film undercuts its fantastic streak at every turn, though, by indulging in bittersweet humor and brutal violence. The resulting film is a Western that moves, sounds and looks unlike any other. It is a distinct vision with a surprisingly tender heart and an even more ruthless mean streak. Clocking in at just 84 minutes long, it does not take your time for granted, either.
“Something Wild” (Orion Pictures)“Something Wild” (1986)Director Jonathan Demme’s “Something Wild” should not work, and yet it does. Such is the magic of Demme and this incredible, subversive comedic thriller. The film follows an uptight investment banker (Jeff Daniels) who goes on an impromptu road trip with a carefree woman (Melanie Griffith). What starts as a sexy, erotic journey quickly turns into a nightmarish fight for personal freedom; however, when Griffith’s Audrey accidentally runs into her possessive, abusive ex-husband (Ray Liotta), who is hellbent on getting her back.
That audacious, ill-advised shift from lighthearted, eccentric adventure into pure, stomach-turning tension would sink lesser movies, but not “Something Wild.” This 1986 classic is revered among cinephiles for a reason. It is one of the best films that Demme, whose other movies include “Silence of the Lambs” and “Philadelphia,” ever made. More viewers should know about it, which is why you should check it out now that it is on Prime Video.
“The Bikeriders” (Focus Features)“The Bikeriders” (2024)Dumped by its original distributor only to be saved by Focus Features, writer-director Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” earned positive reviews from the critics and moviegoers who actually saw it in 2024. But it did not ever gain the kind of widespread, mainstream recognition that it should have, despite the power of its recognizable ensemble cast, which includes Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Norman Reedus and Michael Shannon. Based on a photo book by Danny Lyon, this sun-soaked exploration of a distinctly American subculture follows the rise and moral fall of a fictional midwestern motorcycle club in the 1960s.
Simultaneously romantic and clear-eyed, “The Bikeriders” pulls formalistic inspiration from similarly expansive dramas like “Goodfellas” and “Casino” to create an affecting portrait of a very specific moment in time. In doing so, “The Bikeriders” makes you not only fall in love with the same wind-in-your-hair freedom that motivates its central motorcyclists but also feel the same sadness and grief they do as time slowly but inevitably transforms their club into something unrecognizable. The film was Nichols’ first in eight years, and it turned out to be a welcome and fittingly remarkable return to form for the “Mud” and “Take Shelter” filmmaker.
“News of the World” (Universal Pictures)“News of the World” (2020)Director Paul Greengrass’ “News of the World” was released in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 and, consequently, flew completely under the radar with casual moviegoers. Five years later, it has not experienced the surge in popularity that it deserves, either. Based on a novel of the same name by Paulette Jiles, the film follows an older Civil War veteran (Tom Hanks) who travels across frontier America sharing newspapers and stories from around the country.
Along the way, he agrees to take a young white girl (Helena Zengel) raised by Native Americans to the few surviving members of her biological family. Hanks’ Captain Kidd comes to care for Zengel’s Johanna and feels increasingly obligated to protect her from the dangers of the American West. The film itself, meanwhile, explores in a moving, understated fashion how it is personal connections that ultimately keep us going through even the most divisive and unstable of times.
“First Man” (Universal Pictures)“First Man” (2018)There is, perhaps, no more underrated movie on this list than “First Man.” A ridiculous controversy surrounding the film’s inclusion of the American flag marred its pre-release campaign, and as director Damien Chazelle‘s follow-up to his Oscar-winning 2016 musical “La La Land,” the film was seen as a letdown by many. But “First Man” is anything but that. Chazelle’s drama about Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) and the hardships he suffered, both personal and professional, on his journey to becoming the first man to step foot on the moon is a subversively quiet, introspective drama.
Chazelle is no stranger to capturing big-screen spectacle, and he does so in multiple, breathtaking set pieces in “First Man.” But what is even more impressive is how he captures the epic yet deeply personal emotional scope of Armstrong’s journey. It is a thoughtful, affecting and haunting film — one that benefits greatly from a nuanced star performance by Gosling that might just be the best the actor has ever given.
“Oblivion” (Universal Pictures)“Oblivion” (2013)Speaking of underrated movies made by talented directors, “Oblivion” is the film that first brought “Top Gun: Maverick” filmmaker Joseph Kosinski and star Tom Cruise together. Based on an unpublished graphic novel, the film follows a maintenance technician (Cruise) tasked with scavenging the remains of a war-scarred Earth and converting the planet’s remaining seawater reserves into energy rigs for the space colony where the rest of humanity has fled.
However, when he discovers the female survivor (Olga Kurylenko) of a crashed spaceship, he begins to question everything he thought he knew about his mission and the war that left Earth uninhabitable. Stylish and action-packed, “Oblivion” is a visually stunning and refreshingly atmospheric sci-fi adventure film. It may not be as purely astonishing as “Top Gun: Maverick,” but “Oblivion” is still a memorable and thrilling blockbuster that makes the absolute most out of Cruise and Kosinski’s shared love of practical stunts and effects.
The post The 7 Best Hidden Gems on Prime Video in July appeared first on TheWrap.
July 12, 2025
Evan Rachel Wood Explains Why She Will Not Appear in ‘Practical Magic’ Sequel: ‘They Are Recasting’
Evan Rachel Wood won’t be in the “Practical Magic” sequel, but it’s not because she didn’t want to be. As Wood told fans via her Instagram Stories, after she “offered my services” she was told “they are re-casting.”
“I am getting asked about this a lot, so l’ll just clear it up now; I was not asked to come back and be in the #PracticalMagic sequel. I offered my services, even if it was one scene or one line,” Wood wrote.
“I was told they are re-casting. I am sorry to disappoint the fans. It was not in my control or my choice. I would have happily rejoined my sisters.”
Deadline reported this news.
The upcoming sequel will bring back stars Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock and is set to be released in late September 2026. Wood played Bullock’s daughter Kylie in the original film.
In addition to Kidman and Bullock, original stars Stockard Channing and Dianne West will also return. The group will be joined by Joey King, Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, and Solly McLeod.
The post Evan Rachel Wood Explains Why She Will Not Appear in ‘Practical Magic’ Sequel: ‘They Are Recasting’ appeared first on TheWrap.
Rosie O’Donnell Hits Back at ‘Dangerous Old Soulless’ Donald Trump: ‘Ur a Bad Joke’
Rosie O’Donnell fired off a response to Donald Trump after the president said he’s considering revoking her American citizenship Saturday. The actress described Trump as “a dangerous old soulless man with dementia who lacks empathy compassion and basic humanity” and concluded, “ur a bad joke who cant form a coherent sentence” via two posts shared on Instagram the same day.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Rosie O’Donnell (@rosie)
“The president of the USA has always hated the fact that i see him for who he is – a criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation to serve himself,
O’Donnell wrote in the first post. “This is why I moved to Ireland – he is a dangerous old soulless man with dementia who lacks empathy compassion and basic humanity – I stand in direct opposition all he represents.”
“So do millions of others,” she continued. “U gonna deport all who stand against ur evil tendencies – ur a bad joke who cant form a coherent sentence.”
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Rosie O’Donnell (@rosie)
The second featured a photo of Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. “Hey donald –
you’re rattled again?” she captioned the picture. “18 years later and I still live rent-free in that collapsing brain of yours. You call me a threat to humanity –
but I’m everything you fear:
a loud woman
a queer woman
a mother who tells the truth
an american who got out of the country b4 u set it ablaze.”
“You build walls – I build a life for my autistic kid in a country where decency still exists. You crave loyalty – I teach my children to question power. You sell fear on golf courses – I make art about surviving trauma. You lie, you steal, you degrade – I nurture, I create, I persist. You are everything that is wrong with America,” O’Donnell continued.
“And I’m everything you hate about what’s still right with it. You want to revoke my citizenship?
go ahead and try, king joffrey with a tangerine spray tan. I’m not yours to silence
i never was 
rosie.”
“Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship,” Trump wrote via Truth Social Saturday morning. “She is a Threat to Humanity, and should remain in the wonderful Country of Ireland, if they want her. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
In March O’Donnell revealed she had traded the United States for Ireland in response to Trump’s reelection. In a video that lasted nearly 10 minutes, O’Donnell explained that she is also attempting to obtain Irish citizenship.
O’Donnell and Trump have been on the outs for 20 years. In 2006, O’Donnell criticized Trump for being the “moral authority” surrounding the case of the year’s Miss Usa, Tara Conner, who was accused of underage drinking and drug use.
“He annoys me on a multitude of levels. [He] left the first wife, had an affair, left the second wife, had an affair, had kids both times, but he’s the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America,” she said at the time.
The post Rosie O’Donnell Hits Back at ‘Dangerous Old Soulless’ Donald Trump: ‘Ur a Bad Joke’ appeared first on TheWrap.
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