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As the Resident Evil franchise steadily marches towards its 30th anniversary, enough time has passed that a whole generation of fans now consider the series’ divisive film adaptations to be just as integral to the IP’s identity as the games that they’re supposedly based on.

And with Zach Cregger’s upcoming cinematic reboot promising to take the franchise back to its horrific roots, we thought that it might be fun to look back on the adaptations of yesteryear and rank every entry in this long-running series. After all, with seven live action films and an eight-episode TV show, I’d argue that there’s a Resident Evil adaptation for every kind of fan.

As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own personal rankings if you disagree with our order, but keep in mind that we’ll be excluding the franchise’s various animated entries due...

Federation and OjoFilms have joined forces to create a new Spanish-language limited series titled “El Abuso,” based on the book “La Fuga de Punta Carretas” by Eleuterio Fernández Huidobro.

Directed by Academy Award nominees Cesar Charlone and Fernando Meirelles, the Dp and co-director of 2003’s “City of God,” respectively, “El Abuso” tells the true story of the dramatic 1971 jailbreak of 101 political prisoners from the Tupamaros, a legendary urban guerilla group. Among the escapees was Pepe Mújica, who later became President of Uruguay.

“At a time when the world was deeply divided, this jailbreak symbolized freedom for an entire region,” said Charlone.

The series will also examine the kidnapping and assassination of CIA operative Dan Mitrione, which the Tupamaros used to expose the brutal tactics of the impending Operation Condor during a shadowy period of the Cold War.

Delivered as an eight-episode limited series, “El Abuso” is being adapted by Mariana Santangelo...

While Taken‘s success, for better or worse, rebranded Liam Neeson as an action star, the actor initially rose to stardom following his dramatic prowess in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List. On the flip side, Sandra Bullock, whose career has been mostly defined by rom-coms and dramas, originally rose to global stardom due to Speed and Demolition Man.

Speed | Credit: 20th Century Studios

Although their careers have rarely intertwined, interestingly, the duo did join forces in the early 2000s for an action comedy, which is often considered one of the most forgettable outings in their filmography.

A quite forgettable collaboration – Gun Shy

Considering Sandra Bullock was popping off in the ’90s and Liam Neeson had starred in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace just a year prior, on paper, a collaboration between the two screamed success. But at the end of the day, it all boils down to the story,...

General Hospital spoilers and updates for February sweeps tease previews and predictions of romance, retribution and revenge! There are several hot button storylines heating up, and some perhaps winding down-let’s check out all the Port Charles action!

Substitute Baby Daddies, Tenuous Reunions

In a world where every crisis seems to hinge on Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) saving the day, he steps up to play the role of Sasha Corbin’s (Sofia Mattsson) pretend baby daddy.

This ruse is crucial for her to keep under wraps the scandal of Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell) cheating on Willow Corinthos (Katelyn MacMullen).

Meanwhile, Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) grapples with the haunting reminder of Sam McCall (Kelly Monaco) every time he gazes at Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins).

Yet, despite his inner turmoil, Lulu remains steadfast, ready to support him in his time of need. Could this emotional tension be the reason for their particularly...

Liam Neeson’s career as an action star may be slowing down now that he’s well into his 70s, but that hasn’t stopped him from delivering some hits over the last few years that, while perhaps not critically acclaimed, still brought joy to audiences everywhere. One of those flicks is Retribution, the 2023 action thriller that saw him team up with Avatar: The Way of Water veteran Jack Champion. Retribution recently began streaming on Starz, and the film wasted no time finding streaming success, sitting in the #10 spot on the platform at the time of writing. Retribution also stars Noma Dumezweni and Lilly Aspel, and it grossed only $18 million globally against a $20 million budget with scores of 30% from critics and 67% from general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Liam Neeson may have all the skills he needed to lead the Taken franchise to success across three movies that redefined his career, but many people are just discovering that this was just the beginning for the saga of Bryan Mills. The TV series prequel to the Taken franchise is currently streaming on Freevee and has debuted at the top of the streamer’s TV show chart.

The series, which was released in 2017 and stars Clive Standen in the lead role, tracks a younger Bryan Mills, showing how he became the man with the skills that everyone grew to love more than a decade earlier. A former Green Beret who experiences a personal tragedy, Mills' path is set when he becomes bent on revenge while moving into a deadly career as a CIA operative that will certainly come in useful years later.

The series received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.

This month will be a great time for longtime fans of Resident Evil. A new film chronicling the unmade adaptation that never came to be has a premiere date that's imminent, and it looks to be one that fans won't want to miss.

George A. Romero's Resident Evil will premiere on Digital and On Demand on Jan. 7. From Uncork'd Entertainment and director Brandon Salisbury, the documentary explores the story of the original plans to turn Resident Evil into a feature film under the watch of legendary filmmaker George A. Romero. Famously, Romero laid the groundwork for modern zombie horror movies and TV shows with his iconic films like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead. At one point, he was set to take on Resident Evil before his planned adaptation fizzled out, ultimately leading to Paul W.S. Anderson to launch his own...

After the Christmas cheer, it’s time to sing ‘Happy New Year’ as 2025 is almost here. But before we step into the new year, how can we not talk about such an iconic episode from the American sitcom The Office, in which Jim Halpert was absent? It broke many hearts as they couldn’t see Jim and Pam together in the New Year episode, ‘Ultimatum’.

Jim and Pam from The Office | Credits: Network NBC

It is always special if a TV show incorporates festive seasons like Christmas or New Year’s in its storyline. It gives us a chance to witness our favorite characters enjoying these seasonal cheers.

The Office season 7 episode 13 featured a New Year-themed plot, but it was quite noticeable that Jim was absent. Let’s find out why he was not there in the episode.

Did Jim Halpert miss out on appearing in any other episodes than Ultimatum?...

Liam Neeson's underrated 2015 mob movie Run All Night is now streaming on Netflix. Neeson, who turned 72 in 2024, has kept up his momentum as one of the best leading actors in action movies working in Hollywood today with 2024's Absolution. Many of Neeson's best action films are essentially one-person army tales that portray the talented actor's physical tour-de-force performances. Run All Night certainly falls into this iconic category of Neeson action thrillers.

Run All Night is one of several collaborations between Neeson and director Jaume Collet-Serra, which also includes 2011's Unknown, 2014's Non-Stop, 2018's The Commuter, and 2023's Retribution. Neeson is currently slated to star in the 2025 remake of The Naked Gun and the Jonny Campbell-directed thriller Cold Storage alongside Lesley Manville and Joe Keery. A sequel to Run All Night is currently in development with Neeson set to return with Joel Kinnamon's Mike Conlon character.

Run All Night...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for The Ultimates #6! While the Avengers are famously Earths Mightiest Heroes, even they arent immune to dying, especially R-rated deaths that have been suffered by everyone from Iron Man to the Hulk. However, theres one Avenger who got it particularly bad in the original Ultimate Universe. But, in the new Ultimate Universe, her R-rated death is flipped in truly epic fashion, and even proves that this unlikely hero is secretly capable of killing the Hulk himself.

In The Ultimates #6 by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri, Captain America, Iron Lad, Giant-Man, Wasp, Hawkeye, America Chavez, She-Hulk, Thor, Sif, and the Human Torch (aka every member of the Ultimates), are breaking into a facility owned and operated by the main villain of this new continuity: the Maker. When the Maker took over Earth-6160, he used time travel to neutralize every hero in the Marvel Universe. The Ultimates believe that...

Days of Our Lives (Dool) spoilers for the week of November 11, 2024, are here! Next week, fans can expect Sophia Choi (Madelyn Kientz) to challenge her love interest. Sarah Horton Kiriakis (Linsey Godfrey) has a new obstacle in her recovery.

JJ Deveraux (Casey Moss) is rattled by Chad Dimera’s (Billy Flynn) trust in Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord). Plus, Doug Williams’ (Bill Hayes) health takes a downturn. Keep reading and let’s talk about what is coming up in the next episode of the Peacock soap opera.

Days Of Our Lives Spoilers – Monday, November 11: Brady Black’s Ultimatum

Dool spoilers for Monday, November 11 reveal that Roman Brady (Josh Taylor) and Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) question Clyde Weston’s (James Read) intent.

Sarah learns concerning news about Xander Cook Kiriakis (Paul Telfer) from Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier).

Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) has an ultimatum for Kristen Dimera (Stacy Haiduk) regarding their dynamic.

The Bold and the Beautiful (B&b) spoilers for Monday, November 11, 2024, promise Carter making a big business discovery.

The Bold And The Beautiful Spoilers – Carter Walton’s Hope LoganFor The Future?

Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor) is angry and exhilarated at the same time. Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) is in love with him after one date, but he is furious with Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) and Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood).

How could they fire Hope like that and cancel her line? She worked hard on that line for years coming up with a vision for someone else to execute. Hope is about virginal clothing and deserves her line back.

Or maybe she can start a new line with a new company. Being the lawyer that he is, Carter seems to find a loophole in their contract with Forrester Creations.

Must Read – The Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers: Brooke’s Ultimatum, Bedroom Line & Hope’s Fate Intertwine?...

The Bold and the Beautiful spoilers for Friday, November 8, 2024, are here! In tomorrow’s episode, fans can expect Penelope “Poppy” Nozawa (Romy Park) to confront her jailed daughter.

Coming Up On The Bold And The Beautiful

Meanwhile, Bill Spencer (Don Diamont) receives a letter from Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada), which forces him to reflect.

Over at Forrester Creations, Zende Forrester Dominguez (Delon de Metz) angrily confronts Steffy Forrester Finnegan (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) about the ripple effects of firing Hope Logan (Annika Noelle).

Keep reading and let’s talk about what is coming up in the next episode of the CBS soap opera.

The Bold And The Beautiful Spoilers – Zende Forrester Dominguez’s Confrontation

B&b spoilers for Friday, November 8 reveal that Zende will confront Steffy. Zende will be furious, but will try to stay calm while talking to Steffy.

It’s not just Hope getting fired but Zende has now...

“Venom: The Last Dance” topped the box office again as newcomer “Here,” a fantasy drama that uses AI so Tom Hanks and Robin Wright can play younger (and older) versions of themselves, fizzled in its debut.

“Here,” which was produced and financed by Miramax and distributed by Sony, opened in fifth place with $5 million from 2,647 North American theaters. The film, which reunites the “Forrest Gump” co-stars with their director Robert Zemeckis, follows the inhabitants of a single house over the course of 100 years — allowing Hanks and Wright to portray teenagers and octogenarians across 105 minutes thanks to de-aging technology. Critics and audiences rejected the movie with a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes and “B-” grade on CinemaScore. So, word-of-mouth may not help bolster attention for “Here” in its box office run. The movie cost $45 million and needs a long life in theaters to justify that price tag.

Hanks has been a massive big screen draw over the years,...

If read in order, the subtitles of the first six theatrically released "Resident Evil" movies almost ... almost ... spell out a "Divine Comedy"-like story arc. The first film is, naturally, merely called "Resident Evil" (2002), and it's about the release of a deadly, corporate-owned virus that turns the citizens of the world into zombies, creatures, or merely dead corpses. The film's sequel is subtitled "Apocalypse" (2004), implying that the virus escaped containment and infected the Earth. The third film is called "Extinction," implying that the virus did its job and humanity has become extinct. The arc is pretty clear. 

What comes after extinction? Well, the fourth film is called "Afterlife" (2010), following the now-dead humanity into Elysium. How apropos. Sadly, the fifth film in the series is not called "Resurrection" or "Reincarnation," but "Retribution" (2012), kind of breaking the spiritual cycle. Perhaps with "Retribution," humanity has become a gaggle of vengeful ghosts? Or perhaps not.

Liam Neeson's upcoming film Absolution continues a trend that started nearly two decades ago in one of his most iconic films. Neeson, who turned 72 in 2024, is keeping up his momentum as one of the best leading actors in action movies working in Hollywood today with 2024's Absolution. Many of Neeson's best action films are essentially one-person army tales that portray the talented actor's physical tour-de-force performances. Absolution appears to fit right in that category.

The trailer of Absolution stars Neeson as an aging gangster trying to escape his dark past. The film, directed by Hans Peter Moland and written by Tony Gayton, also stars Ron Perlman, Frankie Shaw, and Daniel Diemer. Neeson, an Academy Award nominee for 1993's Schindler's List, has nearly 200 television and movie acting credits to his name after making his feature film debut in 1978's Pligrim's Progress.

Absolution will be released on November 1, 2024.

Absolution Is Another...

The cast of Liam Neeson's 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank has been revealed. The news comes as the film prepares to be sold by FilmNation at the upcoming TIFF market.

Per Deadline, Neeson, known in part for his roles in the Star Wars and Taken franchises, is currently in talks to lead the cast of 4 Kids Walk Into a Bank. Other cast members joining Neeson in the movie include Talia Ryder, Noah Jupe, Whitney Peak, Jack Dylan Grazer, and newcomer Deacon Phillippe, the son of Hollywood stars Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon.

Related Liam Neeson Starred in a Forgotten Western Movie Alongside a Former James Bond

Seraphim Falls was initially a flop, but a new surge of popularity with westerns has brought it to a wider audience with a greater appreciation of it.

4 Kids Walk Into a Bank is based on the original graphic novel by Matthew Rosenberg and Tyler Boss.

Peter Marsden is a UK-based Dit who has worked in the camera department his entire career, even before digital became the standard. Now, with many years of experience and an impressive list of international productions under his belt, Peter often had the opportunity to work on films using the latest digital film technology. In this interview, Peter discusses the use of small-scale virtual production in the action thriller ‘Retribution’.

In Peter’s words, “Retribution is a movie about a man driving his car around Berlin, and he’s unable to get out of it because there is a bomb – so it’s kind of like a hostage situation.” As Peter recalls, most of the car scenes were filmed on location in the streets of Berlin, which made „that part of filming pretty straightforward”. The production used a so-called „buck“, a gutted car mounted to another vehicle, to shoot those scenes:...

Federation Spain, the Madrid-based arm of top indie European studio Federation Entertainment, has inked to co-produce Xavier Rull’s feature debut “My Stalker,” selected for this year’s Frontières Platform in Cannes.

Structured as a Spain-Mexico-u.S. co-production, “My Stalker” is set up at Monster Box, the horror indie outfit recently launched by Rull with awarded Mexican filmmaker Jack Zagha.

“My Stalker” follows a rising young singer in the music industry, stalked by a mysterious dangerous man who can possess people astrally.

As she struggles to compose a new album, deal with the pressures of fame, and evade her stalker, she descends into a dark world where music, nightmares, and the supernatural collide.

The film was co-created and co-scripted by Rull and María Rocher, Federation Spain’s head of co-production and support strategy.

“‘My Stalker’ is a psychological thriller with an original high concept,” Rull said.

“It explores the gradual...

Despite promises of a major plot twist, Retribution's ending became predictable, leaving viewers wanting more. The storyline in Retribution remained conventional and rote, failing to live up to the potential of a thrilling action film. The real reason Anders targeted Matt was solely to steal money, showing the film's lack of morally complex motivations.

Retributions ending explained a major plot twist that was supposed to surprise viewers but the conclusion of Liam Neesons latest thriller was surprisingly predictable. The third remake of 2015s Spanish sleeper hit El desconocido, Nimrod Antal's Retribution stars Neeson as a banker whose life is thrown into disarray during a school run with his children. After Matt Turner gets into his car, he ignores his children while finishing an important work deal with his colleague Anders. Matt finishes that call and a mysterious second phone begins ringing.

Matt answers this call and a distorted...

Plot: In 1974, an aging hitman (Liam Neeson) tries to leave his violent past behind and reinvent himself in a small, isolated town in Ireland. However, his good nature leads to him making a fateful decision that puts him in the crosshairs of an insane Ira assassin (Kerry Condon) and her cronies.

Review: I know what you’re thinking – another Liam Neeson action flick. Ho-hum. Normally, I’d be right there with you. While no one can deny he’s become the 21st century’s version of Charles Bronson, with him churning out a steady diet of B-level action flicks, not all of them are disposable in the way something like Blacklight, Honest Thief, Retribution and too many others are. Once in a while, he works with a really interesting director, such as on the beautifully photographed Marlowe by Neil Jordan. One of his better recent action flicks was definitely The Marksman,...

Exclusive: Reacher’s Alan Ritchson is set to star in War Machine, the Patrick Hughes-directed and scripted action sci-fi film that will find its home with Netflix. Lionsgate developed the script with Hughes, best known for The Hitman’s Bodyguard films. Hughes wrote the script with James Beaufort (Machine). Lionsgate set the title in a deal with Netflix.

This comes on the heels of Lionsgate announcing it has Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reuniting for A Simple Favor 2, setting the film as a streamer title with Amazon MGM Studios. It is part of a third facet of Lionsgate’s long term plan, which includes a direct-to-streaming business, to go with theatricals and multiplatform titles that have included Sisu and Retribution.

The film is produced by Hidden Pictures’ Todd Lieberman and Alex Young, Range Media Partners’ Rich Cook and Hughes’ Huge Film with Greg McLean (Wolf Creek). Story is by Hughes.

Looking for a bit of mystery? The best of British streamer BritBox is heading into the new month with a crime-heavy collection of new film and TV titles! The month will kick off with the BritBox exclusive serial adaptation of the Agatha Christie mystery “Murder Is Easy,” starring David Jonsson and Penelope Wilton. Continue throughout March for repeat offenders, like Season 2 of the multi-bafta Award-winning anthology series “Time,” the complete 12-season police procedural program “Trial & Retribution,” or the 1990s crime drama “Killer Net.”

Check out The Streamable’s top picks for BritBox’s latest additions and learn everything coming to the streamer this March!

7-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month BritBox.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to BritBox in March 2024? “Agatha Christie's Murder Is Easy” | Friday, March 1

David Jonsson leads the cast as the young and ambitious Luke Fitzwilliam in the recent BBC One Christie adaptation. Arriving from...

It’s hard to imagine nowadays, but humans weren’t always at the top of the food chain. And with our ancestors being preyed upon by larger mammals and even our fellow humanoids, it stands to reason that we’d develop a generalized fear of the dark. That’s why it makes sense that cold places where the sun doesn’t routinely rise are naturally suited for spooky stories.

This is precisely what showrunner Issa López had in mind when she came up with HBO’s True Detective: Night Country, a brand-new murder mystery that returns the anthology show to its horrific roots. And with new episodes dropping weekly, we’ve decided to help viewers get an additional fix of frigid frights by recommending six arctic thrillers to watch after Td: Night Country.

As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own arctic favorites if you think we missed a particularly spooky one.

This Wednesday at 10:00 Pm on BET, brace yourselves for a thrilling episode of “All the Queen’s Men.” In Season 2 Episode 14, titled “Retribution,” The Concierge introduces his brother, Fernando, to the enigmatic Madam, setting the stage for a series of intriguing encounters. Meanwhile, Babyface seeks assistance from Midnight, weaving a complex web of alliances within the high-stakes world they inhabit.

As the narrative unfolds, Madam finds herself in a face-off with the kidnappers holding Amp captive. However, the audience can anticipate an unexpected twist in the tale, adding layers of suspense and drama to an already intense storyline. With retribution on the horizon, alliances will be tested, and the characters’ paths are destined for collision.

Fans of the series are in for a rollercoaster of emotions as “All the Queen’s Men” continues to deliver suspense, mystery, and unexpected turns. Tune in this Wednesday at 10:00 Pm for “Retribution,” an episode...

The Motion Picture Sound Editors said today that Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer Dane A. Davis will receive its 2024 Career Achievement Award during its 71st annual Golden Reel Awards in March.

Davis is known for his Oscar winning work on The Matrix, and for his creative contributions to that film’s sequels and scores of other films and television shows.

“With his work on The Matrix, Dane Davis set a new standard for how to use sound to create worlds, add impact to stories, and arouse the emotions of the audience,” said Mpse President Mark Lanza. “Since then, he has continued to innovate across features, animation, television, and other mediums. We are excited to recognize his unique accomplishments with our annual Career Achievement Award.”

Davis has been a sound designer and sound editor for more than 40 years with over 180 film, television, and game credits. Along with his Oscar for The Matrix,...

Although the launch of World of Warcraft Classic‘s Season of Discovery update didn’t go quite as smoothly as some hoped (try to be surprised), the update is finally here. With it comes an entirely new way to experience the “Vanilla” version of the legendary Mmorpg. Well…at least until Level 25. Subsequent Season of Discovery updates will eventually raise the game’s level cap, but we don’t yet know when those updates will be released.

Focusing on the “Phase 1” update, though, it’s already clear that the Season of Discovery update will not just introduce entirely new ways to play the game but make necessary improvements to many classes that previously struggled at earlier levels. While WoW‘s various Dps options weren’t altered quite as much as the game’s healers and tanks, the tier list for the largest spec pool in the game is already starting...

Neon has released the official trailer for Perfect Days, the latest film from acclaimed director Wim Wenders, featuring four interconnected short stories led by Kōji Yakusho. Perfect Days premiered at Cannes and received positive reviews, earning the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury and the Best Actor Award for Kōji Yakusho. It is Japan's entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars. Wenders, known for his visually stunning films, directs Perfect Days, which will be released in German theaters in December, followed by a release in Japan and the US in early 2024.

Neon has unveiled the official trailer for Perfect Days, the latest feature from auteur Wim Wenders. The drama uses vignettes led by Kōji Yakusho, who stars as a public toilet cleaner named Hirayama, to tell a simple and beautiful story about life. The trailer, set to Lou Reed's "Perfect Day," follows Hirayama through what starts as a typical day.

Five recent releases debuted on different VOD charts this past week, and for the second week in a row, three different films took #1 among the three we follow. Two of these took #1 slots, with “Sound of Freedom” (Angel) atop Vudu and #2 at iTunes, while “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” (Paramount) reversing those positions at those two sites.

Google Play, which often lags behind the others seems particularly slow this week, with “The Equalizer 3” (Sony) still #1 even though it doesn’t make the top five at the other two. And “Paw Patrol” ranks only fourth, with “Sound of Freedom” seventh.

Netflix is back in Sony streamer mode, with “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” #1 and “Insidious: The Red Door” #2 (both new this week). But two recent festival-premiered originals took the two new spots. “Sly” (Stallone of course), a documentary, and “Nyad,” about the pioneering swimmer Diane Nyad with Annette Bening, are third and fourth respectively there.

It’s easy to forget that up until a decade ago, Liam Neeson wasn’t exactly known for action films. Neeson was considered to be a rather straightforward dramatic actor ever since his breakout role in Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic Schindler’s List, but his performance in the action film Taken ended up being the first of many action roles. Neeson has rarely stepped outside the “action revenge thriller” genre in the last decade of his career. His action films tend to run together due to how similar they are; it can be hard to identify how films like The Marksman, Honest Thief, Blacklight, Retribution, and The Commuter are distinct from each other. However, Neeson’s performance in the 2019 action thriller Cold Pursuit ended up being an outlier in his action resume, thanks to its morbid sense of humor and more extreme ultra violence. Many of Neeson’s action films are tongue-in-cheek,...

Studiocanal launches short story adaptation ‘Cat Person’.

Thriller Five Nights At Freddy’s heads the new titles at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, as one of a selection of genre choices available to audiences on the pre-Halloween weekend.

Opening in 609 cinemas through Universal, Five Nights At Freddy’s is adapted from Scott Cawthon’s videogame franchise of the same name. The film stars Hunger Games actor Josh Hutcherson as a security guard at an abandoned entertainment venue, who discovers that its animatronic mascots move and kill anyone still there after midnight.

Directed by Emma Tammi, the film is produced by horror...

With writers off the picket lines, they might consider news pitches to address what’s clearly an underfed genre: Movie star as comedienne, and we’re not talking rom-coms.

Cases in point: Well, there’s the Margot Robbie juggernaut that is “Barbie” (Warner Bros.), with its $630 million domestic/over $1.4 billion worldwide theatrical take to date. Perhaps even more relevant is “No Hard Feelings” (Sony), a totally original project that didn’t have the benefit of an iconic Mattel doll as its core IP.

As expected, “Barbie” repeated as #1 on all charts. However, “Feelings” — starring and produced by Jennifer Lawrence as an Uber driver hired to elevate the confidence of a shy 19-year-old entering college — has remained on or near #1 since it hit home viewing in early August.

“Feelings” grossed $50 million in domestic theaters and another $36 million foreign, which isn’t great when it cost $45 million before marketing.

However, its home performance — initially as a $19.99 PVOD,...

They sold it with a list of surnames: Stallone. Statham. Li. Lundgren. Couture. Austin. Crews. Willis. The only name missing was Schwarzenegger, and that’s simply because they wanted his cameo to be a surprise. (He’d make the poster for the sequel.) Two of them came from the worlds of pro-wrestling and UFC fighting, and one of them was an ex-NFL linebacker. But it still read like an Action Hero Hall of Fame roll call, especially in the year of our lord 2010. That was the appeal, or maybe just the gimmick,...

Here is a wrap-up of all the news you need to know from Thursday, September 21, 2023.

CBS is switching up its plans for NCIS: Sydney.

The latest entry in the iconic franchise will now launch Tuesday, November 14, at 8 p.m. Et/Pt.

This is an upgraded time slot because the series was initially set to air on Mondays at 10 p.m. out of NCIS encores.

Now, NCIS encores will air on Tuesdays at 9 p.m., while FBI True will air in the 10 p.m. slot.

"With rising international tensions in the Indo-Pacific, a brilliant and eclectic team of U.S. NCIS agents and the Australian Federal Police (Afp) are grafted into a multinational taskforce to keep naval crimes in check in the most contested patch of ocean on the planet," the official synopsis for the new procedural teases.

The series stars Olivia Swann as NCIS Special Agent Michelle Mackey and Todd Lasance...

Ahead of its debut at the 2023 Sitges Film Festival and on Prime Video on October 11, upcoming Spanish science fiction movie Awareness has unveiled its full trailer. Acclaimed director, writer, and producer Daniel Benmayor, responsible for the Netflix thriller Welcome to Eden, helms Awareness, which follows a young outcast who possesses the strange skill to create illusions in people's heads, manipulating the reality they see. He lives without thinking about the future, and survives by scamming people with his abilities. But when his powers are exposed, he will have to escape two criminal organizations that want him for their own benefits.

Prime Video unveiled the full trailer for the movie that stars Carlos Scholz, Pedro Alonso, María Pedraza, and Óscar Jaenada:

Check out the official synopsis and poster for Awareness:

"Ian, a rebellious teenager living on the outskirts of society, can manipulate minds with his ability to generate visual illusions.

Warner Bros. Discovery is projecting huge losses from the impact of writer and actor strikes, but “Barbie” is still around to help them pay bills. It’s hardly news that as Greta Gerwig’s smash hit starts its initial post-theater platform release, it’s #1 on PVOD charts. The real story: that it’s doing so with a hefty premium price.

Gerwig’s #1 theatrical hit worldwide for 2023 (which will end up with around $1.5 billion in theatrical returns) is now renting on PVOD for $24.99, with the option to add it to your digital library permanently for $29.99. Studios recover 80 percent from revenues returned for these transactions, less a small slice for the carrier. That means Warner Bros. Discovery will recoup around $20 for each “Barbie” rental, $25 for each download. It’s a bonanza.

As always, how much actual money is involved with these transactions is not known, but if five million domestic homes rent the film,...

If you like your Liam Neeson thrillers a touch more Irish, then the first trailer for In the Land of Saints and Sinners will be exactly what you’re looking for.

Directed by Robert Lorenz, who also collaborated with Liam Neeson in The Marksman, In the Land of Saints and Sinners takes place in 1970s Ireland and follows Finbar Murphy (Neeson), a newly retired assassin eager to leave his dark past behind. “[Finbar] leads a quiet life in the remote coastal town of Glen Colm Cille, far from the political violence that grips the rest of the country,” reads the official synopsis. “When a menacing crew of terrorists arrive, led by a ruthless woman named Doireann, Finbar soon discovers that one of them has been abusing a local young girl. Drawn into an increasingly vicious game of cat and mouse, Finbar must choose between exposing his secret identity or defending his friends and neighbors.

Liam Neeson’s new action-thriller film ‘Retribution’ is a high octane adrenaline rush. Liam starred alongside veteran actor Matthew Modine in the Nimrod Antal directorial, which was a magical experience for Nimrod, who said working with the two was like dealing with two kings of their craft.

Talking about working with Liam and Matthew, director Nimrod said: “We are talking about two men that I have been a fan of before I ever had an opportunity to be a colleague. They say you don’t want to meet your heroes, but, you know, sometimes you do. With Matthew and Liam, there’s an incredible warmth between them, but you’re also dealing with two kings of the craft.

“It’s pretty magical for me. When I have people of this caliber, it elevates my game and makes me very conscientious when it comes to my role. These guys really do hear what directors are saying.

The talented Matilda cast, including Mara Wilson, Embeth Davidtz, and Pam Ferris, have gone on to have successful acting careers after the 1996 movie. Danny DeVito not only starred in Matilda but directed it too. Several other cast members, such as Brian Levinson and Jimmy Karz, have retired from acting.

The incredibly talented Matilda cast is a big reason why the 1996 children's fantasy movie has become an enduring fan favorite. Adapted from the 1988 beloved novel of the same by Roald Dahl and directed by Danny DeVito, Matilda chronicles the life of Matilda Wormwood (Mara Wilson), a brilliant young girl with telekinetic powers who has to endure indifference and mistreatment from her family. When her father reluctantly enrolls her into Crunchem Hall Elementary School, Matilda, with the help of her teacher, Miss Honey uses her intelligence and powers to stand up to her family and her sadistic principal.

Over two decades after its release,...

For the second weekend in a row, a new film finished on top of the box-office weekend as Gran Turismo debuted with $17.3 million.

In its first weekend in release, Gran Turismo managed to best the second-place film by $0.2 million and narrowly eke out a stint atop the top ten, for at least one week. Although it had to settle for second place with $17.1 million, Barbie managed to hold its ground from last weekend and bring its six-week total to $595 million, making it the top grossing domestic film of the year by $20.3 million. Dropping from first to third was Blue Beetle which brought in $12.8 million over the weekend to raise its two-week total to $46.3 million. Oppenheimer found itself in fourth place with $9 million this weekend, giving it a six-week total of $300 million. In fifth place with $6.1 million, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem brought its four-week total to $98.1 million.

Meanwhile, Meg 2: The Trench...

A caveat about this week’s box office recap is that Sunday is National Cinema Day with $4 movie tickets, which is having a huge impact on ticket sales. We might not fully know the results until actual box office is reported on Monday. Even so, read on for the weekend box office report.

Sony released Neill Blomkamp‘s racing movie “Gran Turismo,” based on a true story And a Playstation game, into 3,856 theaters after two weekends of previews and mixed/positive reviews. The movie made $8.5 million on Friday, but that included $1.4 million in Thursday previews and a reported $3.9 million from earlier previews. Sony estimates that the movie opens in first place with $17.3 million, any bump from National Cinema Day negating any frontloading from previews. The good news for “Gran Turismo” is its “A” CinemaScore shows audience buzz that should negate any of the mixed or negative reviews. Being PG-13 can...

Thanks to National Cinema Day, consider this week’s box office report to be a work in progress. For the second year, on a late summer Sunday, the National Association of Theater Owners declared a day of deeply discounted tickets.

With Sunday’s grosses all estimates, those $4 admissions will skew results. — inclduing whether “Gran Turismo” (Sony) or “Barbie” (Warner Bros.) will be #1. Sony claimed $17.3 million; Warners countered with $17.1 million. To be clear, that means WB believes Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster (now over $590 million domestic) gross will increase by 45 percent from Saturday to Sunday over Saturday; Sony has a much more modest increase for “Turismo,” up six percent.

That’s a big leap of faith on Warners’ part. They’re guessing that the top film of the year also will engender the biggest interest in $4 tickets. (What better day to see it again?) Sony’s weekend estimates for “Gran Turismo” include...

With unofficial numbers rolling in, the studios have called this final week of the 2023 summer movie season for Gran Turismo with an estimated take of $17.3 million, putting it squarely between where tracking saw it on Thursday and our predictions. That number includes $5.3 million the racing film accumulated over the past few weeks of preview screenings. We say “unofficial” numbers because the studios generally report their numbers without knowing exactly what Sunday will bring, they just give it an educated guess based on pre-sales and how the film performed on Friday and Saturday. Well, as we know, today is no ordinary Sunday. It’s National Cinema Day, where tickets are just $4 across the board. Despite that underwhelming opening for Turismo, its small by today’s standards $60 million budget and solid word of mouth (98% audience score and an A cinemascore) should see this one play decently over the next few weeks. You...

It’s a nail-biter at the box office.

Sony’s “Gran Turismo” is projected to narrowly outrace the competition with $17.3 million at the box office. But “Barbie” is close behind with $17.1 million, so it’s possible that when the final tally is revealed, the summer blockbuster will have reclaimed its crown and “Gran Turismo” will have to settle for second place.

“We call these estimates for a reason,” says Paul Dergarabedian, a senior Comscore analyst. “Only $200,000 separates these two movies, so we’ll have to see how things shake out on Monday.”

As for “Gran Turismo,” its opening figure includes a sizable $5.3 million from preview screenings and fan events that the studio hosted over recent weeks. That’s an unusual bit of accounting. One that came about because Sony, which originally planned to open the film on Aug. 11, instead pushed back its debut by two weeks. At the same time,...

Sony’s “Gran Turismo” and Warner Bros.’ “Barbie” are leading the box office on this late August weekend, which is getting a bump thanks to the $4 tickets being sold at theaters nationwide on Sunday for National Cinema Day.

Created by the National Association of Theater Owners and the Cinema Foundation, National Cinema Day’s heavily discounted tickets are expected to boost overall grosses on Sunday by 13% over Saturday, according to industry estimates.

Combined with a significantly stronger list of films on offer, overall weekend grosses are expected to rise 53% compared with the last weekend of August 2022.

Still, the weekend’s top film, “Gran Turismo,” has a long way to go to turn a profit in theaters, with an estimated $17.3 million opening weekend from 3,856 theaters. The true-story racing film carries a reported $60 million budget before marketing. This opening weekend figure rolls in two weekends worth of preview screenings — a customary practice for films,...

Plot: A businessman (Liam Neeson) is trapped in his car with his two kids by a mysterious caller who warns him that there’s a bomb under his seat that will go off if anyone tries to exit the vehicle.

Review: Remember when Liam Neeson said he was giving up action movies a few years ago? Many think he wasn’t being serious, but watching his latest, Retribution, I’m almost thinking he was telling the truth as there’s so little going on here in the way of physical action that you could almost call this an “inaction” movie. Indeed, Neeson spends 95% of the running time comfortably seated behind the wheel of his car, making this less taxing than the brawnier movies that made him a late-in-life action star.

As usual, Neeson’s latter-era movies are a mixed bag. I was fond of his recent film noir, Marlowe, and...

The summer box office wind-down is in action as Columbia Pictures’ “Gran Turismo” looks to outrun a slew of holdovers. The racing feature got off to a head start with an $8.5 million opening day from 3,856 screens, a figure that includes a sizable $5.3 million from preview screenings over recent weeks.

In late July, Sony swerved with its release plans for “Gran Turismo,” bumping the formal opening two weeks later than its initial Aug. 11 release date, but organizing several days of special screenings for the film in hopes to build up word-of-mouth. It’s typical for studios to include preview grosses in their opening numbers — after all, “opening day” gross accounts for ticket sales across Thursday and Friday — but “Gran Turismo” certainly has had more runway than the typical wide release. It’s become more commonplace for studios to increase the amount of preview screenings for wide releases in recent years; Paramount...

“Retribution,” the latest action film from Liam Neeson, hit theaters Friday, and the reviews have been harsh, with some critics calling the film a “paycheck movie,” and that the film is “devoid of thrills, excitement, or purpose.”

“Maybe it’s time for Liam Neeson to retire from the action-movie game,” Rolling Stone posed with its headline.

At press time, the film ranked as rotten on Rotten Tomatoes‘ aggregated ratings, with a dismal 30% score based off of 40 reviews.

Vulture critic Bilge Ebiri wrote, “This is a paycheck movie, to be sure, the kind of direct-to-video title that gets a theatrical release because the lead actor still has star power. But he and his director have earned that paycheck.”

Rogerebert.com critic Peter Sobczynski, meanwhile, took a harsher stance. “A film so devoid of thrills, excitement, or purpose that it seems to have been custom-made to play in empty multiplexes during the...

You’d think by now, bad guys know not to threaten Liam Neeson and his family.

In his latest action thriller “Retribution,” Neeson reprises a role that he does very well: a dad who will go to any length to protect his children.

This time, his special skill is driving. Check out the logline below:

When a mysterious caller puts a bomb under his car seat, Matt Turner (Neeson) begins a high-speed chase across the city to complete a specific series of tasks. With his kids trapped in the back seat and a bomb that will explode if they get out of the car, a normal commute becomes a twisted game of life or death as Matt follows the stranger’s increasingly dangerous instructions in a race against time to save his family.

Here’s where you can watch “Retribution”:

When did “Retribution” come out?

“Retribution” opened wide in...

A new Liam Neeson action film comes around yearly, putting the titular star in more heightened and intense situations. Neeson's latest thriller, Retribution, puts him into a Speed-esque setting. The story follows Matt Turner (Neeson), a high-ranking bank executive In Vienna. Our story starts with Matt receiving a call from his business partner, Anders (Matthew Modine). He needs Matt’s help to talk down a client wanting to pull money from their bank. It’s an urgent matter that Anders wants Matt to resolve. Matt is so motivated by work in ways that leave his family disgruntled.

His wife Heather (Embeth Davidtz) asks him to drive his kids, Emily (Lilly Aspell) and Zach (Jack Champion), to school. Much to Matt’s frustration, he agrees to take them after serious convincing. Once he gets them in the car, their regular morning is about to go from bad to worse. A mysterious phone starts to ring,...