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While «Five Nights at Freddy’s» making a ton of money was a pleasant surprise, it was always assumed it would be a big enough hit to warrant a sequel. Around the time the movie was released, Variety interviewed director Emma Tammi about prospects for the film franchise’s future, to which she said, «This one was tied into the first game, and we would probably focus on tying the second one into the second game, and so on and so forth. But anything could happen. We’ll have to see.»

The «Five Nights at Freddy’s 2» video game has a similar plot to the first, where a security guard is hired to oversee the defunct restaurant but soon learns the animatronics are out to get him. However, this time around, the guard’s name is Jeremy Fitzgerald. It makes sense Mike Schmidt wouldn’t be jumping at the opportunity to visit Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza again, so the next movie may give someone else protagonist duties. But that doesn’t mean Mike can’t appear in some capacity, maybe to help them when things get a little squirrely. 

Of course, a film sequel could always go in a vastly different direction compared to what happened in the source material. According to Josh Hutcherson, they’re still working on the story, so the creatives may attempt to advance the plot without repeating what was done in the first. But there are plenty of narrative elements to pull from the games. 

It’s nothing new for a younger ape to start beating his chest in a «King Kong» film. After Little Kong in 1933’s «Son of Kong» and Baby Kong in 1986’s «King Kong Lives,» Suko would be the third young ape to get involved in a Kong-related kerfuffle. The difference is that the previous two were, in fact, the sons of Kong, whereas current evidence suggests that Suko is not.

Even so, that doesn’t mean he won’t have a big part to play in the great ape’s mission, especially given that Suko’s name, when written phonetically in Japanese, roughly translates to «essential child.» This could also explain why, according to THR, an early possible title for the film was «Son of Kong,» which appears to cement Suko’s importance in the film.

Introducing new blood to the mix could be the way director Adam Wingard shows how time has transformed these titular heroes, for better or worse, and what the future of the Monsterverse looks like. Speaking to Total Film about the young ape, the filmmaker said, «I didn’t want it to just be random; it’s part of the story. And similarly with Kong, I wanted to give him some sort of new look as well. We grew his beard out, and gave him a little bit more gray hair and stuff.»

We’ll see if the new and old generations pack a punch when «Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire» hits theaters on April 12, 2024.

The «Iron Man 3» finale may have been an early example, but these days, MCU filmmakers regularly sneak in visual effects where fans would never expect them. While something like Tony Stark’s Iron Man armor demands CGI, the franchise has digitally altered many seemingly mundane elements. Thor’s eyepatch in «Avengers: Infinity War» was a digital creation after a practical patch proved difficult to work with. Chris Hemsworth told CinemaBlend that the effect was just «four little dots on my face.» The Avengers’ white Quantum Realm suits seen in «Endgame» were similarly added during post-production. Since the movie was shot concurrently with «Infinity War,» the scene was filmed with the actors wearing whatever costumes they needed to wear for the next scenes on their individual shooting schedules, as visual effects supervisor Stuart Penn revealed to Before & Afters.

Even the brick that Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) catches in «Spider-Man: No Way Home» was a CGI creation. «No Way Home» visual effects supervisor Kelly Port told Corridor Crew that it was originally a snow globe, but was digitally changed to a brick after the fact.

CGI — sometimes, even excessive CGI — is to be expected in any blockbuster superhero movie, but the «Iron Man 3» finale proves it can appear in places fans would never even notice. Robert Downey Jr. wasn’t even present for the emotional conclusion to his solo trilogy and audiences were none the wiser. 

When Marvel comes knocking at your door, you answer — and that is precisely what Rachel McAdams did when she entered negotiations to play Dr. Christine Palmer in «Doctor Strange.» Expressing her enthusiasm, she shared with MTV, «I met with Scott [Derrickson] and loved his vision, he was so passionate. And the opportunity to work with Benedict [Cumberbatch] was kind of a no-brainer. And Marvel makes amazing films, so it was a complete package.» McAdams received acclaim for her performance, specifically for taking an underdeveloped role and transforming it into a three-dimensional character.

In true McAdams fashion, she disappeared from the franchise for six long years — not counting her appearance in the animated Disney+ series «What If…?» in 2021. Eventually, she returned for the sequel «Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness» in 2022. This time, McAdams embraced a new multiverse version of her character, relishing the opportunity for more action scenes compared to the first film. «I love action. I love being physical. As an actor, I always feel like it gets me out of my head, and fun surprises come out of getting to just move,» she told Vanity Fair. The sequel was met with mixed reviews from critics but ultimately impressed Marvel fans across the board. When questioned by Empire (via CBR) about a potential return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, McAdams remained open-ended, stating, «You never know what’s going to happen with the MCU, right? It’s vast and endless, so — to be continued.»

«The Walking Dead» is easily one of the most successful zombie franchises ever, and while the TV series lost its audience as it progressed, it helped spawn an ever-expanding universe. The show follows a group of survivors as they try to carve out an existence at the end of the world. The zombies are more of a MacGuffin than anything else, as they drive the plot, while other groups of survivors are the real enemies.

Throughout the series, the characters drive various cars they’ve found lying around after the collapse of society. In most scenes involving cars, the vehicle in question is a Hyundai, often in pristine condition. This is the zombie apocalypse, and years into it, not only does gasoline still work, but the cars everyone drives are beautiful new Hyundai models apparently released after the fall of humanity.

It takes the viewer out of the experience because the cars create questions about how they’re running, why they look as if someone just drove them off the lot, and how they’re maintained and washed without using vital resources. Understandably, Hyundai didn’t want its cars featured as zombified, destroyed wrecks, but it kills any scene they’re in.

As a child actor, Madeleine McGraw didn’t waste any time making a mark in the entertainment industry. She was booking parts on network TV shows «Bones» and «Selfie» before her 10th birthday. And it wasn’t long until she started showing up in films. In addition to her venture into the MCU, she appears in «Pacific Rim: Uprising» as well as «The Black Phone.» Her role in the latter was particularly well-received, with Vulture writing, «Whenever [McGraw’s character] Gwen is onscreen, the film locks into its more emotional register: We feel her anguish, her growing sense of helplessness.»

In an interview with Screen Rant, McGraw was asked if she was a fan of «Black Phone» director Scott Derrickson before being cast, which allowed her to show off more of her Marvel acumen, «Oh, yeah, ‘Doctor Strange’ definitely. But I’m not allowed to see a lot of horror movies. [Chuckles] I don’t know, I’ve been begging my mom to let me watch ‘Sinister,’ but she said, ‘Definitely not.’»

Madeleine McGraw’s «Dramatic Dad» Verizon commercial is certainly a nice gig to get, and the actor will be plenty busy going forward. She’s one of the returning cast members for «The Black Phone 2,» so fans will get to see her beloved character get fleshed out even further.

As for his own experience seeing the film in a theater, Jacob Elordi was surprised to see how viscerally the audience reacted to some of the most out-there scenes in «Saltburn.» «I went to a screening of the picture in Brisbane when it sort of first played, and it was unbelievable because everybody was engaged and sort of gasping at the screen and yelling at the screen and everything like that,» he recalled. «And I haven’t been in a movie like that in a really, really long time.»

There are at least three scenes in «Saltburn» in which Oliver demonstrates his desire and lust in extremely unique ways, and Elordi’s character is the subject of two of them. All the same, the polarized reactions seem to make the actor appreciate being a part of such a provocative film.

«I think it’s probably just made me love the movie more, seeing the kind of places that it can go,» Elordi continued. «And, you know, running into people that have seen it and things like that’s definitely a change, but I think it just makes me love it more.» If teases and reactions like these make you want to see «Saltburn» for yourself, you can catch the film on Amazon Prime.

After various controversies in the 2000s, Tom Cruise has repackaged himself as the so-called «savior of cinema,» known for his chaotic stunts, love for the theatrical experience, and electrifying work ethic, pushing the boundaries of both creativity and his body. Cruise’s modern-day image has been largely influenced by his recent «Mission: Impossible» films and the billion-dollar grossing «Top Gun: Maverick,» which compelled audiences to return to multiplexes in droves.

Now, all eyes are on the upcoming «Mission: Impossible» pic. From the film’s subtitle change to Hannah Waddingham’s mysterious character, audiences are in the dark about what’s next regarding Ethan Hunt and his motley crew of spies. The upcoming pic is set to introduce several new actors to the franchise, including «Parks and Rec» star Nick Offerman, as well as «Ozark» actor Janet McTeer. 

For what it’s worth Waddingham enjoyed her time on the film’s set. On «The Jess Cagle Show» on SiriusXM, she gushed about being on the USS George HW Bush fighter, telling the hosts, «So, going from not knowing these unbelievable people to spending five days with them … no hair and makeup, no finery, and it was just — honestly, I felt like I was imagining it.» 

It would appear that Cruise has a major fan in Hannah Waddingham.

«Honestly, I forgot that that was even a line in the movie,» Taylor Lautner said, laughing. «It’s not an important line, and it just blew up and became this thing, and I have no idea why, but people love it!» 

He’s right. «Where the hell have you been, loca?!» is a throwaway line meant to kick off a plotline where Bella, in her true love Edward Cullen’s (Robert Pattinson) absence, grows closer to Jacob. When the two start tending to an old motorcycle, it’s clear that Jacob develops feelings for Bella, but she’s still pining for Edward. When she eventually reunites with her vampire boyfriend, a love triangle kicks off, making Lautner’s character one of the franchise’s main players (and earning ire from Twilight fans who proclaimed themselves, at the time, to be «Team Edward» instead of «Team Jacob»).

These days, Lautner is just embracing the joke. «And now, I like, I get it. I mean, I don’t really get it. But I get it. So yeah, that’s a fun one,» he said.

It’s not uncommon for successful films to be immediately followed by countless sequels, prequels, and television series. However, the «Godzilla» brand is unique among other franchises, which may impact the audience’s expectations for a follow-up to «Godzilla Minus One.» The character first appeared in 1954’s «Godzilla,» created and produced by Toho, who has been involved in all the character’s incarnations since. 

However, Toho has also distributed the rights to «Godzilla» to many American studios, with the character most recently given to Legendary Entertainment to begin their own «MonsterVerse,» fusing the worlds of Godzilla and King Kong. Some of these plans also coincided with Toho’s decision in 2004 to put the franchise to rest following the release of «Godzilla: Final Wars,» going as far as dismantling the giant water tank they’d used to film numerous kaiju films over the years. 

Seeing as 12 years passed until Toho produced another «Godzilla» film with «Shin Godzilla,» it seems the company has no desire at this point to crank out «Godzilla» projects on a regular or yearly basis, despite previous commitments. This sentiment was echoed by Minami Ichikawa, a producer on «Godzilla Minus One,» who told GQ Japan, «I personally don’t think there’s any need to rush things too much … After all, Godzilla is a character that is worth that much.»

In his Reddit AMA — which was detailed in depth in an accompanying 44-minute video — Frank Cappello said he wrote the project as a metaphysical horror film, but when legal issues derailed those plans, he was forced to make some changes that effectively eliminated Keanu Reeves from the equation. «So I invented a character that had the same vibe as JC and called him Mr ‘E’. That was a Joel Silver production and it never got made,» Capello wrote. «Probably because Mr Silver wanted a giant talking plant man like the cheesy TV series and my draft was based on the darker cool world that Alan Moore originally did. I wish I could leak that script out so people could see how cool that film would have been.»

Ironically, «Swamp Thing» did eventually become a TV series that ran for one 10-episode season on The CW in 2019. «Constantine,» meanwhile, was resurrected by NBC for a 13-episode run that ran for one season from 2014 to 2015 with Matt Ryan in the title role.

While Cappello’s plans for any more «Constantine» projects appear all but dead, a follow-up by the original film’s director, Francis Lawrence, is still in the works. The «Constantine 2» director confirmed the status of the Reeves sequel in November 2023 and said plans for the movie weren’t affected by Warner Bros. DC Film and TV co-head James Gunn taking over the DC Universe. However, rights issues continue to hold up the «Constantine» sequel.

Margot Robbie might play the titular Barbie in Greta Gerwig’s «Barbie,» but Ryan Gosling’s Ken threatens to run away with the film every single time he appears on-screen. From his very first moments vying for Barbie’s attention on a crowded beach by slamming face-first into plastic waves — after which he informs Barbie that his job isn’t lifeguard, but just «beach» — to the montage where he discovers the «wonders» of the patriarchy, Gosling gives everything he’s got to «Barbie.» It’s thanks to the actor’s wide-eyed commitment to his role that it works perfectly. He might be «just Ken,» but he’s the one who sings the film’s breakout song … and alongside Robbie’s Barbie, he experiences a full character arc. 

After he successfully overthrows the matriarchal structure of Barbie Land and installs a clumsily structured version of the patriarchy, Barbie helps Ken realize he needs to understand his identity without her, and while Gosling is giving the film his all for the entire run-time, it’s especially satisfying to watch him perform the moment where Ken fully realizes who he is. He is «Kenough,» and frankly, he was good «kenough» to beat Robert Downey Jr. That’s not to say that Downey Jr. wasn’t excellent in «Oppenheimer,» but Gosling created an entire character out of a plastic doll with no genitalia — which is a pretty remarkable feat.

Social media reactions definitely weren’t kind about Jo Koy’s overall monologue, which seemed to fall pretty flat. Some people on X (formerly known as Twitter) even wondered if CBS, which is airing the ceremony, was possibly using a laugh track. When it came to the joke about Taylor Swift and her highly publicized relationship with Travis Kelce, though, people definitely took notice of Swift’s reaction.

As @SpencerAlthouse succinctly put it, «oof. I don’t think Taylor Swift liked Jo Koy’s joke about her…» adding in a clip of Swift’s icy expression. X user @noradominick agreed, posting a two-part «taylor swift’s response to this golden globes host’s jokes…a mood, if you will.» Clearly, anyone who thought that Koy’s monologue was lackluster felt Swift’s pain.

Meanwhile, @koralinadean, who’s clearly seen Swift having a great time at other awards shows — in September of 2023, she notably had a blast at the MTV Video Music Awards — pointed out that the joke definitely wasn’t good if the pop star couldn’t even chuckle: «that taylor joke… u know its terrible when her ass was not laughing bc she laughs at anything.» Another viewer, @nikowl, found common ground with the «Anti-Hero» singer, writing, «Taylor Swift being unamused by Jo Koy, she’s really just like us!»

As for @ShawnCP92, they gave Koy a little bit of credit — kind of. «The one funny thing Jo Koy has done so far is mention Taylor Swift by name because it led to this cutaway shot where she’s extremely ‘keep my name out of your mouth,’» they wrote.

Let’s be very honest: «Twilight» is campy, ridiculous, and even downright problematic at points. Bella Swan — in both the books and movies — is a bit of an empty vessel who could be regarded as a stand-in for audience members who want to start up a relationship with a pale, sparkly weirdo who glares at her before saving her life and declaring his undying love. Edward is over a century old when he meets Bella, who is a teenager, so that age difference could certainly be perceived as, well, bad.

The entire series could very well be perceived as a conservative allegory regarding pre-marital sex since Bella constantly begs Edward to turn her into a vampire, and he refuses, explaining that they can only even consider the possibility once they’re married. They do so as soon as they graduate from high school, and Bella immediately becomes pregnant after having sex for the very first time. After their half-human, half-vampire baby is born, Bella’s best friend Jacob Black, played on-screen by Taylor Lautner, forms a very strange connection with said baby, which is referred to in-universe as «imprinting» (an attachment formed between a werewolf and the object of their affection that cannot be broken). 

Putting those things aside, «Twilight» is, at a baseline level, a heightened and campy fantasy directed at young women who, up until that point, didn’t necessarily have a mainstream piece of pop culture that served as fun wish fulfillment. Still, fans and critics have tried to figure out why «Twilight,» a somewhat silly and ultimately harmless franchise, is so despised.

In the Star Wars comic «Dark Droids» #5, Ajax Sigma destroys Scourge Prime with one mighty strike to the chest and releases countless droids from its grasp. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the imposing core of the droid hive mind hasn’t been killed in the traditional sense. Before stabbing Scourge Prime, Sigma’s sword is colored black and gold, though this changes once the deed is done. With Scourge Prime dead, Sigma’s energy sword takes on a purple hue, but what does this mean? Thankfully, fans aren’t left in the dark on this matter.

It’s important to note that one of the forces behind the Scourge’s existence is an artificial intelligence known as the Spark Eternal. It was created by a cult known as the Ascendant during their war against the Sith Order. It appears that when Sigma impales Scourge Prime with his energy sword, the Spark Eternal transfers to the weapon, changing the blade’s color. Lightsabers haven’t ever displayed such an ability to harbor sentient AI beings, further lending credence to the idea that Sigma’s weapon of choice is more powerful.

Hopefully, regardless of the format, the story of Ajax Sigma and his astounding energy sword continues, and Star Wars fans can learn more about them.

Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is one of the most villainous figures in all of Roman history. The iconic baddie became emperor as a youngster (he wasn’t even 20 years old), and his youth and immaturity led to a string of increasingly erratic and unhealthy decisions. His sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), does plot against him in real life, and once she’s caught, the betrayed royal has his sibling executed. (We’ll see how Ridley Scott handles that detail in «Gladiator 2» now that his Commodus is dead.)

The historical Commodus’ reign is categorically horrendous, and Scott’s story admittedly does a good job of portraying that fact. However, the tyrannical ruler’s cinematic story starts incorrectly with his patricidal acts, and it ends with historical inaccuracies, too. That’s right — the real Commodus wasn’t killed in the arena shortly after becoming emperor.

To be clear, he did fight in the arena, even though this was considered a debased and embarrassing action in Roman culture and something an emperor should never do. But he didn’t die there. Instead, Cassius Dio explains that many years later (more on the length of his reign in a bit), Commodus was killed on New Year’s Eve. Where? In the bathtub. After a failed attempt to poison the off-the-rails ruler, a group of conspirators sent an athlete named Narcissus in to strangle Commodus while he bathed.

While still dramatic, Commodus’ real death doesn’t fit into the «Gladiator» story as neatly as one might hope. Even if you swap Maximus in for Narcissus, a scene where Russell Crowe strangles Joaquin Phoenix in the tub would hardly have been as compelling as a death in the Colosseum in front of the hordes of Rome.

Younger versions of well-known characters are visited during «The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,» but one fan favorite that is noticeably missing is Effie Trinket, the very fashionable escort for the District 12 tributes played by Elizabeth Banks. She first appears in «The Hunger Games,» announcing the names of the tributes, including Primrose Everdeen before Katniss intervenes, famously volunteering as tribute. While she hails from the Capitol, she does become an ally to Katniss, joining her in the Second Rebellion.

Witnessing her origin story would be nothing short of a visual spectacle for fashion fans as such a tale would more than likely include an evolution of her style as viewers learn how she stepped into the role of escort. If Trinket were to be revisited, Elizabeth Banks has said that she would interested in stepping back into the character’s glamorous shoes. She told MTV in 2015, «She’s one of those iconic characters. You know, along with everyone in ‘The Hunger Games.’ … They’re all characters, I think, so well written and so well done on the screen, and if people want more, I’m definitely up for it. I just love Effie, so I would do it. Sure.»

Even if Harry’s grandparents were alive when the story began in earnest, only Mr. and Mrs. Evans would have fallen within the realm of Dumbledore’s spellwork. The reason that Harry stays with the Dursleys, rather than with literally anyone else, is because Petunia Dursley (Fiona Shaw) is related to him by his mother’s blood. In «Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,» Dumbledore explains to Harry how he is protected under their roof by an ancient magic that Lily triggered when she sacrificed herself to protect him from Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).

«While you can still call home the place where your mother’s blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort. He shed her blood, but it lives on in you and her sister. Her blood became your refuge,» Dumbledore says. «You need return there only once a year, but as long as you can still call it home, there he cannot hurt you. Your aunt knows this … She knows that allowing you houseroom may well have kept you alive for the past fifteen years.»

Dumbledore’s spell, the death of Harry’s grandparents, and the bald-faced villainy of the Dursleys make up J.K. Rowling’s one-two-three-hit combo that ensures her protagonist is isolated and sympathetic, even if it does gloss over reality. It is statistically improbable that every other person who shares some blood connection to Lily is dead, and even more so that everyone related to James is dead, too. However, Muggles didn’t have social media in the 1990s to keep in touch with their loved ones, and the magical community tends to obey Dumbledore’s every whim. As such, Harry’s extended family being dead is a tragically cleaner way to justify the narrative.

One of the more iconic moments of «Raiders of the Lost Ark» is undoubtedly when Indiana Jones proves that a gun can outduel a sword any day. However, Indy was originally supposed to use another one of his trademark weapons in this bout. During an AMA session on Reddit, Harrison Ford talked about how this scene changed due to him being sick on the day of the filming. «It was meant to be the ultimate duel between sword and whip,» said Ford, «I was suffering from dysentery [and], really, found it inconvenient to be out of my trailer for more than 10 minutes at a time.»

With the proposed fight likely taking multiple days to shoot, Ford suggested to director Steven Spielberg that he just shoot the swordsman, and the rest is history. «He flourished his sword, I pulled out my gun and shot him, and then we went back to England,» said Ford. While the original idea of Indy using his whip to take out not just one, but a bunch of blade-wielding baddies sounds awesome, what we got is much more fitting to Indy’s style. More importantly, the slick gunshot from Indy grew to become an iconic piece of his legacy and defines why he’s such a beloved figure in cinema.