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For the most part, Game of Thrones can confidently be called an accurate adaptation of a classic work. Character intentions were fleshed out well, and several parts of the story were executed to perfection. However, when the conversation turns to more inaccurate parts of its story, things quickly turn to passionate hate.

A still from Game of Thrones | Credit: Max

Be it the inexcusable ending that the series had or certain characters that had a lot of expectations riding on them, the series is in no way perfect. One of the most frustratingly annoying plot points in the series is the Sand Snakes.

Being evidently two-dimensional, these characters lost all their complexity in their journey from page to screen. However, Nymeria Sand actress Jessica Henwick seems to have an explanation for this misdemeanor, and it is quite interesting.

Game of Thrones did not have enough time to dance with the...

As the format continues to gain traction, here’s our regularly-updated list of upcoming 4K Ultra HD disc releases in the UK.

Sitting alongside our list of upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases (that you can find here), we’re also keeping a calendar for those who support the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc format. As we learn of new UK releases, we’ll add them to this list.

We have started adding shopping links too. We’d be obliged if you clicked on them, as it really helps us in our quest to make the Film Stories project of magazines, website and podcast profitable. We’re a 100% independent publisher, and we quite like drinking coffee. It’d be lovely to afford some more.

Without further ado, here are the titles we know about…

Out now

27th January: The Gift (Sam Raimi)

27th January: Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling...

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings has inspired countless creatives since its publishing in the 1950s and ‘60s. Published a trilogy, the story was set in Middle Earth and followed the journey of a hobbit named Frodo as he embarked on a treacherous journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring as the Dark Lord Sauron regained power.

Author George R.R. Martin has often expressed his adoration for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and branded it as the greatest book he had ever read. The author of the Game of Thrones saga revealed that he was initially apprehensive about the novel before falling in love with it. He also credited a key death in Lotr as an inspiration for his own work.

George R.R. Martin revealed how a key death in Lord of the Rings inspired him George R.R. Martin | Credits: YouTube/PBS

Anyone who is familiar with George R.

Led Zeppelin, if you take in the full measure of their annihilating sunburst grandeur, are a very hard band to categorize. They’re usually thought of as the gods of metal, and few would deny that — though it’s my opinion that the DNA of classic metal owes as much to Black Sabbath’s second album, “Paranoid,” as it does to Zeppelin. That said, Led Zeppelin loomed like figures on Olympus over the entire cosmos of metal: the hard-charging thunder chords and blistering guitar solos, the long-haired priapic strutting, the vocals that scream out their omnipotence, the eroticized vandalism, the power.

Yet I also think of Zeppelin as the Beatles of heavy metal. There was a yin to their destructive yang — the songs they would do, like “Going to California” or “Thank You,” that conjured a vision of life as incandescent and romantic and glorious. The place where the hippie spirit still lived in them.

Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us, and to celebrate, “Love Hurts” is now in theaters. And you’re definitely familiar with its cast.

The film centers on realtor Marvin Gable, who loves his job and very ordinary life. But when he suddenly gets an unexpectedly valentine from his crazy ex-girlfriend, he gets ripped back into his old life — one of violence and crime.

We won’t get into spoilers, we’re just running down the basics of the “Love Hurts” cast and where you’ve seen them before.

“Love Hurts” (Credit: Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures) Marvin Gable (Ke Huy Quan)

“Love Hurts” marks Ke Huy Quan’s first-ever leading role, as realtor Marvin Gable. It also marks his first film role since his Oscar-winning turn in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Of course, you might also recognize him from “The Goonies” or “Indiana Jones.”

Ariana DeBose as Rose Carlisle...

Witches, demons, and the fiery wrath of the underworld stand between a brave knight and the soul of the Chosen One he seeks to rescue in the new movie A Knight's War, which comes to limited theaters beginning today and is on digital February 11th from Dread. Daily Dead had the chance to catch up with writer/director Matt Ninaber (who is also a producer and co-star in the film) to discuss the DIY approach to making A Knight's War a reality, including coming up with the idea back in high school, swapping a sword for a paint brush to create the sets in between filming, collaborating with his brother Jeremy (who plays the lead role of Bhodie), and filming in his backyard as the neighbours watched their ambitious medieval fantasy come to life!

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for us, Matt, and congratulations on your new film A Knight’s War,...

Peter Jackson gave us an epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, but he dropped the ball on this one. Aragorn had a scene so insanely badass that it would’ve put every other moment in the movies to shame. And yet… it never made the cut. Seriously, how do you sideline something that proves the guy was basically a god among men?

Peter Jackson. | Image by: Mike Walen, Licensed under Cca-by-sa-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Book fans know exactly what’s missing, and let’s just say, it’s a crime against Middle-earth. Jackson nailed a lot, but skipping this feels like a fumble even Sauron would laugh at. Time to talk about what could’ve been.

Peter Jackson cut Aragorn’s most heroic moment, and it proved he was a king before being crowned Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in a still from The Lord of the Rings | Credits: New Line Cinema...

It appears that the rumors about Elijah Wood and his longtime love Mette-Marie Kongsved are true!

Last month the 44-year-old Lord of the Rings star sparked wedding rumors by referring to Mette-Marie as his “wife” during an interview, saying that he was “beyond grateful for my family and my kids and my wife.”

He did not confirm the rumors at the time. However, a marriage license was recently discovered.

Keep reading to find out more…

TMZ reported that they were able to find Elijah and Mette-Marie‘s marriage certificate. However, the notoriously private couple obtained a confidential license, which doesn’t include details such as the date they tied the knot.

The outlet reported that the couple exchanged vows in a New Year’s Eve wedding in Sweden. The ceremony was described as “an intimate ceremony with around 80 friends and family.”

Elijah and Mette-Marie first revealed that they were an...

Legendary Entertainment and Hasbro Entertainment are teaming to create a live-action film and television universe based on Magic: The Gathering, the trading card game marking Hasbro’s first $1 billion brand.

The first project to emerge from the deal will be a film, with TV series and other content to be developed as well as the universe expands.

Created in 1993, Magic: The Gathering is recognized as the world’s first trading card game, having connected with more than 50 million fans of all ages worldwide. In the game, players take on the role of planeswalkers, powerful spellcasters who summon creatures, cast spells, and use artifacts to defeat their opponents. The game is known for its deep strategy, complex mechanics, and the ability to customize decks from a vast library of thousands of unique cards.

Since its release, Magic: The Gathering has expanded into a global phenomenon, with competitive tournaments, professional play circuits,...

Credit: Andrew Cooper / Netflix

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is one of the most anticipated Netflix events of the year. After 4 brilliant seasons and countless fan theories on how the series will end, all the answers are just around the corner. Ahead of the final installment, let’s take a look at what the cast and crew have teased so far!

For the most part, much of the cast and crew have had to remain tight-lipped about the forthcoming final season of the epic show. As one of Netflix’s flagship titles, Netflix has been more tightlipped in to containing leaks and any spoilers.

Matt and Ross Duffer

Los Angeles, California – January 29: (L-r) Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer attend Next On Netflix 2025 Los Angeles at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on January 29, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Netflix)

During January’s Next on Netflix event,...

The Lord of the Rings actor Sean Astin has fallen in and out of the industry’s radar ever since his debut as a child actor. He may be most famously known for playing the hobbit Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson’s live-action Lotr trilogy, but Astin’s career is far more enduring and remarkable than that.

Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee in Lord of the Rings [Credit: New Line Cinema]

Despite being a child star, Astin never faded out of the industry, instead building a career that was not only impressive but sustainable as well. From playing Mikey Walsh in The Goonies (1985) to the titular character in Rudy (1993), the charming actor has resurfaced once more after his Lotr era to star in two wildly popular projects for modern fans: Stranger Things and A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter.

The many dreams and aspirations of Sean Astin Sean Astin as Bob...

The tale of The Lord of the Rings set the precedent for modern high fantasy. Peter Jackson’s live-action trilogy revolutionized cinematic adaptations. And Sir Ian McKellen lived up to the name and reputation of Gandalf the White. J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginative universe never felt more realized than in the hands of Peter Jackson and his merry band of hobbits, trolls, men, and elves.

The Shire in Lord of the Rings [Credit: New Line Cinema]

However, despite the colorful and honest rendition of Tolkien’s Middle-earth, there was a somewhat troublesome aspect in Jackson’s vision of the Lotr trilogy. This not only irked the young actors in the film but Sir Ian McKellen, too, regardless of how brilliant he was in film and theater.

Sir Ian McKellen’s love-hate relationship with Lotr Sir Ian McKellen with Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings [Credit: New Line Cinema]

Despite having a long, enduring, and flourishing career in theater,...

Sir Ian McKellen has played some of the most legendary characters in his decades-long career. From theatre to film, the actor has brought several characters to life with his extraordinary acting prowess. However, one of his most famous characters will forever remain the wizard Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and later The Hobbit.

Ian McKellen as Gandalf | Credit: New Line Cinema

While fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world continue to love and cherish the actor’s portrayal, McKellen himself has kept iconic tokens from the franchise. Here is a glimpse into what treasures of the Middle-earth did he keep as souvenirs.

The iconic souvenirs that Sir Ian McKellen took from the Lord of the Rings set Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf | Credit: New Line Cinema

When actors wrap up filming, it is usual for them to nick pieces from the sets as a remembrance of their time spent on the project.

When a popular book is adapted for the screen, how faithful to the source material is the adaptation obliged to be? Different producers give very different answers. Modern TV shows like Invincible and The Last of Us adapt their source material very faithfully, although they add and finesse things along the way. But then you look at a series like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is based on the appendices to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books. Some of what's written there makes its way in, but most of the show is completely made up.

Then there's a series like House of the Dragon, which is based on the book Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin. While the first season of the show stayed mostly grounded in the text (with some notable exceptions), the second season started to stray very far away from that story.

Kate Winslet is one of the most iconic actresses in the industry, having worked in some truly revolutionary movies. From Revolutionary Road, Eternal Sunshine, and arguably the most famous romantic movie of all time, Titanic, Winslet is a worker who has consistently been lauded for her roles.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in a still from Titanic (1997)

However, not many will know, that she was once considered for the role of Éowyn in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Following her breakout success in Titanic (1997), Winslet was at the peak of her career, and her name came up when Jackson was casting for the epic fantasy saga. However, despite her past collaboration with the director, she ultimately turned down the opportunity.

Kate Winslet turned down the role of Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings Credits: Kate Winslet in Heavenly Creatures / Miramax

Peter Jackson and Kate Winslet...

From Lord of the Rings to The Wheel of Time, the fantasy genre has seen an absolute wealth of screen adaptations, but it's one genre Disney could do more with. For a studio who has built their image on princesses, dragons, and castles, you would think the House of Mouse would have it down pat.

Although Disney did dip their toes in the water before with several fairytale adaptations and even a cinematic exploration of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, the studio has had one series waiting in the wings for far too long, and it's time to dust off the tomes.

The Chronicles of Prydain, cauldron re-born

If there's one Disney film that has lived in infamy since the '80s, it's the infamous Black Cauldron (1985). Disney's foray into the realms of dark fantasy was such a deviation from its magical formula that it nearly killed the animation studio.

"The Lord of the Rings" is a franchise that is beloved by critics and fans alike. Films set in Middle-earth tend to do well at the box office, gather streaming steam without trouble, and are considered top rewatching material by many. However, a recent addition to the cinematic Tolkienian canon has officially ranked on Rotten Tomatoes as a blight on the otherwise impressive "Lord of the Rings" track record.

"The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" has set a new "Lord of the Rings" franchise record low with a 48% on the Tomatometer. This is the critical consensus, and it has a lot to say for a Warner Bros. project that had the makings of greatness but couldn't quite stick the landing.

"The War of the Rohirrim" was the first foray into the anime format for a Middle-earth film. The story takes place centuries before "The Lord of the Rings...

Hugo Weaving is probably best known for his role as the creepy, scenery-chewing Agent Smith in the original three "Matrix" films, or maybe for his role as Lord Elrond in the "Lord of the Rings" movies, but it's also worth mentioning his lead role in "V for Vendetta." There, he plays the morally-questionable hero/terrorist, V. The character wears a mask throughout the film, which you might think (wrongly!) would hamper Weaving's ability to give a memorable performance.

But before Weaving could take on the role, V was played by James Purefoy, an actor best known today for his role as Mark Antony in "Rome" and Laurens Bancroft in "Altered Carbon." "V for Vendetta" was arguably a bigger project than either of those shows, so why did Purefoy back out of it after six weeks of filming? It was supposedly because he hated wearing that Guy Fawkes mask. He hasn't...

Imagine this: you’re on a hot streak, having just crushed it in one of the biggest blockbuster franchises of the decade, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. You’ve tasted that sweet, sugary success and suddenly, another iconic role lands on your lap. A character so rich in depth, so soaked in honor and tragic downfall, that it could elevate your career into the stratosphere.

Well, it’s Boromir from The Lord of the Rings. The catch?

Liam Neeson | Credits: Retribution/Lionsgate.

You might be thinking, “Who would turn that down?” But, sometimes, the devil’s in the details. For Liam Neeson, the actor who was offered Boromir’s role, it wasn’t about fame or fortune; it was about shaking off a certain label!

The role Liam Neeson turned down: Why Boromir wasn’t his fate

Liam Neeson wasn’t just another actor looking for a paycheck.

Liv Tyler has been a part of several notable projects over the years. From starring alongside Bruce Willis in Armageddon to playing Betty Ross in The Incredible Hulk, she has certainly made a name for herself. However, none of her works have been as iconic as The Lord of the Rings.

Liv Tyler in The Lord of the Rings series | Credit: New Line Cinema

Playing the role of Arwen, she was a crucial part of the trilogy and managed to affect the masses with her performance. Considering how significant the films were for her professional life, one cannot help but wonder about her experience when she was first filming the movies.

Liv Tyler did not have the best experience working on The Lord of the Rings

Around the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Liv Tyler gave an interview with IGN where she answered several interesting questions about the beloved franchise.

From Middle-earth to Gotham, this is why Max is a must for action fans.

When done right, action movies deliver some of the most thrilling movie-watching experiences out there. Whether it’s superheroes saving the day, heart-pounding car chases, or jaw-dropping martial arts showdowns, these films know how to keep you hooked. And it’s not all about gunfights - there’s just as much excitement in machetes, improvised weapons, and gritty, close-quarters combat. Throw in some unforgettable one-liners from the 80s and 90s, and you’ve got a genre that keeps the adrenaline pumping. If you’re wondering which streamer has the best selection of action movies, for me, it’s an easy pick: Max. Here’s why it’s my go-to for action movie fans.

Everything you need to know about the best streamer for action movies:

What action movies can you watch on Max?

What superhero action...

Believe it or not, there was an Oscar buzz around Andy Serkis’ Gollum role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Serkis played the voice and motion capture for the role. He initially had doubts about the role as he was unsure whether the mo-cap performance would work in the film. However, Peter Jackson believed it to be a relevant acting performance.

Andy Serkis as Gollum in a still from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Credits: New Line Cinema

Jackson compared it to John Hurt’s performance in The Elephant Man, a role that won Hurt a Best Actor nomination. Hurt had to wear heavy prosthetic makeup in the role and never showed his face, which prompted the director to believe that Serkis was eligible for an Oscar. However, he never received the recognition for The Lord of the Rings.

Peter Jackson believed...

The "Dune" books are incredibly dense and full of rich detail, with an expansive world-building that provides context that makes Paul Atreides' rise to power fascinating and inevitable. Frank Herbert's novel was also full of insight into biology, religion, and history. On the surface, the story of the first book is an entertaining coming-of-age story of a young boy becoming a leader and overthrowing a tyrant with the help of a band of rebels. Except that is but a fraction of the story of "Dune," a story that spans tens of thousands of years.

Much like "Lord of the Rings," no single adaptation of "Dune" has truly been able to include all that made the book and universe special given how much ground there is to cover. Indeed, every adaptation has focused on something different, making every journey to Arrakis unique and worth watching. For instance, David Lynch's...

The BBC didn’t need to sack Jeremy Clarkson from its hit car show Top Gear, says his former co-presenter James May.

Clarkson and May, together with Richard Hammond, were the stars of the show in its most popular era when the series drew millions of viewers in the UK and overseas, audiences drawn as much to the camaraderie between the three men as to the discussion of different vehicles.

That all came to an abrupt end in 2015 when Clarkson was fired by the BBC for assaulting a producer when his meal failed to arrive after a day’s filming. May and Hammond quit in solidarity, and the trio were swiftly scooped up by Amazon to appear in The Grand Tour, which ran for eight years and became one of the platform’s biggest shows.

Reflecting on the team’s departure from the BBC, May told The Times of London...

The fantasy genre has had a pretty significant come up on both the big and small screen in the last 25 years.

While there is a definite charm and nostalgia to the dark fantasy movies that influenced the ’80s, there is no denying that a lot of what makes fantasy movies has only been enhanced via modern movie magic. Swashbuckling adventure, monsters galore in slightly unfamiliar environments, romance, found family, fantasy has it all and it’s just been getting better and better for fans.

These are the best modern fantasy movies – made after 2000 – from obvious choices like “Lord of the Rings” to under-appreciated gems like “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”

New Line Cinema The Lord of the Rings (Extended Editions)

The obvious choice.

It would have felt unfair to put each of the individual “Lord of the Rings” films on this list at the expense of cutting others so...

Once upon a time, Game of Thrones served up dragons, betrayals, and heartbreak, but it also borrowed straight from Lord of the Rings for one of its best characters. We cheered, our theories ran crazy, and then… Bam. That character got an ending so brutal, even Daenerys might’ve side-eyed the writers.

A still from Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO Entertainment

While Middle-earth inspired this fan favorite, Westeros left them with a fate worse – way worse than a bad prophecy.

Game of Thrones’ Arya’s ending was just Frodo’s, but worse Turner and Williams as Sansa and Arya Stark in Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

Arya Stark was more than just a warrior. She was Game of Thrones’ answer to Frodo Baggins. And by “answer,” we mean an inferior imitation. The show didn’t just take inspiration from The Lord of the Rings; it straight-up copied Tolkien’s iconic ending.

Warner Bros. Discovery has partnered with rights firm Cutting Edge Group in a joint venture which will co-own the studio’s catalog of film and TV music from its blockbusters.

As part of the joint venture, Wbd will have creative and operational control of the music rights, while Cutting Edge Group will jointly manage the joint venture. The companies did not disclose the financials involved in the deal but called the creation of the joint venture “one of the largest music deals ever transacted.”

The catalog includes music from the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises, DC Comics movies, as well as TV shows such as Friends, Game of Thrones, The Big Bang Theory, Two and Half Men, Succession and The White Lotus. Additional films and TV series in the scenario include Rebel Without a Cause, The Exorcist, A Star is Born, Blade Runner, Shawshank Redemption, The West Wing,...

Ben Affleck saw the writing on the wall way before superhero fatigue became Hollywood’s worst nightmare. Back in the early 2000s, when Marvel was still throwing things at the wall to see what stuck, Affleck had a gut feeling that people might eventually get tired of capes, spandex, and the same old save-the-world formula.

Ben Affleck | Image by Gage Skidmore, licensed under Cc By-sa 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fast forward 22 years, and, Boom, his prediction is hitting harder than a third-act CGI battle. With fans tuning out and studios scrambling, his old warning feels less like an opinion and more like a spoiler.

Ben Affleck predicted superhero fatigue 22 years ago in resurfaced interview Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting | Credits: Miramax

Ben Affleck was ahead of the curve. Over two decades ago, he had a hunch about what’d eventually come to be known as superhero fatigue — a term that...

The Comedy Store in Los Angeles has long been rumored to be haunted. Countless comedians have told stories of eerie encounters, flickering lights, and strange whispers in the night. But few stories are as terrifying or as baffling as the one told by Joe Rogan about the late comedian Carl Labove.

Joe Rogan in The Joe Rogan Experience | Credits: YouTube/ Joe Rogan

It’s a tale of supernatural aggression, a dark and silent stage, and an unseen force that quite literally dragged Labove into the unknown. But does the story really add up? It’s Joe Rogan telling us that story though. There has to be some truth to it. Right? Let’s find out.

Joe Rogan’s ghost story about Carl Labove Carl Labove at The Comedy Store | Credits: Flicker Cc By-sa 2.0

Joe Rogan invited the stand-up comedian popularly known for his Dr. Phil Live show, Adam Ray to his podcast,...

Fans are aware of how much influence J.R.R. Tolkien had on George R.R. Martin enough to notice the similarities between The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Even the series finale that we’re all disappointed with somehow mirrored certain aspects of the Middle-earth.

Emilia Clarke in Game of Thrones / Credits: HBO

The parallels between the two highly successful fantasy series are obvious from the beginning, with matters about the legitimacy of heirs, evil powers rising, and, of course, the existence of dragons. Interestingly, there’s one character from Martin’s lore that evidently had the same arc as this iconic Tolkien creature.

Similarities between Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen and The Lord of the Rings’ Gollum

Emilia Clarke’s portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen surpassed fans’ expectations, and no matter how tragic her character’s fate had been, we cannot deny the actress’ dedication to her role. Even...

Liv Tyler went through some rough days filming Lord of the Rings, like, real “what have I gotten myself into?” moments. But fate had a funny way of making it up to her. Years later, in a $35.4M Ben Affleck flick, she finally got something she desperately wished for back in Middle-earth.

Liv Tyler as Betty Ross in The Incredible Hulk (2008) | Credits: Marvel Studios

What started as a struggle on one of Hollywood’s biggest trilogies turned into a sweet redemption arc – one that made her So much happier on set.

From Middle-earth to a diner booth: Liv Tyler’s wish fulfilled in Jersey Girl Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler in Jersey Girl | Credits: Miramax Films

On her worst days filming Lord of the Rings, Liv Tyler had one simple wish: to ditch the elaborate gowns, itchy elf ears, and epic battles for something… normal. She once said in an interview,...

Peter Jackson clearly failed to recreate his Lord of the Rings magic with The Hobbit trilogy. Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn in the earlier film trilogy, had no role in The Hobbit films. However, prior to the release of the Martin Freeman-starring first film, Mortensen expressed his one doubt about Jackson’s second film series in J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe.

Martin Freeman in a still from The Hobbit films | Credits: Warner Bros. Pictures

Mortensen’s doubt turned out to be valid as that one thing became the trilogy’s biggest enemy. Jackson tried to emulate the success of The Lord of the Rings but made a big misstep when he tried to follow the three-film format of the earlier film series to these prequel films.

Viggo Mortensen had doubts about Peter Jackson’s misstep in The Hobbit trilogy Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings films...

Ever since “The Chosen,” faith-based properties are not to be trifled with. Amazon and other streamers are putting big money and production values behind the most epic of Biblical stories, and the fruits of that labor are finally paying off.

Amazon on Tuesday, January 28 released the first trailer for the series “House of David,” a sweeping Biblical saga about David vs. Goliath from director Jon Erwin, who made box office bank with faith-based hits “I Can Only Imagine” and “Jesus Revolution.” “House of David” is the first project as part of a partnership announced in Jan. 2024 between Amazon Prime Video and Erwin’s new company Wonder Project to produce projects for a faith-forward audience.

“House of David” has the scope and ambition of something like “Game of Thrones” or Prime Video’s own “Lord of the Rings” series “The Rings of Power.” It shows David, the future King of Israel,...

Sometime this year, we'll finally get to watch the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, Netflix's flagship science fiction series about a bunch of kids who fight off the monsters of a twisted dimension called the Upside Down. Stranger Things season 4 ended on a wild cliffhanger, with the Upside Down spilling into the sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana. How will the gang get out of this one?

It won't be too long before we find out, but for actors like Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler on all five seasons of Stranger Things, the end has already come. Wolfhard filmed his final scene on Stranger Things in December; the show has officially wrapped production, and now it heads into post-production where all the special effects magic and editing happen.

Wolfhard is currently out on the press trail promoting his upcoming A24 film The Legend of Ochi, but Variety...

The Lord of the Rings stars Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom were long rumored to be dating when they starred together in Peter Jackson’s epic fantasy trilogy. While both played Elves, the two were not paired together in the film. Tyler’s Arwen was betrothed to Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn while Legolas was part of the Fellowship of the Ring.

However, after years of speculation, Liv Tyler shut down the rumors of dating the Pirates of the Caribbean star, stating that she was engaged to her first husband at the time. Appearing in an interview, Tyler addressed the rumors and mentioned that she was off-market but did admit in passing that they flirted.

Liv Tyler squashes rumor of dating The Lord of the Rings co-star Orlando Bloom Liv Tyler in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | Credits: Warner Bros.

Liv Tyler played the Elf Arwen...

Betty Ross is one of the more forgotten characters of The Hulk’s mythos, whether it be the films or comics. She appeared last in the MCU back in 2008, when Edward Norton was the Incredible Hulk. Essayed by the likes of Jennifer Connely (in Ang Lee’s Hulk film) and Liv Tyler (in the MCU), Betty Ross has always served as the ‘beauty’ part of the Beauty and the Beast dynamic she has going on with Bruce Banner and the Hulk, much to Thaddeus’ charging. However, that dynamic was lost in the MCU, especially after the franchise started shipping Bruce with Natasha.

Liv Tyler as Betty Ross in The Incredible Hulk || Credit: Universal Pictures

While Betty Ross has been largely absent from the MCU, only appearing in The Incredible Hulk and What If…?, the character might have been indirectly the most instrumental figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only did she save the Hulk,...

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is not just a series of incredibly made films but also a cinematic achievement. An adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, the film adapted Middle Earth as faithfully as possible and earned several millions of dollars and Academy Awards in the process. The trilogy is still considered to be some of the greatest films ever made.

Even before Jackson took a stab at Tolkien’s work and Prime Video’s Rings of Power became one of the most expensive shows to be made, animator Ralph Bakshi made the first-ever adaptation of the novels in 1978’s animated film The Lord of the Rings. But Bakshi never got to finish his adaptation due to numerous reasons, chiefly the fans at the time.

Fans praise Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings decades after release A still from The Lord of the Rings | Credits: United Artists

J.

No franchise is going to hit 1.000. Whenever an entity like Star Trek has been around for as long as they've been, you're going to have some misses. No matter how good you are, you're going to struggle at some point. That's life. That's entertainment. Even the best creators stumble.

Not every Metallica album is the Black Album, not every book by J.R.R. Tolkien has the popularity of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even your favorite steak house or pizza place will deliver subpar products every now and then. That's just life. Entertainment at this level is no different. Especially with nearly 60 years of content to search through.

You're going to find films and shows that don't live up to the lofty expectations that come with the name brand. So yes, some Star Trek shows are going to be bad. Which ones are is entirely up to you. Yet, the arguments for every show differ.

Based on Tos, it has been 16 years since the theatrical release of the rebooted Star Trek trilogy, which ended with Star Trek Beyond in 2016. With fandom anticipation for Star Trek 4 at an all-time high, according to Trekmovie.com, J.J. Abrams and “Deadpool & Wolverine” producer Simon Kinberg are attached as co-producers with a possible start of production in 2025.

Star Trek 4’s former director, Simon Kinberg, is out and tapped to write and produce a new Star Wars trilogy. Various outlets have reported that Star Trek 4 will be an origin story of 2009’s Star Trek movie instead of a previous Kelvin timeline plot.

Star Trek 4 will be in capable directing and screenwriting hands with Toby Haynes (“Andor” and “Black Mirror” director) and Seth Grahame-Smith (“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” screenwriter). With the Grahame-Smith Star Trek 4 script completed with a possible 2026 release date. Although, there are some uncertainties.

Peter Jackson undeniably did an impressive job adapting J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Lord of the Rings. The film is hailed as one of the most faithful adaptations of the book. However, it’s also important to recognize that even the best adaptations can miss critical details.

Peter Jackson and the Lord of the Rings cast | Credit: New Line Cinema

Although it is pretty common for a movie to miss some chunks of details and scenes while adapting a book it is acceptable to deal with it as long as it is faithful. Jackson also missed a few important details while adapting the book.

For instance, in The Fellowship of the Ring, Sting is the only sword that glows blue when Orcs are near. While this trait is showcased in the first half of the movie, it inexplicably vanishes in later scenes. This inconsistency is a hot topic among sharp-eyed fans.

The polarizing albeit somehow industry favorite "Emilia Pérez" has nabbed 13 Oscar nominations, setting the record for most nominations by an international film. The Spanish-language French musical crime film, written and directed by Jacques Audiard, is also tied with "Gone With the Wind," "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "Forrest Gump," and "Oppenheimer" for the second-most Oscars nominations, ever. /Film's Jeremy Mathai called the film "a swing and a miss," and with a 32% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, he's certainly not alone in thinking the movie was a huge whiff.

Suppose you are someone who loved the film. In that case, I'm not here to tell anyone how to feel about a piece of art. But considering the legitimate criticisms that have been lobbied against the film regarding both its trans representation and its depiction of Mexican culture, it's wildly disappointing to realize just how many Academy...

For a race that seemed as unpredictable as any in recent history, the 2025 Oscar nominations came and went without many huge surprises. All the expected acting contenders — including frontrunners like Demi Moore, Adrien Brody, Timothée Chalamet, Zoe Saldaña, and Kieran Culkin — were bestowed with nominations on Thursday, as were several films long predicted to score Best Picture recognition. But while the 97th Oscars were perhaps shorter than usual on snubs and surprises, the list of nominees did clarify which films Academy voters truly loved and what might ultimately win Best Picture in March. Ahead are the key takeaways from the 2025 Oscar nominations.

Emilia Pérez is the front-runner to beat

With 13 Oscar nominations on Thursday, including Best Picture, Best International Feature, Best Director, and acting nominations for Karla Sofia Gascón and Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez is not just the year’s top Oscar contender but one of the most decorated nominees in history.

In case anyone needed a reminder that “Film Twitter” and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are not populated by the same people, Emilia Pérez, the polarizing French-directed, Spanish-language musical about a trans Mexican gangster, landed a field-leading 13 Oscar nominations on Thursday morning. That tally — encompassing noms for best picture, director, actress, supporting actress, adapted screenplay, international feature, cinematography, film editing, makeup/hairstyling, original score, sound and two for original song — smashed the record for a non-English-language film (previously held by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Roma, which had 10 each) and is just one shy of the all-time record for any film (All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land each landed 14).

Is Jacques Audiard’s Netflix film unbeatable? Of course not. Plenty of people have issues with the film, including many members of the Mexican and trans communities, who find it offensive, and critics and general audiences,...

The 97th annual Oscar nominations were revealed Thursday morning in Los Angeles. And the newest lineup featured a number of historic milestones. Among them this year:

Best Picture With 13 nominations, “Emilia Perez” is the most nominated non-English-language film of all time, beating the record of 10 nominations held by “Roma” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” “Emilia Pérez” and “I’m Still Here” are also the 18th and 19th films predominantly not in the English language to be nominated for Best Picture. Both are nominated for Best International Feature – the first time ever that two nominees from that category have also been nominated for Best Picture. At 3:35, “The Brutalist” is the sixth-longest Best Picture nominee, a few minutes longer than two recent Martin Scorsese movies, “The Irishman” (3:29) and “Killers of the Flower Moon” (3:26). “Cleopatra,” from 1963, is the all-time longest Best Picture nominee at 4:11. Acting categories Seven acting nominees are...

The Academy unveiled its full line-up of Oscar nods Thursday morning, with “Emilia Pérez” leading the field with 13 nominations, followed by “The Brutalist” and “Wicked” with 10 each. While guild nominations and other preliminary awards bodies can help provide a comprehensive forecast for Oscar nominations, there are always a few curveballs mixed into the proceedings. Big names like Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington missed out on acting nominations this year — and there were many, many more surprises.

Snub: Angelina Jolie Misses for ‘Maria’

The star earned some of the best reviews of her career out of the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of the opera icon Maria Callas. Director Pablo Larrain previously delivered Oscar nominations to two of his stars playing historical figures — Natalie Portman for “Jackie” in 2017 and Kristen Stewart for “Spencer” in 2022. But Jolie didn’t land a nod, falling behind in a highly competitive best actress field.

Brandon Sanderson is one of the most recognizable fantasy authors of our time; he's the man behind The Stormlight Archive, Mistborn, and the final three books in The Wheel of Time series, as well as dozens of other novels. But despite his far-reaching fame, Sanderson's work has never been adapted for either television or the movies. Why not?

Sanderson has a reputation for being exceptionally candid with fans; he recently revealed on his blog that a long-simmering Mistborn adaptation had fallen through and that he was basically "back to square one" on bringing his fictional universe, known as the Cosmere, to the screen. Now, he's opened up once again to Polygon in a new interview where he shares more of his opinions on how streaming services have treated fantasy adaptations — and why he doesn't trust them yet with his work.

"I’m not convinced that we have hit stability in the streaming market,...

Johnny Depp has done a slew of versatile roles in his long career, be it more mature films like Donnie Brasco, or children’s fantasy features like Pirates of the Caribbean and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, whenever it came to what he was filming, Johnny Depp was very aware of what he was getting into.

Johnny Depp || Credit: Disney

Mafia films have been a part of Hollywood prestige cinema ever since the days of The Goodfellas and The Godfather trilogy. Needless to say, Johnny Depp would also find himself in a Mafia film, but it would do one thing that films like The Godfather failed to do so horribly.

Johnny Depp did not want to romanticize the Mafia Johnny Depp || Credit: Disney

Johnny Depp, in an interview, revealed that he was pretty hell-bent on not wanting to do a Mafia film that glorifies that way of life. He...

TV production was still down last year, albeit decreasing at a slower rate than the year prior, down 7% from 2023, as the entertainment industry continues to find its footing after a couple of rough years, according to a new report from Luminate.

Luminate’s 2024 year-end analysis, which measures TV viewership in the U.S., is just the latest to validate the contraction in production following the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which has impacted every area of film and television. However, the report also goes deeper to explain which genres and mediums were hit the hardest.

Interestingly, Luminate points out that broadcast TV was “surprisingly resilient,” recovering from the work stoppages a bit quicker than its streaming and cable counterparts with a 25% year-over-year increase. That’s likely due to the fact that networks hustled to get broadcast episodes back on air by the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, cable has suffered the most,...

Turns out, we’ve been cheering for the wrong heroes in The Lord of the Rings all along. Sure Frodo and Aragorn stole the ultimate limelight, J.R.R. Tolkien himself pointed to a less glam, but far more heroic, character.

Elijah Wood in Lord of the Rings | Credits: New Line Cinema

Tolkien’s revelation broke the mold on who truly deserved the very title. The quiet endurance of this unsung figure didn’t just support the Fellowship; it saved the day.

Samwise Gamgee: The unsung hero J.R.R. Tolkien always knew deserved the spotlight J.R.R. Tolkien | Credits: YouTube/@BBC Global

Folks, we’ve all been watching The Lord of the Rings with the wrong hero in mind. J.R.R. Tolkien had a different champ – Samwise Gamgee. Tolkien, who served in the British military during World War I, based Sam on a figure he deeply admired: his batmen.

Few works have left as indelible a mark on the high fantasy genre as Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s seminal books, the adventures of the hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) not only redefined epic filmmaking but brought Tolkien's richly detailed world of Middle-earth to life. As Frodo and his loyal friend Sam (Sean Astin) embark on a perilous journey to destroy the One Ring with the help the Fellowship, the award-winning trilogy set the gold standard for adaptations of fantasy literature as one of the greatest film series ever made.

The Lord of the Rings series has since grown into a multimedia franchise which continues to revisit Tolkien's timeless world full of friendship, courage, and hope. Prime Video’s prequel series The Rings of Power takes viewers back to the Second Age of Middle-earth, exploring the forging of the Rings and the rise of their maker,...