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Osgood Perkins' 2024 horror thriller "Longlegs" is like watching three or four episodes of "The X-Files" simultaneously. The film's protagonist, FBI Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), has vague psychic powers that she is using to apprehend a mysterious serial killer. The killer, nicknamed Longlegs (Nicolas Cage), has a very peculiar M.O. Every so often, a local family will be violently murdered by one of its members, and the murderer will then take their own life. A note will then be found at the crime scene, written in Longlegs' handwriting, taking credit for the killing. Longlegs also seems to target families with nine-year-old girls who were born on or around the 14th of the month.

As the film progresses, other eerie clues arise. Harker finds a life-size child doll in an attic, and it has a mysterious metal orb hidden inside. What is going on? Later on, viewers will learn that...

Sex. Paranoia. Betrayal. These are the are among the first words that come to mind when we talk about the cult horror hit, It Follows. A movie that serves as a refreshing splash of originality and imagination that has gone on to become a mainstay in the Blu-ray players of horror lovers everywhere. While it’s a movie that certainly receives its share of praise for being fresh with its concept and quite creative in its depiction of the movie’s antagonistic entity- it also doesn’t seem to get the analysis it deserves beyond those initial praises. While the freshness and high-quality storytelling are certainly not up for debate in my book- this movie is awesome- I must say that beyond all the sex, paranoia, and betrayal, there’s also a surprising layer of tenderness, friendship, and empowerment that carry it through the trending page and into the pop culture zeitgeist forever.

Released in 2024, Longlegs has steadily climbed the box office charts, becoming a must-watch for horror enthusiasts. At its heart is Nicolas Cage, delivering a chilling performance as a sinister dollmaker. The actor portrays this horrifyingly creepy character to perfection.

Consider this your ultimate nudge if you’re still on the fence about this spine-tingling flick.

Nicolas Cage in Longlegs | Credit: Neon

Here are five reasons you need to jump into the twisted world of Longlegs as soon as possible.

1. Nicolas Cage himself is the very first reason why one should watch Longlegs

The first and most important reason to watch Longlegs is Nicolas Cage himself. Cage delivers a performance that stands out even among his most celebrated works. With Longlegs, he adds another unforgettable character to his repertoire.

Cage’s portrayal of Longlegs is a masterclass in subtle horror. The character isn’t grotesquely designed or overly theatrical but gives out an eerie,...

2024 is almost over! It went super fast, had a lot of ups and downs, and at times, threatened to drive some of us to the brink of insanity. I’m sure 2025 promises most of the same, but if there is one thing we can celebrate, it’s the glut of amazing movies, books, and general nerdy stuff that keeps us entertained and loving the horror genre.

The Substance

The Substance might be the best thing I saw this year. I always have a hard time picking my absolute favorite, but this might be it. Coralie Fargeat’s takedown of beauty culture was one of the best times I had in the theater this year. The excitement of having no idea where the story was going, combined with the increasingly loud reactions and squirming from the audience, created a singular experience. I was positively giddy when this film ended and I...

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things, 2024 Edition

Season’s Greetings, one and all! 2024 is almost over.

Okay! Now that we’re done reminiscing, let’s talk about my favorite horror things from the last twelve months. They’re in no order, but they’re all super cool and worthy of your attention.

The Cairnes’ Brothers’ Late Night With The Devil scratched an itch I didn’t know I had – a gaudy ‘70s talk show airs a live exorcism for ratings. Taut and creepy, it’ll stick with you.

This particular reimagining of my youth is pretty much spot on with the aesthetic seediness and eye-popping ugliness we were forced to endure. (Corduroy. The horror…) Beyond that, it tells a compelling story of a late-night host trying to hang on to his sanity; the exorcism “stunt” is a last-ditch effort to boost ratings, but as it proves to be all too real,...

It’s been quite the year for horror fans across the board, and there’s been no shortage of good content. We’ve seen a return for beloved or forgotten franchises, original horror, and horror TV. As someone who tries their best to keep up, I’ve seen a decent amount this year. Of course not everything, because accessibility to film festivals is an issue for me. And there’s still horror media that I haven’t seen quite yet. Why? My watchlist is ever-growing, and 2024 has been…let’s just say a time and leave it at that.

Narrowing down top 10 or top anything, is nearly impossible for me personally. However, I was able to do it and I crawled over mental glass for this task. I’ve decided to go with my favorite performances in horror TV and films from women. As of the time of writing this,...

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2024 is nearly over, and while we have seen some brilliant horror films come out this year, I don’t think it has been such a great year for the genre. With most horror films flopping at the box office and the dreaded Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey sequel coming out, it all felt wrong. But don’t worry because I have picked out the 18 best horror films that have come out this year. I haven’t ranked the films in the article and I will update the list as more films come out.

Nosferatu (In Theaters) Credit – Focus Features

Nosferatu is a gothic horror drama film written and directed by Robert Eggers. Based on the 1922 silent film of the same name by Henrik Galeen, the 2024 film is set in the 1830s, and it follows estate agent Thomas Hutter as...

If 2024 were a movie, it would likely be a slow burn. Between studio strikes, diminishing theater releases, and a yearlong debate about whether AI is a creative savior or the devil’s intern, it seemed like the film industries of the world had traded their mojo for mediocrity.

Lea Seydoux in Bertrand Bornello’s The Beast | Credits: Ad Vitam

A handful of films, however, reminded us that there is more than meets the eye, and why we love cinema in the first place. It turns out that you don’t need algorithms or endless IP reboots to make things happen; you just need a good script, decent direction, and the occasional Nicolas Cage performance.

So, whether you’re here to confirm your “superior” taste in cinema, discover what you may have missed, or argue over rankings (inevitable it may be), you’ve come to the right place. We’re rounding...

Just in time for holiday festivities, writer/director Osgood Perkins has shared a first-look clip from his new film “The Monkey,” a Stephen King adaptation out February 21. This is Perkins’ first film since “Longlegs” became Neon’s highest-grossing movie ever and one of the top-grossing horror movies of 2024.

This gory adaptation of the 1980 Stephen King short story centers on Theo James as twin brothers Haal and Bill, who witness a string of horrifying deaths where a toy monkey may hold a clue to the killings. The cast also includes Elijah Wood, Tatiana Maslany, and Sarah Levy, with Perkins writing and directing the film.

He’s said that “The Monkey” will be his most comic film to date. “It’s feeling more like an old John Landis movie or a Joe Dante movie or a Robert Zemeckis movie,” Perkin told The Hollywood Reporter. “I saw an opportunity to make a wry,...

One of the most fun aspects of horror is the endless creativity when it comes to on-screen carnage, and 2024 has delivered no shortage of memorable horror movie kills.

It’s been a fantastic showcase for special makeup effects artists when it comes to on-screen slaughter; 2024 provided multiple extended kills that cumulatively threatened to wipe out a warehouse supply of fake blood. And that’s why we’re looking back and paying tribute to some of the nastiest, goriest, and most unforgettable 2024 horror movie kills.

We’re saluting the ten best kills in 2024 horror movies, which means massive spoilers ahead for the following: Longlegs, MaXXXine, Sting, Alien: Romulus, The Coffee Table, Abigail, Smile 2, The Substance, Terrifier 3, and In a Violent Nature.

You’ve been warned…

Longlegs – Facial Reconstruction

Filmmaker Oz Perkins refreshingly keeps his curious serial killer, Longlegs, as enigmatic and elusive as possible, giving only glimpses into the killer’s...

Adam Pearson and Sebastian Stan in ‘A Different Man’ (Photo Credit: Matt Infante / Courtesy of A2)

Ah, the year is coming to a close. And with that comes the obligatory year-end top 10 list. So here are the top 10 movies of 2024 according to me, James Jay Edwards. Remember – this is my list and does not claim to reflect the opinions of anyone else.

10 – A Different Man

As a fan of Adam Pearson’s, I was thrilled to see him in a role he could really sink his teeth into. Bonus points to writer/director Aaron Schimberg for including a scene that addresses the question of representation vs. exploitation.

(Irish musical biopic Kneecap is sort of a 10.5 here. On any given day, it could flip spots with A Different Man.)

Colman Domingo in ‘Sing Sing’ (Photo Credit: A24)

9 – Sing Sing

A movie about the transformational power of the theater in the most unlikely of places – a prison.

Lee Cronin's The Mummy: With a release date of April 17, 2026, we now have an official title for the latest horror film from Evil Dead Rise's Lee Cronin, who is is writing and directing the film, produced by Atomic Monster, Blumhouse and Doppelgängers, for New Line.

"This will be unlike any Mummy movie you ever laid eyeballs on before. I'm digging deep into the earth to raise something very ancient and very frightening," said writer/director Lee Cronin.

As previously announced, Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are co-financing the film. James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville are producers on the film. Michael Clear, Judson Scott and Macdara Kelleher are executive producers. Alayna Glasthal is the executive overseeing the project for Atomic Monster.

Lee Cronin is represented by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.

---

Grafted: "Chinese...

At one time, Watcher director Chloe Okuno was attached to direct the fourth entry in Netflix’s R.L. Stine-inspired Fear Street franchise – but while Fear Street: Prom Queen has made its way through production without her involvement (the movie ended up being directed by Matthew Palmer), Okuno has been busy getting another genre project set up. One that will reunite her with Watcher star Maika Monroe. We heard back in October that Okuno’s new project is called Brides and it’s aiming to start filming in the Spring of 2025.Now, Deadline has broken the news that Neon has acquired the North American distribution rights to Brides.

Scripted by Okuno, Brides draws inspiration from Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. Set in 1960s Italy, it will show us what happens when Sally Bishop (Monroe) and her husband travel to a remote villa in the wake of Sally’s nervous breakdown.

Longlegs star Maika Monroe is set to star in Brides, an upcoming vampire horror from Watcher director Chloe Okuno.

As we prepare to flip the calendar over to another year, Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs stands out as one of the biggest successes of 2024, with the horror film not only earning a substantial take at the global box office, but also picking up plenty of critical buzz along the way. Naturally, that makes the film’s star, Maika Monroe, an in-demand actor, and while Monroe already has several interesting projects in various states of production, she has just added another horror film: Brides.

Brides is backed by Neon, the same distributor behind Longlegs. The project will see Monroe reunite with Chloe Okuno, the director of 2022’s Watcher, in which Monroe played a married woman who starts to think her Bucharest neighbour is a serial killer.

It didn’t make too much of...

Chloe Okuno is perhaps still not a mainstream face, but thanks to her gripping horror storytelling, including writing and directing the acclaimed segment ‘Storm Drain’ in the anthology V/H/S/94, she is quickly rising in fame.

Her feature film debut, ‘Watcher’, premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and gained widespread attention, being distributed by IFC Midnight and Shudder. She also created the award-winning short film ‘Slut’ (2014), which won multiple prizes, showcasing her talent early in her career.

Now Okuno is working on a new horror movie called ‘Brides’ with Maika Monro set to star. This marks the third collaboration between Neon and Maika Monroe, with Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu producing through Likely Story. Pre-production has started, and filming is set for March. Neon will handle the theatrical release.

Brides.

A new horror from Chloe Okuno.

Starring Maika Monroe.

Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/zweZaTJUlv

— Neon (@neonrated) December 18, 2024

Monroe...

Neon is ready to work with Longlegs star Maika Monroe again. The distributor behind some of 2024's most acclaimed horror movies, like the aforementioned serial killer thriller, Immaculate, and Cuckoo, has acquired the North American rights to the upcoming horror film Brides, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Monroe will star in the movie, directed by Chloe Okuno, with whom Monroe previously worked for the film Watcher. In addition to Longlegs and Brides, Neon is co-producing and distributing They Follow, the sequel to the David Robert Mitchell-directed film It Follows that Monroe also starred in.

Pre-production for Brides is already underway, with filming starting in March 2025. Monroe will be plenty busy between this film and They Follow, which is also set to shoot next year.

In honor of the acquisition, Neon shared a photo of the script's title page via the X platform (formerly Twitter) earlier today. Fittingly, the word Brides...

As we wrap up 2024, we now know that one of the biggest surprises of the year, in the best possible way, was “Longlegs.” It’s a film that will likely stand the test of time and continue to be used as an example of what to do in a proper modern horror. And because of its success, it’s not at all shocking that Neon would like to stay in the Maika Monroe business.

Continue reading ‘Brides’: Maika Monroe To Star In New Thriller From Director Chloe Okuno at The Playlist.

Neon has acquired North American rights to Chloe Okuno’s horror Brides starring her Watcher lead Maika Monroe.

The deal marks the company’s third film with Monroe after this year’s box office smash Longlegs and the upcoming They Follow.

Pre-production on Brides is underway and production is scheduled to commence in March. The story follows Sally and her husband who travel to a remote Italian villa where the villa’s owner, a mysterious count, takes a peculiar interest in Sally.

Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu are producing through Likely Story. Okuno will direct from her original screenplay.

Jeff Deutchman...

Neon has picked up the North American rights to Chloe Okuno’s horror pic Brides, which will star Maika Monroe and is set to shoot in March 2025.

The project marks the third collaboration between Neon and Monroe after Osgood Perkins’ Longlegs and the upcoming sequel They Follow, the follow-up to David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows. Pre-production for Brides is now underway, and Neon plans to release the movie in theaters.

Longlegs made $75 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing indie film of the year and a high point for Neon, Tom Quinn’s Oscar-winning specialty production and distribution outfit also home to Parasite.

Longlegs saw Nicholas Cage play an elusive serial killer being tracked by FBI Agent Lee Harker (Monroe) and who was so transformed for the film, he was almost unrecognizable. Brides will be produced by Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu through Likely Story.

Okuno wrote the original screenplay,...

Maika Monroe (Longlegs) and director Chloe Okuno (V/H/S/94: Storm Drain, Watcher) will reteam for the upcoming horror movie Brides, and Longlegs distributor Neon has officially announced this morning that they’ve boarded the project. It’s “coming soon.”

Neon has picked up North American rights to the upcoming Brides of Dracula-inspired vampire film. Deadline notes in an exclusive report, “Neon will release the film theatrically.”

Here’s the synopsis: “Set in 1960s Italy, Sally Bishop (Maika Monroe) and her husband travel to a remote villa in the wake of Sally’s nervous breakdown. The villa’s owner, a mysterious count, takes a peculiar interest in Sally. But he gets far more than he anticipated when Sally’s feminist chaos is added to his perfect, violent Eden of vampire brides.”

Chloe Okuno’s Brides is sad to be at least loosely inspired by Bram Stoker’s horror classic Dracula,...

Exclusive: Following the success of the summer hit Longlegs, Neon and Maika Monroe have found their next thriller to team on as the studio has has acquired the North American rights to Watcher director Chloe Okuno’s Brides starring Monroe. The film marks the third collaboration for Neonand Monroe and the pic will be produced by Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu through Likely Story. Pre-production is now underway, and it is set to begin shooting in March 2025. Neon will release the film theatrically.

Okuno will direct the film which is based on her original screenplay. The film follows, Sally Bishop (Monroe) and her husband, who travel to a remote Italian villa where the villa’s owner, a mysterious count, takes a peculiar interest in Sally.

The deal for Brides was negotiated by Jeff Deutchman and Jason Wald on behalf of Neon. FilmNation Entertainment launched international sales at the American Film...

The best films of 2024 were released during a time of increasing polarization in the film industry. Tentpoles got bigger, more unwieldy, more uneven, more likely to crash and burn. On the other side of the spectrum, indie films got smaller, scrappier, more impressive that they got made at all, let alone contained such beauty.

Up next from director David Robert Mitchell (It Follows) is a mysterious genre movie for J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot that’s titled Flowervale Street, and the IMAX release date had originally been set for May 16, 2025. This week, however, the film has been bumped nearly a year.

Flowervale Street will now arrive in theaters – and IMAX – on March 13, 2026.

That original May 2025 release date has been taken over by Final Destination: Bloodlines.

The deeply mysterious Flowervale Street has been described as an IMAX “thrill ride,” and recent rumors have suggested it might involve dinosaurs… and it’s possibly set in the 1980s.

Stay tuned for more on the Warner Bros. project as we learn it.

Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, and Christian Convery will star.

Mitchell directs from his own original script and is producing alongside J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella for Bad Robot, Jackson Pictures’ Matt Jackson, and Tommy Harper.

Maika Monroe (Longlegs) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead will topline The Hand That Rocks the Cradle remake for 20th Century Studios. Today, THR reports that Martin Starr (There’s Something in the Barn) has joined the cast.

Michelle Garza Cervera (Huesera: The Bone Woman) will direct the thriller, which is set to enter production later this month in Los Angeles.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle will adapt Curtis Hanson’s 1992 thriller. In it, “Rebecca De Mornay starred as a twisted widow who, distraught over losing her own baby, insinuates herself into a family as their nanny, with the ultimate goal of taking the kids and the husband for herself. Annabella Sciorra played the mother.”

In this update, Monroe will play the nanny, opposite Winstead as the mother. Actor Raúl Castillo (Push) will play the husband. As for the recent cast addition, Martin Starr has been set to play the family’s neighbor,...

THR reports that Martin Starr (Tulsa King) is set to join Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Ahsoka) and Maika Monroe (Longlegs) in the upcoming remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Raúl Castillo (Smile 2) will also appear in the film.

The 20th Century Studios project is a new take on the 1992 thriller, which starred Rebecca De Mornay and Anna Bella Sciorra. When Claire Bartel (Sciorra) is assaulted by her doctor, she reports him to the police, but he kills himself to avoid being arrested. The doctor’s pregnant wife, Peyton (De Mornay), has a miscarriage and is driven mad with rage. Posing as a nanny for the Bartel family, she decides to tear Claire’s life apart by seducing her husband and murdering her. Monroe will be playing the De Mornay role in the remake, while Winstead will be stepping into the Sciorra role.

Martin Starr will be playing a neighbour...

Martin Starr, currently appearing opposite Sylvester Stallone in Tulsa King, has joined the cast of 20th Century Studios’ remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.

Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are toplining the thriller that will have Michelle Garza Cervera behind the camera when production begins later this month in Los Angeles. Raúl Castillo is also on the call sheet.

The feature project adapts the 1992 thriller originally distributed by Buena Vista Pictures and directed by Curtis Hanson. Rebecca De Mornay starred as a twisted widow who, distraught over losing her own baby, insinuates herself into a family as their nanny, with the ultimate goal of taking the kids and the husband for herself. Annabella Sciorra played the mother.

In the update, Monroe, star of this summer’s horror hit Longlegs, is the nanny while Winstead is the mother. Castillo is the husband.

Starr will play the family’s...

Neon said today it’s closed a $200 million-plus credit facility led by Comerica Bank.

The funding, which follows the leading indie distributor and producer’s previous facility with Comerica from October of 2022, will be used to bolster core operations, including film acquisition, development, production, and distribution, while also expanding into new markets. The investment will further support strategic initiatives and strengthen its international footprint, driving additional growth.

Earlier this year it debuted a new international sales strand, with Cannes its first official stop, launching international for Keeper, the next genre film by Longlegs helmer Osgood Perkins.

The deal, which was negotiated and managed by Neon’s CFO Ryan Friscia, comes after the company recently released Anora, the highly-anticipated new film from Sean Baker starring Mikey Madison, which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes and opened Stateside October 18 to the highest per-screen average of 2024; Nicolas Cage-starring horror Longlegs which...

Neon has closed a $200m-plus credit facility led by Comerica Bank which it will use to bolster core functions including film acquisitions, development, production, and distribution.

The arrangement will additionally be used to support expansion into new markets and strengthen the company’s international footprint.

It comes after a mighty year at the box office for Neon after Osgood Perkins’s summer release Longlegs starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage became its highest earner at the box office on more than $126m worldwide, of which $75m came from North America and $52m from international markets.

More recently Sean Baker’s Anora,...

Oscar-winning indie studio Neon has secured a new $200 million credit facility, flushing the company with cash for operations and growth.

The infusion, which could keep “Anora” star Mikey Madison in lucite platform heels until the end of time, is led by Neon’s existing credit provider Comerica Bank. The raise will contribute to film acquisition, development, production, distribution and market expansion, Neon said Monday.

“Comerica believes in the vision of Neon and couldn’t be more thrilled to support their continued growth. Their ability to identify and curate film, while finding innovative ways to connect audiences with cinema, is unmatched,” said Comerica Entertainment Group SVP Derek Riedel, adding that the “independent film landscape is a core pillar of our business and we are excited about the future.”

Riedel oversaw the transaction for the bank, with Neon chief financial officer Ryan Friscia negotiating on the studio side.

It’s been a good year for Neon,...

Neon has closed a $200 million plus credit facility led by Comerica Bank. The funding follows the studio’s previous revolving credit facility with Comerica Bank in October 2022.

The new credit will, according to Monday’s official release, “Be allocated to bolster its core operations, including film acquisition, development, production and distribution, while also expanding into new markets. The investment will further support strategic initiatives and strengthen its international footprint, driving additional growth.”

The deal was negotiated and managed by the studio’s chief financial officer Ryan Friscia at the end of a year that has included “Anora,” directed by Sean Baker and starring Mikey Madison, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in May; and Osgood Perkins’ “Longlegs,” which became the highest-grossing independent feature of the year with more than $75 million domestically. Their 2024 slate also included Sydney Sweeney in “Immaculate” and Hunter Schafer in “Cuckoo.”

Last week, it won...

Neon — the indie distributor founded by Tom Quinn that has had box office success with art house titles like Parasite and recently with Sean Baker’s Anora — has secured a $200 million credit facility with a lending consortium led by Comerica Bank.

The revolver will help grow Neon’s operations, including film acquisition, development, production and distribution, while also driving the indie studio into new international markets. In 2022, Neon secured a revolving credit facility with Comerica Bank to expand the studio’s previous credit facility.

The latest funding will also help grow Neon’s production efforts. The studio’s upcoming film development and production slate includes the Boots Riley feature I Love Boosters, starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie and Lakeith Stanfield; They Follow, the sequel to the horror classic It Follows from writer-director David Robert Mitchell, starring Maika Monroe; and Michael Covino’s Splitsville, starring Dakota Johnson and Adria Arjona.

The...

Osgood Perkins‘ “Longlegs” walks a tricky line between realism and theatricality, balancing a heightened visual style — characterized by extreme wide-angle lensing and off-kilter compositions that keep the audience on edge — with meticulous recreations of 1970s and 1990s clothes, cars, and environments. Add to that the wild tonal swings between mortifying horror, sly comedy, and somber poignancy — plus a go-for-broke performance by Nicholas Cage in the title role that’s extreme even for the guy who brought us Castor Troy and Sailor Ripley — and you’ve got a filmmaking tightrope act dependent on a perfect calibration of every craft.

That was particularly true of the hair and makeup departments, which were tasked with bringing a number of challenging characters to life, not just the gruesome lead. IndieWire previously spoke with Perkins and special effects makeup artist Felix Fox about the conception and execution of Cage’s uniquely horrifying serial killer, whose...

In Smile 2, about to embark on a new world tour, global pop sensation Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) begins experiencing increasingly terrifying and inexplicable events. Overwhelmed by the escalating horrors and the pressures of fame, Skye is forced to face her dark past to regain control of her life before it spirals out of control.

The sequel's cast impresses from top to bottom and among the standouts is Raúl Castillo as Darius, a music executive who finds himself drawn into Skye's orbit as her world falls apart.

In our interview, the actor talks about what drew him to the sequel - revealing some Captain America: Brave New World news, in the process - and what he enjoyed about working with writer and director Parker Finn. Castillo also talks about exploring the music industry in a horror franchise.

Earlier this week, the news broke that he'll star alongside Maika Monroe and...

Despite our name, the team here at Empire HQ can't help but love a rebel. And that's just as well, because the return of Cassian Andor in Tony Gilroy's hotly anticipated Andor Season 2 forms the world-exclusive cover feature of our stacked 2025 Preview issue — your ultimate guide to the must-see movies and shows headed our way over the next 12 months.

This month's issue hits newsstands on Thursday 21 November — and is available to pre-order online here, too. Read on for a look inside its pages.

Andor Season 2

The revolution will be televised! Following Andor's out of this world first season, Empire heads to a galaxy far, far away to talk to creator Tony Gilroy and his cast all about continuing — and completing — one of the most gripping stories the Star Wars universe has ever told. Godspeed, rebels! Words: Mike Ryan.

2025 Preview

As the curtain closes on another glorious year of blockbuster bangers,...

Richard E. Grant and Felicity Jones have signed on to star in ‘100 Nights of Hero’.The ‘Saltburn' star, 67 and the ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’ actress, 41, will join Emma Corrin, Nicholas Galitzine and Maika Monroe in the upcoming adaptation of author Isabel Greenberg’s 2016 feminist fairy tale.The film - which is being directed by Julia Jackman - will follow neglectful husband Jerome who makes a wager with his friend Manfred (Galitzine) that if he can seduce his wife Cherry (Monroe) within 100 nights, his pal can keep his castle. However, what Jerome doesn’t know is that his wife is in love with her maid Hero, as played by Corrin. Jackman - who will be making her writing debit in ‘100 Nights of Hero’ - said in a statement: “I’ve been in love with Isabel’s graphic novel since I read it in 2016, and it’s been...

Benito Skinner recalled Charli Xcx playing her guest role on his upcoming comedy series “Overcompensating,” saying it was “so insane.”

“I was so proud of her,” Skinner told me at GQ’s Men of the Year party on Nov. 14 in Los Angeles. “She came on set and she was absolutely incredible and she blew everyone away. But the fact that she did [‘Overcompensating’] while also touring the world and doing the Sweat tour, it was insane. We’re so lucky to have her in the show.”

Before her appearance on the Amazon show was announced in October, it was revealed that the “Brat” hitmaker would be producing original music for the series, which follows the college life of a closeted former high school football player and homecoming king (Skinner). The cast also includes Wally Baram, Mary Beth Barone, Adam Dimarco and Rish Shah as series regulars, with Connie Britton, Kyle MacLachlan,...

Raúl Castillo, star of Smile 2, is the latest talent to join the cast of 20th Century Studios' eagerly awaited remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. With his exciting addition, Castillo will be bringing his unique flair and depth to the project, and we can't wait to see him in action. He will reportedly have a supporting role in the movie. We shared more about who he will be portraying down below.

This new cast announcement comes just a little over a month later after the announcement that Mary Elizabeth Winstead was in discussions to join the cast. It appears that Winstead is now officially a part of the project. She and Castillo join Longlegs' Maika Monroe, who was the first to be cast in this remake.

Michelle Garza Cervera will direct from a screenplay written by Micah Bloomberg. Additionally, Ted Field will produce through his Radar Pictures,...

Richard E. Grant (“Saltburn”), Amir El-Masry (“In Camera”) and Felicity Jones (“The Brutalist)” have joined the cast of “100 Nights Of Hero,” the adaptation of the graphic novel feminist fairytale from director Julia Jackman, alongside the already announced Nicholas Galitzine, Emma Corrin, Maika Monroe and Charli Xcx.

Project Infinity’s Grant S. Johnson (“May December”) has joined Helen Simmons, Christopher Fairbank (“Lady Macbeth”), Tom Stourton (“All My Friends Hate Me”), Jeff Mirza (“Juice”), Olivia D’lima (“The Killing Kind”), Kerena Jagpal (“3 Body Problem”), Markella Kavenagh (“Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”), Clare Perkins (“Medusa Deluxe”), Josh Cowdery (“Wrath of Man”) and Varada Sethu (“Doctor Who”).

“Until 100 Nights of Hero, I hadn’t seen a project since Euphoria that so taps into what feels like the next generation of filmmakers, talent, and material,” said Johnson. “While the film appears to be a period drama, it’s not, and is modern in its sensibilities.

Saltburn star Richard E. Grant, In Camera‘s Amir El-Masry and The Brutalist‘s Felicity Jones have joined Nicholas Galitzine, Emma Corrin, Maika Monroe and Charli Xcx in the ensemble cast of 100 Nights of Hero.

Principal photography in England has wrapped on Julia Jackman’s adaptation of the graphic novel feminist fairytale.

Set in an alternate world, ruled by the despotic Birdman, the film centers on a bet between two friends: Manfred wagers to Jerome he can seduce his wife, Cherry, in 100 nights. If he wins, he gets Jerome’s castle and all his riches, whilst Cherry will face execution. As Jerome leaves, Cherry finds herself trapped in a remote castle, torn between the beguiling charisma of her husband’s friend and her trust in her maid Hero, whose suspicions of Manfred grow daily.

Jackman — in her feature writing debut — adapted the screenplay from Isabel Greenberg’s beloved 2016 graphic...

We Live In Time Box Office (North America): Achieves A Remarkable Feat ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Indie films have been doing really well at the box office these past few months, including We Live in Time, starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh. It has now become one of the top five arthouse films of the year, crossing the $20 million mark at the North American box office. The list also includes Ralph Fiennes starrer Conclave. Keep scrolling for the deets.

Neon’s thriller Longlegs is also one of the arthouse movies this year that crossed the $20 million milestone. It featured Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe in the lead roles. It is Neon’s highest-grossing movie domestically and one of the highest-grossing independent movies of the year.

Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh’s We Live in Time collected an estimated $1.13 million this weekend, according to Box Office Mojo’s data from 1,160 locations across North America.

Exclusive: On the back of Smile 2‘s box office success, Raúl Castillo has come aboard for a supporting role in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, 20th Century Studios’ remake of the classic 1992 psychological thriller, starring Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Castillo takes over the part of Michael Bartel as the architect husband of Winstead’s character, portrayed in the original film by Annabella Sciorra. Claire Bartel is happily married and pregnant for the second time when she becomes the target of a dark plot on the part of a nanny — originally portrayed by Rebecca De Mornay, and now by Monroe. Directed by Curtis Hanson, the original watches as Peyton infiltrates the lives of the Bartel family after experiencing personal and professional ruin, slowly gaining their trust while manipulating them from within. Her ultimate goal? To destroy Claire and assume her place within her family.

Michelle Garza Cervera...

The stars were out for the 2024 Governors Awards held at Dolby Theatre on Sunday evening (November 17) in Hollywood.

The annual event is held prior to the Oscars and celebrates the recipients of a select few of awards conferred by the Academy’s Board of Governors – the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and the Honorary Award.

Many celebrities were in attendance at the event this year, including Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Elizabeth Olsen, pregnant Jennifer Lawrence, Felicity Jones, Marlee Matlin, and more.

Keep reading to find out more…

Each recipient of the Governors Awards is announced over the summer with them being honored at the dinner gala later in the year. Highlights are also shown at the upcoming Oscars.

This year, honorary Oscars were presented to the late Quincy Jones and Juliet Taylor, with Richard Curtis receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award,...

Double-duty on “Saturday Night Live” — as the host and musical guest — is a double-edged sword. The people who are gifted at both, like Donald Glover and Ariana Grande in recent years, usually nail it, appearing in nearly every sketch in the 90-minute show as well as elaborately rendered musical performances. The less-successful tend to do a hesitant, self-referential introductory opening monologue then appear in a small number of skits, and leave the rest to the professionals.

But Charli xcx, who has been an accomplished musician since her early teens but has limited acting experience, nailed her double duty stint on Saturday night, appearing in nearly every sketch, channeling Adele — expertly — Victoria Beckham and her friend and tour-mate Troye Sivan; playing a psycho suburban housewife with Andy Samberg in a Lonely Island digital short, the female sidekick in a parody of a toxic Trump-bro podcast, Shrek’s love interest, and even...

Nicolas Cage is unrecognizable as the title character in the horror movie Longlegs. Key special effects makeup artist Felix Fox and Harlow Macfarlane worked 2½ hours every day to transform Cage into the satanic serial killer.

“There was about four designs,” Fox said. “What they settled on after we tested on was that we would go a little bit more extreme.”

Fox said the original concepts were less pale white and less cosmetically altered. The final Longlegs pays homage to Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera, she said. Furthermore, they had to age Longlegs from the 1970s to the ‘90s.

“He has two looks for it,” Fox continued. “One is the ‘70s and one is with more of the beauty makeup, a little bit of blue eyeshadow.”

Related: 2024-25 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More

Rock stars also provided inspiration for Longlegs.

“One of the references...

US-based independent film financier Tpc has opened an office in London, spurred by the launch of the UK’s Independent Film Tax Credit (Iftc) to igniteproduction of lower and mid-budget movies in the territory.

Tpc recently provided finance for Longlegs, starring Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe, and Stephen King adaptation The Monkey, starring Theo James and Elijah Wood, which will be released in February 2025 by Neon.

Tpc’s parent company is The Forest Road Company, the owner of well-known media and entertainment investment bank Acf which is based in London and Los Angeles.

The opening of its London office follows...

The possibility of The Guest 2, a sequel to the 2014 cult classic horror film starring Dan Stevens, got a new update from the film's original writer.

The Guest followed Stevens' David, who visits the Peterson family in New Mexico under the guise that he was friends with their son, a recently deceased soldier. It doesn't take long for Maika Monroe's Anna to discover that David is exactly an escaped military experiment––an unstoppable killing machine.

Even worse, with his identity compromised, David has no choice but to protect his secrets, leading to a deadly rampage.

Read full article on The Direct.

Here’s It Follows Ending Explanation ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

David Robert Mitchell’s It Follows is one of those horror gems that will creep under your skin, so stay there. The story follows a monstrous curse passed along through intimate encounters. It Follows is somewhat similar to The Thing but with an eerie. What makes It Follows incredibly haunting is its open-ended finale. Like Carpenter’s classic, the ending doesn’t tell the viewers if the nightmare is over. Is the creature gone or lurking somewhere, waiting for the next movie? Of course, the suspense is killing the audience as it has left you guessing long after the credits roll.

What Happens In It Follows’ Ending?

The ending of It Follows takes Jay’s fight against the relentless entity to its tiniest point; however, her desperate plan doesn’t go smoothly. As Jay resists passing on the curse for most of the film,...

“Longlegs” had the longest legs at the box office of any indie film in 2024, a triumph for the Neon marketing team.

Neon marketing executive Christian Parkes told The Hollywood Reporter that his campaign for the horror film focused on appealing to the genre audience as opposed to relying on the star power of actor Nicolas Cage, or showing any of its thrills in trailers.

“From the jump, we said we need to respect the horror audience, the genre audience, because they’re largely underserved, I think, by distributors and studios,” Parkes said. “If we treat them with respect, if we talk to them on their terms and on their level and bring them along, they will invest in this film, carry this film and make it their own.”

And that’s exactly what horror fans did: “Longlegs” went on to gross $22 million its opening weekend and ultimately made $75 million domestic...

The first footage of Longlegs director Osgood Perkins shared with distributors Neon was a short clip showing the Nicolas Cage reveal.

“It was a very tiny piece of footage, a very early image and I’ve never seen anything like that,” remembers Neon boss Tom Quinn. “If it wasn’t Nick Cage [doing that performance] it would be absolutely batshit crazy,” “The fact that it was Nick Cage made it times 10. We thought: ‘If Cage is doing that, we have to be involved.”

“What triggered it for us was hearing him,” adds Neon marketing head Christian Parkes. “It was unlike anything we’d heard before. It could only have come from Cage. It was: this is something that we have to take really seriously.”

For those of you who haven’t seen Longlegs, look away now. The following includes spoilers for the most successful independent release of 2024, The film where Neon tossed out...

It may not be a corporate sequel behemoth like Deadpool & Wolverine or Inside Out 2, but Longlegs is one of the biggest success stories of the year. With a take of $74.35 million, it became not only Neon's highest-grossing film but the most successful indie horror film of the last decade.