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Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role, while Kevin Williamson, who wrote the screenplay for the original Scream, directs the film from a screenplay by 2022’s Scream...

Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role, while Kevin Williamson, who wrote the screenplay for the original Scream, directs the film from a screenplay by 2022’s Scream...

The Chicago P.D. cast features several new people during Season 12.

Deputy Chief Reid is one of the new characters and is Hank Voight’s new boss.

Voight (played by Jason Beghe) has had many bosses over the 12 seasons of Chicago P.D.; some were out to get Voight, and others wanted to help Intelligence prosper.

There has been some mystery about how much support Voight would receive from each new boss, but he typically gets a long leash with his team.

So, is Reid a friend or foe? There is evidence to convince Chicago P.D. fans of both scenarios thus far.

While Reid keeps offering help and says he wants the Intelligence team to succeed, subtle statements and how much information he has might tease he is about to turn on Voight and his team.

As a reminder, Reid awaited Voight in his office during the fall finale and...

Nearly two decades removed, Josh Hartnett's cult horror film 30 Days of Night might honestly be one of the most underrated movies in the entire vampire genre. Following his roles in films like Oppenheimer and M. Night Shyamalan's Trap, it feels like Josh Hartnett is enjoying a little bit of a renaissance, though he has been continuously working for the better part of three decades. Given that Hartnett's fame is greater than it has been since his early 2000s days, it's worth looking back on some of his more underrated projects.

Over his career, Josh Hartnett has had some fantastic horror movies and shows, with some being classics in their own right. Some feel a bit underrated, including The Faculty and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, which is one of the best movies in the Halloween franchise. Alongside those, 30 Days of Night is another underrated horror film...

Robert Eggers’ new take on the classic vampire story “Nosferatu” did better than expected, making an amazing $40.8 million over the Christmas holiday in its first five days. This includes $21.6 million from the normal weekend, making it one of the best starts for a specialty studio film this year.

The film, which Focus Features made for $50 million, deviated from normal holiday horror fare by providing a gothic daytime experience that drew audiences looking for something unique. It beat “The Faculty,” which had held the record for most horror movies released on Christmas Day for 26 years.

Lisa Bunnell, head of distribution at Focus Features, said, “When we scheduled the film for Christmas, many questioned the choice.” “However, we turned it into an event, and the strategy worked exceptionally well.”

Audience behavior supports the film’s success: 40% of ticket buyers bought their tickets just one day before going, which shows strong word-of-mouth support.

It was an unconventional strategy. Focus Features made the bold choice to release Robert Eggers’ period horror movie Nosferatu on Christmas Day, offering up a fresh take on a gothic horror classic as a bit of counterprogramming against traditional holiday fare. And it was a gamble that paid off, with Nosferatu sinking its fangs into an impressive opening weekend.

Here in the United States, Nosferatu scared up $40.3 million in its 5-day holiday weekend debut, which Variety notes is “the biggest Christmas Day launch and weekend haul for a genre film, overtaking the benchmark set in 1998 by Robert Rodriguez’s high school sci-fi story The Faculty with $4.4 million on opening day and $11.6 million over the traditional weekend.”

“Heading into the extended Yuletide frame, Nosferatu was projected to open to $25 million from 2,992 North American theaters,” Variety further details. “Focus Features reported that 40% of opening weekend crowds purchased their tickets the day before they saw the movie.

Talk about having some bite. “Nosferatu” drove a stake through box office expectations, delivering a hauntingly good $21.1 million over the traditional weekend and $40.3 million since debuting on Christmas Day. Those receipts sent box office analysts everywhere reaching for the vampire puns in an effort to explain the bloody fantastic results for “Nosferatu.”

After all, “Nosferatu” scored one of the year’s top openings from a specialty studio, joining A24’s dystopian cross-country adventure “Civil War” ($25 million), Neon’s thriller “Longlegs” ($22.4 million) and Cineverse’s ultra-gory slasher “Terrifier 3” ($18.9 million). Ticket sales also rank as the biggest Christmas Day launch and weekend haul for a genre film, overtaking the benchmark set in 1998 by Robert Rodriguez’s high school sci-fi story “The Faculty” with $4.4 million on opening day and $11.6 million over the traditional weekend. That there’s a 26-year gap between the previous record-holder is partially because horror isn’t synonymous with the holiday season.

Robert Eggers Nosferatu from Focus Features sank its teeth into the Christmas box office. With James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown – Searchlight Pictures’ top-grossing film since it was acquired by Disney in 2019 – they ushered in a heady post-Covid moment for indie films at no. 3 and 5 at the domestic box office. Yes, both are labels of major studios but indie labels going for something different than Mufasa: The Lion King or Wicked.

The space for grownup films, for indie fare, had been steadily improving this fall and the latest numbers are the strongest indication yet that theatrical is back for a broader range of movies – and horror for Christmas.

A24’s Babygirl starring Nicole Kidman also grossed $4.39 million for the weekend for a cume of $7.2 million and a no. 7 spot.

Distributors have been saying for some time that a rising tide will lift all boats and with this holiday frame it finally may have happened.

Long before the time of Henry Cavill, Glen Powell, Tom Holland, or Jack Elordi — Josh Hartnett used to be the hot crush of every other teenage girl and woman. The Hollywood actor was not only one of the most famous actors back in the late 90s and early 2000s but he was also ‘the Hollywood icon’ of that time. But unlike actors who would take the fan appeal as a stepping stone to climb higher in their careers, Hartnett made the conscious decision of stepping away from fame.

Josh Hartnett, Elijah Wood, and Jordana Brewster star in The Faculty | Credit: Miramax

Although he only ever did stopped working for 18 months or so, he was not doing the leading or hottest new roles that everyone expected him to be. Instead, he was out there in unknown territories, working in indie films and alike which helped challenge his acting ability and widened his horizons.

Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett have signed on to star opposite Anne Hathaway in the upcoming film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling book “Verity” from Amazon MGM Studios.

Johnson will play Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime — to complete the remaining books in a successful series by best-selling thriller author Verity Crawford (Hathaway). Hartnett plays Verity’s husband Jeremy, who hires Lowen after his wife is unable to finish the books after a mysterious accident.

“Upon arrival at the lavish Crawford estate, Lowen slowly learns that things are not exactly as they seem with the discovery of a secret, unfinished manuscript that may divulge chilling admissions about the family’s past,” the film’s logline details. “As Lowen ingratiates herself with Jeremy and his young son Crew, she must discern if Verity’s writings are...

The live-action film Demon City will premiere on Netflix on February 27. Based on the comic Oni Goroshi, which ran from 2020 to November 2024, the story follows a hitman in the city of Shinjo seeking revenge for the tragic loss of his wife and daughter.

Known for its intense and graphic violence, the comic earned a devoted fanbase and is now being brought to life on screen.

The movie is written and directed by Seiji Tanaka, whose debut film Melancholic won multiple awards, including Best Director at the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival. Tanaka’s ability to blend drama, suspense, comedy, and horror has made him a standout filmmaker.

Toma Ikuta stars as Shuhei Sakata, the hitman determined to take down a masked criminal group ruling Shinjo. Ikuta, known for his emotional performance in Netflix’s Beyond Goodbye, takes on a grittier, action-packed role in this film.

The cast also features Matsuya Onoe,...

Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role – and in recent weeks, a supporting cast has been forming around her. Deadline reports that the latest addition to the cast is Sam Rechner,...

Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role – and last month, it was announced that Isabel May of the Yellowstone prequel 1883 has signed on to play Sidney’s daughter.

This weekend brings Kyle Mooney's feature directorial debut "Y2K" to theaters, after the horror comedy made its debut at the South by Southwest film festival earlier in 2024 (read our review). Taking cues from high school party movies like "Can't Hardly Wait" and mixing them with late '90s horror movies like "The Faculty" and dated technological thrillers like "Lawnmower Man," the film finds a group of teens facing an apocalyptic scenario in which technological devices like clunky computers, VCRs, Discmans, and Tamagotchis suddenly form into deadly creatures hellbent on taking over society. Basically, it's the worst case scenario that imagines what the world might have been like if Y2K turned out to be a legitimate threat.

At the center of the movie are best friends Eli (Jaeden Martell of "It") and Danny (Julian Dennison of "Deadpool 2"). While both are a bit socially awkward and into their own geeky tendencies,...

It’s not uncommon to see the same actor playing several different roles at the same time, especially on TV shows.

Shawn Hatosy has a role on Rescue: Hi-Surf but is also a recurring face on Chicago Pd. Both roles portray Hatosy as an entitled white male in charge who’s not afraid to bend the rules to get his way.

It’s not the first time Hatosy has taken on roles that depict him negatively. He’s one of those actors who is great at playing a jerky bad guy. However, he also has numerous memorable characteristics as an okay guy.

(Lori Allen/NBC)

Hatosy fans from the ’90s might remember him from his early days when he took on awkward teen roles to expand his filmography.

He had several small supporting roles, racking up time with big names like Brittany Murphy (Double Jeopardy) and James Russo (No Way Home...

Amazon has launched its Cyber Monday sales, including plenty of horror and genre-adjacent 4K Ultra HDs, Blu-rays, DVDs, e-books, and toys.

These discounts aren’t guaranteed to last, so act fast!

Here are the horror highlights of Cyber Monday 2024 from Amazon…

4K Uhd Collections:

Heavy Metal / Heavy Metal 2000 [Steelbook] – $19.99 The Sandman: Season 1 – $19.99 Dune / Dune: Part Two – $29.99 The Dark Knight Trilogy – $29.99 Batman: 4-Film Collection – $39.99 Paramount Scares: Rosemary’s Baby / Pet Sematary / Crawl / Smile / Sweeney Todd – $39.99 Paramount Scares: Friday the 13th Part 2 / Breakdown / World War Z / Orphan: First Kill – $47.39 Jaws 2 / Jaws 3 / Jaws: The Revenge – $44.99 Jurassic World: 6-Movie Collection – $49.99 The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy – $54.99 The Ring Collection – $59.29 Mad Max: 5-Film Collection – $69.99 Universal Classic Monsters: 8-Film Collection – $69.99 Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment – $76.45

4K Uhd Movies:

Escape From L.A. – $8.99 Brawl In Cell Block 99 – $9.96 The Expendables – $9.98 Talk To Me – $9.99 John Wick – $9.99 Ghost in the Shell (1995) – $10.49 Mortal Kombat (2021) – $10.89 King Kong (2005) – $10.98 Godzilla (2014) – $10.99 Kong: Skull Island...

No longer just a day, Black Friday sales now kick off the week before Thanksgiving.

In fact, Amazon has already launched sales on dozens of horror (and genre-adjacent) 4K Ultra HDs, Blu-rays, and DVD, compiled below.

These discounts aren’t guaranteed to last, so act fast!

4K Uhd Collections:

Dune / Dune: Part Two – $29.99 The Dark Knight Trilogy – $29.99 Rosemary’s Baby / Pet Sematary / Crawl / Smile / Sweeney Todd – $39.99 Friday the 13th Part 2 / Breakdown / World War Z / Orphan: First Kill – $47.39 Jurassic World: 6-Movie Collection – $49.99 The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy – $54.99 The Ring Collection – $59.29 Mad Max: 5-Film Collection – $69.99 Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment – $80.00 Universal Classic Monsters: 8-Film Collection – $96.98

4K Uhd Movies:

Escape From L.A. – $8.99 Cloverfield – $8.99 Brawl In Cell Block 99 – $9.96 Talk To Me – $9.99 King Kong (2005) – $10.99 Godzilla (2014) – $10.99 Kong: Skull Island – $10.99 Godzilla: King of the Monsters – $10.99 Godzilla vs Kong – $10.99 The Thing – $10.99 Shaun of the Dead – $10.99 The Shining – $10.99 A Quiet Place – $10.99 M3GAN – $10.99 Nope – $10.99 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse...

Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role – and The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Isabel May of the Yellowstone prequel 1883 is in talks to play Sidney’s daughter!

Since way before The Matrix hit our screens, we’ve had an obsession with seeing people getting hurt and hit in a variety of fast-paced ways. Be it the kung-fu flix of the 70s or the more recent John Wick franchise, we love to see inventive takedowns and destructive and dangerous moments in our action films.

Many video games have tried to recapture this, but few have managed to accomplish it. I was lucky enough to discuss the latest to take up that challenge, Spine -This is Gun Fu, both at Gamescom and more recently over a written interview, and really get to the bottom of what the devs over at Nekki are aiming for.

[This written interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.]

‘Spine – This is Gun Fu’ Is More Than What We’ve Seen Before Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions! For those FandomWire readers who may not be aware,...

Jordana Brewster is a woman whose desire to build a happy life with her husband faces a dark hurdle in Cellar Door. After making her acting debuts in the likes of All My Children, As the World Turns and Robert Rodriguez's The Faculty, Brewster quickly became known for co-starring in the Fast and Furious franchise as the sister to Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto, Mia. In the years since, she has gone on to find success with everything from Ryan Murphy's The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story to Fox's Lethal Weapon reboot show.

Brewster stars in Cellar Door as Sera, a woman still struggling with the emotional fallout from having a miscarriage and looking with her husband John for a new home in order to build a new chapter for their future. After lots of unfruitful househunting, Sera and John find themselves presented with an unheard-of...

See what has happened to the 'Family Ties' cast members 35 years after the hit show ended.MEGABrian BonsallBonsall played the role of Andy Keaton through the show's final three seasons.@mrbrianbonsall/Instagram

Brian Bonsall started acting on Family Ties when he was 5 years old, playing the role of Andy Keaton through the show's final three seasons.

He said of his time on Family Ties: "Good memories for sure. They were a second family to me, growing up doing that ... Michael J. Fox used to come pick me up in his Ferrari, taught me to dive into a pool. It was so comfortable hanging out."

The break helped him appear in more 1990s shows, including Father Hood and Blank Check, until he retired in 1995. He later shifted his career and pursued his passion for music with several bands.

Bonsall found himself in trouble when he was arrested in Boulder, Colo.

With the horror season drawing to a close, you might feel the urge to watch a new scary movie. If you’re like us, you’ll find that Scream aesthetic is your go-to vibe. However, you may have already watched it once or twice (or seven) times already. Luckily, we have assembled a list of very good flicks that found their way into theaters as rip-offs to Scream. Most are melodramatic, and a few are exceptional, but these hit the sweet spot if you’re in the mood for a light slasher. Some even star some of the actors and iconic villains. Check out the movies below, and have a great Halloween!

Related “I had to be taken screaming out…”: Hugh Grant Still Struggles to Watch Horror Movies After a Legendary $25 Million Film Terrified Him to His Core I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) – Directed by Jim Gillespie...

Longtime writer Kevin Williamson is returning to the director's chair for the next Scream installment, Scream 7, 25 years after his first and only shot at directing bombed. Kevin Williamson rejoining the Scream franchise is the perfect opportunity for him to direct, as horror is his expertise. Williamson is best known for his work in the horror and teen drama genres, particularly the Scream movies Returning to the franchise that changed the horror genre and helped launch his Hollywood career for Scream 7's story could earn him redemption as a director.

Kevin Williamson gained recognition in the entertainment industry as a screenwriter after penning Screams first installment. He received praise for his writing, which included fun and relatable characters and memorable lines, iconic to horror today. After Screams amazing success, the sequel, Scream 2, followed, making Williamson a hot commodity in Hollywood. He quickly followed that with two more teen horror movies,...

Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role – and her Scream (1996) co-star Matthew Lillard has confirmed that if he were asked to reprise the role of killer Stu Macher,...

The Faculty will invade 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on December 17 via Scream Factory.

The 1990s horror movie has been newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative, approved by director Robert Rodriguez, with Dolby Vision.

Special Features, included on the Blu-ray disc, are as follows:

Interview with Special Makeup and Creature Effects Artist Greg Nicotero (new) Interview with Production Designer Cary White (new)

Written by Kevin Williamson, the 1998 sci-fi horror film stars Jordana Brewster, Clea DuVall, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, Shawn Hatosy, Famke Janssen, Piper Laurie, Bebe Neuwirth, Robert Patrick, Usher Raymond, Jon Stewart, and Elijah Wood.

A group of small-town high school students, including an introverted photographer and a charismatic drug dealer, begin to suspect something’s off with their teachers. After realizing the faculty is, in fact, under the control of mind-controlling alien parasites, the kids are outnumbered and endangered. Now they’re in a fight against...

After more ups and downs than the blade of Ghostface’s knife, Scream 7 will finally hit theaters.

Unfortunately, it won’t happen in time for this year’s Spooky Season.

According to an Instagram post from franchise star Neve Campbell, Scream 7 will be released on February 27.

(Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images for IFP)

“It’s gonna be a killer 2026,” Campbell promised fans.

As you may recall, Campbell did not appear in Scream 6 after clashing with producers over her salary for the film.

Initially, it looked as though her time with the franchise had come to an end.

But the seventh installment in the popular horror franchise has been plagued with endless personnel issues since before it had a script.

First, Melissa Barrera, who starred in the previous two Scream films was fired for comments that she made on social media about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Shortly, thereafter,...

Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role – and with the film looking to be on track to go into production in December or January, Paramount feels confident...

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

This September, we’re celebrating Back to School Night with four midnight movies that aren’t just academically themed but also teach the lessons essential to understanding this school of cinema.

First, read the spoiler-free bait — a weird and wonderful pick from any time in film and why we think it’s worth memorializing. After you’ve watched the movie, come back for the bite — a breakdown of all the spoiler-y moments you’d want to unpack when exiting a theater.

The Bait: You’re Invited to the Worst School Dance Since “Carrie”

“He looks dead,” panics the teenaged Lola (Robin McLeavy) while surveying the unconscious body of her prom date Brent (Xavier Samuel) in the trunk of her dad’s car. “You’ve ruined it!”

“I didn’t use that much!

Fangs is an R-Rated explosion of Sex, Gore, and Violence with a goal to bring back the type of film that Hollywood is afraid to produce anymore. This project is inspired by genre classics, Stranger Things, The Faculty, and The Goonies. Vampires have moved into a Small Suburban town. Their slowly turning and taking over …

The post Fangs is a new sexy vampire film Now on Indiegogo appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Back in February of 2023, it was announced that Jordana Brewster, Scott Speedman, Laurence Fishburne, and Addison Timlin had signed on to star in the latest thriller from Terminal and Inheritance director Vaughn Stein, a project that was known as The Offer at that time. The Offer has since made its way through production and been retitled Cellar Door – and Lionsgate will be giving it a theatrical and VOD release on November 1st. With that date just five weeks away, a trailer for the film has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Sam Scott wrote the initial screenplay, which then received revisions from Lori Evans Taylor, who recently wrote and directed the supernatural thriller Bed Rest (starring Melissa Barrera of the Scream franchise) and co-wrote the upcoming horror sequel Final Destination 6, a.k.a. Final Destination: Bloodlines. Cellar Door has the following synopsis: Looking for a fresh start after a miscarriage,...

Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott, back in the lead role – and while there’s not a lot that we know about the current state of the film, one thing we...

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

This September, we’re celebrating Back to School Night with four midnight movies that aren’t just academically themed but also teach the lessons essential to understanding this school of cinema.

First, read the spoiler-free bait — a weird and wonderful pick from any time in film and why we think it’s worth memorializing. After you’ve watched the movie, come back for the bite — a breakdown of all the spoiler-y moments you’d want to unpack when exiting a theater.

The Bait: This Whole “Midnight Movie” Thing? It’s a Trap

Robert Rodriguez made his name on the candy-colored “Spy Kids” and the graphic novel-inspired “Sin City,” but you can see the director’s fingerprints (thumb-thumb-prints?) all over his earlier teen horror-comedy “The Faculty.”

This week’s IndieWire After Dark was...

Paramount+’s Peak Screaming collection returns to the service today with a monster-sized lineup of thrills for audiences to enjoy this Halloween season. The popular Peak Screaming collection expands each year and features more genre-defining hits and classics than ever before, with over 450 new originals, fan-favorite horror movies, and iconic Halloween episodes from beloved series.

The seasonal collection will include the debut of the Paramount+ original film Apartment 7A (September 27), a haunting prequel to the cult classic Rosemary’s Baby, and SpongeBob SquarePants: Kreepaway Kamp (October 10), a new hour-long special where, while at Kamp Koral for a reunion, SpongeBob and the gang are stalked by a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows as campers start disappearing one by one.

The curated Peak Screaming collection brings the household together by providing a scare for everyone with terrifying thrillers, spine-chilling films, and frights for the fainthearted, with 25 expertly curated carousels. New and returning...

Just in time for the Halloween season, the Peak Screaming Collection from Paramount+ has returned to the service today with a monster-sized lineup. The collection expands each year and this year features more genre-defining hits and classics than ever before, with over 450 new originals, fan-favorite horror movies and iconic Halloween episodes from beloved series.

The seasonal collection will include the debut of the Paramount+ original film Apartment 7A (September 27), a haunting prequel to the cult classic Rosemary’s Baby; and Spongebob Squarepants: Kreepaway Kamp (October 10), a new hour-long special where, while at Kamp Koral for a reunion, SpongeBob and the gang are stalked by a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows as campers start disappearing one by one.

The curated collection brings the household together by providing a scare for everyone with terrifying thrillers, spine-chilling films and frights for the fainthearted, with 25 expertly curated carousels. New and returning subgenres include the...

The world is ending and nobody cares in Ick, Joseph Kahn’s latest genre offering after 2017’s Bodied and 2011’s Detention. Despite only making four features in 20 years, Kahn is ubiquitous in pop culture from his background in directing music videos for major artists like Britney Spears and Taylor Swift. He also directed 2004’s Torque, a film received so disastrously even he pokes fun at it. That might explain why, after making one studio film, he’s directed all of his following films independently––including Ick, a riotous take on the creature feature and a scathing satire of society’s apathetic attitude in the face of existential threats.

It takes almost no time to see that Ick is very much Kahn’s own creation. This film runs rampant without a single studio note. A 2000s-set prologue establishes the backstory of Hank (Brandon Routh), a high school quarterback who was on...

Welcome to IndieWire After Dark, where we pick a new theme for our midnight movie programming every month!

Join us Friday nights at 9:30 p.m. Et to explore the best in fringe films — available at any hour in the streaming age.

Kick up your feet and get ready to take note. This September, we’re celebrating Back to School Night.

IndieWire After Dark is practicing the fundamentals over the next four weeks, kicking off a fall semester of midnight movies that’s all about students, teachers, parents, and the lethal side of learning. Yes, the following recommendations are education-themed — but they’re also great building blocks for any new students in this school of cinema.

Not unlike Harvard, Yale, or the elite university in “Halloween H20,” the admissions rate for titles featured in our weekly watch-and-rewatch club is competitive. We want to see every Tubi, Freevee, and fringe Shudder effort out there.

Kevin Williamson is keeping busy like it’s 1998! Best known for writing Scream, Scream 2, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Faculty, producing Halloween H20 (while doing uncredited work on the script), and creating Dawson’s Creek, Williamson is currently gearing up to direct his second feature film, Scream 7. Back in February, we heard that he and his producer banner, Outerbanks Entertainment, were developing four major projects as part of an overall deal with Universal Television. One of those TV series projects, a crime drama called The Waterfront, was picked up by the Netflix streaming service back in May. Now The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Holt McCallany (The Iron Claw) and Maria Bello (A History of Violence) are set to star in that series!

Inspired by true events, The Waterfront dives into the flawed Buckley family as their attempts to retain control of their crumbling North...

Josh Hartnett, known for his brooding charm and roles in major films like Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down, didn’t always have a clear path to stardom. Before he became a household name, his career took an unexpected turn when he landed his breakout role in The Faculty.

Josh Hartnett in The Faculty (1998) || credits: Miramax Films

The movie not only earned a staggering $63 million at the box office but also skyrocketed Hartnett into the spotlight. However, the story of how he landed this iconic role is quite interesting, similar to how an unexpected twist worked in Matt LeBlanc’s favor when he secured his role in Friends.

From Unprepared Audition to Box Office Hit: Josh Hartnett’s Breakout Story

The year 1998 marked a significant milestone for Josh Hartnett, as he starred in not one but two highly regarded films: Halloween H20: 20 Years Later and The Faculty. Although Halloween H20 positively impacted his career,...

Hartnett's performance as Cooper in Trap is praised, showcasing his evolution from heartthrob to versatile actor in the horror genre. With more than 30 film roles, Hartnett's iconic career includes a significant role in Oppenheimer and a return to horror in Trap. Fans of Hartnett's Trap performance should revisit his first horror role in Halloween H20 to see where his career began.

Josh Hartnett's first horror role should be revisited after his performance in the 2024 film Trap. In the M. Night Shyamalan film, Hartnett plays Cooper Adams, a serial killer who is stuck in a maximum-security concert venue. Alongside other familiar faces, Hartnett leads the cast of Trap, with the film focusing mainly on the psyche of a trapped killer. Reviews of Trap praise Hartnett's performance, despite the occasionally muddied storytelling.

Before his work in Trap, Hartnett had a long history of acting in horror and thriller films and the occasional drama.

Warning: Major Spoilers ahead for Trap.

Saleka shines as Lady Raven in Trap with original music and a major role, adding to the film's unique atmosphere. Josh Hartnett's Cooper pulls off daring escapes and deception, adding suspense to Trap's thrilling storyline. Trap's mixed reviews haven't stopped it from meeting box office expectations, setting the stage for potential success.

Cooper has plenty of tricks up his sleeve in M. Night Shyamalan's latest horror thriller movie Trap. Josh Hartnett stars as a serial killer disguised as a supportive father in Trap, which also features the feature film debut of Shyamalan's daughter Saleka as pop singer Lady Raven, who plays a major role in the cast of Trap. Saleka's Lady Raven sings and performs throughout Trap at a concert venue where Hartnett's Cooper is being set up. Most of the original music in Trap was made specifically by Saleka...

Trap may not be Hartnett's best movie but it could still be profitable with its low production costs. Shyamalan's films tend to make money despite mixed reviews, with Split being a recent standout. Saleka Shyamalan debuts as Lady Raven in Trap, showcasing her real-life musical talent in the film.

Josh Hartnett stars in M. Night Shyamalan's new psychological horror thriller Trap, which was released in theaters on August 2, 2024. Hartnett has made a major comeback over the last few years after he appeared in Black Mirror season 6 and Christopher Nolan's Best Picture winner Oppenheimer and has shown no signs of slowing down since. He made a surprise guest appearance in The Bear season 3, becoming an official member of the series' coveted expansive universe, and is now playing a serial killer in disguise in Trap, which also features the feature film debut of Shyamalan's daughter Saleka as pop singer Lady Raven.

From premieres to existing classics, there’s something for everyone to enjoy on Paramount+ this month.

The legendary RuPaul Charles is upping the stakes with all-new franchise of the Emmy-winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” with the premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars.” In this new show, 12 queens from all around the globe will compete for a grand prize and a place in the international pavilion at the Drag Race Hall of Fame.

And that’s not the only beloved property giving something new. The final season of the Paramount+ original series “Seal Team” is also set to hit the streamer this month.

Along with the new content, there are loads of existing films and shows coming to the platform, including family favorites like “We Bought a Zoo” and “Hotel for Dogs.” Staple movies like “Pulp Fiction” and “The Big Short” will also be available to watch.

See the full...

Josh Hartnett reflects positively on working with Michael Bay in Pearl Harbor. Bay has a reputation of being difficult to work with. Even though Hartnett's experience on Pearl Harbor was positive, the actor admitted that Bay may have taken it easy on him.

Pearl Harbor star Josh Hartnett reflects on his experience working with Michael Bay. Hartnett played Danny Walker in the epic period drama, which also starred a supporting cast including Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, William Lee Scott, Ewen Bremner, Michael Shannon, Jaime King, Jennifer Garner, Jon Voight, and Cuba Gooding Jr. Pearl Harbor was one of Bay's early directorial efforts, before he took on the Transformers series.

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Hartnett details his experience working with Bay on Pearl Harbor.

According to the actor, he was "trepidatious" about working on a film as big as Pearl Harbor, and people were warning him about how difficult a director Bay was to work with.

Almost any search of Josh Hartnett will return a bevy of articles with a headline that is some variation of “Why Josh Hartnett Left Hollywood,” which is fair. It’s a fascinating story about a guy who saw himself as an artist thrust into the spotlight of a teen heartthrob. It’s the rare story of a human choosing a simpler, more purposeful life over ultra-fame.

It’s more than admirable. A great story. But today, in honor of his latest leading role in M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap, we’re just here to talk about blood, guts, and Josh Hartnett’s strange relationship with the horror genre.

It all began with The Faculty in 1998. Though Halloween: H20 was released first, he was offered the role of Zeke in The Faculty beforehand and had to work on both simultaneously. This started his career working with Dimension Films and the dreaded Weinsteins.

Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures once intended to make a Scream 7 that would have starred Scream (2022) and Scream VI leads Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, with Freaky and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon at the helm. But then Ortega allegedly asked for a substantial pay raise – and as we saw when Neve Campbell dropped out of Scream VI due to a pay dispute, these pay issues don’t tend to work out. Then Barrera was fired from the project after comments she made about the Israel-Hamas war didn’t go over well with executives at Spyglass. Landon dropped out the of the project soon after. So Scream 7 has been re-developed, Campbell has signed on to return as franchise heroine Sidney Prescott – and while Sidney only had a supporting role in Scream (2022), Campbell has confirmed that she is the lead character in this reworked version of Scream 7.

Actor Josh Hartnett is relishing the challenge of inhabited two diametrically opposed characters in director M. Night Shyamalan’s unnerving new psychological thriller “Trap.” In the film, Hartnett immerses himself in the role of Cooper, a devoted father on the surface who harbors a chilling secret – he is also the elusive serial killer known only as “The Butcher.”

To fully realize Cooper’s disturbing dual nature, Hartnett underwent an intense preparation process. “Taking on such a complex, dichotomous role required me to understand both sides of this man intimately,” Hartnett tells Entertainment Weekly. Methodical in his approach, the actor purposefully avoided any media portrayals of real-life serial killers. “I didn’t want any external influences coloring my interpretation. I wanted to explore Cooper’s psyche from the inside out and uncover what drives such violence simmering beneath a friendly facade,” he says.

Hartnett’s willingness to unflinchingly examine darkness is...

Josh Hartnett loves a challenge.

The risk of falling flat on his face or soaring as an actor is something he admittedly finds irresistible. “There’s that huge disparate gambler in me, I guess,” he said over Zoom from a hotel room in New York City.

So, it makes sense that he couldn’t pass up playing the lead in M. Night Shyamalan’s new psychological thriller “Trap,” where a father and daughter attend a massive concert for a pop star named Lady Raven, where the dad, portrayed by Hartnett, learns that the event is a setup to catch an elusive serial killer. Said serial killer is him.

As Cooper, Hartnett essentially had to play two roles in one — the outwardly charming prodigal father and “The Butcher,” a secret serial killer.

“His veneer, his mask that he’s putting out to the world, is really well intact at the beginning of this film.

In the late ‘90s and early aughts, Josh Hartnett was at the top of the heartthrob list, making his big screen debut in Halloween: H20 and launching into a stream of movies that easily placed him in the public eye – especially that of the teenage girl. But with that came the obsessive and the stalkers, which was part of why Hartnett started to shy away from the industry.

Although far removed from the days of being the type who gets plastered all over peoples’ bedroom walls or mirror, Josh Hartnett still remembers backing away when things got overwhelming. “I just didn’t want my life to be swallowed up by my work. And there was a notion at that time you just kind of give it all up. And you saw what happened to some people back then. They got obliterated by it. I didn’t want that for myself.

The role of Superman is undeniably one of the most coveted in the superhero genre. For fans and actors alike, it’s a dream part, offering a lot to take in and enjoy. However, Hollywood often sees actors misjudging the potential of certain roles. Take Sean Connery, for instance, who famously turned down the role of Gandalf due to a lack of understanding.

Recently, we reported that renowned British actor Jude Law had once declined the opportunity to play Superman. Now, we have another intriguing tale: Josh Hartnett, a notable actor, also turned down the Superman role—twice!

The actor in question is Josh Hartnett, a former global star who chose to step back from the blinding lights of Hollywood to protect his mental and physical health. He is now enjoying a happy and peaceful life while successfully reviving his career.

Around 20 years ago, Josh Hartnett was a rising star...

The role of Superman is undoubtedly one of the most exciting ones in the world of superheroes. So, if you’re into that sort of thing, there is certainly a lot to take from the role, and it is one of the best roles that an actor can get. But, as it often turns out in Hollywood, some actors tend to have a false perception of a role at one point. Just remember that Sean Connery (in)famously rejected the role of Gandalf because he did not understand it, whatever that means.

Not that long ago, we reported how famous British actor Jude Law rejected the role of Superman some time ago, but we now have a story about another famous actor who rejected the role, but not once – he rejected it twice!

The actor we are going to talk about here is Josh Hartnett, a former global star who,...