Coyote vs Acme is set to hit theaters this weekend. This is the latest film from Warner Bros Animation and Ketchup Entertainment, following last year’s collaboration with The Day The Earth Blew Up, that is based on the 1990 magazine article from The New Worker, titled Coyote V. Acme by Ian Frazier, with elements from Looney Tunes to follow suit. In this latest live-action cartoon incarnation, we see Wile E. Coyote, enlisting a billboard attorney to sue the Acme Corporation for repeatedly selling him alleged faulty products.
When looking underneath the surface, Coyote vs Acme doesn’t seem all that special. It’s being directed by Dave Green, who hasn’t directed a film in a decade, with the last one being the completely disposable TMNT: Out of the Shadows (2016). It’s being co-written by Jeremy Slater, the writer of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire and Mortal Kombat II, two very fun but VERY dumb films which the plots falls apart when you think about it for a split second. And it’s being co-produced by Christopher DeFaria, whose last film was the complete and utter live-action cartoon dud that was Tom & Jerry (2021) (You forgot that movie existed, didn’t you?!)! Sure, you do have James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad, and Superman (2025)) attached to the project (although even he hasn’t had the best track record in recent memory *cough* Supergirl (2026)*cough*), it got some fun members to the cast such as Will Forte and John Cena, and there are a few projects that I haven’t mention that the creative team is attached that MIGHT make it seem worthwhile (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves mafia united!) but as a whole, you may wonder why this film is such a big deal to the movie industry when it seems like it could be yet another forgettable “cartoon in live-action” movie for kids and families.
To answer that question, we have to take look back at the development history of Coyote vs. Acme. Not strictly because of how hard this film was to make from a creative side of things but more so from a business side of things. This is a film which it’s own mere existence is one of the better Hollywood underdog stories in recent memory. A film that only exist because of online reactions and backlash and NOT because the heads at WB actually wanted to release it. A film that nearly disappeared and vanished before our very eyes in the form of a snap from Thanos but was somehow resurrected and is about to be released in theaters worldwide this weekend. Because of all of that and more, Coyote vs Acme‘s own existence is quite simply a miracle.
The development of Coyote vs Acme actually began around this time in 2018. You had Chris McKay (The Lego Batman Movie, The Tomorrow War, and Renfeld) as the film’s producer and Jon and Josh Silberman (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) attached to write the screenplay. In December 2019, Dave Green was hired to direct the film, with the likes of Samy Burch, Jeremy Slater, and James Gunn joining the creative team the following year. The cast got hired in early 2022, with the likes of Will Forte, Lana Condor, and John Cena joining along for the ride, and the live-action filming took place in New Mexico from March to May 2022, with post-production finishing off later on that year.
When looking through those lenses, it sounds like a completely fine production with not much trouble to be found. Sure, it might’ve took a while until the actual filmmaking took place (The film was first greenlight in 2018 after all) but that was likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic that happened in 2020 and 2021, which cause movie theaters all around the world to be shut down and the major studios just beginning to dip their toes into the world of streaming services.
The real question is why did it take so long to release? If the filming was already complete in 2022, that means that this had to have been in the back burner for over FOUR years! What happened from behind the scenes that it took nearly half a decade for the film to get an actual release? To put it simply, studio politics happened!
In 2023, Warner Bros Pictures was in absolute SHAMBLES, with a net lost of millions of dollars and being stuck with so much debt due to the Covid-19 aftermath AND the recent merger with Discovery from the prior year. In order to cut a good chunk of their losses, head CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, David Zaslav began to scrapped finished films that he had absolutely no faith in just for the sake of tax write-offs. This led to the infamous cancellations of the likes of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt, both films in which had wrapped up filming/voice recording but never got the chance to be finished in post-production. Despite there being pleas within the entertainment industry to release those films in finished form, they would never get to see the light of day due to the studio deciding to erase all footage of it completely, giving it ZERO chance of getting leaked out or pirated online anytime soon, if ever.
On November 9th, 2023, Warner Bros announced that Coyote vs Acme would be the next film to get axed. Even though the film was already completed and ready for release, the studio heads still felt releasing it in any way, shape, or form was not worth it, preferring to claim it as a tax loss of about $30 million dollars. This move led to so much outrage and controversy on the internet and through communities of film and animation. Several filmmakers left angry phone calls to Warner Bros, expressing their frustration at this latest move from them, leading to others cancelling upcoming meetings with them and going on strike because of it. After the recent tax write-offs of Batgirl and Scooby, it was the write-off of Coyote vs Acme that was the straw that broke the camel’s back for everyone.
However, five days later on November 13, it was reported that the leaders of WBD had changed their mind and would allow the creative team of Coyote vs Acme to shop the film to other distributors. It was reported that Amazon, Apple+, and Netflix were all interested in buying the rights to the film but no hard offers were reported. The film had been screened for more studios, including Paramount and Sony but nobody would still budge. Despite the film’s very positive test screenings take took place before AND after the film’s faith had a giant umbrella hovering over it, no one seemed interested enough to claim it for themselves.
In February 2024, it was reported that Warner Bros Discovery rejected the bids given by Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount. The heads wanted $75-$80 million to sell the film but no one was willing to meet their price. Because of that, WBD was once again considering shelving and deleting the finished film entirely, again claiming it as a tax loss. During a Q4 earnings call on February 23rd, 2024, WBD took a $115 million write-down but didn’t completely confirm the cancellation of the film. Yet again, this led to a rapid response from filmmakers and film lovers all across the globe.
After the film was reported to potentially getting cancelled, this lead to even more online criticism than before. The hashtags #ReleaseCoyoteVsAcme and #SaveCoyoteVsAcme emerged on Twitter, there was improvised exchange between Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck at the 51st Annie Awards which Daffy said, “I hate to be political, but release Coyote vs Acme!”, and industry figures such as Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Michael Chaves, and Daniel Scheinert all expressed their support for the film, all giving it high praise after getting access to special screenings of it, believing it was more than worthy of a worldwide release. However, despite all of the noise and support from top to bottom, none of it seemed like it would matter.
In that same month, Will Forte released a public statement addressed to the cast and crew after seeing the final cut of the film: “I know that a lot of you haven’t gotten a chance to see our movie. […] Please know that all the years and years of hard work, dedication and love that you put into this movie shows in every frame.” A year later, Lana Condor confirmed that the film had a “funeral screening”, just like Batgirl did, when the news broke out of the film’s cancellation. Despite the two-year long fight with the top executives at Warner Bros Discovery, it seems like the fate of Coyote vs Acme would be sealed, joining alongside Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt of being wiped away from existence, almost like it never happened at all. That was until a certain studio decided to come in with the clutch!
On March 19th, 2025, it was reported that Ketchup Entertainment was in talks to acquire all right to the film from Warner Bros for approximately $50 million! Following it’s acquisition of the domestic distribution rights for The Day The Earth Blew Up, Ketchup expressed interested in the project and wanted another partnership with WBD to release the film in it’s entirety. Despite initially wanting $75-$80 million, Warner Bros Discovery accepted the offer and agreed to give the film a full theatrical release. This led to the film getting an early screening at San Diego Comic Con on July 25th, 2026 (likely as a special thanks to film fans for fighting for the film’s release) and getting a full worldwide release on August 28th, 2026.
To say Coyote vs Acme‘s mere existence is a miracle would be an understatement. This was a film that was on the BRINK of being wiped away before our very eyes, all for the sake of tax write-offs and cutting debt due to WBD’s pure incompetence and NOT because of the film itself. Yet, somehow and someway, the entire cast and crew were given a chance to release their film that had already been completed four years ago onto the big screen for the whole world to see. I don’t even need to see the film at all to know that this is a special story in of itself.
Although the early reviews have been very positive and the box office projections seems to track it as being the highest grossing domestic opening for Ketchup Entertainment, Coyote vs. Acme‘s own existence is worthy of being shown on the big screen. Whether the actual finished film is good or not or makes a profit or not is irrelevant (which is why I won’t be giving it a full review), the fact that filmmakers and loves of cinema were able to fight back against the studios and forced them to release the film in of it’s entirety is THE breakout story of Coyote vs Acme. The fact that the actual film is confirmed to be quite good and it might just make it’s money back is the special icing on the cake!
Perhaps miracles are still possible! Than in of itself might just be enough to give one hope in not just entertainment but perhaps the whole world!
Well, things are pretty tense in the world right now. Whether we are talking about wars raging on in the Middle East or two studios who have already merged before are preparing to merge once again, there’s a lot on the minds of people all across the world! Because of that, let’s take a break from doom scrolling through all of this chaos and have some fun by fan casting characters for the Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise from Paramount Skydance, soon (?) to be Paramount Skydance X Warner Bros Discovery.
This is a franchise of films that has been a surprising success since the original film came out in 2020. A large reason for that has to do with some of the pitch perfect castings that have gone around with this franchise, being able to make fan favorite casting feel just right without coming across as forced or desperate. Even though the majority of them are big well-known celebrates, the Sonic franchise has managed to do celebrity castings about as good as it can be. These might not be roles that are gonna win them Oscars but it’s just something they can have fun with it without thinking too much about it.
I mean just look at the casting we have gotten thus far!
Ben Schwartz as Sonic The Hedgehog
Jim Carrey As Dr. Robotnik/Gerald Robotnik
Colleen O’Shaughnessy As Miles “Tails” Prowler
Idris Elba As Knuckles The Echidna
Keanu Reeves As Shadow The Hedgehog
Alyla Browne As Maria Robotnik
Kristen Bell As Amy Rose
As the Sonic franchise continues to expand with live-action movies and shows, there’s no doubt that more characters are going to be translated onto the big screen in theaters or at home. Because of that, I’m gonna give you all my take and what I believe would be the best possible casting choice for each one of these characters in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
Just a reminder, these are all just MY personal choices and fan casting. It’s nothing to write home about or take super seriously. This is all just for fun! Nothing more, nothing less!
Now, let’s dive deep into my castings, shall we?!
Ben Kingsley As Metal Sonic
Now granted, Mr. Kingsley has already been casted in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 AND it is widely spectacled to be a voice acting role. Nobody knows who exactly that will be but could you imagine if it was Metal Sonic?! Kingsley has played multiple kinds of roles throughout his career and he should be able to make voicing Metal Sonic look like a walk in the park! If you’re not convinced, just go back to his role in Iron Man 3 were he was “playing” the Mandarin, that should be more than enough to convince you that he’s more than capable of tackling a menacing villainous role! While there is certainly debates within the Sonic community as to whether or not Metal Sonic himself needs his own voice, Ben Kingsley as Metal Sonic would almost certainly answer that question with a definite “YES!”
Jennifer Lopez As Rouge The Bat
Fun fact: Did you know that the design of Rouge the Bat was inspired by the sexiness of Latin-American women, most notably Jennifer Lopez, who was the definite IT Latino girl of the 2000s. Because of that, who better to cast as Rouge than the woman who was basically an inspiration for her. JLO hasn’t had the greatest track record with voice acting roles with movies like Antz, Home, and a fifth Ice Age movie you probably didn’t even know existed until now. However, JLO feels like the perfect fit for Rouge the Bat, perfectly displaying that 2000s nostalgic vibes era for when Rouge herself originated from AND having that right, seductive voice presence for the character. There are rumors that Paramount is hesitating on introducing Rouge in these movies because they don’t want to “awaken” something in young boys but come on guys! Man up, put Rouge in your movies, and cast the Latino GOAT that is Jennifer Lopez!
Roger Craig Smith As E-102 Gamma/E-123 Omega
Yes, that’s right! I got not just the current voice of Sonic the Hedgehog in the gaming side of things but also the current voice of E-123 Omega himself. If Jeff Fowler and company had no problem casting the current gaming voice for Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessy) in the movies, then I don’t see why they would have a problem of adding in Roger Craig Smith as well. Plus, it would be incredibly nice if the makers of these films can find any sort of role for Roger to play as in these movies, even if it just a nice little cameo like in the Wreck-It Ralph movies. Just because he can’t play Sonic in these movies doesn’t mean he should miss out on playing E-102 Gamma or E-123 Omega themselves whenever their time comes.
Karen Fukuhara As Cream The Rabbit
While most recognize Karen Fukuhara in live-action as Katana in Suicide Squad (Que the “THIS IS KATANA!” memes) and Kimiko/The Female in The Boys, she has had her fair share of experience in voice acting as well, with the likes of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Craig of the Creek, and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts just to name a few. Because of that, Karen should have no problem in voicing an incredibly cutesy character like Cream the Rabbit (and even Cheese if she wants to do that as well).
Michelle Yeoh As Vanilla The Rabbit
Michelle Yeoh is a gifted actress who has played many different kinds of roles throughout her career. However, I always feel like the best kind of roles for her are ones where she plays the nice, caring figure that can give perfect guidance to those around here, just see her as Soothsayer in Kung Fu Panda 2. For a character that’s suppose to be super sweet and loving, what better woman to play here than Michelle Yeoh?! Some might argue she’s too old for this voice role (She is heading towards her mid 60s!) but considering Michelle herself is an award-winning actress, she would certainly find a way to make it work.
Nick Offerman As Big The Cat
Again, just like Ben Kingsley, Mr. Offerman has already been casted in Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and is too widely speculated to be a voice role. If it were up to me, I would have Nick voicing everybody’s “favorite” giant purple (male) cat! The man has had plenty of experience playing comedic relief characters and basically acting as a comedian himself throughout his career. With his delightful voice and sense of humor, I think he could make even the biggest Big the Cat haters like myself change their opinions of the character drastically. He would make Duke Nukem himself proud (Yes, that’s who first voiced Big the Cat in the games btw!)
Lupita Nyong’o As Tikal The Echidna
Here we have the Helen of Troy herself as Tikal the Echidna. While Lupita Nyong’o has had plenty of success on the big screen with The Odyssey and her Academy award winning turn in 12 Years A Slave, she has also had her high points in her career in voice/motion capture roles such as Maz Kanata in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Raksha in The Jungle Book, and Roz in The Wild Robot. Because of all of that and more, I don’t see any working actress today that would serve as a more perfect parallel to Idris Elba’s Knuckles, the last of their kinds, than Lupita as Tikal.
Simi Liu As Espio The Chameleon
If it were up to me, to voice a character like Epsio, you should cast someone that has had experience with martial arts, his own independent agency, and standing firm on his own two feet. While someone like Jackie Chan might be a tad too far stretched, let’s have Simi Liu, A.K.A. Shang-Chi himself, to be the voice of this popular chameleon. It just seems all the more fitting to cast an actor that’s connect to some foreign ethnicity, as the character has some resemblance with fictional characters who have mastered martial arts.. Mr. Liu is Chinese in real life, which makes this casting for Espio rock solid.
Colleen O’Shaughnessy As Charmy Bee
Since we already have Colleen voicing Tails in this cinematic universe, you might as well keep her on as Charmy the Bee as well. There’s not much more I have to add to it than that.
(FYI, did you know that Colleen actually started voicing Charmy before she started voicing Tails?! She literally voiced Charmy in Sonic Colors DS (Yes, the character did appear in that version?) AND in the original Sonic Generations. The more you know!)
Jack Black As Vector The Crocodile
Oh, come on! You just know that Jack Black had to add SOME sort of role in this franchise! This is a man that has great experience with voice acting roles (Po in Kung Fu Panda) and ESPECIALLY in recent video game adaptions (Bowser in The Super Mario Bros movies, Claptrap in Borderlands, and Steve in The Minecraft Movie). And with it comes to amount of characters that are left in the Sonic series that haven’t been taken, him as Vector the Crocodile could absolutely work! Jack Black is masterful at adding the right mix of silly and resourceful that he has added with many of his voice acting bids and would be the ideal fit among the remaining Sonic characters that have yet to be introduced and/or casted yet. Oh, and PLEASE let him say, “FIND THE COMPUTER ROOM!!!!”
Hayden Christensen As Silver The Hedgehog
I remember when Hayden Christensenwas rumored to be playing Shadow the Hedgehog. While that role ultimately went to Keanu Reeves, Silver the Hedgehog should be completely up for grab for Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader himself. Much like his iconic character in the Star Wars franchise, Silver is a character that has his own unique force powers, a personality that borderlines between whiny and pure naiveness, and is someone that is willing do everything in their power to complete their mission for those that they care about. I was going back and forth between Hayden and Michael Cara for Silver the Hedgehog but when it comes to what actor would be the absolute GOATED casting that would get fans excited AND be the perfect fit for the character, my vote goes to Hayden Christensen.
Brie Larson As Blaze The Cat
This might be a hot take (No pun intended!) but I legit believe Brie Larson would be a great fit for Blaze the Cat. She has already had recent voice acting experience among video game adaptions, with Rosalina in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and I strongly think she can apply that same level of commitment and energy to a character like Blaze. And much like her most famous/infamous role in Captain Marvel, Blaze is a character with special powers, struggling to keep her emotions in check, and must learn to work together with others because she can’t do everything on her own regardless of how powerful she is. Because of that, I can’t think of a current actress that would be a better fit for Blaze the Cat than Brie. Sure, many still fancast her as Samus Aran for a potential Metroid movie but I don’t see why she can’t voice Blaze as well.
Keegan-Michael Kay & Jordan Peele As Orbot & Cubot
Here we have everybody’s favorite comedic duo playing the two characters that basically act as the comic relief side duo of the Sonic series. Jordan and Keegan already got their time to shine as the duo they are in animation in Toy Story 4, with the latter already dipping his toes into the world of video game adaptions as Toad in The Super Mario Bros movies. With the star power these two have shared all across the world, they can easily make voicing Orbot and Cubot work by just playing themselves in voice roles once again.
Ryan Bartley As Sage
Just like with Roger as Omega and Colleen as Tails/Charmy, I see no reason to recast Sage and see every reason to just bring back Ryan Bartley as the character. She’s the only voice actress to voice Sage thus far and unless Sega decides to dump the current cast come Sunday morning, they might as well just keep Ryan, who is basically the definite voice for Sage at this point. So, yeah!
Adam Driver As Infinite
Let’s be honest, you all saw PLENTY of Kylo Ren within Infinite when you played Sonic Forces. An immense foe who claims to be all powerful and hot stuff but when you look underneath, he’s basically a whiny manbaby who throws a tantrum whenever something doesn’t go it’s way. (Never forget, “I AM NOT WEAK!!!!!”) So, why not just get Kylo Ren himself in Adam Driver to voice Infinite. Yes, you can argue that Mr. Driver would be basically playing a diet version of his character from Star Wars but the same could be said about the likes of Keanu Reeves as Shadow, who is basically a more kid friendly version of John Wick, and other examples that I’ve mentioned before. Plus, his recent casting as Mr. Sinister in X-Men (2028) proves that Adam is NOT opposed to starting in well-known IPs. So, yeah, Adam Driver as Infinite!
Glen Powell As Jet The Hawk
We got the hottest shot actor currently working in Hollywood playing the hottest shot character in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Talk about a match made in heaven! Glen has already had recent voice work in the realm of video game adaptions by taking on the surprise character in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, A.K.A. Fox McCloud, and in the realm of animation such as Family Guy, Robot Chicken, Rick and Morty,All Hail King Julien, and Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous. While I’m sure Powell’s schedule is busier than ever at the moment, I’m sure Paramount would find some way to get him in the recording booth for a few days if Universal was able to do so with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie without a problem.
Issa Rae As Wave The Swallow
Here’s another fancast that I have in mind for no other reason than just why not?! Issa Rae has took a handful of voice acting roles in recent memory such as Jessica Drew in Across the Spider-Verse AND the Honey Queen in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. A brand new voice role in the Sonic franchise should seem like a no-brainer to her. She is already locked in to an exclusive deal with Paramount to do her own work, I imagine they would offer her a role in one of their most successful franchises at the moment if she wants too. Because of that, I have her as Wave the Swallow.
Jason Momoa As Storm The Albatross
I’m gonna say straight up front: THIS is who I originally wanted to voice Knuckles before anyone was casted. There is no other current actor that is perfect at playing a lovable knucklehead (No pun intended!) than Jason Moama and Knuckles just seemed like a perfect fit. However, since Idris Elba now helms the role (perfectly) as Knuckles, that would still make Jason available to play Knuckles’ rival in the Sonic Riders series in Storm the Albatross if Jeff Fowler and crew ever wanted to adopt those games into live-action. Everyone likes Jason Moama and this casting would certainly work wonders as Storm.
Clancy Brown As Zavok
One of the GOATTEST voice actors of all time playing the lead of the most forgettable foes ever in the history of Sonic the Hedgehog! Of what amount to basically Dollar Store Bowser, Clancy is more than a capable actor to find some sort of depth and dimension in a character that is rather shallow in the games. I can only see Jeff Fowler taking on the Deady Six when they are finally running thin on ideas to keep this cinematic incarnation of Sonic going but if he gets around to it, casting Lex Luthor/Mr. Krabs/Savage Opress as the main baddie of the Deadly Six in Zavok would work perfectly.
Ke Huy Quan As Master Zik
As a young child actor, Ke Huy Quan always tend to play the role as the “student” when it came to martial art roles or as a fight choreographer, whether as Short Run in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom or as an assistant fight artist in X-Men (2000). However, now that he is older now, it’s time for him to play the role of the teacher. He got a taste of that in his Academy award winning role in Everything Everywhere All At Once (along with Michelle Yeoh herself), and it would be ideal if he got a chance to voice a character that has one main trait as basically discount Mr. Miyagi. Key Huy Quan as Master Zik would be that right role that I imagine he has been waiting for to tackle in voice roles.
Matthew Lillard As Zazz
Is there anyone better that can voice the most crazy and over-the-top character in the Sonic franchise than Shaggy and Stu himself?! I’m pretty sure your answer is No! Because of that, cast the GOAT Matthew Lillard as Zazz!
Danny Devito As Zomon
Anyone that has Danny DeVito fancasted as either Big the Cat or Vector the Crocodile is dead wrong! However, Danny DeVito as Zomon would be dead RIGHT! I just hope age doesn’t play a big factor in his vocal performance (He is now 81 btw!). If he’s still in the mood to do voice roles, this would be the right fit for him within the Sonic franchise.
Keke Palmer As Zeena
I don’t know very many actresses that can make a character whose whole personality basically amounts to, “I’M A GIRLY GIRL IN A GIRLY WORLD!” but man, would Keke Palmer find some entertainment in playing exactly that character. Also, I just like Keke Palmer and want to see her in more stuff.
Pete Davidson As Zor
Everyone’s favorite “emo” actor voicing the most “emo” character in the Sonic franchise. Plus, Pete Davidson’s more fun roles usually are among voice acting, at least if Dog Man and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is any indication.
Tony Hale As Chip
Tony was able to play the most lovably annoying character in the Toy Story franchise as Forky. It makes all the sense in the world that he would be able to voice the most lovably annoying character in the Sonic franchise as Chip, A.K.A. *SPOILERS FROM SONIC UNLEASHED*! I’m sure there’s plenty other well-known actors out there that can voice Chip easily but just because Toy Story is still on my mind at the moment, I think Tony Hale would work well as Chip.
Bob Odenkirk As Professor Pickle
The GOAT Saul Goodman playing the GOAT Professor Pickle!
I don’t think I need to say anything else other than that!
Mason Thames As Professor Pickle’s Assistant
This was honestly the hardest one to find since there’s not many well-known male actors working today that have plain red hair and has the tendency to be playing comedically awkward characters that are solely designed to be a meme. In this case, let’s just go with Hiccup from the live-action How To Train Your Dragon movies and leave it at that!
Stephen Lang As The G.U.N. Commander
Technically, there’s already several G.U.N. commanders in the Sonic movie franchise thus far but, just in case they decide to put the focus on the OG G.U.N. commander from Shadow the Hedgehog, you gotta go with Stephen Lang. The man proved in the recent Avatar sequels that he’s still in great shape and still capable of playing these action roles despite his older age. If Paramount decides to give him a call to play basically the same character he’s played in the Avatar movies, he will certainly walk away with the easiset paycheck in his life.
Scarlett Johannsson As Topaz
Scarlett Johansson might just be the most popular actress in Hollywood through the past decade. Whether she’s kicking ass as Black Widow or in the Jurassic World franchise, audience are STILL showing up to see her in action whenever she has a new movie coming out. I have no doubt Paramount will want to continue to ride that wave by finding some role for ScarJo in this franchise. While many still fancast her as voicing Rouge the Bat, I think playing a human character in the Sonic franchise feels more fitting for her. You will certainly have to age up Topaz than how she was in Sonic X but Scarlett should be able to make this character work in live-action without a shadow of a doubt.
Kevin Michael Richardson As Black Doom
Ngl, I was REALLY wanting the late great Tony Todd voicing Black Doom, especially after his great performances as Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Locus in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us (RIP King!). However, another actor who would be perfect as Shadow’s biggest arch nemesis would be Kevin Michael Richardson. Richardson is one of the best and most beloved actors in the voice acting community for at least the past 25 years, finding roles into every single one of your favorite cartoons as a child and even in recent animated films such as Minions: The Rise of Guru, Trolls: Band Together, and The Super Mario Bros movies. He may not be a well known Hollywood celebrity but he would damn sure make voicing Black Doom seem like an absolute cakewalk. So much so that I’m shocked that SEGA never hired him to voice the character in the first place.
Stellan Skarsgård As The Duke of Soleanna
Would Jeff Fowler and company DARE to tackle the story of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)? Well, considering the Knuckles series made our favorite red echidna having the flames of disaster as main canon, then I’m willing to bet Yes! If that ever does happen, Stellan Skarsgård seems like a solid match to play the Duke of Soleanna. I was originally thinking of Anthony Hopkins here but he’s getting too old in age, whereas Skarsgård still has a few more years left in him to be able to take on a role like this.
Mckenna Grace As Princess Elise
There’s probably no young actress that you have seen being inserted into every one of your favorite franchises that is NOT Zendaya or Sydney Sweeney. Whether it’s Marvel, Ghostbusters, Scooby-Doo, Paw Patrol, or anything else, McKenna always has plenty of presence both on screen AND in the voice booth. Much like with other human characters mentions, you would have to aged up Elise a tad bit to make this casting work but Ms. Grace would fit the role as the princess of Soleanna like a glove and make a more than believable friendship bound between her and Sonic. Just PLEASE leave out all of the bestiality stuff from the game, please and thank you!
Josh Brolin As Mephiles
That’s right, I’m going ALL the way here! I have the most diabolical villain in Sonic history being voiced by the most diabolical villain in Marvel history in Thanos himself! Granted Brolin hasn’t had THAT many voice roles outside of Thanos in Marvel Animation and as George Washington in Ken Burn’s The American Revolution miniseries but I’m sure he would have plenty of fun in the voice booth as the character who did the unforgivable sin and actually killed our beloved blue hedgehog. You know you want to see Thanos as Mephiles as much as I do! Dread it, run from it, destiny will ALWAYS arrive!
Fadel Ragheb, The Hype Guy As Sonic Man
I mean………if there has to be a Sonicman in the movies……why not him?! JS!
Hey, everyone! I hope you all are enjoying your 4th of July weekend! As we exit June and enter July, that means we are already halfway through 2026! Because of that, I might as well give you all my pick for the top 10 best movies of the year so far!
Keep in mind, I have not seen every single movie that has released in 2026 and there might just be a critically praised movie that you love that I have just not gotten around to yet. Also, these rankings are NOT set in stone and are subject to change as the year goes on. For all I know, my #10 on the list could possibly end up being my #1 favorite movie of the year.
Although there is still PLENTY of films to come out for the remainder of the year, these are the ten films that has affected me in the best ways for the first six months of 2026!
10.) Backrooms
While I’m not quite on the love boat with this one, I’m sure as hell on the respect boat. I love the original atmosphere and unique setting that Kane Parsons has created here, making the backrooms itself a fascinating place to explore whenever we are able to get to it. I did wish the overall narrative had more meat to it and Parsons didn’t have to keep coming up with contrived excuses for his characters to keep showing up to the backrooms. And I’m still scratching my head on the resolution to the whole thing. However, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are great here and there are still plenty of seeds that have yet to be grown in the world that is Backrooms that I’m curious to visit yet again in the future. I can see this being a series of films that only gets better from here on out.
9.) The Sheep Detectives
Well, what do you know. Who would’ve guessed that a film about a literal talking sheep in live-action could end up being this heartwarming and cozy?! Even if it can be a bit too silly at times, The Sheep Detectives just tugs at your heartstrings in the best of ways and Hugh Jackman is as much as a welcome presence as he always has been on the big screen. If you are someone that adores the new Paddington movies, this might just well in your wheel house.
8.) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
It made have taken a second try but 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is able to deliver the complete full package I wanted from the previous 28 Years Later film from last year, while standing as perhaps the best installment in this franchise since the original. The acting is terrific, the horror and gore will disgust you in the most delightful ways imaginable, and it is still able to follow the franchise’s overall themes by continuing to offer fresh, new, and different perspectives about a world that has plunged into total chaos without taking you out of it or even inviting comparisons to the world that we are currently live in. I sure hope this is able to find it’s audience through digital and streaming because if not, then MAN are they missing out!
7.) Hoppers
Hoppers is a showcase of what happens with Pixar allows themselves to let loose and forge their own path to creativity. The film has it’s own distinct animation style that compliments the storytelling without it being too overbearing or “in your face”, the characters are all likeable with their own relatable goals that anyone can get behind, it’s easily among the funniest Pixar movie in years, and despite prior reports of Disney’s efforts to downplay the themes of environmentalism, it’s able to get that exact message across in as much of a profound way as Pixar was able to in 2008 with Wall-E. It may take it’s time in getting to that exact point in the ways that it was intend and does have one or two cringeworthy lines about how “aware” it is of it’s own premise but the pay-offs by the latter half of Hopper makes it the whole experience feel worth it! While there are those out there that claim Toy Story 5 or Minions & Monsters as their animated film of the year, I’m still sticking by this one.
6.) Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
After coming out of the closet making the criminally underrated A Cure For Wellness, Gore Verbinski is back to take a stance on the biggest global crisis at the moment, Artificial Intelligence. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die sees Sam Rockwell from the future to give us all a warning on how the robots and machines are taking over and it’s up to choices that we make now that can set the course to a much brighter path forward. The cast is greats, the visuals are aces, the ending is as poignant it comes, and it’s super refreshing for a movie to not have any subtly whatsoever to get it’s message across. Although Verbinski’s direction won’t be suitable for anyone, this is a solid watch.
5.) Send Help
Can we point out how much of a miracle that a film like Send Help exists? In an age of sequels, reboots, remakes, and legacy-quels conquering the film landscape and sucking up the remaining creative energy that Hollywood might still have, films like these are becoming more diamonds in the rough in the film industry. Thankfully, someone at 20th Century Fox or Disney was wise enough to give a blank check to the godfather of horror and superhero movies in Sam Raimi, his first original horror film since 2009’s Drag Me To Hell! Send Help is yet another worthy addition to Raimi’s Hall of Fame of Horror! It’s able to capitalize on it’s simple yet effective premise thanks to it’s two charismatic leads, it’s incredibly visionary direction, unapologetically excessive gore, and a script that will keep audiences on their toes the whole way through. Even if the ending leaves out a bit too many unanswered questions, it’s still an absolute blast of a motion picture that is definitely worth seeing on the big screen.
4.) Disclosure Day
Despite it’s polarizing reception, Disclosure Day is a very entertaining and engaging ride that makes for another fine addition to the “NOT a Marvel/Star Wars/IP movie” collection of the 2026 summer movie season. The cast is terrific, Spielberg is clearly having a blast making a movie about aliens again, and the screenplay is able to have it’s cake-and-eat-it-too, operating as both a solid thriller and a layer filled character study that will have plenty of delightful “explain” videos made for it. Not every single question the audience have will be answered but the ones that does is given a proper answer while the ones it choses to leave in the balance might just be for the better. It may not be quite S-Tier Steven Spielberg but Disclosure Day is more than enough proof that the godfather of blockbuster cinema still got plenty in the tank left in him and should still be treated with grace and dignity with each new film he releases. Even if not everybody will buy what Disclosure Day has to say about humanity and how the truth can lead to unity, it is bittersweet to see Steven actually try and perhaps that is what matters more than anything.
3.) The Furious
Have you been wanting to see a spiritual successor to The Raid 2 for the past 12 years?! Have you been anxious to see a balls-to-the-wall non-stop action thrill ride in the 2020s that is NOT John Wick?! Did you want to see a movie that takes the same plot and premise surrounding stopping human traffickers as Supergirl (2026) but done right?! Well, look no further than The Furious! An action packed masterwork that has no agenda other than delivering on over-the-top fight scenes, performing some of the greatest stunts and practical set pieces you have seen in years, and give you simplistic characters with human goals that you want to root for! Sometimes, there is nothing better for a film than riding with pure simplicity, without a care in the world of what lengths and leaps of logic it is willing to go to deliver the goods. Regardless of what way you chose to watch it, please check out The Furious ASAP!
2.) Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary is an incredibly well made, extremely well acted, and very well paced sci-fi thriller that works not just as a faithful adaption of the critically acclaimed book from Andy Weir (The Martian) but it also stands strongly as it’s own cinematic experience and a thematically moving think tank surrounding art and science . There is not a single second that is boring or uninteresting, Ryan Gosling is pitch perfect in the lead role as Grace and has great chemistry with his so-called co-star, it has a perfectly controlled tone that knows when to be funny, serious, and moving when it’s absolutely required, and even if you can see the inspiration from your favorite sci-fi flick from the 2010s (Gravity, Interstellar, The Martian, Arrival, Mr. Gosling’s own First Man! Take your pick!), it is able to have it’s own unique identity while telling a distinct story about the importance of loyalty, friendship, unity, and sacrifice. While it’s certainly not the most flawless film I’ve ever seen and I’m sure there will be nits to be picked from fans of the book, I can’t imagine Project Hail Mary being a better version of itself than what Mr. Lord and Mr. Miller was able to deliver here.
1.) Obsession
The most talked about film of 2026 is my absolute favorite thus far! I don’t think I’ve seen a film where the whole message of “Be careful what you wish for!” has been executed this well and scary! The directing by Curry Barker is top notch, the performances are all great, it has a nice blend of horror thrills and laughter that I don’t any other director would be able to combine brilliantly, and the ending still haunts me weeks after seeing the movie. It’s also makes for a perfect subversion to have the main protagonist practically being the villain of the film, being forced to face the consequences of the choice he made strictly for his own pleasure. Inde Navarrette deserves a damn Oscar for her performance and it’s yet another brilliant original horror film to go with all of the other brilliant horror films we have gotten so far this decade! If this is the future for not just original horror but original films in general, there might just be a light at the end of the tunnel for future cinema.
This is gonna be a review where the subtitle of the movie is gonna make it sound much worse than it actually is. If you are someone that goes into one of these movies looking for nothing but laughs, stunts, and your favorite MTV cast and crew putting each other up with extraordinary pain for sh*s and giggles, you will get plenty of that with Jackass: Best & Last. However, if you are someone that is looking for brand NEW stunts, brand NEW laughs, and brand NEW ways of your favorite MTV cast and crew putting up with extraordinary pain for sh*s and giggles, you will likely be disappointed here.
Jackass: Best & Last is not so much it’s own complete Jackass movie as much as it is a full presentation special for Paramount Plus with a bunch of deleted scenes from the other Jackass movies shoehorned in. Whether this became a theatrical release because Johnny Knoxville and company couldn’t bear the thought of saying goodbye to his franchise on a streaming service or to follow through on David Ellison’s ill-conceived promise of releasing 30 films a year once it snatches up Warner Bros Discovery is beyond me, but you will find yourself with just as much laughs and giggles looking up Jackass YouTube videos or watching any other Jackass film on Paramount Plus than you would watching Jackass: Best & Last in theaters.
I have no doubt Jackass means much to this cast and crew, especially if putting up with over 25 years of taking shots to the nuts and getting a million different concussions until you’re 50 is anything to go by (which, YES that infamous part of the Jackass Forever trailer DOES get brought back here). And to the film’s credit, the opening sequence with Johnny performing his very first stunt and the end credits that acts as a tribute to the history of Jackass is very well done, making for the only times where bringing back certain scenes from the other movies is justified (Other than that one bit taken out of Bad Grandpa of course! A.K.A. Easily the best of the Jackass franchise).
The rest of the film is either a compilation of cut out stunts from the other Jackass movies that never should’ve been cut out in the first place, member-barries that references other jokes and sequences in this franchise that you’ve already seen before, and new stunts and sequences that don’t feel as fresh because it involves our cast and crew who are clearly growing out their roles of taking so much hurt to their bodies. I certainly did get some laughs along the way but I could have easily gotten as much by just watching other Jackass videos or popping up any other Jackass movie.
I’m not gonna act like every Jackass movie is a masterpiece, except for Bad Grandpa (That is as much of a comedic masterpiece as it gets, but at least each one offers fresh perspectives while unlocking new, creative, and downright STUPID ways of making you belly chuckle and get tears out of you from laughter. Jackass: Best & Last seems to just exist to get one last nostalgic dollar out of you before Johnny, Steve-0, Chris, and Wee-Man become too crippled to even imaging doing dangerous stunts out of a wheel chair.
I get that these guys are getting old and have their limits now but if that was the case, this could’ve easily worked wonders as either a tv special on MTV and/or a streaming special for Paramount Plus. It would given these guys the right amount of length to do their stunts without going too overlong over it and would have easily killed it in the ratings. But because these flicks are as cheap as they come, squeezing in a few extra bucks wouldn’t hurt. Which, hey, in this day and age, I ain’t complaining about theaters getting more movies to play that people want to see but it certainly doesn’t help in the case of Jackass: Best & Last.
Although this is ultimate a negative review for me, I don’t have any strong emotions or ill will to Jackass that this mid final installment will have a lasting impact on me for the near future. Johnny and friends clearly have had the time of their lives putting through pain and scrutiny just for our own amusement. Even if that is incredibly dumb, I tip my caps to them for having the literal balls to go through all of that. However for me, when it comes to Jackass, I’ll just pop in Bad Grandpa and call it a day!
The two films that everyone is talking about at the moment are Obsession and Backrooms! Two films that are not only very good horror film debuts from talented young blood that originated straight from YouTube but they also managed to steal the spotlight away from the latest Star Wars film, The Mandalorian & Grogu! As the newest addition to a galaxy far and away completely crashed and burn at the box office in just it’s second weekend in theaters, Obsession and Backrooms was able to perfectly pick up that slack, with the former gaining some of the best box office legs from any film in recent memory and the latter awarding A24 their biggest opening weekend in their history.
To say this has opened the eyes and ears of the film industry would be a massive understatement! The success of these two films are clearly proving several points all at the same time! Not only is it proving that successful original films are indeed alive and well with a clear audience desire for them but it’s also proves that Gen Z does indeed love going to the movie theaters and are basically the group that is gonna help keep the movie theater going experience alive for the foreseeable future. You just need the right kind of films that is able to perfectly capture the hearts of the right kind of audience and they will show up in drones! While there have been plenty of other examples in recent memory to back up those claims, the success of Obsession and Backrooms is something truly special!
However, there have been a few bold claims that many are saying after these two horror flicks were able to give The Mandalorian & Grogu a run for it’s money this weekend! Not only does this mean that Star Wars as a whole is officially dead but blockbuster flicks based on long-running established IPs are officially dead! Never mind the fact that The Devil Wears Prada 2 was able to secure double the grosses that the original made just a month ago! Never mind the fact that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is getting so close to a billion dollars that it can TASTE IT! Never mind the fact that the likes of Toy Story 5, Minions & Monsters, Moana (2026),Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Dune: Part Three, and Avengers: Doomsday are still having yet to come out for the rest of the year, short-budgeted horror films made by YouTubers is the ONLY future of filmmaking and Obsession and Backrooms is prove of that! I find that line of thinking to be incredibly flawed!
Don’t get me wrong, Obsession and Backrooms are both INCREDIBLE cinematic achievements for Curry Baker and Kane Parsons! I’m proud of the fact that these films are thriving whereas corporate slop like The Mandalorian & Grogu are being rejected! It’s prove that audiences do indeed have some bit of standards for the quality of today’s films that they chose to spend their hard earned money on, especially in our not practically great economy! But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, there is still a big place for big blockbuster films, it’s just that there is now a big place for original and thought provoking films as well!
Just imagine you are an owner of a movie theater right now! Would you be really applauding the fact that a big blockbuster film like The Mandalorian & Grogu is tanking hard at the box office all because previously lesser knowns films such as Obsession and Backrooms is killing it? Do you really want one big film to flop so hard that a couple of other smaller films can fill whatever sinking hole that other film caused? I’m pretty sure your answer is gonna be a clear no!
Movie theaters want and NEED both of these kind of films to succeed. They need the kind of films from beloved and established IPs to do absolute gangbusters at the box office AND they need the kind of lower budgeted and more independently made films released to help fill in that big hole in between each newly released big film that comes out to cover for any potential theatrical drought they might have. While I’m sure movie theater owners are more than happy that Obsession and Backrooms are selling tickets at a daily pace that I don’t anyone could possibly imagine, they would also prefer that The Mandalorian & Grogu would also be a big hit as well as a special icing on the cake.
The big question that everyone is asking after Obsession and Backrooms is what can Hollywood and movie studios learn from this? Should they take more changes with young and famous YouTubers and social media influencers and less on folks coming straight out of film school? Should they pump the brakes on corporate slop and remember to put quality over quantity with their biggest IPs? Should they just give up on big IPs such as Marvel and Star Wars all together because of their recent track record and invest more in originality of any kind? While those are the kind of questions that everyone is asking right now, I think one important one is being left out. That one question being: Why not leave room for more?
Why can’t we have huge blockbuster films that are huge events and potential billion dollar grossers every year AND also have impressive original films from young filmmakers that is also able to make bank at the box office each year? Shouldn’t we be encouraging BOTH of those kinds of films to exist side-by-side each other? It’s not like we have to live with one instead of the another, we can actually live in the best of both worlds for a change. There should be room for both big feature films AND little original films to shine! THAT is the kind of diversity and variety that the industry will need if they are to thrive in the future!
With more and more mergers coming into fruition, more independent films such as Obsession and Backrooms are needed now more than ever! After acquisitions such as Disney buying Fox and Paramount buying Warner Bros, it’s clear that studios are going to put the majority of their focus on pumping out big blockbusters films and less on smaller and more independent films. There will always be one or two of them that will be able to squeeze through the system but for the most part, you are likely to get more Minecraft movies than you would films like Sinners and One Battle After Another. Holes will need to be filled to plug in that gape for fresh and original films to still be able to shine, providing that variety of selected films made for theaters that major studios aren’t bothering to invest in anymore. That is where films like Obsession and Backrooms will be able to come in and why indie studios such as A24 and Focus Features exist.
I have nothing against main blockbuster films being released just as I have nothing against films like Obsession and Backrooms blossoming in theater screens before our very eyes. My question is: Why can’t we be championing both? We should be celebrating when good blockbuster films do well at the box office AND when good independent films do well at the box office as well. We don’t have to cancel one in favor of the other. And I’m sure movie theaters from all across the world would agree with what I just said.
After the success of Obsession and Backrooms and the underperformance of The Mandalorian & Grogu thus far, I do hope this isn’t so much a sign that audiences are tired of blockbuster films and hungry for strictly independent films but more that they are hungry for QUALITY and less on slop. While I know less than stellar films such as Lilo & Stitch (2025) and The Minecraft Movie were able to make big bucks at the box office with Minions & Monsters and Moana (2026) likely to join them next month, the fact that actual great recent films like Sinners, F1, Project Hail Mary, and now Obsessions and Backrooms were able to become the financial smash hits they did should be a statement that quality DOES matter for a film to be successful and not just brand recognition.
The biggest takeaway right now should be that audiences have a desire to see ANY kind of films in theaters that is guarantee to give them their full money’s worth. No matter if it’s a blockbuster or an independent film, audiences still want to go to movie theaters, studios just need to keep giving them a reason to do so. And the fact that it’s been confirmed that the past month has had the highest box office grosses for May since 2019 should speak volume to that!
Tune in next time after the studios learn the absolute WRONG lesson from everything I just said, while giving a blank check to MrBeast to direct whatever the hell he wants and Disney announces The Devil Wears Prada 3 and Toy Story 6 very soon!
Also, I might as well give my mini-reviews for both of these movies!
Obsession– Probably my favorite film of the year thus far! I don’t think I’ve seen a film where the whole message of “Be careful what you wish for!” has been executed this well and scary! The directing by Curry Barker is top notch, the performances are all great, it has a nice blend of horror thrills and laughter that I don’t any other director would be able to combine brilliantly, and the ending still haunts me weeks after seeing the movie. It’s also a nice little subversion to have the main protagonist practically being the villain of the film, being forced to face the consequences of the choice he made strictly for his own pleasure. Inde Navarrette deserves a damn Oscar for her performance and it’s yet another brilliant original horror film to go with all of the other brilliant horror films we have gotten so far this decade! Highly recommended! I give this a perfect four out of four stars!
Backrooms– I’m not quite sure I’m on the love boat with this one but I’m sure as hell on the respect boat. I love the original atmosphere and unique setting that Kane Parsons has created here, making the backrooms itself a fascinating place to explore whenever we are able to get to it. I did wish the overall narrative had more meat to it and Parsons didn’t have to keep coming up with contrived excuses for his characters to keep showing up to the backrooms. And I’m still scratching my head on the resolution to the whole thing. However, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve are great here and there are still plenty of seeds that have yet to be grown in the world that is Backrooms. I can see this being a series of films that only gets better from here on out. I give this a three out of four stars!
Welp, I don’t know if there’s any way I can do this review without getting cancelled by someone. This latest biopic from the most beloved/controversial musician of the past 50 years in Michael Jackson was always guaranteed to be a total success or failure in the eyes of many. For those that just wanted to be reminded of the good old days of little MJ and put themselves in the shoes of someone that was able to experience pure pop rock peak in the man’s prime, Michael (2026) will be seen as an absolute W! For those that were hopping it would dig a deeper dive into MJ’s personal life, hard hitting dilemmas, and even ask the million dollar question as to whether or not those allegations that hauntedly followed him throughout his career would be addressed, Michael (2026) will be seen as a massive L!
And I almost just want to stop the review right there! Similar to 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Michael (2026) is not interested in revealing things about Michael Jackson that you didn’t already know and would rather handwave any noticeable cracks on the man’s legacy in favor of delivering the cinematic equivalent of a greatest hits album, playing through the songs that everyone knows and loves while making everyone in the theaters feel like they were with the man’s musical journey all along. This is strictly the Michael Jackson you remember on the big stage and NOT the one off of it.
If all of that sounds okay for you, then you are going to dig this movie. If not, then you are better off watching Leaving Neverland, the biggest scam of a “hit piece” ever conceived outside of whatever the hell Fox News was saying about Fred Rogers back in the day. It’s not entirely free of criticism when judging by it’s own merits, with a rather underutilized supporting cast and the most abrupt ending from an entertainment medium since The Last of Us, but for what it’s worth, Michael (2026) is able to put up song and shut up about everything else to make for an enjoyable musical montage that is worth seeing in complete IMAX for anyone that is a fan!
Premise: The story of “King of Pop” Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson). From his childhood as the star of the Jackson 5, through times of abuse by his father Joe Jackson, to breaking away and making the hit album Thriller and claiming his independence as a solo artist.
There are PLENTY of ways you can look at Michael through some rather cynical lens. Even if you take away purposedly leaving out anything about the so-called allegations (which was originally planned until they decided to completely re-shot the ending, causing the film to be delayed from it’s initial October 2025 release date), this is a biopic you can easily mistake as being more in-line with a typical concert movie. Oh sure, you get your backstory about Michael’s troubles with his father and within his own family and how that contributed to this rise to stardom, as well as one big life-changing event that nearly took a hit on his legacy (Again, NO, it’s NOT the allegations!). However, as the very last sequence that got added in through re-shots showcases, this is all about Michael Jackson: The Musician and NOT Michael Jackson: The Person. This is a musical biopic that wants nothing more than to put up song and shut up with anything else.
The good news is that the music is still so damn good! Nearly every scene where Michael sings each one of his iconic songs is a joy to watch and a treat for the ears! The sound design is outstanding, Antoine Fuqua directs the hell out of every single musical sequence, the scenes specifically designed for IMAX makes the whole experience worth that price of admission alone, and it’s able to perfectly capture the atmosphere and pure aura of Michael Jackson in his prime! Even if Michael Jackson: The Person is barely presence on screen, Michael Jackson: The Musician still slaps just as hard all these years later.
The other good news is Jaafar Jackson is able to perfectly slip into his uncle’s shoes as the legend himself. He makes you buy that he is Michael Jackson about as well as anyone possibly could, being able to capture Michael’s mannerism and star power in ways that I don’t think anyone expected when he was casted. Even the dramatic scenes that might feel very surface level and emotionally cold to the cynical mindset, he’s able to add his own unique certain layer to it that feels in spirit with his uncle and in spirit of himself as his own actor. He’s able to perfectly convey the whole journey of every hoop and leap of faith that Michael Jackson had to go through to get to what he is known as today. Quite simply, if it wasn’t for Jaafar Jackson being so good in this role, this film would have failed big time.
It’s unfortunate how the rest of the cast gets quite the short stick. Outside of Colman Domingo’s terrific performance as Michael’s abusive father, Joseph, there’s not much material for the rest of the star studded cast to make an impression. The rest of Michael’s family feel like they are only there due to absolute obligation (outside of Michael’s sister Janet, who declined to be portrayed in the film) and the relationships that Michael has with his agency with the likes of Mike Myers, Miles Teller, and Laura Harrier feels like a complete afterthought. I understand some of that has to do with personal and legal reasons but the film could have done a much better job at representing them even with the limited material they are given to work with.
There’s also the way the film concludes. It’s no secret that the ending of the film had to be changed significantly. Not just to reshot the entire third act so it did NOT cover the allegations against Michael Jackson that had already been resolved and proven to be false but also find a way for the film to end on a complete note after scraping the initial plans to have the film be split into two. While the song they chose to end it with was perfect, it is rather anticlimactic to have the final word of dialogue shown being about how Michael Jackson’s story will continue. Whether that is referring to another film being made or Michael’s legacy continuing beyond his early days will be determine by the box office but man, it almost feels like things were just getting started and then the film just…..stops.
Michael (2026) will be seen as a success or failure depending on what you are going to this film looking for. Do you just wanna see a mild sneak preview of Michael’s beginning and having his nephew perform your favorite songs on the big screen? If you do, then you will be happy. Do you want to see an extensive look of what went on from behind the scenes of Michael’s life and how that contributed to his rise to fame outside of just songs? If you do, then you will be disappointed.
If I were to judge Michael (2026) based on the entertainment scale and the experience I had listening to his songs performed in pure IMAX. I say it’s a solid three out of four stars.
If I were to judge Michael (2026) on standing on it’s own as a biopic and extended look of perhaps the most famous pop singer of all time. I say it’s a in-the-middle two out of four stars.
I guess if I were to combine both ratings. It would average around to a two and a half out of four stars.
Make of all that what you will!
Other comments:
Sorry that this took me a while to upload! I was busy for the past week with attending a wedding and covering from a mild cold! I have plenty of more pieces in the works for next month and onwards! Be on the look out for all of those!
We are approaching May, which means we are officaly enterting the summer movie season! The time of the year where the big blockbusters of the year are front and center in movie theaters everywhere now that the kids are out of school! Because of that, it’s time to do a list of what I believe will be the top highest grossing films of the summer!
With Hollywood continuing to struggle in the movie theater business post-covid, only God knows how many more summer movie seasons await. Although, theaters have been picking up great momentum in the box office as of late with the likes of Project Hail Mary and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it’s unclear how long they will be able to carry that momentum throughout the rest of the year and even the future.
I think the 2026 summer movie season will give a big indication as to whether or not Hollywood is still recovering from the post-covid era of struggling to get people’s butts into theater seats or will this be the beginning of a resurrection for summer movies! We can only cross our fingers and hope for the best!
And considering I’ve been seeing multiple people put their own predictions of the top 10 biggest summer movies in terms of profit, why not throw my own hat in the ring and do my own list of this?! Keep in mind, these are the movies that I believe will be the highest grossing of the summer, not the ones that I desperately want to be at the very top. This list is not a matter of anticipation or movies I think will be objectively the best, this is a list of the movies that I believe will be the most to least successful in terms of the top 10 movies of the summer.
Also, this is a ranking based on box office numbers worldwide and NOT domestic. That list would be harder and more complicated for me to judge. This is how I feel the box office numbers will hold for summer movies WORLDWIDE from late April to mid August. Could I be dead wrong on every single one of these? Absolutely! But hey, it’s fun to be able to make predictions, right?!
And yes, I am throwing Michael in there. Even though it’s a movie that’s coming out in April, I think that gives up more “summer movie season kick off” vibes than The Devil Wears Prada 2. Just like how Infinity War and Endgame gave off more “summer movie season kick off” vibes….than whatever the heck released in the first week of May in 2018 and 2019!
Time to jump right in and put my predictions on what I believe will be the top 10 highest grossing films of the summer!
10.) Supergirl
Release Date: June 26th
Box Office Projection: $350+ Million
It’s very difficult to find any positive signs here. From it’s questionable release date to it’s lackluster trailers to it’s already nightmare PR, Supe’s cousin will have a hard time finding any sort of audience in the theaters come June. Even Jason Momoa won’t be the selling point that DC is hoping he will be. Unless the quality of the film ends up being nothing sort of stellar, with Elemental-like legs to help pull it through, I expect Supergirl to be one of the more heartbreaking bombs of the summer, falling into the same “female-led movies made for men” wheelhouse with 2024’s Furiosa and last summer’s Ballerina. Mr. Gunn and company better hope that Man of Tomorrow delivers next summer or else this new DC Universe might just be over before it even got a chance to settle in, (and that’s not even mentioning the GIANT elephant in the room that’s about to swallow Warner Bros Discovery up).
9.) The Mandalorian & Grogu
Release Date: May 22nd
Box Office Projection: $400+ Million
Who in their right minds thought that Star Wars’ first trip back to cinema since 2019 should involve an extension of a streaming series that ended three years ago and peaked in quality over five years ago?! With the near non-existence marketing and a very vague plot synopsis, The Mandalorian & Grogu looks more in-line with the The Clone Wars animated film from 2008 than any of the “official” Star Wars films (And that’s totally NOT because both films where originally meant to be several episodes of their own respective shows and JUST so happens to have Jabba the Hutt’s son in it). The good news is that it will have two weeks to itself, including Memorial Day weekend, before having to go up against any real competition, and if the budget is tight enough, it won’t need to make a fortunate to avoid a Solo: A Star Wars Story-level financial disaster. It looks harmless enough with the fan favorite characters from the Disney era in Mando and Grogu at the forefront, with the G.O.A.T. Sigourney Weaver thrown in there for good measure. If this doesn’t make any noise once June rolls around, it might be up to good old Ryan Gosling to salvage what’s left of the Star Wars IP come this time next year with Star Wars: Starfighter.
8.) Discourse Day
Release Date: June 12th
Box Office Projection: $475+ Million
This could easily come back to burn me later on down the road but every summer, there’s always tends to be one original film that’s able to break out at the box office in ways that nobody expected. Last year, that film was F1. This year, I can see Discourse Day being that film. Maybe it’s because it’s a Steven Spielberg film and the whole “Are aliens real or not?!” question that the film is asking has become strangely relevant in recent months (Thanks, Obama!), but I can see this shocking everyone in amazement to at least edge around the half billion dollar mark. This film’s potential level of grand success is all about the timing of it’s release and if the word-of-mouth is able to be on the level of Project Hail Mary. Films like Sinners, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and the two others I mentioned has shown that audiences are indeed hungry for more original stories/experiences on the big screen, the solid quality just needs to be there. And if the quality is there, don’t be surprised to see Discourse Day defying every expectation this summer.
7.) The Devil Wears Prada 2
Release Date: May 1st
Box Office Projection: $625+ Million
If there’s one thing we should all learn by now, it’s to NEVER underestimate the power of women. Films like Barbie, Wicked, and last winter’s The Housemaid has shown that the ladies will ALWAYS show up in drones to see films in theaters that are specifically made for them. The original Devil Wears Prada turns 20 years old this year and has gained a MASSIVE cult following throughout the past two decades. With the return of the OG cast of Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, it’s strong marketing, and massive trailer hype/viewership, I fully expect The Devil Wears Prada 2 to kick off May on a high note and be the big film to beat next month.
6.) The Odyssey
Release Date: July 17th
Box Office Projection: $750+ Million
To be sure, a film like this making at least 750 million dollar signs in this day and age should be seen as a MAJOR accomplishment! There is no other filmmaker working today other than Christopher Nolan that could generate this level of excitement with a project like this! However, I don’t see The Odyssey being on the same level as Oppenheimer (which made $975+ million in 2023), as it won’t have the “Barbenheimer” hype attached to it despite it tackling a more “universal” story. Not to mention, the potential loss of its IMAX screens after it’s first two weeks due to Spider-Man: Brand New Day could greatly affect repeated viewings for its theatrical release! Christopher Nolan is perhaps the one director working today to where his name attached to a film alone will guarantee box office success (Every film that Nolan has directed since 2008’s The Dark Knight has been able to achieve this mark, even Tenet in 2020, A.K.A. the covid year!) and The Odyssey should be no exception! However, the road to doing Oppenheimer level numbers will be much tougher for Mr. Nolan this time around!
5.) Moana (2026)
Release Date: July 10th
Box Office Projection: $800+ Million
Moana is undoubtedly one of the most popular Disney brands right now, with the original animated film being the most streamed movie ever on Disney Plus and its sequel making a billion dollars just over a year ago! What will likely hold this live-action remake back other than the crowded family summer movie season is its lack of nostalgia factor! Live-action remakes like The Lion King (2019) and Lilo & Stitch (2025) were able to be the billion dollar grossers they did BECAUSE of the nostalgia attached to those films, which gave kids enough time to grow up, become nostalgic for the original animated Disney classics, and have raised kids of their own to share the theatrical experience with! Moana (2026) will be coming out at a time where the original animated film won’t even be fully 10 years old yet (It released in November 2016 btw) and just a year and a half after its animated sequel came out! It will still be a big success since the Moana brand is still strong but the lack of the nostalgic hook will prevent this from making a billion dollars!
4.) Minions & Monsters
Release Date: July 1st
Box Office Projection: $850+ Million
Since 2010, Illumination Animation has been able to crack the code on how to make crowd pleasing animated flicks for young kids, forcing their parents to take them to the movie theaters every other summer to see the newest Despicable Me and Minions movie that comes out. In regards to the installments that have come from this franchise post-covid, Minions: The Rise of Guru was able to make $940+ million in 2022 and Despicable Me 4 made $971+ million in 2024! Due to a much more crowded summer than in 2022 and 2024, having to compete with other family flicks such as the one-two Mickey Mouse punch of Toy Story 5 and Moana (2026), I do expect Minions & Monsters to take a decline as well, in a similar way that last summer’s Jurassic World: Rebirth was a slight decline with the other Jurassic Park/World movies. Even if this one ends up being slightly inferior to it’s predecessors and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie isn’t the $1.5+ billion juggernaut I predicted (Silly me!), Illumination and Universal should be eating just fine with their animated feature films in 2026!
3.) Michael
Release Date: April 24th
Box Office Projection: $950+ Million
I don’t care if the pre-sales numbers have been iffy thus far and the behind-the-scenes drama will put a giant raincloud throughout the press release, THIS is one that I can see being a global phenomenon. Michael Jackson is no doubt the most popular musician of all time, gaining worldwide appeal from all across planet Earth. With the high trailer numbers and the multiple generations of fans that MJ has gained throughout the course of several decades, there should be no reason to doubt his annual biopic will be a huge theatrical success. If the legs are strong and it ends up pleasing the masses enough, I can see Michael topping Bohemian Rhapsody as the highest grossing musical biopic of all time. This seems like the kind of film that will get people who don’t go to theaters anymore off their couches, similar to the likes of Top Gun: Maverick and Barbenheimer. Even though this film will be released in April, this will likely be seen as the true kick-off to the summer movie season of 2026!
2.) Toy Story 5
Release Date: June 19th
Box Office Projection: $1.1+ Billion
Although I was harsher on this one in my initial box office predictions earlier this year, this has grown on me quite a bit in recent months. To compare the box office numbers of the last two Toy Story movies, Toy Story 4 made $1.073+ billion about nine years after Toy Story 3, which made around $1.066+ billion. That’s less than a seven million dollar increase between these two films despite being nearly a decade apart! However, with it’s iPad storyline being very timely and the trailers seeming to promise a more traditional Toy Story adventure than Toy Story 4 did, I can see Toy Story 5 surpassing the previous film just enough to take the crown as the big family film of the summer, even from Disney’s own Moana (2026). Even if the film stumbles in quality or ends up being a punching bag on the internet like Toy Story 4 became after it’s release, there will still be plenty of kids and families that will go see this film in theaters to make it at least flirt with the billion dollar mark!
1.) Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Release Date: July 31st
Box Office Projection: $1.3+ Billion
Even in an era where superhero fatigue is at an all-time high, Spider-Man will ALWAYS be a box office draw no matter what! Him and Batman have proven themselves to be perhaps the lone superhero IPs that can still draw box office hits in the most uncertain times of the genre, at least if the successes of 2021’s No Way Home ($1.9+ billion), 2022’s The Batman ($772+ million), and 2023’s Across the Spider-Verse ($690+ million) is anything to go by. And NO, this will NOT be a No Way Home box office juggernaut but that should be expected considering this will (likely) not have the nostalgia of the good old days with William Dafoe and Tobey Maguire attached to it. I expect similar numbers to Far From Home (which made $1.1+ billion high off the heels of Avengers: Endgame), if not a bit more. Between the additions of notable Marvel characters such as The Punisher, Hulk, and whoever the heck Sadie Sink is suppose to be playing along with there being a decent amount of time since the last Spider-Man movie came out to build hype (No Way Home turns HALF a decade old this year btw!), Brand New Day will stand proud as the #1 film of the 2026 summer movie season, proving Spidey can defy ANY realms of superhero and Marvel fatigue!
1.) Spider-Man: Brand New Day- $1.3+ Billion
2.) Toy Story 5- $1.1+ Billion
3.) Michael- $950+ Million
4.) Minions & Monsters- $850+ Million
5.) Moana (2026)- $800+ Million
6.) The Odyssey- $750+ Million
7.) The Devil Wears Prada 2- $625+ Million
8.) Disclosure Day- $475+ Million
9.) The Mandalorian & Grogu- $400+ Million
10.) Supergirl- $350+ Million
As for other movies that missed the list:
Masters of the Universe (2026)
$325+ Million
I went back and forth between Supergirl and Masters of the Universe for the #10 spot but I went with Supergirl because I believe superheroes still have more appeal with Gen Z and Millennials than Masters of the Universe has with baby boomers. Even if the quality is on the level of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves like I expected to be given it’s Travis Knight taking the wheel here, He-Man just doesn’t seem like a popular brand in the year 2026. I wouldn’t be surprised if this film ends up losing Amazon quite a bit of money.
Mortal Kombat II
$175+ Million
Even if the first film was a bomb in 2021 (when half of movie theaters around the world will still closed), Mortal Kombat II should do quite well, with it being giving a more proper theatrical release and the trailers promising to deliver the goods the fans wanted that they didn’t get from the first film. Even if it will do numbers closer to Five Nights At Freddy’s than Minecraft, Mario, or Sonic, I don’t think WB will be too upset with the box office results. I only wonder if it was wise to delayed the picture from it’s original fall release from last year.
Scary Movie (2026)
$200+ Million
If Scary Movie is able to be on the same level of quality as last year’s The Naked Gun, then I can see the sixth entry riding the successful wave of Scream 7, opening the doors opening for more raw horror/politically incorrect comedies for the immediate future.
Evil Dead Burn
$50+ Million
Evil Dead Burn will likely end up being as buried and forgotten as ME3AN 2.0 was last summer. Again, what is it with these horror films getting the most bizarre release dates imaginable?!
Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie
$150+ Million
This will prove that Paw Patrol is still….a thing that exists for kids. But, it’s also coming out at the tail end of summer and when kids start going back to school so….yeah.
Jackass: Best and Last
$100+ Million
Johnny, please take us ALL home with Jackass: Best and Last! Just take us all home!
There’s a line in Hoppers that is quite the eye roller. You might’ve already seen it in the trailers but it’s when the two doctors, Sam and Nisha, explain to Mabel, the main protagonist, what the actual concept of Hoppers is suppose to be. And it’s during that moment where Mabel says how the concept of a human using sci-fi tech to transferring themselves into a nocturnal animal in the hopes of forming a relationship within the inhabits of a forest and preventing a demise of that said forest from the government is just like the movie, Avatar! It’s in that moment where you think you know which movie you are getting with Hoppers because the film directly tells you it! And for the first half of Pixar’s latest original, that is basically the movie you get.
Yes, we get to see the main protagonist’s hivemind be transported into that of a realistic beaver robot. Yes, we get to see to see the main protagonist interacted with other beavers and animals among an enchanted forest, which she realizes they are all just as human as her. And yes, we get to see a town’s government try to destroy that forest in favor of their own personal wants and needs for that forest. While that is all competently done in an entertaining enough way, it’s when the second half comes around and pulls the rug from underneath you (everyone will know EXACTLY the moment that I am talking about) that Hoppers fully forms into it’s own unique identity. And that identity makes it the best Avatar movie since well…...Avatar. And even then, it might just be better than that!
Hoppers is a showcase of what happens with Pixar allows themselves to let loose and forge their own path to creativity. The film has it’s own distinct animation style that compliments the storytelling without it being too overbearing or “in your face”, the characters are all likeable with their own relatable goals that anyone can get behind, it’s easily among the funniest Pixar movie in years, and despite prior reports of Disney’s efforts to downplay the themes of environmentalism, it’s able to get that exact message across in as much of a profound way as Pixar was able to in 2008 with Wall-E. It may take it’s time in getting to that exact point in the ways that it was intend but the pay-off by the latter half makes it all the more worth it.
Premise: When scientists discover a way to transform human consciousness into robotic animals, Mabel (Piper Curda) uses the new technology to uncover mysteries of the animal world that are beyond anything she could have ever imagined.
Hoppers is an animated feature with a lot on it’s mind, not so much interested in pushing itself in one certain directions but multiple, imaginative directions. Director Daniel Chong is able to explore the wonders of it’s premise, trying to create a world with logical problems that ben solved with the most logical answers imaginable. We see that perfectly through the main protagonist Mabel, a college girl who is fighting for animal and environmental rights, who wants to make a positive change in her hometown. However, as the film constantly states over and over again, it’s not as easy as it seems because the world itself isn’t one for solving logical problems with logical answers.
As much as Hoppers makes it’s case of being a story about optimism and unity, it’s not naive. It’s able to have that right brain in it’s head throughout the actions made by the characters without needing to contradicts itself to get it’s point across (Alyas, Raya and the Last Dragon!) A good example of this is with the character of King George (Bobby Moynihan), the leader of the beaver monarch. King George is someone that believes that everyone is a good person deep down, something which Mabel clearly disagrees with because of her past experiences with people. As much as she wants to be on King George’s side, she can’t because she know deep down that the ideal world that King George has in his head doesn’t exist. There’s a difference between an idealist and being a realist (something which a certain silver hedgehog from another certain franchise led by furry animal can attest to).
However, just because everyone can’t be a good person doesn’t mean you can at least change who they are if you work hard to do just that. Mayor Jerry Generazzo (Jon Hamm) may seem like a one-sided greedy mayor on the service but allow him to see a different perspective on the way things function and how it affects others and it might just lead him down a much better path than he expected. It’s further proof on how Hoppers isn’t just a story about how everyone should be kind and good-hearted when they are not but some might just be able to when they are given the perspective of someone from the “other side”, or in this case….a beaver.
This is basically what makes Hoppers a distinct animated parallel to that of Avatar, and in many ways is a better film than any of the three hugely successfully but ridiculously expensive sci-fi opera adventures. While James Cameron was able to use the premise of a human being leaping into the body of another species to tell a story of a man going against the grain of his own kind in favor of helping out an indigenous tribe, Hoppers uses that exact same premise to tell a more complicated and layer story about an interloper who wants to make a positive impact on a community and have it lead to the best of both worlds for both her kind and the endangered animals she is trying to save.
When it comes to the other aspects as well, Hoppers is still quite rock solid. While the animation style won’t be to everyone’s taste (especially if the “civil” reaction to the animation style of Turning Red had anything to go by), it has enough novelty in it’s own cartoony style that benefits the way it tells it story in ways that are both funny and effective. The voice cast is quite strong, with Piper Curda and Jon Hamm being the main standouts as the main protagonist and antagonist respectively, with other worthy work done by the likes of Bobby Moynihan, Dave Franco, and Merryl Steep respectively. And despite having plenty of moments of levity, emotion, and even some shock value (again you will know EXACTLY the one turning point scene I’m talking about, it’s able to have a perfectly controlled tone that never contradicts one scene or the other. Oh, and it’s ALWAYS nice to hear SZA’s voice when doing music.
I won’t said that Hoppers is an instant Pixar masterpiece on par with the likes of Up,Inside Out, Coco, or Soul. As I said, the film takes a while to get it’s engine going, playing like the standard “human turns into animal” premise the trailers depicted it as along with one or two cringeworthy lines about how aware and “meta” it is of the kind of premise it is taking inspiration off. It’s once things are put into place and the film starts throwing more twists and personal dilemmas into it’s conflicts that the film become more than meets the eyes. It’s a film you have to be patient wait but I assure you, your patience will be awarded by the halfway point.
After last year’s Elio, it seemed like Pixar was no longer able to make original and thought-provoking animated films with a distinct message of it’s own without it getting gutted like a fish by the higher-ups of Mickey Mouse. However, Hoppers, seems to prove otherwise. It’s prove that Pixar is still allowed to make original films that are smart, wacky, funny, complex, and enough relatable and charm that it might just become a hit among mainstream audiences. While it might fall just short of a classic, Hoppers is prove that perhaps we can make a difference! Enough said!
Scream 7 is the first installment in this franchise that attempts to answer questions that it never really intended to when production first started. After Spyglass fired Melissa Barrera over “personal matters” and allowed Jenna Ortega and Happy Death Day director Christopher Landon to walk, this seven entry now finds itself addressing social commentary about what happens when a franchise royally s**ts the bed so hard that it has no choice but to bring back the legacy characters that everyone loves and lean balls deep into nostalgia. Unlike with most franchises that has to use that template because of past screw-ups in front of the camera, this film has to use that template because of past screw-ups BEHIND the camera! And oh man, are the results EMBRASSINGLY on screen!
Scream 7 plays like an apology letter to the franchise for excluding Sidney Prescott from the last movie and an outright hostile takeover (And I’m NOT just talking about the one which Paramount had just accomplished) of the previous two movies. Imagine if they made a fourth Creed movie that brought back Sylvester Stallone but left out Michael B Jordan and spend the entire runtime saying sorry for leaving Rocky out last time. This film is all about how great Sidney Prescott is, how the original movies with her are the best of the best, and how the previous two films felt more like Stab movies than Scream movies and…..basically nothing else.
The whole film has a choppy feel to it throughout it’s entire runtime, none of the returning characters or callbacks feel earned, the new characters that are introduced don’t make much of an impression, it brings up current topics that it has no business in exploring or commentating on, and it never fully justifies why Sidney Prescott is back at the forefront that makes the whole behind the scenes drama with Melissa Barrera feel worth it. While Neve Campbell is still as great as ever (and has aged like a FINE wine) and there a couple of solid kills scattered throughout, Scream 7 is the first installment in this beloved horror franchise that never seems like it has a stab point to make.
Premise: When a new Ghostface killer emerges in the town where Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has built a new life, her darkest fears are realized as her daughter becomes the next target
As stated previously, the most tone deaf element of Scream 7 has to do with the handling of Sidney Prescott and why she’s the main focus once again. It plays in the exact same fashion as every other modern series when they feel the need to go into full course correction mode after previously divisive and/or poorly received installments (Anyone that is able to write a review for Scream 7 that does NOT mention The Rise of Skywalker gets an achievement unlocked!) sank its reputation and feels the need to address it.
The problem here is that Scream (2022) and Scream VI were NOT divisive and/or poorly received installments. Both installments got solid reviews and fan reception while making just as much money as you could make for this franchise. It was able to successfully pass the series baton to a new generation of Scream queens and actually bothering to blaze a path forward for this long-running horror franchise. It’s only because of studio politics that forced this film to have a massive half a million dollar rewrite and needing to pay Neve Campbell her due to come back. It’s not course correction because the previous two films that put the spotlight on Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega were rejected by the fandom or mainstream audiences, it’s course correction due to pure incompetence from Spyglass.
Thankfully, Neve Campbell still has it as Sidney Prescott. She has never given a half assed performance in any one of these movies and is still fully committed here. She is given an actual mother-daughter dynamic to play with this time around, an aspect that Scream (2022) absolutely hand-waved, with Isabel May (A.K.A. Tim McGraw’s daughter in 1883 and 1923) as Sid’s daughter, Tatum (Try not to think too much about the Scream timeline to avoid a brain malfunction). It’s during these moments where the film become the closest to have an actual beating heart to it and gets the best performances out of these two.
Unfortunately, the film can never escape the stormy raincloud that has been raining above it since the departure of Melissa Barrera. The absence of the Carpenter sisters is never addressed and you could almost swear you can swap these characters with two other ones in the movie and nothing much change. You can just put Sam in the same role as Tatum and Tara in the same role as Mckenna Grace’s character or Michelle Randolph’s (A.K.A. Billy Bob Thornton’s daughter in Landman) character in the opening sequence and you basically get the exact same movie. I don’t mean to harp on the studio politics surrounding Scream 7 too much but it just goes to show you how much Paramount and Skydance shot themselves in the foot here.
While the newer characters and returning cast members from the last two films do have plenty of young talent that seems like they are having fun, they all remain rather disposable cannon fodder. Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown are giving less to do here than the last two movies with the latter not even given the chance to deliver her deliciously ham-fisted speech that’s suppose to go into detail what modern day tropes this latest Scream installment is suppose to be mocking. Mckenna Grace and Celeste O’Connor seem to be only here because they have become more popular actresses among Gen Z that you just had to thrown in here. Joel McHale plays the straight forward police officer well but doesn’t have any chemistry with Neve Campbell as her distinct husband. It’s really saying something when the new cast members that give off the best impression are the ones that show up in the opening scene just to get killed by Ghostface.
In terms of returning characters from the original Scream movies, they might be even more underwhelming. While it’s always great to see Courtney Cox’s Gale and ESPECIALLY Matthew Lillard’s Stu, their presence somehow manages to feel even more like an afterthought than the legacy characters in Scream (2022). It particularly uses Stu to address a major global crisis we are all dealing with right now and…..then proceeds to do literally NOTHING else with it. Not only is there no shock value to Stu’s return because the film proceeds to explain right out of the gate why Stu is suddenly back with NO unique twist to it, the methods to his presence makes even less sense with the way the film explains it. I know tech is pretty good in our own world but there no way it’s THAT good as it is in Scream 7.
And in case you are wondering about the Ghostface actors, they are all hands down the worst killer reveals in the entire franchise. While it might leave you with a big “Oh!” in an interesting way at first glance, it falls completely apart the moment you even start to think about their motives and how little sense they actually made. It’s about the most random people you can imagine and have the most tacked-on connections to Sid imaginable, given the indication that this franchises has run out of ideas on how to shock people with who Ghostface is. When even the killer in last year’s I Know What You Did Last Summer have a more justifiable motive, you know something went completely wrong here.
Kevin Williamson makes his return to the Scream franchise after writing the first two Scream movies and Scream 4 while getting a chance for his seat in the director’s chair. Even if the whole film has a feeling that the whole thing was cobbled together at the last second (which I can’t imagine why), he is able to stage the stabbing and killing as best as he could. There’s a handful of real and effective stabbing scenes spread throughout, with the main standout being the opening sequence and the final stand by Sid herself. I’m not even gonna pretend they make even the most logical sense as to why each Ghostface scene is happening but to give the film credit where it’s due, it’s sequences of blood, gore, and kills do work whenever they need to.
Scream 7 is the first movie in the franchise that feels like it belongs more in the world of Stab than it does Scream. For all the faults of Scream 3 or the last two installments, they still did feel like proper Scream entries that was able to get the points they were trying to get across worth it. Scream 7 doesn’t even attempt to be as fun or intriguing as the weakest of Scream movies. Aside from trying to carry favor to Neve Campbell and those that rejected Scream (2022) and Scream VI because they actually dared to push the series forward, I can’t recommend this movie to anyone unless you are a Scream fanatic.
In my review for Scream VI back in 2023, I said that the next movie needed to up it’s game on the spoofs and meta commentary in order for the series to continue moving strong or else the fatigue will set in. While I’m sure the opening box office numbers will say otherwise, Scream 7 confirmed my worst fears in spectacular fashion. It’s a combination of corrupted studio politics and producers and what happens when a franchise is too in love with it’s past that it can’t bother to push forward for the future. As much as I’m a fan of this franchise, it’s probably time to put it to rest.
Remember when Sam Raimi kinda sorta tackled the spiritual prequel to The Wizard of Oz? You don’t! Well, that might just be for the better! The decision to try to tackle the lore of Oz using the story template of Army of Darkness is a neat idea on paper but very iffy in execution. From the obvious green screen effects to the bizarre casting choices (James Franco as Oz?! Really?!) to the baffling treatment of the witches themselves, Oz: The Great and Powerful offers Sam Raimi as his safest and weakest! This feels like the only film on this list where it felt like literally ANYONE other than Sam Raimi could have directed it. There’s some entertaining bits scattered throughout and is certainly watchable but you are better off just watching the original Wizard of Oz or the Wicked films if you want your cinematic fix in the Land of Oz!
15.) Crimewave
Following his first notable success with The Evil Dead, Raimi decided to take matters into his own hands with his follow-up Crimewave, a slapstick comedy about an innocent man accused of numerous murders. Unfortunately, the studio had other plans. Bruce Campbell wasn’t aloud to be casted as the lead role, Raimi’s personal composer and editor was replaced entirely, and you can really tell the inexperience that young Raimi had when it came to production and being able to make a film with a studio breathing down his neck. The good news is that several elements from this film would make way to later productions from Raimi down the road, leading directly to Evil Dead II. There’s a handful of moments that capture Raimi’s visionary lightning in a bottle but not enough to hide the compromised mess that Crimewave is.
14.) For Love of the Game
Here’s the one time that Raimi tried to make his own sports movie! He even went as far as to cast baseball movie star veteran Kevin Costner and even got the late great broadcaster Vin Sully (RIP!) to come in the booth! The end results however are just okay! The baseball scenes themselves work well enough and there’s enough of a beating heart to keep him from being in any way detestable. However, the sluggish pacing, by-the-numbers storytelling, and a shockingly bloated runtime (This is two hours and 18 minutes long!), keep For Love of the Game from being an all-time sports classic. Still, for those that are fond of baseball movies and your typical baseball movie cliches, this should do you just fine.
13.) The Gift
With what was his last indie project before promoting himself to blockbuster territory with Spider-Man (2002), Raimi made a supernatural thriller about a fortune teller getting roped in a small-town murder investigation (Doesn’t that ring a small bell from earlier?). This contains a stacked cast with Cate Blanchett, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, Michael Jeter, future Spider-Man stars J.K. Simmons and Rosemary Harris, and Keanu Reeves, in EASILY his most unlikeable role to date (And I mean that in the best way!) The main issue has to do with the main protagonist being overly stupid, making for the worst psychic and detective you can possibly imagine. Even if that’s part of the joke here (which it isn’t), it doesn’t make the experience that much better. The Gift has an intriguing premise that never feels like it lives up to it’s 100% potential!
12.) The Quick and the Dead
Raimi decided to dip his toe into the western genre and the results are mostly pretty good. Aided by the proper cast with Sharon Stone, Gene Hackma, Russell Crowe Leo DiCaprio, and many others, pretty sharp direction that manages to feel properly Raimi, and the characters manages to all be quite intriguing and entertaining in their own right. It does suffer from an overlong middle stretch and the film’s entire build up is strictly on a quick draw tournament, which results in a crap ton of build up to not a ton of payoff. The Quick and the Dead still makes for a fun time and is worth checking out if you are a sucker for a solid western.
11.) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Arguably the most divisive MCU installment since Iron Man 3, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a film that uses it’s set pieces and effective imagery to flirt with and mock the kind of fandom that cares more about filmmakers making their bizarre fan theories coming true instead of making a genuine work of art. It doesn’t quite reach it’s ambitions with the characterization being paper thin, a script that doesn’t seem to care about what happened during WandaVision, and not taking as much advantage of the actual multiverse as much as say the Spider-Verse films do but Sam Raimi’s unique horror-like style is on full display here. The set pieces that work here are some of the best in the entire MCU, Benedict Cumberbatch feels completely at home as Stephen Strange (even if he has absolutely zero chemistry with Rachael McAdams), and Elizabeth Olsen is an absolute force to be reckoned with as the Scarlet Witch, making even the most out-of-character moments for Wanda feel completely in character. As much as one can complain about the issues with the script and the leaps of logic presented here, one can’t deny that the moments where Sam Raimi is allowed to go full Sam Raimi is what saves Multiverse of Madness from being in the absolute bottom of the barrel of the MCU!
10.) Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 has more flaws than it does characters and subplots but it has more heart to it than most people are willing to admit. As everyone and their mother has pointed out about this movie, there’s just too much going on it. It feels the need to cram in every single idea it can think off that it has to defy logic, have previous events being retcon, and letting it’s characters do uncharacteristic things to make it all happen. However, most of the thing that worked well with the first two movies such as the wonderful action, breakneck pacing, great music and heard hitting emotional beats work very well. Not to mention, the themes surrounding forgiveness and finding the humanity in others is a wonderful message for a Spider-Man movie and helps make the whole trilogy come full circle. When watching Spider-Man 3 back-to-back with the first two movies, it does make for a rather satisfying experience. I’m not gonna act like this isn’t the weakest of the trilogy but it’s no where near the abomination that people claimed it was back in 2007.
Also, Bully Maguire FTW!
9.) The Evil Dead
The film that put Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell on the map as the forces of nature in Hollywood, The Evil Dead is the beginning of something truly special for the horror genre! Inventing his own camera tricks and cost-cutting filmmaking techniques, Raimi is able to create something truly unique on his first go-around despite all odds in financial shortcomings against. The gore effects are impressive, the flashy camerawork works like wonders, and Bruce Campell’s Ash Williams is an instant horror icon. However, there are still plenty of imperfections throughout when it comes to controlling the tone, balancing the gore and humor, and Campbell going through some growing pains as a leading man. The Evil Dead offers plenty of promise for a future beloved filmmaker and star but the best had yet to come for Raimi, Campbell, and the horror genre in general.
8.) Send Help
Can we point out how much of a miracle that a film like Send Help exists? In an age of sequels, reboots, remakes, and legacy-quels conquering the film landscape and sucking up the remaining creative energy that Hollywood might still have, films like these are becoming more diamonds in the rough in the film industry. Thankfully, someone at 20th Century Fox or Disney was wise enough to give a blank check to the godfather of horror and superhero movies in Sam Raimi, his first original horror film since 2009’s Drag Me To Hell! Send Help is yet another worthy addition to Raimi’s Hall of Fame of Horror! It’s able to capitalize on it’s simple yet effective premise thanks to it’s two charismatic leads, it’s incredibly visionary direction, unapologetically excessive gore, and a script that will keep audiences on their toes the whole way through. Even if it can be rough around the edges that it knocks it down to the middle-of-the-pack of Raimi’s filmography rather than up there with the likes of Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, it’s still an absolute blast of a motion picture that is definitely worth seeing on the big screen.
7.) Drag Me To Hell
After spending nearly a full decade with Spider-Man, Raimi returned to the horror genre with 2009’s Drag Me To Hell! This is an old school scare fest about a bank clerk who has grand ambitions but gets cursed and terrorized by it in the form of demons. When it comes to horror and straight up NASTINESS, this is Raimi at his most brutal. There is nothing more delightful here than see characters constantly being torture for the benefit of the audience’s pleasure. We also see what is easily the most HAUNTING imagery in Raimi’s filmography, the kind of imagery that lived rent free in my head when I saw the commercials for this film when I was a kid and is still on my mind now. Not everyone will be fond with what Drag Me To Hell offers but if you have an appetite for unhinged horror, this will deliver you a complete meal.
6.) A Simple Plan
This is Raimi favorite for many people and for good reason. A Simple Plan makes for Raimi’s most dramatic work to date, feeling like a spiritual prequel to The Gift. Much like the latter film, this is a tale of betrayal, murder, and folks that are prone to awful mistakes in judging others. This makes for a very effect tale about the cruel nature of greed, aided by a terrific cats of Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Paxton, and Brent Briscoe, very well made production values, the ending is an all-timer, and has conflicts that feel among the most human in a Raimi film that does not involve a certain web swinger. However, this feels Raimi at his most restraint, stepping back from his usual style and camp to make room for a more somber and serious tone. It certainly works well enough but this almost feels like a Sam Raimi film specifically made for those that don’t like Sam Raimi. Even so, A Simple Plan is hard to criticize too much because everything that works ends up working spectacularly well that I can’t recommend it enough.
5.) Darkman
Before doing Spider-Man, Raimi’s very first comic book property he translated into film was no other than Darkman. Even all these year later, it still holds up as a gloriously camp dark superhero film, proving that Sam knew how to tackle superhero material 12 years before tackling the web swinger. This makes for a pretty tragic origin story of a man who had everything in his life but then lost it completely, leaving him nothing but complete vengeance! Liam Neeson is great as the title character, Larry Drake makes for a very memorable antagonist, and the score once again proves that Raimi + Elfman is a match made in heaven! It does have some clunky aspects surrounding the romance and some pretty poor blue screen work but this is still very impressive stuff! If you are a big fan of Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy and haven’t check out Darkman yet, I highly recommend it!
4.) Evil Dead 2
Part sequel, part remake, all-time banger! Evil Dead II does want every great horror sequel does, it takes everything you loved about the original and makes them even better. This manages to be better, bloodier, and funnier than the original while also delivering plenty of new scares, gore, and physical comedy of it’s own. Raimi and Bruce Campbell feel completely at home in their roles, the direction is perfectly on point, the set design and make-ups affects could not be anymore perfect, and the frustratingly imperfected parts of the original are nearly gone here with a full budget to help Raimi execute the exact vision he has in his crazy little mind. There are still some dated parts here and there but Evil Dead II‘s influence on the horror genre can not be overlooked. However, there is still at least one more pure horror flick that I feel is absolute 100% unhinged Sam Raimi!
3.) Spider-Man (2002)
The one movie that kick started the modern era of comic book movies and was also the one movie that got me along with plenty of kids of my generation into Spider-Man. This was the first ever superhero movie I’ve ever watch and one of the first movies that I remember having incredibly fond memories of as a child. Even if I’m unable to take off the bluntly obvious nostalgia goggles (I never can!), Spider-Man (2002) is still an amazing film in it’s own right. The origin of Peter Parker turning into Spider-Man is perfectly told, Tobey Maguire is as every bit as likable and iconic as the title character as you can imagine, and Sam Raimi’s unique version of this world is felt perfectly through every single frame. And that’s not even talking about the insanely memorable supporting cast (J.K. Simmons is everything!), extremely quotable lines, phenomenal score, fist bumping action, and the light hearted tone that makes this movie super enjoyable to watch all of these years later. While I’m sure there are those that like to poke fun at the outdated elements of the movie such as the special effects, cheeseball dialogue, and the Power Ranger-looking Green Goblin, they all still feel right at home with what Raimi brings into his style of Spider-Man. Regardless if you feel like this movie has stood the test of time or not, you can’t deny that if it weren’t the success of this movie, there’s a good chance that this subgenre of movies as we know it today would be no where near big as it has been for the past two decades.
2.) Army of Darkness
That’s right! I have Army of Darkness this high on the list and above the first two Evil Dead films! This is the one where Raimi just swing for the fences and shatters them to pieces! From the unapologetically over-the-top tone to the many standout moments of blood and gore, to the perfection of visual storytelling to the masterfully controlled tone from epic scares to goofy comedy to Bruce Campbell never being better as a crazy chainsaw wielding badass, this is horror Sam Raimi at his absolute best! There’s no low budget that limited the first one or the sluggish recap of the second one, Army of Darkness goes all in from minute one and NEVER holds up, taking you on a wild ride the whole way through! While I’m sure some folks out there won’t agree, this is Sam Raimi horror at it’s absolute finest and makes for one of my favorite horror films of all time!
1.) Spider-Man 2
If you want an example of how to do the perfect superhero sequel, look no further than Spider-Man 2! This is the sequel that was able to take everything we love about the original, expand upon it, and trim any sort of fat that could possibly ruin the experience. This is a movie that perfectly dives into the inner turmoil of being a superhero and the life superheroes have outside of that. Just like with the best Spider-Man movies, it’s all about struggles to balance two different life styles at the exact same time. And how even though being Spider-Man can suck sometimes, it’s something that Peter has to do because it’s just who he is and what his responsibility consists of. Throw in some truly fantastic action, with the main stand out being the spectacular train sequence, arguably the best fight in any superhero movie, a tremendous villain in Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock, character arcs that come full circle, and one of the most satisfying endings in any movie, you get an absolute cinematic masterpiece that is Spider-Man 2! If you are someone that loves Spider-Man, superhero movies and especially Sam Raimi, I have no idea how you couldn’t at least like this movie. When it comes to every film that Sam Raimi has made, there has yet to be a movie that comes even remotely close to topping Spider-Man 2!
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