Comic Basics

Depositphotos Hollywood’s Brat Pack era produced no shortage of friendly rivalries among its rising stars, with a handful of young actors constantly competing for the same breakout material throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Few of those actors built quite as enduring a career as Rob Lowe, whose early success in films like ‘The Outsiders’ and ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’ established him as one of the era’s defining leading men.

Instagram Grief in the public eye rarely unfolds the way families might hope, especially when the person being mourned was as universally beloved as one of country music’s most enduring icons. In the days following a devastating loss, the Parton family has found itself navigating an especially difficult version of that experience, forced to process private pain while an avalanche of online commentary continues swirling around them.

Depositphotos / A24 Adam Wingard has built a distinct reputation within genre filmmaking for grounding his most outlandish concepts in scraps of real history, using conspiracy theories and declassified programs as launching pads for pulpy, blood-soaked storytelling. His latest collaboration with longtime creative partner Dan Stevens continues that tradition, weaving a decades-old government secret directly into the DNA of its central villain.

Paramount Episode 6 of Special Ops: Lioness Season 3 picks up on the sixth day of Joe McNamara’s abduction, with Kaitlyn Meade and Kyle racing against a rapidly closing window to bring her home alive. In the past timeline, the fallout from exposing widespread foreign infiltration in Washington accelerates. FBI “sting operations” serve as a cover story for a wave of arrests among members of Congress.

Depositphotos Some actors build reputations through their filmography alone, but Willem Dafoe has spent recent years cultivating an entirely different kind of internet fame. His candid magazine photoshoots have consistently found their way into meme culture, turning red carpet appearances and editorial shoots into unexpected viral moments that have little to do with his actual film work.

Netflix Documentary subjects don’t always get final say over how their own story gets told, and few recent examples illustrate that tension quite as sharply as one iconic actor’s reaction to Netflix’s latest deep dive into his life. Streaming platforms have increasingly turned to unauthorized-feeling biographical projects that promise unflinching looks at their subjects, sometimes leaving the very people being profiled blindsided by the final product.

Kojima Productions Video game adaptations have had a mixed track record in Hollywood, but few upcoming projects carry quite as much cautious optimism as A24’s take on one of gaming’s most divisive and ambitious titles. Hideo Kojima’s ‘Death Stranding‘ captivated more than 19 million players worldwide with its sprawling, genre-defying story blending post-apocalyptic survival with metaphysical themes about connection and isolation.

Depositphotos / Newmarket Films Faith-based cinema rarely generates the kind of decade-long anticipation that’s built around one particular sequel, but few filmmakers have teased a follow-up project with quite as much mystery as Mel Gibson has surrounding his next biblical epic. Ever since confirming plans for a continuation back in 2016, Gibson has spent years dropping tantalizing hints about just how ambitious the project would ultimately become.

Marvel Studios Marvel’s road to assembling its biggest crossover event yet has involved bringing together heroes from corners of its cinematic universe that have never shared the screen before. Few reunions on the ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ set have generated quite as much internal excitement among the cast as one that reached all the way back to the very beginning of the modern superhero movie era.

Sony Pictures Releasing Zach Cregger has spent the past few years building one of the more distinctive filmmaking résumés in modern horror, moving from a background in sketch comedy to becoming one of the genre’s most trusted new voices. After original hits like ‘Barbarian’ and ‘Weapons’ put him firmly on the industry’s radar, his decision to tackle an established video game franchise seemed like a notable departure from the wholly original storytelling that made his name.