Inverse

Horror movies often hinge entirely on the strength of their villain. From Ghostface to Jason Voorhees, a great baddie with a look that will sell Halloween costumes is a great way to secure yourself a place in horror history. There’s perhaps no better example than Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger, whose striped sweater, ratty fedora, and a glove decked out in knives proved the iconic look for the slasher series.

Over the last 20 years of mass entertainment, there’s been an interesting synergy between the rise of superhero films and the popularity of shōnen anime in the United States. Since the ‘90s opened the floodgates for the migration of anime and manga from Japan to America, both mediums have been synonymous with shōnen storytelling (predominantly action-adventure tales aimed at adolescent boys) despite the fact that there’s immense diversity to be found in each.

Spaceballs was the original Star Wars send-up, decades before Robot Chicken even hatched. But since the Mel Brooks movie came out in 1987, Star Wars is practically unrecognizable. There have been two different trilogies, a handful of TV shows, and hundreds of books since we learned about the Schwartz, so there’s no telling how that world has changed as well.

Tom Cruise has given us a lot in recent years, so it doesn’t really matter that he’s effectively retreated into franchises of his own making. For the past decade, the movie star has mostly been concerned with IP, helming Mission: Impossible sequels, reviving the world of Top Gun with stellar results, and starring in a few other misguided reboots.

Mike Flanagan, the horror mogul who made several hit series for Netflix, and Stephen King, the prolific writer of countless novels, have formed one of the most trusting relationships in entertainment. After 2017’s Gerald’s Game, Flanagan has repeatedly returned to King’s work, from the Shining sequel Doctor Sleep to the wholesome joy of The Life of Chuck.

The legendary actor, Sam Neill, has sadly passed away at the age of 78. Known to science fiction and fantasy fans as Dr. Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise, the horror cult classic Event Horizon, and as the wizard Merlin, Neill’s talent was boundless. And, if you’re looking to take a deep dive into the incredible career of Neill, you could of course, watch any of those famous films or even his lesser-known WWII drama, The Blood of Others.

When the Vampire Claudia (Delainey Hayles) is murdered by the Théâtre des Vampires in Interview with the Vampire, that’s pretty much the end for her character. Sure, she continues to haunt the narrative, popping up as a ghost before her surrogate dads, the Vampires Lestat (Sam Reid) and Louis (Jacob Anderson). But Hayles never expected to return to the series in any major capacity. “I had no idea,” Hayles tells Inverse. “But then [showrunner] Rolin [Jones] called me and said, ‘We have this thing.

The main battles of House of the Dragon may be fought in the skies, but the day-to-day combat is all on the streets — controlling the image of the throne, the loyalties of minor houses, and the normal functions of the court. In Season 3 Episode 4, Rhaenyra finally seems to get a hang of this whole “being queen” thing, but a new threat looms over in Tumbleton, one controlled by a good old-fashioned evil villain.

Nobody sets out to make a so-bad-it’s-good movie. No director hopes that their passion project will become something that people laugh at in midnight screenings while throwing related objects at the screen. Tommy Wiseau thought he was making a Tennessee Williams-esque masterpiece with The Room. Canon Films believed The Apple would be the musical smash of the ‘80s. The truth is that earnestness gone wrong is simply funnier than someone who thinks they’re in on the joke.

House of the Dragon has always been a show of loyalties. The “Team Green” and “Team Black” rivalry is always present in conversations around the series, even infiltrating the marketing campaigns. With no clear hero or villain, fans can root for whoever they like in the Dance of Dragons, but that same fact means that there’s no universal villain to root against. That is, until now.