Timothy Olyphant is currently enjoying the revival of one of the actor’s career-defining roles with “Justified: City Primeval,” airing on FX now. But EW reports that in a recent sit-down with the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Olyphant talked about a big role he missed out on a decade and a half ago: Captain Kirk in J.J. Abram‘s “Star Trek” films.

Continue reading Timothy Olyphant Says He Lost The Role Of Kirk To Chris Pine In JJ Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’ Films Because He Was Too Old at The Playlist.

So, what’s the latest on “Star Trek 4“?  J.J. Abrams certainly sounds bullish on the film’s future. He told Esquire in their Chris Pine cover story that its script is in a good place, adding “I will say it’s the first time [since the 2009 film] that we have a story that feels as compelling as the first one.” But Variety reports that Pine doesn’t have a clue what’s going on with the potential sequel, and finds the whole situation “frustrating.”

READ MORE: ‘Star Trek 4’ Writers Detail How Chris Hemsworth’s George Kirk Would Return In Abandoned Sequel

“I don’t know anything,” Pine told Esquire about “Star Trek 4.” “In “Star Trek” land, the actors are usually the last people to find out anything.

Continue reading Chris Pine Calls The ‘Star Trek’ Film Franchise “Cursed,” Has No Idea What’s Going On With ‘Star Trek 4’ Script at The Playlist.

Since J.J. Abrams‘ “Star Trek” reboot trilogy ended with “Star Trek Beyond” five years ago, Paramount has been trying to re-launch the franchise and keep the Enterprise afloat, with everyone from Quentin Tarantino to Noah Hawley and even David Cronenberg reportedly taking a shot at the popular sci-fi franchise. While everyone was looking at the big screen for answers, it seems the next voyage of the Starship Enterprise will come to us from one of the writers of the “Star Trek: Discovery” TV series.

Continue reading A New ‘Star Trek’ Movie Is In The Works From ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Writer Kalinda Vazquez at The Playlist.

Though it feels as if Sundance was, in fact, a decade ago, it was only earlier this year, as the pandemic has made 2020 feel never-ending. At that distant film festival that feels like it was a lifetime ago, filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung dazzled audiences with his award-winning feature, “Minari.” And it appears that Chung was able to catch the attention of JJ Abrams, who has signed the filmmaker to one of the most interesting adaptations currently in production.

Continue reading ‘Minari’s’ Lee Isaac Chung To Write & Direct ‘Your Name’ Reimagining For Producer JJ Abrams at The Playlist.

Let’s begin this article by saying that we’re not here to fully relitigate the most recent “Star Wars” sequel trilogy. That’s a fruitless endeavor that will only end with harsh language and a deep self-loathing that no shower will wash away, as you realize that your day is wrecked after debating “Star Wars” online. Instead, let’s talk about something that is completely inarguable—the fact that the most recent sequels were a disjointed mess.

Continue reading Daisy Ridley Says Rey’s Origin Changed Drastically Between Each ‘Star Wars’ Sequel at The Playlist.

Atticus (Jonathan Majors) loves pulp fiction. He loves that “the heroes get to go on adventures on other worlds… defeat the monsters, save the day.” A trimmed Korean war veteran, usually dressed in a t-shirt and slacks, he’s traveling from Florida back home to Chicago. His father Montrose (Michael Kenneth Williams), who he shares a contentious relationship with, sent him a mysterious letter describing a “sacred” (or “secret”) birthright his son must claim.

Continue reading ‘Lovecraft Country’: A Powerful & Terrifying Genre Odyssey Led By An Incredible Cast [Review] at The Playlist.

A timely interview gives some credence to some recent rumors. The gossip of late? That Warner Bros. is developing a new “Constantine” film or sequel is in the works and possibly with Keanu Reeves (the rumor being they want him, but who knows if they can get him). The adjunct talk is that “Constantine” character falls under the “Justice League Dark” umbrella, which is currently being handled by J.J.

Continue reading Francis Lawrence Suggests A New ‘Constantine’ Movie Is In The Works But Without Him & Keanu Reeves at The Playlist.

Thanks to the “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” franchises, people tend to forget just how JJ Abrams started his career. Back before “Lost,” “Mission: Impossible III,” and even “Alias,” Abrams was best known as the writer-director-creator of the drama series “Felicity,” starring Keri Russell. And no, there weren’t aliens or explosions in that series.

Continue reading ‘Little Voice’ Trailer: JJ Abrams Returns To His Roots With A New Musical Drama Series On Apple TV+ at The Playlist.

In “Lovecraft Country,” things aren’t as easy as they might seem. As seen in the new teaser for the HBO series, exec produced by both J.J. Abrams and Jordan Peele, even a journey as seemingly straight-forward as locating your missing father can lead you to cross paths with some deadly forces, both human and otherwise.

READ MORE: ‘I Know This Much Is True’: Mark Ruffalo Devastates In Derek Cianfrance’s Bruising Epic About Family & Forgiveness [Review]

The teaser sets up the basic story of the new supernatural horror series—a man is on the hunt for his missing father, who left him a note about where to find answers.

Continue reading ‘Lovecraft Country’ Teaser: JJ Abrams & Jordan Peele Team Up For A New HBO Horror Series From Showrunner Misha Green at The Playlist.

Remember back in December and January, when all we were annoyed about was whether or not “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” was any good? Now, we’re 3 months into 2020 and the Presidential election is pitting us against each other and a global pandemic is infecting the world. I never thought I’d say this, but can we please get back to debating “Star Wars?”

READ MORE: ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Novelization Explains Palpatine’s Return & Doesn’t Alleviate Any Frustration

Thankfully, the recent digital release of ‘Rise of Skywalker’ has given us access to special features, including a clip from “The Skywalker Legacy,” a feature-length documentary about the making of the film.

Continue reading ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Doc Clip Takes Our Mind Off Coronavirus & Back To Debating ‘Star Wars’ Like The Good Ol’ Days at The Playlist.

After gaining headlines for signing a massive deal with Warner Bros., JJ Abrams and his Bad Robot production company have their sights set on the first project. No, this isn’t the “Man of Steel” sequel you were hoping for. Instead, it appears that Bad Robot has a new supernatural film in mind titled “The Pinkerton.”

READ MORE: Bad Robot Developing ‘Justice League Dark’ Properties for Warner Bros.

Continue reading JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Developing New Supernatural Film ‘The Pinkerton’ at The Playlist.

What sorcery is this? “Justice League Dark” has returned from the dead to be resurrected by one of Hollywood’s most powerful players and his gigantic studio.

Deadline
is reporting that JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot, through their lucrative new
deal with Warner Media, will be developing both television and movie projects
based around DC Comics’ “Justice League Dark” property, which began in comics
form 2011 as a magic-and-monsters alternative to the traditional superhero
team-up Justice League.

Continue reading Bad Robot Developing ‘Justice League Dark’ Properties for Warner Bros. at The Playlist.

Screenwriter Chris Terrio has been making the rounds recently as he promotes his most recent project, a little indie called “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” As that film approaches $1 billion at the box office, it’s clear the publicity tour for Terrio has been more about defending his storytelling choices and less celebrating the end of the Skywalker Saga. And in a new interview with Awards Daily, Terrio talked about one of the biggest complaints about ‘Rise of Skywalker’ — the relentless pacing.

Continue reading Chris Terrio Says George Lucas’ 9-Film Vision Was A Factor In Not Splitting ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Into 2 Parts at The Playlist.

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” has been unleashed on the world for a little less than two weeks. In that short time, there have been hundreds of thinkpieces, incredible amounts of debate, and overall quote-unquote Discourse about the Skywalker Saga finale. And while fans seem to have very polarizing thoughts about the content of the film (as with any new “Star Wars” release), you can’t deny that there is definitely some artistry on display with the technical achievements in the film.

Continue reading ‘Rise of Skywalker’ Editor Says ‘Star Wars’ Was In A “No-Win Situation” With Fans In This Final Chapter at The Playlist.

Does “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker” work to intentionally undo everything in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi?” As many have noted, there’s an alarming number of examples of how J.J. Abrams’ film seemingly tries to tear down everything established in Rian Johnson’s predecessor.

READ MORE: ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Co-Writer Chris Terrio Says People That Think The Film Is An Argument Against ‘The Last Jedi’ Are “Missing The Point”

Academy Award-winning writer and ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ screenwriter Chris Terrio (“Argo”) has been making the rounds basically defending a lot of those decisions, and honestly, he makes a lot of good points about lineage, reclamation and things of that nature.

Continue reading Chris Terrio Walks Back Blaming Carrie Fisher’s VFX For Absence Of Rose In ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ at The Playlist.

With “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” in theaters for two full weekends, co-writer Chris Terrio has opened up about some of the more controversial choices that his film makes, especially in regards to Rian Johnson’s ‘The Last Jedi.’ And for those that think Terrio and director JJ Abrams’ mission was to retcon the previous Episode, then you’re mistaken.

Speaking to THR, Terrio goes deep into dispelling the myth that ‘Rise of Skywalker’ retcons ‘The Last Jedi’ and is somehow a commentary on Rian Johnson’s film.

Continue reading ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Co-Writer Chris Terrio Says People That Think The Film Is An Argument Against ‘The Last Jedi’ Are “Missing The Point” at The Playlist.

“Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker” is out and fans have a lot of questions. While the movie is overstuffed with plot and answers to questions that we thought were already answered (like who Snoke is, or who Rey’s parents are), there are plenty of unanswered questions in the movie. And now John Boyega and JJ Abrams finally gave us an answer to one of those questions, and it’s probably not what you think it is.

Continue reading John Boyega & JJ Abrams Reveal What Finn Was Going To Tell Rey & It’s Not What You Think at The Playlist.

The last film in the Skywalker saga, “The Rise of Skywalker” has been dividing critics and audiences since it premiered last week. No matter what you thought of J.J. Abrams’ return to the franchise far, far away, one thing is clear – there was a lot of information in the film.

READ MORE: The “Mysterious Broadcast” Teased In ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Has Been Revealed…In Fortnite

Clocking in at nearly two and a half hours, “The Rise of Skywalker” has a whole lot of plot, naturally, things will get pushed to the sidelines.

Continue reading ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Companion Book Confirms Fan Theory About Lando Calrissian at The Playlist.

To say that JJ Abrams’ newest “Star Wars” adventure, ‘The Rise of Skywalker,’ follows a breakneck pace is an understatement. For those who haven’t seen it, make sure you don’t drink a lot of fluids before entering the screening because there’s literally not a good time to go on a potty break. And fans will see just how fast the film moves along from the opening crawl, which is also jam-packed with information, a couple of big revelations, and one lingering question.

Continue reading The “Mysterious Broadcast” Teased In ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Has Been Revealed…In Fortnite at The Playlist.

No matter your thoughts on “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (and if social media is any indication everyone has plenty of thoughts), everyone can likely agree that the idea that the film includes the first real LGBTQ representation in the franchise is…uh, barely true. However, apparently the scene in question is controversial enough to already get censored in some countries.

READ MORE: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ Is Fan Fiction On A Galactic Scale [Review]0

**MINOR SPOILERS for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker**

**Seriously, very minor, but just being safe**

According to THR and Yahoo, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it scene that showed two female Resistance members embracing and kissing has been censored from both the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.

Continue reading ‘Rise Of Skywalker’ Facing Censorship In Some Countries Due To LGBTQ Representation at The Playlist.

PASADENA – You’d assume that sitting down with Keri Russell to talk about a character she can’t really talk about would be frustrating for all parties involved. The truth of the matter is, Russell appears so excited about being in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” it doesn’t really matter if we talked about the movie or not in the 10 minutes allotted.  That was a good thing considering the Golden Globe winner has other intoxicating releases on her slate such as Scott Cooper’s “Antlers” this Spring.

Continue reading Keri Russell Said “F**k Yeah” to ‘Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker’ & Raves About ‘Antlers’ Aesthetic [Interview] at The Playlist.

If you’re anything like me, last night you waited for the embargo to break on “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” reviews and devoured any you could get your hands on. Thankfully, in my case, I’ve already seen JJ Abrams’ latest “Star Wars” film and was able to read without fear of spoilers. But regardless, even if you glanced at headlines, you know one thing is true — ‘Rise of Skywalker’ is going to inspire many, many thinkpieces and boiling hot takes.

Continue reading Rian Johnson Explains Why He Feels Giving ‘Star Wars’ Fans Exactly What They Want Is A “Mistake” at The Playlist.

The dead don’t die. Everything old is new again. Characters in the galaxy imagined by George Lucas in 1977’s “Star Wars” may believe that balance is achievable, but in real life such a thing seems all but impossible. Lucas and his teams managed amazing feats of plate-spinning with “Star Wars” and, against all odds, “The Empire Strikes Back.” Beginning with the kid- and merchandise-friendly “Return of the Jedi” in 1983, however, and continuing through two new primary trilogies, the “Star Wars” movies have struggled to find the same equilibrium.

Continue reading ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ Is Fan Fiction On A Galactic Scale [Review] at The Playlist.

Is it possible to stage a satisfying conclusion to one of the most beloved franchises of all time and a nine-film saga that has the entire world waiting with bated breath? The answer may be, not really. Reactions from Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker” are out and while many of them positive and some overwhelmed with emotion, the reactions feel decidedly mixed. A few sentiments and recurring themes run throughout the reactions we’ve collated.

Continue reading ‘Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker’ Reactions: Spectacular Highs Yet Mixed Response To Fan Service & Stuffed Plot at The Playlist.

Lift a glass and toast to those poor “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” folks. Stuck in the middle of a never-ending junket, forced to answer constant questions about the ‘Star Wars’ universe and watching controversies and counter-controversies spawn from every misspoken phrase – it’s a lot. More often than not, the most the cast and crew can hope for is to skate through these interviews unscathed, offering a handful of answers that barely move the needle.

Continue reading ‘Star Wars’ Rumors: Will Wedge Antilles And Ahsoka Tano Appear In ‘Rise of Skywalker’? at The Playlist.