When Sam Raimi signed on to direct “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” it was a surprise because prior to that, the filmmaker hadn’t directed a film in nearly a decade, since 2013. Now, after ‘Multiverse of Madness,’ it appears the filmmaker is not ready to rest on his laurels again, and he’s found one of his ‘Doctor Strange’ stars to join him. 

READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch

According to Deadline, Rachel McAdams is in talks to star in Sam Raimi’s new film, “Send Help.” Exact plot details are unknown at this time, but the report claims the film is a bit of a mixture between “Misery” and “Castaway.” The film is written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift.

Continue reading ‘Send Help’: Rachel McAdams In Talks To Star In Sam Raimi’s New Thriller at The Playlist.

When it comes to young adult literature, there are few books as universally beloved and influential for preteen girls as “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel. Tackling everything from boys to periods to religion, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” was a groundbreaking exploration of so-called taboo topics that plague all young girls. In fact, it’s so ubiquitous with female adolescence that it’s surprising no one’s adapted Blume’s book sooner.

Continue reading ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Review: Kelly Fremon Craig’s Adaptation Pays Due Diligence To Judy Blume’s Cherished Novel at The Playlist.

Rachel McAdams returns to theaters later this month with “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” It’s a significant role for the actress and one she wanted to do. She can’t say the same for some of the huge movies she turned down in the mid-2000s, some of which are the decade’s biggest films.

READ MORE: ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Trailer: Rachel McAdams, Benny Safdie & Abby Ryder Fortson Star In Judy Blume’s Classic Coming-Of-Age Adaptation

Variety reports (via a new Bustle profile on McAdams) that the actress revealed she turned down five major roles in a two-year period as her Hollywood star ascended.

Continue reading Rachel McAdams Reveals She Turned Down Roles In ‘Mission: Impossible III,’ ‘Iron Man,’ ‘Casino Royale,’ ‘Get Smart’ & ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Over Two Years at The Playlist.

How can an 11-year-old overcome the scary and uncertain time that is adolescence? Judy Blume’s 1970 novel “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” explores topics that generations of young women have faced. After decades in print, the beloved classic is getting the big-screen treatment. The film follows Margaret as she navigates a major family move, makes new friends, questions religion, and awaits her first period.

READ MORE: 52 Films Directed By Women To Watch In 2023

The project relies on a talented cast to tell this story with sensitivity and realism.

Continue reading ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Trailer: Rachel McAdams, Benny Safdie & Abby Ryder Fortson Star In Judy Blume’s Classic Coming-Of-Age Adaptation at The Playlist.

**Editor’s note: To properly review “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness,” you have to tread into the basic plot, and the basic plot has been kept secret from audiences and withheld from the trailers. Thus, this review will have to get into *some* basic spoilers, so if you want to be totally spoiler-free, we encourage you to read this review after you’ve seen the film. While we will refrain from the deeper spoilers within, you’ve been warned.**

“The multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little,” Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) gravely warned in the past.

Continue reading ‘Doctor Strange 2 Review: Sam Raimi’s ‘Multiverse Of Madness’ Takes Marvel On A Thrilling, But Shallow Ride Of Frights at The Playlist.

The MCU‘s Phase 4 is well underway now, and its central theme couldn’t be more obvious: the multiverse and its limitless potential for infinite worlds. However, infinite worlds mean infinite threats, and some of those may be more familiar than one might think. Spoilers ahead, Marvel fans…

READ MORE: Benedict Cumberbatch Admits ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Scale Worried Him: “Do I Have A Character Arc In This?”

So goes the set-up for “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.” The 28th Marvel film, and the fifth one of Phase 4, pits the titular master of the mystic arts against what may be his greatest adversary: himself.

Continue reading ‘Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness’ Trailer: Wanda Maximoff Returns & A Big ‘What If?’ Villain Revealed at The Playlist.

God has heard your prayers, and now the film adaptation of the hugely popular “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” has found its eponymous Margaret, as “Ant-Man and the Wasp” star Abby Ryder Fortson has joined the cast, and she will be joined by Rachel McAdams in the role of Margaret’s mother.

READ MORE: ‘The Dropout’: Kate McKinnon Drops Out Of Elizabeth Holmes Series

Entertainment Weekly broke the casting news, reporting that Fortson will play the literary icon Margaret, a sixth-grader going through puberty and looking up to the skies for answers to the many questions brought by adolescence.

Continue reading Rachel McAdams And Abby Ryder Fortson Join ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Film Adaptation at The Playlist.

Did you know that Rachel McAdams was in a Marvel Studios film already? I like to think of myself as a pretty big Marvel fan, as a lifelong comic book reader, but I completely forgot she was in Scott Derrickson’s “Doctor Strange.” That isn’t to say she’s a bad actor because that’s absolutely not the case. She’s a damn treasure that should be an even bigger star than she is.

Continue reading Rachel McAdams Returning To The MCU In The ‘Doctor Strange’ Sequel at The Playlist.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage, and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This weekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching. 

This week’s big new release is an epic comic tribute to a giant summer event that has, alas, been canceled – so, close enough?

Continue reading The 9 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘Eurovision Song Contest,’ ‘Come And See’ & More at The Playlist.

One shot. It’s all anyone can ask for. Not to mention that it doesn’t always fall into someone’s lap. But when it does, giving it everything you’ve got is the ideal response. One avenue in the music business for that one shot is the Eurovision Song Contest. Musical artists such as ABBA and Celine Dion parlayed their success in the historic competition into worldwide acclaim. Now, it’s a fictional pair from Iceland’s turn to step up to the mics and go balls to the wall in “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.”

READ MORE: ‘Eurovision’ Teaser: Netflix Releases First Hilariously Over The Top Song And Official Title For Will Ferrell’s Newest Comedy

Director David Dobkin is one name that suggests laughs will be plentiful in the project.

Continue reading ‘Eurovision’ Trailer: Will Ferrell & Rachel McAdams Sing The Story Of ‘Fire Saga’ at The Playlist.

Though not as popular in the U.S., the “Eurovision Song Contest” is one of the biggest TV events in Europe, which made the cancelation of this year’s competition a very sad and disappointing affair. Thankfully, Netflix has released the first teaser and song from Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams‘ newest comedy, aptly titled “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” and it is as over the top and catchy as you’d expect from a “Eurovision” song.

Continue reading ‘Eurovision’ Teaser: Netflix Releases First Hilariously Over The Top Song And Official Title For Will Ferrell’s Newest Comedy at The Playlist.

Though it’s a bit problematic nowadays, 2005’s “The Wedding Crashers” is one of the most iconic comedies of the last 20 years. The film was one of a multitude of R-rated comedies to come out during that era and served as a launching pad for actors like Bradley Cooper and Rachel McAdams. And now, almost 15 years later, McAdams is set to join her ‘Wedding Crashers’ director in a new Netflix film.

Continue reading Rachel McAdams Joins Will Ferrell & ‘The Wedding Crashers’ Director For Netflix’s ‘Eurovision’ at The Playlist.

“Game Night” is something of a rarity — it’s a smart, consistently entertaining, and actually funny studio comedy. There are so many ways it could’ve gone wrong, yet like actual game nights with the right people, the newest film from directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein deliver something that’s genuinely fun. Not likely to break any new ground like some of its R-rated peers such as “The Hangover,” “Bridesmaids” or “Girls Trip,” “Game Night” remains fresh simply for being a crude-yet-sweet mainstream comedy for the middle-aged crowd that doesn’t belittle their intelligence.

Continue reading ‘Game Night’ Starring Jason Bateman & Rachel McAdams Is A Winner [Review] at The Playlist.

No one would blame Sebastian Lelio for sitting around and basking in the glow of his Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film for “A Fantastic Woman,” but the man has got work to do. The ever-busy director is currently shooting an English language remake of “Gloria” starring Julianne Moore, and shortly after the Oscars, his next film, “Disobedience,” will be rolling into cinemas.

Continue reading ‘Disobedience’ Trailer: Rachel Weisz & Rachel McAdams Fall In Love at The Playlist.

Having just stepping into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, I know all about the good time spirit of the weekly hang with the gang. However, for Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, their own “Game Night” goes out of control in this upcoming romantic action comedy thing.

Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein (“Vacation“), the premise for this one is pretty simple: competitive gamers get way in over their head, when a murder mystery party gets a bit too real.

Continue reading ‘Game Night’ Trailer: Jason Bateman & Rachel McAdams Take It Up A Notch at The Playlist.

Any movie directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein — who helmed the poorly reviewed “Vacation” — should be approached with caution. But thanks to a cast that includes Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman, Lamorne Morris, Jesse Plemons, and Kyle Chandler, “Game Night” might just earn the benefit of the doubt.

Continue reading ‘Game Night’ Trailer: There Are No Rules For Jason Bateman & Rachel McAdams at The Playlist.

The continuing scandal around Harvey Weinstein, and the evolving conversations spurred by the #metoo campaign, have created an atmosphere where women both inside and outside the movie industry feel empowered to share their difficult stories about harassment and assault. This climate has allowed many to come forward about what they’ve experienced in their encounters with writer/director James Toback, who has long been the subject of rumors about his behavior. 

Continue reading Rachel McAdams & Selma Blair Detail Sexual Harassment By James Toback at The Playlist.

Is the greater sin to defy God, or defy your true nature? It’s not a question that’s asked directly in “Disobedience,” but lingers at the edges of the turmoil that slowly simmers into passion and penitence, in a story that turns a colorful premise into a thoughtful rumination on choice. Set inside the conservative community of Orthodox Judaism, Sebastian Lelio’s graceful adaptation of Naomi Alderman’s novel is a probing look at the illusion of freedom in both religious and secular life, and the bracing reality faced by two women when the relationship between them sparks back to life.

Continue reading Sebastian Lelio’s Sensual & Spiritual ‘Disobedience’ With Rachel Weisz & Rachel McAdams [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

Whatever is going on in the Chilean filmmaking community, we don’t want it to stop. Last year, we got treated to a double whammy of films from Pablo Larrain with “Neruda” and “Jackie.” Now, his colleague Sebastian Lelio is gearing up for a two-fer of his own. Earlier this year he unveiled the excellent “A Fantastic Woman,” and while that movie is headed to the Toronto International Film Festival to continue picking up accolades, the director will also be unveiling a new picture with “Disobedience.”

Starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams, and based on the book by Naomi Alderman, the film tells the story of a woman who must return to the London Orthodox Jewish community she fled years prior after the death of her father, who was the preeminent rabbi.

Continue reading First Look: Rachel Weisz & Rachel McAdams In Sebastián Lelio’s ‘Disobedience’ at The Playlist.

This weekend sees the final episode of “Feud,” which stars Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange as Hollywood legends Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, respectively, as they scheme and catfight their way through the filming of “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?” It also sees the second weekend of “The Fate Of The Furious,” the eighth ‘Fast And The Furious‘ film which stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson, who reportedly fell out on set due to Diesel being a “candy ass” (Johnson’s words).

Continue reading 20 Great Movie Star Feuds & The Films That Spawned Them at The Playlist.

There’s a pretty dull formula for comedies developing around Hollywood that sees creatives cherry picking an innocuous event (“Office Christmas Party“), adding a thin plot and some raunch, and calling it a movie (see also: “Date Night“). And now another one is coming with “Game Night.” Sigh.

Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams will cash easy paychecks for this one, which is being dreamed up by writer/directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (“Vacation,” “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”) with the story centering around, you guessed it, the wild shenanigans of one game night, and what happens when things go off course when a variety of couples are brought together for their regular hang. 

Continue reading Rachel McAdams & Jason Bateman Will Have A Wild ‘Game Night’ at The Playlist.

When director Scott Derrickson first approached Mads Mikkelsen about starring in the big screen incarnation of “Doctor Strange” there were three words that immediately caught his attention. They were not “Oscar winning co-stars” or “box office blockbuster” or “your own toy” or “guaranteed back end.”

Mikkelsen recalls, “Scott pitched the story to me before I was allowed to read anything and then he said the magic words, ‘flying kung fu’ and I went, ‘whoa, whoa, wait.

Continue reading Mads Mikkelsen Says Kung Fu Sold Him On ‘Doctor Strange,’ Talks The Secrecy Of ‘Rogue One’ at The Playlist.

In the year of our lord, 2016, we have reached the landmark 14th film from Marvel Studios, a visually impressive adventure titled “Doctor Strange.” Directed by Scott Derrickson from a screenplay written by Jon Spaihts and Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, “Strange” arguably features the most talented Marvel cast to date with acclaimed actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mads Mikkelsen bringing the origin of the Sorcerer Supreme to the big screen.

Continue reading ‘Doctor Strange’ With Benedict Cumberbatch Is A Visual Wonder But Is That Enough? [Review] at The Playlist.

Yesterday, the first press screenings for “Doctor Strange” got underway, and the early reaction ahead of Sunday’s review embargo was very positive from those in attendance. It might not be the best Marvel movie to date, but the word is that Scott Derrickson has made a film distinctly his own, and unlike anything else that has been seen in the MCU. For the rest of us, that remains to be seen, but the first two clips from the movie do indicate a movie that’s definitely visually distinct.

Continue reading 2 New Clips From ‘Doctor Strange’ Highlight Superpowers & Romance at The Playlist.

This is a reprint of our review from the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

Since its 1943 publication, the novella “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery has become a children’s classic the world over. The tale of a downed aviator who meets a small monarch who lives on an asteroid and fell in love with a rose is universally beloved, but the strange, semi-allegorical nature of the book means that a truly satisfying screen translation has never been made (Stanley Donen’s 1974 musical version is perhaps the best known).

Continue reading ‘The Little Prince’ Is A Beautiful & Charming Adaptation Of The Beloved Children’s Classic [Review] at The Playlist.