Movie franchises are the bread and butter for every movie studio. These movies are mass entertainers and can bring a boatload of money that can power the studio for years to come. Take Star Wars, which started in 1977 and remains a recognizable title almost 50 years later. The right franchise can spark a new trend in cinema. Just a decade ago, Hollywood was in the fantasy-adventure era with movies like Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean, then it went to the young adult era with Twilightand The Hunger Games, and now it is still firmly in the superhero trend.
Here, we take a look at some of the most ambitious film franchises of all time. Some reshaped filmmaking through technological breakthroughs, and a few aimed high before ultimately collapsing under their own weight. Whether they succeeded, stumbled, or did a bit of both, each reflects a moment where ambition, and maybe the promise of box office gold, is the driving power.
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10
‘Sony’s Spider-Man Universe’ (2018–2024)
Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy, sternly speaks to the head of Venom in Venom: Let There Be Carnage.Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Sony’s Spider-Man Universe set out to build an MCU-inspired franchise centered on the hero’s rogue gallery of villains, beginning with Venom. The idea was to establish a parallel universe that could eventually intersect with Spider-Man himself. The franchise released six movies, including Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter, without Spider-Man ever appearing.
Sony must be appreciated for its (blind) ambition to build a cinematic universe to rival the MCU. While Venom went on to conclude its trilogy, the other movies mostly became memes and laughingstocks, with Morbius and Madame Web struggling with tone and narrative coherence. The franchise aimed to replicate the interconnected success of the MCU, but without clarity. For example, the end of Venom: Let There Be Carnage promised that Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock would seek out Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man, but that was quickly dismissed.Madame Web also teased the appearance of Peter Parker, but the timeline wasn’t clear. After diminishing returns, Sony finally came to its senses and seemingly cancelled the universe.
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9
‘DC Extended Universe’ (2013–2023)
A crowd surrounding and touching Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of JusticeImage via Warner Bros. Pictures
Playing catch-up to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC aimed to create a darker, more mythic version with the DC Extended Universe. Turning the standalone Man of Steel into the franchise starter, it expanded quickly with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which not only featured Batman and Wonder Woman but also teased other heroes and future storylines. A total of 11 films were planned afterwards, but only five were released. Ten other films in the franchise were not part of the original slate.
With Zack Snyder as its main architect, it’s clear that the DCEU would never be similar to its Marvel counterpart. However, Warner Bros. caved in after the unexpected reception of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,and they started to tinker with Suicide Squadand Justice League, trying to make them lighter and fun, resulting in an uneven mess that couldn’t be repaired. There are great, successful movies in the franchise, like Wonder Woman or James Gunn‘s The Suicide Squad, but ultimately, studio interference and creative clashes killed the DCEU.
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8
‘Dune’ (2021–2026)
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in the desert with an apparatus up his nose in Dune: Part Two.Image via Warner Bros.
After David Lynch‘s attempt in 1986, Denis Villeneuve adapted Frank Herbert’s dense, politically charged Dune with a measured, atmospheric approach. Rather than condensing the rich story into a single film, Villeneuve opted to split the story into two to give its world and ideas room to breathe. With a star-studded ensemble led by Timothée Chalamet, the film quickly became a critics’ and audiences’ favorite.
Villeneuve made a huge gamble with Dune. The first film literally ends at the midpoint of the story, and the sequel was not filmed back-to-back. If critics rejected the film or if it didn’t turn enough profit, the follow-up would not see the light of day. To make things worse, it was released post-COVID, released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. However, Dune was a commercial success and was nominated for a whopping ten Oscars, winning six. The sequel, which offers the payoff, was equally beloved by audiences and critics. After making two films that can be considered among the best sci-fi films in recent memory, Villeneuve and the cast are now prepping the third film, which is due to be released in December 2026.
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7
‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ (2003–2017)
Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s EndImage via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Based on a Disneyland theme park ride, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearldefied the odds and became a runaway hit. Two sequels, Dead Man’s Chestand At World’s End, were greenlit soon after with Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley returning alongside director Gore Verbinski. The sequels followed the trio as Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) demands that Jack Sparrow pay his debt, and the East India Trading Company attempts to eradicate piracy.
The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy is blockbuster filmmaking at its finest. The films are not interested in simple storylines, but they have a complex, ambitious plot that sees each character team up and betray one another. Some may say it’s unnecessarily convoluted, yet it’s riveting and unexpected until the end. The production of the second and third films was notoriously intricate as they were filmed back-to-back. With lots of on-location shoots, enormous practical sets, and amazing CGI effects, the budget was high, with At World’s End becoming the most expensive film at its time. All of that paid off with a spectacular box office gross. The next two sequels, however, opted for the safe route and were far less exciting.
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6
‘Star Wars’ (1977–present)
Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, and Carrie Fisher in Star Wars (1977)Image via Lucasfilm
From the very first film in 1977, Star Wars has always been ambitious. From pioneering revolutionary effects and sound design to intricate world-building. The main story is about the Skywalker Saga, following Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and later Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). The franchise is expanding even more with spin-offs like Rogue Oneand acclaimed series like Andor and The Clone Wars.
Each new Star Wars project carries the burden of decades of lore and fan expectations. The team behind each Star Wars entry tries to keep it fresh while also respecting what came before. The projects usually have top-tier talent and spare no budget (currently, The Force Awakensholds the title of being the most expensive film of all time). Some have argued that currently the franchise is in a limbo, but considering how beloved and relevant it is, it’s unlikely that Star Wars is retiring any time soon.
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5
‘The Matrix’ (1999–2021)
Carrie-Anne Moss and Keanu Reeves in The MatrixImage via Warner Bros. Pictures
The Matrix introduced a cyberpunk world where reality itself is a simulation by following Neo’s (Keanu Reeves) journey to fulfill his destiny as The One. The first film is a generational achievement, blending philosophy and sci-fi action in a seamless manner, and its success led to sequels that expanded the mythology and criticized popular culture.
The franchise’s complex storyline is already ambitious for its time, but then The Wachowskis also pushed the envelope by pioneering visual techniques like the famous bullet time. The sequels, The Matrix Reloadedand The Matrix Revolutions,were filmed back-to-back with bigger ideas and even bigger action sequences. The highway chase in Reloaded is still regarded as one of the best action sequences of all time. Recently, instead of crafting an easy legacy sequel, Lana Wachowskicreated a subversive film in The Matrix Resurrections that defies audiences’ expectations, showing that ambition is still in the franchise’s DNA.
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4
‘Harry Potter’ (2001–2011)
Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes, with Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe, in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.’Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
The Harry Potter series chronicles the journey of the titular young wizard as he studies at Hogwarts and confronts the darkness in the magical world. Over eight films, the franchise matured alongside its audience, transitioning from whimsical, family-friendly fantasy to a coming-of-age drama with a darker plot. The main trio is played by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, but the series also boasts the best of British actors in the supporting roles.
Releasing eight films within the span of ten years is almost unheard of today. The franchise’s ambition is evident in how it committed to long-term planning and commitment. The pre-production of the next film usually started when the previous film had not even finished filming, and the production process could take up to a year for each movie. It was also able to retain the same core actors across the decade, reflecting the actual growth of the characters. As a result, the Potter movies are beloved all over the world. The franchise has been a merchandising gold mine and immortalized in theme parks and massive studio tours.
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3
‘Avatar’ (2009–present)
Sam Worthington as Jake Sulley in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’Image via 20th Century Studios
James Cameron’s Avatar franchise is set on the lush alien world of Pandora and follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who integrates with the native community through the avatar technology. The films may have familiar plots, but the technological aspects of the franchise are simply mindblowing. The films utilized revolutionary performance capture for the actors playing the Na’Vi and created the whole planet from scratch through CGI.
Avatar is deeply ambitious for its innovation and also linguistic aspects, with the franchise creating a whole new language system for the Na’Vi people. The sequels, Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash, featured even more complicated effects where the actors had to act underwater and have their performances translated into their CG characters. Entire workflows were created specifically for this franchise, from virtual production to 3D exhibition standards. Considering the intricate production process, it’s no wonder that the final film is slated to be released in 2031.
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2
‘Marvel Cinematic Universe’ (2008–present)
The Marvel Cinematic Universe began modestly with Iron Man, but with a sneaky post-credit scene that teased future team-up films, it evolved into an interconnected web of films and characters. Over time, it introduced dozens of heroes and villains while building toward large-scale crossover events like The Avengers and Avengers: Endgame. The franchise expanded even bigger with TV series like Agents of SHIELDand various Disney+ shows.
Across five game-changing phases, Kevin Feige’s approach to the MCU turned blockbuster filmmaking into something similar to long-form television, but with massive budgets and A-list talent showcased in cinemas. No franchise had ever attempted serialized storytelling across so many films with such narrative continuity. The scheduling of the actors in Avengers: Endgame alone seems like a nightmare, and they’re attempting a bigger one withAvengers: Doomsday. This kind of cinematic universe sparked a lot of imitators, but so far, none have come close to replicating Marvel’s overwhelming success.
1
‘The Lord of the Rings’ Trilogy (2001–2003)
A still from The Return of the King of Frodo, played by actor Elijah Wood, holding the One Ring over the fires of Mount Doom.Image via New Line Cinema
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Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy adapts J.R.R. Tolkien’s monumental fantasy book, following the journey of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and the Fellowship as they attempt to destroy the One Ring. Jackson was not a household name when the movie started production, nor were the actors in the ensemble, making it a risky yet ambitious production.
All three films in the trilogy were shot back-to-back, showing the studio’s confidence in the property. The shooting schedule, which is not in chronological order, was also an ambitious feat. The most famous example is when Ian McKellen shot his farewell with the Hobbits in his first week of filming. Jackson and his team benefited greatly from his ongoing partnership with Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, which are now among the best at making practical effects and CGI. The trilogy is considered among the best fantasy films and is considered a masterpiece in cinema.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
HBO’s new Harry Potter series still hasn’t premiered, but the rollout is already moving fast. Just days after the first teaser arrived, HBO has now announced a full behind-the-scenes special that will give fans an early look at how this new version of Hogwarts is coming together. That alone says a lot about how big a swing this show is for the studio. It also gives audiences a chance to see the craft side of the project before the series itself lands in 2027.
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The special is called Finding Harry: The Craft Behind the Magic, and it will debut on Sunday, April 5 at 8:00 p.m. in the UK on HBO Max. In the U.S., it will hit HBO Max at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT, before also airing on HBO later that evening at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. The synopsis can be found below.
It’s been 25 years since audiences first walked the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. Now, this exclusive special offers an inside look at the epic scale and meticulous care behind HBO’s new Harry Potter series – told through the lens of the artists, craftspeople, and technicians bringing J.K. Rowling’s beloved books to life for a new generation. Featuring interviews with members of the casting, production design, costume design, and creature effects teams, the special chronicles the extensive process behind finding our new Harry, Ron, and Hermione – while celebrating the awe-inspiring commitment to detail and immense talent that has come together to fill out this extraordinary world. With appearances from key cast members including John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, and Paapa Essiedu, and narrated by Nick Frost, FINDING HARRY: THE CRAFT BEHIND THE MAGIC explores the exciting new era of one of the most enduring stories of our time.
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Chicago Med is causing concern after putting a beloved character’s future at risk — but did they officially get killed off?
During the Wednesday, April 1, episode of the hit NBC series, Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt) has a difficult day when he tries to help someone who calls into the suicide hotline. The man reveals he’s holding a gun before disconnecting. With the case sent over to emergency services, Dr. Charles can’t follow up.
He then has a fight with his daughter, is accused of a patient of letting his emotional issues affect his work, got an official complaint raised again him and considering another job after an argument with Goodwin.
Dr. Charles ultimately has blurry vision and hallucinates his childhood. The final scene shows him on the ground while gasping for while, which left his health scare and future on the show unclear. Fans noted that the trailer for next week’s episode hinted at a stroke but it wasn’t confirmed if Dr. Charles died.
If there’s one thing Dick Wolf isn’t afraid of, it’s killing off a beloved character. A fact that fans of the One Chicago universe know all too well. The franchise kicked off in 2012 with Chicago Fire. Chicago P.D. was added in 2014 and Chicago Med debuted in 2015. The cast of each show has […]
One Chicago fans have gotten used to seeing their favorite characters come and go from Chicago Fire, Chicago Med and Chicago P.D. over the years. After there were some questions about the franchise’s revolving door of cast members, NBC’s president of program planning Jeff Bader explained why he wasn’t concerned.
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“Cast comes in, cast goes out,” Bader told TVLine in an interview published in July 2024. “It’s interesting. Because every year there are cast changes, and every year someone asks the same question about what’s going on within the One Chicago universe. But [those shows] just keep going on.”
George Burns Jr/NBC
Bader pointed out that each of the Chicago shows have continued to find success, adding, “We’re thrilled with how the Chicagos do on Wednesday. We have no plans on changing anything on that night.”
A March episode of the hit NBC series showed Pascal having his position revoked after he previously disobeyed a federal agent’s order to stand down while collecting evidence at a house fire. Pascal was arrested, but despite the federal charges against him being dropped, his position was still in jeopardy.
Pascal ultimately confirmed to Firehouse 51 that he was told to vacate the position effective immediately. Amid the big professional change, Pascal considered retiring from firefighting but then shared that a former colleague in Phoenix offered to connect him with a firehouse in Arizona. It remained unclear what choice Pascal would make about his future.
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“He’s been on the ropes,” Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman told NBC Insider. “[The arrest] puts him in a situation, it’s kind of a journey for him from the beginning, where he really wasn’t connected to 51 as closely as the chiefs obviously we’ve seen in the past, like Boden.”
Newman continued: “So he makes the ultimate sacrifice for his team, for all the teams really in this episode, and it sends him in a totally different and new direction at the end here. And he’s gonna have to figure out if he’s going to fight and claw to get back to 51, or if he’s now going to be on a new path altogether.”
Tomorrow, we’re going to wrap up the week with the MGM classic, The Wizard of Oz, so be sure to come back for that.
For today’s movie challenge, we’re looking at remakes and reboots. Whether we asked for them or not, these movies put a new spin on an existing story. It’s all about thoroughly monetizing that IP, baby! Scroll down for our feature presentation.
Mandel said it’s “up to you to discern” whether or not his apology video was genuine, after he snapped at Ripa and Consuelos on “Live With Kelly and Mark.”
Howie Mandel has admitted that he has mixed feelings about apologizing to Kelly Ripa after their awkward interview on Live with Kelly and Mark.
“If somebody is offended [or] if somebody feels that I did wrong, then I apologize,” Mandel said on the Tuesday, March 31, episode of the “Hot Mics with Billy Bush” podcast. “I don’t believe in apologizing but, as I said in my post, which I kinda regret making the post, I don’t think you should apologize for a joke.”
The drama started on March 23 while Mandel was being interviewed by Ripa, 55, and her husband, Mark Consuelos, on Live. Ripa pointed out that Mandel recently celebrated his 70th birthday, before joking that his age “doesn’t make any sense.”
When Consuelos interjected that Mandel looked “great,” the comedian shot back, “I [do] look great. That doesn’t mean anything to me.”
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The America’s Got Talent judge complained that he doesn’t like people commenting on his age because it always comes as “a caveat.”
“Because you tell someone you’re 70 and they go, ‘You look great,” he added.
Ripa tried to clarify that she wasn’t trying to say Mandel looked “great for 70,” before he interrupted again to declare, “It’s like saying you’re smart for a stupid person. ‘Oh, you look smart! You seem smart!’ I don’t look good.”
Mandel added later in the conversation, “Well, actually, before we go out, there’s, like, a mirror back there. … Honestly, now, I’ll be serious for a minute: I’m gorgeous. I am. I am.”
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“You’re a thing of beauty,” Ripa quipped.
Howie Mandel in January 2025.Ethan Miller/Getty Images
The awkward interview clip quickly went viral, leading to Mandel making a public apology for the awkward moment a few days later.
“I have been debating for 48 hours whether I should make this post or not, and I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing,” he said via Instagram on Saturday, March 28. “Philosophically, I don’t believe that somebody who’s a comedian needs to apologize for a joke. It is a joke, it is meant as a joke, and it’s not meant to offend.”
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Mandel pointed out, “You can not like it and, in all my years in the business, I haven’t ever publicly apologized for [a joke].”
Howie Mandel’s campaign with Skechers was a match made in heaven — but he took an untraditional route to get there. “I went to a Skechers store and I went to buy what I love and what I wear and what I find easy to do,” Mandel, 68, explained during an exclusive interview with Us […]
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Longtime Live With Kelly and Mark executive producer Michael Gelmanpoked fun at the controversy by replying to Mandel’s Instagram post, writing, “During these divided times, one thing we can all agree upon is that you do look great … for your age.”
The comic has made nearly 50 appearances on Live With Kelly and Mark and its previous iterations, dating back to 1995. He often guest hosted Live with Ripa following the departure of her original cohost, the late Regis Philbin, in November 2011. (Michael Strahan and Ryan Seacrest later landed the cohosting job alongside Ripa before Consuelos joined full time in 2023.)
The era of the once mighty slasher film has fallen on hard times. Grief-fueled horror films are all the rage, with only a few bastions of the subgenre remaining. How quickly viewers forget the seeds of the genre that celebrated blood and guts. The only slasher franchise that truly remains is Scream, the iconic series of films from the late horror director Wes Craven.
Premiering in 1996, the first Scream film was a fresh take on a trend that seemed to have lost its luster. The film starred Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott, a new final girl for the modern era. In the town of Woodsboro, a killer in a Ghostface mask terrorizes high school students in an entertaining and meta take on the genre. Scream deconstructed these horror tropes and laid out the rules for surviving a horror film. The franchise was so successful that it outlived Craven. Now, after the seventh entry of the Scream series, it has found life again on Tubi.
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‘Scream’ Fans Can Revisit Ghostface on Streaming
Scream has endured for so long because it was unlike any other horror franchise at the time. In the ‘90s, slashers like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees had lost their charm. It was time for a new take on the subject, and there was no one better to address this than Wes Craven. With the help of screenwriter Kevin Williamson, who wrote zippy lines and witticisms, Scream became a smash success.
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Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would Be Your Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
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🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
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01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
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02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
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03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
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04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
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05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
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06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
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07
Things go badly wrong and you’re captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
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08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn’t replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn’t know you had.
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09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
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10
It’s the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
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Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
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Rambo
Your partner doesn’t talk much, doesn’t need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you’ve finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You’ll never need to ask if he has your back. You’ll just know.
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James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it’ll take you a moment to remember what’s actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You’ll never be bored. You’ll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
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Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar’s eye and a brawler’s instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn’t matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you’ll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren’t so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
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Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you’ve finished reading the briefing, and the plan he’s settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn’t exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
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The first Scream film threw out the hallmarks of the past. Instead of one killer, there were two, and their motives were incidental. While Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) blamed his murder spree on his mother leaving after Maureen Prescott’s affair with his father, it was really an excuse. Co-killer Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard) cited peer pressure as his reason for the crimes. This was a tongue-in-cheek way to acknowledge that killers didn’t need a motive to be truly heinous.
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Scream set up a theme that reoccurred in the following two films of the trilogy, offering red herrings and horror cameos to drive the point home that this was not the typical franchise. The meta take on the genre continued to take on a life of its own. Just like Ghostface, Scream continues to return and only rarely disappoints.
Scream 4 was a surprise, premiering a decade after the previous film. Craven proved he had not lost his touch as the film was ahead of its time. Featuring a new cast of teenagers, the fourth film in the franchise notes the dangers of influencer culture in an extremely underrated entry. Now, 30 years after the first film, Scream remains a nostalgic pleasure for fans. Michael Myers can be a one-note killer, but Scream continues to prove it is the best of the best because it always reinvents itself.
There are, of course, no comparisons to the originals, but there is always room to deconstruct the horror genre in a new meta take. Viewers can relive the brutal kills and classic one-liners by catching the franchise on its new home, Tubi.
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Release Date
December 20, 1996
Runtime
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112 minutes
Writers
Kevin Williamson
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Producers
Bob Weinstein, Cary Woods, Cathy Konrad, Harvey Weinstein
Rebel Wilson is not afraid to keep it real with herself about her weight-loss journey.
The “Bridesmaids” actress has always been open about her weight and the steps she has taken to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Now, she’s sharing even more candid reflections as she navigates her body transformation.
While continuing to focus on her wellness, Wilson is also dealing with an ongoing legal battle tied to her film “The Deb.”
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Rebel Wilson Gets Candid About Never Getting A Bikini Body
Instagram Stories | Rebel Wilson
The “Senior Year” actress did not sugarcoat where she’s at recently with her fitness, admitting she may never look a certain way.
Taking to Instagram Stories, Wilson shared a photo of herself in a sports bra and shorts, confidently showing her midsection while embracing her reality in the caption.
“I don’t think I’ll ever have a bikini body – that’s just not me,” Wilson wrote. “But my body has carried me through this life, and I am so grateful for it!”
The soon-to-be mom of two followed up her candid admission with a glimpse into her wellness routine. “I’m trying to get in my daily steps, do a Pilates class once or twice a week, some strength training when I can – eat as healthy as I can,” she explained.
Wilson also chimed in on her use of medication to support slimming down, writing, “But let’s face it, I love sweets – so I need those GLPs [sic] from time to time to give a little help.”
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The ‘Pitch Perfect’ Star Turned To GLP-1 For Weight Loss
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Wilson’s latest update comes about six months after she revealed she was considering GLP-1 medications as part of her weight management plan.
As The Blast reported at that time, she had partnered with Noom as its Chief Wellness Ambassador, describing the medication as a complementary tool alongside proper nutrition and exercise.
Wilson had revealed back then that she was struggling to stay in shape due to her busy schedule, from motherhood to her career. However, getting on board with the Noom program helped her still keep her fitness in check.
How Rebel Wilson’s ‘Year of Health’ Reshaped Her Career
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Throughout her transformation, Wilson has been an open book. In 2020, embarked on a strict routine, famously dubbed her “year of health,” shedding nearly 80 pounds in the process.
According to the Australian actress, the change was not just physical; it also shifted how she was perceived in the industry, opening doors to a wider range of roles.
“That weirdly made me more versatile as an actress, even though I had the same skills,” the 46-year-old explained per The Blast.
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She added, “I think people see you differently [after weight loss] and can imagine you more easily in different roles. So I think that probably had the biggest effect.”
Wilson’s ‘The Deb’ Film Lawsuit Took a New Messy Turn
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Putting her fitness journey aside, the “Jojo Rabbit” actress is currently in the middle of a legal showdown involving her directorial debut.
The dispute began in 2024 after Wilson accused members of the production team of embezzlement and other misconduct. In response, the producers hit back with a lawsuit, alleging her claims were false.
The case has now taken a new twist. Weeks ago, an audio surfaced as part of the evidence, reportedly suggesting that Wilson may have been involved in orchestrating a smear campaign against producer Amanda Ghost.
According to The Blast, the recording features crisis management professional Jed Wallace discussing ways to spread false claims against Ghost, including that she was getting hookers for Sir Len Blavatnik.
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Wallace also mentioned Wilson’s attorney, Bryan Freedman, in his plans against Ghost.
Rebel Wilson Spoke Out Amid Legal Battle
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Following the release of the recording, Wilson spoke out, making it clear she is fully prepared to say her truth. As The Blast reported, the comedian revealed that she was waiting until she testified. However, the increasing allegations against her made her speak up.
She disclosed that there were “powerful people” who wanted her silenced after reporting what she saw as “dodgy behavior” from the producers on set.
Wilson called out Blavatnik to take action before noting she won’t be quiet. She added that when “push comes to shove,” she would take the stand and “tell it as it is.”
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