Will Smith changed the trajectory of his career in March 2022 when he slapped Chris Rock on stage at the 94th Academy Awards after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Since then, he’s worked to change his image and has multiple projects in the works. However, his “King Richard” costar, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, has reignited the conversation by defending the “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” alum.

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Ellis-Taylor appeared on The Daily Beast’s “Obsessed” podcast in August 2026. During the episode, the Oscar-nominated actress stated that she could understand why Will would want to storm the stage to provide a voice for Jada.

She stated, “I know that he wanted to protect his wife.” In supporting him, Ellis, who played his wife in “King Richard,” the movie he won the Oscar for the night of the 2022 Oscars, defended him, saying, “I stand by that. I stand with him for that.”

After that, Ellis-Taylor questioned what protections freedom of speech should offer. According to her, “I think that, you know, this idea that First Amendment rights should protect everybody? I don’t think it should necessarily protect assholes. I don’t. I don’t. I really don’t, especially if you’re causing harm.”

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Says The First Amendment Needs More Nuance

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Ellis-Taylor continued her thoughts on the debacle between Will and Chris over his joke about Jada. Notably, during the podcast, she noted that being from Mississippi, she’s accustomed to the First Amendment being used to justify the Confederate flag.

According to her, “I know blanket First Amendment valorization. I don’t buy into that. I just don’t. To say the least, it needs to be nuanced. You can’t use it as an excuse to harm someone.”

From there, the actress discussed her experience with Will on the set of “King Richard.” She recalled, “He just would not allow anybody to be treated poorly in his presence. He would just not allow it. And I cannot tell you how rare that is in this job.”

Ellis-Taylor added, “I will always have a great deal of affection and care for him because he acted that way.”

Will Smith Was Mentioned In Michael B. Jordan’s 2026 Oscar Speech

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Will is banned from the Oscars until 2032. However, despite not being in attendance, “Sinners” star Michael B. Jordan named him in his speech when he won the trophy for Best Actor for his role in the Ryan Coogler-directed film.

Regarding Smith’s reaction, an insider spoke to PEOPLE after the ceremony. They said, “Will was very happy to hear his name mentioned during Michael’s Oscar speech. Having someone so talented — who just won this incredible Oscar — mention him at that time was awesome for him.”

The insider claimed that Jordan’s name drop “made Will feel good on its own, but even more so to be included with the other top actors mentioned.” A different source told the outlet, “Will and Michael have huge respect for each other’s talent.”

Regarding the slap, the outlet was told that Will had “moved beyond” the situation. They added, “Life goes on, and so do good films with award-winning actors,” while noting that Will “has been building back” in his Hollywood career.  

Will Smith’s Next Film Is Supposed To Be ‘I Am Legend 2’

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Following the Oscar slap launched at Rock, who was hosting, Will has released two movies. The first is “Emancipation,” filmed before the slap and released in December 2022; the second is “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” released in June 2024.

“Bad Boys” became a hit at the box office. According to Deadline, it opened with an impressive $104 million at the global box office. Following its success, a fifth installment of the movie is being discussed but has not been greenlit.

Now, his next film to be released is “I Am Legend 2,” which has attached director Steven Caple Jr., announced to direct in April 2026. However, filming has not begun.

Will Smith Will Also Star Alongside Jaafar Jackson In A Movie

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Deadline reported in May 2026 that Will was set to star in a new action flick for Amazon MGM, “Supermax.” The movie, which will be directed by David Gordon Green, will center on two FBI agents, Will and AnnaSophia Robb, with events taking place at the world’s most secure prison, Supermax.

In August, following the success of Lionsgate’s “Michael,” Jaafar Jackson was announced as one of the movie’s stars. However, details of his role are kept under wraps.

Eva Longoria knows how to make an entrance, even at the beach. The actress recently turned heads while vacationing in Spain, stepping out in a bubblegum pink bikini that instantly stole the spotlight. The playful color feels like one of summer’s biggest swimwear trends, and we found an affordable way to recreate the look.

Longoria was spotted soaking up the sun in Marbella, Spain, wearing a bright triangle bikini style with an oversized button-down shirt, a woven tote and simple nude flip-flops. The effortless ensemble struck the perfect balance between polished and relaxed, proving once again that her vacation style is always worth copying.

Get the Holipick Triangle Two-Piece Bikini for $25 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

While we couldn’t track down her exact swimsuit, we found a nearly identical version on Amazon for $25. The Holipick Triangle Two-Piece Bikini comes in the same bold pink shade, along with black, blue, floral prints and several other colors. The swimsuit is also available in sizes XXS through 5X, making it a size-inclusive option.

Related: Copy Meghan Markle’s Slimming Tailored Jeans Look for Only $39

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Every so often, a pair of jeans comes along that makes you question every other style hanging in your closet. Meghan Markle‘s latest denim moment is one of those times. Her pant style is crisp, tailored and elongating. In fact, the jeans somehow make legs look a mile long, giving you a flattering silhouette that […]

The flattering swimwear style features an adjustable halter top, removable padding and side-tie bottoms that let you customize the coverage. It’s the kind of simple, timeless bikini that looks just as chic layered under a breezy button-down shirt as it does on its own.

Shoppers have plenty of good things to say about the swimsuit, too. One reviewer who appreciates the “flattering and full coverage” pick wrote, “I feel secure in this suit, and know I won’t be indecently exposed while paddle boarding or hanging at the lake.” Meanwhile, another buyer simply described the thick material as “well made” and “very comfortable.”

Longoria’s beach look proves that sometimes all it takes is one bold pop of color to make an outfit unforgettable. And thanks to this $25 Amazon find, recreating the head-turning vacation style is easier than ever.

Get the Holipick Triangle Two-Piece Bikini for $25 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate as of the publishing date but are subject to change.

Looking for something else? Explore more swimwear from Holipick here, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!

UsNow Summer Sale Alert: These Chic Fashion Finds are over 30% off – Plus Free Shipping

Welcome to summer with our biggest sale of the year. This summer’s chicest dresses, tops and swimsuits are all over 30% + free shipping. Inventory is limited so hurry before they’re gone.

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Related: Love Nicole Kidman’s $8,300 Bag? This Lookalike Is 99% Less

Some bags are trendy for a season. Others quietly become the kind you reach for every single day because they make everything in your closet look a little more polished. Nicole Kidman’s latest black purse falls firmly into the second category — timeless, versatile and somehow able to elevate even a simple jeans-and-sneakers outfit. The […]

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Erling Haaland showed a different side of himself while attending a lavish Dolce & Gabbana event in Sicily. The Manchester City star admitted the celebrity-packed atmosphere left him feeling “overstimulated,” even as he enjoyed Jennifer Lopez‘s performance.

The closing celebration the soccer star joined featured custom couture, an Italian music tribute, and a fireworks display over Isola Bella.

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Erling Haaland traded the soccer pitch for a much glitzier stage during a star-studded night in Sicily. The Manchester City striker attended Jennifer Lopez’s exclusive performance in Taormina as part of Dolce & Gabbana’s 2026 Alta Moda celebrations. Haaland was among the celebrity guests gathered at La Plage Resort overlooking Isola Bella for the closing festivities.

The Norwegian star had already made an appearance at Dolce & Gabbana’s Alta Sartoria menswear presentation at the historic Teatro Antico earlier in the week. He was also spotted during the celebrations with his partner, Isabel Haugseng Johansen.

Despite embracing the glamorous night out, Haaland admitted the packed social scene was testing his limits. “As an introvert, I am overstimulated, but it’s still nice,” he said in a clip shared online. Haaland insisted he was enjoying himself, adding that he was “still happy” and “peaking still.”

Jennifer Lopez Lit Up Dolce & Gabbana’s Finale

Dolce & Gabbana saved plenty of spectacle for the final night of its Taormina showcase. J. Lo headlined the closing celebration after the fashion house wrapped its 2026 Alta Gioielleria, Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria presentations. Guests first gathered for a reception amid Mediterranean greenery and views of Sicily’s turquoise coastline.

Lopez then turned the setting into a full-scale stage production, performing a string of her best-known songs before slipping in a tribute to Italian music.

The fashion was just as theatrical. The singer moved through four custom Dolce & Gabbana looks during the show, including pieces decorated with gemstones, lace and the brand’s Sacred Heart motif. Floral elements tied the stage design back to the wider Alta Moda theme.

The night ended with Lopez joined by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana as the trio greeted the crowd. Fireworks lit up the backdrop as the Sicilian celebration closed.

Erling Haaland Has Developed A Soft Spot For The U.S.

Haaland appears to have developed a real soft spot for life across the Atlantic. During a 2025 interview with TIME in Florida, the Norwegian striker admitted he had been surprised by just how famous he was in the United States. Fans turned out in Manchester City shirts during the Club World Cup, something Haaland said he had not expected.

His curiosity about the country stretched beyond soccer. Haaland revealed he had watched “Yellowstone” and wanted to visit Montana, even joking that Kevin Costner could drive him around.

American cars have also caught his attention. The forward was particularly impressed by the oversized pickup trucks he saw on the road and wanted to stop for a photo with one. He was less enthusiastic about Tesla’s Cybertruck.

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Haaland Teases A Future MLS Switch

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Haaland is also not shutting the door on a future move to Major League Soccer. The Manchester City striker was asked in the TIME interview whether he could eventually follow Lionel Messi and David Beckham to the U.S.

“You never know what the future is going to bring,” Haaland said. He praised Messi’s impact at Inter Miami as “incredible” and called Beckham’s role in helping grow the league “amazing.”

However, any such switch would be a long-term possibility rather than an imminent transfer. Haaland signed a mammoth Manchester City contract that runs through 2034, meaning he would be 34 when the deal expires.

Erling Haaland Traded World Cup Pressure For NYC Sights

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Haaland also squeezed in some classic sightseeing during Norway’s World Cup run. The striker used a break between games to explore New York with Johansen, attempting to keep a low profile with a light baseball cap and dark sunglasses.

Photos shared on social media showed the pair in Times Square and outside Katz’s Deli, with Haaland appearing to move through the city largely unnoticed. “It helps to hide the hair, to be honest,” he joked on Snapchat, referring to the long blond locks that usually make him easy to spot.

The outing came after Haaland scored twice in Norway’s 4-1 victory over Iraq, the country’s first World Cup match in 28 years. Norway coach Stale Solbakken had given his players a couple of days away from camp before their next Group I game against Senegal. He said the downtime gave the squad a chance to clear their heads and spend time with friends and family.

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The cast of the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie is finally starting to take shape, and Nintendo is making it increasingly difficult not to look toward one game in particular. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Bo Bragason are already set to lead the movie as Link and Zelda, respectively, while Uli Latukefu will play Ganondorf. Yvonne Strahovski and Sam Neill have also joined the cast in roles that remain undisclosed. We already know the movie is telling an original narrative, so expecting a direct adaptation of Ocarina of Time would be setting ourselves up for disappointment. That doesn’t mean Nintendo won’t pull heavily from the games that defined Hyrule on its way to creating something new. In fact, the cast makes Ocarina of Time feel like an increasingly obvious source of inspiration.

And if Ocarina of Time is one of the movie’s biggest influences, that’s a pretty great place to start. Nearly three decades later, it still contains so much of what audiences picture when they think of The Legend of Zelda, and its story has the bones of an incredible fantasy adventure. But Nintendo doesn’t have to take everything from the same game. When it comes to Latukefu’s Ganondorf, there’s another version of the character that would give the movie something Ocarina of Time can’t. The Wind Waker gave Ganondorf a perspective, and that’s exactly what his live-action debut needs.

‘Ocarina of Time’ Has Everything Nintendo Needs To Build a ‘Zelda’ Movie

There’s a reason Ocarina of Time remains such an obvious point of reference nearly three decades after its release. It contains almost everything a general audience associates with The Legend of Zelda: Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, the Triforce, the Master Sword, Hyrule Castle, and a collection of wildly different peoples and places that make the kingdom feel enormous. More importantly, its basic conflict gives Nintendo plenty to borrow without actually adapting the game. Link’s journey begins small. He’s a child leaving Kokiri Forest for the first time, only to become wrapped up in Zelda’s suspicions about Ganondorf and a race to protect Hyrule. The two young heroes ultimately make the catastrophic mistake that gives Ganondorf exactly the opportunity he needs. Link draws the Master Sword and awakens seven years later to discover Ganondorf won. Tell me that isn’t a second-act turn made for a movie theater.

Nintendo obviously doesn’t need to reproduce that progression beat for beat, especially if the goal is to create a new story. Nobody needs to watch Link methodically complete every dungeon, and trying to cram an entire Zelda game onto the screen would be a fantastic way to make the movie feel like someone uploaded a playthrough to IMAX. What Ocarina of Time offers instead is a blueprint for how to introduce Hyrule, establish Link and Zelda as young heroes, and make Ganondorf feel like an overwhelming threat before either of them is ready to face him. Even the mystery castings make that possibility interesting. Strahovski has the presence for an Impa-like role, while Neill could naturally fit into Hyrule’s older generation as its king, Rauru, or another mentor figure. Those guesses could be completely wrong (and probably are, if I’m being honest), but the larger point is that an original narrative still gives Nintendo the freedom to assemble recognizable pieces from across the franchise. There’s just one place where another Zelda game has a much better piece to borrow.

‘The Wind Waker’ Gave Ganondorf the Story a Movie Actually Needs

Image via Nintendo

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Ocarina of Time establishes so much of what has become inseparable from Ganondorf: the Gerudo king, his pursuit of the Triforce, his conquest of Hyrule, and ultimately his transformation into Ganon. He’s threatening before Link has any hope of challenging him, and the adult portion of the game shows exactly what happens when the hero fails to stop him. But The Wind Waker does something Ocarina of Time never really needed to do by asking Ganondorf to explain himself. By the time Link encounters Ganondorf in The Wind Waker, the Hyrule he once coveted has been buried beneath an ocean. Near the end of the game, Ganondorf remembers the harsh winds of the Gerudo desert and contrasts them with the winds that blew across Hyrule. Eventually, he admits that he coveted that wind. It’s one of the best Ganondorf scenes Nintendo has ever written because it doesn’t suddenly pretend he was right. He’s still a tyrant. Instead, The Wind Waker gives him something far more valuable to a movie: a perspective. His desire for Hyrule becomes rooted in resentment, envy, and the circumstances that shaped him instead of simply wanting ultimate power because the story needs a villain.

That’s what Latukefu’s Ganondorf needs. His physicality already does plenty of the work. Put him opposite Ainsworth’s young Link, and Ganondorf should look like an impossible opponent before Nintendo adds a single visual effect. The harder job is making audiences understand the man underneath that threat. A video game can rely on decades of iconography and the promise of an enormous final boss. A movie needs a character who can carry actual scenes. Let Ganondorf interact with Zelda and the rulers of Hyrule. Show us the Gerudo and what his kingdom looks like compared to the one he wants to conquer. Give Latukefu the opportunity to communicate what Ganondorf sees when he looks at Hyrule and why possessing it matters to him.

Nintendo doesn’t need to copy The Wind Waker wholesale. In fact, an original narrative gives it an even better opportunity. It can take the resentment Ganondorf eventually articulates in The Wind Waker and show us what that resentment looks like before it consumes him. Eventually, give us Ganon. Watching Latukefu transform into the monster that has haunted Hyrule across generations could be an incredible payoff. But Ganon is the monster. Ganondorf is the character. Nintendo is already creating a new Legend of Zelda, which means it doesn’t have to choose a single game to adapt. It can take the sweeping adventure and iconic Hyrule of Ocarina of Time, then borrow the complexity The Wind Waker finally gave its greatest villain. If Nintendo is going to rearrange familiar pieces to tell a new legend, Ganondorf deserves to be one of them.

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May 7, 2027

Writers

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Derek Connolly

Producers

Shigeru Miyamoto, Avi Arad

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  Benjamin Evan Ainsworth

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  Bo Bragason

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A shooting at a Georgia high school on Wednesday (August 12) left one student wounded. Later, police caught the teenage suspect who fled the Warner Robins High School scene and took them into custody, per the Associated Press.

RELATED: 15-Year-Old Passes Away After Argument At Joppatowne High School Escalated To A Shooting (UPDATE)

Details About The Georgia High School Shooting

The shooting at Warner Robins High School involving two ninth-graders occurred just one week into the new school year. Warner Robins is about 102 miles southeast of Atlanta. The incident prompted a response from dozens of law enforcement officers.

“Today, a call that we train for every year happened to come to Houston County,” Sheriff Matt Moulton said at an evening news conference.

The sheriff said a group of students was inside a school bathroom when a verbal altercation between two students escalated into a physical fight. One student was shot at 2:15 p.m., and the suspect fled. A school resource officer arrived quickly, applied tourniquets to the student’s injuries and remained until emergency services personnel arrived.

It’s unclear whether the school has metal detectors in place. Sheriff Moulton declined to take questions at the news conference, citing the active investigation.

How Was The Suspect Caught? 

The injured student received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital. Sheriff Moulton did not specify the type of injuries the student had. An hour later, authorities caught the suspect “without further incident” in a neighborhood about a half-mile (800 meters) from the school, Moulton said.

“The school threat protocol and our training was followed perfectly today,” Moulton said. “Fortunately what could have been a much-worse incident was minimized to us only having one student injured.”

School Temporarily Closed For Staff & Students

Additionally, Houston County Schools Superintendent Richard Rogers said the school would be closed for staff on Thursday and students on Thursday and Friday. Crisis counselors would be available at the school for staff on Friday and for students on Monday. “We’re going to focus on healing,” Rogers said.

RELATED: Prayers Up! 12-Year-Old Girl Passes Away Following An After-School Fight With Another Student In Georgia (VIDEO)

Associated Press contributed to this story via AP Newsroom. 

There’s some heartbreaking news for fans who grew up watching one of Nickelodeon’s most beloved sketch-comedy shows. Christy Knowings, who brought plenty of personality and laughs to the screen during her time on ‘All That,’ has died at 46.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Fans Share Heartbreak After ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Actress Daveigh Chase Passes Away At Age 35

Christy Knowings’ Health Emergency Ends In Tragedy

According to reports, Knowings suffered an asthma attack on Friday, Aug. 7, that resulted in brain damage. She was hospitalized at a Los Angeles-area hospital and placed on life support. After several days, her family made the difficult decision to remove her from life support, and she died Tuesday, Aug. 11.

Knowings was a regular cast member on ‘All That’ from 1997 to 2000, appearing in more than 30 episodes alongside stars including Amanda Bynes, Nick Cannon and Kenan Thompson. She took on a number of memorable characters, including Jessica from “Whateverrr!” and Penny Lane, but previously revealed that Gloria Bankhead was one of her favorite roles. In a 2019 interview, Knowings described Gloria as an “over-the-top Martha Stewart” and said she enjoyed staying in character even when the cameras weren’t rolling.

The Comments Fill With Grief

Folks quickly ran to TSR’s Instagram comment section with plenty to say following news of Christy Knowings’ passing. Many were simply grieving and sharing heartfelt memories, while others reflected on how so many child stars haven’t seemed like the same people since experiencing the pressures of stardom. And in between the condolences, plenty of folks also took a moment to point out just how beautiful Christy was.

One Instagram user @yeahbullet_ said, “I loved her on All That! RIP beautiful”

This Instagram user @charmstacie added, “Wow she was so pretty and funny 🙏”

And, Instagram user @korladaaaa commented, “D*mn my childhood is just leaving 😢❤️”

Meanwhile, Instagram user @royalteexoxo wrote, “Hope her twin brother is ok. Prayers to the family!!”

While Instagram user @sheadotcom__ shared, “awww rest peacefully 😢”

Lastly, Instagram user @co_cainneee claimed, “None of these people been right since those shows”

Christy Knowings’ Death Adds To A Painful Year

Beyond ‘All That,’ Knowings continued working in entertainment, including appearances on ‘Sesame Street’ alongside her twin brother, Chris Knowings, between 2008 and 2011. She also appeared in the 2009 film ‘Mother and Child’ and released music, including the 2020 track ‘To the World.’ Knowings had recently been featured on the June/July 2026 cover of Black Beat magazine, making news of her sudden passing especially poignant for longtime fans.

Knowings’ death comes just months after another former ‘All That’ cast member, Kianna Underwood, died at 33 after being struck in a hit-and-run while walking in Brooklyn in January. The back-to-back losses have left fans of the iconic Nickelodeon series mourning two familiar faces from their childhood.

RELATED: Prayers Up! Former Nickelodeon Star Kianna Underwood Killed In Shocking Brooklyn Hit-And-Run

The Game of Thrones universe is rapidly expanding, as House of the Dragon wrapped up Season 3 and, in the same week, the franchise’s first stage show opened in Stratford-upon-Avon. Performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Game of Thrones: The Mad King explores the era when Daenerys’ (Emilia Clarke) father, King Aerys II, ruled Westeros and features many crucial events such as the infamous Tourney at Harrenhal and the lead-up to Robert’s Rebellion. However, House of the Dragon and The Mad King have more in common than timing because one important element of the franchise appears in both stories: the prophecy known as the Song of Ice and Fire.

Game of Thrones fans remember the prophecy that echoed throughout the show. But House of the Dragon gave it even more weight, as an added storyline explains that it came from Aegon the Conqueror and foretells the Targaryens’ legacy. The recent Season 3 finale, in particular, explores Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) obsession with fulfilling the prophecy, as she declares herself the Prince That Was Promised. However, Rhaenyra is just one of the many Targaryens to wrestle with those words. The Mad King explores another as Rhaegar (played by Noah Ritter) hopes to fulfill the prophecy. This idea forges a deeper connection between the play and the wider franchise that will only continue to grow.

‘The Mad King’ Goes Deeper into ‘Game of Thrones’ Famous Prophecy

The prediction about the Long Night and the threat of the White Walkers may not come true until the events of Game of Thrones, but long before it is fulfilled, it shapes Westeros. George R.R. Martin‘s books heavily hint at Rhaegar’s interest in the prophecy, though he is dead before the story begins, and the play builds on that. In fact, based on audience reports, both Rhaegar and Aerys (Michael Shaeffer) focus on the words: Aerys, as part of his madness, and Rhaegar as a Targaryen dreamer who has visions of the prophecy himself. Though he fears it could be a sign of his family’s madness, he cannot ignore it. Rhaegar believes himself to be the prophesied figure, because family legend claims he was conceived under a red star, as the prophecy predicts. However, when Aerys reveals that to be propaganda, Rhaegar must find another answer.

The story also features Lyanna Stark (Harmony Rose-Bremner), who has her own opinions about the prophecy. Seemingly possessing Greenseer abilities, like her nephew, Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright), she also dreams of the prophecy and gives a different interpretation. Lyanna believes that the reference to the “Song of Ice and Fire” is not about dragons and White Walkers, but about the Targaryens and the Starks, who must join their lines. This thought process leads her and Rhaegar to have a child, Jon Snow (Kit Harington), whom they expect to fulfill the prophecy. However, he isn’t the only one the play positions to potentially take that role. Like Rhaegar and Lyanna, Aerys intends to father the Prince That Was Promised, so when a red star appears in the skies, both couples conceive a child, Jon and Daenerys, respectively. This storyline, which seems to be a central focus of the stage show, proves the prophecy’s significance throughout Westeros’ history.

‘The Mad King’ Proves This Prophecy Is the Most Consistent Part of the Franchise

As it proves central to yet another story, the prophecy is quickly becoming the through line of the entire franchise. From being fulfilled in Game of Thrones, to House of the Dragon explaining its origins, to The Mad King highlighting another attempt to interpret the words, this prophecy connects each story, and upcoming spin-offs can continue this tradition. So far, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has not referenced it, but later in Martin’s story, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell) becomes fascinated by magic and hopes to revive the dragons, which could lend itself to a tie-in of the prophecy. More directly, the upcoming film about Aegon’s Conquest can explore the prophecy’s origin, making it even more prevalent in the franchise.

The inclusion in The Mad King is fitting, but it seemingly shifts importance away from the events of House of the Dragon. While the prequel’s addition of the prophecy initially intensified the stakes of the war by risking the loss of the message, The Mad King suggests it will survive regardless, since Rhaegar has the same dream (as many other Targaryens might over the years). However, the play emphasizes the idea that the Targaryens have long worked to understand these words and ensure that the Prince That Was Promised is born, further justifying the House of the Dragon‘s change and tying the franchise together even more closely.

House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO Max in the U.S.

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Release Date

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August 21, 2022

Network

HBO

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Showrunner

George R.R. Martin

Directors

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Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel

Writers

Gabe Fonseca

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  Fabien Frankel

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Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Silo Season 3, Episode 7.One of Silo’s greatest strengths as Apple TV’s best sci-fi is its continued ability to make every answer feel like the start of an even bigger mystery, and Episode 7’s “Radio” does exactly that. While Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) scrambles with her friends to stop Silo 18’s looming Safeguard before it’s too late, the Before Times storyline delivers its biggest revelation yet as journalist Jessica Henwick’s intrepid journalist Helen Drew and Congressman Daniel Keene (Ashley Zukerman) finally come face-to-face with billionaire Per Stensen (Colin Hanks), whose plan to save the world is as clear-cut as it is alarming.

But what begins as another search for answers about Charlotte’s (Jessica Brown Findlay) missing memories quickly spirals into something far more unsettling for the pair, culminating in the series’ most haunting image of countless silos being drilled beneath America’s farmland. While it’s a dark foreshadowing of the reality Juliette is currently living, for Helen, that reveal isn’t just shocking because of what she’s seeing with Daniel, but rather terrifying for what it means.

Throughout the season, the reporter has believed every lead has brought her closer to the truth. But “Radio” forces her to realize the conspiracy she’s been chasing is actually just one piece of a much larger story. As Henwick says in an exclusive Collider Signature Q&A, Helen reaches the point where she understands “the rabbit hole goes so much deeper,” realizing, “I’m so far behind this story. I’ve come into the middle of a story or the end of a story.”

As the show enters its final episodes for Season 3, Henwick breaks down why Charlotte’s recovered memories are more unsettling than reassuring, how Per quietly challenges everything Helen believes about truth and morality, why her partnership with Daniel reaches a major turning point, and what Helen truly understands in those final moments overlooking the future silos.

Henwick Says Helen Is Willing To Compromise Her Morals for the Truth

COLLIDER: You and Ash [Zukerman] have done such an amazing job as this anchor couple for what the show is. A lot of people say it’s sci-fi, but I really do believe it’s a love story at the core, with these sprinkles of affection and admiration we see from the two of you, which is so nice. You also gave an amazing performance this season.

JESSICA HENWICK: Thank you. That’s really sweet to hear. It’s so nice to hear from someone who’s seen the whole thing and knows the journey that we go on. And yeah, I totally agree. At the end of the day, the whole show is about love. That’s what it comes down to. It’s what sparks Juliette. She was trying to find out what had happened to her love. And to know that the Pez is no longer a mysterious object; it’s just something that Daniel gave to Helen on a non-date. It’s really sweet. And I think ultimately what we need right now are stories that have love at the heart of them.

I totally agree. I know that Helen is so used to being the person always asking questions, but Episode 7 puts her in the room where Per controls what she’s allowed to know. What interested you as an actor in playing that shift in power?

HENWICK: Honestly, what I was attracted to and found interesting in that episode specifically is that when we’re introduced to Helen at the end of Season 2 and all through Season 3, we really come to know her as someone who believes in the truth at all costs. She really believes in the power of the people, the will of the many. Like, give people information, let them do what they will with it, but don’t protect them. And then to discover that she is not quite practicing what she preaches.

Obviously, we discover that she herself has protected a source by pretending that her story was fabricated, and now she’s really having to question: is there such a thing as too much information? Is there such a thing as too much truth? Is it possible that the public shouldn’t know what she’s about to find out? I think it’s a really hard decision for her to make. It remains to be seen how much she regrets it in the long run, but it’s a fascinating transition for the character. I think by this point in the show, she’s so desperate to get to the truth, she’s willing to sacrifice her morals a little bit.

Charlotte remembering Daniel feels like it should be a breakthrough, especially for him. Helen’s been chasing the answers the whole season, but it becomes immediately clear that it’s actually opening the door to something much bigger than the two of them even imagined. Why does that moment end up feeling more unsettling than triumphant for Helen?

HENWICK: Helen respected Charlotte going into this, and I think that they felt that there was a kinship there. So to see Charlotte, and she’s apparently got her memories back, and she’s totally fine, and she’s still saying, “I’m on this side now.” She’s crossed over, and she feels unreachable in a way, and I think that scares Helen even more because she definitely doesn’t trust Per Stensens, but she trusted Charlotte’s judgment, and if Charlotte thinks that she’s doing the right thing, maybe there’s more to this.

Per kind of threatens Helen and Daniel in a way. He treats them, also, like potential recruits. Did you see it that way, too, when you were reading the scripts? Did it feel like this was something where your characters were being very much manipulated into a situation where it would benefit just one faction of people versus the entire community of America?

HENWICK: I think that they don’t really want Helen. They just want Helen to shut up. This is their way of, like, “Come to our side,” and they would essentially muzzle her. They muzzle her regardless. But I don’t think they particularly like her from the get-go. Per could sadly buy many journalists who probably have a better reputation. Helen’s reputation is marred. I think she’s in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Colin Hanks Found the Chilling Mindset Behind Per Stensen

Image via Apple TV

What was it like building that dynamic with Colin Hanks? There’s such a tension that comes from that passive aggressiveness between the two of you. You are both talented actors, but seeing that back and forth was really fun because I love the quick wisecracks that Helen gives to him, but he also tries to put her in her place most times.

HENWICK: I kept joking that Per is short for persnickety. He’s funny, and he can dish it. And I mean, look, Colin is the nicest, most charming, congenial man, and has a penchant for bursting into song randomly, which I found very adorable because I do the same. But when he’s in the zone, as Colin, it’s pretty fascinating.

I remember on his first day, we had been bonding for episodes. The stranger was coming into an established set, which is always really hard, and we were trying to be welcoming and chatty. Then, just before the take goes, I heard him just kind of step to the side — I hope he doesn’t mind me sharing this — and he just said to himself, “You don’t care about any of these people. None of these people matter.” And then it was action, and he went into the take.

It does kind of get to the heart of that character and people who are of that ilk. Not to say all tech billionaires don’t care about people, but when your time is worth so much, I do imagine he looks at us and goes, “Ugh, God, if they could just sign it already. What a waste of my time. They’re burning through millions.” I think he reduces us to a number in his head, or just an obstacle, a thing to deal with. I don’t really think he sees us as people.

You’ve played in a lot of roles that have an eat-the-rich sort of theme, and so I’m wondering what was something about this show that you feel maybe does it differently, especially with Per Stensen, because I feel like he comes off like an Elon Musk character, which is a whole other conversation. But it just feels like something so relevant and so important to actually acknowledge, because there are people who are in the secret shadows, shaping our own government, our lives, etc. For you, what was it like reading that back and figuring out this is a character we’re going to have in the show?

HENWICK: Any time there’s any sort of leak of internal government documents, it’s always not shocking, sadly, but awful to see how much influence external figures have and all the conversations that are happening behind closed doors. We, as the public, get a fraction of the real reason for every single move.

I have done a couple of eat-the-rich things, but I think Silo takes it seriously and is also willing to point out, rather than sort of making it funny and making them evil or just othering them, all the ways that he may be right. Like Helen and Per go head-to-head, and every time she says, “Well, what about this?” He replies, “What about this?” And they both have points. They both are making valid points.

The show does a very good job of not villainizing anyone. It grounds them in humanity, and I think that’s why the show is so relatable. People do love the different characters’ back-and-forth. What you say about Per — he has points, and his points make sense — so I think that’s just very interesting. That being said, though, Helen is normally the person asking questions all the time, but how do you keep those quieter reaction beats active when so much of the performance is now happening internally for her? It does require her to watch and calculate and listen. It’s a lot more internal for you.

HENWICK: I love that stuff. I love the scenes where I’m just listening and just reacting in the moment. I’m such a big fan of cutting my dialogue. [Laughs] It was a pleasure.

Also, the thing I’ve noticed with actors, they always say the hardest thing is either sneezing in a scene or crying or whatever, but I think listening is one of them, because there’s so much internalizing for your expression you have to do, too.

HENWICK: There is internalizing, but what I like about Helen is that she’s also not afraid to just scoff in your face or smirk or laugh openly. When we meet her at the end of Season 2, she’s there in a work capacity, and there is an element of keeping her cards a little close to her chest. But all in all, I think she’s a very emotional person. Not that she’s lacking in logic or external decision-making, but she does kind of wear her heart on her sleeve, which is refreshing. It was fun. It was really fun in the dinner scene in the next episode.

Henwick Had To Ignore What ‘Silo’ Fans Already Know

Image via Apple TV

Episode 7 doesn’t really reward Helen with answers so much as it forces her to rethink the questions she’s been asking all season. When you first read the script, did it completely change your understanding of her journey when you got to that episode?

HENWICK: I read everything at once, so I knew exactly where we were going, and obviously the audience knows where this goes. The audience knows this is all about a silo. At the end of the day, it’s all about a silo. You can’t play that. You have to play it that she thinks, “Okay, so there’s a conspiracy about a bomb,” and then, “Oh, okay, so it’s a conspiracy about memory.” But her expectation is the closest to reality each time. There’s no world where she ever would have been able to imagine, “This is what this has all been about? It’s been about a guy with too much money and time, obsessed with doomsday bunkers?” She couldn’t have imagined it. So, I just tried to stay true to where she was rather than where the show was, or the audience was.

‘Silo’ Episode 7’s Final Scene Makes Helen Realize It May Already Be Too Late

Image via Apple TV

Helen and Daniel built their relationship through this shared risk and this gradual trust in one another. How does what they experience in Episode 7 strengthen or even complicate their partnership as the story moves towards the final episodes?

HENWICK: We had that beautiful bottle episode for us entirely in the car. I think Helen is forced to confront the fact that she hasn’t even begun to scratch at the surface. She’s so used to meeting people and immediately filing them away in a box. Like, she meets him in the bar, and she goes, “Okay, politician. Probably a douchebag.” And then she meets him, and he’s kind of funny and charming, and she’s surprised. Then he gives her this Pez, which is so tender, and that takes her aback. She doesn’t know how to respond to that. Then in the car, to discover, “Well, he actually doesn’t have these grand aspirations to be a politician. It’s not what he got in. He didn’t get into it for the fame or the glory.” I think she’s at a crossroads where she’s starting to realize there’s so much more here, potentially. But obviously that’s messy because work/play — don’t shit where you eat. [Laughs]

Yeah, I totally understand. That final image of Helen and Daniel looking out at the enormous silos being built across the farms is very haunting. I feel like it’s foreshadowing everything we know is going to happen, but we don’t really know the stuff in between. What does Helen understand at that moment that she didn’t understand when she stepped onto that plane?

HENWICK: The rabbit hole goes so much deeper, and there’s a possibility that it’s too late. I think a lot of what she was doing was, “Let me blow this open before it progresses.” And to realize, “I’m so far behind this story. I’ve come into the middle of a story or the end of a story,” is just beyond her grasp.

Silo streams Fridays on Apple TV.

Hey, General Hospital fans. We have all seen Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) manipulated by the ghost of Peter August (Wes Ramsey), who is living rent free in her head and actively urging her to kill Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud). And that’s because Peter warned Anna that Britt will try and kill her if she doesn’t take her out first.

We’re going to talk about Anna making murderous plans for Britt. Who’s going to be the one to stop Anna from killing Britt and what consequences Anna might face as a result of trying to kill Britt?

General Hospital: Peter Pushing Anna Closer to the Edge

So, Peter’s being quite convincing. He’s made Anna believe she’s not safe and won’t be until all of Cesar Faison’s (Anders Hove) kids are dead. That means Britt’s got to go. And of course, Peter’s dead and gone, and Anna is just brain scrambled. Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) scrambled her gray matter. She’s not okay.

Anna lied and told Felicia and the French therapist what they needed to hear. She just wanted out of the European psych facility. And so, she manipulated her shrink and family, but Anna is far from being in a good place mentally. So, very soon, especially after that intense scene we had with Britt and Anna at General Hospital this week, I think Peter is going to convince Anna to go ahead and take action against Britt.

So, this week, Peter told Anna to use Felicia Scorpio (Kristina Wagner) to get information on Britt. And at first, Anna didn’t want to do it, and she told ghost Peter that she doesn’t want to use her family. But he convinced Anna that she has to do it or the consequences will be dire.

So, Anna went ahead and she got a little info out of Felicia. She told Anna that Britt is on probation at GH but is doing all right. More importantly, Felicia told Anna where Britt lives because Felicia organized a sublet from another doctor. Now, Anna knows exactly where to find Britt outside of General Hospital and then Anna can go after her at home.

Anna Plays Britt on GH

With Peter writing shotgun in Anna’s head, Britt was asking Anna to use her WSB connections to help her find out about how Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) has died and where’s his body to give Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati) some closure and some peace of mind. And initially Anna refused, but then Peter convinced Anna to tell Britt she changed her mind and said that way she’ll owe Anna something.

So, it looks like we’re getting closer with Peter pushing Anna to making a move and targeting Britt, trying to kill her because Peter’s not going to stop pushing. However, when Anna goes after Britt, people are going to realize that Anna needs help and that she’s been lying. So, let’s talk about who may save Britt and at the same time save Anna from herself because if she harms Britt, that means Anna is throwing her life away.

General Hospital: Who Will Save Britt from Anna’s Murderous Plot

There are people who care about Britt or Anna and at least one who cares about both Britt and Anna that could intervene even if it’s risky. So, one person I think would definitely get between Britt and Anna is Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).

He’s actually my top choice because he loved Anna for decades. Even though Valentin moved on with Carly Spencer (Laura Wright), he’s never going to not care about Anna. And of course, Valentin doesn’t care that much about Britt, but he adores Anna.

And we just saw Valentin recently tell Carly he thinks something isn’t right with Anna. And with their long history, Valentin knows Anna very well. He can tell something’s off. Valentin’s not sure what it is. But there’s a chance he may stumble upon Anna trying to kill Britt and then he intervenes.

Valentin may not especially care if Britt lives or dies. He’s not exactly a family Faison fan, but he’s not going to want Anna to wreck her life this way. So Valentin, I think is a strong possibility of the person who gets involved and gets between them and hopefully it won’t cause him any issues with Carly if it is Valentin that intervenes.

 Jack Dies Saving Britt on GH

I feel like though there’s a bigger chance it could be Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) that gets between Anna and Britt because we know Chris McKenna is leaving General Hospital this fall and his character Jack is going to be killed off and knowing Brennan’s time is running out. You know, he might die because of this Anna thing. I could see Jack getting involved when he sees Anna going after Britt. Not that Jack is that attached to Anna, but he knows the WSB did her really dirty.

And he’s also someone who’s been in her life a long time, even though they’re not close now. And of course, Jack still wants info out of Britt. And this would be especially perfect because Jack and Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) are getting really close. And Britt is part of Nina’s family. She loves and cares about Britt. So, Nina would be eternally grateful for Jack saving Britt’s life. And no matter how Jack dies, Nina’s going to be absolutely crushed. Especially if by the time he dies, Jack and Nina have fallen in love. That would be super soapy.

General Hospital: Jason Morgan a Strong Possibility

But another person that might intervene in this Anna versus Britt thing is Jason Morgan (Steve Burton). He could be the one who saves Britt because Jason is Britt’s boyfriend and they’re in love, at least for now. So, of course, Jason would jump into any situation to save Britt’s life.

But at the same time, Anna is a very good friend of Jason’s, and at one point, it looked like Anna was going to be a love interest for Jason. General Hospital was hinting at it, but aside from that kiss, it never really went anywhere.

So, Jason’s still going to want to help Anna, and he’s also going to want to protect Britt from her. And Jason may realize something’s very wrong with Anna and in the end he may convince Britt, you know, no matter what she did, don’t press charges.

General Hospital: Joss & Britt Come Full Circle

So, basically, there’s three different guys that might save Britt. Valentin, Jack, and Jason, but also in case Britt can’t save herself from Anna, there’s somebody else that might actually save her. Could be Super Agent Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy). She might be the one who rescues Britt from Anna’s murder plot.

If you remember, Britt saved Joss’s life from a hook killer, Heather Webber (Alley Mills).  That’s how Britt supposedly died, but then the WSB saved her and put her back to work and convinced her she had Huntington’s. So, if Joss winds up saving Britt’s life, that’s a life for her life. It would be very full circle. So, I could definitely see that happening.

And it would make sense because Joss has been worried about Anna really ever since she saw the literal writing on the wall when Joss was held in the same room below Windermere where they had Anna locked up before they shipped her off.

General Hospital: Anna Locked Back Up

So, knowing that she’s going to go after Britt and do something murdery because she’s still unhinged and Peter’s in her head, the next question is what then? Because I doubt that Anna’s going to kill Britt. I’m sure somebody’s going to intervene, but then there’s fallout and consequences. I absolutely expect to see Anna put into a psychiatric facility somewhere local like Shadybrook.

That way Felicia, Emma Scorpio-Drake (Brayden Bruner), and other friends and family can be there for Anna because she needs help getting Peter out of Anna’s head. And that means that she’s likely going to lose her badge, at least for a while. And Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) might have to step back in as police commissioner at the PCPD, at least until Anna gets the help she so desperately needs and gets Peter out.

Hopefully, it’ll be ShadyBrook and not Ferncliff where they keep those that are more criminally insane. I guess it depends on whether Anna is arrested for trying to kill Britt or if they can handle it outside the justice system. Like Britt agrees, okay, no charges as long as Anna checks in and gets help so this doesn’t happen again.

We’ll see how it plays out with Anna getting murdery with Britt. But I don’t think it’ll be too long before Peter pushes Anna to take drastic action. And she attacks Britt. And I think a murder attempt would forever change both Anna and Britt’s lives and maybe the life of whoever gets between them.

Action movies are awesome. Sci-fi movies are awesome. Put them together, and you’ve got the most irresistible combination since H.B. Reese put peanut butter in a chocolate cup. There’s a particularly potent chemical reaction between these two genres that tends to bring out the best of both. Many of the greatest sci-fi action movies of all time could comfortably rank among the greatest in either genre and often do.

In the interest of variety, and as a natural result of subjectivity, this list will be limiting franchises to their single greatest action-packed entries. Directors, with one very notable exception, will also be kept to singular examples from their filmographies, so just know that if your personal favorite sci-fi actioner isn’t listed here, in some alternate universe it ranked number one. Otherwise, buckle up for the ten best sci-fi action movies in film history.

10

‘Predator’ (1987)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Only on a list like this could an action classic like Predator rank so low. Or maybe lower if you’re among the snobbish critics who reviewed the film when it was first released. Take a random sampling of those reviews, and you’ll notice that the majority of them wrote this iconic film off as a dumb, dull action movie. Reading some of the downright hostile reviews makes it almost seem like they stopped paying attention to the film after 30 minutes. For that first act, the film does seem like any other ultra macho 80s action movie, like Rambo or star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s own Commando, but once its alien antagonist makes its presence known, it evolves into something else entirely.

The premise of Predator is superficially similar to Aliens, with a group of highly trained soldiers taking on an extra-terrestrial threat. The difference is that these aren’t the Vietnam-coded Colonial Marines, these are hypermasculine Reagan-era mercenaries. They take out a compound full of bad guys like an R-rated A-Team, but when they come face to face with Kevin Peter Hall under Stan Winston appliances, they get their asses handed to them. Schwarzenegger spends half the climactic fight running away, with his voice pitched so high through Predator vision, he sounds like a scared little boy. Predator isn’t some cerebral thriller, but John McTiernan definitely didn’t make a dumb, dull movie.

9

‘Inception’ (2010)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

There’s some debate over how good a director of action Christopher Nolan is. There’s no debate that he can handle spectacle, and his editors have certainly played a heavy role in keeping the tension taut in his films, but if there’s any decent argument to the contrary, it’s Inception. Some critics and viewers have opined that a film set almost entirely in dreams should be far more surreal, like the animated Paprika which shares more than a few similarities with Inception. The reality is that Nolan’s dreams are merely an architectural design for him to a build a big ass heist thriller meets James Bond adventure.

For all the mind-bending theatrics of the film, it’s a very basic premise of a professional thief trying to pull off one last job so he can get back to his family. Everything else is window dressing of the mind, and it looks damn good. The zero gravity fight sequence is one of the most memorable setpieces of the 21st century, and the mechanics of the film really lock into place in the climax. Inception adds several layers of action and sci-fi elements to the heist film template. The action in Nolan’s films may not be as fluidly choreographed or as tightly framed, but it’s on a scale that far too few filmmakers are even able to attempt.

8

‘Ghost in the Shell’ (1995)

Image via Manga Entertainment

There are a number of awesome animated sci-fi action films that deserve some recognition. Superheroes qualify here, so The Incredibles and the Spider-Verse get some love. The Animatrix never gets enough love, and Redline is wild fun, but really there are only two films vying for the spot here. Akira is the first, and it’s a gorgeous anime that continues to influence, and the other is Ghost in the Shell, an equally iconic film which hits a little harder in the action department. It’s a kinetic, cyberpunk thriller that really highlights the specific strengths of its medium. Though there have been sequels, remakes, and different series, all of varying quality, there’s something about the stripped-down simplicity of the original that still hits hard.

Ghost in the Shell is dense with sci-fi ideas and philosophical concepts but damned if it isn’t a movie that doesn’t feel the need to explain itself. The central narrative, about a group of cyber cops hunting down a dangerous hacker, is straightforward enough in a tech-noir sort of way. Everything else, from the setting to its technology and the implications thereof, is implicit. With a runtime of less than 90 minutes, as well, the film absolutely whips by. It’s a tight, captivating sci-fi action movie with big visuals and big ideas. That’s why it’s been so influential to many films that came after, including at least one more on this list.

7

‘Minority Report’ (2002)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Tom Cruise is his own breed of action hero. He’s been actively engaged with the genre since the 80s, but has always stood apart from it almost as his own brand. None of his films follow a clear trend, other than Cruise’s increasing insanity and willingness to put his body in danger. Even his signature franchise, Mission: Impossible, went through a few identity changes before settling in by the fifth film. Those movies all feature some very sci-fi technology, but don’t officially qualify as sci-fi action movies. His firmly fixed efforts are, ranked in ascending quality, Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow, and Minority Report.

The 2002 sci-fi thriller benefits from the direction of Steven Spielberg, who simply knows how to stage the hell out of an action sequence. From a jet-pack fight, to a chase on automated cars, and Cruise hiding from robot spiders like kids from raptors in a kitchen, Minority Report is what an Alfred Hitchcock movie looks like in sci-fi noir clothes with 21st century technology. It’s got a wrongfully accused man on the run, but instead of being paired with a platinum blonde who Hitchcock can abuse behind-the-scenes, he’s teamed up with Samantha Morton giving an incredible performance as a child-like psychic. There are still some traces of the themes from Philip K. Dick’s short story, and the film’s tech was surprisingly prescient, but it’s a true thrill ride.

6

‘RoboCop’ (1987)

Image via Orion Pictures

Paul Verhoeven made three pretty damn perfect over-the-top sci-fi action movies. Total Recall was another Philip K. Dick adaptation turned into a blockbuster, albeit a far more violent one. Starship Troopers was a deliberately satirical adaptation of Robert Heinlein’s sci-fi military novel that took some time for critics and audiences to warm to. They are both classics in their own right, but RoboCop is his superior invention. It exists in its own genre entirely, playing intestinal jump rope with tone and sincerity. Even awesome films like Upgrade and Dredd, which owe a blood-soaked debt to RoboCop, aren’t able to achieve its strange alchemy.

The action of RoboCop, on a surface level, isn’t anything brilliantly staged or particularly fast-paced. Robo is about as fast as a backhoe in traffic, and generally moves in a straight line to annihilate his targets with his oversized gun. What the action does have, is an absolute ridiculous brutality to it. Unlike the throat rips and exploding arrows of other 80s action movies, the violence in RoboCop knows it’s absurd. The sheer quantity and size of the squibs put on the actors in this movie turns them into bloody chum, and that’s even before a melting man gets liquified by a car. If you want fancy footwork or complex choreography, look somewhere else. If you want an entire factory turned into a cloud of cocaine, bullets and blood, watch RoboCop.

5

‘Children of Men’ (2006)

Image via Universal Pictures

Alfonso Cuarón is another filmmaker that couldn’t be listed as an action director. He’s made films that have scenes of incredible tension and suspense like Gravity, or even chaos and violence like in Roma. Both of those films were predicated on the work Cuarón had done on the only film of his that could be considered an action movie, the dystopic sci-fi thriller Children of Men. The action in Children of Men is of a visceral nature, much of it captured through digitally assembled long takes. It makes it more white-knuckle than fist-pumping like some of the action on this list. Children of Men is an action movie the same way Saving Private Ryan is, there’s a reality to its violence that makes it hard to enjoy, but easy to be impressed by.

There’s a version of Children of Men that could have been made without any action. The novel it’s based on, by P.D. James, has no action to speak of and is focused on ore in philosophical and political debates. It could’ve made a very talky but possibly interesting sci-fi film. Cuarón is far more interested in having audiences experience the violent social upheaval that might result from the world of the novel. The political themes are broadened, based more closely on post-9/11 fearmongering and aggressive nationalism, and the plot is streamlined into the format of a thriller. It’s a breathless film that doesn’t have time to contemplate for too long, but which is far more effective for how harrowing its action is.

4

‘The Matrix’ (1999)

Image via Warner Bros.

An action sci-fi movie that certainly wants to be contemplative is The Matrix. The Wachowski’s breakthrough film, which became a true pop culture phenomenon, is a mélange of philosophical debates, spiritual themes, and trans allegories. The film isn’t focused on any one of those things enough to express anything specific, but the implications certainly tickled many people’s cerebrums more than the average action movie. It definitely opened people up to the many philosophical influences that the Wachowskis had in crafting their film and launched a million different interpretations of its meaning. In that way, it also introduced many to the martial arts films and cyberpunk anime that were coded in its DNA.

Movies like Ghost in the Shell and directors like John Woo all inspired The Matrix, much in the same way Christopher Nolan and Inception would be by it. The film brought action techniques like wire-fu, that had been mainstays in industries like Hong Kong for decades, to mainstream American audiences. It also perfected bullet-time, which had been toyed with as a concept in previous disparate films, anime, music videos and even commercials. The Matrix funneled all its influences into one leather-clad action film that defined a generation of action films.

3

‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)

Image via Tri-Star Pictures

Top 3 spots are reserved for the big guns, and nobody likes a big sci-fi gun like James Cameron. The Canadian filmmaker has only made two films that don’t fall into science fiction and only one of those, Titanic, isn’t an action movie. While that historical drama may have brought him prestige and Oscar gold, it’s not his best film. His two best films, in fact, are both sci-fi action movies, and they are masterpieces of the subgenre. The first belongs to Cameron’s own franchise, with the totemic blockbuster sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Where The Terminator was a more exploitation-adjacent sci-fi action movie wrapped over a slasher endoskeleton, the sequel was designed from the ground up to be a blockbuster. It’s got a more family-friendly Terminator, with Arnold’s iconic villain reprogrammed as a hero this time around to protect a kid protagonist who’s about as based in reality as Bart Simpson. It’s a corny movie, no doubt, but it’s got amazing setpieces, Linda Hamilton as a kick-ass action heroine, and Robert Patrick as the ultimate artificial villain. The landmark CGI is still impressive, and it’s mixed with incredible practicle effects and stunt work that make Terminator 2: Judgment Day a chrome-clad classic.

2

‘Aliens’ (1986)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Cameron’s best film is a sequel to a movie he didn’t direct. As fun as it would be to list Piranha II: The Spawning here, it has to go to Aliens. More so than the escalation that Terminator 2 brought, Aliens completely changes genres from its predecessor. The most discussed aspect of Cameron’s sequel is how he jettisoned the horror of the first film and inserted a thrilling war movie into its sci-fi setting. It’s almost taken for granted now, but it was a big risk that paid massive dividends, and set the scales for many future sequels. Also, often discussed is the film’s expansion of the character of Ripley, who truly becomes the full iconic character as fans know and love her.

Sigourney Weaver certainly gave a committed performance in the first film, but her character is fairly thinly written, enough that her actual gender was completely arbitrary. Cameron, as he is wont to do, fleshed her out with a backstory involving a daughter (in the director’s cut) and gave her new purpose with a surrogate one. Aliens is about mothers, and that’s what Cameron brought to it. The soldiers were already there in the almost non-existent outline given to him by the producers. What could’ve been a cheap follow-up where a few soldiers are picked off by another alien, instead became an epic action movie featuring the mother of all sci-fi showdowns.

1

‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

While there’s some debate on whether post-apocalyptic stories always qualify as sci-fi, it’s still a speculative as hell subgenre and the original Mad Max was a dystopian film so Mad Max: Fury Road gets to smash through to the top spot. It’s a film that’s been endlessly hyped by action fans, cinephiles and critics alike, but which didn’t even crack the top ten highest grossing films of the year it was released. Financial success has no bearing on its quality, it just speaks to how monumental the entire Mad Max franchise is while still remaining slightly cultish.

Miller’s first film was a seminal Ozoloitation revenge thriller. One which helped bring Australian cinema international attention, except from most of America. The states were so out of the loop that the sequel Mad Max 2 was released under the title The Road Warrior. The film was a big success regardless, especially thanks to its relatively minuscule budget of $2 million. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was the most mainstream entry of the franchise, with a PG-13 rating, a musical superstar as a co-lead, and a gang of kid characters. It would be three decades before Max returned, and he came back in the most streamlined, pulse-pounding, visually astonishing, sci-fi action movie ever made.

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Mad Max: Fury Road

Release Date

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May 15, 2015

Runtime

121 minutes

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Director

George Miller

Writers

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Brendan McCarthy, George Miller, Nico Lathouris

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