Entertainment
10 Greatest Disney Animated Villains, Ranked by Charm
When it comes to Disney animated films, our adoration for the movies comes through the vibrant world-building and extraordinary characters. We revere the protagonists of the films who inspire us to do good, but it’s the villains who are just deliciously bad. And we love them for that. If the upcoming Villains Land at Magic Kingdom is any indication, our adoration for Disney villains runs deep. Today, we celebrate them.
Not all Disney animated villains are created equal. Some are sinister, others are diabolical. But the best of the best know how to charm the pants off the hero of the story. The characters on this list exude charm in ways that nearly make them victorious in their respective stories. From conniving their nephew that they were why their father died to wooing a princess to the point an entire kingdom goes down in flames—well, ice—these villains are notoriously bad, yet charismatic to the end. They can sing a song, flash a smile, and literally get away with murder. And that’s what makes them great.
10
Dawn Bellwether
‘Zootopia’ (2016)
Just because a Disney character looks all cute and cuddly doesn’t mean they’re on the good side. Case in point, Zootopia’s assistant mayor, Dawn Bellweather (Jenny Slate). In the hit Zootopia, Dawn is the diminutive, soft-spoken sheep who is introduced as the overworked and underappreciated second in command. But ewe wouldn’t believe that lurking underneath was a manipulative criminal mastermind who orchestrated a conspiracy to make predators go savage in order to seize political power. With a mission to incite fear and establish a new social order, Dawn epitomizes the politicians we see in our own society. She may be small in stature, but Dawn has a way with words. In a story about not judging a book by its cover, Dawn is literally a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Dawn is charming in the sense that she subverts expectations. Her allure lies in her harmless, meek exterior. She’s sweet on the surface, telling everyone everything they need to hear, but it’s her surprise turn as a political operative that makes the twist so exceptional. She gives off an underdog essence. She’s a little guy fighting for the little guys. But the charismatic mask the subordinate wears hides a power-hungry schemer that literally no one saw coming. Thanks to Dawn, we can no longer trust the cute and cuddly critters in Disney’s animal kingdom.
9
Scar
‘The Lion King’ (1994)
If there is a Mount Rushmore of Disney villains, Scar (Jeremy Irons) would be proudly up there, grinning down on us. The primary villain in the Disney Renaissance masterpiece The Lion King, Scar is the envious brother of Mufasa (James Earl Jones). Knowing how those deadly sins operate, when there is envy, there may be murder. With pure villain coursing through his veins, Scar’s charm comes from his outward theatricality, razor-sharp wit, and magnetic arrogance. Seeing the world around him as his chess pieces, Scar proudly rallied a pack of hyenas to do his bidding. And with support behind him, he was able to pull off the most horrific parent-related homicide since Bambi. But the worst part was how effortlessly he convinced his nephew Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) that his father’s death at the hooves of the stampede was his fault.
Scar, while jaded, exudes a confidence that makes his coup flawless. He’s smooth and calculated. No one ever sees him sweat because there are no emotions within. Remorse? Scar’s never heard of it. Scar’s charm comes from having to build up a facade, having lived in the shadows of his brother. Operating from the literal shadows, Scar’s intellect and ambition are dangerous. As he sings in “Be Prepared,” his uprising was based on injustice long in the making. The monster he became may have been forced upon him due to the situation of lineage. Scar almost got away with it, without any genuine pushback, but as we know from Hamlet, the protagonist will always swoop in to make wrongs right again.
8
Mother Gothel
‘Tangled’ (2010)
To understand the extent of Mother Gothel’s (Donna Murphy) charm, simply watch the mastery of “Mother Knows Best.” Telling the story of Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), Tangled follows the long-lost princess with 70 feet of magical hair, who is kept locked away in a secluded tower by the wicked Mother Gothel. Desperate to see the floating lanterns, she escapes her tower alongside the charming fugitive Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi), leaving Gothel no choice but to continue to manipulate the truth. Mother Gothel is a psychological villain. Rather than relying on overt magical powers or brute force, she uses emotional manipulation and a veneer of affection to keep Rapunzel under her thumb.
Gothel’s charisma and bravado, delivered through her passive-aggressive put-downs and guilt trips, offer a glimpse into her sinister style. Everything that Gothel does is under the guise of “protecting” Rapunzel from the dangers of the outside world. The truth is, she needs the princess because it’s her only way to stay young and beautiful. She may be evil, but Mother Gothel is one relatable diva! Gothel’s appearance as a sultry, Gothic beauty, paired with expressive mannerisms, lends a magnetic confidence. In a time when love and affection are overpowered by emotional manipulation and gaslighting in any relationship, that toxicity is a terrifyingly accurate reflection of narcissism. We can’t wait to see what Kathryn Hahn does when she gets her hands on Gothel!
7
Gaston
‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)
Evil is hot. Narcissism is not. And yet, Beauty and the Beast‘s Gaston (Richard White) is the allure of that tiny provincial village. The truth is, Gaston could easily charm any woman in town, sans Belle (Paige O’Hara). But that’s because she was always a special one, that Belle. Gaston moves into evil-villain territory because when he doesn’t get what he wants, he goes to extremes. And since he can’t get Belle on his own, he manipulates the entire town to join his crusade to kill the Beast (Robby Benson). Gaston is initially presented as a Disney prince of sorts, only to have that turned on its head. Beauty and the Beast is a story about how to discover the true beast among men. In the end, it was always Gaston.
He loves a challenge, but hates losing. His striking looks and athletic prowess made him feel entitled. Gaston is the epitome of vain. As the only individual who looked and acted like him, there was an instant draw toward him. His desire to stand out was prevalent; why else would he hit down and make LeFou (Jesse Corti) his bumbling sidekick, half his size and stout in stature? Ego. It’s all about ego, but he covers it up with confidence and charm. Gaston is the hero of his story, which makes him quite dangerous. His ultimate downfall is his pride, which should serve as a warning to all other overly attractive individuals who are the villains in everyone else’s story.
6
Jafar
‘Aladdin’ (1992)
It’s quite shocking to realize that of all the major villains in the Disney Renaissance, Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) is the only one without a solo song. Yes, he does have a reprise of “Prince Ali,” but the fact that his charm exudes beyond a song is quite revealing. But don’t worry, he’s got a hefty arsenal to pull from. Aladdin follows the titular character (Scott Weinger), a kind-hearted street urchin, who, after finding a magic lantern, uses an eccentric wish-granting Genie (Robin Williams) to win the heart of Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin). But it’s Jafar, the Royal Vizier of Agrabah, who is a power-hungry sorcerer scheming to steal the lamp in order to overthrow the throne. Though tall and gaunt, Jafar’s menacing presence should have been a warning to the Sultan (Douglas Seale) that he was sitting next to danger the entire time. I mean, red and black signify evil!
Jafar’s charm comes from his clear, calculating demeanor. He’s a smooth, articulate talker who has a way with words. But it’s that velvety voice that wins you over first. He is wickedly theatrical despite presenting a facade of normalcy. Alone, he’s got a dramatic flair that makes you love-to-hate him. Paired with a hot-tempered parrot named Iago (Gilbert Gottfried), he’s got a minion to do his bidding. By the time that Jafar becomes an all-powerful genie himself, it seems like the game is over. But his flaw of hubris becomes his catastrophic downfall. Jafar is one of the best there ever was. His image may scare you, but his words will win you.
5
Ratigan
‘The Great Mouse Detective’ (1986)
Being voiced by Vincent Price is already a mark in the plus column when it comes to charming villains! Though The Great Mouse Detective arrived during Disney’s dark period, the film still holds up quite well. One, because it has a strong basis for its source material. And two, its iconic villain, Professor Ratigan. The Great Mouse Detective tells the tale of mouse detective Basil on his quest to prevent the diabolical Ratigan from hatching his evil plan to brainwash the citizens and declare himself the supreme ruler of Mousedom. Now, usually if you have to use a mechanical clockwork robot to do your dirty work, your charm factor may get knocked down a peg, but it’s his big mouse delusion that lifts it back up.
Ratigan is a character in an identity crisis. He hates being reminded that he’s a rat, and thus his rat complex causes him to fly into a feral, bloodthirsty rage. He’s a big mouse! Call him a rat, you’ll be fed to his cat, Felicia. His ease in flipping from calm, brandy-sipping gentleman into a violent, impatient megalomaniac makes him unpredictable. Ratigan is all about grandiose speeches, lavish outfits, and embellished musical numbers. He operates from a place of mental stronghold. It’s why his thugs are willing to do his dirty work, and join in on the chorus of his song. His pure, unadulterated malice is what makes him terrifying. Not knowing when it will arrive is a mark of a super villain. Having the legendary flair of Price should have catapulted him into a top-tier villain, but alas.
4
Cruella de Vil
‘One Hundred and One Dalmatians’ (1961)
Sometimes you can hear a picture the moment you see it. That’s the case when you see an image of the original Disney villain legend, Cruella de Vil (Betty Lou Gerson). You can imagine that overly affected voice saying, “Anita, darling.” The animated classic One Hundred and One Dalmatians tells the story of Dalmatians Pongo (Rod Taylor) and Perdita (Cate Bauer and Lisa Daniels) as they race to rescue their puppies after Cruella kidnaps them, intending to turn their luxurious spotted fur into coats. Though she may be the world’s most vile puppy killer, Cruella remains a charming presence in the Disney universe. Cruella is motivated by obsession. She is selfish yet glamorous, but nothing can make up for the cruelty inside.
Cruella is filled with razor-sharp wit, biting commentary, and a sense of theatricality that makes her stand out from the rest. Decked out in ravishing couture, she has a striking presence marked by her iconic black-and-white hair. Cruella commands attention. Not just from her appearance but from the way she carries herself. In a time when women were meant to be sweet and demure, Cruella is anything but. She’s fearless. In the animated film, at least, there’s no morally gray area. She’s wonderfully wicked, creating the blueprint for the pure evil archetype. Cruella is villainously charming in the story, but the charm she exuded across the screen made her one of the most deliciously intriguing characters. It’s why live-action iterations, played by Glenn Close and Emma Stone, have been equally iconic.
3
Hades
‘Hercules’ (1997)
Many Disney fans have their obvious favorites from the Disney Renaissance, but one film that deserves a top spot is Hercules. Bringing Greek mythology to the screen, the film had every millennial who owned the D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths fascinated because it brought to lifethe gods we read about. While many of the great gods were given heroic, cinematic treatment, one god was given a smarmy presence: Hades. Voiced by James Woods, Hades comes off as a slick, fast-talking salesman of sorts. Rather than a menacing, brooding villain, Hades was sassy comic relief. Alongside his minions Pain and Panic (Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt Frewer), Hades ruled the Underworld with an ulterior motive: to overthrow his brother Zeus (Rip Torn) and rule Olympus by defeating his son, Hercules (Tate Donovan), by making him mortal.
Since he is Hades, yes, his fiery temper is the epitome of mood swings. But there’s more to him than that. Hades’ charm stems from the relatability of his role. If you pull back a moment, he’s just an underappreciated employee essentially doing a thankless job. Hades is set apart from many villains of his time by his surprisingly strong moral compass. When he makes a deal, he will honor it. Not necessarily a real win-win for all parties, when Hercules made a deal to sacrifice his strength in exchange for Megera’s (Susan Egan) freedom, Hades honored the terms without scheming or double-crossing. Perhaps that’s why he can get away with his flamboyance, pet names, and one-liners. Another villain without a solo song, Hades rises to the top because of the extravagance in his portrayal.
2
Dr. Facilier
‘The Princess and the Frog’ (2009)
The 21st-century run of Disney films has been significant in that more time and care have been infused into the films’ cultural elements. Rather than relying on stereotypes and tropes, the Disney team ensured that every element was properly plotted and accurate. So, when The Princess and the Frog took the classic story and set it in 1920s New Orleans, it meant the world-building was handled properly. The story follows Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a hardworking waitress who dreams of opening her own restaurant, who is turned into a frog after kissing the arrogant, amphibian-transformed Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos). Together, they embark on a magical bayou adventure to break the curse. With magic central to the story, the New Orleans setting opened the door to exploring voodoo through the lens of the evil voodoo witch doctor, Dr. Facilier (Keith David).
Also known as “The Shadow Man,” Facilier is a smooth-talking hustler. His name is derived from the French word “facile,” meaning easy—a perfectly named character. He has a magnetic showmanship, a suave aesthetic, and an ease for tempting desperate people into desperate deals. Including Naveen himself. While his charm is central to his exterior, inside, he’s a sinister, manipulative figure. But there’s a motive. Unlike his predecessors, who sought world domination, his ambition stems from his fight against a segregated society. The Princess and the Frog is a kids’ film at heart, but the themes within are quite profound and historic.
Perhaps the closest Disney villain to Facilier is The Little Mermaid‘s Ursula (Pat Carroll), but while they both offer hapless individuals easy shortcuts to their deepest desires, Ursula is all-out evil. Facilier has a facade to hide behind. He’s able to maintain that as he doesn’t do the dirty work himself. That is, he’s a master of the Zanatos Gambit, relying on tarot cards and voodoo magic to manipulate his pawns. Oh, and there’s also his shadow, which acts as an extension of his sinister side. There’s no true sidekick in his world; it’s just him. Between David’s smooth sound and the most iconic villain track in recent Disney memory, “Friends on the Other Side,” the 2D animated character reinvigorated our lust for genuine Disney villains.
1
Prince Hans
‘Frozen’ (2013)
We could have an entire dissertation about red flags in dating and how you literally should never, ever rush into things. Even if a prince shows up at your door to woo you. And if he’s in a rush, it’s probably because he’s not into you, but what you have to offer. You know, like an entire kingdom. The truth is, without that happening, we’d never have the mammoth hit and pop culture-altering film Frozen. Everything we ever thought we knew about handsome princes was gone out the window the moment Prince Hans (Santino Fontana) stepped onto the screen. The story of Frozen is about Anna (Kristen Bell), an overly optimistic princess, who teams up with an iceman named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer named Sven, and a sentient snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad), to find her estranged sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), who accidentally trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in an endless winter. In comes Hans, a calculating 13th-born prince of the Southern Isles, who hatches a plan to marry Anna to usurp the throne. Anything to be a king, right?
Hans was literally designed to look and act like a typical charming prince. And for first-time watchers of the film, Anna wasn’t the only one who was tricked. Don’t fool yourself, Hans got you too! With Hans around, love was literally an open door. The way that song is actually a rare hero-villain duet is brilliant. Anyway, the deliberate misdirection was meant to remind everyone not to rush into things, especially marrying someone you just met. Subverting the love at first sight tropes, Hans tapped into every vulnerability he could find in Anna. All he had to do was promise not to shut her out as her sister did, and she was putty in his hands.
Hans plays the long game. His con is not outward from the start. With his indiscretions hidden, Hans uses the kingdom’s needs to his advantage, stepping into the role of a competent, caring leader to earn the kingdom’s trust. And he did. With the greatest of ease. Having Anna on board, it was a seamless maneuver. Hans is absolutely beguiling. No wonder Anna was bewitched and bothered. He could finish her sandwiches! Revisionist history may say we saw the twist coming all along, but Hans was a perfectly crafted, charming villain that changed Disney princes forever.
Frozen
- Release Date
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November 27, 2013
- Runtime
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102 minutes
- Director
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Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
- Writers
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Jennifer Lee
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Entertainment
Taylor Sheridan Returns to His ‘Sicario’ Roots in a Messy and Chaotic ‘Lioness’ Season 3
It’s been three years since Lioness premiered on Paramount+, but in that time, it has slowly transformed from a show about female spies sent to infiltrate terrorist regimes to an international spy thriller full of conspiracies and modern warfare. Season 3 of Taylor Sheridan‘s Lioness turns its focus not to a new lioness, as in the previous two seasons, but towards the Russo-Ukrainian war; rather than using a scalpel to extract intel, the team behind the lionesses now feels more like a sledgehammer. While Season 3 offers a fictional window into the bloody war and spycraft at work today, stepping away from the original concept and transforming the series into just another spy thriller is a disappointment for one of Sheridan’s most ambitious shows.
Taylor Sheridan Pulls From a Familiar Bag of Tricks for ‘Lioness’ Season 3
It was clear toward the end of Season 2 that Lioness intended to abandon its initial formula. Although the series introduced Genesis Rodriguez as Josie, the daughter of a high-ranking cartel member, Lioness was already looking beyond the U.S. borders when it comes to the narrative. This meant that Josie’s story often felt like it was taking a backseat to the larger machinations of a multi-season arc. In Season 3, the show completely dispenses with its original concept, introducing no new lioness and instead looking inward at Joe (Zoe Saldaña) and growing threats from Russia and China. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that the show is bad (Sheridan is good at keeping the rhythm of a thriller going), it does make for a blander story. What was once a unique action series has now become just any old spy show.
Season 3 is, by far, the bloodiest we’ve seen to date, but Sheridan also likes to glorify the military even when he’s trying to be realistic about it. In one action-packed sequence, we see Joe alongside Sheridan’s character, Cody, and the Delta Force K9 handler, Grady (Ian Bohen), on a mission together in Ukraine. The action sequence is brutal and violent as the team executes countless soldiers who stand in their way, first watching them get torn apart by dogs and then shot. Joe and Cruz (Laysla De Oliveira) are rightfully traumatized by the carnage, but the show paints the actions as necessary evils. They might look cool doing it; it might feel like a heroic sacrifice for the safety of our nation, but Sheridan doesn’t do enough to condemn just how ruthless warfare has become.
Unsurprisingly, Sheridan once again seems to enjoy putting women in compromising positions, as there are multiple scenes where a female character is either fully naked or exposing herself for seemingly no reason at all. One particularly difficult scene to watch involves a woman being stripped naked and probed all over in search of a tracker. It’s a violating scene, one that is meant to show just how strong the character is for overcoming it, but it feels gratuitous. It’s odd in general just how many times female nudity occurs in the show, whether it’s two women in an intimate relationship or one baring her breasts unnecessarily in a moment of enraged passion. At no point do men do the same; in fact, nudity seems to be something exclusively reserved for female characters. Not only do the male characters lack development, but they simply stand as macho archetypes who seem completely infallible. In the past, that was fine, because our focus was always on the lioness of the season, but in Lioness Season 3, women are there to be admired physically while also being badasses, and men are just allowed to be badasses.
‘Lioness’ Season 3’s Two Timelines Are Confusing and Messy
The key problem with Season 3, however, is not the romanticization of soldiers or the way Sheridan writes women; it’s the simple fact that it’s narratively a mess. Two timelines are running parallel to each other, which offer plenty of suspense about what exactly happened in the past leading to a major twist in the future. The issue is that the two timelines face the same problem, and the show can quickly get confusing as it jumps back and forth and offers no visual indicator when we’re in the past beyond a slide that indicates a scene is happening six months prior. Tracking events in the show becomes difficult when you try to go beyond the broad strokes.
On top of that, Season 3’s scripts are bursting at the seams with jargon that the viewer is either meant to know already or blindly accept. While it’s more realistic that these characters wouldn’t need to explain acronyms like SVR, SBU, and SSD, the average viewer needs that information. This means that Lioness is a show you definitely need to give your full attention to, but even then, you might have to rewatch episodes to actually get a full picture of what is going on.
Things get especially complicated when operatives from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Russian sleeper agents, and every other clandestine agency are tossed into the mix. Unlike previous seasons, which had a clear objective, Lioness Season 3 mostly feels chaotic. The team is constantly on the back foot, which ups the thrill factor but makes the story feel disorganized. Although the concept is interesting, the execution renders the season a total mess.
‘Lioness’ Season 3 Takes Taylor Sheridan Back to His Action Roots
Despite these faults, that doesn’t mean Lioness Season 3 is all bad. In fact, it has some of the most thrilling and heart-pounding sequences of the entire series. The action scenes feel distinctly reminiscent of Sicario, Sheridan’s debut script, and the relentless tempo of those moments ratchets up the tension and keeps you invested. Specifically, Sheridan’s look at warfare in Ukraine feels distinctly different than the previous seasons’ dealings with the Middle East or Mexico. From the trenches and barbed wire to the drones and robots with guns, it’s terrifying and a completely new type of combat we haven’t seen before.
Saldaña is as good as ever, balancing Joe’s cutthroat instincts alongside her struggle as a wife and mother of a family that has given her endless chances. It is surprising to consistently see how far her husband Neal (Dave Annable) can be pushed, but the show seems hellbent on convincing us that he’s willing to overlook anything and everything to stay with her. But while Saldaña is consistently good in Lioness, the standout of Season 3 is Michael Kelly as Byron Westfield, the CIA’s Deputy Director of Operations. When he’s paired with someone like Nicole Kidman as Kaitlyn, their scenes instantly come to life, but on his own, when Byron comes face to face with the enemy, his scenes are sharp, clever, and simply entertaining to watch.
While the cast is still the same and the team that Joe works with is still around, Lioness Season 3 is wading into new waters, and there are definitely growing pains. There are still infodump scenes with characters like Martin Donovan‘s Errol Meade, who is always brought in to give the audience some kind of lecture on the state of the world. But rather than relegating scenes like that to the beginning and end of a season, it feels like every conversation is wielded for exposition. The adjustment to a new conflict means these scenes are essential, but they also weaken the story and ultimately prove that sometimes it’s better to just stick to the brief instead of going rogue.
Lioness Season 3 premieres August 2 on Paramount+.
- Release Date
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July 23, 2023
- Network
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Paramount+
- Directors
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John Hillcoat, Anthony Byrne, Paul Cameron, Stephen Kay, Taylor Sheridan
-
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Laysla De Oliveira
Cruz Manuelos
Pros & Cons
- Michael Kelly is a highlight of Season 3, with some of the sharpest scenes in the show so far.
- The visualization of the war in Ukraine is horrifying and honest, completely changing the aesthetic we’re used to with warfare.
- The departure from the “lioness” concept turns the show into any old spy thriller.
- There is far too much female nudity that seems to only exist to titillate.
- The two timelines of Season 3 make the show confusing and do not help the story at all.
Hair found in Nancy Guthrie’s Arizona home contained no DNA, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
“To find DNA on hair is extremely rare. Hair doesn’t produce DNA like touch DNA or bodily fluids,” Nanos told NBC News on Thursday, July 30.
The sheriff added to Fox News, “Yes, there was a hair. We had it and thought, ‘OK, well, we’ll do the DNA first,’ right? You’re going to do DNA before something else. … It came back … there’s no DNA.”
Nanos said the hair sample has been preserved in case it might still prove useful to the investigation.
Questions still remain after Today show host Savannah Guthrie‘s mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the news on February 1, 2026, sharing a missing person report via X. Nancy was described as a “vulnerable adult” who was last seen “at her residence” within Arizona’s Catalina Foothills area on the […]
“But does that mean the hair isn’t that of the suspect? We won’t know that ’til we have the suspect’s hair. You don’t just destroy it,” he told Fox News. “There’s other things that hair may prove valuable for, but right now, it was just about, ‘Is there any DNA there?’ And the answer was no. That was just a matter of weeks ago.”
In a brief statement to NBC News, the FBI Phoenix field office confirmed that “all hair had been resolved, and it does not point to a suspect” in Guthrie’s disappearance.
The news comes nearly six months after Guthrie, 84, was reported missing from her home outside of Tucson, Arizona, on February 1. Police are investigating the case as a kidnapping. No suspect has been identified.
Nancy, the mother of Today show cohost Savannah Guthrie, was last seen on the evening of January 31.
New details from the first alleged ransom note for Savannah Guthrie’s mom, Nancy Guthrie, has been revealed nearly six months after she went missing. Journalist Briana Whitney read from the alleged note during the Wednesday, July 22, episode of the “Crime Junkie” podcast. “Hello, Savannah. We have your mother, Nancy,” it began. “She is safe […]
On Monday, July 27, Savannah, 54, issued a fresh plea for her mom’s return via social media.
“I’m coming on today with a very specific message,” she said in an Instagram video. “It has been months since our mom was taken from us. Our family is in agony. We are in a nightmare that will not end. Nothing about our situation has changed. We have done our part, but we will never stop looking for her. We will always ache for her. Feel that hole in our hearts.”
Savannah continued, “The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way. So I’m asking you, begging you, to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing. Help us bring this situation to an end. For all of us — no matter where we’ve been and what we’ve done — I believe there is always, always a way home. Please make the right choice.”
She captioned the post, “Bring her home 💛.”
July was a strong month on Netflix, with several shows proving huge hits across the world, including Will Ferrell‘s new comedy series, The Hawk, and the streamer’s latest answer to Taylor Sheridan‘s ever-expanding Yellowstone universe, Ransom Canyon. But the biggest hit across the month was undeniably the Harlan Coben adaptation, I Will Find You, which was just revealed to have become Netflix’s tenth most popular English-language TV series of all time, with a cumulative 101.9 million views earned in just six weeks. Looking ahead to August, how do you make sure it’s as great as July? We’re here to help with this list of three shows you should binge-watch on Netflix.
For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Netflix.
Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.
1
‘Hannibal’ (2013–2015)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 8.5/10
It isn’t just the most exciting new shows that make Netflix worth subscribing to. Every now and then, the streamer gets its hands on a beloved series, adding it to its vast catalog and allowing a new group of viewers to indulge in its genius. That’s exactly what happened in late July, when Netflix officially added all three seasons of the brilliant Hannibal to its library.
This Primetime Emmy-nominated gem delves into the intricate, complex relationship between FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), with both men delivering electric performances. Bryan Fuller‘s psychological thriller masterpiece is a show everyone should watch at least once, with its 39 episodes available offering a perfect binge-watch that will last long past this weekend.
2
‘The Crown’ (2016–2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 81% | IMDb: 8.6/10
Sometimes the most obvious choice is the best. This weekend, if it’s somehow passed you by until now, don’t miss out on one of the most important prestige dramas in Netflix’s history, The Crown. Across six seasons, creator Peter Morgan and co. explore the modern history of the British monarchy, from the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II to some of the darkest times in her reign.
A lavish, utterly immersive period drama that is both ambitious in its grandeur and deft in its detail, The Crown was one of the first major productions for Netflix and, to this day, defines how many see the streamer. Whether it’s Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, or Harry Potter‘s Imelda Staunton, each version of Queen Elizabeth II bursts with reality, with both Foy and Colman’s versions two of the most memorable on-screen interpretations ever.
3
‘Solar Opposites’ (2020–Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% | IMDb: 7.9/10
If the demands of intense dramas such as Hannibal and The Crown aren’t what you’re looking for this weekend, then perhaps a quirky animated sci-fi series is more your speed. Solar Opposites, which first aired on Hulu in 2020, follows a group of aliens who find themselves living in middle America after their planet is destroyed.
Prepare to laugh out loud and fall in love with a strange yet sentimental family of aliens as you dive head-first into the world of Solar Opposites. Sure, the show can often be cringe-inducingly crude, but it also manages to juxtapose this with heartfelt moments as all great adult animations do. Six seasons and 63 episodes are available to watch now.
- Release Date
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2020 – 2025-00-00
- Network
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Hulu
- Showrunner
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Justin Roiland
-
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Sean Giambrone
Yumyulack (voice)
-
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Sagan McMahan
The Pupa (voice)
Tom Holland made his debut as Spider-Man in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.” Since then, the actor has appeared in four solo movies as the character, with the latest being “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” Now, amid the film’s release, he’s opening up about one day being replaced as the beloved superhero.
While promoting “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Holland appeared on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast in July 2026 for an almost one-hour-long conversation. During it, the topic of him someday no longer playing the role that’s made him a star came up, with Holland stating that there is a plan in place for that to become reality at some point.
He shared, “There’s a whole plan that we have been working on for, I would say, since we finished Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s laid out. It’s laid out. It’s gonna change for sure, but I have a really clear vision [for] the passing on of the baton, and I think it’s really exciting.”
After that, he stated that the topic of a different actor playing the role does come up in meetings. According to him, “I know I get really excited when we have these meetings and chat about it. But that is the thing I want to do most in this character, for sure.”
The ‘Spider-Man’ Star Says He Feels Pressure For ‘Brand New Day’
While on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Holland also spoke about maturing and now feeling pressure of starring in a movie on the scale of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” According to him, “I feel more pressure and more nerves releasing ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ than I did ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming.’”
He continued, “And I think there’s something about that kind of childlike naivety of what was happening to my life at 20 as opposed to finishing that third movie, sharing the screen with Toby and Andrew, being really kind of conflicted as to whether or not my time as Spider-Man had come to an end.”
After that, Holland called “diving into this new movie” a “leap of faith.” After that, the actor stated that he’s “so unbelievably proud of the new film.
Tom Recently Discussed His Desire To Make More Spider-Man Movies
Days before the podcast appearance premiered, Holland spoke to The Hollywood Reporter while on the red carpet for the premiere of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” During the short interview, he was asked about his future as the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The 30-year-old said, “I will do it for as long as they have me.” After that, he discussed the performance of the upcoming movie, saying, “So, if this movie does good, I guess we’ll see.” Regarding the expected box office performance of “Brand New Day,” Deadline reports the movie is expected to debut with around $425 million at the global box office.
Notably, this comes after the previous film, “No Way Home,” earned an astounding $600.5 million in its opening weekend, including international markets. This figure made the Holland-led “Spider-Man” movie the third biggest box office opening in history.
‘Brand New Day’ Has Solid Reviews
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” officially releases to theaters on July 31 with some advanced showings the day prior. Now, ahead of its release, Marvel has lifted the review embargo for both critics and social media users. Currently, on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 91% positive rating from critics, meaning all of Holland’s movies playing the character have a 90% or higher.
Already, more than 1,000 audience members have also reviewed the film, giving it a 98% positive rating on the platform. Both scores easily fall into the “fresh” distinction.
The 30-Year-Old Confirmed His Next Movie
While promoting “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Holland appeared on “Good Morning America” in July 2026. While on the show, he confirmed plans for his next film, this time a biopic about iconic entertainer Fred Astaire.
According to the actor, “We have Fred Astaire next, that’s what we’re planning on doing. And as soon as I finish with these tours, I’m diving back into the dance studio.”
He added of the yet-to-be-filmed movie’s progress, “I did my first few rehearsals recently, and it both filled me with excitement and absolute dread because I’ve got so much work to do to try and do Fred proud.”
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Jennie Garth addresses Tori Spelling’s ‘sad’ surprise exit from “90210” rewatch podcast: ‘We started this together’
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Hadestown's Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney Spill On All the "Behind the Curtain" Stories
Who’s the best duo in Hadestown? Take a guess! Eva Noblezada (Eurydice) and Reeve Carney (Orpheus) are real life husband and wife who star in an epic romance based on the greek myth.
Get a rundown of Us‘ top stories making headlines in celebrity news, sports and entertainment on July 30, 2026. Here are the key takeaways:
• Kylie Kelce shut down pregnancy speculation sparked by photos from her recent Paris trip, telling listeners on the July 30 episode of her “Not Gonna Lie” podcast that commenting on women’s bodies is unacceptable. She reminded fans she and husband Jason Kelce already have four kids and said her body will never fully return to its pre-baby state.
• Jonathan Taylor Thomas made a rare public appearance to reunite with his Home Improvement costars Patricia Richardson and Taran Noah Smith more than two decades after the sitcom’s finale. Richardson shared the new photo of the trio on Instagram on July 29, captioning it “My other boys.”
• Kate Cassidy explained that she is lasering off some of the tattoos she got in honor of late boyfriend Liam Payne because the ink is too thick, not because her feelings have changed, she shared on TikTok on July 29. Cassidy said she plans to have the tributes — including a “444” angel number for Payne — redone by an artist experienced in fine line work.
Edited by Samantha Benitz. Story produced with AI assistance
It’s slightly surprising to realize that Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder are contemporaries whose paths have crossed in more ways than one. Both filmmakers broke out at around the same time with their respective hits; Snyder directed a remake of Dawn of the Dead and Nolan made the mind-bending thriller Memento. For their first big-budget studio projects, both directors initially focused on Greek epics. Nolan’s project eventually became the movie Troy, but he was moved to Batman Begins instead. The superhero movie was released just two years before Snyder’s adaptation of a Frank Miller comic book, which—like Nolan’s Troy—was developed at Warner Bros. around the same time. Many years later, Nolan returned to Homer’s epic with The Odyssey, which has emerged as a blockbuster for the ages.
In its first week of release, The Odyssey was able to overtake the lifetime global haul of Snyder’s historical fantasy comic book adaptation. The Odyssey has so far grossed more than $650 million worldwide against a reported budget of $250 million. The movie is on track to become Nolan’s third blockbuster to gross more than $1 billion worldwide and to overtake both The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises to emerge as the filmmaker’s biggest-ever hit. Interestingly, Snyder spent several years in the DC stable as well, directing Man of Steel (which was executive-produced by Nolan), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League.
Christopher Nolan Handpicked Zack Snyder to Direct ‘Man of Steel’
Each of Snyder’s DC movies grossed more than his breakout hit, 300, which made around $470 million worldwide against a reported budget of $65 million. The highly stylized adaptation received mixed reviews and is currently sitting at a 61% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the movie has emerged as a fan favorite; it holds an 89% audience score on the aggregator website, and in the wake of The Odyssey‘s phenomenal run, has sparked a new wave of interest on home video. According to FlixPatrol, 300 was the number one movie on the domestic Vudu chart this week, ahead of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Disclosure Day, and The Mandalorian & Grogu. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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March 9, 2007
- Runtime
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117 minutes
- Director
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Zack Snyder
- Writers
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Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, Michael B. Gordon
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The whodunits and deep dives that kept us gripped through twists and turns.
Summary
- Collider’s Perri Nemiroff chats with the showrunners and stars of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power at SDCC 2026.
- The crew discuss Sauron’s role in Season 3, at the height of the War of the Elves.
- They also tease new character details and relationships and highlight the mastery of craft behind the scenes.
At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Collider’s Perri Nemiroff had the opportunity to sit down with the showrunners, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, and cast members of Prime Video’s hit prequel series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, to find out what fans can expect from the upcoming Season 3.
On November 11, we return to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth at the height of the War of the Elves, when Sauron (Charlie Vickers), as the Dark Lord, is ready and determined to craft the One Ring. The sprawling fantasy series welcomes back many returning cast members, and introduces Jamie Campbell Bower as Celeborn, Eddie Marsan as Thráin, Simon Pegg as the voice of the Balrog, and Andrew Richardson as Anárion — plus a couple of others the cast will tease, including a wholly original character.
Check out our two interviews with the cast and showrunners below, in which stars Benjamin Walker, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniel Weyman, Vickers, Owain Arthur, and Ismael Cruz Córdova, along with Payne and McKay, prepare us for what’s to come, and share what it’s like behind the scenes, seeing masters of their craft bring Rings of Power to life, from the actors to the unsung heroes.
Sauron Faces a New Challenge in ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3
The stars share their characters’ journeys this season.
First up, Payne hints at Sauron’s creative struggles this season, and why what he did to Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) will come back to haunt him. Vickers, Addai-Robinson, who plays Míriel, Weyman, who plays Gandalf, and Walker, who plays Gil-galad, discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their characters at the beginning of Season 3, and highlight the performances of their new co-stars, Bower, who plays Celeborn this season, and Zubin Varla, who will play Khamûl the Easterling.
For all this and more on what’s to come, check out the video above, with a time index provided below.
- 00:54 – J.D. Payne discusses how Season 3 centers on Sauron’s growing self-doubt and the struggles he faces to forge the One Ring.
- 02:12 – The cast discuss each character’s greatest strength and greatest weakness for Season 3.
- 06:26 – Which cast members delivered impressive and inspiring performances?
- 12:50 – The crew highlight the behind-the-scenes artists who raised the bar with their craftsmanship.
‘Rings of Power’ Season 3’s Biggest Wild Card Is an Orc You Might Actually Root For
Eddie Marsan and Adam Young join the Season 3 cast in exciting new roles!
Finally, Nemiroff spoke with McKay, Córdova, who plays Arondir, and Arthur, who plays Prince Durin IV. During their chat, McKay expands on Sauron’s role this season, explaining how he becomes “full-metal” Sauron, the legendary villain LOTR fans are familiar with. Plus, Córdova and Arthur share details about Rings of Power’s newest characters — Durin’s questionable older brother, Thráin, played by Marsan, and an original character, an Orc named Marnûkh, played by Adam Young, who Córdova calls “an icon in the making.”
You can catch the full interview in the video above, with a time index below.
- 00:33 – Patrick McKay on why Season 3 centers on a darker, “full-metal” Sauron.
- 02:25 – Ismael Cruz Córdova praises Adam Young’s performance as Marnûkh.
- 04:29 – McKay previews the reluctant alliance between Arondir, Galadriel, and Marnûkh.
- 07:17 – Owain Arthur reflects on reuniting with Eddie Marsan as Durin and Thráin.
- 10:37 – The trio spotlight behind-the-scenes crew members who make Rings of Power a cinematic feat.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3 premieres on Prime Video on November 11.
- Release Date
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September 1, 2022
- Network
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Amazon Prime Video
- Showrunner
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John D. Payne, Patrick McKay, Louise Hooper, Charlotte Brändström, Wayne Yip
- Writers
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Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, J.R.R. Tolkien, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Stephany Folsom, Nicholas Adams
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