One of the most surprising announcements of the last 12 months was the confirmation that a new Lord of the Rings film was in the works, but this time, from the pen of one of television’s most famous late-night hosts. No, David Letterman isn’t writing a Tom Bombadil movie, but Stephen Colbert is taking one of the forgotten early chapters from The Fellowship of the Ring, and going back a quarter of a century to re-tell an important part of the story featuring Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took.

That setup has naturally led to speculation about whether the original Hobbits could return, especially after Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd appeared on IMDb listings tied to the project. But Wood has now made it clear that any return as Frodo Baggins remains very far from official. Speaking to The Direct while promoting Among Us, Wood said the project has not reached the stage where casting is locked in, or even where he has a script to consider.

“Okay. Well, it hasn’t… We’re not there yet… But listen, I think the implication is that the stories that Stephen [Colbert] wants to tell, which are the six chapters that were not committed to film in Fellowship of the Ring, largely because they would have slowed the process of the journey down, because when he leaves Bag End and the Shire, and he has to get to Bree, if it had gone the meandering way that it does in the books, it just would have taken a long time to get to Bree, and… it would have killed momentum.”

Is Elijah Wood Returning for ‘Lord of the Rings’?

Wood did not rule out returning, though. In fact, he sounds genuinely excited by the prospect of Colbert tackling some of Tolkien’s more wandering, strange, and fan-beloved material. “But I think the idea of telling the story of what happens in those six chapters is really exciting, and I think really exciting for fans, and I think what Stephen and his son have crafted and what they’re working through is really rich and interesting, and it certainly includes all those characters,” he added. “So, a script has to be written, we have to go through a process and read it, and it has to get a green light and all those things, but certainly in theory, yeah. And I’m beyond thrilled that it’s Stephen and his son doing it. It’s in the best Tolkien scholarly hands.”

The big catch is right there: Shadows of the Past is not yet greenlit, meaning there is no confirmed cast, production timeline, or release date. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh are reportedly attached as producers, but the project still has several major hurdles to clear before fans can start imagining Frodo heading back through the Barrow-downs. Wood is, however, set to return for The Hunt for Gollum, the Andy Serkis-helmed movie in which he will also star, with Jamie Dornan and Anya Taylor-Joy among the new names joining Middle-earth.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Release Date

December 19, 2001

Runtime

178 Minutes

Advertisement

Writers

Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, J.R.R. Tolkien

Advertisement

Producers

Barrie M. Osborne, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Mark Ordesky, Robert Shaye, Tim Sanders

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 15 seconds ago

For the most part, the Star Trek movies are generally self-contained adventures, which is a good thing: it’s possible for a newcomer (likely dragged to the theater by a superfan) to enjoy these films without having watched the 100+ episodes that came before. That’s a big part of what made Star Trek (2009) so fun: packed with action scenes and unforgettable characters, this movie appealed to everyone, including those who never watched so much as a scene of The Original Series. But decades before that, Paramount gave us something that most fans didn’t even notice: a secret trilogy of interconnected films centered around the franchise’s most iconic character.

Taken on their own, the first three Star Trek movies (The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan, and The Search for Spock) are very different. The first is a slow, big-budget episode of TOS, the second is an action extravaganza, and the third is a character-driven, world-building drama. However, there’s something powerful that unites these movies, and once you notice, it will completely change how you view them. Here it is: for all their differences in story, theme, and tone, the first three Trek movies are a secret trilogy based around Leonard Nimoy’s Spock. Furthermore, it’s a trilogy designed to give him more character growth than anyone in the franchise!

Spock Was A Changed Man

At the beginning of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Spock is very different from the way we saw him in The Original Series. In that show, he periodically showed emotion, whether it was extreme sadness (like crying due to a creepy space virus in “The Naked Time”) or extreme happiness (like bursting into a huge grin when he discovered Kirk was alive in “Amok Time”). When TMP begins, he is undergoing the Kholinahr ritual, which is intended to fully purge him of emotion. This would make him the ultimate Vulcan, one who has chosen logic over everything else. However, he interrupts the ritual because he receives telepathic signals from V’ger.

V’ger is, of course, the giant, unstoppable space entity headed straight for Earth. Spock rejoins Kirk on the Enterprise, which is tasked with saving the planet. Everyone is happy to see him, but he is short and rather rude with them as a lingering effect of Kholinahr. Later, Spock gets in an EV suit and actually mind-melds with V’ger; when he recovers, he actually laughs at the irony that the giant vessel is like himself: a sentient being who aspired to pure logic, only to realize how little he actually understood. V’ger is haunted by questions that presumably haunt Spock, too: “Is this all that I am? Is there nothing more?”

The Needs Of The Many

In true Star Trek fashion, they reach a kind of diplomatic solution with V’ger, effectively saving the Earth. But what does this franchise history lesson have to do with Trek’s secret trilogy? In The Wrath of Khan, Spock is effectively a new man, one transformed by his contact with V’ger. He still loves logic, claiming he has no ego to bruise and famously claiming that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few (or the one). But he pairs that with light humor in some of his interactions with Saavik (“You lied!” “I exaggerated”) and humanity in his interactions with Kirk (“I have been…and always shall be…your friend”).

Spock ultimately dies, poisoned by the radiation he received when saving the ship. It’s a touching moment, but most Star Trek fans don’t realize its significance. Spock has spent the film low-key exploring his half-human heritage: he enjoys reconnecting with his human friends, ribbing Kirk about his “shall we say, unique?” solution to the no-win scenario and even making gallows jokes before his death (when McCoy tells him no human can survive the radiation, he replies, “As you are so fond of observing, doctor, I am not human”). But he dies embracing the pure Vulcan logic of meeting the needs of the many (the entire crew) rather than the one (himself).

Somehow, Spock Returned

In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Spock went from wanting to embrace pure logic to realizing that even logic has limitations. In The Wrath of Khan, he was happier because he was gently indulging in his human tendencies. Still, he died by the dictates of Vulcan logic. What happens in the next film? In The Search for Spock, we find out his body was resurrected by the Genesis device. Eventually, Kirk gets him to Vulcan, where his mind is safely transferred out of Dr. McCoy. Afterward, Kirk gives his very human reason for saving his oldest friend: “Because the needs of the one …outweigh the needs of the many.”

Spock learned the importance of emotions to understanding the universe in The Motion Picture, but he died following the dictates of Vulcan logic in The Wrath of Khan. After being reborn in The Search for Spock, he learned that logic doesn’t always tell us the right thing to do. Sometimes, it’s worth it to sacrifice your life to save your closest friends; other times, it’s worth it to throw your entire career away because a buddy needs you. Spock is half-human, half-Vulcan, and he finally realizes that understanding the universe means fully embracing the wisdom inherent in both logic and emotion.

Only The Beginning Of Wisdom

That’s what makes the first three Star Trek movies a secret trilogy: if you look past the colorful villains and all the Kirk drama (and boy, is there a lot of it), you’ll find that these movies are all about transforming Spock and deepening his character. That depth is evident in the final TOS film, The Undiscovered Country. There, he tells another Vulcan protege (who, notably, was originally written as Saavik) “that the universe will unfold as it should.” When she asked if this was logical, he responded, “Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end.”

It’s something that Spock of The Original Series would never have said, and Spock at the beginning of The Motion Picture would have considered downright obscene. But thanks to the secret Star Trek trilogy, this Vulcan has realized that Kholinahr is basically a lie: embracing pure logic means blinding yourself to the greater mysteries of the universe. Perfectly combining logic and emotion, however, allows him to achieve insights that elude most of his entire race. If you want to see this famous character learn this powerful lesson, you don’t need to travel to Vulcan. Just travel over to the remote and head over to Tubi, where the first three Star Trek films are currently streaming for free!

Social media users are goin’ IN after Hazel-E showed off her new man, musician Mike Moore.

RELATED: Video Shows LaMelo Ball Involved In Car Crash In Downtown Charlotte, Hazel E Reacts (WATCH)

Hazel-E Shows Off Her New Man, Musician Mike Moore

Over the weekend, Hazel-E took to Instagram to share a joint photo. Furthermore, the photo showed her posing alongside a man as they stood in what appeared to be a crowded stadium. Additionally, the man appeared to have his hand on her waist.

“Yup with my 🥷 he killed the Ye show! It’s been a minute with us but I love him!😍 we just some 80’s babies. 15 yr block spin goes crazy 🤪 @therealmikemooreshow,” Hazel captioned the photo, revealing the man to be musician, drummer, and producer Mike Moore.

Social Media Users Are Goin’ IN After She Showed Off Her New Man, Mike Moore

Social media users slid into TSR’s comment section with reactions to Hazel-E and her new man, Mike Moore.

More On When Hazel-E Last Made Headlines

As The Shade Room previously reported, Hazel-E last made headlines in April. At the time, she had popped out with a man rumored to be the father of Nevaeh Akira’s son. This, amid Akira being linked and expecting a baby with Hazel’s ex, Blueface.

RELATED: The Internet Has Questions After Hazel E Seemingly Pops Out With Man Rumored To Be Father Of Nevaeh’s Son (VIDEO)

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 11 seconds ago

It was one of the most reliable, successful trilogies of the last decade, and the only time Denzel Washington has starred in a sequel, or a threequel. All three of The Equalizer movies have arrived on HBO Max for your next binge. Even after countless “retired operative living a normal life forced to use his special skills” movies Washington’s take on Robert McCall stands out as among the best.

The Entire Equalizer Trilogy Is Near-Perfect Action

In 2014’s The Equalizer Robert McCall is quietly working at a hardware store by day, and reading books at a diner by night. That’s where he meets a teenage working girl, Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz), befriends her, and then goes on a campaign of revenge against the Russian mob after they beat her up. McCall has no qualms about killing in fun and inventive ways using what he has on hand in any situation leading to a wild third act that pays off the slow burn of his righteous anger. 

The second time around in 2018 McCall goes up against his old unit led by Dave York (the most generic name of any Pedro Pascal character). We learn why McCall is a killing machine and every detail of his tragic backstory as its exploited by York. The Equalizer II isn’t as fun as the first’s rampage of revenge against the Russians but it’s an incredible character study disguised as an action film. 

It all leads up to 2023’s The Equalizer 3. Denzel Washington is noticeably older and slower for this outing as McCall. Set in Italy, it’s a slow-paced story that gives you plenty of time to soak in the sights and sounds of Italy while McCall recovers from a gunshot wound. That doesn’t mean there isn’t the usual dose of violence, it’s there, but it’s expertly deployed for maximum impact. By now, Fuqua and Washington know exactly what they’re doing together. 

The Equalizer 3 is a treat for longtime Washington fans by reuniting him with Dakota Fanning, his Man on Fire co-star. 19 years after their first collaboration, Fanning plays a CIA agent hunting McCall. Given the very different relationship between their characters, and the two decades since they’ve been on screen, you’d think they wouldn’t have the same level of chemistry. Instead, as the entire Equalizer trilogy has, it’s aged like fine wine and each scene is a highlight of the movie.

Pound For Pound The Most Successful Franchise

Denzel Washington isn’t the first Equalizer, that would be Edward Woodward from the hit 80s series, and of course, Queen Latifah stepped in as Robyn McCall in CBS’ 2021 revival series. Both shows lack the violence of the movies, but they’re also good in their own ways. Amazingly, The Equalizer is one of the few franchises out there where every single entry has been a hit. 

Though each show aired for five seasons, there’s no denying that Denzel’s take on Robert McCall has been the best of them all. The movies slow down and become more philosophical as time goes on, but that’s a good thing, not a bad thing. Denzel never dials down the intensity and every single film has one or two moments that will become your new favorite. 

Every Equalizer movie is now streaming on HBO Max.

Queen Latifah’s 2021 series is streaming for free on Tubi.

Lil Wayne is opening up about several personal and professional challenges after a rocky start to his “20 Years of Carter Classics” tour, including revealing that he and his rumored fiancée, Madi Cannon, have called it quits. The rap icon addressed fans in a candid video in which he discussed everything from his recent concert cancellations and health concerns to the status of his relationship with the 23-year-old social media influencer. While engagement rumors had circulated for months, Lil Wayne made it clear that wedding bells were never actually in the cards.

5

For weeks, fans speculated that Wayne and Cannon were engaged after reports surfaced in May 2026 suggesting the couple had taken their relationship to the next level. But according to the rapper, those reports weren’t accurate.

Wayne explained that while he and Cannon shared a meaningful relationship, they were far from planning a walk down the aisle. He described their romance as “a beautiful thing going with an amazing person,” but admitted he ultimately didn’t “want to be such a burden on such an amazing person.”

Neither Wayne nor Cannon has publicly shared additional details about what led to the breakup.

Health Issues Forced Lil Wayne To Miss Tour Opener

5

The split wasn’t the only personal issue Wayne addressed. The rapper also explained why he failed to appear at the opening night of his tour on June 30, leaving disappointed fans waiting for a performance that never happened.

According to Wayne, the cancellation stemmed from a serious health concern tied to his long-documented battle with epilepsy. “I have epilepsy, I have seizures, right? Thank God I haven’t had a seizure in years, but seizures have triggers,” he said. “A trigger for my seizures is bad migraines. I had a fucking migraine that night… it was recommended I don’t get in the air.”

The “Lollipop” rapper’s comments shed new light on the last-minute cancellation, which sparked frustration among concertgoers and fueled criticism online.

Fortunately for fans, the canceled show has since been rescheduled for July 28.

Lil Wayne Has Battled Seizures For Years

5

Wayne’s concerns about traveling while experiencing severe migraines aren’t unfounded. According to Complex, the rapper suffered a seizure during a flight in 2016, forcing an emergency landing. The incident wasn’t an isolated event.

Wayne also reportedly experienced similar in-flight seizures in both 2012 and 2013, prompting ongoing concerns about his health and travel schedule.

Although he told fans he has not suffered a seizure in years, he acknowledged that migraines remain one of his primary triggers, which is why medical professionals advised him not to fly before the Maine concert.

Fans Continue To Question Wayne’s Reliability On Tour

5

While Lil Wayne has since officially launched the tour, some fans remain frustrated after the rapper reportedly arrived late to a show in New Hampshire days later. The criticism has revived discussions about Wayne’s history of missed performances and last-minute cancellations.

In 2024, the rapper canceled a performance in Toronto after fans had already filled the venue. That same year, he was a no-show at a California music festival. And in 2023, Wayne made headlines after walking off stage during a performance in Los Angeles because he felt the crowd wasn’t energetic enough.

His history with canceled appearances stretches back even further. In both 2017 and 2019, Wayne canceled performances after refusing to go through venue security procedures. He also missed multiple scheduled appearances in Minneapolis between 2015 and 2017.

Even his 2019 Bangor waterfront performance was surrounded by cancellation rumors after he abruptly pulled out of another concert in Virginia days earlier.

Lil Wayne Looks To Move Forward

5

Despite the turbulence surrounding Lil Wayne’s personal life and the criticism over recent tour disruptions, Wayne appears focused on moving ahead. The rapper is currently scheduled to perform in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 16 before making up the postponed Maine concert later this month.

For now, fans are hoping the remainder of the “20 Years of Carter Classics” tour will be remembered more for celebrating Lil Wayne’s legendary career than for the challenges that have followed him during its opening weeks.

DC Studios released the Craig Gillespie-directed “Supergirl” on June 26. Not only was the movie marred by negative press that led to its less-than-stellar box-office debut, but it also received mostly unfavorable reviews, despite critics praising Milly Alcock‘s portrayal of the title character.

Now, in its second weekend in theaters, “Supergirl” has suffered a devastating 77% drop, marking one of the biggest declines for a superhero movie.

4

According to Variety, the first estimates for the Fourth of July weekend box office put “Supergirl” at having made only $9.6 million in the United States, landing at number four. As mentioned, this marks a steep 74% drop from its debut weekend box office figures.

However, once the official numbers were released on Monday, it was confirmed that “Supergirl” only made $8.6 million, a 77% drop.

“Supergirl” remained on all 3,602 screens in the US for its second weekend. Unfortunately for DC Studios, the movie struggled from the beginning, earning only $37.1 million in the US during its first weekend in theaters. Including international audiences, “Supergirl” brought in $68 million, still making it among the lowest-performing films in DC Studios’ history.

The Craig Gillespie-Directed Flick Is Poised To Lose DC Studios $100 Million

4

One of the problems with “Supergirl” and other recent superhero films that have failed at the box office is their enormous budgets. Per Variety, it cost DC Studios $170 million to produce the movie and another $120 million to promote it, which means its break-even point is in the $300 million range.

Over the course of its theatrical run, the movie is expected to only make around $200 million, including international audiences. If this estimate holds, DC Studios is set to lose between $100 million and $120 million on the James Gunn-produced movie.

Analyst Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations gave some insight into the situation. He told the outlet, “This was always going to be a tough hurdle for DC and Warner Bros. because Supergirl isn’t a character that has ever created an event-level blockbuster.”

He continued, “Audience perception of ‘Supergirl’ was not good. This is just a case of the film wasn’t good enough to become an event.”

DC Fans Are Reacting To The ‘Supergirl’ Second Weekend Drop

The most recent version of “Supergirl” was first announced in 2023, with Alcock cast as the character. Following the initial announcement, there was considerable excitement. However, as the movie neared release, doubts began to surface, especially once the trailers were released.

Now, following the movie’s drastic 74% drop in its second weekend, many fans are highlighting issues with “Supergirl,” including its budget. One person said, “Hollywood really thought a $170M budget for a character nobody asked for would save the DCU? The math isn’t mathing.”

Another person said, “Nowadays audiences won’t tolerate even an OK superhero movie. Unless the movie has good-great reviews or is a nostalgia team-up fest, they will just wait for streaming.”

Someone else criticized Gunn, writing, “Gunn probably thought men (the primary superhero movie audience) would love an edgy drunk vomiting alcoholic Supergirl. We’d think she was relatable and “real” compared to the boyscout Superman.”

Lastly, a different social media user wrote, “Stop blaming the audience for its poor box office performance…”

There Were Creative Differences Behind The Scenes Of ‘Supergirl’

4

The Hollywood Reporter published an exclusive about the behind-the-scenes of “Supergirl” in July 2026. In it, sources told the outlet that there were disagreements in the movie’s post-production process between the director, Gillespie, and Gunn, who was aligned with DC Studios and Peter Safran.

Filming on “Supergirl” wrapped in May 2025, and, per the report, all parties involved knew there were serious problems with the movie. This then led the studio to take over post-production, bringing in writer Jeremy Slater, although it’s unclear how involved he became in the process.

The movie’s screenwriter, Ana Nogueira, was also involved in the attempts to fix “Supergirl.”

There Were Multiple Test Screenings

4

Per The Hollywood Reporter, DC Studios held the first test screening for “Supergirl” in December 2025 before the attempts to fix the movie in post-production. In total, there were reportedly four test screenings, with insiders saying the scores, which capped at 100, only reached 70.

Following the first screening, the movie was called “just okay.” Other test audiences reportedly saw the film in February and March.

By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 3 seconds ago

Science fiction may have a reputation for being cold and analytical, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Some of the best sci-fi TV of all time happened on shows that were raunchy, over the top, and downright scandalous.  To prove it, we’ve put together a list of sci-fi TV shows ranked, not by how good they are, but by how spicey they got. 

Consider yourself warned because by the time we get to the top entries on this list, things are going to get steamy. These are the sexiest sci-fi TV shows of all time. 

16. Dollhouse 

Before streaming turned every sci-fi show into gray sludge, there was Dollhouse, a series built around one of the wildest concepts network television ever approved. 

Created by Joss Whedon and starring Eliza Dushku, the 2009 Fox series followed human “Actives” who could have their personalities wiped and replaced on demand, turning them into perfect custom-made companions, spies, assassins, or lovers depending on what rich clients wanted that week. 

The show dressed its existential horror in glossy lighting, expensive clothes, and an almost constant undercurrent of sexual tension. 

Dushku spends most of the series playing different fantasy archetypes from episode to episode, which gave Dollhouse a weird energy somewhere between hard sci-fi and late-night cable thriller. Few sci-fi shows have ever been this slick, strange, or openly seductive.

15. Firefly

Chances are you don’t remember, but the early marketing for Firefly made sure to mention that the crew included a prostitute. 

Morena Baccarin’s Inara is actually a companion, and she made sure to explain the difference between the two in “Heart of Gold”, one of two episodes that never aired on Fox. It also happens to be the the episode with the montage of Captain Malcolm Reynolds and the brothel madam having sex set to the Pure Moods soundtrack. Firefly also includes one of the healthiest marriages in sci-fi, between Zoe and Wash, giving hope to nerdy, Hawaiian-shirt wearing guys everywhere, and in a twist, the horniest member of the crew is Kailee, though it has been a while since she’s had anything twixt her nethers. 

When Mad Men debuted and Christina Hendricks blew up, Firefly fans had to explain they’ve known for years she was, and is, one of the hottest women in Hollywood. Both of her appearances as stand out, and while she has plenty of chemistry with Nathan Fillion’s Captain Malcolm Reynolds, let’s be honest, she’s so good, she’d develop chemistry with a ham sandwich. 

For a show with zero nudity, Firefly is one of the sexiest sci-fi shows to ever hit network television. 

14. Battlestar Galactica

It’s hard to look good when humanity is on the brink of extinction. Battlestar Galactica starts with the survivors of the colonies on the run from the cybernetic Cylons, and it never gets much better for them. The show still managed to give sci-fi fans not one, but multiple sex symbols of the 2000s in Katee Sackhoff, Grace Park, Jamie Bamber, and reminded the world that Edward James Olmos has one of the greatest voices in Hollywood. 

Then there was Number Six. Played by Tricia Helfer in the red dress that launched an entire marketing campaign, Six used sex to doom humanity. Her seduction of Baltar set in motion the entire series and even after they destroyed the colonies, she kept toying with him. Over and over and over. Poor Balter. His lobster was too buttery and his steak was too juicy. 

 It takes a lot to overshadow Lucy Lawless, but Tricia Helfer pulled it off, with a performance that inspired both lust (look at her) and revulsion (listen to her). Six was a beautiful Trojan Horse, and the only thing that could possible improve her character would be if, and hear me out, the Cylons actually had a plan. 

13. Farscape

Variety is the spice of life, and when it comes to the cast of Farscape, it seems everyone is a contender for the title of hottest on the show. Ben Browder never looked better as John, Claudia Black as Aeryn Sun launched a thousand fan fictions, Chiana’s there for the furries, Zhaan proves bald is beautiful, Ka D’Argo is for everyone who thought The Beast looked better before the curse was lifted, someone has to like Starke, Jool’s got the red hair, the villainous Scorpius wears a gimp suit in every scene, and you know, even the ship, Moya, has some fans out there. 

Farscape may have been centered on Crichton thanks to the wormhole knowledge locked inside his head, but it’s the colorful cast that made it a success. Unlike more mainstream sci-fi shows, Farscape wasn’t afraid of a little physical affection. Or a lot. Come to think of it, there’s a lot of attractive aliens getting it on. 

Forget your zodiac sign, which Farscape character was your crush? 

12. The 100 

The 100 was The CW’s flagship sci-fi series for seven seasons filled with humanity trying to rebuild after a nuclear apocalypse by sending 100 teens and young adults back down to a broken Earth. Whoever decided this was a great idea never saw Lord of the Flies, or bothered to think what would happen if the group was co-ed. Saving humanity often takes a backseat to love triangles and hookups. 

Since it’s on The CW, there’s a lot of kissing, shirtless guys, and strategically ripped clothing designed not to trip any network censors. It was also a huge hit. For The CW, which measured success in terms of social media and streaming, not the old, antiquated ratings system. The 100 was never going to be a show for the old sci-fi fans raised on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Stargate. And that’s okay. 

The 100 was aimed directly at teens, giving them a sci-fi show of their very own, complete with disappointing later seasons, nonsensical plot twists, one of the worst character deaths in television history, and a contender for the worst series ending since How I Met Your Mother. 

11. Dark Angel

Jessica Alba is known today as a co-founder of The Honest Company, the first big screen Sue Storm, and as Honey from the single greatest dance movie of the 2000’s. But to sci-fi fans, she’ll always be known as Max, the genetically enhanced supersoldier at the center of James Cameron’s series, Dark Angel. In a perfect world, Max would be remembered alongside her contemporaries, Buffy and Xena, but alas, we only had two seasons of Dark Angel before Fox pulled the plug. 

Set in a dystopian….gothic….cyber-punkish Seattle, Dark Angel had a weird mix of tones and vibes. There’s the whole “child soldier” aspect that’s played seriously, and then the cat DNA spliced into Max’s cells acts up in one episode and sends her into heat. She has to do battle against brainwashed child superhumans, and then defeats them by lifting her top as a distraction. 

James Cameron created some of sci-fi’s greatest heroines, including Ellen Ripley, Sarah Conner, and if you give Dark Angel  a chance, you’ll see that Max Guevera had the potential to be right there with the rest of them. 

Not only was Jessica Alba stunning in every frame of Dark Angel, but the show also included a pre-NCIS Michael Weatherly and some guy named Jensen Ackles as Max’s male counterpart. Wonder if he ever went on to do anything. 

10. Weird Science

For nerds of a certain age, their first crush is all the same: Kelly LeBrock from 1985’s Weird Science.

A decade later, and five seasons of Weird Science the series aired on USA, replacing LeBrock with Vanessa Angel. Replacing LeBrock was always going to be difficult, but using Stargate SG-1’s Anise and the future runner-up to the role of Star Trek Voyager’s Seven-Of-Nine was the best choice possible. 

Vanessa Angel’s Lisa is the same wish-granting computer program. No matter how often a wish goes wrong over the show’s five seasons, teen slackers Gary and Wyatt keep using Lisa to try and get ahead without doing any work. It’s a simple premise that managed to stay on the air thanks primarily to Lisa’s outfits. Keep in mind this was 1995 and what was considered hot for a living computer program would end up becoming every episode outfits on The CW’s Riverdale. 

Back then, Vanessa Angel was one of the hottest women on television, and Weird Science was the USA’s network’s second sexiest show. First? Silk Stalkings. If you had to ask, you never watched Monday Night RAW.

9. Altered Carbon

There’s not enough cyberpunk shows out there. Netflix’s Altered Carbon is still one of the best, showing a decadent, depraved city where the rich can constantly be reborn through the act of sleeving, or transferring their consciousness to another body, while the poor get one shot at life. 

Morals and decency have gone out the window, resulting in a dirty, corrupt, neon-tinged city filled with casual nudity. Joel Kinneman, DC’s Rick Flag, is hired to solve a murder, but he has to navigate the seedy criminal underworld to do so. Season 1 of Altered Carbon is one of the best looking sci-fi shows of all time. It’s the live-action cyberpunk neo-noir mystery readers have wanted to experience for decades. 

Then Season 2 happens. Anthony Mackie taking over as the lead was….fine….but the writing, the production, the general cyberpunk feel of it all, took a massive step back as the budget was slashed. If Season 2 was as grim and gritty as Season 1, Altered Carbon would be higher on the list. Season 1 is sexy, Season 2 has Neal McDonough. If you know, you know. 

8. Westworld 

The only limit is your imagination. That’s one of the main selling points of Westworld to its high-end visitors. 

The ability to be dropped into a wild west experience where you can do anything you want leads, naturally, to lots of raunchy activities. Most of it is with robots, but as the guide says to William early on when asked if she’s real, “if you can’t tell, does it matter?” 

The answer of course, is no. It doesn’t matter. William acts as the audience surrogate to Westworld. His initial horror and rejection of the lewd and lascivious park life gives way as his ethically and moral barriers crumble. Is it really any different than the obvious use of holodeck technology? 

Westworld would be higher on the list except, like with Game of Thrones, its front-loaded. Season 1 shows the park in action before everything goes to hell. That means a lot of random skin and a lot of intimacy. By the time Season 3 comes around, the focus is on the changing shape of the world, though with the cast still including Evan Rachel Wood, Luke Hemsworth, and Thandie Newton, the characters are ridiculously good-looking. Westworld – Come for the Hedonism, stay for the Humanism. 

7. Brave New World

Brave New World is science fiction’s lustiest dystopia. In a, ahem, brave new world where everyone is genetically engineered and monogamy is considered to be savage, sex is considered a community event. That means “group parties”. Lots of them. But when that becomes the norm, and having a good old fashioned romance is taboo, it turns the whole notion of love and relationships on its head. 

Intimacy in this dystopia is not for procreation, it’s entire purpose is to feel pleasure. And yet, it lacks real intimacy. The citizens of New London have the time and freedom to indulge in whatever whim suits their fancy, within the strict rules of the caste system of course. It’s a sexy take on a dystopian future, but it’s also one of the oldest. The original novel was published in 1932.

Brave New World aired for a single season on Peacock in 2020 which means you likely missed it. It stars Alden Ehrenreich, making this the closest you’ll get to watching Han Solo get wild. 

6. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

There could be an entire separate list for sexy sci-fi anime. Freed from the constraints of network television and American attitudes towards animation, anime can get as freaky as you can imagine. 

One of the best of the decade, is Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, set in the same world as the hit video game, Cyberpunk 2077, which includes a genital slider in character creation, so you had to have known anything in this world wouldn’t be afraid to let its freak flag fly. 

The series follows David Martinez, a student sucked into the underground world of Night City, because of what else, a woman. Lucy, the smart, capable netrunner, acts as David’s guide, alongside a gang of edgerunners, cybernetically-enhanced mercenaries on the wrong side of the law. There’s bloody shootouts, violent deaths, and lots of ice baths. That’s the best way for a netrunner to perform a deep dive into the network which means every single episode contains nudity. 

It’s not excessive, but it is consistent, and frankly, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a better story than the video game. Best of all, Netflix announced a second season. There’s no release date yet, but if it’s half as good as the first season, it’ll be one of Netflix’s best shows of the year. 

5. Gillian Anderson

It’s the show that changed sci-fi, and television, forever. The X-Files brought together long-term storytelling, mysterious conspiracies, and monster-of-the-week episodes in one genre-defining package. It also introduced the world to Agent Dana Scully, and more importantly, Gillian Anderson. Can you believe that at the time, Fox wanted to cast someone with more sex appeal than Gillian Anderson? Is that even possible? Even today at almost 60 year sold, she looks incredible. 

The X-Files is, by itself, not a very sexy series, but Gillian Anderson managed to shatter the mold by taking a smart, intelligent, capable character in Dana Scully and showing Hollywood that yes, this is sexy.  Wearing suits and FBI jackets, Gillian Anderson became the sex symbol of the 90s. She was on magazine covers, college dorm posters, and was one of the most downloaded women on AOL for years.  

It’s impossible to imagine anyone else playing Dana Scully. Gillian Anderson was the perfect star at the perfect time. 

4. Sense8

After redefining science fiction movies with The Matrix, The Waschowskis have made it their mission to produce strange, philosophical stories. Cloud Atlas bent time and space to show how everything is connected, but three years later, they teamed up with Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski and unleashed Sense8 on an unsuspecting Netflix audience. 

The series follows eight humans who can share their thoughts, feelings, skills, and language with each other across time and space. It gets very metaphorical, very fast, and the Waschowskis made sure to include countless shirtless scenes and multiple uh… hedonistic gatherings? to show how connected the eight sensates were becoming, figuratively, by showing it, physically. 

Considering the Wachowskis also made Bound, decked everyone out in leather for The Matrix, and gave us the Zion rave scene in the sequel, we should have known they had this type of story in them. Sense8 is all about the human experience, the ups and downs, the longing for connection, and it doesn’t shy away from including physical intimacy. A lot of it. 15 separate scenes spread out over 2 seasons. And 3 uh… group encounters. 

3. Outlander 

Starz knew what it was doing. The network gave the world Banshee, Spartacus, American Gods, and even one of the most successful shows in history: Outlander. When it debuted in 2014, the time-travel historical fantasy became the most popular show on the planet. And all it had to do was subvert the Hollywood playbook and give in to the female gaze. 

Outlander adapts the series of hit romance novels by Diana Gabaldon, brought to life by Ronald D. Moore, yup, the man who reinvented Battlestar Galactica and redefined modern sci-fi also created Outlander. 

The series kicks off when Claire, a nurse in 1945, goes through a mystical circle to 1743, and falls in love with a Highlander…not THE Highlander…an actual highlander, Jamie Fraser. Throwing out all the rules for time travel from Back to the Future, Claire and Jamie have a family together while also battling the British Empire, taking part in the American Revolution, and altering history in the process. 

They also have a lot of sex. Don’t be fooled, there’s a reason romance books are always the highest-selling. The things that authors describe in those pages will blow your mind. Outlander is still the rare case of a time-traveling  historical romance novel making the leap to a successful series. 

2. True Blood 

The technological breakthrough of artificial human blood allows the vampires of the world of True Blood to come out of the shadows and integrate with human society, with, well, mixed results. 

What can’t be argued is the blockbuster success of the series that helped launch HBO to a new level of success, showed more blood, guts, and skin, than any series before it, and I can’t help but think what goes on in the basement of Fangtasia launched the current explosion of dark romance novels on bookshelves everywhere. 

Fans got to see a LOT of Anna Paquin’s Sookie Stackhouse and the rest of the women on the cast, but it was the Viking Vampire Eric Northman and Werewolf Alcide, played by two guys you may have heard of: Alexander Skarsgard and Joe Maniganello, whose careers caught fire. True Blood had something for everyone.

Even fans of vampires in tactical military hardware blowing up a witch’s coven with a rocket launcher. It took no time at all for True Blood to go full crazy, and you know what, we need more shows unafraid to be sexy and campy. 

1. Lexx

Farscape’s weirder, hornier cousin, Lexx is a one-of-a-kind viewing experience. It’s the sexiest sci-fi show of all time, almost by default. No series has been as blatantly hedonistic as Lexx. 

Defacto captain Stanley orders the Lexx, the most powerful weapon in existence, to fly to a planet with loose women, and he’s willing to sell out existence for a chance to be with one. Zev and later, Xev, is obsessed with hookups and willing to sleep with any man (well, almost any, sorry Stanley) thanks to a botched brainwashing procedure that was never completed. 

The Lexx itself is, well, interesting. Like Farscape’s Moya, it’s a bio-organic ship, unlike the Moya, it’s a lot….squishier. The shower controls require pulling and tugging on nodules that look like….well…..it’s uhhh…phallic. Lexx looks and sounds like a Skinemax parody of itself. 

You can’t go a single episode without at least one character getting libidinous, well, the musical episode at least gets close to being a normal episode of any other sci-fi series. And when it’s the musical episode that’s the most normal, that says something. Lexx is a lusty fever dream of a sci-fi show that we’ll never see again. 

What other show can you say includes a robotic loveslave as a main character and a spaceship that eats Holland? 

To be fair, when an action movie is great, it is oftentimes better or, at the very least, more entertaining than the best movies from any other genre. Hence, good action movies are worth celebrating as they showcase the genre at its very best. For adrenaline junkies who can’t get enough of the action, the genre offers a mix of classics and newer films that stifle the urge. Films like Gerard Butler‘s historical epic, 300, and what Ansel Elgort did in Baby Driver, represent some of the best action films, which are intense from start to finish. However, that list would not be complete without an honorary mention of the most intense all-action flick of recent years: John Wick.

The film leans towards the gloomy, grim realities of the criminal underworld, introducing us to Keanu Reeves‘ titular, legendary retired hitman, John Wick, whose retirement is cut short when his puppy is killed, prompting him to seek vengeance. The film arguably revitalized the stale action genre when it arrived on the scene in 2014, as it combined raw, practical stunt-work to deliver what has become recognized as revolutionary gun-fu. While Chad Stahelski directed the film, the script was penned by Derek Kolstad as Wick goes on a ruthless, unstoppable rampage. Now, Kolstad has found his next high-octane action flick to participate in.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kolstad will pen the script for a brand-new original action flick, The Reckoner. The upcoming action thriller will be directed by Kenji Tanigaki, who is coming fresh off his work on The Furious, which has been hailed as one of the best action films of the year. The Reckoner is set to be released by Lionsgate, which was also behind Tanigaki’s The Furious, which was a violent mix of bloody action and revenge. Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage is set to star in the upcoming film following his recent role in the television spin-off series Dexter: Resurrection. Given that Dinklage is not the name that comes to mind first for hard-hitting, bone-crunching action, his involvement with The Reckoner makes it all the more intriguing and exciting.

What Happens in ‘The Reckoner’?

As previously mentioned, Lionsgate had snapped up The Furious after its stellar debut at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, and went on to close a deal for The Reckoner, with Anthony and Joe Russo’s AGBO producing the film. Despite our hopes, plot details unfortunately are being kept under wraps for now, but hopefully, with the influence of John Wick creator Kolstad, we can expect some hardcore action and impressive fight sequences.

Kolstad and Dinklage are also set to produce the feature film, alongside Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco, and Kassee Whiting for AGBO and David Ginsberg under his and Dinklage’s Estuary Films banner. “Derek Kolstad and Peter Dinklage came to us with a world we hadn’t encountered before, original, action-packed, and with genuine soul,” AGBO’s chief creative officer, Russo-Otstot said, sounding excited for what lies ahead.

The Reckoner does not have a release date yet. Stay tuned to Collider for updates.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Release Date

October 24, 2014

Runtime

101 minutes

Advertisement

Writers

Derek Kolstad

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement