Legendary screenwriter and author William Goldman once wrote, pertaining to Hollywood, “Nobody knows anything.” For as much research, analysis, and money goes into the pre-production, filming, and marketing of movies, studios ultimately have no idea what’s going to hit and what’s going to flop. Some of the greatest box office triumphs came from movies that appeared to be dead on arrival, filled with grave uncertainty and doubt within their respective studios, only to win over the public and find an audience.

In the end, moviegoing is a natural phenomenon that can’t be calculated. However, in certain cases, as with these 10 movies below, we saw these bombs from miles away. From behind-the-scenes drama to poor marketing, these films were destined to become a punchline in the trade publications.

10

‘Monkeybone’ (2001)

Image via 20th Century Fox

Henry Selick is one of our most imaginative animation visionaries living today. 30 years since its release, he is still rudely ignored as the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is often erroneously credited to screenwriter Tim Burton. However, if there’s one film that the Coraline director would wish that everyone would forget about, it would be his 2001 flop, Monkeybone, a confounding cinematic experience that was seemingly made for no one.

Grossing a meager $7 million on a $75 million budget, Monkeybone was Selick’s foray into new territory, as it blends live action filmmaking with his trademark stop-motion animation. Starring Brendan Fraser as a cartoonist who falls into a coma and is transported to another universe that threatens to supply the world with nightmares, the making of Monkeybone soured Selick from ever making another live-action feature, as he has since condemned the final product released to the public. The bizarre tonal register, uncanny visual aesthetic, random humor, and bonkers story were immediate turnoffs for casual audiences. The audacious animation style was a costly endeavor for 20th Century Fox, and there was simply no way of selling the film’s idea on a poster or trailer. Monkeybone, lampooned by critics, represents the harsh reality of taking a big artistic swing that whiffs.

9

‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ (2019)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Not only is Terminator 2: Judgment Day a perfect object, its conclusion wraps the story up from 1984’s The Terminator so tightly that a sequel was never in demand. However, Hollywood has to Hollywood, and audiences were sporadically fed sequels to James Cameron‘s classics, none of which were wholly satisfying. Still, they kept performing fairly well at the box office. By the time Terminator: Dark Fate arrived in 2019, audiences were not going to be fooled again, leading to a financial failure that may have terminated the franchise altogether.

In a cruel twist of fate, the surprisingly inventive and engaging Terminator: Dark Fate, the series’ apex since Terminator 2, was the one that failed for its studio, Paramount, with its $261 million worldwide gross falling short of its whopping $185 million budget. While not the most devastating flop, Tim Miller‘s retconning of the events following T2, botched in the uninspiring Rise of the Machines, Salvation, and Genisys, immediately lacked any audience and critical enthusiasm. Even with James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger back on board as producer and star, respectively, and Linda Hamilton reprising her role as Sarah Connor, Dark Fate was a victim of the world not wanting to be fooled for a fourth time. With the scope and budget continuously ballooning, it was clear that Terminator needed a factory reset rather than chasing after the glory of its first two entries.

8

‘Dolittle’ (2020)

Image via Universal Pictures

Say what you want about modern moviegoing tendencies, but audiences aren’t dumb. Just because the world loved Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn’t mean they’re going to sign up for anything he stars in, especially when his Avengers: Endgame follow-up looked as silly and nonsensical as Dolittle. Released during the brief window in 2020 before things went awry amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the new adaptation of the animal whisperer, originally played by Rex Harrison and Eddie Murphy, carried a weighty price tag for something that was set up for failure.

On the surface, Dolittle‘s box office performance of $251 million worldwide gross is impressive, but when compared to its $175 million budget, these gaudy numbers were hardly worthy of celebration for Universal. Anyone who was following the news of its production, directed by Stephen Gaghan, knew that a stinker was in order, as the film underwent three weeks of reshoots by multiple directors after poor test screenings. Downey’s spontaneity and improvisation were great for Iron Man, but his freewheeling creative process led to a disastrous production. The chaos of the set is felt on the screen—a disorganized and rudderless mess of a movie. By giving a reheated performance, filled with his usual snarky quips, Downey proved he was desperate for Christopher Nolan to upend his screen persona in Oppenheimer.

7

‘Lightyear’ (2022)

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

“This is the origin story of the human Buzz Lightyear that the toy is based on,” wrote Chris Evans in a Twitter post that lives in infamy. Emblematic of the glut of IP in cinema, Pixar stooped low for a blatant cash grab in Lightyear, the inexplicable spin-off of the Toy Story franchise centered around the fake person who spawned the fake toy, Buzz Lightyear, here voiced by Evans instead of Tim Allen. The fact that Evans needed to clarify its synopsis was a telltale sign that a bomb was set for launch in 2022.

Grossing $218 million worldwide is relatively low for Pixar sequel standards, and this number is even more egregious when pitted against its whopping $200 million budget. Lightyear‘s existence is indicative of Disney’s obsession with milking their own properties without a clever angle. The film, directed by Angus MacLane, was truly something nobody asked for. Any ardent fan of the Toy Story series will tell you that interest in how the Buzz toy was created within the universe was little to none. Expanding on the Buzz lore taints the purity and charm of the series, making Lightyear woefully disjointed within this beloved franchise. Disney and Pixar are already making a killing off Toy Story sequels, which sees its fifth installment in 2026. This head-scratching spin-off was born out of sheer greed.

6

‘Borderlands’ (2024)

Image via Lionsgate

Video game movies are all the rage these days. In fact, they may have even surpassed superhero movies as the most coveted IP by studios in the wake of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Minecraft. Still, rights to a beloved game aren’t enough to trick audiences into thinking you have the next blockbuster—take, for example, Borderlands, a total wipeout at the box office in 2024 that everyone saw coming from a mile away.

There’s no way of spinning the film’s financial performance, as its $32 million gross on a $115 million budget is a flop of the highest order. Quick research into the making and release of Borderlands, starring an overqualified Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jack Black, raised countless red flags. Development hell often indicates an impending bomb, and the writing was on the wall for Borderlands, which was announced in 2015, filmed in 2021, and underwent reshoots in 2023. Director Eli Roth, whose R-rated vision was sanded down for a PG-13 rating, was replaced by Tim Miller during reshoots. Even though two directors worked on it, Borderlands is bereft of any artistic direction. The film is a watered-down Guardians of the Galaxy wannabe with inert action and comedy. Borderlands feels trapped in 2015, with its smarmy dialogue and punk sensibilities being incredibly dated a decade later.

5

‘The Flash’ (2023)

By the time The Flash was released in theaters in 2023, the term “superhero fatigue” had reached the lexicon. This phenomenon was the only thing that could account for the string of underachieving comic book adaptations dating back to the year prior. In hindsight, we may have been overthinking it all, as sometimes, a movie is just an outright stinker, like Warner Bros’ failed attempt at orchestrating a colossal event for the disjointed DC saga.

Despite WB’s efforts to sell The Flash as the cinematic event of the year, its $271 million worldwide gross fell short of its hefty $200 million price tag. The last thing audiences wanted amid our collective superhero fatigue was a bloated film like The Flash, directed by Andy Muschietti and starring Ezra Miller in the titular role, which required casual viewers to be caught up with a handful of previous DC installments. The movie was radioactive from the start due to the behind-the-scenes drama involving Miller’s legal issues and personal scandals. Two particular vices of the superhero genre, third acts riddled with cheap CGI and forced character cameos, reached their nadir in The Flash, leaving theaters in pin-drop silence at the reveal of Nicolas Cage and George Clooney as an alternate Superman and Batman, respectively. This cinematic folly signaled that audiences had evolved, as forcing superhero properties without a fresh take wasn’t enough to create a blockbuster anymore.

4

‘Gigli’ (2003)

Image via Columbia Pictures

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They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but tell that to the team behind Gigli, and they’d quickly refute that adage. A movie now synonymous with “flop,” Gigli was such a disaster that it put Martin Brest seemingly in permanent director jail and turned Ben Affleck, who subsequently married his co-star, Jennifer Lopez, into a punchline for the tabloids. This is a quintessential “so bad it’s good” movie, yet even irony couldn’t draw people to theaters in 2003.

Grossing a lowly $7 million on a $54 million budget, Gigli, a romantic-comedy set in the criminal underworld featuring two marquee movie stars, should’ve been a slam dunk, but people know a bomb when they see one. The film dropped a staggering 82% percent in gross in its second weekend of release, indicating that word of its creative ineptitude spread quickly. While we’re prone to reclaim movies once viewed as disappointments, there is no redeeming Gigli, a shapeless, poorly acted (notably an unforgivable Justin Bartha performance that was already insensitive in 2003), and lethargic film lacking humor and romance. Brest fell asleep behind the director’s chair, as his flair for high-octane action and comedy, seen in Midnight Run, is nowhere to be found. Gigli even fails as a cult “bad” movie like The Room, as there is little joy or energy in the film’s meandering conversations between the two lead stars-turned-couple.

3

‘Battlefield Earth’ (2000)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

John Travolta‘s career arc is quite the adventure. After his breakthrough in the 1970s, he soon lost his reverence and viability in the public eye by the early ’90s, only to have Quentin Tarantino revive him with Pulp Fiction. His unexpected comeback restored his A-list credibility, but his self-destructive nature came back to haunt him with the sci-fi disasterpiece, Battlefield Earth, one of the most ridiculed and loathed films in recent history.

General audience curiosity in this strange-looking mess wasn’t enough to make up for costs, as the 2000 film directed by Roger Christian grossed $29 million on a $73 million budget. A movie practically designed to dominate the Golden Raspberries, Battlefield Earth wants us to take this story of alien invasion and enslaved human uprising seriously, but everything about it, from the obnoxiously flashy visual language to the garish makeup and costume design, is a laughingstock. Of course, everyone had their guns out for this film due to Travolta’s ties to Scientology and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote the film’s source material. The trailers alone made viewers long for Tarantino to give this gifted actor a worthy part. You could do a lot worse than spend a night mocking Battlefield Earth‘s ridiculous script and story logic, but the people were unwilling to pay the price of admission in theaters.

2

‘Madame Web’ (2024)

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Not everyone can be the Marvel Cinematic Universe—just ask Sony’s extended Spider-Man universe. They may have the rights to certain Marvel Comics characters, but they don’t have the vision and standard of quality shepherded by Kevin Feige. Following the lackluster whiffs in Venom and Morbius, Sony’s attempts at retaining control of Spider-Man while Tom Holland thrived in the MCU reached their nadir with Madame Web, this generation’s signature bad movie that is still worthy of dissection.

Superhero fatigue or not, Madame Web, which only grossed $100 million on an $80 million budget, was a flop the moment its first trailer dropped, featuring the notorious line “He was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died.” Dakota Johnson is captivating in romantic comedies or indie dramas, but as a superhero, she’s completely out of her league. A peak example of “gas-leak cinema,” something is just off throughout all of Madame Web, from the stilted acting and choppy ADR to the lackadaisical pace and frictionless stakes. S.J. Clarkson‘s film is begging Spider-Man to swing in and save the day, as, without the marquee character’s presence, this origin story is completely aimless. Sony pushed their luck with Madame Web, who learned the hard way that audiences in 2024 were not automatically lulled by the Marvel Comics logo.

1

‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ (2024)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Just because a movie performed well, even one billion dollars well, doesn’t mean we demand a sequel. Joker was always designed to be a one-off, stand-alone film starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips. Five years after dominating the box office and winning multiple Academy Awards, Warner Bros. egregiously overstayed their welcome with Joker: Folie à Deux, a towering box office bomb and source of sheer audience outrage that will be nearly impossible to top.

Warner Bros’ 2025 triumph was a needed comeback after the calamitous performance of their 2024 Joker sequel, which grossed $207 million on a $190 million budget, a seismic drop-off from its previous installment. On paper, Phillips using his cachet to turn a Joker sequel into a dark musical crossed with a prison and courtroom drama is intriguing, and it’s a brilliant counter to the formulaic nature of comic book movies. However, ideas only get you so far, as Joker: Folie à Deux, also starring a wasted Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, is woefully executed. Every scene is punishingly dour without the sophistication of a weighty drama, and the musical numbers play as distractions rather than artistic statements. For such a major blockbuster, the film is inexplicably condensed in scope, merely serving as a recap of what happened in the 2019 movie. Laboriously paced and insultingly one-note, Folie à Deux let everyone know ahead of time that this would be a folly with its title. After the exhausting discourse and controversy surrounding Joker, people were ready to move on from Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) and his anarchic ways.

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Release Date

October 4, 2024

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Runtime

138 minutes

Writers

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Scott Silver, Todd Phillips, Paul Dini, Jerry Robinson, Bruce Timm, Bob Kane, Bill Finger

Producers

Emma Tillinger Koskoff

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Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight is considered a masterpiece of the comic book movie genre, taking Batman and placing him in a world that felt tangible and gripping. The film’s opening statement was the devastatingly choreographed heist at the beginning of the film, which introduced Heath Ledger‘s unforgettable Joker.

Nolan is a student of film, and many (including the film’s creatives) have pointed to 1995 crime classic Heat as a big inspiration for the sequence, and the film in general. Michael Mann‘s tense, methodical filmmaking made Nolan realize he could make a superhero movie his way, and the results were electrifying.

Christopher Nolan Introduces Us to Heath Ledger’s Joker in the Most Perfect Way

Set to the anxious strings of Hans Zimmer‘s opening theme, titled simply “Bank Robbery,” a balletic chain of events unfolds as a gang of masked criminals rob a mafia-owned bank in Gotham. In each step of the robbery, the criminals are instructed to betray each other, unwittingly wiping themselves out until only the orchestrator remains. When questioned by a bank manager (William Fichtner) about what he believes in, the leader removes his mask, revealing the Joker. “I believe whatever doesn’t kill you makes you… stranger,” he replies, before laughing and escaping with the bank’s money.

Related

‘The Dark Knight’s Most Famous Line Wasn’t Written by Christopher Nolan — and It Still Bothers Him

Nolan was not the hero in this circumstance.

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In just over six minutes, the robbery sets the tone for the film, a comic book movie viewed through the lens of a crime thriller. A villain who is vicious enough to commit such crimes, but also treats chaos as an ethos, meticulously planning an event that is meant to throw Gotham’s criminal underworld into disarray. Nolan’s approach doesn’t copy Heat‘s homework, but it speaks the same cinematic language. The military organization of the Gotham Bank robbery echoes that of Neil McCauley’s (Robert De Niro) crew as they rob over a million dollars from an armored car. Both crews wear masks, both time their plans (and the response to them), and both use urban geography as a canvas. Disrupting the regular hum of a city, only to use it as the perfect getaway disguised as everyday transport (in Heat it’s an ambulance, while the Joker uses an empty school bus).

Christopher Nolan Proudly Claimed ‘Heat’ as an Influence on ‘The Dark Knight’

Part of why we know The Dark Knight was inspired by Heat is that the filmmakers themselves are so open about it. Jonathan Nolan, who wrote the script for the film, told Josh Horowitz about its impact during an interview in 2024. “That movie made such an impression on me,” he said, citing the film’s grounded tone as a major influence from the beginning. “Could you bring that feeling into the Batman universe? Could you tell a story like Heat? To me, that early draft was a bit of: ‘this is what I think a Batman movie should be!’”

It would seem his brother agreed, as in 2023, Christopher Nolan appeared on the YouTube interview channel, Kombini, with regular collaborator Cillian Murphy, and the subject of the film came up. “Heat! Absolute classic,” Nolan exclaimed while picking up a DVD of the movie. “I’ve been talking about this film for years, because I kept ripping it off,” he joked, before adding: “Big influence on The Dark Knight!” Alluding to the similarities, Murphy replied: “That shootout sequence?” “Incredible shootout,” Nolan confirmed.

‘Heat’s Impact Stretches Beyond the Bank Robbery Scene in ‘The Dark Knight’

Image via Warner Bros.

Stylistically, the opening sequence of The Dark Knight and the heist in Heat are the most obvious comparison, but the DNA of Mann’s film exists in the very philosophy of Nolan’s story. Heat follows weary LAPD Robbery Homicide Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) on the tail of lifelong criminal McCauley, with both men seeing parts of themselves in the other. Hanna cannot leave the life of chasing criminals, just as McCauley seems tethered to a life of crime. During the infamous diner scene between the two leads, they ruminate on how they can’t walk away from who they are. “I don’t know how to do anything else,” says Hanna. “Neither do I,” replies McCauley. “I don’t much want to either,” adds the cop. “Neither do I” agrees the criminal.

That philosophy is present in Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and Joker, two men committed to their own codes: Batman the law of justice, and Joker the law of chaos. Two sides of the same coin, and two men unable to walk away from their principles. “This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object,” Joker claims toward the end of the film. “You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”

It’s there that the parallels between the movies become clear — two men on separate sides of the law, unable to back down from what they need to do. With The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan set a new standard in comic book movies, by making audiences rethink what a superhero movie could be. When the lore of Batman is told in the language of classic cinema, an age-old rivalry is reinvented.

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Release Date

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December 15, 1995

Runtime

170 minutes

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Director

Michael Mann

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Michael Mann

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Peacock‘s movie lineup for April is very front-loaded, which means that most of the streamer’s new films for the month have already arrived.

There are some exceptions to that, including the recently arrived Five Nights at Freddy’s 2. The original was a massive hit despite debuting in theaters the same day it dropped on Peacock.

Now, that film is one of Watch With Us‘ choices for the three best Peacock movies to binge-watch this weekend.

Our remaining picks include an over-the-top comedy and a very unusual animated film.

‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ (2025)

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 kicks off in 2002, two years after the events of the original film. The children killed by William Afton (Matthew Lillard) possessed his animatronic creatures and took their revenge. Or at least that’s what Mich Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) wants to believe. But he’s smart enough to refuse the requests of his younger sister, Abby Schmidt (Piper Rubio), to rebuild the creatures so she can reunite with her friends.

Mike is also increasingly wary of Officer Vanessa Shelly (Elizabeth Lail), the daughter of Afton, who may not be as blameless for her father’s rampage as he previously believed. With that relationship in peril, Toy Chica (Megan Fox) and the Marionette lure Abby to one of the original sites to restart the animatronics’ rampage. And this time, there’s no guarantee that the Schmidt family will be spared.

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is streaming on Peacock.

‘Liar Liar’ (1997)

Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey) is a great lawyer and an even better liar in Liar Liar. He lies so easily that it makes him very effective in court, even though Fletcher’s dishonesty led to the end of his marriage to Audrey Reede (Maura Tierney). After letting down his young son, Max (Justin Cooper), on his birthday, Fletcher is struck by Max’s birthday wish that he be unable to tell a lie for a single day.

Related: 9 Must-Watch Movies on Peacock Right Now

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Peacock has a fantastic selection of movies spanning genres and decades, all available at one’s fingertips in December. Watch With Us takes a look at the best movies streaming on Peacock right now, and we’re highlighting two of the newest additions this month. Our first pick is Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, a funny, touching autobiographical drama about […]

It’s not as if Fletcher believes in birthday wishes, but this one is real, and it came at an inopportune time. Fletcher has to appear in court to settle a high-profile divorce, and he has to be completely truthful while doing it. Not even physically beating himself up is enough to break the hold that this curse has on him.

Liar Liar is streaming on Peacock.

‘Piece by Piece’ (2024)

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Piece by Piece is both a Lego movie and a music biopic for Pharrell Williams, who voices himself in the film. It’s an interesting way to present the largely true story of Williams’ rise in the music industry as well as his occasional falls and stumbles. Even Williams’ real-life wife, Helen Lasichanh, and his parents get in on the fun of voicing themselves.

But one of the biggest attractions of this film is its musical appearances by Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z and several others, all of whom play themselves. Williams acknowledges that he owes his career and some positive outcomes to his friends in the music industry, but he’ll have to chart his own path to be fully happy with himself and his destination.

Piece by Piece is streaming on Peacock.

Four couples and a group of sexy singles have made it to “Temptation Island,” and the drama is already at an all-time high. Season 2 of the popular Netflix reality series premiered on April 10, and the cast wasted no time coming out of the gate swinging.

Tensions Soar In The Series Premiere Of Netflix’s ‘Temptation Island’

For those who may be unfamiliar, “Temptation Island” takes four couples dealing with major issues in their relationships and drops them on an island with a group of attractive temptors and temptresses looking to make a connection.

According to The Blast, the four couples, Kaylee and Summit, Sydney and Mikey, Scarlett and Cole, and Shyanne and Jack, are laying it all out there, hoping their willingness to put themselves in uncomfortable situations strengthens their bonds.

However, things began to heat up 15 minutes into the first episode, when host Mark Walberg introduced the principal cast to the group of eager singles, all of whom had something daring to say.

Things Heat Up When The Singles Lay It All Out There In The Series Premiere

The first impressions are meant to stir up a bit of trouble, and that’s exactly what happened when the single women made their dramatic entrance.

“I’m like literally sweating right now,” Cole said. “Kinda like, ‘Oh crap, we’re finally doing this. No going back.’”

Jack said, “Seeing these girls in front of me, I’m thinking, ‘Holy sh-t, what am I doing here?’”

“They fine like wine, but you feel me?” Mikey added. “Oh my gosh!”

As the episode continued, host Walberg asked the women to introduce themselves and place a bracelet on the man they were most interested in.

And while it seems simple enough, the singles brought personality and boldness that the couples weren’t ready for.

For example, Jesenia said, “Good things come in small packages” before turning around, grabbing her buttocks, and adding, “But don’t worry, cause this ain’t one of them.”

Sydney shared an equally audacious message, telling the men that she’s “all about the Ds,” which consists of “dancing, dentistry, and if you’re lucky, you’re D might just make my list.”

The Temptors Size The Men Up During Their First Impressions

Things took a turn minutes later when Walberg brought out the single men for their first impressions.

As expected, there were bulging muscles, high testosterone levels, and a lot of arrogance.

Xzavier kicked things off, telling the women that he used to be a track star before saying he has “all the endurance you need,” while Danny said that, despite being a twin who was born first, he’ll make sure that the women “come first” during their time on the island.

Bradley, a bartender with a thick mustache, said that while he makes a stiff drink, he gives a smooth mustache ride before telling producers that women have told him his facial hair looks “like the perfect seat.”

Zach kept things going by telling the women that he doesn’t settle for average, so neither should they, before pointing to their men.

What Led The Four Couples To ‘Temptation Island’?

According to a previous report from The Blast, the four couples starring in this season of “Temptation Island” are hoping to get over some of their biggest hurdles while spending time apart.

Kaylee and Summit were candid about their compatibility issues, while Sydney and Mikey were honest about their struggles with maturity, loyalty, and boundaries.

Shyanne and Jack are looking to build a deeper connection after dealing with infidelity, while Scarlett and Cole are hoping to strengthen their communication skills.

What will happen by the end of the season, though? The explosive trailer shows tears, steamy hookups, and what appears to be a dramatic fallout.

Viewers Are Already Living For Season 2 Of ‘Temptation Island’

Netflix viewers are already talking about season 2 of “Temptation Island,” and they’re already picking sides!

“Mikey, my boy! Should’ve appreciated your lady a little more,” someone wrote, while another said, “Mikey is finna come on the show and show his a** man.”

The other cast members caught some flak, too, like Jack, who was called “a f-cking loser” by one X user. “He’s been wanting to cheat and was just looking for an excuse.”

Another user blasted Scarlett and Cole, writing, “They need to see other people. She needs to see Bradley, and he needs to see a shrink. That man is mentally unstable.”

Season 2 of “Temptation Island” is streaming on Netflix now.

Streaming success often reveals which films have lasting impact, and Alien: Romulus is proving its staying power on HBO Max. After generating more than four times its $80 million budget at the box office, the film has surged back into the spotlight, driven by sustained audience engagement rather than novelty. That continued momentum reflects a clear understanding of what has defined the Alien franchise for over four decades.

Directed by Fede Álvarez, Romulus does not attempt to overhaul the series or reshape its identity. It operates with a firm grasp of the mechanics that have always made these films effective. The tension is deliberate, the environments are controlled, and the narrative remains focused on survival within systems that treat human life as expendable. Romulus is a film that recognizes what works and commits to executing those elements with precision. Its continued success stems from that discipline, reinforcing the idea that Alien: Romulus continues to thrive because it understands and applies the franchise’s core mechanics on every level.

‘Romulus’ Understands How to Build and Sustain Tension

Image via 20th Century Studios

Tension in Romulus is built through containment and spatial awareness, both of which are handled with careful direction. Álvarez establishes each environment with clarity before allowing it to become restrictive, ensuring that the audience has an understanding of the space before it turns hostile. This approach creates a sense of control that gradually gives way to pressure as movement becomes limited and options begin to disappear. Escalation in Romulus follows a direct chain of cause and effect. Every decision produces consequences that shape the next sequence, which allows the narrative to build without interruption. Álvarez maintains that progression without relying on resets or pauses, keeping the film locked into a steady rise in intensity. That control ensures the tension remains consistent rather than suffering from the fluctuation between peaks and lulls.

The structure places Romulus in direct alignment with Alien and Aliens, both of which rely on clear geography and deliberate escalation to sustain pressure. Álvarez draws from that foundation while maintaining a focused approach to pacing and progression, with the result being a film that feels cohesive from beginning to end. Cailee Spaeny anchors that structure with a performance rooted in survival. Her reactions remain consistently grounded in the reality of the situation, which reinforces the film’s commitment to immediacy. The performance echoes the stability associated with Sigourney Weaver in early Alien entries, giving the film a human center that supports its tension. Because of that alignment between direction and performance, the film sustains pressure without losing clarity.

Why ‘Romulus’ Is Working So Well On Streaming

Romulus’ presence in HBO Max’s Top 10 indicates strong reengagement to audiences who are responding to its structure and pacing. Streaming environments reward films that maintain forward momentum, and Romulus is built to sustain that movement. Álvarez structures the narrative so that each sequence advances the story while increasing stakes, which keeps viewers engaged from start to finish. That momentum plays into exactly how audiences watch films on streaming platforms. Once Romulus begins to tighten its focus, it continues to move forward without distraction. This makes it easy to commit to the film and difficult to step away from before it reaches its conclusion. The pacing supports completion, which contributes to its visibility and continued performance.

Thematically, the film remains aligned with the core ideas of Alien, which continue to resonate and culminate into one of the most successful sci-fi franchises of all time. Corporate exploitation and disregard for human life are central to the narrative, shaping both the conflict and the stakes. Modern audiences continue to connect with these themes, arguably more so than ever, particularly within science fiction and survival horror. Álvarez integrates these ideas into the structure of the film, ensuring they are present in both the narrative and the tension it creates. That combination of momentum, thematic focus, and controlled direction positions Romulus as a strong fit for streaming.

‘Romulus’ Is A Disciplined Entry That Strengthens The Franchise

Image via 20th Century Studios

Romulus reinforces the Alien franchise by maintaining continuity with its established tone and visual language. Álvarez draws on the foundation set by Ridley Scott, particularly in the use of industrial design and controlled visual composition. These elements connect the film to the broader series while supporting its own narrative identity. The film includes recognizable elements that longtime fans will identify, but it does not depend on nostalgia alone to carry the experience. Álvarez maintains cohesion across tone, tension, theme, and structure, ensuring that each element supports the others. This level of consistency allows Romulus to function as a complete entry within the franchise while reinforcing its core identity.

That identity remains rooted in survival, confinement, and the consequences of unchecked systems. Romulus adheres to those principles with discipline, which strengthens its position within the series. It contributes to the franchise by reinforcing what defines it at a foundational level, rather than expanding beyond those boundaries. Its durability is evident in its continued relevance beyond its theatrical release. The film continues to hold up under sustained audience attention, which positions it as a stable and effective entry to the wider Alien universe.

The ongoing success of Alien: Romulus can be traced to discipline, control, and clarity. Every aspect of the film reflects a commitment to executing the core mechanics that define the franchise. That consistency carries through from its theatrical performance to its current presence on HBO Max, and its streaming success is not incidental to simply being on a new platform. Its success is a direct result of a film that maintains focus, builds tension with precision, and engages with themes that remain relevant to modern audiences. Alien: Romulus lands because it treats the foundation of its franchise as something to execute, not reinterpret. Romulus proves the franchise never needed reinvention, just creatives who understand it.

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Release Date

August 16, 2024

Runtime

119 Minutes

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Director

Fede Alvarez

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Writers

Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues, Dan O’Bannon, Ronald Shusett

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Sister Wives’ Paedon Brown has shared a heartbreaking tribute to his late brother Garrison Brown.

Posting via his Instagram Stories on Friday, April 10,  Paedon, 27, shared a throwback photo of himself with his sibling to mark what would have been Garrison’s 28th birthday.

“I miss you everyday,” he wrote over the post, which featured Josh Garrel’s song “Farther Along.”

Paedon chose to highlight some of the song’s poignant lyrics over the image.

Related: Every ‘Sister Wives’ Sibling Who Has Publicly Mourned Garrison Brown

The Sister Wives siblings are continuing to pay tribute to Garrison Brown following his death. Garrison’s sister Maddie Brown was the first to break her silence after his death. “Our hearts [are] broken and we are now swallowed with the love now left behind for this beautiful brother,” she wrote. Garrison’s parents, Janelle and Kody […]

“Farther along we’ll know all about it,” the lyrics read. “Farther along we’ll understand why. So cheer up my brothers. Live in the sunshine.”

In a second Instagram Story post which featured another photo of Garrison, Paedon wrote, “I’m going to kick your butt when I see you. Happy birthday brother.”

Garrison died by suicide in March 2024. He was 25.

Garrison’s father Kody Brown confirmed the tragic news at the time via a joint Instagram statement with his estranged wife Janelle Brown.

“Janelle and I are deeply saddened to announce the loss of our beautiful boy Robert Garrison Brown,” the statement read. “He was a bright spot in the lives of all who knew him. Our loss will leave such a big hole in our lives, that it takes our breath away. We ask that you please respect our privacy and join us in honoring his memory.”

Police arrived at Garrison’s home in Flagstaff, Arizona, on the morning of March 5, 2024, after receiving a report of a death, Us Weekly confirmed at the time. The officers discovered him dead at the scene. The police said that foul play was not suspected, and the incident was being investigated as an apparent suicide.

Law enforcement also told Us at the time that Garrison’s brother, Gabriel, found Garrison’s body.

Janelle opened up about the heartbreaking moment she found out about Garrison’s death in a May 2025 episode of Sister Wives.

Related: Sister Wives’ Janelle Brown Remembers Son Garrison 6 Months After Death

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Courtesy of Janelle Brown/Instagram Janelle Brown is remembering her late son Garrison Brown six months after his death. “Six months ago today you went away. You come up in my photo memories almost every day. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like you’re gone,” Janelle, 55, captioned a photo of herself and Garrison via Instagram on Thursday, […]

“Gabriel had found him,” Janelle recalled in the episode. “He’s like, ‘Mom, he’s gone.’ I mean, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘He’s dead. He killed himself.’”

Janelle described how the shock of the news made it hard to recall the details of what happened next.

“I don’t remember the next few minutes but I got in the car and drove,” she shared.

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Kody and Janelle, who split in 2022, share six children including Garrison. The pair are also the parents of Logan, 31, Maddie, 29, Hunter, 28, Gabriel, 23, and Savanah, 20.

Paedon, meanwhile, is the only biological son of Kody and Christine Brown.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Every month, thousands upon thousands of viewers are surely discovering Taylor Sheridan‘s back catalog after checking out one of his blockbuster Paramount+ shows. Sheridan has established himself as one of the leading television writer-producers of his generation, with titles such as Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, Landman, and more recently The Madison. Each of those shows was created at Paramount. He’s now looking at a new creative partnership with NBCUniversal, having severed ties with his current home. Before he hit the stratosphere with Yellowstone, however, Sheridan was an acclaimed writer who conceived a modern trilogy of neo-Westerns.

The trilogy began with Sicario, directed by Denis Villeneuve. The movie remains a cult classic, having grossed approximately $85 million worldwide and received near-unanimous praise. Sheridan also wrote a sequel to Sicario, although he doesn’t count it as part of the spiritually connected trilogy. The second installment, instead, was Hell or High Water, directed by David Mackenzie and starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Gil Birmingham, and Ben Foster. The movie earned Sheridan an Oscar nomination in the Best Original Screenplay category. It remains his highest-rated work, with a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The third installment of the trilogy is a movie that Sheridan considers to be his directorial debut.

The Movie Taylor Sheridan Considers His Directorial Debut Has Been Blocked for Some Netflix Users

He once made a low-budget horror movie that he has mostly disowned. Instead, he has stressed that his first film as director was Wind River, starring Marvel Cinematic Universe alums Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner. The movie followed two investigators looking into crimes against Indigenous peoples; it’s an idea that Sheridan revisited in 1923, one of his Yellowstone prequels. Released in 2017, Wind River holds a “Certified Fresh” 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise going to Sheridan’s direction and the film’s tone. It grossed approximately $45 million worldwide against a reported budget of $11 million. However, not everyone who wants to check it out will be able to do so this month, as Netflix has made it inaccessible to folks subscribed to its ad-supported tier. What’s On Netflix reports that 59 titles have been blocked this month, mainly because Netflix isn’t allowed to monetize those titles with ads. Sheridan followed Wind River up with the Angelina Jolie-led neo-Western Those Who Wish Me Dead, which debuted day-and-date on HBO Max and in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

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August 18, 2017

Runtime

107 minutes

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Producers

Basil Iwanyk, Matthew George, Peter Berg, Elizabeth A. Bell, Wayne L. Rogers

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Anya Taylor-Joy has become one of the brightest stars in the world over the last few years after her career got rolling 10 years ago with ritualistic, spooky hits like The Witch and Morgan. More recently, she headlined the ambitious sci-fi reboot, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the prequel film that co-stars long-time Marvel veteran Chris Hemsworth. She earned widespread critical acclaim in 2020 for her award-worthy performance in the Netflix original miniseries, The Queen’s Gambit, which helped develop the modern streaming era as it’s known today. Taylor-Joy is also confirmed to step into a much larger role in the third and final Dune movie in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi trilogy later this year, on December 18. The film also stars Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.

In a world where box office success is analyzed so heavily, it can be easy to overlook some of the best movies that are released straight to streaming. For Anya Taylor-Joy, one of her most successful hits of the last few years came with The Gorge, the Apple TV original dystopian sci-fi film that co-stars Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick). The Gorge is streaming exclusively on Apple TV around the world, and although it’s now been a year since it was released, it’s still one of the top five most popular movies for the streamer. Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange) directed The Gorge with a script from Zach Dean. The film is the perfect mash-up of John Wick and The Last of Us, sure to scratch the itch for those looking for both great action sequences and a dark dystopian world.

What Is ‘The Gorge’ About?

The official synopsis for The Gorge reads as follows:

“Two highly trained operatives (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) grow close from a distance after being sent to guard opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. When an evil below emerges, they must work together to survive what lies within.”

In addition to Teller and Taylor-Joy, who star as Levi and Drasa in The Gorge, the film also features Sigourney Weaver as Bartholomew, Sope Dirisu as J.D., William Houston as Erikas, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as a Black Ops Commander, James Marlow as Bradford Shaw, Julianne Kurokawa as an Airman, and Ruta Gedmintas as a WWII scientist.

Check out The Gorge on Apple TV around the world, and stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates and more coverage of Anya Taylor-Joy’s future projects.

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Release Date

February 28, 2025

Runtime

127 Minutes

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Director

Scott Derrickson

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Writers

Zach Dean

Producers

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Gregory Goodman, C. Robert Cargill, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, Don Granger, Miles Teller, Sherryl Clark, Adam Kolbrenner

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Katseye hit the stage without Manon Bannerman at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Five members of the girl group — Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung — performed during the first day of the Indio, California, festival on Friday, April 10. Manon, 23, was noticeably missing from Katseye’s Coachella debut amid her ongoing hiatus from the band.

Katseye opened their show with a performance of their new single “Pinky Up” before entertaining the crowd with “Debut” and “Touch.”

HUNTR/X vocalists EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami joined the girl group on stage for a surprise performance of “Golden” from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack.

Manon’s Coachella absence comes nearly two months after Katseye announced her plan to take a break from the group.

Related: Cutest Celebrity Couples to Hit Coachella Through the Years

There are only three things that are certain in life: death, taxes and celebrities coupling up at the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Since the ever-growing multi-weekend event was cofounded in 1999, A-list couples such as Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo, Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom, and Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford have […]

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“After open and thoughtful conversations together, we are sharing that Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and wellbeing,” read a February statement from the band shared via the social media platform Weverse. “We fully support this decision.”

The group assured fans at the time that the remaining Katseye members would carry on with their responsibilities despite Manon’s absence.

“Katseye remains committed to showing up for one another and for the fans who mean everything to us. The group will continue scheduled activities during this time, and we look forward to being together again when the time is right,” the statement continued. “Thank you to our Eyekons for your continued love, patience and understanding.”

Manon also spoke out in an individual statement at the time.

“Hi friends,” she wrote via Weverse. “I want you to hear this from me, I’m healthy, I’m OK and I’m taking care of myself. Thank u for checking in! Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control, but I’m trusting the bigger picture. Thank you for standing by me. I love you endlessly and can’t wait to see you again.”

Earlier this month, Manon shared an update with fans amid her ongoing hiatus from Katseye.

“Thank you so much for all the love and support you’ve been sending my way. I’m really grateful for the patience and kindness everyone has shown during this time,” she noted via Weverse. “[Katseye’s management] HxG and I are having positive conversations, and I feel supported. I’m happy, and I’m healthy. I’ll share more soon. Thank you for always being there for me.”

Manon raised eyebrows when she removed “Katseye” from her Instagram bio. Days later, a source exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, April 6, that she does not plan to return to the group.

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Related: Shocking Band Exits Through the Years: Zayn Malik, Jesy Nelson, More

Going their own way. For some musical artists, they needed to leave their former bands to explore opportunities as a solo act. Zayn Malik did just that in 2015. He left his longtime One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne to embark upon a solo music career, dropping his debut […]

In a Nylon cover story published on Tuesday, April 7, Manon admitted the band deals with disagreements at times. (The outlet noted her interview took place before she announced her hiatus from Katseye.)

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“There’s six of us, so obviously not everyone’s always going to be on the same page about everything,” she said. “But I think we all are at, or have been learning and are finally coming to, a point where for the group’s sake, you give and you take. You pick your battles.”

Manon added that the bandmates “have to lean on each other” to cope with stardom.

“But we also have supportive friends and supportive family,” she explained. “It’s something that keeps you humble and grounded. And then just having a good therapist.”