A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (you know, 1970s California),George Lucas, who would eventually become the creator of the most successful science fiction franchise in the known universe, was struggling to come up with the definitive version of his most famous film. Later renamedStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hopeas the franchise expanded,Star Warsstarted its life as the tale ofAnnikin Starkillerandhis frog-like friend Han Solo.This version of the story, though, was thankfully scrapped in favor of the story of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and his many, many friends, among which is the very human Solo (Harrison Ford)....

This review originally ran with ourSXSW 2016coverage. For a show about something as bombastically dramatic as demonic possession, it’s perhaps most surprising thatRobert Kirkman’s latest series comes alive in its small touches and quiet allegories: a grotesque bug idling on a bedroom wall; crude graffiti outside of a church; a child’s primitive scrawling on the inside of a pantry door. The series isOutcast, a new TV show fromThe Walking Deadcreator based on his ongoing comic book series of the same name, the first episode of which premiered at this year’s SXSW festival....

The COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020 may have halted the movie-going experience, but did not completely slow the production of content from the media powerhouse, Disney. It did, however, force the company to change its plans when it came toPixarfilms likeSoul,Luca, andTurning Red. These films were casualties of the direct-to-streaming release, missing out on the official theatrical runs that they deserved. Despite all three movies receiving high praise, these Pixar stories that would normally be instant classics are stuck at being underrated gems....

It feels like we’ve unpacked all of the major, polarizing, and majorly polarizing moments inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerfollowing its late December premiere. But what about the moments that never made it into the film’s final cut? Are there still any tantalizing details to be mined from all of the moments relegated to previous cuts of the movie which will either stay on the proverbial cutting room floor or get thrown into a bonus features section?...

Good news for any of you fine folks who like watchin' gorgeous flicks on a big old screen. In a shift away from Netflix’s previous anti-theatrical run stance, the streaming service announced that three of its biggest awards contenders, original filmsRoma,The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, andBird Boxwill premiere exclusively in theaters before hitting the stream-screen. “There’s been an overwhelming response to all of our films this festival season, including ‘Outlaw King,’ which will be in theaters and onNetflixnext week, and this plan is building on that momentum....

With the first nine episodes ofWizards Beyond Waverly Placenow streaming, the pilot episode, “Everything Is Not What It Seems,” saw the iconic Alex Russo (Selena Gomez) return. TheWizards of Waverly Placereboot follows the now 34-year-old Justin Russo (David Henrie), and his sons Roman (Alkaio Thiele) and Milo (Max Matenko), with Gomez only appearing in a guest role. Though she may not be taking center stage in the new sequel series, it’s worth remembering how groundbreaking Alex’s character was whenWizards of Waverly Placefirst aired from 2007 to 2012....

How do you review a nightmare? That’s basically the question in front of me as I try to sum up the first three episodes of Season 2 ofThe Shivering Truth. Adult Swim’s sophomore season of the stop-motion animated series returns tonight at midnight (just afterRick and Morty’s new episode) to show off creatorVernon Chatman’s latest batch of unfiltered, stream-of-semi-consciousness thought brought to life through meticulous craft and a creative team possessed of surprisingly strong stomachs....

With any big-budget blockbuster, you’re going to have a fair share of deleted scenes. Unless you’re someone likeSteven Spielbergwhoonlyshoots what they need, filmmaking is a fluid process, and sometimes a scene you thought was necessary ends up being perfunctory or over-explanatory. What was originally conveyed in a page of dialogue instead works just as well as a simple look within the context of the film.Suicide Squad, Warner Bros.’ new DC Comics adaptation, is no different, and there’s one character in particular that fans might get to see more of on the eventual Blu-ray....

We here at Collider have an exclusive new trailer forTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadowsto share with our readers today.Earth to EchofilmmakerDave Greendirects the sequel, which finds the turtles going up against iconic villains from the comics, including Krang, Bebop, and Rocksteady, as the arrival of a new mysterious formula may hold the key to turning the turtles into humans, adding a potential existential conflict to the familiar “villains trying to take over the world” conceit....

2019 was a weird year for movies. The final third or so brought us a lot of great films, but I found little to love for most of the calendar year. There were bright spots to be sure—Uswas wonderfully complex and refreshing;Midsommarwas a darkly comic delight;Avengers: Endgamenailed the landing. But by and large the studio offerings this spring and summer and even fall were supremely disappointing. There was nothing as artfully thrilling asMission: Impossible – Falloutor as smart asSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseor as soaring asA Star Is Born....

Last year saw the MCU’s God of Mischiefget a bittersweet sendoffwith the Season 2 finale ofLokion Disney+. After six movies and a television series,Tom Hiddleston’s titular character finally found his ultimate end, sacrificing everything to watch over time alone for the rest of eternity and effectively becoming the bedrock of the multiverse. It’s the culmination of one of Marvel’s most impactful character arcs, closing with Loki realizing his “glorious purpose” and becomingsomething much greater as the God of Stories....

As Disney continues to burn through its catalogue of animated classics, they’ve failed to justify why these new versions need to exist beyond “IP is a low-risk, high-reward way to cash in on nostalgia and brand recognition.” These movies make a lot of business sense, but as far as an artistic justification, there’s not much there forBeauty and the Beast,Aladdin, and nowJon Favreau’s photoreal adaptation ofThe Lion King. The template for these movies seems to be to deviate as little as possible from the original narrative right down to dialogue inflection and shot composition, add in a couple of scenes that will appease people who make obnoxious YouTube videos about the original’s “flaws”, and lard it up with expensive CGI....

The images released so far for season six ofThe Walking Deadhave been … interesting. There’s this oddly photoshopped and unintentionally intimate Comic-Con banner seen above;a cutesy little photoshootwithMelissa McBride,Andrew Lincoln, andNorman Reedus; and somedecent though out-of-context shotsof newcomersEthan Embry,Merritt Wever, andCorey Hawkins. Today’s new images fall somewhere between those two categories since one is essentially a bit of promotional art reminding audiences ofThe Walking Dead’sreturn to AMC on Sunday, October 11th....