Nicholas Hoult Says Losing Batman to ‘Brilliant’ Robert Pattinson Made Sense: I Didn’t ‘Fit as Well Into That World as Rob Did’

Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Harrison Ford is returning to the “Indiana Jones” franchise in the upcoming “Dial of Destiny,” marking a return to the character he’s now played for 42 years. It’s been 44 years since Sigourney Weaver first played Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott’s “Alien,” but don’t expect her to pull a Ford/”Dial of Destiny” and return to the role that made her an action movie icon. In a new interview with Total Film magazine, Ripley said her days as Ripley are over. “There are all kinds of younger actors taking this kind of role,” Weaver said. “And there was an ‘Alien’ [film] that I really wanted to do with Neill Blomkamp and we didn’t get to do that, but, you know, that ship has sailed. I’m very happy doing what I’m doing. I put in my time in space!”

The Flash, the upcoming debut film adaptation of the long-standing DC superhero.The trailer, released April 25, follows on from the original trailer in February – which gave fans their first look at Michael Keaton’s return to portraying Batman, following on from his early-90s run as the caped crusader in 1990’s Batman and 1992’s Batman Returns.The new trailer opens on a shot of Wayne Manor, leading to the Bat-Cave and a series of vintage Batman costumes. This later leads to a look at Michael Keaton portraying Bruce Wayne for the first time in over 30 years.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Steven Spielberg participated in a masterclass at the Time 100 Summit and announced he regrets editing guns out of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.” The film’s 1982 theatrical cut includes a scene of officers chasing young kids with firearms. Spielberg edited the guns out for the 20th anniversary release of the film and replaced the firearms with walkie talkies. “That was a mistake,” Spielberg said. “I never should have done that. ‘E.T.’ is a product of its era. No film should be revised based on the lenses we now are, either voluntarily, or being forced to peer through.” “‘E.T.’ was a film that I was sensitive to the fact that the federal agents were approaching kids with firearms exposed and I thought I would change the guns into walkie talkies…Years went by and I changed my own views,” Spielberg continued. “I should have never messed with the archives of my own work and I don’t recommend anyone do that. All our movies are a kind of a signpost of where we were when we made them, what the world was like, and what the world was receiving when we got those stories out there. So I really regret having that out there.”

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” director James Mangold confirmed in a new interview with Total Film magazine that Harrison Ford spends approximately 25 minutes of the sequel de-aged to appear around the age he was in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” The “Dial of Destiny” team previously disclosed that new VFX technology was created for the film in order to de-age Ford, but now fans know it was for an extended act of the movie and not just a simple flashback scene. Mangold called Ford “incredibly gifted and agile,” which made it easy for the actor to “pretend that he was 35” when filming the scenes. “But the technology involved is a whole other thing,” Mangold said. “We had hundreds of hours of footage of him in close-ups, in mediums, in wides, in every kind of lighting, night and day. I could shoot Harrison on a Monday as, you know, a 79-year-old playing a 35-year-old, and I could see dailies by Wednesday with his head already replaced,”

movie is (finally) almost here!Following several years of COVID delays and controversy over embattled star Ezra Miller, Warner Bros. shared a new trailer for the long-anticipated DC Comics epic at CinemaCon on Tuesday, giving fans another look at Miller's Barry Allen and his adventures in the multiverse.Directed by Andy Muschietti, will see Barry Allen racing through the Speed Force -- in an attempt to save his father for being framed for the murder of his mother -- rubbing elbows with not only Ben Affleck's Batman but Michael Keaton's, too.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic In movies, the word “bomb” has always meant two things, generally at the same time. The first and most important definition of bomb is that a movie has lost a disastrous amount of money. Movies, in general, can’t afford to do that — they’re too expensive to produce. Bombs happen, but as a business model they’re not sustainable. A movie that bombs commercially has never been something to write off as a trivial matter. The second definition of bomb, which is linked to the first (though not automatically), is that a film is spectacularly bad. It is, of course, not axiomatic that a movie that bombs commercially has failed as a work of art. There are movies we think of as classics that crashed and burned at the box office — like “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “Blade Runner” or “Intolerance” or “The Long Goodbye.” It’s become almost trendy to rescue certain films from the scandal of their box-office infamy. The mother of all those rescue jobs is “Heaven’s Gate,” the grandly picturesque 219-minute Marxist art Western that effectively put a stake through the heart of the New Hollywood, helping to take United Artists down along with it — though it’s a film that numerous observers have re-evaluated as a misunderstood masterpiece. I can’t agree on that one; to me, “Heaven’s Gate” remains a visually stately but indulgent wallow. Nevertheless, it’s always worth standing up for the principle that a box-office fiasco isn’t necessarily a bad film.

Nicholas Hoult may have lost out to Robert Pattinson when it came to starring in 2022’s “The Batman”, but he insists the right man got the job.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet earned their acting breakthroughs together as the leads of Peter Jackson’s 1994 drama “Heavenly Creatures,” but the two actors grew apart in the years afterward as Winslet’s star power exploded with “Titanic.” On a new episode of the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast (via Entertainment Weekly), Lynskey said losing her close friendship with Winslet was “painful.” “When I lost touch with Kate, it was more heartbreaking than some breakups that I’ve had,” Lynskey said. “It was so painful and it wasn’t like anything happened, it’s just she became a gigantic, international movie star and she didn’t have a lot of time and then, suddenly, she’d be in Los Angeles and not have time.”

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is heading toward $1 billion at the worldwide box office, which is a far cry from the disastrous fate that met the first attempt to bring the Nintendo video game franchise to life. The live-action “Super Mario Bros.” movie in 1993 crashed and burned at the box office, grossing less than $40 million worldwide. Many Mario fans found the film too dark and adult-oriented, but Luigi actor John Leguizamo recently told GQ magazine in a video interview that what they shot was far darker than what was released. “[The directors] had this dark, dark vision that Disney was not okay with so there was all this butt-heading that was incredible,” Leguizamo said. “That party scene? Those were all strippers from North Carolina that they put on the set and they had them in the most revealing clothes and costumes.”

Nicholas Hoult missed out on three big roles in a row, and the first was a chance to play the caped crusader himself in The Batman.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Whenever Elizabeth Olsen returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she’ll surely be hoping a permanent stunt double comes along with her. Speaking to Stephen Colbert during a recent visit to “The Late Show,” Olsen said it’s “ridiculous” that she’s done a majority of her own Marvel stunts as Scarlet Witch. “Your stomach leaves you. It’s like, I guess, the joy people get on roller coasters, which I don’t get, but people love that feeling,” Olsen said about doing her own stunts. “I’ve definitely recovered from my giddiness. Sometimes I’m just like, ‘Okay, how many more of these do you want? I can do this all day’ kind of thing. But sometimes I get a little freaked out.” 

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Oscar-winning documentarian Bryan Fogel has signed for representation with Range Media Partners. Fogel is best known for his 2018 film “Icarus,” which exposed Russia’s state-sponsored doping program and the whistleblower at its center. The Netflix title won the Academy Award for best documentary, the first such prize for the streamer. Prior to its crowning moment on the Dolby stage, the film sold for $5 million out of the Sundance Film Festival. Additional laurels for “Icarus” included the special jury prize at that year’s Sundance, the Edward R. Murrow Award for Journalism, and nominations from BAFTA, the television academy and the Directors Guild of America.

“Twilight” may be coming to TV!

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Zack Snyder joined Anthony and Joe Russo’s “Pizza Film School” podcast and raved about HBO’s “Euphoria” and Netflix’s “Squid Game,” two shows he cited while discussing how television has become far more adventurous and exciting than film when it comes to storytelling. “I think we’re in a real golden age of TV in the sense that TV shows are much better at showing you something that you’ve never seen before, or catching you off balance or making a turn that you didn’t see coming,” Snyder said (via The Playlist). “They’re way riskier.” “‘Euphoria,’ for instance, I was just watching the show [and] it’s just unbelievable,” Snyder continued. “That show shouldn’t exist; it’s so good. And that’s the kind of thing… I watch that show and go, ‘This movie would never get made; this movie can’t exist.’”

The Twilight movies, based on author Stephenie Meyer‘s novels, helped lay the groundwork for a new generation of teen fantasy blockbusters.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic Let no one deny it: Rupert Murdoch is clever like a fox. He’s slyer than his adversaries in mainstream media. They still think in real-world terms. But Murdoch thinks in terms of the world that he’s created — the world of fake news, of lies that play because they carry the ring of vengeful mythology (life as a Charles Bronson film that never ends). The world that Fox News pretends is reality. You could make a case that in recent weeks, Murdoch’s circus of happy-talk dystopian propaganda (otherwise known as any random half hour of Fox News) took a major hit. The release of documents subpoenaed during the Dominion Voting System’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News revealed something that was, or should be, profoundly embarrassing to the network: that there are moments when its star huckster, Tucker Carlson, actually tells the truth (at least in private). The revelation that Carlson, along with a number of Fox News executives, peddled Donald Trump’s crackpot assertion that he won the 2020 election not because they believed it, but because they thought they had to go along with what their viewers wanted to hear, made the Fox team look like craven cowards. The lawsuit never made it to trial, but because those documents were leaked you could say the damage was done. And to keep the trial from happening, Murdoch had to cough up the mother of all defamation settlements: $787.5 million. 

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Steven Soderbergh’s beloved 2001 heist comedy “Ocean’s Eleven” remains one of the director’s most star-studded affairs thanks to an ensemble that included George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle and more. It turns out the group wanted even more star power, as Clooney recently confirmed reports that both Mark Wahlberg and Johnny Depp were approached to star in the movie (via Entertainment Weekly). “Steven had just done ‘Erin Brockovich’ and ‘Traffic,’ and he was nominated for [an Oscar for] directing both films,” Clooney said during a discussion with Soderbergh at the TCM Film Festival. “So, people really wanted to work with Steven.”

Back to Forks? Nearly 12 years after the final Twilight movie was released, Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling franchise is reportedly getting the TV series treatment.

Twilight fans were so excited to learn that the hit book and movie franchise is being turned into a TV show.

The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the news, “Tell Me Lies” and “The Get Down” writer Sinead Daly is attached to pen the script. There also isn’t a timeline for the project at the moment. Lionsgate TV plans to lead development on the series before shopping the rights to the package.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter A “Twilight” TV series adaptation is in very early development at Lionsgate TV, Variety has confirmed with sources. The series would be based on the Stephanie Meyers book series of the same name, which was previously adapted into a film franchise. At this time, there is no writer or a network/streaming service attached to the project. According to sources, Wyck Godfrey and Erik Feig are attached as executive producers. Feig is the former co-president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, while Godfrey and his Temple Hill production company produced the five “Twilight” films. Meyers is also expected to be involved in any potential series.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Nicholas Hoult recently made headlines for revealing he lost roles in “The Batman,” “Mission: Impossible 7” and “Top Gun: Maverick” all in a row, but that’s nothing compared to the handful of A-list projects Rachel McAdams consecutively turned down. As revealed in her new Bustle profile, McAdams turned down offers for “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Casino Royale,” “Mission: Impossible III,” “Iron Man” and “Get Smart” in the two-year period where she moved back to Canada following a rise in Hollywood with “Mean Girls,” “The Notebook” and more. “There’s certainly things like ‘I wish I’d done that,’” McAdams said. “[But] I step back and go, ‘That was the right person for that.’”

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Hugh Jackman has promised fans that his return as Wolverine in the upcoming “Deadpool 3” won’t screw with the previous “X-Men” timeline. In other words, Jackman’s Wolverine character arc from 2000’s “X-Men” to 2017’s “Logan” is safe from whatever will go down in Marvel Cinematic Universe tentpole. Neither Reynolds nor Jackman have disclosed much information about the new Wolverine, but Reynolds recently told ET Canada that it diverges greatly from Jackson’s previous Wolverine. “We’ve wanted to this this for decades…it’s weirdly the perfect time,” Reynold said about teaming up with Jackman. “I never stopped [trying to get him to come back as Wolverine]. I was just pestering him like a gnat over the last many years. I believe in timing, as much as hard work and luck and all those intersections that are supposed to meet. Timing’s the big one. I think he was ready. I think he was excited.”

Zack Sharf Digital News Director James Gunn announced on Twitter that pre-production on “Superman: Legacy” has begun. The 2025 comic book tentpole will be the official launch of the new DC Universe as supervised by Gunn and his DC Studios co-head Peter Safran. “I’m honored to be a part of the legacy,” Gunn wrote alongside a photo of the “Superman: Legacy” script cover page. “And what better day than Superman Anniversary Day to dive fully into early pre-production on ‘Superman: Legacy’? Costumes, production design, and more now up and running.” Gunn has been keeping fans updated on “Superman: Legacy” every step of the way. The film was confirmed in January when Gunn and Safran revealed the first slate of film and television titles for their new DC Universe. In addition to “Superman: Legacy,” films such as “Supergirl: World of Tomorrow” and “The Brave and the Bold” (a Batman and Robin movie) are also in development. Gunn is writing and directing his “Superman” movie.

Nicolas Cage went the extra mile for his role in "Vampire’s Kiss" by eating bugs. The iconic Hollywood actor reflected on when he ate several cockroaches for the 1988 cult movie during an interview for his latest role as Count Dracula in "Renfield." "Oh yeah, I ate it twice, because the director did it just to prank me," Cage, 59, told Yahoo! Entertainment. "I'm not one to give advice, but [Nicholas Hoult] ate a potato bug, so he took it to another level." His "Renfield" co-star Nicholas Hoult, 33, responded, "The cockroach is worse than a potato bug I think … the cockroaches I got to eat in this were caramel." While discussing their new vampire horror-comedy, both actors continued to debate which insects were worst to eat on set.  "Oh, but he ate a real potato bug, which is terrifying to me and so are cockroaches.

Elle Fanning teased the upcoming third season of The Great during her appearance at Deadline’s Contenders Television awards-season event.

Nicholas Hoult has been in a few films you might have heard of. He’s been a young version of X-Men’s blue mutant The Beast, and was in George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road.

Scroll To See More Images

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Samantha Geimer is once again defending Roman Polanski, who raped her in 1977 when she was 13 years old. Geimer has often spoken out in support of Polanski, although this time she did it in an interview with France’s Le Point magazine that was conducted by none other than Polanski’s wife, the actor Emmanuelle Seigner. Polanski was arrested in 1977 for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. He accepted a plea bargain and only served 42 days in prison. He fled the United States in 1978 while still under probation after his legal team got word that he was going to face imprisonment on additional charges. He was detained by Swiss police decades later in 2009 while traveling to the Zurich Film Festival in an attempt by the United States to extradite him. The Swiss court ultimately rejected the request and released Polanski.

Angelique Jackson Legendary actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood is closing in on his next project, with plans to direct “Juror No. 2.” The legal drama is set up at Warner Bros., with Nicholas Hoult and Toni Collette circling the lead roles. Eastwood will direct and produce the project alongside Adam Goodman, Tim Moore and Jessica Meier. Jonathan Abrams penned the script. “Juror No. 2” will take place during a murder trial and follows a juror (Hoult), who realizes that he may have caused the victim’s death. He must decide whether to manipulate the jury to save himself, or reveal the truth and turn himself in. Collette would play the prosecutor. Warner Bros. is nearing a green light on the project, with a production start eyed for June, following Eastwood’s 93rd birthday on May 31.

British actor Nicholas Hoult (“The Great”) is no stranger to studio blockbusters playing a young version of Beast in the popular “X-Men” franchise and had a standout but one-off role in George Miller’s acclaimed “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Hoult, doing press rounds to promote “Renfield,” is now speaking to The Guardian (via Variety) about his recent run of high-profile acting opportunities that he’s missed out on.

Nicholas Hoult opened up about three roles that he lost out on in a row.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director What’s it like turning down Tom Cruise? Just ask Nicholas Hoult. In a new interview with The Guardian, the “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “The Menu” star revealed that Cruise personally called him to join the “Mission: Impossible” franchise for its two-part finale, which will kick off this summer with the seventh installment, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.” Hoult accepted the role, which reports claimed was a huge one as it was the finale’s main villain. Hoult was cast in “Mission: Impossible 7” in January 2020, but by May 2020 he was exiting the movie and being replaced by Esai Morales. According to Hoult, his contractual obligation to his Hulu period comedy “The Great” got in the way of him joining the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been such a gut-punch had Hoult not been coming off two rejections from other major Hollywood franchises.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Elijah Wood is “fascinated” and “surprised” over Warner Bros. developing multiple new “Lord of the Rings” movies. The studio announced the plan in February. Wood, of course, played the hobbit Frodo in Peter Jackson’s original “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which grossed $2.9 billion worldwide and remains one of cinema’s greatest fantasy achievements. “I’m fascinated and I’m excited. I hope it’s good,” Wood recently told GQ magazine about the new films. “I’m surprised—I don’t know why I’m surprised because, of course there would be more movies.” “Obviously at the core of that, is a desire to make a lot of money,” Wood continued. “It’s not that a bunch of executives are like, ‘Let’s make really awesome art.’ And, again, not begrudging anybody because, of course, it is commerce. But great art can come from commerce. So those two things are not mutually exclusive.”

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Madison De La Garza, who gained television fame as a child star thanks to her role on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” opened up to journalist and former “20/20” anchor Elizabeth Vargas on the “Heart of the Matter” podcast about battling cyberbullying and an eating disorder following her run on the show (via Entertainment Weekly). De La Garza appeared on four seasons of “Desperate Housewives” as Juanita Solis, the daughter of Eva Longoria’s character, Gabrielle Solis. De La Garza took over the role of Gabrielle’s daughter in Season 5, when the show jumped ahead five years from the previous season. She was only six years old at the time. The actor stayed in the role through the final season of “Desperate Housewives,” which ended in May 2012.