Movies

On the *Director’s Cut* podcast, Christopher Nolan highly praised actor Benny Safdie’s performance in the MMA biopic *The Smashing Machine*. Nolan stated he believes it’s one of the best performances of the year, and possibly many years to come – a strong statement considering his recent film *Oppenheimer*’s lead actor won an Oscar. Despite a challenging box office run, *The Smashing Machine* has consistently received positive reviews, largely due to Safdie’s work.

In a recent conversation, actress Mia Goth confirmed she’s still involved with the upcoming *Blade* movie. She didn’t share many details about the Marvel reboot, but she admitted the numerous delays haven’t personally bothered her, unlike some fans. Goth believes the extra time is beneficial, stating, “They want to do it right.” She first joined the project in April 2023. Although her character hasn’t been revealed, sources previously indicated she was cast as Lilith, the daughter of Dracula from the Marvel comics. However, because the *Blade* script has been revised several times since then, it’s uncertain if she’ll still play that part.

Crunchyroll and A PLUS Japan are bringing the new action role-playing game *Bleach: Soul Resonance* to players around the world, excluding Asia, later this year. Based on the popular *Bleach* manga and anime by Tite Kubo, the English version is slated for release in 2025. You can pre-register for *Soul Resonance* now on the and .

IDW Publishing has announced that pre-orders for *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* #13 have exceeded 100,000 copies. The issue, which arrives in stores on December 10th, marks a new beginning for the Turtles and the comic series. Writer Gene Luen Yang is taking over from Jason Aaron, and the story will introduce a new villain named Ujigami as the Turtles embark on another dangerous adventure.

Okay, so I’ve been following the box office numbers, and it looks like this movie is struggling. While $140 million worldwide is actually pretty good – especially considering it’s an original story, it’s rated R, and it’s a long one at almost three hours – the studio is still looking at around a $100 million loss. Apparently, with such a huge budget, it needs to make $300 million just to break even. It’s a shame, because I really enjoyed it!

In an interview with TV Line, Martin shared that the characters of Calvin Butler and Dave Johnson have gone through significant life changes since the show first aired in 2018. He described how they’re playfully ‘tormenting’ Dave’s character, comparing it to hitting a piñata, particularly in Season 8 where Dave loses his job after an AI program replaces him. As a result, Dave takes up pickling and searches for new ways to spend his time, now that he’s unemployed.

According to What’s on Netflix, all seven movies in *The Fast and the Furious* franchise will be removed from Netflix on November 1st. This includes the original *The Fast and the Furious* (2001), *2 Fast 2 Furious* (2003), *The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift* (2006), *Fast Five* (2011), *Fast & Furious 6* (2013), *Furious 7* (2015), and *Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw* (2019). If you’re planning a marathon, be aware that the fourth film, *Fast & Furious* (2009), and the eighth, *The Fate of the Furious* (2017), are already exclusive to HBO Max. So, to watch the entire series before they leave Netflix, you’ll need to stream those two movies on HBO Max as well.

It’s a relief we didn’t have to watch Annie and Nick get married and become one of those overly enthusiastic Christian couples online. Thankfully, their relationship only lasts a couple of scenes. First, they have a conversation where Annie, admitting she’d had a bit to drink, repeatedly expresses her worries that Nick doesn’t love her enough. While Nick proving his love by taking time off work is nice, their conversation is filled with the word “love” to the point where it feels meaningless. They spend a full minute saying “I love you” almost every five seconds, focusing more on *saying* they love each other than explaining *why* they do.

Entertainment insider John Rocha recently revealed on The Hot Mic podcast that the 2026 film *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* will feature a Black female character as a sidekick to The Punisher.

In a recent interview on the Directors Guild of America’s podcast, The Director’s Cut, Christopher Nolan highly praised a particular performance. Speaking with director Benny Safdie, Nolan stated he believes it’s an exceptional and groundbreaking piece of acting that will likely stand out as one of the best of the year—and many years to come—and its significance will grow with time.