It Ends With Us did unexpectedly well at the box office, earning $80 million worldwide on its opening weekend, but the film’s marketing is getting dragged online for never mentioning the real theme of the film.

It Ends With Us is an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 novel of the same name, starring Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively. This is the first time the beloved yet controversial author has a film adaptation, and it’s of a novel that has divided opinion. It Ends With Us follows Lily Bloom, a florist who gets into a relationship with Ryle, a neurosurgeon, and realizes things aren’t as great as she initially thought. At the same time, she is reconnecting with Atlas, her high school sweetheart.

It Ends With Us is simply a story about abuse. Colleen Hoover noted that it was the “hardest book” she’s ever written, and that she drew inspiration from her mother’s relationship with her father and her decision to get away from that relationship so she could set a good example. While the film also tackles this difficult theme, you wouldn’t know it from the film’s marketing.

Fans dragged It Ends With Us’ marketing

In 2023, Colleen Hoover announced the plans to release a coloring book based on the novel. Considering the novel’s serious subject, she later canceled the project following the backlash. The novel also drew negative reactions from readers after it was marketed and sold as romance instead of fiction.

The same is happening now with the highly-anticipated film. Jane the Virgin‘s Justin Baldoni directed and starred in the film as Ryle, and got the rights for the adaptation in 2019. Baldoni fought hard to make the film via his production company, Wayfarer Studios, and it premiered on Aug. 9.

Since the film started its press tour, it featured only flowers, pink tones, and floral dresses. In one of the recent videos, Lively says, “Grab your friends, wear your florals,” as if going to a rom-com instead of a film with a serious message, which has attracted a lot of negative comments from fans.

sabrinamgrimaldi on TikTok notes that “some of the marketing is very rom-com-esque […] even though this a story that is not so light-hearted.” The user goes on to note the discrepancy between Justin Baldoni’s PR for the film and Lively’s, which differ completely. While Baldoni is addressing the film’s real message and the importance of the story, Lively has continuously talked about the movie as if it’s a romantic comedy and dodged any questions about its serious message.

Fans also note that, instead of speaking about the film’s message, Lively focused on wearing the best outfits and addressed wearing Britney Spears’ iconic Versace dress, promoted her new haircare line, or baked. It Ends with Us is an adaptation with a strong message, and shining light on it could only be to its benefit. Instead, fans complained in the comments that they went blindly into the theater, believing it was a rom-com, and were heavily triggered by the film.

The comments on It Ends With Us‘ official Instagram account share the same sentiment. “Why is the marketing for this film so tone deaf?” asked a fan, with another asking, “Is this movie about flowers and Blake Lively’s outfits or about Domestic Violence?” with another writing, “I came here to remind everyone that this is a movie about DV, which is an extremely hard watch for MANY survivors and seeing this giggle fest of a promo tour has been baffling for its tone deafness.”

Unpacking the It Ends With Us behind-the-scenes drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

If the marketing for the film wasn’t enough, Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively avoided each other like the plague the entire press tour. It all started simple enough, with the two of them promoting the film separately, which could’ve come down to timing. However, at the premiere, the main cast avoided Justin Baldoni completely, and they all avoided answering questions about working with him, Lively and Jenny Slate included.

The reason behind this is unknown, so take the following with a grain of salt. From the looks of it, Blake Lively wanted more creative control on the film. Lively was also a producer on the film, and noted in a recent interview with Variety that she did “everything” on the film: “It was so important to me to work off camera,” Lively explained. “The work I did as a producer was far more all-consuming than anything I did playing Lily. I just did it all. There’s nothing I didn’t touch on this film,” she said.

At the same time, reading between the lines, Baldoni revealed that he thinks Lively is “ready” to handle a sequel, should there ever be one, and smoothly withdrew from the conversation.

Lively went as far as allowing her husband, Ryan Reynolds, to rewrite an important scene from the film, although he’s not a part of the movie. “The iconic rooftop scene, my husband actually wrote it,” Lively told E! News. “Nobody knows that, but you now.” She admitted it during the film’s premiere, and the original screenwriter and co-producer, Christy Hall, apparently had no idea. Hall explained that writing the scene where they met was challenging, and that she rewrote it several times until she was proud of it. Little did she know, Reynolds had his take and she found out at the premiere. Hall was also among the only ones to address Baldoni, noting that “I feel like he really cares.”

Initially, Colleen Hoover sang Justin Baldoni’s praises for trying to adapt the story as faithfully as he could, but that changed. Lively, Hoover, and the rest of the cast unfollowed Baldoni on social media, although he still follows them and praised their hard work.

Allegedly, Lively and Baldoni argued over the final version of the movie and each had a different version. They showed the cuts to a test audience and, although Baldoni’s version scored higher, they ended up using Lively’s.

So far, there is no official statement on any of the creative differences so this is all speculation, but with so much evidence, there’s more fire than smoke.

D23 has come and gone yet again, and the Mouse House proved to be as busy as ever as it showed off its plans for television, theme parks, and—the longtime bread and butter of the media giant—movies.

From Star Wars, to beloved franchises, to totally new films, to whatever the hell Dwayne Johnson is up to, here are all the film-centric announcements and reveals that reared their heads at D23 2024.

Toy Story 5, Incredibles 3, Zootopia 2, Moana 2, and Frozen 3

The sequel fare took up most of D23’s film spotlight, but with announcements like Toy Story 5 and The Incredibles 3 among those ranks, even the most ruthless proponent of originality can’t be disappointed.

Incredibles 3 was the biggest reveal, as this is the first we’re hearing about the film’s existence. Toy Story 5, meanwhile, named its director in Andrew Stanton, who gifted us Wall-E and Finding Nemo in the past. Other details on this unprecedented fifth entry in this unprecedentedly successful animated franchise include 50 rogue Buzz Lightyears and electronic toys as plot elements, and a Summer 2026 release date.

Elsewhere, Moana 2 (releasing Nov. 27 later this year), Zootopia 2 (releasing Nov. 26, 2025), and Frozen 3 (releasing 2027) had trailers, clips, and concept art to show off, respectively.

Lilo & Stitch, Snow White, and Mufasa: The Lion King

Disney’s not finished with their live-action remake venture by a long shot. Beyond getting our first look at live-action Stitch from the incoming Lilo & Stitch live-action remake (due in Summer 2025), we were also given trailers for the Rachel Zegler-led Snow White (March 21, 2025), and Mufasa: The Lion King (Dec. 20 later this year), the latter of which will be a completely new story set before the events of The Lion King.

Monster Jam

The award for the most out-of-left-field film announcement at D23 went to Dwayne Johnson, who revealed that he’s working together with Disney on a live-action Monster Jam movie. According to the movie star/khaki enthusiast, this “immersive” film will be told “from the POV of these incredible monster trucks. Eccentric and crazy drivers.”

It’s not immediately clear if this will be a narrative feature or a documentary, so we’ll just have to wait and see what Johnson’s cooking here.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

The third entry in James Cameron’s box office-busting Avatar series had its title revealed as Avatar: Fire and Ash. We already knew that we would be introduced to an antagonistic, fire-based Na’vi clan, but no other details beyond some concept art were released at the event.

Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters on Dec. 19, 2025.

Hoppers and Elio

Disney isn’t just about remakes and sequels and brands; thanks to Pixar, the Mouse House had some updates on the original film front, including the first-ever reveal of Hoppers. Starring Jon Hamm, Bobby Moynihan, and Piper Curda, Hoppers follows Mabel, a young girl who can transfer her mind into a robotic beaver; an ability she uses to see what animal life is like. She later unites with a plethora of woodland creatures, including a high-ranking beaver named King George, to help protect their home from a real estate developer. Hoppers hits theaters in spring 2026.

Elio, meanwhile, got a D23-exclusive trailer as it prepares to hit theaters next summer on June 13, 2025. The sci-fi flick was originally supposed to release on March 1 earlier this year, but a change in leadership on multiple Pixar projects coupled with the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike saw it get delayed.

The Mandalorian & Grogu

The Filoni era of Star Wars is set to hit the big screen for the first time on May 22, 2026 with The Mandalorian & Grogu. Footage at the event showed off Grogu in his own suit of Mandalorian Beskar armor, which will surely do wonders for Disney’s merchandizing profits.

Freakier Friday

Somehow, Hoppers wasn’t the biggest bodyswap-adjacent film announcement of the event. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, stars of 2003’s Freaky Friday, revealed the sequel’s title as Freakier Friday alongside some set photos featuring the duo. Freakier Friday releases in 2025.

Tron: Ares

And, of course, the announcement that no one was queuing up for but still managed to be one of the most epic of the evening; Tron: Ares not only got some event-exclusive footage featuring the eponymous new antagonist, but it was also revealed that the film’s soundtrack would be composed by none other than Nine Inch Nails. Now, Tron may not exactly be known as a “strength to strength” franchise, but going from Daft Punk to Nine Inch Nails is a statement and a half.

Tron: Ares hits theaters on Oct. 10, 2025.

On the week Bad Boys: Ride or Die passed $400 million at the global box office, the fourth chapter in Martin Lawrence and Will Smith’s crowd-pleaser franchise received a precious endorsement from none other than Stephen King.

The accomplished American author, who infamously provides commentary for everything from the current state of affairs to his favorite recent watches and reads on his X account, gave the 2024 summer action comedy blockbuster his seal of approval, calling it “a lot of fun.” He took the opportunity to spotlight comedy legend Martin Lawrence’s performance, saying he “always makes [him] laugh,” but the lack of love for Martin’s controversial co-star raised eyebrows among King’s followers.

While we doubt King omitted Will Smith from his review on purpose, the 55-year-old actor has been a bit of a sensitive topic ever since the now-infamous Oscars kerfuffle of 2022 where he slapped Chris Rock on stage. Bad Boys 4 has been Smith’s big return to the silver screen after the critical and commercial failure of Apple TV Plus’ Emancipation on the heels of the slap scandal. The comedy movie even went out of its way to make fun of the incident in its script, fully embracing its role in Smith’s career turnaround. And it’s working.

Not only has Bad Boys: Ride or Die become a box office hit, but it has also appeased audiences and critics. Lawrence and Smith’s chemistry on whose shoulders this franchise was built has obviously received most of the praise, but critics have also recognized and complimented director duo Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi’s commitment to the craziness that has come to define the action comedy series. Bad Boys 4‘s lukewarm 65% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes is cushioned by a much more favorable — and ultimately more important —97% audience score, proving the big majority of moviegoers are siding with Stephen King on this one.

Read We Got This Covered’s review of the film here.

Adult life requires a lot of balancing, from work to family, friendship, chores, cooking, and maybe finding time for some hobbies. Add in trying to keep up with the latest TV and movie releases and sometimes it’s easy to miss something… even the sequel to a beloved movie that everyone has been hoping for. Pixar fans have wanted to see The Incredibles 3 for a while now, but was the movie released in 2023?

The Incredibles follows a charming superhero family and has a great voice cast including Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, and Craig T. Nelson. Everyone wants to catch up with these characters again… so let’s find out the release date for The Incredibles 3.

Did The Incredibles 3 come out in 2023?

The Incredibles 3 didn’t have a 2023 release date (phew). The movie was announced at D23 Fan Expo in August 2024, according to USA Today. Pete Docter, the chief creative office of Pixar who also directed beloved Pixar movies such as Soul and Inside Out, shared the exciting news at the event.

While other Pixar movies should get sequels, at least fans will see more of the Parr family in the future. Unfortunately, there isn’t a release date as of yet, so everyone will have to wait to get their fave movie snacks and settle in for another great story. It’s possible to guess what the release date could be based on other Pixar films. Inside Out 2, for instance, was announced in September 2022 and came to theaters in June 2024, according to Yahoo!. The Incredibles 3 could maybe be released in 2026, but no one really knows.

Fans can rest assured that Brad Bird, who directed The Incredibles and The Incredibles 2, is coming back, so the third movie is sure to be just as high-quality as the others. The Incredibles was one of the best Pixar movies that came out in the 2000s thanks to its memorable characters, sly humor, and kid-friendly action. There’s no doubt that another story about the Parr family will be worth heading to the movie theater for… whenever that exciting day is.

There was a time when good, hard-working, Max-subscribed Americans knew a good blockbuster when they saw one, and honored that with their designated tube time.

In fact, those days weren’t very long ago at all. Not even a week ago, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire stood quite triumphantly atop Max’s worldwide film rankings, at once proving that, even if they’re wrapped up in a cartoony monster-brawl package, nutritious creative stylings were still common in the average Max subscriber’s diet.

Unfortunately, that seems to be a thing of the past now, because if you dare to peek at the summit of Max’s worldwide film rankings now, you’ll be greeted by the thoroughly rank mug of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire; the single biggest culprit of soulless fan service that we’ve seen all year.

Per FlixPatrol, at the time of writing on Aug. 12, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has fallen down to fourth place in the time since Frozen Empire‘s acclimation, with Illumination’s Migration shoring up second place and Canadian fantasy thriller The King Tide coming in at number three.

Any of those three would be preferable to Frozen Empire, which has emerged as yet another powerful villain of the streaming world alongside fellow Sony sins Madame Web and Tarot; the former of which has established a multi-incident saga across Netflix and Max, and the latter of which has recently found itself doing battle against Sandy Cheeks, Mario, and the Minions in one of the streaming front’s most cursed showdowns yet.

In any case, here’s hoping that Godzilla and King Kong can scrounge up enough mojo to dislodge this bastardization of the good Ghostbusters name, but if that’s not in the cards, then we’ll just as eagerly take a victory from a bunch of ducks or a Christ-like little girl who washed up on the shores of Newfoundland.

Horror buffs usually have nothing but great things to say about Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece, Alien.

For a lot of people, it’s one of the best alien movies ever made, and that’s certainly hard to disagree with at times. As the Alien franchise has continued over the years, each new entry has been met with varying degrees of success and fan love, and now, all eyes are on the upcoming Alien: Romulus, which comes out on Aug. 16.

And as hardcore Alien fans prepare to celebrate the big day, one way to commemorate the franchise’s latest entry is through eye-catching gifts. So whether you’re a part of the fan club, or you know someone who is, here’s the best gifts to buy for any Alien lover.

Alien 6-film collection

A box set of all the Alien movies is the perfect place to start when gifting a fan of the Alien franchise. Although there is some tension in the fandom between which of the movies are the best, and which are even regarded as true Alien movies at all, the sentiment remains. Even the most hardcore fans of the first two movies would appreciate having all six, if just as a collector’s item. After all, this set includes theatrical and unrated versions of some of the movies. 

Alien Funko Pop vinyl

Funko Pop figurines are another great gift for any fan of a franchise. The action figure company has cemented itself as a creator of collectible items, so any Alien fan will appreciate a miniature Xenomorph to decorate their space. Funko’s cute aesthetic paired with the Xenomorph’s horrific features makes for an interesting piece of decor, and the figurine is as accurate as can be to Ridley Scott’s original design. 

NECA’s Alien action figures

Another action figure line that is great for collectible items is NECA. The company has made some amazing Alien action figures and memorabilia, especially their anniversary limited edition items. A great gift for an Alien fan would be one of these special items, such as the Aliens 40th Anniversary “Big Chap” Ultimate 7-in-One Action Figure. This nine-foot-tall figurine is for the most hardcore of fans, who know the Xenomorph by its nickname, Big Chap, and who will appreciate all the minute attention to detail. This includes a hinged jaw, adjustable joints, and even the egg featured in the first movie.

Alien: The official cookbook

If you’re looking for an unconventional gift for an Alien fan who already has all the action figures, collectible items, and merch, try the official Alien cookbook! This book features delicious Alien-inspired recipes that include quirky recipes to replicate stages of the Xenomorph life cycle like the egg and face hugger. There are recipes for all meals of the day including drink recipes. The cookbook is also full of pictures, quotes, and other nostalgic bits and pieces to make your cooking experience as cinematic as possible. 

Alien T-shirt

Branded clothing is another great gift idea that you can never go wrong with for a fan of the Alien franchise. This special 45th Anniversary Movie Xenomorph Priority One Logo T-Shirt is a great gift, especially since it is a one-of-a-kind item. The shirt features the Xenomorph’s head as well as the iconic Alien movie logo from the 1979 movie. The background also includes some lines of transmission text of Priority One instructions to safely capture the alien, which would be familiar to super fans.

Alien: Isolation video game

If you know an Alien fan who is also an avid gamer, then one of the many Alien video games should be at the top of your list. Alien: Isolation is a great pick as it perfectly captures the horror of the first movie, following Ripley’s daughter, Amanda, 15 years after the events of the first movie. This game is the best choice for an Alien video game that makes the player feel like they are in the movie as they have to outsmart and defeat the Xenomorph in creative ways. 

Legendary Encounters: An Alien deck building game

It is no surprise that a franchise as successful as Alien would expand into board games as well as video games, so Legendary Encounters: An Alien deck building game, is another great gift idea. The core set of the game comes with over 500 playable cards, all with original art, as well as a game mat and rule book. Players can navigate the game as some of the most beloved protagonists from the Alien franchise such as Ripley, Bishop, Dallas, and Hicks as they battle against bloodthirsty aliens.

The complete Aliens Omnibus books

Another avenue for Alien fans to enjoy their favorite franchise is this thrilling collection of stories set in the Alien universe. Volume one of the series features three stories, “Earth Hive,” “Nightmare Asylum,” and “The Female War,” all written by Steve and Stephani Perri. These stories explore the nature of the aliens as well as the humans left to fight against them, drawing readers deeper into the world of this amazing franchise. 

Alien Next Door children’s book

There’s nothing as fun as introducing your interests to someone new. This is especially true when it comes to passing on your interests to a new generation. Written by Joey Spiotto, Alien Next Door is a great gift for an Alien fan with a kid who wants to pull their child into the fold. This picture book is the perfect introduction to the Alien universe as it presents an alternate version of the Xenomorph that is nice and harmless. This gives children a chance to understand the creature better. The book also features the tagline, “In space, no one can hear you clean,” which is a fun play on the movie’s tagline, “In space, no one can hear you scream.”

Alien comic books

The Alien franchise was expanded into comic books as early as the release of the first movie in 1979. The comics have primarily been published by Dark Horse comics and are often released in limited miniseries formats. Dark Horse has published dozens of Alien comics from 1988 to 2020, many of which have become collectible items. A fan favorite Alien comic series is 2017’s Aliens: Dead Orbit, a four-issue series written and drawn by James Stokoe. 

At first glance, The Instigators has all the hallmarks of a successful heist film. Directed by Doug Liman, who is responsible for the likes of Mr. and Mrs. Smith and the recent Road House reboot, there was a lot of potential. But we would be remiss if we did not address the elephant in the room.

The chemistry between leads Matt Damon and Casey Affleck often overshadows the two sexual harassment cases against the latter that were settled outside of court. Because even though the movie is stacked to the gills with impressive actors including Ron Perlman, Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, and Michael Stuhlbarg, there is very little meat on these bones. What starts out as a very promising heist comedy loses steam after the first act. And the rest is just a prayer to get to the end of a film that only clocks in at 101 minutes.

That said, what really works for the movie is the little things as it tries to honor the promise of its premise. At this point in pop culture, everyone knows about Damon and the Affleck brothers’ Boston roots. Damon and Ben Affleck won an Oscar for the Boston-centric film Good Will Hunting and have maintained their friendship for the past two decades. For his part, this is not the first time that Casey Affleck has costarred alongside his brother’s best friend either. Both Damon and the younger Affleck were prime components of the Ocean’s series in the early aughts. This connection carries through to The Instigators.

Damon and Affleck act with the familiarity and humor that two lifelong friends should have. But that is where the delights of the film stop. After the first 30 minutes, the film loses the plot. It also suffers from drastic tonal shifts that make the story hard to pin down. The Instigators follows a former Marine, Rory (Damon), who is at his lowest. The first scene is a startling shock to reality as he confesses to his therapist, Dr. Rivera (Hong Chau), that if things don’t look up for him, he will consider taking his life. Not really the best setup for a comedy which is further undercut by the introduction to Cobby (Affleck).

And what an introduction. We come across Cobby as he has enlisted a neighborhood kid to breathe into a breathalyzer attached to his motorbike so he can unlock it and go to — you guessed it — a bar. This would be a fantastic introduction if viewers weren’t legitimately concerned for the mental state of Rory. At the end of the day, these factors ultimately define the film. Tonal whiplash is a near constant throughout the feature.

And while the leads have a great back and forth, the film doesn’t quite stick the landing of what it is trying to accomplish. By all accounts, Rory should be the straight-man to Cobby’s wise-cracking character. But The Instigators doesn’t quite try to commit to this dynamic. In different hands, perhaps it could have been a more heightened comedy about bumbling criminals in over their heads. But the film never quite goes that far. After the plan to steal Mayor Miccelli’s (Perlman) run-off celebration money goes awry, the events the characterizations of this odd couple disappear. Rory and Cobby become the scapegoats for the death of a cop, which means the film gets far heavier than it has any right to be. They try to escape law enforcement who are convinced they are cop killers. There is little time for funny shenanigans after that.

If it weren’t for the general camaraderie and joy between Damon and Affleck, The Instigators would be a tonally confusing dud. Plot threads including their bosses’ stake in the heist go abandoned, as well as Rory’s initial intentions. His main plot arc includes trying to get money to honor his financial obligations to his son which disappears by the climax of the film. After being arrested for their role in the heist, they get released only because of the new Mayor’s hypocritical corruption. This leaves both characters right back where they started, which feels like a waste of a movie.

Both Rory and Cobby have developed as people. Rory goes to see his kid play hockey and realizes he doesn’t need money to be a good father, while it is implied that Cobby seeks therapy from Dr. Rivera. But the film barely meditates on these internal struggles to begin with. The loss of money and a lackluster ending makes the final act of the film unsatisfactory. For all the love of Boston and the talent of its actors, The Instigators deserved commitment to the genre which could have resulted in truly hilarious fare. Given the right material, these two could have done wonders with a straight comedy akin to Ocean’s 11.

Alright folks, let’s get this one over with.

It is, with microscopic-to-the-point-of-effectively-non-existent exception, an unhealthy practice to pass a final judgment on a film before you’ve actually seen it yourself. Indeed, you can scour the social media anecdotes, rage-tubers, Rotten Tomatoes scores, and trailers, but you never truly have a definitive line on a film until you’ve taken it in firsthand.

And yet, in the many months leading up to Borderlands, there was never any question that this film was going to be a complete and utter washout. Everywhere you looked, a piece of strained dialogue or impossibly wooden stylization promised a piece of shoddy IP filmmaking of the lowest pedigree.

That promise was kept, of course, with Borderlands going down as the latest and one of the most severe misfires by Eli Roth, who we know possesses a filmmaking talent that’s as capable as it is irregular; a talent that had its most recent time in the sun courtesy of Thanksgiving.

And it’s precisely because Roth is a proven talent who happens to have a list of woeful stinkers to his name, that the tragedy of Borderlands becomes apparent to those looking a bit deeper. Was this a complete and utter act of artistic dissonance from everyone involved, or was this film genuinely aiming for something more erudite than a popcorn movie? Either way, it falls flat on its face, but the case it makes for being even a shadow of the latter renders it — somehow, someway — not completely toothless.

The film stars Cate Blanchett as Lilith, an intergalactic outlaw who’s called back to her home planet of Pandora — a filthy, take-no-prisoners wasteland — when adventure quite aggressively calls her name against her will. Along the way, she teams up with rogue soldier Roland (Kevin Hart), bloodthirsty teenager Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), Tina’s protector Krieg (Florian Munteanu), irritating robot Claptrap (Jack Black), and eccentric researcher Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis) as they make a beeline for the treasure hidden in Pandora’s vault, all while dodging the clutches of corporate boss Atlas (Edgar Ramírez), who wants the treasure for himself.

Know this above all; if you plan on watching or reading about this film with the intention of approaching it straight on, you will only waste your time. Similarly, it is not possible for a film critic, such as myself, to explain why Borderlands is a complete and utter failure as a straight viewing experience; not without wasting your time.

And I don’t want to waste your time, so here’s all you need to know about Borderlands as a straight viewing experience; it is insultingly inept at every creative hurdle. The plotting, characterization, direction, ideas, and set pieces of this movie — as a straight viewing experience — are all beneath the bottom of the barrel, and the actors cannot and do not do anything to try and salvage it.

With all that established, why do I keep saying “straight viewing experience?”

Well, it’s because Borderlands works best as a commentary on why video game adaptations had — and, on some rapidly diminishing level, continue to have — such a rancid reputation. The first half hour, in fact, actually does a relatively fantastic job of playing with this identity.

When we’re first introduced to Blanchett’s Lilith, she’s a no-nonsense bounty hunter just looking to do her job. She a crack shot who moves about the battlefield intelligently, and she has absolutely no time for sentiment, exposition, or Claptrap’s quirky dialogue; all she wants is to complete her objective. In other words, Lilith is a gamer.

And this right here reflects the core issue that has plagued video game film adaptations for so long. Games are built on mechanics, gameplay systems, and tensions that — reductively speaking — require unique give-and-take interactions to keep that game-specific organism flowing. This organism requires no emotional engagement, and in fact, thrives without it.

Because of this, games do not and cannot tell stories the way that movies and television shows do, because the mindset that comes with absorbing a good film’s theme and plot is much different from that which engages with the gameplay of a good game, and these two mindsets have a tendency to clash.

And Borderlands plays itself exactly as a gameplay-centric gamer might regard one of the Borderlands games. This player (Lilith) knows that they’re not going to extrapolate any truly thoughtful meaning or emotion from this narrative/adventure because video game narratives are rooted in plot beats and genre set dressing that chiefly manifest as problems that the player must solve through tension-based gameplay (which is different than simply interacting with the game with a controller or keyboard). It’s no wonder, then, that Lilith hurries blankly through almost every interaction as she attempts to get to the next challenge; she’s bored, she wants to play, she wants to win.

The cherry on top? The bulk of Lilith’s early intimate moments are with Tina, a member of the Eridian race who we’re told is a crucial part of the vault’s puzzle. Another way of saying that is that the only person Lilith cares about at first, is the MacGuffin. Indeed, Tina pertains to the objective, and it is stupendously easy to read that as the only reason that Lilith (who, again, is our gamer on a quest) is capable of caring about her. Without question, the meta seeds that are planted here are packed with potential.

Unfortunately, that potential is squandered pretty resolutely. It cuts away from Lilith too often to maintain that meta-identity, and by the time we’re introduced to Tannis, Lilith gets too emotionally involved as a character for this particular, idiosyncratic edge to keep its shape. Nevertheless, a metafiction reading remains without a shadow of a doubt the best way to engage with Borderlands, unless your goal is to fall asleep, groan, hate movies for the rest of your life, or some combination of the three.

The best-case scenario for Borderlands would be a version of it that fully leans into these stylings, but also subtextually centers the journey around learning to love both games and films in all their inharmoniousness. Right now, so many of us wish for video games to be regarded as art forms in the same way that film is, and yet so many of us have forgotten how to engage with games in a way that actually honors the medium’s foundations. The strength of a game’s artistic potential lies not in the emotion of a story (which gameplay, if it’s any good, will be at odds with), but in the depth and originality of its play (and the best games understand “play” as far more than just an endorphin farm).

Of course, we’re in 2024 now, meaning we have the likes of The Last of Us, Fallout, and Arcane to prove that video game properties are actually capable of playing host to great stories, but the triumph of these shows has nothing to do with their origins as games; they’re simply great shows. Borderlands, by contrast, had the opportunity to celebrate both games and film by cheekily pointing out how discordant the two mediums are when they each honor their strengths properly, and how deserving each medium is of limitless love and respect.

Instead, Borderlands came to us as the latest candidate for a Razzies sweep, and let’s just say it’s no dark horse.

The third time around, Ryan Reynolds’ trademark character has inspired more fanfare than ever before. And there’s no guessing as to why.

Finally, after Marvel’s domination on the big screen, the Merc With the Mouth has entered the MCU. Deadpool (Reynolds) has had his taste of the limelight since his first solo venture in 2016, but Disney’s merger with Fox has invited him to the big leagues. In Deadpool & Wolverine, Reynolds has done the impossible by convincing Hugh Jackman to return as the ball of fury with claws as they head out to save the universe from destruction. The film has been a return to form for Marvel which has candidly been plateauing since 2019’s Endgame. But this time around, fans have returned to the theater in droves, including one particular sect of viewers with all one thing in common.

A Deadpool screening was overwhelmed with Ryans

In a display that would make Reynolds himself proud, an entire screening was filled out with an audience exclusively named Ryan. Under the TikTok handle, Ryan Meetup, the event was chronicled for all of the internet to witness. Each Ryan in attendance was gifted a Deadpool shirt and they were treated to Ryan-specific advertisements. One Ryan even brought some Aviation gin. Together, they enjoyed one of the best MCU films in recent memory, along with a special guest.

Ryan Meetup acknowledged that they would be remiss if they did not invite a Hugh, since Reynolds invited the famous Jackman to appear alongside him. In this tongue-in-cheek manner, they welcomed a Hugh whose last name was Ryan. All in all, the viewing seemed to be a success. If nothing else, it brought joy to the social media platform for a time.

“Now this is boys will be boys,” commenter Lee posted to a typical response from Ryan Meetup: “Ryans being Ryans.”

Ryan Meetup was so so committed to the bit that they fully endorse changing one’s name to Ryan just so more people can contribute to these events. One bystander in the video allegedly changed her name while they pushed this agenda further in the comments.

“I wanna be called Ryan. not fair,” bob posted. Ryan Meetup was quick to respond: “You can change your name, we have the paperwork.”

This is not the first example of Ryans meeting up, either. Ryan Meetup has done a collection of similar events, which can be found at https://ryanmeetup.com/events. The group has previously put together events including Rytoberfest, St. Ryan’s Day, and Ryami Vice, all with the purpose of meeting more people named Ryan. Per Deadline, Deadpool & Wolverine recently crossed the $900 million mark at the box office, and while there is no confirmation that Ryan Meetup helped, it certainly couldn’t have hurt.

What is the best cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, and why is it Channing Tatum as Gambit? Although, on paper, having Henry Cavill as Wolverine Cavillerine and Chris Evans back as Johnny Storm should rank higher on the fan-service scale, somehow seeing the Magic Mike man dressed up as Remy LeBeau after literal decades of dying to play this character meant the most to hardcore Marvel-loving audiences.

With the Gambit gambit proving to be one of the most talked-about elements of the blockbuster threequel, is there a chance that Tatum’s long-held dream of starring in his very own movie as the card-carrying Cajun could finally come true? Who knows, but you’d better believe that he’s going to do his utmost to make it happen. Just nobody tell him that Kevin Feige might’ve already made up his mind…

Channing Tatum has talked to Kevin Feige about a Gambit movie, but Marvel’s X-Men reboot plans may kill it off (uh, again)

Variety caught up with Tatum on the red carpet of the premiere of his new movie, Blink Twice, at West Hollywood’s DGA, and naturally the topic of Gambit came up. When asked if his Deadpool & Wolverine walk-on part could possibly lead to the manifestation of a solo film as the much-loved mutant, after a decade since it was first pitched over at Fox, Tatum revealed that he’s hopeful for his chances.

“I sure hope so. From your mouth to God’s ears. Write it into existence, my friend. Please,” Tatum stated, before admitting that he’s definitely spoken with Marvel Studios about the idea. “I’ve course I’ve said it. I’ve been saying I want it for the last 10 years. It’s in Bob Iger and Kevin Feige’s hands. I pray to God.”

This is exciting to hear, but it should be noted that Marvel is also in the midst of developing an X-Men reboot, with screenwriter Michael Lesslie already working on the script. The key word there is “reboot,” with this expected to be a full relaunch of the superhero team set on Earth-616, so not a continuation of the Foxverse visited in Deadpool 3. What’s more, rumors indicate that the film could even introduce a new version of Gambit — Remy and Kitty Pryde are two characters currently linked to the reboot’s X-Men roster.

It’s possible that the MCU could be big enough for two Gambits — or three, including the X-Men ’97 version — but Tatum should maybe prepare himself for his D&W cameo to stand as his reward for trying to get a Gambit movie off the ground for years rather than a hint that it’s finally happening. But still, you have his number, Kevin Feige. Remember it.

After the numerous disappointments that Marvel has put us all through since the beginning of the Multiverse Saga, Deadpool & Wolverine proved to be a huge win for superhero faans.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s team-up has forced crowds of people into their jam-packed local theaters, and earned a lot of money in the process. More than some folks anticipated. While there is some fair criticism to be made, at the end of the day this is exactly the kind of superhero film audiences want — which is another way to say that it’s a whole lot of fun, plain and simple. Given this, it’s only natural for fans to want to own a copy of it, so they can rewatch it to their heart’s content. Because no, seeing it once at the theater is not enough.

When will Deadpool & Wolverine be available on DVD?

Fans will be disappointed to know that a DVD release date for Deadpool & Wolverine has not been announced yet. This shouldn’t be too surprising, considering how it usually takes around three months for Marvel films to get DVD releases. Still, we can use this information to calculate how long fans will have to wait before they can hold a physical copy of this movie in their hands.

It’s estimated that Deadpool & Wolverine will be available to purchase on DVD in October 2024. Of course, there will be other ways to watch the film after it leaves theaters, as it will surely join the previous Deadpool installments on streaming platforms. Although, truth be said, nothing beats having a physical copy.

We knew the audience reaction to 2024’s Mean Girls was lackluster, but being dethroned by a TV movie is a fate far worse than Regina George’s open-mouth kiss with a school bus.

The Reneé Rapp-starring Mean Girls musical — a reboot of the iconic 2004 original that many believe didn’t need to happen — was the subject of much criticism upon its release in January, and it appears that negative reception has transcended from the theatres to the streaming world. 

Mean Girls is currently being outperformed on Paramount Plus by Lake Placid: Legacy, a 2018 TV movie boasting a whopping 11% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. For those unfamiliar (which is most of us, if we’re being honest), Lake Placid is a creature feature with questionable CGI that follows a group of explorers as they encounter a deadly predator. It’s kind of like The Meg, if The Meg was able to somehow be trashier than it already is. 

While the resurgence of Lake Placid might seem inexplicable, there could be an unlikely crossover that prompted the renewed attention. Those who were too shocked by the revelation that Mean Girls was, in fact, a musical, might’ve missed one of the film’s key numbers. Titled ‘Apex Predator’, the song is performed by Auliʻi Cravalho’s Janis and Jaquel Spivey’s Damian and sees the duo take aim at Regina George as their high school’s apex predator. 

‘Apex Predator’ — which also features in the Broadway show upon which the movie is based — appears relatively early into Mean Girls, so fans who weren’t enjoying the film might’ve dipped out and searched for an actual predator in the form of Lake Placid, which in that case is a gigantic, CGI mess of a crocodile. The plummeting streaming status of Mean Girls is perhaps to be expected, since the movie was compared to Cats (pause for collective shudder), and was largely thought to have fallen short in trying to make ‘fetch’ happen. 

Granted, we should cut the musical some slack, since it was always going to pale in comparison to the original, which spawned enough catchphrases to constitute a novel, has its very own day of celebration (“it’s October 3rd!”) and is personally quoted by this writer on a daily basis. You’d be surprised how often “is butter a carb?” comes up in everyday conversation. 

In any case, it’s a sad day to be Regina George, who this time was not taken out by a bus driver, but by a 2018 TV movie that most of us probably haven’t even heard of. Get in loser, we’re going even further down the streaming charts!