Movies

Although Saruman played a significant role in the first two *Lord of the Rings* films, he was completely left out of the theatrical release of *The Return of the King*. He’s only mentioned briefly when Gandalf and Treebeard discuss a wizard being held captive, with Gandalf stating Saruman will remain imprisoned under Treebeard’s watch. Viewers are left to believe Saruman stays locked away forever. Actor Sir Christopher Lee, who played Saruman, was very unhappy with this and had a disagreement with director Peter Jackson, but they later resolved it before filming *The Hobbit*. While many fans were disappointed by Saruman’s reduced role, this decision actually aligned with J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision for a film adaptation of his book.

Now that the movie *Weapons* is available to rent and buy, I recently interviewed the director. While we spent most of our time talking about a character named Aunt Gladys and how she almost made it into the film, I started by asking about how the movie might influence Halloween costumes in 2025. The director won’t be able to see the costumes himself – he’s currently filming a new *Resident Evil* movie overseas – but he’s excited for people to dress up. He shared with me,

Season 2 of Murder in a Small Town, which began airing in 2025, brought changes for both Cassandra, now an elected official, and Alberg, a police officer whose department gained new resources. The episode “Mother Love” featured a complex case and marked the final performance of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, alongside a guest appearance by The X-Files star William B. Davis. Rossif Sutherland discussed his experience working with Warner and revealed a personal connection between Davis and his late father, Donald Sutherland.

John lives a typical life with his parents and three siblings. He’s a promising young goalkeeper, good enough to attract attention from a talent scout. However, he’s also developing a strange condition: he uncontrollably blurts out swear words at the worst possible times. This leads to frequent trips to the headmaster’s office for punishment, and his mother, Shirley Henderson, makes him eat his meals by the fireplace instead of at the table because of his habit of spitting.

I have to say, *Interstellar* didn’t fully click with everyone when it first came out. But looking back, over a decade later, it’s really cemented itself as one of Christopher Nolan’s most impressive films. The sheer ambition of it – the science, the scope, everything he was trying to accomplish – is finally getting the recognition it deserves. There’s one scene in particular that really captures how much more appreciated *Interstellar* has become since it premiered back in November 2014.

Check out the Mercy trailer below (watch more trailers):

So: Sequel. (Duh.)

Fans have been waiting for Scorpion to appear in *Spider-Man 4*, and he’s now set to battle Spider-Man. A recent social media post from actor Mando suggested Scorpion’s classic green suit would be featured, promising an exciting fight. Now, we’re getting our first glimpse of Mando in the costume on set.

According to Variety, Bradley Cooper is in negotiations to join Margot Robbie in a new movie that will serve as a prequel to the 2001 film *Ocean’s Eleven*. Lee Isaac Chung, the director of *Twisters*, is also working on the project. The film is set before the events of the original *Ocean’s Eleven*, which starred Brad Pitt and George Clooney, and will be set in Europe during the 1960s—a departure from the Las Vegas setting of the first movie. Chung has taken over directing from Jay Roach, and Carrie Solomon is writing the screenplay.

An Instagram post gave fans a first look at a poster for *A Minecraft Movie 2*, announcing it will be released in theaters on July 23, 2027. Jared Hess is returning to direct the sequel, and he’s also co-writing the script with Chris Galletta. The original *Minecraft* movie surprised everyone by earning nearly $1 billion around the world earlier this year.