There are few movies that are deemed instantaneous classics. Comfort films that sink into your soul from the moment you first watch them in the theater and resonate for decades in your memory bank. For many, that movie is the Y2k 2006 hit: The Devil Wears Prada.
It had all the makings of a classic: a gorgeous, star-studded cast some of whom had yet to reach the apex of their careers, quip-worthy lines that are still quoted to this day, and then there are all those delicious, catty jabs at
Vogue.
The star-studded cast in question?
Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs, the semi-clueless journalism school grad who landed a job at Runway Magazine as an assistant to the widely feared and highly regarded Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep.)
If you somehow live under a rock and haven’t seen the film or read Lauren Weisberger’s wonderful novel, it’s a satire about work-life balance and the lengths we’ll go to for success. And, of course, Meryl Streep’s Priestly is based on
Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour.
With an equally stacked supporting cast in Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci,
The Devil Wears Prada is often quoted and replayed. Sarcastic quips from Streep’s character like “Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.” or “What you don’t know is your sweater is not blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s cerulean.”
And while I could go on and on about how iconic specifically Meryl Streep’s portrayal of Wintour is, that’s not why I’ve gathered you here today. I actually have good news:
The Devil Wears Prada has been renewed for a sequel- and yes, Streep, Hathaway, Tucci, and Blunt are all in talks about returning.
While nothing’s confirmed just yet,
Entertainment Weekly just got word that both Blunt and Streep are in talks to star in a film with a storyline concerned with the death of print media in more recent years.
Although Disney declined to comment,
EW reports that most of the original cast, director, and producers are discussing a reunion. Which is quite possibly the best news, since no one else can play Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs but Streep and Hathaway.
In past years, multiple members of the cast have mulled over the idea of a sequel..but struggled to imagine a world where
The Devil Wears Prada can exist side-by-side rapidly vanishing world of printed fashion magazines.
However, there’s a plethora of possibilities in the fashion journalism community– simply take a few notes from
Vogue!
The first looks at Gladiator II are here — starring Paul Mescal, Lee Pace, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, and more — and we can’t get enough.
Finally, a movie that will unite all genders. It’s like
Barbie and Oppenheimer in one: Gladiator II. One of the most anticipated films of the past few years, Gladiator II is a sequel to the 2000 smash hit Gladiator. The original box-office hit was a cultural phenomenon that still resonates in our film landscape today.
Written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson,
Gladiator starred Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Tomas Arana, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, and more. Who amongst us doesn’t remember Russell Crowe’s epic performance, which arguably formed the basis of the modern action hero?
Ridley Scott returns as director with an entirely fresh cast and the ambitious goal to make an equally iconic film — and I can’t lie, the first look is promising. The film is coming to theaters on November 22, 2024 — I’ve marked the date on my calendar already. The countdown’s already begun, and I feel like I’m watching water boil as I wait for each new morsel of information and each thrilling image. Well, we’ve finally got the first look at
Gladiator II, and it’s only made me hungry for more.
Here are our thoughts on all things Gladiator II and why we can't wait to return to the Colosseum:
The Sequel To End All Sequels
Gladiator II is not just a sequel; it's a cultural phenomenon in the making. The original Gladiator won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for its lead, Russell Crowe. Its sequel promises to deliver an equally impactful cinematic experience by retaining the core of what initially made the film successful: historical accuracy buoyed by exciting action.
Scott may be returning for another round in the Colosseum, but he’s not merely doing a victory lap. The stakes are high, especially considering the mixed reviews of his last effort,
Napoleon. One of the biggest flops of the last year, Napoleon attempted to do a lot of what Gladiator II is aiming to achieve. They’re both action dramas based on historical figures. However, where Napoleon dragged, Gladiator II needs to soar. The upcoming Scott effort has got to be fast, furious, and, let’s face it, hot. Napoleon wasn’t necessarily full of heartthrobs, but Gladiator II is. Thank goodness for us. If anything, this fact alone will get people in seats when it opens in theaters — just look at the crowds that The Iron Claw brought in despite its depressing subject matter.
The long-awaited sequel is, in many ways, a true follow-up to its predecessor. The film picks up decades after the events of the original. As Maximus dies, he thinks of his wife and son, Lucius. Now, this seems like a hint at a sequel, which focuses on Lucius who’s now living in Numidia, an ancient kingdom in Africa. However, Roman soldiers invade his new home and Lucius is forced to become a gladiator.
Ridley Scott's direction is known for its grandeur and meticulous attention to detail, and "Gladiator II" is no exception. The story draws from real-life historical events to explore not only the physical battles but also the political and emotional struggles that define the era. The film promises breathtaking visuals, intense battle sequences, and the epic cinematic experiences that Scott is famous for.
Here’s what we know so far about the ins and outs of Gladiator II.
What We Know About Gladiator II
Each new day brings fresh information. And the new images in the first look are the most revealing tidbits we’ve received yet.
The cast is one of the most intriguing parts of the movie.
Paul Mescal is obviously the most impressive cast member in the lead role, partly because he’s such an unexpected choice — but we’ll get to that. The other cast members are equally exciting. From the returning cast to new additions, every single name on the
Gladiator II bill is super.
Denzel Washington is set to play Macrinus, a former slave turned wealthy powerbroker in Rome. Returning to her central role as Lucilla, Connie Nielsen is back. Djimon Hounsou is also back as Juba. Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger play alongside each other as the twin emperors of Rome, while Pedro Pascal plays Marcus Acacius, a former Roman general who becomes a gladiator as punishment for insubordination.
Pascal, known for his roles in
The Mandalorian and Game of Thrones, has become famed on the internet for being a gentle giant. But in this role, his gentleness is replaced by ferociousness as he takes on the role of a fighter who has learned from the best. “He’s a very, very good general, which can mean a very good killer,” Pascal told Vanity Fair. Yet, he admits he was still afraid to spar with Mescal. “He got so strong. I would rather be thrown from a building than have to fight him again.”
Which brings us back to Paul.
The Paul Mescal of it all: Aftersun, Normal People … Gladiator?
It’s surprising how famous Paul Mescal has become for someone with relatively few credits. But his breakthrough role as Connell in Sally Rooney’s
Normal People alongside Daisy Edgar Jones made him an instant heartthrob and one of the internet’s boyfriends. Following it up with Oscar-bait Aftersun cemented him as one of the greatest actors of our generation. And he can do it all, which he proved in his role in the recent theatre production of A Streetcar Named Desire in London — which he was appearing in when he got the Gladiator role. But just like the other dramatic virtuoso of our time, Timothee Chalamet, he made a choice that no one would expect for his first major blockbuster: an action movie. And unlike my dear Timmy, he has the body for it.
Gladiator isn’t a superhero film. It’s not just muscle, Marvel body, and special effects. On the contrary, part of what makes the original stand out from the souped-up action mega-movies that followed it was its core. At the center of this story isn’t merely history but also an emotionally-driven narrative. Dune is the same, which is why it worked. Also, such a project requires a lead actor who can handle the pathos as well as the physicality. Paul Mescal, who was a Gaelic football player before becoming an actor, is a rare specimen who can do both.
“I’m used to being physical in my body,” he told
Vanity Fair in a tell-all interview about getting the role and the grueling process of training and filming. Mescal also spoke about how balancing the physical and emotional elements of the film contributed to his excitement to take on the challenge of this role. “[It’s about] what human beings will do to survive, but also what human beings will do to win. We see that in the arena, but also in the political struggle that’s going on outside of my character’s storyline, where you see there are other characters striving and pulling for power. Where’s the space for humanity? Where’s the space for love, familial connection? And ultimately, will those things overcome this kind of greed and power? Those things are oftentimes directly in conflict with each other.”
But don’t worry, he’s taking the physical aspects just as seriously. “I just wanted to be big and strong and look like somebody who can cause a bit of damage,” he said. “Muscles start to grow, and that can be deemed aesthetic in certain capacities, but there is something about feeling strong in your body that elicits just a different feeling. You carry yourself differently … It has an impact on you psychologically in a way that is useful for the film.”
Although Mescal insists that the physicality isn’t merely aesthetic, we can’t deny that it’s part of why we’re rushing to see the movie — I told you it was going to unite moviegoers of all genders and sexual orientations. While all straight men love any excuse to ponder the Roman Empire (check), the rest of us aren’t
dismayed by Paul Mescal’s thighs (double check, one for each leg). Infamous for gallivanting around in short shorts, Mescal’s physicality is part of his draw, but never has it been put to such good use. This is our Brad Pitt in Troy. Our Kellan Lutz in that awful Hercules film … and that awful Tarzan remake. Our Brendan Fraser in the less-bad 1997 Tarzan. Except with an actor whose acting is as good as his looks.
The press tour we’re all waiting for
Needless to say, with a cast this good, I can’t wait for the press tour. We’re in an era when the
marketing magic behind the movies we love is more transparent than ever — but also more entertaining. After press tours like Barbie, Dune 2, and Challengers, big-budget movies these days have to come with big-budget press tours.
So this fall, we’re in for a parade of our favorite, great actors. I can’t wait to see them bantering on red-carpets, playing with puppies, and revealing more about life on set. But most of all, I’m hungry for each glimpse of the movie we’re going to get from here on out.
Here's an article from the Wayback Machine . . . causes one to think: can politics get any worse?
Originally published 2/25/2021
Here's the best conspiracy theory you'll hear all day (among the many coming out of the White House): None of this is happening.
Everything since the 2016 presidential election is just B-roll for a parody movie about the American presidency. Our actual president is dancing with Annette Bening at a state dinner. Our president is balancing the federal budget with common sense. Our American president is kicking ass on Air Force One.
Like most people these days, I rely on movies to feel anything close to a real emotion. When it comes to political fervor, most of my passion for democracy comes from watching movies about fictional presidents, preferably with excellent cinematography and unrealistically attractive actors who recite Aaron Sorkin lines in bold pantsuits during dramatic "walk-and-talk" tracking shots. Who hasn't closed their eyes and pretended The West Wing's Martin Sheen was running America with his soft, uncular gaze?
But rather than analyze what that says about my and most Americans' civic values (or the fact that 96.5 percent of us don't give a f**k about democracy, according to a recent Yale study), I'm going to keep searching for the next great American president in my Netflix queue.
These are the best fictional American presidents (and their finest moments).
What is it about disaster movies that used to bring such solace? Was it witnessing unity in the face of adversity? Was it the emotional gravitas of humanity's final reckoning? Was it all the really cool explosions?
More importantly, whatever happened to major studios' steady roll-out of disaster movies every year? Oh, that's right. We're Living in One.
As much as Donald Trump wishes he had the charisma of Bill Pullman, President J. Whitmore's inspiring speech at the end of 1996's Independence Day is too iconic to forget:
"We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests.
"Perhaps it's fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom, not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution—but from annihilation. We're fighting for our right to live, to exist."
Americans coming together in order to survive a global catastrophe? Utterly preposterous (literally: Americans are more politically divided over the current global health crisis than other advanced countries).
But Mimi Leder's 1998 movie gave us his majesty Morgan Freeman as President Tom Beck. Freeman's solemn speeches make this mediocre disaster movie a must-see.
"Millions were lost, countless more left homeless, but the waters receded. Cities fall, but they are rebuilt. And heroes die, but they are remembered," he says.
"We honor them with every brick we lay, with every field we sow, with every child we comfort and then teach to rejoice in what we have been re-given. Our planet, our home. So now, let us begin."
A classic American Everyman doing a better job running the government than the elected official? What madness.
In Ivan Reitman's 1994 Oscar-nominated movie, Kevin Kline is Dave, and Dave is all of us. He also happens to be the doppleganger for the president of the United States.
Among the movie's most memorable scenes is when Dave Kovic, an "affable temp agency owner," owns the sh*t out of the presidential cabinet by balancing the federal budget with common sense and basic math.
In this small movie you've probably never heard of, President James Marshall is played by Harrison Ford, a small screen actor you've also probably never heard of.
Wolfgang Petersen's 1997 action movie finds the POTUS and his family held hostage by communist radicals on Air Force One. While the American government rallies to rescue the president, he decides to just start kicking ass. Later, in an off-the-cuff speech, he decides to stop acting like a polite politician and act like a leader.
"And tonight, I come to you with a pledge to change America's policy. Never again will I allow our political self-interests to deter us from doing what we know to be morally right," he says. "Atrocity and terror are not political weapons. And to those who would use them: Your day is over."
The American President (1995) 1990s romantic comedy movie trailer Michael Douglas Annette Bening
Michael Douglas plays President Andrew Shepherd in Aaron Sorkin's 1995 film. Annette Bening plays Sydney Ellen Wade, a passionate lobbyist for Earth-saving environmental legislation (pre-Greta Thunberg and climate scientists finally b*tch-slapping us in the face")–who becomes the POTUS's girlfriend.
If you haven't watched President Shepherd's affirmation of democracy and human decency in the face of political subterfuge, then you're missing one of the finest speeches in American rhetoric to ever win an Oscar:
"America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight," he declares in his national address.
"It's gonna say, 'You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.'
"…We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you Bob Rumson is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections."
In a year when reality feels so much more surreal and dystopian than fiction, movie presidents encourage us to keep believing in impossible governmental ideals–like fair democracy, equal rights, and not being assholes.
Ever since Juneteenth became a national holiday, corporations have been trying to do to it what they’ve done with Pride: strip it of its roots and turn it into a commercialized holiday to sell more stuff.
There’s a scene in
American Fiction in which Jefferey Wright’s character is appalled at the suggestion that his book is promoted for a Juneteenth holiday release. Yet, the white corporate executives are so pleased with themselves for the idea: how inclusive, they think, how perfectly celebratory.
And while now that Juneteenth marks a national day off, it will be marked with gatherings and celebrations, it should be a day of remembering. Celebrated on June 19th (hence the portmanteau), Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 (almost 160 years ago) when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom. More than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had legally freed them, these were the last enslaved people to be legally free citizens. Therefore, the holiday marks the actual end of slavery in the United States — unless you count prison labor and other forms of legal enslavement (I do).
Many people are still confused as to how the Emancipation Proclamation had failed to be delivered to all enslaved people. But it wasn’t like there were Apple News alerts. News took time to speak. Major General Gordon Granger's announcement of General Order No. 3 in Galveston delivered the long-overdue message that all enslaved individuals were free, symbolizing a critical turning point in American history.
It’s a holiday that doesn’t just celebrate the freedom of formerly enslaved people but also recognizes the system’s failure to deliver on its promises.
Though the holiday was celebrated informally, Juneteenth is also entangled with memories of summer 2020 during the Global Black Lives Matter protests. After George Floyd was murdered by police in May 2020, protests erupted all summer and marked a shift in the conversation about race in America and beyond. This momentum culminated on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
For the first time, we were talking about racism as a structural institution rather than a series of small actions. We were finally addressing the deep-seated roots of racism in our systems and in ourselves. But of course, this all got gentrified fast. People started putting “anti-racist” in their Instagram bios and thought that was enough. And don’t even get me started on the Black squares on Instagram.
It was Biden’s alleged intention for recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday to not only honor the historical significance of the day but also underscore a commitment to acknowledging and addressing the legacy of slavery and the ongoing pursuit of equality and justice in the United States.
However, just four years later, what have all those promises for change accomplished? Many companies promising to do good have since fired their DEI staff. Many copies of bell hooks and anti-racist books bought during the first wave of support are sitting dusty on bookshelves somewhere. And now we have Juneteenth. But is it enough?
But activism can only be diluted if our commitment to it wanes. Every year, I challenge us all to strengthen our commitment to the values we purported to support in 2020. Read those books. Ask yourself if you’re living up to your #antiracist Instagram bio. And consume media by Black people that aims to educate its audiences — not just placate them with mediocre claims of representation.
From documentaries to narrative features, here are some films to inspire your activism and anti-racism this month:
I Am Not Your Negro
James Baldwin is one of the most insightful voices from the Civil Rights era. His writing, as well as his interviews, challenged American society and politics through both fiction and non-fiction. But many often forget that he spent the last years of his life in Paris in fear that the US government would murder him as they had his contemporaries. Directed by Raoul Peck, the film is based on Baldwin's unfinished manuscript, "Remember This House," which was intended to be a personal account of the lives and assassinations of three of his close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. By juxtaposing Baldwin's commentary with images from the Civil Rights era and contemporary times, "I Am Not Your Negro" becomes both a commentary and call to action urging us to acknowledge the truth of the system and also do what we can to change it.
The 13th
We can’t talk about Juneteenth without talking about the 13th Amendment, which prohibited slavery in the United States “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” With the problem of mass incarceration disproportionately affecting Black Americans, it has become a form of legalized slavery. No amount of Juneteenth merchandise will disguise the fact that the freedom we celebrate is conditional. Ava DuVernay’s seminal 2016 documentary takes this loophole as its starting point – tracing the many ways it’s been hideously exploited from the Civil War onwards to maintain a racial hierarchy with commentary from Angela Davis, Senator Cory Booker, Michelle Alexander, and more.
Origin
A narrative can be as educational as a documentary when done correctly. Ava DuVernay’s most recent drama
Origin (2023) chronicles the journey of reporter Isabel Wilkerson's acclaimed book, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents." It follows Wilerson’s investigation to how caste systems shape social hierarchies in the United States to parallels with caste systems in India and Nazi Germany. Through a blend of personal narrative and historical analysis, the film interweaves Wilkerson’s interviews, archival footage, and acting inspired by true events to highlight insidious caste-based discrimination that plagues societies around the world.
Rustin
Celebrate the intersectionality of both Juneteenth and Pride month with
Rustin (2023), a biographical drama that brings to life the story of Bayard Rustin, a key architect of the Civil Rights Movement. He helped organize the March on Washington and was one of MLK’s key advisors for a time. But why haven’t you heard of him? Because he was gay — and he was ousted from MLK’s inner circle due to homophobia. Directed by George C. Wolfe, the film stars Colman Domingo as Rustin, capturing his dynamic and often challenging role as an openly gay Black man fighting for social justice in a time of profound prejudice. It’s a reminder of our interlinked struggles and how all justice depends on each other. It’s also a call to action to be more inclusive and intentional in our activism.
Judas and the Black Messiah
One of the most powerful voices of the Civil Rights movement and chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s, Fred Hampton was assassinated by by members of the Chicago Police Department as part of a COINTELPRO operation. COINTELPRO, Counterintelligence Program, was an FBI program investigating “radicals” — which mostly amounted to Civil Rights Leaders. In this dramatic retelling of Fred Hampton’s story and murder, director Shaka King focuses on the involvement of LaKeith Stanfield as William O'Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the Black Panthers and ultimately betrayed Hampton, played by Daniel Kaluuya. Watch for Kaluuya’s compelling portrayal of Hampton that makes you understand the impact of this rousing leader, and inspires all of us to engage in our communities rather than pick the ebay way out like O’Neal.
Genius: MLK/Malcolm X
The acclaimed Genius series turns its eye upon these two Civil Rights leaders in this biopic series. It underscores their differences and their similarities while exploring what made them so effective. It focuses on their formative years, how they became the leaders they were, and who they were in their personal lives — often imperfect but still determined to create change. By focusing on their humanity, this stops them from being over-mythicized and reminds us that we too can create change if we are committed to it.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
As the first major documentary on the Black Panthers,
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution is directed by Stanley Nelson examines the Party’s rise of in the 1960s and its impact on the Civil rights and American culture. It clears up some myths about the Panthers while emphasizing what they actually stood for. Emphasizing both forgotten heroes and familiar faces.
The Black Power Mixtape
The Black Panther Party is chronically misunderstood. This compilation of tapes come from videos shot for Swedish television between 1967 and 1975, capturing the tail end of the Civil Rights Movement; the shift away from Martin Luther King Jr’s nonviolent policies to a more militant approach; and the brutal oppression faced by the leaders of the Black Power movement. Weaved between commentary from Erykah Badu, Angela Davis, and Stokely Carmichael’s mother, these tapes tell the Black Panthers’s story from their Point of View.
Slave Play. Not a Movie. A Play.
One of the most controversial and talked-about Broadway plays,
Slave Play ignited public interest and ire in equal measure. It was the most Tony-award nominated non-musical play in history in 2019. Though it was too controversial to win any Tonys. It was also Julia Fox and Kanye West’s first date. Do with that what you will. Written by Jeremy O. Harris, it investigates the way that racism and the lineages of slavery are still pervasive in our society — and our intimate relationships. But this is not a film version of the play. It’s a genre-bending exploration of the production of the play, as well as a conversation about its themes.
Black Barbie
Coming to Netflix on Juneteenth, the follow-up to last year’s
Barbie phenomenon: a documentary on the origin of the Black Barbie. “If you’ve gone your whole life and you’ve never seen anything made in your own image,” says producer Shonda Rhimes in the trailer, “there is damage done.” The documentary follows how the Black Barbie came to be. Written and directed by Lagueria Davis, Black Barbie takes audiences through first-person perspectives of three Black women who worked at Mattel during the iconic doll’s incubation: Kitty Black Perkins, Stacey McBride-Irby, and Davis’ Aunt Beulah Mae Mitchell. “I’m excited for people to know their names, a part of their story, and this part of history,” says Davis.
For the girls who get it, just the name Glen Powell should cause a physical reaction. Not just for the Top Gun beach scene — or the Anyone But You shower scene — but because he’s the face of a new era: the great return of the mid-budget rom-com.
We thought the genre was dead and buried. For a while, it was. We had to subsist on the crumbs of endless rewatches and Netflix Wattpad adaptions. And each teen romance franchise was worse than the last. We went from watching the tolerable
To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before adaptation of Jenny Han’s famous series to barely watchable renditions of literal Wattpad books like The Kissing Booth and My Life With the Walter Boys.
To make it worse, the change was so abrupt. Many people point to the summer of 2011 when both
No Strings Attached (starring Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman) and Friends with Benefits (starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake) came out within months of each other. If you’re struggling to remember the difference between them, it’s because there isn’t one. Two identical movies going head-to-head with each other? The rom-com bubble burst — curse you, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis.
Prior to that, there had been a reliable summer romance movie in theaters each year. It was the date night flick. Old faithful. Studios knew their female demographic and their partners would drive the box office. But then, suddenly, it vanished. Marvel summer blockbusters took over until no one was going to the movies at all. Streamers won. And they certainly were not giving in to the romance department.
But it's 2024 and we’re so back.
2023 was the year of the girl, with
Barbie making studios remember that unabashedly femme features can make a chunk of change — globally. Then, the frenzy of Shondaland’s Bridgerton series hit and breathed life into the romance genre. The final piece of the puzzle? The sleeper hit Anyone But You, a romance that became a solid cinematic hit, starring Sydney Sweeney and . . . you guessed it, Glen Powell.
As the male lead in the most profitable Shakespeare adaptation of all time — yes,
Anyone But You was an adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing that knocked10 Things I Hate About You out of the top spot — Powell sure has some heat on him. And he’s using his undeniable charm, leading-man looks, and charisma to good use by bringing back the rom-com.
What’s Glen Powell in?
Glen Powell’s filmography is surprisingly long and filled with hits. Although he’s been gaining a steady amount of attention over the past few years, he’s been putting in the work consistently for about a decade.
Personally, I started seeing him everywhere in 2016. His blonde hair and good looks cast him as a generic frat boy in film after film after film. In 2016, he pretty much played this role in
Everybody Wants Some!! This underrated Richard Linklater college feature where he starred alongside future co-star Zoey Deutch, but not as her love interest. But his turn as a 1980s crafty baseball player pales in comparison to the hyper-inflated, campy frat boy, Chad, that he played alongside Nick Jonas in the misunderstood Scream Queens. Fans of the cult classic will remember.
His real 2016 breakout was in
Hidden Figures. More importantly for his career, the Hidden Figures premiere was also where he was photographed grinning so gleefully it became a meme. And when you’re a meme, you know you’ve made it.
2018 was also a terrific year for Powell. Fans of the romance genre and the period drama might have caught the quiet Netflix film,
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. But many more will remember his true Netflix breakout — Set It Up.
Without a doubt,
Set It Up was one of the greatest rom-coms attempting to revive the dying genre in the late 2010s. Here, he met Zoey Deutch again and they starred as overworked assistants for Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs. In an attempt to get more free time to pursue their own dating lives, they engineer a Cyrano plot. They manipulate their boss's calendars, get them to date, and reap the benefits. It’s the perfect combination of wacky schemes, chemistry, and real heart. And it’s what solidified Powell as a romantic interest. But could he carry a big-budget movie?
2023 was his year to confirm that he could. After finally proving himself as a mainstream heartthrob in
Top Gun: Maverick, he starred as the leading man in two films in 2023: Anyone But You and Hit Man. Due to delays, Hit Man is finally coming out this summer. But, in the meantime, Anyone But You has become Gen Z canon.
In the Sydney Sweeney enemies-to-lovers hit, Powell carries the film’s acting with his blend of physical comedy and emotional vulnerability. I hate feeling sorry for blond men — but somehow he makes me root for him.
That’s why he made Hollywood Reporter’s list of rising stars. The Young Hollywood A-List Top 10 as this generation’s “The Megawatt Smile.” It’s a nod to his charm, but also his earnestness and likability. He can do it all. And the fact that he chooses to keep doing rom-coms is a testament to the fact that he plays on his strengths.
What makes Glen Powell truly great?
Like the male heroes of the rom-com genre before him, Glen Powell isn’t ashamed of being a romantic lead.
Kate Hudson — star of the iconic
How To Lose a Guy In 10 Days — said on The View in early 2024, “it's hard to get male movie stars to make rom-coms … that's a big part of the equation … is to have that event. If we can get more Marvel guys like … hey, come to do a rom-com!
The good actors think they’re too good for ‘silly’ roles like complex male characters. Meanwhile, they’re waiting for the phone to ring from Marvel so they can run around in tights for two hours … make it make sense.”
Even actors who started on romantic television shows refuse to even acknowledge their start. Jacob Elordi wants to be known for
Euphoria and Priscilla but talks down his breakout role in The Kissing Booth. Rege-Jean Page couldn’t wait to get out of Bridgerton — but where is he now while Kingsley Ben-Adir has the career Page thought he would have? On the other hand, Charles Melton says nothing but good things about the hellscape that was Riverdale and is closer to an Oscar than either of the other two.
Back in the day, incredible actors like Chris Pine, Matthew McConaughey, and Heath Ledger played romantic leads with no shame. I mean, DiCaprio is famous for
Romeo + Juliet, Gatsby, and Titanic. If he can do those roles and still be taken seriously, so can anyone else. These giants elevated the genre, paving the path for the few daring souls who venture to do romantic films these days. Like Glen Powell.
Glen Powell was
made to be a romantic comedy heartthrob not just because of his looks, but because he takes the genre seriously. His roles are funny, but imbued with a non-pretentious depth — a hard balance to strike.
He’s also a good sport about the type of press required to promote a romantic film. The Cilian Murphy method of press tour promotion is to visibly hate being there — which works when you’re playing Oppenheimer. But when you want your audiences to fall in love with you, not so much.
“So often actors look at marketing or publicity as, like, ‘Oh God, now I have to go market the movie? I just wanted to make it,'” Powell said to
Hollywood Reporter. “And then you look at a Margot Robbie or Ryan Reynolds, these actors who embrace marketing in unexpected ways, and what ends up happening is the audience has a blast while they’re publicizing a movie and then they’re desperate to see it.”
This is precisely the quality that convinces me that he has what it takes to “make it in this town” —
as it were. And the greats agree. JJ Abrams told Hollywood Reporter: “I think Glen has just begun to scratch the surface of what he is capable of onscreen. Simply put, he’s a terrific actor — but it’s his humility, humanity and sense of humor and willingness to show vulnerability and laugh at himself that makes me certain he is going to do some pretty incredible work in the years ahead.”
What Is Hit Man about?
Powell’s latest turn in
Hit Man shows his versatility and the potency of the genre. First of all, he co-wrote and co-produced it with Richard Linklater. So, he’s not only a pretty face, he’s just as dynamic and surprising behind the camera.
Hit Man has all the elements of what makes Glen Powell great: It’s fast, it’s never what you expect, and it has a surprising well of heart and depth.
Based on a true story, the movie follows a professor who puts his surprising acting skills to use by pretending to be a hitman to stop murders before they happen. The real Gary Johnson moonlighted as a fake hit-man for the Houston PD. Johnson told his
unbelievable story about his work in a 2001 piece in Texas Monthly. And while his work is the foundation of this story, a small anecdote he tells at the end is where Linklater and Powell set their sights.
In Johnson’s story, he describes an instance where a woman came to him looking for a hit man to kill her abusive husband. Rather than turning her in, Johnson helped her find resources at a women’s shelter so she could leave the man.
But of course, this wouldn’t be an action-packed romance without taking some liberties. In the film version, Johnson falls in love with this woman and what ensues is a thrilling saga of identity with a whole lotta heart.
Hit Man is just the start of Powell’s writing and production career. He also has Twisters alongside Daisy Edgar Jones in the pipeline and an A24 film Huntington in production. You’ll be seeing that meme-worthy face everywhere — and you’re going to love it.
Watch the Hit Man Trailer now.
Hit Man is available to stream on Netflix starting June 7.
Hollywood makes me feel delusional and deranged on the daily. From the insane beauty standards it perpetuates to the startlingly low amount of representation, it’s a problematic industry. But perhaps its most toxic trait is propping up men who should not be idolized.
We saw it with Harvey Weinstein — who enjoyed a prosperous career and untouchable hero status until the #MeToo movement exposed his reprehensible behavior. On a smaller scale — but still a symptom of the same toxic culture in the industry and society at large — we’re seeing it now with Brad Pitt.
How many times have you watched an award show and heard attendees gush about being in the same room as Pitt? Or thanked him in their acceptance speeches? That's because Pitt made himself indispensable to people’s careers and to the industry in general. You might think of him as a 90s - 2000s heartthrob, but he spends more time producing than acting these days. And, most likely, he’s responsible for many of your favorite films.
Plan B, the production company he co-founded with Jennifer Aniston and then assumed control when they split, is known for taking huge swings at movies that have been neglected by other studios. One of their biggest successes was 12 Years A Slave, which went on to win Academy Awards and cement Plan B as a major player in the industry.
So, no wonder nobody wants to say the quiet part out loud: Brad Pitt is an abuser, a bad father, and a prime example that Hollywood will protect its money-making interests at all costs.
What Did Brad Pitt Do
From the outside, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie looked like the perfect Hollywood power couple. Even if you were Team Jennifer Aniston, you had to admit: they were the dream. In 2005, they even did a notorious magazine spread for W Magazine: “Domestic Bliss: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at Home.”
However, when Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, she alleged that she had suffered physical and verbal abuse at the hands of Pitt in front of their children.
The abuse allegations are one factor that’s dragging out their divorce proceedings, as they struggle to gain control of their custody agreement. However, as most of their children are no longer minors, their continued relationship with Jolie and their fractured — in some case estranged — relationship with Pitt tells us all we need to know.
An old screenshot from Pax Jolie-Pitt’s Instagram account recently went viral due to his open vitriol for his father. The screenshot, posted on a Father’s Day to his Instagram story, read:
““Happy Father’s Day to this world-class a**hole!! You time and time again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person. You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence. You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you are incapable of doing so. You have made the lives of those closest to me a constant hell. You may tell yourself and the world whatever you want, but the truth will come to light someday. So, Happy Father’s Day, you f***ing awful human being!!!”
Despite all this, Brad Pitt’s career seems unconquerable. He won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a (abusive, racist) stuntman in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time … In Hollywood. People whine about canceled culture but Brad Pitt is proof that it doesn't exist. What happened to believing women? It’s like the industry is saying that people will be held accountable for their actions … unless they’re hot. And although some sputter about separating the artist from their art, the amount of praise and adoration Brad Pitt far outpaces his art.
And now he’s trying to capitalize on the success of his most popular role — Rusty in the Oceans movies — by pairing with George Clooney once again for a new film, Wolfs.
What Is Brad Pitt and George Clooney’s New Movie Wolfs About?
Think, George Clooney in The Ides of March, but a thriller. Directed by Jon Watts, Wolfs stars Brad Pitt and George Clooney alongside Amy Ryan and Austin Abrams. The duo plays two lone wolf fixers who are assigned to the same job. It’s slated for a September 20th release with the first teaser dropping on May 28th.
It’s brooding. It’s gritty. It seems like it will draw entirely on the pair’s history and chemistry. The teaser trailer is just the two of them sitting in silence in a car, sharing in comical discomfort. But I’m not laughing.
While all the reports are celebrating their reunion after 16 years in 2008's — Burn After Reading — none are questioning Brad Pitt’s recent penchant for buddy-thrillers. He’s trying to keep us on his side. And with Hollywood firmly in his corner, they’re more than happy to make mountains of money while sweeping his behavior under the rug.
Anyone could’ve played this role. Instead, the industry would rather protect one of their own and try to distract from the news-cycle by feeding us this nostalgic pairing.
Watch the full trailer here (and throw tomatoes at your screen, like me):
In some ways, I understand. It’s hard to believe your heroes are capable of doing such awful things — especially when they continue to support underrepresented groups and produce admirable work. But this support is akin to blood money. This is all to say: Boycott Brad Pitt.