MOVIE ★

Denzel Washington stars in Gladiator II as a glamorous armaments trader and former gladiator plotting to take control of Rome. The character, Macrinus, is based on a historical individual. But filmmaker Ridley Scott believes Macrinus resembles a specific modern-day politician. Denzel Washington plays Macrinus in ' Gladiator II ,' from Paramount Pictures. Paramount Pictures When detailing the character's (spoiler-free) past, Scott told The Hollywood Reporter, "[Macrinus] was a prisoner of war — probably in a North African state — and was taken to Rome, most likely as a gladiator. Survived. I got free. I got into the business of perhaps creating wine and bread. He became a wealthy trader who sold goods to the Roman troops, including food, oil, wine, fabric, and weaponry. He may have had a million men distributed over Europe. So he was a millionaire at the time; why wouldn't he [aspire to the throne]? 'Why not me?' He is also a mobster, extremely...

Season two of Disney's Percy Jackson and the Olympians will feature Andra Day as Athena, the network said on Sunday. In Rick Riordan's immensely successful juvenile novel series, Day's Athena (the Greek goddess of wisdom) is the mother of Annabeth Chase (played by Leah Sava Jeffries). Andra Day. Taylor Hill/FilmMagic "I can't wait to bring her to life and work alongside such talented actors," Day said in a video statement following Disney's announcement. "Stay tuned for this epic journey y'all." Day's casting is the latest in a series of announcements from Disney about Percy Jackson's impending second season. Jeffries will return as Annabeth, with Walker Scobell (the titular Percy), Aryan Simhadri (Grover), Charlie Bushnell (Luke), and Dior Goodjohn (Clarisse). Daniel Diemer, a new cast member, will play Tyson the Cyclops in Season 2. Tamara Smart will portray Thalia Grace, Zeus' demigod daughter. Sandra Bernhard, Kris...

The animated series "Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft" has been renewed for Season 2 on Netflix. The announcement comes around two weeks after the series' launch on October 10. The first season contained eight episodes. Hayley Atwell delivers Lara Croft's voice. Critics generally praised the show when it premiered, with Season 1 receiving a 73% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. ' Tomb Raider : The Legend of Lara Croft. ' Netflix The official logline for Season 2 reads: "When explorer Lara Croft (Atwell) uncovers a trail of stolen African Orisha masks, she teams up with her closest friend Sam (Karen Fukuhara) to recover the valuable treasures. Lara's thrilling new adventure takes her around the world as she delves deeper into the hidden secrets of Orisha history, avoids the machinations of a dangerous and enigmatic billionaire who wants the masks for herself, and discovers that these relics contain dark secrets and a power t...

Amazon MGM Studios has ordered a series of the untitled Reacher spin-off, starring Danish actress Maria Sten as private investigator Frances Neagley. Prior to his role in Reacher, Sten appeared in Channel Zero: The Dream Door, Swamp Thing, and Big Sky. Maria Sten. Valerie Burke "As Reacher continues to have a profound impact on our global customers, expanding on the storytelling and characters with a spinoff was an easy decision," Amazon MGM executive Vernon Sanders said in a statement. "With Nick and Nicholas as well as our partners Skydance and CBS Studios, we're confident this new chapter, starring the amazing Maria Sten, will not only honor the Reacher legacy but also bring fresh energy and excitement to new and longtime fans alike." Amazon MGM Studios Nick Santora and Nicholas Wootton created and executive produced the untitled Reacher spinoff, which is based on Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel series. Frances Neagley was initially...

Sony Pictures has released the final trailer for "Venom: The Last Dance." Tom Hardy reprises his role as Eddie Brock, or Venom from the "Spider-Man" comics, in the concluding installment of the trilogy. According to the official logline, "Eddie and Venom are on the run." Hunted by both worlds and with the net closing in, the two are forced to make a heartbreaking decision that will mark the end of Venom and Eddie's final dance. Sony Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, and Stephen Graham star alongside Hardy. Kelly Marcel, the writer and producer of the original two "Venom" films, directed "The Last Dance" from a screenplay she authored. The story for "Venom 3" was developed and produced by Marcel and Hardy in collaboration with Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal, and Hutch Parker. Joe Caracciolo Jr. is the executive producer. Hardy's previous two comic book tentpoles, 2018...

Todd Phillips' revisionist DC comic book film Joker sparked a blaze of controversy, reached the billion-dollar mark at the global box office, and earned lead Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar for Best Actor. Arthur Fleck, an aspiring stand-up turned psychotic killer, was an everyman antihero for our time: a stumbling loner who murders a celebrity talk show host live on television, spawning an army of demented admirers and causing enormous riots. The film was accused of glorifying violence and perhaps harming the public; Phoenix famously stormed out of a British media interview when asked if the Joker may inspire mass killings. Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga in ' Joker: Folie A Deux. ' Warner Bros. However, their frenzied forecasts did not come true. Today, Joker is best recognized as one of the most subversive and creative pictures of the last decade, and its highly anticipated sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux, which premieres in competition at the Venice Film Festival, is j...