The pressure was on for Genesis Rodriguez in Lioness Season 2. Not only is the show, in general, a heavy lift, tackling complex subject matter loaded with hugely demanding story beats, but she also had to follow in the footsteps of Laysla De Oliveira, the titular Lioness of Season 1. Special Ops: Lioness stars Zoe Saldaña as Joe, the head of a clandestine CIA operation — the Lioness program. Joe recruits female operatives called Lionesses to essentially put everything on the line to fight the...

Phillipa Soo first saw her star soar courtesy of one of the greatest successes in Broadway history, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton. Ever since scoring a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical for playing Eliza, Soo’s been scooping up new opportunities on stage and screen, prioritizing being grateful and present for every single one of them, including her latest, Ryan Murphy's new show, Doctor Odyssey. In the ABC medical drama, Soo headlines alongside Joshua Jackson, Sean Teale and Don...

What Sophie Thatcher’s managed to accomplish in recent years, in general, is downright phenomenal. But, as someone who proudly dubs horror her #1, I can’t help but be especially excited about how Thatcher’s solidified herself as a dominant force in the genre. Soon after Yellowjackets proved Thatcher was an all-around powerhouse when it debuted in late 2021, she scored the lead role in Rob Savage’s big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s The Boogeyman, became a part of Ti West’s X trilogy...

Rosemarie DeWitt may not love watching horror movies, but she’s certainly an absolute ace when acting in them. Soon after Smile became a genre sensation in 2022, Paramount green lit a sequel. While it was abundantly clear that first-time feature filmmaker Parker Finn was a next-level creative with an exceptional eye for top-tier talent and eerie imagery, the truth of the matter is, we don’t often see sequels do the “bigger and better” thing well and with purpose. That’s not the case with...

Horror films are rarely embraced on the awards circuit, but there’s no denying that Naomi Scott gives one of the very best performances of 2024 in Smile 2. After depicting an intimate and grounded nightmare in 2022’s Smile via Sosie Bacon’s Rose, a therapist, writer-director Parker Finn is putting the Smile curse on a bigger stage in the sequel. Scott headlines the new film as Skye Riley, a hugely successful pop star whose career took a downturn due to substance abuse struggles and a...

“I really wanted to be the number one on the call sheet in every movie I’ve ever done. It just never went that way.” Perhaps it never went quite that way for Matthew Lillard, but his career in film, television and beyond has taken a unique turn over the years, and it’s an important one. Lillard isn’t headlining films — although I do have high hopes that will change — but he is getting supporting roles in some especially wonderful gems. Five Nights at Freddy’s, of course, was a hit for...

It’s What’s Inside quickly became one of my favorite films of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and I was beyond thrilled to get the opportunity to chat with director Greg Jardin and his ensemble while in Park City. But, one person was missing from the conversation and, if you’ve seen It’s What’s Inside, you well know that the film’s concept hinges on every single member of the cast being able to deliver top-tier work as a unit. Thankfully, Netflix scooped up the film at the festival for a...

During her third appearance on Collider Ladies Night, Kate Siegel laughed and said, “It's so cliché for an actor to be like, ‘Oh, what I really want to do is direct,’ but I think what I really want to do is direct.” With each and every interview I’ve done with Siegel, for Ladies Night and beyond, it’s become more and more clear that not only does she have a firm handle on her craft as an actor, but she also has a deep understanding of and enthusiasm for the entire filmmaking process. Now that...

Roughly 10 years ago, when I was in my early days of covering film festivals, I was thrilled to get the opportunity to sit down with the team responsible for a movie that spotlighted a group of women who were, and still are, utter forces in film and television. That team? The filmmakers behind Raze, led by prolific stunt performer and coordinator, Zoë Bell. Well aware of her work in Kill Bill, Death Proof, Inglorious Basterds, Whip It, and then some, I was quite eager to see what Bell could...

I’ve been a very big fan of Mackenzie Davis’ for some time. I quite enjoyed our very first interview for What If back in 2013 and, like many out there, absolutely adored the AMC series, Halt and Catch Fire. While my enthusiasm for Davis’ work continues, the more we talk, the more why I’m drawn to her work in general comes into focus. During this latest conversation, Davis noted, “I do really give a shit, and I'm not a good liar.” That right there sums up her vibe in all interviews. Her...

Mark my words; one of the greatest discoveries of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, or perhaps the year in its entirety, is bound to be Maisy Stella. Stella isn’t new to the industry. She was on the hit series Nashville for six seasons, but My Old Ass proves her talent in a new way. Not only does the movie mark her very first feature film, but she’s also the lead of it, cementing the fact that she’s a wildly talented actor, and also a certified headliner. Stella plays Elliott in the film, a...

While Natalie Dormer’s filmography does rock quite a few standout projects and roles, when she first started her journey in screen acting, she quickly recognized the fact that there weren’t enough “three-dimensional, fleshed-out female protagonists." She explained, “You would be sent the script for ‘the girlfriend,’ ‘the wife,’ or ‘the antagonist,’ and the majority was so two-dimensional.” However, that’s changed considerably over the years. “Now when you're scrolling on whatever platform...

I walked away from Fantastic Fest 2023 calling Strange Darling my favorite film of the festival. Had it received a 2023 release date, it would have been one of my top films of the year. Now it’s August 2024 and nothing has changed. I’d be utterly shocked if Strange Darling didn’t land in my Top 10 of 2024, and I’d also be shocked if I didn’t close out the year calling Willa Fitzgerald’s work in the film one of my favorite performances of, not just 2024, but of recent years. Fitzgerald and...

The entertainment industry has a habit of boxing artists in. Have your Hollywood breakout via a horror movie? I’m willing to bet you’ll see an influx of genre scripts. Make a name for yourself with a particular type of music? The business will come to expect more of the same. But what about a social media superstar eager to pursue more paths and art forms out in Los Angeles? Given the fact that the number of high-profile social media personalities is skyrocketing, we’re bound to see more and...

Michelle Monaghan is an all-time favorite. Not only was she one of the very first guests on Collider Ladies Night back in 2019, but she’s also an especially wonderful interview. She speaks of her work with great passion, and also deeply cherishes memories of her most influential scenes partners — and she has many of them. Yes, Vince Vaughn is on that list, but there’s another member of the Bad Monkey ensemble who made an indelible impression on her as well. Based on Carl Hiaasen’s bestselling...

There’s no doubt that every single main character in Hazbin Hotel is a fan favorite. They’re all voiced by hugely talented individuals, rock wildly creative designs and personalities, and also well reflect a variety of shockingly relatable ideas and experiences. But, there’s no denying that there might be a little extra love out there for Amir Talai’s Alastor. It’s simply too much fun watching, and often rooting for, such a dangerous character, especially when that character is powered by...

We did it. We hosted our very first Collider Ladies Night live panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, and it went swimmingly in large part thanks to panelists Melissa Barrera, Erika Henningsen, and Katy O’Brian. Not only did the trio come to play when it came to using our comically large die for Dicey Questions, but they also didn’t hold back when dishing out real talk about the reality of being a working actor in film, television and theater. All three have seen their stars soar especially high...

The Boys star Karen Fukuhara is a wonderful interview for a number of reasons. She’s a lovely person with a deep passion for her craft who’s got some stellar work to discuss. But, there’s another reason she’s such a treat to chat with. She’s got maximum respect for the press process because she once was a journalist herself — an entertainment journalist, in fact! While she’s clearly veered aware from that sector of the industry, her work in that realm has made a lasting impression so now, not...

I hope you’re ready for a one-two punch of horror icons on Collider Ladies Night. Last week we put the spotlight on Mia Goth for the release of MaXXXine, and now we’ve got Longlegs headliner Maika Monroe who is, hands down, one of the most exciting voices in the horror space right now — and has been for a decade. It Follows completely changed the game for Monroe in 2014. The David Robert Mitchell-written and directed film featured a brilliant concept that was expertly executed, putting the...

A lot has changed for Mia Goth since the release of X in March 2022. She’s seen her star skyrocket. After a steady stream of impressive supporting credits in films like The Survivalist, A Cure for Wellness, Suspiria, and more, X finally got Goth her very first lead role in a feature film. Now, thanks to the X franchise, she’s headlined three — X, Pearl and MaXXXine — and the industry’s taken notice. Not only does she have two highly anticipated new projects on the way in Guillermo del Toro’s...

MaXXXine may be the third film in a downright wild and blood-soaked horror series, but given the fact that the trilogy heavily pays homage to the evolution of cinema, there’s an abundance of very real connections one can make between the state of the industry depicted in these films and where things truly are at present. In fact, there’s one especially prominent one for Primetime Emmy nominee Elizabeth Debicki. In MaXXXine, she plays the only film director willing to take a chance on Mia...

Getting a breakout role in film and television is the dream for many aspiring actors, but just as important are the projects one chooses to take after that breakout gig. Given the business’ habit of boxing artists into the first thing the world sees them do well, it can be a great challenge to amass a diverse body of work. How does one steer clear of those limitations and carve a path forward with volume and diversity? Perhaps by taking a cue from Kaya Scodelario. Scodelario’s star began to...

Melissa Benoist stepped into the Hollywood spotlight in a big way via Glee. Then she cemented herself as a bonafide star and headliner with Supergirl. Now she continues to broaden her range and her industry skill set by starring in and producing the hugely entertaining political drama, The Girls on the Bus. Created by Amy Chozick and Julie Plec, The Girls on the Bus is inspired by Chozick's memoir, Chasing Hillary. It follows four female journalists played by Benoist, Carla Gugino, Christina...

Eve Best is an acting ace. She’s got loads of impressive screen credits to her name and is a theater legend with two Tony Award nominations, a Drama Desk Award win and a Laurence Olivier Award win as well. Now she’s an absolute force on HBO’s House of the Dragon. It probably goes without saying, she’s always been a dream guest for Collider Ladies Night, but a recent Ladies Night guest skyrocketed Best to being a top priority. While chatting with Jessica Gunning for Baby Reindeer, a...