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From starring in Lars von Trier’s Antichrist to Pixar’s Finding Nemo, Willem Dafoe has done it all, but it’s his involvement in the latter that had his costars in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu startled. Throughout his decades-long run in Hollywood, Dafoe has proven to be one of the very best when it comes to versatility.

Dafoe’s career started back in the 1980s when he appeared on screen playing supporting roles. Little did the world know that they were about to get one of the greatest actors who is capable of flaunting his range in everything from superhero movies to animated flicks.

Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse | Credit: A24

And nothing speaks versatility more than an actor’s ability to do a gritty retelling of Jesus’ tale in Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ and then a kid-centric animated feature.

Willem Dafoe’s costars didn’t...

We’re not blowing smoke: Two movies about the Catholic Church have had surging viewership online following the death of Pope Francis April 21 due to complications from a stroke.

The very premise of “Conclave” is now happening once more for the Church. After Francis’s death, the selection process for the next pope is about to begin; the pontiff nominations were fictionalized in Edward Berger’s Oscar-nominated 2024 film starring Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci.

In turn, viewership of “Conclave” increased by 283 percent on Monday, according to Luminate from Variety. “Conclave” is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video and can be purchased on various PVOD platforms. “Conclave” had 1.8 million minutes viewed on April 20, and as of April 22, it went to 6.9 million minutes viewed. The runtime for the feature is 120 minutes.

And “Conclave” was not the only Pope-centric viewing being binged: Netflix’s 2019 drama “The Two Popes” had a 417 percent viewership...

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese says he was lucky to have known the late Pope Francis, and over the years, he visited the Vatican several times, where he got to know the Pope. Pope Francis died April 21 at the age of 88. His papacy began in 2013.

“There is so much that can be said about the significance of Pope Francis and everything he meant to the world, to the church, to the papacy. I will leave that to others, Scorsese began in a statement to Variety. “He was, in every way, a remarkable human being. He acknowledged his own failings. He radiated wisdom. He radiated goodness. He had an ironclad commitment to the good,” he said.

The Loss “Runs Deep” for the Director

The Oscar-winning director of The Departedcontinued, “He knew in his soul that ignorance was a terrible plague on humanity. So he never stopped learning. And he never stopped enlightening. And,...

Martin Scorsese is remembering the late Pope Francis. The Catholic Church leader died on Easter at age 88. Scorsese, whose features iconically capture the influence of Roman Catholicism on both Italian-Americans and the scripture as a whole, shared a statement with IndieWire as a tribute to the Pope.

“There is so much that can be said about the significance of Pope Francis and everything he meant to the world, to the church, to the papacy. I will leave that to others,” Scorsese said. “He was, in every way, a remarkable human being. He acknowledged his own failings. He radiated wisdom. He radiated goodness. He had an ironclad commitment to the good. He knew in his soul that ignorance was a terrible plague on humanity. So he never stopped learning. And he never stopped enlightening. And, he embraced, preached and practiced forgiveness. Universal and constant forgiveness.”

“The Last Temptation of Christ” auteur continued,...

Martin Scorsese has honored the late Pope Francis with a touching tribute following the news of his death at 88 years old. The legendary director is a regular at the Vatican and had met with the pope several times over the course of his career, building a rapport over their mutual appreciation for art.

“There is so much that can be said about the significance of Pope Francis and everything he meant to the world, to the church, to the papacy. I will leave that to others,” Scorsese said in a statement to Variety. “He was, in every way, a remarkable human being. He acknowledged his own failings. He radiated wisdom. He radiated goodness. He had an ironclad commitment to the good. He knew in his soul that ignorance was a terrible plague on humanity. So he never stopped learning. And he never stopped enlightening. And, he embraced, preached and practiced forgiveness.

The whole world is shocked by the tragic passing of the beloved Pope Francis. A known Catholic Church reformer, the pontiff previously spent five weeks in hospital due to pneumonia but later moved back home to the Vatican. He died at the age of 88 on Easter Monday.

While we remember the legacy and teachings of the renowned pope, we also recall his unforgettable meeting with veteran director Martin Scorsese for the viewing of his 2016 epic historical drama movie, Silence.

That time, Martin Scorsese’s Silence premiered at the Vatican

Regarded as his most personal passion project, Martin Scorsese had been working on the movie since 1990, just two years after he made the controversial religious epic The Last Temptation of Christ. When asked why it took him 26 years to finish it, he revealed that as he got older, ideas came and went, but he never let go of his desire to tell the story.

Easter isn’t just about chocolate eggs and springtime flowers. It’s a time of renewal, hope, and quiet reflection. Whether you’re spending it with family or enjoying a peaceful moment alone, the right film can help set the mood. These movies capture the essence of Easter in different ways—through faith, innocence, kindness, or the simple joy of being alive. Some are spiritual, some heartwarming, and a few just feel like a fresh start. Here’s a small list of movies that reflect what Easter is about.

It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown

This animated classic is a gentle and funny reminder of childhood Easter traditions. As the Peanuts gang prepares for the holiday, Snoopy’s antics as the Easter Beagle bring laughter and warmth. While it’s lighthearted, the themes of belief and tradition make it meaningful. The idea that joy can arrive when you least...

How do you rate a piece of art that can as inadequately be defined as cinema as the paintings on the roof of the Sistine Chapel as ceiling decoration? How do we go about slotting and defining a film as passionate and intense as The Passion Of The Christ? Is it a Biblical fable like Cecil de Mille’s epic The Ten Commandments or funky like Norman Jewison’ Jesus Christ Superstar, or raw-and-riveting like Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation Of Christ. In pursuit of the last twelve hours in the life of Jesus Christ as he is whipped, flogged, lacerated and dragged with the cross before being nailed , the writer-director Mel Gibson takes us into the soul of the sublimest suffering of civilization as inflicted on its sporadic saints and saviours.

The inbuilt temptation of depicting gruesome and graphic violence is to have the camera stand witness in gloriously voyeuristic wonderment.

Over the years, there have been multiple projects about Jesus Christ. Whether it's Mel Gibson's critically acclaimed 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, the limited series Jesus of Nazareth, or 1988's The Last Temptation of Christ, there have been plenty of projects to follow the religious figure.

Ahead of Easter, a new film following the life of Jesus Christ premiered in theaters: The Kings of Kings. However, the movie is an animated film aimed at children, with Oscar Isaac voicing the main character. Following its debut in theaters, the movie had a positive Rotten Tomatoes score from the critics, but it's now close to losing its "fresh" status, while the audience couldn't disagree more.

The King of Kings debuted with a positive score of 76% from the critics on the review-aggregator website. The score was encouraging enough, but, as more reviews came in, the animated film's rating started to worsen.

A neo-noir about a man who goes to extreme, risky lengths to maintain his rich, wealthy Upstate New York facade, “Your Friends and Neighbors” is a new, contemporary crime drama from Apple TV+. While it is prominently led by a well-known star, the series boasts an impressive ensemble of actors whom viewers will likely recognize from other, past shows and films.

Here is everything you need to know about the crime drama’s characters, as well as who play them and what you might have seen them in before.

Jon Hamm in “Your Friends & Neighbors.” (Apple TV+) Jon Hamm as Andrew Cooper

Jon Hamm leads “Your Friends and Neighbors” as Andrew “Coop” Cooper, a recently divorced hedge fund manager who — after losing his job — starts robbing his affluent neighbors’ homes. A living TV icon, Hamm is best known for his seven-season turn as Don Draper in “Mad Men,” as...

With Easter just around the corner, we could all use a reminder to avoid the worldly temptations of jelly beans and plastic eggs and focus on the holiday’s true meaning: sticking it to King Arthur.

Allow me to clarify, as you’d be forgiven for thinking that a faith-based film coming out at the holiest time of year called “The King of Kings” was exclusively about Jesus Christ, and not the parenting struggles faced by Charles Dickens. But life is full of surprises, and Seong-ho Jang’s Angel Studios effort begins with Ebenezer Scrooge confronting the scary revelations shown to him by the Ghost of Christmas Future in a snowy graveyard. Then we learn that it wasn’t actually Scrooge, but the man who created him.

It’s the mid-1800s and Charles Dickens (Kenneth Branagh) is struggling to work his way through a staged reading of his new...

Martin Scorsese has never been one to fit neatly into Hollywood. The Academy never felt like home, and the frustrations of the studio system were not much help, either. Marty is, more so, done with the word “content,” and honestly, we feel the same.

Scorsese now publicly mourns how cinema, an all-in art, is being flattened into a business term, stripped of its soul. Algorithms push what’s already popular, and it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out how this suffocates the unexpected, the outliers, and those not abiding by the method.

A still from the 1995 Martin Scorsese film Casino | Credits: Universal Pictures

Even though many heap praise on platforms like Mubi, this doesn’t change the guilt of ignoring overlooked dramas for yet another dog-behavior reality show. One, meanwhile, frequently runs the risk of watching a mediocre piece of film just packaged as arthouse cinema.

At...

Famed Hollywood screenwriter and director Paul Schrader has decided to issue a statement following the sexual assault accusations that his former assistant made against him a few days ago. Although his legal team has already responded to the allegations, Schrader himself has decided to address the accusations that he vehemently denies: "I have nothing to hide about my conduct."

Per a report by Variety, the Taxi Driver writer has released a formal statement in which he addresses the allegations made by his former assistant, whom he refers to as "plaintiff," whereas all legal filings refer to her as Jane Doe. The lawsuit in which Schrader was accused of sexual misconduct indicates that he "exposed himself" to her, and between 2021 and 2024, she was the subject of a "sexually hostile, intimidating, and humiliating environment." Although the legal proceedings were about to be settled out of court, Schrader backed off. Instead, he has...

Hollywood is filled with underrated gems that only get better with time, and Val Kilmer’s 1993 Western, Tombstone, is one of them. It’s gritty, highly quotable, and somehow still manages to fly under the radar when people talk about great Westerns, despite the positive reviews. Directed by George P. Cosmatos, Tombstone is the kind of film that deserves every bit of praise it gets, and Tom Cruise seems to agree.

A full-blown cinematic phenomenon in himself, it is safe to say that Tom Cruise knows a thing or two about deserving films. After all, the man who gave us characters like Maverick and Jerry Maguire is someone whose opinion we hold in high regard. Here’s what he has said about Tombstone.

Val Kilmer in Tombstone (1993) | Credits: Walt Disney Studios Tom Cruise’s favorite underrated movie is one of Val Kilmer’s best Tom Cruise on CBC’s The Hour...

The late Val Kilmer had a couple of Disney connections fans may have forgotten about!

It’s always sad when a major star passes away at a seemingly too young age. Val Kilmer may have fallen from his 1990s limelight, but it was still jarring to his many fans to hear the actor had passed away at the age of 65 on April 1 after a long battle with throat cancer and pneumonia.

The actor debuted in the 1984 cult comedy Top Secret! That led to turns in Real Genius before his star-making role as Iceman in the 1986 smash Top Gun. After that, Kilmer was a much-in-demand actor starring in numerous hits, including a turn as the Caped Crusader in Batman Forever as well as Heat, The Saint, The Ghost, and the Darkness, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and more.

Kilmer was, by his own admission, a temperamental man who could cause some messes on set.

Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment in James Cameron's blockbuster science fiction series, is set to hit theaters this winter. But if you can't want to return to Pandora, Disney+ is ready to take you to another one of Cameron's alien worlds. The Abyss, Cameron's groundbreaking 1989 deep-sea thriller, will stream in 4K on the service starting on April 11, 2025.

The Abyss was Cameron's first film after his megahit Aliens, and he was given a $43 million Usd budget to work with. The production of the film was harrowing for both cast and crew, as the extensive underwater scenes proved to be exceptionally difficult and exhausting to shoot. Actor Ed Harris refuses to speak about it to this day, while co-star Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio has simply stated "The Abyss was a lot of things. Fun to make is not one of them." The film also features one of the first ever...

The trials Martin Scorsese went through to make his 1980s passion project “The Last Temptation of Christ” are well publicized, but a new detail has been brought to light that proves how vital community is to cinema’s legacy. During a recent post-screening discussion at Anthology Film Archives in New York, Scorsese and star Willem Dafoe went into detail on how long the film took to come together and how the final step has some help from “Platoon” writer/director Oliver Stone.

Scorsese shared that he’d begun efforts to adapt Nikos Kazantzakis’ controversial novel in 1983, but said, “By the time 1987 came around, I didn’t believe it could ever get made.” His main hang-up was that he struggled to find an actor who would take on this complicated portrayal of Jesus Christ. Thankfully, his man came to him after screening a new film from Stone, his former student.

“I...

Quick LinksWhat is the Story of State of Grace?How Goodfellas Overshadowed the Film During Its Release (and Still Continues To Do So)Gary Oldman Delivered One of His Career-Best Performances in State of Grace

Gary Oldman is considered to be one of the greatest actors currently living and for very good reason. Fans of DC Comics are sure to remember him for his turn as Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and Harry Potter fans will immediately recognize him for his role as Sirius Black. He's also been celebrated worldwide for his chameleon-like ability to disappear into any role he touches, having won an Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. One of his more underrated performances happens to also come from one of his more underrated films. When State of Grace was released in 1992, it was a critical success, garnering a "certified...

Quick LinksWhat is the Story of State of Grace?How Goodfellas Overshadowed the Film During Its Release (and Still Continues To Do So)Gary Oldman Delivered One of His Career-Best Performances in State of Grace

Gary Oldman is considered to be one of the greatest actors currently living and for very good reason. Fans of DC Comics are sure to remember him for his turn as Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, and Harry Potter fans will immediately recognize him for his role as Sirius Black. He's also been celebrated worldwide for his chameleon-like ability to disappear into any role he touches, having won an Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. One of his more underrated performances happens to also come from one of his more underrated films. When State of Grace was released in 1992, it was a critical success, garnering a "certified...

Well, Hollywood’s favorite duo, the filmmaker Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, are once again teaming up, and cinephiles everywhere are buzzing with anticipation. With six widely successful and critically revered collaborations and another on the way, the duo will once again collaborate, with details promising their latest to be nothing short of ‘absolute cinema.’

Martin Scorsese | Credit: Harald Krichel via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Although the duo are yet to speak about their latest collab, fans have already taken to social media, expressing excitement over the project. Given the film’s potential premise and the history of their collaboration, there is a possibility it might end up at the Oscars.

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are to reunite once again for a potential banger Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have worked together in 6 feature films | Credit: The Wolf of Wall Street / Paramount Pictures

One of the...

Martin Scorsese is teaming up with Apple Original Films again after “Killers of the Flower Moon.” His next project is “Home,” based on a novel by Marilynne Robinson. Scorsese will write, direct, and produce the movie. Leonardo DiCaprio, a frequent collaborator, will star in it. This marks their seventh film together, following hits like “The Departed” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

The story comes from Robinson’s Gilead series, set in the fictional town of Gilead, Iowa. It explores themes of faith and rural life. “Home” focuses on a family dealing with tough pasts. Glory Boughton returns to care for her dying father, a reverend.

Her brother Jack, the family’s troubled son, also comes back after 20 years away. Jack struggles with alcohol and a difficult history but remains his father’s favorite. The novel shows Jack trying to reconnect with his sister Glory and facing tension with his traditionalist father and godfather,...

Don’t let the name fool you.

Fox Nation shares a Manhattan headquarters with Fox News Channel, but it doesn’t aspire to occupy the same niche as its conservative-tilted cable parent. Rather, the subscription streaming service has enlisted big Hollywood names to provide programming aimed at attracting its Gen X-focused audience.

Kevin Costner, Martin Scorsese, Rob Lowe and Kelsey Grammer have all made shows for Fox Nation in recent years. Jason Klarman, Fox News Media’s chief digital and marketing officer, said the platform has attracted top talent because there is in fact “nothing political” about their Fox Nation projects.

Of course, there is some political content on the service too, drawing upon Fox News’ resources and profile. Conservative activist Riley Gaines and commentator Tomi Lahren are both featured talent on the streamer. But Fox Nation wants to carve out its own space, one that isn’t wholly aligned...

Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy saw quite a few villains—both good and bad—played by some of the renowned actors in the industry. The greatest villain of all would be the psychotic Green Goblin, who made the first Spider-Man film memorable for generations of viewers. Willem Dafoe’s unhinged performance in the film played a huge role in the success of such a villain.

Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn aka Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home | Credits: Marvel Studios

Dafoe was popularly known to audiences as the character actor who controversially played Jesus in Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ. Interestingly, he was chosen for the role over three other famous actors, which will be surprising for fans. However, it is hard to imagine anyone other than Dafoe in the role now.

Before Willem Dafoe, these 3 actors were initially considered for Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man...

It’s hard to understate the influence of Kevin Jarre’s Tombstone. The 1993 film was an instant hit that changed the course of the Western genre. Its meticulous production and eye for detail have cemented the work as a genre staple, and it’s hard to say that the status isn’t deserved. Everything about the film — from its star-studded cast to its unbeatable atmosphere — is impeccable. Even the characters get special attention. Everyone’s period-appropriate attire highlights their individual personalities. Likewise, each performer injects something special into their role. Val Kilmer famously added plenty of literal sweat to his performance as Doc Holliday.

But that’s not the only thing Tombstone gets right. In many ways, Kevin Jarre’s direction acts like a stageplay’s script. Everyone has a specific role, a defined “place,” and a fixed archetype. The gang members play the villains, and they’re dressed for the part.

Every awards season, movie fans and aspiring pundits across the country become obsessed with the ever-coveted Academy Awards. The longstanding awards show has long been considered the holy grail of the film industry and can often feel like an all-encompassing part of the discourse, particularly around the four acting categories. In the lead-up to Oscar Sunday, many of us debate who will win, and once the ceremony comes and goes, there are still debates over who should have won.

Amidst this hubbub, it's important to remember that the Oscars are but a modicum of what represents the best performances in film. In fact, several of the best actors working today have never been given the honor of an Oscar despite years of treasured performances. The disparity between what Oscar voters love and what history remembers has always been a widening gap, but we can guarantee these 15 omissions from the winner's circle are particularly egregious.

In 2007, Martin Scorsese won his first and only Best Director Academy Award for his work on The Departed. Most sensible people would agree that The Departed is not the best of Scorsese's films, but few would be angry that a director of his caliber has an Oscar under his belt. After all, Scorsese had previously received Best Director nominations for The Aviator, Gangs of New York, Goodfellas, The Last Temptation of Christ and Raging Bull.

The tale of David vs. Goliath is one of the most popular and inspiring stories in anthropological history (originating in the Christian Bible), but you've never seen it told like this. The ultimate underdog story should need little introduction, as David, a small shepherd from the Valley of Elah, Israel, took down the mighty, bronze-armor adorned giant, using nothing but a slingshot — spoiler alert. The story has been told, and re-told countless times. But, a new Prime Video series is adding a flare of drama, and appears to be heavily inspired by HBO's Game of Thrones.

House of David has transformed the biblical story into an eight-episode series. The series was created by Jon Erwin (Jesus Revolution & American Underdog) and Jon Gunn (Ordinary Angels), based on an idea by Erwin and The Chosen creator, Dallas Jenkins. Up-and-coming actor, Michael Iskander, best known for starring in the award-winning stage musical, Kimberly Akimbo,...

The tale of David vs. Goliath is one of the most popular and inspiring stories in anthropological history (originating in the Christian Bible), but you've never seen it told like this. The ultimate underdog story should need little introduction, as David, a small shepherd from the Valley of Elah, Israel, took down the mighty, bronze-armor adorned giant, using nothing but a slingshot — spoiler alert. The story has been told, and re-told countless times. But, a new Prime Video series is adding a flare of drama, and appears to be heavily inspired by HBO's Game of Thrones.

House of David has transformed the biblical story into an eight-episode series. The series was created by Jon Erwin (Jesus Revolution & American Underdog) and Jon Gunn (Ordinary Angels), based on an idea by Erwin and The Chosen creator, Dallas Jenkins. Up-and-coming actor, Michael Iskander, best known for starring in the award-winning stage musical, Kimberly Akimbo,...

Martin Scorsese's legendary neo-noir thriller film Taxi Driver will find itself a new streaming home next month.

The legendary director's 1976 film Taxi Driver will land on Max on February 1st. The film was also made available to watch on Tubi earlier this month and is additionally available to stream on both Netflix and Prime Video. Written by Paul Shrader, the film stands as one of Scorsese's biggest films as both a box office and critical success with an 89% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Related 'I Don't Like Them as Actors': Taxi Driver Writer Shreds Joker 2, Joaquin Phoenix & Lady Gaga

Joker: Folie a Deux continues to gather criticism as it's free-falling at the box office.

The neo-noir classic stars Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, a Vietnam War veteran who becomes a taxi driver in the hope it will help his insomnia. The film details his mental deterioration...

Willem Dafoe opened up about the consequences of his most controversial performance while promoting Nosferatu on The Louis Theroux Podcast — namely, the enigmatic Dafoe found himself dropped from a (then) upcoming film. The veteran Hollywood actor has appeared in almost every genre of film over the course of his 5-year career, from Finding Nemo to Antichrist to the Snyder cut of Justice League, but none were so controversial as The Last Temptation of Christ, Martin Scorsese's 1988 religious epic. Believe it or not, Dafoe was a relatively small-time actor before being cast as Jesus Christ in Scorsese’s adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis' novel, but the controversy sparked after the film’s release was anything but small.

Critically acclaimed writer and director Paul Schrader has defended the use of artificial intelligence when writing screenplays for movies. Schrader is best known for writing classic movies such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ. In recent years, Schrader has directed several movies. Some of Paul Schrader's best movies include First Reformed, which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay, The Card Counter, and Master Gardener. Schrader's recent comments are surprising since many writers have criticized the use of AI for writing screenplays.

In a Facebook post, Schrader claims that AI is capable of coming up with great ideas. He explains that he asked ChatGPT to come up with ideas for films from several different filmmakers, including himself, Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, and Martin Scorsese. He believes the ideas that ChatGPT came up with were great, and doesn't understand why writers should waste...

Mel Gibson is not the only one who is interested in bringing Jesus Christ's story back to theaters. VFX expert Seong-ho Jang has gathered a star-studded cast for his directorial debut, The King of Kings, which follows Jesus' story in an animated film.

A new teaser for the upcoming film, shared by Discussing Film, which is set for release ahead of Easter this year, has just debuted Oscar Isaac's voice for Jesus Christ. The Primetime Emmy-nominated actor will play the main character in Seong-ho Jang's animation which is loosely inspired by Charles Dickens' short story The Life of Our Lord. The animated family film comes from the South Korean animation house Mofac Animation.

Oscar Isaac’s voice for Jesus Christ in ‘King Of KINGS’ has been revealed.Also starring Mark Hamill, Uma Thurman, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley, Pierce Brosnan and Kenneth BranaghIn theaters on April 11. pic.twitter.com...

According to Mel Gibson, Martin Scorsese wanted him to star in The Last Temptation of Christ, but the Lethal Weapon actor wasn’t interested.

“Interestingly enough, I was in a hotel room in the Savoy and I had food poisoning. I was near dead from it. I ate a bad oyster in London and I was dying in a hotel room and I couldn’t even leave. It was the worst,” Gibson said on the Joe Rogen Experience podcast. “While I was there, Scorsese calls the room and says, ‘Come here, I want to talk to you.’ I go and I talk to Martin and he’s in his room and all the windows, the screens, he’s drawn on. He’s got 18 different TVs going on at the same time in this dark room. He’s talking to me about the ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ and he wants...

Mel Gibson was in no way tempted to star as Jesus in Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” despite the auteur wanting to cast him.

Gibson said during the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast that Scorsese approached him while they were staying at the same hotel in London to lead “The Last Temptation of Christ.” The 1988 film eventually was made starring Willem Dafoe instead.

“Interestingly enough, I was in a hotel room in the Savoy and I had food poisoning. I was near dead from it. I ate a bad oyster in London and I was dying in a hotel room and I couldn’t even leave. It was the worst,” Gibson recalled. “While I was there, Scorsese calls the room and says, ‘Come here, I want to talk to you.’ I go and I talk to Martin and he’s in his room and all the windows, the screens,...

Andrew Garfield addresses potentially playing Jesus in Martin Scorsese's new movie, saying "You can’t just keep waiting for Scorsese to call." The legendary director is best known for operating within the gangster genre with Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York, The Departed, and The Irishman. However, he has also frequently explored religion throughout his career with the religious epics The Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun, and Silence – the last of which starred Andrew Garfield.

Within his illustrious filmography, Scorsese's religious epics tend to be less popular than his gangster films, despite being equally as masterful. His 1988 epic, The Last Temptation of Christ, was quite controversial for retelling the life of Christ in human rather than divine terms. It ended up being a modest box office success that grossed over $33 million on a $7 million budget. One of his lesser-known films, 1997's Kundun, offered an account of the...

Willem Dafoe reveals that he had one of the best filming experiences working on Martin Scorsese's controversial Oscar-nominated movie. The star, who is famous for playing villainous characters, including the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and Donald Kimball in American Psycho, is often considered one of the best actors working today. His wide-ranging career has led to him being nominated for four Oscars, with his most recent nomination coming in 2019 for At Eternity's Gate.

Dafoe recently played a vampire hunter in Robert Eggers' Nosferatu, which has become a critical and financial success since releasing in theaters in December. Aside from Nosferatu, the actor had two other films out in 2024: Yorgos Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, where he played deceased detective Wolf Jackson. His next movie, The Legend of Ochi, is scheduled to come out in 2025, but his...

The Amazing Spider-Man's franchise star claims he isn't caught up in the web of rumors surrounding a potential lead role in one of Martin Scorsese's next projects. Acclaimed actor Andrew Garfield addresses claims he's set to portray Jesus Christ in the Academy Award-winning director's upcoming film, A Life of Jesus.

During an interview with GQ, Garfield addressed his future in acting and whether his reported role in A Life of Jesus is a part of it. Despite suggestions that Scorsese eyed him to play the Son of God, Garfield denied his involvement in the movie, claiming, “There was a rumor. It’s not true to my knowledge.” Garfield added that while Scorsese's projects intrigue him, he doesn't want to be on the sidelines waiting for opportunities, always wanting to stay busy. “I like working as well,” he said. “You can’t just keep waiting for Scorsese to call,...

Director Martin Scorsese might be known for making some of the finest crime dramas around, such as Mean Streets, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, and The Departed, but back in 1988, the Catholic auteur took a crack at bringing the story of Jesus to life in The Last Temptation of Christ. Based on Nikos Kazantzakis' 1955 novel of the same name, the controversial film explored the struggles Jesus faced with various forms of temptation, including fear, doubt, and lust. Now, more than 35 years later, star Willem Dafoe is singing the praises of Scorsese's movie, calling it "one of the best experiences" of his life.

Dafoe portrayed Jesus of Nazareth in The Last Temptation of Christ, which was shot on a budget of $7 million, and brought in a worldwide total of $33 million at the box office. Panned by religious organizations, critics — including Roger Ebert — lauded the movie and the script by Paul Schrader,...

The haunting 2010 psychological thriller Shutter Island, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, will soon be available for streaming.

Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Paramount+ subscribers can dive into this chilling tale of paranoia, secrets, and hidden truths. Directed by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, the film follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) as he investigates the mysterious disappearance of a patient from a remote psychiatric hospital. Co-starring Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, and Michelle Williams, Shutter Island is celebrated for its atmospheric visuals, gripping narrative, and powerful performances. The film remains a standout in the psychological thriller genre, offering a masterclass in tension and storytelling.

Related 'I'm Going to Get Arrested': Margot Robbie Recalls Slapping A-List Star During Major Movie Audition

Margot Robbie reveals how she flipped the script and slapped an A-List actor during the audition for a major Hollywood movie.

Leonardo DiCaprio: A Career of Excellence

DiCaprio is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors,...

Denis Villeneuve, the director of films like Blade Runner 2049, Prisoners, and the modern adaptations of Frank Herbert's Dune, has something to say to Quentin Tarantino after the Pulp Fiction director revealed he has no interest in seeing his version of Dune. A few weeks ago, Villeneuve made it clear that he kindly disagrees with Tarantino's claim that Dune is a remake. Now, Villeneuve insists that he doesn't care much about the remarks by the Inglourious Basterds director, and he feels nothing but respect for him.

While taking a break from writing the next chapter, Dune: Messiah, Villeneuve spoke to the L.A. Times about his influences, his ideal setting for writing, and what he would have done if filmmaking hadn't worked out. The reporter asking him questions addressed Tarantino's claims from a few weeks ago, in which the Reservoir Dogs director said that he wasn’t interested in...

Willem Dafoe is one of the world’s biggest actors — but over five decades on screen, he’s been consistently drawn to oddballs. With his unhinged vampire hunter in Nosferatu about to be unleashed, we speak to him about challenging the norm.

“Chaos reigns,” said the fox.

Lars von Trier’s 2009 drama Antichrist was unforgiving cinema and, as the psychotherapist navigating his wife’s (Charlotte Gainsbourg) overwhelming grief after the death of their young son, Dafoe may have been the only actor capable of taking on its myriad challenges. It made perfect sense that Von Trier would ask him to voice the fox too, uttering those words while eating itself alive.

On screen, Dafoe has never been far from chaos. His first film appearance, in 1980, was in Michael Cimino’s notoriously catastrophic Heaven’s Gate; Dafoe was fired for laughing at a joke on set. He was Oscar-nominated for playing Sgt Elias in 1986’s Platoon,...

This article contains full spoilers for "Nosferatu."

The concept of fate, a predestined path which has been laid out for each of us, is a terrifying one. We all have (or at least appear to have) free will, and we all cherish freedom as a precious, enviable, coveted thing. Thus, fate is the antithesis of all our hopes and desires, a monolithic force that we are powerless to change or stop. This is why the concept tends to be de-emphasized in our culture, with everything from our aspirations as children to our goals in adulthood being put in the context of free will: we're told that all we want is potentially within our grasp, that dreams can be achieved, and that paths can be changed. Fate, then, is typically invoked for purposes of a scapegoat when things go wrong. Even with that perspective, it's never seen as a force of immovable doom,...

Because not all cultures receive a movie the same way, what might seem harmless to U.S. audiences could be regarded as offensive in another country. There are many reasons why a country would censor a movie, but politics and religion are among the top factors. Sometimes, a particular character's name might be the cause of a movie not being released in a country, and other times, the entire movie might simply be too much.

Movies like A Clockwork Orange and The Interview have been known to cause riots and even protests. The latter almost started a war due to a poorly executed plot. Even though movies are just fictitious stories, they do tend to have real-life consequences. Some movies are so violent that they become the inspiration for crimes.

Updated by Alex Roush on December 24, 2024: Movies that focus on religion or include LGBTQ elements tend to receive criticism and controversy.

Willem Dafoe explained why he enjoys dying in so many movies. Dafoe is one of the most accomplished actors of the last 40 years. He began his career in film in 1980 and has starred in classic movies like Platoon, The Last Temptation of Christ, and Wild at Heart. In the 21st century, he is perhaps best known for portraying Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in several Spider-Man movies and his multiple collaborations with director Wes Anderson. However, throughout his career, Dafoe has earned a reputation as an actor who tends to die in a lot of the movies he appears in.

In an interview published in Empire Magazine, Dafoe admitted that he loves watching his characters die in movies. The actor explained that everyone imagines how they might die. Therefore, he is happy that he has been able to act out different ways of dying throughout his career. Dafoe explained that it...

Cap's back — and this time he's seeing red! Red Hulk, that is. Yes, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson and Harrison Ford's Hulked out President Thaddeus Ross form the word-exclusive cover of our stacked Captain America: Brave New World issue — which has us diving deep into the McU's 35th film, looking back on 2024's cinematic highlights, and talking to the stars and filmmakers behind your next must-see movies.

This month's issue hits newsstands on Thursday 19 December — and you can pre-order your copy online here. But for now, read on for a look inside its pages.

Captain America: Brave New World

On your left! After four years away, Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson is bringing his take on Marvel's star-spangled man to the big screen in Captain America: Brave New World. Here, Empire heads undercover to talk to Mackie, co-star Harrison Ford, director Julius Onah, and more about Red Hulks, returning Leaders,...

One might be surprised to discover that the most critically acclaimed motion picture about the life of Jesus Christ is not Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ or Martin Scorcese's The Last Temptation of Christ, nor is it even The Jesus Film from the '70s, but rather it's a lesser-known Italian biblical drama called The Gospel According to St. Matthew. With a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this Pier Paolo Pasolini-directed picture is a direct adaptation of the first book in the biblical New Testament. Not only do film critics hail this film as an international triumph, but even the Catholic Church itself has praised the picture. So what makes The Gospel According to St. Matthew so special? Well, you'll have to see it to believe it.

It is said that the grand metaphor to describe the United States is a melting pot, where cultures from all over the world that have gathered in a shared space form a gumbo where their flavors merge, the whole supplanting the constituent parts. In Canada we habitually—perhaps with more...

Fifty years after his screenwriting debut via Sydney Pollack’s The Yakuza and a mere forty-six since his directorial debut with Blue Collar, Paul Schrader is still at it. And he’s operating at a higher level than most. A household name for his Scorsese screenplays––Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ chief among them––Schrader made a compelling industry name for himself with his own projects by the late ’70s, cementing himself as one of cinema’s most divisive, most original, and most consistent directors by the late ’80s and early ’90s.

After a series of popular and critical duds from 2003-2016, Schrader re-emerged in fresh creativity with First Reformed in 2017, beginning a phase in his career with the first entry in his “Man in a Room” trilogy that would soon be filled out by The Card Counter and Master Gardener. But not before several...

In the late ’90s, producer James G. Robinson and screenwriter William Wisher Jr. started developing a prequel to the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist – and no one could have predicted just how messy this project would get. Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI director Tom McLoughlin was hired to take the helm, but then dropped out due to issues with the script. John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate) took the helm, with author Caleb Carr handling rewrites… then Frankenheimer left because his health was declining (he passed away soon after) and was replaced by Paul Schrader. Schrader was known for writing films like Taxi Driver, Rolling Thunder, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ, and he had also directed several films: Blue Collar, Hardcore, American Gigolo, Cat People, and others. During a recent interview with MovieWeb, Schrader admitted that he shouldn’t have taken on the job of directing Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist.

Legendary filmmaker Paul Schrader reveals why a biopic of Frank Sinatra has yet to happen and what controversial actor he wanted to play Ol' Blue Eyes. Schrader is one of the most prolific names in Hollywood, having written the screenplays for Taxi Driver and The Last Temptation of Christ and directing critically acclaimed films like Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Affliction, and First Reformed, to name just a few. At one point, a script for a Frank Sinatra biopic crossed his desk, and he briefly considered it, but his casting choice and potential conflicts with the Sinatra estate seemed to put a quick end to that, a fate he shares with former collaborator Martin Scorsese.

Paul Schrader sat down with MovieWeb to discuss his latest film, Oh, Canada. Schrader mentioned the Sinatra biopic he was supposedly working on, but he cleared up one misconception. "I never worked on it.