Is it hard to believe that the “Ice Age” franchise is nearly 25 years old? A little, yes, but 20th Century Studios‘ animated film franchise has proven to be quite the juggernaut, with longevity only beaten by Pixar‘s “Toy Story” franchise. No surprise, then, that a sixth “Ice Age” movie looms on the theatrical horizon, this one subtitled “Boiling Point.” It hits theaters early next year.

Continue reading ‘Ice Age: Boiling Point’ Teaser Trailer: The Animated Franchise Returns To Theaters On February 5, 2027 at The Playlist.

Filmmaker Edgar Wright has built a career on precision — rhythm, tone, and timing so exact it borders on musical. But when it comes to what actually gets made next, even one of the most meticulous directors in the business admits the beat isn’t always his to call. In a forthcoming interview about “The Running Man,” for The Playlist’s Discourse Podcast, the “Baby Driver” filmmaker laughed off swirling rumors of a “Coen Brothers-style” project, confirmed that a script for “Baby Driver 2” exists, and offered a candid look at the chaotic machinery behind Hollywood development.

Continue reading Edgar Wright Shuts Down ‘Coen Brothers-Style’ Rumors, Confirms ‘Baby Driver 2’ Script Exists & Explains Why Filmmakers Aren’t Always In Control at The Playlist.

Some might be shocked, just like us, to learn that Quentin Tarantino has just landed a meaty acting role in the new Jamie Adams (“She Is Love” and “Wild Honey Pie!”) drama “Only What We Carry,” which has quietly wrapped in France with co-stars Simon Pegg, Sofia Boutella, and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

As pointed out by Deadline in their reporting on the project, this would mark his biggest acting gig since the 1996 Robert Rodriguez-directed (script was penned by Tarantino with a story created to comic book writer Robert Kirkman of “The Walking Dead” and “Invincible“) vampire crime caper, “Dusk Till Dawn,” where Tarantino played the psychopathic brother of George Clooney, as they bump into a bar full of bloodsuckers while keeping a family hostage until they meet up with their criminal cohorts only for Tarantino to be turned into a vampire himself.

Continue reading ‘Only What We Carry’: Quentin Tarantino Takes Biggest Acting Gig Since ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ Opposite Simon Pegg, Sofia Boutella & Charlotte Gainsbourg at The Playlist.

We’re still waiting to see what happens with the mainline “Star Trek” film franchise, as the studio has been trying to get a fourth film going with the J.J. Abrams cast and even attempted an oddball standalone film from Quentin Tarantino that kept fans on their toes trying to learn not only what it would be about and what poccessed him to develop someone else’s IP in the first place.

Continue reading Simon Pegg Calls Quentin Tarantino’s Unmade ‘Star Trek’ Script “Bats*** Crazy” & “Everything You Would Expect” at The Playlist.

Dense with narrative, profoundly overstuffed and a whole lot of movie at nearly three hours in length, “Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning” isn’t exactly the farewell you want for your big franchise grand finale. Especially given someone like Tom Cruise probably wants to end on a pitch-perfect note. Because ‘Final Reckoning’ is deeply flawed, and not the ideal unimpeachable climax, Cruise, Paramount and writer/director Christopher McQuarrie, the genius architect behind it all, probably hoped for.

Continue reading ‘Mission Impossible’ Review: The ‘Final Reckoning’ Is Thrilling, Overstuffed, Overburdened With Legacy & Still Tense AF at The Playlist.

After myriad delays, reshoots, and more, the next (and potentially final) “Mission: Impossible” installment hits theaters on Memorial Day Weekend. But as anticipation heightens, questions abound. Will “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” be the box office juggernaut for Paramount that “Top Gun: Maverick” was three years ago?  

READ MORE: Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Potentially Eying Cannes Film Festival Screening

The studio and star Tom Cruise certainly hope so.

Continue reading ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Trailer: Ethan Hunt’s Potential Swan Song Hits Theaters On May 23 at The Playlist.

“Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part One” did not do well at the box office.  Despite an extensive promotion campaign which included a heavily circulated clip of Tom Cruise literally driving a motorcycle off the cliff of a mountain, the movie just did not click with audiences.  Failing to capture the lightning in a bottle success of Cruise’s previous 2022 effort “Top Gun: Maverick.”  Some attributed the movie’s poor performance to the ‘Barbenheimer’ craze that took over summer 2023. 

Continue reading ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ Teaser: Tom Cruise Returns for Newest Spy Thriller Installment In May at The Playlist.

When you talk about beloved horror films of the past 25 years or so, you’d be hard pressed to find something better than “Shaun of the Dead.” The film is regarded as one of the very best horror comedies, and one of the best zombie films. That said, it wouldn’t be all that shocking if Universal decided to reboot it, as studios have been doing in recent years. But if Universal did decide to remake or reboot “Shaun of the Dead,” the studio would have to deal with the wrath of Simon Pegg.

Continue reading Simon Pegg Says A ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ Reboot Would Be A “Cynical & Exploitative Exercise” at The Playlist.

It’s rare for a show that appears to be running out of ideas to return two years later with the creative force that courses through the fourth season of Prime Video’s “The Boys.” After a couple of seasons of arguable wheel-spinning, seasons that seemed desperate to top the shock value of the first but didn’t do much with the complex themes or dense potential world-building in its abundance of ideas, “The Boys” oozes creative confidence with this outing and sets the table in a manner that bodes well for the future of this massive streaming hit.

Continue reading ‘The Boys’ Season 4 Review: Prime Video’s Hit Superhero Show Returns With A Great, Confident Season at The Playlist.

Time and again, no amount of effort by a cast, director, or, say, the person assigned to operate the cameras can save a movie from any number of failings, be they the overall quality or the film’s ability to make sense.  This analysis is far from groundbreaking, and at its core level, a film can still be considered something of a success if said film is, at the very least, pleasing to the eye and not possess the look of something assembled in a manner that suggests the team behind the scenes doesn’t understand their craft. 

Continue reading ‘Nandor Fodor And The Talking Mongoose’ Review: A True Life Mystery Wrapped In Unnecessary Confusion at The Playlist.

Simon Pegg has already helped Tom Cruise save the world in “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” this summer. So what’s next on his acting agenda? How about starring as a psychic detective investigating a talking mongoose? Sound a little too outlandish? Well, strap in, because “Nandor Fodor And The Talking Mongoose” is based on a true story.

READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023

Even more outlandish still: author Neil Gaiman will voice said talking mongoose, and this whole premise is based on a true story.

Continue reading ‘Nandor Fodor And The Talking Mongoose’ Trailer: Simon Pegg Investigates A Mammal Voiced By Neil Gaiman On September 1 at The Playlist.

In a world where we rely heavily on technology, hackers get smarter and wiser and can crumble entire countries if they choose. But what happens when these cyber attacks happen? Who is there to stop them? What happens when you cross technology with a thriller? Well, you get the Peacock original series “The Undeclared War.” 

From renowned BAFTA winner Peter Kosminsky (“Warriors,” “The Government Inspector”), “The Undeclared War” shows the fear a cyber attack can bring on a country and its government, and it’s down to a leading team of analysts to ward off a series of attacks that only exist in the digital world.

Continue reading ‘The Undeclared War’ Trailer: Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg & Hannah Khalique-Brown Star In A Cyber-Thriller Peacock Series at The Playlist.

Following a successful reboot of the franchise, Paramount has been trying for years to get a fourth “Star Trek” movie together. Previous incarnations attempted to bring back the cast led by Chris Pine as James T. Kirk and hoped to employ time travel conceits to include Chris Hemsworth, who plays Kirk’s father, seen in the initial 2009 “Star Trek” reboot by J.J. Abrams.

Continue reading ‘Star Trek 4’: Paramount Loses Negotiation Leverage As Cast Is Reportedly Shocked By Announcement at The Playlist.

While Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg have fully branched out to have amazing careers on their own, most film fans discovered them as filmmaking cohorts on features such as “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.” Over the years since the release of 2013’s “The World’s End,” the two men haven’t really been able to find the time to work together again.

Continue reading Simon Pegg Says He’s “Circling” A Project That Would Reteam Him With Edgar Wright at The Playlist.

A reunion of Nick Frost and Simon Pegg—stars of the beloved comedy hybrids “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” and “The World’s End”—should produce abundant joy, especially given the promising concept of Amazon’s “Truth Seekers” to once again blend humor with another genre. And yet this 8-episode comedy is a shocking misfire, a deadly dull affair that feels much longer than even its 4-hour total runtime and produces an unbelievably small number of actual laughs and thrills.

Continue reading ‘Truth Seekers’: Nick Frost & Simon Pegg Can’t Find A Way To Make Their Supernatural Amazon Series Entertaining [Review] at The Playlist.

Your mileage may vary about whether or not you believe in ghosts or paranormal activity, but as a fan of film and TV series, we all know the answer to this question: When there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Your internet service provider! Well, okay, normally the Ghostbusters, but in the new Amazon series, “Truth Seekers,” the next best thing is the same person that makes sure your wi-fi is working just fine.

Continue reading ‘Truth Seekers’ Trailer: Simon Pegg & Nick Frost’s Paranormal Comedy Arrives October 30 at The Playlist.

When British comics Simon Pegg and Nick Frost join forces, you know it’s going to be good. The duo is teaming up for supernatural- comedy series “Truth Seekers,” and the new trailer is out now.

READ MORE: The Best TV Of 2020… So Far

The new offering from Amazon centers on a team of part-time ghost hunters who team up to uncover paranormal sightings and encounters across the U.K.

Continue reading ‘Truth Seekers’ Trailer: Simon Pegg & Nick Frost Join Forces Once Again In A Supernatural Comedy Series at The Playlist.

“Mission: Impossible 7” holds the distinction of being the first major Hollywood production to be halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was scheduled to begin work in Italy when the country’s outbreak occurred in late-February/early-March. And since then, filming has stayed suspended, as the filmmakers looked for the go-ahead from the government, as well as the studio to begin again. It appears that we now have a timeline for when Tom Cruise, director Christopher McQuarrie, and the rest of the “Mission: Impossible” crew will be getting back to work.

Continue reading Simon Pegg Says ‘Mission: Impossible’ Filming Will Restart In September Beginning With Outdoor Scenes at The Playlist.

Recently, the ‘Mission: Impossible’-focused podcast, Light the Fuse (co-hosted by The Playlist contributor Drew Taylor), recently recorded its 100th episode. And to mark the milestone, the podcast invited a number of “Mission: Impossible” folks to speak about the status of the film franchise and what the future holds. And on the podcast, folks such as writer-director Christopher McQuarrie, stars Simon Pegg and Hayley Atwell, and composer Lorne Balfe stopped by to discuss all things ‘M:I.’

One of the stories discussed occurred when McQuarrie discussed how plans have changed with the “Mission: Impossible” films over the years, including when he joined the production of ‘Ghost Protocol’ (he had an uncredited rewrite of the film) and “10 weeks into filming blew up the entire movie.”

READ MORE: Paramount Announces Delays For Both ‘Mission: Impossible’ Sequels, ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ & More

The situation began when it was clear that the filmmaker had to cut the culmination of the story arc for Pegg’s Benji character.

Continue reading ‘Mission: Impossible’: Christopher McQuarrie Says He “Blew up” ‘Ghost Protocol’ During Rewrites at The Playlist.

During the whole COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic that is affecting the entire world, you’ve probably seen heaps of memes and comments about how we are actually experiencing the apocalypse. Obviously, that’s not the case, but the fear is real and people tend to freak out when they’re forced to stay indoors. And to bring light to this issue, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are parodying themselves for a new PSA about what to do when you’re self-isolating.

Continue reading Simon Pegg & Nick Frost Parody ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ For A Fun Coronavirus PSA at The Playlist.

Realistically, one of two things can happen when you’re presented with a key that unlocks a secret lair on your family’s land after the death of your father. Either your dad was secretly Batman and he’s passing on his legacy to you, or he’s probably hiding a mysterious man down there that has been captive for a long time and holds the secrets to your whole family’s history. In “Inheritance,” it’s option two.

Continue reading ‘Inheritance’ Trailer: Lily Collins Finds Simon Pegg Held Captive In Vaughn Stein’s New Thriller at The Playlist.

Based on a true story, the new drama “Lost Transmissions” starring Simon Pegg and Juno Temple is an intimate look at human emotions and the devastating reality of treating mental illness in a system that doesn’t seem equipped to deal with it.

READ MORE: 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2020

That said, mental illness is not an easy sell so you’ll have to forgive Gravitas Ventures for selling this film— that made its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival—as more of a movie about a young songwriter (Temple), the superficial Katy Perry-like pop singer who wants her songs (Alexandra Daddario) and the music producer friend who doesn’t think she should sell herself out like that while struggling with his own demons (Pegg).

Continue reading ‘Lost Transmissions’ Trailer: Alexandra Daddario, Juno Temple & Simon Pegg Star In A Tale Of Music & Mental Illness at The Playlist.

Depending on the week, “Star Trek 4” is either definitely happening or not happening at all. If the wind blows one way, the film is directed by Quentin Tarantino and will be R-rated. Then the gust of air changes and it’s directed by Noah Hawley and may not even have the current film cast involved. Or maybe it’s never going to happen, as previous attempts have stalled since 2016’s “Star Trek Beyond.” And according to one of the cast members, Simon Pegg, the time may be over for ‘Star Trek’ on the big screen.

Continue reading Simon Pegg Says ‘Star Trek’ Film Franchise Has “Lost Momentum” & The Future Is Unclear at The Playlist.

One of the big stories of the past year has been the “Will they or won’t they?” status of the “Star Trek” film franchise. In 2018, it was revealed that contract issues with actors Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth seemed to prevent director SJ Clarkson from filming her version of “Star Trek 4.” Then in 2019, rumors abound that Quentin Tarantino might move forward to direct a new “Star Trek” film.

Continue reading Simon Pegg Isn’t Sure The Reboot Cast Is Going To Be Involved In Noah Hawley’s ‘Star Trek’ Film at The Playlist.

After becoming one of the best comedic actors working today, with incredible performances in films like “Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz,” and even the ‘Mission: Impossible’ series, Simon Pegg has recently been focusing a bit more on behind-the-scenes endeavors, such as the recent announcement that he is developing a new series based on the Neil Gaiman novel, “The Ocean at the End of the Lane.”

According to Pegg, who spoke at a recent event (via THR), the writer-actor is working with another scribe to help adapt “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” as a limited TV series.

Continue reading Simon Pegg Is Developing A TV Series Based On Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Ocean At The End Of The Lane’ at The Playlist.