Julia Roberts’ career is packed with great movies, but did you know she’s never starred in a sequel to one of them? Well, that could finally change thanks to some news about a sequel that’s apparently going into early development. The word is that Sony is working on a followup to 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding with Celine Song, and I need to talk about it.
I’m All Over Celine Song Making A Sequel To My Best Friend’s Wedding
In recent months, we’re seeing a lot of movies from the 1990s and early 2000s get starstudded sequels, from Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep filming the second The Devil WearsPrada, to Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman being in Practical Magic 2. Per Collider, one of the most beloved Julia Roberts movies of her rom-com era could be next.
Chris Evans, Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal. We gave the movie a five out of five in our Materialists reviewfor how Song was gracefully able to discuss modern dating and love through her unique romance film. The movie is a followup to her 2023 debut, Past Lives, which has also become a quick favorite among cinephiles.
Julia Roberts to reprise her role, and 2, it could give us a rare worthwhile sequel that doesn’t feel simply like a cash grab. Celine Song has a really solid hold on crafting great romance stories, and as soon as I saw this report, I was immediately interested in her take on Julianne Potter and who she might be over 25 years later.
(Image credit: Sony Pictures)
What Could Happen In A Best Friend’s Wedding Sequel?
That brings me to thinking about what a Best Friend’s Wedding sequel could be. As you might recall, the original movie follows lifelong friends, Roberts’ Jules and Dermot Mulroney’s Michael, who once made a pact that they would marry each other if they were both unmarried by age 28. However, just weeks before Jules’ 28th birthday, he calls her to let her know that he’s set to get married. Jules doesn’t take it well, and decides to sabotage the affair. Ultimately, Michael marries his bride Kimmy (played by Cameron Diaz).
Julia Roberts has commented about how her view on the character has changed since making the movie, pointing out Jules as a “pretty dodgy character,” which has me interested in how the actress could explore that further for a sequel. Maybe Michael flees to Jules after dealing with problems in his relationship with Kimmy, and Kimmy becomes the one ready to sabotage?
Dermot Mulroney also commented on the sequel just a few days ago to The New York Post, confirming “there is talk of a sequel.”. It’s still early, but I very much hope the sequel happens with Celine Song, and the main cast from the 1997 movie.
Ever since The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping was announced, it’s become one of our most-anticipated upcoming book adaptations, and getting all the casting news over the past few months has only added to the hype. I mean, Elle Fanning being chosen to play Effie Trinket is literally a fan’s dream come true! As we anticipate the movie’s release next year, Fanning has shared how the OG Effie, Elizabeth Banks, reached out to congratulate her on taking on the role.
Elle Fanning was at San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend to promote her next movie, Predator: Badlands. When she was asked about her next role in Hunger Games, she revealed how Banks welcomed her to the part. In her words:
She sent me flowers that were beautiful saying ‘The odds are in your favor’.
Entertainment Tonight, she said that Banks sent her flowers after she was cast in the role in May along with the most on-brand note. As she also shared:
she thinks Fanning is “perfect” for the role in Sunrise on the Reaping. The new Hunger Games installment takes place 24 years before the original story where we first meet Effie and she pulls Katniss and Peeta’s names at the Reaping ceremony. When we see Effie in the prequel focused on Haymitch’s Hunger Games, we’ll meet her through her sister Proserpina, who is part of the Hunger Games prep team.
Effie Trinket is one of many returning Hunger Games characters that will be depicted in Sunrise on the Reaping. Other notable casting decisions in this category have included Ralph Fiennes being tapped to play President Snow, Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, Jesse Plemons playing Plutarch Heavensbee, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Beetee Latier and Maya Hawke as Wiress.
It’ll be exciting to see Effie Trinket in this era of the Hunger Games during the events of the 50th Games when she meets Haymitch Abernathy for the first time. There are so many scenes from the book for Sunrise on the Reaping we can’t wait to see come to life, including Effie’s key moments — however, we won’t spoil those here.
The movie is being directed by Francis Lawrence, who previously helmed the last four movies of the franchise. It reportedly started filming in July, but Elle Fanning has yet to join the set. We’re looking forward to seeing her version of Effie Trinket come to life when the movie hits theaters on November 20, 2026.
Charming US Trailer for ‘My Sunshine’ Japanese Coming-of-Age Film
by Alex Billington July 29, 2025 Source: YouTube
“You want to impress Sakura… don’t you?” Film Movement has debuted the official US trailer for a lovely little Japanese indie film titled My Sunshine, made by filmmaker Hiroshi Okuyama. This first premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival last year and already opened in Japan last year, with stops at many other festivals as well. Set over the course of one winter on the quiet island of Hokkaido in Japan. Described as a “heartwarming coming of age drama buoyed by its picturesque cinematography and beautiful score.” Two young skaters, polar opposites in personality, are teamed up by their coach to train as a figure skating duo. Their growing bond begins to blur the lines between partners and more as winter unfolds. Starring Sosuke Ikematsu, Keitatsu Koshiyama, and Kiara Nakanishi. The charming film got mostly solid reviews at the festivals. “Guided by the beauty of the landscape and the nostalgia of childhood, Okuyama constructs a quiet narrative buoyed by an understated charm.” This is a nice trailer introducing the kids and their coach.
Here’s the official US trailer (+ poster) for Hiroshi Okuyama’s film My Sunshine, direct from YouTube:
One winter on the island Hokkaido, a young boy named Takuya has resigned himself to the fact that he’s the worst player on his hockey team. While practicing, he becomes transfixed by the figure skaters who share the ice rink, particularly Sakura, a rising star from Tokyo. Her coach, Arakawa, takes an interest in Takuya, seeing himself in the young boy. He pairs the two & trains them as a competitive ice-dancing duo. The two kids eventually grow closer and form a deep bond with their supportive coach. But as the winter continues, unspoken feelings begin to surface & the harmony among the trio begins to falter.My Sunshine, also titled ぼくのお日さま in Japanese, is written and directed by Japanese filmmaker Hiroshi Okuyama, director of the film Jesus previously and the series “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House”. Produced by Toshikazu Nishigaya, Yuki Nishimiya, Masa Sawada. This initially premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival last year, and it already opened in theaters in Japan last fall. Film Movement will debut Okuyama’s My Sunshine in select US theaters starting September 12th, 2025. For more details visit their official site.
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A year ago, when it was announced that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the iconic villain Doctor Doom, fans went absolutely wild. In just about a year and a half from now, we’ll get to see Avengers: Doomsday, but there are already a lot of questions about what happens next.
Avengers: Doomsday will be followed by Avengers: Secret Wars a year later, and expectations are that Downey’s Doctor Doom will appear in both movies. While it seems likely that the villain will be defeated by the end of the Avengers double feature, as Thanos was before, there’s now a rumor that Robert Downey Jr. might return to the MCU for the long haul.
Could Doctor Doom Return Following Avengers: Secret Wars?
ComicBook.com), whose track record isn’t perfect, but has certainly been reliable on multiple occasions. According to him, conversations are currently going on regarding whether to make Doctor Doom, and by extension Robert Downey Jr., a returning character following the events of Avengers: Secret Wars.
back-to-back Avengers movies planned mirror the way that the two parts of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame came together. It’s less clear that the next two movies will actually be two parts of one story. In fact, it’s been specified already that Secret Wars is set to be a new beginning, rather than an ending, for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Kevin Feige has said the movie will act as some sort of reboot of the franchise, which may result in old characters returning and even being recast. While it’s far from clear how any of this will happen from a story perspective, it certainly means there’s a door open to Doctor Doom being alive and well at the end of Avengers: Secret Wars, regardless of what happens previously.
Certainly, if Marvel Studios likes what Robert Downey Jr. is doing with Doctor Doom in the Avengers movies, it would be a shame to only have him appear a couple of times. It could also make for an interesting chapter in the MCU if Doctor Doom remains a major antagonist for the next phase, or phases, but is around from the very beginning. At this point, we know nothing about what will happen after Secret Wars except that the MCU isn’t going anywhere.
Maybe I’m just an old head, but I genuinely don’t think there’s been a truly great action movie since the first The Expendables.
Actually, I lied, because there has been another great action movie since then, and it was The Expendables 2. Because while yes, I love the John Wick movies, and I’m a huge fan of Keanu Reeves (Hey, I’m one of the few defenders of 47 Ronin), there’s just something missing when it comes to those flicks that I can’t quite put my finger on…Oh, yeah! That’s it! Huge explosions, massive, unrealistic muscles, and The Expendables 2 has both in spades!
So, as a Reagan-era action junkie, when The Expendables series debuted back in 2010, I was in Heaven. But, I truly think The Expendables 2 was the absolute peak of the action genre. Here’s why.
the Die Hard series, where you had everyman, John McClane, in these outrageous situations. Since then, the action hero genre has changed dramatically.
Instead of having these hulking heroes with massive guns killing hundreds of people, we’ve gotten more unlikely heroes put into tense situations. Think Denzel Washington in The Equalizer movies, Liam Neeson in the Taken films, and Bob Odenkirk in Nobody. We don’t really get dumb, propulsive action movies anymore where you just shut your brain off and grin. Instead, we get more “cerebral” action flicks, with in-depth characters and interesting plots.
But, not so with The Expendables 2, and I mean that in the best sort of way. From the very first scene, it just goes bananas. The team is sent on a rescue mission, but it’s really just an excuse to have these big, muscular dudes ride around in armored trucks and shoot anybody who moves. I mean, there have to be like 100 kills in the first three minutes alone, and it’s glorious.
Plus, the whole movie is like this. All of The Expendables films have big action setpieces, but the second movie’s are the most awesomely ridiculous. No deep character development here. Just guys shooting other guys, and explosions. Splendid!
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Wesley Snipes, Mel Gibson, and Antonio Banderas, which are good choices, but Kelsey Grammar? And Expend4bles gave us Megan Fox and 50 Cent!
However, Expendables 2 brings in all of the GOATS, with my absolute favorite being Jean-Claude Van Damme. Now look, I grew up on Bloodsport. Kickboxer is one of my favorite movies. Hell, I even liked him in the much-maligned 1994 Street Fighter movie. In every way, I love JCVD.
So, the fact that he’s in this movie is awesome, and I would have liked him as one of the Expendables, but no. Instead, he’s the leader of a band of mercenaries, and he’s the primary antagonist of the film, and what an antagonist he is!
For one thing, he kills The Expendables’ youngest member, Billy, played by Liam Hemsworth, by kicking (!) a knife into his heart! For another, he’s a genuine threat throughout the entire film and is just so cool as a villain. In every way, JCVD is an amazing antagonist, and he adds the martial arts element to this explosive film.
a scene in the first Expendables where we get to see Schwarzenegger, Willis, and Stallone in one room together, and it’s awesome. In a lot of ways, it was like when Freddy fought Jason, or when De Niro and Pacino stared eye-to-eye with each other in Michael Mann’s Heat. In other words, it was a momentous crossover event.
That said, all they really do is talk in the first movie. I mean, it’s cool, but it wasn’t what fans like myself wanted to see. That said, what we wanted to see ended up happening in The Expendables 2, as Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis all stand side-by-side shooting bad guys in a pretty intense scene.
And THIS is what I came for back in 2012 when the movie debuted, and I still love it today (especially following Bruce Willis’s health issues. It’s always nice seeing him in peak action condition). The scene gives time for all three of them to have at least one awesome moment among them, and I love hearing them banter with each other.
In fact, I would say this is my favorite scene in the entire movie (Nay, the entire franchise!), but there is one other moment that solidifies The Expendables 2 as one of the last truly great action movies for me.
the legendary Chuck Norris.
We even get some The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly music (as if this is all of a sudden a Sergio Leone western), and a Chuck Norris joke to boot about being bitten by a King Cobra…and the cobra dying. It’s like, they knew what we wanted, and they delivered.
What do you think? Do you also love The Expendables 2? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
