Mike Sampson is the Editor-in-Chief of ScreenCrush. He studied to become a lawyer and worked as an architectural planner after graduating college but neither of these professions afforded him the opportunity to watch movies and TV for a living. He previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com for 10 years. He lives in New Jersey and probably spends too much time playing video games and overthinking things.
Mike Sampson
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Passes ‘Avatar’ to Become Biggest Movie of All-Time
As was widely expected, Star Wars: The Force Awakens passed Avatar as the highest grossing movie of all-time on Wednesday morning. It was a record many, including George Lucas, thought would never be broken; The Force Awakens did it in just 20 da
The Surprising Reason Christian Bale and Leonardo DiCaprio Turned Down ‘Steve Jobs’
Before Michael Fassbender was cast as Steve Jobs, the biopic went down a long and complicated road in pre-production. Directors (including David Fincher) were offered the job and passed. Actors (Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale and Natalie Portman, among them) were offered the title role and passed. With an Aaron Sorkin script we now know is very, very good, it’s surprising that so many talented people declined to participate in the movie. But, we now have an idea why these people decided to pass on Steve Jobs and it has nothing to do with the quality of the film.
Sigourney Weaver Confirmed For a Cameo in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Reboot
Sigourney Weaver was the only one of the core actors from the original film (minus Rick Moranis who retired from acting) who was not going to be appearing in the new Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig version. But, as it turns out, Weaver will be appearing in the new Ghostbusters movie, alongside Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd and Annie Potts.
‘Spectre’ May Be Daniel Craig’s Last James Bond Movie
Daniel Craig was cast as James Bond back in October 2005 and almost immediately there was controversy. A London newspaper ran the headline the next morning “The Name’s Bland – James Bland” and fans started up the site danielcraigisnotbond.com urging moviegoers to boycott Casino Royale. Now, three films into Craig’s era as 007 (with the last being the most critically and commercially successful James Bond film of all-time), the actor is talking about leaving the franchise and, in a sign of how far public opinion has reversed, fans couldn’t be more upset.
New ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Teaser: ‘There Has Been an Awakening…’
As both Comic-Con and D23 went by without a new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer we were left to wonder when exactly we’d see the next footage from the upcoming. Well, get ready. That time is now. “Have you felt it?”
Watch the Best Moments From Jon Stewart’s Final ‘Daily Show’
Jon Stewart said goodbye to The Daily Show last night in equal parts star-studded and quiet, personal fashion as former correspondents like Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Olivia Munn returned to pay their respects, while Bruce Springsteen closed out the slow with a performance — at Stewart’s request — of his 1999 song “The Land of Hopes and Dreams” and, for his fellow New Jerseyan, “Born to Run”.
Ben Affleck Will Reportedly Direct and Star in New Batman Film Set For 2018
When Warner Bros. announced their upcoming superhero schedule last year, one title notably missing was a solo Batman movie. Sure, Batman was going to be a big part of both Batman vs. Superman and the two Justice League movies, but would Batfleck be getting his own trilogy, a la The Dark Knight? It turns out, yes, yes he will. Latino Review is reporting that Ben Affleck will both star in and direct the spinoff, titled The Batman, which is set for November 2018.
Watch David Letterman’s Final, Star-Studded Top Ten List
There were no scheduled guests on the final episode of The Late Show With David Letterman (minus The Foo Fighters, who closed out the night with a performance of “Everlong”), but that didn’t mean that a few of Letterman’s old friends didn’t stop by to say goodbye one last time. Some of the funniest people alive all came together to present one final Top Ten list, Things I've Always Wanted to Say To Dave.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy Confirms ‘Indiana Jones’ Reboot Is Coming
When the rumors began to spread that Lucasfilm wanted Chris Pratt to star in a new Indiana Jones reboot, many “insiders” tried to refute those claims by saying an Indiana Jones reboot would never happen. But now, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed that a new Indiana Jones movie is on the way, saying it “will one day be made” at Disney.
Watch the New ‘Star Wars: Episode 7’ Trailer!
The brand new Star Wars: Episode 7 trailer premiered this morning at Star Wars Celebration, as J.J. Abrams and the film’s cast showed off the footage to a packed audience of hardcore Star Wars fans. But, you don't have to be in Anaheim to get a new look at The Force Awakens: we've got the trailer for you right here, right now!