James McAvoy is a big Star Trek fan, and although he hasn’t appeared in the long-running sci-fi franchise, he did once come very close. While speaking with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, McAvoy revealed he was actually offered a role in J.J. Abrams’ first Star Trek movie, but ultimately turned it down because he didn’t think he was right for the part.

“I got offered something. I didn’t want to do that. I suggested I can do something else,” McAvoy said. “They wanted to camera test me and I was like, ‘Do you know what, it’s alright, don’t worry about it.’  Not because I wouldn’t, because I just didn’t think I was right.“

McAvoy didn’t reveal which role he was offered (although Horowitz guessed McCoy, and there were rumblings he was up for Scotty back in the day), but he added that Abrams did end up choosing the right actor for the part. “What I said to J.J. about what I thought the role should be and the kind of actor that should be, they absolutely got. I’m not saying that he got that because I said that,” McAvoy said. “But the kind of person I thought that I’m not, is exactly the person who got it. And it’s brilliant. And I love the new ones. I love J.J.’s films. They are excellent.“

Perhaps one day, James McAvoy will appear in a Star Trek project. He once said he would love to play a young Jean-Luc Picard.

McAvoy can currently be seen in Speak No Evil, a psychological horror thriller which follows an American family who are invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation. But what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare. Our own Tyler Nichols was a fan, particularly of McAvoy’s performance. “James McAvoy is absolutely the star of the show and gives a riveting performance as Paddy. He’s electric from one moment to the next and brings such a chaotic energy,” Nichols wrote. “This is an all-time performance from McAvoy and will likely stand out as a career-best. As evil as the trailers make him out to be, the performance is much more nuanced and he draws you in. He’s like a dog playing with a new toy, just testing how best to tear it apart.” You can check out the rest of Nichols’ review right here.

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There used to be a very big difference when talking about independent horror and mainstream horror. The latter would often be much more tame, with a goal of maximizing the audience, therefore maximizing Box Office. Indie horror would often be darker, going for moments that would stick with you long after the credits roll. But as society has shifted into this different entertainment landscape, there’s more of a desire than ever for something wholly unique. Mostly in the sake of profit. Thinking outside of the box is rewarded as it’s all about grabbing attention. It’s why a film like Longlegs can come out and absolutely light the world on fire. Because filmmakers are being forced to take risks in an attempt to get people to the theaters. Audiences are tired of the same old, same old.

This has never been more evident than with the failures of Blumhouse‘s 2024 lineup. Night Swim, Imaginary, and Afraid are amongst the most creatively bankrupt and desire-for-profit types of films out there. PG-13 Horror is designed to maximize audience reach while coincidentally being completely barren of any originality. Afraid simply ripped off M3GAN (which was a rip-off of Child’s Play) and I don’t know about you, but pools stopped being scary the moment I learned to swim. These were hollow experiences, completely devoid of entertainment. And while Blumhouse may still consider themselves indie, they’re about as “studio” as you can get these days, so if I say studio, I’m mostly talking about them.

And that’s not to say all mainstream horror is bad. The studios have made a lot of great films over the years. But it’s when they’re going the indie approach versus just sequelizing or trying to take advantage of a property that they truly have success. Even just a decade ago, the idea of Longlegs being released theatrically was a long shot. This kind of horror simply wasn’t viable for that kind of release. They’re so risk-averse that they’d rather remake a well-received Dutch movie from two years ago than actually develop an original story. And sure, Speak No Evil kicks ass but that doesn’t change the fact that’s a remake of a film already in English. Risk aversion 101.

Yet it seems as though horror is one of the only genres where originality can be done on a cheaper level and still succeed. Streaming has all but taken out mid-tier comedies and action films (usually made in the $60-70 Million range) and those genres are harder to do on a lower budget. Sure, comedies don’t need big effects, but Kevin Hart isn’t cheap, so budgets tend to balloon. There always needs to be that anchor of familiarity to get them into a movie theater seat. Yet Horror doesn’t always need that.

Horror fans will show up to a movie with no name stars and made for under $10 Million. The only promise you need to make to horror fans is that you’re going to try and scare them. Success rate will depend on the individual person but it’s a simple exchange. I give you money, you make me squirm in my seat for 90 minutes. Yet, why are studios starting to make the same mistakes they do in other genres instead of focusing on what works? Strongarming creatives instead of letting them do their thing will often result in a subpar product.

Blumhouse’s 2025 lineup seems to be spitting in the face of originality with Megan 2.0, An Untitled Insidious Movie, The Black Phone 2, and Five Night’s at Freddy’s 2 all expected to release. And who knows what foreign remake they’ll target now that Speak No Evil is a nice little success. This is why it’s on us as the audience to seek out great cinema and not go simply because it’s the weekend’s new release. The studio and Indie world will just become more and more intermingled as we lose out on more and more mid-tier films. And we just have to hope that those meddling execs who usually focus on the bigger fare, don’t start setting their sights on their low-budget offerings. Because otherwise, horror is doomed.

Now, I fully acknowledge that Indie Horror is capable of being absolute shit. There are entire YouTube channels dedicated to all the awful films that get made on a daily basis. And sometimes too much creativity and lack of supervision can be a bad thing. But I will take something that’s trying to fulfill some kind of creative niche versus solely trying to eek out a profit. Longlegs, Cuckoo, and Strange Darling are amongst the year’s best and they are completely original works where the filmmakers were allowed to see their vision through. And I’ll take that over a bloodless CGI bear.

What do you think of the current state of horror? Do you think mainstream horror is dying? Is Indie horror taking over? Will Blumhouse ever turn their slate around? Let us know in the comments below!

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PLOT: A family is invited to spend a weekend in an idyllic country house, unaware that their dream vacation will soon become a psychological nightmare.

REVIEW: I, like many, was very confused when they decided to remake Speak No Evil. The original film was released in 2022 and was mostly in English, so it seemed more logical to just put a spotlight on the Danish film. But given how few people have watched the film since I’ve been swayed toward this remake being a positive. Then the trailer played about 5000 times this summer and I just wanted it to release to save me from having to witness those teases again. This had nearly everything working against it yet somehow, against all odds, this remake kicks ass.

Speak No Evil follows a couple and their daughter as they’re invited out into the countryside by a family they just met. What starts out as a normal vacation gets increasingly weirder as violent tendencies start to reflect in their hosts. James McAvoy is absolutely the star of the show and gives a riveting performance as Paddy. He’s electric from one moment to the next and brings such a chaotic energy. This is an all-time performance from McAvoy and will likely stand out as a career-best. As evil as the trailers make him out to be, the performance is much more nuanced and he draws you in. He’s like a dog playing with a new toy, just testing how best to tear it apart.

Mackenzie Davis is a great foil to McAvoy, even if her character isn’t the most likable. Though Scoot McNairy‘s Ben may just be the most frustrating person in existence as he is such an immense pushover. At every turn, he’s unable to stand up for himself or his family. All of this is purposeful but it had me uninterested in the fate of the couple. Thankfully Davis becomes more likeable as Ben becomes more insufferable, as her actions almost seem reasonable. I said almost. There are some iffy character decisions throughout that feel purposeful if not still frustrating. I ultimately liked how the film ended up so it’s hard to go too hard on the logic of getting there.

Aisling Franciosi really impressed in Stopmotion, so it’s great to see her pop up in a big horror release. She plays crazy well and adds some interesting wrinkles. The original film was mostly focused on the darkness of the situation and big moments of horror. The characters are just surrogates for the events and don’t really have much personality outside of husband, wife, and child. Here, everyone feels so much more fleshed out, with Paddy and Ciara not screaming evil off the bat. The children are probably the most benefited by the script changes and actually get some moments to shine.

Writer/Director James Watkins was more than up to the task here, shooting a beautiful film that moves at a steady pace. He’s not afraid to recreate certain scenes but shows a surprising amount of restraint towards avoiding others. All of the changes feel like improvements and result in a more satisfying narrative from start to finish. I love how much he stayed on shots, ramping up the tension with every passing moment. It’s even acknowledged in the film that what you don’t see, can be even more exciting and he takes that to heart when building tension. It’s often what we don’t see that is the most terrifying.

As much as the trailer gave away, and as much as this is a fairly faithful remake, there’s still plenty different about Speak No Evil. The third act is entirely changed, which gives a different texture to the entire narrative. There are some uncomfortable moments but everything comes together in an interesting way. McAvoy is the clear standout but Davis also really impresses. I imagine this striking a similar chord as The Strangers did in 2008, as it feels just logical enough that it could happen. And isn’t that always the scariest kind of cinema?

SPEAK NO EVIL IS PLAYING IN THEATERS ON SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2024.

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Ahead of its September 13th release, Blumhouse Productions’ latest horror entry, Speak No Evil, has screened for a limited audience at the San Diego Comic-Con. So, how does this American remake compare to the 2022 Danish movie of the same name?

Following not one but two screenings at SDCC, reactions to Speak No Evil have been quite strong so far. Our own JimmyO – who actually saw the movie prior to these – was a big fan, writing, “Speak No Evil is an eerie and unsettling nightmare. It may not stray very far from the original – aside from a few spoilers that I won’t mention- it works incredibly well. The cast is especially good, James McAvoy, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Francoisi, and Mackenzie Davis shine.” But let’s check out some other reactions as well:

As you can see, Speak No Evil does something that not every American version can do: stand on its own. A viewing of the original may not be necessary, but perhaps could be worth doing just to see how this version – directed by The Woman in Black’s James Watkins – differs. Check out some of the other positive reviews. (To save you a Google Translate visit, the second one states, in part: “Speak No Evil in the remake version is better than expected. It still creates a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere, but it is far from being called a “total copy”. It has its own identity and is really fun and entertaining.”

I was a bit hesitant on a remake of Speak No Evil, as it did seem like Hollywood was just trying to yank another foreign horror movie to bring to American audiences who might be hesitant to watch a movie with subtitles. And while the Danish original – which we gave a 9/10 out of its Sundance Film Festival premiere – has a lot of fans (myself included), these initial reviews might be indicative of something far more than a lazy cash grab.

What do you think of these reviews of Speak No Evil? Do they nudge you to be more accepting of the remake? Are you a fan of the original? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Robert Eggers’ upcoming remake of F.W. Murnau’s silent classic Nosferatu is one of the more highly anticipated horror movies of the year, and the lucky folks at CinemaCon got a look at an exclusive first look at the chilling production.

The first look at Nosferatu was suitably terrifying with a heavy gothic tone. Classic-looking tall, dark castles, scurrying rats, blood gushing from necks, and full-on bleak horror. The footage included looks at Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol) and Willem Dafoe (Poor Things) but sadly only featured quick glimpses of Count Orlock himself. Perhaps that’s for the best, but I can’t wait to see Bill Skarsgard (Boy Kills World) disappear into the character.

Nosferatu tells a “gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him.” Lily-Rose Depp stars as the young woman alongside Nicholas Hoult (Renfield), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven the Hunter), Emma Corrin (Deadpool & Wolverine), Ralph Ineson (The Witch), Simon McBurney (The Conjuring 2), and Willem Dafoe (Poor Things).

Dafoe plays a “crazy vampire hunter” in the movie and previously teased that it’s unlike anything he’s ever seen. “[Eggers] gets better and better and better, gets more articulate, more on top of it,” Dafoe said. “He’s so clear when he works. It opens in December… which is a long time away. Trying to be an optimist, I think the studio must feel very strong about it, because that quite a tough slot, so I’m excited about that. I saw some footage when we were shooting, and I can honestly say, visually, it was unlike anything I have seen… The look of it and how it was shot was extraordinary.” Nosferatu is slated to hit theaters on December 25th.

Audiences also saw a brief teaser for Wolf Man, which is currently in production under the direction of Leigh Whannell (The Invisible Man). The teaser opened with Christopher Abbott’s character and his daughter talking, with the daughter asking about death and how “everybody dies eventually.” We see clips of people running, Julia Garner (Ozark) looking terrified, a bloody arm, and an intense scream from Abbott as he (possibly) becomes the Wolf Man.

It was also confirmed that sequels to M3GAN and Five Nights at Freddy’s will debut next year.

Not to be left out of the CinemaCon action, Focus Features brought new trailers for two of its upcoming releases, giving the crowd a new look at Conclave and The Bikeriders. 

Conclave is a papal thriller about the election of a new pope. In the film, starring Ralph Finnes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow, Cardinal Lawrence (Finnes) is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, where he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of The Church. JoBlo’s editor-in-chief, Chris Bumbray, says Conclave looks surprisingly intense.

As for The Bikeriders, Chris says the movie looks “very Goodfellas-esque,” and includes more action and carnage than previously seen in other previews. Chris thinks the film looks awesome, with Tom Hardy giving Marlon Brando vibes during his performance.

The first trailer for Speak No Evil was screened at CinemaCon, but it’s also been released online for us common folks.

The psychological thriller is a remake of the 2022 Danish film of the same name and stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, and Scoot McNairy. It centers on an American family who are invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, but what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare. The film is slated to hit theaters on September 13th.

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