The afterparty of Saturday Night Live‘s 50th anniversary was a night of glamour and excitement. However, for Andy Samberg, it was an evening that left him feeling “like a rag doll.” The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star recently opened up about his wild first encounter with Jason Momoa at the star-studded event.
Andy Samberg talks about his first meeting with Jason Momoa
Andy Samberg has spilt the beans about his unforgettably hilarious first meeting with Jason Momoa.
The 47-year-old recently opened up about meeting Momoa at the SNL 50th Anniversary Special afterparty. Speaking with PEOPLE on the set of his 2026 Super Bowl commercial, he recalled the encounter that sparked their upcoming movie, Protecting Jared.
“I had never met him and then last year at the SNL 50th after-party, I met him and he picked me up and swung me around in a circle like a rag doll,” Samberg said. “We hugged and laughed.”
Momoa’s sheer strength and energy left the Palm Springs actor stunned, with the encounter leaving a lasting impression on him. Samberg shared the story with his longtime friends and collaborators, writers Rob Klein and John Solomon. The duo’s script-making instincts kicked in, and they instantly saw potential in pairing him and Momoa onscreen.
“It’s going to be really fun. I’ve never done one exactly like this,” Samberg assured. “I think it’s going to be on a scale that I’m really excited about also. I think it’s going to be a really cool team.”
The plot of Protecting Jared is still shrouded in mystery. However, as per Production Weekly, the movie follows William Ikaika, a Hawaiian security guard, played by Jason Momoa. He’s forced to defend himself and Jared Bachman, a tech billionaire portrayed by Andy Samberg, when a kidnapping scheme goes haywire.
For the 2026 Super Bowl, Andy Samberg is starring in the popular mayonnaise brand Hellmann’s commercial. The ad, shot at Los Angeles’ iconic Canter’s Deli, features Samberg channeling Neil Diamond in a humorous mayonnaise-themed parody of a classic sing-along song.
Ozzy Osbourne’s final concert with Black Sabbath will hit the big screen in 2026. Back to the Beginning: Ozzy’s Final Bow captures the July 5 performance at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, just weeks before his death at 76.
Black Sabbath stated, “Presented as a love letter to Ozzy and the pioneering sound of Black Sabbath, the theatrical release will be a distilled version of the epic all-day event held at Villa Park. … The film promises a deeply personal and electrifying farewell from the godfather of heavy metal with exclusive behind-the-scenes access and interviews from this iconic live performance,” according to Variety. The film includes performances of “War Pigs,” “Iron Man,” “Children of the Grave,” “Paranoid,” and other hits.
Action star Jason Momoa hosted, and music giants from many different decades shared the spotlight. Metallica thundered through their set. Guns N’ Roses lit up the stage. Slayer and Pantera added their might to the mix. The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler made surprise visits.
The night peaked with an unforgettable drum battle. Tool’s Danny Carey, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith pounded out rhythms that shook the ground. Yungblud and Ghost’s Papa V also took turns on stage.
This show marked the end of a 50-year run with Black Sabbath, pioneers who helped spark the heavy metal sound in the late 1960s. The choice of Birmingham held special meaning. It’s where Ozzy first drew breath and where Black Sabbath first made noise. Music fans can watch an outstanding tribute to Black Sabbath’s pioneering sound. However, the exact premiere date remains unknown.
In the preview, the humans are mystified by the new realm they find themselves in. “What the hell?!,” exclaims Dawn, as she finds a pink, square sheep. That doesn’t even scratch the surface of what awaits for them. As they find out, “anything you can dream about here, you can make.” The group is guided by a fellow human named Steve (Jack Black), who teaches them how to survive in this new universe.
However, Steve’s introduction doesn’t make such a good impression on the group at first, with Natalie declaring, “This guy is such a toolbag.”
The official synopsis for the film reads, “Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival! Four misfits—Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Momoa), Henry (Hansen), Natalie (Myers) and Dawn (Brooks)—find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative … the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world.”
Jennifer Coolidge (who is not featured in the teaser) also has a starring role. The film was helmed by Jared Hess, with Roy Lee, Jon Berg, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Jill Messick, Torfi Frans Olafsson, Vu Bui and Momoa serving as producers. Todd Hallowell, Kayleen Walters, Brian Mendoza, Jonathan Spaihts, Pete Chiappetta, Andrew Lary and Anthony Tittanegro are also credited as executive producers.
Do you like action movies? Do you like the ones where a bunch of crazy nonsense is happening that seems like it defies all the laws of physics? Do you like video games? Good news, all three of those itches are going to be scratched with an adaptation of the Just Cause games.
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Per the Hollywood Reporter, Universal’s picked up the rights to the open-world franchise and enlisted Blue Beetle’sÁngel Manuel Soto to direct. Action movie studio 87North will produce the film via Kelly McCormick and action guy David Leitch, coming off the heels of The Fall Guy from earlier in May. Also producing is Story Kitchen, a company that’s already involved in the recent live-action adaptations of Tomb Raider and Sonic the Hedgehog.
The Just Cause games center on Rico Rodriguez, a secret agent tasked with traveling to various islands and saving the people by overthrowing the current regime of whover’s in charge. Since 2006, the series has been well-liked, largely due to the sequels enabling players to create as much carnage as they can by destroying government property with whatever they’ve got on hand. The stories are cliche and not all that interesting, but the games make up for it by allowing players to wreak havoc and pull off some wild death-defying stunts with Rico’s handy grappling hook and wingsuit. If you can imagine a Mission Impossible game that doesn’t take itself all that seriously, that’s basically these games.
Interestingly, a movie adaptation was reportedly getting off the ground back in 2010 (the same year Just Cause 2 released), but nothing came of it. In 2017, Jason Momoa was tapped to play Rico in an adaptation from Atlas director Brad Peyton, which also never happened since at the point, the two were both individually pretty busy. After another false start in 2020, it looks like the stars have aligned for a movie to finally happen. Now if only there were a game along with it: the last entry was Just Cause 4 back in 2018, and Avalanche is currently working on the open-world co-op game Contraband for Xbox, which we haven’t really heard much about since its initial reveal in 2021.
Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Timothee Chalamet (from left) in Dune. Ryan Stetz/HBO
Whether you want surprisingly funny family dramas, international excellence, or a refresher on one of the decade’s biggest sci-fi franchises, you’re in luck. From indies to blockbusters, these are the titles you need to watch before they leave streaming this month.
What’s leaving Netflix
The Farewell
While Lulu Wang’s star-studded series Expatsis still unfurling, why not watch the movie that catapulted the director into the mainstream? The Farewell stars Awkwafina as Billi, an aspiring writer who’s struggling to find work and her place as a Chinese American woman. When she hears that her beloved grandmother, Nai Nai, has been diagnosed with cancer, though, she drops everything to go see her in China. However, there’s another issue: the family is keeping Nai Nai’s diagnosis a secret from her, and a reluctant Billi must do so too. The Farewellwill be available to stream until February 29th.
Dune
After a lengthy, strike-related delay, Dune: Part Two is finally on the horizon. The second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic (out March 1st) features a sprawling cast (with new additions Austin Butler and Florence Pugh) on top of a dense mythos, so there’s no time like the present to catch up by watching Dune. Timothée Chalamet stars as Paul, heir to the House Atreides within the galactic empire, who must contend with political threats to his father (Oscar Isaac) and strange trials courtesy of his mother (Rebecca Ferguson). Along the way, he encounters friends and foes alike, played by Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, and Josh Brolin. Dunestreams through the end of the month.
What’s leaving Hulu
Paddington
As winter truly begins to wear on us all, it’s the perfect time to watch some of the coziest movies of the 21st century. Paddington and its sequel are the rare family movie franchise to truly appeal to all ages, from the title bear’s expertly animated cuddliness to the A-list actors who get to play cartoonish villains (Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant, the latter in a BAFTA-nominated performance). Though sweet little Paddington gets himself into quite the precarious predicaments, his mantra of “if we’re kind and polite, the world will be right” always holds true. Paddingtonstreams until the end of the month, while Paddington 2is available through February 26th.
What’s leaving Max
Drive My Car
Layered, lengthy, and packed with a lot of languages, Drive My Car is one of the most daring dramas of the decade so far. The film follows a theater actor and director who discovers his wife’s infidelity before her untimely death. Bereft and unmoored, he decides to accept a theater residency that will have him directing a multilingual production of Uncle Vanya. Ultimately, it’s a movie about understanding, and how we may never be able to achieve it when it comes to those we love. Everything about the film is superb, and there’s a reason why the movie was nominated for four Oscars. Drive My Carstreams through the end of the month.
What’s leaving Peacock
Five Nights at Freddy’s
One of last year’s biggest horror hits is departing streaming later this month. Five Nights at Freddy’s became a smash success when it was released in theaters and on Peacock last October, bringing the thrills from the beloved video game to screens both big and small. Josh Hutcherson stars as Mike, a man so desperate for a job that he takes on a gig as a nighttime security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a family pizzeria-slash-arcade with plenty of skeletons in its supply closets. Before long, things begin to go bump in the night, leaving Mike to solve a decades-old mystery. Five Nights at Freddy’sstreams through February 25th.
The Descendants
While The Holdoverscurrently stands as a favorite at the Oscars, it’s far from the first time that filmmaker Alexander Payne has seen success with the Academy. In fact, he won his second Oscar in 2012 for The Descendants, a complex family dramedy. George Clooney stars as Matt, a man who’s inherited and attained great wealth (including a large swath of land in Hawaii), but all of that stability vanishes when his wife gets in an accident that leaves her comatose. He must grapple with his role as a cousin, a husband and a father to his two daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller). The Descendantsstreams through the end of the month.
What to Watchis a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
Wonka is winning the long New Year’s weekend box office race as a tumultuous 2023 comes to a close.
The Warner Bros. origin pic — starring Timothée Chalamet as young candymaker Willy Wonka — is on course to gross $31.8 million for the four-day holiday weekend, putting its domestic tally at a sweet $142.5 million through Monday. And it wasn’t the only musical from Warners to hit the right note. The Color Purple, produced by Oprah and Steven Spielberg, has been doing better-than-expected business since opening on Dec. 25, and placed No. 4 on the New Year’s weekend chart with an estimated $17.7 million for the four days. The film’s estimated domestic tally through Monday is an impressive $50 million.
Two weeks ago, box office pundits weren’t sure whether domestic revenue could clear $9 billion after a brutal fall season. But thanks in particular to mid-range and smaller films that overperformed over Christmas, revenue was able to eke past $9 billion in a post-pandemic era first. That marks a 20 percent gain over 2022. The bummer: Revenue is still down 20 percent to 21 percent from 2019, the last year before the COVID-19 crisis.
Wonka, which launched in mid-December, emerged as this year’s Christmas box office winner when Warners’ very own Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom sunk in its box office debut over the Dec. 22-25 weekend and failed to recover in a meaningful way even though it stayed high up on the chart. The DC superhero sequel is looking at a No. 2 finish over New Year’s weekend with an estimated Friday-Monday gross of $26.3 million.
That would put Aquaman 2‘s domestic tally through Monday at a lackluster $84.7 million — compared to $215.4 million earned by the first Aquaman through New Year’s Day over the year-end holidays in 2018. Both films were directed by James Wan and star Jason Momoa in the titular role.
After a sluggish start over Christmas weekend, Illumination and Universal’s Migration held in steadily for an estimated domestic total of $59.4 million through New Year’s Day after placing No. 3 for the long weekend with a four-day gross of $22.3 million. Its domestic total is ahead of the $55 million earned over the 2022 year-end holidays by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which topped out with a strong $186.1 million domestically. Globally, Migration has earned $100 million (it’s been soft overseas).
The Color Purple, from Warners and Amblin, got off to a dazzling start Christmas Day with $18 million, the second-best opening ever for a film launching Dec. 25 and the best since 2009, not adjusted for inflation.
Wonka and The Color Purple appear to reverse the musical curse of recent times, and their success is good news for Paramount’s upcoming Mean Girls and Universal’s 2024 Christmas event pic Wicked.
The troubled rom-com genre also got a boost with Sony’s edgy holiday entry Anyone but You, which rounded out the top five with an estimated $11.5 million for the four days to push its domestic tally to $27.6 million.
MGM and Amazon’s George Clooney-directed The Boys in the Boat followed at No. 6 on the four-day holiday chart with $11 million for an estimated domestic total of $24.6 million through Monday.
A24’s wrestling dramaThe Iron Claw placed No. 7 with an estimated $6.9 million for the four days. The Zac Efron-led pic’s cume through Monday is a pleasing $18.2 million.
Neon’s Ferrari placed No. 8 over New Year’s weekend with an estimated $5.2 million for the four days for an early domestic tally of $12.1 million. Like The Color Purple and Boys in the Boat, Ferrari opened Christmas Day.
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ” led a crowd of new releases at the box office on the weekend before Christmas Monday. The DC and Warner Bros. superhero sequel starring Jason Momoa earned an estimated $28.1 million in its first three days of release in 3,706 locations in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. By Monday it is projected to have around $40 million in domestic ticket sales.
Despite many new offerings — including the family friendly animated film “Migration,” the R-rated romantic comedy “Anyone But You,” the wrestling family tragedy “The Iron Claw” and a ghostly tearjerker in “All of Us Strangers ” — this will go down as a quieter pre-holiday tally at the box office.
It is never great for Hollywood or theaters when Christmas Eve falls on a prime weekend day, but the last time Christmas was on a Monday, in 2017, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” dominated the four-day charts with $71.5 million from its second weekend.
On Christmas Day, which often brings big crowds back to the theaters, they’ll be joined by several highly anticipated new films.
Those include the big budget musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” starring Fantasia Barrino Taylor, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo and Corey Hawkins. Oprah Winfrey, who played Sofia in the 1985 film adaptation of the novel by Alice Walker, is serving as a producer.
In an interview with CBS News’ “Sunday Morning,” Henson described the message of the film: “As long as you got a beat in your heart, there’s time to make your wildest dreams come true.”
“It just reminds me of how powerful we are as women when we stick together. And that just doesn’t mean that we’re comin’ after you, men!” Henson laughed. “If we stick together, you’re taken care of. Relax! You know, men get nervous. The women and girls are stickin’ together! You will benefit, trust me.”
Also arriving on Christmas is Michael Mann’s racing film “Ferrari,” starring Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz and Shailene Woodley; and George Clooney‘s adaptation of the rowing drama “The Boys in the Boat,” based on the best-selling book by Daniel James Brown that recounted the underdog journey of the American oarsmen at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
All should get a boost between Christmas and New Years, a traditionally lucrative time for movie theaters.
But none will compare some of the biggest holiday earners, like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Avatar” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” It was not lost on social media that this was the weekend that Patty Jenkins’ Star Wars movie “Rogue Squadron” was supposed to come out.
“Seven openers in the course of four days is unusual,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.
“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is estimated to have cost around $200 million to produce, not including marketing and promotion costs. Including international estimates at $80 million through Monday, “Aquaman” is heading toward a $120 million global debut.
Actor Jason Momoa holds a trident at an event to celebrate his new film, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” in London, Dec. 12, 2023,
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Warner Bros.
The first film opened to $67.8 million in 2018 and went on to make almost $1.2 billion globally. Dergarabedian noted that the first film also earned more than 70% of its box office internationally.
The “Aquaman” opening ends a tricky, transitional year for DC superhero films, full of box office disappointments including “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” “The Flash” and “Blue Beetle,” as the studio phases out this slate to welcome in James Gunn’s vision for the future. “Aquaman 2” was the final “holdover” of the previous administration.
Its studio, Warner Bros. also has the No. 2 movie of the weekend, “Wonka ” and one of the major Christmas openings, “The Color Purple,” a buffet of big movies that was sorely needed by theaters — especially without no new movie from the Walt Disney Company or Paramount. By Monday, Warner Bros. will likely have three spots in the top five.
“Warners has something for everybody” said Jeff Goldstein, the studio’s head of domestic distribution. “With lots of holiday time to see all three.”
“Wonka,” in its second weekend, earned an estimated $17.7 million over the weekend and $26.1 million including Monday, bringing its total domestic earnings to $83.6 million.
Third place went to Illumination and Universal’s “Migration,” a PG-rated animated adventure about a family of mallards traveling south. Voice actors include Kumail Najiani, Elizabeth Banks and Awkwafina. It earned an estimated $12.3 million from 3,761 locations in North America through Sunday, which will likely increase to $17.1 million by the end of Monday. Its global total through Sunday is sitting at an estimated $34.3 million, and it could soar with kids out of school.
An image from the animated film “Migration,” about a family of birds flying south for the winter.
Illumination Entertainment & Universal Pictures via AP
“‘Migration’ flew into theaters with really, really exciting audience reactions pointing to what we think won’t just be a fantastic run throughout the holidays but also into the next year,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution.
Aside from Disney’s re-releases of some of its Pixar titles early in the year, there will be no new direct competition until “Kung Fu Panda 4” comes out on March 8.
Weekend box office earnings dropped off significantly further down the list, with the romantic comedy “Anyone But You” in fourth place with an estimated $6.2 million from its first three days, expected to reach $9 million including Monday. Directed by Will Gluck, the movie, loosely inspired by “Much Ado About Nothing,” divided critics sharply. Audiences gave it a B+ CinemaScore.
In fifth place was the Telugu-language action film “Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire,” which made $5.5 million from only 802 theaters. The top 10 included another Indian film, the Hindi-language “Dunki,” and two Japanese films, “Godzilla Minus One” and “The Boy and the Heron.”
A24’s “The Iron Claw,” about the tragedy-stricken Von Erich wrestling family, opened on 2,774 screens riding a wave of good reviews praising Zac Efron’s lead performance.
“No matter where the box office ends up on the 31st, whether it hits $9 billion or is just close, this is just a boom time to be a moviegoer,” Dergarabedian said. “The top 10 reads like a greatest hits of every type of cinema.”
Below is a list of estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures including Christmas Day will be released Tuesday.
1. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” $28.1 million. 2. “Wonka,” $17.7 million. 3. “Migration,” $12.3 million. 4. “Anyone But You,” $6.2 million. 5. “Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire,” $5.5 million. 6. “The Iron Claw,” $5.1 million. 7. “The Hunger Games: The Ballard of Songbirds & Snakes,” $3.2 million 8. “The Boy and the Heron,” $3.2 million. 9. “Godzilla Minus One,” $2.7 million. 10. “Dunki,” $2.7 million.
Christmas revenue at the domestic box office is running behind 2022, a sobering stat as Hollywood studios and theater owners prepare to ring out a topsy-turvy year.
As it stands now, combined ticket sales in North America for the marquee holiday weekend (Dec. 22-Dec. 25) are down 7 percent from last year, although the gap could close somewhat if traffic picks up in earnest on Christmas afternoon once presents are unwrapped. (Studios never like it when Dec. 25 falls on a Monday, since many consumers use the weekend to finish final yuletide preparations.)
Either way, James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is headed for one of the lowest starts in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe with a projected four-day domestic gross of $38 million to $40 million, including $27 million to $28 million for the three days (numbers will be updated Monday morning.) The good news: It can still claim a No. 1 finish. Overseas, it took in $80.1 million from 72 markets — including a promising $30.4 million in China, where it turned in the biggest start of the year for a Hollywood superhero pic.
The big-budget tentpole, reteaming Wan and star Jason Momoa, has been largely rebuked by critics and only earned a B CinemaScore from audiences. The sequel, which faced a troubled road to the big screen, marks the end of an era as new DC chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran are set to reboot the DC Universe with 2025’s Superman: Legacy. (Momoa himself has all but said there won’t be an Aquaman threequel.)
In 2018, the first Aquaman was the king of the year-end holiday when swimming to a three-day opening of $67.9 million over the Dec. 21-23 weekend. Through Christmas Day — a Tuesday that year — its domestic tally was a rousing $105.4 million (that included several million in special sneak peeks the previous weekend). The movie went on to earn $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion globally, the best showing ever for a DCEU title, not adjusted for inflation.
Wan’s movie lends further credence to the superhero fatigue theory. Even the most ardent fanboys are weary. Aquaman 2 is also trailing the recent $46.1 million opening of box office debacle The Marvels from rival Marvel Studios.
A slew of other films also opened Friday, and the Warners empire is feeling particularly giving. The studio has no fewer than three year-end holiday event movies: Aquaman2; Wonka, which opened last weekend; and The Color Purple. It’s a daring feat, to say the least, as the latter two are musicals. (Like The Color People, several other holiday titles waited until Monday to unfurl, including The Boys in the Boat and Ferrari.)
In yet another test of the appetite for theatrical animated fare, and especially original stories, Illumination and Universal are contributing Migration to the holiday mix for families.
The animated tentpole, which earned an A CinemaScore, is expected to earn $12.5 million for the weekend proper from 3,761 theaters and $17.2 million for the four days, ahead of what some tracking services had predicted but still the lowest start in the history of Illumination, not adjusting for inflation. The movie is doing muted business so far overseas, for a projected foreign tally of $22 million from 43 markets through Sunday.
The final verdict on Migration won’t be rendered until New Year’s weekend, as there is no more lucrative stretch of the movie going year than the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
Migration is looking at a No. 3 weekend finish behind Aquaman and Wonka. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Wonka is on course to earn an estimated $28 million.
Columbia/Sony’s edgy romantic-comedy Anyone but You is unwrapping a fourth-place finish with an estimated $8 million from 3,055 theaters for the four days. The new pic, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, earned a B+ CinemaScore. (No studio likes anything other than some variation of an A grade for most movies.)
Females make up nearly 80 percent of all patrons buying tickets to see the rom-com, while males make up at least 66 percent of A24’s Zac Efron-led wrestling family drama The Iron Claw, another title on the Christmas marquee movie. Iron Claw is pacing to open to $6.1 million, also slightly ahead of tracking.
At the specialty box office, Searchlight Pictures opened Andrew Haigh’s acclaimed All of Us Strangers in four locations in New York and Los Angeles. The awards contender is looking at an estimated location average of $43,000 for four days, one of the best averages of the year.
Final numbers for the four-day weekend will be released on Tuesday.
Dec. 24, 8 a.m.: Updated with revised weekend estimates. Dec. 24 8:10 a.m.: Updated with revised estimates.
This story was originally published on Dec. 23 at 8:23 a.m.
DC’s James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is headed for one of the lowest starts in the history of the DC Cinematic Universe with a projected four-day Christmas weekend gross in the $40 million to $45 million range. The good news: It can still claim a No. 1 finish and is faring slightly better than leading tracking services had predicted.
The movie earned an estimated $13.7 million Friday from 3,706 theaters, including $4.5 million in Thursday previews. Hollywood studios are never happy when Christmas Day falls on a Monday since the weekend box office has to compete with final Christmas preparations, including travel and gift buying.
However, Aquaman 2 has larger issues than just that. The big-budget tentpole, reteaming Wan and star Jason Momoa, has been largely rebuked by critics and only earned a B CinemaScore from audiences. The sequel, which faced a troubled road to the big screen, marks the end of an era as new DC chiefs James Gunn and Peter Safran reboot the DC Universe with 2025’s Superman: Legacy. (Momoa himself has all but said there won’t be an Aquaman threequel.)
In 2018, the first Aquaman was the king of the year-end holiday when swimming to a three-day opening of $67.9 million over the Dec. 21-23 weekend. Through Christmas Day — a Tuesday that year — its domestic tally was a rousing $105.4 million (that included several million in special sneak peeks the previous weekend). The movie went on to earn $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion globally, the best showing ever for a DCEU title, not adjusted for inflation.
Wan’s movie lends further credence to the superhero fatigue theory. Even the most ardent fanboys are weary. Aquaman 2 is also trailing the recent $46.1 million opening of box office debacle The Marvels, from rival Marvel Studios.
A slew of other films also opened Friday. Warners has no fewer than three year-end holiday event movies — Aquaman, Wonka, which opened last weekend, and The Color Purple — a daring feat (to boot, two are musicals).
In yet another test of the appetite for theatrical animated fare, and especially original stories, Illumination and Universal are contributing Migration to the holiday mix for families.
The family pic, which earned an A CinemaScore, is expected to earn $13 million for the weekend proper from 3,761 theaters and $18 million for the four days, also ahead of what some tracking services had predicted.
The final verdict for Migration won’t be rendered until New Year’s weekend. There’s no more lucrative stretch of the moviegoing year than the week between Christmas and New Year’s.
Migration will come in No. 3 behind Aquaman and Wonka, as the Timothée Chalamet starrer is projected to gross a pleasing $30 million for the four days.
Columbia/Sony’s edgy romantic-comedy Anyone but You is unwrapping a fourth-place finish with an estimated $9 million from 3,055 theaters for the four days. The pic, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, earned a B+ CinemaScore. (No studio likes anything other than some variation of an A grade for most movies.)
Females made up 67 percent of Friday ticket buyers, while males made up 66 percent of A24’s Zac Efron-led wrestling family drama The Iron Claw, another title on the Christmas marquee movie. Iron Claw is pacing to open to $8 million, also head of tracking.
At one moment in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, characters are running through a mutated jungle, chased by lion-sized cockroaches while avoiding violent, human-eating plants. In another moment, multiple characters are standing around, their hair flowing wildly, delivering wooden dialogue that’s almost as painful for them to say as it is for us to hear.
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That mix of positive and negative is a great representation ofAquaman and the Lost Kingdom. It’s a movie that tries to be everything at the expense of being anything. At times it’s goofy and exciting. At other times it’s serious and stoic. But unlike the 2018 original, which found a strong balance between those things, this sequel struggles to blend an overly complicated narrative and lofty themes alongside the big, fun action set pieces. It’s not altogether terrible but more often than not, it feels like a slog.
When we last left Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) he’d defeated his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) and became king of Atlantis, a vast underwater kingdom hidden from the surface world. Now, probably a year or so later, Arthur and Hera (Amber Heard) have a child, Arthur Jr., and finding a way to be both a father and a king has become a struggle. These early scenes are among the best in the movie, allowing Momoa to be his big-kid self while also opening up new possibilities for the character, that of a hero torn between two worlds. Unfortunately, that gets forgotten rather quickly.
Orm and Arthur.Image: Warner Bros.
That’s partially because one of Arthur’s old nemeses, Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), is searching the globe for technology that will help him fight and defeat Arthur. He soon stumbles upon a mysterious, powerful black Trident that gives him ancient powers he can’t quite explain. Manta and his crew instantly become more formidable than ever and, to find and defeat him, Arthur must ask his imprisoned brother for help.
Starting there and moving on throughout the movie, the major plot points in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom all seem a tad too complex and drawn out. Manta discovering the Trident comes after a slightly overstuffed exploration sequence. Arthur needing Orm means he has to go against a council he’s a part of and betray one of his allies, while also defeating some random bug monsters. There is also a lot, and we mean a lot, of talk about this ancient, deadly energy source that plays a huge role in the story. Then, once Arthur and Orm forge an unlikely alliance, their journey takes them to several different spots, such as a whole pirate hideaway that’s very cool to look at, and features Martin Short voicing an underwater Jabba the Hutt character called Kingfish, but adds almost nothing of note.
Then there’s the promise of the title, this mythical Lost Kingdom, which you’d imagine plays a major role in the movie (it being in the title after all) but is held back until very close to the end, making it feel incredibly superfluous. Elements are seeded throughout of course, but once we get the big narrative dump explaining the Lost Kingdom and everything around it, you’ve basically figured it out and just want to plow through it to get to the big finale.
Image: Warner Bros.
The big finale is when, finally, the usually incredible director James Wan really gets to flex his muscles. There are wonderful 360-degree camera moves. Terrifying and bold angles as we discover key new locations. And as the film starts to get a little more interesting to look at, you realize something: you’ve been watching a James Wan movie for about 90 minutes and nothing about it has stood out visually until now. Are there cool creatures? Ships? Entertaining action? Sure. But all of it is overshadowed by a film’s desire to take a relatively simple basic story and overstuff it for overstuffing’s sake. Whether or not it’s true, the climatic battle scenes simply have more cohesion and authorship to them, as if those were locked in while everything around them changed.
And yet, despite all its flaws, there are plenty of moments where Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom can be very enjoyable. Jason Momoa is, as usual, really fun to watch. He and Patrick Wilson have great chemistry and a bunch of great scenes together. Amber Heard’s Mera, rumored to be cut out of the film or at least cut back, has a few really big, heroic moments. Characters ride giant bugs. Giant seahorses. Nicole Kidman pilots a shark. Plus, there are several attempts at making the movie about something other than Aquaman vs. Black Manta, all of which give the sense the movie is going to be better than is, but then fail to deliver. One example is the political tension between underwater worlds. Another is the story’s impact on the global environment. But ultimately even the best moments get forgotten because they, like the rest of the movie, are all over the place.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is certainly not the worst film in the recent DC Universe—but as the follow-up to one of the better ones, we expected more. It feels like a movie that was way more impacted by whatever was happening behind the scenes at DC than anyone involved would care to admit. Because if that wasn’t the case, everyone involved came in with too many ideas and decided to shove them all in there. The result is a film that doesn’t sink, but neither does it swim. It just kicks and kicks hoping to rise above. But it does not.
DC’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom started off its Christmas domestic box office run with a sluggish $4.5 million in Thursday previews, well behind the $9 million earned by the first film. The sequel, reteaming director James Wan and star Jason Momoa, caps a year in which the superhero genre has largely struggled at the box office.
The Warner Bros. tentpole may only swim to $37 million to $43 million in its domestic box office debut over the four-day holiday weekend. That would pale in comparison to 2018’s Aquaman, as well as trail the recent $46.1 million opening of box office debacle The Marvels, from rival Marvel Studios.
Aquaman 2, which faced a troubled road to the big screen, marks an end to this era of DC as new leaders James Gunn and Peter Safran reboot the DC Extended Universe in 2025’s Superman: Legacy. Momoa himself has said he’s not likely to puruse a third Aquaman movie.
In 2018, Aquaman‘s official three-day opening over the Dec. 21-23 weekend was $67.9 million. And through Christmas Day — a Tuesday — its domestic tally was a rousing $105.4 million (that included several million in special sneak peeks the previous weekend). The Warner Bros. and DC movie went on to earn $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion globally, the best showing ever for a DCEU title, not adjusted for inflation.
If there’s any consolation, it’s that Aquaman 2 is almost assured of winning what is shaping up to be a sluggish Christmas weekend.
A slew of other films open Friday opposite The Lost Kingdom. Warners has no fewer than three year-end holiday event movies — Aquaman, Wonka, which opened last weekend, and The Color Purple — a daring feat (and never mind that two are musicals).
In yet another test of the appetite for theatrical animated fare, and especially original stories, Illumination and Universal open the holiday animated tentpole Migration on Friday. Tracking suggests the family pic will post a four-day gross of $14 million to $15 million. In November, Disney Animation was skewered when Wish opened to $31.6 million over the five-day Thanksgiving corridor, including $19.7 million for the weekend proper.
Peter Safran, the co-head of DC Studios, has shared that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could be Jason Momoa’s final appearance as the legendary comic book character.
His comment came after the actor also said that the future of the DC superhero franchise is “not looking too good.”
While recently speaking at the Aquaman sequel event at the IWC Schaffhausen boutique in Beverly Hills, Safran responded to a question about Momoa’s future at DC Studios. “When I think of Jason in this role, he is the definitive Aquaman,” he responded. “He’s redefined it. … It’s really been an 11 or 12-year journey for him — a lot of the audience doesn’t realize that he was cast so long ago. It’s kind of redefined him. When he took this role he was known as Khal Drogo, and now he’s really Aquaman.”
Heading into Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s theatrical release on Friday, the movie is tracking for a soft opening at the box office, which would pale in comparison to the first installment, released in 2018. The film, directed by James Wan, has also been met with negative reviews and currently has a 38 percent critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In her review, The Hollywood Reporter Arts & Culture Critic Lovia Gyarkye said the sequel is “frustratingly committed to formula.”
But for Safran, he just hopes fans “will really be here to support him [Momoa] in this journey. If it’s the end of the journey, fine. If it goes on, that’s also fine, but I think it has meant so much to him. The way [director] James [Wan] crafted this second film, it feels like a very complete story when you watch the two films together.”
He added, “We’ll see what happens with him beyond it. I know that Jason will always have a home at DC, and at Warner Bros. In fact, his next movie is Minecraft.”
Safran and James Gunn took over DC Studios last year and have been open about creating their own vision for the DC cinematic universe.
Last week, Momoa talked to Entertainment Tonight about reports that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could be his last time playing the King of Atlantis. “I don’t necessarily want it to be the end… [but] I don’t think it’s really, like, a choice,” he said at the time.
Though the actor has greatly enjoyed playing the comic book character, he understands that Safran and James Gunn want “to start their own new thing up” at DC Studios.
“The truth of it is, I mean, if the audience loves it, then there’s a possibility,” Momoa said of the possibility to play Aquaman again. “But right now, I’m like, ‘It’s not looking too good.’”
He added, “I love this character and [I would want to] play it for a long time. I kind of see where I would want it to go. And even in the next 10 years or so, like there’s a lot of cool things they can do. And I do enjoy the role and the world. So, I mean, it just comes down to if people love it.”
At the IWC Schaffhausen event, Safran was there as the Swiss luxury watchmaker launched its Aquaman-inspired watches, the Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month, in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures.
Addressing reports that the latest movie could be his last time playing the legendary King of Atlantis, Momoa admitted, “I don’t necessarily want it to be the end… [but] I don’t think it’s really, like, a choice.”
The actor has been open about his appreciation for getting to play Aquaman, especially because he loves the ocean and also wanted to be a marine biologist growing up. But he understands that James Gunn and Peter Safran, who were recently tapped to lead DC Studios, have their own vision for the future of the DC cinematic universe and want “to start their own new thing up.”
“The truth of it is, I mean, if the audience loves it, then there’s a possibility,” Momoa said of the possibility to play Aquaman again. “But right now, I’m like, ‘It’s not looking too good.’”
The actor added, “I love this character and [I would want to] play it for a long time. I kind of see where I would want it to go. And even in the next 10 years or so, like there’s a lot of cool things they can do. And I do enjoy the role and the world. So, I mean, it just comes down to if people love it.”
Momoa first appeared as Aquaman in 2017’s Justice League before leading his own movie the following year.
Though Aquaman isn’t currently in Gunn and Safran’s DC slate that they unveiled earlier this year, the actor hopes to remain in the superhero universe, even if it’s as a different comic book character.
“If there’s a place in their world for me, I would love to be a part of it,” Momoa said. “This is my home. Warner and DC is definitely my home. So, that’s all I’ll say.”
Let’s start at the end, which was the most powerful beat of this week’s Saturday Night Live. Host Jason Momoa gave a full-throated thank you to his mother in the crowd, and the Iowa town that raised him, before hoisting Chloe Fineman and Ego Nwodim onto his bathtub of a chest. To the side of all this big bear energy, Colin Jost somberly held up a sign that read “We Love You Dana and Paula.” It was a kind gesture of solidarity for the show’s beloved alum, Dana Carvey and his wife, who are staring down a Thanksgiving season without their son, Dex Carvey, who died last week from an accidental drug overdose.
Momoa was affable company, if not necessarily memorable. His monologue was more like a wave than an actual conversation with the audience. Visually, he delights. He wore his lion mane scraped into a ponytail, a mustard yellow leather jacket unzipped down to his belly button, with a giant tusk of a necklace holding court on his automobile-sized pecs. He made but one joke, about how he refers to the show that gave him his start as “the B Word.” Momoa’s gift is good vibes, not comedy. So, he wrapped up his brief time on center stage with an old Hawaiian saying. “Take care of the Earth,” he translated. “Take care of each other.” (We have dire work to do on both fronts.)
The cleverest sketch of the evening was a riff on the recent nonsensical TikTok Roman Empire trend, in which women wondered how much time the men in their lives spend thinking about the clashing chaos of a historical period. Nwodim’s frustrated wife struggled to break through to her preoccupied husband, played by Momoa. “I’m just thinking about the Roman Empire, Ancient Rome,” he rapped, “five times a day, it pops into my dome.” Kenan Thompson and Mikey Day filled out the chorus of Gladiator-obsessed husbands. If men are from the Colosseum, women are from the constellations, obsessed with our Zodiac signs, our enneagrams, our Mercury in retrograde. Jason Momoa, be our bridge!
Jason Momoa plays the role of a Roman gladiator on Saturday Night Live on November 18, 2023
NBC/Getty Images
There weren’t a lot of laughs in this episode. Mikey Day’s President Joe Biden riffing off Bowen Yang’s Chinese panda bear lacked heat. The Newark Airport musical sketch needed the effervescence of a host like John Mulaney to really sing. Momoa and Marcello Hernandez’s bouncer sketch should have slapped, but thudded. Even the Please Don’t Destroy guys had an average week, in which John Higgins’ breakup was interfering with his buddies’ ramen order.
It was time to pull out the big guns, and by that, I mean a sketch starring Momoa’s bare chest. He played a man who’d been stranded on a desert island for five years, whose ex, here Heidi Gardner, had been forced in his absence to settle for basic beau Andrew Dismukes. Chin chin to Momoa pouring red wine down his face. “I’m sorry, I forgot how to drink out of a cup. I must take my shirt off,” he said in the two best lines of the night. Refusing to be outdone, Dismukes also removed his shirt, his modest comedian’s tummy mute in the face of Momoa’s juggling pecs.
The same week Paris Hilton would end up being criticized for mucking about carefreely in the waters near fire-ravaged Lahaina, she also happened to post a yacht montage of herself doing various water sports, standing “thoughtfully” against the railing of the boat as her resort wear billows in the breeze, seeing some majestic dolphins swim next to the yacht (had they been orcas, they might have had the good sense to attack) and generally posing with another one of her accessories, Carter Reum. All of this would be totally “normal”/par for the course were it not for the fact that, of all the songs she could have selected, Hilton opted to soundtrack the montage to Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” (because everyone has clearly forgotten about Bananrama supremacy).
The incongruity of it all was rounded out by the caption, “An incredible escape with my love after countless weeks of flights, performances, shoots and mommy duties. #Greece #SummerOfSliving.” Apart from the flimsy excuse of Taylor Swift’s 2019 song, “Cruel Summer,” suddenly going viral this year, Hilton hardly has a giraffe leg to stand on with regard to using this particular ditty. Not without having some major malicious intent behind it. But oh wait, we forget how inherently tone deaf and out of touch the rich can actually be. Something that feels more believable in this particular scenario than Hilton actually being sardonic enough to really know what she was doing by wielding this song to the backdrop of her luxurious yachting excursion in Greece.
One can pretty much confirm that Hilton put zero consideration into the cutting irony of “Cruel Summer” set against her affluent jaunt when taking into account that she jetted (switching from yacht to plane for her arrival) into Maui right after the devastating fires that wiped out Lahaina. Hilton specifically settled into a resort at Wailea, just thirty miles from the disaster-struck town in question. And at a time when Hawaiians have specifically been asking people not to come. To not engage in the already divisive-among-Hawaiians tradition of tourism. Reiterating that tourism is the last thing Maui needs right now and that, no, it isn’t going to help in any way with recovery just because tourists think they’re “funneling money into the economy.” In fact, it’s been announced that not only is tourism not helpful, it’s actually a detriment. Per Āina Momona, the “lasting island-wide impact on Maui’s resources” means “the less visitors on the island taking up critical resources that have become extremely limited the better.”
Alas, people in Hilton’s echelon are only too accustomed to taking up critical resources. Not only that, but actually being primary causes of grave climate change factors that eradicate critical resources. After all, it seems well-timed for The Washington Post to release an article about how “the richest ten percent of U.S. households are responsible for forty percent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.” The study, published by PLOS Climate, “looked at how a household’s income generated emissions [and] underlines the stark divide between those who benefit most from fossil fuels and those who are most burdened by its effects.” Surely (whether directly or “indirectly”), Hilton must have some investments in the fossil fuel industry game. And even if she doesn’t, the carbon footprint from her yachting and jetsetting excursions ought to make up for it.
Even before landing in Hawaii, the fact that Hilton was blithely tooling around Greece amidst the wildfires that have been raging there since July 17th (making for a genuinely cruel summer) is also telling of a general lack of concern or awareness on her part of anything beyond her bubble—unless, of course, she causes a backlash with her behavior that prompts her to “correct” it by opening her wallet and making the problem “go away.” As she did with the reactions to her Hawaiian journey. Comments like “read the room” were meant to be smoothed over with “a source” assuring that, “Maui has always held a special place in her heart. She has been gathering supplies and taking them to shelters and those who need. She already did and continues to do so.” So as long as she’s “all paid up” in that respect, she can wash her hands of any accusations of tone deafness, right? But no, Hilton remains as tone deaf as Ryanair continuing to offer flights into fire-raging Greece (including the island of Rhodes) for the sake of its own pleasure: more profit. As for what Hilton stood to “profit” from her “Cruel Summer” in both Greece and Hawaii, each affected by profound environmental disasters, it seemed to be nothing more than to prove to her followers that she’s “sliving.” While the rest of the population is barely living.
This is why Hilton’s behavior amounts to another forecast of how the rich versus the “normals” will react to global warming (nay, global boiling) as it keeps worsening. Indeed, one outpost noted of Hilton’s willful ignorance to the gravity of the situation in Hawaii (and Greece, for that matter), “The pictures of the happy family holiday were in stark contrast to the scenes of devastation just over half an hour’s drive away, with locals forced to flee into the sea to escape the burning flames.” Meanwhile, Hilton flees into the sea to frolic with an inflatable duck.
What’s more, so long as Hilton can tell herself she paid even more to be there by donating money to relief efforts, it’s not going to be much sweat off her artificially-tanned back. Incidentally, days before Hilton’s appearance on the island, Honolulu-born Jason Momoa issued a warning that perhaps Hilton needed to hear when he said, “Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply.” But even if she had heard it, it’s not as though it would have made an impact on the woman who unironically soundtracks Greek yachting videos to the tune of “Cruel Summer.” Because, as Paris herself has declared, “Stars are blind.” To any reality outside of their own perfectly manicured one.
Jason Momoa warned would-be tourists “DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI” as deadly wildfires have devastated the community this week.
“Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply,” Momoa wrote on his Instagram page.
“Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.”
Text on the clips read: “The devastation from the wildfires will have a lasting island-wide impact on Maui’s resources. Our community needs time to heal, grieve & restore… Do not book a hotel stay… Survivors are the priority.”
Momoa’s post went on to suggest ways people can help with relief efforts amid the wildfires.
Firefighters are continuing to fight the wildfires in Maui County which left buildings “flattened to debris,” “incinerated” vehicles and apartment complexes that residents compared to “a war zone,” according to the Associated Press.
The wildfires, which burned through most of historic Lahaina, have marked Hawaii’s deadliest natural disaster in over half a century.
Hold on to your seats, sci-fi fans, because Dune: Part Two is about to gears up for its release! The hotly anticipated sequel to the 2021 hit Dune is on track to surpass its predecessor’s box office performance and treat audiences to an extended run in IMAX theaters. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and produced by Warner Bros., the sci-fi epic promises stunning visuals and a star-studded cast that will leave fans on the edge of their seats. Fans are eagerly awaiting the next installment in theaters on November 3, 2023. With an extended IMAX run, its box office potential is looking brighter than ever.
The prospect of an extended IMAX run and the absence of major competition bode well for Dune: Part Two’s box office potential. Unlike its predecessor, the sequel won’t face the challenges of a pandemic release, offering a clear path to audience engagement. With no simultaneous streaming release, fans are encouraged to flock to theaters, contributing to the film’s projected box office triumph.
Warner Bros. assures fans that Dune: Part Two picks up right where the first part left off, promising a captivating continuation filled with stunning cinematography and an ensemble cast that includes Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, and Rebecca Ferguson.
About Dune
Dune captivates audiences with its immersive storytelling. Part one of the film sets the stage flawlessly, delving into the history and politics of the planet Arrakis. The story leaves us on a thrilling cliffhanger, as Paul Atreides and Lady Jessica join forces with the Fremen to bring peace to Arrakis. With Villeneuve’s plan to split the 800-page novel into two parts, fans can look forward to Dune 2.
Dune: Part Two continues the epic tale of Paul Atreides, portrayed by the talented Timothée Chalamet, as he navigates a treacherous desert planet in search of the valuable resource known as ‘spice’. Villeneuve’s visionary direction and the stellar performances of the cast bring Herbert’s intricate world to life, garnering critical acclaim and audience adoration.
With accolades from the 94th Academy Awards and the overwhelming success of its predecessor, the stage is set for Dune: Part Two to claim its rightful place among sci-fi masterpieces. While fans eagerly await its release, Warner Bros. is already working on a television spinoff, Dune: The Sisterhood, exclusively for their streaming platform Max.
Jason Momoa has a knack for showing off in the buff, but who’s really complaining?
In the four minute Q&A, the 43-year-old action icon — who is the cover star for the outlet’s May/June cover — gives a tour of his personal gym and fridge before igniting some hilarious hijinks, including jumping on his bicycle completely nude.
“I didn’t know you were coming. I woulda got dressed up if I knew,” Momoa quips at the start of the video in nothing but an open pink robe, baring his birthday suit when a cameraman appears at his front door.
Elsewhere in the interview, the actor showcased his staples for a “growing boy” within his loaded fridge, which included water, alcohol, ham and a stacked supply of pre- and post-workout drinks.
This isn’t the first time Momoa has shocked fans by wearing as little clothing as possible. The chiseled star also stripped down in the middle of an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in November, sporting nothing but his traditional Hawaiian malo.
You may not be able to define in words what exactly makes a person attractive, but you know it when you see it.
Of course, there is a huge difference between what makes Justin Beiber hot and what makes Bill Nye the Science Guy hot (don’t judge, we don’t kink-shame in this household). For those of us who find men attractive—god help us—the question of attractiveness is particularly complicated. Why Matt Bomer is hot is a simple enough question (he looks like a naughty Ken Doll who has more than plastic beneath his trunks), but things get more nuanced when you consider why leagues of real human beings with eyes find Benedict Cumberbatch attractive or why women regularly throw their panties at Post Malone.
To help you through the haunted, endless maze of human sexuality, Popdust has broken down all the types of hot a man can be. Chances are, every man you’ve ever been attracted to falls into one of these categories.
“Want to Build a Life With Him” Hot
Example: Paul Mescal
This is the kind of guy you want to take home to your mother. Sure, the sex is only okay, but what does that matter when you wake up every morning to homemade pancakes? This isn’t the type of guy you fantasize about f**king on the kitchen floor, this is the kind of guy whose eyes you picture filling with tears when you buy your first home together. He’s not exactly a daddy, but he would make a great literal daddy.
“Church Boy” Hot
Example: Tom Holland
Something about this guy’s small-town haircut and innocent, sunny smile makes you want to corrupt the sh*t out of him. He always looks a little shocked when you make a dirty joke, but you just know that with some intervention from the devil (you) you’d have that perfectly gelled hair mussed in no time. But also…some small part of you wants to let him make you a better person??? A very small part. Mostly, you just want to ruin his life.
“Rearrange My Guts” Hot
Example: Jason Momoa
You don’t want this guy to take you to a nice dinner at a trendy restaurant—you want him to eat take-out off your ass and throw you around like a rag doll. Sure, he probably has thoughts in his head and a personality and interests and blah blah blah LOOK AT THOSE ARMS. This is the kind of guy you want to spend 72 hours in bed with every 4-6 months but otherwise never see. This is the kind of guy you agree to go camping with despite hating the outdoors because you just love watching him pitch a tent (yes, that was a double entendre, you filthy minx).
“Got Your Teenage Sister Pregnant, but You Kind of Get It” Hot
Example: LaKeith Stanfield
Okay, not literally!!! (maybe literally). But you know that kind of smarmy guy who works at the gas station and says borderline-inappropriate things to you every time you see him? But for some reason, you just can’t summon feminist rage about it and instead sorta giggle and blush and wonder what his tobacco-stained fingers would feel like pulling your hair? Yeah, that guy. He’s a good-for-nothing, uneducated, creepy, grungy, loser…and that kind of works for you.
“You Knew He Would Be Weird in Bed” Hot
Example: Evan Mock
So he’s super hot in all the traditional ways, from facial structure to swagger, but there’s also something a little…extra. Something about him that’s…unhinged. Some kind of mad twinkle in his eye that speaks of unexplored multitudes. In most cases, those multitudes are just daddy issues and a preference for foot stuff, but the joy is in the journey of finding out.
“Burnout” Hot
Example: Jeremy Allen White
He’s not a bad-looking guy. Just a little limp-looking, with features that start seeming weird if you stare too long. But there’s something about him. The tattoos? The nicotine addiction? The greasy hair? Somehow, it’s working.
“In Context” Hot (e.g. like a high school women’s lacrosse coach)
Example: Nathan Fielder
In most situations, this guy isn’t going to turn many heads. But put him on a public school field with 23 hormone-ridden 16-year-olds running laps, and you’ve got yourself an absolute sex magnet. Alternatively, put him in a political race populated by old, saggy, white people, and suddenly his ability to tuck in his shirt over his gut seems exceptional.
“Ugly” Hot
Example: Pete Davidson
This is a broad but important category that this reputable publication has dwelled on seriously for quite some time. An ugly hot guy has an appearance that falls outside the boundaries of conventional attractiveness. Maybe he has a weird horse face or limbs that flail like a carwash’s inflatable man in heavy wind (think Pete Davidson). But if you take all of his objectively unattractive features and put them together, somehow, it just works.
“Ascot/Take Me on a Yacht” Hot
Example: Henry Golding
This is better than just being rich—it’s looking rich. This is ascot hot. This guy’s actual God-given looks are largely irrelevant because money made him his own God. He has the money and time to ensure his hair, skin, and clothes are flawless in a “Who me? I just rolled out of bed like this…” kind of way. If this is your type, it’s fine, we get it.
“Ready To Risk It All” Hot
Example: Michael B Jordan
This is the kind of hot you leave your husband for. This is the kind of hot you leave your wife for. This is the kind of hot you sell your house for. This is the kind of hot you pretend to like his DJ set for. Is the sex good? It literally doesn’t matter, just look at him.
“Party Boy” Hot
Example: Machine Gun Kelly
Does he have a substance abuse problem? Probably. Is he reliable? Not at all. Do any of his values align with yours? Absolutely not. Is he a great f**king time? Oh yeah. This guy probably has one of those annoyingly hot side smiles, maybe a kind of hard-to-understand accent, and the sex is probably kind of like being mauled by a drunk bear but in a good way. He probably has an earring he doesn’t remember getting but kind of pulls it off. It goes without saying that your Dad hates him.
“Baby” Hot
Example: Timothée Chalamet
This is a complicated category. He makes your uterus ache, but you can’t tell if that’s sexual arousal or your biological clock ticking. You can’t decide if you want to take a bath with him or give him a bath. Either way, you definitely wanna smooch that sweet lil face.
“Retro” Hot
Example: Aaron Taylor Johnson
Something about him screams “traditional values.” Not in a scary, baby-Don’t Worry Darling way. More in a Ready For Marriage kind of way. And honestly … if he wanted a trad-wife, I’d be a trad-wife.
“Artist/Vegan” Hot
Example: Jaden Smith
He is comfortable with his feminine side, and he wants you to know it. You wanna argue with him about the fallacy of placing the responsibility for climate change on the shoulders of individuals when a handful of corporations are ultimately responsible—but he has those puppy dog eyes, so you just give in and agree to give up plastic straws. His slam poetry competitions are cringe-worthy, but he just looks so good in ripped Levi’s and a beanie.
“Wouldn’t Be Surprised if He Turned Out to Be a Serial Killer” Hot
Example: Robert Pattinson
He speaks, acts, and behaves like a robot who has heard about the behavior of human beings but never actually seen it. There’s something magnetic about his strangeness, and suddenly the legacy of Ted Bundy makes sense to you. Everything about him is subtly unsettling, but personality disorders aside….he could get it.
“Prettier Than You” Hot
Example: Josh Heuston
He paints his nails, has a skincare routine, and posts thirst traps on Instagram. He doesn’t have a job, but he has thousands of followers on TikTok so he’s working on monetizing social media. Which makes all his hair products a business expense, I guess? Whatever, it’s worth it when he takes his shirt off.
“Stoner” Hot
Example: Donald Glover
He only chuckles at your jokes but cries laughing when his gamer buddy says something about farts. He always needs a haircut, has stains on his shirt, and probably smells faintly of Doritos. Still, something about his anti-establishment, “being handsome is mainstream” attitude does it for you.
“Garbage” Hot
Example: Jack Harlow
This one comes with a lot of justified self-loathing. Just do better.
Before Jason Momoa stripped down in front of the talk show host mid-interview (more on that later), he was already wearing an outfit to remember: bright purple silk pajamas and a pink velvet coat.
The ensemble is apparently the costume the actor wears in his new Netflix film “Slumberland,” but Kimmel was far more interested in the traditional Hawaiian malo Momoa sported on a recent fishing trip.
The “Aquaman” star explained that he’s been wearing the garment while shooting “Chief of War,” an upcoming Apple TV+ limited series set in the 18th century about the unification and colonization of Hawaii.
“That’s what I wear every day,” Momoa explained. “I was just getting ready for the role and I like to get into character and so I was tanning my white ass.”
The host then began peppering the star with questions: “And that’s comfortable? So you’ll wear this to the supermarket? Would you shop in this? Let’s say you went to the movies, would you wear this to the movies?”
Momoa happily obliged Kimmel’s inquiries, but chose to show rather than tell when the comedian asked whether he was “wearing this under your clothes right now.”
“Of course,” Momoa replied, before standing up and fully disrobing to reveal the butt-baring outfit mere inches away from Kimmel’s face.
After giving the host quite the view (and even a little jiggle), he quickly put his clothes back on to carry on with the rest of the interview.
But Kimmel clearly needed a moment, joking, “Let me tell you, I never felt more like Danny DeVito than I do right now.”
Momoa, for one, explained that the malo is so comfortable that he far prefers it to his regular outfits.
“I actually don’t even like wearing clothes anymore,” he said. “I’m in it every day. I wear it all the time.”
Based on the cheers coming from the audience, there are clearly no complaints.
