The film brings a sense of familiarity between Jack Ryan and Mike November. The joyous relationship between Krasinski and Kelly off the screen helped add to their on-screen chemistry.

“The more you get to know Michael Kelly, you have to just embrace what you got, which is a wild horse,” Krasinski tells Nerd Reactor. “He’s the nicest, funniest, most generous person who also makes me laugh incredibly hard. It’s no coincidence that his character went from being a buttoned-up CIA guy to a complete wild man.”

Kelly reiterates the sentiment, focusing on the same energy on set.

“Personally, I’m in tears every single day of filming,” Kelly added. “We laugh that hard every day, even through a lot of difficult days on set. Somehow, we always find a way to get through it by making each other laugh.”

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War is now available to stream on Prime Video.

You can watch the full interview via the video above.

About Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War

Synopsis: In this new film, Jack Ryan is reluctantly thrust back into the world of espionage when an international covert mission unravels a deadly conspiracy, forcing him to confront a rogue black-ops unit, and the clock is ticking. Operating in real time with lives on the line and the threat escalating at every turn, Jack reunites with battle-tested CIA operative Mike November (Michael Kelly) and former CIA boss James Greer (Wendell Pierce), their combined experience the only edge they have against an enemy who knows their every move. Backed by an unlikely new partner – razor-sharp MI6 officer Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller) – Jack and the team navigate a treacherous web of betrayal, facing a past they thought was long put to rest – making this the most personal, high-stakes mission any of them have ever faced.

The post John Krasinski Calls Michael Kelly a ‘Wild Horse’ in Jack Ryan: Ghost War Interview appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Voicing the English version of Hathaway is Caleb Yen (Metaphor: ReFantazio), the leader of MAFTY, who seeks to disrupt the Federation government. The character is very serious, who is the complete opposite of Yen.

“I like to play a character that’s so different from me,” the actor said. “So getting to be someone who thinks a lot more than I do and has a mission that he’s very dedicated to, but thinks about it instead of talking about it. Whereas I would just talk about it a lot. And what’s great about this movie or the trilogy, you’re not sure who to root for.”

Voicing Lane Aim, the young Gundam pilot on the Federation side, is Kieran Walton.

“That’s kind of real-life adjacent,” Walton said of the morally grey characters in the Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway films. “Sometimes it feels like you don’t know who to root for, and it really is important to sort through those matters on your own and really figure out where you’re passionate.”

About Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe

Synopsis: The year is U.C. 0105, twelve years after Char’s Rebellion. “MAFTY” has begun resisting the Federation government’s tyrannical rule by assassinating its ministers. Its leader is actually Hathaway Noa, the son of Bright Noa, who fought in the One Year War alongside Amuro Ray.

Haunted by past trauma, Hathaway is drawn to a mysterious girl named Gigi Andalucia, whose strange powers stir memories within him. While swayed by her cryptic words, he continues preparing for MAFTY’s mission — the attack on the Adelaide Conference. Kenneth Sleg of the Earth Federation Forces prepares a defense operation for the Adelaide Conference and a plan to eliminate MAFTY and is approached by Handley Yoxon of the Criminal Police Organization with a secret proposal.

As Hathaway and Kenneth pursue their respective goals, Gigi also sets off for Hong Kong to fulfill her own role.

The post ‘Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway’ Stars Caleb Yen and Kieran Walton on the Morally Grey World appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

“I found it upsetting,” Dano tells Nerd Reactor. “To learn what you do in this film and then see how it’s been applied all over the world. So in that way, it’s not just a film about Russia, but about modern politics and modern power. One of the really disturbing things for me was seeing that the creation of chaos requires a strong figure in the middle. We’ve really seen that put to work in the US as well.”

As an actor, Dano discusses what he does between different projects.

“Absolutely take time to reset if you can, because it’s easy to get lost on tour, so to speak, like a band that can’t stop touring,” he explained. “It is a different life. You’re working very long days, often away from home. It’s really important to go back to your life, your people, your family, get leveled again, get straight again, and regenerate so that you are hungry for the next one.”

About The Wizard of the Kremlin

Synopsis: In the chaos of post-Soviet Russia, rising KGB officer Vladimir Putin (Jude Law) joins forces with master manipulator Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano) to reshape life behind the Iron Curtain, using violence and deception to change the world forever. Putin and Baranov’s reign of chaos begins with lies and corruption, and quickly escalates to assassinations, tyranny, and eventually all-out war.

The film is directed by Olivier Assayas and written by Olivier Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère.

It stars Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Tom Sturridge, Will Keen, with Jeffrey Wright and Jude Law.

The Wizard of the Kremlin releases in North American theaters on May 15, 2026.

The post Paul Dano Reflects on Power, Politics, and Shaping Reality Behind the Scenes appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Directed by Kyle Balda and written by Craig Mazin, based on Leonie Swann’s Three Bags Full, the film gathers an incredible ensemble cast that somehow never feels overcrowded. Hugh Jackman brings a warmth and steadiness to the story’s emotional center, while Nicholas Braun and Nicholas Galitzine balance humor and awkward charm beautifully. Molly Gordon and Hong Chau bring sincerity that grounds the film, and Emma Thompson carries a graceful wisdom that lingers in every scene she touches.

Then there are the voices.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, and Brett Goldstein fill the flock with personality and life. The chemistry between the vocal cast feels effortless. Conversations overlap naturally, jokes land cleanly, and emotional moments arrive with surprising softness. The sheep themselves become far more than comic relief. They feel like a real community trying to understand a world that suddenly feels uncertain.

What caught me most off guard was how thoughtfully the film approaches death. Beneath the mystery and comedy is a story about grief and the ripple effect it leaves behind. The film handles this with remarkable care, especially for younger audiences. It understands that loss not only affects the person who is gone. It changes the people left behind, too. Rather than avoiding those feelings, the story gently encourages viewers to sit with them, talk about them, and move through them together.

That sense of togetherness becomes the film’s strongest quality. The Sheep Detectives constantly returns to the idea that community matters. People celebrate together, grieve together, argue together, and still find ways to care for one another. The film presents rural life almost like a modern fairy tale, full of soft hills, warm kitchens, muddy paths, and quiet evenings where everyone feels connected by shared experience. There is a rustic charm here that feels deeply genuine.

Visually, the film glows with warmth. The countryside looks lived in rather than polished, and the animation carries a softness that matches the story’s emotional tone. Every field, barn, and lantern-lit room feels inviting. I found myself wanting to stay in this world long after the credits rolled.

Going in, I expected a quirky mystery with talking sheep and a few good laughs. What I found instead was a film about kindness, healing, and the way communities hold each other together during difficult times. It made me laugh often, but it also left me strangely emotional in the best possible way.

By the time the story reached its final moments, I realized how rare films like this have become. The Sheep Detectives trusts its audience enough to discuss grief honestly while still keeping its sense of wonder intact. It reminds us that sadness and joy often exist side by side, and that leaning on one another through both is what makes life meaningful.

Rating: 4/5 Atoms

The post The Sheep Detectives Review – A Funny, Gentle Mystery With a Whole Lot of Heart appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Kawamori has a new film, Labyrinth, which hits U.S. theaters on May 10th and 11th. If you have seen his previous works, music and technology have been important. With Labyrinth, a high school girl named Shiori (voiced by Atarashii Gakko!’s Suzuka) dreams of becoming an online sensation. After being in a viral but embarrassing video, she is trapped inside her smartphone and replaced by a doppelganger who becomes famous.

“When I think about my past work like Macross, or the Valkyrie, or even Transformers, they have a lot of physical power because they’re giant robots,” Kawamori tells Nerd Reactor. “But a smartphone, even though it’s so much smaller, I think it can have an equivalent or maybe even more power, because you can really affect someone on the other side of the world. So I think technology is very alluring, but also that is the part of the danger that most people don’t realize.”

Kawamori is influenced by growing up in a rural area like Toyama and the modern city of Yokohama. Fans can see the inspiration in his work.

“I was born in traditional arts, and nature was the core of our lives,” the director said. “Then I came to this technology-filled city. I don’t think one is better than the other. I think both are important, and both are very interesting to me. I wanted to always come up with ways where that duality could coexist, and also combine them to create something more interesting and fun. I think that journey of exploring that is really my more than 40 years of work, and it continues into Labyrinth.”

About Labyrinth

Synopsis: Shiori is a typical high school student who dreams of online stardom, but struggles to capture attention. After an embarrassing video of her goes viral, she gets trapped in her smartphone and replaced by a charismatic alter ego. As the doppelganger charms the internet and devises a nefarious plot to replace mankind with brainrot, Shiori must partner with other online outcasts to stop her digital counterpart and reclaim her life in the real world.

The post Shoji Kawamori on Smartphones, Giant Robots, and the Hidden Power of the Digital Age appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Mortal Kombat II comes out swinging and barely stops to catch its breath. It’s basically 90% fighting and 10% plot, and honestly, that’s a good thing. Because you want to see a bunch of wildly powered fighters beat the hell out of each other in brutal, crowd-pleasing ways. On that level, the movie absolutely delivers, making fans feel excited and satisfied.

First and foremost, the fight scenes are off the hook. They’re fast, aggressive, and full of personality. What makes them work so well is how much the choreography understands each Kombatant. The fight scenes build around what these characters can do. Their abilities shape the rhythm of each fight, which, in turn, gives every matchup its own spark.

Not to mention, there’s also a nice sharpness to the way everything moves. The fights are quick without becoming messy. In other words, you can actually follow the hits, the counters, the weapons, and the power moves—allowing you to revel in the beautiful choreography. Plus, it never drags or falls into that overly staged rhythm where the action pauses just long enough for everyone to reset. Mortal Kombat II keeps things moving, and that momentum makes the chaos more enjoyable, especially when we get to the fatalities.

Mortal Kombat II delivers fast fights, brutal fatalities, and a stronger sense of fun in a sequel that knows exactly what fans came to see.

The other thing that surprised me is how well the movie handles its massive cast. With this many characters, someone usually gets pushed into the background. Here, everyone gets a moment. Some characters obviously get more screen time than others, but the movie understands that fans show up with favorites. It gives each fighter a chance to pop, whether it is through a major battle, a funny line, a small emotional beat, or a power showcase that gets the audience going.

That is where the sequel really improves on the reboot. Mortal Kombat II still has drama and character stories, but it’s not weighed down by them. The first film took itself a little too seriously, almost as if it was afraid to admit how wild this world is. This one loosens up. It has laughs and has attitude. Plus, it lets the characters be cool, weird, intense, cocky, and ridiculous when the moment calls for it.

Does the story break new ground? Not really. The plot is mostly there to move everyone from one fight to the next. But for this kind of movie, that works. Mortal Kombat II knows exactly what it is selling, and it does not waste much time pretending otherwise.

Overall, if you are the type of viewer who needs a deep story and prestige-level character work, this probably won’t be your thing. But as a bloody, energetic, fan-friendly action sequel, Mortal Kombat II is a blast. It’s bigger, faster, funnier, and more confident than the reboot. Most importantly, it FINALLY feels like a Mortal Kombat movie.

Rating: 4/5 atoms

Mortal Kombat II hits theaters on May 8th.

The post Mortal Kombat II Review – More Toasty Than Toasted appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

The film follows a group of animals who rebelled against the humans to escape captivity and to prevent themselves from ending up in a slaughterhouse. Lucky, voiced by Gaten Matarazzo (Netflix’s Stranger Things), is a piglet who is torn between following Napoleon, a rebellious boar voiced by Seth Rogen, and Snowball, a sow voiced by Laverne Cox. With the animals running their own animal farm, following one leader blindly could lead to a disastrous end.

“We ultimately wanted to have young people sit with their parents and grandparents and then have a debate,” Serkis tells Nerd Reactor. “[George] Orwell wrote this innocent story to be able to talk about darker themes, but also to have a discussion about it. We have not made this for an algorithm. It’s not to hit from a marketing perspective. We’re not aiming at anything other than trying to tell a tale that will engage young inquiring minds to have a conversation with their adult parents and grandparents.

“Some people will love it, and some people will hate this film, and that’s great. That’s what we want. We want to encourage that, that being able to talk about something, rather than these are very subtle, nuanced discussions that we’re having through an entertaining, animated, young, innocent film.”

Iman Vellani voices two characters, Puff and Tammy, who are piglets and friends of Lucky.

“Teenagers notoriously don’t have a strong sense of self, and younger kids too,” Vellani explained. “They’re literally blindly following what their adults and parents are doing around them, and thinking that that’s the way to do it, because that’s how I’ve been taught and seen… So I think this movie gives younger audiences the tools to actually recognize these injustices and apply them to their own lives, too.”

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

About Animal Farm

Synopsis: A satirical allegory of revolution and power traces how a movement for equality is systematically corrupted. As the pigs consolidate control, truth is erased, dissent is crushed, and the farm descends into a ruthless dictatorship – fulfilling Orwell’s warning about the dangers of communism.

The film is directed by Andy Serkis and features the voice of Serkis, Seth Rogen, Woody Harrelson, Glenn Close, Gaten Matarazzo, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, Kieran Culkin, Steve Buscemi, Laverne Cox, and Iman Vellani.

Animal Farm was released in the U.S. and Canada on May 1, 2026.

The post Andy Serkis & Iman Vellani on Animal Farm: Sacrifice, Power, and Questioning Authority appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

“The most important thing for a producer, and I’m one of a few, you’ve got to take care of business in the background to support everything a director does,” Simmons tells Nerd Reactor. “Because the actors depend on him, the scenic designers, the cinematographers, and everything. So he’s got to put all the pieces together and get a performance that you care about.”

This is in stark contrast to how Simmons works in the music industry.

“Being in a band, it’s your show,” the musician/producer said. “You’re in front of the stage. You control a lot of stuff.”

Deep Water follows survivors of a crashed plane as they try to survive in shark-infested waters.

“The key to any movie is that you care about the characters,” Harlin explained. “You can blow up the planes, you can crash them, and you can have sharks attack from left and right. But if you don’t really root for the characters and care about them, then you don’t have anything.”

Renny Harlin’s life has changed now that he is married and has children.

“I feel that I was more equipped to do this now that my life has changed so much in just the last few years,” he added. “I got married. I have three kids. I think I’m a better person than I was before, and I know that I care more deeply than I ever did. I would like to think that’s reflected in how I handle the characters, how I directed the actors. We have little kids in the story. We have a grandmother in the story. And I think that I paid attention to those things more than I’ve ever done before in my life.”

About Deep Water

Synopsis: A flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai goes down in the middle of the Pacific. After surviving the crash, the survivors soon discover they’re not alone and they must survive the shark infested waters.

The film is directed by Renny Harlin and written by Pete Bridges and John Kim. Producers are Gene Simmons, Ying Ye, Neal Kingston, Grant Bradley, Dale Bradley, Adrián Guerra, Xavier Parache, and Bob Yari.

It stars Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Molly Belle Wright, Angus Sampson, Kelly Gale, and Li Wenhan.

Deep Water releases in theaters nationwide on May 1, 2026.

The post Gene Simmons on Film Producing, Music, and Why Directors Lead the Set appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

The film, starring Ranbir as Rama and Yash as Ravana and directed by Nitesh Tiwari (Dangal), is based on the ancient and epic tale that follows Prince Rama and his journey to save his wife, Sita. The story has been adapted many times into movies, TV series, novels, and comic books.

Yash also serves as the film’s producer, and he aims to have Ramayana reach a global audience.

“I think it’s important to understand there are two possibilities in this kind of scenario,” Yash tells Nerd Reactor. “You don’t take the risk at all and say, ‘Listen, people are so critical about it. People are so sensitive about it. Let’s not go there. We have better ways to make money, or you know, you can go on with a safe zone where you do films.’ And there’s another way, whether it should be told or put on a global platform or not. If the answer is yes, then we should not worry about it because by the end of the day, it’s a good problem to have. People are rooting for it. We should understand where it is coming from.”

Namit Malhotra, the CEO of DNEG, serves as the film’s screenwriter and producer. He discusses the importance of writing as the film’s foundation.

“I think it always starts in the writing,” Namit Malhotra said. “Ramayana is already written to be an epic, and it is bigger than anything else out there. So all we’re doing is faithfully trying to just reproduce it based on what’s been written into what we can present on screen. And that is actually fun because you have such a good base material to work with and really build on. So I think the artists are having a great time, really bringing it to life because you’ve got so much richness in the way it’s been written and what’s been created. Originality of thought, design, all the things that you crave for are all embedded in Ramayana and have been for thousands of years.”

Check out the full interview below:

About Ramayana

Synopsis: From visionary producer and filmmaker Namit Malhotra comes Ramayana, a sweeping, two-part cinematic event inspired by one of the world’s most enduring epics.

Since the beginning of time, the Trinity Gods rule the three worlds; Brahma – god who creates; Vishnu – god who protects; and Shiva – god who transforms. As the realms of heaven, earth edge toward chaos, the Trinity god Vishnu descends to earth in an avatar to restore balance. This time, Vishnu is reborn as RAMA (Ranbir Kapoor), a human prince destined to restore balance. Opposing him, stands the most formidable, learned, undefeatable and immortal demon king RAVANA (Yash), blessed by the Trinity themselves, driven by pride and a vengeance powerful enough to shatter the cosmos.

Unaware of his true purpose as the only opponent destined to stand up to Ravana in a fateful cosmic design; Rama is the idol of Dharma (duty above all) and the most loved crown prince of Ayodhya, the greatest human dynasty of the time. Rama tries to build a life of quiet honor with his beloved wife Sita (Sai Pallavi) and loyal brother Lakshman (Ravie Dubey) amongst others, until a twist of fate drives him into exile and toward an inevitable clash with Ravana in a reckoning so cataclysmic, it will decide the destiny of gods and mortals.

The post The Risk Behind Ramayana: Yash on Playing Ravana and Global Ambition appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Starring in the role of young Michael is Juliano Valdi, who has the talent to bring the voice and energy of Michael to the biopic.

“My mom told me that I got the role being young [Michael],” Valdi tells Nerd Reactor. “I was at my grandmother’s house again, and she told me, ‘Hey, you’re going to be young Michael Jackson.’ And I was like, ‘What, really?’ She was like, ‘Yeah.’ I was really excited, but I knew that it was a big responsibility, so I had to focus and work hard on my craft. I started practicing my Michael Jackson voice.”

Michael Jackson is known for his singing and dancing, and Valdi talks about which talent was the hardest.

“Well, I would say dancing, but it’s also his mannerisms,” the actor said.

Portraying Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, is Nia Long (Friday, Are We There Yet?), who serves as the glue to the family.

“I think the feminine energy always has that responsibility, whether it’s conscious or subconscious,” Long said. “It is just part of the journey. But I absolutely had a kinship with my young man who played my child. And obviously, to my leading man, who played my husband. We took care of each other. It’s a reciprocal exchange of energy. And we have a responsibility to support each other to be the best in that moment.”

Colman Domingo plays the controversial father figure, Joe Jackson.

“There have been versions of Joe Jackson portrayed before,” Domingo explained. “If I know anything, I know that sometimes people will take an idea or a trope and let that run wild throughout an experience. And I don’t think that’s the truth for anyone… any human being. It is just not their truth. They act differently in different spaces when they’re conducting business, or they’re at home with their wife or with one of their kids, compared to when they’re with the rest of their kids. And so for me, I wanted to show the different Joe Jacksons in different spaces. You know what I mean?

“He has a bit more vulnerability when he’s with his wife. Even sometimes when he’s just with adult Michael, he can show a different part of himself that he probably wouldn’t show if he were in a stadium with other people around. He’s got to be the top dog. He’s got to be the businessman because other people are watching. I’ll find that humanity in every character. There is. What connects us? And so I feel like it was my job to really look through the lens of Joe Jackson and see how he sees the world and what his actions are and what he’s about.”

About Michael

Synopsis: Michael is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.

The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by John Logan, and produced by Graham King, John Branca, and John McClain.

It stars Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long, Juliano Valdi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, special appearance by Mike Myers, with Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo.

Michael releases in U.S. theaters on April 24, 2026.

The post The Moment Juliano Valdi Found Out He Was Playing Michael Jackson appeared first on Nerd Reactor.