Already rumored to be in consideration for the lead role in an origin movie about The Joker, Leonardo DiCaprio may also have his eyes set on a real-life origin story — that of Stan Lee, the 94-year-old Marvel comics icon.

Lee spoke on the topic at HASCON, a Hasbro convention, on Friday, saying that he had already discussed the possibility of a film about his life moving forward with DiCaprio, his neighbor, as its star (via AIPT!): 

"Believe it or not, I've already discussed it with Leonardo DiCaprio. He's a neighbor of mine and we were talking one day some months ago, and he said, 'Boy it'd be fun to do your story on the screen.' So I said, 'Well, I'll audition you.' Gotta make sure the guy can do it."

Lee also described the Oscar-winning actor as a big Marvel fan, saying that DiCaprio's home "has all the walls covered with big Marvel posters." 

Last year, Fox purchased the "life rights" to Lee's life story, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio planned to make "a period action-adventure movie" centered around Lee's career in the 1970s. 

DiCaprio's name has been associated with a few other origin story-like films in recent months. 

In August, Deadline confirmed that DiCaprio was set to star as Leonardo da Vinci in an upcoming biopic about the Renaissance artist and thinker. 

Early this month, sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Warner Bros. will "make an ambitious attempt" to bring in Leonardo DiCaprio as the star of an origin film about the DC Comics villain The Joker, using the film's prospective producer and frequent-DiCaprio collaborator Martin Scorsese to bring the actor in.  

SEE ALSO: Warner Bros. reportedly wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play The Joker in the upcoming origin film

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NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 6 of 'Game of Thrones'

After negotiations that have been going on since the summer, when "Wonder Woman" became a global hit, director Patty Jenkins is officially attached to direct the sequel, a source within Warner Bros. told Business Insider.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jenkins has signed a high seven-figure deal to both write a direct the movie. That makes her the highest-paid female director of all time. To put it in perspective, at her height, rom-com queen Nancy Meyers was making around $5 million.

Jenkins was paid $1 million to direct the first movie, according to the trade, after she came on to replace director Michelle McLaren, who left over creative differences.

Jenkins was only signed on to direct one "Wonder Woman" movie, which led to a tough negotiating process between her reps and the studio as the box-office tally for the movie continued to soar throughout the summer, giving her massive leverage in the talks.

The movie would eventually go on to become the highest-grosser of the summer domestically with over $410 million. The movie made over $800 million globally.

Jenkins had already begun work on the script for a sequel before the official announcement that she would be directing it. The sequel is slated to open in December 2019.

SEE ALSO: Morgan Spurlock on making a "Super Size Me" sequel and why he's taking on "Big Chicken"

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There are some directors who have a special talent for building worlds all their own, without any source material, and Guillermo del Toro is one of the best doing it right now.

His latest movie, "The Shape of Water," followed up its grand prize win at the Venice Film Festival this past weekend by dazzling everyone here at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Written by del Toro and Vanessa Taylor, the movie is set during the Space Race at a time when America isn't ready to put a man in a shuttle yet. In the film, there's a creature the government has captured in the Amazon that it thinks can be used as a test dummy on a launch. But that plan is quickly knocked down, as the military believes it makes more sense to kill and examine the creature to know more about its capabilities.

There's one problem: The creature has befriended a mute janitor named Eliza (Sally Hawkins), who is determined to see that doesn't happen. 

That's the real story of "The Shape of Water," the relationship between the creature and Eliza. She lives atop a run-down movie theater and spends her days going to work at an military base, where she cleans alongside chatty Zelda (Octavia Spencer), and at home hanging out with her gay neighbor, Giles (Richard Jenkins). Only able to communicate through signing, Eliza instantly has a connection with the creature as she sees them both as prisoners: literally for the creature and figuratively for Eliza, as she cannot find someone to love her.

After Eliza comes up with a daring escape from the lab with the creature, pulling a fast one on the head of security, Strickland (Michael Shannon), Eliza keeps the creature in the bath tub of her apartment until the rainy season comes when she'll bring him out into the ocean. In that time, a relationship between Eliza and the creature sparks.

Throughout all this, we're surrounded in a world del Toro has created that has the feel of an old Hollywood movie, from the set design to the wacky dream sequence when Eliza and the creature suddenly have a brief dance number. "The Shape of Water" combines a creature feature and a melodrama to tell a beautiful story that will thrill as much as get you emotional. 

As with every del Toro movie, there's a nice touch of gore in it, too. The major squirm moments come from the Strickland character, who early in the movie has two fingers sliced off by the creature. And let's just say the reattachment of the digits to the hand doesn't work out.

The creature is played by the always great Doug Jones, who del Toro fans will remember played Abe Sapien in his "Hellboy" movies, while Hawkins gives a wonderful performance as Eliza. And let's not forget two of the best Michaels working today: Shannon and Michael Stuhlbarg (as the good-natured scientist).

Expect a lot of talk about this movie as we get deeper into awards season.

"The Shape of Water" opens in theaters December 8:

SEE ALSO: Morgan Spurlock on making a "Super Size Me" sequel and why he's taking on "Big Chicken"

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Disney's "Lilo and Stitch" was released in 2002, but most of the animation was completed before the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
• The original story included Stitch and pals hijacking an airplane to try and save Lilo.
• The plane crashed through buildings. 
• After 9/11, Disney changed this sequence so the airplane was an alien ship.
• The alien ship crashes into mountains instead of buildings.

Movie studios often make changes to films in order to market them differently, but in the case of Disney's 2002 animated movie "Lilo and Stitch," an entire sequence was reanimated after the shocking terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

"Lilo and Stitch" culminates with an air chase between two alien spaceships as Stitch and company try to save Lilo. But in the original script and animation, one of the aircrafts was a 747 commercial airliner that crashed into multiple buildings during the scene. 

Vox's Lindsay Ellis wrote about the changes made to "Lilo and Stitch" in an examination of post-9/11 era of pop culture. 

"By September 2001, ['Lilo and Stitch'] was mostly complete and nearing its planned 2002 release," Ellis wrote on Vox. "Where the original cut had Stitch doing a joyride in a 747, weaving through buildings, the final version changed the 747 to an alien craft and the buildings to Hawaiian mountains."

In 2013, YouTuber Daniel Lewis uploaded a compilation of the unreleased 747 airplane scene, showing how Stitch originally "hijacked" the plane from two pilots and kicked off all the passengers.

Seeing the scene is an unsettling reminder of how movies and TV shows used to approach storylines about airplane hijackings and aircrafts crashing into cityscapes. But after 9/11, the rules of acceptable violence changed the entertainment market.

"Americans became highly sensitive to anything that bore even a slight resemblance to the attacks," Ellis wrote. "Children's shows like 'Power Rangers,' 'Pokémon', and 'Invader Zim' had episodes taken off the air due to scenes where buildings and cityscapes were destroyed."

Watch the full Vox video below to see the deleted version of the airplane scene next to the final "alien aircraft" crash:

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A new study issued Monday debunks some of the mounting concerns that the scoring system Rotten Tomatoes publishes analyzing movie-critics reactions is hurting box-office performance.

Yves Berquist, director of the Data & Analytics Project at USC’s Entertainment Technology Center, analyzed film data going back to 2000 and came to a conclusion quite counter to the conventional wisdom gaining steam in Hollywood: “Rotten Tomatoes scores have never played a very big role in driving box office performance, either positively or negatively,” he wrote in a blog post published on Medium.

What’s more, his analysis of 2017 alone found that there is no positive or negative correlation between Rotten Tomatoes scores and box office. Berquist found the same held true when looking at just the summer 2017 season alone, which was a rough one for the studios, and when looking strictly at opening-weekend box office.

Contrary to the notion that critics are too hard on blockbuster films, Berquist discovered that critics have actually been kinder to movies grossing more than $300 million worldwide:  the median Rotten Tomatoes Score has gone up to 77.5 in 2017, several points higher than it’s been going back to the previous high of 73 in 2013.

SEE ALSO: The 5 biggest winners and losers at the box office this summer — including 'Wonder Woman,' Rotten Tomatoes, and sequels

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When an actor gets Oscar consideration it means the person did a performance that was extraordinary, and challenged the audience as much as entertained them. It’s hard to think of anything that can be more of a effort by an actor than intentionally acting poorly. But James Franco’s transformation into Tommy Wiseau should not be ignored.

Who is Tommy Wiseau? He’s only the star, producer, writer, and director behind the cult hit, “The Room.” Released in 2003, the movie made for (legend has it) around $6 million of Wiseau’s money, has since been regarded as one of the worst movies ever made. But in Hollywood, a group of stars championed the movie, showing their appreciation for the effort that went into making the indie and applauding Wiseau’s unique filmmaking choices. That led to Franco having the idea to adapt the book recounting the making of “The Room,” written by Wiseau’s best friend and “The Room” costar Greg Sestero.

“The Disaster Artist” is an extremely entertaining look at two friends (Franco playing Wiseau and Dave Franco as Sestero) who decide to make their own movie after the constant rejection at acting auditions. With incredible detail by James Franco of not just playing Wiseau, but making the reenactments of “The Room” — from the crappy set design and costumes to how awful lines were delivered — is incredible. And you don’t have to be a superfan of “The Room” to appreciate it.

I’m not even going to attempt to explain the plot of “The Room,” or what the heck Wiseau was trying to accomplish with it. All I can tell you is that if you are a superfan, Franco gives you a movie that in no way makes fun of it, but cherishes what it has become: a piece of entertainment that people come together in groups so they can collectively enjoy.

And that’s how “The Disaster Artist” should be experienced. There’s no better example of a movie coming out this year that should be seen with a full theater audience. The energy of the room just heightens the experience. And it doesn’t hurt that Franco brought along the talents of his brother and friends like Seth Rogen and Alison Brie to also star in the movie.

I’m not saying “The Disaster Artist” is the best movie you’ll see this year, but it’s certainly the most fun.

“The Disaster Artist” opens in theaters December 8.

SEE ALSO: Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water" is a moving monster story — and will definitely get Oscar attention

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Selena Gomez is filming a movie with Woody Allen.
• People don't like it, because Allen has been accused of sexually abusing Dylan Farrow and has been in relationships with people much younger than him.
  
• It's especially strange because Gomez advocates for young people with mental health issues.
• We don't have many details about the movie yet.

Selena Gomez is starring in Woody Allen's new movie.

People aren't happy about it.

Since new photos of her filming the movie on set have leaked online, people on Twitter are furious that she's agreed to do the movie.

Other people are just concerned for her.

But some fans are defensive.

A lot of people think Woody Allen is creepy, because of his relationships with younger women. He is married to Soon-Yi Previn. Previn is 35 years younger than Allen and the adopted daughter of Mia Farrow. Allen began their relationship at the same time that he was also in a relationship with Farrow. Allen's movie "Manhattan" is also thought to be based on his previous relationship with Stacey Nelkin, who is around 30 years his junior.

More serious are allegations of sexual abuse. Allen has been accused of assaulting Dylan Farrow, Mia Farrow's daughter, when the two were in a relationship. A judge wrote that the allegations of abuse were inconclusive, but also said that Allen's behavior was "grossly inappropriate and that measures must be taken to protect [Dylan Farrow]."

So a lot of people think it's weird for Woody Allen to be hugging women so much younger than him on set.

It's especially strange, too, because of Selena Gomez's advocacy. She's a UNICEF ambassador involved in helping young children around the world and advocates for helping teens with mental health issues. She also serves as an executive producer for the Netflix show "13 Reasons Why," which deals with the suicide, rape, and abuse of teenagers.

Some people see that as hypocrisy on her part.

There are few details about Allen's new movie available, but there's about an 80% chance it's about a man who tries to find meaning in his life and ignores the consequences of the love triangle he ends up in. It stars Elle Fanning, also a very young woman (she's 19 years old) and Timothée Chalamet, whose performance in the forthcoming movie "Call Me By Your Name" has been praised by critics.

Allen, who makes a movie at the rate of about one per year, has "Wonder Wheel" coming out in December. Kate Winslet, who stars in the film, was asked about Allen's molestation accusations and said she doesn't know if any of it is true.

"I didn’t know Woody and I don’t know anything about that family,"Winslet told the New York Times. "As the actor in the film, you just have to step away and say, I don’t know anything, really, and whether any of it is true or false. Having thought it all through, you put it to one side and just work with the person."

Allen's forthcoming movie isn't the only time he's worked with a former Disney star. His 2016 Amazon miniseries "Crisis in Six Scenes" starred Miley Cyrus.

SEE ALSO: Selena Gomez is set to star in the next Woody Allen film

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Even the great Stephen King himself has expressed his utter joy at having found the many links between Stranger Things and his sci-fi masterpieces. Furthermore, the Duffer brothers have not been coy about who and what inspired the show.

Eleven shares many similarities with King’s most famous anti-heroine, Carrie, such as her psychic powers and sinister upbringing, while there are whiffs of Stand By Me, like the scene where they walk along train tracks in search of Will.

As you may know, the Duffer brothers had originally pitched an IT adaptation. They were rejected and thankfully went on to create Stranger Things, which has gained a huge fan base who more than appreciate its retro take on the science fiction genre. With inspiration from the likes of King and Spielberg, you can draw many comparisons between Stranger Things and some of your favourite classics, including IT. 

In the very first episode, Joyce, played by Winona Ryder, asks Will if he’s scared of clowns and even Eleven’s name could be a reference to a famous quote from IT: “What can be done when you’re eleven can often never be done again.”And in case you were wondering, Finn Wolfhard’s role as Richie Tozier is just a mere coincidence as recently relayed by the director of IT, Andie Muschietti.

Because of our love for all things strange, it is our absolute joy to present you with 15 Things Stranger Things Stole From Stephen King’s IT.

SEE ALSO: Every Stephen King movie, ranked from worst to best

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Netflix's 25 original comedy shows, from worst to best

15. The font used for the title of "Stranger Things" replicates pretty much all of King's novels

The fact that Stranger Things adopts the same font as many of Stephen King’sbook covers has cropped up in numerous articles comparing the show to King’s work. Indeed, throughout the entire season, you can find small copycat clues that link to one King novel or another.

With today’s obsession with all that is retro, it’s not hard to see why they chose this font for the title of the show and although this type of lettering is mainly linked to King’s novels, similar fonts can be found on a wide range of vintage horror and sci-fi books. Anyone remember those Point Horror books as a kid? The dark backdrop with the large domineering letters were too enticing not to pick up. As soon as you see those bold big red letters with the bent edges, you know you’re retromania will be put to rest!

14. Both Eleven and Beverly allow the boys to become familiar with girls

Ben from IT and Mike from Stranger Things both take a liking to the ‘new girl’, and we see how they deal with their new feelings of attraction and protectiveness. From the outset it is clear that both groups have little experience with the female gender, but we slowly see them grow in confidence as the girls become a welcome addition.

Both Eleven and Beverly bring a certain level of maturity and common-sense which the boys do not possess. This is most likely down to their experiences, which have made them wary of adults and given them a darker outlook on things. With the new arrivals, we are able to see the boys, Ben and Mike, tackle these foreign emotions. Their love for the young girls mean they both have a lot more to lose, making the danger all the more menacing.

13. Both have one sole female character who joins the group

There are some prominent female characters in both. In IT, it is Beverly Marsh, a girl who is abused by her father, who later becomes a victim of domestic abuse as she struggles to leave the second violent man in her life.

In Stranger Things, Eleven also has a complex relationship with her own “father figure”, Brenner. Eleven calls him ‘Papa’, and it is not yet known if this man is her real dad or not, although it seems unlikely. Brenner is the director of the Hawkins lab in which Eleven was kept prisoner for experimental purposes. Eleven led an isolated life within the lab and is yet to learn about her mother, whom she was taken from as a baby by members of the lab. While Beverly’s relationship with her own family is strained, and Eleven’s non-existent, it is their misfortune that so fervently ties them to their friends.

"Mr. Robot" star Rami Malek is portraying Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic, "Bohemian Rhapsody," about the late Queen singer, and new fan-shot footage finds Malek recreating the band's famous Live Aid performance from 1985. 

In the clip, Malek channels Mercury's stage presence, moving across the platform to a piano, where he sits down to perform "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Still in production, the film is directed by "X-Men" director Bryan Singer and written by Anthony McCarten ("The Theory of Everything"). 

It will chronicle the trajectory of Queen's career through the 1970s to the aforementioned Live Aid performance in 1985. 

Entertainment Weekly debuted the first look at Malek's Mercury last week. 

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is set to hit theaters on December 25, 2018.

Watch the clip below:

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The INSIDER Summary: 

• Disney announced "Star Wars: Episode IX" will be released December 20, 2019. 
• The film was originally set for a May 2019 release.
• This marks the third time Disney has pushed back one of its sequel trilogies from a potential summer release. 
• Disney has tried to release Episodes VII, VIII, and IX close to the traditional May release dates of "Star Wars" movies.
• Though it's a bummer, it's not affecting our enjoyment of the movies any less.

Disney announced Tuesday afternoon that "Star Wars: Episode IX" will be released December 20, 2019. The news comes shortly after Lucasfilm announced "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams will return to direct and write the sequel.

While some fans may be excited by a release date announcement, it's sure to receive more of a collective groan from the avid "Star Wars" fanbase. The news, which comes via a tweet from the official "Star Wars" account, means that the ninth installment of the Skywalker saga will be pushed back several months. 

In 2015, Disney announced the movie would be set for a May 2019 release at its D23 Expo. And then just this April, Lucasfilm said the movie would be released May 24, 2019.

It's obviously a bummer to have to wait a few extra months for another "Star Wars" movie, but stepping back even further, the delay of "Star Wars: Episode IX" shows a disappointing pattern. 

The bigger picture is that Disney has failed to do one thing it set out to do with its sequel trilogy: Release any one of its sequel movies in May. 

Why is May so important to "Star Wars"?

Historically, every "Star Wars" movie released prior to 2015's "Episode VII"has been released in May around Memorial Day weekend.

"Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope": May 25, 1977
"Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back": May 21, 1980
"Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi": May 25, 1983
"Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace": May 19, 1999
"Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones": May 16, 2002
"Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith": May 19, 2005

When Disney purchased Lucasfilm back in 2012, the hope was to keep up the tradition by releasing new "Star Wars" movies in the month of May.

Abrams told MTV that Disney originally wanted "Episode VII" for summer 2015. Many assumed it would try for the traditional May release date. It came out December 18. (In 2013, CEO Bob Iger said it would be a great release date because that's when "Avatar," the highest-grossing movie of all time, debuted.)

"Episode VIII" was set to be released in May 26, 2017. It will be out December 15. The Mouse House has now struck out three times. 

What happened? — Why are all of the "Star Wars" movies getting pushed back?

Two of the three "Star Wars" movies have had high-profile writers and directors leave well into the project.

• "The Force Awakens" date was pushed back after Oscar-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt ("Toy Story 3") left the film. Abrams and "Star Wars" vet Lawrence Kasdan stepped in to take over script duties. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy asked if the film could be pushed to 2016 at one point.
• "Episode IX" was pushed back after Lucasfilm announced it had "mutually chosen to part ways" with director Colin Trevorrow ("Jurassic World").

Some have speculated the date shift for "Episode VIII" could be because of rewrites; however, another good reason for the move is that Disney wanted to replicate the success of "Episode VII" during the holiday again. 

Disney's first two "Star Wars" movies released in December have each grossed over $1 billion worldwide. Abrams' "The Force Awakens" made over $2 billion worldwide at theaters and broke numerous box-office records when it debuted, including highest-opening weekend of all time. 

High expectations and turnaround could be another reason for the pushbacks. Right now, we're getting a big "Star Wars" trilogy movie every other year. That's never been the case in the past. "Star Wars" movies always had breathing room of three years release time from one picture to the next. (Of course, George Lucas wasn't subbing out directing and writing duties with others on most of those movies.)

At the end of the day, none of this should be a problem for the studio. They have quite the envious movie lineup from now through 2020 and beyond with its Marvel superhero machine and over 20 live-action adaptations of its animated movies in the works.

And if you're worried about "Star Wars," don't be. Jason Guerassio at our sister site Business Insider points out Lucasfilm wants to make sure they're getting these movies right. The swapping out of talent isn't affecting the end product yet.

If you're still bummed you're not getting a "Star Wars" movie in May, there's hope.

There's still one movie that has a May release date — for now

For now, the untitled Han Solo" movie is still set for a May 25, 2018 release date. But that film has had some recent trouble too after directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller parted ways with Lucasfilm due to "creative differences."

Director Ron Howard has stepped in to take over the project and it looks like they're going to try and push for the May 2018 date, but don't be surprised if you see this one get pushed back too. 

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"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" launched a "Star Wars" franchise reboot in 2015 and now the next movie in the sequel trilogy is on its way.

"The Last Jedi" begins directly after the events of "The Force Awakens," with Rey (Daisy Ridley) meeting Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) for the first time. It opens December 15, 2017.

In addition to the latest film, Disney has "Episode IX" and another two spin-offs scheduled. 

Here is what "Star Wars" fans can expect through 2020:  

SEE ALSO: Disney's upcoming Netflix competitor will include Marvel and 'Star Wars' movies, according to CEO Bob Iger

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" launched the franchise reboot with smashing success, grossing more than $2 billion worldwide. It set a high bar for the following films.

Source: Box Office Mojo

It follows Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) — as well as old favorites like Chewbaca, Han Solo, and Princess Leia — as they attempt to find Luke Skywalker and stop the First Order.

J.J. Abrams directed the film, and it was released December 2015.

German actress Diane Kruger has built an impressive career, but after working steadily for 16 years, her new movie is getting her recognition she never thought she'd ever receive.

"In the Fade," from the German filmmaker Fatih Akin, offers Kruger the chance to prove she can carry a movie — and she does just that. Kruger gives a tour-de-force performance playing Katja Sekerci, whose life collapses when her husband and son are victims of a terrorist bombing. Amid taking illegal drugs to numb the pain, Katja learns that two suspects, who turn out to be neo-Nazis, are going to trial for the bombing. That's when things get even more intense for Katja.

When Business Insider sat down with Kruger at the Toronto International Film Festival, she didn't hold back when talking about the pain she dealt with to pull off this gut-wrenching performance, which won her the best actress prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival and garnered instant Oscar buzz.

Jason Guerrasio: How did you connect with Fatih Akin? Did you know him?

Diane Kruger: No, I was just a fan. He's a big director in Germany — I grew up with his films. So when I became an actress and I left Germany 25 years ago, I always waited for this part to come out of Germany. I mean, I don't have an agent there, so I never get any offers from there. Five years ago, I was a jury member at Cannes, and he had a documentary playing there, so I went to his party to meet him. I told him I loved his work and if he ever wanted to make a movie with me, that would be amazing. So years later, he remembered and called me.

Guerrasio: Did he talk to you over the phone about the part, or did he ask if he could send the script over?

Kruger: He kind of told me what it was about, and then he said he didn't want to send me the script — he wanted to come and meet me. So he came to Paris to meet me. And I was really nervous because I didn't think, upon meeting me, that he would think that I'm right for this part. This isn't typically the part I get offered. [Laughs.] And just judging from his voice over the phone, I don't think he was 100% sure I could do it either. So he came to my house, and I wore no makeup, and I really tried to dress down and be as raw as possible, and we just had this amazing talk. And I told him I was really, really scared of this part. I told him I wasn't sure I could do it.

Guerrasio: But at the same time, was this a role you had been wishing for? Something to show your range?

Kruger: I just knew something felt right. I was really scared. Fatih told me I couldn't take another role until we shot this because he wanted me to prep for it. I mean, he is known for casting unknowns in his movies, so I think he got a lot of backlash at first for casting me. But I jumped off that cliff with him. It was a lonely time prepping for the movie. I didn't do anything else. I was living in Germany, meeting with victims of families that weren't necessarily suffering from terrorist attacks but murder and other brutal things, and I just allowed myself to be overcome by the grief that I felt.

Guerrasio: And this is the first German-produced movie you've ever starred in?

Kruger: That's right.

Guerrasio: That's surprising. Was that because you got into modeling so early in your life?

Kruger: I left when I was 16, and I wasn't an actress then.

Guerrasio: So was there a feeling with this movie that you wanted to be a part of something to show your talents to your home country?

Kruger: Yes and no. I wanted to do a German film that felt really German but also had an international presence. And Fatih, who is German but of Turkish descent, he himself has an international flavor. And this movie has such a universal feel. The focus is neo-Nazis, but it could have been jihadis, just some crazy person, whatever.

Guerrasio: I think Americans will certainly relate to this movie. The grieving mother is universal.

Kruger: Exactly.

Guerrasio: What did you want to get out of meeting victims? Did you take notes? Did you just want to interact with them?

Kruger: I guess the one thing I will never forget is that energy. More than individual stories, there was this energy that mothers especially having lost children had that I wasn't quite prepared to really take on. It was a wall of blackness. And that's regardless of how long ago it happened or how much or how little they talked to me about it — that energy was there. And it got more intense as time went on and the more people I met.

Guerrasio: How long were you talking to victims?

Kruger: I started six months before shooting started.

Guerrasio: Wow. Did it get to a point where you felt you had enough and just wanted to get started with shooting?

Kruger: Yeah. There definitely came a point where I was like, I can't take it anymore. And, unfortunately, when we started to film, my stepdad passed away. So honestly, it was probably the darkest time in my life, having to play that much grief and then coming home and feeling that on a personal level. It's a personal film because of that. We also shot in order, so you can imagine the first three weeks were just awful. There were scenes when I didn't even feel like I was acting. There were moments when I felt this movie is going to break me. I couldn't work for six months afterwards. I can still feel it.

Guerrasio: So you haven't been able to kick this character yet?

Kruger: I still dream about it. I feel like a little bit is always going to be with me. What I take away most of it is this connection with people talking about loss. The empathy I felt — and maybe because we live in a time where these stories have become so common, but I'm reminded of how many Katjas every week are being created. I sometimes just sit in front of the TV, and I just sob uncontrollably.

Guerrasio: Has doing a role like this changed the parts you want to take on going forward in your career?

Kruger: To be honest, the two films I'm working on right now I signed on before "In the Fade" came out, and I haven't taken anything since. I'm sort of debating what I want to do next.

Guerrasio: Is it hard to promote this film, seeing as you have to continue talking about the process of creating this character, which obviously wasn't pleasant?

Kruger: No, I want to. I think it's a very important film in my life. I feel it's my baby. I've never been invested in anything like this. I think it's an inspiring movie. In Cannes, which was the first time I saw it with an audience, I was so taken aback by the reaction. There must be pictures of me just looking shocked. It's weird because, in the past, people have come up to me and said they love my work, like for "Inglourious Basterds," but I feel this is my first big starring role.

"In the Fade" opens in select theaters later this year.

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Starting with his role in 2008's "Taken," actor Liam Neeson became a standard leading man in a number of action films with a similar dynamic: one man, his character, against the world. 

But now that he's halfway through his sixties, Neeson says he's ready to stop fighting mobs of faceless assailants and focus on more serious roles, according to a Sky News report on the Toronto International Film Festival.

"They're still throwing serious money at me to do that stuff," Neeson said of potential action roles. "I'm like: 'Guys, I'm sixty-f---ing-five.' Audiences are eventually going to go: 'Come on.'"

The Irish actor, who earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1993 film "Schindler's List," said his late-career turn toward becoming an action star was "all a pure accident."

Two of Neeson's upcoming films, "Hard Powder" and "The Commuter," are both action thrillers, but it looks like they will be his last. 

Watch the trailer for "The Commuter" below:

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Disney just released the full trailer for its next Pixar movie, "Coco," and it looks visually stunning.
• The movie follows an aspiring musician named Miguel.
• There's just one problem. His family has a generations-old ban on music.
• It all stems back to his great, great grandfather, a musical icon Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), mysteriously disappearing.
• When Miguel goes in search of some answers, he winds up in a colorful Land of the Dead filled with walking skeletons and deceased relatives. 
• As beautiful as it is, he only has until sunrise to make it back to the Land of the Living before he becomes a skeleton, too.
• It's clear from the movie's first two trailers, "Coco" will bring the color and vibrancy of Mexican holiday "The Day of the Dead" to life. 
• "Coco" will be in theaters November 22, 2017. Watch the trailer below.
  

SEE ALSO: Take a look at Pixar's beautiful new movie 'Coco,' which explores the afterlife

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Amazon spent $80 million to lure filmmaker Woody Allen into creating his first TV series for their TV studio, sources told The Hollywood Reporter.

Sources told the outlet that Amazon Studios head Roy Price and lieutenant Joe Lewis "doled out" that staggering figure to convince Allen to create his six-part, 2016 show "Crisis in Six Scenes."

Set in 1960s suburbia, the comedy series starred Miley Cyrus and Allen, and was critically panned. It received an 18% "Rotten" rating from Rotten Tomatoes. 

At the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, as he was still producing the show, Allen called the series "a catastrophic mistake."

Amazon also reportedly spent around $20 million for the rights and production costs of Allen's 2016 film "Café Society," which starred Steve Carrell, Jesse Eisenberg, and Kristen Stewart. 

Amazon Studios has been known to shell out large figures for original TV programming. The company reportedly paid $250 million for the Jeremy Clarkson travel series "The Grand Tour" in 2016 (though that figure may be for multiple seasons). And for context, Netflix's most expensive series, "The Crown," reportedly cost over $130 million to make. 

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos currently has the studio in the midst of a strategy overhaul.

With its video spending for 2017 clocking in at an estimated $4.5 billion (per JPMorgan), Amazon Studios has now shifted its focus to pursuing a "Game of Thrones"-like drama hit, according to Variety. The company has also recently canceled shows like "Z: The Beginning of Everything" and "The Last Tycoon" as a result of this shift. 

"We've been looking at the data for some time, and as a team we're increasingly focused on the impact of the biggest shows," Amazon Studios head Roy Price told Variety. "It’s pretty evident that it takes big shows to move the needle."

Woody Allen's show was surely not that.

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The INSIDER Summary:

• GQ profiled Harrison Ford for its 60th anniversary issue.
• Ford is such an icon that he wore his own clothes to the photo shoot.
• The magazine's style director says he can't remember a time anyone's done that for a cover story.

Getting profiled in GQ is the fashionable man's dream. You get dressed up in expensive suits and get really nice pictures taken of you for a glossy magazine read by millions of people.

But if you're Harrison Ford, the clothes you own are nicer than whatever GQ can come up with. At the end of a long and rich profile of the icon in the magazine's October issue, commemorating its 60th anniversary, there's a note from GQ's creative director Jim Moore.

Moore said he looked through Ford's closet and picked out clothes from there for the shoot. All of Ford's suits are custom made, Moore wrote, and he's "a legend" who's "earned the right" to wear his own clothes for a cover story.

"When he pulled out [an] overcoat, I loved how modern it looked — only later did he reach into the pocket and fish out the original receipt from the '80s," Moore wrote.

Ford even skipped wearing a suit for the cover portrait, opting for a T-shirt and jeans instead.

The profile is worth reading in full. Ford said that he hasn't read Carrie Fisher's memoir "The Princess Diarist," where she talks about their affair. He also suggested that he's open to more "Star Wars" movies even though Han Solo apparently died in "The Force Awakens," he relayed an entertaining story about the time his dad cut off his own finger, and said he enjoys the Vice show "F---, That's Delicious."

Here's the full note from Jim Moore:

"I've worked at this magazine for 37 years, and I can't remember anyone else who's ever shot a GQ cover story wearing his own clothes. But Harrison Ford is a legend. He's earned the right. So one day this summer, I found myself knocking on the door of his house in L.A. to see what was in his closet. Wearing the same T-shirt and jeans you see on the cover, he showed me inside and spent the next two hours trying on his favorite pieces. His suits are all custom-made, so they fit perfectly. When he pulled out [an] overcoat, I loved how modern it looked—only later did he reach into the pocket and fish out the original receipt from the '80s. As we were wrapping up the fitting, I casually mentioned that we'd like to shoot him with a car, and he was open to the idea. We wound up going with a Jaguar from 1957. That's the year GQ was founded, the year we're commemorating with this 60th-anniversary issue. He looked so natural, one classic behind the wheel of another."

Read the entire GQ profile of Harrision Ford here.

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Not everyone is happy with the sensation the movie "It" has become.

The latest adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel broke records at the box office last weekend when it opened with an incredible $123.4 million domestically, which gave Hollywood a hit movie after three weeks of pitiful performers. But one line of business that isn't finding the same success is clowns.

The main villain in "It" is an evil clown named Pennywise who terrorizes the fictional town of Derry, Maine. His particular interest is snatching up children. Needless to say, moms and dads suddenly aren't setting up clowns to come entertain their kids' birthday parties. 

In fact, John Nelson, a professional clown, says he's gotten several cancellations in the last few weeks due to the release of "It" and its marketing of the scary Pennywise.

But now he's doing something about it.

Nelson, who runs Clowns in Town with a partner, has put together a rally outside New York City's Union Square Regal Cinema in New York City to show that clowns aren't all that bad.

"Our hope is to raise enough awareness so when people think of clowns they won't think of scary murderers but people who dedicate their lives to bringing joy," Nelson told the NBC News 4, the New York City affiliate of the network.

"Last week, my partner and I had six cancellations of birthday parties," Nelson said. "I have heard of reports from other clowns, in New York and other cities, that they have been canceled as well." 

Because many clowns do not ask for deposits in advance and are paid on site, according to Nelson, the popularity of "It" has caused a significant loss.

The movie's release is just the latest hurdle for clowns. Though clowns have been the cornerstone of children's entertainment for over 200 years, in recent generations children have grown more frightened of clowns. According to a 2015 story in The Guardian on the likability of clowns, a University of Sheffield study of 250 children for a report on hospital design suggested children find clown motifs “frightening and unknowable.” And adults are scared, too. There's even a name for it: coulrophobia.

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It lets the story breathe.

The depiction of Derry, Maine is more sinister than the TV movie.

Penny's physical attacks are scarier in the movie.

Legendary character actor Frank Vincent has died at 78, according to TMZ.

Known best for playing the villain in some of Martin Scorsese's most memorable movies, including "Raging Bull,""Goodfellas," and Casino," Vincent also played mob boss Phil Leotardo on "The Sopranos."

Vincent died of complications from heart surgery.

With 89 credits over his 41-year career, Vincent's other highlights include starring in Spike Lee movies like "Do The Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever." He was also a fixture in the gaming world as he lent his voice to numerous "Grand Theft Auto" games.

But he'll be remembered most for his work with Scorsese, which often had him either at odds with fellow Scorsese regular Joe Pesci or friends with him.

Here's a classic NSFW scene between the duo from "Goodfellas":

SEE ALSO: Diane Kruger's new movie was so emotionally devastating she couldn't work for 6 months, and was filming during the "darkest time" in her life

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Horror thriller "It" is in theaters now.
• The Stephen King adaptation features a terrifying clown by the name of Pennywise the Dancing Clown.
• The actor behind the clown, Bill Skarsgård, is a far cry from terrifying. In fact, he's good looking.
• Really good looking.
• If the 27-year-old looks familiar, it's because he's related to a few famous Hollywood actors.

If you've seen "It," the R-rated adaptation of Stephen King's 1986 horror novel in theaters now, the latest iteration of Pennywise the Clown is the terrifying kind of monster that will keep tossing and turning at night.

If Pennywise gives you the heebie-jeebies, you'll rest easier knowing you don't need to be scared of this clown in real life. Once actor Bill Skarsgård sheds the prosthetics and white makeup, you may be taken aback. 

It's not just because he's unrecognizable, but he's quite the looker. 

In fact, Skarsgård's a hunk.

You would never even think the 27-year-old Swedish actor could be the guy chasing around the Losers' Club gang in tunnels and an abandoned house.

The actor, who has appeared in "Atomic Blonde" and the "Divergent" series, looks like he could play a Disney prince. 

Oh and if Skarsgård looks familiar it's because he comes from a family of famous Hollywood actors. 

You may recognize his father, Stellan Skarsgård, from Marvel's "Thor" movies.

His older brother Gustaf stars in History's popular "Vikings" show.

But you're probably more acquainted with Bill's older brother Alexander Skarsgård who played vampire Eric on HBO's "True Blood."

He recently took a more villainous turn in the network's "Big Little Lies."

And is quite dapper himself.

But, sorry Alexander. It's Bill's year. While I may have been #TeamEric back in my "True Blood" days, we're now #TeamBill.

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