While the return of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise has gotten mixed reviews from critics overseas, it's bound to be a hit in Japan for two reasons: Johnny Depp and Paul McCartney. Depp plays the series' hero, Captain Jack Sparrow, and McCartney is playing ...

It's a common complaint: "Hollywood doesn't have any new ideas," and it's evident in the reimaginings of everything from "Annie" to "A Nightmare on Elm Street." It's not a new concept, though. Take "Beauty and the Beast," a "tale as old as time" (or in ...

It's Hollywood's weekend. The 89th Academy Awards will be held Feb. 26 and nominated for a record 14 Oscars is a musical ode to the award's hometown titled "La La Land." The Damien Chazelle-directed film is tied with "All About Eve" (1950) and "Titanic" (1997) ...

Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth — all of them look like naturals when it comes to playing superheroes. Benedict Cumberbatch? Not as much. Though audiences love him as the new Sherlock Holmes, that iconic role has never been described as a superhero. The titular ...

By the time you read this, the hype will have already begun. Dec. 16 marks the day "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" starts showing in cinemas around the world. Promotional campaigns began in Japan weeks ago. This new chapter of the successful "Star Wars" ...

One of the best lines uttered in Stephen Frears' film "Florence Foster Jenkins" comes from Meryl Streep in the role of Florence — which the actress gracefully repeats for me during her interview for The Japan Times. "Florence said, 'People can say she couldn't sing, ...

In 1989, "Ghostbusters II" was released in theaters where it did well in terms of profit, less so in terms of critical response. Reviews didn't matter, though — the original 1984 film was so popular that fans couldn't wait to see a third sequel. They ...

Norwegian painter Edvard Munch once said, "Art comes from joy and pain ... but mostly from pain." It's a sentiment that Leonardo DiCaprio knows well. "Television interviewers maybe don't read much," the 41-year-old actor tells The Japan Times when referring to one interviewer who recently ...

With roles in films such as "300," "Inglourious Basterds" and the "X-Men" series, Michael Fassbender, 38, is no stranger to action. "I've learned to enjoy action movies," he tells The Japan Times. "They're more difficult than they look, with the special effects and assorted physical, ...

As kids, many of us have experienced the fear of being left behind. Lost in a supermarket, panicking as your parents get too far ahead of you during a walk in the park ... now imagine being left on an entirely different planet. "The Martian" ...