In the critically acclaimed action thriller Sicario (on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital platforms from February 1^st, 2016, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment), Emily Blunt proves yet again that there’s nothing she can’t do- taking on a role that once upon a time in Hollywood would never have been given to a woman. To celebrate the release of this brilliant, white-knuckle ride into the world of Mexican drug cartels, we’re looking back on some other classic films and re-imagining the male lead with a female one.

Die Hard – Bruce Willis’ John McLane

Everyone’s favourite action hero has a special place in all our hearts, no thanks to his straight-talking ways and no-nonsense approach to bad guys. There’s a lot to love about Bruce Willis’ take on the role, but there are also countless actresses who would no doubt relish the chance to ‘yippee kai yay’ while crawling around air vents and swearing profusely.

Hollywood is absolutely teeming with actresses who could handle themselves against a building full of bad guys (including Sicario’s very own Emily Blunt) – but we’d like to see Alicia Vikander step away from her recent slew of serious roles for something a little lighter. She’s already proved her action credentials with The Man From UNCLE, so why not give her the chance to take the lead as Joan McLane.

GENDER SWAP: Alicia Vikander

 

Pretty Woman – Julia Roberts’ Vivian and Richard Gere’s Edward

Richard Gere and Julia Roberts turned a somewhat seedy tale into a fairytale romance thanks to their brilliant turns as the damaged millionaire Edward and the smart, scrappy Vivian. We’d love to see the tables turned in a remake, but the new cast would have to be as likeable as the old.

Casting a male escort has its pitfalls, but we think the universally adored Chris Pratt would make the role his own- and no doubt leave thousands of women (and men) swooning in cinemas across the globe. He’d no doubt bring his own special brand of cheeky charm to the role- and we’d just love to see him deliver that line to the snooty shop assistants.

And for the older millionaire who struggles to open her heart until she meets him? Who better to play an ice queen with a soft side than the woman who knows the film best- the brilliant, beautiful Julia Roberts herself.

GENDER SWAP: Chris Pratt / Julia Roberts

 

Batman: The Dark Knight – Heath Ledger’s Joker 

No one can deny that Heath Ledger’s disturbing, Oscar-winning turn as The Joker in Batman: The Dark Knight is one of the greatest performances of the century, so far. Ledger’s method approach led to him locking himself in his apartment for a month prior to filming and crew members worried about the actor, claiming he refused to speak to others out of character. Where Ledger’s Joker is truly disturbing is in his serpentine licking of the lips, unnerving eye contact and Chelsea smile.

In search of a female equivalent we have landed on Modern Family’s Colombian powerhouse Sofia Vergara. Vergara has the overwhelming screen presence and intensity to make the role of the Joker her own; her fear-inducing eyes and fiery temperament providing a fierce South American twist. Not to mention her terrifyingly humungous smile; ready-made for a sadistic grin or two during the Joker’s torture scenes.

GENDER SWAP: Sofia Vergara

 

The Big Lebowski – Jeff Bridges’ The Dude and John Goodman’s Walter 

Here exist the most disparate of temperaments between two friends throughout the history of the 90s. One is so laid back they are almost horizontal; the other is highly strung with serious anger issues. One is completely oblivious to reality; the other lives for rules and order. No, we are not talking about Phoebe Buffay and Monica Bing (née Geller), but we do think that Lisa Kudrow and Courtney Cox would make a seamless transition into the roles of The Dude and Walter Sobchak in the Coen brother’s 1998 stoner hit The Big Lebowski.

Kudrow’s dopey, air-headed portrayal of Phoebe would need little amendment were she to slip her feet into the shoes of The Dude, who is mistaken for a millionaire, leading two thugs to urinate on his rug and coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. Meanwhile, Courtney Cox could reprise some of Monica’s obsessive compulsive tendencies and potential to fly off the rails if she were to play traumatised Vietnam veteran Walter, who loves rules the way Monica loves cleanliness. Walter loves bowling almost more than anything and despises anything that may interfere with the bowling tournament. Throw Monica’s competitive edge into the mix and Cox could take Walter’s neurosis to a whole new level – have you SEEN The One with the Football?!

GENDER SWAP: Lisa Kudrow and Courteney Cox

Pirates of the Caribbean – Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow

Johnny Depp’s turn as the eccentrically camp, rum-loving pirate Captain Jack Sparrow was pivotal in establishing one of the most iconic film franchises of the noughties in Pirates of the Caribbean. Depp’s characterisation of Jack Sparrow revitalised his career and was a role he reprised on three occasions, with a fifth instalment set for 2017, but which actress could we possibly imagine making such a similar impression…?

Who needs a career resurgence more than Lohan? We’d love to see her dragged out of her spiralling drug addiction, back to the kind of show-stealing leading roles of her youth (Freaky Friday and er, Herby Fully Loaded). Plus, Lohan has already proved she’s got the knack for comedy, such as her role in Mean Girls as well as skits on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Also, we could only think of one actress who could consume the same amount of rum as Cap’n Jack Sparrow. Method acting at its simplest…

GENDER SWAP: Lindsay Lohan

 

The Godfather – Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone 

One of the greatest cinematic roles of all time belongs to Al Pacino, and no-one could possibly argue that there could ever be a better Corleone. However, we would relish the chance to see an actress step into those formidable shoes.

Sticking to actresses of Italian heritage, we’d love to see Marisa Tomei take on the task – she’s proved her acting chops with Oscar-winning performances, and we think that her perfect blend of likeability and underlying steeliness would make her a formidable mob boss.

GENDER SWAP: Marisa Tomei

 

SICARIO blazes onto Blu-ray, DVD, and digital platforms from February 1^st, 2016, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment

By Zac Cherin.

After buying Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012, The Walt Disney Company had to wait three years for its investment to begin paying tangible dividends. If, however, the initial box-office performance of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is a sign of things to come, then the wait was well worth it.

The seventh installment in the Star Wars film saga shattered the U.S. total box office record, passing the $760.5 million mark set by James Cameron’s blockbuster “Avatar” in 2009.

Unfortunately for Disney’s shareholders, the company’s stock price has yet to jump to hyperspace. Instead, shares of Disney have trended downward during “Episode VII’s” time in theaters.

Stunningly, it only took “The Force Awakens” 20 days to break the U.S. gross box-office record. For context, “Avatar” took nearly eight months to pass the previous record-holder – “Titanic,” another Cameron epic. Moreover, “Episode VII” had the largest opening weekend ever recorded in the U.S., raking in $238 million.

Following the U.S. release, the film debuted in China — a market with little exposure to the Star Wars universe. During the years of the original trilogy, 1977 to 1983, the nation was in the midst of massive economic and political reforms. Thus, many of the original seeds of the franchise’s influence were never planted.

However, “The Force Awakens” lived up to is name, bringing in an estimated $53 million during its opening weekend in China. As of January 26, “Episode VII” had the third-highest worldwide gross of all time at $1.94 billion — more than $1 billion of which was overseas.

As “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” continues to subdue doubts and exceed expectations, FindTheCompany wanted to know why Disney’s shares haven’t done the same?

Since nearing their all-time high in mid-November, shares of Disney have been on a consistent decline. On Jan. 7, 2016, Disney’s stock price fell below $100 for the first time since September 2015. This trend appears to be especially unfitting, given how quickly “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” justified its $4 billion price tag.

Yet, with a market capitalization of roughly $160 billion, Disney clearly has more at stake than its initial $4 billion investment.

Problems for Disney surfaced following the company’s Q3 2015 earnings release. Disney’s stock price collapsed as investors were spooked by contracting subscriber numbers and ad sales for the company’s subsidiary sports network ESPN. Increased competition from streaming services like Netflix forced investors to take a more critical position on the ESPN numbers, as momentum trended (and continues to trend) in favor of original content and increased accessibility over established programming.

The fall wiped out much of Disney’s gains in 2015 and also sparked a widespread selloff of other television media stocks like Comcast (CMCSA), Time Warner (TWX), and Viacom (VIA). The sector as a whole struggled in 2015, with Disney being the only stock of the four to generate positive returns over the last year.

Whereas Disney’s stock price is up just less than 6 percent over the last 12 months, Netflix’s stock price is up more than 130 percent, exemplifying the recent shift toward streaming services.

On Wall Street, the battle between Disney and streaming services like Netflix has overshadowed “Episode VII’s” success. Despite this, Disney still has a number of reasons to be excited about Star Wars as it nears its next earnings date on Feb. 9.

First, the continued box office success of “The Force Awakens” bodes well for Disney’s bottom line. The company barely missed revenue expectations in its last two earnings reports and the ever-rising global box office gross could very well be a difference maker.

Second, as “Episode VII” reinvigorates the Star Wars brand in established markets like the United States, and introduces it to new markets like China, Disney has much to gain from a potential increase to both merchandise and theme park ticket sales. Estimates indicate that first-year merchandise sales could hit as much as $5 billion, while seasonal Star Wars events at Disneyland theme parks are expected to drive an increase in ticket sales as the hype over the reinvigorated franchise continues to build.

Moreover, Disney has announced plans for a 14-acre “Star Wars Land” addition to its Disneyland park in Anaheim, Calif., which could provide a huge boost for ticket sales.

Although the record-breaking pace of “The Force Awakens” box office tour has yet to be reflected in Disney’s stock price, the film has undoubtedly succeeded in reviving a brand with worldwide appeal. Faced with increased competition and a changing landscape for its products and services, Star Wars should supply Disney with an important portion of the revenue it needs to make the changes necessary to remain relevant in an ever-evolving industry.

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The Oscars are upon us. In just a few short weeks many across the country will watch with bated breath as the nominees’ names are read. While the Academy Awards are always fun to watch, the best part is, of course, all of the viewing parties. If this is your first time hosting the party of the year, you will want it to be an event everyone will talk about until next year. If you are unsure of where to start, use these simple tips to get your venue red-carpet ready.

Noteworthy Decor

When you are throwing a themed party, it can be easy to get carried away with cheesy decorations and party games. With an Oscars party, however, you want to keep it classy and chic, yet still stick to the theme. Decorate in traditional Oscars gold and black and don’t forget to have a red carpet. JS Online suggests finding simple red fabric at your local fabric store or even using a red plastic table cloth to save some money. Have your guests pose for photos or video as they arrive and then make an album or slideshow to send them later.

Dress to Impress

To some, the best part of watching the awards show, and especially the pre-show, is to see (and judge) what all of the stars are wearing. Let your guests get in on the fun by encouraging them to dress their best as well. As mentioned above, you can take photos of everyone dressed in their best outfits as they arrive, or have disposable cameras available for guests to have fun with throughout the night.

Hollywood Hors D’oeuvres

Any good party needs tasty food to accompany the fun. Stick to simple finger foods that everyone can snack on while watching the show. Anything messy or difficult to eat will either be left untouched or end up on someone’s nice dress. Lara Shriftman is a Hollywood party planner and noted some suggestions on Epicurious.com. She recommends planning for three salty and three sweet bite-sized snacks that are easily accessible to your guests. You can also have popcorn and drinks set up in the viewing area for you all to enjoy while watching the show.

Lights, Camera, Libations

Classy cocktails are essential at a top-notch Oscars party. Make sure you not only have enough for everyone, but also something everyone will like. A signature themed cocktail is a fun way to get your guests in the right mood, and the Huffington Post offers some recipes and suggestions including a raspberry vodka-based “red carpet” or the wine spritzer “best dressed” cocktail. While fruity drinks are fun, make sure to also include staples such as champagne and a selection of high-quality beer, such as Guinness’s new Nitro IPA. It isn’t too heavy and is just the right amount of hoppy, which will appeal to any beer lover.

And The Award Goes To…

During the pre-show, commercials and other breaks in the awards excitement, keep your guests in the Oscars spirit with additional entertainment. Plan fun activities and party games you can play to go along with the viewing. There are many themed games you can play that will enhance your viewing experience, such as Oscars Bingo or an Oscars betting pool, which you can print out online. Or you can put together some trivia cards as Harper’s Bazaar suggests. Have a few prizes on hand to give the winning guests.