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FOR RELEASE AUG. 3, 2026
BYLINE: By Tony Rizzo
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Universal Studios
PHOTO CAPTION: Sam Neill (1947-2026) as Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic Park" (1993)
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HOLLYWOOD -- All the times I met Sam Neill, I found him to be one of the warmest, friendliest movie stars anyone could hope to meet. At the time of his passing on July 13 at 78, he'd beat blood cancer with chemotherapy and CAR-T cell therapy, which prolonged his life, and he was deemed cancer-free! But he'd been experiencing health issues due to his compromised immune system, which then lead to pneumonia. He was separated from his wife of 28 years, Noriko Watanabe. (They had four children and eight grandchildren.)
He made 88 films, including two "Jurassic Park" films in 1993 and 2001, as well as "Jurassic World Dominion" in 2022. He also starred in two upcoming films that are set for release. The first is "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova" with Kaitlyn Dever, Dan Stevens, Jack O'Connell, Matthew Modine and Delroy Lindo (opening in theaters in March 2027). The second is the Philippine rom-com "The Last Resort" with Daisy Ridley, Jo Koy and Tia Carrere (hitting screens in 2027 as well).
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LEOnardo DiCaprio has completed Martin Scorsese's gothic psychological drama "What Happens at Night," opposite Jennifer Lawrence, Mads Mikkelsen and Patricia Clarkson. He's now set to shoot director Michael Mann's "Heat 2" in November.
Mann, who gave us the "Miami Vice" series in 1984, is the consummate director of crime films. "Heat" (1995) starred Val Kilmer, and DiCaprio is stepping into Kilmer's role of Chris Shiherlis. Christian Bale will play Vincent Hanna, a role that was originated by Al Pacino.
"Heat" cost $160 million but only grossed $187.4 million. Amazon must be confident that the theatrical release, as well as its release on streamer Amazon Prime Video, will make it profitable.
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The ever-busy Robert Pattinson has recently completed four films. "The Odyssey" opened on July 17, while the crime thriller "Primetime," co-starring Merritt Wever and Anna Faris, is due later this year. "Dune: Part Three" opens on Dec. 18, and the heist film "Here Comes the Flood," co-starring Denzel Washington and Daisy Edgar-Jones, is set to release on Netflix later this year.
Not to mention "The Batman: Part II," which was supposed to open in October 2027 but has now been shifted to February 2028.
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Emily Blunt segued from the $689.4 million grosses of "The Devil Wears Prada 2" into "Disclosure Day," which surly disappointed Steven Spielberg with its $239.3 million grosses against its $115 million cost. (It barely broke even.) Blunt has just finished shooting Netflix's romantic drama "Walk the Blue Fields," opposite Andrew Scott. Now she's jumping into the final installment of her own box-office-busting franchise -- "A Quiet Place Part III."
Cillian Murphy, Jack O'Connell and Jason Clarke have already filmed their parts, but Blunt's scenes were delayed due to her "Prada 2" press tour. "A Quiet Place Part III" is set to open in July 2027. It's like the old Hollywood star system -- when your husband is John Krasinski, who's producing and directing the film, he'll undoubtedly have to wait until you're available; these are the blunt facts!
(c) 2026 King Features Synd., Inc.
