Anna Faris Reveals Which of Her Iconic Characters Are Her Favorite — Including One She Calls an 'Indulgent Brat' (Exclusive)

Anna Faris says there are two characters from her past that she still loves and might even want to revisit

NEED TO KNOW

• "I feel like I've been really lucky," Faris tells PEOPLE

• The actress, 49, recently reprised her role as Cindy Campbell in Scary Movie 6

Anna Faris is returning to the big screen as Cindy Campbell, but admits there are a few other characters from her past she'd like to revisit.

TheMomactress, 49, will step back into Cindy's shoes forScary Movie 6and tells PEOPLE there are two other characters from her filmography that she'd be happy to play again, one of which is Shelley from 2008'sThe House Bunny.

"I love Shelley. I do love Shelley. Shelley is near and dear to my heart," Faris shares.

Shelley was the titular "house bunny" in the movie, a former playmate who became the house mother for a down-on-their-luck sorority, teaching them confidence and inner love. In addition to Faris, the comedy starredEmma Stone,Colin Hanks,Kat Dennings, Katharine McPhee and Rumer Willis.

In 2024, Faris toldPEOPLEthat the Fred Wolf-directed film was "a life-changing role."

"Fundamentally, career stuff aside, playing a character that had so much compassion and lack of judgment, a character who really led with her heart... it sounds really corny, but I think it made me feel like it was easier to make friends in a weird way," she shared.

Another character that Faris "really loved" is Samantha James inJust Friends,but for entirely different reasons.

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"She's just a delicious little villain, such an indulgent brat. It was delicious to play," she tells PEOPLE. "I feel like I've been really lucky."

"Maybe there could be an opportunity where I get to play either one of those characters again. I would just love that," she adds.

Just Friendsis a 2005 Christmas comedy that starred Faris as Samantha, a self-absorbed pop star and, to many, a style icon. In addition to Faris, the holiday cult classic starredRyan Reynolds, Amy Smart, Chris Klein, Chris Marquette, Mike Brander and Julie Hagerty.

Faris' latest role, however, looked a little different. The actress was recently tapped to go undercover as aCandy Crushmascot during a Los Angeles Clippers game, leading to a surprise on-court reveal.

"Candy Crush asked me to come and join them as Bubblegum Troll. I am wearing a wild costume," Faris shares of her partnership with the beloved puzzle game. "I get to become part of a game that I love to play, especially when I'm waiting for my son outside of tennis practice or soccer practice or whatever sport he thinks he likes for a minute or two, and then he doesn't."

"I get to bring joy and playfulness to a huge crowd of people. I'm thrilled. I get to have this childlike fun and energetic experience."

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin

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4/05/2026 01:12:00 AM

Anna Faris Reveals Which of Her Iconic Characters Are Her Favorite — Including One She Calls an 'Indulgent Brat' (Exclusive)

Anna Faris says there are two characters from her past that she still loves and might even want to revisit NE...

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All About Bill Murray's Grandchildren, Including Son Luke's 4 Kids

Bill Murray has six sons from two marriages and at least four grandchildren

NEED TO KNOW

• Luke Murray, a college basketball coach, has four children with his wife, Kara Murray

• The Groundhog Day actor has frequently attended Luke's college basketball games with his grandkids

Bill Murrayis a longtime actor in the public eye, but he has kept his family life private.

TheGhostbustersstarbecame a fatherin 1982 when he welcomed son Homer with his first wife, Margaret Kelly. Bill and Kelly welcomed sonLukethree years later. After their 1996 divorce, he welcomed four more children — sons Caleb, Jackson, Cooper and Lincoln — with his second wife, Jennifer Butler, whom he was married to from 1997 to 2008.

Although he keeps much of his children's lives private, Bill has occasionally supported them publicly in their respective careers. In particular, he has been seencheering on his second-oldest son, Luke, while he worked as an assistant coach at the University of Connecticut's men's basketball team.

While many of his children also keep their personal lives off social media, Luke has frequently brought along his children to his college basketball games and introduced them when he was announced as the head coach of Boston College's men's basketball team in March 2026. Luke and his wife, Kara, are parents to sons Luke Jr. and Cash and daughters Celine and Leila, per hisUConn bio.

Here's everything to know about Bill Murray's grandchildren.

Bill's son Luke has four children

Bill has at least four grandchildren. In September 2015, Luke wed Kara in Philadelphia, and Bill evenskipped out on acceptinghis Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie to attend the nuptials.

Bill became a grandfather when Luke and Kara welcomed their first son, Luke Jr. The couple went on to have another son, Cash, and later added daughters Celine and Leila to the family.

Over the years, Luke has had the support of his father, wife and children as he embarked on a successful coaching career. Luke spent years in men's basketball coaching jobs at Louisville, Xavier, Rhode Island, Towson and Wagner before moving back to Connecticut — where he was raised and attended college — with his family.

Bill has attended college basketball games with his grandchildren

Bill has been a staple at his son's coaching games over the years and has occasionally been seen with some of his grandchildren in the stands.

WhenUConn won the NCAA Men's Championshipin 2023,Bill proudly watched in the standsand later joined Luke on the court. At the end of the game, Luke climbed the ladder with Luke Jr. and Cash underneath him to cut a piece of the net. Most recently, Murray attended the2026 March MadnessElite Eight game, whereUConn beat Duke in a major upset.

In March 2026, Luke accepted a job as the head coach of the men's basketball team at Boston College and said that his family was "pumped" to move to the city.

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"I'm excited to be here," he said in anInstagram videofor the basketball team. "My family is pumped up to be here."

Luke was joined by all four of his children and Kara in hisintroductory press conferenceon March 31. Kara and the three older kids sat in the front row, while Luke's mom took care of his youngest child behind the scenes.

"Today's a day to celebrate Luke Murray, but I'd be remiss if I didn't compliment his kids," University spokesperson Jack Dunn said at the end. "Kara and Luke, I've never met four nicer, more polite children in my life. I have four kids of my own, and trust me, they weren't like this."

Meanwhile, Luke said that his dad was "excited" about the move, as well.

"I know he's excited to come up to Boston. He loves the city. He's been around this campus a little bit," Luke said, according tosports reporter Trevor Hass. "I'm sure he'll be a fixture here as well."

Bill has spoken about parenthood

While Bill allows his children to carve their own paths and live as privately as they'd like, he has occasionally spoken about his own approach to parenting. In a 2003 interview withRolling Stone, Bill reflected on the feeling of welcoming a child for the first time.

"People only talk about what a joyous experience it is, but there is terror: Your life, as you know it, is over," he shared. "It's over the day that child is born. It's over, and something completely new starts."

Nearly a decade later in a 2012 interview withEsquire, Bill spoke about his approach to fatherhood and explained that he learned he just wanted his children to be at their "best."

"If you bite on everything they throw at you, they will grind you down. You have to ignore a certain amount of stuff," he said. "The thing I keep saying to them lately is: 'I have to love you, and I have the right to ignore you.' "

He added, "All I want is you at your best — you making this an easier home to live in, you thinking of others."

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin

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4/05/2026 01:12:00 AM

All About Bill Murray's Grandchildren, Including Son Luke's 4 Kids

Bill Murray has six sons from two marriages and at least four grandchildren NEED TO KNOW Luke Murray, a coll...

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Why is Easter celebrated? Here’s what to know about the holy day.

Easterwill be celebrated this year on Sunday, April 5.

Though widely associated with the Easter Bunny, colorful eggs, and baskets of chocolate, it's a significant holiday for members of the Christian faith. The holiday commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after he was crucified by the Romans around 30 A.D.

Easter follows Lent, a 40-day season of prayer, and is a day after the last day of Holy Week (April 4), which began on March 29 this year.

Here's everything to know about Easter Sunday as it approaches.

How is Easter celebrated?

Some people celebrate Easter by attending Mass or another type of church service on Easter Sunday. According to polling released on April 2 by theNapolitan News Service, a nonprofit that conducts polling, 65% of American voters plan on celebrating the holiday.

That number, according to the outlet, includes 34% of people who celebrate Easter as a religious holiday, 13% who celebrate it as a secular one, and 16% who celebrate it as both.

Easter is typically celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon, on or after the vernal, according to previousUSA TODAY reporting, which can fall anywhere from March 22 to April 25.

Some religious sects have chosen not to include secular Easter traditions, such as the Easter bunny or Easter eggs, according toHistory.com.

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The holiday is also marked with a traditional Easter lamb dinner. In Jewish traditions, lambs were often used for sacrifices and are typically served during Passover, according toHistory.com.

Easter's origins

Many Easter holiday traditions and symbols have roots in pagan celebrations, according toHistory.com.

For example, the tradition of Easter eggs stems from pre-Christian pagan traditions, per the outlet. In ancient cultures, eggs symbolized life, renewal, and rebirth. The pagans believed eggs symbolized fertility and birth.

Another great symbol of the holiday is the Easter Bunny. While the exact origins of the character are unknown, it likely stems from German immigrants who arrived in the United States in the 1700s, according toHistory.com. Baby bunnies in springtime are also associated with birth and renewal.

Not all religious followers celebrate the holiday the same way. Traditions vary across Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Eastern Orthodox.

Eastern Orthodox Christians begin celebrating Easter with Great Lent, starting on Clean Monday, 40 days before Easter, according toHistory.com. Easter is also called Pascha byOrthodox Christians, which means Passover. According toTime and Date, Orthodox Easter falls on April 12.

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Easter is on Sunday. Here's what to know as the holiday approaches.

byJastin

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4/05/2026 12:42:00 AM

Why is Easter celebrated? Here’s what to know about the holy day.

Easterwill be celebrated this year on Sunday, April 5. Though widely associated with the Easter Bunny, color...

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Outspoken Iranians overseas say their loved ones are being detained back home

CAIRO (AP) —Iran's governmentis detaining family members and threatening to seize property of Iranian opposition figures in exile, some tell The Associated Press, in the latest crackdown on dissenting voices as the war rages on.

Iran War

Activists overseas play a key role in tracking the crackdown, which is complicated by the internet shutdown imposed earlier this year duringmassive nationwide protestsagainst the Islamic theocracy. Watchdogs say security forces shot and killed thousands of people.

The war with the United States and Israel has intensified authorities' threats against anyone speaking to outside media or activists. Now that pressure appears to be expanding to intimidate activists in exile.

Iran 'took my mother away to make me be quiet'

Intelligence agents in Tehran on March 15 detained the brother of Hossein Razzagh, a former political prisoner who fled last year to Europe, Razzagh told the AP.

"My own brother isn't at all political and doesn't do any kind of political activity. It's to put me under pressure," he said.

His brother, Ali, was taken from his home in Tehran and was able to phone his wife that night "for a few seconds" from a detention center run by Iran's Intelligence Ministry, Razzagh said.

Since then, the family and his lawyer have been unable to contact him. But the intelligence ministry told them it was reviewing his contact with his brother, Razzagh said.

Another activist who fled, Behnam Chegini, said his 20-year-old niece was detained on March 10 for a week. The niece was taken from her parents' house in the city of Arak soon after she returned from Tehran, where her university had closed because of the war.

She was later released on bail and put under a travel ban.

Chegini, who is now based in France, said the detention was at least in part "because she is my niece and they know that."

Sareh Sedighi, an activist who fled after her 2021 death sentence was overturned, said her mother was detained from her home last month in the western town of Urmia.

"The Islamic Republic took my mother away to make me be quiet," she said. Her mother suffers from health problems and requires daily insulin doses, she added.

And Mahshid Nazemi, a former political prisoner and activist who now lives in France, said at least one friend was detained and questioned about contact with her.

Authorities target the property of outspoken exiles

Iran's judiciary has begun seizing the property of public figures critical of the country's rulers, under an anti-espionage law approved duringlast year's 12-day warwith Israel that punishes media and cultural activities deemed to support Iran's enemies.

A judiciary spokesman on March 31 said on state TV that more than 200 indictments for confiscations have been or are being issued.

Borzou Arjmand, an Iranian actor living in California, found out from news reports that his assets in Iran had been confiscated. After his outspoken support forprotests in 2022, Arjmand was unable to return to Iran. Since then, authorities have blocked his bank accounts.

Arjmand has expressed support on social media for Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah who has organized an opposition movement abroad and supported U.S.-Israeli strikes.

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Pressuring exiled figures is meant "so the Iranian people's voice doesn't reach the world," Arjmand said.

At least three other figures living outside Iran —star soccer player Sardar Azmoun, musician Mohsen Yeghaneh and university professor Ali Sharifi Zarchi — have been on lists of confiscations, according to two semiofficial news agencies in Iran. Yeghaneh and Zarchi have expressed support for anti-government protesters on social media.

Rights groups say conditions are worsening

Iranian security and judicial officials have warned that any new anti-government protests will be met with lethal force.

State media regularly report arrests around the country, describing people as "mercenaries" or "agents" of Israel and the United States, "royalist thugs" or "traitorous elements."

Reports have alleged that some sent information to "hostile networks."

Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, has tracked several hundred detentions since the war began on Feb. 28, using its networks in the country and state media reports, said its director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghhaddam. He said the full number is likely far higher.

Among those detained is human rights lawyerNasrin Sotoudeh, taken by intelligence agents from her house in Tehran, said her daughter Mehraveh Khandan, who lives in Amsterdam. The 64-year-old Sotoudeh had been out on bail for health reasons following an earlier detention.

Little is known about how trials are functioning, as Israeli airstrikes have targeted buildings connected to the judicial system. "It's like they are half-closed. A lot of judges are staying home," said Musa Barzin, a lawyer with Dadban, a group of rights lawyers based abroad.

Some report deteriorating conditions inside crowded prisons. Speaking from Tehran, the wife of a political prisoner held at Iran's Evin Prison worried it could be struck asit was during last year's war.

"Explosions and smoke can be heard and seen from everywhere in the city. Every time we hear a sound, we get scared," she said, speaking on condition of anonymity for her family's safety.

Iranian opposition tries to organize overseas

The situation has led to new attempts to organize the highly fragmented Iranian opposition abroad.

Shortly before the war, Razzagh and others began planning an opposition conference in London, the Iran Freedom Congress, to bring together pro-democracy groups. Razzagh represented a group of Iran-based opposition figures including Soutoudeh and imprisoned Nobel laureateNarges Mohammadi.

He called the conference a first step toward forming a coalition to push for a "political transition" in Iran.

For decades, Iran's rulers have quashed organized political opposition. Some activists in the diaspora say the war is worsening that pressure.

"Israel and America are saying, well, if the Islamic Republic doesn't kill you, let us bomb you. They've been taken hostage from both sides," Nazemi said of Iranians back home.

Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

byJastin

in

4/05/2026 12:42:00 AM

Outspoken Iranians overseas say their loved ones are being detained back home

CAIRO (AP) —Iran's governmentis detaining family members and threatening to seize property of Iranian opposition fig...

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Ye attempts a comeback with sold-out LA-area concert, support from Lauryn Hill

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The artist formerly and possibly again known asKanye Westreveled in support from one of his musical idols,Lauryn Hill, as he staged a sold-out Southern California concert meant to mark a comeback from years of controversy.

Eleven months after releasinga song titled "Heil Hitler"and just over two months after publishing an apology letter for his antisemitism, Ye let two decades of hits — and 70,000 screaming loyal fans — speak the loudest on Friday night at SoFi Stadium.

"I want to thank y'all for sticking by me all these years. Through the hard times, through the low times," he told the crowd. "I love you for that."

Hill joined Ye on a stage for the first time ever for an energetic rendition of his 2004 hit "All Falls Down," which originally sampled her voice. Ye left the stage as she performed "Lost Ones" and "Doo Wop (That Thing)" before rejoining for his 2021 "Doo Wop"-sampling song "Believe What I Say." They hugged as she exited.

Travis Scott, CeeLo Green and Ye's tween daughter North West also strapped on safety harnesses to join Ye high above the stadium floor atop a striking half-orb stage, which alternately depicted a moon, a rotating Earth and a smoking sphere throughout the two hours-plus livestreamed performance.

A loud singalong of "Heartless" midway through the more than 40-song Good Friday show seemed to boost Ye's spirits: "That's what 80,000 people sound like, ladies and gentlemen. … They said I'd never be back in the States. Two sold-out concerts, baby!"

The first SoFi show Wednesday, his first major U.S. performance in nearly five years, turned out to be more of a warm-up as Ye was tentative in his rapping and drew attention to technical mishaps.

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Fans at that show said they separated the 48-year-old performer's personal beliefs and public statements from his music — and were ready to forgive after his January apology letter.

"You gotta back your family no matter what," said Vince Da Prince, a rapper from Downey, Calif. "He's a part of our fam since we were little kids."

Added fan Yovani Contreras: "I don't really bring into politics or the way someone's personal opinion are. I'm into the music artistry … Like, I just, to me, Ye is always gonna be Ye. Kanye is always gonna be Kanye."

Luis Velasquez said he'd been a longtime fan and had been put off by controversies in recent years, but felt the apology was sincere.

"Yeah he did apologize," he said. "He's taking the medication I think is what he mentioned. … For me as a fan that's, like, respect, right? Like I think that's cool enough to bridge that gap."

Ye released his latest album, "Bully," under both the names Ye and Kanye West, at the end of March. He dominated hip-hop and pop charts in the 2000s and early 2010s, winning 24 Grammy Awards despite public outbursts and a polarizing personality. He lost nearly all his major business partnerships and many fans after a string of controversies in the last several years including antisemitic remarks and social media posts.

He closed Friday night's show with his "toast to the douchebags" hit "Runaway," and walked out of the stadium behind his wife Bianca Censori and two of his children.

byJastin

in

4/04/2026 11:12:00 PM

Ye attempts a comeback with sold-out LA-area concert, support from Lauryn Hill

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The artist formerly and possibly again known asKanye Westreveled in support from one of his musical i...

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These 4 British Royal Tiaras Are Considered Unlucky or 'Cursed' — Here's Why

Several British royal tiaras are considered unlucky or "cursed"

NEED TO KNOW

• The Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara has become infamous for its association with tragic events in the lives of its wearers

• The Oriental Circlet Tiara — which has been worn by Kate Middleton — was redesigned to remove its opals, as they were thought to have brought bad fortune

Mostroyal tiarasare known for their eye-popping jewels, but some have gained an unlucky reputation over the years.

These headpieces have garnered negative attention due to patterns that have emerged among each wearer. For example, anyone who possesses the ill-famed Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara has seemingly experienced great misfortune afterwards.

Meanwhile, the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is part of a crown worn by theQueen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, reportedly brings a "grisly" death to any man who attempts to wear it.

Here's everything to know about the British royal tiaras and crowns that have been considered unlucky throughout history.

The Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara

Of all of the British royal tiaras, the Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara is one of the most infamous.

This diadem, which is adorned with diamond foliage and strawberry leaves, was designed byPrince Albertin 1861, most likely as a wedding gift for hissecond daughterwith Queen Victoria, Princess Alice, perThe Royal Collection Trust.

Prince Albert never made it to the wedding, however: He died of typhoid fever on Dec. 14, 1861, perPBS. The tiara's giftee met a similarly tragic fate: Two of the four children Alice shared with husband Louis IV, the Grand Duke of Hesse, died young. Prince Frederich died at the age of 3 in 1873 after falling from a window, while Princess Marie died in 1878 of diphtheria. Princess Alice died from the same disease as her daughter at the age of 35 on Dec. 14, 1878 — the same day as her father died.

The tiara was passed down to her son Ernest, who lent it to his first wife, Grand Duchess Victoria Melita, for the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II, perTatler. The couple's only child died of typhoid and they soon divorced.

Ernest remarried Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich in 1905. In 1937, the pair's daughter-in-law, Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark wore the tiara to thecoronation of King George VIin 1937. Cecile went into premature labor on Nov. 16, 1937, while traveling to the wedding of her husband Georg's brother, forcing an early landing. The plane crashed, killing everyone onboard, including Eleonore, Georg, Cecilie and their two sons.

The Strawberry Leaf Tiara, which was found in the wreckage, is now housed at the Foundation of the House of Hesse, per theMirror.

Oriental Circlet Tiara

The sizableOriental Circle Tiara, which has been worn byKate Middleton, isn't exactly cursed, but it was redesigned due to superstition surrounding some of its jewels.

Crafted by Garrard in 1853, the piece is one of the oldest ever created for the royal family. Featuring lotus flowers and Mughal arches, the headpiece was originally designed with 2,600 diamonds and an array of opals — a reported favorite of Prince Albert, who commissioned the tiara for his wife, Queen Victoria.

Victoria's daughter-in-law, Queen Alexandra of Denmark, who inherited the tiara as the wife of King Edward VII, had the opals removed, as they had fallen out of favor due to a growing association between the gemstone and bad fortune. According toGarrard, Alexandra had the tiara recommissioned in 1902, replacing all of its opals with a collection of Burmese rubies that also belonged to her mother-in-law and removing several of its arches to make it smaller.

The Oriental Circle Tiara has since been passed down through the monarchy, as Queen Victoria stipulated in her will that theOriental Circlet would be worn by queens and future queens only.

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The Queen Mother remained in possession of the tiara untilher deathin 2002, when it was passed it down to her daughter,Queen Elizabeth.

It was last worn by Kate at Windsor Castle on Dec. 3, 2025.

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

TheGrand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, which started out with tragic origins, became a well-loved favorite of Queen Elizabeth.

Before it made its way into the British royal collection, the Bolin-made tiara belonged to its namesake, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna,the wife of the Russian Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and the aunt of Tsar Nicholas II by marriage. She commissioned the diamond-and-pearl headpiece in celebration of her wedding.

It was not a harbinger of good fortune for the Grand Duchess, however. Upon Tsar Nicholas II's assassination in 1918, Marie fled from the Vladimir Palace, leaving the tiara behind. Marie's son and a British art dealer later disguised themselves as workers to recover the jewelry and later brought it to England.

Marie never saw the tiara again. Clinging to her imperial status in the face of the Russian Revolution, she remained the last Romanov in the country until she was forced to flee to France in 1920. She died that same year, and her daughter, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, inherited the tiara, according to theCourt Jeweller.

Elena, who was married to the financially bereft Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, then sold the piece to the Queen Mother, who passed it down to Queen Elizabeth.

The Queen continued to wear the piece, which she had recommissioned to make the pearls interchangeable with emeralds or without jewels, throughout her reign. It was the last tiara she wore ahead ofher deathon Sept. 8, 2022.

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond

Queen Elizabeth's mother, the Queen Mother, also wore a reportedly cursed jewel, known as the Koh-i-Noor, or "mountain of light" diamond — and she donned it on her 1937coronation day.

The 105-carat rock was reportedly found on a bank of the holy Krishna River in southern India some 800 years ago before spending centuries hidden inside a golden statue at a Hindu temple, perNPR, before passing through the Persian, Afghan and Sikh and Mughal empires.

According to the outlet, any men who attempted to wear the diamond have been met with "grisly" deaths. However, royal women have had better luck with the piece: Queen Victoria acquired the diamond in 1849 as part of a treaty marking the end of the second Anglo-Sikh war, per NPR. Women — especially queen consorts — are thought to be able to wear the Koh-i-Noor safely.

Though she originally wore it as a brooch, it was made into a crown for her cousin, the Queen Mother, for her 1937 coronation. She wore the crown again for thecoronation of her daughterin 1953, and it was last seen atop her coffin in 2002, perSmithsonian.

According to NPR, the diamond was deliberately kept off ofQueen Camilla's coronation crown, as India, Iran and Afghanistan have all laid claim to the legendary stone. It's currently on display in the Tower of London as part of the British crown jewels.

Read the original article onPeople

byJastin

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4/04/2026 11:12:00 PM

These 4 British Royal Tiaras Are Considered Unlucky or 'Cursed' — Here's Why

Several British royal tiaras are considered unlucky or "cursed" NEED TO KNOW The Hesse Strawberry ...

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1979 Hit Film Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’

In 1979, a film arrived that would forever change the landscape of science fiction and horror.

Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, has been ranked among thebest moviesof all time byRotten Tomatoes, reinforcing its status as a true cinematic landmark.

Set aboard a commercial spacecraft, the film follows a crew who encounter a deadly extraterrestrial life form after responding to a mysterious signal. What begins as a routine mission quickly turns into a fight for survival, as the crew members are hunted one by one in the confined, claustrophobic environment of the ship.

At the center of the story is Ellen Ripley, played bySigourney Weaver, whose performance helped redefine the role of women in action andsci-fifilms. Ripley emerged as one of the genre's most iconic characters, setting a new standard for strong, complex female leads.

Alien stood out for its ability to blend genres, combining the tension of ahorror filmwith the expansive world-building of science fiction. Its slow-building suspense, eerie atmosphere and groundbreaking creature design made it unlike anything audiences had seen before.

"The biggest challenge was how we designed the beast. Most horror films fail because of terrible monsters," Scott toldBKMAG. "Some are so bad that they become amusing. They become cult films. A cult film is a good way of saying 'It's a pretty bad movie, but I kind of like it with abeer.'"

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The film was also a commercialsuccess, launching a long-running franchise and influencing countless films that followed. Its impact can still be felt today, from modern sci-fithrillerstohorror moviesthat rely on atmosphere and psychological tension.

More than four decades later, Alien continues to be celebrated for its innovation and lasting influence. Sequels from directors including Jean-Pierre Jeunet, David Fincher, andJames Cameronhave carried on its legacy, but Scott isn't ruling out futureAlienfilms.

"I still think there's a lot of mileage inAlien, but I think you'll have to now re-evolve," Scott told theLos Angeles Times. "What I always thought when I was making it, the first one, why would a creature like this be made and why was it traveling in what I always thought was a kind of war-craft, which was carrying a cargo of these eggs. What was the purpose of the vehicle and what was the purpose of the eggs? That's the thing to question — who, why, and for what purpose is the next idea, I think."

Its inclusion onRotten Tomatoes' list of the greatest films only reinforces what audiences have known for years, it's not just a classic, but a defining achievement in cinema history.

Related: 1975 Hit Ranked Among 'Best Movies of All Time'

This story was originally published byParadeon Apr 4, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byJastin

in

4/04/2026 09:12:00 PM

1979 Hit Film Ranked Among ‘Best Movies of All Time’

In 1979, a film arrived that would forever change the landscape of science fiction and horror. Alien, direct...

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