Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie‘s most important critics are their kids.
The actors—who first starred in 2019’s Synchronic before reuniting for upcoming TV series12 12 12—confessed that amid their many roles as action stars over the years, earning cool points from their children has been no easy feat.
“If they don’t think I’m cool after Lord of the Rings, I’m done,” Dornan, who plays Aragorn in the upcoming prequel, The Hunt for Gollum,joked in an exclusive interview with E! News’ Will Marfuggi. “If that’s not good enough for my kids, then I don’t know what else to offer them.”
The50 Shades of Grey alum brought his three kids Dulcie, 13, Elva, 10 and Alberta, 7, with wife Amelia Warner to stay with him in New Zealand during the fantasy shoot, where they were thankfully impressed by his performance on set.
“Usually, they ask to leave. Like, they come to set, and after half an hour, they’re like, ‘You’re just saying the same thing over and over. This is so boring,'” Dornan admitted. “They came to set one night when I was fighting and beheading orcs and stuff, and they were like, ‘It was cool.'”
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The One Thing Anthony Mackie Wants to See in Captain America: New World Order
That said, the 44-year-old was pleased that his little ones found it “good to see Daddy all heroic like that” because, as he put it, “that’ll be as cool as it gets for me.”
Mackie’s brood, on the other hand—which includes four sons with ex-wife Sheletta Chapital—weren’t so easily won over by their dad moonlighting as a soldier with supernatural powers, but for good reason. TheCaptain Americaactor is already a superhero at home.
“My boys could care less,” Mackie remarked with a laugh. “At the end of the day, I realized they just want me to be dad.”
And the 48-year-old understands why his family unit is more content with quality time at home, including playing pickleball.
“I love the fact that all they want from me is me,” he continued. “But then when I come home, we get to be one big family.”
Still, Mackie admitted bringing the crew as his plus-fours to a red carpet was more than a typical ‘bring your kids to work’ day, even for them.
“They went to the premiere of my movie,” Mackie recounted. “They had never seen anything of that scale, like of that magnitude.”
And Mackie and Dornan’s latest project is yet another grand production. The Marvel alum credited the art department when remarking, “The scale of the show, I feel, is kind of like another character.”
The Belfast native agreed the ambitious approach paid off for the series, premiering Nov. 13 on Apple TV, about a meticulously planned fictional robbery of a bank in Zurich.
“It’s like the biggest heist in European history,” Dornan said, using the British slang for cheap when adding, “It couldn’t be pony. It needed to be big.”
New episodes drop on Fridays through Dec. 25.
Read on for other larger-than-life adventures that stars are bringing to the big screen in the coming year.
Focus FeaturesSense and Sensibility – October 16, 2026Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Elinor Dashwood in this latest adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel. Also starring Fiona Shaw, Caitríona Balfe, George MacKay, and Esmé Creed-Miles.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.Paramount PicturesStreet Fighter – October 16, 2026A live-action version of the legendary arcade game, starring Noah Centineo, Jason Momoa, 50 Cent, and many more as the iconic fighters.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.NetflixSacrifice – October 16, 2026During a charity gala brimming with celebrities and billionaires, a movie star in the midst of an existential crisis (Chris Evans) is taken hostage by an eco-warrior (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her devoted followers.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix
Black Bear/YouTubeWicker – October 23, 2026Alexander Skarsgard transforms for his role as the Wicker Husband made for Olivia Colman’s ostracized fisherwoman in this unconventional love story.
Where to Watch: In select theaters on October 23, expanding October 30, 2026.Fathom EntertainmentWildwood – October 23, 2026LAIKA (Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings) delivers another epic stop-motion animation fantasy that follows a girl’s desperate quest to save her baby brother in a forbidden forest full of enchanted creatures.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.Bleecker StreetA Talent for Murder – October 23, 2026This thriller follows a mysterious young man from a New York publisher (Alden Ehrenreich) who is sent to Switzerland to persuade the renowned writer Patricia Highsmith (Helen Mirren) to write one final installment of the Ripley anthology.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.Warner Bros. PicturesThe Cat in the Hat – November 6, 2026Based on the beloved Dr. Seuss book, this animated adaptation will feature the voices of Bill Hader, Quinta Brunson, Bowen Yang, and America Ferrera.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.Paramount PicturesEbenezer – November 13, 2026Johnny Depp headlines this darker twist on the classic holiday tale. Also starring Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Tramell Tillman and Ian McKellen.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.NEONPaper Tiger – November 13, 2026Adam Driver, Miles Teller and Scarlett Johansson star in this crime thriller about two brothers who get entangled in a dangerous Russian mafia scheme that terrorizes their family.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.Amazon MGM StudiosMadden – November 18, 2026Nicolas Cage and Christian Bale star in this chronicle of football icon John Madden’s life and career.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Prime VideoMurray Close/LionsgateThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping – November 20, 2026This highly anticipated prequel revisits the world of Panem and follows young Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games. Also starring Glenn Close, Whitney Peak, Elle Fanning, Ralph Fiennes, Mckenna Grace and Maya Hawke.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.Sumerian PicturesJosephine – November 20, 2026This indie drama stars Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan as two parents dealing with the psychological fallout of their eight-year-old daughter witnessing a brutal crime.
Where to Watch: In select theaters on November 20, then nationwide December 4.
Buy a ticket HERE.Universal PicturesFocker In-Law – November 25, 2026Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro reunite alongside Ariana Grande for this new chapter in the Meet the Parents franchise.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.NetflixThe Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth – November 25, 2026Brad Pitt returns to his Academy Award-winning role as Cliff Booth, only this time it’s 1977 and it’s a very different Hollywood. Directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, and also starring Elizabeth Debicki, Scott Caan, Carla Gugino, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Where to Watch: In IMAX theaters starting Nov. 25, then streaming on Netflix on Dec. 23. DisneyHexed – November 25, 2026This animated coming-of-age saga follows an impulsive teenage girl named Billie (Hailee Steinfeld) who discovers secret magical abilities which hurtle her into a spectacular journey out of suburbia and into a vast witch realm called Hexe.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.NetflixThe Mosquito Bowl – November 25, 2026In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, four college football stars enlist in the US Marines, discovering the strength of brotherhood and the cost of war. Starring Nicholas Galitzine and Bill Skarsgård.
Where to Watch: Streaming on NetflixAmazon MGM StudiosThe Man With the Bag – December 2, 2026When Santa’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) magic bag is stolen, he turns to his naughty list to find Vance (Alan Ritchson), a thief, to help him get it back.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Prime Video.Roadside AttractionsThe Gallerist – December 4, 2026Natalie Portman stars in this art world satire about an ambitious gallery owner whose life spirals into chaos when she passes off an accidental corpse as the centerpiece of her debut show. Will she end up famous, a felon, or both?
Where to Watch: In theatersMarvel StudiosAvengers: Doomsday – December 18, 2026An insanely star-studded cast of MCU fan-favorites return to our screens in this fifth installment of the Avengers film series.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.Warner Bros. PicturesDune: Part Three – December 18, 2026Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet return to deliver the epic conclusion to director Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy. Also starring Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, and Javier Bardem.
Where to Watch: In theaters and IMAX
Buy a ticket HERE.Focus FeaturesWerwulf – December 25, 2026Director Robert Eggers (Nosferatu, The Witch) delivers his take on the classic horror beast. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Willem Dafoe and Lily-Rose Depp.
Where to Watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.Columbia Pictures/Sony PicturesJumanji: Open World – December 25, 2026The core cast (Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black and Kevin Hart) returns for this final installment of the reboot trilogy about a magical board game.
Where to Watch: In theatersJames J. Grassi/Universal and BlumhouseRiver – January 15, 2027From the producers of Backrooms and Obsession comes a visceral slasher pic that follows two estranged siblings whose river trip devolves into a fight for survival as they are mercilessly hunted by a disturbing masked figure.
Where to Watch: In theatersNetflixNarnia: The Magician’s Nephew – February 12, 2027Barbie director Greta Gerwig brings C. S. Lewis’ beloved story to the screen for the first time in a sweeping adventure that invites dreamers of all ages to experience the creation of Narnia.
Where to Watch: In theatersUniversal Pictures and BlumhouseThe Exorcist: Martyrs – March 12, 2027Scarlett Johansson fronts this new chapter in one of the most storied titles in cinema history from horror genre auteur Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House, Midnight Mass).
Where to watch: In theaters
Buy a ticket HERE.LionsgateDay Drinker – March 26, 2027Johnny Depp, Madelyn Cline and Penelope Cruz star in this revenge thriller with a supernatural twist.
Where to Watch: In theatersFor the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
