Annette Bening

Some famous characters were almost played by other famous people.

Finally!

The Oscar-nominee might be playing Carol Danvers’ mom in the Marvel spinoff.

Last year’s Best Actress race was stacked with fantastic performances, including Annette Bening’s stellar turn in 20th Century Women. Although Bening didn’t take home the statue, she may have a shot again this year with her role as silver screen icon and Oscar-winning actress Gloria Grahame. You can sneak a peek at Bening’s performance in the first trailer for Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, which co-stars Jamie Bell as Bening’s younger lover.

No one was exactly surprised to hear that FX’s Katrina: American Crime Story had stalled in favor of Versace, but neither FX nor Ryan Murphy will scrap the idea outright. Instead, production has been pushed to 2019 with a revamped premise and cast, and confirmed to feature Sarah Paulson in a leading role.

We weren’t terribly surprised when Versace: American Crime Story overtook Katrina as the next installment, but it seems the New Orleans-set chapter may have fallen apart altogether. Directors say the FX project is “stalled,” calling into question whether it films at all.

Dan Fogelman, creator of decade-spanning relationship drama This Is Us, seems to be a big fan of ambitious storytelling projects. His latest reported project, entitled, naturally, Life, Itself, has a similar premise to his NBC show: One couple leads a story that spans many years and relationships and generations, taking them from America to Spain and back again. Annette Bening, fresh off her starring turn in last year’s 20th Century Women, is the latest to join the all-star cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde, Antonio Banderas, and Samuel L. Jackson.

We’ll still have to wait until 2018 for the second season of Ryan Murphy’s FX American Crime Story, but Katrina is starting off strong with new cast. Annette Bening is joining the Emmy-winner’s second season (officially dubbed Katrina: American Crime Story) in a governing role.

There’s a scene in Mike Mills’ 20th Century Women that will be remembered as the film’s funniest, a moment that perfectly captures the essence of its trio of titular female characters. With a tinge of annoyance, Annette Bening’s Dorothea calls out her tenant Abbie, a red-haired punk, for dozing off on the table during a dinner party. “I’m menstruating,” Abbie grumpily retorts. Much to Dorothea’s embarrassment, Abbie then prompts the men at the table to confidently utter the word “menstruation.” Capping off the scene, Elle Fanning’s rebellious 16-year-old Julie breaks into an awkward story about losing her virginity. Three women across three generations, all with varying barometers of what it means to be a woman, and what it means to harness femininity.

Early in 20th Century Women, Elle Fanning’s rebellious teenager Julie asks, “Don’t you need a man to raise a man?” With little pause, Annette Bening’s single mother Dorothea assuredly responds, “No, I don’t think so.” The latest from Mike Mills (Thumbsucker, Beginners), finds three women helping raise a teenage boy. It’s a premise that could easily crash and burn in the wrong hands by sacrificing nuance for stereotypes or marginalizing female voices to emphasize a male perspective. Yet 20th Century Women avoids all of that. Instead Mills has made not only one of the best films of the year, but one that unabashedly celebrates the feminine spirit.