China's Inner Mongolia bets on solar and wind but coal stays close

China&x27;s Inner Mongolia bets on solar and wind but coal stays close Thu, July 2, 2026 at 1:06 AM UTC 0 ORDOS, China (AP) — Seen from the air, the arrays of more than 3 million solar panels shimmering in the desert sun at the Dalad Banner solar farm are arranged in the shape of a galloping horse – a symbol of Inner Mongolia’s nomadic heritage. A short drive away stands one of the region&x27;s many coalfired power plants, one which sends electricity 700 kilometers (435 miles) to China’s capital Beijing.

China's Inner Mongolia bets on solar and wind but coal stays close

Thu, July 2, 2026 at 1:06 AM UTC

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ORDOS, China (AP) — Seen from the air, the arrays of more than 3 million solar panels shimmering in the desert sun at the Dalad Banner solar farm are arranged in the shape of a galloping horse – a symbol of Inner Mongolia’s nomadic heritage. A short drive away stands one of the region's many coal-fired power plants, one which sends electricity 700 kilometers (435 miles) to China’s capital Beijing.

The proximity of the projects embodies what experts describe as an “all-of-the-above" energy approach for Inner Mongolia, which has become China's largest base of both renewable energy and coal production. Its energy transition mirrors China as a whole: Wind and solar capacity are expanding quickly while coal remains indispensable.

China has been installing wind and solar power faster than any other country. Yet coal-fired plants still supplied around 51% of China’s electricity in 2025, according to the latest data from the National Energy Administration.

“While China as a whole is transitioning away from coal, Inner Mongolia is most certainly the most paradoxical part of the story. In Inner Mongolia’s case, more renewables often means more coal capacity as well,” said David Fishman, an energy consultant at The Lantau Group, who has visited Inner Mongolia's coal plants and the solar farms.

Inner Mongolia wants wind and solar power to increasingly replace electricity traditionally supplied by coal, while also meeting the country’s growing demand for power. But officials said both renewables and coal will continue to rise for now, with coal needed to supplement when weather causes interruptions in wind or solar power.

“Many people see there is a conflict or a competitive relationship between traditional energy and renewable energy,” said Gu Qing, an official of Inner Mongolia’s energy administration, standing at the edge of the Dalad Banner solar farm.

“As more renewable energy capacity is added, coal-fired power will also continue to grow, although the pace will gradually slow,” Gu said.

The Dalad Banner solar farm, which reporters visited on a recent government-organized tour, currently generates around 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. It is part of a broader clean energy program started in 2018 in northern China’s Kubuqi Desert.

Inner Mongolia is crucial to China's power transmission plan

Inner Mongolia is one of the most crucial nodes in China’s “West-to-East Power Transmission Project," which transmits electricity from the country's resource-rich northwest to its industrialized east. In 2025, 40% of Inner Mongolia’s electricity generation, about 350 billion kilowatt-hours, was sent to other parts of China. The amount is enough to power 120 million households for a year.

Solar and wind installed capacity has more than doubled in the past five years in Inner Mongolia, but coal still dominates electricity generation. Coal-fired plants produced around 590 billion kilowatt-hours in 2025 in Inner Mongolia, while solar and wind generated about 277 billion kilowatt-hours combined.

Coal power capacity in Inner Mongolia has continued to expand over the past five years.

“Because wind and solar are intermittent…we cannot do without the support of coal-fired power,” said Huang Zhiqiang, vice governor of Inner Mongolia, during a recent news briefing.

“What is changing is that coal power units are turning from supply-guarantee units to serving as a supporting and regulating role,” he said.

Inner Mongolia mined around 1.2 billion tons of coal in recent years, accounting for one quarter of China’s total coal production. Over 60% was transported to other provinces. Ordos, the city administering the Dalad Banner, is also one of the country's five largest coal-producing centers designated by the central government.

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Managing the energy transition

Officials said renewable energy is beginning to replace existing demand conventionally provided by coal. The transition requires that coal plants ramp down when renewable output is abundant and ramp up when it is not. Huang said Inner Mongolia refurbished all coal power units so they can ramp down to operate at 15% of their capacity so less coal is burned.

But Fishman, the energy consultant, said ramping units down to 15% is “an aspirational or best-unit capability rather than something that applies across the whole fleet in day-to-day operations,” because it will cause stress both technically and financially.

Similarly, Anika Patel, China section editor at the climate change research organization Carbon Brief, said: “Just because a plant can operate flexibly doesn’t mean that it is operating flexibly."

She said that it's challenging to relegate coal to a supporting role because of Chinese economic and political incentives around its use. Patel said China’s long-term power contracts reduce flexibility for power grids to purchase renewable electricity, while lengthy interprovincial trading arrangements make it harder to include solar and wind.

Supporting artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and manufacturing

The government said Inner Mongolia is not only building more wind and solar projects to meet the rising electricity demand from AI computing, electric vehicle charging and manufacturing. It is also investing in energy storage, transmission infrastructure and other ways to make the grid efficient.

Gu said Inner Mongolia will encourage factories to adjust production to better match patterns of wind and solar generation so renewable energy can be used more efficiently.

For over a decade since the early 2010s, China experienced a rapid solar and wind energy expansion that was largely driven by government targets and investment incentives, leading to issues such as overcapacity.

Power generation is only one part of Inner Mongolia’s coal strategy. The region is also a big hub of coal chemical industry, in which coal is converted to chemicals or fuels to produce other products. The processes emit more carbon dioxide than using coal to generate electricity. Huang said Inner Mongolia will deploy carbon-capture technologies to curb emissions.

He said Inner Mongolia has been expanding capacity of coal-to-oil, coal-to-gas and coal chemical industries. The Iran conflict and the close of the Strait of Hormuz exposed the vulnerability of countries that rely on imported oil and liquefied natural gas.

“At the industrial level, this can help offset and ease China’s reliance on imported oil and gas, reducing dependence on overseas supplies,” Huang said.

___

Video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report.

___

The ’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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It's a remarkably versatile medium. The 25 best stopmotion movies in cinematic history It's a remarkably versatile medium. By Jordan Hoffman :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/JordanHoffmanauthorphotoe4b61cf41b534ce3bd109eae4b8f4eaa.jpg) Jordan Hoffman Jordan Hoffman is a writer at , mostly covering nostalgia. He has been writing about entertainment since 2007. EW's editorial guidelines July 1, 2026 6:00 p.m. ET Leave a Comment :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/beststopmotion04202674f922fb4edc4184936210c4c268b68e.jpg) Mr. Fox (George Clooney), Sally (Catherine O'Hara), and Wallace (Peter Sallis).

It's a remarkably versatile medium.

The 25 best stop-motion movies in cinematic history

It's a remarkably versatile medium.

By Jordan Hoffman

Jordan Hoffman

Jordan Hoffman is a writer at **, mostly covering nostalgia. He has been writing about entertainment since 2007.

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Mr. Fox (George Clooney), Sally (Catherine O'Hara), and Wallace (Peter Sallis). Credit:

Fox Searchlight; Warner Bros.; Wallace & Gromit

What makes animation such a wonderful medium is that, truly, anything can happen. You want your characters to take a very quick trip to Saturn? Not an issue.

Or at least it *seems *that way. While a lot of animation today is computer-generated, there was a time when it was all crafted by hand.

Perhaps you've visited a children's museum where you got to putz around with blocks of clay, click a button to take a still image, then move your creation ever so slightly to (oh, what's the word?) *animate* it. After many, many, many such incremental movements that, let’s face it, got a little boring after a while, you got to see your hard work — a fraction of a second's worth of animation, just for a blob to nod its head.

When you think about the level of detail and labor that goes into a feature-length stop-motion film, it boggles the mind. It's that elbow grease and abundant creativity that make stop-motion animation so vital, especially today. With this in mind, here are 25 stop-motion movies that are hypnotizing to watch.

The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985)

Mark Twain dispenses wisdom and spins a few comic yarns.

Clubhouse Pictures

Just before creating the California Raisins, a healthy snack alternative mascot that kinda took over pop culture for a minute, animator Will Vinton made a glorious claymation film riffing on classic middle school literature. We follow a quip-ready Mark Twain as he travels in an airship, interacting with his famous characters like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

Most memorable is the adaptation of Twain’s *Mysterious Stranger*, a supernatural tale in which the personification of evil grants tiny clay people life, only to then confront them with great hardship. The odd tone didn’t lend itself to immediate popularity, but the film became a cult hit years later.

Alice (1988)

This is the 'Alice' you should watch. Show your kids the cartoon one. Burn the Burton one.

First Run Features

This is the first film on our list — but not the last — that represents Czech animation. Puppeteering is a cherished and nurtured tradition in Czech culture, as is rejuvenating folkloric tales. Jan Švankmajer is one of the most important names in envelope-pushing stop-motion animation, and his spin on Lewis Carroll’s fantasy, *Alice*, is equal parts whimsical and sinister.

The film transforms everyday items from a sock drawer and even taxidermized animals leaking sawdust into living characters. The familiar story takes on new layers of meaning in this gorgeously decayed form.

Anomalisa (2015)

This is the face of almost every character in the movie (seriously). Google 'Fregoli delusion'.

Paramount Pictures

Charlie Kaufman — writer of the puppet-themed *Being John Malkovich *(1999) and the bananapants novel *Antkind* — wrote and directed *Anomalisa*,* *a devastating look at isolation and emotional fragility made with stop-motion puppets.

Our main character, voiced by David Thewlis, sees everyone else as the same — literally. As such, they all have Tom Noonan’s voice and face. Until our traveler (stuck in a Cincinnati hotel) meets a woman voiced by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Things seem to be going well… until they don’t. Kaufman and co-director Duke Johnson exploit the surrealism of puppets to great ends (most notably in a love scene), creating a one-of-a-kind vision.

Chicken Run (2000)

This is basically 'The Great Escape' except without Steve McQueen doing motorcycle tricks.

Aardman is arguably the most successful independent stop-motion studio. After several successful and influential shorts, *Chicken Run* became its first feature film — and a lucrative one at that.

A spin on the classic *The Great Escape*, the hilarious movie features a slew of memorable characters: the determined Ginger (Julia Sawalha), the dimwitted Babs (Jane Horrocks), and Rocky, a cocky American rooster voiced by Mel Gibson (who was born in America, by the way). In addition to featuring marvelous clay figures, it's a perfect way to introduce kids to British humor. (And, perhaps, a vegetarian diet.)

Chronopolis (1982)

Trust us, we can't describe it to you any better than this image can (complimentary).

Saint-André-des-Arts

Polish animator Piotr Kamler’s science-fiction stop-motion feature (with narration from Michael Lonsdale, a.k.a. Bond villain Hugo Drax) imagines a vast, floating city suspended in darkness, inhabited by immortal beings who, out of boredom, begin tinkering with the construct of time. The abstract imagery of the epic cityscape creates an eerie texture, with a heavily stylized, dreamlike look. The soundscape is just as unusual as the visuals; the result is less a traditional narrative and more a sustained cinematic *feeling*. If you can track this one down, it’s a must-see for late nights.

Charlie Kaufman and the 10-year odyssey to bring 'Anomalisa' to the screen

'The Boxtrolls' Animation: How They Did It

Coraline (2009)

'Coraline' ushered in the Laika library in dark and colorful style. LAIKA

The first film from stop-motion studio Laika, *Coraline* had an absolute supergroup of talent behind it. Henry Selick adapted Coraline by Neil Gaiman and enlisted voice performances from greats like Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, plus music by They Might Be Giants, to tell this crafty, Grimm-esque fairy tale about alternate worlds. It arrived at the height of the 3D boom, which added significant pop to the handmade textures of every colorful flower petal and creepy doll eye. Oh, and the movie also gave us one of the most enduring kids' movie villains of the century: the "Other Mother."

Corpse Bride (2005)

The happy bride and groom in 'Corpse Bride'. Warner Bros.

Many people think Tim Burton directed *The Nightmare Before Christmas*. He did not. He did, however, co-direct the not-as-memorable-but-still-good *Corpse Bride*, a gothic fantasy featuring voice performances from Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. The film boasts a broad visual palette between the dull Land of the Living and the vibrant Land of the Dead (ironic!), and there’s no shortage of fast-paced visual puns in this charming beyond-the-grave love story. Some of the best scenes revolve around original songs by Burton’s longtime musical accompanist, Danny Elfman.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

That look he gets when he wants to pull off a secret heist.

Fox Searchlight

Wes Anderson took to stop-motion like a fox to a henhouse with this innovative and slightly melancholy comedy, based on Roald Dahl’s book. Anderson did not record the voices of George Clooney, Jason Schwartzman, Meryl Streep and others in a booth, as is typical in animation, but instead had them perform the scenes in a field with microphones.

The very tactile miniatures are intricately designed, but the scenes are still blocked and shot in a manner that makes them instantly recognizable as an Anderson film. This movie is appropriate for most kids, but it isn’t really a kids’ movie, which is a breath of fresh air for any animated film made in Hollywood.

Faust (1994)

Turns out Švankmajer and Goethe are a match made in heaven.

Though not as famous as his *Alice*, *Faust *may be Jan Švankmajer’s finest film. It’s about a man who goes to a building in which players are prepping a theater production of *Faust — *then becomes the title character himself. His scenes with the other characters blend live-action and large puppets, with relentless running gags and stream-of-consciousness imagery. (One could make the case that this is a film about falling asleep during a play and the production triggering unsettling dreams.) Nothing in the film is spelled out for you, but if you have a basic understanding of the Faust myth, you’ll get the gist of it.

The Good Soldier Schweik (1954)

There would be no 'Catch-22' without this, so let's thank our lucky stars for Czechoslovakia.

Czechoslovak State Film

Sticking with Czech puppetry, *The Good Soldier Schweik *is something of a national mascot over there. (You may see renderings of the wide-eyed soldier with a kind heart at local pubs. Imagine if Ziggy were in the army.) There have been many adaptations of the story, which ultimately champions pacifism despite its title, but director Jiří Trnka's 1954 animated version is the most impressive. It combines 2D wood carvings with tiny wooden figures and plenty of slapstick humor.

Isle of Dogs (2018)

A loyal pilot and five mighty dogs in 'Isle of Dogs'.

Fox Searchlight

Wes Anderson’s second stop-motion feature is just as impressive — once again overwhelming in its texture, with every bit of fur handmade. Anderson’s symmetrical framing and exaggerated colors showcase his trademark precision.

As with the rest of the director’s work, it balances melancholy with optimism, and also pays homage to the filmmaking techniques of Japanese greats like Yasujirō Ozu. The impressive voice cast includes Bill Murray, Edward Norton, and Bryan Cranston, and, yes, the title is a pun if you say it fast enough. (Aha!) Though it is, indeed, about an island run by dogs.

Junk Head (2017)

Our protagonist got himself bisected, joining the tradition of the Black Knight and Bishop from 'Aliens'.

The feature-length *Junk Head *is essentially the work of one person. Takahide Hori wrote, directed, animated, edited, and voiced much of the film himself. It reportedly took him years to complete, which isn’t surprising considering the level of detail. The story follows a human explorer entering an underground realm of constructed sentient beings in a future where humanity faces extinction. It blends frightening dystopian imagery with absurd humor, and even an invented language. The self-funded project is part of a planned trilogy, but don’t expect the follow-ups any time soon.

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Kubo and Beetle (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) set off to take out Ralph Fiennes and two Rooney Maras. Laika Studios/Focus Features

A Laika project directed by company CEO Travis Knight, *Kubo and the Two Strings *is set in feudal Japan and follows a young boy who uses a string instrument as a magical weapon. The film’s look is inspired by ink wash paintings and wood blocks, moving fluidly between different visual idioms. The most dazzling moment comes when our young hero uses his magical powers to bring a small army of paper warriors to life. The film is also a nice introduction of Eastern religious beliefs for a Western audience.

Mad God (2021)

One of literally thousands of magnificent frames from Phil Tippett's 30-year passion project.

Another dark, surreal dystopia, *Mad God *is a passion project from special effects legend Phil Tippett, the man responsible for some of the outstanding miniature and visual effects work in *RoboCop *(1987), *Jurassic Park *(1993), and *The Empire Strikes Back *(1981). The film took 30 years to make, as he basically worked on it from home on his own time. The nearly dialogue-free story revels in grotesque creatures and nightmarish vignettes in an underworld setting. It may not have the most enthralling plot, but its style and independent spirit are mesmerizing.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On (2021)

Marcel simply cannot miss an episode of '60 Minutes'.

This cutesy li’l feature, an expansion of shorts made by Dean Fleischer Camp and Jenny Slate, fuses live action and stop motion to tell the story about a one-inch living seashell and its friend, a ball of lint. While there is no shortage of visual gags that play around with a mockumentary style, the movie ultimately reveals itself as an adventure about taking risks and the universal drive to ask questions and explore. There’s also a weird bit about stanning *60 Minutes* reporter Lesley Stahl.

Mary and Max (2009)

Mary, covered in her own stamp collection, in 'Mary and Max'.

Icon Entertainment International

*Mary and Max* was Adam Elliot’s first claymation feature film, made a few years after his *Harvie Krumpet *won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. This story was inspired by real-life pen-pal correspondence between Mary, a lonely Australian girl, and Max, an overweight New Yorker on the autism spectrum.

There’s a frank sadness to nearly every scene, but also a tenderness and warmth between these two unlikely friends. There are also scenes of great slapstick, like when Max (voiced by Philip Seymour Hoffman) tries to bake himself a birthday cake, which goes extremely poorly.

Memoir of a Snail (2024)

She either has a really quirky hat or is doing very obvious espionage work.

This R-rated, Oscar-nominated effort from Australia follows the tragic misadventures of a twin brother and sister growing up with their drunken, paraplegic father in 1970s Melbourne. When their father dies of sleep apnea, the kids are separated — she heads to Canberra and is raised by swingers, he winds up on a religious farm.

Once again, Adam Elliot balances deep cynicism with wonderment in the challenging and funny film, with a great many unexpected twists. The voice cast is a murderer's row of famous Australians, including Sarah Snook, Eric Bana, and Nick Cave.

My Life as a Zucchini (2016)

Don't worry, he does not turn into a vegetable, 'Zucchini' is just a nickname.

This Franco-Swiss film from director Claude Barras deploys tenderly expressive puppets to tell the story of a boy placed in an orphanage after inadvertently killing his alcoholic mother. (It’s complicated.) At first, life there is rather tough, but in time he makes connections with other troubled kids — and the police officer who placed him there.

The screenplay, cowritten by Céline Sciamma (*Portrait of a Lady on Fire*), nicely balances dark humor and sincerity. (The kid, for example, keeps an old beer can around to remind him of his mother.)

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

You wouldn't know it from Dr. Finkelstein's work, but this is a joyful Christmas movie.

“What’s this? What’s this?” Few films become an instant classic quite the way this one did. Produced by Tim Burton and based on a short poem he wrote, the film was actually directed by Henry Selick, even though Disney branded it as *Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas*, which still annoys Selick.

Nevertheless, this magnificent look at how “Halloween Town” adapts to the concept of Christmas has tickled the imagination for decades, leading to many great Halloween costumes and singalongs.

ParaNorman (2012)

Laika does John Carpenter proud in 'ParaNorman'.

Focus Features/courtesy Everett Collection

Another home run from Laika, *ParaNorman* is about an 11-year-old boy who, much to his chagrin, can communicate with the spirit world. This causes him no end of trouble at school, but it suddenly becomes useful when it's up to him to protect his hometown from a witch's curse. The film was a box office success and was also notable for featuring a casually gay character in a family film — a quietly groundbreaking choice in 2012. The animation is more spooky than scary, but it's full of terrific creature designs and visual effects.

The Pied Piper (1986)

As this list proves, Czech animation is on a whole other level.

Here’s yet another Czech masterpiece, this time from director Jiří Barta, adapting the folk tale of *The Pied Piper of Hamlin*. The film uses carved wooden figurines and borrows heavily from medieval art and German expressionist cinema, giving the production a unique visual style. As with many Czech films on this list, it walks the line between kid-friendly and super dark, which is probably more in keeping with actual fairy tales than the versions Hollywood usually offers. The best scene is likely when the swarm of rats first comes to town, played up for maximum creepiness.

A Town Called Panic (2009)

What, you DON'T let your horse take a shower in your normal human bathroom? Rude.

Brain Dead Studios

One of the more madcap titles on this list, *A Town Called Panic*, from Belgian directors Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar, is wall-to-wall sight gags and surrealist moments. The animation is deliberately crude, meant to evoke the imagination of a kid hyped up on sugar. A cowboy, Native American, and a horse romp around through various zany setbacks and misunderstandings in classic sitcom form. Shenanigans include an accidental delivery of millions of bricks, a visit to an underworld realm, and an aquatic adventure.

Toys in the Attic (2009)

Not gonna lie, a teddy bear that looks like that would not be a comfort to a typical child.

From *The Pied Piper*’s Jiří Barta comes this absolutely gorgeously detailed look at a group of toys and other objects that come to life when no one is looking. Yes, this sounds an awful lot like *Toy Story*, and while Pixar movies absolutely have their place, the handcrafted care of each shot of Barta’s stop-motion film puts it in a whole other category.

There are also too many shots of rotten food and gross insects for it to be completely kid-friendly. Additionally, there are elements of claymation and traditional illustrations thrown in, because with great art there are no rules.

The Wolf House (2018)

Do not show this one to your kids unless they're really into dark political allegory for some reason.

This Spanish-language film is, along with *Mad God*, one of the few genuinely terrifying entries on this list. It’s loosely based on an actual Chilean colony where German expatriates tortured prisoners at the behest of General Pinochet. The story is told allegorically through the eyes of a young girl who witnesses pigs transforming into people. Directors Cristobal Léon and Joaquin Cociña used papier-mâché, charcoal, tape, moving miniature wall art, and other mixed media in lieu of traditional puppets. The film has a very avant-garde style, with images melting into one another to to give the horrific tale a hazy, dreamlike logic.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

The Wrong Trousers (1993)

One frame from genuinely one of the best action sequences ever filmed.

Wallace & Gromit/YouTube

We wouldn’t dream of concluding this list without including Aardman’s Wallace and Gromit, arguably the most famous claymation figures of modern times. *The Wrong Trousers* was the second short film starring the British cheese-loving gentleman and his loyal beagle.

The Academy Award-winning film, directed by Nick Park, involves a mechanical pair of pants, an annoying penguin, and a surprisingly tense action sequence on a model train set. It can never be emphasized enough how adorable Gromit is, and that middle-aged men in England all eventually become like Wallace.

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The 25 best stop-motion movies in cinematic history

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&34;My understanding is that these myths should be changing,&34; Helen Slater said. Original '80s Supergirl star weighs in on Milly Alcock's version of the DC character &34;My understanding is that these myths should be changing,&34; Helen Slater said. By Wesley Stenzel :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/WesleyStenzelauthorphoto32b61793a2784639af623f2ae091477e.jpg) Wesley Stenzel Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at . He began writing for EW in 2022. EW's editorial guidelines July 1, 2026 5:20 p.m.

"My understanding is that these myths should be changing," Helen Slater said.

Original '80s Supergirl star weighs in on Milly Alcock's version of the DC character

"My understanding is that these myths should be changing," Helen Slater said.

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Helen Slater in 'Supergirl'; Milly Alcock in 'Supergirl'. Credit:

Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty; Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

- Helen Slater, who played Supergirl in 1984's *Supergirl*, shared her opinion on the new *Supergirl* movie starring Milly Alcock.

- Slater said she thinks that superhero "myths should be changing": "We want reinterpretations."

- The actress also recalled filming a cameo for 2023's *The Flash*.

Helen Slater is sharing her two cents on the latest version of *Supergirl*.

The actress, who made her film debut as Kara Zor-El in 1984's *Supergirl*, discussed Craig Gillespie's new movie about the DC hero starring Milly Alcock.

"I loved the new *Supergirl* film," Slater told* THR*. "I thought Milly Alcock was astonishing — fierce, strong and great comic timing!"

Milly Alcock in 'Supergirl'.

Slater had no qualms about the character being reimagined for the new movie. "My understanding is that these myths should be changing," she said. "We want reinterpretations. That keeps it alive and keeps it going. It echoes what's happening in the culture right now. It's fun that it evolves and keeps developing."

Slater's *Supergirl* movie served as a spinoff of the '70s and '80s *Superman* series starring Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel. Though Reeve himself didn't appear in the film, Marc McClure did reprise his role as Jimmy Olsen from the *Superman* movies — and Slater still connected with Reeve off-screen.

Helen Slater in Los Angeles on Dec. 9, 2023.

Araya Doheny/Getty

"I became friends with him, and he was just the loveliest person on the planet," the actress said of the *Somewhere in Time* actor, who died in 2004. "There was no ill will or strangeness — just sweet, very protective, mentor-y kind of person for me."

Reeve and Slater eventually shared the screen — kind of — in 2023's *The Flash*, which featured a number of cameos from previous superhero actors as multiple DC universes begin to collide. Though many assumed that Slater's appearance was CGI, the actress said that she actually filmed new material for the cameo.

How 'Supergirl' star Milly Alcock embraced the DC heroine's darker edge

How David Corenswet's Superman factors into the 'Supergirl' movie

"I was in this very wild machine with 600 eyes around it," she said. "But they could have just put a Barbie doll in because I'm de-aged so much. They were so kind to fly me out to London, but I don't know that they needed to."

Slater also said that she "loved" *The Flash* and that she had a positive experience with its star, Ezra Miller. "Ezra was so lovely and knew about my graduate work in mythology and wanted to talk about that," she recalled.

*The Flash* wasn't Slater's first return to the DC multiverse. The actress previously voiced Talia al Ghul on four episodes of *Batman: The Animated Series* in the 1990s, and later returned to her Kryptonian roots when she portrayed Lara-El, the biological mother of Superman, on three episodes of *Smallville* between 2007 and 2010.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.***

Slater also played Eliza Danvers, the foster mother of Melissa Benoist's Supergirl, on the CBS/CW series *Supergirl* from 2015 to 2021. During that same period, she voiced Martha Kent, the adoptive mother of Superman, in the animated TV movie *DC Super Hero Girls: Super Hero High* in 2016.

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The beloved actor had a recurring gueststar role on the series. Legally Blonde prequel Elle pays tribute to late star James Van Der Beek The beloved actor had a recurring gueststar role on the series. By Samantha Highfill :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/SamanthaHighfillauthorphoto0917254112e875604542d49744a27de908d183.jpg) Samantha Highfill Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at , where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television. EW's editorial guidelines July 1, 2026 12:00 p.m.

The beloved actor had a recurring guest-star role on the series.

Legally Blonde prequel* Elle* pays tribute to late star James Van Der Beek

The beloved actor had a recurring guest-star role on the series.

By Samantha Highfill

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Samantha Highfill is an executive editor at **, where she's worked for more than 12 years covering television.

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July 1, 2026 12:00 p.m. ET

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James Van Der Beek as Dean Wilson on 'Elle'. Credit:

Kimberley French/Prime Video

- *Legally Blonde* prequel *Elle *is paying tribute to one of its stars.

- The new Prime Video series dedicates an episode to James Van Der Beek.

- Van Der Beek, who died in February, plays superintendent Dean Wilson on the show.

**This post contains spoilers from season 1 of *Elle*.**

The *Elle* team is paying tribute to one of its own.

The *Legally Blonde* prequel series, which follows a teenage Elle Woods (Lexi Minetree) as she navigates life in Seattle, dropped its first season on Prime Video, and it features a special dedication. Specifically, the show's third episode is dedicated to late star James Van Der Beek, who plays superintendent Dean Wilson.

When Elle's father moves her family from sunny Los Angeles to not-so-sunny Seattle, she struggles to fit in — as does her mother, Eva (June Diane Raphael). But there's at least one smiling face to greet the family, and it belongs to beloved local Dean Wilson, who just so happens to be running for mayor. Dean quickly sees potential in Eva's knowledge and asks her to join his campaign.

June Diane Raphael as Eva and James Van Der Beek as Dean on 'Elle'.

Kimberley French/Prime Video

*Elle* is one of Van Der Beek's final projects. The actor was able to finish filming on the series before his death in February of 2026 from colorectal cancer. At the time of his death, *Elle* executive producer Reese Witherspoon posted on social media, saying, "Devastated to hear about James Van Der Beek. What an extraordinary, talented man who also showed great kindness and grace in every action. Praying all the angels watch over his family during this difficult time."

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Although Van Der Beek is remembered for many projects over his 30-plus-year career, *Elle *wants to make sure it's counted as one of them.

*Elle* is now streaming on Prime Video.

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Legally Blonde prequel Elle pays tribute to late star James Van Der Beek

The beloved actor had a recurring gueststar role on the series. Legally Blonde prequel Elle pays tribute to late star James Van...

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&34;I think people now look at this and think maybe nine years has been enough,&34; the actor said. Kevin Spacey feels 'much more welcomed' in Hollywood after outlasting sexual assault allegations &34;I think people now look at this and think maybe nine years has been enough,&34; the actor said. By Marina Watts Marina Watts Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek. EW's editorial guidelines June 29, 2026 2:15 p.m.

"I think people now look at this and think maybe nine years has been enough," the actor said.

Kevin Spacey feels 'much more welcomed' in Hollywood after outlasting sexual assault allegations

"I think people now look at this and think maybe nine years has been enough," the actor said.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

EW's editorial guidelines

June 29, 2026 2:15 p.m. ET

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Kevin Spacey in Milan in June 2025. Credit:

Rosdiana Ciaravolo/Getty

- Kevin Spacey revealed he is starting to feel "much more welcomed" in Hollywood years after sexual assault allegations came to light.

- "I think that things are moving in the the direction that we we hope they're moving in," Spacey told Bill Maher on his podcast *Club Random*.

- The disgraced actor has been accused of sexual assault by over a dozen men.

Kevin Spacey is opening up about his relationship with Hollywood.

The *House of Cards** *actor admitted he feels "less in" show business "jail" than he once did while reflecting on the time that has passed since sexual misconduct allegations from over a dozen men began to surface amid the #MeToo movement in 2017.

"I know, as you said, you didn't really pay attention to the details and I know most people don't, but I think when people actually start to hear the facts, understand what we've won in courts, I think people now look at this and think maybe nine years has been enough," Spacey said on the Monday episode of *Club Random With Bill Maher*.

Most recently, following a hail of accusations and court cases, Spacey reached a settlement with three sexual assault accusers in March before a civil trial in London planned for later this year. The alleged assaults occurred between 2000 and 2013.

Spacey at the Venice International Film Festival in August 2025.

Laurent KOFFEL/Gamma-Rapho via Getty

Spacey contrasted his situation to that of a professional athlete, saying he would have "been benched for seven games."

"I believe we're at a point now where people are now beginning to look at what actually happened. And I feel much more welcomed and I think that things are moving in the direction that we we hope they're moving in."

Spacey mentioned he didn't go out in public in 2018, and when he did he wore a mask because he "didn't want to be seen." He then underwent "enormous amounts of therapy" and backpacked through Europe for six months in 2019. "That was when I was able to without a hat, without glasses, without hiding in any way, just go out into the world," he admitted.

9 actors who were written off TV shows amid behind-the-scenes controversy

Brian Cox says Kevin Spacey shouldn't be 'punished endlessly' by Hollywood

The disgraced actor was stopped many times while abroad "by people who were so generous and so happy to see me." Spacey said they asked him when he would return to work in Hollywood. "I know there's people online that that say nasty things, but I've not met one of them in real life."

In October 2017, sexual misconduct allegations surfaced involving the Oscar winner from actor Anthony Rapp dating back to 1986. Rapp was 14 at the time of the alleged incident, and Spacey was 26.

In response, Spacey posted on social media, "I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years." The actor also came out as gay in response to the allegations.

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

Spacey was subsequently dropped from *All The Money In The World*, which was already filmed, and replaced by Christopher Plummer with reshoots of Spacey's scenes. Plummer wound up getting an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role.

In 2020, Rapp and another man sued Spacey for sexual assault in the 1980s. Spacey was found not liable for battery against Rapp by a jury in October 2022 after a three-week trial in New York.

Spacey at the amfAR Gala Cannes in May 2025.

Pascal Le Segretain/amfAR/Getty

There is some evidence of Spacey feeling "welcomed" back in the show business world, where celebrities have spoken out in his favor. In May 2024, Liam Neeson, Sharon Stone, F. Murray Abraham, and Stephen Fry voiced their support for him in statements shared with *The Telegraph*.

Months later, Brian Cox told *The Hollywood Reporter** *in December 2024 that Spacey had been punished enough. "Maybe he got too out of hand, but I don’t think he should be punished endlessly for it," he said.

"There should be a case of forgive and forget. Let’s move on. I think he should be given the opportunity to come back to work."

In 2025, Spacey was the guest of honor at the Better World Fund's gala dinner during the Cannes Film Festival, where he was recognized with the lifetime achievement award for "excellence in film and television."

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Published: July 1, 2026 at 09:38AM on Source: PRIME TIME

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Kevin Spacey feels 'much more welcomed' in Hollywood after outlasting sexual assault allegations

&34;I think people now look at this and think maybe nine years has been enough,&34; the actor said. Kevin Spacey feels 'm...

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