Movie News
It was the ‘80s and ‘90s all over again at the weekend box office. Universal’s The Fall Guy, the Ryan Gosling starrer inspired by the 1980s TV show, kicked off the summer movie season at No. 1 with $28.5 million, while Disney’s re-release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace surprised by coming in at No. 2 with $8.1 million.
Despite The Fall Guy’s No. 1 finish, its haul came in behind initial expectations of $30 million to $35 million, and overall the box office is down dramatically from the same frame a year ago, when Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 bowed to $118.4 million domestically. The weekend is down 53 percent from last year, and off more than 66 percent from 2022, when Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opened to $187.4 million domestically.
The Fall Guy is said to have a net budget of $130 million after tax incentives for shooting in Australia.
Despite The Fall Guy’s No. 1 finish, its haul came in behind initial expectations of $30 million to $35 million, and overall the box office is down dramatically from the same frame a year ago, when Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 bowed to $118.4 million domestically. The weekend is down 53 percent from last year, and off more than 66 percent from 2022, when Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opened to $187.4 million domestically.
The Fall Guy is said to have a net budget of $130 million after tax incentives for shooting in Australia.
- 5/5/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” scratched up $22 million in its international box office debut. It’s currently only playing in 18 markets, roughly 35% of its eventual overseas footprint, so those ticket sales represent a promising start for the family film.
“The Garfield Movie” doesn’t open in the U.S. and Canada until Memorial Day weekend on May 24. When it does land in domestic theaters, it’s projected to earn $35 million over the long weekend and will compete for first place with director George Miller’s “Mad Max” prequel “Furiosa.”
Overseas, “The Garfield Movie” enjoyed the biggest start in Spain with $3.2 million over five days, followed by Brazil with $2.2 million, Italy with $1.6 million and Peru with $1.3 million. According to the studio, revenues for the film are pacing 76% above fellow kid-friendly film “DC League of Super Pets” (which eventually earned $113 million internationally) and 41% higher than “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish...
“The Garfield Movie” doesn’t open in the U.S. and Canada until Memorial Day weekend on May 24. When it does land in domestic theaters, it’s projected to earn $35 million over the long weekend and will compete for first place with director George Miller’s “Mad Max” prequel “Furiosa.”
Overseas, “The Garfield Movie” enjoyed the biggest start in Spain with $3.2 million over five days, followed by Brazil with $2.2 million, Italy with $1.6 million and Peru with $1.3 million. According to the studio, revenues for the film are pacing 76% above fellow kid-friendly film “DC League of Super Pets” (which eventually earned $113 million internationally) and 41% higher than “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish...
- 5/5/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Bernard Hill, the actor known for playing King Théoden in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and Captain Edward Smith in “Titanic,” has died. He was 79.
Hill died early on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Colson confirmed to Variety. He was with his fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel. No cause of death was given.
Hill first came to prominence as Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 miniseries “Boys From the Blackstuff”; his character was known for his “gizza job” catchphrase. That same year, he portrayed Sergeant Putnam in the Richard Attenborough-directed film “Gandhi.” Hill appeared in multiple British...
Hill died early on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Colson confirmed to Variety. He was with his fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel. No cause of death was given.
Hill first came to prominence as Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 miniseries “Boys From the Blackstuff”; his character was known for his “gizza job” catchphrase. That same year, he portrayed Sergeant Putnam in the Richard Attenborough-directed film “Gandhi.” Hill appeared in multiple British...
- 5/5/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - TV News
The Fall Guy is kicking off summer movie season with a No. 1 debut at the box office this weekend, but it’s coming in below initial tracking. After earning $10.4 million on Friday, the feature is now projected to open to $28 million for the weekend, down from earlier tracking that had it in the $30-$35 million range.
The film earned an A- CinemaScore from audiences, so it’s possible word of mouth could help the movie make up ground in the coming weeks. The Fall Guy is said to have a net budget of $130 million when accounting for incentives for shooting in Australia. Overseas, it is projected to take in another $25.8 million over the weekend, which would bring its global haul to $65.4 million. (It already opened in some markets last week.)
David Leitch, the stuntman who over the past decade has become an in-demand director, is behind the project. Ryan Gosling...
The film earned an A- CinemaScore from audiences, so it’s possible word of mouth could help the movie make up ground in the coming weeks. The Fall Guy is said to have a net budget of $130 million when accounting for incentives for shooting in Australia. Overseas, it is projected to take in another $25.8 million over the weekend, which would bring its global haul to $65.4 million. (It already opened in some markets last week.)
David Leitch, the stuntman who over the past decade has become an in-demand director, is behind the project. Ryan Gosling...
- 5/4/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Over the weekend, many celebrated the unofficial “Star Wars” holiday, May the 4th. While Lucasfilm didn’t announce anything monumental, the studio did release a trailer for the next “Star Wars” live-action TV series coming, “The Acolyte.” But that’s not the only “Star Wars” show coming in 2024, apparently. We also got word about when the next-next series, “The Skeleton Crew,” will be arriving on Disney+.
Continue reading ‘The Skeleton Crew’: Jude Law’s Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Series Said To Arrive Around Christmas at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Skeleton Crew’: Jude Law’s Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Series Said To Arrive Around Christmas at The Playlist.
- 5/6/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
Multi-hyphenate Nicole Ansari-Cox has a lot going on.
The London-based actor, producer, writer and activist just shot Southern Italy-set rom-com “Under the Stars” directed by Michelle Danner where she stars alongside Toni Colette, Andy Garcia and Alex Pettyfer. In addition, she appears in Austrian director Kat Rohrer’s “What a Feeling” that premiered recently at the BFI Flare: London Lgbtqia+ Film Festival. Soon Ansari-Cox will be in Cannes as part of the production team for “Glenrothan,” the directorial debut of her husband Brian Cox which is being sold at the Marché du Film.
She’s also in young Lebanese director Shireen Khaled’s short “In the Night,” about a long-married couple who, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, realize they have suddenly fallen out of love and spend a night trying to rekindle the flame. “In the Night,” in which Ansari-Cox stars opposite actor-singer-songwriter Jack O’Neill, premiered last month at the Beirut...
The London-based actor, producer, writer and activist just shot Southern Italy-set rom-com “Under the Stars” directed by Michelle Danner where she stars alongside Toni Colette, Andy Garcia and Alex Pettyfer. In addition, she appears in Austrian director Kat Rohrer’s “What a Feeling” that premiered recently at the BFI Flare: London Lgbtqia+ Film Festival. Soon Ansari-Cox will be in Cannes as part of the production team for “Glenrothan,” the directorial debut of her husband Brian Cox which is being sold at the Marché du Film.
She’s also in young Lebanese director Shireen Khaled’s short “In the Night,” about a long-married couple who, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, realize they have suddenly fallen out of love and spend a night trying to rekindle the flame. “In the Night,” in which Ansari-Cox stars opposite actor-singer-songwriter Jack O’Neill, premiered last month at the Beirut...
- 5/6/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
Oscar-winning filmmaker Neil Jordan is to direct a feature based on one of his own novels for the first time.
“The Well of Saint Nobody,” adapted from “The Crying Game,” “Interview With the Vampire” and “Michael Collins” director’s acclaimed 2023 novel of the same name, will be introduced to buyers in Cannes by Bankside Films.
Oscar winner Jeremy Irons Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter and Aidan Quinn are attached to star in the film, currently in pre-production, and expected to start shooting later in 2024.
“The Well of Saint Nobody,” follows William, a famous concert pianist who retires to a rectory in West Cork, Ireland. There, he hires local woman, Tara, as a housekeeper who he has met three times yet forgotten all about her. While he remembers nothing of their previous meetings, she remembers everything. When an abandoned well is found on the property she shares legends of the well’s magical history with him,...
“The Well of Saint Nobody,” adapted from “The Crying Game,” “Interview With the Vampire” and “Michael Collins” director’s acclaimed 2023 novel of the same name, will be introduced to buyers in Cannes by Bankside Films.
Oscar winner Jeremy Irons Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter and Aidan Quinn are attached to star in the film, currently in pre-production, and expected to start shooting later in 2024.
“The Well of Saint Nobody,” follows William, a famous concert pianist who retires to a rectory in West Cork, Ireland. There, he hires local woman, Tara, as a housekeeper who he has met three times yet forgotten all about her. While he remembers nothing of their previous meetings, she remembers everything. When an abandoned well is found on the property she shares legends of the well’s magical history with him,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
"Star Trek" is a dream gig, but it can also be a nightmare. Brent Spiner, who played the android Data on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," spoke to TV Guide in 1994 about how he will always be Data in the eyes of the public. He could win an Oscar for playing an elderly woman, he said, and still die knowing that Data would be listed first in his obituary. "Star Trek" is such a powerful force in the pop cultural zeitgeist that playing a "Trek" character can mark an actor forever; it must have been hard to walk away from "Star Trek," walk into another audition, and hear "Hey! It's Chekov!" or "Do the Riker thing!"
This was certainly experienced by DeForest Kelley a prolific TV actor and well-known pop culture heavy prior to "Star Trek." Gene Roddenberry already knew Kelley in the early '60s after the pair worked...
This was certainly experienced by DeForest Kelley a prolific TV actor and well-known pop culture heavy prior to "Star Trek." Gene Roddenberry already knew Kelley in the early '60s after the pair worked...
- 5/6/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Has there ever been a more bonkers superhero than Deadpool? Equal parts violent and zany, this lethal mercenary, also known as the "Merc with a Mouth," first appeared in the "New Mutants" comic series in December 1990, albeit as a villain. Created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool (aka Wade Wilson) went on to star in his own mini-series. He eventually gained notoriety for his dark humor, meta-commentary, and affinity for breaking the fourth wall. Over the years, Deadpool has teamed up with or battled alongside Marvel's hero gallery and has since become one of the brand's most popular characters. In fact, according to Gitnux Marketdata Report, he's the most liked character on Facebook. So take that, Iron Man!
The release of 2016's "Deadpool," starring Ryan Reynolds as Wilson, further cemented the character's popularity. Uniquely, this was the actor's second stint in the role, though the less said about his...
The release of 2016's "Deadpool," starring Ryan Reynolds as Wilson, further cemented the character's popularity. Uniquely, this was the actor's second stint in the role, though the less said about his...
- 5/6/2024
- by Jeff Ames
- Slash Film
I think of director Barry Sonnenfeld's "The Addams Family" and "Addams Family Values" the same way I think of director Tim Burton's "Batman" and "Batman Returns." In each case, the first movie operates as more of a test run for what the filmmakers can do with the property they're adapting, whereas the sequels allow them to really let their darkly off-kilter creative sensibilities run wild.
To be sure, 1993's "Addams Family Values" is the zanier of Sonnenfeld's takes on the "Addams Family" franchise, which originated with Charles Addams' original comic panels for The New Yorker dating back to the '30s. While its predecessor has a fairly basic plot, "Values" pits the eponymous clan against a dastardly black widow -- played to camp perfection by Joan Cusack -- who's out to marry and then murder wealthy Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd). It's also the film that fully embraces the...
To be sure, 1993's "Addams Family Values" is the zanier of Sonnenfeld's takes on the "Addams Family" franchise, which originated with Charles Addams' original comic panels for The New Yorker dating back to the '30s. While its predecessor has a fairly basic plot, "Values" pits the eponymous clan against a dastardly black widow -- played to camp perfection by Joan Cusack -- who's out to marry and then murder wealthy Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd). It's also the film that fully embraces the...
- 5/6/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The actor impresses in a dialled-down performance but can’t rescue this unconvincing film about a woman whose husband has a traumatic brain-injury
Well-meaning but contrived and unconvincing, this is a British drama about how traumatic brain injuries can leave people with hidden disabilities and complex needs. In her first non-comedy role Rebel Wilson plays archaeologist Sarah, whose husband, Joe (the film’s co-director Celyn Jones), has had life-changing surgery to remove a brain tumour. Two years later he is unable to form new memories and is impulsive and disinhibited. A couple of scenes showing these behavioural changes feel a bit overdone: in one he walks up to a little kid in the street and hands him a doughnut; the boy’s mum kicks off big-time, and within seconds the whole street is filming it on smartphones.
Sarah still loves her husband, but he is not the man she married; his identity,...
Well-meaning but contrived and unconvincing, this is a British drama about how traumatic brain injuries can leave people with hidden disabilities and complex needs. In her first non-comedy role Rebel Wilson plays archaeologist Sarah, whose husband, Joe (the film’s co-director Celyn Jones), has had life-changing surgery to remove a brain tumour. Two years later he is unable to form new memories and is impulsive and disinhibited. A couple of scenes showing these behavioural changes feel a bit overdone: in one he walks up to a little kid in the street and hands him a doughnut; the boy’s mum kicks off big-time, and within seconds the whole street is filming it on smartphones.
Sarah still loves her husband, but he is not the man she married; his identity,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
Screen is running this regularly updated page with the latest film festival and market dates from across the world.
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Jeonju International Film Festival, South Korea - May 1-10
JFilm Festival, US - May 2-12
UK Asian Film Festival, UK - May 2-12
May
Seattle International Film Festival, US - May 9-19
Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival Part 2, US - May 11-26
Cannes Film Festival,...
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Jeonju International Film Festival, South Korea - May 1-10
JFilm Festival, US - May 2-12
UK Asian Film Festival, UK - May 2-12
May
Seattle International Film Festival, US - May 9-19
Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival Part 2, US - May 11-26
Cannes Film Festival,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Sandra Hüller, the Oscar-nominated actor of “Anatomy of a Fall,” and four-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”) are set to co-star in Kent Jones’ “Late Fame,” reteaming “May December” co-screenwriter Samy Burch and producer Killer Films.
One of the hottest packages set for a Cannes Launch, “Late Fame” has been boarded by MK2 Films which is hot off an Oscar win for “Anatomy of a Fall” and will represent worldwide sales outside of North America. WME Independent, UTA Independent Film Group and Cinetic Media will co-represent North American rights. Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon will serve as producers for Killer Films (“Past Lives,” “May December”). The film will start shooting in NYC in the fall.
“Late Fame” “tells the story of Ed Saxberger (Dafoe), who wrote a book of poetry a long time ago that no one ever cared about. When a group of young artists rediscover his work,...
One of the hottest packages set for a Cannes Launch, “Late Fame” has been boarded by MK2 Films which is hot off an Oscar win for “Anatomy of a Fall” and will represent worldwide sales outside of North America. WME Independent, UTA Independent Film Group and Cinetic Media will co-represent North American rights. Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon will serve as producers for Killer Films (“Past Lives,” “May December”). The film will start shooting in NYC in the fall.
“Late Fame” “tells the story of Ed Saxberger (Dafoe), who wrote a book of poetry a long time ago that no one ever cared about. When a group of young artists rediscover his work,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
The Fantastic Pavilion returns to Cannes for its second edition, revealing seven Gala Screenings.
This year’s selection features “Do Not Enter” by Hugo Cardozo, “Aire, Just Breathe” directed by Leticia Tonos, Doug Rao’s “Dirty Boy,” Can Evrenol’s “Sayara,” “Mourir or Not Mourir” by Anaïs Cave and Thomas Combret, Andreas Marschall’s “Black.White.Red.” and “Vadakkan” by Sajeed A. Raman.
“The Galas proved to be one of our most appealing assets and a massive draw. This year, we are repeating this format in the exact same way: seven screenings, with cast and crew in attendance, at 8pm [Cet] at the Olympia Cinema,” said Pablo Guisa Koestinger, Fantastic Pavilion executive director and CEO at Morbido Group.
Thanks to the Pavilion, the genre community in Cannes “came together, embraced it as its own and found a place they can call home,” he noted.
“They realized they could network and show...
This year’s selection features “Do Not Enter” by Hugo Cardozo, “Aire, Just Breathe” directed by Leticia Tonos, Doug Rao’s “Dirty Boy,” Can Evrenol’s “Sayara,” “Mourir or Not Mourir” by Anaïs Cave and Thomas Combret, Andreas Marschall’s “Black.White.Red.” and “Vadakkan” by Sajeed A. Raman.
“The Galas proved to be one of our most appealing assets and a massive draw. This year, we are repeating this format in the exact same way: seven screenings, with cast and crew in attendance, at 8pm [Cet] at the Olympia Cinema,” said Pablo Guisa Koestinger, Fantastic Pavilion executive director and CEO at Morbido Group.
Thanks to the Pavilion, the genre community in Cannes “came together, embraced it as its own and found a place they can call home,” he noted.
“They realized they could network and show...
- 5/6/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety - Film News
As of the end of season 16, there are 162 episodes of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," and the vast majority of them are great. There are a couple of stinkers like the almost universally reviled "Frank's Brother" or the overly nihilistic "Charlie and Dee Find Love," but for the most part, "Sunny" is fantastic. That's what makes trying to select a favorite episode so difficult, not only for fans but also for the people who make the long-running show. It's tough to pick a favorite when there are so many truly terrific episodes, but series creator and star Rob McElhenney somehow managed, and it's an episode that gave one star a real head injury.
In an Fxx promo interview with the cast for season 13 of the series, McElhenney was asked about his very favorite scene in the show and he brought up an infamous moment in the season 4 episode "Who Pooped the Bed?...
In an Fxx promo interview with the cast for season 13 of the series, McElhenney was asked about his very favorite scene in the show and he brought up an infamous moment in the season 4 episode "Who Pooped the Bed?...
- 5/6/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
An organization representing freelance festival workers is calling for a strike during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Called Sous les écrans la dèche (Broke Behind the Screens), the org is protesting against a looming labor reform that will see their unemployment indemnities slashed by more than half. The org brings together hundreds of workers at festivals, from projectionists to drivers and caterers, who are threatening to strike during Cannes which could potentially cause major disruptions.
France has a unique system which allows freelance workers within the film and TV industries to receive benefits – or indemnities — during their unemployment periods. These benefits are only accessible to those who have worked a certain number of hours in the year.
Jean-Charles Canu, the longtime publicist of Cannes’ Directors Fortnight who is a prominent member of Sous les écrans de la dèche, told Variety that the French government has already cut by half the...
Called Sous les écrans la dèche (Broke Behind the Screens), the org is protesting against a looming labor reform that will see their unemployment indemnities slashed by more than half. The org brings together hundreds of workers at festivals, from projectionists to drivers and caterers, who are threatening to strike during Cannes which could potentially cause major disruptions.
France has a unique system which allows freelance workers within the film and TV industries to receive benefits – or indemnities — during their unemployment periods. These benefits are only accessible to those who have worked a certain number of hours in the year.
Jean-Charles Canu, the longtime publicist of Cannes’ Directors Fortnight who is a prominent member of Sous les écrans de la dèche, told Variety that the French government has already cut by half the...
- 5/6/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Cezar Diaz’s sensitive and humane film looks back at one of the bloodiest periods of the Guatemalan civil war from the perspective of one damaged family
Here is a thoughtful, restrained drama about one of the bloodiest periods during the long civil war in Guatemala, fought between US-backed rightwing generals and leftwing insurgents. In the 1980s, thousands of men, women and children were killed, mostly by soldiers. Our Mothers starts as a straightforward drama about families, decades later, still looking for relatives who disappeared in the massacres. But what emerges is a sensitive and moving portrait of female survivors – the clue is in the title.
In 2018, Ernesto (Armando Espitia) is a hard-working young government forensic investigator. Director Cesar Diaz follows Ernesto with a low-key documentary-like style as the young man goes about his job locating mass graves and exhuming bodies. One day, an indigenous woman, Nicolasa (Aurelia Caal), walks...
Here is a thoughtful, restrained drama about one of the bloodiest periods during the long civil war in Guatemala, fought between US-backed rightwing generals and leftwing insurgents. In the 1980s, thousands of men, women and children were killed, mostly by soldiers. Our Mothers starts as a straightforward drama about families, decades later, still looking for relatives who disappeared in the massacres. But what emerges is a sensitive and moving portrait of female survivors – the clue is in the title.
In 2018, Ernesto (Armando Espitia) is a hard-working young government forensic investigator. Director Cesar Diaz follows Ernesto with a low-key documentary-like style as the young man goes about his job locating mass graves and exhuming bodies. One day, an indigenous woman, Nicolasa (Aurelia Caal), walks...
- 5/6/2024
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
This post contains spoilers for "John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum."
Slick, visceral kineticism and mind-blowingly impressive gun-fu are integral to every fight John Wick (Keanu Reeves) gets involved with. Throughout the four "John Wick" films, dynamism has been the name of the game in terms of one-upping fight scenes, where everything from cars, pencils, explosives, and even stairs have been incorporated to keep the adrenaline flowing. In "John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum," John is the definition of a marked man, hounded by every assassin across the globe after breaking the rules, and he stumbles into a weapons shop with cramped rooms. After a few assassins corner him inside, there is but one option left: improvise and adapt with the countless antique knives displayed on glass panels to overcome a monumentally messed-up situation.
Even though "Parabellum" boasts several memorial fight scenes, the knife fight is a clear standout, and /Film's Jeremy...
Slick, visceral kineticism and mind-blowingly impressive gun-fu are integral to every fight John Wick (Keanu Reeves) gets involved with. Throughout the four "John Wick" films, dynamism has been the name of the game in terms of one-upping fight scenes, where everything from cars, pencils, explosives, and even stairs have been incorporated to keep the adrenaline flowing. In "John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum," John is the definition of a marked man, hounded by every assassin across the globe after breaking the rules, and he stumbles into a weapons shop with cramped rooms. After a few assassins corner him inside, there is but one option left: improvise and adapt with the countless antique knives displayed on glass panels to overcome a monumentally messed-up situation.
Even though "Parabellum" boasts several memorial fight scenes, the knife fight is a clear standout, and /Film's Jeremy...
- 5/6/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
The Match Factory is set to handle international sales on a new film by “Fire Will Come” director Oliver Laxe, headlined by Sergi López, star of Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth.”
Having begun production, shooting in Spain and then Morocco, the untitled Oliver Laxe project is a Movistar Plus+ original film produced with Pedro and Agustín Almodovar’s El Deseo, Laxe’s Galicia-based label Filmes da Ermida, Oriol Maymó’s Uri Films in Barcelona, and Paris’s 4 A 4 Productions.
The latest from Laxe follows Cannes wins for all his first three features. 2010’s “You Are All Captains,” Laxe’s debut feature, walked off with a Directors’ Fortnight Fipresci Award; 2016’s “Mimosas” scooped the Critics’ Week top Grand Prize, “Fire Will Come” a 2019 Un Certain Regard Jury Prize.
Co-written with “Matadero” director Santiago Fillol, also a co-scribe on “Fire Will Come,” Laxe’s next turns on a man...
Having begun production, shooting in Spain and then Morocco, the untitled Oliver Laxe project is a Movistar Plus+ original film produced with Pedro and Agustín Almodovar’s El Deseo, Laxe’s Galicia-based label Filmes da Ermida, Oriol Maymó’s Uri Films in Barcelona, and Paris’s 4 A 4 Productions.
The latest from Laxe follows Cannes wins for all his first three features. 2010’s “You Are All Captains,” Laxe’s debut feature, walked off with a Directors’ Fortnight Fipresci Award; 2016’s “Mimosas” scooped the Critics’ Week top Grand Prize, “Fire Will Come” a 2019 Un Certain Regard Jury Prize.
Co-written with “Matadero” director Santiago Fillol, also a co-scribe on “Fire Will Come,” Laxe’s next turns on a man...
- 5/6/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety - Film News
Worldwide box office May 3-5 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. The Fall Guy (Universal) $53.8m $65.4m $25.3m $36.9m 79 2. The Last Frenzy (various) $29.6m $53.6m $29.6m $53.6m 1 3. Formed Police Unit (various) $23.8m $55.6m $23.8m $55.6m 1 4. Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In (various) $22.2m $47.3m $47.3m $47.3m 2 5. The Garfield Movie (Sony) $22m $22m $22m $22m 18 6. Challengers (Warner Bros) $15.1m $52.2m $7.5m $22.8m 65 7. Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (Disney) $14.4m $14.4m $6.4m $6.4m 31 8. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros) $14.3m $546.8m $9.8m $359.8m 79 9. The Roundup: Punishment (various) $14.1m $44m $13.8m...
- 5/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
That They May Face the Rising Sun, about a small rural community in Ireland, has little obvious drama. The director explains how that is exactly what’s winning it awards
For most directors it would be an agonising predicament: how do you translate a novel with no discernible plot, in which nothing really happens, to the screen? John McGahern called his experimental masterpiece That They May Face the Rising Sun, about a small rural Irish community, an “anti-novel” for its rejection of conventional narrative.
“I thought that the act of taking drama out of it, if it was consciously done, could be dramatic in itself,” he told the Observer in 2005. “My whole idea was to take plot and everything else out of the novel and see what was left.”...
For most directors it would be an agonising predicament: how do you translate a novel with no discernible plot, in which nothing really happens, to the screen? John McGahern called his experimental masterpiece That They May Face the Rising Sun, about a small rural Irish community, an “anti-novel” for its rejection of conventional narrative.
“I thought that the act of taking drama out of it, if it was consciously done, could be dramatic in itself,” he told the Observer in 2005. “My whole idea was to take plot and everything else out of the novel and see what was left.”...
- 5/6/2024
- by Rory Carroll
- The Guardian - Film News
Nora Arnezeder (“The Famous Five”) and Maria Bello (“A History of Violence”) are set to co-star in “Hell in Paradise,” a female-powered thriller inspired by a true story and produced by EuropaCorp’s Virginie Besson-Silla (“Dogman”).
Penned by Karine Silla (“A Butterfly Kiss”), “Hell in Paradise” revolves around Nina, a young French girl who leaves her native Marseille and accepts her first job as a receptionist at a luxurious hotel resort on a magnificent island of the Maldives, hoping for a better life. But when a tragedy befalls the hotel, Nina is propelled in a relentless spiral of lies and manipulations. Wrongly accused and sentenced to life in prison, she will have no other choice but to run between traps and escape this paradise turned into hell.
Arnezeder and Maria Bello star opposite Josephine de la Baume, Alyy Khan, Shubahm Saraf and Ranjit Krishnama. Gregoire Melin’s Kinology handles international...
Penned by Karine Silla (“A Butterfly Kiss”), “Hell in Paradise” revolves around Nina, a young French girl who leaves her native Marseille and accepts her first job as a receptionist at a luxurious hotel resort on a magnificent island of the Maldives, hoping for a better life. But when a tragedy befalls the hotel, Nina is propelled in a relentless spiral of lies and manipulations. Wrongly accused and sentenced to life in prison, she will have no other choice but to run between traps and escape this paradise turned into hell.
Arnezeder and Maria Bello star opposite Josephine de la Baume, Alyy Khan, Shubahm Saraf and Ranjit Krishnama. Gregoire Melin’s Kinology handles international...
- 5/6/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
China- and Netherlands-based sales firm Fortissimo Films has picked up the international rights to new Chinese sports feature film “Wild Punch.” It will launch the film in territories outside mainland China next week at the Cannes Market.
Co-directed by well-established director Yu Lik-wai and Wang Jing (“The Best Is Yet to Come”), “Wild Punch is a sports and action drama about a top mixed martial arts athlete who has passed the peak of his career and faces competition from his young and gifted trainee. Both with something to prove, the two will have to face each other in the ring.
Yu has directed four feature films, including Cannes competition title “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and Venice title “Plastic City.” He is also well-established as a cinematographer who has worked on films including “Still Life,” “A Touch of Sin,” and “Mountains May Depart” by Jia Zhangke, Lou Ye’s “Love...
Co-directed by well-established director Yu Lik-wai and Wang Jing (“The Best Is Yet to Come”), “Wild Punch is a sports and action drama about a top mixed martial arts athlete who has passed the peak of his career and faces competition from his young and gifted trainee. Both with something to prove, the two will have to face each other in the ring.
Yu has directed four feature films, including Cannes competition title “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and Venice title “Plastic City.” He is also well-established as a cinematographer who has worked on films including “Still Life,” “A Touch of Sin,” and “Mountains May Depart” by Jia Zhangke, Lou Ye’s “Love...
- 5/6/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Critics might have fallen for Luca Guadagnino’s erotic tennis romp but it’s a vapid string of disappointing choices
I have spent the week and a half since seeing Challengers on the brink of throwing a racquet-trashing, expletive-scattering, McEnroe-style tantrum. Is Hawkeye working? Did they not see it? How, for an exhausting Mahut-Isner length of huffing and puffing, practically every single one of the wild swings taken by Luca Guadagnino’s film missed its target and landed out by a country mile? Four-star reviews? Five-star reviews? C’mon, fellow critics. You cannot be serious.
Some points I will concede as inarguable. The film is a box-office champion. And it’s pure fire on the internet, a movie more memeable than even the sainted Saltburn. There are clear generational issues in play: I can see why excitable younger viewers, raised on a largely sexless cinema, have fallen so hard...
I have spent the week and a half since seeing Challengers on the brink of throwing a racquet-trashing, expletive-scattering, McEnroe-style tantrum. Is Hawkeye working? Did they not see it? How, for an exhausting Mahut-Isner length of huffing and puffing, practically every single one of the wild swings taken by Luca Guadagnino’s film missed its target and landed out by a country mile? Four-star reviews? Five-star reviews? C’mon, fellow critics. You cannot be serious.
Some points I will concede as inarguable. The film is a box-office champion. And it’s pure fire on the internet, a movie more memeable than even the sainted Saltburn. There are clear generational issues in play: I can see why excitable younger viewers, raised on a largely sexless cinema, have fallen so hard...
- 5/6/2024
- by Mike McCahill
- The Guardian - Film News
Cauleen Smith’s 1998 debut about a California girl who takes Polaroids of young black men as an endangered-species record, is captivating
The title is an African American term from the US south meaning “ordinary” or “ordinariness” – but there’s nothing ordinary about this 1998 indie from artist and film-maker Cauleen Smith, rereleased for its 25th anniversary. Smith shot it in her 20s while still in grad school at UCLA, and maybe the film does have a distinctive film-school project feel with its DIY aesthetic. But there is a captivating kind of innocence in its walking-pace narrative, its indifference to the irony and self-awareness that was fashionable in independent cinema at the time, and in the unaffected charm and guilelessness of its performances.
Toby Smith plays Pica, a girl who lives with her mother and grandmother in a chaotic house near Oakland, California, where she is enrolled in a photography class; instead...
The title is an African American term from the US south meaning “ordinary” or “ordinariness” – but there’s nothing ordinary about this 1998 indie from artist and film-maker Cauleen Smith, rereleased for its 25th anniversary. Smith shot it in her 20s while still in grad school at UCLA, and maybe the film does have a distinctive film-school project feel with its DIY aesthetic. But there is a captivating kind of innocence in its walking-pace narrative, its indifference to the irony and self-awareness that was fashionable in independent cinema at the time, and in the unaffected charm and guilelessness of its performances.
Toby Smith plays Pica, a girl who lives with her mother and grandmother in a chaotic house near Oakland, California, where she is enrolled in a photography class; instead...
- 5/6/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Studio 100 Intl., in collaboration with Germany’s Caligari Film and Studio Isar Animation, and Spain’s 3 Doubles Producciones, is to produce action-comedy CGI movie “Dougie Dolittle.”
Targeting a core demographic of 8-12 year olds and a family audience, the movie is planned for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026. Studio 100 Film is handling global sales and will introduce the film at Marché du Film in Cannes.
“Dougie Dolittle” tells the story of a teenager with an animal phobia, who discovers an astonishing ability after a chance encounter with Polly, a long-lost family parrot. Dougie realizes he can communicate with animals, a gift that initially feels more like a curse.
Throughout his journey, Dougie learns to embrace his fears and use his newfound talent to aid his animal companions in their battle against the unscrupulous animal food company Kingcorps, save the city from chaos, and embrace his destiny.
The producers...
Targeting a core demographic of 8-12 year olds and a family audience, the movie is planned for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026. Studio 100 Film is handling global sales and will introduce the film at Marché du Film in Cannes.
“Dougie Dolittle” tells the story of a teenager with an animal phobia, who discovers an astonishing ability after a chance encounter with Polly, a long-lost family parrot. Dougie realizes he can communicate with animals, a gift that initially feels more like a curse.
Throughout his journey, Dougie learns to embrace his fears and use his newfound talent to aid his animal companions in their battle against the unscrupulous animal food company Kingcorps, save the city from chaos, and embrace his destiny.
The producers...
- 5/6/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
“The Last Frenzy,” a comedy film about a dying man’s last hurrah, took the top spot in mainland Chinese cinemas ahead of chasing pack of new releases.
It earned $30.7 million (RMB218 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Over its full five-day opening session, it accumulated $55.2 million.
In second place was patriotic action thriller “Formed Police Unit” which focused on Chinese peacekeeping forces. It earned $24.6 million over the weekend, but an even higher $59 million over the five days from its May 1 release.
In third place was “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,” a Hong Kong-produced action thriller that a week earlier had topped the box office chart through preview screenings alone. Over its first official weekend of release, it earned $21.5 million. That gave it a cumulative total of $47.2 million.
Contemporary Japanese animation “Spy x Family: Code White” took fourth place with $13.1 million over the weekend.
It earned $30.7 million (RMB218 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Over its full five-day opening session, it accumulated $55.2 million.
In second place was patriotic action thriller “Formed Police Unit” which focused on Chinese peacekeeping forces. It earned $24.6 million over the weekend, but an even higher $59 million over the five days from its May 1 release.
In third place was “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,” a Hong Kong-produced action thriller that a week earlier had topped the box office chart through preview screenings alone. Over its first official weekend of release, it earned $21.5 million. That gave it a cumulative total of $47.2 million.
Contemporary Japanese animation “Spy x Family: Code White” took fourth place with $13.1 million over the weekend.
- 5/6/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
La Chimera looks like a crime caper about looters in 1980s Italy. But it’s about way more than that. The great director, loved by everyone from Scorsese to Gerwig, talks about the dark secrets of the heart – and her debt to bees
Alice Rohrwacher could be the European arthouse made flesh, or its distilled essence, bottled and preserved for the ages. She’s quoting Italian poets one minute and German poets the next. She’s discussing nature, civilisation and the power of collective memory. She says she makes films to shake us from our lethargy and invite us to reflect on the state of the world. It doesn’t matter whether we even like her films. Like or dislike: that’s beside the point.
Certain criticisms she takes as compliments. “For example, people will tell me, ‘I always knew that I was watching a film.’ Well, good, that’s great.
Alice Rohrwacher could be the European arthouse made flesh, or its distilled essence, bottled and preserved for the ages. She’s quoting Italian poets one minute and German poets the next. She’s discussing nature, civilisation and the power of collective memory. She says she makes films to shake us from our lethargy and invite us to reflect on the state of the world. It doesn’t matter whether we even like her films. Like or dislike: that’s beside the point.
Certain criticisms she takes as compliments. “For example, people will tell me, ‘I always knew that I was watching a film.’ Well, good, that’s great.
- 5/6/2024
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
Manoj Bajpayee, Raj & Dk’s Hit Prime Video Series ‘The Family Man’ Starts Season 3 Shoot (Exclusive)
Season 3 of Prime Video’s smash hit Indian show “The Family Man” has commenced filming.
Manoj Bajpayee will once again portray the character of Srikant Tiwari, a middle-class Mumbai-based salaryman who is secretly an intelligence officer for the Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell (Tasc), a wing of India’s National Investigation Agency. In Season 3, Tiwari will confront a looming threat to national security, while balancing the demands of family life and desperately working to mend his relationship with his wife. As Tiwari races against time, the stakes escalate as he needs to outmanoeuvre a formidable adversary and protect his country and its sovereignty.
The third season will bring back several of the original cast members, including Priyamani (playing Suchitra Tiwari), Sharib Hashmi (J.K. Talpade), Ashlesha Thakur (Dhriti Tiwari) and Vedant Sinha (Atharv Tiwari). Other more well-known actors are expected to join.
The series is created by Raj Nidimoru and and Krishna Dk,...
Manoj Bajpayee will once again portray the character of Srikant Tiwari, a middle-class Mumbai-based salaryman who is secretly an intelligence officer for the Threat Analysis and Surveillance Cell (Tasc), a wing of India’s National Investigation Agency. In Season 3, Tiwari will confront a looming threat to national security, while balancing the demands of family life and desperately working to mend his relationship with his wife. As Tiwari races against time, the stakes escalate as he needs to outmanoeuvre a formidable adversary and protect his country and its sovereignty.
The third season will bring back several of the original cast members, including Priyamani (playing Suchitra Tiwari), Sharib Hashmi (J.K. Talpade), Ashlesha Thakur (Dhriti Tiwari) and Vedant Sinha (Atharv Tiwari). Other more well-known actors are expected to join.
The series is created by Raj Nidimoru and and Krishna Dk,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Pierrette is beset with troubles, from a robbery to a house flood and more, but the neorealist drama comes with solidarity and surprising humour
The simple image of pushing a seam through a sewing machine becomes a profound life statement in Rosine Mbakam’s debut feature, which is focused on talented clothier Pierrette (played by the director’s cousin Pierrette Aboheu Njeuthat) in the Cameroonian city Douala. It’s emblematic of the need to keep moving forward in daily life – and to come out the other side smiling, with stoicism and resilience. As one customer puts it: “I’m getting by. That’s life. When you fall down, you get up again.”
Pierrette is having, it has to be said, an especially rough day. A single mother also caring for an elderly parent (Marguerite Mbakop), she is already scraping for cash. Regularly bartered into submission by her clientele, she always...
The simple image of pushing a seam through a sewing machine becomes a profound life statement in Rosine Mbakam’s debut feature, which is focused on talented clothier Pierrette (played by the director’s cousin Pierrette Aboheu Njeuthat) in the Cameroonian city Douala. It’s emblematic of the need to keep moving forward in daily life – and to come out the other side smiling, with stoicism and resilience. As one customer puts it: “I’m getting by. That’s life. When you fall down, you get up again.”
Pierrette is having, it has to be said, an especially rough day. A single mother also caring for an elderly parent (Marguerite Mbakop), she is already scraping for cash. Regularly bartered into submission by her clientele, she always...
- 5/6/2024
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
The Return
Actor Abhishek Bachchan (“Ghoomer”) is returning to producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s “Housefull” film franchise, one of the biggest hit Bollywood comedy film series of all time. The franchise began in 2010 with “Housefull” (2010) with sequels following in 2012, 2016 and 2019. Bachchan was one of the stars of “Housefull 3.” He played wannabe rapper Bunty, whose circumstances forced him to pretend to be differently abled.
“Housefull 5,” directed by Tarun Mansukhani will be shot on a cruise liner with Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh and Bachchan leading a star-studded cast. Nadiadwala produces for his Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment banner. Production is due to commence in the U.K. in August with the film scheduled to release worldwide on June 6, 2025. The film is part of Nadiadwala’s $120 million investment in U.K.-based projects featuring Bollywood A-listers.
Nadiadwala said: “I am thrilled to bring back Abhishek to the ‘Housefull’ franchise. His dedication, comic timing and...
Actor Abhishek Bachchan (“Ghoomer”) is returning to producer Sajid Nadiadwala’s “Housefull” film franchise, one of the biggest hit Bollywood comedy film series of all time. The franchise began in 2010 with “Housefull” (2010) with sequels following in 2012, 2016 and 2019. Bachchan was one of the stars of “Housefull 3.” He played wannabe rapper Bunty, whose circumstances forced him to pretend to be differently abled.
“Housefull 5,” directed by Tarun Mansukhani will be shot on a cruise liner with Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh and Bachchan leading a star-studded cast. Nadiadwala produces for his Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment banner. Production is due to commence in the U.K. in August with the film scheduled to release worldwide on June 6, 2025. The film is part of Nadiadwala’s $120 million investment in U.K.-based projects featuring Bollywood A-listers.
Nadiadwala said: “I am thrilled to bring back Abhishek to the ‘Housefull’ franchise. His dedication, comic timing and...
- 5/6/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Canada’s Hot Docs documentary festival wrapped its 31st edition in Toronto on Sunday (May 5) and named Yintah the winner of its Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary.
The award, whose winner is determined by an audience poll, comes with a cash prize of Cad 50,000.
Directed by Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell and Michael Toledano, Yintah is about the efforts of the Canadian First Nation Wet’suwet’en people to resist the construction of pipelines across their territory.
On Friday evening (May 3) Hot Docs announced the prize winners from its official competition line-up (full list below).
The festival’s Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award,...
The award, whose winner is determined by an audience poll, comes with a cash prize of Cad 50,000.
Directed by Jennifer Wickham, Brenda Michell and Michael Toledano, Yintah is about the efforts of the Canadian First Nation Wet’suwet’en people to resist the construction of pipelines across their territory.
On Friday evening (May 3) Hot Docs announced the prize winners from its official competition line-up (full list below).
The festival’s Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award,...
- 5/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mpx launching Cannes sales on rom-com ‘Books & Drinks’ from ‘Pepe’ producer Pablo Lozano (exclusive)
Motion Picture Exchange (Mpx) has boarded worldwide sales on the romantic comedy Books & Drinks from the producer of Berlinale Competition entry Pepe and starring Jackson Rathbone from the Twilight Saga.
Rathbone plays David, the owner of a struggling bookstore in New York City who learns he has inherited a house in the Dominican Republic from the father he never knew.
David plans to sell the residence but his life is turned upside-down when he visits the Caribbean and meets his realtor, Maria, played by Nashla Bogaert. Clara Lago also stars.
Geoffrey Cowper directed the Veranera Films production from a screenplay by Josep Ciutat.
Rathbone plays David, the owner of a struggling bookstore in New York City who learns he has inherited a house in the Dominican Republic from the father he never knew.
David plans to sell the residence but his life is turned upside-down when he visits the Caribbean and meets his realtor, Maria, played by Nashla Bogaert. Clara Lago also stars.
Geoffrey Cowper directed the Veranera Films production from a screenplay by Josep Ciutat.
- 5/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Cinema Management Group has reported brisk sales on Kensuke’s Kingdom featuring Cillian Murphy on the back of wins at the British Animation Awards for best picture, best screenplay and best original music.
Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired the film for North America; Modern Films for the UK & Ireland; Movies Inspired for Italy Periscoop for Benelux; Arthouse Traffic for Ukraine; New Horizon for Poland; Playarte for Brazil; and Cinetopia for Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. Encore Inflight acquired worldwide airline rights.
Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Morpurgo (War Horse) and adapted for screen by Frank Cottrell-Boyce,...
Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired the film for North America; Modern Films for the UK & Ireland; Movies Inspired for Italy Periscoop for Benelux; Arthouse Traffic for Ukraine; New Horizon for Poland; Playarte for Brazil; and Cinetopia for Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. Encore Inflight acquired worldwide airline rights.
Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Morpurgo (War Horse) and adapted for screen by Frank Cottrell-Boyce,...
- 5/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Cynthia Erivo attended her first Met Gala in 2017.
“Walking on the Met Gala carpet that year was really fucking nerve-wracking,” she told me Sunday night at UTA’s pre-Met party at Nubeluz at the Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad. “I had just finished ‘The Color Purple’ [on Broadway]. I went with Coach.
“I was new so I didn’t know what to expect,” she continued. “It’s that weird thing where I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m supposed to be here.’ It was a lot of imposter syndrome.”
Monday’s gala will mark Erivo’s sixth time in attendance.
Asked to describe this year’s look, Erivo teased, “It’s almost like I have run through a garden and things have fallen on me.” Her signature long nails were already in place on Sunday—they’re an earthy palette and decorated with small flowers and foliage.
This year’s...
“Walking on the Met Gala carpet that year was really fucking nerve-wracking,” she told me Sunday night at UTA’s pre-Met party at Nubeluz at the Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad. “I had just finished ‘The Color Purple’ [on Broadway]. I went with Coach.
“I was new so I didn’t know what to expect,” she continued. “It’s that weird thing where I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m supposed to be here.’ It was a lot of imposter syndrome.”
Monday’s gala will mark Erivo’s sixth time in attendance.
Asked to describe this year’s look, Erivo teased, “It’s almost like I have run through a garden and things have fallen on me.” Her signature long nails were already in place on Sunday—they’re an earthy palette and decorated with small flowers and foliage.
This year’s...
- 5/6/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety - Film News
If there's any Marvel Cinematic Universe movie that can stand on its own two legs as a complete story, it's "Captain America: The First Avenger." Well, excluding the prologue and the epilogue, which show the frozen Steve Rogers being discovered in the Arctic and then waking up in modern-day New York City, respectively. The prologue lets you know ahead of time that Cap's sacrifice in the third act won't be fatal, while the ending is pure sequel bait.
"Captain America" is definitely not the most monumental MCU movie, but it's one of the most enjoyable. The MCU clearly takes its cues from the blockbusters of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige's youth — from "Star Wars" to "Raiders of the Lost Ark." "Captain America" is one of the few that feels like a pulpy, earnest Spielberg adventure movie. It makes sense since director Joe Johnston is budget Spielberg; he directed "Jurassic Park 3...
"Captain America" is definitely not the most monumental MCU movie, but it's one of the most enjoyable. The MCU clearly takes its cues from the blockbusters of Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige's youth — from "Star Wars" to "Raiders of the Lost Ark." "Captain America" is one of the few that feels like a pulpy, earnest Spielberg adventure movie. It makes sense since director Joe Johnston is budget Spielberg; he directed "Jurassic Park 3...
- 5/6/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The late, great Ray Liotta had a lot of memorable credits to his name throughout his career, but it's probably safe to say his best role was as Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas." In fact, we said just that when we ranked the actor's career right here. Acting against heavy hitters like Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, Liotta had to essentially carry the entire movie — he's in practically every single scene and serves as the narrator and guide into the world of the mafia that Scorsese was presenting (adapted from the nonfiction book "Wiseguy" by Nicholas Pileggi). Henry is a gangster; a criminal; a violent man. In a lesser actor's hands, this character might be detestable. But Liotta is able to make us have sympathy for Henry; we're caught up in his story, and when the third act of the film brings the character to the lowest moments of his life,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Robert Downey Jr.’s brilliant string of roles in A24’s “The Sympathizer” (streaming Sundays on HBO) is a tour de force reminiscent of Peter Sellers’ legendary turns in “Dr. Strangelove.” But Downey does Sellers one better by portraying four characters that serve as interconnected projections of American patriarchy to the Captain (Hoa Xuan Nguyen), a Vietnamese double agent with a severe identity crisis.
After the fall of Saigon, the Captain is forced to flee to the U.S. to continue his post-war mission. He winds up in L.A., where he continues interacting with Claude, a pop music-loving CIA operative, and his college mentor, Hammer, a gay East Asian studies professor who sponsors him. In addition, the Captain gets introduced to Ned Godwin, a military vet-turned-congressman, and Niko, a counter-culture film director, who hires him as a consultant for his Vietnam War epic (inspired by Francis Ford Coppola’s...
After the fall of Saigon, the Captain is forced to flee to the U.S. to continue his post-war mission. He winds up in L.A., where he continues interacting with Claude, a pop music-loving CIA operative, and his college mentor, Hammer, a gay East Asian studies professor who sponsors him. In addition, the Captain gets introduced to Ned Godwin, a military vet-turned-congressman, and Niko, a counter-culture film director, who hires him as a consultant for his Vietnam War epic (inspired by Francis Ford Coppola’s...
- 5/6/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
A Pisces, a Taurus, a Capricorn, a Leo, a Virgo, and an Aquarius walk into a rented mansion for their Libra friend’s birthday party. The seven college kids soon run out of booze, go poking around in places they shouldn’t, and summon a fate worse than death when they find a mysterious deck of cards harboring a hidden evil. Title card: “Tarot.” All signs… point to yikes.
Written and directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, Screen Gems’ latest scary movie is willfully ridiculous. It’s also the most original take on the haunted party game since last year’s well-loved “Talk to Me” with its own franchising potential as a supernatural series. If open-minded audiences buy into this transparently trendy gimmick and its melodramatic narrative execution, what feels like a spiritual “Final Destination” spinoff — told by way of an Urban Outfitters’ small gifts display — could very well...
Written and directed by Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg, Screen Gems’ latest scary movie is willfully ridiculous. It’s also the most original take on the haunted party game since last year’s well-loved “Talk to Me” with its own franchising potential as a supernatural series. If open-minded audiences buy into this transparently trendy gimmick and its melodramatic narrative execution, what feels like a spiritual “Final Destination” spinoff — told by way of an Urban Outfitters’ small gifts display — could very well...
- 5/6/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Fans could potentially spend hours arguing about the worst things the gang on "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" have done over the course of 16 seasons. They have locked their enemies in a burning apartment, willfully manipulated members of the opposite sex, intentionally gotten addicted to drugs in order to try and scam the welfare system, and much morel. It's also pretty easy to argue about which member of the gang is the worst human being because they're all pretty monstrous. But there is one truly horrible thing, according to star Glenn Howerton, that his character Dennis hasn't done.
That might sound impossible, seeing as Dennis is among the gang's worst when it comes to being misanthropic (though Howerton had argued that Dennis isn't a psychopath). Still, there actually is a terrible, awful thing that Dennis has spoken about a few times but hasn't done, at least not in any episodes of "It's Always Sunny" itself.
That might sound impossible, seeing as Dennis is among the gang's worst when it comes to being misanthropic (though Howerton had argued that Dennis isn't a psychopath). Still, there actually is a terrible, awful thing that Dennis has spoken about a few times but hasn't done, at least not in any episodes of "It's Always Sunny" itself.
- 5/6/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Paramount Global goes back to playing the field this week with two suitors still pursuing the company that has been surrounded by a highly public M&a drama for months. And it’s unlikely to end any time soon.
The company reached the end of its 30-day exclusive negotiating window with Skydance Media on May 3 without coming to an agreement. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management, meanwhile, are moving forward with a $26 billion all-cash offer that raises regulatory and political concerns in this election-year environment. The special committee of Paramount Global’s board of directors that has been handling the M&a negotiations now intends to proceed with discussions with both the Skydance and Sony/Apollo groups, as reported Sunday by the New York Times and confirmed by multiple sources.
That decision leaves Skydance CEO David Ellison and his backers, which include Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital, with a...
The company reached the end of its 30-day exclusive negotiating window with Skydance Media on May 3 without coming to an agreement. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management, meanwhile, are moving forward with a $26 billion all-cash offer that raises regulatory and political concerns in this election-year environment. The special committee of Paramount Global’s board of directors that has been handling the M&a negotiations now intends to proceed with discussions with both the Skydance and Sony/Apollo groups, as reported Sunday by the New York Times and confirmed by multiple sources.
That decision leaves Skydance CEO David Ellison and his backers, which include Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital, with a...
- 5/5/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety - Film News
Chris Pine reflected on how his role in “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” changed his career — and life.
In the May 5 episode of “Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist,” Pine spoke about being cast as Nicholas Devereaux in the 2004 film, which jumpstarted his career and turned his finances around.
“It was the height of summer and I was getting off at Magnolia. I was on my little Verizon tiny little flip phone, my silver one and I got a call from my agents that I booked the job,” Pine said. “I pulled over onto the side of the freeway and they said, ‘You’re getting paid $65,000,’ and it was like they had just told me I’d made $50 million. It was absolutely earth-shattering.”
“The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” is the sequel to 2001’s “The Princess Diaries,” starring Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, a teen who learns she’s the...
In the May 5 episode of “Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist,” Pine spoke about being cast as Nicholas Devereaux in the 2004 film, which jumpstarted his career and turned his finances around.
“It was the height of summer and I was getting off at Magnolia. I was on my little Verizon tiny little flip phone, my silver one and I got a call from my agents that I booked the job,” Pine said. “I pulled over onto the side of the freeway and they said, ‘You’re getting paid $65,000,’ and it was like they had just told me I’d made $50 million. It was absolutely earth-shattering.”
“The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” is the sequel to 2001’s “The Princess Diaries,” starring Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, a teen who learns she’s the...
- 5/5/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
With six decades of acting under his belt, Harrison Ford has made works that have run the gamut of critical responses. On Rotten Tomatoes, his most critically acclaimed role is listed as the "Apocalypse Now" making-of documentary "Hearts of Darkness," a film in which he ironically doesn't actually speak or appear but which nonetheless earned universal acclaim from the review-tabulating site. His lowest-rated film? An already-forgotten 2013 thriller called "Paranoia," which just 7% of critics included on the aggregation site wrote positively about.
Many of Ford's most entertaining films lie somewhere in the middle of that wide range; they're crowd-pleasing blockbusters and cult favorites with some endearing -- and in the best cases, now legendary -- imperfections. Ask fans what their favorite Ford-starring films are and you'll get a smorgasbord of answers that fit in this category, from "Star Wars" to "Indiana Jones" to "Blade Runner" to "The Fugitive." When it...
Many of Ford's most entertaining films lie somewhere in the middle of that wide range; they're crowd-pleasing blockbusters and cult favorites with some endearing -- and in the best cases, now legendary -- imperfections. Ask fans what their favorite Ford-starring films are and you'll get a smorgasbord of answers that fit in this category, from "Star Wars" to "Indiana Jones" to "Blade Runner" to "The Fugitive." When it...
- 5/5/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
More essays have been written about "Citizen Kane" than any other movie (with the possible exceptions of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Star Wars"), so it feels churlish to recount the plot here, but for the uninitiated, however, here's a brief rundown:
A vicious newspaper tycoon named Charles Foster Kane (Welles) has died in bed, locked deep in his massive, palatial mansion. He clutched a snow globe in his hand in his final moments, moved by the sight of the swirling faux weather inside. He enigmatically whispers the word "Rosebud" before perishing. The film then shifts focus to a reporter (William Alland) who spends the film interviewing Kane's associates, wives, and lovers, hoping to get a full portrait of the man. He finds that Kane was a cad ruined by wealth and power. He finds that Kane was possessed of a deep and abiding unhappiness, likely spurred by having to...
A vicious newspaper tycoon named Charles Foster Kane (Welles) has died in bed, locked deep in his massive, palatial mansion. He clutched a snow globe in his hand in his final moments, moved by the sight of the swirling faux weather inside. He enigmatically whispers the word "Rosebud" before perishing. The film then shifts focus to a reporter (William Alland) who spends the film interviewing Kane's associates, wives, and lovers, hoping to get a full portrait of the man. He finds that Kane was a cad ruined by wealth and power. He finds that Kane was possessed of a deep and abiding unhappiness, likely spurred by having to...
- 5/5/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Is Marvel combatting superhero fatigue by incorporating aspects of classic cinema? Not yet apparently, but Ryan Reynolds seemed very interested in doing so at one point. Speaking to Empire for a cover feature on “Deadpool & Wolverine” in next week’s issue, Reynolds told them his first pitch to Kevin Feige for the film was a “‘Rashomon’ story about Wolverine and Deadpool and something that they got into together, but told from three completely different perspectives.”
For context, “Rashomon” is a 1950 Jidaigeki drama from Akira Kurosawa that was the first Japanese film to receive international acclaim, winning the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival, as well as an Honorary Oscar in 1952. The film tells the story of how a samurai was murdered, multiple times through multiple vantage points. Its plot has been repurposed in a number of films and television series over the decades including “The Outrage,” “Courage Under Fire,...
For context, “Rashomon” is a 1950 Jidaigeki drama from Akira Kurosawa that was the first Japanese film to receive international acclaim, winning the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival, as well as an Honorary Oscar in 1952. The film tells the story of how a samurai was murdered, multiple times through multiple vantage points. Its plot has been repurposed in a number of films and television series over the decades including “The Outrage,” “Courage Under Fire,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
The news of actor Chance Perdomo's death came as a horrible shock when it was first reported several weeks ago. Perdomo was just 27 years old when he was killed in a motorcycle crash. A rising star thanks to his standout performances in "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and "The Boys" spinoff "Gen V," Perdomo was reportedly returning to Toronto for the first "Gen V" season 2 table read when the accident occurred. Production was immediately put on hold to give the cast and creative team time to process the tragedy and decide how best to handle it within the show.
Now, the producers of "Gen V" have released a statement on social media confirming that Perdomo's character, Andre Anderson, will not be recast in season 2:
"As we continue to navigate the tragic loss of Chance Perdomo, everyone at 'Gen V' is determined to find the best way...
Now, the producers of "Gen V" have released a statement on social media confirming that Perdomo's character, Andre Anderson, will not be recast in season 2:
"As we continue to navigate the tragic loss of Chance Perdomo, everyone at 'Gen V' is determined to find the best way...
- 5/5/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
"The Thing" is often regarded as one of John Carpenter's best movies. A chilly, gory nightmare, Carpenter's film is based on both the John W. Campbell Jr. novella "Who Goes There?" and its 1951 film adaptation "The Thing from Another World." Using jaw-dropping, stomach-churning make-up and creature effects courtesy of Rob Bottin, Carpenter's "The Thing" follows a group of men secluded at a research center in Antarctica. When an alien lifeform that can look like anyone suddenly ends up in their midst, trust becomes a serious issue. Anyone can be The Thing, after all — and that means anyone who is still human is in serious trouble. Carpenter brings his usual deft skill to the material, crafting a scary, memorable monster movie that has stood the test of time and gone on to become a classic (even though it originally flopped at the box office).
But as it turns out, Carpenter...
But as it turns out, Carpenter...
- 5/5/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
[Editor’s note: The following story contains spoilers for “The Idea of You.”]
Don’t you hate it when Hollywood changes the ending to your favorite book when adapting it into a film? The process is sacrilege to some readers, but it can often lead to films improving upon their source material. The latest bestseller to see its ending changed is “The Idea of You” — and a recent piece by IndieWire’s Erin Strecker endorses the changes screenwriters Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt made in adapting Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel.
However, it turns out these changes, well regarded as they are by some, did not receive input from Lee herself. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the author said she “was not involved at all in the adaptation.”
“I have not even spoken to [director] Michael [Showalter] yet,” Lee said. “But I’m looking forward to meeting him, so no, I haven’t spoken to him about any changes. My...
Don’t you hate it when Hollywood changes the ending to your favorite book when adapting it into a film? The process is sacrilege to some readers, but it can often lead to films improving upon their source material. The latest bestseller to see its ending changed is “The Idea of You” — and a recent piece by IndieWire’s Erin Strecker endorses the changes screenwriters Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt made in adapting Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel.
However, it turns out these changes, well regarded as they are by some, did not receive input from Lee herself. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the author said she “was not involved at all in the adaptation.”
“I have not even spoken to [director] Michael [Showalter] yet,” Lee said. “But I’m looking forward to meeting him, so no, I haven’t spoken to him about any changes. My...
- 5/5/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Martin Scorsese (who may or may not be making a Frank Sinatra biopic soon) is our greatest living filmmaker. I don't think that's a controversial or even hyperbolic statement; it's just true. The man lives and breathes cinema, and he has one masterpiece after another to his name. But it all started with "Mean Streets." To be clear: "Mean Streets" was not Scorsese's first feature film. His debut film was 1967's "Who's That Knocking at My Door," which began as a student film before Scorsese reworked it into a feature. He followed that up in 1972 with "Boxcar Bertha," a crime flick produced by legendary B-movie auteur Roger Corman.
It was "Boxcar Bertha" that would lead directly to "Mean Streets." The story goes that when Scorsese's friend, mentor, and fellow director John Cassavetes saw "Boxcar Bertha," he told Scorsese: "You've just spent a year of your life making a piece of sh*t.
It was "Boxcar Bertha" that would lead directly to "Mean Streets." The story goes that when Scorsese's friend, mentor, and fellow director John Cassavetes saw "Boxcar Bertha," he told Scorsese: "You've just spent a year of your life making a piece of sh*t.
- 5/5/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
“Baby Reindeer” mania has already swept the U.K., and the word-of-mouth export continues to make waves across the U.S., hence our belated review about an incredibly devastating and twisting series that is so much more than you initially expected.
There’s a natural tendency in most savvy viewers to predict how events might unfold in any film or televised event. For years, Netflix established itself as a contender in the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction sweepstakes with the murder-for-hire animal park drama (“Tiger King”) or plunges into the darkest realms of internet video (“Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer”).
Continue reading ‘Baby Reindeer’ Review: A Conventional Stalking Thriller Transforms Into A Devastating & Complex Confessional About Abuse & Trauma at The Playlist.
There’s a natural tendency in most savvy viewers to predict how events might unfold in any film or televised event. For years, Netflix established itself as a contender in the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction sweepstakes with the murder-for-hire animal park drama (“Tiger King”) or plunges into the darkest realms of internet video (“Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer”).
Continue reading ‘Baby Reindeer’ Review: A Conventional Stalking Thriller Transforms Into A Devastating & Complex Confessional About Abuse & Trauma at The Playlist.
- 5/5/2024
- by Brian Farvour
- The Playlist
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