Top News
Yorgos Lanthimos can’t stop (won’t stop!) working with Oscar winner Emma Stone, casting the actress once again as leading lady for his next project “Bugonia.”
The drama will also star Jesse Plemons who, along with Stone, appears in Lanthimos’ forthcoming “Kinds of Kindness.” That three-chapter feature just premiered on Friday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“Bugonia” follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. The script is from heat-seeking “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy.
Focus Features has won domestic rights to distribute the project. Universal Pictures will roll out the film in global territories, save Korea where “Parasite” producer Cj Enm will release. The latter is financing the film with Fremantle. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the rights deal.
This package is loaded with pedigree.
The drama will also star Jesse Plemons who, along with Stone, appears in Lanthimos’ forthcoming “Kinds of Kindness.” That three-chapter feature just premiered on Friday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“Bugonia” follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. The script is from heat-seeking “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy.
Focus Features has won domestic rights to distribute the project. Universal Pictures will roll out the film in global territories, save Korea where “Parasite” producer Cj Enm will release. The latter is financing the film with Fremantle. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the rights deal.
This package is loaded with pedigree.
- 5/18/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Dabney Coleman, the popular comic actor from 9 to 5, Tootsie and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman whose many redeeming qualities including a knack for portraying characters who had none, has died. He was 92.
Coleman died Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, his daughter, singer Quincy Coleman, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“My father crafted his time here on Earth with a curious mind, a generous heart and a soul on fire with passion, desire and humor that tickled the funny bone of humanity,” she said. “As he lived, he moved through this final act of his life with elegance, excellence and mastery.
“A teacher, a hero and a king, Dabney Coleman is a gift and blessing in life and in death as his spirit will shine through his work, his loved ones and his legacy … eternally.”
The Emmy-winning actor also portrayed an irascible talk show host in upstate New York on NBC’s Buffalo Bill,...
Coleman died Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, his daughter, singer Quincy Coleman, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“My father crafted his time here on Earth with a curious mind, a generous heart and a soul on fire with passion, desire and humor that tickled the funny bone of humanity,” she said. “As he lived, he moved through this final act of his life with elegance, excellence and mastery.
“A teacher, a hero and a king, Dabney Coleman is a gift and blessing in life and in death as his spirit will shine through his work, his loved ones and his legacy … eternally.”
The Emmy-winning actor also portrayed an irascible talk show host in upstate New York on NBC’s Buffalo Bill,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Daniel Baur’s K5 Intl. has sold out most of international on Kevin Costner’s two-part Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga,” with only a few territories left, ahead of its world premiere Sunday in Cannes’ out of competition section.
K5 closed sales to Tobis Film (German-speaking territories), Metropolitan Filmexport (France), Stan Entertainment (Australia), Unicorn (Eastern Europe), Sf Studios/Ab Svensk (Scandinavia), Echo Lake Distribution (Airlines), EnterMode (South Korea), Falcon Films (Middle East), Nos Lusomundo (Portugal), Tanweer (Greece), MadMen (Australia), Parallax Studios/Saga Film (Philippines), Aqua Group (Turkey) and Myndform (Iceland).
Warner Bros./New Line will give the films wide releases in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Spain, Italy and the Netherlands on June 28 and Aug. 16.
Last year, Baur re-launched K5 Intl. with a new focus on high-budgeted elevated genre films and series. When Baur received the call from producer Howard Kaplan of Territory Pictures that he was...
K5 closed sales to Tobis Film (German-speaking territories), Metropolitan Filmexport (France), Stan Entertainment (Australia), Unicorn (Eastern Europe), Sf Studios/Ab Svensk (Scandinavia), Echo Lake Distribution (Airlines), EnterMode (South Korea), Falcon Films (Middle East), Nos Lusomundo (Portugal), Tanweer (Greece), MadMen (Australia), Parallax Studios/Saga Film (Philippines), Aqua Group (Turkey) and Myndform (Iceland).
Warner Bros./New Line will give the films wide releases in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Spain, Italy and the Netherlands on June 28 and Aug. 16.
Last year, Baur re-launched K5 Intl. with a new focus on high-budgeted elevated genre films and series. When Baur received the call from producer Howard Kaplan of Territory Pictures that he was...
- 5/17/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
A new entry in the “Insidious” franchise has been set for the theaters. The next installment of the Blumhouse Productions horror property, co-produced by Screen Gems, has been added to Sony’s theatrical slate, with the studio dating the film for an Aug. 29, 2025 release.
No further details on the project were disclosed, including whether series regulars such as Patrick Wilson and Leigh Whannell would be involved. The newly announced feature is different from “Thread: An Insidious Tale,” an in-universe series spin-off that was first reported on by Deadline in May 2023 and is said to star Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani, with Jeremy Slater attached to write and direct.
Barring no other “Insidious” installments releasing before this newly announced one, this would mark the sixth entry in the horror franchise and the first since last year’s “Insidious: The Red Door,” which saw actors Patrick Wilson and Ty Simpkins return to...
No further details on the project were disclosed, including whether series regulars such as Patrick Wilson and Leigh Whannell would be involved. The newly announced feature is different from “Thread: An Insidious Tale,” an in-universe series spin-off that was first reported on by Deadline in May 2023 and is said to star Mandy Moore and Kumail Nanjiani, with Jeremy Slater attached to write and direct.
Barring no other “Insidious” installments releasing before this newly announced one, this would mark the sixth entry in the horror franchise and the first since last year’s “Insidious: The Red Door,” which saw actors Patrick Wilson and Ty Simpkins return to...
- 5/17/2024
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety - Film News
Neon has bought North American rights to “The Unknown” (“L’Inconnue”), the hotly anticipated next movie from “Anatomy of a Fall”’s Oscar-winning co-writer Arthur Harari.
As revealed by Variety earlier this week, the movie will star Léa Seydoux (“Dune 2”) and is being represented in international markets. Harari is rolling off of “Anatomy of a Fall” which he co-wrote with director Justine Triet, abd won an Oscar, two Golden Globes, a BAFTA and the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s president of acquisitions and production Jeff Deutchman with producer Nicolas Anthomé on behalf of the filmmakers, and marks Neon’s second collaboration with Harari following last year’s “Anatomy of a Fall” which Neon acquired out of Cannes in 2023 before it won the Palme d’Or for that year. This deal further cements Neon’s commitment to bringing top-of-the-line international cinema to U.
As revealed by Variety earlier this week, the movie will star Léa Seydoux (“Dune 2”) and is being represented in international markets. Harari is rolling off of “Anatomy of a Fall” which he co-wrote with director Justine Triet, abd won an Oscar, two Golden Globes, a BAFTA and the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s president of acquisitions and production Jeff Deutchman with producer Nicolas Anthomé on behalf of the filmmakers, and marks Neon’s second collaboration with Harari following last year’s “Anatomy of a Fall” which Neon acquired out of Cannes in 2023 before it won the Palme d’Or for that year. This deal further cements Neon’s commitment to bringing top-of-the-line international cinema to U.
- 5/17/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Writer-director John Krasinski‘s original family film IF has started off its box office run with $1.8 million in Thursday previews.
The fantasy pic, headlining Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming alongside an A-list voice cast, explores the world of discarded imaginary friends and what happens when a young girl and her neighbor try to reunite them with their previous human pals.
The live-action/CGI animated Paramount pic is tracking for a domestic debut in the $40 million range from more than 4,000 theaters, but the family marketplace continues to struggle in the post-pandemic era. Nor is original fare an easy proposition. It’s hard to read too much into Thursday previews since families don’t start turning out in earnest until Friday and Saturday, generally speaking, although some exhibitors are worried the movie could have a hard time getting to $40 million based on presales, according to sources.
Reviews aren’t so great — If...
The fantasy pic, headlining Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming alongside an A-list voice cast, explores the world of discarded imaginary friends and what happens when a young girl and her neighbor try to reunite them with their previous human pals.
The live-action/CGI animated Paramount pic is tracking for a domestic debut in the $40 million range from more than 4,000 theaters, but the family marketplace continues to struggle in the post-pandemic era. Nor is original fare an easy proposition. It’s hard to read too much into Thursday previews since families don’t start turning out in earnest until Friday and Saturday, generally speaking, although some exhibitors are worried the movie could have a hard time getting to $40 million based on presales, according to sources.
Reviews aren’t so great — If...
- 5/17/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
During the monologue for Saturday Night Live, Jake Gyllenhaal seemed to be trying to convince himself that he was Ok with hosting the season 49 finale and not the season 50 premiere.
“When you think of historic television seasons, the first number that pops into your head is 49,” Gyllenhaal said. “I mean, sure, you know, one more episode and I would have been hosting the premiere of the 50th season, but who cares?”
The Road House actor later broke out in song to the tune of Boyz II Men’s “End Of The Road,” listing off all the people the sketch comedy series asked to host before asking Gyllenhaal.
“You know, I was actually SNL‘s first choice to host the finale after a lot of people said no,” he joked. “I guess they’re all holding out for the 50th but not me.”
“I’m the one who said, yeah,” he continued to sing.
“When you think of historic television seasons, the first number that pops into your head is 49,” Gyllenhaal said. “I mean, sure, you know, one more episode and I would have been hosting the premiere of the 50th season, but who cares?”
The Road House actor later broke out in song to the tune of Boyz II Men’s “End Of The Road,” listing off all the people the sketch comedy series asked to host before asking Gyllenhaal.
“You know, I was actually SNL‘s first choice to host the finale after a lot of people said no,” he joked. “I guess they’re all holding out for the 50th but not me.”
“I’m the one who said, yeah,” he continued to sing.
- 5/19/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jesse Plemons has become an undisputed auteur’s favorite. The 36-year-old star’s beguiling unshowiness onscreen has landed him memorable parts in films from Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master), Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies, The Post), Martin Scorsese (The Irishman, Killers of the Flower Moon), Charlie Kaufman (I’m Thinking of Ending Things), Adam McKay (Vice) and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), among so many others. Arguably even more viewers know him from his indelible work on the small screen, which began with his breakthrough role on NBC’s Friday Night Lights, continued through AMC’s landmark hit series Breaking Bad and culminated with an Emmy nomination for FX’s Fargo, where he met his wife, actress and co-star Kirsten Dunst.
Plemons touched down for the Cannes Film Festival on Friday for the world premiere of Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness, the acclaimed Greek director’s follow-up to his multi-Oscar-winning period fantasy Poor Things.
Plemons touched down for the Cannes Film Festival on Friday for the world premiere of Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness, the acclaimed Greek director’s follow-up to his multi-Oscar-winning period fantasy Poor Things.
- 5/19/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jake Gyllenhaal decided to showcase his vocal talent during the Season 49 finale of “Saturday Night Live” by serenading the audience with a rendition of Boyz II Men’s “End of the Road.” During the ballad, Gyllenhaal switched up the lyrics, claiming he was the very last choice to host. He crooned, “They asked Pedro Pascal, but he wasn’t around. Zendaya said no, because she’d be out of town. Even asked [Ryan] Gosling to come back again, just hosted three shows ago.”
The sing-along monologue also featured an appearance from cast member Kenan Thompson, who was dressed in the R...
The sing-along monologue also featured an appearance from cast member Kenan Thompson, who was dressed in the R...
- 5/19/2024
- by Aramide Tinubu
- Variety - TV News
Films about the ecological stakes of contemporary life often center the results of unfettered human consumption. By showing the abuses suffered by the environment, they function as both an urgent warning and a desperate plea. Claude Barras takes a different route in Savages (Sauvages), his incisive and edifying animated feature about an 11-year-old girl trying to protect her land and people from encroaching deforestation.
Premiering at Cannes, Savages focuses on elemental beauty and the dignity of community-driven preservation. It is the latest film from the Swiss director whose last film My Life as a Zucchini premiered at Cannes in 2016 and went on to critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination. As in that movie, Barras does not condescend to or patronize his youngest audience members. Savages, written by Barras and Catherine Paillé in collaboration with Morgan Navarro and Nancy Huston, is uncompromising in its messaging, deceptively spare in its instruction and absolutely gorgeous to look at.
Premiering at Cannes, Savages focuses on elemental beauty and the dignity of community-driven preservation. It is the latest film from the Swiss director whose last film My Life as a Zucchini premiered at Cannes in 2016 and went on to critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination. As in that movie, Barras does not condescend to or patronize his youngest audience members. Savages, written by Barras and Catherine Paillé in collaboration with Morgan Navarro and Nancy Huston, is uncompromising in its messaging, deceptively spare in its instruction and absolutely gorgeous to look at.
- 5/19/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The setup reads like a thriller: 60,000 photo negatives were discovered in a safe in a Swedish bank, no one knows how they got there, and no one knows who paid to keep them there. But Raoul Peck’s Cannes-bound documentary Ernest Cole: Lost and Found aims to uncover the forgotten years of a photographer whose legacy and work could have easily been buried.
Peck, who was born in Haiti but fled the Duvalier dictatorship with his family, eventually landing in Berlin, felt a particular kinship with Ernest Cole, the South African photographer who captured the Apartheid state and published the 1967 book House of Bondage at only 27 years old. This led to the regime stripping him of his passport. Banished from his home country, Cole headed to New York City, where grants and assignments allowed him to continue photographing, but his past plagued him until his death.
Peck’s Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,...
Peck, who was born in Haiti but fled the Duvalier dictatorship with his family, eventually landing in Berlin, felt a particular kinship with Ernest Cole, the South African photographer who captured the Apartheid state and published the 1967 book House of Bondage at only 27 years old. This led to the regime stripping him of his passport. Banished from his home country, Cole headed to New York City, where grants and assignments allowed him to continue photographing, but his past plagued him until his death.
Peck’s Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Another union is coming to Disneyland.
On Saturday, a majority of the amusement park’s character workers voted to unionize with Actors’ Equity Association in a National Labor Relations Board vote, ushering more employees at Disneyland into the union fold. Nine hundred and fifty-three workers voted “yes” to join Equity, while 258 voted “no.” The parties now have several days to file any objections, and if none are submitted, the results will be certified.
“They say that Disneyland is ‘the place where dreams come true,’ and for the Disney cast members who have worked to organize a union, their dream came true today,” Actors’ Equity Association president Kate Shindle said in a statement on Saturday. “The next step will be to collaborate with them about improving health & safety, wages, benefits, working conditions and job security. After that we will meet with representatives of the Walt Disney Company to negotiate those priorities into a first contract.
On Saturday, a majority of the amusement park’s character workers voted to unionize with Actors’ Equity Association in a National Labor Relations Board vote, ushering more employees at Disneyland into the union fold. Nine hundred and fifty-three workers voted “yes” to join Equity, while 258 voted “no.” The parties now have several days to file any objections, and if none are submitted, the results will be certified.
“They say that Disneyland is ‘the place where dreams come true,’ and for the Disney cast members who have worked to organize a union, their dream came true today,” Actors’ Equity Association president Kate Shindle said in a statement on Saturday. “The next step will be to collaborate with them about improving health & safety, wages, benefits, working conditions and job security. After that we will meet with representatives of the Walt Disney Company to negotiate those priorities into a first contract.
- 5/19/2024
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Melissa Joan Hart said it was “hard” for her to take on more serious roles after years on Nickelodeon.
The actress, who has been in the entertainment industry for more than three decades, recently told People magazine that she now likes to “mix it up” when choosing characters and genres, but that it took some time to get to this point.
“I love doing these true crime movies because I never trusted myself to do drama when I was younger,” Hart said. “I did, when I was really young, I was actually in one of the episodes of The Equalizer, when I was about seven years old … and did some other dramatic roles — that was easy for me when I was a child. But then, as I got more comfortable with comedy, it was harder for me to flip into drama.”
The Melissa & Joey alum admitted she found comfort in...
The actress, who has been in the entertainment industry for more than three decades, recently told People magazine that she now likes to “mix it up” when choosing characters and genres, but that it took some time to get to this point.
“I love doing these true crime movies because I never trusted myself to do drama when I was younger,” Hart said. “I did, when I was really young, I was actually in one of the episodes of The Equalizer, when I was about seven years old … and did some other dramatic roles — that was easy for me when I was a child. But then, as I got more comfortable with comedy, it was harder for me to flip into drama.”
The Melissa & Joey alum admitted she found comfort in...
- 5/19/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Eva Longoria is putting a lot of thought into who she surrounds herself with in movies and TV shows.
The actress-filmmaker recently admitted to People magazine that she only wants “to work with people I love,” naming friends and fellow actresses Kerry Washington and Gabrielle Union as an example.
“Life’s too short to work with assholes, and I’d much rather be surrounded by people I love, and creatives that I respect,” Longoria continued, adding that she uses “reverse engineering” to decide what to work on next.
The Flamin’ Hot star and director explained that before she even seeks out new projects, she considers who she wants to collaborate with first and later finds something that everyone can agree on.
“It’s the people and their vision and what they bring to it more than the actual project” that makes her want to be on set,” Longoria said.
The...
The actress-filmmaker recently admitted to People magazine that she only wants “to work with people I love,” naming friends and fellow actresses Kerry Washington and Gabrielle Union as an example.
“Life’s too short to work with assholes, and I’d much rather be surrounded by people I love, and creatives that I respect,” Longoria continued, adding that she uses “reverse engineering” to decide what to work on next.
The Flamin’ Hot star and director explained that before she even seeks out new projects, she considers who she wants to collaborate with first and later finds something that everyone can agree on.
“It’s the people and their vision and what they bring to it more than the actual project” that makes her want to be on set,” Longoria said.
The...
- 5/19/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A self-portrait and cinematic essay, Leos Carax’s “It’s Not Me” is perhaps the most accurate impression of a late-era Jean-Luc Godard experiment anyone has ever attempted. From Carax’s raspy voiceover to his jaggedly assembled combination of archival footage and absurd original snippets, the 41-minute short probes a variety of personal and political subjects, but it never quite beats with the furious heart and provocative spirit of Godard’s twilight era.
The project was conceived as part of a museum exhibition on Carax for Paris’ Centre Pompidou, but the prompt posed to him in the form of a question — “Where are you at, Leos Carax?” — appears to have led the enigmatic filmmaker on a confounding quest of self-discovery. The exhibit would never come to fruition, but Carax’s inquiry into his work, his lifelong influences and cinema at-large has yielded an occasionally fascinating collage. The film not only ponders Carax’s past,...
The project was conceived as part of a museum exhibition on Carax for Paris’ Centre Pompidou, but the prompt posed to him in the form of a question — “Where are you at, Leos Carax?” — appears to have led the enigmatic filmmaker on a confounding quest of self-discovery. The exhibit would never come to fruition, but Carax’s inquiry into his work, his lifelong influences and cinema at-large has yielded an occasionally fascinating collage. The film not only ponders Carax’s past,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety - Film News
Jeremy Renner spoke to the L.A. Times about returning to the “Mayor of Kingstown” set after his near-fatal snow plow accident.
In January 2023, Renner was run over by his own snowcat, which weighs at least 14,330 pounds, and suffered from significant chest trauma — including a collapsed lung — and 38 broken bones.
In the Paramount+ series “Mayor of Kingstown,” Renner stars as Mike McLusky, a power broker in a fictional Michigan city, where the business is incarceration. He returned to set this January, one year after his accident.
Renner told the L.A. Times that during his first week back on the job,...
In January 2023, Renner was run over by his own snowcat, which weighs at least 14,330 pounds, and suffered from significant chest trauma — including a collapsed lung — and 38 broken bones.
In the Paramount+ series “Mayor of Kingstown,” Renner stars as Mike McLusky, a power broker in a fictional Michigan city, where the business is incarceration. He returned to set this January, one year after his accident.
Renner told the L.A. Times that during his first week back on the job,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - TV News
Alice Stewart, a CNN political commentator who worked on several GOP presidential campaigns, has died. She was 58.
Stewart’s body was found outside in the Bellevue neighborhood in northern Virginia early Saturday morning, law enforcement told CNN. Officials said no foul play is suspected, and believe a medical emergency occurred. Her cause of death wasn’t immediately available.
CNN reported that network CEO Mark Thompson wrote in an email to staff Saturday, “Alice was a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN. A political veteran and an Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an incomparable spark to CNN’s coverage, known across our bureaus not only for her political savvy, but for her unwavering kindness. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”
Born on March 11, 1966, in Atlanta, Georgia, Stewart started her career as a local news reporter and producer. She eventually moved to Little Rock,...
Stewart’s body was found outside in the Bellevue neighborhood in northern Virginia early Saturday morning, law enforcement told CNN. Officials said no foul play is suspected, and believe a medical emergency occurred. Her cause of death wasn’t immediately available.
CNN reported that network CEO Mark Thompson wrote in an email to staff Saturday, “Alice was a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN. A political veteran and an Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an incomparable spark to CNN’s coverage, known across our bureaus not only for her political savvy, but for her unwavering kindness. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”
Born on March 11, 1966, in Atlanta, Georgia, Stewart started her career as a local news reporter and producer. She eventually moved to Little Rock,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Alice Stewart, a CNN political commentator and veteran political adviser who worked on several Republican presidential campaigns, has died. She was 58.
Stewart’s body was found outdoors in a northern Virginia neighborhood early Saturday morning, CNN reported. Law enforcement officials told the cable news outlet that no foul play is suspected and believe a medical emergency occurred.
“Alice was a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN,” Mark Thompson, the network’s CEO, said in an email to staff on Saturday. “A political veteran and an Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an incomparable spark to CNN’s coverage,...
Stewart’s body was found outdoors in a northern Virginia neighborhood early Saturday morning, CNN reported. Law enforcement officials told the cable news outlet that no foul play is suspected and believe a medical emergency occurred.
“Alice was a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN,” Mark Thompson, the network’s CEO, said in an email to staff on Saturday. “A political veteran and an Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an incomparable spark to CNN’s coverage,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - TV News
Premiering out of Critics’ Week in Cannes, Alexis Langlois’ debut feature “Queens of Drama” is a musical blast of queer culture euphoria, telling a decades-spanning, impossible love story between a pair of pop idols who begin as fans and then become lovers, who climb the charts and permeate the culture as enemies, and who end up forgotten, as time moves forward and a new generation of teenage fans claim new idols for themselves.
The film’s familiar rise-and-fall rhythms struck a chord with filmmaker Alexis Langlois, who cites Vincente Minnelli and George Cukor as inspiration. “I wanted to offer a great, romantic story,” says Langlois. “Really, to give all these queer characters – and the queer actors who play them — a sense of grand romance by mixing the codes and memories of classic cinema with something much more modern.”
“And I like idea of the wheel of fortune,” they continue. “As...
The film’s familiar rise-and-fall rhythms struck a chord with filmmaker Alexis Langlois, who cites Vincente Minnelli and George Cukor as inspiration. “I wanted to offer a great, romantic story,” says Langlois. “Really, to give all these queer characters – and the queer actors who play them — a sense of grand romance by mixing the codes and memories of classic cinema with something much more modern.”
“And I like idea of the wheel of fortune,” they continue. “As...
- 5/18/2024
- by Ben Croll
- Variety - Film News
Cate Blanchett blew kisses to the Cannes Film Festival audience as her new film, “Rumours,” earned a four-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival on Saturday night.
The crowd welcomed the film’s dark humor, laughing throughout the entirety of the late-night screening. While some of the auditorium emptied out while the credits rolled, the majority of filmgoers waited patiently to pay their respects to the film’s stars. Blanchett’s “Rumours” co-star Alicia Vikander was notably not in attendance.
The film’s trio of directors — Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson — seemed surprised by Cannes’ relatively new tradition of handing the filmmaker(s) a microphone for post-screening remarks. They made a speech together after the applause wrapped, thanking the audience and quoting their own film by saying “it’s better to burn out than to fade away.”
The dark comedy follows a group of world leaders who meet...
The crowd welcomed the film’s dark humor, laughing throughout the entirety of the late-night screening. While some of the auditorium emptied out while the credits rolled, the majority of filmgoers waited patiently to pay their respects to the film’s stars. Blanchett’s “Rumours” co-star Alicia Vikander was notably not in attendance.
The film’s trio of directors — Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson — seemed surprised by Cannes’ relatively new tradition of handing the filmmaker(s) a microphone for post-screening remarks. They made a speech together after the applause wrapped, thanking the audience and quoting their own film by saying “it’s better to burn out than to fade away.”
The dark comedy follows a group of world leaders who meet...
- 5/18/2024
- by Angelique Jackson and Ellise Shafer
- Variety - Film News
Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa’s filmography could be neatly divided into three genre buckets: feature films (the last two were Donbass and A Gentle Creature, both from the last decade), documentaries compiled entirely from archive sources (The Kiev Trial), and documentaries about current events, filmed by Loznitsa himself and small crews. The most well-known example from the last category would be Maidan (2014), a stirring, astringent, mosaic-like portrait of the demonstrations against Russian-supported president Viktor Yanukovych in Kiev’s main city square in 2013-14, which eventually devolved into violence.
With his latest, The Invasion, Loznitsa gives Maidan a cinematic sibling, a work that bears a strong family resemblance given its urgency and majestic, tragic sweep as it builds a portrait of a nation at war. But while the high-vérité lack of voiceover, identifying subtitles or editorializing follows the same modus operandi deployed with Maidan, there’s an even stronger sense here...
With his latest, The Invasion, Loznitsa gives Maidan a cinematic sibling, a work that bears a strong family resemblance given its urgency and majestic, tragic sweep as it builds a portrait of a nation at war. But while the high-vérité lack of voiceover, identifying subtitles or editorializing follows the same modus operandi deployed with Maidan, there’s an even stronger sense here...
- 5/18/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Barbra Fuller, who starred as the daughter Claudia on the long-running radio soap opera One Man’s Family, all while appearing in films for Republic Pictures and such TV shows as Adventures of Superman, has died. She was 102.
Fuller, who lived in the Los Angeles area, died Wednesday, her godson J.P. Sloane announced.
On the San Francisco-set One Man’s Family, created by Carlton E. Morse, Fuller played one of the Barbour family’s five kids from 1945 until the NBC Radio drama completed its 27-year run in 1959. Her character, a twin with kids of her own, was gone from the program for a couple of years before she came aboard.
“It was a fun part. Claudia was a good girl with interesting qualities,” she said in Michael G. Fitzgerald and Boyd Magers’ 2006 book, Ladies of the Western.
In 1949, Fuller signed with Republic and was under contract with the B-picture studio for a year,...
Fuller, who lived in the Los Angeles area, died Wednesday, her godson J.P. Sloane announced.
On the San Francisco-set One Man’s Family, created by Carlton E. Morse, Fuller played one of the Barbour family’s five kids from 1945 until the NBC Radio drama completed its 27-year run in 1959. Her character, a twin with kids of her own, was gone from the program for a couple of years before she came aboard.
“It was a fun part. Claudia was a good girl with interesting qualities,” she said in Michael G. Fitzgerald and Boyd Magers’ 2006 book, Ladies of the Western.
In 1949, Fuller signed with Republic and was under contract with the B-picture studio for a year,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Noemie Merlant’s sophomore feature “The Balconettes” plays as a raunchy horror-comedy with a greater social conscience. The film follows three roommates – an actress, played by Merlant, a camgirl played by “Dune: Part Two” breakout Souheila Yacoub and a frustrated writer played Sanda Condreanu – who are initially infatuated and eventually repelled by a lothario neighbor from across the yard. Exploring questions of coercion and consent with a healthy dose of blood and guts, “The Balconettes” wants to entertain and energize in equal measure.
Variety spoke with the filmmaker ahead of her film’s world premiere in Cannes.
How did this film come about?
Four years ago, I found myself escaping from a daily life that was suffocating. I went to live with women, with friends of mine, including Sanda Codreanu, who stars in the film. This was the first time I’d lived with other women, and the first time...
Variety spoke with the filmmaker ahead of her film’s world premiere in Cannes.
How did this film come about?
Four years ago, I found myself escaping from a daily life that was suffocating. I went to live with women, with friends of mine, including Sanda Codreanu, who stars in the film. This was the first time I’d lived with other women, and the first time...
- 5/18/2024
- by Ben Croll
- Variety - Film News
“Emilia Pérez,” a Spanish-language musical drama starring Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón, has earned the biggest standing ovation of this year’s Cannes Film Festival so far.
Gomez wiped away tears as the Palais clapped for a full nine minutes, accompanied by plenty of hooting, whistling and cheering. During the standing ovation, director Jacques Audiard waved his hat at the balcony as stars Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez shared an emotional hug. There was huge applause for Gascón, who stars in the film as a drug cartel leader who seeks gender-affirming surgery.
In the film, from Palme d’Or winner Audiard, Saldaña stars as Rita, an “overqualified and undervalued” lawyer, whose firm is more inclined to help criminals than seek justice. She finds an unexpected way out when a feared drug cartel leader Manitas (Gascón) recruits her to aid him in surreptitiously completing a sex change operation to...
Gomez wiped away tears as the Palais clapped for a full nine minutes, accompanied by plenty of hooting, whistling and cheering. During the standing ovation, director Jacques Audiard waved his hat at the balcony as stars Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez shared an emotional hug. There was huge applause for Gascón, who stars in the film as a drug cartel leader who seeks gender-affirming surgery.
In the film, from Palme d’Or winner Audiard, Saldaña stars as Rita, an “overqualified and undervalued” lawyer, whose firm is more inclined to help criminals than seek justice. She finds an unexpected way out when a feared drug cartel leader Manitas (Gascón) recruits her to aid him in surreptitiously completing a sex change operation to...
- 5/18/2024
- by Ramin Setoodeh and Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
Jacques Audiard returned to Cannes on Saturday night to introduce the world to Emilia Perez, which received a rapturous response from the audience, who gave it a nine-minute standing ovation. After Audiard took the mic to speak in French, the standing ovation resumed for another minute or so.
The 10th film from the French auteur — his sixth film in the main competition — stars Zoe Saldaña as a frustrated lawyer, Selena Gomez as a drug lord’s wife, Édgar Ramírez as a dangerous love interest and Karla Sofía Gascón as the cartel kingpin who longs to escape a life of crime and become the woman he’s always dreamed of becoming. And surprise — it’s a musical.
As the credits roled, there were whoops and hollers and shouts of “Bravo,” even before the lights came up. Saldaña and Gascón were in tears, while Gomez was visibly moved, covering her face.
Reviews...
The 10th film from the French auteur — his sixth film in the main competition — stars Zoe Saldaña as a frustrated lawyer, Selena Gomez as a drug lord’s wife, Édgar Ramírez as a dangerous love interest and Karla Sofía Gascón as the cartel kingpin who longs to escape a life of crime and become the woman he’s always dreamed of becoming. And surprise — it’s a musical.
As the credits roled, there were whoops and hollers and shouts of “Bravo,” even before the lights came up. Saldaña and Gascón were in tears, while Gomez was visibly moved, covering her face.
Reviews...
- 5/18/2024
- by Chris Gardner and Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Somewhere in Yolande Zauberman’s overly diffuse documentary La Belle de Gaza is a sturdier and more clarifying film. But as it stands, the project, which premiered at Cannes, is a sprawling mass of missed opportunities.
The film loosely follows a group of Arab trans women on Hatnufa Street, an under-lit back street in Tel Aviv. Zauberman encountered her subjects while shooting her documentary M. In that project, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 2018, the director investigated sexual abuse in an Orthodox community in Israel. According to press notes for her new doc, in order to make a scene in M work, Zauberman needed to film a trans woman walking away from the camera. The girls she met on Hatnufa agreed. It wasn’t until later, when Zauberman returned to Paris, that her partner Sélim Nassib, who did sound for La Belle de Gaza and was present, told...
The film loosely follows a group of Arab trans women on Hatnufa Street, an under-lit back street in Tel Aviv. Zauberman encountered her subjects while shooting her documentary M. In that project, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival in 2018, the director investigated sexual abuse in an Orthodox community in Israel. According to press notes for her new doc, in order to make a scene in M work, Zauberman needed to film a trans woman walking away from the camera. The girls she met on Hatnufa agreed. It wasn’t until later, when Zauberman returned to Paris, that her partner Sélim Nassib, who did sound for La Belle de Gaza and was present, told...
- 5/18/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Neon has acquired the North American rights to “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. The thriller is set to premiere In Competition in Cannes on May 24, and marks Rasoulof’s first return to the Cannes Film Festival, after being barred from traveling. Neon is planning a North American theatrical release later this year.
The film — which stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh — follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s VP of Acquisitions Sarah Colvin with Films Boutique / Parallel 45’s Jean-Christophe Simon and Film Boutique’s Julien Razafindranaly on behalf of the filmmakers.
The film — which stars Setareh Abdolmaleki, Zahra Rostami, Amineh Mazroei Arani and Niousha AkhshiVardoogh — follows Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with mistrust and paranoia as nationwide political protests intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears. Suspecting the involvement of his wife Najmeh and his daughters Rezvan and Sana, he imposes drastic measures at home, causing tensions to rise.
The deal was negotiated by Neon’s VP of Acquisitions Sarah Colvin with Films Boutique / Parallel 45’s Jean-Christophe Simon and Film Boutique’s Julien Razafindranaly on behalf of the filmmakers.
- 5/18/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
The “Mavka” franchise is just getting started.
Ukraine’s Film.UA Group is now developing a live-action film based on the character already spotlighted in “Mavka. The Forest Song,” Variety has found out. Shown in 148 countries, it has grossed over $21 million globally.
According to its team, the live-action version will delve even deeper into Ukrainian folklore, offering a more “intricate” portrayal of the mythological character.
“‘Mavka’ was always planned as a multiplatform, cross-media IP. Animated feature was just the start. We want to keep the old fans happy and to attract new ones,” said producer Anna Eliseeva, admitting the new film will be a different (forest) beast.
“The plot and even the character will differ from the animation. ‘Forest Song’ was based on our mythology and the work of Ukrainian poetess Lesya Ukrainka, but we had to reinvent the character for the family audience. Now, we will be able to...
Ukraine’s Film.UA Group is now developing a live-action film based on the character already spotlighted in “Mavka. The Forest Song,” Variety has found out. Shown in 148 countries, it has grossed over $21 million globally.
According to its team, the live-action version will delve even deeper into Ukrainian folklore, offering a more “intricate” portrayal of the mythological character.
“‘Mavka’ was always planned as a multiplatform, cross-media IP. Animated feature was just the start. We want to keep the old fans happy and to attract new ones,” said producer Anna Eliseeva, admitting the new film will be a different (forest) beast.
“The plot and even the character will differ from the animation. ‘Forest Song’ was based on our mythology and the work of Ukrainian poetess Lesya Ukrainka, but we had to reinvent the character for the family audience. Now, we will be able to...
- 5/18/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety - Film News
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office shared a statement following the release of a video of Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly attacking his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, at an L.A. hotel in 2016.
The video, obtained by CNN, was released Friday and saw the music producer run out of a hotel room in a towel, after a woman who appears to be Ventura as she is seen exiting a hotel room and heading for the elevators. Before she can get in one, Combs grabs her by the back of the neck and throws her on the floor, before turning to kick her.
As the video continues, he kicks her again, even though she is not moving, and drags her by the sweatshirt. He walks off but returns and shoves her, later pulling an object from a table and throwing it toward her. Finally, he walks away again.
“We are aware of...
The video, obtained by CNN, was released Friday and saw the music producer run out of a hotel room in a towel, after a woman who appears to be Ventura as she is seen exiting a hotel room and heading for the elevators. Before she can get in one, Combs grabs her by the back of the neck and throws her on the floor, before turning to kick her.
As the video continues, he kicks her again, even though she is not moving, and drags her by the sweatshirt. He walks off but returns and shoves her, later pulling an object from a table and throwing it toward her. Finally, he walks away again.
“We are aware of...
- 5/18/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Casey Wilson and Adam Pally, who starred in the ABC sitcom “Happy Endings,” are launching an eponymous recap podcast. The joint endeavor is set to release May 21.
Per the podcast’s logline: “Casey Wilson and Adam Pally sit down with the creators, cast and writers from ABC’s failed sitcom, ‘Happy Endings.’ It had a cult following….is what we tell ourselves. Adam and Casey also confront the man who canceled the show. Spoiler alert: He has no regrets. Suhcuuyyyyttttt!”
“Happy Endings” aired on ABC from 2011 to 2013 and followed the adventures of six best friends living in Chicago: Brad and...
Per the podcast’s logline: “Casey Wilson and Adam Pally sit down with the creators, cast and writers from ABC’s failed sitcom, ‘Happy Endings.’ It had a cult following….is what we tell ourselves. Adam and Casey also confront the man who canceled the show. Spoiler alert: He has no regrets. Suhcuuyyyyttttt!”
“Happy Endings” aired on ABC from 2011 to 2013 and followed the adventures of six best friends living in Chicago: Brad and...
- 5/18/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - TV News
Back in Cannes a year after presiding over the main Cannes jury, the two-time Palme d’or winner Ruben Öslund unveiled more details about his next mega-project, English-language “The Entertainment is Down,” which he said should be ready for Cannes 2026.
The press conference, attended by the hottest talent and producers from the Nordic region and beyond, was hosted by Film i Väst, one of Europe’s largest regional film funds.
Making his usual rock star appearance, flanked by actors Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl, Östlund unveiled more details about “The Entertainment is Down”, to be shot entirely on a real 747 airplane, bought by the producers for the movie.
”I was in London doing some casting and Erik [Hemmendorff, producer and partner in the Swedish banner Plattform Produktion] was in Northern London looking for airplanes. A few days later I asked: ‘Did you buy it?’ And he said: ‘Yes!’ That was quite early in the process. I said: ‘Oh,...
The press conference, attended by the hottest talent and producers from the Nordic region and beyond, was hosted by Film i Väst, one of Europe’s largest regional film funds.
Making his usual rock star appearance, flanked by actors Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl, Östlund unveiled more details about “The Entertainment is Down”, to be shot entirely on a real 747 airplane, bought by the producers for the movie.
”I was in London doing some casting and Erik [Hemmendorff, producer and partner in the Swedish banner Plattform Produktion] was in Northern London looking for airplanes. A few days later I asked: ‘Did you buy it?’ And he said: ‘Yes!’ That was quite early in the process. I said: ‘Oh,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety - Film News
Movies that take their title from a female protagonist’s name — from Mildred Pierce and Stella Dallas through Norma Rae to Vera Drake and Jackie Brown — instantly claim that woman’s rightful place at the heart of a story, often depicting struggle and sacrifice but also resilience and strength of character. The same applies to Jacques Audiard’s bracingly original crime musical Emilia Pérez, even if the woman herself doesn’t show up until some way in, when she emerges from the unlikeliest of cocoons.
The French director has always shown an adventurous spirit, switching genres with nimble assurance, and he continues to surprise in his ballsy tenth feature. Very loosely adapted by Audiard from journalist and author Boris Razon’s 2018 novel Écoute, the film dexterously spans many styles. The baseline is a drama of criminality and redemption, but then there’s an unforced current of Almodóvarian humor, along with moments of melodrama,...
The French director has always shown an adventurous spirit, switching genres with nimble assurance, and he continues to surprise in his ballsy tenth feature. Very loosely adapted by Audiard from journalist and author Boris Razon’s 2018 novel Écoute, the film dexterously spans many styles. The baseline is a drama of criminality and redemption, but then there’s an unforced current of Almodóvarian humor, along with moments of melodrama,...
- 5/18/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spanish director Jonás Trueba wants you to celebrate the endings, not just the beginnings.
That includes the demise of a serious relationship, because Ale and Alex (Itsaso Arana and Vito Sanz) have been together for 15 years. Now, they want only two things: to go their separate ways and to have a proper fiesta.
“The idea of a ‘separation party’ can be scary, but I just kept hearing about it. I even suggested it to a friend of mine, but every time, people’s faces just drop. You can see fear creeping in. It’s crazy and silly, and at the same time, it could be something beautiful. It’s a great idea for a film, if not for real-life.”
In “The Other Way Around,” premiering at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, the couple in question still has a lot of affection for each other.
“It’s a love story, but another kind of love story,...
That includes the demise of a serious relationship, because Ale and Alex (Itsaso Arana and Vito Sanz) have been together for 15 years. Now, they want only two things: to go their separate ways and to have a proper fiesta.
“The idea of a ‘separation party’ can be scary, but I just kept hearing about it. I even suggested it to a friend of mine, but every time, people’s faces just drop. You can see fear creeping in. It’s crazy and silly, and at the same time, it could be something beautiful. It’s a great idea for a film, if not for real-life.”
In “The Other Way Around,” premiering at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, the couple in question still has a lot of affection for each other.
“It’s a love story, but another kind of love story,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety - Film News
Brazil’s Spcine, the city of São Paulo’s film-tv body, is launching the third edition of its cash rebate program, which prioritizes international projects looking to shoot in the vibrant city and state.
Municipal support for the program has already been renewed, now totalling US$ 3.8 million, while negotiations with the state of São Paulo are still ongoing, said Luiz Toledo, Spcine director of investments and strategic partnerships.
The incentive program, which offers 20%-30% cash rebates to international films and TV shows – whether fiction, non-fiction, Xr or animation – stipulates a minimum investment of $2 million in the territory and a cap per project of $3 million. Additional bonus percentages are provided to projects that embrace diversity.
“We are beginning to reap tangible results since we launched in 2019,” Toledo noted, estimating that São Paulo has attracted an average of 1,000 projects a year – encompassing films, series, ads and video clips – which invested a combined...
Municipal support for the program has already been renewed, now totalling US$ 3.8 million, while negotiations with the state of São Paulo are still ongoing, said Luiz Toledo, Spcine director of investments and strategic partnerships.
The incentive program, which offers 20%-30% cash rebates to international films and TV shows – whether fiction, non-fiction, Xr or animation – stipulates a minimum investment of $2 million in the territory and a cap per project of $3 million. Additional bonus percentages are provided to projects that embrace diversity.
“We are beginning to reap tangible results since we launched in 2019,” Toledo noted, estimating that São Paulo has attracted an average of 1,000 projects a year – encompassing films, series, ads and video clips – which invested a combined...
- 5/18/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety - Film News
Spoiler Alert: The following review contains some spoilers.
Like a rose blooming amid a minefield, it’s a miracle that Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” exists: a south-of-the-border pop opera about a most unlikely metamorphosis and the personal redemption it awakens in a stone-cold criminal.
With a Palme d’Or to his name and the cojones to tackle his third movie in a culture and language that are not his own (after “Dheepan” and “The Sisters Brothers”), the director of “A Prophet” takes audiences into the macho realm of Mexican cartels, where Manitas del Monte — a fearsome drug lord with a silver grill and a voice like gravel — wants out, not because he’s had a crisis of conscience, but because he’s decided to embrace his true self … as a woman.
Pardon me if I’ve mixed up the pronouns there. Audiard’s dazzling and instantly divisive film — which...
Like a rose blooming amid a minefield, it’s a miracle that Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez” exists: a south-of-the-border pop opera about a most unlikely metamorphosis and the personal redemption it awakens in a stone-cold criminal.
With a Palme d’Or to his name and the cojones to tackle his third movie in a culture and language that are not his own (after “Dheepan” and “The Sisters Brothers”), the director of “A Prophet” takes audiences into the macho realm of Mexican cartels, where Manitas del Monte — a fearsome drug lord with a silver grill and a voice like gravel — wants out, not because he’s had a crisis of conscience, but because he’s decided to embrace his true self … as a woman.
Pardon me if I’ve mixed up the pronouns there. Audiard’s dazzling and instantly divisive film — which...
- 5/18/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety - Film News
Nicolas Cage plays the title character of “The Surfer,” but it’s not until the film’s final minute that he climbs onto a surfboard. The movie, while set on a muscle beach in Australia, isn’t about surfing. It’s about male anxiety, male power, male midlife crisis, male rituals of pain and dominance, and how much theater Nicolas Cage can wring out of all of that. “The Surfer” premiered last night at a Cannes midnight show, and that’s smart programming, because it really is a midnight movie — the kind of trippy slapdash comic nightmare where the only way to watch it is to sit back and “go with it.”
Cage makes that easy to do. The film has been designed as a bad-trip psychodrama that’s also a high-camp Nicolas Cage freak-out. I only wish that “The Surfer,” as directed by Lorcan Finnegan and written by Thomas Martin,...
Cage makes that easy to do. The film has been designed as a bad-trip psychodrama that’s also a high-camp Nicolas Cage freak-out. I only wish that “The Surfer,” as directed by Lorcan Finnegan and written by Thomas Martin,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
MK2 Films has acquired worldwide rights, including France, to French filmmaker Claude Lanzmann’s films, including his landmark documentary about the Holocaust, “Shoah,” which is inscribed in Unesco’s Memory of the World register. The deal was signed with Les Films Aleph.
“Shoah,” considered one of the most important works in world cinema, tells the story of the genocide of European Jews by the Nazis during World War II. With a duration of nine and a half hours, it is the result of 12 years of research, giving voice to the protagonists of the concentration camps — survivors, perpetrators and bystanders. It was edited over five years from 230 hours of footage and virtually no archival images. The film, first released in 1985, won two BAFTA awards. It is available in a restored 4K version.
In addition to “Shoah,” the agreement also includes five other films by the French filmmaker and writer: “The Karski Report...
“Shoah,” considered one of the most important works in world cinema, tells the story of the genocide of European Jews by the Nazis during World War II. With a duration of nine and a half hours, it is the result of 12 years of research, giving voice to the protagonists of the concentration camps — survivors, perpetrators and bystanders. It was edited over five years from 230 hours of footage and virtually no archival images. The film, first released in 1985, won two BAFTA awards. It is available in a restored 4K version.
In addition to “Shoah,” the agreement also includes five other films by the French filmmaker and writer: “The Karski Report...
- 5/18/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
The summer box office season mostly continues to underwhelm as writer-director John Krasinski‘s original family film If — starring Ryan Reynolds and featuring an A-list voice cast — is opening well behind prerelease tracking even as it heads for a first-place finish.
After grossing $10.3 million on Friday, the live-action/CGI hybrid is estimating a $31.5 million domestic debut, versus the $40 million start suggested by prerelease tracking. Paramount insiders are hopeful that the forecast will improve on Saturday as parents and kids turn out in force. Also, while critics dissed the film, audiences awarded it an A CinemaScore and strong exits, which are key ingredients needed for word-of-mouth. If is also drawing an ethnically diverse audience, which is another plus.
The bad news: the original film sports a 53 percent Rotten Tomatoes critics score. Outside of Pixar titles — which are animated — it’s hard to find original family fare. Reviewers did commend Krasinski, however,...
After grossing $10.3 million on Friday, the live-action/CGI hybrid is estimating a $31.5 million domestic debut, versus the $40 million start suggested by prerelease tracking. Paramount insiders are hopeful that the forecast will improve on Saturday as parents and kids turn out in force. Also, while critics dissed the film, audiences awarded it an A CinemaScore and strong exits, which are key ingredients needed for word-of-mouth. If is also drawing an ethnically diverse audience, which is another plus.
The bad news: the original film sports a 53 percent Rotten Tomatoes critics score. Outside of Pixar titles — which are animated — it’s hard to find original family fare. Reviewers did commend Krasinski, however,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Baby Reindeer,” the Netflix series that has taken the world by storm since dropping last month, boldly opens with the claim that “This is a true story.”
“Baby Reindeer” is a brutal account of former comedian Richard Gadd’s life in his twenties as he attempted to conquer the world of entertainment. In the process, he is sexually assaulted by a senior figure in the comedy world and harassed by a stalker he met while working in a pub. The woman who claims to be the real stalker, Fiona Harvey, has now said she intends to take legal action against Gadd and possibly Netflix,...
“Baby Reindeer” is a brutal account of former comedian Richard Gadd’s life in his twenties as he attempted to conquer the world of entertainment. In the process, he is sexually assaulted by a senior figure in the comedy world and harassed by a stalker he met while working in a pub. The woman who claims to be the real stalker, Fiona Harvey, has now said she intends to take legal action against Gadd and possibly Netflix,...
- 5/18/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - TV News
Raven Banner Entertainment has launched sales at the Cannes Film Festival’s market on the reboot of Roger Corman’s cult sword and sorcery film series, “Deathstalker,” which is currently shooting in Canada.
Daniel Bernhardt stars as the titular character in this reimagined instalment, directed by Steven Kostanski. Bernhardt plays a barbarian cursed by a magical talisman, leading him into conflict with a malevolent wizard and monstrous assassins.
The original “Deathstalker” films, produced by Corman in the 1980s, followed the success of John Milius’ “Conan the Barbarian.” Kostanski’s reboot focuses on the fantasy setting, utilizing creature suits, prosthetic FX make-up and stop-motion animation from his Action Pants FX shop, which recently completed work on upcoming horror-comedy “Frankie Freako,” which is also being sold by Raven Banner at Cannes.
Ahead of the film, Vault Comics released a new “Deathstalker” comic series, which sold out in under a week. Written by...
Daniel Bernhardt stars as the titular character in this reimagined instalment, directed by Steven Kostanski. Bernhardt plays a barbarian cursed by a magical talisman, leading him into conflict with a malevolent wizard and monstrous assassins.
The original “Deathstalker” films, produced by Corman in the 1980s, followed the success of John Milius’ “Conan the Barbarian.” Kostanski’s reboot focuses on the fantasy setting, utilizing creature suits, prosthetic FX make-up and stop-motion animation from his Action Pants FX shop, which recently completed work on upcoming horror-comedy “Frankie Freako,” which is also being sold by Raven Banner at Cannes.
Ahead of the film, Vault Comics released a new “Deathstalker” comic series, which sold out in under a week. Written by...
- 5/18/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
British actor Janet Montgomery has landed a starring role as a young Faye Dunaway in Jonathan Baker’s supernatural love story “Fate,” a film that is shooting in Vancouver for Baker Entertainment.
The film will toggle between a yesteryear version of the character (Montgomery) and a present-day incarnation (Dunaway), spanning much of the protagonist’s entire lifetime. “Fate” revolves around a firefighter (Brandon Routh) who connects with a stranger from the past Tilly (Montgomery) while he’s healing at a rehabilitation center and is transported through time to find the only thing saving his soul — his realization of true love, according to a producer’s logline.
Highland Film Group is selling rights to the $10 million film, which also stars Harvey Keitel, at the Cannes Marche.
Dunaway is on the ground in Cannes, where HBO screened the much-anticipated biographical documentary “Faye.”
Montgomery was cast out of hundreds of actors vying for the role.
The film will toggle between a yesteryear version of the character (Montgomery) and a present-day incarnation (Dunaway), spanning much of the protagonist’s entire lifetime. “Fate” revolves around a firefighter (Brandon Routh) who connects with a stranger from the past Tilly (Montgomery) while he’s healing at a rehabilitation center and is transported through time to find the only thing saving his soul — his realization of true love, according to a producer’s logline.
Highland Film Group is selling rights to the $10 million film, which also stars Harvey Keitel, at the Cannes Marche.
Dunaway is on the ground in Cannes, where HBO screened the much-anticipated biographical documentary “Faye.”
Montgomery was cast out of hundreds of actors vying for the role.
- 5/18/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety - Film News
A suspect in the Steve Buscemi attacker case was arrested and charged in New York City on Friday, according to the New York Police Department.
Clifton Williams, a 50-year-old houseless man, has been charged with assault in the second degree after he allegedly punched the actor in the face randomly in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of Kips Bay.
On May 8, the NYPD responded to a 911 call of an assault on Third Avenue within the 13th precinct, where a 66-year-old man had been punched and was later transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. He was treated for a minor injury in his left eye.
Police sources told CBS New York that Williams walked into the 10th precinct in the Chelsea neighborhood on May 13 to report that his property had been stolen on the Friday prior. The officers who took his ID recognized him and arrested him for Buscemi’s attack.
Clifton Williams, a 50-year-old houseless man, has been charged with assault in the second degree after he allegedly punched the actor in the face randomly in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of Kips Bay.
On May 8, the NYPD responded to a 911 call of an assault on Third Avenue within the 13th precinct, where a 66-year-old man had been punched and was later transported to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. He was treated for a minor injury in his left eye.
Police sources told CBS New York that Williams walked into the 10th precinct in the Chelsea neighborhood on May 13 to report that his property had been stolen on the Friday prior. The officers who took his ID recognized him and arrested him for Buscemi’s attack.
- 5/18/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paramount’s family comedy “If” is leading domestic charts in its opening after earning $10.3 million from 4,041 locations across Friday and preview screenings. But the John Krasinski-directed fantasy feature has decidedly fallen behind its projections heading into the weekend, which had originally forecast a debut around $40 million. The film is now looking to finish closer to $31.5 million.
It’s a marked underperformance for the PG-rated family film, which sports a substantial $110 million production budget. Reviews have been mediocre, but the public’s sentiment is much more positive with audience survey firm Cinema Score turning in a glowing “A” grade from the first group of ticket buyers. That seal of approval could mark some salvation for “If,” which will have to keep drawing in families as schools let out for summer to justify its price tag. Paramount will face competition for younger viewers when Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” hits theaters next weekend though.
It’s a marked underperformance for the PG-rated family film, which sports a substantial $110 million production budget. Reviews have been mediocre, but the public’s sentiment is much more positive with audience survey firm Cinema Score turning in a glowing “A” grade from the first group of ticket buyers. That seal of approval could mark some salvation for “If,” which will have to keep drawing in families as schools let out for summer to justify its price tag. Paramount will face competition for younger viewers when Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” hits theaters next weekend though.
- 5/18/2024
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety - Film News
There’s no point in hiring Nicolas Cage if you’re not going to let him rip with a wackadoodle, Ott performance, and he duly delivers in the sly psychological thriller The Surfer. Calibrating his character’s descent into mental and physical disarray so that it happens by evenly distributed degrees, Cage is in only moderately demented form overall here. That suits director Lorcan Finnegan (Without Name, Vivarium) and screenwriter Thomas Martin’s ambitions to call back to and yet also spoof vintage Australian New Wave films like Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout (1971), dreamtime stories about alienated outsiders.
Toxic masculinity, the Big Bad de nos jours, also seems to be on their mind although the performances and cinematic quirks (zooms, jump cuts, all that jazz) are so hammy and gestural there’s nothing subtle about the critique. But that’s what makes it fun.
Unfolding largely on a beach and its...
Toxic masculinity, the Big Bad de nos jours, also seems to be on their mind although the performances and cinematic quirks (zooms, jump cuts, all that jazz) are so hammy and gestural there’s nothing subtle about the critique. But that’s what makes it fun.
Unfolding largely on a beach and its...
- 5/18/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Chinese title of Jia Zhangke’s mesmerizing “Caught by the Tides,” a masterfully poetic and pioneering fusion of the old and the new, can be translated in several ways. Jia himself suggests “The Drifting Generation,” but it can also mean “The Romantic Generation” with the etymology of “romantic” lying in the Chinese words for wind and current. The restless motion of the natural world is certainly captured in the English title’s reference to an ocean’s ebb and flow. But what that version cannot adequately convey is the airiness and the yearning that Jia whips in to “Caught by the Tides” — quite miraculously considering he is largely working with repurposed footage from across the last 23 years of his justly celebrated career.
Loosely speaking a love story, “Tides” is also perhaps the most definitive national portrait that Jia, modern China’s foremost cinematic chronicler, has ever delivered. This is...
Loosely speaking a love story, “Tides” is also perhaps the most definitive national portrait that Jia, modern China’s foremost cinematic chronicler, has ever delivered. This is...
- 5/18/2024
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety - Film News
The entrance to the Palais in Cannes was closed briefly Saturday afternoon after a bomb scare due to a “suspicious” item.
The Cannes press office confirmed that there was a suspicious package found on the street but not inside the Palais.
Police officers shut down part of the Croisette, the street that runs in front of the Palais, and prevented pedestrians from crossing in either direction. A specialist police unit was observed inspecting a rucksack in the middle of the crosswalk. Both La Croisette and the Palais entrance were reopened at 3.10 p.m. local time.
“There was something they thought was a bomb, but there was no bomb,” a woman manning the Information Desk at the Marche told Variety. “They closed the street when I was going to lunch, but then I heard it’s open again by the time I came back.”
Another woman working for the festival’s security office said,...
The Cannes press office confirmed that there was a suspicious package found on the street but not inside the Palais.
Police officers shut down part of the Croisette, the street that runs in front of the Palais, and prevented pedestrians from crossing in either direction. A specialist police unit was observed inspecting a rucksack in the middle of the crosswalk. Both La Croisette and the Palais entrance were reopened at 3.10 p.m. local time.
“There was something they thought was a bomb, but there was no bomb,” a woman manning the Information Desk at the Marche told Variety. “They closed the street when I was going to lunch, but then I heard it’s open again by the time I came back.”
Another woman working for the festival’s security office said,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Leo Barraclough, Tatiana Siegel and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
A day after his latest film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Yorgos Lanthimos’ new film has been announced. The director will helm Bugonia, starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, who lead his latest movie Kinds of Kindness.
The script from Will Tracy follows two conspiracy-obsessed men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
Bugonia has been picked up by Focus Features for the U.S., with Universal Pictures distributing internationally. This sees Lanthimos leaving his recent home of Searchlight, which has released many of his films, including the Oscar winners Poor Things and The Favourtie as well as the upcoming Kinds of Kindness.
Bugonia is based on the 2003 South Korean sci-fi comedy, Save the Green Planet, with the English-language version developed by Miky Lee’s Cj Enm with Midsommar director Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen at Square Peg.
The script from Will Tracy follows two conspiracy-obsessed men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth.
Bugonia has been picked up by Focus Features for the U.S., with Universal Pictures distributing internationally. This sees Lanthimos leaving his recent home of Searchlight, which has released many of his films, including the Oscar winners Poor Things and The Favourtie as well as the upcoming Kinds of Kindness.
Bugonia is based on the 2003 South Korean sci-fi comedy, Save the Green Planet, with the English-language version developed by Miky Lee’s Cj Enm with Midsommar director Ari Aster and Lars Knudsen at Square Peg.
- 5/18/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Yorgos Lanthimos can’t stop (won’t stop!) working with Oscar winner Emma Stone, casting the actress once again as leading lady for his next project “Bugonia.”
The drama will also star Jesse Plemons who, along with Stone, appears in Lanthimos’ forthcoming “Kinds of Kindness.” That three-chapter feature just premiered on Friday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“Bugonia” follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. The script is from heat-seeking “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy.
Focus Features has won domestic rights to distribute the project. Universal Pictures will roll out the film in global territories, save Korea where “Parasite” producer Cj Enm will release. The latter is financing the film with Fremantle. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the rights deal.
This package is loaded with pedigree.
The drama will also star Jesse Plemons who, along with Stone, appears in Lanthimos’ forthcoming “Kinds of Kindness.” That three-chapter feature just premiered on Friday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“Bugonia” follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. The script is from heat-seeking “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy.
Focus Features has won domestic rights to distribute the project. Universal Pictures will roll out the film in global territories, save Korea where “Parasite” producer Cj Enm will release. The latter is financing the film with Fremantle. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the rights deal.
This package is loaded with pedigree.
- 5/18/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety - Film News
Universal chairman Donna Langley oversaw a record year for the studio last year, finishing No. 1 at the box office and closing out awards season with seven Oscars including best picture for Christopher Nolan’s billion dollar grosser Oppenheimer. Even with that level of success, Langley prefers to have “healthy competitors” around her in Hollywood because it’s “just better for the business.”
Which is why she says it’s “sad” to see the state of the industry right now with a potential sale of Paramount Pictures looming and continued challenges facing the theatrical marketplace. “Consolidation is inevitable,” Langley told Variety co-editor in chief Ramin Setoodeh on Saturday afternoon in Cannes during a special Women in Motion conversation presented by Kering. The luxury group is honoring Langley on Sunday evening at its Women in Motion Awards for her recent run. “I’m not suggesting it’s Paramount but there’ll just be further consolidation.
Which is why she says it’s “sad” to see the state of the industry right now with a potential sale of Paramount Pictures looming and continued challenges facing the theatrical marketplace. “Consolidation is inevitable,” Langley told Variety co-editor in chief Ramin Setoodeh on Saturday afternoon in Cannes during a special Women in Motion conversation presented by Kering. The luxury group is honoring Langley on Sunday evening at its Women in Motion Awards for her recent run. “I’m not suggesting it’s Paramount but there’ll just be further consolidation.
- 5/18/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paramount Global may be a direct competitor, but NBCUniversal Studio group chairman and chief content officer Donna Langley will be disappointed if the media giant goes away.
“It’s sad,” Langley said at the Kering Women in Motion talk at the Cannes Film Festival, noting that a sale of Paramount means there will be fewer Hollywood studios. “These companies have been great and I’m a big believer in this competitive landscape — kind of ‘all boats will rise. There’s enough to go around.’ I like having healthy competitors; it’s much more fun and interesting and it’s just best for the business.”
Paramount has been entertaining offers in recent months, with companies like Skydance and Sony circling the studio. Langley is hopeful that the deal will be finished by the end of the year. “It’s enough already reading about this,” she said. “No one really knows what’s happening.
“It’s sad,” Langley said at the Kering Women in Motion talk at the Cannes Film Festival, noting that a sale of Paramount means there will be fewer Hollywood studios. “These companies have been great and I’m a big believer in this competitive landscape — kind of ‘all boats will rise. There’s enough to go around.’ I like having healthy competitors; it’s much more fun and interesting and it’s just best for the business.”
Paramount has been entertaining offers in recent months, with companies like Skydance and Sony circling the studio. Langley is hopeful that the deal will be finished by the end of the year. “It’s enough already reading about this,” she said. “No one really knows what’s happening.
- 5/18/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
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