While studio execs devise strategies to push Pixar toward the relative safety of mass appeal, one of the linchpins of the company seems to have whooshed in to save the day, at least for Toy Story 5.
Toy Story 4 (2019) (Credit: Disney+)
The fifth installment in the comedy-adventure film series is currently in the budding stage of development with both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen expected to reprise the iconic duo of Woody and Buzz Lightyear. And Pixar Cco has reportedly confirmed that a widely celebrated director will be taking the reins for the upcoming film.
Longtime Pixar Director to Helm Toy Story 5
According to The MontyVerse, Pixar’s Pete Docter – during a screening of Inside Out 2 – confirmed that filmmaker and voice actor Andrew Stanton will be directing the much-anticipated Toy Story 5, albeit, no official announcements have been made yet.
Stanton, 58, has been an indispensable part of...
Toy Story 4 (2019) (Credit: Disney+)
The fifth installment in the comedy-adventure film series is currently in the budding stage of development with both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen expected to reprise the iconic duo of Woody and Buzz Lightyear. And Pixar Cco has reportedly confirmed that a widely celebrated director will be taking the reins for the upcoming film.
Longtime Pixar Director to Helm Toy Story 5
According to The MontyVerse, Pixar’s Pete Docter – during a screening of Inside Out 2 – confirmed that filmmaker and voice actor Andrew Stanton will be directing the much-anticipated Toy Story 5, albeit, no official announcements have been made yet.
Stanton, 58, has been an indispensable part of...
- 6/9/2024
- by Khushi Shah
- FandomWire
As an individual entity, Pixar Animation Studios is busy handcrafting films that touch people’s hearts. As a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, however, Pixar seems to be grasping at straws, which is why the former is aiming to resort back to the financially safer choice of crowd-pullers.
The Incredibles (Credit: Pixar Animation Studios)
Looking at the way some of Pixar’s most brilliant creations were brought to life, though – case in point: The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), and Luca (2021) to name a few – the prospect of giving into the lure of mass appeal might just be unacceptable.
The Predicament of Pixar Animation Studios
A multitude of films that turned into childhood treasures across the globe encompass creation after creation by Pixar. But the studio accredited with weaving beautiful stories into animated knockouts like Wall-e (2008) and Up (2009) appears to be floundering at the box office.
One such case is that of Peter Sohn...
The Incredibles (Credit: Pixar Animation Studios)
Looking at the way some of Pixar’s most brilliant creations were brought to life, though – case in point: The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), and Luca (2021) to name a few – the prospect of giving into the lure of mass appeal might just be unacceptable.
The Predicament of Pixar Animation Studios
A multitude of films that turned into childhood treasures across the globe encompass creation after creation by Pixar. But the studio accredited with weaving beautiful stories into animated knockouts like Wall-e (2008) and Up (2009) appears to be floundering at the box office.
One such case is that of Peter Sohn...
- 6/3/2024
- by Khushi Shah
- FandomWire
Pixar has continuously crafted some of the most beloved and groundbreaking animated films. Every fan has their personal favorite, but some titles have stood the test of time and critical acclaim, elevating them to legendary status. The Magnificence of Wall·E Anyone revisiting Wall·E cannot deny its emotional impact and stunning narrative. Reflecting on the film, a viewer noted,If there was ever a film to call ‘wonderful’ it’s this one. The Emotional Journey in Up Up, with its heart-wrenching beginning, dives deep into the themes of love and loss. A fan theory vividly reinforces this emotional depth:What if I told you...
- 5/29/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
One of George Miller's films, "Lorenzo's Oil," opens with an epigram reading as follows: "Life has meaning only in the struggle. Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods ... so let us celebrate the struggle!" Celebrating the struggle may seem paradoxical in life or in cinema, but that concept runs through just about every one of Miller's films, created over the course of four decades. From post-apocalyptic action fantasies to deliriously twisted family fare, Miller has never been too boxed in with the films he's made. Through his filmography, George Miller has done everything from introducing one of cinema's biggest action stars to depicting a sea of penguins dancing to pop music. As weird as those extremes may be, it somehow all makes sense. With the arrival of Miller's latest entry in the "Mad Max" franchise, "Furiosa," in theaters now, let's rank all of Miller's films.
Read...
Read...
- 5/25/2024
- by Josh Spiegel
- Slash Film
Cailey Fleming in IFImage: Paramount Pictures
Children’s films are always positioned to memorialize the imaginative worlds in our heads, acting as shrines to those places that shrink as real life constricts us, growing more abrasive and demanding. On the surface, writer/director John Krasinski’s If is destined to...
Children’s films are always positioned to memorialize the imaginative worlds in our heads, acting as shrines to those places that shrink as real life constricts us, growing more abrasive and demanding. On the surface, writer/director John Krasinski’s If is destined to...
- 5/16/2024
- by Anna McKibbin
- avclub.com
Someone loves “Love Me.” The indie romance starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun that made its premiere in competition at this year’s Sundance Film Festival will be released theatrically in the U.S. by Bleecker Street and ShivHans Pictures. The film will open in theaters in 2025.
“Love Me” from directors Sam and Andy Zuchero is the story of a buoy and a satellite who meet online long after humanity’s extinction. Stewart and Yeun play human manifestations of the two animatronic lovers who have evolved after billions of years of love and romance. The film explores what it means to be alive and be in love all as they learn about what life was like on Earth before humanity’s extinction.
Bleecker is co-distributing “Love Me” alongside ShivHans, which also produced the film. Both entities have financial skin in the game in terms of handling its theatrical release strategy.
“Love Me” from directors Sam and Andy Zuchero is the story of a buoy and a satellite who meet online long after humanity’s extinction. Stewart and Yeun play human manifestations of the two animatronic lovers who have evolved after billions of years of love and romance. The film explores what it means to be alive and be in love all as they learn about what life was like on Earth before humanity’s extinction.
Bleecker is co-distributing “Love Me” alongside ShivHans, which also produced the film. Both entities have financial skin in the game in terms of handling its theatrical release strategy.
- 5/14/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Natalie Portman has joined the voice cast for French director Ugo Bienvenu’s upcoming animated feature Arco about a boy who uses rainbows to travel through time and his adventures as he gets stuck in the wrong era.
Portman is also producing with Sophie Mas under their joint Paris and New York banner MountainA with Félix de Givry at Paris-based Remembers.
Taking its cue from the fantasy premise that rainbows are time machines, the movie revolves around 10 year old rainbow-child Arco, who lives in the distant future, 2932.
His maiden journey in his multi-colored suit does not go to plan. He loses control and veers off course to land in a near future, 2075, where Iris, a girl the same age as Arco, witnesses his fall and then makes it her mission to get him home.
Arco
Arco is the first feature for Bienvenu after short films Maman and L’entretien and comic books.
Portman is also producing with Sophie Mas under their joint Paris and New York banner MountainA with Félix de Givry at Paris-based Remembers.
Taking its cue from the fantasy premise that rainbows are time machines, the movie revolves around 10 year old rainbow-child Arco, who lives in the distant future, 2932.
His maiden journey in his multi-colored suit does not go to plan. He loses control and veers off course to land in a near future, 2075, where Iris, a girl the same age as Arco, witnesses his fall and then makes it her mission to get him home.
Arco
Arco is the first feature for Bienvenu after short films Maman and L’entretien and comic books.
- 5/13/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Mandalorian & Grogu: Next Star Wars Film Adds Alien & Avatar Star Sigourney Weaver In Major Role
Some exciting Star Wars news this morning as The Mandalorian & Grogu has cast its first major supporting role.
As per The InSneider newsletter (and confirmed by multiple trades), 3x Academy Award-nominee Sigourney Weaver has joined the cast of Disney and Lucasfilm's next Star Wars film, which is expected to begin production at the tailend of this year.
The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau (Iron Man; Iron Man 2; The Lion King) will helm and produce the upcoming feature, with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni also serving as producers.
Weaver will join a cast headlined by series leading man Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones; The Last of Us; Wonder Woman 1984), who is expected to reprise his role as Din Djarin for the film. However, the extent of his involvement is yet-to-be-determined as the 3x Primetime Emmy-nominated actor also has Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four, where he plays Reed Richards,...
As per The InSneider newsletter (and confirmed by multiple trades), 3x Academy Award-nominee Sigourney Weaver has joined the cast of Disney and Lucasfilm's next Star Wars film, which is expected to begin production at the tailend of this year.
The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau (Iron Man; Iron Man 2; The Lion King) will helm and produce the upcoming feature, with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy and Lucasfilm chief creative officer Dave Filoni also serving as producers.
Weaver will join a cast headlined by series leading man Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones; The Last of Us; Wonder Woman 1984), who is expected to reprise his role as Din Djarin for the film. However, the extent of his involvement is yet-to-be-determined as the 3x Primetime Emmy-nominated actor also has Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four, where he plays Reed Richards,...
- 5/11/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Throughout the years of its existence, Pixar has repeatedly proven that its films are not only for children — with all the deep philosophical narratives and some truly heartbreaking scenes the studio’s franchises have also become favorites among the grown-ups.
And though Wall-e or Up are usually considered the saddest stories that Pixar has ever created, there’s another particular character’s storyline which sounds even more devastating — until it comes to a fan’s viral theory.
The Inside Out’s plot follows 11-year-old Riley whose inner feelings are controlled by cartoon-ish images of Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust.
When Sadness accidentally brings Riley’s core memories to the light and she and Joy are driven out of the emotions’ headquarters to right the wrong, they meet Riley’s imaginary friend Bing Bong — a peculiar mix of a cat, an elephant and a dolphin made of cotton candy.
Bing...
And though Wall-e or Up are usually considered the saddest stories that Pixar has ever created, there’s another particular character’s storyline which sounds even more devastating — until it comes to a fan’s viral theory.
The Inside Out’s plot follows 11-year-old Riley whose inner feelings are controlled by cartoon-ish images of Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust.
When Sadness accidentally brings Riley’s core memories to the light and she and Joy are driven out of the emotions’ headquarters to right the wrong, they meet Riley’s imaginary friend Bing Bong — a peculiar mix of a cat, an elephant and a dolphin made of cotton candy.
Bing...
- 5/4/2024
- by benjamin-patel@startefacts.com (Benjamin Patel)
- STartefacts.com
Pixar has given the world some of the most successful animated films of all time. Near the top of the list is 2009’s Up. One of the most iconic parts of the movie is the main character’s house, which is able to fly up into the air thanks to thousands of helium balloons tied to the roof.
Fans love recreations of their favorite things from movies in the real world. But this time, things might have gone a bit too far. Airbnb is offering customers the chance to stay in a recreation of the house from Up, complete with being lifted into the air via crane. But the edifice is generating doubts as many potential customers appear to view the whole thing as too risky.
Carl’s Floating House From Up A still from the movie Up
Up tells the story of an elderly retiree named Carl. The death...
Fans love recreations of their favorite things from movies in the real world. But this time, things might have gone a bit too far. Airbnb is offering customers the chance to stay in a recreation of the house from Up, complete with being lifted into the air via crane. But the edifice is generating doubts as many potential customers appear to view the whole thing as too risky.
Carl’s Floating House From Up A still from the movie Up
Up tells the story of an elderly retiree named Carl. The death...
- 5/2/2024
- by Neeraj Chand
- FandomWire
Summertime is the best time to transport yourself into a nostalgic world, as Freeform celebrates 30 Days of Disney with legendary Disney films starting June 1. Viewers can relive their childhood with films from the full Disney catalog, including Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out, National Treasure, Avatar, Spider-Man (2002), and many more.
The programming event will also feature the world television premiere of Disney-Pixar’s animated film Lightyear. Other Freeform premieres include Disney-Pixar’s Soul and Disney Animation’s Fantasia (1940 and 2000).
Throughout each week in June, fans can reminisce with special summer marathons that will stir up fond memories and reconnect them with the films they cherish.
During the first weekend of June, you can check out your Disney “faves” with classic films like Disney Animation’s Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid (1989). During the second weekend, check out your Pixar faves with movies like Inside Out, Coco, and Cars.
Celebrate...
The programming event will also feature the world television premiere of Disney-Pixar’s animated film Lightyear. Other Freeform premieres include Disney-Pixar’s Soul and Disney Animation’s Fantasia (1940 and 2000).
Throughout each week in June, fans can reminisce with special summer marathons that will stir up fond memories and reconnect them with the films they cherish.
During the first weekend of June, you can check out your Disney “faves” with classic films like Disney Animation’s Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid (1989). During the second weekend, check out your Pixar faves with movies like Inside Out, Coco, and Cars.
Celebrate...
- 5/1/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
John Carter and Wall-e director Andrew Stanton is working on a fascinating new sci-fi film. If In The Blink Of An Eye sticks to the script, we could be in for something special.
His career stretching back to the late 1980s, Andrew Stanton is best known for his animated work at Pixar, whether it’s as writer (1995’s ground-breaking Toy Story) or writer-director.
As a live-action filmmaker, he’s probably almost as well known for 2012’s John Carter, a hugely expensive sci-fi adventure based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess Of Mars. One of those films that seemed to have vultures circling it before it was even released, John Carter was ultimately a box office misfire.
In the wake of it, Stanton kept himself busy with animated projects at Disney and Pixar, but has also found time to write or direct the odd TV episode, including instalments of Stranger Things,...
His career stretching back to the late 1980s, Andrew Stanton is best known for his animated work at Pixar, whether it’s as writer (1995’s ground-breaking Toy Story) or writer-director.
As a live-action filmmaker, he’s probably almost as well known for 2012’s John Carter, a hugely expensive sci-fi adventure based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess Of Mars. One of those films that seemed to have vultures circling it before it was even released, John Carter was ultimately a box office misfire.
In the wake of it, Stanton kept himself busy with animated projects at Disney and Pixar, but has also found time to write or direct the odd TV episode, including instalments of Stranger Things,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
The essence of Netflix’s apocalyptic sci-fi series “3 Body Problem” is contained within the immersive VR game engineered by the San-Ti aliens. Using a headset, the VR game transports the player from China’s Shang Dynasty to Tudor England to Kubla Khan’s Xanadu, recreating the chaotic destruction of the alien planet as a result of living in an unstable three-star solar system.
In adapting Liu Cixin’s acclaimed novel, showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (“Game of Thrones”) and Alexander Woo made the VR game the VFX centerpiece early on, particularly for Episode 3 (“Destroyer of Worlds”), directed by Pixar’s Andrew Stanton (“Wall-e”). Here cosmologist Jin (Jess Hong) and entrepreneur Jack (John Bradley) stand on the observation deck of the Kubla Khan Pleasure Dome and witness 30 million people getting sucked up into the sun because of reverse gravity. It’s a trippy CG effect from Scanline.
“I...
In adapting Liu Cixin’s acclaimed novel, showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (“Game of Thrones”) and Alexander Woo made the VR game the VFX centerpiece early on, particularly for Episode 3 (“Destroyer of Worlds”), directed by Pixar’s Andrew Stanton (“Wall-e”). Here cosmologist Jin (Jess Hong) and entrepreneur Jack (John Bradley) stand on the observation deck of the Kubla Khan Pleasure Dome and witness 30 million people getting sucked up into the sun because of reverse gravity. It’s a trippy CG effect from Scanline.
“I...
- 3/29/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Toy Story is a classic. Whether you love it or hate it, this film put Pixar on the map. The animated studio continued to up the ante with excellent movies such as Monsters Inc., The Incredibles, or Wall-e, but the original Toy Story remains their best. Somehow, a film about the misadventures of talking toys managed to tug at the heartstrings of both kids and adults. The journey of Woody and Buzz represents the magic that films have on society. They’re supposed to be an escape from the everyday drudgery of our world. Plus, it taps into our imaginations and
The post Why Toy Story Remains An Influential Pixar Film first appeared on TVovermind.
The post Why Toy Story Remains An Influential Pixar Film first appeared on TVovermind.
- 3/20/2024
- by Jeffrey Bowie Jr.
- TVovermind.com
Life is about to become pure chaos thanks to every teen’s dreaded emotion: anxiety. (It’s pretty bad for grownups too.)
Maya Hawke joins Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” as Anxiety, the new voice inside tween Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) head. Join the club. Just as Riley is set to start high school, feelings of Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) join in. Actors Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, and Liza Lapira play Riley’s preexisting feelings of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. It’s getting crowded in there….
Lilimar, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, and Grace Lu voice Riley’s friends, while Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan return as her parents. Yvette Nicole Brown voices Coach Roberts, who heads up a summer hockey camp. Additional voice actors include Paula Pell, Sarayu Blue, Flea, Ron Funches, Dave Goelz, James Austin Johnson, Bobby Moynihan,...
Maya Hawke joins Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” as Anxiety, the new voice inside tween Riley’s (Kensington Tallman) head. Join the club. Just as Riley is set to start high school, feelings of Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) join in. Actors Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, and Liza Lapira play Riley’s preexisting feelings of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. It’s getting crowded in there….
Lilimar, Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, and Grace Lu voice Riley’s friends, while Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan return as her parents. Yvette Nicole Brown voices Coach Roberts, who heads up a summer hockey camp. Additional voice actors include Paula Pell, Sarayu Blue, Flea, Ron Funches, Dave Goelz, James Austin Johnson, Bobby Moynihan,...
- 3/7/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Man, humans are the worst. There's probably a good reason why we keep gravitating towards stories and myths that explore what life would be like with minimal involvement by us pesky people -- or even go so far as to remove us from the equation altogether. Animated classics like "The Iron Giant" and "Wall-e" took the basic ideas of robots attempting to understand the natural world and spun those respective concerns into two of the very best movies of the last 25 years. Now, "The Wild Robot" looks set to tackle very similar concerns in what sure looks like another win for the medium of animation.
Listed among /Film's most anticipated movies of 2024, the Dreamworks and Universal movie comes from Chris Sanders, the writer/director behind "How To Train Your Dragon," "The Croods," and "Lilo & Stitch." It doesn't seem like much of a coincidence that all of these lean heavily...
Listed among /Film's most anticipated movies of 2024, the Dreamworks and Universal movie comes from Chris Sanders, the writer/director behind "How To Train Your Dragon," "The Croods," and "Lilo & Stitch." It doesn't seem like much of a coincidence that all of these lean heavily...
- 3/5/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
February may be over, but Freevee is far from done! Despite rumors Amazon would be shutting the door on its free streamer, the service will instead open the gates to 15 new Fast channels and plenty of new titles this coming month, including 2020’s psychological thriller “The Invisible Man,” the heist comedy “Ocean's 8,” and more.
Check out The Streamable’s top picks for what to watch on Freevee in March, and continue below to see all the titles and channels getting added to the streamer in March!
Watch Now Free amazonfreevee.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Freevee in March 2024? “Emma” | Friday, March 1
Anya Taylor-Joy stars as the restless Emma Woodhouse, a wealthy and elegant young woman without rivals living with her father in Regency-era England who entertains herself by meddling in the romantic lives of those closest to her as an amateur matchmaker. The film,...
Check out The Streamable’s top picks for what to watch on Freevee in March, and continue below to see all the titles and channels getting added to the streamer in March!
Watch Now Free amazonfreevee.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Freevee in March 2024? “Emma” | Friday, March 1
Anya Taylor-Joy stars as the restless Emma Woodhouse, a wealthy and elegant young woman without rivals living with her father in Regency-era England who entertains herself by meddling in the romantic lives of those closest to her as an amateur matchmaker. The film,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Here at IndieWire, you’ll have to pry physical media from our cold, dead hands. But we alone cannot save an industry — especially one that Netflix, Best Buy, and now Disney have checked out of.
Last year, Netflix finally stopped shipping those iconic red envelopes out; earlier this year, Best Buy disassembled its DVD and Blu-ray racks. And now Disney is taking a similar hike to a land far, far away from physical media.
Disney is in the process of transitioning its physical home entertainment business to a licensing model, an individual with knowledge of the decision told IndieWire. The studio will start with a licensing agreement with Sony, which will see Sony handle marketing, selling, and distributing physical media of any new Disney releases and older catalog titles to consumers via retailers and distributors in the U.S. and Canada.
Don’t panic and think this means no more...
Last year, Netflix finally stopped shipping those iconic red envelopes out; earlier this year, Best Buy disassembled its DVD and Blu-ray racks. And now Disney is taking a similar hike to a land far, far away from physical media.
Disney is in the process of transitioning its physical home entertainment business to a licensing model, an individual with knowledge of the decision told IndieWire. The studio will start with a licensing agreement with Sony, which will see Sony handle marketing, selling, and distributing physical media of any new Disney releases and older catalog titles to consumers via retailers and distributors in the U.S. and Canada.
Don’t panic and think this means no more...
- 2/20/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Released in 20008, Wall-e is a fun animated adventure with awesome computer-generated graphics. It teaches us important lessons about commercialism and how global waste can harm our planet.
Wall-e
Though Wall-e is a family film, a fan theory says there’s a deeper (and unnoticed) meaning behind this Disney’s film. They think Wall-e might symbolize Satan. This discovery came after 16 years of the movie release which has sparked discussions among fans about what the film really means.
Suggested“The movie itself needs to go”: Jurassic World Faces Major Setback as Director David Leitch Abandons Project Within Days of Announcement in Surprise Move
A Fan Made Surprising Interpretation, Claiming Wall-e Represents Satan
Wall-e in a still from the titular movie
Wall-e is super cute and loveable, definitely one of Pixar’s best characters. He’s like a kid, always curious and exploring. The movie shows him as innocent, sweet, and kind of naive.
Wall-e
Though Wall-e is a family film, a fan theory says there’s a deeper (and unnoticed) meaning behind this Disney’s film. They think Wall-e might symbolize Satan. This discovery came after 16 years of the movie release which has sparked discussions among fans about what the film really means.
Suggested“The movie itself needs to go”: Jurassic World Faces Major Setback as Director David Leitch Abandons Project Within Days of Announcement in Surprise Move
A Fan Made Surprising Interpretation, Claiming Wall-e Represents Satan
Wall-e in a still from the titular movie
Wall-e is super cute and loveable, definitely one of Pixar’s best characters. He’s like a kid, always curious and exploring. The movie shows him as innocent, sweet, and kind of naive.
- 2/17/2024
- by Shreya Jha
- FandomWire
Now that the 2024 Oscar nominations have been announced, and the voting window for eventual winners is around the corner, awards season has kicked into high gear.
Moviegoers had a lot of thoughts, feelings, opinions, and reactions to this year’s nominations, including how Greta Gerwig wasn’t nominated in the Best Director category despite Barbie being a bona fide cultural phenomenon, the highest-grossing movie of the year ($1.4 billion worldwide), and receiving eight other nominations, including Best Picture. Now, members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will gear...
Moviegoers had a lot of thoughts, feelings, opinions, and reactions to this year’s nominations, including how Greta Gerwig wasn’t nominated in the Best Director category despite Barbie being a bona fide cultural phenomenon, the highest-grossing movie of the year ($1.4 billion worldwide), and receiving eight other nominations, including Best Picture. Now, members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will gear...
- 2/6/2024
- by Marlow Stern and Krystie Lee Yandoli
- Rollingstone.com
"You're just a machine, you don't understand." Check out this new sci-fi short film titled Webcam that is now streaming on the YouTube channel Dust for everyone to enjoy. Webcam is a short film co-written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Nick Delgado, aka Nicolás Delgado de la Cámara, who graduated from USC in LA after moving from Madrid. The short is about a man living alone in a post-apocalyptic future with his A.I. drone robot friend. After a devastating natural disaster, James Mann is the last man on Earth. Trapped in a bunker, his only companion is WebCam, a very loyal camera robot. James is broken, alone, and ready to give up... until WebCam receives a mysterious transmission that will change their world forever. This stars Drew van Acker as James, along with the model Dichen Lachman. It's an entertaining little apocalyptic story of survival, clearly inspired by Pixar's brilliant Wall-e,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
As Sundance deals slowly start to pile up, one U.S. Dramatic Competition title still searching for distribution is Sam and Andy Zuchero’s “Love Me.”
Starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun in both voice and live-action form, the sci-fi romance centers on a satellite and an ocean-bound buoy who become increasingly sentient and fall in love over the course of billions of years. Sam and Andy, for their feature debut, constructed an actual satellite and buoy to scale before the film morphs into “The Sims”-style animation using motion capture with the actors who, finally, performed as their real selves, unadorned by technology, on a soundstage. This earnest and innovative love story — which in part tells a hopeful story of artificial intelligence at a cultural moment where it feels very much like an existential threat — should find an appreciative audience, especially given the compelling chemistry of the leads. The...
Starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun in both voice and live-action form, the sci-fi romance centers on a satellite and an ocean-bound buoy who become increasingly sentient and fall in love over the course of billions of years. Sam and Andy, for their feature debut, constructed an actual satellite and buoy to scale before the film morphs into “The Sims”-style animation using motion capture with the actors who, finally, performed as their real selves, unadorned by technology, on a soundstage. This earnest and innovative love story — which in part tells a hopeful story of artificial intelligence at a cultural moment where it feels very much like an existential threat — should find an appreciative audience, especially given the compelling chemistry of the leads. The...
- 1/27/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
A cosmic love story that takes place over 13.7 billion years about a floating buoy and a satellite circling the earth, Love Me might best be described as a domestic drama in lockdown. The light, thoughtful, and occasionally repetitive debut feature from Sam and Andy Zuchero takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have gone extinct. All that remains––that we know of––are two machines bobbing and floating with A.I. operating systems and a virtual database of Internet archives spanning all of human history. Without the opportunity for social interaction and physical contact, the pair tries the best it can to establish some sort of connection––to determine what that might even look and sound like.
The premise recalls a common thought experiment: if aliens could only understand humanity through social media, how would they think about us? Would they believe that the facile, oft-scripted content plaguing Instagram...
The premise recalls a common thought experiment: if aliens could only understand humanity through social media, how would they think about us? Would they believe that the facile, oft-scripted content plaguing Instagram...
- 1/22/2024
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
On the most literal level, deceptively busy Sundance novelty “Love Me” is about the relationship between a buoy adrift at sea and a satellite circling the earth. Sam and Andy Zuchero’s eccentric cosmic rom-com takes place in a time after humans have gone extinct, when the surviving machines’ only references are a massive hard drive’s worth of data combed from search engines and social media sites. Audiences can root for the two devices, or they may plunge as deep as they want into this most unconventional of love stories, projecting themselves onto AI characters embodied (in various forms) by Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun.
Beautiful and complicated, those two stars make a most enticing screen couple, even if they’re just playing idealized avatars for a pair of robots. The Zucheros’ creation is audacious and original, but also suffers from some of the same Adhd issues that afflicted...
Beautiful and complicated, those two stars make a most enticing screen couple, even if they’re just playing idealized avatars for a pair of robots. The Zucheros’ creation is audacious and original, but also suffers from some of the same Adhd issues that afflicted...
- 1/20/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Nobody knows awards better than the experts, editors and users at Gold Derby, so we launched our own prizes for film in 2002 and for TV in 2004. Vote for your favorites in 22 categories for the Gold Derby Film Awards Nominations 2024. You can rank your top three choices in almost every category except for Best Picture, for which you can vote for five choices. Vote by clicking on a category above. Below: Grab contenders one by one from the left column and add them to the right column by clicking on the green + symbol. Arrange in the order you choose to vote (#1 is your top choice). Grab each entry and move it up or down. (Illustrated instructions are at the bottom of this post.) You have until the end of January 14 to make or change your final selections.
SEE2023 Gold Derby Film Awards ceremony: Watch 20 exciting acceptance speeches by Michelle Yeoh,...
SEE2023 Gold Derby Film Awards ceremony: Watch 20 exciting acceptance speeches by Michelle Yeoh,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association is announcing winners for the best films and performances of 2023.
After Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” won the National Board of Review and New York Film Critics Awards for best film, all eyes are on the California journalists to see if they will opt for something else or continue the lovefest for one of cinema’s most adored auteurs.
Last year, the West Coast organization had two films tied for its top prize. Todd Field’s psychological drama “Tár” and the eventual best picture-winning dramedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” from the Daniels.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Since 2000, only four of Lafca’s selections for best picture failed to garner an Oscar nod for best picture — “About Schmidt” (2002), “American Splendor” (2003), “Wall-e” (2008) and “Small Axe” (2020). In the same timeframe, five films have gone...
After Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” won the National Board of Review and New York Film Critics Awards for best film, all eyes are on the California journalists to see if they will opt for something else or continue the lovefest for one of cinema’s most adored auteurs.
Last year, the West Coast organization had two films tied for its top prize. Todd Field’s psychological drama “Tár” and the eventual best picture-winning dramedy “Everything Everywhere All at Once” from the Daniels.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Since 2000, only four of Lafca’s selections for best picture failed to garner an Oscar nod for best picture — “About Schmidt” (2002), “American Splendor” (2003), “Wall-e” (2008) and “Small Axe” (2020). In the same timeframe, five films have gone...
- 12/10/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In 2021, Sean Ono Lennon was looking for a way to make a music video for one of his parents’ signature songs and feeling creatively stuck—until he had a meeting with former Pixar animator Dave Mullins. The song, 1971’s Happy Xmas (War Is Over), is probably the most popular piece of music John Lennon and Yoko Ono wrote as a couple. But beyond appearing reliably on playlists around the world every Christmas, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) is also a peace anthem, and Sean wanted to reintroduce the song’s message. The song “just felt like it deserved some kind of piece to help get it out there for another generation,” Lennon says. The only problem was that every music video idea seemed to trivialize it. “It almost felt goofy,” Lennon says. “Like a Hallmark kind of thing. What are we going to show, a family sitting around a fire?...
- 12/5/2023
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Among other reasons to bemoan the decline of traditional animation in the 21st century is the subsequent rise of the notion that the goal of animation should be to imitate real life as closely as possible. We saw this attitude manifest itself in mainstream computer animation throughout the 2000s and 2010s, which emphasized photorealism over stylization. But while the results were undeniably gorgeous at times, this mindset was inherently limiting. Why restrict yourself to reality when your imagination need not know any boundaries in animation?
Thank goodness for "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." The 2018 superhero blockbuster not only mixed and matched animation techniques to create a heightened universe that could've come straight from the pages of an actual comic book, it also proved there was an audience hungry for animated films that eschewed the typical look popularized by Disney, Pixar, and the like. With the sequel "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," the...
Thank goodness for "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." The 2018 superhero blockbuster not only mixed and matched animation techniques to create a heightened universe that could've come straight from the pages of an actual comic book, it also proved there was an audience hungry for animated films that eschewed the typical look popularized by Disney, Pixar, and the like. With the sequel "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," the...
- 12/2/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Approaches to film scoring have become increasingly eclectic—from jazz and classical to hip-hop and avant-garde—making it more difficult than ever for Academy voters to narrow the field to 15 for Oscar’s shortlist. Variety examines 16 of the possible choices, in alphabetical order:
‘American Fiction‘ – Laura Karpman
Cord Jefferson’s movie—about a Black writer who, as a joke, writes a bad novel that becomes a best seller—has a lead character whose name is Thelonious and whose nickname is Monk. So, to composer Laura Karpman, fashioning a score in the style of the jazz great was an obvious choice.
Much of her score is small-combo, piano-featured jazz, and while she also wrote a massive orchestral and choral score for “The Marvels,” this much smaller but acclaimed film would seem to be her best shot for awards. She has five Emmys, co-founded the Alliance for Women Film Composers, and was...
‘American Fiction‘ – Laura Karpman
Cord Jefferson’s movie—about a Black writer who, as a joke, writes a bad novel that becomes a best seller—has a lead character whose name is Thelonious and whose nickname is Monk. So, to composer Laura Karpman, fashioning a score in the style of the jazz great was an obvious choice.
Much of her score is small-combo, piano-featured jazz, and while she also wrote a massive orchestral and choral score for “The Marvels,” this much smaller but acclaimed film would seem to be her best shot for awards. She has five Emmys, co-founded the Alliance for Women Film Composers, and was...
- 11/29/2023
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
The directors behind several of the animated films that are looking to make their mark on the upcoming Oscar race sat down with Gold Derby and dished about several topics including the piece of animation that first inspired them to work in the medium, their favorite animated project they’ve seen recently and what their ideal music would be to play if they won an award. This was all part of Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts panel on Film Animation that included Nick Bruno (“Nimona”), Kemp Powers (“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”), Aaron Horvath (“The Super Mario Bros. Movie”) and Walt Dohrn (“Trolls Band Together”).
You can watch the film animation group panel above with the people who made these four movies. Click on each person’s name above to be taken to each exclusive interview.
For Powers, the piece of animation that stuck out most to him in making...
You can watch the film animation group panel above with the people who made these four movies. Click on each person’s name above to be taken to each exclusive interview.
For Powers, the piece of animation that stuck out most to him in making...
- 11/20/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
This post contains spoilers for "Goosebumps" episodes 9 and 10.
Readers beware, you're in for a scare ... just kidding. It's an interview. But! It is related to the new Hulu and Disney+ adaptation of "Goosebumps," based on the beloved young-adult horror series of the same name from R.L. Stine. In just 10 episodes, the new "Goosebumps" series is a triumph of horror, comedy, and some well-placed nostalgia -- a series that speaks to both the generation that grew up begging parents to buy them the books from the Scholastic Book Fair and raced home to watch new episodes of the TV show after school (It's me. Hi!), as well as new viewers getting into the "Goosebumps" universe for the first time. When I reviewed the new show, I had only been given the first eight episodes, which felt like its own contained season. But with two more episodes unseen, it was a sign...
Readers beware, you're in for a scare ... just kidding. It's an interview. But! It is related to the new Hulu and Disney+ adaptation of "Goosebumps," based on the beloved young-adult horror series of the same name from R.L. Stine. In just 10 episodes, the new "Goosebumps" series is a triumph of horror, comedy, and some well-placed nostalgia -- a series that speaks to both the generation that grew up begging parents to buy them the books from the Scholastic Book Fair and raced home to watch new episodes of the TV show after school (It's me. Hi!), as well as new viewers getting into the "Goosebumps" universe for the first time. When I reviewed the new show, I had only been given the first eight episodes, which felt like its own contained season. But with two more episodes unseen, it was a sign...
- 11/18/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Maya Hawke is bringing out the awkward tween emotion that Gen Zers know all too well: anxiety.
Hawke stars in “Inside Out 2,” the sequel to the 2015 Oscar-winning Pixar film. The Disney movie won Best Animated Feature and was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, one of only four Pixar films to be nominated in that category.
While Academy Award winner Pete Docter does not return to write or direct “Inside Out 2,” the original cast is back in full force, with Amy Poehler playing Joy, Phyllis Smith voicing Sadness, Lewis Black as Anger, Tony Hale playing Fear, and Liza Lapira starring as Disgust, all voices inside growing tween Riley’s head.
Now, Hawke’s Anxiety takes a wrecking ball to the inside of Riley’s mind as emotions bicker, battle, and tumble toward the confusing state of puberty. Kelsey Mann directs the film, which is produced by Mark Nielsen.
Hawke stars in “Inside Out 2,” the sequel to the 2015 Oscar-winning Pixar film. The Disney movie won Best Animated Feature and was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, one of only four Pixar films to be nominated in that category.
While Academy Award winner Pete Docter does not return to write or direct “Inside Out 2,” the original cast is back in full force, with Amy Poehler playing Joy, Phyllis Smith voicing Sadness, Lewis Black as Anger, Tony Hale playing Fear, and Liza Lapira starring as Disgust, all voices inside growing tween Riley’s head.
Now, Hawke’s Anxiety takes a wrecking ball to the inside of Riley’s mind as emotions bicker, battle, and tumble toward the confusing state of puberty. Kelsey Mann directs the film, which is produced by Mark Nielsen.
- 11/9/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Adapted from an adventurous platform game, the story of Scarygirl has been recently made into an animated fantasy film. The original graphic novel was woven by Nathan Jurevicius, an Australian artist. The directors Ricard Cussó and Tania Vincent introduce us to yet another sci-fi film delving into the matter of a futuristic theme with an evil scientist trying to destroy the world. Some other adventure animations that share a similar essence with that of this film include Wall-e, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Happy Feet, and others. The plot revolves around the quest of a little girl to save her father and the world from the clutches of an evil scientist. Will Arkie be able to save her father and the world? Let’s find out!
Spoilers Ahead
What Were Dr. Maybee’s Intentions?
The bounty hunters of the evil Dr. Maybee is out on the search for a giant octopus.
Spoilers Ahead
What Were Dr. Maybee’s Intentions?
The bounty hunters of the evil Dr. Maybee is out on the search for a giant octopus.
- 10/18/2023
- by Debjyoti Dey
- Film Fugitives
This is Day 82 of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
There’s solidarity in the air in LA with a slew of writers continuing to join the actors’ picket lines after securing their own deal with the AMPTP.
As talks between SAG-AFTRA and the studio alliance restart, the picket lines, now focused on the actors requests, are still busy and, as seen this morning, full of “cautious optimism.”
Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer, whose upcoming NBC comedy Extended Family has shot the first six episodes, told Deadline, “The writers got real progress. I have constantly voiced my frustration with the AMPTP for not starting the negotiations a lot sooner. But it’s better than nothing.”
He added that he’s preparing himself for a deal “however long it takes.”
His biggest worry about the future of the entertainment industry, as it pertains to actors, is the “hollowing out of the industry.
There’s solidarity in the air in LA with a slew of writers continuing to join the actors’ picket lines after securing their own deal with the AMPTP.
As talks between SAG-AFTRA and the studio alliance restart, the picket lines, now focused on the actors requests, are still busy and, as seen this morning, full of “cautious optimism.”
Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer, whose upcoming NBC comedy Extended Family has shot the first six episodes, told Deadline, “The writers got real progress. I have constantly voiced my frustration with the AMPTP for not starting the negotiations a lot sooner. But it’s better than nothing.”
He added that he’s preparing himself for a deal “however long it takes.”
His biggest worry about the future of the entertainment industry, as it pertains to actors, is the “hollowing out of the industry.
- 10/2/2023
- by Lynette Rice, Sean Piccoli and Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
As visions of various 21st-century promises and perils alike converge upon us at once — from space travel to possible extraterrestrial contact to artificial intelligence to the looming societal threat posed by climate change — the science fiction genre finds itself at arguably its most urgent and crucial point in history. In recent years, the movies, in particular, have seen a kind of artistic renaissance for the genre, with various first-rate auteurs contemplating our technological future in works ranging from the moving to the thought-provoking to the brilliantly satirical.
In 2024, that renaissance will continue at full steam. The next year in film will bring us an incredibly vast and diverse range of new sci-fi flicks, whether coming from old savants like Bong Joon-ho, Denis Villeneuve, and Alex Garland, or genre debutants like Joshua Oppenheimer, Bruno Dumont, and even Francis Ford Coppola. Here, we've compiled a list of 19 upcoming science fiction films to...
In 2024, that renaissance will continue at full steam. The next year in film will bring us an incredibly vast and diverse range of new sci-fi flicks, whether coming from old savants like Bong Joon-ho, Denis Villeneuve, and Alex Garland, or genre debutants like Joshua Oppenheimer, Bruno Dumont, and even Francis Ford Coppola. Here, we've compiled a list of 19 upcoming science fiction films to...
- 9/23/2023
- by Leo Noboru Lima
- Slash Film
Artie is a cute little robot in an apocalyptic, post-human landscape, roaming through a desert on Earth with a single job, that, frankly, seems a bit pointless. He has one friend, another robot, who pushes him to learn and discover more about his world, to break out of his programming, and to save something important.
I had to check the dates on Jon Nielsen’s graphic novel Look , because the parallels with the Pixar movie Wall-e were so obvious that I wanted to believe this was from the late ’90s and it was all parallel development. But no: this is a 2017 joint, so, unless I assume Nielsen (a fairly prominent web cartoonist) was living in a media-free cave during the Aughts, those parallels must be built-in, part of some plan.
Look is not officially a book for young readers, but it’s tone is very middle-grade and it’s entirely...
I had to check the dates on Jon Nielsen’s graphic novel Look , because the parallels with the Pixar movie Wall-e were so obvious that I wanted to believe this was from the late ’90s and it was all parallel development. But no: this is a 2017 joint, so, unless I assume Nielsen (a fairly prominent web cartoonist) was living in a media-free cave during the Aughts, those parallels must be built-in, part of some plan.
Look is not officially a book for young readers, but it’s tone is very middle-grade and it’s entirely...
- 9/23/2023
- by Andrew Wheeler
- Comicmix.com
Animated flicks don’t get the justice they deserve when it comes to the Academy Awards. So often, animated movies are some of the most original, memorable, and well-told stories of the entire year yet they are, more often than not, confined to the category of Best Animated Picture.
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” “Fantasia,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” “Wall-e,” “Shrek,” and last year’s Best Animated Picture winner, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” are just a handful of all-time classic movies that aren’t great animated movies, they are great movies period. Despite this, however, we have only had three animated movies in Oscars history that have been nominated for Best Picture.
“Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated movie to do so, landing a Best Picture bid in 1991. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, “Beauty and the Beast...
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” “Fantasia,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo,” “Wall-e,” “Shrek,” and last year’s Best Animated Picture winner, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” are just a handful of all-time classic movies that aren’t great animated movies, they are great movies period. Despite this, however, we have only had three animated movies in Oscars history that have been nominated for Best Picture.
“Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated movie to do so, landing a Best Picture bid in 1991. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, “Beauty and the Beast...
- 9/8/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
“Star Wars has that special feel where it’s something that’s only heard in our universe,” notes Matthew Wood of the iconic sounds of the franchise. So with the recent work on Disney+ series in the “Star Wars” galaxy, he and Scott R. Lewis needed to ensure that the classic sound design was “going to be paid homage to as well as create new places for it to go.” The Television Academy clearly enjoyed those new places, as Wood and Lewis received Emmy nominations for sound editing and sound mixing, respectively, for both “The Mandalorian” and “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
“It’s great being part of the toolbox,” notes Wood, the library of effects at his disposal at Skywalker Sound. “All these new directors coming in who have their vision…but they also want it to feel connected to Star Wars, and sound really is...
“It’s great being part of the toolbox,” notes Wood, the library of effects at his disposal at Skywalker Sound. “All these new directors coming in who have their vision…but they also want it to feel connected to Star Wars, and sound really is...
- 8/14/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
When it earned the worst opening weekend in studio history it seemed like “Elemental” was a sign that Pixar had lost the magic touch that made it a cornerstone of Disney’s box office dominance for years.
But over the past two months, “Elemental” has quietly won over audiences worldwide and steamed along to a $423 million total through this past Sunday, with $148 million coming from North America. While still not a theatrical hit, director Peter Sohn’s romantic tale is no longer the “Lightyear”-esque flop it once appeared destined to become, and has shown that Pixar is not as far off from returning to its past form as it seemed.
“It’s rare for any sort of film to earn a 5-times multiple in this box office,” Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian told TheWrap, noting how the film went from an anemic $29.6 million domestic opening to an overall domestic total of nearly $150 million.
But over the past two months, “Elemental” has quietly won over audiences worldwide and steamed along to a $423 million total through this past Sunday, with $148 million coming from North America. While still not a theatrical hit, director Peter Sohn’s romantic tale is no longer the “Lightyear”-esque flop it once appeared destined to become, and has shown that Pixar is not as far off from returning to its past form as it seemed.
“It’s rare for any sort of film to earn a 5-times multiple in this box office,” Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian told TheWrap, noting how the film went from an anemic $29.6 million domestic opening to an overall domestic total of nearly $150 million.
- 8/8/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Lucasfilm Animation, like so many fledgling studios, took a moment to find its footing. Founded in 2003, the company released its first feature film, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," in 2008 to much scorn. Critics were quick to recognize the film was little more than three TV episodes hastily strung together, and its janky computer animation stood out like a sore thumb compared to the far more expressive and fluid visuals in films like "Kung Fun Panda" and "Wall-e" from that same year. "Clone Wars" also saw the debut of Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker's young, rambunctious Padawan, and a character who was immediately the target of much-undeserved derision (and more than a little sexism).
My, my, how the turn tables. Jump ahead to 15 years later and Lucasfilm Animation is now responsible for some of the best "Star Wars" storytelling of all time, including the animated "Clone Wars" series and "Star Wars Rebels.
My, my, how the turn tables. Jump ahead to 15 years later and Lucasfilm Animation is now responsible for some of the best "Star Wars" storytelling of all time, including the animated "Clone Wars" series and "Star Wars Rebels.
- 8/4/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Heavy spoilers for "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" to follow.
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" was a miracle of filmmaking, a movie that shouldn't work -- it has too many characters, drastically different visual styles throughout, and a story that is simultaneously too kid-friendly for adults yet too adult for the demographic normally associated with American animation. Yet not only did work, but the film became a smash hit (joining our list of the best movies of all time). More importantly, it proved that animated movies could look like stylized concept art and still find an audience, a big one at that. Since then, we've seen many other movies experiment with their own unique visual styles and with stories that are bolder and more mature than, say, "Minions" or "The Boss Baby."
The latest movie to join this new era of animated movies is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,...
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" was a miracle of filmmaking, a movie that shouldn't work -- it has too many characters, drastically different visual styles throughout, and a story that is simultaneously too kid-friendly for adults yet too adult for the demographic normally associated with American animation. Yet not only did work, but the film became a smash hit (joining our list of the best movies of all time). More importantly, it proved that animated movies could look like stylized concept art and still find an audience, a big one at that. Since then, we've seen many other movies experiment with their own unique visual styles and with stories that are bolder and more mature than, say, "Minions" or "The Boss Baby."
The latest movie to join this new era of animated movies is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Sigourney Weaver Depositphotos
Susan Alexandra “Sigourney” Weaver, born on October 8, 1949, is an accomplished American actress known for her contributions to the action heroine archetype in science fiction movies. Weaver’s notable portrayal of Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise garnered her an Academy Award nomination in 1986 and solidified her status as one of the most influential female protagonists in the history of cinema.
Throughout her career, Weaver has received seven Golden Globe Award nominations. In 1988, she made history by winning both the Best Actress in Drama and Best Supporting Actress categories for her outstanding performances in Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl, respectively. This achievement made her the first individual to secure two acting Golden Globe Awards in a single year. Moreover, Weaver received Academy Award nominations for her exceptional work in both films. Additionally, she was honored with the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role...
Susan Alexandra “Sigourney” Weaver, born on October 8, 1949, is an accomplished American actress known for her contributions to the action heroine archetype in science fiction movies. Weaver’s notable portrayal of Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise garnered her an Academy Award nomination in 1986 and solidified her status as one of the most influential female protagonists in the history of cinema.
Throughout her career, Weaver has received seven Golden Globe Award nominations. In 1988, she made history by winning both the Best Actress in Drama and Best Supporting Actress categories for her outstanding performances in Gorillas in the Mist and Working Girl, respectively. This achievement made her the first individual to secure two acting Golden Globe Awards in a single year. Moreover, Weaver received Academy Award nominations for her exceptional work in both films. Additionally, she was honored with the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role...
- 8/1/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
(L-r) Ca’Ron Jaden Coleman, Tia Nomore, Amber Ramsey. Credit: Gabriel Saravia/ Courtesy of A24
Sundance break-out Earth Mama spotlights to struggles of a pregnant Black young woman who is trying to regain custody of her two children from foster care, in a quiet, moving indie drama by former Olympic athlete turned writer/director Savanah Leaf. Set and shot in the San Francisco Bay area, this impressive feature film debut for the British-born, under-30 writer/director has garnered awards and promising buzz. Unlike other similar dramas, Earth Mother has a remarkable realism and touching cliche-free drama along with a surprising artistry.
Gia (Tia Nomore) is in drug treatment for a drug addiction that led to her two children being placed in foster. The young single mother has a part-time job with a mall photographer and attends the mandated parenting and other classes yet never seems to quite get on top of...
Sundance break-out Earth Mama spotlights to struggles of a pregnant Black young woman who is trying to regain custody of her two children from foster care, in a quiet, moving indie drama by former Olympic athlete turned writer/director Savanah Leaf. Set and shot in the San Francisco Bay area, this impressive feature film debut for the British-born, under-30 writer/director has garnered awards and promising buzz. Unlike other similar dramas, Earth Mother has a remarkable realism and touching cliche-free drama along with a surprising artistry.
Gia (Tia Nomore) is in drug treatment for a drug addiction that led to her two children being placed in foster. The young single mother has a part-time job with a mall photographer and attends the mandated parenting and other classes yet never seems to quite get on top of...
- 7/28/2023
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
When Savanah Leaf turns 30 in November this year, she will have already notched a number of professional titles few people could dream of possessing, including both “lauded filmmaker” and “Olympic athlete.”
While those two pursuits may sound different, for the British-born Leaf, who makes her feature directorial debut with the enthusiastically received A24 drama “Earth Mama” a decade after playing volleyball for Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, they’re really not so far apart.
Leaf’s first feature, which IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio hailed out of Sundance as a “sublime” drama that “defies all cliches,” follows Gia, a young Black mother whose son and daughter from an all-but-nonexistent father are in foster-care limbo while she recovers from drug addiction. As Gia (played by first-time actress Tia Nomore in a stunning performance) makes her way through the various requirements of reunification while also being heavily pregnant with her third child...
While those two pursuits may sound different, for the British-born Leaf, who makes her feature directorial debut with the enthusiastically received A24 drama “Earth Mama” a decade after playing volleyball for Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, they’re really not so far apart.
Leaf’s first feature, which IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio hailed out of Sundance as a “sublime” drama that “defies all cliches,” follows Gia, a young Black mother whose son and daughter from an all-but-nonexistent father are in foster-care limbo while she recovers from drug addiction. As Gia (played by first-time actress Tia Nomore in a stunning performance) makes her way through the various requirements of reunification while also being heavily pregnant with her third child...
- 7/6/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
When composer Thomas Newman was having early conversations about the music of Pixar’s “Elemental,” he looked for a connecting thread between the film’s imaginary world, where elements are characters, and the human world. “I looked for similar issues of otherness and how that could be reflected in music, and how we would identify with that through our human ear,” says Newman.
His approach to cracking the score was about applying a “musical color,” and association to the universal themes. When he looked at scenes and the vibrant colors of “Elemental,” what did his ears hear sonically, and did that match what his eyes were seeing?
With 93 credits to his name, and having worked on Pixar movies like “Wall-e” and “Finding Nemo,” Newman is no stranger to scoring music for otherness-type characters. Peter Sohn’s story builds a city where earth, water, fire and air are characters, living in their respective communities.
His approach to cracking the score was about applying a “musical color,” and association to the universal themes. When he looked at scenes and the vibrant colors of “Elemental,” what did his ears hear sonically, and did that match what his eyes were seeing?
With 93 credits to his name, and having worked on Pixar movies like “Wall-e” and “Finding Nemo,” Newman is no stranger to scoring music for otherness-type characters. Peter Sohn’s story builds a city where earth, water, fire and air are characters, living in their respective communities.
- 6/27/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
In these politically polarized times, new movies are constantly being scrutinized for their messaging. Through today’s lens, there may be some who would criticize Pixar’s 2008 masterpiece Wall-e for its subtle jabs at consumerism and some pro-environmental message. But when the movie was released 15 years ago, director and co-writer Andrew Stanton told us that politics were the furthest thing from his mind as he was making the film, since he was just trying to tell a story about relationships. (Click on the media bar below to hear Andrew Stanton) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Andrew_Stanton_WALL_E_.mp3
Wall-e is currently streaming on Disney+ and available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and most digital platforms.
The post ‘Wall-e’s’ Writer/Director Wasn’t Out To Make A Statement appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
Wall-e is currently streaming on Disney+ and available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and most digital platforms.
The post ‘Wall-e’s’ Writer/Director Wasn’t Out To Make A Statement appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 6/27/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Jane Fonda, Quinta Brunson and Daniels, aka Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, were among the stars who took part in the 2023 Hollywood Climate Summit on Thursday, leading conversations about environmentalism in their projects and the culture at large.
Held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, the two-day conference kicked off with keynote conversation “We’re All In: Why You Should Be Excited About the Hollywood Climate Movement,” with Brunson, Kwan and Scheinert. Everything Everywhere All at Once producer Jonathan Wang started things off with an opening statement, noting that on their Oscar-winning film, the team “did some good, we made some baby steps. We hired an eco-coordinator, we made sure that our food went to farms or to homeless shelters, we made sure that we could do the best we could. But these were all very, very small, teeny, tiny steps. As we finished the movie and we...
Held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, the two-day conference kicked off with keynote conversation “We’re All In: Why You Should Be Excited About the Hollywood Climate Movement,” with Brunson, Kwan and Scheinert. Everything Everywhere All at Once producer Jonathan Wang started things off with an opening statement, noting that on their Oscar-winning film, the team “did some good, we made some baby steps. We hired an eco-coordinator, we made sure that our food went to farms or to homeless shelters, we made sure that we could do the best we could. But these were all very, very small, teeny, tiny steps. As we finished the movie and we...
- 6/23/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pixar’s chief creative officer Pete Docter recently told the press that he doesn’t “think of Pixar as making children’s programming.”
By the look of box office returns for the studio’s recent animated offerings, it would appear that kids have taken notice — and haven’t been so inclined to watch those movies in theaters.
Over the weekend, “Elemental” collapsed at the domestic box office with a $29.5 million opening, by far the worst debut in Pixar’s 28-year history. Even forgettable Pixar adventures, like 2015’s “The Good Dinosaur” ($39 million), 2020’s “Onward” ($39 million) and last year’s massive money-loser “Lightyear” ($51 million), managed to fill more seats in their opening weekends.
The film didn’t rebound much at the international box office with $15 million from select markets, bringing its global tally to a disastrous $44.5 million.
There’s a bigger issue for Pixar: it’s not just youngsters, but general audiences,...
By the look of box office returns for the studio’s recent animated offerings, it would appear that kids have taken notice — and haven’t been so inclined to watch those movies in theaters.
Over the weekend, “Elemental” collapsed at the domestic box office with a $29.5 million opening, by far the worst debut in Pixar’s 28-year history. Even forgettable Pixar adventures, like 2015’s “The Good Dinosaur” ($39 million), 2020’s “Onward” ($39 million) and last year’s massive money-loser “Lightyear” ($51 million), managed to fill more seats in their opening weekends.
The film didn’t rebound much at the international box office with $15 million from select markets, bringing its global tally to a disastrous $44.5 million.
There’s a bigger issue for Pixar: it’s not just youngsters, but general audiences,...
- 6/19/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Plot: In a world where the elements, fire, earth, air, and water live together, a young fire element, Ember (Leah Lewis), crosses paths with a clumsy water element, Wade (Mamoudou Athie) and the two, to their surprise, find that sometimes opposite elements attract.
Review: Pixar’s recent run of movies has been largely met with a shrug from fans. The road back to the big screen after the pandemic has been rocky for the studio’s films. Turning Red was pretty good, but it only got a little attention due to becoming a Disney Plus exclusive, and their previous film, Luca, might be the most obscure film the studio’s ever produced. Lightyear was supposed to be the company’s triumphant return to the big screen, but it felt like just another sci-fi/adventure movie.
Elemental aims to be different. In classic Pixar tradition, it focuses on emotion and characterization...
Review: Pixar’s recent run of movies has been largely met with a shrug from fans. The road back to the big screen after the pandemic has been rocky for the studio’s films. Turning Red was pretty good, but it only got a little attention due to becoming a Disney Plus exclusive, and their previous film, Luca, might be the most obscure film the studio’s ever produced. Lightyear was supposed to be the company’s triumphant return to the big screen, but it felt like just another sci-fi/adventure movie.
Elemental aims to be different. In classic Pixar tradition, it focuses on emotion and characterization...
- 6/15/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Mexico’s Woo Films is venturing into the kids/younger audience content biz for the first time, boarding three stop-motion animated features by Mexico City-based Cinema Fantasma, led by brothers Roy and Arturo Ambriz.
Producer Andrea Toca who brought the projects to Woo Films, said: “We’ve always wanted to make content for children and younger audiences.”
“I went to University with the Ambriz brothers so that’s where we first connected. We were very impressed by the working techniques they have developed in their workshop aside from their stories,” she added.
The initial pact is for Woo Films to co-produce Cinema Fantasma’s “Frankelda and The Prince of Spooks,” being presented at Annecy’s work in progress (Wip) section as well as two other stop-motion pics in development, “The Ballad of the Phoenix,” pitched last year at Annecy, and “The Bee Revolution.”
“Frankelda and The Prince of Spooks” is...
Producer Andrea Toca who brought the projects to Woo Films, said: “We’ve always wanted to make content for children and younger audiences.”
“I went to University with the Ambriz brothers so that’s where we first connected. We were very impressed by the working techniques they have developed in their workshop aside from their stories,” she added.
The initial pact is for Woo Films to co-produce Cinema Fantasma’s “Frankelda and The Prince of Spooks,” being presented at Annecy’s work in progress (Wip) section as well as two other stop-motion pics in development, “The Ballad of the Phoenix,” pitched last year at Annecy, and “The Bee Revolution.”
“Frankelda and The Prince of Spooks” is...
- 6/14/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
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