The average high temperature in Quebec City in March is 33 degrees Fahrenheit, with a low of around 18. That’s apparently of no consequence to the locals, who have chosen the month for an outdoor music festival appropriately dubbed Igloofest. The annual event, billed as “the coldest music festival in the world,” is an opportunity for Québécois music lovers to flex their winter gear, with revelers in full-body ski suits, snow goggles, and what appears to be the most advanced outdoor apparel on the market.
Kaytranada, this year’s headliner, arrives backstage around 8 p.
Kaytranada, this year’s headliner, arrives backstage around 8 p.
- 5/30/2024
- by Jeff Ihaza
- Rollingstone.com
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have returned with “Frogs,” the second single from their upcoming album Wild God.
With rich, psychedelic instrumentation and Nick Cave’s signature booming tenor, “Frogs” is a passionate, climactic turn from the group. Helping raise the stakes is an extensive orchestra, which echo Cave’s consuming messages with fanfare and melodrama. Cave begins with a biblical reference to Cain and Abel, and later escalates to a freeing, revelatory high. “The frogs are jumping in the gutters/ Leaping to God, amazed of love,” he sings before crying “Amazed to be back in the water again.”
Of the song, Cave said in a statement, “The sheer exuberance of a song like ‘Frogs,’ it just puts a big fucking smile on my face.” Produced by Cave and Warren Ellis, “Frogs” follows Wild God’s title track, which we named as Song of the Week upon its release in early March.
With rich, psychedelic instrumentation and Nick Cave’s signature booming tenor, “Frogs” is a passionate, climactic turn from the group. Helping raise the stakes is an extensive orchestra, which echo Cave’s consuming messages with fanfare and melodrama. Cave begins with a biblical reference to Cain and Abel, and later escalates to a freeing, revelatory high. “The frogs are jumping in the gutters/ Leaping to God, amazed of love,” he sings before crying “Amazed to be back in the water again.”
Of the song, Cave said in a statement, “The sheer exuberance of a song like ‘Frogs,’ it just puts a big fucking smile on my face.” Produced by Cave and Warren Ellis, “Frogs” follows Wild God’s title track, which we named as Song of the Week upon its release in early March.
- 5/29/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Music
Season 2 of The Sandman has cast three new siblings of The Endless family: Esmé Creed-Miles, Adrian Lester and Barry Sloane.
Netflix’s The Sandman is getting ready for season 2 as the streamer announces new additions to the series’ cast.
Esmé Creed-Miles, Adrian Lester and Barry Sloane have been cast in the series as Delirium, Destiny and The Prodigal respectively. These are the three remaining siblings of the Endless family.
Season 2 was announced first in November 2022 but the production itself was severely delayed by the Hollywood strikes in 2023. It looks like things are back on track as a new, very short teaser has been released.
The Endless have finally assembled: Introducing Adrian Lester as Destiny, Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium and Barry Sloane as the Prodigal in the next season of The Sandman. pic.twitter.com/1rzEqyfQUB
— Netflix (@netflix) May 20, 2024
The Sandman season 2 remains a bit of a mystery for the more casual viewer.
Netflix’s The Sandman is getting ready for season 2 as the streamer announces new additions to the series’ cast.
Esmé Creed-Miles, Adrian Lester and Barry Sloane have been cast in the series as Delirium, Destiny and The Prodigal respectively. These are the three remaining siblings of the Endless family.
Season 2 was announced first in November 2022 but the production itself was severely delayed by the Hollywood strikes in 2023. It looks like things are back on track as a new, very short teaser has been released.
The Endless have finally assembled: Introducing Adrian Lester as Destiny, Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium and Barry Sloane as the Prodigal in the next season of The Sandman. pic.twitter.com/1rzEqyfQUB
— Netflix (@netflix) May 20, 2024
The Sandman season 2 remains a bit of a mystery for the more casual viewer.
- 5/20/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
Wake up, fans of “The Sandman,” we’ve got some Season 2 news for you: The Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s epic graphic novel series has cast the final three siblings in the “Endless Family” of Tom Sturridge’s Dream — Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium, Adrian Lester as Destiny and Barry Sloane as “The Prodigal.”
In “The Sandman” comic book series, The Prodigal is the estranged Endless sibling named Destruction, but Netflix has taken care to label Sloane’s role as “The Prodigal,” which is the way the character is referred to throughout the first volumes of the story. The three new castings point to “The Sandman” Season 2 covering the graphic novel’s iconic installment, “Season of Mists.”
The trio of new “The Sandman” Season 2 actors will join the Endless siblings returning from Season 1: Death (Kirby), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), Despair (Donna Preston) and Dream, The Sandman himself.
Per the Season 1 description for the series,...
In “The Sandman” comic book series, The Prodigal is the estranged Endless sibling named Destruction, but Netflix has taken care to label Sloane’s role as “The Prodigal,” which is the way the character is referred to throughout the first volumes of the story. The three new castings point to “The Sandman” Season 2 covering the graphic novel’s iconic installment, “Season of Mists.”
The trio of new “The Sandman” Season 2 actors will join the Endless siblings returning from Season 1: Death (Kirby), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), Despair (Donna Preston) and Dream, The Sandman himself.
Per the Season 1 description for the series,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
When Elvis Presley got onstage to perform his music, he was confident and collected. He cracked jokes to the crowd and enjoyed witnessing his ability to rile them up. Offstage, though, the people who knew him said he seemed less confident. Gene Nelson, who directed Elvis in two films, believed the singer’s self-confidence was surprisingly low off the stage.
Elvis didn’t seem to think highly of himself outside of music
Nelson directed Elvis in Kissin’ Cousins and Harum Scarum. While he found the singer to be hard-working and polite, he didn’t feel that he ever got to know him too well.
“He was just so enigmatic,” Nelson said in the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “I mean, you felt compelled to try to figure out what really made him tick, because what he presented was not really Elvis, at least not all of it.
Elvis didn’t seem to think highly of himself outside of music
Nelson directed Elvis in Kissin’ Cousins and Harum Scarum. While he found the singer to be hard-working and polite, he didn’t feel that he ever got to know him too well.
“He was just so enigmatic,” Nelson said in the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “I mean, you felt compelled to try to figure out what really made him tick, because what he presented was not really Elvis, at least not all of it.
- 5/10/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 1972, Bob Abel and Pierre Adige began following Elvis Presley on tour. The pair had recently released a film following Joe Cocker on tour, and Elvis was their next subject. Abel was a bit wary about filming Elvis after seeing him put on a lackluster performance in Las Vegas, but he quickly grew to like the singer. He said there was much to admire about Elvis, but he also noted a peculiar hollowness to him.
The director of ‘Elvis on Tour’ noticed a sadness to the singer
When Abel met the singer, he informed him that he wanted to do his best to portray the real Elvis. This required cooperation on Elvis’ part.
“I want to shoot the real you but the trade off is, you’ve got to be open with me,” Abel said, per the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “If I...
The director of ‘Elvis on Tour’ noticed a sadness to the singer
When Abel met the singer, he informed him that he wanted to do his best to portray the real Elvis. This required cooperation on Elvis’ part.
“I want to shoot the real you but the trade off is, you’ve got to be open with me,” Abel said, per the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “If I...
- 5/6/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The best-selling British novelist Jeffrey Archer is set to have his work adapted for film and television across foreign-language territories, with an initial focus on viewers in India, the rest of Asia, and the Middle East.
The millionaire author, known for stories such as Kane and Abel – a trilogy being developed in collaboration with Eleven and Sony Television International, as was recently announced – and the Clifton Chronicles, has sold more than 275 million copies of his books worldwide and topped the Sunday Times bestseller list 27 times.
On Wednesday, the Jeffery Archer Co. and the London-based Dream Bay Entertainment (Dbe), co-founded in 2023 by ex-Amazon executive Thomas Drachkovitch, said they have partnered to bring Archer’s stories to the screen.
Jason Hafford, a former agent in CAA’s Global TV Department, has recently been unveiled as co-founder and head of Dbe management.
The team-up is “thrilling” as India and the Middle East are...
The millionaire author, known for stories such as Kane and Abel – a trilogy being developed in collaboration with Eleven and Sony Television International, as was recently announced – and the Clifton Chronicles, has sold more than 275 million copies of his books worldwide and topped the Sunday Times bestseller list 27 times.
On Wednesday, the Jeffery Archer Co. and the London-based Dream Bay Entertainment (Dbe), co-founded in 2023 by ex-Amazon executive Thomas Drachkovitch, said they have partnered to bring Archer’s stories to the screen.
Jason Hafford, a former agent in CAA’s Global TV Department, has recently been unveiled as co-founder and head of Dbe management.
The team-up is “thrilling” as India and the Middle East are...
- 5/1/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Weeknd is pledging another $2 million to help feed families in Gaza. The donation comes from his Xo Humanitarian Fund, which helps combat global hunger. The $2 million will be used to make more than 18 million loaves of bread and feed more than 157,000 Palestinians for a month, the Un’s World Food Programme (Wfp) reported Monday.
“With famine looming in Gaza, Abel’s generous support will provide vital relief for thousands of Palestinian families who battle the grip of hunger every day,” Corinne Fleischer, the Wfp’s director for the Middle East,...
“With famine looming in Gaza, Abel’s generous support will provide vital relief for thousands of Palestinian families who battle the grip of hunger every day,” Corinne Fleischer, the Wfp’s director for the Middle East,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Kalia Richardson
- Rollingstone.com
In Omen, one fractured family attempts to reconcile two irreconcilable yet inextricable realities, that of the Republic of the Congo and its one-time colonial possessor, Belgium. In his feature directorial debut, Belgian-Congolese rapper Baloji avoids romanticizing either, preferring to depict their uneasy relation as it manifests in family squabbles.
The film is broken up into four sections, each with their own mood and color palette, titled after the central characters: Koffi (Marc Zinga), Paco (Marcel Otete Kabeya), Tshala (Eliane Umuhire), and Mujila (Yves-Marina Gnahoua). These sections intersect one another, though Koffi remains the overall protagonist. Ostracized for a port-wine stain birthmark that his family sees as a sign of evil sorcery, he returns from Belgium to the Congo after many years, hoping to obtain his parents’ blessing to marry Alice (Lucie Debay), his white Belgian fiancée, who’s pregnant with twins. From the outset, nothing goes as planned.
Omen makes...
The film is broken up into four sections, each with their own mood and color palette, titled after the central characters: Koffi (Marc Zinga), Paco (Marcel Otete Kabeya), Tshala (Eliane Umuhire), and Mujila (Yves-Marina Gnahoua). These sections intersect one another, though Koffi remains the overall protagonist. Ostracized for a port-wine stain birthmark that his family sees as a sign of evil sorcery, he returns from Belgium to the Congo after many years, hoping to obtain his parents’ blessing to marry Alice (Lucie Debay), his white Belgian fiancée, who’s pregnant with twins. From the outset, nothing goes as planned.
Omen makes...
- 4/7/2024
- by William Repass
- Slant Magazine
When "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" first premiered on CBS in October 1955, the episodic half-hour anthology series immediately gained immense popularity. Hosted by Hitchcock himself, every episode opened with the director's silhouette and Charles Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" playing in the background, which became a cultural landmark in itself. As Hitchcock believed that the show's half-hour format did not do justice to the intricate anthology tales of suspense and terror, the episodic duration was subsequently extended when the show was revamped and retitled to "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," which ran from 1962 to 1965.
Per John McCarty and Brian Kelleher's "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: An Illustrated Guide to the Ten-year Television Career of the Master of Suspense," NBC (where the show ended up airing alternatively), after witnessing the success of Hitchcock's show, started planning a brand new mystery/suspense anthology that was set to run from 1957 through 1958. This unofficial spin-off was titled "Suspicion,...
Per John McCarty and Brian Kelleher's "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: An Illustrated Guide to the Ten-year Television Career of the Master of Suspense," NBC (where the show ended up airing alternatively), after witnessing the success of Hitchcock's show, started planning a brand new mystery/suspense anthology that was set to run from 1957 through 1958. This unofficial spin-off was titled "Suspicion,...
- 2/11/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
1980s black comedy unravels the brutal legacy of a despot who is as ludicrous as his crimes are appalling
The sense of an ending is what this fascinating film delivers: an unimaginably painful ending and the moral reckoning that has to follow. This dreamlike satire from Georgian film-maker Tengiz Abuladze, was made in 1984 but suppressed for three years before release. This was not so much for its coded critique of Stalinism – of which the Soviet authorities had long since learned to parrot their regretful disapproval – but of the pusillanimous loyalty to the Stalinist memory that persisted in the Ussr for generations, and the taboo that even then forbade serious reassessment of Stalinist crimes and exhumation of its buried horror. Now Repentance is revived and its strange theatricality and madness are more disturbing than ever.
Partly a bizarre parable, it is an absurdist social-surrealist attack on power and state violence. Like Blue Mountains,...
The sense of an ending is what this fascinating film delivers: an unimaginably painful ending and the moral reckoning that has to follow. This dreamlike satire from Georgian film-maker Tengiz Abuladze, was made in 1984 but suppressed for three years before release. This was not so much for its coded critique of Stalinism – of which the Soviet authorities had long since learned to parrot their regretful disapproval – but of the pusillanimous loyalty to the Stalinist memory that persisted in the Ussr for generations, and the taboo that even then forbade serious reassessment of Stalinist crimes and exhumation of its buried horror. Now Repentance is revived and its strange theatricality and madness are more disturbing than ever.
Partly a bizarre parable, it is an absurdist social-surrealist attack on power and state violence. Like Blue Mountains,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
List of most anticipated movies releasing in February 2024.
January is almost over, and for all the cinegoers, we have created a list of February 2024’s Most Anticipated Hollywood Films. The first month started with just a handful of releases, and hardly any succeeded in leaving the audience in awe. But the new month brings hope that the audience will experience engaging stories on the big screen.
Check Out the List of February 2024’s Most Anticipated Hollywood Films Argylle
Matthew Vaughn’s twisted mind has come up with a peculiar spy thriller where an author named Elly Conway writes a story about Agent Argylle in her book, only to discover the events coming true. Thanks to the book, Elly comes under the radar of real-life spies, who expect her to write a new chapter, possibly in their favor. The film has a stellar cast, including Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, John Cena,...
January is almost over, and for all the cinegoers, we have created a list of February 2024’s Most Anticipated Hollywood Films. The first month started with just a handful of releases, and hardly any succeeded in leaving the audience in awe. But the new month brings hope that the audience will experience engaging stories on the big screen.
Check Out the List of February 2024’s Most Anticipated Hollywood Films Argylle
Matthew Vaughn’s twisted mind has come up with a peculiar spy thriller where an author named Elly Conway writes a story about Agent Argylle in her book, only to discover the events coming true. Thanks to the book, Elly comes under the radar of real-life spies, who expect her to write a new chapter, possibly in their favor. The film has a stellar cast, including Bryce Dallas Howard, Henry Cavill, John Cena,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Pooja Darade
- KoiMoi
The Oscar-shortlisted and Annie-nominated animated short “War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko” couldn’t be (sadly) timelier with the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The 11-minute indie takes place in an alternate World War I, where a secret chess match is played across enemy lines with the assistance of a heroic carrier pigeon that delivers the chess moves over the battlefield. Pixar alum Dave Mullins wrote and directed the short, animated by Wētā FX Limited and executive produced by Sean Ono Lennon.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine coincided with Lennon wanting to make an animated project around his parents’ popular protest song “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” So he approached a friend at Pixar, who recommended Mullins (“Lou”), who left Pixar on his 20th anniversary in 2021 and started ElectroLeague, a real-time animation company with co-founder Brad Booker (producer of “War Is Over”).
“And so we met,...
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine coincided with Lennon wanting to make an animated project around his parents’ popular protest song “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” So he approached a friend at Pixar, who recommended Mullins (“Lou”), who left Pixar on his 20th anniversary in 2021 and started ElectroLeague, a real-time animation company with co-founder Brad Booker (producer of “War Is Over”).
“And so we met,...
- 1/13/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Rapper The Weeknd earned praise for directing $2.5 million from his Xo Humanitarian Fund to aid the World Food Programme’s humanitarian response in Gaza. “This conflict has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe beyond reckoning. Wfp is working round the clock to provide aid in Gaza but a major scale up is needed to address the desperate level of hunger we are seeing,” said Wfp’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region, Corinne Fleischer.
“Our teams need safe and sustained humanitarian access and continued support from donors to reach as many people as we can.”
“We thank Abel for this valuable contribution towards the people of Palestine,” added Corinne. “We hope others will follow Abel’s example and support our efforts,” reports aceshowbiz.com.
Many social media users happily reacted to the news, with one writing, “I’m so proud of you helping all the families you...
“Our teams need safe and sustained humanitarian access and continued support from donors to reach as many people as we can.”
“We thank Abel for this valuable contribution towards the people of Palestine,” added Corinne. “We hope others will follow Abel’s example and support our efforts,” reports aceshowbiz.com.
Many social media users happily reacted to the news, with one writing, “I’m so proud of you helping all the families you...
- 12/3/2023
- by Agency News Desk
Rapper The Weeknd earned praise for directing $2.5 million from his Xo Humanitarian Fund to aid the World Food Programme’s humanitarian response in Gaza. “This conflict has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe beyond reckoning. Wfp is working round the clock to provide aid in Gaza but a major scale up is needed to address the desperate level of hunger we are seeing,” said Wfp’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region, Corinne Fleischer.
“Our teams need safe and sustained humanitarian access and continued support from donors to reach as many people as we can.”
“We thank Abel for this valuable contribution towards the people of Palestine,” added Corinne. “We hope others will follow Abel’s example and support our efforts,” reports aceshowbiz.com.
Many social media users happily reacted to the news, with one writing, “I’m so proud of you helping all the families you...
“Our teams need safe and sustained humanitarian access and continued support from donors to reach as many people as we can.”
“We thank Abel for this valuable contribution towards the people of Palestine,” added Corinne. “We hope others will follow Abel’s example and support our efforts,” reports aceshowbiz.com.
Many social media users happily reacted to the news, with one writing, “I’m so proud of you helping all the families you...
- 12/3/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
The Weeknd is making a large donation to support civilians in Gaza.
Since war broke out between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, more than 15,000 people in Gaza have now been killed.
There is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.
The 33-year-old “Blinding Lights” singer will be giving millions to the United Nations World Food Programme.
Keep reading to find out more…
He is donating $2.5 million from his Xo Humanitarian Fund to provide 4 million emergency meals. The contribution will feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.
Corinne Fleischer, the Wfp’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region, said in a statement about the donation, “The Wfp is working round the clock to provide aid in Gaza but a major scale up is needed to address the desperate level of hunger we are seeing. Our teams need safe and sustained humanitarian access, and...
Since war broke out between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, more than 15,000 people in Gaza have now been killed.
There is an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region.
The 33-year-old “Blinding Lights” singer will be giving millions to the United Nations World Food Programme.
Keep reading to find out more…
He is donating $2.5 million from his Xo Humanitarian Fund to provide 4 million emergency meals. The contribution will feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.
Corinne Fleischer, the Wfp’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region, said in a statement about the donation, “The Wfp is working round the clock to provide aid in Gaza but a major scale up is needed to address the desperate level of hunger we are seeing. Our teams need safe and sustained humanitarian access, and...
- 12/2/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
The Weeknd’s Xo Humanitarian Fund is directing $2.5 million to Gaza, which will pay for the equivalent of more than four million emergency meals for affected civilians. The Un’s World Food Programme (Wfp) reports that the money pays for 820 metric tons of food, which could feed more than 173,000 Palestinians for two weeks.
The artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, stepped into the role of Goodwill Ambassador for the Wfp initiative in October 2021. He set up his Xo Humanitarian Fund with the World Food Program USA, which has raised...
The artist, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, stepped into the role of Goodwill Ambassador for the Wfp initiative in October 2021. He set up his Xo Humanitarian Fund with the World Food Program USA, which has raised...
- 12/1/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
The Weeknd has donated $2.5 million towards providing four million emergency meals to Palestinians in Gaza.
The singer, born Abel Tesfaye, is directing money from his Xo Humanitarian Fund to benefit the United Nations World Food Programme. The Wfp — of which Tesfaye is also a Goodwill Ambassador — is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, and has been helping hundreds of thousands of Gazans in crisis and on the brink of starvation amid their siege under Israel.
“This conflict has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe beyond reckoning,” reads a statement from Corinne Fleischer, Wfp’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region. “Wfp is working round the clock to provide aid in Gaza but a major scale up is needed to address the desperate level of hunger we are seeing. Our teams need safe and sustained humanitarian access, and continued support from donors to reach as many people as we can.
The singer, born Abel Tesfaye, is directing money from his Xo Humanitarian Fund to benefit the United Nations World Food Programme. The Wfp — of which Tesfaye is also a Goodwill Ambassador — is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, and has been helping hundreds of thousands of Gazans in crisis and on the brink of starvation amid their siege under Israel.
“This conflict has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe beyond reckoning,” reads a statement from Corinne Fleischer, Wfp’s Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region. “Wfp is working round the clock to provide aid in Gaza but a major scale up is needed to address the desperate level of hunger we are seeing. Our teams need safe and sustained humanitarian access, and continued support from donors to reach as many people as we can.
- 12/1/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Music
Eleven and Sony Television International are adapting novelist and former politician Jeffrey Archer’s bestselling “Kane and Abel” trilogy for television.
The trilogy, comprising “Kane and Abel,” “The Prodigal Daughter” and “Shall We Tell The President,” were written by Archer between 1977 and 1982. It tells the story of two men, one Polish, an illegitimate son of a Baron, the other rich and privileged from a wealthy Boston banking family. Born on the same day on opposite sides of the world, their paths cross only once in their ruthless pursuit to build a fortune, but what follows is an epic story of revenge that spans 60 years. Linked by an all-consuming hatred after one catastrophic incident, these two patriarchs blindly commit their lives to destroying one another’s empires. It’s only when Abel’s strong-willed daughter, Florentyna, meets Kane’s son Richard, that these two enemies start to understand that their feud...
The trilogy, comprising “Kane and Abel,” “The Prodigal Daughter” and “Shall We Tell The President,” were written by Archer between 1977 and 1982. It tells the story of two men, one Polish, an illegitimate son of a Baron, the other rich and privileged from a wealthy Boston banking family. Born on the same day on opposite sides of the world, their paths cross only once in their ruthless pursuit to build a fortune, but what follows is an epic story of revenge that spans 60 years. Linked by an all-consuming hatred after one catastrophic incident, these two patriarchs blindly commit their lives to destroying one another’s empires. It’s only when Abel’s strong-willed daughter, Florentyna, meets Kane’s son Richard, that these two enemies start to understand that their feud...
- 10/9/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
On the surface, it looks like any other teenage love story: Abel, an absent-minded high-school student in Budapest, hopelessly pines for his best friend, Erika, dreamily staring out the classroom window when the teacher calls his name. On the day of his final exam, he draws a blank: Rather than bury his head in his history books, Abel’s had his head in the clouds.
But an off-hand comment by one of his examiners, about the tricolor ribbon pinned to his lapel — a nationalist symbol in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary — sparks a controversy that soon snowballs into a nationwide scandal. For Hungarian filmmaker Gábor Reisz, the director of “Explanation for Everything,” the debate cuts to the heart of a question that has increasingly dominated public discourse in his country since the rise of the right-wing prime minister: “Are you a real Hungarian?”
The film, which premieres in the Horizons strand of the Venice Film Festival,...
But an off-hand comment by one of his examiners, about the tricolor ribbon pinned to his lapel — a nationalist symbol in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary — sparks a controversy that soon snowballs into a nationwide scandal. For Hungarian filmmaker Gábor Reisz, the director of “Explanation for Everything,” the debate cuts to the heart of a question that has increasingly dominated public discourse in his country since the rise of the right-wing prime minister: “Are you a real Hungarian?”
The film, which premieres in the Horizons strand of the Venice Film Festival,...
- 9/2/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The bipolar nature of Hungary’s politics and the country’s education system are the targets of Gábor Reisz’s “Explanation for Everything,” which world premieres in the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons strand.
The film is Reisz’s third feature after the acclaimed “Some Inexplicable Reason” (2014) and “Bad Poems” (2018). Set in summer in Budapest, “Explanation for Everything” follows high school student Abel, who is struggling to focus on his final exams while coming to the realization that he is hopelessly in love with his best friend Janka. The studious Janka has her own unrequited love with married history teacher Jakab — who had a previous confrontation with Abel’s conservative father. The tensions of a polarized society come unexpectedly to the surface when Abel’s history graduation exam turns into a national scandal.
Hungary has been ruled by a right-wing government since 2010. “I never wanted to make a political movie...
The film is Reisz’s third feature after the acclaimed “Some Inexplicable Reason” (2014) and “Bad Poems” (2018). Set in summer in Budapest, “Explanation for Everything” follows high school student Abel, who is struggling to focus on his final exams while coming to the realization that he is hopelessly in love with his best friend Janka. The studious Janka has her own unrequited love with married history teacher Jakab — who had a previous confrontation with Abel’s conservative father. The tensions of a polarized society come unexpectedly to the surface when Abel’s history graduation exam turns into a national scandal.
Hungary has been ruled by a right-wing government since 2010. “I never wanted to make a political movie...
- 9/1/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Following the news that HBO cancelled “The Idol” after one season, social media is sounding off on the end of the controversial show.
While most fans of cancelled shows typically rally to help save it, “The Idol” viewers and those who haven’t even seen HBO’s latest drama celebrated as they’d hoped the show would get cancelled since the day it premiered.
Read More: ‘The Idol’ Actress Jane Adams Slams Feminists Suggesting Unsafe Set: ‘Go F–k Yourself’
Following the Sam Levinson and Abel Tesfaye-created show’s June 4 premiere date, episode 2 saw an astronomical dip in viewership, as per Variety, in which it dropped by almost 12 per cent from 913,000 viewers who tuned in to watch the pilot episode to only 800,000 people who watched the second episode.
Lily-Rose Depp and Abel, The Weeknd, Tesfaye in “The Idol”. — Photo: Warner Bros. Discovery
On Rotten Tomatoes, “The Idol” has a...
While most fans of cancelled shows typically rally to help save it, “The Idol” viewers and those who haven’t even seen HBO’s latest drama celebrated as they’d hoped the show would get cancelled since the day it premiered.
Read More: ‘The Idol’ Actress Jane Adams Slams Feminists Suggesting Unsafe Set: ‘Go F–k Yourself’
Following the Sam Levinson and Abel Tesfaye-created show’s June 4 premiere date, episode 2 saw an astronomical dip in viewership, as per Variety, in which it dropped by almost 12 per cent from 913,000 viewers who tuned in to watch the pilot episode to only 800,000 people who watched the second episode.
Lily-Rose Depp and Abel, The Weeknd, Tesfaye in “The Idol”. — Photo: Warner Bros. Discovery
On Rotten Tomatoes, “The Idol” has a...
- 8/29/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
Between "Only Murders in the Building" and "Selena + Chef" on Max, Selena Gomez has understandably put making music on a bit of hold - until now, that is. On Aug. 25, the 31-year-old singer released her newest single, "Single Soon," a summery pop song that fans are already praising for its fun beat and empowering lyrics.
Gomez announced the song drop a full week before its release via Instagram, noting that fans have been wanting new music for some time. "Y'all have been asking for new music for a while," she wrote. "Since I'm not quite done with SG3, I wanted to put out a fun little song I wrote a while back that's perfect for the end of summer. Single Soon. August 25th. Presave it now.
Gomez announced the song drop a full week before its release via Instagram, noting that fans have been wanting new music for some time. "Y'all have been asking for new music for a while," she wrote. "Since I'm not quite done with SG3, I wanted to put out a fun little song I wrote a while back that's perfect for the end of summer. Single Soon. August 25th. Presave it now.
- 8/28/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
Steven Spielberg has given us some of the greatest adventures ever seen on the big screen, whether it's the exploits of Indiana Jones, surviving a theme park gone wrong in "Jurassic Park," tracking down a man-eating shark in open water, or trying to find treasure while running from dangerous criminals in "The Goonies." Sure, he only has a producer credit on the latter, but there's always been rumblings about Spielberg's work behind the scenes on the movie credited to director Richard Donner.
Anyway, we're always down to celebrate the work of a cinematic genius like Spielberg, which is why we're stoked to see a batch of new posters paying tribute to both the "Jurassic Park" franchise and "The Goonies." Our friends at Bottleneck Gallery are releasing new, limited edition prints for "Jurassic Park" and "The Lost World," with artist Nicolas Tetreault-Abel cleverly recreating the franchise's iconic logo in a beautiful fashion.
Anyway, we're always down to celebrate the work of a cinematic genius like Spielberg, which is why we're stoked to see a batch of new posters paying tribute to both the "Jurassic Park" franchise and "The Goonies." Our friends at Bottleneck Gallery are releasing new, limited edition prints for "Jurassic Park" and "The Lost World," with artist Nicolas Tetreault-Abel cleverly recreating the franchise's iconic logo in a beautiful fashion.
- 8/10/2023
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
An ancient prophecy centered around immaculately conceived twins, one evil and one good, is poised to deliver new religious terror in Deliver Us. A brand new trailer unveiled today teases the religious horror in store for the upcoming horror film.
Magnet Releasing will release religious horror film Deliver Us in theaters and on VOD on September 29, 2023.
In Deliver Us, “When a nun in a remote convent claims immaculate conception, the Vatican sends a team of priests to investigate, concerned about an ancient prophecy that a woman will give birth to twin boys: one the Messiah, the other the Anti-Christ.”
Check out the brand new trailer and poster below to get a peek at the religious conspiracy horror set against a snowy winter backdrop.
Deliver Us is directed by Lee Roy Kunz and Cru Ennis, from a screenplay by Lee Roy Kunz and Kane Kunz.
The film stars Maria Vera Ratti,...
Magnet Releasing will release religious horror film Deliver Us in theaters and on VOD on September 29, 2023.
In Deliver Us, “When a nun in a remote convent claims immaculate conception, the Vatican sends a team of priests to investigate, concerned about an ancient prophecy that a woman will give birth to twin boys: one the Messiah, the other the Anti-Christ.”
Check out the brand new trailer and poster below to get a peek at the religious conspiracy horror set against a snowy winter backdrop.
Deliver Us is directed by Lee Roy Kunz and Cru Ennis, from a screenplay by Lee Roy Kunz and Kane Kunz.
The film stars Maria Vera Ratti,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Next time someone wistfully insists, “They don’t make ’em like they used to,” why not point that nostalgic cinephile to the work of Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon? The Belgium-based creative couple are almost single-handedly keeping the classic burlesque tradition alive on-screen — if the word “single-handedly” can fairly be used to describe a near-silent comic duo with four hands between them, plus a growing company of collaborators (including dancer Kaori Ito) and a prosthetic arm with a mind of its own.
In “The Falling Star,” Abel and Gordon bring their old-school comedic sensibility to what could loosely be described as a detective story, told in a film noir style punctuated with flashes of color: a red dress, a tiny green car, a bright yellow scooter. Centered on a tiny Brussels bar, the pair’s relatively minor new project features a missing persons investigation, a sorta-kinda kidnapping, a fugitive couple...
In “The Falling Star,” Abel and Gordon bring their old-school comedic sensibility to what could loosely be described as a detective story, told in a film noir style punctuated with flashes of color: a red dress, a tiny green car, a bright yellow scooter. Centered on a tiny Brussels bar, the pair’s relatively minor new project features a missing persons investigation, a sorta-kinda kidnapping, a fugitive couple...
- 8/3/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
“Lost in Paris” directing duo Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon have shared a first look at their new film “The Falling Star,” which premieres at this year’s Locarno Film Festival.
Abel and Gordon also star in the film, which follows Boris (Abel), a former activist who works at a bartender at the Falling Star. According to the film’s official synopsis, Boris’ “guilty past resurfaces when a victim finds him and wants revenge. The appearance of a double, the depressed and solitary Dom (Abel), provides Boris, his resourceful partner Kayoko and their faithful friend Tim with the perfect escape plan. But they haven’t accounted for Dom’s ex-wife (Gordon), a suspicious detective on their trail.”
The new clip sees Gordon, as Dom’s ex-wife Fiona, going to great lengths to transport a tall sunflower stalk. She arrives at a graveyard and, after delivering the sunflower to a particular grave,...
Abel and Gordon also star in the film, which follows Boris (Abel), a former activist who works at a bartender at the Falling Star. According to the film’s official synopsis, Boris’ “guilty past resurfaces when a victim finds him and wants revenge. The appearance of a double, the depressed and solitary Dom (Abel), provides Boris, his resourceful partner Kayoko and their faithful friend Tim with the perfect escape plan. But they haven’t accounted for Dom’s ex-wife (Gordon), a suspicious detective on their trail.”
The new clip sees Gordon, as Dom’s ex-wife Fiona, going to great lengths to transport a tall sunflower stalk. She arrives at a graveyard and, after delivering the sunflower to a particular grave,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
The Guardians of the Galaxy are back for their third and final adventure together.
The original team has grown to include Nebula, Kraglin, an alternate-universe Gamora and Cosmo the Space Dog. They band together to help one of their own — Rocket — in his time of need.
In addition to The High Evolutionary, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s” big bad, there is a slew of furry friends — Lylla the otter, Teefs the walrus, and Floor the rabbit.
Click through to find out who voices these newcomers in our complete “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” cast and character guide.
Photo credit: Marvel Studios
Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)
A half-human, half-Celestial raised by space pirates, Quill has found a new family with the Guardians but longs for deeper personal connections.
Actor Chris Pratt got his big break in the NBC comedy “Parks and Recreation.” He’s starred in the...
The original team has grown to include Nebula, Kraglin, an alternate-universe Gamora and Cosmo the Space Dog. They band together to help one of their own — Rocket — in his time of need.
In addition to The High Evolutionary, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s” big bad, there is a slew of furry friends — Lylla the otter, Teefs the walrus, and Floor the rabbit.
Click through to find out who voices these newcomers in our complete “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” cast and character guide.
Photo credit: Marvel Studios
Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)
A half-human, half-Celestial raised by space pirates, Quill has found a new family with the Guardians but longs for deeper personal connections.
Actor Chris Pratt got his big break in the NBC comedy “Parks and Recreation.” He’s starred in the...
- 8/2/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
For his third edition at the helm, Locarno Film Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro has assembled a wide spectrum of films that “do not resemble each other in terms of tone or form” while reflecting “the world in all its expressions and manifestations,” he tells Variety.
This boundless range is best exemplified by the fact that starkly surrealist Filipino arthouse star Lav Díaz’s latest work, “Essential Truths of the Lake,” will be vying for the fest’s Golden Leopard alongside fare that, at least on paper, appears much lighter. This includes U.S. director Bob Byington’s indie comedy “Lousy Carter” and Estonian helmer Rainer Sarnet’s “The Invisible Flight,” which Nazzaro says “mixes Kung Fu, hard rock and the Orthodox Church.”
There are also lots of titles at Locarno that can broadly be described as “political,” like Ukrainian director Maryna Vroda’s “Stepne” — which marks a rare...
This boundless range is best exemplified by the fact that starkly surrealist Filipino arthouse star Lav Díaz’s latest work, “Essential Truths of the Lake,” will be vying for the fest’s Golden Leopard alongside fare that, at least on paper, appears much lighter. This includes U.S. director Bob Byington’s indie comedy “Lousy Carter” and Estonian helmer Rainer Sarnet’s “The Invisible Flight,” which Nazzaro says “mixes Kung Fu, hard rock and the Orthodox Church.”
There are also lots of titles at Locarno that can broadly be described as “political,” like Ukrainian director Maryna Vroda’s “Stepne” — which marks a rare...
- 7/6/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
[This story contains spoilers from The Idol finale.]
After five episodes, Sam Levinson’s latest drama The Idol has come to an end. But the controversy surrounding the hotly debated Max series created with Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Reza Fahim continues. After four episodes of building a narrative that appeared to be about a young pop artist falling victim to the abuse of a cult leader and producer, Sunday night’s season finale exposed Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) as the orchestrator of the very circumstances she was thought to be a victim of following her entrance into Tedros’ (Tesfaye) crude world of music and masochism.
The unexpected shift has caused many viewers to double down on early critiques that the series was “torture porn.” But Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who plays Jocelyn’s manager Destiny on The Idol, says the season one ending isn’t misogynistic, as some have argued. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
After five episodes, Sam Levinson’s latest drama The Idol has come to an end. But the controversy surrounding the hotly debated Max series created with Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Reza Fahim continues. After four episodes of building a narrative that appeared to be about a young pop artist falling victim to the abuse of a cult leader and producer, Sunday night’s season finale exposed Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) as the orchestrator of the very circumstances she was thought to be a victim of following her entrance into Tedros’ (Tesfaye) crude world of music and masochism.
The unexpected shift has caused many viewers to double down on early critiques that the series was “torture porn.” But Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who plays Jocelyn’s manager Destiny on The Idol, says the season one ending isn’t misogynistic, as some have argued. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
- 7/5/2023
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Weeknd’s controversial, 5-episode show The Idol is over. And with it, viewers of the HBO series got to hear Troye Sivan reimagine “My Sweet Lord,” the beloved, guitar-backed 1970 song by Beatle George Harrison, during the final episode.
Sivan’s sweet vocals hum and echo over a haunting, synthy organ as he sings the Harrison lyrics: “Really want to go with you/Really want to show you Lord/But it won’t take long, my Lord.” The track is very Xo-esque, thanks to its production by Mike Dean and the Weeknd himself.
Sivan’s sweet vocals hum and echo over a haunting, synthy organ as he sings the Harrison lyrics: “Really want to go with you/Really want to show you Lord/But it won’t take long, my Lord.” The track is very Xo-esque, thanks to its production by Mike Dean and the Weeknd himself.
- 7/3/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
After The Idol’s much-buzzed-about premiere at Cannes in May, Sam Levinson predicted that he and co-creator Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye were about to have the “show of the summer” on their hands.
The series about the self-described “sleaziest love story” in Hollywood starring a global superstar alongside Lily-Rose Depp was expected to drum up some discussion online. But the clamor around The Idol might not have been exactly what Levinson had in mind.
The show’s star power, sex appeal, creative team, and the big bucks HBO reportedly shelled...
The series about the self-described “sleaziest love story” in Hollywood starring a global superstar alongside Lily-Rose Depp was expected to drum up some discussion online. But the clamor around The Idol might not have been exactly what Levinson had in mind.
The show’s star power, sex appeal, creative team, and the big bucks HBO reportedly shelled...
- 7/2/2023
- by Cheyenne Roundtree
- Rollingstone.com
Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who stars as Destiny in “The Idol” — Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) manager — opens up on why co-creator Sam Levinson took over the much-discussed series and the likelihood of a second season.
If it weren’t for Levinson overhauling the show, Randolph wouldn’t be one of the only stabilizing individuals surrounding Depp’s sexualized pop star character. In the original version, helmed by Amy Seimetz, the actress’ role didn’t exist, she revealed to Variety, until it was scrapped and Levinson took over and hand-picked the star.
Randolph explained that Levinson re-worked the project next to the Weeknd to help bring the musician-turned-actor and series creator’s vision to life.
Read More: Lily-Rose Depp On ‘Intentional’ Nudity In ‘The Idol’: ‘I’m Really Not Scared Of It’
“What I was told was at the end of the day, Abel had a vision for it and wanted to see it through,...
If it weren’t for Levinson overhauling the show, Randolph wouldn’t be one of the only stabilizing individuals surrounding Depp’s sexualized pop star character. In the original version, helmed by Amy Seimetz, the actress’ role didn’t exist, she revealed to Variety, until it was scrapped and Levinson took over and hand-picked the star.
Randolph explained that Levinson re-worked the project next to the Weeknd to help bring the musician-turned-actor and series creator’s vision to life.
Read More: Lily-Rose Depp On ‘Intentional’ Nudity In ‘The Idol’: ‘I’m Really Not Scared Of It’
“What I was told was at the end of the day, Abel had a vision for it and wanted to see it through,...
- 6/29/2023
- by Melissa Romualdi
- ET Canada
On “The Idol,” Da’Vine Joy Randolph brings a rare bit of heart to the much-discussed show. Playing Destiny, Jocelyn’s (Lily-Rose Depp) manager, the actor portrays one of the only stabilizing forces surrounding the sexualized pop star who has been wrapped up in a dangerous world, led by wannabe musician and cult leader Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye).
Randolph was hand-picked by “Idol” co-creator Sam Levinson after the “Euphoria” creator took over the show during a complete overhaul in which he shot it again, after an initial version helmed by Amy Seimetz was completely scrapped, Randolph says. Controversy began before the show even premiered, with a Rolling Stone article that claimed production on “The Idol” had gone “disgustingly off the rails” and that Levinson’s version played like “twisted torture porn.”
The character of Destiny was added into Levinson’s version, Randolph reveals to Variety. She says Levinson re-worked the show,...
Randolph was hand-picked by “Idol” co-creator Sam Levinson after the “Euphoria” creator took over the show during a complete overhaul in which he shot it again, after an initial version helmed by Amy Seimetz was completely scrapped, Randolph says. Controversy began before the show even premiered, with a Rolling Stone article that claimed production on “The Idol” had gone “disgustingly off the rails” and that Levinson’s version played like “twisted torture porn.”
The character of Destiny was added into Levinson’s version, Randolph reveals to Variety. She says Levinson re-worked the show,...
- 6/29/2023
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Lily-Rose Depp says the nudity on “The Idol” is “really intentional” and she was never uncomfortable stripping down on set to film the series’ numerous sex scenes. The HBO series has ignited controversy over the last four weeks due to its graphic content and frequent nudity. Depp is often at the center of the show’s most risqué scenes as the show’s lead character, a pop star named Jocelyn who falls under the control of a sinister nightclub owner (Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye).
“For me, the whole character and the show and her arc was really a collaboration through and through,” Depp recently told Vogue Australia. “We know that we’re making something provocative and we are not shying away from that. That’s something I knew I was setting out to do from the beginning. I was never interested in making something puritanical. It’s okay if this...
“For me, the whole character and the show and her arc was really a collaboration through and through,” Depp recently told Vogue Australia. “We know that we’re making something provocative and we are not shying away from that. That’s something I knew I was setting out to do from the beginning. I was never interested in making something puritanical. It’s okay if this...
- 6/28/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Lily-Rose Depp thinks all the best art is polarizing, including her role in HBO’s “The Idol.”
The HBO drama series, which will air its first season finale on Sunday, has been met with much commentary and controversy when it comes to the portrayal of Depp’s character through the male gaze.
In showrunner Sam Levinson’s latest television project since “Euphoria,” Depp portrays Jocelyn, a female pop star looking to get back in the spotlight with the help of sinister nightclub owner Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye).
“I think the trust that we all built with each other, you and I, and Sam and I, and Abel and I, that can only make for a really safe-feeling set. So when it comes to the nudity and the risqué nature of the role, that to me was really intentional,” she told Vogue Australia in a joint interview with costar Troye Sivan.
The HBO drama series, which will air its first season finale on Sunday, has been met with much commentary and controversy when it comes to the portrayal of Depp’s character through the male gaze.
In showrunner Sam Levinson’s latest television project since “Euphoria,” Depp portrays Jocelyn, a female pop star looking to get back in the spotlight with the help of sinister nightclub owner Tedros (Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye).
“I think the trust that we all built with each other, you and I, and Sam and I, and Abel and I, that can only make for a really safe-feeling set. So when it comes to the nudity and the risqué nature of the role, that to me was really intentional,” she told Vogue Australia in a joint interview with costar Troye Sivan.
- 6/28/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
The Idol star Lily-Rose Depp defended the controversial HBO Max series in a new interview in which she discussed the pop-star drama’s content that some viewers have dubbed overly graphic and even “torture porn.”
Speaking to co-star Troye Sivan for Vogue Australia, the 24-year-old actress talked about the series, which chronicles the toxic relationship between a spiraling singer (Depp) and her new mentor/lover Tedros (Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd).
“We know that we’re making something provocative and we are not shying away from that,” she said. “That’s something I knew I was setting out to do from the beginning. I was never interested in making something puritanical. It’s Ok if this show isn’t for everyone and that’s fine — I think all the best art is [polarizing]. I’ve never felt more respected and more safe on a set, honestly. And I think the trust...
Speaking to co-star Troye Sivan for Vogue Australia, the 24-year-old actress talked about the series, which chronicles the toxic relationship between a spiraling singer (Depp) and her new mentor/lover Tedros (Abel Tesfaye aka The Weeknd).
“We know that we’re making something provocative and we are not shying away from that,” she said. “That’s something I knew I was setting out to do from the beginning. I was never interested in making something puritanical. It’s Ok if this show isn’t for everyone and that’s fine — I think all the best art is [polarizing]. I’ve never felt more respected and more safe on a set, honestly. And I think the trust...
- 6/28/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After the third episode of “The Idol,” series co-creator Sam Levinson described how he developed the creepy, awkward and ambitious cult leader Tedros played by Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye.
“We’re in Abel’s house, we’re talking it through, imagining the character Tedros,” Levinson said, in the series’ “Crafting the Family” featurette on Max. “And I would say, ‘Imagine you have all of the dreams that you have of what you want to do in life, in terms of music, and your career, all of the aspirations — but imagine you have none of the talent. That’s who this character is.'”
Tesfaye described the character similarly in a recent interview.
“There’s nothing really mysterious or hypnotizing about him,” he said. “And we did that on purpose with his look, his outfits, his hair — the guy’s a douchebag. You can tell he cares so much about what he looks like,...
“We’re in Abel’s house, we’re talking it through, imagining the character Tedros,” Levinson said, in the series’ “Crafting the Family” featurette on Max. “And I would say, ‘Imagine you have all of the dreams that you have of what you want to do in life, in terms of music, and your career, all of the aspirations — but imagine you have none of the talent. That’s who this character is.'”
Tesfaye described the character similarly in a recent interview.
“There’s nothing really mysterious or hypnotizing about him,” he said. “And we did that on purpose with his look, his outfits, his hair — the guy’s a douchebag. You can tell he cares so much about what he looks like,...
- 6/19/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
In "Past Lives," Nora (Greta Lee) is a happily married woman living in Canada with her husband, Arthur (John Magaro). However, after reconnecting with her childhood friend Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) online, Nora finds herself in a complicated love triangle when Hae Sung suddenly leaves South Korea to visit her in person. "Childhood sweethearts who reconnect 20 years later and realize they were meant for each other. In the story, I would be the evil white American husband standing in the way of destiny," Arthur says in the film's trailer. Once Nora and Hae Sung reunite, the pair discuss their past and wonder what would have happened if Nora had never left South Korea. "Would we have dated? Broken up? Gotten married?" Hae Sung tells Nora. "Would we have had kids together?"
"Past Lives" is just the latest emotionally stirring film from production company A24, which is the same entertainment company...
"Past Lives" is just the latest emotionally stirring film from production company A24, which is the same entertainment company...
- 6/14/2023
- by Michele Mendez
- Popsugar.com
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The second episode of “The Idol” saw a 12.37% drop in viewership when compared to the debut of the Sam Levinson-created series, which scored 913,000 viewers during last week’s Sunday launch.
An audience of 800,000 people across Max and linear HBO telecasts tuned in to watch the second episode of the HBO drama, which stars Lily-Rose Depp as rebounding pop star Jocelyn and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye as night club owner Tedros. According to Nielsen and first-party data, viewership remained steady on Max, while the HBO linear channel saw a decrease in viewing.
The debut episode is now tracking at 3.6 million viewers since its premiere, outpacing the premiere viewership for the first seasons of “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus” at the same point in time, which brought in 3.3 million in 2019 and 3 million viewers in 2021, respectively.
The second episode of “The Idol” saw a 12.37% drop in viewership when compared to the debut of the Sam Levinson-created series, which scored 913,000 viewers during last week’s Sunday launch.
An audience of 800,000 people across Max and linear HBO telecasts tuned in to watch the second episode of the HBO drama, which stars Lily-Rose Depp as rebounding pop star Jocelyn and Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye as night club owner Tedros. According to Nielsen and first-party data, viewership remained steady on Max, while the HBO linear channel saw a decrease in viewing.
The debut episode is now tracking at 3.6 million viewers since its premiere, outpacing the premiere viewership for the first seasons of “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus” at the same point in time, which brought in 3.3 million in 2019 and 3 million viewers in 2021, respectively.
- 6/12/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
Episode 2 of The Idol may be significantly better than Episode 1 only because of Lily-Rose Depp’s command of the screen. Apart from that, it’s still an aimless plot that makes less sense the further down you go. The show claims to represent the dark side of the music industry and Hollywood in general but switches lanes to cults and exploitation. As we already know, the series is deep in controversy because of a toxic behind-the-scenes mess and a whole reshoot situation after the original female director left and Sam Levinson got on board.
Spoilers Ahead
When we think about the fact that Abel was unhappy that the show had cast a bigger lens on Jocelyn rather than Tedros, our skepticism about seeing the show makes complete sense. The Idol Episode 2 had some particular scenes that were so strange that I got second-hand embarrassment for everyone involved while watching them.
Spoilers Ahead
When we think about the fact that Abel was unhappy that the show had cast a bigger lens on Jocelyn rather than Tedros, our skepticism about seeing the show makes complete sense. The Idol Episode 2 had some particular scenes that were so strange that I got second-hand embarrassment for everyone involved while watching them.
- 6/12/2023
- by Ruchika Bhat
- Film Fugitives
Spoiler Alert! This post contains details from Episode 2 of The Idol on HBO.
Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) is supposed to be preparing for her big comeback, but Episode 2 of HBO’s The Idol calls into question whether she’s ready to step back into the spotlight.
Episode 2, titled “Double Fantasy,” opens with Jocelyn trying to convince her team to release a different (and far more sexualized) version of her upcoming single “World Class Sinner” — one that she said felt more authentic but her manager shuts down the idea. Authentic or not, it’s not as commercial as the track they’ve already recorded. She reminds Jocelyn that she needs all the help she can get since she canceled her last tour due to a mental breakdown after she lost her mom to cancer. And anyway, they’re already prepared to shoot the music video for the song as it is. That...
Jocelyn (Lily-Rose Depp) is supposed to be preparing for her big comeback, but Episode 2 of HBO’s The Idol calls into question whether she’s ready to step back into the spotlight.
Episode 2, titled “Double Fantasy,” opens with Jocelyn trying to convince her team to release a different (and far more sexualized) version of her upcoming single “World Class Sinner” — one that she said felt more authentic but her manager shuts down the idea. Authentic or not, it’s not as commercial as the track they’ve already recorded. She reminds Jocelyn that she needs all the help she can get since she canceled her last tour due to a mental breakdown after she lost her mom to cancer. And anyway, they’re already prepared to shoot the music video for the song as it is. That...
- 6/12/2023
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO and Max chief Casey Bloys thinks AI has no place in the creative process at his brands.
“Two things to keep in mind when I say this: One is, remember I grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which is Steel Town,” Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, told Variety co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton during a keynote conversation Wednesday at the Variety TV FYC Fest. “So I am very, very aware of what happens when a company does not think about the future or is not aware of the future. But also, I’ve been at HBO for 19 years and I have never tested a pilot to decide whether to pick it up or not. We just don’t use all of the things other places do, it’s just not something we do. So my take on AI, the idea that AI would be involved in any...
“Two things to keep in mind when I say this: One is, remember I grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which is Steel Town,” Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, told Variety co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton during a keynote conversation Wednesday at the Variety TV FYC Fest. “So I am very, very aware of what happens when a company does not think about the future or is not aware of the future. But also, I’ve been at HBO for 19 years and I have never tested a pilot to decide whether to pick it up or not. We just don’t use all of the things other places do, it’s just not something we do. So my take on AI, the idea that AI would be involved in any...
- 6/8/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
“The Idol” viewers weren’t impressed when the series made its debut on Sunday night, but The Weeknd knew such a reaction was coming.
The Canadian hitmaker, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, told the New York Times of the TV show: “When I first started making music, it was the exact same thing.
“It was provocative, and I knew it was going to be tough for people. And a lot of people didn’t like it.”
Read More: The Weeknd Admits He Wanted To ‘P**s Some People Off’ With ‘Dark, Twisted’ New Series ‘The Idol’
“Not to compare it, but I feel that this is kind of like that again. This is not going to be for everybody, and that’s fine. We’re not politicians,” he added, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Some criticized the show’s sex scenes, while others commented on the amount of nudity.
The Canadian hitmaker, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, told the New York Times of the TV show: “When I first started making music, it was the exact same thing.
“It was provocative, and I knew it was going to be tough for people. And a lot of people didn’t like it.”
Read More: The Weeknd Admits He Wanted To ‘P**s Some People Off’ With ‘Dark, Twisted’ New Series ‘The Idol’
“Not to compare it, but I feel that this is kind of like that again. This is not going to be for everybody, and that’s fine. We’re not politicians,” he added, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Some criticized the show’s sex scenes, while others commented on the amount of nudity.
- 6/5/2023
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Lily-Rose Depp takes on her biggest role to date, playing pop star Jocelyn, in HBO’s “The Idol,” which premiered on Sunday night.
Depp — who knows a thing or two about stardom, having grown up in the Hollywood limelight herself — says she was interested in “The Idol” because it delves into the crazy and chaotic world of the music industry.
“I was really intrigued by this project as soon as I heard about it. The world that it was exploring with all of the craziness and chaos that goes on is one that we don’t get to see all the time,” Depp says. Speaking about her character, she adds, “Jocelyn is a pop star who is constantly surrounding by people who she’s not sure if she can trust.”
Talking during a post-show breakdown that HBO aired after the first episode on Sunday, Depp praised her co-star, Abel “the Weeknd” Tesfaye,...
Depp — who knows a thing or two about stardom, having grown up in the Hollywood limelight herself — says she was interested in “The Idol” because it delves into the crazy and chaotic world of the music industry.
“I was really intrigued by this project as soon as I heard about it. The world that it was exploring with all of the craziness and chaos that goes on is one that we don’t get to see all the time,” Depp says. Speaking about her character, she adds, “Jocelyn is a pop star who is constantly surrounding by people who she’s not sure if she can trust.”
Talking during a post-show breakdown that HBO aired after the first episode on Sunday, Depp praised her co-star, Abel “the Weeknd” Tesfaye,...
- 6/5/2023
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Getting ready for the big debut! Lily-Rose Depp is overwhelmed with excitement for the premiere of her new dark drama series “The Idol”.
Depp, 24, took to Instagram on Sunday to share a series of stylish behind-the-scene snapshots from the shooting of the series, many of which show her hanging out with her fellow co-stars on the neon-drenched sets.
“‘The Idol’ premieres tonight <3,” Depp wrote, alongside the slideshow post. “I can’t put into words how I’m feeling right now! This show and the people I was lucky enough to make it with mean everything to me.”
“Shooting it was the most special experience I’ve ever had, and I thank my lucky stars every day for the most beautiful little family we all built together,” she continued. “My idol fam you know who you are- I love you guys so much.”
She also gave a special shout-out to series co-creator and director Sam Levinson,...
Depp, 24, took to Instagram on Sunday to share a series of stylish behind-the-scene snapshots from the shooting of the series, many of which show her hanging out with her fellow co-stars on the neon-drenched sets.
“‘The Idol’ premieres tonight <3,” Depp wrote, alongside the slideshow post. “I can’t put into words how I’m feeling right now! This show and the people I was lucky enough to make it with mean everything to me.”
“Shooting it was the most special experience I’ve ever had, and I thank my lucky stars every day for the most beautiful little family we all built together,” she continued. “My idol fam you know who you are- I love you guys so much.”
She also gave a special shout-out to series co-creator and director Sam Levinson,...
- 6/5/2023
- by Sarah Curran
- ET Canada
Actress Lily-Rose Depp has admitted she “would steer clear” of The Weeknd while on set of their controversial new show ‘The Idol’. The 24-year-old actress, daughter of Johnny Depp, said she would avoid her 33-year-old co-star when he verged on method acting as he often got “in his zone” while channelling his character, reports Mirror.co.uk.
The new HBO drama, which has been described as “nasty and vulgar” by critics, sees Lily-Rose portray a derailed pop star named Jocelyn who is trying to regain her status as “the sexiest pop star in America.”
As per Mirror.co.uk, her dreams see her connect with nightclub promoter and cult leader Tedros (The Weeknd). Ahead of the show’s debut, Lily-Rose has opened up about the atmosphere on set.
She explained: “I don’t think anybody went full method – nobody lost their minds. Well, sometimes when Abel would get – I don...
The new HBO drama, which has been described as “nasty and vulgar” by critics, sees Lily-Rose portray a derailed pop star named Jocelyn who is trying to regain her status as “the sexiest pop star in America.”
As per Mirror.co.uk, her dreams see her connect with nightclub promoter and cult leader Tedros (The Weeknd). Ahead of the show’s debut, Lily-Rose has opened up about the atmosphere on set.
She explained: “I don’t think anybody went full method – nobody lost their minds. Well, sometimes when Abel would get – I don...
- 6/4/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Despite their unbreakable character bond in HBO and A24’s upcoming series “The Idol”, Lily-Rose Depp sometimes maintained her distance from Abel ‘The Weeknd’ Tesfaye while filming the controversial series.
Initial trailers for the already infamous series, which garnered a standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival last month, showed electrifying on-screen chemistry between Depp’s troubled pop star character Jocelyn and Tesfaye’s sleazy nightclub owner, Tedros.
Read More: Lily-Rose Depp, ‘The Idol’ Co-Creator Respond To Critics Labelling New HBO Series ‘Luxury Sleaze’ After Cannes Premiere
However, a much different on-set dynamic occurred behind the scenes during the filming of the five-episode season, Depp recently revealed to EW.
“I don’t think anybody went full method — nobody lost their minds,” she recounts, before remembering: “Well, sometimes when Abel would get — I don’t want to reveal too much about where Abel’s character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes,...
Initial trailers for the already infamous series, which garnered a standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival last month, showed electrifying on-screen chemistry between Depp’s troubled pop star character Jocelyn and Tesfaye’s sleazy nightclub owner, Tedros.
Read More: Lily-Rose Depp, ‘The Idol’ Co-Creator Respond To Critics Labelling New HBO Series ‘Luxury Sleaze’ After Cannes Premiere
However, a much different on-set dynamic occurred behind the scenes during the filming of the five-episode season, Depp recently revealed to EW.
“I don’t think anybody went full method — nobody lost their minds,” she recounts, before remembering: “Well, sometimes when Abel would get — I don’t want to reveal too much about where Abel’s character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes,...
- 6/2/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
Lily-Rose Depp is assuring audiences that “The Idol” wasn’t an exercise in Method acting.
The already-controversial HBO series, which premiered at Cannes, has been compared to porn and rape fantasy play, but lead star Depp is adamant that nobody in the cast “lost their minds” during production.
“I don’t think anybody went full Method — nobody lost their minds,” Depp told Entertainment Weekly.
Depp plays pop star Jocelyn who falls in love with twisted nightclub owner Tedros, portrayed by series co-creator Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye.
“Well, sometimes when Abel would get — I don’t want to reveal too much about where Abel’s character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes, I would steer clear of him,” Depp admitted “I’d be like, ‘He’s in his zone right now.'”
“The Idol” underwent extensive reshoots after series director Amy Seimetz parted ways with production.
The already-controversial HBO series, which premiered at Cannes, has been compared to porn and rape fantasy play, but lead star Depp is adamant that nobody in the cast “lost their minds” during production.
“I don’t think anybody went full Method — nobody lost their minds,” Depp told Entertainment Weekly.
Depp plays pop star Jocelyn who falls in love with twisted nightclub owner Tedros, portrayed by series co-creator Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye.
“Well, sometimes when Abel would get — I don’t want to reveal too much about where Abel’s character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes, I would steer clear of him,” Depp admitted “I’d be like, ‘He’s in his zone right now.'”
“The Idol” underwent extensive reshoots after series director Amy Seimetz parted ways with production.
- 6/2/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In HBO’s controversial new series “The Idol,” Lily-Rose Depp plays a young pop phenom who falls for a self-help guru and modern day cult leader named Tedros (played by Abel “the Weeknd” Tesfaye). Depp recently told Entertainment Weekly that no one in “The Idol” cast went “full Method [actor],” but that doesn’t mean some of them didn’t go at least half. Or that what it sounds like, at least.
“I don’t think anybody went full method — nobody lost their minds,” Depp said. “Well, sometimes when Abel would get — I don’t want to reveal too much about where Abel’s character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes, I would steer clear of him. I’d be like, ‘He’s in his zone right now.'”
The Weeknd said to W magazine last month that inhabiting Tedros’ headspace during the making of “The Idol...
“I don’t think anybody went full method — nobody lost their minds,” Depp said. “Well, sometimes when Abel would get — I don’t want to reveal too much about where Abel’s character goes, but when he would be in full Tedros mode sometimes, I would steer clear of him. I’d be like, ‘He’s in his zone right now.'”
The Weeknd said to W magazine last month that inhabiting Tedros’ headspace during the making of “The Idol...
- 6/2/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
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