Movie News
Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter” is being pushed back from its August release, moving to Dec. 13, 2024. It will screen in IMAX and premium large formats.
The film takes over “Karate Kid’s” original release date, which has been changed to May 30, 2025. It will now bow in theaters after the sixth and final season of “Cobra Kai” debuts on Netflix.
With a coveted Christmastime release date open, Sony is positioning “Kraven” as an R-rated option for the end of the year.
Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, “Kraven the Hunter” unpacks the origin story behind the Marvel villain, set before his notorious vendetta against Spider-Man. Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott and Russell Crowe also star.
The film is directed by J.C. Chandor, with a story by Richard Wenk and screenplay by Wenk, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. It’s produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach and David Householter.
Sony has also...
The film takes over “Karate Kid’s” original release date, which has been changed to May 30, 2025. It will now bow in theaters after the sixth and final season of “Cobra Kai” debuts on Netflix.
With a coveted Christmastime release date open, Sony is positioning “Kraven” as an R-rated option for the end of the year.
Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, “Kraven the Hunter” unpacks the origin story behind the Marvel villain, set before his notorious vendetta against Spider-Man. Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott and Russell Crowe also star.
The film is directed by J.C. Chandor, with a story by Richard Wenk and screenplay by Wenk, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway. It’s produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach and David Householter.
Sony has also...
- 4/27/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
IATSE negotiators are bracing for the next phase of contract negotiations with Hollywood’s major studios and streamers after the conclusion this week of talks with all 13 West Coast local union on the craft-specific aspects of a new master contract.
On Monday, IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will shift the focus of negotiations to wages, residuals, working conditions and the use of artificial intelligence in production. Those are the thornier issues to hammer out for the union that represents the vast majority of below-the-line workers in TV and film.
IATSE International president Matthew Loeb has...
On Monday, IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will shift the focus of negotiations to wages, residuals, working conditions and the use of artificial intelligence in production. Those are the thornier issues to hammer out for the union that represents the vast majority of below-the-line workers in TV and film.
IATSE International president Matthew Loeb has...
- 4/26/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety - TV News
[Editor’s note: The following article contains some spoilers for “Shōgun”]
There’s a scene in Episode 5 of FX’s hit show “Shōgun”, smack dab in the middle of the TV series, that acts as a microcosm for the larger narrative. The horrified English Protestant sailor, Blackthorne, wishes to give up on his mission and leave Japan and the show’s central figure of whom he’s asking permission, Toranaga, actually considers it. Then an earthquake happens. Toranaga is buried by a landslide and it’s Blackthorne who finds and pulls him out. It’s in this moment Toranaga — staring at Blackthorne who’s ripped him from death’s clutch — realizes the way towards peace despite the forces against him.
“If people know the history, they already know what Toranaga creates,” “Shōgun” star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “That was the most important thing for me about this story: Toranaga ended [the Warring States period] and...
There’s a scene in Episode 5 of FX’s hit show “Shōgun”, smack dab in the middle of the TV series, that acts as a microcosm for the larger narrative. The horrified English Protestant sailor, Blackthorne, wishes to give up on his mission and leave Japan and the show’s central figure of whom he’s asking permission, Toranaga, actually considers it. Then an earthquake happens. Toranaga is buried by a landslide and it’s Blackthorne who finds and pulls him out. It’s in this moment Toranaga — staring at Blackthorne who’s ripped him from death’s clutch — realizes the way towards peace despite the forces against him.
“If people know the history, they already know what Toranaga creates,” “Shōgun” star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “That was the most important thing for me about this story: Toranaga ended [the Warring States period] and...
- 4/28/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
This post contains spoilers for "Primer."
It is tempting to describe "Primer" as a time travel film — which it very much is — but the sheer headiness of the subject matter morphs it into something undefinable and elusive, eclipsing the metaphor of a puzzle box by the time the credits roll. Crafted with a shoestring budget of roughly $7,000, Shane Carruth's debut feature demands a certain sense of discipline and meticulous attention to detail, where seemingly innocuous dialogue or subtle character expressions often prove crucial to unraveling its wildly complicated plot. To call "Primer" confusing is an understatement: it is a film that absolutely requires repeat viewings simply to be understood, but engaging intimately with it does not guarantee comprehension of every facet.
Although Carruth peppers enough clues and red herrings to help us arrive at a sound conclusion, "Primer" does not encourage the tying up of every loose end, or...
It is tempting to describe "Primer" as a time travel film — which it very much is — but the sheer headiness of the subject matter morphs it into something undefinable and elusive, eclipsing the metaphor of a puzzle box by the time the credits roll. Crafted with a shoestring budget of roughly $7,000, Shane Carruth's debut feature demands a certain sense of discipline and meticulous attention to detail, where seemingly innocuous dialogue or subtle character expressions often prove crucial to unraveling its wildly complicated plot. To call "Primer" confusing is an understatement: it is a film that absolutely requires repeat viewings simply to be understood, but engaging intimately with it does not guarantee comprehension of every facet.
Although Carruth peppers enough clues and red herrings to help us arrive at a sound conclusion, "Primer" does not encourage the tying up of every loose end, or...
- 4/28/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
“Film is forever.”
Nicole Kidman, the 49th recipient of the prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award, made her acceptance speech on the Dolby Theatre stage on Saturday, April 27 about the filmmakers who’ve shaped her career — and her love for movies and storytelling.
The Academy Award-winning actress was joined by presenters including her “Big Little Lies” co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep, a past AFI recipient who handed Kidman the honors at the night’s end. “Can I just say, Meryl Streep? I just loved you. I always loved you. I don’t know what it is. You’re a beacon of excellence and warmth and generosity, and you’ve been my guiding light. To see this from you, you have no idea. My husband can attest, my parents can attest, it’s always been you, and no one can touch you.”
Kidman’s opening remarks set the tone for a...
Nicole Kidman, the 49th recipient of the prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award, made her acceptance speech on the Dolby Theatre stage on Saturday, April 27 about the filmmakers who’ve shaped her career — and her love for movies and storytelling.
The Academy Award-winning actress was joined by presenters including her “Big Little Lies” co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep, a past AFI recipient who handed Kidman the honors at the night’s end. “Can I just say, Meryl Streep? I just loved you. I always loved you. I don’t know what it is. You’re a beacon of excellence and warmth and generosity, and you’ve been my guiding light. To see this from you, you have no idea. My husband can attest, my parents can attest, it’s always been you, and no one can touch you.”
Kidman’s opening remarks set the tone for a...
- 4/28/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
John Carpenter is a filmmaker who boasts several stone-cold classics to his resume. Not only did he more or less invent the modern slasher movie with "Halloween," but he's also responsible for titles such as "Escape From New York," "The Thing," "They Live," "Prince of Darkness," "Big Trouble in Little China," and many more. Carpenter is pretty much retired from feature filmmaking at this point, and his as-of-now final film, "The Ward," isn't so great. However, there's one later-period Carpenter movie that I consider to be one of his best works: "In the Mouth of Madness." It received mixed reviews when it opened in 1994, and it wasn't much of a box office hit, but in my humble opinion, it's pretty damn great — and scary, too.
The film tells the story of famous horror author Sutter Cane, who is like a mash-up of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. When Cane goes...
The film tells the story of famous horror author Sutter Cane, who is like a mash-up of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. When Cane goes...
- 4/28/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Is the nepo-baby conversation over or have we just landed in a place of acceptance? Ethan Hawke understands the challenge of perception in regards to this identifier and his upcoming collaboration with daughter, Maya Hawke, in the film “Wildcat” — but he’s still pushing audiences to give this Flannery O’Connor biopic a chance. On a recent episode of CNN’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?”, Hawke explores different aspects of his career that led him to this moment and why he hopes “Wildcat” will play as more than just a “home movie.”
“The biggest challenge is releasing the movie, giving it to the public, because I knew the dad daughter act is not cute,” the elder Hawke said of his decision to cast his daughter in the biopic, which he directs. “I love working with my daughter. That doesn’t mean somebody should pay money to spend a minute of their time watching.
“The biggest challenge is releasing the movie, giving it to the public, because I knew the dad daughter act is not cute,” the elder Hawke said of his decision to cast his daughter in the biopic, which he directs. “I love working with my daughter. That doesn’t mean somebody should pay money to spend a minute of their time watching.
- 4/28/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
European powerhouse Mediawan has acquired Leonine, a leading production and distribution group active in German-speaking markets.
With the acquisition of Leonine, Mediawan will boast a portfolio of 85 labels, a catalogue spanning 30,000 hours of premium content and revenues exceeding €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion). Mediawan’s worth is now believed to be in the $2-billion range. The deal is an all-stock transaction; both companies have the same shareholder, the U.S. private equity fund Kkr.
Mediawan now has a significant footprint in all major European markets, including German-speaking territories which represent the continent’s second largest TV market. The pact positions Mediawan as one of the world’s biggest super indies with a large proportion of scripted business across prestige series and movies. Mediawan now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux and the U.K. in Europe, alongside operations in Africa, Asia and the U.S. The pan-European group’s iconic...
With the acquisition of Leonine, Mediawan will boast a portfolio of 85 labels, a catalogue spanning 30,000 hours of premium content and revenues exceeding €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion). Mediawan’s worth is now believed to be in the $2-billion range. The deal is an all-stock transaction; both companies have the same shareholder, the U.S. private equity fund Kkr.
Mediawan now has a significant footprint in all major European markets, including German-speaking territories which represent the continent’s second largest TV market. The pact positions Mediawan as one of the world’s biggest super indies with a large proportion of scripted business across prestige series and movies. Mediawan now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux and the U.K. in Europe, alongside operations in Africa, Asia and the U.S. The pan-European group’s iconic...
- 4/28/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
“The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth film in the Don Lee-starring crime action franchise, earned $20.8 million between Friday and Sunday and punched out all competition at the South Korean box office.
“Challengers,” which headed the box office this weekend in North America, with $15 million, opened fourth in Korea a 0.5% market share.
“Punishment” accounted for a crushing 94% market share and collected its weekend haul from 2.92 million ticket sales, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
The film opened officially on Wednesday, when it scored $4.92 million, and followed that with a $3.25 million Thursday. Including the weekday takings and a smattering of previews from the previous weekend, the film finished Sunday with a cumulative of $29.3 million, earned from 4.25 million spectators.
The stellar performance was the biggest opening this year, ahead of February’s “Exhuma,” a spooky drama that earned $14.5 million on its February first weekend...
“Challengers,” which headed the box office this weekend in North America, with $15 million, opened fourth in Korea a 0.5% market share.
“Punishment” accounted for a crushing 94% market share and collected its weekend haul from 2.92 million ticket sales, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
The film opened officially on Wednesday, when it scored $4.92 million, and followed that with a $3.25 million Thursday. Including the weekday takings and a smattering of previews from the previous weekend, the film finished Sunday with a cumulative of $29.3 million, earned from 4.25 million spectators.
The stellar performance was the biggest opening this year, ahead of February’s “Exhuma,” a spooky drama that earned $14.5 million on its February first weekend...
- 4/28/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Spoiler Alert: This article contains plot details for “Challengers,” now playing in theaters.
Josh O’Connor never had a churro until he shot “Challengers.”
The British actor and his co-star Mike Faist enjoy the fried doughy treat in one of the film’s most suggestive scenes. In short, Patrick (O’Connor) is visiting his girlfriend Tashi (Zendaya) and his best friend Art (Faist) at Stanford when the two young men catch up in a cafeteria. They’re sitting face-to-face as they devour the churros.
“We actually only did two takes of that scene,” O’Connor says at the drama’s Los Angeles premiere. “They were delicious. My first churro was that day.”
So why churros? As if that even needs to be asked. “Because they’re a delicious snack,” screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes says, while grinning. “They’re very popular in California – that’s why.”
Kuritzkes says O’Connor and Faist enhanced...
Josh O’Connor never had a churro until he shot “Challengers.”
The British actor and his co-star Mike Faist enjoy the fried doughy treat in one of the film’s most suggestive scenes. In short, Patrick (O’Connor) is visiting his girlfriend Tashi (Zendaya) and his best friend Art (Faist) at Stanford when the two young men catch up in a cafeteria. They’re sitting face-to-face as they devour the churros.
“We actually only did two takes of that scene,” O’Connor says at the drama’s Los Angeles premiere. “They were delicious. My first churro was that day.”
So why churros? As if that even needs to be asked. “Because they’re a delicious snack,” screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes says, while grinning. “They’re very popular in California – that’s why.”
Kuritzkes says O’Connor and Faist enhanced...
- 4/28/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety - Film News
"Futurama" is no stranger to out-there stories, but sometimes, even this show needs an excuse to break the rules. That's where the anthology episodes come in: installments featuring three seven-or-so-minute-long themed segments where the status quo of the show doesn't apply.
"Futurama" inherited this formula from co-creator Matt Groening's previous series, "The Simpsons." However, "The Simpsons" developed a consistent formula for its anthology episodes: "Treehouse of Horror," where the Simpsons family (and friends) are put through parodies of horror/sci-fi stories (from "The Twilight Zone" to "Death Note"). "Treehouse of Horror" has been an annual "Simpsons" tradition since season 2, but the series isn't constrained by this. A handful of "Simpsons" episodes are anthologies of a different flavor (see "Simpsons Bible Stories" in season 10 or "Tales from the Public Domain" in season 13).
"Futurama," though? The sci-fi show doesn't have an equivalent tradition, perhaps as part of the show's efforts to not compete with "The Simpsons.
"Futurama" inherited this formula from co-creator Matt Groening's previous series, "The Simpsons." However, "The Simpsons" developed a consistent formula for its anthology episodes: "Treehouse of Horror," where the Simpsons family (and friends) are put through parodies of horror/sci-fi stories (from "The Twilight Zone" to "Death Note"). "Treehouse of Horror" has been an annual "Simpsons" tradition since season 2, but the series isn't constrained by this. A handful of "Simpsons" episodes are anthologies of a different flavor (see "Simpsons Bible Stories" in season 10 or "Tales from the Public Domain" in season 13).
"Futurama," though? The sci-fi show doesn't have an equivalent tradition, perhaps as part of the show's efforts to not compete with "The Simpsons.
- 4/28/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Oscar-winner is first Australian actor to receive honour as Meryl Streep says it is ‘impossible not to be in awe of her’
Nicole Kidman has been honoured with an American Film Institute life achievement award at a ceremony in which stars shared stories of “quite simply one of the greatest actresses”.
The Oscar-winner became the first Australian actor to receive the highest honour for a career in film at AFI, during a ceremony that featured speeches from Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Reese Witherspoon, and Kidman’s husband, Keith Urban.
Nicole Kidman has been honoured with an American Film Institute life achievement award at a ceremony in which stars shared stories of “quite simply one of the greatest actresses”.
The Oscar-winner became the first Australian actor to receive the highest honour for a career in film at AFI, during a ceremony that featured speeches from Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Reese Witherspoon, and Kidman’s husband, Keith Urban.
- 4/28/2024
- by PA Media
- The Guardian - Film News
Game, set, now what to make of this match?
“Challengers,” a sexy, subversive, R-rated drama set in the world of tennis, easily took first place at a sluggish domestic box office this weekend with $15 million from 3,477 locations. On one hand, it’s a respectable result for an artsy movie aimed at discerning, adult audiences, but what keeps it from being a championship performance is that “Challengers” has a hefty $55 million budget (to say nothing of its marketing costs). The Amazon MGM Studios release will need strong word-of-mouth if it’s going to keep rallying — and next week brings Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” a Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy that marks the start of summer blockbuster season. The competition only stands to get fiercer from here.
Amazon MGM would probably argue that “Challengers” doesn’t need to be a box office phenomenon in order to be successful. The higher...
“Challengers,” a sexy, subversive, R-rated drama set in the world of tennis, easily took first place at a sluggish domestic box office this weekend with $15 million from 3,477 locations. On one hand, it’s a respectable result for an artsy movie aimed at discerning, adult audiences, but what keeps it from being a championship performance is that “Challengers” has a hefty $55 million budget (to say nothing of its marketing costs). The Amazon MGM Studios release will need strong word-of-mouth if it’s going to keep rallying — and next week brings Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” a Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy that marks the start of summer blockbuster season. The competition only stands to get fiercer from here.
Amazon MGM would probably argue that “Challengers” doesn’t need to be a box office phenomenon in order to be successful. The higher...
- 4/28/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
"Leprechaun" is one of those horror franchises that keeps on keepin' on. It's not very good, and yet, we, the movie-watching public, return to these movies again and again, even as they grow progressively more ridiculous. One recurring element in all of the "Leprechaun" movies is a sense of humor, particularly from the titular Leprechaun, played in the majority of the movies by Warwick Davis. Like Freddy Krueger in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" sequels, the Leprechaun is a jokester; he likes to quip when he's killing.
But as silly as the series has grown, there was a point in time when the original film was going to be much different. Specifically, it was going to be something darker and more horror-forward. Things changed, and a sense of humor prevailed. But imagine an alternate timeline when the first "Leprechaun" movie was a full-blown serious horror picture designed to scare the hell out of you.
But as silly as the series has grown, there was a point in time when the original film was going to be much different. Specifically, it was going to be something darker and more horror-forward. Things changed, and a sense of humor prevailed. But imagine an alternate timeline when the first "Leprechaun" movie was a full-blown serious horror picture designed to scare the hell out of you.
- 4/28/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
It's a good thing that "Sicario" is often cited as the best Denis Villeneuve movies, seeing as the director, cast, and crew apparently risked their lives to make it. Imagine putting yourself through life-threatening situations just to witness the poor reviews roll in and the almighty Tomatometer bestow an abject splat upon your film. Thankfully, "Sicario" currently stands at a muscular 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the third highest-rated of Villeneuve's films on the website, behind "Arrival" and "Dune: Part Two."
But without "Sicario," those other two blockbusters arguably wouldn't exist. This was the movie that established Villeneuve as a director capable of balancing human drama with large-scale action and set him on a course to shepherd the big-budget movies he's now known for. As "Dune: Part Two" crosses box office milestone after box office milestone, "Sicario" still stands as the movie that made it all possible.
As such,...
But without "Sicario," those other two blockbusters arguably wouldn't exist. This was the movie that established Villeneuve as a director capable of balancing human drama with large-scale action and set him on a course to shepherd the big-budget movies he's now known for. As "Dune: Part Two" crosses box office milestone after box office milestone, "Sicario" still stands as the movie that made it all possible.
As such,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Colman Domingo never imagined he would be “a 100 of anything.”
“The fact that I’m one of the 100 most influential people in the world feels like I have a lot to live up to, and I want to because I don’t take that lightly,” Domingo told Variety on the red carpet at the Time100 Gala Thursday night. “The fact that someone in some committee believed that I’m impacting many people on this planet, I feel like now the work begins even more so. I know that I have to be even more mindful and thoughtful about how I create and the work that I do.”
Hosted by Taraji P. Henson at Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City, the Time100 Gala celebrated this year’s most influential figures across film, sports, music and more, including Domingo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, 21 Savage, Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson, Fantasia Barrino and Henson herself.
“The fact that I’m one of the 100 most influential people in the world feels like I have a lot to live up to, and I want to because I don’t take that lightly,” Domingo told Variety on the red carpet at the Time100 Gala Thursday night. “The fact that someone in some committee believed that I’m impacting many people on this planet, I feel like now the work begins even more so. I know that I have to be even more mindful and thoughtful about how I create and the work that I do.”
Hosted by Taraji P. Henson at Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City, the Time100 Gala celebrated this year’s most influential figures across film, sports, music and more, including Domingo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, 21 Savage, Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson, Fantasia Barrino and Henson herself.
- 4/28/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
Watch just about any media from the mid-20th century and you'll quickly notice something: people smoked a lot more onscreen back then -- like, a lot more. Those born in the current century would no doubt be shocked to learn that even beloved cartoon icons like Donald Duck would light up a pipe or puff away on a stogie when the occasion merited (and that's to say nothing of commercials like the jaw-dropping marketing campaign where Fred Flinstone gets his buddy Barney and his wife Wilma hooked on Winston cigarettes).
Smoking was a useful visual shorthand for a variety of things. When Cruella De Vil spewed a wreath of putrid yellow smoke from her infamous cigarette holder in Disney's animated "101 Dalmatians," you just knew she was trouble, even before dog-napping entered the equation. Alternatively, when Cary Grant carefully lit Eva Marie Saint's cigarette in perhaps the ultimate Alfred Hitchcock picture,...
Smoking was a useful visual shorthand for a variety of things. When Cruella De Vil spewed a wreath of putrid yellow smoke from her infamous cigarette holder in Disney's animated "101 Dalmatians," you just knew she was trouble, even before dog-napping entered the equation. Alternatively, when Cary Grant carefully lit Eva Marie Saint's cigarette in perhaps the ultimate Alfred Hitchcock picture,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Francis Ford Coppola's miraculous 1970s run of "The Godfather," "The Conversation," "The Godfather Part II" and "Apocalypse Now" came crashing to a hubristic halt in 1982 when his backlot musical "One from the Heart," produced at his recently purchased Zoetrope Studios in the heart of Hollywood, bombed upon release. Poor reviews and audience indifference resulted in a paltry $637,000 gross against a $26 million budget, thus killing his dream of an artist-driven mini-community.
The magnitude of the film's failure meant Coppola would have to lower his sights for the time being, and make films with more straightforward commercial appeal as a means of paying off his debts. It was a shockingly precipitous fall, one that left his many admirers worried that he'd become more of a paycheck-to-paycheck director. This happened eventually, but for a time he was able to stoke his creative fire even if he was making movies that weren't as...
The magnitude of the film's failure meant Coppola would have to lower his sights for the time being, and make films with more straightforward commercial appeal as a means of paying off his debts. It was a shockingly precipitous fall, one that left his many admirers worried that he'd become more of a paycheck-to-paycheck director. This happened eventually, but for a time he was able to stoke his creative fire even if he was making movies that weren't as...
- 4/28/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
A pair of Warner Bros. releases have achieved some important box office milestones.
“Dune: Part Two,” the acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s monumental sci-fi novel, has passed $700 million worldwide, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” the latest installment in the long-running monster franchise, eclipsed $500 million at the global box office. Both films were produced in partnership with Legendary Entertainment.
“We congratulate our partners at Legendary, [‘Dune’ director] Denis Villeneuve, [‘Godzilla x Kong’ director] Adam Wingard, and their casts and crews for bringing these amazing projects to life and to audiences around the world,” Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. “We are also very proud of the work our global marketing and distribution teams have undertaken on behalf of ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Godzilla x Kong’ – these box office milestones are a testament to their tremendous efforts.”
As of Friday,...
“Dune: Part Two,” the acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s monumental sci-fi novel, has passed $700 million worldwide, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” the latest installment in the long-running monster franchise, eclipsed $500 million at the global box office. Both films were produced in partnership with Legendary Entertainment.
“We congratulate our partners at Legendary, [‘Dune’ director] Denis Villeneuve, [‘Godzilla x Kong’ director] Adam Wingard, and their casts and crews for bringing these amazing projects to life and to audiences around the world,” Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. “We are also very proud of the work our global marketing and distribution teams have undertaken on behalf of ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Godzilla x Kong’ – these box office milestones are a testament to their tremendous efforts.”
As of Friday,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
There wasn't a more capable director of massive, widescreen Westerns working in Hollywood during the 1950s and '60s than John Sturges. Whether classical ("Gunfight at the O.K. Corral") or somewhat unconventional ("Bad Day at Black Rock"), Sturges could frame a mountainous expanse or stage a gunfight with the best of them. He thrived when working with big casts and specialized in discovering stirring nuances in characters that would've been walking cliches in more typical genre flicks.
Sturges was also efficient, which came in handy when managing expensive studio productions populated with big egos. His biggest challenge in this department might've been "The Magnificent Seven," the 1960 remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece "Seven Samurai." Yul Brynner, then a hugely popular movie star (largely on the strength of his Academy Award-winning performance in "The King and I" and his portrayal of Ramses in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments"), controlled...
Sturges was also efficient, which came in handy when managing expensive studio productions populated with big egos. His biggest challenge in this department might've been "The Magnificent Seven," the 1960 remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece "Seven Samurai." Yul Brynner, then a hugely popular movie star (largely on the strength of his Academy Award-winning performance in "The King and I" and his portrayal of Ramses in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments"), controlled...
- 4/28/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
[Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for “Challengers”]
Despite the implications of this story’s headline, these two films are not alike. Well, they are. Kind of. In some regards. Mainly in the sense that the focal point of each is centered around the clashes that come as a result of non-monogamy and specifically the challenges of maintaining civility within a ménage-à-trois relationship. There’s also a connection between the two leads of each film, Zendaya and Jean-Pierre Léaud, in that both began their careers as children and used these roles to expand audiences’ perceptions of them as adults. Perhaps most tangentially, the two films cover time periods of great social ignorance — Post-’60s France and Pre-2020 America (as well as Pre-Housing and Financial Crisis America) — and are aimed at sparking the public’s curiosities, albeit in completely different ways. Thankfully, this piece does not aim to strictly draw comparisons between the two films, but rather convince readers...
Despite the implications of this story’s headline, these two films are not alike. Well, they are. Kind of. In some regards. Mainly in the sense that the focal point of each is centered around the clashes that come as a result of non-monogamy and specifically the challenges of maintaining civility within a ménage-à-trois relationship. There’s also a connection between the two leads of each film, Zendaya and Jean-Pierre Léaud, in that both began their careers as children and used these roles to expand audiences’ perceptions of them as adults. Perhaps most tangentially, the two films cover time periods of great social ignorance — Post-’60s France and Pre-2020 America (as well as Pre-Housing and Financial Crisis America) — and are aimed at sparking the public’s curiosities, albeit in completely different ways. Thankfully, this piece does not aim to strictly draw comparisons between the two films, but rather convince readers...
- 4/28/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Is there any actor who casually oozes coolness like Kurt Russell?
As with anyone in Hollywood, the young Russell had to earn his stripes. Upon signing a contract with the Mouse House, he started out anchoring a collection of zany Disney comedies in the '60s and '70s, including "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes," "The Strongest Man in the World," and "The Barefoot Executive," a movie that paired him opposite a chimpanzee. Beginning with their 1979 made-for-tv "Elvis" biopic, however, Russell and director John Carpenter collaborated on a series of highly efficient yet firmly modest genre films, many of which became cult hits and cemented their too-cool-for-school reputation.
Russell has only continued to evolve his legacy in the 21st century, starring in everything from cult favorites as worlds apart as "Sky High" and "Bone Tomahawk" to Quentin Tarantino joints and blockbuster franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Fast...
As with anyone in Hollywood, the young Russell had to earn his stripes. Upon signing a contract with the Mouse House, he started out anchoring a collection of zany Disney comedies in the '60s and '70s, including "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes," "The Strongest Man in the World," and "The Barefoot Executive," a movie that paired him opposite a chimpanzee. Beginning with their 1979 made-for-tv "Elvis" biopic, however, Russell and director John Carpenter collaborated on a series of highly efficient yet firmly modest genre films, many of which became cult hits and cemented their too-cool-for-school reputation.
Russell has only continued to evolve his legacy in the 21st century, starring in everything from cult favorites as worlds apart as "Sky High" and "Bone Tomahawk" to Quentin Tarantino joints and blockbuster franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Fast...
- 4/28/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
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To the uninitiated, the "Halloween" franchise is just a slasher series. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. A masked maniac with a big knife wandering around different settings, cutting down anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way. Sure, while that might be true for John Carpenter's classic original, the series would grow increasingly odd and incredulous as the years went on.
As of this writing, there are four different "Halloween" timelines featuring Michael Myers. It starts with the original timeline, including the orignal "Halloween" from 1978, its sequel "Halloween II," the legacy sequel "Halloween H20," and "Halloween: Resurrection." Then, of course, is the colloquial Cult of Thorn timeline, which also includes those first two movies, followed by then "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers," "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers," and "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
To the uninitiated, the "Halloween" franchise is just a slasher series. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. A masked maniac with a big knife wandering around different settings, cutting down anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way. Sure, while that might be true for John Carpenter's classic original, the series would grow increasingly odd and incredulous as the years went on.
As of this writing, there are four different "Halloween" timelines featuring Michael Myers. It starts with the original timeline, including the orignal "Halloween" from 1978, its sequel "Halloween II," the legacy sequel "Halloween H20," and "Halloween: Resurrection." Then, of course, is the colloquial Cult of Thorn timeline, which also includes those first two movies, followed by then "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers," "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers," and "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
- 4/28/2024
- by Chad Collins
- Slash Film
Anyone who has seen "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" — and going by the film's impressive box-office numbers, that oughta be most of you out there — knows that Dan Stevens is an absolute delight in it. To be fair, this isn't a huge surprise, as anyone who's been following Stevens' on-screen career knows that the actor is routinely a highlight of everything he appears in, whether he's the lead in something like FX's "Legion" and "GxK" director Adam Wingard's "The Guest" or (and sometimes especially) when he's appearing as a supporting character in films like "Colossal" or this month's "Abigail."
His role of Trapper in "GxK" seems particularly special, however, given that Stevens isn't merely playing a comic relief character. Instead, he's some unique combination of a wonder-filled adventurer, an animal-loving veterinarian, and a laid-back hippie dude. That's just one way of describing Trapper, however — Stevens himself has...
His role of Trapper in "GxK" seems particularly special, however, given that Stevens isn't merely playing a comic relief character. Instead, he's some unique combination of a wonder-filled adventurer, an animal-loving veterinarian, and a laid-back hippie dude. That's just one way of describing Trapper, however — Stevens himself has...
- 4/28/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Now that "Dune: Part Two" has arrived and passed multiple box office milestones, director Denis Villeneuve can claim to have done the impossible and successfully adapted Frank Herbert's "unfilmable" 1965 novel. 2021's "Dune" and the sequel's critical and commercial triumphs are well-earned, too, with Villeneuve and his team delivering a truly epic sci-fi two-parter that immerses viewers in a world that feels at once alien and believably real.
The Oscar-winning effects in "Dune" and its sequel create an impressive sense of scale, but they're also remarkable for achieving such a feat without making the films feel akin to the blockbuster CGI-fests we're used to in the modern age. Villeneuve, cinematographer Greig Fraser, and production designer Patrice Vermette managed to craft a world that feels visceral and convincing throughout, despite the heavy use of visual effects. Of course, filming on location in the deserts of Jordan and Abu Dhabi helped a lot in that regard,...
The Oscar-winning effects in "Dune" and its sequel create an impressive sense of scale, but they're also remarkable for achieving such a feat without making the films feel akin to the blockbuster CGI-fests we're used to in the modern age. Villeneuve, cinematographer Greig Fraser, and production designer Patrice Vermette managed to craft a world that feels visceral and convincing throughout, despite the heavy use of visual effects. Of course, filming on location in the deserts of Jordan and Abu Dhabi helped a lot in that regard,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The famous twist at the end of Irvin Kershner's 1980 sci-fi epic "The Empire Strikes Back" — that the evil Darth Vader (James Earl Jones/David Prowse) was actually the father of the heroic Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) — was shocking enough to send seismic ripples through the future of pop culture. Young prospective filmmakers reared in 1980 were so shocked by the famed "Empire" revelation that the "hero was secretly related to the villain this whole time" twist would eventually become a common screenwriting trope.
As many Starwoids will be able to tell you, the "I am your father" twist famously contradicts dialogue from George Lucas' "Star Wars" from three years earlier. In that film, the trustworthy Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) revealed that he was friends with Luke's father, who was, by Obi-Wan's own description, definitely not Darth Vader. Indeed, Darth Vader was said to have murdered Luke's father. So when...
As many Starwoids will be able to tell you, the "I am your father" twist famously contradicts dialogue from George Lucas' "Star Wars" from three years earlier. In that film, the trustworthy Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) revealed that he was friends with Luke's father, who was, by Obi-Wan's own description, definitely not Darth Vader. Indeed, Darth Vader was said to have murdered Luke's father. So when...
- 4/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
As Luca Guadagnino’s acclaimed tennis film Challengers makes its case for sporting immortality, critic Guy Lodge chooses 20 of the genre’s undisputed heavyweights
Challengers reviewed by Wendy Ide
Analogies of life as sport have been exhausted by every Pe teacher in existence. In the movies, however, they’re eternally renewable. Take Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s sleek, sexy, sweat-drenched new film, which hits every metaphor you might expect in its story of three tennis pros locked in a tense love triangle: games are won and lost, points scored, doubles partners swapped, and so on. Shot and paced with the ricocheting energy of a great tennis match, it’s a sports movie that, like many a classic of the genre, understands the parallels between sport and cinema as two great crowd-pleasing pastimes.
The sports movie is pretty much as old as movies themselves: for early silent-cinema pioneers at the turn of the 20th century,...
Challengers reviewed by Wendy Ide
Analogies of life as sport have been exhausted by every Pe teacher in existence. In the movies, however, they’re eternally renewable. Take Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s sleek, sexy, sweat-drenched new film, which hits every metaphor you might expect in its story of three tennis pros locked in a tense love triangle: games are won and lost, points scored, doubles partners swapped, and so on. Shot and paced with the ricocheting energy of a great tennis match, it’s a sports movie that, like many a classic of the genre, understands the parallels between sport and cinema as two great crowd-pleasing pastimes.
The sports movie is pretty much as old as movies themselves: for early silent-cinema pioneers at the turn of the 20th century,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Luca Guadagnino’s sizzling, sharply scripted drama, co-starring Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is such fun it’s almost indecent
Nobody harnesses horniness quite like Luca Guadagnino. With his lavish, luxurious portrait of forbidden lust, the Tilda Swinton-starring I Am Love, Guadagnino embraced one of cinema’s most cliched symbolic sensual devices, filling the frame with come-hither shots of delectable food. But somehow, in his hands, this hackneyed metaphor feels fresh, and the film is a skin-tingling exploration of erotic tension. Then there’s Call Me By Your Name, with its scenes of peach-grappling and languid yearning, in which even the spaces between the characters are charged with longing. And Bones and All, which virtually rebrands cannibalism as a legitimate kink. But even by Guadagnino’s highly charged standards, Challengers is an absurdly sexy movie. With its power plays and exquisite cruelty, the shimmering beauty of its three leads and their tantalising interlocking desires,...
Nobody harnesses horniness quite like Luca Guadagnino. With his lavish, luxurious portrait of forbidden lust, the Tilda Swinton-starring I Am Love, Guadagnino embraced one of cinema’s most cliched symbolic sensual devices, filling the frame with come-hither shots of delectable food. But somehow, in his hands, this hackneyed metaphor feels fresh, and the film is a skin-tingling exploration of erotic tension. Then there’s Call Me By Your Name, with its scenes of peach-grappling and languid yearning, in which even the spaces between the characters are charged with longing. And Bones and All, which virtually rebrands cannibalism as a legitimate kink. But even by Guadagnino’s highly charged standards, Challengers is an absurdly sexy movie. With its power plays and exquisite cruelty, the shimmering beauty of its three leads and their tantalising interlocking desires,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
Hollywood legends gathered Saturday night to celebrate Nicole Kidman as she received the prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Film Institute.
The ceremony featured tributes from Kidman’s esteemed peers and collaborators, including Meryl Streep, Zoe Saldaña, Naomi Watts, Zac Efron, David E. Kelley, Morgan Freeman, Keith Urban, Aaron Sorkin and Reese Witherspoon. The audience also included Lee Daniels, Mimi Leder and “Expats” creator and director Lulu Wang along with Kidman’s co-stars Ji-young and Sarayu Blue. The 56-year-old Oscar-winning actress expressed her deep gratitude for her distinguished career.
Kidman was visibly moved by the accolades from numerous distinguished colleagues, including Miles Teller. However, her husband, Keith Urban, shared intimate details about their life together, highlighting when he entered rehabilitation for substance abuse five months into their marriage, but most importantly, sharing Kidman’s guiding principle: “Choose love.”
Kidman made time to honor the...
The ceremony featured tributes from Kidman’s esteemed peers and collaborators, including Meryl Streep, Zoe Saldaña, Naomi Watts, Zac Efron, David E. Kelley, Morgan Freeman, Keith Urban, Aaron Sorkin and Reese Witherspoon. The audience also included Lee Daniels, Mimi Leder and “Expats” creator and director Lulu Wang along with Kidman’s co-stars Ji-young and Sarayu Blue. The 56-year-old Oscar-winning actress expressed her deep gratitude for her distinguished career.
Kidman was visibly moved by the accolades from numerous distinguished colleagues, including Miles Teller. However, her husband, Keith Urban, shared intimate details about their life together, highlighting when he entered rehabilitation for substance abuse five months into their marriage, but most importantly, sharing Kidman’s guiding principle: “Choose love.”
Kidman made time to honor the...
- 4/28/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety - Film News
Showtime has a tendency, even more so than most networks, to drag its shows on for way too long. From "Dexter" to "Weeds" to "Californication," their shows just can't quite seem to learn how to end on a high note. Whereas HBO tends to leave its audience wanting more, Showtime series stick around until the audience begs them to go away.
Such is the case with "Shameless," a show that could've gone down as one of the greats of the 2010s if only it hadn't tried to drag things out a solid four or five seasons past its natural expiration date. By season 11 it was in full zombie mode, with one of its leads gone with the wind and the others acting like shells of their former selves. Of course, not all of the latter seasons were terrible, just as not all of the early seasons were perfect. Here's our...
Such is the case with "Shameless," a show that could've gone down as one of the greats of the 2010s if only it hadn't tried to drag things out a solid four or five seasons past its natural expiration date. By season 11 it was in full zombie mode, with one of its leads gone with the wind and the others acting like shells of their former selves. Of course, not all of the latter seasons were terrible, just as not all of the early seasons were perfect. Here's our...
- 4/28/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
J.J. Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek" feature film wasn't so much an adaptation of the 1966 TV series as it was a film version of how non-Trekkies view the franchise. To explain: on the TV series, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) is typically depicted as being judicious, stern, and decisive. Because of the few times Kirk solved problems with his fists, however, he has gained a (perhaps unfair) reputation for being a reckless cowboy, an insufferable lothario, and a flippant charmer. Abrams' version of Kirk (Chris Pine) rolled with those misconceptions, making a "high-octane" version of the character. Indeed, all the characters are now broader, more passionate versions of themselves. This is in addition to each of them being secret super-geniuses, deeply expert in at least one field of science, language, medicine, or engineering.
Case in point, Chekov (Anton Yelchin) knows how to operate a transporter in such a way that he can...
Case in point, Chekov (Anton Yelchin) knows how to operate a transporter in such a way that he can...
- 4/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Paul Verhoeven's 1997 sci-fi war film "Starship Troopers," based on the 1959 novel by Robert A. Heinlein, is a vicious satire that lampoons the aggressive, unthinking language used to bolster unjust, fascistic wars. The main characters are all young, attractive, empty-headed grunts inducted into a meaningless 24th-century intergalactic war with a distant species of giant intelligent arachnids.
The most notable feature of Verhoeven's film, however, is the propaganda videos that periodically fill the screen. Clear-voiced, boldly preachy short films announce to the audience that the war needs to be fought and that the government needs as many able-bodied youths as it can wrangle to feed them into the soul-hollowing combat machine. "The only good bug is a dead bug," people growl. Anti-bug sentiment is high.
Also, the film is a comedy. Screenwriter Edward Neumeier ("RoboCop") strikes a broadly cynical tone, playfully dissecting the American war machine and the politicians who spoke of war as a grand,...
The most notable feature of Verhoeven's film, however, is the propaganda videos that periodically fill the screen. Clear-voiced, boldly preachy short films announce to the audience that the war needs to be fought and that the government needs as many able-bodied youths as it can wrangle to feed them into the soul-hollowing combat machine. "The only good bug is a dead bug," people growl. Anti-bug sentiment is high.
Also, the film is a comedy. Screenwriter Edward Neumeier ("RoboCop") strikes a broadly cynical tone, playfully dissecting the American war machine and the politicians who spoke of war as a grand,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Bob Bakish is expected to resign as Paramount Global CEO amid merger talks heating up with Skydance, IndieWire has learned and according to multiple media reports.
It’s expected that Bakish, who has been with the company since 1997, could step down as early as Monday, which would be ahead of the company’s earnings call on Monday afternoon. He was named CEO in 2019 back when the company was called ViacomCBS.
Reps for Paramount Global declined comment.
It’s a shocking move that comes just as Skydance is closing in on its acquisition of Shari Redstone’s National Amusements, the theater company that holds 77 percent of the controlling shares of Paramount Global.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a Bakish ouster was a possibility, with some board members reportedly souring on his leadership, and CNBC first reported Saturday that his exit could be as soon as Monday. The WSJ says...
It’s expected that Bakish, who has been with the company since 1997, could step down as early as Monday, which would be ahead of the company’s earnings call on Monday afternoon. He was named CEO in 2019 back when the company was called ViacomCBS.
Reps for Paramount Global declined comment.
It’s a shocking move that comes just as Skydance is closing in on its acquisition of Shari Redstone’s National Amusements, the theater company that holds 77 percent of the controlling shares of Paramount Global.
The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a Bakish ouster was a possibility, with some board members reportedly souring on his leadership, and CNBC first reported Saturday that his exit could be as soon as Monday. The WSJ says...
- 4/27/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
The world is bleak and we could all use a laugh and yet, for some reason, the shows we classify as “comedies” these days — “The Bear”, “Ted Lasso”, and more recently, “Baby Reindeer” — all tend to deal in subject matters that don’t always give us the ha-ha’s we’ve come to expect from the genre. There are outliers however, such as “Abbott Elementary”, which, in a recent episode, managed to find the funny in the unfunny of one of the previous shows listed, as well as “Hacks”, whose delayed third season begins on May 2 and couldn’t be more needed.
Ahead of the Season 3 premiere, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky spoke to The Hollywood Reporter to share their views on the lost art of comedy.
“To even be making a comedy today, we feel really lucky,” Statsky said. “For some reason, there seem to be fewer and fewer of them.
Ahead of the Season 3 premiere, Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky spoke to The Hollywood Reporter to share their views on the lost art of comedy.
“To even be making a comedy today, we feel really lucky,” Statsky said. “For some reason, there seem to be fewer and fewer of them.
- 4/27/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
There’s no rule that says that when the son or daughter of a famous filmmaker becomes a director too, he or she has to follow in their parent’s artistic footsteps. But the children of director David Cronenberg have turned out to be chips off the old shock-theater block. In movies like “Possessor” and “Infinity Pool,” the 44-year-old Brandon Cronenberg has proved himself to be a skillful purveyor of body horror and I-dare-you-not-to-look-away extremity. And now, with “Humane,” the 39-year-old Caitlin Cronenberg has directed her own first feature, a dark-as-midnight domestic thriller about how climate change, totalitarianism, and euthanasia all go together. The movie, which takes the form of a dinner party from hell, is Caitlin Cronenberg’s own thing, but it’s all about crimes of the future.
Few real-world topics are more urgent than climate change, yet as dramatic feature-film material the meltdown of the planet has...
Few real-world topics are more urgent than climate change, yet as dramatic feature-film material the meltdown of the planet has...
- 4/27/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
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Ah, "The Notebook." Everyone knows about this now-classic romance film, helmed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. It's the story of a boy and a girl from different sides of the tracks who fall in love with each other in the 1940s. Gosling's character, a poor hellraiser named Noah, woos McAdams' wealthy Allie first by dangling off a Ferris Wheel and then inviting her to lie down in the middle of an intersection. Sounds romantic. We've all been there, right?
Meanwhile, while this story is playing out in the past, we also cut back and forth to the present, where an old man named Duke (James Garner) is telling the love story of Noah and Allie to an old woman (Gena Rowlands) in a nursing home. If you haven't seen the movie or read the Nicholas Sparks book that inspired it,...
Ah, "The Notebook." Everyone knows about this now-classic romance film, helmed by Nick Cassavetes and starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. It's the story of a boy and a girl from different sides of the tracks who fall in love with each other in the 1940s. Gosling's character, a poor hellraiser named Noah, woos McAdams' wealthy Allie first by dangling off a Ferris Wheel and then inviting her to lie down in the middle of an intersection. Sounds romantic. We've all been there, right?
Meanwhile, while this story is playing out in the past, we also cut back and forth to the present, where an old man named Duke (James Garner) is telling the love story of Noah and Allie to an old woman (Gena Rowlands) in a nursing home. If you haven't seen the movie or read the Nicholas Sparks book that inspired it,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Harvey Weinstein has been hospitalized in New York City, days after the New York Court of Appeals overturned his 2020 rape conviction.
Attorney Arthur Aidala said Saturday that Weinstein was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for a battery of tests, according to the Associated Press.
“They examined him and sent him to Bellevue. It seems like he needs a lot of help, physically,” Aidala said. “He’s got a lot of problems. He’s getting all kinds of tests. He’s somewhat of a train wreck health wise.”
Frank Dwyer, a spokesperson with the New York City Department of Correction, said Weinstein remains in custody at Bellevue.
“Mr. Weinstein has a history of high blood pressure, heart issues, and a myriad of other health conditions. The trip from the Walsh Rmu to NYC triggered some of the health issues that warranted closer monitoring,” Juda Engelmayer, Weinstein’s spokesperson, told Variety in a statement.
Attorney Arthur Aidala said Saturday that Weinstein was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for a battery of tests, according to the Associated Press.
“They examined him and sent him to Bellevue. It seems like he needs a lot of help, physically,” Aidala said. “He’s got a lot of problems. He’s getting all kinds of tests. He’s somewhat of a train wreck health wise.”
Frank Dwyer, a spokesperson with the New York City Department of Correction, said Weinstein remains in custody at Bellevue.
“Mr. Weinstein has a history of high blood pressure, heart issues, and a myriad of other health conditions. The trip from the Walsh Rmu to NYC triggered some of the health issues that warranted closer monitoring,” Juda Engelmayer, Weinstein’s spokesperson, told Variety in a statement.
- 4/27/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
Looks like a shake-up is happening in Culver City. After initially announcing release dates for “Kraven the Hunter” and “Karate Kid” during the 2024 Summer and Christmas seasons, Sony has decided to delay both films and swap their seasonal positions.
The upcoming “Karate Kid” movie, which sees Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprising their roles from various iterations of the franchise, was originally slated to hit theaters on December 13, 2024. The film will now open six months later on May 30, 2025. A source close to the project told IndieWire that the move will allow the final season of the Macchio-led series “Cobra Kai” to conclude before the film hits theaters. The new positioning also allows the family-friendly film to target a wider audience during summer vacation for many K-12 students.
The move was likely necessitated by the fact that “Cobra Kai” had its final season pushed back by the strikes that brought Hollywood...
The upcoming “Karate Kid” movie, which sees Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprising their roles from various iterations of the franchise, was originally slated to hit theaters on December 13, 2024. The film will now open six months later on May 30, 2025. A source close to the project told IndieWire that the move will allow the final season of the Macchio-led series “Cobra Kai” to conclude before the film hits theaters. The new positioning also allows the family-friendly film to target a wider audience during summer vacation for many K-12 students.
The move was likely necessitated by the fact that “Cobra Kai” had its final season pushed back by the strikes that brought Hollywood...
- 4/27/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
"The Simpsons" is a show home to innumerable colorful characters, including two space aliens named Kang and Kodos. How do aliens fit into the world of Springfield? Out of canon, of course! Created by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky, the alien characters made their debut on the Halloween episode "Treehouse of Horror," and have appeared in every "Treehouse of Horror" episode since (with one exception: "Treehouse of Horror Xxi").
These episodes are understood to take place outside of the standard "Simpsons" continuity, which means aliens can pop up and have no effect on the show's "normal" world. While Kang and Kodos mostly get cameo appearances, they occasionally get their own major "Treehouse of Horror" plotlines, like the time they famously switched places with then-presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Bob Dole for "Treehouse of Horror VII." This is the episode that gave us the now-famous line, "Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.
These episodes are understood to take place outside of the standard "Simpsons" continuity, which means aliens can pop up and have no effect on the show's "normal" world. While Kang and Kodos mostly get cameo appearances, they occasionally get their own major "Treehouse of Horror" plotlines, like the time they famously switched places with then-presidential candidates Bill Clinton and Bob Dole for "Treehouse of Horror VII." This is the episode that gave us the now-famous line, "Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.
- 4/27/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Harvey Weinstein was admitted to a Manhattan hospital on Saturday, two days after his New York rape conviction was overturned by a slim majority of the state’s highest appeals court.
The disgraced former Hollywood mogul’s lawyer Arthur Aidala told reporters his client was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for multiple tests.
“He’s got a lot of problems,” Aidala said. “He’s getting all kinds of tests. He’s somewhat of a train wreck, health-wise.”
Weinstein, 72, remains under custody while in hospital.
He is due to return to court in New York on May 1 after the Manhattan...
The disgraced former Hollywood mogul’s lawyer Arthur Aidala told reporters his client was admitted to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for multiple tests.
“He’s got a lot of problems,” Aidala said. “He’s getting all kinds of tests. He’s somewhat of a train wreck, health-wise.”
Weinstein, 72, remains under custody while in hospital.
He is due to return to court in New York on May 1 after the Manhattan...
- 4/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Last Saturday, at the TCM Classic Film Festival in Los Angeles (via The Hollywood Reporter), “Holdovers” director Alexander Payne presented The Robert Osborne Award — an award named for the late TCM anchor that honors individuals dedicated to preserving classic film history — to an educator and historian that many people may not have heard of. Her name is Jeanine Basinger and before her 60-year career teaching at Wesleyan University, or writing 13 books on film that continue to inspire, she was a movie theater usher in a town in South Dakota with only two venues. So vast was her love for the medium that, according to Payne, she worked “at both theaters.”
It was this love that fostered a passion in Payne as well despite never having had a single class with Basinger. In his speech to her, he said, “I didn’t go to Wesleyan. And I would say she’s...
It was this love that fostered a passion in Payne as well despite never having had a single class with Basinger. In his speech to her, he said, “I didn’t go to Wesleyan. And I would say she’s...
- 4/27/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Did you know there are only two perfect horror movies? Or that there are only two perfect sci-fi films? At least, that's what Rotten Tomatoes would have you believe. The great arbiter of our collective cinematic taste has bestowed the hallowed 100% Tomatometer rating on just a handful of films across cinema history, and the result of this incessant ranking of art has apparently left us with two perfect "Toy Story" movies and just a single perfect "Godzilla" film. What a world.
Anyway, for whatever reason, Rotten Tomatoes scores remain consistently alluring to us all, even showing up on our streaming interfaces and instantly deciding for us whether a movie is worth a watch. Now, it's time to put cinematic legend and Hollywood hero Charlie Chaplin under the microscope and see how this giant of the industry can stand up to the mighty Tomatometer.
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin is, of course,...
Anyway, for whatever reason, Rotten Tomatoes scores remain consistently alluring to us all, even showing up on our streaming interfaces and instantly deciding for us whether a movie is worth a watch. Now, it's time to put cinematic legend and Hollywood hero Charlie Chaplin under the microscope and see how this giant of the industry can stand up to the mighty Tomatometer.
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin is, of course,...
- 4/27/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Amid the M&a drama enveloping Paramount Global, Bob Bakish is about to step down as CEO after eight years at the helm of Shari Redstone’s media empire.
Bakish is expected to resign under pressure as early as Monday. The executive has been with Paramount and its Viacom predecessor since 1997. He was recruited by Redstone in 2016 to help bring order to a company that had descended into public legal brawling among shareholders and a battle for control between Redstone and former Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman. Word of Bakish’s pending exit first surfaced Friday in the Wall Street Journal.
At present, Paramount‘s board of directors is deep in exclusive acquisitions talks with Skydance Media and RedBird Capital. Another group, Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management, is poised to field a formal all-cash offer for the company next week as the May 3 expiration date of the exclusive negotiating window with Skydance nears.
Bakish is expected to resign under pressure as early as Monday. The executive has been with Paramount and its Viacom predecessor since 1997. He was recruited by Redstone in 2016 to help bring order to a company that had descended into public legal brawling among shareholders and a battle for control between Redstone and former Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman. Word of Bakish’s pending exit first surfaced Friday in the Wall Street Journal.
At present, Paramount‘s board of directors is deep in exclusive acquisitions talks with Skydance Media and RedBird Capital. Another group, Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management, is poised to field a formal all-cash offer for the company next week as the May 3 expiration date of the exclusive negotiating window with Skydance nears.
- 4/27/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety - Film News
With the back-to-back blockbuster combo of "Jaws" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," Steven Spielberg had firmly established himself as a sui generis Hollywood visionary when, in 1978, he chose to make "1941." Most people consider this a near-disaster of a decision. The anarchic World War II comedy, set in panicked Southern California in the immediate wake of the assault on Pearl Harbor, was a 180-degree turn from the spirited adventure and childlike yearning of his previous two films. It was silly, vulgar and more than a little mean. And, most audaciously, it was making light of the country's understandably crazed reaction to an attack that killed thousands of U.S. military personnel.
Spielberg's co-conspirators in this juvenile affront to one of the worst days in 20th century American history were screenwriters John Milius, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale — and, really, all you have to do is watch "Used Cars...
Spielberg's co-conspirators in this juvenile affront to one of the worst days in 20th century American history were screenwriters John Milius, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale — and, really, all you have to do is watch "Used Cars...
- 4/27/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
British actress Amy Tara has been cast in a leading role in the U.S. mystery-thriller “Dream.”
The film tells the story of a group of friends who are led by a dream to uncover what they believe might be a trafficking industry in their small working-class town.
“Dream” is written and directed by Ben Pauling, and co-directed by Sam Pauling. The film is financed through ArchAge Pictures. Executive producers are Jon Pauling, Micheal Flaherty, co-founder of Walden Media, and producer of “Everest” and a production executive on “Chronicles of Narnia,” Brian Rogers, producer of Legendary’s “Godzilla” franchise, and Samuel Rodriguez.
Other cast include Ben Pauling, Steven Cox, Christopher Ammanuel and Cameron Hanes.
Tara, who previously appeared in stage play “Indigo Giant,” will next be seen in Stuart Brennan’s action-fantasy feature film “Assassin’s Guild,” in which she plays alongside Ryan Gage (“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug...
The film tells the story of a group of friends who are led by a dream to uncover what they believe might be a trafficking industry in their small working-class town.
“Dream” is written and directed by Ben Pauling, and co-directed by Sam Pauling. The film is financed through ArchAge Pictures. Executive producers are Jon Pauling, Micheal Flaherty, co-founder of Walden Media, and producer of “Everest” and a production executive on “Chronicles of Narnia,” Brian Rogers, producer of Legendary’s “Godzilla” franchise, and Samuel Rodriguez.
Other cast include Ben Pauling, Steven Cox, Christopher Ammanuel and Cameron Hanes.
Tara, who previously appeared in stage play “Indigo Giant,” will next be seen in Stuart Brennan’s action-fantasy feature film “Assassin’s Guild,” in which she plays alongside Ryan Gage (“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug...
- 4/27/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Who doesn’t love Carrie Coon? For those of us lucky enough to see her star-turn in Steppenwolf Theater’s production of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” during the early 2010s — a production that also earned her the affections of her now husband, Tracy Letts — there’s always been a slight obsession with her rise to fame. She stunned us in “The Leftovers” with her complex portrayal of a woman who’s lost everything and is dying to feel again. She broke our hearts in Season 3 of “Fargo” as a cop unable to make sense of a world that keeps getting crazier. Now in “The Gilded Age”, she is serving us glamor, history, and a healthy dose of petty vindictiveness. With her role in the latest installment of “The White Lotus” on the horizon, one can’t help but wonder if the sky isn’t the limit for this constantly evolving talent.
- 4/27/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
The 1999 Frank Darabont film "The Green Mile" has its fair share of truly despicable characters, but the grossest of them all has to be Sam Rockwell's "Wild Bill" Wharton, who assaults and abuses both corrections officers and his fellow inmates with abandon. In the film, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, Wild Bill is an inmate who comes to the death row facility where guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) works and makes life hell for everyone there, and Rockwell really put his all into it, portraying one of cinema's biggest slimeballs. He uses racist slurs, urinates on a guard's shoes, and spits a whole bunch of Moon Pie chocolate filling all over another guard. He also spits right in Paul's face, and it's nasty.
In a video for GQ where he breaks down his most iconic roles, Rockwell shares the secrets behind what was...
In a video for GQ where he breaks down his most iconic roles, Rockwell shares the secrets behind what was...
- 4/27/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Portraying mental health issues and trauma on-screen isn’t a walk in the park. There’s a responsibility in discussing these subjects, a delicacy that shouldn’t be underserved, and breakout “Baby Reindeer” star Jessica Gunning takes this to heart. In playing the lonely stalker Martha on the autobiographical Netflix TV series from comedian Richard Gadd, Gunning chased down the opportunity to care for this character.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times recently, Gunning said, “I really thought, if this gets into the wrong hands and it ever gets played by an actress who sees her as scary, or plays a kind of crazy version of a stalker, I think you’d absolutely ruin what is such nuanced, careful, delicate storytelling.”
Gunning isn’t wrong. The plotting of “Baby Reindeer” is a high-wire act that deals in subject matters ranging from the struggles of success in absurdist comedy to sexual...
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times recently, Gunning said, “I really thought, if this gets into the wrong hands and it ever gets played by an actress who sees her as scary, or plays a kind of crazy version of a stalker, I think you’d absolutely ruin what is such nuanced, careful, delicate storytelling.”
Gunning isn’t wrong. The plotting of “Baby Reindeer” is a high-wire act that deals in subject matters ranging from the struggles of success in absurdist comedy to sexual...
- 4/27/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
"The Simpsons," now in its 500th season (okay, it's actually in season 35, but who's counting?) recently made headlines by killing off a character who has been with the show since the beginning. It's not the first time the classic animated sitcom has bumped off a character — Maude Flanders famously died, as did Bart's teacher Mrs. Krabappel, and both instances left poor Ned Flanders a widower. Bleeding Gums Murphy's death sent Lisa Simpson into depression. Dr. Marvin Monroe was said to have died, only to then return. Then, of course, there's the unfortunate Frank Grimes, who died after grabbing some electrical wiring in one of the show's most infamous (and best) episodes. In short, death is nothing new to Springfield — especially when you consider how long "The Simpsons" has been on the air. The characters may not exactly age, but time marches on.
However, this recent character death seems to be getting to people.
However, this recent character death seems to be getting to people.
- 4/27/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Kurt Russell has played a lot of memorable characters throughout his career, and one character definitely near the top of the list would have to be Snake Plissken. Russell's Plissken made his big screen debut in "Escape From New York," John Carpenter's sci-fi action movie set in the futuristic year 1988. In Carpenter's film, the island of Manhattan has been converted into a giant maximum security prison. Convicts are sent to New York and forced to fend for themselves, living in the cut-off city and joining various gangs, all of whom seem to be at war with each other. When the President of the United States ends up crashing in New York after Air Force One is hijacked, the government calls in Snake Plissken to save the day.
A former soldier-turned-criminal, Snake has recently been arrested and is forced against his will to rescue the President. A device is implanted within...
A former soldier-turned-criminal, Snake has recently been arrested and is forced against his will to rescue the President. A device is implanted within...
- 4/27/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
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