Movie News
Steven Spielberg’s next movie will hit theaters on May 15, 2026, Universal and Amblin Entertainment announced Thursday.
The untitled movie is described as an original event film created and helmed by the iconic director, but plot details are being kept under tight wraps.
Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is written by longtime collaborator David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide.
He last directed the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, which was released in 2022. Released by Universal, the Amblin film received seven Academy Awards nominations, including for best picture, directing, best original screenplay, best actress and best picture.
Spielberg is one of the industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers, along with being the top-grossing director of all time. His bevy of blockbusters include Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park.
The untitled movie is described as an original event film created and helmed by the iconic director, but plot details are being kept under tight wraps.
Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is written by longtime collaborator David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide.
He last directed the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, which was released in 2022. Released by Universal, the Amblin film received seven Academy Awards nominations, including for best picture, directing, best original screenplay, best actress and best picture.
Spielberg is one of the industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers, along with being the top-grossing director of all time. His bevy of blockbusters include Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park.
- 5/23/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The velociraptors have found a Friend.
Rupert Friend, the British actor who in appeared in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, will star alongside Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey in the all-new Jurassic World feature being made by Universal Pictures.
Gareth Edwards is directing the creature feature that also has Manuel Garcia-Rulfo on the call sheet.
David Koepp, the original screenwriter of Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park, penned the script for the new installment, whose plot details are being kept hidden in a can of Barbasol.
The project is casting furiously ahead of a production start in mid-June in London. Universal will have a tight turnaround in postproduction, as the studio has set a theatrical release of July 2, 2025.
Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, who have shepherded the modern Jurassic franchise, will produce through Kennedy/Marshall. Steven Spielberg, who kicked off the franchise in 1993 with Jurassic Park, is exec producing through Amblin Entertainment.
Rupert Friend, the British actor who in appeared in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, will star alongside Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey in the all-new Jurassic World feature being made by Universal Pictures.
Gareth Edwards is directing the creature feature that also has Manuel Garcia-Rulfo on the call sheet.
David Koepp, the original screenwriter of Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park, penned the script for the new installment, whose plot details are being kept hidden in a can of Barbasol.
The project is casting furiously ahead of a production start in mid-June in London. Universal will have a tight turnaround in postproduction, as the studio has set a theatrical release of July 2, 2025.
Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, who have shepherded the modern Jurassic franchise, will produce through Kennedy/Marshall. Steven Spielberg, who kicked off the franchise in 1993 with Jurassic Park, is exec producing through Amblin Entertainment.
- 5/22/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A Native American costume designer sued Apple on Wednesday, alleging that her contributions to “Killers of the Flower Moon” were overlooked during the studio’s awards campaign.
Kristi Marie Hoffman, who was credited as an assistant costume designer, also alleges that she was subject to racial discrimination on set.
Hoffman filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which resulted in a confidential settlement in December 2022. Subsequently, Hoffman alleges that the studio retaliated by denying her credit and accolades and “attempting to erase her contributions.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hoffman sued Apple, the Costume Designers Guild, and Jacqueline West, the costume designer who hired her.
In the complaint, she states that she was brought on because West needed someone with the cultural competency to handle the project, and West also wanted to make sure that Native Americans were represented among the crew.
Kristi Marie Hoffman, who was credited as an assistant costume designer, also alleges that she was subject to racial discrimination on set.
Hoffman filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which resulted in a confidential settlement in December 2022. Subsequently, Hoffman alleges that the studio retaliated by denying her credit and accolades and “attempting to erase her contributions.”
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hoffman sued Apple, the Costume Designers Guild, and Jacqueline West, the costume designer who hired her.
In the complaint, she states that she was brought on because West needed someone with the cultural competency to handle the project, and West also wanted to make sure that Native Americans were represented among the crew.
- 5/22/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety - Film News
And the winner is: “Simon of the Mountain.”
The film, directed by Federico Luis – and marking his feature debut – was awarded Cannes’ Critics Week Grand Prix.
Sold by Luxbox, the Argentina-Chile-Uruguay production stars Lorenzo “Toto” Ferro, the lead in breakout “El Angel,” as Simon, 21, a lonely only son who falls in with a group of discapacitated kids, feigning a discapacity. Thanks to their friendship he flowers, discovering love, sex and a sense of belonging.
“I am thinking not only about what it means to us, but also about what it means to the people in Argentina who, over the course of the next four years, will struggle, trying to make local films,” said Luis, accepting the award.
“At home, there are people who still think we make films no one wants to see. I hope this will change it and that Argentinian people – and then the whole world – will watch Argentinian cinema.
The film, directed by Federico Luis – and marking his feature debut – was awarded Cannes’ Critics Week Grand Prix.
Sold by Luxbox, the Argentina-Chile-Uruguay production stars Lorenzo “Toto” Ferro, the lead in breakout “El Angel,” as Simon, 21, a lonely only son who falls in with a group of discapacitated kids, feigning a discapacity. Thanks to their friendship he flowers, discovering love, sex and a sense of belonging.
“I am thinking not only about what it means to us, but also about what it means to the people in Argentina who, over the course of the next four years, will struggle, trying to make local films,” said Luis, accepting the award.
“At home, there are people who still think we make films no one wants to see. I hope this will change it and that Argentinian people – and then the whole world – will watch Argentinian cinema.
- 5/22/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
A remake of Heaven Can Wait is in early development at Paramount with Glen Powell, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Stephen Gaghan, an Oscar winner for his script for Steven Soderbergh’s 2000 crime film Traffic, is writing the project for Powell to star. Based on Harry Segall’s play of the same name, the original 1978 movie Heaven Can Wait starred Warren Beatty and was nominated for nine Oscars including best picture, with the film notching a win for best art direction.
Heaven Can Wait centered on Beatty as an NFL quarterback who dies prematurely due to an antsy angel and returns to Earth in the body of a recently murdered millionaire. Beatty directed the film with Buck Henry and co-wrote the script with Elaine May.
Segall’s play Heaven Can Wait had previously been adapted for the 1941 feature Here Comes Mr. Jordan, with the lead character being a boxer, and...
Stephen Gaghan, an Oscar winner for his script for Steven Soderbergh’s 2000 crime film Traffic, is writing the project for Powell to star. Based on Harry Segall’s play of the same name, the original 1978 movie Heaven Can Wait starred Warren Beatty and was nominated for nine Oscars including best picture, with the film notching a win for best art direction.
Heaven Can Wait centered on Beatty as an NFL quarterback who dies prematurely due to an antsy angel and returns to Earth in the body of a recently murdered millionaire. Beatty directed the film with Buck Henry and co-wrote the script with Elaine May.
Segall’s play Heaven Can Wait had previously been adapted for the 1941 feature Here Comes Mr. Jordan, with the lead character being a boxer, and...
- 5/21/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski and Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A24 has nabbed U.S. rights to “The Death of Robin Hood,” one of the hottest packages at this year’s Cannes. The Sherwood Forest-set film stars Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer and is directed by Michael Sarnoski, the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed “Pig” and this summer’s “A Quiet Place: Day One.”
According to the official logline, the film will find Robin Hood “grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder.” Instead of the merry outlaw seen in certain previous versions of the story, like the one portrayed by Errol Flynn, this Robin Hood is “a battle-worn loner [who] finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman, who offers him a chance at salvation.” Production on “The Death of Robin Hood” is set to begin in 2025. A24 will release the film theatrically. Negotiations were highly competitive with several potential buyers circling the film.
According to the official logline, the film will find Robin Hood “grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder.” Instead of the merry outlaw seen in certain previous versions of the story, like the one portrayed by Errol Flynn, this Robin Hood is “a battle-worn loner [who] finds himself gravely injured and in the hands of a mysterious woman, who offers him a chance at salvation.” Production on “The Death of Robin Hood” is set to begin in 2025. A24 will release the film theatrically. Negotiations were highly competitive with several potential buyers circling the film.
- 5/21/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
Exclusive: AI firm Flawless, distributor-financier XYZ Films (Mandy), and producer Tea Shop Productions (The Fall) have acquired Michel Gondry’s 2023 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight movie The Book Of Solutions for all English-speaking territories.
Directed and written by Gondry, the French-language comedy is the first film in seven years from the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep filmmaker.
It will be releases simultaneously in the original French language and converted to a director-approved English-language version using Flawless’ TrueSync AI technology, which became known after movies like The Fall. You can read about Flawless’ “visual translation” techniques and acquisitions strategy in our story here.
Pic stars Pierre Niney, Blanche Gardin, Francoise Lebrun and Vincent Elbaz and was produced by George Bermann at Partizan.
In the film, Marc (Niney), a bipolar and paranoid filmmaker, is having trouble with his latest project. With his editor as an accomplice, he manages...
Directed and written by Gondry, the French-language comedy is the first film in seven years from the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep filmmaker.
It will be releases simultaneously in the original French language and converted to a director-approved English-language version using Flawless’ TrueSync AI technology, which became known after movies like The Fall. You can read about Flawless’ “visual translation” techniques and acquisitions strategy in our story here.
Pic stars Pierre Niney, Blanche Gardin, Francoise Lebrun and Vincent Elbaz and was produced by George Bermann at Partizan.
In the film, Marc (Niney), a bipolar and paranoid filmmaker, is having trouble with his latest project. With his editor as an accomplice, he manages...
- 5/23/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Vanessa Kirby has amassed an impressively starry ensemble cast for the first feature out of the gates for Aluna Entertainment, the production company she established in 2021 with former Film4 exec Lauren Dark.
“Night Always Comes,” which Oscar nominee Kirby will lead, is set to star Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen (“The Peanut Butter Falcon”), Stephan James (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Julia Fox (“Uncut Gems”), Eli Roth, Randall Park and Michael Kelly.
Shooting is now underway in Portland on the thriller, which is based on the 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin. Benjamin Caron directs from a script by Sarah Conradt (“Mother’s Instinct”).
As per the logline, “Night Always Comes” follows Lynette, a woman who risks everything to secure a future for herself and her brother by setting out on a dangerous odyssey in Portland, in doing so confronting her own dark past over one propulsive night.
Kirby and Dark are producing...
“Night Always Comes,” which Oscar nominee Kirby will lead, is set to star Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen (“The Peanut Butter Falcon”), Stephan James (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Julia Fox (“Uncut Gems”), Eli Roth, Randall Park and Michael Kelly.
Shooting is now underway in Portland on the thriller, which is based on the 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin. Benjamin Caron directs from a script by Sarah Conradt (“Mother’s Instinct”).
As per the logline, “Night Always Comes” follows Lynette, a woman who risks everything to secure a future for herself and her brother by setting out on a dangerous odyssey in Portland, in doing so confronting her own dark past over one propulsive night.
Kirby and Dark are producing...
- 5/23/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Kodak, which had a momentous 2023 with more than 60 movies shot on film has gotten off to a promising start in 2024 with Luca Guadignino’s “Challengers” and Jane Shoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow, which A24 released wide May 17. Upcoming releases include Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” and Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu.”
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 29 movies shot on film at Cannes. These include five features competing for the Palme d’Or: Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Karim Aïnouz’s “Motel Destino,” and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.”
Additionally, four movies are featured in Un Certain Regard, and 16 titles across Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week were captured on film. Meanwhile, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 23 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
This article was first published January 27, 2024. It has been updated.
Cannes 2024 Premieres ‘Kinds...
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 29 movies shot on film at Cannes. These include five features competing for the Palme d’Or: Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Karim Aïnouz’s “Motel Destino,” and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.”
Additionally, four movies are featured in Un Certain Regard, and 16 titles across Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week were captured on film. Meanwhile, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 23 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
This article was first published January 27, 2024. It has been updated.
Cannes 2024 Premieres ‘Kinds...
- 5/27/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
‘The Boys: Mexico’: Showrunner Eric Kripke Says Gael García Bernal’s Spinoff Is Still “A While Away”
“The Boys” already had one successful spinoff with last year’s “Gen V,” so when will the next one show up? EW reports that it might take some time before Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna‘s “The Boys: Mexico” become official. But based on what showrunner Eric Kripke says about the series, it’ll be worth the wait.
Continue reading ‘The Boys: Mexico’: Showrunner Eric Kripke Says Gael García Bernal’s Spinoff Is Still “A While Away” at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Boys: Mexico’: Showrunner Eric Kripke Says Gael García Bernal’s Spinoff Is Still “A While Away” at The Playlist.
- 5/23/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
“Wayne’s World” is looking to party on in 2024.
The iconic buddy comedy lands a live table reading courtesy of nonprofit arts organization Film Independent, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and Mubi. The new version of “Wayne’s World” will have a cast solely comprised of women, queer, and non-binary actors, with Abbi Jacobson and Zoe Lister-Jones in the two lead roles originally played by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey.
In addition to Jacobson’s Wayne and Lister-Jones’ Garth, Kate Berlant plays agent Benjamin who was originally portrayed by Rob Lowe in the film. Nicole Byer stars as Russel, Poppy Cassandra’s character.
The cast additionally includes Robby Hoffman and Poppy Liu, with more names to be announced. The full “Wayne’s World” reinvention will take place at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts’ Bram Goldsmith Theater on Wednesday, June 11.
Lister-Jones will also direct the table reading, following...
The iconic buddy comedy lands a live table reading courtesy of nonprofit arts organization Film Independent, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and Mubi. The new version of “Wayne’s World” will have a cast solely comprised of women, queer, and non-binary actors, with Abbi Jacobson and Zoe Lister-Jones in the two lead roles originally played by Mike Myers and Dana Carvey.
In addition to Jacobson’s Wayne and Lister-Jones’ Garth, Kate Berlant plays agent Benjamin who was originally portrayed by Rob Lowe in the film. Nicole Byer stars as Russel, Poppy Cassandra’s character.
The cast additionally includes Robby Hoffman and Poppy Liu, with more names to be announced. The full “Wayne’s World” reinvention will take place at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts’ Bram Goldsmith Theater on Wednesday, June 11.
Lister-Jones will also direct the table reading, following...
- 5/23/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
David Cronenberg always makes personal cinema, whether telepodding Jeff Goldblum into a human-sized pest in “The Fly” or asking James Spader to fuck a gaping flesh wound in “Crash.” The Canadian filmmaker will never tell you what makes his body horror classics so close to home, but he doesn’t feel it should matter to viewers anyway.
“For an average audience, they shouldn’t have to know that,” Cronenberg, behind oversized Saint Laurent sunglasses, told IndieWire at Cannes on a windy day atop the Jw Marriott. “They shouldn’t have to know that it has any basis in my reality at all. The movie has to stand on its own, and you can’t expect the audience to give you credit because it’s really happened to you.”
But his latest film “The Shrouds,” his seventh to compete for the Palme d’Or at Cannes and a co-production of fashion house Saint Laurent,...
“For an average audience, they shouldn’t have to know that,” Cronenberg, behind oversized Saint Laurent sunglasses, told IndieWire at Cannes on a windy day atop the Jw Marriott. “They shouldn’t have to know that it has any basis in my reality at all. The movie has to stand on its own, and you can’t expect the audience to give you credit because it’s really happened to you.”
But his latest film “The Shrouds,” his seventh to compete for the Palme d’Or at Cannes and a co-production of fashion house Saint Laurent,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
When you think of classic horror comedies, you definitely think of the 1980s, the decade where the genre was mostly born; you have “Ghostbusters,” “Gremlins,” “Critters,” and of course “Beetlejuice” by Tim Burton, arguably one of the masters of all things macabre and comedic and a genre unto himself. And while it took Burton almost four decades to make a sequel to his Michael Keaton-starring classic—about a malicious spirit (Beetlejuice) hired to drive out an unbearable family that has moved into the home of a recently deceased couple— he’s finally returning with “Beetlejuice 2,” aka “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” in the fall.
Continue reading ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Trailer: Tim Burton & Michael Keaton’s Iconic Undead Character Returns In September at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Trailer: Tim Burton & Michael Keaton’s Iconic Undead Character Returns In September at The Playlist.
- 5/23/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Beetlejuice is ready to haunt a new generation.
For sequel film “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the titular undead figure played by Michael Keaton continues to stalk his favorite family, led by matriarch Catherine O’Hara, daughter Winona Ryder, and now, granddaughter Jenna Ortega. The “Wednesday” breakout star continues her collaborations with “Beetlejuice” director Tim Burton, who also helms the “Addams Family” spinoff Netflix series.
Burton directs “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” from a script written by Seth Grahame-Smith, David Katzenberg, Michael McDowel, Mike Vukadinovich, and Larry Wilson. In addition to Ortega, new franchise cast members include characters played by Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, and Willem Dafoe, who teased his role is that of a dead B-movie action star turned detective in the afterlife.
The Warner Bros. release comes more than 40 years after the original 1988 horror-comedy classic. Lead star Keaton teased that “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a “beautiful” film due to its practical effects to People magazine.
“It...
For sequel film “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the titular undead figure played by Michael Keaton continues to stalk his favorite family, led by matriarch Catherine O’Hara, daughter Winona Ryder, and now, granddaughter Jenna Ortega. The “Wednesday” breakout star continues her collaborations with “Beetlejuice” director Tim Burton, who also helms the “Addams Family” spinoff Netflix series.
Burton directs “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” from a script written by Seth Grahame-Smith, David Katzenberg, Michael McDowel, Mike Vukadinovich, and Larry Wilson. In addition to Ortega, new franchise cast members include characters played by Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, and Willem Dafoe, who teased his role is that of a dead B-movie action star turned detective in the afterlife.
The Warner Bros. release comes more than 40 years after the original 1988 horror-comedy classic. Lead star Keaton teased that “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is a “beautiful” film due to its practical effects to People magazine.
“It...
- 5/23/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
From Jekyll and Hyde to the Wolfman, to much more recent twists on atavistic transformations, the concept of shape-shifting has always been a popular one in fiction — with storytellers turning the dial up or down on the potential social commentary therein, according to taste and preference. In “Animale,” the closing film of this year’s Cannes Critics’ Week section, director Emma Benestan is rather more interested in the interpersonal dynamics navigated by 22-year-old female bull-runner Nejma (Oulaya Amamra) than in really savouring some promising horror implications. She gives Dr. Jekyll center stage, as it were, rather than getting too involved with Mr. Hyde.
Nejma works at a ranch in Camargue, France, where bulls are raised to compete in the arena for baying crowds of exhilarated spectators. It is a traditionally masculine environment: From the bulls to the men who wrangle them, the emphasis is on displays of physical strength and ferocity.
Nejma works at a ranch in Camargue, France, where bulls are raised to compete in the arena for baying crowds of exhilarated spectators. It is a traditionally masculine environment: From the bulls to the men who wrangle them, the emphasis is on displays of physical strength and ferocity.
- 5/23/2024
- by Catherine Bray
- Variety - Film News
Are moviegoers really clamoring for more of the ghost with the most? Tim Burton and Warner Bros. certainly think so. After dropping a disappointingly tepid teaser trailer last March, the Goth King of Hollywood (who probably single-handedly kept the ubiquitous shopping mall mainstay Hot Topic in business) has just unleashed a full theatrical trailer that, hopefully, whets fans' appetite for another ghoulish, antic-filled adventure headlined by the always game Michael Keaton.
For those of us who came of age during Burton's bizarro Hollywood auteur era (which kicked off with 1985's timeless classic "Pee Wee's Big Adventure), we're hoping one of the most visually distinct filmmakers in the history of the medium has rediscovered his macabre mojo. "Beetlejuice" (which he once described as his anti-Spielberg film), "Edward Scissorhands," and his two Batman movies looked completely unlike any other studio productions. They played like live-action Charles Addams illustrations -- yes,...
For those of us who came of age during Burton's bizarro Hollywood auteur era (which kicked off with 1985's timeless classic "Pee Wee's Big Adventure), we're hoping one of the most visually distinct filmmakers in the history of the medium has rediscovered his macabre mojo. "Beetlejuice" (which he once described as his anti-Spielberg film), "Edward Scissorhands," and his two Batman movies looked completely unlike any other studio productions. They played like live-action Charles Addams illustrations -- yes,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
There's a delightful moment early in Ron Howard's documentary "Jim Henson Idea Man," where Henson, creator of the Muppets, appears on "The Orson Welles Show." Recounting his youth, Henson admits that when he was a child he had absolutely no interest in puppets, nor did he use puppets. Welles is overdramatically shocked. "You never saw a puppet?" the auteur turned talk-show host asks, incredulous. Henson didn't say those exact words, but he nods in agreement. It's a wonderful little anecdote: the man who is perhaps the most famous puppeteer to ever live didn't really care about puppets when he was younger. As "Idea Man" makes clear in its early moments, puppetry just sort of happened to Jim Henson. As a young guy obsessed with TV and filmmaking, Henson answered an ad for puppetry on a local TV station — and the rest is history. Henson was a natural, and his career...
- 5/23/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Universal Pictures has dated an “untitled event film” directed by Steven Spielberg for a wide release on Friday, May 15, 2026. The story will be by Spielberg and the screenplay by his frequent collaborator David Koepp.
While no further details were shared at present, Variety reported last month that Spielberg’s next project will “likely” be “a UFO film based on his own original idea” and written by Koepp. The May 2026 release is Spielberg’s original idea as written by Koepp, and a Spielberg UFO film would surely be an event film.
When reached by IndieWire, a spokesperson for Universal Pictures declined comment on the UFO detail.
Of course, most Spielberg films are event films, with many written by Koepp, including: “Jurassic Park,” “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “War of the Worlds” (a UFO film!), and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Combined, those titles have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide.
While no further details were shared at present, Variety reported last month that Spielberg’s next project will “likely” be “a UFO film based on his own original idea” and written by Koepp. The May 2026 release is Spielberg’s original idea as written by Koepp, and a Spielberg UFO film would surely be an event film.
When reached by IndieWire, a spokesperson for Universal Pictures declined comment on the UFO detail.
Of course, most Spielberg films are event films, with many written by Koepp, including: “Jurassic Park,” “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” “War of the Worlds” (a UFO film!), and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Combined, those titles have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide.
- 5/23/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Vanessa Kirby has amassed an impressively starry ensemble cast for the first feature out of the gates for Aluna Entertainment, the production company she established in 2021 with former Film4 exec Lauren Dark.
“Night Always Comes,” which Oscar nominee Kirby will lead, is set to star Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen (“The Peanut Butter Falcon”), Stephan James (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Julia Fox (“Uncut Gems”), Eli Roth, Randall Park and Michael Kelly.
Shooting is now underway in Portland on the thriller, which is based on the 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin. Benjamin Caron directs from a script by Sarah Conradt (“Mother’s Instinct”).
As per the logline, “Night Always Comes” follows Lynette, a woman who risks everything to secure a future for herself and her brother by setting out on a dangerous odyssey in Portland, in doing so confronting her own dark past over one propulsive night.
Kirby and Dark are producing...
“Night Always Comes,” which Oscar nominee Kirby will lead, is set to star Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen (“The Peanut Butter Falcon”), Stephan James (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Julia Fox (“Uncut Gems”), Eli Roth, Randall Park and Michael Kelly.
Shooting is now underway in Portland on the thriller, which is based on the 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin. Benjamin Caron directs from a script by Sarah Conradt (“Mother’s Instinct”).
As per the logline, “Night Always Comes” follows Lynette, a woman who risks everything to secure a future for herself and her brother by setting out on a dangerous odyssey in Portland, in doing so confronting her own dark past over one propulsive night.
Kirby and Dark are producing...
- 5/23/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Julio Torres is stepping into a very literal and gender-swapped “Girl With a Pearl Earring” rendition for HBO.
The “Los Espookys” creator is back at the network with new surreal series “Fantasmas,” which he created, directed, and stars in. The series debuted at the Atx TV Festival earlier this year.
Torres plays a fictionalized version of himself as he tries to uncover a lost gold oyster earring. In his search to find the precious object, Torres’ character Julio reflects on the offbeat folks he encounters in introspective, eerie, and comedic vignettes set in a dreamy, alternate version of New York City. The surreal series is billed as a “fantastical six-part tale” that is a “kaleidoscope of color” to “weave together stories of people looking for meaning, purpose, and connection in an increasingly isolating world.”
In addition to Torres, the cast includes Martine Gutierrez, Tomas Matos, and Joe Rumrill as the voice of Bibo.
The “Los Espookys” creator is back at the network with new surreal series “Fantasmas,” which he created, directed, and stars in. The series debuted at the Atx TV Festival earlier this year.
Torres plays a fictionalized version of himself as he tries to uncover a lost gold oyster earring. In his search to find the precious object, Torres’ character Julio reflects on the offbeat folks he encounters in introspective, eerie, and comedic vignettes set in a dreamy, alternate version of New York City. The surreal series is billed as a “fantastical six-part tale” that is a “kaleidoscope of color” to “weave together stories of people looking for meaning, purpose, and connection in an increasingly isolating world.”
In addition to Torres, the cast includes Martine Gutierrez, Tomas Matos, and Joe Rumrill as the voice of Bibo.
- 5/23/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Oscar-winning screenwriter says he has always been gay, but is only now going public. At 81, he reflects on LSD, gurus and falling out with Whoopi Goldberg
When Bruce Joel Rubin was writing Ghost, he didn’t think about the Oscars it might win or the money it would make (more than $500m). Instead, he drew on an intimate moment from his past. When Molly, played by Demi Moore, tells her boyfriend Sam (Patrick Swayze) that she loves him, all he can say in return is: “Ditto.” Back in his college days, Rubin was the ditto guy, unable to echo his then-girlfriend’s heartfelt sentiment. But for an unusual reason: he was gay.
“I’ve never not been gay,” says the genial 81-year-old from his home in a leafy part of Brooklyn, New York, where the trees are crowding at the window behind him. “I am fully gay, and I always knew it.
When Bruce Joel Rubin was writing Ghost, he didn’t think about the Oscars it might win or the money it would make (more than $500m). Instead, he drew on an intimate moment from his past. When Molly, played by Demi Moore, tells her boyfriend Sam (Patrick Swayze) that she loves him, all he can say in return is: “Ditto.” Back in his college days, Rubin was the ditto guy, unable to echo his then-girlfriend’s heartfelt sentiment. But for an unusual reason: he was gay.
“I’ve never not been gay,” says the genial 81-year-old from his home in a leafy part of Brooklyn, New York, where the trees are crowding at the window behind him. “I am fully gay, and I always knew it.
- 5/23/2024
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Criterion and Janus Films have acquired four of auteur Michael Haneke’s never before seen catalog titles that have been restored in 4K by Les Films du Losange, it was revealed at the Cannes Film Festival.
Initially produced and shot for Austria’s TV Orf, the four titles were directed by Haneke between 1976 and 1993. This is the first time these films have been restored and brought to the rest of the world. Les Films du Losange cleared the rights and restored the films, with the support of the Austrian Film Institute. Haneke led the restorations himself.
The titles include 1979 pair “Lemmings Tale 1: Arcadia” that follows the coming-of-age of teenagers in a small town in Austria in the fall of 1959 and “Lemmings Tale 2: Injuries” that follows the same characters 20 years later.
In “Three Paths to the Lake” (1976), Elisabeth Matrei comes to Klagenfurt, in Austria, to vacation with her widowed father.
Initially produced and shot for Austria’s TV Orf, the four titles were directed by Haneke between 1976 and 1993. This is the first time these films have been restored and brought to the rest of the world. Les Films du Losange cleared the rights and restored the films, with the support of the Austrian Film Institute. Haneke led the restorations himself.
The titles include 1979 pair “Lemmings Tale 1: Arcadia” that follows the coming-of-age of teenagers in a small town in Austria in the fall of 1959 and “Lemmings Tale 2: Injuries” that follows the same characters 20 years later.
In “Three Paths to the Lake” (1976), Elisabeth Matrei comes to Klagenfurt, in Austria, to vacation with her widowed father.
- 5/23/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
The 2024 Tribeca Festival jury has been announced with a star-studded filmmaker lineup.
This year, David O. Russell, Selma Blair, Asghar Farhadi, Kim Cattrall, Francesca Scorsese, and more will select the winning projects in the film, games, and audio storytelling sections across the 17 competition categories. In addition to the awards in competition categories, the Nora Ephron Award, created to honor the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer, will be presented.
The festival, presented by Okx, will take place from June 5 through 16.
“We are thrilled to once again welcome a diverse group of remarkable filmmakers, creatives and industry players as jurors for the 2024 Tribeca Festival,” executive vice president at Tribeca Enterprises Nancy Lefkowitz said. “We look forward to their wide-ranging perspectives across storytelling genres and mediums coming together to honor the extraordinary group of submissions this year.”
The winning films, projects, filmmakers, storytellers, and actors in each category will...
This year, David O. Russell, Selma Blair, Asghar Farhadi, Kim Cattrall, Francesca Scorsese, and more will select the winning projects in the film, games, and audio storytelling sections across the 17 competition categories. In addition to the awards in competition categories, the Nora Ephron Award, created to honor the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer, will be presented.
The festival, presented by Okx, will take place from June 5 through 16.
“We are thrilled to once again welcome a diverse group of remarkable filmmakers, creatives and industry players as jurors for the 2024 Tribeca Festival,” executive vice president at Tribeca Enterprises Nancy Lefkowitz said. “We look forward to their wide-ranging perspectives across storytelling genres and mediums coming together to honor the extraordinary group of submissions this year.”
The winning films, projects, filmmakers, storytellers, and actors in each category will...
- 5/23/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Now, is this necessary? Showtime made it known in early 2023 that it wanted to expand its “Dexter” franchise with a sequel to 2021’s “Dexter: New Blood,” but this, pun fully intended, is overkill. Before that spinoff, another one arrives: “Dexter: Original Sin,” a ten-episode prequel series that centers on a young serial killer-in-training Dexter Morgan in early ’90s Miami. The series will premiere on Paramount+ with Showtime.
Continue reading ‘Dexter: Original Sin’: Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater & Molly Brown To Star In Showtime’s Upcoming ‘Dexter’ Prequel Series at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Dexter: Original Sin’: Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater & Molly Brown To Star In Showtime’s Upcoming ‘Dexter’ Prequel Series at The Playlist.
- 5/23/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Loach said it was ‘simply unacceptable’ that the cinema goes ahead with a screening of documentary as part of the Seret film festival
Ken Loach and Mike Leigh have resigned as patrons of the Phoenix cinema in London in protest over the venue hosting an Israeli state-sponsored film festival.
The cinema – one of the UK’s oldest – is holding a private screening of Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre, as part of the international Seret film festival on Thursday night.
Ken Loach and Mike Leigh have resigned as patrons of the Phoenix cinema in London in protest over the venue hosting an Israeli state-sponsored film festival.
The cinema – one of the UK’s oldest – is holding a private screening of Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre, as part of the international Seret film festival on Thursday night.
- 5/23/2024
- by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent
- The Guardian - Film News
It's odd to think of stars like Audrey Hepburn within a modern context. The Egot winner seems to belong so perfectly to a bygone era of Hollywood — one characterized by a kind of romanticism and graceful dignity that just doesn't map on to the age of streaming and ubiquitous "content." Of course, in reality the Hollywood of the mid-20th century was often anything but a halcyon dream, with the star system still very much in operation, shackling actors to their respective studios to be traded off and sold like commodities. Still, it's just plain weird to think about these titans of Hollywood in the context of, for instance, Rotten Tomatoes — the great arbiter of our contemporary collective taste in cinema.
Imagine, if you will, the career of this Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, fashion icon, and legendary starlet summed up in a list of cartoon splats and tomatoes. It doesn't feel quite right does it?...
Imagine, if you will, the career of this Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, fashion icon, and legendary starlet summed up in a list of cartoon splats and tomatoes. It doesn't feel quite right does it?...
- 5/23/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Subject Matter, the nonprofit organization that supports social issues and documentary films and other nonprofits focused on the same causes, announced its grantees “I’m Your Venus” and House Lives Matter will be awarded a total of $50,000 at the 2024 Tribeca Festival.
A $25,000 grant will go to the team behind “I’m Your Venus.” Directed by Kimberly Reed and produced by Steven Cantor, Jamie Schutz and Mike Stafford, “I’m Your Venus” is “a moving and timely documentary that follows the unsolved murder of Venus Xtravaganza, star of the legendary ‘Paris Is Burning’ as Venus’ two families — biological and ballroom — come together to seek answers and celebrate her legacy,” reads the official logline.
An additional $25,000 grant will go to House Lives Matter, an organization addressing the issues featured in “I’m Your Venus.” The organization is led by Dr. Jennifer Lee and Jonovia Chase, who is also an executive producer for “I’m Your Venus” alongside Courtney Sexton,...
A $25,000 grant will go to the team behind “I’m Your Venus.” Directed by Kimberly Reed and produced by Steven Cantor, Jamie Schutz and Mike Stafford, “I’m Your Venus” is “a moving and timely documentary that follows the unsolved murder of Venus Xtravaganza, star of the legendary ‘Paris Is Burning’ as Venus’ two families — biological and ballroom — come together to seek answers and celebrate her legacy,” reads the official logline.
An additional $25,000 grant will go to House Lives Matter, an organization addressing the issues featured in “I’m Your Venus.” The organization is led by Dr. Jennifer Lee and Jonovia Chase, who is also an executive producer for “I’m Your Venus” alongside Courtney Sexton,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, the grandson of cinema legends Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman, “tried everything else” before ultimately deciding to become a filmmaker himself.
“I was like, I’m not going to do that because it has been done in my family,” he told IndieWire at the Cannes Film Festival, where he debuted his first feature, the tense psychodrama “Armand,” set entirely within the walls of a private school amid a meeting of disgruntled parents. “They have done alright.”
That is an understatement, and Tøndel was eager to not follow in their footsteps. Still, after taking a university course that involved filmmaking, he couldn’t resist. “I felt so good doing that, and then I applied to film school and after that I never looked back,” said Tøndel, who studied at Westerdals School of Arts. “I felt so alive, and I felt so me.”
“Armand,” which premiered in Un Certain Regard,...
“I was like, I’m not going to do that because it has been done in my family,” he told IndieWire at the Cannes Film Festival, where he debuted his first feature, the tense psychodrama “Armand,” set entirely within the walls of a private school amid a meeting of disgruntled parents. “They have done alright.”
That is an understatement, and Tøndel was eager to not follow in their footsteps. Still, after taking a university course that involved filmmaking, he couldn’t resist. “I felt so good doing that, and then I applied to film school and after that I never looked back,” said Tøndel, who studied at Westerdals School of Arts. “I felt so alive, and I felt so me.”
“Armand,” which premiered in Un Certain Regard,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Esther Zuckerman
- Indiewire
“Talk about talent, he writes, he draws, he screenwrites, and he directs, and he is tops at all those things.” That’s comic book Marvel icon Stan Lee talking about another legend in the comic book and film world, Frank Miller, who is lauded in the upcoming doc “Frank Miller: American Genius.”
Known for a celebrated run at Marvel and DC Comics, the former most notably with “Daredevil,” and “Wolverine,” the latter more known for his “The Dark Knight Returns” series and “Batman: Year One,” Frank Miller is definitely comic book royalty.
Continue reading ‘Frank Miller: American Genius’ Trailer: Comic Book Legend Gets The Documentary Treatment In June at The Playlist.
Known for a celebrated run at Marvel and DC Comics, the former most notably with “Daredevil,” and “Wolverine,” the latter more known for his “The Dark Knight Returns” series and “Batman: Year One,” Frank Miller is definitely comic book royalty.
Continue reading ‘Frank Miller: American Genius’ Trailer: Comic Book Legend Gets The Documentary Treatment In June at The Playlist.
- 5/23/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Dallas Film Commission’s Tony Armer, British Film Commission’s Abee McCallum, and Brand South Africa’s Jimmy Ranamane were among the TV and film industry executives who came together to discuss the advancements happening in sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion (Dei) in the global production sector and what is needed to make sure those initiatives grow.
Key takeaways from the roundtable were that incentives are integral to kick sustainability measures into a higher gear and that a joined-up approach from all sectors within the film industry is necessary.
Luke Azavedo, vice president of Calgary Economic Development, is also...
Key takeaways from the roundtable were that incentives are integral to kick sustainability measures into a higher gear and that a joined-up approach from all sectors within the film industry is necessary.
Luke Azavedo, vice president of Calgary Economic Development, is also...
- 5/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
How high will Ayo Edebiri‘s Hollywood star soar? After her latest casting, it may be higher than anyone predicted. Deadline reports that Edebiri joins Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield in Luca Guadagnino‘s next film for Amazon MGM Studios, “After The Hunt.” And after the success of “Challengers” and his other 2024 feature, “Queer,” ready for a festival premiere later this year, is there a flashier director to work with right now than Guada?
Continue reading ‘After The Hunt’: Ayo Edebiri Joins Julia Roberts & Andrew Garfield In Luca Guadagnino’s Upcoming Drama at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘After The Hunt’: Ayo Edebiri Joins Julia Roberts & Andrew Garfield In Luca Guadagnino’s Upcoming Drama at The Playlist.
- 5/23/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Amazon MGM has released the emotional first trailer for Celine Dion’s documentary “I Am: Celine Dion.”
The doc reveals more details about Dion’s diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome. After postponing several of her European tour dates in December 2022, Dion announced that she was diagnosed with the life-altering neurological disorder, that creates spasms that affect her ability to walk and use her vocal cords to sing the way she used to.
The trailer shows archival and behind-the-scenes footage throughout Dion’s career, plus new interviews with the world-famous singer as she grapples with her diagnosis. At one point, she breaks down in tears as she recounts the recent health challenges she’s faced.
“It’s not hard to do a show, you know. It’s hard to cancel a show,” she says in the trailer. “I’m working hard everyday. But I have to admit, it’s been a struggle.
The doc reveals more details about Dion’s diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome. After postponing several of her European tour dates in December 2022, Dion announced that she was diagnosed with the life-altering neurological disorder, that creates spasms that affect her ability to walk and use her vocal cords to sing the way she used to.
The trailer shows archival and behind-the-scenes footage throughout Dion’s career, plus new interviews with the world-famous singer as she grapples with her diagnosis. At one point, she breaks down in tears as she recounts the recent health challenges she’s faced.
“It’s not hard to do a show, you know. It’s hard to cancel a show,” she says in the trailer. “I’m working hard everyday. But I have to admit, it’s been a struggle.
- 5/23/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
Even though his character's backstory has been explored to death through a myriad of books, prequels, TV shows, animated series, and more, Darth Vader remains one of the best movie villains of all time, especially if you're only looking at the original "Star Wars" trilogy. Not only is he a scary, menacing, deadly presence in that original trilogy, but he also has a tragic arc, eventually redeeming himself despite a lifetime of terrible deeds.
The redemption would come later, though. For the first film, originally titled "Star Wars" but commonly thought of now as "A New Hope" (since there are so many other movies with "Star Wars" in the title), writer-director George Lucas had one main goal: make his big bad villain scary. Darth Vader had to be an ominous presence from the jump. The audience had to take one look at the guy and immediately know he was bad news.
The redemption would come later, though. For the first film, originally titled "Star Wars" but commonly thought of now as "A New Hope" (since there are so many other movies with "Star Wars" in the title), writer-director George Lucas had one main goal: make his big bad villain scary. Darth Vader had to be an ominous presence from the jump. The audience had to take one look at the guy and immediately know he was bad news.
- 5/23/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Renny Harlin is closing in on 40 years in the movie business and still committed to his craft. He has worked all over the world on films at the top and bottom of the box office charts, but still gets a twinkle in his eye when discussing how a score can tweak the tension of a scene. He dreamed of being a Hollywood action movie director since childhood, and is best known for his bombastic 1990s blockbusters like Die Hard 2 (1990) and Cliffhanger (1993). But after Hollywood ejected him for younger models, he maintained a furious productivity elsewhere, working […]
The post Renny Harlin on The Strangers: Chapter 1, China and Don Siegel first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Renny Harlin on The Strangers: Chapter 1, China and Don Siegel first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/23/2024
- by R. Emmet Sweeney
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Adria Arjona and Glen Powell may have some very steamy scenes in “Hit Man,” but filming them was anything but sexy.
It all went wrong when they were shooting in a bathtub and someone added Dawn dish washing soap to the water. “That strips you of all your oils of your skin,” Arjona says on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. “That’s used for baby ducks when there’s an oil spill for God’s sake. We soaked in this bathtub for an hour and I get out of the tub and all of a sudden I dry myself and I can’t bend my knees because I have no oils.”
She was not only in pain, but she and Powell ended up covered in nasty rashes. But the show had to go on. “That was the day that we filmed all of our sex...
It all went wrong when they were shooting in a bathtub and someone added Dawn dish washing soap to the water. “That strips you of all your oils of your skin,” Arjona says on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. “That’s used for baby ducks when there’s an oil spill for God’s sake. We soaked in this bathtub for an hour and I get out of the tub and all of a sudden I dry myself and I can’t bend my knees because I have no oils.”
She was not only in pain, but she and Powell ended up covered in nasty rashes. But the show had to go on. “That was the day that we filmed all of our sex...
- 5/23/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety - Film News
A giant brain the size of a Volkswagen! Ancient bog people who explode when they masturbate! Self-effacing jokes about Canada’s place in the world! “Rumours” might abandon the silent film aesthetic that has come to define Guy Maddin’s singular brand of absurdism, but not even the complete absence of exclamatory title cards is enough to suggest that this ridiculous comedy of manners could have — or would have — been made by anybody else.
Reuniting with co-directors Evan and Galen Johnson for their first proper feature since “The Forbidden Room” in 2015, the pride of Winnipeg returns to the big screen with a movie that shakes up his style without sacrificing any of its silliness, a feat made all the more impressive by the caliber of the actors that Maddin and co. have wrangled to carry it.
Still, it’s a good thing that people like Cate Blanchett and Charles Dance...
Reuniting with co-directors Evan and Galen Johnson for their first proper feature since “The Forbidden Room” in 2015, the pride of Winnipeg returns to the big screen with a movie that shakes up his style without sacrificing any of its silliness, a feat made all the more impressive by the caliber of the actors that Maddin and co. have wrangled to carry it.
Still, it’s a good thing that people like Cate Blanchett and Charles Dance...
- 5/23/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey have their first “Jurassic World” co-star. THR reports that Rupert Friend is the latest actor cast to star in Gareth Edward‘s upcoming installment. Friend also joins Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, the only other name on the call sheet, as the film inches closer to its mid-June production start.
Read More: Glen Powell Passed On New ‘Jurassic World’ & ‘Bourne’ Films & Says He Won’t Do A Marvel Project
Friend in a big-budget blockbuster? Maybe it was bound to happen. The British actor’s biggest career roles up to this point have been for Wes Anderson, in “The French Dispatch, “Asteroid City,” and “The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar And Three More.” But Friend, typically in supporting roles, has a career that stretches back two decades. Other recent roles include the Disney+ limited series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and the Apple TV+ series “High Desert.”
Meanwhile, Universal is moving fast...
Read More: Glen Powell Passed On New ‘Jurassic World’ & ‘Bourne’ Films & Says He Won’t Do A Marvel Project
Friend in a big-budget blockbuster? Maybe it was bound to happen. The British actor’s biggest career roles up to this point have been for Wes Anderson, in “The French Dispatch, “Asteroid City,” and “The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar And Three More.” But Friend, typically in supporting roles, has a career that stretches back two decades. Other recent roles include the Disney+ limited series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and the Apple TV+ series “High Desert.”
Meanwhile, Universal is moving fast...
- 5/23/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof has revealed he had just a two-hour window to decide whether to remain in Iran and face arrest or flee the country to ensure his freedom.
Speaking to Screen from Cannes, where his latest feature The Seed Of The Sacred Fig is set to world premiere in Competition tomorrow (May 24), the Iranian auteur looked relieved to have secured his own safety but was reflective on the society he had left behind and his own future as a filmmaker.
“I was left with no other option,” said Rasoulof, who was sentenced to eight years in prison and...
Speaking to Screen from Cannes, where his latest feature The Seed Of The Sacred Fig is set to world premiere in Competition tomorrow (May 24), the Iranian auteur looked relieved to have secured his own safety but was reflective on the society he had left behind and his own future as a filmmaker.
“I was left with no other option,” said Rasoulof, who was sentenced to eight years in prison and...
- 5/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
Generating robust admissions for UK independent film at the global box office remains a challenge, but the figures do not paint the complete picture of what marks a release as a success, according to Stephan De Potter, CEO at Benelux distributor Cineart.
De Potter was talking about the release of Georgia Oakley’s debut Blue Jean, a feature debut and Venice premiere that was backed by BBC Film and the BFI.
It garnered $357,412 at the box office outside of the UK, and $384,232 within the UK, according to Box Office Mojo.
“It was not great [in terms of admissions], but we were very happy,” said De Potter.
De Potter was talking about the release of Georgia Oakley’s debut Blue Jean, a feature debut and Venice premiere that was backed by BBC Film and the BFI.
It garnered $357,412 at the box office outside of the UK, and $384,232 within the UK, according to Box Office Mojo.
“It was not great [in terms of admissions], but we were very happy,” said De Potter.
- 5/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
Glen Powell may be the next ’80s-style movie star, but the actor admitted to recently turning down one of his childhood dream roles in an iconic franchise: “Jurassic Park.”
Powell told The Hollywood Reporter that he opted to not star in the latest franchise reboot for Universal, tentatively titled “Jurassic City.” Scarlett Johansson is leading the feature, with Jonathan Bailey co-starring. Gareth Edwards is directing and the reboot is slated for a July 2, 2025 release.
“‘Jurassic’ is one of my favorite movies. It’s one of the things I’ve wanted to do my whole life,” Powell said. “I’m not doing that movie because I read the script and I immediately was like, my presence in this movie doesn’t help it. And the script’s great. The movie’s going to fucking kill. It’s not about that. It’s about choosing where you’re going to make an...
Powell told The Hollywood Reporter that he opted to not star in the latest franchise reboot for Universal, tentatively titled “Jurassic City.” Scarlett Johansson is leading the feature, with Jonathan Bailey co-starring. Gareth Edwards is directing and the reboot is slated for a July 2, 2025 release.
“‘Jurassic’ is one of my favorite movies. It’s one of the things I’ve wanted to do my whole life,” Powell said. “I’m not doing that movie because I read the script and I immediately was like, my presence in this movie doesn’t help it. And the script’s great. The movie’s going to fucking kill. It’s not about that. It’s about choosing where you’re going to make an...
- 5/23/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Jennifer Lopez and her “Atlas” co-star Simu Liu shut down a reporter during a press junket in Mexico City for their new Netflix action movie after he asked Lopez if rumors are true she’s getting divorced from Ben Affleck. Rumors circulating online that Lopez and Affleck are ending their marriage have coincided with Lopez’s “Atlas” press tour, which included starry premieres in Los Angeles and Mexico.
“Ok, we’re not doing that,” Liu immediately told the reporter who asked about Affleck (via NBC News). “Thank you so much. We really appreciate it … come on, don’t come in here with that energy.
Lopez was even more blunt, telling the reporter: “You know better than that.”
Liu later heaped praise on Lopez, who both stars in and produced “Atlas.” Directed by “Rampage” and “San Andreas” filmmaker Brad Peyton, “Atlas” stars Lopez as a brilliant data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence.
“Ok, we’re not doing that,” Liu immediately told the reporter who asked about Affleck (via NBC News). “Thank you so much. We really appreciate it … come on, don’t come in here with that energy.
Lopez was even more blunt, telling the reporter: “You know better than that.”
Liu later heaped praise on Lopez, who both stars in and produced “Atlas.” Directed by “Rampage” and “San Andreas” filmmaker Brad Peyton, “Atlas” stars Lopez as a brilliant data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence.
- 5/23/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Canadian distributor and global sales agent Filmoption International has acquired international sales rights, excluding Canada, for film “We Forgot to Break Up” and has launched sales at the Cannes Film Festival’s market.
Based on Kayt Burgess’s award-winning book “Heidegger Stairwell,” and written by Noel S. Baker, Pat Mills and Zoe Whittall, the film follows a diverse group of musicians who form a band to spark a musical revolution. As their band, “The New Normals,” rises to fame, they navigate personal and romantic complexities, creating a rock sound that transcends gender and orientation. “We Forgot to Break Up” aims to offer an authentic portrayal of music, love, and friendship in the early 2000s indie music scene as the protagonists strive to make their voices heard and forge an unshakable bond that transcends labels.
The film is directed by actor and filmmaker Karen Knox (“The Year of Staring at Noses...
Based on Kayt Burgess’s award-winning book “Heidegger Stairwell,” and written by Noel S. Baker, Pat Mills and Zoe Whittall, the film follows a diverse group of musicians who form a band to spark a musical revolution. As their band, “The New Normals,” rises to fame, they navigate personal and romantic complexities, creating a rock sound that transcends gender and orientation. “We Forgot to Break Up” aims to offer an authentic portrayal of music, love, and friendship in the early 2000s indie music scene as the protagonists strive to make their voices heard and forge an unshakable bond that transcends labels.
The film is directed by actor and filmmaker Karen Knox (“The Year of Staring at Noses...
- 5/23/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Dune: Part Two picks up directly following the events of its predecessor, with young Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) taken in by the Fremen after being marooned in the desert of Arrakis. However, cinematographer Greig Fraser was not content to merely continue where he left off. After winning an Oscar for the first film, Fraser shuffled his tool bag by adding the Alexa 65, an assortment of colorful new glass and an infrared sequence set in a gladiator arena on Giedi Prime. It’s not surprising considering Fraser’s history of experimentation, which includes pioneering virtual production work on The Mandalorian and reintroducing […]
The post “Obviously, We Couldn’t Get Three Sandworms for That Day”: Dp Greig Fraser on Dune: Part Two first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Obviously, We Couldn’t Get Three Sandworms for That Day”: Dp Greig Fraser on Dune: Part Two first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/23/2024
- by Matt Mulcahey
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Set phasers to spoilers. Read no further if you haven't watched the latest episode of "Star Trek: Discovery."
The cramped quarters of the USS Discovery bridge have felt oddly spacious lately, haven't they? As "Star Trek: Discovery" swoops in for a landing with its fifth and final season drawing to a definitive close, viewers may have noticed that several side characters remain missing in action. Essential crew members such as Lieutenant Commanders Detmer (Emily Coutts) and Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) haven't been seen since episode 4's "Face the Strange," whisked away on a mission to pilot the mirror-universe starship Iss Enterprise to safe harbor. For a series that has drawn so much emotional bandwidth out of its supporting cast over the years, watching Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) deliver orders and offer encouragement to stand-in officers we've never met before can't help but feel ... off.
Yet even more glaringly, the heart...
The cramped quarters of the USS Discovery bridge have felt oddly spacious lately, haven't they? As "Star Trek: Discovery" swoops in for a landing with its fifth and final season drawing to a definitive close, viewers may have noticed that several side characters remain missing in action. Essential crew members such as Lieutenant Commanders Detmer (Emily Coutts) and Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) haven't been seen since episode 4's "Face the Strange," whisked away on a mission to pilot the mirror-universe starship Iss Enterprise to safe harbor. For a series that has drawn so much emotional bandwidth out of its supporting cast over the years, watching Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) deliver orders and offer encouragement to stand-in officers we've never met before can't help but feel ... off.
Yet even more glaringly, the heart...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Earlier this year, researchers for UCLA’S Hollywood Diversity Report found that women and Bipoc audiences drove box office numbers in theaters. But, the impact of those demographics doesn’t stop there. The group’s latest Hollywood Diversity Report found that Bipoc audiences and women also drove viewer ratings for at-home streaming films in 2023.
For nine of the top 10 releases and 17 of the top 20 ranked by household ratings, women represented the majority of viewers for films such as “You People,” “Murder Mystery 2” and “Leave the World Behind.” Similarly, Bipoc households were overrepresented as viewers for nine of the top 10 streaming films and 18 of the top 20 streaming films, like “The Mother” (55.9%) and “You People” (50%).
“Increased diversity in front of and behind the camera continues to draw audiences in,” said Ana-Christina Ramón, co-founder of the report and director of UCLA’s Entertainment and Media Research Initiative. “It reflects the world we...
For nine of the top 10 releases and 17 of the top 20 ranked by household ratings, women represented the majority of viewers for films such as “You People,” “Murder Mystery 2” and “Leave the World Behind.” Similarly, Bipoc households were overrepresented as viewers for nine of the top 10 streaming films and 18 of the top 20 streaming films, like “The Mother” (55.9%) and “You People” (50%).
“Increased diversity in front of and behind the camera continues to draw audiences in,” said Ana-Christina Ramón, co-founder of the report and director of UCLA’s Entertainment and Media Research Initiative. “It reflects the world we...
- 5/23/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
Gravitas Ventures has acquired US rights to Mother Of All Shows, a dark musical comedy from Canadian multi-hyphenate Melissa D’Agostino.
Gravitas, which made the deal at the Cannes market with sales representative Cut Entertainment Group, will release the film on TVoD on July 16. The company and the filmmakers are also planning a limited US/Canada theatrical release on that date.
D’Agostino directed the film, wrote the script with David James Brock and co-stars as Liza, a woman trying to cope with the impending death of her estranged mother Rosa, played by Wendie Malick. In her mind, Liza retreats into...
Gravitas, which made the deal at the Cannes market with sales representative Cut Entertainment Group, will release the film on TVoD on July 16. The company and the filmmakers are also planning a limited US/Canada theatrical release on that date.
D’Agostino directed the film, wrote the script with David James Brock and co-stars as Liza, a woman trying to cope with the impending death of her estranged mother Rosa, played by Wendie Malick. In her mind, Liza retreats into...
- 5/23/2024
- ScreenDaily
The actor on night terrors, Brideshead Revisited, nearly becoming a doctor and Starbucks in Cobham
If you were going to bake a Jane Asher cake that best summed you up, what would you bake and how would you decorate it? TopTramp
Summing somebody up is a tall order. I do love ginger cake, particularly the dark, Jamaican ginger type. I would make it nice and sticky, then obviously it’s got to be iced and decorated, maybe with little theatre masks and TV screen decorations to sum up the work side of my life. I guess I should put a cake on a cake because cakes are a big part of my life. So: a tiered cake? The cakes that delight me the most are those made by my grandchildren, which come smothered in sprinkles. I have all different kinds of decorations, so whenever my grandchildren are here, they pile it on.
If you were going to bake a Jane Asher cake that best summed you up, what would you bake and how would you decorate it? TopTramp
Summing somebody up is a tall order. I do love ginger cake, particularly the dark, Jamaican ginger type. I would make it nice and sticky, then obviously it’s got to be iced and decorated, maybe with little theatre masks and TV screen decorations to sum up the work side of my life. I guess I should put a cake on a cake because cakes are a big part of my life. So: a tiered cake? The cakes that delight me the most are those made by my grandchildren, which come smothered in sprinkles. I have all different kinds of decorations, so whenever my grandchildren are here, they pile it on.
- 5/23/2024
- by As told to Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
Last week, Amazon made its first-ever pitch to advertisers at the annual upfronts in New York; for Netflix, it was the first it’s done in person. The streamers also pitched a whole new kind of TV show: movies.
When ad-supported tiers came to platforms like Netflix and Disney+ last year, streamers joined the annual network ritual of presenting their slates to media buyers. However, this was the first time that films entered the spotlight.
Budget-minded streaming subscribers are familar with film and TV pre-rolls as well as the ads that may drop between or during TV episodes. So far, movies and movie lovers have been spared the dreaded mid-roll — the advertisement that shows up during a movie, where it was never meant to be.
That doesn’t mean it can’t be. Brad Adgate, a media consultant and the former research director at Horizon Media, believes advertisers would jump...
When ad-supported tiers came to platforms like Netflix and Disney+ last year, streamers joined the annual network ritual of presenting their slates to media buyers. However, this was the first time that films entered the spotlight.
Budget-minded streaming subscribers are familar with film and TV pre-rolls as well as the ads that may drop between or during TV episodes. So far, movies and movie lovers have been spared the dreaded mid-roll — the advertisement that shows up during a movie, where it was never meant to be.
That doesn’t mean it can’t be. Brad Adgate, a media consultant and the former research director at Horizon Media, believes advertisers would jump...
- 5/23/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Young Vietnamese director Truong Minh Quy made a splash at the Cannes Film Festival with his Un Certain Regard film “Viet and Nam,” which debuted on Wednesday.
His story, a contemporary-ish romance between two young miners, traces the memories and dreams of a nation. It is sensuous, atmospheric, formal, but humane, and mixes moments of longueur with surprising jolts of humor and joy.
Truong Minh Quy spoke to Variety about the film’s origins, his unusual choice of shooting on Super 16mm film stock, and of swallowing his pride (for now) and accepting that the film cannot be shown in his native Vietnam.
What are the origins of this, your third, film? And how long did it take to come to fruition?
I checked, it started in January of 2020. Just a few months after I moved to France to study. And right after I finished my feature documentary, ‘The Treehouse....
His story, a contemporary-ish romance between two young miners, traces the memories and dreams of a nation. It is sensuous, atmospheric, formal, but humane, and mixes moments of longueur with surprising jolts of humor and joy.
Truong Minh Quy spoke to Variety about the film’s origins, his unusual choice of shooting on Super 16mm film stock, and of swallowing his pride (for now) and accepting that the film cannot be shown in his native Vietnam.
What are the origins of this, your third, film? And how long did it take to come to fruition?
I checked, it started in January of 2020. Just a few months after I moved to France to study. And right after I finished my feature documentary, ‘The Treehouse....
- 5/23/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
In the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Sanctuary", the station is visited by a previously-unseen species called the Skrreeans, appearing out of the nearby wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant. The Skrreeans have trouble communicating at first, as the station's universal translator can't get a handle on their language. Eventually, the translator kicks in, and a woman named Haneek (Deborah May) steps forward to speak for the Skrreeans. She explains that their species was recently conquered by the military force of T-Rogorans and kept under military occupation for years. It wasn't until the T-Rogorans were conquered by an even more powerful military — the Dominion — that they were freed. Now the Skrreeans wander the galaxy, lost and homeless, looking for a new homeworld.
At first Major Kira (Nana Visitor) seems amenable to the idea of the Skrreeans settling on her nearby home planet of Bajor ... until she learns that there are millions of them.
At first Major Kira (Nana Visitor) seems amenable to the idea of the Skrreeans settling on her nearby home planet of Bajor ... until she learns that there are millions of them.
- 5/23/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
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