Movie News
Not exactly the opening weekend that dreams are made of.
Director John Krasinski’s “If,” a fantasy-comedy that promises your imaginary friends from childhood are real, fell slightly short of box office expectations with $35 million. Heading into the weekend, “If” was expected to bring in at least $40 million in its first weekend of release. Based on Friday’s turnout, it looked like “If” would open to $30 million but projections were revised up after Saturday’s strong showing. Ticket sales were enough for first place, but it’s a wobbly start for a PG family film that cost $110 million to make and many millions more to market. It collected an additional $20 million overseas for a global total of $55 million.
The good news for Paramount Pictures, which distributed “If,” is that audiences dug the film, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. Ideally, it’ll have staying power like recent original kid-friendly movies, including “Migration” and “Elemental,...
Director John Krasinski’s “If,” a fantasy-comedy that promises your imaginary friends from childhood are real, fell slightly short of box office expectations with $35 million. Heading into the weekend, “If” was expected to bring in at least $40 million in its first weekend of release. Based on Friday’s turnout, it looked like “If” would open to $30 million but projections were revised up after Saturday’s strong showing. Ticket sales were enough for first place, but it’s a wobbly start for a PG family film that cost $110 million to make and many millions more to market. It collected an additional $20 million overseas for a global total of $55 million.
The good news for Paramount Pictures, which distributed “If,” is that audiences dug the film, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. Ideally, it’ll have staying power like recent original kid-friendly movies, including “Migration” and “Elemental,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Yorgos Lanthimos can’t stop (won’t stop!) working with Oscar winner Emma Stone, casting the actress once again as leading lady for his next project “Bugonia.”
The drama will also star Jesse Plemons who, along with Stone, appears in Lanthimos’ forthcoming “Kinds of Kindness.” That three-chapter feature just premiered on Friday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“Bugonia” follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. The script is from heat-seeking “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy.
Focus Features has won domestic rights to distribute the project. Universal Pictures will roll out the film in global territories, save Korea where “Parasite” producer Cj Enm will release. The latter is financing the film with Fremantle. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the rights deal.
This package is loaded with pedigree.
The drama will also star Jesse Plemons who, along with Stone, appears in Lanthimos’ forthcoming “Kinds of Kindness.” That three-chapter feature just premiered on Friday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“Bugonia” follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. The script is from heat-seeking “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy.
Focus Features has won domestic rights to distribute the project. Universal Pictures will roll out the film in global territories, save Korea where “Parasite” producer Cj Enm will release. The latter is financing the film with Fremantle. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the rights deal.
This package is loaded with pedigree.
- 5/18/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
He rocketed to notoriety at 19 with the shocking film Kids. Now, at 51, he’s smoking two fat cigars for breakfast – and making retina-burning work with acids and infrared cameras. Our writer gets deep with the eternal enfant terrible
Have you ever wondered whether the interview you’re about to read is actually real? Are you reading it thanks to your own free will, or are you merely set on a preprogrammed course that’s entirely out of your control? Is everything just code? Are we a simulation?
These are the questions that arise when you spend an hour with director and artist Harmony Korine, who is the first interviewee I’ve ever had respond to one of my questions by wondering whether or not I actually exist.
Have you ever wondered whether the interview you’re about to read is actually real? Are you reading it thanks to your own free will, or are you merely set on a preprogrammed course that’s entirely out of your control? Is everything just code? Are we a simulation?
These are the questions that arise when you spend an hour with director and artist Harmony Korine, who is the first interviewee I’ve ever had respond to one of my questions by wondering whether or not I actually exist.
- 5/20/2024
- by Tim Jonze
- The Guardian - Film News
Local blockbuster, “The Roundup: Punishment” extended its dominance of the South Korea theatrical box office for a fourth weekend. That lifted its cumulative total to a powerful $75 million.
“Punishment,” the fourth part of a brutal action comedy film franchise produced by and starring Don Lee (aka Ma Dong-seok), earned $3.05 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). While the film’s week-on-week performance was a 46% decrease, “Punishment” still enjoyed a 36% share of the Korean theatrical market.
After nearly four weeks on release, it has accumulated a total of $75.2 million from 10.7 million admissions. The year’s biggest title to date remains “Exhuma” with $84.8 million earned from 11.9 million ticket sales.
Those two films have dominated proceedings at the Korean box office this year and helped Korea stage a belated recovery in theatrical trends. Both March and April were recent records.
“Punishment,” the fourth part of a brutal action comedy film franchise produced by and starring Don Lee (aka Ma Dong-seok), earned $3.05 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). While the film’s week-on-week performance was a 46% decrease, “Punishment” still enjoyed a 36% share of the Korean theatrical market.
After nearly four weeks on release, it has accumulated a total of $75.2 million from 10.7 million admissions. The year’s biggest title to date remains “Exhuma” with $84.8 million earned from 11.9 million ticket sales.
Those two films have dominated proceedings at the Korean box office this year and helped Korea stage a belated recovery in theatrical trends. Both March and April were recent records.
- 5/20/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
The second episode of “Interview with the Vampire” Season 2 introduced what fans of the Vampire Chronicles have been waiting for when Louis and Claudia finally crossed the threshold of the iconic Theatres des Vampires. The episode, titled “Do You Know What It Means To Be Loved By Death,” began with Louis and Armand co-narrating the memory of their first-ever meeting on the streets of postwar Paris and ended with Louis and Claudia’s quest to find more vampires at an end as not one, not two, but fourteen new vampires enter stage right and take their places in “Interview’s” story.
But who are all of these vampires? Where did they come from? And why are they using projection technology to trick live audiences into watching them drink people for real? These are many questions and in true “Interview” fashion, only some of them have answers.
What is the Theatres des Vampires?...
But who are all of these vampires? Where did they come from? And why are they using projection technology to trick live audiences into watching them drink people for real? These are many questions and in true “Interview” fashion, only some of them have answers.
What is the Theatres des Vampires?...
- 5/20/2024
- by Alexis Nedd
- Indiewire
The cantankerous barkeep Moe Szyslak (Hank Azaria), the overseer of Springfield's most depressing dive bar, first appeared in the pilot for "The Simpsons" serving multiple beers to Homer (Dan Castellaneta), a functional alcoholic. Moe was the worst kind of barkeeper, unwilling or unable to make his bar much better than a local watering hole, and eager to crack out a shotgun when the going got rough. Moe, however, is not above celebrating the successes of his clientele. When Homer and his wife Marge (Julie Kavner) reconcile in the bar, Moe announces that, for the next 15 minutes, everyone gets a third off every pitcher.
The writers of "The Simpsons" began dropping hints as to Moe's inner life. In one episode, he is seen taking a naturalization test, implying that he immigrated. In another, Moe is seen hiding an orca in the back of his bar for reasons that are never adequately explained.
The writers of "The Simpsons" began dropping hints as to Moe's inner life. In one episode, he is seen taking a naturalization test, implying that he immigrated. In another, Moe is seen hiding an orca in the back of his bar for reasons that are never adequately explained.
- 5/20/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The lasagna-obsessed feline with a near-pathological aversion to Mondays, who first came into popular consciousness in the late ‘70s as a comic strip, is a diluted version of himself in “The Garfield Movie.” Not only is his suave apathy mostly replaced by an excessive excitedness with only sporadic glimpses of his endearingly negative qualities, but this Garfield jumps off trains, stages a heist, and is subjected to trite physical comedy by way of numerous predictable action sequences. The ordeal mimics a rehashed plot from the dull “The Secret Life of Pets” franchise with Garfield forcefully plugged in.
All of these choices amount to a production that fundamentally misunderstands Garfield’s appeal as a lovingly indifferent, self-centered glutton whose greatest aspiration is to do nothing and have all his needs catered to him. It’s a Garfield movie for audiences who have never heard of Garfield, which reads as an attempt...
All of these choices amount to a production that fundamentally misunderstands Garfield’s appeal as a lovingly indifferent, self-centered glutton whose greatest aspiration is to do nothing and have all his needs catered to him. It’s a Garfield movie for audiences who have never heard of Garfield, which reads as an attempt...
- 5/20/2024
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety - Film News
"Star Wars" is filled with all sorts of wonderful and strange creatures, most of them background ones that only appear for a few minutes and never show up again. While any other franchise would leave those characters as background oddities, "Star Wars" turns them into stars deserving of their own standalone stories. Any character, no matter how small, is likely to have an extensive background story full of twists and turns, like connecting Yaddle's backstory to that of Count Dooku.
This is also how we get a character like Melch the Ugnaught, a one-off side character in "Star Wars Rebels" that became a beloved side character and hero of Lothal. Though "Star Wars" is full of great alien-sounding names like Ahsoka Tano, Leia Organa, Kit Fisto or Qui-Gon Jinn, there are other that sound, well, less so. Anakin is a phenomenal name, but naming your name hero Luke is about...
This is also how we get a character like Melch the Ugnaught, a one-off side character in "Star Wars Rebels" that became a beloved side character and hero of Lothal. Though "Star Wars" is full of great alien-sounding names like Ahsoka Tano, Leia Organa, Kit Fisto or Qui-Gon Jinn, there are other that sound, well, less so. Anakin is a phenomenal name, but naming your name hero Luke is about...
- 5/20/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Arriving in the middle of the art smorgasbord that’s the Cannes Film Festival, a three-hour Western directed by Kevin Costner sounded like it might be just the ticket for a perfect night of counterprogramming: a grandly scaled slice of neo-classical Hollywood. That, after all, describes the other two Westerns Costner has directed (“Dances with Wolves” and “Open Range”), as well as his quirky sci-fi pseudo-Western “The Postman.” There’s no question that “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1,” Costner’s fourth outing as a director, gives off some of that traditional flavor.
The movie, set in 1859 in territories that sprawl from Wyoming to Kansas, has stately mesa backdrops that look like they’d fit right into Monument Valley. It’s got a rousing 1950s-syle musical score (by John Debney) that lays on the Old West sentimentality even when dire things are happening. And a good portion of the movie is...
The movie, set in 1859 in territories that sprawl from Wyoming to Kansas, has stately mesa backdrops that look like they’d fit right into Monument Valley. It’s got a rousing 1950s-syle musical score (by John Debney) that lays on the Old West sentimentality even when dire things are happening. And a good portion of the movie is...
- 5/19/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
Jaw-dropping, nauseating, defiant, hilarious “The Substance” — a body horror thriller from French director Coralie Forgeat starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley — rocked Cannes Film Festival on Sunday night with an 11-minute standing ovation.
It’s the tale of a once-great actress (Moore) whose certain age has relegated her to a Jane Fonda-style fitness show. When she’s fired, she is offered a trial of the medical treatment the film is named for. It promises a younger, better version of herself through a cell replicating process.
Moore takes a leap of faith and winds up on the bathroom floor, spine split open like a Christmas ham, when this new version — played by Qualley — comes slithering out of her back. Young, supple and brimming with possibilities, the two characters are allowed to coexist with one important caveat: they must trade one week on, one week off in each body.
The film...
It’s the tale of a once-great actress (Moore) whose certain age has relegated her to a Jane Fonda-style fitness show. When she’s fired, she is offered a trial of the medical treatment the film is named for. It promises a younger, better version of herself through a cell replicating process.
Moore takes a leap of faith and winds up on the bathroom floor, spine split open like a Christmas ham, when this new version — played by Qualley — comes slithering out of her back. Young, supple and brimming with possibilities, the two characters are allowed to coexist with one important caveat: they must trade one week on, one week off in each body.
The film...
- 5/19/2024
- by Matt Donnelly and Ellise Shafer
- Variety - Film News
Richard Linklater just had his hometown premiere for “Hit Man” in Austin May 15, at which his star and co-writer Glen Powell was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame. But he’s already wrapped his next movie, “Nouvelle Vague.”
Shot in Paris, “Nouvelle Vague” tells the story of Jean-Luc Godard making his jump from Cahiers du Cinema film critic (Cahiers is also fittingly where the first look images from “Nouvelle Vague” made their debut) to filmmaker with the making of his first movie, “Breathless.” Guillaume Marbeck is Godard, and Zoe Deutsch plays his star Jean Seberg.
On the red carpet of the “Hit Man” premiere, Linklater talked to IndieWire about what he hopes viewers take away from “Nouvelle Vague” and, especially, what we can learn from the French New Wave filmmakers at this moment when there’s such doom and gloom about the future of cinema.
“Just absolute love and dedication to cinema,...
Shot in Paris, “Nouvelle Vague” tells the story of Jean-Luc Godard making his jump from Cahiers du Cinema film critic (Cahiers is also fittingly where the first look images from “Nouvelle Vague” made their debut) to filmmaker with the making of his first movie, “Breathless.” Guillaume Marbeck is Godard, and Zoe Deutsch plays his star Jean Seberg.
On the red carpet of the “Hit Man” premiere, Linklater talked to IndieWire about what he hopes viewers take away from “Nouvelle Vague” and, especially, what we can learn from the French New Wave filmmakers at this moment when there’s such doom and gloom about the future of cinema.
“Just absolute love and dedication to cinema,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Practically speaking, there's a reason why most aliens on "Star Trek" are humanoid. Not only are they humanoid, but they all share very similar specific features: two legs, two arms, two eyes, one mouth, teeth, and/or hair. Many aliens look identical to humans apart from ridges on their foreheads or elaborate skin markings. This is because all the aliens on "Star Trek" are played by human actors. Very occasionally, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) might encounter a Melkot or a Tholian who were achieved through puppetry or photographic effects, but for the most part, aliens were played by Earth's boring ol' Homo sapiens actors.
By the time the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Chase" aired on April 26, 1993, Trekkies had been watching the franchise long enough to ask why — from an in-canon perspective — all aliens looked like humans. "The Chase" came up with a cute (if not wholly satisfying...
By the time the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Chase" aired on April 26, 1993, Trekkies had been watching the franchise long enough to ask why — from an in-canon perspective — all aliens looked like humans. "The Chase" came up with a cute (if not wholly satisfying...
- 5/19/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Cannes film festival
Moore plays a fading Hollywood star whose career is set to be axed by misogynists when she’s offered a secret new medical procedure
Coralie Fargeat, known for the violent thriller Revenge from 2017, now cranks up the amplifier for some death metal … or nasty injury metal anyway. This is a cheerfully silly and outrageously indulgent piece of gonzo body-horror comedy, lacking in subtlety, body-positivity or positivity of any sort. Roger Corman would have loved it. It’s flawed and overlong but there’s a genius bit of casting in Demi Moore who is a very good sport about the whole thing. And as confrontational satire it strikes me as at least as good, or better, than two actual Palme d’Or winners: Julia Ducournau’s Titane and Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness.
The Substance is a grisly fantasy-parable of misogyny and body-objectification, which riffs on the...
Moore plays a fading Hollywood star whose career is set to be axed by misogynists when she’s offered a secret new medical procedure
Coralie Fargeat, known for the violent thriller Revenge from 2017, now cranks up the amplifier for some death metal … or nasty injury metal anyway. This is a cheerfully silly and outrageously indulgent piece of gonzo body-horror comedy, lacking in subtlety, body-positivity or positivity of any sort. Roger Corman would have loved it. It’s flawed and overlong but there’s a genius bit of casting in Demi Moore who is a very good sport about the whole thing. And as confrontational satire it strikes me as at least as good, or better, than two actual Palme d’Or winners: Julia Ducournau’s Titane and Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness.
The Substance is a grisly fantasy-parable of misogyny and body-objectification, which riffs on the...
- 5/19/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Few periods on the calendar mean more to cinephiles than the two weekends in May occupied by the Cannes Film Festival. Since its founding in 1946, the French festival has been a launchpad for some of the most artistically significant films of all time. The Palme d’Or is one of the most coveted film awards on the planet, and the festival’s ability to balance subversive arthouse work with major Hollywood premieres has led many to view it as the world’s most significant celebration of cinema.
The 2024 lineup featured a mix of buzzy premieres from New Hollywood titans like Francis Ford Coppola and Paul Schrader alongside exciting new works from emerging directors. Between the Main Competition, Un Certain Regard, special screenings, and sidebars like the Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week, the onslaught of new films can be overwhelming for anyone who isn’t able to give the festival their 24/7 attention.
The 2024 lineup featured a mix of buzzy premieres from New Hollywood titans like Francis Ford Coppola and Paul Schrader alongside exciting new works from emerging directors. Between the Main Competition, Un Certain Regard, special screenings, and sidebars like the Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week, the onslaught of new films can be overwhelming for anyone who isn’t able to give the festival their 24/7 attention.
- 5/19/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Certainly the grossest, most way-out-there, and dare-you-to-lose-your-dinner film to debut in the Cannes competition so far, Coralie Fargeat’s “Revenge” follow-up “The Substance” premiered in the Palais Sunday night after a morning press screening that saw plenty of expected walkouts. Surely the same volume of repulsed exiters carried over to the premiere public screening, where Greta Gerwig’s jury got their first glimpse of the otherwise since-secretive film whose synopses and press notes tell you little. Mubi has distribution rights, which the company purchased just before the festival started. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich calls it an “instant classic.”
In this audacious, two-plus-hour feminist body horror, Demi Moore bares all to play a once-decorated actress quote-unquote past her prime named Elisabeth Sparkle, now resigned to Jane Fonda-esque fitness videos. But her time is finally up. She’s fired for being too old, sent packing home back to her sparse LA apartment,...
In this audacious, two-plus-hour feminist body horror, Demi Moore bares all to play a once-decorated actress quote-unquote past her prime named Elisabeth Sparkle, now resigned to Jane Fonda-esque fitness videos. But her time is finally up. She’s fired for being too old, sent packing home back to her sparse LA apartment,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Worldwide box office May 17-19 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world)Cume (world)3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l)Territories 1. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes (Disney) $66.6m $237.5m $40.6m $136.3m 53 2. If (Paramount) $55m $59m $20m $24m 59 3. The Fall Guy (Universal) $15.6m $127.6m $7.2m $64.6m 82 4. The Strangers: Chapter 1 (Lionsgate) $13.7m $13.7m $1.7m $1.7m 14 5. The Garfield Movie (Sony) $10.3m $49m $10.3m $49m 27 6. Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In (various) $8m $77m $8m $77m 5 7. Tarot (Sony) $7m $29.9m $5m $14.5m 53 8. Un P’tit Truc En Plus (Pandis) $6.8m $25.9m $6.8m $25.9m 1 9. The Last Frenzy (various) $6.6m $78.4m $6.6m $78.4m 3 10. Hovering Blade (various) $5.6m $5.7m $5.6m $5.7m 2
Credit: Comscore.
Credit: Comscore.
- 5/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Shocking and resonant, disarmingly grotesque and weirdly fun, “The Substance” is a feminist body-horror film that should be shown in movie theaters all over the land. By that, I don’t mean that it’s some elegant exercise in egghead darkness like the films of David Cronenberg, or a patchy postmodern punk curio like “Titane.” Coralie Fargeat, the writer-director of “The Substance,” has a voice that’s italicized, in-your-face, garishly accessible and thrillingly extreme. She draws on much of the hyperbolic flamboyance that’s come to define megaplex horror. But unlike 90 percent of those movies, “The Substance” is the work of a filmmaker with a vision. She’s got something primal to say to us.
“The Substance” tells the story of an aging Hollywood actress-turned-aerobics-workout-host, named Elisabeth Sparkle and played by Demi Moore, who gets fired from a TV network because she is now deemed too old. In a rage of desperation,...
“The Substance” tells the story of an aging Hollywood actress-turned-aerobics-workout-host, named Elisabeth Sparkle and played by Demi Moore, who gets fired from a TV network because she is now deemed too old. In a rage of desperation,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
An immensely, unstoppably, ecstatically demented fairy tale about female self-hatred, Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” will stop at nothing — and I mean nothing — to explode the ruthless beauty standards that society has inflicted upon women for thousands of years, a burden this camp-adjacent instant classic aspires to cast off with some of the most spectacularly disgusting body horror this side of “The Fly” or the final minutes of “Akira.”
If the “Revenge” director’s immaculately crafted debut tried to dismantle male toxicity with a shotgun blast square to the balls, Fargeat’s Cannes-approved follow-up turns that same attention inwards, allowing her to take aim at both the pointlessness she’s been conditioned to feel as a forty-something woman, and also at the resentment she’s been conditioned to feel toward her younger self. Squelching with fury at how a woman’s “fuckability” is used as the ultimate measure of her worth,...
If the “Revenge” director’s immaculately crafted debut tried to dismantle male toxicity with a shotgun blast square to the balls, Fargeat’s Cannes-approved follow-up turns that same attention inwards, allowing her to take aim at both the pointlessness she’s been conditioned to feel as a forty-something woman, and also at the resentment she’s been conditioned to feel toward her younger self. Squelching with fury at how a woman’s “fuckability” is used as the ultimate measure of her worth,...
- 5/19/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
As far as the Marvel Cinematic Universe goes, "Moon Knight" occupies a strange place. Starring Oscar Isaac in the lead role, it involves a superhero with a personality disorder, with the whole show steeped in Egyptian lore. It's unique in and amongst the vast sea of other superhero stuff out there. That was made clear even from the show's opening moments, which see Ethan Hawke's villain Arthur Harrow pouring broken glass in his shoes before walking around in them somewhat casually. It was a twisted moment, particularly for the historically PG-13 MCU. It turns out this moment came from the mind of Hawke himself.
In a 2022 interview with Yahoo, the actor, known for his work in movies like "Training Day" and "Sinister," was asked about the moment in question. Hawke explained that it all stemmed from him trying to figure out the character. In the end, he ended up...
In a 2022 interview with Yahoo, the actor, known for his work in movies like "Training Day" and "Sinister," was asked about the moment in question. Hawke explained that it all stemmed from him trying to figure out the character. In the end, he ended up...
- 5/19/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Costner writes, directs and stars alongside Sienna Miller and Sam Worthington in a big vain slog up familiar old west alleys
After three saddle-sore hours, Kevin Costner’s handsome-looking but oddly listless new western doesn’t get much done in the way of satisfying storytelling.
Admittedly, this is supposed to be just the first of a multi-part saga for which Costner is director, co-writer and star. But it somehow doesn’t establish anything exciting for its various unresolved storylines, and doesn’t leave us suspensefully hanging for anything else.
In fact, the ploddingly paced epic ends by suddenly accelerating into a very peculiar preview montage of part two, with Costner speeding around punching people we’ve never seen before – as if someone had accidentally leant on the fast-forward button and we got to watch the whole of the second section in 25 seconds.
It certainly starts at a gallop. The various plot strands in Montana,...
After three saddle-sore hours, Kevin Costner’s handsome-looking but oddly listless new western doesn’t get much done in the way of satisfying storytelling.
Admittedly, this is supposed to be just the first of a multi-part saga for which Costner is director, co-writer and star. But it somehow doesn’t establish anything exciting for its various unresolved storylines, and doesn’t leave us suspensefully hanging for anything else.
In fact, the ploddingly paced epic ends by suddenly accelerating into a very peculiar preview montage of part two, with Costner speeding around punching people we’ve never seen before – as if someone had accidentally leant on the fast-forward button and we got to watch the whole of the second section in 25 seconds.
It certainly starts at a gallop. The various plot strands in Montana,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw in Cannes
- The Guardian - Film News
This weekend, the 49th season of "Saturday Night Live" came to an end. Typically, the season finale is chock full of guest stars, and usually a big name or former beloved cast member takes the stage in Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza for hosting duties. This time, it was the former, with "Road House" remake star Jake Gyllenhaal returning for his third time hosting the late night sketch series.
For those keeping track, Gyllenhaal's hosting duties have Taylor Swift fans buzzing, because the musical guest was "Girl Meets World" star Sabrina Carpenter, who has been opening for Swift on the international part of her Eras Tour (now available to watch on Disney+), and there's that whole drama between Gyllenhaal and Swift that resulted in a 10-minute hit song. Speaking of musical guests, Gyllenhaal got musical in his own right as he sang a Boyz II Men cover about the honor...
For those keeping track, Gyllenhaal's hosting duties have Taylor Swift fans buzzing, because the musical guest was "Girl Meets World" star Sabrina Carpenter, who has been opening for Swift on the international part of her Eras Tour (now available to watch on Disney+), and there's that whole drama between Gyllenhaal and Swift that resulted in a 10-minute hit song. Speaking of musical guests, Gyllenhaal got musical in his own right as he sang a Boyz II Men cover about the honor...
- 5/19/2024
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Does the Academy hate horror? "Hate" is probably a strong word, but it's not unfair to say the Academy has at least an aversion to the genre. With the notable exception of Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs," which swept the Oscars and won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay, the Oscars tend to overlook or ignore horror movies altogether. For (recent) example: many people thought Toni Collette should've at least nabbed a nomination for her incredible work in Ari Aster's "Hereditary," but that didn't happen.
Stephen King knows a thing or two about horror movies, especially since most of his books have been adapted to the screen. When it comes to King's movie adaptations, only one has achieved Oscar glory: "Misery," which earned Kathy Bates a Best Actress Oscar. But if King had his way, another one of his movies would've been recognized by the Academy,...
Stephen King knows a thing or two about horror movies, especially since most of his books have been adapted to the screen. When it comes to King's movie adaptations, only one has achieved Oscar glory: "Misery," which earned Kathy Bates a Best Actress Oscar. But if King had his way, another one of his movies would've been recognized by the Academy,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Atoms & Void, the Netherlands-based production and sales company run by Sergei Loznitsa and Maria Choustova, has closed a French sale on Loznitsa’s most recent feature documentary “The Invasion,” which premiered on Thursday as a Special Screening in Cannes. Potemkine Films has taken all rights for France, while the film’s French co-producer Arte France maintains its exclusive TV/VOD window.
“The Invasion” arrives 10 years after the release of Sergei Loznitsa’s epic “Maidan,” which chronicled the Ukrainian uprising.
In his latest feature documentary, Loznitsa returns to Ukraine to chronicle his country’s struggle against the Russian invasion. Shot over a two-year period, the film portrays the life of the civilian population all over Ukraine – from Lviv and Odessa to Kyiv and Dnipro – and presents a statement of Ukrainian resilience in the face of a barbaric invasion. In the second part of his Ukrainian diptych, Loznitsa paints a monumental...
“The Invasion” arrives 10 years after the release of Sergei Loznitsa’s epic “Maidan,” which chronicled the Ukrainian uprising.
In his latest feature documentary, Loznitsa returns to Ukraine to chronicle his country’s struggle against the Russian invasion. Shot over a two-year period, the film portrays the life of the civilian population all over Ukraine – from Lviv and Odessa to Kyiv and Dnipro – and presents a statement of Ukrainian resilience in the face of a barbaric invasion. In the second part of his Ukrainian diptych, Loznitsa paints a monumental...
- 5/19/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Disney and 20th Century’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” conquered the international box office again with $40.6 million in its second weekend of release.
So far, the fourth chapter in the “Apes” reboot franchise has generated $136 million overseas and $237 million globally. It currently stands as the fourth-highest grossing movie of the year, behind “Kung Fu Panda 4” ($533 million), “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” ($561 million) and “Dune: Part Two” ($710 million).
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” cost $160 million to produce, so it needs to keep swinging at the box office to justify its price tag. International ticket sales will be key in turning a profit in its theatrical run. Top overseas markets include China with $20.4 million, France with $13.8 million, Mexico with $12 million and the U.K. with $10 million.
In a distant second place, Paramount and director John Krasinski‘s “If,” a fantasy-comedy aimed at young kids, collected $20 million from 58 markets.
So far, the fourth chapter in the “Apes” reboot franchise has generated $136 million overseas and $237 million globally. It currently stands as the fourth-highest grossing movie of the year, behind “Kung Fu Panda 4” ($533 million), “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” ($561 million) and “Dune: Part Two” ($710 million).
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” cost $160 million to produce, so it needs to keep swinging at the box office to justify its price tag. International ticket sales will be key in turning a profit in its theatrical run. Top overseas markets include China with $20.4 million, France with $13.8 million, Mexico with $12 million and the U.K. with $10 million.
In a distant second place, Paramount and director John Krasinski‘s “If,” a fantasy-comedy aimed at young kids, collected $20 million from 58 markets.
- 5/19/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
A24 is closing an eight-figure deal to acquire the U.S. rights to Ruben Östlund’s “The Entertainment System Is Down,” Variety has confirmed.
The deal was struck between A24 and Paris-based Co-Production Office, which launched international sales for the project at the Cannes Film Market.
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Brühl, Nicholas Braun and Samantha Morton, “The Entertainment System Is Down” takes place on a long-haul flight where the entertainment system fails and passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored.
During a Cannes event hosted by Sweden’s Film i Väst on Saturday, two-time Palme d’Or winner Östlund unveiled more details about “The Entertainment System Is Down,” including that he and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, purchased a real-life Boeing 747 for the film.
”We wanted to have a real airplane because very often, when you watch an airplane movie, characters are put in a corner,...
The deal was struck between A24 and Paris-based Co-Production Office, which launched international sales for the project at the Cannes Film Market.
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Brühl, Nicholas Braun and Samantha Morton, “The Entertainment System Is Down” takes place on a long-haul flight where the entertainment system fails and passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored.
During a Cannes event hosted by Sweden’s Film i Väst on Saturday, two-time Palme d’Or winner Östlund unveiled more details about “The Entertainment System Is Down,” including that he and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, purchased a real-life Boeing 747 for the film.
”We wanted to have a real airplane because very often, when you watch an airplane movie, characters are put in a corner,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
Is it fair to say that "Tombstone" is one of the best Westerns ever made? At the very least, it's definitely one of the best modern Westerns. Directed by George P. Cosmatos, the stylish, violent saga tells the story of Wyatt Earp and the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Kurt Russell and his glorious mustache stars as Earp, with Val Kilmer stealing the entire movie as Earp's sickly buddy, Doc Holliday. The stacked cast also includes Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Dana Delany, Michael Rooker, Billy Zane, Charlton Heston, and a voice cameo from Robert Mitchum.
When you make a Western, certain accoutrements are baked into the material. We're talking pistols, cowboy boots, big ol' hats, and of course, horses. Kurt Russell sat down with Esquire for a career-spanning interview, and during the course of the conversation, the actor fondly recalled his time working with his horse on "Tombstone.
When you make a Western, certain accoutrements are baked into the material. We're talking pistols, cowboy boots, big ol' hats, and of course, horses. Kurt Russell sat down with Esquire for a career-spanning interview, and during the course of the conversation, the actor fondly recalled his time working with his horse on "Tombstone.
- 5/19/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
The 50th Annual Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) wrapped up on Sunday and announced the winners of the 2024 Golden Space Needle Audience and Juried Competition Awards.
The festival began on May 9 and screened 261 films representing 84 countries with “62% of the feature films were created by first or second-time filmmakers; 43% were created by women or nonbinary filmmakers; 35% of filmmakers identify as a Bipoc director; and nearly 60% are currently without U.S. distribution and may not screen commercially in the United States,” according to Siff.
Siff holds two categories of competition: juried and audience based. Juried competitions include five feature subcategories including the Official Competition, New American Cinema Competition, New Directors Competition, Ibero-American Competition and Documentary Competition. Short film categories include live action, animation and documentary.
In addition, over 32,000 ballots were submitted for the Golden Space Needle Awards (Gsna). Films judged through the GSNAs are selected by audience members through post-screening ballots. The categories include best film,...
The festival began on May 9 and screened 261 films representing 84 countries with “62% of the feature films were created by first or second-time filmmakers; 43% were created by women or nonbinary filmmakers; 35% of filmmakers identify as a Bipoc director; and nearly 60% are currently without U.S. distribution and may not screen commercially in the United States,” according to Siff.
Siff holds two categories of competition: juried and audience based. Juried competitions include five feature subcategories including the Official Competition, New American Cinema Competition, New Directors Competition, Ibero-American Competition and Documentary Competition. Short film categories include live action, animation and documentary.
In addition, over 32,000 ballots were submitted for the Golden Space Needle Awards (Gsna). Films judged through the GSNAs are selected by audience members through post-screening ballots. The categories include best film,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
Cannes 2024 Sales: A24 Acquires Rights to Ruben Öslund’s New Film ‘The Entertainment System Is Down’
For those keeping score, and we know Neon is, it’s four Palme d’Or victories for Neon, who bought “Anatomy of a Fall” out of last year’s Cannes Film Festival. The boutique shingle didn’t stop there, and also acquired “Robot Dreams” and “Perfect Days” as well. Netflix plunked down $11 million for “May December,” and the festival produced sales for other buzzy titles like “Jeanne du Barry” and “The Taste of Things.” All that, and with the specter of the writers strike hanging over it.
So what will sell big this year? Many of the titles in competition as part of this year’s Official Selection are up for grabs, even as Neon, A24, Mubi, and Searchlight are all arriving with at least one contender in the main race. We’ll be tracking everything that gets bought below throughout the festival and beyond.
Films Acquired During the Festival...
So what will sell big this year? Many of the titles in competition as part of this year’s Official Selection are up for grabs, even as Neon, A24, Mubi, and Searchlight are all arriving with at least one contender in the main race. We’ll be tracking everything that gets bought below throughout the festival and beyond.
Films Acquired During the Festival...
- 5/19/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
“Horizon: An American Saga,” Kevin Costner’s risk-it-all Western epic, rode into Cannes on Sunday, earning a seven-minute standing ovation.
Costner was visibly emotional as the film received huge applause and chants of “Kevin! Kevin! Kevin!” During his speech, Costner thanked the audience and promised “three more” installments of the “Horizon” franchise, which is already due to get a sequel in August.
“I’m sorry you had to clap that long for me to understand that I should speak,” Costner said to laughter. “Such good people. Such a good moment, not just for me, but for the actors that came with me, for people who believed in me who continued to work. It’s a funny business, and I’m so glad I found it. There’s no place like here. I’ll never forget this — either will my children.”
Kevin Costner gets teary-eyed during the standing ovation for his...
Costner was visibly emotional as the film received huge applause and chants of “Kevin! Kevin! Kevin!” During his speech, Costner thanked the audience and promised “three more” installments of the “Horizon” franchise, which is already due to get a sequel in August.
“I’m sorry you had to clap that long for me to understand that I should speak,” Costner said to laughter. “Such good people. Such a good moment, not just for me, but for the actors that came with me, for people who believed in me who continued to work. It’s a funny business, and I’m so glad I found it. There’s no place like here. I’ll never forget this — either will my children.”
Kevin Costner gets teary-eyed during the standing ovation for his...
- 5/19/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel and Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
In these trying times, “Saturday Night Live” wants character actors of all stripes to be extra careful when walking around New York City — but Jon Hamm can relax.
10 days after Steve Buscemi was hospitalized after being unexpectedly punched in the face, NBC’s late-night show mocked the situation with a lighthearted sketch about protecting our actors who are recognizable but not necessarily household names. Host Jake Gyllenhaal appeared as an NYPD officer urging actors to stay safe while briefing reporters about the issue.
“Just this week, national treasure Steve Buscemi was punched while walking through Kips Bay,” he said. “These types of attacks cannot and will not be tolerated. So to everyone watching, I have one important message: Stop punching character actors in the face.”
Gyllenhaal went on to explain that he believes Buscemi’s attack could be the start of a larger wave of crimes against character actors. He...
10 days after Steve Buscemi was hospitalized after being unexpectedly punched in the face, NBC’s late-night show mocked the situation with a lighthearted sketch about protecting our actors who are recognizable but not necessarily household names. Host Jake Gyllenhaal appeared as an NYPD officer urging actors to stay safe while briefing reporters about the issue.
“Just this week, national treasure Steve Buscemi was punched while walking through Kips Bay,” he said. “These types of attacks cannot and will not be tolerated. So to everyone watching, I have one important message: Stop punching character actors in the face.”
Gyllenhaal went on to explain that he believes Buscemi’s attack could be the start of a larger wave of crimes against character actors. He...
- 5/19/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Cannes – There is nothing wrong with a three-hour movie. There have been absolute masterworks longer than 180 minutes. It sorta helps, however, if the film is, well, a movie. After watching Kevin Costner’s 181-minute-long “Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1,” we can’t argue its classification as a film, artist’s prerogative, but we’re still not sure it should be constituted as one by anyone else. And that’s for a multitude of reasons.
Continue reading ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ Review: Kevin Costner’s Sprawling Western With No End In Sight [Cannes] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ Review: Kevin Costner’s Sprawling Western With No End In Sight [Cannes] at The Playlist.
- 5/19/2024
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
1993 was a huge year for Steven Spielberg. Ever the workaholic, Spielberg had two major movies hit theaters in '93. The first was "Jurassic Park," which roared into multiplexes in June of that year. Then, in December, came "Schindler's List," Spielberg's Holocaust drama that finally won him a Best Director Oscar. Spielberg loves to work, and he would have other years where he released two films. But making two massive movies like "Jurassic Park" and "Schindler's List" was not an easy feat. The productions ended up overlapping, and the jarring nature of the two projects — one the ultimate popcorn blockbuster, the other a brutal and serious portrait of the Holocaust — ended up taking a toll on the acclaimed director.
After Spielberg finished principal photography on "Jurassic Park," he headed to Poland to shoot "Schindler's List." In Spielberg's mind, the main work on "Jurassic Park" was done. Except, of course, it wasn't.
After Spielberg finished principal photography on "Jurassic Park," he headed to Poland to shoot "Schindler's List." In Spielberg's mind, the main work on "Jurassic Park" was done. Except, of course, it wasn't.
- 5/19/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
In this edition of Screen’s Cannes Close-Up series of interviews, Spanish filmmaker Elena López Riera explains how the festival allows her open doors with international producers, and reveals which director she saw proposing at a party.
López Riera’s short film Pueblo and follow-up feature El Agua both premiered at Directors’ Fortnight, whilst her latest, The Southern Brides, is playing at Critics’ Week this year.
“It’s a documentary about the sexuality of older women and also about my relationship with my inheritance as a woman from the south of Spain,” says López Riera of the project.
“My producer...
López Riera’s short film Pueblo and follow-up feature El Agua both premiered at Directors’ Fortnight, whilst her latest, The Southern Brides, is playing at Critics’ Week this year.
“It’s a documentary about the sexuality of older women and also about my relationship with my inheritance as a woman from the south of Spain,” says López Riera of the project.
“My producer...
- 5/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Cannes – Eduard Limonov was a complicated man. He was a poet, a novelist, and a political activist; at one point, a Russian dissident who lived in New York and Paris; he returned to his homeland to lead a fascist party that supported a return to an ideology closer to that of the former Soviet Union. His story is so expansive it could likely be chronicled in a 10-hour mini-series and still miss out on an outlandish or surprising period in his life.
Continue reading ‘Limonov. The Ballad’: Ben Whishaw Channels The Controversial Punk Russian Poet [Cannes] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Limonov. The Ballad’: Ben Whishaw Channels The Controversial Punk Russian Poet [Cannes] at The Playlist.
- 5/19/2024
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Imagine a film where Cate Blanchett plays a version of Angela Merkel. And Charles Dance is a Joe Biden parody in full British accent. Now add Denis Ménochet as a boisterous French president carried around a damp forest in a wheelbarrow and Alicia Vikander as a beautiful diplomat who tells tales of the end of the world in frenzied Swedish. A feel more pinches of insanity and you would have “Rumours,” the newest by Canadian maverick trio Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson.
Continue reading ‘Rumours’ Review: Guy Maddin’s Bonkers Political Satire With Cate Blanchett Loses Steam Midway Through [Cannes] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Rumours’ Review: Guy Maddin’s Bonkers Political Satire With Cate Blanchett Loses Steam Midway Through [Cannes] at The Playlist.
- 5/19/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- The Playlist
Michel Hazanavicius, the Oscar-winning director of “The Artist,” makes a first foray into animation with “The Most Precious of Cargoes” which world premieres at the Cannes Film Festival on May 24. Adapted from Jean-Claude Grumberg’s bestselling novel, “The Most Precious of Cargoes” is the first animated feature to vie for a Palme d’Or since Ari Folman’s “Waltz With Bashir” in 2008; and it will be the last movie watched by the competition jury, presided over by Greta Gerwig, before the closing ceremony.
Hazanavicius developed the project for years and wrote the script with Grumberg, as well as created the drawings. Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat created the original score. The drama intertwines the fate of a Jewish family, including newborn twins, deported to Auschwitz, with that of a poor and childless woodcutter couple living deep in a Polish forest. On the train to the death camp, the young father wraps...
Hazanavicius developed the project for years and wrote the script with Grumberg, as well as created the drawings. Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat created the original score. The drama intertwines the fate of a Jewish family, including newborn twins, deported to Auschwitz, with that of a poor and childless woodcutter couple living deep in a Polish forest. On the train to the death camp, the young father wraps...
- 5/19/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
The "Star Wars" prequels constitute one of the biggest and most controversial set of movies of all time. Incredibly successful, both during its original theatrical run and in subsequent re-releases, "The Phantom Menace" was hugely anticipated by the summer of 1999, driving impossible-to-meet expectations. When the film was released, it made lots of money, but left some audiences cold. Over time, the image of "The Phantom Menace" as the beginning of the end for the franchise far, far away was cemented.
Except, that was 25 years ago. In the time since, kids who grew up on the prequels and additional material like "The Clone Wars" expanding the story and the characters have become more vocal online. It also helped that disappointment over the sequel trilogy has driven fans back to the prequels and George Lucas' unique and clear vision.
Rewatching "The Phantom Menace" during its 25th anniversary theatrical re-release, the movie's flaws are even more glaring,...
Except, that was 25 years ago. In the time since, kids who grew up on the prequels and additional material like "The Clone Wars" expanding the story and the characters have become more vocal online. It also helped that disappointment over the sequel trilogy has driven fans back to the prequels and George Lucas' unique and clear vision.
Rewatching "The Phantom Menace" during its 25th anniversary theatrical re-release, the movie's flaws are even more glaring,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
“If” (Paramount) may have fallen short of its anticipated $40 million opening, but the glass is at least half-full. Preview and initial numbers suggested it could end up around $28 million; instead, its initial estimate is $35 million.
That improvement, along with its A Cinemascore, suggests a film that could stick around. It would be a real boost for the cause of original non-franchise production. Domestic on “If” is better than foreign, which stands at $24 million, $20 million from this weekend. That puts it at $59 million worldwide.
The full weekend is projected to hit $99 million. If that becomes $100 million, it would mark the first time since Easter. By comparison, 2023 saw every weekend from April 7 through mid-August hit that level. In 2019, with significantly lower ticket prices, that was the case from post-Super Bowl through Labor Day.
‘The Fall Guy’©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Any positive news is welcome. We are three weeks into summer playtime...
That improvement, along with its A Cinemascore, suggests a film that could stick around. It would be a real boost for the cause of original non-franchise production. Domestic on “If” is better than foreign, which stands at $24 million, $20 million from this weekend. That puts it at $59 million worldwide.
The full weekend is projected to hit $99 million. If that becomes $100 million, it would mark the first time since Easter. By comparison, 2023 saw every weekend from April 7 through mid-August hit that level. In 2019, with significantly lower ticket prices, that was the case from post-Super Bowl through Labor Day.
‘The Fall Guy’©Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection
Any positive news is welcome. We are three weeks into summer playtime...
- 5/19/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
When it was released in January of 2001, Richard Kelly's bleak time-travel psychological drama "Donnie Darko" caused a notable stir. The title character, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is a teen struggling with schizophrenia in 1988, a time when Reagan's great Conservative revolution was drawing to a close and adults clung to suburban conformity as it crumbled under them. Donnie is obsessed with time-travel and regularly hallucinates a vicious, strange anthropomorphic rabbit monster named Frank (all while attempting to socialize at school and foster a romance with a classmate played by Jena Malone). Patrick Swayze appears as a cheesy self-self guru, Drew Barrymore plays one of Donnie's teachers, and Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Donnie's sister.
By turns psychedelic and weirdly moving (in a Goth sort of way), "Donnie Darko" quickly became a cult hit and rotated directly into the local midnight movie circuit, attracting a wide swath of misfits and night people.
By turns psychedelic and weirdly moving (in a Goth sort of way), "Donnie Darko" quickly became a cult hit and rotated directly into the local midnight movie circuit, attracting a wide swath of misfits and night people.
- 5/19/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Urban Sales has closed a raft of deals on the upcoming animated feature “Into the Wonderwoods” ahead of its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Special Screenings section.
The film, which bows with a special screening May 22 at the prestigious French fest, has sold to 45 territories, the Paris-based sales outfit announced during the Cannes Market. Pic has sold to Volga for the Cis territories and the Baltics; Selim Ramia & Co. for the Mena region; Skyline for Vietnam; New Horizons for Poland; Ascot Elite for Switzerland; Movies Inspired for Italy; Vercine for Spain; and Pris Audiovisuais for Portugal.
The family animation next travels to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to compete in the main competition for the prestigious Cristal award. Le Pacte will be releasing the film in France on Oct. 23. Advanced negotiations are ongoing for Benelux, China, Germany, Turkey, Latin America and North America.
“Into the Wonderwoods...
The film, which bows with a special screening May 22 at the prestigious French fest, has sold to 45 territories, the Paris-based sales outfit announced during the Cannes Market. Pic has sold to Volga for the Cis territories and the Baltics; Selim Ramia & Co. for the Mena region; Skyline for Vietnam; New Horizons for Poland; Ascot Elite for Switzerland; Movies Inspired for Italy; Vercine for Spain; and Pris Audiovisuais for Portugal.
The family animation next travels to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to compete in the main competition for the prestigious Cristal award. Le Pacte will be releasing the film in France on Oct. 23. Advanced negotiations are ongoing for Benelux, China, Germany, Turkey, Latin America and North America.
“Into the Wonderwoods...
- 5/19/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety - Film News
There are plenty of North American filmmakers influenced by the giants of international cinema. These filmmakers import stylistic references, different tones and rhythms, perhaps key collaborators, such as a cinematographer, to films that nonetheless are born of their own local filmmaking cultures. For his second feature, following the anarchic political satire of his The Twentieth Century, Canadian director Matthew Rankin has imagined a different approach. His formally precise and very funny Universal Language, a Cannes’s Directors Fortnight discovery this year, is not only influenced by the Iranian cinema of Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi, among others, but considers a Winnipeg […]
The post “We Wanted to Film These Beige Structures the Way Terrence Malick Films a Sunset”: Director Matthew Rankin on the Canadian/Iranian Interzone of his Cannes-Premiering Universal Language first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “We Wanted to Film These Beige Structures the Way Terrence Malick Films a Sunset”: Director Matthew Rankin on the Canadian/Iranian Interzone of his Cannes-Premiering Universal Language first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/19/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
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Director Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" films are incredible feats of adaptation, bringing a vibrancy and modern sheen of tactility to Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi novel. The world-building is jaw-dropping, whether it's in the orange-tinged Harkonnen anti-gravity attack of "Dune: Part Two," or the deranged character choices of the film's villains; everything we see feels like it belongs in this universe, and the world feels so fully realized that it's easy to imagine ravenous fans spending hours taking deep dives into the films' expansive lore.
Case in point: The relatively short scene involving Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) entering the Maker's Temple and meeting the Maker Keeper (Alison Halstead), who lures a baby sandworm into her waiting arms ... only to drown it in order to extract the Water of Life from its corpse. The film tells you just enough so you can understand what's happening,...
Director Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" films are incredible feats of adaptation, bringing a vibrancy and modern sheen of tactility to Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi novel. The world-building is jaw-dropping, whether it's in the orange-tinged Harkonnen anti-gravity attack of "Dune: Part Two," or the deranged character choices of the film's villains; everything we see feels like it belongs in this universe, and the world feels so fully realized that it's easy to imagine ravenous fans spending hours taking deep dives into the films' expansive lore.
Case in point: The relatively short scene involving Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) entering the Maker's Temple and meeting the Maker Keeper (Alison Halstead), who lures a baby sandworm into her waiting arms ... only to drown it in order to extract the Water of Life from its corpse. The film tells you just enough so you can understand what's happening,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
Some films prioritize a strident political cause, others set out to terrify or thrill. This touching and simple story from Japanese filmmaker Hiroshi Okuyama, premiering in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, is a gentler affair, with modest ambitions that it realizes effectively. Set on a small Japanese island, the film’s slight but sweet narrative follows a quartet of characters — young hockey player Takuya (Keitatsu Koshiyama), proficient skater Sakura (Kiara Nakanishi), figure-skating tutor Arakawa (Sōsuke Ikematsu) and his boyfriend (Ryûya Wakaba) — as they navigate subtly shifting interpersonal dynamics while a cold but beautiful winter waxes and wanes around them.
Every scene is set up with a very deliberate aesthetic sense. A snowy icing-sugar landscape, a baseball field tinged with pale turquoise light, an indoor ice-rink shimmering in a golden haze: Nothing feels haphazard or anything less than picture-perfect. This is the result of a fruitful collaboration between director and Dp,...
Every scene is set up with a very deliberate aesthetic sense. A snowy icing-sugar landscape, a baseball field tinged with pale turquoise light, an indoor ice-rink shimmering in a golden haze: Nothing feels haphazard or anything less than picture-perfect. This is the result of a fruitful collaboration between director and Dp,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Catherine Bray
- Variety - Film News
The first significant deal at last year’s Marché du Film was Neon’s acquisition of Pablo Berger’s eventual Oscar nominee, “Robot Dreams.” Whether or not another Spanish animated film can have that kind of impact in 2024 remains to be seen, but there is a long list of contenders to consider.
Perhaps the buzziest Spanish title at this year’s market is adult animation auteur Alberto Vázquez’s “Decorado,” sold by French powerhouse Le Pacte. Like his previous titles, “Decorado” is based on a Vázquez short adapted from one of his graphic novels. Uniko, Abano Producións, The Glow Animation Studio and Sardinha em Lata produce.
“Girl and Wolf” marks the feature debut of animator and graphic novelist Roc Espinet, touted as Spain’s next adult animation auteur. Produced by Hampa Studio, Sygnatia and Alesa Films, the Latido-sold film will certainly look an appealing prospect to distributors of indie animation.
Perhaps the buzziest Spanish title at this year’s market is adult animation auteur Alberto Vázquez’s “Decorado,” sold by French powerhouse Le Pacte. Like his previous titles, “Decorado” is based on a Vázquez short adapted from one of his graphic novels. Uniko, Abano Producións, The Glow Animation Studio and Sardinha em Lata produce.
“Girl and Wolf” marks the feature debut of animator and graphic novelist Roc Espinet, touted as Spain’s next adult animation auteur. Produced by Hampa Studio, Sygnatia and Alesa Films, the Latido-sold film will certainly look an appealing prospect to distributors of indie animation.
- 5/19/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
Charles Portis' novel "True Grit" has been brought to life on the big screen several times, but Henry Hathaway's 1969 John Wayne-starring adaptation is perhaps the most popular. Wayne's rendition of Rooster Cogburn is one of his most-recognized late-period roles, and it also earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor — an accolade that feels thoroughly deserving due to the actor's ability to seamlessly inhabit the plucky, one-eyed U.S. Marshal. Portis' "True Grit" is told from the perspective of the adolescent Mattie Ross, whose deadpan, no-nonsense demeanor is our portal to the treacherous grown-ups around her, and her bond with the tough-as-nails marshal soon emerges as the heart of the drama. Wayne expertly balances Rooster's more vicious sensibilities with the hidden vulnerabilities that emerge when he helps Mattie exact revenge and looks endlessly cool while charging toward armed dudes with dual guns on horseback.
Although no one can...
Although no one can...
- 5/19/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Cineart, Lucky Red, Together Films and Film Constellation execs are gathering at the UK pavilion on Monday (May 20) to dig into the issues and opportunities facing UK films looking to travel globally.
“British film talent is the UK’s crown jewel, with a history of delivering award-winning films,” said Fabien Westerhoff, CEO at London and Paris-based Film Constellation, who is taking part in the panel. ”It is one of the largest pools of new acting talent globally, and has consistently delivered strong new directorial voices over the last decade, from Georgia Oakley, to Charlotte Wells, Rose Glass, William Oldroyd, Francis Lee,...
“British film talent is the UK’s crown jewel, with a history of delivering award-winning films,” said Fabien Westerhoff, CEO at London and Paris-based Film Constellation, who is taking part in the panel. ”It is one of the largest pools of new acting talent globally, and has consistently delivered strong new directorial voices over the last decade, from Georgia Oakley, to Charlotte Wells, Rose Glass, William Oldroyd, Francis Lee,...
- 5/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons are hungry, wolfing down sandwiches at the start of our “Kinds of Kindness” interview. They’re in Cannes to promote the singular three-part anthology film, which has been well-received. They laugh a lot. She’s a Yorgos Lanthimos veteran, and just won her second Oscar embodying the free-spirited Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” After that, it seems, nothing will phase her and she’ll do anything for her soulmate director. Announced at Cannes: Their next movie to be shot this summer, “Bugonia” (Focus Features), a remake of a Korean thriller, co-starring Plemons.
The 36-year-old one-time child actor is the new kid in town, joining such familiar faces as Stone, Margaret Qualley, and Willem Dafoe in the Lanthimos ensemble. When the “Fargo” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” star got the call from his agent, even before he read the “Kinds of Kindness” script, he said,...
The 36-year-old one-time child actor is the new kid in town, joining such familiar faces as Stone, Margaret Qualley, and Willem Dafoe in the Lanthimos ensemble. When the “Fargo” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” star got the call from his agent, even before he read the “Kinds of Kindness” script, he said,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
"Saturday Night Live" might be a late-night show in New York, but since it airs before 10 p.m. in some regions it has to abide by the FCC's quirky rules on "indecent and profane" content. Swearing is a capital crime; in 1981, Charles Rocket was fired immediately after he accidentally dropped an F-bomb on air. Sex and nudity are also big danger zones; the 1988 sketch "Nude Beach" with Matthew Broderick, in which the word "penis" is uttered dozens of times, was permitted to air following a fierce debate within NBC's Broadcast Standard Department, and resulted in 46,000 complaints and the loss of multiple sponsors.
Fortunately for this "SNL" season 49 finale sketch, which stars guest host Jake Gyllenhaal as Fred in a twisted spin on "Scooby-Doo," violence on TV is basically a blood-soaked free-for-all with almost no limits.
Musical guest Sabrina Carpenter co-stars as Daphne, with regular cast members Mikey Day...
Fortunately for this "SNL" season 49 finale sketch, which stars guest host Jake Gyllenhaal as Fred in a twisted spin on "Scooby-Doo," violence on TV is basically a blood-soaked free-for-all with almost no limits.
Musical guest Sabrina Carpenter co-stars as Daphne, with regular cast members Mikey Day...
- 5/19/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
Saturday saw the premiere of the first bona fide competition hit with “Emilia Pérez,” Jacques Audiard’s queer musical fantasia about a Mexican trans woman’s (breakout star Karla Sofía Gascón) empowerment and liberation.
Audiard, who won the 2015 Palme d’Or from a jury led by the Coens for “Dheepan,” is working in a mode not far-flung from the grit of crime dramas like Grand Prix winner “A Prophet” or 2012 Palme contender “Rust and Bone.” But here, he weds those elements to an emotional story spanning Mexico City and trans identity that’s further outside his comfort zone. Selena Gomez co-stars in this wide-swinging musical as the wife of cartel crime lord Manitas, who with the help of a lawyer played by Zoe Saldana, undergoes gender confirmation surgery. Gascón stars as Pérez in a performance already getting best actress buzz. The movie careens from genre thriller to comedy and musical and queer redemption story,...
Audiard, who won the 2015 Palme d’Or from a jury led by the Coens for “Dheepan,” is working in a mode not far-flung from the grit of crime dramas like Grand Prix winner “A Prophet” or 2012 Palme contender “Rust and Bone.” But here, he weds those elements to an emotional story spanning Mexico City and trans identity that’s further outside his comfort zone. Selena Gomez co-stars in this wide-swinging musical as the wife of cartel crime lord Manitas, who with the help of a lawyer played by Zoe Saldana, undergoes gender confirmation surgery. Gascón stars as Pérez in a performance already getting best actress buzz. The movie careens from genre thriller to comedy and musical and queer redemption story,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
French distribution company UFO has secured the rights to American filmmaker Ryan J. Sloan’s New psychological thriller “Gazer,” which will world premiere at this year’s Directors’ Fortnight on May 22.
Set in New Jersey and starring Sloan’s partner Ariella Mastroianni, “Gazer” is the story of a young mother with a rare degenerative brain condition called dyschronometria. The disease causes her to struggle to perceive time, which makes holding down a steady job nearly impossible. So, when a mysterious woman offers her a risky job, she takes it, unaware of the dark consequences of her decision.
According to UFO CEO Stéphane Auclaire, “We loved following the lead character Frankie, played by the hypnotic Ariella Mastroianni, through the twists and turns of this paranoid thriller that reminded us of Cronenberg and the Safdie brothers. The sound and music, framing and lighting cohere in an ‘analog obsession’, through which director Ryan J.
Set in New Jersey and starring Sloan’s partner Ariella Mastroianni, “Gazer” is the story of a young mother with a rare degenerative brain condition called dyschronometria. The disease causes her to struggle to perceive time, which makes holding down a steady job nearly impossible. So, when a mysterious woman offers her a risky job, she takes it, unaware of the dark consequences of her decision.
According to UFO CEO Stéphane Auclaire, “We loved following the lead character Frankie, played by the hypnotic Ariella Mastroianni, through the twists and turns of this paranoid thriller that reminded us of Cronenberg and the Safdie brothers. The sound and music, framing and lighting cohere in an ‘analog obsession’, through which director Ryan J.
- 5/19/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
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