Movie News
Sony’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die jolted the battered summer box office back to life with a better-than-expected domestic opening of $56 million and $104.6 million globally.
Moreover, it puts Will Smith on the road to a career comeback two years after the infamous Oscars slap.
Ride or Die, reuniting Smith with Martin Lawrence, is the fourth outing in Sony’s long-running franchise and earned an A- CinemaScore in North America alongside generally positive reviews. Just as promising, 44 percent of the audience was between ages 18 and 34, showing Smith has a following among younger consumers. Black moviegoers made up the largest quadrant of the audience with 44 percent.
Ride or Die is arguably the first film of the summer to come in ahead of tracking, which had it opening in the $48 million to $50 million range. It’s also the second biggest domestic launch of the season behind Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,...
Moreover, it puts Will Smith on the road to a career comeback two years after the infamous Oscars slap.
Ride or Die, reuniting Smith with Martin Lawrence, is the fourth outing in Sony’s long-running franchise and earned an A- CinemaScore in North America alongside generally positive reviews. Just as promising, 44 percent of the audience was between ages 18 and 34, showing Smith has a following among younger consumers. Black moviegoers made up the largest quadrant of the audience with 44 percent.
Ride or Die is arguably the first film of the summer to come in ahead of tracking, which had it opening in the $48 million to $50 million range. It’s also the second biggest domestic launch of the season behind Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Whitney Peak, one of the leads of the recent Gossip Girl reboot, has signed on to star opposite Phoebe Dynevor in Sony Pictures’ untitled shark thriller.
Tommy Wirkola, who last helmed the David Harbour-starring Christmas action movie Violent Night, is helming the feature that will begin shooting in Melbourne in July.
Plot details are being kept in the cage but it is said to revolve around a community that has to deal with shark attacks during a hurricane.
Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, who count Don’t Look Up and The Big Short, amongst their output, are producing the project via their HyperObject Industries.
On the Gossip Girl reboots, the Ugandan-born, Canadian-raised Peak played Zoya Lott, the newcomer to the machinations of the chi-chi Manhattan school at where a lot of the stories were set. She also starred opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi in Hocus Pocus 2,...
Tommy Wirkola, who last helmed the David Harbour-starring Christmas action movie Violent Night, is helming the feature that will begin shooting in Melbourne in July.
Plot details are being kept in the cage but it is said to revolve around a community that has to deal with shark attacks during a hurricane.
Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, who count Don’t Look Up and The Big Short, amongst their output, are producing the project via their HyperObject Industries.
On the Gossip Girl reboots, the Ugandan-born, Canadian-raised Peak played Zoya Lott, the newcomer to the machinations of the chi-chi Manhattan school at where a lot of the stories were set. She also starred opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi in Hocus Pocus 2,...
- 6/7/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mikaela Hoover and newcomer Christopher MacDonald are the latest actors to join the cast of James Gunn’s “Superman,” which is currently in production.
The duo will be playing Daily Planet staffers Cat Grant and Ron Troupe. Earlier this week, “SNL” Alum Beck Bennet also joined the Daily Planet masthead as Sports editor Steve Lombard.
Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway, Cat Grant first appeared in 1987’s “The Adventures of Superman” #424 as a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. On the small screen Cat Grant was previously played by Tracy Scoggins in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and Calista Flockhart in the “Arrowverse” television series “Supergirl.”
Ron Troupe first debuted in 1991’s “The Adventures of Superman” #480 and was created by Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett. In the DC Comics, Troupe is best known as a straight-laced, levelheaded reporter who took over Clark Kent’s...
The duo will be playing Daily Planet staffers Cat Grant and Ron Troupe. Earlier this week, “SNL” Alum Beck Bennet also joined the Daily Planet masthead as Sports editor Steve Lombard.
Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway, Cat Grant first appeared in 1987’s “The Adventures of Superman” #424 as a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. On the small screen Cat Grant was previously played by Tracy Scoggins in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and Calista Flockhart in the “Arrowverse” television series “Supergirl.”
Ron Troupe first debuted in 1991’s “The Adventures of Superman” #480 and was created by Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett. In the DC Comics, Troupe is best known as a straight-laced, levelheaded reporter who took over Clark Kent’s...
- 6/7/2024
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Things are about to get freaky for Julia Butters.
The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” standout has joined the cast of Disney’s “Freaky Friday” sequel, sources tell Variety. The project was officially confirmed in March, with Nisha Ganatra tapped to direct.
Ganatra most recently directed episodes of Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales.” Her other credits include the 2020 film “The High Note” with Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross, along with 2019’s “Late Night,” starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson.
Original stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are in talks to reprise their roles from the 2003 film.
For years, Curtis and Lohan have been vocal about their desire to reunite for a follow-up to their body-swapping comedy. In March, Curtis shared a photo with Lohan to Instagram, tagging Disney and captioning the snap, “Duh! Ffdeux!”
“Freaky Friday” followed Curtis as straight-laced mom Tess and Lohan as rebellious daughter Anna.
The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” standout has joined the cast of Disney’s “Freaky Friday” sequel, sources tell Variety. The project was officially confirmed in March, with Nisha Ganatra tapped to direct.
Ganatra most recently directed episodes of Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales.” Her other credits include the 2020 film “The High Note” with Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross, along with 2019’s “Late Night,” starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson.
Original stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are in talks to reprise their roles from the 2003 film.
For years, Curtis and Lohan have been vocal about their desire to reunite for a follow-up to their body-swapping comedy. In March, Curtis shared a photo with Lohan to Instagram, tagging Disney and captioning the snap, “Duh! Ffdeux!”
“Freaky Friday” followed Curtis as straight-laced mom Tess and Lohan as rebellious daughter Anna.
- 6/8/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
Haven’t had enough Glen Powell yet? Well don’t worry, the “Anyone but You” and “Hit Man” star will be back on the big screen soon enough with “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung’s “Twisters.” Coming to theaters July 19, “Twisters” is a sequel to the 1996 disaster film and box office bonanza “Twister,” but features a new, young cast headed by Powell and including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Brandon Perea, and Anthony Ramos. To tease the upcoming blockbuster, all four actors sat down with Fandango to discuss the making of the film and the level of authenticity sought through practical effects.
“There’s a sequence in the movie that I think is going to be one of the most incredible action sequences of all time,” Powell said. “It all happens in a oner and I think that we shot that in December with a rain machine. One of the coldest nights I’ve ever experienced,...
“There’s a sequence in the movie that I think is going to be one of the most incredible action sequences of all time,” Powell said. “It all happens in a oner and I think that we shot that in December with a rain machine. One of the coldest nights I’ve ever experienced,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
IndieWire’s Consider This FYC event returned once again on Saturday to celebrate the craftsmanship and collaboration that goes into making our favorite shows. In front of a packed crowd at The Grove in Los Angeles, artists who worked on the Paramount+ shows “Fellow Travelers,” “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “A Gentleman in Moscow,” “Frasier,” “Colin from Accounts,” and “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” convened for a series of panels about the art of television moderated by IndieWire editors.
The event, produced in partnership with Paramount+, highlighted artists from every stage of the production process. From stars and showrunners to costumers, production designers, composers, editors, and VFX artists, the event reflected IndieWire’s commitment to celebrating above-the-line and below-the-line artists in equal measure. And while the panels focused on shows that could be major players in the upcoming Emmy race, the artists and craftspeople all made it clear...
The event, produced in partnership with Paramount+, highlighted artists from every stage of the production process. From stars and showrunners to costumers, production designers, composers, editors, and VFX artists, the event reflected IndieWire’s commitment to celebrating above-the-line and below-the-line artists in equal measure. And while the panels focused on shows that could be major players in the upcoming Emmy race, the artists and craftspeople all made it clear...
- 6/9/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
From June 10 to June 16, actress and activist Geena Davis, alongside festival director Wendy Guerrero and many others, will be hosting the 10th anniversary of Arkansas’ Bentonville Film Festival. This year’s fest is expected to attract 65,000 attendees and, as with its previous installments, centers on championing the films and voices of women, non-binary, LGBTQ+, Bipoc, Api, and persons with disabilities in entertainment and media. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter promoting the festival, Davis said that while the work Bff does is in a good place, there’s still more to be done.
“We’re making tremendous progress with gender, race and ethnicity-based inclusion,” said Davis. “Unfortunately, representation for people with disabilities is still in the low-single-digits, despite one in four Americans identifying as being disabled.”
Though enjoying movies may not seem like a political act, choosing to center Dei initiatives at a festival that takes place in...
“We’re making tremendous progress with gender, race and ethnicity-based inclusion,” said Davis. “Unfortunately, representation for people with disabilities is still in the low-single-digits, despite one in four Americans identifying as being disabled.”
Though enjoying movies may not seem like a political act, choosing to center Dei initiatives at a festival that takes place in...
- 6/9/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
It's been over a year since two of the best shows in HBO history signed off on the same night, yet we're still thinking about "Barry." The series started with a bang in 2018, delivering a cool premise –- What if a hit man wanted to give it all up and become an actor? –- that soon gave way to four seasons of dark humor, brutal violence, shocking tragedy, whip-smart satire, and some of the most incredible filmmaking of the 21st century. Co-creators Alec Berg and Bill Hader were never content to let "Barry" tread water, and seemed determined to constantly reinvent the show –- in part by pushing its central character beyond his breaking point.
As "Barry" wore on, it got tougher to categorize. While awards voting bodies heaped praise upon the show's early seasons, it saw fewer wins for seasons 3 and 4: the show, at some point, became too...
As "Barry" wore on, it got tougher to categorize. While awards voting bodies heaped praise upon the show's early seasons, it saw fewer wins for seasons 3 and 4: the show, at some point, became too...
- 6/9/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
The French far-right party Rassemblement National made historical gains on June 9, dominating the European elections by a landslide with 31.5% of votes.
Fronted by the Rassemblement National’s 28 year-old lead candidate Jordan Bardella, the victory prompted French President Emmanuel Macron — whose party Renaissance came in second with 14.5% of votes — to dissolve the National Assembly and call early Parliamentary elections. These will take place in two rounds, on June 30 and July 7, less than a month before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris.
Perceived as a poker move by insiders, these snap elections could lead to seeing the Rassemblement National win the majority within the National Assembly and subsequently obligate Macron to cohabit with a prime minister belonging to the far right, most likely Bardella. Macron appears to be following the footsteps of Jacques Chirac, the right-wing former president, who dissolved the National Assembly in 1997 and called snap elections. After the socialist party won the majority,...
Fronted by the Rassemblement National’s 28 year-old lead candidate Jordan Bardella, the victory prompted French President Emmanuel Macron — whose party Renaissance came in second with 14.5% of votes — to dissolve the National Assembly and call early Parliamentary elections. These will take place in two rounds, on June 30 and July 7, less than a month before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris.
Perceived as a poker move by insiders, these snap elections could lead to seeing the Rassemblement National win the majority within the National Assembly and subsequently obligate Macron to cohabit with a prime minister belonging to the far right, most likely Bardella. Macron appears to be following the footsteps of Jacques Chirac, the right-wing former president, who dissolved the National Assembly in 1997 and called snap elections. After the socialist party won the majority,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Perhaps the most overlooked series in the "Star Trek" canon ("Short Treks" and "Very Short Treks" notwithstanding), "Star Trek: The Animated Series" may be accepted as the final two years in the U.S.S. Enterprise's five-year mission. "Star Trek: Tas" debuted on September 8, 1973, four years after the cancelation of "Star Trek," to reunite the original cast and writers to explore Starlfeet's adventures in a 30-minute, animated format. The animation was provided by Filmation, the studio that had previously overseen multiple Batman and Superman cartoons, Archie cartoons, "Gilligan's Island" spinoffs, and which would go on to produce the ultra-popular "Fat Albert," "The Groovy Goolies," "BraveStarr," and "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." Filmation shows were popular among kids, but their animations tended to be stiff and inexpressive. The most prominent feature of "Star Trek: Tas" is how static it looks.
However, the shortened runtime forced the writers of "Tas...
However, the shortened runtime forced the writers of "Tas...
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Having Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as your parents might sound like a dream to some, and Wyatt Russell certainly loves his folks, but acting with them has always been something he’s been hesitant to do — especially once his dad’s return to the screen coincided with his own rise. Sure, he played a younger version of his Kurt’s character in the 1998 sci-fi thriller “Soldier,” but doing the same for the Apple TV+ television adventure series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” involved an entirely different level of commitment. In the show, they play a rough, but reliable U.S. Army Colonel at two contrasting points in his life, yet in both time periods, he’s similarly tasked with facing down the Titans who threaten to destroy the world. In creating this dichotomy, Kurt and Wyatt didn’t really feel the need to prepare together, but in a recent interview with Variety,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
The mix of actors, showrunners, directors, costumers, production designers, composers, and VFX artists in attendance at IndieWire’s Consider This FYC event, produced in partnership with Paramount, reflected the unique blend of skillsets that have to come together to create a hit show. Artists from properties as varied as “Star Trek,” “Frasier,” and “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” to “Fellow Travelers,” “Colin from Accounts,” and “A Gentleman in Moscow” convened at The Grove in Los Angeles to discuss the painstaking process of delivering the most authentic possible shows to their audiences. And while no two stories were the same, everyone seemed to agree that great art happens at the intersection of extensive preparation and serendipitous timing. (Return to IndieWire for videos of the full panels later this week.)
The day kicked off with a panel celebrating “Fellow Travelers” featuring creator and executive producer Ron Nyswaner, star and executive producer Matt Bomer (who...
The day kicked off with a panel celebrating “Fellow Travelers” featuring creator and executive producer Ron Nyswaner, star and executive producer Matt Bomer (who...
- 6/9/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
‘McVeigh’ Review: A Drama About the Oklahoma City Bomber Has Low-Key Sociopathic Atmosphere to Spare
“McVeigh,” a drama about Timothy McVeigh and the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, is a movie rooted in the forlorn underbelly of small-town American rage.
A car snakes its way along an empty road in the desolate dusk. Men nursing cheap beers sit around in roadside bars, strips clubs, or living rooms with ugly wood paneling. And Tim (Alfie Allen), an impassive loner whose scraggly beard is an outgrowth of his not bothering to shave, sits behind his table at a gun show, hawking $2 bumper stickers that say “When guns are outlawed, I will become an outlaw.” At home, he points a weapon at the TV set, like Travis Bickle, miming the execution of the U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno as she testifies at hearings about the FBI siege of the Branch Davidian compound at Waco. Tim also travels to an Arkansas prison...
A car snakes its way along an empty road in the desolate dusk. Men nursing cheap beers sit around in roadside bars, strips clubs, or living rooms with ugly wood paneling. And Tim (Alfie Allen), an impassive loner whose scraggly beard is an outgrowth of his not bothering to shave, sits behind his table at a gun show, hawking $2 bumper stickers that say “When guns are outlawed, I will become an outlaw.” At home, he points a weapon at the TV set, like Travis Bickle, miming the execution of the U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno as she testifies at hearings about the FBI siege of the Branch Davidian compound at Waco. Tim also travels to an Arkansas prison...
- 6/9/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
In James DeMonaco's 2013 dystopian horror movie "The Purge," Ethan Hawke plays a wealthy seller of high-tech home security systems. He lives in a bourgeois neighborhood and all his rich neighbors have outfitted their homes with Hawke's wares. They plan on employing their security soon, as tonight is Purge Night. In the future of "The Purge," one night a year is designated to be law-free. American citizens are legally permitted to commit whatever wanton acts of assault, destruction, and murder they want, from sundown to sunrise. Having purged their hostility, the idea is that they'll go back to being upstanding citizens in the morning.
The premise is tantalizing, although the 2013 original takes place mostly inside the Hawke character's home, turning a fun idea into a pretty rote home invasion thriller. The film was made for a scant $3 million but would earn over $91 million, making it a runaway hit. To date,...
The premise is tantalizing, although the 2013 original takes place mostly inside the Hawke character's home, turning a fun idea into a pretty rote home invasion thriller. The film was made for a scant $3 million but would earn over $91 million, making it a runaway hit. To date,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Ridley Scott's 2015 film "The Martian," based on the novel by Andy Weir, was one of the year's best films. Set in the near future, "The Martian" tells the story of a botanist named Dr. Mark Watney (Matt Damon) who went on a mission to Mars with a team of other astronaut researchers. When a storm hit the Martian surface, the astronauts fled, forced to leave Watney behind. Watney, having limited air and resources, assesses his situation and begins constructing a long-term shelter. Using his botanical know-how, and possessed of gumption and optimism, Watney proceeds "to science the s*** out of" the situation, teaching himself how to grow food in the Martian soil and keep his air supply viable. He also scours nearby Martian landing sites, looking for communication equipment that would allow him to contact Earth.
"The Martian" values scientific knowledge, arguing that being well-educated and highly trained are practical and exhilarating virtues.
"The Martian" values scientific knowledge, arguing that being well-educated and highly trained are practical and exhilarating virtues.
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” gave the box office a desperately needed jolt, but the action-comedy fourquel can’t salvage the summer season by itself.
Although the newest “Bad Boys,” reuniting Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami cops, arrived on the higher end of expectations with $56 million in domestic ticket sales, the year-to-date deficit actually grew more pronounced. Heading into the weekend, ticket sales were 24% behind 2023 and now overall revenues are lagging by 26% according to Comscore.
“Bad Boys 4” isn’t to blame for the decline; analysts believe it’s the lack of enthusiasm for other titles in the marketplace. Four of the other top five releases — Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” ($10 million), Paramount’s fantasy comedy “If” ($8 million), the Warner Bros. supernatural thriller and fellow newcomer “The Watchers” ($7.4 million) and Disney and 20th Century’s sequel “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” ($5.4 million) — brought in scraps.
Although the newest “Bad Boys,” reuniting Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami cops, arrived on the higher end of expectations with $56 million in domestic ticket sales, the year-to-date deficit actually grew more pronounced. Heading into the weekend, ticket sales were 24% behind 2023 and now overall revenues are lagging by 26% according to Comscore.
“Bad Boys 4” isn’t to blame for the decline; analysts believe it’s the lack of enthusiasm for other titles in the marketplace. Four of the other top five releases — Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” ($10 million), Paramount’s fantasy comedy “If” ($8 million), the Warner Bros. supernatural thriller and fellow newcomer “The Watchers” ($7.4 million) and Disney and 20th Century’s sequel “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” ($5.4 million) — brought in scraps.
- 6/9/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
In the Shyamalan household, the arts rule the roost. Whether it’s legendary filmmaker father M. Night, daughter Ishana, who’s followed in his footsteps, or her sister Saleka who’s branched off into music, creativity and collaboration are the keys to a happy home for this multi-talented brood. This summer, the whole family has reason to celebrate as Ishana’s directorial debut film “The Watchers” hit theaters this weekend and Night’s latest mystery, the concert-set “Trap,” starring Josh Hartnett and featuring songs and performances from Saleka, releases August 9. Speaking to The New York Times for a recent interview, the Shyamalan sisters addressed the lucky timing of their shared breakouts and their natural family dynamic.
“I feel like in some ways we’ve always done that, since we were growing up, experience things together,” said Saleka. “So it feels right even though it was unplanned.”
It’s clear their...
“I feel like in some ways we’ve always done that, since we were growing up, experience things together,” said Saleka. “So it feels right even though it was unplanned.”
It’s clear their...
- 6/9/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
In his first major theatrical return since the Oscars slap of 2022, Will Smith demonstrated his enduring star power as Columbia Pictures’ Bad Boys: Ride Or Die opened top of North American box office on an estimated $56m, injecting a much-needed boost to the early summer season.
The R-rated fourth instalment in the cop buddy franchise pairing Smith and Martin Lawrence played in 3,885 locations, grossing $21.6m on Friday, $19.5m on Saturday, and a projected $14.9m on Sunday.
The debut was a significant rebound too for co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, whose Batgirl was shelved by Warner Bros in 2022.
Reportedly costing $100m,...
The R-rated fourth instalment in the cop buddy franchise pairing Smith and Martin Lawrence played in 3,885 locations, grossing $21.6m on Friday, $19.5m on Saturday, and a projected $14.9m on Sunday.
The debut was a significant rebound too for co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, whose Batgirl was shelved by Warner Bros in 2022.
Reportedly costing $100m,...
- 6/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
In his first major theatrical return since the Oscars slap of 2022, Will Smith demonstrated his enduring star power as Columbia Pictures’ Bad Boys: Ride Or Die opened top of North American box office on an estimated $56m, injecting a much-needed boost to the early summer season.
The R-rated fourth instalment in the cop buddy franchise pairing Smith and Martin Lawrence played in 3,885 locations, grossing $21.6m on Friday, $19.5m on Saturday, and a projected $14.9m on Sunday.
The debut was a significant rebound too for co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, whose Batgirl was shelved by Warner Bros in 2022.
Reportedly costing $100m,...
The R-rated fourth instalment in the cop buddy franchise pairing Smith and Martin Lawrence played in 3,885 locations, grossing $21.6m on Friday, $19.5m on Saturday, and a projected $14.9m on Sunday.
The debut was a significant rebound too for co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, whose Batgirl was shelved by Warner Bros in 2022.
Reportedly costing $100m,...
- 6/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
Zack Snyder's 2006 film "300," based on the comic book by Frank Miller, tells a hyper-stylized and not-the-least-bit-historically-accurate version of the Battle of Thermopylae (480 BC) wherein 300 Spartan soldiers managed to fend off anywhere from 120,000 to 300,000 soldiers of the Persian Empire for three full days. Both Miller's book and Snyder's film present the Spartans as teeth-gashing, testosterone-spitting, Spam-scented beefcake slabs comprised of nothing but pectoral muscles, testicles, and homophobia. They speak in "Join the Marines" recruiting slogans and disparage anything that's not at least 4000% more masculine than a two-ton bag of Tom Jones' chest hair.
Speaking of chest hair, none of the Spartans have any, happy to parade around their cartoonishly cut physiques as if they all possess a severe shirt allergy. Leading the charge is King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), a man who cannot help but add multiple exclamation marks after every sentence he speaks.
"300" was a massive hit,...
Speaking of chest hair, none of the Spartans have any, happy to parade around their cartoonishly cut physiques as if they all possess a severe shirt allergy. Leading the charge is King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), a man who cannot help but add multiple exclamation marks after every sentence he speaks.
"300" was a massive hit,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Theaters will live to fight another day. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” (Sony) provided more than half of the gross this weekend, taking #1 with $56 million. That isn’t a record for the franchise (with previous films at lower ticket prices), but it is a critical victory for the industry at a time it desperately needs them.
Will Smith’s first wide release since his catastrophic Oscar behavior in 2022 represents a triumph for star power, franchise filmmaking, action titles, and titles that draw from minority audiences (over two thirds for the weekend were Black and Latino). Most of all, it was a vital sign that underperformance for highly touted summer films isn’t a given.
In the face of rising industry panic, an under-$40 million opening for “Ride or Die” (its 2020 predecessor opened to $62 million) could have ratched the doom and despair to toxic levels. Instead, it blew past tracking projections...
Will Smith’s first wide release since his catastrophic Oscar behavior in 2022 represents a triumph for star power, franchise filmmaking, action titles, and titles that draw from minority audiences (over two thirds for the weekend were Black and Latino). Most of all, it was a vital sign that underperformance for highly touted summer films isn’t a given.
In the face of rising industry panic, an under-$40 million opening for “Ride or Die” (its 2020 predecessor opened to $62 million) could have ratched the doom and despair to toxic levels. Instead, it blew past tracking projections...
- 6/9/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
With a career that’s ranged 33 years — over three quarters of his life — Jake Gyllenhaal has covered nearly every type of character, genre, and form, but in a recent interview in The Hollywood Reporter, he said he’s now focused on taking on roles that “freak me out a bit.” Whether that means getting cut and learning to give and take a beating for Doug Liman’s “Road House” remake or wading through the moral and ethical murk of murder and infidelity in the upcoming Apple TV+ mini-series “Presumed Innocent,” Gyllenhaal is game for a challenge.
“The feeling I want to have is, can I do it?” said Gyllenhaal. “That it’s going to ask of me things that I don’t know about myself yet.”
Gyllenhaal attributes this desire push himself further to his sister Maggie. He’ll be taking part in her latest directorial effort, “The Bride!,” a...
“The feeling I want to have is, can I do it?” said Gyllenhaal. “That it’s going to ask of me things that I don’t know about myself yet.”
Gyllenhaal attributes this desire push himself further to his sister Maggie. He’ll be taking part in her latest directorial effort, “The Bride!,” a...
- 6/9/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Acting is a pretty unusual profession. After all, most people don't push themselves through intense pretend emotions in order to earn a paycheck, which means there are sometimes some interesting impacts in an actor's life. There are all kinds of stories about how particular roles changed actors forever, but what about a film giving a performer their first heartbreak? Plenty of young actors have their first kiss onscreen, but a first heartbreak is rather unique. In Vanity Fair's "Actors on Actors" interview series, "Furiosa" star Anya Taylor-Joy revealed that she suffered her first heartbreak as a result of one of her earliest roles: Thomasin in Robert Eggers' 2015 folk horror film "The Witch."
"The Witch" is a seriously spooky slow burn of a horror movie that really puts Thomasin through the ringer as she contends with the forces of the devil after she and her family are ostracized from their Puritan...
"The Witch" is a seriously spooky slow burn of a horror movie that really puts Thomasin through the ringer as she contends with the forces of the devil after she and her family are ostracized from their Puritan...
- 6/9/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Portugal is this year’s Country of Honor at the Annecy Animation Festival, so we’ve decided to take a close look at the current generation of artists who are helping to inspire a new era for the country’s animation sector and, increasingly, making waves abroad.
Below is a list, in no particular order, of 11 exciting Portuguese animation talents to keep an eye on. Some have been around for several years and already started to put together impressive bodies of work, while others are just emerging on the scene.
Rodrigo Goulão De Sousa
The work of Gobelins-trained filmmaker Rodrigo Goulão De Sousa features a distinct 2D aesthetic and genre-heavy horror and thriller themes that regularly border on the unsettling. The combination makes his titles feel as contemporary thematically as they do aesthetically, expanding the ways that animation can be used to frighten audiences. De Sousa’s appearance on our list is well-timed,...
Below is a list, in no particular order, of 11 exciting Portuguese animation talents to keep an eye on. Some have been around for several years and already started to put together impressive bodies of work, while others are just emerging on the scene.
Rodrigo Goulão De Sousa
The work of Gobelins-trained filmmaker Rodrigo Goulão De Sousa features a distinct 2D aesthetic and genre-heavy horror and thriller themes that regularly border on the unsettling. The combination makes his titles feel as contemporary thematically as they do aesthetically, expanding the ways that animation can be used to frighten audiences. De Sousa’s appearance on our list is well-timed,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
In what seems like an odd choice for an English-language remake, helmer-writer Savi Gabizon transfers the action of his least successful Israeli drama, “Longing” (2017), to Canada. Alas, the story of a confirmed bachelor who learns that he fathered a son 19 years earlier fails to translate by striking far too many duff notes. Richard Gere struggles as the unlikable protagonist, whose attempts to learn more about the lad come off as creepy rather than poignant. After a limited theatrical release, the Lionsgate release will segue to digital and on-demand on June 28.
Gere plays busy New York businessman Daniel who is thrown for a loop when former girlfriend Rachel (Suzanne Clément) turns up with some big news. Not only did she return to Canada pregnant with his child, but the boy, Allen, recently died in a car accident. In spite of never wanting children, Daniel flies to Ontario for Allen’s memorial service,...
Gere plays busy New York businessman Daniel who is thrown for a loop when former girlfriend Rachel (Suzanne Clément) turns up with some big news. Not only did she return to Canada pregnant with his child, but the boy, Allen, recently died in a car accident. In spite of never wanting children, Daniel flies to Ontario for Allen’s memorial service,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety - Film News
When Doug Liman's sci-fi actioner "Edge of Tomorrow" was released in 2014, it opened to a mere $28.7 million at the domestic box office. This was considered a minor scandal at the time, as the film was roundly praised by critics for its slick wartime combat sequences, clever time-loop premise, and charismatic leading performances from stars Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise. Many also saw "Edge of Tomorrow" as an antidote to the ascendant tide of Marvel movies that had, by then, completely infiltrated the cinema marketplace. Recall that 2014 was the year of "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Captain America: The Winter Solider," two wildly popular films that, perhaps because of their popularity, invited early invitations of the phrase "Marvel fatigue."
"Edge of Tomorrow" was often touted as proof that great, original films — that is: not driven by marketable I.P. — were still being made. Its paltry opening was held up as...
"Edge of Tomorrow" was often touted as proof that great, original films — that is: not driven by marketable I.P. — were still being made. Its paltry opening was held up as...
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“Hit Man” director Richard Linklater knew Glen Powell was a movie star the moment the young actor, with no profile, walked in to audition for “Everybody Wants Some” almost a decade ago. Linklater explained what makes the Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio movie stars go beyond their good looks and acting ability, but their charisma and how we are drawn to them.
“You look at Brad Pitt, ‘Oh, I want to hang out with him,’” said Linklater. “They attract you, you’ll follow them somewhere. You want to be wherever, whatever they’re doing. Some personalities have that quality, most don’t… Glen does.”
Linklater would need every ounce of Powell’s star power to pull off “Hit Man,” a sexy screwball comedy in which the audience is rooting for Madison (Adria Arjona) and Powell’s Ron to be together, but who do some questionable things to get their happy ending.
“You look at Brad Pitt, ‘Oh, I want to hang out with him,’” said Linklater. “They attract you, you’ll follow them somewhere. You want to be wherever, whatever they’re doing. Some personalities have that quality, most don’t… Glen does.”
Linklater would need every ounce of Powell’s star power to pull off “Hit Man,” a sexy screwball comedy in which the audience is rooting for Madison (Adria Arjona) and Powell’s Ron to be together, but who do some questionable things to get their happy ending.
- 6/9/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Making an independent film is hard. It takes time and patience and perseverance, but when you’ve been in the movie business most of your life like Michael Angarano has, you learn to live with the uncertain times in order to push through to the moment where you can get in front of the camera. His sophomore film, “Sacramento” — a road movie/buddy comedy that just premiered at the Tribeca — faced its own stumbling blocks on the path to production and distribution, but through it all, Angarano held firm, knowing he had to make the film no matter what.
“At one point we were ready to shoot the movie in Atlanta — we had the financing and everything,” said Angarano in a recent interview with Variety. “And this was for a movie called ‘Sacramento.’ But it’s like why try to cheat it? Maybe, should we just call it ‘Athens’ or ‘Savannah’?”
Thankfully,...
“At one point we were ready to shoot the movie in Atlanta — we had the financing and everything,” said Angarano in a recent interview with Variety. “And this was for a movie called ‘Sacramento.’ But it’s like why try to cheat it? Maybe, should we just call it ‘Athens’ or ‘Savannah’?”
Thankfully,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
David Schmoeller's 1989 film "Puppet Master" was almost going to be a theatrical release in the summer of 1989, but pivoted to the VHS market at the last minute. Looking at the 1989 supper movie season, one can see why producer Charles Band made the decision. "Puppet Master" would have opened against "Batman," "Ghostbusters II," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," "Back to the Future Part II," "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," "License to Kill," and "Lethal Weapon 2." There were just too many blockbusters it would've had to compete with.
Its movement to the straight-to-video market might have reduced its prestige, but "Puppet Master" spawned many, many sequels (not to mention a few crossovers) that persist to this day (the most recent "Puppet Master" film was released in 2022). The killer puppets in the film have become minor horror icons and often serve as the face of Full Moon Features, a...
Its movement to the straight-to-video market might have reduced its prestige, but "Puppet Master" spawned many, many sequels (not to mention a few crossovers) that persist to this day (the most recent "Puppet Master" film was released in 2022). The killer puppets in the film have become minor horror icons and often serve as the face of Full Moon Features, a...
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Teamsters Local 399 played a pivotal role in last year’s strikes, as truck drivers honored writers’ picket lines and helped shut down production. At the same time, the union’s new leader, Lindsay Dougherty, became a star, brandishing her tattoos and launching obscenities at the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
On Monday, it will Dougherty’s turn to sit across the table from the AMPTP. The Teamsters and the other Basic Crafts unions — electricians, laborers, etc. — are looking for increased wages, a strengthened health and pension plan, and protections from artificial intelligence.
For the Teamsters, that means addressing autonomous vehicles — a source of labor tension across industries.
In an interview on Saturday, Dougherty skipped the profanity — “Only at rallies,” she said — and gave her take on the industry slowdown that has kept many of her members out of work.
The Basic Crafts talks come on the heels...
On Monday, it will Dougherty’s turn to sit across the table from the AMPTP. The Teamsters and the other Basic Crafts unions — electricians, laborers, etc. — are looking for increased wages, a strengthened health and pension plan, and protections from artificial intelligence.
For the Teamsters, that means addressing autonomous vehicles — a source of labor tension across industries.
In an interview on Saturday, Dougherty skipped the profanity — “Only at rallies,” she said — and gave her take on the industry slowdown that has kept many of her members out of work.
The Basic Crafts talks come on the heels...
- 6/9/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety - Film News
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” surpassed the $100 million mark globally in its first weekend of release.
The fourth installment in Sony’s buddy cop comedy series, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, has collected $104.6 million, including $48.6 million at the international box office. Moviegoers have embraced Smith’s first major film since he assaulted Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars, though it helped that he returned to theaters with a franchise that has endured over 30 years.
Sony spent $100 million to produce “Bad Boys 4” and many millions more to market the film to global audiences. At this rate, the fourquel is well positioned in its theatrical run. However, it remains to be seen if it’ll match 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” as the franchise’s highest-grossing installment with $206 million domestically and $426 million globally. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returned to direct “Ride or Die,” which follows detectives Mike...
The fourth installment in Sony’s buddy cop comedy series, starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, has collected $104.6 million, including $48.6 million at the international box office. Moviegoers have embraced Smith’s first major film since he assaulted Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars, though it helped that he returned to theaters with a franchise that has endured over 30 years.
Sony spent $100 million to produce “Bad Boys 4” and many millions more to market the film to global audiences. At this rate, the fourquel is well positioned in its theatrical run. However, it remains to be seen if it’ll match 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” as the franchise’s highest-grossing installment with $206 million domestically and $426 million globally. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah returned to direct “Ride or Die,” which follows detectives Mike...
- 6/9/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
As the animation community deals with industry contraction, one force inspires more fear and uncertainty than any other: Artificial intelligence. The Annecy Festival will screen four works using AI after receiving dozens of submissions that used the technology.
Whether it’s concern that AI will make some animation jobs obsolete or replace humans altogether, there’s discussion about what it will mean not only for artistry but also workflow. Some see AI as a tool to be mastered and carefully applied as issues surrounding copyright, creation and overall use are sorted out. With all the questions AI raises, they view it as just another technological evolution. As one generation of artists had to contend with Photoshop and what it meant for digital imaging, this wave of artists will have to learn how to use AI.
“At the end of the day, computers are expensive pencils,” says Cathal Gaffney, managing director...
Whether it’s concern that AI will make some animation jobs obsolete or replace humans altogether, there’s discussion about what it will mean not only for artistry but also workflow. Some see AI as a tool to be mastered and carefully applied as issues surrounding copyright, creation and overall use are sorted out. With all the questions AI raises, they view it as just another technological evolution. As one generation of artists had to contend with Photoshop and what it meant for digital imaging, this wave of artists will have to learn how to use AI.
“At the end of the day, computers are expensive pencils,” says Cathal Gaffney, managing director...
- 6/9/2024
- by Karen Idelson
- Variety - Film News
Paul Verhoeven's 1990 film "Total Recall" takes place in the distant future of 2084. Mars has not only been colonized, but it has also fallen under the rule of an evil governor named Vilos Cohaagen (Ronny Cox). The planet is rich with a rare, valuable ore called turbinium, but mining it has caused widespread pollution and radiation. Many of the Martian citizens have mutated as a result, their bodies sprouting extra body parts or sporting unusual growths. In many cases, mutants are also mildly psychic. To combat Cohaagen's corruption, a Mutant Resistance has formed, led by the mysterious and difficult-to-find Kuato (Marshall Bell).
The protagonist of "Total Recall" is Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a former agent for Cohaagen who had his memory erased and his identity changed. It takes a long while for Quaid to understand what happened to him, but he eventually discovers that he has to combat Cohaagen and help the Mutant Resistance.
The protagonist of "Total Recall" is Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a former agent for Cohaagen who had his memory erased and his identity changed. It takes a long while for Quaid to understand what happened to him, but he eventually discovers that he has to combat Cohaagen and help the Mutant Resistance.
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
"Star Trek" and "scary" aren't words that are often associated with each other. After all, it's a sci-fi franchise that's more about philosophy than action. "Trek" focuses on optimism and exploration, in a world where humanity has finally put internecine conflicts aside because we realized we are only one speck of a larger universe.
On the edge of the final frontier, though, all types of stories are possible. "Star Trek: The Original Series" began with "The Man Trap," essentially a monster B-movie in space about a salt-vampire with the mouth of a lamprey. In season 2, the series concocted a whole Halloween special with "Catspaw," about two psychic aliens who have constructed a Gothic castle as a trap for the Enterprise crew.
In the 60-ish years "Star Trek" has existed, it has returned to horror regularly enough to call this a trend. As the omnipotent trickster Q (John de Lancie) warned...
On the edge of the final frontier, though, all types of stories are possible. "Star Trek: The Original Series" began with "The Man Trap," essentially a monster B-movie in space about a salt-vampire with the mouth of a lamprey. In season 2, the series concocted a whole Halloween special with "Catspaw," about two psychic aliens who have constructed a Gothic castle as a trap for the Enterprise crew.
In the 60-ish years "Star Trek" has existed, it has returned to horror regularly enough to call this a trend. As the omnipotent trickster Q (John de Lancie) warned...
- 6/9/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Everyone knows "The Simpsons" has basically predicted every major cultural moment in recent history. From Disney's 2021 acquisition of Fox to Donald Trump's presidency, the long-running show has managed to prove time and again that it has its finger on the pulse of pop culture — well, at least it used to. But the show is also responsible for directly contributing to other pop culture moments, such as when Merriam-Webster added the word "Cromulent" — first used in the 1996 episode "Lisa the Iconoclast" — to the dictionary.
Another '90s episode featured the origin of a minor "Simpsons" joke that would end up enduring for decades, although in a much less conspicuous way. "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" is the tenth episode of the show's sixth season, and while it didn't quite make /Film's list of the 25 best "Simpsons" episodes, frankly every golden age episode could have been on that list, and this one is no different.
Another '90s episode featured the origin of a minor "Simpsons" joke that would end up enduring for decades, although in a much less conspicuous way. "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" is the tenth episode of the show's sixth season, and while it didn't quite make /Film's list of the 25 best "Simpsons" episodes, frankly every golden age episode could have been on that list, and this one is no different.
- 6/9/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Turns out, Bad Boys are good for ticket sales.
Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth entry in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led buddy cop series, started strong with $56 million from 3,885 theaters in its domestic debut. The film also opened at the international box office with $48.6 million, bringing its worldwide tally to $104.6 million.
The sequel to 1995’s “Bad Boys,” 2003’s “Bad Boys II” and 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” is notable as Smith’s first major film to grace the big screen since he assaulted Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars. So what should Hollywood take away from “Bad Boys” in its fourth go-around? Well, audiences haven’t soured on Smith — though it helps that he returned to theaters in a time-tested and generally well-received franchise.
Although it’s not cementing any franchise records (“Bad Boys for Life” remains the biggest opening of the quartet...
Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth entry in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led buddy cop series, started strong with $56 million from 3,885 theaters in its domestic debut. The film also opened at the international box office with $48.6 million, bringing its worldwide tally to $104.6 million.
The sequel to 1995’s “Bad Boys,” 2003’s “Bad Boys II” and 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” is notable as Smith’s first major film to grace the big screen since he assaulted Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Oscars. So what should Hollywood take away from “Bad Boys” in its fourth go-around? Well, audiences haven’t soured on Smith — though it helps that he returned to theaters in a time-tested and generally well-received franchise.
Although it’s not cementing any franchise records (“Bad Boys for Life” remains the biggest opening of the quartet...
- 6/9/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
This post contains spoilers for "Godzilla Minus One."
When "Godzilla Minus One" hit theaters late last year, it was a fierce reminder that visual effects can actually be amazing. These days, conversations about CGI mostly gravitate towards its continual overuse, the shoddiness of some digital effects work in recent blockbusters, and the reportedly relentless workload impacting exhausted effects artists. Yet, Toho Studios' latest kaiju flick is a minor cinematic miracle, a low-budget movie that doesn't overuse CGI while still managing to show off its central beastie plenty of times. For its achievements, the movie was awarded the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, the first the "Godzilla" franchise has earned in its 70 year history.
Surprisingly, despite the accolades the film received for its visuals, "Godzilla Minus One" doesn't actually utilize that much digital art compared to most of its contemporaries. In a Variety spotlight piece earlier this year, the film's director,...
When "Godzilla Minus One" hit theaters late last year, it was a fierce reminder that visual effects can actually be amazing. These days, conversations about CGI mostly gravitate towards its continual overuse, the shoddiness of some digital effects work in recent blockbusters, and the reportedly relentless workload impacting exhausted effects artists. Yet, Toho Studios' latest kaiju flick is a minor cinematic miracle, a low-budget movie that doesn't overuse CGI while still managing to show off its central beastie plenty of times. For its achievements, the movie was awarded the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, the first the "Godzilla" franchise has earned in its 70 year history.
Surprisingly, despite the accolades the film received for its visuals, "Godzilla Minus One" doesn't actually utilize that much digital art compared to most of its contemporaries. In a Variety spotlight piece earlier this year, the film's director,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Rio De Janeiro — Top Brazilian production company Gullane Entretenimento will make a feature-length doc and the third season of an animation series about Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, company directors Fabiano and Caio Gullane told Variety.
Produced by Gullane for Netflix, the highly anticipated “Senna,” a bio drama TV series with Vicente Amorim serving as showrunner and Amorim and Julia Rezende as directors, is due to open late this year. Designed for global audiences, “Senna” is the highest-budgeted Brazilian series ever.
Doc “Senna Kart – A Pura Competição” (“Senna Kart – Pure Competition”) depicts the beginnings of Senna’s career, when he competed in the South American and World Kart Championships. Gullane and Canal Azul will produce the doc which is helmed by Pedro Rodrigues and due to be lensed in the second half of this year. It will have a theatrical release.
Gullane and Gloob, a Globo pay-tv channel,...
Produced by Gullane for Netflix, the highly anticipated “Senna,” a bio drama TV series with Vicente Amorim serving as showrunner and Amorim and Julia Rezende as directors, is due to open late this year. Designed for global audiences, “Senna” is the highest-budgeted Brazilian series ever.
Doc “Senna Kart – A Pura Competição” (“Senna Kart – Pure Competition”) depicts the beginnings of Senna’s career, when he competed in the South American and World Kart Championships. Gullane and Canal Azul will produce the doc which is helmed by Pedro Rodrigues and due to be lensed in the second half of this year. It will have a theatrical release.
Gullane and Gloob, a Globo pay-tv channel,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Marcelo Cajueiro
- Variety - Film News
Netflix and Richard Linklater certainly make for peculiar bedfellows. Where every other Netflix exclusive feels like it was concocted by an algorithm and designed to have maximum appeal, Linklater has been perfectly happy to direct films for a niche market these past 30-plus years. Even at his most commercial, with a film like "School of Rock," you get the sense the eccentric Texan auteur is making movies that speaks to his interests first and foremost.
Yet, somehow, Linklater has now found himself releasing back-to-back films for the streaming giant. The first of them, 2022's "Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood" — a rotoscope-style animated feature where segments inspired by the filmmaker's real childhood in 1960s Houston are seamlessly integrated with a fictional story about a young boy being recruited by NASA for an off-the-books space mission — reads like the opposite of what studios feel constitutes an easy sell. It plays that way,...
Yet, somehow, Linklater has now found himself releasing back-to-back films for the streaming giant. The first of them, 2022's "Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood" — a rotoscope-style animated feature where segments inspired by the filmmaker's real childhood in 1960s Houston are seamlessly integrated with a fictional story about a young boy being recruited by NASA for an off-the-books space mission — reads like the opposite of what studios feel constitutes an easy sell. It plays that way,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
In 1960, Kirk Douglas had helped to break the Hollywood Blacklist with "Spartacus" by publicly crediting then-blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo as the screenwriter. But in 1969, he found himself working with a director who had been anything but helpful to his Hollywood colleagues during the height of McCarthyism. Sadly, this team-up between Douglas and director Elia Kazan also had the unfortunate distinction of being one of the Greek-American filmmaker's most derided films.
"The Arrangement" currently has a 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which should tell you pretty much all you need to know about how this ill-fated drama was received upon release. The film is an adaptation of Kazan's own 1967 novel of the same name and follows LA advertising executive Evangelos Topouzoglou/Eddie Anderson (Douglas) as he endures a protracted nervous breakdown (which is what watching this incredible trailer feels like). Critics at the time were merciless with their condemnation of Kazan's film,...
"The Arrangement" currently has a 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which should tell you pretty much all you need to know about how this ill-fated drama was received upon release. The film is an adaptation of Kazan's own 1967 novel of the same name and follows LA advertising executive Evangelos Topouzoglou/Eddie Anderson (Douglas) as he endures a protracted nervous breakdown (which is what watching this incredible trailer feels like). Critics at the time were merciless with their condemnation of Kazan's film,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
In May 2024, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos made a strange claim to The New York Times. Discussing "Barbenheimer," Sarandos insisted that the success of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" wasn't related to the fact that both were released in theaters and made an event out of physically going to the movies. "Both of those movies would be great for Netflix. They definitely would have enjoyed just as big an audience on Netflix," he said. That suggestion seems ... unlikely. But Sarandos wasn't done. "There's no reason to believe that the movie itself is better in any size of screen for all people," he said. "My son's an editor. He is 28 years old, and he watched 'Lawrence of Arabia' on his phone."
Leaving aside what a travesty that example is, Sarandos is simply incorrect. Many movies are, indeed, better when they're bigger, because the theatrical experience is beneficial for two main reasons. First,...
Leaving aside what a travesty that example is, Sarandos is simply incorrect. Many movies are, indeed, better when they're bigger, because the theatrical experience is beneficial for two main reasons. First,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Eric Langberg
- Slash Film
After a couple of box office duds, including "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot," which was the subject of one of the greatest troll moves in Hollywood history, Sylvester Stallone was in need of a hit. He got one with 1993's "Cliffhanger," Renny Harlin's pulse-pounding action flick that many have referred to as "'Die Hard' on a mountain" (and a film that was only made because of the success of "Die Hard"). The movie marked Stallone's return to the type of muscular, high-octane action for which he was primarily known, and the despite the film's somewhat formulaic structure, "Cliffhanger" turned out to be a super effective thriller, a cable TV staple (shout-out to all of those countless lazy TNT and TBS Sunday afternoon viewings), one of Sylvester Stallone's best movies, and a strong case could be made that it's one of the best action films of the '90s.
- 6/9/2024
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
Matthew Vaughn is a savvy filmmaker who should know his films, particularly when they go sailing over the top narratively and tonally — which describes pretty much all of them save for his 2004 debut directorial effort, "Layer Cake" and the open-hearted whimsy of "Stardust" — tend to divide critics. You either go with the rousingly ultraviolent superhero satire of "Kick-Ass," or you rage against its vile excesses, chief among them being the transformation of an 11-year-old into a gun-wielding, slicing-and-dicing whirlwind of death known as Hit Girl. He specializes in juvenile subversion, but if you can get past the giddy excess of his films, they occasionally contain a surprising degree of thematic depth.
Vaughn's 2024 flop "Argylle" was not, on any level, a thoughtful film. It's a star-studded stew of a spy-comedy romp that's meant as a one-and-done spinoff from the director's largely successful "Kingsman" franchise. On the surface, given its colorful assortment of celebrities,...
Vaughn's 2024 flop "Argylle" was not, on any level, a thoughtful film. It's a star-studded stew of a spy-comedy romp that's meant as a one-and-done spinoff from the director's largely successful "Kingsman" franchise. On the surface, given its colorful assortment of celebrities,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
In “Made in Ethiopia,” directors Xinyan Yu and Max Duncan take the macro issue of China’s influence in Africa and present it provocatively through the micro lens of its effect on a few Chinese and Ethiopian individuals striving for a better life. The film is set at a Chinese industrial complex in Dukem, a small town southeast of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. It follows an ambitious Chinese businesswoman trying to expand the complex with the help of Ethiopian bureaucrats and the consequences this expansion has on a factory worker and a farming family that lives nearby.
The businesswoman is Motto Ma, a delusionally ambitious outsider who says things like, “The industrial complex is a tourist hotspot. We are considering selling tickets.” She makes up the lie, believes and then hypes it. Motto (the film refers to all the subjects with just their first names) is both charming and wily,...
The businesswoman is Motto Ma, a delusionally ambitious outsider who says things like, “The industrial complex is a tourist hotspot. We are considering selling tickets.” She makes up the lie, believes and then hypes it. Motto (the film refers to all the subjects with just their first names) is both charming and wily,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Murtada Elfadl
- Variety - Film News
You don't hear it mentioned too often in discussions of successful Hollywood franchises, but the "Father of the Bride" saga has demonstrated remarkable staying power. Like the Banks family itself, we've watched as this franchise has grown up, moved out the house, and had children of its own in the form of two reboots and multiple sequels. But things all started back in 1949 when Edward Streeter's "Father of the Bride" novel was adapted into the classic 1950 comedy of the same name. Since then, the series has produced six films, one of which was a short film produced during the global pandemic and the most recent being 2022's "Father of the Bride" remake.
In all, you've got a franchise that has spanned almost eight decades and which continues to delight audiences 72 years after the first film debuted. Modern audiences might finally be ready for more than sequels and reboots, but...
In all, you've got a franchise that has spanned almost eight decades and which continues to delight audiences 72 years after the first film debuted. Modern audiences might finally be ready for more than sequels and reboots, but...
- 6/9/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Gainax, the iconic but latterly tarnished, Japanese animation producer behind anime series “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” has filed for bankruptcy. It had been in operation for nearly 40 years.
The company made the announcement on Friday, via its own website, and said that it had filed its petition with the courts on May 29. The problem of the heavy debt burden that it had been carrying for several years had been made worse by the tangles of mismanagement.
The news emerged at a moment when the Japanese government, sensing growing international interest in Japanese pop culture, has pledged to help manga (comic) and anime (animated series and films) exporters. It also comes just a day before the beginning of the world’s biggest annual animation festival, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival (June 9-15).
The company, then called Daicon Film, was founded in 1984 by a team including Anno Hideaki, Sadamoto Yoshiyuki, Yamaga Hiroyuki,...
The company made the announcement on Friday, via its own website, and said that it had filed its petition with the courts on May 29. The problem of the heavy debt burden that it had been carrying for several years had been made worse by the tangles of mismanagement.
The news emerged at a moment when the Japanese government, sensing growing international interest in Japanese pop culture, has pledged to help manga (comic) and anime (animated series and films) exporters. It also comes just a day before the beginning of the world’s biggest annual animation festival, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival (June 9-15).
The company, then called Daicon Film, was founded in 1984 by a team including Anno Hideaki, Sadamoto Yoshiyuki, Yamaga Hiroyuki,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
The actor-director’s second film behind the camera is a quirky spin on the genre given true grit by its magnetic heroine
On the surface, The Dead Don’t Hurt, the second directorial venture from Viggo Mortensen, has the weathered, leathery look of a traditional Hollywood western. The story of a rocky romance between a spirited, rebellious woman and a strong, silent man, the film was shot, in imposing widescreen, largely on location in Durango, Mexico, a region that also provided the backdrop for numerous classics of the genre. John Sturges’s The Magnificent Seven, Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly all made use of the wide open sky, sweeping vistas and photogenically phallic geological formations. There’s a rough-hewn drama to the look of the land, with jutting rocky outcrops contrasted against the squat,...
On the surface, The Dead Don’t Hurt, the second directorial venture from Viggo Mortensen, has the weathered, leathery look of a traditional Hollywood western. The story of a rocky romance between a spirited, rebellious woman and a strong, silent man, the film was shot, in imposing widescreen, largely on location in Durango, Mexico, a region that also provided the backdrop for numerous classics of the genre. John Sturges’s The Magnificent Seven, Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid and Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly all made use of the wide open sky, sweeping vistas and photogenically phallic geological formations. There’s a rough-hewn drama to the look of the land, with jutting rocky outcrops contrasted against the squat,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
A vicious 19th-century morality play that gives way to psychological horror, Thordur Palsson’s “The Damned” draws on Icelandic folklore to create a tale of paranoia and superstition in an isolated outpost. A tiny fishing village plays host to the pressing question of whether to rescue a sinking ship nearby. The fishermen’s decisions in the wake of this terror from afar bring home their fears and regrets in a story told through dreams and shadows that, while often repetitive in its approach, is still effectively told.
Young widow Eva (Odessa Young) is left in charge of her husband’s fishing boat, which she lends to the town’s gruff fishermen while retaining decision-making ability. The village is surrounded by snow and icy waters, so every choice and every ration counts. The townspeople mostly get along, singing drinking and fishing songs by gas lamps in their cramped pub, but tensions...
Young widow Eva (Odessa Young) is left in charge of her husband’s fishing boat, which she lends to the town’s gruff fishermen while retaining decision-making ability. The village is surrounded by snow and icy waters, so every choice and every ration counts. The townspeople mostly get along, singing drinking and fishing songs by gas lamps in their cramped pub, but tensions...
- 6/9/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety - Film News
As ever more Portuguese directors plan their first animated feature, Annecy is staging a timely Tribute to Portuguese Animation, its 2024 Country of Honor, with a seven section spread of key titles.
Variety has made its own selection of that selection, profiling modern milestones such as Abi Feijo’s “The Outlaws” and José Miguel Ribeiro’s “The Suspect” and taking in Regina Pessoa’s “Uncle Thomas, Accounting for the Days,” the dazzling 2D of Bap, Zagreb Animafest winner “The Garbage Man” and Oscar-nominated ‘Ice Merchants.”
There’s a larger narrative to the titles: the step-by-step and very often collaborative growth of a craft industry of social point and high artistic ambition prized at home and ever more abroad.
As multiple leading lights of the Portugal’s animation industry contemplate feature film creation, Annecy’s Tribute is a reminder of what Portugal has already achieved.
Some highlights:
“Ice Merchants,” (João Gonzalez, 2022)
Portugal’s first ever Oscar nominee,...
Variety has made its own selection of that selection, profiling modern milestones such as Abi Feijo’s “The Outlaws” and José Miguel Ribeiro’s “The Suspect” and taking in Regina Pessoa’s “Uncle Thomas, Accounting for the Days,” the dazzling 2D of Bap, Zagreb Animafest winner “The Garbage Man” and Oscar-nominated ‘Ice Merchants.”
There’s a larger narrative to the titles: the step-by-step and very often collaborative growth of a craft industry of social point and high artistic ambition prized at home and ever more abroad.
As multiple leading lights of the Portugal’s animation industry contemplate feature film creation, Annecy’s Tribute is a reminder of what Portugal has already achieved.
Some highlights:
“Ice Merchants,” (João Gonzalez, 2022)
Portugal’s first ever Oscar nominee,...
- 6/9/2024
- by John Hopewell, Jamie Lang and Callum McLennan
- Variety - Film News
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From keeping footprints out of frame to the VFX team having to create a whole technique for the hologram scenes, everything about Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" and its sequel required meticulous attention to detail and a willingness to innovate in order to bring Frank Herbert's 1965 story to life. One of the best examples of this is the Harkonnen arena battle from "Dune: Part Two," in which three Atreides soldiers face off against Austin Butler's vicious warrior Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.
Shot entirely in monochrome, this sequence stands out not only for its distinct visual style but for its intensity and the creeping sense of doom it evokes. As Feyd-Rautha, nephew of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), takes on the captured Atreides soldiers, his unbridled glee at ending their lives and the roars of the Harkonnen crowd establish Butler's...
From keeping footprints out of frame to the VFX team having to create a whole technique for the hologram scenes, everything about Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" and its sequel required meticulous attention to detail and a willingness to innovate in order to bring Frank Herbert's 1965 story to life. One of the best examples of this is the Harkonnen arena battle from "Dune: Part Two," in which three Atreides soldiers face off against Austin Butler's vicious warrior Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.
Shot entirely in monochrome, this sequence stands out not only for its distinct visual style but for its intensity and the creeping sense of doom it evokes. As Feyd-Rautha, nephew of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), takes on the captured Atreides soldiers, his unbridled glee at ending their lives and the roars of the Harkonnen crowd establish Butler's...
- 6/9/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
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