Movie News
A quartet of fast-rising British names are coming together for a buzzy new project launching at the Cannes market.
Bella Ramsey, Louis Partridge and Ruby Stokes are set to lead “Sunny Dancer,” the sophomore feature from George Jaques. Embankment Films is handling global pre-sales of the film, which it says showcases the “best of new British talent.”
“Sunny Dancer” follows Ivy (Ramsey), a teenager in remission from cancer, whose gloriously outspoken mum and well-intentioned dad insist she attend Children Run Free Camp, a summer retreat for young adults affected by cancer. The camp’s slogan, “Where kids come to kid,” does little to alleviate Ivy’s apprehension, and a quick Google search confirms her fears when she stumbles upon a cringeworthy promotional video filled with tacky messages and clichéd sunsets. As if conquering cancer wasn’t enough of a challenge, Ivy now faces the prospect of spending her summer at what she calls “chemo camp.
Bella Ramsey, Louis Partridge and Ruby Stokes are set to lead “Sunny Dancer,” the sophomore feature from George Jaques. Embankment Films is handling global pre-sales of the film, which it says showcases the “best of new British talent.”
“Sunny Dancer” follows Ivy (Ramsey), a teenager in remission from cancer, whose gloriously outspoken mum and well-intentioned dad insist she attend Children Run Free Camp, a summer retreat for young adults affected by cancer. The camp’s slogan, “Where kids come to kid,” does little to alleviate Ivy’s apprehension, and a quick Google search confirms her fears when she stumbles upon a cringeworthy promotional video filled with tacky messages and clichéd sunsets. As if conquering cancer wasn’t enough of a challenge, Ivy now faces the prospect of spending her summer at what she calls “chemo camp.
- 4/25/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Fred Schepisi is set to direct Israel-based thriller “The Dimona Affair,” Variety has learned exclusively.
The project is based on the story of a whistleblower who claimed Israel was building a nuclear weapons program. (The country has always denied it has nuclear weapons).
After giving The Sunday Times of London a detailed interview about the program in the 1980s, causing an international scandal, “low level” Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu fled the country. He was then reportedly lured to Rome by a female Israeli secret service agent in a honeytrap operation where he was kidnapped and repatriated to Israel. Vanunu eventually stood trial for espionage and treason before being convicted and jailed.
Schepisi, whose last feature project was “Words and Pictures” starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche in 2013, is set to direct from a script penned by screenwriter and investigative journalist Morrie Rosmarin.
The director is best known for 1993 pic “Six Degrees of Separation...
The project is based on the story of a whistleblower who claimed Israel was building a nuclear weapons program. (The country has always denied it has nuclear weapons).
After giving The Sunday Times of London a detailed interview about the program in the 1980s, causing an international scandal, “low level” Israeli nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu fled the country. He was then reportedly lured to Rome by a female Israeli secret service agent in a honeytrap operation where he was kidnapped and repatriated to Israel. Vanunu eventually stood trial for espionage and treason before being convicted and jailed.
Schepisi, whose last feature project was “Words and Pictures” starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche in 2013, is set to direct from a script penned by screenwriter and investigative journalist Morrie Rosmarin.
The director is best known for 1993 pic “Six Degrees of Separation...
- 4/25/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - Film News
Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later” has added Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ralph Fiennes to its cast.
The continuation of the “28 Days Later” franchise will be released in theaters globally by Sony Pictures. “28 Days Later” was released in 2002 and starred Cillian Murphy, then largely unknown. Boyle directed the feature, while Alex Garland wrote. A sequel, “28 Weeks Later,” was released in 2007.
Plot details are still being kept under wraps for the new screenplay, written by Garland. It will be part of an upcoming trilogy, for which Nia DaCosta is in talks to direct the second film.
Boyle and Garland are producing, as is original producer Andrew Macdonald and Peter Rice. Bernie Bellew is also producing. Murphy is also returning as an executive producer, and is not currently attached to star.
Comer earned an Emmy for her work as Villanelle on “Killing Eve.” She will next be seen...
The continuation of the “28 Days Later” franchise will be released in theaters globally by Sony Pictures. “28 Days Later” was released in 2002 and starred Cillian Murphy, then largely unknown. Boyle directed the feature, while Alex Garland wrote. A sequel, “28 Weeks Later,” was released in 2007.
Plot details are still being kept under wraps for the new screenplay, written by Garland. It will be part of an upcoming trilogy, for which Nia DaCosta is in talks to direct the second film.
Boyle and Garland are producing, as is original producer Andrew Macdonald and Peter Rice. Bernie Bellew is also producing. Murphy is also returning as an executive producer, and is not currently attached to star.
Comer earned an Emmy for her work as Villanelle on “Killing Eve.” She will next be seen...
- 4/24/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has set its lineup of narrative and documentary features for its 28th edition, including Jussie Smollett’s return to acting in “The Lost Holliday,” filmmaker Christine Swanson’s latest drama “Albany Road” and the acclaimed Luther Vandross doc “Never Too Much.”
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF Play. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.
The 2024 narrative lineup includes “Albany Road,” directed and written by Swanson, starring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lynn Whitfield and J. Alphonse Nicholson; “The Lost Holliday” directed by, co-written and starring Smollett alongside Vivica A. Fox, produced by Mona Scott-Young; “The Waterboyz,” directed by Coke Daniels and produced by Ben Crump, starring Akil McDowell, Alani “La La” Anthony and Quavo; and “Black Heat,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
Jennifer Aniston is ready to pour herself a cup of ambition.
Aniston and her Echo Films partner Kristin Hahn are producing a “9 to 5” reimagining for 20th Century Studios, Variety has confirmed.
The film is currently in development, with Diablo Cody working on the latest draft of the “9 to 5” reimagining. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
The original “9 to 5” follows three female office colleagues who decide to exact revenge on their sexist, egotistical boss. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman starred in the 1980 office satire, directed by Colin Higgins and written by Patricia Resnick. The hit comedy film spawned a sitcom of the same name, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983, and in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1988. Parton, Tomlin and Fonda participated in the 2022 documentary “Still Working 9 to 5,” which focuses on the impact of the classic film 40 years later.
Aniston and her Echo Films partner Kristin Hahn are producing a “9 to 5” reimagining for 20th Century Studios, Variety has confirmed.
The film is currently in development, with Diablo Cody working on the latest draft of the “9 to 5” reimagining. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
The original “9 to 5” follows three female office colleagues who decide to exact revenge on their sexist, egotistical boss. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman starred in the 1980 office satire, directed by Colin Higgins and written by Patricia Resnick. The hit comedy film spawned a sitcom of the same name, which aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983, and in first-run syndication from 1986 to 1988. Parton, Tomlin and Fonda participated in the 2022 documentary “Still Working 9 to 5,” which focuses on the impact of the classic film 40 years later.
- 4/25/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Multi award-winning Filipina actress Ruby Ruiz has landed her first major screen role following her appearance in Amazon’s “Expats.” She will lead “First Light,” the feature directorial debut of James. J. Robinson.
Principal photography is now underway on the Australian-Filipino co-production, which comes with funding from Screen Australia. Veteran actress Maricel Soriano (“Mother Nanny”), Rez Cortez (“Bukal”), Soliman Cruz (“Blue Room”) and Kidlat Tahimik round out the cast.
Set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, “First Light” sees the death of a young construction worker force an elderly nun to confront the muddied ethics of an institution she has dedicated her life to. The script, also by Robinson, is a deeply personal story exploring the intersection of duty, faith and institutional power.
“Developing ‘First Light’ over the past two years has been an incredibly profound journey into the heart of pre-colonial Filipino philosophy,” Robinson said. “To be able...
Principal photography is now underway on the Australian-Filipino co-production, which comes with funding from Screen Australia. Veteran actress Maricel Soriano (“Mother Nanny”), Rez Cortez (“Bukal”), Soliman Cruz (“Blue Room”) and Kidlat Tahimik round out the cast.
Set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, “First Light” sees the death of a young construction worker force an elderly nun to confront the muddied ethics of an institution she has dedicated her life to. The script, also by Robinson, is a deeply personal story exploring the intersection of duty, faith and institutional power.
“Developing ‘First Light’ over the past two years has been an incredibly profound journey into the heart of pre-colonial Filipino philosophy,” Robinson said. “To be able...
- 4/25/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Sudanese first-timer Mohamed Kordofani’s “Goodbye Julia,” a timely morality tale that takes place just before the 2011 secession of South Sudan, and Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters” lead the way in nominations for the eighth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab films, winners of which will be announced during the Cannes Film Festival.
The first Sudanese film ever to screen in Cannes’ official selection, “Goodbye Julia” (pictured) is the story of two women — one from the North, the other from the South — who are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities in the currently war-ravaged country.
The drama, which marked Kordofani’s debut, has scored nominations in seven categories of the Arab film awards, including best feature, director, screenplay, actress, actor and editing.
Ben Hania’s hybrid doc/drama “Four Daughters,” about an Arab...
The first Sudanese film ever to screen in Cannes’ official selection, “Goodbye Julia” (pictured) is the story of two women — one from the North, the other from the South — who are brought together by fate in a complex relationship that attempts to reconcile differences between northern and southern Sudanese communities in the currently war-ravaged country.
The drama, which marked Kordofani’s debut, has scored nominations in seven categories of the Arab film awards, including best feature, director, screenplay, actress, actor and editing.
Ben Hania’s hybrid doc/drama “Four Daughters,” about an Arab...
- 4/25/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
Magnify, the rebranded international sales arm of Magnolia Pictures, has acquired global and U.S. sales rights to “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” in the run up to its world premiere at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
Directed and co-writer by Tyler Taormina (“Ham on Rye”), the film stars Michael Cera (“Barbie”), Francesca Scorsese, Maria Dizzia (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Ben Shenkman (“Billions”), Elsie Fisher (“Eighth Grade”), Gregg Turkington (“Entertainment”), Sawyer Spielberg (“Masters of the Air”) breakout actor Matilda Fleming, among others.
Written by Taormina and Eric Berger, the film revolves around a rambunctious extended family descending upon their small Long Island hometown for the holidays where hijinks, generational squabbles, and family traditions ensue.
“Taormina takes a singular approach to the classic holiday family movie, bringing his absurdist humor and dynamic filmmaking to life with a charming and perfectly cast ensemble,” said Lorna Lee Torres, Magnify SVP of Global Sales. “We...
Directed and co-writer by Tyler Taormina (“Ham on Rye”), the film stars Michael Cera (“Barbie”), Francesca Scorsese, Maria Dizzia (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Ben Shenkman (“Billions”), Elsie Fisher (“Eighth Grade”), Gregg Turkington (“Entertainment”), Sawyer Spielberg (“Masters of the Air”) breakout actor Matilda Fleming, among others.
Written by Taormina and Eric Berger, the film revolves around a rambunctious extended family descending upon their small Long Island hometown for the holidays where hijinks, generational squabbles, and family traditions ensue.
“Taormina takes a singular approach to the classic holiday family movie, bringing his absurdist humor and dynamic filmmaking to life with a charming and perfectly cast ensemble,” said Lorna Lee Torres, Magnify SVP of Global Sales. “We...
- 4/25/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
[Editor’s note: The following interview contains light spoilers for Episode 8 of “The Girls on the Bus.”]
On the April 25 episode of Max’s “The Girls on the Bus,” Sadie (Melissa Benoist) had an abortion.
The matter-of-fact decision for the young reporter is only (“only!”) complicated by the all-too-real problem of Sadie’s political journo travel schedule, and the differing rules of which U.S. state she is in when and how to legally ship the needed pills to the correct location.
“It has to be specific, because I was like, ‘They’re not [campaigning in] a Democratic primary in a deep red state,'” co-creator Amy Chozick, whose reporting memoir upon which the show is based, explained about the logistics. “Then, of course, the rules were changing. We literally had a map of the U.S. in the writers room like, ‘Ok, they could be realistically campaigning in Missouri, and it is still legal in Illinois,’ so we were actually moving pieces of...
On the April 25 episode of Max’s “The Girls on the Bus,” Sadie (Melissa Benoist) had an abortion.
The matter-of-fact decision for the young reporter is only (“only!”) complicated by the all-too-real problem of Sadie’s political journo travel schedule, and the differing rules of which U.S. state she is in when and how to legally ship the needed pills to the correct location.
“It has to be specific, because I was like, ‘They’re not [campaigning in] a Democratic primary in a deep red state,'” co-creator Amy Chozick, whose reporting memoir upon which the show is based, explained about the logistics. “Then, of course, the rules were changing. We literally had a map of the U.S. in the writers room like, ‘Ok, they could be realistically campaigning in Missouri, and it is still legal in Illinois,’ so we were actually moving pieces of...
- 4/25/2024
- by Erin Strecker
- Indiewire
Meg Stalter is taking the lead in her latest feature “Cora Bora.”
The comedy, which premiered at the 2023 SXSW Festival, stars the “Hacks” breakout actress as the titular musician who goes home to win back her girlfriend only to realize it’s much more than her love life that needs salvaging.
Hannah Pearl Utt directs the comedy from a script by Rhianon Jones. The cast includes Jojo T. Gibbs, Manny Jacinto, Ayden Mayeri, Thomas Mann, Chrissie Fit, Andre Hyland, Margaret Cho, Chelsea Peretti, and Darrell Hammond. The film features original music and a score composed by indie artist Miya Folick.
“I’m thrilled for audiences to get to see Meg in a leading role and to fall for her character the way I have,” director Utt said in a press statement.
The IndieWire review called Stalter a “whirlwind and a universe unto herself” who boasts “her unique brand of uncomfortably confident loser” onscreen.
The comedy, which premiered at the 2023 SXSW Festival, stars the “Hacks” breakout actress as the titular musician who goes home to win back her girlfriend only to realize it’s much more than her love life that needs salvaging.
Hannah Pearl Utt directs the comedy from a script by Rhianon Jones. The cast includes Jojo T. Gibbs, Manny Jacinto, Ayden Mayeri, Thomas Mann, Chrissie Fit, Andre Hyland, Margaret Cho, Chelsea Peretti, and Darrell Hammond. The film features original music and a score composed by indie artist Miya Folick.
“I’m thrilled for audiences to get to see Meg in a leading role and to fall for her character the way I have,” director Utt said in a press statement.
The IndieWire review called Stalter a “whirlwind and a universe unto herself” who boasts “her unique brand of uncomfortably confident loser” onscreen.
- 4/25/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The New York Court of Appeals has overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding that the judge at the trial prejudiced the producer with “egregious” improper rulings.
As reported by Associated Press, the court – the highest level of appeal available in New York state –came to a 4-3 decision. A new trial on the rape charge is now possible.
“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the court’s decision said. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.”
“It...
As reported by Associated Press, the court – the highest level of appeal available in New York state –came to a 4-3 decision. A new trial on the rape charge is now possible.
“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the court’s decision said. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.”
“It...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
REinvent International Sales has boarded “Second Victims,” a psychological drama directed by Zinnini Elkington which shot on location at Denmark’s Herlev Hospital.
Set against the backdrop of an understaffed stroke unit, the film follows skilled neurologist Alexandra whose unwavering confidence is put to the ultimate test when a routine case spirals into tragedy. Blame and guilt ripple through the hospital, pushing Alexandra to confront her own fallibility and the profound repercussions of medical errors. Currently in post, the film is produced by Johannes Rothaus Nørregaard for Meta Film. Sf Studios will release it in the Nordics.
“Second Victims” is led by a duo of Scandinavian stars, Özlem Saglanmak, whose credits include “Borgen,” and Trine Dyrholm, who previously starred in Susanne Bier’s Oscar winning “In A Better World” and Sundance’s Audience Award winner “Queen of Hearts.” The cast is completed by Anders Matthesen, the creator of hit franchise “Checkered Ninja,...
Set against the backdrop of an understaffed stroke unit, the film follows skilled neurologist Alexandra whose unwavering confidence is put to the ultimate test when a routine case spirals into tragedy. Blame and guilt ripple through the hospital, pushing Alexandra to confront her own fallibility and the profound repercussions of medical errors. Currently in post, the film is produced by Johannes Rothaus Nørregaard for Meta Film. Sf Studios will release it in the Nordics.
“Second Victims” is led by a duo of Scandinavian stars, Özlem Saglanmak, whose credits include “Borgen,” and Trine Dyrholm, who previously starred in Susanne Bier’s Oscar winning “In A Better World” and Sundance’s Audience Award winner “Queen of Hearts.” The cast is completed by Anders Matthesen, the creator of hit franchise “Checkered Ninja,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
While Ben Stiller has seemingly shifted into filmmaking full-time, he directed most of the hit sci-fi psychological thriller series, “Severance,” for Apple TV+; he’s obviously known for a celebrated comedy career. Directing and starring in hit comedies like “Zoolander,” “Tropic Thunder” and “The Cable Guy” (though only a tiny part in the latter), the comedian has reflected on the failure of “Zoolander 2” in a new interview with Fail Better podcast.
Continue reading Ben Stiller Was Shocked By “Blindsiding” Failure Of ‘Zoolander 2’: “I F—ed This Up” at The Playlist.
Continue reading Ben Stiller Was Shocked By “Blindsiding” Failure Of ‘Zoolander 2’: “I F—ed This Up” at The Playlist.
- 4/25/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Julia Garner already has two upcoming horror roles, so how about one more for good measure? THR reports that Garner is the latest actor to join Zach Cregger‘s “Barbarian” follow-up “Weapons” at New Line. Garner will star opposite the previously announced Josh Brolin, with shooting starting in Atlanta next month.
Read More: ‘Weapons’: Josh Brolin In Talks To Replace Pedro Pascal In Zach Cregger’s ‘Barbarian’ Follow-Up
Cregger’s sophomore feature remains shrouded in secrecy despite Brolin joining the cast in February.
Continue reading ‘Weapons’: Julia Garner Joins Josh Brolin On Zach Cregger’s Upcoming Horror Epic at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Weapons’: Josh Brolin In Talks To Replace Pedro Pascal In Zach Cregger’s ‘Barbarian’ Follow-Up
Cregger’s sophomore feature remains shrouded in secrecy despite Brolin joining the cast in February.
Continue reading ‘Weapons’: Julia Garner Joins Josh Brolin On Zach Cregger’s Upcoming Horror Epic at The Playlist.
- 4/25/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction has been overturned by New York’s top appeals court.
After an appeal process, the court found there were “egregious errors” committed in the original trial, according to the Associated Press, including the court’s allowance of testimony from three women speaking to “uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts” that were unrelated to the rape charge. The argument from Weinstein’s side is that the Miramax founder could not take the stand in his defense on the actual charges without also being cross-examined on the uncharged accusations.
The New York Court of Appeals vote was a close one: Weinstein’s conviction was overturned 4-3.
“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the majority decision said. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.
After an appeal process, the court found there were “egregious errors” committed in the original trial, according to the Associated Press, including the court’s allowance of testimony from three women speaking to “uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts” that were unrelated to the rape charge. The argument from Weinstein’s side is that the Miramax founder could not take the stand in his defense on the actual charges without also being cross-examined on the uncharged accusations.
The New York Court of Appeals vote was a close one: Weinstein’s conviction was overturned 4-3.
“We conclude that the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts against persons other than the complainants of the underlying crimes,” the majority decision said. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial.
- 4/25/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Among 70 lots donated by film and music stars are up for grabs, including Neil Tennant’s coat and Stanley Tucci’s hotpot
An original shooting script of much-loved Christmas romcom Love Actually is among the lots up for grabs in an auction to support charity War Child.
The script from the 2003 film contains three unseen storylines “which we eventually cut,” say director Richard Curtis and screenwriter Emma Freud, “lots of jokes which didn’t work, and some childish swearing which we were forced to remove by adults.”...
An original shooting script of much-loved Christmas romcom Love Actually is among the lots up for grabs in an auction to support charity War Child.
The script from the 2003 film contains three unseen storylines “which we eventually cut,” say director Richard Curtis and screenwriter Emma Freud, “lots of jokes which didn’t work, and some childish swearing which we were forced to remove by adults.”...
- 4/25/2024
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
The campaign to save one of the UK’s oldest working cinemas, the Electric Birmingham, has ramped up, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, Succession star Brian Cox and Homeland actor and Rada president David Harewood all throwing their weight behind the campaign to save the cinema.
The cinema dates back to 1909, and was built in a converted taxi rank in Station Street. Kevin Markwick bought the cinema in 2021. The building’s 88-year lease has now come to an end, and the cinema screened its last film on February 29. Fears are swirling that a property developer will demolish a significant...
The cinema dates back to 1909, and was built in a converted taxi rank in Station Street. Kevin Markwick bought the cinema in 2021. The building’s 88-year lease has now come to an end, and the cinema screened its last film on February 29. Fears are swirling that a property developer will demolish a significant...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction has been overturned by the New York Court of Appeals.
On Thursday, the court found in a 4-3 ruling that the judge in Weinstein’s trial — a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement that the 2017 allegations against him started — had shown prejudice by allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case. The court has now ordered a new trial.
Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of “Shakespeare in Love” and “Good Will Hunting,” is serving a 23-year sentence at the Mohawk Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison in Rome, N.Y. He will remain imprisoned as he was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison. However, Weinstein was acquitted in the Los Angeles trial on charges involving a woman who testified in his New York case.
“We reaffirm that no person accused of illegality...
On Thursday, the court found in a 4-3 ruling that the judge in Weinstein’s trial — a landmark moment in the #MeToo movement that the 2017 allegations against him started — had shown prejudice by allowing women to testify about allegations that were not part of the case. The court has now ordered a new trial.
Weinstein, the Oscar-winning producer of “Shakespeare in Love” and “Good Will Hunting,” is serving a 23-year sentence at the Mohawk Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison in Rome, N.Y. He will remain imprisoned as he was also convicted of rape in Los Angeles in 2022 and sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison. However, Weinstein was acquitted in the Los Angeles trial on charges involving a woman who testified in his New York case.
“We reaffirm that no person accused of illegality...
- 4/25/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Gene Maddaus
- Variety - Film News
Two decades after British filmmaker Danny Boyle resurrected the then-ailing zombie genre with his post-apocalyptic rage-virus movie, the long-belated sequel to “28 Days Later” is finally taking shape. Titled “28 Years Later,” and reuniting Boyle with his original screenwriter Alex Garland, late yesterday, the main cast was revealed.
Deadline reports that Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Bullet Train”), and Ralph Fiennes (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”) have all joined the cast.
Continue reading ‘28 Years Later’: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor Johnson & Ralph Fiennes Join Danny Boyle’s Zombie Thriller at The Playlist.
Deadline reports that Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Bullet Train”), and Ralph Fiennes (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”) have all joined the cast.
Continue reading ‘28 Years Later’: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor Johnson & Ralph Fiennes Join Danny Boyle’s Zombie Thriller at The Playlist.
- 4/25/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
The actor on tricking her tear ducts, being entertained as a child by Tom Cruise and legging it from dinosaurs while wearing stilettos
Hi Bryce! If two generations makes an acting family, does three make an acting dynasty? [Her father is director Ron Howard, both of whose parents were actors.] JohnHunt
I think a dynasty is five generations or more, so we’re not even close. We’ve got a way to go. We’ve got three generations, so maybe I’ll be around for it when the Howards cross that threshold.
When you’re directing something that’s part of a larger collection, such as The Mandalorian, how do you find the balance between maintaining the tone and making something that reflects your own artistic vision? porcospino
Something like The Mandalorian is such an important story and piece of intellectual property. It’s dramaturgically essential to understand the essence of the creator and...
Hi Bryce! If two generations makes an acting family, does three make an acting dynasty? [Her father is director Ron Howard, both of whose parents were actors.] JohnHunt
I think a dynasty is five generations or more, so we’re not even close. We’ve got a way to go. We’ve got three generations, so maybe I’ll be around for it when the Howards cross that threshold.
When you’re directing something that’s part of a larger collection, such as The Mandalorian, how do you find the balance between maintaining the tone and making something that reflects your own artistic vision? porcospino
Something like The Mandalorian is such an important story and piece of intellectual property. It’s dramaturgically essential to understand the essence of the creator and...
- 4/25/2024
- by As told to Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
Let's fly ... away from spoilers. Read no further if you haven't watched the latest episode of "Star Trek: Discovery."
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the strangest of them all? In "Star Trek," that title goes to one of the zaniest concepts ever introduced into the canon: The Mirror Universe. The idea of our alternate selves living completely different lives somewhere out there is no longer the sole domain of perhaps the nerdiest franchise in all of sci-fi, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or the best episode of "Community" ever made. Fans might be surprised to find out that many in the scientific community believe the theory is worth discussion these days. But "Trek" put its own unmistakable fingerprints on the multiverse by emphasizing one in particular that stands at odds with the usual Prime Universe -- one that poses a fundamentally moral dilemma between the paragons of Starfleet we know and love,...
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the strangest of them all? In "Star Trek," that title goes to one of the zaniest concepts ever introduced into the canon: The Mirror Universe. The idea of our alternate selves living completely different lives somewhere out there is no longer the sole domain of perhaps the nerdiest franchise in all of sci-fi, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or the best episode of "Community" ever made. Fans might be surprised to find out that many in the scientific community believe the theory is worth discussion these days. But "Trek" put its own unmistakable fingerprints on the multiverse by emphasizing one in particular that stands at odds with the usual Prime Universe -- one that poses a fundamentally moral dilemma between the paragons of Starfleet we know and love,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Bill Burr was in the middle of a standup set in the original room at The Comedy Cellar when his cell phone rang: It was Jerry Seinfeld. What do you do? Burr answered.
Seinfeld wanted Burr to play JFK in his Pop-Tarts (fake) origin story, “Unfrosted.” Burr immediately accepted the role — and then went back to telling jokes to the paying customers.
It was the fastest (and the most public) “yes” that Seinfeld and his writing partner Spike Feresten say they got from a tremendous ensemble comedy cast that includes Seinfeld himself, as well as Jim Gaffigan, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Poehler, Hugh Grant, Max Greenfield, Christian Slater, James Marsden, Jack McBrayer — there’s honestly just too many to list. That wasn’t always the case.
“There was a long time where we didn’t have anybody to make this movie. We had the budget, we had the script, but we...
Seinfeld wanted Burr to play JFK in his Pop-Tarts (fake) origin story, “Unfrosted.” Burr immediately accepted the role — and then went back to telling jokes to the paying customers.
It was the fastest (and the most public) “yes” that Seinfeld and his writing partner Spike Feresten say they got from a tremendous ensemble comedy cast that includes Seinfeld himself, as well as Jim Gaffigan, Melissa McCarthy, Amy Poehler, Hugh Grant, Max Greenfield, Christian Slater, James Marsden, Jack McBrayer — there’s honestly just too many to list. That wasn’t always the case.
“There was a long time where we didn’t have anybody to make this movie. We had the budget, we had the script, but we...
- 4/25/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
As one Emmys season has ended, with a new one already en route, the Television Academy has taken a moment to announce the recipients of its 17th Television Academy Honors, with a recognition ceremony set for Thursday, May 23 at Citizen News in Hollywood, CA.
The Television Academy Honors are meant to recognize compelling TV programs, and the producers behind them, who have leveraged the power of storytelling to propel social change. The seven honorees, including four unscripted programs and three scripted series, are “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” “The 1619 Project,” “A Small Light,” “Beef,” “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court,” “Heartstopper,” and “Lakota Nation vs. United States.”
The projects, which all premiered in 2023, have been recognized for addressing complex topics relevant to society today, including social injustice, civil rights, Lgbtqia+ rights and experiences, Indigenous history and reparations, the experience of mixed-race Americans, racism and racial justice, and mental health.
The Television Academy Honors are meant to recognize compelling TV programs, and the producers behind them, who have leveraged the power of storytelling to propel social change. The seven honorees, including four unscripted programs and three scripted series, are “1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed,” “The 1619 Project,” “A Small Light,” “Beef,” “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court,” “Heartstopper,” and “Lakota Nation vs. United States.”
The projects, which all premiered in 2023, have been recognized for addressing complex topics relevant to society today, including social injustice, civil rights, Lgbtqia+ rights and experiences, Indigenous history and reparations, the experience of mixed-race Americans, racism and racial justice, and mental health.
- 4/25/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Lucy Liu and Padma Lakshmi are among the stars who will be honored at the third annual Gold House Gala in May.
This year marks the third annual Gold Gala where top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders will convene to celebrate the 2024 A100 List.
Gold House will announce the A100 honorees on May. 1. The list highlights the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific changemakers in culture and society over the past year.
This year’s theme, A Gold New World, imagines a tomorrow for all, built by all. Luxury brand fashion designer Prabal Gurung will help bring this vision to life as the first-ever Gold Gala Creative Director.
Speaking with Variety, Gurang said, “When we talk about Asian representation, we talk about all Asians. People are flying in from India, Taiwan, Shanghai and all over. It’s about people from their respective fields coming together to inspire.” He added, “Gold House and...
This year marks the third annual Gold Gala where top Asian Pacific and multicultural leaders will convene to celebrate the 2024 A100 List.
Gold House will announce the A100 honorees on May. 1. The list highlights the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific changemakers in culture and society over the past year.
This year’s theme, A Gold New World, imagines a tomorrow for all, built by all. Luxury brand fashion designer Prabal Gurung will help bring this vision to life as the first-ever Gold Gala Creative Director.
Speaking with Variety, Gurang said, “When we talk about Asian representation, we talk about all Asians. People are flying in from India, Taiwan, Shanghai and all over. It’s about people from their respective fields coming together to inspire.” He added, “Gold House and...
- 4/25/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety - Film News
The times are changing across Indian cinema and Katrina Kaif, one of the top stars of the country, is changing with them.
The top 10 Indian films in the post-pandemic year 2023 were all star-driven blockbusters and Kaif was in the mix with action extravaganza “Tiger 3,” the latest in Yash Raj Films’ spy universe, where she starred alongside Salman Khan. 2024 has seen a paradigm shift in that, with five of the top 10 films being what are known locally as “content films,” where a strong storyline takes precedence over spectacle.
The Hindi-language Bollywood may be India’s most visible film industry globally and the term is often used internationally as shorthand for the country’s other film industries, much to their chagrin. To put matters in context, of the 1,796 Indian films released in 2023, 317 were in the Telugu language, 271 in Tamil and 241 in Kannada, with Bollywood in joint fourth place with Malayalam, with 218 each,...
The top 10 Indian films in the post-pandemic year 2023 were all star-driven blockbusters and Kaif was in the mix with action extravaganza “Tiger 3,” the latest in Yash Raj Films’ spy universe, where she starred alongside Salman Khan. 2024 has seen a paradigm shift in that, with five of the top 10 films being what are known locally as “content films,” where a strong storyline takes precedence over spectacle.
The Hindi-language Bollywood may be India’s most visible film industry globally and the term is often used internationally as shorthand for the country’s other film industries, much to their chagrin. To put matters in context, of the 1,796 Indian films released in 2023, 317 were in the Telugu language, 271 in Tamil and 241 in Kannada, with Bollywood in joint fourth place with Malayalam, with 218 each,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
"Star Wars" has always been a fairy tale at its core. The phrase "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" conjures visions of mythic adventures and imaginative settings as much as "Once upon a time" does. Yet, no entries in the franchise have held truer to this ethos than, arguably, the infamous live-action Ewok movies (and if you're surprised to hear me say that, then you clearly haven't looked at my author page before).
Now relegated to the non-canon sectors of the "Star Wars" universe, 1984's "Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure" (originally released as "The Ewok Adventure") was a made-for-tv movie following the cuddly murder teddy bears of the forest moon of Endor as they set out to reunite two young humans with their parents. Despite its limited budget, "An Ewok Adventure" is often just as visually accomplished as other theatrical '80s fantasy features thanks...
Now relegated to the non-canon sectors of the "Star Wars" universe, 1984's "Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure" (originally released as "The Ewok Adventure") was a made-for-tv movie following the cuddly murder teddy bears of the forest moon of Endor as they set out to reunite two young humans with their parents. Despite its limited budget, "An Ewok Adventure" is often just as visually accomplished as other theatrical '80s fantasy features thanks...
- 4/25/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Dutch public broadcaster Vpro has acquired Netherlands broadcast rights to “Daughter of Genghis.”
The documentary about Mongolian female nationalist gang leader and single mother Gerel Byamba will make its North American debut at Hot Docs on Monday. The doc, directed by photo-journalists Kristoffer Juel Poulsen and Christian Als, follows Byamba, who is the leader of the Mongolian organization called Gerel Khas. The goal of the ultra-nationalist organization, which is made up entirely of women, is to cleanse Mongolia of corruption and Chinese oppression. In the film, Byamba focuses her fight against the prostitution of Mongolian women to Chinese clients, seeking a gender equal and racially pure Mongolia. To achieve their goals, Gerel Khas resorts to violence.
“Our film stems from a deep curiosity to understand ultra nationalism,” Poulsen and Als said in a joint statement. “How do the hatred of foreigners and the need to protect oneself and one’s people arise?...
The documentary about Mongolian female nationalist gang leader and single mother Gerel Byamba will make its North American debut at Hot Docs on Monday. The doc, directed by photo-journalists Kristoffer Juel Poulsen and Christian Als, follows Byamba, who is the leader of the Mongolian organization called Gerel Khas. The goal of the ultra-nationalist organization, which is made up entirely of women, is to cleanse Mongolia of corruption and Chinese oppression. In the film, Byamba focuses her fight against the prostitution of Mongolian women to Chinese clients, seeking a gender equal and racially pure Mongolia. To achieve their goals, Gerel Khas resorts to violence.
“Our film stems from a deep curiosity to understand ultra nationalism,” Poulsen and Als said in a joint statement. “How do the hatred of foreigners and the need to protect oneself and one’s people arise?...
- 4/25/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety - Film News
Mohamed Kordofani’s Goodbye Julia and Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters lead the nominations for the 8th Critics Awards for Arab Films, which will be held during the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Both features picked up seven nominations apiece for the awards, focused on Arab films that were produced and premiered outside of the Arab world in 2023. Overseen and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), it was voted on by 209 critics from 72 countries and the winners will be announced during Cannes on May 18.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
This year’s nominees range from Sudan,...
Both features picked up seven nominations apiece for the awards, focused on Arab films that were produced and premiered outside of the Arab world in 2023. Overseen and run by the Cairo-based Arab Cinema Centre (Acc), it was voted on by 209 critics from 72 countries and the winners will be announced during Cannes on May 18.
Scroll down for full list of nominations
This year’s nominees range from Sudan,...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Opening soon in a theater near you are “Run Lola Run,” “Interstellar,” “Hereditary,” “Split,” and “Spirited Away.” They join fellow comeback kids “Oldboy,” “Stop Making Sense,” “Coraline,” “Amelié,” and Pixar’s pandemic-era films making their theatrical returns.
Last year’s strikes can take credit for some of this nostalgia: With distributors forced to delay films, theaters are desperate for product. However, desperation is not the only mother of this invention. A24, Neon, and other specialty distributors are treating re-releases as a way to reach younger audiences.
Last year, Neon re-released Park Chan-wook’s 2003 film “Oldboy” to $2.1 million worldwide. At a CinemaCon panel April 8, Neon distribution president Elissa Federoff credited its success to a young audience eager to see it on a big screen for the first time. “What is old is new for these younger audiences,” she said.
A24 is reaching into its own library to bolster its brand, rereleasing...
Last year’s strikes can take credit for some of this nostalgia: With distributors forced to delay films, theaters are desperate for product. However, desperation is not the only mother of this invention. A24, Neon, and other specialty distributors are treating re-releases as a way to reach younger audiences.
Last year, Neon re-released Park Chan-wook’s 2003 film “Oldboy” to $2.1 million worldwide. At a CinemaCon panel April 8, Neon distribution president Elissa Federoff credited its success to a young audience eager to see it on a big screen for the first time. “What is old is new for these younger audiences,” she said.
A24 is reaching into its own library to bolster its brand, rereleasing...
- 4/25/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
A fiercely capable woman with ice water in her veins finds herself in a creepy-looking mansion, where she has to survive a supernatural threat over the course of one endless night and eventually ends up covered in gore and viscera? If I had a nickel for every time a horror movie directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (aka Radio Silence) came out in the last five years with that exact same premise, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but you know how the rest of the meme goes. If this past weekend's "Abigail" triggered a nagging feeling of déjà vu, well, that's probably because the vampire movie packing a nasty bite (you can read /Film's review by Bj Colangelo here) shares quite a bit of DNA with the directing duo's previous movie, 2019's "Ready or Not."
Apparently, the creative team decided to lean into those similarities even more.
Apparently, the creative team decided to lean into those similarities even more.
- 4/25/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Kerry Condon plays a potty-mouthed Ira gang leader and Neeson is the quiet antihero in this action thriller set at the height of the Troubles
Producer-director and veteran Clint Eastwood collaborator Robert Lorenz is now saddling up for this “Donegal western”. It is an action thriller that finds the cowboy spirit in the lush rolling grasslands of County Donegal in Ireland’s north-west, neighbouring Northern Ireland but geographically sequestered from the rest of the Republic.
In 1974, at the height of the Troubles, an Ira gang led by icy-hearted and potty-mouthed Doireann (Kerry Condon) accidentally kills a bunch of kids with a Belfast bomb blast. Without especially regretting the collateral damage, she leads her crew as they escape over the border into Donegal to lie low, fetching up on the outskirts of a village that appears populated by adorable stereotypes. These include a stolid Garda officer (Ciarán Hinds), and his best mate,...
Producer-director and veteran Clint Eastwood collaborator Robert Lorenz is now saddling up for this “Donegal western”. It is an action thriller that finds the cowboy spirit in the lush rolling grasslands of County Donegal in Ireland’s north-west, neighbouring Northern Ireland but geographically sequestered from the rest of the Republic.
In 1974, at the height of the Troubles, an Ira gang led by icy-hearted and potty-mouthed Doireann (Kerry Condon) accidentally kills a bunch of kids with a Belfast bomb blast. Without especially regretting the collateral damage, she leads her crew as they escape over the border into Donegal to lie low, fetching up on the outskirts of a village that appears populated by adorable stereotypes. These include a stolid Garda officer (Ciarán Hinds), and his best mate,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Cinephil has sold Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó’s feature documentary “Agent of Happiness” to a wide range of key international territories ahead of the film’s Hot Docs debut this weekend.
Deals are confirmed in the U.K. and Ireland (Dogwoof), Germany and Austria (Filmwelt), Australia and New Zealand (Vendetta), Italy (Wanted), Spain and Portugal (Filmin), Poland (Against Gravity), Switzerland (Trigon), Belgium (Vrt), Israel (Lev), the Western Balkans (Beldocs), Hong Kong and Macao (Now TV Hong Kong), and Taiwan (Sky Digi), with North American distribution set to be announced shortly. Hungarian distributor Mozinet will release the film on May 2.
“Agent of Happiness” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews, and went on to several festivals including True/False, Cph:dox, San Francisco, Full Frame and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
Co-directed by Bhattarai and Zurbó following their IDFA-selected “The Next Guardian,” “Agent of Happiness” follows Amber, one of the...
Deals are confirmed in the U.K. and Ireland (Dogwoof), Germany and Austria (Filmwelt), Australia and New Zealand (Vendetta), Italy (Wanted), Spain and Portugal (Filmin), Poland (Against Gravity), Switzerland (Trigon), Belgium (Vrt), Israel (Lev), the Western Balkans (Beldocs), Hong Kong and Macao (Now TV Hong Kong), and Taiwan (Sky Digi), with North American distribution set to be announced shortly. Hungarian distributor Mozinet will release the film on May 2.
“Agent of Happiness” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews, and went on to several festivals including True/False, Cph:dox, San Francisco, Full Frame and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival.
Co-directed by Bhattarai and Zurbó following their IDFA-selected “The Next Guardian,” “Agent of Happiness” follows Amber, one of the...
- 4/25/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Gdh 559’s How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies has become the biggest film at the Thai box office in 2024 to date ahead of a theatrical rollout across Asia.
Pat Boonnitipat’s family drama reached $8.1m (THB300m) on April 24 after topping the local box office chart for 21 consecutive days, surpassing US blockbusters Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, Civil War, The First Omen and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
After scoring the biggest opening weekend (April 4-7) for a Thai film this year, it continued to lead the box office across the four-day Songkran holidays from April 13-16.
“This Songkran box...
Pat Boonnitipat’s family drama reached $8.1m (THB300m) on April 24 after topping the local box office chart for 21 consecutive days, surpassing US blockbusters Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire, Civil War, The First Omen and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
After scoring the biggest opening weekend (April 4-7) for a Thai film this year, it continued to lead the box office across the four-day Songkran holidays from April 13-16.
“This Songkran box...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
"Zoolander 2" didn't have the best debut back in 2016. The sequel to Ben Stiller's 2001 comedy classic made just $55 million worldwide on a $50 million budget. Considering movies generally need to double their budget in order for the studio to start seeing a return on investment, that isn't all that great. Such a poor box office showing was made worse by the critical response, with the film currently sitting at a dismal 22% on Rotten Tomatoes. Indeed, /Film's review criticized "Zoolander 2" for being as stupid and out of touch as Derek Zoolander himself.
There was no reason why "Zoolander 2" needed to be as bad as it was, though. The sequel reassembled the stars of the original, with Stiller joined by Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell. Like its predecessor, the film also featured multiple celebrity cameos, including one particularly distasteful turn from Benedict Cumberbatch as a non-binary character. Okay, maybe there...
There was no reason why "Zoolander 2" needed to be as bad as it was, though. The sequel reassembled the stars of the original, with Stiller joined by Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell. Like its predecessor, the film also featured multiple celebrity cameos, including one particularly distasteful turn from Benedict Cumberbatch as a non-binary character. Okay, maybe there...
- 4/25/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Imax fans turned up in droves to see “Dune 2” on the really big screen, helping the company top analyst earnings estimates for the first quarter of 2024.
Despite the sandworm bump, it was a tough compare with the year-ago period when Imax benefited from the blockbuster success of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in 2023 to deliver its highest-grossing Q1 to date. Revenue in the first quarter of 2024 was $79.1 million, down 9% year over year, while net income was $3.3 million (an adjusted 15 cents per share), up 33%.
During the most recent quarter, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part Two” became one of the Top 10 Imax releases of all time. The Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi epic has garnered more than $143 million at the global box office to date on Imax screens — representing 21% of the film’s total gross receipts.
“Our industry-leading momentum is fueled in part by our strategic expansion of the Imax value proposition; increasingly,...
Despite the sandworm bump, it was a tough compare with the year-ago period when Imax benefited from the blockbuster success of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in 2023 to deliver its highest-grossing Q1 to date. Revenue in the first quarter of 2024 was $79.1 million, down 9% year over year, while net income was $3.3 million (an adjusted 15 cents per share), up 33%.
During the most recent quarter, Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part Two” became one of the Top 10 Imax releases of all time. The Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi epic has garnered more than $143 million at the global box office to date on Imax screens — representing 21% of the film’s total gross receipts.
“Our industry-leading momentum is fueled in part by our strategic expansion of the Imax value proposition; increasingly,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - Film News
French sales powerhouse Charades has boarded Constance Tsang’s migrant drama “Blue Sun Palace” which is set to world premiere at Cannes’ Critics’ Week. WME Independent is representing domestic rights for the movie in North America.
“Blue Sun Palace” is set in the Chinese community of Queens with a vibrant cast led by award-winning Taiwanese actor Lee Kang Sheng (“Rebels of the Neon God”), Golden Horse award nominee Ke-Xi Wu (“The Road To Mandalay”) and Chinese actress Haipeng Xu (“Venus By Water”).
The film revolves around two migrants, Amy and Didi, who work together at a massage parlor in Flushing, Queens, and navigate romance, happiness and the obligations of family thousands of miles from home. A sudden act of violence will catalyze their unlikely bond. “Blue Sun Palace” is produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Sally Sujin Oh and Eli Raskin (Field Trip Media), alongside producer Tony Yang (Big Buddha Pictures...
“Blue Sun Palace” is set in the Chinese community of Queens with a vibrant cast led by award-winning Taiwanese actor Lee Kang Sheng (“Rebels of the Neon God”), Golden Horse award nominee Ke-Xi Wu (“The Road To Mandalay”) and Chinese actress Haipeng Xu (“Venus By Water”).
The film revolves around two migrants, Amy and Didi, who work together at a massage parlor in Flushing, Queens, and navigate romance, happiness and the obligations of family thousands of miles from home. A sudden act of violence will catalyze their unlikely bond. “Blue Sun Palace” is produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Sally Sujin Oh and Eli Raskin (Field Trip Media), alongside producer Tony Yang (Big Buddha Pictures...
- 4/25/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Peacock added 3 million subscribers in the quarter of its exclusive NFL playoff game, Comcast revealed Thursday as part of its earnings announcement. It now has 34 million subs, up from 31 million at the end of 2023.
Still, Peacock lost $639 million in the quarter. At least that wasn’t as bad as the last one!
Peacock lost $825 million over the final three months of 2023. It lost $704 million in the first quarter of 2023 — so the current loss is technically an improvement from the comparable quarters. It certainly helps when revenue grows, as Peacock’s did, to $1.1 billion in the first quarter of the current year.
Universal Pictures in the first quarter released “Argylle” and “Kung Fu Panda 4” in theaters. The latest in the Jack Black karate-bear movie series has done great: it made $481 million worldwide. “Argylle” didn’t even make $100 million. “Migration” was released at the end of 2023, so a chunk of its...
Still, Peacock lost $639 million in the quarter. At least that wasn’t as bad as the last one!
Peacock lost $825 million over the final three months of 2023. It lost $704 million in the first quarter of 2023 — so the current loss is technically an improvement from the comparable quarters. It certainly helps when revenue grows, as Peacock’s did, to $1.1 billion in the first quarter of the current year.
Universal Pictures in the first quarter released “Argylle” and “Kung Fu Panda 4” in theaters. The latest in the Jack Black karate-bear movie series has done great: it made $481 million worldwide. “Argylle” didn’t even make $100 million. “Migration” was released at the end of 2023, so a chunk of its...
- 4/25/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Aniston’s production company will reportedly reimagine the hit 1980 Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton comedy about sexism in the workplace – with a script by Diablo Cody
Jennifer Aniston’s production company, Echo Films, are to reimagine classic comedy 9 to 5 for a modern day audience, according to reports. The script is being written by Juno and Young Adult writer Diablo Cody.
No plot details have yet been revealed, but the 1980 original centred on three female colleagues in an office who team up to take revenge on their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” boss. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman starred in the film, which was scripted by Patricia Resnick with Colin Higgins, who also directed. It was based on an idea by Fonda, who commissioned the film as a vehicle for herself and Tomlin before bringing Parton on board.
Jennifer Aniston’s production company, Echo Films, are to reimagine classic comedy 9 to 5 for a modern day audience, according to reports. The script is being written by Juno and Young Adult writer Diablo Cody.
No plot details have yet been revealed, but the 1980 original centred on three female colleagues in an office who team up to take revenge on their “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot” boss. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Dabney Coleman starred in the film, which was scripted by Patricia Resnick with Colin Higgins, who also directed. It was based on an idea by Fonda, who commissioned the film as a vehicle for herself and Tomlin before bringing Parton on board.
- 4/25/2024
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
Paola Cortellesi’s directing debut, in which she also stars, depicts gruelling domestic abuse before finding its way to startling redemption
Italian actor and singer Paola Cortellesi has been breaking hearts and box office records on her home turf with this directing debut. It’s a richly and even outrageously sentimental working-class drama of postwar Rome, a story of domestic abuse whose heroine finally escapes from misogyny and cruelty through a piece of narrative sleight-of-hand that borders on magic-neorealism, performed with shameless theatrical flair and marvellously composed in luminous monochrome. The film pays homage to early pictures by De Sica and Fellini, and Cortellesi’s own performance is consciously in the spirit of movie divas such as Anna Magnani, Sophia Loren and Giulietta Masina.
The scene is Rome just after the end of the second world war, when American GIs were a presence on the streets and Italian women had...
Italian actor and singer Paola Cortellesi has been breaking hearts and box office records on her home turf with this directing debut. It’s a richly and even outrageously sentimental working-class drama of postwar Rome, a story of domestic abuse whose heroine finally escapes from misogyny and cruelty through a piece of narrative sleight-of-hand that borders on magic-neorealism, performed with shameless theatrical flair and marvellously composed in luminous monochrome. The film pays homage to early pictures by De Sica and Fellini, and Cortellesi’s own performance is consciously in the spirit of movie divas such as Anna Magnani, Sophia Loren and Giulietta Masina.
The scene is Rome just after the end of the second world war, when American GIs were a presence on the streets and Italian women had...
- 4/25/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Production has started in the Philippines on Filipino-Australian artist James J. Robinson’s debut feature, First Light, starring Ruby Ruiz.
The UK’s Independent Entertainment is representing global sales, excluding Australia and New Zealand. Bonsai Films will distribute the film theatrically in Australia and New Zealand.
Ruiz, known for Lulu Wang’s Expats, stars alongside veteran Filipino star Maricel Soriano, whose credits include Mother Nanny. Rounding out the cast is Rez Cortez, Soliman Cruz and Kidlat Tahimik.
It is set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, where the death of a young construction worker forces an elderly nun to...
The UK’s Independent Entertainment is representing global sales, excluding Australia and New Zealand. Bonsai Films will distribute the film theatrically in Australia and New Zealand.
Ruiz, known for Lulu Wang’s Expats, stars alongside veteran Filipino star Maricel Soriano, whose credits include Mother Nanny. Rounding out the cast is Rez Cortez, Soliman Cruz and Kidlat Tahimik.
It is set in the remote mountains of the Philippines, where the death of a young construction worker forces an elderly nun to...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Screen is running this regularly updated page with the latest film festival and market dates from across the world.
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival, Brazil - April 11-28
Istanbul Film Festival, Turkiye - April 17-28
Bcn Film Fest, Spain - April 18-26
Sunny Bunny, Ukraine - April 19-26
Far East Film Festival, Italy - April 24-May 2
Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference, US - April 25-May 5
HotDocs,...
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Fantaspoa International Fantastic Film Festival, Brazil - April 11-28
Istanbul Film Festival, Turkiye - April 17-28
Bcn Film Fest, Spain - April 18-26
Sunny Bunny, Ukraine - April 19-26
Far East Film Festival, Italy - April 24-May 2
Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference, US - April 25-May 5
HotDocs,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Sheffield DocFest has selected 50 projects for the 2024 edition of MeetMarket, its pitching event for documentary films at development, production and rough cut stage.
Titles in the selection include Rachel Close’s One Of Us, a Romanian film in co-production with the UK. The film sees UK-Romanian filmmaker Close travel to Romania to help a stranger search for her birth mother. The project is produced by Monica Lazurean-Gorgan, who previously produced Berlinale 2023 selection Between Revolutions, and Elena Martin.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
The five Rough Cut projects include Isabel Alcantara and Alfredo Alcantara’s Mexican title The Age Of Water,...
Titles in the selection include Rachel Close’s One Of Us, a Romanian film in co-production with the UK. The film sees UK-Romanian filmmaker Close travel to Romania to help a stranger search for her birth mother. The project is produced by Monica Lazurean-Gorgan, who previously produced Berlinale 2023 selection Between Revolutions, and Elena Martin.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
The five Rough Cut projects include Isabel Alcantara and Alfredo Alcantara’s Mexican title The Age Of Water,...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Sheffield DocFest has selected 50 projects for the 2024 edition of MeetMarket, its pitching event for documentary films at development, production and rough cut stage.
Titles in the selection include Rachel Close’s One Of Us, a Romanian film in co-production with the UK. The film sees UK-Romanian filmmaker Close travel to Romania to help a stranger search for her birth mother. The project is produced by Monica Lazurean-Gorgan, who previously produced Berlinale 2023 selection Between Revolutions, and Elena Martin.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
The five Rough Cut projects include Isabel Alcantara and Alfredo Alcantara’s Mexican title The Age Of Water,...
Titles in the selection include Rachel Close’s One Of Us, a Romanian film in co-production with the UK. The film sees UK-Romanian filmmaker Close travel to Romania to help a stranger search for her birth mother. The project is produced by Monica Lazurean-Gorgan, who previously produced Berlinale 2023 selection Between Revolutions, and Elena Martin.
Scroll down for the full list of projects
The five Rough Cut projects include Isabel Alcantara and Alfredo Alcantara’s Mexican title The Age Of Water,...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
U.K.-based sales and distribution outfit Blue Finch Films has boarded worldwide rights, excluding Canada, to 1980s-set wrestling action-horror “Dark Match.”
The film is headlined by professional wrestler and rock musician Chris Jericho and written and directed by Lowell Dean (“Wolfcop”). The film will launch later this year with its festival premiere to be announced imminently. Blue Finch will begin sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.
In the film, a small-time wrestling company accepts a well-paying gig in a backwoods town only to learn that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader with devious plans for their match. When the lights go down, Miss Behave and her friends are pitted against each other in a real fight for their lives. The cast also includes Steven Ogg (“The Walking Dead”) and Ayisha Issa (“Transplant”).
The film was produced by Dept. 9 Studios’ John K. MacDonald, Don Depoe, and Michael Feehan,...
The film is headlined by professional wrestler and rock musician Chris Jericho and written and directed by Lowell Dean (“Wolfcop”). The film will launch later this year with its festival premiere to be announced imminently. Blue Finch will begin sales at the upcoming Cannes Film Market.
In the film, a small-time wrestling company accepts a well-paying gig in a backwoods town only to learn that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader with devious plans for their match. When the lights go down, Miss Behave and her friends are pitted against each other in a real fight for their lives. The cast also includes Steven Ogg (“The Walking Dead”) and Ayisha Issa (“Transplant”).
The film was produced by Dept. 9 Studios’ John K. MacDonald, Don Depoe, and Michael Feehan,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
‘Inside Gaza,’ ‘Edgar Hilsenrath the Masturbator’ Among 2024 Pitch Projects at Sunny Side of the Doc
International documentary marketplace Sunny Side of the Doc has revealed the 42 projects from 21 countries that make up the official selection for its 2024 edition.
As always, the projects are topical and eclectic, ranging from Helene Lam Trong’s “Inside Gaza,” that tells the inside story of the ongoing conflict in the region; to Francois-Xavier Destors’ “Edgar Hilsenrath The Masturbator,” an animated documentary journeying through the transgressive world of Edgar Hilsenrath, the first German-Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor who dared to laugh at death.
The projects will participate in pitch sessions in front of more than 300 international decision-makers, including major broadcasters, streamers, foundations, distributors, buyers and other investors looking for stories with the biggest impact.
This year’s call for projects received 320 responses (the same as 2023) from 60 countries, 52% of which were led by female filmmakers.
The Specialist Factual strand, which has a cash prize of €3,000, focuses on the topics Global Issues, Wildlife & Conservation,...
As always, the projects are topical and eclectic, ranging from Helene Lam Trong’s “Inside Gaza,” that tells the inside story of the ongoing conflict in the region; to Francois-Xavier Destors’ “Edgar Hilsenrath The Masturbator,” an animated documentary journeying through the transgressive world of Edgar Hilsenrath, the first German-Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor who dared to laugh at death.
The projects will participate in pitch sessions in front of more than 300 international decision-makers, including major broadcasters, streamers, foundations, distributors, buyers and other investors looking for stories with the biggest impact.
This year’s call for projects received 320 responses (the same as 2023) from 60 countries, 52% of which were led by female filmmakers.
The Specialist Factual strand, which has a cash prize of €3,000, focuses on the topics Global Issues, Wildlife & Conservation,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Sombre documentary focuses on the former Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, and how he is becoming a Mandela-like figure since his imprisonment in 2002
Here is a film that offers something not generally on offer in the media: an envisioning of the future and a road map, or part of a road map, out of the present situation in Israel and Palestine. It’s about Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, an initial supporter of the 1993 and 1995 Oslo peace accords who became progressively disillusioned with the slow choreography of international consensus, and was ultimately imprisoned in 2002 for authorising deadly attacks on Israel. Barghouti’s position is not that he is innocent, but that an Israeli court has no right to try him.
During the long years since, he has gone on hunger strike, been beaten and abused in captivity; his grownup children have themselves been targeted and arrested and his wife Fadwa has...
Here is a film that offers something not generally on offer in the media: an envisioning of the future and a road map, or part of a road map, out of the present situation in Israel and Palestine. It’s about Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, an initial supporter of the 1993 and 1995 Oslo peace accords who became progressively disillusioned with the slow choreography of international consensus, and was ultimately imprisoned in 2002 for authorising deadly attacks on Israel. Barghouti’s position is not that he is innocent, but that an Israeli court has no right to try him.
During the long years since, he has gone on hunger strike, been beaten and abused in captivity; his grownup children have themselves been targeted and arrested and his wife Fadwa has...
- 4/25/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
UK producers Damian Keogh and Simon Vaughan, previously at TV drama juggernaut Lookout Point, have launched their own film and TV studios The Story Works in Richmond, southwest London.
The 22-acre site, a former brewery dating as far back as the 11th century, was originally intended as a temporary base for production on Steven Knight’s upcoming Disney+ series A Thousand Blows which Keogh and Vaughan produced via The Story Collective with Matriarch Productions and Water & Power Productions.
Through their production company, founded in 2021 alongside Helen Jackson, the pair recently signed a lease with the developers to continue operating...
The 22-acre site, a former brewery dating as far back as the 11th century, was originally intended as a temporary base for production on Steven Knight’s upcoming Disney+ series A Thousand Blows which Keogh and Vaughan produced via The Story Collective with Matriarch Productions and Water & Power Productions.
Through their production company, founded in 2021 alongside Helen Jackson, the pair recently signed a lease with the developers to continue operating...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
UK producers Damian Keogh and Simon Vaughan, previously at TV drama juggernaut Lookout Point, have launched their own film and TV studios The Story Works in Richmond, southwest London.
The 22-acre site, a former brewery dating as far back as the 11th century, was originally intended as a temporary base for production on Steven Knight’s upcoming Disney+ series A Thousand Blows which Keogh and Vaughan produced via The Story Collective with Matriarch Productions and Water & Power Productions.
Through their production company, founded in 2021 alongside Helen Jackson, the pair recently signed a lease with the developers to continue operating...
The 22-acre site, a former brewery dating as far back as the 11th century, was originally intended as a temporary base for production on Steven Knight’s upcoming Disney+ series A Thousand Blows which Keogh and Vaughan produced via The Story Collective with Matriarch Productions and Water & Power Productions.
Through their production company, founded in 2021 alongside Helen Jackson, the pair recently signed a lease with the developers to continue operating...
- 4/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
“The Imaginary,” an upcoming hand-drawn animated fantasy film from Japan’s Studio Ponoc that is tipped to play at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, is set to debut July 5 on Netflix. An Oscar-qualifying run is also planned.
“The Imaginary” is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, whose credits as an animator include Studio Ponoc’s 2017 debut feature “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” and Studio Ghibli’s Academy Award winner “Spirited Away.” Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, the Oscar-nominated producer of Studio Ghibli’s “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” and “When Marnie Was There,” is producing.
Based on the novel of the same name by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, “The Imaginary” is described as a fantasy that “portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger. Their fantastical adventures launched from her attic, lead them to discover...
“The Imaginary” is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, whose credits as an animator include Studio Ponoc’s 2017 debut feature “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” and Studio Ghibli’s Academy Award winner “Spirited Away.” Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, the Oscar-nominated producer of Studio Ghibli’s “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” and “When Marnie Was There,” is producing.
Based on the novel of the same name by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, “The Imaginary” is described as a fantasy that “portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger. Their fantastical adventures launched from her attic, lead them to discover...
- 4/25/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- Variety - Film News
The Clash are the touchstone for a story that stretches back to the 50s, told in interviews with many campaigning rockers
There’s no better time than now for a documentary on popular music’s role in the fight against racism and fascism. And in true punk spirit, this lo-fi indie packs in a lot of history and righteous passion for not much budget – even if, to be brutally honest, its core narrative is a very minor part of that history, centred on a bunch of ageing Clash fans.
The Clash are very much the touchstone here. Motivated by musicians such as Eric Clapton echoing the National Front’s racist and anti-immigrant sentiments, Joe Strummer and co became key players in the Rock Against Racism movement in the late 70s, alongside acts including Steel Pulse, Tom Robinson and Aswad. (The 2020 doc White Riot lays out the story in more detail.
There’s no better time than now for a documentary on popular music’s role in the fight against racism and fascism. And in true punk spirit, this lo-fi indie packs in a lot of history and righteous passion for not much budget – even if, to be brutally honest, its core narrative is a very minor part of that history, centred on a bunch of ageing Clash fans.
The Clash are very much the touchstone here. Motivated by musicians such as Eric Clapton echoing the National Front’s racist and anti-immigrant sentiments, Joe Strummer and co became key players in the Rock Against Racism movement in the late 70s, alongside acts including Steel Pulse, Tom Robinson and Aswad. (The 2020 doc White Riot lays out the story in more detail.
- 4/25/2024
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
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