Top News
The boys are back in town. Sony and Columbia’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” got off to a solid start at the box office with $21.6 million from 3,885 locations across Friday and preview screenings. The movie also gets a revenue boost from Imax and other premium large format auditoriums.
The action sequel, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, is now looking at an opening of $53 million through the three-day frame in North America. Sony had initially projected a debut of $30 million heading into the weekend, going way below industry estimates of $45 million to $50 million. The studio seems to have made a cautious lowball, considering “The Fall Guy” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” have given the summer box office a run of high-profile titles debuting below expectations.
“Ride or Die” will likely come in short of the $62.5 million domestic debut earned by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s series predecessor,...
The action sequel, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, is now looking at an opening of $53 million through the three-day frame in North America. Sony had initially projected a debut of $30 million heading into the weekend, going way below industry estimates of $45 million to $50 million. The studio seems to have made a cautious lowball, considering “The Fall Guy” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” have given the summer box office a run of high-profile titles debuting below expectations.
“Ride or Die” will likely come in short of the $62.5 million domestic debut earned by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s series predecessor,...
- 6/8/2024
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety - Film News
“The Acolyte,” Disney+’s newest Star Wars series, reached 4.8 million views in its first day of availability. This marks the streamer’s biggest series premiere of 2024, according to Disney.
An exact first-day viewership total isn’t available for “Ahsoka,” the most recent Star Wars series, though Disney did report that it took five days to reach 14 million views. That comes out to an average of 2.8 million viewers per day — 2 million below the launch of “The Acolyte.” (Note: a “view” is calculated by dividing the number of hours each title is watched by its runtime.)
Variety critic Alison Herman likens “The Acolyte...
An exact first-day viewership total isn’t available for “Ahsoka,” the most recent Star Wars series, though Disney did report that it took five days to reach 14 million views. That comes out to an average of 2.8 million viewers per day — 2 million below the launch of “The Acolyte.” (Note: a “view” is calculated by dividing the number of hours each title is watched by its runtime.)
Variety critic Alison Herman likens “The Acolyte...
- 6/6/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety - TV News
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced the first of two batches of this year’s Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, with Dick Van Dyke making history.
The 98-year-old actor became the oldest-ever winner of a Daytime Emmy for a his guest performance in Days of our Lives.
General Hospital took home the most awards of the night, with four trophies for best directing, best writing, best supporting performance (Robert Gossett) and best drama series.
Entertainment Tonight hosts Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner returned to host this year’s ceremony, after emceeing the evening in 2022 and 2023. The program also won two awards, for best entertainment news series and best daytime personalities.
Michelle Stafford won best lead performance for her role in The Young and the Restless, and Thorsten Kaye won best actor for playing Ridge Forrester in The Bold and the Beautiful. Both shows were tied for most...
The 98-year-old actor became the oldest-ever winner of a Daytime Emmy for a his guest performance in Days of our Lives.
General Hospital took home the most awards of the night, with four trophies for best directing, best writing, best supporting performance (Robert Gossett) and best drama series.
Entertainment Tonight hosts Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner returned to host this year’s ceremony, after emceeing the evening in 2022 and 2023. The program also won two awards, for best entertainment news series and best daytime personalities.
Michelle Stafford won best lead performance for her role in The Young and the Restless, and Thorsten Kaye won best actor for playing Ridge Forrester in The Bold and the Beautiful. Both shows were tied for most...
- 6/8/2024
- by Zoe G. Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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
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...
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...
- 6/9/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - TV News
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
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
A Disneyland employee died Friday after she suffered a head injury in a golf cart accident, the Anaheim Police Department confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
The employee, identified as 60-year-old Bonnye Mavis Lear in reports citing the Orange County Coroner’s Office and Disneyland, fell from a moving golf cart and struck her head on Wednesday morning, a police spokesman said. Lear was a passenger in the cart and the driver wasn’t injured and no drugs or alcohol are suspected, according to TMZ.
Lear was taken to a local hospital in grave condition and died from her injuries on Friday, according to the police.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Bonnye and offer our sincere condolences to everyone who cared for her,” Disneyland Resort president Ken Potrock said in a statement. “At this time, we are focused on supporting her family and our castmembers through this tragic event...
The employee, identified as 60-year-old Bonnye Mavis Lear in reports citing the Orange County Coroner’s Office and Disneyland, fell from a moving golf cart and struck her head on Wednesday morning, a police spokesman said. Lear was a passenger in the cart and the driver wasn’t injured and no drugs or alcohol are suspected, according to TMZ.
Lear was taken to a local hospital in grave condition and died from her injuries on Friday, according to the police.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Bonnye and offer our sincere condolences to everyone who cared for her,” Disneyland Resort president Ken Potrock said in a statement. “At this time, we are focused on supporting her family and our castmembers through this tragic event...
- 6/9/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Will Smith snuck into a Los Angeles movie theater on Friday night to watch his new movie, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, alongside a paying audience.
The actor documented his night out on social media.
“We’re in Baldwin Hills. We’re about to go in the theater,” Smith says in the video of his theatrical visit. “It’s a ritual I have, when I have a movie come out. On Friday, Saturday, usually a matinee on Sunday, I like going to the theaters.”
Smith is then shown sporting a mask while watching his film with fans.
After the movie ended, Smith revealed to shocked moviegoers that he had been watching the film with them. A growing crowd seemed excited to see Smith and captured photos and videos. One fan gave the movie a “10 out of 10” and Smith thanked him.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Will...
The actor documented his night out on social media.
“We’re in Baldwin Hills. We’re about to go in the theater,” Smith says in the video of his theatrical visit. “It’s a ritual I have, when I have a movie come out. On Friday, Saturday, usually a matinee on Sunday, I like going to the theaters.”
Smith is then shown sporting a mask while watching his film with fans.
After the movie ended, Smith revealed to shocked moviegoers that he had been watching the film with them. A growing crowd seemed excited to see Smith and captured photos and videos. One fan gave the movie a “10 out of 10” and Smith thanked him.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Will...
- 6/9/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A Disneyland employee died from her injuries Friday after falling from a moving golf cart at the theme park two days prior.
Anaheim Police and Anaheim Fire and Rescue personnel arrived at the resort Wednesday at around 11:30 a.m. Pt to the area of West Ball Road and South West Street in response to a collision that occurred backstage, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Disneyland employee, later identified by the Orange Country Coroner Division as 60-year-old Fullerton resident Bonnye Mavis Lear, struck her head after falling from the moving golf cart and was taken to a local hospital in grave condition.
Anaheim Police and Anaheim Fire and Rescue personnel arrived at the resort Wednesday at around 11:30 a.m. Pt to the area of West Ball Road and South West Street in response to a collision that occurred backstage, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Disneyland employee, later identified by the Orange Country Coroner Division as 60-year-old Fullerton resident Bonnye Mavis Lear, struck her head after falling from the moving golf cart and was taken to a local hospital in grave condition.
- 6/8/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - TV News
A Disneyland employee died from her injuries Friday after falling from a moving golf cart at the theme park two days prior.
Anaheim Police and Anaheim Fire and Rescue personnel arrived at the resort Wednesday at around 11:30 a.m. Pt to the area of West Ball Road and South West Street in response to a collision that occurred backstage, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Disneyland employee, later identified by the Orange Country Coroner Division as 60-year-old Fullerton resident Bonnye Mavis Lear, struck her head after falling from the moving golf cart and was taken to a local hospital in grave condition. Lear died from her injuries Friday, two days after being hospitalized for severe head trauma.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Bonnye, and offer our sincere condolences to everyone who cared for her,” Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, said in a statement shared with Variety.
Anaheim Police and Anaheim Fire and Rescue personnel arrived at the resort Wednesday at around 11:30 a.m. Pt to the area of West Ball Road and South West Street in response to a collision that occurred backstage, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Disneyland employee, later identified by the Orange Country Coroner Division as 60-year-old Fullerton resident Bonnye Mavis Lear, struck her head after falling from the moving golf cart and was taken to a local hospital in grave condition. Lear died from her injuries Friday, two days after being hospitalized for severe head trauma.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Bonnye, and offer our sincere condolences to everyone who cared for her,” Ken Potrock, president of Disneyland Resort, said in a statement shared with Variety.
- 6/8/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
The time has come for producers to think about how to protect themselves against possible copyright and ownership challenges related to the use of generative AI tools in film and TV production.
That was one of the messages sent Saturday at the Producers Guild of America’s 14th annual Produced By conference in Los Angeles, featuring a daylong schedule of panels drilling down on digital disruption and other pressing issues for content producers.
“I don’t know if an artist I commission is using generative AI. I didn’treally care before, but I guess I have to care now,” said Lori McCreary,...
That was one of the messages sent Saturday at the Producers Guild of America’s 14th annual Produced By conference in Los Angeles, featuring a daylong schedule of panels drilling down on digital disruption and other pressing issues for content producers.
“I don’t know if an artist I commission is using generative AI. I didn’treally care before, but I guess I have to care now,” said Lori McCreary,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton and Matt Donnelly
- Variety - TV News
The time has come for producers to think about how to protect themselves against possible copyright and ownership challenges related to the use of generative AI tools in film and TV production.
That was one of the messages sent Saturday at the Producers Guild of America’s 14th annual Produced By conference in Los Angeles, featuring a daylong schedule of panels drilling down on digital disruption and other pressing issues for content producers.
“I don’t know if an artist I commission is using generative AI. I didn’treally care before, but I guess I have to care now,” said Lori McCreary, CEO of Revelations Entertainment and a past PGA president, during the hourlong “AI: What Every Producer Needs to Know” session moderated by Carolyn Giardina, senior entertainment technology and crafts editor for Variety and Variety VIP+.
Ghaith Mahmood, partner at Latham & Watkins specializing in AI-related legal issues, walked...
That was one of the messages sent Saturday at the Producers Guild of America’s 14th annual Produced By conference in Los Angeles, featuring a daylong schedule of panels drilling down on digital disruption and other pressing issues for content producers.
“I don’t know if an artist I commission is using generative AI. I didn’treally care before, but I guess I have to care now,” said Lori McCreary, CEO of Revelations Entertainment and a past PGA president, during the hourlong “AI: What Every Producer Needs to Know” session moderated by Carolyn Giardina, senior entertainment technology and crafts editor for Variety and Variety VIP+.
Ghaith Mahmood, partner at Latham & Watkins specializing in AI-related legal issues, walked...
- 6/8/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton and Matt Donnelly
- Variety - Film News
Will My Wife’s Domestic Demands Damage My Image?
Dear Remy,
At first, it was just texts with the usual requests partners send each other—”pick up the dry cleaning”; “we’re out of diapers”; “I’m on my way home”; “could you lay out my slippers?’
Sure, my wife could have asked her Pa or the housekeeper. And yes, the tone was a little rude and demanding. But it felt like she was playing at us being a normal couple (rather than two award-winning film actors with a sizeable staff). And I thought I could detect a hint of domination in there too. I didn’t say anything because I found it sort of sweet and even a little sexy.
I should have said something to nip it in the bud — my wife had never before treated me like an underling. I hoped the whole thing was just a...
Dear Remy,
At first, it was just texts with the usual requests partners send each other—”pick up the dry cleaning”; “we’re out of diapers”; “I’m on my way home”; “could you lay out my slippers?’
Sure, my wife could have asked her Pa or the housekeeper. And yes, the tone was a little rude and demanding. But it felt like she was playing at us being a normal couple (rather than two award-winning film actors with a sizeable staff). And I thought I could detect a hint of domination in there too. I didn’t say anything because I found it sort of sweet and even a little sexy.
I should have said something to nip it in the bud — my wife had never before treated me like an underling. I hoped the whole thing was just a...
- 6/8/2024
- by Remy Blumenfeld
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While numerous leading women representing scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians (Stem) have graced the screen throughout cinematic history, those pale in comparison to their male counterparts. Netflix’s “3 Body Problem” challenged this gender disparity and came out on top, dominating the charts for weeks.
According to Luminate, “3 Body Problem” has more than 3 billion minutes watched since its March release and spent seven weeks in Netflix’s Global Top 10. While the show features successful women in Stem, it’s worth noting Liu Cixin’s book, “The Three-Body Problem,” did not originally include strong female scientists like Jin Cheng (Jess Hong...
According to Luminate, “3 Body Problem” has more than 3 billion minutes watched since its March release and spent seven weeks in Netflix’s Global Top 10. While the show features successful women in Stem, it’s worth noting Liu Cixin’s book, “The Three-Body Problem,” did not originally include strong female scientists like Jin Cheng (Jess Hong...
- 6/8/2024
- by Tiana DeNicola
- Variety - TV News
Celebrities — they’re just like us!
Alyson Hannigan stayed up to listen to Taylor Swift’s newest album, The Tortured Poets Department, when it was released on April 19. She even texted her kids not to bug her so she could play it through without any interruption.
After listening to the first album, she explained to Vulture that she went to sleep and woke up the next morning to find out that Swift had released a second one, The Anthology, which features “So High School.” The track is one of the few on The Tortured Poets Department seemingly about her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.
The song’s post-chorus references American Pie, one of Hannigan’s first major roles. The lyrics read, “I’m watching American Pie with you on a Saturday night / Your friends are around, so be quiet / I’m trying to stifle my sighs...
Alyson Hannigan stayed up to listen to Taylor Swift’s newest album, The Tortured Poets Department, when it was released on April 19. She even texted her kids not to bug her so she could play it through without any interruption.
After listening to the first album, she explained to Vulture that she went to sleep and woke up the next morning to find out that Swift had released a second one, The Anthology, which features “So High School.” The track is one of the few on The Tortured Poets Department seemingly about her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce.
The song’s post-chorus references American Pie, one of Hannigan’s first major roles. The lyrics read, “I’m watching American Pie with you on a Saturday night / Your friends are around, so be quiet / I’m trying to stifle my sighs...
- 6/8/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New York City’s Greenwich Hotel was abuzz Friday afternoon as women from all corners of Hollywood gathered to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the mentorship-focused Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program.
Guests at the luncheon — including Jenny Slate, Katie Holmes, Rachel Weisz, Selma Blair and The Gilded Age‘s Louisa Jacobson — were dressed to impress in head-to-toe Chanel, with signature tweed jackets on display in addition to quilted purses and other accessories. The French luxury fashion brand partnered with Tribeca Film nearly a decade ago to launch Through Her Lens, which supports the work of female and non-binary independent filmmakers. Acclaimed directors including A.V. Rockwell (A Thousand and One) have emerged from the mentorship program.
A.V. Rockwell, wearing Chanel, at the Chanel Tribeca Festival women’s luncheon to celebrate the Through Her Lens Program.
Kerry Washington, who serves on the advisory committee of Through Her Lens,...
Guests at the luncheon — including Jenny Slate, Katie Holmes, Rachel Weisz, Selma Blair and The Gilded Age‘s Louisa Jacobson — were dressed to impress in head-to-toe Chanel, with signature tweed jackets on display in addition to quilted purses and other accessories. The French luxury fashion brand partnered with Tribeca Film nearly a decade ago to launch Through Her Lens, which supports the work of female and non-binary independent filmmakers. Acclaimed directors including A.V. Rockwell (A Thousand and One) have emerged from the mentorship program.
A.V. Rockwell, wearing Chanel, at the Chanel Tribeca Festival women’s luncheon to celebrate the Through Her Lens Program.
Kerry Washington, who serves on the advisory committee of Through Her Lens,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Jaden Thompson
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Loot” and “Pose” star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez says while growing up, the Logo dramedy series “Noah’s Arc,” which followed the lives and relationships of four gay men in Los Angeles, was one of the first shows she saw that made her feel represented.
“There were so many people of color on that show,” Rodriguez told Variety. “They did highlight a lot of trans women. It wasn’t as prominent, but the girls were there. I saw a whole encompassing story around all of the Lgbtqia+ community in that show and it resonated with me, it still resonates with me today.
“There were so many people of color on that show,” Rodriguez told Variety. “They did highlight a lot of trans women. It wasn’t as prominent, but the girls were there. I saw a whole encompassing story around all of the Lgbtqia+ community in that show and it resonated with me, it still resonates with me today.
- 6/8/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - TV News
“Loot” and “Pose” star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez says while growing up, the Logo dramedy series “Noah’s Arc,” which followed the lives and relationships of four gay men in Los Angeles, was one of the first shows she saw that made her feel represented.
“There were so many people of color on that show,” Rodriguez told Variety. “They did highlight a lot of trans women. It wasn’t as prominent, but the girls were there. I saw a whole encompassing story around all of the Lgbtqia+ community in that show and it resonated with me, it still resonates with me today.”
Rodriguez was honored with the Vanguard Award Friday night at the Critics Choice Association’s inaugural Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television in Los Angeles. The celebration honored achievements from LGBTQ+ creators and talent within the entertainment industry, both in front of and behind the camera.
“I hope that I can...
“There were so many people of color on that show,” Rodriguez told Variety. “They did highlight a lot of trans women. It wasn’t as prominent, but the girls were there. I saw a whole encompassing story around all of the Lgbtqia+ community in that show and it resonated with me, it still resonates with me today.”
Rodriguez was honored with the Vanguard Award Friday night at the Critics Choice Association’s inaugural Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television in Los Angeles. The celebration honored achievements from LGBTQ+ creators and talent within the entertainment industry, both in front of and behind the camera.
“I hope that I can...
- 6/8/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
As a kid, I adored my grandfather. I knew he loved chocolate (the dark kind) and hated ketchup. I knew he enjoyed a good pun and could speak seven languages — around the dinner table it was French. I knew his Steinway was his happy place, and that he made many of the things in his home by hand (like the curtains that hung in his living room, woven on a loom he built in his basement).
What I didn’t know about my grandfather was that he grew up one of five siblings in a town in central Poland called Radom; or that he was raised in the Jewish faith; or that he, his parents and his siblings were Holocaust survivors. These were truths I learned at 15, a year after he died, thanks to a high school English assignment and an interview with my grandmother Caroline.
The discovery sparked a lot of questions.
What I didn’t know about my grandfather was that he grew up one of five siblings in a town in central Poland called Radom; or that he was raised in the Jewish faith; or that he, his parents and his siblings were Holocaust survivors. These were truths I learned at 15, a year after he died, thanks to a high school English assignment and an interview with my grandmother Caroline.
The discovery sparked a lot of questions.
- 6/8/2024
- by Georgia Hunter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Abbott Elementary’s Mr. Johnson typically makes you laugh. This time, he made folks cry.
In the season three finale of the Emmy-winning series, the janitor and Quinta Brunson’s Janine Teagues have a short but serious talk about pursuing life and living with regrets. “It’ll be all right, trust me,” he reassures her.
“I got a lot of compliments from not only Quinta but from the producers and the writers, and some of them even got a little teary and got a little emotional about it,” William Stanford Davis tells The Hollywood Reporter. “You got to see a different side of [Mr. Johnson]. He’s a three-dimensional character. Every time we shot it, [Quinta and I] were like, ‘Wow.’ I’m hoping it affected the audience in the same way.”
Quinta Brunson and Willian Stanford Davis in ‘Abbott Elementary’
The moment for Davis, 72, was emotional for another reason: He says Brunson, who created the ABC hit,...
In the season three finale of the Emmy-winning series, the janitor and Quinta Brunson’s Janine Teagues have a short but serious talk about pursuing life and living with regrets. “It’ll be all right, trust me,” he reassures her.
“I got a lot of compliments from not only Quinta but from the producers and the writers, and some of them even got a little teary and got a little emotional about it,” William Stanford Davis tells The Hollywood Reporter. “You got to see a different side of [Mr. Johnson]. He’s a three-dimensional character. Every time we shot it, [Quinta and I] were like, ‘Wow.’ I’m hoping it affected the audience in the same way.”
Quinta Brunson and Willian Stanford Davis in ‘Abbott Elementary’
The moment for Davis, 72, was emotional for another reason: He says Brunson, who created the ABC hit,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
From its very first moments, “Antidote” unspools like a propulsive thriller. An off-camera voice asks Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev, “Did you ever think you’d be investigating an assassination plot against yourself?” From that startling introduction, director James Jones’ galvanizing documentary moves at a fast speed to tell its high-stakes story about Vladimir Putin’s Russia, contemporary investigative journalism and the people who put their lives in jeopardy for what they believe in.
In addition to Grozev, the film follows two other activists. The first is an unnamed scientist who participated in Russia’s poison-making program. After finding out that the poison he developed was being used to terminate Putin’s enemies, he turned whistleblower. The film chronicles how Grozev, who published his testimonies, attempts to help him and his family flee Russia into the European Union. His facial features have been digitally altered by the filmmakers to maintain his anonymity.
In addition to Grozev, the film follows two other activists. The first is an unnamed scientist who participated in Russia’s poison-making program. After finding out that the poison he developed was being used to terminate Putin’s enemies, he turned whistleblower. The film chronicles how Grozev, who published his testimonies, attempts to help him and his family flee Russia into the European Union. His facial features have been digitally altered by the filmmakers to maintain his anonymity.
- 6/8/2024
- by Murtada Elfadl
- Variety - Film News
Woo Films, one of Mexico’s most successful indie companies behind such hit titles as Manolo Caro’s Netflix series “The House of Flowers” and lauded dramas “The Good Girls” (“Las Niñas Bien”) and “Los Adioses,” has teamed up with film collective Colectivo Colmena, to develop and produce three pics. Two of them are based on original ideas from Colmena and the third an adaptation of a Mexican novel.
Woo Films is taking “The Ballad of the Phoenix” (“La balada del fénix”), the first stop-motion animation feature by Cinema Fantasma (“Frankelda’s Book of Spooks”), to participate in the Guadalajara Film Festival’s co-production forum.
Woo Films is taking “The Ballad of the Phoenix” (“La balada del fénix”), the first stop-motion animation feature by Cinema Fantasma (“Frankelda’s Book of Spooks”), to participate in the Guadalajara Film Festival’s co-production forum.
- 6/8/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety - TV News
Woo Films, one of Mexico’s most successful indie companies behind such hit titles as Manolo Caro’s Netflix series “The House of Flowers” and lauded dramas “The Good Girls” (“Las Niñas Bien”) and “Los Adioses,” has teamed up with film collective Colectivo Colmena, to develop and produce three pics. Two of them are based on original ideas from Colmena and the third an adaptation of a Mexican novel.
Woo Films is taking “The Ballad of the Phoenix” (“La balada del fénix”), the first stop-motion animation feature by Cinema Fantasma (“Frankelda’s Book of Spooks”), to participate in the Guadalajara Film Festival’s co-production forum. This is one of three stop motion animation projects from Cinema Fantasma that Woo Films boarded last year.
“It is essential to support the growth of new voices in Mexican cinema to boost their visibility at a time when resources for independent film production and exhibition opportunities are scarce,...
Woo Films is taking “The Ballad of the Phoenix” (“La balada del fénix”), the first stop-motion animation feature by Cinema Fantasma (“Frankelda’s Book of Spooks”), to participate in the Guadalajara Film Festival’s co-production forum. This is one of three stop motion animation projects from Cinema Fantasma that Woo Films boarded last year.
“It is essential to support the growth of new voices in Mexican cinema to boost their visibility at a time when resources for independent film production and exhibition opportunities are scarce,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety - Film News
Tokyo Vice’s days on Max have come to a conclusion.
During a panel at the Produced By conference Saturday in Los Angeles, producers confirmed that the recently concluded second season will be the show’s last on the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed platform.
Originally pitched as a two-season show with the events of the series having ended with its April 4 finale, fittingly titled “Endgame,” star Ansel Elgort also only signed on for two seasons of the series.
“Over the last five years, Max has made sure we got to tell our story. They have supported us through thick and thin. Not only did they give us these two seasons, they said yes when we asked to end season one with a series of cliffhangers, and they said yes when we asked for two extra episodes so we could land the plane in the way [creator] J.T. [Rogers] had always envisioned,...
During a panel at the Produced By conference Saturday in Los Angeles, producers confirmed that the recently concluded second season will be the show’s last on the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed platform.
Originally pitched as a two-season show with the events of the series having ended with its April 4 finale, fittingly titled “Endgame,” star Ansel Elgort also only signed on for two seasons of the series.
“Over the last five years, Max has made sure we got to tell our story. They have supported us through thick and thin. Not only did they give us these two seasons, they said yes when we asked to end season one with a series of cliffhangers, and they said yes when we asked for two extra episodes so we could land the plane in the way [creator] J.T. [Rogers] had always envisioned,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Tokyo Vice” — the crime drama that has run on Max for two seasons — has come to an end, at least for now.
The cancelation was confirmed Saturday at the PGA’s Produced By conference in Los Angeles during a panel discussion about the Ansel Elgort series and the Emmy-winning Max comedy “Hacks.” Max original programming chief Sarah Aubrey, along with “Tokyo Vice” creator and executive producer J.T. Rogers and director and executive producer Alan Poul, detailed the development of the series that was an elaborate production, much of it on the streets of Tokyo.
Aubrey characterized the decision to end...
The cancelation was confirmed Saturday at the PGA’s Produced By conference in Los Angeles during a panel discussion about the Ansel Elgort series and the Emmy-winning Max comedy “Hacks.” Max original programming chief Sarah Aubrey, along with “Tokyo Vice” creator and executive producer J.T. Rogers and director and executive producer Alan Poul, detailed the development of the series that was an elaborate production, much of it on the streets of Tokyo.
Aubrey characterized the decision to end...
- 6/8/2024
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety - TV News
Parlez-vous Olympics? For the 2024 Summer Games, NBC Sports has lined up a host of celebrities to bring star power to the 17-day event.
During the opening ceremony on July 26, Kelly Clarkson, Peyton Manning, Today hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb and sports commentator Mike Tirico will be on the scene as thousands of athletes make their way down the River Seine on an unprecedented 4-mile-long flotilla made up of more than 90 boats.
Among the names who’ll provide coverage through the Games are NBA All-star Dwyane Wade (basketball), comedian Leslie Jones (who’s been named “chief super fan commentator”), long-time commentator Mary Carillo, NBC talent including Willie Geist and Steve Kornacki, and Snoop Dogg, who recently said, “I will be bringing that Snoop style to the mix.”
Alex Cooper, host and executive producer of the popular podcast Call Her Daddy, is also participating in the network’s coverage. She’ll host Watch With Alex Cooper,...
During the opening ceremony on July 26, Kelly Clarkson, Peyton Manning, Today hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb and sports commentator Mike Tirico will be on the scene as thousands of athletes make their way down the River Seine on an unprecedented 4-mile-long flotilla made up of more than 90 boats.
Among the names who’ll provide coverage through the Games are NBA All-star Dwyane Wade (basketball), comedian Leslie Jones (who’s been named “chief super fan commentator”), long-time commentator Mary Carillo, NBC talent including Willie Geist and Steve Kornacki, and Snoop Dogg, who recently said, “I will be bringing that Snoop style to the mix.”
Alex Cooper, host and executive producer of the popular podcast Call Her Daddy, is also participating in the network’s coverage. She’ll host Watch With Alex Cooper,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Nicole Fell and Degen Pener
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gold medals are one thing, but for many wealthy Americans heading to Paris for the Olympics, running July 26 to Aug. 11, there’s more to their must-dos than seeing Simone Biles, Sha’Carri Richardson and LeBron James compete — or spotting NBC Sports’ “chief superfan commentator” Leslie Jones taking in the action.
“The top request is an Hermès appointment,” says Jason Squatriglia of travel agency Embark Beyond. “It has to be a guaranteed leather goods [meeting], not just to get in the store and skip the line. They want to know they’ll be shown, perhaps, a mini Kelly or an exotic.” It’s a hint of the caliber of clients he’s sending to the Games. “These are not your traditional sports fans — these are your F1, Art Basel, Frieze clients, who want to do the best of the best and turn it into an exclusive shopping experience, like shutting Boucheron down on Place Vendôme.
“The top request is an Hermès appointment,” says Jason Squatriglia of travel agency Embark Beyond. “It has to be a guaranteed leather goods [meeting], not just to get in the store and skip the line. They want to know they’ll be shown, perhaps, a mini Kelly or an exotic.” It’s a hint of the caliber of clients he’s sending to the Games. “These are not your traditional sports fans — these are your F1, Art Basel, Frieze clients, who want to do the best of the best and turn it into an exclusive shopping experience, like shutting Boucheron down on Place Vendôme.
- 6/8/2024
- by Mark Ellwood
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kerry Washington no longer plays the fictional Olivia Pope on “Scandal,” but she still suits up like a gladiator when it comes to expressing her opinions about Washington, D.C. and Hollywood.
The actress, producer, and director told Variety on the red carpet at the annual Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program luncheon that she is “sometimes reluctant” to tell people who they should support in politics, but she does believe in ‘”voting up and down the ballot for candidates that really support humanity and inclusivity.”
“I am voting for Biden, but part of the reason why I am is because it’s so important for us to hold our elected officials accountable,” she revealed during the event. “And I’m voting for the person who I think I can do that with – the person who I can engage with, have conversations with; the person who...
The actress, producer, and director told Variety on the red carpet at the annual Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program luncheon that she is “sometimes reluctant” to tell people who they should support in politics, but she does believe in ‘”voting up and down the ballot for candidates that really support humanity and inclusivity.”
“I am voting for Biden, but part of the reason why I am is because it’s so important for us to hold our elected officials accountable,” she revealed during the event. “And I’m voting for the person who I think I can do that with – the person who I can engage with, have conversations with; the person who...
- 6/8/2024
- by Elizabeth Taylor
- Variety - Film News
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ career has been defined by Hall of Fame sitcom roles in “Seinfeld” and “Veep” (not to mention her Emmy-winning turn in “The New Adventures of Old Christine”). But in her years since dominating the small screen, she’s gravitated toward a diverse array of film projects.
She played an oblivious Brentwood mom in Kenya Barris’ race relations comedy “You People,” a writer betrayed by her husband in Nicole Holofcener’s Sundance dramedy “You Hurt My Feelings” and the conniving CIA director in a handful of Marvel projects, including the upcoming “Thunderbolts.”
But perhaps her boldest project to date is A24’s “Tuesday,” the debut film from writer-director Daina O. Pusić in which Louis-Dreyfus stars as a mother forced to confront the fact that her terminally ill teenage daughter is dying. Death is a character, too, in the form of a talking parrot who delivers fate and, in one scene,...
She played an oblivious Brentwood mom in Kenya Barris’ race relations comedy “You People,” a writer betrayed by her husband in Nicole Holofcener’s Sundance dramedy “You Hurt My Feelings” and the conniving CIA director in a handful of Marvel projects, including the upcoming “Thunderbolts.”
But perhaps her boldest project to date is A24’s “Tuesday,” the debut film from writer-director Daina O. Pusić in which Louis-Dreyfus stars as a mother forced to confront the fact that her terminally ill teenage daughter is dying. Death is a character, too, in the form of a talking parrot who delivers fate and, in one scene,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety - Film News
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ career has been defined by Hall of Fame sitcom roles in “Seinfeld” and “Veep” (not to mention her Emmy-winning turn in “The New Adventures of Old Christine”). But in her years since dominating the small screen, she’s gravitated toward a diverse array of film projects.
She played an oblivious Brentwood mom in Kenya Barris’ race relations comedy “You People,” a writer betrayed by her husband in Nicole Holofcener’s Sundance dramedy “You Hurt My Feelings” and the conniving CIA director in a handful of Marvel projects, including the upcoming “Thunderbolts.”
But perhaps her boldest project to date is A24’s “Tuesday,...
She played an oblivious Brentwood mom in Kenya Barris’ race relations comedy “You People,” a writer betrayed by her husband in Nicole Holofcener’s Sundance dramedy “You Hurt My Feelings” and the conniving CIA director in a handful of Marvel projects, including the upcoming “Thunderbolts.”
But perhaps her boldest project to date is A24’s “Tuesday,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety - TV News
Betty Anne Rees, who portrayed tough women who weren’t very nice in The Unholy Rollers and Sugar Hill, two 1970s offerings from the B-movie factory American International Pictures, has died. She was 81.
Rees died Monday at her home in Hemet, California, after a series of falls and a possible stroke, her niece, Kathleen Loucks, told The Hollywood Reporter. She also was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 1990s.
The Ohio native played Janet Ingram, the secretary for Fred MacMurray’s Steve Douglas, on the last of My Three Sons’ 12 seasons in 1971-72. (Abby Dalton was Janet on an episode three years earlier.)
In The Unholy Rollers (1972), directed by Vernon Zimmerman, Rees portrayed Mickey Martinez, a star of the Los Angeles Avengers roller derby team who does not get along with popular new player Karen Walker (1970 Playboy Playmate of the Year Claudia Jennings).
The film, executive produced by Roger Corman...
Rees died Monday at her home in Hemet, California, after a series of falls and a possible stroke, her niece, Kathleen Loucks, told The Hollywood Reporter. She also was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the early 1990s.
The Ohio native played Janet Ingram, the secretary for Fred MacMurray’s Steve Douglas, on the last of My Three Sons’ 12 seasons in 1971-72. (Abby Dalton was Janet on an episode three years earlier.)
In The Unholy Rollers (1972), directed by Vernon Zimmerman, Rees portrayed Mickey Martinez, a star of the Los Angeles Avengers roller derby team who does not get along with popular new player Karen Walker (1970 Playboy Playmate of the Year Claudia Jennings).
The film, executive produced by Roger Corman...
- 6/8/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tyler James Williams is shifting through poses in front of a photographer when Anthony Mackie appears on set, voice booming, to poke some fun. He asks Williams to coach him on pursing his lips like he’s Trey Songz. During their conversation, Williams outlines his path from “Everybody Hates Chris,” where he played the 13-year-old title character, to starring as first-grade teacher Gregory Eddie on ABC’s hit sitcom “Abbott Elementary.” In exchange, Mackie explains how he played an amnesiac named John Doe in Peacock’s video game adaptation “Twisted Metal,” and what it was like to take his Marvel character,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety - TV News
If early weekend estimates are correct, Sony’s buddy action comedy Bad Boys: Ride or Die could help jolt the battered summer office back to life with a domestic box opening of $53 million. Moreover, it could help put Smith on the road to a career comeback after the infamous Oscars slap, which was seemingly addressed in the film.
Bad Boys 4, reuniting Smith with Martin Lawrence in the fourth outing of Sony’s long-running franchise, earned generally positive reviews and, perhaps more importantly, an A- CinemaScore. Black moviegoers made up the largest quadrant of the audience with 44 percent.
Friday’s haul of $21.6 million included $5.9 million in Thursday night previews. Ride or Die is arguably the first film of the summer to come in ahead of tracking, which had it opening to $48 million to $50 million. It’s also the second biggest behind Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Ride or Die...
Bad Boys 4, reuniting Smith with Martin Lawrence in the fourth outing of Sony’s long-running franchise, earned generally positive reviews and, perhaps more importantly, an A- CinemaScore. Black moviegoers made up the largest quadrant of the audience with 44 percent.
Friday’s haul of $21.6 million included $5.9 million in Thursday night previews. Ride or Die is arguably the first film of the summer to come in ahead of tracking, which had it opening to $48 million to $50 million. It’s also the second biggest behind Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Ride or Die...
- 6/8/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Michael Angarano was trying to get “Sacramento,” his indie buddy comedy about two friends who go on a road trip to a certain state capital off the ground, the question he’d get was always the same. Does it really need to be set in Sacramento?
“At one point we were ready to shoot the movie in Atlanta — we had the financing and everything,” remembers Angarano, who directed the film, as well as co-wrote it. “And this was for a movie called ‘Sacramento.’ But it’s like why try to cheat it? Maybe, we should we just call it ‘Athens’ or ‘Savannah’?”
And even though Angarano and his co-writer Chris Smith weren’t that familiar with the city that inspired their film, its appearance on a highway sign, informing them of the California city’s distance from Los Angeles, was foundational. For them, Sacramento wasn’t just a destination,...
“At one point we were ready to shoot the movie in Atlanta — we had the financing and everything,” remembers Angarano, who directed the film, as well as co-wrote it. “And this was for a movie called ‘Sacramento.’ But it’s like why try to cheat it? Maybe, we should we just call it ‘Athens’ or ‘Savannah’?”
And even though Angarano and his co-writer Chris Smith weren’t that familiar with the city that inspired their film, its appearance on a highway sign, informing them of the California city’s distance from Los Angeles, was foundational. For them, Sacramento wasn’t just a destination,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois had been a formative album for director and choreographer Justin Peck, and so when it came to reinterpreting it for the stage, Peck felt a responsibility to do right by the other longtime fans.
After initially toying around with the format of the piece, Peck, who is resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet, turned to a dance-based show, without any dialogue. Instead, the narrative plays out through movement and songs from the album, performed by three vocalists and a band. The idea was to give fans something new to explore, via a new storyline, while tapping into their own experience with the album.
“It’s expressed in this way that almost feels like you’re watching a silent film, and it allows the viewer their own personal experience and even a little bit of room for them to meet it halfway with their own point...
After initially toying around with the format of the piece, Peck, who is resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet, turned to a dance-based show, without any dialogue. Instead, the narrative plays out through movement and songs from the album, performed by three vocalists and a band. The idea was to give fans something new to explore, via a new storyline, while tapping into their own experience with the album.
“It’s expressed in this way that almost feels like you’re watching a silent film, and it allows the viewer their own personal experience and even a little bit of room for them to meet it halfway with their own point...
- 6/8/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pat Sajak bid farewell to “Wheel of Fortune” on Friday night, but before he left, he had a parting gift for his final contestants on the show: $5,000 extra.
Before the first round of the night properly began, Sajak noted that, as everyone already knew, it was his final show. He added that he had some words he wanted to say before he left, meaning the game would cut one round of play to ensure there was enough time.
However, Sajak noted that “kind of robs you people,” so, to make up for it, he decided to spin the wheel himself and vowed to add an extra $1,000 to whatever he landed on for each contestant. He then proceeded to land on the $1,000 tile, meaning all three would get $2,000.
“You know what? It’s not my money,” Sajak teased. “Let’s give ’em all $5,000 right now. Little Jimmy’s surgery can wait!
Before the first round of the night properly began, Sajak noted that, as everyone already knew, it was his final show. He added that he had some words he wanted to say before he left, meaning the game would cut one round of play to ensure there was enough time.
However, Sajak noted that “kind of robs you people,” so, to make up for it, he decided to spin the wheel himself and vowed to add an extra $1,000 to whatever he landed on for each contestant. He then proceeded to land on the $1,000 tile, meaning all three would get $2,000.
“You know what? It’s not my money,” Sajak teased. “Let’s give ’em all $5,000 right now. Little Jimmy’s surgery can wait!
- 6/8/2024
- by Andi Ortiz
- The Wrap
Pat Sajak signed off of “Wheel of Fortune” on Friday evening after more than 40 years as host, telling viewers with a slight catch in his voice that he was grateful for the “incredible privilege to be invited into millions of homes night after night.”
The half-hour episode, recorded on April 5, was largely a regular telecast of the syndicated show with a few extra touches including Sajak’s four-minute farewell, or what he described as “a few parting thoughts.” But it opened with a clip of Sajak’s first appearance as host back in 1981, when the show aired on NBC’s...
The half-hour episode, recorded on April 5, was largely a regular telecast of the syndicated show with a few extra touches including Sajak’s four-minute farewell, or what he described as “a few parting thoughts.” But it opened with a clip of Sajak’s first appearance as host back in 1981, when the show aired on NBC’s...
- 6/8/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety - TV News
An effectively conventional documentary that would probably work better as a 90-minute pilot for an ongoing docuseries than as a standalone film, Jess Jacklin’s Quad Gods does one unconventional thing extremely well.
Premiering on HBO after a Tribeca premiere, Quad Gods blends two genres that each tend to favor a single narrative path. Sports films progress toward unity and triumph — the solitary athlete realizes he needs coaching/love/whatever, the mismatched teammates come together, etc. Disability stories progress toward an accepted version of recovery — primarily an ableist version of “normal.”
Quad Gods is a disability story and a sports story, but it pushes back, and pushes back hard, against the traditional arcs of its respective genres. It’s a sports film without a championship game and a film about disabilities that rejects a one-size-fits-all restorative journey. It’s an anti-arc that occasionally makes Quad Gods a little unsatisfying in...
Premiering on HBO after a Tribeca premiere, Quad Gods blends two genres that each tend to favor a single narrative path. Sports films progress toward unity and triumph — the solitary athlete realizes he needs coaching/love/whatever, the mismatched teammates come together, etc. Disability stories progress toward an accepted version of recovery — primarily an ableist version of “normal.”
Quad Gods is a disability story and a sports story, but it pushes back, and pushes back hard, against the traditional arcs of its respective genres. It’s a sports film without a championship game and a film about disabilities that rejects a one-size-fits-all restorative journey. It’s an anti-arc that occasionally makes Quad Gods a little unsatisfying in...
- 6/8/2024
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge” makes the case for artistic simplicity, for better or worse. The story of an iconic 20th-century fashionista, it takes the form of a traditional talking-head documentary while exploring its eponymous subject: the Belgian designer and princess best known for bringing the wrap dress to prominence in the early 1970s. However, the distinction between von Furstenberg’s sleek, form-fitting design and the movie’s run-of-the-mill aesthetic is that while both approaches are in wider conversation with their respective art forms, von Fustenberg’s (re)invention went against society’s grain in its reclamation of femininity, while the visual approach from directors Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton remains shackled to age-old ideas of what a documentary ought to be.
The film is often informative, but makes for a passively entertaining watch despite the sheer of breadth of life von Furstenberg has lived. She speaks, softly but with conviction,...
The film is often informative, but makes for a passively entertaining watch despite the sheer of breadth of life von Furstenberg has lived. She speaks, softly but with conviction,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety - Film News
Indian cinema acting legend Amitabh Bachchan has shot a cameo in upcoming sequel “Fakt Purusho Maate.”
The Gujarati-language film is a sequel to 2022 hit “Fakt Mahilao Maate,” where he had a leading role. In that film, a young man finds himself able to read the thoughts of all women and he decides to use this power to help others with their relationship problems.
The sequel is a family drama that focuses on gender equality and conflicts between two generations. Bachchan, who is revered in the Indian film industry, will play God in the film. This is not the first time Bachchan has played God – he previously played the role in “God Tussi Great Ho” (2008).
“Fakt Purusho Maate” is produced by Anand Pandit and Vaishal Shah and is written and directed by Jay Bodas and Parth Trivedi. The cast also includes Yash Soni, Mitra Gadhvi, Esha Kansara and Darshan Jariwala.
Pandit...
The Gujarati-language film is a sequel to 2022 hit “Fakt Mahilao Maate,” where he had a leading role. In that film, a young man finds himself able to read the thoughts of all women and he decides to use this power to help others with their relationship problems.
The sequel is a family drama that focuses on gender equality and conflicts between two generations. Bachchan, who is revered in the Indian film industry, will play God in the film. This is not the first time Bachchan has played God – he previously played the role in “God Tussi Great Ho” (2008).
“Fakt Purusho Maate” is produced by Anand Pandit and Vaishal Shah and is written and directed by Jay Bodas and Parth Trivedi. The cast also includes Yash Soni, Mitra Gadhvi, Esha Kansara and Darshan Jariwala.
Pandit...
- 6/8/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Several members of The Daily Show – Jon Stewart, Ronny Chieng, Jordan Klepper, Michael Kosta and Desi Lydic – gathered at The Paramount Theater for the Comedy Central show’s Emmy FYC event Friday night.
Throughout a nearly hour-long conversation, Stewart spent time poking fun at Donald Trump and explaining his decision to return to the show. Most notably, when asked if he’d consider staying past his expected November departure, the late night host didn’t seem to rule the idea out.
Much of the night’s conversation centered around Stewart’s surprising once-a-week to return to the show after exiting as host in 2015. Stewart began the conversation by joking that he was “arrested for 32… 34” felonies and that his return to the show was “part of the community service to avoid jail time.”
Stewart spoke briefly about him prematurely exiting his Apple TV+ show, The Problem, following creative differences between the...
Throughout a nearly hour-long conversation, Stewart spent time poking fun at Donald Trump and explaining his decision to return to the show. Most notably, when asked if he’d consider staying past his expected November departure, the late night host didn’t seem to rule the idea out.
Much of the night’s conversation centered around Stewart’s surprising once-a-week to return to the show after exiting as host in 2015. Stewart began the conversation by joking that he was “arrested for 32… 34” felonies and that his return to the show was “part of the community service to avoid jail time.”
Stewart spoke briefly about him prematurely exiting his Apple TV+ show, The Problem, following creative differences between the...
- 6/8/2024
- by Nicole Fell
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After his emotional farewell to audiences at the end of Friday’s “Wheel of Fortune,” Pat Sajak closed his final time hosting the show by paying tribute to the shows contestants, his family, and the staff and crew.
But he saved the biggest tribute for his costar of 40 years, Vanna White, who Sajak called his “professional other half,” and “a very special woman.”
“Every time we taped a show, I met three new people from all parts of this wonderful country, and the world, who were kind and considerate, who rooted for each other, who took great pride in talking about their family, their hometown, their friends, their schools, their jobs, even their pets,” Sajak said. “In the end, they were the real stars of the show. I genuinely like these people, and I’ll miss the chance to meet more of them.
Sajak then turned attention to staff and crew,...
But he saved the biggest tribute for his costar of 40 years, Vanna White, who Sajak called his “professional other half,” and “a very special woman.”
“Every time we taped a show, I met three new people from all parts of this wonderful country, and the world, who were kind and considerate, who rooted for each other, who took great pride in talking about their family, their hometown, their friends, their schools, their jobs, even their pets,” Sajak said. “In the end, they were the real stars of the show. I genuinely like these people, and I’ll miss the chance to meet more of them.
Sajak then turned attention to staff and crew,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Ross A. Lincoln, Andi Ortiz
- The Wrap
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be absolutely terrible for the world, but he’s a perverse boon to the documentary genre. In addition to the numerous films showcasing the horrors of the war in Ukraine, there’s a burgeoning sub-genre of non-fiction films about the brave individuals risking their lives to fight his regime. The latest is the new documentary by James Jones (Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes), which serves as an unofficial companion piece to the Oscar-winning Navalny. Receiving its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, the ironically titled Antidote provides yet another disturbing reminder of the evils of the current Russian regime.
One of the things necessitating an antidote is, of course, poison, which figures prominently in the film. One of its subjects is an unnamed Russian scientist, whose features are distorted via a technique called “digital veiling” (talk about a growth industry). His specialty was the development of new poisons,...
One of the things necessitating an antidote is, of course, poison, which figures prominently in the film. One of its subjects is an unnamed Russian scientist, whose features are distorted via a technique called “digital veiling” (talk about a growth industry). His specialty was the development of new poisons,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Eric” and “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult” were the two most-watched original series in the U.S. during the week of May 31-June 6.
“Eric,” Netflix’s Benedict Cumberbatch-led limited series, had the highest number of minutes watched in its first full week of availability, clocking in at 1.1 billion, while the TikTok docuseries followed at 714.6 million minutes watched. While both demonstrated strong viewership, “Eric” took first place thanks to the benefit of its five-plus-hour runtime; in views, “Dancing for the Devil” hit an estimated 4.4 million people, while “Eric” came in second with 3.3 million.
In terms of minutes watched and views,...
“Eric,” Netflix’s Benedict Cumberbatch-led limited series, had the highest number of minutes watched in its first full week of availability, clocking in at 1.1 billion, while the TikTok docuseries followed at 714.6 million minutes watched. While both demonstrated strong viewership, “Eric” took first place thanks to the benefit of its five-plus-hour runtime; in views, “Dancing for the Devil” hit an estimated 4.4 million people, while “Eric” came in second with 3.3 million.
In terms of minutes watched and views,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety - TV News
What are we to make of the fact that Andrew McCarthy’s first effort as a documentary filmmaker is a bitter excoriation of the Brat Pack tag that defined him — and is also ostentatiously named after it?
It would be just ducky to be able to report that “Brats” is the inside deep-dive we might wish it to be. But really, it’s a lightly-indulgent passion project that leaves us wanting so much more.
McCarthy begins by noting frankly that “we were who you wanted to hang with, who you envied, who you wanted to party with.” The “we,” of course, also refers to Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, as well as Pack-adjacent stars like James Spader, Lea Thompson and Jon Cryer. The cool kids of ’80s movies like “The Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink” and “St. Elmo’s Fire,” they were...
It would be just ducky to be able to report that “Brats” is the inside deep-dive we might wish it to be. But really, it’s a lightly-indulgent passion project that leaves us wanting so much more.
McCarthy begins by noting frankly that “we were who you wanted to hang with, who you envied, who you wanted to party with.” The “we,” of course, also refers to Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, as well as Pack-adjacent stars like James Spader, Lea Thompson and Jon Cryer. The cool kids of ’80s movies like “The Breakfast Club,” “Pretty in Pink” and “St. Elmo’s Fire,” they were...
- 6/8/2024
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
The Oscar-nominated short film Red, White and Blue, which tackles abortion issues in the U.S., will be getting an impact campaign thanks to Level Forward.
The film, directed by Nazrin Choudhury, follows a young mother living paycheck to paycheck who is forced to travel across state lines in search of an abortion.
The campaign will benefit gender justice organizations and abortion access funds, with partners that include Supermajority Ed Fund, Ignite, Vote Mama, Pregnancy Justice, She the People, One Fair Wage, and New York Abortion Access Fund.
The first stakeholder viewing will be held in New York City, at the Metrograph Theater on June 14 followed by a conversation with Choudhury and special guests including Taylor Salditch, executive director of Supermajority Ed Fund, and Chelsea Williams-Diggs, executive director of New York Abortion Access Fund. Host committee members include Abigail E. Disney, Jane Fonda and Mark Ruffalo, among others.
Said Choudhury,...
The film, directed by Nazrin Choudhury, follows a young mother living paycheck to paycheck who is forced to travel across state lines in search of an abortion.
The campaign will benefit gender justice organizations and abortion access funds, with partners that include Supermajority Ed Fund, Ignite, Vote Mama, Pregnancy Justice, She the People, One Fair Wage, and New York Abortion Access Fund.
The first stakeholder viewing will be held in New York City, at the Metrograph Theater on June 14 followed by a conversation with Choudhury and special guests including Taylor Salditch, executive director of Supermajority Ed Fund, and Chelsea Williams-Diggs, executive director of New York Abortion Access Fund. Host committee members include Abigail E. Disney, Jane Fonda and Mark Ruffalo, among others.
Said Choudhury,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Idris Elba said this week that inhabiting “completely socially unacceptable” characters feels like therapy, but that great villains are perhaps more indebted to their writer than the actor who brought them to life.
“These people get to say things that we only think in the deepest, darkest recesses of our brains,” Elba told the Wall Street Journal of “bad guy” roles. “They say horrible things and scream horrible things and get to be completely socially unacceptable. As an actor, that’s sometimes a gift, sometimes a bit of therapy.”
Elba has played several notoriously terrible characters over the years, including the villains in Beasts of No Nation (2015), Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and The Harder They Fall (2021).
Of course, part of the effectiveness of a characters’ most villainous qualities, Elba said, is that they “tend to be well-written.”
“When you see a really interesting bad guy, you’re going to think about the actor,...
“These people get to say things that we only think in the deepest, darkest recesses of our brains,” Elba told the Wall Street Journal of “bad guy” roles. “They say horrible things and scream horrible things and get to be completely socially unacceptable. As an actor, that’s sometimes a gift, sometimes a bit of therapy.”
Elba has played several notoriously terrible characters over the years, including the villains in Beasts of No Nation (2015), Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and The Harder They Fall (2021).
Of course, part of the effectiveness of a characters’ most villainous qualities, Elba said, is that they “tend to be well-written.”
“When you see a really interesting bad guy, you’re going to think about the actor,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Zoe G. Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Julien’s Auctions, the Beverly Hills-based company that specializes in movie memorabilia, drew sharp criticism on Friday for listing a fragment for sale from the plane crash that killed actress Carole Lombard in 1942.
The item is offered as part of the “Danger, Disaster and Disco” lot, which runs from June 12-14 and is cosponsored by Turner Classic Movies. The starting bid is $250, with the piece of wreckage valued at between $1,000 and $2,000.
Film historian Olympia Kiriakou tweeted, “It’s quite despicable that @JuliensAuctions is selling a piece of mangled plane debris from the crash that killed Carole Lombard.”
Her tweet was shared by X user Frank Wells, who wrote, “I’m trying to figure what kind of ghoul would want this in their home, certainly not an actual Carole Lombard fan. And do what with it? Display? Trot it out at parties? ‘Hey, check this out….'”
One X user called the auction “horrible and macabre,...
The item is offered as part of the “Danger, Disaster and Disco” lot, which runs from June 12-14 and is cosponsored by Turner Classic Movies. The starting bid is $250, with the piece of wreckage valued at between $1,000 and $2,000.
Film historian Olympia Kiriakou tweeted, “It’s quite despicable that @JuliensAuctions is selling a piece of mangled plane debris from the crash that killed Carole Lombard.”
Her tweet was shared by X user Frank Wells, who wrote, “I’m trying to figure what kind of ghoul would want this in their home, certainly not an actual Carole Lombard fan. And do what with it? Display? Trot it out at parties? ‘Hey, check this out….'”
One X user called the auction “horrible and macabre,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Julia Butters, known for her work in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and The Fabelmans, is in talks to join the Freaky Friday sequel at Disney, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The studio first confirmed plans for the long-hoped-for film last year, and in March announced Nisha Ganatra of Welcome to Chippendales had been tapped to direct.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, who starred in the original, were also in talks to return, though the studio has not officially confirmed any of its cast, including Curtis and Lohan. Disney had no comment on Butters’ casting.
Andrew Gunn, who produced the 2003 movie, will produce alongside former Disney exec Kristin Burr.
Curtis and Lohan have spoken openly of their aspirations for a Freaky Friday sequel for years. “We would only make something that people would absolutely adore,” Lohan told the New York Times in 2023.
The pair celebrated the news of...
The studio first confirmed plans for the long-hoped-for film last year, and in March announced Nisha Ganatra of Welcome to Chippendales had been tapped to direct.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, who starred in the original, were also in talks to return, though the studio has not officially confirmed any of its cast, including Curtis and Lohan. Disney had no comment on Butters’ casting.
Andrew Gunn, who produced the 2003 movie, will produce alongside former Disney exec Kristin Burr.
Curtis and Lohan have spoken openly of their aspirations for a Freaky Friday sequel for years. “We would only make something that people would absolutely adore,” Lohan told the New York Times in 2023.
The pair celebrated the news of...
- 6/8/2024
- by Zoe G. Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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