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Everybody Loves Raymond is forever. You could turn it on today, watch Ray complain, and it still hits. Timeless. The show dropped on September 13, 1996, and instantly became a classic. For nine years, it had us laughing and crying. With its penetrating humor and relatable chaos, it snagged 15 Emmys before ending in 2005.

The Barone family? Messy, dysfunctional, and always up in each other’s business. That’s why we loved them. Ray dodging his parents, Debra fighting for space, Robert being, well, Robert. It gave us classic moments we’re still quoting.

Patricia Heaton and Ray Romano in Everybody Loves Raymond (Credits: CBS)

But now it’s been 20 years since we said goodbye to Ray and his gang. Curious what the cast is up to? From career highs to personal milestones, we’ve got all the updates on the Everybody Loves Raymond family in 2025.

1. Ray Romano as Raymond Barone Ray Romano...

Laurie Metcalf and Eric McCormack have been tapped as guest stars in Season 2 of CBS’ “Elsbeth,” the mystery spinoff of “The Good Wife” and “The Good Fight” starring Carrie Preston as the de facto detective Elsbeth Tascioni.

Metcalf will appear in the eighth episode of the season as Regina Coburn, “the star of a police procedural who yearns for artistic fulfillment after playing a no-nonsense, hardened detective for two decades,” per CBS.

After the showrunner of Regina’s long-running series is “brutally murdered in his office in what appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan,” Regina goes toe-to-toe with Elsbeth as she becomes a prime suspect.

In the ninth episode of Season 2, McCormack will play Tom Murphy, “the charismatic and charming founder of Heiwa Zen Center, an upscale holistic wellness retreat that caters to the one-percent.”

Tom “takes matters into his own hands” after his wellness empire is...

Netflix has revealed a new look at their ongoing live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024) at Netflix Geeked Week. Based on the animated series of the same name, Avatar: The Last Airbender is set amid four nations; water, air, earth, and fire, and follows a young boy known as the Avatar who must master the four elemental powers to save a world at war, and fight a ruthless enemy bent on stopping him. Today, they announced the official start of production on Season 2 with a new video. The brief footage reveals our first look at the beloved character Toph Beifong, the young earthbending master who becomes a key part of Aangs group. As well as this first look, it has also now been revealed that You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah and Beef star Miya Cech has been cast in the role. You can check out the clop below.

Exclusive: Laurie Metcalf has signed with CAA.

Metcalf, who stars on ABC’s The Conners, is a four-time Emmy winner and two-time Tony winner. The signing comes at a time of impending change for the actor, with The Connors recently renewed for what will be its seventh and final season. Although a premiere date hasn’t been announced, the very popular comedy is expected back sometime mid-season, probably early 2025.

Three of her four primetime Emmys were for her role in Roseanne, with her most recent win coming in 2022 for her guest appearance on Hacks. She’s been Emmy-nominated an additional eight times.

She was Oscar-nominated for 2017’s Lady Bird written and directed by Greta Gerwig, a performance that also garnered nominations from the Golden Globes, British Film Academy, Screen Actors Guild and Independent Spirt Award.

A founding member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Metcalf’s extensive and acclaimed stage...

Tony Lo Bianco, who played the key role of Sal Boca in Best Picture Oscar winner The French Connection and appeared in more than 100 films and TV shows during a 60-year screen career, died Tuesday of prostate cancer at his home in Maryland. He was 87.

A rep confirmed his death to Fox News today.

Lo Bianco got his start guesting on 1960s TV series including The Doctors, Get Smart! and N.Y.P.D. before landing a big-screen star turn in 1970’s The Honeymoon Killers. That led to his signature role as Salvatore “Sal” Buco in William Friedkin’s seminal New York crime drama The French Connection the following year. His character is at the center of a drug deal followed by NYPD Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle (Gene Hackman). The film won five Oscars including Best Picture and Lead Actor for Hackman.

Roy Scheider, left, and Tony Lo Bianco in ‘The French Connection,...

Bob Yari’s startup mini-major Magenta Light Studios has found its first in-house film production in “Summerhouse,” a period drama set against the anxiety of the Vietnam War.

“Bombshell” and “Halloween” star Malcolm McDowell will lead the project with Jacob Ward, an up-and-comer who made his debut in Ray Romano’s 2022 film “Somewhere in Queens.” Ed Kaplan (“2 Graves in the Desert”) will write the script and direct, with Shelly Jonson as director of photography.

Production will begin in Connecticut this month. Moonstone Entertainment will represent the international sales, previewing for buyers out of Cannes’ Marche du Film.

“Summerhouse” follows college grad Ned Stern (Ward) awaiting his draft into the Vietnam War. Ned spends his last summer of freedom caring for a belligerent wealthy alcoholic man (McDowell) at his lakeside mansion, only to find himself falling in love with a free-spirited and wild girl while questioning his commitment to his country.

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:

Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys

2024 Oscars Predictions:

Best Actress in a Leading Role Emma Stone in “Poor Things”

Weekly Commentary: In best actress, the competition is as fierce as it gets. Emma Stone’s transformation into a woman with a child’s brain surgically implanted in Yorgos Lanthimos’ sci-fi comedy “Poor Things” has garnered substantial support.

Ming-Na Wen joins the cast of the 2024 Karate Kid movie in an undisclosed role. Sadie Stanley has also been cast as the romantic lead opposite new karate kid Ben Wang. Ming-Na Wen is known for a variety of roles, including voicing Mulan.

The 2024 Karate Kid movie has added Disney legend Ming-Na Wen to the cast. The upcoming movie is the sixth feature-length installment in the franchise and the eighth installment overall including the short-lived 1989 show The Karate Kid and the popular six-season streaming legacy sequel show Cobra Kai. The new movie will unite characters from the original franchise and the 2010 remake, particularly the original karate kid Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) and the remake's martial arts master Mr. Han (Jackie Chan).

Per Variety, Ming-Na Wen has joined the cast of the upcoming Karate Kid movie in an as-yet-unknown role. The Hollywood Reporter has also revealed that Sadie Stanley has been...

Sadie Stanley, one of the stars of Freeform teen drama Cruel Summer, has joined the growing cast of Karate Kid, Sony Pictures’ latest installment of its martial arts coming-of-age franchise.

The actress will play the romantic lead opposite Ben Wang, the American Born Chinese actor who is toplining the feature and who nabbed the part after a global search.

The cast also includes Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, who are reprising their iconic characters to continue the cinematic mythology of the previous movies. New to the cast is Joshua Jackson.

Plot details are being kept under the doji, but it is known that the new installment will bring the story to the East Coast and focus on a teen from China (Wang) who, as per Karate Kid lore, finds strength and direction via martial arts and a tough but wise mentor (or two).

Character details are not being revealed, but...

Netflix renews Avatar: The Last Airbender for two more seasons, bringing Aang's story to a close. Avatar: The Last Airbender transforms the beloved Nikelodeon animated series into live action. Season 1 of Avatar: The Last Airbender is now streaming on Netflix.

Netflix is doubling down on their live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, renewing the show for two more seasons. “The Avatar will return!! Seasons 2 & 3 of Avatar: The Last Airbender are coming!” Netflix announced via X/Twitter, with seasons 2 and 3 due to bring the show to an end, concluding Aang’s story.

The Avatar will return!! Seasons 2 & 3 of Avatar: The Last Airbender are coming! pic.twitter.com/NDxSDP7kZE — Netflix (@netflix) March 6, 2024

Based on the animated series of the same name, Avatar: The Last Airbender is set amid four nations; water, air, earth, and fire, and follows a young boy known as the Avatar who must master the four...

Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender has massive shoes to fill with its live-action adaptation of the beloved animated series, and the same is true for the actors tasked with bringing the show’s characters to life. Granted, the bar is likely close to the floor for live-action adaptations after M. Night Shyamalan’s infamous attempt in 2010, but nonetheless, fans expect a lot from whoever tries to adapt this story.

From familiar faces like Danny Pudi and Daniel Dae Kim to relative newcomers, here’s the cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender and where you’ve seen these actors before.

Gordon Cormier as Aang

Despite being only 12 years old, Aang serves as the Avatar – an international peace-keeper tasked with keeping harmony among the four nations and the only person with the ability to bend all four elements. Aang is a reluctant hero that struggles to balance the heavy burden of...

One of the greatest crime movies of all time, "The French Connection" is William Friedkin's gritty drama based on a true story. Gene Hackman stars as Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, a no-nonsense, rule-breaking cop who gets caught up investigating a case in which the Italian mob is bringing drugs into America with the help of a French heroin-smuggling syndicate. But this isn't an open-and-shut case. The lawmen are seemingly foiled at every turn, and things end on a shocking, bleak note. It's an amazing movie with one of the best chase sequences ever captured on film. "The French Connection" was released nearly 53 years ago, which means many of its cast members have left us, along with director Friedkin, who died last year. But a few are still around. So here are the only major actors still alive from "The French Connection."

Read more: The 20 Best Detective Movies Ranked

Gene...

Hi, Barbie! Great news: Greta Gerwig’s film based on the iconic Mattel doll leads the 14th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards nominations with three nods – including best song for both Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken.”

“Barbie’s” third nomination was in best music supervision for a film budgeted over $25 million. The category recognized the work of music supervisor George Drakoulias, songwriters Eilish and Finneas and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt who penned “I’m Just Ken.”

Other film contenders are the music supervisors from “Maestro,” “Saltburn,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Past Lives,” “Wonka,” “Air” among others.

Top TV contenders include the music supervisors from “Daisy Jones & The Six,” “The White Lotus,” “Welcome to Chippendales” and “Yellowjackets.”

The Guild of Music Supervisors is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2010 with the “goal of preserving and promoting the...

Barbie is the most nominated film for the 2024 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, landing three nominations, including two in the best song for film category for “What Was I Made For?” and “I’m Just Ken.”

Barbie is nominated for best music supervision for film budgeted over $25 million and scored two nods for best song written and/or recorded for a film for Billie Eilish and Finneas’ “What Was I Made For?” and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt’s “I’m Just Ken,” performed by Ryan Gosling.

The music supervisors with the most individual nominations are Mike Ladman and Mara Techam, each with five nominations, whose work in advertising includes collaborations with brands like Levis, The New York Times, Hennessy and others.

The 14th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards are set to take place in-person and virtually at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre on Sunday, March 3.

A full list of nominees follows.

Film historians will inevitably look back on 2023 as a year of risk-taking, with filmmakers turning to personal projects backed by major studios. On paper and in hindsight, a movie about the world’s most iconic doll sounds obvious, but it took real balls—or a lack thereof in Ken’s case—for Mattel and Warner Bros. to get behind a deconstructed look at the toy in Greta Gerwig’s existential Barbie. Universal arguably took an even bigger risk, putting their full force behind a three hour movie about the birth of the atomic bomb. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer proved perfect counter-programming to Gerwig’s Barbie, as moviegoers championed the double act into the summer box office unicorn Barbenheimer. Martin Scorsese brought his American Western crime epic Killers of the Flower Moon to the screen after seven years of development. Emerald Fennell debuted her second directorial effort, the darkly imaginative and highly divisive Saltburn.

Ray Romano says a reboot of Everybody Loves Raymond is "out of the question" due to the deaths of key cast members Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts. Romano believes revivals don't live up to the originals and wants to leave the show's legacy as it is. Despite the desire of some cast members to continue, Romano and Phil Rosenthal, who ran the show, felt it was time for it to end after Season 8.

Everybody Loves Raymond won't follow in the footsteps of shows like Full House, Fraiser, and Roseanne. Ray Romano, who starred in the Emmy Award-winning series as the titular character, says a revival just isn't in the cards for the esteemed sitcom. During a recent appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher (via Variety), Romano said a reboot of Everybody Loves Raymond was "out of the question," namely because two members of its core cast have passed since the series' 2005 conclusion.

Ray Romano says reviving Everybody Loves Raymond is "out of the question" due to the loss of key cast members. Romano believes reboots are never as good and wants to preserve the show's legacy. Despite the rest of the cast wanting to continue, Romano and creator Phil Rosenthal thought it was time to end the show.

Ray Romano candidly addresses the possibility of reviving Everybody Loves Raymond, following the success of revivals like Night Court and Frasier. Debuting in September 1996 with Phil Rosenthal as the creator, the CBS comedy centered around sportswriter Ray Barone (Romano) and his dysfunctional family. It ran for nine seasons, airing its finale in May 2005, bolstered by an impressive cohort of actors that included Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, and Peter Boyle.

In an interview on Real Time with Bill Maher to discuss his directorial debut movie Somewhere in Queens, Romano answers about the chances of reviving Everybody Loves Raymond.

Real Time With Bill Maher continues Friday, December 15 (10:00-11:00 p.m. Et/7:00-8:00 p.m. Pt). Allowing Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show continues with its opening monologue, one-on-one interviews with notable guests, roundtable discussions with panelists, and its signature “New Rules.” The series airs on HBO and is available to stream on Max. This week features an interview with Ray Romano, award-winning actor and comedian who directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the new film “Somewhere in Queens.” This week’s panel discussion includes Laura Coates, CNN’s Chief Legal Analyst and host of “Laura Coates Live” and Walter Kirn, novelist and co-host of the podcast “America This Week.” The Hollywood Reporter observed, ... Read more...

Exclusive: Taylor Bright, known in the industry for her knack for discovering young talent, has joined Thruline Entertainment as a talent manager.

Having previously been a manager at Entertainment Lab, and more recently at Stagecoach Entertainment, Bright begin her career in casting.

Among the clients joining Bright at Thruline are: Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer), Lisette Olivera (National Treasure: Edge of History), Milly Shapiro (Hereditary), Zack Nelson (Wolf Pack), Jacob Ward (Somewhere in Queens), Daria Johns.

“We are so pleased to welcome Taylor to Thruline,” said Thruline partner Jb Roberts. “Her roster of young artists is impressive, as is the energy she brings to the company. Her eye for talent is remarkable and her entrepreneurial approach to representation makes her a perfect fit for our culture.”

Thruline Entertainment’s client roster includes actors Allison Janney, Eric Stonestreet, Michael Cera, Ron Livingston, John Hawkes and Blair Underwood, and writers Annie Mumolo,...

[Editor’s note: The following interview contains some spoilers for “May December.”]

There’s one word to describe the past few months in rising star Elizabeth Yu’s acting career: “wild.” Spend a little time with the “May December” breakout on the phone, and she’ll invoke the term for everything from the response to the Todd Haynes film to her rapid-fire casting process to her first day on set, which literally saw her smack in between two acting legends in a scene that’s a strong contender for sequence of the year. Wild.

And she’s not wrong. While “May December,” in which Yu plays Mary Atherton-Yoo, one of three children belonging to embattled couple Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) and Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), is only Yu’s second film role (the first was in Ray Romano’s 2022 effort “Somewhere in Queens”), she more than holds her own in the lauded feature.

Case in point: that first day of production, in...

Emmy winner Ray Romano is set as a lead in No Good Deed, Netflix’s eight-episode dark comedy series from Dead To Me creator Liz Feldman.

Created by Feldman, No Good Deed follows three very different families vying to buy the very same 1920s Spanish style villa that they think will solve all their problems. But as the sellers have already discovered, sometimes the home of your dreams can be a total nightmare.

Romano will play Paul Morgan. Constantly stressed and flat broke, Paul is a contractor desperate to retire, pay off his debts and escape LA. He thinks selling his beautiful Los Feliz home is the solution to all his and his wife Lydia’s problems, but his past mistakes will continue to haunt him.

Feldman serves as showrunner and executive produces with Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum for Gloria Sanchez Productions, along with Christie Smith and Silver Tree,...

Ray Romano has signed on to star in Liz Feldman’s forthcoming dark comedy at Netflix, “No Good Deed.”

According to Netflix, the “Everybody Loves Raymond” star will portray Paul, a contractor desperate to retire, pay off his debts and get out of Los Angeles. Constantly stressed and flat broke, Paul’s solution to his money problems is to sell his beautiful Los Feliz home, but his past mistakes will continue to haunt him.

The eight-episode dark comedy follows “three very different families vying to buy the very same 1920s Spanish style villa that they think will solve all their problems. But as the sellers have already discovered, sometimes the home of your dreams can be a total nightmare,” per the official logline.

As Variety previously reported, Netflix ordered the comedy to series in May of last year.

“’No Good Deed’ was inspired by my many late nights during the...

“The big fear, when I agreed to direct, was that I didn’t really know technically a lot about what a director should know about lenses and apertures,” admits Ray Romano about his initial trepidation about stepping behind the camera on his film “Somewhere in Queens.” The multi-hyphenate talent directed, co-wrote, produced, and starred in the film, but the decision to direct it himself came very late in the development process. What ultimately persuaded him was his sense that he was an expert in “the story and the soul of the story and every character’s motivation.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.

Penned with Mark Stegemann, “Somewhere in Queens” does draw heavily on Romano’s life experience. The film centers on the relationship between father Leo Russo, played by Romano, and his son Matthew, nicknamed “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), who is the star player on his high school basketball team.

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco has unveiled the dates for his ‘It Ain’t Right’ tour, his touring run for 2024 which kicks off at Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va on July 11 and will be the biggest of his career to date.

Produced by Live Nation, his 47-city tour of North America wraps up at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moies, Ia on December 15. Artist presale kicks off November 29, with general onsale launching December 1st at 10 a.m. local time.

“Hop on the ‘It Ain’t Right’ tour, where I’ll roast today’s absurdities – nonexistent manners, wallet-wincing prices, and the social media circus,” said Maniscalco in announcing his new tour. “Join me in laughing at the wrongs in this shameless world!”

One of the top-selling comedians on the planet, Maniscalco is best known for the acclaimed specials Sebastian Live, What’s Wrong with People?, Aren’t You Embarrassed?, Why Would You Do That?...

The live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender drops audiences into a magical world of war and follows a brother and sister who discover Aang, the long-lost Avatar. The official synopsis reveals that Aang, alongside his newfound friends Sokka and Katara, embarks on a quest to save the world from Fire Lord Ozai, with the help of allies they meet along the way. The live action series aims to bring everything fans love about the original animated series to life, while also inviting new fans into the Avatar universe. It is scheduled for a 2024 premiere on Netflix.

The Netflix Geeked event has revealed our first look at the live action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Based on the beloved animated series of the same name, Avatar: The Last Airbender drops audiences into a world of magic and war. Divided into four nations, the Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom,...

Gritty drama premiered at Tribeca Festival.

The Exchange has boarded international sales to Jennifer Esposito’s debut feature Fresh Kills and will launch sales at AFM on the female-driven family story set in the world of organised crime.

The gritty drama, also written by, starring and co-produced by Esposito, premiered at 2023 Tribeca Festival and has had a strong run on the US festival circuit since.

It won the audience award for best narrative feature and an honorary prize for Excellence in Directing a Narrative Film from NY Women in Film & Television at Hamptons International Festival, in addition to the Best...

Exclusive: Patrick Harrison, a longtime and well-known executive for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in New York, is moving on to a newly created position with Frank PR. He is joining principals Clare Anne Darragh and Lina Catalfamo Plath to develop a “strategic awards division,” with plans to further engage the company in the ever-growing and lucrative business of campaigns and events targeted to the industry’s award seasons.

For the past two decades Harrison had been a much loved figure among the 1000-plus East Coast-based members of AMPAS, having been their key connection to Academy programs there. In his new job, he will remain involved heavily in Oscar season, just from the other side of the fence as it were.

“I am excited to join the Frank PR family in partnership with Clare Anne and Lina, two industry professionals I have respected, admired, and worked alongside throughout my career,...

Somewhere in Queens originally had its theatrical release in April 2023 and is now available to watch on Digital and On Demand. After being noticed by a talent scout, Leo Russo is determined that his son will become a college basketball star. But once "Sticks" has a falling out with his girlfriend, his father takes drastic measures to ensure he stays at the top of his game.

Ray Romano stars as Leo and serves as the film's director and co-writer. Romano has been featured in projects such as Get Shorty, Vinyl, and Ice Age. However, he is most notably known for his leading role in the 1996 sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond. Laurie Metcalf, Jacob Ward, Sadie Stanley, Jennifer Esposito, Dierdre Friel, Jon Manfrellotti, Sebastion Maniscalco, and Tony Lo Bianco complete the main cast.

Related: Somewhere In Queens Review: Ray Romano Shines As A Father Lost In His Ways

Ray Romano chats exclusively...

After getting off to a shaky start, David Duchovny’s second directorial feature Bucky F*cking Dent delivers some hard truths and profound wisdom against the backdrop of a 1978 Red Sox-Yankees American League East pennant game. Adapted from Duchovny’s book of the same name, his follow-up to 2004’s House of D finds Teddy (Logan Marshall-Green), an aspiring novelist and Yankees peanut vendor, returning home to visit his estranged, dying father Marty (Duchovny). His work is rejected by a literacy agent who encourages him to commit a crime, go to prison, and write about it––otherwise he’s just another uninteresting voice in changing times. Fresh from a divorce, the shaggy-haired Teddy is going through an awkward phase, stuck in a profound rut. His dad comments that despite being 33 his son looks both younger and older than he is.

After initial bantering as old baggage resurfaces, Teddy agrees to stay...

Exclusive: Daniel Zolghadri (Y2K), Shane Paul McGhie (Poker Face), Jessica Barden (The End of the F***ing World) and Michael Imperioli (The White Lotus) are attached to star in Last Days of Basic Cable, a new film from renowned, rising director Max Winkler (Flower).

Written by Adam Wilson and Justin Taylor, the indie set toward the end of the 1990s watches as four twenty-somethings navigate romance and life in a small New England college town. Zolghadri will play aspiring writer Aaron, with McGhie as his roommate Jason, Barden as Jason’s girlfriend Jessica, and Imperioli as Bob, a drugged out taxi driver who befriends Aaron.

Ron Yerxa and Albert Berger will produce the film via their Bona Fide Productions banner. No word yet on when production might kick off.

Best known for his starring role in the A24 coming-of-age film Funny Pages, produced by Josh and Benny Safdie,...

Somewhere in Queens is a 2023 American drama film written, directed and starring Ray Romano.

If you don’t like it, you know who to blame.

But the film has enough arguments to please you.

Somewhere in Queens Storyline

Leo and Angela Russo lead a simple working-class life in Queens. When his son “Sticks” enters the basketball team of his high school and has the opportunity to lead a life less arduous than that of his parents, his father does everything possible to make his son’s dream come true.

Movie Review

A film that aims to do one thing: make a social portrait of an Italian-American family in the well-known neighborhood of New York. He wants to do it with sympathy, ce3rcanos characters and with a friendly tone that impregnates everything, with real characters and without going outside the rules. Does it succeed? Perfectly, goal achieved, achieved and three points,...

Warning: The following article contains spoilers from Cruel Summer season 2, episodes 1 and 2.Cruel Summer is back with season 2, and this time, the entire cast consists of new actors and characters. The Freeform anthology series depicts a new mystery in its second season, and it's told in three different timelines — the summer of 1999, winter of 1999, and summer of 2000. Cruel Summer revolves around two best friends — Megan and Isabella, who might be involved in the disappearance and murder of one of their close friends in the small town of Chatham.

The premiere led viewers to believe that Isabella was the one who went missing when, in reality, it was Luke, Megan's boyfriend, and Isabella's summer fling. As season 2 continues, the mystery surrounding Luke's death will continue to unravel, and all questions will soon be answered. But in the meantime, let's shine a spotlight on the Cruel Summer cast.

Sadie Stanley As Megan Landry...

Exclusive: Emmy nominees Jacqueline Bisset (Bullitt) and Dominic Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings franchise) are set to star alongside Dermot Mulroney in Last Dollar, the 1880s-set Western inspired by European cinema that marks the feature directorial debut of William Shockley.

The film from Thunderbird Pictures is billed as a story of love and vengeance between a young man, the survivor of a horrific tragedy who has to choose between the old ways and the new, and a young woman who is confronted with the crushing cost of her dreams to her soul. It’s set against a background of a rapidly transitioning society, where power rules, mores are being flipped on their head, and reality itself comes into question.

Bisset plays Vivian Villeré, the mercurial Madame and owner of the Purgatory Saloon, a woman who will stop at nothing to protect what is hers. Monaghan is set for the role of Vivian’s longtime,...

In season two of Freeform’s murder-mystery anthology hit Cruel Summer, Megan Landry (Sadie Stanley) has big plans. It’s a sentiment that Stanley understands well.

“[Megan’s] kind of had to grow up pretty fast, so I can relate to aspects of that,” says Stanley, 21, who moved to Los Angeles at 18 to pursue acting. In the show, Megan is a computer coder and straight-a student, raised by a single mom in a small town. “She’s going through some really rough things. Her whole life and all of her plans for her life are really falling apart.”

While season one was set in the ’90s, season two (premiering June 5) is set amid the backdrop of Y2K in a waterfront Pacific Northwest town. The story revolves around the friendship between Megan and new girl in town Isabella (Lexi Underwood), the love triangle that comes between them and the tragic mystery that changes their lives forever.

Kim Cattrall and Leslie Bibb emanate a delightful sheen when in deep conversation about their new comedy, About My Father. The dynamite actors bring their wit and comedic genius to the new film, which is directed by another remarkable female, Laura Terruso (I Want My Phone Back). It hits theaters Memorial Day weekend.

But get Cattrall and Bibb talking about their two male costars, and these ladies light up. And rightly so. Those fellas are Sebastian Maniscalco, perhaps one of the hottest comics in America right now, and film legend Robert De Niro. Maniscalco co-wrote About My Father with his longtime collaborator Austen Earl. Cattrall and Bibb play mother and daughter (Tigger McArthur Collins and Ellie) in the hilarious comedy that finds Maniscalco morphing into, well, another version of his real-life self.

Relatable hilarity ensues throughout the film after Ellie nudges “Sebastian” to bring along his Italian immigrant/hairdresser father,...

By Ben Miller

It was a Chris Pratt-dominated weekend as the Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 easily won the weekend box office with around $114 million.  It's certainly below the norm for other MCU films, but largely positive critical reviews (81% on Rotten Tomatoes) and an "A" CinemaScore should give the film legs compared to other recent Marvel films.  The Super Mario Bros. Movie continues it's box office reign as the highest grossing film of 2023.  The Nintendo adaptation is now sitting at 17th all-time in the domestic rankings and at $1.1 billion worldwide, sits at 25th all-time.  By the way, fifty-one films have made over $1 billion and Pratt has been in six of them...

Weekend Box Office (actuals)

May 5th-7th...

Sideshow/Janus Films is estimating a $36k gross or $18k per theater average for The Eight Mountains on two NYC screens, the strongest opening weekend to date for the team behind Drive My Car and Eo.

The Cannes co-Jury Prize-winning film by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeesch follows the profound friendship over decades of Pietro (Luca Marinelli) from Turin, and Bruno (Alessandro Borghi), who grew up in an isolated village in the Alps. It was Film at Lincoln Center’s highest-grossing new release opening of 2023 and marks the biggest per screen average of any new European release so far this year.

It’s is also the best opening of an Italian move Stateside since The Great Beauty, said producer Ira Deutchman. The Fine Line Features founder and Columbia prof is the head of Cinema Made In Italy, a initiative sponsored by Cinecitta’ that contributes P&a funds to Italian films for U.

May kicks off the annual summer movie season where studios will release some of their biggest “tentpole” flicks, with this summer being particularly important for the full recovery of the box office. And yet, oddly, there are only three prospective blockbusters this month with many smaller films padding things out. Read on for Gold Derby’s May 2023 box office preview.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Marvel/Disney) – May 5

James Gunn marks the finale of his MCU trilogy with the group he introduced in 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” featuring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldañha, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper. Joining the finale is Will Poulter as Adam Warlock and Chukwudi Iwuji (“Peacemaker”) as The High Evolutionary, two major Marvel Comics cosmic characters, although it feels like this will be a standalone finale, rather than tying into the rest of the MCU.

By Ben Miller

For the third straight week, The Super Mario Bros. Movie ran away with the weekend box office, this time to the tune of $59.9 million.  That's good for the 7th-best third weekend in history.  The domestic total currently sits at $436 million with a matching number overseas.  At $870 million and climbing, expect it to become a billion dollar film (and probably franchise) in the upcoming weeks.  Couterprogramming did pretty good for the horror sequel Evil Dead Rise with a solid $24.5 million haul.  That's equivalent to its 2013 predecessor, which ended at around $54 million.  With a $19 million budget, it once again shows that horror is the most profitable of genres...

Weekend Box Office (actuals)

April 21st-23rd...

Ray Romano candidly addresses the possibility of reviving Everybody Loves Raymond. Debuting in September 1996, the CBS sitcom centered around sportswriter Ray Barone (Romano) and his dysfunctional family. The series ran for nine seasons, airing its finale in May 2005, and featured an impressive cohort of actors that included Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, and Peter Boyle.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to promote his directorial debut Somewhere in Queens, Romano was asked about the possibility of rebooting or returning to Everybody Loves Raymond in some form. Romano is direct in his response, explaining that both he and series creator Phil Rosenthal haven't been keen on doing a revival project. Romano adds that he'd be open to a reunion special with the cast, like what HBO Max did with Friends, if there was an interest:

We lost Peter pretty quickly after the show ended. But before we lost Doris,...

“Evil Dead Rise” The “Evil Dead” franchise is resurrected by the fifth entry “Evil Dead Rise” but should you take a bite? “A Tourist’s Guide to Love” Rachael Leigh Cook finds love in Vietnam in Netflix’s “A Tourist’s Guide to Love” but should you fall in love with the film? “Somewhere in Queens” Ray

The post Movie Reviews: “Evil Dead Rise,” “A Tourist’s Guide to Love,” “Somewhere in Queens” appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.

Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid did solid business in its second week, expanding from four screens to well over 900 for a gross of $2.7+ million and a cume of $3.14 million. The A24 film starring Joaquin Phoenix has a $2.8k per screen average and no. 9 spot. It’s a weekend with a wide range of specialty films in a market that’s improving by some measures — some more product, some stronger openings — but still hard to read amid the blockbusters.

Aster has a committed fan base and a core group of theaters carried the weekend. This film is a tougher sell than the previous two, also from A24. Beau “has already sparked countless passionate debates and discourse from critics and audiences alike,” the distributor said, and, like all of Aster’s films, it “will have a long life in the weeks, months, and years to come.”

Somewhere in Queens...

Ray Romano is probably taking a hard pass on fried eggs in bacon grease these days.

The Everybody Loves Raymond star told Marc Maron on this Wtf Podcast that he had a stent installed after doctors found a 90 percent blockage in his main artery.

“I got kind of lucky that we found it,” said Romano, who admitted that his doctor told him years ago to take a statin for his cholesterol. But Romano ignored him.

“I had high cholesterol 20 years ago and my guy always told me, ‘why don’t we start going on the statin,’ and every time I said let me do it myself,” Romano said. “I would go home and eat a little healthier, get it down a couple ticks. It was 280 and now its 220. He’d go, ‘you gotta get it down even more.’ I’d go home and think I was hot shit.”

In retrospect,...

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (Universal) reasserted its potential to be bigger than any upcoming summer movie with a stellar third-weekend showing of $58,230,000. Now at $434,330,000 domestic ($872 million worldwide), the Nintendo animated adaptation from Illumination could outgross all post-Covid titles other than “Spider-Man: No Way Home” ($805 million). That includes “Top Gun: Maverick” ($719 million) and “Avatar: The Way of Water” ($684 million).

With a strong $23.5 million opening, “Evil Dead Rise” (Warner Bros. Discovery) also buttressed a sense of improved fortunes for theaters — just in time for exhibitors and distributors heading to Las Vegas for Cinemacon.

The third-weekend drop for “Smb” of 37 percent was a better hold than “Maverick,” which represented the stellar third-weekend hold of 2022. Another curiosity: if Universal doesn’t start its PVOD window countdown until a film grosses less than $50 million, it still have another month as a theatrical exclusive.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” (Disney) opening May 5 was meant...

Ray Romano is realizing how fast “time is flying by” and said his health isn’t what it used to be.

During Monday’s episode of the Wtf With Marc Maron podcast, the Everybody Loves Raymond star revealed that he recently had a stent put in his heart, because he “had 90 percent blockage” in his “main artery.”

The actor added, “I got kind of lucky that we found it.”

Romano, who has had a decades-long career in Hollywood, explained that mentally and physically it’s hard getting older. “Saying 50 was weird, but saying 60 — it sounds foreign, it sounds fake, ya know?” he explained. “I know in my head I don’t feel that old. In my body, I’m getting a couple of notices that I am that old.”

Looking back, the Somewhere in Queens actor said he wishes he did do a few things differently years ago regarding his health.

There looks to be no end in sight to the massive run Universal’s animated “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” has been having.

This past weekend, it won its third weekend at the box office in a row, while also crossing $400 million. It made another $58.2 million (down 37%) over the weekend, potentially helped by the fact that the song “Peaches,” performed by Jack Black as the evil King Koopa Bowser, landed on the Billboard Hot 100 – a first for Black! – with 15 million streams on Spotify. That pushed the movie’s domestic total to $434.3 million, which is better than all but two movies released in 2022. (It will pass last year’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in the next day or so.)

“Super Mario Bros.” made another $70.7 million overseas this weekend, which brings its international total to $437.5 million with an $871.8 million global total.

See 2023 box office hits: Every movie that made more than $100 million...

For decades, Martin Scorsese has been one of the most desired directors that nearly every actor wants to work with. But it’s not easy to land a Scorsese production, especially if you’re not even on his radar, as was the case with Ray Romano, despite having one of the most successful sitcoms of its time.

On a recent episode of the podcast Wtf with Marc Maron, Romano recalled auditioning for Scorsese on HBO’s Vinyl, the short-lived series that circles the New York music scene of the 1970s. “Scorsese did the pilot and I had to go on tape for him. The cool thing was, I went on tape and the response we got back was, ‘Yeah, Marty likes it. He’s in the running. And Marty wants to know who he is. He’s never seen him…And my agent was like, ‘So he’s never seen the show?...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film review for the new film release “Somewhere in Queens,” featuring Ray Romano as lead actor, co-writer and director, also featuring Laurie Metcalfe. In theaters on April 21st.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Ray Romano is Leo Russo, part of a family of construction workers with his father (Tony Lo Bianco) and younger brother (Sebastian Maniscalco). Leo is excited because his son, nicknamed Sticks (Jacob Ward), is coming of age as a high school basketball player his Senior Year, and could get a college scholarship. Leo’s wife and Sticks mother Angela (Laurie Metcalfe) is more skeptical about her son’s prospects, especially as he starts dating Danielle (Sadie Stanley).

”Somewhere in Queens” opens in theaters April 21st. Featuring Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalfe, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jacob Ward and Sadie Stanley. Written by Ray Romano and Mark Stegemann. Directed by Ray Romano. Rated “R”.

Click...

After posting giant per screen numbers at four theaters last weekend, A24’s Beau Is Afraid jumps to 926 for the distributor’s third outing with Ari Aster. It’s a very different film from his horror favorites Hereditary and Midsommar but one the distributor hopes will cement the director’s place as a modern auteur.

According to one influential fan, it has. Martin Scorsese, at a Q&a after an Imax screening in New York this week, called Aster a “unique and powerful” risk taker and “one of the most extraordinary new voices in World Cinema.”

Beau is scary in parts, like an opening Scorsese described as “the best scene I’ve seen of its kind. Absolutely terrifying.” There’s comedy, animation, a conflation of past, present and future, of reality and fantasy, of guilt, innocence, fear and self-loathing and an ongoing play within the movie. Scorsese said the surreal...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Ghosted, Barry, White House Plumbers and a roundup of Coachella highlights.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret premiere

Stars Rachel McAdams and Abby Ryder Fortson walked the carpet alongside Judy Blume and writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig at the film’s L.A. premiere on Saturday.

Abby Ryder Fortson, Judy Blume and Rachel McAdams Amy Brooks, Julie Ansell, Judy Blume, Kelly Fremon Craig, James L. Brooks, Abby Ryder Fortson and Rachel McAdams

Barry premiere

Bill Hader unveiled the fourth and final season of his HBO series on Sunday in L.A., joined by costars Henry Winkler, Anthony Carrigan, Sarah Goldberg and Stephen Root.

Henry Winkler and Bill Hader Stephen Root, Michael Irby, Robert Wisdom, Bill Hader, HBO’s Amy Gravitt, Anthony Carrigan, Sarah Goldberg and Henry Winkler...