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Television shows thrive on high drama, and there's pretty much nothing more high drama than an actual war. From medieval clashes to modern infantry showdowns, these conflicts have been a popular topic of on-screen narratives for decades. Sometimes, these shows reflect the sacrifice of previous generations. But often, they -- like many of the greatest war films of all time -- serve to highlight the horrors and futility of war. 

Either way, these war series don't scrimp on the emotional side of things, not just focusing on actual battle sequences (although we often get plenty of that), but the more intimate ramifications of individuals whose countries are at war. And although the majority of these popular series are, naturally, dramas with a heavy action leaning, there are also a surprising number of sitcoms about war, which frequently use gallows humor or surreal comedy to showcase the inherent absurdity of these conflicts.

A school shooting is such a cataclysmic event that any attempt to dramatize the aftermath of one is, by definition, a film to take seriously. That said, there’s a right way to make one of these. “Mass,” the 2021 Sundance drama in which four parents gathered in a church antechamber for a painfully cathartic encounter session (two of them were the parents of a victim; two were the parents of the shooter), was a movie that walked a delicate tightrope. It was compact and graceful, harrowing and illuminating.

“Eric Larue,” directed by the actor Michael Shannon, is built around a similar situation, as it works its way toward a confrontation between the mother of a school shooter and the mothers of the three classmates he killed. But instead of tackling the matter at hand, almost every scene is weighed down by a free-floating and at times annoyingly intrusive indie-film attitude.

The pace is picking up with studio wide release A Minecraft Movie booming and plenty of indie fare to fill out behind from Neon’s Hell of a Summer and IFC Films’ The Luckiest Man in America to Fathom’s next installment of The Chosen and expansions of The Friend from Bleecker Street and Gkids’ re-release of Princess Mononoke.

CinemaCon, the biggest annual gathering of theater owners and studios, wrapped last night in Las Vegas. Exhibitors’ tempers were strained by a sour first quarter at the box office and there was an explosion of talk around longer theatrical windows which will for sure remain an ongoing conversation. That said, Q1 is behind us so here’s to hoping for a sustained period of more movies — many highlighted in Vegas — and higher-grossing movies to lift all boats.

Neon opens Hell Of A Summer on 1,255 screens after Thursday previews and early shows took in $215k.

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during the 2023 Tribeca Festival. Magnolia Pictures releases “Eric Larue” in select theaters Friday, April 4, 2025.

Who has ownership of grief or blame in the midst of a tragedy?

Michael Shannon’s directorial debut “Eric Larue” beautifully unpacks how the sins of the son impact both the father and mother in his adaptation of Brett Neveu’s 2002 play of the same name. Judy Greer and Alexander Skarsgård portray two parents whose teenage son — unseen until the final moments of the film — murdered three classmates in a school shooting, and the duo are left in the wake of the violence to rebuild in their small community.

Greer’s Janice aimlessly wonders how culpable she is in her serial killer son’s actions, while her husband finds solace in joining a new church and becoming very close friends with his fellow congregation member and human resources executive,...

Renowned actor Michael Shannon is ready to step behind the camera. The Man of Steel and twice-Academy Award-nominated actor’s filmography is brilliant, but his first effort behind the screen falls flat. Adapted from his fellow stage actor’s play, Eric Larue is an uncommon drama about the fallout of your child turning to a murderer, how religion can infect your life, and recovering from tragedy. It’s an uneven work, boosted by a brilliantly understated performance from Judy Greer.

Eric Larue Review

Eric Larue follows Janice Larue (Greer), the mother of the titular high-school-aged killer (Nation Sage Henrikson). As Janice meanders through her now miserable life, she slowly works up the courage to meet with the parents left childless by her son’s actions.

Janice’s husband, Ron (Alexander Skarsgård), is a wet mop slowly absorbed by a newfound faith as a born-again Christian. His pastor (Tracy Letts) encourages...

A preview for the third season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" dropped this morning, and Trekkies -- including the ones here at /Film -- immediately extracted their tweezers. The one-minute trailer revealed a lot of interested, deep-cut Trek details that might have sailed past some of the show's more casual fans. Trekkies may have caught one or two of them on their first watch, but it's likely that die-hard fans watched this thing multiple times in a row, eager to see what sort of references they could spot. 

We here at /Film spotted a few of our own, and we're happy to share our findings with enthused readers. The upcoming season will promise a few familiar characters, a few cameos from recognizable aliens, at least one impressive guest star, and the re-introduction of some known "Star Trek" technology that may or may not imply a shift in the series timeline.

Michael Shannon set himself up with quite a daunting challenge for his directorial debut: how can one capture oppressively bleak, soul-consuming feelings of guilt while not having the viewer feel trapped in a flat register of misery porn? Thanks to his patient, quiet approach, assiduous performances from Judy Greer and Alexander Skarsgård, and accentuating aberrations of uneasy humor amidst stomach-churning situations, Eric Larue––scripted by Brett Neveu from his own 2002 play––nearly escapes these oft-recurring pitfalls and clichés.

Judy Greer plays Janice, a mother sleepwalking through life in a pained daze after her son murdered three of his high school classmates. She’s disillusioned from the Christian community she seemingly used to call home while her husband Ron has only further embraced religion as a means of ignoring reality and having blind, misguided faith that everything happens for a reason. With his wife shut off from both him and the outside world,...

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The Life List is a romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Adam Brooks. Based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Lori Nelson Spielman, the Netflix film follows Alex, a young woman still grieving her mother’s recent death. She soon receives a video from her late mother telling her to revisit her childhood aspirations and old goals, which sends her on an adventurous journey. The Life List stars Sofia Carson, Kyle Allen, Connie Britton, José Zúñiga, and Jordi Mollà. So, if you loved the heart-touching drama, hilarious comedy, and compelling characters in The Life List, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Eat Pray Love (Max & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Sony Pictures

Eat Pray Love is a biographical romantic drama film directed by Ryan Murphy, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jennifer Salt.

Josh Hartnett is back witha new banger after Trap, and critics love every bit of it. From director James Madigan,Fight or Flight has landed a laudable 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes following its U.K. debut last month; however, the audience score is unavailable at the time of this writing. Even so, the reviews from top critics so far put the movie in a good light, one of which is from Empire Magazine’s John Nugent, who states:

“A solid bit of high-concept B-movie fun, establishing Josh Hartnett as a credible action hero, and James Madigan as a genre director to watch.”

Fight or Flight premiered on Sky Cinema on Friday, February 28 but is set to arrive in the U.S. later in May. It follows Hartnett as a former Secret Service agent who’s been on the run for years and when he’s given the job of...

Mass school shootings feel as inherent to the mid-American landscape as SUVs and fundamentalist Christianity. Michael Shannon’s feature-length directorial debut, Eric Larue, adapted by Brett Neveu from his 2002 play of the same name, attempts to capture just how little the social infrastructure of a small town in the United States can do for those affected by such spectacles of violence. But while Eric Larue features a strong performance from Judy Greer, its portrait of this swath of the U.S. is essentially a patchwork of broad strokes that rarely feel like they’re bringing that world to credible life.

Disaffected and listless in the indeterminate period since her son, Eric (Nation Sage Henrikson), shot and killed three of his classmates, Janice (Greer) begins venturing back into the world in small ways. She returns to her job at a hardware store and opens up a dialogue with her pastor, Steve...

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Made for Love is a sci-fi dark comedy-drama series created by Alissa Nutting, Dean Bakopoulos, Patrick Somerville, and Christina Lee. Based on Nutting‘s 2017 novel of the same name, the HBO Max series follows Hazel Green, a young woman who finally escapes her toxic marriage. Still, when she thinks that she is free, she discovers that her husband has implanted a chip in her brain that allows him to track her in real time, read her emotional data, and watch her live. Made for Love stars Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen, Dan Bakkedahl, Noma Dumezweni, Ray Romano, Augusto Aguilera, and Caleb Foote. So, if you loved the sci-fi elements, thrilling drama, and compelling characters in Made for Love, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Kevin Can F**k Himself Credit – AMC

Kevin Can F**k...

Young Werther draws inspiration from the 18th-century novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, yet its adaptation into Toronto’s urban landscape creates an unsettling transformation, reflecting our current era’s obsession with self-deception and impossible yearning.

In Goethe’s original, Werther’s unrequited love symbolizes youthful passion that promises redemption but leads to self-destruction. The film maintains this core narrative, moving through contemporary times with a tragic essence, filtered through a romantic comedy lens.

The film’s opening—playful in its historical reference, even mentioning Beatlemania—initially attracts viewers with a light moment before darker themes emerge.

In Toronto, Werther (Douglas Booth) wanders through a world of self-interest, intensely desiring Charlotte (Alison Pill), a woman committed to another. The modern setting provides minimal relief from his internal struggle, as he moves through the city’s warm atmosphere—a place that hints at fulfillment but never truly provides it.

Young Werther...

“Young Werther” is a new live-action romantic comedy feature, written and directed by José Lourenço, starring Douglas Booth, Alison Pill, Iris Apatow and Patrick J. Adams, now streaming on Prime Video:

“…based on the 1774 novel ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’ by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a writer falls in love with a woman, but discovers that she's already engaged…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

After working with such directors as Werner Herzog, Sidney Lumet, William Friedkin, Guillermo del Toro, Rian Johnson, Jeff Nichols, and many more, Michael Shannon embarked on his directorial debut a few years ago. Eric Larue, scripted by Brett Neveu based on his play that debuted in 2022, will now finally arrive in theaters on April 4 and digitally on April 11. Ahead of the release, Magnolia Pictures has now released the first trailer for the film starring Judy Greer, Alexander Skarsgård, Alison Pill, Paul Sparks, and Tracy Letts.

Here’s the synopsis: “In Eric Larue, Janice (Greer) is coping with the fallout after her son murders three of his high school classmates. Struggling and moving through life as if in a haze, she is unable to let go of her anger and frustration. While her husband (Skarsgård) has found refuge at a new church, Janice finds it hard to seek solace in her...

“Eric Larue” is a new live-action psychological drama feature, directed by actor Michael Shannon, starring Judy Greer, Alexander Skarsgard, Alison Pill, Tracy Letts, Paul Sparks and Annie Parisse, opening April 4, 2025 in theaters:

‘…’Janice’ tries to cope with the fallout after her psycho son commits a horrific crime against three of his high school classmates.

“Struggling and moving through life as if in a haze, she is unable to let go of her guilt, anger and frustration.

“While her husband has found refuge at a new church, Janice finds it hard to seek solace in her faith despite her pastor’s pleas to heal her wounds…”

Click the images to enlarge…

.

"I think I'm really starting to understand more about the Lord's path for me..." Magnolia Pics has unveiled an official trailer for an indie drama titled Eric Larue, the directorial debut of actor Michael Shannon. This originally premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival a few years back, and has never been released in the two years since. It also played at the Denver & Chicago Film Festivals that year. In Shannon's directorial debut adapted from Brett Neveu's 2002 renowned stage play, Janice (Greer) is struggling... In the aftermath of a shocking crime at the hands of her son, she moves through life in a haze, unable to let go of her anger and frustration. While her husband Ron has found refuge at a new church, Janice finds it hard to seek solace in her faith despite her pastor's pleas to heal her wounds within the congregation. As she ponders her role in the community,...

Judy Greer and Alexander Skarsgård play the unthinkable: Parents whose teenage son is a school shooter. And leave it to fellow masterful actor Michael Shannon to usher onscreen the adaptation of the acclaimed 2002 play, simply titled “Eric Larue” to reference the unseen killer, as his directorial debut.

“Eric Larue” follows two parents who, in the aftermath of their son murdering his three classmates, seek solace in rival religious congregations.

The official synopsis reads: “Janice (Greer) is coping with the fallout after her son murders three of his high school classmates. Struggling and moving through life as if in a haze, she is unable to let go of her anger and frustration. While her husband (Skarsgård) has found refuge at a new church, Janice finds it hard to seek solace in her faith despite her pastor’s pleas to heal her wounds by meeting with the mothers of her son’s victims.

Grief comes in many forms; sometimes, it can drive survivors apart instead of bringing them together. In Michael Shannon‘s directorial debut, Eric Larue, Judy Greer, and Alexander Skarsgård experience firsthand the damage loss can inflict on two people struggling to survive an overwhelming tragedy. Today, Magnolia Pictures debuted a trailer and poster for Eric Larue, highlighting the cast’s sturring performances and Shannon’s talent behind the camera.

It was written by Brett Neveu and based on his 2002 play, which used the same name. Eric Larue follows two parents who, in the aftermath of a shocking crime at the hands of their son, seek solace in rival religious congregations. The film world premiered at the Tribeca Festival and also stars Alexander Skarsgård, Alison Pill, Tracy Letts, Paul Sparks, and Annie Parisse. Magnolia has North American rights and will release the film in theaters on April 4. Eric Larue also comes...

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When the Borg were first introduced in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Q Who", they were ineffable, mysterious, and terrifying. They were a race of cyborgs that were bound by a single machine consciousness, existing only to grow and expand. They did this by stealing resources from others. When the Borg encountered a starship, they would scan it, find technology they didn't have, carve it up, and absorb its pieces into their own cube-shaped craft. To shore up their numbers, they would kidnap humanoid species as "assimilate" them. That is: implant their bodies with tubes and computers and force them to serve as mindless robot drones. 

The Borg returned throughout "Next Generation," and each time were described as having a collective consciousness. It wouldn't be until "Star Trek: First Contact" in 1996 that the Borg would be likened to a beehive.

Director M. Night Shyamalan is working on a new film alongside novelist Nicholas Sparks. The mysterious project is reportedly set to star Jake Gyllenhaal.

Per Deadline, Gyllenhaal is set to star in Shyamalan's upcoming supernatural romantic thriller. Shyamalan and Sparks co-created the story and penned a screenplay along with a novel of the same story featuring the same plot line and characters. Shyamalan announced that he was working on a new film last year. However, not much else is known about the film outside its genre and creators. The film will be produced by Shyamalan's own studio, Blinding Edge Pictures, and will feature Sparks as the project's executive producer.

Related Jason Schwartzman Almost Played Jake Gyllenhaal's Best Role

Jason Schwartzman was originally cast as Donnie Darko before dropping out and being replaced by Jake Gyllenhaal in the independent cult classic.

Gyllenhaal has starred in countless cult classic films, including Donnie Darko...

An 18th-century love triangle relocated to the well-to-do of modern Toronto is big on banter and farce even if real passion is sometimes lacking

Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s 1774 epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther was one of the most influential books of its age, in part responsible for launching the Romantic movement, shaping ideas about the novel itself, and inspiring some of the earliest instances of copycat suicide. These days of course, it doesn’t have anything like the cultural influence that it had in its heyday, eclipsed by Goethe’s later plays, poetry and scientific endeavours. So hurrah for the film-makers behind this sweet Canadian-British co-production for their valiant, quixotic efforts to relaunch Werther for the youth of today. Writer-director José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço resets the book’s love triangle among the well-to-do in modern-day Toronto, turning it into a kind of wan romantic comedy: part Goethe,...

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Prime Target is a mystery thriller drama miniseries created by Steve Thompson. The Apple TV+ series follows Edward Brooks, a brilliant post-graduate mathematics student who discovers that his work could potentially become the key to access every computer in the world. He soon begins to notice that people want to destroy his work. Prime Target stars Leo Woodall, Quintessa Swindell, Sidse Babett Knudsen, David Morrissey, Stephen Rea, and Fra Fee. So, if you loved the thrilling conspiracy, mysterious story, and compelling characters in Prime Target, here are some shows you should check out next.

London Spy (Buy on Amazon) Credit – BBC Two

London Spy is a British conspiracy and mystery thriller drama series created by Tom Rob Smith. The BBC Two series follows Danny, a young man who meets and falls in love with Alex, a brilliant MI6 code genius.

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Severance is a sci-fi psychological mystery thriller drama series created by Dan Erickson. The Apple TV+ series is set in a world where people can undergo a medical procedure to separate their work memories from their other memories. The procedure is called “severance” and can only be done by a biotechnology corporation, Lumon Industries, where most of the story takes place. We follow Mark S. and his team of severed workers as they do mysterious work for Lumon Industries, but strange occurrences force them to question the reality of their existence and jobs. Severance stars Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Jen Tullock, Dichen Lachman, Michael Chernus, John Turturro, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, and Sarah Bock. So, if you loved the mind-bending concept, thrilling mysteries, and compelling characters in Severance, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

It's a little wild to think about how little Alison Pill's Agnes Jurati factored into the show's final season. She didn't appear at all as a character and her impact in the prior seasons was essentially erased from the timeline. She became the Borg Queen. It wasn't a good storyline to get her there, sure. She also looked awful in her full 'Borg Queen outfit' to boot.

That CGI was rough, but still. She was the Borg Queen. Yet, despite season three being about the original Borg Queen's character returning, you'd think there'd be some kind of showdown between the two. Not only did that not happen, but Jurati wasn't even mentioned it felt like. Her character made no impact on the final storyline, even though it was ripe with possibility.

So why was that? Why did they opt to undo an entire season of (bad) storytelling? Especially considering...

One of the core tenets of "Star Trek" is an undercurrent of pacifism. The ships we see in any given "Star Trek" series are usually research vessels devoted to missions of exploration and study. Just as often, they do repair work on distant worlds, help planets in severe environmental trouble, or taxi diplomats to important peace talks. And while the U.S.S. Enterprise is equipped with weapons like phasers and photon torpedoes, they are only very rarely assigned a mission of combat. More often, the crew of the Enterprise will threaten a potential battlefield foe while still doing everything they can to avoid war.

The core tenets of pacifism, however, are typically ignored in many of the "Star Trek" feature films. Because of their medium, the "Star Trek" movies typically demand larger-scale stories and easily consumed conflicts that can be satisfactorily wrapped in about 100 to 120 minutes. This demand often...

With its Star Trek: The Next Generation reunion, Star Trek: Picard season 3 is amazing, but one aspect made me feel a bit guilty for loving it so much. Star Trek: Picard kicked off its third and final season when Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) receives an urgent distress call from Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). Picard then recruits his friend and former first officer Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) to commandeer the USS Titan-a and mount a rescue mission. This mission eventually brought the rest of the Tng crew together aboard the rebuilt USS Enterprise-d for one last adventure.

As a huge fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation, I loved seeing Picard reunite with his old crew aboard his iconic ship. Showrunner Terry Matalas and the other folks behind Star Trek: Picard season 3 let their love of Tng shine through and leaned into the nostalgia of seeing the Enterprise-d crew back together.

Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen to star in ‘JonBenet Ramsey’ series

Paramount+ announced its previously untitled limited series on the murder of JonBenét Ramsey is part of their new Unspeakable anthology series focusing on unsolved crimes. Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey is currently filming in Canada with Oscar nominees Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen starring as JonBenét’s parents, Patsy and John Bennett Ramsey.

Besides McCarthy and Owen, the limited series stars Emily Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund, Alison Pill, Shea Whigham, Owen Teague, Clifton Collins Jr, and Rory Cochrane. Chris Bauer, Angus Caldwell, Will Patton, John Billingsley, Jeremy Bobb, Jaime Ray Newman, and Josh Stamberg also star. Margo Martindale guest stars.

“At its heart, the series centers on the story of Patsy and John Ramsey, exploring their unbreakable partnership and the complex dynamics of their marriage and parenting,” reads Paramount+’s synopsis. “It delves into how they crafted a narrative of a perfect,...

A JonBenét Ramsey limited series is in the works at Paramount+ with Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen set to star. The streamer announced the title for the show on Sunday, January 5. As previously announced, McCarthy and Owen will play JonBenét’s parents, Patsy and John Bennett Ramsey, with Emily Mitchell set to play JonBenét. Garrett Hedlund, Alison Pill, Shea Whigham. Will Patton, Clifton Collins Jr., Chris Bauer, Margo Martindale, and more are also in the cast. Most of the actors are playing characters based on real people tied to the infamous unsolved murder case. The series was previously announced as in development in March 2024. It did not have a network attached at the time, but Paramount+ has since picked it up. The series is centered on the young girl’s parents. Here’s all there is to know so far about the true crime drama. What is the title of the JonBenét Ramsey series?...

Paramount+’s JonBenét Ramsey series will be part of an anthology series that will tackle heartbreaking and gripping unsolved crimes.

The previously announced limited series now has a working title — Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey — and stars Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen as Patsy and John Bennett Ramsey, the parents of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey who was murdered in 1996. Patsy Ramsey died in 2006 after twice battling ovarian cancer.

The streamer announced the title during the 2025 Golden Globes, where McCarthy was a presenter for best comedy or musical series (Hacks won).

A premiere date for Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey has yet to be announced.

Here’s the logline: “At its heart, the series centers on the story of Patsy and John Ramsey, exploring their unbreakable partnership and the complex dynamics of their marriage and parenting. It delves into how they crafted a narrative of a perfect, privileged life for...

Paramount+ has unveiled the working title of its forthcoming anthology true crime series, the first installment of which will delve into the JonBenét Ramsey story, featuring stars Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen. The news comes after McCarthy’s on-stage broadcast presenting spot during the Golden Globes, airing now on CBS and Paramount+.

Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey (wt) is produced by Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. Each season will delve into “some of the nation’s most heartbreaking and gripping unsolved crimes,” per the streamer.

As previously reported, McCarthy will play mother Patsy Ramsey and Owen will portray patriarch John Bennett Ramsey in the project.

At its heart, the series centers on the story of Patsy and John Ramsey, “exploring their unbreakable partnership and the complex dynamics of their marriage and parenting. It delves into how they crafted a narrative of a perfect, privileged life for themselves...

In “Young Werther,” director Jose Avelino Gilles Corbet Lourenco has a tough task. How to distill the eighteenth-century Goethe classic and transpose it into the modern times where the rules of morality and relationships have undergone dramatic shifts? Would the same hero remain a fitting protagonist placed in a much different temporal context? Would his anxieties and desires ring with equal fervor and intensity?

The director must have foreseen a direct, too-faithful adaptation of the text would only spawn a slew of difficulties. What’s needed instead is levity and insouciance galore to pad the repurposing into the modern times. The bleakness of the text is reframed through a lens that has a mix of whimsy and self-awareness. The hero of the film can see to some extent the degree of his folly in his romantic pursuit. He is bullish and seems to know the task of his chasing would always be tricky.

Indie film fans have fallen in love with Young Werther, the bittersweet movie written and directed by José Lourenço. The story of Werther falling head over heels for the already engaged Charlotte is both charming and heartbreaking. But for the man behind the camera, it's a journey that's spanned years as he worked on the script and strove to get the movie made.

In an interview with Cbr, Lourenço speaks about why he was so inspired by The Sorrows of Young Werther, and why he wanted to do a book-to-screen adaptation of the Johann Wolfgang von Goethe novel. He reveals why he wound up directing the movie in addition to writing it. Plus, he reflects on working with Young Werther's talented cast and crew.

Cbr: Young Werther is your feature directorial debut. What made you want to direct the movie, when you were already writing the screenplay? Was that always the plan,...

Young Werther has its share of sadness, but star Alison Pill points out that there's just as much to love about the romance movie. Pill stars as Charlotte, who immediately attracts Werther's attention, yet the bond between them isn't destined to lead to a happy ending. Even so, it has a major impact on both of their lives.

In an interview with Cbr, Star Trek: Picard alum Pill speaks about how she approached the character of Charlotte. She explains what she found to love about the dynamic between Charlotte and Werther. Plus, she spoke about the different relationships Charlotte has with Werther and Albert, and her friendship with writer-director José Lourenço.

Cbr: The character of Charlotte is essentially the center of Young Werther, because if the audience doesn't believe she's important enough to for him to be so devoted to her, the premise of the film falls apart. With that in mind,...

Young Werther is a romance movie for people who love romances -- but also for the skeptics and the brokenhearted. Writer-director José Lourenço's film takes the classic German book The Sorrows of Young Werther and updates it for a modern audience. However, it's not a typical book to screen adaptation thanks to its unique cast, led by Douglas Booth in the title role.

In an interview with Cbr, Booth explained how Werther is essentially a child in a man's body, and why he gravitated toward the character. The Jupiter Ascending alum also spoke about his unique working relationship with Lourenço, as they collaborated to bring the artist's vision to the screen. Plus, find out why he had tremendous fun making the movie.

Cbr: Audiences will recognize you from starring in the western That Dirty Black Bag, or from the space epic Jupiter Ascending. Young Werther is obviously very different from those roles.

Ana Orsini, a beloved morning news anchor at CBS affiliate Kold-tv (News 13) in Tucson, Az, died suddenly of a brain aneurism last week, the station announced. She was 28.

Born in Denver, Co, Orsini initially attended the University of Arizona before transferring to Texas A&m where she graduated with a degree in journalism and a double minor in communications and sports management in 2018.

Orsini began her broadcast career in 2018 at a Lubbock, Texas news station where she worked as an anchor/reporter. Prior to joining Kold in June 2023, Orsini spent three years as a morning and midday anchor at a station in Medford, Or,. covering everything from “major wildfires to helping shelter pets find their forever homes,” according to her bio.

Deadline Related Video

Her colleagues announced her death Monday during a broadcast.

“Sad news to share with you, our beloved friend and co-anchor Ana Orsini passed away unexpectedly last week,...

One of WWE's biggest stars has officially joined the cast for the upcoming Paramount+ series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

Per Variety, WWE superstar Becky Lynch has officially joined the cast for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, with the star confirming the news via her X account. Lynch, also known as "The Man," began her career in WWE over a decade ago and has become of the company's biggest draws in recent years. A trailblazer in her industry, Lynch holds the distinction of being in the first-ever women's main event in Wrestlemania history, the company's largest annual event. Lynch also starred as herself in the Showtime original series, Billions, and portrayed Cyndi Lauper in the NBC series, Young Rock.

Not your average average Starfleet officer! I'm beaming in to the first season of @StarTrek: Starfleet Academy on @ParamountPlus. pic.twitter.com/GlCCttnCIO— Rebecca Quin (@BeckyLynchWWE) December 16, 2024

Related 'She's Just Waiting!':...

The Sorrows of Young Werther took Europe by storm when it first released back in 1774. Now, 250 years later, writer/director José Lourenço has adapted the timeless novel for film with Young Werther, starring Douglas Booth in the title role. Werther is a young aristocrat who falls in love with Charlotte (Alison Pill). The only problem is, she's already engaged to another man (Patrick J. Adams), but Werther won't let such trivialities get in the way of his plan.

Young Werther marks the feature film debut of writer/director José Lourenço, though he's spent years cutting his teeth on short films and music videos. Young Werther distinguishes itself from other rom-coms thanks to its snappy but sophisticated dialogue, delivered with gravitas and grace by its actors, in particular Douglas Booth, who imbues his character with a palpable charm that makes him easy to root for, even if his ultimate plan is less than savory.

Twenty-five years after his epic return to filmmaking with The Thin Red Line, award-winning auteur Terrence Malick is still busy at work with an "endless energy," as one of the stars of his upcoming film recently told MovieWeb. The Way of the Wind is based on selections from the Bible and features a reliably impressive cast, as is the case with all of Malick's features. One of them is rising star Douglas Booth, who recently discussed Malick's unique filmmaking style with us in a new interview.

"He's a very special director. It was a great pleasure to work with him. I can't really say exactly what I was doing in the film because it's top secret, and I respect the way he works and the way he likes to keep things close to his chest," Booth told us, adding:

"But what I can say is he works in a very specific way,...

Before the Kevin Spacey scandal shook Hollywood and the mass media at large, the Oscar-winning actor had at least a few projects filmed and in the can. The most infamous of these is simple titled Gore, a Netflix film that may never see the light of day and cost the streamer roughly $40 million dollars after they decided to shelve the movie when allegations were levied against Spacey. The actor plays the eponymous Gore Vidal, a renowned American writer who died in 2012, and the film is said to chronicle a particular summer in Italy where Vidal takes a young man under his wing and teaches him lessons about life, love, and more.

The young man is played by Douglas Booth, who has kept busy with a number of other projects since Gore. MovieWeb spoke to Booth during his press blitz for his new film Young Werther, in which he plays the...

Star Trek: Picard fans hope the beloved eponymous character will "live long and prosper" beyond the three seasons of television that concluded last year. Alongside the timeless Patrick Stewart, the series featured an impressive cast that included Canadian actress Alison Pill, who played the beloved Dr. Agnes Jurati (as Trekkies are well aware). When it came time to tune into the third season's epic finale, however, Jurati was nowhere to be seen, despite fans' hopes that she would be brought back in some capacity. What happened? MovieWeb was fortunate enough to catch up with Pill recently, while the Scott Pilgrim star was promoting her exciting new rom-com Young Werther — and Pill weighed in on the Picard finale as well.

"I remember those discussions early on, and then, I think, as the scripts were written, they realized it was just too full," Pill told us in reflecting on what transpired behind the scenes.

Celebrated comedian and actress Mae Martin is changing the game in comedy and expanding beyond her standup talents into high-caliber television. Following Netflix's acclaimed Feel Good, her next highly anticipated project for the streamer is a miniseries called Wayward, which is "set in a bucolic town with secrets that are anything but pretty," according to Netflix. In addition to Martin, the cast features other big names such as Toni Collette (Juror No. 2) and Patrick J. Adams (Suits). The latter actor recently spoke to MovieWeb leading up to the release of his new film Young Werther and took the time to share about Wayward and Mae's talents.

"I have not yet even been told what I'm allowed to say or not, so I'll be very careful. But I will say Mae's a genius. And my time on that set, while pretty short, was wonderful," Adams told us. "It's an incredible group of people,...

In Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard, Alison Pill played cyberneticist Agnes Jurati, a role she reprised for Season 2, but with a bit of a different take. At the end of Season 2 of Picard, Jurati was assimilated by the Borg, becoming a new, not-so-evil Borg Queen. Now, per Screen Rant, the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World actress says she’d come back to Trek if she were called.

Pill is currently starring in Young Werther, a romantic comedy from director José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço. She said she’s not under any type of contract to return but would be open to the prospect of coming back to the Star Trek franchise.

“If I was on a retainer, I could pay my mortgage and just wait for Star Trek to call!” Pill said. “Then I could spend summers eating gelato! No, there is no retainer. But I would happily revisit Jurati Borg Queen any time.

Star Trek: Picard’s Borg Queen actor Alison Pill addresses whether she would return to the franchise, while expressing uncertainty about her character’s fate. Pill played ever-flustered Daystrom Institute cyberneticist Agnes Jurati in Picard season 1, fueling divided fan reaction. Agnes was back for season 2 despite her detractors, and saw her story take a major twist when she was assimilated by the Borg, becoming a new, potentially non-villainous Borg Queen. Picard season 4 is not yet confirmed, leaving the Borg Queen’s fate very much up in the air.

Currently starring in the down-to-earth romantic-comedy Young Werther, Pill revealed exclusively to ScreenRant that she’s keen to play Jurati/The Borg Queen again, but assured she’s not on a retainer just waiting to hear from Alex Kurtzman and company:

If I was on a retainer, I could pay my mortgage and just wait for Star Trek to call! Then...

It's all about nabbing the rights in Hollywood, isn't it? If you follow the headlines offered by the trades, you're constantly learning which hit novel has just been scooped up by a major studio or filmmaker for adaptation to the big screen. These days, it's usually concerning a more recent bestseller, but there remain myriad centuries-old works that have yet to be translated into the cinematic medium, or reinterpreted for the modern era. It doesn't even matter if a work has been adapted before. For instance, The Sorrows of Young Werther was made into several forgotten, foreign-language titles, including a German period drama back in 1976, but that's a far cry from the new film Young Werther, a modernized rom-com spin on the Romantic classic.

Filmmaker José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço's film is a clever, heartfelt, upbeat, and downright funny reimagining of the source material. MovieWeb recently caught up with...

Alison Pill hasn't been seen in the Star Trek franchise since her character on Star Trek: Picard, Dr. Agnes Jurati, joined with the Borg Queen to stop an invasion. The combined pair created the first Borg Queen that ever worked with the Federation instead of against it. That was at the end of the second season of Picard. The third season of the series focused on bringing in more of the characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation and didn't have the budget to include the original Picard stars. So Dr. Jurati didn't return, but that doesn't mean Alison Pill isn't open to jumping back into the universe.

When speaking with Screenrant about her new role in Young Werther, she was asked whether she was on retainer for Star Trek so that she could be called if she was needed. "No, there's no retainer," she said, "but I would happily...

A literary classic gets revived with Young Werther, based on the 1774 novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The film takes the basic outline of the original story and updates it for modern sensibilities. Douglas Booth stars as the title character, a wealthy young man of the the leisure class who falls in love with Charlotte, played by Alison Pill. The only problem: she's already engaged to another man (Patrick J. Adams). Undeterred, Werther decides to embark on a misguided quest to steal Charlotte's heart.

Alison Pill is best known to genre fans for her roles in classic pop culture franchises such as Star Trek and Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. She also notably appeared in Bong Joon Ho's Snowpiercer and had a small, but pivotal, role in M. Night Shyamalan's latest film, Trap. In Young Werther, she gets to play an object of romantic lust, but doesn't play...

A literary classic gets a 21st-century coat of paint with Young Werther, based on the 1774 novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther. The film loosely follows the plot of the book, but has been updated to reflect 2024 sensibilities. Douglas Booth (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) stars as the title character, an aristocratic young fop who falls in love with a young woman. The only problem is that she's already engaged to be married to a pretty great guy. Thus, Werther embarks on a quest to win his beloved's heart, whether she's interested or not.

While an inherently unlikable figure on a less-than-righteous mission, Young Werther is nonetheless an endearing story thanks to the script by writer-director José Lourenço and a winning performance by Booth, who imbues the character with an old-timey charm, quick wit, and good-natured harmlessness, even when trying to steal a woman from her fiancé.

Related Young Werther Review:...

Arguably one of the most insufferable protagonists in literature is the title figure in Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s “The Sorrows of Young Werther” — a martyr to unrequited love who ultimately commits suicide. The author soon distanced himself from this early work, despite the fame it brought him. No doubt that was largely because the fuel it provided for the subsequent Romantic movement (which he disdained) proved so flammable; there arose real-life cases of copycat self-annihilation amongst readers who fancied themselves as theatrically bereft as his hero.

Few beyond academics now are likely to recall the huge cultural impact the book had a quarter-millennium ago. Still, you needn’t be savvy to that historical footnote to enjoy the new “Young Werther” — though it does help. “Based on the smash hit 1774 novel of tragic romance,” as opening onscreen text announces, Jose Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenco’s debut feature is a confident, clever update.

Young Werther is a new romantic comedy based on the classic smash hit novel of tragic romance, albeit with a modern spin. One of the year's funniest movies, its characters are complex and the dialogue is incredibly rich.

Taking on the title role of Werther in this engrossing adaptation of the 1774 novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is Douglas Booth.

Many of you will know him best for his roles in Jupiter Ascending, The Dirt, and Great Expectations; however, the English actor is about to break into the world of comic book adaptations with season 2 of Netflix's The Sandman. 

Booth will play Cluracan, a courtier in the court of the Queen of Faerie and the brother to Nuala, who was given to Dream as a gift from his queen. Often drunk, and with a propensity to offend others even when sober, he nevertheless has...

"Cool story, man." The 2010 cult-classic film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is chock-full of one-liners and beloved, riotous characters, including the gloriously deadpan Kim. The drummer and ex-girlfriend to Scott is played to perfection by Alison Pill, helping to bring to life the delicious ensemble first laid out in Bryan Lee O'Malley's iconic graphic-novel series. The creator was then heavily involved in Edgar Wright's acclaimed film adaptation — and next came the highly anticipated anime series on Netflix. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off has been perceived to be a one-and-done sort of project, but, of course, we're itching for more. MovieWeb was fortunate to catch up with Pill, who had reunited with her film co-stars for the animated show, to gather any additional insight into the thrilling franchise's future. She told us:

"I haven't heard about anything more recently. We have this email chain with all of our cast on it,...