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U.K. production, sales and distribution outfit Signature Entertainment has acquired the U.K. and Irish rights to action sci-fi movie World-Breaker starring Luke Evans (The Hobbit), Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil), and Billie Boullet (A Small Light) from The Exchange. The news comes as the film wraps production in Northern Ireland and the Cannes Film Festival and market kicked off.

The feature, produced by Bradley Gallo (Wild Mountain Thyme), Michael A. Helfant (The Call), Martin Brennan (One Way), Jib Polhemus (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), and Tracy Mercer (Madam Secretary), is directed by Brad Anderson (The Machinist) from a script written by Joshua Rollins (Infinite Storm). It follows a father and daughter who must escape a burning city and fight for survival while the human race faces a war with “vicious creatures from another dimension.”

Evans plays the father, Jovovich the mother, and Boullett the daughter.

The deal was negotiated between...

Milla Jovovich returns to the genre she knows so well with World Breaker. She stars opposite Luke Evans from Fast & Furious 6 and Dracula Untold. Brad Anderson is in the director’s chair for this science-fiction film. Anderson is known for such bleak projects as Session 9, The Machinist (which famously had Christian Bale lose a scary amount of weight prior to playing Batman) and Transsiberian. He has been dabbling in TV over the recent years, having directing for shows like Titans, The Man in the High Castle and Peacemaker.

The synopsis for World Breaker, according to Deadline, reads,

“Five years ago, a tear in the fabric of reality brought creatures to our world from an alternate dimension bent on our destruction. A father hides his daughter on an island to keep her safe while he prepares her for survival and the battles to come. But when the world is about to break,...

Actress Naomi Watts poses for "Tatler" magazine, wearing Giambattista Valli, Valentino, Stéphane Rolland and a whole lot more, photographed by Daniel Sachon:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002).

She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another Academy Award nomination for 'Best Actress'.

Helsinki-based production company It’s Alive Films has boarded upcoming “Copernicus Secrets” as ca o-producer, joining Orka Studio’s Magdalena Zimecka (Poland) and 4film’s Anita Juka (Croatia.)

Recently, Orka co-produced Naomi Watts survival drama “Infinite Storm” by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert, as well as Marta Minorowicz’s “Illusion.”

“We like to try new things and we have never been involved in this kind of co-production before. Copernicus was an intellectual giant, whose vision had a tremendous effect on modern science. In a way, this story has been relevant since the 15th century,” said Finland’s Jani Pösö.

Running It’s Alive Films alongside director and longtime collaborator Teemu Nikki, Pösö is also behind “Euthanizer,” Finland’s 2018 Oscar submission, Venice-winning “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic” or children’s film “Snot & Splash – The Mystery of Disappearing Holes,” starring Pekka Strang.

Currently, the duo is shopping their new feature “100 Liters of Gold.

Luke Evans and Milla Jovovich are attached to lead the sci-fi action thriller “World Breaker,” which will be directed by Brad Anderson. The Exchange is handling international sales and will introduce the cast to buyers at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Evans, whose credits include “Beauty and the Beast,” is coming off a starring role in “Backstairs Billy” in the West End. He and Jovovich, best known for the “Resident Evil” franchise, previously starred together in “The Three Musketeers.” Anderson’s credits include “The Call,” “Beirut” and “The Silent Hour.”

The film centers on a father and his daughter. Five years previously, a tear in the fabric of reality brought creatures to our world from an alternate dimension bent on our destruction. The father hides his daughter on an island to keep her safe, while he prepares her for survival and the battles to come. But no place is safe.

Clockwise from top left: Infinite Storm (Bleecker Street), Monica (IFC Films), The Abyss (20th Century Fox), Mercy Road (Well Go USA Entertainment)Image: The A.V. Club

For February, Hulu brings home a bunch of under-the-radar indie offerings as well as at least one big-budget movie that has proved elusive on streaming services.

Actress Naomi Watts poses for the February 2024 issue of “Marie Claire” (Australia) magazine:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002).

She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another Academy Award nomination for 'Best Actress'. She appeared in "Birdman" (2014), "St. Vincent...

Brad Anderson (Session 9, The Machinist) will unleash monsters from another dimension in the upcoming World Breaker, a project first announced by Deadline this morning.

The Exchange is launching international sales rights on the sci-fi action film, and will “introduce the title to international buyers at AFM with the producers retaining domestic rights.”

In the upcoming World Breaker, “Five years ago, a tear in the fabric of reality brought creatures to our world from an alternate dimension bent on our destruction. A father hides his daughter on an island to keep her safe while he prepares her for survival and the battles to come.

“But when the world is about to break, no place is safe.”

Joshua Rollins (Infinite Storm) wrote the screenplay.

“Brad consistently crafts theatrical thrillers with fantastic performances. We know he will deliver a very commercial and entertaining movie and we couldn’t be more excited to...

Actress Naomi Watts poses for the November 2023 issue of "Tatler" magazine, wearing Giambattista Valli, Valentino, Stéphane Rolland and a whole lot more, photographed by Daniel Sachon:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002).

She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts...

Variety has been given access to the teaser (below) for “Murals,” an immersive 3D documentary that has its world premiere on May 18 at Cannes Next, a sidebar to the Marché du Film in Cannes.

The experience, which is created in Unreal Engine and displayed on LED screens, features murals by Banksy, created following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The project was initiated by Artem Ivanenko, a 3D artist from Irpin, Ukraine, which was one of the first towns to be hit during the Russian invasion. Later, when the Russians withdrew, Ivanenko returned to Irpin to record the devastating destruction using 3D scanning.

The directors are Alex Topaller and Dan Shapiro of the New York-based production company Aggressive, alongside Ivanenko. Spain’s Tigrelab handled art direction and CG/Unreal animation.

In a statement, the filmmakers said: “An audacious war of conquest is being waged in the heart of Europe, a criminal,...

First-time writer-director Malika Musaeva is set to make history at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, where her female-centered coming-of-age drama “The Cage is Looking for a Bird” is the first Chechen-language film ever selected by the venerable German fest.

Musaeva’s debut, which world premieres Feb. 22 in the festival’s competitive Encounters section, focuses on a group of Chechen women living in a remote rural village, where they must defend their freedom and the right to live their own lives.

At the film’s heart is a friendship between two teenage girls, played by first-time actors Khadizha Bataeva and Madina Akkieva. On the precipice of adulthood, the duo seeks refuge in each other as they navigate difficult decisions about their futures.

“The Cage is Looking for a Bird” is produced by Hype Studios, the recently launched outfit of producer Ilya Stewart, whose upcoming slate includes new features from...

Polish directorial duo Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert have set drama “Let Me Out” as their next film.

Spanning 45 years, the film will focus on Adam, trying to be a good husband and father in a small town in Poland. But Adam starts to feel increasingly uncomfortable in his body, one that doesn’t reflect his true identity — as a woman, Aniela.

Produced by No-Mad Films — a collaboration of Madants and Nowhere — it stars Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik and “Cold War” breakout Joanna Kulig, recently seen in Berlinale opener “She Came to Me.”

Both actors have collaborated with Szumowska before, on her films “Body,” for which Szumowska won a Berlinale Silver Bear, and “Elles.”

“People’s knowledge of that subject is still very limited — old stereotypes persist. It will be a difficult film and a sensitive subject, but therefore very important,” says Szumowska, admitting the duo has been thinking about the story...

Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content to catch up on this winter awards season? That’s because you’re not wrong, there is a ton to sift through. As the Golden Globes prepares to reveal their nominations on Monday, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has put together a final tally of TV series and motion pictures that were eligible for awards consideration this year — and Variety has those numbers.

According to the HFPA, there were 211 series eligible for best TV drama in 2022, and 127 series in the running for best musical or comedy. In the race for limited series, anthology series or TV movie, there were 121 contenders. (That’s a total of 459 programs.)

On the film side, the most recent tally for best motion picture saw 170 for drama, 83 for musical or comedy, 20 in animated and 115 in the running for non-English language. Add it up, and that’s 388 films.

The...

Poland’s American Film Festival readies for its — lucky — 13th edition, unspooling Nov. 8-13 in Wrocław.

The fest, which will open with “Bones and All” and close with Florian Zeller’s “The Son,” will once again combine classics with contemporary titles, for instance pairing Nancy Buirski’s doc “Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy” with John Schlesinger’s Oscar-winner, or introducing retrospectives dedicated to Robert Altman and Nina Menkes.

Menkes — behind “Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power” — will also get Aff’s Indie Star Award. Previous recipients include Todd Solondz, David Gordon Green, Hal Hartley, Whit Stillman, Rosanna Arquette and John Waters, who came to Poland last year.

“It was amazing,” Waters tells Variety, and he was “pleasantly surprised and flattered” by the local audience’s knowledge of his work.

“They really knew who I was! My favorite thing happened during a Q&a, when this man, who looked like an old Communist,...

Take a look at actress Naomi Watts posing for "Harper’s Bazaar (Taiwan)” magazine:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002). She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another Academy Award nomination for 'Best Actress'. She appeared in "Birdman...

Take a look at actress Naomi Watts posing for "Harper’s Bazaar" (Taiwan) magazine:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002). She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another Academy Award nomination for 'Best Actress'. She appeared in "Birdman...

Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” described by Variety as “a fizzy, delirious, impishly energized, compulsively watchable 2-hour-and-39-minute fever dream,” is set to open the 37th Guadalajara Int’l Film Festival (Ficg) on June 10.

The biopic starring Austin Butler as Elvis opposite Tom Hanks as his controversial manager, received a rousing 12-minute standing ovation at Cannes, the longest at this year’s edition.

The Festival closes June 18 with Mexico’s own musical icons, Los Tigres del Norte, in the documentary “Los Tigres del Norte: Historias que contar,” by Carlos Pérez Osorio (“Las Cronicas del Taco”), with its band members descending on Guadalajara to present it.

The documentary debuts on Prime Video the day before but it’s all about bringing back the in-person theatrical experience, said festival director Estrella Araiza.

Ficg has managed to push through the pandemic and the current government’s indifference to culture and subsequent budget cuts. Nevertheless,...

Exclusive: Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 Films has acquired international rights (outside of China) to the dark comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, from director Halina Reijn (Instinct).

The film is billed as a fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong. It watches as a game goes awry, when a group of rich 20-somethings arrive for a hurricane party at a remote family mansion. Amandla Stenberg (The Hate U Give), Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), Myha’la Herrold (HBO’s Industry), Chase Sui Wonders (HBO’s Generation), Rachel Sennott (Shiva Baby), Lee Pace (Halt and Catch Fire) and Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island) star.

Bodies Bodies Bodies premiered to critical acclaim at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival and is slated for release in the U.S. on August 5th via A24. The film is Reijn’s second on the heels of the thriller Instinct, which was...

Take a look at new images of Australian actress Naomi Watts posing for the latest issue of "As If" magazine, photographed by Tatijana Shoan:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002). She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another...

As quickly as The Lost City claimed to top of the box-office weekend seven days ago, it was displaced this weekend by newcomer Morbius by 24.3 million.

During its debut weekend, the Jared Leto vehicle brought in 39.1 million as Morbius finished in a solid first place despite not-so-positive reviews. Displaced to the second spot was last week’s top film, The Lost City which garnered 14.8 million and lifted its two-week tally to 54.6 million. The Batman, despite dropping a spot to third, still took in 10.8 million in its fifth weekend of release to raise its total to 349 million which managed to add another 1.6 million over the last three days to raise the film’s two-week total to 11.1 million. Moving up one spot to land in seventh place was Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home which added another 1.4 million to lift its sixteen-week total to 802.7 million as it moves ever so closer to...

Exclusive: Ryan Murphy and Plan B have set a second installment of their FX anthology series Feud. Titled Capote’s Women, the project will star two-time Oscar nominee Naomi Watts as Babe Paley who ruled the glamorous world of New York society in the 1960s and 70s. Two-time Oscar nominee Gus Van Sant is set to direct all eight episodes, with Tony and Pulitzer-nominated Jon Robin Baitz, who put together the high-profile package, writing all episodes and serving as showrunner.

An adaptation of Laurence Leamer’s bestselling book “Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era,” the miniseries is set in the 1970s, and ends with Truman Capote’s death in 1984. It chronicles the tale of the famous wunderkind author as he stabs several of his female friends — whom he called his “swans” — in the back by publishing a roman à clef...

Photo: ‘Infinite Storm’ In October of 2010, Pam Bales set off on a solo hike to the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. She had grown up in the mountains and knew how to read and understand the weather conditions, so she knew that they were far from safe that day. Bales quotes the conditions on Mt. Washington as “the world’s worst weather”, a claim that’s supported by the over 150 lives lost on the mountain in 150 years. These statistics give the mountain a comfortable spot on the world’s deadliest list. Still, Bales set out. She was an experienced climber and a volunteer search and rescuer, she was comfortable with the area and wanted to train with a heavy pack. So, she filled her pack with extra layers and plenty of hot chocolate and set out. Related article: Oscar-nominated - Exclusive: 'Dune' Full Commentary, Reactions, Making Of - Timothee Chalamet,...

The harrowing real-life survival tale "Infinite Storm" is now playing in theaters everywhere. The movie, which stars Naomi Watts, Billy Howle, Denis O'Hare, and Parker Sawyers, tells the extraordinary story of search and rescue officer Pam Bales and her heroic rescue of a hiker from a mountaintop. We got the chance to speak with Watts, the real-life Pam Bales, and director Małgorzata Szumowska about the challenges of making the film, the real-life storm that drove them off a mountain, avoiding flashbacks, and more.

The movie does an amazing job of depicting the selfless dedication of search and rescue workers like Pam. What...

The post Infinite Storm Star Naomi Watts and Director Małgorzata Szumowska on Shooting in the Wilds of Slovenia [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

For the first time in nearly a month the box-office weekend had a new film atop its leaderboard as The Lost City bested The Batman by $10.5 million to claim the top spot.

In its first weekend of release, The Lost City took in $31 million to wrench the number one spot away from the Warner Bros. behemoth which finished in second place with $20.5 million. Still, The Batman sports a four-week total of $332 million as it moved to #68 on the top domestic grosses of all time. Third place was claimed by newcomer Rrr (Rise Roar Revolt) which debuted to the tune of $9.5 million over the weekend. Dropping a spot to finish in fourth was Uncharted from Sony Pictures which added $5 million over the weekend to lift the film’s six-week total to $133.6 million. Last week’s second-place film, Gekijouban Jujutsu Kaisen 0, fell a few spots to land in fifth place over the weekend with $4.6 million.

Just when it seemed like the endless cycle of franchises and superheroes had eclipsed old-fashioned star power at the box office once and for all, Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s rom-com adventure The Lost City proved that there is still room for tried-and-true Hollywood A-listers at the multiplex (there’s even a Brad Pitt cameo). The Paramount crowd-pleaser—which appealed to many as a fizzy, modern-day riff on 1984’s Michael Douglas-Kathleen Turner classic, Romancing the Stone—racked up a better-than-predicted 31 million in its debut frame during Oscars weekend, finally toppling The Batman from the top spot after the Caped Crusader’s three-week reign.

While industry Nostradamuses had pegged the screwball jungle comedy, about a bestselling female author, a dopey, muscle-head of a cover model, and a fabled city containing a legendary treasure, as opening in the low-to-mid 20s, The Lost City turned out to be an even more pleasant surprise.

Since this is Oscar weekend, we’ll have to see how this year’s ceremony affects the box office on Sunday night, but according to estimates, Paramount Pictures’ action-comedy “The Lost City” starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum has trounced the competition. Directed by Adam and Aaron Nee, the original comedy took in $2.5 million in Thursday previews, which added up to an $11.6 million Friday. The movie ended up with an estimated $31 million over the weekend, which is just a few million less than the opening of Bullock’s rom-com “The Proposal” with Ryan Reynolds and the sports drama “The Blind Side,” for which she won an Oscar.

SEEGroup hug! ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ becomes only 3rd movie to gross $800 million domestically

That makes Tatum one of two actors with two movies in the top 10 this weekend, as his MGM release “Dog” took in another $2.1 million, a 47% drop from last week down to seventh place.

The new spark of life that the specialty box office saw last weekend has found more momentum this weekend with the release of A24’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which was released in 10 theaters this weekend and has earned the best per theater average of any film since “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

A24 reported an estimated total of $509,659 for an average of just under $51,000 for the weekend. By comparison, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” had a per screen average of just under $60,000 thanks to its historic $260 million opening in wide release in December.

Meanwhile, A24 opted to take the traditional path with a platform launch for “Everything Everywhere” after the film won overwhelming acclaim from its premiere at SXSW in Austin. The result is the best average for a limited release film since MGM’s Oscar contender “Licorice Pizza” earned $55,832 during its initial New York/Los Angeles run in early December.

Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s screwball romantic comedy “The Lost City” collected $31 million at North American theaters over the weekend, a promising sign that Netflix hasn’t completely seized on the meet-cute market.

Of course, Paramount, which is behind “The Lost City,” did not rely only on positive reviews — or the tease of Tatum’s bare behind — to fuel ticket sales. The on-screen chemistry between Bullock and Tatum, who were inescapable on social media, billboards and in trailers while promoting the film, were key in getting audiences to cinemas. That’s a huge accomplishment in an era where familiar franchises have been dictating commercial success. At the same time, “The Lost City,” an original adventure that has been described as “Romancing the Stone” meets “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” indicates that romantic comedies haven’t entirely fallen out of favor with moviegoers.

“This is an excellent opening,” says David A. Gross,...

White Woman in a Blizzard: Szumowska Pitts Watts Against the Elements in True Life Trauma Drama

Polish director Małgorzata Szumowska unleashes her tenth narrative feature (and second English language production) Infinite Storm with the grim, breakneck precision of a celebrated surgeon who knows how to cut right to the quick of characterization. Considering she’s shot six features, dabbled in short film and television (not to mention serving on a major film festival jury) all in the past seven years, the quality and quantity of her output is impressive. Her latest is based on the life of a woman named Pam Bales, who saved a resistant stranger stranded with her during a deadly blizzard on a desolate mountainside.…...

While they’re perennial favorites, snowy survival dramas are having a moment right now. In the past month, we’ve been offered five of them from various distributors, including Hulu‘s “No Exit,” Netflix’s “Against the Ice,” and now, the nearly-silent thriller “Infinite Storm” from Bleecker Street. This gripping, taciturn thriller set in a frozen landscape isn’t necessarily any different from the other titles, but the well-crafted drama is a good reminder of how tangible atmosphere can transcend predictable narrative.

Continue reading ‘Infinite Storm’ Review: Naomi Watts Chills In This Wintry Survival Drama at The Playlist.

As Hollywood events return to full force in New York and Los Angeles amid the coronavirus pandemic, here’s a look at this week’s (non-Oscar) biggest premieres, parties and openings, including red carpets for Atlanta season three, Moon Knight, The Lost City and Everything Everywhere All At Once.

The Lost City L.A. Premiere

After debuting in Austin, the Paramount adventure rom-com continued onto Los Angeles with a Monday night premiere in Westwood, sans Channing Tatum but joined by stars Sandra Bullock, Daniel Radcliffe, Bowen Yang, Oscar Nunez, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Patti Harrison.

Moon Knight Launch Event

Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke premiered their new Marvel series Moon Knight at a Los Angeles launch event on Tuesday, which follows Isaac as the mercenary Marc Spector, a character who is granted the powers of an Egyptian moon god while also struggling with dissociative identity disorder (Did).

iHeartRadio Music Awards

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A24’s SXSW opener Everything Everywhere All At Once, Bleecker Street’s Infinite Storm and Sony Pictures Classics’ Mothering Sunday offer something that’s been rare of late at the specialty box office, fresh content and choice.

They’re in a market with only one new studio wide release, Paramount’s The Lost City with Channing Tatum and Sandra Bullock. And if that film does okay it’s a nice win for everyone, said a specialty distribution executive, since it appeals to an older and female demo that’s been hard to win back to theaters. He’s got fingers crossed that the variant of the Omicron variant won’t make a new dent in the very slowly reviving market for non-superhero films. He and others have noted week after week that no specialty recovery is really possible in any case without the consistent flow of new content that we’re just starting to see.

Naomi Watts in Bleecker Street’s Infinite Storm Credit: Bleecker Street

It’s said truth is stranger than fiction, and one strange tale based on true facts inspired Infinite Storm, a drama about a lone woman trying to rescue a stranded man in a snowstorm the wintry New Hampshire mountains.

Pam Bales (Naomi Watts), a fit woman in her 50s, is headed up into to the New Hampshire mountains to climb a peak, Mt. Washington, even though the forecast looks brutal for that November day. Stopping by a cafe to fill her thermos with hot cocoa before the climb, the cafe owner (Dennis O’Hare) tries to talk her out of it. But she is determined, reminding him it is a special date, an anniversary perhaps, although we sense it is not a happy one. A glimpse of a patch on her gear lets us know she is with a search-and-rescue operation,...

The Batman crossed $300 million domestic on Sunday and $600 million worldwide earlier this week, and it will soon fly past the grosses of Batman v Superman ($330 million) and Joker ($335 million) to become the third highest grossing Batman film domestically behind The Dark Knight ($535 million) and The Dark Knight Rises ($448 million). The Robert Pattinson starring reboot doesn’t seem likely to pass Tdkr, but ending up as the biggest non-Nolan Batman film is a nice feather in its cap, as is being the second biggest pandemic-era film. There has been little else going on at the box office this month, but after three weeks of total dominance, The Batman finally faces a formidable box office challenger this weekend.

Though it could be a tight race, we’re expecting Paramount’s star-studded adventure rom-com The Lost City to dethrone the caped crusader for the number one spot, and the studio predicts an opening...

There’s a beautiful tale of grief and rebirth at the center of Malgorzata Szumowska’s Infinite Storm. The only reason Pam Bales (Naomi Watts) hiked up Mt. Washington despite warnings of blizzards and extreme temperatures that November day is because, as she tells her friend (Denis O’Hare), “It’s cheaper than therapy.” This has been her ritual on the anniversary of her daughters’ death. She climbs. She remembers. She mourns without the threat of anyone trying to comfort or pity her in a moment of self-reflection and, warranted or not, blame. Maybe she does it for the release. Maybe for the silence. Or perhaps Pam goes up that mountain knowing she might not come back because she’s okay with it. It wouldn’t be suicide, but it might bring peace.

Whether what Szumowska puts onscreen is as accurate an account of Pam’s harrowing day or not doesn’t,...

Has a movie ever been improved by the insistence that it’s “based on a true story”? More often than not, these pronouncements feel as if they’re doing less to contextualize the actual films that follow than they are to compensate for them — that they’re insisting upon a degree of importance that the rest of their running times don’t justify and/or pleading for a suspension of disbelief that the rest of their running times don’t earn.

The dangers hardly stop there: Malgorzata Szumowska’s “Infinite Storm” is an unusual reminder that such an approach also runs the risk of provoking the exact opposite effect. Remarkable as the true story behind this emotionally detached survival drama might be, the non-fiction label it staples to itself during the opening credits steels viewers for an urgency that never develops, and limits them to .

Here are the facts: At...

Naomi Watts has had a penchant for highly physical roles unusual among female stars not particularly associated with action movies. It made her acrobatics the most special effect amidst so many CG wonders in Peter Jackson’s “King Kong,” and a vividly plausible victim of grueling crises in films like “Funny Games” and “The Impossible.” Of course, one can always get too much of a good thing, as when recent, regrettable “The Desperate Hour” seemed to reduce the hot-button topic of school shootings to a gimmicky “Watch this fearless actress run the gamut of emotions while Jogging!”

Fortunately, there is nothing gratuitous about the physicality demanded of Watts by “Infinite Storm,” which is based on a real-life incident that took place in New Hampshire’s White Mountains a dozen years ago. Visually splendid, Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska’s second English-language feature (following 2019’s “The Other Lamb”) is an impressive outdoor...

The female demographic has shown to be one of the more reluctant to return to cinemas during the pandemic, but that is about to change this weekend with Paramount’s The Lost City, which is eyeing a mid-$20M start, possibly $30M+, at 4,228 theaters. The pic is 89% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Sandra Bullock-Channing Tatum-Brad Pitt-Daniel Radcliffe romantic adventure comedy is the first of six major studio releases, one of which will open wide every Friday through April 22. Remember how vibrant October was with a major opener every weekend? Well, that’s what’s in the cards as we head into spring with Sony/Marvel’s Morbius on April 1, Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on April 8, Warner Bros.’ Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore on April 15 and two on April 22: Lionsgate’s Nicolas Cage satire The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and...

After three weeks atop domestic box office charts, “The Batman” will face competition from a nearly endangered Hollywood species: movie stars.

At a time when familiar franchises, not big-name talent, have been dictating commercial success, Paramount is banking on the combined wattage of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum to lure audiences to “The Lost City,” a screwball romantic comedy that opens in theaters this weekend and harkens back to a genre that has mostly fallen out of favor with moviegoers.

Buoyed by strong reviews and A-list actors, including a cameo from Brad Pitt and villainous turn from Daniel Radcliffe, “The Lost City” is expected to earn a promising $20 million in its opening weekend. Those ticket sales would put the film in an extremely close race against “The Batman” for first place.

After “The Batman,” a superhero adventure featuring Robert Pattinson as Gotham’s fiercest defender, collected $36 million last weekend, the...

Naomi Watts is no half-measures actor, as attested by her resume of vividly drawn women struggling with forces natural (“The Impossible”), unnatural (“King Kong”), and soul-crushingly internal (“21 Grams”).

For Watts, it’s as if psychic pain is a renewable resource for her characterization skills, and of late, she seems to have specialized in the dark allure of imperiled solitude, having played a paranoid urban shut-in (“The Wolf Hour”) and an isolated mom (“The Desperate Hour”) with all the physicality and interiority they require, whether or not the movies around her are any good.

Watts brings that same full-body intensity to Polish filmmaker Malgorzata Szumowska’s “Infinite Storm,” a yikes-y title which is also not a bad way to categorize the totality of her often relentlessly stricken characters. And like with “The Impossible,” she’s bringing a true story to life, playing Pam Bales, a registered nurse and mountain guide...

Take a look at actress Naomi Watts posing for "Harper’s Bazaar (Taiwan)” magazine:

Watts made her film debut in the Australian drama "For Love Alone" (1986), then appeared in the Australian TV series "Hey Dad..!" (1990), "Brides of Christ" (1991), "Home and Away" (1991), followed by the film "Flirting" (1991).

In the US, Watts obtained parts in the films "Tank Girl" (1995), "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering" (1996), "Dangerous Beauty" (1998) and the TV series "Sleepwalkers" (1997–1998).

Watts played an aspiring actress in director David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and starred in the horror remake of "The Ring" (2002). She subsequently received an Oscar nomination as a grief-stricken mother in Alejandro González Iñárritu's "21 Grams" (2003). Her next films include "I Heart Huckabees" (2004), "King Kong" (2005), "Eastern Promises" (2007) and "The International" (2009).

For her role as 'Maria Bennett' in the disaster film "The Impossible" (2012), Watts received another Academy Award nomination for 'Best Actress'. She appeared in "Birdman" (2014), "St. Vincent...

Infinite Storm Trailer — Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert‘s Infinite Storm (2022) movie trailer has been released by Bleecker Street Films. The Infinite Storm trailer stars Naomi Watts, Billy Howle, Sophie Okonedo, Denis O’Hare, and Parker Sawyers. . Crew Joshua Rollins wrote the screenplay for Infinite Storm. Vanja Sepec conducted the casting for the film. Manca [...]

Continue reading: Infinite Storm (2022) Movie Trailer: Naomi Watts Finds Billy Howle lost during a Blizzard on a Mountain...

Hulu has debuted a new trailer from the upcoming limited series ‘The Girl from Plainville’ starring Elle Fanning.

Inspired by the true story of Michelle Carter’s unprecedented “texting-suicide” case. Based on the Esquire article of the same name by Jesse Barron, the limited series explores Carter’s relationship with Conrad Roy III and the events that led to his death and, later, her conviction of involuntary manslaughter.

The series stars Elle Fanning (Michelle Carter), Chloë Sevigny (Lynn Roy), Colton Ryan (Conrad “Coco” Roy III), Cara Buono (Gail Carter), Kai Lennox (David Carter), and Norbert Leo Butz (Conrad “Co” Roy II).

Written and executive produced by co-showrunners Liz Hannah and Patrick Macmanus (“Dr. Death”), and also executive produced by Fanning and Echo Lake’s Brittany Kahan Ward.

Also in trailers – Naomi Watts stars in trailer for ‘Infinite Storm’

The show premieres on Hulu with three episodes Tuesday, March 29, 2022.

The post...

Palm Springs International Film Society announced today that the annual Palm Springs International ShortFest, one of the largest showcases of short-form cinema in North America, will return with in-person screenings June 21-27. For this year’s edition veteran programmer, Sudeep Sharma will act as interim 2022 ShortFest Director, with the planned maternity leave of Psiff Artistic Director Lili Rodriguez.

“Sudeep’s been an excellent collaborator, holding key roles at ShortFest for close to a decade,’” said Artistic Director Lili Rodriguez. “He cares deeply about the festival and understands what makes it special. We’re thrilled that he’s at the helm for 2022.”

Since 2014 Sharma has served as director of programming for the Palm Springs International ShortFest. He has concurrently been a programmer for the Sundance Film Festival focusing on documentary feature films as well as many other festivals including LA Film Festival, Tribeca, AFI Fest, Aspen ShortsFest, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles,...

Bleecker Street has appointed Kyle Davies as the film company’s president of distribution.

In his new role, Davies will be responsible for spearheading the planning and execution of Bleecker Street’s theatrical movies. Its upcoming releases include “Infinite Storm” with Naomi Watts, “Montana Story” starring Haley Lu Richardson, “Mr. Malcolm’s List” featuring Freida Pinto and “Golda” starring Helen Mirren.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the team at Bleecker Street and share the energy and opportunity that exists within their sophisticated and diverse slate of independent films,” Davies said. “I’ve always admired Bleecker’s belief in the theatrical experience and approach in acquiring films for broad audiences. I look forward to being a part of their evolution.”

Prior to joining Bleecker Street, Davies most recently worked at Paramount Pictures as president of domestic distribution. During his tenure, he was responsible for rolling out films like the Elton John musical fantasy “Rocketman,...

Former Paramount Pictures head Kyle Davies has joined Bleecker Street as President of Distribution. In his new role, the veteran distribution executive will be responsible for spearheading the company’s theatrical distribution strategies, planning and execution as well as managing the wider distribution team.

Upcoming wide releases from Bleecker Street that he will oversee include Infinite Storm with Naomi Watts on March 25th; Montana Story with Haley Lu Richardson on May 13th; Emma Holly Jones’ Mr. Malcolm’s List with Freida Pinto on July 1st; James Ponsoldt’s Summering on July 15th; Dale Dickey’s A Love Song on July 29th; Abi Damaris Corbin’s 892 with John Boyega on August 26th; and Academy Award-winning director Guy Nattiv’s Golda starring Academy Award winner Helen Mirren, which has been slated for release later this year.

Davies was previously at Paramount Pictures, where he most recently served as President of Domestic Distribution.

Release slate includes Guy Nattiv’s upcoming Golda starring Helen Mirren.

In a coup for the company Bleecker Street has hired former Paramount executive Kyle Davies as president of distribution.

In the new role Davies will lead the company’s theatrical distribution strategies and manage the wider distribution team. He most recently served as president of domestic distribution at Paramount and worked across A Quiet Place, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Bumblebee, Rocketman, Arrival, Fences, Daddy’s Home 2 and Annihilation, among others.

Bleecker Street’s upcoming releases include Infinite Storm with Naomi Watts on March 25; Montana Story with Haley Lu Richardson on May 13; Emma Holly Jones’ Mr.

Bleecker Street has named Kyle Davies, a former executive with Paramount, as its new president of distribution, the company announced Wednesday.

Davies will lead Bleecker Street’s theatrical distribution strategies, planning and execution and manage the wider distribution team. He starts effective immediately and is based in Los Angeles.

He’ll be responsible for Bleecker’s upcoming release slate, which includes “Infinite Storm” with Naomi Watts later this month, “Montana Story” with Haley Lu Richardson on May 13, and James Ponsoldt’s “Summering” on July 15, among others.

Davies joins Bleecker Street from Paramount Pictures, where he most recently served as president of Domestic Distribution between 2016 and 2019. During his tenure, Davies was responsible for distribution strategy for films such as “Rocketman,” “A Quiet Place,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout,” “Bumblebee,” “Arrival” and “Fences.”

“Kyle has unparalleled relationships with exhibitors and a stellar track record in the theatrical distribution space. His perspective is very much...

A new trailer has arrived for the Naomi Watts led thriller ‘Infinite Storm.’

As an experienced climber (Watts) ascends Mt. Washington, she turns back before she reaches the summit as a huge blizzard approaches.

On her way down, she encounters a lone, stranded man, and takes it upon herself to get them both down the mountain before nightfall arrives and they succumb to the storm.

Based on a true story, the film is directed by Małgorzata Szumowska and also stars Billy Howle, Denis O’Hare, and Parker Sawyers.

Also in trailers – New trailer lands for ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’

Here’s the trailer.

The post Naomi Watts stars in trailer for ‘Infinite Storm’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

Caught in a blizzard with a stranger almost sounds like the perfect plot for a slapstick romantic comedy, but unfortunately for the characters at the center of "Infinite Storm," their windy adventures are neither light nor quirky. Instead, it errs on the side of life-changing near-death experiences — not a bad scenario for making a new connection, but certainly not ideal.

Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts and Billy Howle are the stars of this rescue thriller, which promises more than a few death-defying feats as an experienced climber (Watts) tries to keep herself and a stranded stranger (Howle) from being swallowed by...

The post Infinite Storm Trailer: Naomi Watts Battles A Blizzard With A Complete Stranger appeared first on /Film.