Movie News
Exclusive: It’s been a long time coming amid trickles of information that never were fully confirmed, but the Shelby family faithful can now wholly rejoice as the Peaky Blinders movie is officially moving forward. Netflix has greenlit a feature film that will star Oscar winner Cillian Murphy in a return to the iconic role of the Birmingham clan’s leader Tommy Shelby.
Tom Harper is directing the untitled film. Harper is no stranger to Peaky, having helmed the back half of Season 1.
Production is set to begin later this year from a script by Peaky creator Steven Knight. Producers are Caryn Mandabach, Knight, Murphy and Guy Heeley. Exec producers include Harper, David Kosse, Jamie Glazebrook, Andrew Warren and David Mason. The feature will be made in association with BBC Film.
Related: ‘Peaky Blinders’ Creator Steven Knight On Series Finale & How It...
Tom Harper is directing the untitled film. Harper is no stranger to Peaky, having helmed the back half of Season 1.
Production is set to begin later this year from a script by Peaky creator Steven Knight. Producers are Caryn Mandabach, Knight, Murphy and Guy Heeley. Exec producers include Harper, David Kosse, Jamie Glazebrook, Andrew Warren and David Mason. The feature will be made in association with BBC Film.
Related: ‘Peaky Blinders’ Creator Steven Knight On Series Finale & How It...
- 6/4/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Family fare was evidently the preferred choice during the U.K. and Ireland school half-term holidays as Paramount’s “If” bounced up the charts to the top spot.
In its third weekend, “If” collected £1.5 million ($2 million) for a total of £9.5 million ($12.2 million). In its second weekend, in second place, Sony’s “The Garfield Movie” clawed another £1.3 million and now has a total of £6.2 million.
In third place, in its fourth weekend, Disney’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” chest thumped to a further £1 million for a total of £13.2 million.
Warner Bros.’ “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” which was neck-and-neck with “Garfield” in its opening weekend, earned £963,976 in its second weekend in fourth place and now has a total of £4.5 million.
Rounding off the top five was Universal’s “The Fall Guy” that took in £524,320 in its fifth weekend for a total of £11.1 million.
There were three new entries in the Top 10. Warner Bros.
In its third weekend, “If” collected £1.5 million ($2 million) for a total of £9.5 million ($12.2 million). In its second weekend, in second place, Sony’s “The Garfield Movie” clawed another £1.3 million and now has a total of £6.2 million.
In third place, in its fourth weekend, Disney’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” chest thumped to a further £1 million for a total of £13.2 million.
Warner Bros.’ “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” which was neck-and-neck with “Garfield” in its opening weekend, earned £963,976 in its second weekend in fourth place and now has a total of £4.5 million.
Rounding off the top five was Universal’s “The Fall Guy” that took in £524,320 in its fifth weekend for a total of £11.1 million.
There were three new entries in the Top 10. Warner Bros.
- 6/4/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Elle Fanning is going from great to bad. The actor known for The Great is in talks to star in Badlands, a new movie set in The Predator universe, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The Badlands is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the filmmaker who revamped the franchise with the 20th Century and Hulu feature Prey, which was set in 1719 and starred breakout Amber Midthunder as a young Comanche woman pitted against an alien hunter. The film was a critical success and broke viewing records for Hulu.
Trachtenberg reteamed with Prey scribe Patrick Aison for the Badlands story, with Aison penning the script. THR reported in February that in addition to Badlands, 20th Century has a number of Predator projects in development, with Trachtenberg at the center of a growing universe. 20th Century had no comment.
Predator originated with the 1987 movie starring Schwarzenegger. It was followed by the Danny Glover starrer Predator 2,...
The Badlands is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the filmmaker who revamped the franchise with the 20th Century and Hulu feature Prey, which was set in 1719 and starred breakout Amber Midthunder as a young Comanche woman pitted against an alien hunter. The film was a critical success and broke viewing records for Hulu.
Trachtenberg reteamed with Prey scribe Patrick Aison for the Badlands story, with Aison penning the script. THR reported in February that in addition to Badlands, 20th Century has a number of Predator projects in development, with Trachtenberg at the center of a growing universe. 20th Century had no comment.
Predator originated with the 1987 movie starring Schwarzenegger. It was followed by the Danny Glover starrer Predator 2,...
- 6/3/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In a not-so-surprising twist, Sony's 'The Garfield Movie' overtook Warner Bros.' Mad Max prequel 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' to claim the top spot at the domestic box office this weekend. After an underwhelming Memorial Day weekend, the lazy, lasagna-loving cat pulled in $14 million from 4,108 theaters for a solid $51.5 million total after two weeks, bringing its worldwide gross to $152 million. Not a bad deal considering the film's $60 million price tag.
Meanwhile, 'Furiosa' fell to third place with $10.7 million, bringing the films domestic haul to a disappointing $49.6 million. Warner Bros.' had high hopes for George Miller’s action epic, with stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth headlining, and it has fared slightly better overseas with $64.7 million for a $114 million worldwide total. But like its predecessor, 2015's 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' its path to profitability looks increasingly rocky with a budget of $168 million. Wedged between 'Garfield' and 'Furiosa' was John Krasinski's family film flick 'IF.' The Paramount release collected $10.8 million in its third week for an $80.4 million domestic tally.
Notable new releases over the weekend include 'Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle,' the big screen anime adaptation of the popular manga with $3.5 million, and IFC Films’ slasher flick 'In a Violent Nature,' which brought in $2.1 million.
Overall, it was another disappointing weekend at the movies. With no major new releases, the total box office was down a sobering 65% compared to the same weekend last year. After an encouraging post-pandemic season in 2023—fueled by the blockbuster duo of 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer'—it’s a grim start to the summer movie season, with year-to-date revenues trailing 2023 by 24% so far. Hollywood is hoping the worst is behind it, though, as June and July have some (hopefully) guaranteed hits with Pixar’s 'Inside Out 2,' Illumination’s 'Despicable Me 4,' and the year's only Marvel movie, 'Deadpool & Wolverine.'
See all the weekend box office results at Box Office Mojo...
Meanwhile, 'Furiosa' fell to third place with $10.7 million, bringing the films domestic haul to a disappointing $49.6 million. Warner Bros.' had high hopes for George Miller’s action epic, with stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth headlining, and it has fared slightly better overseas with $64.7 million for a $114 million worldwide total. But like its predecessor, 2015's 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' its path to profitability looks increasingly rocky with a budget of $168 million. Wedged between 'Garfield' and 'Furiosa' was John Krasinski's family film flick 'IF.' The Paramount release collected $10.8 million in its third week for an $80.4 million domestic tally.
Notable new releases over the weekend include 'Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle,' the big screen anime adaptation of the popular manga with $3.5 million, and IFC Films’ slasher flick 'In a Violent Nature,' which brought in $2.1 million.
Overall, it was another disappointing weekend at the movies. With no major new releases, the total box office was down a sobering 65% compared to the same weekend last year. After an encouraging post-pandemic season in 2023—fueled by the blockbuster duo of 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer'—it’s a grim start to the summer movie season, with year-to-date revenues trailing 2023 by 24% so far. Hollywood is hoping the worst is behind it, though, as June and July have some (hopefully) guaranteed hits with Pixar’s 'Inside Out 2,' Illumination’s 'Despicable Me 4,' and the year's only Marvel movie, 'Deadpool & Wolverine.'
See all the weekend box office results at Box Office Mojo...
- 6/3/2024
- by IMDb Editors
- IMDb News
In a big show of confidence about the hopes for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” set to hit theaters in July and maybe save summer 2024 from the box-office doldrums, its director Shawn Levy (“Free Guy”) is apparently the first in line to be offered “Avengers 5,” formerly known as “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.” According to Deadline, Levy has emerged as the top choice for the director’s chair, and apparently ‘Avengers 5” screenwriter Michael Waldron (“Loki”) has given him the latest version of the script for his eyes only.
Continue reading ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Filmmaker Shawn Levy Enters The Mix To Possibly Direct ‘Avengers 5’ For Marvel at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Filmmaker Shawn Levy Enters The Mix To Possibly Direct ‘Avengers 5’ For Marvel at The Playlist.
- 6/4/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
The Newport Beach Film Festival will return to London Feb. 13 2025 for its U.K. Honors, recognizing outstanding work by British and Irish actors across film and television. The U.K. Honors will take place at Raffles London at The Owo in partnership with Variety, which will unveil Variety’s 10 Brits during the event, highlighting the best-emerging talent across the industry.
“For a quarter century the Newport Beach Film Festival has celebrated the incredible talent both in front of and behind the camera coming from the U.K. and Ireland,” said Gregg Schwenk, CEO and co-founder of the Newport Beach Film Festival. “We are extremely excited to be back in London and Raffles is a perfect location to spotlight these amazing artists.”
The categories for the U.K. honors include “Breakout,” which highlights early-career performances, “Artists of Distinction,” which celebrates captivating performances from a wide range of roles, and the “Icon Award,...
“For a quarter century the Newport Beach Film Festival has celebrated the incredible talent both in front of and behind the camera coming from the U.K. and Ireland,” said Gregg Schwenk, CEO and co-founder of the Newport Beach Film Festival. “We are extremely excited to be back in London and Raffles is a perfect location to spotlight these amazing artists.”
The categories for the U.K. honors include “Breakout,” which highlights early-career performances, “Artists of Distinction,” which celebrates captivating performances from a wide range of roles, and the “Icon Award,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
One of 2023’s blockbusters lands on the streamer, with Oscar in hand and more thrills than most Hollywood summer offerings
At a divisive time of much uncertainty and strife, a constant has emerged from the ocean to serve as a great uniter: Godzilla. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, from Warner’s MonsterVerse franchise, is the rare fifth movie to approach a series high; just ask its studio stablemate Furiosa, an acclaimed fifth installment that’s become one of many entertaining 2024 movies to struggle at the box office, how difficult that is. On either side of the Godzilla x Kong triumph sit several more wins for the big G, courtesy of Godzilla Minus One, the most recent entry from the Japanese company Toho. That movie did great business at the box office last December, won an Oscar for visual effects in March, and currently sits atop the Netflix charts in its long-awaited streaming debut,...
At a divisive time of much uncertainty and strife, a constant has emerged from the ocean to serve as a great uniter: Godzilla. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, from Warner’s MonsterVerse franchise, is the rare fifth movie to approach a series high; just ask its studio stablemate Furiosa, an acclaimed fifth installment that’s become one of many entertaining 2024 movies to struggle at the box office, how difficult that is. On either side of the Godzilla x Kong triumph sit several more wins for the big G, courtesy of Godzilla Minus One, the most recent entry from the Japanese company Toho. That movie did great business at the box office last December, won an Oscar for visual effects in March, and currently sits atop the Netflix charts in its long-awaited streaming debut,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Jesse Hassenger
- The Guardian - Film News
Toronto-based Syndicado Film Sales has picked up international rights to “Petroleo,” the fiction debut of doc Spanish filmmaker Álvaro F. Pulpeiro, lauded worldwide for his sensory and lyrical filmmaking, most recently displayed in the Cph:Dox-selected “So Foul a Sky.”
The Galician-born filmmaker said the project was significantly influenced by Pier Paolo Pasolini’s unfinished book “Petrolio,” will draw inspiration “from Michelangelo Antonioni’s “The Passenger” (1975), the visual intensity of “Apocalypse Now” (1979) and the digital noir of “Miami Vice” (2006).”
“Petroleo” will compete for the €30,000 Filmin Award for best title in the Film to Come section at the inaugural Ecam Forum co-production market, unspooling June 10-15 in Madrid.
Aleksandar Govedarica, Syndicado Film Sales’ CEO said: “I had the privilege of working with Álvaro on his previous film [“So Foul a Sky”] and I was captivated by his vision and storytelling; we therefore boarded “Petroleo” back in 2022. It’s a project that’s impossible to ignore in its timeliness.
The Galician-born filmmaker said the project was significantly influenced by Pier Paolo Pasolini’s unfinished book “Petrolio,” will draw inspiration “from Michelangelo Antonioni’s “The Passenger” (1975), the visual intensity of “Apocalypse Now” (1979) and the digital noir of “Miami Vice” (2006).”
“Petroleo” will compete for the €30,000 Filmin Award for best title in the Film to Come section at the inaugural Ecam Forum co-production market, unspooling June 10-15 in Madrid.
Aleksandar Govedarica, Syndicado Film Sales’ CEO said: “I had the privilege of working with Álvaro on his previous film [“So Foul a Sky”] and I was captivated by his vision and storytelling; we therefore boarded “Petroleo” back in 2022. It’s a project that’s impossible to ignore in its timeliness.
- 6/5/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety - Film News
The Gotham Institute held the inaugural Gotham TV Awards on Monday night and it was a big night for “Colin From Accounts.” The Australian television sensation and Paramount+ pickup took two honors, Breakthrough Comedy Series and star Harriet Dyer for Outstanding Performance in a Comedy Series. Breakthrough Drama Series went to “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” and Breakthrough Limited Series was awarded to “Baby Reindeer.”
Read More: Naomi Watts unfurls her physical transformation for “Feud: Truman vs.
Continue reading ‘Baby Reindeer,’ ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ & ‘Colin From Accounts’ Win Big At Inaugural Gotham TV Awards at The Playlist.
Read More: Naomi Watts unfurls her physical transformation for “Feud: Truman vs.
Continue reading ‘Baby Reindeer,’ ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith,’ & ‘Colin From Accounts’ Win Big At Inaugural Gotham TV Awards at The Playlist.
- 6/5/2024
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Programmers from Sundance, Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, Toronto, and Rotterdam, sales agents such as Goodfellas and Coproduction Office and U.S. distributor Magnify Pictures are among 50 top international guests expected at the inaugural Ecam Forum co-production market in Madrid, which is due to unspool June 10-14.
More than 300 delegates have signed up for the co-pro event where a curated slate of 37 Spanish, Latin American and international films and series will compete for the best project, including the next Lois Patiño (“Samsara”), Pablo Hernando (“Berserker”), Belén Funes (“A Thief’s Daughter”) and Sergi Perez (“The Long Way Home”).
Other highlights include masterclasses from U.S. indie mogul Ted Hope, and France’s illustrious cinematographer Hélène Louvart, a regular Alice Rohrwacher and Karim Aïnouz collaborator, and Silver Bear winner 2023 for “Disco Boy.”
In this exclusive interview, Ecam Forum’s coordinator Alberto Valverde maps out the full program of the latest industry initiative of Madrid’s Ecam film school,...
More than 300 delegates have signed up for the co-pro event where a curated slate of 37 Spanish, Latin American and international films and series will compete for the best project, including the next Lois Patiño (“Samsara”), Pablo Hernando (“Berserker”), Belén Funes (“A Thief’s Daughter”) and Sergi Perez (“The Long Way Home”).
Other highlights include masterclasses from U.S. indie mogul Ted Hope, and France’s illustrious cinematographer Hélène Louvart, a regular Alice Rohrwacher and Karim Aïnouz collaborator, and Silver Bear winner 2023 for “Disco Boy.”
In this exclusive interview, Ecam Forum’s coordinator Alberto Valverde maps out the full program of the latest industry initiative of Madrid’s Ecam film school,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety - Film News
New season of films on the Criterion Channel pay tribute to director’s dark and exacting work, from Blue Collar to Affliction
There’s a certain danger in collecting the work of Paul Schrader, as the Criterion Channel has done in a new streaming series that assembles 11 titles in anticipation of his Cannes-feted latest feature Oh, Canada.
Considered as a whole, the Schrader corpus may superficially appear repetitive to the point of stagnation, revisiting the same thematic concerns with the same narrative devices over and over through nearly a half-century on screen. He does so love his men in rooms, po-faced types haunted by their own capacity for sin as they morosely journal from their spartan living quarters between scandalized nighttime constitutionals to soak in the degradation of humanity. The cycle of transgression, penance and desperate grasping for salvation never stops, its eternal incompletion a key plank in Schrader’s...
There’s a certain danger in collecting the work of Paul Schrader, as the Criterion Channel has done in a new streaming series that assembles 11 titles in anticipation of his Cannes-feted latest feature Oh, Canada.
Considered as a whole, the Schrader corpus may superficially appear repetitive to the point of stagnation, revisiting the same thematic concerns with the same narrative devices over and over through nearly a half-century on screen. He does so love his men in rooms, po-faced types haunted by their own capacity for sin as they morosely journal from their spartan living quarters between scandalized nighttime constitutionals to soak in the degradation of humanity. The cycle of transgression, penance and desperate grasping for salvation never stops, its eternal incompletion a key plank in Schrader’s...
- 6/5/2024
- by Charles Bramesco
- The Guardian - Film News
UK spend for film productions for the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 was £211m, 45% lower than the £381m reported in the first three months of 2023, according to figures published by the British Film Institute (BFI).
For Q1 2024, the total number of films that started production was 22, which is 19 fewer than the 41 reported for Q1 2023 at this stage last year.
Giant, starring Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry and produced by the UK’s Tea Shop Productions and US’s AGC Studios, began production in Leeds at the end of April, having re-located its shoot to the UK after the unveiling of the...
For Q1 2024, the total number of films that started production was 22, which is 19 fewer than the 41 reported for Q1 2023 at this stage last year.
Giant, starring Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry and produced by the UK’s Tea Shop Productions and US’s AGC Studios, began production in Leeds at the end of April, having re-located its shoot to the UK after the unveiling of the...
- 6/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
This peaceful nature film contemplates the creatures and critters that live in and around a 200-year-old oak, including some Top Gun-esque aerial cinematography
Entirely devoid of dialogue (unless a bit of Dean Martin on the soundtrack counts), this pleasant nature film observes the seasons passing for 18 months on, around and even underneath a 210-year-old oak tree in Sologne in central France. Technically, some would argue this is not exactly a documentary because some of the sequences are staged or composed of shots taken at totally different times, but scientific accuracy and cinematic authenticity aren’t really the point; this isn’t didactic film-making in the David Attenborough or even March of the Penguins tradition, crafted to drop a bit of natural history knowledge on the viewer. That said, if you sit through the end credits, you’ll at least learn some of the featured creatures’ Latin and French names,...
Entirely devoid of dialogue (unless a bit of Dean Martin on the soundtrack counts), this pleasant nature film observes the seasons passing for 18 months on, around and even underneath a 210-year-old oak tree in Sologne in central France. Technically, some would argue this is not exactly a documentary because some of the sequences are staged or composed of shots taken at totally different times, but scientific accuracy and cinematic authenticity aren’t really the point; this isn’t didactic film-making in the David Attenborough or even March of the Penguins tradition, crafted to drop a bit of natural history knowledge on the viewer. That said, if you sit through the end credits, you’ll at least learn some of the featured creatures’ Latin and French names,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Going all-in on its exploration of the role of artificial intelligence in filmmaking, South Korea’s Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BiFan) has unveiled a 15-title AI Film competition.
The films will compete for jury-selected and audience awards and cash prizes of up to KRW1.5 million.
“We were able to see the new creative possibilities of AI filmmaking. We hope that creators who have difficulty accessing capital for big productions will gain creative freedom from production costs through AI,” said BiFan festival director Shin Chul.
Festival selectors said that they chose the lineup from 114 films submitted, based on narrative, artistry, originality and the use of AI technology in text (screenplay), audio, and video.
“The diverse styles of the selected works, ranging from feature films to video art, showcase the current state of development of the generative AI video technology in the creative field. The potential and possibilities that AI technology can bring to young creators,...
The films will compete for jury-selected and audience awards and cash prizes of up to KRW1.5 million.
“We were able to see the new creative possibilities of AI filmmaking. We hope that creators who have difficulty accessing capital for big productions will gain creative freedom from production costs through AI,” said BiFan festival director Shin Chul.
Festival selectors said that they chose the lineup from 114 films submitted, based on narrative, artistry, originality and the use of AI technology in text (screenplay), audio, and video.
“The diverse styles of the selected works, ranging from feature films to video art, showcase the current state of development of the generative AI video technology in the creative field. The potential and possibilities that AI technology can bring to young creators,...
- 6/5/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Baby Reindeer, Colin from Accounts and Mr. and Mrs. Smith were among the big winners tonight at the inaugural Gotham TV Awards, held in New York City at Cipriani 25. A new awards event mounted by The Gotham Film & Media Institute, Filmmaker‘s publisher, The Gotham TV Awards were announced just this past April and honor creators of episodic TV, limited series, and non-theatrical streaming movies. Going forward, the Gotham TV awards will continue in this early June slot, before the Emmy voting window, while the organization’s long-standing Gotham Awards will remain the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. This year’s Gotham […]
The post Baby Reindeer, Colin from Accounts and Mr. and Mrs. Smith Win at Inaugural Gotham TV Awards first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Baby Reindeer, Colin from Accounts and Mr. and Mrs. Smith Win at Inaugural Gotham TV Awards first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/5/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
"The Acolyte" is unique among "Star Wars" titles. It is a murder mystery that shakes the entire Jedi Order, set in a refreshing and brand new age in the history of the galaxy that both adds to and comments on the prequels and its portrayal of the Jedi as a corrupt institution. The show also brings in an inventive perspective to "Star Wars" action, with fantastic wuxia-inspired choreography that makes the fight scenes feel like nothing else in the franchise. Plus, making Jedi less impulsive to just take out their lightsabers at the first chance is fascinating.
But that's not the most surprising thing about the show. The biggest surprise comes in the premiere episode, when it is revealed that the assassin that murdered Carrie-Anne Moss' Master Indara is actually the twin sister of our protagonist, the former Jedi Osha. Twins are nothing new in the galaxy far, far away of course.
But that's not the most surprising thing about the show. The biggest surprise comes in the premiere episode, when it is revealed that the assassin that murdered Carrie-Anne Moss' Master Indara is actually the twin sister of our protagonist, the former Jedi Osha. Twins are nothing new in the galaxy far, far away of course.
- 6/5/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
This article contains mild spoilers for "Star Wars: The Acolyte" episodes 1 and 2.
"Star Wars: The Acolyte," the brand new show on Disney+ set in a galaxy far, far away, is about as far removed from anything we've previously seen in the live-action "Star Wars" universe as you can get. Its story takes place in the High Republic era, a time period that most audiences are completely unfamiliar with and is entirely divorced from the events of the Skywalker Saga along with the majority of other live-action "Star Wars" projects released up to this point. Taking place roughly 100 years before "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," there are very few constants for "The Acolyte" to fall back on.
One of those constants, however, involves bringing a key character from the High Republic books -- that of the Jedi Vernestra Rwoh -- into live-action in a way that might be surprising.
"Star Wars: The Acolyte," the brand new show on Disney+ set in a galaxy far, far away, is about as far removed from anything we've previously seen in the live-action "Star Wars" universe as you can get. Its story takes place in the High Republic era, a time period that most audiences are completely unfamiliar with and is entirely divorced from the events of the Skywalker Saga along with the majority of other live-action "Star Wars" projects released up to this point. Taking place roughly 100 years before "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace," there are very few constants for "The Acolyte" to fall back on.
One of those constants, however, involves bringing a key character from the High Republic books -- that of the Jedi Vernestra Rwoh -- into live-action in a way that might be surprising.
- 6/5/2024
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Spoilers for "Star Wars: The Acolyte" Parts 1 and 2 follow.
"I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing," Mace Windu told Qui-Gon Jinn during the events of "The Phantom Menace." "The Sith have been extinct for a millennium," Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi added.
As we all know that a millennium lasts a thousand years, it seemed unlikely that the Sith would be involved with "Star Wars: The Acolyte." Most of us assumed the Jedi would have had no interaction whatsoever with the secret line of Sith that led to Darth Sidious and his destruction of the Jedi until Darth Maul revealed himself to Qui-Gon on Tatooine.
But "The Acolyte" seems as though it could upend everything we knew about the involvement of the Sith and their quest against the Jedi in the time period the show takes place in, 100 years prior to the events of "The Phantom Menace.
"I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing," Mace Windu told Qui-Gon Jinn during the events of "The Phantom Menace." "The Sith have been extinct for a millennium," Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi added.
As we all know that a millennium lasts a thousand years, it seemed unlikely that the Sith would be involved with "Star Wars: The Acolyte." Most of us assumed the Jedi would have had no interaction whatsoever with the secret line of Sith that led to Darth Sidious and his destruction of the Jedi until Darth Maul revealed himself to Qui-Gon on Tatooine.
But "The Acolyte" seems as though it could upend everything we knew about the involvement of the Sith and their quest against the Jedi in the time period the show takes place in, 100 years prior to the events of "The Phantom Menace.
- 6/5/2024
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
"Star Wars: The Acolyte" creator Leslye Headland has done something that many thought might've been impossible: creating a "Star Wars" story that you can dive into without any preparation or knowledge of any other parts of the franchise's lore. You definitely do not need to know a lot of minutiae in order to gain enjoyment out of "The Acolyte" (watch the trailer here).
Having said that, there are deeper connections to the "Star Wars" lore that you don't need to know, but it certainly adds to the enjoyment of the show. One of the most significant details in that respect is the knowledge of the time period the series is capping off, along with the struggles of the Jedi and the galaxy itself over the previous couple of hundred years in the "Star Wars" universe. Allow this, then, to be your guide to the ins and outs of the High Republic era.
Having said that, there are deeper connections to the "Star Wars" lore that you don't need to know, but it certainly adds to the enjoyment of the show. One of the most significant details in that respect is the knowledge of the time period the series is capping off, along with the struggles of the Jedi and the galaxy itself over the previous couple of hundred years in the "Star Wars" universe. Allow this, then, to be your guide to the ins and outs of the High Republic era.
- 6/5/2024
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
Kevin Costner said during an interview on Dax Shepard’s ‘Armchair Expert’ podcast (via Entertainment Weekly) that he refused a request to shorten his eulogy for Whitney Houston just so television networks like CNN could air commercials during the live broadcast of Houston’s funeral. Costner and Houston became lifelong friends after starring together in the 1992 romance blockbuster “The Bodyguard.” Costner was one of eight people who spoke at Houston’s funeral in 2012.
“I had been working on this speech…and I tried to compile everything I wanted to do and finally crafted this speech,” Costner said. “Somebody said, ‘CNN’s here, they wouldn’t mind if your remarks were kept shorter because they’re going to have commercials.’ And I said, ‘They can get over that. They can play the commercial while I’m talking, I don’t care.'”
Costner’s eulogy was 17 minutes long, but he was...
“I had been working on this speech…and I tried to compile everything I wanted to do and finally crafted this speech,” Costner said. “Somebody said, ‘CNN’s here, they wouldn’t mind if your remarks were kept shorter because they’re going to have commercials.’ And I said, ‘They can get over that. They can play the commercial while I’m talking, I don’t care.'”
Costner’s eulogy was 17 minutes long, but he was...
- 6/4/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Director Mahesh Pailoor has released the first trailer for his indie drama “Paper Flowers,” based on the story of 22-year-old Shalin Shah, whose battle with cancer garnered viral attention in 2015. The film will premiere June 20 at the Dances With Films Festival at the TLC Chinese Theater in Hollywood with two additional screenings taking place on June 26 at the London Indian Film Festival and the Birmingham Indian Film Festival.
The film stars Kapil Talwalkar (“Night Court”), Olivia Liang (“Kung Fu”), Karan Soni, and Tom Everett Scott (“That Thing You Do”). Asit Vyas serves as producer.
Watch the trailer below.
2024 Hpa Awards Opens Submissions in Creative Categories
The Hollywood Professional Association has opened submissions for the 2024 Hpa Awards, which take place Nov. 7 at the Wolf Theater in Hollywood. The annual ceremony honors creative and technical artistry within the global entertainment community.
Entries are accepted until July 26. Submissions are being accepted in the...
The film stars Kapil Talwalkar (“Night Court”), Olivia Liang (“Kung Fu”), Karan Soni, and Tom Everett Scott (“That Thing You Do”). Asit Vyas serves as producer.
Watch the trailer below.
2024 Hpa Awards Opens Submissions in Creative Categories
The Hollywood Professional Association has opened submissions for the 2024 Hpa Awards, which take place Nov. 7 at the Wolf Theater in Hollywood. The annual ceremony honors creative and technical artistry within the global entertainment community.
Entries are accepted until July 26. Submissions are being accepted in the...
- 6/4/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay and Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
Women In Animation (Wia) will hold the eighth edition of its World Summit at Annecy festival at the Impérial Palace Hotel on June 10 under the banner, ‘Stronger Together: The Equitable Future of Animation’.
Wia president Marge Dean, Citia CEO Mickaël Marin, and Wia secretary and CEO of Collective Moxie Julie Ann Crommett will present the think tank comprising three sessions exploring industry innovations and the power of community.
Limitless Studio CEO Agnes Soyode-Johnson, Incessant Rains Studioco-ceo Deepa Joshi, and Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito will analyse global trends in the first session, “What Now?: Global Opportunities...
Wia president Marge Dean, Citia CEO Mickaël Marin, and Wia secretary and CEO of Collective Moxie Julie Ann Crommett will present the think tank comprising three sessions exploring industry innovations and the power of community.
Limitless Studio CEO Agnes Soyode-Johnson, Incessant Rains Studioco-ceo Deepa Joshi, and Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito will analyse global trends in the first session, “What Now?: Global Opportunities...
- 6/4/2024
- ScreenDaily
It's no secret that the summer box office has not been off to a great start. "The Fall Guy" kicked things off with a disappointing opening weekend before Universal rushed the film to VOD. It got worse with the dual weak performances of both "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" and "The Garfield Movie" more recently. No two ways about it: Things have been bad. But in looking for reasons to be optimistic, we may be able to turn to director John Krasinski's "If." The family-friendly flick opened in mid-May to middling results. It has, however, been legging out better than expected in North America -- so much so that maybe, just maybe, this one has a shot at pulling an "Elemental."
For those who may need a refresher, Pixar's "Elemental" opened to just $29.6 million in June last year and seemed to be dead on arrival. Then, something amazing happened.
For those who may need a refresher, Pixar's "Elemental" opened to just $29.6 million in June last year and seemed to be dead on arrival. Then, something amazing happened.
- 6/4/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Director Shawn Levy may be sticking around the Marvel Cinematic Universe a bit longer.
Levy, who helmed this summer’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,” is being eyed by Marvel — though it’s in very early stages — to direct the next “Avengers” movie.
Destin Daniel Cretton, who made 2021’s Marvel movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” was previously supposed to direct the fifth “Avengers” movie, but he backed out in November 2023. That movie, which is scheduled for May 1, 2026, also does not currently have a title. It was originally named “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” but lost that title after Jonathan Majors, who was cast as the time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror, was convicted of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend. After this untitled “Avengers” movie, the next will be “Avengers: Secret Wars,” set for May 7, 2027.
Levy’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,” which brings together the iconic superheroes played by Ryan Reynolds and...
Levy, who helmed this summer’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,” is being eyed by Marvel — though it’s in very early stages — to direct the next “Avengers” movie.
Destin Daniel Cretton, who made 2021’s Marvel movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” was previously supposed to direct the fifth “Avengers” movie, but he backed out in November 2023. That movie, which is scheduled for May 1, 2026, also does not currently have a title. It was originally named “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” but lost that title after Jonathan Majors, who was cast as the time-traveling villain Kang the Conqueror, was convicted of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend. After this untitled “Avengers” movie, the next will be “Avengers: Secret Wars,” set for May 7, 2027.
Levy’s “Deadpool and Wolverine,” which brings together the iconic superheroes played by Ryan Reynolds and...
- 6/4/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety - Film News
Matthew 25: 35-40 in the Bible says that giving to the unhoused is akin to giving to the lord directly: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” For Angel Studios, the distributor hopes its unique style of generosity toward its top filmmaker will be a benefit unto themselves as well.
Angel Studios has a 10-year overall film deal in place with Alejandro Monteverde, the director of last year’s “Sound of Freedom” and this year’s “Cabrini,” to direct and produce at least five more theatrical films. In the interim, Monteverde certainly won’t be homeless: As part of the deal, Angel has agreed to purchase Monteverde a house valued between $4-5 million in a location of his choosing. And that’s just part of the arrangement.
Monteverde is also...
Angel Studios has a 10-year overall film deal in place with Alejandro Monteverde, the director of last year’s “Sound of Freedom” and this year’s “Cabrini,” to direct and produce at least five more theatrical films. In the interim, Monteverde certainly won’t be homeless: As part of the deal, Angel has agreed to purchase Monteverde a house valued between $4-5 million in a location of his choosing. And that’s just part of the arrangement.
Monteverde is also...
- 6/4/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
The three execs who lead Paramount Global’s “Office of the CEO” have called off their planned town hall meeting with employees that had been scheduled for Wednesday, June 5, citing “ongoing speculation regarding potential M&a.”
The trio — CBS CEO George Cheeks, Paramount CEO Brian Robbins and Chris McCarthy, CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios — rescheduled the event for June 25. The move comes as Shari Redstone is evaluating a merger offer from David Ellison’s Skydance Media, which the Paramount Global board’s special committee has recommended and submitted for Redstone’s review over the weekend. Redstone is Paramount non-executive chair and the company’s controlling shareholder through National Amusements Inc.
“Given the ongoing speculation regarding potential M&a, we want to be able to speak to you with as much candor and transparency as possible,” the three executives wrote in a memo to employees. “By moving the date, our hope is to do just that.
The trio — CBS CEO George Cheeks, Paramount CEO Brian Robbins and Chris McCarthy, CEO of Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios — rescheduled the event for June 25. The move comes as Shari Redstone is evaluating a merger offer from David Ellison’s Skydance Media, which the Paramount Global board’s special committee has recommended and submitted for Redstone’s review over the weekend. Redstone is Paramount non-executive chair and the company’s controlling shareholder through National Amusements Inc.
“Given the ongoing speculation regarding potential M&a, we want to be able to speak to you with as much candor and transparency as possible,” the three executives wrote in a memo to employees. “By moving the date, our hope is to do just that.
- 6/4/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - Film News
Cinetic Media has launched a new unit that will oversee the re-licensing of many of the iconic titles that drove the independent film revolution of the 1980s and the 1990s. The move comes as the distribution landscape in Hollywood is being reshaped. Dubbed Cinetic Library Services, the division will identify innovative ways to reach new audiences and disseminate titles across subscription streamers, transactional VOD, direct-to-consumer and theatrical re-releases. The division will be overseen by Isadora Johnson and Leah Harris, two longtime Cinetic executives.
Cinetic has been a force in the indie film world. The company has managed the sale of more than 600 films including “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “Precious,” “Summer of Soul” and “Amy.” More recently, it scored major deals for Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man,” which Netflix is releasing this summer, as well as “Super/Man,” a documentary about actor and activist Christopher Reeve,...
Cinetic has been a force in the indie film world. The company has managed the sale of more than 600 films including “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “Precious,” “Summer of Soul” and “Amy.” More recently, it scored major deals for Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man,” which Netflix is releasing this summer, as well as “Super/Man,” a documentary about actor and activist Christopher Reeve,...
- 6/4/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
On June 6, the 2024 IndieWire Honors ceremony will celebrate thirteen creators and stars responsible for some of the most stellar work of the TV season. Curated and selected by IndieWire’s editorial team, this event is a new edition of its IndieWire Honors event focused entirely on television. In the days leading up to the event, IndieWire is showcasing their work with new interviews and tributes from their peers.
Ahead, “Abbott Elementary” executive producers Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker tell IndieWire about the many qualities that set our Visionary Award honoree, Emmy-winning writer and actress Quinta Brunson, apart from the crowd.
“Do you guys remember that two-part episode in the ninth season of ‘Family Matters’ where Urkel goes to space?” This is a sincere question Quinta has asked us. To talk with Quinta is to talk with someone who has an encyclopedic knowledge of television comedy. She loves television in a...
Ahead, “Abbott Elementary” executive producers Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker tell IndieWire about the many qualities that set our Visionary Award honoree, Emmy-winning writer and actress Quinta Brunson, apart from the crowd.
“Do you guys remember that two-part episode in the ninth season of ‘Family Matters’ where Urkel goes to space?” This is a sincere question Quinta has asked us. To talk with Quinta is to talk with someone who has an encyclopedic knowledge of television comedy. She loves television in a...
- 6/4/2024
- by Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker
- Indiewire
It's been a while since we've seen a true prestige film hit the top of the Netflix charts. Or, at least, it seems that way. Last week we saw Jennifer Lopez sci-fi outing "Atlas" have a strong showing on Netflix, a development made all the more upsetting by the simultaneous success of Antonio Banderas' B-movie "Security," which similarly blew up on the streamer seven years after its initial release. Prior to that, everyone's favorite Ogre, "Shrek," dominated the Netflix charts, while Scott Adkins Dtv actioner "One Shot" also managed to find its own success amid the Shrek-fever of May. All of this seemed a tad desultory and, dare I say, disheartening. Now, though, it may be Poland to the rescue, with murder mystery "Colors of Evil: Red" seeing global success on the service.
The crime thriller is adapted from Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak's book "Czerwień" and directed by Adrian Panek.
The crime thriller is adapted from Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak's book "Czerwień" and directed by Adrian Panek.
- 6/4/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
On June 6, the 2024 IndieWire Honors ceremony will celebrate 13 creators and stars responsible for some of the most stellar work of the TV season. Curated and selected by IndieWire’s editorial team, the event is a new edition of previous IndieWire Honors ceremonies, this time focused entirely on television. We’re showcasing their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles celebration.
The 75th Primetime Emmys had Quinta Brunson in her feelings before she was even called to the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. “It was such a celebration of television,” the “Abbott Elementary” creator/star told IndieWire over Zoom. “I remember the beginning of the ceremony ran through a number of famous sitcoms, just things that have raised me and always inspired me to want to make a comedy myself, and make TV. And it was already emotional for me,...
The 75th Primetime Emmys had Quinta Brunson in her feelings before she was even called to the stage to accept the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. “It was such a celebration of television,” the “Abbott Elementary” creator/star told IndieWire over Zoom. “I remember the beginning of the ceremony ran through a number of famous sitcoms, just things that have raised me and always inspired me to want to make a comedy myself, and make TV. And it was already emotional for me,...
- 6/4/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
A group of independent filmmakers are set to direct “Tiananmen” (working title), a film paying homage to Hong Kong’s golden age of cinema in a story set against the backdrop of the ‘June 4 political upheaval.’
The project will likely stir a controversy as both the word Tiananmen and the June 4 date are taboo in the People’s Republic of China (mainland China) — they are reminders of the student-led pro-democracy movement that was brutally put down 35 years ago by the People’s Liberation Army in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Estimates of the death toll range from several hundred to over a thousand.
The filmmakers say that their project, currently at development stage, is set in 1989 when the Hong Kong economy was booming and when, for a while at least, there was hope that Western-style democracy might take hold in mainland China. That hope briefly eased concerns about the handover of the...
The project will likely stir a controversy as both the word Tiananmen and the June 4 date are taboo in the People’s Republic of China (mainland China) — they are reminders of the student-led pro-democracy movement that was brutally put down 35 years ago by the People’s Liberation Army in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. Estimates of the death toll range from several hundred to over a thousand.
The filmmakers say that their project, currently at development stage, is set in 1989 when the Hong Kong economy was booming and when, for a while at least, there was hope that Western-style democracy might take hold in mainland China. That hope briefly eased concerns about the handover of the...
- 6/4/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
It's been long awaited and highly anticipated, but the "Peaky Blinders" are officially coming back in movie form. That's right, it's a race to see which gets to six seasons and a movie first: "Community" or the Steven Knight-created British period crime drama.
Deadline has confirmed that Netflix greenlit a "Peaky Blinders" movie, with Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy set to return to the role of Tommy Shelby, leader of the Birmingham criminal gang (the titular Peaky Blinders). The show began airing in 2013 and ran for six seasons until 2022. Knight is back to write the screenplay, with Tom Harper, who directed the back half of season 1, helming the feature film.
"It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn't finished with me," Murphy told Deadline. "It is very gratifying to be recollaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of 'Peaky Blinders.' This is one for the fans." Meanwhile,...
Deadline has confirmed that Netflix greenlit a "Peaky Blinders" movie, with Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy set to return to the role of Tommy Shelby, leader of the Birmingham criminal gang (the titular Peaky Blinders). The show began airing in 2013 and ran for six seasons until 2022. Knight is back to write the screenplay, with Tom Harper, who directed the back half of season 1, helming the feature film.
"It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn't finished with me," Murphy told Deadline. "It is very gratifying to be recollaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of 'Peaky Blinders.' This is one for the fans." Meanwhile,...
- 6/4/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
What is mankind without science? The thought-provoking question is one of the themes in “3 Body Problem,” an eight-episode Netflix series from “Game of Thrones” creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff and “True Blood” scribe Alexander Woo. Adapted from author Cixin Liu’s “Remembrance of Earth’s Past” trilogy, the material follows a group of scientists who attempt to save humanity from a technologically advanced alien race known as the San-Ti. What it meant for the creative team was developing a distinct visual aesthetic capable of reaching the far ends of the galaxy, yet one delicate enough to support the emotional dilemmas each character faced.
“I remember when the guys first wrote to me about this series, and they promised, I quote, ‘A journey from China during the darkest hours of the cultural revolution all the way to the farthest fringes of the universe, both in time and space.’ And I thought,...
“I remember when the guys first wrote to me about this series, and they promised, I quote, ‘A journey from China during the darkest hours of the cultural revolution all the way to the farthest fringes of the universe, both in time and space.’ And I thought,...
- 6/4/2024
- by Daron James
- Indiewire
"And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept," as the saying goes, "for there were no more horror movies to bring back as a modern revival." Hmm, that's not exactly right, but you're picking up what I'm laying down here. Horror continues to be an industry mainstay and, when it works, it's been a pillar of consistent box office profits and viewership ratings. So, in that light, it's no surprise that Hollywood would dig into its bag of tricks and come up with yet another relatively popular IP to revive all over again for old fans and newcomers alike. In this case, the revival series in question also comes with quite an interesting little factoid that could've led to famous character actor Paul Giamatti joining the "Hostel" franchise almost 20 years ago.
Instead, the Oscar-nominated star of "The Holdovers" will be making his first appearance in the franchise...
Instead, the Oscar-nominated star of "The Holdovers" will be making his first appearance in the franchise...
- 6/4/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Smith and Martin Lawrence may be in the career wilderness but the serial rule-breakers are back with a winning cop comedy
Martin Lawrence, America’s lost hero of broad comedy, has had his movie profile kept on a kind of life-support by the near 30-year-old Bad Boys franchise; but some of us furtive Lawrence fans still sheepishly bond over re-watchings of the great man’s masterpiece, his 2001 merrie England adventure Black Knight alongside Tom Wilkinson. Now Lawrence appears in the fourth Bad Boys film in the remarkable situation of being in better career shape than his Oscar-winning co-star Will Smith, who is still in disgrace for the Slap Heard Around the World and then, just as importantly, the F-Bombs Heard Around the World So Everyone Knew the Slap Was Real.
This film’s production having been delayed by The Controversy, Lawrence and Smith are back as rule-breaking cops Marcus Burnett...
Martin Lawrence, America’s lost hero of broad comedy, has had his movie profile kept on a kind of life-support by the near 30-year-old Bad Boys franchise; but some of us furtive Lawrence fans still sheepishly bond over re-watchings of the great man’s masterpiece, his 2001 merrie England adventure Black Knight alongside Tom Wilkinson. Now Lawrence appears in the fourth Bad Boys film in the remarkable situation of being in better career shape than his Oscar-winning co-star Will Smith, who is still in disgrace for the Slap Heard Around the World and then, just as importantly, the F-Bombs Heard Around the World So Everyone Knew the Slap Was Real.
This film’s production having been delayed by The Controversy, Lawrence and Smith are back as rule-breaking cops Marcus Burnett...
- 6/4/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
If there are five ages of man, maybe there are four ages of “Bad Boys.” There’s the early age — the original “Bad Boys” came out in 1995 — of youthful effrontery: zappy, flashy, mouthy, decadent. There’s the age when the heroes start to say, “We’re too old for this shit!” There’s the age when they’re too old to even be saying that.
And then there’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth entry in the franchise, in which the actors, the audience, and the whole culture is now so old for this shit that perhaps the only thing left to do is to ramp up the trash nostalgia to new levels of shameless overkill. It’s a truth of the universe that all blockbuster action series must come to an end (“Die Hard with a Lethal Weapon for Another 48 Hrs.” is now ancient history). But in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,...
And then there’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth entry in the franchise, in which the actors, the audience, and the whole culture is now so old for this shit that perhaps the only thing left to do is to ramp up the trash nostalgia to new levels of shameless overkill. It’s a truth of the universe that all blockbuster action series must come to an end (“Die Hard with a Lethal Weapon for Another 48 Hrs.” is now ancient history). But in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,...
- 6/4/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
The well-established ‘Bad Boys’ buddy cop formula isn’t rocket science. It’s combustible friction, and thus comedy between two very different Miami detectives— Will Smith as Mike Lowery and Martin Lawrence as Marcus Barnett—and as many chaotic shoot ‘em ups and car chases as possible as humanly possible mixed with Michael Bayhem-esque cinematic slickness and hysterics. Toss in something personal to make the story abrasions sting when needed—a little revenge and payback— and some intimate, brotherly love vibes between two friends from work who drive each other crazy but are each ultimately other’s ‘Ride Or Die’ law enforcement soulmates, and the special sauce is complete.
Continue reading ‘Bad Boys’ Review: ‘Ride Or Die’ Delivers The Mostly Entertaining Mayhem This Franchise Craves at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Bad Boys’ Review: ‘Ride Or Die’ Delivers The Mostly Entertaining Mayhem This Franchise Craves at The Playlist.
- 6/4/2024
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
What is the "Bad Boys" franchise, exactly? It's a question worth contemplating, given the unusual history of the series. For one thing, the franchise is nearly 30 years old, and yet the latest entry, "Bad Boys: Ride or Die," is only the fourth film in the series. For another, each film to date has had a radically different identity: the original 1995 "Bad Boys" saw Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and director Michael Bay taking their first steps into feature films together, while 2003's "Bad Boys II" is essentially an insane victory lap, with the trio celebrating their stardom while making what amounts to avant garde art in the guise of a summer action movie.
2020's "Bad Boys for Life" saw Bay hand over the directing reins to the young and hungry directing duo of Adil & Bilall (Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah), whose work in their native Belgium (especially 2015's "Black") impressed series producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
2020's "Bad Boys for Life" saw Bay hand over the directing reins to the young and hungry directing duo of Adil & Bilall (Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah), whose work in their native Belgium (especially 2015's "Black") impressed series producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
- 6/4/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
As ancient prophecy foretold, the “Fast & Furious”-ification of the “Bad Boys” franchise is made complete with its fourth installment, which builds on the sordid plot twists of 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life”: an undercover affair! A secret cartel love child who murders Joe Pantoliano! DJ Khaled! This trigger-happy soap opera spins a breakneck and broadly entertaining summer blockbuster about the holy trinity of American traditions: family, corruption, and shooting people. This one even ends with a barbecue.
Vin Diesel’s Wagnerian car saga ran out of gas a long time ago, but the story engine that powered it from the streets to the stratosphere has proven a solid fit for this sunbaked nostalgia act, a ’90s-era property straining to stay relevant in a sick, sad world where Deadpool is a bigger draw than Michael Bay, and Will Smith is less famous for his hits than his slaps.
Vin Diesel’s Wagnerian car saga ran out of gas a long time ago, but the story engine that powered it from the streets to the stratosphere has proven a solid fit for this sunbaked nostalgia act, a ’90s-era property straining to stay relevant in a sick, sad world where Deadpool is a bigger draw than Michael Bay, and Will Smith is less famous for his hits than his slaps.
- 6/4/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Seven years after the release of “Creep 2,” Mark Duplass is ready to return to his dryly comedic found footage horror franchise.
The multi-hyphenate has announced that he completed production on “The Creep Tapes,” an episodic series that promises to introduce horror fans to a new collection of victims from the vault of Duplass’ nameless killer. The series, co-created by Duplass and “Creep” director Patrick Brice (who also directed every episode), is currently being shopped to buyers.
The first “Creep” film released in 2014 at the tail end of the found footage horror renaissance launched by “Paranormal Activity” in 2007. It starred Duplass as a killer who hired a filmmaker to document his actions for a day as a ploy to lure him into a dark trap. 2017’s “Creep 2” used a similar formula, with Duplass’ character taking a different name and working with a different filmmaker. The series will take fans...
The multi-hyphenate has announced that he completed production on “The Creep Tapes,” an episodic series that promises to introduce horror fans to a new collection of victims from the vault of Duplass’ nameless killer. The series, co-created by Duplass and “Creep” director Patrick Brice (who also directed every episode), is currently being shopped to buyers.
The first “Creep” film released in 2014 at the tail end of the found footage horror renaissance launched by “Paranormal Activity” in 2007. It starred Duplass as a killer who hired a filmmaker to document his actions for a day as a ploy to lure him into a dark trap. 2017’s “Creep 2” used a similar formula, with Duplass’ character taking a different name and working with a different filmmaker. The series will take fans...
- 6/4/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Thomas Shelby is back.
Oscar winner Cillian Murphy will return as the fearsome gangster in a “Peaky Blinders” film at Netflix, directed by Tom Harper, who directed episodes of the first season in 2013.
“It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me…It is very gratifying to be recollaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of ‘Peaky Blinders.’ This is one for the fans,” Murphy said.
“When I first directed ‘Peaky Blinders’ over 10 years ago, we didn’t know what the series would become, but we did know that there was something in the alchemy of the cast and the writing that felt explosive. ‘Peaky’ has always been a story about family – and so it’s incredibly exciting to be reuniting with Steve and Cillian to bring the movie to audiences across the world on Netflix,” Harper added.
The continuation of the saga, set in...
Oscar winner Cillian Murphy will return as the fearsome gangster in a “Peaky Blinders” film at Netflix, directed by Tom Harper, who directed episodes of the first season in 2013.
“It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me…It is very gratifying to be recollaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of ‘Peaky Blinders.’ This is one for the fans,” Murphy said.
“When I first directed ‘Peaky Blinders’ over 10 years ago, we didn’t know what the series would become, but we did know that there was something in the alchemy of the cast and the writing that felt explosive. ‘Peaky’ has always been a story about family – and so it’s incredibly exciting to be reuniting with Steve and Cillian to bring the movie to audiences across the world on Netflix,” Harper added.
The continuation of the saga, set in...
- 6/4/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
[Update: Variety has confirmed that "Creep 3" is actually "The Creep Tapes," a new series! This article has been updated with additional information.]
Babe, wake up! New "Creep" sequel news just dropped! 10 years ago, Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice unleashed the found footage film "Creep," in which an aspiring filmmaker named Aaron (Brice) answers an ad posted on Craiglist by an allegedly terminally ill man named Josef (Duplass) looking to make videos for his unborn child to watch after he's passed. Aaron arrives to record Josef's "day in the life" videos believing he's doing something noble, but quickly realizes that there's something seriously wrong with the man who hired him for the job.
The film arrived seven years after the success of "Paranormal Activity" inspired an explosion of found footage horror, which at this point had jumped the shark in terms of practical believability. "Creep" dropped on Netflix and became a huge hit through word of mouth,...
Babe, wake up! New "Creep" sequel news just dropped! 10 years ago, Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice unleashed the found footage film "Creep," in which an aspiring filmmaker named Aaron (Brice) answers an ad posted on Craiglist by an allegedly terminally ill man named Josef (Duplass) looking to make videos for his unborn child to watch after he's passed. Aaron arrives to record Josef's "day in the life" videos believing he's doing something noble, but quickly realizes that there's something seriously wrong with the man who hired him for the job.
The film arrived seven years after the success of "Paranormal Activity" inspired an explosion of found footage horror, which at this point had jumped the shark in terms of practical believability. "Creep" dropped on Netflix and became a huge hit through word of mouth,...
- 6/4/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Filmmaker Pablo Berger had never made an animated film before. He’d never even considered it until he read Sara Varon’s graphic novel “Robot Dreams.” Having recently lost his best friend and mother, the story of friendship and loss spoke to him on such an emotional level that he decided to adapt it — and learn how to make an animated film.
He spent two-and-years on animation education, but wanted to bring something from his previous directing experience: working with some of the best Spanish actors. Said Berger while on the Toolkit podcast, “In most animated film, [the characters] tend to overact.”
Berger began by working with a small animation team led by art director José Luis Ágreda and character supervisor Daniel Fernández Casas before “an army” of animators brought his vision to life.
“I started saying [to the animators], ‘I’m going to treat you as actors, you are my actors,’” said Berger. “They...
He spent two-and-years on animation education, but wanted to bring something from his previous directing experience: working with some of the best Spanish actors. Said Berger while on the Toolkit podcast, “In most animated film, [the characters] tend to overact.”
Berger began by working with a small animation team led by art director José Luis Ágreda and character supervisor Daniel Fernández Casas before “an army” of animators brought his vision to life.
“I started saying [to the animators], ‘I’m going to treat you as actors, you are my actors,’” said Berger. “They...
- 6/4/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
The best Star Wars projects in recent years are the ones that stray from the original story.
From “Rogue One” to “The Last Jedi” to the animated “Visions” and last year’s “Andor,” the franchise finds its footing by taking risks and focusing on original stories that just happen to be set in a galaxy far, far away. With the middling quality of so many other Star Wars offshoots since Disney+ launched in 2019, Leslye Headland’s “The Acolyte” finds company, mercifully, in the former category, with an intriguing crime thriller set further back than any other live-action entry.
“The Acolyte” takes place even longer ago in the galaxy’s history, during the High Republic Era that preceded even young Anakin Skywalker in “The Phantom Menace.” It’s a time of peace, as the opening text says, but like all peaceful pockets in Star Wars, that gets interrupted. A violent crime...
From “Rogue One” to “The Last Jedi” to the animated “Visions” and last year’s “Andor,” the franchise finds its footing by taking risks and focusing on original stories that just happen to be set in a galaxy far, far away. With the middling quality of so many other Star Wars offshoots since Disney+ launched in 2019, Leslye Headland’s “The Acolyte” finds company, mercifully, in the former category, with an intriguing crime thriller set further back than any other live-action entry.
“The Acolyte” takes place even longer ago in the galaxy’s history, during the High Republic Era that preceded even young Anakin Skywalker in “The Phantom Menace.” It’s a time of peace, as the opening text says, but like all peaceful pockets in Star Wars, that gets interrupted. A violent crime...
- 6/4/2024
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Animation company GKids has acquired theatrical, video and digital transactional rights to anime series “Dan Da Dan.”
With production from the acclaimed animation studio Science Saru, the series is the directorial debut of studio veteran Fuga Yamashiro. Composer kensuke ushio additionally joins the production for the score. The series is a television adaptation of author Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga of the same name. Tatsu previously worked as an assistant to Tatsuki Fujimoto on his global hit series “Chainsaw Man” and “Fire Punch,” and Yuji Kaku on “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku.”
“Dan Da Dan” follows the story of a high school girl named Momo who is from a family of spirit mediums, and Okarun, a high school boy who is an occult freak. The two of them start talking after Momo rescues Okarun from getting bullied. However, an argument ensues between them – Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts.
With production from the acclaimed animation studio Science Saru, the series is the directorial debut of studio veteran Fuga Yamashiro. Composer kensuke ushio additionally joins the production for the score. The series is a television adaptation of author Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga of the same name. Tatsu previously worked as an assistant to Tatsuki Fujimoto on his global hit series “Chainsaw Man” and “Fire Punch,” and Yuji Kaku on “Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku.”
“Dan Da Dan” follows the story of a high school girl named Momo who is from a family of spirit mediums, and Okarun, a high school boy who is an occult freak. The two of them start talking after Momo rescues Okarun from getting bullied. However, an argument ensues between them – Momo believes in ghosts but denies aliens, and Okarun believes in aliens but denies ghosts.
- 6/4/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
India’s premiere DIY documentarian Anand Patwardhan turns his lens homeward in “The World Is Family,” a personal chronicle of India’s freedom movement and its contemporary cultural milieu. Through interviews with his aging parents and their friends and family, the director transforms his collection of lo-fi footage and old, monochrome photographs into a patchwork of political memory, resulting in one of the most moving films this year.
Patwardhan’s 1992 breakout “Ram ke Naam” (“In the Name of God”) was a prescient chronicle of India’s growing Hindu supremacist movement, while several of his other works, like “Jai Bhim Comrade” from 2011, shed light on the country’s caste hegemony. These perspectives and more inform his familial portrait too, which seeks to explore the intimate details of his parent’s youth under British rule, his uncles’ revolutionary activities alongside Mahatma Gandhi, and the ways in which the Gandhian dream of secular...
Patwardhan’s 1992 breakout “Ram ke Naam” (“In the Name of God”) was a prescient chronicle of India’s growing Hindu supremacist movement, while several of his other works, like “Jai Bhim Comrade” from 2011, shed light on the country’s caste hegemony. These perspectives and more inform his familial portrait too, which seeks to explore the intimate details of his parent’s youth under British rule, his uncles’ revolutionary activities alongside Mahatma Gandhi, and the ways in which the Gandhian dream of secular...
- 6/4/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety - Film News
GKids, which back in March won its first animated feature Oscar with The Boy And The Heron, has acquired theatrical, videogram, and digital transactional rights to the anime series Dan Da Dan.
The transaction marks the company’s first engagement with a first-run series, following North American distribution of various retrospective series work.
Dan Da Dan hails from Science Saru, the company behind Devilman crybaby and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and is an adaptation of author Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga of the same name.
Conceived as a love letter to genre film, B-movies and retro sci-fi, the story follows high...
The transaction marks the company’s first engagement with a first-run series, following North American distribution of various retrospective series work.
Dan Da Dan hails from Science Saru, the company behind Devilman crybaby and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and is an adaptation of author Yukinobu Tatsu’s manga of the same name.
Conceived as a love letter to genre film, B-movies and retro sci-fi, the story follows high...
- 6/4/2024
- ScreenDaily
Netflix doesn’t license out its series and films to others, and now it is pumping the brakes on just how many films its licenses from others.
In the second half of 2023 (July 1-December 31), Netflix had 7,700 acquired films in its library, according to a MoffettNathanson dissection of the streamer’s latest data dump. Sounds like a lot, right? It is, until you consider that the tally is 20 percent lower than what the service had in the first six months of the year.
A quick note: “acquired” in this case refers to content licensed to Netflix, like its current number 1 film on the platform, “Godzilla Minus One” (pictured above), not movies it buys outright (like “Hit Man” from the Venice Film Festival) or produces for itself (like “Maestro”).
Before you accuse Netflix of being anti-movie, the platform also saw a double-digit decline (-10 percent) in its number of acquired series to...
In the second half of 2023 (July 1-December 31), Netflix had 7,700 acquired films in its library, according to a MoffettNathanson dissection of the streamer’s latest data dump. Sounds like a lot, right? It is, until you consider that the tally is 20 percent lower than what the service had in the first six months of the year.
A quick note: “acquired” in this case refers to content licensed to Netflix, like its current number 1 film on the platform, “Godzilla Minus One” (pictured above), not movies it buys outright (like “Hit Man” from the Venice Film Festival) or produces for itself (like “Maestro”).
Before you accuse Netflix of being anti-movie, the platform also saw a double-digit decline (-10 percent) in its number of acquired series to...
- 6/4/2024
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
Whatcha gonna do when “Bad Boys” comes for the box office? If you’re a theater owner, the answer is hopefully sell some tickets.
Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth installment in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led buddy cop series, is targeting $30 million to $50 million from 3,850 theaters in its first weekend of release. As that cavernous range suggests, estimates vary greatly depending on whom you ask. Sony has offered the soft $30 million figure, while rivals and independent tracking services believe the $45 million to $50 million range is more likely.
Adding to opening-weekend ambiguity: The sequel to 1995’s “Bad Boys,” 2003’s “Bad Boys II” and 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” is Smith’s first major film to grace the big screen since he assaulted Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars. Have audiences soured on Smith or will they forgive and forget in favor of another “Bad Boys” reunion?...
Sony’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth installment in the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-led buddy cop series, is targeting $30 million to $50 million from 3,850 theaters in its first weekend of release. As that cavernous range suggests, estimates vary greatly depending on whom you ask. Sony has offered the soft $30 million figure, while rivals and independent tracking services believe the $45 million to $50 million range is more likely.
Adding to opening-weekend ambiguity: The sequel to 1995’s “Bad Boys,” 2003’s “Bad Boys II” and 2020’s “Bad Boys for Life” is Smith’s first major film to grace the big screen since he assaulted Chris Rock onstage at the 2022 Oscars. Have audiences soured on Smith or will they forgive and forget in favor of another “Bad Boys” reunion?...
- 6/4/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Just when you think you’ve seen just about every setup for a family drama ever, a film like “Mother, Couch” comes out and introduces yet another.
As seen in the trailer for “Mother, Couch,” the film tells the story of an elderly woman who decides she’s not going to get up from a couch she’s sitting on in the middle of a furniture showroom. Her reluctance to remove herself from the couch brings together her three estranged children, as they have to decide a plan to get their mom off the furniture and out of the store.
Continue reading ‘Mother, Couch’ Trailer: Ewan McGregor, Ellen Burstyn & More Star In Niclas Larsson’s Family Drama at The Playlist.
As seen in the trailer for “Mother, Couch,” the film tells the story of an elderly woman who decides she’s not going to get up from a couch she’s sitting on in the middle of a furniture showroom. Her reluctance to remove herself from the couch brings together her three estranged children, as they have to decide a plan to get their mom off the furniture and out of the store.
Continue reading ‘Mother, Couch’ Trailer: Ewan McGregor, Ellen Burstyn & More Star In Niclas Larsson’s Family Drama at The Playlist.
- 6/4/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
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