Movie News
Sony’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die jolted the battered summer box office back to life with a better-than-expected domestic opening of $56 million and $104.6 million globally.
Moreover, it puts Will Smith on the road to a career comeback two years after the infamous Oscars slap.
Ride or Die, reuniting Smith with Martin Lawrence, is the fourth outing in Sony’s long-running franchise and earned an A- CinemaScore in North America alongside generally positive reviews. Just as promising, 44 percent of the audience was between ages 18 and 34, showing Smith has a following among younger consumers. Black moviegoers made up the largest quadrant of the audience with 44 percent.
Ride or Die is arguably the first film of the summer to come in ahead of tracking, which had it opening in the $48 million to $50 million range. It’s also the second biggest domestic launch of the season behind Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,...
Moreover, it puts Will Smith on the road to a career comeback two years after the infamous Oscars slap.
Ride or Die, reuniting Smith with Martin Lawrence, is the fourth outing in Sony’s long-running franchise and earned an A- CinemaScore in North America alongside generally positive reviews. Just as promising, 44 percent of the audience was between ages 18 and 34, showing Smith has a following among younger consumers. Black moviegoers made up the largest quadrant of the audience with 44 percent.
Ride or Die is arguably the first film of the summer to come in ahead of tracking, which had it opening in the $48 million to $50 million range. It’s also the second biggest domestic launch of the season behind Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Whitney Peak, one of the leads of the recent Gossip Girl reboot, has signed on to star opposite Phoebe Dynevor in Sony Pictures’ untitled shark thriller.
Tommy Wirkola, who last helmed the David Harbour-starring Christmas action movie Violent Night, is helming the feature that will begin shooting in Melbourne in July.
Plot details are being kept in the cage but it is said to revolve around a community that has to deal with shark attacks during a hurricane.
Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, who count Don’t Look Up and The Big Short, amongst their output, are producing the project via their HyperObject Industries.
On the Gossip Girl reboots, the Ugandan-born, Canadian-raised Peak played Zoya Lott, the newcomer to the machinations of the chi-chi Manhattan school at where a lot of the stories were set. She also starred opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi in Hocus Pocus 2,...
Tommy Wirkola, who last helmed the David Harbour-starring Christmas action movie Violent Night, is helming the feature that will begin shooting in Melbourne in July.
Plot details are being kept in the cage but it is said to revolve around a community that has to deal with shark attacks during a hurricane.
Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, who count Don’t Look Up and The Big Short, amongst their output, are producing the project via their HyperObject Industries.
On the Gossip Girl reboots, the Ugandan-born, Canadian-raised Peak played Zoya Lott, the newcomer to the machinations of the chi-chi Manhattan school at where a lot of the stories were set. She also starred opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi in Hocus Pocus 2,...
- 6/7/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mikaela Hoover and newcomer Christopher MacDonald are the latest actors to join the cast of James Gunn’s “Superman,” which is currently in production.
The duo will be playing Daily Planet staffers Cat Grant and Ron Troupe. Earlier this week, “SNL” Alum Beck Bennet also joined the Daily Planet masthead as Sports editor Steve Lombard.
Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway, Cat Grant first appeared in 1987’s “The Adventures of Superman” #424 as a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. On the small screen Cat Grant was previously played by Tracy Scoggins in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and Calista Flockhart in the “Arrowverse” television series “Supergirl.”
Ron Troupe first debuted in 1991’s “The Adventures of Superman” #480 and was created by Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett. In the DC Comics, Troupe is best known as a straight-laced, levelheaded reporter who took over Clark Kent’s...
The duo will be playing Daily Planet staffers Cat Grant and Ron Troupe. Earlier this week, “SNL” Alum Beck Bennet also joined the Daily Planet masthead as Sports editor Steve Lombard.
Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway, Cat Grant first appeared in 1987’s “The Adventures of Superman” #424 as a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. On the small screen Cat Grant was previously played by Tracy Scoggins in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and Calista Flockhart in the “Arrowverse” television series “Supergirl.”
Ron Troupe first debuted in 1991’s “The Adventures of Superman” #480 and was created by Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett. In the DC Comics, Troupe is best known as a straight-laced, levelheaded reporter who took over Clark Kent’s...
- 6/7/2024
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Things are about to get freaky for Julia Butters.
The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” standout has joined the cast of Disney’s “Freaky Friday” sequel, sources tell Variety. The project was officially confirmed in March, with Nisha Ganatra tapped to direct.
Ganatra most recently directed episodes of Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales.” Her other credits include the 2020 film “The High Note” with Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross, along with 2019’s “Late Night,” starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson.
Original stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are in talks to reprise their roles from the 2003 film.
For years, Curtis and Lohan have been vocal about their desire to reunite for a follow-up to their body-swapping comedy. In March, Curtis shared a photo with Lohan to Instagram, tagging Disney and captioning the snap, “Duh! Ffdeux!”
“Freaky Friday” followed Curtis as straight-laced mom Tess and Lohan as rebellious daughter Anna.
The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” standout has joined the cast of Disney’s “Freaky Friday” sequel, sources tell Variety. The project was officially confirmed in March, with Nisha Ganatra tapped to direct.
Ganatra most recently directed episodes of Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales.” Her other credits include the 2020 film “The High Note” with Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross, along with 2019’s “Late Night,” starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson.
Original stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are in talks to reprise their roles from the 2003 film.
For years, Curtis and Lohan have been vocal about their desire to reunite for a follow-up to their body-swapping comedy. In March, Curtis shared a photo with Lohan to Instagram, tagging Disney and captioning the snap, “Duh! Ffdeux!”
“Freaky Friday” followed Curtis as straight-laced mom Tess and Lohan as rebellious daughter Anna.
- 6/8/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
Kalki Trailer
The first trailer has been unveiled for “Kalki 2898 Ad,” the Indian sci-fi epic starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani. The film, which is directed by Nag Ashwin and backed by Vyjayanthi Movies, was teased at the San Diego Comic-Con last year. While a budget for the film has not been revealed, Variety understands that it is in the region of $72 million, which will make it one of the most expensive Indian films of all time.
In Hindu mythology, Kalki is the 10th and final incarnation of the god Vishnu who appears in order to end the Kali Yuga, the darkest period in mankind’s history.
The film is due a worldwide theatrical release on June 27 in the Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and English languages.
Thai Tearjerker
Thai film “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” earned S$1.16 million during its second...
The first trailer has been unveiled for “Kalki 2898 Ad,” the Indian sci-fi epic starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani. The film, which is directed by Nag Ashwin and backed by Vyjayanthi Movies, was teased at the San Diego Comic-Con last year. While a budget for the film has not been revealed, Variety understands that it is in the region of $72 million, which will make it one of the most expensive Indian films of all time.
In Hindu mythology, Kalki is the 10th and final incarnation of the god Vishnu who appears in order to end the Kali Yuga, the darkest period in mankind’s history.
The film is due a worldwide theatrical release on June 27 in the Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and English languages.
Thai Tearjerker
Thai film “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies” earned S$1.16 million during its second...
- 6/10/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
While the premise of “The Boys” is fairly simple to convey–a group of people aim to take down self-obsessed celebrity superheroes–there is a lot more going on in the show, especially in more recent seasons. The show never pulls its punches when it comes to social messaging. Hell, there was a literal Nazi bad guy in the series. And according to the showrunner, if you don’t like the messages found in “The Boys,” there’s really only one thing you should do–go watch something else.
Continue reading ‘The Boys’ Showrunner Has A Message For People Who Call The Show “Woke”: “Go Watch Something Else” at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Boys’ Showrunner Has A Message For People Who Call The Show “Woke”: “Go Watch Something Else” at The Playlist.
- 6/10/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
As the Annecy Animation Festival gets underway, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito has revealed development on a string of original films — including the Bad Bunny- and Will Ferrell-produced film “Dropz” and a “Swan Lake” adaptation — which will sit alongside franchises such as Transformers, Smurfs and SpongeBob.
Naito describes “Dropz” as “our E.T. about real kids in a super extraordinary situation.” Producers Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and David Koplan have teamed up with Bad Bunny, who is on board as an exec producer. Rob Letterman is directing and co-writing the script with Ike Holter. Naito adds that the story is “infused with fashion” and will be a “cultural statement” for kids and families.
“Muttnik” is a sci-fi comedy about a sweet puppy turned “Han Solo-type space bandit,” who is forced to return to the family on Earth that abandoned him. Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Zareh Nalbandian are producing.
Naito describes “Dropz” as “our E.T. about real kids in a super extraordinary situation.” Producers Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum and David Koplan have teamed up with Bad Bunny, who is on board as an exec producer. Rob Letterman is directing and co-writing the script with Ike Holter. Naito adds that the story is “infused with fashion” and will be a “cultural statement” for kids and families.
“Muttnik” is a sci-fi comedy about a sweet puppy turned “Han Solo-type space bandit,” who is forced to return to the family on Earth that abandoned him. Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Zareh Nalbandian are producing.
- 6/10/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- Variety - Film News
When "Star Trek: Discovery" signed off last month, it left a few character arcs hanging. That's because the show's cancellation wasn't announced until season 5 had already wrapped, leading to a season finale that was reworked into a series finale with the help of quick rewrites and some additional footage.
Luckily, several main characters still got their happy ending despite the Paramount+ bait-and-switch, and Blu del Barrio's ensign Adira Tal was one of them. Adira joined the Discovery crew as an orphan with a Trill symbiont for a boyfriend. By season 5's ending, Adira had come into their own as a member of the crew, found a family in the form of parent figures Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), and amicably ended things with their partner, Gray (Ian Alexander), after he was separated from them and placed into a body of his own.
Adira ends up...
Luckily, several main characters still got their happy ending despite the Paramount+ bait-and-switch, and Blu del Barrio's ensign Adira Tal was one of them. Adira joined the Discovery crew as an orphan with a Trill symbiont for a boyfriend. By season 5's ending, Adira had come into their own as a member of the crew, found a family in the form of parent figures Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz), and amicably ended things with their partner, Gray (Ian Alexander), after he was separated from them and placed into a body of his own.
Adira ends up...
- 6/10/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Nothing lasts forever. Even vampires. So, when FX announced that the critically acclaimed “What We Do In The Shadows” was ending with season six, it wasn’t that surprising. Five seasons is a pretty great run for any television program in the current media environment. For Harvey Guillen, who portrays the familiar Guillermo to a 760-year-old plus vampire Nandor, played by Kayvan Novak, the news was somewhat bittersweet.
Read More: “What We Do In The Shadows’ Season 5 Review: FX’s Vampire Comedy Returns With Sharpened Teeth
Speaking to The Playlist last week, Guillen prefaces that he was glad the cast and crew knew season six would be their last before filming began.
Continue reading ‘What We Do In The Shadows’: Harvey Guillen Says Final Season Is ‘Hilarious” & “Possibilities Are Endless” [Interview] at The Playlist.
Read More: “What We Do In The Shadows’ Season 5 Review: FX’s Vampire Comedy Returns With Sharpened Teeth
Speaking to The Playlist last week, Guillen prefaces that he was glad the cast and crew knew season six would be their last before filming began.
Continue reading ‘What We Do In The Shadows’: Harvey Guillen Says Final Season Is ‘Hilarious” & “Possibilities Are Endless” [Interview] at The Playlist.
- 6/10/2024
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
It makes sense that David E. Kelley would find his way back to the work of Scott Turow, one of the most popular authors of his era. They’re kindred spirits in a sense, both former attorneys who used their legal expertise to craft bestselling books or highly-rated TV mysteries. Turow came out of the gates on fire with a book that he would never really top in terms of popularity, 1987’s “Presumed Innocent,” made into a hit film with Harrison Ford in 1990 and now remade 34 years later as an Apple TV+ mini-series with Jake Gyllenhaal in the role of an ace prosecutor turned #1 suspect.
Continue reading ‘Presumed Innocent’ Review: Clunky Dialogue, Stretched Mystery Make for A Creatively Guilty Remake at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Presumed Innocent’ Review: Clunky Dialogue, Stretched Mystery Make for A Creatively Guilty Remake at The Playlist.
- 6/10/2024
- by Brian Tallerico
- The Playlist
The so-called "MonsterVerse" is nowadays as silly as the original Toho "Godzilla" sequels became. The franchise's first entry, 2014's divisive but successful "Godzilla," looks downright anomalous. Directed with impeccable scale and craftsmanship by Gareth Edwards, the film exercises careful restraint, escalating the spectacle to make it more satisfying. The palette is made from smog and fire, i.e. what Godzilla and his monster adversaries (the MUTOs) leave in their wake. As star Elizabeth Olsen noted, the film is cut from the cloth of the original 1954 "Godzilla," where the eponymous monster is an allegory for nuclear destruction and natural disasters.
2014's "Godzilla" isn't perfect. It has a so-so script and Aaron Taylor-Johnson feels out of his depth as the lead (even if "The Fall Guy" proved he can be a movie star). Compared to the other MonsterVerse movies, though, it looks like "Jaws."
When Edwards' "Godzilla" went into production, the franchise was in a bad place.
2014's "Godzilla" isn't perfect. It has a so-so script and Aaron Taylor-Johnson feels out of his depth as the lead (even if "The Fall Guy" proved he can be a movie star). Compared to the other MonsterVerse movies, though, it looks like "Jaws."
When Edwards' "Godzilla" went into production, the franchise was in a bad place.
- 6/10/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Sarah Snook and Kodi Smit-McPhee lend their voice talents to Adam Elliott’s ambitious animation that has a strong personal touch
Like Britain’s Nick Park at Aardman, Australian stop-motion film-maker Adam Elliott has shown a natural talent for screenwriting comedy – and for fusing that with the simplicity and directness of his animation style itself, creating a distinctive kind of lovability and pathos and importantly an instinct for the underdog and the outsider. He makes mainstream animation look a bit neurotypical. His 2003 short Harvie Krumpet was an Oscar winner, and Elliot has come to the Annecy animation film festival for the premiere of what’s probably his most ambitious feature-length work yet. It is charming and beguiling, with a strong new personal and even autobiographical strain and, as in the past, he has persuaded A-list voice talent to get involved.
Sarah Snook voices Grace Pudel, who as the story begins...
Like Britain’s Nick Park at Aardman, Australian stop-motion film-maker Adam Elliott has shown a natural talent for screenwriting comedy – and for fusing that with the simplicity and directness of his animation style itself, creating a distinctive kind of lovability and pathos and importantly an instinct for the underdog and the outsider. He makes mainstream animation look a bit neurotypical. His 2003 short Harvie Krumpet was an Oscar winner, and Elliot has come to the Annecy animation film festival for the premiere of what’s probably his most ambitious feature-length work yet. It is charming and beguiling, with a strong new personal and even autobiographical strain and, as in the past, he has persuaded A-list voice talent to get involved.
Sarah Snook voices Grace Pudel, who as the story begins...
- 6/10/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Haven’t had enough Glen Powell yet? Well don’t worry, the “Anyone but You” and “Hit Man” star will be back on the big screen soon enough with “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung’s “Twisters.” Coming to theaters July 19, “Twisters” is a sequel to the 1996 disaster film and box office bonanza “Twister,” but features a new, young cast headed by Powell and including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Brandon Perea, and Anthony Ramos. To tease the upcoming blockbuster, all four actors sat down with Fandango to discuss the making of the film and the level of authenticity sought through practical effects.
“There’s a sequence in the movie that I think is going to be one of the most incredible action sequences of all time,” Powell said. “It all happens in a oner and I think that we shot that in December with a rain machine. One of the coldest nights I’ve ever experienced,...
“There’s a sequence in the movie that I think is going to be one of the most incredible action sequences of all time,” Powell said. “It all happens in a oner and I think that we shot that in December with a rain machine. One of the coldest nights I’ve ever experienced,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (June 6-8) Total gross to date Week 1. Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (Sony) £2.9m £3.9m 1 2. If (Paramount) £866,000 £10.8m 4 3. The Garfield Movie (Sony) £729,503 £7.4m 3 4. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes (Disney) £620,929 £14.3m 5 5. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros) £436,839 £5.6m 3
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die charged to the top of the UK and Ireland box office this weekend with a £2.9m debut for Sony.
The fourth instalment in the buddy cop franchise starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence opened in 643 sites, giving it a £4,391 location average. Including previews, the action comedy made £3.9m.
Ride Or Die...
Bad Boys: Ride Or Die charged to the top of the UK and Ireland box office this weekend with a £2.9m debut for Sony.
The fourth instalment in the buddy cop franchise starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence opened in 643 sites, giving it a £4,391 location average. Including previews, the action comedy made £3.9m.
Ride Or Die...
- 6/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has boarded international rights to “Death Does Not Exist” (“La mort n’existe pas”) which is being showcased in the work-in-progress section at the Annecy Film Festival.
Currently in production, “Death Does Not Exist” is directed by Félix Dufour-Laperrière who previously helmed “Archipel” which won the Annecy Contrechamps Jury Award in 2021, and ‘Ville Neuve’ which had its premiere at Venice Days 2018.
“Death Does Not Exist” takes place after young activists fail an armed attack to overthrow figures of the establishment in their sumptuous villa. Helen freezes and abandons her accomplices. Manon, another
member of her group, returns to haunt her. The film’s voice cast includes Zeneb Blanchet, Karelle Tremblay (“The Nature of Love”), Mattis Savard-Verhoeven, Barbara Ulrich and Irène Dufour.
“’Death Does Not Exist’ deals with difficult subjects – violence, commitment, profound convictions – in a way that exposes their underlying tensions, outbursts, dead ends,” said Félix Dufour-Laperrière,...
Currently in production, “Death Does Not Exist” is directed by Félix Dufour-Laperrière who previously helmed “Archipel” which won the Annecy Contrechamps Jury Award in 2021, and ‘Ville Neuve’ which had its premiere at Venice Days 2018.
“Death Does Not Exist” takes place after young activists fail an armed attack to overthrow figures of the establishment in their sumptuous villa. Helen freezes and abandons her accomplices. Manon, another
member of her group, returns to haunt her. The film’s voice cast includes Zeneb Blanchet, Karelle Tremblay (“The Nature of Love”), Mattis Savard-Verhoeven, Barbara Ulrich and Irène Dufour.
“’Death Does Not Exist’ deals with difficult subjects – violence, commitment, profound convictions – in a way that exposes their underlying tensions, outbursts, dead ends,” said Félix Dufour-Laperrière,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Even the biggest stars in the world have bad days. This is something erstwhile Spider-Man Andrew Garfield has been open about, whether he's speaking openly about grieving his mother or admitting that he still has the occasional crisis of confidence, even during the height of his success. The actor spoke to BBC Radio 1 about the latter situation in an interview in 2022, and admitted that he had a rather unorthodox comfort show when he was performing as Prior Walter in the towering, intimidating stage masterpiece "Angels in America."
"I'm doing 'Angels in America' in London and I'm staying in my apartment and 'BoJack' was my kind of comfort show during that time," Garfield told interviewer Ali Plumb, referencing Raphael Bob-Waksberg's incredible, now-ended animated series "BoJack Horseman," which centers on a washed-up celebrity horse. A version of Garfield actually appeared on the Hollywood-skewering show as an ex...
"I'm doing 'Angels in America' in London and I'm staying in my apartment and 'BoJack' was my kind of comfort show during that time," Garfield told interviewer Ali Plumb, referencing Raphael Bob-Waksberg's incredible, now-ended animated series "BoJack Horseman," which centers on a washed-up celebrity horse. A version of Garfield actually appeared on the Hollywood-skewering show as an ex...
- 6/10/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Based on the experiences of the Smallbone family who travelled to Tennesse in the 90s, this is so sugary it should come with a warning for diabetics
Given the current attitudes in what is now largely Republican Tennessee where this film is set, it’s somewhat surprising to see such a sympathetic depiction of the travails of a family of economic migrants from the southern hemisphere who come to America seeking their fortune. Gullibly believing that the offer of a job is real and facing economic hardship in his homeland, the somewhat deluded father hauls his wife and six children (seven if you count the one the wife is carrying), across the border where they only just escape scrutiny from suspicious border guards. When the promised job falls through, the parents are compelled to put the underage children to menial yard work and cleaning jobs so that they have enough...
Given the current attitudes in what is now largely Republican Tennessee where this film is set, it’s somewhat surprising to see such a sympathetic depiction of the travails of a family of economic migrants from the southern hemisphere who come to America seeking their fortune. Gullibly believing that the offer of a job is real and facing economic hardship in his homeland, the somewhat deluded father hauls his wife and six children (seven if you count the one the wife is carrying), across the border where they only just escape scrutiny from suspicious border guards. When the promised job falls through, the parents are compelled to put the underage children to menial yard work and cleaning jobs so that they have enough...
- 6/10/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
The actor takes on an unfamiliar role – as herself – in her daughter Lina Soualem’s film documenting four generations of Palestinian women
Hiam Abbass felt “suffocated” growing up as a Palestinian woman in what had recently become the state of Israel. She was unable to travel to other Arab countries where her own relatives had been forced to live after being expelled during the Nakba of 1948. Feeling at odds with the rest of the world drove her into the arts,
and she enrolled at a photography school in Haifa. Working as a photographer for El-Hakawati theater in Jerusalem was her first step towards acting professionally. “Build a career is not even really the right term,” she says. “What it meant was just to exist, to be what you want to be, without having to give answers at every second of the day to hundreds and hundreds of people.”
Today, Abbass...
Hiam Abbass felt “suffocated” growing up as a Palestinian woman in what had recently become the state of Israel. She was unable to travel to other Arab countries where her own relatives had been forced to live after being expelled during the Nakba of 1948. Feeling at odds with the rest of the world drove her into the arts,
and she enrolled at a photography school in Haifa. Working as a photographer for El-Hakawati theater in Jerusalem was her first step towards acting professionally. “Build a career is not even really the right term,” she says. “What it meant was just to exist, to be what you want to be, without having to give answers at every second of the day to hundreds and hundreds of people.”
Today, Abbass...
- 6/10/2024
- by Isabella Hammad
- The Guardian - Film News
A student experiences the grim realities of the workplace in July Jung’s chilling portrait of a generation of South Koreans let down by society
The future is not so much a prize to be seized by the young as it is bleak, foreclosed and unrelenting in this drama from South Korean director July Jung. Sohee (Kim Si-Eun) is a free-spirited high schooler with a fiercely independent streak and a love of dance. At school, her teacher pulls her aside and shares the good news: he’s found her an internship at a call centre. But the signs that she will hate the job are there on day one: during training, managers advise staff – all young, all female, all considered expendable – what lipstick to wear.
The film was inspired by a news story about a student who killed themselves while on a work placement, and one can sense Jung (who...
The future is not so much a prize to be seized by the young as it is bleak, foreclosed and unrelenting in this drama from South Korean director July Jung. Sohee (Kim Si-Eun) is a free-spirited high schooler with a fiercely independent streak and a love of dance. At school, her teacher pulls her aside and shares the good news: he’s found her an internship at a call centre. But the signs that she will hate the job are there on day one: during training, managers advise staff – all young, all female, all considered expendable – what lipstick to wear.
The film was inspired by a news story about a student who killed themselves while on a work placement, and one can sense Jung (who...
- 6/10/2024
- by Rebecca Liu
- The Guardian - Film News
There's no greater fear than the unknown. Our heritage as beings evolved from organisms whose survival instinct was developed thousands of years ago means that we're all afraid of the literal and/or metaphorical dark, if for no better reason than we inherently know that danger can lie in wait within those unseen spaces. With knowledge comes logic, reason, and enlightenment, but there are still many questions about existence without answers, chief among them what else may exist beyond our corporeal forms. The conception of a God or Gods is a comforting one, but as logic follows, the existence of both good and evil in the world could mean that there is no God without a Devil.
It's that ambiguous, unresolved fear we all have about the nature of evil and its potential tangibility that writer/director Osgood Perkins has demonstrated an uncanny knack for tapping into. From his debut,...
It's that ambiguous, unresolved fear we all have about the nature of evil and its potential tangibility that writer/director Osgood Perkins has demonstrated an uncanny knack for tapping into. From his debut,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Cinema operator Cineworld is reportedly working with advisors on a strategic review that could lead to the disposal of its UK operations.
Sky News reported over the weekend that Cineworld has begun contacting prospective bidders. It said that AlixPartners, the restructuring adviser which handled the administration of Cineworld’s London-listed holding company last year, has been drafted in to work on the process.
Citing City sources, Sky News said that the cinema giant is also expected to explore the option of a company voluntary arrangement (Cva) - a further restructuring process which could put an unspecified number of its UK cinemas at risk of closure.
Sky News reported over the weekend that Cineworld has begun contacting prospective bidders. It said that AlixPartners, the restructuring adviser which handled the administration of Cineworld’s London-listed holding company last year, has been drafted in to work on the process.
Citing City sources, Sky News said that the cinema giant is also expected to explore the option of a company voluntary arrangement (Cva) - a further restructuring process which could put an unspecified number of its UK cinemas at risk of closure.
- 6/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
In the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "The Way of the Warrior", Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) finds his station being overrun by Klingons. The Klingons claim to be there to defend DS9 from any potential Dominion threats, but it takes the form of harassing civilians and detaining passing ships against their will. Requiring some insight into the matter, Sisko sends for the only Klingon currently serving in Starfleet: Lieutenant Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) from "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
Worf was at a major crossroads in his life. He was, until recently, serving as the chief security officer on the Enterprise-d, but that ship crashed (during the 1994 film "Star Trek: Generations"), and he wasn't sure what his career might look like moving forward. The Klingons wanted Worf to leave Starfleet and join the Klingon Empire, but Worf didn't like the Empire's new war tactics. Ultimately, Worf decided to stay in Starfleet,...
Worf was at a major crossroads in his life. He was, until recently, serving as the chief security officer on the Enterprise-d, but that ship crashed (during the 1994 film "Star Trek: Generations"), and he wasn't sure what his career might look like moving forward. The Klingons wanted Worf to leave Starfleet and join the Klingon Empire, but Worf didn't like the Empire's new war tactics. Ultimately, Worf decided to stay in Starfleet,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Rocking big hair and fake eyelashes Dyrholm shines in provocative film that deals with issues of sexual assault and female bonding
Trine Dyrholm is one of Europe’s finest and hardest-working actors, though she is hardly a household name for viewers beyond her homeland, Denmark. For those who follow Nordic cinema, especially Denmark’s prolific early 00s output, she would be familiar from features such as Festen, In Your Hands and In a Better World. One of those actors who sinks deep into her role, she is especially known for a capacity to play troubled, complex women; her part in Birthday Girl fits that brief to a tee.
A tight little melodrama written and directed by Michael Noer, the film calculates its provocation precisely as it lays out a murky crime that will spark post-viewing debate. Dyrholm plays Nanna, a working-class Danish woman rocking a metric ton of blond hair...
Trine Dyrholm is one of Europe’s finest and hardest-working actors, though she is hardly a household name for viewers beyond her homeland, Denmark. For those who follow Nordic cinema, especially Denmark’s prolific early 00s output, she would be familiar from features such as Festen, In Your Hands and In a Better World. One of those actors who sinks deep into her role, she is especially known for a capacity to play troubled, complex women; her part in Birthday Girl fits that brief to a tee.
A tight little melodrama written and directed by Michael Noer, the film calculates its provocation precisely as it lays out a murky crime that will spark post-viewing debate. Dyrholm plays Nanna, a working-class Danish woman rocking a metric ton of blond hair...
- 6/10/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
Caroline Lindy’s comedy horror Your Monster won the audience favourite award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival: London, which ran from June 6-9.
Writer-director Lindy, star Melissa Barrera and producer and actor Kayla Foster were present at the Picturehouse Central cinema venue to accept the award.
It was voted for by thousands of festivalgoers from the 11-strong Sundance London programme.
Your Monster had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in Utah, US in January. The film stars Barrera as a softly-spoken actress who, after her life falls apart, finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying yet charming monster living in her closet.
Writer-director Lindy, star Melissa Barrera and producer and actor Kayla Foster were present at the Picturehouse Central cinema venue to accept the award.
It was voted for by thousands of festivalgoers from the 11-strong Sundance London programme.
Your Monster had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in Utah, US in January. The film stars Barrera as a softly-spoken actress who, after her life falls apart, finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying yet charming monster living in her closet.
- 6/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Worldwide box office June 7-9 Rank Film (distributor)3-day (world)Cume (world)3-day (int’l)3-day (int’l)Territories 1. Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (Sony) $104.6m $104.6m $48.6m $48.6m 61 2. The Garfield Movie (Sony) $25.3m $192.7m $15.3m $124.1m 62 3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros) $17.9m $144.4m $13.7m $85.7m 79 4. If (Paramount) $14.2m $160.7m $6.2m $67.2m 66 5. Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes (Disney) $12.3m $359.7m $6.9m $210m 53 6. The Watchers (Warner Bros) $11.7m $11.7m $4.7m $4.7m 66 7. Be My Friend (various) $7.7m $9.8m $7.7m $9.8m 1 8. Walk The Line (various) $7.5m $10.6m $7.5 $10.6m 1 9. Crisis Negotiators (various) $5.5m $9.2m $5.5m $9.2m 2 10. A Little Something Extra...
- 6/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Screen is running this regularly updated page with the latest film festival and market dates from across the world.
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Sydney Film Festival, Australia - June 5-16
Tribeca Film Festival, US - June 5-16
Annecy International Animation Film Festival And Market, France - June 9-15
Bentonville Film Festival, US - June 10-16
Ecam Forum, Spain - June 10-13
June
American Black Film Festival, US -...
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Sydney Film Festival, Australia - June 5-16
Tribeca Film Festival, US - June 5-16
Annecy International Animation Film Festival And Market, France - June 9-15
Bentonville Film Festival, US - June 10-16
Ecam Forum, Spain - June 10-13
June
American Black Film Festival, US -...
- 6/10/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
France’s Annecy Animation Festival opened on Sunday, and among the event’s first activities was a screening of titles from the Commission Films in Competition Lineup. During the projection, the French music video for Chien Méchant’s “Étoile filante,” produced using generative artificial intelligence software, earned the extraordinary distinction of being booed by the Annecy audience.
According to the French VFX, animation and gaming website 3Dvf, which was at the screening, all of the other titles presented during the event received applause of varying degrees. When the “Étoile Filante” video – directed by Kelzang Ravach and produced by Temple Caché and Mélusine Caillau – finished, a few people clapped, but most of the audience remained silent while “some spectators started booing the clip.”
Made up mostly of animation students and professionals, Annecy crowds, packed by students from some of the best animation schools in Europe, generally express very little cynicism towards films playing at the festival.
According to the French VFX, animation and gaming website 3Dvf, which was at the screening, all of the other titles presented during the event received applause of varying degrees. When the “Étoile Filante” video – directed by Kelzang Ravach and produced by Temple Caché and Mélusine Caillau – finished, a few people clapped, but most of the audience remained silent while “some spectators started booing the clip.”
Made up mostly of animation students and professionals, Annecy crowds, packed by students from some of the best animation schools in Europe, generally express very little cynicism towards films playing at the festival.
- 6/10/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
For good reason, Portugal is this year’s Country of Honor at the Annecy Animation Festival. A decade ago, new government financing structures were put in place that have helped create a young and vibrant industry that has earned critical and awards praise around the world, including the country’s first-ever Oscar nomination.
Perhaps the most striking thing about Portugal’s burgeoning animation scene is its incredible diversity. Local artists are competing in the biggest festivals around the world with traditional 2D animated work, stellar stop-motion, mixed-media titles and, increasingly, sharp CG animation of a quality that would have been impossible just a few years ago.
According to Fernando Galrito, artistic director of Monstra Festival, “In my opinion, the absence of a strong ‘aesthetic school’ imposing plastic guidelines, technical, aesthetic, or narrative rules, allowed for a variety of artistic approaches and creative freedom that led to a great conceptual diversity.
Perhaps the most striking thing about Portugal’s burgeoning animation scene is its incredible diversity. Local artists are competing in the biggest festivals around the world with traditional 2D animated work, stellar stop-motion, mixed-media titles and, increasingly, sharp CG animation of a quality that would have been impossible just a few years ago.
According to Fernando Galrito, artistic director of Monstra Festival, “In my opinion, the absence of a strong ‘aesthetic school’ imposing plastic guidelines, technical, aesthetic, or narrative rules, allowed for a variety of artistic approaches and creative freedom that led to a great conceptual diversity.
- 6/10/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
Twelve-time Grammy-winning Panamanian musician, actor and human rights activist Ruben Blades has provided an original song for the Spanish-Panamanian animated climate change movie “Black Butterflies” from director David Baute. The film will world premiere in the Contrechamp competition at this year’s Annecy Animation Festival.
Animated in 2D, and painstakingly researched by Baute, “Black Butterflies” is a timely feature about the real-world consequences of global warming as experienced by communities in the areas most impacted by the man-made phenomenon.
The film tells three separate but related stories about Lobuin, Vanesa and Soma, three women from very different parts of the world who face the same problem: climate change. The women and their families are condemned to lose everything because of the effects of climate change and are forced to emigrate to survive.
Explaining why the film was important to him, Blades said, “Climate change as a reason for human immigration...
Animated in 2D, and painstakingly researched by Baute, “Black Butterflies” is a timely feature about the real-world consequences of global warming as experienced by communities in the areas most impacted by the man-made phenomenon.
The film tells three separate but related stories about Lobuin, Vanesa and Soma, three women from very different parts of the world who face the same problem: climate change. The women and their families are condemned to lose everything because of the effects of climate change and are forced to emigrate to survive.
Explaining why the film was important to him, Blades said, “Climate change as a reason for human immigration...
- 6/10/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
The Costa Rican tale of a grandfather’s lifetime care for his family, “Agua Dulce,” Mexican eco-themed elf story “Bolla” and teen horror tale “Knightmares” are among the six projects to be pitched June 12 at the Annecy Animation Festival’s Mifa Market. These are presented by La Liga, an umbrella association jointly founded in 2018 by Argentina’s Animation! at Ventana Sur, Spain’s Quirino Awards and Mexico’s Pixelatl fest.
“Animation is an increasingly collaborative industry. La Liga [the Ibero-American Animation League] exemplifies this collaboration among the major markets in Ibero-America, allowing production houses to see the benefits of teamwork,” said Pixelatl CEO, Jose Iñesta.
“Since its inception, many projects that have won Liga awards have been produced or are in production, such as ‘Dos Pajaritos’ and ‘Primeras.’ We aim to see more Ibero-American content on screens, and the path forward is through co-production, collaboration and teamwork. La Liga was founded with this in...
“Animation is an increasingly collaborative industry. La Liga [the Ibero-American Animation League] exemplifies this collaboration among the major markets in Ibero-America, allowing production houses to see the benefits of teamwork,” said Pixelatl CEO, Jose Iñesta.
“Since its inception, many projects that have won Liga awards have been produced or are in production, such as ‘Dos Pajaritos’ and ‘Primeras.’ We aim to see more Ibero-American content on screens, and the path forward is through co-production, collaboration and teamwork. La Liga was founded with this in...
- 6/10/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety - Film News
Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan has boarded his acting coach Vinod Rawat’s feature directorial debut “Pushtaini” (“Ancestral”) as a presenter.
Rawat, who previously directed Season 1 of Disney+ Hotstar’s Emmy-nominated series “Aarya” alongside Ram Madhvani, has served as Roshan’s acting coach since “Kaabil” (2017).
In “Pushtaini,” Rawat stars as Bhuppi, a struggling actor who is desperate to secure his last chance at stardom after he finds himself caught in an embarrassing scandal. Forced to return to his home and face his past, Bhuppi travels through the mountains and shares adventures with strangers, unaware of what the journey has in store for him.
The film features a cameo by Rajkummar Rao. It is written by Rawat and co-written by Rita Heer, who also plays a prominent character in the film. Additionally, the film features non-professional actors, including Rawat’s own family members.
“Pushtaini” debuted at the 2023 Mumbai Film Festival. It is...
Rawat, who previously directed Season 1 of Disney+ Hotstar’s Emmy-nominated series “Aarya” alongside Ram Madhvani, has served as Roshan’s acting coach since “Kaabil” (2017).
In “Pushtaini,” Rawat stars as Bhuppi, a struggling actor who is desperate to secure his last chance at stardom after he finds himself caught in an embarrassing scandal. Forced to return to his home and face his past, Bhuppi travels through the mountains and shares adventures with strangers, unaware of what the journey has in store for him.
The film features a cameo by Rajkummar Rao. It is written by Rawat and co-written by Rita Heer, who also plays a prominent character in the film. Additionally, the film features non-professional actors, including Rawat’s own family members.
“Pushtaini” debuted at the 2023 Mumbai Film Festival. It is...
- 6/10/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Stop-motion maestro Claude Barras will back “Ogresse,” a tragicomic musical directed by three-time Grammy winner Cecile McLorin Salvant and Belgian animator Lia Bertels.
Variety can share this first look.
Led by Miyu Productions – the studio behind last year’s Annecy Animation Festival top-winner “Chicken For Linda!” – the upcoming project adapts a stage show vocalist and MacArthur fellow Cecile McLorin Salvant has toured since 2019, marrying Salvant’s jazz stylings with 2D animation from Bertels and stop-motion interludes overseen by Barras’ Lausanne-based Helium Films.
Belgium’s Umedia and Luxemburg’s Melusine Productions (“The Swallows of Kabul”) will co-produce alongside John Carlin, with French distributor Kmbo handling the domestic release.
The so-called murder ballad set to a jazz tempo will hit bittersweet tones as it follows a forest-dwelling ogress, ostracized because of her physical difference and pursued by a young hunter determined to claim her heart in either love or combat. The project...
Variety can share this first look.
Led by Miyu Productions – the studio behind last year’s Annecy Animation Festival top-winner “Chicken For Linda!” – the upcoming project adapts a stage show vocalist and MacArthur fellow Cecile McLorin Salvant has toured since 2019, marrying Salvant’s jazz stylings with 2D animation from Bertels and stop-motion interludes overseen by Barras’ Lausanne-based Helium Films.
Belgium’s Umedia and Luxemburg’s Melusine Productions (“The Swallows of Kabul”) will co-produce alongside John Carlin, with French distributor Kmbo handling the domestic release.
The so-called murder ballad set to a jazz tempo will hit bittersweet tones as it follows a forest-dwelling ogress, ostracized because of her physical difference and pursued by a young hunter determined to claim her heart in either love or combat. The project...
- 6/10/2024
- by Ben Croll
- Variety - Film News
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” enjoyed one day at the top of the mainland China box office before being deposed by a crop of local new releases that opened in time for the Dragon Boat holiday. “Civil War” performed even more slowly.
China’s Friday to Sunday weekend box office saw “Be My Friend” score $8.1 million (RMB57.7 million), albeit earned over just two days. That put it ahead of “Walk the Line” in second place with $7.8 million (RMB55.6 million) and “Crisis Negotiators,” with $5.8 million (RMB40.9 million), according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.
“The Garfield Movie,” which had a two-day run the previous weekend, slipped from second place to fourth. It scored $5.4 million (RMB38.0 million) for a nine-day cumulative of $15.2 million in China. Fifth place over the latest weekend chart was taken by the two-day performance of “Gold or Shit,” with $4.8 million.
“Furiosa” and “Civil War” fell outside of...
China’s Friday to Sunday weekend box office saw “Be My Friend” score $8.1 million (RMB57.7 million), albeit earned over just two days. That put it ahead of “Walk the Line” in second place with $7.8 million (RMB55.6 million) and “Crisis Negotiators,” with $5.8 million (RMB40.9 million), according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.
“The Garfield Movie,” which had a two-day run the previous weekend, slipped from second place to fourth. It scored $5.4 million (RMB38.0 million) for a nine-day cumulative of $15.2 million in China. Fifth place over the latest weekend chart was taken by the two-day performance of “Gold or Shit,” with $4.8 million.
“Furiosa” and “Civil War” fell outside of...
- 6/10/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
During its run on The WB (and The CW) from 2000-2007, "Gilmore Girls" emerged as one of TV's most beloved teen drama shows, eventually finding a second life on Netflix. It was lauded for its rapid-fire banter laden with pop culture references, its quaint New England charm, and its quirky characters. All of this was held together by the unshakeable bond between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore — more like the best of friends than mother and daughter.
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, "Gilmore Girls" has since become the ultimate cozy watch, especially during Pumpkin Spice Latte season. The series takes us through Ivy League ambitions, boyfriend troubles, and some of the greatest will-they-or-won't-they? romantic tension of all time, between the bubbly, perpetually-caffeinated Lorelai and grumpy diner owner Luke Danes.
But, "Oy with the poodles already!" If you're reading this list, you already know what "Gilmore Girls" is all about, so let's start ranking the seasons.
Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, "Gilmore Girls" has since become the ultimate cozy watch, especially during Pumpkin Spice Latte season. The series takes us through Ivy League ambitions, boyfriend troubles, and some of the greatest will-they-or-won't-they? romantic tension of all time, between the bubbly, perpetually-caffeinated Lorelai and grumpy diner owner Luke Danes.
But, "Oy with the poodles already!" If you're reading this list, you already know what "Gilmore Girls" is all about, so let's start ranking the seasons.
- 6/10/2024
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” a hit in multiple other markets worldwide, crashed on its first lap at the South Korean box office. It failed to make even $1 million in on its opening weekend.
Instead, “Wonderland,” a sci-fi fantasy about Artificial Intelligence, took the top spot over the weekend.
Opening in fifth place, “Bad Boys 4” earned just $520,000 or 8% of the Korean market over the Friday to Sunday weekend, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). Over the five days since its Wednesday theatrical opening, it earned just $803,000.
At this pace, it is unlikely to catch the $3.54 million Korean total of “Bad Boys for Life,” which opened in January 2020.
Competition over the latest weekend was not exactly fierce. Korean-produced “Wonderland” earned a modest $1.66 million in top spot, with a market share of 25%. That was the second weakest first-placed opening of the year.
Instead, “Wonderland,” a sci-fi fantasy about Artificial Intelligence, took the top spot over the weekend.
Opening in fifth place, “Bad Boys 4” earned just $520,000 or 8% of the Korean market over the Friday to Sunday weekend, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). Over the five days since its Wednesday theatrical opening, it earned just $803,000.
At this pace, it is unlikely to catch the $3.54 million Korean total of “Bad Boys for Life,” which opened in January 2020.
Competition over the latest weekend was not exactly fierce. Korean-produced “Wonderland” earned a modest $1.66 million in top spot, with a market share of 25%. That was the second weakest first-placed opening of the year.
- 6/10/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Nearly a lifetime ago, in 1975, Terry Gilliam submitted his five-minute short film “Miracle of Flight” to the Annecy Animation Festival in France.
An absurdist gem about homo sapiens’ disastrous desire to take to the skies — using the same cut-out technique made famous by the irreverent interstitials and opening credits Gilliam designed for the British sketch comedy series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” — the film screened, but won no prizes.
Suddenly, half a century later (as “Miracle of Flight” might put it), Annecy corrected the oversight by awarding Gilliam an Honorary Cristal. Turns out, it’s a much nicer trophy — considerably bigger and far easier to dust — awarded in appreciation of lifetime achievement in the field.
“Can you believe how long it has taken me to get this fucking award?” Gilliam joked in mock outrage. “I think they know I might not be around next year.” But the director of “Time Bandits,...
An absurdist gem about homo sapiens’ disastrous desire to take to the skies — using the same cut-out technique made famous by the irreverent interstitials and opening credits Gilliam designed for the British sketch comedy series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” — the film screened, but won no prizes.
Suddenly, half a century later (as “Miracle of Flight” might put it), Annecy corrected the oversight by awarding Gilliam an Honorary Cristal. Turns out, it’s a much nicer trophy — considerably bigger and far easier to dust — awarded in appreciation of lifetime achievement in the field.
“Can you believe how long it has taken me to get this fucking award?” Gilliam joked in mock outrage. “I think they know I might not be around next year.” But the director of “Time Bandits,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety - Film News
Cartoon Network has always been a place of experimentation. In the early years, shows like "Dexter's Laboratory" brought Sam Raimi references to animation. In the early '00s, shows like "Samurai Jack," "Ben 10," and "Codename: Kids Next Door," added deep mythologies and more serialized storytelling. And in the 2010s, the network experimented with visuals in shows like "Flapjack" and "Adventure Time," which brought weirdness back into Cartoon Network.
This experimentation continued, with animators who got their start on the likes of "Flapjack" going on to develop influential and fantastic shows on their own. Still, as bold and imaginative as all these shows were, they were still mostly white men in charge of creating those cartoons. That all changed in 2013 with the release of "Steven Universe" -- one of the best cartoons of the century and a deeply emotional and inventive show inspired by superheroes and magical-girl anime. The show follows Steven,...
This experimentation continued, with animators who got their start on the likes of "Flapjack" going on to develop influential and fantastic shows on their own. Still, as bold and imaginative as all these shows were, they were still mostly white men in charge of creating those cartoons. That all changed in 2013 with the release of "Steven Universe" -- one of the best cartoons of the century and a deeply emotional and inventive show inspired by superheroes and magical-girl anime. The show follows Steven,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have caught a lot of flack in recent years for the sheer amount of silliness and gags muddling up the various film and TV plots. There's no doubt there are a lot of MCU jokes that haven't aged well, and as the franchise has continued, the quips seem to have become more and more frequent — something that will no doubt reach a fever pitch with the upcoming "Deadpool & Wolverine."
But there was a time when one-liners and wisecracks were used more sparingly and played a crucial role in the success of the MCU. This element of the franchise led directly to the hit that was "Thor: Ragnarok," in which Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige entrusted director Taika Waititi with reinventing Chris Hemsworth's Thor as a more comedic persona. This was due to the Aussie star's penchant for improv, which he'd demonstrated in both "Thor" and its sequel,...
But there was a time when one-liners and wisecracks were used more sparingly and played a crucial role in the success of the MCU. This element of the franchise led directly to the hit that was "Thor: Ragnarok," in which Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige entrusted director Taika Waititi with reinventing Chris Hemsworth's Thor as a more comedic persona. This was due to the Aussie star's penchant for improv, which he'd demonstrated in both "Thor" and its sequel,...
- 6/10/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
IndieWire’s Consider This FYC event returned once again on Saturday to celebrate the craftsmanship and collaboration that goes into making our favorite shows. In front of a packed crowd at The Grove in Los Angeles, artists who worked on the Paramount+ shows “Fellow Travelers,” “Star Trek: Discovery” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “A Gentleman in Moscow,” “Frasier,” “Colin from Accounts,” and “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” convened for a series of panels about the art of television moderated by IndieWire editors.
The event, produced in partnership with Paramount+, highlighted artists from every stage of the production process. From stars and showrunners to costumers, production designers, composers, editors, and VFX artists, the event reflected IndieWire’s commitment to celebrating above-the-line and below-the-line artists in equal measure. And while the panels focused on shows that could be major players in the upcoming Emmy race, the artists and craftspeople all made it clear...
The event, produced in partnership with Paramount+, highlighted artists from every stage of the production process. From stars and showrunners to costumers, production designers, composers, editors, and VFX artists, the event reflected IndieWire’s commitment to celebrating above-the-line and below-the-line artists in equal measure. And while the panels focused on shows that could be major players in the upcoming Emmy race, the artists and craftspeople all made it clear...
- 6/9/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
With the question “What is a Jew?” as much of a politicized hot potato these days as it’s ever been, “Sabbath Queen” adds plenty of fuel to an already fiery debate. Like director Sandi DuBowski’s prior documentary “Trembling Before G-d” (2001), this long-aborning followup puts a spotlight on LGBTQ protagonists struggling to make a place for themselves within — or despite — the cultural and religious strictures of the Orthodox Judaism they were raised in. But principal subject Amichai Lau-Lavie has gone well beyond that to publicly promote notions of gay and interfaith marriage, among other progressive concepts considered heretical by many. His critics include members of his own family, whose rabbinical lineage can be traced back to the 11th century.
Shot over the course of 21 years, with archival materials going back much further, this is the kind of activist portrait whose sides seem so diametrically opposed, it’s hard to imagine reconciliation is even possible.
Shot over the course of 21 years, with archival materials going back much further, this is the kind of activist portrait whose sides seem so diametrically opposed, it’s hard to imagine reconciliation is even possible.
- 6/9/2024
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety - Film News
From June 10 to June 16, actress and activist Geena Davis, alongside festival director Wendy Guerrero and many others, will be hosting the 10th anniversary of Arkansas’ Bentonville Film Festival. This year’s fest is expected to attract 65,000 attendees and, as with its previous installments, centers on championing the films and voices of women, non-binary, LGBTQ+, Bipoc, Api, and persons with disabilities in entertainment and media. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter promoting the festival, Davis said that while the work Bff does is in a good place, there’s still more to be done.
“We’re making tremendous progress with gender, race and ethnicity-based inclusion,” said Davis. “Unfortunately, representation for people with disabilities is still in the low-single-digits, despite one in four Americans identifying as being disabled.”
Though enjoying movies may not seem like a political act, choosing to center Dei initiatives at a festival that takes place in...
“We’re making tremendous progress with gender, race and ethnicity-based inclusion,” said Davis. “Unfortunately, representation for people with disabilities is still in the low-single-digits, despite one in four Americans identifying as being disabled.”
Though enjoying movies may not seem like a political act, choosing to center Dei initiatives at a festival that takes place in...
- 6/9/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
It's been over a year since two of the best shows in HBO history signed off on the same night, yet we're still thinking about "Barry." The series started with a bang in 2018, delivering a cool premise –- What if a hit man wanted to give it all up and become an actor? –- that soon gave way to four seasons of dark humor, brutal violence, shocking tragedy, whip-smart satire, and some of the most incredible filmmaking of the 21st century. Co-creators Alec Berg and Bill Hader were never content to let "Barry" tread water, and seemed determined to constantly reinvent the show –- in part by pushing its central character beyond his breaking point.
As "Barry" wore on, it got tougher to categorize. While awards voting bodies heaped praise upon the show's early seasons, it saw fewer wins for seasons 3 and 4: the show, at some point, became too...
As "Barry" wore on, it got tougher to categorize. While awards voting bodies heaped praise upon the show's early seasons, it saw fewer wins for seasons 3 and 4: the show, at some point, became too...
- 6/9/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
The French far-right party Rassemblement National made historical gains on June 9, dominating the European elections by a landslide with 31.5% of votes.
Fronted by the Rassemblement National’s 28 year-old lead candidate Jordan Bardella, the victory prompted French President Emmanuel Macron — whose party Renaissance came in second with 14.5% of votes — to dissolve the National Assembly and call early Parliamentary elections. These will take place in two rounds, on June 30 and July 7, less than a month before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris.
Perceived as a poker move by insiders, these snap elections could lead to seeing the Rassemblement National win the majority within the National Assembly and subsequently obligate Macron to cohabit with a prime minister belonging to the far right, most likely Bardella. Macron appears to be following the footsteps of Jacques Chirac, the right-wing former president, who dissolved the National Assembly in 1997 and called snap elections. After the socialist party won the majority,...
Fronted by the Rassemblement National’s 28 year-old lead candidate Jordan Bardella, the victory prompted French President Emmanuel Macron — whose party Renaissance came in second with 14.5% of votes — to dissolve the National Assembly and call early Parliamentary elections. These will take place in two rounds, on June 30 and July 7, less than a month before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris.
Perceived as a poker move by insiders, these snap elections could lead to seeing the Rassemblement National win the majority within the National Assembly and subsequently obligate Macron to cohabit with a prime minister belonging to the far right, most likely Bardella. Macron appears to be following the footsteps of Jacques Chirac, the right-wing former president, who dissolved the National Assembly in 1997 and called snap elections. After the socialist party won the majority,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Perhaps the most overlooked series in the "Star Trek" canon ("Short Treks" and "Very Short Treks" notwithstanding), "Star Trek: The Animated Series" may be accepted as the final two years in the U.S.S. Enterprise's five-year mission. "Star Trek: Tas" debuted on September 8, 1973, four years after the cancelation of "Star Trek," to reunite the original cast and writers to explore Starlfeet's adventures in a 30-minute, animated format. The animation was provided by Filmation, the studio that had previously overseen multiple Batman and Superman cartoons, Archie cartoons, "Gilligan's Island" spinoffs, and which would go on to produce the ultra-popular "Fat Albert," "The Groovy Goolies," "BraveStarr," and "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." Filmation shows were popular among kids, but their animations tended to be stiff and inexpressive. The most prominent feature of "Star Trek: Tas" is how static it looks.
However, the shortened runtime forced the writers of "Tas...
However, the shortened runtime forced the writers of "Tas...
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Having Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn as your parents might sound like a dream to some, and Wyatt Russell certainly loves his folks, but acting with them has always been something he’s been hesitant to do — especially once his dad’s return to the screen coincided with his own rise. Sure, he played a younger version of his Kurt’s character in the 1998 sci-fi thriller “Soldier,” but doing the same for the Apple TV+ television adventure series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” involved an entirely different level of commitment. In the show, they play a rough, but reliable U.S. Army Colonel at two contrasting points in his life, yet in both time periods, he’s similarly tasked with facing down the Titans who threaten to destroy the world. In creating this dichotomy, Kurt and Wyatt didn’t really feel the need to prepare together, but in a recent interview with Variety,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
The mix of actors, showrunners, directors, costumers, production designers, composers, and VFX artists in attendance at IndieWire’s Consider This FYC event, produced in partnership with Paramount, reflected the unique blend of skillsets that have to come together to create a hit show. Artists from properties as varied as “Star Trek,” “Frasier,” and “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” to “Fellow Travelers,” “Colin from Accounts,” and “A Gentleman in Moscow” convened at The Grove in Los Angeles to discuss the painstaking process of delivering the most authentic possible shows to their audiences. And while no two stories were the same, everyone seemed to agree that great art happens at the intersection of extensive preparation and serendipitous timing. (Return to IndieWire for videos of the full panels later this week.)
The day kicked off with a panel celebrating “Fellow Travelers” featuring creator and executive producer Ron Nyswaner, star and executive producer Matt Bomer (who...
The day kicked off with a panel celebrating “Fellow Travelers” featuring creator and executive producer Ron Nyswaner, star and executive producer Matt Bomer (who...
- 6/9/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
‘McVeigh’ Review: A Drama About the Oklahoma City Bomber Has Low-Key Sociopathic Atmosphere to Spare
“McVeigh,” a drama about Timothy McVeigh and the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, is a movie rooted in the forlorn underbelly of small-town American rage.
A car snakes its way along an empty road in the desolate dusk. Men nursing cheap beers sit around in roadside bars, strips clubs, or living rooms with ugly wood paneling. And Tim (Alfie Allen), an impassive loner whose scraggly beard is an outgrowth of his not bothering to shave, sits behind his table at a gun show, hawking $2 bumper stickers that say “When guns are outlawed, I will become an outlaw.” At home, he points a weapon at the TV set, like Travis Bickle, miming the execution of the U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno as she testifies at hearings about the FBI siege of the Branch Davidian compound at Waco. Tim also travels to an Arkansas prison...
A car snakes its way along an empty road in the desolate dusk. Men nursing cheap beers sit around in roadside bars, strips clubs, or living rooms with ugly wood paneling. And Tim (Alfie Allen), an impassive loner whose scraggly beard is an outgrowth of his not bothering to shave, sits behind his table at a gun show, hawking $2 bumper stickers that say “When guns are outlawed, I will become an outlaw.” At home, he points a weapon at the TV set, like Travis Bickle, miming the execution of the U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno as she testifies at hearings about the FBI siege of the Branch Davidian compound at Waco. Tim also travels to an Arkansas prison...
- 6/9/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
In James DeMonaco's 2013 dystopian horror movie "The Purge," Ethan Hawke plays a wealthy seller of high-tech home security systems. He lives in a bourgeois neighborhood and all his rich neighbors have outfitted their homes with Hawke's wares. They plan on employing their security soon, as tonight is Purge Night. In the future of "The Purge," one night a year is designated to be law-free. American citizens are legally permitted to commit whatever wanton acts of assault, destruction, and murder they want, from sundown to sunrise. Having purged their hostility, the idea is that they'll go back to being upstanding citizens in the morning.
The premise is tantalizing, although the 2013 original takes place mostly inside the Hawke character's home, turning a fun idea into a pretty rote home invasion thriller. The film was made for a scant $3 million but would earn over $91 million, making it a runaway hit. To date,...
The premise is tantalizing, although the 2013 original takes place mostly inside the Hawke character's home, turning a fun idea into a pretty rote home invasion thriller. The film was made for a scant $3 million but would earn over $91 million, making it a runaway hit. To date,...
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Ridley Scott's 2015 film "The Martian," based on the novel by Andy Weir, was one of the year's best films. Set in the near future, "The Martian" tells the story of a botanist named Dr. Mark Watney (Matt Damon) who went on a mission to Mars with a team of other astronaut researchers. When a storm hit the Martian surface, the astronauts fled, forced to leave Watney behind. Watney, having limited air and resources, assesses his situation and begins constructing a long-term shelter. Using his botanical know-how, and possessed of gumption and optimism, Watney proceeds "to science the s*** out of" the situation, teaching himself how to grow food in the Martian soil and keep his air supply viable. He also scours nearby Martian landing sites, looking for communication equipment that would allow him to contact Earth.
"The Martian" values scientific knowledge, arguing that being well-educated and highly trained are practical and exhilarating virtues.
"The Martian" values scientific knowledge, arguing that being well-educated and highly trained are practical and exhilarating virtues.
- 6/9/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” gave the box office a desperately needed jolt, but the action-comedy fourquel can’t salvage the summer season by itself.
Although the newest “Bad Boys,” reuniting Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami cops, arrived on the higher end of expectations with $56 million in domestic ticket sales, the year-to-date deficit actually grew more pronounced. Heading into the weekend, ticket sales were 24% behind 2023 and now overall revenues are lagging by 26% according to Comscore.
“Bad Boys 4” isn’t to blame for the decline; analysts believe it’s the lack of enthusiasm for other titles in the marketplace. Four of the other top five releases — Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” ($10 million), Paramount’s fantasy comedy “If” ($8 million), the Warner Bros. supernatural thriller and fellow newcomer “The Watchers” ($7.4 million) and Disney and 20th Century’s sequel “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” ($5.4 million) — brought in scraps.
Although the newest “Bad Boys,” reuniting Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as Miami cops, arrived on the higher end of expectations with $56 million in domestic ticket sales, the year-to-date deficit actually grew more pronounced. Heading into the weekend, ticket sales were 24% behind 2023 and now overall revenues are lagging by 26% according to Comscore.
“Bad Boys 4” isn’t to blame for the decline; analysts believe it’s the lack of enthusiasm for other titles in the marketplace. Four of the other top five releases — Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” ($10 million), Paramount’s fantasy comedy “If” ($8 million), the Warner Bros. supernatural thriller and fellow newcomer “The Watchers” ($7.4 million) and Disney and 20th Century’s sequel “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” ($5.4 million) — brought in scraps.
- 6/9/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
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