Producer Konstantinos Kontovrakis has left Heretic Films, the Athens-based production and sales company he co-founded with Giorgos Karnavas in 2013.
Kontovrakis has not announced his post-Heretic plans yet, but said he was “very much looking forward to the challenges and discoveries of our ever-new cinema landscape”.
He told Screen: “After over a decade of setting up and running a successful company and making great films, I found myself losing sight of the broader landscape. So much changes in our industry so fast that the time felt right for me to be immersed in it once more and to expand my...
Kontovrakis has not announced his post-Heretic plans yet, but said he was “very much looking forward to the challenges and discoveries of our ever-new cinema landscape”.
He told Screen: “After over a decade of setting up and running a successful company and making great films, I found myself losing sight of the broader landscape. So much changes in our industry so fast that the time felt right for me to be immersed in it once more and to expand my...
- 4/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
When it comes to moviemaking, the efforts Jennifer Lopez puts in her works do not go unnoticed. Her career as a singer isn’t the only one that gains great fame. As an actress, she has been in some of the most loved flicks out there. From Maid in Manhattan to The Mother, her dedication is one that is commended by many.
Jennifer Lopez in This Is Me..Now
Throughout her career, she has gotten the opportunity to work with various acclaimed actors as well. Ben Affleck, Ralph Fiennes, and Matthew McConaughey only being a few of those names. Lopez working on her films is one thing McConaughey finds highly professional and commendable.
Suggested“We won’t forget for a long time”: Jennifer Lopez’s Ex-Fiancé Becomes a Mega Olivia Rodrigo Fan After 1 Concert With Daughter
So much so that the actor couldn’t help but compliment her work ethic and dedication.
Jennifer Lopez in This Is Me..Now
Throughout her career, she has gotten the opportunity to work with various acclaimed actors as well. Ben Affleck, Ralph Fiennes, and Matthew McConaughey only being a few of those names. Lopez working on her films is one thing McConaughey finds highly professional and commendable.
Suggested“We won’t forget for a long time”: Jennifer Lopez’s Ex-Fiancé Becomes a Mega Olivia Rodrigo Fan After 1 Concert With Daughter
So much so that the actor couldn’t help but compliment her work ethic and dedication.
- 4/14/2024
- by Adya Godboley
- FandomWire
J.K. Rowling is an author who has made several generations happy with her Harry Potter series, which was later adapted into a successful movie series. A TV series adaptation is on the way, but while the series itself is still one of the most beloved ones, the author has been a topic of debate for several years now due to her views on the transgender community and their issues. Recently, the feud deepened as Rowling attacked Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, the two stars of the movie series because they had criticized her in their comments.
In short, Rowling has been quite open about her opposition to the transgender movement, criticizing some of its postulates as degrading toward actual women. While the author has been criticized for her opinions, she remains firm in stating that she is simply defending basic women’s rights from potential abuse. This resulted in many...
In short, Rowling has been quite open about her opposition to the transgender movement, criticizing some of its postulates as degrading toward actual women. While the author has been criticized for her opinions, she remains firm in stating that she is simply defending basic women’s rights from potential abuse. This resulted in many...
- 4/12/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
Exclusive: Isabel J Kim’s debut novel Sublimation, which has been causing quite a stir in publishing and television circles, has landed at Universal International Studios.
The Usg-studio acquired the rights to the literary science fiction novel in a highly competitive situation and is planning a series adaptation.
Assemble Media, the IP creation and production company, brought the book to publishers before shopping the adaptation rights for television. Kim’s book scored her a seven-figure three-book deal for the North American publishing rights after a six-publishing house auction.
That deal was brokered between Macmillan’s Tor Publishing Group Senior Editor Carl Engle-Laird and Steven Salpeter at Assemble Media, which is behind movies including The Forgiven, starring Jessica Chastain, Ralph Fiennes and Matt Smith, and Gia Coppola’s Mainstream.
Salpeter, who is President of Literary and IP, principal Jack Heller and Caitlin de Lisser-Ellen, VP of Production and Development, worked...
The Usg-studio acquired the rights to the literary science fiction novel in a highly competitive situation and is planning a series adaptation.
Assemble Media, the IP creation and production company, brought the book to publishers before shopping the adaptation rights for television. Kim’s book scored her a seven-figure three-book deal for the North American publishing rights after a six-publishing house auction.
That deal was brokered between Macmillan’s Tor Publishing Group Senior Editor Carl Engle-Laird and Steven Salpeter at Assemble Media, which is behind movies including The Forgiven, starring Jessica Chastain, Ralph Fiennes and Matt Smith, and Gia Coppola’s Mainstream.
Salpeter, who is President of Literary and IP, principal Jack Heller and Caitlin de Lisser-Ellen, VP of Production and Development, worked...
- 4/11/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
On its 10th Anniversary, independent film studio Bleecker Street is celebrating its past while looking towards its future. Huzzah! Woohoo! The vibrant film distributor company has revealed a video to celebrate their 10th anniversary, featuring a look at their upcoming 2024 slate. Bleecker Street was formed in August 2014 by CEO Andrew Karpen, who is the former co-ceo of Focus Features. His new company is based in New York City and it was named after 65 Bleecker Street, the street address of Karpen's other company Focus Features. This brand new studio was established with the goal to distribute "smart house" films that combine the entertainment of studio blockbusters with the artistic indie allure. Even if you don't know them by name, you definitely know some of the films they've released over the last 10 years: I'll See You In My Dreams, Arctic, The Art of Self-Defense, Logan Lucky, Eye in the Sky, Leave No Trace,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Jennifer Lopez once famously teamed up alongside actor Ralph Fiennes for the 2002 feature Maid in Manhattan. But the movie was a huge departure for the actor, who realized it was the type of film he just couldn’t deliver on.
Ralph Fiennes explained what he thought about ‘Maid in Manhattan’ Ralph Fiennes and Jennifer Lopez | Evan Agostini/ImageDirect
Fiennes is known for starring in films with heavy subject matter and complex storytelling. Many fans recognize him as some of cinema’s most sinister characters such as Voldemort from Harry Potter or Amon Goeth from Schindler’s List. But he took a break from starring in his usual films to do a romcom alongside Jennifer Lopez in 2002. The famous feature saw Jennifer Lopez playing a maid who ends up being paired with a wealthy politician by chance.
Although it was one of Lopez’s most successful films, Fiennes hasn’t looked...
Ralph Fiennes explained what he thought about ‘Maid in Manhattan’ Ralph Fiennes and Jennifer Lopez | Evan Agostini/ImageDirect
Fiennes is known for starring in films with heavy subject matter and complex storytelling. Many fans recognize him as some of cinema’s most sinister characters such as Voldemort from Harry Potter or Amon Goeth from Schindler’s List. But he took a break from starring in his usual films to do a romcom alongside Jennifer Lopez in 2002. The famous feature saw Jennifer Lopez playing a maid who ends up being paired with a wealthy politician by chance.
Although it was one of Lopez’s most successful films, Fiennes hasn’t looked...
- 4/11/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski teased exclusive first-looks on Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu and Edward Berger’s Conclave at the studio’s CinemaCon presentation on Wednesday.
The audience at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace also saw trailers for Sam-Taylor Johnson’s Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black, and footage from Jeff Nichols’ crime drama The Bikeriders, which premiered in Telluride last year.
“At the core of what we do is the belief that bringing people together makes their lives better by sharing an experience,” Kujawski said by way of introduction.
Below are the titles featured in the session:
Back To Black...
The audience at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace also saw trailers for Sam-Taylor Johnson’s Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black, and footage from Jeff Nichols’ crime drama The Bikeriders, which premiered in Telluride last year.
“At the core of what we do is the belief that bringing people together makes their lives better by sharing an experience,” Kujawski said by way of introduction.
Below are the titles featured in the session:
Back To Black...
- 4/11/2024
- ScreenDaily
Edward Berger’s last film, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” won four Academy Awards — including Best International Feature Film — for Netflix. The director’s new epic, “Conclave,” which is set up at Focus Features, may just best that tally.
Attendees at the 2024 CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas got a look at first footage from the film during the Universal Pictures and Focus Features presentation on Wednesday, April 10. A papal thriller starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave” is no doubt an Oscar hopeful for Focus given its November 2024 release date. Having seen the trailer only reinforces the awards play. Give the devil its due: “Conclave” looks good.
When the pope dies, “Conclave” scrambles to find God’s new messenger on Earth. The search turns into a holy war that is anything but holy. Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski described the film as a “Machiavellian thriller.
Attendees at the 2024 CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas got a look at first footage from the film during the Universal Pictures and Focus Features presentation on Wednesday, April 10. A papal thriller starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini, “Conclave” is no doubt an Oscar hopeful for Focus given its November 2024 release date. Having seen the trailer only reinforces the awards play. Give the devil its due: “Conclave” looks good.
When the pope dies, “Conclave” scrambles to find God’s new messenger on Earth. The search turns into a holy war that is anything but holy. Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski described the film as a “Machiavellian thriller.
- 4/11/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Exclusive: In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Bleecker Street has unveiled a reel showcasing both where the company has been and where it’s headed, unveiling never-before-seen footage from numerous upcoming titles.
Titles nearest on the horizon that are teased include Nathan and David Zellner’s acclaimed Sundance pic Sasquatch Sunset, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, which opens in select theaters April 12, and Tony Goldwyn’s family dramedy Ezra, out May 31. Others include Julia von Heinz’s Treasure (June 14), starring Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry; Jocelyn Moorhouse’s comedy The Fabulous Four (July 26), starring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph; Mikael Håfström’s sci-fi pic Slingshot (August 23), starring Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishbourne and Emily Beecham; and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths (October 18), starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
Then, there’s Uberto Pasolini’s The Return, starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche and Charlie Plummer, and the film Rumours with Cate Blanchett,...
Titles nearest on the horizon that are teased include Nathan and David Zellner’s acclaimed Sundance pic Sasquatch Sunset, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, which opens in select theaters April 12, and Tony Goldwyn’s family dramedy Ezra, out May 31. Others include Julia von Heinz’s Treasure (June 14), starring Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry; Jocelyn Moorhouse’s comedy The Fabulous Four (July 26), starring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph; Mikael Håfström’s sci-fi pic Slingshot (August 23), starring Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishbourne and Emily Beecham; and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths (October 18), starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
Then, there’s Uberto Pasolini’s The Return, starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche and Charlie Plummer, and the film Rumours with Cate Blanchett,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Colin Farrell continues to keep busy, with the Oscar-nominated actor set to star in Edward Berger’s next feature for Netflix.
Farrell will play the lead in The Ballad of a Small Player, which is based on author Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel of the same name. Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) will helm the movie from a script by Rowan Joffe (Before I Go to Sleep). Filming is set to begin this summer in Asia.
The Ballad of a Small Player centers on a high-stakes gambler who is dealing with debts and his questionable past while trying to keep a low profile in Macau when he meets a kindred spirit.
Producers include Berger for Nine Hours, Mike Goodridge for Good Chaos, and Matthew James Wilkinson for Stigma Films. The Ballad of a Small Player is the initial feature under Berger’s first-look deal with Netflix.
Berger directed Netflix...
Farrell will play the lead in The Ballad of a Small Player, which is based on author Lawrence Osborne’s 2014 novel of the same name. Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) will helm the movie from a script by Rowan Joffe (Before I Go to Sleep). Filming is set to begin this summer in Asia.
The Ballad of a Small Player centers on a high-stakes gambler who is dealing with debts and his questionable past while trying to keep a low profile in Macau when he meets a kindred spirit.
Producers include Berger for Nine Hours, Mike Goodridge for Good Chaos, and Matthew James Wilkinson for Stigma Films. The Ballad of a Small Player is the initial feature under Berger’s first-look deal with Netflix.
Berger directed Netflix...
- 4/9/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Aimee Carrero (The Menu) has joined the Jon Hamm-led Apple series Your Friends And Neighbors in a series regular role, sources close to production tell Deadline. Details regarding her character are under wraps.
Based on an original idea by screenwriter, producer and novelist Jonathan Tropper, Your Friends and Neighbors stars Hamm as Coop, a recently divorced hedge fund manager who, after being fired, resorts to stealing from the wealthy residents in his tony upstate New York suburb to keep his family’s lifestyle afloat. These petty crimes begin to reinvigorate him until he breaks into the wrong house at the wrong time.
Carrero joins an ensemble cast that also includes Olivia Munn, Amanda Peet, Lena Hall, Hoon Lee and Mark Tallman.
Craig Gillespie (Physical) is set to direct the first two episodes and executive produce. Additionally, Emmy winners Greg Yaitanes (Presumed Innocent, House of the Dragon) and Stephanie Laing (Palm Royale,...
Based on an original idea by screenwriter, producer and novelist Jonathan Tropper, Your Friends and Neighbors stars Hamm as Coop, a recently divorced hedge fund manager who, after being fired, resorts to stealing from the wealthy residents in his tony upstate New York suburb to keep his family’s lifestyle afloat. These petty crimes begin to reinvigorate him until he breaks into the wrong house at the wrong time.
Carrero joins an ensemble cast that also includes Olivia Munn, Amanda Peet, Lena Hall, Hoon Lee and Mark Tallman.
Craig Gillespie (Physical) is set to direct the first two episodes and executive produce. Additionally, Emmy winners Greg Yaitanes (Presumed Innocent, House of the Dragon) and Stephanie Laing (Palm Royale,...
- 4/2/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
The titular gentleman of “A Gentleman in Moscow” is Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian aristocrat played with sprightly joie de vivre by an enthusiastic Ewan McGregor. An aesthete with impassioned opinions about wine pairings, Rostov was born to live the life of leisure handed down to him by his landowning ancestors. The problem is that Rostov is a man unfit for his time. Before he can assume management of his family’s country estate, the Russian Revolution rudely intervenes. A populist poem from his student days spares Rostov the firing squad, relegating him instead to a lifetime of house arrest in Moscow’s fictional Metropol hotel.
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Amor Towles, “A Gentleman in Moscow” follows Rostov through the doors of the Metropol and stays there through decades of Russian history, from the formation of the Soviet Union to Stalinist repression to World War II and beyond.
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Amor Towles, “A Gentleman in Moscow” follows Rostov through the doors of the Metropol and stays there through decades of Russian history, from the formation of the Soviet Union to Stalinist repression to World War II and beyond.
- 3/29/2024
- by Alison Herman
- Variety Film + TV
Ileen Maisel, who served as a studio executive at Paramount, Lorimar and New Line Cinema and as a producer on films including Onegin, Ripley’s Game and The Golden Compass, has died. She was 68.
Maisel died Feb. 16 of cancer in London, her home for the past 34 years, her sister, Hollywood publicist Cheryl Maisel, announced.
Maisel received a BAFTA nomination for best British film for producing Samuel Goldwyn’s Onegin (1999), starring Ralph Fiennes, and was said to be most proud of her work on the Fine Line Features thriller Ripley’s Game (2002), starring John Malkovich.
In addition to the New Line fantasy The Golden Compass (2007), which starred Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig and grossed $372.2 million at the global box office, her other producing credits included Twelfth Night (1996), Inkheart (2008), and Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism (2015).
Born in Los Angeles on April 6, 1955, Ileen Marla Maisel began working for entertainment journalist Rona Barrett...
Maisel died Feb. 16 of cancer in London, her home for the past 34 years, her sister, Hollywood publicist Cheryl Maisel, announced.
Maisel received a BAFTA nomination for best British film for producing Samuel Goldwyn’s Onegin (1999), starring Ralph Fiennes, and was said to be most proud of her work on the Fine Line Features thriller Ripley’s Game (2002), starring John Malkovich.
In addition to the New Line fantasy The Golden Compass (2007), which starred Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig and grossed $372.2 million at the global box office, her other producing credits included Twelfth Night (1996), Inkheart (2008), and Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism (2015).
Born in Los Angeles on April 6, 1955, Ileen Marla Maisel began working for entertainment journalist Rona Barrett...
- 3/26/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Editor’s note: Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age writer Julian Fellowes has written a heartfelt salute to his friend and colleague, the producer Ileen Maisel, who died in London on February 16 aged 68.
Ileen Maisel was born in Los Angeles, California, where she was raised. In fact, her father had moved there from Alabama to work in retail sales, so she had no immediate help with a career in show business, but it was clearly enough that she breathed the same air as the great filmmakers of the past and present. It is no surprise to learn that by the age of 15 she was working for the entertainment journalist Rona Barrett.
From then on, she embraced, bathed in, and generally loved the film industry until the end of her life. There was never much doubt as to where she was headed and she was still young when she entered the industry.
Ileen Maisel was born in Los Angeles, California, where she was raised. In fact, her father had moved there from Alabama to work in retail sales, so she had no immediate help with a career in show business, but it was clearly enough that she breathed the same air as the great filmmakers of the past and present. It is no surprise to learn that by the age of 15 she was working for the entertainment journalist Rona Barrett.
From then on, she embraced, bathed in, and generally loved the film industry until the end of her life. There was never much doubt as to where she was headed and she was still young when she entered the industry.
- 3/26/2024
- by Julian Fellowes
- Deadline Film + TV
Playwright Alan Bennett has written original screenplay The Choral, which will begin filming this summer.
There’s a reason a remake of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues (pictured above) was one of the first things put into production when the pandemic started in 2020. Not only were they easy to film with a single cast member, but the texts are also regarded as modern classics of drama, each story a masterpiece in construction and storytelling. You only have to watch the original versions to see the astonishing power of David Haig in Playing Sandwiches or Dame Thora Hird in A Cream Cracker Under The Settee.
The Choral, meanwhile, is Alan Bennett’s first original script written for the screen in forty years, after 1984 comedy A Private Function. The synopsis reads as follows:
Set in Ramsden, Yorkshire in 1916, the plot centers on the chorus master and most of the men of the ambitious local Choral Society,...
There’s a reason a remake of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues (pictured above) was one of the first things put into production when the pandemic started in 2020. Not only were they easy to film with a single cast member, but the texts are also regarded as modern classics of drama, each story a masterpiece in construction and storytelling. You only have to watch the original versions to see the astonishing power of David Haig in Playing Sandwiches or Dame Thora Hird in A Cream Cracker Under The Settee.
The Choral, meanwhile, is Alan Bennett’s first original script written for the screen in forty years, after 1984 comedy A Private Function. The synopsis reads as follows:
Set in Ramsden, Yorkshire in 1916, the plot centers on the chorus master and most of the men of the ambitious local Choral Society,...
- 3/21/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Ralph Fiennes, Jim Broadbent and Simon Russell Beale are starring in 'The Choral'.The actors have signed up to feature in the latest collaboration between director Sir Nicholas Hytner and writer Alan Bennett following on from 'The History Boys' and 'The Lady in the Van'.Unlike the pair's previous films, 'The Choral' is an original script rather than an adaptation of one of Bennett's plays.The movie is set in Ramsden, Yorkshire in 1916 and follows the chorus master and the men in the ambitious local Choral Society, who have volunteered for the frontline during World War I.Under the guidance of the demanding Dr. Guthrie (Fiennes), the Choral recruits a group of teenage boys and girls who discover the joy of singing while the new boys come to terms with the fact that they will soon be serving their country.The film explores the humour and humanity in a community that faces an uncertain future.
- 3/21/2024
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Sony Pictures Classics has taken worldwide rights to Nicholas Hytner’s The Choral, written by Alan Bennett, and set to star Ralph Fiennes, Jim Broadbent and Simon Russell Beale.
This is the fourth feature collaboration between Bennett and Hytner after The Lady In The Van, The History Boys and The Madness Of King George. Unlike those films,The Choral is based on an original screenplay rather than a play.
Hytner will produce the film alongside Kevin Loader and Damian Jones. Backing comes from Sony Pictures Classics, BBC Film and Screen Yorkshire, and shooting will commence in Yorkshire this May.
Executive producers include Caroline Cooper Charles,...
This is the fourth feature collaboration between Bennett and Hytner after The Lady In The Van, The History Boys and The Madness Of King George. Unlike those films,The Choral is based on an original screenplay rather than a play.
Hytner will produce the film alongside Kevin Loader and Damian Jones. Backing comes from Sony Pictures Classics, BBC Film and Screen Yorkshire, and shooting will commence in Yorkshire this May.
Executive producers include Caroline Cooper Charles,...
- 3/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
Director Nicholas Hytner and writer Alan Bennett are collaborating again, with The Lady in the Van, The History Boys and The Madness of King George duo set to team on The Choral, which will star Ralph Fiennes, Jim Broadbent and Simon Russell Beale. Production begins in May in Yorkshire, according to Sony Pictures Classics, which said Wednesday that it has acquired all worldwide rights to the pic.
Unlike their previous collaborations that were based on Tony-winning playwright Bennett’s stage plays, this is an original screenplay. Set in Ramsden, Yorkshire in 1916, the plot centers on the chorus master and most of the men of the ambitious local Choral Society, who have volunteered for the front. Under the direction of the demanding, driven Dr. Guthrie (Fiennes), the Choral recruits a crop of teenage boys and girls. Together they discover the joys of singing and the urgency of desire as the new...
Unlike their previous collaborations that were based on Tony-winning playwright Bennett’s stage plays, this is an original screenplay. Set in Ramsden, Yorkshire in 1916, the plot centers on the chorus master and most of the men of the ambitious local Choral Society, who have volunteered for the front. Under the direction of the demanding, driven Dr. Guthrie (Fiennes), the Choral recruits a crop of teenage boys and girls. Together they discover the joys of singing and the urgency of desire as the new...
- 3/21/2024
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar-winning French actress Juliette Binoche is the new president of the European Film Academy.
The Efa board on Thursday said they voted unanimously to name The English Patient and The Taste of Things star to succeed Polish director Agnieszka Holland (The Green Border) as president.
Binoche’s appointment will be put to a vote by Efa members and, assuming she receives majority support, she will take over as president on May 1, 2024.
The French star will be only the second female head of the Efa, after Holland, who took over the role in 2021, succeeding German director Wim Wenders.
“I am not a person to easily step aside, but I have come to the conclusion that I am a filmmaker first and foremost. And this is what I want to focus on in the years to come,” said Holland. “For me, it is time to step aside now. Knowing that Juliette Binoche...
The Efa board on Thursday said they voted unanimously to name The English Patient and The Taste of Things star to succeed Polish director Agnieszka Holland (The Green Border) as president.
Binoche’s appointment will be put to a vote by Efa members and, assuming she receives majority support, she will take over as president on May 1, 2024.
The French star will be only the second female head of the Efa, after Holland, who took over the role in 2021, succeeding German director Wim Wenders.
“I am not a person to easily step aside, but I have come to the conclusion that I am a filmmaker first and foremost. And this is what I want to focus on in the years to come,” said Holland. “For me, it is time to step aside now. Knowing that Juliette Binoche...
- 3/14/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clockwise left to right: Joker: Folie A Deux (Warner Bros.) The Bikeriders, (Focus Features), Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros.), Furiosa (Warner Bros.)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Two years ago, right around the time Everything Everywhere All At Once came out during awards season, we thought it would be...
Two years ago, right around the time Everything Everywhere All At Once came out during awards season, we thought it would be...
- 3/13/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
With the 2024 Oscars in the rearview mirror, it’s time to start looking toward 2025. It’s early, but not too early to start making predictions about what movies might contend for the Oscars next year.
The 97th Academy Awards may wind up dominated by an unusual number of blockbuster sequels to films that won big previously. There are also some period pieces, some comeback vehicles, and some movies that were featured on last year’s list that got held back for this year.
Here are 20 films to know for the 2025 Oscars. Some of them are locks, some of them are long shots, and all of them are worth keeping an eye on throughout 2024 as their Academy Awards chances rise and fall.
“A Real Pain”
One of three films on this list that have screened publicly as of publication time, road dramedy “A Real Pain” was the buzziest title out of Sundance this year.
The 97th Academy Awards may wind up dominated by an unusual number of blockbuster sequels to films that won big previously. There are also some period pieces, some comeback vehicles, and some movies that were featured on last year’s list that got held back for this year.
Here are 20 films to know for the 2025 Oscars. Some of them are locks, some of them are long shots, and all of them are worth keeping an eye on throughout 2024 as their Academy Awards chances rise and fall.
“A Real Pain”
One of three films on this list that have screened publicly as of publication time, road dramedy “A Real Pain” was the buzziest title out of Sundance this year.
- 3/12/2024
- by Liam Mathews
- Gold Derby
Seeing as Cate Blanchett has been one of the most respected actresses for more than a quarter-century now, it’s best not to set her off. But it’s possible. And while Lydia Tár has her own musings on life, technology and Bach, what might get Cate Blanchett showing disgust than anything is trigger warnings.
Speaking with The Times, Cate Blanchett noted that difficult conversation is necessary in our society but is so rarely implemented, adding that so-called trigger warnings aren’t helping. “Culturally we are terrified of tough conversations. Boss to employee. Employee to boss. Friend to friend. But we need them. We talk about radical candour, but when there’s a trigger warning in front of something you are implying that there is a lack of mutual respect or that the subject hasn’t been properly interrogated.” Oh, we can just hear those words coming out of the mouth of Lydia Tár.
Speaking with The Times, Cate Blanchett noted that difficult conversation is necessary in our society but is so rarely implemented, adding that so-called trigger warnings aren’t helping. “Culturally we are terrified of tough conversations. Boss to employee. Employee to boss. Friend to friend. But we need them. We talk about radical candour, but when there’s a trigger warning in front of something you are implying that there is a lack of mutual respect or that the subject hasn’t been properly interrogated.” Oh, we can just hear those words coming out of the mouth of Lydia Tár.
- 3/12/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
The Academy’s decision to give the Live Action Short Oscar to a star-laden Wes Anderson film has raised eyebrows…
On Sunday, Wes Anderson picked up his first Academy Awards for The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar. It won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film, a category that’s traditionally rewarded independent films, rather than Netflix-backed Roald Dahl adaptation with a major film director behind it.
The Live Action Short film category is attracting more and more high profile names to it, and there’s a real risk that’s squeezing out independent filmmakers from a genuine shot at Oscar gold.
None of this is a slight on Wes Anderson, and genuine congratulations to him on his long-overdue first Oscar.
Still, we’ve been contacted by a few independent filmmakers about the message it sounds out. The following words have been penned by Dan Turner, a British...
On Sunday, Wes Anderson picked up his first Academy Awards for The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar. It won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film, a category that’s traditionally rewarded independent films, rather than Netflix-backed Roald Dahl adaptation with a major film director behind it.
The Live Action Short film category is attracting more and more high profile names to it, and there’s a real risk that’s squeezing out independent filmmakers from a genuine shot at Oscar gold.
None of this is a slight on Wes Anderson, and genuine congratulations to him on his long-overdue first Oscar.
Still, we’ve been contacted by a few independent filmmakers about the message it sounds out. The following words have been penned by Dan Turner, a British...
- 3/12/2024
- by Dan Turner
- Film Stories
"You should be able to make a scene come alive in the reader's mind." Huzzah! Now that Wes Anderson is a certified Oscar winner, Netflix has released a brand new trailer for his four shorts streaming on Netflix. Anderson's The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar won the Oscar yesterday for Best Live-Action Short. Adapted from the Roald Dahl story, the film originally premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival last fall. Netflix also commissioned Anderson to make three other shorts based on Roald Dahl stories - each one an intriguing little tale with just a few characters. The most famous one (and the Oscar winner), Henry Sugar, stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend, and Saif Mohsen. The Swan stars Rupert Friend, Ralph Fiennes, and Asa Jennings. Poison stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ralph Fiennes, and Ben Kingsley. The Rat Catcher stars Ralph Fiennes,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Wes Anderson took home his first-ever Academy Award on Sunday night (March 10th), winning the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, one of four Roald Dahl adaptations he made for Netflix in 2023. Now, the streaming giant has announced a repackaging of the four short films into an anthology entitled The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More, due out March 15th.
In addition to The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Anderson and Netflix’s The Swan, The Rat Catcher, and Poison round out the titular “three more.” Each short pulls from a star-studded pool of actors, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, and more appearing and reappearing throughout the collection. What’s more, the anthology will feature an original song by frequent collaborator Jarvis Cocker, as Anderson revealed in an official statement (via TheWrap).
“It was a special...
In addition to The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, Anderson and Netflix’s The Swan, The Rat Catcher, and Poison round out the titular “three more.” Each short pulls from a star-studded pool of actors, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, and more appearing and reappearing throughout the collection. What’s more, the anthology will feature an original song by frequent collaborator Jarvis Cocker, as Anderson revealed in an official statement (via TheWrap).
“It was a special...
- 3/11/2024
- by Jonah Krueger
- Consequence - Film News
Streamers narrowly avoided getting shut out at the 2024 Oscars: Netflix came away with just one trophy and Apple left empty-handed, after they garnered a total of 32 nominations.
Netflix collected its one win for Wes Anderson’s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” an adaptation of a Roald Dahl story, in the live action short film category. The 40-minute film, with a cast that includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, is the first Oscar for Anderson (who wasn’t in attendance to receive the award).
Read More: See all the 2024 Oscar winners here.
Heading into Sunday’s 96th Academy Awards, Netflix led all studios and platforms with 19 nominations across 11 films, including seven for Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” — which was shut out. Apple had picked up 13 nods, including 10 for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which also drew a goose egg.
Since 2017, Netflix has now won 23 Oscars in all.
Netflix collected its one win for Wes Anderson’s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” an adaptation of a Roald Dahl story, in the live action short film category. The 40-minute film, with a cast that includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes, is the first Oscar for Anderson (who wasn’t in attendance to receive the award).
Read More: See all the 2024 Oscar winners here.
Heading into Sunday’s 96th Academy Awards, Netflix led all studios and platforms with 19 nominations across 11 films, including seven for Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” — which was shut out. Apple had picked up 13 nods, including 10 for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which also drew a goose egg.
Since 2017, Netflix has now won 23 Oscars in all.
- 3/11/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Wes Anderson has won an Academy Award for the live-action short, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, marking the very first time the acclaimed director has actually won an Oscar.
In the past, Anderson has been nominated for seven Oscars — first with 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums — but has never won. Some of his films have received Hollywood’s highest accolade, like when Grand Budapest Hotel took home four awards at the 2015 Oscars, but in those cases, even though Anderson’s films won awards, the director himself was not involved in the award.
Now, with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, though, Anderson is a proper Academy Award-winner. He was not at the ceremony itself, but the award was accepted on his behalf by presenters Issa Rae and Ramy Youssef.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar premiered last September, and is based on the 1977 short-story-of-the-same-name by Roald Dahl. With a runtime of only 37 minutes,...
In the past, Anderson has been nominated for seven Oscars — first with 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums — but has never won. Some of his films have received Hollywood’s highest accolade, like when Grand Budapest Hotel took home four awards at the 2015 Oscars, but in those cases, even though Anderson’s films won awards, the director himself was not involved in the award.
Now, with The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, though, Anderson is a proper Academy Award-winner. He was not at the ceremony itself, but the award was accepted on his behalf by presenters Issa Rae and Ramy Youssef.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar premiered last September, and is based on the 1977 short-story-of-the-same-name by Roald Dahl. With a runtime of only 37 minutes,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Film News
Wes Anderson, among the most celebrated filmmakers of this generation, is finally taking home an Oscar after being seven-times nominated. The eighth was a charm for his live action short The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar.
He wasn’t there to accept the award, so no speech. Host Jimmy Kimmel congratulated the director in absentia after the break, joking that he was otherwise engaged “building a diorama out of corduroy.”
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Henry, a wealthy, self-centered young London gentleman who discovers a guru’s mind trick and trains himself over many years to see without using his eyes (including cards). He transforms and uses his newfound gambling wealth to anonymously fund a charitable empire. With Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley and Richard Ayoade.
The 39-minute film based on Roald Dahl’s 1977 short story debuted at Venice and has been settled for some months on Neflix. A fantastical,...
He wasn’t there to accept the award, so no speech. Host Jimmy Kimmel congratulated the director in absentia after the break, joking that he was otherwise engaged “building a diorama out of corduroy.”
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Henry, a wealthy, self-centered young London gentleman who discovers a guru’s mind trick and trains himself over many years to see without using his eyes (including cards). He transforms and uses his newfound gambling wealth to anonymously fund a charitable empire. With Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley and Richard Ayoade.
The 39-minute film based on Roald Dahl’s 1977 short story debuted at Venice and has been settled for some months on Neflix. A fantastical,...
- 3/11/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscars 2024 Live Updates ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
The big day is finally here. It’s time for Oscars 2024, the biggest award ceremony of all we have been waiting for so long. The year 2023 saw some fantastic movies releasing worldwide, packed with incredible performances. It will be a galore of big celebrities – Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Christopher Nolan, Emily Stone and many others. Keep reading this space as we keep you updated about every big thing happening at the award ceremony.
Jimmy Kimmel is the host of the 96th Academy Awards. It is the fourth time he’s hosting the Oscars. The award ceremony is being held at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.
Oscars 2024 Live Updates Best Picture- Oppenheimer
To close out the night, the Academy Award for Best Picture goes to… 'Oppenheimer'! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/nLWam9DWvP
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 11, 2024
Oscars 2024 for Best Actress...
The big day is finally here. It’s time for Oscars 2024, the biggest award ceremony of all we have been waiting for so long. The year 2023 saw some fantastic movies releasing worldwide, packed with incredible performances. It will be a galore of big celebrities – Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, Christopher Nolan, Emily Stone and many others. Keep reading this space as we keep you updated about every big thing happening at the award ceremony.
Jimmy Kimmel is the host of the 96th Academy Awards. It is the fourth time he’s hosting the Oscars. The award ceremony is being held at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.
Oscars 2024 Live Updates Best Picture- Oppenheimer
To close out the night, the Academy Award for Best Picture goes to… 'Oppenheimer'! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/nLWam9DWvP
— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 11, 2024
Oscars 2024 for Best Actress...
- 3/10/2024
- by Pooja Darade
- KoiMoi
Since we’re talking about the short films, I’ll accordingly keep this brief. Here are five reasons why “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” will win the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.
1. It’s the clear standout in the category.
All five nominees are exceptional — the others being “The After,” “Red, White and Blue,” “Invincible” and “Knight of Fortune.” In a less competitive year, any one of them could easily walk away with the prize. But it’s simply too hard for anything to top “Henry Sugar.” Based on the short story of the same name by celebrated children’s author Roald Dahl, the film is seamlessly adapted to the screen with the same charm, wit and magic of the original tale. “Henry Sugar” features superb acting, exquisite costume and production design, beautiful cinematography and sharp editing. It holds an outstanding 95% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes,...
1. It’s the clear standout in the category.
All five nominees are exceptional — the others being “The After,” “Red, White and Blue,” “Invincible” and “Knight of Fortune.” In a less competitive year, any one of them could easily walk away with the prize. But it’s simply too hard for anything to top “Henry Sugar.” Based on the short story of the same name by celebrated children’s author Roald Dahl, the film is seamlessly adapted to the screen with the same charm, wit and magic of the original tale. “Henry Sugar” features superb acting, exquisite costume and production design, beautiful cinematography and sharp editing. It holds an outstanding 95% “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes,...
- 3/9/2024
- by Tariq Khan
- Gold Derby
Focus Features has set a U.S. release date for Edward Berger’s new thriller, Conclave, which stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow.
The film, set in the secretive Vatican meeting of Catholic cardinals who gather in Rome to pick a new Pope, will be released in theaters in New York City and Los Angeles on Nov. 1, 2024, before going wider a week later on Nov. 8.
Conclave is German director Berger’s follow up to his 2022 anti-war epic and Oscar winner All Quiet on the Western Front. The Vatican conspiracy thriller, with a screenplay by Peter Straughan and based on Robert Harris’ novel, sees Fiennes play Cardinal Lomeli, tasked with overseeing the Cardinals arriving from across the globe to join the Conclave. But as the political machinations inside the Vatican intensify, Lomeli realizes that the departed Pope had kept a secret from them that he must uncover before a new Pope has been chosen.
The film, set in the secretive Vatican meeting of Catholic cardinals who gather in Rome to pick a new Pope, will be released in theaters in New York City and Los Angeles on Nov. 1, 2024, before going wider a week later on Nov. 8.
Conclave is German director Berger’s follow up to his 2022 anti-war epic and Oscar winner All Quiet on the Western Front. The Vatican conspiracy thriller, with a screenplay by Peter Straughan and based on Robert Harris’ novel, sees Fiennes play Cardinal Lomeli, tasked with overseeing the Cardinals arriving from across the globe to join the Conclave. But as the political machinations inside the Vatican intensify, Lomeli realizes that the departed Pope had kept a secret from them that he must uncover before a new Pope has been chosen.
- 3/8/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Focus Features has firmed up release plans for Conclave, the papal thriller marking filmmaker Edward Berger’s follow-up to his 2022 Oscar winner All Quiet on the Western Front. An adaptation of Robert Harris’ same-name bestseller, penned by Peter Straughan, the film releases in theaters in New York and L.A. on November 1st, before expanding on the 8th.
Currently, the 1st is only occupied by an unknown title from Universal Pictures. Titles set to open on the 8th include Sony’s Venom 3 and 20th’s action thriller The Amateur starring Rami Malek.
Conclave follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events — selecting a new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds...
Currently, the 1st is only occupied by an unknown title from Universal Pictures. Titles set to open on the 8th include Sony’s Venom 3 and 20th’s action thriller The Amateur starring Rami Malek.
Conclave follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events — selecting a new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds...
- 3/8/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar-nominated Irish actor Stephen Rea (The Crying Game, Michael Collins, Greta) will be honored with the Irish Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement for his “outstanding contribution to the Irish and international screen industry,” the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) unveiled on Wednesday.
Rea will be presented with the honor in the presence of family, friends and industry colleagues at the 21st IFTA Awards ceremony, taking place on Saturday, April 20 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. The evening will be hosted by Baz Ashmawy, one of Ireland’s most popular TV personalities.
“So much of Irish culture has been recovered and reimagined: music, language, literature, theater,” Rea said. “And cinema can be added to that list because of the special energy of John Boorman who produced Neil Jordan’s first film Angel. And to my astonishment, my first film too. Neil thrust the script and a saxophone into my hands,...
Rea will be presented with the honor in the presence of family, friends and industry colleagues at the 21st IFTA Awards ceremony, taking place on Saturday, April 20 at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. The evening will be hosted by Baz Ashmawy, one of Ireland’s most popular TV personalities.
“So much of Irish culture has been recovered and reimagined: music, language, literature, theater,” Rea said. “And cinema can be added to that list because of the special energy of John Boorman who produced Neil Jordan’s first film Angel. And to my astonishment, my first film too. Neil thrust the script and a saxophone into my hands,...
- 3/6/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
J.K. Rowling criticized Sky News on X (formerly Twitter) after the British television news channel posted a story about a 26-year-old being jailed for murder and referred to her as a “woman” and not a transgender woman.
Scarlet Blake was found guilty last week of murdering a man four months after she live-streamed a video in which she killed a cat. The judge said Blake was somewhat inspired by the Netflix documentary “Don’t F*** With Cats.” Blake was charged in the death of Jorge Martin Carreno, whom she hit and pushed into the River Cherwell in Oxford in July 2021. Blake is a transgender woman. The BBC reports that Blake will serve a life sentence in a men’s prison.
“I’m so sick of this shit,” Rowling posted to her 14 million X followers in response to Sky News not identifying Blake as a transgender woman in its tweet (the...
Scarlet Blake was found guilty last week of murdering a man four months after she live-streamed a video in which she killed a cat. The judge said Blake was somewhat inspired by the Netflix documentary “Don’t F*** With Cats.” Blake was charged in the death of Jorge Martin Carreno, whom she hit and pushed into the River Cherwell in Oxford in July 2021. Blake is a transgender woman. The BBC reports that Blake will serve a life sentence in a men’s prison.
“I’m so sick of this shit,” Rowling posted to her 14 million X followers in response to Sky News not identifying Blake as a transgender woman in its tweet (the...
- 2/26/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Wes Anderson is driving through the Spanish countryside with his eight-year-old daughter, Freya; it’s her school holiday. At the end of our half-hour phone conversation, he reaches Barcelona. He has always loved making shorts, clocking a dozen since his career launched with 1993 Sundance entry “Bottle Rocket,” the short that inspired his eventual debut feature of the same name, when we first met. Now, he has an Oscar frontrunner, Venice premiere “The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar,” the first and longest (39 minutes) of four increasingly strange Roald Dahl shorts currently on Netflix. “Henry Sugar” is notably the highest-rated live-action short of 2023 on Letterboxd.
Netflix, which owns the screen rights to the Dahl library, provided the budget for “Henry Sugar,” and when Anderson delivered the first film economically, he had some money left over and asked for a budget to complete three more shorts. Is he done? “It’s completely up to them,...
Netflix, which owns the screen rights to the Dahl library, provided the budget for “Henry Sugar,” and when Anderson delivered the first film economically, he had some money left over and asked for a budget to complete three more shorts. Is he done? “It’s completely up to them,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
“Schindler’s List was never a cure for antisemitism,” emphasizes Steven Spielberg. “It was a reminder of the symptoms of it.”
These days, tragically, antisemitism is all over the headlines: Neo-Nazis chanting “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville. The Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. The Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel that claimed the lives of some 1,200 Jews, the largest slaughter since the Holocaust. Not to mention a former and possibly future American president using Hitler-like language at his Nuremberg-esque rallies, referring to immigrants as “vermin” who are “poisoning the blood” of America.
Liam Neeson and Steven Spielberg were photographed Jan. 5 at Quixote Studios West Hollywood.
All of which is why, 30 years after Spielberg won best picture and best director for his movie about Oskar Schindler, the German businessman who saved 1,200 Jews from the Nazis during World War II, THR is revisiting his film with an oral history...
These days, tragically, antisemitism is all over the headlines: Neo-Nazis chanting “Jews will not replace us” in Charlottesville. The Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. The Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel that claimed the lives of some 1,200 Jews, the largest slaughter since the Holocaust. Not to mention a former and possibly future American president using Hitler-like language at his Nuremberg-esque rallies, referring to immigrants as “vermin” who are “poisoning the blood” of America.
Liam Neeson and Steven Spielberg were photographed Jan. 5 at Quixote Studios West Hollywood.
All of which is why, 30 years after Spielberg won best picture and best director for his movie about Oskar Schindler, the German businessman who saved 1,200 Jews from the Nazis during World War II, THR is revisiting his film with an oral history...
- 2/21/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Wes Anderson “wasn’t quite sure for some time” how to go about adapting Roald Dahl’s short story “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” he explains in a long voicemail message. But then he came upon a realization: If he wasn’t directly adhering to the original text, he didn’t really want to turn the piece into a film at all.
“I realized that it was Roald Dahl’s words that made the stories particularly interesting, that without his language I was not really as interested in adapting them,” he tells THR. “But I found a way to do them where we kept his language at the center of them.”
That strategy involved having his actors narrate the story in direct address to camera, and hiring his The Grand Budapest Hotel star Ralph Fiennes to play Dahl himself. And while Anderson ended up making four shorts out of Dahl’s stories,...
“I realized that it was Roald Dahl’s words that made the stories particularly interesting, that without his language I was not really as interested in adapting them,” he tells THR. “But I found a way to do them where we kept his language at the center of them.”
That strategy involved having his actors narrate the story in direct address to camera, and hiring his The Grand Budapest Hotel star Ralph Fiennes to play Dahl himself. And while Anderson ended up making four shorts out of Dahl’s stories,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Esther Zuckerman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There exist three Oscar categories where it’s possible to watch all nominated films in one shot – that’s shorts, Animated, Live Action and Documentary. Packaged into three feature length films presented by ShortsTV, the Oscar Nominated Short Films open in theaters today for a four-week run on about 650 screens in the U.S. and Canada.
It’s 19-year tradition popular with audiences and theaters. Each film is also “an event. Then you can go argue about who you think should win,” says ShortsTV founder and CEO Carter Pilcher.
Theater owners can screen any or all of the three compilations however and whenever they want from a traditional run to a one-week marathon before the Academy Awards on March 10.
Pilcher says the animated bundle tends to do the best historically, although the 2023 short called My Year Of Dicks nudged out some of the family audiences that love animation, giving Live Action the win.
It’s 19-year tradition popular with audiences and theaters. Each film is also “an event. Then you can go argue about who you think should win,” says ShortsTV founder and CEO Carter Pilcher.
Theater owners can screen any or all of the three compilations however and whenever they want from a traditional run to a one-week marathon before the Academy Awards on March 10.
Pilcher says the animated bundle tends to do the best historically, although the 2023 short called My Year Of Dicks nudged out some of the family audiences that love animation, giving Live Action the win.
- 2/16/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
If Sarah Snook felt at all concerned about how to follow her career-defining, award-winning turn as Shiv Roy on Succession, a fear of ever reaching such heights again, of even coming close to filling that professional hole, then she must now feel rather blessed — if also, every night, unbelievably exhausted.
Snook returns to the London stage for the first time since 2016, when, pre-Shiv, the relatively unknown Australian actress shone opposite Ralph Fiennes in The Master Builder. Now, she carries the massive weight of Kip Williams’ bravura adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s only novel. Snook plays not just the eternally young but damnably debauched Dorian Gray, but every one of the 26 parts in two unbroken hours of ceaselessly kinetic, highly choreographed, tech-heavy action. And she’s phenomenal.
The show itself arrives with a big rep to live up to. Williams, the Sydney Theatre Company’s artistic director, stages his own adaptation,...
Snook returns to the London stage for the first time since 2016, when, pre-Shiv, the relatively unknown Australian actress shone opposite Ralph Fiennes in The Master Builder. Now, she carries the massive weight of Kip Williams’ bravura adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s only novel. Snook plays not just the eternally young but damnably debauched Dorian Gray, but every one of the 26 parts in two unbroken hours of ceaselessly kinetic, highly choreographed, tech-heavy action. And she’s phenomenal.
The show itself arrives with a big rep to live up to. Williams, the Sydney Theatre Company’s artistic director, stages his own adaptation,...
- 2/16/2024
- by Demetrios Matheou
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is one of the few films in Oscars history to win Best Picture, Best Director and Best Editing plus prizes for acting and writing. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won Best Director and Best Original Screenplay while they shared in the Best Picture win with Jonathan Wang. Paul Rogers took home Best Film Editing while the film claimed three acting victories: Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, and Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan.
“Forrest Gump” was the last movie to win these top awards. it won Best Picture in 1995 for Wendy Finerman, Steve Starkey, and Steve Tisch while Robert Zemeckis won Best Director, Tom Hanks won Best Actor, Eric Roth won Best Adapted Screenplay, and Arthur Schmidt won Best Editing.
Several other movies have come close to achieving this feat, with “American Beauty” (2000), “A Beautiful Mind” (2002), ” “No Country For Old Men...
“Forrest Gump” was the last movie to win these top awards. it won Best Picture in 1995 for Wendy Finerman, Steve Starkey, and Steve Tisch while Robert Zemeckis won Best Director, Tom Hanks won Best Actor, Eric Roth won Best Adapted Screenplay, and Arthur Schmidt won Best Editing.
Several other movies have come close to achieving this feat, with “American Beauty” (2000), “A Beautiful Mind” (2002), ” “No Country For Old Men...
- 2/15/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Ralph Fiennes is getting ready to begin production on The Beacon, which he will write, direct and star in. More details here.
Ralph Fiennes is a busy man. Not only is he currently starring in Shakespeare’s Macbeth in London’s West End, before the production moves to Washington DC for a run in April, Fiennes has been busy preparing for his next directorial feature film.
Fiennes has set The Beacon as his next feature film as a director, as reported by Deadline. The Beacon will be Fiennes’ fourth film as a director, but one thing sets it apart from Coriolanus, The Invisible Woman and The White Crow.
The Beacon will be based on Fiennes’ own screenplay. Talking to Deadline, Fiennes described his desire to move into screenwriting as having experienced an “impulse to try to write something myself and that just kept building”.
The film will follow “an eco-idealistic...
Ralph Fiennes is a busy man. Not only is he currently starring in Shakespeare’s Macbeth in London’s West End, before the production moves to Washington DC for a run in April, Fiennes has been busy preparing for his next directorial feature film.
Fiennes has set The Beacon as his next feature film as a director, as reported by Deadline. The Beacon will be Fiennes’ fourth film as a director, but one thing sets it apart from Coriolanus, The Invisible Woman and The White Crow.
The Beacon will be based on Fiennes’ own screenplay. Talking to Deadline, Fiennes described his desire to move into screenwriting as having experienced an “impulse to try to write something myself and that just kept building”.
The film will follow “an eco-idealistic...
- 2/15/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
Exclusive: It is exactly 13 years to the day that Ralph Fiennes’ feature directorial debut Coriolanus – in which he also starred alongside Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave and Brian Cox – world premiered to acclaim at the 2011 Berlinale.
The Oscar nominee and Bafta-winning actor has since directed Rudolf Nureyev biopic The White Crow and The Invisible Woman about Charles Dickens’ secret mistress, alongside appearing in another 40 films including The Menu, No Time to Die, The King’s Man and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The Berlinale will support another first for Fiennes, this time via its European Film Market, as Cornerstone kicks off sales on the actor’s next directorial feature project, based on his first feature film screenplay.
Set against Fiennes’ native English county of Suffolk, the drama revolves around an eco-idealistic family, living on a farm in a beautiful natural landscape by the sea, whose fault lines are revealed when the daughter’s...
The Oscar nominee and Bafta-winning actor has since directed Rudolf Nureyev biopic The White Crow and The Invisible Woman about Charles Dickens’ secret mistress, alongside appearing in another 40 films including The Menu, No Time to Die, The King’s Man and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
The Berlinale will support another first for Fiennes, this time via its European Film Market, as Cornerstone kicks off sales on the actor’s next directorial feature project, based on his first feature film screenplay.
Set against Fiennes’ native English county of Suffolk, the drama revolves around an eco-idealistic family, living on a farm in a beautiful natural landscape by the sea, whose fault lines are revealed when the daughter’s...
- 2/15/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Battered by disappointing markets at Toronto and AFM, both of which were held under the shadow of the actors strike, buyers and sellers are looking to Berlin’s European Film Market (EFM), which runs Feb. 15-21, to re-energize the indie business. The outlook, coming out of Sundance, is good.
“The difference in Sundance from last year to this was extreme, there were a lot more deals being down, both by distributors and streamers,” says Janina Vislmaier, head of sales at Protagonist Pictures, which screened The Outrun with Saoirse Ronan and Sasquatch Sunset with Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg in Park City, both of which will screen at the EFM. “Everyone is really excited ahead of Berlin, especially because all the buyers are back, including from Asia, which is a really good sign.”
The end of the SAG and WGA strikes hasn’t, yet, delivered the flood of new projects and packages many had predicted,...
“The difference in Sundance from last year to this was extreme, there were a lot more deals being down, both by distributors and streamers,” says Janina Vislmaier, head of sales at Protagonist Pictures, which screened The Outrun with Saoirse Ronan and Sasquatch Sunset with Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg in Park City, both of which will screen at the EFM. “Everyone is really excited ahead of Berlin, especially because all the buyers are back, including from Asia, which is a really good sign.”
The end of the SAG and WGA strikes hasn’t, yet, delivered the flood of new projects and packages many had predicted,...
- 2/13/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Are audiences too soft these days? Ralph Fiennes thinks so, at least when it comes to needing trigger warnings in the theater. Fiennes is currently starring in a modern-day retelling of Macbeth, which, as every high-school student knows, contains a few gruesome murders. Some theaters have reportedly been offering trigger warnings in advance of the production, and Fiennes isn’t a fan.
When asked by BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg if audiences have gone too soft, Fiennes said, “I think they have. I think we didn’t used to have trigger warnings. I mean, there are very disturbing scenes in Macbeth, terrible murders and things. But I think the impact of theater should be that you’re shocked and you should be disturbed.“
Fiennes added, “I don’t think you should be prepared for these things, and when I was young, we never had trigger warnings for shows. Shakespeare’s plays are full of murders,...
When asked by BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg if audiences have gone too soft, Fiennes said, “I think they have. I think we didn’t used to have trigger warnings. I mean, there are very disturbing scenes in Macbeth, terrible murders and things. But I think the impact of theater should be that you’re shocked and you should be disturbed.“
Fiennes added, “I don’t think you should be prepared for these things, and when I was young, we never had trigger warnings for shows. Shakespeare’s plays are full of murders,...
- 2/12/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
The winners for the 51st Saturn Award were unveiled last night, with Avatar: The Way of Water leading the winners with four awards. Barbie, Dial of Destiny and Oppenheimer took three. On the TV front, Star Trek: Picard led with four wins, while Outlander and Wednesday trailed with two apiece. In addition to these, Keanu Reeves received the inaugural Lance Reddick Legacy Award.
Check out the complete list of all Saturn Award winners across film, television and home media — which you know we love — below:
Best Science Fiction Film
Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm)
The Creator (20th Century Studios)
M3GAN (Universal Pictures/Blumhouse)
Prey (20th Century Studios/Hulu)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount/Hasbro)
Best Fantasy Film
Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount Pictures/Hasbro)
Haunted Mansion (Walt Disney Studios)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney...
Check out the complete list of all Saturn Award winners across film, television and home media — which you know we love — below:
Best Science Fiction Film
Avatar: The Way of Water (Walt Disney/Lightstorm)
The Creator (20th Century Studios)
M3GAN (Universal Pictures/Blumhouse)
Prey (20th Century Studios/Hulu)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount/Hasbro)
Best Fantasy Film
Barbie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (Paramount Pictures/Hasbro)
Haunted Mansion (Walt Disney Studios)
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Lucasfilm/Paramount/Disney...
- 2/5/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
"Three Days of the Condor" is one of the most suspenseful crime thrillers that came out of '70s cinema. The New Hollywood movement was in full effect with audiences turning to gritty, low-budget films for thrills outside of the failing studio system. Sydney Pollack was one of the foremost leaders of the cinematic era, and "Three Days of the Condor" was one of the final entries into its canon. The filmmaker's 1970 film "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" earned him his first Academy Award nomination, so "Three Days" was a highly anticipated follow-up.
Robert Redford stars as Joe Turner, a code-breaker for the CIA who shows up to work one morning and finds his entire department has been killed. When he tries to find solace in his superiors, he quickly learns that the agency is in on the job. Joe is left to discover why the CIA wants him and his colleagues dead,...
Robert Redford stars as Joe Turner, a code-breaker for the CIA who shows up to work one morning and finds his entire department has been killed. When he tries to find solace in his superiors, he quickly learns that the agency is in on the job. Joe is left to discover why the CIA wants him and his colleagues dead,...
- 2/4/2024
- by Shae Sennett
- Slash Film
A fresh set of actors are about to be enrolled in what the film series cast cheekily nicknamed ‘the Harry Potter Pension plan’. US streamer Max’s plan to re-adapt the Potter books into a TV show running for 10 consecutive years and starting in 2025/6 should keep the lucky new cast in greasepaint and copies of The Stage indefinitely.
But who will they be? Lead characters Harry, Ron and Hermione will almost certainly be played by unknowns, but the Hogwarts ensemble – Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid and co. – will be picked from the current crop of British acting talent, just like their counterparts were over two decades ago. Who working today could follow in the footsteps of Sir Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Dame Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and the rest?
While it’s too early for any solid cast news, there’s no harm in a bit of dream-casting at this point,...
But who will they be? Lead characters Harry, Ron and Hermione will almost certainly be played by unknowns, but the Hogwarts ensemble – Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid and co. – will be picked from the current crop of British acting talent, just like their counterparts were over two decades ago. Who working today could follow in the footsteps of Sir Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Dame Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and the rest?
While it’s too early for any solid cast news, there’s no harm in a bit of dream-casting at this point,...
- 2/3/2024
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Plot: The shy author (Bryce Dallas Howard) of a series of best-selling spy novels discovers that her books, somehow, are all true. Pursued by a top-secret division of evil spies, she must now rely on an unlikely protector (Sam Rockwell) to get to the bottom of the whole affair.
Review: As a big fan of spy cinema, particularly the vintage kind from the early days of James Bond, I’ve always liked what Matthew Vaughn was doing with his yarns. While many say he should direct an actual 007 film, it’s clear to me – as a fan of the genre – that Vaughn’s heart belongs to a bygone era in espionage movies. If the Kingsman movies were his gonzo, R-rated riff on the Roger Moore James Bond movies he grew up watching, Argylle is his tribute to the campy James Bond knockoffs that hit theaters in the late sixties.
Review: As a big fan of spy cinema, particularly the vintage kind from the early days of James Bond, I’ve always liked what Matthew Vaughn was doing with his yarns. While many say he should direct an actual 007 film, it’s clear to me – as a fan of the genre – that Vaughn’s heart belongs to a bygone era in espionage movies. If the Kingsman movies were his gonzo, R-rated riff on the Roger Moore James Bond movies he grew up watching, Argylle is his tribute to the campy James Bond knockoffs that hit theaters in the late sixties.
- 2/1/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Ralph Fiennes is directing and starring in class drama The Beacon with Cornerstone commencing international sales on the title at the European Film Market (February 15-21).
This is also Fiennes’ first feature screenplay and the story explores class, race and identity in contemporary Britain. Other cast members include Indira Varma, Charles Babalola and Alison Oliver.
CAA Media Finance is representing US rights on the feature.
The Beacon is produced by the UK’s Potboiler Productions and follows a Ugandan-born man who travels from London to the countryside to spend the summer with his girlfriend’s family.
Fiennes previously directed Coriolanus,...
This is also Fiennes’ first feature screenplay and the story explores class, race and identity in contemporary Britain. Other cast members include Indira Varma, Charles Babalola and Alison Oliver.
CAA Media Finance is representing US rights on the feature.
The Beacon is produced by the UK’s Potboiler Productions and follows a Ugandan-born man who travels from London to the countryside to spend the summer with his girlfriend’s family.
Fiennes previously directed Coriolanus,...
- 1/31/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Two-time Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List) has written and will direct The Beacon, in which he will also have a leading role alongside Olivier Award-winner Indira Varma (Obi Wan Kenobi), Charles Babalola (The Outlaws) and Alison Oliver (Saltburn).
Described as a meditation on family, class, race and identity, the contemporary UK-set drama marks Fiennes’ first feature film screenplay after previously directing The White Crow, The Invisible Woman and Coriolanus.
The official synopsis reads: “Joshua Nyaga travels to the countryside from London to spend a summer’s weekend with his girlfriend Cass’ family for the first time. Transplanted as a young boy from the violence of the Ugandan civil war to the concrete jungle of London, Joshua has never experienced the privilege that Cass’ family enjoys.
“Surrounded by the sea and lush natural landscape, the farm is an oasis, brimming with idealistic notions and lively debate amongst Cass’ father,...
Described as a meditation on family, class, race and identity, the contemporary UK-set drama marks Fiennes’ first feature film screenplay after previously directing The White Crow, The Invisible Woman and Coriolanus.
The official synopsis reads: “Joshua Nyaga travels to the countryside from London to spend a summer’s weekend with his girlfriend Cass’ family for the first time. Transplanted as a young boy from the violence of the Ugandan civil war to the concrete jungle of London, Joshua has never experienced the privilege that Cass’ family enjoys.
“Surrounded by the sea and lush natural landscape, the farm is an oasis, brimming with idealistic notions and lively debate amongst Cass’ father,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
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