Movie News
Universal/DreamWorks’ “The Wild Robot” is showing signs of a lengthy run at the box office, riding significant walk-up traffic to an estimated $35 million opening from 3,982 theaters.
Projections for the Chris Sanders animated film were in the $24-30 million range, with Universal keeping its projections to a more conservative $20 million-plus while exhibitor sources told TheWrap they held out hope that the film could clear $30 million.
Those hopes are being realized as awareness for “The Wild Robot” is seeing a late surge in audience awareness amid its widespread critical acclaim. With this start and a 98% Rotten Tomatoes and A Cinemascore grade in its back pocket, this film has all it needs to leg out through an October where no major family film competition is set to come out.
But the success of “The Wild Robot” is coming partly at the expense of Paramount/Hasbro’s “Transformers One,” which is seeing a...
Projections for the Chris Sanders animated film were in the $24-30 million range, with Universal keeping its projections to a more conservative $20 million-plus while exhibitor sources told TheWrap they held out hope that the film could clear $30 million.
Those hopes are being realized as awareness for “The Wild Robot” is seeing a late surge in audience awareness amid its widespread critical acclaim. With this start and a 98% Rotten Tomatoes and A Cinemascore grade in its back pocket, this film has all it needs to leg out through an October where no major family film competition is set to come out.
But the success of “The Wild Robot” is coming partly at the expense of Paramount/Hasbro’s “Transformers One,” which is seeing a...
- 9/28/2024
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
“Transformers One” took top spot at the China box office over its debut weekend. It was the only major title to release on an atypical Friday that precedes next week’s National Day holiday season. That also made the latest Friday-to-Sunday session the lowest-grossing weekend of the year for mainland Chinese cinemas.
Released only a week after its North American debut, “Transformers One,” an animated spin-off from the “Transformers” franchise which has been enormously popular in the Middle Kingdom, earned $4.9 million, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Including its previews, the film finished Sunday with a running total of $8.0 million in China.
In second place, “Like a Rolling Stone,” a drama film about a 50-year-old woman who decides to take charge of her own life and embarks on a driving tour, earned RMB15.2 million ($2.3 million). That lifts it to an 15-day cumulative of $15.6 million.
“Stand by Me,” the...
Released only a week after its North American debut, “Transformers One,” an animated spin-off from the “Transformers” franchise which has been enormously popular in the Middle Kingdom, earned $4.9 million, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Including its previews, the film finished Sunday with a running total of $8.0 million in China.
In second place, “Like a Rolling Stone,” a drama film about a 50-year-old woman who decides to take charge of her own life and embarks on a driving tour, earned RMB15.2 million ($2.3 million). That lifts it to an 15-day cumulative of $15.6 million.
“Stand by Me,” the...
- 9/30/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Thanks to the movies, superheroes are a cultural force. That glut hasn't exactly come with critical respect for the genre, though. On one hand, it's because these are innately simple stories for children. The other reason, I feel, is because the people who make these movies are embarrassed by that fact. Sometimes that manifests like in the "X-Men" films, where the movies run as far away from the comics as possible to "elevate" the story. Then there's the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which undercuts all its weirdness with "self-aware" humor about how none of its own world makes sense. Some rare filmmakers take superheroes seriously enough without trying to make them into something they're not (e.g. Sam Raimi) but it's rare.
The latest example of this is "The Penguin" showrunner Lauren LeFranc downplaying the series' Batman roots. No, this is a serious crime drama, hence why Oz (Colin Farrell) can't...
The latest example of this is "The Penguin" showrunner Lauren LeFranc downplaying the series' Batman roots. No, this is a serious crime drama, hence why Oz (Colin Farrell) can't...
- 9/30/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
{Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Episode 1 of “The Summit.”]
“We didn’t say the word ‘mountain,'” “The Summit” executive producer Kevin Lee told IndieWire of casting the 16 American contestants on the new CBS reality show. That meant those showing up in New Zealand were astonished to discover their task was to climb the New Zealand Fiji Mountains within 14 days. Do it, and they split $1 million. Fail, and they receive nothing.
“We didn’t want athletes,” Lee said. “We wanted regular people because, we hoped — and I think it plays out — when they roll up on an obstacle, a lot of them are like, ‘There’s no way I can do this.’ And seeing people doubt themselves and then overcome it, as cliche as it sounds, it is a powerful thing. And then we don’t want somebody that it’s going to be easy, because that’s not fun to watch.
“We didn’t say the word ‘mountain,'” “The Summit” executive producer Kevin Lee told IndieWire of casting the 16 American contestants on the new CBS reality show. That meant those showing up in New Zealand were astonished to discover their task was to climb the New Zealand Fiji Mountains within 14 days. Do it, and they split $1 million. Fail, and they receive nothing.
“We didn’t want athletes,” Lee said. “We wanted regular people because, we hoped — and I think it plays out — when they roll up on an obstacle, a lot of them are like, ‘There’s no way I can do this.’ And seeing people doubt themselves and then overcome it, as cliche as it sounds, it is a powerful thing. And then we don’t want somebody that it’s going to be easy, because that’s not fun to watch.
- 9/30/2024
- by Mark Peikert
- Indiewire
[Editor’s note: This story contains spoilers for “Industry” Season 3, Episode 8, “Infinite Largesse”]
In the Season 3 finale, Lord Norton (Andrew Havill) subtly offers Yasmin (Marisa Abela) a lifeline, a way out from the nightmare her life has become in the wake of her infamous father’s scandalous downfall and death.
“I am fiercely protective of my family, and I always use my not insubstantial power to protect them,” Norton says. “But then again, life is about the family you choose.”
It’s a loaded line in an incredibly written, staged, and acted scene. The Rupert Murdoch-like figure, who wields immense power through his tabloid newspaper, is willing to end the public humiliation and shield Yasmin from substantial economic threats if she is willing to get back together with his wayward nephew Henry Muck (Kit Harrington) and help him get his life back on track.
But it’s that last part, about “the family you choose,” that appears to throw Yasmin for a loop.
In the Season 3 finale, Lord Norton (Andrew Havill) subtly offers Yasmin (Marisa Abela) a lifeline, a way out from the nightmare her life has become in the wake of her infamous father’s scandalous downfall and death.
“I am fiercely protective of my family, and I always use my not insubstantial power to protect them,” Norton says. “But then again, life is about the family you choose.”
It’s a loaded line in an incredibly written, staged, and acted scene. The Rupert Murdoch-like figure, who wields immense power through his tabloid newspaper, is willing to end the public humiliation and shield Yasmin from substantial economic threats if she is willing to get back together with his wayward nephew Henry Muck (Kit Harrington) and help him get his life back on track.
But it’s that last part, about “the family you choose,” that appears to throw Yasmin for a loop.
- 9/30/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
No F**King Fighting! Ok, maybe a little, as the Peaky Blinders are set to return to Netflix, this time for a feature-length narrative entitled “A Peaky Blinders Film.” Announced June 2024, the film will see Cillian Murphy return to the role of gang leader, business man, and politician Tommy Shelby. The script has already been written by series creator Steven Knight and will be directed by Tom Harper, who helmed three episodes of the show in addition to directing features like “Wild Rose” and “The Aeronauts.”
In the official announcement, Murphy wrote, “It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me… It is very gratifying to be recollaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of ‘Peaky Blinders.’ This is one for the fans.”
Harper added, “When I first directed ‘Peaky Blinders’ over 10 years ago, we didn’t know what the series would become, but we...
In the official announcement, Murphy wrote, “It seems like Tommy Shelby wasn’t finished with me… It is very gratifying to be recollaborating with Steven Knight and Tom Harper on the film version of ‘Peaky Blinders.’ This is one for the fans.”
Harper added, “When I first directed ‘Peaky Blinders’ over 10 years ago, we didn’t know what the series would become, but we...
- 9/30/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
In Leonard Nimoy's 1984 film "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," the Vulcan officer Saavik (Robin Curtis) was tasked with exploring and mapping the Genesis planet, a brand-new world that had been instantaneously formed by the Genesis Device, a terraforming widget introduced in the previous movie. The Genesis planet, she found, was evolving at too rapid a pace, rotating through seasons at an hourly rate. It was hot and muggy one hour, then snowy the next. By the end of the movie, the Genesis world will prove to be unstable, crumbling from within. It was too good to be true.
The deterioration is only one of several tragedies that occur throughout the film. During a rescue operation, Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) has to destroy the U.S.S. Enterprise, and his son David (Merritt Butrick) is murdered by Klingons. Saavik, being an emotionless Vulcan, witnesses these tragedies with a stone face.
The deterioration is only one of several tragedies that occur throughout the film. During a rescue operation, Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) has to destroy the U.S.S. Enterprise, and his son David (Merritt Butrick) is murdered by Klingons. Saavik, being an emotionless Vulcan, witnesses these tragedies with a stone face.
- 9/30/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Korean-made crime-comedy-thriller “I, The Executioner,” a sequel to 2015 hit ‘Veteran,” continued its spree at the top of the South Korea weekend box office. It earned $3.03 million in its third full weekend session, ahead of top-ranked new release “Transformers One.”
“I, The Executioner” commanded a 53% market share, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). The latest weekend increment gives the film a $47 million running total since releasing on Sept. 13. That makes it the fourth highest grossing film of the year in the country, behind “Exhuma,” “The Roundup: Punishment” and “Inside Out 2,” which is still some distance ahead on $64 million.
“Transformers One” opened with $917,000 between Friday and Sunday and achieved a 16% market share, according to Kobis. Over its full five-day opening run, it muscled up $1.43 million.
The re-released “Begin Again” came third. It earned $269,000 over the weekend for a cumulative including its 2014 first run of over $21 million.
“I, The Executioner” commanded a 53% market share, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). The latest weekend increment gives the film a $47 million running total since releasing on Sept. 13. That makes it the fourth highest grossing film of the year in the country, behind “Exhuma,” “The Roundup: Punishment” and “Inside Out 2,” which is still some distance ahead on $64 million.
“Transformers One” opened with $917,000 between Friday and Sunday and achieved a 16% market share, according to Kobis. Over its full five-day opening run, it muscled up $1.43 million.
The re-released “Begin Again” came third. It earned $269,000 over the weekend for a cumulative including its 2014 first run of over $21 million.
- 9/30/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill on Sunday that sought to ward off catastrophic risks of highly advanced artificial intelligence models.
The bill, Sb 1047, was the most controversial AI bill of the legislative session, with dozens of activists and AI companies lining up on either side. The authors warned that if left unregulated, AI models could be used to develop chemical or nuclear weapons, which could lead to mass casualties. Opponents argued that heavy-handed regulation would strangle the development of AI, and force AI companies to leave the state.
In a veto message, Newsom said the bill is addressing a genuine problem, but does does not establish the right regulatory framework.
“I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology,” he wrote. “Ultimately, any framework for effectively regulating Al needs to keep pace with the technology itself.”
Among...
The bill, Sb 1047, was the most controversial AI bill of the legislative session, with dozens of activists and AI companies lining up on either side. The authors warned that if left unregulated, AI models could be used to develop chemical or nuclear weapons, which could lead to mass casualties. Opponents argued that heavy-handed regulation would strangle the development of AI, and force AI companies to leave the state.
In a veto message, Newsom said the bill is addressing a genuine problem, but does does not establish the right regulatory framework.
“I do not believe this is the best approach to protecting the public from real threats posed by the technology,” he wrote. “Ultimately, any framework for effectively regulating Al needs to keep pace with the technology itself.”
Among...
- 9/30/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety - Film News
It's now been over 20 years since "Lost" changed TV forever, bringing a level of serialization and genre storytelling to broadcast television that hadn't been seen before at that level. Watching the show today feels like staring at a time capsule for a bygone era in which mysteries fueled fan forums yet the mystery box approach wasn't the mandate in TV and movies (and when serialization was a tool rather than the rule for the entire medium).
Though some people love to complain about the unsolved mysteries of "Lost," the truth is that, down to its controversial finale, the show resolved virtually every mystery it raised in one way or another — whether it was the polar bears, the numbers, the island whispers, or even Walt. That being said, there is one mystery audiences never got an answer to whatsoever: who was on the other outrigger?
Backing up a bit: In season 5, episode 4, "The Little Prince,...
Though some people love to complain about the unsolved mysteries of "Lost," the truth is that, down to its controversial finale, the show resolved virtually every mystery it raised in one way or another — whether it was the polar bears, the numbers, the island whispers, or even Walt. That being said, there is one mystery audiences never got an answer to whatsoever: who was on the other outrigger?
Backing up a bit: In season 5, episode 4, "The Little Prince,...
- 9/30/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Kris Kristofferson — the tough yet weary country music singer/songwriter behind “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” as well as the rugged leading man featured in romances like “A Star is Born” (1976) and westerns like “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” — has died at 88. He passed away in his home in Maui, Hawaii.
A statement released by his family reads, “We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”
A proud son of South Texas, Kristofferson was also a military brat who often hopped around before finally settling in San Mateo, California. He went on to attend Pomona College where he excelled in rugby, American football, and track and field. At one point, he was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
A statement released by his family reads, “We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”
A proud son of South Texas, Kristofferson was also a military brat who often hopped around before finally settling in San Mateo, California. He went on to attend Pomona College where he excelled in rugby, American football, and track and field. At one point, he was even featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
- 9/29/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Cinema has long been to thank for many a viral moment on social media, but one of the earliest examples was a now-famous quote uttered by screen legend Samuel L. Jackson in the 2006 action thriller, “Snakes on a Plane.” I’m speaking, of course, about when his character, exasperated FBI Agent Neville Flynn, said, “I have had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane.” In a career retrospective with GQ, Jackson shared how this iconic moment almost didn’t happen.
“They were trying to make a PG-13 movie, and you can only have one ‘fuck’ or some shit like that in [a PG-13 movie],” he said. “And I told them, ‘Look, I gotta say motherfucker in this movie. There’s motherfucking snakes all over this plane.’ They’re like, ‘Aw Sam, come on! No.’ I said, ‘Ok, fine.’ We wrap, they test the movie and test the movie. All of a sudden,...
“They were trying to make a PG-13 movie, and you can only have one ‘fuck’ or some shit like that in [a PG-13 movie],” he said. “And I told them, ‘Look, I gotta say motherfucker in this movie. There’s motherfucking snakes all over this plane.’ They’re like, ‘Aw Sam, come on! No.’ I said, ‘Ok, fine.’ We wrap, they test the movie and test the movie. All of a sudden,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
When it was released in 2010, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's "The Tourist" -- a remake of Jérôme Salle's 2005 French thriller "Anthony Zimmer" -- was unfairly maligned. The film only racked up a piddling 21% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 175 reviews, with critics lambasting the complicated plot and the casual pace. Peter Travers called it one of the worst films of the year, and Roger Moore felt the two leads, Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, had no romantic chemistry.
Stephanie Zacharek, however, loved it, noting that it was the kind of romantic international caper film that isn't made anymore, calling it "elegant" and "sensuous." This author tends to agree with Zacharek, feeling "The Tourist" to be sexy, adult, and dazzling. It has two sexy movie stars trekking through gorgeous European locales, engaging in lightweight espionage and trading flirty looks. It feels like a movie from a prior generation, one...
Stephanie Zacharek, however, loved it, noting that it was the kind of romantic international caper film that isn't made anymore, calling it "elegant" and "sensuous." This author tends to agree with Zacharek, feeling "The Tourist" to be sexy, adult, and dazzling. It has two sexy movie stars trekking through gorgeous European locales, engaging in lightweight espionage and trading flirty looks. It feels like a movie from a prior generation, one...
- 9/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Kris Kristofferson, who attained success as both a groundbreaking country music singer-songwriter and a Hollywood film and TV star, died Saturday at home in Maui, Hawaii. No cause of death was given, but he was described as passing away peacefully while surrounded by family. He was 88.
Said his family in a statement, “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 28 at home. We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.” The statement was offered on behalf of Kristofferson’s wife, Lisa; his eight children, Tracy, Kris Jr., Casey, Jesse, Jody, John, Kelly and Blake; and his seven grandchildren.
Kyle Young, the CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,...
Said his family in a statement, “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 28 at home. We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.” The statement was offered on behalf of Kristofferson’s wife, Lisa; his eight children, Tracy, Kris Jr., Casey, Jesse, Jody, John, Kelly and Blake; and his seven grandchildren.
Kyle Young, the CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Chris Morris and Chris Willman
- Variety - Film News
Lewis Carroll's 1871 fable "Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There" features a notable scene wherein the young titular protagonist runs across a pair of whimsically dunderheaded identical twins while lost in an alternate dimension. The characters are named Tweedledee and Tweedledum and are based on numerous 18th-century folk poems variously attributed to John Byron, John Pope, and Jonathan Swift. In an early epigram by Byron, the two characters agree to have a battle but are startled by a crow, and forget to fight each other. It wouldn't be until the publication of "Through the Looking Glass," and John Tenniel's illustrations therein, that Tweedledee and Tweedledum would be depicted as identical twins.
In Carroll's book, the twins reenact the Byron epigram and flee when a crow appears. Some might say that Tweedledee and Tweedledum represent easily distracted governments, or merely the capriciousness of children. Either way,...
In Carroll's book, the twins reenact the Byron epigram and flee when a crow appears. Some might say that Tweedledee and Tweedledum represent easily distracted governments, or merely the capriciousness of children. Either way,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
After debuting to a warm reception at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and making the rounds at multiple fall film festivals including TIFF, Will Ferrell and collaborator Harper Steele’s road-trip documentary, “Will & Harper,” is finally available to stream on Netflix. The film, which follows Ferrell and his friend traveling across America while coming to understand Steele’s physical and spiritual transition into womanhood along the way, is being released at the height of an election season that sees two candidates who are diametrically opposed on issues relating to LGBTQ rights. Despite this timing, in a recent interview with The Independent, Ferrell explained how the efforts of this project go beyond politics.
“There is hatred out there,” he said. “It’s very real and it’s very unsafe for trans people in certain situations. But I don’t know why trans people are meant to be threatening to me as a cis male.
“There is hatred out there,” he said. “It’s very real and it’s very unsafe for trans people in certain situations. But I don’t know why trans people are meant to be threatening to me as a cis male.
- 9/29/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
After earning the reviews of her life in Toronto hit The Last Showgirl, Pamela Anderson could be poised for an awards run after Roadside Attractions snapped up North American rights.
‘The Last Showgirl’: Toronto Review
The distributor plans a theatrical release and awards push later this year after negotiating the acquisition alongside Utopia’s Robert Schwartzman with CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers.
Gia Coppola’s drama from Utopia Originals stars Anderson as a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. The cast includes Jamie Lee Curtis,...
‘The Last Showgirl’: Toronto Review
The distributor plans a theatrical release and awards push later this year after negotiating the acquisition alongside Utopia’s Robert Schwartzman with CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers.
Gia Coppola’s drama from Utopia Originals stars Anderson as a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. The cast includes Jamie Lee Curtis,...
- 9/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
There are quite a few monstrous characters in the Prime Video series "The Boys," but Soldier Boy, played by Jensen Ackles, is certainly among the worst. He's a misogynistic, bigoted, deeply hateful man with anger issues and a whole lotta trauma, but he's also a lot of fun to watch. Ackles is fantastic, and season 3 gave him the spotlight to really show off his range and comedic prowess in a delightfully demented performance. It also reunited him with "Supernatural" showrunner Eric Kripke, who serves as showrunner on the satirical superhero series, but that proved to be a bit challenging for Ackles because Kripke knew he could really push the envelope.
"The Boys" is known for testing the boundaries of good taste (and often smashing them to pieces in the name of satire), and while making the third season, Kripke had one request for Ackles that went just a little too far.
"The Boys" is known for testing the boundaries of good taste (and often smashing them to pieces in the name of satire), and while making the third season, Kripke had one request for Ackles that went just a little too far.
- 9/29/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Francis Ford Coppola’s Cannes world premiere Megalopolis arrived in the North American charts in sixth place on an estimated $4m in the latest sorry episode in the film’s embattled history.
The sci-fi starring Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito as two driven men fighting for the soul of a city opened in 1,854 locations and earned $1.8m on Friday, $1.3m on Saturday, and $915,000 on Sunday. Pre-weekend estimates put the opening at $5-7m.
Lionsgate is distributing the film for a fee so the launch is not a hefty financial misfire for the studio. However it does mark the latest in...
The sci-fi starring Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito as two driven men fighting for the soul of a city opened in 1,854 locations and earned $1.8m on Friday, $1.3m on Saturday, and $915,000 on Sunday. Pre-weekend estimates put the opening at $5-7m.
Lionsgate is distributing the film for a fee so the launch is not a hefty financial misfire for the studio. However it does mark the latest in...
- 9/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Francis Ford Coppola’s Cannes world premiere Megalopolis arrived in the North American charts in sixth place on an estimated $4m in the latest sorry episode in the film’s embattled history.
The sci-fi starring Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito as two driven men fighting for the soul of a city opened in 1,854 locations and earned $1.8m on Friday, $1.3m on Saturday, and $915,000 on Sunday. Pre-weekend estimated put the opening at $5-7m.
While not a financial misfire in and of itself for Lionsgate, who is distributing the film for a fee, it does mark another in what has become...
The sci-fi starring Adam Driver and Giancarlo Esposito as two driven men fighting for the soul of a city opened in 1,854 locations and earned $1.8m on Friday, $1.3m on Saturday, and $915,000 on Sunday. Pre-weekend estimated put the opening at $5-7m.
While not a financial misfire in and of itself for Lionsgate, who is distributing the film for a fee, it does mark another in what has become...
- 9/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Jon Stewart isn’t one to stay silent on the major issues of the day, even when a few tech giants wish he would. Before returning as Monday night host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” the comedian and activist held a brief tenure on Apple TV+ with his political talk show “The Problem with Jon Stewart,” a platform that skewed more aggressive than his former (and now current) gig. This eventually earned the ire of the studio’s parent company, Apple, which cancelled the show when Stewart refused to agree to censor conversations around artificial intelligence, Israel, and China. He’s also spoken in the past about how certain news networks will keep their anchors from being interviewed by him.
As reported on by Deadline, speaking in an upcoming interview on the podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” Stewart went further in his assessment of tech’s toxic influence on entertainment and how,...
As reported on by Deadline, speaking in an upcoming interview on the podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend,” Stewart went further in his assessment of tech’s toxic influence on entertainment and how,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
When it comes to critical adoration, the late actor Paul Newman holds at least two rare distinctions. First of all, he's one of just a handful of actors who has not one or two but three perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores under his belt, having appeared in three different movies that critics at the time (and today) unanimously agree are pretty dang good. Newman is also one of the few actors (at least that we've come across at /Film) whose best-reviewed movies include a couple of stone cold classics.
Most of the best movies ever made don't seem to end up with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, as the sheer number of professional eyes on them makes it likely that someone will eventually go against the grain. Thanks to this phenomenon, the best-reviewed movies of most actors' careers technically tend to end up being much lesser-known (and therefore less-reviewed) films, like "Dinosaurs: Giants...
Most of the best movies ever made don't seem to end up with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, as the sheer number of professional eyes on them makes it likely that someone will eventually go against the grain. Thanks to this phenomenon, the best-reviewed movies of most actors' careers technically tend to end up being much lesser-known (and therefore less-reviewed) films, like "Dinosaurs: Giants...
- 9/29/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
The choreographer talks about overnight fame, ‘extreme ambition’ and her goofy/serious duet, staged by the National Ballet of Canada
Emma Portner wishes I didn’t need to ask her about being hired to choreograph a West End musical aged 20, or going on tour with Justin Bieber, or being married to a film star. “I think I’m one of the only choreographers that has to deal with, in almost every review, going through that list of things first, and then it’ll talk about the work. It’s almost humiliating, and I wish that we could just look at the work sometimes.”
Ok, so let’s talk about the work. The reason we’re chatting is because a duet Portner made called Islands is being performed in London for the first time, by the National Ballet of Canada. It was Portner’s first ballet. She was only 25 when it...
Emma Portner wishes I didn’t need to ask her about being hired to choreograph a West End musical aged 20, or going on tour with Justin Bieber, or being married to a film star. “I think I’m one of the only choreographers that has to deal with, in almost every review, going through that list of things first, and then it’ll talk about the work. It’s almost humiliating, and I wish that we could just look at the work sometimes.”
Ok, so let’s talk about the work. The reason we’re chatting is because a duet Portner made called Islands is being performed in London for the first time, by the National Ballet of Canada. It was Portner’s first ballet. She was only 25 when it...
- 9/29/2024
- by Lyndsey Winship
- The Guardian - Film News
Zachary Levi endorsed Donald Trump at a rally in Michigan on Saturday before introducing former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to the stage. The “Shazam!” actor was at the “Team Trump’s Reclaim America Tour” event to moderate a conversation with Kennedy and Gabbard.
“We’re here to make sure that we are going to take back this country. We are going to make it great again. We are going to make it healthy again,” Levi said on stage. “And so, I stand with Bobby, and I stand with Tulsi, and I stand with everyone else who is standing with President Trump. Because I do believe, of the two choices that we have, and we only have two, Donald Trump, President Trump is the man that can get us there. And he’s gonna get us there because he’s gonna have the backing...
“We’re here to make sure that we are going to take back this country. We are going to make it great again. We are going to make it healthy again,” Levi said on stage. “And so, I stand with Bobby, and I stand with Tulsi, and I stand with everyone else who is standing with President Trump. Because I do believe, of the two choices that we have, and we only have two, Donald Trump, President Trump is the man that can get us there. And he’s gonna get us there because he’s gonna have the backing...
- 9/29/2024
- by Emiliana Betancourt
- Variety - Film News
You might think shooting a superhero movie would be one of the least challenging experiences for a man of Jeff Bridges' stature. His role as Obadiah Stane required him to essentially play an evil version of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark/Iron Man, and while that no doubt came with its own challenges, it doesn't necessarily seem like the most complicated role in Bridges' illustrious career.
However, shooting "Iron Man" was, as it turns out, quite a difficult experience not just for the "Big Lebowski" star but for pretty much everyone involved. As Bridges told Vanity Fair following the movie's 2008 release, the script he, director Jon Favreau, and star Rdj had crafted was actually thrown out by Marvel during filming, leaving the team to, as Bridges put it, "spend hours in one of our trailers, going over lines and saying, 'Oh, you play my part, I'll play your part,...
However, shooting "Iron Man" was, as it turns out, quite a difficult experience not just for the "Big Lebowski" star but for pretty much everyone involved. As Bridges told Vanity Fair following the movie's 2008 release, the script he, director Jon Favreau, and star Rdj had crafted was actually thrown out by Marvel during filming, leaving the team to, as Bridges put it, "spend hours in one of our trailers, going over lines and saying, 'Oh, you play my part, I'll play your part,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ ‘Transformers One’ Fly Above ‘The Wild Robot’ at International Box Office
Warner Bros. and Tim Burton’s sequel “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and Paramount’s animated “Transformers One” topped international box office charts over Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot.”
Among Hollywood titles, “Transformers One” led the way with $16.6 million from 61 international territories, representing a 44% decline from the prior weekend. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which opened earlier in September, added a strong $13.6 million from 77 markets over the weekend. Meanwhile, “The Wild Robot,” which is staggering its foreign rollout and is comparatively playing on far fewer screens, brought in $9.86 million from 29 markets.
“The Wild Robot” lifted off internationally last weekend with $6.85 million and has grossed $18.1 million overseas to date. The animated sci-fi story, directed by Chris Sanders, was No. 1 in North America with $35 million, bringing its worldwide tally to $53 million. It opened this weekend in Mexico ($3.7 million) and held strong in Australia. In China, ticket sales dropped by 74% with $821,000 over the weekend and $5 million in total.
Among Hollywood titles, “Transformers One” led the way with $16.6 million from 61 international territories, representing a 44% decline from the prior weekend. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which opened earlier in September, added a strong $13.6 million from 77 markets over the weekend. Meanwhile, “The Wild Robot,” which is staggering its foreign rollout and is comparatively playing on far fewer screens, brought in $9.86 million from 29 markets.
“The Wild Robot” lifted off internationally last weekend with $6.85 million and has grossed $18.1 million overseas to date. The animated sci-fi story, directed by Chris Sanders, was No. 1 in North America with $35 million, bringing its worldwide tally to $53 million. It opened this weekend in Mexico ($3.7 million) and held strong in Australia. In China, ticket sales dropped by 74% with $821,000 over the weekend and $5 million in total.
- 9/29/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
"Saturday Night Live" certainly didn't kick off their milestone 50th season with a bang. However, we shouldn't really be surprised. Historically, the season premieres of "SNL" aren't great episodes, mostly because the writers and cast members are a bit rusty after having the entire summer away from the show, and they often have to cycle through some tired material that is already stale by the time it makes it in front of cameras in Studio 8H.
Unfortunately, that means "Hacks" star Jean Smart didn't get their best material, and the result was a middling episode with the sketches ranging from average to embarrassing. It's nothing to worry about, but for anyone who needed to be convinced that "SNL" still has the goods, this episode probably didn't do the trick. But that's also what makes "SNL" one of the most interesting comedy shows to watch. Anything can happen, and sometimes it's great,...
Unfortunately, that means "Hacks" star Jean Smart didn't get their best material, and the result was a middling episode with the sketches ranging from average to embarrassing. It's nothing to worry about, but for anyone who needed to be convinced that "SNL" still has the goods, this episode probably didn't do the trick. But that's also what makes "SNL" one of the most interesting comedy shows to watch. Anything can happen, and sometimes it's great,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Though the Criterion Collection may be taking their beloved closet on the road to celebrate their 40th anniversary, only the lucky few have been able to step foot in the actual hallowed space. Now, renaissance man Bill Hader can say he’s done so twice. The actor, writer, and director behind the hit HBO series “Barry” first entered the Criterion Closet in 2011. Dressed for the occasion with an orange shirt sporting the Kaibyō from the poster for the 1977 Japanese horror film “House,” Hader drew selections such as Federico Fellini’s “Amarcord” and Pier Paolo Pasolini’s grotesque “Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom,” which he referred to at the time as “a great date movie.”
Referencing this pick in his latest video, Hader displayed “Salò” once again and said, “It is not a good date movie. Just want to clear that up.”
After making a few jokes at the expense...
Referencing this pick in his latest video, Hader displayed “Salò” once again and said, “It is not a good date movie. Just want to clear that up.”
After making a few jokes at the expense...
- 9/29/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
When I first heard about the premise of Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night” — the entire film takes place in the 90 minutes leading up to the late-night comedy landmark’s first episode in 1975 — I confess that I found the idea to be a head-scratcher. Sure, it seemed like there would be a backstage let’s-put-on-a-show “What can go wrong? Everything can go wrong!” real-time frenetic bustle to the thing. And that sounded like fun.
More to the point, though: The show that came to be called “Saturday Night Live” — in the first season, it was just called “Saturday Night” — didn’t come together overnight, or in 90 minutes. A universe of pitching and planning and casting and writing, along with an infinite number of decisions large and small, went into the formation of a revolutionary new television comedy spirit and form. How was “Saturday Night” created? How was it dreamed up? How did it all come together?...
More to the point, though: The show that came to be called “Saturday Night Live” — in the first season, it was just called “Saturday Night” — didn’t come together overnight, or in 90 minutes. A universe of pitching and planning and casting and writing, along with an infinite number of decisions large and small, went into the formation of a revolutionary new television comedy spirit and form. How was “Saturday Night” created? How was it dreamed up? How did it all come together?...
- 9/29/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
In the "Gilligan's Island" episode "The Kidnapper", the castaways are found, but not in the most helpful way. A rogue kidnapper named Norbert Wiley (Don Rickles) has found his way to the island, and he begins to ply his trade immediately. He kidnaps Lovey Howell (Natalie Schafer) and demands the castaways pay $10,000. Mrs. Howell manages to give her kidnapper the slip, but he manages to kidnap Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) in exchange, now demanding $20,000. The cycle repeats itself again when Mary Ann escapes, and Norbert kidnaps Ginger (Tina Louise), demanding $30,000.
Eventually, the castaways capture Norbert using Gilligan (Bob Denver) as the ultimate bait. In a bamboo cage, Norbert explains that kidnapping is a compulsion for him and that he cannot be reformed. Ginger takes it upon herself to psychoanalyze him and reform him, while the Skipper and the Professor (Russell Johnson) repair the boat that brought him to the island.
Eventually, the castaways capture Norbert using Gilligan (Bob Denver) as the ultimate bait. In a bamboo cage, Norbert explains that kidnapping is a compulsion for him and that he cannot be reformed. Ginger takes it upon herself to psychoanalyze him and reform him, while the Skipper and the Professor (Russell Johnson) repair the boat that brought him to the island.
- 9/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Whatever doubts were raised about the continued health of animated releases after last week’s tepid start for “Transformers One” (Paramount) were calmed by “The Wild Robot” (Universal). #1 with $35 million, the DreamWorks’ production exceeded expectations to claim the top spot. And in doing so, it bucked the trend of cartoon features being all franchise (mostly sequel) all the time.
Not that originality, even when packaged in one of the most publicized films of the year and created by one of the most successful and respected filmmakers of all time, is by itself a draw. Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” (Lionsgate) found limited interest with $4 million in 1,854 theaters. Coupled with a horrific D- Cinemascore (surprising since it has found some critical support), it would appear to have limited future prospects.
‘Saturday Night’ ph: Hopper Stone / © Sony Pictures Releasing / courtesy Everett Collection©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night...
Not that originality, even when packaged in one of the most publicized films of the year and created by one of the most successful and respected filmmakers of all time, is by itself a draw. Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” (Lionsgate) found limited interest with $4 million in 1,854 theaters. Coupled with a horrific D- Cinemascore (surprising since it has found some critical support), it would appear to have limited future prospects.
‘Saturday Night’ ph: Hopper Stone / © Sony Pictures Releasing / courtesy Everett Collection©Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Jason Reitman’s “Saturday Night...
- 9/29/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Denzel Washington has always been careful about what films he chooses to work on. After becoming widely recognized and openly acclaimed in 1980s dramas like "Cry Freedom" and "Glory," he was officially a Hollywood powerhouse by the time he appeared in Spike Lee's films "Mo' Better Blues" and "Malcolm X," as well as "Philadelphia" and "Much Ado About Nothing." Because he was such a big star, Washington never felt obligated to star in a major action franchise, and he was long insistent on never acting in any sequels, at least not until "The Equalizer 2" in 2018. He tends to want to work with deeply experienced directions he can form a good relationship with. There's a reason he's made multiple films with Lee, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, and Antoine Fuqua.
That's not to say, however, that Washington is allergic to mainstream entertainments. Like everyone, he's seen the big actioners and...
That's not to say, however, that Washington is allergic to mainstream entertainments. Like everyone, he's seen the big actioners and...
- 9/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
DC Studios has yet to cast a Batman; they only have a title in “Batman: Brave And The Bold,” but it’s already plotting a team-up film featuring Caped Crusader villains. Several trades report that DC’s co-exec leads James Gunn and Peter Safran are quietly plotting a movie that would pair Batman antagonists Bane and Deathstroke, and Matthew Orton, the screenwriter behind “Captain America: Brave New World” is penning the script.
Continue reading DC Studios Making A Batman Villains Team-Up Featuring Bane & Deathstroke at The Playlist.
Continue reading DC Studios Making A Batman Villains Team-Up Featuring Bane & Deathstroke at The Playlist.
- 9/29/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
John Ashton, known for his role as John Taggart in the “Beverly Hills Cop” films, died Thursday in Fort Collins, Colo., his manager Alan Somers confirmed to Variety. He was 76.
Ashton played Detective Sergeant John Taggart in the first two installments of the “Beverly Hills Cop” series, released in 1984 and 1987, alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He reprised his role in 2024’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” in which his character is now a police chief.
Ashton’s acting career spanned more than 50 years. His early film credits include “An Eye for an Eye” (1973), “So Evil, My Sister” (1974), “Cat Murkil and the Silks” (1976), “Breaking Away” (1979), “Borderline” (1980) and “Honky Tonk Freeway” (1981). He also guest starred on several television series during the ’70s, including “Emergency!,” “Columbo,” “Police Story,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Police Woman,” “Mash,” “Starsky and Hutch” and “Dallas.”
Ashton portrayed Cliff Nelson, father of Eric Stoltz’s Keith Nelson, in the 1987 teen rom-com “Some Kind of Wonderful,...
Ashton played Detective Sergeant John Taggart in the first two installments of the “Beverly Hills Cop” series, released in 1984 and 1987, alongside Eddie Murphy and Judge Reinhold. He reprised his role in 2024’s “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” in which his character is now a police chief.
Ashton’s acting career spanned more than 50 years. His early film credits include “An Eye for an Eye” (1973), “So Evil, My Sister” (1974), “Cat Murkil and the Silks” (1976), “Breaking Away” (1979), “Borderline” (1980) and “Honky Tonk Freeway” (1981). He also guest starred on several television series during the ’70s, including “Emergency!,” “Columbo,” “Police Story,” “Barnaby Jones,” “Police Woman,” “Mash,” “Starsky and Hutch” and “Dallas.”
Ashton portrayed Cliff Nelson, father of Eric Stoltz’s Keith Nelson, in the 1987 teen rom-com “Some Kind of Wonderful,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
There are few television shows as warm and comforting as "Columbo," the long-running mystery series starring Peter Falk as the eponymous detective. Each episode begins with a murder, and the fun isn't trying to figure out whodunnit but instead watching Columbo put together the pieces and catch the bad guy. Whether you're watching one of the original 1970s television episodes or one of the movie-of-the-week "episodes" that came out all the way through 2003, you can sit secure in the knowledge that Columbo will probably take the rich and powerful down a peg or two and be almost impossibly lovable while doing it. Despite the fact that Peter Falk wasn't originally the series' creator's choice to play Columbo, he is what makes the show so incredible watchable as he seems to aimlessly wander through crime scenes in his rumpled trench coat and ruin criminals' days with his trademark "just one more thing.
- 9/29/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Yang Suiyi’s Karst and Ramon Zurcher’s The Sparrow In The Chimney took home the top awards at the eighth edition of the Pingyao International Film Festival (Pyiff) on Saturday (September 28).
Chinese drama Karst won best film in the festival’s Fei Mu Awards, selected from the Hidden Dragons competitive section that comprises features from emerging Chinese directors. Yang’s feature directorial debut follows a cattle breeder who travels to a nearby town to seek treatment for her cattle as memories begin to flood back. The prize includes $142,000 (RMB1m), half of which is given to the director to...
Chinese drama Karst won best film in the festival’s Fei Mu Awards, selected from the Hidden Dragons competitive section that comprises features from emerging Chinese directors. Yang’s feature directorial debut follows a cattle breeder who travels to a nearby town to seek treatment for her cattle as memories begin to flood back. The prize includes $142,000 (RMB1m), half of which is given to the director to...
- 9/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Bert and Ernie. Mulder and Scully. Jesse and Walt. Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) are among the greatest television odd couples of all time, but their incredible journey was almost stopped short more than once, both onscreen and off. Despite the fact that Jesse would go on to be the heart and soul of "Breaking Bad," series creator Vince Gilligan originally planned on killing him off by the end of the first season. However, the chemistry between Paul and Cranston was just too good to cut short and Jesse became a much bigger part of the show, lasting through the end of the series and even into his own follow-up movie, "El Camino."
Originally, though, AMC had problems with casting Paul as the sweet-hearted and foul-mouthed meth dealer. In fact, there were three other well-known actors in the running against him that the network preferred. Eventually,...
Originally, though, AMC had problems with casting Paul as the sweet-hearted and foul-mouthed meth dealer. In fact, there were three other well-known actors in the running against him that the network preferred. Eventually,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
While it was all but official that Maya Rudolph would be playing Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris on “Saturday Night Live” Season 50 the minute President Joe Biden dropped out and endorsed his Vice President, ever since, the internet has been rife with speculation over who would play her husband, Doug Emhoff, and eventual VP pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Initially, Steve Martin was circulated as a possible Walz stand-in, and series creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels even made one of his favorite hosts and guests stars the offer, but the “Only Murders in the Building” star had to turn him down. Instead, as we found out last night, your favorite “big dad energy” comedian took the reins of your favorite “big dad energy” politician, with Jim Gaffigan playing Walz in all his Midwestern glory. Gaffigan and Rudolph were joined by two other “SNL” mainstays, Andy Samberg as Harris’ husband...
- 9/29/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
When the dust finally settles on the fantasy phenomenon known as "Game of Thrones" and fans are able to look back without being clouded by emotion (along the lines of what's been happening recently with the 20th anniversary of "Lost" and its ongoing reappraisal), time may prove to be quite kind to the groundbreaking HBO series -- controversies and all. Some of those controversies have become an inextricable part of how we discuss and analyze the epic undertaking, like its iffy approach to depictions of sexual violence or the various ways the adaptation strayed from author George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. Others fall into a different and more nuanced category entirely, one that's worth dissecting even all these years later. In that light, a particularly odd scene from over a decade ago might be worth a second look.
No, we're not talking about Daenerys...
No, we're not talking about Daenerys...
- 9/29/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Tony Scott's 1986 navy recruitment film "Top Gun" was released in the middle of the Reagan administration: a time when the American military was being venerated in mainstream pop entertainment and sold as a badass, action-loving fighting force. The sadness and pain of the Vietnam War was being deliberately eschewed in favor of highly varnished machismo, and many movies depicted American soldiers as endlessly capable violence machines. It's how we went from the downbeat and tragic "First Blood" to the chest-pounding jingoism of "Rambo: First Blood Part II" in just three years. "Top Gun" depicted the world's coolest naval jet pilots as they trained to become the best, and took on a mysterious enemy military hailing from an unnamed nation.
To stress the pilots' coolness, "Top Gun" starred the dazzling movie giant Tom Cruise as Peter "Maverick" Mitchell and the equally dazzling Val Kilmer as his rival, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.
To stress the pilots' coolness, "Top Gun" starred the dazzling movie giant Tom Cruise as Peter "Maverick" Mitchell and the equally dazzling Val Kilmer as his rival, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.
- 9/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for Garth Ennis' "The Boys" and the Prime Video series of the same name.
In "The Boys," Homelander (Antony Starr) is the ultimate catalyst; his mere existence justifies the motivations of the titular group and their efforts to topple Vought America. There is some nuance to Homelander's apathetic villainy, as his hunger for affection and approval directly feeds into his unpredictable brutality, and he perceives his vulnerability as a weakness. Nevertheless, the character is ultimately so narcissistic and vile that only one sentiment rings true for a story that is nearing its end: Homelander has got to go.
Season 4 of "The Boys" ended with a still-alive Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) — Homelander's biological father — and the implications of this reveal for the show's final season are dire, as it foreshadows either a one-on-one battle or a team-up. Most members of the titular group have been separated and taken into Vought custody,...
In "The Boys," Homelander (Antony Starr) is the ultimate catalyst; his mere existence justifies the motivations of the titular group and their efforts to topple Vought America. There is some nuance to Homelander's apathetic villainy, as his hunger for affection and approval directly feeds into his unpredictable brutality, and he perceives his vulnerability as a weakness. Nevertheless, the character is ultimately so narcissistic and vile that only one sentiment rings true for a story that is nearing its end: Homelander has got to go.
Season 4 of "The Boys" ended with a still-alive Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) — Homelander's biological father — and the implications of this reveal for the show's final season are dire, as it foreshadows either a one-on-one battle or a team-up. Most members of the titular group have been separated and taken into Vought custody,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Box Office: ‘Megalopolis’ Crumbles With $4 Million, ‘The Wild Robot’ Lands at No. 1 With $35 Million
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” landed in first place on box office charts, taking flight on the higher end of expectations with $35 million from 3,962 venues. Meanwhile, Francis Ford Coppola‘s sci-fi epic “Megalopolis” collapsed in its box office debut, collecting an anemic $4 million from 1,854 North American theaters.
Ticket sales for “Megalopolis” were less than initial projections of $5 million to $7 million, which would have been financially disastrous for the $120 million-budgeted film. By comparison, Kevin Costner’s mostly self-funded $100 million-budgeted passion project “Horizon: An American Saga – Part One” arrived to $11 million over the summer before tapping out with $36 million worldwide. As a result, plans to release “Part Two” were indefinitely paused.
With poor word of mouth (the film received a “D+” grade on CinemaScore), “Megalopolis” opened in sixth place behind three holdover titles and the Indian Telugu-language action film “Devara: Part 1.” Reviews have been wildly divisive with the...
Ticket sales for “Megalopolis” were less than initial projections of $5 million to $7 million, which would have been financially disastrous for the $120 million-budgeted film. By comparison, Kevin Costner’s mostly self-funded $100 million-budgeted passion project “Horizon: An American Saga – Part One” arrived to $11 million over the summer before tapping out with $36 million worldwide. As a result, plans to release “Part Two” were indefinitely paused.
With poor word of mouth (the film received a “D+” grade on CinemaScore), “Megalopolis” opened in sixth place behind three holdover titles and the Indian Telugu-language action film “Devara: Part 1.” Reviews have been wildly divisive with the...
- 9/29/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Steven Spielberg and Tim Burton existed on opposite ends of the filmmaking spectrum when the latter burst onto the scene in the 1980s. The former was no stranger to tales of terror in the suburbs, having been involved with "Poltergeist" and "Gremlins" by then. (Even "E.T." adapts the stylings of a horror flick in the scene where government agents in spacesuits invade the Taylor family's home in search of the titular alien.) However, the suburbs themselves were cozy and comforting in Spielberg's films; it was usually exterior forces that threatened their domesticity. Burton's movies, on the other hand, depicted the suburbs themselves as being unnerving and baffling. His sympathies laid with outsiders like Pee-wee Herman and Edward Scissorhands, who were content to lead their strange, loner existences until others insisted on intruding upon them.
Burton's adoration of death lay in equally stark contrast to Spielberg's sentiment, so...
Burton's adoration of death lay in equally stark contrast to Spielberg's sentiment, so...
- 9/29/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
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
Women Over 50 Film Festival (online), UK - September 7-October 7
Calgary International Film Festival, Canada - September 19-29
Helsinki International Film Festival, Finland - September 19-29
Pingyao International Film Festival, China - September 24-30
International Film Festival Schlingel, Germany - September 25-October 3
International South Asian Film Festival of Canada,...
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
Women Over 50 Film Festival (online), UK - September 7-October 7
Calgary International Film Festival, Canada - September 19-29
Helsinki International Film Festival, Finland - September 19-29
Pingyao International Film Festival, China - September 24-30
International Film Festival Schlingel, Germany - September 25-October 3
International South Asian Film Festival of Canada,...
- 9/29/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
When Kevin Smith made "Clerks" in 1994, he was only 23 and ignorant of the ways of filmmaking. Smith was inspired to make a movie by Richard Linklater's "Slacker," figuring he could write a fun screenplay based on the way he and his friend conversed. Made for only $27,575, "Clerks" was about witty but directionless twentysomethings as they struggled through their romantic angst while trapped at their dead-end jobs. "Clerks" struck a nerve with Gen-Xers, introducing a certain type of pop culture chatter that hadn't really been heard in movies before. It was a huge hit.
Smith returned in 1995 with "Mallrats," another single-day movie about twentysomethings wrestling with their romances and emotional immaturity. His 1997 film "Chasing Amy" was an unconventional romance about a straight man who falls in love with a lesbian, and how the lesbian may be developing feelings for him in exchange. Ultimately, however, the straight man's sexual insecurity causes their relationship to implode.
Smith returned in 1995 with "Mallrats," another single-day movie about twentysomethings wrestling with their romances and emotional immaturity. His 1997 film "Chasing Amy" was an unconventional romance about a straight man who falls in love with a lesbian, and how the lesbian may be developing feelings for him in exchange. Ultimately, however, the straight man's sexual insecurity causes their relationship to implode.
- 9/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
For a show with its feet planted so firmly in the mundanities of modern London — pubs, offices set above shops, an Episode 4 action sequence this season that is also a thesis statement on how confusing St. Pancras Station can be — “Slow Horses” nonetheless has an expansive feeling to it. The Apple TV+ series’ visual style mirrors its protagonist, in a way.
It may seem there is no limit to Jackson Lamb’s (Gary Oldman) coarseness, but a keen mind is ticking away underneath; likewise, the visual of the show appears ordinary, if slightly gritty, but a lot of work goes into shaping and accentuating the picture so that Diana Taverner’s (Kristen Scott Thomas) MI5 headquarters appears all the sleeker, Slough House looks all the bleaker, and the mysterious shadows in which operatives like Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving) operate run all the deeper.
Director of photography Danny Cohen and colorist...
It may seem there is no limit to Jackson Lamb’s (Gary Oldman) coarseness, but a keen mind is ticking away underneath; likewise, the visual of the show appears ordinary, if slightly gritty, but a lot of work goes into shaping and accentuating the picture so that Diana Taverner’s (Kristen Scott Thomas) MI5 headquarters appears all the sleeker, Slough House looks all the bleaker, and the mysterious shadows in which operatives like Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving) operate run all the deeper.
Director of photography Danny Cohen and colorist...
- 9/29/2024
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
When the people at Paramount decided that they were going to create another "Star Trek" show in the wake of the original series, they wanted to bring in some of the people who helped make the first show into a massive part of pop culture. They didn't want them on screen, necessarily, as the new show would be "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and they wanted to feature the next generation of Starfleet officers. But they did want some of the old team behind-the-scenes. One of the first people they asked aboard was Leonard Nimoy, who played Commander Spock on "Star Trek: The Original Series," as well as directing "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." (He also produced "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.")
While Nimoy makes a lot of sense as a possible producer for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," he passed on the opportunity.
While Nimoy makes a lot of sense as a possible producer for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," he passed on the opportunity.
- 9/29/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
Saltburn director Emerald Fennell has caused a stir with her project to remake Brontë’s classic – but the novel has been provocative for more than 170 years
When Andrea Arnold imagined the opening shots of her film of Wuthering Heights, she saw heavy mists swirling around the outline of a misshapen creature as it scaled a hillside. The figure would slowly be revealed as a climbing man, his back laden with dead rabbits for skinning.
On the day of the shoot, however, it was bright and sunny – and there were only three rabbits. “People keep saying one day I will come to like it,” she said later of her 2011 screen version. “It was a difficult experience making it, for various reasons. I find it hard to look at it.”...
When Andrea Arnold imagined the opening shots of her film of Wuthering Heights, she saw heavy mists swirling around the outline of a misshapen creature as it scaled a hillside. The figure would slowly be revealed as a climbing man, his back laden with dead rabbits for skinning.
On the day of the shoot, however, it was bright and sunny – and there were only three rabbits. “People keep saying one day I will come to like it,” she said later of her 2011 screen version. “It was a difficult experience making it, for various reasons. I find it hard to look at it.”...
- 9/29/2024
- by Vanessa Thorpe Arts and media correspondent
- The Guardian - Film News
One of the most common questions film critics receive is "What's your favorite movie?" And any critic will tell you that it's a difficult question to answer. Since critics speak to their taste, and gauge a film's quality based on their reaction to it, shouldn't the film they consider the best of all time be their favorite? In a 2012 essay on his website, Ebert rolled the question around in his mind, musing that his old reviewing partner, Gene Siskel, used to say that "Citizen Kane" is the "official" answer to that question. After all, many critics consider it to be the best movie ever made, so surely that means it is their favorite, right?
Of course, we all know that taste doesn't operate that way. A film can be your favorite for any number of reasons. You might consider, say, "Ikiru" to be the best movie ever made, but it...
Of course, we all know that taste doesn't operate that way. A film can be your favorite for any number of reasons. You might consider, say, "Ikiru" to be the best movie ever made, but it...
- 9/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Each season of "The Boys" introduces yet another loathsome supe to the rogues gallery. In season 4, that was Firecracker/Misty Tucker Gray (Valorie Curry). True to her name, she can generate sparks with a simple finger snap. Firecracker's main asset is not her superpowers, it's her public following. A conspiracy theorist streamer, Firecracker succeeds Stormfront (Aya Cash) as the Seven's ear to the far-right.
At this point, "The Boys" doesn't satirize the American right-wing so much as just point and laugh at them. Firecracker stands in for Republican representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene, a woman with insane beliefs who rides the coattails of Donald Trump stand-in Homelander (Antony Starr).
Surprisingly for a show that often doles out nasty deaths, Firecracker made it through "The Boys" season 4 still breathing. Some of the final lines of the season are hers; as our leads are rounded up by Homelander's new martial law army, Firecracker...
At this point, "The Boys" doesn't satirize the American right-wing so much as just point and laugh at them. Firecracker stands in for Republican representative Marjorie Taylor-Greene, a woman with insane beliefs who rides the coattails of Donald Trump stand-in Homelander (Antony Starr).
Surprisingly for a show that often doles out nasty deaths, Firecracker made it through "The Boys" season 4 still breathing. Some of the final lines of the season are hers; as our leads are rounded up by Homelander's new martial law army, Firecracker...
- 9/29/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
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