This Is Us may have concluded its six-season run in 2022, but the series stars continue to remain close to this day, proving that their onscreen family was just as tight behind the scenes. But could there be a new project with the team in the works? Some cast members are hinting at a collaboration on some undefined project on social media as Pearson matriarch Mandy Moore, her onscreen son Sterling K. Brown, and Chris Sullivan posted to the same Instagram page, aptly titled That Was Us. Each of the stars shared a personal anecdote about their lives with a throwback photo on their personal profiles collaborating with this mystery account. View this post on Instagram A post shared by That Was Us (@thatwasus) The account seems to have stirred some intrigue among the celebrity followers who began commenting on theories. One prevalent theory is that the trio might be launching a podcast.
- 3/4/2024
- TV Insider
This Is Us ended its NBC run in 2022, but the series continues to capture the hearts of new viewers and those who faithfully watched over six seasons. In January 2024, three of the drama’s stars quietly formed a new Instagram account titled “This Was Us.” A new post teases, “There’s a new big three in town,” and fans of the series are freaking out.
Who are Instagram’s new Big Three?
Beginning on Jan. 16, 2024, This Is Us star Mandy Moore quietly dropped a post about motherhood on a newly created Instagram account titled This Was Us. However, that same day, Sterling K. Brown posted about his late father, and Chris Sullivan discussed his mental health journey.
Two days later, the account’s followers were treated to a slideshow of scenes taken over six seasons of This Is Us. The photographs featured every star who appeared on the NBC drama.
Who are Instagram’s new Big Three?
Beginning on Jan. 16, 2024, This Is Us star Mandy Moore quietly dropped a post about motherhood on a newly created Instagram account titled This Was Us. However, that same day, Sterling K. Brown posted about his late father, and Chris Sullivan discussed his mental health journey.
Two days later, the account’s followers were treated to a slideshow of scenes taken over six seasons of This Is Us. The photographs featured every star who appeared on the NBC drama.
- 3/4/2024
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Megamind franchise's latest additions are a welcome surprise for long-term fans after 13 years. Megamind Rules! offers charming elements but lacks the large-scale narrative of the movies. Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate delivers an entertaining sequel with new villains and a compelling story.
Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate and Megamind Rules! are the latest installments in the Megamind franchise, adding to the original movie and short film. It may have taken over 13 years to return, but DreamWorks' underrated Megamind movie finally received some much-needed new content. Over the years, the demand for a Megamind sequel has grown, making Peacock's new movie and series a welcome surprise for long-term fans. While the latest projects finally gave fans what they'd be asking for, the original Megamind movie created big expectations for the sequels to try and match.
Megamind is a lot different in 2024, with a completely new cast and the protagonist becoming an official hero.
Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate and Megamind Rules! are the latest installments in the Megamind franchise, adding to the original movie and short film. It may have taken over 13 years to return, but DreamWorks' underrated Megamind movie finally received some much-needed new content. Over the years, the demand for a Megamind sequel has grown, making Peacock's new movie and series a welcome surprise for long-term fans. While the latest projects finally gave fans what they'd be asking for, the original Megamind movie created big expectations for the sequels to try and match.
Megamind is a lot different in 2024, with a completely new cast and the protagonist becoming an official hero.
- 3/1/2024
- by Kyle McLeod
- ScreenRant.com
Megamind Rules! and Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate provide a deep dive into Megamind's backstory and relationships with other villains. The new projects reveal Megamind's traumatic childhood experience in prison with cockroaches and his leadership of The Doom Syndicate. The addition of a mentor, Machiavillain, adds a new layer to Megamind's character and sets up a new foe for him to face in the TV series.
Spoilers ahead for Megamind Rules! and Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate.Megamind's backstory received a surprisingly big update through his new projects. Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate and Megamind Rules! continued the protagonist's story as Metro City's new protector, and in doing so, went into detail about his backstory. While the original film already did a great job of establishing the main character, the new projects expanded on Megamind's history. Peacock's new Megamind film and show has a completely different voice cast to the original,...
Spoilers ahead for Megamind Rules! and Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate.Megamind's backstory received a surprisingly big update through his new projects. Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate and Megamind Rules! continued the protagonist's story as Metro City's new protector, and in doing so, went into detail about his backstory. While the original film already did a great job of establishing the main character, the new projects expanded on Megamind's history. Peacock's new Megamind film and show has a completely different voice cast to the original,...
- 3/1/2024
- by Kyle McLeod
- ScreenRant.com
Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate and Megamind Rules! bring back the beloved franchise with new cast members and fresh storylines on Peacock. Keith Ferguson leads as Megamind, joined by talented actors like Laura Post and Josh Brener, creating a dynamic and entertaining team. Expect action-packed adventures and comedic moments in both the movie and TV series, as the iconic characters face off against new foes on Peacock.
After being absent for over a decade, Megamind finally returned with a sequel, Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate, and a follow-up series, Megamind Rules! The first Megamind film debuted in theaters back in 2010, and outside a 15-minute short the following year, the franchise has been inactive ever since. The original movie has since become a cult classic, with fans desperate for a sequel, and it has finally arrived with both a Megamind movie and a TV show. Although Megamind's return has been years in the making,...
After being absent for over a decade, Megamind finally returned with a sequel, Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate, and a follow-up series, Megamind Rules! The first Megamind film debuted in theaters back in 2010, and outside a 15-minute short the following year, the franchise has been inactive ever since. The original movie has since become a cult classic, with fans desperate for a sequel, and it has finally arrived with both a Megamind movie and a TV show. Although Megamind's return has been years in the making,...
- 2/29/2024
- by Kyle McLeod
- ScreenRant.com
Stranger Things Season 5 is officially filming, and although it will likely be months before fans get any official first looks, one of the stars recently commented on one aspect of the show that should be changed. Appearing at Mega Con Orlando, Gaten Matarazzo, who plays the loveable Dustin in the Netflix hit, got candid when a fan asked him about any changes he’d make to the show. “It might sound messed up but we should kill more people,” the actor said, according to Cbr. “This show would be so much better if the stakes were much higher, like at any moment any of these kids can kick it. I feel like we’re all too safe.” And the star has a point. Despite killing off Barb (Shannon Purser) and Benny (Chris Sullivan) in Season 1, every other character that has died since has been among the newer additions. Whether it...
- 2/10/2024
- TV Insider
"Let's have a good ol' fashioned crime spree!" DreamWorks Animation has unveiled a surprise new sequel and series with the title Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate. In Hollywood's lust for streaming content, they've bought back one of these most forgotten animated characters for a follow-up. Megamind originally opened in 2010, featuring the voice of Will Ferrell as the titular bad guy who turns into a good guy. None of the original voice cast is back this time. The story will follow Megamind as he traverses life as a hero, takes on a young crime-fighting apprentice, and fights the new evil: his former group, the Doom Syndicate. The new cast is lead by: Keith Ferguson as Megamind, Laura Post as Roxanne Ritchi, Josh Brener as Ol' Chum, Maya Aoki Tuttle as Keiko Morita, Emily Tunon as Lady Doppler, Talon Warburton as Lord Nighty-Knight, Scott Adsit as Pierre Pressure, Chris Sullivan, Tony Hale,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Peacock has released a trailer for the new Megamind movie and TV show, which are releasing simultaneously on March 1st. The movie, Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate, is a direct sequel to the 2010 film and picks up where it left off. The TV show, Megamind Rules!, follows Megamind as he tries to become the first superhero influencer.
The new Megamind trailer teases both an animated movie and a television show. The original animated movie was released in 2010 and starred Will Ferrell in the title role as a supervillain with a huge brain who eventually learns to be heroic. Although it is technically a multimedia franchise that includes three video games, a short film, and a comic book series, there haven't been any further installments since 2011 beyond appearances by Megamind in DreamWorks branded games like 2019's Dreamworks Universe of Legends.
Peacock has now unveiled the official trailer for their upcoming Megamind project,...
The new Megamind trailer teases both an animated movie and a television show. The original animated movie was released in 2010 and starred Will Ferrell in the title role as a supervillain with a huge brain who eventually learns to be heroic. Although it is technically a multimedia franchise that includes three video games, a short film, and a comic book series, there haven't been any further installments since 2011 beyond appearances by Megamind in DreamWorks branded games like 2019's Dreamworks Universe of Legends.
Peacock has now unveiled the official trailer for their upcoming Megamind project,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Brennan Klein
- ScreenRant.com
Perhaps the biggest reason why the ghost story has enjoyed such popularity and power for so long is because it lies at the crux of some of humanity's most fundamental mysteries. For one thing, it addresses the question of life after death in a way that doesn't require belief in pearly gates or eternal hellfire, as it presupposes the existence of the soul. After all, if a person's energy can change the mood of a room, can't that same energy exist independently of a body and remain noticeable? Additionally, the total unknowability of ghosts is at once a source of fear and melancholy: if such entities exist, we can't know for sure what their intentions are, and if we might be facing such a fate, wouldn't such constraints as having no body and no voice be remarkably frustrating and lonely?
Steven Soderbergh's latest feature, "Presence," addresses these concepts in a remarkably effective fashion.
Steven Soderbergh's latest feature, "Presence," addresses these concepts in a remarkably effective fashion.
- 1/25/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
In the latest high-profile acquisition at Sundance Neon is understood to have acquired worldwide rights to Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence starring Lucy Liu.
The Premieres selection debuted last Friday and plays again this upcoming weekend. David Koepp wrote the screenplay.
Shot in one location, Presence follows a family that moves into a suburban home inhabited by a ghost. The cast includes Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland.
Julie M. Anderson and Ken Meyer served as producers and Koepp and Corey Bayes are executive producers. Michael Sugar of Sugar23 brokered the deal with attorney Jamie Feldman and Meyer.
The Premieres selection debuted last Friday and plays again this upcoming weekend. David Koepp wrote the screenplay.
Shot in one location, Presence follows a family that moves into a suburban home inhabited by a ghost. The cast includes Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland.
Julie M. Anderson and Ken Meyer served as producers and Koepp and Corey Bayes are executive producers. Michael Sugar of Sugar23 brokered the deal with attorney Jamie Feldman and Meyer.
- 1/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray recently got to check out the Sundance Film Festival premiere of director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp’s ghost story Presence, and in his 7/10 review (which you can read Here), he described the film as “a supernatural tale that’s light on horror but heavy on heart.” A wider audience will have the chance to see the move soon (we assume), as Deadline reports that Neon has picked up the distribution rights to the film. A release date has not yet been announced.
As Deadline notes, “The deal comes 35 years after Soderbergh’s $1 million Sundance deal for sex, lies, & videotape and subsequent Palme d’Or win at Cannes followed by a box office gross of $25 million, helped galvanize independent film into a viable business. It seems poetic he would return with a film for the 40th edition of Sundance, and make a major deal there.
As Deadline notes, “The deal comes 35 years after Soderbergh’s $1 million Sundance deal for sex, lies, & videotape and subsequent Palme d’Or win at Cannes followed by a box office gross of $25 million, helped galvanize independent film into a viable business. It seems poetic he would return with a film for the 40th edition of Sundance, and make a major deal there.
- 1/24/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
In the wake of Netflix acquiring It’s What’s Inside out of Sundance 2024, another hot genre movie that world premiered at Sundance has found itself a distribution home this week.
Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence has been acquired by Neon, with Deadline first reporting the news. The site notes, “I haven’t got a deal number to share, but there were about 10 bidders so it’s a healthy sum for a thriller that has gotten uniformly strong reviews at the festival.”
One of those strong reviews came from Meagan Navarro right here on Bloody Disgusting, who awarded Presence 4 stars out of a possible 5 stars in her review published over the weekend.
Meagan raves, “Unsane director Steven Soderbergh reunites with Kimi screenwriter David Koepp (Stir of Echoes) to give an innovative new spin on the quintessential ghost story. Presence frames its haunted events entirely from the perspective of its ghost.
Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence has been acquired by Neon, with Deadline first reporting the news. The site notes, “I haven’t got a deal number to share, but there were about 10 bidders so it’s a healthy sum for a thriller that has gotten uniformly strong reviews at the festival.”
One of those strong reviews came from Meagan Navarro right here on Bloody Disgusting, who awarded Presence 4 stars out of a possible 5 stars in her review published over the weekend.
Meagan raves, “Unsane director Steven Soderbergh reunites with Kimi screenwriter David Koepp (Stir of Echoes) to give an innovative new spin on the quintessential ghost story. Presence frames its haunted events entirely from the perspective of its ghost.
- 1/24/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
“Presence,” a twisty new thriller that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, has sold to Neon.
The movie, which is directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh, puts an inventive spin on the haunted house genre. It unfolds from the perspective of the spectral entity and is primarily interested in dramatizing the issues of the people living in the home, who seem to be grappling with a lot of interpersonal problems.
“I wanted to find a different way to tell the story,” Soderbergh told Variety in a recent profile. “Everything is revealed through the glimpses of this family that this presence sees. And the whole ghost genre element is a Trojan horse to show a group of people in danger of falling apart.”
The market at Sundance has been slower than usual, with deals taking longer to hammer out — that’s a sign of how challenging the box office has become for indie pictures.
The movie, which is directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh, puts an inventive spin on the haunted house genre. It unfolds from the perspective of the spectral entity and is primarily interested in dramatizing the issues of the people living in the home, who seem to be grappling with a lot of interpersonal problems.
“I wanted to find a different way to tell the story,” Soderbergh told Variety in a recent profile. “Everything is revealed through the glimpses of this family that this presence sees. And the whole ghost genre element is a Trojan horse to show a group of people in danger of falling apart.”
The market at Sundance has been slower than usual, with deals taking longer to hammer out — that’s a sign of how challenging the box office has become for indie pictures.
- 1/24/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Indie distributor Neon has snapped up Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, the supernatural thriller Presence, at the Sundance Film Festival.
A director who’s long experimented with genres and filmmaking styles, Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, the supernatural thriller Presence, sounds as formally unconventional as his 2018 iPhone-shot thriller, Unsane. It’s shot entirely in one location – a surburban house – and reportedly filmed entirely from the perspective of a ghost stalking an increasingly unsettled family.
It’s an experimental concept that has evidently paid off, with its debut at the Sundance film festival joined by some positive reviews, with even the less glowing ones conceding that it’s an intriguing technical exercise. The aura surrounding the film – no doubt helped by Steven Soderbergh’s reputation – is such that independent production/distribution company Neon has now acquired the film.
Deadline reports that, although the amount Neon paid for the film hasn’t been disclosed,...
A director who’s long experimented with genres and filmmaking styles, Steven Soderbergh’s latest film, the supernatural thriller Presence, sounds as formally unconventional as his 2018 iPhone-shot thriller, Unsane. It’s shot entirely in one location – a surburban house – and reportedly filmed entirely from the perspective of a ghost stalking an increasingly unsettled family.
It’s an experimental concept that has evidently paid off, with its debut at the Sundance film festival joined by some positive reviews, with even the less glowing ones conceding that it’s an intriguing technical exercise. The aura surrounding the film – no doubt helped by Steven Soderbergh’s reputation – is such that independent production/distribution company Neon has now acquired the film.
Deadline reports that, although the amount Neon paid for the film hasn’t been disclosed,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
Exclusive: The Steven Soderbergh-directed and David Koepp-scripted ghost story Presence is being acquired at Sundance by Neon.
The deal comes 35 years after Soderbergh’s $1 million Sundance deal for sex, lies, & videotape and subsequent Palme d’Or win at Cannes followed by a box office gross of $25 million, helped galvanize independent film into a viable business. It seems poetic he would return with a film for the 40th edition of Sundance, and make a major deal there.
I haven’t got a deal number to share, but there were about 10 bidders so it’s a healthy sum for a thriller that has gotten uniformly strong reviews at the festival.
In Presence, a family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they are not alone. A supernatural force has infiltrated the house, and taken a specific interest in the couple’s daughter. The picture is shot entirely in a single location,...
The deal comes 35 years after Soderbergh’s $1 million Sundance deal for sex, lies, & videotape and subsequent Palme d’Or win at Cannes followed by a box office gross of $25 million, helped galvanize independent film into a viable business. It seems poetic he would return with a film for the 40th edition of Sundance, and make a major deal there.
I haven’t got a deal number to share, but there were about 10 bidders so it’s a healthy sum for a thriller that has gotten uniformly strong reviews at the festival.
In Presence, a family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they are not alone. A supernatural force has infiltrated the house, and taken a specific interest in the couple’s daughter. The picture is shot entirely in a single location,...
- 1/24/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Sterling K. Brown received his first Oscar nomination and his This Is Us family is sending love to the actor.
The cast of the NBC drama, which ended in 2022, is feeling proud of Brown after the actor was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role of Clifford Ellison in American Fiction.
Mandy Moore, who played Brown’s adoptive mother in This Is Us, shared a message on her Instagram Stories celebrating the nomination.
“What a day!! Congrats and Love you, Sterling K. Brown. You deserve it all!!!” Moore wrote.
Mandy Moore reacts to Sterling K. Brown’s Oscar nomination
Chrissy Metz also took to Instagram Stories to congratulate her on-screen brother writing, “Congratulations!”
Chrissy Metz reacts to Sterling K. Brown’s Oscar nomination
Chris Sullivan shared Brown’s video and captioned it, “Skb! Win em all! Congratulations buddy!”
Chris Sullivan reacts to Sterling K. Brown’s Oscar...
The cast of the NBC drama, which ended in 2022, is feeling proud of Brown after the actor was nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category for his role of Clifford Ellison in American Fiction.
Mandy Moore, who played Brown’s adoptive mother in This Is Us, shared a message on her Instagram Stories celebrating the nomination.
“What a day!! Congrats and Love you, Sterling K. Brown. You deserve it all!!!” Moore wrote.
Mandy Moore reacts to Sterling K. Brown’s Oscar nomination
Chrissy Metz also took to Instagram Stories to congratulate her on-screen brother writing, “Congratulations!”
Chrissy Metz reacts to Sterling K. Brown’s Oscar nomination
Chris Sullivan shared Brown’s video and captioned it, “Skb! Win em all! Congratulations buddy!”
Chris Sullivan reacts to Sterling K. Brown’s Oscar...
- 1/24/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Plot: A family moves into a house with a supernatural presence.
Review: I’m sure I can be forgiven for rolling my eyes when I heard the logline for Presence. I’ve seen my share of haunted house movies and was wary of anything being added to this well-worn genre. However, director Steven Soderbergh and his writer David Koepp have once again subverted expectations, making this a supernatural tale that’s light on horror but heavy on heart.
The big selling point here will be that Soderbergh’s camera is always from the perspective of the presence itself (no one uses the term ghost here), making it an interesting visual exercise. The family is observed from an arm’s length, with us eventually realizing that the presence itself isn’t necessarily malignant, nor is it even aware of why it’s in their home in the first place.
The movie...
Review: I’m sure I can be forgiven for rolling my eyes when I heard the logline for Presence. I’ve seen my share of haunted house movies and was wary of anything being added to this well-worn genre. However, director Steven Soderbergh and his writer David Koepp have once again subverted expectations, making this a supernatural tale that’s light on horror but heavy on heart.
The big selling point here will be that Soderbergh’s camera is always from the perspective of the presence itself (no one uses the term ghost here), making it an interesting visual exercise. The family is observed from an arm’s length, with us eventually realizing that the presence itself isn’t necessarily malignant, nor is it even aware of why it’s in their home in the first place.
The movie...
- 1/23/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
The Jurassic Park franchise isn’t extinct quite yet. As reported by multiple outlets, a new Jurassic World reboot is being developed at Universal, with Jurassic Park and The Lost World screenwriter David Koepp spearheading the project.
Meant to launch a new era for the franchise, the film will have a new storyline. Per Deadline, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are not expected to return from the recent Jurassic World trilogy, nor are the original trilogy’s Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum.
While no director has been attached to the currently untitled movie, Koepp will pen the screenplay. It will be executive produced by Steven Spielberg through Amblin Entertainment, with Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley serving as producers.
The most recent entry in the Jurassic Park franchise, 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, saw the return of many of the original characters. Find out where it landed on our...
Meant to launch a new era for the franchise, the film will have a new storyline. Per Deadline, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are not expected to return from the recent Jurassic World trilogy, nor are the original trilogy’s Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum.
While no director has been attached to the currently untitled movie, Koepp will pen the screenplay. It will be executive produced by Steven Spielberg through Amblin Entertainment, with Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley serving as producers.
The most recent entry in the Jurassic Park franchise, 2022’s Jurassic World Dominion, saw the return of many of the original characters. Find out where it landed on our...
- 1/22/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
We’ve confirmed that a new Jurassic World movie, a complete reboot, is being fast-tracked at Universal with the franchise’s original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp. He adapted the first two movies from 1993 and 1997’s The Lost World from Michael Crichton’s novels.
The new movie will be a completely fresh take on a Jurassic era with Jurassic World castmembers Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard not expected to return, nor the original trilogy’s thespians Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and Sam Neill.
The film will be executive produced by Steven Spielberg through Amblin Entertainment, Frank Marshall, and Patrick Crowley will produce.
The Jurassic movies through six titles have grossed more than $6 billion worldwide. The last installment, Jurassic World: Dominion, released in 2022 made $1 billion at the global box office.
Executive Vice President of Production Development Sara Scott and Creative Executive of Production Development Jacqueline Garell will oversee the project for the Studio.
The new movie will be a completely fresh take on a Jurassic era with Jurassic World castmembers Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard not expected to return, nor the original trilogy’s thespians Jeff Goldblum, Laura Dern and Sam Neill.
The film will be executive produced by Steven Spielberg through Amblin Entertainment, Frank Marshall, and Patrick Crowley will produce.
The Jurassic movies through six titles have grossed more than $6 billion worldwide. The last installment, Jurassic World: Dominion, released in 2022 made $1 billion at the global box office.
Executive Vice President of Production Development Sara Scott and Creative Executive of Production Development Jacqueline Garell will oversee the project for the Studio.
- 1/22/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance film festival: The director tells a haunted house tale from the perspective of the spirit in a visually interesting yet dramatically underwhelming gambit
For the majority of film-makers, the restrictions insisted by Covid became a stifling force and created a clear dividing line between those who could flourish in extremely prohibitive circumstances and those who could not. Steven Soderbergh, a director who has never allowed anything – from Oscar glory to blockbuster success – to kill his plucky spirit of invention, made one of the only essential pandemic movies with the maddeningly underseen thriller Kimi, a sleek and canny new-tech upgrade of a paranoid 70s thriller. He found a way, along with the screenwriter David Koepp, to maximise limitations and the two have smartly reunited for a project that carries on-paper similarities.
Presence, a project shrouded in trademark mystery, shot over last summer with a waiver and now unveiling at Sundance,...
For the majority of film-makers, the restrictions insisted by Covid became a stifling force and created a clear dividing line between those who could flourish in extremely prohibitive circumstances and those who could not. Steven Soderbergh, a director who has never allowed anything – from Oscar glory to blockbuster success – to kill his plucky spirit of invention, made one of the only essential pandemic movies with the maddeningly underseen thriller Kimi, a sleek and canny new-tech upgrade of a paranoid 70s thriller. He found a way, along with the screenwriter David Koepp, to maximise limitations and the two have smartly reunited for a project that carries on-paper similarities.
Presence, a project shrouded in trademark mystery, shot over last summer with a waiver and now unveiling at Sundance,...
- 1/22/2024
- by Benjamin Lee in Park City, Utah
- The Guardian - Film News
Julia Fox didn’t have much to say during the post-premiere Q&a of Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence on Friday night, but the brief comments that came out of her mouth got a ton of laughs inside the Library Center Theatre — and maybe a few raised eyebrows.
After the credits rolled well past 11 p.m., moderator and Sundance director Eugene Hernandez asked the cast for their reactions to seeing the film for the first time. Standing in front of the big screen and joined by cast mates Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday and West Mulholland, Fox took the microphone as it was passed down the line.
“Traumatized,” she said in offering a one-word reaction while wearing a black sequined dress, leather gloves and a black hoodie with the word “Mom” on the chest. “I hadn’t even read the script, to be honest. But when Steven calls,...
After the credits rolled well past 11 p.m., moderator and Sundance director Eugene Hernandez asked the cast for their reactions to seeing the film for the first time. Standing in front of the big screen and joined by cast mates Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday and West Mulholland, Fox took the microphone as it was passed down the line.
“Traumatized,” she said in offering a one-word reaction while wearing a black sequined dress, leather gloves and a black hoodie with the word “Mom” on the chest. “I hadn’t even read the script, to be honest. But when Steven calls,...
- 1/20/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The presence of a camera changes things. Trained actors aside, most people are uncomfortable enough with the knowledge that there’s a lens in their face that they’ll change their behavior in turn. Ghosts, meanwhile, observe without being noticed, with only a few sensitive souls able to discern them at all. Steven Soderbergh’s latest cinematic experiment conflates the two, filming a haunted house story from the perspective of the spirit.
Ghosts are tied to a location, and so is “Presence.” The film takes place entirely within the confines of a handsome, century-old home — the furthest the characters get is the driveway, which the camera observes anxiously through a window like a dog awaiting its family’s return. The film unfolds in a series of single takes, which follow characters through the house and watch them from the closets and corners of various rooms. When an object floats across the room,...
Ghosts are tied to a location, and so is “Presence.” The film takes place entirely within the confines of a handsome, century-old home — the furthest the characters get is the driveway, which the camera observes anxiously through a window like a dog awaiting its family’s return. The film unfolds in a series of single takes, which follow characters through the house and watch them from the closets and corners of various rooms. When an object floats across the room,...
- 1/20/2024
- by Katie Rife
- Indiewire
You know the Tolstoy quote about all happy families being the same, but “every unhappy family is unhappy in their own way?” The quartet at the center of Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence has refined their own particular brand of dysfunction to perfection. The mom, Rebecca (Lucy Liu), is a first-class control freak, has become involved in some shady financial dealings, and dotes on her teenage son, Tyler (Eddy Maday), in a way that would make Freud’s head explode. He’s a champion swimmer, and she has her...
- 1/20/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Unsane director Steven Soderbergh reunites with Kimi screenwriter David Koepp (Stir of Echoes) to give an innovative new spin on the quintessential ghost story. Presence frames its haunted events entirely from the perspective of its ghost. From the opening frame until the end credits, audiences see the thrilling story unfold through chilling narrative twists via Soderbergh’s experimentation with form and technique. Using the camera’s gaze as the ghost’s observing eyes isn’t the only trick up Soderbergh and Koepp’s sleeves, ensuring this exciting shakeup of the haunted house keeps you guessing.
The opening moments introduce the single location, an affluent suburban home just recently on the market, through tracking camerawork that captures the feel of a ghost peering around its haunt. It quickly navigates the halls and rooms, giving a quick overview of the layout as it seeks out a new arrival in the form of...
The opening moments introduce the single location, an affluent suburban home just recently on the market, through tracking camerawork that captures the feel of a ghost peering around its haunt. It quickly navigates the halls and rooms, giving a quick overview of the layout as it seeks out a new arrival in the form of...
- 1/20/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
For a prolific artist, a surge of creativity can often be synonymous with a dip in quality. Though not if you are Steven Soderbergh. He’s only continued to reinvent himself and forge ahead with new technology, subjects, and structural gambles. His latest film, Presence, is a haunting ghost tale wrapped in a nuanced family drama, and one of his most formally ambitious attempts yet. What if the camera, operated by Peter Andrews (aka Soderbergh), was the ghost? And every single shot in the film was a single take from this perspective? And, to further add to the self-imposed constraints, the ghost never leaves the house? From the very first shot, as we see the presence rapidly move through every room in the yet-to-be-sold empty house, laying the foundation for the horrors to take place, one senses Soderbergh is having a total blast with this concept. Reuniting after Kimi, David Koepp...
- 1/20/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The not-so-secret fact about premieres is that the actors rarely watch, usually ducking out when the lights go down. They spend the film’s duration smoking cigarettes and reciting the cinema’s version of the serenity prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, i.e. the director’s predilection to use my worst take.”
That was not the case at Sundance’s world premiere of Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence,” a ghostly thriller about the Payne family, a bougie clan with a significant number of problems including a spectral, uh, presence that could be friend or foe. On multiple trips to the washroom—blast the diuretic qualities of Diet Mountain Dew–I spied the entire cast watching the film with edge-of-the-seat anxiety, much like the rest of the theatre..
Lucy Liu, who plays the family’s checked-out mother, looked genuinely shook as she stood with...
That was not the case at Sundance’s world premiere of Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence,” a ghostly thriller about the Payne family, a bougie clan with a significant number of problems including a spectral, uh, presence that could be friend or foe. On multiple trips to the washroom—blast the diuretic qualities of Diet Mountain Dew–I spied the entire cast watching the film with edge-of-the-seat anxiety, much like the rest of the theatre..
Lucy Liu, who plays the family’s checked-out mother, looked genuinely shook as she stood with...
- 1/20/2024
- by Stephen Rodrick
- Variety Film + TV
It’s an invigorating feeling to know early on in a movie that you’re in confident hands, and Steven Soderbergh conveys that assurance instantaneously in the opening moments of Presence. Shooting under his usual Dp pseudonym of Peter Andrews, the director guides his subjective camera into every corner of a handsome old two-story house in a leafy suburb, darting through some spaces and sneaking in close for a longer look at others. The gentle piano score doesn’t exactly hint at menace, but we know something is a little off in this desirable property, which stands empty and is about to be shown to prospective buyers.
Following their collaboration on the taut thriller Kimi, Soderbergh again works from an expertly honed screenplay by distinguished vet David Koepp and the pair seem to be in their element building suspense in a single setting. Rather than constrict the storytelling in any way,...
Following their collaboration on the taut thriller Kimi, Soderbergh again works from an expertly honed screenplay by distinguished vet David Koepp and the pair seem to be in their element building suspense in a single setting. Rather than constrict the storytelling in any way,...
- 1/20/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and penned by David Koepp, the haunting psychological thriller Presence follows a fractured family as a mysterious supernatural force infiltrates their new home and takes interest in their daughter, Chloe. The film stars Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland and Julia Fox.
An unsettling presence permeates the home of Chris (Sullivan) and Ruth (Liu) before they even move in. This supernatural entity is a witness to the family’s most vulnerable moments. It has a particular focus on the couple’s young daughter, Chloe (Liang), who is always at odds with her mother and brother Tyler (Maday). However, the young girl is in mourning because of her two girls, one of them — her best friend, Nadia — died recently.
Ruth thinks the key is letting her daughter deal with her own problems, while Chris thinks it needs to be addressed. With Tyler having little empathy for her,...
An unsettling presence permeates the home of Chris (Sullivan) and Ruth (Liu) before they even move in. This supernatural entity is a witness to the family’s most vulnerable moments. It has a particular focus on the couple’s young daughter, Chloe (Liang), who is always at odds with her mother and brother Tyler (Maday). However, the young girl is in mourning because of her two girls, one of them — her best friend, Nadia — died recently.
Ruth thinks the key is letting her daughter deal with her own problems, while Chris thinks it needs to be addressed. With Tyler having little empathy for her,...
- 1/20/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Julia Fox stopped by The Hollywood Reporter‘s studio during the Sundance Film Festival on Friday with her Presence co-stars Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Lang, Eddy Maday and West Mulholland. When asked what the cast is looking forward to accomplishing in 2024, Fox gave a surprising answer: “Go to outer space.”
“Wow, crazy!” remarked Mulholland. Fox then clarified, “Maybe not this year. I’m planting the seed. I’m putting it out in the universe. I’d like to go.” Sullivan supported her decision, noting, “You have to put it out. Who knows what could happen? Someone could put you on a spaceship!”
Fox then shared a message for a certain billionaire who took William Shatner as a guest on his Blue Origin space flight in 2021. “Someone could watch this, Jeff Bezos,” she said while making a phone call hand gesture.
Liu then asked Fox if she preferred to go...
“Wow, crazy!” remarked Mulholland. Fox then clarified, “Maybe not this year. I’m planting the seed. I’m putting it out in the universe. I’d like to go.” Sullivan supported her decision, noting, “You have to put it out. Who knows what could happen? Someone could put you on a spaceship!”
Fox then shared a message for a certain billionaire who took William Shatner as a guest on his Blue Origin space flight in 2021. “Someone could watch this, Jeff Bezos,” she said while making a phone call hand gesture.
Liu then asked Fox if she preferred to go...
- 1/20/2024
- by Tatiana Tenreyro
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lucy Liu Doesn’t Think ‘Charlie’s Angels 3’ Will Ever Get Made: ‘I Will Be Shocked if That Happened’
Two of Lucy Liu’s most popular films are 2000’s “Charlie’s Angels” and 2003’s “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” in which she starred alongside Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore as the titular trio. But Liu revealed at the Variety Studio presented by Audible that it’s unlikely a third chapter will ever happen — despite Diaz’s recent return to acting after a long hiatus.
“I honestly don’t know how that’s going to be feasible,” she said. “There have been so many iterations, even after the fact … In some ways, it’s such a strange thing to think about it. Times have changed so much since then.
“At that time, when we were doing publicity, they had never before had three women on a magazine cover,” she continued. “They didn’t even know how to do it. It was such a strange thing for women to collaborate and be seen as colleagues and friends.
“I honestly don’t know how that’s going to be feasible,” she said. “There have been so many iterations, even after the fact … In some ways, it’s such a strange thing to think about it. Times have changed so much since then.
“At that time, when we were doing publicity, they had never before had three women on a magazine cover,” she continued. “They didn’t even know how to do it. It was such a strange thing for women to collaborate and be seen as colleagues and friends.
- 1/19/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
It’s crazy for me to realize this, but this year marks my fifteenth time covering the Sundance Film Festival for JoBlo. Granted, two were virtual due to the pandemic, but I’ve made my way to lovely Park City, Utah, thirteen times over the years to catch all the most interesting indie flicks coming soon to theatres (or- nowadays – streaming). In my time at Sundance, I was lucky to see classics like Call Me By Your Name, Whiplash (at a genuinely unforgettable press screening), The Raid 2, and so many more.
While – to me anyway – the festival’s output has been a little lower key in recent years, every year I know I’ll see at least a ten or so titles that will resonate with our audience. Last year’s midnight entry, Talk to Me, made over $90 million worldwide, so even in a quiet year, there’s a chance a blockbuster will emerge.
While – to me anyway – the festival’s output has been a little lower key in recent years, every year I know I’ll see at least a ten or so titles that will resonate with our audience. Last year’s midnight entry, Talk to Me, made over $90 million worldwide, so even in a quiet year, there’s a chance a blockbuster will emerge.
- 1/18/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
[This interview contains major spoilers for Merry Little Batman.]
DC Studios’ Merry Little Batman sees Bruce Wayne in an unusual turn: donning his dad hat during the holidays.
The Warner Bros. Animation film follows the relationship of Bruce and his son, Damian, an 8-year-old desperate to be just like his crime-fighting father. The only problem — beyond him being a literal child — is that crime no longer exists in Gotham. Batman decided to clean up the streets for good to give Damian a shot at the safe, crime-free childhood Bruce didn’t have.
But when his overprotective father is called to save the day in Nova Scotia on Christmas Eve and becomes stranded in a trap laid by Mr. Freeze, Damian is left home alone with no one to help him as two criminals break in. The hapless burglars manage to make off with his newly gifted utility belt, leading Damian on a chase through Gotham’s...
DC Studios’ Merry Little Batman sees Bruce Wayne in an unusual turn: donning his dad hat during the holidays.
The Warner Bros. Animation film follows the relationship of Bruce and his son, Damian, an 8-year-old desperate to be just like his crime-fighting father. The only problem — beyond him being a literal child — is that crime no longer exists in Gotham. Batman decided to clean up the streets for good to give Damian a shot at the safe, crime-free childhood Bruce didn’t have.
But when his overprotective father is called to save the day in Nova Scotia on Christmas Eve and becomes stranded in a trap laid by Mr. Freeze, Damian is left home alone with no one to help him as two criminals break in. The hapless burglars manage to make off with his newly gifted utility belt, leading Damian on a chase through Gotham’s...
- 12/25/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"Merry Little Batman" deconstructs Batman and reveals his biggest failure as a father, adding a new layer to the character's complexity. The film focuses on Damian Wayne and his transformation into "Little Batman" on Christmas Eve, showcasing his determination to protect Gotham City. Luke Wilson, who voices Batman in the film, acknowledges the humor in Batman's flaws as a father, but the underlying tragedy remains significant and could be further explored in future adaptations.
An all-new Batman film, Merry Little Batman, was released on Amazon Prime Video on December 8, 2023, and finally admitted an 80-year-old flaw with the titular character. Suitably Christmas-themed, Merry Little Batman joins the many other DC animated movies of 2023. More so than Marvel, the company's biggest rival in the comic book world, the characters of DC tend to flourish in animated format as proven by the continued slate of DC's animated movies set for 2024.
Despite being an animated movie based on Batman,...
An all-new Batman film, Merry Little Batman, was released on Amazon Prime Video on December 8, 2023, and finally admitted an 80-year-old flaw with the titular character. Suitably Christmas-themed, Merry Little Batman joins the many other DC animated movies of 2023. More so than Marvel, the company's biggest rival in the comic book world, the characters of DC tend to flourish in animated format as proven by the continued slate of DC's animated movies set for 2024.
Despite being an animated movie based on Batman,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Lewis Glazebrook
- ScreenRant.com
Fatherhood apparently has a way of slowing you down. Take Batman, for instance. He’s clearly not at his fittest in this new Amazon Prime animated film, in which he looks more like a burly lumberjack than a superhero, wearing dad jeans, a flannel shirt and a heavy beard. Fortunately, he’s not the hero tasked with saving Gotham City yet again in the Yuletide-set Merry Little Batman. That would be Damian, his eight-year-old son, who clearly takes after his old man when it comes to fighting supervillains.
Damian (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) displays the typical energy of a pre-adolescent, chasing his cat around the expansive confines of Wayne Manor as if they were in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. His father Bruce (Luke Wilson) is essentially retired, having gotten rid of all crime in Gotham City. But he’s still on call, meaning that when he gets a message...
Damian (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) displays the typical energy of a pre-adolescent, chasing his cat around the expansive confines of Wayne Manor as if they were in a Tom and Jerry cartoon. His father Bruce (Luke Wilson) is essentially retired, having gotten rid of all crime in Gotham City. But he’s still on call, meaning that when he gets a message...
- 12/7/2023
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A new clip from the upcoming DC animated movie, Merry Little Batman, featuring Mr. Freeze, has been released.
Fandom shared the 59-second clip on X, which shows the Dark Knight being lured out deep into the winter wilderness by Mr. Freeze, voiced by Dolph Adomian, who seems to be doing an impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The beloved action star and former professional bodybuilder previously played Mr. Freeze in the 1997 live-action movie, Batman & Robin. After Mr. Freeze tries out more than one "lame" (according to Batman) ice pun out on the Caped Crusader, the clip continues with the two DC characters getting caught up in an avalanche. Luckily, Batman uses his grapple gun to propel them to safety.
Related The Joker Plots to Steal Christmas in Merry Little Batman Trailer Prime Video's animated holiday special Merry Little Batman has gotten its first trailer. Exclusive: Mr. Freeze tries out his one-liners...
Fandom shared the 59-second clip on X, which shows the Dark Knight being lured out deep into the winter wilderness by Mr. Freeze, voiced by Dolph Adomian, who seems to be doing an impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The beloved action star and former professional bodybuilder previously played Mr. Freeze in the 1997 live-action movie, Batman & Robin. After Mr. Freeze tries out more than one "lame" (according to Batman) ice pun out on the Caped Crusader, the clip continues with the two DC characters getting caught up in an avalanche. Luckily, Batman uses his grapple gun to propel them to safety.
Related The Joker Plots to Steal Christmas in Merry Little Batman Trailer Prime Video's animated holiday special Merry Little Batman has gotten its first trailer. Exclusive: Mr. Freeze tries out his one-liners...
- 12/7/2023
- by Lee Freitag
- Comic Book Resources
Sundance Film Festival 2024: New Films From Steven Soderbergh, Debra Granik, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck
The Sundance Film Festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary in January and it’s no surprise that some legendary Park City filmmakers are returning with new films for the 2024 edition. Among the alumni are Steven Soderbergh, whose landmark film “Sex, Lies and Videotape” debuted at the 1989 fest; Debra Granik, whose Best Picture nominated “Winter’s Bone” won the Grand Jury Dramatic prize at the 2010 festival; and Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, who will premiere their fourth movie at Sundance following 2006’s “Half Nelson,” 2008’s “Sugar” and 2015’s “Mississippi Grind.”
Read More: “American Fiction,” “May December,” and “Past Lives” Top 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards
Soderbergh’s latest effort is “Presence,” starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, and Julia Fox.
Continue reading Sundance Film Festival 2024: New Films From Steven Soderbergh, Debra Granik, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck at The Playlist.
Read More: “American Fiction,” “May December,” and “Past Lives” Top 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards
Soderbergh’s latest effort is “Presence,” starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, and Julia Fox.
Continue reading Sundance Film Festival 2024: New Films From Steven Soderbergh, Debra Granik, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck at The Playlist.
- 12/6/2023
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
This Is Us stars including Mandy Moore reunite to honor the late Ron Cephas Jones, who played William in the show, with a touching Instagram post. Jones was a critical part of telling Randall's story in This Is Us and received Emmy nominations for his performances. The close-knit cast of This Is Us comes together to celebrate Jones' life, showing their love and respect for him.
This Is Us stars gather to honor the late Ron Cephas Jones. Jones passed away on August 19 of this year after suffering from what was reported as “a long-standing pulmonary issue.” He was 66 years old. Towards the end of his life and career, Jones was best known for playing William Hill on This Is Us, who is the biological father of Randall Pearson.
Mandy Moore and her This is Us co-stars reunite to honor Jones in a touching post from Moore’s Instagram story...
This Is Us stars gather to honor the late Ron Cephas Jones. Jones passed away on August 19 of this year after suffering from what was reported as “a long-standing pulmonary issue.” He was 66 years old. Towards the end of his life and career, Jones was best known for playing William Hill on This Is Us, who is the biological father of Randall Pearson.
Mandy Moore and her This is Us co-stars reunite to honor Jones in a touching post from Moore’s Instagram story...
- 9/19/2023
- by Hannah Gearan
- ScreenRant.com
As SAG-AFTRA and the WGA continue to strike and fight for a new deal, the picket lines are remaining full. In fact, they’re so full that multiple series have seen cast and crew reunions while marching.
Some have been spontaneous, as old colleagues run into each other by chance at a given location. Others have been planned, making sure to get as many members out on the lines as possible. So, we rounded up some of the biggest ones, ranging from shows long since ended, to those still fresh in our hearts.
You can check out some of the biggest reunions in the photos below.
“The Good Place” (NBC)
1. The Good Place
On Aug. 2, the cast and crew of “The Good Place” reunited on the picket lines, with actress Jameela Jamil even dressing like her character Tahani. Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, Marc Evan Jackson and more were all on hand for the reunion,...
Some have been spontaneous, as old colleagues run into each other by chance at a given location. Others have been planned, making sure to get as many members out on the lines as possible. So, we rounded up some of the biggest ones, ranging from shows long since ended, to those still fresh in our hearts.
You can check out some of the biggest reunions in the photos below.
“The Good Place” (NBC)
1. The Good Place
On Aug. 2, the cast and crew of “The Good Place” reunited on the picket lines, with actress Jameela Jamil even dressing like her character Tahani. Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, Marc Evan Jackson and more were all on hand for the reunion,...
- 9/14/2023
- by Andi Ortiz
- The Wrap
Ron Cephas Jones, an Emmy winner known for his role as William Hill on “This is Us”, has died at 66 years old.
People broke the tragic news on Saturday, with a rep for the actor telling the publication: “Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue.”
Read More: ‘This Is Us’ Star Ron Cephas Jones On Double Lung Transplant: ‘I’m A Walking Miracle’
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” elaborated the statement.
“He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway.”
Read More: Ron Cephas Jones Teases...
People broke the tragic news on Saturday, with a rep for the actor telling the publication: “Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue.”
Read More: ‘This Is Us’ Star Ron Cephas Jones On Double Lung Transplant: ‘I’m A Walking Miracle’
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” elaborated the statement.
“He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway.”
Read More: Ron Cephas Jones Teases...
- 8/19/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
It’s Day 13 of the SAG-AFTRA strike and Day 86 of the WGA strike.
Actor Adam Faison took a break from marching outside Disney in Burbank on Wednesday to speak with Deadline, calling artificial intelligence one of his primary concerns for the future of his profession and the industry at large.
His trepidation was informed by an unnerving encounter with the technology that he had within the past year, before the launch of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and perhaps before AI was even breaking so prevalently into the public discourse. The project on which he was forced to grapple with AI was out of the “gaming world,” he said, and called for body scanning.
“Without going into too much detail, there was a recent situation where I was in negotiations with a company and they were very, very ornery and very trepidatious about even talking about AI,” said Faison, whose...
Actor Adam Faison took a break from marching outside Disney in Burbank on Wednesday to speak with Deadline, calling artificial intelligence one of his primary concerns for the future of his profession and the industry at large.
His trepidation was informed by an unnerving encounter with the technology that he had within the past year, before the launch of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and perhaps before AI was even breaking so prevalently into the public discourse. The project on which he was forced to grapple with AI was out of the “gaming world,” he said, and called for body scanning.
“Without going into too much detail, there was a recent situation where I was in negotiations with a company and they were very, very ornery and very trepidatious about even talking about AI,” said Faison, whose...
- 7/26/2023
- by Matt Grobar and Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s still hot out there in much of the country, and SAG-AFTRA told its members today that picket lines in New York City have been canceled for the next two days.
“Stay safe, stay cool, stay #SAGAFTRAstrong,” the guild wrote in its late-afternoon tweet.
The actors union had planned to picket multiple studio sites in Manhattan on Thursday and Friday: HBO/Amazon, Warner Bros. Discovery/Netflix HQ, Paramount and NBCUniversal. Temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-90s both days, and the National Weather Service says severe thrunderstorms are possible on Thursday.
Related: SAG-AFTRA Strike Photos: Actors Hit The Picket Lines Including Mariska Hargitay, Jon Huertas, Chris Sullivan, Mandy Moore & Beanie Feldstein
The news comes a day after a heavy but brief downpour put a damper on, but didn’t cancel, an animation-themed picketing event in Manhattan.
Related: SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements: List Of Movies And Series Granted...
“Stay safe, stay cool, stay #SAGAFTRAstrong,” the guild wrote in its late-afternoon tweet.
The actors union had planned to picket multiple studio sites in Manhattan on Thursday and Friday: HBO/Amazon, Warner Bros. Discovery/Netflix HQ, Paramount and NBCUniversal. Temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-90s both days, and the National Weather Service says severe thrunderstorms are possible on Thursday.
Related: SAG-AFTRA Strike Photos: Actors Hit The Picket Lines Including Mariska Hargitay, Jon Huertas, Chris Sullivan, Mandy Moore & Beanie Feldstein
The news comes a day after a heavy but brief downpour put a damper on, but didn’t cancel, an animation-themed picketing event in Manhattan.
Related: SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreements: List Of Movies And Series Granted...
- 7/26/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
This week, Larissa FastHorse became the first Native American woman to have a play produced on Broadway. "The Thanksgiving Play," which is now showing at the Hayes Theater, stars D'Arcy Carden, Katie Finneran ("Noises Off"), Scott Foley, and Chris Sullivan ("This Is Us") as four white actors who try to put together a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving school play - and fail miserably.
Directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin ("Hadestown"), "The Thanksgiving Play" is only the second play by a Native American playwright - and the first by a Native American woman - to appear on Broadway. In anticipation of opening night, FastHorse, who is Sicangu Lakota, sat down with Popsugar to talk about comedy and satire, Native representation in theater, and holding the door open for the next generation of Native playwrights.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Popsugar: I thought I might start by asking...
Directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin ("Hadestown"), "The Thanksgiving Play" is only the second play by a Native American playwright - and the first by a Native American woman - to appear on Broadway. In anticipation of opening night, FastHorse, who is Sicangu Lakota, sat down with Popsugar to talk about comedy and satire, Native representation in theater, and holding the door open for the next generation of Native playwrights.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Popsugar: I thought I might start by asking...
- 4/21/2023
- by Cecilia Nowell
- Popsugar.com
Eight years is pretty close to eternity when it comes to sell-by dates for topical humor, which might be one reason that the jokes in Larissa FastHorse’s Broadway comedy The Thanksgiving Play fall flat as an underbaked pie. We can only surmise that when she first began writing this satire on Liberal guilt, woke sensitivities and Goopy indulgence back in 2015, words like “decoupling” and “soy milk” seemed like terrific punchlines.
Opening tonight at the Hayes Theater, The Thanksgiving Play, directed by Rachel Chavkin and starring D’Arcy Carden, Katie Finneran, Scott Foley, and Chris Sullivan – all of whom, director and cast, have done much better work on other stages – is the sort of easy-target satire that should by all rights have sophisticated New York audiences seeing their own foibles and smiling at their own political vulnerabilities.
So where exactly does this Thanksgiving go awry?...
Opening tonight at the Hayes Theater, The Thanksgiving Play, directed by Rachel Chavkin and starring D’Arcy Carden, Katie Finneran, Scott Foley, and Chris Sullivan – all of whom, director and cast, have done much better work on other stages – is the sort of easy-target satire that should by all rights have sophisticated New York audiences seeing their own foibles and smiling at their own political vulnerabilities.
So where exactly does this Thanksgiving go awry?...
- 4/21/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Brendan Fraser won best actor for his leading role in "The Whale" on March 12 at the Oscars, and I hated it. Fraser was awarded for a role where he puts on a fat suit and pretends to choke on fried chicken and sandwiches and pizza. It's a movie where he literally eats himself to death, and it's portrayed as some sort of metaphor for love and redemption. Fraser and director Darren Aronofsky have said repeatedly that they wanted the movie to show the humanity of fat people, to invoke empathy toward them, but the movie fails to do anything close. And Fraser's win is the cherry on top - the affirmation from Hollywood that this is a good, worthwhile film and performance.
There's something kind of gross about how every time I talk about my issues with "The Whale," I feel pressured to hedge it. "Oh but I love Brendan though,...
There's something kind of gross about how every time I talk about my issues with "The Whale," I feel pressured to hedge it. "Oh but I love Brendan though,...
- 3/13/2023
- by Victoria Edel
- Popsugar.com
Casting Society (CSA) announced Hong Chau, Anna Camp (“Pitch Perfect”), Melanie Lynskey (“The Last of Us”) and Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”) are among the presenters for its 38th Artios Awards taking place in both Los Angeles and New York City.
Also presenting at the Los Angeles gala alongside host Yvette Nicole Brown are Utkarsh Ambudkar, Paul Walter Hauser, Andrew Leeds, Sam Richardson, Britt Robertson, Glynn Turman and Tuc Watkins. Sarita Choudhury, Jordan E. Cooper, Rory Culkin, Khris Davis, Alex Edelman, Raúl Esparza, Katie Finneran, Katrina Lenk, Nicole Ari Parker, Peppermint, Morgan Spector, Chris Sullivan and Kuhoo Verma will present at the New York ceremony, with Amber Ruffin as host.
The Artios Awards has 20 categories spanning film, TV and theater. The ceremonies will take place Thursday, March 9.
Micheaux Film Festival Announces Dates for Fifth Year Celebrations, Calls for Submissions
The Micheaux Film Festival is back for its fifth year to...
Also presenting at the Los Angeles gala alongside host Yvette Nicole Brown are Utkarsh Ambudkar, Paul Walter Hauser, Andrew Leeds, Sam Richardson, Britt Robertson, Glynn Turman and Tuc Watkins. Sarita Choudhury, Jordan E. Cooper, Rory Culkin, Khris Davis, Alex Edelman, Raúl Esparza, Katie Finneran, Katrina Lenk, Nicole Ari Parker, Peppermint, Morgan Spector, Chris Sullivan and Kuhoo Verma will present at the New York ceremony, with Amber Ruffin as host.
The Artios Awards has 20 categories spanning film, TV and theater. The ceremonies will take place Thursday, March 9.
Micheaux Film Festival Announces Dates for Fifth Year Celebrations, Calls for Submissions
The Micheaux Film Festival is back for its fifth year to...
- 3/8/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay and Julia MacCary
- Variety Film + TV
“American Dad!” returns to TBS on Monday, March 27 at 10:00pm Et/Pt. The upcoming 18th season features the voices of Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, Jeff Fischer, Dee Bradley Baker, and Patrick Stewart, along with special guests, Pete Davidson, Anjelica Houston, Jason Alexander, Jaleel White, Chris Sullivan, Ann Dowd, Amy Sedaris, Alan Tudyk, Alyson Hannigan and Simon Helberg. “American Dad!” centers on super patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) and the misadventures of his unconventional family in Langley Falls, Va. Stan applies the same drastic measures used in his job at the CIA to his home life, where Stan’s blissfully unaware wife, Francine (Wendy Schaal), has an unfaltering loyalty that makes her blind to his unabashed arrogance. His left-wing activist daughter Hayley (Rachael MacFarlane), however, doesn’t let him off so easily and knows just how to push her father’s buttons,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Thomas Miller
- Seat42F
Friends, Romans, theater lovers, lend me your ears! The 2023 Tony Awards nominations prediction center is now open, with 23 plays competing for Broadway’s top honors. Be sure to log your early predictions now to see if you can pick which dramas will win over the Tony voters.
Best Play is always a crowded field thanks to a slew of limited engagements that pepper the Broadway calendar, and this season is no different. 18 new works will attempt to be singled out as one of the five nominees.
“Leopoldstat” opened in October to a rapturous response from critics and audiences. It’s the latest drama from Tom Stoppard, who has won this category more than any other playwright. Featuring a vast ensemble cast which includes David Krumholtz, Brandon Uranowitz, and Faye Castelow, the gut wrenching story follows a Jewish family over multiple generations. It’s one of the rare straight plays that...
Best Play is always a crowded field thanks to a slew of limited engagements that pepper the Broadway calendar, and this season is no different. 18 new works will attempt to be singled out as one of the five nominees.
“Leopoldstat” opened in October to a rapturous response from critics and audiences. It’s the latest drama from Tom Stoppard, who has won this category more than any other playwright. Featuring a vast ensemble cast which includes David Krumholtz, Brandon Uranowitz, and Faye Castelow, the gut wrenching story follows a Jewish family over multiple generations. It’s one of the rare straight plays that...
- 3/4/2023
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Milo Ventimiglia teased a possible reunion with his This Is Us wife, Mandy Moore, on the set of his new ABC series, The Company You Keep. The drama, which makes its debut on Feb. 19, stars Milo as a con man, a role very different than This Is Us‘ lovable Jack Pearson. So how would Mandy Moore figure into a series where Milo’s new character is decidedly different? Milo’s got her role covered.
Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore | NBC/Jeff Lipsky ‘This and Us’ and the first episodes of ‘The Company You Keep’ were filmed within two weeks of each other
As This Is Us wrapped its sixth and final season, The Company You Keep ramped up production for its pilot episode. But, the actor only took a two-week break after the emotional rollercoaster of This Is Us’ final season before diving headfirst into his new series.
The ABC thriller-drama,...
Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore | NBC/Jeff Lipsky ‘This and Us’ and the first episodes of ‘The Company You Keep’ were filmed within two weeks of each other
As This Is Us wrapped its sixth and final season, The Company You Keep ramped up production for its pilot episode. But, the actor only took a two-week break after the emotional rollercoaster of This Is Us’ final season before diving headfirst into his new series.
The ABC thriller-drama,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
D’Arcy Carden will make her Broadway debut this spring in the premiere of Larissa Fasthorse’s The Thanksgiving Play.
Carden, who most recently starred in the Amazon series A League Of Their Own, after her well-known role as Janet in The Good Place, will be joined Katie Finneran (Noises Off, Promises, Promises on Broadway), Scott Foley (Scandal, The Unit) and Chris Sullivan (This is Us, Chicago on Broadway).
Previews for the play at the Hayes Theater start March 25, with an opening night set for April 20. Rachel Chavkin, the Tony-Award winning director of Hadestown, directs.
While it has been produced across the country, after having its world premiere off-Broadway at Playwrights’ Horizons in 2018, this will be the first Broadway production of The Thanksgiving Play. The satirical comedy follows a troupe of theater artists as they attempt to put on a politically correct Thanksgiving school pageant.
The play includes scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez,...
Carden, who most recently starred in the Amazon series A League Of Their Own, after her well-known role as Janet in The Good Place, will be joined Katie Finneran (Noises Off, Promises, Promises on Broadway), Scott Foley (Scandal, The Unit) and Chris Sullivan (This is Us, Chicago on Broadway).
Previews for the play at the Hayes Theater start March 25, with an opening night set for April 20. Rachel Chavkin, the Tony-Award winning director of Hadestown, directs.
While it has been produced across the country, after having its world premiere off-Broadway at Playwrights’ Horizons in 2018, this will be the first Broadway production of The Thanksgiving Play. The satirical comedy follows a troupe of theater artists as they attempt to put on a politically correct Thanksgiving school pageant.
The play includes scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez,...
- 2/14/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Broadway’s upcoming production of Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play will star D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place), two-time Tony Award-winner Katie Finneran, Scott Foley (Scandal) and Chris Sullivan.
The castings were announced today by Second Stage Theater.
Related Story ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’ Continues Broadway Dominance With A 2.4M Take At The Box Office Related Story Broadway Theater Owner Jujamcyn To Combine Operations With UK's Ambassador Theatre Group Related Story Mariah Carey Makes Surprise Appearance At 'Some Like It Hot' On Broadway
This new production, directed by Tony Award-winner Rachel Chavkin, will begin previews March 25 at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater, with an official opening on April 20.
The satirical play follows a troupe of well-meaning theater artists who attempt to put on a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving school pageant. The play, producers say, “skewers everything right, wrong, and woke in America.
The castings were announced today by Second Stage Theater.
Related Story ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’ Continues Broadway Dominance With A 2.4M Take At The Box Office Related Story Broadway Theater Owner Jujamcyn To Combine Operations With UK's Ambassador Theatre Group Related Story Mariah Carey Makes Surprise Appearance At 'Some Like It Hot' On Broadway
This new production, directed by Tony Award-winner Rachel Chavkin, will begin previews March 25 at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater, with an official opening on April 20.
The satirical play follows a troupe of well-meaning theater artists who attempt to put on a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving school pageant. The play, producers say, “skewers everything right, wrong, and woke in America.
- 2/14/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
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