Movie News
Game, set, now what to make of this match?
“Challengers,” a sexy, subversive, R-rated drama set in the world of tennis, easily took first place at a sluggish domestic box office this weekend with $15 million from 3,477 locations. On one hand, it’s a respectable result for an artsy movie aimed at discerning, adult audiences, but what keeps it from being a championship performance is that “Challengers” has a hefty $55 million budget (to say nothing of its marketing costs). The Amazon MGM Studios release will need strong word-of-mouth if it’s going to keep rallying — and next week brings Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” a Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy that marks the start of summer blockbuster season. The competition only stands to get fiercer from here.
Amazon MGM would probably argue that “Challengers” doesn’t need to be a box office phenomenon in order to be successful. The higher...
“Challengers,” a sexy, subversive, R-rated drama set in the world of tennis, easily took first place at a sluggish domestic box office this weekend with $15 million from 3,477 locations. On one hand, it’s a respectable result for an artsy movie aimed at discerning, adult audiences, but what keeps it from being a championship performance is that “Challengers” has a hefty $55 million budget (to say nothing of its marketing costs). The Amazon MGM Studios release will need strong word-of-mouth if it’s going to keep rallying — and next week brings Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” a Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy that marks the start of summer blockbuster season. The competition only stands to get fiercer from here.
Amazon MGM would probably argue that “Challengers” doesn’t need to be a box office phenomenon in order to be successful. The higher...
- 4/28/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
A pair of Warner Bros. releases have achieved some important box office milestones.
“Dune: Part Two,” the acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s monumental sci-fi novel, has passed $700 million worldwide, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” the latest installment in the long-running monster franchise, eclipsed $500 million at the global box office. Both films were produced in partnership with Legendary Entertainment.
“We congratulate our partners at Legendary, [‘Dune’ director] Denis Villeneuve, [‘Godzilla x Kong’ director] Adam Wingard, and their casts and crews for bringing these amazing projects to life and to audiences around the world,” Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. “We are also very proud of the work our global marketing and distribution teams have undertaken on behalf of ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Godzilla x Kong’ – these box office milestones are a testament to their tremendous efforts.”
As of Friday,...
“Dune: Part Two,” the acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s monumental sci-fi novel, has passed $700 million worldwide, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” the latest installment in the long-running monster franchise, eclipsed $500 million at the global box office. Both films were produced in partnership with Legendary Entertainment.
“We congratulate our partners at Legendary, [‘Dune’ director] Denis Villeneuve, [‘Godzilla x Kong’ director] Adam Wingard, and their casts and crews for bringing these amazing projects to life and to audiences around the world,” Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. “We are also very proud of the work our global marketing and distribution teams have undertaken on behalf of ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Godzilla x Kong’ – these box office milestones are a testament to their tremendous efforts.”
As of Friday,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival has announced its all-star lineup of jurors to decide this year’s Palme d’Or.
As previously announced, “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig will serve as jury president. Fellow recent Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone is part of the jury, as well as writer/director J.A. Bayona, Eva Green, Omar Sy, Pierfrancisco Favino, director Kore-eda Hirokazu, screenwriter Nadine Labaki, and screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan.
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival will take place May 14-25. The jury will have the honor of awarding the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in competition, with contenders including Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Sean Baker’s “Anora,” David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” and Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada.”
New films from Paolo Sorrentino (“Parthenope”), Mohammad Rasoulof (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”), Karim Aïnouz (“Motel Destino”), and Andrea Arnold (“Bird”) are also debuting in competition.
As previously announced, “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig will serve as jury president. Fellow recent Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone is part of the jury, as well as writer/director J.A. Bayona, Eva Green, Omar Sy, Pierfrancisco Favino, director Kore-eda Hirokazu, screenwriter Nadine Labaki, and screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan.
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival will take place May 14-25. The jury will have the honor of awarding the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in competition, with contenders including Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Sean Baker’s “Anora,” David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” and Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada.”
New films from Paolo Sorrentino (“Parthenope”), Mohammad Rasoulof (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”), Karim Aïnouz (“Motel Destino”), and Andrea Arnold (“Bird”) are also debuting in competition.
- 4/29/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Barry Jenkins’ “The Lion King” prequel has unveiled its first footage.
Following Jenkins’ appearance at the Disney panel at CinemaCon, the story of the unlikely rise of the titular king of the Pride Lands comes to life. “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki (John Kani) to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), with Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) lending their signature schtick.
Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny.
The cast also includes Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Kagiso Lediga, Tiffany Boone, Lennie James,...
Following Jenkins’ appearance at the Disney panel at CinemaCon, the story of the unlikely rise of the titular king of the Pride Lands comes to life. “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki (John Kani) to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), with Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) lending their signature schtick.
Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny.
The cast also includes Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Kagiso Lediga, Tiffany Boone, Lennie James,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Screen is tracking the key packages launched before and during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival’s market, which runs May 14-22.
Refresh the page for latest updates.
April 26
Double Booked
Adam Scott is starring in and making his directing debut with this revenge thriller, co-starring Sterling K. Brown, Zazie Beetz and Alexandra Daddario.
International sales: Protagonist Pictures
In The Wind
Pierce Brosnan is set to star in this romantic thriller from Simon Barry, the creator and showrunner on Netflix’s Warrior Nun, making his feature directing debut. Uri Singer’s Passage Pictures produces.
International sales: Fortitude International
April 25
Override
Joe Cole...
Refresh the page for latest updates.
April 26
Double Booked
Adam Scott is starring in and making his directing debut with this revenge thriller, co-starring Sterling K. Brown, Zazie Beetz and Alexandra Daddario.
International sales: Protagonist Pictures
In The Wind
Pierce Brosnan is set to star in this romantic thriller from Simon Barry, the creator and showrunner on Netflix’s Warrior Nun, making his feature directing debut. Uri Singer’s Passage Pictures produces.
International sales: Fortitude International
April 25
Override
Joe Cole...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Berlin-based sales agency M-Appeal has acquired worldwide rights to the LGBTQ romantic comedy “Perfect Endings,” directed by Daniel Ribeiro. The Brazilian film is set to make its world premiere later this year.
“Perfect Endings” centers on filmmaker João. After a decade-long relationship ends, he finds himself at a crossroads in both his personal and professional life. While trying to break into the film industry, he ends up directing amateur erotic films. With the support of loyal friends, João embarks on a dating journey, navigating modern romance and finding inspiration.
The film is described as an entertaining exploration of love, freedom and self-discovery that delves into universal themes of dating and newfound freedoms, inviting audiences to relate to the characters’ experiences and challenges. It showcases fun and sexy vibes, highlighted by João’s escapades with his friends and his encounters.
The film is produced by Lacuna Filmes and Claraluz Filmes. The producers are Ribeiro,...
“Perfect Endings” centers on filmmaker João. After a decade-long relationship ends, he finds himself at a crossroads in both his personal and professional life. While trying to break into the film industry, he ends up directing amateur erotic films. With the support of loyal friends, João embarks on a dating journey, navigating modern romance and finding inspiration.
The film is described as an entertaining exploration of love, freedom and self-discovery that delves into universal themes of dating and newfound freedoms, inviting audiences to relate to the characters’ experiences and challenges. It showcases fun and sexy vibes, highlighted by João’s escapades with his friends and his encounters.
The film is produced by Lacuna Filmes and Claraluz Filmes. The producers are Ribeiro,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Fans of the Spider-Man character Kraven the Hunter will have to remain patient for the next few months. Director J.C. Chandor’s “Kraven the Hunter” spin-off film set within the Sony Spider-Man Universe (Ssu) has officially been delayed to December 13, 2024.
Initially, the film was slated for release on January 13, 2023, before then being pushed back to October 6, and finally August 30.
Continue reading ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Spider-Man Spin-Off, Pushed Off Until December Release at The Playlist.
Initially, the film was slated for release on January 13, 2023, before then being pushed back to October 6, and finally August 30.
Continue reading ‘Kraven The Hunter’ Spider-Man Spin-Off, Pushed Off Until December Release at The Playlist.
- 4/29/2024
- by Caillou Pettis
- The Playlist
Survey of 2,000 Americans conflicts with the box-office records being broken for film running well over two hours
A market research poll claims to have established that 92 minutes is the “ideal” movie length for American audiences.
According to Talker Research (formerly OnePoll US), an online survey conducted in April with 2,000 Americans concluded that respondents opted for 92 minutes as their preferred running time. Fifteen per cent said that films over 120 minutes (two hours) were acceptable, while only 2% were happy with a movie longer than 150 minutes (2.5 hours).
A market research poll claims to have established that 92 minutes is the “ideal” movie length for American audiences.
According to Talker Research (formerly OnePoll US), an online survey conducted in April with 2,000 Americans concluded that respondents opted for 92 minutes as their preferred running time. Fifteen per cent said that films over 120 minutes (two hours) were acceptable, while only 2% were happy with a movie longer than 150 minutes (2.5 hours).
- 4/29/2024
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki is 83; because of this and his own past flirtations with retirement, some morbid critics are a bit too eager to look at how each new Miyazaki film would serve as his career capstone.
I'm going to keep such thoughts to a minimum, but Miyazaki's latest film, 2023's "The Boy and the Heron", couldn't have been made by anyone but a man aware he's aging. Set in Japan during World War II, the movie centers on young Mahito, who must reckon with the loss of his mother as he falls into a Lewis Carroll-style fantasy world held together by its elderly creator.
"The Boy and the Heron" won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars earlier this year (which it totally deserved). If you haven't seen it yet, don't fret. U.S. distributor GKids has announced the home media release date for the film — including a Blu-ray release date.
I'm going to keep such thoughts to a minimum, but Miyazaki's latest film, 2023's "The Boy and the Heron", couldn't have been made by anyone but a man aware he's aging. Set in Japan during World War II, the movie centers on young Mahito, who must reckon with the loss of his mother as he falls into a Lewis Carroll-style fantasy world held together by its elderly creator.
"The Boy and the Heron" won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars earlier this year (which it totally deserved). If you haven't seen it yet, don't fret. U.S. distributor GKids has announced the home media release date for the film — including a Blu-ray release date.
- 4/29/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Studiocanal and Editions Albert René have signed an exclusive development agreement for the sixth live-action film of the adventures of beloved French comic book character Asterix.
Created in 1959 by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, Asterix is celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2024. The series follows the adventures of Asterix and Obelix and their friends who live in a small village in Gaul, the only outpost of resistance against Julius Caesar’s mighty Roman empire. Since the characters were launched, they have become a cultural phenomenon, both in France and internationally.
Some 400 million Asterix books in 130 languages and dialects have been sold. Since 1961, 40 albums of Asterix adventures have been published and five live-action films have been produced.
The Asterix live-action films are “Asterix and Obelix take on Caesar” (1999), “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” (2002), “Asterix at the Olympic Games” (2008) “Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia” (2012) and Asterix and Obelix : The Middle Kingdom...
Created in 1959 by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo, Asterix is celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2024. The series follows the adventures of Asterix and Obelix and their friends who live in a small village in Gaul, the only outpost of resistance against Julius Caesar’s mighty Roman empire. Since the characters were launched, they have become a cultural phenomenon, both in France and internationally.
Some 400 million Asterix books in 130 languages and dialects have been sold. Since 1961, 40 albums of Asterix adventures have been published and five live-action films have been produced.
The Asterix live-action films are “Asterix and Obelix take on Caesar” (1999), “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra” (2002), “Asterix at the Olympic Games” (2008) “Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia” (2012) and Asterix and Obelix : The Middle Kingdom...
- 4/29/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
China- and Netherlands-based sales firm Fortissimo Films has picked up the international rights to new Chinese animation feature “The Umbrella Fairy.” It will launch the film next month at the Cannes Market.
“The Umbrella Fairy” tells the story of Qingdai, a royal umbrella’s fairy. As Qingdai fails her mission to guard a sword’s fairy who escapes the royal pavilion for vengeance, she embarks on a journey with a young craftsman to prevent a war.
Put together with a strongly Oriental aesthetic, the film brings together a rich mix of Chinese traditional crafts, architecture and opera, creating a unique fantastical world.
The film is the directorial debut of experienced animator Shen Jie, who has previous animating credits on “Mr. Miao,” from 2020, and “Crystal Skies of Yesterday.”
Production is by Maoyan Entertainment, a company which has its roots in online film ticket sales, but which has diversified into film marketing,...
“The Umbrella Fairy” tells the story of Qingdai, a royal umbrella’s fairy. As Qingdai fails her mission to guard a sword’s fairy who escapes the royal pavilion for vengeance, she embarks on a journey with a young craftsman to prevent a war.
Put together with a strongly Oriental aesthetic, the film brings together a rich mix of Chinese traditional crafts, architecture and opera, creating a unique fantastical world.
The film is the directorial debut of experienced animator Shen Jie, who has previous animating credits on “Mr. Miao,” from 2020, and “Crystal Skies of Yesterday.”
Production is by Maoyan Entertainment, a company which has its roots in online film ticket sales, but which has diversified into film marketing,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
One cannot underestimate the enormity of Jerry Zucker's "Ghost" when it was released in 1990. In the film, Molly (Demi Moore) and Sam (Patrick Swayze) are a well-to-do couple in New York who are very, very much in love. Despite their closeness, not to mention their sexual chemistry, Sam cannot entirely commit, replying only with "ditto" when Molly says "I love you." When Sam is murdered by muggers, he returns to Molly as a ghost, using a medium named Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) to communicate. Can Sam figure out the rules of the afterlife in time to express his undying love for Molly?
"Ghost" was made for a modest $22 million, but made over half a billion dollars worldwide. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won Oscars for Whoopi Goldberg and Bruce Joel Rubin, its screenwriter. "Ghost" was a juggernaut, and it's unusual that it...
"Ghost" was made for a modest $22 million, but made over half a billion dollars worldwide. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won Oscars for Whoopi Goldberg and Bruce Joel Rubin, its screenwriter. "Ghost" was a juggernaut, and it's unusual that it...
- 4/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Apr 26-28) Total gross to date Week 1. Challengers (Warner Bros) £1.5m £1.5m 1 2. Back To Black (Studiocanal) £1.4m £9m 3 3. Kung Fu Panda 4 (Universal) £948,033 £19.7m 5 4. Civil War (Entertainment Film Distributors) £755,426 £5.2m 3 5. Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros) £597,522 £13.7m 5
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.25
Luca Guadagnino’s tennis drama Challengers scored a number one ranking on its opening weekend at the UK-Ireland box office, with a £1.5m first session.
Warner Bros title Challengers took a £2,197 site average from over 700 cinemas, and has £1.6m including previews.
The figure is a new record opening in the territory for Guadagnino,...
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.25
Luca Guadagnino’s tennis drama Challengers scored a number one ranking on its opening weekend at the UK-Ireland box office, with a £1.5m first session.
Warner Bros title Challengers took a £2,197 site average from over 700 cinemas, and has £1.6m including previews.
The figure is a new record opening in the territory for Guadagnino,...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Filmmaker Barry Jenkins has made celebrated indies (“Medicine for Melancholy”), Academy Award-winning dramas, and an epic ten-part historical period series (“The Underground Railroad”), but his latest film, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” is easily his biggest and most ambitious leap to date. A live-action-styled photorealistic animated prequel to the 1994 film “The Lion King,” and the similar-looking 2019 remake from director Jon Favreau, Disney has released the first look trailer for the film that comes out in December.
Continue reading ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Trailer: Barry Jenkins’ Live-Action Prequel Arrives In December at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ Trailer: Barry Jenkins’ Live-Action Prequel Arrives In December at The Playlist.
- 4/29/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a movie that makes more than $1.6 billion at the box office is probably going to get another franchise entry greenlit very, very quickly. Such is the case with the 2019 "live-action" remake of "The Lion King," which didn't leave much of a pop culture imprint, but certainly had an impact on Disney's quarterly earnings report. Thus, this year will see the release of the prequel movie "Mufasa: The Lion King," which just dropped its first trailer during "Good Morning America."
As the title suggests, "Mufasa" is the story of Simba's father becoming king of the lions, despite being born "without a drop of nobility in his blood." The film was directed by Barry Jenkins, who joked at CinemaCon that this "eight-quadrant tentpole" is quite different from the types of films he's known for, but said that its story was "very personal" to him. Billy Eichner...
As the title suggests, "Mufasa" is the story of Simba's father becoming king of the lions, despite being born "without a drop of nobility in his blood." The film was directed by Barry Jenkins, who joked at CinemaCon that this "eight-quadrant tentpole" is quite different from the types of films he's known for, but said that its story was "very personal" to him. Billy Eichner...
- 4/29/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
When the Borg were first introduced on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (in the 1989 episode "Q Who"), they were terrifying. Clearly inspired by the works of H.R. Giger, the Borg sported tubes, servos, wires, and ineffable black machinery sprouting from their bodies. The Borg were made up of other species that had been kidnapped and assimilated into their collective, their minds wiped and replaced with a singular, terrifying machine consciousness. The Borg traversed space in outsized cube-shaped vessels, likewise crisscrossed with wires and ducts. They only had one goal: to grow. As Q (John de Lancie) described them, the Borg are the ultimate users. They look out at the universe and emotionlessly see nothing but raw materials to expand with.
The Borg returned periodically throughout "Next Generation," becoming one of the show's more impressive antagonists. The race of soulless machine people proved to be a great villain.
Naturally, when "Next Generation" moved into feature films,...
The Borg returned periodically throughout "Next Generation," becoming one of the show's more impressive antagonists. The race of soulless machine people proved to be a great villain.
Naturally, when "Next Generation" moved into feature films,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Disney has released the first trailer for “Mufasa: The Lion King,” a prequel to the 2019 photorealistic remake of “The Lion King,” and revealed that Blue Ivy Carter has joined the voice cast.
From “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins, “Mufasa” will explore the titular lion’s origin story, depicting his childhood with his brother Taka aka Scar, who becomes the main antagonist in “The Lion King.” Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. will voice the younger versions of Mufasa and Scar, respectively. James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa in both the 1994 original film and 2019 remake. Jeremy Irons voiced Scar in 1994, while Chiwetel Ejiofor took over in 2019.
Many members of the 2019 voice cast are returning, including John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala. Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, will play Kiara, the daughter of King Samba and Queen Nala.
From “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins, “Mufasa” will explore the titular lion’s origin story, depicting his childhood with his brother Taka aka Scar, who becomes the main antagonist in “The Lion King.” Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. will voice the younger versions of Mufasa and Scar, respectively. James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa in both the 1994 original film and 2019 remake. Jeremy Irons voiced Scar in 1994, while Chiwetel Ejiofor took over in 2019.
Many members of the 2019 voice cast are returning, including John Kani as Rafiki, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa, Billy Eichner as Timon, Donald Glover as Simba and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala. Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, will play Kiara, the daughter of King Samba and Queen Nala.
- 4/29/2024
- by Caroline Brew and Ellise Shafer
- Variety - Film News
Gerard Depardieu has been taken into police custody in Paris to face questioning over sexual assault allegations.
The lawyer for the French actor told CNN affiliate Bfmtv that the 75-year-old presented himself at a Parisian police station on Monday, where he’s to be questioned over sexual assault allegations from two women. The incidents allegedly happened on film sets, one in 2021 and the other in 2014.
According to local reports, the first woman accused him of assaulting her when she worked as set designer on the crew of 2022 feature film “The Green Shutters.” The second woman alleged that he assaulted on the set of 2015 title “The Magician and the Siamese.”
Depardieu already faces an official complaint of rape dating back to 2018 by actress Charlotte Arnould, who was 22 years old when the incidents allegedly took place. The case remain opens. Another sexual assault complaint filed last year by actor Helene Darras, who...
The lawyer for the French actor told CNN affiliate Bfmtv that the 75-year-old presented himself at a Parisian police station on Monday, where he’s to be questioned over sexual assault allegations from two women. The incidents allegedly happened on film sets, one in 2021 and the other in 2014.
According to local reports, the first woman accused him of assaulting her when she worked as set designer on the crew of 2022 feature film “The Green Shutters.” The second woman alleged that he assaulted on the set of 2015 title “The Magician and the Siamese.”
Depardieu already faces an official complaint of rape dating back to 2018 by actress Charlotte Arnould, who was 22 years old when the incidents allegedly took place. The case remain opens. Another sexual assault complaint filed last year by actor Helene Darras, who...
- 4/29/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a strange time for the franchise. The post-"Avengers: Endgame" era saw Kevin Feige and co. trying to shepherd the concept of the multiverse into our collective consciousness while simultaneously introducing a host of new heroes and somewhat reinventing the MCU for a new generation. Much of it worked well, with "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" holding things down on the cinematic front. Meanwhile, "WandaVision" and "Hawkeye" made a good case for the McU's streaming age being a good development — a case that was later ruined by the poorly-reviewed "Secret Invasion."
But for every good entry in Phase 4, there was a "Thor: Love and Thunder" or a "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" to undermine them. Thankfully, Phase 4 will always remain beloved for introducing us to one of the best arguments for the MCU expanding into the world of streaming television: "Loki.
But for every good entry in Phase 4, there was a "Thor: Love and Thunder" or a "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" to undermine them. Thankfully, Phase 4 will always remain beloved for introducing us to one of the best arguments for the MCU expanding into the world of streaming television: "Loki.
- 4/29/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
A man tells a stranger a story in a doctor’s waiting room to distract her, sparking a fairy tale of loss and desperation
Film-makers Claire Coache and Lisle Turner are a couple who survived the horrific experience of losing two babies during pregnancy: one to a medical termination and one to miscarriage. With Cold, they transmute this trauma into a near-wordless performance of allegorical art, one that was filmed during lockdown first in an empty theatre and is now being distributed online for free in order to make the subject accessible to everyone. That’s both very noble and savvy because this discreet, extremely intimate film starring two barely known actors might have struggled to pull in paying customers considering the subject is so painful.
Janet Etuk and Jacob Meadows play a couple first met waiting in a hospital to be seen by a doctor, stressed and worried about the child she’s carrying.
Film-makers Claire Coache and Lisle Turner are a couple who survived the horrific experience of losing two babies during pregnancy: one to a medical termination and one to miscarriage. With Cold, they transmute this trauma into a near-wordless performance of allegorical art, one that was filmed during lockdown first in an empty theatre and is now being distributed online for free in order to make the subject accessible to everyone. That’s both very noble and savvy because this discreet, extremely intimate film starring two barely known actors might have struggled to pull in paying customers considering the subject is so painful.
Janet Etuk and Jacob Meadows play a couple first met waiting in a hospital to be seen by a doctor, stressed and worried about the child she’s carrying.
- 4/29/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
In Jonathan Frakes' 1996 film "Star Trek: First Contact," the U.S.S. Enterprise travels back in time to the year 2063, the year humanity first invented faster-than-light travel and, almost immediately thereafter, made first contact with an alien species. By "Star Trek" lore, the maiden voyage of the Phoenix, the very first warp-capable ship, caught the attention of a passing Vulcan vessel, causing them to change course, land on Earth, and shake hands with humans. It was the franchise's "Welcome to the neighborhood" moment. It also started a massive utopian rebuilding of Earth, as it had just survived several devastating wars. By "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's estimation, Earth had to almost destroy itself to have a "moment of clarity." After that, the technological, post-war, post-scarcity, post-capitalist utopia could begin.
The inventor of warp drive was Zefram Cochrane, who fashioned his ship out of a disused bomb casing. In "First Contact,...
The inventor of warp drive was Zefram Cochrane, who fashioned his ship out of a disused bomb casing. In "First Contact,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Beta Cinema has added Andres Veiel’s upcoming documentary film “Riefenstahl,” about controversial filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, to its Cannes lineup.
The film is an exploration of Riefenstahl’s legacy, delving deep into her complex relationship with the Nazi regime. With unprecedented access to Riefenstahl’s 700-box personal archive, the documentary navigates between her sanitized narrative and incriminating evidence regarding her knowledge of the regime’s atrocities.
Veiel is a multi-award-winning writer and director of both narrative feature films and documentaries. His documentary about the aftermath of the Raf campaign of terror, “Black Box Germany,” was honored with the German Film Award and the European Film Award in 2002. In 2011, he presented the feature film “If Not Us, Who?” in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, winning the Alfred Bauer Award. The film was also nominated for five German Film Awards and brought Sevilla’s best actor award to August Diehl for his leading performance.
The film is an exploration of Riefenstahl’s legacy, delving deep into her complex relationship with the Nazi regime. With unprecedented access to Riefenstahl’s 700-box personal archive, the documentary navigates between her sanitized narrative and incriminating evidence regarding her knowledge of the regime’s atrocities.
Veiel is a multi-award-winning writer and director of both narrative feature films and documentaries. His documentary about the aftermath of the Raf campaign of terror, “Black Box Germany,” was honored with the German Film Award and the European Film Award in 2002. In 2011, he presented the feature film “If Not Us, Who?” in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, winning the Alfred Bauer Award. The film was also nominated for five German Film Awards and brought Sevilla’s best actor award to August Diehl for his leading performance.
- 4/29/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
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
Far East Film Festival, Italy - April 24-May 2
Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference, US - April 25-May 5
HotDocs, Canada - April 25-May 5
San Francisco International Film Festival, US - April 25-May 5
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, US - April 25-30
April May
Jeonju International Film Festival,...
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
Far East Film Festival, Italy - April 24-May 2
Atlanta Film Festival + Creative Conference, US - April 25-May 5
HotDocs, Canada - April 25-May 5
San Francisco International Film Festival, US - April 25-May 5
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, US - April 25-30
April May
Jeonju International Film Festival,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor, producer of Blue Story and Boxing Day, has wrapped production on her directorial debut Dreamers, with Finland’s The Yellow Affair by Newen Connect launching sales at Cannes.
Screen can also exclusively reveal a first-look image of Dreamers, a love story and escape movie set in an immigration removal centre. It focuses on a woman named Isio, played by Screen Star of Tomorrow 2023 Ronke Adékoluejo, who is caught working without papers, trapped inside Hatchworth removal centre, where she learns that finding love, friendship and freedom sometimes means doing the wrong things.
Further cast includes I May Destroy You’s Ann Akinjirin,...
Screen can also exclusively reveal a first-look image of Dreamers, a love story and escape movie set in an immigration removal centre. It focuses on a woman named Isio, played by Screen Star of Tomorrow 2023 Ronke Adékoluejo, who is caught working without papers, trapped inside Hatchworth removal centre, where she learns that finding love, friendship and freedom sometimes means doing the wrong things.
Further cast includes I May Destroy You’s Ann Akinjirin,...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Busted for cruising in an LA toilet, he proudly turned his police documents into art. Now the Californian is bringing Being Alone – his elegant hymn to anonymous hookups – to Venice and London
Veer to your left in the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale and you’ll come across a painting bearing the words: “Anonymous Homosexual.” Round the corner, there’s a row of black-and-white pictures showing transfixed male viewers, seen from the back, watching a screen. Ah, the magic of cinema, you might think – except for all the boxes of tissues, indicating that this is a particular kind of cinema.
This is part of Being Alone, a body of work by the artist Dean Sameshima, an expanded version of which is also on show at Soft Opening in London. Sitting in an outdoor cafe in the Giardini, the Biennale’s main space, Sameshima says he visited five gay porn cinemas in Berlin,...
Veer to your left in the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale and you’ll come across a painting bearing the words: “Anonymous Homosexual.” Round the corner, there’s a row of black-and-white pictures showing transfixed male viewers, seen from the back, watching a screen. Ah, the magic of cinema, you might think – except for all the boxes of tissues, indicating that this is a particular kind of cinema.
This is part of Being Alone, a body of work by the artist Dean Sameshima, an expanded version of which is also on show at Soft Opening in London. Sitting in an outdoor cafe in the Giardini, the Biennale’s main space, Sameshima says he visited five gay porn cinemas in Berlin,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Alex Needham
- The Guardian - Film News
This kids’ adventure story with a faux medievalist vibe has a cute conceit and some fun sequences but the inexperience of the cast and director shows
If you’ve ever tried to make a home movie with young children, you quickly come to appreciate how hard it is to get the little monsters to remember their lines and hit their marks, let alone give good performances. It’s an education in the difference between good and bad direction, the raw, primary-teacher skill in herding cats while also managing tone, quality control and all that storytelling stuff. Just try it for yourself and you’ll realise just how good a job directors such as Garth Jennings or Taika Waititi did with child-led films like Son of Rambow or Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
At the very least, this awareness will help you be a bit more forgiving of a film like Riddle of Fire.
If you’ve ever tried to make a home movie with young children, you quickly come to appreciate how hard it is to get the little monsters to remember their lines and hit their marks, let alone give good performances. It’s an education in the difference between good and bad direction, the raw, primary-teacher skill in herding cats while also managing tone, quality control and all that storytelling stuff. Just try it for yourself and you’ll realise just how good a job directors such as Garth Jennings or Taika Waititi did with child-led films like Son of Rambow or Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
At the very least, this awareness will help you be a bit more forgiving of a film like Riddle of Fire.
- 4/29/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
"Seinfeld" could be an incredibly mean show. For peak cruelty, it's hard to top "The Invitations" in which George's fiancée Susan drops dead after licking too many envelopes. The finale is self-consciously nasty in the way it indicts viewers for having been emotionally invested in the lives of these relentlessly awful people for nine seasons. My favorite might be "The Yada Yada," where Jerry is called out as an "anti-dentite" for his dim view of dentists. But the series, created by Seinfeld and Larry David, knew how to go dark without alienating its audience — which is why they scrapped a Season 2 episode called "The Bet."
Unless you're a "Seinfeld" superfan, you might not know of this episode. If you are a "Seinfeld" superfan, you know "The Bet" quite well and have surely read the script that got leaked to the "Lost Media" subreddit earlier this month. It's been something of...
Unless you're a "Seinfeld" superfan, you might not know of this episode. If you are a "Seinfeld" superfan, you know "The Bet" quite well and have surely read the script that got leaked to the "Lost Media" subreddit earlier this month. It's been something of...
- 4/29/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Buzzy Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) premiere Tummy Monster has been boarded for sales by UK outfit Reason8.
The debut feature from Glasgow-based filmmaker Ciaran Lyons blends elements of dark comedy and psychological thriller and stars Bridgerton’s Lorn Macdonald alongside Orlando Norman.
Producers are Beth Allen and Josefin Bagge.
Tummy Monster was a hit at Gff, with the festival adding additional screenings to accomodate demand.
The story revolves around a self-absorbed, 20-something tattoo artist who discovers his latest client is a famous young musician. This revelation sparks an obsession with obtaining a selfie with the musician, plunging them both into...
The debut feature from Glasgow-based filmmaker Ciaran Lyons blends elements of dark comedy and psychological thriller and stars Bridgerton’s Lorn Macdonald alongside Orlando Norman.
Producers are Beth Allen and Josefin Bagge.
Tummy Monster was a hit at Gff, with the festival adding additional screenings to accomodate demand.
The story revolves around a self-absorbed, 20-something tattoo artist who discovers his latest client is a famous young musician. This revelation sparks an obsession with obtaining a selfie with the musician, plunging them both into...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Iair Said’s debut feature Most People Die On Sundays has been acquired for France by distributor Jhr Films ahead of its world premiere in Cannes’ Acid programme.
The Argentinian comedy drama is already set for release in Latin America via Star+ (Disney+) and in Spain with A Contracorriente Films.
Said’s short Present Imperfect previously competed for the short film Palme d’Or.
Most People Die On Sundays centres on an overweight 30-something who returns to his native Argentina to reconnect with his mother and his Jewish family. There he embarks on a quest across Buenos Aires to quench his anxiety via driving lessons,...
The Argentinian comedy drama is already set for release in Latin America via Star+ (Disney+) and in Spain with A Contracorriente Films.
Said’s short Present Imperfect previously competed for the short film Palme d’Or.
Most People Die On Sundays centres on an overweight 30-something who returns to his native Argentina to reconnect with his mother and his Jewish family. There he embarks on a quest across Buenos Aires to quench his anxiety via driving lessons,...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
UK director Mike Leigh will receive a lifetime achievement award at Malta’s second annual Mediterrane Film Festival (June 22-30).
The seven-time Oscar nominee will also host a masterclass and participate in an in conversation with Adrian Wootton, CEO at the British Film Commission, with whom the festival has a partnership.
Leigh began his career in theatre and TV with work including Abigail’s Party in 1977. He focused on features throughout the 1990s, winning acclaim for films such as High Hopes, Life Is Sweet, Naked and Secrets And Lies. The latter won the Palme d’Or in 1996.
His following films included Topsy-Turvy,...
The seven-time Oscar nominee will also host a masterclass and participate in an in conversation with Adrian Wootton, CEO at the British Film Commission, with whom the festival has a partnership.
Leigh began his career in theatre and TV with work including Abigail’s Party in 1977. He focused on features throughout the 1990s, winning acclaim for films such as High Hopes, Life Is Sweet, Naked and Secrets And Lies. The latter won the Palme d’Or in 1996.
His following films included Topsy-Turvy,...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Sunrise Films has acquired Luna Carmoon’s “Hoard” for the U.S. and Canada.
The film debuted at Venice in 2023, where it won three prizes. It went on to an extended festival run including at the BFI London Film Festival, Athens, Mumbai and Goteborg.
Sunrise Films is a new production and internationally focused distribution company that has been launched by Vertigo Releasing CEO Rupert Preston and chair Nigel Williams.
The “Hoard” cast includes Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Lily-Beau Leach and Deba Hekmat alongside Joseph Quinn, Hayley Squires and Samantha Spiro. The film follows a young girl (Leach) living in London in 1984 as she navigates her mother’s obsessive hoarding. Flashing forward to the girl’s teenage years, she (Lightfoot-Leon) must confront the madness and trauma of her late mother when a stranger (Quinn) arrives on her doorstep.
“Hoard” is produced by Delaval Film, Erebus Pictures and Anti-Worlds with financing from the BFI.
The film debuted at Venice in 2023, where it won three prizes. It went on to an extended festival run including at the BFI London Film Festival, Athens, Mumbai and Goteborg.
Sunrise Films is a new production and internationally focused distribution company that has been launched by Vertigo Releasing CEO Rupert Preston and chair Nigel Williams.
The “Hoard” cast includes Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Lily-Beau Leach and Deba Hekmat alongside Joseph Quinn, Hayley Squires and Samantha Spiro. The film follows a young girl (Leach) living in London in 1984 as she navigates her mother’s obsessive hoarding. Flashing forward to the girl’s teenage years, she (Lightfoot-Leon) must confront the madness and trauma of her late mother when a stranger (Quinn) arrives on her doorstep.
“Hoard” is produced by Delaval Film, Erebus Pictures and Anti-Worlds with financing from the BFI.
- 4/29/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
France’s Mediawan has acquired German group Leonine Studios.
The all-stock transaction creates a European-based production and distribution group with a presence across 13 countries, 85 labels and revenues over €1bn. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Paris-based Mediawan has had a 25% stake in Munich-based Leonine since 2020, and both groups are backed by US private equity firm Kkr. Mediawan was reported to be weighing an acquisition of Leonine back in November 2023.
For Mediawan the deal bolsters its European footprint with the addition of the German-speaking market.
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton will continue to lead the group while Leonine CEO...
The all-stock transaction creates a European-based production and distribution group with a presence across 13 countries, 85 labels and revenues over €1bn. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Paris-based Mediawan has had a 25% stake in Munich-based Leonine since 2020, and both groups are backed by US private equity firm Kkr. Mediawan was reported to be weighing an acquisition of Leonine back in November 2023.
For Mediawan the deal bolsters its European footprint with the addition of the German-speaking market.
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton will continue to lead the group while Leonine CEO...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mike Leigh, the veteran director of “Vera Drake,” “Another Year” and “Happy-Go-Lucky,” will be honored at Malta’s Mediterrane Film Festival with its Career Achievement Golden Bee Award.
Leigh will also host a masterclass at the festival, the second edition of which is taking place June 22 to 30 in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. The director, who has earned seven Oscar nominations and won the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for 1993’s “Naked,” will be in conversation with Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission.
The Mediterrane Film Festival has also revealed its first jury members, who will judge the festival’s competition section, consisting of 12 films from the region. At the festival’s Golden Bee Awards closing ceremony on June 30, prizes will be handed out for best feature film, acting performance, screenwriting, production design, creative technical performance and the special jury award.
Jury...
Leigh will also host a masterclass at the festival, the second edition of which is taking place June 22 to 30 in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. The director, who has earned seven Oscar nominations and won the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for 1993’s “Naked,” will be in conversation with Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission.
The Mediterrane Film Festival has also revealed its first jury members, who will judge the festival’s competition section, consisting of 12 films from the region. At the festival’s Golden Bee Awards closing ceremony on June 30, prizes will be handed out for best feature film, acting performance, screenwriting, production design, creative technical performance and the special jury award.
Jury...
- 4/29/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety - Film News
Trinity CineAsia has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In, the Hong Kong period action drama that will screen at Cannes next month, in a deal with Media Asia.
Directed by Soi Cheang, the highly anticipated feature is set to be released in Hong Kong and China on May 1 before it plays in the Midnight Screenings section of Cannes. An opening date in the UK and Ireland has yet to be announced but Trinity CineAsia said it is “scheduled for release across cinemas nationwide soon after” the festival, which runs May 14-25.
Distribution deals were...
Directed by Soi Cheang, the highly anticipated feature is set to be released in Hong Kong and China on May 1 before it plays in the Midnight Screenings section of Cannes. An opening date in the UK and Ireland has yet to be announced but Trinity CineAsia said it is “scheduled for release across cinemas nationwide soon after” the festival, which runs May 14-25.
Distribution deals were...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Archie Yates, breakout star of Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit,” leads debutant Jordan Murphy Doidge’s coming-of-age drama “Clout | A Cautionary Tale.”
Yates scored a nomination at the Critics Choice Awards in the best young actor/actress category for “Jojo Rabbit.” In “Clout,” co-written by Tom Duthie, Tristam Thomas and Doidge, Yates plays boarding school teen Oskar who meets a tragic turn while proving himself in a bid for online fame. The script aims to be a hard-hitting social commentary that tackles hot-button issues like cyberbullying, viral obsession, and the erosion of truth in the digital sphere.
The cast also includes Nadine Marshall, Anna Wilson-Jones, Samuel Leakey (“Gretel & Hansel”) and social media influencer Kit Price.
The film is produced by Francis Chapman (Sundance winner “In The Summers”) for U.K.-based Pimlico Pictures. Principal photography has commenced and the script is being shot in both short and feature-length versions.
Doidge...
Yates scored a nomination at the Critics Choice Awards in the best young actor/actress category for “Jojo Rabbit.” In “Clout,” co-written by Tom Duthie, Tristam Thomas and Doidge, Yates plays boarding school teen Oskar who meets a tragic turn while proving himself in a bid for online fame. The script aims to be a hard-hitting social commentary that tackles hot-button issues like cyberbullying, viral obsession, and the erosion of truth in the digital sphere.
The cast also includes Nadine Marshall, Anna Wilson-Jones, Samuel Leakey (“Gretel & Hansel”) and social media influencer Kit Price.
The film is produced by Francis Chapman (Sundance winner “In The Summers”) for U.K.-based Pimlico Pictures. Principal photography has commenced and the script is being shot in both short and feature-length versions.
Doidge...
- 4/29/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Worldwide box office April 26-28 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world) Cume (world)3-day (int’l)Cume (int’l)Territories 1. The Roundup: Punishment (various) $24.4m $24.6m $24.4m $24.6m 6 2. Challengers (Warner Bros) $24m $25m $9m $10m 53 3. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (Warner Bros) $15.2m $503.5m $11.7m $318.6m 83 4. Kung Fu Panda 4 (Universal) $15.2m $15.2m $5m $5m 63 5. Civil War (A24) $15.1m $86.2m $8.1m $30m 46 6. The Fall Guy (Universal) $8.7m $8.7m $8.7m $8.7m 38 7. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Sony) $8.3m $188m $5m $8m 61 8. Abigail (Universal) $7.9m $28.6m $2.6m $9.9m 75 9. Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram (Toho)
$7.9m $55.7m $7.9m $55.7m 105 10. Unsung Hero (Lionsgate) $7.8m $7.8m N/A N/A 1
Credit: Comscore.
$7.9m $55.7m $7.9m $55.7m 105 10. Unsung Hero (Lionsgate) $7.8m $7.8m N/A N/A 1
Credit: Comscore.
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
The film institutes of the five Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are relaunching their umbrella organisation as The Five Nordics, taking over from the previously-named Scandinavian Films.
There are two technical reasons for the name change. Firstly, it is to signify the work the organisation does on audiovisual projects outside of film, including series and gaming. Secondly, it is to better represent Finland and Iceland, two Nordic countries that fall outside of the boundaries of Scandinavia.
The Five Nordics is a collaboration between the Danish Film Institute, Finnish Film Foundation, Icelandic Film Centre, Norwegian Film Institute and Swedish Film Institute.
There are two technical reasons for the name change. Firstly, it is to signify the work the organisation does on audiovisual projects outside of film, including series and gaming. Secondly, it is to better represent Finland and Iceland, two Nordic countries that fall outside of the boundaries of Scandinavia.
The Five Nordics is a collaboration between the Danish Film Institute, Finnish Film Foundation, Icelandic Film Centre, Norwegian Film Institute and Swedish Film Institute.
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
“Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,” a Hong Kong-produced action thriller, took the top spot at the mainland China box office over the latest weekend. But it was a quiet session and came ahead of a welter of new releases targeting the May Day public holiday.
The film, which is among those that have a Wednesday (May 1) official release date, earned $5.5 million (RMB38.9 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.
The nationwide weekend total was a slender $18.7 million. That was the quietest theatrical weekend in China since the end of the country’s official anti-covid policies in December 2022.
Directed by the prolific Soi Cheang, “Twilight” stars the veteran martial arts star Sammo Hung and actor-producer Louis Koo in a tale of a youngster who stumbles his way into Kowloon’s notorious Walled City and discovers a new kind of order within its seemingly criminal chaos.
The film, which is among those that have a Wednesday (May 1) official release date, earned $5.5 million (RMB38.9 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.
The nationwide weekend total was a slender $18.7 million. That was the quietest theatrical weekend in China since the end of the country’s official anti-covid policies in December 2022.
Directed by the prolific Soi Cheang, “Twilight” stars the veteran martial arts star Sammo Hung and actor-producer Louis Koo in a tale of a youngster who stumbles his way into Kowloon’s notorious Walled City and discovers a new kind of order within its seemingly criminal chaos.
- 4/29/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
This idealistic feature draws parallels between the struggles of immigrant Polish workers in Norway and the homophobia faced by two young lovers, but can’t quite sew up the two seams
Director Leiv Igor Devold makes an unexpected link-up between Norway, the country where he grew up, and Poland, where he attended film school, in this idealistic but sometimes heavy-handed second feature. He also finds invigorating cross-currents in contrasting the collectivist struggles of immigrant Polish fish-processing workers with another oppressed minority: the stuttering romance, in the face of homophobia, between young wage slave Robert (Hubert Miłkowski) and his supervisor Ivar (Karl Bekele Steinland).
Robert finds himself gutting salmon in a factory on a Norwegian island in order to send money back home. But it is Ivar – the black adopted son of the factory owner Bjorn (Øyvind Brandtzæg) – who gets under his skin. A wannabe actor slumming it courtesy of dad,...
Director Leiv Igor Devold makes an unexpected link-up between Norway, the country where he grew up, and Poland, where he attended film school, in this idealistic but sometimes heavy-handed second feature. He also finds invigorating cross-currents in contrasting the collectivist struggles of immigrant Polish fish-processing workers with another oppressed minority: the stuttering romance, in the face of homophobia, between young wage slave Robert (Hubert Miłkowski) and his supervisor Ivar (Karl Bekele Steinland).
Robert finds himself gutting salmon in a factory on a Norwegian island in order to send money back home. But it is Ivar – the black adopted son of the factory owner Bjorn (Øyvind Brandtzæg) – who gets under his skin. A wannabe actor slumming it courtesy of dad,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Filmmaker and journalist Subina Shrestha’s “Devi”—about Devi Khadka’s journey from surviving wartime rape to fighting alongside rebel guerrillas in Nepal’s civil war to working for justice in her country’s transitional justice movement—lands at Toronto’s Hot Docs as international awareness of and concern about the safety, rights, and health of women in conflict zones around the world intensifies.
Last month in the Hague, in opening remarks at the first International Conference of Prosecutors on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (also referred to as Crsv), U.N. special representative Pramila Patten noted that the Secretary-General’s annual report for 2023 shows an increase of 49% in the number of cases of Crsv from the previous year.
In an exclusive in-person interview with Variety in advance of her film’s world premiere on April 28, Shrestha said that Devi’s story is both unique and universal. (Devi was scheduled...
Last month in the Hague, in opening remarks at the first International Conference of Prosecutors on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (also referred to as Crsv), U.N. special representative Pramila Patten noted that the Secretary-General’s annual report for 2023 shows an increase of 49% in the number of cases of Crsv from the previous year.
In an exclusive in-person interview with Variety in advance of her film’s world premiere on April 28, Shrestha said that Devi’s story is both unique and universal. (Devi was scheduled...
- 4/29/2024
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety - Film News
Epsilon Film, the recently launched world sales company led by former Global Screen executives Julia Weber and Alice von Einem, has revealed its Cannes Market lineup.
Heading the slate is animated feature film “Mimi&Harold – Out of Frame,” produced by Ulysses Filmproduktion, the company behind international sales and box office hit “The Amazing Maurice,” as well “Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights” and “Ooops! The Adventure Continues…” The co-producers are Preamble Media and Space Age Films.
The film follows Mimi, a scrappy crossbreed dog, who falls out of an old painting and is lost in the real world of a museum, the home of Harold, an art-loving but snobbish dog. Armed only with her determination and Harold’s friendship, Mimi jumps into paintings to find her beloved owner – and Harold becomes the hero he never dreamt of being.
On Friday, “Mimi&Harold – Out of Frame” won the German Animation Screenplay Award,...
Heading the slate is animated feature film “Mimi&Harold – Out of Frame,” produced by Ulysses Filmproduktion, the company behind international sales and box office hit “The Amazing Maurice,” as well “Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights” and “Ooops! The Adventure Continues…” The co-producers are Preamble Media and Space Age Films.
The film follows Mimi, a scrappy crossbreed dog, who falls out of an old painting and is lost in the real world of a museum, the home of Harold, an art-loving but snobbish dog. Armed only with her determination and Harold’s friendship, Mimi jumps into paintings to find her beloved owner – and Harold becomes the hero he never dreamt of being.
On Friday, “Mimi&Harold – Out of Frame” won the German Animation Screenplay Award,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Prolific Philippines-based Epicmedia Productions has come on board “The Passport,” a Malaysian coming of age story about a Tamil family and their punk rock daughter. Production is by Malaysia’s Sixtymac Pictures.
Currently at financing stage, the project will mark the directing debut of Ananth Subramaniam, whose short films have played at BiFan and Fantasia, and whose works explore his Tamil-ancestral identity and family within the context of a multi-layered genre.
The 1980-set narrative in “The Passport” is told from the perspective of Kalki, whose punk band is invited to perform in Europe. When her whole family decides to tag along it ignites a clash of cultural expectations, in and out of the home.
The project was previously pitched at Talent’s Tokyo, the BiFan It Project Market, Full Circle Lab and Focus Asia All Genre Project Market and won the Bucheon Award at BiFan and the grand prize at...
Currently at financing stage, the project will mark the directing debut of Ananth Subramaniam, whose short films have played at BiFan and Fantasia, and whose works explore his Tamil-ancestral identity and family within the context of a multi-layered genre.
The 1980-set narrative in “The Passport” is told from the perspective of Kalki, whose punk band is invited to perform in Europe. When her whole family decides to tag along it ignites a clash of cultural expectations, in and out of the home.
The project was previously pitched at Talent’s Tokyo, the BiFan It Project Market, Full Circle Lab and Focus Asia All Genre Project Market and won the Bucheon Award at BiFan and the grand prize at...
- 4/29/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Infinity According to Florian review - mission to save Ukraine’s extraordinary modernist masterpiece
Oleksiy Radynski chronicles the visionary architect Florian Yuriev’s drive to rescue Kyiv’s Institute of Information from destruction after he was given weeks to live
The extraordinary mind of Florian Yuriev, a visionary Ukrainian architect and artist, visualises an astonishingly holistic view of the world. His abstract paintings brim with geometric colourful shapes and patterns that also carry a sonic component, as each shade has their own tonality. On his piano, whose keys are marked with their designated colours, Yuriev played out his painterly compositions, breaking down the barrier between sound and vision. Shot towards the end of Yuriev’s life, Oleksiy Radynski’s passionate documentary follows the architect’s tireless efforts to save one of his modernist masterpieces from destruction.
Once deemed impossible to build, his design for a cultural centre that later became Kyiv’s Institute of Information reflects the utopian optimism of the space age. Nicknamed...
The extraordinary mind of Florian Yuriev, a visionary Ukrainian architect and artist, visualises an astonishingly holistic view of the world. His abstract paintings brim with geometric colourful shapes and patterns that also carry a sonic component, as each shade has their own tonality. On his piano, whose keys are marked with their designated colours, Yuriev played out his painterly compositions, breaking down the barrier between sound and vision. Shot towards the end of Yuriev’s life, Oleksiy Radynski’s passionate documentary follows the architect’s tireless efforts to save one of his modernist masterpieces from destruction.
Once deemed impossible to build, his design for a cultural centre that later became Kyiv’s Institute of Information reflects the utopian optimism of the space age. Nicknamed...
- 4/29/2024
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
Memento International has boarded “The Ugly Stepsister,” the ambitious feature debut of Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt. The company will kick off sales at this year’s Cannes.
Combining comedy and horror, the film is a daring and unexpected take on the world-famous tale, seen through the eyes of the Cinderella’s stepsister, Elvira.
The gory film follows Elvira as she battles to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister in a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business. She will go to any lengths to catch the prince’s eye.
“The Ugly Stepsister” is produced by Maria Ekerhovd in Norway for Mer Film, and is co-produced by Lizette Jonjic for Zentropa Sweden (“Another Round”), Mariusz Włodarski for Poland’s Lava Films (“The Girl with The Needle”), Theis Nørgaard for Denmark’s Motor (“The Dead Don’t Hurt”), Zefyr and Film i Väst. With support from the Norwegian Film Institute, the Polish Production...
Combining comedy and horror, the film is a daring and unexpected take on the world-famous tale, seen through the eyes of the Cinderella’s stepsister, Elvira.
The gory film follows Elvira as she battles to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister in a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business. She will go to any lengths to catch the prince’s eye.
“The Ugly Stepsister” is produced by Maria Ekerhovd in Norway for Mer Film, and is co-produced by Lizette Jonjic for Zentropa Sweden (“Another Round”), Mariusz Włodarski for Poland’s Lava Films (“The Girl with The Needle”), Theis Nørgaard for Denmark’s Motor (“The Dead Don’t Hurt”), Zefyr and Film i Väst. With support from the Norwegian Film Institute, the Polish Production...
- 4/29/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Greta Gerwig has her jury. This evening, the Cannes Film Festival revealed the rest of the nine-member jury filled with festival veterans and Academy members. This year’s jury includes screenwriter and director Ebru Ceylan (Turkey), actress Lily Gladstone (United States), actress Eva Green (France), director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki (Lebanon), director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona (Spain), actor Pierfrancisco Favino (Italy), director Kore-eda Hirokazu (Japan), and actor and producer Omar Sy (France).
Continue reading Lily Gladstone, J.A. Bayona, Omar Sy, Eva Green Among 2024 Cannes Film Festival Jury at The Playlist.
Continue reading Lily Gladstone, J.A. Bayona, Omar Sy, Eva Green Among 2024 Cannes Film Festival Jury at The Playlist.
- 4/29/2024
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Vasquez Rocks is located in the northern part of Los Angeles County about 25 minutes away from Downtown L.A. via the 14 freeway. It's close enough to the city to be easily accessed by car, but far away enough to look like a remote wilderness. The park's celebrated rock formations look eerie, ancient, and alien from certain angles, making it a popular place for film and TV productions going back to the 1930s.
Trekkies likely recognize Vasquez Rocks as an oft-reused filming location, serving as a variety of alien worlds for various "Star Trek" projects. The park was featured in the "Original Series" episodes "Shore Leave", "Arena", "The Alternative Factor", and "Friday's Child". Later, Vasquez Rocks would serve as Vulcan "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," released in 1983 and 1984 respectively.
Fans of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" would recognize Vasquez Rocks from the episode "Who Watches the Watchers?...
Trekkies likely recognize Vasquez Rocks as an oft-reused filming location, serving as a variety of alien worlds for various "Star Trek" projects. The park was featured in the "Original Series" episodes "Shore Leave", "Arena", "The Alternative Factor", and "Friday's Child". Later, Vasquez Rocks would serve as Vulcan "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," released in 1983 and 1984 respectively.
Fans of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" would recognize Vasquez Rocks from the episode "Who Watches the Watchers?...
- 4/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The full Cannes Film Festival competition jury has been revealed.
Joining president Greta Gerwig to award this year’s Palme d’Or will be “Killers of the Flower Moon” Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone; “The Three Musketeers” star Eva Green; “Lupin” lead Omar Sy; Ebru Ceylan, who co-wrote the 2014 Palme d’Or winner “Winter Sleep”; director Nadine Labaki, whose “Capernaum” won the Cannes jury prize in 2018; director Juan Antonio Bayona, whose latest film “Society of the Snow” was Oscar-nominated for best international feature; Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, who will next appear in Pablo Larraìn’s “Maria” alongside Angelina Jolie; and director Kore-eda Hirokazu, director of the 2018 Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.”
The competition lineup for the upcoming festival includes “All We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia; Sean Baker’s “Anora”; Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” from Ali Abbasi; Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski; “Caught by the Tides...
Joining president Greta Gerwig to award this year’s Palme d’Or will be “Killers of the Flower Moon” Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone; “The Three Musketeers” star Eva Green; “Lupin” lead Omar Sy; Ebru Ceylan, who co-wrote the 2014 Palme d’Or winner “Winter Sleep”; director Nadine Labaki, whose “Capernaum” won the Cannes jury prize in 2018; director Juan Antonio Bayona, whose latest film “Society of the Snow” was Oscar-nominated for best international feature; Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, who will next appear in Pablo Larraìn’s “Maria” alongside Angelina Jolie; and director Kore-eda Hirokazu, director of the 2018 Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.”
The competition lineup for the upcoming festival includes “All We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia; Sean Baker’s “Anora”; Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” from Ali Abbasi; Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski; “Caught by the Tides...
- 4/29/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety - Film News
The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the eight jurors who will be joining jury president Greta Gerwig for the event’s 2024 edition (May 14-25).
They are American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, French actor and producer Omar Sy, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, and Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino.
The jury will award the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in competition at the closing ceremony on May 25. Anatomy Of A Fall picked up the top prize last year.
They are American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, French actor and producer Omar Sy, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, and Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino.
The jury will award the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in competition at the closing ceremony on May 25. Anatomy Of A Fall picked up the top prize last year.
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
After altering his voice to play the king of rock and roll in "Elvis," Austin Butler made a dramatic shift by portraying the heartless Harkonnen warrior Feyd-Rautha in "Dune: Part Two." It's a choice that worked out well, as even though the star's latest performance also came with an on-screen voice that demands further examination, Butler proved he was just as adept at playing cruel and cunning as he was at transforming into iconic musical figures of the 20th century.
The nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha was a big part of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel on which the "Dune" films are based. In the book, protagonist Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet in the modern films) returns to the capital of Arrakis and faces off against Feyd-Rautha in a final battle — one which was brought to life for the big screen by director Denis Villeneuve and his production team for "Dune: Part Two.
The nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha was a big part of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel on which the "Dune" films are based. In the book, protagonist Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet in the modern films) returns to the capital of Arrakis and faces off against Feyd-Rautha in a final battle — one which was brought to life for the big screen by director Denis Villeneuve and his production team for "Dune: Part Two.
- 4/29/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Spoiler alert: the film is not "Swept Away."
Given the filmmaking tear that Guy Ritchie has been on of late, the notion of scribbling out screenplays on napkins isn't terribly wild. Since 2021, he's plopped four movies in theaters, with a fifth on the way in 2025. Okay, guys like Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen have worked at a similarly furious clip for stretches of their careers, but Ritchie's flurry of films is peculiar because they're the kinds of star-studded B-movies that Hollywood doesn't make anymore. And he seems to be having a ball making them ... though audiences aren't exactly turning out in droves to watch them.
While Ritchie, like the vast majority of screenwriters, prefers to bang out his scripts on a computer, there was a time when he employed a less conventional approach. He wasn't as prolific at this point of his career, and there was a very good reason for this.
Given the filmmaking tear that Guy Ritchie has been on of late, the notion of scribbling out screenplays on napkins isn't terribly wild. Since 2021, he's plopped four movies in theaters, with a fifth on the way in 2025. Okay, guys like Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen have worked at a similarly furious clip for stretches of their careers, but Ritchie's flurry of films is peculiar because they're the kinds of star-studded B-movies that Hollywood doesn't make anymore. And he seems to be having a ball making them ... though audiences aren't exactly turning out in droves to watch them.
While Ritchie, like the vast majority of screenwriters, prefers to bang out his scripts on a computer, there was a time when he employed a less conventional approach. He wasn't as prolific at this point of his career, and there was a very good reason for this.
- 4/29/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
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