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Morgan Spurlock, a documentary filmmaker who captured his own psychological and physical symptoms from eating McDonald’s every day for a month in the Oscar-nominated 2004 feature “Super Size Me,” died Thursday in upstate New York due to complications of cancer. He was 53.
Spurlock’s family confirmed his death.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” says Craig Spurlock, who worked with his brother on several projects. “Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity. Today the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
Spurlock rose to prominence for “Super Size Me,” in which he conducted an experiment involving consuming only food from McDonald’s for a 30-day stretch. The rules also included the stipulation that Spurlock could not refuse the “super-size” option if prompted during the transaction. The filmmaker...
Spurlock’s family confirmed his death.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” says Craig Spurlock, who worked with his brother on several projects. “Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity. Today the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
Spurlock rose to prominence for “Super Size Me,” in which he conducted an experiment involving consuming only food from McDonald’s for a 30-day stretch. The rules also included the stipulation that Spurlock could not refuse the “super-size” option if prompted during the transaction. The filmmaker...
- 5/24/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Benoit Blanc is back to solve another mystery in Rian Johnson’s third “Knives Out” film, titled “Wake Up Dead Man.”
Johnson announced the title, along with a 2025 release date, in a teaser posted to X Friday morning.
“In the beginning, the knives came out. Then, behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed,” narrates Daniel Craig in the 45-second video, referencing the first two titles of the murder mystery franchise, 2019’s “Knives Out” and 2022’s “Glass Onion.”
“Wake Up Dead Man” will be distributed by Netflix as part of Johnson’s two-sequel deal with the streamer, worth $450 million. Despite the first film, distributed by Lionsgate, grossing $312 million at the global box office, Netflix put out “Glass Onion” with only a limited theatrical release, collecting a mere $13 million before launching it on streaming.
Johnson sent the internet into a frenzy early Friday...
Johnson announced the title, along with a 2025 release date, in a teaser posted to X Friday morning.
“In the beginning, the knives came out. Then, behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed,” narrates Daniel Craig in the 45-second video, referencing the first two titles of the murder mystery franchise, 2019’s “Knives Out” and 2022’s “Glass Onion.”
“Wake Up Dead Man” will be distributed by Netflix as part of Johnson’s two-sequel deal with the streamer, worth $450 million. Despite the first film, distributed by Lionsgate, grossing $312 million at the global box office, Netflix put out “Glass Onion” with only a limited theatrical release, collecting a mere $13 million before launching it on streaming.
Johnson sent the internet into a frenzy early Friday...
- 5/24/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Eric Kripke is gonna catch ’em all. “The Boys” showrunner has slowly but surely been casting the stars of the iconic CW series “Supernatural,” which Kripke created, on his R-rated Amazon Prime Video superhero drama. And he’s got one “very big one” he’s eyeing to bring on in Season 5, even if it’s for “a single episode” — Jared Padalecki, a.k.a. Sam Winchester.
“He’s been busy the last few years, so schedules haven’t worked out,” Kripke told Variety in an interview Thursday, referring to Padalecki’s starring role on the CW’s “Walker,” which was...
“He’s been busy the last few years, so schedules haven’t worked out,” Kripke told Variety in an interview Thursday, referring to Padalecki’s starring role on the CW’s “Walker,” which was...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety - TV News
Netflix is in talks to acquire one of the most talked about titles at this year’s Cannes Film Festival: Emilia Pérez.
The movie, from writer-director Jacques Audiard, follows a cartel leader who hires an undervalued lawyer to help him withdraw from his business and realize a plan he has been secretly preparing for years, to transition into a woman.
Zoe Saldaña stars in the film, along with Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramirez, with breakout Karla Sofia Gascón as the title character.
The film earned a warm Cannes reception with a long standing ovation and near universal praise from critics.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s review reads: “The baseline is a drama of criminality and redemption, but then there’s an unforced current of Almodóvarian humor, along with moments of melodrama, noir, social realism, a hint of telenovela camp and a climactic escalation into suspense, ultimately touched by tragedy. All this...
The movie, from writer-director Jacques Audiard, follows a cartel leader who hires an undervalued lawyer to help him withdraw from his business and realize a plan he has been secretly preparing for years, to transition into a woman.
Zoe Saldaña stars in the film, along with Selena Gomez and Edgar Ramirez, with breakout Karla Sofia Gascón as the title character.
The film earned a warm Cannes reception with a long standing ovation and near universal praise from critics.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s review reads: “The baseline is a drama of criminality and redemption, but then there’s an unforced current of Almodóvarian humor, along with moments of melodrama, noir, social realism, a hint of telenovela camp and a climactic escalation into suspense, ultimately touched by tragedy. All this...
- 5/23/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Marvel has tapped “Star Trek: Picard” executive producer Terry Matalas to resurrect Vision, the synthezoid played by Paul Bettany, for a new, untitled Disney+ series set for 2026, Variety has learned exclusively. Bettany will return to the role and Matalas will serve as showrunner.
After Vision died at the hands of Thanos in 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” he returned twice over in 2021’s “WandaVision,” first as a spectral creation by his beloved, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), through magic powered by grief; then as a rebuilt, nuts-and-bolts android with a ghost white appearance and zero memory of his past life. When the two Visions battled in the “WandaVision” finale, Wanda’s Vision restored the ghost Vision’s memories, then Wanda allowed her Vision to fade from existence. The new show will take place after those events, as ghost Vision presumably explores his new purpose in life.
Marvel brought in Matalas after his...
After Vision died at the hands of Thanos in 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” he returned twice over in 2021’s “WandaVision,” first as a spectral creation by his beloved, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), through magic powered by grief; then as a rebuilt, nuts-and-bolts android with a ghost white appearance and zero memory of his past life. When the two Visions battled in the “WandaVision” finale, Wanda’s Vision restored the ghost Vision’s memories, then Wanda allowed her Vision to fade from existence. The new show will take place after those events, as ghost Vision presumably explores his new purpose in life.
Marvel brought in Matalas after his...
- 5/22/2024
- by Adam B. Vary and Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Late screenwriter-director Sophie Fillières’ seventh and final feature, “This Life of Mine” was the opening film at this year’s Directors’ Fortnight and today wrapped things up as the France Writers’ Guild’s favorite French-language feature, winning the Sacd Authors’ Favorite Prize.
In the film, Barbie, once a devoted mother and partner, faces the realities of middle age as she turns 55. Following a classic three-act structure, the film advances from comedy to tragedy to epiphany, at times toying with the absurd.
Said Anne Villacèque, Sacd administrator: “This year, we had to decide from a particularly eclectic selection. Choosing between novel and poetry, right arm and left arm, grandiose or more modest films. We chose the film whose heart beat the strongest and continued to move us long after seeing it.
“A daring, delicate, unpredictable film, the culmination of a work full of dissonance and side steps, as its director liked to say,...
In the film, Barbie, once a devoted mother and partner, faces the realities of middle age as she turns 55. Following a classic three-act structure, the film advances from comedy to tragedy to epiphany, at times toying with the absurd.
Said Anne Villacèque, Sacd administrator: “This year, we had to decide from a particularly eclectic selection. Choosing between novel and poetry, right arm and left arm, grandiose or more modest films. We chose the film whose heart beat the strongest and continued to move us long after seeing it.
“A daring, delicate, unpredictable film, the culmination of a work full of dissonance and side steps, as its director liked to say,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
Netflix has acquired the legal drama “Monsanto,” a buzzy package from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
John Lee Hancock directed the movie, which stars Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern.
“Monsanto” tells the true story of young upstart lawyer Brent Wisner (Powell), who took on the court case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie). Johnson used the company’s product Roundup, a top-selling weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper. During the trial, Monsanto Company’s chief toxicologist Dr. Melinda Rogers (Dern), testifies that Roundup is safe. Hancock also wrote the screenplay with Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc.
“I was drawn to this contemporary David vs. Goliath true story because I found it dramatic, moving, quite funny and of critical importance in today’s world,” Hancock said prior to the film’s sale.
John Lee Hancock directed the movie, which stars Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern.
“Monsanto” tells the true story of young upstart lawyer Brent Wisner (Powell), who took on the court case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie). Johnson used the company’s product Roundup, a top-selling weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper. During the trial, Monsanto Company’s chief toxicologist Dr. Melinda Rogers (Dern), testifies that Roundup is safe. Hancock also wrote the screenplay with Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc.
“I was drawn to this contemporary David vs. Goliath true story because I found it dramatic, moving, quite funny and of critical importance in today’s world,” Hancock said prior to the film’s sale.
- 5/23/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin and Matt Donnelly
- Variety - Film News
Vanessa Kirby has amassed an impressively starry ensemble cast for the first feature out of the gates for Aluna Entertainment, the production company she established in 2021 with former Film4 exec Lauren Dark.
“Night Always Comes,” which Oscar nominee Kirby will lead, is set to star Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen (“The Peanut Butter Falcon”), Stephan James (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Julia Fox (“Uncut Gems”), Eli Roth, Randall Park and Michael Kelly.
Shooting is now underway in Portland on the thriller, which is based on the 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin. Benjamin Caron directs from a script by Sarah Conradt (“Mother’s Instinct”).
As per the logline, “Night Always Comes” follows Lynette, a woman who risks everything to secure a future for herself and her brother by setting out on a dangerous odyssey in Portland, in doing so confronting her own dark past over one propulsive night.
Kirby and Dark are producing...
“Night Always Comes,” which Oscar nominee Kirby will lead, is set to star Jennifer Jason Leigh, Zack Gottsagen (“The Peanut Butter Falcon”), Stephan James (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Julia Fox (“Uncut Gems”), Eli Roth, Randall Park and Michael Kelly.
Shooting is now underway in Portland on the thriller, which is based on the 2021 novel by Willy Vlautin. Benjamin Caron directs from a script by Sarah Conradt (“Mother’s Instinct”).
As per the logline, “Night Always Comes” follows Lynette, a woman who risks everything to secure a future for herself and her brother by setting out on a dangerous odyssey in Portland, in doing so confronting her own dark past over one propulsive night.
Kirby and Dark are producing...
- 5/23/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Steven Spielberg’s next movie will hit theaters on May 15, 2026, Universal and Amblin Entertainment announced Thursday.
The untitled movie is described as an original event film created and helmed by the iconic director, but plot details are being kept under tight wraps.
Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is written by longtime collaborator David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide.
He last directed the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, which was released in 2022. Released by Universal, the Amblin film received seven Academy Awards nominations, including for best picture, directing, best original screenplay, best actress and best picture.
Spielberg is one of the industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers, along with being the top-grossing director of all time. His bevy of blockbusters include Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park.
The untitled movie is described as an original event film created and helmed by the iconic director, but plot details are being kept under tight wraps.
Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is written by longtime collaborator David Koepp, whose previous work with Spielberg includes the scripts for Jurassic Park and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Combined, those films earned more than $3 billion worldwide.
He last directed the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans, which was released in 2022. Released by Universal, the Amblin film received seven Academy Awards nominations, including for best picture, directing, best original screenplay, best actress and best picture.
Spielberg is one of the industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers, along with being the top-grossing director of all time. His bevy of blockbusters include Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park.
- 5/23/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The “Dexter” prequel series at Paramount+ with Showtime has found its three leads.
Variety has learned that Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater, and Molly Brown are all set to star in the show, which is now titled “Dexter: Original Sin.” Gibson will play Dexter Morgan, while Slater will play Harry Morgan, Dexter’s adoptive father. Brown will play Debra Morgan, Dexter’s sister. The three roles were played by Michael C. Hall, James Remar, and Jennifer Carpenter respectively in the original series.
The 10-episode prequel was originally announced in February 2023. It is set in 1991, 15 years before the events of “Dexter.” The...
Variety has learned that Patrick Gibson, Christian Slater, and Molly Brown are all set to star in the show, which is now titled “Dexter: Original Sin.” Gibson will play Dexter Morgan, while Slater will play Harry Morgan, Dexter’s adoptive father. Brown will play Debra Morgan, Dexter’s sister. The three roles were played by Michael C. Hall, James Remar, and Jennifer Carpenter respectively in the original series.
The 10-episode prequel was originally announced in February 2023. It is set in 1991, 15 years before the events of “Dexter.” The...
- 5/23/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Brooke Shields has been elected president of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union that represents about 51,000 actors and stage managers on Broadway and nationwide.
Shields prevailed over stage manager Erin Maureen Koster, a stage manager and third vice president at Actors’ Equity and Wydetta Carter, an actor who had been serving as Equity’s first vice president. Her four-year term begins effective immediately.
Kate Shindle had served as president since 2015, but decided to step down after her term ended May 23.
In a video announcing her candidacy, Shields said she wanted to be able to use her star power, as well as her experience on Broadway, to expand the profile of being an Equity member.
“I want Equity to be in the position to command the respect that we deserve, whether it’s at the bargaining table or in DC or in every state house and city hall across the country,...
Shields prevailed over stage manager Erin Maureen Koster, a stage manager and third vice president at Actors’ Equity and Wydetta Carter, an actor who had been serving as Equity’s first vice president. Her four-year term begins effective immediately.
Kate Shindle had served as president since 2015, but decided to step down after her term ended May 23.
In a video announcing her candidacy, Shields said she wanted to be able to use her star power, as well as her experience on Broadway, to expand the profile of being an Equity member.
“I want Equity to be in the position to command the respect that we deserve, whether it’s at the bargaining table or in DC or in every state house and city hall across the country,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
George Lucas got candid about criticism of the “Star Wars” films during a conversation at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday.
When speaking about the success of the franchise ahead of receiving the festival’s honorary Palme d’Or, Lucas reflected on some of the negative comments he’s received over the years.
“They would say, ‘It’s all white men,'” Lucas said of the films’ critics. “Most of the people are aliens! The idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal.”
Lucas went on to say that the only beings in the “Star Wars” universe who were discriminated against were the robots.
“That was a way of saying, you know, people are always discriminating against something and sooner or later, that’s what’s going to happen,...
When speaking about the success of the franchise ahead of receiving the festival’s honorary Palme d’Or, Lucas reflected on some of the negative comments he’s received over the years.
“They would say, ‘It’s all white men,'” Lucas said of the films’ critics. “Most of the people are aliens! The idea is you’re supposed to accept people for what they are, whether they’re big and furry or whether they’re green or whatever. The idea is all people are equal.”
Lucas went on to say that the only beings in the “Star Wars” universe who were discriminated against were the robots.
“That was a way of saying, you know, people are always discriminating against something and sooner or later, that’s what’s going to happen,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety - Film News
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, whose first feature film was the Oscar-nominated Super Size Me that shifted public perceptions of junk food, especially the McDonald’s chain, died Thursday in upstate New York from complications of cancer. He was 53.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” his brother Craig Spurlock said in a family statement. “Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity. Today the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
The family said Spurlock passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends.
Spurlock, a native West Virginian, graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to pursue his dream of making movies. After working primarily in TV, he released Super Size Me in 2004, which featured Spurlock eating only McDonald’s for 30 days. Soon after he shot his film,...
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” his brother Craig Spurlock said in a family statement. “Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity. Today the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
The family said Spurlock passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends.
Spurlock, a native West Virginian, graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to pursue his dream of making movies. After working primarily in TV, he released Super Size Me in 2004, which featured Spurlock eating only McDonald’s for 30 days. Soon after he shot his film,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Benoit Blanc is back to solve another mystery in Rian Johnson’s third “Knives Out” film, titled “Wake Up Dead Man.”
Johnson announced the title, along with a 2025 release date, in a teaser posted to X Friday morning.
“In the beginning, the knives came out. Then, behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed,” narrates Daniel Craig in the 45-second video, referencing the first two titles of the murder mystery franchise, 2019’s “Knives Out” and 2022’s “Glass Onion.”
“Wake Up Dead Man” will be distributed by Netflix as part of Johnson’s two-sequel deal with the streamer, worth $450 million. Despite the first film, distributed by Lionsgate, grossing $312 million at the global box office, Netflix put out “Glass Onion” with only a limited theatrical release, collecting a mere $13 million before launching it on streaming.
Johnson sent the internet into a frenzy early Friday...
Johnson announced the title, along with a 2025 release date, in a teaser posted to X Friday morning.
“In the beginning, the knives came out. Then, behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed,” narrates Daniel Craig in the 45-second video, referencing the first two titles of the murder mystery franchise, 2019’s “Knives Out” and 2022’s “Glass Onion.”
“Wake Up Dead Man” will be distributed by Netflix as part of Johnson’s two-sequel deal with the streamer, worth $450 million. Despite the first film, distributed by Lionsgate, grossing $312 million at the global box office, Netflix put out “Glass Onion” with only a limited theatrical release, collecting a mere $13 million before launching it on streaming.
Johnson sent the internet into a frenzy early Friday...
- 5/24/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety - Film News
Korean Oscar-winning actor Youn Yuh-jung has been the focus of attention for the past week as the subject of a retrospective series at The Academy Museum in Los Angeles.
Youn came to the attention of many late in her career playing the grandmother role in Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari.” But her entertainment history dates back to one of Korean cinema’s golden eras and a screen-scorching 1971 debut in legendary director Kim Ki-young’s “Woman of Fire.”
“Youn refused to compromise her practice to serve the patriarchal systems which dominate the majority of mainstream cinema in Korea. As an iconic figure and role model to many actors in Korea, Youn continues to push boundaries in her incredible scope of storytelling, routed through her bold and forthright perception of each character she portrays,” says the Academy’s notes to the seven-film series.
What that fails to convey is Youn’s down-to-earth pragmatism,...
Youn came to the attention of many late in her career playing the grandmother role in Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari.” But her entertainment history dates back to one of Korean cinema’s golden eras and a screen-scorching 1971 debut in legendary director Kim Ki-young’s “Woman of Fire.”
“Youn refused to compromise her practice to serve the patriarchal systems which dominate the majority of mainstream cinema in Korea. As an iconic figure and role model to many actors in Korea, Youn continues to push boundaries in her incredible scope of storytelling, routed through her bold and forthright perception of each character she portrays,” says the Academy’s notes to the seven-film series.
What that fails to convey is Youn’s down-to-earth pragmatism,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Morgan Spurlock, a documentary filmmaker who captured his own psychological and physical symptoms from eating McDonald’s every day for a month in the Oscar-nominated 2004 feature “Super Size Me,” died Thursday in upstate New York due to complications of cancer. He was 53.
Spurlock’s family confirmed his death.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” says Craig Spurlock, who worked with his brother on several projects. “Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity. Today the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
Spurlock rose to prominence for “Super Size Me,” in which he conducted an experiment involving consuming only food from McDonald’s for a 30-day stretch. The rules also included the stipulation that Spurlock could not refuse the “super-size” option if prompted during the transaction. The filmmaker...
Spurlock’s family confirmed his death.
“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” says Craig Spurlock, who worked with his brother on several projects. “Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas and generosity. Today the world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”
Spurlock rose to prominence for “Super Size Me,” in which he conducted an experiment involving consuming only food from McDonald’s for a 30-day stretch. The rules also included the stipulation that Spurlock could not refuse the “super-size” option if prompted during the transaction. The filmmaker...
- 5/24/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety - Film News
The cape was once the kingmaker. But the movie stars at the top of studios’ most-wanted lists today have largely avoided cinematic universes. Instead of being pulled up to the A-list with a call from Marvel or DC (like earlier breakouts Chris Evans, Gal Gadot and Jason Momoa), today’s top talents — according to THR’s survey of executives, managers and agents — were anointed by auteur directors. Austin Butler was tapped by Baz Luhrmann for Elvis, while Denis Villeneuve gave nearly a third of this list their first franchise movie with his Dune features.
Today’s young stars are also less formulaic than their predecessors of just a decade ago, whose indie debuts or tiny Oscar turns were quickly followed by IP-backed film series. They are more agnostic, too, moving easily among studio filmmaking, indie efforts and television. Unlike past eras, there’s also not a single “type” dominating the group.
Today’s young stars are also less formulaic than their predecessors of just a decade ago, whose indie debuts or tiny Oscar turns were quickly followed by IP-backed film series. They are more agnostic, too, moving easily among studio filmmaking, indie efforts and television. Unlike past eras, there’s also not a single “type” dominating the group.
- 5/24/2024
- by Aaron Couch, Mia Galuppo and Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The invitation stated the event was going to be standing room only. “Think dance party while watching the film.”
And that’s exactly what it was. On Thursday night, Lady Gaga brought a dance party to Nya studios in Hollywood to mark the world premiere of her film “Gaga Chromatica Ball.”
The evening kicked off with a Q&a moderated by Access Hollywood’s Scott Evans. “This was such a special time. This tour went on during a time that people didn’t think that you could. The stadiums were packed all, they were sold out and [people were] all dressed up,...
And that’s exactly what it was. On Thursday night, Lady Gaga brought a dance party to Nya studios in Hollywood to mark the world premiere of her film “Gaga Chromatica Ball.”
The evening kicked off with a Q&a moderated by Access Hollywood’s Scott Evans. “This was such a special time. This tour went on during a time that people didn’t think that you could. The stadiums were packed all, they were sold out and [people were] all dressed up,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay and Marc Malkin
- Variety - TV News
Page Kennedy has joined the cast of “The Breed,” an upcoming reimagining of the cult favorite. He joins a cast that also includes Grace Caroline Currey. The film will be directed by brothers Nathan and Griff Furst, who will also produce together through their Curmudgeon Films shingle.
Kennedy, a Shakespearean-trained performer, was recently seen in “The Meg 2: The Trench,” appearing opposite Jason Statham in the mega-shark movie, which opened last summer. He reprised his role from the first film, 2018’s “The Meg,” which grossed more than $530 million. He also starred on the Netflix series “The Upshaws” alongside Wanda Sykes and Mike Epps. He will next be seen in the upcoming action-comedy “Code 3,” which co-stars Rainn Wilson and Yvette Nicole Brown. In addition to his film work, Kennedy has been a series regular on numerous shows such as “Rush Hour,” “Weeds,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Backstroke” and “Blue Mountain State.” In addition to his acting work,...
Kennedy, a Shakespearean-trained performer, was recently seen in “The Meg 2: The Trench,” appearing opposite Jason Statham in the mega-shark movie, which opened last summer. He reprised his role from the first film, 2018’s “The Meg,” which grossed more than $530 million. He also starred on the Netflix series “The Upshaws” alongside Wanda Sykes and Mike Epps. He will next be seen in the upcoming action-comedy “Code 3,” which co-stars Rainn Wilson and Yvette Nicole Brown. In addition to his film work, Kennedy has been a series regular on numerous shows such as “Rush Hour,” “Weeds,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Backstroke” and “Blue Mountain State.” In addition to his acting work,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
Kodi, the canine defendant in Laetitia Dosch’s Dog on Trial, was named top dog at the Cannes Film Festival, snatching the Palm Dog prize for the best canine performance.
In a rare treat, Kodi, a 9-year-old Griffon, attended the event, a boozy and chaotic affair, as is the Palm Dog tradition, at the Plage du Festival in Cannes on Friday. He even gave a demonstration of his howling performance from the film, something the director said he had to be trained to do, not being a natural howler in real life.
In Dog on Trial, Kodi plays Cosmos, the four-legged companion of a visually impaired man (François Damiens) who, after a biting incident, finds himself at the center of an absurd trial to decide whether he will be put down. Avril (Laetitia Dosch), a lawyer accustomed to lost causes, decides to represent Cosmos.
Dosch said she insisted on having...
In a rare treat, Kodi, a 9-year-old Griffon, attended the event, a boozy and chaotic affair, as is the Palm Dog tradition, at the Plage du Festival in Cannes on Friday. He even gave a demonstration of his howling performance from the film, something the director said he had to be trained to do, not being a natural howler in real life.
In Dog on Trial, Kodi plays Cosmos, the four-legged companion of a visually impaired man (François Damiens) who, after a biting incident, finds himself at the center of an absurd trial to decide whether he will be put down. Avril (Laetitia Dosch), a lawyer accustomed to lost causes, decides to represent Cosmos.
Dosch said she insisted on having...
- 5/24/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tony Billetter, formerly Apple’s head of worldwide business strategy and planning for video and sports, has taken on a similar role at Venu Sports, the recently formed joint venture of Disney, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery.
With the move, Billetter rejoins Pete Distad, CEO of Venu, who had previously overseen Apple TV+’s business, operations and global distribution and worked at the tech giant for a decade.
Billetter worked at Apple since December 2017 before leaving to start at L.A.-based Venu last month, according to his LinkedIn profile. A rep for Venu Sports confirmed Billetter’s hire.
With the move, Billetter rejoins Pete Distad, CEO of Venu, who had previously overseen Apple TV+’s business, operations and global distribution and worked at the tech giant for a decade.
Billetter worked at Apple since December 2017 before leaving to start at L.A.-based Venu last month, according to his LinkedIn profile. A rep for Venu Sports confirmed Billetter’s hire.
- 5/24/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - TV News
While ownership of Elvis Presley’s Graceland estate in Memphis was retained by his family following a flurry of legal filings and courtroom rulings this week, whoever is behind the company now accused of attempting to snatch the property through fraud remains a mystery.
In an 11th-hour filing last week, Elvis’ granddaughter, the actor Riley Keough, claimed in a 60-page lawsuit that the signature of her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, was forged on a loan that held the famed home of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll up as collateral. In a Memphis court Wednesday, Chancellor JoeDae L. Jenkins halted a scheduled auction of the landmark property, stating that the sale of Graceland amounts to “irreparable harm” and blocked the auction, which was set for Thursday.
“There will be no foreclosure,” Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. said in a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter following the ruling. “Graceland will...
In an 11th-hour filing last week, Elvis’ granddaughter, the actor Riley Keough, claimed in a 60-page lawsuit that the signature of her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, was forged on a loan that held the famed home of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll up as collateral. In a Memphis court Wednesday, Chancellor JoeDae L. Jenkins halted a scheduled auction of the landmark property, stating that the sale of Graceland amounts to “irreparable harm” and blocked the auction, which was set for Thursday.
“There will be no foreclosure,” Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. said in a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter following the ruling. “Graceland will...
- 5/24/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Francesca Archibugi, whose feminist fascist-era saga “La Storia” was Italy’s biggest TV event of 2023, is set to return behind camera on World War II drama “The Italian Chapel” set in Scotland’s Orkney Islands.
Inspired by a true story, “Italian Chapel” is centered on a clash between the local Orkney community and prisoners of war who are confined there. Against this backdrop, a secret romance springs up between an Italian prisoner and a Scottish islander.
The film, which was originally developed by Working Title Films and the British Film Institute (BFI), is being co-produced by Andrew Bendel’s U.K. production company Blue Horizon Productions (“Metroland”) in tandem with Marco Belardi’s Rome-based Greenboo Production. Greenboo is the Banijay-owned company behind hits such as “Perfect Stangers,” Gabriele Muccino’s “There Is No Place Like Home,” and Paolo Virzì’s “Like Crazy,” starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, which launched from Director’s Fortnight in 2016.
Archibugi,...
Inspired by a true story, “Italian Chapel” is centered on a clash between the local Orkney community and prisoners of war who are confined there. Against this backdrop, a secret romance springs up between an Italian prisoner and a Scottish islander.
The film, which was originally developed by Working Title Films and the British Film Institute (BFI), is being co-produced by Andrew Bendel’s U.K. production company Blue Horizon Productions (“Metroland”) in tandem with Marco Belardi’s Rome-based Greenboo Production. Greenboo is the Banijay-owned company behind hits such as “Perfect Stangers,” Gabriele Muccino’s “There Is No Place Like Home,” and Paolo Virzì’s “Like Crazy,” starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, which launched from Director’s Fortnight in 2016.
Archibugi,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
Welcome to the 260th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
Here’s how this week’s episode plays out:
1. Headlines
Steve Carell and Bill Lawrence, Marvel’s Vision and Silk, Dexter prequel castings and the latest batch of Netflix’s “ratings” highlight the week’s top TV industry headlines.
2. Rip, Freevee
No, we’re not sure what the difference is between Freevee and Amazon with ads, but we’re pouring one out for the Fast channel’s original programming after news broke this week that both critically praised shows High School and Primo were formally canceled.
Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).
Here’s how this week’s episode plays out:
1. Headlines
Steve Carell and Bill Lawrence, Marvel’s Vision and Silk, Dexter prequel castings and the latest batch of Netflix’s “ratings” highlight the week’s top TV industry headlines.
2. Rip, Freevee
No, we’re not sure what the difference is between Freevee and Amazon with ads, but we’re pouring one out for the Fast channel’s original programming after news broke this week that both critically praised shows High School and Primo were formally canceled.
- 5/24/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Is Messi’s reign as cinema’s current top dog over?
The Palm Dog — Cannes’ annual celebration of on-screen canine performances which was last year won by the blue-eyed border collie from “Anatomy of a Fall,” the first step in a dramatic bound toward furry fame — has crowned a new champion.
The 2024 Palm Dog, presented at a special event on May 24, has been given to Kodi, the senior stray at the heart of acclaimed Swiss-French comedy “Dog on Trial.” The Un Certain Regard title from director and star Laetitia Dosch sees Kodi — believed to be a blonde Griffon cross — plays Cosmos, an aggressive pet who’s taken on as a client by a defense lawyer in story exploring the status of dogs in society. According to Palm Dog founder Toby Rose, Kodi is nearing his 10th birthday and will soon retire from acting, but bow-wows out having delivered a “fine four-legged swan song.
The Palm Dog — Cannes’ annual celebration of on-screen canine performances which was last year won by the blue-eyed border collie from “Anatomy of a Fall,” the first step in a dramatic bound toward furry fame — has crowned a new champion.
The 2024 Palm Dog, presented at a special event on May 24, has been given to Kodi, the senior stray at the heart of acclaimed Swiss-French comedy “Dog on Trial.” The Un Certain Regard title from director and star Laetitia Dosch sees Kodi — believed to be a blonde Griffon cross — plays Cosmos, an aggressive pet who’s taken on as a client by a defense lawyer in story exploring the status of dogs in society. According to Palm Dog founder Toby Rose, Kodi is nearing his 10th birthday and will soon retire from acting, but bow-wows out having delivered a “fine four-legged swan song.
- 5/24/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Jacques Audiard returned to his stomping grounds at the Cannes Film Festival last weekend to present Emilia Perez, the French auteur’s 10th work and sixth in the main competition. The audience inside the Grand Lumiére Theatre responded with a 10-minute standing ovation after the world premiere of the film, described as a “bracingly original crime musical.”
Emilia Perez stars Zoe Saldaña as a frustrated lawyer, Selena Gomez as a drug lord’s wife, Édgar Ramírez as a dangerous love interest and Karla Sofía Gascón as the cartel kingpin who longs to escape a life of crime and become the woman he’s always dreamed of becoming. Most of the cast was in tears during the rousing standing ovation, and less than 24 hours later, The Hollywood Reporter sat down with three of them — Saldaña, Gomez and Gascón — to discuss the reception, how they landed their respective roles and what they...
Emilia Perez stars Zoe Saldaña as a frustrated lawyer, Selena Gomez as a drug lord’s wife, Édgar Ramírez as a dangerous love interest and Karla Sofía Gascón as the cartel kingpin who longs to escape a life of crime and become the woman he’s always dreamed of becoming. Most of the cast was in tears during the rousing standing ovation, and less than 24 hours later, The Hollywood Reporter sat down with three of them — Saldaña, Gomez and Gascón — to discuss the reception, how they landed their respective roles and what they...
- 5/24/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Italian state broadcaster Rai’s new world sales arm is gaining traction in Cannes — following its soft launch in Berlin — with four new titles on its slate, including veteran auteur Roberto Andò’s historical drama “The Blunder” starring Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty”).
In “The Blunder,” which is currently shooting in Sicily, Servillo plays a Sicilian colonel at the head of a ragtag unit trying to outsmart the enemy during the 1860 battle led by Giuseppe Garibaldi that resulted in the unification of Italy.
“The Blunder,” which also stars popular Sicilian comic duo Salvatore Ficarra and Valentino Picone, is produced by Tramp Limited and Bibi Film with Rai Cinema and Medusa, in collaboration with Netflix.
Other titles added during Cannes on the Rai Cinema International Distribution slate include – as previously announced – “Of Dogs and Men,” the upcoming drama by Israeli director Dani Rosenberg (“The Death of Cinema and My Father Too...
In “The Blunder,” which is currently shooting in Sicily, Servillo plays a Sicilian colonel at the head of a ragtag unit trying to outsmart the enemy during the 1860 battle led by Giuseppe Garibaldi that resulted in the unification of Italy.
“The Blunder,” which also stars popular Sicilian comic duo Salvatore Ficarra and Valentino Picone, is produced by Tramp Limited and Bibi Film with Rai Cinema and Medusa, in collaboration with Netflix.
Other titles added during Cannes on the Rai Cinema International Distribution slate include – as previously announced – “Of Dogs and Men,” the upcoming drama by Israeli director Dani Rosenberg (“The Death of Cinema and My Father Too...
- 5/24/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
Which performance received the best reviews at Cannes? Cher managed to conquer this year’s film festival even without appearing on screen.
At 12:30 a.m. in the South of France, decked out in a dazzling sequined purple pantsuit, Cher took the stage at Cannes amfAR, the charity gala devoted to raising money for research for HIV and AIDS. “I thought you guys would be drunk, but obviously you’re not,” Cher said after performing an acoustic rendition of “Walking in Memphis,” the Marc Cohn ballad she covered on her 1995 album “It’s a Man’s World,” that had hundreds of guests cheering her on.
Three songs later — and one costume change into a black sparkling jacket over couture negligee — Cher had emerged victorious. The crowd at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc would have given her the biggest standing ovation of Cannes, except they never sat during her 15-minute set.
Before belting out her pop hit “Believe,...
At 12:30 a.m. in the South of France, decked out in a dazzling sequined purple pantsuit, Cher took the stage at Cannes amfAR, the charity gala devoted to raising money for research for HIV and AIDS. “I thought you guys would be drunk, but obviously you’re not,” Cher said after performing an acoustic rendition of “Walking in Memphis,” the Marc Cohn ballad she covered on her 1995 album “It’s a Man’s World,” that had hundreds of guests cheering her on.
Three songs later — and one costume change into a black sparkling jacket over couture negligee — Cher had emerged victorious. The crowd at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc would have given her the biggest standing ovation of Cannes, except they never sat during her 15-minute set.
Before belting out her pop hit “Believe,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety - Film News
The Match Factory has finalized global sales for the Cannes competition title “The Substance,” directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid.
The Match Factory has sold to Italy (I Wonder Pictures), Spain (Elastica Films), Scandinavia (Nonstop Entertainment), South Korea (Challan), Hong Kong (Golden Scene Company), Cis (Vlg.Film Ltd.), Ukraine and Baltics (Adastra Cinema), Taiwan (Catchplay), Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment), Poland (Monolith), Greece (Feelgood Entertainment), the former Yugoslavia (McF Megacom), Bulgaria (Beta Film) and Romania (Independenta Film 97). A deal is finalized for Japan, and Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Portugal and South East Asia are undergoing negotiations. Metropolitan previously acquired the film for distribution in France.
Mubi, the global film distributor and streaming service, retains all rights in North America, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America and Benelux, with plans for theatrical releases this year. Additionally, Mubi has acquired rights for Turkey and India.
The Match Factory has sold to Italy (I Wonder Pictures), Spain (Elastica Films), Scandinavia (Nonstop Entertainment), South Korea (Challan), Hong Kong (Golden Scene Company), Cis (Vlg.Film Ltd.), Ukraine and Baltics (Adastra Cinema), Taiwan (Catchplay), Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment), Poland (Monolith), Greece (Feelgood Entertainment), the former Yugoslavia (McF Megacom), Bulgaria (Beta Film) and Romania (Independenta Film 97). A deal is finalized for Japan, and Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Portugal and South East Asia are undergoing negotiations. Metropolitan previously acquired the film for distribution in France.
Mubi, the global film distributor and streaming service, retains all rights in North America, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America and Benelux, with plans for theatrical releases this year. Additionally, Mubi has acquired rights for Turkey and India.
- 5/24/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Buyers are hot for The Substance.
The Demi Moore body horror film from director Coralie Fargeat, one of the buzziest films in this year’s Cannes competition, has all but sold out worldwide following its rapturous reception at last week’s world premiere.
The Match Factory, which is handling world sales on the movie, closed deals in Cannes for Italy (I Wonder Pictures), Spain (Elastica Films), Scandinavia (Nonstop Entertainment), South Korea (Challan), Hong Kong (Golden Scene Company), Cis (Vlg.Film Ltd.), Ukraine and Baltics (Adastra Cinema), Taiwan (Catchplay), Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment), Poland (Monolith), Greece (Feelgood Entertainment), Former Yugoslavia (McF Megacom), Bulgaria (Beta Film) and Romania (Independenta Film 97). Metropolitan has previously acquired the film for distribution in France.
Match Factory’s parent company Mubi holds all rights for The Substance in North America, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America, and Benelux, and is planning a theatrical rollout later this year.
The Demi Moore body horror film from director Coralie Fargeat, one of the buzziest films in this year’s Cannes competition, has all but sold out worldwide following its rapturous reception at last week’s world premiere.
The Match Factory, which is handling world sales on the movie, closed deals in Cannes for Italy (I Wonder Pictures), Spain (Elastica Films), Scandinavia (Nonstop Entertainment), South Korea (Challan), Hong Kong (Golden Scene Company), Cis (Vlg.Film Ltd.), Ukraine and Baltics (Adastra Cinema), Taiwan (Catchplay), Australia and New Zealand (Madman Entertainment), Poland (Monolith), Greece (Feelgood Entertainment), Former Yugoslavia (McF Megacom), Bulgaria (Beta Film) and Romania (Independenta Film 97). Metropolitan has previously acquired the film for distribution in France.
Match Factory’s parent company Mubi holds all rights for The Substance in North America, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America, and Benelux, and is planning a theatrical rollout later this year.
- 5/24/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mohammad Rasoulof has arrived. The dissident Iranian director is at the Cannes Film Festival to present his new film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, in competition, just weeks after he dramatically escaped Iran on foot, fleeing an eight-year prison sentence.
Details of the director’s harrowing escape were made public last week after he was safely away, ensconced in an undisclosed location in Germany. He made the decision to leave, to abandon his homeland and walk across the mountainous borderland after the authorities sentenced him to a lengthy prison term.
His sentence also included a fine, the confiscation of property, and a flogging as punishment for bottles of wine the police discovered during a raid on his apartment.
Rasoulof had been arrested and imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin jail in July 2022 for signing a petition calling on security forces to “Lay Down Your Arms” and exercise restraint in response to street protests.
Details of the director’s harrowing escape were made public last week after he was safely away, ensconced in an undisclosed location in Germany. He made the decision to leave, to abandon his homeland and walk across the mountainous borderland after the authorities sentenced him to a lengthy prison term.
His sentence also included a fine, the confiscation of property, and a flogging as punishment for bottles of wine the police discovered during a raid on his apartment.
Rasoulof had been arrested and imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin jail in July 2022 for signing a petition calling on security forces to “Lay Down Your Arms” and exercise restraint in response to street protests.
- 5/24/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony is to launch an academy that will develop talent involved in the creation of anime, it was announced on Thursday.
The initiative was revealed as part of Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate Sony Group Corporation’s annual corporate strategy presentation.
“The launch of a project to establish an academy [comes] with the aim of nurturing anime creators in global markets, mainly by Aniplex and Crunchyroll with collaboration from across the industry,” said Sony Group chairman and CEO Yoshida Kenichiro and president, COO and CFO Totoki Hiroki.
Anime is a significant and growing portion of Sony’s business, though it is split across different divisions.
The initiative was revealed as part of Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate Sony Group Corporation’s annual corporate strategy presentation.
“The launch of a project to establish an academy [comes] with the aim of nurturing anime creators in global markets, mainly by Aniplex and Crunchyroll with collaboration from across the industry,” said Sony Group chairman and CEO Yoshida Kenichiro and president, COO and CFO Totoki Hiroki.
Anime is a significant and growing portion of Sony’s business, though it is split across different divisions.
- 5/24/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - TV News
Rocking black hair, bleached eyebrows and a white ensemble that she said was meant to resemble a car part, Lady Gaga debuted her Gaga Chromatica Ball concert special in her signature style Thursday night, with a premiere screening in Los Angeles for her fans.
The concert film follows Gaga during the Los Angeles stop of her 2022 Chromatica Ball Tour, as she takes over Dodger Stadium with both her biggest hits and new songs from her 2020 album Chromatica. It was Gaga’s first all-stadium tour and comprised just 20 dates, starting in Germany in July 2022 and ending two months later in Miami.
At the premiere event, Gaga — who made a quick change after the red carpet into a black outfit featuring a sparkling mask — sat down for a short Q&a with Access Hollywood‘s Scott Evans ahead of the screening. Guests were told in advance it would be a standing-room-only event...
The concert film follows Gaga during the Los Angeles stop of her 2022 Chromatica Ball Tour, as she takes over Dodger Stadium with both her biggest hits and new songs from her 2020 album Chromatica. It was Gaga’s first all-stadium tour and comprised just 20 dates, starting in Germany in July 2022 and ending two months later in Miami.
At the premiere event, Gaga — who made a quick change after the red carpet into a black outfit featuring a sparkling mask — sat down for a short Q&a with Access Hollywood‘s Scott Evans ahead of the screening. Guests were told in advance it would be a standing-room-only event...
- 5/24/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Np Singh, the well-respected head of Sony’s entertainment businesses in India, is to step down.
The announcement was made on Friday local time. A precise timeline for his exit as MD and CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India was unavailable.
“I will continue to lead Spni until we find the right person to take over. We have begun a structured succession planning process for my successor and hope to have exciting news to share in the near future. Finding the right fit is our top priority,” Singh said in an emailed statement.
He pointed to age and personal reasons as motivation for his decision.
The announcement was made on Friday local time. A precise timeline for his exit as MD and CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India was unavailable.
“I will continue to lead Spni until we find the right person to take over. We have begun a structured succession planning process for my successor and hope to have exciting news to share in the near future. Finding the right fit is our top priority,” Singh said in an emailed statement.
He pointed to age and personal reasons as motivation for his decision.
- 5/24/2024
- by Patrick Frater and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - TV News
Dave Chappelle said Thursday a “genocide” is striking the Gaza Strip amid the Israel-Hamas war to cheers during his performance in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, while urging Americans to fight antisemitism, so Jews don’t feel like they need to be protected by Israel.
Chappelle’s comments come as Abu Dhabi has maintained its diplomatic relations with Israel even as it has increasingly criticized its conduct in the seven-month war.
Meanwhile, while pro-Palestinian marches have swept across the wider Middle East since the war began, protests and speech remain tightly restricted in the Emirates, a federation of seven sheikdoms on the Arabian Peninsula.
Even before Chappelle came on stage, the full crowd at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena cheered as DJ Trauma, who accompanied Chappelle on the trip, played the song “My Blood Is Palestinian” by the Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf. The thousands there agreed to...
Chappelle’s comments come as Abu Dhabi has maintained its diplomatic relations with Israel even as it has increasingly criticized its conduct in the seven-month war.
Meanwhile, while pro-Palestinian marches have swept across the wider Middle East since the war began, protests and speech remain tightly restricted in the Emirates, a federation of seven sheikdoms on the Arabian Peninsula.
Even before Chappelle came on stage, the full crowd at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena cheered as DJ Trauma, who accompanied Chappelle on the trip, played the song “My Blood Is Palestinian” by the Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf. The thousands there agreed to...
- 5/24/2024
- by The Associated Press
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Premier League continues to be a winner for NBCUniversal, with the world’s most watched soccer league scoring record ratings for NBC, Peacock and USA Network for the 2023-24 season.
On Thursday, NBCU revealed that the last season of the Premier League broke a number of viewership records on its various platforms. The company said that for the 2023-24 season, NBC Sports averaged 546,000 viewers per TV match window, meaning that it was the most-watched Premier League season ever in the U.S. Overall, the 2023-24 season was up 4 percent from last season (527,000), and beat the previous record figure of 541,000 set in 2015-16 — the season extreme long shots Leicester City won an improbable title.
Boosting viewership no doubt was the title race between Arsenal and Manchester City going down to the final games of the season, which NBC Sports dubbed “Championship Sunday.” The company said that collective viewership for the last day of the season,...
On Thursday, NBCU revealed that the last season of the Premier League broke a number of viewership records on its various platforms. The company said that for the 2023-24 season, NBC Sports averaged 546,000 viewers per TV match window, meaning that it was the most-watched Premier League season ever in the U.S. Overall, the 2023-24 season was up 4 percent from last season (527,000), and beat the previous record figure of 541,000 set in 2015-16 — the season extreme long shots Leicester City won an improbable title.
Boosting viewership no doubt was the title race between Arsenal and Manchester City going down to the final games of the season, which NBC Sports dubbed “Championship Sunday.” The company said that collective viewership for the last day of the season,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rapper Sean Kingston was arrested in California on Thursday on fraud charges, several hours after a Swat team raided his rented South Florida home.
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said that Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was taken into custody on a Florida warrant for numerous fraud and theft charges near Fort Irwin, California.
Earlier Thursday, authorities said they arrested the rapper’s 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner, following a raid on his mansion in Southwest Ranches, Florida. She was taken into custody on numerous fraud and theft charges, according to the sheriff’s office.
The investigation is active and ongoing.
Reporters outside his home said they could see authorities putting items in a van, according to the Associated Press. The mansion was also surrounded by expensive-looking sports cars.
Kingston wrote on his Instagram Story earlier in the day, “People love negative energy! I am good, and so is my mother!
The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said that Kingston, whose real name is Kisean Anderson, was taken into custody on a Florida warrant for numerous fraud and theft charges near Fort Irwin, California.
Earlier Thursday, authorities said they arrested the rapper’s 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner, following a raid on his mansion in Southwest Ranches, Florida. She was taken into custody on numerous fraud and theft charges, according to the sheriff’s office.
The investigation is active and ongoing.
Reporters outside his home said they could see authorities putting items in a van, according to the Associated Press. The mansion was also surrounded by expensive-looking sports cars.
Kingston wrote on his Instagram Story earlier in the day, “People love negative energy! I am good, and so is my mother!
- 5/24/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As an actor himself, Josh Brolin had a different approach when it came to putting on his director’s hat for an episode on the TV series Outer Range.
The Dune: Part Two star recently opened up to Esquire about how he prepared for his television directing debut, as well as what it was like working with actors from behind the camera.
Brolin first expanded on a joke he made during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he said, “I don’t particularly love actors as an actor.” However, he told host Jimmy Kimmel at the time that he had a different perspective of them from a director’s point of view.
Now, he clarified to Esquire that it’s difficult with actors, particularly those who are harder to work with. “Especially people who won’t come to the set and that kind of shit,” he explained. “If there’s a good reason,...
The Dune: Part Two star recently opened up to Esquire about how he prepared for his television directing debut, as well as what it was like working with actors from behind the camera.
Brolin first expanded on a joke he made during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he said, “I don’t particularly love actors as an actor.” However, he told host Jimmy Kimmel at the time that he had a different perspective of them from a director’s point of view.
Now, he clarified to Esquire that it’s difficult with actors, particularly those who are harder to work with. “Especially people who won’t come to the set and that kind of shit,” he explained. “If there’s a good reason,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
[This story contains spoilers from the May 23 episode of Grey’s Anatomy, “I Carry Your Heart.”]
Caterina Scorsone and Kevin McKidd may not have been part of the original cast of Grey’s Anatomy. But in the last 15 years, between Grey’s and its two spinoffs, Private Practice and Station 19, Scorsone and McKidd have both logged enough hours in the O.R. to become two of the longest-lasting actors of the venerable ABC medical drama, which was recently renewed for a record-extending 21st season. (In the Grey’s universe, McKidd has played Dr. Owen Hunt in over 350 episodes; Scorsone has played Dr. Amelia Shepherd in over 280.)
At this point, the characters and the fictional world they live in feel as real to the audience as the actors who play them. While Grey’s began as a soapy romantic drama that followed the lives of surgeons at a Seattle teaching hospital, the show has indubitably become a cultural touchstone — and, in turn,...
Caterina Scorsone and Kevin McKidd may not have been part of the original cast of Grey’s Anatomy. But in the last 15 years, between Grey’s and its two spinoffs, Private Practice and Station 19, Scorsone and McKidd have both logged enough hours in the O.R. to become two of the longest-lasting actors of the venerable ABC medical drama, which was recently renewed for a record-extending 21st season. (In the Grey’s universe, McKidd has played Dr. Owen Hunt in over 350 episodes; Scorsone has played Dr. Amelia Shepherd in over 280.)
At this point, the characters and the fictional world they live in feel as real to the audience as the actors who play them. While Grey’s began as a soapy romantic drama that followed the lives of surgeons at a Seattle teaching hospital, the show has indubitably become a cultural touchstone — and, in turn,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Max Gao
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Call “Sight” a stealth faith-based movie and you won’t be far off the mark. For the most part, it’s a respectful but unremarkable biopic about Dr. Ming Wang, a Chinese-born, Nashville-based eye surgeon whose innovative use of amniotic membrane contact lenses has helped restore the eyesight of millions of patients, many of them children. But the end, which contains a Qr code much like distributor Angel Studios’ summer blockbuster “Sound of Freedom” did last year, features the real Dr. Wang — one of the film’s executive producers — in a sequence where he credits his success as having been possible “only with God’s grace,” after he was able to “open myself to God.”
Judging from the time-tripping scenario cobbled together by writers John Duigan, Buzz McLaughlin and director Andrew Hyatt, Wang’s road to Damascus was a rugged one. The decades-spanning story covers his traumatic childhood in Hangzhou,...
Judging from the time-tripping scenario cobbled together by writers John Duigan, Buzz McLaughlin and director Andrew Hyatt, Wang’s road to Damascus was a rugged one. The decades-spanning story covers his traumatic childhood in Hangzhou,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Joe Leydon
- Variety - Film News
Arriving on the heels of “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” — a true milestone of superstar transparency where Jennifer Lopez expressed a clear-eyed view of her current career status — “Atlas” feels like an underwhelming return to the kind of projects that have maintained Lopez’ place in the Hollywood firmament, but not the ones that catapulted her there in the first place.
One of her few science fiction-themed films, its novelty alone should make it stand out, especially with Brad Peyton, a reliable purveyor of large-scale spectacle in the director’s chair. But a dearth of original ideas undercuts the appeal of “Atlas,” leaving Lopez to fend for herself in much the same way her character is forced to in the film’s formulaic story.
Lopez plays the title character, a coffee-addicted, “rigid and hostile” data analyst whose mother Val (Lana Parilla) developed the first artificial-intelligence being, Harlan (Simu Liu), when Atlas was just a child.
One of her few science fiction-themed films, its novelty alone should make it stand out, especially with Brad Peyton, a reliable purveyor of large-scale spectacle in the director’s chair. But a dearth of original ideas undercuts the appeal of “Atlas,” leaving Lopez to fend for herself in much the same way her character is forced to in the film’s formulaic story.
Lopez plays the title character, a coffee-addicted, “rigid and hostile” data analyst whose mother Val (Lana Parilla) developed the first artificial-intelligence being, Harlan (Simu Liu), when Atlas was just a child.
- 5/24/2024
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety - Film News
Technically, Atlas is a sci-fi flick. Set some unspecified number of years in the future, the Brad Peyton-directed feature concerns a data analyst (Jennifer Lopez) tasked with stopping “the world’s first AI terrorist,” a robot named Harlan (Simu Liu) who’d broken his own programming to orchestrate the slaughter of millions.
But Blade Runner this isn’t, and not just because its tepid script and uninspired visuals place Atlas within the ever-expanding box of Netflix movies best half-watched on planes. The robot war is mere pretext for the saga of a woman learning to love again, starring a celebrity whose public persona is largely built around her willingness to let herself love again. Never mind the fact that there is no actual human love interest — in structure and theme, Atlas is a J.Lo rom-com in shiny metal packaging.
Like its prickly heroine, though, Atlas takes time to reveal its true self.
But Blade Runner this isn’t, and not just because its tepid script and uninspired visuals place Atlas within the ever-expanding box of Netflix movies best half-watched on planes. The robot war is mere pretext for the saga of a woman learning to love again, starring a celebrity whose public persona is largely built around her willingness to let herself love again. Never mind the fact that there is no actual human love interest — in structure and theme, Atlas is a J.Lo rom-com in shiny metal packaging.
Like its prickly heroine, though, Atlas takes time to reveal its true self.
- 5/24/2024
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The intimate and naturalistic Mandarin-language drama “Blue Sun Palace” has nabbed the French Touch prize from the Cannes Critics’ Week jury, putting Chinese-American writer-director Constance Tsang on the map as a talent to watch after her feature debut. Certain to see future festival action, the drama about three working-class Chinese immigrants in Flushing, NY, the film succeeds with touching performances from Ke-Xi Wu (“Nina Wu”), Lee Kang Sheng (Tsai Ming Liang’s iconic actor) and Haixpeng Xu (“Where Echoes Never End”) that could tempt distributors in the coming months.
Although the borough of Queens is pone of the most diverse places on the planet, the insular world of “Blue Sun Palace” is almost solely Chinese, unfolding in New York’s largest Chinatown. Taiwanese Amy (Ke-Xi Wu) and mainlander Didi (Haixpeng Xu) work along with two other women in a massage parlor with an exclusively male clientele. The sign on the door stipulates “No Sexual Services,...
Although the borough of Queens is pone of the most diverse places on the planet, the insular world of “Blue Sun Palace” is almost solely Chinese, unfolding in New York’s largest Chinatown. Taiwanese Amy (Ke-Xi Wu) and mainlander Didi (Haixpeng Xu) work along with two other women in a massage parlor with an exclusively male clientele. The sign on the door stipulates “No Sexual Services,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety - Film News
Alfonso Cuarón revealed he nearly passed on directing 2004’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban before his fellow filmmaker Guillermo del Toro knocked some sense into him.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the hit movie franchise’s third film, the director spoke to Total Film, where he shared his reaction to being offered the job, as he wasn’t too familiar with the Wizarding World initially.
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón said, notably because his project before Harry Potter was a completely different genre, the Spanish-language erotic drama Y Tu Mamá También. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.'”
However, del Toro knew how massive the movie franchise was, especially after Chris Columbus’ first two films,...
To mark the 20th anniversary of the hit movie franchise’s third film, the director spoke to Total Film, where he shared his reaction to being offered the job, as he wasn’t too familiar with the Wizarding World initially.
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón said, notably because his project before Harry Potter was a completely different genre, the Spanish-language erotic drama Y Tu Mamá También. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.'”
However, del Toro knew how massive the movie franchise was, especially after Chris Columbus’ first two films,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New technology is friend not foe to Hollywood’s creative community. That was the message delivered Thursday morning by Disney CEO Bob Iger during his keynote conversation at the Canva Create showcase event held at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park.
Iger, who is an investor and board member of the privately held online design platform, commended Canva for embracing the potential of generative AI tools and other cutting-edge technologies to make high-end visual media design tools readily available to everyday users. Based in Sydney, Australia, Canva has emerged over the past decade as a digital media star. The company was...
Iger, who is an investor and board member of the privately held online design platform, commended Canva for embracing the potential of generative AI tools and other cutting-edge technologies to make high-end visual media design tools readily available to everyday users. Based in Sydney, Australia, Canva has emerged over the past decade as a digital media star. The company was...
- 5/23/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety - TV News
CBS filed a motion Thursday to throw out a lawsuit challenging its diversity hiring practices for writers on the show “Seal Team,” arguing that it has a First Amendment right to hire who it wants.
Brian Beneker, the longtime script coordinator on the show, sued in February, arguing that he had been repeatedly passed over for writing jobs because he is a straight, white man.
Beneker has the backing of America First Legal, which is run by Stephen Miller, an adviser to former President Trump. The organization has sought to challenge diversity, equity and inclusion programs — which it terms “anti-white...
Brian Beneker, the longtime script coordinator on the show, sued in February, arguing that he had been repeatedly passed over for writing jobs because he is a straight, white man.
Beneker has the backing of America First Legal, which is run by Stephen Miller, an adviser to former President Trump. The organization has sought to challenge diversity, equity and inclusion programs — which it terms “anti-white...
- 5/23/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety - TV News
Beyoncé is making sure her daughter Blue Ivy Carter knows how to block out online haters.
During a recent episode of Vogue‘s The Run Through podcast, Tina Knowles, the Grammy-winning singer’s mother, chatted about her granddaughter’s performances during Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, which saw her dancing onstage to “My Power” and “Black Parade.”
Knowles recalled Carter’s performance being “the best” and how “every night her dad and me would get on this platform out there and we would just be screaming our heads off, like, with no shame at all.”
While she was one proud grandmother, alongside millions of supportive fans, Knowles shared that Carter later read some negative comments on social media following her performance. Thankfully, Beyoncé swooped in with some helpful advice.
“One of her friends came back and showed her some negative comments and it was a great life lesson because her mom basically said,...
During a recent episode of Vogue‘s The Run Through podcast, Tina Knowles, the Grammy-winning singer’s mother, chatted about her granddaughter’s performances during Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, which saw her dancing onstage to “My Power” and “Black Parade.”
Knowles recalled Carter’s performance being “the best” and how “every night her dad and me would get on this platform out there and we would just be screaming our heads off, like, with no shame at all.”
While she was one proud grandmother, alongside millions of supportive fans, Knowles shared that Carter later read some negative comments on social media following her performance. Thankfully, Beyoncé swooped in with some helpful advice.
“One of her friends came back and showed her some negative comments and it was a great life lesson because her mom basically said,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paul Feig was just a couple of days away from wrapping the sequel to “A Simple Favor” in Italy when he got to share some very good news with the cast – the first film is currently the No. 1 most watched movie on Netflix.
“I sent it to all my main cast saying, ‘Hey, we’re doing the right thing here,” Feig says on a phone call from the movie’s Rome set.
Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick and Henry Golding reprise their original roles for the followup. New cast members include Tony winner Alex Newell and Oscar winner and frequent Feig collaborator Allison Janney.
The 2018 movie stars Kendrick as widowed vlogger Stephanie who takes it upon herself to investigate the disappearance of her friend Emily (Lively). The $20 million crime comedy grossed nearly $100,000,000 in the U.S.
“I’m thrilled,” Feig says about being on the top of the Netflix movies chart.
“I sent it to all my main cast saying, ‘Hey, we’re doing the right thing here,” Feig says on a phone call from the movie’s Rome set.
Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick and Henry Golding reprise their original roles for the followup. New cast members include Tony winner Alex Newell and Oscar winner and frequent Feig collaborator Allison Janney.
The 2018 movie stars Kendrick as widowed vlogger Stephanie who takes it upon herself to investigate the disappearance of her friend Emily (Lively). The $20 million crime comedy grossed nearly $100,000,000 in the U.S.
“I’m thrilled,” Feig says about being on the top of the Netflix movies chart.
- 5/23/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety - Film News
Jason George is embracing the time he has left with Station 19, despite his tough feelings about its surprising cancellation.
The actor tells The Hollywood Reporter about his mixed emotions as the ABC firefighter drama series signs off this month after seven seasons. George originated his role of Ben Warren in an episode of the sixth season of Grey’s Anatomy that aired in 2010 before spinoff show Station 19 launched in March of 2018.
Indeed, fans were stunned when news broke late last year that ABC would be ending the series after the current season. “It’s incredibly tough because it feels like we have so many more years in us,” Warren tells THR about Station 19 ending.
Still, the actor takes solace in knowing that his show’s team was able to prepare for the finale, which is not always the case for some series.
Jason George speaks at the Waves of Change event.
The actor tells The Hollywood Reporter about his mixed emotions as the ABC firefighter drama series signs off this month after seven seasons. George originated his role of Ben Warren in an episode of the sixth season of Grey’s Anatomy that aired in 2010 before spinoff show Station 19 launched in March of 2018.
Indeed, fans were stunned when news broke late last year that ABC would be ending the series after the current season. “It’s incredibly tough because it feels like we have so many more years in us,” Warren tells THR about Station 19 ending.
Still, the actor takes solace in knowing that his show’s team was able to prepare for the finale, which is not always the case for some series.
Jason George speaks at the Waves of Change event.
- 5/23/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Alfonso Cuarón marked the 20th anniversary of his film “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” with a new interview in Total Film magazine, in which he admitted that he felt totally strange when Warner Bros. called to offer him the chance to direct the third “Harry Potter” movie. Chris Columbus was stepping aside from the director’s chair after helming “Sorcerer’s Stone” and “Chamber of Secrets,” but the Mexican director behind the erotic road trip drama “Y Tu Mamá También” didn’t exactly scream “Harry Potter.”
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón said. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.'”
Del Toro realized what an opportunity the “Harry Potter” franchise was, so he gave his longtime friend...
“I was confused because it was completely not on my radar,” Cuarón said. “I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this Harry Potter film, but it’s really weird they offer me this.'”
Del Toro realized what an opportunity the “Harry Potter” franchise was, so he gave his longtime friend...
- 5/23/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
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