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Why Did Prithviraj Sukumaran Stepped Down From Directing City Of God?(Photo Credit –Instagram/Prime Video)

Malayalis first knew Prithviraj Sukumaran as an actor before he ventured into directing. He began his acting career in the early 2000s, a natural choice given that both his parents were actors. Entering the industry wasn’t particularly challenging for him, but he only made his directorial debut in 2019 with Lucifer.

However, did you know Lucifer wasn’t the first film he was supposed to direct? In the early 2010s, Prithviraj initially planned to direct City of God (2011), which Lijo Jose Pellissery eventually helmed. He couldn’t go ahead with the project because of a call from legendary filmmaker Mani Ratnam, who offered him a role in the Tamil film Raavanan (2010).

This film was unique because it had two versions, one in Tamil, titled Raavanan (2010), and another in Hindi, titled Raavan (2010). While both films had the same director,...

Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles broke out over two decades ago with his internationally acclaimed film Central Station. Since its release, it has remained one of the highest-grossing Brazilian films in domestic box office history, settling at the number two spot behind City of God. Central Station's record has now been broken by the Oscar-winning hit I'm Still Here. But what makes the story all the more interesting is the fact that I'm Still Here stars Fernanda Torres, whose mother, Fernanda Montenegro, headlined Central Station all those years ago. Montenegro also appears in I'm Still Here, which became the first Brazilian film in history to score a Best Picture nod at the Oscars.

The Sopranosis a brilliant crime drama that follows the life of mob boss Tony Soprano. Tony recently stepped into the role of boss of the Dimeo crime family, which triggered a panic attack due to the numerous layers of stress. While making tough decisions and embracing violence, Tony sought help from a psychiatrist for his panic attacks and personal issues. The trials and tribulations of the Dimeo crime family began in 1999 and continued until 2007.

The Sopranos adopted a new storytelling format, transforming television and ushering in a Golden Age of TV. With phenomenal acting, amazing character arcs, and an authentic portrayal of mafia rules, the show creates a lingering desire in the audience for more. Fortunately, there are plenty of gangster films available, and some serve as perfect companions to The Sopranos.

City of God Shows Gritty Gangster Warfare From the Perspective of a Young Up-And-Coming Photographer IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

City of God...

All-Time Records Set at 97th Academy Awards (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The 97th Academy Awards delivered a ceremony brimming with groundbreaking momentsh that jolted the congregation of cinema’s luminaries. Anora emerged as the night’s titan, propelled by Sean Baker’s monumental sweep of accolades, while Mikey Madison, at a mere 25 years, clinched Best Actress and etched her name among Gen-z trailblazers.

While Demi Moore’s inaugural nomination stirred the throng, hinting at her overdue recognition, Kieran Culkin’s season-long conquest lent a touch of inevitability to the proceedings. From distant corners of the globe to voices long sidelined, the night manifested a roster of precedents stretching the annals of Oscar history. Here are 10 records established and broken at the historical 97th Academy Awards.

1. Longest Speech in Oscar History by an Actor

Adrien Brody’s 5-minute-40-second address for The Brutalist set a Guinness World Record as the longest Oscar speech,...

Picture: Brazil’s 1970 World Cup team

Another exciting sports period drama from Brazil is in development at Netflix. After producing the biopic on beloved F1 driver Ayrton Senna, the attention is now being turned to Brazil’s iconic World Cup winning team from the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Details are limited, but filming will take place in Brazil and Mexico. Here’s what we know so far.

The Untitled Miniseries is a Brazilian sports drama created by Naná Xavier and Rafael Dornellas. Pedro Morelli and Paulo Morelli will direct it. It will be produced by 02 Filmes, the same studio behind the beloved film City of God. Since its founding in 1991, 02 Filmes has produced thousands of Brazilian films and television shows.

Picture left to right: Rafael Dornellas, Paulo Morelli, Pedro Morelli and Naná Xavier.

Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Fernando Meirelles, and Paulo Morelli are the executive producers representing 02 Filmes.

What...

Avoiding the conventional format for biopics about revered public figures, I’m Still Here explores a specific political moment through the lens of grounded family drama, focusing on a mother’s determination to persevere. The latest from celebrated Brazilian director Walter Salles (City Of God), it depicts the disappearance of a left-wing dissident during Brazil’s military dictatorship. Left behind to pick up the pieces, his wife Eunice Paiva (Fernanda Torres) — the film’s true protagonist — would later become an influential human rights activist.

In 1971, engineer and former congressman Rubens Paiva (Selton Mello) enjoys a prosperous life in Rio de Janeiro, sharing a beachside house with his wife Eunice (Fernanda Torres) and five children. They host parties and play in the sun, but in the background their country's political situation is growing darker. Military helicopters buzz overhead, random checkpoints harass civilian drivers, and the newspapers report ominous tales of foreign diplomats being kidnapped.

Having recently earned the widest-ever release for a Brazilian title in North America, I'm Still Here continued its remarkable run as it approaches its biggest test yet: the Oscars. The period drama has been nominated in three categories at the Academy Awards, where it'll compete as one of the highest-grossing Brazilian films of all time. This weekend, I'm Still Here came one step closer to passing the iconic film City of God's $30 million global box office haul. Once it passes this milestone, the film will set its sights on becoming one of the five highest-grossing Brazilian films of all time.

Historical conflicts and struggles which have been experienced by real people are always more telling of the human experience than fabricated fiction can ever hope to be, as proven by the newest film from Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles. ‘I’m Still Here’ (2024) is about the family of Rubens Paiva, a Brazillian congressman who was tragically among those who lost their life by torture during Brazil’s years of military dictatorship. Rather than focus on the suffering and end of Paiva himself, the film masterfully depicts the effects his absence has on his large, happy family to achieve harrowing results by the film’s end. Things to do: Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. Limited Time Offer – Free Subscription to The Hollywood Insider Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world...

Welcoming foreign shoots while the rest of Latin America was in Covid lockdown, Uruguay has benefited from a growing influx of international productions, with local talent and crew gaining invaluable on-set experience.

National production has increased to nearly pre-pandemic levels, 33 features in 2023, on a par with 2019, and 30 features in 2024, way up on 2016’s 11 features produced.

Uruguay’s film industry has also grown in diversity in terms of genres and co-productions. Last year also saw 32 local theatrical releases, with documentaries making up the bulk but also featuring Montelona co-produced “A Blue Bird,” the latest from “Las Acacias” director Ariel Rotter, and the 2024 Cannes Critics’ Week winner “Simon of the Mountain” by Federico Luis.

Driving growth are powerhouse companies led by Cimarrón, a Mediapro company, which provided production services to J.A. Bayona’s Oscar-nominated “Society of the Snow” and Daniel Burman’s Rose d’Or Latino winner “Yosi, the Regretful Spy.” Cimarrón,...

Federation and OjoFilms have joined forces to create a new Spanish-language limited series titled “El Abuso,” based on the book “La Fuga de Punta Carretas” by Eleuterio Fernández Huidobro.

Directed by Academy Award nominees Cesar Charlone and Fernando Meirelles, the Dp and co-director of 2003’s “City of God,” respectively, “El Abuso” tells the true story of the dramatic 1971 jailbreak of 101 political prisoners from the Tupamaros, a legendary urban guerilla group. Among the escapees was Pepe Mújica, who later became President of Uruguay.

“At a time when the world was deeply divided, this jailbreak symbolized freedom for an entire region,” said Charlone.

The series will also examine the kidnapping and assassination of CIA operative Dan Mitrione, which the Tupamaros used to expose the brutal tactics of the impending Operation Condor during a shadowy period of the Cold War.

Delivered as an eight-episode limited series, “El Abuso” is being adapted by Mariana Santangelo...

Announced Jan. 21 at Miami’s Content Americas, the Rose d’Or Latinos Awards are “held during a period of great creative fervor, change, major challenges and arguably the greatest transformation the entertainment industry has ever experienced,” says jury chairman Marcos Santana, former president of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and current CEO of Mas Ros Media.

That creative fervor is well on display in nominations for the two biggest categories, Drama and Comedy/Dramedy. Variety profiles the nominees below. Some high-profile titles might seem missing: For example, Netflix’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude” and “Senna,” its biggest TV productions to date in Latin America. Voting, however, began before either title was released.

Drama “City of God: The Fight Rages On,”

“City of God: The Fight Rages On,” (O2/Warner Bros. Discovery/Max) Brazil

Twenty years after the events of “City of God,” Buscapé, now Rio’s most in-demand shutterbug guilty at...

Berlinale Series Market Selects has revealed its lineup. The European Film Market’s “boutique market for serial content from all over the world” will welcome Spanish shows in Berlinale Market Selects, its screening showcase, from “Internal Affairs,” focusing on one of the first female police officers in Spain, starting her first post, to “Honor” – yet another take on famous Israeli show which sees a judge covering his son’s crime.

Produced by Alex de la Iglesia, AtresmediaTV and Alex de la Iglesia and Carolina Bang at their Banijay-backed Pookepsie Films, “Sanctuary” turns to post-climate disaster future where women spend their pregnancies in a dome protecting them from pollution. It is not all they think, however.

Meanwhile, “City of God” director Fernando Meirelles and “Borgen” writer Maja Jul Larsen will bring projects to the Bsm’s Co-Pro Series strand.

Spain has been chosen as the Country in Focus at this year’s EFM.

The Berlinale Series Market has unveiled its 2025 lineup, featuring 17 international series under its Market Selects banner.

The productions, from 13 countries, range geographically from Brazil to South Africa to New Zealand and in genres from crime thrillers to biopics to dark comedies (check out the full line-up below). Among the higher-profile titles are the Australian/U.S. series Sunny Nights, starring Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth, Nebraska) and D’Arcy Carden (Barry, The Good Place) as an American brother and sister who head to Sydney to start up a spray tan business only to get caught up in the city’s criminal underworld; and Byun Seung-Min’s Concrete Utopia, a series spin-off of his 2023 hit action film set in a post-apocalyptic world after a catastrophic earthquake.

The small-screen industry event runs Feb. 16-19 as part of the Berlin Film Festival‘s European Film Market (EFM). The Market Selects projects will...

"I'll pay twice the amount to anyone who can help us find my son."...

This article contains mentions of rape.

City of God ends with a shooting involving the gangs led by Li’l Zé and Knockout Ned, with the outcome of the war proving that the cycle of violence that allowed Li’l Dice to grow into a ruthless drug dealer is bound to continue. The third act of City of God brings the movie full circle, as it goes back to the opening scene of Rocket getting himself between the police and Li’l Zé’s gang as a war between the drug dealer and Knockout Ned is about to begin.

What follows is an intense, bloody shooting during which Li’l Zé appears to be arrested but proceeds to walk away freely. Li’l Zé is then ambushed and gunned down by a group of kids. One of the greatest movies of the 2000s, City of God is a turning point...

As we wind down the year with holiday cheer and comfort viewing, IndieWire’s craft team picks the best TV cinematography of 2024. We weren’t seeking the slickest-looking eye candy, nor even the most elegantly shot series (although many of these projects are striking), but instead sought titles in which the cinematography was integral to the vision of its creator and elevated the storytelling of some of the year’s best shows.

While the long and repeated grind of television production can make the art of cinematography more of a team sport working under the umbrella of a series’ visual bible, in the age of limited series, there were a number cinematographers on this list who shot a vast majority, if not the entire series, and this list features a number of director/cinematographer combinations whose collaboration is more commonly associated with feature film production. Which also might explain the...

The IMDb top-250 is a curious portrait of populist taste. The list is, it's worth remembering, culled only from user ratings on the IMDb website, and, judging by the films on the list, the average IMDb user seems to be a college-age white male with a taste for crime, guns, fantasy, and the ultra-masculine. The top movies on the list all seem to be the types of movies that young men would own posters for, proudly displayed on their dorm room walls. There are many unassailable classics, to be sure, and young teens could easily look to the list as a rudimentary introduction to the world of cinema, but the list seems ... skewed. There's not a lot of variety. It's not curated by a single critic, nor even a panel of critics. It's just a general consensus of the taste of the types of people who like to rate movies on IMDb.

The 2014 remake of RoboCop is disappointing in many ways, but one behind-the-scenes detail makes its failure even more disheartening by showing how good it could have been. The RoboCop remake is, simply put, not a great film. It's often listed among the worst science fiction reboots of all time, and it only has 49% on Rotten Tomatoes. Given the popularity and cult-classic status of Paul Verhoeven and Peter Weller's original 1987 film, RoboCop 2014 was a major disappointment. Even Alex Murphy actor Joel Kinnaman tried to explain why RoboCop 2014 was a failure.

There are plenty of reasons why RoboCop was a bad remake, but one of them unfortunately proved that the movie could have been great. There's usually a wide range of factors that turn a good idea into an underwhelming final product. Everything from difficult developments to outside influences like poor marketing and a bad release date can help...

It's no secret that the gangster genre of film has become largely prolific and notable for having a high number of high-quality films that have helped redefine and shape cinema as a whole. There are a high number of exceptional gangster masterpieces over the years, ranging from generation-defining experiences like The Godfather duology and Goodfellas to international fan favorites like City of God. However, arguably even more interesting than the gangster movies that have no flaws are the ones that come just short of perfection.

In this episode, we explore the profound creative bond between directors and actors.Natalia Beristáin is a celebrated Mexican film and television director with over two decades of experience. She has also worked as a casting director on more than 25 productions, including El violín by Francisco Vargas, 600 millas by Gabriel Ripstein, Abel by Diego Luna, and La jaula de oro by Diego Quemada-Diez.In 2012, she premiered her debut feature, No quiero dormir sola, at the Rotterdam Film Festival. The film went on to win the Best Mexican Feature Film Award at the Morelia International Film Festival. Natalia has since directed Los adioses and Ruido, debuting at the San Sebastián Film Festival in 2023 with this last one. Her filmography, characterized by powerful performances and deeply empathetic characters, often portrays artists navigating complex social and political contexts that challenge their connections to cinema, literature, and art.Alice Braga, on the other hand,...

Children of the Church Steps (Os Quatro da Candelária) dropped on Netflix today. It is inspired by events that took place in Rio, Brazil, in 1993 in what has come to be known as the Candelária Massacre. Eight homeless people – aged between 11 and 19-years-old – were killed when scores of street kids living outside the Candelária Chruch in Rio were attacked. Several of the group that launched the assault were found to be police officers.

The fictionalized account tells the stories of four children in the 36 hours leading up to one of Brazil’s most tragic events. It blends the story of their lives in a harsh urban setting with dreamlike sequences. A predominantly Black cast includes breakout talent Samuel Silva, Patrick Congo, Andrei Marques and Wendy Queiroz. Established stars including Antônio Pitanga, Péricles, Leandro Firmino, Bruno Gagliasso, Maria Bopp and Stepan Nercessian also appear.

Creator Luis Lomenha and Márcia Faria share...

If you are not watching City of God: The Fight Rages On, you are missing out. The series on Max continues the story of the 2002 Brazilian classic City of God. Set 20 years after the events of the movie, it continues to delve deep into the complex dynamics of the City of God community in Rio de Janeiro, as its residents still find themselves in the middle of the crossfire between rival gangs and the bloodthirsty police from Rio. Before each episode, there is a notice that the new series is a work of fiction, and while the story itself may indeed be, it still draws a lot from the very real context of public safety in Rio.

Building on a legacy that profoundly shaped national culture, ‘City of God: The Fight Rages On’ had a significant challenge to face: not only honoring the original film’s narrative but also updating the story to reflect more contemporary issues. City of God ‘City of God’ (2002) is a critically acclaimed Brazilian crime drama set in the favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro directed by Fernando Meirelles and co-directed by Kátia Lund. The film is based on the 1997 novel of the same name by Paulo Lins, which was inspired by real events of the rise of organized crime in the neighborhood called “Cidade de Deus” (City of God). Based on the work of the original novel’s writer Paulo Lins, the spin-off takes place twenty years after the events of the feature film, in the early 2000s. Based on the memories of Buscapé “Rocket” (Alexandre Rodrigues), the production portrays the impact of conflicts between rival gangs,...

Sometimes, you watch a film and just tell yourself that they should have made a documentary instead. João Wainer’s 2024 film Outlaw (originally titled Bandida: A Número Um) is no different. The director has tried to shoot the film in a documentary format to make it look as realistic as he can, but a disjointed narrative ruins it all. You can clearly see that there is no story at all. The screenplay conveniently jumps across time periods to show different stages in the protagonist’s life and after a point, it becomes quite evident that nothing much happened in between. At the end of the day, Outlaw looks more like a home video edited on a Windows Movie Maker using all the filters available in the software. I haven’t read the non-fiction book by Raquel de Oliveira, on which the film is based, but as much as I grasped from the movie,...

In the first sequence of “Mother Mother” a herd of camels cry out in the dark. Their guttural sounds are their own kind of haunting music as we are drawn into the world of two camel herders in rural Somalia: widow and force-of-nature Qalifo and loyal only son Asa (newcomers Maan Youssouf Ahmed and Elmi Rashid Elmi).

Written and directed by Somali-Canadian hip hop artist K’naan Warsame, the film is a slowburn drama, observational in its visual footprint and spare in its narrative tendencies. At the same time the film — which bills itself as “the first Somali film produced by a major Hollywood studio” — is replete with bursts of cinematic energy that keep one curious.

Shot entirely on location in Kenya and the autonomously-run Somali region of Puntland, Warsame’s collaboration with “City of God” and “The Constant Gardener” (also shot in Kenya) cinematographer César Charlone is a get that,...

Peacock Announces “Based on a True Story” Season 2 Premiere, Releases First Look

The Bartletts are back on the case. Peacock has announced the Season 2 premiere date for its hit comedy-thriller series “Based on a True Story,” starring Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina. The series follows Ava (Cuoco) and Nathan (Messina), a married couple feeling the weight of life and work amidst endless bills, marriage squabbles, mounting work pressures, and a baby on the way. But their lives get a shake-up when, spurred by Ava’s passion for true crime, she realizes that plumber-turned-family friend Matt (Tom Bateman) is the serial killer behind a string of unsolved murders in L.A. and the pair blackmail him into co-creating a podcast about his “work.”

Watch the “Based on a True Story” Season 2 date announcement teaser below:

In Season 2, Ava and Nathan are three months into parenthood, and Ava is determined to resist her true-crime obsession,...

On the heels of its series debut on August 25, HBO has renewed City of God: The Fight Rages On for a second season.

The sequel series follows the characters 20 years after the events of the award-winning 2002 film, through the lens of Wilson (Rocket), who returns to the community when a young drug dealer’s release from prison puts City of God in dispute once again. The residents end up trapped between drug dealers, militias and government authorities. However, their desire to break this cycle drives the community to unite and confront their oppressors.

The six-episode first season continues with weekly releases every Sunday at 8 pm Et/Pt on HBO Latino and streaming on Max. The second episode will debut on Sunday, September 1.

Directed by Aly Muritiba, the HBO Original series is produced by O2 Filmes, with a script by Maíra Oliveira, Patricia Andrade, and Paulo Lins. On behalf of O2 Filmes,...

The HBO Original series City of God: The Fight Rages On has been renewed for a second season. The series is a sequel to the award-winning 2002 film.

City of God: The Fight Rages On had its global debut on HBO and Max on Sunday, August 25. Details of the second season will be announced at a later date.

The series’ plot follows the characters 20 years after the events of the renowned film, through the lens of Wilson (Rocket), who returns to the community when a young drug dealer’s release from prison puts City of God in dispute once again.

The residents end up trapped between drug dealers, militias, and government authorities. However, their desire to break this cycle drives the community to unite and confront their oppressors.

The cast includes Alexandre Rodrigues, Roberta Rodrigues, Thiago Martins, Sabrina Rosa, Kiko Marques, Edson Oliveira, Andréia Horta, Marcos Palmeira, Eli Ferreira, Luellem de Castro,...

“City of God: The Fight Rages On” has been renewed for Season 2.

The news comes just days after the series debuted on HBO Latino and Max on Aug. 25. The six episode first season will continue to drop new episodes weekly on Sundays at 8 p.m. Et/Pt. The second episode will air on Sept. 1.

Per the official description, the series “follows the characters 20 years after the events of the renowned film, through the lens of Wilson (Rocket), who returns to the community when a young drug dealer’s release from prison puts City of God in dispute once again. The residents end up trapped between drug dealers, militias and government authorities. However, their desire to break this cycle drives the community to unite and confront their oppressors.”

Alexandre Rodrigues reprised his role as Wilson from the original “City of God” film, which was itself based on the novel of the same name by Paulo Lins.

It almost invariably is a pet peeve of mine when something’s said to counter a critique, and this might be the first time I’m about to do the same. Most critics’ complaint that City of God: The Fight Rages On isn’t as fiery as the original is practically holding the spin-off accountable for being authentic to the sociopolitical scenario of Brazil. And how ironic is it that when Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund’s film came out, it was widely condemned for fetishizing violence when all it did was stay grounded in reality? And then there’s the factor that, as a 2-hour long movie, City of God could afford to be one kill after another with intervals for other criminal activities. How fair would it be to expect the show to pack just as much punch while also allotting enough time to develop the characters that...

It’s only normal that there’s skepticism aplenty about the soon-to-be-out HBO original City of God: The Fight Rages on. If you’re a fan of the 2002 City of God, you’d know how much of its edge would need to be blunted for the spin-off to be palatable in today’s time. If Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund’s film was condemned for over-exploitation of violent themes back when people had stronger stomachs, the world’s certainly not ready for something in the same line now. But there’s a silver lining in City of God getting a spin-off series under a banner as reliable as HBO and Max. It’s been a while since the original masterpiece has been a part of the Zeitgeist. So, if it takes an HBO original to bring it back to the forefront again, aside from the fact that this is...

When Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund’s City of God came out in 2002, it was generally acclaimed — countless Top 10 lists, four Oscar nominations, etc. But it did not go without criticism. There were some who found the violent coming-of-age drama to be exploitative, fetishizing poverty and crime in the Brazilian favelas without digging deeper than misery.

In very meta terms, it’s a duality that haunts the lead of HBO Latino and Max’s new spinoff series, City of God: The Fight Rages On. Wilson (Alexandre Rodrigues) grew up in the sprawling lower-income suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and, after watching many of his friends and rivals die in the film’s escalating violence, found his escape through his camera. Though he’s become one of the country’s most famous photojournalists, even he’s exhausted by how much of his success has come from capturing images of death.

Wilson...

HBO Max is gearing fans up for the release of the highly anticipated City of God sequel which will hit small screens a little over a week from now. Titled, City of God: The Fight Rages On, the followup was announced in May 2024, over two decades after the Oscar-nominated film was released. While fans count down to the arrival of this upcoming Brazilian production, Max has dropped a series of posters on its social media page, introducing the faces of the characters set to bring the show to life.

City of God realistically portrays Rio de Janeiro's favelas as not just dangerous but also complex and humanizing. City of God remains relevant as ever today, tackling ongoing issues of poverty, inequality, police brutality, and corruption in Brazilian society. A long-awaited sequel series, City of God: The Fight Rages On, set to premiere on August 25th, promises to continue the story with original and new characters.

A little over two decades ago, a Brazilian gangster epic, City of God, hit theaters for the first time and introduced the rest of the world to Brazilian favelas, which feature unique power, race, and class structures. Earning ecstatic five-star reviews from critics of all types, City of God quickly found itself compared to the rest in the crime-fiction genre, including GoodFellas and Pulp Fiction.

In many ways, City of God is much more than just a response to the advent of Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino.

Matching the high-paced style of City of God in a TV series will be challenging without the original creative team. City of God: The Fight Rages On faces the difficulty of expanding storylines and maintaining the impactful visuals of the film. Legacy sequel TV series have struggled in the past, such as The Full Monty and Willow series, showing the uphill battle for City of God: The Fight Rages On.

In an age dominated by legacy sequels, it is becoming increasingly rare for successful one-off films to remain that way. The next film to be revisited is 2002s City of God, an epic crime film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Ktia Lund. The film, written by Brulo Mantovani, is based on the 1997 novel of the same name by Paulo Lins. City of God follows several interconnected stories across the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, with a specific focus on the story of Busca-p,...

What’s that Taylor Swift lyric? Something about August TV pairing well with a bottle of wine? She gets it. As the official summer TV season slips away, a variety of new shows will debut across platforms, from docuseries to movie sequels to true crime, and more.

Netflix and BBC’s “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” based on the YA book of the same name, kicks off an otherwise light month on the platform. The same day marks the premiere of two Prime Video originals, “Batman: Caped Crusader” and the panel format talk show “Influenced.” Later in the month, Steph Curry makes his Peacock debut alongside Adam Pally, followed by the film industry deep dive “Hollywood Black. Vince Vaughn makes his Apple TV+ debut with a trained monkey, and for those especially interested in primate programming, there’s also HBO’s “Chimp Crazy” docuseries. The final week of the...

Quick Links Movies Coming to Paramount+ Movies Coming to Max Movies Coming to Peacock Movies Coming to Prime Video Movies Coming to Shudder Movies Coming to AMC+ Movies Coming to Netflix

The sheer number of films released in both cinemas and on streaming services has increased dramatically in recent years. Luckily, there are plenty of big-budget projects on nearly every streamer in the coming month. However, with so many streaming services, finding a good movie to watch over the weekend can be extremely difficult. To help you with that, we've created a directory of every movie coming to major streaming services in August 2024, including Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Hulu, and more.

Movies Coming to Paramount+

Variance Films/Bleecker Street/Paramount Pictures

Here's every movie coming to Paramount+ in August 2024:

A Time to Kill August 1

Aeon Flux August 1

Airplane II: The Sequel August 1

Airplane! August 1

Almost Famous August 1

An Inconvenient...

Beat the summer heat with the latest additions at Max! This August, truth is stranger than fiction, and HBO will premiere multiple documentary series and films, including the four-part Original “Chimp Crazy,” a new installment of the Emmy-winning “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears,” and the streaming premiere of the recent Cannes and Tribeca entrant “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes.”

The rest of the month at Max includes the Season 3 premiere of the HBO/BBC One finance industry drama “Industry,” returning after a two-year hiatus, and the surprise “City of God” follow-up series “City of God: The Fight Rages On.” All of the new titles, from new series premieres to classic films joining the library, as well as any new games and matches available this month on Bleacher Report, will be available on either an ad-supported Max plan beginning at $9.99 per month or an ad-free plan beginning at $16.99 per month.

This August, Paramount+ is bringing you a lot of entertainment with the highly anticipated streaming release of the biographical film Bob Marley: One Love and a very weird but humorous and heartfelt film Sasquatch Sunset, which follows the daily lives of a Sasquatch family. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Paramount+ this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 10 best films that are coming to Paramount+ in August 2024 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Airplane! (August 1)

Airplane! is a disaster absurdist comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David, and Jerry Zucker. Based on the 1957 drama film Zero Hour! by Arthur Hailey, Hall Bartlett, and John Champion, the 1980 film follows Ted Striker, a former pilot with a fear of flying as he finds himself in the impossible situation of landing a...

As House of the Dragon Season 2 comes to an end on August 4, Max subscribers will be wondering about what’s next. The Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service has a lot to offer in the upcoming month including as many classic and new content comes out on the service. Just like every month there is a lot of content on the way and just like every month, we have sorted out the best movies and TV shows you should invest your time in. So, here are the 7 best movies and TV shows coming to Max in August 2024.

Beetlejuice (August 1)

Beetlejuice is a fantasy comedy horror movie directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay co-written by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren. The 1988 film follows the story of a ghost married couple Barbara and Adam, who lead a peaceful life but when their house gets sold to new people, they call on the...

Many eyes will be turned to Max when the conclusion of House of the Dragon drops on August 4. But what can fans expect after such a huge event? Not much, unfortunately, as the streaming platform's offering for the rest of August is modest; you can't constantly be hitting home runs! Still, there are a few notable new seasons of fan-favorite shows, including Industry entering its 3rd season and the Polish thriller The Thaw premiering its second season.

August also holds a potential sleeper hit, as a popular 2002 Brazil crime thriller, City of God, gets a TV series that acts as a sequel to the critically acclaimed film. And, of course, those who subscribe to the extended networks under Max will find plenty of drama on TLC, tasty eats on The Food Network, and true-crime thrills on ID. Here is everything coming to Max in August, including its extended network.

Industry...

Beth and John’s romantic journey has come to an end.

Hulu has cancelled the Amy Schumer-led dramedy Life & Beth after two seasons, TVLine has learned. The show’s sophomore finale, which dropped on Feb. 16 with the rest of Season 2, now serves as its series finale.

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Life & Beth premiered on the streamer in March 2022 and starred Schumer as Beth, a woman who realized...

City Of God: The Fight Rages On is a television sequel to the acclaimed 2002 film, City Of God. Here’s the trailer.

City Of God is a modern classic, insofar as 2002 can be considered modern. Written by Bráulio Mantovani and directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, the film received praise for its stark depiction of the lives of its characters and for filming in real favelas in Rio de Janeiro. It went on to be nominated for four Oscars and is often cited as one of the best films of the 21st century.

A spin-off television drama, City Of Men, ran for four series in 2002 to 2005, which was adapted into a film in 2007.

Back in the present, City Of God: The Fight Rages On is described as a direct sequel to the film, with Alexandre Rodrigues – who played budding photographer Rocket in the original 2002 film – reprising his role.

The...

“City of God: The Fight Rages On” is a 6-episode sequel to a 2002 ‘crime drama’ series, directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, starring Alexandre Rodrigues, Roberta Rodrigues, Thiago Martins, Sabrina Rosa, Kiko Marques, Edson Oliveira, Andréia Horta, Marcos Palmeira, Eli Ferreira, Luellem de Castro, Jefferson Brasil, Otávio Linhares, Rafael Lozano, Leandro Daniel, and Luiz Bertazzo, streaming August 25, 2024 on Max:

“…two decades have passed as a photojournalist finds himself dropped into an ongoing drug war. The battle for control over the ‘City of God’ rages on, as ‘Rocket’ finds himself caught up in a daily fight that only seems to escalate.

“Then a young drug dealer from prison puts ‘Cidade de Deus’ right back into conflict. As residents become ensnared between drug traffickers, militias and public authorities, the need to escape this cycle makes the community unite to face the oppression…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

"Someone needs to tell this story." HBO has revealed the first official trailer for a streaming series called City of God: The Fight Rages On, a long-awaited legacy sequel to the iconic masterpiece Brazilian film City of God (from 2002). There was already a sort-of-sequel made in 2007 called City of Men, but it had mixed reviews and didn't make much of an impact. This new series follows the very same kid, Rocket (aka Buscapé), and stars Alexandre Rodrigues bringing him back 22 years after starring in the original. The series will follow in the footsteps of the film by Fernando Meirelles and will also be based on Paulo Lins’ book "City of God”. It's set two decades after that of the original, following the current lives of the characters seen in the 2002 film – showing what happened to them. With excerpts used in flashbacks to reconstruct memories and affective recollections. The cast includes: Roberta Rodrigues,...

The I.P. proverb remains true: if you’ve got a popular film brand, a spin-off on television seems inevitable. While it’s more than 20 years later, “City Of God: The Fight Rages On” is a spin-off series based on the Oscar-nominated “City Of God” crime thriller which launched the career of Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles (though it was also co-directed by Kátia Lund).

Continue reading ‘City Of God’ Trailer: ‘The Fight Rages On’ In New TV Spin-Off Of Beloved Oscar-Winning Film at The Playlist.

Brazilian social impact entertainment company Maria Farinha Films is expanding stateside by opening a Los Angeles office operated by U.S. producer Miura Kite, formerly EVP of global television at Participant, who is joining as president of global content.

Kite’s producer credits at the now-shuttered Participant include the upcoming Taiki Waititi-directed show “Interior Chinatown” that will premiere on Hulu this fall. She previously worked with Maria Farinha Films on “Esperanza,” an adventure drama jointly developed with Participant that tracks the crew of the titular vessel as they fight for environmental and social rights around the world, with award-winning director Fernando Meirelles as co-showrunner.

For the São Paulo-based company that is a leading Latin American studio, known for its hit Globoplay Original “Aruanas,” setting up a Los Angeles outpost is part of a broader expansion plan.

Maria Farinha Films last month announced it had taken a minority stake in Joanna Natasegara...

Principal photography has commenced on the Arab underworld thriller “Boomah” (“The Owl”), written and directed by Zaid Abu Hamdan and marking the Jordanian filmmaker’s second feature following his critically acclaimed “Daughters of Abdul Rahman.”

Previously announced in December, Rakeen Saad is set to play the titular role of the female thug Boomah. Saad rose to acclaim for her central roles in hit shows “The Giza Killer” and the Netflix original “Al Rawabi School for Girls,” and will next be seen as the lead in a new Netflix series production “Echoes of the Past” and “The Way of the Wind,” the biblical drama by Terrence Malick.

“Boomah” — now shooting in Jordan — reunites Saad with Rawabi co-star Joanna Arida who will play the role of her best friend and confidant Anoud. Arida will next appear in “Laura H,” a Dutch TV series based on the bestseller by journalist Thomas Rueb. Rounding...

The cast of upcoming Arab crime thriller Boomah has been revealed as director Zaid Abu Hamdan begins filming in Jordan.

As previously reported, the title role is to be played by Rakeen Saad, star of Netflix hit AlRawabi School For Girls and who will next be seen in Netflix series Echoes Of The Past and Terrence Malick’s biblical drama The Way Of The Wind.

Boomah will see Saad reunite with Rawabi co-star Joanna Arida, who will play the role of her best friend and confidant Anoud. Arida will next be seen in Dutch TV series Laura H.

Rounding out the cast are Majd Eid,...

Zaid Abu Hamdan has begun principal photography in Jordan on new film Boomah which is being positioned as an Arab world thriller with a similar gritty edge as City of God, Gomorrah and La Haine.

Boomah marks Jordanian director Abu Hamdan’s second feature after his critically acclaimed female focused drama Daughters of Abdul Rahman.

The Giza Killer and Al Rawabi School For Girls actress Rakeen Saad stars in the titular role of a female thug, who goes by the name of Boomah. The actress is also soon to be seen as the lead in new Netflix series production Echoes of the Past, as well as in Terrence Malick’s biblical drama The Way of the Wind.

She will be joined by Rawabi co-star Joanna Arida in the role of Boomah’s best friend and confidant Anoud. Rounding out the cast are Majd Eid, Nabil Al Raee and Hanan Al Hilo, who previously starred in Daughters of Abdul Rahman.

The new film is billed as an “expansive crime thriller” set against the backdrop of Jordan’s underworld. Protagonist Boomah is notorious and knife-savvy female gang member who becomes embroiled in a power struggle between street thugs and religious extremists while battling the traumas of her harrowing orphaned past.

The film is produced by Front Row Productions with Ahmad Abu Koush and director Abu Hamdan’s Jordan-based Bounce Productions.

Also on board is Amman-based production company Bayt Al Shawareb, which worked on 2014 Oscar-nominated film Theeb and the 2023 Cannes Critics’ Week breakout Inshallah a Boy.

A joint venture between Mena distributors Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Empire Entertainment, Front Row Productions’ previous credits include Netflix originals Perfect Strangers, The Sandcastle, starring Nadine Labaki and Ziad Bakri, and the upcoming Cliffhanger reboot.

“We’re proud to be a part of this project, supporting Jordanian and Levantine talent during this extremely difficult and trying period, with so much risk inherent in cinema and arts coming out of this region,” said Front Row Productions partners Gianluca Chakra and Mario Jr. Haddad.

“Zaid is an outstanding young and ambitious director with a very bright future ahead, a true visionary and difference-maker. His understanding of the nuances of Jordanian street culture is exceptional,” they added.

“We are concentrating on a script and storytelling that transcends borders and nationality while looking to break the limits of background and identity to bring Boomah to a wide Arab audience and beyond. We see Boomah positioned as a film with Arab and international appeal, as a crime thriller reminiscent of great underworld juggernaut works like City of God, Gomorrah, La Haine and others.”...