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Theo James is set to star alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the heist thriller “Fuze.”
Directed by David Mackenzie from a script penned by Ben Hopkins, “Fuze” “opens on the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb in a London construction site sparking a mass evacuation the perfect cover for a heist,” according to the film’s synopsis. Filming will begin in early July.
“Fuze” is produced by Gillian Berrie for Sigma Films, as well as Sebastien Raybaud and Callum Grant for Anton. “Hell or High Water” cinematographer Giles Nuttgens has joined the creative team as director of photography.
Anton is financing “Fuze.” UTA Independent Film Group and WME Independent will co-rep the U.S. rights with Anton.
James is known for the “Divergent” film series, Guy Ritchie’s “The Gentlemen” and the HBO series “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” He scored his first Emmy nomination for his performance as Cameron Sullivan...
Directed by David Mackenzie from a script penned by Ben Hopkins, “Fuze” “opens on the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb in a London construction site sparking a mass evacuation the perfect cover for a heist,” according to the film’s synopsis. Filming will begin in early July.
“Fuze” is produced by Gillian Berrie for Sigma Films, as well as Sebastien Raybaud and Callum Grant for Anton. “Hell or High Water” cinematographer Giles Nuttgens has joined the creative team as director of photography.
Anton is financing “Fuze.” UTA Independent Film Group and WME Independent will co-rep the U.S. rights with Anton.
James is known for the “Divergent” film series, Guy Ritchie’s “The Gentlemen” and the HBO series “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” He scored his first Emmy nomination for his performance as Cameron Sullivan...
- 5/28/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
Josh O’Connor and Cailee Spaeny are joining Daniel Craig in the upcoming Knives Out 3 sequel, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Last week, writer and director Rian Johnson confirmed on X, formerly Twitter, that Craig would be reprising his role as Benoit Blanc in the next ensemble murder mystery film. In a 45-second video teaser video, he also revealed the sequel’s title as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
“The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man,” the filmmaker wrote in the post’s caption on Friday.
Netflix also confirmed Craig’s return and the sequel title on its Tudum site following Johnson’s post.
“That’s right, Daniel Craig is back as the suave Southern investigator in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, a new installment of the whodunnit franchise written and directed by Rian Johnson.
Last week, writer and director Rian Johnson confirmed on X, formerly Twitter, that Craig would be reprising his role as Benoit Blanc in the next ensemble murder mystery film. In a 45-second video teaser video, he also revealed the sequel’s title as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
“The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man,” the filmmaker wrote in the post’s caption on Friday.
Netflix also confirmed Craig’s return and the sequel title on its Tudum site following Johnson’s post.
“That’s right, Daniel Craig is back as the suave Southern investigator in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, a new installment of the whodunnit franchise written and directed by Rian Johnson.
- 5/28/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
We’ve been here before.
Just writing that automatically makes one sound like a David Lynch character. Or perhaps even more perfectly Lynchian: “It’s happening again.” Yes, it’s true: David Lynch has taken to Twitter/X to announce a new project — er, something — for June 5.
Rumors have abounded ever since his last project, “Twin Peaks: The Return,” wrapped on Showtime in 2017, that another project was in the works. About what, who can say, but the total and complete lack of information certainly has not prevented speculation.
This sure sounds like something of import this time, though.
“Ladies and gentleman, something is coming along…. for you to see and hear,” Lynch said in his X video on Memorial Day, May 25. “And it will be coming along on June 5.”
Love the way he says “June Five” rather than “June Fifth.”
Could this be just the resumption of him giving daily...
Just writing that automatically makes one sound like a David Lynch character. Or perhaps even more perfectly Lynchian: “It’s happening again.” Yes, it’s true: David Lynch has taken to Twitter/X to announce a new project — er, something — for June 5.
Rumors have abounded ever since his last project, “Twin Peaks: The Return,” wrapped on Showtime in 2017, that another project was in the works. About what, who can say, but the total and complete lack of information certainly has not prevented speculation.
This sure sounds like something of import this time, though.
“Ladies and gentleman, something is coming along…. for you to see and hear,” Lynch said in his X video on Memorial Day, May 25. “And it will be coming along on June 5.”
Love the way he says “June Five” rather than “June Fifth.”
Could this be just the resumption of him giving daily...
- 5/27/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire Television
Garfield has another reason to hate Mondays.
In a box office nail biter, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” narrowly emerged victorious over “The Garfield Movie” on North American charts. On Sunday, Warner Bros. and Sony both claimed its own movie ranked No. 1 with roughly $25 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through the Memorial Day holiday on Monday.
With Monday’s estimates, “Furiosa” ended up generating $26.2 million over the weekend and $32 million for the four days. “Garfield” was shockingly close behind with $24 million over the weekend and $31.1 million over the four days.
No matter the final order, it’s the worst Memorial Day weekend in nearly three decades — excluding 2020 when theaters were entirely closed due to Covid. Box office comparisons to the same holiday weekend in 2023 are particularly tough — down by nearly 36% — given that Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” remake took the crown with $118 million, one of the best debuts for the holiday.
In a box office nail biter, “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” narrowly emerged victorious over “The Garfield Movie” on North American charts. On Sunday, Warner Bros. and Sony both claimed its own movie ranked No. 1 with roughly $25 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through the Memorial Day holiday on Monday.
With Monday’s estimates, “Furiosa” ended up generating $26.2 million over the weekend and $32 million for the four days. “Garfield” was shockingly close behind with $24 million over the weekend and $31.1 million over the four days.
No matter the final order, it’s the worst Memorial Day weekend in nearly three decades — excluding 2020 when theaters were entirely closed due to Covid. Box office comparisons to the same holiday weekend in 2023 are particularly tough — down by nearly 36% — given that Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” remake took the crown with $118 million, one of the best debuts for the holiday.
- 5/27/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Johnny Wactor, an actor best known for appearing in General Hospital, died early Saturday morning. He was 37.
Wactor’s mother confirmed the news of his death to TMZ, saying he was shot and killed in Los Angeles during an alleged attempted robbery near Wactor’s car. TVLine has reached out to Wactor’s representatives for comment.
More from TVLineSusan Lucci Says The Golden Bachelorette Approached Her to Star, But 'It Wasn't for Me'Morgan Spurlock, Super Size Me Filmmaker and CNN Vet, Dead at 53Grey's Anatomy Recap: [Spoiler] Is Fired - and as One Couple Breaks Up, Another One Hits the Sheets...
Wactor’s mother confirmed the news of his death to TMZ, saying he was shot and killed in Los Angeles during an alleged attempted robbery near Wactor’s car. TVLine has reached out to Wactor’s representatives for comment.
More from TVLineSusan Lucci Says The Golden Bachelorette Approached Her to Star, But 'It Wasn't for Me'Morgan Spurlock, Super Size Me Filmmaker and CNN Vet, Dead at 53Grey's Anatomy Recap: [Spoiler] Is Fired - and as One Couple Breaks Up, Another One Hits the Sheets...
- 5/26/2024
- by Claire Franken
- TVLine.com
‘Immaculate’ Director Addresses Criticism of Film’s Dark Visuals on Streaming: “It’s a Real Problem”
The filmmaker behind the recent Sydney Sweeney horror movie Immaculate is addressing criticism about scenes from the film appearing to be overly dark when viewed on certain streaming platforms.
Michael Mohan took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday after a social media user complained that the Neon film’s visuals were “comically dark” and shared screenshots showing that it was difficult to see what was happening as the movie was streaming. In his response, Mohan made it clear that he empathized with the concerns and had not intended for the film to look so dark.
“I know, man,” Mohan replied. “This was absolutely not done intentionally. We have no control over the compression specs of each platform.”
He continued, “It’s a real problem that truly bums me out, and after comparing them all, iTunes is the closest to what we wanted / brighter than the rest.”
I know, man. This was absolutely not done intentionally.
Michael Mohan took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday after a social media user complained that the Neon film’s visuals were “comically dark” and shared screenshots showing that it was difficult to see what was happening as the movie was streaming. In his response, Mohan made it clear that he empathized with the concerns and had not intended for the film to look so dark.
“I know, man,” Mohan replied. “This was absolutely not done intentionally. We have no control over the compression specs of each platform.”
He continued, “It’s a real problem that truly bums me out, and after comparing them all, iTunes is the closest to what we wanted / brighter than the rest.”
I know, man. This was absolutely not done intentionally.
- 5/28/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Adria Arjona has joined the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series “Criminal,” Variety has learned.
Arjona is now the second confirmed cast member in the series, alongside the previously announced Richard Jenkins. “Criminal” is based on the graphic novels of the same name by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. The official description states that the series is “an interlocking universe of crime stories.”
Arjona will star as Greta. The character is described as “a sharp-tongued top-level car thief and driver and the widowed mother of Angie. Ever since her husband died in a bank job gone bad, Greta has been battling...
Arjona is now the second confirmed cast member in the series, alongside the previously announced Richard Jenkins. “Criminal” is based on the graphic novels of the same name by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. The official description states that the series is “an interlocking universe of crime stories.”
Arjona will star as Greta. The character is described as “a sharp-tongued top-level car thief and driver and the widowed mother of Angie. Ever since her husband died in a bank job gone bad, Greta has been battling...
- 5/28/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Mamie Laverock, a 19-year-old actor with Hallmark’s When Calls The Heart, is on life support after falling from a five-story walkway while under medical care at a Vancouver hospital.
According to a GoFundMe page launched by her family, Laverock was rushed on May 11 to a Winnipeg hospital by her mother, Nicole Compton, after what was described as a “medical emergency.” But an update from Laverock’s family indicates on May 26 she fell from a balcony walkway at a Vancouver hospital after being transferred there as part of her recovery.
“Mamie, who has been in intensive treatment for the past two weeks, was escorted out of a secure unit of the hospital and taken up to a balcony walkway from which she fell five stories. She sustained life threatening injuries, has undergone multiple extensive surgeries, and is currently on life support,” the family’s fundraising campaign page states.
“We are all devastated,...
According to a GoFundMe page launched by her family, Laverock was rushed on May 11 to a Winnipeg hospital by her mother, Nicole Compton, after what was described as a “medical emergency.” But an update from Laverock’s family indicates on May 26 she fell from a balcony walkway at a Vancouver hospital after being transferred there as part of her recovery.
“Mamie, who has been in intensive treatment for the past two weeks, was escorted out of a secure unit of the hospital and taken up to a balcony walkway from which she fell five stories. She sustained life threatening injuries, has undergone multiple extensive surgeries, and is currently on life support,” the family’s fundraising campaign page states.
“We are all devastated,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Recently crowned Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph has joined the cast of A24’s upcoming romantic comedy “Eternity,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Directed by David Freyne, the film also stars Miles Teller (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Elizabeth Olsen (“WandaVision”) and Callum Turner (“Masters of the Air”). This project marks Randolph’s first feature film with A24.
The plot of “Eternity” remains under wraps, but it is described as a romantic comedy in which characters must decide who they want to spend eternity with. Patrick Cunnane, who wrote the screenplay and appeared on the 2022 Black List, is best known for penning the TV thriller “Designated Survivor,” starring Kiefer Sutherland.
A24 is financing the film and partnering with Oscar-nominated producers Trevor White and Tim White (“King Richard”) under their production company Star Thrower Entertainment. Olsen and Teller will also serve as executive producers. “Eternity” is set to begin production this summer.
Randolph gained...
Directed by David Freyne, the film also stars Miles Teller (“Top Gun: Maverick”), Elizabeth Olsen (“WandaVision”) and Callum Turner (“Masters of the Air”). This project marks Randolph’s first feature film with A24.
The plot of “Eternity” remains under wraps, but it is described as a romantic comedy in which characters must decide who they want to spend eternity with. Patrick Cunnane, who wrote the screenplay and appeared on the 2022 Black List, is best known for penning the TV thriller “Designated Survivor,” starring Kiefer Sutherland.
A24 is financing the film and partnering with Oscar-nominated producers Trevor White and Tim White (“King Richard”) under their production company Star Thrower Entertainment. Olsen and Teller will also serve as executive producers. “Eternity” is set to begin production this summer.
Randolph gained...
- 5/28/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety - Film News
Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out movie is continuing to expand its cast.
Andrew Scott joins the growing list of performers for the latest film in the crime franchise, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Last week, director Johnson announced the movie’s title as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Scott joins previously confirmed castmembers Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor and Cailee Spaeny in the project that counts Johnson and Ram Bergman as producers.
Netflix announced last week that the third film will follow a new murder mystery in a yet-to-be-disclosed setting and will feature another colorful array of suspects catching the attention of returning detective Benoit Blanc (Craig).
Scott recently starred in the Netflix series Ripley, with the adaptation of author Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley debuting last month. Scott was seen in last year’s drama feature All of Us Strangers and is also...
Andrew Scott joins the growing list of performers for the latest film in the crime franchise, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Last week, director Johnson announced the movie’s title as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Scott joins previously confirmed castmembers Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor and Cailee Spaeny in the project that counts Johnson and Ram Bergman as producers.
Netflix announced last week that the third film will follow a new murder mystery in a yet-to-be-disclosed setting and will feature another colorful array of suspects catching the attention of returning detective Benoit Blanc (Craig).
Scott recently starred in the Netflix series Ripley, with the adaptation of author Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley debuting last month. Scott was seen in last year’s drama feature All of Us Strangers and is also...
- 5/28/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 2005, Hamilton and Girls5Eva star Renee Elise Goldsberry went back home to Chicago to visit her dad. She accompanied him to church, where the reverend made a to-do of her presence. “We have a guest,” he announced to the congregation, and then proceeded to tick off her professional accomplishments, which, at that point, included a soap opera and a stint on Broadway.
Goldsberry didn’t immediately recognize herself in the introduction. “I’m looking around, like, “Who’s in the house when I’m here?” she says. “Because the year I had, I’d had two very painful miscarriages. One was in the second trimester. It was terribly painful.”
She stood up and waved, nevertheless, but it served as a stark reminder that describing her as a Tony winner or a Grammy winner or whatever else her IMDb profile offers is not fully representative of who she is. “And quite honestly,...
Goldsberry didn’t immediately recognize herself in the introduction. “I’m looking around, like, “Who’s in the house when I’m here?” she says. “Because the year I had, I’d had two very painful miscarriages. One was in the second trimester. It was terribly painful.”
She stood up and waved, nevertheless, but it served as a stark reminder that describing her as a Tony winner or a Grammy winner or whatever else her IMDb profile offers is not fully representative of who she is. “And quite honestly,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Lacey Rose
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chinese director Guan Hu’s visually stunning new feature, Black Dog, starts off with a familiar premise: After spending a decade behind bars, an ex-con named Lang (Eddie Peng) returns to his tiny native city in Northwest China on the outskirts of the Gobi Desert. He tries to integrate into regular life, but certain demons from his past come back to haunt him.
If this sounds like any number of throwaway B-movies, or like the plot of the recent Sylvester Stallone series Tulsa King, be advised that Black Dog is not that kind of thing at all. First off, it’s unclear who, exactly, the title is referring to. Is it the film’s total outcast of a protagonist, who barely utters a full sentence to anyone — including his own father — as he attempts to settle into a place that doesn’t want him? Or is it the stray black greyhound he meets in town,...
If this sounds like any number of throwaway B-movies, or like the plot of the recent Sylvester Stallone series Tulsa King, be advised that Black Dog is not that kind of thing at all. First off, it’s unclear who, exactly, the title is referring to. Is it the film’s total outcast of a protagonist, who barely utters a full sentence to anyone — including his own father — as he attempts to settle into a place that doesn’t want him? Or is it the stray black greyhound he meets in town,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Musician James Blunt recently said at the Hay Festival in Wales (via People) that his close friend Carrie Fisher faced tremendous pressure to be thin for “Star Wars” when she reprised her iconic role of Princess Leia in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Fisher previously told Good Housekeeping U.K. in 2015 shortly before “The Force Awakens” opened in theaters that she lost 35 pounds for the movie. She died one year later in December 2016 after going into cardiac arrest while flying from London to Los Angeles.
“She’d been really mistreating her body, and she’d just got the job again of being Princess Leia in a new ‘Star Wars’ movie,” said Blunt at the arts festival, where he was speaking about his memoir, “Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story.”
Blunt became friends with Fisher in the 2000s and even lived with her and her mother, the late Debbie Reynolds, when...
“She’d been really mistreating her body, and she’d just got the job again of being Princess Leia in a new ‘Star Wars’ movie,” said Blunt at the arts festival, where he was speaking about his memoir, “Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story.”
Blunt became friends with Fisher in the 2000s and even lived with her and her mother, the late Debbie Reynolds, when...
- 5/28/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
A Berlin Generation Crystal Bear winner and the first foray into film of the Fremantle-backed The Immigrant, Sofía Auza’s “Adolfo” saw its premiere Monday night in Mexico City.
With Fremantle handling international distribution, “Adolfo” has a lot to celebrate. Auza’s first feature, it also took best feature at Stockholm, screened as opening night film at last year’s TIFF Next Wave Festival and, testing home market waters, scooped best actress for Rocío de la Mañana at Mexico’s Guadalajara Festival in June.
Now, via Cinemex, Mexico’s second biggest exhibition chain, “Adolfo” will hit 12 theaters around Mexico on June 6. A platform release via Cinemex expands in its second week to another 12 locations. “Adolfo” will play upscale Premium and Platino theaters on the Cinemex circuit,
“It’s really important for a relatively small film to have a commercial release, to see the reaction of audiences. It’s not...
With Fremantle handling international distribution, “Adolfo” has a lot to celebrate. Auza’s first feature, it also took best feature at Stockholm, screened as opening night film at last year’s TIFF Next Wave Festival and, testing home market waters, scooped best actress for Rocío de la Mañana at Mexico’s Guadalajara Festival in June.
Now, via Cinemex, Mexico’s second biggest exhibition chain, “Adolfo” will hit 12 theaters around Mexico on June 6. A platform release via Cinemex expands in its second week to another 12 locations. “Adolfo” will play upscale Premium and Platino theaters on the Cinemex circuit,
“It’s really important for a relatively small film to have a commercial release, to see the reaction of audiences. It’s not...
- 5/28/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety - Film News
Since Maya Erskine burst onto our televisions in 2019 as a 31-year-old actress playing the socially inept 13-year-old Maya Ishii-Peters on Hulu’s “Pen15” (she also co-created the raucous show), her comedic path seemed a clear one. But then earlier this year, she switched it up with the very adult role of intrepid spy Jane Smith, whose cover is to be married for better or for worse to fellow spy John Smith (Donald Glover) in Amazon Prime Video’s action-drama “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Some may call the genre swap a 180-turn, but Erskine doesn’t see the leap as gargantuan.
- 5/28/2024
- by Jim Halterman
- Variety - TV News
Daisy Ridley is back on the big screen with one of her finest works to date in Young Woman and the Sea. Directed by Joachim Rønning, the biographical drama about legendary swimmer Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle is the highest testing film of Jerry Bruckheimer’s storied producorial career that includes the likes of Top Gun: Maverick, Beverly Hills Cop and Flashdance. Originally slated for a Disney+ exclusive release, Ridley and co. were rewarded with a limited theatrical run that begins on May 31. Such upgrades don’t come easy given the costs associated with theatrical exhibition, but as Rønning put it, Bruckheimer was “relentless” in his successful pursuit.
The film’s road to theatrical, in a way, parallels the underdog story that Young Woman and the Sea is telling involving Trudy, and Ridley considers this hard-earned achievement to be as rewarding as anything she’s done to date.
“It certainly felt like...
The film’s road to theatrical, in a way, parallels the underdog story that Young Woman and the Sea is telling involving Trudy, and Ridley considers this hard-earned achievement to be as rewarding as anything she’s done to date.
“It certainly felt like...
- 5/28/2024
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mamie Laverock, a 19-year-old actor known for her role as Rosaleen Sullivan across several episodes of the Hallmark Channel series “When Calls the Heart,” is on life support after falling five stories from a balcony walkway, according to a GoFundMe page organized by her family.
After spending two weeks in “intensive treatment” in the hospital due to a “medical emergency,” Laverock “was escorted out of a secure unit of the hospital and taken up to a balcony walkway from which she fell five stories,” per the fundraiser page, which was set up by her parents, Rob and Nicole Compton.
“She sustained life threatening injuries,...
After spending two weeks in “intensive treatment” in the hospital due to a “medical emergency,” Laverock “was escorted out of a secure unit of the hospital and taken up to a balcony walkway from which she fell five stories,” per the fundraiser page, which was set up by her parents, Rob and Nicole Compton.
“She sustained life threatening injuries,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety - TV News
The Beach Boys (Disney+)
This documentary follows the group’s family beginnings as their songs epitomizing the California dream drive their rising fame. It features never-before-seen footage and interviews with resident Beach Boys erratic genius Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks and Bruce Johnston and includes input from Janelle Monáe, Lindsey Buckingham, Ryan Tedder and Don Was. The Beach Boys was directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny and written by Mark Monroe.
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
On Jan. 25, 1985, a group of music icons got together to create the renowned pop song “We Are the World.” This film, directed by Bao Nguyen, features new interviews with many of the artists involved in the making of the song, including Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis, Dionne Warwick and Cyndi Lauper. The anthem was written by Richie and Michael Jackson for African famine relief and also features Kenny Rogers,...
This documentary follows the group’s family beginnings as their songs epitomizing the California dream drive their rising fame. It features never-before-seen footage and interviews with resident Beach Boys erratic genius Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks and Bruce Johnston and includes input from Janelle Monáe, Lindsey Buckingham, Ryan Tedder and Don Was. The Beach Boys was directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny and written by Mark Monroe.
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
On Jan. 25, 1985, a group of music icons got together to create the renowned pop song “We Are the World.” This film, directed by Bao Nguyen, features new interviews with many of the artists involved in the making of the song, including Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis, Dionne Warwick and Cyndi Lauper. The anthem was written by Richie and Michael Jackson for African famine relief and also features Kenny Rogers,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Diablo Cody and Mason Novick are teaming with Wattpad Webtoon Studios to produce an adaptation of the popular Webtoon webcomic “Death of a Pop Star” as a film.
The script will be written by buzzy screenwriter and producer Isa Mazzei. Named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Mazzei is the writer and producer behind Blumhouse’s psychological horror film “Cam,” as well as producer of Neon’s 2022 eco-thriller “How to Blow Up A Pipeline.” Her first book, “Camgirl,” was selected as one of NPR’s favorite books, and her writing has also been featured in New York Magazine’s The Cut, Glamour Magazine, and Het Hem’s The Couch. She is currently in post-production on an adaptation of “Faces of Death” that she wrote and produced for Legendary Pictures.
The “Death of a Pop Star” webcomic, written by creator Violet Karim and boasting 33 million global views,...
The script will be written by buzzy screenwriter and producer Isa Mazzei. Named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Mazzei is the writer and producer behind Blumhouse’s psychological horror film “Cam,” as well as producer of Neon’s 2022 eco-thriller “How to Blow Up A Pipeline.” Her first book, “Camgirl,” was selected as one of NPR’s favorite books, and her writing has also been featured in New York Magazine’s The Cut, Glamour Magazine, and Het Hem’s The Couch. She is currently in post-production on an adaptation of “Faces of Death” that she wrote and produced for Legendary Pictures.
The “Death of a Pop Star” webcomic, written by creator Violet Karim and boasting 33 million global views,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
As Paramount’s British series “A Gentleman in Moscow” hopes to break into the highly competitive limited series races, the show has submitted for 20 Primetime Emmys, including lead actor for star Ewan McGregor and supporting actress for Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
The eight-episode series follows an aristocrat, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, who spends decades banished to an attic hotel room following the October Revolution after being sentenced to house arrest by a Bolshevik tribunal. Based on the 2016 novel by Amor Towles, the series was written by Ben Vanstone, who also serves as the executive producer and showrunner, and whose pilot episode...
The eight-episode series follows an aristocrat, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov, who spends decades banished to an attic hotel room following the October Revolution after being sentenced to house arrest by a Bolshevik tribunal. Based on the 2016 novel by Amor Towles, the series was written by Ben Vanstone, who also serves as the executive producer and showrunner, and whose pilot episode...
- 5/28/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety - TV News
Al Ruddy, two-time Oscar winner for producing “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” died May 25 at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Ruddy was also co-creator of “Hogan’s Heroes” and of “Walker, Texas Ranger.” He was 94.
After the success of sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” Ruddy went on to produce “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” and “Making It” before coming on to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
Al Pacino said in a statement, “Al Ruddy was absolutely beautiful to me the whole time on ‘The Godfather’; even when they didn’t want me, he wanted me. He gave me the gift of encouragement when I needed it most and I’ll never forget it.”
After “The Godfather,” he produced his own story treatment for “The Longest Yard.”
Ruddy went on to produce notable films including “The Cannonball Run.” Other features he produced included “Matilda,” “Coonskin,...
After the success of sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” Ruddy went on to produce “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” and “Making It” before coming on to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
Al Pacino said in a statement, “Al Ruddy was absolutely beautiful to me the whole time on ‘The Godfather’; even when they didn’t want me, he wanted me. He gave me the gift of encouragement when I needed it most and I’ll never forget it.”
After “The Godfather,” he produced his own story treatment for “The Longest Yard.”
Ruddy went on to produce notable films including “The Cannonball Run.” Other features he produced included “Matilda,” “Coonskin,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety - Film News
Al Ruddy, two-time Oscar winner for producing “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” died May 25 at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Ruddy was also co-creator of “Hogan’s Heroes” and of “Walker, Texas Ranger.” He was 94.
After the success of sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” Ruddy went on to produce “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” and “Making It” before coming on to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
Al Pacino said in a statement, “Al Ruddy was absolutely beautiful to me the whole time on ‘The Godfather’; even when they didn’t want me, he wanted me.
After the success of sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes,” Ruddy went on to produce “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” and “Making It” before coming on to Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
Al Pacino said in a statement, “Al Ruddy was absolutely beautiful to me the whole time on ‘The Godfather’; even when they didn’t want me, he wanted me.
- 5/28/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety - TV News
American Nightmare follows the story of Denise Huskins and partner Aaron Quinn, the victims of a home invasion in 2015 in Vallejo, California, that resulted in Huskins’ kidnapping. However, the couple was quickly accused of staging it all, with Huskins being labeled “the real Gone Girl.” Directors Bernadette Higgins and Felicity Morris (The Tinder Swindler) set out to tell Huskins’ story piece by piece, highlighting law enforcement behavior, victim blaming and trial by media.
When did you first hear about Denise’s story and decide it’d be your next project?
Bernadette Higgins It was just after The Tinder Swindler was released and we’d already decided that we wanted our next project to be together. And Raw, the company that we made Tinder Swindler with, had actually been trying to get access to Denise and Aaron for about two years. They approached us with it and asked us if we’d like to co-direct it.
When did you first hear about Denise’s story and decide it’d be your next project?
Bernadette Higgins It was just after The Tinder Swindler was released and we’d already decided that we wanted our next project to be together. And Raw, the company that we made Tinder Swindler with, had actually been trying to get access to Denise and Aaron for about two years. They approached us with it and asked us if we’d like to co-direct it.
- 5/28/2024
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Al Ruddy, who co-created the famed CBS sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, then captured Academy Awards for producing the best picture winners The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby, has died. He was 94.
Ruddy, also credited as one of the creators of the long-running CBS police drama Walker, Texas Ranger, died Saturday following a brief illness at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, a publicist announced.
On the heels of The Godfather (1972), Ruddy produced another box-office hit with the original The Longest Yard (1974), the prison-set football movie that starred Burt Reynolds. The pair then reteamed for the action road films The Cannonball Run (1981) and its 1984 sequel, both directed by stuntman-turned-helmer Hal Needham.
The personable Ruddy also produced such films as Bad Girls (1994), the first Western with all female leads (Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie MacDowell and Drew Barrymore); the baseball comedy The Scout (1994), starring Albert Brooks and Brendan Fraser; and Matilda (1978), a comedy...
Ruddy, also credited as one of the creators of the long-running CBS police drama Walker, Texas Ranger, died Saturday following a brief illness at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center, a publicist announced.
On the heels of The Godfather (1972), Ruddy produced another box-office hit with the original The Longest Yard (1974), the prison-set football movie that starred Burt Reynolds. The pair then reteamed for the action road films The Cannonball Run (1981) and its 1984 sequel, both directed by stuntman-turned-helmer Hal Needham.
The personable Ruddy also produced such films as Bad Girls (1994), the first Western with all female leads (Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie MacDowell and Drew Barrymore); the baseball comedy The Scout (1994), starring Albert Brooks and Brendan Fraser; and Matilda (1978), a comedy...
- 5/28/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Christie Brinkley is opening up about her recent brush with cancer, revealing that she was diagnosed with skin cancer on her face by happenstance when she accompanied her daughter to a dermatologist appointment.
Appearing on the Today show, the septuagenarian model explained how she was with Alexa — her 38-year-old daughter with her first husband, singer Billy Joel — earlier this year when the cancer was first spotted.
“I was in the room, and he had this little magnifying glass out, and he’s looking at a couple of things that she was worried about,” Brinkley said. “I thought, ‘There is that little spot right on the side of my head right here. … Should I say anything? It’s not my appointment.’”
Brinkley said that it was at the last second that she asked the doctor to have a quick peek at the spot. “He looked and he goes, ‘We’ve got to do a biopsy immediately.
Appearing on the Today show, the septuagenarian model explained how she was with Alexa — her 38-year-old daughter with her first husband, singer Billy Joel — earlier this year when the cancer was first spotted.
“I was in the room, and he had this little magnifying glass out, and he’s looking at a couple of things that she was worried about,” Brinkley said. “I thought, ‘There is that little spot right on the side of my head right here. … Should I say anything? It’s not my appointment.’”
Brinkley said that it was at the last second that she asked the doctor to have a quick peek at the spot. “He looked and he goes, ‘We’ve got to do a biopsy immediately.
- 5/28/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For the last seven years, Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead have been searching for a project to work on together. At one point, they were certain they had found the perfect match.
“We thought we had something, but someone else made it in the meantime,” McGregor says with a laugh. “We didn’t know! It was like, ‘How’s it going with that?’ And we Googled and someone fucking made it!”
It’s now been eight years since they met on the set of “Fargo” in 2016, and two years since they tied the knot. But they’re still in the honeymoon stage.
“We thought we had something, but someone else made it in the meantime,” McGregor says with a laugh. “We didn’t know! It was like, ‘How’s it going with that?’ And we Googled and someone fucking made it!”
It’s now been eight years since they met on the set of “Fargo” in 2016, and two years since they tied the knot. But they’re still in the honeymoon stage.
- 5/28/2024
- by Emily Longeretta
- Variety - TV News
Last week, Anne Hathaway stunned the world in an all-white Gap look at the Bulgari Aeterna High Jewelry Event in Rome. The actress, known for donning the most high-profile fashion houses, sported a custom poplin shirtdress designed by none other than Gap Inc.’s newly appointed creative director, Zac Posen. Beginning May 28, the dress will be available for pre-order on Gap.com.
The Poplin White Shirtdress is made from 100-percent organic cotton and retails for $158. It’s available online only in limited quantities and sold in sizes 00 to 16. The pre-sale begins at 12 Pm Eastern/9 Am Pacific on Tuesday, May 28. Orders will start shipping in July.
Anne Hathaway attends the Bulgari Aeterna High Jewelry Brand Event at Altare Della Patria on May 20, 2024 in Rome, Italy
Gap Poplin Shirtdress Created by Zac Posen
$158 at gap
“Designing this custom white shirt dress was an exciting opportunity to reimagine Gap’s classic white shirt,...
The Poplin White Shirtdress is made from 100-percent organic cotton and retails for $158. It’s available online only in limited quantities and sold in sizes 00 to 16. The pre-sale begins at 12 Pm Eastern/9 Am Pacific on Tuesday, May 28. Orders will start shipping in July.
Anne Hathaway attends the Bulgari Aeterna High Jewelry Brand Event at Altare Della Patria on May 20, 2024 in Rome, Italy
Gap Poplin Shirtdress Created by Zac Posen
$158 at gap
“Designing this custom white shirt dress was an exciting opportunity to reimagine Gap’s classic white shirt,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Erin Lassner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TV audiences tracked down “Tracker” in a big way this season. The freshman CBS drama, which stars Justin Hartley as a survivalist who helps law enforcement and others solve tough cases, was the 2023-24 TV season’s most-watched entertainment series. According to the Eye network, that’s the first time a first-year TV series was ranked as the No. 1 show since “Survivor” premiered as an instant phenomenon in 2000.
“Tracker” was helped, of course, by premiering in February behind Super Bowl Lviii — giving it a huge jump start. And this was an unusual, truncated TV season due to the Hollywood strikes,...
“Tracker” was helped, of course, by premiering in February behind Super Bowl Lviii — giving it a huge jump start. And this was an unusual, truncated TV season due to the Hollywood strikes,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety - TV News
Sony’s “The Garfield Movie” and Warner Bros.’ “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” enjoyed a fruitful long May bank holiday weekend at the U.K. and Ireland box office.
“The Garfield Movie” debuted with £2.1 million ($2.7 million) and “Furiosa” with £1.9 million ($2.5 million), per numbers from Comscore.
In its second weekend, Paramount’s “If” collected £1.6 million for a total of £4.6 million. In its third weekend, Disney’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” earned £1.5 million for a total of £10.4 million.
Rounding off the top five was Universal’s “The Fall Guy” with £752,683 in its fourth weekend for a total of £9.5 million.
There were two other debuts in the top 10. Dream Entertainment’s Malayalam-language “Turbo” debuted in eighth place with £152,295 and Trinity Asia’s “Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In” in ninth with £106,919.
The upcoming weekend, Disney is releasing “Young Woman and the Sea,” the story of competitive swimmer Trudy Ederle, who,...
“The Garfield Movie” debuted with £2.1 million ($2.7 million) and “Furiosa” with £1.9 million ($2.5 million), per numbers from Comscore.
In its second weekend, Paramount’s “If” collected £1.6 million for a total of £4.6 million. In its third weekend, Disney’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” earned £1.5 million for a total of £10.4 million.
Rounding off the top five was Universal’s “The Fall Guy” with £752,683 in its fourth weekend for a total of £9.5 million.
There were two other debuts in the top 10. Dream Entertainment’s Malayalam-language “Turbo” debuted in eighth place with £152,295 and Trinity Asia’s “Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In” in ninth with £106,919.
The upcoming weekend, Disney is releasing “Young Woman and the Sea,” the story of competitive swimmer Trudy Ederle, who,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
“Mrs. Doubtfire” teen star Lisa Jakub marked the Memorial Day holiday by talking to Fox News Digital about her nonprofit organization Mission Flexible, which she founded two years ago to help support veterans suffering from anxiety, depression and more. She linked her work with veterans back to her most famous co-star, the late Robin Williams, revealing she was told after “Mrs. Doubtfire” that Williams always made sure veterans had the chance to be a part of his movies’ film crews.
“So many people have told me that Robin did a lot of work with the veteran population as well, and that he always had production crews hire local veterans to be background actors or things like that on set, which is not something I ever knew about when I worked with him… but I also love that little connection as well,” Jakub told Fox News Digital.
In fact, it was...
“So many people have told me that Robin did a lot of work with the veteran population as well, and that he always had production crews hire local veterans to be background actors or things like that on set, which is not something I ever knew about when I worked with him… but I also love that little connection as well,” Jakub told Fox News Digital.
In fact, it was...
- 5/28/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
The legendary Isle of Man Tt motorcycle race will be the subject of a film and docuseries from Brad Pitt and Channing Tatum’s production companies, Mediawan-owned Plan B Entertainment and Free Association.
The Isle of Man Tt is one of the most famous and deadly races for motorcyclists around the world. Taking place on a small island nation in the Irish Sea, the race traces its heritage back to the early 1900s when road racing was outlawed in England, and racers found refuge on the Isle of Man. A single lap of the course is made up of 37.7 miles across the island’s road systems as the bikes tackle country lanes and city streets at speeds up to 200 mph. Since 1903, there have been more than 150 deaths during the race or its practices, including five in 2022.
“We dare anyone to find more awe-inspiring people, or a more breathtakingly vibrant...
The Isle of Man Tt is one of the most famous and deadly races for motorcyclists around the world. Taking place on a small island nation in the Irish Sea, the race traces its heritage back to the early 1900s when road racing was outlawed in England, and racers found refuge on the Isle of Man. A single lap of the course is made up of 37.7 miles across the island’s road systems as the bikes tackle country lanes and city streets at speeds up to 200 mph. Since 1903, there have been more than 150 deaths during the race or its practices, including five in 2022.
“We dare anyone to find more awe-inspiring people, or a more breathtakingly vibrant...
- 5/28/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety - Film News
Channing Tatum and Brad Pitt feel the need for speed.
The two A-listers and their respective companies have teamed up with a coterie of production banners to produce both a docuseries and a feature film centered on the famous and dangerous Isle of Man Tourist Trophy motorcycle races.
Tatum’s Free Association, Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, screenwriter Jason Keller, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady and Box to Box Films are behind the ventures, which are looking to capture the growing global interest in a wide swath of the sports world worldwide. It also comes as more streamers, media companies and nations pour money into sports at the highest corporate levels.
The production banners will take these projects out as a package later this year, according to Tuesday’s announcement by the companies. Mediawan, the European media company and majority stakeholder of Plan B, will be the studio of the docuseries and handle international sales.
The two A-listers and their respective companies have teamed up with a coterie of production banners to produce both a docuseries and a feature film centered on the famous and dangerous Isle of Man Tourist Trophy motorcycle races.
Tatum’s Free Association, Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, screenwriter Jason Keller, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady and Box to Box Films are behind the ventures, which are looking to capture the growing global interest in a wide swath of the sports world worldwide. It also comes as more streamers, media companies and nations pour money into sports at the highest corporate levels.
The production banners will take these projects out as a package later this year, according to Tuesday’s announcement by the companies. Mediawan, the European media company and majority stakeholder of Plan B, will be the studio of the docuseries and handle international sales.
- 5/28/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BET is planning to shine a light on the upcoming presidential election, with what it hopes will be a series of primetime election specials.
The first of those specials, “What’s At Stake: 2024 Election Special,” will debut June 4 at 10 p.m., on BET, BET Her, and VH1.
The special will be hosted by BET correspondent Ed Gordon, and will feature a roundtable discussion with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-ca), Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-oh), and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-tx), all members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“I think clearly it’s an interesting time for the nation,” Gordon tells The Hollywood Reporter in an interview. “Not just for the Black electorate, but for all of us, this question of democracy and where we stand and so BET felted it doubly important to make sure that we got in front of giving the Black viewer in particular what is needed to think about...
The first of those specials, “What’s At Stake: 2024 Election Special,” will debut June 4 at 10 p.m., on BET, BET Her, and VH1.
The special will be hosted by BET correspondent Ed Gordon, and will feature a roundtable discussion with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-ca), Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-oh), and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-tx), all members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“I think clearly it’s an interesting time for the nation,” Gordon tells The Hollywood Reporter in an interview. “Not just for the Black electorate, but for all of us, this question of democracy and where we stand and so BET felted it doubly important to make sure that we got in front of giving the Black viewer in particular what is needed to think about...
- 5/28/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos isn’t getting too worried about the rise of artificial intelligence in Hollywood. During a recent interview with The New York Times, Sarandos said he doubts AI platforms will ever replace Hollywood professions such as screenwriters.
“I have more faith in humans than that. I really do. I don’t believe that an AI program is going to write a better screenplay than a great writer, or is going to replace a great performance, or that we won’t be able to tell the difference,” Sarandos said. “AI is not going to take your job. The person who uses AI well might take your job.”
Sarandos elaborated on the topic by calling AI a “natural kind of advancement of things that are happening in the creative space today, anyway.”
“Volume stages did not displace on-location shooting,” he said. “Writers, directors, editors will use AI as a...
“I have more faith in humans than that. I really do. I don’t believe that an AI program is going to write a better screenplay than a great writer, or is going to replace a great performance, or that we won’t be able to tell the difference,” Sarandos said. “AI is not going to take your job. The person who uses AI well might take your job.”
Sarandos elaborated on the topic by calling AI a “natural kind of advancement of things that are happening in the creative space today, anyway.”
“Volume stages did not displace on-location shooting,” he said. “Writers, directors, editors will use AI as a...
- 5/28/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Early in Faye, Laurent Bouzereau’s entertaining portrait for HBO of screen legend Faye Dunaway, Bette Davis in a Johnny Carson clip names her without hesitation as the one star with whom she would never work again. Considering this is clearly a very authorized and deeply respectful bio-doc, it’s surprising how candidly it digs into the star’s reputation for being temperamental and demanding. Dunaway even plays into it herself — the first words we hear are her impatiently nudging the director to roll cameras on the present-day interview that binds the many recollections and self-reflections together.
“We need to shoot; I’m here now, come on,” says an exasperated Dunaway. Seated on a comfortable-looking sofa in an airy New York apartment living room, she huffs, “This is the worst seat in the world. I’m not happy with anything here.” But when she then snaps, “I need a glass of water,...
“We need to shoot; I’m here now, come on,” says an exasperated Dunaway. Seated on a comfortable-looking sofa in an airy New York apartment living room, she huffs, “This is the worst seat in the world. I’m not happy with anything here.” But when she then snaps, “I need a glass of water,...
- 5/28/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Montreal-based distributor K-Films Amérique has acquired Canadian rights to Algerian multi-hyphenate Chakib Taleb Bendiab’s upcoming thriller “Algiers” that delves into the local phenomenon of child abduction.
“Algiers,” which will go by the title “196 métres” in France, is set to have its theatrical release in movie theatres in Québec in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a statement.
K-Films Amérique is an indie distributor which services the Canadian province of Quebec where French is the official language.
The Canada deal for “Algiers” was negotiated at the Cannes Marché du Film by the film’s Canadian executive producer Patricia Chica of Flirt Films and K-Films Amérique Louis Dussault.
As previously announced, “Algiers,” which is now in post, will be distributed theatrically throughout the Arab world by Cairo-based Mad Distribution. Mad World is handling world sales rights on “Algiers” outside Canada.
In “Algiers” the kidnapping of a young girl creates tension and suspicion in the Algerian capital.
“Algiers,” which will go by the title “196 métres” in France, is set to have its theatrical release in movie theatres in Québec in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a statement.
K-Films Amérique is an indie distributor which services the Canadian province of Quebec where French is the official language.
The Canada deal for “Algiers” was negotiated at the Cannes Marché du Film by the film’s Canadian executive producer Patricia Chica of Flirt Films and K-Films Amérique Louis Dussault.
As previously announced, “Algiers,” which is now in post, will be distributed theatrically throughout the Arab world by Cairo-based Mad Distribution. Mad World is handling world sales rights on “Algiers” outside Canada.
In “Algiers” the kidnapping of a young girl creates tension and suspicion in the Algerian capital.
- 5/28/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
Vivek Ramaswamy’s plans for BuzzFeed are becoming a bit clearer, with the entrepreneur turned activist investor releasing a lengthy letter outlining what he believes the company should do to turn itself around.
Ramaswamy disclosed a sizable activist stake in BuzzFeed last week. In his letter Monday, Ramaswamy said that he has since upped his stake to 8.37 percent.
In an emailed response to Ramaswamy also sent Monday, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti offered to meet “to better explain the strategy that we’ve outlined on our recent earnings calls, and why we’re so confident it will create the most value.”
In his letter, Ramaswamy called for three new board seats, and to dramatically cut costs.
“Rather than cutting from the top, the company should start from zero and retain only the resources required to create and monetize BuzzFeed’s highest-value content,” he wrote. “This will almost certainly require large-scale headcount reductions,...
Ramaswamy disclosed a sizable activist stake in BuzzFeed last week. In his letter Monday, Ramaswamy said that he has since upped his stake to 8.37 percent.
In an emailed response to Ramaswamy also sent Monday, BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti offered to meet “to better explain the strategy that we’ve outlined on our recent earnings calls, and why we’re so confident it will create the most value.”
In his letter, Ramaswamy called for three new board seats, and to dramatically cut costs.
“Rather than cutting from the top, the company should start from zero and retain only the resources required to create and monetize BuzzFeed’s highest-value content,” he wrote. “This will almost certainly require large-scale headcount reductions,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If the first The Jinx series had released as a binge-watch, everything about the Robert Durst story would be different.
“He would have been in Cuba,” director Andrew Jarecki explains of Durst, while reflecting on the docuseries’ 2015 beginning during a chat about its 2024 ending.
The New York real estate heir had been suspected of three murders when HBO released The Jinx in February 2015, a project that Jarecki had already been working on for years. Part 2, which concluded it’s follow-up six episodes on Sunday night, explored how Durst went on the run after watching the fifth episode of The Jinx — Part 1. He never made it to Cuba, however — as he was apprehended the day before the next week’s finale aired, and would go on to broadcast his now-famous bathroom confession.
“It’s a unique situation, because usually a television show is not intertwined in that way with real life,...
“He would have been in Cuba,” director Andrew Jarecki explains of Durst, while reflecting on the docuseries’ 2015 beginning during a chat about its 2024 ending.
The New York real estate heir had been suspected of three murders when HBO released The Jinx in February 2015, a project that Jarecki had already been working on for years. Part 2, which concluded it’s follow-up six episodes on Sunday night, explored how Durst went on the run after watching the fifth episode of The Jinx — Part 1. He never made it to Cuba, however — as he was apprehended the day before the next week’s finale aired, and would go on to broadcast his now-famous bathroom confession.
“It’s a unique situation, because usually a television show is not intertwined in that way with real life,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Romantic Reunion
India’s Zee Studios has set a late November theatrical release for “Dhadak 2,” a romance film challenging societal norms.
The film is a sequel to Nagraj Manjule’s 2016 Marathi-language hit “Dhadak,” that was itself a Hindi remake of the Marathi film “Sairat.” The 2016 title starred Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, as well as the late Sridevi. “Dhadak 2” is based on Mari Selvaraj’s 2018 Tamil-language hit “Pariyerum Perumal.”
The new film is directed by Shazia Iqbal (Prime Video’s “Love Storiyaan”) and stars Siddhant Chaturvedi (“Kho Gaye Hum Kahan”) and Triptii Dimri (“Animal”) in lead roles. Plot details were scarce, though Zee teased it with the logline: [the film] “explores barriers of class and status stitched in the minds of societies, underscoring a narrative of love that can never be fulfilled. Or can it?”
Production is by Zee Studios, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, and Cloud 9 Pictures and...
India’s Zee Studios has set a late November theatrical release for “Dhadak 2,” a romance film challenging societal norms.
The film is a sequel to Nagraj Manjule’s 2016 Marathi-language hit “Dhadak,” that was itself a Hindi remake of the Marathi film “Sairat.” The 2016 title starred Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, as well as the late Sridevi. “Dhadak 2” is based on Mari Selvaraj’s 2018 Tamil-language hit “Pariyerum Perumal.”
The new film is directed by Shazia Iqbal (Prime Video’s “Love Storiyaan”) and stars Siddhant Chaturvedi (“Kho Gaye Hum Kahan”) and Triptii Dimri (“Animal”) in lead roles. Plot details were scarce, though Zee teased it with the logline: [the film] “explores barriers of class and status stitched in the minds of societies, underscoring a narrative of love that can never be fulfilled. Or can it?”
Production is by Zee Studios, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, and Cloud 9 Pictures and...
- 5/28/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
The Edinburgh TV Festival has unveiled will.i.am and producer Warren Littlefield (The Handmaid’s Tale, Fargo, Dopesick) as first big-name speakers for its 2024 edition this summer.
Clarkson’s Farm executive producer Andy Wilman will also appear at the 49th Edinburgh TV Festival in August.
“The speakers also feed into two new areas of expansion that have been introduced to look at the future of the industry in a practical and inspiring way,” organizers said. In an addition to the regular Spotlight Sessions, panel discussions and program masterclasses in Edinburgh, new creative director Rowan Woods is looking to expand the event’s international focus and also launching a new strand called Frontiers, which “celebrates creativity, convergence and new forms of storytelling.”
In its first year, the Frontiers strand will feature will.i.am in conversation with Alex Connock, an academic in media and artificial intelligence at Oxford University, about the...
Clarkson’s Farm executive producer Andy Wilman will also appear at the 49th Edinburgh TV Festival in August.
“The speakers also feed into two new areas of expansion that have been introduced to look at the future of the industry in a practical and inspiring way,” organizers said. In an addition to the regular Spotlight Sessions, panel discussions and program masterclasses in Edinburgh, new creative director Rowan Woods is looking to expand the event’s international focus and also launching a new strand called Frontiers, which “celebrates creativity, convergence and new forms of storytelling.”
In its first year, the Frontiers strand will feature will.i.am in conversation with Alex Connock, an academic in media and artificial intelligence at Oxford University, about the...
- 5/28/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Will.I.Am and “Clarkson’s Farm” executive producer, Andy Wilman are among the lineup at this year’s Edinburgh TV Festival it was confirmed today.
They will be joined at the festival’s 49th edition by “The Handmaid’s Tale” producer Warren Littlefield.
The lineup, which will be further announced in due course, was put together by the festival’s new creative director Rowan Woods.
“It’s such an exciting moment for me to be able to unveil our first session announcements for the 2024 Festival,” said Woods. “They hint at three of our key priorities this year: expanding our international programming,...
They will be joined at the festival’s 49th edition by “The Handmaid’s Tale” producer Warren Littlefield.
The lineup, which will be further announced in due course, was put together by the festival’s new creative director Rowan Woods.
“It’s such an exciting moment for me to be able to unveil our first session announcements for the 2024 Festival,” said Woods. “They hint at three of our key priorities this year: expanding our international programming,...
- 5/28/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - TV News
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (Kviff) has unveiled its competition and other lineups for its 58th edition, set to run in the Czech spa town from June 28 to July 6. It also set its competition jury, led by indie film producer Christine Vachon who will be joined by Australian actor Geoffrey Rush, Hungarian director Gábor Reisz, Icelandic poet, novelist and screenwriter Sjón and Czech actress Eliška Křenková..
Organizers highlighted 15 directorial or feature-directorial debuts in this year’s official selection and various world premieres.
In its special screenings lineup, Kviff will present the world premiere of Ukrainian filmmaker and former Kremlin prisoner Oleh Sentsov’s new documentary Real. Sentsov “is currently defending his homeland as a lieutenant in the Ukrainian army, which he joined in the first days of the Russian invasion in February 2022,” the film description provided by the fest reads. “During one assault, his infantry fighting vehicle was destroyed by enemy artillery.
Organizers highlighted 15 directorial or feature-directorial debuts in this year’s official selection and various world premieres.
In its special screenings lineup, Kviff will present the world premiere of Ukrainian filmmaker and former Kremlin prisoner Oleh Sentsov’s new documentary Real. Sentsov “is currently defending his homeland as a lieutenant in the Ukrainian army, which he joined in the first days of the Russian invasion in February 2022,” the film description provided by the fest reads. “During one assault, his infantry fighting vehicle was destroyed by enemy artillery.
- 5/28/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 32-strong official selection of the 58th edition of Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Central and Eastern Europe’s leading cinema fete, will feature 15 directorial debuts as well as the latest works of established filmmakers such as Mark Cousins, Oleh Sentsov, Noaz Deshe, Antonin Peretjatko, Beata Parkanova and Burak Cevik.
Karel Och, artistic director of Karlovy Vary, said Tuesday that he’d identified a number of themes and genre in the selection, which included “a freshly revisionist take on the esthetical canons of a period film; a balanced, caring but also provocative look on the fate of a woman in the contemporary society in any moment of her life; and the immediate influence of political events on the life of an individual human being anywhere in the world.”
The festival, which runs June 28-July 6 in the Czech Republic, has also revealed the juries of the Crystal Globe and Proxima competitions. The...
Karel Och, artistic director of Karlovy Vary, said Tuesday that he’d identified a number of themes and genre in the selection, which included “a freshly revisionist take on the esthetical canons of a period film; a balanced, caring but also provocative look on the fate of a woman in the contemporary society in any moment of her life; and the immediate influence of political events on the life of an individual human being anywhere in the world.”
The festival, which runs June 28-July 6 in the Czech Republic, has also revealed the juries of the Crystal Globe and Proxima competitions. The...
- 5/28/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Oscar-nominated Swiss animator Claude Barras (“My Life as a Zucchini”) will be honored by the Locarno Film Festival with its Locarno Kids Award given to personalities credited with infusing younger generations with a love for cinema.
Barras’ beloved stop-motion film “Life as a Zucchini,” about an orphaned boy who lives in a foster home, played at Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes in 2016, and went on to be nominated for best animated feature at the Oscars and secured distribution in over 50 territories.
Barras’ more recent work “Sauvages,” about an orangutan fighting to save the forests of Borneo with his friends, will travel to Locarno after premiering positively at Cannes earlier this month.
“Sauvages” will play on the prominent Swiss fest’s 8,000-seat Piazza Grande on Aug. 13 with the director in tow.
“Claude Barras is one of the great shapers of the contemporary collective imagination,” said Locarno’s artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro in a statement.
Barras’ beloved stop-motion film “Life as a Zucchini,” about an orphaned boy who lives in a foster home, played at Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes in 2016, and went on to be nominated for best animated feature at the Oscars and secured distribution in over 50 territories.
Barras’ more recent work “Sauvages,” about an orangutan fighting to save the forests of Borneo with his friends, will travel to Locarno after premiering positively at Cannes earlier this month.
“Sauvages” will play on the prominent Swiss fest’s 8,000-seat Piazza Grande on Aug. 13 with the director in tow.
“Claude Barras is one of the great shapers of the contemporary collective imagination,” said Locarno’s artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro in a statement.
- 5/28/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
India’s Baweja Studios and E7 Entertainments have unveiled the first footage for “Maharagni – Queen of Queens,” starring Kajol and Prabhu Deva.
The film, an action-thriller, marks the reunion of the two actors 27 years after Rajiv Menon’s “Minsaara Kanavu” (1997). The cast also includes Naseeruddin Shah, Samyuktha Menon, Jisshu Sengupta and Aditya Seal.
The first schedule of the film, directed by Charan Tej Uppalapati, has been completed. The crew includes G.K. Vishnu as the director of photography, composer Harshavardhan Rameshwar, production designer Saahi Suresh and editor Navin Nooli. The screenplay is by Niranjan Iyengar and Jessica Khurana. The film is produced by Harman Baweja and Venkata Anish Dorigillu under the labels Baweja Studios and E7 Entertainments, respectively.
Uppalapati said: “It has been an exhilarating journey bringing ‘Maharagni – Queen of Queens’ to life in front of the camera. Collaborating with stalwarts like Kajol, Prabhu Deva, Naseer-sir, Samyuktha Menon and Jisshu Sen Gupta...
The film, an action-thriller, marks the reunion of the two actors 27 years after Rajiv Menon’s “Minsaara Kanavu” (1997). The cast also includes Naseeruddin Shah, Samyuktha Menon, Jisshu Sengupta and Aditya Seal.
The first schedule of the film, directed by Charan Tej Uppalapati, has been completed. The crew includes G.K. Vishnu as the director of photography, composer Harshavardhan Rameshwar, production designer Saahi Suresh and editor Navin Nooli. The screenplay is by Niranjan Iyengar and Jessica Khurana. The film is produced by Harman Baweja and Venkata Anish Dorigillu under the labels Baweja Studios and E7 Entertainments, respectively.
Uppalapati said: “It has been an exhilarating journey bringing ‘Maharagni – Queen of Queens’ to life in front of the camera. Collaborating with stalwarts like Kajol, Prabhu Deva, Naseer-sir, Samyuktha Menon and Jisshu Sen Gupta...
- 5/28/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran and Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
By the time Chinese star Zhang Ziyi walked the Cannes Film Festival’s red carpet on the event’s penultimate night last Friday, it was already clear that Chinese cinema was back on the international stage in a major way. The world’s most glamorous movie event premiered five films from China across its official selection this year, ending a long period of relative obscurity that began with the pandemic. The two most prominent Chinese films to unfurl in Cannes this year — Jia Zhangke’s acclaimed drama Caught By the Tides and Peter Chan’s commercial powerhouse She’s Got No Name, starring Zhang and a slew of big-name Chinese actors — were both backed by rising studio Huanxi Media.
Founded in 2015 by veteran producer Dong Ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and former attorney Steven Xiang, Huanxi Media has climbed to the forefront of the Chinese industry thanks to a streak of...
Founded in 2015 by veteran producer Dong Ping (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and former attorney Steven Xiang, Huanxi Media has climbed to the forefront of the Chinese industry thanks to a streak of...
- 5/28/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Billie Eilish fans shouldn’t expect three-hour concerts anytime in the near future.
Following the release of her third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, the Grammy and Oscar winner took to the music app Stationhead to answer fan questions live.
When asked if she would ever perform a three-hour-long show — similar to what Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have done for the Eras Tour and Renaissance World Tour, respectively — Eilish responded, “I’m not doing a three-hour show, that’s literally psychotic.”
“Nobody wants that,” she could be heard saying in recordings posted on X, formerly Twitter. “You guys don’t want that. I don’t want that. I don’t even want that as a fan. My favorite artist in the world, I’m not trying to hear them for three hours.”
While Eilish didn’t direct her comments at a particular artist, some Swifties questioned if she...
Following the release of her third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, the Grammy and Oscar winner took to the music app Stationhead to answer fan questions live.
When asked if she would ever perform a three-hour-long show — similar to what Taylor Swift and Beyoncé have done for the Eras Tour and Renaissance World Tour, respectively — Eilish responded, “I’m not doing a three-hour show, that’s literally psychotic.”
“Nobody wants that,” she could be heard saying in recordings posted on X, formerly Twitter. “You guys don’t want that. I don’t want that. I don’t even want that as a fan. My favorite artist in the world, I’m not trying to hear them for three hours.”
While Eilish didn’t direct her comments at a particular artist, some Swifties questioned if she...
- 5/28/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Shannen Doherty credits her passion for acting to her late Little House on the Prairie co-star Michael Landon.
The actress looked back at the early days of her career in Hollywood on a recent episode of the Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty podcast, alongside her mother, Rosa Elizabeth Doherty. At 11 years old, Doherty landed the role of Jenny Wilder on the show’s final season, from 1982-83.
“That show, Little House, shaped me in so many ways and it still is the best experience of my entire career,” the Charmed star said.
She also noted her close bond with Landon, who played Charles Ingalls, the family patriarch. He died in 1991. “I adored him. He was a mentor. He taught me so much,” Doherty recalled.
Even decades later, the Beverly Hills, 90210 actress said she still notices the influence Landon had on her.
“It’s kind of amazing because,...
The actress looked back at the early days of her career in Hollywood on a recent episode of the Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty podcast, alongside her mother, Rosa Elizabeth Doherty. At 11 years old, Doherty landed the role of Jenny Wilder on the show’s final season, from 1982-83.
“That show, Little House, shaped me in so many ways and it still is the best experience of my entire career,” the Charmed star said.
She also noted her close bond with Landon, who played Charles Ingalls, the family patriarch. He died in 1991. “I adored him. He was a mentor. He taught me so much,” Doherty recalled.
Even decades later, the Beverly Hills, 90210 actress said she still notices the influence Landon had on her.
“It’s kind of amazing because,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Fallen Idols” delves into the accusations and controversies surrounding Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter and late pop singer Aaron Carter.
The Investigation Discovery docuseries introduces three women who claim they were sexually assaulted by Nick: Melissa Schuman, a singer best known for being a member of the girl group Dream; Ashley Repp, a former friend of Nick’s sister Angel; and Shannon “Shay” Ruth, who was the first woman to file a sexual assault lawsuit against him in December 2022.
The four-part docuseries also provides insight into the Carter family — consisting of parents Robert and Jane and children Nick, Leslie, Angel,...
The Investigation Discovery docuseries introduces three women who claim they were sexually assaulted by Nick: Melissa Schuman, a singer best known for being a member of the girl group Dream; Ashley Repp, a former friend of Nick’s sister Angel; and Shannon “Shay” Ruth, who was the first woman to file a sexual assault lawsuit against him in December 2022.
The four-part docuseries also provides insight into the Carter family — consisting of parents Robert and Jane and children Nick, Leslie, Angel,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - TV News
Investigation Discovery’s newest docuseries Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter dives into the allegations of sexual assault against Backstreet Boys frontman Nick Carter and brother Aaron Carter’s struggles with mental health and substance abuse.
The four-part series, which airs Monday and Tuesday, spends its first two episodes introducing Melissa Schuman, a former member of pop girl band Dream, who was the first woman to publicly come forward, in 2017, to allege that Nick Carter sexually assaulted her.
Schuman spoke out when the #MeToo movement was rocking the entertainment world. Two other accusers — Ashley Rapp and Shay Ruth — subsequently revealed their own accusations of assault. Over the course of four episodes, Schuman, Rapp and Ruth open up about their stories and the backlash they’ve received since coming forward to accuse someone as beloved by the band’s superfans as Nick Carter.
The second half of the docuseries explores Aaron Carter’s struggles,...
The four-part series, which airs Monday and Tuesday, spends its first two episodes introducing Melissa Schuman, a former member of pop girl band Dream, who was the first woman to publicly come forward, in 2017, to allege that Nick Carter sexually assaulted her.
Schuman spoke out when the #MeToo movement was rocking the entertainment world. Two other accusers — Ashley Rapp and Shay Ruth — subsequently revealed their own accusations of assault. Over the course of four episodes, Schuman, Rapp and Ruth open up about their stories and the backlash they’ve received since coming forward to accuse someone as beloved by the band’s superfans as Nick Carter.
The second half of the docuseries explores Aaron Carter’s struggles,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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