Dystopian thriller “Leave the World Behind” was the most-watched film — and title overall — on Netflix globally in the second half of 2023, while anime-inspired live action series “One Piece” led on the TV side among individual series seasons.
The data comes from Netflix’s second edition of “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report,” reflecting viewership on the streamer from July-December 2023 covering 99% of all viewing on Netflix. Subscribers across the world watched about 90 billion hours of Netflix in the second half of 2023, compared with 93 billion hours in the first half of the year.
Netflix released its first big data dump, covering the first half of 2023, last December. In the second report, released Thursday, the company has added runtime and views (total hours viewed divided by runtime) and separated films and TV series, syncing it up with its weekly Top 10 and Most Popular lists.
“Leave the World Behind,” Netflix’s No. 5 most popular movie of all time,...
The data comes from Netflix’s second edition of “What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report,” reflecting viewership on the streamer from July-December 2023 covering 99% of all viewing on Netflix. Subscribers across the world watched about 90 billion hours of Netflix in the second half of 2023, compared with 93 billion hours in the first half of the year.
Netflix released its first big data dump, covering the first half of 2023, last December. In the second report, released Thursday, the company has added runtime and views (total hours viewed divided by runtime) and separated films and TV series, syncing it up with its weekly Top 10 and Most Popular lists.
“Leave the World Behind,” Netflix’s No. 5 most popular movie of all time,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Embark on an epic journey through time and history with “Lost Cities Revealed With Albert Lin” as Season 1 unfolds with “Higher Ground.” Tune in to National Geographic at 10:00 Pm on Thursday, May 9, 2024, for an exploration of ancient civilizations and the mysterious lost cities they left behind.
In this episode, intrepid explorer Albert Lin ventures to Peru, Oman, and Mexico, uncovering the secrets of ancient civilizations that have long been buried beneath the sands of time. From the majestic ruins of Machu Picchu to the enigmatic tombs of Oman, and the hidden temples of Mexico, viewers will be taken on a captivating journey to rediscover these lost cities and unlock the mysteries of their past.
“Lost Cities Revealed With Albert Lin” promises to be an exhilarating adventure filled with stunning landscapes, groundbreaking discoveries, and fascinating insights into the cultures and civilizations that once thrived in these ancient metropolises. Don’t...
In this episode, intrepid explorer Albert Lin ventures to Peru, Oman, and Mexico, uncovering the secrets of ancient civilizations that have long been buried beneath the sands of time. From the majestic ruins of Machu Picchu to the enigmatic tombs of Oman, and the hidden temples of Mexico, viewers will be taken on a captivating journey to rediscover these lost cities and unlock the mysteries of their past.
“Lost Cities Revealed With Albert Lin” promises to be an exhilarating adventure filled with stunning landscapes, groundbreaking discoveries, and fascinating insights into the cultures and civilizations that once thrived in these ancient metropolises. Don’t...
- 5/2/2024
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Netflix is offering the first sneak peak of Bodkin, its dark comedic thriller about a motley crew of podcasters who set out to investigate the mysterious disappearance of three strangers in a quaint, coastal Irish town.
Dropping May 9, Bodkin is from Barack and Michelle Obama‘s Higher Ground productions — the company’s first scripted drama series at Netflix as part of its overall deal. David Wilmot (Station Eleven) and Chris Walley (The Last Voyage of the Demeter) also star in the seven-episode thriller that was shot in Ireland.
Forte plays Gilbert, a charming, open, and enthusiastic podcaster from the U.S. who’s on the hunt for his next big story. Originally from Chicago, Gilbert’s family emigrated from Cork, and is hoping to discover his Irish roots. Cullen portrays Dove, a hard-nosed investigative journalist from Dublin who has a fine-tuned bullshit detector and...
Dropping May 9, Bodkin is from Barack and Michelle Obama‘s Higher Ground productions — the company’s first scripted drama series at Netflix as part of its overall deal. David Wilmot (Station Eleven) and Chris Walley (The Last Voyage of the Demeter) also star in the seven-episode thriller that was shot in Ireland.
Forte plays Gilbert, a charming, open, and enthusiastic podcaster from the U.S. who’s on the hunt for his next big story. Originally from Chicago, Gilbert’s family emigrated from Cork, and is hoping to discover his Irish roots. Cullen portrays Dove, a hard-nosed investigative journalist from Dublin who has a fine-tuned bullshit detector and...
- 4/2/2024
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big new singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, three highlights from Beyoncé’s game-changing Cowboy Carter (including a sweet Miley Cyrus duet), Camila Cabello returns with a super-charged hyperpop single, and St. Vincent previews her forthcoming album with a heavy, funky new track. Plus, new music from Sheryl Crow, Carin León, Leon Bridges, D4vd, and more.
Beyoncé, “Ya Ya” (YouTube)
Beyoncé feat. Miley, “II Most Wanted” (YouTube)
Beyoncé, “Bodyguard” (YouTube)
Camila Cabello feat.
Beyoncé, “Ya Ya” (YouTube)
Beyoncé feat. Miley, “II Most Wanted” (YouTube)
Beyoncé, “Bodyguard” (YouTube)
Camila Cabello feat.
- 3/29/2024
- by Rolling Stone
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Tonia Davis, who has been the Head of Motion Pictures for five years at Higher Ground, is transitioning out of the role. She will remain a producer on upcoming projects at the studio.
Higher Ground Productions President Vinnie Malhotra will continue to oversee the company’s film and television divisions.
Davis tells us, “I am immensely proud of the work we have done together at Higher Ground, including winning an Academy Award and bringing important and entertaining stories to audiences around the world. Now is the right time for me to start my next chapter and I am excited to continue to produce alongside the team at Higher Ground.”
Higher Ground’s Joe Paulsen adds, “Tonia has been an integral part of Higher Ground since the beginning. We are so grateful for her work and dedication over the past five years and excited to continue producing with her during...
Higher Ground Productions President Vinnie Malhotra will continue to oversee the company’s film and television divisions.
Davis tells us, “I am immensely proud of the work we have done together at Higher Ground, including winning an Academy Award and bringing important and entertaining stories to audiences around the world. Now is the right time for me to start my next chapter and I am excited to continue to produce alongside the team at Higher Ground.”
Higher Ground’s Joe Paulsen adds, “Tonia has been an integral part of Higher Ground since the beginning. We are so grateful for her work and dedication over the past five years and excited to continue producing with her during...
- 3/23/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Bernard Kira, the manager and producer behind the nine-year-old shingle Bmk-ent, has rebranded the company as Apparent Motion Media, also announcing his signing of International Emmy winner Fernando Rovzar (Hotel Cocaine).
Kira’s move to rebrand comes as he preps Higher Ground, his third film as a producer, and second for an in-house client. Heading into production in March, the film is based on a script discovered by Apparent Motion client Charlie Weber (How to Get Away with Murder), which was developed internally, before being packaged and sold with Weber headlining. Previously, Kira set up client Erlingur Thoroddsen’s film The Piper, a horror pic poised to hit theaters on March 8.
In a statement on the re-launch of his company, Kira made the observation that “artists are becoming more proactive in generating their own opportunities and controlling the trajectory of their careers.” He added that he “started Bmk-ent with...
Kira’s move to rebrand comes as he preps Higher Ground, his third film as a producer, and second for an in-house client. Heading into production in March, the film is based on a script discovered by Apparent Motion client Charlie Weber (How to Get Away with Murder), which was developed internally, before being packaged and sold with Weber headlining. Previously, Kira set up client Erlingur Thoroddsen’s film The Piper, a horror pic poised to hit theaters on March 8.
In a statement on the re-launch of his company, Kira made the observation that “artists are becoming more proactive in generating their own opportunities and controlling the trajectory of their careers.” He added that he “started Bmk-ent with...
- 2/15/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Hot on the heels of an Academy Award nomination for his starring turn in Netflix’s civil rights drama Rustin, Colman Domingo has been appointed to the Board of Directors of The Gotham Film & Media Institute.
As the newest member, he will work with The Gotham on their mission to celebrate and nurture independent film and media creators by providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition.
Domingo joins a board that includes Focus Features Vice Chairman Jason Cassidy and multi-hyphenate Riley Keough, whose additions were announced in November. Other members include Nancy Abraham, Anthony Bregman, Jeb Brody, Gerry Byrne, Alina Cho, Dan Crown, Mark D’Arcy (Director Emeritus), Amy Emmerich, Philipp Engelhorn, Kai Falkenberg, James Janowitz, Franklin Leonard, Stephanie March, Soledad O’Brien, Dee Poku, Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar, John Schmidt, Lisa Taback, Teddy Schwarzman, Drew Wilson, and Celia Winchester.
“As long-time admirers of Colman’s brilliant...
As the newest member, he will work with The Gotham on their mission to celebrate and nurture independent film and media creators by providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition.
Domingo joins a board that includes Focus Features Vice Chairman Jason Cassidy and multi-hyphenate Riley Keough, whose additions were announced in November. Other members include Nancy Abraham, Anthony Bregman, Jeb Brody, Gerry Byrne, Alina Cho, Dan Crown, Mark D’Arcy (Director Emeritus), Amy Emmerich, Philipp Engelhorn, Kai Falkenberg, James Janowitz, Franklin Leonard, Stephanie March, Soledad O’Brien, Dee Poku, Hanna Rodriguez-Farrar, John Schmidt, Lisa Taback, Teddy Schwarzman, Drew Wilson, and Celia Winchester.
“As long-time admirers of Colman’s brilliant...
- 1/29/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with Rustin, Netflix’s biopic of civil rights icon Bayard Rustin. Colman Domingo stars in the film, which is directed by Tony winner George C. Wolfe and hit theaters and the streamer in November after its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival.
The screenplay co-written by Julian Breece and Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black focuses on one of the main architects of the 1963 March on Washington, where more than 200,000 hear Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the National Mall. Rustin was a fulcrum in the civil rights movement, working alongside the likes of King, Adam Clayton Powell Jr and Ella Baker, though as an openly gay man in that era he often had to work behind the scenes. He challenged authority and never apologized for who he was or what he believed.
The screenplay co-written by Julian Breece and Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black focuses on one of the main architects of the 1963 March on Washington, where more than 200,000 hear Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the National Mall. Rustin was a fulcrum in the civil rights movement, working alongside the likes of King, Adam Clayton Powell Jr and Ella Baker, though as an openly gay man in that era he often had to work behind the scenes. He challenged authority and never apologized for who he was or what he believed.
- 12/2/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Bayard Rustin is getting a posthumous honor from the City of New York.
The civil rights leader is at the center of a new New York City holiday, with Mayor Eric Adams declaring November 3 officially Bayard Rustin Day. Netflix film “Rustin” premieres in select theaters today, November 3, followed by a streaming release November 17.
A special screening of the film at the Paris Theatre is organized by Netflix for 300 high school and city college students to mark Bayard Rustin Day, “honoring the legacy of one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known, Bayard Rustin,” per the official release. The celebration at City Hall follows the screening, with a proclamation being handed to the late Rustin’s partner Walter Naegle designating November 3 as Bayard Rustin Day in NYC and celebrating the theatrical release of the film. Naegle also serves as the executive director of the Bayard Rustin Fund.
The civil rights leader is at the center of a new New York City holiday, with Mayor Eric Adams declaring November 3 officially Bayard Rustin Day. Netflix film “Rustin” premieres in select theaters today, November 3, followed by a streaming release November 17.
A special screening of the film at the Paris Theatre is organized by Netflix for 300 high school and city college students to mark Bayard Rustin Day, “honoring the legacy of one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known, Bayard Rustin,” per the official release. The celebration at City Hall follows the screening, with a proclamation being handed to the late Rustin’s partner Walter Naegle designating November 3 as Bayard Rustin Day in NYC and celebrating the theatrical release of the film. Naegle also serves as the executive director of the Bayard Rustin Fund.
- 11/3/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Like “Testament” — the 1983 movie that imagined the fallout, both nuclear and psychological, after an atomic bomb is dropped on American soil — “Leave the World Behind” depicts a plausible doomsday scenario from the perspective of a handful of ordinary characters. Not military experts, not scientists, but two families obliged to shelter under the same roof out in the Hamptons while something scary unfolds a few hours away, off-screen, in New York.
As the stress-prone matriarch of one of these families, Julia Roberts utters a line that earns a big laugh near the start, partly because America’s sweetheart isn’t supposed to say something so dismissive of everyone else on the planet, but also because many audiences can probably relate. Staring out the window of her Park Slope apartment, she pronounces, “I fucking hate people.” The name of Roberts’ character is Amanda Sandford, but it might as well be Karen, such is the rush-to-judgment,...
As the stress-prone matriarch of one of these families, Julia Roberts utters a line that earns a big laugh near the start, partly because America’s sweetheart isn’t supposed to say something so dismissive of everyone else on the planet, but also because many audiences can probably relate. Staring out the window of her Park Slope apartment, she pronounces, “I fucking hate people.” The name of Roberts’ character is Amanda Sandford, but it might as well be Karen, such is the rush-to-judgment,...
- 10/26/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
A shark attack period piece, how ’bout that? Screen Daily reports this morning that Blue Fox Entertainment is launching sales on Fear Below at the upcoming American Film Market.
Blue Fox has worldwide sales rights on the film, which comes from Bronte Pictures.
Screen Daily reports, “Matthew Holmes directs the story of a team of professional divers in 1940’s Australia hired to locate a sunken car in a river whose efforts are thwarted by a deadly bull shark hunting in the waters.
“When the divers discover they are working for ruthless criminals trying to recover their stolen gold bullion, the bank robbers prove to be as treacherous as what lurks beneath the surface.”
Hermione Corfield (Sea Fever), Will Fletcher (The Rings Of Power), Jake Ryan (Wyrmwood: Apocalypse), Clayton Watson (Matrix Revolutions), Josh McConville (Elvis), Kevin Dee (Road To Boston), Sam Parsonson (Transfusion), Jacob Nayingul (Higher Ground), and Arthur Angel (The King’s Daughter) star.
Blue Fox has worldwide sales rights on the film, which comes from Bronte Pictures.
Screen Daily reports, “Matthew Holmes directs the story of a team of professional divers in 1940’s Australia hired to locate a sunken car in a river whose efforts are thwarted by a deadly bull shark hunting in the waters.
“When the divers discover they are working for ruthless criminals trying to recover their stolen gold bullion, the bank robbers prove to be as treacherous as what lurks beneath the surface.”
Hermione Corfield (Sea Fever), Will Fletcher (The Rings Of Power), Jake Ryan (Wyrmwood: Apocalypse), Clayton Watson (Matrix Revolutions), Josh McConville (Elvis), Kevin Dee (Road To Boston), Sam Parsonson (Transfusion), Jacob Nayingul (Higher Ground), and Arthur Angel (The King’s Daughter) star.
- 10/26/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Company to show first footage in Santa Monica.
Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired worldwide sales rights on Bronte Pictures’ shark thriller Fear Below and is launching talks with buyers at the AFM next week.
Matthew Holmes directs the story of a team of professional divers in 1940’s Australia hired to locate a sunken car in a river whose efforts are thwarted by a deadly bull shark hunting in the waters.
When the divers discover they are working for ruthless criminals trying to recover their stolen gold bullion, the bank robbers prove to be as treacherous as what lurks beneath the surface.
Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired worldwide sales rights on Bronte Pictures’ shark thriller Fear Below and is launching talks with buyers at the AFM next week.
Matthew Holmes directs the story of a team of professional divers in 1940’s Australia hired to locate a sunken car in a river whose efforts are thwarted by a deadly bull shark hunting in the waters.
When the divers discover they are working for ruthless criminals trying to recover their stolen gold bullion, the bank robbers prove to be as treacherous as what lurks beneath the surface.
- 10/26/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 AFI Fest Film Festival. Netflix releases the film in select theaters on Wednesday, November 22; the film will start streaming on Netflix on Friday, December 8.
When Barack and Michelle Obama made the unusual post-presidential move of partnering with Netflix to launch Higher Ground Productions, it was often reported that they cited “Get Out” as the kind of film they were interested in making. Invoking Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning debut, which uses horror tropes to make an unambiguously progressive point about race relations in America, sent a clear message to potential collaborators. The Obamas wanted it known that they had something to say, but weren’t interested in producing cinematic homework.
It was a lofty goal, but their first slate never quite achieved it. Since signing with Netflix in 2018, the Obamas have largely stuck to the kinds of projects you might expect...
When Barack and Michelle Obama made the unusual post-presidential move of partnering with Netflix to launch Higher Ground Productions, it was often reported that they cited “Get Out” as the kind of film they were interested in making. Invoking Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning debut, which uses horror tropes to make an unambiguously progressive point about race relations in America, sent a clear message to potential collaborators. The Obamas wanted it known that they had something to say, but weren’t interested in producing cinematic homework.
It was a lofty goal, but their first slate never quite achieved it. Since signing with Netflix in 2018, the Obamas have largely stuck to the kinds of projects you might expect...
- 10/26/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Between “Beckham,” “Quarterback” and the nationally captivating “The Last Dance,” we are clearly living in our peak sports docuseries era. And now four-time, NBA champion LeBron James and hall of famers Peyton Manning have combined with the Obamas’ production company to contribute their own sports series centered around the NBA, Variety has confirmed.
James’ SpringHill Company (which he started with business partner Maverick Carter) will join Manning’s production company Omaha Productions and the Obamas’ Higher Ground. The series will divide up each episode following various NBA athletes as they live their lives, similar to the Netflix docuseries “Quarterback,” which followed three NFL quarterbacks during the 2022-2023 football season.
Higher Ground’s “American Factory” won the Academy Award for best documentary in 2019 and past films “Crip Camp” and “Becoming” were both nominated. The production company currently has a first look deal with Netflix, so assumptions are being made that this...
James’ SpringHill Company (which he started with business partner Maverick Carter) will join Manning’s production company Omaha Productions and the Obamas’ Higher Ground. The series will divide up each episode following various NBA athletes as they live their lives, similar to the Netflix docuseries “Quarterback,” which followed three NFL quarterbacks during the 2022-2023 football season.
Higher Ground’s “American Factory” won the Academy Award for best documentary in 2019 and past films “Crip Camp” and “Becoming” were both nominated. The production company currently has a first look deal with Netflix, so assumptions are being made that this...
- 10/24/2023
- by Meredith Woerner
- Variety Film + TV
Another major sports docuseries is in the works, and this one has some major star power behind it.
Lakers star LeBron James and his SpringHill Company is in talks with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground for a series that would follow professional basketball players, a source familiar with the discussions confirms to The Hollywood Reporter. The format would bring the same approach to the NBA that Omaha’s Quarterback brought to the NFL.
The NBA is also expected to be involved in the show, much as NFL Films is a partner on Quarterback. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, says that the show will likely end on Netflix, where Higher Ground has a first-look deal, and where Quarterback emerged as a successful addition to the genre earlier this year.
It’s not immediately clear which players the series would follow,...
Lakers star LeBron James and his SpringHill Company is in talks with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground for a series that would follow professional basketball players, a source familiar with the discussions confirms to The Hollywood Reporter. The format would bring the same approach to the NBA that Omaha’s Quarterback brought to the NFL.
The NBA is also expected to be involved in the show, much as NFL Films is a partner on Quarterback. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, says that the show will likely end on Netflix, where Higher Ground has a first-look deal, and where Quarterback emerged as a successful addition to the genre earlier this year.
It’s not immediately clear which players the series would follow,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Colman Domingo is demanding the spotlight for his next film role. The "Candyman" and "Euphoria" actor portrays queer civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in Netflix's upcoming biopic, "Rustin." Per the streamer, the movie will chronicle Rustin's rise as the "architect of 1963's momentous March on Washington," where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. According to the movie's trailers, which arrived on Aug. 28 and Oct. 19, "Rustin" is also expected to spotlight some of the obstacles the titular figure faced during his lifetime, including police brutality and criticism over his sexuality.
Rustin, known as one of the greatest organizers in history, "challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired," per Netflix. And though he made history, the influential figure's accomplishments have seemingly been forgotten - until now.
In addition to Domingo, "Rustin," directed by George C. Wolfe,...
Rustin, known as one of the greatest organizers in history, "challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired," per Netflix. And though he made history, the influential figure's accomplishments have seemingly been forgotten - until now.
In addition to Domingo, "Rustin," directed by George C. Wolfe,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
Netflix this morning dropped the full-length trailer for its civil rights-themed biopic “Rustin,” executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama through their Higher Ground production company and starring Emmy winner Colman Domingo in the lead. It tells the story of the unheralded (until now) movement leader Bayard Rustin (Domingo), the architect of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and a close friend of Martin Luther King Jr. The trailer abundantly features Domingo of course but also snippets of most members of the all-star cast, which includes Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, Cch Pounder, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald. Watch the trailer above.
Produced by Oscar winner Bruce Cohen (“American Beauty”), “High Ground’s” Tonia Davis and five-time Tony Winner George C. Wolfe (who also directs), “Rustin” has quite a pedigree. It’s also co-written by “Milk” Academy...
Produced by Oscar winner Bruce Cohen (“American Beauty”), “High Ground’s” Tonia Davis and five-time Tony Winner George C. Wolfe (who also directs), “Rustin” has quite a pedigree. It’s also co-written by “Milk” Academy...
- 10/19/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Taissa Farmiga, an American actress, was born on August 17, 1994. She hails from Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and is the younger sister of actress Vera Farmiga. Known for her appearances in numerous horror films, she has gained recognition as a prominent scream queen.
Encouraged by her sister, Farmiga embarked on her acting career by making her debut in Vera Farmiga’s film, Higher Ground (2011). Subsequently, she gained prominence for her work on the anthology series American Horror Story, where she starred in the seasons Murder House (2011), Coven (2013–2014), Roanoke (2016), and Apocalypse (2018). In her early film roles, she appeared in the romantic comedy At Middleton (2013), the crime drama The Bling Ring (2013), and the psychological thriller Mindscape (2013), which marked her first leading role.
Farmiga received praise for her performances in the comedy slasher film The Final Girls (2015) and the drama films 6 Years (2015) and Share (2015), all of which premiered at South by Southwest. These...
Encouraged by her sister, Farmiga embarked on her acting career by making her debut in Vera Farmiga’s film, Higher Ground (2011). Subsequently, she gained prominence for her work on the anthology series American Horror Story, where she starred in the seasons Murder House (2011), Coven (2013–2014), Roanoke (2016), and Apocalypse (2018). In her early film roles, she appeared in the romantic comedy At Middleton (2013), the crime drama The Bling Ring (2013), and the psychological thriller Mindscape (2013), which marked her first leading role.
Farmiga received praise for her performances in the comedy slasher film The Final Girls (2015) and the drama films 6 Years (2015) and Share (2015), all of which premiered at South by Southwest. These...
- 10/5/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
If cyberattacks and storms are any indication, writer-director Sam Esmail’s “Leave the World Behind” looks to expand upon the more lo-fi terrors of Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel of the same name.
That’s surely helped by a big budget, as this is a Netflix production from the Obamas’ Higher Ground productions banner, plus major star backing: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon, plus “Industry” breakout actress Myha’la Herrold. In the book, an Airbnb vacation goes awry when an unknown apocalyptic event seems to shutter the world around the core characters.
Amanda (Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers — G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) — arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge...
That’s surely helped by a big budget, as this is a Netflix production from the Obamas’ Higher Ground productions banner, plus major star backing: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Bacon, plus “Industry” breakout actress Myha’la Herrold. In the book, an Airbnb vacation goes awry when an unknown apocalyptic event seems to shutter the world around the core characters.
Amanda (Julia Roberts) and her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke), rent a luxurious home for the weekend with their kids, Archie (Charlie Evans) and Rose (Farrah Mackenzie). Their vacation is soon upended when two strangers — G.H. (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la) — arrive in the night, bearing news of a mysterious cyberattack and seeking refuge...
- 10/2/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Sunday brought a close to the 10th Life Is Beautiful music festival in Las Vegas, and with it the end of the summer festival season. Life Is Beautiful, which has taken place in the city every year for the past decade (save for a pandemic-related 2020 cancellation), brought tens of thousands of concertgoers downtown, many in the psychedelic and post-Y2K fashion that’s been so common at festivals for the past several years, though this time with a fair amount of Barbie influence, too.
The festival envelops some of Vegas...
The festival envelops some of Vegas...
- 9/25/2023
- by Ethan Millman and Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Film will release globally later this year.
Netflix has made another fall festival acquisition, swooping with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground on worldwide rights to Matthew Heineman’s Telluride documentary American Symphony.
The film follows a year in the life of musician and Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste as he navigates the stresses and struggles of his meteoric rise winnings six Grammys and preparing the American Symphony for Carnegie Hall, while his wife and bestelling author Suleika Jaouad is diagnosed with the return of Leukemia.
Heineman, Lauren Domino, and Joedan Okun produced American Symphony, and executive producers are Alice Webb,...
Netflix has made another fall festival acquisition, swooping with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground on worldwide rights to Matthew Heineman’s Telluride documentary American Symphony.
The film follows a year in the life of musician and Late Show bandleader Jon Batiste as he navigates the stresses and struggles of his meteoric rise winnings six Grammys and preparing the American Symphony for Carnegie Hall, while his wife and bestelling author Suleika Jaouad is diagnosed with the return of Leukemia.
Heineman, Lauren Domino, and Joedan Okun produced American Symphony, and executive producers are Alice Webb,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Netflix announced Monday that it has acquired the distribution rights to “American Symphony,” Matthew Heineman’s documentary about Oscar- and Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.
The film follows Batiste in 2022 as his already decorated career reaches even greater heights — including six Grammy wins — at the same time that his wife Suleika Jaouad is battling leukemia.
Netflix acquired the film alongside Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground and will release it later this year.
“The themes of resilience and love at the heart of ‘American Symphony’ resonate deeply with us — and we’re thrilled to bring the film into the Higher Ground family,” the Obamas said in a statement. “Jon and Suleika’s journey of grace and strength echoes the experience of so many families who are forced to navigate the complications that surface when dreams meet adversity.”
“For many years, Jon...
The film follows Batiste in 2022 as his already decorated career reaches even greater heights — including six Grammy wins — at the same time that his wife Suleika Jaouad is battling leukemia.
Netflix acquired the film alongside Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground and will release it later this year.
“The themes of resilience and love at the heart of ‘American Symphony’ resonate deeply with us — and we’re thrilled to bring the film into the Higher Ground family,” the Obamas said in a statement. “Jon and Suleika’s journey of grace and strength echoes the experience of so many families who are forced to navigate the complications that surface when dreams meet adversity.”
“For many years, Jon...
- 9/18/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
This year’s best documentary feature Oscar race, which heretofore seemed unusually wide open, now has a frontrunner.
American Symphony, Oscar nominee Matthew Heineman’s moving portrait of the musician Jon Batiste as he experiences his greatest professional success (he dominated the 2022 Grammys) at the same time his wife faces her greatest personal challenge (Suleika Jaouad is battling leukemia), has been acquired by Netflix following a lengthy bidding war, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The film will be released this year and will be promoted with a major Oscar campaign in the works. Moreover, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground, which has a first-look deal with Netflix, is on board for the project, just as it was for two other recent Netflix films: 2019’s American Factory, which went on to win the best documentary feature Oscar, and for 2020’s Crip Camp, which was nominated for it.
American Symphony, Oscar nominee Matthew Heineman’s moving portrait of the musician Jon Batiste as he experiences his greatest professional success (he dominated the 2022 Grammys) at the same time his wife faces her greatest personal challenge (Suleika Jaouad is battling leukemia), has been acquired by Netflix following a lengthy bidding war, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The film will be released this year and will be promoted with a major Oscar campaign in the works. Moreover, Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground, which has a first-look deal with Netflix, is on board for the project, just as it was for two other recent Netflix films: 2019’s American Factory, which went on to win the best documentary feature Oscar, and for 2020’s Crip Camp, which was nominated for it.
- 9/18/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Gotham Awards said today that Rustin, director George C. Wolfe’s snapshot of the life of civil rights icon Bayard Rustin that stars Colman Domingo, will receive its Icon & Creator Tribute for Social Justice. The Netflix pic will be honored at the 33rd annual Gotham Awards on November 27 at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan.
Rustin follows the architect of the momentous 1963 March on Washington, who was one of the greatest activists and organizers of the Civil Rights movement. Working alongside such giants as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Ella Baker, he challenged authority and never apologized for who he was, what he believed or who he desired. And Rustin did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he was forgotten by many.
Rustin debuted August 31 at the Telluride Film Festival and had its international premiere September 11 at Toronto. The cast also includes Chris Rock,...
Rustin follows the architect of the momentous 1963 March on Washington, who was one of the greatest activists and organizers of the Civil Rights movement. Working alongside such giants as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Ella Baker, he challenged authority and never apologized for who he was, what he believed or who he desired. And Rustin did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he was forgotten by many.
Rustin debuted August 31 at the Telluride Film Festival and had its international premiere September 11 at Toronto. The cast also includes Chris Rock,...
- 9/14/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival. Netflix releases the film in select theaters on Friday, November 3 with a streaming release to follow on Friday, November 17.
For the most part, George C. Wolfe’s “Rustin” is every bit as broad and garish as you might expect from an awards-baiting Netflix biopic. The fact that this movie about a grievously unsung hero of America’s civil rights movement comes from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions may only add to the impression of a movie that thinks of itself as a means to an end (even if Higher Ground has maintained a rather impeccable track record thus far). But it’s also hard to get too bent out of shape about it when those ends include “winning Colman Domingo an Oscar, shining a light on the semi-forgotten gay Black man who organized the March on Washington,...
For the most part, George C. Wolfe’s “Rustin” is every bit as broad and garish as you might expect from an awards-baiting Netflix biopic. The fact that this movie about a grievously unsung hero of America’s civil rights movement comes from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions may only add to the impression of a movie that thinks of itself as a means to an end (even if Higher Ground has maintained a rather impeccable track record thus far). But it’s also hard to get too bent out of shape about it when those ends include “winning Colman Domingo an Oscar, shining a light on the semi-forgotten gay Black man who organized the March on Washington,...
- 9/3/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Visit https://podnews.net/update/late-night-podcasts for all the links, and to get our newsletter.
Five US late-night hosts are producing a limited series podcast to raise money for their out-of-work staff during the WGA strike. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver are making Strike Force Five, a limited series ("at least twelve episodes"), with Spotify. Podimo is celebrating a year in Finland. The premium podcast and audiobook subscription service has so far enabled more than 30 podcasters to turn professional. Podcast host Libsyn has launched LibsynEDU, aimed at fostering excellence in podcasting and nurturing the next generation of podcasting talent. The company is also announcing the creation of the Libsyn Fellowship for a student enrolled in NYU's Podcasting and Audio Reportage master’s concentration. Classifieds - your job or ad hereDo you know how your listeners find your show?...
Five US late-night hosts are producing a limited series podcast to raise money for their out-of-work staff during the WGA strike. Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver are making Strike Force Five, a limited series ("at least twelve episodes"), with Spotify. Podimo is celebrating a year in Finland. The premium podcast and audiobook subscription service has so far enabled more than 30 podcasters to turn professional. Podcast host Libsyn has launched LibsynEDU, aimed at fostering excellence in podcasting and nurturing the next generation of podcasting talent. The company is also announcing the creation of the Libsyn Fellowship for a student enrolled in NYU's Podcasting and Audio Reportage master’s concentration. Classifieds - your job or ad hereDo you know how your listeners find your show?...
- 8/30/2023
- Podnews.net
Acast, the world's leading independent podcast platform, today announced the launch of AdCollab, which enables podcast hosts and potential advertisers to collaborate in real-time to create host-read sponsorships. The new product simplifies the podcast host-read sponsorship buying process for podcasters, advertisers, and sales teams alike, while driving scale and efficiency in host-read advertising.
Advertisers can use AdCollab to easily work with multiple podcasters from around the Acast Creator Network simultaneously, maximizing their reach and impact. This enables advertisers to directly connect with the biggest titles in podcasting globally, including Wtf with Marc Maron, Shagged, Married, Annoyed, The Higher Ground Network, and more. For podcasters, AdCollab greatly reduces the amount of back and forth with sales teams and advertisers, allowing them to focus their time on creating great content that grows their listenership, and revenue.
“Empowering podcasters to create, and to earn money from that craft is a laser focus for...
Advertisers can use AdCollab to easily work with multiple podcasters from around the Acast Creator Network simultaneously, maximizing their reach and impact. This enables advertisers to directly connect with the biggest titles in podcasting globally, including Wtf with Marc Maron, Shagged, Married, Annoyed, The Higher Ground Network, and more. For podcasters, AdCollab greatly reduces the amount of back and forth with sales teams and advertisers, allowing them to focus their time on creating great content that grows their listenership, and revenue.
“Empowering podcasters to create, and to earn money from that craft is a laser focus for...
- 8/8/2023
- Podnews.net
If there’s one thing married couple Floyd Rance and Stephanie Tavares-Rance know how to do, it’s keep a secret. Last year, on the eve of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, its founders were tight-lipped about their 20th anniversary opening-night presenters. “I just told my mother,” says Tavares-Rance of the fact that Barack and Michelle Obama were on hand to screen their Higher Ground and Netflix documentary Descendant.
This year, the Rances face the unexpected of another kind, with the SAG-AFTRA strike beginning weeks before the Aug. 4-12 fest, which is preventing actors from promoting their projects. Says Tavares-Rance, with equanimity: “Celebrity is awesome — people love to see their favorite actor or actress on the stage, but it really is about these filmmakers of color, specifically African American filmmakers, that we want to highlight.”
Programming includes panels with the National Museum of African American...
This year, the Rances face the unexpected of another kind, with the SAG-AFTRA strike beginning weeks before the Aug. 4-12 fest, which is preventing actors from promoting their projects. Says Tavares-Rance, with equanimity: “Celebrity is awesome — people love to see their favorite actor or actress on the stage, but it really is about these filmmakers of color, specifically African American filmmakers, that we want to highlight.”
Programming includes panels with the National Museum of African American...
- 8/3/2023
- by Cori Murray
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Acast, plus grande société indépendante d’hébergement et régie externe de podcasts au monde, a annoncé le lancement de sa plateforme d’achat publicitaire en libre accès (“self-serve”). Désormais, n'importe quel annonceur pourra réserver via la plateforme des campagnes de sponsoring avec des podcasts du réseau Acast.
Cette nouvelle option fait d'Acast le plus grand réseau de podcasts à permettre un accès libre à ses créateurs. Elle permet aux annonceurs d'utiliser la plateforme en libre-service pour acheter des sponsoring sur l'ensemble de la place de marché d'Acast, y compris certains des podcasts les plus puissants du marché français tels que Hugo Décrypte, le Floodcast, Métamorphose, Code Source, La Story, La Loupe ou encore des podcasts d’influence comme Contre Soirée et Les Pachas. À l’international, sont notamment disponibles les podcasts Wtf with Marc Maron, Sh**ged, Married, Annoyed, The Higher Ground Network, et bien d'autres encore…
Traditionnellement, les sponsorings...
Cette nouvelle option fait d'Acast le plus grand réseau de podcasts à permettre un accès libre à ses créateurs. Elle permet aux annonceurs d'utiliser la plateforme en libre-service pour acheter des sponsoring sur l'ensemble de la place de marché d'Acast, y compris certains des podcasts les plus puissants du marché français tels que Hugo Décrypte, le Floodcast, Métamorphose, Code Source, La Story, La Loupe ou encore des podcasts d’influence comme Contre Soirée et Les Pachas. À l’international, sont notamment disponibles les podcasts Wtf with Marc Maron, Sh**ged, Married, Annoyed, The Higher Ground Network, et bien d'autres encore…
Traditionnellement, les sponsorings...
- 7/13/2023
- Podnews.net
Former U.S. President Barack Obama scored his second Emmy nomination Wednesday, for the Netflix docuseries Working: What We Do All Day, which he starred in and was nominated for in the category of best narrator.
The show saw Barack and the series’ filmmakers interviewing workers in three different sectors — hospitality, home care and tech — to explore what a typical workday is like in each of those industries and the main challenges faced.
Working comes from the former president and first lady Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground, which struck a content deal with Netflix in 2018 to produce films and television series for the streaming giant.
The former first lady was also nominated for the first time, for outstanding hosted nonfiction series or special, The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama & Oprah Winfrey, sharing her nomination with Oprah Winfrey. In The Light We Carry, Michelle sat down with Winfrey for...
The show saw Barack and the series’ filmmakers interviewing workers in three different sectors — hospitality, home care and tech — to explore what a typical workday is like in each of those industries and the main challenges faced.
Working comes from the former president and first lady Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground, which struck a content deal with Netflix in 2018 to produce films and television series for the streaming giant.
The former first lady was also nominated for the first time, for outstanding hosted nonfiction series or special, The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama & Oprah Winfrey, sharing her nomination with Oprah Winfrey. In The Light We Carry, Michelle sat down with Winfrey for...
- 7/12/2023
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chris Stapleton delivered a monster rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl Lvii earlier this year, bringing grown men to tears and giving even those who think the U.S. is in a downward spiral a reason to feel optimistic. Consider it Stapleton’s “Whitney moment.”
Now, just in time for Independence Day, the country vocalist has officially released his version of the National Anthem. And while the song, written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 and notoriously difficult to sing, may not scream “BBQ playlist,” we say Stapleton’s...
Now, just in time for Independence Day, the country vocalist has officially released his version of the National Anthem. And while the song, written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 and notoriously difficult to sing, may not scream “BBQ playlist,” we say Stapleton’s...
- 6/30/2023
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Rob Corddry is set as a lead opposite Terry Crews and Ryan Michelle Bathé in JumpStart, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot based on Robb Armstrong’s long-running comic strip, from Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, Wendi Trilling’s TrillTV and CBS Studios. He rounds out the series regular cast of the pilot, which Glynn Turman has joined as a guest star in a recurring role.
JumpStart, whose pilot was written by Wayne Conley and will be directed by Phill Lewis, is set in Philadelphia and follows Joseph L. Cobb (Crews), a cop, his wife Marcy (Bathé), a nurse, and Joe’s partner Crunchy (Corddry).
In addition to being Joe’s police partner, Crunchy is his best friend. They’re so inseparable the Cobb children call him “ Uncle Crunchy”. Marcy calls him Joe’s “ hubby”. Crunchy was “woke” long before the word was a thing. He knows when to be serious...
JumpStart, whose pilot was written by Wayne Conley and will be directed by Phill Lewis, is set in Philadelphia and follows Joseph L. Cobb (Crews), a cop, his wife Marcy (Bathé), a nurse, and Joe’s partner Crunchy (Corddry).
In addition to being Joe’s police partner, Crunchy is his best friend. They’re so inseparable the Cobb children call him “ Uncle Crunchy”. Marcy calls him Joe’s “ hubby”. Crunchy was “woke” long before the word was a thing. He knows when to be serious...
- 4/10/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Bruce Miller has stepped down from his post as showrunner of the “The Handmaid’s Tale,” passing his duties on the sixth and final season to Eric Tuchman and Yahlin Chang, who already served as writers and executive producers.
Miller has showrun the Hulu drama since its premiere in 2017. He will remain on staff as a writer and executive producer on Season 6 while moving on to focus on developing a screen adaptation “The Testaments,” the “Handmaid’s Tale” sequel that original author Margaret Atwood wrote in 2019.
Tuchman has extended his preexisting overall deal with MGM, which serves as the studio on the series. Along with “The Handmaid’s Tale,” he is best known for writing for the 1997 animated “Anastasia” movie and serving as showrunner on “Kyle Xy,” with other credits including Freeform’s “Stitchers,” the CW’s “Beauty and the Beast,” Syfy’s “Alphas” and “Eureka” and CBS’ “Early Edition” and “Dr. Quinn,...
Miller has showrun the Hulu drama since its premiere in 2017. He will remain on staff as a writer and executive producer on Season 6 while moving on to focus on developing a screen adaptation “The Testaments,” the “Handmaid’s Tale” sequel that original author Margaret Atwood wrote in 2019.
Tuchman has extended his preexisting overall deal with MGM, which serves as the studio on the series. Along with “The Handmaid’s Tale,” he is best known for writing for the 1997 animated “Anastasia” movie and serving as showrunner on “Kyle Xy,” with other credits including Freeform’s “Stitchers,” the CW’s “Beauty and the Beast,” Syfy’s “Alphas” and “Eureka” and CBS’ “Early Edition” and “Dr. Quinn,...
- 3/28/2023
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Boyd Holbrook is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Narcos, Gone Girl (2014), Logan (2017) and Vengeance (2022).
Boyd Holbrook Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Boyd Holbrook was born in 1980 (Boyd Holbrook’s age: 42) in Prestonsburg, Kentucky to Ellen and Don Holbrook.
Holbrook studied at the William Esper Studio for the Meisner Acting Program and with Shane Ann Younts’ voice and speech program.
Boyd Holbrook Biography: Career
Holbrook started his career as a model in 2001 for labels such as Gucci, Versace, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs. His acting career started in 2008 with his role in the movie Milk and other movies like Higher Ground (2011), The Magic of Belle Isle (2012), The Host (2013) and The Skeleton Twins (2014).
His career took off after his role in Gone Girl (2014), a psychological thriller directed by David Fincher. This led him to the role of DEA agent Steve Murphy in Netflix’s Narcos...
Boyd Holbrook Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Boyd Holbrook was born in 1980 (Boyd Holbrook’s age: 42) in Prestonsburg, Kentucky to Ellen and Don Holbrook.
Holbrook studied at the William Esper Studio for the Meisner Acting Program and with Shane Ann Younts’ voice and speech program.
Boyd Holbrook Biography: Career
Holbrook started his career as a model in 2001 for labels such as Gucci, Versace, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs. His acting career started in 2008 with his role in the movie Milk and other movies like Higher Ground (2011), The Magic of Belle Isle (2012), The Host (2013) and The Skeleton Twins (2014).
His career took off after his role in Gone Girl (2014), a psychological thriller directed by David Fincher. This led him to the role of DEA agent Steve Murphy in Netflix’s Narcos...
- 2/26/2023
- by Hailey Schipper
- Uinterview
Autlook Filmsales handles international sales at EFM on story of nuclear physicist Ted Hall.
Magnolia Pictures has picked up North American rights from Participant to A Compassionate Spy, Steve James’s documentary about the controversial American nuclear physicist Ted Hall who passed secrets to the Soviet Union.
At age 18 Harvard graduate Hall became the youngest recruit to the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s. After the United States detonated its first nuclear bomb he became concerned his country had a potentially catastrophic monopoly on the technology and provided confidential information to the Soviets.
The film is told from the perspective of Joan,...
Magnolia Pictures has picked up North American rights from Participant to A Compassionate Spy, Steve James’s documentary about the controversial American nuclear physicist Ted Hall who passed secrets to the Soviet Union.
At age 18 Harvard graduate Hall became the youngest recruit to the Manhattan Project in the early 1940s. After the United States detonated its first nuclear bomb he became concerned his country had a potentially catastrophic monopoly on the technology and provided confidential information to the Soviets.
The film is told from the perspective of Joan,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Country-music superstar Chris Stapleton sang the national anthem at Super Bowl Lvii on Sunday, Feb. 12, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Az, and it's not to be missed. He was joined by actor Troy Kotsur, who performed the anthem in American Sign Language. Kotsur, who's from Arizona, became the first deaf man to win an Oscar back in March 2022 for his work in Apple TV+'s "Coda."
The anthem performance is another high-profile moment for Stapleton. On Feb. 5, the country singer performed at the Grammys with Stevie Wonder, playing guitar while they sang "Higher Ground." The memorable show was part of a Motown tribute medley.
.@ChrisStapleton brings the house down with his performance of the National Anthem! #Sblvii pic.twitter.com/iiRzjVcByW
- NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2023
The Super Bowl sees Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs face off against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs won the...
The anthem performance is another high-profile moment for Stapleton. On Feb. 5, the country singer performed at the Grammys with Stevie Wonder, playing guitar while they sang "Higher Ground." The memorable show was part of a Motown tribute medley.
.@ChrisStapleton brings the house down with his performance of the National Anthem! #Sblvii pic.twitter.com/iiRzjVcByW
- NFL (@NFL) February 12, 2023
The Super Bowl sees Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs face off against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. The Chiefs won the...
- 2/13/2023
- by Victoria Edel
- Popsugar.com
Chris Stapleton became the third consecutive country music singer to perform the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Dressed in all black and sunglasses, accompanied only by his guitar, the “Tennessee Whiskey” vocalist delivered a sturdy and respectful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off Super Bowl Lvii. Players on both teams could be seen tearing up at Stapleton’s emotional, down-home performance.
.@ChrisStapleton brings the house down with his performance of the National Anthem! #Sblvii pic.twitter.com...
Dressed in all black and sunglasses, accompanied only by his guitar, the “Tennessee Whiskey” vocalist delivered a sturdy and respectful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs kicked off Super Bowl Lvii. Players on both teams could be seen tearing up at Stapleton’s emotional, down-home performance.
.@ChrisStapleton brings the house down with his performance of the National Anthem! #Sblvii pic.twitter.com...
- 2/12/2023
- by Joseph Hudak and Miles Klee
- Rollingstone.com
Fear the Walking Dead may be ending, but Colman Domingo is staying booked and busy.
The Emmy-winning actor is set to headline The Madness, a new Netflix limited series.
"In The Madness, media pundit Muncie Daniels (Domingo) must fight for his innocence and his life after he stumbles upon a murder deep in the Poconos woods," the logline teases.
"As the walls close in, Muncie strives to reconnect with his estranged family – and his lost ideals – in order to survive."
The series is set to comprise eight episodes and was created by Stephen Belber, who will serve as showrunner alongside VJ Boyd.
Jenno Topping, President of Chernin Entertainment, said of the pickup:
"Stephen Belber and VJ Boyd thrive in creating suspense driven emotional stories that connect with broad audiences."
"We look forward to seeing them bring this timely conspiracy thriller to life and to continue our partnership with Netflix."
Peter Friedlander,...
The Emmy-winning actor is set to headline The Madness, a new Netflix limited series.
"In The Madness, media pundit Muncie Daniels (Domingo) must fight for his innocence and his life after he stumbles upon a murder deep in the Poconos woods," the logline teases.
"As the walls close in, Muncie strives to reconnect with his estranged family – and his lost ideals – in order to survive."
The series is set to comprise eight episodes and was created by Stephen Belber, who will serve as showrunner alongside VJ Boyd.
Jenno Topping, President of Chernin Entertainment, said of the pickup:
"Stephen Belber and VJ Boyd thrive in creating suspense driven emotional stories that connect with broad audiences."
"We look forward to seeing them bring this timely conspiracy thriller to life and to continue our partnership with Netflix."
Peter Friedlander,...
- 2/8/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
“Don’t even think of it as an awards show,” Trevor Noah said at the Grammys last year. “This is a concert where we give out awards!” That was the Grammy-night game plan for the past two years — emphasizing live music, letting the performers run wild, cutting out all the dead weight that makes award shows boring. That’s why the 2021 and 2022 bashes were the best ever for Music’s Biggest Night, by an absurd margin. But this year, the Grammys turned back into an awards show — too much shtick,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Rob Sheffield
- Rollingstone.com
Are the Grammys over yet?
You could make a case that the 65th annual Grammy Awards telecast on CBS was a reboot of “The NeverEnding Story.” It went on. And on. And on. And then on some more. It kept going for 3 hours and 53 minutes and not a single acceptance speech was interrupted by an orchestra to play them off. Then even when it was seemingly over, there was still one more performance left, outside Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles and fronted by a giant table of fruit.
But this isn’t a pan of the show. Far from it. It felt like a defiant celebration of all that is musical, a multi-ethnic, multi-generational party that put the performers and winners front and center. And while yes, it could have stood to be a good half-hour shorter, not at the expense of changing the Grammys to the sort...
You could make a case that the 65th annual Grammy Awards telecast on CBS was a reboot of “The NeverEnding Story.” It went on. And on. And on. And then on some more. It kept going for 3 hours and 53 minutes and not a single acceptance speech was interrupted by an orchestra to play them off. Then even when it was seemingly over, there was still one more performance left, outside Crypto.com Arena in Downtown Los Angeles and fronted by a giant table of fruit.
But this isn’t a pan of the show. Far from it. It felt like a defiant celebration of all that is musical, a multi-ethnic, multi-generational party that put the performers and winners front and center. And while yes, it could have stood to be a good half-hour shorter, not at the expense of changing the Grammys to the sort...
- 2/6/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Ben Affleck made waves on the internet for his serious facial expressions while seated in the front row at the 2023 Grammys.
Affleck joined wife Jennifer Lopez in the center of the front row at the Grammys on Sunday, where cameras often panned to the couple during musical numbers. More than once, Affleck was caught standing still while Lopez danced excitedly next to him.
Read More: ennifer Lopez Drips In Sparkling Gucci Dress Alongside Ben Affleck At The Grammys
Ben Affleck is how every man dragged to a couples baby shower looks pic.twitter.com/sTqdt8oE9n
— Angie G (@MomAngtrades) February 6, 2023
“Ben Affleck is how every man dragged to a couples baby shower looks,” one Twitter user joked.
“Ben Affleck looks like he was dragged along to girls night and told to stay off his phone,” another one added.
Read More: How Ben Affleck Feels About Jennifer Garner’s Boyfriend...
Affleck joined wife Jennifer Lopez in the center of the front row at the Grammys on Sunday, where cameras often panned to the couple during musical numbers. More than once, Affleck was caught standing still while Lopez danced excitedly next to him.
Read More: ennifer Lopez Drips In Sparkling Gucci Dress Alongside Ben Affleck At The Grammys
Ben Affleck is how every man dragged to a couples baby shower looks pic.twitter.com/sTqdt8oE9n
— Angie G (@MomAngtrades) February 6, 2023
“Ben Affleck is how every man dragged to a couples baby shower looks,” one Twitter user joked.
“Ben Affleck looks like he was dragged along to girls night and told to stay off his phone,” another one added.
Read More: How Ben Affleck Feels About Jennifer Garner’s Boyfriend...
- 2/6/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
Harry Styles capped the 65th annual Grammy Awards with a somewhat surprising Album of the Year win for Harry House, wrapping a night that was most memorable for seeing a cherished record fall.
Beyoncé came into the Trevor Noah-hosted ceremony in Los Angeles with a leading nine nominations, tying her spouse Jay-Z as the most-nominated act of all time with 88 — and tonight she set the big record. The Queen of Pop became the all-time leader in career Grammys, winning won twice tonight and twice during the preshow. After breaking her tie with Quincy Jones for second place at 28, she got a 32nd career Grammy, topping the conductor Georg Solti, who scored his 31st statuette posthumously in 1999.
Related Story The Grammys Awards Photos: Live From The Red Carpet & Gala Ceremony Related Story Grammys TV Review: Beyoncé Makes Winning History; Music's Big Night Gets A Lot Of Its Beat Back With...
Beyoncé came into the Trevor Noah-hosted ceremony in Los Angeles with a leading nine nominations, tying her spouse Jay-Z as the most-nominated act of all time with 88 — and tonight she set the big record. The Queen of Pop became the all-time leader in career Grammys, winning won twice tonight and twice during the preshow. After breaking her tie with Quincy Jones for second place at 28, she got a 32nd career Grammy, topping the conductor Georg Solti, who scored his 31st statuette posthumously in 1999.
Related Story The Grammys Awards Photos: Live From The Red Carpet & Gala Ceremony Related Story Grammys TV Review: Beyoncé Makes Winning History; Music's Big Night Gets A Lot Of Its Beat Back With...
- 2/6/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Stevie Wonder linked up with fellow Motown legend Smokey Robinson and country star Chris Stapleton for a special performance at the Grammy Awards.
Introduced by Billy Crystal — who gave a shoutout to his legendary producer uncle, Milt Gabler — Wonder took the stage. Backed by the group WanMor, he took the crowd through the Temptations’ “The Way You Do the Things You Do.” Robinson then joined the stage for “Tears of a Clown,” which he co-wrote with Wonder and Hank Cosby in 1967.
For the finale, Stapleton joined for “Higher Ground,” sporting...
Introduced by Billy Crystal — who gave a shoutout to his legendary producer uncle, Milt Gabler — Wonder took the stage. Backed by the group WanMor, he took the crowd through the Temptations’ “The Way You Do the Things You Do.” Robinson then joined the stage for “Tears of a Clown,” which he co-wrote with Wonder and Hank Cosby in 1967.
For the finale, Stapleton joined for “Higher Ground,” sporting...
- 2/6/2023
- by Jon Blistein and Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
The 2023 Sundance Film Festival opened with the surprise announcement of a new documentary. However, Doug Liman’s Brett Kavanaugh-themed “Justice” wasn’t the only non-fiction exposé that secretly made its way to Park City. Until it premiered at the festival January 21, the festival site billed U.S. Documentary Competition selection “Beyond Utopia” as a look at “various individuals as they attempt to flee one of the most oppressive places on Earth,” but didn’t specify the location.
The location in question is North Korea, and the movie delivers an eye-opening look at defectors who cross its Chinese border. Sources tell IndieWire that Sundance refused to name North Korea in its official description until after the premiere. That decision came out of concern that the movie could lead to security threats from the country, not unlike the Sony hack that destabilized the studio ahead of 2014 satire “The Interview.”
Sundance made...
The location in question is North Korea, and the movie delivers an eye-opening look at defectors who cross its Chinese border. Sources tell IndieWire that Sundance refused to name North Korea in its official description until after the premiere. That decision came out of concern that the movie could lead to security threats from the country, not unlike the Sony hack that destabilized the studio ahead of 2014 satire “The Interview.”
Sundance made...
- 1/24/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Berlin Film Festival artistic director Carlo Chatrian and executive director Mariëtte Rissenbeck unveiled the International Competition and Encounters lineups on Monday for the festival’s 73rd edition, running February 16-26.
“It’s quite an eclectic selection,” Chatrian told the press conference in Berlin this morning. “You will see we tried to include as many genres and cinematic forms as possible.”
Related Story Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Sean Penn, Philippe Garrel, Margarethe Von Trotta & Christian Petzold In Competition — Full List Related Story Sean Penn Documentary On Ukraine And Volodymyr Zelenskyy To Debut At Berlin Film Festival Related Story Berlin Film Festival: Watch Competition Lineup Revealed Live
The International Competition features 18 titles, 15 of them world premieres, involving 19 different territories. Encounters, the Berlinale’s equivalent of Un Certain Regard which was launched in 2020, will showcase 16 films.
Chatrian has stuck with his love of mixing established names, including Philippe Garrel (The Plough), Margarethe von Trotta...
“It’s quite an eclectic selection,” Chatrian told the press conference in Berlin this morning. “You will see we tried to include as many genres and cinematic forms as possible.”
Related Story Berlin Film Festival Lineup: Sean Penn, Philippe Garrel, Margarethe Von Trotta & Christian Petzold In Competition — Full List Related Story Sean Penn Documentary On Ukraine And Volodymyr Zelenskyy To Debut At Berlin Film Festival Related Story Berlin Film Festival: Watch Competition Lineup Revealed Live
The International Competition features 18 titles, 15 of them world premieres, involving 19 different territories. Encounters, the Berlinale’s equivalent of Un Certain Regard which was launched in 2020, will showcase 16 films.
Chatrian has stuck with his love of mixing established names, including Philippe Garrel (The Plough), Margarethe von Trotta...
- 1/23/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
On the evening of July 23, 1982, “Animal House” director John Landis was filming a tricky nighttime helicopter scene for “Twilight Zone: The Movie.” The wide-open spaces of Indian Dunes, now part of Santa Clarita, Calif., were standing in for Vietnam, and the scene called for soldiers in a helicopter to pursue actor Vic Morrow, who was carrying two children. When the copter made a turn just above a large mortar round, the special effect explosive detonated, bringing down the helicopter and killing Morrow along with 7-year-old Myca Dinh Le and 6-year-old Renee Shin-Yi Chen.
The devastating accident shook Hollywood, and several months later, Variety announced that “Landis, pilot, others face ‘Twilight’ accident charges.” Landis and other “Twilight Zone” movie crew members were charged with involuntary manslaughter — the same charges “Rust” actor and producer Alec Baldwin and “Midnight Rider” director Randall Miller faced for their roles in on-set deaths.
Five years later,...
The devastating accident shook Hollywood, and several months later, Variety announced that “Landis, pilot, others face ‘Twilight’ accident charges.” Landis and other “Twilight Zone” movie crew members were charged with involuntary manslaughter — the same charges “Rust” actor and producer Alec Baldwin and “Midnight Rider” director Randall Miller faced for their roles in on-set deaths.
Five years later,...
- 1/21/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Audible signed an exclusive, multiproject development deal with Plan B Entertainment, the production company led by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, for a slate of audio originals.
Under the worldwide deal — which represents Plan B’s entry into audio entertainment — the production company will create a slate of Audible originals. It’s the latest pact by Amazon-owned Audible with high-profile Hollywood talent to create exclusive audio productions.
Plan B’s inaugural project for Audible is “A Summer Love Thing” from cinematographer Bradford Young. Currently in active development, “A Summer Love Thing” follows a woman who leaves her successful singing career to return to her Southern hometown and pursue her first love, a blue-collar worker, for the second time. Plan B and Audible describe the project as “moody, lyrical and ethereal, as is all of Bradford’s work,” using “Southern soundscapes to evoke a place, space and time.”
“We...
Under the worldwide deal — which represents Plan B’s entry into audio entertainment — the production company will create a slate of Audible originals. It’s the latest pact by Amazon-owned Audible with high-profile Hollywood talent to create exclusive audio productions.
Plan B’s inaugural project for Audible is “A Summer Love Thing” from cinematographer Bradford Young. Currently in active development, “A Summer Love Thing” follows a woman who leaves her successful singing career to return to her Southern hometown and pursue her first love, a blue-collar worker, for the second time. Plan B and Audible describe the project as “moody, lyrical and ethereal, as is all of Bradford’s work,” using “Southern soundscapes to evoke a place, space and time.”
“We...
- 1/20/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Participant has announced that it is producing Food, Inc. 2 — a sequel to its Academy Award-nominated documentary Food, Inc., to be released later this year.
The original film directed by Robert Kenner offered an unflattering look inside America’s corporate controlled food industry — spotlighting the harm this system has inflicted on animals, as well as its consumers and laborers. Robert Kenner directed from a script written with Elise Pearlstein and Kim Roberts. Kenner also produced alongside Pearlstein, with Bill Pohlad, Robin Schorr, Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as exec producers.
Food, Inc. was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2009 after world premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, going on to claim not only an Academy Award nom for Best Documentary, Features, but a Cinema Eye Honors Award, a Gotham Award, a News & Documentary Emmy Award and numerous other accolades, as well.
Specifics as to Food, Inc. 2‘s focus are under wraps,...
The original film directed by Robert Kenner offered an unflattering look inside America’s corporate controlled food industry — spotlighting the harm this system has inflicted on animals, as well as its consumers and laborers. Robert Kenner directed from a script written with Elise Pearlstein and Kim Roberts. Kenner also produced alongside Pearlstein, with Bill Pohlad, Robin Schorr, Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann serving as exec producers.
Food, Inc. was released by Magnolia Pictures in 2009 after world premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, going on to claim not only an Academy Award nom for Best Documentary, Features, but a Cinema Eye Honors Award, a Gotham Award, a News & Documentary Emmy Award and numerous other accolades, as well.
Specifics as to Food, Inc. 2‘s focus are under wraps,...
- 1/18/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Barack Obama is officially halfway to an Egot, as the former president of the United States nabbed his first Emmy for outstanding narrator.
Obama lent his voice to the Netflix docuseries “Our Great National Parks,” narrating its five episodes that span from Patagonia, Chile, to Tsavo, Kenya. Netflix submitted the first episode, “A World of Wonder,” for Emmy consideration.
If Obama were to ever win a Tony award and the Academy Award, he would achieve full Egot status for winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — a feat just 17 people have achieved so far.
In 2020, the documentary “American Factory,” which both Barack and Michelle Obama produced under their banner, Higher Ground won an Oscar, but neither personally took home the Oscar. The doc tells the story of what happens when a Chinese company opens an automotive glass plant at a former General Motors location in Ohio, facing intense community skepticism and cultural differences.
Obama lent his voice to the Netflix docuseries “Our Great National Parks,” narrating its five episodes that span from Patagonia, Chile, to Tsavo, Kenya. Netflix submitted the first episode, “A World of Wonder,” for Emmy consideration.
If Obama were to ever win a Tony award and the Academy Award, he would achieve full Egot status for winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — a feat just 17 people have achieved so far.
In 2020, the documentary “American Factory,” which both Barack and Michelle Obama produced under their banner, Higher Ground won an Oscar, but neither personally took home the Oscar. The doc tells the story of what happens when a Chinese company opens an automotive glass plant at a former General Motors location in Ohio, facing intense community skepticism and cultural differences.
- 9/4/2022
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
The Qualifiers 1 episode of “America’s Got Talent” aired Tuesday, August 9 on NBC with 11 acts performing live on the big stage for the first time. One of those acts was host Terry Crews‘ Golden Buzzer act, a 21-year-old saxophonist named Avery Dixon who persevered despite being bullied throughout his life. After his passionate musical performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” which included background band members and flashing lights, judge Simon Cowell gave him the ultimate compliment by comparing him to one of the biggest reality TV show stars of all time: Carrie Underwood. Watch the “AGT” video above.
During his intro package, Avery and his mother went into detail about how his “lungs didn’t fully develop” and he had a “hole in his vocal cord” because he was born premature. Avery found out at a young age he couldn’t talk back to his bullies, so that’s when...
During his intro package, Avery and his mother went into detail about how his “lungs didn’t fully develop” and he had a “hole in his vocal cord” because he was born premature. Avery found out at a young age he couldn’t talk back to his bullies, so that’s when...
- 8/10/2022
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.