Top News
Not exactly the opening weekend that dreams are made of.
Director John Krasinski’s “If,” a fantasy-comedy that promises your imaginary friends from childhood are real, fell slightly short of box office expectations with $35 million. Heading into the weekend, “If” was expected to bring in at least $40 million in its first weekend of release. Based on Friday’s turnout, it looked like “If” would open to $30 million but projections were revised up after Saturday’s strong showing. Ticket sales were enough for first place, but it’s a wobbly start for a PG family film that cost $110 million to make and many millions more to market. It collected an additional $20 million overseas for a global total of $55 million.
The good news for Paramount Pictures, which distributed “If,” is that audiences dug the film, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. Ideally, it’ll have staying power like recent original kid-friendly movies, including “Migration” and “Elemental,...
Director John Krasinski’s “If,” a fantasy-comedy that promises your imaginary friends from childhood are real, fell slightly short of box office expectations with $35 million. Heading into the weekend, “If” was expected to bring in at least $40 million in its first weekend of release. Based on Friday’s turnout, it looked like “If” would open to $30 million but projections were revised up after Saturday’s strong showing. Ticket sales were enough for first place, but it’s a wobbly start for a PG family film that cost $110 million to make and many millions more to market. It collected an additional $20 million overseas for a global total of $55 million.
The good news for Paramount Pictures, which distributed “If,” is that audiences dug the film, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. Ideally, it’ll have staying power like recent original kid-friendly movies, including “Migration” and “Elemental,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Yorgos Lanthimos can’t stop (won’t stop!) working with Oscar winner Emma Stone, casting the actress once again as leading lady for his next project “Bugonia.”
The drama will also star Jesse Plemons who, along with Stone, appears in Lanthimos’ forthcoming “Kinds of Kindness.” That three-chapter feature just premiered on Friday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“Bugonia” follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. The script is from heat-seeking “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy.
Focus Features has won domestic rights to distribute the project. Universal Pictures will roll out the film in global territories, save Korea where “Parasite” producer Cj Enm will release. The latter is financing the film with Fremantle. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the rights deal.
This package is loaded with pedigree.
The drama will also star Jesse Plemons who, along with Stone, appears in Lanthimos’ forthcoming “Kinds of Kindness.” That three-chapter feature just premiered on Friday at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“Bugonia” follows two conspiracy-obsessed young men who kidnap the high-powered CEO of a major company, convinced that she is an alien intent on destroying planet Earth. The script is from heat-seeking “Succession” and “The Menu” writer Will Tracy.
Focus Features has won domestic rights to distribute the project. Universal Pictures will roll out the film in global territories, save Korea where “Parasite” producer Cj Enm will release. The latter is financing the film with Fremantle. CAA Media Finance and WME Independent brokered the rights deal.
This package is loaded with pedigree.
- 5/18/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The Anne Hathaway- and Jessica Chastain-starring psychological thriller “Mothers’ Instinct” is set for release in Chinese theaters.
Directed by cinematographer-turned-helmer Benoît Delhomme, the 1960s film depicts a pair of model homemakers and next-door neighbors whose close friendship is severely undone by sudden tragedy. The film is an English-language remake of the 2108 French-language effort by Belgium’s Olivier Masset-Depasse’s film, which was an adaptation of the 2012 novel “Derriere La Haine” by Barbara Abel.
The film will release in China on May 24 on 2,500 screens. That likely sets it in competition with “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” as another English-language title releasing on that date, Variety has confirmed.
The film has had a handful of international releases and is also set for a North American outing at an unspecified date through Neon. The China release follows an agreement between sales firm Anton Corp and Chinese distributor Jl Film.
Jl Film...
Directed by cinematographer-turned-helmer Benoît Delhomme, the 1960s film depicts a pair of model homemakers and next-door neighbors whose close friendship is severely undone by sudden tragedy. The film is an English-language remake of the 2108 French-language effort by Belgium’s Olivier Masset-Depasse’s film, which was an adaptation of the 2012 novel “Derriere La Haine” by Barbara Abel.
The film will release in China on May 24 on 2,500 screens. That likely sets it in competition with “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” as another English-language title releasing on that date, Variety has confirmed.
The film has had a handful of international releases and is also set for a North American outing at an unspecified date through Neon. The China release follows an agreement between sales firm Anton Corp and Chinese distributor Jl Film.
Jl Film...
- 5/20/2024
- by Patrick Frater and Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Barcelona-based sales company Film Factory has picked up global rights to Alberto Gastesi’s sci-fi thriller “Singular,” a former Sitges Pitchbox winner that will begin shooting this month.
“Singular” is the story of Diana, a university professor who works with artificial intelligence linguistic models. When Martín, Diana’s ex and the father of her late son Martín, invites her to spend a day at the lake, she’s shocked to meet a young man named Andrea, who undeniably resembles her deceased child. Given Martín’s expertise in robotics, Diana begins to suspect that the man has created an android version of their child. While every part of her wants to deny Andrea, she feels compelled to help free the boy from the prison-like grasp that Martín holds over him.
Spanish Academy Goya Award winners Patricia López Arnaiz (“20 000 Species of Bees”) and Javier Rey (“Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City...
“Singular” is the story of Diana, a university professor who works with artificial intelligence linguistic models. When Martín, Diana’s ex and the father of her late son Martín, invites her to spend a day at the lake, she’s shocked to meet a young man named Andrea, who undeniably resembles her deceased child. Given Martín’s expertise in robotics, Diana begins to suspect that the man has created an android version of their child. While every part of her wants to deny Andrea, she feels compelled to help free the boy from the prison-like grasp that Martín holds over him.
Spanish Academy Goya Award winners Patricia López Arnaiz (“20 000 Species of Bees”) and Javier Rey (“Twin Murders: The Silence of the White City...
- 5/20/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
Filming in Hungary offers everything from a massive amount of production space and a 20-year strong tax rebate to eight symphony orchestras and thermal baths.
On a panel during the Cannes Film Festival at the Marche du Film, film commissionaire Csaba Kael, and producers Ildikó Kemeny, Robert Lantos, and Mike Goodridge spoke about the experiences of filming in Hungary.
Kael noted that commercial film production began in the country in the early 1900s. “It is built into our DNA,” said Kael of filmmaking. Only the U.K. has more film production than Hungary, he said. This year, Hungary is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its offered tax rebate program, which offers films produced in Hungary a 30 percent rebate based on their expenditure.
Lantos, who has been filming in the country since the 1990s prior to the tax credits, said, “Whenever I have a project that needs a European-looking city, my direct path is to Budapest.
On a panel during the Cannes Film Festival at the Marche du Film, film commissionaire Csaba Kael, and producers Ildikó Kemeny, Robert Lantos, and Mike Goodridge spoke about the experiences of filming in Hungary.
Kael noted that commercial film production began in the country in the early 1900s. “It is built into our DNA,” said Kael of filmmaking. Only the U.K. has more film production than Hungary, he said. This year, Hungary is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its offered tax rebate program, which offers films produced in Hungary a 30 percent rebate based on their expenditure.
Lantos, who has been filming in the country since the 1990s prior to the tax credits, said, “Whenever I have a project that needs a European-looking city, my direct path is to Budapest.
- 5/20/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For more than two decades, French auteur Christophe Honoré has made provocative features, frequently exploring romantic entanglements or focusing on gay characters that reflect his sexuality. His third Palme d’Or-nominated film premiering May 21, “Marcello Mio,” is a comic change of pace that may be his most commercial and entertaining project to date. After Honoré’s longtime collaborator Chiara Mastroianni, playing a version of herself, gets compared to her movie star father, Marcello Mastroianni, she decides to adopt his look and personality, creating chaos with her mother, Catherine Deneuve, and co-stars like Melvil Poupaud, who also play themselves. With help from a French translator, Variety spoke to Honoré about his work.
You’ve written and directed a wide range of projects, including the Palme d’Or contenders “Love Songs” and “Sorry Angel.” Which are you proudest of?
The one that I made before this one, “Le lycéen (Winter Boy).” It...
You’ve written and directed a wide range of projects, including the Palme d’Or contenders “Love Songs” and “Sorry Angel.” Which are you proudest of?
The one that I made before this one, “Le lycéen (Winter Boy).” It...
- 5/20/2024
- by Gregg Goldstein
- Variety - Film News
Katy Perry said goodbye to American Idol after seven seasons on Sunday night’s live finale.
As a tribute to the singer, the ladies of the top 12 performed a medley of Perry’s hits, including “Teenage Dream,” “Dark Horse” and “California Gurls.”
Perry, who was eating a slice of pizza when the performance began, jumped onto the judges’ table at the end of the performance and gave a strong-arms salute.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by American Idol (@americanidol)
Perry also performed “What Makes a Woman” alongside competitor Jack Blocker during the three-hour finale.
Meanwhile, Abi Carter was named the winner of Season 22 on Sunday night. She performed “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie movie, during which Perry could be seen getting emotional.
Perry announced in February that she would be leaving the ABC singing competition.
Appearing on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Perry...
As a tribute to the singer, the ladies of the top 12 performed a medley of Perry’s hits, including “Teenage Dream,” “Dark Horse” and “California Gurls.”
Perry, who was eating a slice of pizza when the performance began, jumped onto the judges’ table at the end of the performance and gave a strong-arms salute.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by American Idol (@americanidol)
Perry also performed “What Makes a Woman” alongside competitor Jack Blocker during the three-hour finale.
Meanwhile, Abi Carter was named the winner of Season 22 on Sunday night. She performed “What Was I Made For?” from the Barbie movie, during which Perry could be seen getting emotional.
Perry announced in February that she would be leaving the ABC singing competition.
Appearing on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Perry...
- 5/20/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
John Oliver addressed the past week in commencement gaffes on Sunday’s edition of Last Week Tonight.
Noting that ceremonies in general have been “a little chaotic this year, both because of the continuing protest over Gaza, but also for weirder reasons,” he kicked off the segment by showing footage from the Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing graduation ceremony, where the announcer struggled to pronounce common names like Sarah, Meghan, Elizabeth, Molly — and Thomas.
The commencement presenter at Thomas Jefferson University accidentally read off the phonetic spellings of each graduate’s name and oh my god. pic.twitter.com/DVLGibmnRZ
— Michael Collier (@MikeACollier) May 10, 2024
“That is magnificent!” Oliver quipped. “Mispronouncing ‘Thomas’ at Thomas Jefferson University is just spectacular.”
He noted that the school later said the problem was due to the fact that the names had been spelled phonetically.
A message to the graduates of the Jefferson College of Nursing.
Noting that ceremonies in general have been “a little chaotic this year, both because of the continuing protest over Gaza, but also for weirder reasons,” he kicked off the segment by showing footage from the Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing graduation ceremony, where the announcer struggled to pronounce common names like Sarah, Meghan, Elizabeth, Molly — and Thomas.
The commencement presenter at Thomas Jefferson University accidentally read off the phonetic spellings of each graduate’s name and oh my god. pic.twitter.com/DVLGibmnRZ
— Michael Collier (@MikeACollier) May 10, 2024
“That is magnificent!” Oliver quipped. “Mispronouncing ‘Thomas’ at Thomas Jefferson University is just spectacular.”
He noted that the school later said the problem was due to the fact that the names had been spelled phonetically.
A message to the graduates of the Jefferson College of Nursing.
- 5/20/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Last Frenzy,” a comedy film about a dying man’s last hurrah, returned to the top spot in mainland Chinese cinemas in its third weekend of release.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which a week earlier had been the biggest title, slipped to fourth place.
In another China disappointment for Hollywood, “The Fall Guy” opened outside the Chinese top ten. Universal Pictures estimates that it earned $900,000 from 10,000 screens. Another data provider Ent Group provisionally reports that the film took $740,000 over three days.
The broader picture, however, shows that there was little difference in performance among the top four titles and a lowish nation-wide aggregate of just $37.1 million. Theatrical momentum, which has made China the world’s biggest cinema market so far this year, is beginning to slow in the flat spot between the May Day holiday and China’s own summer season.
Consultancy firm, Artisan Gateway calculates...
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which a week earlier had been the biggest title, slipped to fourth place.
In another China disappointment for Hollywood, “The Fall Guy” opened outside the Chinese top ten. Universal Pictures estimates that it earned $900,000 from 10,000 screens. Another data provider Ent Group provisionally reports that the film took $740,000 over three days.
The broader picture, however, shows that there was little difference in performance among the top four titles and a lowish nation-wide aggregate of just $37.1 million. Theatrical momentum, which has made China the world’s biggest cinema market so far this year, is beginning to slow in the flat spot between the May Day holiday and China’s own summer season.
Consultancy firm, Artisan Gateway calculates...
- 5/20/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Though Julia-Louis Dreyfus didn’t make an appearance in the final Curb Your Enthusiasm episode that called back to the Seinfeld series finale, she’s a fan of how Larry David wrapped up his follow-up series.
“I loved it,” she told The Hollywood Reporter of last month’s Curb ending. “I loved everything about it.”
Curb‘s 12th and final season finished with a cameo from Jerry Seinfeld in which he and star-creator David, both playing fictional versions of themselves, reference the famously divisive Seinfeld end. After Larry is convicted of violating Georgia’s Election Integrity Act, he’s sentenced to a year in prison. But Jerry intervenes.
He discovers that one of the trial’s jurors broke the sequestering rule, causing a mistrial to be declared and Larry to walk free.
“Larry,” Jerry says, “is a free man!”
He adds, winking to the poor reception to the Seinfeld finale:...
“I loved it,” she told The Hollywood Reporter of last month’s Curb ending. “I loved everything about it.”
Curb‘s 12th and final season finished with a cameo from Jerry Seinfeld in which he and star-creator David, both playing fictional versions of themselves, reference the famously divisive Seinfeld end. After Larry is convicted of violating Georgia’s Election Integrity Act, he’s sentenced to a year in prison. But Jerry intervenes.
He discovers that one of the trial’s jurors broke the sequestering rule, causing a mistrial to be declared and Larry to walk free.
“Larry,” Jerry says, “is a free man!”
He adds, winking to the poor reception to the Seinfeld finale:...
- 5/20/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spoiler Alert: Don’t read on if you haven’t watched “Tunnel Vision,” the final episode of “CSI: Vegas” that aired on Sunday, May 19.
“Things are about to go kaboom.” That’s what Beau (Lex Medlin) says on Friday night’s series finale of “CSI: Vegas” as he prepares to detonate a series of bombs. But he might be describing everyone’s minds, as the show’s characters discover midway through the episode (“Tunnel Vision”) that they’ve been chasing the wrong villain all season.
With Max (Paula Newsome) kidnapped and Chris (Jay Lee) injured by some sort of nerve agent and in the hospital,...
“Things are about to go kaboom.” That’s what Beau (Lex Medlin) says on Friday night’s series finale of “CSI: Vegas” as he prepares to detonate a series of bombs. But he might be describing everyone’s minds, as the show’s characters discover midway through the episode (“Tunnel Vision”) that they’ve been chasing the wrong villain all season.
With Max (Paula Newsome) kidnapped and Chris (Jay Lee) injured by some sort of nerve agent and in the hospital,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety - TV News
Local blockbuster, “The Roundup: Punishment” extended its dominance of the South Korea theatrical box office for a fourth weekend. That lifted its cumulative total to a powerful $75 million.
“Punishment,” the fourth part of a brutal action comedy film franchise produced by and starring Don Lee (aka Ma Dong-seok), earned $3.05 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). While the film’s week-on-week performance was a 46% decrease, “Punishment” still enjoyed a 36% share of the Korean theatrical market.
After nearly four weeks on release, it has accumulated a total of $75.2 million from 10.7 million admissions. The year’s biggest title to date remains “Exhuma” with $84.8 million earned from 11.9 million ticket sales.
Those two films have dominated proceedings at the Korean box office this year and helped Korea stage a belated recovery in theatrical trends. Both March and April were recent records.
“Punishment,” the fourth part of a brutal action comedy film franchise produced by and starring Don Lee (aka Ma Dong-seok), earned $3.05 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). While the film’s week-on-week performance was a 46% decrease, “Punishment” still enjoyed a 36% share of the Korean theatrical market.
After nearly four weeks on release, it has accumulated a total of $75.2 million from 10.7 million admissions. The year’s biggest title to date remains “Exhuma” with $84.8 million earned from 11.9 million ticket sales.
Those two films have dominated proceedings at the Korean box office this year and helped Korea stage a belated recovery in theatrical trends. Both March and April were recent records.
- 5/20/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Who says the pop star is dead? At his triumphant tour stop in Los Angeles Saturday night, Justin Timberlake led a revival for the reigning Prince of Pop, with a setlist of greatest hits and new material that proves the Grammy-winning entertainer is here to stay.
Timberlake took the stage shortly after 9 p.m. at Kia Forum in Inglewood, for the tenth stop on his “Forget Tomorrow” World Tour, and the second of two nights in L.A. The sold out tour, in support of his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was, was billed as a chance for fans to hear songs from the new LP along with “everyone’s favorite hits,” and Timberlake expertly blended them into a two-hour, feel-good fest.
Dressed in a glittery black suit and trousers, the singer opened with “No Angels,” a disco-lite cut off Eitiw that immediately had the crowd on its feet.
Timberlake took the stage shortly after 9 p.m. at Kia Forum in Inglewood, for the tenth stop on his “Forget Tomorrow” World Tour, and the second of two nights in L.A. The sold out tour, in support of his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was, was billed as a chance for fans to hear songs from the new LP along with “everyone’s favorite hits,” and Timberlake expertly blended them into a two-hour, feel-good fest.
Dressed in a glittery black suit and trousers, the singer opened with “No Angels,” a disco-lite cut off Eitiw that immediately had the crowd on its feet.
- 5/20/2024
- by Tim Chan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Note: This story contains spoilers from “The Sympathizer” Episode 6.
In Sunday’s episode of “The Sympathizer,” the Captain (Hoa Xuande) murders his nemesis Sonny (Alan Trong) in his apartment, following the General’s (Toan Le) orders after concerns surfaced about his reporting on their covert mission.
But the decision is fueled by more than just the directive, after The Captain learned that his girlfriend Sofia Mori (Sandra Oh) had been having an affair with Sonny while he was away, working as a Vietnamese interpreter on Nikos’ (Robert Downey Jr.) movie.
“We have a rivalry that’s obviously spanned through our childhood because we have very similar backstories. The Captain and Sonny had American education before they split ways, so they see their causes for the Vietnamese people very similarly, but they obviously act upon it in very different ways,” Xuande told TheWrap. “I can only speak on behalf of the...
In Sunday’s episode of “The Sympathizer,” the Captain (Hoa Xuande) murders his nemesis Sonny (Alan Trong) in his apartment, following the General’s (Toan Le) orders after concerns surfaced about his reporting on their covert mission.
But the decision is fueled by more than just the directive, after The Captain learned that his girlfriend Sofia Mori (Sandra Oh) had been having an affair with Sonny while he was away, working as a Vietnamese interpreter on Nikos’ (Robert Downey Jr.) movie.
“We have a rivalry that’s obviously spanned through our childhood because we have very similar backstories. The Captain and Sonny had American education before they split ways, so they see their causes for the Vietnamese people very similarly, but they obviously act upon it in very different ways,” Xuande told TheWrap. “I can only speak on behalf of the...
- 5/20/2024
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Note: The following story contains spoilers from the “Tracker” Season 1 finale.
In Sunday night’s Season 1 finale of “Tracker,” Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) learned there are even more mysteries surrounding his late father than he realized — and that everyone else in his family seems to know more about it than he does.
TheWrap spoke with Hartley before the episode premiered about what we can expect in Season 2, plus some of the unusual stats that his character racked up in Season 1.
Hartley also told us how much we can expect to see Colter’s siblings Russell (Jensen Ackles) and Dory (Melissa Roxburgh), as well as the actor’s real-life wife Sofia Pernas, who plays fellow reward-seeker Billie Matalon.
TheWrap: In the finale, we find out there’s a mysterious box with papers that belonged to Colter’s father, that his sister Dory has it for some reason — and that his father...
In Sunday night’s Season 1 finale of “Tracker,” Colter Shaw (Justin Hartley) learned there are even more mysteries surrounding his late father than he realized — and that everyone else in his family seems to know more about it than he does.
TheWrap spoke with Hartley before the episode premiered about what we can expect in Season 2, plus some of the unusual stats that his character racked up in Season 1.
Hartley also told us how much we can expect to see Colter’s siblings Russell (Jensen Ackles) and Dory (Melissa Roxburgh), as well as the actor’s real-life wife Sofia Pernas, who plays fellow reward-seeker Billie Matalon.
TheWrap: In the finale, we find out there’s a mysterious box with papers that belonged to Colter’s father, that his sister Dory has it for some reason — and that his father...
- 5/20/2024
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
A hidden speakeasy, hosted by Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade and Queen Latifah, with a guest list that includes Masked Singer and The Hangover star Ken Jeong, late night host Jimmy Kimmel, Lakers legend Magic Johnson and WNBA stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso?
No, it isn’t real life, but the NBA made it exist, at least for its just-released ad campaign called “The Toast” to tout the upcoming NBA Finals.
Watch:
“We wanted to really ensure that we could generate some emotion for fans, and we wanted for it to feel like we had reverence and appreciation for the season that we had just witnessed, but also get that sort of tingly on your fingertips feeling of anticipation,” says Tammy Henault, the CMO of the NBA, in an interview. “We wanted to have this anticipatory feeling while also coming together as a big celebration and celebrating this big moment,...
No, it isn’t real life, but the NBA made it exist, at least for its just-released ad campaign called “The Toast” to tout the upcoming NBA Finals.
Watch:
“We wanted to really ensure that we could generate some emotion for fans, and we wanted for it to feel like we had reverence and appreciation for the season that we had just witnessed, but also get that sort of tingly on your fingertips feeling of anticipation,” says Tammy Henault, the CMO of the NBA, in an interview. “We wanted to have this anticipatory feeling while also coming together as a big celebration and celebrating this big moment,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It says a lot about the human condition that we all love “Garfield.” Jim Davis’s nearly 50-year-old comic strip tells the ongoing story of Jon Arbuckle, a lovelorn sad-sack loser, and his snide, pompous, hedonistic cat Garfield. Neither of them are conventional heroes. They rarely even leave their house. Jon symbolizes the misery that stems from seeking external acceptance, while Garfield symbolizes the inner peace that stems from accepting yourself, vices and all. Or maybe it’s just about kicking helpless dogs and eating lasagna. Your mileage might vary.
The point is there’s something about “Garfield” that endures. So they keep cranking him out in every way imaginable and we keep buying it. That comic strip is somehow still running, even though the funny pages are harder and harder to find. The cat’s iconic face has been slapped on clothing, toys, video games, telephones, typing tutorials and...
The point is there’s something about “Garfield” that endures. So they keep cranking him out in every way imaginable and we keep buying it. That comic strip is somehow still running, even though the funny pages are harder and harder to find. The cat’s iconic face has been slapped on clothing, toys, video games, telephones, typing tutorials and...
- 5/20/2024
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
The lasagna-obsessed feline with a near-pathological aversion to Mondays, who first came into popular consciousness in the late ‘70s as a comic strip, is a diluted version of himself in “The Garfield Movie.” Not only is his suave apathy mostly replaced by an excessive excitedness with only sporadic glimpses of his endearingly negative qualities, but this Garfield jumps off trains, stages a heist, and is subjected to trite physical comedy by way of numerous predictable action sequences. The ordeal mimics a rehashed plot from the dull “The Secret Life of Pets” franchise with Garfield forcefully plugged in.
All of these choices amount to a production that fundamentally misunderstands Garfield’s appeal as a lovingly indifferent, self-centered glutton whose greatest aspiration is to do nothing and have all his needs catered to him. It’s a Garfield movie for audiences who have never heard of Garfield, which reads as an attempt...
All of these choices amount to a production that fundamentally misunderstands Garfield’s appeal as a lovingly indifferent, self-centered glutton whose greatest aspiration is to do nothing and have all his needs catered to him. It’s a Garfield movie for audiences who have never heard of Garfield, which reads as an attempt...
- 5/20/2024
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety - Film News
As anyone familiar with cartoonist Jim Davis’ iconic feline character knows, Garfield doesn’t like to move around very much. He likes to eat, particularly pepperoni pizza and lasagna, and he likes to lie around and make sarcastic comments. In other words, he’s not a cat of action. And yet for some reason, the creators of the new animated film revolving around him think that what the audience really wants is to watch Garfield engage in Mission: Impossible-style, stunt-laden violent mayhem. It’s as if Charlie Brown was starring in the new James Bond movie.
And in case you think I’m stretching things to make a point, The Garfield Movie employs the Mi theme during one scene and features that film series’ Ving Rhames as the voice of a bull who orchestrates the derring-do. After one particularly harrowing sequence, Garfield, voiced by Chris Pratt, comments, “In case you’re wondering,...
And in case you think I’m stretching things to make a point, The Garfield Movie employs the Mi theme during one scene and features that film series’ Ving Rhames as the voice of a bull who orchestrates the derring-do. After one particularly harrowing sequence, Garfield, voiced by Chris Pratt, comments, “In case you’re wondering,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Arriving in the middle of the art smorgasbord that’s the Cannes Film Festival, a three-hour Western directed by Kevin Costner sounded like it might be just the ticket for a perfect night of counterprogramming: a grandly scaled slice of neo-classical Hollywood. That, after all, describes the other two Westerns Costner has directed (“Dances with Wolves” and “Open Range”), as well as his quirky sci-fi pseudo-Western “The Postman.” There’s no question that “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1,” Costner’s fourth outing as a director, gives off some of that traditional flavor.
The movie, set in 1859 in territories that sprawl from Wyoming to Kansas, has stately mesa backdrops that look like they’d fit right into Monument Valley. It’s got a rousing 1950s-syle musical score (by John Debney) that lays on the Old West sentimentality even when dire things are happening. And a good portion of the movie is...
The movie, set in 1859 in territories that sprawl from Wyoming to Kansas, has stately mesa backdrops that look like they’d fit right into Monument Valley. It’s got a rousing 1950s-syle musical score (by John Debney) that lays on the Old West sentimentality even when dire things are happening. And a good portion of the movie is...
- 5/19/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
Three days after the It Ends With Us trailer took the internet by storm, director and star Justin Baldoni is opening up about the reaction and some of the most buzzed-about changes from the book to the movie.
The film, starring Baldoni, Blake Lively and Brandon Sklenar, is adapted from Colleen Hoover’s hit novel of the same name and follows Lily Bloom (Lively), a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new chapter. Along the way she sparks an intense connection with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni), but she begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents’ relationship.
At the Los Angeles premiere of The Garfield Movie on Sunday, Baldoni — who is an executive producer on the animated film — spoke about the reaction to the trailer, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “Rightfully so, there was just a lot of anticipation and people I...
The film, starring Baldoni, Blake Lively and Brandon Sklenar, is adapted from Colleen Hoover’s hit novel of the same name and follows Lily Bloom (Lively), a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new chapter. Along the way she sparks an intense connection with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni), but she begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents’ relationship.
At the Los Angeles premiere of The Garfield Movie on Sunday, Baldoni — who is an executive producer on the animated film — spoke about the reaction to the trailer, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “Rightfully so, there was just a lot of anticipation and people I...
- 5/19/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cannes Film Festival went apeshit for the jaw-dropping, nauseating, defiant, hilarious “The Substance” — a body horror thriller from French director Coralie Forgeat starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley — on Sunday night with an 11-minute standing ovation.
It’s the tale of a once-great actress (Moore) whose certain age has relegated her to a Jane Fonda-style fitness show. When she’s fired, she is offered a trial of the medical treatment the film is named for. It promises a younger, better version of herself through a cell replicating process.
Moore takes a leap of faith and winds up on the bathroom floor, spine split open like a Christmas ham, when this new version — played by Qualley — comes slithering out of her back. Young, supple and brimming with possibilities, the two characters are allowed to coexist with one important caveat: they must trade one week on, one week off in each body.
It’s the tale of a once-great actress (Moore) whose certain age has relegated her to a Jane Fonda-style fitness show. When she’s fired, she is offered a trial of the medical treatment the film is named for. It promises a younger, better version of herself through a cell replicating process.
Moore takes a leap of faith and winds up on the bathroom floor, spine split open like a Christmas ham, when this new version — played by Qualley — comes slithering out of her back. Young, supple and brimming with possibilities, the two characters are allowed to coexist with one important caveat: they must trade one week on, one week off in each body.
- 5/19/2024
- by Matt Donnelly and Ellise Shafer
- Variety - Film News
The Substance, a gruesome body-horror flick, had its world premiere on Sunday night in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and was greeted with a nine-minute standing ovation from the crowd at the Grand Lumiere Theatre.
The sophomore directorial effort and English-language debut of the French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat — she also wrote, produced and edited the film — stars Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid and Margaret Qualley (Qualley also appears in another competition title at this year’s fest, Kinds of Kindness), all of whom were on hand for the screening.
A gory fantasia that is a twisted cross between the classic films Sunset Blvd. and Freaks, it is one of the most out-there Cannes competition films since Titane — and, with the right mix of jurors, could follow that film to a major festival award, if not for the film then perhaps for Moore.
Produced by Working Title’s art house mavens Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner,...
The sophomore directorial effort and English-language debut of the French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat — she also wrote, produced and edited the film — stars Demi Moore, Dennis Quaid and Margaret Qualley (Qualley also appears in another competition title at this year’s fest, Kinds of Kindness), all of whom were on hand for the screening.
A gory fantasia that is a twisted cross between the classic films Sunset Blvd. and Freaks, it is one of the most out-there Cannes competition films since Titane — and, with the right mix of jurors, could follow that film to a major festival award, if not for the film then perhaps for Moore.
Produced by Working Title’s art house mavens Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jon Stewart told a “Daily Show” studio audience that none other than fellow late-night TV king David Letterman gave him the best advice he’s ever received — and also managed to insult him at the same time.
Stewart responded to an audience member who asked about the best advice he’d ever received, commenting that it was “such an end-of-life question” and joked, “Nobody ever comes to like a 22-year-old and like, ‘Best advice.’ They’re like, ‘Well, beer before liquor, never been sicker.'”
The host then added that he didn’t exactly have a mentor when he was coming up in the comedic world, with mentors not being as talked about as they are now when he was rising in the 1970s and ’80s. “I was raised feral,” Stewart explained — but that’s when a memory hit him. “Oh, here’s one,” he continued. “This is a good one.
Stewart responded to an audience member who asked about the best advice he’d ever received, commenting that it was “such an end-of-life question” and joked, “Nobody ever comes to like a 22-year-old and like, ‘Best advice.’ They’re like, ‘Well, beer before liquor, never been sicker.'”
The host then added that he didn’t exactly have a mentor when he was coming up in the comedic world, with mentors not being as talked about as they are now when he was rising in the 1970s and ’80s. “I was raised feral,” Stewart explained — but that’s when a memory hit him. “Oh, here’s one,” he continued. “This is a good one.
- 5/19/2024
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
The Los Angeles LGBT Center held their annual gala in downtown Los Angles Saturday night, where attendees gathered at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall for a dinner hosted by comedian Joel Kim Booster.
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo was presented with the Rand Schrader award in recognition of her achievements in entertainment and activism championing the LGBTQ+ community. The Emmy, Grammy and Tony award winner was introduced by actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who gushed about Erivo’s “immense talent and spirit” during her remarks.
“Beyond her artistic achievements, Cynthia is a steadfast advocate helping bring visibility to the intersection of black and queer identity,” Pinkett Smith told the crowd.
“She uses her platform to fight for justice, for love and acceptance, and empowered individuals to live their truth authentically and without fear,” she continued.
Erivo accepted the award to much applause, beginning what would be a moving speech by telling...
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo was presented with the Rand Schrader award in recognition of her achievements in entertainment and activism championing the LGBTQ+ community. The Emmy, Grammy and Tony award winner was introduced by actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who gushed about Erivo’s “immense talent and spirit” during her remarks.
“Beyond her artistic achievements, Cynthia is a steadfast advocate helping bring visibility to the intersection of black and queer identity,” Pinkett Smith told the crowd.
“She uses her platform to fight for justice, for love and acceptance, and empowered individuals to live their truth authentically and without fear,” she continued.
Erivo accepted the award to much applause, beginning what would be a moving speech by telling...
- 5/19/2024
- by Nicole Fell
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While often lacking in depth, there remains a value to a documentary like Oliver Stone’s “Lula.” This is not just because of its subject, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who went from being imprisoned to holding the country’s highest office, but because of who he defeated to do so.
Jair Bolsonaro, the former president who is currently under investigation over whether he incited a failed coup after losing in 2022, is but one of the more recent sore loser right-wing authoritarians to gain power and then be rather unwilling to let it go when ultimately voted out.
Making a documentary about this upheaval of politics in Brazil, how it was that we got here and what it means for the future of the country as well as the world writ large, is a worthwhile pursuit. Stone doesn’t always get there as robustly or as comprehensively as one would hope him to,...
Jair Bolsonaro, the former president who is currently under investigation over whether he incited a failed coup after losing in 2022, is but one of the more recent sore loser right-wing authoritarians to gain power and then be rather unwilling to let it go when ultimately voted out.
Making a documentary about this upheaval of politics in Brazil, how it was that we got here and what it means for the future of the country as well as the world writ large, is a worthwhile pursuit. Stone doesn’t always get there as robustly or as comprehensively as one would hope him to,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Chase Hutchinson
- The Wrap
Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance” is a body horror film with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It smashes you over the head with its ideas and imagery, making even the fleeting moments of supposed beauty its characters are desperately chasing into something gloriously gruesome. It’s also great fun, pushing itself to greater heights and increasingly ludicrous lows at every turn as it riffs on the perils of youth and aging. It’s a lurid, loud and lewd film that comes at you.
The garishness of it all is Fargeat’s way of taking society’s often painfully narrow beauty standards and turning them all inside out. The filmmaker does so literally and figuratively, making it one of the most utterly ridiculous and unrestrained films to show at a festival this year. Few come even close.
While not as sensational as body horror films of festivals past, namely “Raw” and “Titane,...
The garishness of it all is Fargeat’s way of taking society’s often painfully narrow beauty standards and turning them all inside out. The filmmaker does so literally and figuratively, making it one of the most utterly ridiculous and unrestrained films to show at a festival this year. Few come even close.
While not as sensational as body horror films of festivals past, namely “Raw” and “Titane,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Chase Hutchinson
- The Wrap
Shocking and resonant, disarmingly grotesque and weirdly fun, “The Substance” is a feminist body-horror film that should be shown in movie theaters all over the land. By that, I don’t mean that it’s some elegant exercise in egghead darkness like the films of David Cronenberg, or a patchy postmodern punk curio like “Titane.” Coralie Fargeat, the writer-director of “The Substance,” has a voice that’s italicized, in-your-face, garishly accessible and thrillingly extreme. She draws on much of the hyperbolic flamboyance that’s come to define megaplex horror. But unlike 90 percent of those movies, “The Substance” is the work of a filmmaker with a vision. She’s got something primal to say to us.
“The Substance” tells the story of an aging Hollywood actress-turned-aerobics-workout-host, named Elisabeth Sparkle and played by Demi Moore, who gets fired from a TV network because she is now deemed too old. In a rage of desperation,...
“The Substance” tells the story of an aging Hollywood actress-turned-aerobics-workout-host, named Elisabeth Sparkle and played by Demi Moore, who gets fired from a TV network because she is now deemed too old. In a rage of desperation,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
Not long into Coralie Fargeat’s campy body horror The Substance, Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is unceremoniously fired from her gig as the celebrity host of a daytime exercise program. The former actress’ credentials — an Academy Award, a prominent place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — aren’t enough to save her Zumba-meets-Jillian-Michaels-style show, fittingly called Sparkle Your Life. Her producer, an oily personality conspicuously named Harvey (Dennis Quaid), wants to replace Elisabeth with a younger, more beautiful star. In his words: “This is network TV, not charity.”
The Substance, which premiered at Cannes in competition, is Fargeat’s second feature. It builds on the director’s interest in the disposability of women in a sexist society, a theme she first explored in her hyper-stylized and gory 2017 thriller Revenge. She gave that film a subversive feminist bent by turning the trophy girlfriend — a sunny blonde who is raped and murdered — into a vengeance-seeking hunter.
The Substance, which premiered at Cannes in competition, is Fargeat’s second feature. It builds on the director’s interest in the disposability of women in a sexist society, a theme she first explored in her hyper-stylized and gory 2017 thriller Revenge. She gave that film a subversive feminist bent by turning the trophy girlfriend — a sunny blonde who is raped and murdered — into a vengeance-seeking hunter.
- 5/19/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A24 acquired the U.S. rights to Ruben Östlund’s The Entertainment System Is Down this weekend.
The eight-figure deal gives A24 U.S. distribution rights to what will be the Swedish film director’s second English-language movie, after 2022’s Triangle of Sadness. The latter won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, which marked Östlund’s second time taking home the prize after 2017’s The Square.
Like his last movie, The Entertainment System Is Down is also a social satire, this time set on a long-haul flight in which the entertainment system fails and passengers must figure out how else to fill their time. Östlund and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, purchased a real Boeing 747 for the film.
The movie’s cast includes Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, Nicholas Braun and Samantha Morton, with Dunst and Brühl set to play a married couple.
Östlund plans to...
The eight-figure deal gives A24 U.S. distribution rights to what will be the Swedish film director’s second English-language movie, after 2022’s Triangle of Sadness. The latter won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, which marked Östlund’s second time taking home the prize after 2017’s The Square.
Like his last movie, The Entertainment System Is Down is also a social satire, this time set on a long-haul flight in which the entertainment system fails and passengers must figure out how else to fill their time. Östlund and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, purchased a real Boeing 747 for the film.
The movie’s cast includes Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, Daniel Brühl, Nicholas Braun and Samantha Morton, with Dunst and Brühl set to play a married couple.
Östlund plans to...
- 5/19/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For the last two years in a row, one of the major premieres at the Cannes Film Festival has been a mainstream film that works with the trappings and tropes of the Western genre. But there’s not much connection between Martin Scorsese’s Oklahoma-set 1920s period piece “Killers of the Flower Moon,” one of the hits of last year’s festival, and Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga,” which had its premiere at the Grand Theatre Lumiere on Sunday evening.
For Scorsese, approaching that location and time period meant thinking hard about what he could bring to a genre that he felt had peaked with directors like John Ford and Howard Hawks in the 1940s and ’50s, and essentially been ended by Sam Peckinpah’s revisionist Western “The Wild Bunch” in the late 1968s.
Costner, though, has little interest in revisionist thinking about the genre; “Horizon” is proudly,...
For Scorsese, approaching that location and time period meant thinking hard about what he could bring to a genre that he felt had peaked with directors like John Ford and Howard Hawks in the 1940s and ’50s, and essentially been ended by Sam Peckinpah’s revisionist Western “The Wild Bunch” in the late 1968s.
Costner, though, has little interest in revisionist thinking about the genre; “Horizon” is proudly,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Jimmy Kimmel will moderate a conversation between President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama for a Biden campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles next month. The event will also feature special guests George Clooney and Julia Roberts.
The fundraiser will be held June 15, with tickets starting at $250 per person and rising to $500,000 for an “event chair” tier. Proceeds go to the Biden Victory Fund.
Kimmel will not be the first late-night host to dip his toe in the game of presidential moderation this year. In March, Stephen Colbert moderated a New York Biden fundraiser that featured the current president, Obama and former President Bill Clinton in conversation. Per the Associated Press, the event raised $26 million.
News of Kimmel’s gig comes after a big week for the comedian, given he made headlines for his brutal Disney upfront monologue on Tuesday, during which he laid into into CEO Bob Iger, the Golden Bachelor,...
The fundraiser will be held June 15, with tickets starting at $250 per person and rising to $500,000 for an “event chair” tier. Proceeds go to the Biden Victory Fund.
Kimmel will not be the first late-night host to dip his toe in the game of presidential moderation this year. In March, Stephen Colbert moderated a New York Biden fundraiser that featured the current president, Obama and former President Bill Clinton in conversation. Per the Associated Press, the event raised $26 million.
News of Kimmel’s gig comes after a big week for the comedian, given he made headlines for his brutal Disney upfront monologue on Tuesday, during which he laid into into CEO Bob Iger, the Golden Bachelor,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kevin Costner was unable to hold back tears at Cannes on Sunday night after his Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga” was celebrated with a lengthy standing ovation.
The three-hour film is the first of a proposed four Costner has planned. The long-gestating passion project premiered at the Grand Theatre Lumiere and stars Costner (who also directed) alongside Sienna Miller, Alejandro Edda, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Georgia MacPhail, Ella Hunt, Isabelle Fuhrman, Wasé Chief, Luke Wilson and the actor’s son Logan Costner.
The actor was reported as having told the audience, “There’s no place like here — I’ll never forget this. I made this [movie] … It’s not mine anymore, this is yours, and I knew that the minute it was over.”
Watch a clip of his teary response below.
A visibly emotional Kevin Costner blows a kiss to the audience as he receives a standing ovation for...
The three-hour film is the first of a proposed four Costner has planned. The long-gestating passion project premiered at the Grand Theatre Lumiere and stars Costner (who also directed) alongside Sienna Miller, Alejandro Edda, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Georgia MacPhail, Ella Hunt, Isabelle Fuhrman, Wasé Chief, Luke Wilson and the actor’s son Logan Costner.
The actor was reported as having told the audience, “There’s no place like here — I’ll never forget this. I made this [movie] … It’s not mine anymore, this is yours, and I knew that the minute it was over.”
Watch a clip of his teary response below.
A visibly emotional Kevin Costner blows a kiss to the audience as he receives a standing ovation for...
- 5/19/2024
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
Atoms & Void, the Netherlands-based production and sales company run by Sergei Loznitsa and Maria Choustova, has closed a French sale on Loznitsa’s most recent feature documentary “The Invasion,” which premiered on Thursday as a Special Screening in Cannes. Potemkine Films has taken all rights for France, while the film’s French co-producer Arte France maintains its exclusive TV/VOD window.
“The Invasion” arrives 10 years after the release of Sergei Loznitsa’s epic “Maidan,” which chronicled the Ukrainian uprising.
In his latest feature documentary, Loznitsa returns to Ukraine to chronicle his country’s struggle against the Russian invasion. Shot over a two-year period, the film portrays the life of the civilian population all over Ukraine – from Lviv and Odessa to Kyiv and Dnipro – and presents a statement of Ukrainian resilience in the face of a barbaric invasion. In the second part of his Ukrainian diptych, Loznitsa paints a monumental...
“The Invasion” arrives 10 years after the release of Sergei Loznitsa’s epic “Maidan,” which chronicled the Ukrainian uprising.
In his latest feature documentary, Loznitsa returns to Ukraine to chronicle his country’s struggle against the Russian invasion. Shot over a two-year period, the film portrays the life of the civilian population all over Ukraine – from Lviv and Odessa to Kyiv and Dnipro – and presents a statement of Ukrainian resilience in the face of a barbaric invasion. In the second part of his Ukrainian diptych, Loznitsa paints a monumental...
- 5/19/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Disney and 20th Century’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” conquered the international box office again with $40.6 million in its second weekend of release.
So far, the fourth chapter in the “Apes” reboot franchise has generated $136 million overseas and $237 million globally. It currently stands as the fourth-highest grossing movie of the year, behind “Kung Fu Panda 4” ($533 million), “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” ($561 million) and “Dune: Part Two” ($710 million).
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” cost $160 million to produce, so it needs to keep swinging at the box office to justify its price tag. International ticket sales will be key in turning a profit in its theatrical run. Top overseas markets include China with $20.4 million, France with $13.8 million, Mexico with $12 million and the U.K. with $10 million.
In a distant second place, Paramount and director John Krasinski‘s “If,” a fantasy-comedy aimed at young kids, collected $20 million from 58 markets.
So far, the fourth chapter in the “Apes” reboot franchise has generated $136 million overseas and $237 million globally. It currently stands as the fourth-highest grossing movie of the year, behind “Kung Fu Panda 4” ($533 million), “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” ($561 million) and “Dune: Part Two” ($710 million).
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” cost $160 million to produce, so it needs to keep swinging at the box office to justify its price tag. International ticket sales will be key in turning a profit in its theatrical run. Top overseas markets include China with $20.4 million, France with $13.8 million, Mexico with $12 million and the U.K. with $10 million.
In a distant second place, Paramount and director John Krasinski‘s “If,” a fantasy-comedy aimed at young kids, collected $20 million from 58 markets.
- 5/19/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
A24 is closing an eight-figure deal to acquire the U.S. rights to Ruben Östlund’s “The Entertainment System Is Down,” Variety has confirmed.
The deal was struck between A24 and Paris-based Co-Production Office, which launched international sales for the project at the Cannes Film Market.
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Brühl, Nicholas Braun and Samantha Morton, “The Entertainment System Is Down” takes place on a long-haul flight where the entertainment system fails and passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored.
During a Cannes event hosted by Sweden’s Film i Väst on Saturday, two-time Palme d’Or winner Östlund unveiled more details about “The Entertainment System Is Down,” including that he and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, purchased a real-life Boeing 747 for the film.
”We wanted to have a real airplane because very often, when you watch an airplane movie, characters are put in a corner,...
The deal was struck between A24 and Paris-based Co-Production Office, which launched international sales for the project at the Cannes Film Market.
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Brühl, Nicholas Braun and Samantha Morton, “The Entertainment System Is Down” takes place on a long-haul flight where the entertainment system fails and passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored.
During a Cannes event hosted by Sweden’s Film i Väst on Saturday, two-time Palme d’Or winner Östlund unveiled more details about “The Entertainment System Is Down,” including that he and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, purchased a real-life Boeing 747 for the film.
”We wanted to have a real airplane because very often, when you watch an airplane movie, characters are put in a corner,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
The 50th Annual Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) wrapped up on Sunday and announced the winners of the 2024 Golden Space Needle Audience and Juried Competition Awards.
The festival began on May 9 and screened 261 films representing 84 countries with “62% of the feature films were created by first or second-time filmmakers; 43% were created by women or nonbinary filmmakers; 35% of filmmakers identify as a Bipoc director; and nearly 60% are currently without U.S. distribution and may not screen commercially in the United States,” according to Siff.
Siff holds two categories of competition: juried and audience based. Juried competitions include five feature subcategories including the Official Competition, New American Cinema Competition, New Directors Competition, Ibero-American Competition and Documentary Competition. Short film categories include live action, animation and documentary.
In addition, over 32,000 ballots were submitted for the Golden Space Needle Awards (Gsna). Films judged through the GSNAs are selected by audience members through post-screening ballots. The categories include best film,...
The festival began on May 9 and screened 261 films representing 84 countries with “62% of the feature films were created by first or second-time filmmakers; 43% were created by women or nonbinary filmmakers; 35% of filmmakers identify as a Bipoc director; and nearly 60% are currently without U.S. distribution and may not screen commercially in the United States,” according to Siff.
Siff holds two categories of competition: juried and audience based. Juried competitions include five feature subcategories including the Official Competition, New American Cinema Competition, New Directors Competition, Ibero-American Competition and Documentary Competition. Short film categories include live action, animation and documentary.
In addition, over 32,000 ballots were submitted for the Golden Space Needle Awards (Gsna). Films judged through the GSNAs are selected by audience members through post-screening ballots. The categories include best film,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
A24 has acquired the U.S. rights to “The Entertainment System is Down,” the upcoming film from 2-time Palme D’Or winner Ruben Östlund starring Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl.
The film will follow an international flight where the entertainment systems on the plane fail, causing things to unravel as boredom sets in. Dunst and Brühl will play a married couple whose relationship faces certain doom, with Nicholas Braun and Samantha Morton also joining the cast.
Östlund is expected to premiere “The Entertainment System is Down” at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The Swedish director won his first Palme D’Or at the festival in 2017 with his satire of the modern art world, “The Square.” Five years later, he won his second with the satire of the ultra-wealthy, “Triangle of Sadness,” which also earned three Oscar nominations including Best Picture.
Östlund is repped by WME, and the deal made...
The film will follow an international flight where the entertainment systems on the plane fail, causing things to unravel as boredom sets in. Dunst and Brühl will play a married couple whose relationship faces certain doom, with Nicholas Braun and Samantha Morton also joining the cast.
Östlund is expected to premiere “The Entertainment System is Down” at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The Swedish director won his first Palme D’Or at the festival in 2017 with his satire of the modern art world, “The Square.” Five years later, he won his second with the satire of the ultra-wealthy, “Triangle of Sadness,” which also earned three Oscar nominations including Best Picture.
Östlund is repped by WME, and the deal made...
- 5/19/2024
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Kevin Costner rode into Cannes with cowboy swagger, making finger pistols on the red carpet to cheers from the crowd ahead of the premiere for Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1, a partially self-financed western that is one of the biggest swings of his long career.
Inside the Grand Lumiere Theatre, Costner was greeted with extended applause (including from some guests wearing cowboy hats) before the first public screening of the $90 million-plus budgeted film that is planned as part one of a four-part saga.
Three hours later, as the credits rolled, the crowd delivered a standing ovation that began to taper off at around the four-and-a-half-minute mark, but then continued on for a total of around ten minutes, ending when a tearful Costner took the microphone to speak about his film, which he directed, produced, co-wrote and stars in.
“I’m sorry you had to clap so long for me to speak,...
Inside the Grand Lumiere Theatre, Costner was greeted with extended applause (including from some guests wearing cowboy hats) before the first public screening of the $90 million-plus budgeted film that is planned as part one of a four-part saga.
Three hours later, as the credits rolled, the crowd delivered a standing ovation that began to taper off at around the four-and-a-half-minute mark, but then continued on for a total of around ten minutes, ending when a tearful Costner took the microphone to speak about his film, which he directed, produced, co-wrote and stars in.
“I’m sorry you had to clap so long for me to speak,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Aaron Couch and Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Horizon: An American Saga,” Kevin Costner’s risk-it-all Western epic, rode into Cannes on Sunday, earning a seven-minute standing ovation.
Costner was visibly emotional as the film received huge applause and chants of “Kevin! Kevin! Kevin!” During his speech, Costner thanked the audience and promised “three more” installments of the “Horizon” franchise, which is already due to get a sequel in August.
“I’m sorry you had to clap that long for me to understand that I should speak,” Costner said to laughter. “Such good people. Such a good moment, not just for me, but for the actors that came with me, for people who believed in me who continued to work. It’s a funny business, and I’m so glad I found it. There’s no place like here. I’ll never forget this — either will my children.”
Kevin Costner gets teary-eyed during the standing ovation for his...
Costner was visibly emotional as the film received huge applause and chants of “Kevin! Kevin! Kevin!” During his speech, Costner thanked the audience and promised “three more” installments of the “Horizon” franchise, which is already due to get a sequel in August.
“I’m sorry you had to clap that long for me to understand that I should speak,” Costner said to laughter. “Such good people. Such a good moment, not just for me, but for the actors that came with me, for people who believed in me who continued to work. It’s a funny business, and I’m so glad I found it. There’s no place like here. I’ll never forget this — either will my children.”
Kevin Costner gets teary-eyed during the standing ovation for his...
- 5/19/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel and Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
Pro-Palestine protests disrupted Jerry Seinfeld’s Saturday night comedy set at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, Virginia, which eventually resulted in one protestor being escorted out of the venue.
In videos posted online and shared by local news station Wtkr, Seinfeld’s show was interrupted by a man who stood in the crowd and yelled toward the comedian that he was “a genocide supporter.”
Another video posted to Instagram shows the individual yelling, “Save the children of Gaza,” “No more American tax dollars for genocide” and “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Other members of the crowd responded by booing and chanting, “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” The protestor was escorted out of the venue by security.
From the stage, Seinfeld could be seen saying, “This is exciting. I like this.”
Seinfeld has been vocal about his support for Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, visiting Tel Aviv in December to meet with...
In videos posted online and shared by local news station Wtkr, Seinfeld’s show was interrupted by a man who stood in the crowd and yelled toward the comedian that he was “a genocide supporter.”
Another video posted to Instagram shows the individual yelling, “Save the children of Gaza,” “No more American tax dollars for genocide” and “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Other members of the crowd responded by booing and chanting, “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!” The protestor was escorted out of the venue by security.
From the stage, Seinfeld could be seen saying, “This is exciting. I like this.”
Seinfeld has been vocal about his support for Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, visiting Tel Aviv in December to meet with...
- 5/19/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kevin Costner has been in the saddle long enough to know the difference between a big-screen feature Western like Dances With Wolves, a miniseries like Hatfields & McCoys or a longform like Yellowstone. All those projects have done well by him and he’s done well by them. His connection to the quintessential Americana genre and the rugged lands it calls home is indubitable. So why is his sprawling new frontier tale, Horizon: An American Saga, such a clumsy slog? It plays like a limited series overhauled as a movie, but more like a hasty rough cut than a release ready for any format.
Running a taxing three hours, this first part of a quartet of films is littered with inessential scenes and characters that go nowhere, taking far too long to connect its messy plot threads. Warner Bros. will release Chapter One in U.S. theaters June 28, with Chapter...
Running a taxing three hours, this first part of a quartet of films is littered with inessential scenes and characters that go nowhere, taking far too long to connect its messy plot threads. Warner Bros. will release Chapter One in U.S. theaters June 28, with Chapter...
- 5/19/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michel Hazanavicius, the Oscar-winning director of “The Artist,” makes a first foray into animation with “The Most Precious of Cargoes” which world premieres at the Cannes Film Festival on May 24. Adapted from Jean-Claude Grumberg’s bestselling novel, “The Most Precious of Cargoes” is the first animated feature to vie for a Palme d’Or since Ari Folman’s “Waltz With Bashir” in 2008; and it will be the last movie watched by the competition jury, presided over by Greta Gerwig, before the closing ceremony.
Hazanavicius developed the project for years and wrote the script with Grumberg, as well as created the drawings. Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat created the original score. The drama intertwines the fate of a Jewish family, including newborn twins, deported to Auschwitz, with that of a poor and childless woodcutter couple living deep in a Polish forest. On the train to the death camp, the young father wraps...
Hazanavicius developed the project for years and wrote the script with Grumberg, as well as created the drawings. Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat created the original score. The drama intertwines the fate of a Jewish family, including newborn twins, deported to Auschwitz, with that of a poor and childless woodcutter couple living deep in a Polish forest. On the train to the death camp, the young father wraps...
- 5/19/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
The Cannes Film Festival keeps on chugging, with more acquisitions, more premieres and an honorary Palme d’Or awarded to a studio for the first time.
The Glorious Return of Jacques Audiard
French filmmaker Jacques Audiard is a consistent staple at Cannes. His film “A Prophet” won the Grand Prix in 2010, 2012’s “Rust and Bone” competed for the Palme d’Or and 2015’s “Deephan” won the Palme d’Or. The last time Audiard was at Cannes in 2021, his smaller “Paris, 13th District” competed for the Palme d’Or.
Now he’s back with “Emilia Pérez,” a musical crime comedy about an escaped Mexican cartel leader undergoing gender-affirming surgery that stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez. And judging by the response to the film, it sounds like he has a good shot at Cannes’ top prize once again.
The film “landed the loudest, most enthusiastic standing ovation,...
The Glorious Return of Jacques Audiard
French filmmaker Jacques Audiard is a consistent staple at Cannes. His film “A Prophet” won the Grand Prix in 2010, 2012’s “Rust and Bone” competed for the Palme d’Or and 2015’s “Deephan” won the Palme d’Or. The last time Audiard was at Cannes in 2021, his smaller “Paris, 13th District” competed for the Palme d’Or.
Now he’s back with “Emilia Pérez,” a musical crime comedy about an escaped Mexican cartel leader undergoing gender-affirming surgery that stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña and Édgar Ramírez. And judging by the response to the film, it sounds like he has a good shot at Cannes’ top prize once again.
The film “landed the loudest, most enthusiastic standing ovation,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Urban Sales has closed a raft of deals on the upcoming animated feature “Into the Wonderwoods” ahead of its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in the Special Screenings section.
The film, which bows with a special screening May 22 at the prestigious French fest, has sold to 45 territories, the Paris-based sales outfit announced during the Cannes Market. Pic has sold to Volga for the Cis territories and the Baltics; Selim Ramia & Co. for the Mena region; Skyline for Vietnam; New Horizons for Poland; Ascot Elite for Switzerland; Movies Inspired for Italy; Vercine for Spain; and Pris Audiovisuais for Portugal.
The family animation next travels to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to compete in the main competition for the prestigious Cristal award. Le Pacte will be releasing the film in France on Oct. 23. Advanced negotiations are ongoing for Benelux, China, Germany, Turkey, Latin America and North America.
“Into the Wonderwoods...
The film, which bows with a special screening May 22 at the prestigious French fest, has sold to 45 territories, the Paris-based sales outfit announced during the Cannes Market. Pic has sold to Volga for the Cis territories and the Baltics; Selim Ramia & Co. for the Mena region; Skyline for Vietnam; New Horizons for Poland; Ascot Elite for Switzerland; Movies Inspired for Italy; Vercine for Spain; and Pris Audiovisuais for Portugal.
The family animation next travels to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival to compete in the main competition for the prestigious Cristal award. Le Pacte will be releasing the film in France on Oct. 23. Advanced negotiations are ongoing for Benelux, China, Germany, Turkey, Latin America and North America.
“Into the Wonderwoods...
- 5/19/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety - Film News
Some films prioritize a strident political cause, others set out to terrify or thrill. This touching and simple story from Japanese filmmaker Hiroshi Okuyama, premiering in Un Certain Regard at Cannes, is a gentler affair, with modest ambitions that it realizes effectively. Set on a small Japanese island, the film’s slight but sweet narrative follows a quartet of characters — young hockey player Takuya (Keitatsu Koshiyama), proficient skater Sakura (Kiara Nakanishi), figure-skating tutor Arakawa (Sōsuke Ikematsu) and his boyfriend (Ryûya Wakaba) — as they navigate subtly shifting interpersonal dynamics while a cold but beautiful winter waxes and wanes around them.
Every scene is set up with a very deliberate aesthetic sense. A snowy icing-sugar landscape, a baseball field tinged with pale turquoise light, an indoor ice-rink shimmering in a golden haze: Nothing feels haphazard or anything less than picture-perfect. This is the result of a fruitful collaboration between director and Dp,...
Every scene is set up with a very deliberate aesthetic sense. A snowy icing-sugar landscape, a baseball field tinged with pale turquoise light, an indoor ice-rink shimmering in a golden haze: Nothing feels haphazard or anything less than picture-perfect. This is the result of a fruitful collaboration between director and Dp,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Catherine Bray
- Variety - Film News
The first significant deal at last year’s Marché du Film was Neon’s acquisition of Pablo Berger’s eventual Oscar nominee, “Robot Dreams.” Whether or not another Spanish animated film can have that kind of impact in 2024 remains to be seen, but there is a long list of contenders to consider.
Perhaps the buzziest Spanish title at this year’s market is adult animation auteur Alberto Vázquez’s “Decorado,” sold by French powerhouse Le Pacte. Like his previous titles, “Decorado” is based on a Vázquez short adapted from one of his graphic novels. Uniko, Abano Producións, The Glow Animation Studio and Sardinha em Lata produce.
“Girl and Wolf” marks the feature debut of animator and graphic novelist Roc Espinet, touted as Spain’s next adult animation auteur. Produced by Hampa Studio, Sygnatia and Alesa Films, the Latido-sold film will certainly look an appealing prospect to distributors of indie animation.
Perhaps the buzziest Spanish title at this year’s market is adult animation auteur Alberto Vázquez’s “Decorado,” sold by French powerhouse Le Pacte. Like his previous titles, “Decorado” is based on a Vázquez short adapted from one of his graphic novels. Uniko, Abano Producións, The Glow Animation Studio and Sardinha em Lata produce.
“Girl and Wolf” marks the feature debut of animator and graphic novelist Roc Espinet, touted as Spain’s next adult animation auteur. Produced by Hampa Studio, Sygnatia and Alesa Films, the Latido-sold film will certainly look an appealing prospect to distributors of indie animation.
- 5/19/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
Noemie Merlant, best known beyond France for her performances in Celine Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Todd Field’s Tár, made her debut as a writer-director-actor a few years back with Mi Iubita, mon amour, which starts with a bachelorette party. Merlant offers up another female-solidarity story in the shape of The Balconettes (Les femmes au balcon), a comedy with a very dark streak or a giggly drama depending on how you look at it.
Given at one point that a writer character in the film rejects the supposed rules of storytelling, which require clear acts and so forth, Merlant obviously knows she’s taking risks with a free-form, genre-bending structure, and that’s cool. It’s just a shame that the end product is so loosey-goosey it’s less a bold sui generis experiment than a hot mess.
Then again, most of the female characters...
Given at one point that a writer character in the film rejects the supposed rules of storytelling, which require clear acts and so forth, Merlant obviously knows she’s taking risks with a free-form, genre-bending structure, and that’s cool. It’s just a shame that the end product is so loosey-goosey it’s less a bold sui generis experiment than a hot mess.
Then again, most of the female characters...
- 5/19/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sean “Diddy” Combs apologized on Sunday morning for a recently surfaced 2016 video which sees him attacking his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura.
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Diddy said on Instagram. “I was fucked up — I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable.”
The video, first obtained by CNN and released Friday, showed the music mogul running out of a hotel room in a towel and chasing a woman who appears to be Ventura toward the elevator. He grabs her by the back of the neck and throws her on the floor, kicks her, shoves her and drags her by her sweatshirt. Later in the footage, he returns to kick her again, and then throws an object from a nearby table at her.
View this post on Instagram...
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Diddy said on Instagram. “I was fucked up — I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable.”
The video, first obtained by CNN and released Friday, showed the music mogul running out of a hotel room in a towel and chasing a woman who appears to be Ventura toward the elevator. He grabs her by the back of the neck and throws her on the floor, kicks her, shoves her and drags her by her sweatshirt. Later in the footage, he returns to kick her again, and then throws an object from a nearby table at her.
View this post on Instagram...
- 5/19/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
French distribution company UFO has secured the rights to American filmmaker Ryan J. Sloan’s New psychological thriller “Gazer,” which will world premiere at this year’s Directors’ Fortnight on May 22.
Set in New Jersey and starring Sloan’s partner Ariella Mastroianni, “Gazer” is the story of a young mother with a rare degenerative brain condition called dyschronometria. The disease causes her to struggle to perceive time, which makes holding down a steady job nearly impossible. So, when a mysterious woman offers her a risky job, she takes it, unaware of the dark consequences of her decision.
According to UFO CEO Stéphane Auclaire, “We loved following the lead character Frankie, played by the hypnotic Ariella Mastroianni, through the twists and turns of this paranoid thriller that reminded us of Cronenberg and the Safdie brothers. The sound and music, framing and lighting cohere in an ‘analog obsession’, through which director Ryan J.
Set in New Jersey and starring Sloan’s partner Ariella Mastroianni, “Gazer” is the story of a young mother with a rare degenerative brain condition called dyschronometria. The disease causes her to struggle to perceive time, which makes holding down a steady job nearly impossible. So, when a mysterious woman offers her a risky job, she takes it, unaware of the dark consequences of her decision.
According to UFO CEO Stéphane Auclaire, “We loved following the lead character Frankie, played by the hypnotic Ariella Mastroianni, through the twists and turns of this paranoid thriller that reminded us of Cronenberg and the Safdie brothers. The sound and music, framing and lighting cohere in an ‘analog obsession’, through which director Ryan J.
- 5/19/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
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