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The Witcher is coming to an end. The show announced today on X that Netflix has picked up a fifth season of the fantasy adaptation, which will be its last.
“It’s official, The Witcher season 4 is in production. But that’s not all, we’re already planning season 5, which will be the final season and bring this epic show to a fitting conclusion. See you on The Continent,” Netflix confirmed.
As Netflix noted, Season 4 production is underway.
After the shocking, Continent-altering events that close out season three, the new season follows Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri who are faced with traversing the war-ravaged Continent and its many demons apart from each other. If they can embrace and lead the groups of misfits they find themselves in, they have a chance of surviving the baptism of fire — and finding one another again.
As we previously reported, Laurence Fishburne is joining the fourth season as Regis,...
“It’s official, The Witcher season 4 is in production. But that’s not all, we’re already planning season 5, which will be the final season and bring this epic show to a fitting conclusion. See you on The Continent,” Netflix confirmed.
As Netflix noted, Season 4 production is underway.
After the shocking, Continent-altering events that close out season three, the new season follows Geralt, Yennefer, and Ciri who are faced with traversing the war-ravaged Continent and its many demons apart from each other. If they can embrace and lead the groups of misfits they find themselves in, they have a chance of surviving the baptism of fire — and finding one another again.
As we previously reported, Laurence Fishburne is joining the fourth season as Regis,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Henry Cavill is being thrust back into the James Bond casting conversation on social media thanks to a viral fake movie trailer partially created by AI that imagines the former “Superman” actor as 007 and Margot Robbie as his Bond girl. In four days. the AI-generated trailer garnered over 2.5 million views on YouTube and further stoked fan interest in Cavill being named the new Bond following Daniel Craig’s departure in 2021’s “No Time to Die.”
As fate would have it, Cavill’s next role is Gus March-Phillipps in Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.” March-Phillipps was a real historical figure who founded the British Army’s No. 62 Commando and who some believe inspired author Ian Fleming to create James Bond. Cavill’s history with 007 dates back to “Casino Royale,” when he auditioned for the role of 007 but lost out to Craig.
During a recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show...
As fate would have it, Cavill’s next role is Gus March-Phillipps in Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.” March-Phillipps was a real historical figure who founded the British Army’s No. 62 Commando and who some believe inspired author Ian Fleming to create James Bond. Cavill’s history with 007 dates back to “Casino Royale,” when he auditioned for the role of 007 but lost out to Craig.
During a recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show...
- 4/18/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
Well, this is an interesting about-face, and so much for the rumors about the recent start dates. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has decided to scrap “The Movie Critic” as his final film. He’s changed his mind; he won’t make it, and what he will substitute for his supposed tenth and final film is unclear.
According to Deadline, the rumors are true that Brad Pitt was going to star, and apparently, many of the previous members of Tarantino’s repertory company were eyeing roles, but it’s all moot now, and the film has been scrapped.
Continue reading Quentin Tarantino Scraps ’The Movie Critic’; Brad Pitt Would Have Reprised Cliff Booth Role From ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ at The Playlist.
According to Deadline, the rumors are true that Brad Pitt was going to star, and apparently, many of the previous members of Tarantino’s repertory company were eyeing roles, but it’s all moot now, and the film has been scrapped.
Continue reading Quentin Tarantino Scraps ’The Movie Critic’; Brad Pitt Would Have Reprised Cliff Booth Role From ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ at The Playlist.
- 4/17/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Coming off the massive critical success of “Killers of The Flower Moon,” Martin Scorsese is reexamining his next potential options. While it briefly seemed like Scorsese’s next movie would be an adaptation of the high seas pic “The Wager” with current muse Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) attached to star, a long-developing project from years ago seems to have circled back to his main interest.
Continue reading Martin Scorsese’s Long-Gestating ‘Sinatra’ Film With Leonardo DiCaprio Adds Jennifer Lawrence at The Playlist.
Continue reading Martin Scorsese’s Long-Gestating ‘Sinatra’ Film With Leonardo DiCaprio Adds Jennifer Lawrence at The Playlist.
- 4/17/2024
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Steven Spielberg is one of the most influential and celebrated directors of all time. He helped define the blockbuster, established the look and feel of '80s genre fare, and gave us the best (and possibly only well-shot) big-budget studio musical of the last decade. But despite getting his start in science fiction, Spielberg has mostly distanced himself from the genre in the past decade or so.
Still, Spielberg has remained an ardent fan of the genre, praising recent gems such as "Godzilla Minus One" and proclaiming his fandom for Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Two." Perhaps this has rekindled a passion for sci-fi in 77-year-old Spielberg, seeing as he's now getting ready to return to one of his favorite subjects — aliens.
According to Variety, Spielberg is likely going to "make his next project a UFO film based on his own original idea." David Koepp is writing the screenplay, according to the outlet's sources.
Still, Spielberg has remained an ardent fan of the genre, praising recent gems such as "Godzilla Minus One" and proclaiming his fandom for Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Two." Perhaps this has rekindled a passion for sci-fi in 77-year-old Spielberg, seeing as he's now getting ready to return to one of his favorite subjects — aliens.
According to Variety, Spielberg is likely going to "make his next project a UFO film based on his own original idea." David Koepp is writing the screenplay, according to the outlet's sources.
- 4/17/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
The Sundance Film Festival may kick the snow off its boots once and for all.
The annual celebration of independent film announced on Wednesday that it is open for pitches from cities across the United States on becoming the new permanent home of the festival starting in 2027.
Sundance has taken place in the luxury mountain haven of Park City, Utah since 1981 (except for two virtual years during the pandemic). It started off as the Utah/U.S. Film Festival in Salt Lake City in 1978. It will remain the host and headquarters of Sundance for two more years, at which point Park City’s contract with the Sundance Institute is up for renewal. Utah will remain in the mix as a continued home for Sundance.
“We are in a unique moment for our festival and our global film community, and with the contract up for renewal, this exploration allows us to...
The annual celebration of independent film announced on Wednesday that it is open for pitches from cities across the United States on becoming the new permanent home of the festival starting in 2027.
Sundance has taken place in the luxury mountain haven of Park City, Utah since 1981 (except for two virtual years during the pandemic). It started off as the Utah/U.S. Film Festival in Salt Lake City in 1978. It will remain the host and headquarters of Sundance for two more years, at which point Park City’s contract with the Sundance Institute is up for renewal. Utah will remain in the mix as a continued home for Sundance.
“We are in a unique moment for our festival and our global film community, and with the contract up for renewal, this exploration allows us to...
- 4/17/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety - Film News
Tribeca Festival has revealed its feature film lineup for its 2024 festival, which includes films from actors Lily Gladstone and Michael Cera and documentaries featuring Prince, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.
The opening night film is documentary “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge,” directed by Tribeca alumna Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton.
This year’s festival, which runs from June 5-16 in New York City, has a program of 103 feature films from 114 filmmakers spanning 48 countries. The lineup features 86 world premieres, two international premieres, six North American premieres and eight New York premieres.
The final selections were chosen from a record-breaking pool of 13,016 submissions. Half of the films in competition are directed by women and 35% (36) of all feature films are directed by Bipoc filmmakers. There are 30 films directed by first-time filmmakers and 25 directors are making their return to the annual New York film festival.
“In a year of record high submissions, despite industry-wide challenges,...
The opening night film is documentary “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge,” directed by Tribeca alumna Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton.
This year’s festival, which runs from June 5-16 in New York City, has a program of 103 feature films from 114 filmmakers spanning 48 countries. The lineup features 86 world premieres, two international premieres, six North American premieres and eight New York premieres.
The final selections were chosen from a record-breaking pool of 13,016 submissions. Half of the films in competition are directed by women and 35% (36) of all feature films are directed by Bipoc filmmakers. There are 30 films directed by first-time filmmakers and 25 directors are making their return to the annual New York film festival.
“In a year of record high submissions, despite industry-wide challenges,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
The documentary “Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution” is set to premiere globally on June 18 on Netflix. The feature-length documentary, the first of its kind to address this topic, examines the history of queer stand-up comedy as — according to its logline — “an instrument for social change over the past five decades, actively reflecting and challenging cultural norms and values.”
The film combines stand-up performances and talking head interviews, as well as archival materials featuring LGBTQ+ comedians, and includes Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Suzy Izzard, Hannah Gadsby, Tig Notaro, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, Bob The Drag Queen and Trixie Mattel.
Historians interviewed for the documentary include Dave Holmes, Roger Mason, Shar Jossell, Susan Stryker and Kate Aurthur, Variety‘s Editor-at-Large.
“Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution” is written and directed by Page Hurwitz. “I’m excited for the film to premiere, particularly at this time, because comedy has the power to unite, and...
The film combines stand-up performances and talking head interviews, as well as archival materials featuring LGBTQ+ comedians, and includes Lily Tomlin, Sandra Bernhard, Wanda Sykes, Suzy Izzard, Hannah Gadsby, Tig Notaro, Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, Bob The Drag Queen and Trixie Mattel.
Historians interviewed for the documentary include Dave Holmes, Roger Mason, Shar Jossell, Susan Stryker and Kate Aurthur, Variety‘s Editor-at-Large.
“Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution” is written and directed by Page Hurwitz. “I’m excited for the film to premiere, particularly at this time, because comedy has the power to unite, and...
- 4/17/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
The Cannes Film Festival will award legendary Japanese anime house Studio Ghibli with its honorary Palme d’Or this year, the first time Cannes has given its highest award to a company instead of an individual.
“For the first time in our history, it’s not a person but an institution that we have chosen to celebrate,” said Cannes Festival president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Frémaux, announcing the honor on Wednesday. They praised Ghibli’s animated features as filled with characters who “populate our imaginations with prolific, colorful universes and sensitive, engaging narrations. With Ghibli, Japanese animation stands as one of the great adventures of cinephilia, between tradition and modernity.”
Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma, Studio Ghibli has in the past 40 years, “achieved what seemed to be an impossible feat: Independently producing pure masterpieces and conquering the mass market,” the festival said.
“For the first time in our history, it’s not a person but an institution that we have chosen to celebrate,” said Cannes Festival president Iris Knobloch and general delegate Thierry Frémaux, announcing the honor on Wednesday. They praised Ghibli’s animated features as filled with characters who “populate our imaginations with prolific, colorful universes and sensitive, engaging narrations. With Ghibli, Japanese animation stands as one of the great adventures of cinephilia, between tradition and modernity.”
Founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, Toshio Suzuki, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma, Studio Ghibli has in the past 40 years, “achieved what seemed to be an impossible feat: Independently producing pure masterpieces and conquering the mass market,” the festival said.
- 4/17/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“For All Mankind” has been renewed for Season 5 at Apple TV+. In addition, Variety has learned the streamer has ordered a spinoff series focusing on the Soviet space program.
The spinoff is currently titled “Star City” and hails from “For All Mankind” creators Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi. Nedivi and Wolpert will serve as showrunners. The show will return to the beginning of “For All Mankind’s” alternative timeline, in which the Soviets are the first to reach the moon. But the show will then “explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts,...
The spinoff is currently titled “Star City” and hails from “For All Mankind” creators Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi. Nedivi and Wolpert will serve as showrunners. The show will return to the beginning of “For All Mankind’s” alternative timeline, in which the Soviets are the first to reach the moon. But the show will then “explore the story from behind the Iron Curtain, showing the lives of the cosmonauts,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Lionsgate Television is teaming with Park Chan-wook to develop an English-language TV adaptation of Park’s iconic film “Oldboy.”
Park directed and co-wrote the original film, which was itself loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name. He will produce the new series version along with his producing partner, Syd Lim. Executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate Television. Bryan Weiser negotiated the deal.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
Originally released in 2003, “Oldboy” tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and held prisoner in a sealed hotel room for 15 years. He is suddenly released with no explanation, only to learn he has five days to discover why he was imprisoned or face the consequences.
Park directed and co-wrote the original film, which was itself loosely based on the Japanese manga of the same name. He will produce the new series version along with his producing partner, Syd Lim. Executives Courtney Mock and Tara Joshi are overseeing the project for Lionsgate Television. Bryan Weiser negotiated the deal.
“Lionsgate Television shares my creative vision for bringing ‘Oldboy’ into the world of television,” said Park. “I look forward to working with a studio whose brand stands for bold, original and risk-taking storytelling.”
Originally released in 2003, “Oldboy” tells the story of a man who is kidnapped and held prisoner in a sealed hotel room for 15 years. He is suddenly released with no explanation, only to learn he has five days to discover why he was imprisoned or face the consequences.
- 4/17/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Talk about nepotism. “Abigail,” a blood-sucking thriller about the daughter of Dracula, arguably the most famous vampire in history, is poised to lead at the domestic box office.
The R-rated movie, from Universal Pictures, is aiming for $12 million to $15 million from 3,300 North American theaters in its first weekend of release. But “Abigail” first has to fend off last weekend’s champion, A24’s “Civil War,” before taking the box office crown. The provocative thriller debuted last weekend with $25.8 million and looks to bring in $10 million to $12 million in its sophomore outing.
Based on projections, “Abigail” will, however, dance circles around two fellow newcomers, director Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and Crunchyroll’s anime adventure “Spy x Family Code: White.” Those films are targeting $5 million to $6 million, though rivals have pegged ticket sales ever-so-slightly higher at $8 million.
“Abigail” is based on Universal’s classic 1936 monster film “Dracula’s Daughter...
The R-rated movie, from Universal Pictures, is aiming for $12 million to $15 million from 3,300 North American theaters in its first weekend of release. But “Abigail” first has to fend off last weekend’s champion, A24’s “Civil War,” before taking the box office crown. The provocative thriller debuted last weekend with $25.8 million and looks to bring in $10 million to $12 million in its sophomore outing.
Based on projections, “Abigail” will, however, dance circles around two fellow newcomers, director Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and Crunchyroll’s anime adventure “Spy x Family Code: White.” Those films are targeting $5 million to $6 million, though rivals have pegged ticket sales ever-so-slightly higher at $8 million.
“Abigail” is based on Universal’s classic 1936 monster film “Dracula’s Daughter...
- 4/17/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
CBS is adding to its already extensive list of series renewals for the 2024-25 season.
The latest pickup for the network is Elsbeth, the Columbo-esque Good Wife offshoot starring Carrie Preston as the title character, lawyer-turned-investigator Elsbeth Tascioni. The series has performed well over its first few episodes, ranking as the second most watched newcomer on the broadcast networks this season (behind fellow CBS show Tracker). It averages about 11 million viewers over five weeks of viewing on all platforms (CBS, Paramount+ and CBS TV apps).
“Elsbeth has charmed audiences with its singular blend of delightful humor, distinctive ‘how-done-it’ storytelling, and the inventive, brilliant quirkiness of Elsbeth Tascioni,” said CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach in a statement. “Executive producers Robert and Michelle King have a stellar track record for creating critically acclaimed series full of unforgettable characters and, alongside showrunner Jonathan Tolins and his writing team, have developed an incredibly...
The latest pickup for the network is Elsbeth, the Columbo-esque Good Wife offshoot starring Carrie Preston as the title character, lawyer-turned-investigator Elsbeth Tascioni. The series has performed well over its first few episodes, ranking as the second most watched newcomer on the broadcast networks this season (behind fellow CBS show Tracker). It averages about 11 million viewers over five weeks of viewing on all platforms (CBS, Paramount+ and CBS TV apps).
“Elsbeth has charmed audiences with its singular blend of delightful humor, distinctive ‘how-done-it’ storytelling, and the inventive, brilliant quirkiness of Elsbeth Tascioni,” said CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach in a statement. “Executive producers Robert and Michelle King have a stellar track record for creating critically acclaimed series full of unforgettable characters and, alongside showrunner Jonathan Tolins and his writing team, have developed an incredibly...
- 4/18/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Melissa Barrera may have been fired from the “Scream” series, but she’s still very much a part of the franchise’s “family.”
Several “Scream” actors, including Mason Gooding, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich, attended the Los Angeles premiere of Barrera’s new horror movie, “Abigail” Wednesday night. “Abigail” is helmed by “Scream” (2022) and “Scream 6” co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known collectively as Radio Silence.
“Even after the project is over, we still have our chat,” Barrera told me. “They were all invited here and a lot of them from ‘Scream’ came and I think it says a lot. It says a lot about how true the love is. No one can ever take that away from us.”
David Arquette at the Los Angeles premiere of “Abigail”
Her “Scream 7” role fell apart in November when star Barrera was fired by Spyglass, the film’s producer,...
Several “Scream” actors, including Mason Gooding, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich, attended the Los Angeles premiere of Barrera’s new horror movie, “Abigail” Wednesday night. “Abigail” is helmed by “Scream” (2022) and “Scream 6” co-directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, known collectively as Radio Silence.
“Even after the project is over, we still have our chat,” Barrera told me. “They were all invited here and a lot of them from ‘Scream’ came and I think it says a lot. It says a lot about how true the love is. No one can ever take that away from us.”
David Arquette at the Los Angeles premiere of “Abigail”
Her “Scream 7” role fell apart in November when star Barrera was fired by Spyglass, the film’s producer,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety - Film News
Marshall Weinbaum, an admired publicist who has been a principal intermediary between The Walt Disney Studios and the press for the past 17 years, including on virtually every Disney Animation and Pixar project, is leaving the Mouse House to join Netflix’s awards team, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
He will be a manager of awards (animation), working under veteran Julie Tustin on awards campaigns for the streamer’s animated films, which have increasingly factored into the Oscar race. Indeed, over the last five years, Netflix has landed seven best animated feature Oscar nominations (including at least one every year), winning for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio in 2022, and two best animated short Oscar nominations, winning for If Anything Happens I Love You in 2021.
Weinbaum came to Disney almost directly after graduating from Michigan State University. As a senior publicist, he became a fixture at the company’s large-scale premieres, screenings and junkets,...
He will be a manager of awards (animation), working under veteran Julie Tustin on awards campaigns for the streamer’s animated films, which have increasingly factored into the Oscar race. Indeed, over the last five years, Netflix has landed seven best animated feature Oscar nominations (including at least one every year), winning for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio in 2022, and two best animated short Oscar nominations, winning for If Anything Happens I Love You in 2021.
Weinbaum came to Disney almost directly after graduating from Michigan State University. As a senior publicist, he became a fixture at the company’s large-scale premieres, screenings and junkets,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For several years now, Quentin Tarantino has been adamant that he plans to make a single 10th and final movie — which will no longer be The Movie Critic. Some of his fans were relieved when this news broke yesterday. The Movie Critic originally sounded like a nostalgic character study (“more epilogue-y,” as Tarantino once put it), while his fans particularly love the director’s more pulply, genre-driven fair. The result would have almost certainly been great. But would it have been great enough to be Tarantino’s last film?
More details about this decision are likely still to come. Still, one wonders: Would Tarantino have abandoned the movie if there wasn’t so much riding on it? His many statements about quitting film directing have suggested he’s extremely focused on protecting his legacy, which seems like a downright masochistic way of putting an enormous amount pressure on yourself. A...
More details about this decision are likely still to come. Still, one wonders: Would Tarantino have abandoned the movie if there wasn’t so much riding on it? His many statements about quitting film directing have suggested he’s extremely focused on protecting his legacy, which seems like a downright masochistic way of putting an enormous amount pressure on yourself. A...
- 4/18/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
John Mayer has legendary status among watch lovers. A major collector for years — renowned not only for his connoisseurship of luxury timepieces but also his knowledge of what makes some of the most complicated examples tick — he’s now joined the ranks of the few celebrities (LeBron James, Travis Scott) who have designed a watch in collaboration with Audemars Piguet.
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak “John Mayer” Limited Edition
The new Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” Limited Edition is a grail-worthy watch specimen. In addition to its perpetual calendar complication — one of the most technically precise functions to pull off, in that it can accurately track and show the correct date of the month, no matter the length of the month or whether it’s a leap year — the new timepiece features a gorgeous deep-blue dial meant to evoke a starry, crystalline sky. The watch face also boasts a moon phase with glittery aventurine.
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak “John Mayer” Limited Edition
The new Audemars Piguet Perpetual Calendar “John Mayer” Limited Edition is a grail-worthy watch specimen. In addition to its perpetual calendar complication — one of the most technically precise functions to pull off, in that it can accurately track and show the correct date of the month, no matter the length of the month or whether it’s a leap year — the new timepiece features a gorgeous deep-blue dial meant to evoke a starry, crystalline sky. The watch face also boasts a moon phase with glittery aventurine.
- 4/18/2024
- by Degen Pener
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises Chairman Luis Fernandez is spearheading an executive shuffle and a restructuring of Telemundo Studios in a bid to amp up the company’s scripted content for both linear and streaming platforms.
“At a time when Telemundo is the most-watched network in prime time, we are super-charging our scripted content production under one strong brand: Telemundo Studios,” said Fernandez who returned in December to Telemundo where he was previously head of the news division for six years before taking a hiatus.
“For almost two decades, Telemundo has led in the production of Spanish-language content made by Hispanics for Hispanics.
“At a time when Telemundo is the most-watched network in prime time, we are super-charging our scripted content production under one strong brand: Telemundo Studios,” said Fernandez who returned in December to Telemundo where he was previously head of the news division for six years before taking a hiatus.
“For almost two decades, Telemundo has led in the production of Spanish-language content made by Hispanics for Hispanics.
- 4/18/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety - TV News
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises Chairman Luis Fernandez is spearheading an executive shuffle and a restructuring of Telemundo Studios in a bid to amp up the company’s scripted content for both linear and streaming platforms.
“At a time when Telemundo is the most-watched network in prime time, we are super-charging our scripted content production under one strong brand: Telemundo Studios,” said Fernandez who returned in December to Telemundo where he was previously head of the news division for six years before taking a hiatus.
“For almost two decades, Telemundo has led in the production of Spanish-language content made by Hispanics for Hispanics. With this streamlined structure, we are doubling down on our commitment to serve the Latino community with the best scripted content across all platforms for years to come,” he added.
As part of the restructure, he has promoted entertainment and content strategy head Ronald Day to president of entertainment...
“At a time when Telemundo is the most-watched network in prime time, we are super-charging our scripted content production under one strong brand: Telemundo Studios,” said Fernandez who returned in December to Telemundo where he was previously head of the news division for six years before taking a hiatus.
“For almost two decades, Telemundo has led in the production of Spanish-language content made by Hispanics for Hispanics. With this streamlined structure, we are doubling down on our commitment to serve the Latino community with the best scripted content across all platforms for years to come,” he added.
As part of the restructure, he has promoted entertainment and content strategy head Ronald Day to president of entertainment...
- 4/18/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety - Film News
Telemundo is restructuring its entertainment studios in an effort to produce more scripted content for its platforms. The new structure will see the Spanish-language media company merge its linear and streaming studios into one combined unit called Telemundo Studios. The move unifies the streaming studio, which was launched in 2021, with the more traditional studio business under a single roof.
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises chairman Luis Fernandez unveiled the new structure Thursday.
“At a time when Telemundo is the most-watched network in prime time, we are super-charging our scripted content production under one strong brand: Telemundo Studios,” said Fernandez in a statement. “For almost two decades, Telemundo has led in the production of Spanish language content made by Hispanics for Hispanics. With this streamlined structure, we are doubling down on our commitment to serve the Latino community with the best scripted content across all platforms for years to come.”
The changes will...
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises chairman Luis Fernandez unveiled the new structure Thursday.
“At a time when Telemundo is the most-watched network in prime time, we are super-charging our scripted content production under one strong brand: Telemundo Studios,” said Fernandez in a statement. “For almost two decades, Telemundo has led in the production of Spanish language content made by Hispanics for Hispanics. With this streamlined structure, we are doubling down on our commitment to serve the Latino community with the best scripted content across all platforms for years to come.”
The changes will...
- 4/18/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Returning for its 15th annual edition this weekend, the TCM Classic Film Festival will turn Hollywood Blvd. into the center of the movie universe again for four days, for that very obsessive and loving subset of film fans that has the network’s vintage fare as part of their weekly and daily lives. And just what time span “classics” falls into is exemplified by the big opening and closing night films.
The gala opening night picture is 1994’s “Pulp Fiction,” which festival director Genevieve McGillicuddy says “is one of the most contemporary films that we are showing this year, along...
The gala opening night picture is 1994’s “Pulp Fiction,” which festival director Genevieve McGillicuddy says “is one of the most contemporary films that we are showing this year, along...
- 4/18/2024
- by Chris Willman
- Variety - TV News
Returning for its 15th annual edition this weekend, the TCM Classic Film Festival will turn Hollywood Blvd. into the center of the movie universe again for four days, for that very obsessive and loving subset of film fans that has the network’s vintage fare as part of their weekly and daily lives. And just what time span “classics” falls into is exemplified by the big opening and closing night films.
The gala opening night picture is 1994’s “Pulp Fiction,” which festival director Genevieve McGillicuddy says “is one of the most contemporary films that we are showing this year, along with ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘Little Women,’ the 1994 version. ‘Seven,’ I think, is the most recent film we’re screening; that’s 1995. Just like with the network, we don’t have any official cutoff in terms of the years of films that we’re showing. But, interestingly — it’s the opposite of a cutoff,...
The gala opening night picture is 1994’s “Pulp Fiction,” which festival director Genevieve McGillicuddy says “is one of the most contemporary films that we are showing this year, along with ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘Little Women,’ the 1994 version. ‘Seven,’ I think, is the most recent film we’re screening; that’s 1995. Just like with the network, we don’t have any official cutoff in terms of the years of films that we’re showing. But, interestingly — it’s the opposite of a cutoff,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Chris Willman
- Variety - Film News
Film Independent has set the date of Saturday, Feb. 22 for the 40th Spirit Awards. The awards come a few weeks ahead of the March 2 Oscars date.
“For 40 years, the Spirit Awards have been the beacon for bold and original independent storytelling,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “As we commemorate this significant milestone, we look forward to celebrating with the independent creative community on February 22nd.”
The Spirit Awards nominee brunch will take place on Jan. 4.
Seattle Film Festival Sets Lineup, Opening With ‘Thelma’
The Seattle International Film Festival has revealed its lineup for the 50th edition, which takes place May 9–19 at venues across Seattle and followed by a week of select virtual screenings on the Siff Channel May 20–27. The program includes 261 films representing 84 countries and regions, including 92 features, 47 documentaries, five archival features, two special tributes, two secret screenings and 115 short films.
The festival will open with Josh Margolin...
“For 40 years, the Spirit Awards have been the beacon for bold and original independent storytelling,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent. “As we commemorate this significant milestone, we look forward to celebrating with the independent creative community on February 22nd.”
The Spirit Awards nominee brunch will take place on Jan. 4.
Seattle Film Festival Sets Lineup, Opening With ‘Thelma’
The Seattle International Film Festival has revealed its lineup for the 50th edition, which takes place May 9–19 at venues across Seattle and followed by a week of select virtual screenings on the Siff Channel May 20–27. The program includes 261 films representing 84 countries and regions, including 92 features, 47 documentaries, five archival features, two special tributes, two secret screenings and 115 short films.
The festival will open with Josh Margolin...
- 4/18/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay, Selena Kuznikov and Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
A grueling two-pedal route to the Grand Canyon just might provide the course-correction male juvenile offenders need in “Hard Miles.” With Matthew Modine as their teacher-coach, this fact-inspired tale covers familiar redemptive sports drama terrain. But it’s traveled with affectingly understated assurance by director R.J. Daniel Hanna (“Miss Virginia”) and a strong cast, making for a satisfying scenic ride that picked up several festival audience awards last year.
In a film loosely based on the life and work of his character’s offscreen namesake, Modine plays avid cyclist Greg Townsend, welding instructor at a medium-security correctional residential school in Colorado. That job environment is no picnic, given volatile students who can go from bantering to insults to fistfights in a flash. Plus he’s got his own demons to wrestle with — there are flashbacks to an abused childhood, and phone calls from an incarcerated brother keep urging Greg to...
In a film loosely based on the life and work of his character’s offscreen namesake, Modine plays avid cyclist Greg Townsend, welding instructor at a medium-security correctional residential school in Colorado. That job environment is no picnic, given volatile students who can go from bantering to insults to fistfights in a flash. Plus he’s got his own demons to wrestle with — there are flashbacks to an abused childhood, and phone calls from an incarcerated brother keep urging Greg to...
- 4/18/2024
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety - Film News
Barbara O. Jones, the admired actress who emerged from the L.A. Rebellion movement of Black filmmakers at UCLA in the 1970s to star in Haile Gerima’s Bush Mama and Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust, has died. She was 82.
Jones died Tuesday at her home in Dayton, Ohio, her brother, Raymond Minor, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Rest In Peace & Power,” Dash wrote on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Julie Dash (@dash_julie)
For Gerima, Jones portrayed an imprisoned woman fighting for social justice in the 36-minute short film Child of Resistance (1973) — the character was inspired by activist Angela Davis — and a welfare recipient in Watts who undergoes an ideological transformation in the filmmaker’s feature debut, Bush Mama (1979). Both films were made at UCLA.
Jones starred as a Ugandan nun questioning her faith in Dash’s 13-minute student film Diary of an...
Jones died Tuesday at her home in Dayton, Ohio, her brother, Raymond Minor, told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Rest In Peace & Power,” Dash wrote on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Julie Dash (@dash_julie)
For Gerima, Jones portrayed an imprisoned woman fighting for social justice in the 36-minute short film Child of Resistance (1973) — the character was inspired by activist Angela Davis — and a welfare recipient in Watts who undergoes an ideological transformation in the filmmaker’s feature debut, Bush Mama (1979). Both films were made at UCLA.
Jones starred as a Ugandan nun questioning her faith in Dash’s 13-minute student film Diary of an...
- 4/18/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Macho sports-movie tropes meet with bright chick-flick framing to curious effect in “Yolo,” either an ostensible boxing drama that doesn’t pick up the gloves until the third act, or a misfit romcom that takes a late and unusual turn toward transformational self-help territory. Chinese audiences have been delighted by either formulation, as Jia Ling’s second feature as director-star — following 2021’s popular time-travel comedy “Hi, Mom” — has racked up the year’s second-highest global gross so far, mostly on the strength of its domestic receipts. That’s been enough to secure it an international release through Sony, but “Yolo” is likelier to bemuse outside viewers unfamiliar with Jia’s persona as a celebrity comedian — and her extreme weight-loss journey while making the film, a narrative that powered its publicity on home turf.
“Yolo” is itself a work of cultural translation, adapted as it is from Japanese director Masaharu Take...
“Yolo” is itself a work of cultural translation, adapted as it is from Japanese director Masaharu Take...
- 4/18/2024
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety - Film News
Former President Donald Trump was roundly mocked on late-night television for an error-laden social media post in which he confused Jimmy Kimmel and Al Pacino as the presenter of this year’s best picture Oscar.
On Wednesday, the presumptive Republican nominee for president drew some attention away from his hush money trial, which is now in the jury selection process in Manhattan, with a post on his Truth Social platform in which he reignited a feud with Kimmel, who hosted the Oscar ceremony on March 10, more than five weeks ago.
In part, Trump posted: “Stupid Jimmy Kimmel, who still hasn’t recovered from his horrendous performance and big ratings drop as Host of The Academy Awards, especially when he showed he suffered from Tds, commonly known as Trump Derangement Syndrome, to the entire World by reading on air my Truth about how bad a job he was doing that night,...
On Wednesday, the presumptive Republican nominee for president drew some attention away from his hush money trial, which is now in the jury selection process in Manhattan, with a post on his Truth Social platform in which he reignited a feud with Kimmel, who hosted the Oscar ceremony on March 10, more than five weeks ago.
In part, Trump posted: “Stupid Jimmy Kimmel, who still hasn’t recovered from his horrendous performance and big ratings drop as Host of The Academy Awards, especially when he showed he suffered from Tds, commonly known as Trump Derangement Syndrome, to the entire World by reading on air my Truth about how bad a job he was doing that night,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Pulling a prized bottle of, say, a 2018 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon out of the cellar to relish with friends can be thrilling. But think about the bragging rights of pouring your own blend, which you personally crafted at a famed winery in the heart of Tuscany or in the hills of Argentina.
Members of The Vines, a private travel club dedicated to the art of winemaking, have the opportunity to learn and craft wines alongside world-renowned virtuosos. There are two tiers of membership: Explorer requires a $100,000 initiation fee with annual dues of $6,000 (includes a $2,500 credit for the experience of choice), and Adventurer involves a $20,000 initiation fee with annual dues of $2,500.
Over three or four days you’ll stroll vineyards, gain inside knowledge about the craft, inhale the enchanting aromas inside renowned barrel rooms and sip treasured wines. Members also have the option of creating their own personal barrel (25 cases, priced...
Members of The Vines, a private travel club dedicated to the art of winemaking, have the opportunity to learn and craft wines alongside world-renowned virtuosos. There are two tiers of membership: Explorer requires a $100,000 initiation fee with annual dues of $6,000 (includes a $2,500 credit for the experience of choice), and Adventurer involves a $20,000 initiation fee with annual dues of $2,500.
Over three or four days you’ll stroll vineyards, gain inside knowledge about the craft, inhale the enchanting aromas inside renowned barrel rooms and sip treasured wines. Members also have the option of creating their own personal barrel (25 cases, priced...
- 4/18/2024
- by Elycia Rubin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For a significant portion of its running time, the new film from the directing team of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (better known as Radio Silence) plays like a hard-boiled crime drama. In its opening scenes, we see a rag-tag team of criminals prepare for and then commit the kidnapping of a 12-year-old girl. First seen dancing ballet by herself in an empty theater, she obviously comes from wealth, getting into a chauffeured limousine after her exertions. The kidnappers, who’ve dubbed her “Tiny Dancer,” manage to snatch her away and bring her to a secluded mansion, where they’re greeted by their mysterious organizer (Giancarlo Esposito), who gives them fake names inspired by the members of the Rat Pack (Frank, Joey, Dean, etc.). So far, so Quentin Tarantino.
That the mansion seems to come from a ‘30s-era Universal horror film, complete with suits of armor and numerous examples of frightening taxidermy,...
That the mansion seems to come from a ‘30s-era Universal horror film, complete with suits of armor and numerous examples of frightening taxidermy,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Stephen Colbert stood up for Jimmy Kimmel following Donald Trump’s latest social media outburst over the Oscars, where host Kimmel dissed Trump live on stage by reading the former president’s criticism of the ceremony and saying: “Thank you for watching, I’m surprised you’re still — isn’t it past your jail time?” In an April 17 post on Truth Social, Trump slammed “stupid Jimmy Kimmel” and called him a “horrendous” host. Trump also blamed Kimmel for the show’s “big ratings drop.”
“You keep my friend Jimmy Kimmel’s name out of your weird little wet mouth, Ok?...
“You keep my friend Jimmy Kimmel’s name out of your weird little wet mouth, Ok?...
- 4/18/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - TV News
Paramount and Hasbro’s animated Transformers One is pushing back its release in theaters by one week in order to take advantage of Imax screens and to provide some breathing room from the competition.
The film will now open on Sept. 20 of this year instead of Sept. 13. That gives it two weeks of distance from Sony’s Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.
Paramount revealed the date change as it launched a new trailer for Transformers One from none other than space, a first for Hollywood, according to the studio. The launch kicked off at 6 a.m. Pt with a live-streamed countdown showing the journey into space. After one hour, the craft reached its peak at 125,000 feet above the Earth, revealing the trailer with a custom introduction video from voice stars Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry.
The star-studded voice cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key and Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.
The film will now open on Sept. 20 of this year instead of Sept. 13. That gives it two weeks of distance from Sony’s Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.
Paramount revealed the date change as it launched a new trailer for Transformers One from none other than space, a first for Hollywood, according to the studio. The launch kicked off at 6 a.m. Pt with a live-streamed countdown showing the journey into space. After one hour, the craft reached its peak at 125,000 feet above the Earth, revealing the trailer with a custom introduction video from voice stars Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry.
The star-studded voice cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key and Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.
- 4/18/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warner Bros. has released the trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s latest mystery thriller “Trap,” starring Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Marnie McPhail.
According to the official logline, “Trap” follows a “father and teen daughter attending a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.” The film’s first look was screened at this year’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
In the trailer, Hartnett’s character and his daughter, Jody, are at the concert of pop star Lady Raven. When Hartnett runs off to the bathroom, he sees that there is a heavy police presence at the concert and quickly learns they are there to catch a serial killer. The twist is that Hartnett is the killer they are looking for, and it is revealed on his phone that he is holding a victim hostage. The trailer ends with Hartnett maniacally laughing to himself.
According to the official logline, “Trap” follows a “father and teen daughter attending a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.” The film’s first look was screened at this year’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
In the trailer, Hartnett’s character and his daughter, Jody, are at the concert of pop star Lady Raven. When Hartnett runs off to the bathroom, he sees that there is a heavy police presence at the concert and quickly learns they are there to catch a serial killer. The twist is that Hartnett is the killer they are looking for, and it is revealed on his phone that he is holding a victim hostage. The trailer ends with Hartnett maniacally laughing to himself.
- 4/18/2024
- by Jack Dunn and Jenelle Riley
- Variety - Film News
The saga of Geralt of Rivia is coming to an end.
Netflix announced Wednesday that it has ordered a fifth — and final — season of The Witcher. The streamer also noted that season four, which will see Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt from Henry Cavill, has begun production. The final two seasons will film back to back.
“It is with huge pride that we begin shooting our penultimate season of The Witcher with a stellar cast, including some exciting new additions, led by Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia,” showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring Andrzej Sapkowski’s books to an epic and satisfying conclusion. It wouldn’t be our show if we didn’t push our family of characters to their absolute limit — stay tuned to see how the story ends.”
The fourth and fifth seasons will...
Netflix announced Wednesday that it has ordered a fifth — and final — season of The Witcher. The streamer also noted that season four, which will see Liam Hemsworth taking over the role of Geralt from Henry Cavill, has begun production. The final two seasons will film back to back.
“It is with huge pride that we begin shooting our penultimate season of The Witcher with a stellar cast, including some exciting new additions, led by Liam Hemsworth as Geralt of Rivia,” showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring Andrzej Sapkowski’s books to an epic and satisfying conclusion. It wouldn’t be our show if we didn’t push our family of characters to their absolute limit — stay tuned to see how the story ends.”
The fourth and fifth seasons will...
- 4/18/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Keshet International has acquired exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the feature-length documentary “2024: A Hundred Days That Rocked the Royals” from Oscar-nominated banner ITN Productions.
Commissioned by Channel 5, where it will premiere in the U.K. on Saturday at 1 p.m., the documentary “retells the unprecedented series of crises faced by the royal family in the first three months of 2024 — crises that threatened the very fabric of the monarchy,” according to its synopsis. “A king fighting cancer, a princess undergoing preventative chemotherapy and an heir torn between privacy and duty are just some of the struggles the royal family had to endure.”
Directed by Myles Judd and executive produced by Daniel Smith, “2024: A Hundred Days That Rocked the Royals” features interviews with royal commentators and journalists who explain how the recent royal crises have sparked countless conspiracy theories and predict what could be next for the British crown.
Commissioned by Channel 5, where it will premiere in the U.K. on Saturday at 1 p.m., the documentary “retells the unprecedented series of crises faced by the royal family in the first three months of 2024 — crises that threatened the very fabric of the monarchy,” according to its synopsis. “A king fighting cancer, a princess undergoing preventative chemotherapy and an heir torn between privacy and duty are just some of the struggles the royal family had to endure.”
Directed by Myles Judd and executive produced by Daniel Smith, “2024: A Hundred Days That Rocked the Royals” features interviews with royal commentators and journalists who explain how the recent royal crises have sparked countless conspiracy theories and predict what could be next for the British crown.
- 4/18/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety - Film News
Keshet International has acquired exclusive worldwide distribution rights to the feature-length documentary “2024: A Hundred Days That Rocked the Royals” from Oscar-nominated banner ITN Productions.
Commissioned by Channel 5, where it will premiere in the U.K. on Saturday at 1 p.m., the documentary “retells the unprecedented series of crises faced by the royal family in the first three months of 2024 — crises that threatened the very fabric of the monarchy,” according to its synopsis. “A king fighting cancer, a princess undergoing preventative chemotherapy and an heir torn between privacy and duty are just some of the struggles the royal family had to endure.
Commissioned by Channel 5, where it will premiere in the U.K. on Saturday at 1 p.m., the documentary “retells the unprecedented series of crises faced by the royal family in the first three months of 2024 — crises that threatened the very fabric of the monarchy,” according to its synopsis. “A king fighting cancer, a princess undergoing preventative chemotherapy and an heir torn between privacy and duty are just some of the struggles the royal family had to endure.
- 4/18/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety - TV News
Netflix’s fantasy series “The Witcher” has been renewed for Season 5, which will be the end of the series, the streamer announced Thursday morning. It also confirmed that Season 4 is now in production, and it will film back to back with Season 5.
Season 4 will be the first with Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavill as lead character, Geralt of Rivia. Netflix announced in October 2022 that Cavill would be departing the show after the third season, which aired in summer 2023 in two parts.
Netflix released a short video of the Season 4 table read, which included Hemsworth and cast members Anya Chalotra as the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg,...
Season 4 will be the first with Liam Hemsworth replacing Henry Cavill as lead character, Geralt of Rivia. Netflix announced in October 2022 that Cavill would be departing the show after the third season, which aired in summer 2023 in two parts.
Netflix released a short video of the Season 4 table read, which included Hemsworth and cast members Anya Chalotra as the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety - TV News
A chimpanzee rests its chin on its hand, looking like the ape version of Rodin’s “The Thinker.” “There’s a picture of me somewhere sitting in that exact same position,” Owen Teague tells me before assuming a similar pose, swinging his long arm up and brushing his palm against the bottom of his face.
“There’s something very soft about the way that chimps move. Their hands are just super loose.”
He’s no zoologist, but Teague, the 25-year-old star of next month’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” knows a thing or two about animal behavior. After landing the lead role of Noa, a chimpanzee living in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have surrendered their apex predator status, Teague spent days at a Florida ape sanctuary. That’s where he got up close and personal with primates — well, except for the orangutans. “Man, they smell terrible,...
“There’s something very soft about the way that chimps move. Their hands are just super loose.”
He’s no zoologist, but Teague, the 25-year-old star of next month’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” knows a thing or two about animal behavior. After landing the lead role of Noa, a chimpanzee living in a post-apocalyptic world where humans have surrendered their apex predator status, Teague spent days at a Florida ape sanctuary. That’s where he got up close and personal with primates — well, except for the orangutans. “Man, they smell terrible,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
Roger Dicken, the Oscar-nominated British special effects artist, sculptor and model maker known for his work on Alien and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth, has died. He was 84.
Dicken died Feb. 18 at his home in North Wales, Mick Cooper, a friend of more than five decades, told The Hollywood Reporter.
On his first film, Dicken was a member of the effects team for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); later, he created and operated the dinosaur puppets seen in The Land That Time Forgot (1974).
Dicken sculpted several prehistoric creatures — plus a pair of full-sized pterodactyl feet — for the stop-motion adventure tale When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970), written and directed by Val Guest for Hammer Films. He and American animator Jim Danforth shared the Oscar nomination for visual effects.
For Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), Dicken constructed and controlled the terrifying chest-bursting creature that kills Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt) in...
Dicken died Feb. 18 at his home in North Wales, Mick Cooper, a friend of more than five decades, told The Hollywood Reporter.
On his first film, Dicken was a member of the effects team for Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); later, he created and operated the dinosaur puppets seen in The Land That Time Forgot (1974).
Dicken sculpted several prehistoric creatures — plus a pair of full-sized pterodactyl feet — for the stop-motion adventure tale When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970), written and directed by Val Guest for Hammer Films. He and American animator Jim Danforth shared the Oscar nomination for visual effects.
For Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979), Dicken constructed and controlled the terrifying chest-bursting creature that kills Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt) in...
- 4/18/2024
- by Mike Barnes and Rhett Bartlett
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dan Abrams has enjoyed a tremendously successful career, which currently includes roles as chief legal analyst at ABC News and host of NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live.” But he knows it was the O.J. Simpson murder trial almost 30 years ago that put him on the map — and he has complicated feelings about it.
“I’ve always had a little bit of guilt about the idea that the murderers of two innocent people helped start my career,” says Abrams, who was working for Court TV at the time. “But it was a legal event, and I was covering the legal story.
“I’ve always had a little bit of guilt about the idea that the murderers of two innocent people helped start my career,” says Abrams, who was working for Court TV at the time. “But it was a legal event, and I was covering the legal story.
- 4/18/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety - TV News
The Austrian writers and directors behind pitch-black horror hits “Goodnight Mommy” and “The Lodge” are bringing their newest vision to America.
“The Devil’s Bath,” the latest film from Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, is set to have its North American premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, and then head to Shudder for a June 28 streaming debut. The film had its world premiere at this year’s Berlinale, and was recently nominated for 11 Austrian Film Awards, including Best Film.
The official logline reads, “In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison.
“The Devil’s Bath,” the latest film from Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, is set to have its North American premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, and then head to Shudder for a June 28 streaming debut. The film had its world premiere at this year’s Berlinale, and was recently nominated for 11 Austrian Film Awards, including Best Film.
The official logline reads, “In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life becomes a long list of chores and expectations. Day after day, she is increasingly trapped in a murky and lonely path leading to evil thoughts, until the possibility of committing a shocking act of violence seems like the only way out of her inner prison.
- 4/18/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety - Film News
The 2024 Tribeca Festival has announced its TV lineup, with the June festival featuring the world premiere of the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent.
The legal thriller, set to premiere on Apple TV+ on June 14, comes from David E. Kelley and executive producer J.J. Abrams also stars Ruth Negga and Peter Sarsgaard. Gyllenhaal also executive produces.
Other world premieres include Hulu’s Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer, executive produced by Dakota and Elle Fanning, exploring Dr. Anne Burgess’ investigations; and the MGM+ docuseriees, Hollywood Black, about the Black experience in the entertainment industry, executive produced by Justin Simien and featuring Issa Rae, Lena Waithe, Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay.
The festival will also screen the ESPN’s In the Arena: Serena Williams, Paramount+’s Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken and the premiere of the fourth and final season of My Brilliant Friend, among other titles.
Tribeca...
The legal thriller, set to premiere on Apple TV+ on June 14, comes from David E. Kelley and executive producer J.J. Abrams also stars Ruth Negga and Peter Sarsgaard. Gyllenhaal also executive produces.
Other world premieres include Hulu’s Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer, executive produced by Dakota and Elle Fanning, exploring Dr. Anne Burgess’ investigations; and the MGM+ docuseriees, Hollywood Black, about the Black experience in the entertainment industry, executive produced by Justin Simien and featuring Issa Rae, Lena Waithe, Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay.
The festival will also screen the ESPN’s In the Arena: Serena Williams, Paramount+’s Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken and the premiere of the fourth and final season of My Brilliant Friend, among other titles.
Tribeca...
- 4/18/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paramount has delayed “Aang: The Last Airbender” to 2026 and moved “Transformers One” back by one week.
The animated “Avatar: The Last Airbender” spinoff was previously set for Oct. 10, 2025, and will now open on Jan. 20, 2026. Dave Bautista and Eric Nam are headlining the voice cast for the film, which is in development at Paramount and Nickelodeon Studios. Plot details haven’t been revealed, but Bautista will voice a villain character.
Lauren Montgomery, who worked on the original “Avatar: The Last Airbender” television show, is directing the project with William Mata. Series creators Michael Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko are serving as executive producers alongside Eric Coleman.
Elsewhere on Paramount’s release calendar, “Transformers One” will debut on Sept. 20, 2024, instead of Sept. 13. On its new date, the animated “Transformers” adventure will play in Imax and open in theaters on the same day as Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot.”
Chris Hemsworth...
The animated “Avatar: The Last Airbender” spinoff was previously set for Oct. 10, 2025, and will now open on Jan. 20, 2026. Dave Bautista and Eric Nam are headlining the voice cast for the film, which is in development at Paramount and Nickelodeon Studios. Plot details haven’t been revealed, but Bautista will voice a villain character.
Lauren Montgomery, who worked on the original “Avatar: The Last Airbender” television show, is directing the project with William Mata. Series creators Michael Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko are serving as executive producers alongside Eric Coleman.
Elsewhere on Paramount’s release calendar, “Transformers One” will debut on Sept. 20, 2024, instead of Sept. 13. On its new date, the animated “Transformers” adventure will play in Imax and open in theaters on the same day as Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot.”
Chris Hemsworth...
- 4/18/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Tribeca Festival, which announced its feature film lineup Wednesday, has now also revealed its television lineup for the 2024 festival, which includes brand new docuseries featuring Issa Rae and Dave Eggers and projects from Dakota Fanning, Jake Gyllenhaal and J.J. Abrams.
This year’s program includes 11 premieres, including Hulu’s “Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer,” an in-depth exploration of Dr. Anne Burgess’ career and her journey to closing some of America’s most infamous criminal cases from executive producers Dakota and Elle Fanning; MGM+’s “Hollywood Black,” an examination of the Black experience in Hollywood featuring conversations with Issa Rae,...
This year’s program includes 11 premieres, including Hulu’s “Mastermind: To Think Like A Killer,” an in-depth exploration of Dr. Anne Burgess’ career and her journey to closing some of America’s most infamous criminal cases from executive producers Dakota and Elle Fanning; MGM+’s “Hollywood Black,” an examination of the Black experience in Hollywood featuring conversations with Issa Rae,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - TV News
“Boy Kills World,” the upcoming martial arts action film starring Bill Skarsgård as a deaf boy trained to enact vengeance on those who murdered his family, is getting a TV spinoff. Of sorts.
“Super Dragon Punch Force 3,” the real-life action-packed fighter video game that features in the film (and will launch day-and-date with the U.S. and global release of “Boy Kills World” on April 26), is being used as inspiration for a newly greenlit animation TV series. Now in development, the show, which is set to dive into the universe of the game, will follow a highly-skilled yet dysfunctional team...
“Super Dragon Punch Force 3,” the real-life action-packed fighter video game that features in the film (and will launch day-and-date with the U.S. and global release of “Boy Kills World” on April 26), is being used as inspiration for a newly greenlit animation TV series. Now in development, the show, which is set to dive into the universe of the game, will follow a highly-skilled yet dysfunctional team...
- 4/18/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - TV News
Vincenzo Bugno, who heads the Berlinale World Cinema Fund and is curator of the Torino Film Feature Lab, became artistic director of South Tyrol’s Bolzano Film Festival Bozen last year.
In this guise, the veteran industry expert is putting his know-how behind a new program called Maso, dedicated to fostering the production of European shorts in tandem with the Idm-Film Commission Südtirol. The shorts lab launched earlier this week in Bolzano, with a panel also comprising Berlinale Shorts chief Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck and the Torino Short Film Market’s Enrico Vannucci.
Below, Bugno speaks to Variety about why he got the urge to foster the production of short films shot in South Tyrol that can travel around the world.
How did Maso germinate?
When I started working for this festival last year, I got to thinking about the specificity of this particular territory. South Tyrol is an extremely interesting film...
In this guise, the veteran industry expert is putting his know-how behind a new program called Maso, dedicated to fostering the production of European shorts in tandem with the Idm-Film Commission Südtirol. The shorts lab launched earlier this week in Bolzano, with a panel also comprising Berlinale Shorts chief Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck and the Torino Short Film Market’s Enrico Vannucci.
Below, Bugno speaks to Variety about why he got the urge to foster the production of short films shot in South Tyrol that can travel around the world.
How did Maso germinate?
When I started working for this festival last year, I got to thinking about the specificity of this particular territory. South Tyrol is an extremely interesting film...
- 4/18/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
When Arte Germany CEO Wolfgang Bergmann approached Toronto director Larry Weinstein in January 2023 about making a documentary to mark the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the filmmaker didn’t exactly break into a chorus of “Ode to Joy.”
Nor could he have anticipated that his film “Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity,” which premieres in Toronto at Hot Docs on April 28, would be not only his first to break the fourth wall but also his most personal to date.
A prolific director-producer since his early years with Canada’s Rhombus Films, Weinstein has made numerous acclaimed creative music docs, including “Beethoven’s Hair,” a 2005 forensic adventure exploring the composer’s physical and psychic woes. The prospect of making a second Beethoven film, especially with several “Ninth films” already in circulation, seemed dim.
“There wasn’t a lot of time to come up with a big idea,” he told Variety in early April.
Nor could he have anticipated that his film “Beethoven’s Nine: Ode to Humanity,” which premieres in Toronto at Hot Docs on April 28, would be not only his first to break the fourth wall but also his most personal to date.
A prolific director-producer since his early years with Canada’s Rhombus Films, Weinstein has made numerous acclaimed creative music docs, including “Beethoven’s Hair,” a 2005 forensic adventure exploring the composer’s physical and psychic woes. The prospect of making a second Beethoven film, especially with several “Ninth films” already in circulation, seemed dim.
“There wasn’t a lot of time to come up with a big idea,” he told Variety in early April.
- 4/18/2024
- by Jennie Punter
- Variety - Film News
Autobots, assemble: Paramount has released a trailer for “Transformers One,” the animated prequel film led by the voices of Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry and Scarlett Johansson.
Hemsworth voices young Optimus Prime, when he was just known as Orion Pax. Henry is D-16, before he became Optimus’ rival Megatron. The trailer shows the two starting out as simple worker bots, unable to transform into anything. But soon they gain the ability to change into vehicles and gain weapons, as a battle against a mysterious, plant-like villain unfolds on the Transformers’ home planet of Cybertron.
Other cast members include Johansson as Elita, Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime and Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion. Hemsworth and Henry introduced a first look at the prequel film April 11 at CinemaCon.
The franchise first hit the big screen with an animated movie in 1986 before director Michael Bay launched a live-action series...
Hemsworth voices young Optimus Prime, when he was just known as Orion Pax. Henry is D-16, before he became Optimus’ rival Megatron. The trailer shows the two starting out as simple worker bots, unable to transform into anything. But soon they gain the ability to change into vehicles and gain weapons, as a battle against a mysterious, plant-like villain unfolds on the Transformers’ home planet of Cybertron.
Other cast members include Johansson as Elita, Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime and Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion. Hemsworth and Henry introduced a first look at the prequel film April 11 at CinemaCon.
The franchise first hit the big screen with an animated movie in 1986 before director Michael Bay launched a live-action series...
- 4/18/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
The Banff World Media Festival has added CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach to its ‘In Conversation With’ session lineup ahead of its 45th edition in June.
On Thursday, the Canadian Rockies festival also announced as additional speakers Lisa Kramer, president, international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution; Asif Sadiq, chief global diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Warner Bros. Discovery; and Cori Wellins, William Morris Endeavor partner, for the June 9 to 12 gathering in Banff, Alberta.
Also joining the Banff lineup is Gold House CEO Bing Chen and Sandra Dewey, COO of Media Res as festival headliners during a conference expected to focus this year on international financing and co-productions for global TV content.
Banff earlier announced that Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group chairman and CEO, and Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment keynote speakers this year. Their appearance in Banff comes as Hollywood’s studios and streamers emerge...
On Thursday, the Canadian Rockies festival also announced as additional speakers Lisa Kramer, president, international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution; Asif Sadiq, chief global diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Warner Bros. Discovery; and Cori Wellins, William Morris Endeavor partner, for the June 9 to 12 gathering in Banff, Alberta.
Also joining the Banff lineup is Gold House CEO Bing Chen and Sandra Dewey, COO of Media Res as festival headliners during a conference expected to focus this year on international financing and co-productions for global TV content.
Banff earlier announced that Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group chairman and CEO, and Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment keynote speakers this year. Their appearance in Banff comes as Hollywood’s studios and streamers emerge...
- 4/18/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Viola Davis and husband Julius Tennon are getting into book publishing by launching Jvl Media.
The new venture, which includes author and publisher Lavaille Lavette at the helm, will look to champion under-represented voices in the book world. The debut titles from Jvl Media, from among a planned slate of non-fiction and fiction books, include Had to Lose to Win: The Tiki Davis Story, by popular motivational speaker Tiki Davis, and The Inclusion Leader Genius, by Dr. Johné Battle.
Davis and her JuVee Productions banner, run as well by producing partner Tennon, have already made deep inroads in film and TV production with titles like The Woman King and ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder that have highlighted underrepresented voices.
“This endeavor embodies our collective aspiration — to champion and elevate voices that resonate with authenticity and are often overlooked. Our mission is to interlace a rich mosaic of...
The new venture, which includes author and publisher Lavaille Lavette at the helm, will look to champion under-represented voices in the book world. The debut titles from Jvl Media, from among a planned slate of non-fiction and fiction books, include Had to Lose to Win: The Tiki Davis Story, by popular motivational speaker Tiki Davis, and The Inclusion Leader Genius, by Dr. Johné Battle.
Davis and her JuVee Productions banner, run as well by producing partner Tennon, have already made deep inroads in film and TV production with titles like The Woman King and ABC’s How to Get Away With Murder that have highlighted underrepresented voices.
“This endeavor embodies our collective aspiration — to champion and elevate voices that resonate with authenticity and are often overlooked. Our mission is to interlace a rich mosaic of...
- 4/18/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
No one ever really gets away with murder.
If O.J. Simpson had played football in the ’60s for Bay Shore High School and taken Harold Anderson’s humanities class, he would have known this.
Mr. Anderson would have lovingly encouraged O.J. to play less football and read more Shakespeare, which may have led to a better outcome for O.J. in the long run. O.J. could run fast, but Shakespeare and Mr. Anderson would have made it crystal clear to him that no matter how fast you run, you can’t hide, because there are ghosts and consequences. I am thinking, in particular, of that popular out, damn spot couple who had it all, Mr. and Mrs. Lady Macbeth.
Ghosts and consequences became amply apparent to me on that fall day in 2006, when O.J. came to confess.
We all have our own styles of confession. When I...
If O.J. Simpson had played football in the ’60s for Bay Shore High School and taken Harold Anderson’s humanities class, he would have known this.
Mr. Anderson would have lovingly encouraged O.J. to play less football and read more Shakespeare, which may have led to a better outcome for O.J. in the long run. O.J. could run fast, but Shakespeare and Mr. Anderson would have made it crystal clear to him that no matter how fast you run, you can’t hide, because there are ghosts and consequences. I am thinking, in particular, of that popular out, damn spot couple who had it all, Mr. and Mrs. Lady Macbeth.
Ghosts and consequences became amply apparent to me on that fall day in 2006, when O.J. came to confess.
We all have our own styles of confession. When I...
- 4/18/2024
- by Judith Regan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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