News

Amazon is betting big on Japanese anime and Asian content as a cornerstone of Prime Video’s global expansion strategy.

With Japan emerging as one of its largest markets outside of the U.S., Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, and Kelly Day, VP of international for Prime Video, outlined their ambitious vision for the streaming service in the region in an exclusive interview with Variety. “We’re very committed to a strong pipeline for customers in Japan. We have a huge opportunity,” Salke said.

Japan represents one of Prime Video’s most valuable territories, offering a large marketplace business with 72 add-on subscriptions and nearly 300,000 titles available for transactional video on demand (Tvod). Salke said that Prime Video is “committed to a growing slate,” especially when it comes to licensing original anime. “One of the most exciting things we’re doing here in Japan is talking about our plans...

Universal Pictures’ spy thriller Black Bag leads the way for new releases in UK and Ireland cinemas this weekend as Warner Bros’ Opus and Studiocanal’s In the Lost Lands also open.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh,Black Bagopens in 650 cinemas, up from Soderbergh’s last film Presence which debuted in 478 sites earlier this year. That title opened with a mild £292,058 for Warner Bros, ending its run on £825,587 total.

Black Bag will be aiming much higher with the help of strong reviews, a London-set premise and a starry ensemble led by Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett. The duo play husband and...

The hand flex seen ’round the world can now be viewed on the big screen once more…

Yes, the iconic 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Pride & Prejudice” is returning to theaters for its 20th anniversary. Focus Features is re-releasing “Pride & Prejudice” starting April 20, with the special theatrical event taking place both on April 20 and April 23 nationwide. There also will be limited edition merchandise to further immortalize the beloved film.

Joe Wright directs the four-time Academy Award nominated feature that stars Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet, who immediately loathes the icy Mr. Darcy (Mathew Macfadyen). However, as their lives become intertwined, she finds herself captivated by the very person she swore to despise for all eternity.

Carey Mulligan made her film debut with “Pride & Prejudice,” which co-stars Rosamund Pike (with whom Mulligan later reunited for “Saltburn”), Judi Dench, Donald Sutherland, and Brenda Blethyn.

In addition to the theatrical re-release,...

Is there anything sadder than seeing a unicorn die? These majestic (imaginary) beasts represent the original endangered species — something innocent and pure that may once have existed, but certainly doesn’t today, from which we can conclude that they must have been snuffed out by humankind’s cruelty.

Repeated across the centuries in art and lore, this painful sacrifice inevitably reveals something essential about human nature. That was true of both “The Last Unicorn” and Ridley Scott’s “Legend” back in the ’80s, and it’s been the elegant creatures’ allegorical purpose for at least 500 years, since the world-famous “Hunt of the Unicorn” tapestries were made. Now comes writer-director Alex Scharfman’s funny-sad A24 satire “Death of a Unicorn,” which fits squarely within the indie studio’s bizart-house brand, using the title tragedy as license to make a highly eccentric and unapologetically grisly horror movie.

Gone are the elegant white...

Director Nele Mueller-Stöfen’s drama movie, Delicious, is the latest, not-so-subtle addition to the ‘Eat-the-Rich’ genre of movies, one that tries to take inspiration from movies like Parasite and Saltburn in its portrayal of class conflict but ends up vilifying the downtrodden even more in the process. I’m sure the makers had set out to project a much different sentiment, as the critique of capitalism and the apathy of the privileged is very much apparent from the very first scene of the movie. However, the final half of the narrative takes on a very different, predictable turn—which goes to ruin the social commentary the movie was trying to make. It would have been better had the makers chosen a different genre altogether, as the comedy and horror genres have proven to be effective in acting as vessels for this class-conflict theme. Unfortunately, being constrained as a drama, Delicious is a one-trick pony,...

We’re taking a look back Jacob Elordi‘s dating history!

The 27-year-old actor skyrocketed to fame when he starred in the Netflix’s The Kissing Booth, which debuted in 2018.

Since then, Jacob has become the Internet’s new favorite heartthrob as he stars in one of HBO’s most popular shows – Euphoria – and has fans going wild over his roles in the new movies Priscilla and Saltburn.

We’re now taking a look back at Jacob‘s dating history, which includes former co-stars, a supermodel, and a very popular YouTuber.

Click through the slideshow to see all of the famous women Jacob Elordi has dated over the years…...

Barry Keoghan is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

The Irish actor has been working in entertainment since 2011, but he began to achieve superstar new heights ever since his appearance in the 2021 Marvel movie Eternals, which only grew after he appeared in The Banshees of Inisherin and Saltburn.

Naturally, fans are wondering about Barry‘s life behind-the-scenes, especially his romantic life.

We’ve put together all of the rumored and confirmed romances in Barry Keoghan‘s personal life to date.

Find out who Barry Keoghan has dated over the years…...

Emerald Fennell has cast her young Heathcliff and Cathy — and young Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie — in her upcoming all-star star adaptation of Emily Brönte’s “Wuthering Heights.”

Variety understands that Owen Cooper, the British actor who is already making waves for his debut performance in Netflix’s limited series “Adolescence” even before its launch, is to play the teenage Heathcliff, the tortured antihero and one of the literary world’s most famous characters.

Vy Nguyen

Meanwhile, Charlotte Mellington, who recently starred as Lavender in the hit West End production of “Matilda the Musical,” will play the teenage Catherine Earnshaw, whose passionate and dysfunctional relationship with Heathcliff ends in tragedy. Also joining the cast is Vy Nguyen, set to play the younger Nelly Dean, who serves as the main narrator in the original novel. “Wuthering Heights” will mark the film debuts for Cooper, Mellington and Nguyen.

The hugely buzzy feature...

As the saying goes, one door closes and another opens, and former Warner Bros International Distribution Chief Andrew Cripps, who recently exited that studio, is driving down the street to Walt Disney Studios as their new Head of Theatrical Distribution. The three-decades-plus international distribution exec starts the job immediately.

Cripps replaces Tony Chambers, who was recently named President, The Walt Disney Company, Emea, after rallying Disney to north of $5 billion at the global box office.

We understand that Cripps’ segue to Disney happens to be fortuitous timing: The exec didn’t have the job offer in hand when he exited Warners. The announcement of Chambers’ transition from the theatrical distribution role occurred on Jan. 7 while Cripps and Global Marketing Boss Josh Goldstine were shown the door at Warners on Jan. 8.

Cripps will report to Cathleen Taff, President of Production, Franchise Management and Theatrical Distribution at Disney Entertainment – Studios.

In his new position at Disney,...

Austrian filmmaker Daniel Hoesl and German partner Julia Niemann have made a name for themselves by focusing their black comedy and documentary movies on money and capitalism and how the resulting power imbalances cause social inequality. Hoesl’s 2016 film Winwin, for example, is a comedy about a U.S. investment fund that buys Austrian companies but also takes over politics in its capital Vienna. And the 2020 documentary Davos, co-directed by the two and written by Niemann, puts a spotlight on the contrast between the lives of those who live in the Swiss town of Davos year-round and the business and political elite that gathers there for the annual World Economic Forum.

Their latest film, Veni Vidi Vici, which debuted at Sundance 2024 and is getting its U.K. premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival on Saturday, with another screening on Sunday, looks to slay the excesses of capitalism with dark humor.

The James Bond franchise is now in the hands of Amazon MGM Studios following the transfer of creative control from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson on Thursday. And that means there’s room for a new Agent 007.

The role has been held by actors including Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and the longest-running James Bond actor, Daniel Craig. The charming spy remains one of the most iconic characters in television and cinema. That’s why finding the right person to play 007 is no easy mission. But we’re helping Hollywood out with the search by listing the actors we think are perfectly suited for the task.

Not only did we name them, we are also showing you images of the blokes in their best tuxes or suits. Check out the list below.

Idris Elba (Getty Images) Idris Elba

Come on now, you knew the list was going to start with the Idris Elba.

For a film literally called “Lurker,” Archie Madekwe’s casting in Alex Russell’s chilling directorial debut about fame and fandom came about through a spot of, well, lurking.

The fast-rising British star — one of the few survivors from Emerald Fennell’s aristocratic “Saltburn” murders — had actually submitted a tape for the role of Matthew, the shop assistant/fawning superfan who manages, through near excruciating-to-watch persistence, to insinuate himself into the entourage of music star Oliver.

“I honestly thought I crushed the tape,” he tells Variety. Naturally, the actor then heard nothing back, and in the years that followed, as the project went through various iterations, simply figured it wasn’t to be. As it turned out Russell — best known as a writer on “Beef” and “The Bear” — hadn’t even seen his recording.

But he had spied Madekwe in a Los Angeles coffee shop.

“When we met, he said to me,...

Focus Features has bought international rights to “Lurker,” Alex Russell’s directorial debut about clout-chasing and the dark side of fame that became one of the standouts hits from this year’s Sundance, Variety has learned.

Arthouse distributor Mubi had already picked up the film for the U.S. out of the festival in a rumored mid-seven-figure deal, as Variety reported.

A tense feature about an ambitious hipster and the rising pop star he exploits, “Lurker” stars Théodore Pellerin as Matty, a lowly clerk at a high-end sneaker and apparel store in Los Angeles. When his favorite singer (“Saltburn” star Archie Madekwe) saunters in, Matty starts cozying up to the social media star. Before long, he’s installed himself in a world of hedonism and opportunity — and he can stay, as long as he manages the pecking order of the entourage and the fickle demands of celebrity. Everything that can go wrong does,...

Exclusive: Former FilmNation exec Milan Popelka has joined LuckyChap as a partner, joining the company’s current partners Tom Ackerley, Josey McNamara and Margot Robbie.

Popelka, who brings over 15 years of experience as Chief Operating Officer of FilmNation, will oversee business operations and strategic growth across LuckyChap’s expanding portfolio of film, television, and other ventures. He will play a key role in managing the company’s operational and financial strategies, while continuing to advance LuckyChap’s entrepreneurial approach to content creation and production. Popelka’s vast experience in the independent and international sales sectors will be influential as the company looks to ambitiously scale the capabilities of its story-telling platform.

“We are thrilled to have Milan join our team at LuckyChap in a time when entrepreneurialism is at a premium,” said the partners at LuckyChap. “His experience, expertise, and unwavering commitment to maximizing the potential of every project align perfectly with our filmmaker-first ethos.

Starry sessions with Robert Pattinson and Jacob Elordi enlivened the Berlin Film Festival Saturday as the actors made waves with high-profile new titles “Mickey 17” and “The Narrow Road to the Deep North.”

Saturday’s premiere of sci-fi adventure film “Mickey 17” was one of the biggest events of the Berlinale so far, as all eyes in the film biz have been on director Bong Joon Ho and his followup to the Oscar-winning 2019 drama “Parasite.” Variety‘s Ramin Setoodeh and Elsa Keslassy captured the buzz in the room as Berlin fest director Tricia Tuttle had to cut the standing ovation short in order to bring the director and star on stage for a Q&a.

“Pattinson, who attended the premiere giving off Batman vibes (in an all-black ensemble that included a leather coat), arrived early in the night — signing autographs and taking many selfies on his way inside the theater.

The 12th annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards were handed out tonight at the Beverly Hilton with Wicked actress Marissa Bide on hand to present the final categories. It was a good thing, since Wicked took two of the night’s biggest prizes for Best Period and/or Character Make-Up and Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling in a Feature Length Motion Picture.

The Substance won in the other two film biggies: Best Contemporary Make-Up and Best Special Make-Up Effects.

Other double winners were The Jennifer Hudson Show — for Best Makeup and Best hairstyling in Daytime TV — and Secret – Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: Lifesaver for Best Hairstyling and Best Makeup in Commercials and Music Videos.

The night’s top multi-category winner was Saturday Night Live, which took Best Contemporary Make-Up, Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling, Best Special Make-Up Effects and Best Period and/or Character Make-Up in Television Special,...

Jacob Elordi brought the heat to snowy Berlin at the premiere of his new war-set miniseries “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” on Saturday night, debuting his latest adventure in facial hair: sideburns.

Gone was the beard that sent shockwaves through the internet in December when the actor served on the Marrakech Film Festival jury, though apparently it wasn’t all for nothing. Rocking an all-black outfit, which also showed off some chest hair, the “Euphoria” and “Saltburn” actor strutted his sideburns on the red carpet before entering the Zoo Palast alongside director Justin Kurzel and his castmates.

Judging by the generally averse reaction to his beard, thoughts on Elordi’s sideburns are sure to be divisive — but with production reportedly having started last month on Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” adaptation, where he’s playing Heathcliff alongside Margot Robbie’s Catherine Earnshaw, it’s likely that they’re...

Jacob Elordi had to lose weight to play a prisoner of war in the new Justin Kurzel-directed series “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” — but to him it “wasn’t complete torture.”

When Variety asked how the weight loss affected him at a Berlin Film Festival press conference, the “Euphoria” and “Saltburn” actor said it was actually “a very calming experience” to go through the process with his fellow cast members, whom he affectionally called “the lads.”

“I think there was something quite profound that happened, in that it wasn’t complete torture,” he said. “There was a peace that sort of came over all of us. And you kind of reach a level of love that goes beyond what you’re used to, because everything gets stripped away and you come down to the bare bones of, ‘Is my mate Ok? Am I Ok? How can I help?...

Anyone looking to spice up their Valentine’s Day “viewing material” might want to look at the first image from Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights. The simple yet sensual image shows a close-up of someone’s mouth with blades of green grass caught between extended fingers. While you could be wondering, “What’s so sexy about grass?” let me remind you that botanophilia, referring to a sexual attraction to plants, exists. Imagine how many gardeners see this image and suddenly need to excuse themselves for an extended bathroom break. You know it in your heart to be true.

Emerald Fennell, the mad genius behind such films as Promising Youg Woman and Saltburn, directs, writes, and produces her adaptation of Wuthering Heights, based on Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel. The upcoming film stars Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw, Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton, Hong Chau as Nelly Dean,...

Finding a good movie to watch on Amazon Prime Video can be difficult to say the least. While Amazon’s robust library of titles is available to every Amazon Prime subscriber, they don’t exactly make it easy to find what you’re looking for. That’s where we come in. Below, we’ve assembled a growing list of the best movies on Amazon Prime right now. Our carefully curated selection runs the gamut from crowd-pleasing blockbusters to Oscar-winning dramas to delightful rom-coms and beyond. There’s a little something for everyone, so stop the endless scrolling and simply choose one of these great movies to watch.

Check out our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime video below. The list will be updated weekly with new titles.

The Lego Movie Warner Bros. Pictures

“The Lego Movie” endures thanks to the brilliance of writer-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller,...

Christopher Andrews’s directorial debut tells an all-too-familiar Irish story about the dysfunctional relationship of rivaling farmers and the destruction that lies in their path as their feuds escalate. Featuring an excellent, albeit underused performance from Wolf Man’s Christopher Abbott alongside The Banshees of Inisherin’s Barry Keoghan, Bring Them Down’s dramatic storytelling will challenge audiences.

Michael (Abbott) is the last son of a family of sheepherders. His father (Colm Meany) is a curmudgeonly old man who abused Michael’s mother and perhaps indirectly led to her demise. Michael’s ex-girlfriend (Nora-Jane Noone) is married to a neighboring farmer, whose son (Keoghan) finds a fascination with Michael. The two begin a type of feud that slowly escalates to a violent and intense turn.

Bring Them Down Review

The plot isn’t completely predictable because halfway through the film, we switch perspectives entirely to become a film more about...

Riding momentum from its five Academy Award nominations for “The Substance,” boutique movie distributor Mubi has picked up another buzzy indie film for the U.S. market.

“Lurker,” a tense feature about an ambitious hipster and the rising pop star he exploits for fame and community, has been snapped up by Mubi following this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Screening in the fest’s premiere section, Mubi took “Lurker,” written and directed by Alex Russell, in a competitive situation for a mid-seven-figure price tag.

Exact numbers weren’t disclosed but one person with knowledge of the deal told Variety that the sale represents a significant domestic theatrical release commitment from Mubi. The indie distributor previously released “The Substance” and “Decision to Leave.”

Rising star Théodore Pellerin plays Matty, a lowly clerk at a high-end sneaker and apparel store in Los Angeles. When his favorite singer (Archie Madekwe of “Saltburn”) saunters in,...

Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, known to many as The Weeknd, struggles to emerge from a different kind of maze than the one he eventually solved at Super Bowl Lv in the latest trailer for Hurry Up Tomorrow. The psychedelic-looking thriller finds the pop star plummeting down a rabbit hole of deception, obsession, and wild nights. You won’t need to consume any tinctures or mysterious cookies to traverse this film’s Wonderland. Still, you could find yourself chasing a white rabbit into insanity as reality warps, becoming little more than a distant memory of stardom and stage.

Today’s Hurry Up Tomorrow trailer hails from Lionsgate. The upcoming musical thriller stars The Weeknd (The Idol), Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan and focuses on a musician plagued by insomnia pulled into an odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence. Trey Edward Shults directs Hurry Up Tomorrow...

Sabrina Carpenter dazzled on the red carpet at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The pop sensation turned heads in a stunning ice-blue satin halter gown with a feathered trim that added a touch of vintage Hollywood glamour.

Carpenter’s gown featured a sleek silhouette with delicate feather detailing around the waist. She accessorized with a simple yet elegant pearl necklace, sparkling rings and soft waves styled in a chic, retro-inspired bob that perfectly complemented her figure. Her makeup was kept fresh and radiant, with bold eyeliner, soft blush and a muted rose lip that added to her timeless look.

Known for her bold fashion choices, Carpenter has consistently wowed fans on red carpets, and this year’s Grammys were no exception.

The night was especially memorable as Carpenter won two Grammy Awards—winning Best Pop Vocal Album for her album Short n’ Sweet and Best Pop Solo...

Lionsgate has release the first trailer for “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” Trey Edward Shults’ upcoming feature starring The Weeknd, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. The film is set to release on May 16.

“Hurry Up Tomorrow” is a suspense thriller that features music from The Weeknd, whose new album of the same name releases on Jan. 24. The album is the conclusion to the musical trilogy of The Weeknd’s “After Hours” and “Dawn FM.”

Shults serves as co-writer for the script alongside The Weeknd and his producing partner Reza Fahim. The plot is based on an original idea from the musician. The Weeknd, Fahim, Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss serve as producers while Ortega and Shults are executive producers.

Shults’ most recent feature was the 2019 film “Waves,” a family drama starring Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Taylor Russell, Sterling K. Brown, Lucas Hedges, Alexa Demie and Renée Elise Goldsberry. He’s also directed the...

Atención: no pasará por cines y llegará directamente a streaming. © Amazon Studios

La esperadísima película Nickel Boys, de RaMell Ross, nominada a la Mejor Película y al Mejor Guion Adaptado en los Premios Óscar 2025, por fin tiene fecha de estreno en España. Pero, ojo: no veremos la película en las salas de cine. En su lugar, estará disponible directamente en streaming. Algo que ya ocurrió en su momento con Saltburn o American Fiction.

Basada en la novela homónima de Colson Whitehead, ganadora del Premio Pulitzer, Nickel Boys nos transporta a la Florida de los años 60, donde dos adolescentes negros, después de ser enviados a la despiadada Academia Nickel, encuentran consuelo y esperanza en su amistad frente a la violencia, el abuso y el racismo de la época.

La película está protagonizada por Ethan Herisse (Así nos ven), Brandon Wilson (The Way Back), Hamish Linklater (Misa de medianoche), Fred Hechinger (Gladiator...

Back in November, Lionsgate announced that they had landed the worldwide theatrical rights to the suspense thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow, the first feature film from Grammy-winning artist The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) and an extension of The Weeknd’s upcoming album of the same title. Hurry Up Tomorrow is the film’s score, orchestrated by The Weeknd and Daniel Lopatin. Now, we know that Lionsgate will be giving the film a theatrical release on May 16th – and they have unveiled a batch of images to give us our first look at it! Entertainment Weekly got the first look at these first look images.

Tesfaye is joined in the cast of Hurry Up Tomorrow by Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, X, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) and Barry Keoghan. The film was directed by Trey Edward Shults, who wrote the screenplay with Tesfaye and his The Idol collaborator Reza Fahim.

According to Lionsgate, Hurry Up Tomorrow is...

Using the lens of fame, L.A.-based writer/director Alex Russell explores why the need to belong brings out the worst behavior in some men in his debut feature film “Lurker.” Life for Matthew, a retail worker, gets an unexpected boost when rising music artist Oliver comes into his store and ends up inviting him to come hang with him and his crew. Matthew’s initial encounters with them are understandably awkward since Oliver and his boys, not to mention Shai, the one woman in their crew who serves as gatekeeper and fixer, are a tight-knit group who were around him pre-fame. As Matthew eases into a role as Oliver’s videographer, they get into a rhythm. But when Oliver begins to pull away from Matthew, the thought of no longer being in their circle is something Matthew cannot bear — and goes to great lengths to avoid.

“Lurker” doesn...

Jonathan Pryce and Nick Mohammed are set to lead the cast of Mat Whitecross’ comedy murder mystery Sleeping Lionsfor Mister Smith Entertainment, which is launching sales at the European Film Market.

Developed and to be distributed by Sky in the UK and Ireland, the film will shoot in the UK later this year.

Written by James Roblin, Sleeping Lionsis a contemporary adaptation of Cyril Hare’s 1951 novelAn English Murder.

Pryce will play the dying Earl of Warbeck who summons his nearest and dearest for a final Christmas at Warbeck Hall. When a snowstorm hits, the guests are cut off from...

Martin Scorsese, Adam Driver, Idris Elba, Spike Jonze…and now, Barry Keoghan.

The crop of Squarespace Super Bowl-ad alums is nothing to scoff at, especially since Scorsese directed as well as starred in the brand’s 2024 ad. Super Bowl Lix marks the Irish actor Keoghan’s turn.

For the big game short film, Keoghan is again co-starring with a donkey, just like in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” The commercial, titled “Barry and Mosley,” co-stars Don Mosley — that’s the donkey — who could really use a website to support his budding acting career.

“Barry brings his signature charm and depth to this campaign, celebrating creativity and entrepreneurship in a way that is both striking and unexpected,” a Squarespace statement reads.

And it’s true: Keoghan’s comedy chops (while chomping an apple) really shine here.

The “Saltburn” actor has a slew of other, non-donkey related projects in the works, including Ireland-set...

Plot: A retail employee (Théodore Pellerin) worms his way into the inner circle of a rising pop star, Oliver (Archie Madekwe) and will do whatever he needs to in order to stay there.

Review: Lurker is exactly the kind of movie I want to see when I hit Sundance. I went in knowing next to nothing about it other than the fact that some folks involved with The Bear had a hand in it. Days before its premiere, it screened for many of the Sundance volunteers, which is usually something they do when they know they have a real winner on their hands.

Sure enough, Lurker is a terrific blend of black comedy and psychological thriller, with it playing out as almost an evil, demented version of Almost Famous. Like that Cameron Crowe classic, this follows the entree of a young man into the inner circle of pop stars, although...

“Lurker” is a tight, nifty, and unsettling little parable of the pathology of fame in our time. It tells the story of Matthew (Théodore Pellerin), a nobody who works in one of those bare-bones L.A. clothing boutiques, and how he insinuates himself into the inner circle of Oliver (Archie Madekwe), a budding pop star who has legions of screaming fans but is trying to leap to the next level. (He still rides around in a tour bus.) Matthew becomes Oliver’s bro, his hanger-on, his social-media camera buddy. And Matthew is grateful for the attention — so grateful, in fact, that he’ll do anything, and stop at nothing, to keep it coming.

Thirty years ago, a premise like this one might have been the fuel for a conventional Hollywood thriller. But Alex Russell, the writer-director of “Lurker,” works with a highly accomplished jittery cell-phone-camera aesthetic that makes the entire...

If you come to pop culture prominence by playing a blood-thirsty homicidal clown, the Joker comparisons are bound to emerge at some point. For actor David Howard Thornton, the man who has played Art the Clown in Damien Leone's "Terrifier" saga since 2016, that's apparently a welcome development.

Thornton, who landed the role of Art due to some nasty improv during his audition, has seemingly relished every second of portraying the invincible harlequin, turning Art into a burgeoning horror icon following the surprise success of 2022's "Terrifier 2". With 2024's "Terrifier 3" proving to be an even wilder splatter-fest than its predecessor, Art's pop culture standing only increased, and talk of Thornton branching out into other roles has abounded.

When you're as good at portraying a killer clown with a twisted sense of humor as Thornton, the idea of playing the Joker was always going to be part of that discourse.

Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi has begun filming in the UK at Sky Studios Elstree for Warner Bros.

Based on the Emily Bronte novel, the story centres on the intense relationship between the daughter of a well-to-do family and the mysterious orphaned boy they take in.

Further cast include Hong Chau, Alison Oliver and Shazad Latif.

Fennell has written the screenplay and has a producer credit alongside Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment. MRC is financing the film.

Warner Broshas set a February 2026 release date.

Run by Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, LuckyChap has...

Carey Mulligan revealed at the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance that she “just started” filming the second season of Netflix’s series “Beef.” The first season won Emmys for leading stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, so anticipation is high for the new episodes. The show’s second season will feature a new storyline and an entirely new cast, headlined by Mulligan, Oscar Isaac (with whom she starred in the Coen Bros.’ “Inside LLewyn Davis”), Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny.

“We just started. Almost everything [is different],” Mulligan told Variety’s Tatiana Siegel when asked about the new season. “But it’s still [creator Lee Sung Jin] being brilliant. It’s a completely new story and if I say anything else then a laser beam will appear on my head. But it’s very exciting.”

Another project Mulligan can’t talk about is Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights,” starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

Emily Brontë’s 1847 classic gothic romance Wuthering Heights has not only dominated the landscape of literature but has also found its way into mainstream Hollywood, through multiple adaptations. And now, once again, the timeless classic is set to be adapted for a 2026 theatrical run, under Emerald Fennell’s direction.

Concept art for Wuthering Heights | image: X/@emeraldfennell

Only this time, the film has made an unconventional choice of casting, with Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi playing the lead roles. Well, if the actors have already caught your attention, just wait to learn about the controversies surrounding their appearance. So buckle up and take a look at the upcoming movie and the details surrounding it.

The cast of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights

After turning heads with her direction of Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan’s Saltburn, Emerald Fennell is now returning with the adaptation of Emily Brontë’s timeless classic Wuthering Heights.

Ahead of the Oscar nominations being unveiled, USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and the Adobe Foundation have released a new edition of their Inclusion List, with a focus on movies.

The top-scoring movies for supporting gender inclusion on screen and behind the cameras were A Thousand and One, You Hurt My Feelings, The Marvels, Priscilla and Barbie. For race and ethnicity, the top-scoring movies were Joy Ride, A Thousand and One, The Color Purple, House Party and The Blackening.

In an earlier Inclusions List, 476 theatrically released movies from 2019 to 2023 were analyzed, with on screen and behind-the-camera data used to determine the 150 most inclusive films in that four-year period. The latest Inclusion List builds on that ranking with a new set of films from 2023.

“Our goal with the Inclusion List is to celebrate those who are showcasing and working with exceptional talent from all backgrounds. In the second year of its release,...

Margot Robbie and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” was a poster child for the power of inclusion when it broke box office records in 2023, but the $1.45 billion-grossing movie is only the 119th most inclusive film made in the past five years, according to the Inclusion List.

The annual list — presented by Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, in collaboration with the Adobe Foundation — is a data-driven ranking that identified the 150 most inclusive films from 2019 to 2023 and ranks a single year’s films across gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, disability and age representation.

“Our goal with the Inclusion List is to celebrate those who are showcasing and working with exceptional talent from all backgrounds,” stated Dr. Smith in a press release announcing the researchers’ findings. “In the second year of its release, the newest iteration of the Inclusion List spotlights films, filmmakers, and distributors who clearly demonstrate that inclusion...

The second iteration of The Inclusion List from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative has identified the 150 most inclusive films from 2019 to 2023, adding to its initial class of 100 films by naming 50 new titles for the year 2023.

Four films from that year have made it into the Top 10 Most Inclusive Films for that timespan, according to the study released Wednesday, with A Thousand and One taking the No. 2 spot overall, Bottoms coming in seventh, The Color Purple ninth and The Blackening in 10th.

The list’s point system took into account talent both in front of and behind the camera, with a total of 20 points broken down into 10-point halves for both on-screen and off-screen inclusion. Two distinct processes were used, one for leads/co-leads and the other for all speaking characters. A film could earn up to 10 points for on-screen inclusion based on the five inclusion indicators across leads/co leads (up to 5 points) and all speaking characters (up to 5 points).

A Thousand and One ranks second with a score of 13.6/20, while Bottoms scores a 12.2/20. The Color Purple and The Blackening are tied with a score of 11.8/20. The highest scoring film on the list remains Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Woman King (2022) with a 15/20.

The list also evaluated 2023 films displaying the best inclusivity across five categories: gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, disability, and age. It named five of the most inclusive 2023 films within each of those categories.

The 2023 films that scored the highest for the gender indicator of inclusion were A Thousand and One, You Hurt My Feelings, The Marvels, Priscilla and Barbie. A Thousand and One also scored high on the race/ethnicity list alongside 2023’s Joy Ride, The Color Purple, The Blackening and House Party. In the LGBTQ+ category, the top five films of 2023 were All of Us Strangers, Theater Camp, Bottoms, Knock at the Cabin and Saltburn. 2023 releases ranking high in the disability category included What Happens Later, John Wick: Chapter 4, Moving On, Golda and The Holdovers. Films from 2023 that scored highest in their representation of age on the big screen were Moving On, Book Club: The Next Chapter, Marlowe, The Miracle Club and Golda.

Researchers also took into consideration the race and ethnicity of crew members in the roles of director, writer, producer, cinematographer, editor, composer, production designer, costume designer, casting director and assistant director.

The second Inclusion List also names 25 top achievers across inclusion metrics and 50 new winners for 2023 cinema. Released Jan. 22, the results calls attention to directors, editors and distributors involved in projects with the highest percentage of women and people of color employees who aided in the process of production from start to finish line.

Related: Women-Led Films Fell Close To 30% In 2023, Near A 10-Year Low, Per Study

Out of 400 evaluated directors, five were named the most inclusive: Catherine Hardwicke, Olivia Wilde, Destin Daniel Cretton, Reinaldo Marcus Green and Kasi Lemmons.

Eight editors were noted for their work in film over the past five years, including Annette Davey, Anne McCabe, Blair McClendon, Catrin Hedström, Hilda Rasula, Harry Yoon, Mary Jo Markey.

Related: Hispanics & Latinos Still Invisible In Hollywood, A Trend Across 16 Years, New Study Reveals

The top distributors — companies responsible for bringing top-ranking diverse films to audiences — were listed by the quantity of how many films released: Universal (29), Sony Pictures (21), Warner Bros (18) and, for smaller distributors, A24 (14), MGM (10) and Bleecker Street (9).

A panel discussing the results featuring Smith, Sumi Parekh, Executive Director, Group Effort Initiative, Tracy Oliver, Screenwriter, Director, Producer and Showrunner, Jesse Williams, Actor, Director, Activist, Dewayne Perkins, Writer, Actor, Producer, and Amy White, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Adobe, is set for Friday at Adobe House on the ground at the Sundance Film Festival.

Exclusive: Deadline has the first trio of stills from Hallow Road, the new psychological thriller from BAFTA winner Babak Anvari (Under the Shadow), which stars Golden Globe and Emmy winner Rosamund Pike (Saltburn) and Emmy winner Matthew Rhys (Saturday Night).

In the film, marking the first produced script by William Gillies, two parents enter a race against time when they receive a distressing late-night phone call from their daughter after she caused a tragic car accident.

We were first to report on the project, shot in Ireland and Prague, in November 2023. It was commissioned and developed by Lndn, which produced alongside Anvari’s Two & Two Pictures and XYZ Films. Lucan Toh of Two & Two Pictures produced alongside Ian Henry of London Film & TV and Richard Bolger of Hail Mary Pictures. XYZ Films and Screen Ireland co-financed.

XYZ and Two & Two reteamed here after collaborating on Anvari’s films...

Actor Barry Keoghan is set to star in an upcoming Irish thriller in 2025, and the movie looks like the ideal follow-up to 2023's hit, Saltburn. A few years back, Keoghan was a fairly underrated star, taking on charismatic yet edgy roles in projects like The Killing of the Sacred Deer and The Banshees of Inisherin. However, Keoghan's popularity got an undeniable boost in 2023, when he took on the role of Oliver Quick in the thriller comedy, Saltburn. Alongside Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, and Richard E. Grant, Keoghan absolutely proved his acting chops.

Saltburn certainly showcased Keoghan as a rising star, but the movie also brought its own allure. In Saltburn, Keoghan's Oliver is a pathological liar who becomes obsessed with a rich young man named Felix at his university. After getting himself invited to Felix's home for the summer, Oliver continually finds ways to exploit cracks in Felix's friends and family.

Nicolas Cage's latest horror movie, Arcadian, is available to stream, but is it actually worth watching? Cage has steadily acted in some strong horror films in the past several years, and Arcadian is another solid entry in that line-up. Premiering at South by Southwest in March 2024, Arcadian revolves around a family of three that is trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by monsters. The movie was written by Michael Nilon and directed by Benjamin Brewer, who was a visual effects artist on Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Alongside Nicolas Cage, the film stars Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins as his teenage sons. Sadie Soverall rounds out the main cast of the film. Arcadian helps Nicolas Cage continue his critical win streak, but ultimately, is Arcadian actually worth watching?

Arcadian Is Worth Watching It's A Solid Movie With Great Performances & Cool Creatures

Like all movies, whether something is good or not is subjective,...

Awards-season regulars A Complete Unknown, The Brutalist, Dune: Part Two, Wicked, Conclave, Emilia Pérez and The Substance are among the nominees revealed Thursday for the Art Directors Guild’s 29th annual Excellence in Production Design Awards.

A Complete Unknown and The Brutalist, the latter coming off a Best Picture – Drama win at the Golden Globes on Sunday, are nominated in the Period Feature Film Category, joined by Gladiator II, Nosferatu and Saturday Night. In the Fantasy category, Dune 2 and Wicked are up against Alien: Romulus, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.

This year’s Contemporary nominees are Conclave, Emilia Pérez, The Substance, Civil War and Twisters.

Last year, the Adg bestowed its top movie honors to Poor Things for Fantasy, Oppenheimer for Period and Saltburn for Contemporary, with Poor Things and designers James Price and Shona Heath going on to win the Oscar for Production Design.

In TV,...

Jacob Elordi is in talks to lead the cast of 'The Dog Stars'.The 27-year-old actor is set to replace Paul Mescal in Ridley Scott's apocalyptic thriller after the 'Gladiator II' actor was forced to depart the project due to scheduling conflicts with Sam Mendes' Beatles anthology – in which he is rumoured to be playing Paul McCartney.Jacob will portray the character of Hig in 'The Dog Stars', which is set in a near future where American society has been decimated by a pandemic.Hig is a civilian pilot who lives a lonely life on an abandoned Colorado airbase with his dog and a tough ex-marine. The two men are completely different but rely on each other to fend off roaming invaders.When a random radio transmission comes from his 1956 Cessna, the voice sparks a hope from deep within that a better life exists outside their tightly controlled perimeter.

Colin Farrell has done it all in his two-and-a-half decades-long career, stepping into roles ranging from supervillain to kind-hearted hero. In the world of independent film, Farrell has made himself a great reputation. He is a regular in the films of Yorgos Lanthimos and Martin McDonagh. Over the years, he has also earned several accolades for his roles.

Colin Farrell as the titular character in The Penguin | Credits: HBO Max

The Irish actor’s only Academy Award nomination came for the role in The Banshees of Inisherin. In the same year as the tragicomedy, he also starred in Matt Reeves’ The Batman as the Penguin, a role that got a spin-off series of its own. The Penguin received critical acclaim and won him a Best Actor Award at the 82nd Golden Globes.

Among his films, some performances of the actor will remain etched in the minds of the viewers.

5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer...

Ridley Scott’s next film loses Paul Mescal to The Beatles, and brings Jacob Elordi in to headline The Dog Stars instead.

During his press tour for Gladiator II, Ridley Scott revealed to Film Stories that a sci-fi project had been added to his upcoming slate, that was going to be a quick reunion with Paul Mescal. However, according to Variety, the project will no longer be a continuation of the working relationship between Gladiator 2 director and star because Mescal has reportedly left the project.

Mescal starred in Scott’s belated sequel to 2000’s Gladiator and in the wake of the movie’s release, his performance choices have been the subject of much discussion, positive and less so. Ridley Scott is well known for hands-off direction when it comes to performances in his films and Mescal clearly enjoyed their collaboration given that he opted to work with Scott again...

The world is Jacob Elordi’s oyster after crushing his role as Felix Catton in Emerald Fennell’s sexy and psychotic thriller Saltburn and lining up projects like Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, new episodes of Euphoria, and reteaming with Fennell for her adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Unafraid to pile his plate high with promising parts, Jacob Elordi is in talks to join the cast of Ridley Scott’s pandemic thriller The Dog Stars.

The Dog Stars hails from 20th Century Studios and is based on the 2012 novel by Peter Heller. Initially, Scott was reteaming with Gladiator II star Paul Mescal for The God Stars, but scheduling conflicts with his part in Sam Mendes’ Beatles anthology kept him from participating. Sources say Mescal plays Paul McCartney in Mendes’ upcoming film, making him essential to the project.

Elordi would play Hig in The Dog Stars, a civilian pilot living a lonely...

Ridley Scott’s thriller feature The Dog Stars has found a new leading man.

Jacob Elordi is in early negotiations to replace Paul Mescal, who had been previously set to star in the 20th Century Studios movie. Mark L. Smith wrote the script, adapting Peter Heller’s 2012 apocalyptic novel of the same name.

The Dog Stars centers on a civilian pilot living on an abandoned airbase with his dog and an ex-Marine amid a devastating pandemic. A random transmission picked up by the pilot’s radio from his 1956 Cessna offers hope for a better life.

Smith and Cliff Roberts serve as producers on the film that hails from Scott’s Scott Free banner.

The Hollywood Reporter was first to report last month that Scott said at a Gladiator II screening that Mescal would likely drop out of reteaming with him in The Dog Stars due to the actor being busy...

The director’s trademark extemporising extends to touring suburbia to find the perfect setting for his latest production

Mike Leigh is known for asking his cast of actors to develop their characters in rehearsal. It is an improvisational method that has helped make the British director’s long run of acclaimed films so distinctive. But the production team who worked closely with Leigh on his upcoming release, Hard Truths, have revealed they had to follow the same creative process to find the suburban settings and locations for his latest story.

“I went on a similar journey to the actors,” said Suzie Davies, production designer on Hard Truths, who spoke to the Observer fresh from contrasting work on the glamorous hit Saltburn and the papal screen drama, Conclave. “Working with Mike, I discover the story as the characters are developed. It is a case of dipping in and out and learning as much as I can.

The nominations won’t be announced till January 9, but the Art Directors Guild has found a host for its 29th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards. Actress Rachael Harris will command the stage for the February 15 ceremony at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.

“I am honored to host the Adg Awards this year,” Harris said in a statement. “Production designers and their teams are the unsung heroes of film and television, creating the worlds we inhabit on screen. Their artistry and craftsmanship inspire me and I’m delighted to celebrate their incredible work.”

Harris most recently starred in Season 1 of Disney+’s “Goosebumps,” but you’ve seen her in everything from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” to “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Modern Family,” “Suits,” “Happy Endings,” and as a series regular on “Lucifer.” Harris’ film credits include “The Hangover,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” trilogy, “Best in Show,” and “Natural Selection.