Month: September 2021

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” delivered the sizzle that struggling movie theaters so desperately needed, debuting to $71.4 million in its inaugural weekend. The Marvel adventure is on pace to rack up a mighty $83.5 million over the four-day Labor Day weekend, trumping expectations that had anticipated a debut of between $45

“Rise of the Raven”Producers: Robert Lantos (Serendipity Point Films) and Tibor KrskoShowrunner: George MihalkaSynopsis: An epic drama series about Janos Hunyadi, a fearless warrior who defeated the vast Ottoman army and defended Europe in 1456 at the Battle of Belgrade. The 10-hour series, based on the bestselling novels by author Bán Mór, is expected to

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” has been the talk of the Lido since Friday’s buzzy world premiere, with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and the rest of a star-studded cast gracing the red carpet. But while Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ sci-fi tentpole brought some welcome star power to this year’s Venice Film Festival, it could bring an even

Italian powerhouse Medusa has acquired Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show,” which is being sold worldwide by Orange Studio. Medusa will distribute in Italy. Orange Studio and Medusa revealed the deal on the sidelines of the ongoing Venice Film Festival. Nalin is known for his eclectic, and visually striking, body of work including “Samsara,” “Valley of

Poland’s documentary festival Millennium Docs Against Gravity is set to finally come of age after postponing its 18th edition due to COVID-19 restrictions, originally slated to take place in May. Once again unspooling in seven different cities between Sept. 3-12, with local authorities sponsoring their own respective awards, the event will then continue online, wrapping

Anissa Bonnefont, who latest film “Wonder Boy” won a Special Jury prize at Tribeca in 2020, has recently completed “Nadia,” a timely documentary feature about Nadia Nadim, the Afghan-born Danish soccer star. Federation Entertainment produced the film with Echo Studio, in association with France’s Canal Plus, which commissioned it. Penned by Bonnefont and Edith Chapin,

Violence in Mexico was one of the dominant themes of the press conference for Michel Franco’s Venice competition title “Sundown” on Sunday, with the director and stars Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Iazua Larios in attendance. Set in the seemingly tranquil Mexican resort city Acapulco, Roth and Gainsbourg play members of a wealthy British family

Indian filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta is back on the Lido with his third feature “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” which screens in the Horizons strand. His debut, “Labour of Love” (2014) bowed at Venice Days where it won the Fedeora Award for best director of a debut film. Inspired by true events, the film

A singular new voice born in Cameroon and based in New York, Ellie Foumbi is set to shine on the international scene at the Venice Film Festival, where her feature debut, “Our Father, the Devil,” will be presented as part of the Biennale College-Cinema section. Foumbi, who is represented by UTA, is the second Black

Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy’s production shingle Film Clinic –– at Venice with “Amira,” Mohamed Diab’s drama about Palestinian children conceived behind bars with smuggled sperm –– is getting a financial boost that will triple its resources just as two new film and TV projects go into production. Film Clinic is having an outstanding festival presence

The Venice crowd at the Sala Grande theater could not take their eyes off Anya Taylor-Joy during Edgar Wright’s trippy psychological thriller “Last Night in Soho.” But when the movie ended just after midnight on Saturday and the spotlight shone on the cast to receive applause from the festival attendees, as is tradition, Taylor-Joy was

Time’s Up’s governing board of directors has issued a new statement about the impending transition of leadership within the group, which includes the exits of several prominent board members. The statement denotes the women’s advocacy group’s “crisis,” including former CEO Tina Tchen’s resignation, as an “opportunity for growth and change.” Political strategist and activist Monifa

Have you ever noticed how the icily dramatic opening strings in “You’re My World,” Cilla Black’s earnest, bawling-on-the-bathroom-floor ballad from 1965, could just as easily be a shivery horror theme by Bernard Herrmann? Edgar Wright has, and uses the likeness to briefly spine-tingling effect early in “Last Night in Soho”: As ’60s-fixated Gen-Z fashion student

Production designer Cara Brower had several themes to keep in mind when building the art-centric world of Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman.” In the film, now playing in theaters, Yahya Abdul Mateen II plays artist Anthony McCoy, while his girlfriend Brianna Cartwright, played by “WandaVision” actor Teyonah Parris, is a gallery director steeped in Chicago’s art scene.

In a new interview, Stanley Tucci shared that he was diagnosed with cancer and underwent successful treatment three years ago. The actor told Vera that doctors discovered a large tumor at the base of his tongue. “It was too big to operate, so they had to do high-dose radiation and chemo. I’d vowed I’d never

SPOILER WARNING: Do not read this story if you haven’t seen “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” currently playing in theaters. Throughout “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” there are only a few small signs that the 25th feature film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is actually a part of it.

Margaret Qualley will star as a dominatrix opposite Christopher Abbott in the thriller “Sanctuary,” directed by Zachary Wigon (“The Heart Machine”). Shooting just wrapped in New York. Written by “Homecoming’s” co-creator Micah Bloomberg, the film is produced by David Lancaster and Stephanie Wilcox of Rumble Films (“Whiplash,” “Nightcrawler”) with Ilya Stewart of Hype Film and

In a new interview, Angelina Jolie further opened up about her experience with convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, sharing that she turned down a role in Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator” to avoid working with him.  “If you get yourself out of the room, you think he attempted but didn’t, right?” the actress told The Guardian while

Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s “I and the Stupid Boy,” the new title in the Prada-commissioned Miu Miu Women’s Tales short film series directed by women, was unveiled Sept. 4 at the Venice Film Festival’s independently run Venice Days section. The short by Ben Hania, who directed the Oscar-nominated “The Man Who Sold His Skin,” is a

Some A-list actors get treated like rock stars at film festivals, but when the real rock stars arrive, it’s another level of fandom. Jimmy Page, the 77-year-old lead guitarist of Led Zeppelin, received a hero’s welcome in Venice on Saturday, where “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” the band’s first proper documentary since the band’s conception in 1968,

If we believe the adage that the wish to climb a mountain comes about just because it’s there, perhaps it follows, not to be too glib about it, that a cave explorer mapping a hole in the ground does so because it’s not. Notions of absence — not just of solid ground, but of light