Month: October 2022

For the first time in … well, maybe ever, hip-hop fans applauded the Recording Academy in 2021 for “getting it right.” Nominees in the rap album category included unconventional releases that weren’t necessarily expected to get the nod: Freddie Gibbs and the Alchemist’s critically acclaimed “Alfredo,” D Smoke’s “Black Habits,” Royce Da 5’9’s “The Allegory,”
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Martin Scorsese railed against box office numbers during a recent appearance at the New York Film Festival (via IndieWire). The Oscar-winning filmmaker called the industry’s obsession with box office grosses both “repulsive” and “really insulting.” Scorsese praised the festival for championing filmmaking at a time when “cinema is devalued, demeaned, belittled from all sides, not
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Roku launched the Roku Channel in Mexico — the free streaming service’s first expansion beyond the U.S., Canada and U.K. In Mexico, the Roku Channel is available starting Thursday (Oct. 13), offering access to thousands of free, ad-supported movies and TV episodes. The lineup includes exclusive access to more than 30 Roku original series, including
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European-Australian firm Flying Bark Productions has been appointed as the animator of the first of three untitled ‘Avatar’ films from Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. The film series, derived from the “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “The Legend of Korra “animated series, originally created for Nickelodeon by Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino, was announced earlier this
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Italy’s David di Donatello Awards are launching an innovative ecological initiative under which they will monitor the environmental sustainability of productions in the running for the country’s top film prizes. The move is being touted as a first of this type by Davids organizers who are hoping it can become a game changer in prompting
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Molly Parker (“Lost in Space”) and Brian J. Smith (“Treadstone”) have been cast in upcoming Canadian ITV Studios drama “Essex County.” Joining them as lead cast are Stephen McHattie (“October Faction”), Finlay Wojtak-Hissong (“Blood”) and Kevin Durand (“Pantheon”). Christina Piovesan, executive producer and CEO of First Generation Films unveiled the casting. The five-episode series is
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Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has stated that the studio is seeking out DC’s answer to Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige, whose leadership shaped the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Could that person at the helm of DC Films be “Black Adam” star Dwayne Johnson? When Variety asked Johnson if he might be up to the
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Achieving a balance between artistic creativity and commercial appeal has been a key component of the success of the Korean film and TV industries, said senior executives at the Asin Contents & Film Market, held this week as part of the Busan International Film Festival. Leading U.S. producer Ted Hope said that “Being audience focused
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America has “Groundhog Day.” Now Malaysia has “Stone Turtle,” a beguiling, all-around gorgeous reimagining of Southeast Asian folklore that finds its characters caught in a loop of vengeance, lust and violence from which they cannot escape. Here, it’s a dead-serious political statement rather than rom-com karma that forces island-dwelling refugee Zahara (Asmara Abigail) and an
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Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions has named industry veteran Brenda Robinson as its first head of film finance and inclusion strategies. Robinson, an entertainment attorney, financier and producer, will be responsible for bringing new partners to HiddenLight’s slate of productions across film and television. Robinson’s appointment represents a number of developments in HiddenLight’s
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Amazon Prime Video and BBC Studios Factual are the latest comopanies to sign up to We Are Doc Women’s pledge to commit to 50% female directors for their factual output. They follow previous signatories BBC Documentaries, Channel 4 Documentaries, Hilary Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions, Lenny Henry’s Douglas Road Productions, Gordon Ramsay’s Studio Ramsey, and Louis Theroux’s
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It wasn’t quite a proper Spinal Tap reunion, but there was some implicit history happening Tuesday night at Largo in Los Angeles as Michael McKean and Christopher Guest joined Loudon Wainwright III, the headliner for the latest in a series of Judd Apatow-hosted “Juddapalooza” benefit concerts at Largo. Besides going back together about five and
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Pierce Brosnan is joining the DC Universe with his role as Doctor Fate in “Black Adam,” but in a different universe the James Bond actor might have been none other than Bruce Wayne. Brosnan revealed on “The Tonight Show” that he met with Tim Burton to audition for the director’s 1989 “Batman” movie, but a
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