Madonna’s life — and the relentless ambition that fueled her rise — could be the stuff of a great book. And now Pulitzer finalist Mary Gabriel has taken on the challenge. Gabriel, who wrote about the women who helped invent modern art in “Ninth Street Women,” turns her attention to the Material Girl in “Madonna:
Month: October 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. — It was the first Oscar ever awarded to a Black actor: The plaque presented to actress Hattie McDaniel in 1940 for her iconic supporting role in the landmark 1939 film “Gone With the Wind.” Following McDaniel’s death in 1952, the award was bequeathed to D.C.’s Howard University, where it was a prized
Universal Pictures Content Group has acquired international rights to Elon Musk documentary “Musk,” directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney. It was announced during Cannes earlier this year that HBO Documentary Films had come on board to join the production and will release the film in North America. Gibney directed “The Inventor: Out for Blood
Back in 2021, Manolo Blahnik introduced a virtual archive on its website where you can freely explore the world of the luxury shoemaker, from the eponymous designer’s first-ever silhouette to his muses and inspiration throughout the decades. And on October 3, the brand will be adding a new room—The Craft Room—which will showcase the incredible
WRITERS’ DEVELOPMENT The U.K.’s National Film and Television School (NFTS) has partnered with “The Crown” producer Left Bank Pictures on the NFTS Diverse Writers Development Program that kicks off in March 2024. It will select six emerging U.K. screenwriters from under-represented backgrounds to contribute their voices to the entertainment landscape and inject fresh perspectives into scripted
During her performance in Las Vegas Sunday night, Lady Gaga dedicated her 2011 hit “Born This Way” to the victims of the mass shooting that took place in the city six years earlier. Gaga stopped midway through a stripped-down version of the song and said, “I just want to remind everyone here what a resilient
“Million Dollar Listing UAE,” the first adaptation outside the U.S. of Bravo’s long-running luxury real estate reality franchise, is going through the roof in the Middle East. The bilingual show, featuring five United Arab Emirates brokers wheeling and dealing lavish properties in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, has been breaking all previous viewership records “across originals as
Robin Williams‘ daughter Zelda took to Instagram (via Entertainment Weekly) to rail against AI recreations of her father, the legendary comedian who died in 2014. Zelda called these recreations “personally disturbing.” SAG-AFTRA has listed AI recreations as a “a mandatory subject of bargaining” in its ongoing strike against the AMPTP, including “the use of performer’s
“Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” director Anna Hints keeps on bewitching her audience. Literally. “Maybe you are not wrong. Maybe it is witchcraft,” she says. “There is this word in Estonian, nõid. It means healer, shaman, which is what my grandmother used to be. Words come to you and you heal through them. Coming from Estonian Indigenous
Fred Kogel, CEO of leading German film and TV group Leonine Studios, which distributes the “Expendables” and “John Wick” movies in Germany, made the case for a new generation of action stars during the Zurich Summit over the weekend, where he was presented with Zurich Film Festival’s Game Changer Award. He noted that many of
Left, on Ella Richards: Top, $345, dress, $435, Dries Van Noten. Ring, Lydia Courteille. Right, on Lucie de la Falaise: Coat, $3,185, boots, $1,340, Dries Van Noten. Earrings, Lydia Courteille.Brigitte Niedermair On the outskirts of Paris, a studio blooms with bright flowers—some real, some faux. Lucie de la Falaise, however, is accoutred in all black.
After London’s Metropolitan Police launched an investigation into Russell Brand last week, the Thames Valley Police is also looking into the matter, it has emerged. A woman contacted the Thames Valley Police two weeks ago with “new information” in relation to reports of “harassment and stalking,” according to the BBC. The Metropolitan Police had said
A weekend away in a luxurious Long Island home sounds quite idyllic until the apocalyptic doom starts to hit. Netflix has released the trailer for its new thriller “Leave the World Behind,” executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. The movie stars Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke as a couple who books a weekend getaway
French actor Gerard Depardieu, who is indicted on rape and sexual assault charges in connection to a 2018 case, has published an open letter claiming he’s “neither a rapist, nor a predator.” In the brief letter, published in Le Figaro newspaper on Oct. 1, Depardieu alluded to the allegations of rape and sexual assault tied to
Charades has sold key territories on Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach’s hand-painted animation “Chicken for Linda!” (“Linda veut du poulet!”) that won dual honors at the Annecy Animation Festival. The film follows loving mom, Paulette, who feels guilty after unfairly punishing her daughter Linda and would do anything to make it up to her. She sets
EST N8, a recently-established finance, production and film sales company, has appointed Chen ; Tata’ Xinrui as its sales and distribution manager. Chen will serve under Tenten Wei, head of studios for EST N8 and will be based in Los Angeles. EST N8 is a partnership between EST Studios and Bangkok-based N8 Studios that was
Shah Rukh Khan has beaten Shah Rukh Khan at the box office. The Bollywood star’s “Jawan” has sped past his own “Pathaan” to occupy the box office top spot among the Indian films of 2023. “Jawan,” featuring Khan in a dual role as a father and son who set out to rectify corruption in Indian
Beyonce unveiled a full trailer Sunday evening for a forthcoming concert film based on her blockbuster 2023 Renaissance World Tour. The film’s formal title is “Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce,” and the singer has opened ticket pre-sales at theater chains including AMC, Regal and Cinemark. It will hit U.S. theaters on December 1. “When I
Trinity CineAsia has picked up U.K. and Ireland rights to Chinese hit film “The Ex-Files 4: Marriage Plan.” The film ranked third worldwide at the box office over the latest weekend. Trinity CineAsia will give it an official release from Oct. 6, but began a campaign of limited previews timed to coincide with the mid-Autumn
A clutch of Chinese movies released for the end of September holiday season dominated the global box office over the latest weekend. Mainland Chinese-produced films took first, third and fifth places across the planet, according to U.S.-based data service Comscore. Comscore shows “Under the Light,” which released only in mainland China, grossing an estimated $54
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” made its return to the air after five months on Sunday following the conclusion of the Hollywood writers’ strike. Oliver had a lot of news to recap his first night back, doing quick riffs on everything from U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert to “Barbenheimer,” but he did take some time
SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers for Episode 12 of “The Real Housewives of New York City” Season 14 now streaming on Peacock TV and airing on Bravo TV. Ubah Hassan is the breath of fresh air “The Real Housewives of New York City” needed. When Andy Cohen told Variety last year that its NYC-based
AI, streaming residuals and minimum rate hikes will be among the key issues on the table when SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood’s largest employers sit down Monday for the first formal bargaining talks since the performers union went on strike July 14. SAG-AFTRA and negotiators for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are expected to
Taylor Swift arrived at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday night to see her rumored boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, play the New York Jets. Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Sophie Turner, Sabrina Carpenter, Shawn Levy, Olivia DeJonge and several other celebrities joined the singer-songwriter at the game. Much
A trio of local films released in time for the Chuseok holiday season dominated the South Korean box office over the latest weekend. Comedy fantasy “Dr Cheon and the Lost Talisman” dominated. It earned $5.98 million between Friday and Sunday with a more than 48% market share. Since its release on Wednesday (and including previews
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” director Gareth Edwards is once again addressing the multiple reports about the 2016 film requiring extensive reshoots overseen by Tony Gilroy (the “Andor” creator was hired by Lucasfilm to join the “Rogue One” team in June 2016). On a recent episode of KCRW’s “The Business” podcast, Edwards claimed “there
Zachery Ty Bryan estuvo en una cárcel de Oregón por tercera vez la semana pasada pero finalmente está libre ahora después de un gran malentendido, según nos han informado. Un funcionario de la cárcel del condado de Lane nos confirmó que la ex estrella de “Home Improvement” fue liberada de la custodia el domingo, esto
Zachery Ty Bryan found himself in an Oregon jail for a third time this past week — but he’s finally out now … this after a major misunderstanding, TMZ has learned. A Lane County Jail official confirmed to us that the former “Home Improvement” star was released from custody Sunday — this after he was
Tom Hanks is not informing fans to get their teeth cleaned. The Oscar-winning actor shared a computer-generated image of himself on Instagram Saturday, warning his followers about a promotional video for a dental plan circulating online. “BEWARE!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing
In “The Ringleader: The Case of Bling Ring,” director Erin Lee Carr revisits the infamous group of Calabasas, Calif. teenagers responsible for burglarizing the homes of celebrities including Orlando Bloom and Paris Hilton. But instead of merely rehashing the splashy story, Carr focuses on Rachel Lee, the alleged ringleader of the Bling Ring, who has