Movies

November 24, 2019 1:21PM PT Superman hasn’t hung up his cape yet. Or so says Henry Cavill, who portrayed the superhero beginning with “Man of Steel” in 2013 and most recently, in the failed 2017 movie “Justice League.” The “Witcher” actor is insisting his time as the DC character isn’t over. “The cape is in

Disney’s “Frozen 2” iced out the box office competition in North America, where family audiences powered the animated adventure to a dazzling $127 million domestic debut. The sequel, playing in 4,440 theaters, ignited above expectations ahead of Thanksgiving, which should parlay into an especially lucrative holiday frame. “Frozen 2” set a November record for an

November 24, 2019 7:00AM PT British-based exhibition chain Vue has pulled gang film “Blue Story” from its theaters after a brawl among dozens of moviegoers – some of them apparently wielding machetes – erupted at a cinema in central England. The fight broke out late Saturday afternoon during a screening of the film at a

Making its international premiere in the Frontlight section, Danish doc “Fat Front” came to IDFA with a fair amount of buzz from its Scandinavian homeland, where it debuted in October. Directed by Louise Unmack Kjeldsen and Louise Detlefsen, the film follows four Nordic women—Helene, Marte, Pauline and Wilde—who are tired of kow-towing to society’s ideal

A concrete example of IDFA artistic director Orwa Nyrabia’s definition of a Frontlight title, Juliana Fanjul’s angry political sketch film “Radio Silence” started with a much-needed moment of light relief. Entering the auditorium with a backpack, the film’s subject—pioneering Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui—matter-of-factly walked to the front and sat herself down, without fanfare, in one

A wry, mild-mannered woman in her mid-nineties, Margaret Kamango has seen enough in life to be oddly unfazed when a letter arrives on her doorstep that effectively amounts to a death threat. When a cursory investigation suggests it has come from a family member — one of those living right within her rural homestead —

“God Exists, Her Name Is Petrunya,” a satirical drama by Macedonian director Teona Strugar Mitevska, has won the inaugural Arab Critics’ Award for European Films. The film, which positions itself as “a feminist cry against a patriarchal Macedonia in the grips of bullying machismo and hidebound religion,” according to its review in Variety, was selected

As wrenching and resonant a cinematic experience as can be found in any country this year, Taiwanese stunner “A Sun” tells the story of two sons, one a top student poised to attend the med school of his choice, the other a raging delinquent whose latest scuffle lands him in a juvenile detention center. The

While mainland China’s Golden Rooster Awards crowed all over social media about the star power of its attendees, the more modest Golden Horses in Taiwan this year had to make do with a red carpet full of relative unknowns and sponsors that had fled the coop. The two events collided in the wake of a

Taiwanese films “A Sun” and “Detention” were the big winners of Taipei’s Golden Horse Awards on Saturday. Wang Xiaoshuai’s “So Long, My Son” was the standout title at mainland China’s rival Golden Rooster Awards, held the same evening. The two events were scheduled to collide in the wake of a pro-Taiwanese independence acceptance speech at

The Singapore government’s support for the film industry has helped a lot of people to make their first feature. Moving on to a sophomore performance is a trickier proposition. Some of Singapore’s most recent first feature debutants, K. Rajagopal (“A Yellow Bird”), Wong Chen-Hsi (“Innocents”) and Jacen Tan (“Zombiepura”), assembled Saturday for a seminar at

Sam Mendes’ “1917,” a gripping survival story that unfolds in the crucible of World War I, inserted itself into the awards race on Saturday with a series of well-received screenings in Los Angeles and New York. The movie, which is made with great craft and care, now faces the unenviable task of trying to elbow

“It is always my goal to create a layer of truth for actors with my make-ups and suits,” said Academy Award winning make-up effects Artist Barney Burman. He was speaking on Saturday at an onstage event within the Singapore International Film Festival. The presentation at the Project theater was moderated by Singaporean filmmaker Kirsten Tan

Pam Polifroni, a longtime casting director for “Gunsmoke” who gave early acting roles to Jodie Foster, Jon Voight, Loretta Swit and others, has died. She was 90. Polifroni died in Columbus, Ohio, on Thursday, Nov. 21 as a result of dementia, her daughter-in-law confirmed to Variety. With more than 50 credits to her name by

With five mid-level agencies agreeing to Writers Guild rules on representing members, WGA West president David Goodman has allowed that there is room for small compromises with other agencies. “The Guild will not allow agencies who’ve stepped forward and made a deal with us to be put at a disadvantage,” Goodman said. “We are in

Even given all the things we now know about Harvey Weinstein, few would dispute his place in movie history as the figure who put the American independent film movement on the mainstream map and kept it there. He remains a force of legend (even if he’s now an infamous accused criminal). And that’s why it’s

One of the innovations of Orwa Nyrabia, artistic director at IDFA, a leading documentary festival, has been to present a wide range of live productions to enhance the film experience, blurring the boundaries between documentary, music, and performing arts. Curated by Jasper Hokken, the section called IDFA On Stage… is incredibly diverse, ranging from more

“Faith” is a flexible concept in Valentina Pedicini’s documentary of the same title. Her subjects, a self-isolated group of kung fu practitioners in rural Italy referred to as the Warriors of Light, are beholden to a range of conflicting higher powers. That they simultaneously identify as Shaolin monks and devout Catholics seems complicated enough; that

Prolific producer and director Arthur Marks, who worked on “Perry Mason” and blaxploitation movies including “Detroit 9000” and “Friday Foster,” has died. He was 92. Marks died Nov. 13 at his home in Woodland Hills, Calif. His son, “Narcos” producer Paul Marks, confirmed his passing to Variety. Marks was a native of Los Angeles who

After being appointed director of DOX BOX earlier this year, the acclaimed French-Egyptian documentary filmmaker Jihan El-Tahri had a vision for how she could foster the continued evolution of a Berlin-based organization already devoted to the development of a sustainable documentary industry in the Arab world. From the start, that meant strengthening ties between the Arab region

Disney’s “Frozen 2” is teed up to roast the pre-Thanksgiving weekend box office in its debut with an estimated $124 million from 4,440 North Americans locations. In a very distant second could be the second frame of Fox’s “Ford v Ferrari” with about $15 million. However, Tom Hanks’ “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” may

Incentive schemes for international co-productions shooting in India will soon be operational, Variety has exclusively learned.The schemes that were teased during the 2018 edition of Film Bazaar are now ready and an official announcement from the Government of India is expected in early 2020. India’s ministry of commerce and industry has chosen the audiovisual industry

“Suk Suk,” a gay drama which is in contention for the best film prize at Saturday’s Golden Horse Awards, has succeeded in lining up theatrical distributors in Taiwan and Hong Kong. For Taiwan, it was acquired by distributor Cai Chang International. In Hong Kong, it has been picked up by Golden Scene. The deals were

Netflix Original film, “The Two Popes,” from Fernando Meirelles, the Oscar-nominated director of “City of God,” arrives at the Singapore International Film Festival as part of a global festival run that includes Telluride, Toronto, Busan, London, Mumbai, Camerimage and AFI. Adapted from his own play by fellow Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten (“Darkest Hour,” “The Theory

In today’s film news roundup, Channing Tatum and Roy Lee are developing “The Maxx,” Leslie Uggams has joined “The Ravine” and Safehouse Pictures is expanding. PROJECT LAUNCH Channing Tatum and Roy Lee are teaming up to produce a movie or television show based on the Image Comics series “The Maxx.” Tatum will produce through his

The phenomenon that is “Joker” continues to break records, as Oscar buzz grows for Joaquin Phoenix and several other categories. It is a film filled with visual and sonic clues to help tell the story of his emotional journey – wherever it takes him. From the squeaking of the apartment door to the single cello

For director Marielle Heller, part of the research she did for her third feature film, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” included watching old episodes of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” with her 4-year-old son in her lap. In the film, Tom Hanks throws on the cardigan as beloved children’s TV host Fred Rogers, playing an unsuspecting

November 22, 2019 2:27PM PT John Turturro is set to join the cast of Matt Reeves and Warner Bros.’ “The Batman” starring Robert Pattinson. Reeves announced on Twitter that Turturro would be playing Carmine Falcone, the Gotham City gangster and adversary to the Caped Crusader. He joins a cast that includes Zoe Kravitz, who will

Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer to “My Rembrandt,” directed by Oeke Hoogendijk, which has its world premiere on Sunday in the Masters section of the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). [embedded content] The film is set in the world of the art market for paintings by the Dutch Old Master. While

November 22, 2019 1:31PM PT Martin Scorsese has been selected by the Palm Springs International Film Festival as the recipient of its Sonny Bono Visionary Award for “The Irishman.” He will be presented the award at the festival’s gala on Jan. 2 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The festival runs Jan. 2-13. “Martin Scorsese