Movies

TORUN, Poland – In his latest work, “The Valley of the Gods,” director Lech Majewski explores the ancient mythology of a downtrodden people and the absurd wealth of the world’s richest man in a surreal vision of modern America. The film screened at the EnergaCamerimage Intl. Film Festival as part of special showcase honoring Majewski,

TORUN, Poland – “The Naked King,” a documentary chronicling parallel revolutions in Poland and Iran, has proven a timely work at a time when mass demonstrations are sweeping the globe. Directed by Andreas Hoessli and produced by Peter Zwierko, who also served as cinematographer on the film, “The Naked King” examines the 1979 revolution in

TORUN, Poland – While Gideon Raff’s Netflix thriller “The Red Sea Diving Resort” shot largely in South Africa and Namibia, the project was a welcomed opportunity for cinematographer Roberto Schaefer due to his own memorable travels through Ethiopia. The film, which screened in the EnergaCamerimage Intl. Film Festival’s Contemporary World Cinema section, is loosely based

Czech filmmaker Vojtech Jasny, director of “All My Good Countrymen,” which won the best director prize at Cannes in 1969, has died. He was 93. According to the Associated Press, Slovacke divadlo, a theatre he frequently visited, said that Jasny died Friday, and a family representative confirmed his death to the CTK news agency. Jasny

What do you get when you toss together Christmas cheer, Christmas kitsch, a fish-out-of-the-North-Pole setup swiped from “Elf,” and a plot that turns on whether Kris Kringle’s daughter, played as a perky naïf by Anna Kendrick, has what it takes to step into her dad’s snow boots? You get a plastic icicle like “Noelle,” a

When grocery store shoppers snag a copy of Weekly World News (the rag responsible for the refuses-to-die “Bat Child” hoax), they know they’re getting fake news. But when they pick up the National Enquirer, it’s a far more ambiguous prospect. Enquirer headlines are deliberately provocative, shouting details of the private lives of real people —

Before Cynthia Erivo went on to become a Tony and Grammy winner, she nearly gave up singing to be a spinal surgeon. In her “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors” conversation with Alfre Woodard, the “Harriet” star said she had been singing since she was toddler. Her mother noticed she’d hum while eating her food when

Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet”) and Alfre Woodard (“Clemency”) sat down for a chat for “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors.” For more, click here. Cynthia Erivo and Alfre Woodard are at the forefront of this year’s awards conversation for two prestige films directed by black women. In Chinonye Chukwu’s “Clemency,” a movie that won the Sundance Grand

Hair and make-up artist Lizzie Yianni-Georgiou sums up “Rocketman” as the story “of a great icon who hits rock bottom. You see the great things happen and he hits rock bottom. By the end, he’s pulled himself together and he’s still standing.” For the viewer, it’s a rollercoaster ride of emotion, but as Yianni-Georgiou says,

Christian Bale and Matt Damon’s racing drama “Ford v Ferrari” is set to win the weekend box office by a long shot with an esimated $29 million from 3,528 domestic locations. Elizabeth Banks’ “Charlie’s Angels” reboot could land in a distant second in its debut weekend with about $8.2 million, but the second frame of

November 15, 2019 6:39PM PT Love is a many splendored and agonizing thing in this polished Chinese romatic drama. A woman’s 30-year longing for the man she can’t stop loving is chronicled in “Somewhere Winter,” a rewarding adaptation of the novel by prolific author and screenwriter Rao Xueman. Fashioned along the lines of a classical

November 15, 2019 6:28PM PT Cop Aaron Eckhart races to rescue a kidnapping victim in this high-energy if low-credibility action thriller. High on energy if low on credibility, “Line of Duty” stars Aaron Eckhart as a cop from Birmingham, Ala., whose day gets a lot more hectic when he’s caught up in a kidnapping whose

In today’s film news roundup, “Roma” is getting a DVD release, Joaquin Phoenix backs an animal rights documentary, Humanitas announces nominations and “The Wretched” finds a home. ROMA DVD Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” has become the first Netflix movie to get a Blu-Ray and DVD release, thanks to the Criterion Collection launching a special edition in

November 15, 2019 6:07PM PT A grizzled LAPD vet shepherds a rookie through his first patrol shift in Joel Souza’s uneven but effective indie drama. Definitely the more sober-sided of two new films involving cops and cop-killers, “Crown Vic” juggles slice-of-life observation and thriller elements as a grizzled LAPD veteran shepherds a newbie through his

Early in “The Warrior Queen of Jhansi,” there’s a scene that feels like something you’d find in a Bollywood take on “Wonder Woman,” during which Rani Lakshmibai, the feisty monarch of the title, takes time from serving as drill instructor for a unit of female troops to deal with the harrumphing skepticism of a male

In one of the first major greenlights since acquiring Fox, Disney is moving forward with Ridley Scott’s period drama “The Last Duel,” dating the film for Dec. 25, 2020, a prime spot for next year’s award season. The film stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodi Comer and Ben Affleck with Scott directing. The script is

November 15, 2019 4:27PM PT Shanghai Rich Culture Media, The Nakodo Group and Bullseye Pictures have signed a three-project co-production, co-financing and co-distribution deal for Asia and Hollywood at the American Film Market. Projects involved include films “My Name is Mars” and “The Blind Bastards Club,” and a historical TV drama series. Sacha Baron-Cohen’s cousin

November 15, 2019 3:37PM PT Oscar-nominated producer Lynette Howell Taylor and Stephanie Allain will produce the 92nd Oscars on Feb. 9. Academy president David Rubin made the announcement Friday. “The combined producing talents of Lynette and Stephanie will bring dynamism and excitement to the 92nd Oscars show,” said Rubin. “Their vast production experience ranges from

Nicolas Cage Heading for ‘Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ – Variety You will be redirected back to your article in seconds November 15, 2019 3:09PM PT Lionsgate is in final negotiations to buy the Nicolas Cage movie project “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.” The “Unbearable” package includes Tom Gormican attached to direct from a

“Yesterday’s” Sophia Di Martino is in talks to join Tom Hiddleston in Disney Plus and Marvel’s “Loki” limited series. Hiddleston is reprising the role of the antihero with “Sex Education” and “Daybreak” director Kate Herron helming the series. “Rick & Morty” scribe Michael Waldron penned the pilot and will act as show creator and exec

“Parasite” is a global hit and an Oscar contender, which means many audiences will be seeing actor Song Kang Ho for the first time. But in fact, he’s had a terrific career in Korean films for more than 20 years. Song was first mentioned in Variety on Nov. 23, 1998, in a review of the

Sharp, current political and social satire lies at the heart of Lionsgate’s “Knives Out,” a darkly comedic whodunnit that often aims to upend Hollywood’s cultural conventions. One key player in the shift is Ana de Armas, who portrays a caretaker for Christopher Plummer’s character in the film. With a fully formed, fleshed-out character, de Armas

“Ford v Ferrari” is racing to a better-than-expected launch of $29 million in North America, early estimates showed on Friday. That’s well above pre-release forecasts for “Ford v Ferrari,” which had originally been in the $20 million range. Disney has since upped its estimate to $25 million to $29 million. Sony’s “Charlie’s Angels” reboot is tracking

Nancy Kwan, Lena Khan, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Tiffany Chu were honored with awards during the Asian World Film Festival, which took place Nov. 6-14. In its fifth year, the AWFF teamed up with the Snow Leopard Trust again to raise awareness for the endangered snow leopard and its ecosystem in the high mountains of Asia.

Melina Matsoukas and Lena Waithe are on a mission. The creative collaborators opened the 2019 AFI Fest presented by Audi on Thursday night in Hollywood in a powerful way, with the world premiere of their film “Queen & Slim.” “I want to promote unity between us. I want this to promote black love and not

Cinematographers who set out to shoot war films like “1917” and “Midway” face a bigger challenge than navigating explosions or running alongside the actors in the midst of a special effects battlefield. They have to find a way to tell the combat story that will captivate audiences that have seen dozens, if not hundreds, of

Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”) explained how prosthetics makeup turned her into Megyn Kelly. Theron discussed the transformation — and much more — with Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”) during a conversation for “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors.” The interview began with Driver asking Theron if she could recall when she gained ownership over her Megyn Kelly character.

Margot Robbie and Leonardo DiCaprio rave about “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” costume designer Arianne Phillips in a new featurette obtained exclusively by Variety. “She’s so incredible. She contextualizes the time period and people really will be transported into what fashion was like in the ’60s,” Robbie says. “I was blown away by the

Charlize Theron (“Bombshell”) said she relates to Megyn Kelly because they’ve both been called bitches. Theron discussed her similarities with Kelly and building a career on portraying unlikable women during a conversation with Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”) for “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors.” Driver initiated the interview asking whether Theron considered the likability factor in

Racing drama “Ford v Ferrari” sped to $2.1 million on Thursday night, while Sony’s “Charlie’s Angels” reboot pulled in a modest $900,000. The earnings for “Ford v Ferrari” are in the same range as “Terminator: Dark Fate,” which took in $2.4 million on its way to a $29 million debut on Nov. 1-3 for Paramount.