February 4, 2019 10:27AM PT Chris Evans, Brie Larson, and Awkwafina have been announced as presenters for the Academy Awards, along with Daniel Craig, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Lopez, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson, and Constance Wu. Oscar producers Donna Gigliotti and Glenn Weiss will continue to reveal presenters
Movies
If last year’s Oscar race revolved around genre-bending movies (stick with me on this), this year’s contest has a decidedly international flavor. Alfonso Cuaron used his clout after winning two Oscars for “Gravity” to make “Roma,” a deeply personal story about his childhood maid in Mexico City. He figured the movie, shot in black and
In 2007, when Dieter Kosslick launched the Berlinale’s inventive Culinary Cinema section, it had been simmering in the back of his mind for decades. A foodie since way before it became fashionable, Kosslick, who is a former film critic and journalist, in the early 1980s had a monthly column in German magazine Konkret in which
When “RuPaul’s Drag Race” launched on Logo a decade ago, it was watched by so few people that the inaugural run was later lovingly dubbed “The Lost Season.” But as the years and seasons of that reality competition series went on, its popularity grew exponentially and its influence subsequently spread over other parts of the
One of the major winners at last year’s Berlin Film Festival — and widely distributed worldwide — was a quiet, intimate Paraguayan drama, “The Heiresses,” one of the latest fruits of the World Cinema Fund, a program nurtured by festival chief Dieter Kosslick. Kosslick is being honored at the Berlin Film Festival with Variety‘s Achievement
Beki Probst, former head of the European Film Market, gives Dieter Kosslick great credit for shaping not just the Berlin festival, but also for helping its film market make a quantum leap. “When you ask me what is the image of the Berlinale today, it is of a red scarf and a Borsalino hat,” says
After scoring a coup with the TV adaptation of “My Brilliant Friend,” and with projects such as Paolo Sorrentino’s “The New Pope” and Oscar-nominated director Pawel Pawlikowski’s next film in the pipeline, Italy’s Wildside is in a pretty brilliant spot. Ten years after being co-founded by producers Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Mieli, the shingle is
Picturehouse Entertainment has picked up U.K. rights to Shola Amoo’s Sundance coming-of-age movie “The Last Tree” from Great Point Media. The deal was negotiated by Picturehouse’s acquisitions manager, Paul Ridd, and Great Point’s head of sales, Nada Cirjanic, at Sundance, where the well-received film opened the World Dramatic Competition. Amoo’s (“Dear Mr. Shakespeare”) movie is semi-autobiographical and follows a
Flying into Berlin’s Tegel Airport, visitors spy solar-paneled rooftops and wind turbines. It’s a tipoff to the eco-conscious lifestyle many are committed to in the city below. This includes ethically produced fashion, sustainably produced fabrics, urban gardens, green tech, clean energy, zero waste and more. Vegans play a big role in this wider community. GreenMe
Goop, the lifestyle and wellness juggernaut founded a decade ago by Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow, is expanding its original content efforts with a new docuseries at Netflix, an exclusive podcast partnership with Delta Airlines, and a slew of programming centered around beauty, food, and books. Still untitled, Goop’s streaming series will hit Netflix this fall
Dieter Kosslick will take his final bow this edition as director of the Berlin Film Festival, but the indelible mark he has left on the event will make his presence felt for years to come. While the affable topper, who is receiving Variety’s Achievement in Intl. Film Award at the Berlin Film Festival, will no
Julie Adams, the actress best-known for starring in the 1954 monster horror film “The Creature From the Black Lagoon, has died. She was 92. Adams died Sunday in Los Angeles, according to her official website. “The Shape of Water” director Guillermo del Toro paid tribute to the actress, writing, “I mourn Julie Adams passing. It
Orange Studio has boarded Olivier Assayas’ “Wasp Network,” the anticipated Cuban spy thriller that stars Penelope Cruz, Gael Garcia Bernal, Edgar Ramirez and Wagner Moura. CG Cinema’s Charles Gillibert and RT Features’ Rodrigo Teixeira are producing the film, which will start shooting on location in Cuba on Feb. 18. Adrian Guerra at the Spanish banner Nostromo
Ace Hong Kong director Dante Lam has begun work on “The Rescue,” which is set to be the biggest-budget Chinese film made this year. The $90 million action-adventure picture has already claimed a coveted Chinese New Year release slot in 2020. Lam was recently responsible for two of mainland China’s highest-grossing films: “Operation Mekong” and
If, at this point in this season, you’re tired of hearing the same handful of titles bandied about in the awards conversation, the prizes given out by the International Cinephile Society should come as a tonic. Voted on by a globe-spanning group of over 100 film critics, scholars, programmers and industry professionals, they can be
With “The Kindness of Strangers,” a modern-day fairy-tale set in an age of political and social turmoil, Danish writer-director Lone Scherfig is delivering a love letter to the city that never sleeps. The film, which opens the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday, centers on several characters who cross paths in a New York restaurant. There’s
Chinese animation “White Snake” slithered to a weekend win, as theatrical box office in China, ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, slipped to the lowest total of the past two years. “Snake” scored with just $9 million. The film has now accumulated $64.5 million since its Jan. 11 release, according to data from entertainment
Bo Peep is back, along with the rest of the gang in the first official trailer for “Toy Story 4.” Sporting a new look, complete with a purple cape, a light blue pantsuit, and a much more commanding demeanor, everyone’s favorite porcelain sheepherder is joined by a host of returning characters including Woody, Buzz, Mr.
February 3, 2019 4:09PM PT Super Bowl Sunday got a little scarier with the release of a series of teasers for “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of the hit children’s book series by Alvin Schwartz. The teasers showed moments from the short stories including “The Big Toe,” with a
February 3, 2019 4:03PM PT Brie Larson has a message in “Captain Marvel’s” latest trailer: “Try and keep up.” Marvel unveiled new footage of its upcoming superhero adventure during the Super Bowl. The clip didn’t reveal much, but it did give fans a glimpse of the action that will unfold as Larson’s Carol Danvers (a.k.a.
February 3, 2019 3:35PM PT Marvel has finally given eager fans another look at what could be the Avengers’ last stand. A new trailer for “Avengers: Endgame” premiered during the Super Bowl, but Earth’s Mightiest Heroes aren’t looking too great after half the universe turned to dust in their battle with Thanos in last year’s “Avengers:
Regardless of who wins the Super Bowl, Jordan Peele fans scored big as the second trailer for the director’s upcoming horror flick, “Us,” has just been released. “You know how sometimes things line up?” Lupita Nyong’o’s character asks in the spot. “Coincidences? Since we’ve been up here, they’ve been happening more and more. It’s like
Out of all the major festivals, the juries who pick the prizes at Sundance seem to be most, well, independent in their choices. So while “Clemency” and “One Child Nation” took the top awards at the end of 10 days of discoveries, audiences and critics embraced a different group of films entirely. Billed as one
Universal Pictures and DreamWorks’ “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” the third installment in the animated sci-fi series, has flown to the top of the international box office. Jay Baruchel leads the voice cast in the family friendly franchise, which earned $40.2 million when it opened in 23 foreign markets. It has now
SAG-AFTRA’s national board has approved the proposal for its commercials contract negotiations with the advertising industry. The talks will begin Feb. 20 in New York City, six weeks ahead of the March 31 expiration of the current three-year deal. The union’s negotiating committee will be chaired by President Gabrielle Carteris and national executive director David
“Free Solo,” the herculean tale of one man’s quest to climb Yosemite’s El Capitan mountain without a rope, has just cleared another massive feat. National Geographic’s palm-sweat inducing film has now surpassed “RBG,” Magnolia Pictures and Participant Media’s feature of esteemed Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as the second-highest grossing documentary of 2018. “Free
M. Night Shyamalan’s “Glass” remained victorious at the domestic box office for the third weekend in a row — not that the Universal Pictures thriller had much competition. “Glass” added another $9.5 million, enough to top box office charts as newcomer “Miss Bala,” a drug-cartel drama starring Gina Rodriguez misfired with $6.7 million from 2,203
Amazon Studios strikes again. The digital giant picked up global rights to “One Child Nation,” a documentary about China’s policy of forcibly restricting family size that debuted to great acclaim at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The deal is said to be in the high-six figures. The sale comes on the heels of the film’s
Leading Taiwan film director, Doze Niu (aka Niu Chen-zer) has been charged with forced sexual intercourse. If found guilty, he faces a jail term of between three and ten years. The alleged incident occurred in November last year, during the shooting of Niu’s current film project “Pao Ma.” Following evenings drinks at his home with
GOTEBORG — The 20th Nordic Film Market, held parallel to the Göteborg Film Festival, closed Sunday after three days of screenings and pitchings of 48 Nordic films and projects. Following, five key takeaways or trends: STANDOUT NORDIC BRAND QUALITY An excellent crop, better than 2018, with a large diversity of content, catering to arthouse/mainstream as well