Guillaume Canet makes like Bruce Willis and other past regular-guy-as-action-hero models in “Ad Vitam,” which he co-wrote. The entertaining Netflix concoction stars Canet as a Parisian ex-cop forcibly pulled into new perils connected to the shootout that got him sacked. Putting its hero through paces that embrace everything from parkour to parasailing, Rodolphe Lauga’s feature
Movies
“Succession” creator Jesse Armstrong has found his next project: an original movie for HBO Films. The seven-time Emmy winner is teaming up with “Succession” executive producer Frank Rich for the project, which is said to focus on four friends who convene during a dramatic international financial crisis, Variety has confirmed. Both Armstrong and Frank are
What started as a goofy, groundbreaking play that debuted inside the Sing Sing Correctional Facility — and then inspired the Golden Globe-nominated movie “Sing Sing” — will return to the stage, as the formerly incarcerated actors of the A24 film will reunite to perform “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code” live in New York. The production will
Sundance will unfold as planned amid the devastating wildfires that continue to burn around Los Angeles. Though the film festival takes place in Park City, many attendees including filmmakers, studio executives and actors are making the trek to the tiny ski town from southern California. Several Hollywood events in the Los Angeles area, such as
French movies had a banner 2024 on home turf with a 44% market share at the French box office, which broke a 15-year record; meanwhile, Gallic films saw a 11% year-on-year drop in international revenues, according to figures unveiled by the National Film Board (CNC) and Unifrance during the Rendez-Vous in Paris market on Monday.
In a major move set to electrify action film aficionados, Shout! Studios has nabbed worldwide rights (excluding select Asian territories) to the coveted Golden Princess movie library, a treasure trove of 156 Hong Kong cinema classics that’s been MIA from Western markets for decades. The deal, which brings together Hollywood’s indie powerhouse with one of
Eric Clapton‘s 1992 “MTV Unplugged” performance will soon grace the big screen, as well as launch on Paramount+. With bonus content of Clapton discussing the inspiration behind songs right before he took the stage, the 90-minute special will premiere in select cinemas in the U.S. and U.K. on Monday, Jan. 27, and Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Tyler Perry recently took to Instagram to slam the “pure greed” of insurance companies amid the devastating L.A. fires. The director’s statement was published shortly after a report from the Los Angeles Times informed readers that companies like State Farm General, the largest home insurance business in California, decided not to renew thousands of insurance policies
On the heels of a 2024 box office which saw French movies clinching a near record market share, the Gallic film and TV promotion org Unifrance is expanding its Rendez-Vous With French Cinema, a mini-market gathering local sales agents and 500 international buyers from roughly 40 countries. The 27th edition of the Paris Rendez-Vous, which
Once the City of Light’s newest and chicest movie palace plays host to this week’s Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris opening on Tuesday, one might hardly fault first-time attendees for the odd pangs of déjà vu. Just steps from the iconic Opera Garnier in the heart of town, the Haussmannian unit that houses the recently opened
Dogwoof has acquired international sales rights for “2000 Meters in Andriivka” by Ukrainian filmmaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning AP journalist Mstyslav Chernov, director of the 2024 Academy Award winner for best documentary “20 Days in Mariupol.” “2000 Meters in Andriivka” is set to have its world premiere Jan. 23 at Sundance Film Festival as part of
Imagine an acerbic love child miraculously spawned by Addison DeWitt of “All About Eve” and Waldo Lydecker of “Laura,” with John Simon serving as midwife, and you will be prepared for Jimmy Erskine, the viciously witty and mercilessly demanding title character played with utterly delicious flamboyance by Ian McKellen in “The Critic.” Directed by Anand
U.K. outfit Blue Finch Films has snagged worldwide sales rights (excluding Australia and New Zealand) to the buzzy animated feature “Lesbian Space Princess,” ahead of its world premiere in the Panorama section at next month’s Berlin Film Festival. The debut feature from Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese follows a sheltered space princess who embarks
Göteborg’s prime Nordic Film Market where last year’s Cannes sensations “The Girl with the Needle,” “Armand” and “When the Light Breaks” were first showcased as works in progress, has announced exclusively to Variety its full 2025 program. Over Jan. 29-31, more than 60 completed films, titles in development and post-production will be showcased to 500-plus industry delegates
Over the weekend, the South Korean box office saw “Harbin” extending its reign at the top. According to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council, “Harbin” retained its first-place position, adding KRW3.02 billion ($2 million) to its gross. Despite a 35.8% drop from the previous weekend, the film captured 37.5%
The Chinese box office saw “Octopus with Broken Arms” continue its dominance, grossing RMB76.6 million ($10.6 million) and bringing its cumulative total to RMB686 million ($95.3 million), according to data from Artisan Gateway. The As One Production crime thriller, directed by Jacky Gan, has maintained its momentum since its release on Dec. 28, solidifying its
Mia Ammer had been through plenty of fire drills before. The seasoned Hollywood publicist spent a decade raising her kids in the Pacific Palisades, where blazes would often threaten her home from the hills to the north. Historically, however, “fire had never jumped Sunset Boulevard and threatened our town,” she said. But that changed on
The 36th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival has revealed this year’s juried award winners. PSIFF took place from Jan. 2-13, 2025, and screened 165 films from over 71 countries, including 68 premieres. The line-up includes 35 of the International Feature Film Oscar Submissions along with Talking Pictures, New Voices New Visions, Modern Masters, Queer
“The Flash” director Andy Muschietti has his own thoughts as to why the $200 million tentpole was a box office dud. Released in 2023, “The Flash” grossed $271 million by the end of its run. It is not a small figure by any means, but considering the budget size and projected marketing costs, the DC
When Sebastian Stan greets you, there’s an earnest warmth in his voice that makes you forget, even for a moment, the intensity of the roles he’s embodied this past year. The 41-year-old actor is riding high on a wave of critical acclaim for his two vastly different but equally daring performances in “The Apprentice” and
Two Disney tentpoles, “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Moana 2,” are crossing major box office milestones. “Mufasa” has surpassed $500 million globally after four weeks of release, while “Moana 2” is poised to swim past the $1 billion mark with ticket sales currently at $989.9 million. “The Lion King” prequel led the pack again at
Djimon Hounsou said in a recent interview with CNN that he continues to struggle as a working actor in Hollywood despite several roles in studio blockbusters under his belt and two Oscar nominations to his name. The actor noted that his continued struggles in Hollywood points to the “systemic racism” that prevails in the film
Lionsgate’s heist thriller “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” stole the box office crown, debuting at No. 1 with $15.5 million from 3,008 North American theaters. The sequel to 2018’s “Den of Thieves” opened on the higher end of expectations and landed about even with its predecessor’s $15.2 million launch. The first film also opened in
The Indian box office grossed $1.37 billion in 2024, marking a 3% decline from the record-breaking $1.41 billion achieved in 2023, per numbers from Ormax Media. Despite the dip, 2024 still stands as the second-highest-grossing year in the history of Indian cinema. Leading the year’s collections were the Telugu-language blockbusters “Pushpa 2: The Rule” and
Smoldering beachfront homes. Charred vehicles. A Starbucks patio destroyed. A child’s playhouse in a burn-scarred backyard. A firefighter at work. These are among the searing images captured on Jan. 10 in areas of Malibu and Pacific Palisades devasted by the wildfire storm that ignited on Jan. 7. The inferno has been fueled by Santa Ana
Ariana Grande’s career is one of transformation. She’s mastered reinvention from her Nickelodeon beginnings to her chart-topping pop career. Now, in her most ambitious turn yet, she’s poised to dazzle the Oscars as Glinda, the Good Witch, in Universal Pictures’ blockbuster smash “Wicked.” But Grande’s venture into the emerald world of Oz is more than
Fernanda Torres, the daughter of legendary Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro, is dispelling the stigma around nepo babies following her Golden Globe win. While speaking with IndieWire after her Globe-winning turn in “I’m Still Here,” Torres bashed the negative stigma around nepo babies as an “ancient” idea, and deemed herself as the “nepo baby person that
Climate change didn’t start the wildfires that are ravaging Los Angeles County this week. But the big swings in weather patterns that have accelerated over the past two decades serve as rocket fuel that intensifies the flames and spreads the devastation. Environmental experts and scientists warn that Southern Californians will have to come to grips
The title of Mike Leigh’s latest movie, “Hard Truths,” suggests a remarkable, career-spanning consistency, tracing back to the stage and screen director’s 1971 big-screen debut, “Bleak Moments.” For more than half a century, Leigh has been bringing audiences into the lives and homes of British citizens of various backgrounds and classes, developing original projects through
Roger Pratt, the cinematographer behind “The Fisher King,” “Brazil” and Tim Burton’s “Batman,” has died. He was 77. The news was posted via the British Society of Cinematographers: “It is with deepest sadness that we learn of the passing of Roger Pratt BSC (1947-2024).” The news did not state when he died, nor did it