Four-time Oscar nominee and indie darling Saoirse Ronan revealed in a recent Harper’s Bazaar UK interview that she’s keen to star in a comedy soon, referencing Paul Feig’s “Bridesmaids” and the Larry David-created sitcoms “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as her favorite comedic projects. “I would love to do something modern and funny,” Ronan said.
Movies
Lyrics that include the words “dick,” “fuck” and “pussy” are not the typical wholesome, family content the Academy’s Music Branch tends to recognize. But occasionally, they have allowed a couple to slip through. A24’s “Dicks: The Musical,” the opening night Midnight Madness at TIFF, has an onslaught of hilarious and catchy tunes that I wish
While at the Deauville American Film Festival to present “May December,” Todd Haynes spoke to Variety, during a one-on-one interview at the Royal Hotel, about bringing Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore together in a film for the first time, provoking audiences and pushing against American conservatism. Haynes, who is attending Deauville with his producers Christine
Frank Marshall’s film “Alive” has never exactly been a classic, but for a certain bracket of moviegoers who saw it in 1993, it remains a vivid memory. A heart-in-mouth recreation of the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash — from which 16 people eventually survived 72 days stranded in a remote, snowy stretch of
On the eve of heading up to Canada this week to attend the Toronto Film Festival, where his documentary “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” has its world debut Saturday night, pop superstar Lil Nas X was playing it nonchalant about stepping outside the music realm a bit to be the center of a splashy
Six years after “Loving Vincent,” their groundbreaking biopic of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh earned an Oscar nomination and raked in more than $50 million at the global box office, the filmmaking team behind that hit is back with a bigger, more ambitious animated feature that utilizes the same stunning hand-painted animation technique to
Elliot Page conquered a new challenge for his first movie role in six years. In “Close to You,” an observant drama that premieres on Sunday at the Toronto Film Festival, there’s basically no written dialogue in the script, so everything that you hear in the movie was improvised by the actors on the day of
As pundits made their Golden Lion predictions in the last days of the Venice Film Festival, the general consensus was that it all depended on what kind of mood Damien Chazelle’s competition jury was in: playful, in which case Yorgos Lanthimos’s early critical darling “Poor Things” would sweep to victory; or sober, which could tilt
Brussels-based company Best Friend Forever has revealed a raft of deals for key territories for Ramata-Toulaye Sy‘s feature film debut, “Banel & Adama,” which played in competition in Cannes and makes its North American premiere in Toronto. Variety reviewed it as “a dreamlike debut” in May. The film just won the Melbourne International Film Festival’s
“The Nun II” spooked the box office with $13 million on opening day, including $3.1 million in previews. The ninth chapter in the Warner Bros. “Conjuring” series is expected to open around to $31.3 million this weekend from 3,728 locations, a drop from the record-setting original movie but enough to surpass Denzel Washington and Sony’s
When you arrive at home on a Tuesday evening and have to double-check your own address because there is a line of valet parkers in front, one of whom hands you a ticket, and when you proceed into your home of find a crowd of well-dressed people, most of whom you do not know, and
As a former child dancer, maybe it shouldn’t surprise anyone that 21-year-old Talia Ryder moved so gracefully into singing, directing and acting. But don’t make her choose just one. “I really like making things, whether that’s acting, directing, choreography or all of the above,” she says. Since her 2020 film debut in the Sundance abortion
Indigenous filmmakers continue to make strides in Canada, building industry capacity on their own terms and telling stories that both honor their communities and reach out to global audiences. Toronto’s 2023 slate offers audiences and buyers vital, provocative, and — because we need it — hilarious world-premiering work from established creators and up-and-comers. “Tautuktavuk (What We
When it comes to documentary filmmakers, Alex Gibney, Errol Morris and Raoul Peck are at the top of their game. Along with tremendous talent, each helmer possesses what every successful documentarian needs — business savvy — which in turn has allowed them to experience continued success over many years. The trio also has what most
Ellen Kuras is having a full-circle moment. The celebrated cinematographer, who has worked for directors including Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee and Michel Gondry, wanted to be a politically minded filmmaker like Costa-Gavras when she was starting out, but found herself primarily working behind the camera for many years. With “Lee,” a Toronto premiere starring Kate
Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress Patricia Arquette was cast in her latest, most challenging role by an unlikely group: her colleagues. “For many years, the crews I worked with were always saying, ‘You should direct,’” Arquette says of helming her first feature, the Toronto world premiere “Gonzo Girl.” “Or actors in a scene would say, ‘Was
In Billy Luther’s (Navajo, Hopi and Laguna Pueblo) feature film debut, “Frybread Face and Me,” Benny (Keir Tallman) is taken out of his comfort zone after he’s sent to spend the summer at his grandmother’s ranch on the reservation. It’s a feeling most adults can relate to — that first time when they were kids
Toronto’s Platform is set to be enriched by Jaione Camborda’s poignant second feature “The Rye Horn.” The film, set against the backdrop of 1970s Galicia, unravels the tale of María, a midwife thrust into a life on the run following a devastating incident. Her path to freedom takes her from Galicia to Portugal, retracing ancient
Filmmaker Chloé Robichaud would often listen to classical music in the background to help focus her writing process — a subliminal influence that led to the creation of the main character of “Days of Happiness,” which world premieres in Toronto Sept. 9. Her third feature follows gifted young conductor Emma (Sophie Desmarais) at a pivotal
It’s not every director who gets to turn Cate Blanchett down. Rarer still for a first-time filmmaker from Europe whose arty, offbeat debut — a poetic, surreal, soulful meditation on memory and grief — might have easily escaped the attention of Hollywood royalty. But “Apples,” by Greek director Christos Nikou, charmed audiences after its 2020
How does one measure the worth of one’s life? Does one life have more value than another? These complicated questions are at the center of British-Palestinian writer-director Farah Nabulsi’s feature debut, “The Teacher,” which premieres in TIFF’s Discovery section. The film follows Palestinian schoolteacher Basem (Saleh Bakri), who acts as a father figure to two
“Maudie” director Aisling Walsh describes her upcoming feature, “Ethel,” in recognizable terms. “We all understand what it is to struggle to be the best at what we can,” Walsh tells Variety. “We’re all looking for that chance to make something happen.” Written by Celeste Parr, produced by Marie-Claude Poulin (“Brooklyn”) of Sphere Media, and presented
Industry delegates sent a clear message to the filmmakers behind “Nothing But the Truth about Extraterrestrials”: We want to believe. A non-fiction dive into the latest science behind little green men, the multilingual doc proved quite a hot item at this year’s Venice Production Bridge gap-financing market, fielding three bids for distribution, another three co-production
Remarking on the sterling success of Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” in Venice and of Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” in Cannes, “All Quiet on the Western Front” director Edward Berger has noticed a trend – and he hopes to apply that recognition back to the German industry. “Film4 came and took [filmmakers like Jonathan
The BAFTA Children and Young People Awards have been rebranded and will be incorporated into the annual film, games and television ceremonies. The org’s support for the children’s media industry and its year-round learning programs will now take place under a new brand, Young BAFTA. New categories for children’s content will be introduced to BAFTA’s film,
Seated before a photo of filmmaker Sarah Moldoror, panelists at this year’s Women in Film roundtable shared strategies for greater industry parity, while reflecting on recent successes and standstills in that ongoing pursuit. Variety has been give access to the video of the panel discussion. Organized by Magaajyia Silberfeld and Winta Ghebre, and moderated by
In Giorgio Diritti’s film “Lubo,” based on Mario Cavatore’s novel “Il seminatore,” Franz Rogowski seduces as Lubo, a Yenish traveling performer, father and husband, who has to join the Swiss army in 1939. He is one hell of a charmer, although his passion has dark undertones. “Our take is more playful, but the book put
Fran Drescher has been elected to a second term as president of SAG-AFTRA, as the union’s first studio strike in 43 years nears the two-month mark. Drescher was elected with 81.4% of the vote, defeating Maya Gilbert-Dunbar, who took 18.6%. Joely Fisher took 70.3% in her race for a second term as secretary-treasurer. Her opponent,
“Finestkind,” the name of both Brian Helgeland’s new film and the high-line fishing boat Tommy Lee Jones captains within it, is one of those words that New Englanders find hard to define, but seem to have no trouble using in a sentence. It means quality — of fish, of people, of principles — and it
With “American Fiction,” Cord Jefferson, best known for penning television episodes of “Succession” and “Watchmen,” helms one of the finest directorial debuts seen since Sam Mendes’ “American Beauty.” In the style that feels like an audacious blend of Alexander Payne’s “Sideways” and Nicole Holofcener’s “Can You Ever Forgive Me,” he shepherds an audacious dramedy anchored