Movies

After winning best actor at Cannes with Justin Kurzel’s “Nitram,” Caleb Landry Jones is poised to gain further international recognition with another towering and intense performance in “DogMan.” The anticipated movie, which is now in post and will mark Luc Besson’s directorial comeback after his 2019 film “Lucy,” was teased with a trailer at a

Ninety-year-old John Williams received his 53rd nomination, and a team of composers was nominated for original score for only the eighth time in Oscar history during this morning’s Academy Awards nominations. Yet, despite the presence of two women and three African-American composers on this year’s 15-film shortlist, none made the final five. So Chanda Dancy

Allison Williams and Riz Ahmed did an admirable job of pronouncing names and film titles at Tuesday morning’s Academy Award nominations telecast, but there’s usually one moment in the annual list reading that gets people talking. This year, that would be “My Year of Dicks,” the Sara Gunnarsdottir short that nabbed a best animated short nod

With “Passages,” American indie darling Ira Sachs (“Love Is Strange”) makes his first film in France, a brutally honest portrait of a train-wreck relationship in which an openly gay director sabotages his marriage — and maybe his life — by falling for a woman. Affairs happen; that’s nothing new. But this one proves unusually destructive,

Yash Raj Films’ hugely anticipated “Pathaan,” the comeback film of Shah Rukh Khan, is releasing worldwide in over 100 countries, making it one of the widest openings for a Bollywood film. Also starring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, and directed by Siddharth Anand, “Pathaan” is part of producer Aditya Chopra’s spy universe, which also includes

It’s been nearly a decade since Justin Simien stormed Sundance with his debut feature “Dear White People.” Premiering in Park City in January 2014 — his first trip to the festival — it marked the realization of a long held dream. The audacious social satire had been Simien’s passion project, inspired by his own college

Brendan Fraser took a break from his Oscar press tour for “The Whale” to give his fans the surprise of a lifetime at a recent double feature screening of “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns” in London. The Prince Charles Cinema screened Fraser’s original two “Mummy” movies on 35mm on Jan. 20, an event that

The Art Directors Guild has announced that Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro will receive the esteemed William Cameron Menzies Award for his striking visuals and emotionally rich portfolio, cumulating in his latest film, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.” Del Toro will receive the award on Feb. 18 at the 27th Annual Art Directors Guild ceremony at

Who is Rey? It’s a question that become one of the defining talking points of the most recent “Star Wars” trilogy. The answer is simple (she’s Emperor Palpatine’s granddaughter), but the road to get there was anything but. Rey’s parentage was kept a mystery in “The Force Awakens,” which ignited fan theories debating if the

Avan Jogia wants people to watch his directorial debut, “Door Mouse,” a film he also wrote and appears in. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a big budget to market and promote the indie. But, he does have a hot body. Shortly after the movie’s release earlier this month, the former “Victorious” star posted a 30-second clip

“Beyond Utopia” offers an astonishing look at the lengths people will go for freedom. The new documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it has attracted interest from several streaming companies, takes viewers on a harrowing journey as one family risks everything to escape from North Korea. For director Madeleine Gavin, “Beyond Utopia”

Roger Deakins, a celebrated cinematographer known for his work with the Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese and more, will receive a career achievement award at the American Cinematheque’s second annual Tribute to the Crafts. Deakins has garnered 15 Oscar nominations and two wins during his long career. Most recently, the director of photography received nominations from

The 42 Film, a new Madrid and Mexico City-based film-TV company of producer Alberto Müffelmann, an executive producer on early Sundance hit “Cassandro,” is forging a first slate of titles, led by “El Origen,” to be voiced by Gael García Bernal.  Based out of Madrid and Mexico City, the new shingle is headed by Müfflemann

Eve Hewson felt nervous to sing in “Flora and Son,” a charming movie about a struggling young mother in Dublin who attempts to connect with her troubled son through music. But that doesn’t mean she wanted advice from her dad, U2 frontman Bono. “I’ve learned so much from him, in terms of life presence, stage

Will moviegoers ever get superhero fatigue? Marvel boss Kevin Feige doesn’t buy it, saying on a new podcast interview that there are 80 years of “groundbreaking” stories told in the Marvel comics that they can adapt into “different genres.” “I’ve been at Marvel Studios for over 22 years, and most of us here at Marvel

Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian and executive director Mariëtte Rissenbeck on Monday unveiled the main lineup for the fest’s 73rd edition, which marks the first physical edition in three years. Berlin’s post-pandemic spirit is clear in its efforts to lighten up the lineup with more audience-friendly titles, several of which are from the U.S., and raise the

Ethan Hawke has started production on “Wildcat,” a look at the life of Flannery O’Connor that stars Maya Hawke as the Southern writer. He’s assembled an ensemble of heavy hitters that also includes Oscar-nominee Laura Linney (“You Can Count on Me”), Philip Ettinger (“First Reformed”), Rafael Casal (“Blindspotting”), Steve Zahn (“White Lotus”), Cooper Hoffman (“Licorice

Pack your zip lines and grapefruits, the “Girls Trip” sequel is taking us to West Africa. Writer-director-producer Tracy Oliver, who co-wrote the original 2017 romp, joined the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance and provided an update on the anticipated reunion of Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tiffany Haddish. Oliver, at

“Theater Camp,” a loving mockumentary about thespians starring Ben Platt and Molly Gordon, has sold to Searchlight following its premiere at this year’s at Sundance Film Festival. The deal, which is for worldwide rights, came together for $8 million and includes a theatrical release. Gordon and Nick Lieberman directed the crowd-pleaser, which also features Noah Galvin,

At first glance, Cynthia Erivo’s Sundance drama “Drift” appears to be the latest in a long line of call-to-action refugee stories, set in Europe and focused on those who’ve left Africa, only to encounter resistance once they reach unfamiliar shores. Turns out, while there are certainly overlaps with recent films like “Mediterranea” and “Fire at

Bob* has lived in Park City all of his life and enjoys the bustle that comes into town during the annual Sundance Film Festival. After he retired, he started driving for Lyft six years ago. During the 10-day festival, he likes chatting with industry folks running to catch cocktails and screenings. But one recent topic

Georgie, the suitably scrappy 12-year-old protagonist of “Scrapper,” is a near-professional bicycle thief. Expert at picking locks and making quick getaways, she steals the two-wheelers, fixes them up or strips them for parts, and sprays their reassembled frames with a new coat of paint before sending them on their way. Charlotte Regan, the freshman writer-director

Awards season is upon us, and while Hollywood is honoring 2022’s best films and performances, the Razzie Awards shine a light on the “worst” movies and actors of the year. Leading the field is Andrew Dominik’s controversial Marilyn Monroe biopic “Blonde,” with eight nominations. While Ana de Armas is not up for worst actress, the

Jacques Audiard, the Oscar-nominated French director (“A Prophet”), is finally getting ready to shoot his next film, “Emilia Perez,” this spring with a cast led by Karla Sofia Gascón, Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña. After “Paris, 13th District,” an intimate black-and-white film about millennial love, Audiard is aiming to build a larger canvas for “Emilia

Katy Perry, “Avatar” star Stephen Lang and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann are set to participate in the 20th annual G’Day USA Arts Gala that celebrates Australians who are prominent in the U.S. entertainment industry. The event spearheaded by the American Australian Association, an advocacy group that looks to strengthen industry ties between Hollywood and Australia, is

“Queer Canadian female teen werewolf movie” may sound mighty specific as a subgenre, yet 23 years after John Fawcett’s delicious cult item “Ginger Snaps,” along comes “My Animal” to ensure it’s no longer in a category of one. A sleek, sensuous debut feature from accomplished short film and music video director Jacqueline Castel, this chilly

Barcelona-based indie studio Filmax is hailing into Content Americas selling the semi-autobiographical series “Selftape,” made by members of a new generation of women TV writers and directors now building in Spain. Described as fiction with autobiographical overtones, the series revolves around the real-life Spanish actresses and sisters, Joana Vilapuig and Mireia Vilapuig who, in a personal

Sean Penn, Jesse Eisenberg, Canadian actor-director Matt Johnson, South Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo, and Korean-Canadian director Celine Song are headed to the upcoming Berlin Film Festival. Berlinale artistic director Carlo Chatrian and executive director Mariëtte Rissenbeck on Monday unveiled the main Competition and Encounters selections for the fest’s 73rd edition, which will feature a rich mix of

One of the many things that sets “A Thousand and One” apart from other, similarly tough-minded stories of urban struggle, poverty and marginalization can be felt practically from the start, as director A.V. Rockwell introduces Inez (R’n’B performer and choreographer Teyana Taylor) walking the pavement along a painted brick wall in early-’90s Harlem. The way

UPDATE: S.S. Rajamouli’s “RRR,” starring Ram Charan and NTR Jr, which is now the highest grossing Indian film of all time in Japan, continues to do blockbuster business in the country. Dolby Vision prints of the film were released on Jan. 20 and more Imax screens were added, leading to a surge in admissions. Jan.