Movies

If there’s life on Mars, there must also be death on Mars: That’s the plainest takeaway from “Settlers,” a stark, scorched, occasionally jolting sci-fi slow burn in which relocating to the red planet can’t save humanity from its basest instincts. Tracing the tumultuous household dynamics of four ex-earthlings over the course of a decade, as

Long ago, documentaries might have gotten a bad rap for not offering the inherent cinematic escapism of action-adventure odysseys or superhero extravaganzas. But, truth be told, the capital-T truth presents rich stories that even our most creative screenwriters could not imagine, and these days viewers realize they’re where some of the most fascinating plots can

Julie Delpy did not turn down an offer to reunite with Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke for a fourth “Before” movie. Following reports that Delpy said during an interview with a French news outlet that she walked away from the project, she told me Friday morning that her comments were misinterpreted because a fourth film

Writer Matthew Robinson is heading to a galaxy far, far away. After fleshing out the world that never lies in “The Invention of Lying” and the monster apocalypse in “Love and Monsters,” Matthew Robinson is penning the script for Patty Jenkins’ “Star Wars: Rogue Squadron,” which is currently scheduled to be released on Dec. 22,

MGM landed global distribution rights to “Pussy Island,” Zoë Kravitz’s feature directorial debut, which has also tapped BAFTA-winner Naomi Ackie as its lead. Ackie will join Channing Tatum, who was previously announced to star in the project, written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum. Bruce Cohen, Kravitz, Tiffany Persons and Tatum’s Free Association will produce the

“F9” is racing towards a pandemic era box office record after nabbing a mighty (at least for plague times) $7.1 million in Thursday previews. The homage to living life “a quarter-mile at a time,” in the words of one Dominic Toretto, is providing a welcome dose of adrenaline to a cinema business that’s been stalled

With “Fast 9” opening this weekend, another selection of tunes has been added to the “Fast and Furious” franchise. Ty Dolla $ign and Anitta are just two of the artists who have songs on the new soundtrack. Over the years, the franchise has produced some unforgettable songs. From G-Eazy and Kehlani’s inescapable “Good Life” to

Kevin Hart drama “Fatherhood” hit No.1 on Netflix in 82 countries after releasing June 18, according to the streamer. Netflix also projects that 61 million households will have seen the movie — or some portion of it — within its first four weeks. Timed to Father’s Day weekend, “Fatherhood” drew in viewers with a story

“Star Wars” actor John Boyega was inexplicably stripped of his Twitter verification badge, before it was hastily restored following Variety’s enquiries on Friday. The actor, who was a central cast member in the most recent “Star Wars” trilogy alongside Daisy Ridley, appeared to lose the verification badge some time earlier this week. Since Wednesday, Twitter

The Cannes Film Festival has obtained an exemption of quarantine for tested visitors coming from the U.K. and other countries designated “orange” under the European Union’s system for travel in the COVID-19 era. Industry guests and talents attending Cannes won’t need to quarantine for seven days upon entering France, even if they haven’t been fully

The wait for “Dune” just got a bit longer. Warner Bros. has delayed the sci-fi epic by three weeks, putting it at Oct. 22. It was previously set for Oct. 1. The delay was part of a larger release date shuffle by Warner Bros. on Friday. “The Many Saints of Newark” was pushed back one

“The Avengers,” “Alien Resurrection” and “The Fifth Element” are just a few of the high-profile films that illustrator Sylvain Despretz has worked on; he’s also collaborated with masters of filmmaking including Ridley Scott, Stanley Kubrick and David Fincher. Now Despretz is sharing his art in the book “Los ángeles,” published in May by Caurette. It

Participant and French sales agent MK2 Films have teamed up to jointly represent worldwide rights to Rahul Jain’s documentary feature “Invisible Demons.” The feature film will have its world premiere at Cannes in the cinema for the climate special section. In “Invisible Demons,” Jain explores the dramatic consequences of India’s growing economy and what it

The Cannes Film Festival will close its 74th edition with “OSS 117: From Africa With Love,” the third opus of the spy spoof franchise headlined by Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”). The movie is directed by Nicolas Bedos, the popular French director whose last film, “La Belle Epoque,” world premiered out of competition at

Sir Edmund Hillary’s family will ascent the mountain that made their grandfather a household name in a new documentary being launched in Cannes. Directed by Ben Webster, one of the world’s top expedition leaders, “Everest: Legacy” is currently in pre-production and will be shopped to buyers by New York-headquartered documentary sales firm Cargo Film &

While Mary J. Blige’s groundbreaking debut 1992 album “What’s the 411?” put the singer on the map and defined hip-hop soul, many fans feel her second, “My Life,” is the one that defined her. The album, released when she was just 23 years old, allowed listeners into a confessional box of songs that looked at

As if the Frozen North hadn’t already given him enough grief in “The Grey” and “Cold Pursuit,” Liam Neeson is back for more chilly punishment with “The Ice Road.” Jonathan Hensleigh’s first feature as writer-director since “Kill the Irishman” a decade ago has the star as one of three drivers making a dangerous journey to

Jamie Lee Curtis is picking up the torch to play Laurie Strode once again, and she’s forming a mob to take down Michael Myers once and for all. Universal Pictures has released the first trailer for “Halloween Kills,” which serves as the direct sequel to David Gordon Green’s “Halloween” and the 12th installment in the

Judd Ehrlich’s “The Price of Freedom” is an absorbing, disturbing, and scrupulously well-researched documentary that lays out the nuts and bolts of the National Rifle Association’s history (you could read 100 news stories about it and have no idea how the NRA evolved to what it became, a story that this movie nails). In the

“Parasite” star Song Kang-ho, who will be part of the main competition jury at Cannes Film Festival this year, will do double duty as the representative of Emergency Declaration, the Korean action drama film which plays out of competition. Song is joined in the cast of the film by two of Korea’s best actors Lee

“People see the same thing from different perspectives. And that fascinates me,” Harvey Keitel notes in an early scene while playing the title role in “Lansky,” writer-director Eytan Rockaway’s ambitious but uneven biopic about the notorious mobster Meyer Lansky. It’s tempting to read this snippet of dialogue as Rockaway’s way of acknowledging, right from the

Beijing- and Amsterdam-based sales agency Fortissimo Films has added to its Cannes slate feature-length Chinese documentary “Keep Running.” It will be first pitched to distributors during the Cannes Market. The picture tracks a team of teenagers form underprivileged backgrounds who live in Gen He, the coldest part of China, and run every day despite the

Veteran talent agent Joey Stanton is exiting ICM Partners to become a manager and producer, sources told Variety. Known as a shepherd to top young Hollywood talent, insiders familiar with his plans said the exit is amicable and he’ll stay on in the coming weeks to help his department with the transition. While it’s unclear

It is well-documented that the “Fast and Furious” franchise is all about family — and that family begins with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel). For the last 20 years, audiences have followed Dom’s story, with his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and now his son Brian, who is named for his brother-in-law —

Though last year’s COVID-19 uncertainties forced the Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival to postpone its 20th edition until 2021, organizers didn’t fully pull the plug. Unable to plan a physical manifestation, they launched a “Off Edition” last year, hosting 20 titles on the Swiss VOD platform Cinefile and producing a one-hour program called NIFFF TV

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s Netflix dark comedy “Strangers” has found the remainder of its cast and the already star-studded ensemble, which features Camila Mendes, Maya Hawke, Rish Shah and Sophie Turner, just got more high-wattage with a host of rising stars signing onto the movie. The newly announced cast includes Austin Abrams (“Dash & Lily,” “Chemical

Since she first captured kids’ hearts in the late 1980s, Polly Pocket has inspired playsets, dolls, web series and television shows. She’s roller-skated, snowboarded, shopped, sang, and exhibited a captivating can-do attitude. Now, Ms. Pocket will be the subject of a feature film that will be written and directed by Lena Dunham, the creator of

In another sign that New York’s cultural life is coming back after a long COVID-era hiatus, “A Commercial Jingle for Regina Comet” will premiere in September. The show will be the first new musical to debut Off-Broadway since the pandemic shutdown went into effect in March 2020. The show is the brainchild of Alex Wyse,

“The Blacklist” creator Jon Bokenkamp announced on Thursday that he is exiting the NBC drama, which just wrapped its eighth season on Wednesday night. “Dear Blacklisters: I wanted to write you directly to let you know that I’ve made the difficult decision to leave ‘The Blacklist.’ I love this show with all of my heart,

Samuel L. Jackson, Elaine May and Liv Ullmann will receive honorary Oscars this year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday. Danny Glover will also receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The four Oscar statuettes will be presented at the Governors Awards ceremony on Jan. 15, 2022. “We are thrilled to present this