A recent Chinese state media report has added to rumors that two major Marvel superhero films, “The Eternals” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” may not be approved for release in China. In a report on the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four films, the CCTV6 China Movie Channel aired a list of
Movies
Giorgio Diritti’s biopic “Hidden Away,” about crazed primitivist painter Antonio Ligabue, was the big winner at Italy’s 66th David di Donatello Awards, the country’s top film prizes. The Davids were held with an in-person ceremony aired from two venues amid a strong spirit of restart as Italian movie theaters gradually begin to reopen. “Hidden Away,”
Regina King has been tapped to direct “Bitter Root,” a film adaptation of the Harlem Renaissance-set comic book series. Along with directing, King will produce the movie for Legendary Pictures. Additional producers include “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian of Proximity Media. The comic book creators, David F. Walker, Sanford Green
Actor, producer and director Norman Lloyd, best known for his title role in Hitchcock’s “Saboteur” and as Dr. Daniel Auschlander on NBC’s “St. Elsewhere” and famously associated with Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater, died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 106. His friend, producer Dean Hargrove, confirmed his death and said “His third
Add Neon to the growing list of companies boycotting the Golden Globes. The indie studio behind “Parasite” and “I, Tonya” minced no words about what it sees as The Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s failures to enact meaningful reforms in the wake of a Los Angeles Times report that revealed that the group had no Black
Amazon has teamed with the Producers Guild of America to host a virtual conference to examine the state of AAPI representation in media and entertainment. The May 20 event, which will be open to the public free of charge, will feature panels, interviews and a musical performances to showcase the array of Asian and Pacific
MTV has announced that Scarlett Johansson will be honored with the Generation Award during the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards. The Generation Award celebrates “beloved actors whose diverse contributions to both film and television have turned them into household names,” according to MTV. Past recipients include Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Pratt, Will Smith,
Strand Releasing has acquired North American rights to Christopher Makoto Yogi’s “I Was a Simple Man,” which stars Constance Wu and had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance film festival. A lyrical ghost story set in the lush Hawaiian countryside, the film follows Masao (Steve Iwamoto) whose life is slowly fading away because of
Some films are appreciated from the start — the big blockbusters find their audiences or the acclaimed indies find the critical raves right out of the gate. Then there are films that are ahead of their time, that find a bigger audience as they age, where the appreciation might come a little later thanks to
Film Movement has acquired North American rights to “Wildland,” Jeanette Nordahl’s debut feature starring Sidse Babett Knudsen (“Borgen”) as a mafia ringleader. The gripping crime drama, which was part of the Berlinale 2020 selection, will next premiere at New York City’s Film Forum, followed by a wide theatrical release and roll out on all digital
If you go to see just one movie this year, Zack Snyder’s “Army of the Dead” might be the ticket — not because it’s the best movie you’ll see in 2021 (or maybe even this week), but because it’s a stylishly grandiose, muscular but conventional popcorn pageant that’s got something for just about everyone. It’s
A24 has released the first trailer for “The Green Knight,” a medieval fantasy with giants, talking foxes and a brave knight played by Dev Patel. Directed by David Lowery (“A Ghost Story,” “Pete’s Dragon”), the upcoming fantasy film will tell the story of Sir Gawain (Patel), King Arthur’s headstrong nephew and Knight of the Round
Sony Pictures Classics Updates Release Information for Summer Slate Sony Pictures Classics has updated its summer release plans for “I Carry You With Me,” “12 Mighty Orphans” and “The Lost Leonardo.” All three films are set to screen at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival both in person and virtually. The world premiere of the art
Phil Lord and Chris Miller are set to direct the film adaptation of “The Premonition: A Pandemic Story.” Universal Pictures has optioned screen rights to the new book by New York Times bestselling author and journalist Michael Lewis, about the early days of COVID-19 and those U.S. heroes who tried to warn against the dangers
Time’s Up and the coalition of publicity firms that has put pressure on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association to change its ways have applauded NBC’s decision to scrap the 2022 Golden Globe Awards telecast out of concern about the lack of diversity among its members. The publicist’ group issued a letter in March that vowed
The filmmakers behind Sony Pictures Animation’s “The Mitchells vs. the Machines will participate in a free, virtual PreVIEW talk on Friday, May 14, beginning at 10 a.m. PT., presented by the VIEW Conference. The 90-minute discussion, moderated by Variety’s Steven Gaydos, will feature writer-director Michael Rianda, co-director and writer Jeff Rowe, production designer Lindsey Olivares,
For people in the business of reviewing films, movie theaters aren’t just a sacred place to watch the latest indie flick or big-budget blockbuster. Cinemas are a second home of sorts, or at least an office away from the office. In pre-pandemic times, Justin Chang, a film critic for the Los Angeles Times and NPR’s
Dave Bautista has been cast in the sequel to “Knives Out.” He joins Daniel Craig, whose iridescent Detective Benoit Blanc propelled the first movie to box office glory, in an undisclosed role. Plot details for the follow-up have been kept under wraps, though it’s expected to enlist another A-list cast to anchor a soapy murder
The Sundance Institute has named the summer fellows for the Directors, Screenwriters and Native Labs. The Labs give writers and directors a space to develop their craft and selected projects with input from a roster of industry mentors and advisers. Some parts of this year’s labs, normally held in person in Utah, will take place
The dominoes continue to fall for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. In protest of the ongoing controversy surrounding the lack of diversity within the HFPA’s membership, Tom Cruise has returned the three Golden Globe trophies he earned for “Born on the Fourth of July” (best actor, drama), “Jerry Maguire” (best actor, comedy or musical), and
“How It Ends,” a serene apocalyptic comedy from partners Zoe Lister-Jones and Daryl Wein, has been acquired by MGM’s American International Pictures label. The film was an official selection at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, written, directed and produced by Lister-Jones and Wein. American International Pictures will release the project in theaters and on digital
Abramorama has acquired global distribution rights to “City of Ali,” a documentary that examines how the death of Muhammad Ali brought the people of his Kentucky hometown together for one memorable week. The film is directed by Graham Shelby and produced by Jonathan McHugh (“Long Live Rock…Celebrate the Chaos”). It features interviews from Asaad Ali,
MAC Cosmetics has revealed its limited-edition Disney Cruella Collection of makeup, hitting stores Thursday ahead of the film’s May 28 release. The collection is a range of punk-rock reds and haute metallic hues, drawing inspiration from the film that stars Emma Stone as Cruella in the Disney villain origin story set in ’70s London at
Where have you gone, Rudy Giuliani? A new documentary from MRC Non-Fiction and Rolling Stone poses precisely that question, delving into the former New York City mayor’s move from being a beloved 9/11 leader to consigliere and conspiracy-theorist-in-chief to one Donald J. Trump. The film will be based on Seth Hettena’s 2020 article for Rolling
No one is more devoted to Australian author Henry Lawson’s “The Drover’s Wife” than Leah Purcell. First, she adapted Lawson’s classic 1892 short story as an award-winning play at Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre, in which she starred; then she turned it into an acclaimed novel; and now, she has written and directed a gripping film
The trailer for the long-awaited “Venom” sequel is finally here — and so is the new villain Carnage. Viewers get a sneak peek at the red symbiote character from the comics, who was briefly introduced at the end of the first “Venom” film, released in 2018. In the trailer, Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), a crazed
Morena Films, one of Spain’s biggest movie production forces, has closed Spanish distribution on “On the Fringe,” starring Penelope Cruz and Luis Tosar (“The Minions of Midas”). The feature debut of actor-turned-director Juan Diego Botto (“White Lines,” “Good Behavior”), “On the Fringe” (“En las margenes”) will be released in Spain by Vértice Cine. Scheduled to
The International Documentary Association (IDA) and XRM Media have launched a new international fund to support short verité documentaries with an emphasis on emerging filmmakers. The IDA+XRM Media Incubator will provide three filmmakers with $25,000 each. In addition, Academy Award-nominated directors Skye Fitzgerald (“Hunger Ward”) and Smriti Mundhra (“St. Louis Superman”), and Emmy-nominated director Nadia
Mediamorfosis, Latin America’s largest new media forum, is returning this summer after the COVID-19 pandemic saw its cancellation last year. As the global health crisis continues to rage across the region, the forum will take place online over July 27-31 this year. The virtual conference has launched its open call, which will run from May
The casts of “Fargo,” “Raging Bull,” “The Five Heartbeats,” and “The Royal Tenenbaums” will reunite at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. In addition, the festival, which is returning to in-person events after COVID scrambled plans for the 2020 edition, will host talks with the likes of Bradley Cooper, Amy Schumer, Gina Prince-Bythewood, M. Night Shyamalan,