Movies

Theatrical box office in Hong Kong was down by only 4% over the four-day Easter holidays, compared with the same period in 2019, the last pre-COVID year. The score was achieved despite mandatory seating restrictions still in place. Data published Wednesday by Hong Kong Box Office Limited, showed gross revenues of HK$28.4 million ($3.64 million)

Italy has officially abolished film censorship by scrapping legislation that since 1913 has allowed the government to censor scenes and ban movies such as, most famously, Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Salò or the 120 Days of Sodom” and Bernardo Bertolucci’s “Last Tango in Paris.” The move — which is symbolically important, though censorship is de-facto no

The Indian federal government has passed an order that scraps the Information and Broadcasting ministry’s Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), the first avenue of appeal if a filmmaker disagrees with a certification decision. Instead, filmmakers will have to go to court. The FCAT was set up in 1952 under the Indian Cinematograph Act. It was

Actor and movie investor Zachary Horwitz, who is sometimes credited as Zach Avery, was arrested Tuesday on charges that he ran a Ponzi scheme that swindled investors out of $227 million. Horwitz, 34, was taken into custody by special agents with the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported. Horwitz claimed investors’ money would be used

Participant’s Laura Kim has been promoted to executive vice president of marketing. The seven-year-veteran of the company had previously served as a senior vice president in film marketing. She will continue to report to the company’s worldwide marketing president Christina Kounelias. “Laura has become a good friend and trusted colleague for the past five years

Snoop Dogg, Jennifer Hudson and Will.i.am joined the cast of Exodus Film Group’s animated feature “Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk.” Directed by John D. Eraklis, the New York City-set animated comedy follows Pierre (Will.i.am) who was born out of forbidden love between a hawk (Whoopi Goldberg) and a pigeon (Howie Mandel). Rejected by both communities, he sets

Leading Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming will take a production role on selected film titles emerging from Stars Collective, the talent incubator program backed by China- and Los Angeles-based financier Starlight Media. Huang, who has credits including “The Message” and “American Dreams in China,” will lead Stars Collective’s talent discovery efforts in China, be a mentor

Pippa Ehrlich, director, co-writer and editor of the Oscar-nominated documentary “My Octopus Teacher,” has signed with UTA for representation in all areas. “My Octopus Teacher” follows producer-narrator Craig Foster as he free-dives in a cold underwater kelp forest in South Africa and develops a relationship with a wild common octopus and documents a year in

Tues. April 6 L.A. County Public Health Issues Updates Guidelines for Filming As Los Angeles County continues to see COVID-19 case rates, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to decline and the county enters the Orange Tier of the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy framework, new protocols have been issued to lift some local activity-specific restrictions.

Bella Thorne isn’t one to lie. In fact, the former Disney child star (she appeared alongside Zendaya on “Shake It Up”) lives her life in the open. From sex-infused music videos to her tell-all memoir, “The Life of a Wannabe Mogul: Mental Disarray,” the 23-year-old calls honesty “the strongest form of currency.” She recently dropped

Garrett Bradley’s Academy Award-nominated documentary “Time” was meant to be a short film. Then, on the last day of filming, Fox Rich (who is at the center of the movie) gave her an archive of 100 hours of home videos. “When you’re making documentaries, for me, [it] has been a real meditation and honoring of

Movies about American teenage life tend to be jumpy and exuberant, as if they were unfolding in a hive. In the usual high-school comedy, even the most out-of-the-loop dweebs are right there in the jammed hallways, getting tweaked by the mean girls (or mean boys) and hanging out with their fellow quick-witted losers. There are

“Ghostbusters,” “Jumanji” and “Bad Boys” are a few of the popular movies that will inspire rides and attractions at a newly announced theme and waterpark from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Amazon Falls. Located in Thailand’s seaside town of Bangsaray, the upcoming tourist spot has been titled Columbia Pictures’ Aquaverse. It’s expected to open this October,

Writer-director Doug Roland is Oscar-nominated for his live-action short “Feeling Through,” which features a deafblind character — played by a deafblind actor, a first for moviemaking. The 18-minute film depicts homeless youth Tereek (Steven Prescod) encountering deafblind Artie (Robert Tarango), who holds a sign saying he needs help getting to a bus stop. In a

Catalin Tolontan wasn’t ready for his close-up. The Romanian sports journalist whose investigative work provides the spine of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Collective,” initially turned down director Alexander Nanau’s offer to capture him at work as he sought to expose widespread fraud and corruption. The story he was chasing, one that involved a staggering level of

IFC Films has released the official trailer for Gia Coppola’s stylized drama “Mainstream,” which opens in select theaters and on demand May 7. Andrew Garfield and “Stranger Things” star Maya Hawke play two rising internet personalities, Link and Frankie, in the satire on social media stardom. While being a YouTube star has its perks, their lives

Wavelength, the award-winning company behind films like “Feels Good Man” and “Farewell Amor,” has named executive Lee Beckett as vice president and head of production for its film division. Lee will work closely with Wavelength founder and CEO Jenifer Westphal and president Joe Plummer to further the label’s mission to “tell great f—ing stories.” In

Searchlight Pictures is teaming up with Sam Mendes for his next project “Empire of Light,” which is aiming for a fall 2022 release. The “1917” director has found his leading lady in Oscar winner Olivia Colman. The project is described as a love story set in and around a beautiful old cinema on the South

Julia Roberts and George Clooney’s romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise” is coming to movie theaters next year. The Universal Pictures film, which reunites the “Ocean’s Eleven” co-stars and longtime friends, will debut on Sept. 30, 2022. Directed by Ol Parker (“Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again,” “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”), the story centers on Clooney

Oscar nominees and their guests will qualify as essential workers to attend the upcoming Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in a letter on Tuesday. “Those involved in the Oscars production, like nominees and their guest, qualify for the essential work purpose waiver, and therefore are permitted to travel to

Naomi Watts is set to star in and executive produce the English-language remake of the hit Austrian psychological thriller “Goodnight Mommy,” set up at Amazon Studios. The streamer will mount the remake with indie prestige label Animal Kingdom and production company Playtime. Released in 2014, the original film became a cult classic and was selected

“Big Little Lies” director Jean-Marc Vallée and producing partner Nathan Ross have set a first-look deal with HBO Max and HBO, where the pair are shepherding the limited series “The Gorilla and the Bird.” The three-year pact calls for Vallée and Ross to executive produce “Gorilla” through their Crazyrose banner. Vallée will direct the drama

Filmmaker Isabel Sandoval has been named as the first recipient of GALECA’s (The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics) Trailblazer award. The writer-director-star of the acclaimed transgender-themed film “Lingua Franca” was chosen by the group’s board and propelled by a groundswell of support within the general membership. The special accolade was created to honor entertainment figures

Abramorama has acquired worldwide theatrical and digital distribution rights to “Upheaval,” a documentary about former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The indie studio plans to premiere the film in early June 2021. Directed by Jonathan Gruber (“Follow Me”), the film follows Begin, a proud yet scarred leader haunted by the Holocaust and decades of war,

In today’s Global Bulletin, Ang Lee will be honored with this year’s BAFTA Fellowship; Locarno Pro opens the call for its Alliance 4 Development project platform; and Dandelooo’s “The Upside Down River” gets a PR boost as its creator wins the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. AWARDS The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)

Shout! Studios has acquired North American rights to the platonic love story “Language Lessons” from Duplass Brothers Productions, following a competitive bidding situation. The news comes on the heels of the movie’s world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and its Audience Award win at the SXSW Film Festival. “Language Lessons” marks the feature directorial

British actor Paul Ritter, whose credits include HBO/Sky drama “Chernobyl” and Channel 4 comedy “Friday Night Dinner,” has died of a brain tumor. He was 54. “It is with great sadness we can confirm that Paul Ritter passed away last night,” Ritter’s agent said. “He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons

Global streaming service Netflix has acquired multi-territory streaming rights to upcoming Chinese fantasy film “Super Me.” The story is an aspirational tale, combining lucid dreaming and a rags to riches plot about a struggling screenwriter. It was directed by Chong Zhang (“Fourth Wall”) and has a cast that is headed by Taiwan’s Darren Wang, along

Major Japanese film producer and distributor Toei has announced new three entries for its “Kamen Rider 50th Anniversary” project. The biggest is “Shin Kamen Rider,” a sci-fi actioner being scripted and directed by Anno Hideaki, the creator of the “Evangelion” sci-fi/fantasy franchise and the co-director of the 2016 box office smash “Shin Godzilla.” The live-action film is

Veteran distribution and exhibition executive Kurt Rieder has been appointed as head of Asia-Pacific theatrical releasing for Warner Bros. Pictures. Asia is the world’s largest theatrical region, dwarfing North America and including three of the top five theatrical territories. Singapore-based Rieder joins from Disney, where he had been head of studio distribution and marketing in