Movies

There’s a pivotal scene in Phyllida Lloyd’s keenly observed domestic abuse drama “Herself” in which Sandra, a battered single mother of two little girls, is pitted opposite a judge in a Dublin courtroom. Sandra — played by Irish actor Clare Dunne, who also co-wrote the film — has only recently managed to escape Gary, her

Original “Da 5 Bloods”(Netflix)Written by: Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo, Kevin Willmott, Spike LeeLee and Willmott won theOscar for adapted screenplay for 2018’s “BlacKkKlansman” and their examination of PTSD and the aftermath of the fallen from Vietnam in “Da 5 Bloods,” encompassing the final performance of Chadwick Boseman, was deeply felt. Netflix is positioning the

Sacha Baron Cohen comedy “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” landed a spot on Nielsen’s weekly top 10 list ranking of streaming titles — a rare feat for a movie, but not the biggest turnout of late for a feature film on the chart. According to Nielsen, “Borat 2” registered an estimated 570 million minutes viewed in the

When Riz Ahmed is asked to name actors who’ve inspired him, he names two performers who died this year: Chadwick Boseman and Irrfan Khan. Ahmed recently spoke to Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast about his upcoming film, “The Sound of Metal” — listen below! Ahmed says of Boseman, who passed away in August: “He’s someone who

The Cineworld Group, the second largest cinema chain in the world, which also operates the Regal cinemas in the U.S., is exploring an insolvency process in the U.K. that will cut costs, but could shutter some British sites permanently. Known as a “company voluntary arrangement” (CVA), Cineworld is currently discussing the process with lenders, according

Swiss sales company Lightdox has acquired international rights to Lars Edman and William Johansson Kalén’s legal documentary “Arica” ahead of its IDFA world premiere in the Frontlight section. Andreas Rocksen at Laika Film & Television AB and William Johansson Kalén produced the legal documentary, with Clin d’Oeil films, Relation04 Media AS, Radio Film Ltd. and

Cate Blanchett-produced “Stateless” and Shannon Murphy’s feature directing debut “Babyteeth” dominated the nominations for the Australian Film Institute-Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts’ AACTA Awards. Refugee drama series “Stateless” earned 18 nomination in the TV category, including best telefilm or miniseries, an acting nomination for Jai Courtney, and multiple screenplay and directing nominations. It

Every film festival has felt the cold hand of the pandemic on its shoulder this year, but IDFA’s head of new media, Caspar Sonnen, may have felt it more keenly. While others might have felt that taking their event either partly or fully online was in some way a step forward, for Sonnen it was

Following Warner Bros.’ announcement that “Wonder Woman 1984” will release both on HBO Max and in theaters Christmas Day, AMC Entertainment CEO and President Adam Aron has stated that the movie theater chain is “fully onboard” with the release plan. “For many months, AMC has been in active and deep dialogue with Warner Brothers to

In a continuing effort by Sony Music Group to fund social justice initiatives, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Bleeding Fingers Music have established a Screen Scoring Diversity Scholarship for Black composition students within the Screen Scoring Master’s Program at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. The scholarship aims to encourage inclusivity and expand opportunities

Audiences will get to see “Wonder Woman” on Christmas Day after all. After much speculation, Warner Bros. announced that the superhero sequel will debut on the streaming service HBO Max on Dec. 25, the same day it will open in U.S. movie theaters. Internationally, where HBO Max is not available, “Wonder Woman 1984” will premiere

Taiwanese audiences have lapped up Japanese anime film “Demon Slayer – The Movie: Mugen Train” in unprecedented numbers. The film was already a mega-hit in Japan, where it has been watched by 17.5 million spectators, for a 31-day earnings total of $214 million (JPY23.3 billion) on Sunday. That makes it the fifth highest scoring film

Jennifer Jao is at the heart of many film-making conversations, both among locals and those concerning international productions. As vice chair and director of the Taipei Film Commission, Jao’s job makes her an eternal optimist. Inbound shoots have slowed due to the coronavirus travel restrictions, but the island stayed open for business and it remains

Colin Hanks, Diane Guerrero and hip-hop star Nelly have joined the cast of the Buddy Holly biopic “Clear Lake,” directed by Bruce Beresford. “Clear Lake” tells the story of how Holly and other famous musicians of the late 1950s gave birth to rock ‘n’ roll while changing the trajectory of civil rights in America. The

Playing in the IDFA 2020 – International Competition, “The Grocer’s Son, the Mayor, the Village and the World” is a feature-length version of Claire Simon’s documentary series “The Village,” which broadcast in 20 parts on Ciné Plus and 10 parts on TV5 Monde last year. It’s a story that taps into the great cinematic revolution

Awkwafina is joining Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris in the drama film “Swan Song” for Apple Plus. “Swan Song” is described as a genre-bending drama set in the near future that explores how far someone will go, and how much they’ll sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people they love. Awkwafina will play

For her second feature documentary, after the highly personal “Cloudy Times” (2014), Paraguayan director Arami Ullón looked to her homeland’s vast and largely unpopulated Chaco region for inspiration. What she found there surprised her: she encountered a race of people known as the Arayeo, who had been taken from their native idyll and left in

Netflix has set an awards season launch of Feb. 5 for Sam Levinson’s drama “Malcolm & Marie,” starring John David Washington and Zendaya. Netflix is also planning an Academy Awards campaign for the black-and-white film, which it bought for $30 million during the TorontoInternational Film Festival in September following a screening. “Malcolm & Marie” stars

In her new documentary “Radiograph of a Family,” which has its world premiere at IDFA, Iran’s Firouzeh Khosrovani turns to her own family for answers about the country’s divided society. Calling her fifth film “a project of a lifetime,” the director starts by recalling how her mother literally married a photograph of her father in

Alex Winter was hit hard twice by the global pandemic lockdown this year, first as a director, and next as an actor. The first occasion was the premiere of his new documentary “Zappa” at SXSW in March. “We had our plane tickets, the press had seen the movie and the reviews were looking favorable, so

Aaron Sorkin, Steve McQueen, Sofia Coppola, Ramy Youssef and Radha Blank will be honored at the 16th annual Final Draft Awards, to be presented in a virtual ceremony on March 2, 2021. Sorkin will receive the Final Draft zeitgeist award, honoring a writer whose work speaks powerfully to the culture and what’s going on in

I’ve been an entertainment journalist for more than three decades, and I truly cannot recall a time when one media company went through as much extreme management upheaval over such a short, concentrated period of time as WarnerMedia. Since this past August, three months after former Hulu chief Jason Kilar took the reins as CEO,

The first trailer for Regina King’s directorial debut and Oscar hopeful, “One Night in Miami,” has released its first trailer. Taking place in Miami, Fla., on Feb. 25, 1964, the film is a fictional account of an evening with iconic Black figures Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom, Jr.)

It’s almost time to scream again. Production has wrapped on the “Scream” reboot, which is officially, and appropriately, titled “Scream.” On Wednesday, “Scream” writer Kevin Williamson revealed the title of the horror franchise’s fifth film and announced that production has officially wrapped in North Carolina. “Nearly 25 years ago, when I wrote ‘Scream’ and Wes

Film financer-producer New Slate Ventures, which backed “The 40-Year-Old Version,” has raised $100 million for films, documentaries, and television programs. The fund raise was announced Wednesday by Los Angeles-based private equity company Sinai Capital Partners, which also said its tech-focused venture capital firm Sinai Ventures has closed a $500 million fund. Led by partners Jordan Fudge, Jeremy

Not so long ago, there were three or four new Christmas movies a year. Now it seems like there are 30 or 40, and if you’re wondering how that assembly line of holiday product gets filled, the answer is: by recycling endless variations on the same yuletide fairy-tale kitsch and we’re-all-one-big-nettlesome-Christmas-family glorified-sitcom cheer. Take “The

Local film project “SARSTorm” dominated the 2020 edition of the Golden Horse Film Project Promotion, winning three prizes including the NT$1 million Grand Prize. Lee Sinje, a previous winner of the best actress prize at the Golden Horse Awards, picked up two further prizes with her executive producing debut, “ABang ADik,” featuring producer-turned-director Jin Ong.

David Fincher isn’t giving up on “Mindhunter” just yet. However, the director admits that the Netflix series about the FBI’s initial attempts to profile serial killers may not have much of a future given its price tag. “I don’t know if it makes sense to continue,” Fincher told Variety during an interview for a cover

Over the course of the global pandemic, Universal Pictures was the first studio to bypass theaters and release select films via streaming, strike the only deals with major exhibitors to shorten the theatrical window, and introduce a new hybrid window that straddles theaters and homes. That’s why 2020 will be remembered as a year full

Few figures in the Spanish film industry dress as formerly, or as well, as Malaga Intl. Film Festival director Juan Antonio Vigar. But then he takes his job very seriously indeed. While many other Spanish festival directors have more or less maintained the formats of their events, Vigar has innovated constantly since taking over in