A portion of Chinese cinemas have been ordered to program an intermission for films that exceed two hours as a coronavirus prevention measure, Chinese reports said Friday. The requirement will affect a number of upcoming Hollywood films that run over 120 minutes, including a re-run of Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” set to hit screens on Sunday,
Movies
In the late 1970s, when Hollywood was in the middle of its most seismic transformation since the collapse of the studio system (namely, the creation of blockbuster fundamentalism), there was a much-talked-about trend that seemed to fit all too snugly into the new world order. That was the arrival of hotshot British movie directors who
Actors and directors took to social media to pay tribute to British director Alan Parker, who died Friday. The filmmaker behind “Evita, “The Commitments” and “Bugsy Malone” was 76. Parker’s first feature film was 1976’s “Bugsy Malone.” He directed over 25 films, and his last film was “The Life of David Gale” starring Kevin Spacey
“The Fight” may have been released on Friday, but producer Kerry Washington understands if people are watching Beyoncé’s “Black Is King” first. “I know what I’ll be watching Friday. I’ll be firmly in the beehive, but [‘The Fight’ is] there,” Washington said Thursday during a taping of an upcoming episode of the Variety and iHeart
South Korea managed the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic unusually well, which is basically the opposite of how Yeon Sang-ho’s 2016 “Train to Busan” predicted the country might react to such a disaster. In a genre of mostly forgettable flesh-eating thrillers, Yeon’s cult zombie hit stood out as one of the more entertaining, coupling
The Independent Filmmaker Project’s Gotham Awards ceremonies have been shifted back almost two months, from Nov. 20 to Jan. 11, 2021. The move, announced Friday, is the latest in a wholesale revamp of the awards season calendar in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in June
In what’s shaping up to be the strangest weekend yet since the coronavirus outbreak forced American theaters to close, the biggest release is Beyoncé’s visual album, “Black Is King,” a visionary feature-length companion to her 2019 album, in the tradition of “Lemonade.” A number of studio movies — including Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” — had tentatively
Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull will give a keynote address at the 2020 VIEW Conference in October and Tomm Moore, co-director of the upcoming Apple TV Plus animated feature “Wolfwalkers,” will also be speaking at the event, which will be a mix of virtual and in-person talks and masterclasses this year, due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.
The “Mission: Impossible” movies promise two things: Tom Cruise risking his life to entertain audiences and a plethora of mask hijinks. The films, based on the 1966 television series of the same name, follow the adventures of Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and his team of spies traveling the globe. Members of the Impossible Mission Force, A.K.A.
Ryan Reynolds took to Twitter to announce a new initiative supporting aspiring filmmakers from unrepresented communities. In a two-minute video, the actor acknowledged that despite its collaborative work, the film industry continues to leave out certain voices. “Making a movie, well it’s a group effort,” he said. “But for entirely too long, that group has
Jeff Logan, owner of Logan Luxury Theatres, has been struggling to make ends meet for most of 2020. After being closed for months due to coronavirus, he recently reopened the three movie theaters he runs in South Dakota, screening classics like Indiana Jones and Star Wars. But ticket sales are slow and Logan’s cinemas are
If you’ve watched Beyoncé’s “Black Is King” — now streaming on Disney Plus — then you’ve seen Folajomi “FJ” Akinmurele in action. Starring as a young Simba who is driven out of his home by Scar and must go on a journey of self-discovery, the star potential of the 7-year-old actor is already clear. Here’s
Courteney Cox will reprise her role as news reporter Gale Weathers in the upcoming “Scream” reboot. Spyglass Media Group and Paramount made the announcement Friday and said filming is expected to begin later this year in Wilmington, N.C. “Ready or Not” directors Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are helming the reboot from a script by
Jessica Swale’s World War II-era “Summerland,” debuting on demand via IFC on July 31, turns the English coastal countryside into a character in the tale of a reclusive writer played by Gemma Arterton — and the house in which much of the action takes place serves as a portal to those surroundings. Making her
Music is at the heart of director Sergio Navarretta’s “The Cuban,” set for a limited theatrical release July 31. In the movie, pre-med student Mina, played by Ana Golja (“Degrassi”), is tasked with caring for Luis, portrayed by Louis Gossett Jr., who is struggling with Alzheimer’s and has retreated into himself. As she feeds him,
Variety has promoted Angelique Jackson to film and media reporter. In her new role, Jackson will cover the major Hollywood studios and streaming services, as well as the indie film scene. She will also contribute in-depth interviews and profiles of the industry’s top decision-makers and creative talent for print, online, and video. Jackson joined the
Alan Parker, the British director whose exceptionally wide-ranging oeuvre ranged from “Bugsy Malone” to “Evita,” from “Midnight Express” to “The Road to Wellville,” has died. He was 76. The British Film Institute confirmed Parker’s death on Friday, noting he died after a long illness. Parker was twice Oscar-nominated for best director, for 1978’s “Midnight Express”
Accurate multicultural representation in Hollywood starts crucially with hiring communities of color to make and star in films, “Suicide Squad” and “Bright” director David Ayer said Thursday at the ArcLight drive-in premiere of his new Los Angeles-based crime drama, “The Tax Collector.” “Hire them. Hire them for jobs,” Ayer said when asked about increasing Latino
Venice Golden Lion contender “Miss Marx,” starring Romola Garai as the spirited daughter of philosopher Karl Marx, has secured its first tranche of international deals ahead of the September fest. (Watch the film’s exclusive trailer above.) Written and directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli (“Nico, 1988,” “Cosmonaut”), with Celluloid Dreams serving as international sales agent, the film
Action star Jean-Claude Van Damme is currently shooting action-comedy “The Last Mercenary” in France for Netflix, being directed by David Charhon (“On the Other Side of the Tracks”). In the French-language film, written by Charhon and Ismael Sy Savane (“Lascars”), Van Damme plays a mysterious former secret service agent who must urgently return to France
Back when Chinese developers were building cinemas at the rate of 10,000 screens per year, a favorite guessing game of distribution executives was trying to determine when China’s theatrical box office would overtake that of North America. That scenario hasn’t happened yet. Last year, China’s box office growth slowed to a pedestrian 5% and reached
The Riga International Film Festival in Latvia is set to host Magnetic Series, a Nordic industry platform dedicated to drama series and streamers for the Nordic region, Russia, Germany and Greenland. Magnetic Series, which will be running Oct 16 only, will have a hybrid format allowing Baltic and Nordic producers to pitch their episodic content
Venice main competition contender “Dear Comrades,” the latest feature from legendary Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky, has been snapped up for world sales by Berlin-based Films Boutique, in what looks like one of the biggest sales agents deals on a title vying for the Golden Lion at 2020’s 77th Venice Intl. Film Festival. Packing a brief
Laurent Danielou’s Paris-based sales agent Loco Films has swooped on “Last Days of Spring” (“La Ultima Primavera”), a Spain-set first feature from Isabel Lamberti that will world premiere this September at San Sebastian Festival’s New Directors competition, the Festival confirmed Thursday. The Spanish festival’s main sidebar, New Directors highlights first and second features from helmers
Rare is the movie about writer’s block that doesn’t end with the frustrated author scrapping his dead-end drafts in order to “write what you know” — i.e., the film we’ve just sat through. More uncommon still is the dog movie that doesn’t rely on its canine lead to warm hearts, jerk tears or teach its
It’s no surprise that politics took center stage at this year’s GLAAD Media Awards. While Rachel Maddow accepted her award for outstanding TV journalism segment for her interview with Pete Buttigeig on “The Rachel Maddow Show,“ she said, “We are at a point where an openly gay TV host can accept an award for an
Over a staggered series of pandemic-delayed release dates, “Unhinged” has been consistently hyped as the film that will bring the dormant theatrical scene back to life — the one that, as other major releases have either postponed themselves into the distant whenever or bit the bullet and premiered online, has stuck to its guns as
Products featured are independently selected by our editorial team and we may earn a commission from purchases made from our links; the retailer may also receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. If you’re hoping to watch Beyoncé’s “Black Is King” visual album online, there’s only one place to do it. The new film premieres
Kerry Washington will be joined by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union for a virtual discussion following the release of “The Fight,” a timely documentary focusing on ACLU lawyers as they battle for abortion, immigrant, LGBTQ and voting rights. “The Fight,” produced by Washington, is being released through virtual cinemas and in select movie
Arriving more than a decade too late in both its inspirational and foundational appeal, “The Secret: Dare to Dream,” a fictionalized adaptation of author Rhonda Byrne’s popular self-help book “The Secret,” traipses through familiar territory without enhancing anyone’s insight. This story, about a financially and emotionally taxed family learning to find light in the darkness