Major local film titles are beginning to appear on the Korean releasing schedule as COVID-19 retreats and the peak summer season approaches. Since Korean cinemas began reopening earlier this month, cinemas schedules have relied heavily on re-runs, mixed with a handful of foreign, smaller new releases. That is about to change. Since the coronavirus ran
Movies
It’s a truism that satire is the sharpest way of critiquing society’s problems. Make an audience laugh as well as think, and you’ve hit your mark. The trick is knowing how deep to dig while finding that perfect balance of sly humor with unforced, sharp-eyed commentary. Prateek Vats’ unpretentious debut “Eeb Allay Ooo!” largely gets
In today’s film news roundup, Gael García Bernal, Nazanin Boniadi and Jason Isaacs are starring in “People of the Book”; “Easy Does It” and “1 Interrogation” find distribution; NewFilmmakers Los Angeles goes virtual. CASTINGS “Mozart in the Jungle” star Gael García Bernal, Nazanin Boniadi (“Homeland”) and Jason Isaacs are attached to the historical drama “People of the
The Telluride Film Festival is still on. The 47th edition of the prestigious fest will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 3, a day earlier than the usual first Friday of the month. “We’re contacting you today to let you know we’re hard at work to provide a safe and joyous environment that will include an
Major Chinese production company and distributor Bona Film Group has this week established a new headquarters in the southern Chinese capital of Guangzhou. It has also announced three new major projects — all patriotic blockbusters that will likely align closely with the narratives authorities will be seeking to tell in 2021, a year that marks
The Lighthouse International Film Festival in New Jersey has announced it has become the world’s first film festival to segue into a fully drive-in format in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival will run from June 16 through June 20 at a variety of locations around Long Beach Island. It announced its lineup of 10 features
“Black-ish” star Tracee Ellis Ross has the coveted late-May weekend virtually to herself with “The High Note,” as summer studio releases hold back for a time when it’s safe to return to theaters. Still, if you’re caught up TV and looking for new movies worth seeing, there are enticing offerings on Netflix, Amazon and HBO
Months after Universal successfully relaunched its monster universe with Elisabeth Moss’s “The Invisible Man,” the studio is pushing ahead for “Wolfman” — which is being developed as a starring vehicle for Ryan Gosling — to be the next movie based on its catalog of iconic creatures. Sources tell Variety that executives at Universal have been
The list of candidates for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 2020-2021 Board of Governors has been unveiled to members. Voting begins on June 1 and ends on June 5. Candidates run for three-year terms with a maximum of three terms. Each branch has three seats on the board. Only one of those
“Meat the Future” is a slightly goofy title for a film that takes its subject very, very seriously. The wordplay feels like a token flourish of whimsy in Liz Marshall’s quietly educational documentary about the rise of alternative, environmentally friendly but still animal-based meat, as if to gently beckon carnivorous viewers who might be expecting
Alec Baldwin is producing and starring in the independent Western action movie “Rust” with Joel Souza directing from his own script, based on a story by Souza and Baldwin. Highland Film Group will launch international sales at the upcoming Marché du Film Online, which launches on June 22. CAA Media Finance is handling the domestic rights, and
Netflix has finalized a deal to buy Hollywood’s historic Egyptian Theatre for an undisclosed price, closing a transaction that had been in the works for more than a year. The acquisition represents a major milestone in Netflix’s effort to become part of the Hollywood filmmaking community. Major cinema chains like AMC and Regal had been
Members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television voted to crown Sophie Deraspe’s “Antigone” as best film at the Canadian Screen Awards Thursday, presented virtually by broadcasters CBC and CTV. The film, a contemporary spin on the Greek tragedy, also won awards for lead female actor for Nahéma Ricci, female actor in a supporting
In Mexico, Monterrey has a notorious gang problem, often linked to street violence and drugs in a city where cartels pose a national threat, but 17-year-old Ulises and his friends aren’t part of it. Technically, their little group is also a gang — they call themselves “Los Terkos,” dress alike in baggy clothes and sport
London-based production and sales outfit Film Constellation has boarded the Spanish-language caper action film “Sky High” (“Hasta El Cielo”), directed by Daniel Calparsoro (“To Steal From a Thief”). The anticipated movie is headlined by a strong local cast, including Miguel Herran, the up-and-coming star of “Money Heist,” the Goya-winning actors Luis Tosar (“Cell 211”) and
The coronavirus disrupted both the festival and commercial careers of Hong Kong drama film “Suk Suk.” But as the film’s narrative suggests, a late blooming is still possible. Written and directed by Ray Yeung, the film chronicles the gay romance between two aging men who had lived much of their younger lives hiding their sexuality.
The Australian screen production industry has published “COVID-Safe Guidelines” to help get the industry back to work, making film and TV shows. Each production will need to draw up its own personalized COVID-safe production plan that identifies the specific control measures needed to mitigate the risks that the virus poses to its personnel, given each
Harvey Weinstein, currently serving a 23 year prison term for rape, was hit with a new lawsuit Thursday that claims he raped an additional four women, one of whom was just 17 years old at the time. The four Jane Does allege sexual assaults and rapes that occurred from 1984 to 2013, some after meetings
Popular gastronomy seems to come in two extreme flavors these days. At one end of the chicly underdressed table is the kind of easy-breezy, culturally scattered, make-it-your-own casual dining epitomised by Jamie Oliver and Alison Roman. At the other is food as fussy molecular science: hyper-sculpted, tweezer-assembled and outlandish in flavor and presentation, it has
Diana Kennedy has spent six decades writing about the traditions of Mexican cooking. But despite her James Beard awards and other honors, the British author’s legacy has become more complicated now that Mexican chefs and writers are telling their own stories. The feisty woman who set out to chronicle the country’s regional cooking was influential
In today’s film news roundup, Alicia Silverstone’s “Sister of the Groom,” faith-based “Everyday Miracles” and South Korean drama “House of Hummingbiord” get distribution and the Indian horror movie “Lapachhapi” gets a Hindi remake. ACQUISITIONS Saban Films has acquired North American rights to the Alicia Silverstone wedding comedy “Sister of the Groom” from Premiere Entertainment Group. Written and
Anthony James, an actor best-known for his work in the Oscar-winning films “In The Heat of the Night” and “Unforgiven,” died on May 26 of cancer in Massachusetts. He was 77. Born Jimmy Anthony, he discovered there was already an actor with that name and created his stage persona of Anthony James, according to his
“Sonic the Hedgehog” is getting a sequel. Paramount Pictures and Sega Sammy confirmed on Thursday that they have commenced development on a sequel to the live-action family comedy. The sequel would reteam the filmmakers, with Jeff Fowler directing, and Pat Casey and Josh Miller writing the script. The movie is still in the development stage
It’s a family reunion between “Succession” producer Adam McKay and series director Mark Mylod as Searchlight is in negotiations with Mylod to direct “” with McKay producing the dark comedy. McKay will produce through his Hyperobject Industries banner and will be joined by his partner Betsy Koch to produce. The film is a darkly comedic
Writers Guild of America leaders are pushing for paid parental leave as one of the demands in the guild’s master contract negotiations with studios. The WGA’s negotiating committee disclosed its focus on the issue of paid time off for parents in a message sent Thursday to members about the guild’s talks with the Alliance of
Veteran Disney distribution executive David Kornblum, who has led the studio’s theatrical sales distribution in Asia/Pacific and Russia, has departed from Disney after more than 31 years. Kornblum played a key role in the release of nearly 800 films over the course of his tenure at The Walt Disney Company, including the record-setting launches associated
MGM is developing a “Fiddler On The Roof” movie with “Hamilton” director Thomas Kail, who will direct and produce with Dan Jinks and Aaron Harnick The original “Fiddler on the Roof” opened on Broadway in 1964 and won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score of a Musical, Best Director and Best
Paramount Pictures has landed Daniel H. Wilson’s spec script “The Blue Afternoon That Lasted Forever” from “A Quiet Place” producers Andrew Form and Brad Fuller. Form and Fuller will produce under their Fully Formed Entertainment banner, which signed a first-look deal at Paramount last summer. Wilson adapted from his own short story, which follows a
Andy Samberg’s romantic comedy “Palm Springs” is hitting Hulu just in time for summer. The movie, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, was expected to first release in theaters but will instead launch on the streaming service on July 10, along with some drive-in theaters. The announcement is surprising, given how much Neon and Hulu
Amazon Studios motion picture executive Ted Hope is stepping down from his role under chief Jennifer Salke, Variety has learned. The official word from within Amazon is that Hope left by choice, and will transition out with a multi-year first look producing deal at the streamer. He brought deep indie street cred to the fledgling