Each January, the Motion Picture Producers Assn. of Japan holds a press conference to reveal the previous year’s box office data and its list of top-grossing films. One year ago — at what was then thought to be the height of the coronavirus pandemic — the event was a somber gathering: Receipts for 2020 were
Premiering in competition at Berlin, Denis Côté’s “That Kind of Summer” began life as a kind of thought experiment meant to address a rather large oversight in modern Quebecois cinema. “I asked myself, why was it so difficult to name a Quebecois film from the past 25 years that treated sexuality as its central theme?”
Kino Lorber has acquired U.S. rights to writer-director Ajitpal Singh’s debut feature, “Fire in the Mountains,” which premiered in the World Dramatic Competition of the Sundance Film Festival in 2021. A powerful feminist tale set in a tourist homestay in the Himalayan foothills of northern India, the film centers around a woman (Vinamrata Rai), the
Filmax has swooped on international rights to “Irati,” an action adventure feature set in the eighth-century Pyrenees. Produced by Spain’s Bainet, Ikusgarri Films, Kilima Media with France’s La Fidèle Production, “Irati” weighs in as one of the most ambitious new Spanish movies being brought onto the market at Berlin. Filmax will present a promo at
Italian director Matteo Garrone, who was at the 2020 Berlinale with Roberto Benigni-starrer “Pinocchio,” is set to return to the director’s chair in March with coming-of-age adventure drama “Io Capitano,” on which France’s Pathé will be handling international distribution. Garrone’s new pic, whose title translates as “I, Captain,” will be shot in Italy, Morocco and
Rwandan director Kivu Ruhorahoza’s “Father’s Day,” which bows in the competitive Encounters strand of the Berlin Film Festival, is a timely story of fatherhood in a country that saw a generation orphaned by one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. The film presents a trio of interwoven stories set in the East African
Rose Byrne’s array of credits includes a wide range of projects, from comedies such as “Neighbours” and “Bridesmaids” to historical dramas including “Mrs. America” and superhero pics “X-Men: First Class,” horror films and gems “Juliet, Naked.” Now, her production company Dollhouse Pictures has “Seriously Red,” being sold by Arclight Films at the EFM. The film,
Italian director and producer Roberto De Paolis, whose 2017 debut “Pure Hearts” launched from Cannes, is stepping up activity of his Young Films shingle and has completed his follow-up feature, “Princess,” about a young African woman who’s a victim of the sex trade. Described by De Paolis as “the unfiltered story of a young Nigerian who
Freezing winter in a place designed for frolicsome summer can be a doleful time. A case in point: the empty hotels, shuttered waterparks and endless fog banks of the Italian beach town that gives Ulrich Seidl’s challenging but riveting Berlin competition film its name. Along with the hazy gray shoreline and lonely iced-over thoroughfares, they’re
Billionaire developer Rick Caruso filed to run for mayor of Los Angeles on Friday afternoon, ending months of speculation and shaking up the crowded race to succeed Eric Garcetti. A onetime Republican, Caruso is best known as the builder of the Grove and the Americana at Brand shopping centers, among others. He is also a
Every so often, a movie comes along that sends culinarily inclined audiences into rapture — “Babette’s Feast,” “Big Night” or “Like Water for Chocolate” spring to mind — getting eyes glistening and mouths watering in anticipation of a meal that only the characters will ever taste. “Flux Gourmet” is not that foodie movie. In fact,
Kevin Smith isn’t happy with the Academy for snubbing “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in the best picture race. Despite earning critical acclaim and being one of the highest-grossing films ever made with over $750 million in the U.S. and over $1.7 billion globally, the latest “Spider-Man” film earned just a single Oscar nomination. The film
New York City and L.A.-based indie distributor 1091 Pictures, known for such hit releases as Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” Spirit Awards winner “Christine” and knockout comedy “The Overnight,” has swooped in on rights to all English-speaking territories for psychedelic thriller “To the Moon.” The drama, sold by Yellow Veil Pictures, marks the directorial
Bill Lawrence is staying put at Warner Bros. Television, with the TV writer and producer inking a massive five-year deal sources value at nine figures, Variety has confirmed. WBTV would not comment on the financial terms of the deal. This marks Lawrence’s fourth deal with the studio, where he has been based since 2011. His
On the opening night of the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest Thursday night, Halsey — doing her first concert in two years — was even more mindful in her remarks of what else happens in the host venue, Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center), than what might be going down across town at SoFi Stadium
Robert Pattinson joined GQ this week for a look back at his most iconic roles, including his turn as vampire Edward Cullen in the blockbuster “Twilight” movies. The actor filmed the original “Twilight” at 21 years old. The young Pattinson wanted the movie to be as edgy and emo as possible, which didn’t sit right with
Florence Pugh, perhaps unintentionally, maintains a fervent flock of style devotees. They’ve strung up Instagram accounts, Tumblr pages, and aspirational essays in her honor. But none of the many (many) eyes tracking the actress’s every sartorial whim seem to sway her. Does the pressure of the world’s style tabulation ever make Pugh rethink her wardrobe
Ray Stevenson has been cast in the upcoming Disney Plus “Star Wars” series “Ahsoka,” Variety has confirmed with sources. He joins previously announced series lead Rosario Dawson, who will star as Ahsoka Tano, as well as cast members Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Natasha Liu Bordizz, and Ivanna Sakhno. Details on who Stevenson will be playing in the
Jim Angle, one of the first reporters to work for Fox News Channel, died Feb. 9 in Arlington, Va., the network reported on Friday. He was 75. “Jim was a Fox News original and a top Washington correspondent whose talent and fearless reporting was unmatched,” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said in a statement.
Tony Pace, an advertising industry veteran who parlayed top jobs at two of Madison Avenue’s biggest agencies into a role at a major restaurant chain where he prodded TV networks to test new ways of weaving products into programming, has died. He was 64 years old and was in a snowmobile accident Feb. 8 while
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers from the entire first season of “Yellowjackets,” and also includes content some readers may find disturbing. Showtime’s “Yellowjackets,” the newest addition to the television canon of sublime psychological thrillers, is beyond definition. It seamlessly transitions from a coming-of-age story about a high-school girls’ soccer team to a bloody tale of survival after
If you’ve forgotten where “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” left off at the end of Season 3, you can be forgiven: So have executive producers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. “It’s been so long, we don’t remember what the season was about. I think they’re still Jewish,” Sherman-Palladino quips. “It’s been a long time, so long.”
Come on, Simu Liu, let’s go party. The “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” star has been cast in “Barbie,” an upcoming Warner Bros. movie based on the popular doll. As previously announced, Margot Robbie is playing Barbie and Ryan Gosling is playing her boy toy Ken. It is not clear who Liu
“9-1-1: Lone Star” has already featured guest appearances by two “Angel” alums, Julie Benz and Amy Acker, during the first few episodes of its currently airing third season. And if showrunner Tim Minear — who was a writer and executive producer on “Angel” and brought in Gina Torres, a vet of the WB series, as
“Russian Doll” returns this spring, and Netflix has released some first looks photos for the upcoming season. Season 2 will be set four years after Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) and Alan (Charlie Barnett) escaped mortality’s time loop. New episodes will follow the pair as they pass through an unexpected time portal located in Manhattan — causing
“Futurama” just won’t quit. The adult animated comedy has already aired four would-be finales in a staggered run that’s spanned three decades, and it’s still not over: The series has been revived again at Hulu, with another batch of new episodes slated to drop in 2023. Hooray for Zoidberg! So what keeps “Futurama” fans coming
When James Gunn was conjuring up the opening credit sequence for HBO’s “Peacemaker,” he and his creative team had one goal: to make it so interesting, engaging and funny that people wouldn’t want to skip it. And they succeeded — the show’s opening sequence is a viral sensation. Choreographer Charissa Barton recalls that the catchy
Netflix has recently released Spain’s first film using LED volume technology, teen romantic drama “Through My Window” (“A Través de mi Ventana”). Produced by Adrian Guerra’s Nostromo Pictures alongside sister company Orca Studios, the Spanish-language film features real-time rendered CG scenes shot in-camera as part of its production. Its LED volume technology is the same
It’s been a full decade since Dario Argento’s last directorial effort, not that “Dracula 3D” inspired much eagerness to see what he’d do next. Capping off a string of misfires, his ill-fated adaptation of Bram Stoker’s magnum opus suggested it might finally be time for the giallo master to hang it up. “Dark Glasses” won’t
Issa Rae, Cedric the Entertainer and Leslie Jones were among the attendees at the star-studded Chairman’s Party inside SoFi Stadium on Thursday night, grooving along as Usher commanded the stage. Just before heading into the event, Jones told Variety that she’s eagerly anticipating another concert — the Super Bowl LVI halftime show featuring Snoop Dogg,