“Free Guy” held on strongly to grab a second weekend at the top of the mainland China box office. It beat an unusual theatrical release for “The Tomorrow War,” which has gone straight to streaming in other territories. “Free Guy” earned $18.3 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy, Artisan Gateway. That
All four remaining company directors of Next Digital, the corporation that owned Hong Kong’s now defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, have resigned. There is a risk that Next Digital will now be forcibly delisted from the stock market in the city. Shared in Next Digital were suspended from trading on June 17, 2021. Apple Daily
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Marvel’s first movie with an Asian superhero, topped the South Korean box office over its first weekend. But it failed to lift Korean cinema-going to new heights. The film grossed $4.75 million over the opening weekend, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service provided by the
Rickie Lee Reynolds, guitarist for rock band Black Oak Arkansas, died on Sunday morning. He was 72. Reynolds’ daughter, Amber Lee, confirmed the news of his death on Facebook, as did current Black Oak Arkansas member Sammy Seauphine. According to Lee’s previous posts, Reynolds had been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and then suffered from kidney
“Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon” opens where any good stylishly ironic demon-out-of-water fairy-tale thriller should: in an insane asylum. That’s where Mona Lisa (Jeon Jong-seo), a catatonic waif, is seated on her knees in a straitjacket. We see right off how miserable she is; it’s there in her aura — and besides, who in
Pink Floyd fans can set the controls for the heart of Hollywood Blvd. now that a touring version of an exhibition devoted to the group’s 55-year history has touched down in the U.S. following a celebrated run across Europe. The group remains truly in vogue, and in Hollywood’s former Vogue Theatre, in an installation of
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” wastes no time in getting right to the exciting martial arts action. And just as in recent action hit “Nobody,” the intense combat plays out on a city bus. In the sequence, Shang-Chi, aka Shaun, played by Simu Liu has yet to learn about his past and
Until watching Kenneth Branagh’s wistfully autobiographical “Belfast,” I don’t think I realized that one of Britain’s greatest living actors — a talent who’s embodied everything from Henry V to Hercule Poirot, Kurt Wallander to Laurence Olivier — had been born in Northern Ireland. Maybe that’s because his family got out and moved to Reading, England,
A weeklong shoot in France in October 2019 for “Julia,” the documentary we directed about Julia Child, was the piece de resistance of our filming experience. On the sidewalks of Paris’ 7th arrondissement, where Julia and her husband Paul spent their early years together, cafes pulsed with voracious patrons. Inside the classrooms at Le Cordon
Jason Momoa took to Instagram on Sunday to reveal a new Aquaman suit for the upcoming superhero sequel, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.” In addition to the classic Aquaman costume seen in the first film, Momoa posted a first look at his character’s so-called “stealth suit.” The skin-tight metallic suit features hints of dark blue
Herding cattle is a woman’s work in Emelie Mahvadian’s meditative “Bitterbrush,” a picturesque documentary that embraces the sweeping tradition of the Western genre. The brawny job comes naturally to the nomadic Hollyn Patterson and Colie Moline, two close friends who are seasonal range riders for hire in the remote American West, cowgirling their way from
Dell Furano, a pioneer in rock merchandising as the co-founder of Winterland Productions and later founder of Epic Rights, an entertainment agency and brand management company, has died. He was 69. The cause of death was not immediately revealed. Motley Crue manager Allen Kovac said of Furano, whose Epic Rights is handling the merchandising for
As they crammed into a closet lined with mattresses at the home of their manager Johnny Wright to put their spin on Christopher Cross’ Yacht Rock classic “Sailing,” little did the members of *NSYNC realize how the casual recording might impact music 25 years later. Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Lance Bass and Justin
In the span of a year when everyone’s been on edge, prolific Mexican director Michel Franco managed to nuke our comfort zones not once, but twice, delivering separate provocations at back-to-back editions of the Venice Film Festival. In 2020, he won the Silver Lion for powder-keg thriller “New Order,” and now, he returns with the
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” delivered the sizzle that struggling movie theaters so desperately needed, debuting to $71.4 million in its inaugural weekend. The Marvel adventure is on pace to rack up a mighty $83.5 million over the four-day Labor Day weekend, trumping expectations that had anticipated a debut of between $45
Sarah Harding, member of the British pop group Girls Aloud, died on Sunday morning of breast cancer. She was 39. Harding’s mother announced her death on her Instagram page, along with a heartfelt message. “It’s with deep heartbreak that today I’m sharing the news that my beautiful daughter Sarah has sadly passed away. Many of
“Rise of the Raven”Producers: Robert Lantos (Serendipity Point Films) and Tibor KrskoShowrunner: George MihalkaSynopsis: An epic drama series about Janos Hunyadi, a fearless warrior who defeated the vast Ottoman army and defended Europe in 1456 at the Battle of Belgrade. The 10-hour series, based on the bestselling novels by author Bán Mór, is expected to
Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” has been the talk of the Lido since Friday’s buzzy world premiere, with Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and the rest of a star-studded cast gracing the red carpet. But while Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ sci-fi tentpole brought some welcome star power to this year’s Venice Film Festival, it could bring an even
Italian powerhouse Medusa has acquired Pan Nalin’s “Last Film Show,” which is being sold worldwide by Orange Studio. Medusa will distribute in Italy. Orange Studio and Medusa revealed the deal on the sidelines of the ongoing Venice Film Festival. Nalin is known for his eclectic, and visually striking, body of work including “Samsara,” “Valley of
Poland’s documentary festival Millennium Docs Against Gravity is set to finally come of age after postponing its 18th edition due to COVID-19 restrictions, originally slated to take place in May. Once again unspooling in seven different cities between Sept. 3-12, with local authorities sponsoring their own respective awards, the event will then continue online, wrapping
Anissa Bonnefont, who latest film “Wonder Boy” won a Special Jury prize at Tribeca in 2020, has recently completed “Nadia,” a timely documentary feature about Nadia Nadim, the Afghan-born Danish soccer star. Federation Entertainment produced the film with Echo Studio, in association with France’s Canal Plus, which commissioned it. Penned by Bonnefont and Edith Chapin,
Violence in Mexico was one of the dominant themes of the press conference for Michel Franco’s Venice competition title “Sundown” on Sunday, with the director and stars Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Iazua Larios in attendance. Set in the seemingly tranquil Mexican resort city Acapulco, Roth and Gainsbourg play members of a wealthy British family
Indian filmmaker Aditya Vikram Sengupta is back on the Lido with his third feature “Once Upon a Time in Calcutta,” which screens in the Horizons strand. His debut, “Labour of Love” (2014) bowed at Venice Days where it won the Fedeora Award for best director of a debut film. Inspired by true events, the film
A singular new voice born in Cameroon and based in New York, Ellie Foumbi is set to shine on the international scene at the Venice Film Festival, where her feature debut, “Our Father, the Devil,” will be presented as part of the Biennale College-Cinema section. Foumbi, who is represented by UTA, is the second Black
Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy’s production shingle Film Clinic –– at Venice with “Amira,” Mohamed Diab’s drama about Palestinian children conceived behind bars with smuggled sperm –– is getting a financial boost that will triple its resources just as two new film and TV projects go into production. Film Clinic is having an outstanding festival presence
The Venice crowd at the Sala Grande theater could not take their eyes off Anya Taylor-Joy during Edgar Wright’s trippy psychological thriller “Last Night in Soho.” But when the movie ended just after midnight on Saturday and the spotlight shone on the cast to receive applause from the festival attendees, as is tradition, Taylor-Joy was
Time’s Up’s governing board of directors has issued a new statement about the impending transition of leadership within the group, which includes the exits of several prominent board members. The statement denotes the women’s advocacy group’s “crisis,” including former CEO Tina Tchen’s resignation, as an “opportunity for growth and change.” Political strategist and activist Monifa
André 3000 is clarifying his contribution to unreleased “Donda” track “Life of the Party” after Drake leaked the song on SiriusXM’s Sound 42 show. The song’s leak adds fuel to the ongoing tension between Drake and Kanye West, as both rappers have taken shots at each other on their new albums. On “Life of the
Drake appears to have leaked an unreleased Kanye West “Donda” track that didn’t make the cut, which actually takes shots at the former … a bizarre move that seems to have backfired. Drizzy was guest hosting a session of Sound 42 on Sirius XM early Saturday morning — which plays a ton of OVO-affiliated tunes
Willard Scott, the longtime weatherman for the “Today” show and the original Ronald McDonald, died on Saturday morning. He was 87. “Today’s” Al Roker confirmed Scott’s passing on “Today” and in a heartfelt Instagram post. “We lost a beloved member of our @todayshow family this morning,” Roker wrote. “Willard Scott passed peacefully at the age