

The Oscar race is a marathon, not a sprint. There are dozens of pit stops along the way and trophies to be given out before the 2025 Oscars on March 2. Keep track of precursor wins here with our scorecard. This includes honors from major film festivals, critics groups, guilds, and televised shows of the 2024-25 Oscar season. Wins are listed in order of announcement and in accordance with candidates’ FYC campaigns.
Updated: Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, with Directors Guild of America and Producers Guild of America Awards winners.
And just like that, one of the most unpredictable Oscar races just became very predictable. On the heels of its Critics Choice Award for Best Picture — its only win — on Friday, Anora regained its Oscar momentum on Saturday with two major industry prizes, the Directors Guild of America Award for Sean Baker and the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Picture.
Anora was not...
Updated: Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, with Directors Guild of America and Producers Guild of America Awards winners.
And just like that, one of the most unpredictable Oscar races just became very predictable. On the heels of its Critics Choice Award for Best Picture — its only win — on Friday, Anora regained its Oscar momentum on Saturday with two major industry prizes, the Directors Guild of America Award for Sean Baker and the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Picture.
Anora was not...
- 2/9/2025
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby

“Anora” director Sean Baker has won the DGA Award for Theatrical Feature, gaining significant Oscar momentum ahead of final voting.
With its surprising best picture win at the Critics Choice Awards — its only prize of the night — the $6 million dramedy, which claimed the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has solidified itself as a major contender in an unpredictable awards season.
“I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be able to do thing I knew I wanted to do since I was 5 years old,” Baker told the crowd Saturday at the conclusion of the 77th annual DGA Awards, held at the Beverly Hilton.
A wide-open year has unfolded with plenty of twists and turns, including campaign controversies and surprising Oscar snubs like DGA nominee Edward Berger and recent Critics Choice shocking victor Jon M. Chu for “Wicked.”
Legendary filmmaker Ang Lee, a two-time Oscar-winning director...
With its surprising best picture win at the Critics Choice Awards — its only prize of the night — the $6 million dramedy, which claimed the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, has solidified itself as a major contender in an unpredictable awards season.
“I feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be able to do thing I knew I wanted to do since I was 5 years old,” Baker told the crowd Saturday at the conclusion of the 77th annual DGA Awards, held at the Beverly Hilton.
A wide-open year has unfolded with plenty of twists and turns, including campaign controversies and surprising Oscar snubs like DGA nominee Edward Berger and recent Critics Choice shocking victor Jon M. Chu for “Wicked.”
Legendary filmmaker Ang Lee, a two-time Oscar-winning director...
- 2/9/2025
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV

Before Martin Sheen became the iconic President Josiah Bartlet on The West Wing, the show’s creators wanted to cast legendary actor Sidney Poitier. His potential casting would have been a groundbreaking moment for television, as it would have made him the first Black actor to portray a U.S. president on screen. However, despite the initial interest, the plans with Poitier didn’t happen.
Martin Sheen in a still from The West Wing | Credits: NBC
After considering other actors, the role of Bartlet ultimately went to Martin Sheen, whose performance became one of the most beloved aspects of the show.
How did Martin Sheen land the role of President Bartlet over Sidney Poitier?
When casting for the role of President Josiah Bartlet in The West Wing, producers knew they needed someone who could bring both strength and relatability to the character. The role required an actor who could command...
Martin Sheen in a still from The West Wing | Credits: NBC
After considering other actors, the role of Bartlet ultimately went to Martin Sheen, whose performance became one of the most beloved aspects of the show.
How did Martin Sheen land the role of President Bartlet over Sidney Poitier?
When casting for the role of President Josiah Bartlet in The West Wing, producers knew they needed someone who could bring both strength and relatability to the character. The role required an actor who could command...
- 2/8/2025
- by Sakshi Singh
- FandomWire

This is the second in a series of short essays considering film restorations from the past year.Hollywood 90028.As the Palisades and Eaton Fires raged this month, photos and videos of the Hollywood sign in flames went viral. Before these images were identified as AI-generated misinformation, many took them as an appropriately bombastic symbol of a beleaguered industry. It’s true that the milk-and-honey capital of American cinema has curdled in recent years, accelerated in part by fallout from the pandemic, back-to-back labor strikes, the burst streaming bubble, and now the yet-to-be-tallied damage from the ongoing wildfires. It’s not the first time seismic changes have forced a reconfiguration of Hollywood, but there’s undoubtedly a sense of despair that’s unique to this moment.We look to history to parse where we are and where we’re going, which makes this past year’s restoration of Christina Hornisher’s...
- 2/7/2025
- MUBI


The Academy Awards, or the Oscars, are one of the most prestigious honors in the film industry. While millions tune in each year to watch Hollywood’s biggest stars celebrate cinematic excellence, there are plenty of intriguing behind-the-scenes facts that even die-hard movie lovers might not know. Here are ten surprising pieces of Oscar facts that should blow your mind:
1. The Stolen Oscar Heist
In 2000, just days before the Academy Awards, a shipment of 55 Oscar statuettes was stolen from a loading dock in Los Angeles. The disappearance of the trophies sparked a major investigation involving local law enforcement and the FBI. After an extensive search, 52 of the stolen Oscars were found discarded in a dumpster behind a Koreatown grocery store by a man named Willie Fulgear, who later received a $50,000 reward for his discovery. However, three statuettes remain missing to this day, making them some of the most sought-after lost artifacts in Hollywood history.
1. The Stolen Oscar Heist
In 2000, just days before the Academy Awards, a shipment of 55 Oscar statuettes was stolen from a loading dock in Los Angeles. The disappearance of the trophies sparked a major investigation involving local law enforcement and the FBI. After an extensive search, 52 of the stolen Oscars were found discarded in a dumpster behind a Koreatown grocery store by a man named Willie Fulgear, who later received a $50,000 reward for his discovery. However, three statuettes remain missing to this day, making them some of the most sought-after lost artifacts in Hollywood history.
- 2/7/2025
- by Naveed Zahir
- High on Films

A run of successful horror remakes abruptly ended in 2010, which spelled trouble for Platinum Dunes. Producer Brad Fuller explains what happened next.
For almost a decade, Platinum Dunes was one of the most successful independent production companies in Hollywood. Beginning with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003, which made over $100 million on a sub-$10m budget, the studio seemed to have hit on a magical formula: make genre movies to a price, attached to classic horror titles.
Texas Chainsaw was therefore followed by a string of other remakes, all based on films from the 70s and 80s: 2005’s The Amityville Horror was followed by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning in 2006; The Hitcher, Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street were all released between 2007 and 2009.
In the financial crisis era, audiences, it seemed, loved gory escapism. But in 2010, something strange happened: Platinum Dunes co-founder Brad Fuller noticed that his phone had stopped ringing.
For almost a decade, Platinum Dunes was one of the most successful independent production companies in Hollywood. Beginning with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003, which made over $100 million on a sub-$10m budget, the studio seemed to have hit on a magical formula: make genre movies to a price, attached to classic horror titles.
Texas Chainsaw was therefore followed by a string of other remakes, all based on films from the 70s and 80s: 2005’s The Amityville Horror was followed by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning in 2006; The Hitcher, Friday The 13th and A Nightmare On Elm Street were all released between 2007 and 2009.
In the financial crisis era, audiences, it seemed, loved gory escapism. But in 2010, something strange happened: Platinum Dunes co-founder Brad Fuller noticed that his phone had stopped ringing.
- 2/6/2025
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories

“I’m basically a storyteller, just with the skin on a character’s face,” explained Mike Marino, the prosthetics maestro whose reputation is fast becoming as lauded as movie makeup legends Rick Baker and Stan Winston.
At this year’s Golden Globes, Marino was acknowledged not once, but twice by winning actors on stage: First by Colin Farrell, who is unrecognizable in HBO’s “The Penguin”; and then by Sebastian Stan, who won for his role in the dark indie comedy about disfigurement and self-acceptance, “A Different Man.”
“That was a huge compliment,” Marino told TheWrap of the shoutouts. “People were texting me that night — producers and actors and heroes of mine like Rick Baker — joking, ‘These are the Marino Globes.’ I’ve been doing this for my whole life and I’m just super thankful and fortunate to do what I do. Prosthetics work isn’t the crazy, booming business it once was,...
At this year’s Golden Globes, Marino was acknowledged not once, but twice by winning actors on stage: First by Colin Farrell, who is unrecognizable in HBO’s “The Penguin”; and then by Sebastian Stan, who won for his role in the dark indie comedy about disfigurement and self-acceptance, “A Different Man.”
“That was a huge compliment,” Marino told TheWrap of the shoutouts. “People were texting me that night — producers and actors and heroes of mine like Rick Baker — joking, ‘These are the Marino Globes.’ I’ve been doing this for my whole life and I’m just super thankful and fortunate to do what I do. Prosthetics work isn’t the crazy, booming business it once was,...
- 2/5/2025
- by Joe McGovern
- The Wrap


Robert De Niro won his second Oscar in 1981 for playing a boxing champ in Raging Bull. And now he has been chosen as the acting champ when it comes to Academy Awards.
His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.
Anthony Hopkins finished second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.
At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine (1942), and Paul Muni for The Story of Louis Pasteur...
His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.
Anthony Hopkins finished second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.
At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine (1942), and Paul Muni for The Story of Louis Pasteur...
- 2/5/2025
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby


Robert De Niro won his second Oscar in 1981 for playing a boxing champ in Raging Bull. And now he has been chosen as the champ of all actors.
His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.
Anthony Hopkins ranked second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.
At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). Just above that film performance in the rankings are George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine...
His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.
Anthony Hopkins ranked second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.
At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). Just above that film performance in the rankings are George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine...
- 2/5/2025
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby

When a film makes it all the way to the Academy Awards and takes home the top prize of best picture, a safe assumption to be made is that said movie is probably pretty good. Right? Well, that should be the case, but whatever reason, every once in a while a film sneaks through that just isn't up to snuff and leads future audiences to wonder exactly what the Academy was thinking.
That's the exception, not the rule, however. Most best picture winners are worthy of their title, even if some fans may quibble over what the actual best film of the year was. But even amongst this lofty category, there are films that stand out as the best of the best. If there was to be an Academy Awards: All Stars Edition, these 15 would be the ones that would make the cut. No matter how long ago they were released,...
That's the exception, not the rule, however. Most best picture winners are worthy of their title, even if some fans may quibble over what the actual best film of the year was. But even amongst this lofty category, there are films that stand out as the best of the best. If there was to be an Academy Awards: All Stars Edition, these 15 would be the ones that would make the cut. No matter how long ago they were released,...
- 2/4/2025
- by Audrey Fox
- Slash Film


An indisputable icon of the celluloid, revered for his bravura performances and infectious charisma, Al Pacino’s identity has become an inextricable element in the canon of American cinema. In a career spanning more than half a century, Pacino has cultivated an enviable track record, working with greats like Francis Ford Coppola, Sidney Lumet, Martin Scorsese, and William Friedkin, to name a few of cinema’s wizards, and producing some of the most excellent performances ever put on screen.
Born Alfredo James Pacino, the South Bronx native started honing his acting chops in theatre before taking the leap into cinema with a small role in “Me, Natalie” (1969). He next surveyed the life of a person with a heroin addiction in “The Panic in Needle Park.” He would then go on to play one of the most popular characters in cinema in “The Godfather,” shooting him to superstardom – all at thirty-two,...
Born Alfredo James Pacino, the South Bronx native started honing his acting chops in theatre before taking the leap into cinema with a small role in “Me, Natalie” (1969). He next surveyed the life of a person with a heroin addiction in “The Panic in Needle Park.” He would then go on to play one of the most popular characters in cinema in “The Godfather,” shooting him to superstardom – all at thirty-two,...
- 2/4/2025
- by Adithya Prakash
- High on Films

When you think of "Dirty Harry," you most likely think of the seminal 1971 action thriller and not of the four official "Dirty Harry" films that came in its wake (five if you count 2008's "Gran Torino"). The original film remains one of the best action movies, and arguably best films, of the 20th Century, somehow appealing to our base appetite for all-out action while also presenting a nuanced portrayal of its problematic protagonist. Is Harry Callahan merely a walking advertisement for the efficacy of police brutality, or someone hampered in his pursuit of justice by a society that cares more about bureaucracy than actually catching the bad guy? It's not entirely clear in Don Siegel's film, which is part of the reason why it endures to this day.
But for better or worse, Eastwood did make a heck of a lot of follow-ups to "Dirty Harry" — a controversial film...
But for better or worse, Eastwood did make a heck of a lot of follow-ups to "Dirty Harry" — a controversial film...
- 2/4/2025
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film

George Lucas is best known for creating the Star Wars franchise, a multi-billion dollar global phenomenon that started in 1977. However, Lucas first made a name for himself with the 1973 coming-of-age film America Graffiti. It was produced by Francis Ford Coppola known for directing classics such as The Godfather.
Francis Ford Coppola produced George Lucas’ America Graffiti (Credits: Jake’s Takes | YouTube).
During an interview, Coppola shared his thoughts on working with Lucas and watching the latter shape his epic space opera saga. At the same time, Coppola revealed that one fan-favorite character from the original trilogy was based on his personality. Here is what Coppola had to say about Star Wars and the character Lucas modeled after him.
Francis Ford Coppola revealed how George Lucas based one Star Wars character on him Star Wars‘ Han Solo was modeled after Francis Ford Coppola (Credit: Lucasfilm).
Francis Ford Coppola directed classics such...
Francis Ford Coppola produced George Lucas’ America Graffiti (Credits: Jake’s Takes | YouTube).
During an interview, Coppola shared his thoughts on working with Lucas and watching the latter shape his epic space opera saga. At the same time, Coppola revealed that one fan-favorite character from the original trilogy was based on his personality. Here is what Coppola had to say about Star Wars and the character Lucas modeled after him.
Francis Ford Coppola revealed how George Lucas based one Star Wars character on him Star Wars‘ Han Solo was modeled after Francis Ford Coppola (Credit: Lucasfilm).
Francis Ford Coppola directed classics such...
- 2/3/2025
- by Pratik Handore
- FandomWire

Elongated noses, like wrinkly pickles or deflated balloons, protrude from the faces of the comically offbeat characters in the zany, rambling and historically relevant animated documentary “Endless Cookie” from animator Seth Scriver, a white man, and his half-brother Peter, who is an Indigenous person from the Shamattawa First Nations in northern Canada. Pete’s memories, which illustrate the intricacies of Indigenous life in Canada, are the foundation of this personal family scrapbook of a film.
As Pete recalls events that happened to him, to people around him or to relatives, the intimate reminiscences meet the macro, touching on the impact of residential schools, land claims by greedy companies and the disproportionate incarceration of First Nations individuals. On occasion, he speaks a few words or phrases in the Cree language and addresses the spirituality of his people.
“Endless Cookie” simultaneously chronicles the making of the project itself, which took nine years to complete,...
As Pete recalls events that happened to him, to people around him or to relatives, the intimate reminiscences meet the macro, touching on the impact of residential schools, land claims by greedy companies and the disproportionate incarceration of First Nations individuals. On occasion, he speaks a few words or phrases in the Cree language and addresses the spirituality of his people.
“Endless Cookie” simultaneously chronicles the making of the project itself, which took nine years to complete,...
- 2/1/2025
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Variety Film + TV


From Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespearean trilogy Maqbool (based on Hamlet), Omkara (Othello) and Haider (Hamlet), Maqbool is the rawest, most honest and untarnished adaptation.
Maqbool transports us to a threshold of pain and redemption hitherto unknown to Hindi cinema. Because this is Shakespeare’s Macbeth trans-located to Mumbai’s underworld, and because Bhardwaj has selected a dream cast to portray his nightmarish world of crime and retribution, Maqbool takes its emotional content beyond any other film from the genre.
The writing on the wall is so clear, coherent, and redemptive that even Shakespeare would smile indulgently at the artistic liberties Bhardwaj has taken with the original text. Maqbool opens a whole new universe of passion- play, unexplored in the original text. Bhardwaj reveals the politics of lust and passion with a sure-handedness seldom witnessed in Hindi cinema.
Hence, the King from Shakespeare becomes a doddering, paunchy underworld kingpin, Abbaji (Pankaj Kapoor...
Maqbool transports us to a threshold of pain and redemption hitherto unknown to Hindi cinema. Because this is Shakespeare’s Macbeth trans-located to Mumbai’s underworld, and because Bhardwaj has selected a dream cast to portray his nightmarish world of crime and retribution, Maqbool takes its emotional content beyond any other film from the genre.
The writing on the wall is so clear, coherent, and redemptive that even Shakespeare would smile indulgently at the artistic liberties Bhardwaj has taken with the original text. Maqbool opens a whole new universe of passion- play, unexplored in the original text. Bhardwaj reveals the politics of lust and passion with a sure-handedness seldom witnessed in Hindi cinema.
Hence, the King from Shakespeare becomes a doddering, paunchy underworld kingpin, Abbaji (Pankaj Kapoor...
- 1/31/2025
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice

The Academy Awards have staged some iconic showdowns. Think of the tension around “La La Land” versus “Moonlight,” “12 Years a Slave” versus “Gravity” or “The Godfather” versus “Cabaret.” Each was a nail-biter that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. But what happens when six films — “Anora,” “The Brutalist,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Conclave,” “Emilia Pérez” and “Wicked” — are all serious contenders for Hollywood’s most coveted prize? Enter “The Year Without the Frontrunner,” as Variety aptly dubbed it.
So, what is the pathway for each contender?
With 13 nominations, “Emilia Pérez” seems to have the logical edge (although recent controversies could derail that assertion). It has key guild nods and below-the-line Oscar mentions. But in this unpredictable year, historical trends are no guarantee. Major upcoming ceremonies like DGA, PGA and SAG may clarify the race — or make it even messier.
After winning big at the Golden Globes, “Emilia Pérez...
So, what is the pathway for each contender?
With 13 nominations, “Emilia Pérez” seems to have the logical edge (although recent controversies could derail that assertion). It has key guild nods and below-the-line Oscar mentions. But in this unpredictable year, historical trends are no guarantee. Major upcoming ceremonies like DGA, PGA and SAG may clarify the race — or make it even messier.
After winning big at the Golden Globes, “Emilia Pérez...
- 1/30/2025
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV

Through their company BoulderLight Pictures, producers J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules have been involved with several of the most surprising and original genre films of the last 10 years, from the wildly unpredictable horror flick “Barbarian” to the blood-drenched and relentlessly intense — yet grimly funny — thriller “Becky” and its sequel. Their latest movie, “Companion” (co-produced with Roy Lee and “Barbarian” director Zach Cregger), is their most entertaining yet, an unclassifiable blend of sci-fi, rom-com, horror, and action in which writer-director Drew Hancock sustains his tonal high-wire act from beginning to end.
Lifshitz and Margules have managed to sustain a career producing original movies that don’t always have obvious comps — something that can make their films tricky from a marketing standpoint — by keeping their budgets modest enough to allow their directors maximum creative freedom. “A lot of people say, ‘You’ve got to reign in filmmakers,'” Lifshitz told IndieWire. “It’s the opposite,...
Lifshitz and Margules have managed to sustain a career producing original movies that don’t always have obvious comps — something that can make their films tricky from a marketing standpoint — by keeping their budgets modest enough to allow their directors maximum creative freedom. “A lot of people say, ‘You’ve got to reign in filmmakers,'” Lifshitz told IndieWire. “It’s the opposite,...
- 1/28/2025
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire

2024's tour de force "The Brutalist" has finally opened wide in the new year, letting audiences see the movie that /Film's Chris Evangelista called an "overwhelming triumph." (The film earns every syllable of that praise and more.) "They don't make movies like this anymore" is trite criticism but "The Brutalist" truly feels like something pulled out of the New Hollywood era; a sprawling epic about American identity and assimilation, like "The Godfather" if Marlon Brando's Vito Corleone was a Jewish architect instead of a mobster. There's even an intermission, a practice long discarded in most modern films.
Adrien Brody leads "The Brutalist" as László Tóth, a Holocaust survivor who comes to America. In the new world, László again finds work as an architect — specifically, in designing a custom community envisioned by an old-money industrialist (Guy Pearce). Brody, who has retreated from the A-list outside of his consistent work with Wes Anderson,...
Adrien Brody leads "The Brutalist" as László Tóth, a Holocaust survivor who comes to America. In the new world, László again finds work as an architect — specifically, in designing a custom community envisioned by an old-money industrialist (Guy Pearce). Brody, who has retreated from the A-list outside of his consistent work with Wes Anderson,...
- 1/25/2025
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film


Deewar, directed by The Yash Chopra, released 50 years ago. Starring Shashi Kapoor and Amitabh Bachchan Deewaar was a critical and box-office hit and is considered one of the best, a classic, and an iconic film of Hindi cinema.
Here are seven unknown facts about Deewaar.
1. The first choice for Vijay’s role in Deewaar was not Amitabh Bachchan. It was Rajesh Khanna. Director Yash Chopra, who had directed Rajesh Khanna in his first home production Daag, was keen to reunite with Rajesh Khanna. However, writers Salim-Javed put their collective clout into action and insisted on Ab. And who said no to Salim-Javed those days?!
2. But here is the thing. Ab was doing another film with Yash Chopra at that time. And post Zanjeer, there was no way he could accommodate two Yash Chopra films into his clogged date diary. Luckily, better sense prevailed. Ab and Yc trained their guns on Deewaar.
Here are seven unknown facts about Deewaar.
1. The first choice for Vijay’s role in Deewaar was not Amitabh Bachchan. It was Rajesh Khanna. Director Yash Chopra, who had directed Rajesh Khanna in his first home production Daag, was keen to reunite with Rajesh Khanna. However, writers Salim-Javed put their collective clout into action and insisted on Ab. And who said no to Salim-Javed those days?!
2. But here is the thing. Ab was doing another film with Yash Chopra at that time. And post Zanjeer, there was no way he could accommodate two Yash Chopra films into his clogged date diary. Luckily, better sense prevailed. Ab and Yc trained their guns on Deewaar.
- 1/25/2025
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice

Photographer Ron Galella rose to notoriety in the 60s over his obsession with Jackie Kennedy. But while he made a career out of his relentless pursuit of celebrities, his commitment to taking un-posed photos of major figures often landed him in a heap of trouble throughout his stint as a paparazzi.
Jackie Kennedy | Credit: Cecil Stoughton/ Cc-CC0/Wikimedia Commons
One such instance occurred when he crossed paths with Marlon Brando, and the encounter apparently left him with a broken jaw. But the incident did little to change his relentless tactics toward celebs.
Marlon Brando’s alleged payback left paparazzi with a broken jaw Marlon Brando in The Godfather | Credit: Paramount Pictures
In his memoir, Songs My Mother Taught Me, Marlon Brando confessed to having a brief affair with Jackie Kennedy in the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
Related “We were out of our minds on that film...
Jackie Kennedy | Credit: Cecil Stoughton/ Cc-CC0/Wikimedia Commons
One such instance occurred when he crossed paths with Marlon Brando, and the encounter apparently left him with a broken jaw. But the incident did little to change his relentless tactics toward celebs.
Marlon Brando’s alleged payback left paparazzi with a broken jaw Marlon Brando in The Godfather | Credit: Paramount Pictures
In his memoir, Songs My Mother Taught Me, Marlon Brando confessed to having a brief affair with Jackie Kennedy in the aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
Related “We were out of our minds on that film...
- 1/24/2025
- by Santanu Roy
- FandomWire

Before Sylvester Stallone became the tough-as-nails mob boss we know in Tulsa King, he was known for taking risks – some that didn’t land as expected. Enter one of his most bizarre flops, a film that Stallone now believes might’ve been a secret training ground for his role in Taylor Sheridan’s hit show.
Sylvester Stallone as Dwight “the General” Manfredi in Tulsa King | Credits: Paramount Network
In his quirky reflection, Stallone calls it the “prequel” to his Tulsa King character, a cheeky nod to how past mistakes can sometimes set the stage for future triumphs.
Sylvester Stallone calls Get Carter a “prequel” to Tulsa King despite its performance Sylvester Stallone’s Get Carter (2000) | Credits: MGM-British Studios
Sylvester Stallone claimed one of his major flops actually prepared him for his role as Dwight Manfredi in Taylor Sheridan’s Tulsa King. In a bizarre twist, he called his 2000 remake of...
Sylvester Stallone as Dwight “the General” Manfredi in Tulsa King | Credits: Paramount Network
In his quirky reflection, Stallone calls it the “prequel” to his Tulsa King character, a cheeky nod to how past mistakes can sometimes set the stage for future triumphs.
Sylvester Stallone calls Get Carter a “prequel” to Tulsa King despite its performance Sylvester Stallone’s Get Carter (2000) | Credits: MGM-British Studios
Sylvester Stallone claimed one of his major flops actually prepared him for his role as Dwight Manfredi in Taylor Sheridan’s Tulsa King. In a bizarre twist, he called his 2000 remake of...
- 1/24/2025
- by Heena Singh
- FandomWire

The Academy Awards are considered the pinnacle of cinematic achievement. They are a celebration of films that have left an indelible mark on audiences and the industry alike. Every year, the Best Picture category incites intense debates about which movie truly deserves the honor.
Most of the time the Academy’s and the fans’ opinions align with winners such as The Godfather or Schindler’s List. Other times, however, their choices leave a bitter taste, as was the case with Crash and Shakespeare in Love.
Thandiwe Newton and Matt Dillon in Crash | Credits: Lionsgate
This year, Emilia Perez stands to make Oscar history, with its bold narrative and social commentary striking a chord with many. While its themes of representation and inclusion have garnered applause, questions linger whether it deserves the Oscar or not.
Were Sandra Bullock’s Crash and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Shakespeare in Love undeserving winners? Gwyneth Paltrow...
Most of the time the Academy’s and the fans’ opinions align with winners such as The Godfather or Schindler’s List. Other times, however, their choices leave a bitter taste, as was the case with Crash and Shakespeare in Love.
Thandiwe Newton and Matt Dillon in Crash | Credits: Lionsgate
This year, Emilia Perez stands to make Oscar history, with its bold narrative and social commentary striking a chord with many. While its themes of representation and inclusion have garnered applause, questions linger whether it deserves the Oscar or not.
Were Sandra Bullock’s Crash and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Shakespeare in Love undeserving winners? Gwyneth Paltrow...
- 1/24/2025
- by Ojas Goel
- FandomWire


The 2025 Academy Awards race is certainly one of the most contentious and unpredictable in recent memory. While in previous years a frontrunner like “Oppenheimer” or “Everything Everywhere All At Once” announced itself as the clear favorite early on in the award cycle, there is no indication as to what will pull ahead before the ceremony in March. While occasionally there is a firm horse race between two films, such as “The Power of the Dog” and “Coda,” or “Green Book” and “Roma,” there are multiple films this cycle that could end up taking home the top prize.
As with every year, the Academy Awards nominate a variety of films that reflect the state of the industry, some of which are better than others. There are also a great number of niche films that sadly were ignored by the Oscars entirely, such as “I Saw The TV Glow,” “Ghostlight,” “All We Imagine As Light,...
As with every year, the Academy Awards nominate a variety of films that reflect the state of the industry, some of which are better than others. There are also a great number of niche films that sadly were ignored by the Oscars entirely, such as “I Saw The TV Glow,” “Ghostlight,” “All We Imagine As Light,...
- 1/24/2025
- by Liam Gaughan
- High on Films


Seth MacFarlane may not care for The Godfather, but he insists that he doesn’t know what the hell Peter Griffin was talking about.
On May 14, 2006, a very special Family Guy episode aired that would change the way Letterboxd users and Film Twitter power players would talk about prestige cinema for years — once New Zealand invented Letterboxd and Twitter became more than just Jack Dorsey posting into the void by himself, of course. In “The Griffin Family History,” Peter, Meg, Lois, Stewie and Brian spend what they believe to be their last moments alive before drowning in the family’s panic room arguing about Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus, the 1972 mob epic The Godfather, and, as the water rises, Peter explains his distaste for the film in the most confusing terms possible.
Flash forward to 2025, and Family Guy star and creator MacFarlane is apparently fed up with film buffs using his line,...
On May 14, 2006, a very special Family Guy episode aired that would change the way Letterboxd users and Film Twitter power players would talk about prestige cinema for years — once New Zealand invented Letterboxd and Twitter became more than just Jack Dorsey posting into the void by himself, of course. In “The Griffin Family History,” Peter, Meg, Lois, Stewie and Brian spend what they believe to be their last moments alive before drowning in the family’s panic room arguing about Francis Ford Coppola’s magnum opus, the 1972 mob epic The Godfather, and, as the water rises, Peter explains his distaste for the film in the most confusing terms possible.
Flash forward to 2025, and Family Guy star and creator MacFarlane is apparently fed up with film buffs using his line,...
- 1/22/2025
- Cracked

Johnny Depp has done a slew of versatile roles in his long career, be it more mature films like Donnie Brasco, or children’s fantasy features like Pirates of the Caribbean and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. However, whenever it came to what he was filming, Johnny Depp was very aware of what he was getting into.
Johnny Depp || Credit: Disney
Mafia films have been a part of Hollywood prestige cinema ever since the days of The Goodfellas and The Godfather trilogy. Needless to say, Johnny Depp would also find himself in a Mafia film, but it would do one thing that films like The Godfather failed to do so horribly.
Johnny Depp did not want to romanticize the Mafia Johnny Depp || Credit: Disney
Johnny Depp, in an interview, revealed that he was pretty hell-bent on not wanting to do a Mafia film that glorifies that way of life. He...
Johnny Depp || Credit: Disney
Mafia films have been a part of Hollywood prestige cinema ever since the days of The Goodfellas and The Godfather trilogy. Needless to say, Johnny Depp would also find himself in a Mafia film, but it would do one thing that films like The Godfather failed to do so horribly.
Johnny Depp did not want to romanticize the Mafia Johnny Depp || Credit: Disney
Johnny Depp, in an interview, revealed that he was pretty hell-bent on not wanting to do a Mafia film that glorifies that way of life. He...
- 1/22/2025
- by Anuraag Chatterjee
- FandomWire

Social media is inundated with Family Guy memes, and a particular one involving The Godfather resurfaces occasionally.
Seth MacFarlane, creator and star of the long-running animated series, recently took to social media to explain the origins of the “it insists upon itself” meme that fans quote.
“Since this has been trending, here’s a fun fact,” MacFarlane shared on X, the microblogging platform formerly known as Twitter. “‘It insists upon itself’ was a criticism my college film history professor used to explain why he didn’t think The Sound of Music was a great film. First-rate teacher, but I never quite followed that one.”
In Season 4, Episode 27, titled “Untitled Griffin Family History,” Peter Griffin shares with his family that he did not care for The Godfather.
“How can you even say that, Dad?” Peter’s son Chris asks.
Lois adds, “Peter, it’s like the perfect movie.”
“And this is what everyone always says,...
Seth MacFarlane, creator and star of the long-running animated series, recently took to social media to explain the origins of the “it insists upon itself” meme that fans quote.
“Since this has been trending, here’s a fun fact,” MacFarlane shared on X, the microblogging platform formerly known as Twitter. “‘It insists upon itself’ was a criticism my college film history professor used to explain why he didn’t think The Sound of Music was a great film. First-rate teacher, but I never quite followed that one.”
In Season 4, Episode 27, titled “Untitled Griffin Family History,” Peter Griffin shares with his family that he did not care for The Godfather.
“How can you even say that, Dad?” Peter’s son Chris asks.
Lois adds, “Peter, it’s like the perfect movie.”
“And this is what everyone always says,...
- 1/22/2025
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV

Razzie Awards: ‘Joker 2’ Tops Nominations; ‘Madame Web,’ ‘Megalopolis,’ ‘Reagan’ Also Among Nominees

Joker: Folie à Deux leads the Razzie Awards noms, which recognize the worst movies and performances of the year, with a total of seven mentions.
Borderlands, Madame Web, Megalopolis and Reagan followed with six noms apiece, it was announced Tuesday. Unfrosted landed with four noms, while The Crow nabbed two noms.
Among the actors receiving mentions were Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga and Jon Voight, one of President Donald Trump’s newly appointed “Ambassadors to Hollywood,” who was nominated for his performances in a “near record” four films in one year.
Organizers joked that the worst picture nominees will compete for a “$4.97 gold spray-painted” statuette and shared their thoughts on each of the films in contention (see below).
Nominees were chosen via emailed ballots to 1,202 Razzie members (movie buffs, film critics and journalists) from 49 states and about two dozen foreign countries who chose five top contenders in each of nine categories.
Borderlands, Madame Web, Megalopolis and Reagan followed with six noms apiece, it was announced Tuesday. Unfrosted landed with four noms, while The Crow nabbed two noms.
Among the actors receiving mentions were Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga and Jon Voight, one of President Donald Trump’s newly appointed “Ambassadors to Hollywood,” who was nominated for his performances in a “near record” four films in one year.
Organizers joked that the worst picture nominees will compete for a “$4.97 gold spray-painted” statuette and shared their thoughts on each of the films in contention (see below).
Nominees were chosen via emailed ballots to 1,202 Razzie members (movie buffs, film critics and journalists) from 49 states and about two dozen foreign countries who chose five top contenders in each of nine categories.
- 1/21/2025
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News

Citizen Kane. The Godfather. Once Upon A Time In America. There Will Be Blood. Towering monuments of moviemaking, all — and all namechecked in notices when Brady Corbet’s third picture, The Brutalist, won the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the Venice Film Festival. Is it possible for any modern movie, even an American epic of these proportions (and we don’t just mean the 215-minute running time), to stand firm in the shadows of such superstructures?
The Brutalist gives it a damn good go. An austere, novelistic, self-consciously important film that unfurls in a measured sprawl, it nonetheless exerts an iron grip. Yes, it’s shot in luxurious VistaVision and divided into chapters and features a 15-minute intermission. And sure, it mulls on the weighty themes of Jewish identity, immigration, privilege, culture-versus-commerce and the thin lines between inspiration and insanity, ambition and crushing egotism. But homework it ain’t.
The Brutalist gives it a damn good go. An austere, novelistic, self-consciously important film that unfurls in a measured sprawl, it nonetheless exerts an iron grip. Yes, it’s shot in luxurious VistaVision and divided into chapters and features a 15-minute intermission. And sure, it mulls on the weighty themes of Jewish identity, immigration, privilege, culture-versus-commerce and the thin lines between inspiration and insanity, ambition and crushing egotism. But homework it ain’t.
- 1/20/2025
- by Jamie Graham
- Empire - Movies

While The Godfather Part II proved itself to be just as critically successful as its predecessor, it surprisingly didn't do as well at the box office. Inspired by the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo, The Godfather trilogy depicted the lives of the Corleone mafia family and their involvement in organized crime across the world. The first installment, The Godfather, looks at the family's patriarch, Vito Corleone, and his complicated life with his family and criminal activities. The two sequels explore Michael Corleone's rise to power and attempts to protect his family from his crimes.
Since the movies' release, The Godfather franchise has been ranked as one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time, with the first two movies being listed as some of the most successful movies ever made. The Godfather's cast includes Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro, who have all received Oscar nominations for their...
Since the movies' release, The Godfather franchise has been ranked as one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time, with the first two movies being listed as some of the most successful movies ever made. The Godfather's cast includes Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro, who have all received Oscar nominations for their...
- 1/18/2025
- by Eidhne Gallagher
- ScreenRant

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Few filmmakers had a better 1970s than Sidney Lumet. While he was more prolific than most of the decade's top directors, knocking out 11 movies over a 10-year span, and did find time to helm one of the worst musicals in motion picture history (a badly bungled adaptation of "The Wiz"), when Lumet got ahold of the right material, he made classics like "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon," and "Network."
There isn't a more electric movie in Lumet's oeuvre than "Dog Day Afternoon." Based on a true story, the 1975 critical and commercial hit centers on a bank robbery in Brooklyn carried out by Sonny Wortzik, an amateur crook desperate to pay for his lover's gender-affirming surgery. When the heist quickly goes south, Sonny and his associates find themselves stuck holding hostages while cops swarm the building. The defiant Sonny scrambles to negotiate...
Few filmmakers had a better 1970s than Sidney Lumet. While he was more prolific than most of the decade's top directors, knocking out 11 movies over a 10-year span, and did find time to helm one of the worst musicals in motion picture history (a badly bungled adaptation of "The Wiz"), when Lumet got ahold of the right material, he made classics like "Serpico," "Dog Day Afternoon," and "Network."
There isn't a more electric movie in Lumet's oeuvre than "Dog Day Afternoon." Based on a true story, the 1975 critical and commercial hit centers on a bank robbery in Brooklyn carried out by Sonny Wortzik, an amateur crook desperate to pay for his lover's gender-affirming surgery. When the heist quickly goes south, Sonny and his associates find themselves stuck holding hostages while cops swarm the building. The defiant Sonny scrambles to negotiate...
- 1/18/2025
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film


A special screening was held on January 15th to celebrate Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya. The director along with composer Vishal Bhardwaj, Aditya Kashyap as well as Manoj Bajpayee and Urmila Matondkar among others came together to celebrate both its release 27 years ago and that it once again is playing on the big screen.
After the screening, Ram Gopal Varma spoke with Subhash K Jha in an open and reflective conversation to share his experience of seeing the film once again.
What was the experience like?
By the time Satya was rolling to an end, while watching it two days back for the first time after more than twenty-five years, I started choking and tears were rolling down my cheeks and I didn’t even care if anyone would see. The tears came from somewhere deep inside me not just for the film, but it was for everything that had...
After the screening, Ram Gopal Varma spoke with Subhash K Jha in an open and reflective conversation to share his experience of seeing the film once again.
What was the experience like?
By the time Satya was rolling to an end, while watching it two days back for the first time after more than twenty-five years, I started choking and tears were rolling down my cheeks and I didn’t even care if anyone would see. The tears came from somewhere deep inside me not just for the film, but it was for everything that had...
- 1/18/2025
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice

The Best Picture race at the 2025 Oscars is coming into focus. The Oscars, also known as the Academy Awards, were created by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1929, and celebrate the artistic achievement of each year's films in a variety of categories including acting, directing, editing, costume design, sound design, and more. The Oscar that is perhaps the most prestigious is the Best Picture award, which celebrates what Academy voters have deemed to be the best film of the year.
Over the years, there have been a wide variety of Best Picture winners, so far running from 1927's Wings, a silent film starring Clara Bow, through 2023's Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's biopic-thriller of J. Robert Oppenheimer starring Cillian Murphy. Some winners are minted classics such as 1942's Casablanca, 1964's The Sound of Music, 1971's The Godfather, and 1992's Schindler's List. However, there are also some winners that...
Over the years, there have been a wide variety of Best Picture winners, so far running from 1927's Wings, a silent film starring Clara Bow, through 2023's Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's biopic-thriller of J. Robert Oppenheimer starring Cillian Murphy. Some winners are minted classics such as 1942's Casablanca, 1964's The Sound of Music, 1971's The Godfather, and 1992's Schindler's List. However, there are also some winners that...
- 1/16/2025
- by Brennan Klein
- ScreenRant


Mark your calendars, Oscars fans, because the 97th Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 2, 2025 on ABC. The annual star-studded ceremony will honor movies released in theaters within the 2024 calendar year of eligibility. AMPAS members will vote on the Oscar winners in 23 categories, including Best Adapted Screenplay. But who will win? Here at Gold Derby, thousands of users have been making and updating their 2025 Oscar predictions for Best Adapted Screenplay, so let’s take a look at all of the top contenders in our photo gallery below.
These 25 Best Adapted Screenplay hopefuls are listed in order of their racetrack odds, which are derived from the combined forecasts of four unique groups: experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, editors who cover awards year-round for this website, top 24 users who had the best accuracy scores last year, and the mass of users who make up our biggest predictions bloc.
The...
These 25 Best Adapted Screenplay hopefuls are listed in order of their racetrack odds, which are derived from the combined forecasts of four unique groups: experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, editors who cover awards year-round for this website, top 24 users who had the best accuracy scores last year, and the mass of users who make up our biggest predictions bloc.
The...
- 1/14/2025
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby

Sofia Coppola got a lot of negative press for her performance as Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III, but she’d previously played a small role (literally) in the first movie, too. When Francis Ford Coppola cast his daughter to play one of the lead roles in the final chapter of The Godfather trilogy, he was criticized for a nepotistic bias. Upon the movie’s release in 1990, critics lambasted Sofia Coppola’s work, with some even claiming that her supposedly wooden acting ruined the film.
But not everyone realizes that this wasn’t Sofia Coppola’s first appearance in The Godfather cast. It was her first time playing a major character with speaking lines, but it wasn’t her first time playing a member of the Corleone family in her father’s iconic trilogy. 18 years before she starred in The Godfather Part III, she had appeared alongside Al Pacino...
But not everyone realizes that this wasn’t Sofia Coppola’s first appearance in The Godfather cast. It was her first time playing a major character with speaking lines, but it wasn’t her first time playing a member of the Corleone family in her father’s iconic trilogy. 18 years before she starred in The Godfather Part III, she had appeared alongside Al Pacino...
- 1/13/2025
- by Ben Sherlock
- ScreenRant

Andy Garcia's Vincent Mancini took over from Michael in The Godfather Part III, but a completely different character might have proved a more fitting replacement. Francis Ford Coppola's 1972 gangster classic chronicled the handover of power from Vito Corleone to his son Michael. The story came full circle 18 years later when Michael himself passed the reins over in The Godfather Part III. His eventual successor was Sonny's illegitimate child, Vincent, who had been serving the Corleone family under Joey Zaza but was looking for more responsibility and influence.
Upon proving himself to Michael, Vincent became next in line as the Corleone family don, and the entire Godfather saga concluded with Garcia's newly-crowned protagonist promising to usher in a new era of prosperity for his inherited empire. While Vincent represented a fascinating addition to The Godfather's cast, he was far from the obvious choice to replace Al Pacino's Michael.
Upon proving himself to Michael, Vincent became next in line as the Corleone family don, and the entire Godfather saga concluded with Garcia's newly-crowned protagonist promising to usher in a new era of prosperity for his inherited empire. While Vincent represented a fascinating addition to The Godfather's cast, he was far from the obvious choice to replace Al Pacino's Michael.
- 1/12/2025
- by Craig Elvy
- ScreenRant


In his 30-year career as an actor Amrish Puri did over 200 films. In his early years, most of the work he did was either quality-oriented work for the avant-garde directors Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani or outright kitsch, where he used his powerful voice and screen presence to accentuate the cinematic definitions of evil. Puri’s truly fertile phase as Bollywood’s most dependable character-actor, or actor of character, began in 1992. Here’s a checklist of his best films.
Nishant (1975):Playing the eldest brother in a family of zaalim(cruel) zamindars who abduct and rape a schoolteacher’s wife, Amrish Puri struck a note of immediate and everlasting terror in viewers’ hearts. Though the film had other terrific actors it was Puri who dominated the show in every way possible. The role had apparently been written for the Bengali actor Utpal Dutt, who excelled at playing obdurate disciplinarians. Puri, too,...
Nishant (1975):Playing the eldest brother in a family of zaalim(cruel) zamindars who abduct and rape a schoolteacher’s wife, Amrish Puri struck a note of immediate and everlasting terror in viewers’ hearts. Though the film had other terrific actors it was Puri who dominated the show in every way possible. The role had apparently been written for the Bengali actor Utpal Dutt, who excelled at playing obdurate disciplinarians. Puri, too,...
- 1/12/2025
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice


General Hospital (Gh) spoilers reveal that Chad Duell has left his role as Michael Corinthos on the ABC soap.
Duell recently appeared on Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) podcast, State of Mind, where they entertained fans with talk of “Mini Maurice.” Here’s what to know!
General Hospital Spoilers – Maurice Benard Hosts State of Mind
Fans noticed Duell holding a doll which he introduced as Mini Maurice. According to Duell he “made this myself, actually, about five, six years back.”
“You know, we do scenes together and we were working heavy together, I kind of wanted to have somebody I can run lines with and just have your kind of presence. And also, it was a situation like a Buddha’s belly type thing.
Just for a good luck thing, I just go between the shirt, rub the nip. It’s a good luck kind of charm for me, especially...
Duell recently appeared on Maurice Benard’s (Sonny Corinthos) podcast, State of Mind, where they entertained fans with talk of “Mini Maurice.” Here’s what to know!
General Hospital Spoilers – Maurice Benard Hosts State of Mind
Fans noticed Duell holding a doll which he introduced as Mini Maurice. According to Duell he “made this myself, actually, about five, six years back.”
“You know, we do scenes together and we were working heavy together, I kind of wanted to have somebody I can run lines with and just have your kind of presence. And also, it was a situation like a Buddha’s belly type thing.
Just for a good luck thing, I just go between the shirt, rub the nip. It’s a good luck kind of charm for me, especially...
- 1/12/2025
- by Tanya Clark
- Soap Opera Spy


Dorothy Sing Zhang studied Fine Arts at the University College of London, Slade, and pursued film studies at Ecole de Leth (Denmark) with Lars Von Trier and Jørgen Leth. In 2021, she directed the documentary “BàBà” (Festival du Nouveau Cinéma). In addition to her film work, she also released the monograph Like Someone Alive. “Masterpiece Mommy“, her latest short premiered in Toronto this year and stars Chinese singer-songwriter Leah Dou.
Ada is distributed by Dogme23.
More info on the image below
The film begins with a doctor informing her patient of the results of her Ct scan, with the phrase “I have some news, good and bad” looming quite heavily from the get go of the short. Meanwhile, the images, in slow motion for the most part, show a sequence of coins falling from a bag. The next scene is more ‘grounded’, showing a waiting room with Justine and her mother...
Ada is distributed by Dogme23.
More info on the image below
The film begins with a doctor informing her patient of the results of her Ct scan, with the phrase “I have some news, good and bad” looming quite heavily from the get go of the short. Meanwhile, the images, in slow motion for the most part, show a sequence of coins falling from a bag. The next scene is more ‘grounded’, showing a waiting room with Justine and her mother...
- 1/12/2025
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse

This claim, included in Universal’s thorough and impressive list of box office achievements for 2024, is technically true: “Domestically ‘Wicked‘ is now … the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation of all-time at the domestic office ahead of ‘Grease’ ($188.62M).”
Also technically true is that “The Grinch” is bigger than “Gone with the Wind,” “Sing” is bigger than “Jaws,” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is bigger than “The Godfather.” Also, the 1977 first “Star Wars” is only the third biggest success of that franchise.
Presenting grosses without adjusting skews the real picture of how they compare. It is a prime case of film history erasure, an all-too common occurrence these days. The somewhat (but not impossible in most cases) effort to sort out the true success of films through history starts with adjusting box office takes to current ticket prices. Normally, that is fairly simple, since we know the costs by year and can do the math.
Also technically true is that “The Grinch” is bigger than “Gone with the Wind,” “Sing” is bigger than “Jaws,” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” is bigger than “The Godfather.” Also, the 1977 first “Star Wars” is only the third biggest success of that franchise.
Presenting grosses without adjusting skews the real picture of how they compare. It is a prime case of film history erasure, an all-too common occurrence these days. The somewhat (but not impossible in most cases) effort to sort out the true success of films through history starts with adjusting box office takes to current ticket prices. Normally, that is fairly simple, since we know the costs by year and can do the math.
- 1/10/2025
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire

Tom Hagen is an unofficial member of the Corleone family in The Godfather, but the movie leaves it unclear how and when the family adopted him. Tom is one of the most iconic characters in The Godfather trilogy, and one of the Corleones’ most trusted allies. Although he’s not a Corleone in name, he’s as much a son to Don Vito Corleone as Michael, Sonny, or Fredo. As the family’s lawyer and consigliere, Tom is much more valuable to the Corleone clan than Fredo.
Robert Duvall played the role of Tom in the cast of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, but the character didn’t appear in The Godfather Part III. The first two movies left Tom’s backstory a mystery, so when he was absent from the threequel, it remained unexplained. In the movies, it’s mentioned that Sonny brought Tom home and ingratiated him into the family,...
Robert Duvall played the role of Tom in the cast of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, but the character didn’t appear in The Godfather Part III. The first two movies left Tom’s backstory a mystery, so when he was absent from the threequel, it remained unexplained. In the movies, it’s mentioned that Sonny brought Tom home and ingratiated him into the family,...
- 1/10/2025
- by Ben Sherlock
- ScreenRant

Al Pacino is one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation. Though he is now 84 years old, Pacino got his start in acting in his late 20s, when he played a role in the 1968 television series N.Y.P.D. Only four years after that debut, Pacino became best known for playing the role of Michael in The Godfather. This earned Pacino an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and later Best Actor for the sequel The Godfather Part II. It would not be until 1993, however, that Pacino first won an Oscar, for Scent of a Woman.
Pacino has also won two Tony awards and two Emmy Awards, giving him three of the coveted Egot letters (he is missing a Grammy). This is a huge achievement that few actors have been able to accomplish. Impressively, Pacino's career continues today, and he even got a Best Supporting Actor nomination in 2020 for The Irishman.
Pacino has also won two Tony awards and two Emmy Awards, giving him three of the coveted Egot letters (he is missing a Grammy). This is a huge achievement that few actors have been able to accomplish. Impressively, Pacino's career continues today, and he even got a Best Supporting Actor nomination in 2020 for The Irishman.
- 1/9/2025
- by Hannah Gearan
- ScreenRant

A distinct lack of Tom Hagen remains one of The Godfather Part III's biggest drawbacks, but there was a reason for the actor's absence. An adopted member of the Corleone family, Robert DuVall's Tom Hagen was among the major players in 1972's The Godfather cast. Following the deaths of Sonny and Vito, Hagen enjoyed even more prominence in The Godfather Part II, where he temporarily acted as don of the Corleone family in Michael's stead.
Despite his evident importance to the franchise, DuVall did not return in The Godfather Part III, and was the only major surviving character to be omitted. Dialogue explained that Tom Hagen died sometime between The Godfather Part II and Part III due to illness, not some nefarious mafia activity as one might assume. The real-life reason Robert DuVall declined The Godfather Part III, however, isn't quite as straightforward.
Robert DuVall Didn't Appear In The...
Despite his evident importance to the franchise, DuVall did not return in The Godfather Part III, and was the only major surviving character to be omitted. Dialogue explained that Tom Hagen died sometime between The Godfather Part II and Part III due to illness, not some nefarious mafia activity as one might assume. The real-life reason Robert DuVall declined The Godfather Part III, however, isn't quite as straightforward.
Robert DuVall Didn't Appear In The...
- 1/9/2025
- by Craig Elvy
- ScreenRant

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has revealed its nominees for the upcoming 2025 awards, and it’s a high-stakes Oscar season, proven by the notable snubs and surprises. The five filmmakers contending for the prestigious DGA Award for Directorial Achievement in Feature Film are the following:
Jacques Audiard for “Emilia Pérez” Sean Baker for “Anora” Edward Berger for “Conclave” Brady Corbet for “The Brutalist” James Mangold for “A Complete Unknown”
It’s a category entirely of first-time DGA nominees. Most notably, this is significant for Mangold, who nabbed the first of his career for the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” which continues to pick up momentum coming after its haul at the SAG Awards noms. After helming films like “Walk the Line” (2005), “Logan” (2017) and “Ford v Ferrari” (2019), this piece of notoriety seemed long overdue.
This is also huge for German auteur Berger, who missed out on a director nom...
Jacques Audiard for “Emilia Pérez” Sean Baker for “Anora” Edward Berger for “Conclave” Brady Corbet for “The Brutalist” James Mangold for “A Complete Unknown”
It’s a category entirely of first-time DGA nominees. Most notably, this is significant for Mangold, who nabbed the first of his career for the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” which continues to pick up momentum coming after its haul at the SAG Awards noms. After helming films like “Walk the Line” (2005), “Logan” (2017) and “Ford v Ferrari” (2019), this piece of notoriety seemed long overdue.
This is also huge for German auteur Berger, who missed out on a director nom...
- 1/8/2025
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV

Many have noticed the following trend in recent years, and it strikes everyone as incredibly odd. Whenever a major Hollywood studio pours millions into a high-profile movie musical, they insist on eschewing the fact that they have done so in the film's advertising. One might note that the early previews for Jon M. Chu's "Wicked" didn't feature any of the film's songs, despite being based on one of the most popular Broadway musicals of all time. Likewise, trailers for "Mufasa: The Lion King" didn't boast any of the film's songs, despite them having been written by Disney superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda. Earlier this year, previews from the musical rendition of "Mean Girls," also adapted from a Broadway show, didn't have any singing in them, and the ads for the 2023 hit "Wonka" were also song-free.
This has led many pundits and critics to ask why Hollywood is manufacturing a stigma against musicals.
This has led many pundits and critics to ask why Hollywood is manufacturing a stigma against musicals.
- 1/8/2025
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film

Marco and Rifle Club released on the same day, and the content of both the films made sure 2024 ended with a loud bang for Malayalam cinema. Both films have ample amounts of gunfights, gore, and death, though the premise in each of them is different. Though Rifle Club was about a family shielding themselves from a gangster’s wrath, Marco, directed by Haneef Adeni, is a revenge saga of a mafia family that is avenging the death of their family member.
Spoilers Ahead
Why was Victor killed?
Marco began with Victor, a young blind guy, and his best friend, Wasim, conversing about the latter’s older brother, Tariq. He was complaining about Tariq getting involved in illegal businesses that were in Wasim’s name. Minutes later, Wasim was killed by a group of goons, and Victor, the next day, was able to identify the killer through his scent. He could...
Spoilers Ahead
Why was Victor killed?
Marco began with Victor, a young blind guy, and his best friend, Wasim, conversing about the latter’s older brother, Tariq. He was complaining about Tariq getting involved in illegal businesses that were in Wasim’s name. Minutes later, Wasim was killed by a group of goons, and Victor, the next day, was able to identify the killer through his scent. He could...
- 1/7/2025
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives

Catchphrases have a unique power to transcend their origins and embed themselves in our everyday lives. They can evoke memories, laughter (as in the Deadpool franchise for example), or inspiration, and often become cultural shorthand for complex ideas. Here’s a countdown of the top 10 most iconic catchphrases in pop culture:
10. “May the Force be with you.” Source: Star Wars
Why It’s Iconic: A benediction from the Jedi, this line has become synonymous with encouragement and good luck. It’s used far beyond the Star Wars universe, often in moments of challenge or adventure.
9. “I’ll be back.” Source: The Terminator
Why It’s Iconic: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stoic delivery turned this phrase into a symbol of inevitable return and unstoppable resolve. It’s been parodied and referenced countless times.
8. “D’oh!” Source: The Simpsons
Why It’s Iconic: Homer Simpson’s frustrated exclamation perfectly captures moments of self-inflicted mistakes.
10. “May the Force be with you.” Source: Star Wars
Why It’s Iconic: A benediction from the Jedi, this line has become synonymous with encouragement and good luck. It’s used far beyond the Star Wars universe, often in moments of challenge or adventure.
9. “I’ll be back.” Source: The Terminator
Why It’s Iconic: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s stoic delivery turned this phrase into a symbol of inevitable return and unstoppable resolve. It’s been parodied and referenced countless times.
8. “D’oh!” Source: The Simpsons
Why It’s Iconic: Homer Simpson’s frustrated exclamation perfectly captures moments of self-inflicted mistakes.
- 1/7/2025
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly

What Did Al Pacino Say About Turning Down Han Solo Role & Giving Harrison Ford A Career? (Photo Credit – YouTube/Facebook)
Hold up, Al Pacino turned down Han Solo?! Yes, he did. Having delivered some of Hollywood’s most iconic performances in The Godfather, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon, he was offered the chance to become a galactic legend. But despite the big paycheck, Pacino passed on Star Wars in 1977.
At an event in New York, Pacino revealed the shocking story: “They gave me a script called Star Wars. They offered me so much money. I don’t understand it. I read it. So I said I couldn’t do it.” It’s as if the universe had conspired to create one of the most mind-boggling “What Ifs” in Hollywood lore. Instead of Pacino in the iconic role, we got Harrison Ford.
Ever the modest legend, Pacino quipped, “I gave Harrison Ford a career.
Hold up, Al Pacino turned down Han Solo?! Yes, he did. Having delivered some of Hollywood’s most iconic performances in The Godfather, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon, he was offered the chance to become a galactic legend. But despite the big paycheck, Pacino passed on Star Wars in 1977.
At an event in New York, Pacino revealed the shocking story: “They gave me a script called Star Wars. They offered me so much money. I don’t understand it. I read it. So I said I couldn’t do it.” It’s as if the universe had conspired to create one of the most mind-boggling “What Ifs” in Hollywood lore. Instead of Pacino in the iconic role, we got Harrison Ford.
Ever the modest legend, Pacino quipped, “I gave Harrison Ford a career.
- 1/7/2025
- by Koimoi.com Team
- KoiMoi

Francis Ford Coppola is responsible for half a century of onscreen leading men. The greatest Hollywood actors of the later 20th century, from Al Pacino to Robert De Niro to Robert Duvall? They also got their big break in one of the first two "Godfather" films. That's not to say these actors wouldn't have been stars without Coppola's movies (none of them are exactly one-hit wonders), but the New Hollywood truly put several artists in the right place at the right time to produce classic films.
In 1983, Coppola did it again with "The Outsiders," adapting S.E. Hinton's 1967 coming-of-age novel about several low-class teenage "Greasers" in 1960s Oklahoma. The main ensemble was played by several then up-and-comers, now-stars: Ralph Macchio as the sensitive Johnny Cade, Matt Dillon as wannabe tough guy Dallas "Dally" Winston, and Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze as brothers Sodapop and Darrel "Darry" Curtis. Diane Lane also appears as Cherry,...
In 1983, Coppola did it again with "The Outsiders," adapting S.E. Hinton's 1967 coming-of-age novel about several low-class teenage "Greasers" in 1960s Oklahoma. The main ensemble was played by several then up-and-comers, now-stars: Ralph Macchio as the sensitive Johnny Cade, Matt Dillon as wannabe tough guy Dallas "Dally" Winston, and Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze as brothers Sodapop and Darrel "Darry" Curtis. Diane Lane also appears as Cherry,...
- 1/6/2025
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film

While The Godfather is about the rise and fall of the powerful Corleone mafia family, the story is bigger than that, with five families at the center of the mafia war. The Godfather trilogy begins with the critically acclaimed movie, The Godfather, which is still regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. The cast of the Godfather trilogy features veteran actors like Marlon Brando and rising actors who would later become major stars, like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro.
The main themes running through the Godfather trilogy are trust and the way that alliances can make or break the movie's crime families. The Godfather begins with the Corleone family seemingly in power, but that status starts to crumble as Don Vito Corleone discovers that he has trusted the wrong people. The Corleone family's biggest mistakes and attempts to hold onto their power are the basis of The Godfather's story.
The main themes running through the Godfather trilogy are trust and the way that alliances can make or break the movie's crime families. The Godfather begins with the Corleone family seemingly in power, but that status starts to crumble as Don Vito Corleone discovers that he has trusted the wrong people. The Corleone family's biggest mistakes and attempts to hold onto their power are the basis of The Godfather's story.
- 1/5/2025
- by Faith Roswell
- ScreenRant

Audiences often generate their own assumptions about certain movies before they even watch them, but some movies surpass all expectations and become classics. A troubled production is often an indicator that a movie will end up as a flop, but behind-the-scenes drama doesn't always derail a movie. Classics like The Godfather and Dirty Dancing were almost shut down, and it's a wonder that they ever got finished.
In other cases, audiences can form opinions about a movie before watching it, only for the movie to pack a surprising punch. For example, Titanic was seen as an expensive gamble by a director with no experience making period romances, and Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy was initially derided as an ill-judged attempt to film Tolkien's unfilmable novels. Ultimately, movies shouldn't be judged before people watch them, because some of them can overcome the odds.
Paddington 2 (2017) Not Many People...
In other cases, audiences can form opinions about a movie before watching it, only for the movie to pack a surprising punch. For example, Titanic was seen as an expensive gamble by a director with no experience making period romances, and Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy was initially derided as an ill-judged attempt to film Tolkien's unfilmable novels. Ultimately, movies shouldn't be judged before people watch them, because some of them can overcome the odds.
Paddington 2 (2017) Not Many People...
- 1/4/2025
- by Ben Protheroe
- ScreenRant
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