“As we investigated the story, the bones of the story itself, what we discovered was that it was ready made for the stage,” explains Glen Ballard of “Back to the Future: The Musical.” The famed songwriter collaborated with composer Alan Silvestri to bring one of the most beloved movies of the 1980s to the stage. The road to Broadway was long, but full of creative potential. “We thought it was a delicious opportunity,” admits Ballard. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
The project came with many appealing assets, with perhaps the most important one being Silvestri’s iconic score to the film. The duo transformed the films’ title theme into a catchy opening number, appropriately called “It’s Only a Matter of Time.” A new set of lyrics that introduce the audience to Marty McFly (Casey Likes) fits neatly into the infamous melody line. “I think one of the first...
The project came with many appealing assets, with perhaps the most important one being Silvestri’s iconic score to the film. The duo transformed the films’ title theme into a catchy opening number, appropriately called “It’s Only a Matter of Time.” A new set of lyrics that introduce the audience to Marty McFly (Casey Likes) fits neatly into the infamous melody line. “I think one of the first...
- 4/5/2024
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Sony Pictures’ forthcoming drama feature Here, reuniting the creative forces behind Forrest Gump, is getting a prime awards season spot on the theatrical calendar.
Sony announced Friday that the film from director Robert Zemeckis, writer Eric Roth, and stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright is set for a platform release this November. Here will hit Los Angeles and New York theaters Nov. 15 ahead of a limited release the following week, before going wide Nov. 27.
Zemeckis directs Here from a script he wrote with Roth that is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Richard McGuire. It tells the story of multiple families over the course of generations and a location that is special to them.
Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly and Michelle Dockery round out the ensemble cast. Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Derek Hogue and Bill Block serve as producers.
The Hollywood Reporter reported last year that Hanks and...
Sony announced Friday that the film from director Robert Zemeckis, writer Eric Roth, and stars Tom Hanks and Robin Wright is set for a platform release this November. Here will hit Los Angeles and New York theaters Nov. 15 ahead of a limited release the following week, before going wide Nov. 27.
Zemeckis directs Here from a script he wrote with Roth that is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Richard McGuire. It tells the story of multiple families over the course of generations and a location that is special to them.
Paul Bettany, Kelly Reilly and Michelle Dockery round out the ensemble cast. Zemeckis, Jack Rapke, Derek Hogue and Bill Block serve as producers.
The Hollywood Reporter reported last year that Hanks and...
- 3/29/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
At some juncture, every action star must face their greatest challenge in their own mortality. As Donnie Yen enters his 60's, the inevitability of time means his action career on screen is now entering its twilight years. “Polar Express” therefore represents a slight change in direction. A role that focuses as much on his acting prowess as on his physical. With Well Go USA releasing this latest work, it's an opportunity to see how he fares.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
De (Donnie Yen) takes his wife Xuan (Cecilia Han) and their two children away for a vacation. An argument with his son Lele results in the child going missing. The desperate parents go to the local police and Chief Bai (Tianlai Hou) heads up the search. With time running out and revelations about De's actions coming to the surface, the chances of Lele's rescue diminish.
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
De (Donnie Yen) takes his wife Xuan (Cecilia Han) and their two children away for a vacation. An argument with his son Lele results in the child going missing. The desperate parents go to the local police and Chief Bai (Tianlai Hou) heads up the search. With time running out and revelations about De's actions coming to the surface, the chances of Lele's rescue diminish.
- 3/11/2024
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
“Presence,” a twisty haunted house thriller, marks the second collaboration between Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp. The duo, who are longtime friends, also partnered on 2022’s “Kimi,” which featured Zoë Kravitz as an agoraphobic tech wiz.
But Soderergh and Koepp entered each other’s orbit long before “Kimi” debuted. Koepp wrote the screenplay for the 1992 black comedy “Death Becomes Her,” a cult favorite that was also a pioneer in its use of computer graphics.
“I want to preface this by saying I hate it when people talk about things that they passed on,” Soderbergh told Variety in an interview for a recent profile. “For whatever reason, I just feel like I am not convinced it’s good form to do that.”
But Soderbergh did acknowledge that he was offered a chance to direct “Death Becomes Her,” which would have happened shortly after he scored a breakout hit with 1989’s “Sex, Lies, and Videotape.
But Soderergh and Koepp entered each other’s orbit long before “Kimi” debuted. Koepp wrote the screenplay for the 1992 black comedy “Death Becomes Her,” a cult favorite that was also a pioneer in its use of computer graphics.
“I want to preface this by saying I hate it when people talk about things that they passed on,” Soderbergh told Variety in an interview for a recent profile. “For whatever reason, I just feel like I am not convinced it’s good form to do that.”
But Soderbergh did acknowledge that he was offered a chance to direct “Death Becomes Her,” which would have happened shortly after he scored a breakout hit with 1989’s “Sex, Lies, and Videotape.
- 1/26/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
A sequel to Robert Zemeckis’ 2004 animated Christmas film The Polar Express is being looked at, although nothing is yet confirmed.
Almost 20 years after its release, Robert Zemeckis’ animated Christmas film The Polar Express could be on the cusp of getting a sequel, as one of the film’s producers, Gary Goetzman, has revealed he’s trying to get a follow-up underway.
Speaking to Comicbook.com, Goetzman referenced a couple of films he’s produced before dropping an interesting nugget regarding the future of The Polar Express. (The following quotes are lightly edited for clarity.)
“I’d love to [do The Polar Express 2]. I’d love to do a sequel of Where The Wild Things Are. There’s a lot of the things that we’ve done, if it established itself [and] studios want another one. That’s the way it goes. I’m up for Mamma Mia 3, man. That would be a ball to do right about now.
Almost 20 years after its release, Robert Zemeckis’ animated Christmas film The Polar Express could be on the cusp of getting a sequel, as one of the film’s producers, Gary Goetzman, has revealed he’s trying to get a follow-up underway.
Speaking to Comicbook.com, Goetzman referenced a couple of films he’s produced before dropping an interesting nugget regarding the future of The Polar Express. (The following quotes are lightly edited for clarity.)
“I’d love to [do The Polar Express 2]. I’d love to do a sequel of Where The Wild Things Are. There’s a lot of the things that we’ve done, if it established itself [and] studios want another one. That’s the way it goes. I’m up for Mamma Mia 3, man. That would be a ball to do right about now.
- 1/19/2024
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
Happy New Year! ‘Terror Train’ Dares to Ask Whether Dying Is Preferable to Watching a Bad Magic Show
On Friday nights — and special occasions!— IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: You Know, Getting Murdered on a Train Might Still Be Better Than Going to Times Square
The underwhelming New Year’s Eve party is a universal human experience if there ever was one. The holiday is ostensibly the biggest night of the year for debauchery, but burnout, outlandish expectations, and rowdy crowds often turn it into a letdown that makes it a little easier to trade our holiday cheer in for January discipline. But no matter what disappointing experience comes your way tonight, you can take comfort...
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: You Know, Getting Murdered on a Train Might Still Be Better Than Going to Times Square
The underwhelming New Year’s Eve party is a universal human experience if there ever was one. The holiday is ostensibly the biggest night of the year for debauchery, but burnout, outlandish expectations, and rowdy crowds often turn it into a letdown that makes it a little easier to trade our holiday cheer in for January discipline. But no matter what disappointing experience comes your way tonight, you can take comfort...
- 1/1/2024
- by Christian Zilko and Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Ah, Christmas. It’s a time of family get-togethers, going into debt, and TV and movie studios trying their best to cater to everyone. Unless you’re on the Hallmark Channel, and it’s pretty obvious you’ve got one specific demo you are targeting with extreme prejudice.
Over the years, many Christmas-themed movies and TV specials have danced across screens, both big and small. Some of them are classics like A Muppet Christmas Carol, or It’s a Wonderful Life. Others go out of their way to try and be extreme in their counter-programming, like Silent Night, Deadly Night (which has somehow made six total films over the years…good lord).
And then others are just so odd and unexpected that they deserve their own list, and that’s what we’re doing today. I’m not sure this list should be counted as Nice or Naughty; we’ll say...
Over the years, many Christmas-themed movies and TV specials have danced across screens, both big and small. Some of them are classics like A Muppet Christmas Carol, or It’s a Wonderful Life. Others go out of their way to try and be extreme in their counter-programming, like Silent Night, Deadly Night (which has somehow made six total films over the years…good lord).
And then others are just so odd and unexpected that they deserve their own list, and that’s what we’re doing today. I’m not sure this list should be counted as Nice or Naughty; we’ll say...
- 12/23/2023
- by Jessica Dwyer
- JoBlo.com
Cord cutters can save on Paramount+ with Showtime, Starz, MGM+ and other video-on-demand services with Prime Video’s Digital Week deals — offering some of the best streaming discounts since Black Friday.
Save up to 83% off Prime Video Channels
Through Jan. 1, 2024, save up to 83 percent off select Prime Video channels, holiday movies, rentals and more. Prime and Prime Video members pay only $1.99 per month for their first two months of Paramount+ with Showtime (reg. $11.99 per month); Starz, Crunchyroll Premium and BET+ (reg. $9.99 per month); Shudder and Vix Premium (reg. $6.99 per month); PBS Masterpiece and MGM+ (reg. $5.99 per month); PBS Kids and Lifetime Movie Club and BBC Select (reg. $4.99 per month); PBS Documentaries (reg. $3.99 per month); PBS Living (reg. $2.99 per month) and many other channels.
Paramount+ with Showtime is home to CBS, Good Burger 2, Paw Patrol and Star Trek content, new series such as A24’s The Curse and films and...
Save up to 83% off Prime Video Channels
Through Jan. 1, 2024, save up to 83 percent off select Prime Video channels, holiday movies, rentals and more. Prime and Prime Video members pay only $1.99 per month for their first two months of Paramount+ with Showtime (reg. $11.99 per month); Starz, Crunchyroll Premium and BET+ (reg. $9.99 per month); Shudder and Vix Premium (reg. $6.99 per month); PBS Masterpiece and MGM+ (reg. $5.99 per month); PBS Kids and Lifetime Movie Club and BBC Select (reg. $4.99 per month); PBS Documentaries (reg. $3.99 per month); PBS Living (reg. $2.99 per month) and many other channels.
Paramount+ with Showtime is home to CBS, Good Burger 2, Paw Patrol and Star Trek content, new series such as A24’s The Curse and films and...
- 12/21/2023
- by Danielle Directo-Meston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s the holiday season, everyone! And that applies for whenever you end up reading this because, as we all know, holiday cheer is a state of mind as much as it is date on the calendar.
Speaking of calendar dates though, there are many Christmas movies and TV specials to enjoy throughout November and December in 2023. Whether it’s via cable or streaming, television has a jam-packed schedule to keep you in the Christmas spirit. Here we’ve gathered all of those Christmas movie and TV special options that we can find in a helpful day-by-day format. Read on to find out when your favorite holiday specials will be airing or streaming and learn how to find some new favorites!
A note: If You’Re Looking For Hallmark Movies, please check out Hallmark Channel’s official schedule for every Christmas movie Hallmark has to offer during the 2023 holiday season.
Speaking of calendar dates though, there are many Christmas movies and TV specials to enjoy throughout November and December in 2023. Whether it’s via cable or streaming, television has a jam-packed schedule to keep you in the Christmas spirit. Here we’ve gathered all of those Christmas movie and TV special options that we can find in a helpful day-by-day format. Read on to find out when your favorite holiday specials will be airing or streaming and learn how to find some new favorites!
A note: If You’Re Looking For Hallmark Movies, please check out Hallmark Channel’s official schedule for every Christmas movie Hallmark has to offer during the 2023 holiday season.
- 12/18/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
With Christmas just one week (and one day) away, we wanted to ask you, the people, what your favorite Christmas Movie is? It doesn’t have to be the movie you think is the best, just the one that you eagerly anticipate watching every year. Is it the timeless tale of an angel getting its wings in It’s A Wonderful Life? or perhaps the under-appreciated (and genuinely hilarious) R rated The Night Before is how you kick off your holiday season?
Do you look forward to seeing Jack Skellington discover the true meaning of Christmas in the Christmas Movie Classic The Nightmare Before Christmas or watching Kevin McCallister take down the Wet/ Sticky Bandits in Home Alone 1&2 or perhaps seeing Clark W. Griswold struggle to have the perfect family Christmas in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is more your speed? Whatever film fills you with yuletide glee, we would love...
Do you look forward to seeing Jack Skellington discover the true meaning of Christmas in the Christmas Movie Classic The Nightmare Before Christmas or watching Kevin McCallister take down the Wet/ Sticky Bandits in Home Alone 1&2 or perhaps seeing Clark W. Griswold struggle to have the perfect family Christmas in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is more your speed? Whatever film fills you with yuletide glee, we would love...
- 12/17/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
Christmas movies are one of the most beloved genres in cinema history with every film fan having their own select favorite that they watch and rewatch every year. However, while the genre is treasured, the Oscars haven’t rewarded it as much as you might think or hope. There are several movies, however, that have found their way into Oscars lineups. We’ve detailed just five of those Christmas movies that have managed Oscar nominations or wins.
By the way, “The Apartment” is not included on this list (but might be in a future article). The Billy Wilder movie won five Academy Awards including Best Picture (1961) but there seems to be debate around whether it actually qualifies as a Christmas movie or not. It’s set during the holiday period, but some feel that isn’t enough for it to be an out-and-out Christmas movie. Perhaps that’s one for our forums.
By the way, “The Apartment” is not included on this list (but might be in a future article). The Billy Wilder movie won five Academy Awards including Best Picture (1961) but there seems to be debate around whether it actually qualifies as a Christmas movie or not. It’s set during the holiday period, but some feel that isn’t enough for it to be an out-and-out Christmas movie. Perhaps that’s one for our forums.
- 12/14/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
(Clockwise from bottom left) Elf (Courtesy New Line Cinema), It’s A Wonderful Life (Rko Radio Picture/Getty Images), A Christmas Story (Courtesy of MGM), Miracle On 34th Street (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)Graphic: The A.V. Club
After a long day of braving frigid temps and long queues—online or...
After a long day of braving frigid temps and long queues—online or...
- 12/9/2023
- by Jen Lennon, Phil Pirrello, Cindy White, Mary Kate Carr, Jack Smart, Saloni Gajjar, and William Hughes
- avclub.com
‘Tis the season of abundance! Celebrate more being more with director Jenn Wexler’s “The Sacrifice Game,” a campy new Shudder release that imagines what would happen if the cast of “The Holdovers” got a Christmas visit from the Manson Family at an all-girls boarding school with a witchy secret.
Co-written by Wexler and Sean Redlitz, this grab-bag seasonal period flick — shot in snowy Canada and set in 1971 — is more gruesome than scary and takes a handful of decidedly silly turns. Be it fruit cake, stuffed stocking, whatever your holiday metaphor, the fantasy horror adventure of students Samantha (Madison Baines) and Clara (Georgia Acken) gifts audiences steadily stranger fun almost all the way through. It’s a genre blend that’s delightful, baffling, and surprisingly ruthless in its decisive direction with a holiday twist that isn’t necessary for the plot but certainly ties the zany concept together.
What begins...
Co-written by Wexler and Sean Redlitz, this grab-bag seasonal period flick — shot in snowy Canada and set in 1971 — is more gruesome than scary and takes a handful of decidedly silly turns. Be it fruit cake, stuffed stocking, whatever your holiday metaphor, the fantasy horror adventure of students Samantha (Madison Baines) and Clara (Georgia Acken) gifts audiences steadily stranger fun almost all the way through. It’s a genre blend that’s delightful, baffling, and surprisingly ruthless in its decisive direction with a holiday twist that isn’t necessary for the plot but certainly ties the zany concept together.
What begins...
- 12/8/2023
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
There are some great bargains available on top streaming platforms if you’re looking for something new to watch this holiday season!
The holidays are here! Christmas is suddenly less than three weeks away, and there are some fantastic deals available for streaming customers who are looking for a new service to watch holiday favorites with. Whether you’re looking for a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming platform like Hulu or Starz or a live TV streaming service that delivers cable channels like Sling TV and Directv Stream.
Check out the best streaming deals available now below! Some services are providing bigtime discounts, while others are allowing users to watch via extended free trials to stream free content all throughout the holidays. In The Streamable’s expert opinion, these are the best streaming deals you’ll find this holiday season.
Live TV Streaming Holiday Deals Directv Stream
Directv Stream is our...
The holidays are here! Christmas is suddenly less than three weeks away, and there are some fantastic deals available for streaming customers who are looking for a new service to watch holiday favorites with. Whether you’re looking for a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming platform like Hulu or Starz or a live TV streaming service that delivers cable channels like Sling TV and Directv Stream.
Check out the best streaming deals available now below! Some services are providing bigtime discounts, while others are allowing users to watch via extended free trials to stream free content all throughout the holidays. In The Streamable’s expert opinion, these are the best streaming deals you’ll find this holiday season.
Live TV Streaming Holiday Deals Directv Stream
Directv Stream is our...
- 12/7/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Users can find holiday classics, new movies and plenty more on Sling TV this holiday season.
Sling TV is a fantastic way to watch your favorite cable channels no matter what time of year it is. With regular plans starting at $40 per month (now 50% off), it’s hard to beat the value you’ll get with a Sling TV subscription, especially since it carries top cable channels like ESPN, TNT, FX, and more.
But at this time of year, when temperatures turn cold and indoor activities take on an even greater emphasis, a subscription to a top-quality streaming service is an absolute must. Sling is one of the best available, with plenty of incredible holiday-themed content for users to enjoy at Christmastime!
Get 50% Off Pay Just $20 For Your First Month sling.com What Holiday Content is Available with Sling TV?
Sling TV carries Lifetime in both of its base plans,...
Sling TV is a fantastic way to watch your favorite cable channels no matter what time of year it is. With regular plans starting at $40 per month (now 50% off), it’s hard to beat the value you’ll get with a Sling TV subscription, especially since it carries top cable channels like ESPN, TNT, FX, and more.
But at this time of year, when temperatures turn cold and indoor activities take on an even greater emphasis, a subscription to a top-quality streaming service is an absolute must. Sling is one of the best available, with plenty of incredible holiday-themed content for users to enjoy at Christmastime!
Get 50% Off Pay Just $20 For Your First Month sling.com What Holiday Content is Available with Sling TV?
Sling TV carries Lifetime in both of its base plans,...
- 12/7/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Get your first look at the integrated interface.
If you fire up Disney+ today, you may notice a major difference — Hulu is now available as a tile on the home screen. In the same way Star is available for most other countries, Hulu is the final icon on the top rail of the service. Click it open and you’ll get Hulu content presented in the Disney+ Ui.
Sign Up Now $7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $14.99 a month ($12 savings).
What Does Hulu Look Like Inside Disney+?
When you open the Hulu tab, you’ll get what appears to be the full Hulu library, though we haven’t confirmed that all titles are available. That includes adult shows and Hulu originals like “The Handmaid’s Tale,” FX’s “American Horror Stories,” and even R-rated movies like “Prey” and “Barbarian.”
Scroll down a bit and you’ll see...
If you fire up Disney+ today, you may notice a major difference — Hulu is now available as a tile on the home screen. In the same way Star is available for most other countries, Hulu is the final icon on the top rail of the service. Click it open and you’ll get Hulu content presented in the Disney+ Ui.
Sign Up Now $7.99+ / month disneyplus.com
Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $14.99 a month ($12 savings).
What Does Hulu Look Like Inside Disney+?
When you open the Hulu tab, you’ll get what appears to be the full Hulu library, though we haven’t confirmed that all titles are available. That includes adult shows and Hulu originals like “The Handmaid’s Tale,” FX’s “American Horror Stories,” and even R-rated movies like “Prey” and “Barbarian.”
Scroll down a bit and you’ll see...
- 12/6/2023
- by Ben Bowman
- The Streamable
There might be numerous animated films out there, but nothing beats the charm of the good old classics ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
Christmas is defined by a multitude of old family traditions — like making egg nog, matching ugly sweaters with loved ones, and decorating the Christmas tree. Add a great Christmas movie night to it, right next to your loved ones, and there’s probably no other activity in the world more beautiful to curl up to. While a few of us appreciate a good new holiday film like this year’s “Candy Cane Lane,” revisiting a few oldies is never a bad idea.
In this guide, we’ve got you a few classic animated films to watch this Christmas. They’re nostalgic. Some of them even felt scared as children! But the vibe was immaculate, and the goal is to help you recreate it. It’s even better if you...
Christmas is defined by a multitude of old family traditions — like making egg nog, matching ugly sweaters with loved ones, and decorating the Christmas tree. Add a great Christmas movie night to it, right next to your loved ones, and there’s probably no other activity in the world more beautiful to curl up to. While a few of us appreciate a good new holiday film like this year’s “Candy Cane Lane,” revisiting a few oldies is never a bad idea.
In this guide, we’ve got you a few classic animated films to watch this Christmas. They’re nostalgic. Some of them even felt scared as children! But the vibe was immaculate, and the goal is to help you recreate it. It’s even better if you...
- 12/6/2023
- by Koimoi.com Team
- KoiMoi
It’s the final month of 2023, and Hulu is just saying goodbye not just to the year but also to dozens of its top film titles. This December, the streamer will lose multiple franchise collections, including “Men in Black,” “The Matrix,” the “Bourne” collection.
At the end of the month, Hulu is wasting no time and will also clear out many of the titles in its holiday collection, meaning Dec. 31 will be your last opportunity to watch favorites such as “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,” and “The Polar Express” on the streamer.
Bid farewell to 2023 by watching The Streamable’s Top 5 picks for what’s leaving the streamer this month, and check out the full list to make sure you catch your favorites one last time before they leave!
30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Leaving Hulu in December 2023? “An Education” | Sunday,...
At the end of the month, Hulu is wasting no time and will also clear out many of the titles in its holiday collection, meaning Dec. 31 will be your last opportunity to watch favorites such as “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,” and “The Polar Express” on the streamer.
Bid farewell to 2023 by watching The Streamable’s Top 5 picks for what’s leaving the streamer this month, and check out the full list to make sure you catch your favorites one last time before they leave!
30-Day Free Trial $7.99+ / month hulu.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Leaving Hulu in December 2023? “An Education” | Sunday,...
- 12/1/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
The American Society of Cinematographers has announced the honorees for its 38th Annual Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Gala on March 3, 2024. They are: Don Burgess, ASC; Steven Fierberg, ASC and Amy Vincent, ASC.
Burgess, Robert Zemeckis’ longtime collaborator, will be recognized with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award. While his latest work is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, directed by James Wan, Burgess is best known for shooting Zemeckis’ Oscar-winning Forrest Gump, for which he earned ASC Award and Oscar nominations. The duo have also collaborated on such films as last year’s live-action Pinocchio, Flight, Contact, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, The Polar Express and the upcoming Here.
Burgess’ other credits include Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, the first Aquaman, Brian Helgeland’s 42, Allen and Albert Hughes’ The Book of Eli, Gary Winick’s 13 Going on 30, Jonathan Mostow’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Billy Crystal’s Forget Paris.
Burgess, Robert Zemeckis’ longtime collaborator, will be recognized with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award. While his latest work is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, directed by James Wan, Burgess is best known for shooting Zemeckis’ Oscar-winning Forrest Gump, for which he earned ASC Award and Oscar nominations. The duo have also collaborated on such films as last year’s live-action Pinocchio, Flight, Contact, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, The Polar Express and the upcoming Here.
Burgess’ other credits include Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, the first Aquaman, Brian Helgeland’s 42, Allen and Albert Hughes’ The Book of Eli, Gary Winick’s 13 Going on 30, Jonathan Mostow’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Billy Crystal’s Forget Paris.
- 11/28/2023
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Genie is a fantasy Christmas film directed by Sam Boyd, from a screenplay by Richard Curtis. The Peacock fairy-tale film revolves around a workaholic man who comes in possession of a genie who helps him to win his family back before Christmas. Genie stars Melissa McCarthy and Paapa Essiedu in the lead roles with Denée Benton, Jordyn McIntosh, and Marc Maron starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the Peacock film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
The Man Who Invented Christmas (Prime Video) Credit – Bleecker Street
Synopsis: The Man Who Invented Christmas tells the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. Directed by Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day), the film shows how Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) mixed real life inspirations with his vivid imagination to conjure up...
The Man Who Invented Christmas (Prime Video) Credit – Bleecker Street
Synopsis: The Man Who Invented Christmas tells the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol. Directed by Bharat Nalluri (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day), the film shows how Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) mixed real life inspirations with his vivid imagination to conjure up...
- 11/22/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
After being convincingly portrayed by Marion Cotillard in the 2007 film “La Vie en Rose,” legendary French singer Edith Piaf will come to life in an animated biopic “Edith” that looks to break new ground by using AI to recreate her voice and image.
When Warner Music, which is producing the feature-length movie with Paris-based company Seriously Happy, broke news of the project last week, it stirred an avalanche of reactions — many of them skeptical — across social media. To clear up some concerns and shed light on the decisions behind the creative endeavor, Variety spoke to Julie Veille, who came up with the original idea, and Gilles Marliac who are co-producing through their banner Seriously Happy and co-wrote the script. Endorsed by Piaf’s estate, “Edith” will take place between Paris and New York from the 1920s to the ’60s.
“Edith” will weave together archival footage and animation. Is it an animated documentary?...
When Warner Music, which is producing the feature-length movie with Paris-based company Seriously Happy, broke news of the project last week, it stirred an avalanche of reactions — many of them skeptical — across social media. To clear up some concerns and shed light on the decisions behind the creative endeavor, Variety spoke to Julie Veille, who came up with the original idea, and Gilles Marliac who are co-producing through their banner Seriously Happy and co-wrote the script. Endorsed by Piaf’s estate, “Edith” will take place between Paris and New York from the 1920s to the ’60s.
“Edith” will weave together archival footage and animation. Is it an animated documentary?...
- 11/22/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Here they come again, those holiday perennials. Movies, both good and bad, that year after year find their way back into theaters, onto small screens and deep into stockings that still get stuffed with digital discs.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. A Christmas Story. Love Actually. It’s a Wonderful Life, of course. A Christmas Carol, ad infinitum. Nutcracker after Nutcracker after Nutcracker.
My personal favorite, released 19 years ago, on Nov. 10, 2004, by Warner Bros., is The Polar Express from the technophile director Robert Zemeckis.
This isn’t a sentimental choice, at least not in the conventional sense. It’s just that every time the picture pops up—and its seasonal DVDs are strung merrily across the Internet, from Amazon to Target—it reminds me of an important life lesson. That is: It’s much easier not to be an editor, especially at The New York Times.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. A Christmas Story. Love Actually. It’s a Wonderful Life, of course. A Christmas Carol, ad infinitum. Nutcracker after Nutcracker after Nutcracker.
My personal favorite, released 19 years ago, on Nov. 10, 2004, by Warner Bros., is The Polar Express from the technophile director Robert Zemeckis.
This isn’t a sentimental choice, at least not in the conventional sense. It’s just that every time the picture pops up—and its seasonal DVDs are strung merrily across the Internet, from Amazon to Target—it reminds me of an important life lesson. That is: It’s much easier not to be an editor, especially at The New York Times.
- 11/20/2023
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Ringing Korea’S Grand Bell
“Concrete Utopia,” South Korea’s Oscar contender, was Wednesday named best film at the country’s annual Grand Bell Awards. It also won prizes for best actor, best supporting actress, art direction, sound mixing and visual effects. A disaster movie set in a devastated Seoul, it makes an unusual Academy Awards selection, but has gained high praise from reviewers. Variety this week said the film felt like “’Earthquake’ crossed with ‘Lord of the Flies’.”
The Grand Bell’s best director award nevertheless went to Ryoo Seung-wan for “Smugglers,” while Ahn Tae-jin took the best new director award for “The Night Owl.”
In the other half of the event, Disney+’s “Moving” was named best series, earning Han Hyo-joo the best series actress award to boot.
The Grand Bell Awards, aka Daejong Film Awards, are organized by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea.
Cineasia Honors
The...
“Concrete Utopia,” South Korea’s Oscar contender, was Wednesday named best film at the country’s annual Grand Bell Awards. It also won prizes for best actor, best supporting actress, art direction, sound mixing and visual effects. A disaster movie set in a devastated Seoul, it makes an unusual Academy Awards selection, but has gained high praise from reviewers. Variety this week said the film felt like “’Earthquake’ crossed with ‘Lord of the Flies’.”
The Grand Bell’s best director award nevertheless went to Ryoo Seung-wan for “Smugglers,” while Ahn Tae-jin took the best new director award for “The Night Owl.”
In the other half of the event, Disney+’s “Moving” was named best series, earning Han Hyo-joo the best series actress award to boot.
The Grand Bell Awards, aka Daejong Film Awards, are organized by The Motion Pictures Association of Korea.
Cineasia Honors
The...
- 11/16/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
It’s not just about those repeats of A Christmas Story on TNT anymore.
Multiple linear channels and streamers are getting into the holiday spirit this month and next by dropping original Christmas movies, as well as old favorites and one-off holiday specials. As usual, Hallmark has wall-to-wall flicks planned until the end of the month, but Great American Family, Lifetime and BET have their own original slates as well to help ring in the new year.
And if the classics are all that you are looking for, there are still airings of It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone, The Santa Cause, The Wizard of Oz and Miracle on 34th Street scheduled for the boomers and Gen Xers.
And yes, on the big days, several channels have do have marathon programming events.
Check it all out below.
November 9
Christmas Angel (BET)
November 10
Everything Christmas...
Multiple linear channels and streamers are getting into the holiday spirit this month and next by dropping original Christmas movies, as well as old favorites and one-off holiday specials. As usual, Hallmark has wall-to-wall flicks planned until the end of the month, but Great American Family, Lifetime and BET have their own original slates as well to help ring in the new year.
And if the classics are all that you are looking for, there are still airings of It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Home Alone, The Santa Cause, The Wizard of Oz and Miracle on 34th Street scheduled for the boomers and Gen Xers.
And yes, on the big days, several channels have do have marathon programming events.
Check it all out below.
November 9
Christmas Angel (BET)
November 10
Everything Christmas...
- 11/6/2023
- by Lynette Rice and Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Christmas comes early on Max, as the streamer adds a bevy of holiday movies to its library for the month of November, alongside new TV debuts, a noteworthy documentary and more. “Elf,” “Christmas Vacation,” “Arthur Christmas,” “The Shop Around the Corner” and “Four Christmases” are some of the holiday films arriving on the streaming platform on Nov. 1.
This month also sees the Season 2 premieres of “Rap Sh!t” (on Nov. 9) and “Julia” (on Nov. 16) and the series premiere of “Two and a Half Men” creator Chuck Lorre’s new sitcom “Bookie” starring Sebastian Maniscalco (on Nov. 30).
On Nov. 11, check out the documentary “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” in which the comedian, actor and filmmaker’s best friend Rob Reiner peppers him with questions about his life and career.
And Chip and Joanna Gaines renovate a 100-year-old building in “Fixer Upper: The Hotel,” which premieres on Nov. 8.
Check out the full list...
This month also sees the Season 2 premieres of “Rap Sh!t” (on Nov. 9) and “Julia” (on Nov. 16) and the series premiere of “Two and a Half Men” creator Chuck Lorre’s new sitcom “Bookie” starring Sebastian Maniscalco (on Nov. 30).
On Nov. 11, check out the documentary “Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” in which the comedian, actor and filmmaker’s best friend Rob Reiner peppers him with questions about his life and career.
And Chip and Joanna Gaines renovate a 100-year-old building in “Fixer Upper: The Hotel,” which premieres on Nov. 8.
Check out the full list...
- 11/3/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
It’s a lean month for new original content on HBO/Max. November will see the return of two scripted series in Julia and Rap Sh!t, both of which are debuting their respective second seasons, but this month’s fresh highlight is likely to be Bookie, a new comedy series from the partnership of The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre, and Nick Bakay. The show tracks an LA bookie called Danny (Sebastian Maniscalco), whose business is in peril as California movies to legalize sports gambling.
Elsewhere in November, there quite a few interesting documentaries to keep an eye on, and two that jump out as “must watch”. The first is Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, which chronicles the aging comedian’s life and career. The second is the previously-released Little Richard: I Am Everything, which tries to peel back the whitewashed canon of Richard Penniman in a true...
Elsewhere in November, there quite a few interesting documentaries to keep an eye on, and two that jump out as “must watch”. The first is Albert Brooks: Defending My Life, which chronicles the aging comedian’s life and career. The second is the previously-released Little Richard: I Am Everything, which tries to peel back the whitewashed canon of Richard Penniman in a true...
- 11/1/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Though Huluween is almost officially over, Hulu is not slowing down at all as the new month approaches! The streamer will head into November with plenty of new additions to un-spook yourself and keep warm, including the new Awkwafina and Sandra Oh-led “Quiz Lady”; Christmas classics like “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” and “The Polar Express,” and much more.
On the TV side, Hulu will have the exclusive two-episode premiere of FX’s limited murder mystery series “A Murder at the End of the World” starring Emma Corrin. “Fargo” fans can also catch the next-day streaming premiere of Season/Year 5, which will star Jon Hamm, Juno Temple, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Plus, in comes more of the debut season of “Spellbound,” a serialized re-cut of Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia,” and several original series premieres, including “Black Cake” on Nov. 1.
Find out everything coming to Hulu in November, and check out The...
On the TV side, Hulu will have the exclusive two-episode premiere of FX’s limited murder mystery series “A Murder at the End of the World” starring Emma Corrin. “Fargo” fans can also catch the next-day streaming premiere of Season/Year 5, which will star Jon Hamm, Juno Temple, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Plus, in comes more of the debut season of “Spellbound,” a serialized re-cut of Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia,” and several original series premieres, including “Black Cake” on Nov. 1.
Find out everything coming to Hulu in November, and check out The...
- 10/31/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Josh Hutcherson may have gotten his big break when he was cast as Peeta Mellark in the Hunger Games franchise, but he'd actually been a staple in Hollywood since he was very young. His most recent starring role is in the horror film "Five Nights at Freddy's," based on the video game of the same name, but he's been in tons of other movies as well, dating all the way back to his days as a child actor.
Way before he was running from demonic animatronic characters in "Five Nights at Freddy's," Hutcherson was just a kid working his way up. He had minor roles in 2004's "The Polar Express" and 2005's "Kicking and Screaming," and one of his first major starring roles was in the 2007 film "Bridge to Terabithia," which he starred in when he was 13 years old. He went on to star in 2008's "Journey to the Center of the Earth...
Way before he was running from demonic animatronic characters in "Five Nights at Freddy's," Hutcherson was just a kid working his way up. He had minor roles in 2004's "The Polar Express" and 2005's "Kicking and Screaming," and one of his first major starring roles was in the 2007 film "Bridge to Terabithia," which he starred in when he was 13 years old. He went on to star in 2008's "Journey to the Center of the Earth...
- 10/30/2023
- by Kelsie Gibson
- Popsugar.com
Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs certainly seems to have struck a nerve for some people, and I doubt the first-look image is going to change anyone’s mind.
The studio announced this morning that the release of Snow White had been pushed from March 22, 2024, to March 21, 2025, but they also released a new image featuring Rachel Zegler’s Snow White surrounded by the Seven Dwarfs. Unfortunately, the characters look as though they’ve been dragged from the uncanny valley kicking and screaming. Check it out below.
That’s some Polar Express shit right here. The reveal of the characters may also come as a surprise to some as Disney had implied that they would be taking a different approach with the Dwarves after Peter Dinklage slammed the remake last year.
“I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White,...
The studio announced this morning that the release of Snow White had been pushed from March 22, 2024, to March 21, 2025, but they also released a new image featuring Rachel Zegler’s Snow White surrounded by the Seven Dwarfs. Unfortunately, the characters look as though they’ve been dragged from the uncanny valley kicking and screaming. Check it out below.
That’s some Polar Express shit right here. The reveal of the characters may also come as a surprise to some as Disney had implied that they would be taking a different approach with the Dwarves after Peter Dinklage slammed the remake last year.
“I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
It’s that time of the year: 24 hours of some of your favorite holiday movies. TBS and TNT have announced their programming for November and December, and on the schedule are festive films and holiday-themed episodes. It all begins on November 4, with Jack Frost, Fred Claus, The Polar Express, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and Elf (celebrating the 20th anniversary of its theatrical release). There will be 24-hour marathons of A Christmas Story, Elf, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, per annual tradition. The lineup also includes the broadcast premieres of A Christmas Story Christmas and 8-Bit Christmas, an American Dad! Christmas episode, holiday episodes of Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Modern Family, and more. Check out TBS and TNT’s holiday programming schedule below. Plus, check out our printable holiday movie schedule here! A Christmas Story TBS Saturday, December 2 at 8pm Et/Pt Sunday December 3 at 6:30pm Et/Pt 24-hour marathon airs from Sunday,...
- 10/26/2023
- TV Insider
Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce in ‘Julia’ season 2 (Photograph by Sebastein Gonon/Max)
Max’s November 2023 schedule includes season two of Julia starring Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child and the return of Rap Sh!t with Aida Osman and Mia KaMillion. Bookie, a new comedy about sports gambling created by Chuck Lorre, makes its debut on November 30th with Sebastian Maniscalco starring as an LA bookie.
HBO documentaries Albert Brooks: Defending My Life and South to Black Power will stream on Max this November, along with CNN Films’ Little Richard: I Am Everything.
Series & Films Arriving On Max In November 2023:
November 1
Act of Valor (2012)
After the Thin Man (1936)
Aliens (1986)
The Ant Bully (2006)
Arthur Christmas (2011)
The Avengers (1998)
The Bachelor (1999)
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Bells Are Ringing (1960)
Black Beauty (1994)
Boys’ Night Out (1962)
Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)
Brigadoon (1954)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
A Christmas Carol (1938)
Christmas Cookie Challenge, Seasons...
Max’s November 2023 schedule includes season two of Julia starring Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child and the return of Rap Sh!t with Aida Osman and Mia KaMillion. Bookie, a new comedy about sports gambling created by Chuck Lorre, makes its debut on November 30th with Sebastian Maniscalco starring as an LA bookie.
HBO documentaries Albert Brooks: Defending My Life and South to Black Power will stream on Max this November, along with CNN Films’ Little Richard: I Am Everything.
Series & Films Arriving On Max In November 2023:
November 1
Act of Valor (2012)
After the Thin Man (1936)
Aliens (1986)
The Ant Bully (2006)
Arthur Christmas (2011)
The Avengers (1998)
The Bachelor (1999)
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
Bells Are Ringing (1960)
Black Beauty (1994)
Boys’ Night Out (1962)
Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo (1984)
Brigadoon (1954)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
A Christmas Carol (1938)
Christmas Cookie Challenge, Seasons...
- 10/26/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Writers and actors have been speaking out this year about the threat of artificial intelligence to their respective crafts, with contention over AI playing a key role in the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Well, now Tom Hanks is a case study in what’s now possible.
He warned social media followers on Sunday that he has nothing to do with a dental plan using an AI version of the actor.
“Beware!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me,” Hanks wrote. “I have nothing to do with it.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tom Hanks (@tomhanks)
The AI version of Hanks he shared looks a bit like a cross between the actor and his son Colin Hanks. A photo of Hanks that appears to have been used for the ad’s AI modeling was posted online as far...
He warned social media followers on Sunday that he has nothing to do with a dental plan using an AI version of the actor.
“Beware!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me,” Hanks wrote. “I have nothing to do with it.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Tom Hanks (@tomhanks)
The AI version of Hanks he shared looks a bit like a cross between the actor and his son Colin Hanks. A photo of Hanks that appears to have been used for the ad’s AI modeling was posted online as far...
- 10/1/2023
- by Mike Roe
- The Wrap
Tom Hanks is warning fans not to trust a video of him circulating about a dental plan.
The Oscar-winning actor took to his Instagram on Sunday to give his fans a heads-up that anything they may see about him online linked to a dental plan was not actually him.
“Beware!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it,” Hanks wrote over a photo of a computer-generated image of him from the clip.
The Asteroid City star previously opened up about the use of AI in the entertainment industry, noting it’s been a long time coming and citing The Polar Express as the first time he did a movie that had a huge amount of his likeness locked in to a computer.
“We saw this coming,” he said on The Adam Buxton Podcast in May.
The Oscar-winning actor took to his Instagram on Sunday to give his fans a heads-up that anything they may see about him online linked to a dental plan was not actually him.
“Beware!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it,” Hanks wrote over a photo of a computer-generated image of him from the clip.
The Asteroid City star previously opened up about the use of AI in the entertainment industry, noting it’s been a long time coming and citing The Polar Express as the first time he did a movie that had a huge amount of his likeness locked in to a computer.
“We saw this coming,” he said on The Adam Buxton Podcast in May.
- 10/1/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Tom Hanks once said in the film Splash that “I want to have a kid, and I want to go see him be a tooth in the school play!”
However, he didn’t mention a dental plan. Which is why the actor warned his Instagram followers on Saturday that he was not involved in an Artificial Intelligence-created promotional video for a dental plan using a computer-generated image of him.
“Beware!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it,” Hanks wrote in his caption, using the photo of his AI counterpart from the clip.
Hanks is no stranger to digital manipulations. He was part of the groundbreaking digital film 2004 film The Polar Express, the first movie to be created using motion-capture animation.
“We saw this coming,” he said on a May podcast “We saw that there...
However, he didn’t mention a dental plan. Which is why the actor warned his Instagram followers on Saturday that he was not involved in an Artificial Intelligence-created promotional video for a dental plan using a computer-generated image of him.
“Beware!! There’s a video out there promoting some dental plan with an AI version of me. I have nothing to do with it,” Hanks wrote in his caption, using the photo of his AI counterpart from the clip.
Hanks is no stranger to digital manipulations. He was part of the groundbreaking digital film 2004 film The Polar Express, the first movie to be created using motion-capture animation.
“We saw this coming,” he said on a May podcast “We saw that there...
- 10/1/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Writers on strike worry about what artificial intelligence might do to their livelihood, but actors already know. Their work is based on voice and appearance, which AI clearly can replicate and manipulate — but the law around regulating AI is complicated.
SAG-AFTRA is pushing for informed consent and compensation in the union’s ongoing negotiations with the studios. The language the WGA has proposed in its own fight — and what the DGA has now enshrined — is framed around protection of job loss from AI, but that’s not enough for actors. The DGA currently has it in writing that AI is not a person and that producers must consult with a director before using AI. That’s still important to actors and a good start, but SAG-AFTRA will aim for broader protections specific to its members.
IndieWire talked to experts in AI filmmaking, visual effects, and publicity law to map...
SAG-AFTRA is pushing for informed consent and compensation in the union’s ongoing negotiations with the studios. The language the WGA has proposed in its own fight — and what the DGA has now enshrined — is framed around protection of job loss from AI, but that’s not enough for actors. The DGA currently has it in writing that AI is not a person and that producers must consult with a director before using AI. That’s still important to actors and a good start, but SAG-AFTRA will aim for broader protections specific to its members.
IndieWire talked to experts in AI filmmaking, visual effects, and publicity law to map...
- 7/11/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Somewhere in the middle of Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, the eponymous young character (Asa Butterfield) dreams of a catastrophe in which a steam train runs over him, careens through the Gare Montparnasse railway terminal, and takes a nosedive into the street outside. While it isn’t made clear, or mentioned at all after he wakes up, the disaster he dreams about is based on a real crash at the same station that happened in 1895, mere months before the public exhibition of the Lumière brothers’ seminal actuality film Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat.
As the persistent but largely embellished filmic chestnut has it, audience members who first witnessed the Lumières’ cinematographic train fled the screening room in Paris in a panic, reacting as if they were in real danger of being run over. If you “print the legend” regarding these perhaps apocryphal, panicking spectators, it’s not too much...
As the persistent but largely embellished filmic chestnut has it, audience members who first witnessed the Lumières’ cinematographic train fled the screening room in Paris in a panic, reacting as if they were in real danger of being run over. If you “print the legend” regarding these perhaps apocryphal, panicking spectators, it’s not too much...
- 7/10/2023
- by Jaime N. Christley
- Slant Magazine
Actor Tom Hanks has enjoyed one of the longest and most successful careers in the film industry. But Hanks was once concerned that his and other actors’ careers would be cut short thanks to the evolution of technology in movies.
Tom Hanks wasn’t sure how actors could defend themselves against technology Tom Hanks | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
The growth of technology has contributed to many significant changes in the film industry. Studios and production companies have been able to utilize modern tech to maximize CGI in films. Sci-fi and fantasy movies have benefited greatly from the process, making it easier to film the impossible. This has also benefited actors as well.
Motion capture has allowed actors to transform into larger than life creatures, like James Cameron’s alien Avatar race the Na’vi. Or the apes from Matt Reeves’ Planet of the Apes films. This has given these performers more...
Tom Hanks wasn’t sure how actors could defend themselves against technology Tom Hanks | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
The growth of technology has contributed to many significant changes in the film industry. Studios and production companies have been able to utilize modern tech to maximize CGI in films. Sci-fi and fantasy movies have benefited greatly from the process, making it easier to film the impossible. This has also benefited actors as well.
Motion capture has allowed actors to transform into larger than life creatures, like James Cameron’s alien Avatar race the Na’vi. Or the apes from Matt Reeves’ Planet of the Apes films. This has given these performers more...
- 6/18/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Exclusive: As the Annecy Animation Film Festival gets underway this weekend, Warner Bros’ newly hired President of Feature Animation Bill Damaschke has announced a rebranding of the motion picture division with a focus on filmmakers.
Previously known as Wag, aka Warner Animation Group, the Burbank, CA lot’s feature toon unit will now be known as Warner Bros Pictures Animation.
“It’s honoring the past and rich history of the company. Warner Bros Pictures Animation released movies like Iron Giant, Space Jam, Corpse Bride, Polar Express, Happy Feet and The Lego Movie — benchmark films that broke new ground, new technology, new ways of telling stories and were successful, artistically and commercially. They last in people’s hearts, every one of those films,” said Damaschke about the label, which counts a filmmaker-driven original feature animated canon from such directors as Brad Bird, Tim Burton, George Miller, Robert Zemeckis, and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
Previously known as Wag, aka Warner Animation Group, the Burbank, CA lot’s feature toon unit will now be known as Warner Bros Pictures Animation.
“It’s honoring the past and rich history of the company. Warner Bros Pictures Animation released movies like Iron Giant, Space Jam, Corpse Bride, Polar Express, Happy Feet and The Lego Movie — benchmark films that broke new ground, new technology, new ways of telling stories and were successful, artistically and commercially. They last in people’s hearts, every one of those films,” said Damaschke about the label, which counts a filmmaker-driven original feature animated canon from such directors as Brad Bird, Tim Burton, George Miller, Robert Zemeckis, and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
- 6/9/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s kind of funny now, but there was a time when Walt Disney Animation Studios refused to even make a sequel to their classic works. Millennials of a certain age will of course recall the deluge of straight-to-video sequels released by the Mouse House in the 1990s and early 2000s, but those were never made by Wdas Proper, which for the whole of the 20th century almost always viewed every effort as a single work that should not be revisited.
How times change.
In the 21st century, Wdas has gotten with the program as the Walt Disney Company’s priorities have shifted from creating new characters to curating and maintaining the popularity of existing ones. It’s why we’re right now anticipating Frozen III and Zootopia 2. But that’s still demure when compared to the larger Walt Disney Pictures umbrella, which has been mining the animation vault for...
How times change.
In the 21st century, Wdas has gotten with the program as the Walt Disney Company’s priorities have shifted from creating new characters to curating and maintaining the popularity of existing ones. It’s why we’re right now anticipating Frozen III and Zootopia 2. But that’s still demure when compared to the larger Walt Disney Pictures umbrella, which has been mining the animation vault for...
- 5/27/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Tom Hanks’ take on artificial intelligence hasn’t aged a day.
The Oscar winner, who credits Robert Zemeckis’ groundbreaking animated film “The Polar Express” with pioneering deepfake technology in film, weighed in on the current A.I. debate during “The Adam Buxton Podcast.”
Hanks is confirmed to co-star opposite Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, and “Yellowstone” breakout Kelly Reilly in Zemeckis’ comic book adaptation “Here,” set across a series of years. The upcoming film will use Metaphysic AI technology to include deepfakes.
“This has always been lingering,” Hanks said. “The first time we did a movie that had a huge amount of our own data locked in a computer — literally what we looked like — was a movie called ‘The Polar Express.’ We saw this coming. We saw that there was going to be this ability in order to take zeros and ones inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character.
The Oscar winner, who credits Robert Zemeckis’ groundbreaking animated film “The Polar Express” with pioneering deepfake technology in film, weighed in on the current A.I. debate during “The Adam Buxton Podcast.”
Hanks is confirmed to co-star opposite Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, and “Yellowstone” breakout Kelly Reilly in Zemeckis’ comic book adaptation “Here,” set across a series of years. The upcoming film will use Metaphysic AI technology to include deepfakes.
“This has always been lingering,” Hanks said. “The first time we did a movie that had a huge amount of our own data locked in a computer — literally what we looked like — was a movie called ‘The Polar Express.’ We saw this coming. We saw that there was going to be this ability in order to take zeros and ones inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character.
- 5/17/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Tom Hanks is game for the rise of AI and deepfakes, but he’s still trying to protect his real likeness as technology — and a money-hungry industry — gets smarter. The star discussed the state of synthetic media as a guest on The Adam Buxton Podcast, where he revealed that there are “discussions going on in all of the guilds, all of the agencies, and all of the legal firms, in order to come up with the legal ramifications of my face and my voice — and everybody else’s — being our intellectual property.”
Back in January, news broke that Hanks and Robin Wright would be de-aged in Robert Zemckis’ film adaptation of Here, a novel that follows the inhabitants of a single room over the course of several years. Zemeckis’ interest in AI didn’t come as much of a surprise, since the visual innovator famously pioneered motion capture in 2004’s...
Back in January, news broke that Hanks and Robin Wright would be de-aged in Robert Zemckis’ film adaptation of Here, a novel that follows the inhabitants of a single room over the course of several years. Zemeckis’ interest in AI didn’t come as much of a surprise, since the visual innovator famously pioneered motion capture in 2004’s...
- 5/16/2023
- by Carys Anderson
- Consequence - Film News
Death is no longer the end of an actor’s career, Tom Hanks theorized during a recent conversation on “The Adam Buxton Podcast” (via BBC). Why? Artificial intelligence and deepfakes, the actor said. Both technologies will be on full display at the Cannes Film Festival thanks to the world premiere of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which used AI to help de-age Harrison Ford so that he resembles his appearance from 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”
“The first time we did a movie that had a huge amount of our own data locked in a computer — literally what we looked like — was a movie called ‘The Polar Express,'” Hanks said, referring to Robert Zemeckis’ 2004 Christmas movie. “We saw this coming, we saw that there was going to be this ability to take zeros and ones from inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character.
“The first time we did a movie that had a huge amount of our own data locked in a computer — literally what we looked like — was a movie called ‘The Polar Express,'” Hanks said, referring to Robert Zemeckis’ 2004 Christmas movie. “We saw this coming, we saw that there was going to be this ability to take zeros and ones from inside a computer and turn it into a face and a character.
- 5/16/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis developed an interest in film and television at an early age and first worked in his native Chicago as an editor for TV commercials and news programs. This work led him to apply as a transfer student to the University of Southern California film school where his application material included a music video, set to a song by The Beatles. (Not surprisingly his first film would be “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” about a bunch of high school students obsessed with Beatlemania.)
He was initially rejected by USC but he begged an official to reconsider and promised to bring his low grade point average up by attending summer school. This brashness would also play a big part in his initial success as a director when he barged into Steven Spielberg’s office with a copy of his student film and asked Spielberg to employ him. The...
He was initially rejected by USC but he begged an official to reconsider and promised to bring his low grade point average up by attending summer school. This brashness would also play a big part in his initial success as a director when he barged into Steven Spielberg’s office with a copy of his student film and asked Spielberg to employ him. The...
- 5/5/2023
- by Robert Pius, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Who doesn't love a good Viking movie? Nearly a full millennium after the Vikings' heyday, stories of the Scandinavian seafarers and warriors who rampaged their way through Europe and around the world in the 8th through 11th centuries still fascinate us — enough to inspire an entire subgenre of historical fiction that spans various media. Film in particular has returned to the Viking world repeatedly since the silent era, with productions that hail from Iceland, America, Norway, Britain, Denmark, and more.
A quick scan of the most notorious Viking-themed films reveals that these movies have never been just one thing; it's a milieu that lends itself to comedy, romance, horror, superhero-style action, and, of course, the gruesome war sagas it's most commonly associated with. Here, then, are 14 essential Viking movies that should cover a wide range of cinematic tastes and proclivities, while still satisfying anyone who's just looking for a grand,...
A quick scan of the most notorious Viking-themed films reveals that these movies have never been just one thing; it's a milieu that lends itself to comedy, romance, horror, superhero-style action, and, of course, the gruesome war sagas it's most commonly associated with. Here, then, are 14 essential Viking movies that should cover a wide range of cinematic tastes and proclivities, while still satisfying anyone who's just looking for a grand,...
- 4/23/2023
- by Leo Noboru Lima
- Slash Film
In Robert Zemeckis' 1994 film "Forrest Gump," Tom Hanks plays Forrest, a good-hearted but low-intelligence rube who, thanks to impeccably constructed American institutions, stumbles repeatedly into athletic, financial, and military success. Forrest is friendly, strong, and hapless, happy to tell his life story to anyone who sits on the bus bench next to him. Hanks won an Academy Award for playing Forrest, and the film itself won four additional Oscars, including Best Picture. Years later, many had started to reappraise "Forrest Gump" for its treacly tone, its sentimentality, and its unabashed conservative bent. This author was in high school when "Forrest Gump" was released and recalls a teacher sagely pointing out that the title character's "innocence" was only perceived by audiences due to his wealth. Had Forrest's decisions led to financial ruin, his "innocence" would not be positively touted.
But in 1994, "Forrest Gump" was the bee's knees, representing mainstream Hollywood filmmaking...
But in 1994, "Forrest Gump" was the bee's knees, representing mainstream Hollywood filmmaking...
- 2/26/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Yellow Submarine is a cult classic animated film featuring the blue meanies and music from The Beatles. Decades later, Disney wanted to remake the classic film but later scrapped the project for several reasons. While it would have been intriguing to see a modern take on this film, it’s for the best that Disney didn’t move forward with this.
Disney wanted to do a remake of The Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine’ Ringo Starr and George Harrison | Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
Yellow Submarine is a 1968 animated musical featuring music from The Beatles. The film was influential at the time due to its impressive animation and distinct visual style. The film centers around a town called Pepperland, where evil creatures have taken over called the Blue Meanies that suck all of the music, color, and joy from this land. It is up to The Beatles to travel to Pepperland and bring back peace,...
Disney wanted to do a remake of The Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine’ Ringo Starr and George Harrison | Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
Yellow Submarine is a 1968 animated musical featuring music from The Beatles. The film was influential at the time due to its impressive animation and distinct visual style. The film centers around a town called Pepperland, where evil creatures have taken over called the Blue Meanies that suck all of the music, color, and joy from this land. It is up to The Beatles to travel to Pepperland and bring back peace,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Before he pulled off the same feat again in 2004 with "Million Dollar Baby," Clint Eastwood had already won the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Picture over a decade earlier with his revisionist Western "Unforgiven." Eastwood also picked up nominations in those two categories for "Mystic River," only a year before "Million Dollar Baby." He had long since transitioned from the Dollars Trilogy and "Dirty Harry" film series into the Oscar royalty phase of his career. Much like Hilary Swank's underdog boxer, however, "Million Dollar Baby" was a film that took a lot of people by surprise, and not just because of the emotional wallop of its ending.
Despite his awards clout and his existing relationship with Warner Bros., which had distributed most of his films since "Unforgiven," Eastwood couldn't interest the studio in financing a boxing movie. It was only after he got another production and distribution company,...
Despite his awards clout and his existing relationship with Warner Bros., which had distributed most of his films since "Unforgiven," Eastwood couldn't interest the studio in financing a boxing movie. It was only after he got another production and distribution company,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Filmmaker, writer and actress Leslie Zemeckis has inked with Buchwald for representation in the directing arena.
Zemeckis will film a new role in Here, the Robert Zemeckis adaptation of the Richard McGuire graphic novel starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright for Miramax. Production on Here is underway on location in London.
Zemeckis, an award-winning documentarian and novelist recently received critical acclaim for Grandes Horizontales, an in-depth look at the culture of the courtesan. Among other accolades, Grandes Horizontales won Best Documentary at the London Independent Film Festival and Best Editing and Best Documentary at the Independent Shorts Festival. Her previous directing efforts were Behind the Burly Q, Bound by Flesh, and Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer.
In addition, Zemeckis realized success in the book arena with such best-sellers as Behind the Burly Q, Goddess of Love Incarnate and Feuding Fan Dancers. She starred in such movies as Welcome to Marwen,...
Zemeckis will film a new role in Here, the Robert Zemeckis adaptation of the Richard McGuire graphic novel starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright for Miramax. Production on Here is underway on location in London.
Zemeckis, an award-winning documentarian and novelist recently received critical acclaim for Grandes Horizontales, an in-depth look at the culture of the courtesan. Among other accolades, Grandes Horizontales won Best Documentary at the London Independent Film Festival and Best Editing and Best Documentary at the Independent Shorts Festival. Her previous directing efforts were Behind the Burly Q, Bound by Flesh, and Mabel, Mabel, Tiger Trainer.
In addition, Zemeckis realized success in the book arena with such best-sellers as Behind the Burly Q, Goddess of Love Incarnate and Feuding Fan Dancers. She starred in such movies as Welcome to Marwen,...
- 2/8/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
(To celebrate "Titanic" and its impending 25th-anniversary re-release, we've put together a week of explorations, inquires, and deep dives into James Cameron's box office-smashing disaster epic.)
"Titanic" is a truly monumental film, an epic the likes of which we rarely get anymore. James Cameron lead a team that crafted a touching and emotional romance for the ages, and a thrilling disaster movie with incredible effects both practical and digital. Few movies can give us the romantic splendor of Jack and Rose's first kiss, while simultaneously giving us the visual splendor and absolute terror of the shipwreck. This may have started as an excuse for Cameron to be able to see the shipwreck in person, but it is hard to argue against the sheer cinematic joy of the final film.
Despite a skyrocketing budget and a very skeptical studio, "Titanic" ended up becoming one of the biggest movies ever made,...
"Titanic" is a truly monumental film, an epic the likes of which we rarely get anymore. James Cameron lead a team that crafted a touching and emotional romance for the ages, and a thrilling disaster movie with incredible effects both practical and digital. Few movies can give us the romantic splendor of Jack and Rose's first kiss, while simultaneously giving us the visual splendor and absolute terror of the shipwreck. This may have started as an excuse for Cameron to be able to see the shipwreck in person, but it is hard to argue against the sheer cinematic joy of the final film.
Despite a skyrocketing budget and a very skeptical studio, "Titanic" ended up becoming one of the biggest movies ever made,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Tom Hanks is set to be digitally de-aged using AI technology for a new film from Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis.
The actor, who has worked with Zemeckis before on films including Cast Away, Forrest Gump and The Polar Express, has been cast in the filmmaker’s new project Here.
Based on a graphic novel by Richard McGuire, Here takes place entirely within the confines of a single room, and follows its occupants over many years.
On Tuesday (31 January), artificial intelligence company Metaphysic announced that it had entered into a partnership with US talent agency CAA.
The company, known for its work on deepfakes, has developed a new generative AI-based tool called Metaphysic Live.
It is described as a tool that offers “high-resolution photorealistic faceswaps and de-aging effects on top of actors’ performances live and in real-time without the need for further compositing or VFX work”.
Per The Hollywood Reporter,...
The actor, who has worked with Zemeckis before on films including Cast Away, Forrest Gump and The Polar Express, has been cast in the filmmaker’s new project Here.
Based on a graphic novel by Richard McGuire, Here takes place entirely within the confines of a single room, and follows its occupants over many years.
On Tuesday (31 January), artificial intelligence company Metaphysic announced that it had entered into a partnership with US talent agency CAA.
The company, known for its work on deepfakes, has developed a new generative AI-based tool called Metaphysic Live.
It is described as a tool that offers “high-resolution photorealistic faceswaps and de-aging effects on top of actors’ performances live and in real-time without the need for further compositing or VFX work”.
Per The Hollywood Reporter,...
- 1/31/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
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