The superhero genre has traditionally been family-oriented. Often light-hearted and ending with a moral message, PG-13 is what most of these films aim for. However, every now and then there comes an R-rated superhero flick that completely blows off adult minds, forcing them to be hyped like kids again. And the Deadpool series did just that.
A still from Logan
However, Deadpool wasn’t the first R-rated superhero movie, and it certainly won’t be the last. Most of the time, R-rated movies earn much less than their PG counterparts, and just like Deadpool, that rule is occasionally broken. As in the case of Logan, which successfully clawed through its family-friendly genre to present a bloody masterpiece.
Suggested“He really wanted me to come back and do the next Wolverine”: Amid Channing Tatum’s Speculated Cameo as Gambit, Another Hugh Jackman’s Co-star is Hopeful For a MCU Debut...
A still from Logan
However, Deadpool wasn’t the first R-rated superhero movie, and it certainly won’t be the last. Most of the time, R-rated movies earn much less than their PG counterparts, and just like Deadpool, that rule is occasionally broken. As in the case of Logan, which successfully clawed through its family-friendly genre to present a bloody masterpiece.
Suggested“He really wanted me to come back and do the next Wolverine”: Amid Channing Tatum’s Speculated Cameo as Gambit, Another Hugh Jackman’s Co-star is Hopeful For a MCU Debut...
- 4/28/2024
- by Sayantan Choudhary
- FandomWire
The upcoming biopic of Richard Simmons starring Pauly Shore took a big step forward earlier this week when it was announced that Jordan Allen-Dutton (Robot Chicken) had signed on to write the script, but the subject of the film isn’t having it.
“I just read that a man that I don’t know is writing my bio pic starring Pauly Shore,” Richard Simmons wrote on social media. “I do not approve this movie. I am in talks with major studios to create my own bio pic with some help. Wait for this movie.” Shore, who is still holding out hope that Simmons will embrace the project, wrote on Instagram that these words brought him to tears.
I was up all night crying regarding Richard Simmons’ tweet. Richard, how do you not approve of this movie? I mean, really, who’s better to play you in a movie than Me?...
“I just read that a man that I don’t know is writing my bio pic starring Pauly Shore,” Richard Simmons wrote on social media. “I do not approve this movie. I am in talks with major studios to create my own bio pic with some help. Wait for this movie.” Shore, who is still holding out hope that Simmons will embrace the project, wrote on Instagram that these words brought him to tears.
I was up all night crying regarding Richard Simmons’ tweet. Richard, how do you not approve of this movie? I mean, really, who’s better to play you in a movie than Me?...
- 4/26/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Like a sweaty workout routine, Pauly Shore‘s Richard Simmons biopic continues to gain momentum. The Wolper Organization says it’s hiring Jordan Allen-Dutton (Robot Chicken) to pen the screenplay. The biopic comes after the success of The Court Jester, a short film starring Shore as the fitness guru and sunny cheerleader for people struggling with weight control and self-esteem issues. The Court Jester sold out multiple screenings in Park City, Utah, earlier this year and gained over one million views on YouTube in 24 hours. While the project has some unfortunate vibes, the team continues to press on with development.
While details about the Richard Simmons biopic remain as scarce as a neon pink leotard up someone’s rear end at the climax of an aerobics routine, producer Mark Wolper says the project will be “a dramatic and heartfelt feature in the tone of Little Miss Sunshine.”
Unfortunately, a dark...
While details about the Richard Simmons biopic remain as scarce as a neon pink leotard up someone’s rear end at the climax of an aerobics routine, producer Mark Wolper says the project will be “a dramatic and heartfelt feature in the tone of Little Miss Sunshine.”
Unfortunately, a dark...
- 4/24/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: The Wolper Organization has tapped Jordan Allen-Dutton (Robot Chicken) to pen the script for its recently announced Richard Simmons biopic produced by and starring Pauly Shore, Deadline has learned.
While the title of the film hasn’t yet been disclosed, nor specifics to the approach it’ll take in depicting the life of the famed fitness guru, producer Mark Wolper has shared that it will be “a dramatic and heartfelt feature in the tone of Little Miss Sunshine.” Shore came to the project after campaigning for years to play Simmons in a feature, given popular online opinion that no one resembles the fitness icon more than him. Previously, he portrayed Simmons in The Court Jester, a short film written and directed by Jake Lewis that sold out multiple screenings in Park City, Ut earlier this year and garnered over a million views on YouTube in 24 hours.
While Simmons has...
While the title of the film hasn’t yet been disclosed, nor specifics to the approach it’ll take in depicting the life of the famed fitness guru, producer Mark Wolper has shared that it will be “a dramatic and heartfelt feature in the tone of Little Miss Sunshine.” Shore came to the project after campaigning for years to play Simmons in a feature, given popular online opinion that no one resembles the fitness icon more than him. Previously, he portrayed Simmons in The Court Jester, a short film written and directed by Jake Lewis that sold out multiple screenings in Park City, Ut earlier this year and garnered over a million views on YouTube in 24 hours.
While Simmons has...
- 4/24/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
There is a lot that can be and has been said about the dance scenes in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. Little of it has been positive in the 17(!) years since the movie’s release. Undeniably leaning into the director’s goofier comic sensibility, the film twice detours from its dour tone—which begins when Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) dons the bad juju vibes of an alien symbiote—in order to have a laugh-out-loud dance break. In one sequence near the end of the second act, and after Peter has permanently scarred and attempted to kill his Bff (James Franco), Maguire’s protagonist struts down the streets of New York City to James Brown. The strut then becomes a full on disco-like routine after he upgrades to an all-black suit.
Several minutes later, Spider-Man 3 further ups the camp factor by seeing symbiote-influenced Peter attempt to make Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst...
Several minutes later, Spider-Man 3 further ups the camp factor by seeing symbiote-influenced Peter attempt to make Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst...
- 4/16/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
In a rare TV series commitment, veteran actor-comedian Marc Maron (Glow) has been tapped as a lead opposite Owen Wilson and Peter Dager in Apple TV+’s 10-episode comedy created, written by and executive produced by Jason Keller.
The untitled comedy stars Wilson as Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store and his wife walks out on him, Pryce hedges his bets entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom, played by Dager.
Maron will play Mitts, Pryce’s best friend and former caddy.
The Apple Studios production will be directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and executive produced by Propagate’s Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, Piece of Work’s Lee Eisenberg and Natalie Sandy,...
The untitled comedy stars Wilson as Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store and his wife walks out on him, Pryce hedges his bets entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom, played by Dager.
Maron will play Mitts, Pryce’s best friend and former caddy.
The Apple Studios production will be directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and executive produced by Propagate’s Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, Piece of Work’s Lee Eisenberg and Natalie Sandy,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
This article contains spoilers for the Curb Your Enthusiasm series finale.
As many fans predicted, the Curb Your Enthusiasm series finale concluded just like the much-maligned Seinfeld finale, with Larry David sent to jail for (petty) crimes against humanity. Granted, it wasn’t exactly like David-penned Seinfeld finale as, on Curb, Jerry Seinfeld’s chance encounter with a Joe Pesci lookalike leads to a jury nullification and mistrial, setting our cranky hero free once again.
Before that last minute Deus Ex Jerry, however, Curb Your Enthusiasm gets to indulge in the best part of the Seinfeld ending of yore by having many, many guest stars and other faces from the show’s past make appearances. From the prosecutor to the judge to all the witnesses that attest to Larry’s poor character, the Curb finale has many guest star roles to fill. Here’s how it fills them.
Curb Your...
As many fans predicted, the Curb Your Enthusiasm series finale concluded just like the much-maligned Seinfeld finale, with Larry David sent to jail for (petty) crimes against humanity. Granted, it wasn’t exactly like David-penned Seinfeld finale as, on Curb, Jerry Seinfeld’s chance encounter with a Joe Pesci lookalike leads to a jury nullification and mistrial, setting our cranky hero free once again.
Before that last minute Deus Ex Jerry, however, Curb Your Enthusiasm gets to indulge in the best part of the Seinfeld ending of yore by having many, many guest stars and other faces from the show’s past make appearances. From the prosecutor to the judge to all the witnesses that attest to Larry’s poor character, the Curb finale has many guest star roles to fill. Here’s how it fills them.
Curb Your...
- 4/8/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
After a search, young actor Peter Dager (Insidious: The Red Door) has landed the co-lead opposite Owen Wilson in Apple TV+’s 10-episode comedy series created, written by and executive produced by Jason Keller.
The untitled comedy stars Wilson as Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store and his wife walks out on him, Pryce hedges his bets entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom, played by Dager.
The Apple Studios production will be directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and executive produced by Propagate’s Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, Piece of Work’s Lee Eisenberg and Natalie Sandy, Chris Moynihan, Keller, Wilson as well as Bill Callahan.
Cuban-American actor Dager was recently seen in Insidious 5,...
The untitled comedy stars Wilson as Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store and his wife walks out on him, Pryce hedges his bets entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom, played by Dager.
The Apple Studios production will be directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and executive produced by Propagate’s Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, Piece of Work’s Lee Eisenberg and Natalie Sandy, Chris Moynihan, Keller, Wilson as well as Bill Callahan.
Cuban-American actor Dager was recently seen in Insidious 5,...
- 4/5/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Big Beach, the production company behind Starz’s Vida and Facebook’s Sorry For Your Loss, has landed television rights to Alexandra Tanner’s debut novel Worry.
Worry follows two siblings-turned-roommates, one a 28-year-old media employee, navigating an absurd world on the verge of calamity. The book has been described as a “Seinfeldian” novel of existentialism and sisterhood.
Lesley Arfin, co-creator of Netflix comedy series Love, which starred Gillian Jacobs, has signed on to write the pilot episode alongside Tanner.
Worry was released last week by Scribner and was described by the New York Times as a “fabulous comic novel of young adult angst.”
Set in 2019, it follows 28-year-old Jules Gold — anxious, artistically frustrated, and internet-obsessed — who has been living alone in the apartment she once shared with the man she thought she’d marry when her younger sister Poppy comes to crash. Indefinitely. Poppy, a year and a...
Worry follows two siblings-turned-roommates, one a 28-year-old media employee, navigating an absurd world on the verge of calamity. The book has been described as a “Seinfeldian” novel of existentialism and sisterhood.
Lesley Arfin, co-creator of Netflix comedy series Love, which starred Gillian Jacobs, has signed on to write the pilot episode alongside Tanner.
Worry was released last week by Scribner and was described by the New York Times as a “fabulous comic novel of young adult angst.”
Set in 2019, it follows 28-year-old Jules Gold — anxious, artistically frustrated, and internet-obsessed — who has been living alone in the apartment she once shared with the man she thought she’d marry when her younger sister Poppy comes to crash. Indefinitely. Poppy, a year and a...
- 4/1/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Searchlight Pictures has signed a first-look deal with Olivia Colman and Ed Sinclair’s South of the River Pictures. Under the new pact, the specialty studio, which has worked with Colman on “The Favourite” and “Empire of Light,” will develop and produce feature-length motion pictures with the production company.
South of the River Pictures was founded by Colman, Sinclair and their long-time partner in crime, Tom Carver, to develop and produce original scripted comedies and dramas with “an authored sensibility.” Colman and Sinclair have been married since 2001.
South of the River Pictures has a slate of projects that include feature films and TV series. Its first production was Sinclair’s multi-Bafta-winning TV series “Landscapers,” which was produced with Sister for Sky Atlantic and HBO, and starred Olivia Colman and David Thewlis as a murderous couple. It was nominated for best miniseries at the 2022 BAFTA TV Awards. “Wicked Little Letters,” the company’s first feature film,...
South of the River Pictures was founded by Colman, Sinclair and their long-time partner in crime, Tom Carver, to develop and produce original scripted comedies and dramas with “an authored sensibility.” Colman and Sinclair have been married since 2001.
South of the River Pictures has a slate of projects that include feature films and TV series. Its first production was Sinclair’s multi-Bafta-winning TV series “Landscapers,” which was produced with Sister for Sky Atlantic and HBO, and starred Olivia Colman and David Thewlis as a murderous couple. It was nominated for best miniseries at the 2022 BAFTA TV Awards. “Wicked Little Letters,” the company’s first feature film,...
- 3/29/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Emmy and Academy Award nominated producer David Permut and filmmaker Oscar Boyson are teaming up with author/filmmaker Mathew Klickstein to bring the San Diego Comic-Con origin story to life for the first time on screen in a new documentary based on the latter’s book See You at San Diego: An Oral History of Comic-Con, Fandom, and the Triumph of Geek Culture.
The See You at San Diego documentary will follow how a scrappy group of teenage fans, zinesters, illustrators, stoners, hippies, weirdoes, bookworms, and science buffs in the late 1960s joined forces with an unemployed thirtysomething comic fan to create what has now become one of the most influential pop culture events ever. San Diego Comic-Con has twice been recognized as the largest pop culture gathering worldwide by the Guinness Book of World Records in recent years.
Boyson and Oh Boy Productions will produce alongside Permut who...
The See You at San Diego documentary will follow how a scrappy group of teenage fans, zinesters, illustrators, stoners, hippies, weirdoes, bookworms, and science buffs in the late 1960s joined forces with an unemployed thirtysomething comic fan to create what has now become one of the most influential pop culture events ever. San Diego Comic-Con has twice been recognized as the largest pop culture gathering worldwide by the Guinness Book of World Records in recent years.
Boyson and Oh Boy Productions will produce alongside Permut who...
- 3/28/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Disney+ user interface remains mostly unchanged from the public beta test, but there is a ton of new titles available to stream.
After months of testing, Disney has made it official with the launch of Hulu on Disney+. This new one-app experience will bring a significant portion of Hulu’s on-demand and next-day streaming libraries to the company’s flagship streaming service Disney+. While the beta tests that launched in December gave many subscribers an opportunity to check out what this new evolution of Disney streaming was all about, now that it is live for Disney Bundle subscribers in the United States, The Streamable is giving you a first look at the refreshed platform and diving into what content is and isn’t available.
Hulu on Disney+ brings thousands of new general entertainment titles to Disney+ for the first time. Disney Bundle subscribers can now stream titles from numerous non-Disney-owned networks.
After months of testing, Disney has made it official with the launch of Hulu on Disney+. This new one-app experience will bring a significant portion of Hulu’s on-demand and next-day streaming libraries to the company’s flagship streaming service Disney+. While the beta tests that launched in December gave many subscribers an opportunity to check out what this new evolution of Disney streaming was all about, now that it is live for Disney Bundle subscribers in the United States, The Streamable is giving you a first look at the refreshed platform and diving into what content is and isn’t available.
Hulu on Disney+ brings thousands of new general entertainment titles to Disney+ for the first time. Disney Bundle subscribers can now stream titles from numerous non-Disney-owned networks.
- 3/27/2024
- by Matt Tamanini
- The Streamable
Mark Wahlberg has admitted he wasn’t entirely happy while filming Martin Scorsese’s 2006 film The Departed.
Wahlberg played Sergeant Dignam, who worked in the Special Investigation Unit of the Massachusetts State Police Department, in the Boston-set film, which also starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Vera Farmiga, among others.
“I was a little pissed about a couple things but look, it all worked out in the end, I think,” Wahlberg said on the March 14 episode of Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast.
“Originally I was supposed to play another part. Originally, I was supposed to get paid,” he said, without elaborating. “And then even when we kind of agreed that I would play Dignam and I saw the advantages of playing that part and how I would approach the situation with everybody else playing opposite me, I then had another movie after.
Wahlberg played Sergeant Dignam, who worked in the Special Investigation Unit of the Massachusetts State Police Department, in the Boston-set film, which also starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Vera Farmiga, among others.
“I was a little pissed about a couple things but look, it all worked out in the end, I think,” Wahlberg said on the March 14 episode of Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast.
“Originally I was supposed to play another part. Originally, I was supposed to get paid,” he said, without elaborating. “And then even when we kind of agreed that I would play Dignam and I saw the advantages of playing that part and how I would approach the situation with everybody else playing opposite me, I then had another movie after.
- 3/25/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Long before he won the 2024 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Oppenheimer,” Robert Downey Jr. made his screen debut at age five in the experimental 1970 film “Pound,” which was directed by his father and co-starred his mother and sister. Upon clinching said prize, he emulated only three other men who were first honored by the academy at least half a century into their acting careers. Considering both male categories (and only counting credited roles in feature films), his waiting period of 54 years far exceeds the all-time average, which now stands at 19.5 years.
Although nearly two full decades separate their time-of-win ages (58 and 77), Downey came within five years of breaking John Gielgud’s general record for longest acting career preceding an Oscar victory. The English performer has held that distinction since 1982, when he was lauded for his supporting turn in “Arthur” 58 years after debuting in “Who Is the Man?” (1924). While no male...
Although nearly two full decades separate their time-of-win ages (58 and 77), Downey came within five years of breaking John Gielgud’s general record for longest acting career preceding an Oscar victory. The English performer has held that distinction since 1982, when he was lauded for his supporting turn in “Arthur” 58 years after debuting in “Who Is the Man?” (1924). While no male...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
A whopping 26 (or 70.3%) of the last decade’s worth of acting Oscar recipients – including 2024’s Emma Stone (“Poor Things”), Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”), and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) – were born in the United States. Also counted here is Joaquin Phoenix, who originates from the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Compared to the group of performers who prevailed between 2005 and 2014, the 2015-2024 set includes six more Americans, constituting a 16% larger majority. Considering all 96 years of Academy Awards history, the rate of unique American acting victors stands at 68.1%.
Stone, who earned her first of two Best Actress trophies for “La La Land” (2017), is now the first-ever dual honoree from Arizona, with the only other acting winner from her state being Troy Kotsur. Before they came along, the sole nominee to have been born there was Mare Winningham, who lost to New Yorker Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite”).
Randolph is the 11th...
Stone, who earned her first of two Best Actress trophies for “La La Land” (2017), is now the first-ever dual honoree from Arizona, with the only other acting winner from her state being Troy Kotsur. Before they came along, the sole nominee to have been born there was Mare Winningham, who lost to New Yorker Mira Sorvino (“Mighty Aphrodite”).
Randolph is the 11th...
- 3/15/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Apple TV+ had announced it will expand its award-winning comedy slate with a new 10-episode comedy starring and executive produced by Owen Wilson and created, written by and executive produced by Jason Keller (“Ford v Ferrari”). Starring Wilson in the lead role, the comedy follows Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store and his wife walks out on him, Pryce hedges his bets entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom. Hailing from Apple Studios, the untiled series will be directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, and executive produced by Propagate Content’s Ben Silverman (“The Office”), Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady (upcoming “Ripley” and “The Fall Guy”), Piece of Work’s Lee Eisenberg and Natalie Sandy, Chris Moynihan, Keller and Wilson. The new series...
- 3/12/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Owen Wilson is a well-known golf fan who is ready to take his love of the sport to the small screen. The actor is set to star in an untitled comedy series for Apple TV+, which is in development from Ford v Ferrari co-writer Jason Keller.
Wilson will star in the ten-episode series as Pryce Cahill, “an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store and his wife walks out on him, Pryce hedges his bets entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom.” In addition to starring in the series, Wilson will also executive produce alongside Keller. Propagate Content’s Ben Silverman will also executive produce the series with Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, Piece of Work’s Lee Eisenberg and Natalie Sandy, and Chris Moynihan. The series will...
Wilson will star in the ten-episode series as Pryce Cahill, “an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store and his wife walks out on him, Pryce hedges his bets entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom.” In addition to starring in the series, Wilson will also executive produce alongside Keller. Propagate Content’s Ben Silverman will also executive produce the series with Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell, Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady, Piece of Work’s Lee Eisenberg and Natalie Sandy, and Chris Moynihan. The series will...
- 3/12/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Apple TV+ is taking a shot at another sports-related comedy.
The streamer behind Ted Lasso has placed a series order for a show starring Owen Wilson as a former pro golfer who needs to get his life back in order. The Loki star will also be an executive producer of the untitled series, which comes from Apple Studios and creator Jason Keller (Ford v. Ferrari).
Wilson will play Pryce Cahill, whose golf career ended prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at a sporting goods store in Indiana and his wife leaves him, Pryce sees a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom as his way back.
The series seems to echo Ted Lasso in its sports-world setting and the possibility of a redemption arc for its main character. It will join a comedy roster at Apple TV+ that also includes Shrinking, Platonic, Loot and the upcoming Palm Royale.
Jonathan Dayton...
The streamer behind Ted Lasso has placed a series order for a show starring Owen Wilson as a former pro golfer who needs to get his life back in order. The Loki star will also be an executive producer of the untitled series, which comes from Apple Studios and creator Jason Keller (Ford v. Ferrari).
Wilson will play Pryce Cahill, whose golf career ended prematurely 20 years ago. After he gets fired from his job at a sporting goods store in Indiana and his wife leaves him, Pryce sees a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom as his way back.
The series seems to echo Ted Lasso in its sports-world setting and the possibility of a redemption arc for its main character. It will join a comedy roster at Apple TV+ that also includes Shrinking, Platonic, Loot and the upcoming Palm Royale.
Jonathan Dayton...
- 3/12/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Imagine Entertainment has hired Jeb Brody to be President of Imagine Features. Brody had most recently been President of Amblin Partners, which was downsized by Steven Spielberg. Imagine founders Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are bringing Brody aboard to lean more heavily into feature films.
Karen Lunder, who ran the division and produced the films Thirteen Lives and the upcoming release Eden, is becoming a fulltime producer for Imagine, where she will work on a slate of high-priority projects.
Brody will oversee the Features development team which includes SVP Film Allan Mandelbaum, and Joyce Choi. As part of this expansion, Choi has been promoted to Director of Development.
Brody is a well regarded exec and producer who has experience in films large and small, from the Sundance hit Little Miss Sunshine to the studio franchise Fifty Shades of Grey and the Sam Mendes-directed 1917. Brody came to Amblin from Secret Hideout,...
Karen Lunder, who ran the division and produced the films Thirteen Lives and the upcoming release Eden, is becoming a fulltime producer for Imagine, where she will work on a slate of high-priority projects.
Brody will oversee the Features development team which includes SVP Film Allan Mandelbaum, and Joyce Choi. As part of this expansion, Choi has been promoted to Director of Development.
Brody is a well regarded exec and producer who has experience in films large and small, from the Sundance hit Little Miss Sunshine to the studio franchise Fifty Shades of Grey and the Sam Mendes-directed 1917. Brody came to Amblin from Secret Hideout,...
- 3/5/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Ever since Mahershala Ali won the 2017 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Moonlight” with less than 21 minutes of screen time, the academy has consistently lauded much larger featured male roles, with all of the last half dozen honorees having comfortably surpassed the category’s screen time average. That streak is practically assured to end this year, however, since most of the men currently vying for the prize clock in below average and none of them appear in more than a quarter of their movies.
The 2024 supporting actor nominees have an average screen time of 29 minutes and 36 seconds, or 19.56% of their respective films. While they outpace last year’s group by 42 seconds, they also fall behind them by almost five percentage points. Their physical time average essentially puts them right in the middle of the category’s all-time ranking, while their percentage mean is the 17th lowest ever.
The last 10 winners of...
The 2024 supporting actor nominees have an average screen time of 29 minutes and 36 seconds, or 19.56% of their respective films. While they outpace last year’s group by 42 seconds, they also fall behind them by almost five percentage points. Their physical time average essentially puts them right in the middle of the category’s all-time ranking, while their percentage mean is the 17th lowest ever.
The last 10 winners of...
- 3/5/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Lola is a gripping 2024 film directed by Nicola Peltz Beckham that hits you right in the feels and reminds me of movies like Little Miss Sunshine and The Florida Project. The story revolves around Lola, a young girl stuck in a seriously messed-up family situation. Her mom’s all about preaching about sin and God’s wrath, while her mom’s boyfriend, Trick, is just plain bad news. Lola’s only ray of hope? Her little brother, Arlo. She’d do anything to protect him from their toxic home life, even if it meant taking on crazy jobs like strip dancing and working in the supermarket, just to save up enough cash to get them out of there. But here’s the twist: to cope with all that life throws at her, Lola turns to drugs. And suddenly, all that preaching about sin starts to feel a bit hypocritical. She starts asking herself,...
- 3/3/2024
- by Sutanuka Banerjee
- Film Fugitives
“The Last Animal,” the award-winning bestselling novel from Ramona Ausubel, has been snatched up for film adaptation by production companies Walden Media and Big Beach.
Ry Russo-Young has been set to direct the feature based on the emotionally resonant story. Published in April 2023 by Riverhead Books at Penguin Random House, Ausubel’s work was named best book of the year by NPR, Kirkus Reviews and Oprah Daily, among others. A distributor has not yet been set.
“Last Animal” follows teenaged sisters Eve and Vera, unexpectedly spending summer vacation on their mother’s scientific expedition. Fooling around in the permafrost, the sisters accidentally uncover a perfectly preserved, four-thousand-year-old baby mammoth. The discovery sends mother and daughters from the slopes of Siberia to the shores of Iceland to an exotic animal farm in Italy, resulting in the birth of a creature that could change the world — or at least their family.
“I...
Ry Russo-Young has been set to direct the feature based on the emotionally resonant story. Published in April 2023 by Riverhead Books at Penguin Random House, Ausubel’s work was named best book of the year by NPR, Kirkus Reviews and Oprah Daily, among others. A distributor has not yet been set.
“Last Animal” follows teenaged sisters Eve and Vera, unexpectedly spending summer vacation on their mother’s scientific expedition. Fooling around in the permafrost, the sisters accidentally uncover a perfectly preserved, four-thousand-year-old baby mammoth. The discovery sends mother and daughters from the slopes of Siberia to the shores of Iceland to an exotic animal farm in Italy, resulting in the birth of a creature that could change the world — or at least their family.
“I...
- 3/1/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Just 30 minutes after final voting for the Screen Actors Guild Awards wrapped up, I made a last-minute switch in my best actress prediction — from Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon” to Emma Stone in “Poor Things.” Let this be a lesson: Second-guessing yourself is seldom a good idea.
Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American and Indigenous person to clinch an individual SAG Award for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, in Martin Scorsese’s gripping crime saga. With a lead actress (drama) Golden Globe and a SAG Award now under her belt, Gladstone’s award-season momentum continues to be formidable. Historically, only seven performers have failed to win the Oscar after winning the unique combination of Globe and SAG:
1995: Lauren Bacall (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”) lost to Juliette Binoche 2001: Russell Crowe (“A Beautiful Mind”) lost to Denzel Washington (“Training Day...
Lily Gladstone made history as the first Native American and Indigenous person to clinch an individual SAG Award for her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman, in Martin Scorsese’s gripping crime saga. With a lead actress (drama) Golden Globe and a SAG Award now under her belt, Gladstone’s award-season momentum continues to be formidable. Historically, only seven performers have failed to win the Oscar after winning the unique combination of Globe and SAG:
1995: Lauren Bacall (“The Mirror Has Two Faces”) lost to Juliette Binoche 2001: Russell Crowe (“A Beautiful Mind”) lost to Denzel Washington (“Training Day...
- 2/25/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Christopher Nolan‘s “Oppenheimer” will notch another incredibly important precursor win on its path to the Oscars at the upcoming 35th Producers Guild of America Awards on Sunday, Feb. 25. According to our official odds, the blockbuster film will take home the honor of Best Picture. The ceremony includes other film categories such as animated and documentary feature and television trophies for drama, comedy, limited series and more. Scroll down for our official PGA Awards odds in 10 categories with our winner predictions highlighted in gold.
A victory for “Oppenheimer” here would be significant because, more often than not, the winner at PGA goes on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Since 2000, the two prizes have gone hand-in-hand 16 times. The exceptions are film years 2001 (when PGA opted for “Moulin Rouge!” and the Oscars awarded “A Beautiful Mind”), 2004 (“The Aviator” / “Million Dollar Baby”), 2005 (“Brokeback Mountain” / “Crash”), 2006 (“Little Miss Sunshine” / “The Departed...
A victory for “Oppenheimer” here would be significant because, more often than not, the winner at PGA goes on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Since 2000, the two prizes have gone hand-in-hand 16 times. The exceptions are film years 2001 (when PGA opted for “Moulin Rouge!” and the Oscars awarded “A Beautiful Mind”), 2004 (“The Aviator” / “Million Dollar Baby”), 2005 (“Brokeback Mountain” / “Crash”), 2006 (“Little Miss Sunshine” / “The Departed...
- 2/23/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Welcome to Oscar Experts Typing, a weekly column in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen discuss the Oscar race — via Slack, of course. This week, we discuss possible upsets at Saturday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! It’s Friday, and as Oscar voters make their final picks, our eyes are turned toward this weekend’s big surge of precursor ceremonies. We won’t have much to say about the Producers Guild Awards (happening Sunday) just because if “Oppenheimer” were to lose the night’s biggest prize somehow, it would stand as one of the biggest upsets in history. So instead, let’s focus on the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The event — streaming for the first time on Netflix after it ran on the streaming service’s YouTube channel last year; ah, memories — could very well just rubber-stamp our expectations for the Oscar winners: “Oppenheimer” for ensemble,...
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! It’s Friday, and as Oscar voters make their final picks, our eyes are turned toward this weekend’s big surge of precursor ceremonies. We won’t have much to say about the Producers Guild Awards (happening Sunday) just because if “Oppenheimer” were to lose the night’s biggest prize somehow, it would stand as one of the biggest upsets in history. So instead, let’s focus on the Screen Actors Guild Awards. The event — streaming for the first time on Netflix after it ran on the streaming service’s YouTube channel last year; ah, memories — could very well just rubber-stamp our expectations for the Oscar winners: “Oppenheimer” for ensemble,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Dylan O’Brien is set to headline in James Sweeney’s dark comedy Twinless, which the latter wrote and will also star in. Republic Pictures has taken global rights to the movie. Cameras are currently rolling on the movie in Portland, Or. O’Brien will executive produce.
The pic follows two young men who meet in a twin bereavement support group. An unlikely bromance develops between them. Twinless follow Sweeney’s directorial debut, Straight Up, which notched the filmmaker a Best First Screenplay nom at the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards.
Three Point Capital is financing the film with Ali Jazayeri, David Gendron and Liz Destro also serving as EPs.
Twinless is produced by Academy Award nominated producer David Permut and Permut Presentations whose most recent Netflix movie, Rustin, garnered Colman Domingo a Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Miky Lee (Parasite) Vice Chairwoman of Cj and who most recently executive...
The pic follows two young men who meet in a twin bereavement support group. An unlikely bromance develops between them. Twinless follow Sweeney’s directorial debut, Straight Up, which notched the filmmaker a Best First Screenplay nom at the 2021 Independent Spirit Awards.
Three Point Capital is financing the film with Ali Jazayeri, David Gendron and Liz Destro also serving as EPs.
Twinless is produced by Academy Award nominated producer David Permut and Permut Presentations whose most recent Netflix movie, Rustin, garnered Colman Domingo a Best Actor Oscar nomination.
Miky Lee (Parasite) Vice Chairwoman of Cj and who most recently executive...
- 2/15/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Plot: In 2005, a teenager, Doris (Nico Parker), helps her mother (Laura Linney) care for her dying brother at the same hospice where Terri Schiavo is being treated. With the hospital at the centre of neverending right-to-life protests, Doris sparks an unlikely friendship with one of the protestors (Woody Harrelson).
Review: Suncoast was a late Sundance surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting much from the film, and I entertained the idea of waiting for it to hit Hulu (it has a Feb 9 release date). Still, I found myself unexpectedly charmed by this Searchlight release, which is the kind of crowdpleaser the festival audience loves, with the theatre I saw this in packed with sobbing attendees by the time the credits rolled.
Suncoast was a refreshing change of pace from some of the heavier fare I’ve been watching here, with it refreshingly optimistic and upbeat, even if it deals with grim subject matter.
Review: Suncoast was a late Sundance surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting much from the film, and I entertained the idea of waiting for it to hit Hulu (it has a Feb 9 release date). Still, I found myself unexpectedly charmed by this Searchlight release, which is the kind of crowdpleaser the festival audience loves, with the theatre I saw this in packed with sobbing attendees by the time the credits rolled.
Suncoast was a refreshing change of pace from some of the heavier fare I’ve been watching here, with it refreshingly optimistic and upbeat, even if it deals with grim subject matter.
- 2/10/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Upon securing a spot in the 2024 Best Supporting Actress Oscar lineup, Jodie Foster (“Nyad”) officially shattered the Academy Awards record for longest span between fourth and fifth acting nominations. Following her two Best Actress wins for “The Accused” (1989) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1992), she had last been recognized in that category for “Nell” (1995), making for a general nomination gap of 29 years. Coincidentally, she took this particular distinction from fellow “Silence of the Lambs” winner Anthony Hopkins, who waited 22 years between his supporting bids for “Amistad” (1998) and “The Two Popes” (2020).
Previously, the female record for longest wait for a fifth nomination was 12 years, as shared by Julianne Moore and Frances McDormand. Considering gaps between any two consecutive acting nominations, Foster ranks well behind overall record holder Judd Hirsch, whose first and second career notices for “Ordinary People” (1981) and “The Fabelmans” (2023) came 42 years apart. His female counterpart is Helen Hayes (39 years...
Previously, the female record for longest wait for a fifth nomination was 12 years, as shared by Julianne Moore and Frances McDormand. Considering gaps between any two consecutive acting nominations, Foster ranks well behind overall record holder Judd Hirsch, whose first and second career notices for “Ordinary People” (1981) and “The Fabelmans” (2023) came 42 years apart. His female counterpart is Helen Hayes (39 years...
- 2/6/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Though it’s based on a 2005 movie of the same name, Prime Video’s Mr. and Mrs. Smith is something that’s increasingly rare these days: an honest-to-goodness TV show. The Donald Glover and Francesca Sloane-created spy thriller understands the required rhythms of its medium very well. Each episode presents a self-contained chapter within the dangerous marriage of John (Glover) and Jane Smith (Maya Erskine) while also subtly forwarding their overall story.
The commitment to the usual TV format also means that Mr. and Mrs. Smith gets to introduce one hell of a roster of guest stars. Save for its finale, every episode of this show features at least one stupendously talented and famous guest star. If you’re wondering who each of these guest stars are or where you’ve previously seen them: don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. What follows is a list of the Mr. and Mrs. Smith cast,...
The commitment to the usual TV format also means that Mr. and Mrs. Smith gets to introduce one hell of a roster of guest stars. Save for its finale, every episode of this show features at least one stupendously talented and famous guest star. If you’re wondering who each of these guest stars are or where you’ve previously seen them: don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. What follows is a list of the Mr. and Mrs. Smith cast,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Mr. & Mrs. Smith definitely didn’t surpass expectations, it mostly left us with question marks for expressions because of how lackluster the show really was. I suppose you could say there are some good parts; you’ve got beautiful sets and some fun fashion choices, but most importantly, a bunch of cameos that are meant to enhance the show considering how dull it is otherwise. Not to say that Donald Glover and Maya Erskine are incapable of holding our attention, but it’s probably a mix of the writing and the pacing of this show that had me completely bored by the end of it. And, no, even these incredible special appearances did not pique my interest in any way. However, they do add a little bit of fun, even if briefly, to the mostly tedious show. Mr. & Mrs. Smith follows spies in this new spyverse, where there is...
- 2/2/2024
- by Ruchika Bhat
- Film Fugitives
El éxito del terror indie en Sundance: “Talk to Me” pasa el testigo a “I Saw the TV Glow” en su 40ª edición.
El Festival de Cine de Sundance ha terminado y por ello os traemos nuestro análisis del festival. Un festival en el que anteriormente se estrenaron mundialmente películas muy aclamadas como “Brooklyn”, “Hereditary”, “Manchester By The Sea”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Get Out” o “Whiplash”. Y es que, esta temporada de premios aún no ha terminado y ya estamos con los ojos puestos en las películas de Sundance para ver cuál ha destacado y si alguna de ellas podría unirse a esta lista de películas aclamadas que tuvieron su estreno en el festival. Así que, pasemos al análisis.
Como siempre, para obtener una visión más clara acerca de las reacciones del festival, hemos optado por realizar un análisis utilizando como fuente los datos de Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic y Letterboxd.
El Festival de Cine de Sundance ha terminado y por ello os traemos nuestro análisis del festival. Un festival en el que anteriormente se estrenaron mundialmente películas muy aclamadas como “Brooklyn”, “Hereditary”, “Manchester By The Sea”, “Little Miss Sunshine”, “Get Out” o “Whiplash”. Y es que, esta temporada de premios aún no ha terminado y ya estamos con los ojos puestos en las películas de Sundance para ver cuál ha destacado y si alguna de ellas podría unirse a esta lista de películas aclamadas que tuvieron su estreno en el festival. Así que, pasemos al análisis.
Como siempre, para obtener una visión más clara acerca de las reacciones del festival, hemos optado por realizar un análisis utilizando como fuente los datos de Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic y Letterboxd.
- 1/31/2024
- by Marta Medina
- mundoCine
In his latest podcast/interview, host and screenwriter Stuart Wright talks with screenwriter Scott Myers about his book The Protagonists Journey: An Introduction To Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling and “3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life”, which include:
The Apartment (1960) Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Up (2009)
“3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life” is about those films that made you fall in love with film. The guest selects their trio of movies and we talk for 5 minutes, against the clock. When the alarm goes off for five minutes we move on to the next film.
Powered by RedCircle...
The Apartment (1960) Little Miss Sunshine (2006) Up (2009)
“3 Films That Have Impacted Everything In Your Adult Life” is about those films that made you fall in love with film. The guest selects their trio of movies and we talk for 5 minutes, against the clock. When the alarm goes off for five minutes we move on to the next film.
Powered by RedCircle...
- 1/30/2024
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
If there’s one word to describe Paul Giamatti’s most common type of role, it’s “curmudgeon.” The Yale-trained actor has the extraordinary range needed to take on various parts, but his most famous characters tend to have sharp minds and even sharper tongues. His most acclaimed roles, like the wine aficionado Miles in “Sideways,” are irritable and short-tempered with an arrogance and wit that masks their more sensitive interiors.
Giamatti’s latest role leans into that casting type harder than almost any of his other parts, and has clinched the actor his first ever Best Actor nomination. In “The Holdovers,” which reunites Giamatti with “Sideways” director Alexander Payne, the actor is at his surliest as Paul Hunham: a stuffy and strict English professor at an all-boys boarding school. The ’70s throwback Christmas comedy is an astonishing actor showcase for Giamatti, as well as his two co-stars Dominic Sessa and Da’Vine Joy Randolph,...
Giamatti’s latest role leans into that casting type harder than almost any of his other parts, and has clinched the actor his first ever Best Actor nomination. In “The Holdovers,” which reunites Giamatti with “Sideways” director Alexander Payne, the actor is at his surliest as Paul Hunham: a stuffy and strict English professor at an all-boys boarding school. The ’70s throwback Christmas comedy is an astonishing actor showcase for Giamatti, as well as his two co-stars Dominic Sessa and Da’Vine Joy Randolph,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
This is one of best discoveries of Sundance 2024. A knock out - loved every second of it. 2024 is a big year for the talented Taiwanese-American filmmaker Sean Wang, who is originally from Fremont, CA. Not only does he have this feature debut movie premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and it's getting rave reviews (and it won the Audience Award), he's also probably going to win an Academy Award in March for his short film Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó about his grannies (it's also streaming on Disney+ in February). Sundance has a memorably rich tradition of premiering many of the best coming-of-age films of all-time, ranging from 500 Days of Summer to Napoleon Dynamite to Little Miss Sunshine to The Spectacular Now to Clerks to Eighth Grade to Boyhood, and so many others over the years. Sean Wang's Dìdi (弟弟) instantly joins the ranks as yet another outstanding coming-of-age...
- 1/29/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Exclusive: A3 Artists Agency has signed Mary Lynn Rajskub, the veteran comedian, actress and writer known for turns in Fox’s hit action drama 24, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love and FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, for representation.
In 24, which ran for nine seasons, Rajskub played the fan-favorite character of Chloe O’Brian, the intelligence analyst who is protagonist Jack Bauer’s (Kiefer Sutherland) most trusted colleague. In Anderson’s classic, she portrayed Elizabeth, one of anxious entrepreneur Barry’s (Adam Sandler) seven domineering sisters, and in It’s Always Sunny, she portrays the hilariously bizarre recurring character Gail the Snail.
Most recently seen in the Fox anthology series Accused and the Tim Story-directed Disney+ comedy Dashing Through The Snow, Rajskub has also had notable parts in recent years in Hulu’s award-winning Amanda Seyfried miniseries The Dropout and the Chris Pratt sci-fi film The Tomorrow War for Amazon.
In 24, which ran for nine seasons, Rajskub played the fan-favorite character of Chloe O’Brian, the intelligence analyst who is protagonist Jack Bauer’s (Kiefer Sutherland) most trusted colleague. In Anderson’s classic, she portrayed Elizabeth, one of anxious entrepreneur Barry’s (Adam Sandler) seven domineering sisters, and in It’s Always Sunny, she portrays the hilariously bizarre recurring character Gail the Snail.
Most recently seen in the Fox anthology series Accused and the Tim Story-directed Disney+ comedy Dashing Through The Snow, Rajskub has also had notable parts in recent years in Hulu’s award-winning Amanda Seyfried miniseries The Dropout and the Chris Pratt sci-fi film The Tomorrow War for Amazon.
- 1/26/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Producers Peter Saraf and Eddie Rubin, who are in Park City to premiere the Sundance buzz titles Out of My Mind and Winner, have joined forces to create Optimistic Pictures, to develop and produce film and TV properties with an independent sensibility.
Saraf is the co-founder of Big Beach, the producer/financier responsible for one of the greatest successes to break at Sundance, the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine. After a massive bidding battle that was won by Fox Searchlight ($10.5 million and 10% gross), the film got four Oscar noms including Best Picture, won two Oscars and grossed $101 million, on an $8 million production budget.
After their first teaming on The Farewell, Saraf and Rubin are reuniting with that indie hit’s star Awkwafina. She’ll produce and star in an adaptation of G, the Ling Ma short story which is included in her National Book Critics Circle Award winning collection, Bliss Montage.
Saraf is the co-founder of Big Beach, the producer/financier responsible for one of the greatest successes to break at Sundance, the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine. After a massive bidding battle that was won by Fox Searchlight ($10.5 million and 10% gross), the film got four Oscar noms including Best Picture, won two Oscars and grossed $101 million, on an $8 million production budget.
After their first teaming on The Farewell, Saraf and Rubin are reuniting with that indie hit’s star Awkwafina. She’ll produce and star in an adaptation of G, the Ling Ma short story which is included in her National Book Critics Circle Award winning collection, Bliss Montage.
- 1/19/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Hollywood decamps for Park City this week, braving snow drifts and thin air in a quest to find the next indie breakouts, Oscar contenders and buzzy horror hits.
Yes, Sundance has returned in all its mountain-side glory, and with it comes the expectation that with enough tenacity and some big checks, studios and streamers will land the next “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Brooklyn,” “Manchester by the Sea” or “The Big Sick” (to rattle off just a few of the festival films that have sparked all-night bidding wars).
Of course, not every heated battle for the next big Sundance-bred hit leads to commercial success and Oscar glory (“Hamlet 2” or “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” know a bit about that). Even some of the 2023 films that landed major deals, such as John Carney’s “Flora and Son” or the Anne Hathaway-led “Eileen,” received a muted reception when they made...
Yes, Sundance has returned in all its mountain-side glory, and with it comes the expectation that with enough tenacity and some big checks, studios and streamers will land the next “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Brooklyn,” “Manchester by the Sea” or “The Big Sick” (to rattle off just a few of the festival films that have sparked all-night bidding wars).
Of course, not every heated battle for the next big Sundance-bred hit leads to commercial success and Oscar glory (“Hamlet 2” or “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” know a bit about that). Even some of the 2023 films that landed major deals, such as John Carney’s “Flora and Son” or the Anne Hathaway-led “Eileen,” received a muted reception when they made...
- 1/18/2024
- by Brent Lang, Rebecca Rubin and Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
The 40th Sundance Film Festival kicks off Thursday in snow-covered Park City, Utah. In the wake of twin strikes and an indie biz still recovering from the Covid pandemic, it’s difficult to read how hungry buyers are for films that are mostly light on starpower and an overtly commercial premise.
For instance, the buzziest title seems to be Love Me, because it stars Kristen Stewart and freshly minted Emmy-winning Beef star Steven Yeun. But it is a completely execution-dependent premise — long after humanity’s extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love. Two fine actors, but neither is a giant theatrical So there could be competition for this one, but buyers will be coming in cold and, as one veteran fest buyer said, “it’s like every other movie here. Let’s see what you got.”
One wrinkle in the continuing tectonic shifts in the...
For instance, the buzziest title seems to be Love Me, because it stars Kristen Stewart and freshly minted Emmy-winning Beef star Steven Yeun. But it is a completely execution-dependent premise — long after humanity’s extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love. Two fine actors, but neither is a giant theatrical So there could be competition for this one, but buyers will be coming in cold and, as one veteran fest buyer said, “it’s like every other movie here. Let’s see what you got.”
One wrinkle in the continuing tectonic shifts in the...
- 1/18/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s the question all indie filmmakers want to know: What do Sundance Film Festival programmers look for? Or more to the point: How do I get into Sundance? Funny you should ask! Last year in August, Film Independent Education hosted an online session of its Filmmaker Tuesdays series featuring two of the storied fest’s curators: feature programmers Ash Hoyle and Sudeep Sharma.
Together they answered a wide variety of questions, addressed suspicions as to what supposedly makes a “Sundance film” and debunked whether or not “Who you know” is really all that matters. Watch the full session in our Member portal. Not a Member? Become one today.
A 2021 Project Involve Fellow, Hoyle is a Sundance features programmer working on the festival’s Fiction, Nonfiction and Midnight teams. Hoyle started with Sundance in the event operations team, working up to the features curatorial team in April 2022. Sharma earned a...
Together they answered a wide variety of questions, addressed suspicions as to what supposedly makes a “Sundance film” and debunked whether or not “Who you know” is really all that matters. Watch the full session in our Member portal. Not a Member? Become one today.
A 2021 Project Involve Fellow, Hoyle is a Sundance features programmer working on the festival’s Fiction, Nonfiction and Midnight teams. Hoyle started with Sundance in the event operations team, working up to the features curatorial team in April 2022. Sharma earned a...
- 1/18/2024
- by Cortney Matz
- Film Independent News & More
Hours after it was announced that Pauly Shore would play him in an upcoming biopic, fitness guru Richard Simmons revealed that he did not give his blessing for the film to be made.
“Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” Simmons wrote on Facebook.
Simmons became known for his aerobics classes at his Beverly Hills fitness studio in the 1970s that catered to overweight people, a niche he sought to fill as he himself had lost over 100 pounds through fitness programs without the help of gyms that favored already fit people. In recent years, Simmons has stepped away from public life, something he noted in his Facebook post.
“I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try...
“Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” Simmons wrote on Facebook.
Simmons became known for his aerobics classes at his Beverly Hills fitness studio in the 1970s that catered to overweight people, a niche he sought to fill as he himself had lost over 100 pounds through fitness programs without the help of gyms that favored already fit people. In recent years, Simmons has stepped away from public life, something he noted in his Facebook post.
“I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try...
- 1/17/2024
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Richard Simmons is distancing himself from a biopic that would star Pauly Shore as the fitness guru.
“Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” read a post on Simmons’ verified Facebook page. “I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support. Richard.”
Shore announced the project Wednesday morning, though he did not claim that Simmons was involved. The Wolper Organization is backing the film. Shore has already shot the short film “Court Jester,” which will debut in Park City, Utah, during Sundance, though it is not a part of the fest.
The filmmakers responded to Simmons’ concerns in a statement of their own Wednesday.
“Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” read a post on Simmons’ verified Facebook page. “I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support. Richard.”
Shore announced the project Wednesday morning, though he did not claim that Simmons was involved. The Wolper Organization is backing the film. Shore has already shot the short film “Court Jester,” which will debut in Park City, Utah, during Sundance, though it is not a part of the fest.
The filmmakers responded to Simmons’ concerns in a statement of their own Wednesday.
- 1/17/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Updated, 2:11 p.m.: Less than 12 hours after news broke that Pauly Shore would portray fitness guru Richard Simmons in a biopic in development at The Wolper Organization, Simmons has surfaced on Facebook to distance himself from the project.
“Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” Simmons wrote. “I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support.”
Shore came to star in the forthcoming feature on Simmons’ life after campaigning for such a project to be made, when memes went viral online noting that if any actor should be cast in a Simmons biopic given physical resemblance alone, it should be him.
“Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” Simmons wrote. “I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support.”
Shore came to star in the forthcoming feature on Simmons’ life after campaigning for such a project to be made, when memes went viral online noting that if any actor should be cast in a Simmons biopic given physical resemblance alone, it should be him.
- 1/17/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Just hours after it was announced that Pauly Shore would play Richard Simmons in an upcoming biopic, the reclusive fitness guru has spoken out against the film.
“Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” Simmons wrote on Facebook. “I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support.”
A short film titled “The Court Jester,” which also stars Shore as Simmons, will premiere at Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 19 and then on YouTube. The short film, directed by Jake Lewis, is unrelated to the biopic, which is produced by Warner Bros. subsidiary The Wolper Organization.
In a statement to Variety, The Wolper Organization said,...
“Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read,” Simmons wrote on Facebook. “I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all your love and support.”
A short film titled “The Court Jester,” which also stars Shore as Simmons, will premiere at Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 19 and then on YouTube. The short film, directed by Jake Lewis, is unrelated to the biopic, which is produced by Warner Bros. subsidiary The Wolper Organization.
In a statement to Variety, The Wolper Organization said,...
- 1/17/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Pauly Shore is getting ready to sweat to the oldies, as the actor and comedian will play fitness icon Richard Simmons in a new biopic.
The film is currently in development at Warner Bros. subsidiary The Wolper Organization, with additional casting underway.
Responding to the news, the reclusive Simmons disavowed the project, posting on social media that he has never “given my permission for this movie.”
The biopic follows an unrelated short film about Simmons from director and writer Jake Lewis. That film, titled “The Court Jester,” will premiere at Sundance on Jan. 19 and also stars Shore as Simmons, as well as Tamra Brown as Ellen DeGeneres and Jesse Heiman as David, a television producer who lost 160 pounds thanks to Simmons, and who tracked his weight-loss journey on the blog “Keep It Up David!” After premiering in Park City, “The Court Jester” will immediately be available worldwide on YouTube.
“I...
The film is currently in development at Warner Bros. subsidiary The Wolper Organization, with additional casting underway.
Responding to the news, the reclusive Simmons disavowed the project, posting on social media that he has never “given my permission for this movie.”
The biopic follows an unrelated short film about Simmons from director and writer Jake Lewis. That film, titled “The Court Jester,” will premiere at Sundance on Jan. 19 and also stars Shore as Simmons, as well as Tamra Brown as Ellen DeGeneres and Jesse Heiman as David, a television producer who lost 160 pounds thanks to Simmons, and who tracked his weight-loss journey on the blog “Keep It Up David!” After premiering in Park City, “The Court Jester” will immediately be available worldwide on YouTube.
“I...
- 1/17/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance Film Festival’s Top 10 List
The Sundance Film Festival is celebrating its 40th edition with the 2024 festival running January 18th through 28th in Park City and Salt Lake City. In honor of the milestone event, Sundance called on the filmmaking community to put together a list of the top 10 feature films that have screened at the annual festival.
Over 4,000 feature films have been presented at the festival, and culling that massive list to 10 required the input of 500+ filmmakers, critics, and industry members who shared their personal top 10 lists. Topping the All Time Top 10 Films list is Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which debuted in 2014. Whiplash, starring J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller, won the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic and the Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic at the festival and went on to win three Oscars.
Feature film directing debuts of Steven Soderbergh, Jordan Peele, and Quentin Tarantino were voted onto the list.
The Sundance Film Festival is celebrating its 40th edition with the 2024 festival running January 18th through 28th in Park City and Salt Lake City. In honor of the milestone event, Sundance called on the filmmaking community to put together a list of the top 10 feature films that have screened at the annual festival.
Over 4,000 feature films have been presented at the festival, and culling that massive list to 10 required the input of 500+ filmmakers, critics, and industry members who shared their personal top 10 lists. Topping the All Time Top 10 Films list is Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which debuted in 2014. Whiplash, starring J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller, won the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic and the Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic at the festival and went on to win three Oscars.
Feature film directing debuts of Steven Soderbergh, Jordan Peele, and Quentin Tarantino were voted onto the list.
- 1/16/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The Sundance Film Festival will be commencing this week. After a preview of the upcoming schedule, this year looks to sport a bevy of AI-themed projects as well as a heavy list of horror films. Sundance will be celebrating its 40th year with a special list of top ten feature films that have been showcased throughout its entire run. These films have been picked by the filmmaking community.
Sundance‘s official press release reads,
“Today, in advance of the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival kicking off on January 18, the nonprofit Sundance Institute is commemorating the four decades of extraordinary independent filmmaking presented at the Festival with the results of a survey taken by the filmmaking communities on their top ten feature films that have screened at the Festival since it began in 1985.
In honor of this milestone Festival, filmmakers, critics, and industry members shared their personal top 10 lists.
Sundance‘s official press release reads,
“Today, in advance of the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival kicking off on January 18, the nonprofit Sundance Institute is commemorating the four decades of extraordinary independent filmmaking presented at the Festival with the results of a survey taken by the filmmaking communities on their top ten feature films that have screened at the Festival since it began in 1985.
In honor of this milestone Festival, filmmakers, critics, and industry members shared their personal top 10 lists.
- 1/16/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
The titles were selected by over 500 industry representatives.
Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash has topped a poll of over 500 film industry representatives selecting their top 10 feature films to have premiered at Sundance Film Festival.
The festival commissioned the poll to commemorate its first four decades of filmmaking, ahead of the festival’s 40th edition, running from January 18-28 in Utah, US.
Scroll down for the all-time Sundance top 10
Filmmakers, critics and industry representatives contributed to the poll, selecting from almost 4,000 feature films to have played at the festival since its first year in 1985.
Chazelle’s second feature Whiplash caused an immediate buzz at the 2014 festival,...
Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash has topped a poll of over 500 film industry representatives selecting their top 10 feature films to have premiered at Sundance Film Festival.
The festival commissioned the poll to commemorate its first four decades of filmmaking, ahead of the festival’s 40th edition, running from January 18-28 in Utah, US.
Scroll down for the all-time Sundance top 10
Filmmakers, critics and industry representatives contributed to the poll, selecting from almost 4,000 feature films to have played at the festival since its first year in 1985.
Chazelle’s second feature Whiplash caused an immediate buzz at the 2014 festival,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the iconic Sundance Film Festival, the nonprofit Sundance Institute is looking back on the legacy of films that debuted at the fest.
After surveying more than 500 filmmakers, critics, and industry members, Damien Chazelle’s 2014 debut feature “Whiplash” was awarded the title of top Sundance film of all time. “Whiplash” actor Jk Simmons won the Academy Award for his portrayal of an abusive music teacher opposite Miles Teller. Writer-director Chazelle went on to direct “First Man,” “La La Land,” and “Babylon.”
The Sundance Film Festival since 1985 has premiered 4,000 feature films over the decades. The collective top 10 list of the Sundance Film Festival celebrates films that have “touched hearts and changed lives,” according to the Institute.
While Chazelle’s Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize-winning “Whiplash” landed in the top slot, Joel and Ethan Coen’s directorial debut “Blood Simple,” Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y tu mamá también,...
After surveying more than 500 filmmakers, critics, and industry members, Damien Chazelle’s 2014 debut feature “Whiplash” was awarded the title of top Sundance film of all time. “Whiplash” actor Jk Simmons won the Academy Award for his portrayal of an abusive music teacher opposite Miles Teller. Writer-director Chazelle went on to direct “First Man,” “La La Land,” and “Babylon.”
The Sundance Film Festival since 1985 has premiered 4,000 feature films over the decades. The collective top 10 list of the Sundance Film Festival celebrates films that have “touched hearts and changed lives,” according to the Institute.
While Chazelle’s Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize-winning “Whiplash” landed in the top slot, Joel and Ethan Coen’s directorial debut “Blood Simple,” Alfonso Cuarón’s “Y tu mamá también,...
- 1/16/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Big Beach, the producer of “Little Miss Sunshine,” A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” and “The Farewell,” has fully relocated from New York to Los Angeles while building out its ranks.
Keetin Mayakara has been tapped by Big Beach as a producer. As a post producer, she has worked on the Oscar-winning documentary “Free Solo,” and most recently, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” another Academy Award nominee. Before joining Big Beach, Mayakara co-produced the “The Year of the Everlasting Storm,” which premiered at Cannes Film Festival, and produced Season 2 of HBO’s “Random Acts of Flyness.”
Austin Cottle joins the company as its head of finance after starting his career at 20th Century Fox with stints in-house at Netflix and Amazon, as well as on the show side where he oversaw “How to Become a Tyrant” for Netflix and “The Heart of Sergio Ramos” for Prime Video.
Zoe Levine...
Keetin Mayakara has been tapped by Big Beach as a producer. As a post producer, she has worked on the Oscar-winning documentary “Free Solo,” and most recently, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” another Academy Award nominee. Before joining Big Beach, Mayakara co-produced the “The Year of the Everlasting Storm,” which premiered at Cannes Film Festival, and produced Season 2 of HBO’s “Random Acts of Flyness.”
Austin Cottle joins the company as its head of finance after starting his career at 20th Century Fox with stints in-house at Netflix and Amazon, as well as on the show side where he oversaw “How to Become a Tyrant” for Netflix and “The Heart of Sergio Ramos” for Prime Video.
Zoe Levine...
- 1/5/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Boundaries is a family drama that deals with the classic dysfunctional family dynamics and every member coming to terms with each other as reality hits them. This is the story of a daughter who is trying to keep a safe distance from her father, who was absent during her childhood days. They end up on a journey that could either make them closer as a father and daughter or lead to their relationship falling apart. Several films in this category help people understand that families aren’t perfect. The Descendants, Knives Out, Little Miss Sunshine, and Kramer vs. Kramer are some examples of family dramas dealing with dysfunctionality as a core subject.
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What Does Laura Do For A Living?
Laura is a single mother living in a house full of injured and rescue animals she brings in out of pure sympathy. The presence of such animals makes it...
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What Does Laura Do For A Living?
Laura is a single mother living in a house full of injured and rescue animals she brings in out of pure sympathy. The presence of such animals makes it...
- 1/4/2024
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
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