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In a quaint theater in the Colorado mountains, where we lay our scene, a clear Oscar contender emerges.

Before Chloé Zhao’s anticipated drama “Hamnet” held its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday, the director took the stage with her two stars, Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, to lead the audience in a meditation before they took in her heartbreaking story. In a room that included some of her peers like “Sinners” director Ryan Coogler and actor-turned-director Harris Dickinson, the immaculate adaptation unspooled before the sold out crowd and captivated the audience.

The moving and fictionalized portrait of grief and loss that inspired one of history’s most treasured playwrights held the audience in its grip for 125 minutes, where audible sounds of sniffles and crying filled the venue, testifying to the film’s emotional depth. Moreover, the evening cemented a respect for Zhao as one of today...

Known for his commanding presence and impressive skill with prose, Sir Ian McKellen is among the best actors of a generation who can bring depth to any role he’s given, create great chemistry with other actors and capture the audience’s attention whenever on screen. Appearing in several films over decades, the actor has performed in all sorts of genres and has consistently chosen projects that engage with the viewer, while also highlighting great filmmaking on display.

At the same time, some dedicated fans may assume that Ian McKellen’s work extends to only franchise-heavy material, however, the actor’s expansive filmography ranges in size of spectacle, drama and narrative scale, where no matter the film, Ian McKellen commits himself to the performance and helps make each project that much better. Moreover, with each Ian McKellen film offering something different to say to viewers, it re-establishes how truly versatile...

With A Haunting in Venice opening this weekend, we wanted to know what film in Kenneth Branagh’s long and illustrious directing career has been your favorite? Have his Shakespeare tales been your type of movie or were his more mainstream films like Thor and Cinderella more your speed? Click your favorite and let us know in the comments why.

Favorite Kenneth Branagh Directed FilmHenry V (1989)Dead Again (1991)Peter's Friends (1992)Much Ado About Nothing (1993)Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)In The Bleak Midwinter (1995)Hamlet (1996)Love Labour's Lost (2000)As You Like It (2006)The Magic Flute (2006)Sleuth (2007)Thor (2011)Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)Cinderella (2015)Murder on the Orient Express (2017)All is True (2018)Artemis Fowl (2020)Belfast (2021)Death on the Nile (2022)A Haunting in Venice (2023)Submit Vote HereView Results Here

The post Poll: Favorite Kenneth Branagh Directed Film appeared first on JoBlo.

This generation of filmgoers mostly probably thinks of Irish actor-director Kenneth Branagh as Agatha Christie’s mustachioed detective Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Death on the Nile (2022) and the upcoming A Haunting in Venice.

But there is so much more to Branagh’s career. As a director, he’s dabbled in multiple genres, including fantasy, action, science fiction, thriller, comedy and superhero.

Branaghs career as an actor has been equally as diverse. He’s acted in legal thrillers, Westerns, romantic thrillers, animation, fantasy pics and dramedies.

And then there’s Shakespeare. There’s always Shakespeare. Branagh has a self-professed love of the Bard. He’s acted in and directed...

This story about Phil Dunster and “Ted Lasso” first appeared in the Comedy Series issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

Ask “Ted Lasso” fans to name their favorite storyline of the surprisingly super-sized Season 3 and you’ll likely get a unanimous answer: the burgeoning bromance between Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster). The relationship would have been unimaginable in Season 1, when the two alpha males openly despised each other. But the bad blood was wiped clean by Jamie’s transformation from AFC Richmond bad boy to team sweetheart.

“I made a petition that I signed 25,000 times myself and gave it to the writers every day so that they would start writing Roy and Jamie scenes, because it was sort of my raison d’etre for a while,” Dunster said, smiling. “Brett is a huge part of why people enjoy that story because you can see him fighting...

That's no spelling mistake -- "Hamnet" is a film adaptation of Maggie O'Farrell's 2020 novel of the same name, not a new movie version of William Shakespeare's famous stage play tragedy "Hamlet". The film is being developed by Chloé Zhao, herself coming off multiple Oscars wins for her adaptation of the non-fiction book "Nomadland." Her other credits include "Songs My Brother Taught Me" and "The Rider," both of which have quasi-documentary qualities similar to those of "Nomadland."

More recently, Zhao directed "Eternals" -- a cosmic gumbo of a superhero epic that, say what you might against it, is one of most visually-accomplished and emotionally-grounded Marvel Cinematic Universe films to date. The point being, Zhao always aspires to make art that is both emotionally and technically complex, and "Hamnet" is certainly a good match for her sensibilities.

While we're still awaiting some key information at the time of writing (including...

Thirty-two years ago, 29-year-old “Henry V” (1989) director, writer and star Kenneth Branagh became the second youngest person to receive Best Director and Best Actor Oscar nominations for the same film after Orson Welles. Over the next 22 years, he picked up bids in three more categories: Best Live Action Short, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor. Now, his Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay notices for the 2021 film “Belfast” have made him the first person ever recognized in seven unique categories. He is also included in this year’s Best Director lineup, making that the only award for which he has competed twice.

See 2022 Oscar nominations: Full list of nominees in all 23 categories

The directors currently nominated against Branagh are Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”), Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”), Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”) and Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”). All but Hamaguchi have vied for this honor at least once before,...

Universal has unveiled a first-look photo from Christopher Nolan’s anticipated thriller Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy, also announcing that Kenneth Branagh has joined the cast, with production now underway.

The Belfast filmmaker joins an ensemble that also includes Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Dylan Arnold, David Krumholtz, Alden Ehrenreich and Michael Angarano, as previously announced.

In Nolan’s latest, which is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning bookAmerican Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin, Murphy stars as the theoretical physicist of the same name, whose work on the Manhattan Project led to the invention of the atomic bomb. The epic thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.

Nolan is directing from his own script,...

“It was anxiety-inducing, I would say, but the main priority, as it is with all filming, is to make sure that everybody is safe,” explains producer Tamar Thomas about the challenges of shooting “Belfast” amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Writer-director Kenneth Branagh‘s semiautobiographical film was shot in the title city and in England in the fall of 2020, and “the well-being of our cast and crew was the priority.” We talked with Thomas as part of our “Meet the Experts” Film Producers Panel. Watch our exclusive video interview with Thomas above.

SEEHaris Zambarloukos interview: ‘Belfast’ cinematographer

The film is set in Northern Ireland during the 1960s, when young Buddy (Jude Hill), his parents (Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan), and his grandparents (Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench) must decide whether to stay or go as the conflict between Catholics and Protestants becomes violent during the Troubles. The filmmakers “needed to make sure...

Acclaimed writer/director David Lowery joins Josh and Joe to discuss the films that inspired The Green Knight.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

The Green Knight (2021)

Peter Pan & Wendy (2022)

Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)

The Old Man And The Gun (2018)

A Ghost Story (2017)

Pete’s Dragon (1977)

Pete’s Dragon (2016) – Glenn Erickson’s review

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013)

Ghost Story (1974)

Sword of the Valiant (1984)

Gawain and the Green Knight (1973)

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)

Masters of the Universe (1987) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Andrei Rublev (1966) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review, Dennis Cozzalio’s Muriel Awards blurb

War And Peace (1966) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Heaven’s Gate (1980)

The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928) – Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review

The Devils (1971)

Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

The Conjuring (2013)

Jubilee (1978)

Benedetta (2021)

Dune (1984)

Dune (2021)

Hard To Be A God (2013)

Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013)

Moby Dick (1956) – Ernest Dickerson’s trailer commentary,...

© Johan Persson

Focus Features has announced that it will release Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast on Friday, November 12, 2021 in theaters domestically.

Written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Branagh, Belfast is a poignant story of love, laughter and loss in one boy’s childhood, amid the music and social tumult of the late 1960s.

The cast stars Golden Globe nominee Caitriona Balfe, Academy Award® winner Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Ciaran Hinds, and introduces 10 year old Jude Hill. Dornan and Balfe play a passionate working-class couple caught up in the mayhem, with Dench and Hinds as sharp-witted grandparents.

The film is produced by Branagh, Laura Berwick, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas.

Tenet © 2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Branagh has previously worked with Christopher Nolan, playing the crucial role of Commander Bolton in the epic Dunkirk as well as 2020’s Tenet. Among his upcoming projects, Branagh will return to the role...

Oscar nominee Kenneth Branagh has been tapped to direct an upcoming biopic centred on disco legends The Bee Gees. Paramount Pictures' currently untitled Bee Gees movie will be produced by Gk Films, Amblin and Sister, with Bee Gees member Barry Gibb on board as an executive producer.

The biopic is being written by British comedian, author, and playwright Ben Elton, who previously worked alongside Branagh for the 2018 period movie All Is True, which detailed the final days in the life of renowned playwright William Shakespeare. The Bee Gees biopic has long been sat at Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks, before moving to Amblin, and will now be released by Paramount Pictures through Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King, who has teamed up with former DreamWorks exec Stacey Snider and her new production company, Sister.

While the plot of the movie is unknown at this time, the Bee Gees biopic will likely follow the lives of brothers Barry,...

Kenneth Branagh has been set to direct the untitled Bee Gees biopic movie for Paramount Pictures.

The film got set up in a massive rights package in late 2019 by Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King at Gk and it became the first film project for Sister — the venture launched by Elisabeth Murdoch, Stacey Snider and Jane Featherstone. Amblin quickly came aboard as producer and financier of 25% of the film.

Barry Gibb, who participated in the touching Frank Marshall-directed HBO documentary How Can You Mend a Broken Heart about the Gibb siblings, is very involved in the narrative film, and will be executive producer.

Ben Elton is writing the current draft of the screenplay. Among his scripting credits is All Is True, the 2018 pic which Branagh directed and starred as William Shakespeare.

In that deal that Deadline broke in 2019, Paramount got life rights to the Gibb family estate, and the rights...

The film tells the story of one boy’s childhood in Belfast during the 1960s, and is Branagh’s ”most personal film”.

Kenneth Branagh has started shooting the independently-financed Belfast, starring Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, and Ciaran Hinds, on location in the UK.

Branagh has also written the semi-autobiographical script about a boy growing up in Belfast during the tumult of the late 1960s. Branagh has described it as “my most personal film”.

Caitriona Balfe and Jude Hill co-star in the film which is produced by Laura Berwick, Celia Duvall, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas, who also produced Branagh’s All Is True.

GLAAD has released its annual Studio Responsibility Index, a thorough analysis of LGBTQ representation in major studio films, and progress was slow in 2019. While the number of LGBTQ characters increased, the appearance of non-white LGBTQ characters decreased and transgender characters were not present at all. While the percentage of LGBTQ characters is the highest its been in the eight-year history of the report, none of the eight major studios received a “Good” grade. The grading system factors in the quality, quantity, and diversity of LGBTQ representation.

GLAAD found that of the 118 films released from major studios in 2019, 22 (18.6 percent) included characters that were lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ). This represents a slight increase from the previous year’s report. Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, United Artists Releasing, and Universal Pictures received “Insufficient” grades; Sony Pictures Entertainment and Walt Disney Studios received “Poor” grades; and STX Films received a “Failing” grade,...

The writers of All Is True, Hotel Mumbai, Relic, Ride Like a Girl and The Favourite have been nominated for best original feature film in the 52nd annual Awgie Awards.

Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears (Deb Cox) and True History of the Kelly Gang (Shaun Grant) are the contenders for the feature film adaptation category.

Andrew Knight scored two nominations, for Ride Like a Girl (shared with Elise McCredie) and for TV series or miniseries for an episode of ABC’s Jack Irish, competing with Bloom (Glen Dolman), Secret City: Under the Eagle (Matt Cameron) and The End (Samantha Strauss).

Ben Elton wrote All is True, John Collee and Anthony Maras wrote Hotel Mumbai, Christian White and Natalie Erika James scripted Relic and Tony McNamara and Deborah Davis collaborated on The Favourite.

In the running for telemovie or miniseries up to four hours are The Cry (Jacquelin Perske...

Everyone knows Oscar voters love a dame. That’s Dame Helen Mirren to be precise, who stars alongside Sir Ian McKellen in the awards-friendly fall release “The Good Liar,” a tense romantic thriller from “Kinsey” director Bill Condon. The Oscar winner (Mirren) and two-time Oscar nominee (McKellen) play two people in a new courtship with deceptive underpinnings. Russell Tovey (“Looking”) and Jim Carter (“Downton Abbey”) round out a cast of heavy hitters that is sure to pique certain Oscar voters’ interest.

Per the official synopsis: “Career con artist Roy Courtnay (McKellen) can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do widow Betty McLeish (Mirren) online. As Betty opens her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.”

Condon reunites with McKellen for a fourth time since directing him in “Gods and Monsters,...

Specialties were mostly sidelined this weekend, as audiences turned to studio offerings. Some limited release holdovers, however, grabbed some attention from moviegoers looking for alternatives, including Greenwich Entertainment’s second weekend holdover, Echo In The Canyon, which took the best per theater average among the specialties in the three-day with added runs. The doc grossed an estimated $105,678 in 14 locations, averaging $7,548 bringing it cume to over $260K.

Greenwich reported “multiple sold-out shows” for the title’s second frame. The company said it added, “10 mostly mainstream locations” in the Los Angeles metro area with “stronger results in the dedicated arthouses.” Echo In the Canyon also expanded to the Angelika and Landmark 57 West in New York, buoyed by select Q&As and live performances featuring music from the documentary performed by executive producer/musician Jakob Dylan and accompanying band.

Greenwich will add over two dozen runs for the film next weekend with locations in San Francisco,...

Left to Right: Judi Dench as Anne Hathaway Shakespeare and Kenneth Branagh as William Shakespeare. Photo by Robert Youngson. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Kenneth Branagh returns to William Shakespeare but this time it is not one of Shakespeare’s works but the Bard himself that Sir Kenneth takes on. All Is True is an imagined tale of Shakespeare’s life after he retired from the stage and plays, and returned to his home in Stratford-upon-Avon where he lived out the last three years of his life. Of course, not all is true in All Is True, because there is much that is not known about this part of Shakespeare’s life. A few facts are known and they serve as the starting point. All Is True creates a tale based on what is known, spinning a plausible and entertaining tale based on what is true, much as Shakespeare did in his history plays.

To mark the start of production on Christopher Nolan’s previously untitled next project – now known as ‘Tenet’ – Warner Bros have announced the full cast list. Kenneth Branagh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Michael Caine have jumped onboard the already impressive cast list.

Branagh, Johnson and Caine join the international ensemble cast which is led by John David Washington and also stars Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia and Clémence Poésy.

Nolan is directing from his own original screenplay, utilizing a mixture of IMAX® and 70mm film to bring the story to the screen. ‘Tenet’ will be filmed on location across seven countries and is being described as an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage.

Also in news – New behind the scenes images revealed for ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’

The last time we saw Nolan was for ‘Dunkirk’, the wartime epic earned Nolan his first Oscar Nomination.

The specialty box office is still in the doldrums as summer approaches, save for some breakouts. Showing some zest this weekend was Sundance’s The Souvenir from filmmaker Joanna Hogg, taking the weekend’s highest per theater average at $21,463. The A24 title starring newcomer Honor Swinton Byrne as well as her real-life mother Tilda Swinton (who plays her mother in the feature) and Tom Burke grossed $85,851 in four theaters.

“The film played to younger and older audiences in both markets this weekend with critics championing Honor Swinton Byrne’s heartbreaking and star-making performance in an expertly crafted romantic drama as one of the best of the year,” touted A24 Sunday.

How the film continues in the box office remains to be seen, but there’s already a sequel on the docket. “It’s a sign of confidence from investors in the project,” said The Souvenir producer Luke Schiller earlier this week.

Don Kaye May 15, 2019

After directing and filming many of Shakespeare’s plays, Kenneth Branagh finally played the Bard himself.

After Laurence Olivier, modern film audiences probably associate Irish writer and director Kenneth Branagh most closely with the works of William Shakespeare. Branagh’s breakout film was 1989’s Henry V, which he adapted, directed and starred in, and he went on to direct and/or star in four more film versions of the Bard’s plays: Much Ado About Nothing (1993), Hamlet (1996), Love’s Labour Lost (2000) and As You Like It (2006). He also played Iago in a 1995 version of Othello which he did not direct, and has also directed and performed in numerous stage versions of Shakespeare’s works as well.

So it seems to make sense that Branagh would actually play Shakespeare himself, which he does in All is True, a new film he directed from a script by British comedian and author Ben Elton.

From director Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Ben Elton, All Is True explores the last three years in the life of William Shakespeare (also played by Branagh), as he leaves London after a fire destroys the Globe Theatre and returns to his family in Stratford-upon-Avon. Once he’s back home, he tries to connect with his wife Anne (Judi Dench) and daughters Judith (Kathryn Wilder) and Susanna (Lydia Wilson), who are not particularly pleased that he’s back, especially with as haunted as he still is over the death of his son Hamnet, when he was only 11. At …...

‘Top End Wedding.’

Pokémon fans flocked to the franchise’s second movie in 20 years last weekend but even more people were keen to see Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, which reigned again in its third frame.

Meanwhile word-of-mouth is paying off for Universal’s Top End Wedding, which eased by just 22 per cent in its second weekend.

Universal’s comedy The Hustle, a female reboot of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, over-indexed its Us opening, probably due to co-star Rebel Wilson.

Roadshow’s Poms, an ensemble comedy about seniors in a retirement home who form a cheer-leading squad, had little to cheer about, unwisely scheduled against The Hustle.

A passion project for Kenneth Branagh, Sony’s Shakespearean drama All is True had a respectable debut on limited screens. Of the two new Indian releases, Maharshi proved far more appealing than Student Of The Year 2.

The top 20 titles generated $16.5 million, down 9 per cent...

Now that “Avengers: Endgame” is slowly releasing its grip on the movie theater landscape, the indie box office scene is creeping back to life with the release of “The Biggest Little Farm,” an acclaimed documentary from Telluride released by Neon.

Opening on five screens, the doc earned $101,012 for a solid per screen average of $20,202. The film follows director John Chester and his wife, Molly, who decide to start a farm in Ventura County after being evicted from their Los Angeles apartment. Over eight years, the couple’s idealism is tested, as they try to revive the nutrient-depleted, drought-stricken land into a sustainable farm in harmony with nature. It has received strong reviews with a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Also Read: 'Detective Pikachu' Opens to $58 Million but Cannot Topple 'Avengers'

Also releasing this week is the biopic “Tolkien,” the first film released by Fox Searchlight under ownership of Disney. With tepid reviews...

Once again, a new documentary tops the specialized top 10 with “The Biggest Little Farm.” And, once again, a high-profile narrative film from a major director and well-known cast — “All Is True” — struggled in its opening weekend.

It’s a pattern we’ve seen repeatedly, most recently with Aretha Franklin documentary “Amazing Grace” and Judi Dench drama “Red Joan.” And where “Tolkien” might have been a platform release in the past, it opened in over 1,400 theaters. The emphasis on wider play shifts from the conventional paradigm, as well as a lack of faith given its mediocre reviews.

Opening

The Biggest Little Farm (Neon) – Metacritic: 72; Festivals include: Telluride, Toronto, Hamptons 2018

$101,012 in 5 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $20,002

It’s an impressive initial response in five major New York/Los Angeles venues for this documentary about a Southern California farm that uses biodiversity and ecologically friendly methods. This is a topic that receives significant interest in social media,...

Telluride and Toronto documentary The Biggest Little Farm by John Chester reaped a solid start over the weekend with the best per theater average in the three-day. The Neon release grossed an estimated $101K in five theaters, averaging $20,202. The PTA is the highest of Neon’s three 2019 non-fiction releases, though Apollo 11 went out in a comparatively wider 120 locations in its debut for $1.6M in its launch weekend, averaging $13,929. Apollo 11 has totaled $8.64M.

Amazing Grace played a December weekend in three theaters before its April start for the title’s regular theatrical run. It has cumed $3.28M to date.

Kenneth Branagh-directed historical drama All Is True bowed in four theaters for $46,809 in four locations, averaging $11,702, the second best of the specialty reporting specialty newcomers. Other debuts had below five-figure PTAs. Kino Lorber’s Pasolini starring Willem Dafoe played...

Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are likely to live to reign another day at the box office.

“Avengers: Endgame” is on its way to its third weekend at No. 1 with an estimated $62 million.

The first real challenger to “Endgame’s” rule, Warner Bros. and Legendary’s “Detective Pikachu,” is heading for about $55 million from 4,202 locations after taking in $20 million on Friday.

Ryan Reynolds stars as the cheeky yellow Pokemon with Justice Smith co-starring as Tim, a young man with whom the world class detective teams up to figure out what happened to his partner, who is also Tim’s father. Reviews for the CGI-heavy pic have been mixed, with a 64% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and A- CinemaScore.

Rob Letterman directed the film, which he co-wrote with Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, and Derek Connelly. “Pikachu’s” audience is skewing slightly male, with 59%, and very slightly older, with 51% over the age of 25.

“Avengers: Endgame...

After making a career out of playing William Shakespeare’s most iconic roles, actor Kenneth Branagh is finally taking on the role of the Bard himself. His new film, All Is True, was released in the United Kingdom back in December and is set for a limited release in the U.S. beginning on Friday. Branagh sat down with […]

The post Video Exclusive: Kenneth Branagh On ‘All Is True,’ Judi Dench appeared first on uInterview.

While working on studio projects, Kenneth Branagh had also been pursuing a more ‘indie’ project with All Is True, returning to his longtime interest in Shakespeare. Starring Branagh along with Judi Dench and Ian McKellen, the filmmaker/actor called up his pals at Sony Classics about taking on the title, which it opens stateside this weekend. Following doc hits Apollo 11 and Amazing Grace, Neon is going for three with the Friday release of documentary The Biggest Little Farm, which debuted in Telluride last fall. IFC Films is opening crime biodrama Charlie Says by director Mary Harron and starring Matt Smith and Hannah Murray in the top 25 markets this weekend ahead of its on-demand availability beginning May 17, while Cohen Media Group is out with French-language drama My Son starring Guillaume Canet in New York and L.A.

Other limited releases include Kino Lorber’s Pasolini from Abel Ferrara, starring Willem Dafoe...

Audiences said “I choose you, ‘Detective Pikachu'” at the box office on Thursday, with the live-action Pokemon movie earning $5.7 million in its Thursday previews.

Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros.’ “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu,” which expands to 4,202 screens this weekend, hopes to squeak by “Avengers: Endgame” for the No. 1 spot at the box office as Marvel’s epic enters into its third weekend off an already historic box office run. Independent trackers are split as to what to expect for “Detective Pikachu,” with projections going anywhere from the $50 million range to as high as $70 million. “Detective Pikachu” also opens against “The Hustle” and “Poms” in wide release.

For comparison, Warner Bros. and DC’s similarly comedic “Shazam!” made $5.9 million during its Thursday previews and went on to gross $53.5 million in its opening weekend.

Also Read: 'Detective Pikachu' Film Review: Humans and Pokemon Pal Around in Overstuffed, Underwritten World

“Detective Pikachu” stars Ryan Reynolds...

Kenneth Branagh has embellished some of the facts of William Shakespeare's life for his latest film, in part because he feels that the playwright would have approved. The title of the British actor-director's newest effort, All Is True, released today, refers to the alternative, tongue-in-cheek title for Shakespeare's semi-biographical Henry VIII. That work gleefully took liberties with the story of its historical subjects, as did many of Shakespeare's works — Henry IV parts one and two, King John, Henry V and Richard III. (Was King Henry IV really so eloquent on the eve of battle as to deliver the St. Crispin'...

Kenneth Branagh has embellished some of the facts of William Shakespeare's life for his latest film, in part because he feels that the playwright would have approved. The title of the British actor-director's newest effort, All Is True, released today, refers to the alternative, tongue-in-cheek title for Shakespeare's semi-biographical Henry VIII. That work gleefully took liberties with the story of its historical subjects, as did many of Shakespeare's works — Henry IV parts one and two, King John, Henry V and Richard III. (Was King Henry IV really so eloquent on the eve of battle as to deliver the St. Crispin'...

Don Kaye May 10, 2019

The director of Thor looks back at the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

With Avengers: Endgame bringing the first decade-plus of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a sweeping, poignant conclusion, Den of Geek had a chance to speak briefly with one of the earliest architects of the McU: Kenneth Branagh, who directed Thor for Marvel Studios back in 2010, just the fourth entry in what is now a 22-movie cycle.

While the film itself has generated mixed reactions over the years, it was a vital one in the development of the McU for two reasons: first, it introduced Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston -- both almost total unknowns at the time -- as the God of Thunder and his devious brother Loki respectively, a gamble that paid off handsomely in terms of the characters and their impact.

But secondly, Thor was the first movie to expand...

Sir Kenneth Branagh has spent a major part of his career interpreting the works of William Shakespeare. His 1989 breakthrough in film featured Branagh as the star and director of Henry V (he won Oscar nominations for both jobs). So it only seems fair that Branagh should be the one to play the Bard in All Is True, directing a mesmerizing meditation on the last days of the greatest writer in the English language.

Such a grandiose statement may lead you to fear that Branagh and screenwriter Ben Elton mean to...

How do we honor an icon when so little truth is known about his life? If Kenneth Branagh’s earnest Shakespearean biopic is any guide, we would do best to stick with the Bard’s own works. Indeed, it’s hard to watch “All Is True” without noticing what’s missing most: the nimble wit and profound insight we’ve already seen in Branagh’s own Shakespearean adaptations.

One can certainly empathize with the director’s desire to dig more deeply, after 35 years of committing the Bard of Avon’s work to stage and screen so successfully. But in the end, this fictionalized biography primarily reminds us how rare its subject’s talents really were.

As depicted by screenwriter Ben Elton, Shakespeare (Branagh) comes home to Stratford in 1613, hoping for a quiet retirement. He has been devastated by a recent fire, which burned his beloved Globe Theatre to the ground.

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.

“Tolkien” and “All Is True” are opening this weekend, and both films illustrate how difficult it can be to capture the writing process on screen.

This week’s question: What is the best movie about the writing process (or about a writer)?

Mae Abdulbaki (@MaeAbdu), The Young Folks, Movies with Mae

“Shakespeare in Love” probably doesn’t come to mind for most, but it is a great example of the ups and downs of writing. It strangely nails the writing process, while also tackling the business of theater. Simply put, “Shakespeare in Love” follows the journey of William Shakespeare’s writing of his famous play, “Romeo and Juliet.” The film strikes a balance between Shakespeare’s struggles with writer’s block and the maddening passion to write that comes after inspiration strikes:...

‘Greta’, ’Dragged Across Concrete’ among new titles.

Holdovers look set to dominate the UK box office this weekend, with Trevor Nunn’s spy drama Red Joan amongst the new openers.

Produced by David Parfitt’s Trademark Films, the Lionsgate-distributed feature is led by Judi Dench and 2014 Screen Star of Tomorrow Sophie Cookson, and based on the novel of the same name by Jennie Rooney. Cookson plays Joan Stanley, a Cambridge physics student in 1938 who falls for a young communist; while Dench takes up the character in 2000 when MI5 come to arrest her.

The film will be aiming to top...

Our first shot of Joan Stanley (Judi Dench) in “Red Joan” is inauspicious enough. A librarian in a cozy cardigan, she’s pruning roses outside her small, neatly kept row house in a London suburb. But then there’s a knock at the door. And a charge of treason.

Unfortunately, director Trevor Nunn can’t match the rest of the film to this intriguing open, in part because he loses Dench for so much it.

Nunn — who usually focuses on the stage, alternating between Shakespearean adaptations and splashy productions like “Cats” and “Les Misérables” — does know how to craft a good-looking movie. He just doesn’t seem motivated to make a particularly challenging one. There’s a sense of missed opportunity hovering around the edges of this curious story, which ought to be tense and complex but rarely is.

Also Read: Kenneth Branagh's William Shakespeare Movie 'All Is True...

Branagh plays the renowned dramatist himself in 1613, the year of his retirement in Stratford as he mourns both the loss of his son and the fire that consumed the Globe Theatre. Judi Dench and Ian McClellan costar in this film to be release May 10 in NY and La.This intimate, revelatory portrait of William Shakespeare in the last act of his life links closely with the life of Kenneth Branagh himself as he explained to us from the Red Carpet entry to the movie.Picture from Sony Pictures Classics

Watch the trailer for All Is True with Kenneth Branagh as a late-life Bard.

Do you see yourself as somehow related to Shakespeare at this stage in your life and Shakespeare’s stage of life in the movie? After all, you have brought Shakespeare’s plays to life throughout your career and now you are playing him. Why?

There is a...

Paramount comedy ’Instant Family’ opens in second position.

Rank Film (Distributor) Three-day gross (Feb 15-17) Total gross to date Week 1 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (Warner Bros) £2.5m £7.4m 2 2 Instant Family (Paramount) £2m £2.5m 1 3 How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Universal) £1.6m £11.5m 3 4 Alita: Battle Angel (20th Century Fox) £1.4m £5.7m 2 5 Green Book (eOne) £736,786 £5.1m 3 Warner Bros

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part retained its lead at the top of the UK box office chart in its second weekend, dropping 39% with takings of £2.5m. That puts the film on £7.4m so far. In comparison, the...

Aarp The Magazine’s 18th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards were held last week at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, celebrating 2018’s standout films with unique appeal to movie lovers with a grownup state of mind and recognizing the inspiring artists who make them.

Co-produced by the Great Performances series, the Movies for Grownups Awards will be broadcast for the second consecutive year on Friday, February 15 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will stream the following day on pbs.org/moviesforgrownups and PBS apps.

Hosted by actor and comedian Martin Short, the star-studded awards ceremony included a touching tribute to Career Achievement Award honoree Shirley MacLaine. Other highlights of the evening included a special appearance by Michael Douglas, who presented his Fatal Attraction co-star Glenn Close with Best Actress honors for her role in The Wife; Mahershala Ali who handed his co-star Viggo Mortensen the Best Actor...

’How To Train Your Dragon 3’ moves to second place.

Today’s Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.29

RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (Feb 1-3) Total gross to date Week 1 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (Warner Bros) £4m £4m 1 2 How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Universal) £2.7m £9.1m 2 3 Alita: Battle Angel (20th Century Fox) £2.4m £3.2m 1 4 Green Book (eOne) £1m £3.6m 2 5 Glass (Disney) £560,579 £9.6m 4 Warner Bros

Animated sequel The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part opened top of the UK box office, with a £4m three-day weekend.

It played in 572 locations to garner a site average of £6,995.

These figures...

Seasoned actors were the toast of the evening at Aarp’s 18th annual Movies for Grownups Awards. (Or as host Martin Short referred to the event — “The Olden Globes.”)

The intimate ceremony, which was taped Monday night at the Beverly Wilshire and will air on PBS’ “Great Performances” Feb. 15, featured an array of stars from the past year’s most acclaimed films.

Richard E. Grant, who is Oscar-nominated for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” reflected on some of his personal favorites. “I know that Olivia Colman is over 40 and Rachel Weisz is over 40,” he told Variety, referring to the Oscar-nominated stars of “The Favourite.” “There’s Viggo Mortensen [from “Green Book”] — he is, too. So there’s a fair number of people who are not in their early 20s, and it’s to be celebrated.”

Added “Blackkklansman’s” Topher Grace: “I know that ‘Movies For Grown Ups’ is kind of like a fun title,...

Trophies for the 18th Annual Aarp Movies For Grownups Awards were handed out this evening with Green Book and Can You Ever Forgive Me? walking away with from the ceremony as the top winners. Hosted by Martin Short, the ceremony took place Monday night at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.

The Peter Farrelly-directed Green Book won Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups while the film’s star Viggo Mortensen won for Best Actor. The Can You Ever Forgive Me? screenwriters Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty won for their script while Richard E. Grant won for Best Supporting Actor.

Other winners of the evening included Glenn Close winning Best Actress for The Wife, BlacKkKlansman director Spike Lee as well as Roma for Best Foreign Film. Academy Award-winning actress Shirley MacLaine was honored with the 2018 Career Achievement Award honoree.

The ceremony will air on PBS Feb. 15. Read the complete list of winners below.

Aarp's 18th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards were held the evening of Feb. 4 at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills. Hosted by Martin Short, the ceremony celebrated 2018's top films, with Green Book and Can You Ever Forgive Me? each earning two awards. Best picture and best actor (Viggo Mortensen) went to Green Book and best screenwriters (Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty) and best supporting actor (Richard E. Grant) went to Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Other notable wins were for Glenn Close in The Wife, Judi Dench in All Is True for best actress and best supporting actress, respectively. Best director went to Spike ...

For a man who has spent his life embodying Shakespeare’s characters, it’s fitting that Kenneth Branagh’s latest venture is to tackle the Bard himself. Branagh, arguably the definitive Shakespearean actor of his generation, inhabits the writer wandering into the jaws of retirement after the fiery destruction of his London theatre, The Globe.

The thrust of the film is the delayed mourning of Shakespeare for his son, Hamnet, who died some seventeen years previously. The Bard’s family treat him with a degree of scepticism; more like a stranger than a returning father. William busies himself by creating a garden for Hamnet, hoping that this can bring him closer to his son and that he can achieve some degree of closure.

Penned by Ben Elton, All Is True shows flashes of poignancy, but is occasionally undermined by a script which can lack nuance and feel jarringly on-the-nose. Though...

Palm Springs Film Festival’s Opening Night’s film ‘All is True’, brought acclaimed director and actor Kenneth Branagh to Palm Springs for the second time in his career.

Kenneth Branagh was remarkably relaxed and amicable as he paused for interviews and photos on the red carpet. Watch his candid and personal interview here.

Kenneth Branagh on the red carpet at the Opening Night Screening of ‘All is True’ at the 30th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 04, 2019 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Festival)

All is True stars Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, and Ian McKellen. Branagh plays the renowned dramatist himself in 1613, the year of his retirement in Stratford as he mourns both the loss of his son and the fire that consumed the Globe Theatre. This intimate, revelatory portrait of William Shakespeare in the last act of...

Sir Kenneth Branagh just released his latest directorial effort, “All Is True,” in which he plays a character very familiar to him, William Shakespeare. Branagh has a history of earning acclaim for his Shakespeare adaptations, earning two Oscar nominations for directing and starring in “Henry V” (1989) and another for adapting “Hamlet” (1996).

Branagh recently spoke with Gold Derby managing editor Chris Beachum about his fascination with Shakespeare, working with legends like Judi Dench and Ian McKellen, and the experience of being knighted. Watch the exclusive webchat above and read the complete interview transcript below.

SEEBrush up your Shakespeare with the trailer for ‘All Is True,’ with Kenneth Branagh as a late-life Bard

Gold Derby: Sir Kenneth Branagh, I just saw your new movie “All Is True” last week and it’s a wonderful new accomplishment for you as a director and the lead actor in it. Tell me, though, you have...

Aarp has announced its Movies for Grownups Awards nominations, with everything from “A Star Is Born” to “First Reformed” picking up nods. The group (whose name used to stand for the American Association of Retired Persons before it switched to just the initials) doesn’t have a firm set of criteria for what constitutes a grownup movie, which helps explain how “Black Panther” — which, as a superhero movie, is exactly the kind of fare that usually gets dismissed by older audiences — picked up two nominations.

“2018 was a banner year for a sensational collection of movies that resonated with the powerful 50-plus audience,” said Aarp’s Myrna Blyth. The winners will be announced on February 4, and the ceremony will air on February 15. Here’s the full list of nominees:

Best Picture/Best Movie for Grown-ups

“A Star Is Born”

“BlacKkKlansman”

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

“Green Book”

“Roma”

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock...