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One of the most rewarding filmography watches I completed was all thirteen features from the legendary Robert Bresson. Now, one of his finest works (as well as long-unavailable in a decent format), has been rightfully restored in 4K. The new restoration of Robert Bresson’s Four Nights of a Dreamer will now open in theaters beginning September 5 at Film Forum, courtesy of Janus Films. Ahead of the run, the new trailer and poster have arrived.

Here’s the synopsis: “The rarely screened Four Nights of a Dreamer is Robert Bresson’s great forgotten masterpiece, a stark yet haunting ode to romantic idealism and the capriciousness of love. Adapted from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “White Nights,...

Lionel Richie, the guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, is a legendary singer-songwriter — first with the Commodores, then as a solo artist — as well as a record producer, an American Idol judge and, most recently, a producer and subject of the Netflix documentary about the making of the landmark charity single “We Are the World,” The Greatest Night in Pop. The doc was the most watched English-language film on the streaming service the week it dropped last January, and went on to receive three Emmy nods, including best documentary or nonfiction special. It is now eligible for the best doc feature Oscar and is nominated for the best music film Grammy.

This episode was recorded in Studio A at the former A&m Studios in Hollywood, now known as Henson Studios, where Richie and 45 other A-listers recorded “We are the World” almost exactly 40 years ago,...

In her nearly 50-year film career, Isabella Rossellini has played everything from a tortured nightclub singer to Beethoven’s lover to a mysteriously young 71-year-old doctor. Most recently, Rossellini received acclaim for her role as a nun in “Conclave,” and so it’s the perfect time to take a look back at her life and eclectic film career. Scroll through our photo gallery above (or click here for direct access) to see the 10 best Isabella Rossellini movies, ranked.

Rossellini and her twin sister Isotta were born in Rome on June 18, 1952, to Golden Era legend Ingrid Bergman and Italian director Roberto Rossellini. As a child, Rossellini underwent 18 months of grueling procedures to correct scoliosis. In 1976, she made her film debut with a small role as a nun caring for a dying countess played by her mother in the Vincente Minnelli fantasy film “A Matter of Time.” However, it was a few...

Isabella Rossellini will be honoured during the upcoming European Film Awards with a career award celebrating her body of work as an actor and filmmaker.

The Italian model and movie star, who is the daughter of Swedish actor Ingrid Bergman and Italian director Roberto Rossellini, made her acting debut in 1979 in the Taviani brothers’ film “Il Prato” before breaking out internationally in David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” in 1986, followed by prominent roles in films such as Taylor Hackford’s “White Nights,” Robert Zemeckis’s “Death Becomes Her,” and Peter Weir’s “Fearless,” to name a few.

Rossellini, who is 72, has more recently resurfaced as a standout character actress, with meaty parts in Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera,” alongside Josh O’ Connor, “Spaceman” with Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan, and Edward Berger’s soon-to-be-released “Conclave” in which she plays a scene-stealing nun.

A longtime resident of Long Island, where she lives on a farm,...

The European Film Academy (Efa) is to honour actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini with the European Achievement In World Cinema award.

Rossellini will be an honorary guest at Efa’s European Film Awards ceremony in Lucerne on December 7.

Rossellini made her cinematic debut as an actress in 1979 in the Taviani brother’s film Die Wiese and has appeared in numerous other films since, including Blue Velvet, White Nights, Rodger Dodger, Cousins, Death Becomes Her, Fearless, Big Night, and Joy.

She has worked with directors such as Robert Zemeckis, David O. Russell, David Lynch, Robert Wilson, Taylor Hackford, Marjane Satrapi and Guy Maddin.

It’s not uncommon for a prominent British actor to be labeled British acting royalty. All types, from Laurence Olivier to Maggie Smith, have worn the label but nobody perhaps has literally worn that title recently to the extent as Helen Mirren. She has had a long varied career and has earned her place as one of the holders of acting’s triple crowns by playing a variety of British monarchs.

Her Oscar came for playing the British Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen,” which dealt with her reaction to the unexpected death of Princess Diana. She would revisit the role nine years later for a Tony on Broadway in the play “The Audience,” which dealt with Elizabeth’s relationships with the various prime ministers who have served under her. It was a different Queen, Elizabeth I, that would bring Mirren one of her four Emmys, when she starred in...

“You’ve gone too far this time / But I’m dancing on the Valentine / I tell you somebody’s fooling around / With my chances on the danger line.” Those were the opening lyrics to “The Reflex” by the English new wave band Duran Duran. And 40 years ago this summer they helped the group score their first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100. “The Reflex” may have been a “lonely child,” but the song propelled the group to unparalleled popularity at the time.

Originally formed in Birmingham, England, in 1978, Duran Duran actually had a bit of a rough start in their quest for mainstream success in the United States. None of the songs from their 1981 self-titled debut album made the Billboard chart, though “Planet Earth” and “Girls on Film” reached number-12 and number-five in the United Kingdom, respectively.

It wasn’t until the release of their 1982 sophomore album, “Rio,” that Duran Duran...

“Fellow Travelers” is a historical fiction limited series that tells the story of queer men living through tumultuous times for the Lgbtqia+ community in 20th century America, from the Lavender Scare that prompted a witch hunt against queer individuals in government, to the AIDS crisis that killed many in the community before the government responded. Now the show is an Emmy contender 24 times across 19 categories. Scroll down to see its complete list of Emmy submissions, from Best Limited Series to Best Sound Mixing.

Since “Fellow Travelers” aired from October to December 2023, it has already made the rounds during the fall and winter awards season. Among its accolades, it received Golden Globe noms for Best TV Movie/Limited Series and Best Movie/Limited Actor for Matt Bomer. It also received Critics Choice bids for Best Limited Series and for Bomer’s lead performance, in addition to winning Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor for Jonathan Bailey.

Talk about an identity crisis!

In a wonderfully funny and completely original comedy, French star Chiara Mastroianni in a bit of an existential crisis mode decides one day to morph into her very famous father, the late great Marcello Mastroianni. In a search for her own identity she discovers more about herself, her father, even her equally famous mother Catherine Deneuve who surprisingly consented to play herself and discover truths about her relationship with her ex-finacé (he died in 1996) that had never been made public.

Playing tonight in the official competition of the Cannes Film Festival, where the entire family has appeared many times as fictional characters, this time it hits close to home, but always with a light touch as Chiara drops her own persona and hits the town as if it were Marcello Mastroianni back in Fellini’s 8 1/2. Black suit, hat, moustache, large glasses — she’s all in.

It’s not often that you think about the theory that there might be someone who looks exactly like you somewhere in another part of the world and none of you know that either one exists since the Doppleganger theory is very rarely witnessed by anybody.

Elizabeth Olsen has twin sisters who are part of the fashion industry named Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

But Margot Robbie, Natalie Portman, and Katy Perry along with other stars in the industry have witnessed the presence of their striking lookalikes in the entertainment business itself, which leads many to believe that Doppleganages might really exist.

1: Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie in and as Barbie

Australian actress Margot Robbie has been making rounds in popular media for her phenomenal performance as the titular protagonist in the 2023 blockbuster film Barbie. She’s also making strides as a producer for many projects through her production company LuckyChap Entertainment.

A column chronicling conversations and events on the awards circuit.

This week, Helen Mirren at the American Cinematheque Awards, the history-making connection between Godzilla Minus One and Stanley Kubrick, plus live on stage with Maestro and Anatomy of a Fall.

Helen Mirren got the royal treatment a queen deserves Thursday night from the American Cinematheque in a ceremony delayed by the actors strike but finally taking place right during crunch time in the Oscar race.

In my opinion, Mirren easily should have been in the Oscar Best Actress hunt for her stunning portrayal of legendary Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, but alas the summer opening (after an early 2023 Berlin premiere) and indie Bleecker Street’s limited campaign budget makes it hard to compete against particularly strong heavyweight competition this year.

I caught up with her last night at her table, right in the center of the action of course, at...

Helen Mirren was honored at the 37th annual American Cinematheque Awards on Thursday night, with a star-studded list of presenters on hand to celebrate the actress’ achievements both on screen and off.

Harrison Ford, Vin Diesel, Patrick Stewart, Bryan Cranston, Pierce Brosnan, Alan Cumming, Andrea Riseborough and Mirren’s husband Taylor Hackford toasted the star at the event, which is an annual fundraiser for the American Cinematheque that supports its programming at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Los Feliz 3 Theatre in Los Feliz and Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

The award touched on the many highlights of Mirren’s career — most recently in Golda and as the narrator for Barbie — and her versatility on screen, as well as the impact she’s had on her co-stars.

Diesel — making his first public appearance since he was sued for alleged sexual battery by his former assistant in December — talked about the relationship...

Mk2 Films, the Paris-based outfit behind Justine Triet’s Oscar-nominated “Anatomy of a Fall,” is set to restore Robert Bresson’s “Four Nights of a Dreamer,” a romantic drama which competed at the Berlinale in 1971 and disappeared from screens in 1985.

MK2 Films, the division of a major arthouse cinema chain in France, will digitize “Four Nights of a Dreamer” in 4K and will bring it to global theatres in 2024.

“Four Nights of a Dreamer” is the 10th film directed by Bresson and the only one which wasn’t restored. His other credits include “Mouchette,” “Au Hasard Balthazar” and “Pickpocket.”

Inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel “White Nights,” “Four Nights of a Dreamer” revolves around a meeting on the Pont Neuf between a dreamy young man and a distraught young woman who will confide in each other over four nights. It stars Guillaume des Forêts, Isabelle Weingarten, Jean-Maurice Monnoyer. The film...

In her nearly 50-year film career, Isabella Rossellini has played everything from a tortured nightclub singer to Beethoven’s lover to a mysteriously young 71-year-old doctor. Most recently, Rossellini received acclaim — and her first Oscar nomination — for her role as a nun in Conclave, and so it’s the perfect time to take a look back at her life and eclectic film career. Scroll through our photo gallery below to see the 10 best Isabella Rossellini movies, ranked.

Rossellini and her twin sister, Isotta, were born in Rome on June 18, 1952, to Golden Era legend Ingrid Bergman and Italian director Roberto Rossellini. As a child, Rossellini underwent 18 months of grueling procedures to correct scoliosis. In 1976, she made her film debut with a small role as a nun caring for a dying countess played by her mother in the Vincente Minnelli fantasy film “A Matter of Time.” However, it was a few more...

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Fellow Travelers episode 7.

The penultimate episode of Fellow Travelers depicts the assassinations of Harvey Milk and George Moscone by Dan White, setting the scene in the LGBTQ+ community of San Francisco in 1979. Hawk mourns the loss of his son on Fire Island while abandoning his role as a husband and father, leading Tim to check in on him and prevent self-destructive behavior. Dan White, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the killings and served only five years in prison. His defense used the "Twinkie Defense" to argue mental health issues. White later died by suicide in 1985.

The assassinations of Harvey Milk and former San Francisco Mayor George Moscone take place in the background of the penultimate episode of Fellow Travelers. The horrific real-life tragedy sets the scene for episode 7 of the Showtime series "White Nights", taking place...

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Fellow Travelers episode 7.

Tim reunites with Hawk on Fire Island, but their reunion is overshadowed by Hawk's struggles with drugs and the death of his son Jackson. Marcus's secret identity as a heterosexual professor is questioned by his student Jerome, leading to tension in their relationship. Tim's presence helps Hawk confront his grief over Jackson's death. Ultimately, Tim leaves Fire Island delivering a reality check to Hawk about his selfishness.

The penultimate episode of Fellow Travelers is set almost entirely in 1979, taking place in a turbulent San Francisco and the paradisical Fire Island Pines. The acclaimed Showtime series chronicled the political climate of the Lavender Scare during its first five episodes before jumping ahead to the Vietnam War era in Fellow Travelers episode 6, leaving a passionate and outspoken Tim on his way to federal prison. Episode 7 "White Nights" picks up during the highly publicized murders of...

Step into the time machine and travel back to 1979 as “Fellow Travelers” unfolds another gripping episode, “White Nights,” airing at 9:00 Pm this Tuesday on Showcase. The series takes viewers on a nostalgic journey, offering a glimpse into the lives of its characters against the backdrop of significant historical events.

In this episode, Tim, now a social worker, embarks on a trip to Fire Island, guided by Hawk, who introduces him to the vibrant world of “gay paradise.” Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Marcus and Frankie find themselves entangled in the wave of gay rage following the verdict in Dan White’s murder trial.

“Fellow Travelers” continues to captivate audiences with its rich storytelling and a meticulous portrayal of the late ’70s. Don’t miss “White Nights,” an episode that promises both a trip down memory lane and a front-row seat to the evolving dynamics of its characters. Tune in for...

Step back in time to 1979 with “Fellow Travelers” Season 1 Episode 7, titled “White Nights,” airing on Showtime at 9:00 Pm, Sunday, December 10, 2023. In this episode, viewers are taken on a poignant journey as Tim, now a social worker, embarks on a visit to Fire Island. Here, Hawk becomes his guide, leading him through the vibrant tapestry of what was considered a “gay paradise” during that era.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Marcus and Frankie find themselves caught up in the powerful wave of gay rage following the verdict in Dan White’s murder trial. The explosive atmosphere of this episode delves into the complex emotions and challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community during a pivotal moment in history.

“Fellow Travelers” continues to unfold a compelling narrative, exploring the intricacies of personal and collective experiences within the backdrop of significant historical events. Tune in for a night of evocative storytelling, where the characters...

This story about “The Color Purple” composers Nova Wav first appeared in the Race Begins issue of TheWrap magazine.

As far back as Steven Spielberg’s 1985 adaptation of Alice Walker’s game-changing novel, “The Color Purple” has always had a musical legacy. In addition to being scored by none other than Quincy Jones, the film boasted an earworm of an original song, “Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister),” that was co-penned by Lionel Richie. So it wasn’t shocking that “Purple” would spring to life in Broadway musical form, first in 2005 and then in a multi-Tony-winning revival 10 years later, which would launch the career of an exciting upstart named Cynthia Erivo.

When the prospect of an adaptation of the musical into an all-singing, all-dancing major film bloomed into reality, it was clear the team would need some new tunes to goose the already-rousing ones in the two-act musical. Enter Nova Wav,...

Fellow Travelers is a historical drama miniseries created by Ron Nyswaner. Based on Thomas Mallon‘s 2007 fictional novel of the same name, the Showtime series is set in 1950s Washington D.C. and it revolves around the relationship between Hawkins Fuller and Timothy Laughlin. After a chance encounter Hawkins and Timothy start a relationship that lasts for more than three decades.

Fellow Travelers – Episode Guide (When are the Episodes Coming Out?) Credit – Showtime

Fellow Travelers consists of eight episodes in total. The Showtime series premiered with its first episode on October 27, with the rest of the episodes coming out weekly. Check out the full episode guide below:

Episode 1 “You’re Wonderful” – October 27 Episode 2 “Bulletproof” – November 3 Episode 3 “Hit Me” – November 10 Episode 4 “Your Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire”– November 17 Episode 5 “Promise You Won’t Write” – November 24 Episode 6 “Beyond Measure”– December 1 Episode 7 “White Nights” – December 8 Episode 8 “Make It Easy” – December 15 Fellow Travelers...

The list of Oscar-winning directors for short films who have gone on to major careers in the feature-length realm is shorter than you might imagine. Andrea Arnold, Martin McDonagh and Claude Berri achieved arthouse success; David Frankel made multiplex hits like “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Marley & Me.” But perhaps only Taylor Hackford, a winner in 1979 for an affecting little mockumentary titled “Teenage Father,” became a full-scale Hollywood brand — a name associated with a certain temperature of sleek studio gloss and versatile genre smarts.

In an industry increasingly given over to auteur reverence, Hackford has instead consistently proven the essential value of the distinguished craftsman — the kind that keeps the industry running, even if the status doesn’t earn you as many glittering prizes or prestigious festival berths. Consider the Festival Lumière’s tribute to Hackford a welcome exception. The four films selected by the festival to represent the...

The best tap dancing movies capture the grandeur of live performances and use Hollywood magic to elevate the art form. Tap dancing has been a distinctly cinematic art form since the advent of sound movies, and each era puts its own spin on the traditional formula. The best tap dancing movies combine groundbreaking dancing with compelling stories for a satisfying cinematic experience.

The best tap dancing movies capture the grandeur of live performances on the big screen and use Hollywood magic to elevate the art form to even higher heights. Since the birth of cinema, dance has been a big part of the moviegoing experience, with many of the first blockbusters being massive song-and-dance spectacles. Tap dancing in particular has been a distinctly cinematic art form, and the advent of sound movies made the toe-tapping rattle seem even grander on the massive silver screen. Not surprisingly, tap dance has continued to be popular on screen,...

Lyon, France — Four-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón and “Time Bandits” helmer Terry Gilliam will join a star director-studded lineup at this year’s Lumière Film Festival including Wes Anderson, Alexander Payne and Wim Wenders.

Cuarón is returning to Lyon – where he was a guest of honor in 2018 – to present a selection of films by Swiss filmmaker Alain Tanner.

Gilliam will screen the newly restored version of his 1995 sci-fi thriller “Twelve Monkeys.”

One of Anderson’s latest shorts, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” part of four Roald Dahl adaptations to be released on Netflix later this month, will screen at Lyon’s plush 2,000-seat Auditorium, where he will give a masterclass.

Like other guests, he will not only be introducing a retrospective of his own films but works by others, as part of an ongoing drive by the festival “to strengthen the link between the past and the present of cinema,...

ListicleWhile there have been raging debates over whether a film adaptation of a literary work does justice to the original, some of these films have fulfilled the expectations of book lovers.YouTube screengrabWhat better delights a literature enthusiast than a film adaptation of their favourite literary work? While there have been raging debates over whether a film adaptation of a literary work does justice to the original, it is no doubt that movies make them more accessible. Apart from accessibility, cross cultural adaptations also bring the stories closer to home. Here are five south Indian movies that were adapted to suit local tastes while maintaining the spirit of the original works: Kandukondein Kandukondein (2000) The Ajith Kumar starrer is adapted from Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility which revolves around the romantic entanglements of two sisters who are forced to live in more meagre conditions along with their widowed mother. Even...

The Palm Springs International ShortFest winners were announced on Sunday, with Japan and the U.S.’s “The Old Young Crow” taking the prize for best of the festival. Lithuania’s “Way Better” won best animated short and China’s “Will You Look At Me” landed best documentary short. Additionally, the award for best live-action short over 15 minutes went to France’s “Sèt Lam” and Spain’s “Mystic Tiger” took home the award for the best live-action short 15 minutes and under.

The festival handed out cash prizes worth $25,000, as well as five awards to help winners qualify for the Academy Awards. The competition included some 299 short films within the official selection. The annual festival began on June 20 and will conclude Monday, June 26.

See the full list of winners below.

Best of the Festival

The Old Young Crow (U.S.)

Animated Short

Way Better (Lithuania)

Documentary Short

Will You Look at...

The Old Young Crow took home the top prize at the 2023 Palm Springs International Shortfest on Sunday. The Japanese-United States short film follows an elderly Persian man recalling the lessons he learned from an elderly Japanese woman.

The best animated short award went to Lithuania’s Way Better, which centers on a man who’s expecting the worst but hoping for the best from his upcoming medical test results. He spends his time over the course of a week waiting in a limbo of his own creation, dreading things that haven’t happened yet.

Other top awards of the festival went to China’s Will You Look At Me for documentary short, France’s Sét Lam for live-action short over 15 minutes and Spain’s Mystic Tiger for live-action short 15 minutes and under. The top five films are now eligible to submit their shorts to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Oscar consideration.

With it being seven years since his last live-action film, 2014’s The Grand Budapast Hotel, Wes Anderson is hard at work. Following a Cannes premiere, The French Dispatch finally arrives in limited theaters on October 22 followed by a wide release the following week, and he’s already shooting his next film (recently revealed to have the title Asteroid City) outside of Madrid with Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Rupert Friend, Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Hope Davis, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber, Tony Revolori, and Matt Dillon.

As is the case with all of his work, Wes Anderson synthesizes cinema history in his own specific language and for The French Dispatch he has provided a list of influences. As revealed in a promotional book sent to The Flim Stage and styled after the film’s magazine, 32 films are listed that “provided inspiration to the filmmakers,...

The film is written and directed by Natalya Kudryashova.

French sales agent Kinology has agreed a deal with Moscow-based distributor and production company Central Partnership to handle international sales on Russian drama Gerda, which receives its premiere in the international competition at this year’s Locarno Film Festival (August 4-14).

Written and directed by Natalya Kudryashova, Gerda is about a young woman named Lera who is trying to escape the constraints of her provincial life. A sociology student by day, she works in a local strip joint by night to support herself and her mother, who suffers from a mental disorder.

It’s summer, everyone! And with its relatively sparse list of new releases for July 2021, Hulu seems to be subtlety imploring its subscribers to go outside.

Don’t get us wrong: Hulu’s library offerings get a big upgrade this month. July 1 sees the arrival of great films like Galaxy Quest, Fargo, and Caddyshack. Bill and Ted Face the Music premieres on July 2 and its followed by Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar on July 9. Not bad stuff! It’s just that, outside of the library titles, there isn’t much to go off of.

Hulu’s only major original release this month is the FX on Hulu production American Horror Stories on July 15. As its name implies, the show is a spinoff of American Horror Story and will feature self-contained horror episodes rather than a season-long arc. If you’ll allow this geriatric millennial to deploy one truly ancient meme: “Yo dawg,...

Twyla Tharp on Zoom with Herman Cornejo and Misty Copeland in Steven Cantor’s Twyla Moves Photo: Zoom Stick Figure Films

Steven Cantor’s intimate and fierce Twyla Moves showcases the legendary Twyla Tharp working on a Zoom dance from New York during the height of the pandemic with Misty Copeland, Benjamin Buza, Herman Cornejo, Maria Khoreva, Kaitlyn Gilliland, and Charlie Neshyba-Hodges in other locations. She invites the great production designer Santo Loquasto to have a look. Twyla has collaborated with composers Philip Glass, David Byrne, David Van Tieghem, and Glenn Branca, won the Tony Award for Best Choreography for Movin’ Out, featuring the songs of Billy Joel, staged dances for Miloš Forman’s Hair, Ragtime, and Amadeus, and Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines in Taylor Hackford’s White Nights.

Dancer, featuring Sergei Polunin, and Tyler Peck’s Ballet Now round out Steven’s trilogy of dance films.

From New York,...

One week before the Academy Awards go down on ABC, American Idol‘s Top 12 assembled live to perform Oscar-winning songs of yesteryear.

Showing them all how it’s done was Lionel Richie, who kicked off the two-hour event with a performance of “Say You Say Me” from White Nights, for which Richie won Best Original Song at the 1986 ceremony. Click here to watch.

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Before we get to the songs,...

“American Idol” is having the Top 12 perform Oscar-nominated songs on Sunday, April 18. This is great promotion for next Sunday, when the show will be preempted so that ABC can show the 2021 Oscars. The two-hour show will air live nationwide and will conclude with Ryan Seacrest revealing the Top 9. On Monday, the 10th season 19 finalist will be selected from a group of also-rans who contended last year and were invited back to try again.

Luke Bryan, who tested positive last week for for Covid-19, has returned. Another of the judges, Lionel Richie, is expected to perform his Oscar-winning tune “Say You, Say Me” from the 1984 film “White Nights.”

The Top 12 hoping to make the cut are: Alyssa Wray, Ava August, Beane, Caleb Kennedy, Casey Bishop, Cassie Coleman, Chayce Beckham, Deshawn Goncalves, Grace Kinstler, Hunter Metts, Madison Watkins and Willie Spence.

Below, follow along with all the action in our live blog...

With just a week until the 93rd Oscars ceremony on April 25, Disney is kicking the synergy machine into high gear in order to support the telecast on ABC.

The challenge is steep: As Variety recently noted, ratings for all major awards telecasts this year have been down between 50% to 60%, making a similar decline a real possibility for the Academy Awards. But the longer-than-usual Oscar campaign trail at least may have stoked some interest, along with the curiosity factor of how this year’s show — held partly at Union Station, partly at the Dolby Theatre and also remotely elsewhere — might look.

The Walt Disney Co.’s Oscars synergy plans get underway on Sunday night with the live telecast of “American Idol.” On the show, the top 12 contestants will perform Oscar-nominated songs from the past, while judge Lionel Richie will open the episode by singing “Say You, Say Me” — which earned him...

Three of this year’s Oscar nominated tunes were penned by Black songwriters: Celeste reaped a bid (along with Daniel Pemberton) for “Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago”; D’Mile, recent Grammy champ H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas collaborated on “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”; and supporting actor nominee Leslie Odom Jr. was cited with Nashville based singer/songwriter Sam Ashworth for “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami.”

The first Black tunesmith to contend for Best Original Song at the Oscars was Quincy Jones who was nominated in 1967 (alongside lyricist Bob Russell) for “The Eyes of Love” from the long-forgotten “Banning.” (Jones earned the first of his four score Oscar nominations that same year for “In Cold Blood.”) He and Russell reaped another bid the following year for the title tune from “For Love of Ivy.” His last nomination to date was in 1985 for...

Slate is led by Roman Vasyanov’s ‘The Dorm’, which has secured a world sales agent.

Russian production outfit MetraFilms is showcasing multiple projects at the EFM, led by Roman Vasyanov’s The Dorm, on which New Europe Film Sales has boarded world sales.

The Dorm marks the directorial debut of Vasyanov, who is best known as David Ayer’s cinematographer on End Of Watch, Fury, Suicide Squad and Bright.

Vasyanov’s debut, which he also co-wrote, is an adaptation of Alexei Ivanov’s novel Dorm To Blood. Set in the Soviet Union of 1984, it follows five students whose friendship...

Ace Italian cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno, who was instrumental to the making of masterpieces such as Luchino Visconti’s “The Leopard” and Federico Fellini’s “Amarcord,” but also worked in Hollywood and was an Oscar nominee for Bob Fosse’s “All That Jazz,” has died. He was 97.

Rotunno, who was nicknamed Peppino, died on Sunday in his Rome home, his family announced without disclosing the exact cause.

Born in Rome on March 23, 1923, Rotunno started his remarkable six-decade career as a still photographer at the Italian capital’s Cinecittà Studios in 1940 before being recruited in 1942 to serve as a newsreel cameraman with the Italian army where he cut his teeth as a cinematographer.

In 1943 at age 20, with World War II still raging, Rotunno was hired as an assistant Dp by Roberto Rossellini for the 1943 war film “L’Uomo dalla croce” (The Man with a Cross), a drama about a military chaplain.

After the war,...

Wanda Sykes got to play comedy icon Moms Mabley on the third season of Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” The actress is an Emmy winner who has received nominations every year since 2017.

Sykes recently spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Susan Wloszczyna about her history with Mabley as a comedian, what it meant to play her and what she’s working on next. Watch the exclusive video interview above and read the complete transcript below.

SEEAmy Sherman-Palladino Interview: ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’

Gold Derby: I would guess this was a great honor for you to portray her because she was one of a kind. She’s basically the mother of Black comedians and set the standard. But I just wonder, I’m old enough to have seen her on “Ed Sullivan” and “The Smothers Brothers” but did you see her while you were a kid?

Wanda Sykes: Yes, I...

Musicals have made a melodious comeback over recent years, and it looks like Disney now wants to add to the harmony, with the studio reportedly being in the early stages of development on a movie inspired by the greatest hits of music icon Lionel Richie. Currently entitled All Night Long after one of Richie's most beloved tunes, the new project will use some of Richie's treasured back catalog in this live-action movie musical.

It is being reported that Richie and his manager Bruce Eskowitz will be on producing duty for the project along with Cavalry Media executives Dana Brunetti and Matt Del Piano. The script for All Night Long is currently being worked on by screenwriter Peter Chiarelli, insiders have also revealed. Writer Peter Chiarelli's previous credits include the likes of the Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock led romantic comedy The Proposal, the action thriller Eagle Eye starring Shia Labeouf,...

Walt Disney Studios is developing an original movie musical based on the songs of American treasure Lionel Richie, Variety has learned exclusively.

Tentatively titled “All Night Long,” the new project will use some of Richie’s greatest hits in a live-action project in early stages of development with a theatrical release in mind, sources said.

Richie and his manager Bruce Eskowitz are producing the project with Cavalry Media executives Dana Brunetti and Matt Del Piano. Screenwriter Pete Chiarelli is currently at work on the script, added the insiders.

Representatives for Disney and Richie had no immediate comment on the matter.

Richie, a company man thanks to his judge role on Disney-owned ABC’s “American Idol,” sold the pitch to the studio in January. The singer is represented by CAA and Red Light Management.

While the film is more in line with the jukebox musical vibe of the hugely successful “Mamma Mia...

Yann Gonzalez, rated as one of France’s most gifted young directors after his heartfelt Giallo homage “Knife + Heart” played in 2018’s Cannes competition, has boarded “Brasília! Brasília!” from Brazil’s Bernardo Zanotta who last year won Locarno’s Pardino d’Argento for best short film with “Heart of Hunger.”

Gonzalez served as president of the Pardino d’Argento award, saw in Zanotta a kindred subversive spirit in an increasingly conformist landscape and when Zanotta sent him an early treatment of Brasília!Brasília!” wanted to form part of the project.

Introduced to the market at Locarno’s Match Me! Forum by André Mielnik, “Brasília Brasília!”, which is another’s feature debut, is being co-developed by Gustavo Beck and Mielnik at their Rio de Janeiro-based If You Hold a Stone and Gonzalez and partner Flavien Giorda at their upcoming French production company.

Written by Zanotta and Larissa Lewandowski, “Brasília!Brasília!” embodies...

Maybe it’s her neon eye shadow. Maybe it’s the way she brings up the fact that her parents are preachers every chance she can get. Maybe it’s how she acts like that wolf in old cartoons whose eyes would pop out when a shapely female passes by. Except in her case, it’s every time she spies a good-looking male contestant. But, more importantly, she sometimes actually gives good advice — like drop that mediocre guitar strumming and use an accompanist instead.

But when it comes to “American Idol” fans, pop singer and proud California girl Katy Perry is their clear favorite among the three judges with 44% picking her as their top choice. It seems that they like her colorful on-air fireworks. In second place with 32% backing him is laidback country star Luke Bryan of “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” fame. Last but not least, there is the legendary Lionel Richie,...

“American Idol” returned on March 3 for the start of season 17. Hosting as always was Ryan Seacrest. Returning to the panel as judges were the three musical talents — pop princess Katy Perry, country superstar Luke Bryan and Oscar-winning singer/songwriter Lionel Richie — who made this reboot on ABC such must-see TV last year. What did you think of this dynamic trio after the first episode? How did they rate? Vote in our poll below and be sure to sound off in the comments section.

Perry is being paid a whopping $20 million. Is she worth this much money? She cast shade on several contestants but she is a far shade from the king of mean, Simon Cowell. Her criticisms are usually sugar-coated in kindness but she does speak her mind on occasion, telling one would-be singer that those who sing her praises are not being truthful.

Bryan is the good old country...

Award-winning Turkish actress Damla Sönmez (“Sibel”) will star in the upcoming six-part Netflix docudrama “Ottoman Rising,” set during the reign of Mehmed II, also known as Mehmed the Conquerer. The series will be helmed by Emre Şahin.

The Circassian beauty is also producing several short films, directed by Ali Tansu Turhan. “Don’t Get Me Wrong” is completed and about to start its festival journey, while “Second Night,” inspired by Doestoyevski’s “White Nights,” is in post.

Meanwhile, “Sibel,” a prize-winner in Locarno, Adana and Hamburg, will open in Turkey on Feb. 22 and in France March 6.

This article marks Part 18 of the Gold Derby series analyzing 84 years of Best Original Song at the Oscars. Join us as we look back at the timeless tunes recognized in this category, the results of each race and the overall rankings of the winners.

The 1985 Oscar nominees in Best Original Song were:

“The Power of Love” from “Back to the Future”

“Surprise, Surprise” from “A Chorus Line”

“Miss Celie’s Blues (Sister)” from “The Color Purple”

“Say You, Say Me” from “White Nights”

“Separate Lives” from “White Nights”

Won: “Say You, Say Me” from “White Nights”

Should’ve won: “Separate Lives” from “White Nights”

If 1984 is a merely frustrating year of Best Original Song at the Oscars – given the lack of “Purple Rain” love and Stevie Wonder having defeated four marvelous songs with a decidedly inferior track – 1985 is a flat-out aggravating affair, a year featuring not one or two but five ho-hom pieces,...

It’s not uncommon for a prominent British actor to be labeled British acting royalty. All types, from Laurence Olivier to Maggie Smith, have worn the label but nobody perhaps has literally worn that title recently to the extent as Helen Mirren. She has had a long varied career and has earned her place as one of the holders of acting’s triple crowns by playing a variety of British monarchs.

Her Oscar came for playing the British Queen Elizabeth II in “The Queen,” which dealt with her reaction to the unexpected death of Princess Diana. She would revisit the role nine years later for a Tony on Broadway in the play “The Audience,” which dealt with Elizabeth’s relationships with the various prime ministers who have served under her. It was a different Queen, Elizabeth I, that would bring Mirren one of her four Emmys, when she starred in...

Above: French poster for Ossessione (1943). Artist: Boris Grinsson.To commemorate the complete retrospective of the films of Luchino Visconti starting today at New York's Film Society of Lincoln Center, I decided to choose my favorite poster for each film in Visconti’s titanic body of work (including the three portmanteau films to which he contributed episodes). For many of his films the range of posters are an embarrassment of riches ranging from tempestuous Italian romanticism and beautifully executed French realism to stark German stylization and wry Polish surrealism. Although I think that Italian romanticism certainly suits Visconti best of all in terms of really representing his work—Averardo Ciriello’s stirring portrait of storm-lashed fishermen for La terra trema being a case in point—it is the more gnomic Polish films that I seem to have gravitated to most. There are eight Polish posters here and what is remarkable is...

Making all of us not in New York jealous yet again, the Film Society of Lincoln Center has partnered with Istituto Luce Cinecittà to present a complete retrospective of Luchino Visconti’s feature films. Most of the Italian master’s work, from “The Leopard” and “Rocco to His brothers” to “Senso” and “Death in Venice,” will be screening on new restorations and imported prints; the series will conclude with a weeklong run of “Ludwig,” playing here on a new 35mm print. Avail yourself of a trailer for the series below.

Visconti’s films are a sensory delight, and “The Leopard” — based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s majestic novel of the same name — is especially acclaimed. His 1963 adaptation, which runs just shy of three hours, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and was released on DVD and Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection. Flsc’s look back at Visconti’s career doesn’t stop there,...

Angels might fear to tread on territory such as this — Dostoevsky’s short story “White Nights” has previously formed the inspiration for films from Luschino Visconti, Robert Bresson, and James Gray, among others. But then prolific Brazilian shorts director Leonardo Mouramateus is either no angel, or a particularly fearless one, because his feature debut “Antonio One Two Three” with gleeful mischief, plunges both hands elbow-deep into Dostoevsky’s tale of triangular, unrequited love, and teases and stretches and taffy-pulls it into something new.

Katy Perry is being paid a whopping $20 million to be a judge on the ABC revival of “American Idol.” But that money is well-spent as the pop princess generates headlines about her antics on this reality competition series. Despite the controversies, including one in which she tricked a contestant into giving her a kiss, she ranks as one of the most popular judges on the panel according to our readers.

Indeed, her fans have rallied around her in the wake of the ongoing debate about her actions on the March 11 premiere episode. Benjamin Glaze, a 19-year-old from Oklahoma, admitted to another of the “Idol” judges, Luke Bryan, that he had never kissed a girl. That prompted Perry to pucker up. At first she offered up her cheek but after Glaze grazed that she got a second kiss right on the lips. Glaze was shocked by her sudden move as he...

Katy Perry continues to generate headlines over her judging of “American Idol.” The latest controversy has to do with the pop princess forcing a contestant to pucker up and plant a kiss on her. Benjamin Glaze, a 19-year-old from Oklahoma, readily admits to another of the “Idol” judges, Luke Bryan, that he has never kissed a girl. That prompted Perry to swoop in, offering up her cheek, which Glaze grazed. After she asked for a second kiss on the cheek, she pulled a switcheroo on the unsuspecting fellow and he ended up planting one on her lips.

Glaze was not pleased with this as he had wanted to save his first kiss for someone special. Since the news hit the web, Perry has fallen further behind Bryan in our poll on your favorite of the three judges. He now has a whopping 49% of the vote in our poll while she...