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Below Deck season 12‘s first primary charter guest Sam Rashid made quite the impression on Bravo viewers when he inspected his quarters with black light while staying on superyacht St. David. For picky and demanding Below Deck charter guests, who envious fans love to hate, Rashid did not disappoint. Besides informing Chief Stew Fraser Olender about finding disgusting germs on the light switches next to the bed, Rashid raised a stink when Chef Lawrence Snowden failed to take note of his preference sheet making it clear he wanted his steak very well done (without any pink). Not only that, Rashid

The post Who’s Sam Rashid From Below Deck S12: Meet the Germaphobe Charter Guest appeared first on Show Star News.

It’s now been over a year since the second season of Interview with the Vampire debuted on AMC+, but updates on the third season have been quiet for a while now. However, it’s now been officially announced that Interview with the Vampire Season 3 will begin production next month in Toronto and will return to streaming sometime in 2026. Plot details about the second season are being kept under wraps, but it will feature more of Sam Reid’s Vampire Lesat and his rock band, now on tour. Jacob Anderson will also reprise his role as Louis de Pointe de Lac in Interview with the Vampire Season 3. The show currently sits at a nearly flawless 98% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but the audience-driven Popcornmeter falls to 77%.

There have been 15 episodes of Interview with the Vampire thus far through two seasons, and only four stars have appeared in all of them.

Paro – The Untold Story of Bride Slavery, a powerful and emotionally stirring film, sees actor Taha Shah Badussha in a bold new avatar that is set to challenge perceptions. Conceptualised by celebrated Marathi actress, filmmaker and social activist Trupti Bhoir, the film is helmed by Gajendra Ahire, a two-time National Award-winning director, and produced by Sandesh Sharda.

The film casts a piercing light on the plight of ‘Paro’ or ‘Molki’ brides — women who are bought and sold into marriage, often becoming victims of modern-day slavery. With Trupti Bhoir playing the lead role of Chand, the narrative tackles the harrowing realities of this toxic cycle, rooted in deeply patriarchal traditions.

Taha Shah Badussha portrays Rashid, one of Chand’s husbands — a man initially devoid of remorse, who undergoes a significant emotional journey towards accountability and transformation. Speaking about the film, a proud Taha said:“Paro is a film that deeply affected...

On Friday April 4 2025, MyNetworkTV broadcasts Divorce Court!

Rashid Pacheco vs. Amber Lloyd Season 26 Episode 140 Episode Summary

The upcoming episode of “Divorce Court,” titled “Rashid Pacheco vs. Amber Lloyd,” promises to be another engaging installment in the series. This episode features Judge Star Jones, who brings her wisdom and experience to the courtroom. Known for her fair and thoughtful approach, Judge Jones will navigate the complex issues that arise between the two parties.

Rashid Pacheco and Amber Lloyd are set to present their case, revealing the challenges and emotions that come with their relationship. Viewers can expect to see the couple discuss their differences, which may include financial disputes, communication breakdowns, and personal grievances. The courtroom setting allows for an honest dialogue, as Judge Jones encourages both sides to express their feelings and concerns.

As the episode unfolds, Judge Jones will offer her insights and guidance, aiming to help Rashid and Amber find a resolution.

In the upcoming episode of “Divorce Court,” titled “Rashid Pacheco vs. Amber Lloyd,” viewers can expect an engaging look into the complexities of relationships. This episode will air on Friday, April 4, 2025, at 8:30 Am on MyNetworkTV. Judge Star Jones will bring her wisdom and experience to the courtroom as she navigates the emotional disputes between Rashid and Amber.

Rashid and Amber’s case promises to be a compelling exploration of love and conflict. As they present their sides, the courtroom will be filled with tension and drama. Judge Jones will listen carefully, offering her insights and guidance to help the couple find resolution. Her approach combines empathy with a keen understanding of relationship dynamics, making her a trusted figure in the courtroom.

Fans of “Divorce Court” can look forward to a thought-provoking episode that highlights the highs and lows of Rashid and Amber’s relationship. With Judge Jones at the helm,...

Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore has joined the production team of From Ground Zero as an executive producer.

From Ground Zero is a powerful collection of short films by 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war in present-day Gaza. Through a unique blend of animation, documentary, and fiction, these stories capture the steadfastness of the human spirit and enduring creativity that thrives even in the face of relentless devastation.

Garnering international acclaim since its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2024, Variety praised the project, stating: “The filmmaking ingenuity on display is undoubtedly impressive.” while FilmThreat said, “From Ground Zero is a profound cinematic event, proving that movies can be made even on the edge of destruction.” Slant Magazine said, “The film is a stirring testament to art as a tool of survival, to the power of community art-making to affirm life in the face of omnipresent death, and to...

There have been several excellent documentaries focusing on Palestine and Israel's occupation of it in the past year or so, and one of them is now getting a wider release thanks to Michael Moore. The documentarian has signed on as an executive producer on From Ground Zero: Stories from Gaza, which was shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Unlike many other documentaries focused on the topic, the film is an anthology (comprising 22 shorts) that comes directly from Palestinian filmmakers living through the genocide in Gaza. Director Rashid Masharawi produced and supervised the film.

"These Palestinian filmmakers have accomplished a cinematic miracle," said Moore in a press release. "They have made a brilliant film in the midst of what Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have now declared a genocide. The only weapons that Rashid and these 22 courageous Palestinian directors in Gaza have...

Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore is putting his clout behind the Palestinian feature film From Ground Zero, joining as an executive producer. From Ground Zero is a collection of short films by 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through the war in present-day Gaza. The shorts range from three to six minutes and are told in a variety of styles, including documentary, animation, and experimental filmmaking, to reflect a rich diversity of stories that showcase sorrow, joy, and hope inherent in Gaza life and offer a striking view of life's fragility and the resilience of love in the face of devastation.

Watermelon Pictures announced that Michael Moore, the director of critically acclaimed and controversial documentaries like Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, and Bowling for Columbine, is signing on to From Ground Zero as an Executive Producer. From Ground Zero opens in theaters on Jan. 3, 2025, and has been shortlisted for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Palestinian Oscar entry “From Ground Zero” is adding to its credits, just in time for its upcoming U.S. release later this week. Watermelon Pictures today announced that Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore has joined the production team of the anthology film as an executive producer.

The film was recently shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. Billed as “a powerful collection of short films by 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war in present-day Gaza,” the film blends “animation, documentary, and fiction” with “stories [that] capture the steadfastness of the human spirit and enduring creativity that thrives even in the face of relentless devastation.” The film premiered at the 5th Amman International Film Festival in July and had its North American premiere at the 49th Toronto International Film Festival in September.

In an official statement, Moore noted, “These Palestinian filmmakers have accomplished a cinematic miracle. They...

Michael Moore has boarded Palestine’s Oscar entry From Ground Zero as an executive producer ahead of a theatrical release on Jan. 3 by Watermelon Pictures.

The project, shortlisted for the upcoming Academy Awards in the best international feature film category, is a collection of 22 films by Palestinian filmmakers completed while impacted by the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

“These Palestinian filmmakers have accomplished a cinematic miracle. They have made a brilliant film in the midst of what Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have now declared a genocide,” Moore said in a statement on Monday.

The anthology of documentary, fiction and animated films was spearheaded by Gaza-born Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi and his Masharawi Fund for local films and filmmakers.

“The only weapons that Rashid and these 22 courageous Palestinian directors in Gaza have are their cameras and their creativity. No filmmaker, writer or artist should ever have to tell the story of their own extermination.

Michael Moore has joined the production team of “From Ground Zero” — the recently shortlisted Palestinian entry for the 97th Academy Awards’ best international film category — as executive producer.

A collection of shorts made by 22 Palestinian filmmakers living through war in present day Gaza, “From Ground Zero” blends animation, documentary and fiction to “capture the steadfastness of the human spirit and enduring creativity that thrives even in the face of relentless devastation,” according to the producers. Watermelon Pictures will release the film — which was coordinated and funded by director Rashid Masharawi — across the U.S. on Jan. 3.

“These Palestinian filmmakers have accomplished a cinematic miracle. They have made a brilliant film in the midst of what Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have now declared a genocide,” said Moore, who won the Oscar in 2003 for his groundbreaking documentary “Bowling for Columbine” and the Palme d’Or in 2004 for “Fahrenheit 9/11.”

“The...

The upcoming Anne Rices The Talamasca series has received a major production update from AMC Networks. This comes after four months since AMC had greenlit the Mayfair Witches spinoff, which serves as the latest addition to its expanding Immortal Universe, based on Rices popular gothic novel series.

Posted on Instagram, AMC shared the first behind-the-scenes photo of Anne Rices The Talamasca series, confirming that production on the supernatural drama has officially begun in England. Before landing an official 6-episode series order, the mysterious paranormal organization was first mentioned during Mayfair Witches Season 1, where they were introduced as a group of powerful witches. In Rices books, they are described as a secret society, whose main purpose is to investigate, research and monitor supernatural beings such as vampires, witches, werewolves.

Related Mayfair Witches Season 2: The Walking Dead & Jason Bourne Stars Join Anne Rice Series

AMCs Mayfair Witches announces the addition of...

While we ponder how exactly the fiasco surrounding Todd Haynes’ would-be next film is going down in the household of Joaquin Phoenix and Carol star Rooney Mara, the latter actor’s latest role is now opening next month. Alonso Ruizpalacios’ La Cocina, starring Mara and Raúl Briones, premiered at Berlinale earlier this year, followed by Tribeca, and will screen at the London Film Festival in October. Ahead of an October 25 theatrical release beginning at NYC’s Angelika, the first trailer has arrived.

Here’s the synopsis: “La Cocina captures the frenetic energy of the lunch rush at The Grill, a bustling restaurant in Manhattan’s Times Square. When money goes missing from the till, suspicion falls on Pedro (Briones), an undocumented cook who dreams of a better life and is in love with Julia (Mara), an American waitress who cannot commit to a relationship. Rashid, the restaurant owner, has promised...

With the recent announcement that AMC's latest Immortal Universe series has found its leading man in Nicholas Denton, fans are asking: Who or what exactly is the Talamasca? The answer is hiding in plain sight, as agents of this secret society have hovered on the edges of Interview With the Vampire, and one of them is a star of Mayfair Witches. Rumors of a crossover between the two existing Anne Rice-based series have been swirling for some time, and they are closer to becoming a reality with the addition of the recently greenlit Immortal Universe show, The Talamasca.

The fresh production found its first star in Nicholas Denton, who will play new recruit Guy Anatole. Talamasca agents have already appeared in both Interview With the Vampire and Mayfair Witches, with Jason Kirk playing sinister second-stringer Raglan James in the former show, and leading man Tongayi Chirisa as Ciprien Grieve,...

Adapting a beloved book for the small screen is no easy task. Fans will know the story by heart, and suspense is needed to keep viewers coming back. AMC's Interview With the Vampire has given Anne Rice's story a stunning makeover, changing the time, place, and race of her parasitic protagonists. However, nothing feels fresher than the character of Armand. The book's boyish bloodsucker has received an update that sparks all the television series' biggest surprises.

The Armand of Rice's 1976 novel was a cherubic vampire that charms Louis de Pointe du Lac, but cannot distract him from the Vampire Lestat. The chaste longing that pervades the books has been replaced by a turbulent TV love triangle in which Armand often seems like the most mature party; however, he has more secrets than the rest of the cast combined. "Who is Armand?" is a question even the other characters are still asking.

Just last month, AMC announced that they had ordered a third season of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire – and that with season 3, the show would be moving on to the events of the second novel in Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series, The Vampire Lestat! In this story, Lestat becomes the frontman in a rock band, something that carries over into the events of the third book, The Queen of the Damned. That’s why those books were mashed together for the 2002 film Queen of the Damned, where Lestat’s singing voice was provided by Jonathan Davis of Korn. If you’ve been curious to hear what Lestat’s singing voice will sound like on the Interview with the Vampire TV series, AMC has you covered: they’ve just released Lestat’s first single, “Long Face,” and you can check it out in the embed above.

Here’s the...

Michael Groom’s “Between the Lights” and Leon Lozano’s “A Little Hope for Chicago” were two of the grand jury prize winners of Dances With Films: LA. The celebration, hosted at the Tcl Chinese Theatre on June 30, saw “Between the Lights” (pictured) win best narrative feature and “A Little Hope for Chicago” take home best documentary feature.

The indie film festival lineup included 232 films, with 117 making world, international, North American or U.S. premieres.

The full award list for Dances With Films: LA is as follows:

Grand Jury – Narrative Features

“Between the Lights”

Director/Writer: Michael Groom

Producers: David Groom, Michael Groom

Honorable Mentions:

“Dreaming of You”

Director/Writer: Jack McCafferty

Producers: Bridgett Greenberg, McCafferty

“Tallywacker”

Director/Writer: Brendan Boogie

Producers: Jeremy Dubs, Chris Goodwin, Boogie

Grand Jury – Documentary Features

“A Little Hope for Chicago”

Director: Leon Lozano

Writers: Kevin Nichols, Lozano

Producers: Garrett E.B. Thompson, Kevin Nichols, Lozano...

[This story contains spoilers from the season two finale of Interview With the Vampire, “And That’s the End of It. There’s Nothing Else.”]

Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) may have completed his second interview with the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) in Dubai, but the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist could not resist unraveling the biggest secret that underlied Louis’ strained, 77-year relationship with the vampire Armand (Assad Zaman).

In the season two finale of AMC’s adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire, Daniel — with the help of the secret society known as the Talamasca, which investigates and monitors supernatural beings — discovers Armand’s biggest betrayal of Louis. Not only did Armand report Louis and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) for turning Claudia’s companion, Madeleine (Roxane Duran), into a vampire and for violating vampiric laws, but Armand also directed the show trial that was supposed to lead to the demise of all three at...

Is this what we call “when all is said and done”? That’s certainly the idea Louis seems to harbor as the interview that started in a dingy room in San Francisco back in the 70s draws to a close. But even though season 2 of Interview with the Vampire ends on a rather emotional note, it’s not for the reasons Louis might’ve foreseen. For it’s a start as much as it is an end. What else is a breakup between ancient vampires who’d go on to live almost forever?

Spoiler Alert

Who got Louis out of the coffin?

It’s poetic how the most dreadful part of Louis’ tale is what Daniel’s supposed to wrap up the interview with. And it’s only fitting that Louis reserved his most poetic words to recount the time when death came the closest and life was the prolonged agony.

AMC will be airing the season 2 finale of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire this Sunday – but they’re not going to leave viewers wondering if there’s going to be a season 3 order. They have already sent out a press release confirming that they have renewed Interview with the Vampire for a third season… and they even provided a plot synopsis that confirms season 3 is moving on to the events of the second novel in Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series, The Vampire Lestat!

Here’s the synopsis: Resentful of the perfunctory portrayal in the trashy bestseller Interview With the Vampire, the Vampire Lestat sets his story straight in a way only the Vampire Lestat can — by starting a band and going on tour. Gabrielle. Nicholas. Magnus. Marius. Those Who Must Be Kept. They join Louis, Armand, Molloy, Sam, Raglan, Fareed and others we can’t tell you about...

Today, the Nantucket Film Festival, which featured conversations with Ken Burns and many others, announced winners for this year’s 29th edition of the fest. In addition to Audience Award winners, they have also released winners for Best of Fest, the Tony Cox Screenplay Competition, the Adrienne Shelly Foundation Award, and many others.

“It is a privilege to honor this cohort of both established and emerging screenwriters and storytellers, who represent the heart of our industry, at the 2024 edition of the festival,” said Mystelle Brabbée, Executive Director of the Nantucket Film Festival, and Anita Raswant, Lead Programmer of the Nantucket Film Festival. “Thank you to all of our attending filmmakers and writers for sharing their powerful stories with us and our passionate audiences who continue to turn out to the theaters and support our mission. We would like to take a moment to recognize our jurors, sponsors, staff, and volunteers,...

There’s one thing about Louis and Armand’s relationship that sticks out the most through the course of Interview with the Vampire. When it comes to manipulation, Louis does it with softness, like the person you can never imagine betraying you, but they do. And Armand, even at his most cunning, has this almost brutish distinction to himself. Lucky for Daniel, they might actually end up at each other’s throats. Episode 6 of Interview with the Vampire shakes the entire power dynamic up between Louis, Armand, and, well, Lestat. The puppeteer chair is up for grabs.

Spoiler Alert

Is Rashid A Talamasca Agent?

You didn’t think that Louis would just charge at Armand with questions about his edited memories, did you? That wouldn’t be very Louis and Armand. Why have it out when they can have a passive-aggressive exchange over what to put on a wall in their Dubai penthouse?...

Was that the best hour of the series since the Interview with the Vampire Season 1 Episode 1?

It very well may have been, as the foray back to 1970s San Francisco unlocked some core memories for Louis and Daniel that could change everything for them.

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Episode 5 was a game-changer in many ways.

It set us up for the final few hours of the series, which are poised to be crushing and invigorating.

Daniel’s been battling with faint memories from his time with Louis and Armand in San Francisco for some time, never quite able to fully tap into what they meant and the circumstances behind them.

And he’s been reluctant to broach the topic, but listening to his recordings from that evening spurred him into action, especially when he had the opportunity to get Louis alone.

Daniel’s always been in a unique position.

Quick Links Every Akuma Move (& How To Use Them) How To Perform Akuma's Raging Demon Sample Combos For Akuma How To Win Games As Akuma

Akuma is the final Dlc character for Street Fighter 6's first season and returns as an iconic fighter from the series whose moves, combos, and signature Raging Demon attack create one of the strongest combatants in the game. Akuma boasts an overwhelming offense bolstered by the dark energies of the Satsui no Hado. With the right approach, nearly any opponent will fall to this master of the fist.

Alongside Rashid, Aki, and Ed, Akuma is one of the characters added after Street Fighter 6's launch, so you have to purchase him separately from the main game as Dlc. Those who purchased the entire Year 1 Character Pass or Ultimate Edition of the game will receive Akuma automatically. Anyone who bought the Ultimate Character Pass will also obtain Akuma's stage,...

Season 2 of the much-awaited critically acclaimed fantasy vampire drama series Interview with the Vampire is finally here. Based on a series of gothic vampire novels titled The Vampire Chronicles by author Anne Rice, the AMC series was created by Rolin Jones.

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 covers the second part of Rice’s book and it continues the interview between vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac and veteran journalist Daniel Molloy as Louis continues his story after he and Claudia escape to Paris after killing Lestat but will they be able to escape Lestat that easily. So, if you loved the first season of Interview with the Vampire and are psyched about Season 2, here are all the release dates for the upcoming new episodes.

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 – Episode Guide (When Will The New Episodes Air?) Credit – AMC

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 consists of eight episodes in total.

“Do you know what it means to be loved by death?”

Anne Rice is a prolific gothic horror novelist who has eternally changed the shape of vampire fiction. Anne’s literature has flourished for decades, but the film and TV adaptations of her best works have been a mixed bag. Many audiences were ready to dismiss Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire when it first premiered on AMC in 2022, only for it to rise from its grave as one of the year’s best series – horror or otherwise. Interview with the Vampire perfectly captures Rice’s painful pathos that uses the veil of supernatural storytelling and monstrous creatures to explore the human condition. Interview with the Vampire’s second season elevates its moving character development to greater heights and improves upon everything that already worked so well in its debut season. It’s the perfect evolution of this macabre,...

Interview with the Vampire season 2 continues to be a clever adaptation that keeps viewers engaged with twists that enrich the story. Fantastic performances from both the new and returning cast members work to expand the world. Louis and Armand's romance adds depth, while Claudia's journey becomes more tragic.

Interview with the Vampire season 2 returns us to Anne Rices world of bloodthirsty vampires with an entry thats as seductive and horrifying as its first. Having already established its premise of the nearly 200-year-old vampire, Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), retelling his undead lifes story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian), season 2 digs deeper into how these memories can be misleading. It also examines a new relationship for Louis that, while not nearly as toxic as the one with Lestat (Sam Reid), keeps the series romantic undertones as well as its tinge of danger.

Interview with the Vampire 8/10

Based...

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the novel Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice!

Sam Reid hints at a significant twist in Interview with the Vampire season 2, deviating from the books. The new twist in season 2 could involve Lestat and his role with the coven, given hints in the show's trailer. Changes in season 2 may lead to future adaptations of books like The Vampire Lestat or The Queen of the Damned.

Interview with the Vampire star Sam Reid has teased a major change from the books will happen in season 2, indicating it will be a key twist for the story. Season 1 adapted the first half of Anne Rice's original novel of the same name, with some changes to give the story a more modernized feel. However, the overall structure of the story remained the same, indicating season 2 would follow a similar path in adapting the rest of the novel.

However, speaking...

After a brief halt in production, AMC was able to secure “significant agreements” with the SAG-AFTRA actors union that allowed them to continue filming Interview with the Vampire season 2 during the SAG strike last year, keeping the show on track for its 2024 premiere. The Sunday, May 12th premiere date is now swiftly approaching – and even though we just saw a trailer for the show a couple weeks ago, a new trailer for Interview with the Vampire season 2 has now been unveiled. You can watch it in the embed above.

Anne Rice’s novel Interview with the Vampire centers on the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac as he relates the story of his life to a reporter, in particular how he was turned into a vampire and then mentored by Lestat de Lioncourt. Season 2 of the TV series will pick up in the year 2022, with vampire Louis de Pointe du...

Ahead of the show’s Season 2 return on Sunday, May 12, AMC Networks is giving Interview With the Vampire fans a taste of what’s to come with this just-released extended trailer.

Following the Anne Rice drama’s first season, which aired from September to November 2022, Interview With the Vampire rolled right into production on its eight-episode second season. Production wrapped last year in Prague, Paris and New Orleans.

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After a brief halt in production, AMC was able to secure “significant agreements” with the SAG-AFTRA actors union that allowed them to continue filming Interview with the Vampire season 2 during the SAG strike last year, keeping the show on track for its 2024 premiere. The Sunday, May 12th premiere date is now swiftly approaching – and to give viewers a glimpse of what the new episodes have in store for them, a trailer for Interview with the Vampire season 2 has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Anne Rice’s novel Interview with the Vampire centers on the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac as he relates the story of his life to a reporter, in particular how he was turned into a vampire and then mentored by Lestat de Lioncourt. Season 2 of the TV series will pick up in the year 2022, with vampire Louis de Pointe du...

Assad Zaman found out halfway through his Interview With the Vampire audition process that he wasn’t just vying for the role of Rashid. Unbeknownst to the actor, 33, series creator and showrunner Rolin Jones had big plans for his presence in what would become the hit TV adaptation of Anne Rice‘s most famous novel. The Season 1 finale revealed the truth behind the curtain: Rashid wasn’t assistant to Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) — he was the 514-year-old vampire Armand, equipped with the flying “cloud gift” that Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) concealed from Louis for so long. Viewers will meet the real Armand in Interview With the Vampire Season 2, premiering Sunday, May 12 on AMC and AMC+. We know fans are dying to see this character fully fleshed out, so what do we know about Armand already? For starters, we know he’s of vital importance to Rice...

Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Palestine has been a major issue around the world, as the Idf’s military operation in the wake of the October 7th attack by Hamas has resulted in unprecedented civilian casualities.Protesters have taken to the streets and public figures have advocated for Palestine in a variety of ways. For Palestinian-American artist Phay, it took time to find the best words to encapsulate his thoughts — and he decided to put them to song on “Watermelon Seeds,” a poignant reflection on the plight of his people.

“La Cocina,” the Rooney Mara-starring drama that recently bowed in competition at the Berlinale, has been acquired for most international territories.

HanWay Films has closed sales for France (Originals Factory), Australia and New Zealand (Vendetta), Spain (Avalon), Italy (Teodora Film), Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Scandinavia (Mis. Label), Poland (Monolith), Romania (Bad Unicorn), Baltics (Acme), Czech Republic (Film Europe), South Korea (The Coup Inc.), Japan (Sundae), Taiwan (Filmware International), China (HiShow), Greece (Tfg), the Middle East (Front Row), Israel (Forum Film), Singapore (Shaw), Ukraine (Arthouse Traffic), Indonesia (Falcon Pictures) and Ships and Airlines (Cinesky). Before the Berlin Film Festival began, a key deal with Germany and Austria was closed with Square One Entertainment.

Variety understands that a U.K. and Ireland deal is very close to being finalized, while Fifth Season — which co-financed the film — is co-representing the North American sale with WME.

The fourth feature from one of...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

All of Us Strangers (Andrew Haigh)

There are many films about the devastating effects of the AIDS crisis, but very few that grapple with the loneliness of those left behind or came of age as it began to make headlines. Through supernatural metaphor, Andrew Haigh’s latest––and best––film tackles the existential displacement of a gay man (Andrew Scott) fast approaching middle age, his isolation only underlined by the near-abandoned tower block in which he lives. His friends have long moved out of the city, he has to maneuver a generational divide with a new, younger romantic partner (Paul Mescal) whose adolescence was far different to his, and he feels a longing to return to his childhood and come out to...

It was when Alonso Ruizpalacios was in London working as a dishwasher at the (now-extinct) Rainforest Cafe that he came up with the idea for La Cocina.

“I was a drama student and I’d just read the [1957] play The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker and to make the work — which is tough, monotonous and very, very hard — bearable, I’d look at it through the creative lens of the play. If you see how a kitchen works, you realize it is much like the world, like [how] society works. Wesker says for Shakespeare all the world is a stage, whereas for him all the world is a kitchen.”

It was decades later, after success with Mexican films like Museo and A Cop Movie, that Ruizpalacios came back to the idea, taking The Kitchen as the jumping-off point for his English-language debut, transferring the action from late-’50s London to modern-day New York.

Straddling the hazy line between documentary and fiction, the work of Canadian filmmaker Antoine Bourges is intensely concerned with the plights of disadvantaged and marginalized populations. In his latest and most quietly impactful effort to date, Concrete Valley, Bourges turns his gaze toward the North American immigration struggle, further examining the sense of dislocation that often defines his films’ subjects/characters.

The film is set in Thorncliffe Park, a high-immigrant, low-income neighborhood of Toronto whose titular nickname stems from its geographical position nestled up against a lush hillside forest, and it begins with Rashid (Hussam Douhna), a Syrian immigrant, taking a solitary nighttime walk through these tranquil woods. The curiously hushed environment at first suggests a dream, lending Concrete Valley a sense of magical realism that corresponds to mythical tales of strangers traversing strange lands. When Rashid’s impromptu sylvan meanderings are discussed a short time later, he’s warned...

Egos are charred and tempers seared in La Cocina, a kitchen nightmare set in the engine rooms of a vast Times Square eatery where the staff have more pressing things to worry about than rising temperatures. Take Pedro, a hardened and still-undocumented line cook whose outbursts of ideology can only mask his resentments and vulnerability for so long. Then there’s Julia (Rooney Mara), who is carrying Pedro’s unborn child, hiding her morning sickness in the staff room and planning to sneak out on break to get an abortion. And then there’s Estela (Anna Diaz), our eyes and ears: fresh off the proverbial boat, with barely a word of English, asking strangers on the subway how to get to 45th street before being unceremoniously tossed into a lunch shift that soon resembles The Raft of the Medusa, adrift on a sea of Cherry Coke.

The director of this lively tableaux is Alonso Ruizpalacios,...

If “the kitchen as war zone” has become a veritable sub-genre unto itself, Alonso Ruizpalacios’ “La Cocina” is the closest thing it has to its own “Gallipoli.” The trenches are made out of stainless steel instead of rotten wood, and the steady bombardment of orders comes with a greater threat of deportation than it does that of immediate death, but a job at The Grill just outside of Times Square is no less dehumanizing than a deployment along the frontlines at Suvla Bay, and it comes without any of the same hope for glory.

On the contrary, the soul-crushing system that compels undocumented immigrants to do this kind of work depends upon keeping them out of sight; not only from Ice, but also from the tourists who can only enjoy their rubber-fried lunch because they don’t have to look at the labor that went into making it. Capitalism is...

Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios has had a winning record coming to the Berlin Film Festival since 2013, when his film Gueros took the Best First Feature prize. Five years later he was back with his second, the sensational museum-heist film Museo, and deservedly won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay. His third, A Cop Movie, which plays with the traditional docu form by using actors, won Best Documentary at Mexico’s Golden Ariel Awards.

Ruizpalacios belongs in the same league as iconic current Mexican directors Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón and particularly Alejandro González Iñárritu, whose cinematic style seems closest to what Ruizpalacios has been doing. His latest trip to Berlin, La Cocina, reinforces the thrilling talent of this singular filmmaker who for the first time has shot a film using both Spanish and English. It features American star Rooney Mara as well as a stunning, uninhibited, shoot-for-the-stars turn from Raul Briones,...

There’s a surging life force felt in every scene of Alonso Ruizpalacios’ superbly acted La Cocina — at times ebullient but more often on edge, if not careening dangerously toward disaster or violence. Think The Bear on cocaine with a Red Bull chaser and you get some idea of the sustained intensity and simmering pressure of this bruising tragicomedy about what the diners (mostly) don’t see during a working day in a busy Times Square restaurant.

The Mexican writer-director has style to burn, evident in the intoxicatingly textured black-and-white visuals, the livewire editing and the striking use of music, from solemn choral pieces to cacophonous jazz. Even if he takes too long wrapping up an overwrought climactic crescendo, this is a compelling vision of the immigrant experience as a hellish limbo in which even the seeming ballast of community, brotherhood and love can be illusory.

In his previous films Güeros,...

“It’s about a whole bunch of things,” Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios says when quizzed on the subject of his latest feature, La Cocina, debuting this evening at the Berlin Film Festival. “In equal parts, it explores the topic of work, the American dream, the failure of the American dream, and abortion rights. That’s a really tough question as a director.”

Ruizpalacios has a point. Starring Rooney Mara and shot in a crisp digital black-and-white, La Cocina is hard to define. Running just short of two-and-a-half hours, the pic is a complex and formally ambitious tale, perhaps best described as a tragicomedy, set in a deathly busy New York City restaurant called The Grill.

The film opens during the lunch rush at The Grill, where, to the fury of the restaurant management, money has gone missing from the till. As a result, all the undocumented cooks are now subject...

Inspired by Arnold Wesker’s 1957 stage play, “The Kitchen,” Alonso Ruizpalacios’ “La Cocina” dives deep into the bowels of the industrial-size kitchen of a restaurant in New York City’s Times Square where food is churned out to serve throngs of diners, mostly tourists.

For Ruizpalacios, whose feature debut, “Güeros,” won the best first feature award at the Berlinale nearly 10 years ago, “La Cocina” (“The Kitchen”) is basically an anti-food-porn movie. “I wanted to show the other side of the food industry where expediency is more important than the quality of the food. It’s a metaphor for corporate capitalism,” he says.

The story takes place at the fictional The Grill in Manhattan, where cash has gone missing from the register. All the undocumented cooks, hailing from a diversity of countries, are placed under scrutiny, particularly Pedro (Raúl Briones), who is already on the line for his troublemaking.

Pedro is...

Exclusive: HanWay Films has closed a Germany & Austria pre-sale on Berlinale competition title La Cocina with SquareOne Entertainment.

From Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios (A Cop Movie), and starring two-time Oscar nominee Rooney Mara (The Girl with Dragon Tattoo) and Mexican star Raúl Briones (A Cop Movie), the love story is set over one day in a Times Square kitchen.

The deal was negotiated by SquareOne Entertainment‘s Head of Acquisitions Thomas Sierk with Vinh-Minh Nguyen and CEO Al Munteanu, and Nicole Mackey, Head of Sales at HanWay Films.

Fifth Season has co-financed the film and is co-representing North America with WME.

The film’s synopsis reads: “It’s the lunch rush at The Grill in Manhattan, and money has gone missing from the till. All the undocumented cooks are being investigated, and Pedro (Briones) is the prime suspect. He’s a dreamer and a troublemaker, and in love with...

Claudia might not have the same person in the role in the second season of Interview with the Vampire, but she's still the same Claudia, Delainey Hayles says.

In the upcoming second season of AMC's Interview with the Vampire series, Delainey Hayles will be playing Claudia, taking over the role from Season 1's Bailey Bass. Per Screen Rant, Hayles was on hand with executive producer Mark Johnson at the Television Critics Association's Winter 2024 press tour when the two addressed Claudia's recasting. Hayles teased how excited she is for people to see her in the role to showcase Claudia's evolution since Season 1. With that said, Hayles also wanted fans to know that this is still very much the same Claudia they'd gotten to know with Bass in the role.

Related How Interview With the Vampire Season 2 Will Deviate From the Books Lestat actor Sam Reid reveals how Season 2 of...

After a brief halt in production, AMC was able to secure “significant agreements” with the SAG-AFTRA actors union that allowed them to continue filming Interview with the Vampire season 2 during the SAG strike last year, keeping the show on track for its 2024 premiere… and now we know exactly when that premiere is going to happen. Entertainment Weekly reports that Interview with the Vampire season 2 is set to begin airing on AMC on Sunday, May 12th.

Anne Rice’s novel Interview with the Vampire centers on the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac as he relates the story of his life to a reporter, in particular how he was turned into a vampire and then mentored by Lestat de Lioncourt. Season 2 of the TV series will pick up in the year 2022, with vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac recounting his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy after the bloody events in...

Interview with the Vampire season 2 will faithfully follow the second half of Anne Rice's original novel, says executive producer Mark Johnson. The upcoming season will explore the romantic relationship between Louis and Armand and delve into their motivations for being interviewed. New characters and plot threads will add complexity to the story, suggesting a more intricate narrative in season 2 compared to season 1.

Interview with the Vampire executive producer Mark Johnson has opened up about how accurate season 2 will be to the original novel. The series is based on a book of the same name by Anne Rice, chronicling vampire Louis de Pointe du Luc's life as told to journalist Daniel Molloy. Season 1 adapted the first half of the novel, setting the stage for Louis' story surrounding how he met another vampire, Armand.

Speaking at the TCA Press Tour, Johnson revealed how Interview with the Vampire season 2 will maintain faithfulness to Rice's original novel.

Interview With the Vampire season 2 premieres on May 12, 2024, on AMC and AMC+, and will consist of 8 episodes. The new season will adapt the second half of Anne Rice's novel, with Louis and Claudia going to Paris. The show introduces a recast for the role of Claudia and will address the story of Armand and his relationship with Louis.

Interview With the Vampire season 2 finally confirms its release date. Based on Anne Rice’s seminal novel of the same name and created for television by Rolin Jones, the AMC supernatural drama follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), and Claudia (Bailey Bass), with journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) attempting to chronicle their story.

During a panel at the Television Critics Association’s Winter 2024 press tour, AMC confirmed that Interview With the Vampire season 2 will debut Sunday, May 12 at 9 Pm Et on AMC and AMC+.

Season 2 consists of eight episodes.

AMC Networks finally announced the release date for the highly-anticipated Interview with the Vampire Season 2, which is part of its expanding Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe.

Posted on X, AMC confirmed that its series adaptation of Interview with the Vampire will officially be returning on May 12, 2024 for its second installment. This comes after over a year since the supernatural drama had made its series debut, which received mostly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, who praised the main cast’s incredible chemistry. In addition, AMC has also revealed that David Costabile (Breaking Bad), Roxan Duran (The White Ribbon) and Bally Gill (Slow Horses) have been enlisted to join the Season 2 cast. They are set to play the respective roles of Leonard, Madeleine and Rashid. Per Deadline, new photos of Season 2 have also been unveiled, including new looks at Louis, Claudia, Armand, Daniel Molloy, and Lestat.

Related Abigail Trailer: Melissa Barrera...

Interview with the Vampire season two premieres on Sunday, May 12; updates to the rest of Anne Rice's Immortal Universe have also been unveiled. Ted Levine of The Silence of the Lambs and Monk fame is joining season two of the Mayfair Witches. AMC is expanding Anne Rice's Immortal Universe with not only a second season of Mayfair Witches, but also a potential third series based on the Talamasca.

“Evil is always possible —and goodness is eternally difficult.” The immortal creation of author Anne Rice, Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), finds himself betrayed and seemingly killed by fellow bloodsuckers Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Bailey Bass) at the conclusion of AMC’s first season of Interview with the Vampire. And during the Television Critics Association (TCA) press tour, the season two release date was revealed (per Deadline). And fans can also check out these first-look images...