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If you loved Brad Pitt in the recently released sports drama film F1, then rejoice as some industry insiders have suggested that Apple TV+ has already declared the film a massive success and is planning a sequel.

Directed by Top Gun: Maverick‘s Joseph Kosinski, the Apple and Warner Bros. movie exceeded expectations just a little in its opening weekend by collecting $57 million in the US and Canada and a whopping $146.3 million worldwide.

F1 follows Sonny Hayes, a former Formula 1 driver whose career came to an end after a massive accident on the track. He is given a second chance decades by his friend, whose F1 team is in trouble, and they need a win.

Alongside Pitt, F1 also stars Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Sarah Niles, Will Merrick, Joseph Balderrama,...

Joseph Kosinski's expensive new blockbuster "F1" centers very attentively on Sonny Hayes, a 60-year-old racecar driver played by Brad Pitt. Sonny appears to be down on his luck, as he lives in a van, and only makes ends meet by winning races here and there. Although he doesn't have a very solid career, Sonny seems content. He ostensibly has a gambling problem, but it never presents any serious obstacles for him. At the start of the film, Sonny's old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem) reappears in his life, saying that his skills are needed. Ruben leads a Formula One racing team that has been repeatedly losing, and Sonny's old-man experience -- not to mention his maverick-like, devil-may-care attitudes -- are required to whip the team into shape.

Sonny takes the job and meets the pit crew. Notably, he becomes the coach of Noah (Damson Idris), a skilled driver, but a cocky hotshot.

Simone Ashley proudly stepped out to celebrate her work in the movie F1, despite her scenes being cut from the finished film.

The 30-year-old actress wore a golden gown to attend the European premiere on Monday (June 23) at Cineworld Leicester Square in London, England.

Simone walked the carpet solo, separately from co-stars Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Shea Whigham, Joseph Balderrama, Sarah Niles, Samson Kayo, Abdul Salis, Callie Cooke, and Will Merrick.

The director of the movie explained Simone‘s absence from the movie last week.

“It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use. There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn’t make into the final cut,” director Joseph Kosinski told People. “But Simone, she’s an incredible talent, incredible actress, incredible singer, and I would love to work with her again.”

Simone Does appear on camera,...

Narratively, F1: The Movie sets us on the well-worn road of so many sports movies. Here, a rookie racer, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), has plenty of raw talent but none of the experience to wield it properly, prompting a has-been, Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), to come out of a decades-long retirement from Formula One racing in order to show the kid the ropes.

Sonny is brought into the fold by old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem), a former driver turned owner whose team’s poor showings in F1 standings has his board threatening to sell his company out from under him. Naturally, the drivers’ flashy egos clash out of the gate, as the brash young racer bristles at being saddled with an old-timer and Sonny condescends to a rookie who doesn’t have the points to back up his big mouth. As the racers’ drama spills out onto the track, Sonny...

Of all the sports, motor racing feels like it would be among the most cinematic, yet there is not a rich history of racing movies. Days of Thunder, Ford v Ferrari, Rush, and Talladega Nights are some of the few highlights in a genre often defined by mediocrity. But leave it to the duo of director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer (the team behind Top Gun: Maverick) to infuse life back into the genre, delivering a fast-paced, action-packed spectacle that stands out as some of the best entertainment the big screen has to offer.

F1 The Movie Review

F1 The Movie follows Sonny Hayes, a retired Formula One driver who is pulled out of racing on off-the-beaten-track circuits to race in the big leagues again, giving him a shot at redemption and the chance to mentor a talented but arrogant younger driver. The screenplay by Ehren Kruger is a well-oiled machine,...

Nearly the full cast of the upcoming movie F1 is at the Times Square premiere!

Brad Pitt and Damson Idris led the red carpet arrivals at the event on Monday night (June 16) in New York City.

Also in attendance were co-stars Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Joseph Balderrama, Sarah Niles, Samson Kayo, Abdul Salis, Callie Cooke, and Will Merrick, as well as director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

Brad and Damson posed alongside real-life race car driver Lewis Hamilton, who also produced the movie and appears as himself in the film. After the red carpet event in Times Square, the stars went to Radio City Music Hall to watch the movie.

Brad had a very special date on the red carpet!

F1 hits theaters on June 27. Watch the trailer now!

Browse through the gallery for 60+ photos from the F1 movie premiere…...

The latest season of Beyond Paradise has featured an unexpected but heartwarming reunion between Kris Marshalland his former Love Actually co-star Abdul Salis (The Wheel of Time). The duo portrayed best friends Colin and Tony, respectively, in the 2003 rom-com, which was a box office success. Now, over two decades later, Salis joins Marshall (Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman) in the British detective show as a therapist who falls ill after consuming poison.

Speaking on Sunday's episode of The Project, Marshall opened up about Salis’ Beyond Paradise Season 3 guest appearance. He revealed that they had only seen each other once in the twenty-two years since Love Actually, but things weren’t awkward as he said:

"It's a beautiful thing about being an actor. You just pick up where you left off. It's, kind of, a really symbiotic thing and I love it."

Salis debuted in Beyond Paradise Season 3, Episode 3, as Dr Lionel Jennings,...

Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series has been successfully translated into a vastly entertaining television series on Prime Video, one that just got cancelled. The first four books from this 14-book series have been crammed into three seasons and just 24 episodes, and many changes have been made to the source material.

It was inevitable that changes would be made when adapting this enormous story to a new medium. Some of the changes have made sense and some have not. One of the biggest changes are the character deaths. There have been several surprising deaths that do not follow the timeline set forth in the books. Some of these wouldn't have impacted the overall story much, but others are drastic changes that prevent the story from progressing along the same path.

For instance, take the case of Uno Nomesta, a Shienaran soldier sent out with Rand, Matt, and...

Exclusive: Talisa Garcia, Karan Gill, Elizabeth Berrington and Christian Cooke have joined the cast of the Suranne Jones- and Jodie Whittaker-starring ITV drama series Frauds.

As we revealed in January, the buzzy six-part drama from Ghosts producer Monumental Television stars Jones and Whittaker as a pair of confidence tricksters in southern Spain separated by a 10-year jail spell. Jones’ Bert attempts to lure Whittaker’s Sam out of retirement for one final multi-million pound art heist, but their toxic friendship could ruin them both before they pull off the job.

García joins the cast as Miss Take, a smart, funny, and acerbic Spanish trans woman in her fifties who hosts drag bingo at the club on the Costa del Sol. However, she feels drag is now holding her back and and Bert and Sam, despite their thorny history, might just be able to offer her salvation.

Brad Pitt will pull out all the stops in the upcoming Apple Original Film F1. The project will star the actor as a retired Formula One racer.

Warner Bros. and Apple TV joined forces to release the official trailer for the upcoming sports drama in a livestreaming session on YouTube. The official trailer, which clocks in at 2:30 minutes, follows Pitt's Sonny Hayes as he attempts to return to the intense and competitive world of Formula 1. Not as a driver, but as a mentor and consultant to a struggling Formula 1 team.

The release of the trailer on Mar. 13 is not coincidental, considering that the real Formula 1 is set to kick off the new season on Sunday, Mar. 16, with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, Australia.

The upcoming film had previously released a teaser trailer last month, which gave a first look at Pitt's character,...

Mufasa: The Lion King is continuing to roar its way to success. The latest Lion King movie has thrived in a slow January, competing against a small field consisting of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Nosferatu, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, and several other new releases. Wolf Man and One of Them Days were poised to top the box office over the holiday weekend. Even with Martin Luther King Day offering a chance for a booming box office, it has been a slow week. Still, despite only a trickle at the box office, Disney's lions are thriving.

According to a report by Variety, the Lion King prequel is expected to end the weekend with $209.8 million domestically and $588.4 million worldwide. With that total, it has officially become the 10th 2024 movie to reach the $200 million milestone domestically. It sits ahead of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which earned $196 million, and just behind Sonic 3's $218 million total.

Mufasa: The Lion King has just crossed a new box office milestone, beating Emma Stone's Oscar-winning film to enter a prestigious top-10 list. Directed by Barry Jenkins, the Lion King prequel movie chronicles Mufasa's origin as he embarks on an epic journey with fellow lion Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. Mufasa reviews have been generally mixed from critics, but the film has fared generally well with audiences, becoming a box office success.

New data from The Numbers now reveals that Mufasa has grossed $542 million worldwide, surpassing La La Land ($506M) to become the tenth highest-grossing movie musical of all time. This worldwide total comprises $189 million domestic and $352 million from overseas territories. The Lion King prequel currently falls short of titles like The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia!, and Wonka. Check out the full top 10 list and their worldwide totals below:

Top 10 Highest-Highest Grossing Musical Movies

Rank

Title...

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.

The film features an all-star roster of talent, including Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Braelyn Rankins, Theo Somolu,...

With the film opening in theaters on December 20, The Walt Disney Studios has revealed new Mufasa: The Lion King posters and a “Music of Mufasa” featurette.

Walt Disney Records will release the songs only and deluxe versions of Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King original motion picture soundtrack. The soundtrack is available to pre-add and pre-order now.

The original songs were written by Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award winner and Kennedy Center Honor recipient Lin-Manuel Miranda, and produced by Grammy Award winner Mark Mancina and Lin-Manuel Miranda, with additional music and performances by Lebo M.

Said Miranda, “‘The Lion King’ has an incredible musical legacy with music from some the greatest songwriters around, and I’m humbled and proud to be a part of it. It’s been a joy working alongside Barry Jenkins to bring Mufasa’s story to life, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience this film in theaters.

El elenco de voces incluye a Beyoncé y a su hija. © Disney

Ya está aquí el nuevo tráiler de Mufasa: El rey león, la nueva película, precuela de animación fotorrealista del remake de la de 1994 El rey león, que se estrenó en 2019.

Mufasa: El rey león, se centra en los primeros años del que acabaría siendo el soberano de la Roca de la Manada, así como en su amenazador hermano pequeño Scar. La historia se cuenta en flashbacks y presenta a Mufasa como un cachorro huérfano, perdido y solo hasta que conoce a un simpático león llamado Taka, heredero de un linaje real. Este encuentro fortuito pone en marcha el viaje de un extraordinario grupo de inadaptados que buscan su destino y sus lazos se pondrán a prueba mientras trabajan juntos para escapar de un enemigo amenazador y letal.

Las voces que dan vida a los personajes en su versión...

The Walt Disney Studios has announced that Mufasa: The Lion King tickets are now on sale. Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, the anticipated film opens in theaters on December 20, 2024.

In a new featurette, director Barry Jenkins, songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, and members of the ensemble cast take viewers behind the scenes of the film with some insight and personal inspiration. The studio has also released a TV spot and character banners for the film.

The big-screen adventure enlists Rafiki to relay the story of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone, until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline.

The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group...

Eight new character posters for Mufasa: The Lion King have found their way online this morning (via Toonado.com) along with a new featurette to celebrate tickets for the live-action prequel going on sale. 

"Taka" will, of course, eventually be known as the villainous Scar, but it's Kiros who we expected to be this movie's big bad. We also see fan-favourites like Timon and Pumba, Rafiki, and Zazu. 

The final trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King was released at D23 Brazil (you can watch it here if you missed it) but we'd imagine Disney plans to pull out all the stops in the coming weeks.

Fans expected Jon Favreau's The Lion King to receive a follow-up of some sort, and this original story taking place long before we met Simba undeniably intriguing, especially with filmmaker Barry Jenkins at the helm.

The Lion King made over $1.6 billion in 2019 so we'd...

Disney has just dropped the final trailer for Barry Jenkins' Mufasa: The Lion King (via Toonado.com) featuring younger versions of characters like Mufasa, Scar, Sarabi, Rafiki and Zazu before they called Pride Rock home.

Just like 2019's The Lion King, this movie looks visually stunning; the main difference here is that we're getting an original story rather than what many felt was little more than a shot-for-shot remake of the 1994 cartoon from filmmaker Jon Favreau.

Similar to this summer's awesome Transformers One, it looks like we'll meet many familiar characters in their early years and watch as the friendship between Mufasa and Taka (a.k.a. Scar) crumbles and ends with them becoming bitter enemies.

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala,...

Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” director Barry Jenkins shared an exciting new trailer with fans attending the studio showcase tonight at D23 Brazil—a Disney Experience. The trailer takes viewers back in time with a host of fan-favorite characters like Mufasa, Scar, Sarabi, Rafiki and Zazu before they called Pride Rock home. “Mufasa: The Lion King” releases only in theaters Dec. 20, 2024. Watch the new trailer below.

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group...

Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King director Barry Jenkins shared a new trailer with fans attending the studio showcase tonight at D23 Brazil—a Disney Experience. The trailer takes viewers back in time with a host of fan-favorite characters like Mufasa, Scar, Sarabi, Rafiki and Zazu before they called Pride Rock home.

Mufasa: The Lion King will release in theaters on Dececember 20, 2024. The film has been rated PG for action/violence, peril, and some thematic elements.

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick.

Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline.

The chance meeting sets...

El elenco de voces incluye a Beyoncé y a su hija. © Disney

Con motivo de la D23 Expo de Disney, se ha publicado un nuevo tráiler de Mufasa: El rey león, la nueva película, la precuela de animación fotorrealista del remake de la película de 1994 El rey león, que se estrenó en 2019.

Mufasa: El rey león, se centra en los primeros años del que acabaría siendo el soberano de la Roca de la Manada, así como en su amenazador hermano pequeño Scar. La historia se cuenta en flashbacks y presenta a Mufasa como un cachorro huérfano, perdido y solo hasta que conoce a un simpático león llamado Taka, heredero de un linaje real. Este encuentro fortuito pone en marcha el viaje de un extraordinario grupo de inadaptados que buscan su destino y sus lazos se pondrán a prueba mientras trabajan juntos para escapar de un enemigo amenazador y letal.

Las...

Last night, Disney's show-stopping "Entertainment Showcase" panel concluded with Mufasa: The Lion King director Barry Jenkins, songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, and cast members Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Theo Somolu, Braelyn Rankins, and Anika Noni Rose hitting the stage.

They debuted an exciting new trailer and poster for the movie which you can now view below (via Toonado.com).

The highly anticipated prequel capped the studio's presentation with a show-stopping performance of the classic "Nants' Ingonyama" and the new song "Ngomso" by Lebo M., who contributes to the film’s music, alongside a full choir.

Visually, this sneak peek is nothing short of breathtaking. 2019's The Lion King looked incredible, but the past 5 years have seen technology advance even further and the result is a truly photorealistic landscape and ultra-realistic (talking) animals.

As for what's revealed in this latest sneak peek, we learn more about the brotherhood...

Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King director Barry Jenkins and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with cast members Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Theo Somolu, Braelyn Rankins, and Anika Noni Rose, shared the new trailer and poster with fans attending the studio showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

The film capped the studio’s presentation tonight with a show-stopping performance of the classic “Nants’ Ingonyama” and the new song “Ngomso” by Lebo M., who contributes to the film’s music, alongside a full choir. Mufasa: The Lion King releases only in theaters on December 20, 2024.

Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick.

Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub,...

A new minute-long TV spot for Mufasa: The Lion King has aired which confirms a new trailer is coming "tomorrow".

As with 2019's The Lion King, the visuals are nothing short of extraordinary. The difference this time, of course, is that we're getting a new story and not a shot-for-shot remake of the original animated movie. That was a real sticking point for some five years ago.

We also see a few familiar characters scattered through the teaser, including Zazu! Check out the teaser below (via Toonado.com).

Seems a spot aired for Mufasa: The Lion King. New Trailer Tomorrow. https://t.co/wZqC0riB4i pic.twitter.com/oRxR5asEiv

— Cryptic HD Quality (@Cryptic4KQual) August 9, 2024

Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks,...

The Lion King is, as everyone knows, one of the most beloved Disney animated features. A true classic, the movie is considered to be one of Disney’s best animated movies. Back in 2019, Disney produced a live-action CGI remake of The Lion King, which turned out to be a solid success for the House of the Mouse, and we know a prequel, titled Mufasa: The Lion King, will premiere later this year. This is a highly anticipated project, which is why we have decided to provide you with a report on the upcoming movie.

In this report, as you might have guessed, we are going to bring you all that we know about the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King movie in one place. You are going to find out all that we know about the movie’s release date, runtime, plot, trailer, and cast ahead of the upcoming premiere. This...

El elenco de voces incluye a Beyoncé y a su hija. © Disney

Ya se ha publicado el primer tráiler y póster de “Mufasa: El Rey León”, la nueva película, la precuela de animación fotorrealista del remake de la película de 1994 “El Rey León”, que se estrenó en 2019.

En “Mufasa: El Rey León”, Rafiki debe transmitir la leyenda de Mufasa a la joven cachorro de león Kiara, hija de Simba y Nala, con Timón y Pumba aportando su estilo característico. La historia se cuenta en flashbacks y presenta a Mufasa como un cachorro huérfano, perdido y solo hasta que conoce a un simpático león llamado Taka, heredero de un linaje real. Este encuentro fortuito pone en marcha el viaje de un extraordinario grupo de inadaptados que buscan su destino y sus lazos se pondrán a prueba mientras trabajan juntos para escapar de un enemigo amenazador y letal.

Las voces que dan...

The Lion King is, as everyone knows, one of the most beloved Disney animated features. A true classic, the movie is considered to be one of Disney’s best animated movies. Back in 2019, Disney produced a live-action CGI remake of The Lion King, which turned out to be a solid success for the House of the Mouse, and we know a prequel, titled Mufasa: The Lion King, will premiere in cinemas on December 20, 2024, as an early Christmas gift for all fans. We have recently reported that the first teaser trailer for the movie was shown at this year’s CinemaCon, and we are happy to report that the trailer is finally out and that we will bring it to you here.

We know that the upcoming movie is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, but details have been scarce until today, when the trailer was finally released and we can...

The first teaser trailer for Disney’s “The Lion King” prequel, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” ended with a surprise reveal. The upcoming photo-real live-action animated feature, directed by “Moonlight” Oscar winner Barry Jenkins, will feature new music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Emmy Award-, Grammy Award-, and Tony Award-winning artist who is one Oscar away from becoming a member of the Egot club.

“Elton John. Tim Rice. Hans Zimmer. Lebo M. Mark Mancina. Beyoncé, Labrinth, Ilya Salmanzadeh. Beau Black, Ford Riley, the incredible music team on ‘The Lion Guard,’ and so many musical contributors over the years. ‘The Lion King’ has an incredible musical legacy with music from some of the greatest songwriters around, and I’m humbled and proud to be a part of it,” Miranda said in a statement. “It’s been a joy working alongside Barry Jenkins to bring Mufasa’s story to life, and we can’t...

Barry Jenkins’ “The Lion King” prequel has unveiled its first footage.

Following Jenkins’ appearance at the Disney panel at CinemaCon, the story of the unlikely rise of the titular king of the Pride Lands comes to life. “Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki (John Kani) to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara (Blue Ivy Carter), daughter of Simba (Donald Glover) and Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter), with Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen) lending their signature schtick.

Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny.

The cast also includes Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Kagiso Lediga, Tiffany Boone, Lennie James,...

Mufasa: The Lion King – © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Disney unveiled a first look at “Mufasa: The Lion King,” the new film coming to theaters Dec. 20 that explores the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands.

“Mufasa: The Lion King” enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.

Announced this morning is an all-star roster of talent bringing new and fan-favorite characters to life—plus,...

The Circle of Life begins for Mufasa, the famous King of Pride Rock. Here, we are introduced to him as a lion cub. The official synopsis from Disney reads, “Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.”

New and returning cast members were called on to lend their voices to the film:

Aaron Pierre as Mufasa Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Taka, a lion prince with...

Disney on Monday released the first trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King.

Directed by Barry Jenkins, the music-filled film serves as both an origin story and follow-up to Jon Favreau’s 2019 photorealistic movie The Lion King. That film was based on the 1994 Disney animated classic of the same name.

Along with the trailer release, it was revealed that Blue Ivy Carter will make her film debut voicing Kiara, daughter of King Simba and Queen Nala, while her mother, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, will reprise her role as Nala from the 2019 film.

The new film, which hits theaters Dec. 20, will tell the backstory of Simba’s father, Mufasa, an orphan who grew up to be a wise, powerful and compassionate ruler.

The official logline is as follows: “Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick.

Disney unveiled a first look at Mufasa: The Lion King, the new film coming to theaters on December 20 that explores the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands.

Announced this morning is an all-star roster of talent bringing new and fan-favorite characters to life—plus, celebrated award-winning songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda is writing the film’s songs produced by Mark Mancina and Miranda, with additional music and performances by Lebo M.

Said Miranda, “Elton John. Tim Rice. Hans Zimmer. Lebo M. Mark Mancina. Beyoncé, Labrinth, Ilya Salmanzadeh. Beau Black, Ford Riley, the incredible music team on ‘The Lion Guard,’ and so many musical contributors over the years.

“‘The Lion King’ has an incredible musical legacy with music from some of the greatest songwriters around, and I’m humbled and proud to be a part of it. It’s been a joy working alongside Barry Jenkins to bring Mufasa’s story to life,...

Love Actually is a beloved romantic classic with remarkable kissing scenes that celebrates love, friendship, careers, and missed opportunities. Some storylines are more believable than others, but all of them have a touch of magic that makes the movie memorable. The film features likable main and side characters, iconic quotes, and iconic kisses, making it one of the best Christmas films despite some aspects that may not have aged well.

Love Actually is a romantic classic that follows ten separate stories of an ensemble cast, and it has a lot of remarkable kissing scenes. Released in 2003 with Richard Curtis at the helm and an ensemble of talented actors made up of mostly British stars, it's quite common for people to rewatch Love Actually multiple times, especially at Christmastime given its festive setting. Love Actually's stories were about romantic love, but they also celebrated friendship, careers, and missed opportunities.

Some...

Ah, Love Actually. It’s the convoluted Christmas movie of choice for many of us year after year, and we love it despite its many flaws, which have only grown in number as we’ve become more aware of things like the Bechdel test, how unfunny fat jokes are and that not all relationships are between heterosexual white people.

As romcoms go, Love Actually is certainly ambitious, telling nine different stories over the course of two hours, which makes it even more unbelievable that Richard Curtis originally wanted there to be a whopping fourteen storylines.

The ones that made the cut range from the slightly icky to full-blown swoon fests, so let’s rank them to find out which is the most romantic Love Actually storyline:

9. Harry, Karen and Mia

There is no romance here at all. Not in the way Harry (Alan Rickman) takes his brilliant wife Karen (Emma Thompson...

Love may actually be all around, but it was mostly a white Christmas when it came to 2003 rom-com “Love Actually.”

Writer-director Richard Curtis reflected on the beloved classic film, saying the lack of diversity makes him “feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid” two decades later.

“There are things you’d change but, thank God, society is changing, so my film is bound, in some moments, to feel out of date,” Curtis said in a interview with Diane Sawyer for ABC’s 20th-anniversary special “The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later” (via Entertainment Weekly).

Curtis continued, “The lack of diversity makes me feel uncomfortable and a bit stupid. You know, I think there are sort of three plots that have sort of bosses and people who work for them.”

The film focused on 10 separate love stories, with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Alan Rickman,...

“Love Actually” persists.

A number of cast members from the beloved holiday classic are reuniting nearly two decades later. “Love Actually” premiered in Nov. 2003 but started its creative process the year prior. A one-hour reunion special titled “The Laughter & Secrets of Love Actually: 20 Years Later” is set for late November courtesy of ABC News.

Read More: Keira Knightley Has Never Rewatched ‘Love Actually’: ‘It’s Just Very Odd Watching Films That You’re In’

Stars Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Olivia Olson, plus director Richard Curtis will appear for the reunion. More stars are being teased, including a message from Martin McCutcheon, who portrayed Natalie.

“The special will also examine how the Covid-19 pandemic refocused the ways we love and connect and the omnipresent acts of kindness inside our families and communities,” a press release explains.

Read More: ‘Love Actually’ Actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster ‘Hated,...

Amazon is doubling down on The Wheel of Time.

The streamer has renewed the fantasy series for a second season ahead of the launch of the show. It comes as production has wrapped on season one in the Czech Republic.

It is the latest market in a long road for the adaptation of Robert Jordan’s books, which has been in development in one form or another for 20 years and that Amazon ordered to series in October 2018. Like many series, production of the drama was also hit by the pandemic.

The Wheel of Time, set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists, but only women can use it, is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television and comes from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Chuck writer Rafe Judkins, who is showrunner and exec producer.

It stars Rosamund Pike as Moiraine, a member of the shadowy and influential all-female organization...

Sophie Okonedo and David Harewood's will likely be the more recognizable names of the announced cast for the upcoming BBC Radio 4/Radio 4 Extra adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry's popular BBC sci-fi mini-series Neverwhere. In addition to lead actor James McAvoy, Okonedo and Harewood will be joined by fellow heavy-hitters Benedict Cumberbatch, George Harris, Don Gilet, and Abdul Salis. Neverwhere's story revolves around Londoner Richard Mayhew, whose life as he knows it ends swiftly -- and somewhat unexpectedly -- when he tries to help a hapless stranger and immediately ceases to exist in the mortal world, joining the citizens of London Below. Co-creator...

"Flyboys" is a decidedly old-fashioned war film that reaches for epic sweep but is often bogged down in cliched drama and two-dimensional characters. The "new kind of heroes" at the center of this World War I saga are the daring American volunteers who fought for France in fragile biplanes a mere decade after the birth of powered flight. Director Tony Bill and his colleagues bring a meticulous attention to detail to a heartfelt tribute that stubbornly fails to find an emotional pulse. Older audiences and history buffs will spark to the film, and its impressive dogfight scenes might be worth the price of admission for some, but an extended boxoffice flight seems less certain.

Romantic derring-do is the essence of the story of the Lafayette Escadrille, the France-based squadron of American pilots who, for various reasons, put their lives on the line to fight the Germans before the U.S. entered World War I. "Flyboys" opens in 1916 as a new group of young volunteers reports to Capt. Thenault (Jean Reno, whose understated performance provides the most moving moments) for two months of training at a chateau in the French countryside.

James Franco stars as Blaine Rawlings, an orphaned Texas boy whose family ranch has been foreclosed and who is inspired by newsreels to volunteer in the European war. He joins an assortment of types, all based on real individuals but never quite springing to full-blooded life. There's the poor rich boy trying to prove himself to his cold father (Tyler Labine), the conflicted scion of a Nebraska military family (Philip Winchester), the son of a former slave who is making a name for himself as a boxer in France's more racially tolerant society (Abdul Salis) and a wiseguy who has trouble hitting targets and arouses suspicions (David Ellison, a leading aerobatic pilot).

Their squadron leader is the slighter older -- though not yet 30 -- Cassidy (Martin Henderson), an American ace who has a pet lion and 20 kills to his name. A loner who wears his experience like a shell, he offers the film's most direct commentary on the futility of war. It's personal with him, the goal being to avenge his friends' deaths by picking off German aces. Before putting them through their paces in the Nieuport 17, France's newest fighter biplane, he tells the fresh-faced boys that their life expectancy is six weeks.

Using actual WWI planes, re-creations, models and CGI effects, director Bill -- himself a pilot -- and cinematographer Henry Braham create a handful of well-executed aerial battles against the superior German triplanes and, in one instance, a zeppelin. "Flyboys" makes vividly clear how exhilarating this world above the brutal trenches was, and how dangerous. To modern eyes, the most innovative technology of the time looks shockingly primitive. The men who used it were all but unprotected and flew without parachutes; their contingency plan in case of an impending crash consisted of a self-inflicted pistol shot.

Franco ("Spider-Man", "James Dean") is a charismatic anchor for the story, and his language-barrier scenes with French newcomer Jennifer Decker, as local girl Lucienne, have a charm and energy that are otherwise lacking in the film's nonbattle sequences. Lucienne is raising her brother's children, their parents killed by strafing. The poignancy of her romance with Rawlings is underscored in the film's epilogue, which has more emotional impact than much of what precedes it.

To its credit, the script by Phil Sears, Blake Evans and David Ward avoids anachronisms and is faithful to a bygone sensibility. But too often it makes characters state their feelings in on-the-nose dialogue, much as Trevor Rabin's insistent score goes for the obvious musical statement. Shot in England, the good-looking film boasts convincing, unfussy production and costume design.

Flyboys is a decidedly old-fashioned war film that reaches for epic sweep but is often bogged down in cliched drama and two-dimensional characters. The "new kind of heroes" at the center of this World War I saga are the daring American volunteers who fought for France in fragile biplanes a mere decade after the birth of powered flight. Director Tony Bill and his colleagues bring a meticulous attention to detail to a heartfelt tribute that stubbornly fails to find an emotional pulse. Older audiences and history buffs will spark to the film, and its impressive dogfight scenes might be worth the price of admission for some, but an extended boxoffice flight seems less certain.

Romantic derring-do is the essence of the story of the Lafayette Escadrille, the France-based squadron of American pilots who, for various reasons, put their lives on the line to fight the Germans before the U.S. entered World War I. Flyboys opens in 1916 as a new group of young volunteers reports to Capt. Thenault (Jean Reno, whose understated performance provides the most moving moments) for two months of training at a chateau in the French countryside.

James Franco stars as Blaine Rawlings, an orphaned Texas boy whose family ranch has been foreclosed and who is inspired by newsreels to volunteer in the European war. He joins an assortment of types, all based on real individuals but never quite springing to full-blooded life. There's the poor rich boy trying to prove himself to his cold father (Tyler Labine), the conflicted scion of a Nebraska military family (Philip Winchester), the son of a former slave who is making a name for himself as a boxer in France's more racially tolerant society (Abdul Salis) and a wiseguy who has trouble hitting targets and arouses suspicions (David Ellison, a leading aerobatic pilot).

Their squadron leader is the slighter older -- though not yet 30 -- Cassidy (Martin Henderson), an American ace who has a pet lion and 20 kills to his name. A loner who wears his experience like a shell, he offers the film's most direct commentary on the futility of war. It's personal with him, the goal being to avenge his friends' deaths by picking off German aces. Before putting them through their paces in the Nieuport 17, France's newest fighter biplane, he tells the fresh-faced boys that their life expectancy is six weeks.

Using actual WWI planes, re-creations, models and CGI effects, director Bill -- himself a pilot -- and cinematographer Henry Braham create a handful of well-executed aerial battles against the superior German triplanes and, in one instance, a zeppelin. Flyboys makes vividly clear how exhilarating this world above the brutal trenches was, and how dangerous. To modern eyes, the most innovative technology of the time looks shockingly primitive. The men who used it were all but unprotected and flew without parachutes; their contingency plan in case of an impending crash consisted of a self-inflicted pistol shot.

Franco (Spider-Man, James Dean) is a charismatic anchor for the story, and his language-barrier scenes with French newcomer Jennifer Decker, as local girl Lucienne, have a charm and energy that are otherwise lacking in the film's nonbattle sequences. Lucienne is raising her brother's children, their parents killed by strafing. The poignancy of her romance with Rawlings is underscored in the film's epilogue, which has more emotional impact than much of what precedes it.

To its credit, the script by Phil Sears, Blake Evans and David Ward avoids anachronisms and is faithful to a bygone sensibility. But too often it makes characters state their feelings in on-the-nose dialogue, much as Trevor Rabin's insistent score goes for the obvious musical statement. Shot in England, the good-looking film boasts convincing, unfussy production and costume design.

FLYBOYS

MGM

Electric Entertainment in association with Skydance Prods. and Ingenious Film Partners

Credits:

Director: Tony Bill

Screenwriters: Phil Sears, Blake Evans, David Ward

Producers: Dean Devlin, Marc Frydman

Executive producer: Phillip Goldfarb

Director of photography: Henry Braham

Production designer: Charles Wood

Music: Trevor Rabin

Co-producers: Marc Roskin, Kearie Peak

Costume designer: Nic Ede

Editors: Chris Blunden, Ron Rosen

Aerial unit coordinator: Ray Hanna

Visual effects supervisor: Mark Franco

Cast:

Blaine Rawlings: James Franco

Reed Cassidy: Martin Henderson

Eddie Beagle: David Ellison

Lucienne: Jennifer Decker

Capt. Thenault: Jean Reno

William Jensen: Philip Winchester

Briggs Lowry: Tyler Labine

Eugene Skinner: Abdul Salis

Lt. Giroux: Augustin Legrand

Running time -- 139 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...