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Exclusive: After launching his Buddy Games franchise, Josh Duhamel has found his next project as he is set to direct and star in the comedy Preschool. The cast features also Michael Socha, Antonia Thomas, Charity Wakefield, Fenella Woolgar and James Cosmo. The script was written by Richard D’ovidio and is based on a story by Richard and Nicole D’ovidio.

The film follows two determined fathers who engage in a comical battle to enroll their kids in an elite preschool, escalating into an absurd competition with unexpected results. Production is under way in London.

“As a father of two boys, I immediately connected to this story for both its hard-hitting comedy and its relatability,” Duhamel said in a statement. “Anyone with kids will relate to the lengths a parent will go for their children, and in this case these two dads take it to the extreme. There’s nothing more fun than directing a comedy,...

When the US version of The Office was first announced, the reception to it wasn’t initially great, as fans of the Ricky Gervais show weren’t convinced if the Steve Carell-led version could live up to the original. Two decades later, Aussie star Felicity Ward has found herself in a similar position, as fans of the US version, especially that of Michael Scott, aren’t too thrilled about the new reimagining with a female boss at the center.

Felicity Ward in The Office remake | Credit: Prime Video

However, the Wakefield star has remained unscathed by the whole internet backlash, and she didn’t back down from addressing the controversy.

Felicity Ward Wasn’t Surprised by The Office Backlash The Office remake | Credit: Amazon Prime Video

To some extent, Felicity Ward can understand the anger among fans, as the actress expressed she was once angry because of the Point Break remake,...

Jennifer Garner found worldwide fame and critical acclaim when she portrayed the character of Sydney Bristow in the 2001 series Alias and has never looked back since.

Jennifer Garner and Bryan Cranston in Wakefield | Credits: Mockingbird Pictures

Continuing to star in iconic movies and series, Jennifer Garner became quite a popular actress in Hollywood in the early 2000s and the 2010s. However, with great fame came a great number of paparazzi that just wouldn’t leave her alone.

Jennifer Garner Had Difficulties Seeking Medical Aid For Her Child!

When fame found her way to Jennifer Garner, the actress wasn’t prepared for the consequences of being famous. It wasn’t an easy task navigating through 20 paparazzi in a car and Garner was going to find out the hard way.

Jennifer Garner as Elektra in Daredevil | Credits: Marvel Enterprises

Starring alongside Ben Affleck in the 2003 film Daredevil, Garner portrayed the brilliant role of Elektra.

The Office was originally created as a UK show but the U.S. remake became even more popular. Now Australia has a new The Office spinoff and it will feature the first-ever female boss.

The Office Australia will premiere on Prime Video, and the streaming service has just debuted the first look at the upcoming spinoff, Deadline confirms. The series will have Felicity Ward as Hannah Howard, the new boss. Ward starred in The Inbetweeners 2, the miniseries Wakefield, and appeared in several episodes of the Apple TV+ series Time Bandits. The streaming platform has also unveiled the release date, scheduled to hit Prime Video on Oct. 18.

Related Bob Odenkirk Reflects on Losing The Office Role to Steve Carell

Bob Odenkirk explains why he believes Steve Carell landed the part of Michael Scott over him on The Office.

The first look at the upcoming female boss shows Hannah Howard smiling at her desk,...

The Australian edition of “The Office” — the 13th global incarnation of the iconic comedy series — is taking shape, with Prime Video setting a release date and releasing a first-look at its lead, Felicity Ward.

The “Time Bandits” and “Wakefield” star will play Hannah Howard, managing director of packaging company Flinley Craddick and the first female lead of “The Office” franchise. All eight episodes will become available globally on Oct. 18 via Prime Video (excluding the U.S.).

Starring alongside Ward is an ensemble of Australian and New Zealand comedy talent. The cast includes Edith Poor (“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”), Steen Raskopoulos (“The Duchess”), Shari Sebbens (“The Sapphires”), Josh Thomson (“How to Please a Woman”), Jonny Brugh (“Thor: Love and Thunder”), Susan Ling Young (“Reckoning”, “Hungry Ghosts”), Raj Labade (“Appetite”), Lucy Schmidt (“The Pledge”), Zoe Terakes (“Talk to Me”), Pallavi Sharda (“The Twelve”) and Claude Jabbour (“Last King of the Cross”). Meanwhile,...

While Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have moved on since their divorce after a decade long marriage, the two celebrities have always continued to maintain a friendly relationship with each other while co-parenting their kids. While they were still a couple. the stars have shared a mutual respect which has seen them having many honest discussions about their career as well.

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck in Daredevil (image credit: Marvel)

In 2014, when they were still together, Affleck starred in Gone Girl that happened to have a few intimate scenes including a full frontal n*de scene that had previously never been attempted by the actor before. Garner hilariously revealed how the Argo star, in his typical deadpan manner, explained how this sequence happened, and her epic reply to it.

Jennifer Garner Recalled Ben Affleck’s Bold N*de Scene In Gone Girl

It is only natural that actors, who are also real-life couples,...

My At Meihodo

Michelle Yeoh, star of the globally acclaimed Oscar-winning film “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” will serve as guest of honor and advisor at the fifth Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival, a platform for young visual artists and one of the largest short film festivals in the world. The festival takes place in Fukuoka, Japan.

Other new guests include Maggie Q, film editor Gabriella Cristiani and Stephen Castor (“Spider-Man”), co-ceo of It’s Just Us Productions, Rocket Science 3D and Rocket Science Motion Capture Studios, franchise.

Returning guests include special advisor and composer Tan Dun and honorary chairwoman Yue-Sai Kan, an Emmy-winning television producer.

Since launching in 2018, Meihodo has become one of the largest and most popular short film festivals in the world. This year, the festival received a record 3,533 submissions from 122 countries and regions around the world.

“We’re so excited to welcome the incredible Michelle Yeoh,...

We learned last night that Showtime has decided not to order a second season of the “Let the Right One In” series that debuted last year, this news coming along with the reveal that Showtime will be folded into the Paramount+ streaming service beginning later this year. On top of that, we’ve now learned that the series has been removed from Showtime entirely.

THR reports today that “Let the Right One In” is one of several shows that have been removed from the Showtime streaming service ahead of the upcoming fusion with Paramount+.

THR details, “The list includes American Gigolo and Let the Right One In — both of which were canceled earlier Monday — as well as Jim Carrey vehicle Kidding, the first season of anthology Super Pumped, On Becoming a God in Central Florida and American Rust. Also vanishing from the Showtime streaming platform are seasons of acquired content including The End and Wakefield.

The purge of some of Showtime’s less popular series from the network’s streaming service has gotten underway. According to sources, the majority of the shows impacted lasted one season. As Deadline revealed exclusively earlier today, that includes Let The Right One In and American Gigolo, which have been canceled. Additionally, in the process of being taken off are American Rust, Wakefield, and On Becoming a God In Central Florida, which also ran for one season each, as well as the Jim Carrey starrer Kidding, which produced two seasons, sources said.

The removals are part of Showtime’s integration into Paramount+, announced earlier today, which includes the linear network being renamed Paramount+ with Showtime later this year. As part of the changes, the company will “divert investment away from areas that are underperforming” and that accounts for “less than 10 of our views,” Chris McCarthy, who oversees Showtime, said in his memo.

Showtime has pulled several series from its streaming platform, becoming the latest banner to parse down its digital library in the past year. Sources close to the situation share that most removed titles will have the opportunity to sell to third-parties.

Among the removals are “American Gigolo” and “Let the Right One In,” both of which were not renewed for a second season, as announced by Showtime just earlier Monday afternoon. Both seasons of the Jim Carrey-starring “Kidding” are also no longer available to watch on the platform, as well as the single-season series “American Rust” and “On Becoming a God in Central Florida.”

The first season of “Super Pumped” has also been removed. The business anthology series had been renewed in Feb. 2022, with plans for a second season to focus on the history of Facebook. However, few updates have emerged on the project in the months since.

Other...

Add Showtime to the list of outlets who are pulling content from their streaming platforms.

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the Paramount Global-backed cabler has pulled a number of short-lived, under-performing shows from its streaming platform. The list includes American Gigolo and Let the Right One In — both of which were canceled earlier Monday — as well as Jim Carrey vehicle Kidding, the first season of anthology Super Pumped, On Becoming a God in Central Florida and American Rust. Also vanishing from the Showtime streaming platform are seasons of acquired content including The End and Wakefield. Additional shows are likely included in the mass removal.

Reps for Showtime did not immediately respond to THR’s request for comment.

The news comes hours after Showtime parent Paramount Global announced that the linear premium cable network and the premium version of Paramount+ would both be rebranded later this year as Paramount+ on Showtime.

Chicago – The binge world is abuzz with the anticipation of what actor Bryan Cranston will bring in reprising his Walter White character (‘Breaking Bad), in the prequel/sequel series ‘Better Call Saul.’ In the meantime, he has a branded tequila to promote, and photographer Joe Arce got the Exclusive Portrait.

As Joe Arce wrote, “They started lining up at midnight, some even coming from neighboring states” at Sal’s Beverage World in Villa Park, Illinois, welcoming the ‘Bad’-ass star Cranston, as he appeared on behalf of his brand liquor partnership with fellow Bb cohort Aaron Paul, “Dos Hombres” Mezcal Artesian Tequila. As Joe observed, “I spied both ‘Heisenberg’ hats and tats, and while I’m not saying there was a lot of pre-bottle-signing libation at 9:45am on a Sunday morning, there was definitely a celebratory atmosphere like welcoming a favorite Rock Star to town.”

Bryan Cranston at Sal...

Competition

Universal Pictures‘ “Jurassic World Dominion” stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard have launched a competition for young U.K. fans of the dino franchise to design a British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) black card. The black card is the card that has the film’s rating and BBFC approval for cinematic screenings.

“This is your moment to put your mark on a piece of film history 65 million years in the making,” Pratt says in a short video released to accompany the competition launch while Howard suggests: “Get as creative as you want.”

As well as seeing their design on the big screen, the winner will also get a goody bag, a framed copy of the black card and the chance to take three people to a special screening of their film. The winning design will be shown before all screenings of “Jurassic World Dominion” which opens in the U.

What happens when the go-to man – the sanest individual in a psych ward – begins to lose his grip? When the person people rely on most, loses control?

After years working as a psych nurse at Wakefield, Nik Katira (Rudi Dharmalingam) is exceptionally good at his job. With a gift for soothing the afflicted and reaching the unreachable, he’s the most stable person in what tends to be a pretty crazy place. But right now, his grip on his own sanity is slipping. The question is… why?

Joining Dharmalingam in the cast of the eight-part ABC/Jungle Entertainment drama are Geraldine Hakewill, Mandy McElinney, Harriet Dyer, Harry Greenwood, Ryan Corr, Felicity Ward, Kim Gyngell, Dan Wyllie, Sam Simmons and Bessie Holland.

Wakefield will be available to binge on ABC iview from April 2, before airing on the ABC Sunday April 18 8.30pm.

The post ‘Wakefield’ (Trailer) appeared first on If Magazine.

So hefty is the ABC’s slate in 2021, director entertainment and specialist Michael Carrington is confident audiences won’t even realise that many of the broadcaster’s productions faced shutdowns and delays during the pandemic.

As announced at the ABC’s upfronts this afternoon, the line-up for the new year includes new dramas Fires and The Newsreader, new comedies Fisk and Preppers, as well as the return of Total Control, Frayed, Jack Irish, Harrow and Superwog.

2021 will also see the premiere of Jungle Entertainment’s mental health drama Wakefield, with all eps planned to drop on ABC iview.

Also on the line-up is Closer Productions’ chef comedy Aftertaste, starring Erik Thomson, Natalie Abbott and Rachel Griffiths, and feature anthology Here Out West, penned by a group of emerging writers from Western Sydney.

“Seven or eight months ago we were in full production and overnight we stopped production all around Australia,...

Exclusive: Rhys Wakefield (The Purge) has been set to star in Australian sci-fi horror Alternate, which is due to get underway in Adelaide, Australia, in early 2021.

Writer-director Anthony Garland’s feature debut will be produced by Lady A Pictures’ Ali Mueller (Challenger) and Sla Films’ Anna Vincent (I Am Mother). Kindred Spirit’s Anita Gou (The Farewell) will executive-produce.

Endeavor Content has come aboard to handle North American rights with Rialto Distribution releasing in Australia and New Zealand. Screen Australia is providing major production support with additional backing from the South Australian Film Corporation.

Set in a high-rise office building, the film will follow an overworked young executive (Wakefield) who goes back in time four hours to save his girlfriend from being killed.

The film is inspired by Garland’s proof of concept short Snake which follows a girl working late one night who gets stuck in a time loop.

There are just a handful of independent production companies with three or more half-hour series currently on U.S. television. One of them could surprise you: It’s Australian indie Jungle Entertainment, owned by CEO Jason Burrows, director Trent O’Donnell, writer Phil Lloyd and COO Chloe Rickard.

They are behind CBS All Access’ first original comedy series No Activity, Fox’s family comedy The Moodys and FX’s half-hour comedy-drama Mr. Inbetween. Additionally, a series by O’Donnell and Lloyd became Comedy Central’s 2014 Review. All four shows have run multiple seasons; three are American versions of the Jungle team’s Australian series, and one, Mr. Inbetween, is the actual Australian series airing on FX in the U.S.

The Moodys and Mr. Inbetween were recently renewed for another season. A third season of No Activity also in the works; it has already been written. While not formally greenlighted, the...

Rudi Dharmalingam in ‘Wakefield’ (Photo credit: Lisa Tomasetti.)

Jungle Entertainment, BBC Studios and the ABC’s Wakefield will be among the first drama series to resume shooting after the shutdown after the producers obtained an exemption from Border Force travel restrictions for Rudi Dharmalingam.

The British actor will return to Australia on July 10 and after two weeks in quarantine will be ready to work when filming resumes on August 3.

In the eight-parter set in a Blue Mountains psychiatric hospital created by Kristen Dunphy, Dharmalingham plays Nik, a psych nurse blessed with a powerful combination of common sense and intuition.

Nik is easily the sanest person in what is a pretty crazy place but when a song gets stuck in his head, a dark secret from his past begins to intrude into his present, forming an intriguing puzzle.

Geraldine Hakewill plays a psychiatrist with Mandy McElhinney as the head nurse, Dan Wyllie...

Jason Burrows.

Jungle Entertainment CEO Jason Burrows advocates one key structural change if the Australian screen industry is to take full advantage of an expected, post-pandemic boom in demand for scripted content: Treat writers much better.

Burrows is confident Australia can produce drama which competes with the best in the world if writers are given more time for development, greater creative control, more training and mentoring and higher fees.

“If we don’t, we might as well stop making drama,” he said in a webinar with Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner yesterday.

“We should do that even it means Australia makes one less drama each year, as it will pay off in the long run for all of us.”

Too often, he says, projects go into production or pre-production without finished scripts due to numerous factors including network pressures to fill a gap in the schedule, limited development fees and investment,...

David Anderson.

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted 70 productions which the ABC has commissioned from a total of 50 independent producers, according to MD David Anderson.

“I am worried about the creative sector in this crisis and what will happen on the other side,” Anderson said today. “It’s important to who we are in this country.”

In conversation with Screen Producers Australia CEO Matt Deaner, Anderson identified his other major concern as filling the ABC networks’ program schedules later this year and into 2021.

“We don’t want to rely on international acquisitions to either fill the schedule or make up the inventory sitting on our Svod service,” he said.

It’s clear the broadcaster is looking to partially make up the delivery shortfall with local programming as Anderson said he would announce deals later this week to re-license Australian content.

Last week ABC director of entertainment and specialist Michael Carrington unveiled...

The cast of ‘Wentworth.’

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the suspension or postponement of 119 screen productions, resulting in a loss to the production sector of $471 million.

That’s according to Screen Producers Australia’s updated screen production survey on the impact of Covid-19.

In addition to the production disruption, the survey found $20 million in export revenue has been lost, bringing the total to nearly $100 million.

Among the productions that have been shut down or delayed are Neighbours, Wakefield, Australia’s Got Talent, Back to the Rafters, Wentworth, Five Bedrooms, Harrow, The Voice Australia, The Bureau of Magical Things, Why Are You Like This?, Yes, Chef!, Rfds, The Real Housewives of Melbourne, Little J & Big Cuz, The Block and The Bachelor Australia.

That represents $232 million in actual spending and $239 million in estimates. The survey did not cover stalled Hollywood productions including Marvel Studio’s Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings...

First Ad Jeremy Grogan, Dop Martin McGrath and camera operator Nicolas Owens on the ‘Wakefield’ set (Photo: Lisa Tomasetti).

The Australian TV drama production sector has virtually ground to a halt with multiple shows suspending shooting last Friday.

Jungle Entertainment and BBC Studios shut down the ABC-commissioned Wakefield, the eight-episode drama set in a Blue Mountains psychiatric hospital.

“The limitations we’ve put on our incredible cast and crew over the last two weeks have made shooting more and more difficult and it is now logistically impossible and unsafe to continue,” Jungle CEO Jason Burrows tells If.

“We’re lucky to have partners in the ABC, Screen Australia, Screen Nsw and BBC Studios who have been very supportive. I just hope the government will provide some financial relief to those in need in our team, and the wider industry, while they are out of work.”

Hoodlum Entertainment called a halt...

Jocelyn Moorhouse with Dop Martin McGrath on the ‘Wakefield’ set.

Jocelyn Moorhouse was shooting the ABC’s Stateless when Jungle Entertainment offered her the gig of set-up director of the ABC drama Wakefield.

The concept was unlike anything she’d ever heard of, centering on the interaction between staff and patients at a Blue Mountains psychiatric hospital, leavened with musical numbers and tap dancing, so she was hooked.

Brit Rudi Dharmalingam plays Nik, a gifted psych nurse in the eight-episode show created by Kristen Dunphy, who is the showrunner with Sam Meikle, produced by Shay Spencer and Ally Henville for Jungle Entertainment and BBC Studios.

The sanest person in a pretty crazy place, Nik is confronted by a dark secret from his past when a song gets stuck in his head.

Reuniting with the director after collaborating on the Seven Network’s Wanted, Geraldine Hakewill plays a psychiatrist, with Mandy McElhinney as the head nurse.

‘Wakefield’.

British actor Rudi Dharmalingam, Mandy McElhinney and Geraldine Hakewill lead the cast of newly-announced ABC drama Wakefield, now shooting across Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Southern Highlands.

Produced by Jungle Entertainment in partnership with BBC Studios, the eight-parter created by Kristen Dunphy is set in a Blue Mountains psychiatric hospital, and described as a psychological mystery exploring the fine line between sanity and madness.

At the show’s centre is Dharmalingham’s Nik, a gifted psych nurse, blessed with a powerful combination of common sense and intuition. Nik is easily the sanest person in what is a pretty crazy place. But when a song gets stuck in his head, a dark secret from his past begins to intrude into his present, forming an intriguing puzzle that comes together as the series builds to its heart wrenching conclusion.

Starring alongside is an impressive ensemble cast including Dan Wyllie, Harriet Dyer,...

In a sign of further consolidation in the German movie market Koch Films has acquired fellow indie distributor Ksm, whose managing director Benjamin Krause has handed over full control of the label to Koch managing directors Jochen Walter and Stefan Kapelari. Ksm, a leading anime distributor in Germany, has also released movies including Love & Friendship, Final Score and Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Garner thriller Wakefield. Krause said in a press release, “After 17 years of continuous development, I have decided to start something else, and I am handing over Ksm at a time when it has achieved great economic success.” Koch Media Group is well known as a games and movie distributor in Europe. Walter commented, “Through this acquisition, we are expanding our portfolio in Germany and adding the anime segment, thereby increasing our presence in the digital as well as in the classic home video market.” Deal terms and staff changes were not revealed.

RZA is on the cusp of two professional milestones. This November, his legendary hip-hop group, the Wu-Tang Clan, will ring in its 25th anniversary with a series of Down Under concerts. And early next year, he will bring audiences his third film as a director, “Cut Throat City.”

Born Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, the artist began releasing features six years ago. Rather than a career pivot, moviemaking represented coming full circle in the entertainment industry: the very first Wu-Tang album (“Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers”) took its name from the 1978 film “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.” In it, a fugitive college student travels to a Shaolin temple to master kung-fu, plotting revenge on his tyrannical government. During “RZA: Movies, Music, and Martial Arts” — his recent Hall H talk at San Diego Comic-Con — RZA recalled why Liu Chia-liang’s epic resonated for him and his bandmates.

“Being black in America — especially as I...

While it’s been a rough 2017 overall, It’s been a phenomenal year in film. With that being said, below is a list ranking what I believe are the top 20 films of 2017. It was painstakingly difficult cutting my list of 100 to 50, but even harder from 50 to 20. Some notable films that barely missed the cut include: “Wakefield,” “The Lovers,” “Wonder Woman,” “Baby Driver,” “Super Dark Times,” “It,” “Split,” “Personal Shopper,” “Columbus,” “Menashe” “and yes, I left out the fan favorite, “Dunkirk.” I also want to mention that there are films that I have excluded because I have yet to see them, such as: “Phantom Thread,” “The Darkest Hour,” “Bpm,” and “Molly’s Game” just to name a few.

Continue reading Kyle Kohner’s Top 20 Films Of 2017 at The Playlist.

With the abundance of labs and fellowships designed to give up-and-coming filmmakers a much-needed boost, the Nicholl Fellowship — launched in 1986 — still stands above the fray as being one of the most important opportunities for entry into the industry. Each of the winners receives a $35,000 prize with the understanding that they will complete a feature-length screenplay during their fellowship year. Just as important, their winning project instantly becomes a must-read by every agency in Hollywood.

The global competition has awarded 152 fellowships to date. Recent scripts by Nicholl Fellowship alumni include “The Glass Castle” and “Holy Rollers;” additional program veterans have gone on to receive plum writing assignments in film (Pixar’s “Cars 3”) and television (Netflix’s “The Punisher”).

Nine individuals and one screenwriting team were selected as 2017 fellowship recipients from more than 7,000 submissions; the winners are listed in bold:

Vigil Chime, “Bring Back Girl”

Sj Inwards, “Jellyfish Summer”

Max Lance and Jen Bailey,...

IFC Film’s EVP of sales and distribution Mark Boxer is headed over to Bob Berney’s newly formed distribution team at Amazon Studios as the brand looks to take the reigns on its cinema product.

To date, Amazon has relied on distribution partners such as Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions, Bleecker Street and Annapurna to handle its movies. Roadside Attractions handled Amazon’s Manchester by the Sea and floated it to $47.7M while Lionsgate took The Big Sick this past summer to $42.7M. Last year, Amazon won its first three Oscars, two for Manchester by the Sea and one for Asghar Farhadi’s The Salesman.

Boxer will report to Berney and word is that the Gotham executive will be bi-coastal. Boxer was promoted at IFC back in June. Boxer will oversee the booking of a 12-14 title slate of films with budgets ranging from $5M-$35M. The first title that Amazon...

Bryan Cranston’s post-“Breaking Bad” career has taken him from Lbj on Broadway and television (“All the Way”) to James Franco movies (“In Dubious Battle,” “Why Him?,” “The Disaster Artist”) to indie flicks (“The Infiltrator” and “Wakefield”). However, he may have finally found the lead role that will land him his second Oscar nomination after “Trumbo.”

Word is, Cranston delivers in “Boyhood” writer-director Richard Linklater’s September 28 New York Film Festival opener, the road trip drama “Last Flag Flying” (November 3, Amazon). Adapted from the 2005 Darryl Ponicsan novel, Cranston plays one of three Vietnam Navy veterans who reunite to bury one of their sons, an Iraq soldier. Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburne costar.

A sort of “spiritual sequel” to Hal Ashby’s 1973 film “The Last Detail,” which starred Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, and Otis Young in an adaptation of Ponicsan’s novel, that film followed two Navy sailors who show...

Bryan Cranston’s post-“Breaking Bad” career has taken him from Lbj on Broadway and television (“All the Way”) to James Franco movies (“In Dubious Battle,” “Why Him?,” “The Disaster Artist”) to indie flicks (“The Infiltrator” and “Wakefield”). However, he may have finally found the lead role that will land him his second Oscar nomination after “Trumbo.”

Word is, Cranston delivers in “Boyhood” writer-director Richard Linklater’s September 28 New York Film Festival opener, the road trip drama “Last Flag Flying” (November 3, Amazon). Adapted from the 2005 Darryl Ponicsan novel, Cranston plays one of three Vietnam Navy veterans who reunite to bury one of their sons, an Iraq soldier. Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburne costar.

A sort of “spiritual sequel” to Hal Ashby’s 1973 film “The Last Detail,” which starred Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, and Otis Young in an adaptation of Ponicsan’s novel, that film followed two Navy sailors who show...

Author: Stefan Pape

French production Untouchable is one of the best films this side of the millennium, and has since been subject to a Hollywood remake – hitting the festival circuit this Autumn. Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart are on board – and naturally, with the latter involved, one would assume that it’s a more comedically inclined endeavour. Yet when we spoke to Cranston in London last week to promote the home entertainment release of Wakefield, he said we were wrong to assume.

“It’s a move he [Kevin Hart] wanted to make and needed to make in his career, to say ‘I’m more than just a comedian’ and he truly is, he’s very grounded and it’s going to be a really lovely film”.

The interview was to coincide with the release of Wakefield – which we saw in Toronto last year and loved (you can read our review here) – of...

Paul Martinovic Aug 3, 2017

The great Bryan Cranston talks to us about his new film Wakefield, his signature role in Breaking Bad, and lots more...

Despite being one of the most in demand actors on the planet, we were lucky enough to catch up with Bryan Cranston while he was over in the UK to promote his new film Wakefield, a dark, literate tale of midlife crisis and male entitlement. Our interview took place mere hours after the Breaking Bad star scandalised the nation’s breakfast tables by casually dropping the word ‘shite’ in an interview on Good Morning Britain with a star struck Kate Garraway. Of course, Bryan Cranston being Bryan Cranston, nobody really minded all that much.

See related Arrow season 5 finale: John Barrowman reacts Arrow exclusive: Kevin Smith talks Onomatopoeia

It’s this butter-wouldn’t-melt, all-pervading likeability that is used to killer effect in Wakefield, the story of...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

City of Tiny Lights (Pete Travis)

Small-time private detective Tommy Akhtar (Riz Ahmed) has all the swagger of a hard-boiled snoop: leather jacket on his shoulders and cigarette in his mouth, leaning against London architecture in the darkened night. His office resides above some shops, he makes friendly with local convenience store owner Mrs. Elbaz (Myriam Acharki), and asks new clients where they found him because he’s not advertising in the paper.

Author: Competitions

To mark the release of Wakefield on 31st July, we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on DVD.

Successful suburbanite Howard Wakefield (Bryan Cranston; Breaking Bad, Trumbo) takes a surprising detour from family life when it all starts to get too much: He vanishes without a trace. Hidden in the attic of his carriage house garage, surviving by scavenging at night, Howard secretly observes the lives of his wife, his children and his neighbours as they learn to live with his unexplained disappearance. But has he left his family, or has he left himself?

Please note: This competition is open to UK residents only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Small Print

Open to UK residents only The competition will close 3rd August 2017 at 23.59 GMT The winner will be picked at random from entries received No cash alternative is available

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

2017-07-11T10:13:58-07:00Jennifer Garner Knew About Ben Affleck's Girlfriend Years Ago

Jennifer Garner confronted her estranged husband Ben Affleck's girlfriend, Lindsay Shookus, after she found out about their relationship years ago, Us Weekly confirms.

When the Wakefield actress, 45, spoke to the Saturday Night Live producer, she asked her to end the romance, a source close to Garner and Affleck tells Us, but "Lindsay said she'd only stop if Ben asked her to." The relationship "was the breaking point for Jen," the insider adds.

Meanwhile, a source close to the Batman actor, 44, counters that Shookus was not responsible for ending the 10-year marriage, adding, "Ben and Jen had a ton of other problems." A second source close to Affleck insists the actor has only been dating Shookus for three months.

Read the rest of this article at Us Weekly.

Ben Affleck has recently appeared...

Cannes competition title Loveless wins best international film.

Films by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Pedro Pinho and Tom Lass were among the winners at the 35th Filmfest München which came to a close on Saturday evening with a gala awards ceremony before the German premiere of Lone Scherfig’s Their Finest with actor Bill Nighy and producer Stephen Woolley in attendance.

The €50,000 Arri/Osram award for the best international film in the CineMasters sidebar went to Zvyagintsev’s Cannes competition film Loveless which opened in Russian cinemas through Wdssr on June 1 and will be released in Germany by Wild Bunch.

Producers Alexander Rodnyansky and Serguey Melkumov accepted the award in Munich from the hands of the international jury comprising German director Valeska Grisebach (whose latest feature Western premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in May), producer Markus Zimmer, and actress Nastassja Kinski.

This is the second time Zvyagintsev received the Munich award after his previous feature Leviathan had won...

Have you ever just wanted to walk away from it all? And how would your friends and family cope in your absence if you did? Those questions and more are asked in the strikingly original Wakefield, debuting at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival before arriving on digital platforms on July 28th and DVD from July 31st courtesy of Signature Entertainment.

Successful suburbanite Howard Wakefield (Bryan Cranston; Breaking Bad, Trumbo) takes a surprising detour from family life when it all starts to get too much: He vanishes without a trace. Hidden in the attic of his carriage house garage, surviving by scavenging at night, Howard secretly observes the lives of his wife, his children and his neighbours as they learn to live with his unexplained disappearance. But has he left his family, or has he left himself?

A fraught meditation on marriage and identity, Wakefield features a tour de...

IFC Films co-presidents, Jonathan Sehring and Lisa Schwartz, today announced the promotions of Mark Boxer to EVP, sales and distribution, and Lauren Schwartz to SVP of publicity and promotions.

Boxer is a longtime New York distribution guru who originally cut his teeth in the trade at Victor Kaufman and Lewis Korman’s Savoy Pictures as a regional booker handling such releases as Minnie Driver’s breakout title Circle of Friends and Robert De Niro’s iconic directorial debut Bronx Tale. Following Savoy, his career flourished at Sony, and then Artisan Entertainment where he covered Central and East Coast film distribution and sales for over 50 markets. A key title he handled, was the label’s blockbuster title The Blair Witch Project ($140.5M). During his tenure at IFC he has collaborated closely Sehring and Lisa Schwartz, helping to revolutionize indie film distribution by pioneering the day and date model with theatrical exhibition.

Executives worked on key titles including Boyhood, Personal Shopper, 45 Years.

IFC Films has promoted Mark Boxer and Lauren Schwartz, co-presidents Jonathan Sehring and Lisa Schwartz announced on Wednesday (14).

Boxer is named executive vice-president of sales and distribution, while Lauren Schwartz has been promoted to senior vice-president of publicity and promotions.

Long-time IFC Films executive Boxer oversees theatrical, non-theatrical and Canadian distribution of all IFC Films, as well as titles distributed under the Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight distribution labels.

He has been the chief architect behind the distribution strategy and release of such films as Wakefield starring Bryan Cranston, Personal Shopper with Kristen Stewart, Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, and Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip series.

Boxer worked closely with Sehring and Schwartz to pioneer the day-and-date release model. Prior to joining IFC Films, he worked for Artisan Entertainment covering Central and East Coast film distribution and sales for more than 50 markets.

As head of...

Author: Scott Davis

After the success of the first two films in the newly-created “MonsterVerse” over at Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros, which involves Godzilla and King Kong to name a few, the studios are pressing ahead with the latest installment, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and have added actress Zhang Ziyi to both star in the sequel and in the rest of the franchise going forward. (via Deadline)

Following on from the first film released in 2014, the sequel is co-written and directed by Michael Dougherty (Krampus) and is set several years after the events of the first installment, which starred Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals), Elizabeth Olsen (Wind River), Juliette Binoche (Clouds of Sils Maria), Sally Hawkins (Maudie) and Bryan Cranston (Wakefield) and was directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

See Also: Exclusive Interview with Tom Hiddleston on Kong: Skull Island

Ziyi is best known for...

The deal covers film and television projects through Mockingbird Pictures banner.

Skydance has entered into a multi-year overall deal for feature films and television with producers Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn of Mockingbird Pictures.

The company has several projects in development with Curtis (pictured) and Lynn, including the upcoming AMC television series Dietland.

Curtis and Lynn first partnered at Mockingbird Pictures after producing Albert Nobbs in 2012. The pair have produced seven films together, including Arie Posin’s The Face Of Love, Victor Levin’s 5 To 7, and Rodrigo Garcia’s Last Days In The Desert.

This year the duo has released Life, The Sweet Life, and Wakefield. Next on their slate is Marti Noxon’s To The Bone, which will premiere on Netflix in July.

Curtis’ industry start was as Steven Spielberg’s assistant; the beginning of a 15-year professional relationship with the director. After working on Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, Curtis transitioned...

Skydance has made an overall deal for features and TV with Mockingbird Pictures' Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn, who just worked with Skydance on the Daniel Espinosa-directed space alien pic Life. Their credits include To the Bone, Wakefield and the upcoming AMC series Dietland. "Bonnie and Julie are exceptional people and incredible producers whose boundless energy, incomparable work ethic, and collective eye for mining and cultivating creative material are second to…...

With her divorce from Ben Affleck finally proceeding, Jennifer Garner is happy, healing and looking forward to a bright future. Subscribe now for an inside look at her new life — only in People.

Jennifer Garner is settling into her new life as a single mom.

The actress, who filed for divorce from Ben Affleck on April 13, is “doing okay,” an insider tells People in this week’s cover story. “This has really been the most difficult decision for her. But it’s time to focus on the future.”

Garner, 45, and Affleck, 44, who each asked for joint custody of their three kids,...

This Memorial Day weekend at the specialty box office is dominated by niche releases without much crossover theatrical appeal, often available for home viewing. The strongest performer: Sundance entry “Long Strange Trip: The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead” (Abramorama), which opened in two cities, combining Thursday night event shows and full-week dates to overcome its four-hour running time.

While “The Tree of Life,” “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Before Midnight” all opened on this date, since 2013 top distributors have chosen not to launch major releases over the three-day holiday.

June will bring some top releases to flesh out a slow schedule, including Sofia Coppola’s Cannes success “The Beguiled” (Focus Features). Cannes competition films from Bong Joon Ho (“Okja”) and Noah Baumbach (“The Meyerowitz Stories”) will hit Netflix and select day-and-date theaters in June, and sometime after that, respectively.

Netflix scored front-page movie-section reviews for their Brad Pitt starrer “War Machine...

MaryAnn’s quick take… An appalling elevation of toxic masculinity to something poignant, radical, and heroic. As unpleasant and as passive-aggressive as its horrid protagonist. I’m “biast” (pro): love the cast

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

I wish I could figure out just what the hell writer-director Robin Swicord (The Jane Austen Book Club) thinks she is saying with the appalling Wakefield, a movie as unpleasant and as passive-aggressive as its horrid protagonist. Because all it looks and feels like is an elevation of toxic masculinity — of emotional withdrawal, delusions about one’s own rationality, pretensions about one’s boldness, and disdain for women, among other nasty things — to a level meant to be poignant, radical, and heroic all at once. And it’s nothing of the sort.

Rather than face a momentary embarrassment,...

2017-05-22T10:44:38-07:00Bryan Cranston Slims Down for New Movie Role

Bryan Cranston got thin. Thin! Like how thin? Like you can see Calista Flockhart through him.

“It’s for my new movie ‘Wakefield,’ ” he said. “I play a scavenger. And a scavenger can’t look fat.”

Bryan a humble scavenger? I mean, please. Cranston showed me his jacket label. Givenchy. I mean, please. His skinny, starving bones were in a suit more expensive than the whole damn movie.

“I lost 16 pounds. My character’s homeless. So I did a fast blast. A friend recommended drinking a doctor in Canada’s potion of nutrition. He sent it to me. It tastes like a smoothie. Reducing your intake, squeeze it out as you want it, it’s 3 ¹/₂ ounces per package.”

Read the rest of this article at Page Six.

Bryan Cranston appeared in Breaking Bad and Malcolm in the Middle.

Jennifer Garner plays a wife in the midst of a marital crisis in her new film Wakefield.

The film tells the story of a successful suburban family man named Howard Wakefield (played by Bryan Cranston), who decides to escape his life by disappearing into his attic. Surviving by scavenging for food at night, Wakefield secretly watches while the lives of his wife and children move on without him.

In a new clip from the film, debuting exclusively on People, some of the cracks in the Wakefields’ marriage begin to emerge. The scene appears to take place before Cranston’s character decamps to the attic,...

Cartoon Brew utterly savage (but 100% correct) on the Emoji Movie trailer

La Review of Books on Netflix's Sense8 as metaphor for Netflix is. (I have no idea

why a book site is  reviewing this but the piece is absolutely terrific)

La Times talks to Robin Swicord, only now with a second feature (Wakefield) long after the success of The Jane Austen Book Club. Her debut was profitable (always Hollywood's end goal) but Hollywood wouldn't hire her to direct? We've heard this story all too often!

Screen Daily in terrible terrible news they're still not going to let the once genius but totally played out Terminator franchise die and Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron plan to be involved in the next one. Doesn't anyone in Hollywood want to do something original even more? It's not like Cameron couldn't get funding for literally Anything he wanted to do. (sigh)

Film School Rejects...

This weekend, the entire specialized industry is huddled in Cannes in search of the next big things. On the home front, just three noteworthy films opened, each on a single Manhattan screen. Two of them, the Bryan Cranston-starring “Wakefield” and Steve James’ financial world set documentary “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail,” showed some life.

Eleanor Coppola’s “Paris Can Wait” had a promising second-weekend expansion, and looks to be the standout over the next month and more. Still, results remain minor after a couple post-awards months led by “Gifted” and “The Zookeeper’s Wife.”

Opening

Wakefield (IFC) – Metacritic: 60; Festivals include: Telluride, Toronto 2016

$14,120 in 1 theater: PTA (per theater average): $14,120

Bryan Cranston has become an omnipresent force in TV, Broadway, and features. This film, opening many months after its September festival premieres, “Wakefield” puts him front and center as a Manhattan law partner who zones out of his suburban life...